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lex-the-flex · 10 months

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Darker Than Wine

Astarion x Mortal! reader

Summary: In the ruined castle, the King silently rules over all that is dark and unnatural. Shrouded in the endless mysteries of his cruel abilities, he hungers for something stronger than wine.

Word Count: 1.3k

Warning(s): Moments of fluff, Astarion being a true lover/King, (spoiling the reader), established relationship, Astarion and the reader opening up, brief alcohol consumption, 18+ – PURE SMUT, basic porn with little plot lol, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it kids), loss of virginity, oral (f! receiving), HEAVY vampirism, blood, descriptions of injuries, and brief moments of pain.

A/N: From what I've seen from BG3, I'm absolutely IN LOVE with Astarion and Neil's incredible voice acting! Feedback is appreciated and enjoy!

A defining silence takes over the once great castle, inviting only superstitions and ghost stories to walk through the grand halls. Memories of the past overtook the ruins of Cazador's Palace and were replaced with newer, happier ones. But only behind closed doors.

On the outside however, the various village occupants did not dare to enter through the large doors, in fear of the cruel King who sat on his throne, ruling over nothing but darkness.

Hiding in the shadows, The Pale Elf accomplished all, and he achieved this with a mortal by his side. Except there was one problem: he thirsted for something more greater than wine.

The library's cozy atmosphere brought an inviting sense of serenity by the warmth of the infinite fireplace. Sitting on a lounge chair, you tried to focus on a new novel from the seemingly endless bookshelves containing sheltered and well-preserved books from the two hundred years of your husband and his master’s adventures long before you were born.

Taking another sip from your wine glass, the tart dark liquid helps you focus, but only for a millisecond. Scrunching your eyebrows together, you tried to get back into the book, but another presence from the far corner of the room distracts you once more.

“You’re staring again, Astarion.” You announced, closing your book and leaving your place bookmarked with your finger.

Turning to face him, his silver orbs glow in the darkness, before returning to his normal red.

“It just comes naturally, dear. Especially in your soothing presence.” Astarion replies, walking to the chair.

Cupping your face from behind, Astarion leans down and meets your lips for a small kiss.

“Mm, delectable. You know I’ll never get used to this.” He says with a smile.

“Well, we are married after all. So you might have too.” You reply, setting your book down.

"And yet I still don't know what comes next. But as long as you're here, we can truly accomplish anything, Y/N." Astarion says, walking around to face you.

Closing his arms around you, he lowers his chin to your shoulder, never getting tired of your embrace. Silently shaking in his touch, your breath hitches between your pink lips. Taking your arms in his hands, Astarion faces you with a wave of concern emerging in every corner of his face.

"You're shaking. Is everything alright, darling?" He asks, gently stroking your cheek.

"Everything's fine. I promise, it's just..." You start, but mumble with your answer.

"But what? It was Araj again, wasn't it? She said something to you." Astarion assumes, and a wave of rage begins to boil in his blood.

"No, it wasn't Araj, I swear. I'd like to--" You try again, but can't.

"You'd what?" Astarion continues, leaning his forehead to yours, hoping to calm your nerves.

"I'd like to do what we talked about. Finally making our marriage real ...and holding up my end of our deal." You explain, swallowing your embarrassment.

Taking in your confession, Astarion overcomes his tiny state of shock.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I'd love to, darling." He whispers, hesitant to give you an answer.

“Are you sure?” You ask, sliding your hands to his shoulders.

“I’ve never wanted anything more for the last two years.” He replies, pressing his lips to yours.

*****

Guiding you back to the dark space of your shared private chambers, Astarion swung his cape from his shoulders, tossing it to a nearby wardrobe chest. Cupping your jawline with both hands, he passionately kissed you in the dimly lit room, carefully backing you towards the large bed.

Carefully removing your dress, Astarion’s fingers graze around the curves of your hips before reaching your waistline, desperately ready to have you. Throwing the piece of fabric back into the room, you playfully gasped at the action, to which he replied with his signature smirk.

“We can always buy you another one, dear.” Astarion said, just as he began removing his boots.

Taking off the remainder of his ebony robes, Astarion lifts you in his touch, gently laying you down. Tracing his lips over your shoulders, you gasped at his softness.

“Astarion?” You asked, lifting your head to face him.

“Yes, my love?” He replied, giving you his full attention.

“…Go slow, please.” You hesitated, shyly squeezing his shoulder.

A brief pause filled the air whilst he instantly knew what you meant.

“Oh, then this’ll be delicious.” He teased, smirking at your request.

Descending your body, Astarion sank to his knees before continuing up your nude form with sweet, yet feverish kisses. Gliding his way down to your inner thighs, his lips ran along the sensitive skin, before parting your folds with his tongue, earning himself your first real moan.

“That’s it, darling. Don’t hide your lust from me.” Astarion instructed as he held your hips down.

Gathering your bundle of nerves in his mouth, his tongue pushes past your entrance. Swirling around your ecstasy, and he took his time eating you out before you eventually came all over his tongue. Collecting yourself, the stars in your eyes faded and you were greeted by the sight of Astarion hovering above you.

“You alright?” He asked, observing your current state.

“More than alright.” You answered with a quick giggle.

“Excellent.” He smiled, then guided your legs around his hips.

Aligning himself with your dripping folds, Astarion teased you with his erect tip, prepping you to take all of him. Pushing his manhood past your entrance, you both moaned together at this feeling. Slowly moving his hips against your own, Astarion heeded your wishes, and took in your lust that was clogging his lungs.

Grazing his teeth over the flesh of collarbones, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders, prompting him to continue. Astarion’s sharp fangs teased your ticklish skin, forcing a layer of goosebumps to rise up. Feeling the rhythm of your pulse in his pointed ears, he enjoyed the pounding pace of your heartbeat one last time before thrusting deeper into you.

Following in time with his thrusts, your hands slid down to his ass, and your shared moans became music to his ears. Feeling a heat rising in the pit of your stomach, you tensed at this sensation, but your husband was right there to guide you.

Your walls tightened around Astarion’s cock which made him see stars beneath his red eyes. A growl emerged from his chest and he quickened his pace, riding out your orgasm with love and adoration. Finishing after you, you both held your sweaty and exhausted bodies closer just as rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps in the curtains.

Collecting you in his arms, Astarion sat you on his lap, giving you reassuring kisses along the way. Running your fingers through his hair, you traced your fingers along Astarion’s eyebrows and jawline, humming at his eternal beauty,

“If you were to do this, Y/N, there’s no going back. You’d be leaving your mortal life behind. Are you sure you want this?” He asks with a bit of sadness in his eyes.

“I’m sure. This is what I want, and I want it with you.” You replied, running your fingers through his hair.

Nodding at your decision, Astarion lowered his lips to your chest, pressing kisses to your bare breasts. Rolling his tongue around your nipples, he tugged on your breasts with his teeth before letting go with a satisfying pop. Trailing up to your collarbones, the echo of your pulse rang in his Elven ears, causing them to tingle.

The sharpness of his fangs gilded against your neck, tickling your throat as Astarion gathered you in his arms and bit down on your flesh. Sinking his teeth into your warm skin, he ravished in the taste of blood. The sweetness drove him mad and he took what he desired. The sounds of your voice brought him back, Astarion continued and carefully bit his own wrist before encasing your lips around the small wound.

Drinking in his blood, Astarion gently laid you back down, and watched you transform into your new vampire body, giving you the most beautiful pair of crimson eyes he’d ever seen.

tagging ~

@dreamliners

@violetthecreator

@the-resident-vampire

@bitten-by-astarion

@loveandfictionforall

@tripleyeeet

@macabre-mangled

@demigoddessqueens

@sweatandwoe

#baldur's gate 3 #baldurs gate astarion #astarion #astarion x reader #astarion x you #astarion x y/n #astarion fic #astarion fanfic #the pale elf

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writing-for-life · 6 months

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Dream and How He Experiences Love

(Or: When the Unreal is at War with the Real, and Finally Understanding Unconditional Love Tightens the Noose Around Your Neck That Has Been There All Along)

And as always: Send me asks about everything Sandman-related!

Let me start this one with a few adjectives from the horse’s mouth (aka: Neil Gaiman said so 🤣) as to what Dream is actually like:

from: Vertigo Chase Card Set

So in short: This is probably the most accurate way to describe Dream in a nutshell, from the author himself, fully knowing that Murphy doesn’t lend himself well to be described in a nutshell.

And of course it’s absolutely fine if we want to head-canon him just being 5 out of those 50 (or none of them at all)—our stories are our own. At the end of the day, we went through a whole year of Tumblrfication (I might have made up that word), and getting back to the series will be tough. So is trying to align what the current prevalent perception of Dream is like in parts of the fandom, and what he is like in both comics and series (show and comics really aren’t that different where it matters, and I’ll die on that hill). I already worry about the fallout if I look at what happened with GO or OFMD, but that just as an aside.

Anyway, Dream in fandom spaces is often portrayed as either a pathetic wet cat who can’t get to grips with anything and constantly needs rescued in one way or another, or as a completely unfeeling arsehole incapable of relating to the human experience and being horrible all around. There are very few shades of grey in how some fans perceive him, when just the list of above adjectives shows us how complex he is as a character.

One thing that obviously comes up regularly are his relationships, be they romantic or platonic. So I just wanted to draw attention to the adjectives that relate strongly to the relational element in him (although they all apply in one way or another):

touchy, sentimental, cold, loving, [elusive], gentle, hurt, deep, intense, solitary, romantic, shy, intangible, lonely

Dream is the unreal. His way of loving relates very deeply to what stereotypical romantic love is: Romance and reality are a contradiction in terms—romanticism is dreaming because it is, at its very core, an idealised view. The intangible dream that comes back to bite us in the arse once reality sets in. And his flavour of love is the prototype of idealised and intangible (=romantic) and can never be anything else by his very nature.

And I’ve often thought that the way he experiences love is also a large part of why his existence is so difficult for him, and why he ultimately makes the choices he makes. Yes, he detests his function, but if he weren't so lonely (and weren't doomed to be so by his very purpose), he might find it easier to bear.

Let me look at, and draw parallels to, the 7 types of love as the Ancient Greeks perceived them [quick note about the image references: I would have loved to give more, but there is a limit. Also: Apologies I have no alt text for the comic panels at this point, I might add them at a later stage if I find the time]…

Eros

That’s both sexual and romantic love (to varying degrees), and it can be fleeting (like a dream) if not anchored in a less idealised view. So there’s your first cue—he totally experiences that kind of love.

The Ancient Greeks also thought it was a dangerous type of love, one that clouds our judgment and one that won’t last if not combined with some of the other types. And Dream himself knows this and probably relates (he detests his sibling Desire for “meddling”, after all). And yet, he is the intangible, the ungrounded, the unreal.

It’s all over every single one of his relationships we witness:

Killalla—“gifted” by Desire. We never get any cue as to what exactly they were up to, but it can be assumed desire, for whatever, played a large part in their relationship. Killalla makes no secret about it either (and is at the same time uncertain whether she truly loves him while being confused Dream might actually love her after what seems a very short time, at least in cosmic terms). Suffice it to say, he has a very idealised view of her and their relationship. Romantic idiocy at its best: He has literal stars in his eyes and is so grateful for Desire’s help he is basically kissing their boots in gratitude.

Alianora—again one of Desire’s gifts. And Dream tried, and I definitely think he was at least romantically (and physically) attracted to her (the art is very hard to interpret otherwise, neither is the context--she was gifted by Desire, after all). But this relationship is generally a tricky one because there is gratefulness and guilt n the mix, and that is sometimes a very unfortunate combination. He also couldn’t fully trust her because of his deep mistrust of D/desire. And lo and behold, of course the relationship soured when romantic and (potentially physical) attraction waned.

Nada—pursuing each other on and off, broadcasting sexy time all over the Dreaming because he's just so head over heels and literally bursting at the seams—need I say more? Yes, he does say to her that her body does not matter to him, which I 100% believe is true. He also says that he will love her as no mortal man can. But everything that transpires is still deeply informed by romantic attraction, because quite frankly: You don't feel love yet after you've barely met someone. It's again a deeply idealised view and that is something inherently romantic in tandem (in this case) with physical desire. Again, because D/desire was involved.

As to the particulars of Nada’s banishment to hell, and why Dream acted so out of character compared to his other failed relationships: You can find all of it here.

Calliope—read her speech at the Wake is all I’ll say. That is someone making romantic love so integral to their whole existence, I don’t even know where to start. He puts the world at her feet and makes sure she always comes first (quite literally) while they are still loved up…

Thessaly—he's the romantic idiot (affectionately) in the rain with his coat billowing in the wind, and referring to her “weighing him dispassionately and finding him wanting”. It was only a handful of months--you don't feel true, stable love at that point. Again, it has the idealised view of romance (and potentially sexual desire) written all over it. He would have given her the world, just like he would have given the world to Nada and Calliope. That is the trope of every freaking romance novel, and that is exactly how he perceives love.

Titania—who knows, she keeps her mouth shut.

Ludus

I think he has a hard time to be flirtatious and playful (at least, we don't really see it. We never really see him during the courting stage, and what went down with Thessaly was hardly "flirtatious". `Then again, bickering like they did in A Game of You is electrifying to some, so who knows. She also said at his wake he was cautious and nervous). And if he comes across as flirtatious (there is a charming on that list of adjectives after all), it’s just because he is so deliberate in everything he does that he might just push someone’s (right) buttons, so to speak. But that’s not the same as “no strings attached”-love, because I honestly believe he’s incapable of experiencing love that way. There is no “casual” with him. He always stays attached to the people/women he once loved, even if the relationship sours. He still loves each and every single one of them, he never stops. But he also doesn’t in a way that’s sustainable, and it’s an unsolvable conflict due to what/who he is.

Philia

Most closely translated as friendship and affection. Platonic love, if you will. It is also a love between equals. He has a hard time with it and only slowly learns what it means through his relationship with Hob. Needless to say: The Ancient Greeks valued platonic love as one of the highest forms of love. Hence, I’m personally reluctant to turn it into something else/slant it towards romance, because that’s exactly what this part of the story is about: His relationship to Hob is important and grows/lasts because it is not romantic in the comics.

Storge

Unconditional love for family, especially children. Based on complete acceptance and potentially sacrifice. Doesn’t need to be reciprocated. You feel it, no matter what, and you act accordingly. And for Dream and Orpheus, that didn’t work until it did. Or, let’s rather say: I don’t want to assume he didn’t feel it. But he pushed it down in his hurt and pride (as did his son in his grief). No further comment, because that one hurts.

Agape

Altruistic, universal, all-encompassing. And that’s so deeply at the core of his being, and so central to his whole conflict that I don’t even know where to start. From not wanting to kill the first vortex (or Rose, for that matter), to telling John Dee he’s hurting the dreamers, and that being his main concern while he himself was writhing on the floor in agony, to “humanity I love you”, to a million other things. He cares so deeply, there is such a deep concern for sentient beings in their entirety that it’s quite literally impossible to call it anything other than love. And it’s also what plays a large part in his demise.

Pragma

Oh, here we go. I honestly believe he likes the idea of committed and long-lasting. And he’s trying. So very hard. Calliope is the best example. Alianora was another one, because it’s not like they broke up swiftly (hard to tell how long they lasted, but since she had stayed in the Dreaming too long to go anywhere else, it wouldn’t surprise me if we’re actually talking a very, very long time. He called it “a goodly while”, and considering how old he is, I doubt that equals only months, or even just a few years, especially since he is fully aware how short his relationship to Thessaly was). And he wanted to stay true to his promise. But he is who/what he is: the unreal. And as the personification of that, love both feels real for him but will also forever stay intangible. It’s heartbreaking really. Again, it has written the contradiction between romantic love (the ideal) and pragmatic love (the thing that is grounded in reality) written all over it.

Philautia

And that’s the most heartbreaking one. He is incapable of self-love and full of self-loathing instead. The Ancient Greeks used to say that you can’t give what you don’t have. And it’s hard to feel compassion for the flaws we perceive in others if we don’t have that self-compassion for the exact same flaw in ourselves. And that one hurts in so many ways, from his not being able to forgive himself (which is mirrored in his relationship to Nada, who also couldn’t forgive herself—she didn’t need his forgiveness, she needed her own) to Orpheus being so much like him apart from one major difference: he’s mortal in spirit, and even immortality doesn’t change that. And Dream struggles with the part of his child that is so like him for a million reasons that would burst this meta at the seams, but again: it’s hard to love in others what we detest in ourselves, knowingly or unknowingly.

So in short: The particular flavours of love Dream feels (Eros, Agape, Philia growing slowly over time) and the ones he doesn’t (Ludus, Pragma, Philautia) are also at the very root of how the story goes.

And when he finally truly understands what Storge/unconditional love is--both in the way he reassesses his relationship to Nada but especially in how he finally submits to his love for Orpheus (with all that entails)--and when he allows it to become real, it’s what tightens the noose around his neck. But that noose has been around his neck loosely all along…

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ash5monster01 · 2 months

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Goes On Chapter Fifteen

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x OC!FemReader

Warnings: 18+, depression, mentions of suicide, heavy topics, eventual smut, slow burn romance, fluff, gender themes/stereotypes.

Summary: Against his best efforts Charlie has to start at a new preparatory school after the tragic events that took place at Welton. The very events that led to the loss of his best friend and getting expelled in the first place. He has no plans to make friends let alone get close to anyone ever again. That is until he meets Evelyn and her interesting group of friends. No matter how hard he tries to push them away he finds it to be impossible. So he caves and in the end learns that life can still be enjoyable even if it feels like everyone is against you.

word count: 2.6k

Fourteen ←→ Epilogue

Masterlist

Welton Academy, VT

4/16/60

It had been four months to the day since Charlie found out about Neil. Not so long ago he had experienced the best four months of his life. To think he had just gone through four months of his worst was mind numbing in a way he couldn’t comprehend. So he let this thought consume him as he took a bus to the ferry and then the ferry to another bus just to be met with the large metal gate he thought he would never have to see again.

He didn’t have to call and ask if they’d be here. He knew they would. Easter wasn’t a big enough Holiday for the parents to pull them out of school. The most they’d have to attend was Easter service tomorrow and classes would be back on schedule on Tuesday. That meant Charlie had all of this weekend to come to terms with what his life was becoming. Come to terms to who he was without Welton or Neil.

Considering he was expelled he didn’t know the proper etiquette for visiting the school. He didn’t care to know anyway so he snuck in, something he had done hundreds of times before and made his way through the empty halls and passing all the familiar rooms. It was weird being back here when he thought it wouldn’t be. That he would always be a part of this school somehow or another. It was still weird to think he wasn’t. This thought scared him as he knocked softly on the safest door.

“Charlie!” Meeks surprised voice squeaked as his eyes widened at the sight of him. Charlie quickly lifted his finger to shush him, pushing him inside as he stepped into the room and out of sight of any teachers eyes. It’s possible he was allowed to visit but based on the terms he left, he didn’t want to bother to find out he wasn’t.

“Hey Meeks” he grinned softly, the happiness of seeing his friend outweighing the sadness burrowed deep inside. When Meeks finally realized this isn’t a hallucination he hugs him quickly.

“Pittsie” Charlie nods at the boy who gapes at him from his desk, standing to hug him as well. Charlie already feels the heavy tears burning against the back of his eyes as he holds his two friends.

“What’re you doing here?” Pitts asks once they pull away and Charlie offers his familiar smirk, one that had become so foreign over the last few months, as he sets his suitcase down.

“Ridge gives their students the entire week off and since my parents figure I’m staying on campus to keep up with my studies, I figured I’d come here. See my best pals” Charlie explains, leaving out the very grave detail he did intend on staying at Ridge, all up until the girl he loved looked at him with eyes as cold as the dead of winter.

“We gotta get Todd and Knox” Meeks starts for the door and Charlie doesn’t stop him, laughing lightly as his red-headed friend takes off on his mission. Charlie hates how familiar and foreign everything around him feels when not so long ago his presence here wouldn’t have been such a big deal. It doesn’t take long for Meeks to return, the two boys barreling behind him just to see if Meeks speaks the truth.

“Holy shit” is all Knox can say when he finally spots him, wrapping his arms around him in a large hug. Charlie laughs at the excitement, hugging him back just as enthusiastically.

“Knoxie, how’s Chris?” Charlie smirks and Knox just smiles, softly shaking his head. He snuck out any chance he could to meet the beautiful blonde girl and risked being killed by Chet Danbury everyday, but man was it worth it.

“Still a dream” he grins, cheeks flushed because somehow he was able to keep his dream girl through all of this. Charlie just smiles back, nodding his head because he knows a thing or two about falling head over heels for a girl now. He’s brought back to reality when he spots Todd who stays standing in the doorway, eyeing him as if he looked away Charlie would somehow disappear.

“Todd, heard you started a revolution” Charlie grins that familiar smile at him and all the times Todd imagined seeing his face again it was nothing like this. Yet to see it in person again felt like being wrapped in a warm hug.

“Ah I learned from the best” Todd says after a beat, waving a hand as if to brush off the sentiment but it doesn’t make Charlie any less proud as he pulls the boy into a tight hug and ruffles the blonde hair on his head.

“Who would’ve thought quiet old Todd would grown a pair” Charlie says when he lets him go, the teasing tone not matching the adoration in his eyes. Not so long ago he thought of Todd as Neil’s quiet roommate and now he was considerably his best friend.

“It was a one time thing, one more stunt and I’m out like you Nuwanda” Todd teases back and Charlie just laughs, moving and flopping onto Meeks bed.

“That’s not a bad thing” Charlie jokes, hands motioning upward as he relaxed against the cushions. It was still a dorm bed but it was better than two buses and a ferry.

“How’s Ridge? How’s the girls?” Knox asks, eyebrows wiggling with suggestion as the boys all begin to settle around the room and catch up.

“Ridge sucks. I’m on track because I didn’t sign up for any sports in time and they made me take it anyway. As for the curriculum it’s the same old boring shit and Dr. J Evans Pritchard” Charlie sneers, thinking of that God forsaken school they stuck him in. Before Keating he might’ve actually liked to go there and experience co-ed but now it was cruel punishment made to diminish his spirit even more.

“And the girls?” Pitts inquires, not missing how Charlie skipped over the little fact in his spiel.

“Fine I guess, my girlfriend is pretty pissed at me right now though” and gasps quickly come from each of the guys around the room as Charlie drops this bomb.

“It’s Evelyn, isn’t it?” Meeks asks, knowing she was the female lead in every story Charlie told when he called. It would be the only thing to make any sense.

“Yes it’s Evelyn” Charlie confirms, rolling his eyes even though just mentioning her name makes his heart soar. Leaving on the bad terms that they did hurt him, but she was still who he wanted to comfort him.

“Got a picture hot shot?” Todd asks and Charlie chuckles, leaning to his side in order to reach the wallet in his back pocket. When he finally frees it, he flips it open to pull out the photos they just recently got back from the Valentine’s dance. How he convinced her to take it he wasn’t sure but he was sure glad they did.

“Wow” Pitts breathes as the picture slips between his fingers and for the first time since Neil’s death a real smirk graces Charlie’s lips. Not a fake one or a forced one, a real one. Pride swells in his chest and it’s the first time he’s had this feeling in a very long time. As the boys pass around the picture of his girl Charlie can’t help but smile at each one.

“Only Charles could bag a chick like that” Meeks says while shaking his head and passing back the picture of the gorgeous girl in Charlie’s arms.

“She’s not a chick” Charlie corrects, slipping the picture safely back into his wallet. “She’s amazing though. Not shy at all and always calls me on my shit. I tried to stay away, I really did. I just couldn’t help myself”

“That doesn’t surprise me” Knox jokes and Charlie glares half heartedly as he looks back at each of the boys.

“How’d you get her to date you?” Meeks asks, curious as to how Charlie actually found a decent girl and not a ditz like the ones he brought to the cave that one time.

“Not sure to be honest, one night I knew she was alone and snuck into her room. Just couldn’t stop myself, she’s the best” Charlie says, mind still stuck on how sweet her kisses are and the taste of her lips.

“Well when do we get to meet her?” Knox eagerly asks, having been the only one of the group to ever actually share words with the girl even if they were brief.

“I don’t know, she’s pretty upset with me right now” Charlie sighs, mind still reeling and trying to wrap around what happened not so long ago. The catalyst to even bring him here.

“What’d you do?” Pitts asks with a snort, picturing the old Charlie doing some idiotic stunt to get him in trouble. If only that was the case.

“You didn’t tell her” Todd suddenly mutters and Charlie’s eyes lock onto his own, sharing a look foreign to the others around him.

“Yeah and she found out. I don’t blame her honestly. She probably thinks I was using her and she knows nothing about me which in a way she doesn’t. Neil was apart of every aspect of my life and if it included him, I didn’t bring it up” the boys realize what they mean in an instant, realization flooding across each of their faces.

“But why, Neil was your best friend?” Meeks says, head shaking and trying to understand the boy in front of them. To be honest none of them have gone as long as they have without seeing the boy before. Maybe things weren’t entirely as they seemed.

“He is my best friend. That’s why I can’t. How do I not only admit to myself but everyone around me that he’s actually gone. I’m all alone now. I’m stuck in that school with no one who understands me and I hate everything about it. I’m no longer Nuwanda, I’m barely even Charlie” Charlie gasps, eyebrows furrowed and heart straining in his chest. The boys watch him, words getting desperate at they come out and Charlie begins to feel that familiar tightening in his chest, the panic rising up his spine.

“You’re not alone Charlie” Todd says with the shake of his head and all the boys eye the two, waiting to see what either one of them would say.

“I am Todd, you guys got to stay here with each other but I was left to grieve on my own” Charlie says but Todd stays firm on his sentence, staring Charlie down with a confidence he never expected to posses.

“No you’re not. You have Evelyn and if I’m not mistaken a few other people at that school. You may not have know them long but four months is enough time to care for a person. I should know” Todd says, words sharp and strong and Charlie freezes as these words sink in. Up until Neil died they had only known Todd four months and he was just as important. So why couldn’t the kids at Ridge be the same.

“Shit Todd, I didn’t mean it like that” Charlie starts but Todd is shaking his head, stopping him short and Charlie waits for him to speak again.

“Just don’t count them out. If you push away every person in your life only because they didn’t know you before Neil then you’re bound to be lonely forever” Todd says and Charlie nods, wrapping his head around the fact that the very people at Ridge he had come to love were more important than he thought.

Not only was Evelyn important to him but the rest were too. Nate was his roommate and the only person he had let close since Neil. Marty was kind, looking out for him any chance he got. Laurie was funny and defended him when necessary. Violet was honest and would tell him the truth when he needed it most. Evelyn was understanding, and passionate about everything around her. They were beautiful people and he had spent so long pitying himself he never got a chance to fully enjoy it. He could see Neil now, almost cursing him for not allowing people close. He was Charlie Dalton for God sakes, a legend who had spent so long pretending he wasn’t.

“Neil didn’t die to kill your spirit, he died because he lost his own. So we should spend everyday making sure we enjoy it. Not only enough for ourselves but him too” Knox says and Charlie tries his best not to cry all over again. He had never looked at it like this, never allowed himself to think about the fact he was wasting so much time waiting for something that would never happen. Neil to come back.

“God I did fuck up” Charlie groans, hands reaching up to tug at his hair and the other boys laugh even though there is a layer of sadness now filling the room that they all figured would never leave.

“No you didn’t, you’re Charlie Dalton after all. You’ll find a way to make it up to her” Knox encourages, hand reaching to pat the boys back and Charlie chuckles, mind already trying to come up with ideas on how to make it up to all of them.

“Maybe but until then I think I just need to spend some time here. Finally let myself heal” he says and the boys nod, understanding exactly what he means. At first it was hard being at Welton without either of the boys, rules becoming more strict and classes becoming harder. Yet after a while it became healing. Classrooms holding memories like a time capsule that comforted them in a way nothing else could.

It was little things. Like learning Shakespeare in class which would remind them of how amazing Neil was in the play. When it was meatloaf for dinner they could eat it remembering it was his favorite. When they scored goals in soccer they could still hear Neil cheering. He was everywhere within the school, a permanent reminder in its walls and even if the memories sometimes hurt, at least somewhere on this earth still held the spirit of him. Welton and this town would forever hold the spirit of him and that was better than any comfort any of the boys had known.

“That’s a good idea, we can hide you in our rooms and go and visit Neil” Pitts voices his excitement and the boy freeze, waiting to see Charlie’s reaction. It had become common for them to visit Neil’s grave but Charlie hadn’t since the funeral. Charlie didn’t even know it was something they did.

“I would love that, even more if no one mentions my presence to Cameron” Charlie responds with his cool and confident tone that for the first time felt right to still have. The boys just laugh, nodding their heads in agreement.

“We can manage that” Meeks says and Charlie grins, sitting up and finally feeling more of him falling back into place. Maybe Nate was right after all, just being here was already healing him. He wished he could stay forever. Thing was, as much as he didn’t want to admit it, life goes on. So he needed to spend as much time as he could, remembering not to forget that.

“Good now one of you needs to sneak into the finks room and recover my stash”

Taglist: @octaviasdread @eden-punk @linmichea1 @pursuedbyamemoryy @mynameisjxlia

Comment if you want to be added to the taglist :))

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dr-thumbs-brand-new-spot · 4 days

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The hedge mage (Garbage wizard)

Tonight’s the night. The signs are all there, the stars are in alignment, astrology is correct, it’s an auspicious night. Time to break in and use the telescope, time to put the pieces together, after everything, he has to know. Neil gets up from his rest, sleeping outside for what seems like the hundredth time for him and brushes himself off. It was hot last night and he hasn’t been eating right, his bones ache and his body hurts, he can’t stop the anxiety that discomfort causes him. He wishes again that he could make it go away, fix it somehow so he didn’t have to feel this way. And he thinks back to the man, the one he met behind the McDonald’s when he went to root through the dumpster. The man who said he had potential and he shouldn’t waste it, he should do something more with himself than root through a dumpster. The man who stood oddly still, Neil never saw him breathe, he’d notice because he doesn’t make eye contact with new people, his eyes are always pointed down.

The man who disappeared when Neil looked away to consider what he’d said. Was he just another thing lurking in the corner of his eye? Neil never knows when his mind is playing tricks on him but he can’t shake this certainty that some veil is about to lift for him. He will finally, finally understand. He’s not even sure what it is he needs to understand yet but he knows he can’t let go of it, it’s inescapable and the pull is like gravity for him.

It’s not quite late enough yet to see, he checks his pockets and finds he actually has a little money for once. Cash he had set aside for this night, to make something of a celebration for himself where he could. His birthday had already come and gone and he’d spent another night running away. He’d be damned if he lost another opportunity for a little joy.

Time to go to white tower, some people say it’s just a knock off White Castle but Neil can’t even express how wrong he thinks that is. White tower is the food he would pick up on the rare peaceful night when his Mom wasn’t home and Neil would sit down and play spacewar! Most of the people at school didn’t know it yet but Neil was sure video games were gonna be the next big thing back then, he’s still convinced but it’s taking a little longer than he thought it would. He starts his walk to the fast food restaurant.

The people walking by, no one even notices him, on one hand it’s nice to get to walk around without feeling anxious and afraid. On the other hand, he wishes someone, anyone, would notice him.

He arrives, orders his food, sits down and for once, takes pleasure in the eating process. This isn’t food kitchen stuff or dumpster food from unserved patties, this was a full meal he picked out and ordered just for himself. Neil cannot even remember the last time he got this. Has to have been years by now from what is beginning to feel like a new start. He eats and enjoys his food and since he’s in here, he checks his backpack and he still has his grooming scissors. If he’s going to see the truths of the universe he should look the best he can. He lets himself in to their bathroom, washes himself up and trims his hair as best he can, it’s not perfect or even really pretty but it’s serviceable.

Finally ready to go, Neil is filled with sudden dread and fear, what if he messes this up? He’d ruin the first good night he’s had in who knows how long. Is it better just to skip the telescope? Go somewhere else and just watch the stars for a time? But no, he tells himself, really not a time to give up. He grits his teeth and steels himself, ready for his chance and walks to the school.

He arrives just in time, still not sure exactly how he’s getting inside but completely determined that he will somehow. Looking around, the building is locked up tight, no immediately visible way in. Just on the off chance someone forgot, he tries the front door. Locked, as expected, but for a long moment he thinks, if I just knew how, I could transfigure this door handle right off, wouldn’t have to knock it in or lock pick it or anything. And this moment goes on far longer than a more well adjusted person might think is reasonable. For Neil, it’s just another one of his moments.

When he snaps out of it, he realizes he’s gone from early to cutting it close now and with the heat his body broke into a sweat. Looks like he won’t be perfect for his date with the stars, figures he can’t have things go perfect just one time. Hurriedly he rushes to a window and tries to open it, no luck, next window, no luck, third try, jackpot. He gets the window open but it will only open a crack, he strains and tries to force it open further but he just can’t get it. Neil goes to move toward another window when he heard a voice ring out from behind him as he freezes. “Do you need some help with that?” The woman asks from behind and as Neil turns sheepishly to look at her he catches the briefest glimpse before his anxiety hits his head like an anchor and makes him look down. She’s average height, average weight, average features with raven black hair, a long black dress, black boots and wearing black lipstick. The only thing exceptional about her other than the way she’s dressed are her eyes, ice cold blue and feeling like they’re staring straight into his core. This woman is no older than Neil, hell, she might even be younger than him but that gaze roots him in place and fills him with fear. “U-um I uh…it’s not what it looks like” he says, quite clearly having just been trying to break into the school in the middle of the night. “Yes it is and I’m going to help you.” She says matter of factly, walking up next to Neil, reaching into nothing and producing a crowbar. For a moment Neil isn’t sure, is this his mind again or did that really happen? Who is this woman? Why is she here? This is an auspicious night, all the stars in alignment why isn’t this going how he hoped? Is she here to show him the hidden truth of the world? Why is this happening? Has he seen her before? The tide of thoughts rush through Neil as he babbles incoherently at the woman before she reaches out and lightly brushes a finger over his lips, instantly demanding silence from him as he goes stock still. The only movement from his body the rise and fall of his chest as he breathes and the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead. “Your mind isn’t tricking you this time Neil, I did just do that and yes I knew you’d be here. I know why too. And I also know that if you go in there something terrible is gonna happen and I have decided I don’t want that to happen. So you can either come with me and learn the truths you so desperately want anyway or I can hit you in the head with this crowbar and keep you from going inside that way.” The woman says to Neil who just stares, mouth agape, directly at her feet as he still can’t bear to look her in the eye. “I’ll take that as a yes then, come on Neil, let’s go learn some magic together.” She says beckoning for him to follow and he does. Dragging his feet, mind moving a mile a minute, unable to shake the feeling his life is about to change forever.

The woman’s name is Abigail, Abby she insists on being called. Abby tells him that if he went into that school to watch the stars he would have met the man from behind the McDonald’s. He was and is real, he’s a monster that had been watching him, scouting him for months. Trying to decide if he should make Neil a monster too. She says getting into the school on an auspicious night, following all the signs, that was his last test for this monster. Now that Neil has failed, he’s moved on and will find someone else, somewhere else. She says she doesn’t care and is just glad she could help Neil but he can see it in her eyes sometimes, she wants to stop him. Neil’s still not sure he understands but for the first time in his life he thinks he’s starting to.

Abby lets him stay on her couch, she has a job working at the local library, it’s where he’s seen her before, he didn’t recognize her there because she dresses so differently at work. When she leaves in the mornings he doesn’t even recognize her some days, dressed in a sweater, blue jeans and sneakers, hair neatly out back, no black makeup. The only things that tell him it’s the same woman are her eyes and her hair, that black so deep he knows she had to dye it to get there. While she works Neil takes care of her house, he does the dishes, cleans the place, does her laundry, anything to feel useful. He still can’t find a job but she’s made it one of her requirements to keep teaching him that he keep trying to find something that works for him and no matter how hard it is he knows in his heart he needs to keep learning. She calls herself a sorcerer, says her abilities come from the studies of paths of linear magic. Something anyone can do if they work hard enough but most don’t see the truth or want to even try to learn. She tells him how her father was a sorcerer before he left to go work with the Mages. Neil is pleasantly surprised to learn there is actually a difference. He doesn’t understand why she decided he should be her apprentice but he’s grateful for it and can’t shake the feeling that she saved him from something terrible. He knows she’s been telling the truth about everything but he can’t explain how he knows that.

The first gift she teaches him is the one he’s most desperate to learn, the power to see, the gifts to look into the future. Learning is hard and unpredictable. At first his predictions are so small he’s not even sure he’s predicting anything but gradually, he notices he’s predicting things he couldn’t possible just guess. The first time he’s sure he divined the future is when he predicts a complete football game, start to finish, every score ending at every quarter with complete accuracy. Neil doesn’t even watch football, it’s why he picked it to divine, because he’d have no idea otherwise. When he tells Abby for the first time he sees her smile warmly and she hugs him “I’m proud of you Neil, I knew you would make a great apprentice.” She says as Neil finds himself locked completely still in place by this woman once again, his body not knowing how to react but responding to the body heat and loving touch of a woman. His whole head turns beet red and he can’t speak a complete sentence to her for the next week.

The first time she kisses him is the first morning after he visits her in a dream, he doesn’t realize when he visits her that his dream self reflects his emotional state to someone more experienced. She tells him when she kisses him that she knew for sure then that he was falling for her. Neil’s never had a girlfriend before so he doesn’t know what to do or how to act but he finally manages to land himself a job. He’s a ticket taker at the local movie theater, it’s not much but it’s a start and he’s proud of himself that he can actually pay for their first date since she still doesn’t charge him rent.

The first time they sleep together Neil finally learns alchemy, he figures out how to make a potion that will enhance your physical vitality. She’s so proud of him she makes him drink it. Neil is completely sure he wants to marry this woman, they can keep peeling back the veil for the rest of their lives he thinks for a brief hopeful moment. He’s been having a lot of those lately for some reason. He knows he can’t afford a ring but he decides to earn it, he knows he doesn’t deserve this, not yet. But he also knows he can earn it, he just needs to keep making himself useful and learning.

The future he wants so badly with her that he’s too afraid to let himself ask her for is within reach. Even with him denying it he knows, they sleep in the same bed every night, they have a grocery list together, Neil’s things are all throughout the apartment. He’s not her couch surfing apprentice anymore, he almost lets himself believe he can just go for it. Until, one day, he finally realizes what he needs to do, Neil needs to learn to transmute objects. It’s a magic Abby doesn’t know and not one he’s even sure is possible but if he wants to feel like he deserves this he knows he needs to learn something on his own and keep breaking the veil by himself.

He pores over book after book, finding resources anywhere he can find them, anything he can do, except ask Abby for help. She knows something is going on and that Neil is working on something but the fact he won’t tell her what’s wrong drives a bit of a wedge between them. He keeps forcing her away when he feels like she’s getting close to getting him to tell her because he needs to do this himself. His first night back on the couch is a cold one.

Weeks of searching finally lead him to a text, something Abby held onto from her father but never had the chance to translate from the dead language it was written in. Neil goes without proper sleep for a week just finding the right translation source. He keeps ending up on the couch more and more but Abby wanted to get a cat so at least he’s not alone.

He’s finally done it he thinks, holy shit he’s finally done it. The secret to transmutation is right in front of him and after reading this text over and over, constantly experimenting with it, he thinks he finally gets it. He’s not sure he can quite turn lead into gold just yet but he’s confident he can alter the shape and composition of an object.

Neil takes the time to try and make sure she’ll say yes, he picks back up on his housework, puts in extra hours at the theater to buy her flowers and take her out to dinner a few nights. She’s confused and doesn’t understand why he’s doing all of this but she’s grateful to have his attention again and she lets him back into the bed. For a moment Neil almost misses his couch before she pulls him in for a hug and he realizes how stupid that thought is.

It’s time to go to the antique store. Neil goes, having finally saved enough to maybe afford something resembling a ring, having gotten Abby’s measurements with a deft and gentle hand while she slept. He’s usually up before her anyway, even though he’s more comfortable than he’s ever been he still doesn’t need much sleep. He picks out a ring and takes it home. Placing it between his hands he focuses his will, feeling the heat and energy radiating off of the ring he pours his vision and heart into it. When he unclasps his hand there rests a perfect golden ring with what looks like a big diamond sitting right in the center. It might be a fake diamond, he’s not sure he can make the real thing but it looks convincing and that’s good enough for him. He smiles and thinks to himself “turning trash into treasure, I’m a regular garbage wizard.” She says yes

#path of night podcast #path of night #Neil #he gets to smile for once

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mostlymaudlin · 5 months

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#8 for the fic writing ask 🖤

i just answered this but ill do another !!

i've always wanted to put andrew in a time loop

hold on tw suicide a lil bit lmfao

BUT i just kinda think that andrew's will to live is such a tentative thing but you can't kill yourself in a time loop lmfao. at least not in a way that lasts. but that's kind of the ethos of why i want to put andrew in a time loop because i think it would force him to find more reasons to live! my original idea around this was actually just a normal day post-canon so he does have reasons to live but he's still so wrapped up in his duties to others, and the loop would just inherently isolate him from his people which would be excruciating -- and also he would have no one to put up fronts for. i think that level of independence and shamelessness would be really interesting to explore with him. and also he would kill himself so many times sdkjngksjn

i'm also fascinated by how neil would react in the repeating timelines, because he's so attuned to andrew's moods and up in his business. once i actually wrote a lil bit of this kind of thing but from neil's pov. the idea was that andrew is pretty far into the loops and he just doesnt care abt anything. so he tries to spend the day in bed. but to neil, andrew is just rly depressed out of nowhere!! and ofc neil always always always tries to take care of andrew...

i'm not sure if i'll ever write the big andrew pov version, but here's the lil snip of neil pov:

Neil doesn’t know what to do when Andrew doesn’t get out of bed.

He leaves him be at first, trusting him to make decisions for himself. But they’re really going to be late for practice, so Neil crouches on the floor next to Andrew’s bed. He’s awake — Andrew never sleeps through this level of movement and noise.

“Hey,” Neil says. Andrew, facing the wall, does not react. “Are you coming to practice?”

Nothing.

Neil looks to Kevin, who stands in the bedroom doorway, but he looks as lost as Neil feels.

Andrew’s head is not an easy place to be. The evidence is on his skin. But still, Neil has never seen him shut down quite like this before. Regardless of how wound up or closed off Andrew gets, he always gets up. He might move through the day stone-faced and silent, or irritable and violent, but he moves. Something is very wrong.

Neil grimaces. “Get a ride with Matt and tell Coach we’re sick. I’ll call him later.”

Kevin tries to argue, but Neil shakes his head firmly. Kevin snaps his mouth shut with a look toward Andrew’s blanketed figure, then stomps out the door. Neil waits for the slam that signifies Kevin’s exit, then turns back to Andrew. He watches the subtle rise and fall of Andrew’s back for a few breaths.

“It’s just me now,” Neil whispers. “What’s wrong?”

Still no reaction. Neil sighs, then gets to his feet. In the kitchen, he pours the last of the coffee into a mug and makes a bowl of cereal, carrying both to the bedroom. He sets them on the floor near Andrew’s bed, then sits down next to them.

“Will you eat?” Neil asks, this time expecting the non-response, though it doesn’t ease the churning worry at his core. “If you want me to go, I need at least one sign that your brain hasn’t turned into a vegetable.”

Neil decides to give Andrew five more minutes before he starts considering seeking outside help. He sets his forearms on the edge of Andrew’s mattress, resting his cheek against one arm as he stares at the silky, sleep-mussed hair at the back of Andrew’s head. It’s been four minutes when Andrew finally rolls over.

The action puts their faces only inches apart, but Andrew’s stare is distant. Still, the movement is a relief.

“Hi,” Neil whispers. “What do you need?”

Andrew closes his eyes.

“It doesn’t matter,” he rasps. “Go to practice.”

“You want me to leave?”

Andrew looks at him again, and this time his gaze is more focused. “No.”

Neil exhales. He reaches out a hand toward Andrew’s face, waiting for a subtle nod before he brushes Andrew’s hair off his forehead.

“Breakfast?” Neil asks softly. Andrew shakes his head.

“Kuefsteinstraße,” he says.

Neil’s eyebrows shoot up.

“The street you lived on,” Andrew says. “In St. Pölten. You said it was the nicest place you lived in Europe, and that you’d believe me if I mentioned it.”

Neil swallows, racking his memory. “I don’t remember telling you about St. Pölten. I haven’t thought about that place in years.”

Andrew closes his eyes again. “You wouldn’t remember.”

“I don’t understand.”

Andrew slides back on the mattress until he’s pressed against the wall.

i'm not really sure where it goes from here other than andrew would tell neil he's in a time loop and neil would believe him! i don't think neil could help him get out of the loop, but having him believe him would at least give andrew comfort. and andrew would probably only tell neil in loops where he really needed that 😭

#my writing

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purpleshadow-star · 2 years

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Imagine a mama Bee au where she adopts Andrew at 9 or 10, after he's been sexually abused once or twice. They're watching a movie that has one sex scene but is otherwise fine for a kid. Bee is trying to skip it but she can't find the remote. While she looks, she tells Andrew to close his eyes and cover his ears. She finally finds it in the couch cushions and she's about to skip when he speaks.

"Why does it look like they like it so much?" He asks. "It hurts too much to like it."

And he seems so genuinely confused that Bee's heart breaks a thousand times over because- he shouldn't know that. He shouldn't know anything about that or about what's going on.

Bee fast forwards the movie and pauses it once it has cut to a better scene. She turns to Andew and outright asks him, "Have you ever felt it before? Has someone done that to you?"

It's not the approach she would take with most kids, but she knows Andrew is no fan of beating around the bush.

Andrew freezes, like he didn't realize that he had given himself away, but eventually, he nods. It's very small, barely noticeable, but it's enough. Bee simply says "okay" and they go back to watching the movie. The next day, Bee sets up an appointment with a therapist for Andrew for the next week. Then, she starts a years long campaign to find these previous foster parents and have them arrested. She will accept no less.

It takes years to get them all, months of phone calls and pushing and awful but necessary conversations with Andrew. By the time Andrew is fifteen, with a newly found brother and cousin, he's sitting on the couch, watching his last abuser get taken away in cuffs on the news. Nicky woops and Aaron sits there with his arms crossed and a satisfied smirk on his face.

They celebrate that night, and while at Sweeties, Andrew meets a boy named Neil. Bee invites him to come sit with them and they learn that Neil is going to start at their school next week. Andrew thinks the boy is cute and maybe, with his demons locked away and years of therapy and acceptance under his belt, maybe Andrew can start letting people in this way now.

#i feel like the beginning of this would put me in twitter aftg jail #glad there's not one of those on tumblr #aftg #all for the game #andrew minyard #betsy dobson #aaron minyard #nicky hemmick #neil josten #andreil #the foxhole court

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bardraelyn · 6 months

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The Gift of the Magi (a Good Omens meta)

If you’ve been following the Good Omens discourse, you’ve probably seen discussions around whether Aziraphale’s choice of the name “Jim” for Gabriel comes from either the cabin boy in Treasure Island or the titular character in the novel Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad.

But what if there’s a more subtle connection that viewers haven’t caught onto yet? And what if it’s a connection that Aziraphale intuited on a such a deep level he didn’t even realize it, the very moment Gabriel showed up naked on the his doorstep? And what if it’s a connection that has deep significance to his actions in the final 15?

Let’s follow this thought down the wooded winter path and see where it goes, shall we?

Before we proceed, we must first pause a moment to reflect on a classic O. Henry short story, which shares the title of this post: “The Gift of the Magi.” If you aren’t familiar with it, or if it’s been a while since you last read it, you can refresh your memory here (text) or here (text) or here (video). O. Henry lived from 1862 to 1910, and I’ve no doubt that Aziraphale would be aware of this author. What’s more, Neil Gaiman has read the work of O. Henry and has absolutely been influenced by it. I’m going to give the gist of the story below, but you really ought to familiarize yourself with the full work if for no other reason than to add to the angst I’m about to deliver.

So: “The Gift of the Magi” is the story of Della and Jim, a young couple who each sacrifice their most valued possessions to buy the other a Christmas gift that they deem worthy of the one that they love. Jim sells his gold pocket watch—a family heirloom that had belonged to his grandfather—to buy jeweled combs for Della’s beautiful long hair. Meanwhile, Della sells her hair to buy a platinum watch chain so that Jim need not be embarrassed by the cheap leather thong he’d been using when taking out his watch to check the time. In the end, both have sacrificed something priceless to give each other gifts that a neither can use. It’s a touching story, really, but also quite obviously tragic. Della and Jim both acted rashly, but also out of love, and in the end, it is that love that they treasure the most.

By now you’ve probably noticed something, but if not, let me draw for you the connections.

Jim arrives naked on Aziraphale’s doorstep. If there’s one thing we know about Gabriel, it’s that he's really fond of his suits. He not only mentions it in his chat with Aziraphale in the sushi restaurant in S1 and in the file that Crowley watches in Heaven in S2 but also visits his tailor in a scene that was in the script for S1 but never filmed. And why has Jim shown up on Aziraphale’s doorstep? Why, he’s trying to get to Beelzebub, of course. And what does Jim have of Beelzebub's? A fly in which to keep his memories. Like his namesake in “Gift of the Magi,” Jim gave up his most valued possession (quite possibly his only possession) to be with Beelzebub. And like Della, Beelzebub gave up a part of themself (one of their flies) to be with Gabriel.

And Aziraphale noticed it.

Now, if I’d spent four years waiting for the other shoe to drop after thwarting a major agenda of both my employer and their most significant corporate rival, the arrival of my old boss naked on my doorstep would absolutely set off alarm bells in my head. It clearly did for Crowley, and I’ve no doubt it did for Aziraphale. He didn’t have all the pieces yet and he couldn’t have known that Gabriel made a sacrifice out of love, but Aziraphale knew that the other shoe was about about drop and that a sacrifice of some sort was coming.

And to be clear, I’m not saying that in the moment when he landed on the name “Jim” it had any connection at all to the O. Henry story, because it could not have and didn’t—not to Aziraphale, anyway (as for a certain author by the name of Neil…well, we’ll probably never know)—but once all the pieces started falling into place, Aziraphale would almost certainly have noticed the parallels.

So then came his chin-wag with The Metatron, and the decisions he made during or immediately after. And once again we have parallels, and must wonder if the O. Henry story perhaps inspired them.

Because whether you believe our favorite anxious angel made the sacrifice to protect Crowley from a vague but definite threat or to buy Crowley back his angelic status, the reality is that Aziraphale gave up his most valued possession for Crowley. It was foolish, it was rash, and it was done out of love, but it was absolutely done for Crowley—because no matter how much Aziraphale wants to change Heaven, he doesn’t love Heaven enough to give up his bookshop. And how do we know this? Because in that same not-filmed scene where Gabriel visits his tailor, Gabriel and Sandalphon try to promote Aziraphale back to Heaven, and he doesn't want to go. He's only just purchased his bookshop, you see, and the grand opening is that afternoon.

So the question is, if Aziraphale is Jim in this scenario, and the bookshop is his pocket watch, what part of himself will Crowley, as Della (and coincidentally, the only one of the duo to have been shown with long hair) sacrifice for love of Aziraphale? Maybe his cynicism?

#good omens #good omens season 2 #ineffable husbands #aziraphale #crowley #aziracrow #gift of the magi #o henry #short story #Christmas meta

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nellie-elizabeth · 11 months

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Some whining about fan responses to GO2 below the cut. I'm just being a jerk mostly lol.

Not gonna tag or link the posts because I'm not trying to stir shit but I see some people doing the thing for Good Omens season 2 that people did for Sherlock or Supernatural where, they didn't really like some aspects of season 2, and instead of saying "oh, that part didn't really gel with me" they think "Oh, it's actually all part of a long con that Neil Gaiman is playing on us! The stuff that I thought was bad? It was bad on purpose!" (Remember, the secret final episode of Sherlock, or the fact that the penultimate Supernatural episode was "bad on purpose" so the finale would fix it all?)

And it's so frustrating because I think these people are setting themselves up for further disappointment when season three comes. I personally loved season two of good omens! It really hit the spot for me, I thought it was funny and charming and clever and perfectly heartbreaking. If you didn't like it, that's okay, you don't have to construct a whole conspiracy theory around "why it was bad".

I want to be clear i don't mean just having theories about potential mysteries/clues leading to season 3. What are the Metatron's real motivations? Will we get to know who Crowley was as an angel before the fall? That sort of stuff is fun to speculate about, and we certainly don't have all the answers!

What I'm talking about things like... I saw someone say that the Eccles Cakes were a secret clue: why bring them up and put such emphasis on them only for them not to get eaten, hmmm? That couldn't have been just a simple oversight... it must be a grander point about the secret undercurrent plot that's been hiding right in front of our eyes this whole time.

And... no, it's not a simple oversight. It's not a grand clue to a big mystery (imo) either. It's pretty basic storytelling. Aziraphale asks Nina for something that calms people down, he procures the Eccles cakes on her recommendation, and then hands them off to Crowley as they enter the shop. There's a pointed shot of the uneaten cookies as Crowley storms off because, guess what, nobody ate them, and nobody's calming down! I think that's it, y'all. No grand mystery to parse here.

Or one thing I saw that really had me scratching my head was "why did we spend so long in the '40s minisode seeing Aziraphale pick out magic tricks in the shop, do the whole fake-out with the bullets, etc.? What was the point of showing us all that?"

I mean... because it was funny and charming and good character development? I don't know that it was leading to any grand secret behind the scenes. The setup and the pay-off is all right there in the 1940's flashbacks. Aziraphale is bad at stage magic, and then real miracles are blocked, and in the moment of truth he's able to use trickery correctly, for once in his life. Crowley and Aziraphale both manage to keep each other safe in the human way, even when their miracles are blocked. It's all right there, it doesn't have to be a clue leading to some big switcharoo later down the road.

Or one last thing I saw was people saying "where were the Zombies? Why have a plot about digging up corpses, and another story about Zombies, what does it all mean?"

And like... I don't know, maybe it means some Secret Extra Thing that i just haven't seen yet, but isn't it also possible that it means... thematic foreshadowing of season three's external plot? You've got Job's children being "reborn", you've got corpses being dug up, you've got zombies roaming London. The third season is about the Second Coming, y'all. I don't want to say "it's not that deep" because it is that deep, it's not just... extra made up layers of obfuscation that give it unnecessary confusing deepness. If that makes sense.

Bottom line, if this season didn't gel with you, I'm sorry! But I promise you, you're setting yourself up for disappointment if you spend the next couple years divining all the secret codes Gaiman put into the work for you. He didn't write a "bad on purpose" season of television. He wrote a good season of television! I'm sure there are mysteries to unravel, and fun clues to go back and find later on when we see how it all ends up. But he didn't write an entire season of TV to be a big giant misdirect in and of itself. I really don't think that's how this works.

End of soap box.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #slightly prickly meta #i've just seen a couple people trying to convince themselves that their dissatisfaction is all part of a grander plan #and it's.... not #okay?#maybe you just had really high expectations and you've seen season one ten bajillion times and something new/different just didn't hit righ #and that's valid #i didn't love 100% of the new season #there were some jokes i didn't like #some elements that felt a little boring #but i think that's just because not everyone enjoys everything?#not because Gaiman is pulling an elaborate con #lol

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bvckybanres · 2 years

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going under - billy x reader

Part: 4/? (part one here, two here, three here)

Warnings: cursing, implied violence, implied DV

Billy doesn’t see her for a while after that night.

iv.

Billy doesn’t see her for a while after that night.

He doesn’t give much thought to it at first, thinking maybe she’s left with Travis when he sees the car drive away a couple mornings later and not come back.

But then he sees a light turn on somewhere deeper in the house when he’s getting ready for a party, and knows y/n is still home.

He expects he’ll see her out on the porch soon with another book, but finds himself oddly disappointed when he comes home the next day to an eerily still house.

At one point he thinks about asking Max to go over there and knock on the door. But the questions and suspicion he’s bound to get in response stop him at the last minute.

He’s gone to Skull Rock a couple of times, thinking he might find her there, but each time the place had been deserted and a little more depressing than the last so he’s stopped going there as well.

He mostly spends about ten minutes sitting in his car every time he comes home, smoking a cigarette and watching for any sort of movement inside the house across the street.

But it isn’t until almost two weeks later when he finally runs into her again.

Billy is once again at Skull Rock, an unlit cigarette between his lips as he flicks a lighter on and off. He’s just had another fucking fight with Neil until Maxine forced him out the door before anything more than a few insults and pointed comments could have been exchanged. It hadn’t been a quiet affair, and Billy knew the neighbours had heard as he’d slammed the door of his camaro and skid out of his driveway.

He just hadn’t thought anyone would follow him, let alone y/n.

So when she stumbles out through the brush once again, he’s admittedly surprised to see her.

“What are you doing here?” he asks, throwing the cigarette down and getting to his feet.

“Thought you might like something to drink,” she tells him and Billy notes the way her words are a little slurred and the bottle of vodka she has dangling between her fingers. It was also the moment he noticed the bandage wrapped around her left wrist.

“What happened?” he asks bluntly, taking a few long and slightly aggressive steps forward but stopping when he sees her stiffen.

“Nothing. I fell,” she says, lifting her wrist and looking at it with distaste before she drops it and moves past him and further into the clearing.

“You fell,” Billy repeats skeptically.

“Yes.”

“It doesn’t look like something that happens after a fall,” he insists, following close behind her.

“I fall a lot,” she tells him, lips fumbling on a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

Billy wasn’t going to push it. If she didn’t want to tell him what really happened, it was none of his business.

He was going to accept the vodka though. It would help him get rid of the bad taste a fight with Neil always left, and he was sure it would help with the jitteriness that had settled in his bones at the sight of a bandage around y/n’s wrist.

He doesn’t know why it bothers him so much, but it did and all Billy wants to do is pretend it doesn’t.

Without asking he grabs the bottle, his fingers brushing hers in the process. He ignores how warm they feel and the lingering heat they leave behind as he prises the bottle from her grasp and takes a long hefty swig, welcoming the burn down his throat.

It was just what he needed right now.

“Did you walk here again today?” he asks her, holding the bottle out for her.

Y/n hesitates then nods.

Billy grunts but doesn’t say what he wants to. Pretends that the idea of her walking in the setting sun while tipsy on the verge of drunk doesn’t make him a little bit worried and a lot angry. She was not his girl. He has no right to feel any type of way about her other than indifference.

But she’d brought him soup that one time and he’d started finding sandwiches on the hood of his car after each fight he’d had with Neil and that had changed something between them. Billy just didn’t know what.

He hands her the bottle and watches as her throat convulses as she swallows a sip too big. Her face scrunches up and Billy is sure she’s going to cough and whine that the burn was too much. But all she does is wipe her lips with the back of her hand and smile. Billy’s about to reach out for the bottle again when she brings it back to her lips and takes another sip, and then another and another.

“Woah, slow down,” he takes the bottle away from her and holds it to his chest. “Leave some for the rest of us.”

But his words don’t match the concern in his voice.

This y/n was a whole different person. If Billy wasn’t here right now, wasn’t watching the way her eyes started to glaze over after each sip, he wouldn’t have believed this was the same girl who’d sit on the porch reading, running to hide inside as soon as anyone else came outside. He'd never have believed this was the same girl he’d shared a quiet meal with.

“Too bad, so sad,” she hums, giggling at her own rhyme.

Billy continues to frown at her, capping the alcohol and placing it out of her reach. He was going to have to drive her home he realises, and he isn’t willing to do it intoxicated, and y/n had clearly already had too much.

“C’mon,” he stands up and brushes the dirt off his pants before holding a hand out for her.

She takes it without any hesitation and stumbles into him until she’s steady. Billy ignores the way her body moulds around his for that microsecond and grabs the bottle of vodka.

She follows close behind him, stumbling every few steps until Billy instructs her to scrunch her fist into the back of his shirt until they get to his car.

It doesn’t take them very long and Billy is grateful. His head is starting to thump with a migraine and all he wants to do it ditch y/n at home, take her bottle of vodka and drown all his thoughts and feelings in alcohol for the rest of the night in the back of his camaro.

The drive home is uneventful and blissfully quiet. He thinks maybe she’s fallen asleep and is both relieved and annoyed at the fact. He’s going to have to wake her when they arrive, and if she doesn’t wake up, he’ll have to carry her and dump her on her front porch. He shivers at the idea of having her that close and unguarded in his arms. He slows the camaro down as they turn onto their street and kills the engine once he’s parked in front between their houses, eyeing y/n’s porch and the lack of a car in the driveway.

Billy can’t remember the last time someone had been so vulnerable around him. He thinks it was back when his mum was around and hates how that makes him feel. Hates that he’d never been able to do anything for her then, so what makes him think he can do anything for y/n.

“You have pretty eyes,” she says suddenly, jolting Billy out of the darkness clouding his thoughts with her slurred words.

“What?” he turns to look at her. He thought she was asleep.

“You have pretty eyes,” she repeats, words less slurred this time, as she frowns in concentration to enunciate each word correctly. “Can I call you that? Pretty Eyes. Cause they’re soooo pretty. But also sad. Maybe I can call you Sad Eyes, instead,” her words come clearer this time as she rambles and Billy can’t help but realise this was the most he’s ever heard her speak.

“What?” he repeats, but she doesn’t hear him, and if she does, she ignores him.

“It’s not fair,” she reaches over with her eyes soft and left hand raised, the fingers poking out of a badly wrapped bandage. They're soft and warm when they reach his cheekbone and she strokes a blazing track to the corner of his eye. “Eyes this pretty shouldn’t be this sad.”

And then she’s out of his car before he’s even realised it, feeling his heart pound in his chest as his face continues to burn where her fingers had just been.

Let me know what you think!

Tags: @extra-3motions @what-the-heckin-heck @stuttermaple @gloryekaterina @killuarue @orangechickenpillow @leilaniovo @whiskeypowder @cutesy-creep @variety-fangirl @starryeyedkoko @ronnieissupermegafoxyawesomehot @syd0428 @cheyennerosec @lem0ns77 @builtlikeabagofchipz @angelbbygrl @piebook67 @jewelrybean25 @doyouhearthedestielsing @the-jess-life

#billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove #billy hargove imagine #billy hargrove x reader #billy imagine #stranger things #stranger things imagine #billy stranger things #writing #My writing #going under

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denimbex1986 · 6 months

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'Doctor Who just delivered what equates to a series finale with "The Giggle," taking fans on one last incredible journey with the Doctor before ushering in a new era of the franchise. As the third and final 60th anniversary special, "The Giggle" carries the weight of bringing David Tennant's story as the Fourteenth Doctor to an end and kicking off the long-awaited introduction of Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor. With Gatwa's first full episode as the Doctor coming in a few weeks on Christmas Day, "The Church on Ruby Road" will serve as a soft reboot for Doctor Who.

With that in mind, "The Giggle" really does feel like the end of an era for the franchise that came before it, calling back to both the very first episode and multiple key moments in the Doctor's life since. More than once during these anniversary specials, Donna (Catherine Tate) has asked the Doctor (Tennant) why this face came back. As she mused in "The Star Beast," with both of them believing she was dying, it's clear now that it came back to say goodbye, not to Donna but to the rebooted series itself, with showrunner Russell T. Davies bringing Tennant and Tate — one of the most beloved Doctor/Companion pairs in the franchise — to give the show a proper send off before stepping into what comes next.

Simultaneously a breathtaking ending and a beautiful beginning, "The Giggle," is Davies at his best. This episode is both terrifying and hilarious. It's heart-pounding and emotional to watch the Doctor face his oldest adversary while he fights to protect the people of Earth that he can't help but love despite never being able to say the words. "The Giggle" has something for everyone, with reunions and references that will delight fans of classic Who and just as many for those who've only seen the newer iteration. And for those who haven't seen either, the audience is still given enough information to know exactly why these moments are so emotional.

Russell T. Davies Takes 'Doctor Who' Back to Its Roots in "The Giggle"

The episode opens with a flashback to the advent of television, a variation on the real story, with a genuinely ominous performance from Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker. With a creepy puppet, feeding off of John Logie Baird's desire to entertain the world, the Toymaker sets in motion a very long game for the human race, and a direct challenge for the Doctor back in the present time. Shortly after the events seen at the end of "Wild Blue Yonder," the Doctor and Donna find themselves in the middle of pure chaos, with every living person thinking that they're right at the expense of both themselves and everyone around them. Following a lovely reunion with UNIT leader Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave), the Doctor and Donna get brought up to speed on what's happened to humanity in their absence — in short, everyone's gone mad.

At UNIT HQ, the Doctor is treated to yet another reunion with the return of classic Who companion Melanie "Mel" Bush (Bonnie Langford). For those who don't know, Mel was one of the sixth and seventh Doctor's companions, appearing in 20 episodes in the 1980s. She ended her time with the Doctor of her own volition, heading off to have her own adventures among the stars. It's such a sweet moment, and as a brilliant computer programmer, Mel plays a crucial role in the episode and the goings on at UNIT, setting her up for a recurring role in the new season with the fifteenth Doctor. The team at UNIT has developed a device to keep their brain activity under control, but without it, regular humans are sent into a frenzy that they can't control. Luckily for Donna and Mel though, their time in the TARDIS naturally protects them.

In addition to weaving a compelling high-stakes narrative for his characters, Davies also takes the opportunity to make some truly remarkable social commentary in this episode. Since its inception, Doctor Who has always been a clever allegory, with stories that bring awareness to issues of race, gender, capitalism, and climate in a way that, for some is hard to swallow, but is always necessary to hear. Davies has woven such commentary into each of these specials so far, laying out clear support for the LGBTQ community (of which he's also a part). Now, in "The Giggle," he addresses politics, anti-vaxxers, our dependence on technology, and the simple folly of the human ego. And while the Doctor doesn't shy away from any of the darkness dwelling in humanity, he also notes that this doesn't negate our goodness, the desire to be better, and the worthiness of our continued existence.

David Tennant and Catherine Tate Deliver Knockout Performances in "The Giggle"

"The Giggle" puts the Doctor off balance, striking fear into the near-all-powerful being in a way that he rarely experiences on screen. Tennant delivers another incredible performance, taking the Doctor through the full gamut of emotions. Terrified by turns and filled with unbridled rage fueled by that fear, Tennant imbues the Doctor with unprecedented vulnerability, as he confesses to Donna that he's truly out of his element this time. Ever the empath, Donna recognizes that the Doctor has pushed down years and years of feelings that he needs to address, urging him once again to take a break. As he fights to keep it together, taking on the burden of the hero once again, Donna helps him realize that he's not only not alone, but he's never alone when she's around.

There's a reason that Donna and the Doctor are a fan-favorite duo in the franchise, and for the third episode in a row, Tate and Tennant prove that it largely comes down to the way they play off each other. Donna is one of the best companions, because of her incredible integrity and her ability to see straight through the walls the Doctor surrounds himself with. Differentiating Fourteen from Ten, Tennant allows the Doctor to accept that Donna sees him, while in the past he's always tempted to push other companions away for their own good, now, he lets Donna in. Both Tennant and Tate — and Donna and the Doctor — bring out the best in each other, making each other better.

They don't do it all alone this time though, and each of the supporting actors in this episode brings the caliber of their performance up to the level it needs to be to hold their own against these two. Harris is, of course, a stand-out as the Toymaker, bouncing seamlessly between accents as he gleefully delights in his twisted games. Well-established as a comedy actor, Harris gives The Toymaker a very natural sense of humor, as the role requires an air of playfulness at its core. However, he gives the Toymaker a level of menacing gravitas underneath, indicating how serious a threat he truly is to everything the Doctor loves and all the rules he holds dear. Harris and Tennant's chemistry is pure animosity in such a way that brings the audience to the edge of their seats with every interaction.

The Toymaker pushes the Doctor to the brink as he taunts Donna with the fate of the companions who came after her and the Flux, answering the questions left lingering at the end of "Wild Blue Yonder." Davies immediately chases that emotional climax with one of the most outrageous scenes in the franchise. Backed by the iconic Spice Girls track, "Spice Up Your Life," the Toymaker turns UNIT HQ into his playground, chaotically dancing around and flaunting his power right in the Doctor's face. It's equal parts camp and chaos, with an emotional undertone that grounds a scene that would be completely ridiculous out of context. It's in all of these moments that it's clear that "The Giggle" was crafted with such love for Doctor Who and all the wild impossible tales within it. This series is as silly as it is serious, and Davies' commitment to that is beautifully executed in this episode.

"The Giggle" Welcomes Ncuti Gatwa With Open Arms and Gives David Tennant a Worthy Send-Off

As the Toymaker's game reaches a fever pitch, the Doctor gives him one final chance to leave humanity alone and take his games back to the stars. He offers the same thing he always offers the Master, a chance to run away together and leave everyone else in peace. But, in true villain fashion, he refuses. Before the Doctor can challenge him to the final game in their best-of-three match, the Toymaker demands to play the next game with the next doctor, shooting Tennant's Doctor square in the chest with a space laser. As the Doctor begins to regenerate, golden light streams from his hands and face as he prepares to say goodbye. The moment is as tense and emotional as Doctor Who has ever been as Donna and Mel rush to his side, refusing to let him die alone. The funny thing is, he doesn't actually die at all. For the very first time in Doctor Who, the Doctor experiences bi-regeneration. Instead, of changing his face, the Doctor splits in two, with Gatwa appearing with pure gusto and delight. Together they defeat the Toymaker, but before Fifteen sets off on his next grand adventure, he insists that Fourteen finally rest after thousands of years of running, and that's exactly what he does.

The Fifteenth Doctor is incredibly charming right from the jump, grinning and relishing his new body. It's impossible to watch the end of this episode and not be wildly excited about Gatwa's turn as the Doctor. His Doctor is filled with a sense of joy, and he has a tenderness about him that will win the hearts of fans in an instant as he reaffirms the Doctor's love for past companions like River Song and Sarah Jane. Imbuing both the past and the future with so much love, Fifteen ushers in a new era of Doctor Who that should have everyone excited about what comes next. The Doctor, who has spent so many years filled with regret and self-loathing, finally gets to take time to heal and learn how to be loved, giving his future self the sense of self-love and vulnerability he'll need to keep going.

Meanwhile, Donna and the Doctor finally get their own happily ever afters as Fourteen settles in with her family, presumably for the rest of his life. Rather than the tragic heartbreak of their last goodbye — as beautiful as it was — the Doctor finally comes home and gets to be part of her family, while Donna gets an exciting new job at UNIT to spend the rest of her days with everyone she loves. It's a little bit saccharine, but it plays out with grounded performances from Tennant and Tate who, with tears in their eyes, make it feel entirely earned. This Doctor finally gets to rest as the next boldly goes on saving the rest of the universe.

Rating: 9/10'

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depravity-n-savagery · 2 years

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Sunshine's Sinners

Ch 1 - New Neighbors

🌻Pairings: Billy Hargrove x (Fem)Reader / Eddie Munson x (Fem)Reader / Mungrove x (Fem)Reader

🌻Summary: Billy becomes your neighbor when he moves to Hawkins. Coaxing you out of your 'good girl' image one sin at a time. Starting with, sending you to the town drug dealer. ~

🌻CW: Not much warning for this chapter ♡ Drug use/sale (just weed), abusive parent

🛑 18+ MINORS DNI 🛑

🌻Word Count: 1.4k

🌻A/N: Yaayyy!! I've been mapping this out and working on it for a while 😁 My 1st full-blown series on this platform. ♡ Ofcourse it's gonna be Mungrove x you lmao. Although the throuple/triad part doesn't come for a whiiiile so enjoy the slow burn 😉

It was impossible to forget the first night you officially met Billy Hargrove. Autumn was finally setting in, forcing you to break out the long skirts and thin sweaters. Just enough to not sweat. It wasn't consistent yet. Next week could still be a scorcher. Tonight, however, was chilled. So you didn't raise an eyebrow at the double denim you saw on the fresh face outside your house. He was your age, apparently. Part of the new household that moved next door last week. You weren't as social as your mother - who bombarded them with a welcoming pie the day they moved in - so you hadn't met any of them face to face. That was changing tonight.

"Goodness Y/n, do something about your hair. You ever heard of first impressions?" Your mother was smoothing out her dress. A little short for dining with a married couple, but you were used to her dressing that way. Plunging necklines, high skirts, strappy heels… the housewives of Hawkins weren't big fans of her. An empty judgment on their part. None of their out-of-shape, lazy husbands would be your mother's type anyway. Even on their best day.

You were buttoning up the last button on one of your favorite tops. A loose off-the-shoulders top in sunflower yellow, paired with a flowy white skirt. To finish off the outfit, you put on one of your favorite accessories. A flower crown of fake sunflowers and other white and yellow flowers. Your mom looked you up and down, giving you a peace sign with her fingers. "Well alright, hippie. You look cute." A quick peck on your cheek followed, before she was speeding off to the kitchen. A sticky lipstick mark was left behind, but you ignored it. Letting the small sign of affection linger.

In just a week's time, your mom had formed a friendship with your new neighbor. Specifically the wife/mom of the household, Susan. Which led to them being invited over for dinner. The whole lot of them. From what you've been told, while your mom whizzed around the kitchen, there were four of them in total. The husband, a son, a younger daughter, and of course the woman she befriended. A simple little family by the looks of them. The only thing that gave you pause was the son. The boy in double denim. His hair stood out to you in the fading sunlight. A dirty blonde crown of curls, obviously different from the two redheads and his father's coffee dark short cut. One of these things is not like the other.

Ding dong!

Before your mom could yell for you to get it, you were already headed for the door. Susan was the one that rang, greeting you with a shy smile once the door was open. "Uh, Welcome!" You spoke to the family as a whole, standing there awkwardly before you remembered to step aside so they could enter. This is exactly why you didn't usually do social gatherings. Each one greeted you in their own way as they passed (your mother gave you the rundown of their names). Susan gave you a loose hug, and you assumed your mom must've spoken about you alot for her to feel so comfortable. Neil gave you a stiff handshake. It didn't last long, but he gripped your hand hard enough to crack a few knuckles. Max smiled apologetically, giving you an awkward wave. Then Billy entered last, looking you up and down with a toothpick hanging out of his mouth. He also offered you a handshake, but he handled you delicately. Drawing a small circle on the back of your hand with this thumb. Lingering there while your mom showed everyone else where to put their jackets (if they wanted to remove them).

Billy was noticeably taller than you. Your forehead could perfectly fit into the crook of his neck, if you thought to measure such a thing. He certainly made it a point to seem inviting. Polite. Addressing your mom respectfully, and even helping lift some of the heavy food dishes and bringing them to the table. It was a nice event so far.

"Y'know, Billy's gonna be starting his first day at your school tomorrow. Maybe you can show him around." Your mom offered, giving you a pointed look. Here she goes again. Always trying to get me 'out of my shell'.

"I doubt he'd wanna hang around a dork like me all day." The fork in your hand pushed through a clump of mashed potatoes, spreading it around on the plate. You didn't look up. "Besides, if he's into sports, I'm sure Steve and his boys will set him up real nice."

"Steve? That your boyfriend?" Billy snorted from behind his glass of lemonade.

Did he miss the 'dork' part of my previous statement? "Hah, not even close. He's the hotshot around school. Pretty big on the basketball team."

His father Neil, who was previously uninterested in the conversation, suddenly sat up in his chair. "Basketball, huh? You should check that out. I'm sure this Steve isn't as challenging as the guys from your old school."

The table grew quiet waiting for Billy's response, but all he did was shrug. Until Neil gave him a look that made your skin crawl. Piercing and unwavering in its direction. Dead on. That got more of a reaction. Billy cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to the empty plate in front of him. "Yeah. Yeah, I could talk to the coach."

That was your mom's queue to save the mood before it went any further south. Breaking out the fruity 'adult drinks', beers, and leading the parents to the sitting room. After the dishes were cleared, Neil told the two to go home and sleep. Big day tomorrow. So, with a push from your mom, you walked them back to their house.

The second they walked out into the night air it felt like a weight was lifted from their shoulders. Especially for Billy. He threw his keys at Max, nailing her right in the chest. "Get inside. Leave it unlocked."

"Didn't your dad-"

"What are you, the bedtime police? Get the fuck inside!" He hissed, quieting any further questions from Max. She did as directed, closing (but not locking) the front door behind her.

Ah. So all the politeness was a front. Makes sense. He wouldn't be the first teen to put on a mask around parents. Pretty sure we all do at one time or another. The real Billy fished a cigarette out of his jacket pocket and lit it. Sighing once he released that first exhale. Now that was a look of relaxation. "Ah, shit. My bad." He remembered your presence, holding out an unlit cigarette for you. Common courtesy, but you declined.

"Not really my thing. I stick to the green stuff."

"Not surprised." He gestured toward your clothes, grinning as he inhaled again. "I used to get some from my friend, back home. But uh, I don't know anyone that has it out here."

Interesting. So he has a mean streak, and he gets stoned. He'll fit in just fine at school. Plus, as much as you didn't want to notice it, he was attractive. Physically. His attitude was still a mystery. On the subject of getting stoned, you were craving it yourself lately. Reefer Rick was behind bars again, and you smoked your last joint two days before Billy and his family arrived.

"Well, if I find a new guy I'll let you know. Call it my own version of a welcoming gift."

The cigarette was finished quicker than you expected, and it was time to part ways. Seems you also have a big day ahead of you. A small town like Hawkins doesn't get new people very often. The student body was going to be in a frenzy. It had you contemplating sticking a thermometer under hot water. Faking the flu. Food poisoning. Something.

"Save me a seat, flower child." He said, turning to go inside his house. No point in arguing with his back that you're not a hippie - you only dressed like this around the house, where you felt comfortable. It'd only amuse a guy like him. Guys like Steve and the basketball team. They usually enjoyed getting a rise out of you.

Hawkins High (and the middle school) was going to welcome them in a way they couldn't possibly be ready for.

🌻A/N: I'm hyped! Feedback and reblogs are always welcome ♡ I'd love to hear your thoughts ~

Masterlist, Series Masterlist, Ao3 ☆

#billy hargrove #billy hargove x reader #billy hargrove x you #billy hargrove x fem!reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x you #eddie munson x y/n #mungrove #mungrove x reader #mungrove x you

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onedayanauthor · 8 months

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Okay, come on a little journey with me......

what if Romero and Jackson were actually undercover FBI informants?

The were both born into crime families of some kind. They were both super smart, but when you've got family who are criminals, you will always be seen as a criminal too regardless of who you are/want to be. You get labeled immediately, so it's easier to just be who they think or say you are. Also, they had pressure from their families to commit to the family legacy and lifestyle. But somewhere along the line, the two agreed that shit sucked and that if they were given the option to get out, they would take it. Meanwhile, they are committing to the bit. Doing pretty crimes, making a name for themselves.

At some point, they get caught by the police. (Maybe when they're youngish teenagers when they can still "turn their life around") It's a one in a million chance, but somehow there's an officer who recognizes how brilliant they are and knows someone who knows someone who is an FBI agent. This agent comes in and is like "you can't be an FBI agent, but you guys are lucky because you are smart and you are in just the right circles of crime that we currently need, so I'll make you a deal. Help me bring down a crime boss and your records will be wiped, you will be given new identities and a new place to live, and you will be allowed to live your life how you please."

Jackson and Romero agree. They promised that they would take any out possible and they know this is their best option.

So they go deep cover. They get released from that county jail and immediately start building up their reputation. Romero uses his sister's connection to a man named The Butcher to build their reputation even higher. Do they have to do crimes sometimes? Yes. Do they have to kill people sometimes? Yes. They try to only kill when necessary and only when it will actually help their reputation. It's never for sadistic reasons. Not like Lola. They finally get to the top, Nathan Wesninski.

And they help get him put away... but they didn't have enough to charge him with anything longer than 2 years, so Jackson and Romero are stuck in the crime world for at least a little while longer.

Then Nathan's 2 years are up and he gets out. And suddenly Romero and Jackaon see an opportunity. Nathan's sights are set on his son, so Romero and Jackson use this tunnel vision to begin setting up a trap with the FBI. But they have to be careful and they have to go slow because this really might be the only chance and if Romero and Jackson get caught... well... they've seen firsthand what Lola can do with a knife and they know exactly what sounds a human makes when cut by the cleaver.

So the watch and wait and plan with the FBI.

Then the moment comes. Do Romero and Jackson want to hurt a kid? No. But right now, that kid is the bait for a trap that will free them. So in the grand scheme of things, hurting one last kid is worth it.

They don't have to do much anyway besides manhandle the kid. And hand Lola the dashboard lighter. (Romero ends up having to use the lighter once. But he puts it in the same spot on the kid's face as Lola already did in hopes that the nerves are already burned and it won't hurt as much... his guess was wrong.)

Everything is easy from there. They initially left the stadium in a highway patrol car and then stopped to swap to a Cadillac. At this swap, Jackson was left with the pateol car and Romero and Lola continued on. Jackson was immediately picked up by the FBI. They took the highway patrol car and crash it. One faked death down. One to go.

Romero drove Lola and the kid to the next stop: a local police cruiser. Romero helped the officers get Neil from the Cadillac to the cruiser. Then he was left with Cadillac while they drove away. The FBI pick Romero up too. They stage a "drug deal gone wrong shootout" and now no one should come looking for Jackson or Romero.

They had to wait until it was official--that the Butcher of Baltimore was dead; that his inner circle was either dead (themselves included) or captured; that the feds had gotten plenty of info from the Butcher son--and then finally, Jackson and Romero were free. They were given new names, given new IDs, and a new place to live. Then they were free.

#romero malcolm #jackson plank #aftg #all for the game #jamero #au where jamero is canon #au where jamero are actually FBI informants

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ash5monster01 · 1 month

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Goes On Bonus Chapter

Pairing: Charlie Dalton x OC!FemReader

Warnings: 18+, depression, mentions of suicide, heavy topics, slow burn romance, fluff, gender themes/stereotypes.

word count: 3.8k

Epilogue ←

Masterlist

Ridge Academy, NY

6/3/61

“Congratulations to the class of 1961” the crowd roars as the Dean, who once Charlie hated for making him take track, announces. Graduation caps fly in the air around them as the hot sun beats down on the crowd. Not so long ago Charlie had dreaded being in this very school but now he couldn’t believe it was over. He was finally free and he never thought he would be sad about it like this.

“Yawp!” he hears from the crowd and he looks down the stage and into the crowd to see the Dead Poets standing and cheering just like they once did for Neil a lifetime ago. He can’t help the teary laugh that comes to his face as he spots all the prideful looks on each of his friends. When he was first booted from Welton he assumed he would slowly lose touch. How wrong he was, the boys all making the trip just to be here for him. He suddenly regretted not being allowed to attend theirs a week prior. They should’ve never asked for Nolan’s permission.

His own parents couldn’t even make it to this. Some last minute business in New York City his Dad had to attend to and his mother tagged along due to not trusting him. Thing was, Charlie didn’t really mind. The only people he needed were here and suddenly his heart ached for Neil. He could just see him now, cheering louder than anyone as he got his diploma because he was always his biggest fan. He always knew he could do it.

“We did it!” Evelyn’s beautiful voice suddenly filled his ears, barreling into his arms as the students were released from the stage to be congratulated by their families. Charlie laughed and hugged her tightly back, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

“It’s about time” he told her and she laughed, squeezing him tight as he spun her around and then set her down. They kept their arms wrapped around each other as they descended the stage, off in search of the people they love.

They first stumble upon Evelyn’s parents and her little brother Eli. He had met them a few times before, leaving campus with Evelyn on holidays his parents didn’t care for him to attend. He admired how loving a family they were and that point was proven true as Mr. Evans pulled Evelyn in a hug and Mrs. Evans pulled him in. The minute they let them go Mr. Evans was quick to give Charlie a firm handshake that he was happy to return. Charlie always assumed all adult men were bitter and angry towards the world but Mr. Evans was not and that gave him hope.

“Congrats you two” Mrs. Evans beams, hands coming to wrap around Eli’s shoulders.

“Thank you, for everything” Charlie smiled back at them both, arm wrapping around Evelyn’s waist. If it wasn’t for them he would’ve never gotten accepted into Columbia. What a rush it was getting to tell his father he had been accepted into an Ivy League even with expulsion on his record. Him and Evelyn were to leave in the Fall.

“Of course son, we were glad to help” Mr. Evans nods at him and he smiles before reaching to ruffle little Eli’s hair.

“You’re next kiddo” he tells him but the boy just rolls his eyes, not one for school which Charlie found amusing. He figured being a scholar was second nature from years of being conformed into it at Welton, but if he had gone to public school he would’ve been a lot like Eli. Probably a tradesman instead of businessman.

“Yeah right” the twelve year old boy groans and Charlie laughs, remembering when he was that age, just hitting puberty and waiting to conquer the world. He hoped it didn’t crush Eli like it did him.

"Don't let us keep you guys, go celebrate with your friends and we will see you later" Mrs. Evans intervenes. Charlie and Evelyn are quick to smile and bid them goodbye as they head for the parking lot to leave with all the other visiting families. Charlie unable to keep himself away any longer interlocks his hand with Evelyn’s and starts navigating the crowd in search of the boys. They spot him as soon as he see's them and they're quick to hoot and holler all over again.

"Charlie!" is called by multiple of them, rushing over with oepn arms and collecting him a group hug. The action breaks Evelyn's grasp as he's sucked into the pile of boys who are clearly overjoyed to be here. Evelyn just smiles, having only interacted with them over the phone before. It's Knox who lifts his head from the hug to see her shyly waiting, laughing at the love shared between the boys.

“Well don’t just stand there Ev, get in here” he calls out, waving a hand to join and all the boys hear his words, tugging her into the hug with them. She laughs loudly, pressed against Charlie as the boys hold them tight.

“I can’t believe you actually did it” Meeks says as they break apart, clapping a hand against his shoulder. “Especially without me to help you with Latin”

“Well, read it and weep boys” Charlie says holding up the diploma in his hands, rolled tightly within his grasp.

“What’s it say-” Todd says as he snatches it out of his hands. “Charlie or Nuwanda”

“Oh please. It obviously says Charles” Charlie says snatching it right back and the boys laugh again.

“Thank you for coming though. I really hate that I missed yours” Charlie tells him and the boys instantly start shaking their heads.

“Don’t worry about it, you wouldn’t have liked it anyway” Pitts says and Charlie looks amongst the group to see that it was more than just some simple graduation.

“What happened?” he curiously asks and the boys look amongst each other as if debating they should even tell him. It’s not long until they clearly decide telling the truth would be better and Evelyn finds herself curling her hand into his own.

“They did some big memorial thing for Neil. Saved a chair for him and everything, even had a diploma made up. Mr. And Mrs. Perry walked the stage to accept it” Todd tells him, voice low and eyes cast at the ground. Charlie realizes it’s only moments like these when Todd turns back into that shy boy they once all knew.

“Oh” is all Charlie can say, trying to picture traditional Welton and how they had handled all of it. The last time he was ever in that ceremony room was when Neil had died. He couldn’t imagine sitting in it now and doing a remembrance of him.

“Yeah, the whole thing was bullshit. Nolan kept making speeches about how Welton has taken the proper steps to ensure we never face such tragedy again and that only the best from here on out are allowed to teach there” Knox tells him and Charlie curses under his breath, shaking his head and looking up to the bright blue sky.

“I’ll never forgive them for placing the blame on the Captain. I saw his father that night, looked him in the eye. If Keating didn’t stop me-“ Charlie cuts himself short, shaking his head and the looking to Evelyn with a soft smile.

“I don’t want to talk about it, but boys, officially meet Evelyn” Charlie says, nudging her forward with a proud smile on his face. Evelyn smiles at each of them, not needing much introduction due to how many pictures she’s seen and phone calls she’s shared over the last year.

“Hi fellas” she grins at them as she offers a wave. Knox is the first to approach her, arm wrapping around her shoulder.

“So we finally get to meet the girl who got Charlie to settle down in the flesh” he says, guiding her to the other three boys. Charlie allows it, already amused at the concept of his girlfriend and best friends.

“It really is an honor” Meeks jokes as he reaches out and shakes her hand. Evelyn laughs, greeting each of them properly.

“It’s an honor meeting all of you. I mean Pitts you’re so much taller than I expected and Todd, so much sweeter than Charlie ever let on. Meeks, you look as smart as you are and Knox, definitely a romantic” she says and the boys laugh at how well she knows them just from Charlie and the things he’s told her while he was here. Yet before they can question her more and find out the juicy details of their relationship, they’re interrupted by the yelling of two boys.

“Charlie” Marty and Nate yell as they squash the boy between them. Charlie groans, trying to shove them off as they love up on him in a teasing way. Violet and Laurie are not far behind, walking up behind them in much slower strides.

“Dead Poets, meet the Ridge Rejects. Marty, Nate, Violet, and Laurie” Evelyn introduces as Knox’s arm falls from her shoulder. It’s no surprise how Todd, Meeks, and Pitts all instantly gape at her blonde friend, star struck in the way most boys were. The difference for them was they didn’t get to see girls nearly as much.

“Nice to meet you” Violet says as the boys finally free Charlie from their grasp and he straightens out his dress shirt and gown on his form.

“Guys this is Knox, Todd, Steven, and Gerard” Evelyn introduces and the two groups swap pleasantries due to the introduction. Charlie feels his heart soar as the two groups seem to intermingle well. After he had realized pushing them away was the wrong thing to do, he found he had some really good friends here at Ridge. Best friends even and to see his two worlds collide was better than anything he could’ve imagined.

“Can you guys believe it, little Charlie actually graduated” Marty teases, arm wrapped around the brunette boys shoulders as he uses his free hand to pinch his cheek. Charlie is quick to shove him off, the poets laughing at the interaction with his new friend.

“Marty, I recall me being the one to help you with your homework. Not the other way around” Charlie says and Marty laughs, shaking his head as if he had forgotten, even though he just graduated a few moments ago.

“Actually I helped both of you with homework, but fine, don’t get me any credit” Nate says and everyone laughs, falling into a comfortable rhythm like they had been puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together all along.

“Any of you guys hungry, cause I’m starved” Evelyn says once the laughter quiets down and agreements come from nearly everyone in the group. Charlie just smiles and wraps his arms around her.

“Let’s go out to dinner, all of us” he suggests, leaning to press a kiss to the crown of her head. Evelyn nods in an agreement and the group complies easily too.

“Sounds fun, I can tell you guys all about the time Charlie got chased by a goose on campus” Knox says as he approaches both Evelyn and Charlie. Evelyn laughs as Knox breaks them apart, wrapping his arms around both their shoulders as he starts to guide them towards the parking lot.

“What did he do to the goose?” Laurie asks, the intermingled groups following along after the three and Charlie groans at the memory.

“I don’t want to talk about it” he mutters and Knox grins, squishing him into his side.

“Little Charlie here thought he could catch one. He was sorta right” Knox says as Charlie drops his head with a shake, knowing now he could no longer hide his most embarrassing moments from the group.

“How so?” Violet curiously asks and Knox turns to look over his shoulder, wide smile on his face.

“The goose caught him”

The conjoined group ended up having a great time sharing dinner together. Trading stories and preparatory school experiences, enjoying each other’s company, so much they agreed to spend the rest of the night together. Which is how the group finds themselves at the old campfire in the woods behind Ridge, one last hurrah and flask shared between them all. Charlie enjoys being curled up beside Evelyn, remembering the first night they ever came out here and he had finally accepted loving her. Accepted that he was bound to let her in.

“So someone, please, explain this Dead Poets Society to us. Charlie never shuts up about it and we do not understand” Marty announces, cigarette glowing between his finger tips, reflecting in his eyes.

“It’s kind of hard to explain, you just have to experience it” Meeks says, ears tinted red from the effects the shared whiskey had already had on him.

“Let’s do it, can’t we have a meeting right now?” Laurie curiously asked, hands brushing the blonde curls out of her face. Meeks suddenly turns redder beside her, his crush showing.

“Let’s do it boys, I haven’t attended a meeting in forever” Charlie says, having not been to one since the night Neil died. He knew the boys tried to still have some but never as often and never at the cave. Nolan had made it nearly impossible to sneak off of campus after everything went down. “Who’s gonna lead it?-”

Todd standing cuts Charlie short, not realizing that he had taken Neil’s spot. The new head of the Dead Poets and it strikes Charlie silent, the hand that was rubbing Evelyn’s back freezing in place. “We usually start our meetings with an opening poem. Boys?”

“I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life. To put to rout all that was not life, and not, when I had come to die, discover that I had not lived” the boys all repeated perfectly in sync, even Charlie who hadn’t forgotten the words once since he left. Evelyn found herself pressing a soft kiss to the side of his neck as he said it.

“Cult-ish, but okay?” Nate said with a clap, causing each of the boys to laugh as Todd fiddled with his fingers in front of the fire.

“Anyone want to go first?” he curiously asked and much to everyone’s surprise Charlie was loosening his grip and standing up from where he sat on the log.

“I have something” he announces and the group claps in support as Todd sits back down and Charlie takes his place. They all watch curiously as he wrings out his hands and stretches his neck, mentally recalling the words that once spilled out of him a long time ago and never got to be shared.

“The final bow,

The crowd goes wild.

I remember your smile,

You were only just a child.

A single part of me,

I’d never thought I’d lose.

The pride in my chest,

Burnt out like a fuse.

One last look and I swear,

I will always miss you” the group is silent, feeling the boys words sink in, in a hundred different ways. For the Welton boys, they recalled a time they were all there for. As for the Ridge group, they learned more of just how deep a cut this had made. Only knowing of the tale through passing stories. Yet absolutely none of them knew what to say.

“Suddenly he rhymes now folks” Todd is the first to break the silence with a snort, head shaking and his blonde hair falling in his eyes. Charlie looked at him slightly bewildered before cracking a smile as well. Todd was the last person he expected to say anything, let alone something sarcastic.

“Well Todd, you see I took this class in high school that taught me all about poetry” Charlie answers, sarcasm dripping from his tongue and as the group realizes he’s not mad they start to smile at the scene in front of them.

“I know, which is why I figured your poetry might be a bit more than simple rhyming. It was good nonetheless” Todd offers with the shrug of his shoulders and Charlie snorts before rushing over to the boy, tackling him off the back of the log as he play fought him. The group laughs, watching the two boys roll around.

“Hey settle down” Evelyn called out as she stood. “I want a turn”

At this, both the boys calmed down, breathless laughs falling from their panting lips, hair tousled out of its desired places. Charlie helped Todd up as Evelyn took the stage, the blazing fire making her hazel eyes glimmer in the night sky.

“I don’t necessarily have a poem but I would like to say how happy I am to be here with you all. To my Ridge Rejects, it’s crazy to think that after today I won’t get to see you all as much, that we’ll never come back here and share a dorm again. That thought breaks my heart. I love you all so much and I wouldn’t have these last few years any other way” she started, eyes watering as she thought of just how heartbreaking it was to no longer have these days. They were all off to different colleges and pretty soon she’ll only speak with them through letters and distanced phone calls.

“And to the Dead Poets. I love that I have gotten to know you through Charlie who loves you more than anything. You are all beautiful souls who survived something tragic and I’m so happy you can all be there for each other through the good and bad times. Of all the men I could’ve fell for, I’m the luckiest for falling for Charlie, because I never would have met all of you” she finished, the tears falling softly down her cheeks. She offered a bittersweet smile, hands brushing them away before walking to Charlie who happily accepted her into his arms.

“You’re not too bad yourself Ev” Knox grinned at her, holding up the flask in his hand before taking a sip and passing it to Pitts.

“I try” she says and that earns her a kiss from Charlie to the side of her head, Todd smiling at the sight of them. Loving how happy his once wild and reckless friend had become.

“I wish tonight could last forever” Nate shared, knowing that two years ago he never would’ve pictured himself here. Yet now that he was, he was glad this was how things ended up. He’d go to Columbia with Charlie and Evelyn in the fall. Meet new people for the first time in years and just maybe fall in love. Something he could see himself doing now and wear a smile while imagining it. He had loved Evelyn for so long and had gotten so used to how safe it was hiding his feelings from her, a security of knowing the other person would never fall out of love. This time he was ready to be loved and take the risk.

"It will, at least in memories" Todd responded and everyone let out content sighs, letting the very words sink in and settle in the air around them. Nothing could last for ever, that much is true. Like goes on and you make the best of it that you can. Charlie had forgotten that when Neil died, but now, surruounded by people he loved, he knew he'd never stop going on again. He'd enjoy every second he could. No matter what happened.

Finally he accepted he was surrounded by people who loved him, just as Neil once did.

When the fire died out, the group accepted that the night had officially come to an end. So they made the trek back to the school, no longer concerned about getting caught because tommorrow morning they would leave and never come back again. Charlie left the Dead Poets in his room with Nate, happy to offer up his space to spend his last night here with Evelyn, Violet doing the same in Marty's room. It felt right to all be together in this school one last time. So Charlie trailed behind Evelyn, hand interlaced with her own as she guided him to the uncomfortable twin bed they'd only have to share one last time.

"Why am I suddenly sad about my bed, this thing isnt even comfy" Evelyn grumbled as they stepped into the room and she shed her jacket. Charlie chuckled, toeing off his shoes before throwing his jacket and unbuttoning his pants.

"Maybe it's not the bed, just me in it" he offered, eyebrows wiggling as he stripped to his boxers and belly flopped into the bed. Evelyn laughed, doing the same as she searched for a spare shirt of Charlie's to sleep in. Charlie shamelessy watched her as she stripped to nothing but her panties and then shrugged his shirt over her head. As soon as she was done he was welcoming her with open arms as she curled into the bed beside him.

“I suppose you’re right, kinda sad I have to go the whole summer without this” she muttered, hand slowly lacing through his own. The both of them watching their fingers tangle to together, Charlie’s heart beat lightly thrumming against her ear.

“It’ll be over before you know it, and then we can sleep in each other’s dorms. Probably won’t even have to sneak around either” Charlie muttered, titling his head to rest against your own.

“Just promise me one thing” she says after a beat, savoring the moment entirely. How he smelled faintly of pine and campfire smoke, and how warm his skin was against her own.

“Anything my love” he mutters into her hair and she smiles, pulling their intertwined hands to her mouth and placing a soft kiss against his knuckles. Tucking their shared hands gently against her chest she tipped her head up to look at him.

“That you’ll love me like this forever, that college or growing old won’t change a thing?” she whispered and Charlie smiled, brown eyes wide and adoring.

“I promise, but it won’t always be like this. I’ll love you more and growing old and getting married will only make it better” he assures her and Evelyn smiles, pushing up to press her lips against his own. It’s barely a kiss, just their two wide and loving smiles connected by the invisible string that had always been there.

For Charlie had never thought he would be able to love again and Evelyn thought she’d never be able to love, and in the end, they proved each other wrong.

Taglist: @octaviasdread @eden-punk @linmichea1 @pursuedbyamemoryy @mynameisjxlia

a/n: just because these characters deserved a touch more of magic <3

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thecrownnet · 2 years

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The Crown Season 6 will film in Hull in October. Extras wanted!

Netflix's The Crown film schedule in Hull revealed ahead of final season

The sixth and final season of Netflix's flagship series The Crown is filming in Hull

From Hull Daily Mail Sept 22, 2022

Netflix are once again heading up the M62 to Hull to film for their sixth and final season of The Crown in October, with three dates confirmed for filming in the city centre.

Earlier this month, Netflix put out a casting call to residents of Hull for 300 people for their flagship royal family drama series. Potential extras were being offered a daily rate of £150-250.

It is thought the scenes, some filming until 3am, could be set on VE Day in 1945 in a flashback scene, with the extras being asked to come with 1940's appropriate hairstyles and a clean shaven look. That would reflect a previous movie filmed in Hull featuring the young Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret.

A Royal Night Out (2015) filming underway at Queen Victoria Square. The movie featured a young Princess Elizabeth and sister Princess Margaret in a plot which could feature in Netflix planned filming in Hull in October (Image: Hull Live)

The rest of the season is set around the turn of the last century, with the yet to be released season five set in 1990's Britain in the lead up to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The Crown is to film episodes in Hull, which could include a flashback on scenes involving the Queen, (Claire Foy) and her sister Princess Margaret (Vanessa Kirby), right. (Image: Netflix)

October 24th, 25th and 26th are all going to be used to film in Hull, with Alfred Gelder Street and Queen Victoria Square shooting locations for what has proved one of Netflix's most popular shows.

The Crown filming schedule in Hull is:

October 24 - Hull city centre, Alfred Gelder Street - 3.45pm - 11pm

October 25 - Hull city centre, Alfred Gelder Street - 5pm - 3am

October 26 - Hull city centre, Queen Victoria Square - 4pm - 11pm

Following the Queen's passing, which paused production on the series, viewing numbers for The Crown have shot up 800% ahead of the fifth season's release in November.

This won't be the first time Hull was used as a royal movie set, with 2015's A Royal Night out been filmed largely in the city. The film followed the story of the then Princess Elizabeth and Margaret on VE Day.

“We chose Hull for a number of reasons – its architecture and history – and the city council was very accommodating in helping us arrange filming locations,“ assistant director Neil Wallace said at the time. With shooting locations involving City Hall and Queen Victoria Square, and The George Pub, which used the actual landlady Fiona George as the fictitious landlady in the film.

While the seasons of the Crown are set in chronological order, season six's plot information is thin on the ground. It is speculated that it follows the growing relationship of Prince William and Kate Middleton from teens to university students, with two actors being cast as the grieving Prince. Rufus Kamba will play him as a 15 year old, with Ed McVey embodying his young adult phase as reported by Deadline. With each of the prior seasons spanning their respective decade, we can expect to see the the possible backdrop of 9/11, the Iraq invasion and Tony Blair's new Labour leadership, the memories will be relatively fresh in the mind of viewers.

Other confirmed cast for season five and six include the Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II, Trainspotting's Johnny Lee Miller as PM John Major, Elizabeth Debicki as Diana, opposite Dominic West as Prince Charles.

Back in 2021, showrunner and The Crown creator Peter Morgan has said that he follows a self imposed "20-year rule", preventing him from exploring events in that time frame. But with the rising popularity and the upheaval endured at Buckingham Palace in much more recent memory, the big wigs at Netflix may want this exploring.

Imelda Staunton is confirmed to be playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Crowns fifth and sixth season (Image: Twitter)

The Crown has been a major hit since it's first airing back in 2016 for both audiences and critics alike. The many faces representing the royals have swept numerous awards over the years and seasons with seven Emmy wins in that time. In 2021, Olivia Colman, Tobias Menzies and Gillian Anderson all swept home best actor Emmys for their roles as Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip and Margaret Thatcher respectively.

While season five will air sometime in November 2022, production is still underway for the sixth and final season, and is expected sometime later into 2023.

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