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astaroth1357 · 3 years

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Demigod MC Series: Athena

So. I have to deal with the virgin goddesses… By mythos, there really shouldn't ever be children of Artemis, Hestia, or Athena (yes, Athena was a virgin goddess). PJ got past that by making it canon that Annabeth and her siblings were born from cracking open Athena's skull (yes, that's also more or less the canon explanation). They gloss over it real quick but I remember, Rick. I've always remembered and that mental image has haunted me for years...

I can't, in good conscience, ignore the history around Athena's worship (call it an academic restraint) but I REFUSE to do the skull thing. So, since I make the rules here, I'm going with magic adoption. They still get magic powers, they're just more human than demigod. Cool? Cool.

Demigod MC Series: Intro, Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena

Lucifer

The human that popped out of the portal seemed to have enough sense not to attack everyone in the room for a change, but even Lucifer could tell that was more of a strategic choice than for lack of ability...

Their very existence was highly unusual… and quite worrisome. He wasn't even aware Athena could have "children" of her own, but apparently she had been taking in some particularly bright humans to raise and train like her own...

Unbeknownst to him, a surprising amount of human scholars, diplomats, and generals have her to thank for their trade… and that alone should speak to the level of intrigue at play here.

Was this an accident or Athena's attempt to plant an Olympian spy in the Devildom too…? Either way, he didn't trust them from the get go…

Look, Lucifer isn’t stupid. Athena is a goddess of Wisdom and War and war happens on more than just the battlefield…

Since they've shown up records have been going missing, official documents keep getting misplaced, and he swears that there's some kind of bug in the student council room...!

It's infuriating watching the MC suck up to Diavolo when he's almost certain that they're running their own agenda behind the scenes! And he can't prove any of it!! They cover their tracks too well!

Lucifer has one of those corkboards covered in newspapers and string in a secret wing of the Castle - 100% dedicated to just tracking the MC's activities…. The longer they're there, the more obsessed he becomes...

He swears between Simeon, Solomon, and MC he feels like a shepherd wondering why the sheep are growling… The Devildom has never been in more danger than it is right now... Send help.

Mammon

To be honest, he kind of thought that they were just going to be Satan 2.0 but that's not really true.

They're more than just a book sponge! Though they do read, like a lot. Let’s just say from one schemer to another… Game recognizes Game.

They come up with plans and ideas soooo fast, it’s insane! Honestly, there are times where he has a new money-making plot and he just brings it to the MC first to run it over.

Nine times out of ten, not only do they sniff out any problems but they have a solution for him in a matter of minutes! His scheme game has been on point since they’ve shown up!!

They’re also even better tutoring than Satan is, so he’s even managed to get a couple A’s for the first time in his life! Lucifer actually told him he was proud (which he secretly recorded and now uses as a ringtone much to his brother’s regret...)

So yeah, he likes them... buuut that doesn’t keep him from thinking they act a little weird sometimes...

Mammon: *points to a unused tower close to the RAD building* Over there is the Tower of Sorrow. We use it for storage.

MC: Ah. Interesting… *starts writing in a notebook, muttering* It may need a few minor tweaks but the location is defensible...

Mammon: *stops* Ya say somethin’?

MC: *looks back up* Nope! Say, you’ve been to the Castle a lot haven’t you? Do you know any good ways in?

Mammon: Uhm… Why do ya want to know that…? *starts looking around for Lucifer*

MC: In case of emergencies. I like being prepared. 🙂

Mammon: Look, I don’t know what Lucifer might’a told ya…

MC: I’ll pay you a thousand Grimm for it.

Mammon: Well shit, ya want those maps with or without color?

... Yeeeah, that��s pretty weird… But it’s probably fine. I mean, as long as they keep giving him money, who’s he to complain? 🤷‍♀️

Leviathan

Also thought that they’d be a lot more like Satan but was pleasantly surprised that they were into more than books.

What else did they like exactly? Military strategy!!

It’s been a looong time since he’s been able to talk to someone who’s actually interested in all the battles he’s fought, both in the Celestial Realm and the Devildom, and their curiosity is kind of flattering...! Not a lot of people take his strategic prowess all that seriously anymore...

Plus, they are the BEST partner to have any turn-based strategy game. Hands down. He once got stuck on a level of D-COM for weeks until the MC walked in and mopped the floor with the AI!! They have a serious head for probability and tactics.

The House once made the mistake of letting these two be on the same team during a Hell Game and they absolutely demolished the competition. Mammon didn’t even get a single shot off before half his team was lost to a rigged paint grenade… It took a whole day to clean up…

However, Levi’s also noticed some odd things about the human… He likes that they’re interested in his past but maybe they’re a little… too interested?

Levi: -and that’s how we defeated the Four Horsemen before they escaped from Purgatory.

MC: Wow, Levi that’s seriously impressive!! *furiously scribbling on a notebook*

Levi: Well t-thanks… 😅 But, uhm... are you writing that down…?

MC: Hm? Oh no, just doodling. *they lift up the notebook to show a bunch of cute little sketches on the page… and not the magic-based invisible ink all over them…*

Levi: Oh you draw too? Can you do fanart???

MC: Eh, sometimes. But say Levi, can you tell me about your naval ranks again? I’m still really curious… *gets the pen ready again with a smile*

Satan

Oh, it's been a long game of cat-and-mouse between these two… and unfortunately, it’s been pretty addicting too.

He honestly had every intention of tricking the human into making a huge mess do he could bother Lucifer, but at every turn they proved just a hair too clever for him...

He once gave them a cursed book to “lend” to Lucifer, but they saw through it the moment they touched it and lifted the spell before handing it over.

He rigged a podium to spray glitter during one of Lucifer's speeches but the MC disconnected the trigger mic before he even got on stage. It was pretty dang frustrating...

At one point he got so desperate that, just as a test, he tried to trap them in the House's Music Room. Fortunately for them, it only took a few minutes to work out an escape. They even passed by him in the hallway with a wink!

It's confounding! It's infuriating!!

...and it's so damn sexy... He should be furious but he’s just in awe!!

Add on that they know their art, literature, and multiple different crafts thanks to the tutelage of their adopted mother and that’s it. He’s finished. This boy is in love.

Truthfully though, a part of him is 90% sure that they’re also gathering state secrets… Like, they’re watching Barbs and Diavolo far too close for comfort - but he just can't bring himself to care. 🤷‍♀️

The MC could walk into his room one day and say, "Hey, do you want to help overthrow the monarchy with me?" and he dreads it because deep down he knows that he wouldn’t say no…

Take some notes, kids. Some bad influences get you to drink or do drugs. Others pull you into a centuries long conspiracy to destabilize and topple rival realms from within… But he has fallen for their brain hard. Devil help them all…

Asmodeus

They’re pretty clever, he’ll give them that, but uh… Are they a little off to anybody else?

Asmo is a charmer by birthright so he has a bit of nose for when someone’s just a liiittttle too nice… Not much of a nose mind you, because he can be thrown off by compliments himself, but enough to think that the MC might be a little too… “kind” for their own good...

First off, who wants to spend that much time with Levi?? They don’t even seem that interested in anime! They just keeping asking him for old war stories…

Then all the sucking up they do to Diavolo and Barbatos? Look, he gets it. Diavolo is a delicious piece of man-hunk and his butler could give him a lesson or two in sweet-talk (and he has), but they seem to be just a little too… nosy.

Of course, Asmo’s suspicions disappear pretty quickly after they start to spoil him with spa nights and beauty secrets they picked up from “casual research” into the subject.

And you know, get a little Demonus in Asmo and start massaging his back? Oh, sweetie he’ll sing like a bird!! … with gossip. Singing with gossip.

Asmo: So I’ve heard that Lucifer has been spending more time at RAD than usual… His whole club is talking about it, they think he’s meeting with some witch!

MC: Hm, is that so? *works on a knot near his shoulder blades* What do you think?

Asmo: Ooh~! Right there, MC! *purrs and lays his head on his arms* Well come on, this is Lucifer we’re talking about! I’m sure he’s just working.

Asmo: Hmm... though come to think of it, I think I heard him asking Barbatos for the spare keys to the Tower of Sorrow…

MC: Oh really? Huh. *works out the knot and gets up* I just remembered that I left some papers with Satan... I’ll be right back.

Asmo: You’re going already??

MC: *waves him off quickly* I’ll be right back, Asmo. *hurries out the door to do totally on-the-up-and-up things… surely*

Beelzebub

Honestly he doesn't like this one… But not for the reasons you'd expect.

He agrees with everyone else that they seem a little shady, but Solomon and Simeon are too so it's not like that's anything new... 🤷‍♀️

No, no. He dislikes them because they're the person who FINALLY figured out how to keep him from eating all the food in the kitchen!!

Turns out that the trick was to put a teleportation charm on the fridge door that would send all the food away if it’s opened after a certain time of night…

And where does it go? The Purgatory Hall fridge. And where does the Purgatory Hall food go…? The HoL fridge…

It doesn’t sound so bad until you remember that it means half of their fridge is now Solomon’s leftovers…. 🤢

After they put the same kind of spell on the pantry, it was all over… He couldn't get midnight snacks from the House anymore… Everything was contaminated by Solomon…

The MC is a nice enough person, he doesn’t have a lot of complaints about them, but he wants them to leave. Now. This is inexcusable… He’s so hungry… and he doesn’t want to die by “goulash” or whatever Solomon calls his latest culinary catastrophe… He’s still too young for death… 😓

Belphegor

In a way, he absolutely could not have asked for a better person to help him get out of that attic.

… In another way, he got one of the worst possible people to try and kill... Like. They saw through his scheme sooo fast…

How was he supposed to know that the human had training in body language and sniffing out lies???

Getting the door open was a piece of cake for them. They knew enough magic to undo the seals and just rummaged around Lucifer's stuff long enough to find the key to the door. He could not have found a more competent individual for a break out, really.

It’s just… well he didn’t expect to go from locked in a room like a prisoner to tied up in enchanted rope, still like a prisoner but now mobile. 😑

They even used his own hug ruse against him! They caught his wrists when they got close and tied him up before he could shake them off...

Admittedly, it wasn't exactly the best look for them either - what with walking Belphegor downstairs to the others like a one-man-prison-caravan but they're as silver-tongued as they are sly so they talked their way out of it beautifully…

And like hell was he going to trust them after that!! And not even Beel liked them so something had to be up...

Well, you want a detective? Look no farther than Belphie (no seriously, it’s in the canon). He can put things together pretty fast when he puts his mind to it and watching the MC for a while gave him enough proof to work off of...

He always knew that, humans were bad news and the MC just proved it to him all over again. They are bad news, bad bad news and they’re going to-!

Overthrow… Diavolo…? Is that what he is getting from them…? Huh…

Wait a second, MC. You might just have him interested… 😏

#you say athena mc is smart #i say athena mc is spy #because where better to use your smarts #in war #obey me #obey me shall we date #shall-we-date-obey-me #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me demigods

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emospritelet · 5 years

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Homecoming - chapter 14

A brief interlude before I send our babies North to face their pasts :)

[Part 1] [Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4] [Part 5] [Part 6] [Part 7] [Part 8] [Part 9] [Part 10] [Part 11] [Part 12] [Part 13] AO3 link

Belle clasped the twins’ hands tightly, following the others inside towards the wide staircase with its carved oak banisters. Lady Ella had greeted her warmly enough, but had turned back to Ogilvy almost immediately, and Belle recognised when she was dismissed. Her Ladyship had flicked an imperious hand at the waiting servants as she announced that their rooms were ready, and would have hot water for them to freshen up. One of the maids, Enid, who had joined the household just before Belle had left, murmured to her to follow, and she gently pulled on the twins’ hands. Ava and Nicholas were gazing at the enormous glittering Christmas tree that stood in the hallway, their eyes and mouths round with wonder.

It had been less than a month since Belle had been in Furton Grange, but returning felt different, and somewhat confusing. Instead of heading for her old room in the attic, she was led to a spacious, pleasant bedroom decorated in teal green, a connecting door leading to a smaller room with twin beds. She recognised it as one of the guest rooms that those with children would be assigned when visiting. Was that what she was? A guest? She suspected the rooms were more for the benefit of Ava and Nicholas than herself, but she was nonetheless grateful.

“I’ll bring some supper for the little ones, Miss,” said Enid, and Belle smiled, stroking Nicholas’s hair as he slumped against her side.

“Thank you, that would be welcome.”

By the time she had got the children washed and changed into their night things, their supper had arrived on trays: milk pudding, warm rolls with butter and honey and sweet tea. The twins were tired, yawning and rubbing their eyes even as they ate, and were asleep almost before Belle had tucked them into their beds. A gentle knock at the door made her start, and she pushed to her feet, heading to the door. Ogilvy had changed for dinner, and he smiled at her, eyes crinkling behind his glasses above the formal black suit, white shirt and tie.

“Forgive my intrusion,” he said. “I realised that I hadn’t had a chance to read the twins a bedtime story.”

“Oh.” Belle found that she was clutching at the door, and relaxed her grip a little. “Yes, they’re - they’re already asleep.”

“Tired from the journey,” he said. “I can’t say that I’m surprised, it was later than they’re used to.” He looked her over. “You should change. Lady Ella is anxious to see that you’ve settled in, and I suspect dinner is almost ready.”

“I’m expected at dinner?” she asked anxiously. “Are - are you certain? I almost always ate in the schoolroom when I worked here.”

Ogilvy smiled.

“Lady Ella is aware that you’re now part of my family,” he said. “We don’t banish family members from the dinner table. I assure you that your presence is both expected and welcomed, Miss Marchland. Shall I send Ivy to you when she’s finished with Alice?”

Belle returned the smile, thankful that she had thought to buy and alter a couple of evening dresses before they had come on their journey.

“Yes,” she said. “That would be most helpful.”

Ogilvy tugged at the collar of his shirt, the drawing room rather too warm for his liking, and Lady Ella put a hand on his arm and drew him away from the fire a little more as she told him of Lady Aurora’s most recent letter. She had introduced him to the only other guest: her companion, Ursula Waters, a lovely woman with smooth brown skin and dark eyes that glittered with mirth. He had discovered that she had a passion for singing, and the theatre, and he had a suspicion that she had been on the stage, although he wasn’t about to mention it before she did. She seemed a good match for Ella, and the two were clearly very fond of one another, sharing smiles and glances even as they talked with he and Doc.

Alice had shyly mentioned her love of drawing, and Miss Waters had encouraged her to speak further on the subject, professing that she had no talent herself but loved to see it in others. With some gentle persuasion, Alice began speaking of her plans to sketch the landscape around Willowbrook Grange, and Ogilvy smiled to himself as she grew more comfortable. It was rewarding to see her growing up into a bright and happy young woman, and he was grateful to Miss Waters for her encouragement. She was showing Doc and Alice a landscape painting that Lady Ella had recently acquired, and Ogilvy watched as he sipped at the wine he had been given and waited for Belle to arrive. He was tired from the journey, and was thankful that the dinner would be a small affair. Lady Ella was known for her lavish parties, but even she had to take time to revive herself, and as soon as she finished telling him of her daughter, she bemoaned the excess of the Christmas festivities.

“The following day I just stayed in bed,” she said. “I swear I don’t have the energy I used to. Or perhaps it’s this dreadful snow. If I didn’t despise travelling long distances, I’d winter in Italy. One lacks a certain something in the winter, I find.”

“Having seen you at parties, I very much doubt it was lack of anything,” he remarked, and she sent him a flat look.

“I had the most dreadful headache,” she insisted. “Ursula had to mop my brow and feed me violet creams and champagne.”

“And you’re sure champagne was the right choice to help with headaches, are you?”

“Champagne is always the right choice.”

“Well, perhaps you’ll decide to abstain for the New Year,” he suggested, and she looked shocked.

“How dare you besmirch my good name with suggestions of sobriety, sir!”

Ogilvy chuckled, and movement from the doorway caught his eye, making him glance around. Belle entered, looking a little nervous, her dark hair teased up on her head. She was wearing a dress he hadn’t seen before, a deep forest green silk that showed off her pale skin. Her lips were the pale pink of rose petals, matching the slight flush in her cheeks, and she caught his gaze, a smile briefly curving her lips. The candlelight gave a warm glow to her pale skin and made her eyes sparkle. He felt his heart thump in his chest, and swallowed hard.

“Ah, there she is!” Lady Ella stepped forward. “Miss Marchland, I must say how well you’re looking. Clearly being in London agrees with you. I wasn’t certain that would be the case.”

Belle smiled warmly.

“Thank you, my Lady,” she said. “It’s always a pleasure to be back at Furton Grange. I only wish it were nice enough to walk in the gardens, as I used to.”

“Oh, exercise is overrated,” said Ella, waving a hand. “Give me a warm fire and a cold glass any day.”

Belle smiled at that, her eyes shining, and Ogilvy felt his breath catch at her beauty.

“We’re fortunate enough that your Ladyship has provided both this evening,” she said. “I'm sure you remember how much I enjoy the fresh air, though. Mr Ogilvy and I have been taking turns in the park each day.”

“Have you now?” Ella looked over her shoulder at him, pursing her lips. “I must say, I can’t see the attraction in freezing to death, but I daresay when we get to Willowbrook Grange, there’ll be pretty views enough. Lady Tremaine informs me that she plans two days of shooting.”

“We’ve packed accordingly,” Belle assured her. “May I ask if you’ve heard from Lady Aurora?”

“Oh yes! Let me tell you all about it over dinner!” Ella glanced between the guests. “I’m afraid the women outnumber the men this evening. You won't mind, will you? I tried to coax old Colonel Lansdowne to come over to even things out a bit, but he has a cold."

"I'm sure we can survive the ordeal of uneven seating," said Ogilvy dryly, and she made a noise of agreement.

"More women and fewer men is always preferable, in my opinion," she said. "Present company excepted, of course. Shall we go through?”

Three hours later, Ogilvy was cradling a glass of brandy, feeling warm and content. The dinner had been pleasantly intimate, the lack of guests making it feel a little like being back at home, despite the grandeur of their surroundings. Lady Ella had been at the head of the long dining table, with Doc to her right, Alice next to him, and then Belle, leaving Ogilvy on the opposite side next to Miss Waters. The two of them had shared a pleasant discussion of the plays each had seen that year, with Alice asking eager questions about the costumes and music. Belle had remained fairly silent during the meal, and he had suspected that she felt a little awkward, being back in her old employer's house and sitting up to dinner as a guest. He had watched her as he talked, cherishing every glimpse of her blue eyes, every tiny smile from her perfect mouth. She had caught his gaze every now and then, and he had looked away, not wanting to make her more uncomfortable.

By the time an excellent lemon tart was served, he had felt the fatigue of a day's travel settling into his body, and had resolved only to have one drink after dinner. Fortunately, Ella kept excellent brandy at hand, and he and Doc each had a glass, taking them through to the drawing room where the ladies were drinking their tea. Now the tea was drunk and the brandy almost gone. Ella had requested a final glass of champagne, but he waved away her offer of another drink. They had an early start.

Miss Waters was playing the piano and singing a song which he didn’t recognise, but which had a sweeping, romantic feel to it. She had a sweet soprano voice, and Ella sent her adoring looks as she sipped her champagne. Doc was already dozing on the couch, his hands clasped over his belly, and Ogilvy resisted the urge to give him a shove with his foot. It had been a long day. Alice and Belle had excused themselves and gone to bed as soon as they had drunk their tea, and he planned to go up as soon as he finished his brandy. Hopefully before Doc started snoring.

“I’m afraid I shan’t be up to see you off in the morning,” said Ella. “The early train, isn’t it?”

“Too early for you, I expect,” he said.

“Anything before midday is too early for me, darling.”

“How are you going to cope with Lady Tremaine’s busy itinerary?” he asked, with a grin, and she groaned and rolled her eyes.

“Victoria knows what I’m like. I’m sure she’ll let me sleep late on New Year’s Day, she’s not that much of a termagant.”

“Well, don’t concern yourself with us tomorrow morning, Jefferson will make sure I’m out of the door on time.”

“I’ve instructed Jasper to bring the carriage around at seven,” she said. “I expect the next time I see you will be at Willowbrook Grange. I’ll be heading up there the day after tomorrow.”

“I look forward to it,” he said. “It’s nice to show the children a little of the countryside.”

“Well, there are woods and fields enough to tire them out, I’m sure,” she said. “No doubt Miss Marchland can keep them entertained.”

“No doubt.”

Ursula let her fingers dance over the piano keys in a light, pleasant tune, and Ogilvy took another sip of his drink. Ella gave him a shrewd look.

“And how are you finding my governess?” she asked. “I trust she’s everything you wanted?”

“She seems very competent,” he said neutrally, and she smacked him playfully on the arm.

“Don’t tease me! I’ve been waiting years for you to show me at least a sign that you’re actually interested in the fair sex. If I can claim some sort of responsibility for your eventual happiness, I’ll be delighted.”

“She’s been in my house a week at most!” he protested, and she pouted, her eyes sparkling.

“Oh, sometimes an evening’s enough, if it’s the right person,” she said slyly. “Or even perhaps - a night.”

“I don’t know what you’re suggesting,” he snapped.

“Oh yes you do, you know me too well to think it was anything innocent.” She rolled her eyes at his scowl. “And do calm down! I wouldn’t dream of implying you’ve done anything ungentlemanly.”

“Good.”

“But I’ve seen the way you look at her,” she added.

“And how do I look at her?” he asked, with some asperity. Ella gestured expansively.

“Like she’s a goddess, descended to Earth to make her way amongst mortals, and you her devoted servant, of course. Nauseating.”

“Oh, so much the same way I’ve seen you looking at Miss Waters, then,” he said dryly, and Lady Ella shrugged, smirking.

“Well, I certainly can’t deny that,” she said. “Although I’d like to think she looks at me in the same way. Do you want to hear all the lurid details of how we worship one another? Perhaps you need guidance in that area.”

Ogilvy sighed heavily.

“Really, Ella…”

“I’m just saying, lifelong bachelor and all that. There are tricks to a woman’s pleasure you probably don’t know.”

“Can we leave the deeply personal observations to one side for an evening?” he demanded. “Miss Marchland is in my employ. It’s not fitting for us to be having this discussion.”

She sniffed.

“Well, I was about to remark on the fact that she seems just as fascinated with you, but if you’re going to be a grump, I shan’t bother.”

“Thank you.”

“Spoilsport.”

He sighed, and took a sip of his drink.

“Thank you for letting us break our journey here,” he said, changing the subject. “I suspect we’ll be in the North for at least a week, depending on what secrets Willowbrook Grange holds.”

Lady Ella sniffed.

“Draughty place, last time I was there,” she said. “I’m sure the food will be divine. Victoria has an excellent cook, but being out of the way means the place is somewhat lacking in entertainment. I certainly hope this house party isn’t as dull as the last one I went to.”

“I’m surprised you agreed to go, in that case.”

She pressed a gloved hand to her chest, batting her eyelashes.

“What, stay here, and miss out on the possibility of watching an exorcism?”

“We don’t do exorcisms,” he said patiently. “Not as you’d understand them, anyway.”

“Good, because asking me to pray to the Lord will probably make things worse,” she said airily. “I think He’s had it in for me ever since I kissed Lady Mallory at Aurora’s christening. I’d hate to see you get hit by a lightning bolt or something just because I’m in the room.”

Ogilvy couldn’t help grinning.

“Rest assured, I’m not expecting your help with anything other than the choice of pre-dinner drinks,” he said, and she smiled.

“Now that I can do.”

The next morning was a flurry of activity, Belle hurrying to get the children up and dressed and out of the door in time to catch the train from Matlock. They made it with only minutes to spare, the Professor puffing for breath as he slumped into one of the compartments, and Belle hauled the twins up beside her as the train pulled out of the station, clouds of steam billowing out into the frosty morning air. Ava yawned, slouching against her, and Nicholas looked half asleep, but Belle and Alice coaxed them to sit up and look out at the snow-covered hills of the Peaks.

They changed trains at Manchester, Belle holding the children tight against her in the bustle of the busy station. It was a relief to get away from the noise and dirt into the relative calm and quiet of their compartment, and she decided to use some of the journey to start teaching the twins some simple sums. She discovered that Alice was right about their abilities: they easily knew the value of money and could add and subtract quickly when she used the coins in her purse as the basis for the sums. They were less sure when it came to writing numbers, but overall Belle was pleased. Their writing would improve with time, and they certainly had ability. She handed around some boiled sweets as a reward, and there was silence as the twins sat back, mouths working around rounded balls of fruit-flavoured sugar.

Ogilvy had disappeared behind his newspaper, and Alice was almost hanging on the window, gazing out as the scenery flashed by.

“This is so exciting,” she said. “I’ve never even been out of London. What’s it like in the North, Papa?”

“The men paint their faces with woad and beat drums made of human skin,” remarked Ogilvy, not looking up. She sent him a flat look.

“Really? And the women?”

“Oh, they’re even fiercer,” he said, turning a page. “How do you think they get the skin in the first place?”

Alice giggled.

“You were born in Glasgow, weren’t you?” she said eagerly. “Shall we go there, too? I should like to see it.”

“Perhaps in the Spring,” he said, and she pulled a face.

“That’s an age away.”

“Patience is a virtue, I’m told.”

“Easy for you to say,” she said.

“Time flows more slowly at your age,” said the Professor, looking over the top of his glasses as he closed his book. “Wait until you’re as ancient as me. Then the years will go like days.”

“Is that true?” Alice nudged Ogilvy with her foot. “Papa, does time go more quickly as you get older?”

Ogilvy glanced at Belle briefly.

“I find that very much depends on the context,” he said. “Sometimes time crawls.”

“I suppose it’s one of those things that’s affected by one’s perception of the reality around them, isn’t it?” said Belle thoughtfully. “Waiting for something that you want more than anything seems to take forever.”

Ogilvy smiled, folding his newspaper and handing it to the Professor.

“I couldn‘t agree more.”

They alighted at Carlisle, and Belle was relieved to find that Lady Tremaine had sent her carriage for them. The journey to Willowbrook Grange seemed to take forever, the carriage bouncing along on narrow roads, and she felt a little queasy by the time they turned into the long, sweeping driveway. She felt something go through her as the house came into view, a ripple of unease, as though fingers of ice were stroking against the back of her neck. There was a strange familiarity about the place, although she knew she hadn’t been there before.

It was dark, the surrounding fells making it seem as though the night was closing in on them, but Belle could still make out that the house was a large, handsome red-brick mansion, its windows spilling warm light out into the night to welcome them. That sense of familiarity was there again, scratching insistently at the back of her mind as the carriage slowed its pace. She chewed her lip anxiously, not liking the feeling, and not understanding its source. Perhaps Mr Ogilvy and the Professor, and their talk of evil spirits and unquiet ghosts. She told herself firmly that she was a rational woman, and that such things were fireside tales.

Servants in their livery were lined up, waiting to greet the visitors, and Belle recognised Lady Tremaine and her daughter, Anastasia, standing next to a tall, grey-haired man whom she assumed was Lord Tremaine. She shared a brief glance with Alice, who was looking excited, and held onto the twins as the carriage drew to a halt. They had arrived.

#fic: homecoming #ogilvelle fic #rumbelle fic #my fic #ogilvelle #rumbelle

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angstymarshmallow · 7 years

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How about Zig x MC and Drake x MC for the Shipping Break Down? Lol! I'm just curious how MC will tame these bad boys' wild hearts! 😆❤️🙌🏼💋

Heyoo darling @peepeetah since you and the lovelyHannah @losrchester requested my ship breakdown for Zig x MC, I’ll do them right here! Alsolink here for the Drake x MC . Hopeit’s okay that I use my MC’s.

· How did they they meet? In thecoffee shop Dia and her friends often went to whenever they wanted to hang outbefore or after classes. Zig’s eyes had caught hers over the crowded shop and shehad sunk right into them. Claire was the reason for them actually meeting, ifit hadn’t been for her needlessly flirting with Zig Dia wouldn’t have marchedup there and pretended to be his girlfriend. The only thing they thanked Clairefor lmao.

· Who developed romantic feelings first? Theyboth fell for each other rather quickly. Their relationship has always beenpassionate and fast, but Zig is usually more open with his feelings thanDia even if he couldn’t always express in words how much she means to him. When he realized he cared more about her more than some kind of casualfling; he mentioned it in the little things he did like remembering her favourite coffee order or picking her up for a late night out. It scared her for awhile when she realized that their feelings could be more than just a casual thing and eventually she admitted to herself that shecared deeply for him too.

· Who is their biggest “shipper?” Zackis. While everyone else had been busy with having second thoughts about them,;(they thought they were a flame that would burn out too quickly), Zackhad always thought Zig was a good for her; like she’d met her match.

· When did they have their first kiss and under what circumstances? They had their first kiss in Zig’s favourite dive bar in Hartfeld. Theywere playing pool and Dia was showing off her superb skills when he helped her with anincredible tough shot. His hands had been soft when they touched her, warm and familiar. She knewbefore turning around that they weren’t going to be playing pool for muchlonger after that. Things had gotten really steamy pretty quickly, and theirfirst kiss had ended as their first hook-up together.

· Who confessed their feelings first? Zig confessedhis feelings when he asked Dia to become his girlfriend at the end of thespring quarter dance. Before then, they had danced around the topic, neverreally admitting their feelings. Dia hadn’t expected to care so much for him,but she’d fallen so fast and so deep that she hadn’t hesitated when he askedher.

· What was their first official date? Theirfirst official date was babysitting Gabriel’s son Rico together. Dia has neverbeen really good with kids; apart from the brothers she knew growing up (andthey seem to smell her fear). She asked him to help out and he joked about itbeing a date. She strictly told him it wasn’t but on the inside; she had been smilingbecause she’d considered it just that without thinking. She was pleasantly surprised to find out hewas really great with kids; that’s when he began opening up about his sisters andhow much he had to pitch in in taking care of them. She admired how effortlesslyRico and him had bonded; until he gave Rico back to her and all she did waspanic when he tried to teach her how to change a diaper.

· How do they feel about double dates/group dates? Dia prefers being alone over double dates/group dates. She’s stillgetting accustomed to the whole trusting people thing and group dates provideher with the opportunity to do si. Zig likes spending time with her and althoughhe also prefers to do so alone, he doesn’t mind group dates either. They feed offeach other’s energy and turn any night into something fun.

· What do they do in their down time? Dia spends a lot of time sketching, mostly about tattoo ideas and whenthey’re alone, she secretly sketches Zig. Especially in those rare moments whenhe falls asleep first. Then she takes the time to really appreciate and studyevery detail of him. She hides her sketches though, she’s embarrassed by theidea of him finding them (little does she know, he’s actually seen them all andknows all her hiding spots). She’s also pretty fond of dancing and in theirdown time teaches Zig to be more comfortable with dancing. When Zig isn’t atpractice or working; he’s busy trying to find new hobbies. When they’re bothenjoying down time, they ride his motorcycle.

· What was the first meeting of parentsas an official couple like? Dia’s mom thoughtZig was the sweetest gentleman she’d ever met. Especially since she has neverbrought anyone home before; her mom took a liking to him nearly immediately. Zigcharmed her with stories of his sisters and mom, and didn’t hesitate inoffering help the minute he saw she needed any. It also helps that he got alongwith Dia’s brothers pretty well. Her father had some reservations about him onthe other hand, but grew to respect him once they found common interests that weresafe talk about. Zig’s mother and sisters adored her after the small period ofbeing very possessive about Zig. They quickly treated her like one of their own(especially after hearing so much about Dia from him). His mother evenembarrassed him by sharing old family photos and stories with of a younger Zig.Even though Dia had felt slightly out of place and uncomfortable by howfamiliar they were with her, she grew to love them back really quickly.

· What was their first fight over and howdid they get past it? Their first fight had been oversomething silly. It was right after the more honeymoon stage of their relationship;a guy had said something to Dia after making a move on her and Zig had been pretty quick to shoot himdown. Dia argued that she hadn’t needed him to step in and then they spent thenext half an hour arguing about their relationship while driving back toHartfeld.

· Which one is more easily made jealous? Theyboth are pretty possessive because of how fond they are of each other. More soin Dia’s case; people seem to gravitate towards Zig whether it’s giving him a simpleonce over or approaching him and the way people approach him makes her reallypossessive. It’s not his fault, he’s naturally charming and fun to get to know, but she’s mostly affectionate in public when she’sjealous..

· What is their favourite thing to get to eat? They enjoy take out food, since they’re both usually too busy to reallyspend time cooking. Their favourites ranges from seafood to the best burgerjoint in Hartfeld.

· Who’s the cuddly one? What their favourite cuddling position? Zig’s the cuddly one. It doesn’t take much for him to put an arm aroundher or hook his arm around her waist; or even brush a kiss by her temple orlips, and sometimes the affection leaves Dia flustered. She isn’t touchy-feelybut she has no problem expressing how much he means to her in private; then she’snearly as bad as he is. Their favourite cuddling position is probably afterthey’ve long been exhausted and Zig tucks one arm around her. It’s her favourite postion; makes her feel safe enoughfor her to snuggle close and rest her chin on his chest.

· Are they hand holders? Holding hands is pretty natural to them. It helps them to keep their hands off each other and sneak off whenthey’re in public. Plus it’s the most PDA Dia allows unless he sneaks in aquick kiss every now and then to the point where it’senough to make her forget they’re in public).

· How long do they wait before sleeping together for the first time?What’s the circumstances? There’s no waiting. Themoment they’ve had the chance to during that night at Zig’s favour dive bar,they leapt at the opportunity; eager to resolve the tension that oozed betweenthem.

· Who tops? Circumstantial since they both havepretty dominant personalities. It really just depends on their mood. When theyfight; they try to get the upper hand on each other and then sometimes it turnsinto playful wrestling. Other times, Dia loves being on the bottom just so shecan rake her fingers across his back.

· What’s the worst first they’ve ever gotten into? When both of their temper flares up, there’s usually a lot of shoutingand no playful banter. The worst fight they have can lead into something more. The first time it ended in a short break up withdoors slamming and tears.

· Who does the shopping and the cooking? They indulge in junk food every now and then but on the weekends theyinvest in learning to cook something together. Zig prefers to be in chargesince he’s had to do quite a bit of cooking before moving out. His sistersnever complained about his cooking and he likes having his hands busy. Diabegrudgingly shops for the stuff he’ll need and sometimes even helps out afterwatching him cook for awhile.

· Which one is more organized and prone to tidiness? Dia is pretty self-conscious about having everything tidy and neat. Zigisn’t messy by any means but if Dia’s ever over his dorm and anything is carelesslydiscarded, it gives her anxiety.

· Who proposes? Zig proposes, but after having Dia’sparents blessing. He knows she isn’t one for any show ofextravagance and does it simply on a night when they’re out alone on hismotorcycle. She pretty much bursts into tears as soon as he gets on hisknees. Dia rarely ever cries. But she’snever been so happy at seeing someone on their knees before and knowing it’s becauseZig loves and cherishes her made her very emotional.

· Do they have joined Bachelor/Bacheloette parties or separate? Joined. Dia likes to party and party hard and Zig doesn’t mind as longas he’s in the mood. Their joint party was spent knocking a lot of hard liquor, lots of dancing fromall of their practiced sessions being put to work and then sneaking off to bealone. Dia still doesn’t remember the whole of that night, Zig remembersholding her hair hours later as she threw up.

· Who is the best man/maid of honour? Any other groomsmen or bridesmaids? Zack’s Dia’s man of honour because he’s been her best friend since her Hartfelddays.; through thick and thin. Chris’ is Zig’s best man, followed by Abbie,Tyler and James – and two or three other friends from their respective andseparate circles as apart of the bridal party.

· Big Ceremony or Small? Diapreferred a small ceremony except Zig’s and her family are big on weddings. Theydon’t allow them to have one and more than once Dia threatened to elope withhim. Zig calmed her without fail, calling it ‘pre-wedding jitters’ and remindedher their honeymoon night would be more than worth it, a night she’d neverforget. He was of course right.

· Do they have a honeymoon? If so, where? They spend three weeks away from their friends and family, touring the top 5 places on theirbucket list. They flood social media with cute selfies and pictures of themposing near pyramids, museums and long trails across Greece, Italy and a couple of other places on their list.

· Do they have children? How many? Notright away, Dia and Zig want to be pretty far in their careers before makingthat kind of commitment. Eventually, they’ll have a baby girl and a baby boy.

Whew, I thought about this one for so long because they’re really dear to me. Thanks so much for asking! @peepeetah @losrchester 💕

Edit: And thanks to the anon whom also requested Zig x MC! 💕

#this is so long pls forgive me #i was working on an answer for hours fam #that's how committed i was lol #they are very angsty for me #and i love them so much #i hope you both enjoy this lol #zig x mc #playchoices #the sophomore #the freshman #breakdown ships

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kintailscape · 7 years

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Awesome Con 2017- Day 3

Sunday, Day 3: I got up a few minutes earlier and had no problem getting to the Convention Center by Metro. The headache I had was another story, but it wasn’t too bad. I got in line for Stan Lee by 9am and immediately made friends with the guy behind me in line who happened to be Ace as well. We had some wonderful discussions It made the hour and change just fly right by. As the lines started winding around toward the main stage, I ran across another friend of mine.

Even though I could have had a pretty good seat, I sat at the back so I could slip out a little early if needed in order to get in line for Garrett Wang’s Q&A. I even considered skipping Stan Lee, but I’m glad I didn’t. Stan Lee can never die, but he’s definitely getting older, and I didn’t want to miss a chance to see him in person. But Garrett Wang portrayed my favorite character on Star Trek: Voyager. Decisions, decisions! My new line friend advised me to skip out as soon as the Q&A started.

10:30 AM-11:15 AM Stan Lee Q&A Stan Lee arrived a little late (which meant more watching the Main Stage screen; OMG I need to see Baby Driver right now!) and went straight into Q&A right away. So I definitely didn’t leave immediately. It was great seeing the Father of Marvel in person on Father’s Day. He was exactly the way he is in all the specials and TV interviews I’ve seen him in. And his love for Marvel’s characters and stories was obvious and overwhelming. He talked about his cameo in Thor being his favorite because he got to do two scenes. He wasn’t sure the fans would love the Hulk or Spider-man as much as he did. He named characters alliteratively because his memory wasn’t so good and wanted to be sure to remember their names. In regards to where the X-Men movies will go he “want[s] it to teach people we’re all the same.” And in regards to his hearing aid problems “I hate not hearing myself when I talk, because I hate missing gems of wisdom.” Speaking of which, he said “We’ve all got to be good guys.”

I left a little before 11:15, hoping I’d only missed out on one or two questions at the most. I planned correctly and used the door right by the escalator leading down closest to the meeting room where the line for Garrett Wang’s Q&A was forming. I needn’t have hurried; the line was not that long and the room was not that full. I finished reading the Torchwood book I’d brought along while sitting in line. And I made the most of it and got an excellent seat.

11:30 AM-12:15 PM Garrett Wang Q&A Garrett was amazing. He was funny and personable and nice and entertaining all in one. He said that he knew if there were other Star Trek: Voyagers there, we’d be at their Q&As instead, but he was so wrong. Harry Kim was my favorite character on Voyager, hands down, and it was a pleasure to see Garrett in person. He told his the story about meeting Shatner for the first (and second) time. He did multiple impersonations of Star Trek characters. He told about his surprisingly popular “Still boldy going” typo shirts. I explained about the cast’s reactions upon arriving home. And he told the story of his running into the terrible “Code of Honor” episode of TNG over and over again. I embarrass myself when I talk to celebs, but for the past few days, I’d been working up the courage to ask Garrett a question during his Q&A. For YEARS I’ve been wondering something only a few people could answer–and he was one of them. In Galaxy Quest, there aliens design their spaceship from watching how the characters use the computer. So I really wanted to ask Garrett if he similarly planned out the whole station and what each button did during his years at the helm. This was it. I was going to be brave. I really wanted to know the answer and I didn’t get to ask Wil Wheton it yesterday. But before the Q&A portion even started, Garrett said, “Have you ever seen that movie, Galaxy Quest?” and proceeded to answer the question I was going to ask without me having to even ask it! AMAZING! And the answer was that if the aliens had made a spaceship based on his hand motions, they would have been screwed. LOL!

12:15 PM-1:00 PM Catherine Tate Q&A I headed straight up the escalator for Catherine Tate’s Q&A and only arrived a minute or so late, so I got right in and don’t think I missed much of anything. I arrived just as she realized she was at Awesome Con not Awesome.com “Oh don’t tell me that con stands for convention!” She looked great in her comfy Washington, DC hoodie, but she was still larger than life on the stage. Her favorite line from Doctor Who? “I’m not mating with you, sunshine!” David had to invent reasons to stop or slow in running so she could catch up. And her favorite part of leaving the show was getting to do an impression of David in the last episode playing Doctor-Donna. She also recited, upon request, the whole Shakespearean sonnet she did in the comic relief sketch with David Tennant as Lauren and it was AMAZING to hear her do it in person, with some humor injected as well. In regards to advice, she gave us one she liked from the great Imelda Staunton “It’s someone else’s time, and your time will come” and one of her own “What other people say about me is none of my business!” When asked about the timing of her live show, she said she’d had a hard time committing to do it because of having to book venues 18 months in advance “Don’t be ridiculous! In 18 months I’ll have an Oscar and have no time for comedy!” When asked when Donna would be up to now in the Whoverse, she said Donna had probably spent all her money and was back temping in Chiswick. And when asked about Donna with any of the other doctors, she chose Nine but said he and Donna would have gotten nothing done because there would have been too much arguing.

Stan Lee Museum I found myself with an hour of free time before the next Q&A I wanted to attend, so I headed down to the exhibit hall to see the Stan Lee Museum, which Stan had mentioned during his Q&A and that I hadn’t had time to see yet. The line for it was only about 20-30 minutes long, and it was SO worth the visit. There was everything from comic panels to movie props to figures to awards to one-of-a-kind creations to personalized drawings to actual, lit up, Iron Man suits. I took a million photos and spent a lot of time basking in the glow of shiny Iron Men.

2:00 PM-2:45PM Eliza Dushku Q&A I was enjoying the museum so much that I was a couple minutes late to Eliza’s panel, but I was pleasantly surprised to find Clare Kramer interviewing her! I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to make it to her Q&A, so it was lovely to see them both together. They talked about Buffy and Bring it On, as they were in both. And there were lots of questions about other roles of Eliza’s. I loved hearing her talking about the trust she had in Joss’ writing/direction for Dollhouse. She’s a dog person, so she had to work to find her inner cat to voice Selina Kyle. She felt that Buffy ended well. She described David Boreanaz as a “kooky free spirit” when she worked on Angel. Clare’s favorite season of Buffy was Season 5 (and the 100th episode, of course) and Eliza’s was Season 3. They talked about being able to work through their real life emotions through characters. When asked for advice, Eliza didn’t have any at first, then came up with something lovely: “Love myself and love other people. Be kind to yourself and other people. We all have our struggles. I’m just trying to find myself and what will serve me so I can serve others.”

I headed back down to the exhibit hall after that for a last run at the tables. There were a couple on day 1 that I wanted to spend more time at. And, yeah, I bought more art. I also spent $75 at one booth buying myself a couple things but mostly buying Christmas presents for friends, so it’s not that bad! But I did go back to Pride alley and bought myself a lovely naked Nightcrawler piece and another Johnlock piece and a Destiel piece and even a rainbowy Yuri on Ice piece even though I don’t know the fandom yet (I figured I will soon enough and would regret not buying something so lovely).

4:00 PM-4:45 PM These Are a Few of My Favorite Tropes I arrived just in time for my last panel of the day and of the con. It was a great one to end with. With no need to censor themselves, the panelists went through all sorts of different tropes: genre tropes, relationship tropes, circumstance tropes, structural tropes, and fandom-specific tropes. There were plenty of examples and recs to go along with them all. I laughed at the reference to “My Immortal” (“I want to believe it was real!”) and the crack pairing of Yuri/Victor/Obama sounds epic. Was great hearing some of my favorite tropes mentioned and remembering some I’d forgotten about or never really realized were a thing apart from maybe one fic I read that involved it. We all praised tags on AO3 for letting us find tropes more easily. I read a lot of stories of certain types/with certain tropes regardless of fandom or pairing, so I could really relate to “A+B=C and I’ll read it every time!” I also liked “You’re not a true fan of something until you have a cross pairing.” But my favorite was the mention of Shoebox Project followed by “Wolfstar, man. Bless.” Awwwww! It was a wonderful, multi-fandom way to end the convention.

I’m not sure what was happening beneath us, but the building shook and rumbled a dozen times. I headed out as soon as the panel was over, glad to be able to get home before 10pm. For the third day in a row, I sat and read on this exact same bench while waiting to change trains. I finished reading the second book I’d brought along, “For Color Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow Is Enuf.” So I ended up writing a little bit on the last leg of my journey home.

Awesome Con 2017- Day 3 was originally published on The Fangirl Project

#thefangirlproject

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