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teawaffles · 3 years

Text

Forbidden Games: Chapter 3

From the end of the 18th century, gentlemen’s clubs had begun to proliferate rapidly in Britain. These were members-only social circles established by men of the gentry class [1] who shared common goals such as hobbies or research. At its peak, the area of London’s East End known as Clubland [2] was home to around 400 such establishments.

Normally, clubs have neither a doorplate nor signage. There was a rumour that one time, when a policeman became suspicious and entered a club, he found an archbishop, the president of a bank, and the prime minister all gathered there. The building that William and Sherlock had arrived at was no different, with a lone man standing at the entrance, and not a single item displayed that indicated what lay within.

Upon descending from the carriage, Sherlock gazed intently at the building, and spoke to William beside him.

“It’s a pretty big building, but this looks like the right address.”

“Indeed, the proof is in the fact that people are going in and out.”

Right at the corner of William’s sight was the figure of a gentleman who looked like he wanted to enter. He gave a slight bow to the doorman, then opened the door and went in.

Sherlock observed the sequence of events.

“They don’t seem too concerned about their surroundings when they enter.”

“True. Perhaps the club itself is not illegal in nature.”

“In other words, there may be people doing something illegal in there.”

The two men exchanged deductions as they drew nearer to the club. As expected, the apparent receptionist spoke up.

“Excuse me. Do you have business here…… Ah? You would be Durham University’s……”

As a nobleman and a young professor of mathematics, it looked like William was fairly well known around these parts.

William shrugged off his coat, doffed his top hat, and greeted the surprised man with a gentle smile.

“Good afternoon, I am William James Moriarty. I heard that this is a club where one may play certain games.”

At that, the man visibly relaxed and responded in a polite manner.

“Indeed it is you, Mr Moriarty, welcome. As you mentioned, this is a place where gentlemen with time to spare may gather, even when it is the middle of the day.”

William smiled at the man’s self-deprecating manner, and made a respectful enquiry.

“My companion and I have heard rumours about this place. However, could it be possible that we would be denied entry without an introduction from an existing member?”

“Not at all, there is no such rule. There is a token receptionist like myself for some reason, but in essence all newcomers are gladly welcome.”

“Including me?” Sherlock cut in, and the man nodded.

“That’s right, we have no qualms about that. I hope you don’t mind me asking your name?”

“I’m Sherlock Holmes.”

Upon hearing that name, the man blinked.

“Could it be, that Sherlock Holmes? I’m astonished that a man like you would also come to such a place……”

Perhaps the mathematics professor and famous detective made for an unusual duo. More surprised than one would expect, a wry smile rose to his face as Sherlock continued.

“Right. I just have a little something to investigate here.”

“An investigation, I see……”

In contrast to his manner with William, the man seemed shaken by the appearance of a detective. William calmly pounced on his suspicious behaviour.

“Could something be the matter?”

“Um, that’s, uh”

The man glanced toward the door as he tried to evade the question. But eventually he seemed to give up, and revealed the situation to them in a hushed voice.

“In a manner of speaking, this is indeed a place where one can enjoy a variety of ‘games’, however…… to liven up the playing field, money does change hands as well.”

“I see.”

From the man’s faltering voice, William could tell what was on his mind. Gentlemen who shed appearances and amused themselves with gambling, contrary to social expectations of dignity — this was not something one would wish to make public.

On top of that, a place where gambling has become the norm could easily become a hotbed of crime. It was likely that the doorman was stationed here to ascertain if new participants were connected with the police or other related parties, hence avoiding any unwanted attention. With Sherlock being a detective, this would also be the reason why he was shaken by Sherlock’s visit.

However, the two of them had ascertained that exchanges of money were taking place here. The question now was to what degree.

“Could it be, that the bets placed here are large enough to draw the attention of the Yard?”

The man waved the question away. “Nothing of the sort. They are really just small sums. One could see them as an entertainment fee.”

“An entertainment fee, I see……”

Sherlock murmured strangely, and watched the man’s movements with nonchalance. By layperson standards, even if it was just for fun, there was likely to be a good amount of money involved where nobles were concerned. But the man’s demeanour didn’t suggest that he was involved in anything illegal.

“Well, you won’t need to worry about that. I’m pursuing a different case here, and besides, I can agree that it’s more fun when money is involved.”

“That’s certainly reassuring to hear……”

For William, who had a close associate who was fond of gambling [3], this was a statement he couldn’t help but smile wryly at.

However, at present, his prediction that there was nothing wrong with the club itself was correct. Hence, they would need to see it in person.

“In any case, it should be fine for us to enter, yes?”

“Y-Yes, please be generous with your wagers……”

“So it’s okay then. Well, let’s get going.”

Sherlock immediately opened the door, with William following behind him.

The interior of the building was a large hall, with simple and subdued decor, and good-quality furnishings lined along the walls.

Wooden tables and chairs were spaced equally, and seated there were groups of gentlemen in formal attire, playing various card or poker games. Gold coins and stacks of bills could be seen scattered across the tables. Although the gentlemen maintained the dignity of their upper station, the occasional groans and cheers revealed their enthusiasm for the games.

The two men stood near the entrance, gazing at the players’ figures.

Looking at William, who was earnestly observing the situation to search for the missing young man, Sherlock made a somewhat envious expression.

“It sure looks fun. Since we came all the way here, I might join a game myself.”

“……Please don’t forget your original goal here,” William reminded him, looking troubled.

Just then, a stout man approached them, holding a glass filled with wine.

“Who might we have here? And on the young side too…… Ah, might you be the mathematics professor William Moriarty…… and your companion, the famous detective Sherlock Holmes?”

The man raised his voice, and a number of people in the vicinity turned to look at the duo. William kept a smile on his face, albeit a little awkwardly.

“Greetings….”

“Nice to meet you.”

Seeing how they had attracted attention so quickly, William spoke to Sherlock in a low voice.

“I would’ve honestly preferred to investigate more discreetly, but it sure is difficult when you’re known by name alone,” he scowled.

“Well, it’s the price of fame.”

After that somewhat sour exchange, William enquired after the man who spoke to them.

“It does seem that people who truly enjoy games are gathered here.”

“Indeed. These games have been brought by the players themselves. In fact, I’ve heard that games involving guns have become popular recently.”

“Guns?”

As the pair frowned at the unexpected word, the man continued, as if to explain himself.

“Please do not misunderstand. Of course, the games do not involve actual guns, but mere toys made to resemble the exact items themselves. One simply loads a bullet, decides the order in which he goes, and then—“

The man made the figure of a gun with his hand, and held it against his temple.

“One would pull the trigger on his own. The person who gets hit by the bullet loses. I believe this is a game that originated from Russia.”

“—Russian roulette, eh.” Sherlock murmured solemnly.

Even though the game was but an imitation, it was difficult to understand why these nobles would use such dangerous items.

However, the man proceeded to ignore the duo’s incredulous expressions, and pressed on with the topic.

“Although this game only became popular here a while ago, the company here got tired of it quite quickly. That’s why I’ve been trying to change various aspects of it on a trial-and-error basis. In fact just recently, based on a rumour I heard going around another social circle, I tried having three people use three different guns—“

“Ah…… It’s been kind of you to tell us all about this, but I’m afraid we’ll have to continue this some other time.”

Sherlock, somewhat disgusted, interrupted the man’s passionate speech and looked around the room.

“I’ve come here to look for someone.”

“I see.” The man seemed to change his mind and reacted distractedly.

“Yeah, it’s about a noble’s son……”

Then, Sherlock told him the missing young man’s name.

At that instant, William noticed that a gentleman in the vicinity had reacted vaguely to the name.

However, this wasn’t the first time it had happened. In truth, when Sherlock had entered the hall, a number of gentlemen had cast wary glances at him.

William memorised their faces as he spoke about the missing noble, casting a glance at Sherlock. The other man swiftly cast a glance back to him. Back then, Sherlock had knowingly used his fame as a detective to smoke out any suspicious characters as he entered the room.

Now all that was left was to determine the move their opponent would make.

The pair silently agreed on their next course of action. But before they had the chance to explore the movements of the people identified, a gentleman approached Sherlock.

“Could you be Mr Holmes?” he enquired.

He looked to be past forty, with a lithe figure that suited a swallow-tail coat, and a personable smile on his face. However, a cunning glint lurked in his narrow eyes.

Sherlock nodded and gave an affirmative grunt. Then the man put a hand to his chest and let out an exaggerated sigh.

“……Ohh, I simply can’t believe I’d be able to meet you in the flesh like this! Or rather, I think I’ve used up all the luck I had for today’s game.”

Saying that, he immediately straightened his posture.

“Apologies for my poor manners, I have yet to introduce myself. My name is Alan. I absolutely love exciting things that can even astonish people from the sidelines, and I’m a devoted reader of your thrilling adventures with Dr Watson.”

“Heh, I’m grateful you’re reading Doyle’s work [4]. I’m sure he would be pleased to hear that.”

“I’m deeply moved to be able to speak to you as a fan. By the way, I don’t mean to be rude, but it does appear to me that you are a little different from what’s been written in his works.”

He’d hit on a sore spot. Sherlock awkwardly scratched his cheek with his index finger.

“Ah—…… That would be due to the author’s focus on entertaining his readers. It seems he has somewhat glorified me. I suppose any differences between my image and myself are only for the worse, eh.”

“Not at all. In fact, from now on, when I read his works I’d love to imagine the real Sherlock Holmes instead.”

“Would you really enjoy that?”

As Sherlock chatted with the man who introduced himself as Alan, William made idle chatter with the man who spoke to them at first. He was carried away talking all about the Russian roulette from back then, and William nodded at the appropriate times as he observed the other gentlemen, who were gazing intently at Sherlock.

The cordiality of the conversation prevented Sherlock from bringing up the matter of the missing noble in a natural way. As such, his next move was fairly predictable.

“Well, I never thought I’d be able to have this much fun speaking with the detective I so admire.”

“If you’re that happy, then I’m happy for you too.”

“Fate’s a strange thing indeed…… By the way, Mr Holmes, would you happen to be interested in games?”

“Hmm? I did say earlier that I’m here on a different case…… but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. Since we might as well, why don’t you introduce me to an exciting one?”

“I see, I see. You would desire something exciting.”

Immediately, something in Alan’s smile had changed. He covered his mouth with a hand as he whispered to Sherlock.

“It is true that many of the games here provide a change of pace, but my friends and I have grown completely bored with them. Hence we are in fact playing a secret, thrilling game at another location.”

“Hmm. A thrilling game, eh.”

Sherlock put on a conspicuous smile. Alan, reading it as an expression of interest, gestured to William.

“How would your companion like to join us? As long as we do so in secret, so the company here remains unaware.”

“……Sounds like fun,” Sherlock replied.

He called out to William. “Oi, Liam. Have a moment?”

“What’s the matter?”

William turned to Sherlock, having missed their conversation as he was chatting with someone else — or so it appeared.

“Alan here wants to go somewhere else to talk. Care to join us?”

Alan smiled. It was a friendly expression, as if he were the master of a house greeting guests as they entered, but William saw the true nature behind it.

——It was the look of a hunter who had just caught his prey in a net.

William readily understood the situation.

“I see. Allow me to accompany you both, then.”

He apologised to the man he was conversing with, and left the hall with Sherlock.

Footnotes:

[1] The class of people right below the nobility, considered to be of good social position (Wikipedia)

[2] Located in the St. James’s area of Westminster, London (Wikipedia)

[3] i.e. Moran

[4] In case anyone is confused about this, Watson has been writing about Sherlock’s exploits under the pseudonym of Arthur Conan Doyle.

#moriarty the patriot #yuukoku no moriarty #yuumori #english translation #forbidden games

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emily-the-fae · 3 years

Text

Sound of a Heartbeat

Part 5. Walking makes the road

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 6

Unbelievable, but I'm finally back with a new chapter. I've been going through a lot of stuff with my studies and personal life for the past month and here it comes. Finally done with the editing. Most definitely not the best chapter in the story, but it has to be here to keep the storyline together and moving. Anyways, enjoy. Like and comment if you do, I'm very happy to receive feedback.

PS Dracula back to the story soon:)

I still have no beta and English isn't my mothertongue.

Pairing: Dracula X OC

Warnings: probably none, skeletons on sticks...the usual stuff

Wandering into the lands ruled over by darkness itself has never been pleasant.

The next morning was freezing cold, just as the passing night - no warmth was brought by the little sunlight that came - and upon waking up Shari briefly wondered how she wasn't dead of the cold yet. Her mornings were something like crawling out of a tomb every time - the kind she imagined when she heard the stories of vampires awakening, though no doubt they must have still felt better than she did. Those bastards.

Morning light was dim and weak, there were torn scraps of greyish mist laying low above the ground and the forest was eerily quiet. Shari knew the sun had to be very low, but nevertheless up, which meant that she had to be on the move already, and yet she couldn’t force herself to move a single inch, as if the forces of the castle were sensing her approach and weakening her on purpose.

She hadn't entered any towns - in fact, hadn't seen any in the previous eight hours or so of her walking the day before - and though her food supplies weren't awfully low, her health seemed to be protesting and weakening at hourly rate, demanding normal human conditions and rest. She needed warmth and a bed, and she was sure as hell that where she was heading she would either get those only already in Dracula's den, or won't get it at all.

- So? Are you up? Heading? The faster you rise, the faster we'll be there, - Shari sat back against the tree trunk, taking a gulp of cold water from her flask - she wouldn't mind Trevor's whiskey right now, but the hunter took it all with him; Rodo was seemingly relieved that he was free of his duty of being her personal heater, he jumped up and ran around the forest opening, stretching his stiff muscles. At least someone had energy left.

- You know I'm really beginning to hate you now... - she yawned.

- I believe you have already mentioned that.

- Not enough, apparently.

- Oh, come on, you like my company. Besides I'm the only one helping you so hey...

- Ok, ok can I get my food at least?

- You can eat on the go! Come on! - she whistled for Rodo even though she knew he couldn't hear her. Shari stood up purposefully slowly and made the first hesitant steps to follow her guide. Oh where were those wonderful times when she could stay in bed almost all day if she was feeling under the weather? She could kill for such a possibility at the given moment. There was a screech of another winged demon somewhere in the distance, Shari shuddered, brought out of her thoughts and Rodo turned his head briefly, seemingly considering whether he should bolt to search for the other creature, but quickly averted his muzzle from the direction and followed Shari, jumping from tree to ground and back up.

It was going to be a long day.

- Did you walk the same way? First time you found his castle? - the scenery about them was dreadful to say the very least. The forest was greyer now, less green, less alive than on the route before. The few small villages they passed were seemingly abandoned completely for decades if not centuries and Shari felt rather than acknowledged that the farther she went, the worse it would become.

- Not quite, - Lisa replied, her voice all too lively for a ghost. - The direction I came from was a bit more disturbing than here, - Shari briefly wondered how that should have looked, if this desolation seemed lively in comparison. - And I also went alone you know, so...

- Oh, yes, thank you, my wise guide for leading my way... Probably to the dinner table of a very aggressive vampire, - Shari bowed mockingly, then coughed again, swallowing the blood the pooled to her mouth.

- Calm down. There won't be anyone there, I'm quite sure.

- A-ha! So now you are "quite" sure!?

- Don't be mean, I'm trying to save your life here.

- Exactly me for some reason, - Shari snorted sarcastically.

- For the same reasons you helped Adrian. Because I can't just walk past... and because I feel rather than know that helping you is more than just helping one particular person. Just like you felt about him - didn't you?

That shut the girl up for considerable time.

They walked all day long only making one small stop to rest during - at least what was supposed to be - midday (it was very hard to understand where the sun was behind the treetops, clouds and fog). Shari coughed up blood and swore like a sailor, but Lisa only let her sit down long enough to gulp down some food. If she wasn’t killed by some night creature, she would sure as hell be tired to death with such a guide pushing her to the limit. It was visible how the closeness of their destination made the ghost more and more agitated.

The dawn was already close and Shari was ready to give up the hopes of getting to her goal on that day - ever, to be honest, judging by the condition of her lungs – her body desperately wanted her to drop down and call it a night. The forest around them was dreary and dense, the mist had never lessened since morning; Shari was cold, slightly wet and unbearably tired and even Rodo seemed to lose some of his enthusiasm, even though the darkness should have empowered him. Maybe being around humans rubbed off on the creature a little.

- Shush, - Lisa turned to Shari as they walked on, gesturing for her to cut her whining and keep quiet. Shari stopped abruptly looking around in alert, trying to see through at least some reasonable distance between the tree trunks. Finally she understood what picked her companion’s attention: clearing began to be noticeable before them - it seemed that the woods were all of a sudden coming to their edge.

They carried on walking in silence for a few more minutes until they finally reached the end of the trees – the edge of the forest. The final border between the darkness of Dracula’s lands and the normal world. Shari gasped in surprise and horror: in front of her was a few feet sandy drop covered here and there in greyish grass that led to a whole field, dry and dead in dim yellow lights with no snow upon it, weak bushes appearing here and there. It seemed that the mere presence of the undead somewhere nearby sucked the life out of the lands. Peculiar graveyard formation occupied a part of the land - human skeletons hanging on tall sticks, all in varying poses, as if frozen in their deadly agony, dried with ages and falling apart. Whatever happened there, it was nothing good. If this was what the owner of the lands decided to expose to lone travelers, it was quite obvious there would be no “welcome” shield ahead.

There was no visible end to the field, at least the reddish mist coloured by the light of the setting sun made it impossible to see far in the distance. Shari coughed, dusty air tickling her throat, and looked back to the ghost in confusion. Was this what they had searched for?

- Are you sure this is…?

- My reaction precisely when I first saw this place, - Lisa was amused, watching the healer's fearful face. - Come on, we're almost there now.

- Wait! What, there? To those? - she gestured actively to the mass of aged corpses, but Lisa payed no attention to her reaction. - Lord, why do I always get myself into the deepest trouble I can find? Could've stayed somewhere safe and warm, healed a bit, but no-o I had to be right here, torn apart by bats and hell-knows-what-else-inhabits-this-place, - Shari mumbled to herself as they descended into the valley, her feet slipping upon rocks and sliding on the unsolid sandy ground.

- Oh, come on, it's not as scary here. You’ve surely seen worse - Lisa replied, - they were walking deeper into the field, navigating their way between the mutilated skeletons, as the reddish-grey twilight around them was darkening minute by minute.

- Maybe. Doesn’t mean I want to see more.

Just as the words left her mouth, there was a blood-chilling howl somewhere in the distance and a horde of great black bats, apparently awoken by the sound, appeared out of nowhere, flapping their wings above their heads rapidly; Shari yelled and dipped down in fear. Rodo on the contrary jumped up from behind her back, trying to reach the annoying loud things and succeeding in catching one of the creatures between his sharp fangs. Shari only crouched down lower, as she heard the struggles of the defeated being next to her ear. Then a snap - the animal stopped moving, as Rodo tightened his jaws, probably breaking the thing's stamina. Just as abrupt as it began, the flapping of the bats above her stopped too.

- Lisa? Are-are they gone? - her voice was slightly shaking, she awaited the dreadful howl to repeat even closer.

- Shari, stand up! Shari! - she heard Lisa's voice coming from behind her back and turned around, her eyes searching for the ghost, as she realized that Lisa has moved much further away than she expected. Shari was on her feet in an instant, finally noticing what stood behind the ghost's transparent form, her mouth fell agape at what she could see before her now.

A wide set of steps that led to doors so tall that she felt her head spin even looking up at it - the dark stone walls went up and disappeared in the low greyish mist. Her ghost companion was at the top of the steps already and Rodo was gladly running up to the doors, apparently recognizing the smell of his own home of some time ago. Shari followed behind him hesitantly, looking around for any sign of movement.

- Come on, don't be shy, - Lisa cooed, as if luring in a small child. Her greyish form paused on one spot, waiting for Shari by the door. The girl looked around one more time as she joined the ghost on the final steps,

- Are you... Sure? This doesn't look completely abandoned. I mean, can you be sure he isn't home? That he won't be back soon? Clearly you can’t, why am I even asking… This was a terrible idea straight from the beginning, - she was visibly shacking, clenching and unclenching her fists, stepping from one foot to the other. The whole journey suddenly felt like a big mistake that could still be possibly abandoned if she did not take the final leap. Shari put her hand on the door handle then pulled away in fear. She took a deep breath, putting her palm back more steadily on the door, but was still hesitant to push it open. She paused. There was once again the dreadful howl from before, now closer to them, the creature producing it still not visible. They were standing in almost complete darkness.

- Go! - Lisa pressed.

Rodo leaped on spot beside them.

Shari held her breath – and finally pushed the handle and jumped inside, scared to even look in forward and terrified of what was awaiting behind, diving head-first into unknown - if he is there, let it be, she'd rather be torn apart by him than by whatever thing outside that let out those blood-freezing sounds; Rodo slid in too, in a ghastly manner, his massive form unnaturally smoothly squeezing through the small gap in the doorway and the next moment the door was shut behind her with a loud blow. She was finally inside Dracula's castle.

#please don't judge me #i'm trying #castlevania #dracula x oc #dracula x reader #vlad dracula #vlad dracula țepeș #lisa fahrenheit #sypha belnades #trevor belmont #adrian tepes #alucard #my writing #castlevania fanfiction

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sassyhobbits · 4 years

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....tinder au??🥺 not to rush u ofc! but i’m having a rough time in school right now and an update would really make my week better🤍

you sent this ask at just the right time! i just finished it up! sorry for the lack of writing. school is also giving me a rough time rn as well! but!!! we will persevere!!!

also im a little buzzed so i hope this is coherent

pt 1 // pt 2 // pt 3

~~~

Rowan didn’t really enjoy dressing up, could go his entire life without attending another large, social gathering. And yet… he had let Aelin convince him to take her to a wedding.

He had forced himself into his nicest suit because Aelin told him to. He sensed that this was something he didn’t want to argue with her about, so he did it with minimal complaint. He figured that it wouldn’t be that bad in the grand scheme of things, and the open bar was certainly a perk.

Not to mention, Aedion would be there well. In fact, Rowan was on his way to his coworkers apartment where he would meet up with the rest of them before heading to the wedding. Apparently, Aedion got roped in as well. His and Aelin’s family were old friends with the groom’s family.

Rowan checked his watch as he climbed the stairs, ensuring he wasn’t late lest he give Aelin a reason to be cross with him. It seemed he was making good time.

Rowan knocked politely, the door swinging open quickly and revealing a surprisingly well-dressed Aedion, who was nursing a bottle of beer.

“Hey man,” he said, clasping forearms with Rowan. “How’re you doing? You want a beer?”

“Yeah, that would be great.”

Rowan stepped into the apartment, lingering in the living room as Aedion slipped into the kitchen. The room was decorated simply, but it was clean. His eyes caught on a few old photographs, picturing what must have been a young Aedion and Aelin together, smiling smiles too large for their little faces.

Aedion reappeared, handing him the beer.

“I can’t believe Aelin conned you into this,” Aedion commented, leaning against the back of the couch. “But, I gotta say, I’m glad you’re coming.”

“Is the company there gonna be that bad?”

“Yes. But I also know Aelin’s doing this to piss off her ex. And I was never a big fan of him. I think it’s going to be funny.” Aedion finished off his beer, glancing at the clock mounted on the wall with a sigh. “Those girls are gonna make us late. Lys! Are you nearly done?”

“You can’t rush perfection!” Lysandra’s voice called from upstairs.

Aedion shook his head fondly with a playful chuckle, clearly used to waiting on the girls.

They chatted casually until Rowan was finished with his beer. It was then that a door opened from upstairs, followed by feminine laughter and the clicking of heels.

Lysandra descended first, looking perfectly elegant in an emerald slip dress that brought out the green in her eyes. She tossed her raven hair over her shoulder as she caught Aedion’s eye, sending him a bright and loving smile.

Rowan barely heard the two of them complimenting one another, all thoughts flying from his head at the sight of the woman walking down the stairs.

Aelin looked stunning, though Rowan knew stunning wasn’t really strong enough of a word to describe her in this instance.

She wore a golden silk dress that hit just above the knee. The conservativeness of the length was offset by the way it hugged each and every curve, as if it had been sewn on to her body specifically. Thin straps held it over her shoulders, leaving her toned arms bare. Aelin’s hair had been straightened and left hanging freely in a gleaming sheet down her back. It was then that Rowan realized how rarely he got to see her with her hair down. When Aelin was working or working out, it was always tossed up in a bun or a ponytail. It suited her. She wore a necklace, and it wasn’t until she got closer that Rowan was able to see that the pendant was a golden sword. It was strangely fitting.

She was slipping something into her clutch, barely even noticing Rowan until she nearly walked through him. Her eyes snapped up, the stunning turquoise color brought out by her eyeshadow look. Her gaze traveled from his feet to the top of his head, assessing and nothing more.

“You clean up better than I expected,” Aelin said simply.

Rowan wished he had something witty up his sleeve, but seeing Aelin in that dress had left his mind in shambles. He was only able to grind out a curt, “Thanks.”

She held his gaze for a moment longer, leaving Rowan to wonder what was going through her head. Before he had much more time to ponder it, she swept away, grabbing a jacket by the door.

“So, is everyone ready?” she asked.

“In case you didn’t notice,” Aedion drawled. “We were all waiting for you two.”

Aelin ignored the tiny quip, smoothing down the sides of her dress. “Well then, let's get going. We have a wedding to attend.”

…

The ride to the venue was uneventful. Aelin sat in the back besides Rowan while Aedion drove them all. The car was filled with friendly chatter back and forth, pop music droning on in the background.

Aelin tried to stop herself from sending sly glances towards Rowan. He looked good tonight. Really good. Rowan was hot on a day to day basis, something that not even his drab PT uniform could hide. But tonight, all cleaned up and dressed in something nice, Rowan was unfairly handsome.

Her only solace was knowing that he was checking her out too. Aelin knew she looked amazing tonight. Part of it was for herself, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit that part of it was to gain Rowan’s attention. She had been successful in that endeavor.

Aelin wasn’t stupid. She knew Rowan found her attractive just as Rowan knew she found him attractive. They had been ready to go out and probably bang until they realized that they were coworkers. Aelin had agreed to keep it professional, but she would be lying if she said that she didn’t want something more with him.

Soon enough, Aedion was parking the car outside the venue. They filed out, Aelin smoothing and straightening her dress, a sort of heaviness in her gut as she looked towards where the ceremony would be held. Although she was excited to see Dorian, and happy that he had found love, she was less than excited about seeing Chaol again.

The scent of pine and snow surrounded her just as Rowan came up to her side.

“You ready?” Aelin asked him, to which he gave a stiff nod. “Good. Don’t embarrass me.”

Rowan scowled, but held out his arm for her regardless. Aelin took it, stepping close to his side, trying to ignore how nice the warmth of his body felt against her own.

It was time to get this over with.

…

The ceremony was simple yet beautiful. Any idiot could see how in love Dorian and Sorscha were with one another. Aelin had only met the bride on a few occasions, but she liked her. Sorscha looked stunning in a flowy gown that made her brown skin glow.

Aelin pointedly ignored Chaol even though he stood right by Dorian the entire time. Instead, she looked at the maid of honor, Yrene, who her ex was now dating. Through talking to Dorian, Aelin had learned that Chaol and Yrene had met through Sorscha. Apparently, the two women worked at the same hospital and were close friends.

Yrene was a beautiful woman with kind eyes. Aelin knew in her gut that she would like her once they got to talking. Perhaps they would find time to chat through the night.

The ceremony ended with a sweet kiss and the happy couple going off to take some photographs. For the guests, it was time to cocktail.

Rowan, at least, was playing the part of a boyfriend well. Without complaint, surprisingly. He held her hand as they went towards where cocktail hour was being held, a steady presence. He even chatted with her, asking her questions about how she knew Dorian. When she whispered snide comments about other guests, he even laughed a few times. It was… nice, she supposed. She was having a good time with him.

Lysandra and Aedion were swept up by Dorian’s parents, leaving Aelin and Rowan by themselves.

The more they drank, the more comfortable they became. It was easier to laugh, easier to forget why they had put distance between them to begin with. They had been pretty good at avoiding conversation with others to begin with, but Aelin knew it was only a matter of time before they crossed paths with someone.

“So what do we say if someone asks how we met?” Rowan asked as they grabbed another drink from the bar.

“We tell them the truth,” Aelin deadpanned. “Sexting on tinder.”

Rowan choked on his whiskey. “We cannot say that.”

“Fine. We can be boring and say we met at work.”

Rowan laughed, and Aelin realized how much she loved the sound. She liked how it softened his normally stony face, made him appear younger, lighter. She could get used to seeing him like this.

They turned from the bar, taking a few steps into the crowd, only to come face to face with the reason Aelin had dragged Rowan along to begin with.

“Aelin,” Chaol Westfall greeted, offering a shaking and awkward smile. “Hi.”

The smile that had been painted on Aelin’s face faltered slightly. She had been enjoying her time with Rowan so much she had forgotten why she had wanted him by her side to begin with.

“Chaol,” Aelin said, smiling tightly. “It’s good to see you again.”

Yrene was on his arm, looking stunning in a deep purple dress, curly hair loose and voluminous. Her honey eyes were bright and kind as she smiled at Aelin.

“You too,” Chaol said, before motioning towards the woman beside him. “This is Yrene. My girlfriend.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Yrene greeted, reaching out and shaking her hand. “I love your dress.”

“Oh, thank you! I’ve been looking at your shoes all night.” Aelin put a hand on Rowan’s shoulder, pressing herself to his side. “This is Rowan.”

Aelin watched carefully as they all shook hands and greeted one another, carefully studying facial expressions and body language. She had wondered if this would be awkward and tense but… it was normal.

Aelin and Chaol had ended on terrible terms, treating one another like actual shit. She remembered the insults thrown, the glares when they happened to be in the same room. But maybe… maybe they had gotten better. Maybe some time and distance had eased away the worst of the anger and toxicity. She didn’t look at Chaol and feel bad anymore she felt… nothing.

But she could tell that Chaol had Yrene and he cared very much about her.

And Aelin had…

Well, she didn’t really have anyone but…

She looked to Rowan, and for once didn’t try to avoid the longing that swelled in her chest. She wished she had him.

…

Aelin sat down at her table, sipping at a glass of champagne and watching the people on the dancefloor sway slowly to the soft music playing.

The rest of the evening had gone by smoothly. Aelin enjoyed the time she spent with her friends, getting to see Dorian again even though she couldn’t steal much of his time. All and all, it had been fun.

The night was winding down, people filtering out slowly, but there were still those who lingered for a few more dances. Dorian danced with his new wife, both looking at one another with so much love Aelin could feel it from where she sat. Lysandra smiled and laughed and Aedion twirled her around. Chaol held Yrene to his chest as they swayed slowly, lost in their own world.

Aelin sighed and rested her chin on her palm, watching them all move.

There was the sound of footfalls coming her way, stealing her attention from the dance floor. She looked up and found Rowan standing before her, looking to where her gaze was just focused but glancing back at her with a raised brow.

“Do you want to dance?”

Aelin blinked in surprise, sure she had heard him incorrectly. Rowan didn’t seem like the type of man who enjoyed dancing but… the offer hung there.

“You don’t have to,” Aelin said softly. “You did your part.”

“I can tell you want to dance. So, let’s dance. It’s almost time to go anyway.”

Aelin hesitated a beat, studying Rowan’s expression carefully. She didn’t want him to do anything he was uncomfortable with, yet his face showed nothing but sincerity. Rowan held out a hand towards her, brow raised as if to say Well? Are you coming?

A hesitant smile found its way onto Aelin’s face, but she accepted his hand, letting him guide her to her feet. Rowan led her to the center of the dance floor, placing a polite hand on her hip, the other clutching her own. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Aelin could have sworn time stopped. Maybe she had imagined it, but she was almost sure she saw a flash of the same longing she felt in his eyes.

They began to sway slowly to the music. It was a little awkward at first, but as time passed and the notes rang out, the tension lessened. They moved closer and closer to one another, until to a stranger they might have actually appeared to be a regular couple. It felt more natural than Aelin expected it to.

As the songs played, they kept sending one another shy smiles. Aelin wasn’t sure at what point she rested her head against Rowan’s chest as they danced, but she never wanted that moment to end.

It was a shame that the reception was inching to a close, that the night of being close to Rowan would end. It was a shame that, come the morning, they would go back to being strangers once more.

But, for tonight, Aelin was content to pretend.

#tinder au #rowaelin #my writing

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moonaft · 3 years

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When Sorrows Come reactions

Spoilers: I did not get bingo.

25 squares, from left to right, top to bottom: 1. Malvic appears at the wedding 2. Sylvester attends the wedding 3. The High King or Queen gets elfshot 4. One of Tybalt's enemies from the short stories appears 5. Hope chests are relevant 6. Something is revealed about the False Queen 7. There's at least 3 Firstborn at the wedding 8. Someone calls Toby a kingbreaker 9. Dianda punches someone important 10. Toby drinks someone else's blood 11. August attends the wedding 12. Hirsent crashes the wedding 13. [Free space] Toby's dress gets blood on it 14. One of Tybalt's friends from the short stories appears 15. Eira is behind the trouble 16. Gillian attends the wedding 17. Lore about the Torquill family 18. Quentin's identity gets revealed 19. Sylvester doesn't attend the wedding 20. Someone mistakes Sylvester for Simon 21. Raysel's plotline moves forward 22. Toby learns about Tybalt's short story past 23. Someone gets elfshot for the second or third time 24. Toby insults nobility we haven't seen before 25. Lore about the Sollys family

Date: April 11, 2015, roughly 6 months after A Killing Frost. No mischief occurred around Christmas 2014.

Are nobles seriously inviting the kingbreaker in order to make contact with her mother who she pissed off during the divorce? Have they been paying attention at all?

Technically, Toby has never committed treason. She definitely didn’t commit treason against Rhys because she never swore loyalty to him.

I think this is the first book that introduced Simon ahead of Sylvester and described Sylvester as Simon’s brother as opposed to the other way around. Sylvester is still on thin ice, by the way. There’s a reason I have both “Sylvester attends the wedding” and “Sylvester doesn’t attend the wedding” on the bingo card.

The Luidaeg denied Sylvester’s request to wake Raysel up - why? Did she want to get the wedding out of the way before Raysel’s trial and October’s next rolling emergency?

Yes, the Quentin problem when getting married at the High King’s knowe. Don’t change his appearance and everyone knows where the Crown Prince is fostered. Do change his appearance and everyone in Toby’s party now knows who the Crown Prince is.

“Dean Lorden is probably technically my brother now” woot.

Toby is voluntarily eating and drinking! After so many books of having food forced of her because she keeps forgetting to do so.

Confirmation that Toby officially owns her place and Luna can’t get Sylvester to reverse that decision.

Dean kissing a strange boy -> ah, they went with changing Quentin’s appearance and bloodline. And they went to the Luidaeg for it. Banshee, huh?

Poor Dean. Toby’s approval means something to him. And Toby continues to eat, good for her.

Yes, I too would love to know more about Sylvester’s Dark Years. Sylvester POV, when?

Dean has now officially heard that Oberon is back, and isn’t reacting. I have to assume the Lordens know the details behind how they broke August’s curse.

Oh Quentin, I love you.

Dean still thinks the Merrow descend from only Titania, but Pete confirmed in The Unkindest Tide that Oberon is her father.

Dean does not understand the value of landlines. Kids these days...

I had not considered that Toby and Tybalt’s wedding would be a historic event.

Surprise wedding date! It really couldn’t have been any other way.

Yes, who would have told Sylvester about the date?

Yep, calling Bridget and Etienne is the best option. And Etienne knows May didn’t tell Toby the date, interesting.

Dammit, Sylvester. I can’t cross that square off yet, he might redeem himself. And Etienne talking sense into Toby!

Did the fae make their kingdoms based on state borders? The West at least was based on SCA kingdoms and principalities. I wonder if Highmountain has a new Crown yet.

Good to know that Oberon can go where ever he wants in Faerie. He could probably bring Riordan back if he wanted to. Is Danny not coming? I can’t say I blame him.

Jazz knows about Oberon too.

I do hope August shows up at the wedding, it’s on my bingo card.

Huh, I knew that Ash and Oak aka New York was a place without fae these days, but I assumed some purebloods and changelings could still live there. Uncomfortably, perhaps, and maybe you couldn’t anchor a knowe there anymore, but I didn’t think it was actively hostile to every fae.

Hey, is that Lowri and Nolan? Nolan’s on guard duty, interesting.

Yes, the Ludiaeg could have married you at any time. Should have thought of that before everyone started offering you their knowe for the wedding.

Oh good they’re bringing Walther.

Makes sense Arden can’t come but she is sending Nolan. Nolan definitely is enjoying life these days.

Confirmation that Madden’s boyfriend is human and doesn’t know about the fae.

“I can go order her to arrest herself, if you’d like” Love it.

I have to assume the Tuatha Express is faster than air travel and not as tiring for the people who aren’t opening portals.

Nessa, the Gwragedd Annwn, a new species. As pretty as the Daoine Sidhe are to a nearly human Toby, wow.

And... she thinks the Luidaeg is Toby? I hope this isn’t a calculated insult. I know Quentin grew up with some bigoted people but this is deliberate.

And Oberon is apparently Tybalt?? What is going on her?

Kerry! We haven’t seen you since A Local Habitation. ‘There are no bad Dayes in this week” aww. I love you, Kerry.

Beacon’s Home is actually a Kingdom and not a Selkie-now-Roane holding? Cool.

It seems important that the Maples vs Ash and Oak decision was happening right before/during the American Revolution but I don’t know why yet.

“The ducal consorts are Daoine Sidhe”, yep both of them.

“Sweet Titania, I love that woman [Dianda Lorden]” Still waiting for Toby’s bisexual awakening.

The Luidaeg confirms the Gwragedd Annwn are Black Annie’s descendant line.

Quentin confirms something’s wrong with Nessa, maybe she isn’t like this at all.

Whee, slightly more Stacy weirdness. I think Barrow Wights would be descended from Maeve, her illusions shouldn’t be better than Toby’s.

Tybalt is apparently descended from both Oberon and the Luidaeg, if his line comes from the Cait Sidhe Malvic sired with his Roane lover.

Confirmation that the Luidaeg can see the future, at least some of the time.

At least Aethlin and Maida seem happy to see Toby.

Maida doesn’t recognize Cass’s bloodline - interesting.

“Um, my boss is Queen Windermere, and my [human] graduate advisor is Professor Weinstein, and my parents are Mitch and Stacy Brown” Cass I love you.

Oh, Nessa isn’t Nessa.

Not!Nessa, holding Toby at knifepoint is not the detergent you think it is.

Toby has a new knife now, sweet. Not!Nessa is a Doppelganger, we haven’t seen one of those in several years. The one in Rosemary and Rue, who wasn’t Gillian?

“Archers,” “I was right about that?”

Perhaps Toby shouldn’t be the one giving orders to open portals, but Aethlin clearly isn’t doing it.

“I punched it in the face” Why do I have the feeling that’s going to solve a lot of problems in this book? And hey, this isn’t a Firstborn or Queen, so Toby got her wish of punching more punchable people.

“You don’t have the authority to order an arrest in my knowe.” Well, maybe you should give her that authority, High King of the Westlands who was almost assassinated.

“Purebloods forgot things, quickly, when they can’t see them anymore” Interesting.

“And even in a backwater Ducky run by a politically unambitious man” Shadowed Hills predates the Mists, Sylvester really just went as far as he could. Or maybe settled there once Amandine built her tower.

“Is he going to try to stab me? Is he better at stabbing than the last batch was at shooting arrows”? I love you Raj. I wonder if the local King of Cats will make an appearance.

Ah fuck, first dead body.

Toby having the most sense in this scene, I love it.

Did Aethlin basically make Toby a hero of the Westlands as well? “Our visiting hero”

Aethlin is not showing up well in dealing with security, nor are his guards.

“People who put deadly traps on doorknobs often forget the obvious, which is that it’s a good idea to lock doors.”

Three dead bodies? RIP Aethlin’s guards.

Only two dead bodies so far. Once Broken Faith had 4, I believe, but we’re only a third done. Good job on not dying, Caitir.

Gordon, hello. I thought the reference to ALH in the “books to re-read” was about the nighthaunts but didn’t expect to see her.

Looks like neither Nessa nor Honey are dead.

This poor Ellyllon doctor, welcome to Toby’s world.

Ah fuck, Tybalt’s elf-shot again.

Good thing Caitir’s a Candela. Thank you, Raj.

Jazz is apparently betting that Toby’s getting elfshot before/during the wedding, this is a girl after my own heart. As is May.

Walther has a fan, I love it.

The Bridge Trolls can search for clues if they want, I guess. We don’t need to worry about people messing with the crime scene anymore.

Toby’s sweet talking the knowe, that didn’t take long.

Toby, Quentin is never going to leave you behind even when he’s knighted and moves back home. He would sooner move the capital to SF.

Evening got her hooks into Aethlin back in 1906, huh?

“I am the breaker of the unbreakable” Yes you are, Toby.

Black Annis was originally named Ismere? I love the lore we’re getting in this book.

There are rumors that Quentin is Toby’s squire, probably started after OBF. The Beacon’s Home Selkies knew about him, after all.

All the Maeve descendant lines with dead Firstborn imprint on the Luidaeg, this is so cute.

So many reasons why Tybalt shouldn’t go looking for Toby as she walks up. Tybalt’s back!

Nolan is great, I love him. Aethlin’s reassuring Nessa, glad to see it.

How does Fiac know enough about Simon and Amandine’s marriage to have negative feelings about it? It sounds like he was around them to notice it.

The Doppelganger isn’t bringing the Revolution, what a pity.

Fuck, she can’t kill Aethlin now. Damn.

This is exactly the scene I wanted to see with a different Daoine Sidhe, but fine. The guards need more training.

Eira killed other seers than the Roane, did she? Did she want there to be no one who could guess her plans?

Toby thinks Maida is upset with her, while I think Maida thinks Toby is the only one she can trust.

Why do none of the Daoine Sidhe save Simon specialize in blood magic? They all suck at it.

“We need to interview your entire staff, and by ‘we’ I mean ‘you’, and by ‘you’ I mean ‘someone you trust’“ Toby’s got this under control.

“I’m sorry, was that disrespectful? I meant fuck you, Your Majesty.” Quentin is not holding back. Chelsea and Raj are literally eating popcorn while watching this. Despite what Toby thinks, she has a court of teenagers.

I wonder what the series would have been like if Penny was sent to Shadowed Hills with Quentin.

I’m glad Quentin got the chance to yell at his father, he needed it. Look, family drama that isn’t related to Toby!

Walther: “I carry the base ingredients [of elfshot] whenever I travel with Sir Daye.” I would too, Walther.

...Are the rest of Stacy’s kids also Seers?

Oberon exists to be more than background, apparently.

Confirmation that the Luidaeg is a century older than Eira! And the Luidaeg will know if she wakes up.

Yes, Toby gets her own court with all her squires and also brothers. Quentin, Raj, one day Chelsea, Peter if he can convince Toby to do it. She has two Seers, an alchemist and her favorite aunts and family in Saltmist.

So the Summerlands have suns as well as moons.

Oh hey, Julie, I thought you died off screen. We haven't heard from you in several books. They’re getting the band back toge- the High King got poisoned?!

“For example, it would be really unreasonable of him to die right now, thanks.”

“If this is where you want to suddenly remember the High King’s evil grand vizier who you just forgot to tell us about until now, that would be great.”

I thought Maida’s father was still alive?

Aethlin has survived his third assassination attempt in the past 24 hours, sweet.

Why did the Librarian call Fiac the Seneschal? He’s the Court Seer.

Oh, so Toby did settle her debts with Mag about her mom’s biography.

We’ve met Tybalt the Torquill family historian, now meet Yenay Ng, the Tybalt historian.

OK, I... didn’t see that coming.

I approve of Toby punching former King Shallcross in the nose. She should punch more nobles on screen.

Huh, I guess that’s where Eira was before she showed up in the Mists.

Is this guy Dawn’s father? The timelines sorta fit.

Aethlin has managed to not get poisoned or stabbed again, good for him.

Of course they enchanted the wedding dress to not get covered in blood. Good thing my ‘free’ space on the bingo card was “Toby’s dress gets blood on it” which was technically fulfilled with the first dress.

I assumed “wine-colored” meant white until it was described in more detail. I approve of dressing the wedding party in red - it will hide the blood.

Sylvester?!? Nope, Simon.

Aww, Simon gets to walk his daughter to the altar. He gets to see his daughter married!

“Then go. Get married. Be happy. You’ve earned it.”

And the wedding is finally on! The local Cait Sidhe are here! Surprise appearance by August!

“As did the man who looked heart-stoppingly like Simon Torquill, but absolutely wasn’t” Oh Sylvester, you made it after all.

I think this is the first time Sylvester’s been referred to in terms of Simon rather than the other way around.

Whoops, more assassins.

I see you, Simon, using your blood to fuel your transformation spells, just like your daughter. Followed immediately by Sylvester charging into battle. And Oberon continues to be background scenery.

Another guard’s death - 3 now? Maybe more?

“Now I have a longbow, motherfuckers, ho, ho, ho” Love you, May.

Badly attempted jailbreak is a bust. Toby’s dress remains pristine.

Surprise appearance by Gillian! I assume August tackled her to the ground when the arrows started flying.

Wedding is complete! Reception go!

I assume Etienne was instrumental in getting Sylvester to the wedding, not only physically but also by yelling at him about what an idiot he was.

Etienne is a little younger than Tybalt, good to know.

They’re going to Disney world without the kids, neat. Surprise August again! Good to know Helen’s seeing a therapist.

Galen has a crush on Poppy. I love this man that we will probably never see again.

Why is Simon a Count again? Shouldn’t he also be Duke Lorden? Does he get a lower title because he’s the second husband, like a courtesy title? Also, glad to see him and August being Lordens.

She hugged him!

Oh hey Sylvester. You could have started with “You make a beautiful bride” and avoided a shitton of trouble. You made it all about yourself. It’s better than if you didn’t attend at all, but man, Sylvester. You disappointed Toby and me.

“Once and future King of Cats”

She accepts the Lorden boys as her brothers!

What does Cliff think of Gilly spending so much time at Half Moon Bay? Does he think she’s in a cult?

Aw, May and Jazz are going to get married!

Oh hey Pete. Only two Firstborn at the wedding, can’t mark that one off. Nice blessing!

That cake sounds super delicious. Fuck, did Oberon give his knife to Toby and then not take it back? Toby has a replacement for her iron knife now?

Oh hi, Gilly. Your mother’s really excited to have you here. I love Quentin egging Toby into eating the cake. “Quentin pressed a fork into my hand, trying to urge me to get on with it.”

And the final blessing comes from Aethlin. He has got to do something to thank her for all her help in stopping the assassination attempts.

Afterthoughts: I am sad none of Tybalt’s friends and family from London/Europe attended. Morane was alive as of 1911, with no word on the others. Hermeline, if she’s still ruling in the Court of Fogbound Cats, has been ruling for nearly three hundred years.

On the other hand, we got a ton of Toby feels and secondary characters. Love the reactions of the Teen Squad.

What a good and heartwarming book.

Spots crossed off:

2. Sylvester attends the wedding 8. Someone calls Toby a kingbreaker 10. Toby drinks someone else's blood 11. August attends the wedding 13. [Free space] Toby's dress gets blood on it 16. Gillian attends the wedding 18. Quentin's identity gets revealed 22. Toby learns about Tybalt's short story past 23. Someone gets elfshot for the second or third time 24. Toby insults nobility we haven't seen before 25. Lore about the Sollys family

Spots not crossed off:

1. Malvic appears at the wedding 3. The High King or Queen gets elfshot 4. One of Tybalt's enemies from the short stories appears 5. Hope chests are relevant 6. Something is revealed about the False Queen 7. There's at least 3 Firstborn at the wedding 9. Dianda punches someone important 12. Hirsent crashes the wedding 14. One of Tybalt's friends from the short stories appears 15. Eira is behind the trouble 17. Lore about the Torquill family 19. Sylvester doesn't attend the wedding 20. Someone mistakes Sylvester for Simon 21. Raysel's plotline moves forward

I should note some of these are rather literal - Eira caused trouble in the back story but she wasn’t active in the main story like she was in both The Unkindest Tide (telling Torin to stop the restoration of the Roane) and A Killing Frost (taunting Toby).

#october daye #october daye spoilers

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octanesimp3000 · 3 years

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The Bunny, The Decoy and the Apex Games #6

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/32034451/chapters/79916935

Summary:

Mornings were usually uninteresting and routine for you on the drop ship. Not with Octavio and Elliott around, however.

Chapter 1 / Chapter 2 / Chapter 3 / Chapter 4 / Chapter 5

————————————————————————–

You didn’t know when you’d fallen asleep the previous night. The last thing you could remember were the sounds of Octavio clicking away on his keyboard as he played some fast-paced parkour game.

Opening your eyes that morning, the last thing you expected to see was a head of green hair poking out from under the covers right next to you in bed but lo and behold, there it was. Out of surprise, you shouted angrily “Octavio, what the hell! I didn’t say you could sleep in my bed!” as you quickly leaped out of bed. Thankfully, you’d not changed out of your day clothes before falling asleep.

Octavio slowly and groggily sat up on the bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he said “Where was I supposed to sleep then? I tried sleeping on the floor but it was hard and the carpet was all scratchy.” He looked up at you with bleary eyes and his short green hair sticking straight up as if he’d been electrocuted in his sleep. You couldn’t help but think that sleepy Octavio looked pretty cute, especially with the plush bunny cuddled up close to him.

You tried to push those thoughts out of your mind by focusing on the problem at hand. “Well, I don’t know. Anywhere but in my bed! I’m sure if you asked, the Syndicate would lend you a mattress or something,” you suggested, folding your arms across your chest.

Octavio thought about it for a few moments before he responded “But someone would see me carrying the mattress in here and then, they’ll wonder why we don’t want to share a bed, yknow?” You wished you could have thought of something smart to say in response but you knew Octavio was right. The other Legends would definitely suspect something.

“Fine. But they should have finished fixing that air conditioner by now so it doesn’t matter anyway,” you grumbled as you gathered up some clothes to change into before heading for the showers, leaving Octavio to fall back onto the bed for another 20 minutes of blissful sleep. When you returned, Octavio was propped up into a sitting position on the bed with pillows placed behind his back for extra comfort, typing away furiously on his phone. You sat down at your desk to do your hair and makeup and pulled out a mirror from the drawer, setting it down on the surface. When you heard Octavio throw his phone down with a small groan of annoyance, you asked “You alright, Octavio?”

Octavio picked up his phone again and swiped on its screen for a bit before offering it to you, saying “Look what one of the assholes working at the Syndicate texted me.” You hesitated before taking his phone. Most people preferred to hold their phone up for others when they wanted to show them something. Privacy reasons, you guessed. Yet, here was Octavio just unconditionally handing it to you. No warnings to not swipe to the right or anything. You felt weirdly trusted.

The text message read: ‘Unfortunately, it appears as if the plumber requires some special parts to be ordered in order to fix the air conditioner in your dormitory. The parts will unfortunately take up to 10 days to arrive. I apologize for any inconvenience caused.'

Your mouth fell open in surprise. You were going to have to share a bed with Octavio for another 10 WHOLE DAYS? You didn’t know how to react to this news. You handed Octavio back his phone, and forced a smile onto your face as you explained that you had plans to meet Ajay and Natalie for breakfast, and you would see him later. “W-Wait, Y/N!,” Octavio had begun to say but the door had already clicked shut behind you as you began making your way to the cafeteria.

The ladies of the Apex Games often got together once a week for breakfast to catch up and enjoy some much needed time with the girls. That day, the only one missing from the group was Loba who apparently had an important appointment she had to attend. Once you’d grabbed a plate of scrambled eggs and two slices of toast from the steaming hot chafing dishes, you took your usual seat between Ajay and Natalie.

You’d noticed that there was a strange silence that descended upon the group when you arrived and it suddenly came to you that this was the first ladies’ breakfast since your ‘relationship’ with Octavio went public. You mentally braced yourself for any prying questions as you tucked into your food.

Natalie was the first to break the silence. “So...Y/N, how are things going between you and Octavio?,” she asked sweetly before taking a sip from her mug of coffee. Her eyes had a little glimmer in it that told you she was hungry for any information you would offer. You could almost sense the anticipation in the air and took another bite of toast just to give yourself some time to think of an answer.

“We’re good. It’s kinda hard to keep up with him but I mean, I knew that going into it,” you said with what you hoped was a convincing shy smile. Only when you saw Ajay and Ramya’s shared eyebrow raises did you spot the possible cheeky double entendre of your words. You were just going to launch into a desperate babble to explain what you actually meant but it was probably just as well that you were suddenly interrupted by the appearance of none other than Elliott.

Elliot wore his usual charming smile as he looked around the table at everyone present, pausing for a moment when his gaze landed on you. “Good morning, ladies! You’re all looking wonderful today. Mind if the great Mirage joins you for a bit?,” Elliott asked as he put his hands on his hips, expectantly waiting for someone to invite him to sit down.

“No, Elliott. Women only today,” Renee said bluntly, not one to try and protect anyone’s feelings. Elliott held a hand up to his heart, making a face as if he had been wounded by Renee’s statement. She merely rolled her eyes as she turned to look at the other women present to see what they thought of Elliott joining their meal. Unfortunately for the ‘great Mirage’, most of them were in agreement with Renee.

Elliott laughed the rejection off and said casually “Alright, alright! You ladies need your space, I get it.” He started to walk in the direction of the cafeteria’s entrance but suddenly stopped and quickly came back to the table you were at, excitedly exclaiming “I almost forgot! I’m gonna make some pork chops for dinner tonight, anyone wanna try some?”

Everyone knew about Elliott’s famous pork chop recipe that his mom had created. It was supposedly so tender that the meat would just melt in your mouth. There was no turning down this offer, and everyone present at the table were up for a taste. Pleased at how well his offer was received, Elliott seemed to puff up in pride. He looked pointedly at you and said with a wink “Once you taste it, Y/N, you’re gonna wish you were dating me instead. I bet Octavio can’t make pork chops like I can.”

You couldn’t believe your ears. Did Elliot actually say what you thought he said or were you just starting to go insane from all the pining you did? You stared motionless from the utter shock as Elliott strutted out of the cafeteria like a delighted peacock. Ajay nudged you in the ribs with her elbow and asked with an amazed smile on her face “What was that?! Was Elliott hitting on ya? What love potion have ya got on these boys?”

“I-I’m sure it’s nothing! You know what Elliott’s like. He’s always flirting with literally anyone who’ll listen,” you laughed, waving Ajay’s suggestions away. Secretly, you wished that she was right. Maybe you really did stand a chance with Elliott. You struggled to focus for the rest of the meal and even on your walk back to your dorm, your mind was far off in the stars.

You stared blankly at the door to your dorm for a moment, wondering when on earth you’d gotten back here before turning the doorknob and opening it. Octavio was nowhere to be seen. His things were still scattered about your room and the bedsheets were a tangled mess but no green haired man. However, you spotted a mound of blankets and pillows bundled up at the foot of your bed which was suspiciously wriggling.

You approached the bundle cautiously and reached your leg out towards it to give it a gentle poke with your shoe. Immediately, Octavio popped his head out from amongst the blankets and pillows with a surprised look. “What are you doing down there? If you’re trying to make a pillow fort, that’s the wrong way to do it,” you raised an eyebrow with a confused frown.

“I was just trying to test out if this would be comfy!,” Octavio explained as he tried to hold up as many of the blankets and pillows as he could at once, dropping a few in the process. You must have still looked confused because he continued quickly “Well, you didn’t want me to sleep in your bed so I figured I’d try and make my own down here so you wouldn’t get angry at me.”

You instantly felt regret at having left so abruptly earlier that morning. What had gone through Octavio’s head to make him think that you’d get angry at him for something that he couldn’t control? So much so that he was ready to sleep on the floor like a pet dog. “Octavio, I’m sorry for getting upset at you this morning. You’re welcome to share my bed till they manage to fix that leaky air conditioner in your room, I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor like that,” you said firmly, gesturing at the blankets and pillows.

“Really?! Oh, you’re the best! Thank you, Y/N,” Octavio shouted in delight as he proceeded to leap up from the floor and onto the bed. You shook your head as you laughed at the sight. Octavio got so excited over the smallest things. After wriggling about for a few minutes on the bed, Octavio finally clambered out of bed and said “I’m hitting the practice range! Wanna come?”

You didn’t have anything else planned for the day so you agreed on the condition that he wasn’t about to try launching grenades off his jump pad again. Last time, it’d almost hit you if it wasn’t for your quick reflexes. Octavio laughed and said cheekily “Hmm, I’ll think about it. Come on, come on! Let’s get going!”

Octavio dashed out of the dormitory that you two now shared. For the time being, at least. You quickly chased after him, not wanting to left too far behind. Was this what life would be like for you now? Little did you know, there was still a lot more to come.

#apex legends #apex octavio silva #apex octane #apex fanfic #apex legends fanfiction #apex legends fanfic #apex mirage #apex legends octane #apex legends mirage #elliott witt #octavio silva #mirage #octane #fake dating #love triangle

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punchdrunkdoc · 4 years

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Updated K-drama list (4)

This list is getting looooong, because I’m well and truly addicted to these shows and can’t stop watching them.

I think its because each show is so self-contained - one series, 16-20 episodes and its done. A clear beginning, middle and a satisfying end. That, together with all the tropes in play (SO MANY TROPES!!) makes each show feel like a novel come to life. And when I start a good novel, I have to finish it in one go. This usually results in me staying up till 2am because I NEED TO KNOW HOW IT ENDS. And it’s the same with these shows. I’m getting very little sleep, but I’m having a hell of a good time!

FAVOURITES

1. Crash Landing on You

He’s from North Korea. She’s from South Korea. They never should have met, but they’ll change each other’s lives.

This was my first K-drama, and its still my favourite. The full cast of characters is great, the lead romance is ANGSTALICIOUS and its genuinely, laugh out loud funny (when its not making you cry or swoon).

Male lead: Officially the best boyfriend ever. With added dimples.

Tear-jerk factor: 4/5

2. Healer

The lives, and pasts, of a hot shot reporter, a spunky young tabloid journalist and a mysterious thief-for-hire intersect.

This was so addictive - the plot was tight and engaging, and this is one of the few shows I’ve watched where there didn’t seem to be a lot of filler. I loved the central 3 characters, and the romance was amazing. I especially loved that the male lead started off such a brooding loner, but he became super-affectionate as soon as he admitted his feelings. So many good hugs and lots of face-cradling in this one.

Male lead: Effortlessly beats up 2 henchmen while comforting his girl over the phone. What more do you need?

Tear-jerk factor: 1/5

3. Itaewon Class

A young man’s life is forever altered when he runs afoul of a powerful family.

This felt like a big step up in quality from everything else in this list, in terms of the production, soundtrack (which was brilliant), the lack of annoying sound effects, and just the overall ‘real world’ feel of the show. All of the characters were fleshed out and 3-dimensional, and they all had their ‘moment’ to shine. The story itself was gripping and so well done - some of the twists and reveals had me gasping! And what can I say about the 2 leads? I love them, both separately, and together. He is so wise beyond his years, and his journey will break your heart and inspire you. She is borderline sociopathic, but I adore her.

Male lead: Tenacious, principled, kind, innocent, caring, driven, loyal…and he can cook!

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

4. Descendants of the Sun

A special forces Captain meets a capable and beautiful trauma surgeon. They feel an instant bond, but their jobs and philosophy on life get in the way, threatening to tear them apart.

Halfway through this show, I seriously thought this might overtake CLOY as my No. 1 fav. I absolutely LOVE the male lead character, and the romance was beautiful…but it didn’t quite nail the angst and the last minute was a bit twee which dropped it down the rankings a bit.

Male lead: A cocky, charming, absolute BADASS with the most adorable, cheeky smile.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

5. Love in the Moonlight / Moonlight Drawn by Clouds

A young woman poses as a eunuch in the Royal Palace and falls in love with the Crown Prince

I wanted to try something different so I opted for this period piece and OH MY GOD am I glad I did. The start had a really light comedic tone (and a lot of modern anachronisms - high fives everywhere!) and I loved all the identity-concealing hi-jinks. But then the romance kicked into gear and the DELICIOUS angst started flowing, and I became obsessed with it. It's like loads of bits of my favourite regency historical romances were mashed up and transported to the Joseon Dynasty. I loved it so much!

Male lead: Manages to look amazingly handsome despite all the period headgear, kicks ass with a sword, and doesn't allow himself to be manipulated by the corrupt officials surrounding him, which was refreshing. Also acts like an adorable goofball when he's in love.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

6. My Holo Love

A lonely woman falls for a holographic AI and then meets his creator...

I love the concept of this show (I’m a big sci-fi nerd), and it was beautifully shot. The lead relationship is well developed and it doesnt fall into a typical love triangle. I’ve come to realise it utilises a lot of K-drama tropes (face-blindness! shared childhood trauma!), but it does it really well, imho.

Male lead: Tortured loner genius. My catnip.

Tear-jerk factor: 2/5

7. Goblin

A 900yr old immortal guardian finally meets the ‘bride’ who will end his existence

Once I got over the slight ick-factor of the age difference between the two characters at the beginning, I really fell for this show and it’s world. It had me in tears. And I especially loved the secondary character of the Grim Reaper.

Male lead: Surprising innocent and funny for a 900 year old

Tear-Jerk factor: 5/5

8. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim

An personal assistant decides to quits her job in order to get a life. Her boss has other ideas.

I loved the female lead in this - I’m a sucker for uber-competent people, and the actress is STUNNING. Her boss is self-centred, entitled and vain...but over time, somehow that just becomes endearing! Possibly because he’s played by Park Seo Joon, who can do no wrong in my book! The central romance is super cute - I can rewatch their scenes again and again.

Male lead: Like I said, somehow makes vanity and narcissism endearing. Also not afraid to get his shirt off and flash his 6-pack. Bonus.

Tear-Jerk factor: 0/5

9. Legend of the Blue Sea

A mermaid comes onto land to find the man she loves

The (literal) fish-out-of-water scenes in the first half of this show were hilarious - the actress is a comic genius! The romance was nicely done, and there wasn’t a lot of extraneous plot or too many characters. I couldn’t stop watching this one!

Male lead: Cocky, arrogant conman with a soft mushy centre

Tear-Jerk factor: 1/5

10. Fight for my Way

Two life-long friends decide to go after their dreams

I fast-forwarded large chunks of this (I wasn’t interested in the secondary couple at all), but it still made my favourite list because I love the leads - both as separate characters and as a couple. This is one of the best friends-to-lovers stories I’ve seen, mainly because you truly buy that these 2 have known each other their entire lives (their bickering and teasing feels so natural). And then when they take the next step, they’re so affectionate and refreshingly open with their feelings.

Male lead: The third Park Seo Joon character on this list! I love his contradictions. He’s goofy and childish…but can really turn on the sexy charm; he’s a badass MMA fighter…who loves when his girlfriend sticks up for him and protects him.

Tear-jerk factor: 0.5/5

11. Suspicious Partner

A young, hardworking lawyer has her life turned upside down when she is put on trial for murder.

This has been officially bumped up to my favourites list - partly because I’m now a massive Ji Chang Wook fan, and partly because I’ve rewatched scenes with better subtitles and its made it 10x better. Its still overly long, but the serial killer plot had some nice twists and it was central to the story, so it didn’t feel extraneous like some of these types of plots do. I really enjoyed the central romance - the 2 characters sparked off each other well and I loved their evolution from sort-of enemies to lovers. This is another show where I can endlessly rewatch their scenes together.

Male lead: Its Ji Chang Wook! He’s so good at playing serious guys who are secretly big dorks.

Tear Jerk factor: 0.5/5

NOTABLE MENTIONS

These are shows which I completed and really enjoyed but they had flaws which kept them out of the favourites list.

1. The K2

An ex-mercenary takes a job as a bodyguard protecting the illegitimate daughter of a politician. A sort-of Snow White retelling.

This started off really well, with some amazing fight sequences (hello, shower room scene!). However, the back half became too bogged down in double crosses and manipulations, and it focussed too much on the politicians. The writers did well to give these characters some layers, but they were all essentially doing bad things for the wrong reasons, and I just didn’t care about them. The show was much better when it was following K2’s journey. The romance also started off well, but was a bit underdeveloped (mainly because they barely interacted).

2. I Am Not a Robot

A man who is allergic to human contact finds companionship with a robot…or does he?

I honestly thought I wouldn’t make it passed a couple of episodes of this - the concept was just too ridiculous. But I’m glad I persevered, because it developed some real depth and some proper good angst towards the end and I LOVED the central relationship.

3. Extraordinary You

A high school student discovers she's a supporting character in a comic book

The plot of this was so unique, and the way the comic story played out interspersed with the characters 'real lives' was really well done. Plus the central couple were so adorable. It dragged in the middle section (several versions of the same conversations were had, and the same exposition was spelled out multiple ways for no apparent reason) which kept it out of my favourite list, but it redeemed itself with some good angst at the end, and it had a really lovely ‘epilogue'.

4. My Love from the Star

Alien stranded on earth meets an actress soon before he’s due to be rescued.

I finally gave this another chance, and I’m glad I did. The female lead got a LOT less irritating, and I enjoyed the present-day romance and all the flashes back to the past. However, the ending was really abrupt and disappointing (which kept it out of my favourite list). There should have been 1 less filler episode in the middle, and a decent, fleshed out finale instead.

5. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo

A young talented weightlifter experiences first love

Honestly, I wasn’t sold on this at first; the female lead was a bit much (lot of gurning and over-acting) and there was a weird disconnect between how she was described (big, overweight, manly, unfeminine) and how she actually looked (thin and beautiful!). But the back half of this show saved it; her relationship with Joon-Hyung was sooooo cute. He is adorable, and they were both so supportive of each other’s dreams. I finished this with a big smile on my face.

6. Because this is my First Life

A rational-to-a-fault software designer and an aspiring screenwriter come up with an unconventional way to solve their housing problem

When I started this, I thought it was going to be all light and fluffy (the main character's job in the beginning was to insert the product placement in Korean dramas - hello, Red Ginseng! - which I found hilarious and meta) but it had a surprisingly melancholic tone throughout and touched on issues of workplace harassment and gender roles. I didn't warm to the male lead until right at the end (which was probably partly intentional - he's very remote and closed off) but overall I found the story quite lovely. Plus it had a really great central female friendship and their conversations actually passed the Bechdel test!

7. Strong Girl Bong-Soon

A woman with inherited super-strength gets a job as a bodyguard for an eccentric young CEO

The lead couple in this are AD-OR-ABLE and I loved their relationship. But there was a weird tone issue in this show. The romance is super cute...but there’s a whole dark sub plot involving multiple women being held captive by a psychopath. I ended up fast forwarding most of that, and just concentrated on the romance.

THE OTHERS...

I finished these shows and liked parts of them, but they ultimately didn’t set my world on fire.

1. Her Private Life

A talented art curator tries to keep her professional persona separate from her fangirl obsession with a pop idol.

This was cute and I loved the central relationship - he was so supportive of her, and their interactions were refreshingly mature and their banter felt really natural. Ultimately, it was a bit forgettable (I’m not dying to rewatch any of it), and the last minute tacked-on childhood trauma subplot was really unnecessary.

2. Touch Your Heart

Star actress rocked by scandal works at a law firm to prepare for her comeback role

This starred the secondary couple from Goblin and I really like them, even though they are playing very different characters in this (more opposites attract, than doomed lovers). At first I found this too ‘cutesy’, but I’ve since realised the sound effects/graphics are a K-drama thing and not unique to this show, so I’m not as down on it as I was. I still had to fast forward a lot of the secondary romances which I wasn’t invested in.

3. Hyde, Jekyll and Me

A woman becomes involved in the lives of 2 men, who share one body

This stars Hyun Bin from CLOY and he is sooo watchable, especially as the slick-haired, glasses-wearing, uptight Seo-Jin. And the show started well...but quickly went off the rails into a convoluted, dragged-out revenge plot.

4. Melting Me Softly

Two people are accidentally cryogenically frozen for 20 years. They have to navigate the modern world and their new lives together.

Another good concept, but it ultimately descended into little more than a light work-place romance. Had a couple of good kissing scenes, but it was overall a bit forgettable.

And the DNF:

My Secret Romance

I started watching this because I was looking for something a little less PG - the characters have a one night stand in the first episode! But I couldn’t get passed the bad acting and cheap production.

Master’s Sun

I liked the premise but the 2 leads weren’t very attractive (at least in comparison to the insanely beautiful actors/actresses in the shows listed above). Call me superficial, but I couldn’t see myself spending 17 hours watching them and willing them to kiss.

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arsonist-chicken · 3 years

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Lockdown Tag game; I got tagged by @we-are-not-amoosed thank you! I keep forgetting you know I exist, also I hope you had fun being drunk at midnight on a Tuesday hjhjhj.

First of all, a big FUCK YOU to tumblr, because I was at the LAST QUESTION and opened ONE NEW TAB to look up the word windmill, and when I went back to tumblr, my post was GONE, so here we go again. If an answer seems short of half-answered, it’s because I didn’t feel like typing everything again.

Are you staying home from work or school?

HA. Yes. Love that for me. Not at all. My university opened for 1 1/2 weeks in March 2020, then for another 4 weeks in November, and it has been closed ever since. I’m in my dormitory in the town I study in, not home home at my parents’ place though, because that would Not end well. The internet connection sucks though, that’s really annoying with distance learning. When I go into The City for A Thing, I usually cycle past my department and it makes we Yearn to go back in there, which is a thing I didn’t think would ever happen, but one pandemic later and suddenly everyone would kill for the change to go back to work/school in person, wouldn’t we?

If you’re staying home who is there with you?

I live in a dormitory, so technically, there’s a lot of other people there, but I don’t really talk to any of them except for when we meet in the hallways or the kitchen or wherever, so really it’s just me, the stuffed animal my friend got me last year because I kept whining that I didn’t have a cat like her at her boyfriend’s place where she basically lives now, and the birds who come to eat from the bird house I put on my balcony.

If it makes you feel any better @we-are-not-amoosed, not that I think it will but hey, who knows, my twin sister is moving out in December, so I will be the only child at home with my parents during summer/Christmas/Easter break, which will be Not Fun. I’ll take another 1 ½ years for my degree, and another 2 if I do a master’s, so that’s about... 1-3/4 years I’ll be alone with my parents while my perfect sister gets to move out and move on and live Adult Life fully respected as an Adult working with renewable energy, as opposed to the Disappointment who takes 5 years for a 3 year degree in a field that’s hard to find employment in and never Does Stuff like my mother wants me to Do Stuff.

Are you a homebody?

I’m with @we-are-not-amoosed there, I didn’t know what that meant, but Pons says “Stubenhocker”. A bit I guess? I’m definitely fine being home by myself if I’m unbothered there (read: not at my parents’ when they are home) and I do need time by myself to recharge. But probably like everyone else, I crave and enjoy social contact a ton more than Before. I meet a friend fairly often (aka the only friend still here instead of home for distance learning), and today we worked together (handing out flyers which idk why the company pays us to hand them out, like 95% of them get thrown away immediately, but hey, we’re getting paid 🤷) and then went to sit by the river, and there were SO MANY people there, it was not *entirely* corona-compliant (but outside with town-typical wind, so it’s fine I think, with my non-existent knowledge about spreading of viruses and such), but honestly? I just couldn’t be bothered to care in that moment: it was warm and sunny, I was there with a very close friend, people were laughing and dancing to good music, it was just so GOOD to be there, almost as if Corona didn’t exist. The police even drove by like they always do to check for people smoking weed and didn’t say anything like usual, so hey. It was just so good, okay? So, homebody? Within reason, I guess, but less than Before, probably.

An event you were looking forward to that eventually got cancelled?

Oh boy, SO MANY. The one I’m most bitter about was a very prestigious international interpreting event, that would have involved me interpreting in the actual European Parliament building in Strasbourg. But there was also a festival week with my best friend I was looking forward to, maybe even a second festival with another friend, my company’s ten year anniversary party, etc. And Prides! I came out to my family in 2019, and was like “Yay, I can finally go to Prides now!” but well 🤷

DUDE SO MANY ARE YOU KIDDING ME

CONCERTS: 5SOS (I SHOULD HAVE heard “Old Me” in a crowd full of other people getting nostalgic for their past selves, but NO), Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Rock im Park aka GREEN DAY AND RISE AGAINST (I have been trying to see Rise Against for YEARS and ALWAYS something gets in the way!), one or two small local artists.

ERASMUS: I should have gone to Russia for a semester to improve my not-too-great speaking skills but Corona said FUCK YOU you will study ALONE and LONELY in your ROOM like a child on TIMEOUT

PRIDE: none in particular, just generally it would have been nice to go, maybe even with a friend to the one in Vienna

Also just general stuff like birthdays and get-togethers with friends, and my club’s annual get-together was cancelled too, and it would have been my friend, sister and my’s 10-year-anniversary, so that sucked to get cancelled.

What movies have you watched recently?

Movies? Pfuh, I don’t know, I’m not really into movies anymore, tbh. TV-series and games are more my jam.

Descendants 1 +2, I finally watched those after I read so much fanfiction that I knew the plot without having watched a single scene that isn’t a music video that youtube kept showing me. They’re nice enough, if you overlook the fact that they make a 16-year-old king while there’s still perfectly capable adults but whatever, there’s a lot of cute moments (Carlos and Jane omg) and a lot of funny ones (UMA. Is HILARIOUS), the music kind of slaps ngl, and arguably Mal + Evie are queer and in love. I still want to watch the third soon, and rewatch The Hunger Games since it showed up on my dash recently.

What shows are you watching?

Rewatching Julie and the Phantoms forever until the end of time (or until season 2 comes out @netflix, and I started Brooklyn 99 again for background noise/low-energy background watching. A friend recommended Ginny & Georgia and it’s okay enough, but it’s written in a way that makes you want to keep watching because there’s just such whack stuff happening that you want it explained; it’s 1h episodes though, that’s a bit hard on my attention span. I want to rewatch FMA:B some time, too.

What are you reading?

@we-are-not-amoosed said “tumblr posts and the texts I translate at work” and if that isn’t a Mood. I’d love to read more, but my attention span is shit and my reading comprehension even worse. I *am* reading “Explain to me like I’m 5” atm which explains stuff easily, like, well, you’re 5 years old, so you’d think a 23-year-old could understand, no? No. I read it, I vaguely understand some stuff, I close the book, and it’s G-O-N-E, not a single thing left. Literally the only thing I remember – and this is why I had to re-write ^^^all that because I needed to look up the English word for Windräder, if that’s even what they’re called in German but whatever I’m tired – is that insects and birds die a LOT in windmills when they get too close and get sucked in and can’t escape anymore, which is one of the reasons windmills aren’t as environmentally friendly as we thought when we built them. Anyhow, I’d love to read more, but idk, there are a lot of posts on here, some I’ve reblogged, that are like.. something something reading fanfiction is easier because you already know the characters and universe something something less mental energy something something idk. Yeah I mostly read fanfiction these days. I hope I’ll get back to reading books sometime soon-ish, I have a long list.

What are you doing for self-care?

Hm. I meet my friend I mentioned above pretty regularly, and I have a notebook that I write stuff in that was nice or made me happy when that happened (like today: working with my friend and then sitting among people by the river in the sun with said friend). I’m getting a tattoo next week (3 cat paws + 1 dog paw = technically my two cats and my late cat and dog, but well, two of them are dead, so I asked two friends for a paw print of their cat and dog, so I’ll always have those two with me, too). I try to make a to-do-list each day, but I rarely stick to it. I apply eyeshadow and body glitter if I want to, I dye my hair bright colors (think pink, purple, blue, red, maybe orange next). I always have chocolate in my room meaning I stopped depriving myself of food I like/food in general because it’s “healthier”/”I need to lose weight” etc. all that you know all those great reasons. I went to a doctor about my knee and it ended up being useless but I went, so.

I also went to see a therapist but she is very useless, like “ended our first session telling me well she doesn’t know how to help me/if she can help me at all/if therapy would even help me” kind of useless; I’ll go again next week and see if that changes or if next week will be the last week and I’ll go back to Dealing Like Before, which is not great but whatever. I’ve lived until 23 without therapy, surely I can keep doing it. Therapy’s expensive if it’s not covered (which this doctor IS which is why I went to her but it’s still a waste of time) and if it’s not gonna work/not gonna help me apparently or if there’s nothing actually wrong OR that therapist is just like, bad at her job, what’s the point of going yk?

Uggggh, I hope the swimming pools and Zumba class will be open again soon, Zumba (also with said friend) is AMAZING, easy fun exercise you don’t need any knowledge or skill for and you can hang out with your friend by the street after for an hour and say goodbye five times and then remember one more thing you wanted to actually still mention and stand there for another 20 minutes hjhjhj. Best times, truly.

Idk this is probably not self-care but I got a small job working with Austrian German and it gnetflix the chance to save up a bit and add it to my resume and also hopefully get my mother to shut up about my non-existent job prospects for a bit, so that’s kind of helping in making me feel a bit more like I’m Being An Adult (also because it means I have to learn how to change my insurance and finance department stuff now, yey).

Tagging: @languages-and-else @psychicbouquetblaze-stuff @the-real-daddy-van-der-bellen @sunsetcurveofficial if you feel like doing it, also sorry @we-are-not-amoosed it became such a rambled long answe on almost everything hjhjhj

#tag games #me talks #covid-19 #swearing #It’s a post about corona there Must be swearing

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rebelsarestrongashell · 4 years

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A Complicated Profession - Part 2

A/N: How amazing was episode 3?!? Not my best writing but really wanted to get this update out, still getting use to reader inserts! Also, this is way longer than I thought it would be! Hope you enjoy!

Binders still on, the Mandalorian quickly shoves you into the cockpit of his large, beaten down ship.

“Who hired you?” You ask with little patience

“If you’re asking who put the bounty on your head, I don’t know, take a seat,” Mando replied sharply, pointing to the chair behind the pilot's seat and not even bothering to look at you.

“Well, who gave you the puck?”

The Mandalorian ignored you as he messed with the controls and lifted the ship into the air.

“Greef Carga. I’m in the guild; he gives me the pucks.” He finally responded.

“And what were you told I was wanted for?”

“Smuggling.”

You couldn’t contain the laughter that erupted from you, finally causing Mando to turn his head towards you.

“Smuggling,” You repeated through the laughter, “That is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. Please tell me you saw straight through that when I saw I lived on a farm.”

“Yes. It doesn’t change that you’re the highest bounty I’ve seen in some time.”

“How much?”

“That’s nothing you need to worry about,” Mando had run out of patience with you, “Now keep quiet before I make you.”

He turned his complete attention to the controls has the ship left the planet’s atmosphere. You set your thoughts to the events that had just occurred. Somebody is lying to get to you, and whether it’s a careful friend or foe wasn’t clear yet. Cases could be made for each. Silence had taken over the cockpit when the hologram of an older man appeared on the dash.

“Mando! Have you obtained the quarry yet?”

“Yes, not without some trouble from other hunters, though.”

“That’s what I was afraid of. Another bounty has been placed on her, and it’s twice as high. They want proof of death.”

Your heart plummeted, the wind completely knocked out of you. The Mandalorian’s head was again turned towards you, just over his shoulder. You did your best to keep a neutral expression, but who exactly was after you was starting to click into place and you couldn’t push the fear away for much longer.

“I’m bringing her in alive like I was hired to do.”

“Good. The client has offered to bump up your reward if you bring her straight to them alive. Safe passage, Mando.”

With the ship now on autopilot, the Mandalorian spun his seat towards. He didn’t speak, just stared, seeming to study you and wait for something but you weren’t sure what.

“Are you expecting a thank you?” You asked firmly, wanting to break the growing tension.

“Who wants you dead?”

“I don’t know.” You lied.

“For some reason, I don’t believe that,” He leaned in closer, “I also don’t believe you’ve been a quiet farmer all your life.”

“Well, I’m not concerned about what you believe.”

In a flash, he has his blaster drawn and aimed towards you “I could use a vacation, and the reward for your proof of death would be more than enough.”

“Oh stop with the dramatics, you’re not going to shoot me or you would have done so already,” You leaned in even closer to the Mandalorian, so you were only a foot away from his helmet, “Besides, you don’t seem like the kind of man who is fond of vacations.”

There was a pregnant pause as he seemed to calculated his next move before slowly placing his blaster back into his holster and turning his attention back to the controls, quickly sending the ship into hyperspace.

“Whatever it is you actually did, you’re lucky those you set the original bounty seem determined to keep you alive.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. It’s never simple.”

In your few experiences with bounty hunters, they never seemed to ask questions like this one does. Most wouldn’t give a second thought about who would want you dead. Even more confusing, most would jump at the chance for a high bounty. You should be dead by now, but here you are, still among the living. Maybe it was just a Mandalorian thing. This was your first time meeting one.

Neither one of you speaks for the rest of the journey, but he does occasionally look over his shoulder at you, making sure you didn’t magically disappear, you guess. He exits hyperspace, and you’re not sure what city, let alone what planet you’re descending on. The sky is clear, but yet a gray fog seems to cling to the air. As the ground comes closer, you can make out a handful of figures appearing to be awaiting your arrival.

“Those the clients?”

“Yes.”

The ship is now close enough that you can make out their faces, and the overwhelming feeling of panic takes over. These were no friends. You haven’t seen him since the day the Death Star was destroyed, and the Empire fell when he helped you escape and parted ways. His face tells you everything you need to know. He knows the truth, and there is no way you are walking out of this alive.

The ship lands, and you are desperate. “You can’t hand me over to these people please, please listen to me!”

Without a word, he effortlessly lifts you out of your seat, and the door of the cockpit opens. You try to plant your feet, but it is no use. You spin so you’re face to face with him, “Look, I’m sorry I called you a shitty bounty hunter and have been overall very aggravating, but these people will kill me, and I know bounty hunters never care, but there is something bigger at play here!”

The Mandalorian pauses, seeming to take in your words before body stiffens, “You’re right, I don’t care.”

You squeeze your eyes shut, preparing for what is lying ahead. You take in a few deep breathes, thinking about your peaceful farm, the clear skies, and wind blowing through the crops. You think about the handful of happy memories you had before the war. You guess this is what it is like to have your life flash before your eyes. You try your best to hold back the tears you feel forming, but one escapes anyway. You knew the dangers of the game when you agreed to play, and now you are meeting them face to face. Lifting your chin, you open your eyes to see the Mandalorian still staring down at you but with a tilted head of confusion.

“Let’s get this over with, show you I’m right.”

You turn to leave the cockpit when something catches your eye in the corner, “Can I at least have my staff and blaster back?”

“No.”

The ramp descends, and you feel him right behind you, grabbing your arm and leading the way because apparently, you can’t handle walking on your own. You roll your eyes and take a quick peek at him behind your shoulder; his body is still tense. He’s on edge, and you can tell he trusts this situation as much as you do. You feel slightly less annoyed that he is holding on to you.

You used to be the best of the best, that is why they sent you, but that was years ago. However, as you make your way down the ramp, you start calculating the possible outcomes, and you can feel the old training beginning to kick in. You counted eight of them with your old pal, Ragnar, in the middle. All but Ragnar had their weapons drawn, clearly ready to take you in peacefully.

“You’re going to want to get out of here as soon as possible after you hand me off.” You whisper to Mando.

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

You couldn’t help but smirk at the sarcasm.

The two of you came to a halt a few feet in front of the group. Ragnar bore holes into you, waiting for you to blink first, but you didn’t, you refused.

A sudden smile appear on his weathered face, “Well there you are,” He held out his arms like he was about to embrace you, “I’m so glad we found you before those who wanted to harm you, I couldn’t even imagine.”

The Mando pulled you back, just out of Ragnar’s reach. Acknowledging Mando’s presence for the first time, he gave him a quick look of confusion before clearing his throat, “Ah yes,” He nodded towards one of his men, “You want payment before handing her over.”

A large man stepped forward with a steel case, setting it down in front of Ragnar.

“It’s not as much as the bounty put out for the others for proof of death, but it is higher than what you were promised. We appreciate your integrity.”

Mando’s grip on you tightened just enough for you to notice, and you heard a faint click from your binders. You kept your eyes locked on Ragnar, steel demeanor unchanged. A few tensioned filled seconds passed until Mando slowly started pushing you forwards to Ragnar.

An unkind shove officially transferred you to your enemies. Without another word, Mando turned and made his way up the ramp of his ship, picking up his payment on the way.

One of Ragnar’s men grabbed hold of your arm. His grip had a roughness to it that Mando’s did not. No one in the group moved, but all blasters were aimed at you, seeming to wait until the Mandalorian was good and gone before they killed you. But instead of the ship lifting off, Mando reappeared moments later with your staff in hand.

In the blink of an eye, he tossed your staff to you and while everyone was caught off guard, you spun and struck your captor across the head before swiping Ragnar off his feet. Your unlocked binders fell off with ease, and the sounds of firing blasters rung out around you.

Mando had already taken out two men by the time you grabbed Ragnar’s blaster, taking out the two men that were charging and firing at you.

“Get back on the ship!” Mando yelled at you.

Before you did, you looked back down at Ragnar, his eyes now filled with rage.

“They are coming for you,” He spat, “You will burn for your treachery.”

“Give it your best shot.” You spat right back before firing the blaster right at his chest.

“Let’s go!” Mando yelled as more of Ragnar’s men were charging at you from the city.

You sprinted up the ramp as he fired upon the incoming attackers. Suddenly Mando yelled in pain. You turned and saw him clutching his arm, struck by the incoming fire. You sprint towards, firing back at the men getting closer, giving him cover to get on the ship.

Arm now profusely bleeding, Mando closes the ramp and stumbles into the cockpit.

“Let me help.” You said, right on his tail.

“No. Sit.” He grunts, clearly in a tremendous amount of pain.

The ship roars to life, and you fall back into your seat as Mando roughly lifts the ship into the air. He ascends as quick as he cans before anyone can follow you. Within moments he had made the jump into hyperspace. For a moment there is peace in the silence, the calm beeps of the ship soothe you but still feel like you haven’t exhaled. Unsure of what to say and still trying to comprehend what just happened, you aimlessly stare at the back of Mando’s helmet.

“If I’m going to continue to risk my life for you, you’re going to have to tell me why.” the Mandalorian’s smooth voice behind the helmet brought you out of your trance.

Clearing your throat to respond, you notice the blood on his left arm, “Your arm needs looked at, do you have a medkit somewhere?”

“I can take care of it myself.”

“But you don’t have to.”

He turned towards you, and you could feel the frustration emanating from him.

“I need answers.”

“Sometimes it easier for me to talk when my hands are busy. Less thinking goes into it.”

Mando, once again, tilts his head and studies you, trying to figure you all out.

“Just outside of the cockpit, on the wall.” He sighs.

You give him a small smile and make your way to the hallway. The medkit is precisely where he said it would be, and he is already on the bench waiting for you.

You take a seat next to him and starting cleaning off his wound, ignoring his winces of pain, his helmet staring down at you the entire time.

“So…”

You let out a deep exhale. You don’t recall telling the full story to anyone before, but this bounty hunter that you’ve been on the run from for months, just risked everything to save your life. He deserves to know.

“That man, his name is Ragnar Syyn," You began, "He was an imperial officer." You paused to see if you make out any sort of reaction behind the helmet but there was none. He was listening, not judging so you continued. "For the past few years, since the fall of the Empire, I’ve been hiding away on my little farm in the outer rim. Hoping to find some sort of peace and to live out the rest of my days.”

“Hiding because you were part of the Empire?”

“I was a spy. I was a rebel who was able to infiltrate the Empire successfully, and it appears the remnants just found out, and they’re not going to like the information I have.”

Tag List: @sargesbestgirl @zoogrl05 @poisonivy123 @maryan028 @thefandomzoneisdangerous @loveharrington @reblogin-manic

#the mandalorian #reader x the mandalorian #the mandalorian x reader #dyn jarren #pedro pascal #mando #star wars

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snowdice · 4 years

Text

Mistaken Identities

Fandom: Sanders Sides

Relationships: Logan/Deceit/Roman (more pre-romantic relationship) Roman/Deceit (more of the focus)

Characters:

Main: Deceit, Roman

Appear: Logan, Remus

Summary:

Roman was just walking out of an ice-cream shop when an unfamiliar man’s irate voice made him pause mid lick and look up. “Dammit Remus, I told you to meet me two blocks that way and you’re getting ice cream?”

Now as an identical twin, especially one with a brother who had a… certain personality, he wasn’t exactly unused to this sort of thing happening. So, he promptly opened his mouth to say, “Oh no I’m not…”

“Remus, I don’t care right now,” he interrupted. “Get in the car.”

“But-”

The man snapped his fingers and a hand descended on his shoulder. “Get him in the car.”

Roman meets Deceit and later Logan when he is mistaken for his brother who is apparently doing SOMETHING with his life.

Notes: Drugs mentioned, guns, contemplating shooting someone, fear, someone thinks they might be killed, kidnapping (accidental), mistaken identities.

This is a prequel to my fic “You I’ll Come Back For” ( Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 ) which was my Dice Roll 5 fic. It is not necessary that you read that one first. In fact I ended up liking this one better in the end.

Roman had been enjoying his day off from the police department. He’d slept in a bit and then went out to get lunch. It was nice to not have to wear starchy dress cloths for once. Instead he was in a pair of jeans and a hoody that said “Double the Trouble ;)” courtesy of his brother, Remus last Christmas. He wasn’t particularly a fan of the design of the hoody, but it was probably the most comfortable thing he owned and today was a comfortable sort of day.

He was just walking out of an ice-cream shop when an unfamiliar man’s irate voice made him pause mid lick and look up. “Dammit Remus, I told you to meet me two blocks that way and you’re getting ice cream?”

“Remus, I don’t care right now,” he interrupted. “Get in the car.”

“But-”

The man snapped his fingers and a hand descended on his shoulder. “Get him in the car,” the man hissed. Roman was then basically picked up and shoved through an open car door. Holy shit. What the fuck was happening? The car door was closed firmly behind him.

“Dude, Boss Man is gonna kill you,” a man in the passenger seat said as ‘Boss Man’ and the brute who’d just shoved Roman into the car rounded the vehicle. ‘Boss man’ got in the backseat with Roman and the other man got in the driver seat.

“Um…” Roman said.

“Did you at least bring the gun?” What? On Earth?? Was Remus??? Doing????

“…No,” Roman said.

“Oh, what a surprise,” ‘Boss Man’ scoffed. He shoved an unassembled gun and some bullets at Roman. Roman took the pieces with a grimace. Wow! He really! Didn’t want! His fingerprint on this!! “Drive,” he demanded and the man in the driver’s seat did without question.

Oh god who was this man? Roman studied him out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t exactly look like a nice person. He was wearing a full-on business suit with a dark yellow tie and there was a cane next to him that Roman had been too distracted to know if he needed it to move. Half of his face was like marble, smooth and cold and the other half had a nasty scar that forced one side of his lips into a permanent scowl. The guy had to be a mob boss or something, clearly. He was also clearly furious. At Remus, but unfortunately, Roman had Remus’s face.

Roman doubted telling him he was actually Remus’s twin brother and also a cop would do him any favors, so he endeavored to shut up, get away as soon as possible to call for backup, and strangle his brother at the first opportunity.

The car ride was unbearably silent for the entire 30 minutes it took them to get to their destination. A warehouse. Yeah. That was… that was just about right.

He exited the car on his own power. ‘Boss man’ it turned out did not need the cane but carried it with him anyway, so that was… fun. He followed the men into the warehouse. Please don’t have any dead bodies in there. Please don’t have any dead bodies.

There were no dead bodies, thank god, but there were a couple of suspicious looking crates. ‘Boss man’ twirled his finger in the air and the other two men jumped into action. Roman looked over at the leader with wide eyes. He was probably supposed to know what to do at the signal.

“What?” ‘Boss man’ snapped harshly when he saw Roman looking.

“Nothing at all sir,” Roman said.

“Sir?” the man asked. Shit. Shit. You’re Remus right now motherfucker. After a moment’s pause he gave an approximation of a crude wink and the man’s face twisted up. “Ugh,” he said, but he turned away. “Put the gun together.” Great, yeah. Roman easily was able to assemble and load the gun with practiced fingers and clicked on the safety. Not having his holster for obvious reasons, he grimaced and went to stick it in his waistband. An arm grabbed his wrist firmly and Roman froze.

“I’ve told you before,” ‘Boss Man’ growled. “Properly store your gun.”

“I don’t have a holster.”

“Of course, you don’t.” He took the gun and, as much as Roman hadn’t wanted to be holding that in the first place, he even more did not want to not be holding it. He walked away with it and grabbed a holster from a bag on one of the boxes. Roman shadowed his footsteps. He turned around and pressed the gun and holster to Roman’s chest. They locked eyes for a moment. “What?” ‘Boss Man’ asked. “You’re acting rather serious today. No stupid jokes? No offering to suck me off to get out of trouble.” Holy fuck Remus. Seriously? “Did you finally discover some common sense?”

Roman had to be careful here. He didn’t want to give himself away as not Remus, just in case these men knew Remus had a cop brother, but he also didn’t want to push like Remus would and get the shit beat out of him because he didn’t know how far to go. He kept his eyes on ‘Boss Man.’ “Maybe I did,” he said simply.

‘Boss Man’ blinked in surprise and seemed slightly thrown for the first time. “W-well good,” he replied. “Now go help them unload.”

Roman nodded his agreement and went over to the others. He looked in the first box.

It was drugs. Of course, it was drugs. Great, more things he did not want his fingerprints on.

He helped the other two unload and organize the contents of the crates for the next hour or so. Shortly after that was all done, ‘Boss Man’ got a phone call.

“Hey,” Roman said to the man who’d shoved him in the car earlier while ‘Boss Man’ was distracted, Roman’s phone burning a hole in his pocket. If he could just get a moment alone… “If you don’t mind, I’m going to go step out for a minute...”

“Absolutely not Remus,” the man growled. “I’m not letting you wonder off again like last time.” Great so not only was his brother a drone for the fucking mafia or whatever, but he was a flighty drone and now it was going to be harder for Roman to get away. Figured.

His window of opportunity snapped shut along with the flip phone. ‘Boss Man’ looked over at them. “You two,” he said to the men with Roman, “scram. Remus,” he snapped his fingers, “here.” Great… Roman eyed him. He wondered if he could take him out. Maybe if he had the element of surprise? Of course, the man knew Remus so any type of surprise Roman could come up with would probably be easily anticipated and the man was super jacked under that business suit. Roman could tell by the way he moved.

Roman did have a gun though.

…

Maybe, if he had an opportunity.

For now, he walked over to him like a well-trained dog and sat in a chair when ‘Boss Man’ motioned to it with his head.

Roman listened as the other men left quickly and watched the man in front of him. He was holding the end of the cane, his thumb rubbing over the… was that a snake head engraved at the top? Roman felt his throat tighten. This was a dangerous man. The snake was an appropriate symbol for him to have. He seemed poised to dig poisonous fangs into Roman’s neck. He was absolutely terrifying and Roman wanted nothing more than to curl up into a little ball or better yet run away and hide, but he couldn’t. He had to pretend to be Remus until he could get out of this mess.

Roman forced his shoulders to relax and leaned back in the chair like Remus always did when he was in trouble at school.

‘Boss Man’s’ eyes tracked him, and he sneered. “Why do I even bother with you?” he asked. “I should just send you straight to the chopping block.”

Roman reeled in his fear. Channel Remus. “‘Cause I’m pretty,” he said with a toothy smile.

‘Boss Man’ actually seemed slightly amused at that. Right track. “I wouldn’t touch your disgusting body with the end of my cane,” he informed him, and lazily pointed the spoken of object at him, hovering it right in front of his nose as though to demonstrate.

Roman swallowed. “Disgusting?” he asked with a head tilt. “I took my monthly shower this morning.”

The grin that appeared lightened his face just a bit. “Oh, is that why the car didn’t stink so badly today?”

“Hey I’m musky,” Roman replied.

He shook his head with an eyeroll, putting the cane back on the ground. “You are something.”

“Something saucy.” He winked. ‘Boss Man’ finally turned his intense eyes from Roman and Roman could actually take a breath.

About 10 minutes later, they heard a car pull up. ‘Boss Man’ stood to face the door, hand going to a gun that had been hidden under his suit jacket. Roman tried not to shift nervously. A man entered the warehouse and ‘Boss Man’s’ posture relaxed a bit, his hand moving from the gun.

The man got closer and Roman barely kept his jaw from flopping to the floor.

“Remus, this is Logan Berry,” ‘Boss Man’ said. Oh. Roman knew. He didn’t know the man personally, but he was the head of one of the other departments at work. What the fuck? What the fuck was Roman uncovering? Was this some kind of deep-rooted conspiracy his brother was wrapped up in?

Logan seemed to mistake the look on his face for something else. “Don’t worry,” he said. “I’m a cop and I know all about,” he waved his hand, “this.”

Okay, great and would you mind explaining what this is? Roman thought.

He turned back to ‘Boss Man’. “Okay, the job is to infiltrate the drug ring. You’re sure Remus is the guy.”

“Trust me,” the boss said dryly. “Remus can pretend to be a crack addict easily.”

Wait, what?

“Good. We need to get these drug dealers out of my city. They’re dangerous. I very much appreciate your agency’s willingness to work with us on this.”

“Well, I owe your office a couple and stopping dangerous drug dealers is part of my job.”

“Oh my god,” Roman realized, jumping to his feet. “Oh my god you’re a cop? Thank god!” Both of the men turned to him in confusion.

“Remus,” ‘Boss Man’ said tiredly. God did Roman know that expression personally and now that he knew his brother wasn’t really a drug dealer assassin or something, he could find humor in it. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“I’m guessing Remus never mentioned he was an identical twin,” Roman said dryly.

‘Boss Man’ clearly didn’t believe him. “Remus please, can whatever you’re doing wait?”

Roman put up one finger and grabbed his cell phone from his coat pocket. He pressed speed dial and put it on speaker phone.

“What, Dick?” his brother asked when he picked up.

“What the fuck have you been doing with your life, you absolute bastard?”

“You’ll have to be more specific.”

“How about we start with something about whatever you were supposed to be doing on second street two or so hours ago.”

“…Shit.”

“You’re actually not Remus,” ‘Boss Man’ said, flabbergasted.

“By the way, you’re on speaker phone Jackass,” Roman informed him.

“Oh fuck. Hi Deedee.”

“I’m going to hang you Remus,” ‘Boss Man’ growled.

“Kinky.”

“Ew!” Roman spat. “Why was I given all of the class and social skills in the womb?”

“Because I got all the sexy.”

“I’ll see you at your funeral Remus,” Roman said dryly and promptly hung up. He looked up at the other two men who were staring at him with wide eyes. Roman barked out a laugh and it came perhaps a bit more hysterically than intended. “I uh,” he said. “I’m gonna sit down.” He calmly sat back down on the chair as he felt the hours of absolute panic, he’d been suppressing wash over him. “Oh my god, you’re not going to kill me. You’re not going to kill me, right?”

“I am so sorry,” “Boss Man’ said. Then his brain caught up. “No, I’m definitely not going to kill you. Can’t say the same about your brother.” Roman snorted. The boss walked over and kneeled in front of him, his face suddenly a lot softer than it had been this whole time. “I am really truly sorry for this. I did not intend for this to happen.”

“Blame Remus.”

“Oh, I am.”

“Wow. Who would have thought? You kidnaping a man?” Berry said dryly.

“Are you still on about that? It was 4 years ago.”

Berry hummed and walked over to them. “I have to say I am very impressed by you, Roman was it? Dee is not easily fooled.”

Roman shrugged. “It was just Miss Carter’s 6th grade English class extreme edition.”

“No wonder Remus is such a good actor,” Dee said.

“Yeah he had to learn to pretend to not be a maniac at a young age if he wanted to pass his classes.” Roman winked.

Dee smiled softly at him. “How did you know how to prepare your weapon so well if you are a civilian?”

“Oh, I’m not actually a civilian. I’m a police officer too,” he said and looked up at Berry, “I work under Bailey. That’s why I was a little bit thrown when you were introduced. I knew who you were and was wondering what type of conspiracy plot I’d just stumbled on.”

Berry’s face crinkled up into a little bit of a smile. “Well, it is not that. Quite the opposite.”

“Speaking of, sorry Logan, but I don’t think we are going to be doing the drug bust today,” Dee said.

“I had figured as much. We will need to have a bit more of a debriefing with Roman here anyway.”

“Yes,” Dee answered and smoothly got to his feet. Wow, now that Roman wasn’t terrified of every movement the man made, he noticed that he had a very nice physique. “May I buy the both of you a drink as an apology for this mess?” He offered a hand to help Roman up.

“Sure,” Roman said taking it and letting the man pull him to his feet. He let his fingers trail over his hand just a bit when he let go and Dee blinked back at him before averting his eyes suddenly. Roman smiled just a bit.

“I don’t drink,” Berry said flatly. Roman watched Dee roll his eyes.

“How about pizza poppers,” Roman suggested. “There’s a bar I know that has some good ones. We can all grab something to eat and Dee and I can get a drink.”

Berry hesitated for a moment. “Very well,” he agreed. One of Dee’s eyebrows rose in surprise.

“Great,” Roman said, “because I need a drink.”

Thanks for reading!

For more with these three see A Bloody Handkerchief or check out my Masterpost for other fics.

#sanders sides #roman sanders #deceit sanders #logan sanders #roceit #roloceit #remus sanders #creativitwins #drugs #guns #kidnapping #accidental kidnapping #mistaken identity #adriana writes #deceit looking at remus: right face; wrong personality #deceit looking at roman: oh no #sympathetic everyone #cops and not robbers au

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erin-bo-berin · 5 years

Text

Faith (Part 2)

If you haven’t read part 1, called Hope, you can read it here

The final part to Hope is here! This is insanely long, the longest I’ve written yet. Not gonna lie I’m really glad I split it into two parts because all together it would’ve been nearly 13k words. Anyway, in this part you’re gonna get some Spencer POV, daddy Spencer (I might have gotten carried away with the cuteness, I apologize in advance) and some smut. Also I might’ve gotten carried away with that part as well, you’ve been warned. Quick fun fact: The Lonesome Bunny was an actual story I wrote in 5th grade that won in a competition. You’ll see that I’m referring to later on in the fic. Enjoy!

Spencer Reid/Reader

Word Count: 8,407

Rated: M (Smut)

So much can happen in a week.

Emily had gotten Spencer a great lawyer; one who happened to be a friend of hers. She reassured you that he was in good hands. Even that reassurance did nothing for the constant state of anxiety that twisted your stomach.

The next step was going to be his hearing. Rossi was already ready to post his bail and get him out of jail while he waited for his trial. The whole team had a moment to breathe, thinking that this next step would be a break in luck.

None of them saw what was coming. You, most of all.

After the shocking result of Spencer’s bail being denied, everyone had to face the fact that he was going to be sitting in a prison cell while awaiting trial. Emily and the rest of the team promised to work their hardest to get him out of there. You believed them, of course you did. But no one prepared you for how it would affect not only you, but your daughter as well.

“Daddy bye bye?”

You ran a hand over her hair, trying to smooth the loose curls before kissing her head.

“Daddy will be back soon.”

You weren’t sure if you were saying the words to comfort Abbie or yourself. Her wails and cries still rang in your ears, the haunting sound breaking your heart a little more each time you remembered them. She was too young to understand what was going on, but it was clear she knew something was wrong. You knew she could sense your stress, your despair.

She laid her head on your shoulder, eyes growing heavy. JJ had just gotten back from taking the boys and Abbie to see Diana. You passed on this initial trip, afraid your emotional state might upset her since she hadn’t any idea what had happened. Even though Diana didn’t understand what was going on in her own ways, you were glad the kids were able to lift her spirits.

Abbie whimpered, fighting sleep, rubbing her fists into her eyes.

“Hey, why don’t I take her and give you a little break?” Penelope said, reaching out to take her.

“Besides I always love some auntie Penelope time,” she grins, rubbing your shoulder, concern showing on her face. “We’re going to get him out of there okay?”

You nod, giving a small smile. She’d given you a visiting schedule she’d made, listing the order of her, you and the team could visit him. You were up second after her because since she’d made the chart, she got to go first—her words. It gave you a small comfort to know you’d be able to see him soon.

•

“What do you mean I’m not on the approved visitor list?!” you exclaimed.

“Spencer made his list of visitors…” Emily trailed off, “And you weren’t on it.”

“Why the fuck not?”

“I don’t know, Y/N,” she said, clearly feeling as helpless as you currently felt.

“So what does he want me to do? Sit at home, take care of Abbie and twiddle my thumbs?!”

You knew this entire situation was crazy. Spencer was going through a lot, the team was going through a lot, but yet your anger came. The only reason it came was to mask the hurt you felt. It was like a punch to the gut when you realized he didn’t even want to see you. With no reason or explanation why. You could get past the personal hurt even if he just wanted you to visit to talk about Abbie. After all, you were only his co-parent.

“I wish I knew what to tell you, Y/N. I can’t begin to imagine what’s going through his head right now.”

“I know, I know.” You rubbed your temples, the beginnings of a headache starting to pound behind your eyes.

“I just wish I could do something. At least you guys are able to work on his case to help and free him. I can’t even do that.”

You swallow, tears once again blurring your vision. You’d tried so hard not to cry in front of Abbie but now it was beginning to catch up to you.

“You’re doing something very important, Y/N.” Emily wrapped her arms around you and hugged you tight.

“Yeah? What’s that?” you mumbled into her shoulder.

She pulls away from you, holding you at arms length with her hands on your shoulders.

“Taking care of that little girl.” She points in the direction of her office window. You look out into the bullpen and Henry sitting at his mom’s desk with Abbie in his lap, both of them coloring.

“You’re taking the absolute best care of her until we can get Spencer out. I know it puts him at ease to know she isn’t alone.”

“How is he?” you asked, knowing she’d been to see him recently.

“Alright for now, he’s gotten some sleep. He was mainly concerned about Abbie and his mom. He didn’t say it, but I could tell her reaction just about broke him.”

“JJ said she cried herself to sleep,” you sighed, wanting nothing more than to scoop your baby up and hold her, to protect her.

“How’s she doing now?”

“Okay, I suppose. She’s been really fussy and clingy ever since it happened, I’m surprised she’s gone to anyone here so well. At home, she won’t even let me out of her sight. She keeps asking about daddy, too.”

“She’s a tough girl. She gets that after both of you.”

“I wish I felt as strong as you think I am.”

“MA MA!” You heard an excited shriek, all the way from the office.

“Yeah, she’s definitely Reid’s kid,” Emily commented.

You shake your head, exasperated, walking out of the office to head down to the bullpen.

“What baby?” you called, descending down the steps.

She’d gotten down from Henry’s lap and was toddling in your direction, a piece of paper in one hand, a crayon gripped in her other.

“Ook!” She held out the paper in your direction and you took it, picking her up in the process.

“It’s beautiful, baby girl,” you smile, looking at the scribbles on the page.

“We’re making pictures for Uncle Spencer,” Henry said, looking up from his own picture.

“I told the kids that they could draw pictures and I’d take them to show him when I go to visit him,” JJ said, “I remember you said that she loves to color and I thought I could take hers as well.”

You smiled, “He’ll like that.”

Looking around at all the lengths his team was going to, to help him made you realize just how much of a family the group was. You could feel their love for him, their determination to work their asses off to free him.

Suddenly, it felt like things might actually turn out okay.

•

38 days.

He’d been keeping track of the days with notches in the wall.

He’d been in prison for 38 days.

In that time Spencer had been jumped by a group of prisoners wanting to attack him since he was fresh meat. He was moved to a private cell. There he encountered even more problems. He was pressured to help move drugs within the prison which he time and time again refused to do. He befriended another prisoner in hopes of keeping him from being attacked only that effort resulted in him being beaten up instead.

The days were long and stretched out. He could feel his sanity slipping a bit more every day. Prison really was a place of desperation. The unthinkable happened inside these four walls.

He missed the team so much. He missed his mom. He missed his little girl. He missed Y/N.

The last time Emily had been to visit him she’d told him only what he expected; Y/N was bewildered, hurt and angry at his decision. He hadn’t said much on the topic. He did what he had to do.

Today’s visitor was JJ. He hadn’t seen her for a few weeks. Apparently there was a whole schedule for visiting him. He was so happy to finally see a familiar face again. It had seemed like weeks since he’d seen any of his friends when in reality—by his makeshift calendar—it had only been 6 days.

“Hey, how are you?” JJ asked, concern brightening her eyes.

“Okay, I guess. Just trying to survive here,” Spencer said.

Her brows furrowed and he knew what was coming next.

“You’re hurt. What happened?”

“It’s nothing, I’m fine. Why aren’t you working on a case?”

“Actually I stayed behind so I could visit you,” she answered.

“You shouldn’t have. You should’ve gone.”

“No. I should be here. You’re not alone in this Spence.”

He nodded, watching her through the glass that separated the two of them as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few papers.

“Henry drew this for you. See that’s you and that’s him. It’s from that day we went to the park.”

“Tell him it’s beautiful,” he could hear his own voice cracking, “Tell him I love it.”

JJ smiled, folding it again.

“I will.”

She opened another picture, showing scribbles, a heart and what appeared to be stick figures.

“Michael drew this one. He said he thought you needed lots of love while you were away on vacation and that he misses you.”

That brought a slight smile to his face. His youngest godson had quite the imagination and at only 3 had thought up that Spencer was away on vacation. His heart ached with how much he missed them. He watched JJ once again reach for another piece of paper.

“Another drawing?” He laughed dryly.

“I thought you might like to see this one too,” she said softly, “Abbie did this one for you.”

There was nothing but colorful scribbles on the page, the complete normal for an 18-month-old. But this was different because it was made by HIS 18-month-old. His little girl.

Of course he believed in his team that they’d get him out of here and catch Mr. Scratch—the asshole that put him here—but it was truly his baby girl that helped him go on. Abbie gave him faith. He had to have faith that he would get out of here and not give up. If he gave up, she might grow up without a father and he knew from firsthand experience that was the last thing he wanted for his child.

“She’s very artistic.” He tried to laugh, but it came out more of a dry, raspy sound.

“That she is,” JJ smiled.

“How is she?” Spencer whispered.

“Abbie? Or Y/N.”

“You know I mean Abbie.”

“Spence...why don’t you just reconsider your decision. Please?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Why not? She’s worried about you. She wants to see you too.”

“Jennifer. I don’t want to talk about this.”

“But Spen-”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it okay?” he snapped.

Her words died mid-sentence and she went quiet.

“I’m sorry JJ,” he ran his hands through his hair, then rubbed his eyes, “I didn’t mean to snap at you.”

“Have you been sleeping?” JJ’s concerned tone reappeared again.

“Not much.”

“I’m worried about you. We all are. I know this hasn’t been easy on you at all.”

“I can’t even explain it fully, JJ. There’s a sort of helplessness in here that causes people to do things they normally wouldn’t do.”

She seemed to be a loss of words. He didn’t say it to scare her or cause her worry, it was just the truth.

The alarm sounded, signaling that visitation time was up.

“Spencer.”

He looked back at her as he stood to leave.

“Please be careful okay? Keep your head down, don’t attract any unwanted attention.”

He nodded in response.

The hand of a security guard grabbed his arm, escorting him back to his cell. Every step took him back towards his own personal hell and away from the life he once so naively took advantage of.

•

Things didn't turn out okay. Bad news suddenly became the soup du jour.

Every time Emily or JJ, Rossi or Garcia gave you an update your outlook just became bleaker and bleaker. It was affecting everything in your life.

You’d cut the number of the interior jobs you normally did in half, not having the motivation nor the time to complete them. Soon you ended up taking a leave of absence. Fortunately, with the past financial aid of Spencer, you could afford to leave work. Your mood was affecting Abbie more and more, her often crying and wanting her daddy. Most days you felt like crying along with her.

You hated being in the dark. Technically you did get updates about what was happening, but you hadn’t seen him in 3 months. That night at the BAU when he was brought home had been the last time you’d been in his presence. Your anger at him for refusing to see you had faded leaving you feeling drained. You could only imagine how the team felt when they were the one trying their hardest to find Mr. Scratch.

In the last month, Spencer had witnessed his friend die, potentially poisoned and killed some drug dealers—you didn’t ask for specifics on that one—been beaten up pretty badly and stabbed himself to get into protective custody. You had no idea how the hell he’d survived all of this, but he had.

Many of your days were spent at the BAU now. When the group wasn’t off working on other cases they were required to give their attention to, you were at Quantico. How different it was spending so much time in the unit in comparison to 3 years ago. Then, you couldn’t stay long enough. Now, all you wanted was to be anywhere else.

You were seated on the couch in Emily’s office, attempting to keep Abbie preoccupied with a few toys. That was about all you could do now was to keep her attention elsewhere before she became irreconcilable once again.

You were making her favorite bunny plushie kiss her repeatedly causing her to giggle when the door busted open and in ran Penelope.

“Y/N, Y/N! We got him!”

You were so startled by the sudden entrance that you didn’t understand what she was talking about.

“Who?”

“Mr. Scratch. He’s been caught and he confessed to everything. Framing Reid and all of it. Me and JJ are heading to the prison to get him. You’re coming with. Not a question, an order.”

You nod, dazed at the amount of information slung at you and picked up Abbie and her bunny, following behind the tech as fast as you could.

Twenty minutes later, you were waiting outside the prison with Garcia while JJ went to take care of all the legal proceedings that came with freeing Spencer.

You were just picking up Abbie’s bunny that she had purposely dropped on the ground when Garcia spoke.

“Hey, Abbie.”

She turned towards Garcia’s voice.

“Look over there sweet girl. Look who it is,” she pointed ahead.

Abbie looked over just in time to see JJ and Spencer coming out of the front doors. The moment she saw him, she was in action, trying to squirm out of your arms.

You set her down and she went running as fast as her little legs could in his direction, her bunny still in her hand.

“DADDY, DADDY, DADDY!” She shrieked as she ran.

He scooped her up in one swift movement, hugging her close.

“I’ve missed my Abbie-bear.”

He tapped her nose making her scrunch it in response.

“How’s my baby girl?” he asked, pushing her hair back from her forehead and kissing her head.

She babbled in response, holding out her bunny to him, clearly happy to be in his arms again. He kissed the bunny’s nose, then Abbie’s. He did it again only this time playfully attacked her with kisses, making her squeal and giggle.

“Hey, you.” Penelope had gone over to hug him tight while you and JJ stood back.

“You know I always knew he would be a great father, but seeing it in action is even more heartwarming. He’s so great with her,” she said.

“He is,” you agreed.

“He cares about her a lot you know. But not only her.”

JJ gave you a sidelong glance before going to join them, leaving you to puzzle out what her cryptic comment could mean.

•

The aftermath was hectic when you returned to the Bureau. With everyone hugging Spencer and talking to him about the details of Scratch’s capture, you naturally just fell towards the back of the flurry of activity. You noticed the entire time he didn’t let go of Abbie even though she was now sound asleep on his shoulder, her bunny positioned underneath one of her arms and his chest.

You thought you’d heard Rossi say he was going to get some champagne when Spencer finally approached you. Things had never been awkward for the two of you, but they sure felt it now.

“Hey.”

He leaned against the desktop next to where you sat.

“Hey.”

“She’s out cold,” he motioned to Abbie with his head.

“I noticed. She missed her nap today and has been fighting sleep.”

“Poor thing.” He rubbed her back and she stirred slightly, repositioning herself before going back to sleep.

“So, I was actually wondering,” he began, “Would it be okay if I spent some time with her? I’ve just missed her so much. I feel like she’s gotten so big since I last saw her.”

“Sure. That’s fine. I can get you her diaper bag and some things if you want to keep her for the weekend.”

“Actually I meant like the three of us together. If you want to come to my place or...I just mean I feel like we have some things we need to talk about.”

“Well most of her things are at my place,” you said, purposely ignoring the last part of his comment, “So I guess that would be easier and you can spend as much time as you want with her. You know you’re always welcome to.”

“I’m not sure when or if I’ll be able to come back,” he said quietly, “A lot has happened.”

“Yeah. A lot has.”

You could feel the weight of the last months weighing heavily not just on him, but on you two. Things had worked so smoothly between you both up until this point that you couldn’t help but wonder if this would be too much strain. Some things you just can’t come back from.

Emily noticed the last time she’d visited, just how much prison had changed him. He was suffering from bad PTSS—post-traumatic stress syndrome. He was having nightmares, not sleeping, constantly battling the demons of what he’d had to face in those short months. Emily never said as much, but you knew how close he’d come to death by the hands of the inmates.

Everyone was mentally and emotionally exhausted. They’d all been granted six weeks off work to rest, Spencer especially. He’d have to see a therapist as well and retest before he could even be considered for reinstatement.

“Emily thought it would be best if I wasn’t alone for now.”

“That’d be wise,” you agreed.

“She suggested I stay with you…” he trailed off nervously.

You were caught off guard and found yourself staring at him, most likely resembling a deer in headlights.

“I mean she just thought being around Abbie would help me a lot and you...”

You had no idea what he was going to say and unfortunately, he didn’t finish his sentence. You couldn’t possibly turn him away at a time like this, even if you desperately didn’t want to have to deal with your complicated feelings about him.

“Uh yeah. That’s fine. She’ll love having you around more.”

The two of you had never shared a living space for more than one night. There was no telling what the next six weeks would bring.

•

The first month was rough. Not only for him but for you as well.

Spencer would often wake in the middle of the night screaming from nightmares, resulting in waking Abbie. He felt so bad about it he’d often force you to go back to bed and sit up with Abbie until she fell asleep again.

One night, you’d been on the way back from the bathroom when you heard the soft rise and fall of his voice. Peeking into the nursery, you saw Spencer in the rocking chair with Abbie in his lap, a book opened in front of them.

When he turned the page, you caught a glimpse of the cover: The Lonesome Bunny, one of Abbie’s favorite books.

“The little bunny was so sad before,” Spencer frowned, pointing to a picture on the page.

Abbie cooed in response, looking up at him as he read.

“But now he was happy, knowing he was loved by all his friends. The end.”

Spencer closed the book and Abbie immediately reached forward and opened it again.

“No.”

“You want me to read it again?” Spencer asked, chuckling when she nodded.

“Princess, I’ve read it to you twice already.”

“No.” Her hands tried to turn the pages back to the beginning.

“Oh, alright. Once more and then it’s time to go back to sleep okay?” He kissed her cheek then turned back to the first page.

“There once was a little bunny, a lonesome little bunny.”

You smiled at the memory, staring up at the ceiling of your bedroom as you lay in bed, procrastinating getting up to start your day. It was a luxury you weren’t used to. Having Spencer around had been great because the help with Abbie was nice. He seemed to be getting better too. He still suffered from his demons and the nightmares still happened but not nightly like they once did.

It now had been 5 months since he was released. Things were seeming to finally get better. Spencer was reinstated—with a rule that every 100 days he worked in the field, he had to take 30 days off. He was initially disappointed at the decision, feeling like it wasn’t a full reinstatement. Emily reassured him it was for him to recharge mentally and physically and most importantly to spend time with his family. Now, he’d taken it in stride and loved the extra daddy-daughter time; Abbie was happy as she could be. The only thing that hadn’t changed in the least bit was the tension in your relationship with Spencer.

You got along alright, you just never talked about what had happened. Prison or his downright objection to seeing you was never spoken of. Of cours,e you were there to help him through his trauma, but you avoided any and every conversation having to do with the two of you. If it had to do with Abbie or any other subject, you could talk to him for hours. You just didn’t have the energy to unravel your feelings, nor get his no relationship wanted reply.

Yesterday was the beginning of his first 30 day stint of time off. Spencer being Spencer, he treated you and Abbie to a day at the zoo, anxious to teach her all about the animals.

“Just wait until she’s old enough to really understand and retain what she’s learning. She’s going to have a vast knowledge of things just because of you,” you’d said, smiling while he helped Abbie feed a giraffe.

He turned towards you, squinting against the sun and smiled big.

“I want only the best for my little girl,” he had responded.

His smile was as bright as the sun, his eyes glinting from the happiness he obviously felt. A light breeze floated through the air, rustling the waves and curls of his hair ever so slightly. Your heart fluttered and it was at that moment you knew you could no longer deny the fact that you were in love with him.

Emily had been telling you the same thing for months, telling you that you had to admit it sooner or later because the moment of truth would hit you eventually. The moment of truth had finally come.

You were in love with the Halloween loving, chopstick hating, kickass profiler, amazing father, 187 IQ’d pretty boy that was Spencer Reid; and you were finally ready to tell him.

•

You glanced at the clock and were surprised to see it was already 9:30. You hadn’t stayed in bed that long since before Abbie had been born.

Noises from the kitchen pulled you out of your bed. You padded down the hallway, smiling when you heard Abbie’s babbling.

“What’s going on?” you asked.

You walk into the kitchen and see Spencer at the stove, Abbie’s high chair pulled up to the cabinet near him.

“Wel,l Abbie-bear here wanted to help daddy fix breakfast. Isn’t that right sweetheart?”

You look over and see your child sitting in her high chair with chocolate smeared all over her face and hands, grinning big.

“Technically she was supposed to be adding the chocolate chips to the pancake batter, but she decided to eat the handful instead,” he chuckled.

“It’s the thought that counts right?” you laughed, grabbing a baby wipe from the pack on the counter.

You clean her face and hands as best as you can with her trying to squirm away from the wet cloth.

“You’re silly aren’t you?” you smile, handing her a fresh cup of juice.

“No,” she giggled in response.

“You didn’t have to make breakfast Spencer.”

He shrugged.

“I wanted to. I figure since I kinda live here at the moment I can at least help you out.”

He added another finished pancake to the growing plate of pancakes then poured the last remaining pancake batter to make a tiny one.

“This one is especially for you Abbie because it’s just your size, see?”

He stepped aside, letting her see the small pancake on the griddle. She smiled around the spout of her sippy cup as she drank her apple juice.

“Thank you for making breakfast.”

You stood on your tiptoes and quickly kissed his cheek, a simple act of gratitude. At least you hoped that’s what it conveyed. You’d turned to grab a mug for some coffee and when you faced him again you saw he was staring at you.

“What?” you asked, suddenly self-conscious that you were in ratty old pajamas and your hair probably standing up in numerous directions.

The spell seemed to be broken when you spoke. He scrunched his nose in the cute little way he always did, turning back to the stove.

“Nothing, nothing.”

Ten minutes later the three of you were at the table pigging out on pancakes. You tore Abbie’s pancake into smaller pieces and she was currently grabbing them with both hands, managing to get more on her than actually in her.

“Did you always want kids?” Spencer asked, watching you hand her a small piece of your bacon.

“That’s a random question,” you chuckled, picking up your fork again.

He shrugged a shoulder.

“Just curious.”

“Yeah, I always knew I wanted kids one day,” you answered.

“But not at 24, right?”

You winced, thinking of how in shock you were when you found out you were pregnant. You were 23 almost 24 when you’d initially met Spencer. He’d been 34 even though he easily passed for your age. You really understood what it meant that age didn’t matter. He was nearly 11 years older than you, but a majority of the time you didn’t even remember.

“I mean I don’t blame you. When I was 24, I was only in my second year of working at the BAU. Kids were absolutely the last thing on my mind,” he said.

“It’s not that. I was just scared knowing that from that point on I was responsible for this tiny, fragile little human that would depend on me for the rest of my life. It was even scarier to think just how much she needed me, even during pregnancy. But I wouldn’t change having her for anything. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

“She definitely is amazing, isn’t she?”

Abbie reached out towards him, a piece of pancake in her fingers.

“Daddy.”

He leaned towards her and took the bite in his mouth in which she smiled happily.

“Thank you baby girl.”

She started fussing, reaching for him, wanting out of her high chair.

“What about you? Did you never want kids or something?”

He lifted the tray off and unfastened her from the chair, taking her in his lap.

“I didn’t say that,” he said matter of factly, but not in a mean tone, “I just said at 24 I wasn’t thinking about kids.”

“Okay, so what changed your mind then?” You took another bite of pancake and chewed, waiting for his answer.

“I don’t know. It was different things. Encountering kids at work, being the godfather to Michael and Henry. I always loved kids. I just didn’t think it was going to happen for me because work kept me so busy. Then one day I realized I’m 36 and I don’t know if I’ll ever have kids. Then this little munchkin came about unexpectedly,” he said, tickling her tummy.

“I never knew if it would be a reality for me, but I’ve imagined having a big family before. Big house, lots of kids and toys everywhere, it just seemed nice and completely different from my childhood. I mean it was just me and my parents. Then my dad left and it was my mom and me. I just figured maybe having a big family of my own would fill that loneliness I felt as a kid, you know?”

“That’s sweet,” you smiled, “I understand what you’re saying. Who knows though? Maybe you still will. How many kids are there in your imagined future?”

“Uh, I don’t know. Maybe 5 or 6.”

You almost choked on your coffee.

“You poor future wife,” you sputtered.

“I don’t know, I have a feeling she’ll be the type to be cut out for half a dozen kids.”

There’s a small smile on his lips as he feeds another piece to an open-mouthed Abbie. He doesn’t look up to catch your questioning look though.

“These pancakes are amazing by the way.”

You’d just finished up your third and Abbie was still shoveling hers in.

“I think she agrees.”

“Well thank you,” he grinned.

Spencer hands Abbie to you and you take her, cleaning her face.

“What’s on today’s agenda?” you ask, pulling her hands away from the coffee mug she was trying to grab.

“Actually, JJ is taking Abbie today.”

“What? Why?”

“Well, the boys have missed her and have been begging to see her again. I also think it’s time to finally talk about what we’ve been tiptoeing around for months, Y/N.”

You felt yourself stiffen. Sure, you may have just decided the day before that you wanted to finally confess your feelings to him, but you didn’t want to have to deal with all the other things. Unfortunately for you, it went hand in hand and you knew he was right.

“Y/N, please. I know you’re still upset about things that happened when I was in prison. But you do know we need to talk about them eventually.”

“I know,” you whispered; the buried feelings from those horrible months coming to the surface again.

“Let’s go get her dressed. JJ should be here by 10.”

Spencer took her from you, setting her down on her feet.

“How about a race, pumpkin? I’ll race you to your room.”

Abbie shrieked, taking off on her little legs, Spencer behind her, pretending to be way behind.

“She’s off to a wonderful start, look at that form as she runs!” Spencer’s voice came from the hall as if he were narrating an actual race, “Oh no, she’s beating me! She’s rounding the corner! She’s at the last stretch of the mile! IT’S OFFICIAL! Abrielle Jade Reid is the winner!”

You hear squealing and her giggles ascend in what you assume is caused by Spencer picking her up.

You stare at the place where he was sitting minutes before, remembering something Emily had told you days earlier.

“Abbie may be almost 2, but she has faith in you and Spencer every single day. She may not know what it is, but as her parents, she quite literally trusts you with her life. So why can’t you have that kind of faith in Spencer?”

•

An hour later it’s just you and Spencer left in the house. You weren’t proud to say that you had hidden out in your bedroom while he was assisting JJ with Abbie’s car seat outside, your attempt at prolonging the start of the conversation.

You heard the front door close and his footsteps getting closer to your room. You sat your phone aside when he walked in and sat up against the pillows.

“I’m gonna talk and you’re gonna listen. Okay?”

It wasn’t often that you heard Spencer sound so stern, the steely tone of his voice unfamiliar. But you currently felt like a student in the principal’s office about to face punishment. He didn’t wait for you to answer before he continued.

“I’m going to tell you about what happened to me in prison.” His voice was gentler now, but you saw by his face that he was serious.

“Spencer-”

His hard look silenced you.

“I want to do this. I can’t tell you why I chose not to see you until I tell you this.”

So he told you.

And you listened.

He told you about the fear he constantly lived with of being discovered as a fed, while in prison. He told you how he tried to help another inmate that was being targeted which only ended up in himself being beaten up and later, the same friend being murdered in front of him. How an inmate he mistook as a friend was actually the most dangerous prisoner there; he controlled everything and everyone and tried his hardest to control Spencer too. How his mind seemed to adapt to the line of thinking of the others. It was either do what you have to do or get killed. He explained that he did something terrible, something that he would’ve never imagined he’d ever do but was forced to do it to spare his own life. He confessed how much it scared him, that prison had turned him into a monster. He told you how painful it was reliving the events as he worked to heal in therapy. He indeed told you everything.

It hurt like hell hearing every detail, each of his words etched with pain and bad memories. He didn’t continue for a few quiet minutes after he finished recounting everything. His eyes were closed, as if trying to erase the pain of the old wounds freshly opened. You reached out towards him, putting your hand on top of his. When he opened his eyes, he looked down at your hand over his.

Without a word, he turned his hand in yours until your fingers laced through his perfectly.

“The team is used to seeing things like this. Even though it was me in there, one of their own, they knew to expect the worst. They see bad things every day. But I couldn’t do that to you. I couldn’t let you see me like that. It would have completely broken you.”

He paused, swallowing hard before continuing.

“My job is to see horrible things and look how prison impacted me. How do you think I’d feel knowing I was responsible for putting you through so much pain? It was never about not wanting to see you. It was about protecting you, about keeping you oblivious to the true horrors of what it’s like in there. I was so afraid you wouldn’t be able to handle it. All I wanted to do was protect you and Abbie.”

You didn’t know exactly when you’d began crying, but now you felt the tears streaming quickly down your face. Months of pent up emotions came pouring out of you all at once.

“All I wanted to do was to see you! I wasn’t able to do anything to help you and then I’m told I couldn’t even see you? I had never felt so helpless.”

“Please don’t cry.”

He moved to where he could sit closer to you, concern etching his features. Pulling his hand out of yours, he put a hand on your face, wiping your tears.

“It wasn’t my intention to hurt you. Please believe me.”

“I know. I believe you.”

Your faces were mere inches apart by now and his eyes searched your face, repeatedly glancing down at your lips. All it would take was a hair of movement and your lips would be connected. You felt the tempting pull, wanting to kiss him badly, yet you stayed still, the moment seeming to stretch on.

“We can’t,” you whispered.

He was so close, you felt the breath of his words against your lips.

“Why not?”

He made the final move and kissed you. You didn’t fight it anymore. It was like having a drink of water after suffering from an agonizing thirst. His lips felt familiar, they were familiar but it’d been an awfully long time since you felt them against yours.

Your lips moved with his, parting every few kisses before reconnecting them to his. It was slow, sensual and full of love. All of your love for him was poured into the kiss, but you knew that was just your take on it. For you, this right now felt like coming home.

He inched you backwards until you were pressed up against your pillows once again with him hovering over you, his mouth not leaving yours once.

“I swear I didn’t intend to start something like this,” he murmured against your lips, between kisses.

“Not,” you paused as he kissed you again, “Complaining.”

Your hands moved over his chest and up his shoulders until your arms were wrapped around his neck. He was intoxicating and you were taking in as much of him as you could before this ended once again.

He pushed your pillows off the bed towards the floor, laying you flat against the bed. Though every time you’d been together hadn’t been fast and rough, you’d never taken it this slow with him before. The slow, intense kiss came to a standstill when he gently raked his teeth over your bottom lip before pulling away from you.

With his hands on your hips, he pushed them upwards, taking the bottom of your shirt up as well.

“Wait,” you grabbed his wrist, looking up at him.

“A-Are you sure you want to?” you asked hesitantly, not entirely confident his head was in the right place for something like this.

“I’m fine, Y/N. I’m positive.”

You raised your arms as he pulled the shirt over your head.

“Besides,” he paused to unbutton his shirt, “I want to take my time with you.”

You bit your lip, his words sending a warm flush all throughout your body. You helped him remove his shirt and pants at the same time because suddenly all you wanted was to feel his body against yours. After a lackadaisical kiss he began his descent downwards.

His lips moved down your chest with soft kisses, a trail of them placed just above the cups of your bra. He reached behind you to unfasten it, slowly pulling each strap down your shoulder, his mouth following closely behind his hands.

He kissed each shoulder, your collar bones and breasts, his tongue softly flicking over both nipples in turn. You gasped, feeling goosebumps prickle your arms. His sloth like pace was both thrilling and agonizing at the same time.

More followed down your belly, his fingers gently brushing the few stubborn stretch marks pregnancy had left behind. He paused briefly at your hip, sucking on it then running his tongue over the small bruise he’d created there.

“Mmm,” you hummed as he pushed your legs apart gently, clearly anticipating his next move.

Surprising you, he didn’t do what you thought he would. His lips brushed the top of your underwear, half on your skin, half on the fabric.

“Spence,” you moaned softly wanting more than what he was giving.

“I love it when you call me that,” he said, voice thick with desire.

He licked his lips, looking up at you, eyes locked on yours as he pulled the silky item off you, hands trailing down your thighs, then back up. His gaze lingered on yours a beat longer, the intensity of it taking your breath away. You were the absolute center of his attention and he was relishing every bit of you. He was known to drive you crazy, but this was on a whole new level. There was something more intimate, more sensual about this that made you feel even more vulnerable in his presence.

His kisses traveled your thighs next, moving dangerously close to the area you were wanting him most. Just when you thought his next movement would be his mouth on your core, he would move in the opposite direction, much to your dismay.

Back again he went, mouth moving in the right direction and-

“Oh my god,” you moaned, not even able to finish your previous thought.

The sly devil had distracted you just enough so that you weren’t expecting when his finger slid inside you, rubbing against you deliciously. If you thought that was mind-blowing enough, you almost lost your shit when his tongue met your clit before sucking gently.

You weren’t entirely sure if it was because it had been a long, long time since you’d had any sexual escapades or if it was just Spencer in general, but all coherent thought left your mind the longer he worked you.

Your hand grips his hair, your breath coming in rapid pants signaling your oncoming release.

“Oh fuck, oh fuck Spencer!” you half gasped, half moaned as your climax hit you, robbing you of your breath for a few seconds.

When you opened your eyes again, he was hovering over you, a small smirk on his face.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you chuckled.

He hummed, “I’m not done yet sweetheart.”

Sometime during your current shared kiss, his boxers were removed and he pushed into you. He moaned into your mouth, his tongue twirling with yours.

His tantalizing movements made you able to feel every bit of him as he moved in and out of you repeatedly. Your earlier wish was granted as now your bodies were pressed against one another, moving as one.

“Feels incr-” he groaned mid-sentence.

“Incredible,” he breathed.

You couldn’t argue that. Somehow all the other times didn’t hold a candle to right now.

Your hands gripped his biceps, giving in and begging him to pick up his pace. His hands hooked behind your thighs pulling you closer at the exact moment as a thrust of his hips causing you both to moan. His forehead fell against yours as your hips rocked to the new rhythm.

“You okay?” he whispered, watching you.

“God, yes,” you half laughed, half moaned.

His hands hadn’t stayed still the entire time, moving from one place to another, his touch gentle as if he were touching fine china. Whether they were stroking your hips, splayed across your stomach or resting on the side of your neck as he kissed you deeply your whole body automatically responded to his touch without you realizing it.

Fire filled your veins and your body easily arched into his, more than ready to let that fire consume your senses. Your body inadvertently clenched around him and a growl came from deep within his throat, his teeth scraping over his bottom lip.

You’d often seen his face of concentration, the creased brow and the tip of his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth. That was the same expression he wore now, determined to shatter you for a second time. You couldn’t even begin to process how the hell it was adorable and sexy at the same time.

The two of your movements become more hurried and erratic, the air hot with pants and moans. His fingers dig into your sides as his orgasm hit him.

“Oh god I love you,” Spencer moans into your neck as he succumbs to his high, your name falling from his lips.

Your breathing is suddenly heavier and not solely because of your own building climax, but because of his words. You don’t have a moment nor a clear head to think about what was just said as you’re a whimpering and writhing mess underneath him, the heavy knot in your stomach coiling tighter and tighter. You feel yourself coming apart at the seams, as if all your nerve endings are ready to burst into oblivion.

Spencer knows you well because within a short time of his own release he sends you falling into an abyss of ecstasy, caressing you and kissing you anywhere and everywhere he can, the entire time. You’re pretty sure it takes you a few minutes to breathe properly again.

Afterwards, he gently nudges your cheek with his nose and you turn to face him, kissing him softly once again. You can’t possibly wrap your head around what had just happened. It wasn’t normal sex like you used to have with him. This was tender, passionate, but hot. Probably the hottest you’d had. Then you remembered what he’d said.

Was it sincere or was it just in the heat of the moment?

•

Both of you lay quietly for a while; so long you’re almost sure that Spencer fell asleep.

“I have to tell you something,” you finally said, halfway hoping he was already asleep.

“Hmm?” he asked, looking over at you.

“Before I tell you, I just want you to know that I appreciate what you did for me and Abbie even though I didn’t show it at the time. I’m grateful that you told me all you did earlier and I’m so sorry you had to go through that. I don’t know what I’d have done if-”

“Y/N, you’re rambling,” he chuckled, aware he’s guilty of the same thing at times too.

“Right. Well, I wanted to tell you I love you. Actually, I’m in love with you. I had to tell you because I just realized that I can’t deny it anymore and even though you probably don’t feel the same way, you deserve to know.”

He’d been watching you intently the entire time you’d been speaking. He licked his lips before responding.

“I meant it, you know.”

You looked over as he rolled over on his side and rested his head in his hand. You were confused as that wasn’t the immediate reaction you’d expected.

“Meant what?”

“That I love you. I saw your face when I said it.”

“My face?”

“Y/N, I’m not a profiler for nothing. You were freaking out because I said it.”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think.”

“Then why?” he asked.

“I didn’t know if you actually meant it or if it was just you know, the sex making you talk.”

“Well, I did mean it. I’ve been in love with you for a while, you know.”

You laugh incredulously, unable to believe that all this time he’d actually felt the same way as you.

“You have? Since when?”

“I’m not sure when exactly. It just kinda hit me one day that you were the one person I couldn’t get off my mind, the one who knows me better than most. I just didn’t know how or if to say it. It kind of slipped out accidentally earlier.”

“I just assumed it was because of the sex,” you chuckled.

“Oh believe me, the sex will definitely make me say it as well. Repeatedly.”

His lips twisted into a smirk as his hand glides over your stomach, pulling you close for a kiss.

“I love you.” He paused for a kiss.

“I love you,” Another kiss followed.

“I love you.” A third.

He retreated, laying back next to you.

“I can’t thank you for all that you’ve done for me these last few months. I wouldn’t have been able to get better without you by my side.”

You smiled, happy to see some of the old Spencer you knew and loved peeking through once again. Prison may have changed him, but he was still Spencer in all the ways that mattered.

“So what does this mean for us then?” you asked, watching his fingers glide lazily over your skin.

“I mean we’ve sort of been a couple for nearly 2 years now, so now it’s just us finally being smart and admitting it,” he smiled, “But if you want me to be official, I want you to be mine. My only girl. Well, besides Abbie. Can’t forget her.”

“No, definitely can’t forget her.”

“I want to be a family. If that’s okay with you, that is.” He added the last part hesitantly.

You put your hand over his, stopping his motions then twining your fingers with his.

“That’s more than okay with me,” you smiled up at him.

Maybe good things had come from all the bad.

You lay in a comfortable silence after that, simply enjoying each other’s company. It was Spencer who spoke next.

“You know what got me through the long days in prison?” he asked.

You shook your head, “No, what?”

“I thought about Abbie a lot of course. I had faith I would see her again. Also, I had faith in the BAU, I knew the team would do their jobs and work their asses off to get me out of there. But that’s not all.”

“At the end of the day, after all my misfortune, I knew faith would lead me back to my family.”

Tags: @wefracturedmotivation @rt8815 @pastanest

#spencer reid #dr spencer reid #dr spencer reid fic #Spencer Reid fic #spencer reid gifs #spencer reid smut #Criminal Minds #criminal minds gifs #criminal minds fic #criminal minds smut

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titusmoody · 3 years

Text

It’s the end of the first quarter of 2021. Here’s a brief review of the things I watched/played/read.

Games

Donut County- pretty charming, very easy, fairly satisfying to play. I’d recommend Untitled Goose Game over this, though.

Heaven’s Vault- If you only have room in your life for one space archaeology game, play Outer Wilds instead. However, you get to translate alien writings yourself (in a simplified game way) in this one, so I’d recommend both.

Donkey Kong Country 3 103%- so many fun level mechanics in this one. The difficulty of finding and completing everything in the game was spot-on for me.

Donkey Kong Country 2 102%- Each level mechanic in this one is explored and used in far more interesting ways than DKC3, though I honestly had more fun with 3 this time around. This one is the “dark, edgy” one aesthetically which is extremely dumb. Also, there was a lot of guesswork involved in finding some of the hidden stuff, which I didn’t enjoy.

The Room 4- I like escape room games. This one was good. It continued 3′s trend of trying to shake up the format a little, which is fine (better here than in 3, I think) but I wouldn’t have minded if all 4 stayed exactly the same, just with new puzzles.

Spider-Man: Miles Morales- Everything about it was competent. Not only was each gameplay activity fine-tuned to feel good, but the structure of the game also kept kept you experiencing a good variety of each activity. PS5 graphics are good, too. Nothing about it really got me excited to play it, it was just a good after work unwinding thing.

Cyberpunk 2077- Exactly the opposite of Spider-Man in terms of quality consistency. There are aspects of this game that are amazing, horrible, and every step in between. However, I’ve thought about it quite a bit and will probably continue to think about it for both good and bad reasons.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair- Donkey Kong Country has better level design and controls. Well, the best levels of this were every bit as good as the best DKC levels, and maybe I’m just so familiar with DKC levels that I zone out a little during the boring bits, but had to pay attention to every moment of this game. Still, I didn’t have as much of an overall good time as the DKC games I played earlier.

Hue- Good 2D puzzle-platformer. I’m no longer surprised by these, but I still appreciate them, much in the same way as I like playing escape room games. I was under the impression for a few years that because I understood the potential of puzzle platformers, it meant I wouldn’t want to play any more of them, but that’s simply not true. I had a good time with Hue.

Shows

Gravity Falls- It’s fine. Pretty entertaining. I wish there were more low-stakes kinds of episodes, just to get more familiar with different sides of the characters. It would have made the characters and setting feel more rounded.

Cowboy Bepop- I didn’t get the hype for this show when I first watched it at 21, and now I can say that it’s simply not my kind of show. I have much more appreciation for it now than I did the first time, but it doesn’t hit me emotionally the same way that it seems to hit so many people.

Seinfeld- It’s Seinfeld. There was precisely one episode that I had never seen before, plus confirmation that I didn’t dream the episode that’s told in backwards chunks like Memento and is set in India.

Paranoia Agent- While it was disappointing that this ended up being a more simple morality tale than every Satoshi Kon movie I’ve seen, I still enjoyed watching this a lot.

Aggretsuko- I liked the mundane, every-day storylines like a modern, more empathetic Seinfeld. Unfortunately as the show went on, there were more and more wacky situations that no one actually gets into. I might watch the upcoming season if I hear that it’s less ridiculous.

Over the Garden Wall- This was really cool and I’m glad it exists. It’s ten episodes long, which is perfect for it. I thought it was at its weakest during the more lighthearted or humorous moments--precisely the opposite of Gravity Falls. The word “classy” comes to mind to describe this show.

Beastars- Really good when it isn’t falling into anime plot and dialog cliches. A lot of this first season is dedicated to introducing characters and the setting, which I thought was very well done. I’m curious to see what Season 2 is like.

Movies

Scott Pilgrim vs the World- It’s a fun movie to watch. It definitely makes many of the characters’ flaws seem like more fun than it probably should, but I’m more bothered by the criticism I hear that boils down to “it’s a bad movie because the characters are bad people” which I suspect is an impression you only get if you lack both empathy and media comprehension.

Big- Kinda bad. It has iconic moments that are only possible with its weird premise, but it’s just not a premise that supports an entire good movie.

Phantom of the Opera- Way better and way worse than I remember. Has the precise right amount of horses.

Knives Out- Not really a movie I needed to watch a second time, but it sure is good.

District 9- I didn’t remember most of this movie and unfortunately I zoned out for most of this rewatch, so I still feel like I don’t know what it’s about.

From up on Poppy Hill- Not one of the top tier Ghibli movies, but still really good in a down-to-earth way that I like from Ghibli.

Enter the Dragon- I knew to expect everything to be turned up to 11, which is good because it really is a lot. I liked it, though.

Shutter Island- I have never actually liked this kind of twist-reliant movie. I thought I would for many years, but I was always disappointed. At least now I am aware that it’s not what I’m into.

Soul- The premise is much too convoluted, but it does have an excellent moment near the end.

Onward- I liked this one a lot. Why don’t more people talk about this one? It’s definitely better than Coco, which itself was really good.

A Silent Voice- The kind of movie that reminds me that sometimes Japanese storytelling is more to my taste than Hollywood style, in that scenes can be more emotionally ambiguous.

Tangled- Good in exactly the same way as Frozen and Moana. I can’t really complain, but this isn’t the same situation as puzzle platformers or escape rooms. In this case, I do get a little sick of being completely unsurprised. This movie was made first, so it’s only by chance that this is the one that I saw last.

Monsters University- A good movie, but it really doesn’t have to be about the same characters as Monsters Inc.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Still funny

The Departed- Good if you want an enjoyable crime thriller to watch, bad if you want a Scorcese movie.

Titanic- Getting very drunk and watching this with Brittany might be the best time I had in the past three months. Maybe I won’t think too hard about why a movie about the overdue, violent death of a social order resonates with me right now.

Prince of Egypt- Impressive and grand, but I didn’t really care about the characters or story.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan- A good but not great (by TNG standards) concept for an episode that was made extremely enjoyable by the added budget and longer runtime of a movie.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock- Not as good, but still watchable.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home- The kind of ridiculous concept you’d only make when you’ve already had three successful movies and are confident that you’ll be able to make at least another couple. The gang go back to the 1980s (present day to the original audience) and save the whales. It’s apparently exactly the right movie to watch if this is the third consecutive Star Trek movie you’re watching.

Mamma Mia- A lot of fun, but has weird problems that seem like they would’ve been easy to solve at the script level. Maybe if the conflicts had been introduced early on instead of dragging the whole pace of the movie down for much of the last 20 minutes, I would’ve enjoyed the whole thing.

Books

The Well of Ascension- The second book of a trilogy. Very competent. Introduces a whole lot of minor conflicts that really keep the momentum going and give the characters short-term goals that contribute to the overall plot and their arcs.

The Hero of Ages- The final book in the same trilogy. Equally competent. I wish there had been more long-term payoffs, which is the trade-off you make by stuffing the books full of those short-term conflicts. Spoilers ahead, but not ones that I think ruin the experience of reading. It’s very odd that of three of the central characters, one dies, one becomes a god and then dies, and one becomes God.

Check Please- About as pleasant as it gets. Full of the type of minor character that sitcoms end up running into the ground because they’re too one-note (Creed from The Office, for instance) but in a series with a pre-planned length, there’s no chance for it to get stale. Plus, I really liked both of the lead characters.

Milkman- Good book about “The Troubles” in Ireland. Very odd collection of characters, but the narrator had an extremely enjoyable voice to read.

And Then There Were None- Classic mystery story for a reason. Feels more like a Hitchcock movie than Sherlock Holmes. I read it in one day both because the prose was easy and I wanted to know what happened next. Not much substance to it, unfortunately.

Homegoing- Extremely ambitous book where each chapter is narrated by the descendant of a previous chapter, alternating between two branches of the same family. I liked it quite a bit, though because I only finished it yesterday I don’t have much reflection done yet so my opinion has yet to solidify.

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jokertrap-ran · 4 years

Photo

[Stand My Heroes] 聖夜を奏でる♪ Symphonic numbers (Performing the Holy Night ♪ Symphonic numbers) Event Story: Part ② Translations

*Sutamai Master-list *MC name is retained default Izumi Rei *Scenario Writer: @eno_bara (榎戸乃ばら) *Kurisu Masuo Charisma Suoh…I see what you did there coly ww

Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 / Part 4 / Part 5 / Special Stages

⋆⋅☆ Kujo Mansion: Living Room ☆⋅⋆

Kaname: And Koya-kun says that he watched your Shampoo CM.

Kirishima: Tell him that he was really dashin’! And help me ask him how he made his eyes sparkle like that.

Kaname: —Yeah, see you.

Kirishima: Ah, he hung up?

Kaname: Kyosuke-kun and Hikaru-kun are going to the Concert on the 24th. Tell him yourself then.

Kirishima: For real?

Shindo: What an unusual crowd is going to be gathering.

Kaname: Seems like they’re going because Tsuduki-san got the green light to gather references there.

Kujo: I see. So he contacted you because he knew that we were the one of their backers?

Kaname: Yup.

Miyase: Oh! I’ve just thought of something good.

Kirishima: What is it?

Miyase: How about we invite them to the party since we’re all going to be there?

Kujo: Brilliant.

Miyase: Do you agree to it too?

Kaname: …I don’t mind; not particularly, anyway.

Miyase: I’ll do my best to whip up all the food then.

Shindo: Looks like this we’re having another unnecessarily lively Christmas again this year.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Streets ☆⋅⋆

MC: (Phew…we ended up getting off late again.)

When I speed-walked to the Station——

???: Oooooi, Rei! Get on in!

Rei: (Hm?)

I turned around upon being called, noticing a familiar face waving from behind an open window of a car, stopped by the roadside.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Inside the Car ☆⋅⋆

Kirishima: Is it cold in here?

Rei: Nope, it’s warm.

Kirishima: I see.

Rei: Thank you so much.

Rei: It’ll be a great help if you could send me all the way back, but are you sure about this?

Kirishima: I was just on my way back from running an errand for Kujo-san, and I was just in the mood to go for a drive.

Rei: Sorry about this…I’m really beat to be honest, so thank you.

Kirishima: That’s good then. I’ve got something I wanna talk to you about too, so nice timing!

Rei: What about…?

Kirishima: We’ll be holding a Christmas Banquet on the 25th so Kujo-san wanted to extend an invitation to you too!

Rei: A Christmas Banquet…

Kirishima: Could it be that you’ve already made plans?

Rei: Rather than plans, I suppose it can be called work…in a sense, but that’s how it is.

Rei: I’m really glad to be invited, but…

Kirishima: I see…So you’re busy.

Rei: (Ahhh, my heart hurts when I see him so disappointed like a kicked puppy…!)

Rei: I apologise. Can I put my invitation tentative or will that be an inconvenience?

Kirishima: You can just take as long as you need. Even if you barely make it on the day itself.

Kirishima: Miyase’s all hyped up making tons of food.

Rei: I want to eat his cooking!

Kirishima: Don’t push yourself too hard at work, okay? I hope you come to the party.

Rei: Yes! Thank you so much!

Rei: You too, Kirishima-san! Be sure not to catch a cold or anything like that!

Kirishima: ‘Course! I’d only make Kujo-san worry if I’m not healthy during Christmas!

Rei: (Seems like everything and everyone are already in Christmas-mood except us down in the NCD.)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Headquarters ☆⋅⋆

It was only on the next day, that the Investigation took a big step forward.

Imaoji: Seki-san, has that information been checked over?

Seki: Yes.

Seki: Kurisu bought drugs from the dealer in Club R and used it before continuing with his night life.

Seki: That’s why we’ll call him out on his way back and intercept him then.

Seki: That’s the plan we’ve come up with after all the prior investigations we’ve carried out.

But the new information from his Ace was that, “Kurisu didn’t do drugs at all when he was out enjoying his night life”. Therefore——

Yui: Then, why was he buying all those on a schedule…?

Seki: That’s because…

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

——A few days ago.

⋆⋅☆ Concert Hall ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: ——I see. So, there’s a difference in practicing in a Hall and in a Studio.

Kurisu: Yes! I’d get even more into it whenever I practice in a hall!

Kurisu: The sound’s different, you see. For example, the violin. Are you aware of this, perhaps?

Kurisu: It’s sound like mm~♪in a studio, but nnnn~~♪in a Hall.

Makoto: ——I apologize. Amateurs like me can’t tell between such subtle differences.

Kurisu: Ahaha! It’s all OK, all’s good♪Because I’ll show you how different they are now!

Makoto: (He’s someone who’s always full of energy, but he seems to be way more excited than usual today.)

Makoto: (…Actually, his eyes seem to be sparkling strangely…)

Kurisu: Now, my lovely Orchestra! Are all of you ready!?

Kurisu: Let us descend into the lovely world of music!

Seki: ——Pardon me.

Kurisu: !?

Makoto: You guys…

The Orchestra members all looked uneasy as a buzz filled the air at sudden entrance of the Outsiders. Kurisu’s face paled as a sheet as Seki questioned him.

Seki: Kurisu-san, you’re under suspicion of possession and usage of Illegal Drugs.

Seki: ——According to our Information, you use dangerous drugs whenever you do music, more often than not.

Makoto: ——!

Seki: Could I ask of you to cooperate with our Investigation?

Kurisu: …I see~ Alright. I’ll cooperate with you.

Rei: Then, may I check your personal belongings?

Kurisu: What you’re looking for is over here.

It looked as if a lightbulb had clicked in Kurisu’s head as he opened something that resembled a Conducting Baton’s Case——

Aoyama & Yui: ——!

A bucket’s worth of white powder fell from within.

——And now, back to reality.

Makoto: I’m with the NCD right now. I’ve also gotten arrested.

Kyosuke: “ARRESTED——!?”

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: I’ll contact you again once I’ve been released.

Aoyama: Released…?

Makoto only calmly sipped at his coffee after he ended his call.

Rei: Makoto-san…please don’t say things like that; It’ll only invite more misunderstandings.

Rei: We only wanted to ask you some questions.

Makoto: I just wanted to try using the word “release” in relevance to my current situation.

Makoto: I just thought that I’d never have another chance to do so in the future if I didn’t take the opportunity now, when it presented itself.

Man: Ahaha…

Seiya, the Concert Master who seated beside him, only laughed bitterly at that.

Apparently, it looks like the Concert Master was responsible for “Rounding everything up” when it came to anything concerning the Orchestra. You could say that he’s a Conductor-player, if anything.

Seiya: Uhm…So, how long do we have to stay cooped up in here, exactly?

Aoyama: We’ve already heard whatever you have to say, so you’re free to leave.

Seki: Thank you so much for cooperating with us.

Rei: Thank you so much!

Seiya: Ahh, is that so. That’s great to hear…Everyone in the Orchestra’s really worried.

Rei: (Oh, that’s right. Their Conductor was suddenly arrested and taken away in the middle of their practice, so they must have been pretty shaken up about it.)

Makoto: It doesn’t look like I can gather the material I need in this situation.

Seiya: You must have it rough too, Sensei. I’ve got to think of something else, now that I’ve lost my Conductor…

Seki: You have my deepest condolences.

Seiya: Thank you…Actually, I’ve been thinking about this for quite a long time now, but…

All Three: ?

Seiya: All the guys down in the NCD look astonishingly dashing.

Aoyama & Seki: Wha——

Rei: (That’s what caught his attention!?)

Seiya: Man, I thought that I’d have gotten used to being around such good men after having spent every day seeing Kurisu-san around recently.

Seiya: But Seki-san and Aoyama-san both have a manliness about them that would make even top Kurisu-san’s own.

Seiya: I’m really, REALLY, in the mood to play a Violin now! I feel like this will make for a really nice tune!

Seki: R-Right…

Rei: (I wonder if all musicians are all that emotionally sensitive…)

Yui: ——Seki-san. About Kurisu, Imaoji-kun’s Investigation seems to be going smoothly in that field.

Seki: I see, that’s good——

Seiya: PINK HAIR!? AND NOT TO MENTION, ANOTHER DASHING ONE!?

Yui: Huh…?

Seiya: HA!? I apologize for being so loud.

Rei: (Seiya-san…)

Makoto: (How interestingly curious…)

Seiya: No— Really, all the beauties are being gathered here, in one place.

Seiya: So good, that I’m almost tempted to ask you to take Kurisu’s place as the Conductor to draw in the same crowd that his good looks would have inevitably drawn.

Rei: (Just for that reason…?)

Yui: What in the world is he talking about…?

Makoto: ——I see.

Rei: Huh?

Makoto: The NCD suddenly turning into Orchestra Conductors? Now… that’s interesting.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Makoto: ————

Aoyama: (……? I don’t know why, but I feel like…he’s staring an awful lot at me…?)

Makoto: (The Narc’s Ace, Aoyama Itsuki.)

Makoto: (——If he were to be the Replacement Conductor…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Aoyama: ——Stop. I’ve already repeated myself countless of times, but this isn’t getting any better. Is it that difficult?

Aoyama: I’ll play the Violin so listen well to how I do it.

Aoyama: ——♪——♪♪♪——♪♪——

Player: ……! He’s way better than me! I’ve just lost all my confidence!!

Aoyama: Huh…?

Player: Rather, normal people like us cannot just manage to do everything like you high-spec people do on the drop of the hat!

Aoyama: Yes, I do understand that I’m on a different level from the average joe. Therefore, it was in my intention to do this properly and stand as everyone’s equal here.

Aoyama: How about you first tell me what you’re able to do? …Wait, what can you do?

Player: There it is; that’s what I was talking about.

Aoyama: ……?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: (…That didn’t turn out very interesting.)

Makoto: (Since he’s an Ace, he might be much more suited to be the Concert Master than a mere Conductor.)

Aoyama: (Why is he staring so intently at me with such a poker face?)

Rei: (Makoto-san…?)

Makoto: (Next will be him…)

Seki: ……?

Makoto: (The reliable Section Chief of the NCD, Seki Daisuke——…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Seki: ——Yes, everyone’s doing brilliant.

Seki: Especially the Violins, it was a pleasantly beautiful sound.

CRAAASH!!

Seki: !?

Percussionist: WHOA!? ALL THE VIOLINNISTS HAVE FALLEN PREY TO THE CONDUCTOR’S SUGAR-SWEET WORDS!

Seki: Eh…?

Woodwind Player: Hey…you’ve…got to be…kidding…Even the guys are down for the count!?

Brass Player: THE CONDUCTOR’S WAY TOO HANDSOME, I CAN’T CONCENTRATE AT ALL!!!!

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: (…Maybe it’s because I read the original work of the Love-comedy movie that Kyosuke’s going to be appearing in; my imagination seems to be oddly geared in that direction of things, for some reason…)

Seki: Uhm…?

Makoto: (He’s up next, I guess.)

Yui: ……?

Makoto: (The NCD’s most Inquisitive and talented brain when it comes to Research, Yui Kotaro——…)

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Yui: No, all wrong, that’s not it! Violins! You’re causing Arteriosclerosis with that!

Yui: More——! We need more, if we’re going to make for a nightfilled with bloodshed!

Yui: Cymbals! More violent actions! Treat is as if you’re having Sympathetic Nerve Reactions!!

Player: W-What is he talking about!?

Player: He’s super, duper, hard to understand…!!

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

Makoto: ——Pft!

Yui: ! What’s with him?

Rei: Um, Makoto-san? Is everything alright there?

Makoto: I had thought that it’d be interesting to see all of you NCD people as Replacement Conductors, but——

Makoto: I think that’s impossible, after all.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Investigation Planning Department ☆⋅⋆

Seiya: Of course, it was just a little joke of mine.

Seiya: To an Orchestra, a Conductor is akin to their heart, or a Piero, at times.

Seiya: It’s precisely because we’re not high-leveled individuals that we can’t just simply pass the reigns over any Conductor just on the drop of a hat like that.

Yui: I won’t do it even if you asked.

Seki: Yui.

Yui: …Sorry.

Seiya: Haha. Looks like I’m the only one with a long history running, as things are looking out to be.

Seiya: I was also introduced to other people, so don’t worry about it.

Makoto: Does that mean that I can still continue gathering the data I require?

Seiya: Of course, if that is what you wish.

Makoto: That’ll be a great help. I’ll be in your care again.

Seiya: I suppose this must also be some sort of fate. Please come by to watch us on the 24th, if you’re free.

Yui: A Orchestra Concert on Christmas Eve?

Aoyama: That doesn’t sound bad at all.

Rei: Now that things have come down to this, I’m kind of interested in seeing how the performance turns out.

Seki: We’d gladly attend once the case with Kurisu-san calms down. We’ll be supporting you.

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ Streets ☆⋅⋆

Rei: (I’m finally walking the streets at the usual time I get off from work. That feels kind of new, now.)

Kaname: ——Big sister?

Rei: Oh, Kaname-kun? Hello.

Kaname: Are you on the way home now?

Rei: Yup. You too?

Kaname: I’m on my way back from the Bookstore. I checked where this particular book was stocked and that was the only Bookstore that had it.

Rei: I see. What a coincidence.

Kaname: ————

Rei: ? What’s wrong?

Kaname: …Do you have some time next weekend, big sister? It doesn’t matter even if you’re only free in the night.

Rei: Next weekend——?

─────────────────────────⋅…⋆⋅☆

⋆⋅☆ In a certain Room ☆⋅⋆

TV: “Uh— Now, continuing on! This will be the follow-up report on the Dashing Conductor, Kurisu Matsuo!”

???: SHUT UP!!!!

???: Shut up, shut up, shut up! I’ll never forgive you…! How dare you arrest my Mats!?

???: I’ll never acknowledge a replacement! A Concert without Mats? I’ll destroy it…!

───⋅𝕿𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖓𝖊𝖝𝖙 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊…⋆⋅☆

#Stand My Heroes #スタンドマイヒーローズ #スタマイ #Sutamai #Translations #Otome #Performing the Holy Night ♪ Symphonic numbers #聖夜を奏でる♪ Symphonic numbers #聖夜を奏でるSymphonic numbers #Symphonic numbers #Shindo Kiyoshi #Kujo Soma #Miyase Go #Yamazaki Kaname #Imaoji Shun #Seki Daisuke #Natsume Haru #Tsuduki Kyosuke #Tsuduki Makoto

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paws-and-claws-au · 5 years

Text

Chapter 3: Hope to Hold on To

Prologue, Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4

Summary: In a kingdom where practicing magic is outlawed and mythical creatures are being hunted, one boy is caught in the crossfire between the two sides of the fight. Only an act of pure, selfless love will lift his curse and return his life to normal…but who could ever love a monster like him?

Chapter Summary: Prince Roman climbs the fabled tower...but what he finds inside is not quite what he was expecting. (alternate summary: Patton and Roman are hopelessly gay)

Warnings: Hopelessness, crying, arguing, mentions of past violence and death.

Pairings: Royality and Analogical

Word Count: 2,447

Song for this chapter: When the Day met the Night

AU Creator: @thegremlinprince

Fic Author: @ironwoman359

Available on AO3 here

Author’s Note: So sorry it’s taken so long to get to this chapter, life has been crazy and other stories have been taking my attention, but I wanted to show that we’re not planning on abandoning this AU, we still want to finish it! I don’t know when the next update will be, but hopefully it won’t be six months this time. Hope you enjoy! -Taylor <3

--- --- ---

Patton awoke to the telltale thumps and scrapes of someone trying to climb up the walls of his tower. Once, he would have been excited at the sound, a spark of hope igniting in his chest and warming him from the inside out. But now, there wasn’t so much as a flickr left inside him, and it was the absence of that spark that hit Patton like a ton of bricks.

He was never going to get out of this tower, no one was ever going to come and save him. A tear rolled down his cheek, but it was not accompanied by the usual stretch of skin and snap of bones. He wasn’t even that sad, he realized as he lay curled up on his bed. He was just empty.

Still, it didn’t matter. The horns curling out of his skull betrayed his true nature. The adventurer outside would reach the top of the tower and discover a monster to be slain.

Patton just hoped it wouldn’t hurt too much.

------

Roman had to admit, he’d been expecting more of a challenge. Between the mysterious stranger’s cryptic instructions and the warnings from the village elder, he’d approached the Belmont Watchtower with his guard fully up, ready for whatever threat he may have to face. But as he approached the structure, he heard no roars or snarls; as he gazed up at the tower window, he saw no flames or puffs of smoke. The whole place seemed deserted, so Roman did the only thing he could think to do: he started climbing up the tower walls. Maybe he’d gotten lucky and the dragon was away...or maybe this was all part of the creature’s ruse, and Roman was climbing right into a trap.

Nearing the top, Roman braced himself for a surprise attack, running scenario after scenario over and over in his mind. He gripped the windowsill, and in one fluid motion pulled himself into the room, rolled across the floor and drew his sword, eyes scanning for any threat.

But no threat came, no monstrous roar or stream of fire. The room he found himself in was comfortably furnished and obviously lived in, but apparently empty.

No, wait.

There, on the bed, was a slightly shaking, curled up form. Roman approached cautiously, then his eyes widened as he got a proper look at the person.

It was a boy, somewhere around his own age, curled into a ball with his eyes shut tight and tear tracks visible on his freckled cheeks. Though what really caught Roman’s attention was the gnarled horns poking out from his fluffy brown curls.

“What in the world,” Roman breathed in astonishment. He’d seen and fought many a monster in his day, but never had he ever seen anything like this.

“Please,” the boy whispered, opening his eyes and looking up with an expression that Roman could only describe as hopeless. “Just go away.”

“I...what do you mean?” Roman asked. “Where...where’s the dragon?”

The boy didn’t answer, but more tears slipped down his cheeks as Roman slowly approached.

“P-please,” the boy choked out again, curling in tighter on himself. “I...if you’re gonna kill me...just make it quick, please, I…” A tiny sob escaped his throat, and Roman dropped his sword to the ground, easing his way onto the bed.

“Hey...hey, no,” he murmured, hands hovering in uncertainty over the crying figure. “It’s okay, I...I’m not here to kill you.”

“You’re here to slay a monster,” the boy whispered, and Roman’s eyes widened in understanding, flicking to the horns protruding from the boy’s skull.

“You mean...you’re…”

The boy turned away, hiding his face in his pillow.

Roman felt something inside him break at the sight, and carefully, oh so carefully, he reached out and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. The boy flinched at first, but when Roman made no other move, he slowly looked up, meeting the prince's eyes.

"I...I did come here expecting to have to battle a dragon," Roman said, choosing his words carefully so as not to upset the tower's inhabitant further. "But the battle alone was not why I came. I was told that there was someone here in need of saving.”

The boy peeked out at him from behind his pillow, and Roman took that as a sign to continue.

“I swore to protect the people of this land," he said, then put on a princely smile, trying to exude confidence and reassurance with every word he spoke. "You do not strike me as something I would need to protect people from, but rather, someone who needs protecting. Am I right?"

The boy stared up at him in wonder, then tears filled his eyes again. Roman opened his mouth to apologize, but then the boy threw himself forward into Roman's arms, this time sobbing in pure relief. Roman caught the thin boy rather easily, and for several moments no words were spoken between them, as Roman focused on calming the boy shaking in his arms. Eventually though, his sobs quieted and he pulled away, looking somewhat embarrassed.

“I, I’m sorry," he said, wiping at his eyes. “I d-didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I mean, I don’t even know your name, and-”

“Roman,” Roman interrupted. “My name is Roman.”

The boy blinked, then a slow, shy smile crept across his face.

“I’m Patton,” he said softly.

“It’s wonderful to meet you, Patton,” Roman said, and Patton’s smile widened, lighting up his face like sunshine.

Roman found himself staring, struck with the thought that Patton’s face alight with a smile was a sight he would not mind seeing more of. It was the sort of smile that deserved to shine large and bright for the entire world, and yet Roman had a feeling that it had had precious little opportunity to come out in the time Patton had spent in this tower.

“Um, I do hope I’m not being rude,” he began carefully, and Patton tilted his head to the side again, looking for all the world like a curious animal. Roman found he was ridiculously endeared to the sight, and he had to force himself to continue speaking. “But...how did you come to be here, Patton?”

Patton sighed then, wrapping his arms around himself and glancing away towards the window.

“It’s...a bit of a long story,” he admitted, and on an impulse Roman reached forward and took his hand.

“Take as long as you need,” he encouraged, and Patton nodded, his freckled cheeks tinging pink.

“Well...when I was a baby...my parents were monster hunters.”

--- --- ---

Remy had known Desmond for what he liked to consider a long time. Though it had been some years since the two had a relationship that most people would consider to be friendship, Remy still was very familiar with the Dragon Witch’s tendencies.

Which is why it was not all that surprising when Desmond appeared in a puff of smoke in the middle of Remy’s hut, an incredulous look on his face.

“Good afternoon, Desmond,” Remy said smoothly, taking a sip of the hot drink he had just poured himself. “Would you like a cup of something?”

“What on earth are you thinking?” Desmond exclaimed, ignoring Remy’s offer. “You told the prince about him?”

“Your loss really, I think this batch may be one of my best attempts yet.”

“Remy, have you lost your mind?” Desmond demanded.

“God, I hope so.”

“Remy!”

“What, Desmond?” Remy asked, putting down his cup and frowning. “So I directed the prince towards Patton’s tower. What is it to you? You’ve not spoken to the boy in over seven years, and you haven’t had a problem with any of the other times I’ve tried to nudge knights and adventurers out that way. Why does it matter now?”

“It matters,” Desmond growled, “because it’s Roman Phillip Leopold. His family’s the reason we’re in this mess in the first place, or did you forget the day his great-grandfather stood before the world and declared us to be monsters?”

“I did not forget,” Remy said dryly, but Desmond continued as though he hadn’t heard.

“Or when his grandfather sent soldiers to smoke out the coven in the southern forrest? Or when his father-”

“He is no more responsible for the crimes of his family than Patton is for what happened to Joan,” Remy snapped, and Desmond fell silent with a glare. “I know he is King James’s son,” Remy continued with a sigh. “But he also takes a personal interest in the lives of his people, and carries himself with nobility while avoiding arrogance. And he holds high regards for King Thomas’s style of leadership.”

Desmond looked up at the mention of Thomas’s name, but then he sighed.

“Just because the boy has an interest in historical figures doesn’t mean he won’t follow in the footsteps of his father. You risk exposing all of us!”

“Just because he is descended from the ones who have hurt us the most doesn’t mean that he will bring about the same level of destruction!” Remy argued back. “Desmond, imagine what could be if a king like Thomas were to rise to power again! This could be our chance!”

Desmond just shook his head.

“Thomas is dead, Remy, and he left no descendants. I know you wish for the prince to turn out like him, but you’re chasing nothing but a fantasy. He’ll never see us as anything more than monsters.”

“The boy isn’t even of age yet, Desmond, have at least a bit of hope!”

“Hope is for the naive,” Desmond countered. “Someday, you’re going to realize that your precious hope is misplaced, but by then it will be too late for you to save yourself.”

A cloud of smoke rose up around him, and in the blink of an eye, he was gone.

Remy sighed, then snapped his fingers with a bright spark of magic. A moment later, a large barn owl swooped in through the window and landed on a perch sitting in the corner of the hut.

“I’m worried about Desmond,” Remy said to the bird, picking up his hot drink again. “I think he’s planning something, and whatever it is can’t be good. I want you to follow the prince…but try not to be seen, I think Des’s familiar is tailing him as well. Can you do that for me?”

The owl lowered his head and fluffed up his feathers, and Remy smiled.

“Thank you...pretty bird.”

The owl squawked indignantly, and Remy laughed.

“If you didn’t want me to start calling you that, you shouldn’t have told me that’s what he calls you. It’s too perfect.” Another squawk, and Remy shook his head. “Okay, okay, whatever you say. Have fun.”

The owl gave a hoot and then he was gone, flying out into the woods to find his charge. Remy watched him go, then took a long drag from his mug.

“Okay, mister Prince Roman Phillip Leopold,” he muttered to himself. “You’d better prove me right here.”

--- --- ---

Patton gripped the edge of the windowsill and took a deep breath. His stomach was churning with nerves, and try as he might, he couldn’t get his heart to stop pounding. He closed his eyes, and took a few more deep breaths, trying desperately to calm down.

“Patton?”

His eyes flew open and he caught Roman’s gaze. They were a bright, captivating green, and they shone with concern as he regarded Patton carefully.

“Are you sure about this? If you’re not comfortable, then we can-”

“No,” Patton said quickly, shaking his head. “No, I...I want to. I just...am a little nervous, that’s all.”

Roman smiled at him, warm and sincere, and Patton felt some of his tension drain away beneath that smile.

“It’s gonna be okay,” Roman said, and Patton found himself believing him.

“Okay,” he whispered, and after one more deep breath, he smiled up at Roman. “I’m ready.”

“Hold on tight,” Roman said, snaking one arm around Patton’s waist.

Patton wrapped his arms around Roman’s neck and held his breath as Roman grabbed hold of the rope they’d tied to the hook where a pulley system had once brought Patton his meals. In one swift, smooth motion, Roman stepped to the outside of the windowsill. Patton was unable to bite back a gasp, and he squeezed his eyes shut, tightening his grip around Roman’s neck.

“I’ve got you,” Roman murmured, and then they were going down, down, down as Roman carefully rappelled them down the side of the tower.

Patton kept his eyes firmly closed, even after he felt the downward motion stop and Roman lowered his feet onto solid ground.

“You can let go now,” Roman said, a smile audible in his voice, but Patton shook his head.

“What if…” He felt his voice waver, and he swallowed. “What if this is just a dream?” he asked. “And when let go and open my eyes you’ll be gone and I’ll be-” his breath caught in his throat, and he could feel a swell of magic in his gut start to bubble up.

“Hey,” Roman murmured, and a warm hand pressed up against Patton’s cheek. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? I’m here, and I’m real, I promise. You don’t have to let go.”

Patton slowly, ever so slowly blinked open his eyes, and Roman grinned at him.

“There we go! See? We’re both still here, everything’s fine. We’re okay.”

Patton carefully looked around, his breath catching in his throat again as he took in the meadow around them. He released his grip on Roman and took one step forward, then stopped and just stared, still hardly able to believe that this was real.

“Patton?” Roman asked, coming up beside him, and Patton turned to him.

Roman’s face twisted in alarm, and Patton was distantly aware that there were tears on his cheeks again, but he didn’t wipe them away, choosing instead to fling himself back into Roman’s arms.

“Thank you,” he cried into Roman’s chest as strong arms wrapped themselves around him. “Thank you, thank you, thank you…”

His words dissolved into more incoherent sobbing, but Roman didn’t seem to mind. He just held Patton closer and gently rocked him back and forth, murmuring the occasional reassurance. Patton wasn’t sure how long they stood like that, but eventually he pulled back to meet Roman’s eyes again. Roman smiled down at him, and Patton felt a blush creeping onto his face.

“Thank you,” he whispered again, and Roman brushed a lock of hair away from Patton’s face with another dazzling smile.

“It was my pleasure, Patton.”

--- --- ---

AU Creator: @thegremlinprince

Other fics by @ironwoman359

A REMINDER - THERE IS NO TAGLIST FOR THIS FIC. If you’d like to stay updated with this AU, follow the @paws-and-claws-au sideblog!

#sanders sides #sanders sides fanfiction #sanders sides au #ts fanfic #royality #patton sanders #roman sanders #remy sanders #deceit sanders #paws and claws #story

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shadowsof-thenight · 5 years

Text

Fictober day 7: Dog walking pt 1/4

Promptnumber: 5 “I might just kiss you” Fandom: MCU Characters: Bucky Barnes x Reader Warnings: none Words: 1760 Summary: When Bucky promises his friend to watch after his dog, he has no idea it would cause so much problems.

A/N: I didn’t mean for this to happen, but as I was writing down this little idea it turned onto a two-parter. So that’ll be another post for fictober later this week.

Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Dog walking (part one)

Bucky wasn’t sure why he had agreed to this, why he hadn’t just said no when Steve asked. He should’ve told Steve to ask Sam. Sam was a much better fit. However, he had said yes and now he was stuck with this. He moved around the hallway and grabbed the lease with bags attached to it. Such a glamorous job, he thought to himself.

There was a reason he never had a pet, he had no desire to change that. It wasn’t that he disliked animals, not at all. Though he did dislike the scooping up of poop. That was one of his least favourite things. The number one thing though was the socialising. Apparently if you had a dog, people just assumed you were friendly and looking for conversation. Bucky wasn’t social and he had no desire to be. Which was why he had asked Sam numerous times to take over. But his co-worker and friend had thought that it would be good for him. Sam couldn’t understand that it wasn’t about nerves necessarily. He just didn’t like chitchat. Not to mention the absolute horror he repeatedly saw on people’s faces when they recognised him. No, socialising with strangers was not his thing. And he was fine without it.

His grumbling stopped for a moment when Cooper walked up to him with a wagging tail and he bent down to put the leash on him. It was a good thing that Cooper was such a great dog, or this would have been even worse.  He checked if the house key was still in his pocket, before closing the door behind them and they started walking. The plan was to get the adorable labradane to the park, so he could run and loose some of his immense energy.

Steve usually took him to a dog park twice a day, but with work interfering Bucky had only been able to manage once a day. Which led to pent up energy for the dog and the neighbours had complained about his barking. It really wasn’t Cooper’s fault, Bucky knew, but his neighbours didn’t really see it like that. Thankfully Steve would be back tomorrow to take care of the dog again. The old man loved that dog and ever since he had retired, Steve had spend all of his days with him. The only reason he needed Bucky’s help was for a funeral out of state and Bucky couldn’t tell his oldest friend no. Especially since it was only a few days. Still, he should’ve asked Sam.

When Bucky arrived at the dog park he was happy to see it nearly empty. Cooper wagged his tail wildly as they entered and when Bucky unhooked the leash the dog ran off. He made a few laps before returning to Bucky and nudging his hand, looking for some attention and that the soldier was happy to give. The dog needed a lot of love and would often stop his running just for that. Bucky didn’t mind, as he sat on a bench and basked in the beautiful spring sun. He was intend on enjoying the warm rays, while watching the dog play.

The enjoyment was ruined though, ten minutes later, when one of the few other occupants of the dog park decided to leave the gate open after they left. Now Cooper was usually a very well adapted dog and he listened well, but it was nearly his dinner time and Bucky assumed that’s why he ran. Distracted by all the smells of the surrounding street-vendors, Cooper dashed off.

Panic washed over Bucky as he jumped up and ran after the dog. He tried to keep an eye on Cooper as he carefully avoided other pedestrians. He cursed the many turns that this city had to offer, right about he cursed the warmth of the sun he had been basking in just minutes ago. It was too warm to be running like this. The cursing became even more profound when he lost sight of the black dog two streets down. He could not loose this dog. Steve needed that dog!

***

It had been a long workday and you were enjoying the sun with one of those horrible pretzels. Okay, they weren’t horrible. You just shouldn’t be eating them as often as you did. Ignoring that though for a second, you took your last bite. You had done enough today to deserve a little treat.

Stretching out your legs, you took a deep breath, glancing around at all the people that were walking the street. Most were rushing and somehow it made you restful moment even better, because you didn’t to rush anymore today. Another deep breath and you closed your eyes for a moment, turning your head up to let the sun wash over you as you mulled over your plans for the evening. Take out and a movie sounded really good right now. It would give you the chance to rest your tired feet and dress up in comfortable sweats. Or dress down, which was it? It didn’t really matter. All that mattered was that you got to spend your downtime in your favourite way.

Your eyes shot open quickly when something wet touched your hand and you looked down to meet the lovely eyes of a big black dog. He was wagging his tail enthusiastically as he sniffed the hand in which you had held the pretzel. You chuckled as he nuzzled your hand, trying to get to the food that was no longer there.

“Aren’t you a pretty doggy,” you said, your voice suddenly an octave higher than normal and you chuckled at your own antics. Animals and kids, they were the only ones that could get this sound from your mouth.

You bent down slowly, careful, allowing the dog to sniff you some more before you went to pet it. As soon as you began, the wagging of its tail intensified and he leaned heavily into you, making you laugh. You noticed the collar and realise this wasn’t some stray. He did seem far too friendly for that anyway.

“Oh, you’re a lover,” you whispered, smiling brightly as you put all your attention on this lovely distraction. Your plans for that evening could wait a little while longer. First you had to figure out what to do about this runaway.

Fast paced footsteps coming to a halt near you, made you look up and you were greeted with the right of an overheated, broad shouldered hunk. He came to a full stop next to you and bent over to catch his breath, he didn’t say a word yet. The dog moved away from you and happily greeted the stranger. He walked around his legs and tried to lick his face, telling you that he probably wasn’t a stranger to the dog. The man stopped the dog from licking him, a smile forming on his face as he did so.

“There you are buddy, please don’t do that again,” his voice was gruff, sexy. You watched him pretend to be stern with the dog, including a wagging finger and a smile broke out on your face. The man’s features changed too and he laughed as he began to play with the dog instead.

“ I might just kiss you right now,” he said, turning his face sideways to smile at you.

“Not so fast, at least offer a girl dinner before,” you joked and he blushed as he stood up straight again. You chuckled upon seeing his shocked face and hoped he would understand that you were joking. Sometimes your mouth worked too fast for your brain to catch up and not everyone shared your sense of humour.

The man opened his mouth several times, closing it again without saying a word and you chuckled again. Apparently you had taken his ability to shape words. Reaching out your hand you introduced yourself, hoping to undo the effect you’d had.

“Bucky,” he replied finally offering up another one of his smiles, “And thanks, I don’t know what I would’ve done if I hadn’t found him.”

“You’re welcome Bucky, though I must admit I didn’t do much,” you confessed, looking up at the man, “He found me.”

With the sun slowly descending behind one of the higher buildings, you could truly check him out. He was really gorgeous, even overheated. His long brown hair was sticking to the side of his face a little, but he was clearly calmer now and it had brought a sparkle to his eyes. Eyes that were a mesmerising ocean blue, by the way.

“He’s a good judge of character,” Bucky said with a smirk and you barked out a loud laugh. He was smooth. That smirk must have made plenty women swoon for him.

“Referring to me or you?” You asked, pointedly glancing back to the dog that was still happily greeting him. Bucky reached into his pocket and pulled out a leash, quickly putting it on the animal.

“Me, of course,” he joked back, earning himself another laugh.

***

“Me, of course,” Bucky joked and looked at her face to see it scrunch up in laughter. The medallic clear sound rang loudly and he wanted to keep making her laugh.

She was very pretty anyway, but she simply radiated when she laughed. Being effected by that was a new feeling for him. Especially since he knew nothing about her. Other than that she was pretty. And that Cooper liked her, but Bucky was yet to meet someone that Cooper didn’t like, so he wasn’t sure how much that meant.

Still, he found himself trying to keep the conversation coming, racking his brain for topics. None seemed sufficient. So after thanking her in a myriad of ways, he finally had to say goodbye to the beautiful smiling Y/N and just hope that it would not be the last time he ran into her.

She waved at him and got up from the bench she had been perched upon, walking away. For a single moment he contemplated walking after her, pretend he needed to go in the same direction. But he realised just how creepy that sounded, besides Cooper needed to eat soon. So, he decided against it and walked back in the direction he had come from. It was time to get Cooper home.

At the end of the street he turned around once more, to see if he could still see her, but she was already gone and a little disappointed he moved on.

***

Fictober Masterlist

#Fictober19 #Bucky Barnes #Bucky Barnes x Reader #MCU fanfiction #No warnings #Pure cuteness

26 notes · View notes

jamesbucksiclebarnes · 4 years

Photo

Rating: Mature: Language, threats of violence.

Chapter List: [1] | [2] | [3] | [4] | [5] | [6] | [7] | [8] | [9] | [10] | [11] | [12] | [13] | [14] | [15] | [16] | [17] | [18]

[AO3 Link] | [Fic Page]

Tag List: @crossbowking, @khaleesislytherin

SERIES SUMMARY:

"Not human. She was not human. They all knew it. Could almost feel it, but couldn't make sense of it. That was why they were afraid. Not because of what she used to be Before. But because of what she was now."

Having found herself serving as the right-hand to the Governor for too long, Synnove le Jacques does her best to make things right with the people of the Prison. Stuck beside her partner in crime, her irritatingly obnoxious and hideously problematic best friend, Merle, she does her best to fight back against the monster she has let the Governor become.

CHAPTER TITLE: A Council to Council the Counciled Council.

I stood with Rick upon the fields, looking out over the impressive expanse of crops with a soft smile. He looked proudly down at the row of corn stalks, rising almost two feet from the dirt, and let out a relaxed sigh.

It had been a strenuous few weeks. The first couple of days after Woodbury had been reduced to a pile of ashes had been such a haze of stress and panic that I barely even remembered it. We had all made a mad scramble to clear out enough room for the sudden influx of people, ridding D-Block of biters, going on run after run to ensure we had enough food and supplies to support a community this size. Daryl and I had spent more time outside of the fences than within them. If we weren’t on a run, then we were out on a hunt; if we weren’t on a hunt, then we were on watch; if we weren’t on watch, we were out in the forests, looking for any possible sign of the Governor’s whereabouts. The two of us barely had an hour alone these days.

Not that I entirely minded. His company was oddly comforting, almost homely in a way I was not at all willing to either admit or attempt to understand.

Now that everything had calmed down somewhat, we had been less stressed out. Our days had become more structured, less chaotic. We had an actual schedule for watches, which made choosing which day to go out on a hunt much, much easier, and gave us a little more free time – most of which Daryl and I usually… spent with each other, anyway.

Today, however, I had chosen to come out an enjoy the mid-springtime sun with Farmer Rick. Once things had finally settled down around here, he had officially decided to “retire” from all leadership duties – which had started an entirely new form of chaos. Of course, no one had particularly wanted a repeat of what had happened with Philip, so the scramble to figure out what to do about leadership roles had been an irritatingly long, drawn out affair. Finally, the community as a whole had decided upon a council. It was the best way to avoid giving one person too much power. Eight members, from all different walks of life, were elected to be the voice of the people. The first six of which had been an easy choice for almost everyone.

Hershel, Karen, Claire, Daryl, Michonne, and Tyrese.

Each of them represented something different, had different views and opinions, yet none of them were what one would call… “problematic”. So far as everyone knew, of course.

The final two, however… They were somewhat of a challenge.

Hayden was a simple man, a plumber and handyman that had pretty much been vital to the development of Woodbury since the beginning. He was elected in order to assist the council in decisions regarding upgrades and repairs to the prison, to which he had proved almost instantly helpful – organising a repair of the pipes and giving us actual running water.

His complications came from his previous relationship with another member of the council. He and Claire had been married once, before the world had turned into a post-apocalyptic nightmare. They had been in the midst of a rather ugly divorce when the proverbial shit had really hit the fan. It had become almost an unspoken rule back in Woodbury to never find yourself caught in the same room as the two of them. They were practically nuclear, always biting at one another, never able to make it through an actual conversation without it turning into a heated argument. Which, obviously, made council meetings quite… interesting, to say the least.

Of course, the squabbling couple did agree on one thing. And one thing only.

That I was a cold-hearted, murderous bitch that deserved to die.

Their opinion of me was no secret and was echoed throughout some of the other people from Woodbury. Not many, thankfully, but enough that it became an issue when I was chosen as the eighth member of the council.

The decision had come as a shock to me and apparently had not been an easy one to make. Unsurprisingly, Daryl had been the one to initially bring me up as a potential candidate. Michonne and Hershel had both backed me, a fact that had made my heart all warm and fuzzy when I’d found out about it, however the same couldn’t be said for the rest of the council. Of course, Claire and Hayden had both voted against me, as well as Tyrese – who I apparently “unnerved”. Karen had abstained from voting, citing herself as “biased”, which had made the vote a tie.

It had remained at a stalemate for almost a full week before the tiebreaker come into play.

When I had heard that Rick had personally stepped in to cast his well-respected vote, I’d almost choked on my dinner in surprise. I mean, we had become closer since his “retirement”, that was true. Now that he was no longer strung out and stressed, he had grown into an almost entirely different person. We got along better than I would have ever thought. Despite that, however, his vote had left me in a state of shock for quite some time.

It had been a week since that day and my first council meeting was scheduled for this evening. To say I was nervous would be an understatement. Daryl was busy helping Carol and young Lucas skin the deer we’d caught earlier that morning and Hershel was tending to a sick little girl. Even Michonne was gone, out in the forests, searching for the Governor, which had left me no one to talk to. No one but good ole Farmer Rick, of course.

“Looks like the corns coming along well,” I remarked as I came to a stop beside him.

He straightened and turned to look at me, leaning partially against the hoe in his hand as he smiled. “It does, doesn’t it?”

“Your green-thumb surprises you?” I asked with an amused grin.

He chuckled and gave a nod, looking over his small little series of crops with a proud smile.

I didn’t have the heart to tell him the only reason his crops were growing as well as they were was because of me. During the night, before I met Daryl in the watch tower, I sometimes walked through the fields. My kind had a natural affinity for nature, which enabled me to use some of my limited magical ability to… well, gently encourage the crops to grow. It was nice to see it was working.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, until Rick spoke up, turning his body to face me.

“You’re hoverin’,” he remarked, giving me an amused look.

I put my hands behind my back and gave a half-hearted shrug, averting my gaze from his. “What? Me? Hover?”

Rick stepped forward, moving the hoe along with him so he could continue to lean against it as he gave me a kind look. “Syn. I know you’re nervous about the council.”

“What?” I asked, lifting a brow as I turned back to meet his gaze and forced a smile. “Me? Nervous?”

My voice rose half an octave, shaking slightly at the end of the last word. Even I didn’t believe my own attempts to convince him I wasn’t in the least bit uneasy about my first council meeting.

“I wouldn’t have put my neck out for you if I didn’t think you could do it,” Rick said lightly, reaching out with one hand to place it comfortingly on my shoulder. “You’re a smart woman, Synnove. Resourceful. And you work well under pressure.”

“I’m also a hot-head,” I remarked, giving him a pointed look. “And weirdly arrogant for someone with such a deep sense of self-loathing.”

Rick’s crystal blue eyes softened at that and he stepped even closer, so much so that the tips of our boots were barely two inches apart. He lowered his head, brows furrowed in a frown. “You’re a better person than you seem to think you are. You’ll do great, Syn. Trust yourself – believe in yourself. I do.”

I snorted incredulously, though it was half-hearted at best. His words struck me with an odd sense of pride, lifting me out of the abyss of my own self-doubt. I respected Rick, respected what he had done here, the way he saw people, so to hear him say that he believed in me… Well, it made me feel all warm and tingly. Unable to stop myself, I gave him a genuine smile. “Fine,” I breathed, forcing myself to sound put out. “But if I end up punching Claire in the face, it’s on you.”

He laughed softly, low in his throat, before stepping away from me and removing his hand, placing it back on the hoe by his side. “I think I can handle that.”

We smiled silently at one another for a moment before I nodded, taking a deep breath and turning away from him. “Alright, then. Wish me luck.”

I could feel his eyes on me as I walked away. “Good luck.”

Turns out, the luck was most certainly needed.

The moment I stepped foot into the cell block’s centre room, where the council meetings were always held, I was instantly verbally assaulted. I’d barely even had a chance to close the metal door behind me before I heard Claire’s whiny voice pipe up from her place at the circular table below.

“What the hell is she doing here?”

I turned in place to look down at her with a forced pleasant smile, casually descending the short staircase and crossing the concrete floor to the table. Daryl shuffled over on his seat, giving me room to sit down beside him. I gave him a thankful smile as I did.

“Rick agreed Synnove would be a good addition to this council,” Hershel stated simply, giving me a kind smile and encouraging nod before turning back to face Claire. Her face looked as if someone had just unhinged their jaw and swallowed her favourite pet whole. “Now that we are all here, our first order of business is to attend–”

“Hold on just a hot second,” Claire cut in, lifting both her hands up and waving them about as if to get everyone’s attention. “I thought we agreed her presence here would be detrimental to our future as a community.”

I let out a sigh, reaching down to pull up the sleeves of my leather jacket, exposing my tattooed forearms. “Ah, here we go.”

Claire ignored that, slowly rising out of her seat to look each of the council members in turn – notably avoiding eye contact with me. “This is the same woman that changed sides in the middle of a war. The same woman that did terrible, terrible things at the behest of a sociopath, knowing full well what he was. The same woman that murdered a man in cold blood before Woodbury’s fences were even complete.”

I raised my hand. “Actually, the fences were well and truly finished when I killed Marcus.”

Claire finally met my gaze, though it was only to express how aghast and disgusted she was with the blasé way I’d just said that. She pointed an accusatory finger at me with a snarl. “See? She takes pleasure in killing innocent men.”

Beside me, I felt Daryl’s leg slide across the concrete floor, the side of his booted foot coming to rest against my own. I knew it was his way of giving comfort. After all, he was the only one here that knew the truth – well, believed the truth – of what happened that night with Marcus and his two sycophants.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. “Marcus was far from an innocent man, Claire.”

She scoffed. “Your lies fall on deaf ears here in this council, murderer.”

I wanted so badly to scream at her that I was literally incapable of lying, yet knew that would only open a can of worms I was in no way prepared to dive into. Instead, I just shook my head and tossed up a hand in exasperation.

“Synnove’s past is not up for discussion,” Hershel politely stated, looking to Claire with that disapproving look of his. “We are here to talk about the future.”

“Oh, you mean the likelihood of her murdering someone else?” Hayden remarked with a bemused snort. “In the future?”

I turned my head to give him a pointed look. When his gaze met mine, he sunk back in his seat with a thinly veiled look of fear, averting his eyes down to the silver table in front of him. “My place on this council has been decided. Move the fuck past it, man. We got shit to sort out.”

“How eloquent,” Claire sighed, slowly lowering herself back down into her own seat.

I bit my tongue, forcing myself not to bite back at that comment, instead turning my attention to Hershel as he continued what he had been attempting to say earlier. Our first order of business. Apparently, the food situation was rapidly growing dire. We didn’t have enough supplies left over from the remains of Woodbury to sustain us all for an extended period of time. The game Daryl and I brought back was helpful, but it wasn’t enough, and the likelihood the crops would be ready to harvest before we all began to feel the effects of starvation was disastrously low.

Hershel looked to me, pulling a rolled-up piece of paper from his back pocket and laying it out flat on the table in front of him. It was a map of the local area, including what had once been Woodbury and its neighbouring towns and farmlands. “Can you tell us the areas you had yet to scavenge from?”

I lifted my butt out of the seat in order to lean over and get a better look. It was true that Merle and I had made short work of the local townships, having nearly torn apart every house we came into contact with. There was little left in the way of supplies around the majority of the mapped-out area before me, that I knew for certain. We had hit every single house in every single town within a ten-mile radius.

“The only places here we didn’t get to were the farms out by the interstate,” I explained, pointing out the three large acres of land along the stretch of road. “They were too overrun for just the two of us and Phil didn’t think they’d be worth the risk.”

“Odd,” Claire remarked, barely loud enough to be heard. “I thought you were meant to be some kind of Goddess at cutting down biters. Your partner sure seemed to think so. Although, his complete and utter devotion to you, which was sickening to say the least, would suggest his opinions were rather flawed.” She gave me an irritatingly wide grin. “Good thing he got cut down before you turned on him, too.”

The sheer amount of willpower it took to stay firmly planted on that seat beside Daryl was honestly impressive, even to me. My entire body may have been tensed so completely that I could be mistaken for a stone statue, but I stayed where I was. I didn’t leap across the table and shove the palm of my hand so hard against her nose, it pushed her cartilage back into the miniscule excuse for a brain that rattled around in that head of hers. Like I wanted to. No, I remained exactly where I was. As did Daryl, though I could all but feel the anger radiating off him as if it were a wave of physical heat.

A chilling smile stretched across my face as I looked across the table at Claire, running my tongue slowly across my upper teeth as I tried to sort through the red haze of anger that clouded my mind for a diplomatic way of saying “fuck you”.

“Listen here, Claire,” I said slowly, my voice a shadow of its former self in his sheer coldness. “I know you have an issue with me being here. You’ve made that quite clear. Another thing you have made quite clear is your complete and utter lack of anything resembling tact. Merle and I kept you all safe and alive and fed for months. You might not have liked the man – and I can’t blame you for that – but at least have the fucking decency to keep your negative comments regarding him out of the council on which his younger brother sits, you ungrateful, undignified, spiteful bitch.”

The room fell into a tense, deafening silence. Claire stared back at me with her mouth agape for a moment before her green eyes slid across to Daryl. Her expression fell as the realisation struck her that she had just bad mouthed a dead man whose brother sat across the table from her. She looked utterly shameful, opening and closing her mouth as if in an attempt to come up with an apology that wouldn’t sound forced.

Daryl couldn’t meet her gaze for much longer than a handful of seconds, looking down at the table with a huffed breath. His boot was still pressed against mine beneath the table. I lifted my foot and placed it gently on top of his, trying my best to provide a silent comfort while I glared coldly across the table at the arrogant woman as she rose from her seat.

“I’m so sorry, Daryl,” she breathed, putting a hand to her chest. “I didn’t think.”

When Daryl shook his head, grimacing, unable to answer, I felt my anger peak once again. Her words had only served to remind him of the pain he’d barely had a chance to move on from. Of the brother that had perished doing the first selfless thing he’d ever done. The brother that, by his understanding, had died for him.

How dare she? How fucking dare she put her resentment of me above Daryl?

Slowly, I rose out of my seat, moving my foot from atop Daryl’s in order to do so. “Sit the fuck down, Claire, and if you so much as open your mouth again about anything other than council business, I may just reach in there and pull your spine out through your throat. Got it?”

She looked back at me with wide eyes as she, almost involuntarily, fell back down into her seat. It seemed as if she truly believed that was something I was capable of, as if that cold, hissed statement had reminded her of exactly who she was mouthing off to. Her fear of me had become hatred, but the foundations of that fear were still rooted deep within her.

Everyone stared at me as I slowly sunk back down into my seat beside Daryl, their silence speaking volumes. Karen and Tyrese shared a look with one another whilst Michonne gave me an encouraging nod. Hershel seemed somewhat ill at ease with my violent threat, but allowed it without comment, nonetheless. Claire and Hayden both looked as if they were about to be sick, which was fine with me.

Daryl, beside me, reached out beneath the table and placed a thankful hand on my knee. I glanced at him out the corner of my eye and gave him a small nod before turning back to look over the map once again.

“As I was saying,” I continued, my voice returning to normal. “The farms along the interstate haven’t been touched by anyone from Woodbury. They may well be full to the brim with supplies. Only issue being, of course, the number of biters out there will rival a two-man squad. You’d need at least six.”

Hershel nodded, no doubt thankful we’d finally moved on from the feud between Claire and I. His gaze slid across the entire table, glancing at each of us in turn before coming back to me. “Synnove will lead a six-man group to the first farm, here,” he said, pointing out the closest farm to the prison. “You can take a car and one of the trucks, but if there are too many out there, you come right on back. Do not push forward if you are unable.”

I nodded in agreement, reaching out to take the map from the table and rolling it back up silently.

“I’ll go,” Daryl stated, his voice hoarse.

“So will I,” Michonne volunteered.

“I’m down, too,” Tyrese said, though he didn’t particularly sound all that happy about it.

I gave him a thankful smile, which seemed to quell some of the tension that had pulled his shoulders into a tight line.

“That’s four,” I remarked.

“Glenn will go with you,” Hershel suggested.

“I can get Sasha to come, too,” Tyrese put in, this time returning my thankful smile with one of his own.

I nodded and grinned back at Hershel. “Well, that was easy. What’s next on the agenda?”

Everything went relatively smoothly from then on, as we discussed possibilities on upgrading the fences. At one point, there, I was almost enjoying myself. Once Daryl’s mood improved somewhat, I found it much easier to relax into my position, going so far as to suggest a possible subject to discuss during our next meeting. Hershel seemed to be pleased by my addition, writing down the possibility of establishing some kind of schooling system for the young ones onto his notepad.

I probably should have left it there, of course. Why I felt the need to push it one step further is beyond me, but at the time it had made all the logical sense in the world. As if I’d forgotten my apparent nemesis was sitting across the table from me, intent on my complete and utter social destruction.

“I’d suggest adding some kind of defensive training,” I added, pointing to Hershel’s list. “The kids could probably use it.”

Claire snorted. “Of course, you’d be the one to suggest that,” she remarked, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly. “The children do not need to learn how to kill one another.”

I took a deep breath before turning my attention on her, trying my hardest to keep the promise I’d made to myself to remain civil toward her during council sessions. “I never said that. All I’m suggesting is we give them all the skills necessary to survive in a world overrun by walking corpses that want to eat them. But, go off, I guess.”

I didn’t need to turn my head to know Daryl had nodded in agreement. Which apparently made Claire even angrier, for some reason.

“They’re children!” she replied, raising her voice so that it echoed around the empty room. “It is our job as adults to protect them, not train them to be some kind of child-soldier army.”

“Do you do this on purpose?” I asked, tilting my head to the side as I regarded her. “Misinterpret everything I say just so you’ll have something to argue about?”

“You’re the one talking about arming kids!” she shouted back at me. “And you think you’re better than the Governor?”

My eyes partially widened at that, out of the sheer disbelief that she seemed to believe I was no better than the man that had massacred half of our town out of goddamn spite. A scoff escaped me as I shook my head, whispering a curse under my breath with a bemused smile. “You have got to be kidding me. Claire, that man wanted to send those kids into battle. I’m merely saying it would be beneficial – to them, the children – to learn how to defend themselves against the biters. Are you seriously disagreeing with me on this? Do you want them to get eaten?”

“Synnove,” Hershel cautioned. “Enough. We will take the suggestion into consideration and speak on it next week.”

Claire rose out of her seat and shook her head, raising her hand out to Hershel as if to tell him to be silent.

Oh, I was going to hit her. The urge was almost too much. Had Daryl not pressed the sole of his boot against the top of my own shoe, I probably would have leapt out of that seat and across the table before anyone even had a chance to blink.

“I think this is something that warrants discussion now,” Claire stated haughtily.

“Claire, leave it alone,” Karen sighed, speaking up for the first time in a while.

The two women shared a look, during which I could see the sheer exasperation on Karen’s face as she tried to shake her head, a silent plea that Claire seemingly ignored.

“If you go anywhere near any of those children,” the haughty woman began, “I will personally –“

“You’ll what?” I snapped, leaning my forearms against the table as I stared evenly up at her. “What will you do, Claire? What can you do to me?”

She leant forward, too, placing one hand against the metal table in order to thrust her painfully skeletal finger in my face. “Listen here, you arrogant little psychopath, I was a US senator. The list of things I could do to you are endless.”

I snorted a laugh. “Where the fuck do you think you are? Washington? Civilisation has taken a trip to fucked-ville, darling. Your hoity-toity senator bullshit means nothing to me.”

“It should,” she spat. “I can have half of those idiots out there believing you are the Devil incarnate by noon tomorrow.”

I pursed my lips and nodded, feigning bemused agreement, before breaking character and laughing. “The way you say that implies you think I give a shit about what people think of me.”

“I don’t care if you do or don’t,” Claire hissed in response. “You ever heard of a citizen’s arrest? Imagine what that will be like in this world. They’ll hang you up by your neck from a tree.”

Tyrese, Michonne, and I all simultaneously took in a sharp breath at that. The meaning of her words seemed lost on her, if the confused look she gave the two of them said anything. I shook my head, eyes hard as I glared back at her in disgust.

“So… you’re suggesting…” I scoffed out an unamused snort. “Let me get this straight. You’re suggesting a lynching?”

It took her a second longer than it should have to catch on. Her eyes grew wide and she straightened, looking between Michonne and Tyrese with wide, horrified eyes. “That is not what I meant.”

“Sure sounded like it,” Michonne remarked, her voice hard. Tyrese nodded his agreement.

“I didn’t mean it like that.” Claire’s wide gaze turned to me. “Don’t twist my words.”

“It’s literally what you described,” I responded with a blank expression.

She let out a frustrated groan. “You! I meant you! It’s what you deserve! For Marcus, for Woodbury, for Jasmi–”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Daryl shot up out of his seat before she could finish that one name that would have sent me over the edge, pointing an aggressive finger in her direction. “You shut your damn mouth! We don’t need to hear no more of your shit, so sit the hell down!”

Claire, as stunned as the rest of us at Daryl’s outburst, slowly sunk down into her chair and snapped her mouth closed. I craned my neck back to look up at him with my brows raised, the ghost of a smile pulling at the corners of my lips. Something about the hard set of his jaw as he glared menacingly down at Claire made my lower stomach tighten.

Once he was sure the woman was going to keep her mouth well and truly shut, he returned to his seat with a gruff sigh. I watched him lower himself down, watched him clench and unclench his jaw, with a wide-eyed look of shocked amusement. He glanced over to me and once our eyes met, I had to bite back a laugh, turning to look away before I lost it.

After a moment of tense silence, I looked between everyone and gave a nod. “Well, that was hot. Let’s move on.”

And, thankfully, we did.

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