Tumgik
#i'm not looking forward to the ones with a ton of chapters to them
lenticularis-writes · 10 months
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Me when I'm looking at my old fanfics on FF.net while backing them up
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dragon-kazansky · 10 days
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Bridgerton shade of blue
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Benedict Bridgerton x Female Reader
Benedict bumps into you, quite literally, at a ball while trying to escape his mother's attempts to find him a partner. You decide to humour him with a dance, not realising just how entwined you would become with him. It seems the universe will find every excuse to push you and Benedict together, no matter how much you fight it.
{Masterlist}
{Previous Chapter} - {Next Chapter}
Season one
Chapter Five - Diamonds
♡♡♡
The next ball you attended felt like quite the intimate affair. Understandably so.
You attended with your mother, but as soon as the Bridgerton's arrived, you waited for the opportune moment to join them. Benedict and Colin seemed particularly pleased to see you already. You were becoming quite close friends with them.
The Duke approached Daphne and asked her to dance. Anthony was about to intervene, but Lady Danbury, who had approached alongside Simon, spoke up before he could. "I shall need someone else to seek me a glass of ratafia, then. Lord Bridgerton..." She holds up her arm, "Do me the honour?"
You hide your smile at her tactics. It was so clear she was trying to prevent him from interfering further.
Anthony gives in. "Of course, Lady Danbury."
They leave.
You watch as Daphne goes with Simon into the main ballroom. You watch them go. As you enter the ballroom yourself, you watch them join the others in a dance.
They look happy together. They are enjoying themselves.
Could it be the Duke does, in fact, feel something for Miss Bridgerton? It certainly looks that way. You can only imagine what Whistledown will say about this.
Benedict smiles as he watches from beside Anthony.
"They look wonderful together," you say softly.
Anthony clenches his jaw from beside you. As the current dance ends, Anthony takes Benedict by the shoulder and urges him forward. "Go dance with your sister."
You look at them as Benedict asks, "why?"
"Because I asked you to!"
Benedict looks less than pleased but goes anyway, groaning. You watch him approach Daphne.
With Simon now free, Anthony marches off to talk to him. You sigh as you realise you are now alone.
Benedict dances with Daphne only for a short while before she parts with him and enters the next room. The same room Anthony went into with Simon. You find yourself walking that way to see what was happening.
You stand in the door as Anthony hurries past. Violet reaches out for him, but he keeps on moving. You find Daphne looking at Simon. She approaches him to speak with him.
Benedict comes up beside you. "Will you dance with me? My dance with Daphne ended early."
You chuckle and take his hand. "As did her patience, I think. What was that about?"
"I have no idea." He takes you to the dance floor. You both start to dance.
"Your family is quite something."
"That's putting it politely."
"Is Lord Berbrooke a problem?" You ask.
"I'm not sure. Anthony seemed to have it all handled." Benedict shrugs. "He seems to have control of the matter."
"Does he?"
"I think so." Though Benedict didn't sound so convinced.
"I have you any callers yet?" He asks, changing the topic. As much as he loved his family, he only cared to discuss them for so long.
"No..." You confess.
"Not one?" He asks, sounding surprised. "How is that possible?"
"The ton have their eyes on Daphne now. I shall be unlikely able to stand out at all." You tell him.
"I find that hard to believe."
"It is true. I appreciate your concern, but I fear I shall not find a match this year. I shall enjoy the rest of the season as much as I can."
Benedict frowns slightly.
"You need not pity me. I am quite content to wait another year." You assure him, or at least try to.
"Still, wouldn't it be nice to know someone noticed you?"
You keep your mouth shut. You fear him being able to read you too easily. Though it seems your silence was enough of an answer for him.
"You need not feel the need to pretend."
"It's nothing."
Neither of you speaks again. When the dance ends, you bow and part ways from him. Benedict watches you go, sensing you would rather have some time to yourself for now.
♡♡♡
Your mother enters the drawing room where you are reading. She has this morning's issue of Lady Whistledown. You care not for the gossip column.
"It seems Miss Bridgerton is indecisive about the duke."
"Is that so," you hum softly, turning the page in your book.
"She would make a fine duchess, do you not think?"
"Yes, quite."
Your mother looks up at you. You're awfully quiet this morning. "Something the matter?"
"Why should anything be the matter?" You ask.
"No reason... You are just so quiet this morning."
"Forgive me. I didn't get much sleep."
"Are you well?" She asks.
"Well enough."
Your mother comes to sit beside you. She reaches for your hand and pulls it into her lap. "You can speak with me about anything."
You smile and squeezes her hand. "I know."
"A mother knows when her daughter is upset."
"I wouldn't say I'm upset."
"Then what is it?" She asks.
You sigh and put down your book. "I have had no one caller this season. I know I am not diamond, and I know we are not Bridgerton status, but I thought surely one man in all of London would come see me."
"Yes. Well, I thought perhaps that Benedict might."
"Mother."
"I know. I know. You told me yourself. I suppose I am glad you have become friends with them. Though he would make a fine husband."
"I am sure." You smile.
"You will find someone. Perhaps not now, but soon. I am willing to wait with you."
You smile at your mother and lean against her shoulder. She kisses the top of your head gently.
You are thankful you have her.
♡♡♡
The grand picnic was an exciting time. All the ton gathered in the park to enjoy the wonderful weather and promanade. It was a chance to see who was courting who, if at all anyone.
You were in attendance with your mother and a couple of maids. You were sitting under the canopy, fanning yourself gently, not that it was extremely hot today. You scanned the park, looking out for family faces.
Lord and Lady Carlisle were strolling by. You spotted two young boys by the lake, one of which you were certain was the son of Mr Thomas who loved but two houses away from you and your mother.
Your eyes found where the Bridgerton's were stationed. Anthony and Colin appeared to be playing games with their younger siblings. Benedict was seated, watching them. You smile.
The thought of a large family seemed so comforting to you. As an only child, you would never know what it would be like to have the company of siblings.
Perhaps, you think, in your future, you may have many children. You would like your children to have the love and support and chaos of each other.
"You're smiling."
You turn to find your mother looking at you.
"What are you smiling at?" She asks softly.
"Nothing," you lie.
You know she doesn't believe you. You also know you can't hide from her either. "Do you think I can have a large family one day?" You ask.
She smiles. "I do not see why not." Your mother had already spotted the Bridgerton's across the way. She knew they were a large enough family. "One day."
You smile as you turn back to them.
"Why don't you go over? I will be quite alright with my own company for a while."
"Are you certain? I do not mind staying."
She smiles softly. "Go. Enjoy yourself. They are, after all, your friends."
You smile and thank her, rising from your seat to go join them. As you get closer, Benedict and Colin both perk up.
"Hello," you smile.
Anthony turns and smiles, too. "Hello. Come to join us, have you?"
"Is that alright?"
Before Anthony can reply, Benedict speaks up, sitting up in his chair. "Of course. Come, sit with me."
You chuckle and join him under the canopy. You sit in the vacant seat. Violet comes over with a smile. "Good to see you, dear."
"I hope I'm not intruding."
"Nonsense!" She smiles, placing a hand on your shoudler gently.
You watch the children play. Benedict offers you some food from the basket beside him, and you accept. Any sour moods about your prospects has been forgotten.
When Simon approaches on horseback, Daphne is quick to flee from her brother to join him. They stroll away.
"Are you alright?" Benedict takes the opportunity to ask.
"Hm?" You turn to him.
"The other night, you left rather quickly the other night."
"I'm fine. I was just tired. Forgive me." You offer him a smile, but he takes note it doesn't quite light up your face.
"Of course."
You continue to pick at the picnic.
Benedict watches you for a little while, but his attention is torn away when a voice calls out.
"Bridgerton!"
You look up in time to see Berbrooke coming forth with something in his hand. His face looks terrible, as if he took a beating.
"A bring cheerful new, Bridgertons."
Violet and Anthony turn to look at the man.
"I have taken matters in my own hands and sought a special license for my wedding to Miss Bridgerton."
"There is to be no wedding," Daphne states, pleading with him.
You stand, worried for Daphne.
"I told you. The arrangement is cancelled." Anthony recalls.
"Lord Berbrooke, you look in a great deal of pain," Violet says. "Shall we continue this in a more private location?"
"I require no further conversation." He says firmly. "Though perhaps I am finally speaking to the true head of the Bridgerton house. For if it were you, I imagine you would have instructed your sister to take better care than to encourage certain attentions while alone with me on the Dark Walk at Vauxhall. Of course, mere hearsay of such scandal could wreak havoc on even the most influential of families. What would someone like, say, Lady Whistledown do with such unseemly information?"
You stare at the man with shock and disgust. You had no idea lf the details of what has happened, but you know enough to know Daphne would never take part in such behaviour.
"Is that a threat?" Anthony asks.
"It is certainly not. Because in three days, I am to marry. I have the diamond of the season." Berbrooke states. "I have the beey best the ton has to offer. I have a Bridgerton. And I shall save her, as well as your entire family, from the ruin which you could not protect them." He looks at Anthony.
You want so much to make his black eye worse. You don't even realise Benedict holds your arm gently to prevent you from moving.
Simon goes to move past Daphne to do the exact same as you thought. Benedict quickly let's go of you to hold him back.
You're caught off guard by how quickly both men moved.
"I look forward to the union of our great families." Berbrooke grins. His grin sends your stomach turning. "Bridgerton. Hastings."
He leaves.
Anthony is left to look at the special license that had been thrusted upon him.
Daphne looks beyond upset.
Anthony and Violet are quick to see Daphne home. Benedict escorts you back to your mother while Colin sees to his younger siblings.
"Will she be alright?" You ask.
"I'm sure. Though you best leave this to my brother."
"She looked terribly upset."
"As she should be. Lord Berbrooke is a horrid little man." Benedict sighs. "My sister deserves the best."
You smile softly. "I'm rather fond of Daphne. Perhaps I shall pay her a visit soon?"
"I am sure she will be most pleased. For now, give her time."
You nod.
You reuter to your mother who comes to stand with you. She had seen Lord Berbrooke approach.
"Is all well?" She asks.
You let go of Benedict to join her. "It shall be in time, I'm sure."
You turn back to Benedict. "See you soon." He nods and departs.
Your mother loops her arm with yours and walks with you. You tell her little of what happened, but you know she, too, worries about Daphne.
When the eyes of the ton are all on you, there comes great pressure and challenges.
♡♡♡
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dannyphantom-zero · 25 days
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Doctor Danny Chapter 9
The jet was surprisingly efficient. The landed on a private airfield and found a taxi into the town.
"So where exactly are we going?"
"Danny's childhood home"
Jason raised an eyebrow, "we getting his parents?"
Sam crisply should her head no.
"They don't know about Danny's condition, and it'll stay that way if I can help it"
Sam made the cab let them out a street before the house.
"I've got to make sure they aren't here" Sam said as she stealthily slunk around the house, peaking in the windows.
Jason admired the strange architecture of the house. What were these people? Supervillains? Mad scientists?
The Fenton Assault Vehicle was nowhere in sight. Always a good sign.
Sam forced a window open from the outside.
"Breaking in, nice." Jason commented.
She rolled her eyes and climbed through the window. Jason followed her despite his remark.
Sam noticed that the house hadn't changed much at all.
She made her way to Danny's old room.
Jason smirked at the mess. Typical teenage mess.
Sam pulled out a math textbook and flipped a few pages. A worn looking paper fell out. She dropped the book and grabbed the paper.
"This is going to be our map" Sam said handing it to him.
Jason unfolded it and scrunched his face in confusion. It didn't look like any map he had seen before.
Sam almost felt nostalgic, her nostalgia turned to anxiety as she reached the lab door.
"What is it?" Jason asked.
Sam opened the door, "this is where Danny had the accident" she said as she took carefully steps down the stairs.
Jason's eyes took a calculating sweep over the inventory of this lab. Almost every surface was taken up in space by some weird looking gun or belt or fishing rod?
Sam walked over to a large medal door.
"What's that?"
Sams expression seemed tense.
"It's, the ghost zone. Officially called the infinite realms"
She pressed a button and the mechanical doors opened up to reveal a bright swirling green vertical pit.
"We have to go in there"
Jason felt a cold sweat taking over.
"You sure this is safe?" Jason asked keeping a careful distance away from it.
"I've been in there before and I'm still alive. The portal itself is harmless. What it contains is not."
Sam smacked a large mechanical space rocket looking thing.
"Get in"
Jason wanted to dismantle the crazy portal and bomb this house but Danny needed help, so he got in.
The machine started up and lifted off the ground. Sam shifted a stick and it went forward.
Jason looked out the window in morbid curiosity.
All around were floating doors.
"What are those?"
"Doors to other dimensions, times zones, they could be spacial anomalies or fields of flowers." Sam responded keeping her eyes on the path ahead of them.
"This map is so weird, but I think it's starting to make sense now" Jason said. Sam glanced at it.
"Your holding it upside down"
Jason turned it the correct way.
"Ah now is see. This must be the evil castle and that must be the pit that swallows up anything that goes near it" he said pointing to a circle with a swirl in it.
"Basically yeah"
Suddenly the temperature dropped leaving Jason shivering.
"Welcome to the Far Frozen Jason" Sam said as they touched down in a snowy patch.
"Am I going to end up frozen?" He asked his teeth chattering.
"Don't be a baby" Sam said rolling her eyes. She tossed Jason a spare coat that was a little tight on him and they made their way to a nearby cave.
"FROSTBITE!" Sam yelled as they walked in. Jason tried not to stare at talk the yeti people. The cave turned out to be giant with tons of systems where he guessed the yeti people lived.
"Is that you Lady Sam?" A heavy voice asked.
"Yeah, it's me. Phantom needs your help"
A large yeti with a cloth sash made his way towards them.
"The great one is in trouble?"
Jason shot a look a Sam when he heard the nickname only to be ignored.
"He was poisoned with blood blossoms, I think it was a diluted version though"
"Ah, blood blossoms. And your friend here? He seems to be in need of some assistance as well"
"What Jason?" Sam looked at him suspiciously.
"Step forward of you please"
Jason followed his command. He felt a sudden cold radiat throughout his chest spreading through his upper forearms and entering his veins.
"This should naturally filter out your contamination"
Jason had to admit he felt clear. The heaviness on his chest was gone and he didn't feel particularly pissed off either.
"Thank you" he breathed out.
"As for the great one, you need to give him this"
Frostbite took a small bottle from the other yeti. Inside was a cosmic looking liquid.
"Make sure he gets this. His core might be in danger as well. He will need time to recover. Send my wishes of health to the great one please Lady Sam"
"I will" she nodded taking the bottle.
Once they were back in the Fenton shuttle Sam soared Jason a glance.
"So what's up with you?" Sam asked.
Jason tapped the window, "I died and was revived with a toxic liquid that a cult famously calls the Lazarus Pits"
" you and Danny have that in common"
"What?" Jason asked alarmed.
She laughed, "sorry, I meant dying and coming back. Danny changed because of the accident. His ghost half, the dead side, is what is ironically keeping him alive"
Jason relaxed a bit.
"Yeah, he told me he was half ghost"
"He did! Danny has always been way too trusting. Not that I don't think you can be trusted, it's just, I worry about Danny you know?"
Jason thought about how soft Danny seemed to be, an image of him shoving Jason out his window played in his head.
"I know exactly what you mean"
The shuttle went back though the portal and they stepped out. Sam closed the portal and put a passcode so the Fenton's couldn't open it.
Suddenly the loud booming voice of Jack Fenton could be heard throughout the house.
"Shit" Sam whispered.
"I know Jack, we were so close this time" Maddie said as they walked down the steps in their lab.
"We'll get em next time, no ghost is any match for Jack Fenton!"
Hanging very close to the ceiling from a grappling hook, were Sam and Jason.
Jason let them down slowly and released the grappling hook and the two made a break for the stairs. The Fenton doctors stayed oblivious to the break in.
Sam loud out a loud 'whoop' after they successfully escaped the Fenton household.
"Don't tell bats we broke in to someone's house" Jason said.
"What about the portal?"
Jason tilted his head, "yeah that's going to need explaining"
Sam smiled, "you know Danny Is technically king of that so, it could be like diplomatic. Maybe the JL will leave him alone"
Jason shook his head, "Bats is another breed. Trust me. If he wants to know something he's gonna find out what it is."
Sam sighed, "yeah he seems like the type"
The jet was ready for them when they finally managed to get back to it.
"I hope Tucker was able to help"
"Tuckers Danny's
other friend right?"
"Yeah, he's the tech support of our group."
The corner of Jason's mouth twitched up.
"I have someone like that, we call her Babs"
The jet landed back in Gotham and they made their way back to Danny.
"Tucker!" Sam exclaimed as she ran in and hugged him.
"Hey Sam!"
She pulled away and  held up the bottle.
"This is it, Frostbite said this would work"
"Frostbite?" Superman asked confused.
"He helped Danny before when his powers almost froze him alive" Tucker explained.
"Wow, poor guy" Flash said, "say what's that stuff made out of?"
Sam shrugged, "no clue".
She put the liquid in a clean IV bag and hook it up.
Danny face twitched and scrunched up before relaxing again.
"Now we wait. His core is still recovering from his fight. He hasn't worsened at all has he?" Sam asked.
"No, all his readings are consistent to his normal levels. I noticed some internal burning, I hope that's resolved by your medicine " Superman said.
"Me too" Sam said patting Danny's hand.
"Is Vlad in prison?" Tucker asked with venom in his tone.
"No, he's not in prison" Bruce answered.
"Tch, figures. I hate rich people!"
Sam raised an eyebrow.
"You don't count Sam, you don't live on your parents money"
Sam thought about for a second, "yeah but not all rich people suck. Just most of them"
Jason started cracking up.
Bruce glanced at Jason. When was the last time he had seen Jason smile?
"Oh yeah, status report on the pits. I'm  slowly being healed by cold magic stuff"
Sam slapped her forehead and groaned.
"We have to explain the infinite realms"
Sam took some time explaining the ghost zone and how it worked. Luckily Tucker had already shown them ALL of Danny's enemies. All Sam had to do was explain how the ghost zone was the "flip side of our world".
"The observants are like the kings council, they kind of have more authority than the king. Its around the same. Then there's clockwork. Hes a ghost who can interact with timelines"
"They sound powerful"
"They are, luckily they're more or less on our side, the non-evil side. Since they're dead they can't really become evil either. They aren't swayed by humanity"
Bruce nodded. He couldn't make a contingency plan against the Lord of time. That's like saying you know how to kill God.
"Only one time did he mess with time and it was for Danny. Danny has that kind of sway. It makes you want to do whatever you can for him"
"That's impressive"
"Hes incredible" Jason said sitting down.
"Yeah, he is" Sam smiled.
Danny's condition stabled enough to move him to the manor. They did so in citizen form. It would look suspicious if a bunch of heroes showed up at Wayne Manor.
Jason sat by Danny's bed. It was decided Sam and Tucker would stay at the manor until Danny woke up.
Which might be a while. Sure the medicine was working but Danny's core needed time to recover.
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fictionalmenmakemecry · 6 months
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Fuckin' with the Ecosystem- Chapter 3
Characters: Carmy Berzatto x Reader
Summary: With Carmy receiving Mikey's goodbye letter and you coming to understand the dire financial state of the restaurant, emotions are flying high. The nightmare doesn't let up until Carmy stumbles upon a fuck ton of money which leads him to ask you a very important question.
Warnings: Suicide mention, anxiety, cursing, alcohol.
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A/n: This took way longer than I originally planned. This chapter is a long one and there's a lot of emotions. I wanted to make sure I did it right. I'm really enjoying writing this series and honestly I could write about Carmy all day, everyday! I've got big plans coming for this story so let me know if you want me to start a tag list. Please let me know what you think! Any interaction is super helpful for me :)
If you haven't read, here's: Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
Enjoy!
It's Tuesday, and you're very aware of the days slipping through your fingers. When booking your flights, you thought two weeks would be too long but thought it wouldn't be bad to have some left over time to check out Chicago. Now that you're here, you were worried you weren't going to have enough time to go through everything with Carmy before heading back.
You arrive at the restaurant at 9 am to see Carmy already here and the others starting to filter in. As per usual, Marcus has been in since 7am, exploring the world of dessert making.
You take a sip from your hot coffee before reaching over for the leatherbound book on the other end of the desk. You've only flipped through it lightly not seeing anything that would be any importance. But you decided to have a deeper look to see if you're missing anything.
You open it and start scanning it. Each page consisted of a list of numbers with no order or description. Some of them crossed out, other not. The further you studied it, the more confused you got.
Was this the way Mikey was keeping track of this debts? You thought to yourself resting your forehead on your hand as you continued to flick through the pages.
"Carmy" you called out seeing him walk past the office.
He paused and leaned into the doorway, his hair more chaotic than usual.
"Uhh.. you a'ight?" You checking in on him noticing his messy state.
"Y-yeah, good, Why?" He questioned.
You shook your head slightly, remembering the actual reason why you stopped him.
"I'm going through Mikey's notebooks and seeing if there's any notes he may written down, and I stumbled on KBL electric, ring any bells?" You asked moving the book closer to him.
He leans down and furrowed his brows, pausing for a moment. His arm resting on the back of the chair you're sitting on.
"Uhh.." He raised his eyebrows.
His eyes continued to stare at the notebook like his mind was searching for the connection. You noticed his curls sticking up awkwardly and smiled to yourself.
"No...no idea" He eventually said.
You paused for a moment before flicking a couple of pages and point your finger to the same words but with $300,000 scribbled underneath.
"This?" You asked again.
He shook his head and stood up. He had no clue what that was about. Mikey was known for not being clear, but this was a joke at this stage. He made a mental note on how important bookkeeping was going to be when this place got sorted. He was not going to go through this nightmare again.
"Mornin'" Richie yawned strolling by, sporting an original beef zipped hoodie.
"Cousin" Carmy called at him, making him take a few steps back.
You glance up at him and noticed the tiredness still clinging to his eyes.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Carmy gestured to the desk looking over at him.
Richie readjusted the strap on his shoulder of his bag and took a step forward. He leaned in, bringing his eyes to the page.
"KBL electric" He said to himself, thinking.
"Fuck if I know" He flickered his eyes and gave a shrug before continuing his way to his locker.
Carmy brought his hand to his forehead, pushing his hair back. He let out deep exhale, continuing to look at the writing in the book.
"Look, maybe I'll come across something else that might give us a hint." You said, tucking a stray hair behind your ear.
"I'll let you know if I see anything else." You brought your eyes back down to the book.
"Sounds good." Carmy stayed there for a beat before going back into the kitchen.
Time goes by, you have no idea how long it been. You hear a light cough and look up to see Marcus.
"Shit!" You gasped to yourself, completely startled.
"Fuck Marcus, a little warning? Maybe a knock?" You said putting your hand on your chest, feeling your racing heart.
"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." He smiled looking down at you.
You brought your eyes down to see him holding a freshly made donut covered in icing sugar. He placed the plate on the desk.
"This looks.. unreal" You grinned picking up the donut glancing up at him.
"Yeah, well... I thought if I was gonna to really start nailing this down, I needed to learn the classics first." Marcus licked his lips, waiting for me to take my first bite.
You take a bite, a big one, making sure you get some of the filling. The dough is fresh and pulls away so delicately. Once you get a couple of chews in, the filling hits your tongue. The sweetest jam awakens your tastebuds. You raise your eyebrows out of pure instinct of how unexpectedly delicious it is. You pull away the donut and look at it to see the rich red filling oozes out of the donut. You bring your finger up to it to catch it before any of it drips off.
"Mhhmm...Dahhmmn Marcus." You called out with your mouth half full with donut.
He instantly beams, shining that big bright smile at you.
"Good?" He asked, angling his head.
"Fuck yeah, way better than good!" You complimented.
You lean in for another bite and stop.
"I can have the rest of this, right?" You double-checked looking up at him.
He nodded, chuffed with himself that he could get someone to react to his baking that way. With Syd and Carmy being critical about his previous attempts, he lacked the little bit of confidence.
You take another bite and enjoy the perks of being around a training prodigy of a pastry chef.
"Mmhh you show..mhh Syd... yet?" You asked with a mouthful of donut.
"Not yet.. I don't think I'm there yet. " He shook his head, putting his hands on his beanie.
"Marcus! Nah, I'm changing that." You swallowed and put the half ate donut back on the plate.
"Syd! Sy-" You yelled out leaning out the doorway over his shoulder.
"No, no- needa still fix-" Marcus put up his hands, trying to block the doorway. It didn't take a second before the swinging door opened.
"Yea?" She popped her head out, wondering what the commotion was.
"You gotta try this!" You said excitedly, glancing up at Marcus.
The grin was gone off his face and replaced with a slightly nervous one. You gave a slight apologetic one back, not wanting him to hate you after this. You reached for the donut handing the plate to Syd at the door way.
As she took a bite, you looked over to Marcus, who had his lips pressed into a fine line.
You both watched her, waiting for her reaction. She took a bite and chewed. After a few seconds, her eyebrows shot up, and she continued to feel the donut's texture between her two fingers, as she was eating it.
"Marcus, this is the shit." She looked up finally giving a big smile before giving him a playful punch in the arm.
The tension from Marcus shoulders melted away. He brought his hands up to his head and took a deep breath, a smile appeared on his face.
Marcus was still new to all of this and wanted to learn as much as possible. He didn't want to get too carried away though. From time to time he felt overwhelmed with all the guidance he would get from Carmy and Syd. He wouldn't know how to use that knowledge to make his recipes better. They were already so established in the flavors they liked. He was only starting to understand the basics.
"I have one recommendation, though." Syd sucked her lip in, still tasting the donut on her lips.
"Yeah, of course." Marcus looked at her eagerly, waiting for her response.
"The filling might be a little too sweet." She explained, dipping her fingertip in the red ooze that had spilled onto the plate and bringing it up to her mouth.
"Okay, that's fair" He agreed.
"Do you still have some of it left?" She asked
Marcus nodded looking at her.
"Here, let me show you something." She turns around heading to the kitchen with Marcus following her.
"Marcus!" You called him making him glance back at you.
"I think it was perfect" You grinned mocking a chefs kiss
"Heard" He chuckled, heading to the kitchen.
Before you know it, it's already Wednesday. You can tell that fatigue is catching. You wake up at 10:30am, sleeping through two of your alarms. You groaned out of bed still feeling like you need another six hours before it even makes a dent in your exhaustion. You unlock your phone to a text from Carmy.
Need to talk bills, let me know when you're in.
You check the time of the message. 6:30am
You get to the restaurant at noon and to say things were hectic, was an understatement. You popped your head into the kitchen to hear Carmy yelling orders more frantically than normal. No one saying a word. You noticed the line of tickets stacked up and thought maybe you would wait a bit for it to calm down.
You head to the office to see Richie on the chair scrolling on his phone.
"Mornin' sweetheart" He glanced up.
"What happened?" You asked taking your coat off.
"Sydney fucked up. That's what happenin'. Cousin blew his fuckin' head, told Syd to get the fuck out. Keep away if I was you" He got up and stretched.
"Gotta go back out now and fuckin' deal with this train wreck, fuck me." He groaned rubbing his face.
"Good luck with that," you grinned sitting down on the warmed up chair.
"Gonna need it." He mumbled, making his way back to the front.
You heard the door open and Carmy voice bellowed with anger before the door closed again and it was muffled.
Carmy stabbed the last ticket on the stack of paper and looked up at the clock. It was the fastest four hours that went by. The relief that overcame him knowing that they got through that catastrophe.
"Housekeeping chefs" He announced wiping the sweat off his brow with the back of his hand.
"Yes Chef" They replied as the start to clean up the mess around them.
He made his way to the office to see you sitting there.
"Wha-"
"Don't ask" He stated in the doorway pushing back his hair with both hands.
"Okay" You said taken aback by the bluntness.
He watched you for a moment. You had various bills in front of you. All with the dooming "overdue" print on it.
It was moments like this that he wished he could just walk out. The feeling of drowning in anxiety was unbearable. He didn't have the energy to fight it. He thought about just shutting the place down. Just accept defeat. Try and move on, maybe walk away from cooking for a beat. He would leave Chicago and not tell anyone. Just get away from everything for a couple of months. If he was honest with himself, he didn't even know if that's what he needed. He's been neglecting his needs for so long he didn't know what he actually wanted from life anymore.
You looked up at him after minutes of silence. He wasn't present anymore. He was completely dissociated. You did say anything. You continued to look at the money flow, the account book you put together last week.
"Sorry, I was-" He rubbed his eyes, waking himself up from the negative thoughts.
"Just so fuckin' tired" He mumbled taking another couple of steps in.
You clicked your pen a couple of times thinking about how to phrase the news you had.
"So...What's up?" He asked bringing his full attention to you.
He felt your hesitation.
"That bad huh?" He breathed out.
You looked up to see his face was red and his eyes tired. His hair was wet with sweat.
"Y-Yeah, it is" you pressed your lips together.
You pointed the end of the pen to the electric bill.
"You only have enough money to cover electric bill or your produce order." You said straight out.
"Fffuck," He said quietly, looking down at the bill.
"When does the electric bill have to be paid?" He asked
"In 4 days"
Carmy head dropped, his eyes closed, and he took a deep breath. He wasn't even sure if this nightmare was real anymore. He didn't think anymore shit could get more fucked.
"Carmy"
He brought his eyes to you.
"Let me help," you started, knowing he wasn't going to like what was going to come out of your mouth.
"Let me cover this bill, just so-"
"No fuckin' way. No. " He raised his hand, stopping you in your tracks.
"Bu-"
"Stop, not happenin'." He snapped.
He glared into you, not wanting you to say another word about your ideas.
He couldn't even fathom the idea of you pumping your own money into the place. He's not even paying you. What type of owner would he be - or even a friend? It was bad enough that he had to sell his own sentimental belongings just to have meat to work with for the next day.
"I'll figure somethin' out," he stated.
He sat down at the bench between the lockers. He rested his arms on his thigh, bent over with his head in his hands. Today was.... he couldn't even think of a word. Every time he thinks this place can't go anywhere, it hits a different rock bottom. It's been in his possession for 3 weeks. It'll be closed in the next three if something doesn't change.
He felt a body sit beside him on the bench and gave a side eye. Richie sat next to him. Richie was the last person he needed to talk to right now. He couldn't deal with his bullshit.
Richie leaned over behind the locker and picked up a white envelope before sitting back on the bench. There was a beat of silence between them.
If there was ever a time where Richie felt would be the right moment to give Carmy this. It would be now. He looked over to see Carmy completely defeated and exhausted. Since arriving here, Carmy has put all his energy into this place, and it has fucked him every way possible.
Richie felt relief when Carmy arrived one morning on his doorstep. After the funeral, Richie had chaos released on him. Mikey's family asked when Carmy would come back to take over the restaurant. Sugar trying to contact both of them, to grasp any information on what was happening. Richie didn't know anything and now had to handle taking over the place with no idea what to do. To see Carmy in front of him, he had never been happier seeing him than that day.
Carmy looked over, his face change from fed up to anxious instantly, noticing what was in Richie's hand. Carmy recognized the writing and felt his heart pick up. The writing scrawled on the front with a black ink.
To Carmy,
From Mikey.
Carmy hesitantly took it off of him, not lifting his stare from it.
"What is this?" He asked concerned, looking at Richie.
Richie gestured his hands. He didn't know what to say.
"I don't know," he murmured.
Carmy eyes flickered between the envelope and Richie, not understanding what was happening.
"Richie, wh-what the fuck is this?" Carmy spoke up, grasping the envelope with a firmer grip.
"I don't know..." Richie shook his head gently.
"...And I didn't really want to give it to you 'cause.... it meant he was gone. Um, but, uh..." He broke off, feeling his stomach churn.
Carmy looked at him, feeling pain in his chest. He watched Richie, seeing the grief cascade over his face and realize he wasn't the only one going through this. Carmy placed his hand on Richie leg, Richie brought his arm to Carmy's back and for that moment, they both felt the devastation of Mikey presence finally gone. They sat there for a while before Richie got up, giving Carmy the space he needed.
It ran through Carmy's mind if he should even open the letter. Was it worth the wound that was going to be torn up with reading it. He didn't know if he was going to have the strength to continue today.
He needed to go elsewhere. No fucking way was he having the chance of anyone catching him in this sorry state. He made his way to a side alley next to the building. The cold air hitting his red hot skin making it feel like it was on fire. His heart was thumping. He got on his honkers and stared at it.
Maybe, he should wait til' he's home tonight?
Fuck it, he thought to himself.
He stared at it, in his shaky hands, before taking a deep inhale.
"Stupid" He whispered to himself not wanting to make a big deal out of this.
Even though this was going to be the last contact he was going to have with his brother. It was final. Mikey had the last say. After all the time of Carmy thinking Mikey left him nothing. Somehow, this felt worse because he knew for certain Mikey had this all planned. It made it more real than just hearing about it from people's mouths.
Carmy bit his lip, his feelings whelming up inside, finally it was hitting him.
He flipped it over and start ripping it open quickly.
There it was. Two small sentences in the center of the page.
I love you dude.
Let it rip
His eyes ran over the words again and again. Hearing Mikey voice in his head. Carmy choked back tears, bringing his hand up to his face, his eyes never leaving the words. The lump in his throat became unbearable. He felt his body start to tremble. The pain in his chest became stronger to the point that he held his breath to ease the strain.
After a moment, he took a breath in, feeling agony wash over him.
"Fuck you.. fuck you" He sniffled.
He knew it was going to hit him. It did. This scrap of paper made all the feelings he have been brewing since getting the phone call finally come up.
He took deep breaths and looked up. He focused on trying not to lose it completely. The wave of grief over swept him like he was drowning. The tightness in his chest constricting and releasing.
He flipped over the piece of paper and saw the family's spaghetti recipe wrote on the back. No instructions, just the ingredients. A small smile crept up on his face.
After a few minutes of steady breathing, he pulled himself together. He put the letter into the envelope and shoved it in his pocket.
He went back into the kitchen to see everyone prepping. He noticed Richie's eyes following him as he weaved through the station.
"You a'ight?" Richie whispered, coming up behind him.
Carmy nodded before reaching up for a 28oz can of tomato sauce.
"I'm.. gonna make spaghetti. I need to clear my head for a bit, " he mumbled, bringing it to the countertop.
"Uhh.. okay" Richie hesitated before giving a worried look to Tina.
She shrugged her shoulders making her way to the walk-in.
Carmy knew prep needed to get done but he just needed sometime to turn off his thoughts and get lost in cooking without thinking about it. He wanted his body to go into autopilot.
He added the garlic cloves to the pot and poured in an eye measurement of oil, clicking on the gas ring until a flame emitted on the surface. In another pan, he had half onions getting fried in butter. As they sizzled away, he leaned over to grab a can opener and opened one of the cans before dumping the contents with the onion.
He saw hints of green mixed with the tomatoes and shoved it around to see it was a lump of something. He grabbed it and wiped away the remaining sauce surrounding it.
"There's no fuckin' way" He said to himself tearing off the clear wrapping on the suspicious looking bundle of money. The hundred dollar number facing back at him, he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Cousin!" He urgently yelled not taking his eyes off the hundred dollar notes in his hand.
"Yo!"
"HELP" He shouted back coming to the realization of what might be happening.
You heard the racket from the office, hoping it wasn't another meltdown situation. As you entered the kitchen you saw everyone walk past your with cans and cans of tomatoes.
"Get you ass to work, Chica," Tina grinned.
"What?" You asked, completely confused about what was going on.
"Money." She beamed before continuing her way.
You went to where the cans where stored to see Richie stacking them on a metal tray.
"You're not gonna fuckin' believe this" He snickered.
That evening Carmy gave you the run down of what he thought Mikey did. He showed you the KBL on the lid of the unsuspicious can of tomato sauce. The hint that you were looking for was right into front of you the whole time. Everyone walked past those cans 50 times a day, not blinking an eye. Hidden in plain sight.
For the rest of the evening, everyone got plenty of practice on their can opening skills. Tomato sauce was everywhere. Everyone emptying the cans and pulling out bundles of money. Richie was tallying it up with his calculator. Syd came to join us, completely unaware of the jacket pot that landed on all of you during the day. Carmy spoke to her about what the money could do for them. For the restaurant, and with that, she was reeled it.
Everyone was at an all time high with the sudden change in events, Carmy decided that service wasn't happening for the rest of the day. He knew everyone needed one night of blowing off steam for, hopefully, the new chapter ahead that he had in his mind.
"How many should I get?" You asked dialing the number on the office phone.
"Uh... 10?" Carmy suggested, scratching back of his head.
You order several types of Chicago deep dish pizzas with excited muffled voices in the other room.
You hung up the phone after making the order and looked over at Carmy who was still standing there, dissociated or exhausted or maybe both.
"Well we finally got the hint" You smiled putting the phone back on the desk.
He snapped out of his trance.
"Oh yea, you could say that" He gave a little smile.
You could both hear the happy chatter over in the next room with Richie's booming voice echoing the most.
"My sister, Suga, is coming over."
"Oh that's great"
In the time you were working with Carmy, he would only really bring up Sugar. You knew Mikey existed but Sugar's name came up the most in conversation. You would also see him get phone calls from her time to time.
Richie went to collect the pizzas. You and Carmy joined everyone in the side room. Tina was chatting to Sydney, helping her lay out the long table. Marcus in the corner hooking up his phone with Richie small speaker. Everyone else was scattered around the room talking.
"Hey!" A blonde woman walked in with a big smile on her face.
Carmy instantly drew her into a hug. He leaned back glancing at me before looking back at her.
"This is Suga" He introduced me to her
She smiled over at me and opened her arms to me.
"Oh my god, it's great to finally meet you. Carmy has told me a lot about you over the years" Suga gave me a squeeze before pulling away.
"Really?" You said surprised, not even thinking he would bring you up to other people.
"Same here!" You grinned back.
"We gotta talk later about what the hell is going on" She side mouthed to Carmy before making her way to Tina who was already greeting her.
Richie finally came back with the pizzas and everyone started digging in. You found yourself stuck in a conversation with Richie and Fak
"I swear to fuckin' God it happened" Richie exclaimed telling the story on how Bill Murray is his voicemail.
"I've heard it and it's true" Fak reassuringly nodded at you.
You shook your head in disbelief, knowing it was going to rile up Richie.
"C'mon, you fuckin' believe me, ight?" Richie turned his head to you.
"Well, to be honest, I would have to hear it." You shrugged your shoulders, giving a quick cheeky smile to Fak.
"Fuck it, do you have your phone?"
Fak and I both shook our heads.
"Let me get my phone" Richie felt his pockets trying to place his.
"Hold up" He raised his hand before he walks off towards the kitchen on the mission to find his phone.
As your eyes followed Richie walk out, your sight landed on Carmy sitting at the table talking to Sugar about this evening. You notice his hand was in his hair as he listened to her.
You tell Fak that you're going to get something to drink, asking him if he wanted anything. He said he was good before getting distracted with a song that Marcus had just put on. He boogied his way to Marcus, reeling him in on a fake fishing line.
You made your way to grab a beer out of one of the ice buckets on the table.
"I see you." You hear a voice, and you look down to see Tina sitting at the table picking at her leftover crust.
"Huh?"
She smiled suspiciously before gesturing you to sit down across from her.
"So, how long have you've been..." She rolls her eye towards Carmy at the end of the table.
You glanced over to see him still occupied with Sugar.
"I have no i-"
"Naw, don't play dumb with me. I see the looks you give each other" She narrowed her eyes stilling grinning.
You finally caught on to what she was on about and immediately chuckled.
"Oh no, noth- we're just friends." You smiled, feeling caught off guard on what to say.
"Not in my eyes," she quipped back, taking a drink from her beer.
You looked over to Carmy, and caught him looking at you and immediately took his eyes away. You felt shy all of a sudden. You tried to think back to see if there were any times you and Carmy seemed to be closer to than friends, especially from people looking from the outside in. Nothing came to mind.
"I'm telling you Chica, I'm not judging. Just wonderin' how long has it been going on"
"Well we've never been... together that way" You felt embarrassed explaining to Tina.
She pulled back with her eyebrows raised
"You coulda fooled me" She remarked.
"Here! Here listen" Richie came over shoving his phone in your hand.
You brought the phone up to your ear and on the other end was the voice of Bill Murray.
"Damn," you said to yourself, seeing Richie grin become bigger.
"Fuckin' told you"
You were impressed that you could actually hear Bill Murray and realized that Richie wasn't lying. It's not that you didn't believe him, but maybe didn't take everything he said to heart.
You felt a tap on your shoulder and looked over to see Carmy behind you.
"Wanna talk to you in the office, for a min" He said with a serious tone.
You nodded handing the phone back to Richie. You got up and felt Tina eyes not leaving you until you walked out of the room.
For some reason, your stomach did a flip. What was this about. This is the most relaxed the place has been since you've arrived here. But you could tell Carmy was far from relaxed.
He sat in the chair in the office before leaning over to pull out a foldable chair for you to sit on. As you sat down, you noticed his leg jittering. His inked fingers were tapping on the desk like he was thinking about something.
"Uh.. So I was talkin' to Suga and explainin' everything that happened with the tomato cans and money." He started looking at you.
"She saw all the paper you helped filed and I told her about all the late nights you've been here. Non stop..." He further explained.
As he went on, tension was in the air. You had no idea what he was going on about but him talking more and more made you nervous.
"Carmy" You stated trying to get him to the point.
"Uh.. sorry- fuck" He pushed his hair back and looked down.
"You've been a massive fuckin' help to us. This is crazy to even bring up, so don't worry if you don't wanna..." He continued to ramble.
"I wanna offer you a position here," He finally said.
"What?" You stunned by what just came out of his mouth.
"I wanna offer you a job. I've talked to everyone, and they would love to have you here. It makes sense. You're already caught up on the financial situation, and I trust you."
"Move to Chicago?" You looked down, picking your fingers nervously.
"Uh, y-yeah. I know it's a big ask. I know I still have to pay you for the two weeks, too. But everyone would hate to see you go and-"
"Everyone?" You sputtered out, only realizing after, you said it out loud.
You looked up into his eyes. His blue stare gazing back to you.
"... I w-would, " He stuttered, breaking a small smile.
You felt your heart skip. The thought of moving to Chicago made your stomach flutter. The idea of coming to this place every week made you smile. But most importantly, seeing Carmy daily gave you a weird comfort.
"I have big plans for this place. I would only want people by my side that I know I can count on. One of them is you." He tapped his fingers on the desk lightly.
Your mind went to all the things you would have to start organizing. Your old apartment, moving furniture, driving back to Chicago. It was a lot, especially by yourself.
"I don't know how long-"
"Don't worry, there's no rush. Take the time you need to move here." He scrambled, feeling he was asking a lot from you.
There was a moment of silence between you both. He could tell you were overwhelmed.
"I wanna help you move..." He spoke up, seeing the unexpected look on your face.
".. if only you want," he added not wanting to be too forward.
"Are you sure?" You pressed your lips into fine line.
"Yea, yeah, with both of us, it would be faster. Plus, everyone here could start breaking this place down. " He motioned to his surroundings.
"Look, I'm not asking for an answer now. But, think about it ?" He leaned closer.
You nodded, looking back at him.
Carmy wanted you to say yes. He didn't want to say goodbye. Over the last few weeks, he's gotten used to seeing you. Him going to you moments when he felt everything was falling apart. The rising anxiety he felt imagining you flying off at the end of the week. Him not seeing you come in with coffee for him in the morning. Him making you a quick bite, knowing you would have forgotten to eat all day. In this short period of time, he fell into a routine with you.
The only thing giving him peace was that this place was going to be hectic when it came to renovation that he'll hopefully be too busy to notice you were gone.
"Marcus made us cake! Get some before it's all gone with Richie fat ass. " Tina smirked, leaning into the doorway.
"Go ahead, ill be out in a min" Carmy ushered you away with him staying behind.
"Lovebirds," She muttered, wagging her eyebrows mockingly.
You rolled your eyes, giving her light shove.
Everyone dug into the moist, delicious, double layered chocolate cake. They uttered compliments to Marcus as they took their first bites. It was the perfect thing to end the crazy day. Carmy finally joined you all and picked up a piece of cake that Sydney was guarding against Fak, who wanted seconds.
You both kept separate sides of the room but felt each other's stares. Whatever was growing between each other, you're both hoping it was a wave that would fade away. Just the novelty after not seeing each other for so long. Or maybe the fact that you might not see each other again.
You wanted to think about this straight. It would be easy to get caught up in the fantasy of starting a new life here. You had to think things through, talk to your parents. You knew they were going to question you when it came to your incentives to moving to Chicago. You were apprehensive bringing up Carmy, knowing them hearing a boy's name will ring alarm bells. Did you really want to move to Chicago? Do you really want to commit to a restaurant that doesn't even exist yet? Were you putting yourself through all this trouble just to please a close friend of yours?
These were all questions that were causing you anxiety. You pushed those thoughts out of your head wanting to enjoy one fun night with these group of people that you've become so close with.
"Shots! Shots! Shots!" Richie shouted raising the bottle of Tequila entering the room.
"Here's to a new fuckin' start Cousin!" Richie yelled wrapping his arm around Carmy shoulder pulling him in closer to him.
Carmy grinned, for once giving in to Richie hyper emotions and wrapped his arm around him. His eyes travelled across the room and landed on you. He gestured for you to come over. Richie was pouring shots for everyone. Even if you didn't want one, it didn't seem to be an option.
"I just wanna say.. that I know the last month has been hell" Carmy spoke up bringing the attention to him.
"But, this is the beginning of something bigger than all of us and I know we'll be able to pull it off..." He glanced to everyone holding his cup of tequila.
"So let's make this place something we're proud of...." He paused bringing his cup up.
"and let it rip" He announced
Everyone brought their cups together before downing the tequila.
Chapter 4
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The American: Welcome to Hogwarts
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Remus Lupin x Fem! American! Reader
Prequel of The American: Welcome Back! -click to read
Summary: Entering their 5th year, Remus and his friends are told of a new student coming to Hogwarts. While dealing with problems of his own, Remus can't help but notice the new transfer student from America.
Warning: slow burn, bullying, issues of self esteem, suicidal thoughts, xenophobia against reader, name calling, the word mud blood is used a lot, very dark content.
A/N:I haven't read the books but I have seen the movies and read a shit ton of fanfic. I'm making stuff up as we go so my plot can work. There are some characters that I thought were real but where made up for fanfics. I hope people don't mind if i add them because i already wrote the chapter. I later found out while googling stuff abt The Marauders. I will be added them and other characters to my story with my own twist. With that being said, don't come for me if this character is doing this and that. Not sure how many chapters I'll be doing, really depends on the feedback. please read the tags before reading. Enjoy -L
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Remus found himself staring at the tracks in front of him. His eyes studied the nails and the iron bars of the train tracks. He can hear the horns of the Hogwarts Express blasting indicating it’s near. It drowns out the sounds of the students and their families around him. He looks at the red and black train coming and Remus takes a step forward. 
Remus has thought of this a lot before, stepping in front of a train. Trains, buses and cars. Just one leap and it will be over. His fingers tighten over the straps of his bag over his shoulder as he thinks about it more. 
A quick death, what a wonderful relief. 
He hates having a full moon in the summer when he is away from Hogwarts. He didn’t have any of his friends during that time. They were off on vacation or doing activities with their families and Remus doesn’t have the heart to ask them to come over. His friends have done so much for him. He’s afraid of asking for too much and they will leave him for it. He doesn’t want to be alone. 
Remus takes another step forward getting a bit closer to the edge and as he looks ahead. His mouth slightly dropped open when he saw a man standing on the other side of the tracks staring back at him. The man stood there bloody, throat ripped open, slashes across his face and chest. Blood was gushing out from the man’s wound. He wore dark blue trousers and a white ripped collar shirt. The man lifted his hand towards Remus, reaching for him. With his finger, he pointed at Remus as blood dripped down from it. Remus feels the bile coming up his throat when the man try to open his mouth to speak. Blood came pouring out from his mouth and Remus stands there frozen in fear. Remus doesn't see a flash of red running towards him. 
“Remus!” He feels a force come at him making him take a step back from the edge of the platform. The train approaches, hiding him away from the bloody man. He felt Lily hug him and Remus shut his eyes as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her into a tight hug. He missed her so much this summer. He didn’t visited her like usual. He couldn’t. He was ashamed of himself. He tries to get rid of the sight of the man he just saw, he continues to hug her. Lily rubbed his back when Remus didn't pull right away. 
Lily Evans, was the first friend he made when he came to Hogwarts. She was the first to realize what he was and she was the first to not make him feel bad for being a werewolf. As times passed he was welcome into a group of three boys. They didn’t make him feel bad as well, they had even helped him by becoming animagus and stayed with him through his transformations.
“You haven’t written back to me all summer.” Lily said when they pulled away. The students around them started boarding into the train. 
“Forgive me, Lils. Rough summer is all.” Remus said as he grabbed his luggage by his feet along with Lily’s. She gave him a thanks and he just nodded. He wasn’t going to allow her to carry the heavy thing. 
Lily and Remus greeted the other students in their year as they walked to their usual compartment. Remus with ease placed the luggage on the top shelf as Lily sat down. Remus sat down with a huff beside her, next to the window, his favorite spot. Lily opened her beige shoulder bag and took out a brown lunch paper bag with the letter R written on it. 
“Mom, send you a snack.” Remus smiles as he grabs it from Lily. 
“She’s a saint.” Remus said as he opened it, taking a look inside. In separate plastic bags, he saw there were slices of green apples and a jam sandwich cut diagonally. There was even a small juice box. 
“Green apple, my favorite.” He comments. 
“Ugh, she likes you more than me.” Lily pulled out a bag of baby carrots instead of apples like him. Lily’s mom knew of Remus, he would visit Lily sometimes during break and the summer. Lily’s mom was always happy to see him and even called him a son at one point when he always offered to take out the trash or wash the dishes. Remus thought it was the least he could do since they had him over for dinners. Petunia wasn’t really fond of him, but he didn’t mind her. He ignored the names being aimed at him when he sat across from her during dinner. 
Remus chuckles at Lily then he takes the bag of apples out. “I’ll trade.” 
“You would really do that for me?” She asked him with a pout. 
“Hurry, before I change my mind!” Lily laughs and gives him the bag of baby carrots as she gets the bag of apples. 
Remus drops the baby carrots into his brown paper bag, saving them for later. He looked over at Lily when he noticed what she was holding out. He gives her a smile and grabs the slice of apple from her hand. 
Quickly putting it in his mouth,  he hummed at the sweetness of the apple as he chewed. Lily frowned and stopped mid-bite when she noticed Remus looking out the window. His eyes roaming quickly on the other side of the platform. 
“Looking for someone?” Lily asked and Remus looked over at her. He shook his head, telling her nobody. 
Lily is eating when Sirius and James come walking in. Remus rises up from his seat to greet his friends. Lily does the same. Remus helps Sirius with his luggage as James sits next to Lily by the door. Sirius sits across from Remus. 
He’s listening to Sirius ramble on about his summer, it was another horrid one. His mother had gone mad about tradition with the family. He was a disgrace for being a Gryffindor, but he was even more of a disgrace to his family when they found out Sirius doesn’t agree with the pureblood ideas. James and Lily are talking amongst themselves. Remus and Sirius just gave each a look, James was finally getting on Lily’s good side. 
Sirius hits Remus' shoes with his elbow that rested next to him. Remus had quite a growth spurt last year. He had his leg resting on the seat across from him.
“How was your summer, mate?! I sent you a letter, you know?” Sirius' cheeks grow pink and Remus notices it. 
“I’m sorry. I did receive it. I had a hard time answering back. Last moon was draining.” Sirius nods at him, understandingly. 
“Are you okay now?” He asks Remus. Sirius notices something odd with Remus when he doesn't answer right away. He didn’t like it one bit. Remus was usually cheerful whenever they came back to school. 
“Yes, Padfoot.” Remus answers as he leans his head against the window. Sirius decides to not push it and asks Remus about a book he was reading before summer break. He smiles when he sees Remus' whole demeanor change, Remus sat up and excitedly told him about it. The train lets out another sound and a few seconds later. The train began to move then after a few more conversations about Lily and James’ summer. One by one they started to doze off. 
Remus was sleeping with his head against the window. His body jiggled softly as the train kept on moving. He scratches his nose when he feels an itch in his sleep. Inhaling deeply, Remus’ eyes shot open when a scent hit him. The scent is new, it didn’t come from his friends. Remus felt a chill down his back, it was a strange feeling. He doesn’t know why he’s smelling it, the full moon has passed already. Why is the lycanthropy still residing in him?  Sitting up straight, he looks over at his friends. They are still sleeping, he wonders why Peter isn’t here. They have been taking the same spot in the train for five years now, so Peter couldn’t be lost in finding them. 
Remus felt his throat close up when the smell hit him again. He rose up from his seat, taking another sniff in the air.  He noticed the door was a bit open. He figured it was Sirius who usually forgets to latch the lock whenever coming back from the restroom. 
Remus decides to go to the bathroom and wash his face. He figured he was smelling things because he had a rough summer. He was barely sleeping at home. The nap on the train was the best sleep he had all summer. He shuts the door behind him then looks up and down the hall, it’s empty. The lights of the hallway were lit up, he saw most of the other people had pulled down the curtains for privacy as he walked to the restroom. Remus yawns as he walks inside the restroom and turns on the light. Rubbing his eyes he steps in front of the toilet to relieve himself. Letting out a small moan when finished urinating, he turns his head to the door. That fucking smell is there, he quickly walks to the door. He presses his forehead against it. Remus inhales the scent, it's on the wooden door. 
The scent of copper, the scent of a girl. 
Remus doesn’t realize at first but he breathes heavily, his forehead is pressed against the door as his right hand touches his chest and drops down to his lower stomach. He fist the sweater he wore on top of his uniform in his hand as he sniffs harder. When his fingers hits the zipper of his trouser, the urge to touch himself came over him. His eyes shot open and he quickly stepped away from the door. He stared at it, scared. This has never happened to him before. A scent that was making him horny, it was new to him. 
Remus knows this isn’t him, this has to be Moony. The wolf that resides in him. Moony should be gone by now but he isn’t. He leans against the wall of the bathroom and let's out a sigh. He shook his head as he looked down at his hands, he shut his eyes when he remembered how his hands looked with all that blood. He looks ahead at the mirror and whines when the background changes. He saw himself back again in the woods behind his house. 
“Stop it.” He hissed to himself as he looked away and started to push the button of the soap dispenser on the wall. 
Turning the hot water all the way up. He ignored the heat of the water as he washed his hands until it was pink and raw.  He kept telling himself, he had to scrub it away, wash the blood away. He looks ahead at the mirror and stares at himself. His eyes are staring at the new scar on his face. He hates his appearance, despises it. It’s just a constant reminder of what he is, a monster. His friends tell him differently but Remus knows he’s one. He truly is especially after what he did. 
Running his fingers through his hair, damping his sandy brown curls before turning off the light, he walks out of the bathroom. The hallway is still empty, he shuts the door and starts to walk back when he smells it again. His chest started to feel tight and he bit his bottom lip as he turned to face the other side of the hallway. 
He’s staring down the hall and he can smell it again. 
“Fuck.” He murmured when he saw that part of the train, usually students of House Slytherin, sits in. He steps forward carefully as he looks to the left. Most of the train compartments had the curtains drawn down, he stopped when one of the doors was slightly open. He guessed whoever was in there forgot to use the lock. 
‘Another Sirius.’ Remus tells himself as he looks inside. He sees a figure sleeping on the cushion seats, a leg hanging out. He frowns when he notices they wore jeans and sneakers. The person wasn't in uniform like them. Remus hears laughter further down the hall and quickly goes back. Last thing he wants to do is come face to face with a Slytherin. Making it back to his seat, he gently sat back down to not disturbed Lily who was leaning against James. He grabs the brown lunch bag Lily’s mom made for him. 
Remus quietly eats his sandwich as he stares out the window, watching the scenery. He never gets tired looking at the mountains and lakes as the train makes its way to Hogwarts. 
Shelley Mumps was the one who woke everyone the following morning. Remus had dozed off after eating his sandwich. He jumped out of his sleep when Shelley slid the door open with such force. 
“What happened?” James said in a sleepy voice as she shut the door and sat beside Sirius waking him up. 
“There's a transfer student. She's in our year.” Shelley said, looking at them. 
“Cool, can we go back to sleep?” Sirius said getting himself comfortable again against the wall. 
"She's American.” She added. Remus frowns. “They allow Americans in Hogwarts?” He questioned. 
“ Apparently because she’s here. Some of us saw her walking down the hallway. She was staring out the window. You should have seen the clothes she was wearing.” Shelley laughs and Remus looks away from her.
Lily just sighs at her friend. “What do you mean by that, Shelley?” 
“She had ripped holes in her jeans and her shoes looked dirty. She had this shirt with this ugly green army jacket. She looks homeless.”  Sirius was awake now and looked at Remus who kept quiet and stared out the window. 
“I'm sure, it wasn't that bad.” James said, clearing his throat as he sat up straight in his seat. 
“Oh please. The train is stopping soon. You’ll see her.” Shelley said before waving bye at them. 
“Tell me why you are still friends with her?” Remus asks softly, looking over at Lily.
“I have too, I share a dormitory with her.” Lily said, grabbing her bag as they felt the train stopped. 
They quickly got up and started to get their belongings. The students lined up and walked out the train. “Let's see if we can catch a glimpse of this girl.” Sirius tells Remus and James as Lily waved bye at them to find her other friends. 
Remus walked behind them as they walked to the waiting carriages. Leaving their trunks and luggage behind, they sat down. Remus looks around but has no luck in finding this ‘homeless girl.’ The carriages make it to the gates and they step down to walk towards the school, it was a five minute walk. 
“Peter!” James exclaimed and Remus looked over to see his friend walking towards them. 
“I missed the bloody train! My parents were furious. They had to drop me off.” Peter said with a sigh. Sirius and Remus shook their heads, Peter had a tendency of being late. They welcomed Peter with a hug.
“Did you hear the news?” Sirius asked. 
Peter rolled his eyes. “Yeah, Shelley gave me the full details on the new girl.” 
They walked together to the castle when they noticed a group of students standing by. 
“Oi!” James yells and a Ravenclaw boy, named Hems in their year, turns around. “What's going on?” 
“The American is with Hagrid.” Hems tells them as they get closer. Remus looked ahead to see. 
“Is she daft? What's she petting?” Remus hears another student ask. 
“Her name is-.” Someone said your name and Remus thinks it’s a nice name. He continues to look at you, trying to get a good look at your face. 
He can see Hagrid talking to you with a smile as you kept petting at the air but Remus can see the thestral you were petting. He could see its leathery wings flap for a second before circling around you making you giggle. Shelley was blowing your appearance out of proportion but it was exactly what he expected from a pureblood. He looks at you and he thinks your smile is pretty, that's what he noticed first about you. He looks at your clothes. You look casual. You look like a regular muggle, it reminded him of the outfit Sirius usually wears whenever going out to a muggle place. The green army jacket is a bit big on you. You wore a black shirt and blue ripped jeans. 
The thestral rubbed its head against your bookbag, you wore and Hagrid shooed the thestral away from you when it started to nibble on your bag making you laugh loudly. 
“What is she laughing at?” A student asked loudly. 
“You idiot, it's thestral.” Remus looks over and notices Severus with a group of Slytherins standing by. He was glaring at you as he answered. Remus noticed Hagrid leaning down to tell you something. You turn to face them and Remus sees your face for a second. Your eyes widened by the sight of them and quickly looked away before he could get a good look at you. 
“Two galleons, I’ll have her in bed by the end of the week.” Remus noticed an older student from House Ravenclaw speak out. Remus rolls his eyes when the group of students around him starts to snicker and begin to place their bets on you. He watches you walk away with Hagrid towards the school. 
“James? Sirius?” The guy said, looking over at them. 
“No, mate. I’m good.” James said before signaling his friends to keep walking. Remus doesn't want any part of it either. 
Sirius stops in mid step when one of them starts to laugh and yells out, “The American probably has diseases. You know they are sluts.” 
“15 galleons says she doesn't sleep with you.” Sirius said, making them stop laughing and look at him in disbelief at the amount of money he was placing. 
“You're on, Black.” 
Remus, James and Peter waited for Sirius to finish when he saw Severus and his friends walking away. James just glared at Severus and the long, dark haired boy did the same to James. 
“You really think she won't sleep with him?” Peter asked as they continued to make their way to the castle. 
“You have to be Shelley to sleep with them. I doubt she's like her.” Sirius said, shaking his head. 
Settling back down in Hogwarts was easy for Remus. He missed his bed and being around his friends. The atmosphere was different from back home. He wasn't alone, in Hogwarts he was surrounded by students, professors, and even ghosts. 
Getting ready for dinner, he spoke to Sirius about another book he got. Remus was fond of Sirius and even though they both came from completely different backgrounds. They were best friends. Sirius was the second person to figure out what he was. Remus had cried in front of him when he figured it out. Sirius didn't speak while Remus told him that he would understand if he didn't want to be friends anymore. Sirius just hugged him tightly. Hugged him until he calmed down. 
“You’re ridiculous. If you think, I'm going to stop being your best friend, mate.” Sirius spoke out after a few minutes. 
‘We’ll figure something out to help you. I promise.” 
Remus didn't believe it at first but when James and Peter figured it out he told them the truth. The three managed to become animagi behind his back and showed Remus when they accomplished it. He never felt so accepted before. They supported Remus during his transformations and mood swings when the full moon was near. They accompanied him in their animagi form to the Shrieking Shack then later carried him to Poppy Pomfrey. 
He was forever grateful for them. He really was so when he got too deep in his head and started thinking about dying and ending himself. He thinks of them. He thinks of Sirius, Peter, James and Lily. He thinks of his mom as well. 
He thinks about the time his mom would bath him when he was too hurt. She would feed him, dress him when he couldn’t move. His mother changed completely during the recent summer. She couldn’t look him in the eye and it broke him. His father who treated him differently already barely said a word. 
‘Oi!” Remus was deep in thought when James caught his attention. 
“You okay, Moony?” James said, walking towards him. They were in their dorm room, putting their stuff away when James saw Remus laying on the bed with his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling. 
“Yeah, Prongs.” James nods and sits beside him on the bed. Remus pushes himself up and holds himself by the elbows. 
“You know I wrote to you this summer. Like four times.” James said softly as Peter and Sirius were in the bathroom freshening up to go to dinner. 
“I know. I just-.” Remus feels James' eyes on him. “I don't know.” Remus lied. 
“Everything okay at home?” James whispered in a concerned tone, he knew about his life at home. Remus nods as Peter and Sirius come out of the bathroom laughing about something. 
“Ready to eat?” Peter asked as they put on their robes. 
“Yes!” Remus said getting out of bed, he looked over his shoulder to meet James' gaze who was still sitting down and staring at him. He did not believe Remus for a second. James drops it because he knows Remus hates being the center of attention so he drops it for now and says yes to Peter. 
Remus finds himself looking for you at the great hall but he can’t. He keeps his head down and listens to James and Lily talking in front of them as Sirius is talking with Marlene. Peter is next to him, trying to ignore Shelly who was talking about her summer. He was more interested in what's for dinner. 
“Welcome Students! Back for another year with us. I do hope everyone had a good summer.” Remus sighs as he looks down at the empty plate in front of him. The headmaster Dumbledore makes a few announcements about classes and a new teacher who will be teaching D.A.D.A. 
“Lastly, it gives me great pleasure to introduce a new student that will be joining us,-.” Dumbledore announces your full name and Remus repeats it in his head. He remembers your smile. It was so genuine, no one smiled like that to thestrals. 
“She’s from America, boys and girls. She will be studying with us. I want everyone to give her a warm welcome.” Remus looked up from his plate and looked over at the doors of the hall when it opened. He saw you wearing their uniform on. You stood next to Hagrid who urged you to walk inside. 
Remus claps along with his friends as you walk to Dumbledore and McGonagall, who had the sorting hat ready for you. 
“She looks like she's going to throw up.” Remus hears a Slytherin ahead of him joke. While you walked up the steps and sat down on the stool, facing everyone. Your eyes were looking down when McGonagall placed the hat on your head. 
The sorting hat hums as it rests on top of your head. 
“I feel it, young one. Don't you?” Remus saw you looking over at Dumbledore with a frightened look. McGonagall nods at you, easing your worries. You look down at the ground once more and your hands clasped on top of your lap. 
“Difficult choice, indeed.” The hat says. 
“A fighter!” The sorting hat yells, making everyone whisper. 
 “A protector!” Remus noticed the look on Dumbledore's face. 
“Oh- my, that is-.”  The hall quieted down when the hat stopped in mid sentence. 
“I know now! I see it!” The sorting hat crackled loudly. 
 “Slytherin!” Remus saw you lift your face to look ahead and Remus thought you were the most beautiful person he had ever seen. He took notes of your nose and lips. Your eyes and the way you looked so nervous made him feel bad. 
He looked away from you when the hall started to applause. McGonagall was kind enough to show you where the table was. You looked down at your uniform when you noticed the color had changed.  
He peeks between Lily and James and sees you picked the farthest empty seat from the table. He can see you take a deep breath as you look at the silverware in front of you when you sit down. 
Shelley is sniggering with an older student from Gryffindor who is sitting beside her. 
“What's so funny?” James asked. “She probably doesn't know what a fork is? Don't Americans eat with their hands?” The boy asked James. 
“That’s fucked up, lad.” Sirius says, eyeing him. 
“Look ahead, she's using them just fine.” Lily snaps before looking down to eat her food. Remus looks over and notices you have begun to eat as well. It was quiet after that, Remus ate and only looked over when he took a sip of his juice. They ignore the others who keep making jokes are your expense. They spoke about your hair and how you looked. Some thought you were hot while others thought you were ugly.
Sirius noticed how Remus was quiet. It was pretty normal for Remus to be quiet. Quiet Remus, who only speaks when spoken too but right now it was different. Sirius felt his best friend’s vibe completely off right then and there. 
Remus had different sides of him. He can be so quiet then be very cheerful and make jokes. Until the full moon comes, he becomes cranky and snappy. Sirius stabs his chicken with his fork as he looks at Remus. There’s a new scar on his face and Sirius doesn’t have the courage to ask him about it. Especially since he saw how Remus acted when asked why he hadn't responded to his letter. Something must have happened during the summer, Sirius thinks to himself. 
He noticed Remus looking over when he took a drink. He followed his gaze and landed on you. Sirius does a double take when he sees his younger brother Regulus walking towards you with his plate in his hands along with his cup. 
Regulus flashes you a smile. “Oh fuck!” A Gryffindor from the table whispered.
Regulus sits down across from you. “You ok?” Remus whispers when he sees it. 
“Of course, why wouldn’t I be? He’s with his kind.” Sirius says to Remus but he doesn’t believe that Sirius can just be okay. Remus knows the complicated relationship that Sirius had with his younger brother. 
It was a few minutes later when Regulus and you stood up. Plates are empty and Remus watches as you pick up the empty plate. 
“What is she doing?” A boy from the Hufflepuff table behind them says catching their attention and the voices in the hall become quiet. 
“Do we have to wash it?” It was a simple question that you asked. Remus gets annoyed at the fact that you get laughed out by the Slytherin table when you ask Regulus. 
Regulus shoots them a glare and shakes his head at you before telling you that there was no need. You can leave your plate there and the elves will get it and clean it. 
“Elves?” You frowned, and your eyebrows knitted together in confusion.
“Like a Santa's elf?” Remus hasn’t heard the word Santa since he was a kid. 
Regulus tilts his head at you, he’s confused now. 
“She’s half blood then?” Remus hears the table start throwing ideas of what your blood is. 
“What the fuck is a Santa?” Sirius whispered to James then looked at Remus when James shrugged his shoulders. 
“Are  you sure that she’s in the right grade if she thinks Santa is real?” Someone asked loudly and people began to laugh. 
It had gotten to the point that the laughter behind Remus started to get to him. He didn’t find it funny at all that they were making fun of you. He wondered what did you know about magic, perhaps you didn’t know anything at all. His guess had to be that you were muggle born but he keeps it to himself because if he was right about you being a muggle born then you will have a difficult time, especially in house Slytherin.  
He knows what it feels like to be made fun of and he hates it. He gets bullied for his scar face. He gets bullied because he’s quiet. He gets bullied because he’s poor. 
He sees Regulus walking out with you from the great hall. He leaves a few minutes after saying he had a headache but he just didn’t want to hear the comments they were making. He decided to go to sleep early that night. 
He was glad he had a dreamless sleep. He didn’t dream about the man. It was morning and he saw you again walking with a younger student from your house to the great hall. Remus walks in with Peter and he sighs when he sees Shelly and Marlene there already, eating. He didn’t mind Marlene at all, she was kind and reminded him of the female version of Sirius. She was spunky and played quidditch with James and Sirius. 
“Morning, guys.” Remus greets them and sits down. While a Ravenclaw girl ahead of them rises up from her seat and runs to Shelley. 
“You won’t believe what I just heard!” The girl said to Shelley. 
“The American slept in the bathroom on her first night here. Her roommates are telling everyone. They heard her crying.” Shelley and the girl began to laugh. 
Marlene looks at the girls. “I don’t find that funny. She probably misses her home.” 
“Oh come on, Marlene.” Shelley said, waving her hand dismissing Marlene’s words. 
Before she can say anything James and Lily along with Sirius came in. “Morning.” They greeted their friends. 
“I’m not ready for classes.” James sighs as he sits down. 
“Guys, Penelope just told me that -.” Remus finally cracks and cuts her off when he slams his hand on the table loudly and looks over at her. 
“Would you shut up already? Enough making fun of the new girl.” He said and Shelley grows red from embarrassment of his sudden outburst. 
“You feel bad for nasty foreigners?” The Ravenclaw girl, Penelope asked, crossing her arms over her chest. 
“I feel bad for anyone that has to deal with tossers like the both of you!” Remus said, looking at her and Shelley. He stood up from his seat ignoring James and Sirius calling out for him. He walks out the doors and goes back to his room. He paces around the room, coming to terms on what he just said to Shelly and the other girl. He felt bad for calling them that name but he just got so angry. 
How can people make fun of other people suffering, he asks himself. He had lost count on how many times he’s cried himself to sleep during his first year coming to Hogwarts. Being alone and afraid that someone will find out his wolf secret. He checks the clock on the nightstand and notices it's almost time for his first class. He grabs his books from his trunk and hopes he doesn’t see Shelley or the other girl.
He started to grow worried as he walked to class that Lily would be angry at him for calling her friend a wanker. He was surprised when Lily hugged him when they saw each other for the third class of the day. 
“I can’t believe her!” Lily told him when she unwrapped her arms from him. 
“Don’t tell anymore but sometimes I get homesick. I’m in tears in the tub.” She admits to him. 
“You know how I feel about bullies.” Remus tells her and she nods at him knowing all too well about bullies. She was a victim like him, she was bullied heavily in her first year for being a muggle-born and sometimes even now. 
When lunch began he was walking with Peter who didn’t say much about the incident and Remus was grateful for it. They talked about their class they had last period. As he walks in he sees you sitting with the same younger student. You were smiling and so was the kid. 
The kid had a book open in front of you and Remus smiles at your choice of writing utensil. You were using a pen instead of a quill and you were writing down on a regular notebook instead of parchment paper. 
The kid kept talking while you nodded and wrote frantically. 
Everything seems to be going well, Shelley had decided to eat with her friend, Penelope at the other table. James and Sirius came soon into the hall talking enthusiastically about quidditch. 
“Guys! Guys!” Remus flinched when a group of Hufflepuff students came beside him and stared ahead at the Slytherin table. 
Remus looks ahead as well to see what all the fuss is about. Lance, from house Ravenclaw is in his last year and everyone knows him for being a bully. He was pure-blooded so he thought everyone who wasn’t was beneath him. He usually picks on the muggle born and the half bloods from any house. Of course no one interfered because they didn’t want to get bullied as well. Lance’s blue eyes widen as he walks into the great hall and makes his way to the kid sitting across from you. 
“He’s such a twat for always picking on Ruben.” The Hufflepuff next to him tells the group. 
“Ruben is the kid?” Sirius asks and they all nod as Lance gets behind Ruben and pulls on his hair making him yelp. Remus has never seen someone's eyes grow hard so quickly. The smile you had on disappeared. The hall grows quiet when you stand up from your seat. 
“Get the fuck away from him.” It was not usual for Lance to have someone stand up to him. He was caught by surprise from your words. 
“What did you say?” Lance said with a disbelief chuckle. 
“Get. The. Fuck. Away. From. Him.” The great hall is quiet and Remus noticed a few teachers had risen up from their seats when they noticed what was going on. 
“What’s going on here?” McGonagall had walked towards the table and stared at Lance then at you. 
“Nothing, Professor McGonagall. Just having a chat with my friend Ruben.” Lance said, taking a step back while still staring at you. 
Ruben was almost in tears by the whole thing. Professor McGonagall walks Lance back to his table. 
“She just placed a death mark on herself.” One of the Hufflepuff near Remus said, shaking his head. Lance was staring daggers at you and you kept your eyes on him showing no fear, just hate. You didn’t take your eyes away from him until he sat down and spoke with his friends. 
“You might just win your bet. She got balls.” James says, turning back around to Sirius who turned as well to continue on with his meal. 
“What bet?” Lily asked the boys and they got quiet real fast. James being whipped for Lily ratted them out and she shook her head, telling Sirius how horrible that is. 
“I betted that she won't sleep with anyone, Lily!” The redhead girl shook her head as Marlene copied her. Remus kept silent as he glanced over the table and saw you grabbing Ruben’s bag. You and the kid started to walk out of the great hall after collecting your things.  
He was surprised when he saw you walking inside the classroom. You were a few minutes late for charms class. The professor grabbed the slip from your hands and pointed at an empty seat in the back. Remus almost drops the quill in his hand as you pass him to sit on his row. Remus usually stayed in the back because he was tall. A Hufflepuff girl, Nancy sat in the middle between you and him.
In the corner of his eyes he noticed you had taken out the same book as before and a pen. 
The Charm professor called out your name as he walked towards you. The student laughed when he told you that there is no pen and notebooks allowed only quill and parchment paper. 
“I’m sorry. Mr. Robinson. I‘m still learning how to use the feather thing.” You told him, looking up at him. 
“First, it’s called a quill and you're a witch now so you better start learning fast how to use it. Second of all, it’s Professor Robinson. Things are different here, Miss.” 
“Yes, Professor Robinson.” Remus looks away by the tone of your voice. You sounded so defeated. Professor Robinson walks away and continues with his lesson. Nancy leans over to you when you grab the quill from your bag and the ink. 
“Hold it like this.” She whispered to you showing you how to handle your quill properly. 
Remus goes back to write his notes, he hoped you realize not everyone in this school were mean. There were some students who were kind. Throughout the class, his eyes would glance over Nancy to you. 
After class Remus walks to the Gryffindor common room. Making it inside, he heard chattering and looked over to see Lily and Mary Macdonald. 
“Hey, Remus!” Lily said, waving him to come over towards them. They were sitting on the couch by the fireplace. Remus sits on the other side as Mary hands him a box of chocolates they were eating. His eyes widened and they giggled at his expression. 
Lily chuckles when Remus is wiggling his fingers trying to decide which one to take. James and Sirius came with their Quidditch uniforms on. Lily frowned when she saw them walking towards them. 
“I thought you guys had practice?” Lily asked and Remus looked over at them with a frown when they didn’t say anything. The guys just looked at each other for a brief moment. 
“Oh fuck, Sirius have nothing to say. It must be bad.” Mary said, trying to lighten up the mood but James and Sirius didn’t say anything. They sat on the couch across from them instead. 
“They canceled practice.” James said and Lily glanced over at Remus. It had to be more, James would be in tears if practice was canceled. He took quidditch very seriously. 
“Why?” Remus asked, grabbing another chocolate from the box. Sirius takes a deep breath. 
“The word is going around that the new girl is muggle born.” 
‘Shit.’ Remus says to himself. He was right. 
“She didn't know what it meant, they asked her about her parents and she told them they weren’t wizards. Those snakes dragged her by the feet to the quidditch field and slimed her while chanting mud blood.” Sirius said. Lily and Mary dropped their mouths open in shock. Sirius and James glance at each other. They were famous for their pranks. Being slimed in the field was a good idea but they didn’t like how you began to cry and how confused you looked about the whole thing.
“Never seen Professor McGonagall look so mad before. She started yelling.” James said, leaning back on the couch crossing his arms over his chest. 
“Did you see the new girl?” Lily asked and James nodded. “Yeah, the other professors had to help her off the field.” 
“Blimey.” Remus mumbled as the door of the common room burst open and Shelly walked in laughing with a group of students. Remus rolls his eyes when he hears your name being whispered. This year was going to be rough, he tells himself while popping the piece of chocolate in his mouth.
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Closed Position: Extra
Closed Position Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist
Dieter Bravo x OFC (Katarina)
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I haven't done any writing on Closed Position this week. I know! I'm sorry. There were a few details I was still thinking through that happen later on and I wanted to be sure I was on the right path to get us there. However, I have been working to nail down those details and fill in my outline with the important stuff. I think I have a pretty solid path set at this point, so I feel a little more confident going forward with writing.
Since I don't have any snippets to offer this week, I bring you a mood board of things to come. Each image represents an event that aligns with some part of the plot.
👉🏻 It’s time to start throwing out your conspiracy theories based on the mood board! Let me have them!
Behind the Scenes
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In addition to working on my outline, I've also been doing A LOT of research, as I always do. That includes details on hotels and prep/filming schedules for tv shows to really nail down the 'behind the scenes' aspect of things. I'm even making song choices for Dieter & Kat’s performances based on the beat count required for each dance.
Believe it or not, these types of details do help form the plot of the story. Sometimes those small details will spark an idea for putting the characters in situations I wouldn't have thought of otherwise. While it does seem a little crazy to do, it does actually help me in writing...but it does make me a little slow sometimes. 😬
So what have I researched this week? Here is a running list...that may offer some hints of what's to come:
Flight Times
Directions & travel times
Hotels in NYC (that meet certain criteria)
Rehearsal/filming schedule for a certain show that's filmed at 30 Rockefeller Plaza.
Kinesiology and Physiotherapy
Hydrotherapy and Electrotherapy
Alcohol and Drug Recovery
Codependency/Relationships in Recovery
Dance positions, counts, terminology, etc.
What have I recently watched for research?
Dirty Dancing (I hope you’re ready for some references and jokes… because nobody puts Bravo in a corner.) 😉
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights
Take the Lead
Dance with Me
Lots of Dancing with the Stars videos on YouTube and the last two seasons that are currently available on Disney+.
A shit ton of instructional videos for ballroom dance.
That all seems very random, doesn't it? This makes me wish I would have done this for Destiny & Deliverance, because that would have been wild research topic list. 🤭
No ETA on the next chapter, but I can say it’s probably going to be another long one since I am doing it by the show ‘week’. Some weeks there is a lot to squeeze in. 🤷🏻‍♀️
Until next time,
💜Mysty
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Series Summary: Dieter Bravo, now sober, was looking to change his bad boy image after hitting rock bottom. His team hoped that having him join the nationally televised family friendly dance competition would be a good first step, if they can keep him out of trouble.
Katarina Stamos expected her last season as a professional dancer on Dancing with the Stars to go the same as it had for the past thirteen seasons. That all changed when she was partnered with the infamous Dieter Bravo.
Dieter and Katarina are reluctantly thrown into their partnership and must learn to work together to succeed in the competition. In the process they form a deeper connection beyond the dance floor that neither anticipated.
👉 Warnings: Themes dealing with intimate partner violence, past alcohol abuse, and past drug abuse. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Dieter Bravo comes with his own warnings.
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CP Taglist: @secretelephanttattoo @titlee78 @maggiemayhemnj @legendary-pink-dot @morallyinept @survivingandenduring @wannab-urs @harriedandharassed @hisandsnakes @misstokyo7love @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @sin-djarin @cakipy-blog @missladym1981 @guelyury @weho2kcmo @alokaerza @girlofchaos @trulybetty @rhoorl @bitchwitch1981 @madnessofadaydreamer @darkheartgatita @jazzloveslatte @timpletance @musings-of-a-rose @samiamproductions @myloveistoolittle @for-a-longlongtime @copperhalfcent @auteurdelabre @drewharrisonwriter @burntheedges @stevie75 @bunniboo0015 @quicax3 @jackie923 @sherala007 @pastelnap @angelofsmalldeath-codeine @jessthebaker @rebel-held @gwendibleywrites @senorabond
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mayajadewrites · 28 days
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Sweet Secret (Levi Ackerman x Reader)
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Pairing: Levi Ackerman x F! Reader CEO Levi Ackerman coming in hot. I've been wanting to write a CEO Levi/Sugar daddy Levi story for a hot minute. Enjoy! Summary: You needed a job. Ackerman Inc was hiring for an in house assistant for none other than the CEO: Levi Ackerman. He's known to be essentially the worst to work with, you decide to take the job and take on the challenge that is Levi Ackerman. Will your relationship remain professional, or will their be monetary value added to the stakes? Or possibly even... love? ao3 Chapter Eleven: Lucky
It's the last night of vacation. Or should you say, 'conference'. You and Levi have kept from touching each other for both of your sanities. He only had one nightmare within the last couple of days when he had his arms around you.
"I can't believe we have to go home tomorrow morning." You zip up your luggage and prop it up against the wall. "I'm gonna miss the sun." 
"We can always come back." Levi sipped his 3rd tea of the day. "Besides, our client has been happy with our work so far so I don't see the deal falling through."
You nod, sitting on the edge of the bed. You've been able to be a completely different person here. Soon, you'll be back in reality. Back to being the assistant to CEO Levi Ackerman.
"Hey." Levi waved his hand in front of your eyes. "What's wrong with you?"
"Sorry." You snap out of whatever trance you were in. "I'm just not looking forward to going back to New York."
"You act like I give you a ton of work." Levi sat next to you, his thigh touching yours.
"Not at all." You giggle, your head leaning back. "It's not like you don't pile on enough work for me to be busy for 2 weeks."
"You must have a different boss then. That doesn't sound like me at all." Levi's voice vibrated from his throat.
"Yeah, he's a lot hotter than you." You turn your head to look at his face. His side profile was carved by Renaissance artists. His skin supple from the moisturizer he just put on. 
"Damn." He chuckled, watching your face as you lean back. "He's lucky he gets to look at you all day." 
Your eyes find his as you sit up, holding each others gaze. You held your breath as Levi inched closer to you, his hand resting on your cheek. His hands felt hot on your skin - like his touch was taking your breath from your throat.
"What color is the light?" Levi's lips ghosted in front of yours.
"Green." You whisper, your eyes fixated on his mouth. "Green light."
Levi's minty breath kissed your lips before his lips did. He kept his left hand on your cheek, moving his thumb back and forth softly. You lean forward, letting the straps of your tank top fall off your shoulders, your full breasts now on full display.
Levi's other hand snakes to your waist, his large hands pulling you into him. You moan at his touch which gives Levi the perfect in for his tongue. You press your hand on his thigh, letting your nails drag against the fabric of his sweatpants. 
You feel the palm of his hand slide up your body - pasts your breasts, to your neck. As he kisses you, he wraps his hand around the front of your neck - squeezing gently. You moan softly as he squeezes, your tongue dancing with his. He then moves his hand to the back of your neck, pulling you into him. "God, I've been thinking about that mouth of yours for days." 
"What about it?" You whisper, moving your hips to straddle Levi's waist. This is the first time you took charge while being intimate since Levi always seems like the more dominant one. "Tell me what you love about my mouth, Levi." 
"I love how swollen your lips look after kissing you. I imagine them wrapped-fuck," He says as your mouth wraps around his tongue, sucking on it gently. "I imagine how those lips feel wrapped around my cock."
"Is that so?" You feel wetness in your core. You can't help but be turned on by him fantasizing about you. "Well, let me make that your reality." You push your right hand on his chest gently, letting his body fall onto the plush bed. 
You hook your fingers on the elastic of his sweatpants and pull them down to his ankles. Next, you slide his briefs down, revealing his long, girthy cock. You hear it slap against his stomach as your eyes watch in amazement. You've never seen a dick like his before. You're not sure if he could even fit inside of you. 
Levi's breath hitches as your fingertips touch the base of his cock. You're now on your knees, your doe eyes boring into his half-lidded ones. He watches as you grab the base of his cock, leading the tip to your lips. You give it a quick kiss before sliding your tongue along the slit. 
"Fuck." Levi's breath is shaky as he watches you pump his cock with your dainty hand. You don't break eye contact as you take his cock inch by inch into your mouth. His hands travel to your hair, gripping it roughly as you take more of him, quickening your pace. You close your eyes as you start to feel tears in them. But his cock feels so good in your mouth, and the look on Levi's face as you suck his soul out of his dick is so rewarding.
"Just like that, take my cock in your pretty little mouth." Levi peered through his eyes, watching you drag your tongue along his length, massaging his balls with your other hand. You feel his cock twitch in your mouth before he pulls out of you quickly.
"Why did you stop?" You watch Levi as he sits up, patting the comforter, seemingly looking for something.
"Do you have a condom?" Levi says with a low tone.
"I don't. Usually men keep those around."
"Let me check my bag." Levi got up, grabbing his backpack. To be honest, you want to feel all of Levi. But this is the first time he'll be fucking you, he'll be inside you, so it's better to be safe.
At least that's what you tell yourself.
Levi sits on the bed, a condom between his index finger and middle finger. "Found one. I brought only one, just in case. And for self control." 
"I haven't slept with anyone else." You look down at the wrapper. 
"I believe you. But, lets be safe." 
"You have way more clothes on than I do." Levi said huskily, throwing his t-shirt on the floor. 
"Let's fix that." You grab the bottom hem of your shirt, sliding it over your head and revealing your plump breasts. You kick your shorts to the side, crawling towards Levi on the bed.
"I like the view from here." Levi's voice is low, his mouth curved into a half smile. "I like when you crawl to me." 
You glance at Levi, then his mouth, then his cock. Your core is throbbing with need. You watch his hand slide the condom on his length as he pulls your arms closer to him.
"Light?" He whispered.
"It's green. Green as in go." You press a kiss to his lips as his arms wrap around you tightly, flipping you on your back. 
You stare at Levi as he lines his cock at your entrance. His eyes are locked on yours as he caresses your cheek with his index finger. "You are so beautiful, you know that?" Levi smiles.
"You're beautiful, too." You kiss his nose, trying to distract yourself from your throbbing core. "I need you, Levi."
"Impatient are we?" Levi plans kisses down your ear to your neck. "We talked about that, didn't we?" He growled.
"Levi, please." You wrap your arms around his neck, bringing his body closer to yours.
"I really created a spoiled brat." Levi pressed his tip against your soaked pussy. He almost slid right in, but he stopped himself. His hand dipped to your slit, your arousal coating his fingers. "So wet for me already, princess?"
"Yes." You moan, digging your nails into his skin. "I want you inside of me, Levi." 
"How can I say no to that?" Levi pushes his entire cock into you, a loud moan escaping your lips. Levi watches as his cock disappears inside of you as he thrusts in and out of you. 
"You feel so fucking good." Levi cages your head between his arms. "This pussy was made for me."
"Just for you, baby." Almost inaudible noises leave your mouth. You didn't mean to call him baby, but it just... came out. Levi liked the sound of it though because he started thrusting faster. You felt his bicep against the side of your face as his dick reaches places in your pussy that you didn't know existed.
"Right there, Levi." You moan as he hits that spot. "Keep going." You press your palm to the back of his head, your fingers lacing in his jet black hair. You cradle his head in your palm, gently caressing his scalp. Even while he's fucking your brains out, you want to take care of him.
"Fuck, princess." Levi's pacing got quicker, and sloppier. You felt your walls pulsate around his cock and your eyesight going blurry. "I want you to come first. Can you do that for me?" 
You close your eyes and nod as you feel yourself come undone under him. The lining of your eyes went white and you saw spurts of rainbow as you reached your high. Levi pounded into you as you came, his own high coming soon. You pull Levis bare chest down to yours as he reaches euphoria, a moan of your name leaving his lips.
You're both panting as you come back down to earth, not wanting to move. Levi is still on top of you, the sweat sticking you together. You open your eyes and see Levi is already staring at you, his hand caressing your hair. "Are you okay? Was that okay?" 
"It was more than okay." You nod, kissing his nose. "I've never came like that. So fast."
Levi only nods, lifting himself off of you. "Go shower." His tone was back to being cold as his back is to you. You sigh and get up to the bathroom, your legs slightly shaking. You turn around and watch Levi stretch, his back covered with marks of your nails dragging on his skin. You watch the muscles contract before he turns to look at you. "You really have a bad staring problem."
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pacalternative · 2 months
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BIG OL' UPDATE!
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Hello everybody, you all know how sporadic posts have been on here, but I have been working pretty hard on updating a few things...So here's a few to keep in mind!
• • • •
PAC AU LORE CARRD!
Pac Alternative lore website is still being worked! The plan at first was to make a Toy-house World section to stuff in information regrading the AU, but It was met with some... technical difficulties. ( I underestimated how complex HTML can be.) Which is why the Toy-house update was taking a bit longer than it should have.
But luckily, I discovered last second I can just make a carrd. site with all the info people need to Start with LOL. Progress has been moving very smoothly. There's of course a lot of work to do, but what we have so far is looking pretty good.
You guys deserve a preview...
This is subject to change at any period of time but it's a start!
━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━ ━━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━ ━━━━━
UPDATING CHARACTER REFS
To put it bluntly, the character references from last year don't hold up all too well now. Call it perfectionism or stubbornness, but after taking the time to look back on my methods of doing them, I wanted to handle it in a different approach.
Each of the refs going forward are going to be a bit more complex so I can have an easier time drawing outfits for the characters and understanding how to draw their body types as a whole. Think dress-up dolls as in ( under-garments, main and casual outfit). Not EVERY character will have this, but the ones I will be drawing the most, most definitely will.
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I'm already learning a ton from this way of doing them, It is going to take me a longer time showing the cast to you all. But I am happy to say that the Pac-people are ALMOST completed! I can't wait to show them off, but you are more likely to see them early on Toyhouse..,
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COMIC UPDATE?
The comic writing wise is still in it's early stages...! After the site is completed I will be more motivated to get chapters 1+2+3 all written out by this or next year so I can finally start drawing out the main story! For now, though, mini comics will be more often to come out.
Sorry for this part of the update in particular taking a bit to get running, but the previous updates above are what I am the most focused on right now.
• • • •
ANDDDDD That is all for now! Thank-you to those who have kept interested in this project of mine and keeping me motivated.
Until next time folks!
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qveerthe0ry · 2 months
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Hello lovely!
I saw your reblog of @for-a-longlongtime‘s poll about queer Pedro boy fic and I was wondering if you have any fics that you particularly enjoy that you could recommend?
Hello friend!!
Sorry I took so long to answer this, but I wanted to have the time to be as thorough as possible because this is an AWESOME question! Thank you for asking me!!
I also want to preface this by saying I haven't had a TON of time to read as many fics as I want to, so if anyone wants to reblog this with more queer Pedro boy fics I would love that!
For now, here are the ones I've read and loved:
Into the Beat of the Night by @perotovar has the sweetest Frankie I've ever read and a badass non-binary OC named River. Their dynamic is so fun but so deeply caring and I CANNOT get enough of them. Their banter is always adorable, and there's a really good balance between fluff, smut, and light angst so far and I'm sooooo looking forward to the next chapter.
baby, i'm-a want you by @perotovar AGAIN they just won't quit with the incredible queer Pedro boy fics. Gay pornstar Javi P and Joel, shy Joel with a crush, all the PPCU boys do porn together, what more could you want???
Maverick by @for-a-longlongtime and its sequels. Of COURSE I can't make this post without gushing over this Tim Rockford x Marcus Pike x Frankie Morales series. Oh my god. It's so hot it will melt you, but also so sweet, and I look forward to updates like it's Christmas eve.
Sharing the Same Roots by @multifandomhoodies over on AO3. I'm not sure if they've cross-posted it here on Tumblr, but this was one of the first Pedro boy fics I ever read and I think about it a million times a day I think. t4t DinCobb set in WEST VIRGINIA!?! Mind was instantly blown, as I lived there for the first 21 years of my life. It paints such a serene, beautiful picture of a slow, happy, queer Appalachian existence that it makes me tear up. Super hot, super well-written, and Grogu is a fellow WVU Mountaineer which makes me chuckle. I wonder how many couches he's burned.
Catalyst by @ezrasbirdie Last but CERTAINLY not least, a fic that I re-read before bed time an embarrassing amount of times because it is SO!!! GOOD!!!! Frankie and Joel are my favorite Pedro boys, and the exploration of their relationship with each other and reader is so incredible. The way the emotions are written so naturally and so raw blows my mind every time I read. And AGAIN shy, flustered Joel??? My beloved. But also absolute menace Joel flustering Frankie??? STOP IT!!!
This list is shorter than I want it to be, so if anyone has suggestions totally use this ask as a way to rec or self-promo your queer Pedro boy fics <333
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romanarose · 7 months
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Washed In Black: Chapter 1
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Darkish!William Tell x fem!Reader
Masterlist : Join my taglist! : playlist
Summary: A young cocktail waitress at a casino takes interest in William but he rebuffs her advances. Still, he can't get her out of his head. When he follows her home, he stopped an attempted attack and brings her back to his hotel. Wanting company Will invites her on the road with him, just for the summer before her final year of college... It's just a summer fling, right?
Content and Warnings: No happy ending, oops. Darkish!Will, but not really dark to reader. big ole age gap, reader is 21, Will is early 40's. Attempted rape, reader defends herself but William finishes the job. Will briefly stalks her but there was no nefarious intent. Possessive Will, protective Will, hints too Will having OCD (my personal headcanon), PTSD from both Will and reader, reader has a shitty homelife but not abusive like I usually write. Canon typical violence. Alcohol and smoking from everyone involved. More will likely be added as we go but I'll add them in chapters under "additional warnings"
Immersability: References to reader having hair. She works at a casino as a cocktail waitress, takes place in the US and her and her parents live in the US currently. Reader generally dresses "sexy" in casinos, I know not everyone does for different reasons So I figured I should note that.
Authors Note: This fic has been in my head since last November when I saw this movie. It's my comfort movie and IDC how weird that sounds lol. I've gone back and forth on whether this needs to be a one shot or series, but I think miniseries just makes sense. I'm thinking 3 chapters.
Comment if you'd like to be tagged going forward!
3.5 Words
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Will wasn’t stalking you, really, he wasn’t.
He just wanted to make sure you got home safe. You’d caught his eye all week, bringing him drinks at the casino he was at for the time being, pretty, flattering dresses. He liked that you wore flats instead of heels. You looked more comfortable. He liked that you had a soft smile on your face, and he liked that you were clearly eyeing him. He’s only human, after all. Did he feel a bit of guilt for checking out someone so much younger than him? Yes, of course he did, but it was just looking… right?
You threw that out the window when you sat down next to him and slid him a drink. When Will gives you a quizzical look, you clarify. “Ton Collins. That’s what you drink, isn’t it?”
It was. You’d been paying attention. “Yeah, it is. But I didn’t order one.”
“Don’t worry, this ones on me.” You gesture to where your ballet flats had been traded for Converse. “I’m off the clock”
Will takes a sip. “Still doesn’t explain why you gave me a drink.”
You roll your eyes, but smile still. “Men aren’t the only ones who can buy drinks.”
A little bit of bite to you, he notes before condeeding. “Fair enough.” William takes his new class and holds it up, smiling when you clink it to his.
Fidgeting in your seat, you look around at the bright lights and bustle of the casino as you try to stoke a conversation. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking.”
Will can sense your nervousness from two seats down, trying to keep his eyes from the tight red dress wrapped around your body. He tried to stay polite, you were just a kid after all. “William Tell, and your-” His sentence was interrupted by your laughter, bright and jovial and although he didn’t know what was funny, it made him happy to hear. “What’s so funny”
“Nothing!” You shake your head, trying to move on, as you cover the smile on your red lips. Same shade as your dress. When you see he doesn’t buy it, you smile harder and elaborate. “It’s just, I expected you to give me a fake name, but I didn’t expect it to be so…”
“To be soooo” He urges you on.
“So obvious!” A fresh bout of laughter, and while he was aware you were making fun of him, he couldn’t help smiling gently. 
“That is my name.” He lied.
“Yeah, and mine’s maid Marian.”
“You’re thinking of Robin Hood.”
“Same thing.”
“Not really.”
“Whatever.” You tell him your name, and he reaches out to shake your hand. The firm but gentle shake makes your heart skip a beat. He was handsome, a head of straight, fully grey hair, and although you were certain he wouldn’t take kindly to you calling him a DILF, that’s what was going through your head. What appealed the most, however, was his manners. Many a man at this casino had attempted to woo you, to buy you, to assault you. Men were disgusting. With this man, however, although you could tell he was checking you out, it wasn’t leering. You didn’t feel like he was mentally undressing you. He simply said please and thank you and kept to himself and god, it made you want him. You didn’t sleep with the men here as a personal rule… but maybe he could be an acception.
“You can call me Bill, since you don’t like my name.”
“I’m not doing that either.”
She’s a bit of a brat, he notes. “Why not?”
“Too King of the Hill.”
A slight chuckle escaped him. She is trouble.
“Can I call you Will?”
“Whatever makes you happy.” You wouldn't be calling him anything. Will would talk to you while he finished the drink, he didn’t want to be rude, but he wasn’t going to indulge you. You weren’t the first young cocktail waitress that had made a move on him, and plenty of girls barely old enough to drink spent their time hooking at casinos, but William wasn’t that kind of guy. He didn’t have anonymous sex, he didn’t really have sex, and he certainly wasn’t entertaining girls young enough to be his daughter… But Will was fighting for his life. You’d scooted over to the chair next to him, had been very clearly leaning in ways to show him your tits, smiling at him with that youthful grin… No, he couldn’t indulge you. 
When you got the hint that he wasn’t about to invite you to his room (he wasn’t staying at the casino anyway), you made a graceful exit, telling him to have a nice night and good luck.
But he couldn’t shake the thought of you.
It was for your safety.
He was just going to make sure you made it out of the crowds okay.
When he saw you were walking home, he was just going to make sure you got home okay. It was dangerous at 2 am for a young girl.
William repeatedly validated his action in his head as he watched you. You were just not being safe. Walking alone, headphones in your ear… something loud and aggressive he assumed by the way you banged your head, did air guitar and drum solo’s… you weren’t paying attention at all. All this was validated on it’s own, however, when William realizes he’s not the only one following you.
The man appears almost out of nowhere not far from the casino and grabs you, pulling you into a dark alleyway before he can jump in. As William runs to the scene, he’s surprised to find you were not quite as helpless as he thought, watching you take a stabber keychain and thrusting it into his side.
“Holy shit” William mutters as he watches the man bleed, but you turn to him, the stabber pointed at his chest.
“WATCH IT!” You yell, but you’re clearly posturing. Your whole body is shaking.
“Relax” William put his hands up, beginning to build his lie. “I saw him following you, I’m not here to hurt you.” 
The man on the ground groans loudly in pain, and your shaking becomes uncontrollable. You drop the stabber and rush into his arms. Jesus, you’re naive. So trusting. Another moan and William looks at the man. He was a rapist. Well, attempted one with you, but men like that dont just rape once.
“Go home.” He tells you. “I’ll take care of this.”
You shout a no. “You can’t leave me alone! We’ll call the police!”
Naive indeed. William takes you a few steps away, holding you by the shoulders. “The police won’t do anything but arrest you for stabbing him.”
Confused, you try to argue. “But it’s self defense, he tried to-”
“Your word against his. Women get arrested for defending themself from rape all the time, it’s hard to prove attempted rape.”
The tears never stopped from your pretty eyes. “Then can’t we just… leave him?”
Sweet young thing… William shook his head. “I’m not leaving a rapist alive.”
The man starts begging for his life, alternating between pleas to you, and then when that doesn’t work, telling William that you were asking for it. That didn't help his case. William carefully guides you, taking you out of the alley and away from the bleeding man. “Stay here” He grabs your dropped airpods and tells you to turn up the music.
And you do. 
Linkin Park, as loud as it can go, still doesn’t drown out all the sounds that came from the alley.
When William came back in sight, he was covered in blood. He thought you should be horrified… but the way you looked at him was like his night in shining amour. “C’mon. I’ll drive you home.”
“No!” You surpsise him with your answer.
“Or we can walk, that’s-”
“I don’t wanna go home!” When he looked confused, you elaborate. “It’s lonely there, my parent… they act like I don’t exist, and I’m scared, Will. I’m fucking scared and they are no help. Please, please can’t I go with you?”
Bad idea. “No, I don’t think that’s-”
“Please?”
William heard sirens not far away. The dead man’s screams must’ve alerted someone… fuck, they needed to leave. “Fuck, come on.” William wrapped an arm around her, taking her through the alley. “Don’t look at him.” He kept a hand at her head, keeping her eyes forward. Through the backways and slipping into darkness, William took her to where his car was parked and ripped out of the  parking lot.
“Where are you taking me?”
“Are you going to tell me where you live?” He asks but you stay silent. He sighs. “Honey how old are you?”
You hesitate. “26”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“Why do you care?”
“I want to make make sure I won’t get arrested for kidnapping a minor!”
“I work at a casino!”
Okay. Fair point. “Just checking, because you said you lived with your parents.”
“It’s a shit economy.”
“Hey, I’m not judging you, I was in prison by 26.” That was enough to make you turn to him. He glanced over to you. “Yeah, you still wanna stay with an ex con?”
“What were you in prison for” Nosy little girl.
“You don’t wanna know.”
“Was it it rape?”
“No”
“Then I don’t really care.”
“You should”
“But I don’t.”
 “Do you really want to stay with me tonight?”
“Yes.”
“Fine. You can stay with me. For one night, I’m heading out tomorrow.”
“Fine.” A short pause. “Thank you.”
“It’s fine.”
“For all of it.”
“It’s fine.”
When you arrived at the motel and Will opened the door, you were regretting your choice. “Oh my god.”
“What?” Of course his room setup was going to be off putting. He didn’t have an explanation for himself, so he never bothered on the rare occasion someone saw it.
“You’re going to kill me.”
Well that was not what he was expecting. William turned to you. “What?” he reiterated with more vigor.
You sigh, rubbing your eyes before groaning. “God dammit I’m so fucking stupid. My dad was right, I was gonna get myself killed some day!”
He called your name. “What are you talking about? I’m not gonna kill you.”
Gesturing vaguely towards the room, all the furniture, paintings, chairs all wrapped up. “Covering the fucking room? Clearly you’re planning to slit my throat and throw away the evidence.”
William pushed past you. “If I slit your throat, the blood would go everywhere, walls, ceiling, all of it. Covering the bedside table won’t do shit.”
“Oh. That’s comforting, I guess.”
“Are you coming in or not?”
Well, what option did you have? You close the door and take in the room. It was so… plain. 
“Why do you cover everything?”
William simply shrugs. “Your guess is as good as mine.” He pulls out some clothes, handing you a t shirt and pants and some for himself. “I’m going to shower since I’m covered in blood.” He states plainly, seemingly unphased. “You can shower after, wear these.”
“Thank you.”
After everything was settled, you sat on the bed watching tv while William wrote in a book. “You can lay on the bed, you know. It’s late.”
He didn’t look up. “I’ll sleep here.”
“Oh come on, I’m not taking your damn bed.”
“I don’t sleep much anyway.”
“Ohhhhh mysterious.”
That was enough to make Will turn around, a light smile creeping on his features. “You haven't told me much about yourself either.” He deflected. “What”s a niice girl like you doing in a trashy casino?”
Swinging your legs over the bed, you force yourself up and over to him. “Pays for tuition.”
When you make your way over, Will stands up, looking down at you as his hair flopped in his face. The action closed a lotof distance, bringing him close to you. The left over energy from what happened tonight was buzzing in both of you, unable to sleep despite the late hours of the morning. “Oh yeah? You’re in school?”
“Mhm. Geology at Notre Dame”
“Realy?” He was impressed. 
“Yup, senior year.”
“Hm. Pretty and smart.” The words slipped out before he could stop them. William was so worked up, the brutal murder of the man who attempted to rape her transfering into a sexual energy that was getting hard to control. 
He expected you to get uncomfortable, but you lit up at his words. “You think I’m pretty?”
It was all slipping out now. “You know damn well that you are. All dressed up in those tight, skimpy dresses, showing yourself off, flirting with me all week…” He took a step forward, but you didn’t move back, instead leaning in ever so slightly.
“And you weren’t flirting back?”
William huffed a short laugh. “I was trying not to. You make it awfully hard.”
It was you who closed the gap, feeling his plush lips against yours. His kiss was immediately hungry, starving, William’s mouth opening wide to take all of you in, to taste the expanse of you. “Fuck, I shouldn’t be doing this.” But he made no effort to stop, walking you backwards until you topple on the bed. 
You were winey and desperate, rutting your hips up into him as he pawed at you. “Need you to fuck me.” You beg him. 
“Relax.” Will purrs in your ear, slowly grinding into your spread legs. He was going to take his time with you, fuck you right… but god he was barely holding on himself, so worked up that he needed to release himself somehow. He continued kissing you, licking into your mouth and stifling your pretty little sounds because he just can’t keep his mouth off of you when he feels it. You were shaking.
“Hey,” William pulls back, cupping your face. “Hey, you alright?”
When you look up at him, wide-eyed, Will is stuck by how young you look. “Y-yeah I’m fine I just…” You chuckle nervously. “Not a whole lot of experience in this department.”
Will gives you another few inches of space. “Are you a virgin?”
“No,” You try to assure him, but his intense gaze boring into you did not help the nerves. “Just… not much better.”
Sighing, he drops his forehead to yours. “How old are you?”
“26-”
“Don’t lie.”
“I’m 21.”
Another sigh, Will rolled off, but you try to fix it, grabbing at him. “No! Will, I’m sorry, I want you-”
His eyes were pinched closed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Let’s just… lets just go to sleep.”
Embarrassed and sexually frustrated, you begin to shuffle under the blankets with Will. “Can you… can you hold me?”
“Yeah, yeah I can do that.”
William wrapped an arm around you, pulling you into his body. You could feel his hardness, but his closeness comforted you. Will made you feel safe.
*
That morning, you were woken up to the sound of Will packing and you made it a point to groan dramatically. “UUUGGHHHH Why the hell are you up so early?”
“I told you, I don’t sleep much” He was folding up his linens, slowly making the room look normal. 
“Ooooo edgy”
“Check out at 10 anyway.”
You grumble, rubbing your face into the pillow. “Do you have to go? Can’t you stay another day?”
Will stopped his movements, pausing before he pulled up a now-uncovered chair to where you lay. With his legs manspreading, he placed his elbows on his knees, folded his hands and leaned towards you. “What’s keeping you here? You clearly don’t care for your parents, your job you can get anywhere, pretty girl like you. What’s keeping you here?”
You’re taken aback by his question, but answer honestly. Early morning grogginess doesn’t leave much room for deception. “Just making enough money to pay for next years school.”
“How much do you think you’ll make this summer.”
You give him an estimate. 
He nods. “Leave with me.”
Blink. “Huh?”
“Travel with me. I’ll pay you what you would make at the end and bring you back to school at the start of the summer. I’ll pay for your food, clothes, anything you need.”
You can’t help but huff at that. “What what money? Sorry, but this isn’t exactly a luxury room.”
Little shit. He grabs one of his bags, opens it, revealing large stacks of hundred dollar bills. “I count cards. I keep to modest means but… there’s no reason I can’t win more.”
“Hooooolyyyyy shit.” He was loaded. Absolutely loaded. You get off the pillow, looking back and forth between Will and the money. There’s no reason you couldn’t go. Well, it was dangerous, a strange man you didn’t know taking you across the country… but you were never one for impulse control. Still, you think of last night. “I’m not… I’m not a hooker.”
“It’s not about sex.” When you look suspicious, he presses on. “It gets lonely on the road. I just… want some company. Two and a half months, just us, like a summer vacation. You’ll have everything you need to finish school, I promise.”
His eyes were earnest, and despite the fact you heard him slaughter a man only feet away from you… you trust him.
A few hours later, you and him were on the road. You sent a text to your boss who was none to happy about quitting with no notice, and left a note for your parents when you got your essential saying you left with a friend. They didn’t care enough to question that you didn’t have any friends in your home town anymore.
Will’s car was old but clean. Comfortable. The next destination was Seattle and after hours of begging, he let you put on your own music instead of the silence.
“What the fuck is this shit.”
“It’s Green Day, I thought you would know Green Day, old man.”
He wanted to wipe that bratty smirk right off her face. “This isn’t any Green Day I know.”
“Yeah, cause you probably only know American Idiot, poser.” When Will turned to you with a cocked eyebrow, you backtrack. “Sorry.”
“That’s what I thought.”
*
When you and Will check into your hotel, he paid in cash. Great, no paper trail in case you’re murdered. Wonderful. Sometimes you wonder what was going through your head when you left with him, but you couldn’t find yourself regretting it. You enjoyed his company so far, even if he was cranky. It was cute.  He was cute. You wanted to suck his dick.
“Here.” Will handed you a wad of cash. “There’s a strip mall down the street, get something nice for tonight.”
You smile up at him cheekily, swaying your hips a bit as you walk over to take the money. Fuck, you had a sugar daddy. “Don’t you wanna come with? Make sure you approve of what I buy, stay on budget?” You graze his hand with your fingers as you take it.
He simple began to unpack his linens. “Your budget is whats there.” There had to be at least $1000. “I gotta take care of this.”
“Ah. The weird room thing.”
“Yes, the weird room thing.”
You left him too it, taking the money and going for a shopping spree. You do, of course, pick out what you were sent for. A beautiful black sparkling dress, designer because why not, and some fancy jewelry to go with it. Shoes, however, you get from the department store. You’d do a lot of things, but wearing heels was not one of them. You couldn’t take the pain anymore.
While almost out the door, you spot a little something in a store window, something you’d always wanted but you budget wouldn’t justify it.
*
A few hours later, you exit the motel bathroom all dolled up. Will was sitting on the bed, phone in hand, only looking up when you exited. “Oh.” Was his first muttered response as he stood.
You blush, looking down. “That all?”
“No, shit, sorry.” he mumbles. “You look beautiful. Sorry, I’m… I’m not good with words…”
You’d noticed that. Not that he wasn’t good with words, just that he didn’t talk much. You didn’t mind, he was… peaceful. 
Right before you and William left for the night out, his lady luck on his arms you stop him. “Wait wait!” You say before going to your pile of bags and pulling out a polaroid camera you had bought today.
“Ah come on. Do we have to take pictures?” He grumbled with only a half hearted attempt at resistance.
“If I’m having a summer fling and a road trip, I’m documenting it. I promise I won’t always take pictures of you.”
“Fine.” 
“You’re like that grumpy eagle muppet.”
“What the fuck-”
 You snapped the picture just as he turned, giggling as it developed. Despite his resistance, Will leaned over to see it: You, smiling brightly at the camera, him, looking grumpy as he frowned at you.
“You’re gonna pay for that.” Will warned, his voice low but a bit of tease was there. His hand gently guided you out the door.
The night awaits.
****************
Almost a year in the making ;-;
Tagging those who've expressed interest in various mentions lol sorry if i forgot anyone! Note that things changed a lot at various points developing this in the minor details but the major plotline stayed the same
Special shout out to Melsy and Clem and Mona and Ceira for always encouraging me with this at various points.
Like dark fics? This aint darkenough for you? Come check out my dark blog
@whatthefishh @melodygatesauthor @hon3yboy @fandxmslxt69 @winniethewife @my-secret-shame-but-fanfiction @campingwiththecharmings @milkymoon2483
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fountainpenguin · 5 months
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#Riddle watches Traffic
Doing my best liveblog of Jimmy at the moment. He's my first POV for Session 6 Secret Life and I pulled up his name without looking at anyone else's video titles. Some thoughts:
Something has happened that is very similar to something I have drafted in a future Dog's Life chapter I wrote before Secret Life even began. I am rubbing my forehead... if this ends the way I suspect it will end then I will just have to stare at a wall I suppose... sweet goodness.
Jimmy and Martyn really did not expand their single bed situation this entire time, huh? I kept waiting for them to but what am I supposed to do with this.
Joel: I want a cool nickname. Call me "The Florist."
Jimmy, who just agreed to attack his own flower husband and tell them that the florist sends their regards: ...
Holy cow he's 14 minutes into a 44 minute video and he has like 4 different tasks he's trying to do simultaneously because people keep rushing up and telling him they need a deadly favor. It's good to be Red.
Lizzie (about Scar avoiding her trap): He came around the other way! He just smacked me in the butt.
Jimmy, about his dog-shaped house: Red tongue, representing the Red Dogs. Tongues are that color, so you know what I'm saying.
Etho: ??? You like to lick things?
/Puts my head in my hands
Jimmy, inviting Etho into his and Martyn's house: You can sleep in our one bed. There's two of us. We share. You might have to squeeze in as well.
Thanks, Jimmy.
sldfj Etho asking if one of them sleeps at the end of the bed like a dog. I recently wrote a scene of Impulse doing exactly that on Etho's bed.
It's way too funny to me that when people were roleplaying soulmates on Double Life, they [at least Bdubs and Impulse, Joel and Etho] made an active effort to include two beds in their bases, side by side, even though that serves no functional purpose. Even in Limited Life, the Bad Boys made 3 beds for some reason and put them next to each other. Now when they're not roleplaying, all that is out the window. You share a bed and you'll like it.
Love Etho throwing 17 pieces of steak on the ground and asking "Do dogs like steak?" and Jimmy just grabbing all of it while looking at the ground. That's also the same thing he and Tango did when Joel threw them potatoes or whatever back in Double Life and they claimed to be eating off the floor.
skldjfsldj Jimmy and Scott
Jimmy, screeching and tearing across the grass with his enchanted iron sword: The florist sends his regards!!! He sends them!
Scott, riding away on a horse, tripping over himself in laughter: Can you return them?? Does it come with a receipt?
Martyn: I'm on my 5th red task
Jimmy, still on his 1st: ...
Red Mumbo in Last Life: /desperate for friends, constantly trying to explode people and leave without elaborating
Red Mumbo in Secret Life when Martyn and Jimmy approach: Just because I'm Red doesn't mean I'm joining your stupid gang
Jimmy: Stupid gang? Have you seen your mustache, mate?
Mumbo, running forward: Hey hey hey!
Martyn: ???? Ooh, yeah, that was kind of harsh.
Love how Scott brought up the flower husbands comment, actually. Same brain, even though it was Joel's suggestion.
slkdjfs Scott invited Jimmy to his own preemptive funeral and his expression is sending me.
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They buried rotten flesh in the coffin... that's amazing.
sdlkjf They invited Grian to attend the funeral and he shows up, looks at Jimmy, and says "I checked the tab list, like... Did I miss something?"
Jimmy, with unreasonable venom in his voice: You're not supposed to attend funerals if you're still alive.
They buried him alive in dirt above his own coffin... This is my first POV for Session 6 and all I can say right now is... whoever is the reason that Jimmy's episode is titled "The curse has been broken" has the opportunity to do the funniest thing right now.
Jimmy had such a difficult task... replacing water with blue glass and convincing someone to jump on it, from a specific location? Which has a ton of water? Geez, that's rough. He is struggling.
I am astounded at the amount of confidence Jimmy had to run up the stairs to the Gem and the Scotts base and charge in, mere minutes after Gem showed him the "doorbell," and while he's in the midst of telling Pearl that he hopes they haven't rigged TNT up to it. Jeepers, dude.
slkdjflsdjf everyone is freaking out over an explosion. No death message came up in chat, but after a minute, Joel starts frantically typing and screaming "Lizzie? LIZZIE?????" and I have a feeling...
Of course Jimmy wouldn't know what the death sound sounds like and assumes someone's trying to explode stuff near him.
Watching this chat with no context is amazing because it's Jimmy cheering that he's not out first for the 5th season in a row, it's Grian wailing LIZZIE IM SORRY and Joel shrieking HEY THATS MY WIFE. Amazing.
slkdjfsd Jimmy that was so close... Jimmy, if you had died because you hit your own glass trap at the bottom of the lake while doing a celebration dive for not being out first, that would have been the funniest thing.
Jimmy, snatching up his red task and reading in monotone: Punch another player into lava. It cannot be lava you've placed. Fantastic. Great.
[It can be lava he's placed]
Jimmy, to Martyn as he dumps his lava: Have you got another or not?
Martyn: No? I'm not made of lava- what? Come on. You're sounding hella ungrateful right now.
slkdjf Jimmy on Martyn betrayal!! Martyn is furious, Jimmy's literally roleplaying that he's a pathetic puppy with a broken leg, Martyn's ready to swing like "Hey, you won't be the first out, this is fine-"
Betrayal drama at the Big Dogs on the hill...
Geez, the swivel from that to the immediate, simultaneous warden and wither is nuts.
HE'S DOWN! HE'S DEAD, THE CANARY IS DEAD! Still out the first episode of perma-deaths, even if not the first out.
Jimmy Session 6 POV complete!
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romaine2424 · 27 days
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For the Love of WIPs (Drarry style)
There's a lot of things I miss about LJ, but right up there was the weekly posting of the H/D Prophet run by @sassy-cissa and groovelover at the conclusion. It began posting in 2005 and It stopped posting in 2021. I know it was a ton of work for the mods to run it, but it truly kept Drarry fandom informed of all the one-shot fics, art released that week, and chapter updates for current Drarry WIPs, recs, etc... Also listed were the fests and what state they were in. Take a look at the links I posted above and see all the goodness. It was very centralized. *sigh happy times*
What made me think of this was I love reading Drarry WIPs but keep finding recent chapter fics that I missed while being posted and only found them completed and others that I'm currently reading but found by chance.
So, I thought I'd share the WIPs I'm keeping track of and those that have been completed recently that I've read.
Notes: Most WIPs (chapter fics) are long fics (over 50K and up to 1M). There are readers that see some lengths of completed fics and wince. That is one reason why chapters are often released weekly or whenever, so you have digestible amounts (5-15K). Sometimes as an author I feel in a Catch 22, readers don't have time to read long fics, but then won't read a WIP until completed. LOL
Below the cut are WIPs that I've read and that have been recently completed. I'll post ongoing WIPs that I'm reading tomorrow! I'm not listing the Warning and Tags for these fics as I'll leave that up for you to decide on what to read or not. But, there are a few here that do have strong warnings in the tags and/or Author Notes. One final note: I'm listing WIPs (chapter fics) that were posted over a time period, not completed chapter fics that were listed on one date as a whole. OMG this is a long post!
Recently completed Drarry WIPs
Passing Stranger (53K) by @lettersbyelise This just completed yesterday! I have 2 chapters left to read. :) Summary: Five years after the war, Harry, listless and depressed, stumbles upon Draco Malfoy playing the violin in an underground bar in Muggle London. The catch? Draco lost his memories five years ago. Ignoring his friends’ advice, Harry befriends an unwitting Draco, overlooking the fact that their mutual attraction might not survive if Draco’s memories return. Comment: Haven't quite finished but I love, love, the Draco in this fic. You could feel that this is Draco stripped of all the heavy responsibilities he grew up with including having a bigoted father. The tension is palpable with Harry being attracted to this Draco but feeling that Draco needs to be Draco Malfoy to move forward. *ugh*. 2. The Boy from the Piano Shop (90.5K) by @soliblomst completed 2/25/24. Summary: After going blind in a reckless attempt to avenge Ginny's death, Harry battles with severe depression. One day, he stumbles upon a quaint piano restoration shop in the heart of London and meets the owner, a kindly old man, and his introverted young apprentice, whose voice sounds strangely familiar. As Harry and Draco slowly reconnect through private piano lessons, the small workshop becomes Harry's refuge, offering him a glimmer of hope in a world without eyes. Set five years after the Battle of Hogwarts. Comment: I binged this fic bad!!! There is so much to love in this fic but one of the standouts is the OC Richard. You will love him, too. The gradual build up of Drarry is so well done. The dealing with Harry's depression is so raw and real. No cutting of corners. The ending was one of the best I've read in celebrating what is to come for Harry and Draco. And Draco, in the final scene will make you cry *happy tears*. 3. The Star Splitter (219K) by @oflights completed 3/22/24. Summary: On a routine time travel assignment to the past, Draco stumbles upon 7-year-old Harry Potter and witnesses his neglect and mistreatment by the Dursleys. In the moment, there is only one solution, even if it goes against all his training as a Time Agent: he has to bring Harry back to the future with him. In which Draco burns his life down for the sake of his former school rival. Comment: I think I followed this one from the start as I do everything @oflights! OMG the action, the tenseness, the magical lore, the worldbuilding, and the sweetness of Draco raising young Harry will have you banging that "next chapter" button. The Drarry in this happens slowly and has its ups and downs but so so worth the wait. The bond is strong and at the end and you will recognize and cheer for this Harry who says Fuck it all, I ain't letting this go.
4. Spotlight (All Eyes on Us) (58K) by @pixiedunhoff completed 3/15/24. This is the 5th and final installment of the Dark Arts to Dance Floor Series (317K) which began posting in July '23. Spotlight Summary: The spotlight can scorch.
“Has the wizarding world ever seen a couple quite like Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter? Though the pair remain frustratingly private and out of the spotlight, hardly ever seen in public together, our readers understandably demand to know more.
‘They’re happy together,’ Minister of Magic Hermione Granger exclusively tells the Prophet, before quickly ducking into a meeting for Squib Rights. ‘They’re so very happy.’”
- Daily Prophet, 2 February 2018 Comment: Pixie says in the notes, you may only need to read the 4th installment to completely get this fic, but hell, I say read them all. Pixie is newer to Drarry writing (longtime reader). I love the casualness and realness of the characters and how they interact. In Spotlight they so capture the feel of being backstage to a 'music rock star' (in the Muggle world) and on the rise in the magical one. As you're reading this fic, it might come across as being a lighter AU type fic, but don't be fooled there is much depth and layers upon layers to both Harry and Draco. Pixie just eases you into it. There were points that I just had to stop reading for a moment and digest exactly what was going on. Pixie will be on my Current WIP list, too! 5. Skybound (61K) by @xanthippe74 Summary: No matter how much Harry Potter wanted to believe he’d left danger behind when the war ended, it found him again anyway. All he had to do was step out his own front door on a Tuesday morning. A Drarry re-imagining of Howl’s Moving Castle.
Comment: I haven't finished this one, yet, but wanted to list it here. It's 6 chapters and I'm only 2 chapters in, but holy hell what world building and magical lore (and one very nasty curse). I'm not familiar with the original source, but that's okay. I'm very happy being carried along in one floating house! I'm a big fan of @xanthippe74 and am fully confident I'll love this as much as the author's other stories. Okay, I'll be back tomorrow with a list of currently posting Drarry WIPs, including two stinging hot A/B/Os, but in very different ways.
Enjoy!
Rom
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possiblylando · 9 months
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An 'Early' Analysis of Chainsaw Man Chapter 138
Woah hey I'm back, I didn't feel like talking about the past few chapters cause I didn't feel like I had anything to add since they all seemed pretty straight forward. That being said this chapter gives me alot of talk about. So we get a name for Sex Offender Girl. Boy this woman only gets worse the more we learn about her. Mifune is quite literally a government plant in denji's high school.
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It's refreshingly disgusting the type of shit these girls will put denji through. It's like Fujimoto keeps trying to one up himself each time he introduces a new "love interest" (Mifune is not a love interest she is a sexual predator let's keep this 100% clear). Maki was a groomer, Mifune is just a straight up Pedophile. She is going to have such a satisfying death I can feel it. This chapter goes on to confirm a few things. First off, Yoshida is apart of Public Safety. Which sorta debunks a previous thought I had of him being apart of another group. I am interested to learn 1. What Divison 7 does 2. Which Division Yoshida is in Given we know 4 was the rejects and 5 are hybrids. My best guess is that Division 7 is a sort of Espionage/Intel Division. Yoshida likely also belongs to Division 7 unless he's got some silliness going on, Which is very likely. Actually- I just now realized something. She calls it "Special Division 7" not Division 7. Looking through the list of Division members on the Wiki, That Special Prefix is very important. The Special Divisions are all full of freaks and monsters. This Sex Offender is more than likely a monster all to her own if she's apart of a Division we've never even heard of.
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Public Safety is just as fucked up as actual governments. It's great.
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I hate that she's winning me over. I want this woman dead stop making me think she's silly. Fujimoto is really good at humanizing horrible people. It mirrors real life monsters who tend to blend in with society and even seem charming on the surface. Moving on from this fucking Sex Offender. Asa continues to be the realest character in the series.
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I doubt I even need to say anything about how real she is. Asa is a deeply disturbed and neglected person who's shut off from the world despite her own need to validation and recognition. She and Denji are different sides of the same coin. While she tries not to show it, The fulfillment she receives from praise seeps through. This scene specifically resonated with me a ton.
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I wish we got a better look into Denji's thoughts in this scene. I can't even really get a grasp on what he must be thinking through all of this. In the last few days he's lost a major part of himself and has been replaced in face by a fraud and in action by a girl who he was forced to dump by his sister. There was a moment here before the reveal on this very page where I was thinking Swords was someone else. It was clearly someone from Part 1. He had a hoodie so maybe it was Violence? But that couldn't be real Violence was killed by Darkness. WAIT- BEAM? No I couldn't be beam he's been dead aswell. The Chapter is called Swordman so then maybe it's Katana man's return? No he wouldn't be on speaking terms with Denji after his testicles got mashed. So then-
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Turns out it's the Longsword Hybrid from the end of Part 1. Yeah turns out he's alive. Which as many people have pointed out, Means the rest of the Hybrids are alive. So is Reze alive? Certain fans seem to think she is. At this point she seems to be the only match for Denji who isn't a complete psycho. But she still tried to kill him. But then Denji was still willing to run away with her at the end of the fight. If she does come back I hope she and Denji don't rush into a relationship, Let them chill for a bit before getting into anything serious Fujimoto please. If Reze really is alive I'll talk about her more in depth when she shows back up. But I need to say my peace.
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The Whip Hybrid is going to be insane popular and so many of them are going to be just as Horny as Anime-Only Makima fans. I hope Swords ends up being chill with Denji and not another dickhead who tries to kill him. Denji needs another Male friend who doesn't treat him like shit. His only known ""friend"" in part 2 is yoshida and we all know yoshida has not been treating him well.
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warrenwitches3 · 8 months
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Chapter one
The maiden fair and wise opened her eyes to be greeted by an old looking mirror, holding flame of green like wild trees.
Ah, my dear esteemed benefactor…
‘Huh, who’s speaking?’
My proud, beautiful flower of evil.
‘Is it..the mirror’
You are truly the fairest one of all.
‘Where am I, is this one of Barons tricks?’
O magic mirror, thy wisdom I entreat…
Reveal unto me the visage I seek…
‘It sounds like it’s casting a spell
You, whose image the dark mirror did beckon forth…
If you heart buds it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror.
A hand reached out from the reflective surface willing the swan to hold it dearly
‘I have a desire to hold this hand’ and hold it she did, the two hands male and female grasped each other in an embrace of strangeness and curiosity. The mirror flickered.
As flame refuses even the stars to ash.
It showed a fire, burning of destruction and comfort.
As ice seals away even time itself.
Ice that holds a memory of fear and desperation.
As great trees swallow even the sky.
Earth swaying with beauty.
Fear not the power of darkness.
The hand held her tighter and her skin seemed to ache.
Common now, show me your power.
‘I have none but this curse I’m afraid’ all her words became trapped in her mind as her voice would not bare to interrupt the stranger.
We only have a little bit of time left.
All started to fade.
At all costs, do not let go of that hand.
She gripped it tighter fearing for if she lets go she would fall into a place much worse then now.
The soft fabric of the cramped space gave the girl a small amount of comfort, the thing she was in was very small not giving her room to extend her arms nor twist her body.
‘Whats going on.. where am I?’ She tried to push forward on the enclosure that was trapping her but nothing moved, not even allowing a crack of light to enter her space.
“I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me...” a voice spoke from outside of her imprisonment, a squeaky voice.
“A, child..?” She let out a murmur her, voice coming of a bit starchy from not using it and squawking.
“Urgggh... This lid weighs a ton! Try this on for size! Mya-ha!” Suddenly hot steaming blue fire, one she’s only seen the dark sorcerer Baron use, had blown the lid of her confinement. She stumbled out with the flames only slowing their heat to touch her for a moment, leaving no traces it was ever there apart from the smoking lid.
“Fire!? Dark magic fire!” She panicked but all she saw was a weasel cat like creature.
“Now to grab the good- HEY! You ain’t supposed to be awake!” It yelled at her from its place on the ground. The thing had a grey coat of fur and white fluff in the middle with blue flames emitting from the ears, and a tail that looked like a pitchfork.
“The weasel talks..” she stated to no one but herself, her confusion, shock and a small amount of fear all mixing together to make an unnamed emotion settle in her.
‘Why am I shocked..? I turn into a swan when dawn makes her presence’
“How... How DARE YOU! I am no WEASEL! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire! Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it!”
‘And it wants to undress me as-well.. does this thing have no manners?!’
“If ya don’t your gonna regret it” he seemed to be ready to strike her down, even if she made no offensive moves towards him.
“You don’t even know if I have any under clothes on and you ask me to undress?!, how impolite” her tone held words used only to defend herself yet this animal went in for a strike of flames, and that’s when she realised that maybe being rude to another dark sorcerer while already being cursed isn’t a good idea so she ran.
Running hasn’t left her breathless in along time so she arrived to what appeared to be a library holding and ever continuing amount of books, like actually ever continuing, some books just kept coming through with no one there to restock them.
“More magic..” she felt dread in her. ‘What if I’m in a sorcerers lair? What if that animal back there was a henchman of Baron, what’s going on??’ The poor girl was left confused until said animal burst through the doors after her and her clothing.
“Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?” the little beast had found her and cornered her inside the library. “Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that—“
Something suddenly wrapped itself around the cats neck halting it from further aggression.
“YEOW! That hurt! What gives!” It started strangling around in its capture wanting its previous sense of freedom.
“Consider it tough love.” A man with a crow like mask that covered half his face appeared reprimanding the beast.
‘Now he definitely seems like a dark sorcerer’ everything thing in past experiences was telling her to run but she couldn’t move, especially not when the man set his eyes on her.
“Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?” ‘New student..? I’m not a student, is this an academy?’
“My, were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules.” He tugged at the rope that bound Grim the creature, who seemed aggravated by being called a familiar.
“Oh sir, he’s not mine I don’t-“
“As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!” Grim struggled uselessly against his restraints once again not changing the fact that he was captured.
“Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?” The crow man did not seem to be very pleased when he turned to the girl with a tired look.
“Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough to open their own gate and step out of it.Does the very notion of patience elude you?No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.”
The girl was now experiencing only one emotion in the moment, confusion. “Gate..?”.
“You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not?” If he meant the floating coffins then she nodded.
“All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates. Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up.”
“So the floating coffins are the gateways..?”
“The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and a rebirth into a new one.”
‘Rebirth into a new life..is my curse really still untaxed then, it’s only night so I really can’t tell, but..’ how she hoped it was true.
“But now is not the time for such prattle. You've a student orientation to attend! Go on, now. Make haste.” He turned away from her to walk before she spoke again.
“First can you tell me where I am?” She knew it was risky asking a sorcerer such type of question but she would like to know.
“Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories...” he trailed off “Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my graciousness is boundless”
‘He makes it sound like he’s the king of the world’ the maiden gave a subtle roll of her eyes and walked forward with the man.
“This is Night Raven College.” ‘College?’ “It is an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic.” ‘So I was right this is something of great sorcery’
“It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage.”
“An academy of magic..?” Her face was drowned in confusion and she kept swimming down the river called fear.
“Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those "gates," which can appear anywhere. A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you.” Headmaster Crowley answered her.
“I do remember a phantom carriage with no rider and only horrific horses..” she still remembered the splash of water when she hit the ground, or the door opening with no one to greet her but a coffin.
“That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to this campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition.” Grim started to talk in a muffled sense although drowned out by his restraints.
“But I bare no magical talent headmaster Crowley-“ he seemed to not hear her and went in his way.
“Now then, let us attend you orientation” and off they all went, in a silence that left unattended questions in the air.
NOTE: yay! Finished chapter one so I hope it’s to people’s liking this is not like edited as I’m doing this all my self and I’m confident it makes sense. I’ve also decided with the help of someone that Malleus will be the final love interest as I does make more sense. I don’t really have an update plan as I sometimes lose motivation for things but I’ll try to attest have one chapter a week it’s not a promise though, I’m quite exited to write yuu in her swan form, I think I’m still gonna make her a student so imagine a swan showing up to a potions class trying to learn. I think it’ll be funny, also gonna have to get someone like silver to translate for her since he’s good at talking to animals, anyway I don’t wanna spoil much but have a nice day everyone!!
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azucarmorena97 · 5 months
Text
Money Ties (Jungkook Love Story || Pt.2)
Pt.1 || Pt.3
Your parents have worked hard to get to the top and have made sure to teach you everything you need to know to be successful in this business: from tough but lucrative financial decisions, down to the right ball gown for any given banquet. A promising and extravagant future awaits you- that is, if you agree to one teensy detail...
Son of Mr.Jeon Sr. and heir to June Company, Jeon Jungkook is an immature playboy with nothing to offer a woman but good looks and a crap ton of money, and he stands to inherit much MUCH more, so long as you both enter into the arranged marriage contract that was drawn up before the pair of you were even born.
You're more than willing to try, but you're not sure you'll be able to stand each other long enough to inherit a single penny...
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Series Warnings: There will be smut in the near future and I will label those chapters as such. As I say before most of my pieces- I do not endorse any themes, ideas, or behaviors in this series. This is all purely fiction/fantasy! Feel free to inbox me suggestions/ideas/what you'd like to see in this series and I'll see what I can do! Enjoy <3
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Recap: It's as though everything is happening in slow motion; torturously absorbing every ounce of energy in your body for such a simple action as turning your head. When you finally look up at him, you see his expression turn from slight irritation, to full blown anger. "YOU." The venom in his tone is palpable. You smile sheepishly, looking from his parents, to him, to his parents, and then back to him, "H-hey, you." This is gonna be the longest dinner of your life.
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"Jungkook," His father calls his name sternly, enough to get not only his attention, but the attention of every patron in the restaurant as well, "What the hell is the matter with you?" Jungkook looks at you and then back at his dad, "Well, Dad, the crazy bitch from the air port? The one that attacked me? She's at the very table with us right now." "I did not 'attack' you," You furrow your brows, unable to fake a smile any longer. "You absolutely did," He says, leaning forward so that his face is only inches from yours, "I have witnesses to prove it-" "That is enough," Mr.Jeon snaps, causing for Jungkook to abruptly stop talking. "Sit your ass down, right now." Jungkook quickly takes the empty place next to you and remains silent. Your heart is racing in your chest and you feel like a child who knows they're about to get their ass handed to them. "Y/n," Mrs.Jeon says gently, "Could you please explain to us what happened?" "But Mom-" "Jungkook. Unless you want to be walking yourself to the bus stop after this dinner and also for the rest of the year, I suggest you keep your mouth closed." Mr.Jeon's demeanor has completely changed from the jolly dad-type you'd met earlier. "Go ahead, Y/n." You clear your throat, "I'm sorry for causing such a commotion on such an important day. It truly wasn't my intention. You see, I had just landed in Seoul and, while I was looking around, one of... his friends," You're not quite sure how to even address Jungkook, "had carelessly shoved me- I almost fell forward completely. When I turned around to try to address the situation, your son had cut in and was very rude to me. Everyone in his group was egging him on the more rude he got. He slapped two hundred dollars into my hand and then I..." You don't even want to say the rest. You can practically hear the marriage contract getting shredded to pieces in your very presence. "You...?" Mr and Mrs.Jeon stare at you anxiously. "She slapped the shit out of me," Jungkook finishes.
For a few moments, there's only silence. You want for the Earth to open up beneath you and just swallow you whole. Your dad is gonna kill you. Y/n, the dead woman walking. And then...laughter. Both Mr. and Mrs.Jeon are dying of laughter. You glance at Jungkook who seems equally as confused as you. "How is this funny?" He asks, leaning forward and banging once on the table. "So you- you slapped him? In front of all of his friends?" Mrs.Jeon asks between laughs. "Please tell me you threw the money back at him!" Mr.Jeon adds. "The money was still in her hand..." Jungkook mutters, which only causes for them to continue. "Oh son, I think you've finally met your match!"Mr.Jeon says, desperately trying to catch his breath. You're still trying to figure out what the hell is even happening. "I- I'm not quite sure how to react to...any of this, but I would like to apologize to you," You turn to Jungkook and bite your bottom lip, "I shouldn't have been so quick to violence. I don't know what took over me." He rolls his eyes, shaking his head and staring off into another direction, intent on ignoring you. "Oh don't apologize," Mr.Jeon says, "We know our Jungkook very well, and we know you wouldn't have done this if you didn't feel the need to." "I suppose so...but I really am sorry. I- I think maybe I should go back to the hotel and let you guys have a moment to talk," You say, looking down at your empty plate and trying to ignore your stomach, which is currently threatening to eat you alive. "Oh- alright. Well, we can always meet tomorrow for evening tea. I'll send a car to come get you?" Mrs.Jeon asks, her sweet expression putting you at ease. You nod, "Absolutely." You stand up and grab your purse, "Oh, before I forget. I got you all gifts," You pick the gift bag up off the floor and one by one, take out the nicely wrapped boxes and hand them to each person; Jungkook takes the gift from you, his expression slowly fading into mild interest and even surprise at the very undeserved gift box. "Thank you," He says, bowing slightly. "Of course- I'm sorry again, everyone." "Don't worry about it, dear. Have a safe drive to the hotel. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need anything at all," Mr.Jeon says before reaching under the table to grab something. He brings up a big manila envelope and hands it to you. You bow to everyone and then grab your things to go.
When you get back out onto the street outside of the restaurant, you let out a deep sigh of relief and thank God that's over- at least for tonight. Tomorrow will take care of itself. You take your phone out of your bag, hoping to see a missed call or two from your dad, though you're met with only a million texts from your very concerned (and nosy) mom. You close your eyes and take a deep breath and not even a minute later, the car pulls up to take you back to your hotel. At least you'll get to retreat to the comfort of a five star hotel- a luxury you very rarely treat yourself to. You do have a lot of money to spend, but your parents have always been very frugal and have taught you the value of the hard-earned dollar. If it weren't because the Jeons insisted on you staying in one of their hotels, you'd be headed to whatever cheap hotel had the best rate.
As you get in the car, your phone buzzes in your hand. You look down to see it's a message from Mr.Jeon.
𝙼𝚛.𝙹𝚎𝚘𝚗: 𝙸 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚊𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚊𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙹𝚎𝚘𝚗 𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚒𝚛𝚎. 𝚃𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚎𝚕𝚕.
You really need to get ahold of your dad.
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"They laughed?" "THEY LAUGHED," You shake your head, pouring coffee from the hotel coffeemaker into a pretty white mug. "Hey, at least you know he won't be a momma's boy," B/f/n laughs. After the day you've had, you'd give anything to be sleeping over house and sipping wine together over this hot gossip, but you suppose facetime will have to do for now. "I honestly don't even know about this anymore. I mean, if the incident at the airport was only our first time meeting, who's to say we won't absolutely kill each other once we're shoved together for 24 hours a day? Maybe this is like...an omen or something." "Or maybe," Her expression shows a tinge of excitement, "this could be the start of a romantic enemies to lovers romance?" You roll your eyes, "Be serious, right now. Please. I'm losing my mind here." "I am being serious! I mean think about it- two fiery personalities under one roof, you're beautiful, he's beautiful-" "How do you know he's beautiful?" You furrow your brows. "Aha! So you think he's beautiful?" She asks, mischief coating her tone like honey for bees. "I-I didn't say that... I mean, he is but that's completely besides the point," You blush. "Ugh, I'm honestly jealous of you." "Don't be. Life isn't some cheesy K-drama, you know." "Oh but it is," She sighs dreamily, "And you're the main character, honey." "Whatever...hey, I'm gonna have to let you go. I gotta try to call my dad again so he can help me look over this contract." "Alrighty- call me in the morning so I can approve your outfit for high tea." "Yeah, yeah, yeah."
You sit at the desk in your room, your eyes glued to the manila envelope; you don't even want to open it. For as long as your parents have been preparing you for this day, you feel so unsure. On paper, an arranged marriage is easy. You fulfill the duty expected of you, make sure your end of the bargain is being held up and reap the benefits: a stable life, steady income... "The Jeon empire." You echo the words from Mr.Jeon's text. It's crazy how he can so easily make his son's engagement sound like a business email. You guess that's how he and your dad get on so well. You take your phone out of your pocket and punch in your dad's number, though you're much less hopeful about actually being able to reach him. As usual, the phone rings and rings- though as you're about to just give up, you hear the click of it answering, followed by your dad's sleepy voice, "Hey honey," He says. You let out a sigh of relief; your dad's voice has always been able to soothe you almost instantly. "Dad- I've been trying to reach you all day." "I know, Sweetie- It's just been a hectic day. I'm sorry about that." "It's okay, dad." "How was your day? How'd the first meet go?" You look down, unsure about whether or not to be honest, though you quickly decide to just bite the bullet. You swallow hard before taking a deep breath, "Well, funny story- You see, I'd just landed at the airport and there was this group of people just huddled around Jungkook, though of course, I didn't know in that moment that it was Jungkook-" You're interrupted by loud snoring at the other end of the line, to which your entire face drops, "Gee, thanks for the support Dad. By the way, I slapped the shit out of my soon-to-be-fiance and now, I'm not even sure if there'll be an engagement. Isn't that great for us?" No response. He really fell asleep in the middle of you crisis. You put your face in your hand, completely giving up, "Sweet dreams, dad."
You're much too mentally crowded to try to look over the contract right now, so instead, you resort to doing what you do best: internet stalking. You're not sure why you hadn't thought of it before- looking Jungkook up on socials. You type in his name and, lo and behold, there he is. His completely public account stares you square in the face, along with his hefty following of 23,000+ followers. Your eyes widen in surprise. Who knew such an unlikeable person could be so popular? You look at the various pictures he's uploaded, scoffing at most of them. Selfies as far as the eye can see, mixed in with some of his hand gripping the steering wheel to whatever luxury car he's driving on any given day, some of hangouts with friends (many of which you remember from the airport). The comments are a mix of bros complimenting his physique and various possessions, as well as many women saying some of the most vile and thirsty shit you've ever seen- and you're almost certain he laps it all up like a thirsty dog.
One picture catches your eye in particular from a little over two years ago; he's sitting on a dock at what looks like a lake. He's in his swimming trunks, giving what looks like the only genuine smile on his entire profile- a pretty girl is sat next to him, leaning on him with an equally wide smile. Her arm hangs around his neck, pulling him close. He has a girlfriend...? You furrow your brows and chew your bottom lip; you can't be expected to follow through with this contract with someone who's in an active relationship- arranged marriage or not, you're not going to be sharing your husband. "She's tagged..." You mumble, noticing the symbol in the corner of the picture. You click on it, and it leads you to her profile; a wapping 50k followers. Every picture is perfectly angled and coordinated for the perfectly aestheticized feed. She's a model, it looks like. You've always been a fairly confident woman, but even you know there's no competing. "Lisa..." Even her name is simple and cute.
You look at the time. 11:00PM. "I should go to bed..." You mutter, though you don't feel tired at all. You shut your computer and just sit there for a moment; your mind races with so many different thoughts and feelings. Can you really go through with this? Do you even really have a choice? You're stuck between a rock and a hard place here, and the time difference between South Korea and home is making you feel extra lonely right about now...
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Your eyes flutter open, triggered by the stream of light that's shining directly onto your face from the open window right next to you. You groan, turning your head in the other direction, though you quickly realize you're still sitting at the desk. "What the hell," Your head shoots straight up, and you wipe the drool off of your face. You wince at the immediate soreness in your back. Slowly, you scoot the chair out from under the desk to let yourself out and make your way over to the night stand where you'd left your phone charging last night. Six missed calls (all from your mom, of course), and one text from Mrs.Jeon. You sigh, swiping on the misseds call and bringing the phone up to your ear.
"Hello?" You say into the phone when it finally connects you. "YOU SLAPPED THE BOY!?" Your mom's voice practically bursts your eardrum. You close your eyes and let out a deep sigh. "HOW COULD YOU EMBARRASS US LIKE THIS!? YOU BETTER HOPE YOUR FATHER DOESN'T FIND OUT-" "Mom." "- AND YOU BETTER HOPE THEY DON'T RESCIND THEIR OFFER-" "Mom." "-I RAISED YOU BETTER THAN THIS-" "MOM!" You snap, your anger getting the best of you. Silence. "Mom- I'm sorry. Yesterday was a really shitty day and I didn't sleep well." "Is that my fault?" She asks. You purse your lips. Kinda. "Can you just listen, mom? I promise I had a good reason." "Well, go on. What reason could you possibly have had for slapping this nice young boy?" Your eye twitches at her assumption of his character. "Mom, the guy is a complete asshole." "Mind your language, Y/n. Men don't like women with potty mouths." "You literally curse like a sailor." "Yes, but I'm married." You roll your eyes, "Mom, one of his friends shoved me at the airport and instead of helping me, he was a complete jerk, publicly humiliated me and then tried to pay me off with a measly little two hundred bucks. Everyone was watching and laughing at me." "So, you slapped him because his friend shoved you?" Her tone is incredulous and mocking. You just can't win with your parents. Not at all. All your life, they've been this way. Everyone gets to say, do, and feel whatever they want and you just have to keep your head down and take it. That's how they made it to where they are in life, and that's how they've raised you to be. That's why you're in this predicament in the first place: endure this fake ass marriage to get to stability and wealth, even if it's to a complete douche bag with no ounce of basic human decency. "Mom, I'll just call you later." "Yeah, you will call me later, and you better fix this. We've worked too hard to get your to this point and we will not let your irresponsibility screw it up for all of us." All of us, she says. All of us? Without another word, you hang up the call, and, as you always do- you gather yourself and get ready for the long and arduous day ahead of you.
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You bite your lip as you watch the floors numbers on the elevator go higher and higher. Mrs.Jeon's text from this morning was a reminder to dress "smart casual" for high tea, and also her asking if you're okay with cucumber sandwiches. You thought for sure you'd have enough time to mentally prepare, but it's like the hours just flew by and you barely got anything done. The elevator dings, indicating you've reached your designated floor. "Just breathe..." You say to yourself, trying to calm your nerves. Maybe you should've had a shot of something before coming up, just to take the edge off. High tea is being served on the rooftop of the hotel you're staying at, and it is quite beautiful. Floor to ceiling windows wrap around almost the entire room, with a glass door leading to the balcony that would overlook the entire city. There are lots of tables around the room, though the only one actually set is at the opposite end from the elevator. "Y/n," Mrs.Jeon greets you, standing from her seat to receive you at the table. You bow as low as you can, "Mrs.Jeon, how are you?" "I'm doing just fine, thank you. Please have a seat," She says, motioning to the chair across her at the small table. You're delighted at the sight of the tiered stand with various different pastries and snacks, decorated nicely fresh flowers. "Wow, it's really beautiful," You say. "Thank you- our hotel gets fresh flowers every day from the nursery down the block. We like to support local businesses." "Well, that's generous of you." A waiter comes with a tea pot in hand, pouring some into the pretty tea cup in front of you on a small saucer. "Thank you," You say, bowing slightly. He pours some into Mrs.Jeon's cup as well, and gives a bow before leaving. Everyone's much more respectful here in Korea. Well, not everyone...
"I hope you don't mind, I told your mom about what happened between you and Jungkook yesterday," She chuckles, "I hope I didn't get you in too much trouble." You smile, thinking back to this morning's call, "Oh no, don't worry." "Truthfully, my husband and I were pleasantly surprised at how fiercely you stood your ground with him." "Oh no, I'm-I'm truly embarrassed." That's not a total lie, either; after your 'internet research' last night, you kept replaying the entire thing in your head over and over and thinking you should've just talked away. "Don't be," She takes the cream and pours a bit in her cup before offering to pour for you, "We know our son can be...a bit of an asshole." Your eyes widen at her colorful language. You almost want to ask her to repeat herself so you can record it and send it to your mom as vindication. "Oh, I don't know him very well..." And yet, you agree with her. "I hope you know you didn't ruin anything. My husband and I feel very strongly, even more so now, that you're the perfect fit fr our family." Your heartbeat picks up in your chest; you were sure you blew your chance to bits, but here she is, offering it all on a silver platter for you. "Wow, thank you. I was worried I'd messed it all up." "Of course not. I'm sure I worried your mom as well, didn't I?" You laugh nervously, "Just a bit." "I'm sure she chewed you out after our call. I'll be sure to call her again after this to ease her mind." "Thank you, that would mean a lot." "Sure. Now, after this, I want you to head straight to your suite and look over those papers! We sent a copy to your parents as well so everyone's on the same page." "Yes, of course."
The rest of the time was spent trading stories and memories of your respective childhoods, even some memories of when you and Jungkook were really little, when you'd play outside for hours and hours. Even then, you'd boss him around and he'd be after you like a puppy. If only things could be that easy again... Though, you've always been a big believer in the idea that anything worth having is also worth fighting for.
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A/N: Hope you enjoyed the second installment! I know it was a long one but I'm having such a fun time writing it. Arranged marriage plots with an enemies/lovers trope is like my personal brand of h*roine (Twilight references for the win). As always, a comment/like is absolutely always encouraging and veyr much appreciated. Plz give me your validation UwU <3
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kyouka-supremacy · 2 months
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Yeah, Teruko was the one that made me realize the sexisim that existed in BSD when I first binged it. Or, more accurate, what TYPE we're dealing with. The female characters can exist and have their own moments, but they can never outshine the male characters and Asagiri can also allow himself to forget them if he needs to. When I read Stormbringer, one of the things that stood out to me is the fact that no female character has any prominent role until like, 200+ pages in, and what role Kouyou got was so minimal she might as well not have shown up at all. Yosano has a huge important backstory that doesn't become relevant until SEASON 4 while most of her male companions have had theirs explored way before her. It's disappointing, but I genuinely find Teruko intolerable and find her to be the worst written character in the entire series. It's not her fault, but her behaviour around Fukuchi and her ability was just horrid to me. Her ending here just enhances all the issues that already existed in her character for me. She's the only female character in this series I can't stand and that SUCKS because I want to love them all, but Asagiri is making that mighty difficult when he pulls stuff like this :/
(´;ω;`)
The almost complete lack of female characters is personally my greatest disincentive to reading Stormbringer (together with the lack of ss/kk. Discredit where it's due).
Teruko's role this whole doa arc has been.. Saddening? I feel all the hd have a lot of untapped potential; but whereas with Fukuchi and Tachihara and even Jouno it's like, you know what's their deal, there's so little we know about Teruko and Tetchou's motivations and backstory. And even when both had their occasional times to shine - I like Teruko's scenes in the Sky Casino arc! A lot! I think they make for a very cool character! -, there's the whole deal with Teruko in the airport arc which is just :/// Like, she's just there to move the plot forward. She was very pretty in chapter 105 and made me feel like she had some further insight in the whole picture, like she had taken a stand and had a motive, but in the end it was never elaborated on, and I'm very sorry for that. Way worse, she was exclusively delegated to the role of numbly moving the plot forward, which is just wholly unfortunate. Why did she let Atsushi go just like that, like, really?? Oftentimes women's role in this franchise is truly meaningless. I don't really care for what side she was going to take in the end, I just wish she was just handled more sensibility, more respectfully. But alas. Hoping she'll get some spotlight in the future, because I really like her.
I like Teruko! Like, I genuinely get where you're coming from, and your reasons for not liking her are very valid. To me it's more about straight-up ignoring some stuff I don't like (REALLY can't vibe with the Fukuchi worshipping, I find it quite gross to be honest) and emphasizing the aspects I do like. I like how she's unapologetically mean - honestly, not many female characters get to do that. She gets to be a villain -, but I also like how it's compensated with a very strong moral code and genuine intent to protect citizens. I love lots of her scenes in the Sky Casino arc: her interactions with Tachihara are funny and vaguely wholesome, her determination and resourcefulness to win over Sigma is so cool, and her reluctance to hurt citizens, and the scene where she stopped an aircraft with her bare hands!!!! Honestly, banger after banger after banger, looking back at it that's probably why I held such high expectations for her character. Despite personally wholly disagreeing with bsd's morale, even Teruko's enouncement of her Hobbesian principles is enjoyable for me, because it's quite rare to see a woman preach such realist, cynical worldviews; if anything, it's refreshing. I think her ability is super cool and original, I love it tons!! I really like her character design, too. I like how she's of the highest grade compared to all other hd members minus Fukuchi and I like how she can be childish and keep them in line at the same time. I like how more mature and savvy she looked in her latest airport arc appearances, how she looked tired of war on par with Fukuchi. I wish she was given more screentime and importance and agency, and I wish the mess of the last chapter didn't happen, but I like her personality.
On her ability, I think it's pretty cool, and neutrally problematic by its own; but I do agree that between Teruko having child appearances and being obsessed with a grown-up man, the whole Mori deal, Aya proposing to Kunikida in chapter 40, the chapter 107.5 page that left everyone perplexed and was only later on clarified by the anime, (and, regretfully, even how the Kyouka / Atsushi dynamics are framed in some of the earlier chapters), it creates a very distasteful pattern.
I really like Yosano's backstory (really. I've said it a lot of times before, but I think chapters 65-66 are the best written chapters in the whole manga.), but it's not like just because of two small chapters that center around a woman after 15 volumes of male spotlight bsd suddenly stops being sexist lol. And that's something I've already said before, but: Yosano's chapters are beautiful! But they don't really help empower female characters in this franchise. Yosano completely lacks agency in the story, which is FINE for the story on its own, yet in the context it simply does nothing but reinforce the fact that women can't be masters of their fate.
I also strongly agree with the fact that female characters are accurately written as to never outshine their male counterparts. As someone else has pointed out before, both Kyouka and Higuchi have respectively saved Atsushi and Akutagawa's lives (in Kyouka's case, multiple times), so why is it that Atsushi and Akutagawa don't serve them the same respect and admiration that they hold for them? The double standard is really blatant once you start seeing it.
I've written more on bsd's sexism here, if you'd like to check it out. Even though it's very important to read things critically and acknowledge franchises' faults, I still can't help but feel bad for spreading negativity (╥﹏╥) Here's to hoping the bsd writing of female characters will improve in the future!!
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