#in FIVE DAYS. right. <- is trying to convince herself and her siblings

[aturnoftheearth]

one thing about my family is we’re gonna have a blow out knock down drag out fight before we go on the best vacation of our lives

[xetlynn]

Chapter Six, Confirming Us

(Alice X Reader X Jasper)

[five] [six] [seven]

Bella stands by me, getting herself ready for what she’s about to do. It’s the end of the school day and I suck in a deep breath for her. I can not believe she’s actually going through with this.

She starts walking towards the Cullen’s. She makes eye contact with Edward and he immediately gets the message but Rosalie grabs his arm. Bella already disappeared in the trees that bordered the school property. Rosalie says something to him but Alice shakes her head and removes her hand, also speaking. I obviously can’t hear them from here.

Biting the dead skin off my bottom lip nervously I try my best not to cough. Of course I’m still sick, not as bad as yesterday but still up there. Just without the fever.

I watch Edward finally get away from his foster siblings and go to my sister. It feels like my breathing has been shortened. I have a feeling he won’t do anything to her but there’s always a thought in the back of my mind.

“Hey, you okay?” I turn and it was just Angela. “Hm?” I raise a brow. “Oh I was just asking if you’re okay. Since you were pretty sick yesterday.” She smiles, putting her hand on my back causing me to shutter. “I’m better, still sick.” I look away to cough. Her touch makes my chest squeeze and I don’t notice the two staring at me from across the lawn. Or at least I act like I don’t.

“Aw, I’m sorry.” She pouts moving her hand to my shoulder and I nervously laugh. “It’s okay, did you find your prom dress?” I change the subject, her eyes light up in response. “Yes I did. Did you? I wasn’t able to ask since you were so bad yesterday.” She takes her hand back and I felt like a corset was being taken off and I could actually breathe again. “Ah, that’s amazing. I don’t know if I’m going.” I shrug.

She takes my hand and that one feeling comes back. “You have to it will be so fun. And since we don’t have Bella coming we need at least one Swan sister to come.” She tries to convince me. That sentence throws me the wrong way though, I know she didn’t intend it to but I don’t know.

“We could even match colors. My dress is like light pink.”

“I mean if you’d like me to I will.” I tell her with a small smile. “Light pink is such a good choice.” Another voice rings to my right side and both of us jump from the person. I mentally curse once I see who it is. “Oh, um… thank you Alice.” Angela grins at the other girl as I glare at her.

“So, [Name] how’d you sleep last night?” She turns to me and my lips press together angrily. Angela seems confused.

“What an odd question to ask.” I say through my teeth.

“Really? I just wanted to make sure it was nice since Jasper and I left before you woke up.” She sweetly says, my eyes widen.

“I slept fine.” I roll my eyes.

“That’s good! Angela? That’s your name right? I’m going to steal [Name] here for a second.” She doesn’t even let the girl answer nor give me the chance to deny. Taking my arm and dragging me away. I look back at Angela apologetically.

She waves me goodbye, furrowing her eyebrows as she was just as confused as me.

We get into a car where I’m in the backseat, Jasper was in the driver seat. “What was that!?” I pull away from her, my face scrunched with anger.

“Shh.” She tells me and I grunt as I push myself backwards on the seat. “Is this a fucking AA or something? Here to tell each other secrets?” I cross my arms.

“Why are you so mad at us, darling?” Jasper turns to look at me.

“Why are you so obsessed with me?” I rebuttal.

“Well, you obviously know what we are is that your reason?” He ignores what I had just said. “No I’m just- I’m confused!” I exclaim.

“You’re both together, in a relationship. Immortal I might add that I am not. What do you want from me?”

Their gazes soften. “[Name], you’re our missing piece. You’re ours. You have been for years we only now found you, again” Alice tells, still smiling. I think back to my dream.

Their missing piece…

“You still aren’t answering me correctly. Give me an explanation, a good one that doesn’t sound like you’re crazy!” I exasperated.

“I’m some missing piece, whatever! But why me? You don’t know me!” I hold myself trying not to get emotional from how overwhelmed I feel.

“We know more than you think, love.” Jasper says, i glance over to him, motioning for him to keep talking.

“We’ve had this feeling for years, we knew you as humans, [Name]. Years and years ago. You’re the one who would get through our fingers. Your past lives have popped up. And they will continue to do so until you fall for us. You won’t remember until you-“ he cuts himself off, Alice’s eyes bored onto me. “You won’t remember.”

I sit there for a minute in complete silence.

Then I start laughing. “Okay I played into this for a little bit. I actually believed it, I believed my sister too! Is this some sort of prank or something?” I shake my head. “This is good, really. You had me. But knock it off.” I go to open the door but it won’t open.

“Hey, let me out.” I play with the handle and the two just sit there. “I said let me out.” I order, now using to hands.

“[Name],” Alice goes to touch me but I go up against the door. “Don’t touch me.” I smack her away from me and a shock goes through my arm. I gasp not only from how cold she is, even though I already know she is. But something actually shocked me. Not a normal metal shock but like a taser went through my arm.

“We’re telling the truth.” Jasper says lowly, I just scoff.

“Okay, sure and I’m a fucking werewolf. Do you know how crazy this sounds!?” I throw my hands into the air.

“Yes, yes we know.” Alice sadly replied.

“I want proof.” I simply say. ���I want to see the speed shit or whatever.”

They look between each other, nodding.

“We can do that but we have to go to an excluded place. Do you trust us enough?” Alice asks me. I sit there for a moment.

“Sure.”

“We need a yes if we leave this parking lot.”

I roll my eyes, “yes.”

And in a quick notion we’re on the road, exhilarating passed the speed limits.

I grip onto the handle above me.

Then we come to a stop, we’re in the forest. “We gotta do some walking.” Jasper warns me, I just nod.

He finally unlocks the child lock he had put on and I get out. I leave my backpack inside the vehicle. Alice and Jasper stand next to me on either side. We start up on this hike trail. We walk in silence. None of us tried to start up a conversation.

“Watch your step.” Jasper warns me and even with that warning I somehow trip. Luckily I don’t fall. My face warms up in embarrassment. They don’t say anything, don’t even crack a smirk or anything. Sort of making me feel better about it.

Then Jasper starts going off trail and I stop in place. “What are you doing?”

“Excluded place, remember, Darling?” Jasper reminds me, I look around trying to think of a way to get out of this. “Right.” I whisper, realizing there isn’t going to be one. I buried my own grave here.

“I’ll be right behind you to make sure you don’t fall.” Alice tells me, trying to reassure me.

I don’t acknowledge what she said, just following Jasper.

It was long until we get to this small spot. “No one’s around.” Alice tells Jasper who nods shortly.

My nerves start rising, I play with the sleeves of my sweater.

“Okay do you have anything else to ask?” Jasper asks and I shake my head. “Just do the speed shit.” I tell trying not to sound panicked but that doesn’t work.

He snickers and Alice stands next to him. Then he’s gone and I feel a tap on my shoulder. When I turned he was gone again. I look straight and Alice was gone too. A tap on my back this time and they’re both behind me. I squint at them and then Jasper is gone again. Now hanging on a tree branch.

Alice grins.

He jumps down, it was a high branch so I gasp. Almost going to run to him but he stands with perfect posture.

“Do you believe it now?” Alice teases me, my mouth opens to speak but nothing comes out. “I… I um”

“Are you scared?” Jasper questions me, going back next to his lover.

“Would you be in my position?”

The two laugh. “Yeah, we would.” Alice sighs.

“Well, oddly enough I’m not. I want to know more.” I tell them.

And for the next few days that’s what we do. I learn more about them.

Barely passing by Bella but we both subconsciously knew that each other got our answers.

And with learning about them came.. loving them. Both of them. I never thought I’d be with two people- vampires?

I guess no one thinks they will be with a vampire.

I knew I’d be in a relationship no one would understand in my family. Like being with a woman most likely. But in this odd polyamory love affair I would’ve never guessed.

They were gentle with me. Like a doll.

“Jasper usually has trouble around humans. That’s why he kind of looks like he’s in pain. But with you. It’s like you’re one of us. We still have to treat you with fragile care. Nonetheless you’re made for us.” Alice grins, holding my hand as we walked together on that same trail. Jasper had to help Rosalie and Emmett with something so he couldn’t join us today.

“Do you think there’s something with my blood?” I look at her and she gives me a confused look. “What do you mean?”

“Well you guys drink blood. What’s so different about mine?”

She breaks out into a small laugh. “Nothings different it’s just how we are with you. It’s been like that in all of your lifetimes. It’s how we know it’s you. Well we normally know because you always look the same. Same first name too.” She explains, my mouth going into the form of an ‘o’.

“You’re cute.” She gently bumps into me.

And no matter how many times I ask them about my past lives, about how I acted they never answered.

Always saying “you’ll find out when you do.”

It was very frustrating.

“I can see into the future, visions. I can see what a persons up to at this very moment. The future can change though. It’s not always accurate.” Alice tells me and I raise an eyebrow.

“Did you know about Bella and your brother before they came about?” I tilt my head.

“Sort of. I didn’t want to pry.” She says. “Can you do anything special?” I turn to Jasper.

“I can manipulate your emotions. Sort of like an empathetic person. I feel your emotion instead of you.” He explains.

I tilt my head, wanting to know more.

“How come you didn’t do that to me when I was angry with you guys?”

“I didn’t want to have this relationship based off of me manipulating you. I wanted you to feel everything, think for yourself. Make your choice. You’re worth waiting a million years for.” He takes me hand like Alice is but takes it up and kisses it.

I smile to myself, glancing down at the ground.

“We want you to come over and meet everyone.” Alice suddenly says.

“Your sister will be there too.” She adds.

I blink a few times, my chest tightening. “Uh… are you sure?”

“Of course.” Jasper chimes in.

And I felt like throwing up.

The thought of meeting their family made my heart thump quicker than normal.

“Okay… I’ll do it if my sister is there.”

“Great, we will pick you up tomorrow.”

Today I brought my motorcycle myself this time. So I drove home myself. And getting there Jacob and Billy stood outside talking to my dad. Well Billy sat in the car as Jacob was going to get out. I’m guessing to take out the wheelchair.

Getting off my bike, I take my helmet off as I walked over to them. “Hey, squirt!” My dad shouts over to me and I wave.

“Hey guys!” I smile. Jacob comes over and pulls me into a hug. Billy was a bit standoffish but he smiles and greets me as well.

Jacob walks away and goes to set up the wheelchair, Billy gets himself up to sit in it.

That’s when Bella gets dropped off by Edward, Billy and him make eye contact and Billy seemed nervous.

Okay this chapter is a little shorter than normal. I had some things happen so I’ve been busy. But I’m hoping to have two chapters out on Sunday.

And a few requests done.

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[oscinhaslandito]

heyyy my first request!!! hope y'all like it🥰

Rain in the Kingdom

pairing: george russell x reader

Summary: A rainy day traps Y/N and George inside, and what starts as a casual movie marathon turns into them building an elaborate blanket fort. George tries to make it structurally sound (using logic and engineering), while Y/N focuses on making it cozy. By the time it’s done, they’re cuddled inside, sharing snacks and whispering jokes like they’re kids again.

The rain pounded against the windows, turning the city into a blur of gray and mist. George and Y/N sat on the couch, their half-eaten bowls of popcorn abandoned as they stared out at the downpour.

“Well,” Y/N said, stretching lazily, “there goes our walk by the marina.”

George, ever the optimist, leaned forward with a mischievous glint in his eye. “Who needs the marina? We can build something better right here.”

“What, like a yacht?” she teased.

“No,” he said with a mock-serious expression, “a fortress.”

Before Y/N could question him, George was on his feet, rifling through cupboards and closets. He emerged with an armful of pillows, blankets, and a determination that made her laugh.

“What’s the plan, architect?” she asked, joining him in the chaos.

“We need a sturdy foundation,” he began, meticulously arranging cushions on the floor. “And strategic placement of blankets for maximum coverage.”

Y/N, however, had other ideas. She draped a blanket over his head like a cape and crowned him with a pillow. “Sir George, defender of the fort!” she declared, giggling as he swatted at her playfully.

They worked together—George trying to keep the structure standing while Y/N prioritized comfort over functionality. Every time he thought they were done, Y/N added something new: fairy lights, a stack of snacks, or a plush llama she’d won at a carnival.

“Is this a fort or a five-star hotel?” he asked, shaking his head but unable to hide his smile.

“Both,” she replied proudly, plopping down inside the fort and patting the space beside her. “Come on, Your Majesty, time to enjoy the fruits of our labor.”

George hesitated, scrutinizing the fort as though it were a race car that needed one last adjustment. Finally, he slid in beside her, his tall frame folding awkwardly into the small space. “Not bad,” he admitted, looking around at their creation. The fairy lights cast a warm glow, illuminating the soft chaos they’d built together. “But I’m still not convinced it’ll hold.”

“Have some faith, Sir George,” Y/N said, leaning back against a pillow. She grabbed a handful of popcorn and offered it to him. “This fort’s indestructible.”

“If you say so,” he murmured, though his skeptical expression made her laugh.

They sat in companionable silence for a while, listening to the rhythmic patter of rain on the windows. George eventually broke the quiet with a story about his childhood, recounting a time when he and his siblings had built an outdoor fort that collapsed spectacularly after only an hour.

“You’re telling me you’ve never successfully built a fort before?” Y/N asked, feigning shock.

“Not until today,” he replied, nudging her shoulder. “I’m counting this as my first victory.”

“Well, congratulations,” she said, raising an imaginary glass. “To Sir George’s first indestructible fortress.”

“I’ll drink to that,” he said, clinking his water bottle against her imaginary glass.

As the rain outside intensified, so did the coziness inside their fort. George stretched his legs, his sock-less feet accidentally brushing against Y/N’s cozy sock-clad ones. She yelped dramatically, pulling her feet away.

“Are your toes always this cold?” she asked, glaring at him in mock horror.

“It’s a skill,” he replied with a grin, wiggling his toes for emphasis. “Would you rather I warm them up by sticking them under you?”

“Don’t you dare!” she shrieked, shielding herself with a pillow. George laughed, the sound deep and genuine, as he held his hands up in surrender.

“Fine, fine,” he said, “but don’t complain if I freeze.”

“You’ll survive,” she shot back, smirking. “I’m pretty sure knights like you are trained for harsh conditions.”

George’s laughter softened into a smile as he watched her. “You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

“I’ve been told,” she said, popping another piece of popcorn into her mouth.

The evening continued in the same vein, filled with teasing banter and laughter that echoed through their makeshift hideout. At one point, Y/N challenged George to a game of “Fort Trivia,” where she made up absurd questions about their fort’s “history” and awarded points for creativity.

“Question one,” she began, her tone serious. “What year was this fort—the greatest of its kind—built?”

“Easy,” George said, stroking an imaginary beard. “The year of 2025.”

“Incorrect,” she said, shaking her head solemnly. “The correct answer is 1825. It’s been here for centuries, obviously.”

“1825?” he repeated, laughing. “You’re making this up as you go!”

“I don’t make the rules,” she replied with a shrug. “I just enforce them.”

The game devolved into silliness, with George eventually earning the title of “Most Creative Fort Historian” despite his protests about the “unfair” scoring system.

Later that evening, George’s phone buzzed with a message from one of his friends. He glanced at it briefly before setting it aside, his attention drawn back to Y/N as she reached for the bag of marshmallows.

“What are you doing now?” he asked, watching her tear open the bag.

“Enhancing our fort experience,” she replied, holding up a marshmallow triumphantly. “We’re roasting these over a candle.”

George’s eyebrows shot up. “That sounds like a fire hazard.”

“Only if you do it wrong,” she said with a wink, setting up a small tealight candle in the middle of their fort. She skewered a marshmallow on a toothpick and held it carefully over the flame. George watched with a mix of amusement and concern as the marshmallow started to toast.

“This is definitely not regulation,” he muttered, but he grabbed a toothpick and joined in anyway. Soon, the fort was filled with the sweet, slightly burnt aroma of marshmallows. George’s first attempt resulted in a charred mess, and Y/N burst into laughter.

“You call yourself a knight?” she teased. “I’m pretty sure marshmallow roasting is part of the training.”

“I’ll have you know,” he said, pretending to be offended, “that my skills lie elsewhere.”

“Clearly,” she said, popping a perfectly golden marshmallow into her mouth.

As the rain began to ease, a calm settled over them. Y/N leaned her head against George’s shoulder, her hair tickling his neck. He didn’t move, didn’t even dare to breathe too deeply, afraid to disturb the quiet intimacy of the moment.

“This,” he murmured, his voice soft, “might be my favorite rainy day ever.”

She looked up at him, her eyes shining. “Mine too.”

For a few heartbeats, they simply looked at each other, the faint glow of the fairy lights reflecting in their eyes. Then Y/N smiled, breaking the spell with a gentle nudge. “Don’t get too comfortable, Sir George. Tomorrow, we’re testing your sailing skills.”

“Oh, you’re on,” he replied, grinning. But for now, he was perfectly content to stay right where he was—in their indestructible little fort, with the rain as their soundtrack and Y/N by his side.

[heygerald]

Falling Without A Harness - Chapter 9

AU where Tom Ryder is still an asshole, just not a psychotic one. When Parker joins Colt on set, things between the siblings gets argumentative. How hard will she try to convince everyone of something only she seems to see?

Read the story here: prev / next

Parker was dying.

Well, no, not really, but she was pretty sure that dying on the inside was the same kind of misery as dying on the outside—something Colt would wholeheartedly disagree with, but, whatever, he wasn't around to dispute such a wild claim—and as she failed at yet another attempt, she quite literally could feel her sanity evaporating like water on a hot summer day. It was ridiculous that the instructions were only five steps; even more ridiculous that there were high school art students who could do this with their eyes closed while gabbing about what the prettiest Met Gala dress of the year was and contemplating what the next Suzanne Collins' book would be.

"I think she should write more prequel books," said high school art student was blabbering on from the other side of the shelf, and while Parker's eyes went crossed and frustration welled like a heavy weight on her chest, Melissa didn't seem to notice as her train of thought continued on a cross-continental journey. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I will always love Katniss and Peeta's story, and hearing about their kids would be interesting, but there are seventy some years of Games that we haven't even heard about yet. That's so much material for her to write about!"

Parker glanced at the mess lying at her feet; tape and paint and abused shelf liner was sprawled around her as if a bomb had just gone off, and while Melissa continued on her fifth monologue of the hour, Parker almost wished one would.

"—did you see it? It was so good. Tom Blythe has to be my new celebrity crush. Right behind Tom Ryder, of course, but above Tyler Poser. Nothing against him personally, he just hasn't really done anything since Teen Wolf, you know? And—"

She was pretty sure black spots were dotting her vision, and when she attempted for a sixth time to smooth the bubbles out of her liner, Parker swore her head was going to implode.

How did one talk so much?

And more importantly—

"Jesus Christ!" she cried above the din of chatter. Melissa's voice cut off at the exclamation, but as she crossed one arm over the other—ruler clattering to the ground in frustration—the radio continued to play a steady stream of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry. "I'm so confused!"

A steady silence came from the adjacent aisle for half a moment.

"You... don't get the Hunger Games prequel? I thought you read it."

"Oh my fu—" she started, before cutting herself off. Melissa had gotten on her last week about having such foul language, and while Parker really didn't care about being a bad influence on the next generation, she did care about the stupid little jar sitting on the front counter that had collected half of her weekly coffee allowance in just three days. Pinching her nose, she swerved, "fudge, I don't get how you're doing this. I really don't."

"Doing—?"

"Not Suzzanne Collins," she snapped before Melissa could even go down that particular road. Honestly, the girl never stopped talking. "I understand that. I read those books before you were even born, kid."

"Okay, I'm not that young, and you're not old enough to be calling me kid," her voice floated above the shelves; judgmental and scornful all in one.

Parker pinched the bridge of her nose, only for some wayward tape to get stuck to her cheek, and as she ripped it off her skin with a groan, she considered sinking onto the cold floor for a nap.

Said floor was a mess of art supplies, however, and so she elected to tap her foot in an impatient staccato on the ground. Knowing there was only one thing left to do, Parker swallowed whatever pride still existed after this little art project. "...I don't understand how to put on the shelf liners," she admitted. "It doesn't make any sense, and I'm wasting material, and I'm—I'm going to set this place on fire if I have to keep doing this!"

A tut followed by Birkenstocks on hard wood before Melissa was popping around her side of the shelves. She looked too cute to be doing something misery-inducing like this—bubble braids over each shoulder, mascara and glittery white eyeshadow to balance out the glow of highlighter on her cheeks and nose, lips a soft bubblegum pink to compliment the pale color of her sweater—and Parker added it to the list of things that her employee did to annoy the shit out of her.

Teenagers were supposed to be pimply and awkward; when did the next generation start skipping that phase to jump right into cute outfits like that?

"What are you—?" she started, only to zero in on the absolute disaster that was Parker's attempts at interior design. The shelf liner was warbled and misshapen, cut too short on one side and too long on the other, and at her feet half a yard of wasted material lay sprawled. "Parker! Do you have any idea how expensive this stuff is?"

Parker blinked at her. "Do I—? Of course I do! I was the one that bought it in the first place!" she snarked incredulously.

"Then why are you wasting it?"

"Well—because—I'm not doing it on purpose!" she blustered.

Melissa clearly didn't seem to believe that if her raised brow was anything to go by. As if Parker had woken up that morning with the single goal in mind of making this process as difficult and expensive as possible.

Yeah, right.

Parker hadn't been stealing eggs and bread from her brother's when she visited just for the thrill of the grift.

"The instructions don't make any sense," she continued to defend herself; though, the fact that she needed to in the first place was ridiculous. It was her shop, afterall, and she was the owner. Oh, right. She was the owner. "I knew we shouldn't have done this. The paint and decorations look good enough. Why, oh why, did I let you talk me into doing shelf liners too? You know the books are just going to cover the pattern, right? No one will see them."

That seemed to upset Melissa, and in response, the teenager's entire face contorted into something righteous.

"Firstly," she said, flinging up a electric blue nail, "everyone will see them. The books are only so big, so the liner is still visible even when the shelf is full, and when people take books off the shelf it adds character to the store. And secondly," she continued, ticking another finger up into the air, "I've already finished three whole shelves in the time it's taken you to do half of one. Improperly, too. It's not impossible. You're just bad at it."

"Ugh!" Parker's mouth fell open. "Excuse me. I'm not bad at it."

"Could'a fooled me."

"You know," she snarked while planting her hands firmly onto her hips. Melissa didn't seem intimidated one bit, and she watched as the teenager gently pulled up her crumpled liner. "You're lucky I'm your boss because someone else might fire you for sass like that."

Melissa shot her a blithe look while dropping the ruined liner to the ground. Within seconds, she cut a new piece—perfectly sized—and calmly started lying it down. "Okay, sure, Park. Whatever you say."

"I could!"

"Uh-huh," the girl said again, clearly not buying into the power play for a second. Parker might have taken more offense to that if, well, Melissa wasn't right. She never had an employee before, but Parker didn't handle workplace confrontations well, and she couldn't imagine ever firing anyone. Let alone her best customer.

Still. She could at least pretend to be intimidated.

Before Parker could argue that point, Melissa stepped back from the shelf with a flourish to reveal a perfectly placed, smooth and colorful liner.

"Son of a..." Parker muttered at how easy she had made it look. Not to mention the fact that it did look really good. She could already picture how much character it would add once the shelves were re-stocked with their books. "How did you—?"

"It's honestly so easy. Like, I'm embarrassed for you."

And—yeah.

Parker was definitely dying.

"I liked you better when you only came in once a week," she announced, dropping the wasted paper into the trash bag. "You were a lot nicer then, at least. And you already gave me money instead of costing me heaps of it."

Unbothered, the teen popped her bubblegum with a shrug. "You were a lot cooler then, too."

"What—?" she cried, tracking around the shelf in Melissa's wake. The teenager seemed pretty pleased with herself, and as she giggled into her hand, Parker propped her shoulder against the wall with a glower. "Oh. Hardy-har-har. Hilarious. Let's all pick on Parker; that seems like a fun way to spend the day. How about this? You can finish this little project yourself since it was your idea in the first place."

That managed to wipe the smirk off of her face, and Melissa responded by stomping her foot. "This place is huge! There's no way I can finish this on my own."

"Please," Parker rolled her eyes, not buying that for a moment. "You've done six times as much as me in an hour, and better too. It's like you said—I suck at this."

"I didn't say you suck."

"Bad, suck, they're all the same insult. Are you regretting the sass now?"

Melissa scowled. "Fine. But I want to re-negotiate my salary."

That wiped whatever smug look Parker was wearing off her face in seconds, and as if this was a game of tug-o-war, the smugness transferred back to Melissa in the following seconds. So smug, in fact, that she started humming to herself as she set to work on the next line of shelves.

Shaking her head, Parker couldn't do anything but laugh. "Fat chance of that! You're already robbing me blind with the stupid swear jar. Besides, this whole thing was your idea; you wanted the job, and now you got the job. You don't get to re-negotiate your hourly pay when you've barely been here a month. That's not how employee contracts work."

"America as a late stage capitalistic society is failing and is not what you should be basing a business model on, but if that's how you want to play it, fine. This is a supply and demand market. There's nothing to say I can't negotiate my salary when my needs as an employee go up. Your demand has changed, ergo my supply for you has changed," she chirped, and not for the first time, Parker was wondering when teenagers became so socially aware. When she was Melissa's age, she babysat for five bucks an hour, and most of that was just spent making sure the kids didn't swallow their Gumby doll. Needs of an employee her ass. "Besides, we agreed on that salary when I thought I would have help doing the manual labor."

"You're awfully smart for someone that didn't read the fine print."

Melissa paused in her work to cross one arm over the other. And—fuck—how was she being intimidated by someone wearing a best friends forever necklace?

Saved by the tinkle of the front door bell, Parker broke off their stare down to give the girl a flippant gesture that would definitely not hold up in court as any sort of agreement, before moving towards the front. She didn't even care that they were closed, a customer was more than welcome at the moment. Even a neighborhood cat would do.

Melissa trailed after.

"All I'm saying is—" she started.

"Ah, ah, ah. No money talk in front of customers. It's totally kitsch," Parker chirped over her shoulder.

"It's Sunday. We shouldn't even have customers. Can't we just tell them to leave?"

"And they say good customer service is dead," said customer drawled from the front counter as he pilfered through her bowl of mints. Several clattered to the floor as he tried to dig out his favorite flavor, and with a wince, Parker watched him not-so-subtly nudged them under the counter with his shoe as if it hadn't happened at all. "Er, those were already down there when I got here."

"Ass," she rolled her eyes, bending over to scoop the mints up before mice decided to add themselves onto the list of things she had to deal with. She was already stuck between two pestering leeches, a third infestation was not ideal.

Before Melissa could complain, Parker stuck a dollar into the swear jar.

"Whatever. Tom, we were just—" Melissa pushed past Parker with an exuberance that had been lacking moments before. It deflated the moment she got a better look at him, however, and the girl's grin slipped into a sour frown. She crossed one arm over the other to peer suspiciously at the blonde. "Wait, you're not Tom."

Colt experienced a variety of emotions in a single second, and Parker couldn't help but laugh when he let out an offended squeak.

"What—how does she know Tom?" he hissed.

Parker dumped the fallen mints back into the bowl with a shrug. "He's stopped by before. She's a huge fan. Number one, apparently. She's seen all his stuff."

"Twice," Melissa added.

Parker pointed at her. "Twice," she reiterated, just knowing that it would piss Colt off.

Just as expected, he responded by rolling his eyes with a second, high-pitched groan. It sounded like he was in pain. "You're a fan of Ryder? Seriously?"

Melissa squared her shoulders at him. "Seriously."

"You do know that he wears a wig, right?"

She huffed. "No, he doesn't."

"Uh, yes he does."

"Does not."

"Does too."

"Does—"

"Okay, that's enough of that," Parker interjected with a groan of her own. What had started off as an amusing blow to her brother's ego was quickly turning into a headache. "Melissa, don't bully him. He has a sensitive ego."

Colt threw his arms up—bowl of mints scattering everywhere—to cry, "Parker! That's not—I don't—who even is this?"

"Who am I? I work here. Who are you?" she shot back, bright eyes narrowed into slits. Parker could imagine her in high-school now, scaring off boys left and right, and if her brother didn't have the mental maturity of a middle schooler, she might have let them argue a little bit longer.

Alas. Colt's weakness was women, and she didn't fancy giving him chest compressions when he inevitably choked on his pride.

"Melissa," she gestured, "this is my brother, Colt. He's a professional stuntman, and has been Tom Ryder's stuntdouble for years. That how I met him in the first place. Colt, this is my new employee, who also happens to be a teenage girl, Melissa."

In unison, the pair gave cagey hmphs.

"Nice to meet you or whatever," Colt sniffed.

"Yeah," she responded with a blithe look. "Totally."

Parker glanced between the pair; both had matching postures, arms crossed, arms averted, neither wanting to acknowledge the other, and she pinched the bridge of her nose with a heavy sigh. Although, to be fair, only one of the two was an actual adult. Despite how Melissa might carry herself from time to time.

Remembering this, she steered the conversation back to more important things. "If I step out for lunch with Colt, do you think you can finish the shelf liners? You can invite one or two friends to hang out. If they help, I suppose I can pay them too."

Pettiness forgotten, Melissa gave Parker a wide-eyed look. "Really?"

"Flat rate. Fifty for the day, a max of two friends. Just no posting on instagram or snapchat or—you know—anything else. I don't need social media being my downfall before I even get started."

"Oh my god, you're so old, Parker. Who would even want to cancel you?" Melissa laughed over her shoulder before disappearing towards the back. Her cell phone was already dialing, and by the time she started pasting on liners, her friends were already on their way.

With that taken care of, Parker blinked over at her brother.

"Yes."

Colt, having replaced whatever book he was pretending to read, furrowed his brows at her. "Yes, what?"

"Whatever you're going to suggest we do, yes, please take me away from here before I commit a craft-themed crime."

"Is that a crime?"

"A violent one."

He clicked his tongue, tossing another mint into his mouth with a curious side-eye across the counter. "Maybe I just wanted to stop in and see how things were looking. You were talking about it at the party so much I figured I'd have to see it eventually."

That was a lame excuse and they both knew it. Colt may have been her biggest cheerleader, but her brother didn't know the difference between paint and lacquer. Not to mention that he was red-green colorblind, and would certainly have a hard time noticing any change in paint around them.

"Coooolllltttttt," she whined.

He quirked his brow at her. "Seriously?"

"Please?" she asked, slumping across the counter. When that didn't work she attempted to flutter her eyelashes at him. That only provoked an eyeroll from him, and she deflated with a moan. "I'll ber lurnch," she muttered into her sweater sleeves.

He lifted a finger to his ear, patronizing and provoking all in a single sweeping gesture. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get that. What did you say?"

Atop her arms, she glared before slowly reiterating, "I'll buy lunch."

That he understood.

The bastard.

"Well, why didn't you just say so?" he cooed, and when he attempted to pat her atop the head, Parker swatted him away with a glare. She was already reconsidering going anywhere with him, but a single glance towards what was awaiting her in the back of the shop had her sitting up straight. "I have to go to set today for some wardrobe fittings and thought you'd want to come with. Might as well see how the magic is made. We're gonna be late if you keep moping, though."

"We wouldn't have been late if you didn't get all mouthy with Melissa," she snarked while gathering her things. Feeling a bit guilty about leaving the kid to finish the work, she dug a twenty out of her wallet. "I'll be back later! There's money on the counter to get lunch for you girls!"

She got no response—as a mom rarely did with a teenager—and it took Colt tugging her by the elbow to get Parker to step outside. His truck was parked right in front of a fire hydrant.

She raised a brow at him, utterly unimpressed.

"What?" he asked when he caught the look she was shooting him. And, as if it wasn't a low-stakes crime that he was committing, Colt just grinned. "Relax, grumpy-pants. It's a Sunday. Fire hydrants don't count on Sundays. Now get in before we really are late."

There was a lot to say to that, but Parker didn't bother wasting the energy, and with an easy-going grin of her own, she clambered inside.

---

An hour later and Parker finds herself propped on an overflowing table filled with sewing needles, accessories, pens, papers, and a binder flush with polaroid photos of her brother from every angle. The film's wardrobe department, despite his warnings in the car, was more than thrilled that Colt had brought along his sister, and while he was poked and prodded, shifted left and right on a pedestal for everyone to critique, Parker had been set up with an iced coffee, some freshly made baklava, and front row seats to the most amusing thing she had seen in weeks.

"I think the crotch is too tight," Betty said, tugging on the material with long, sharp fingernails that Colt eyed like they were a sleeping snake. "See how it's bunching, we need to let it out, or maybe—see this? We could try—"

"No, no, no, it doesn't need to be let out," Sasha, a blonde woman with oversized cat-eye glasses tutted. "It's supposed to be tight. Remember?"

"It'll rip."

"It'll be fine."

"I suppose for standing, but I think he'll be wearing them for a running sequence—"

The ladies bickered back and forth, hands clawing too close for comfort at her brother's privates, and every so often he would wince when they tugged a little too hard. Parker, watching all of it, giggled every time it happened.

"How come I've never been brought along to fittings before?" she mused, a Cheshire-like grin in place. He had been standing up there for the lasty forty minutes, and every time she took a sip of her drink, Colt would look a little more green in envy at their difference in treatment. "This is fun."

"Fun," he said, mocking her with an eyeroll. "You come up here and try this."

"I happen to think I would look amazing in those pants. I have the ass for them, anyway," she chirped, and Sasha took a break from her bickering just to laugh at the idea. Beaming, Parker added, "I didn't realize that wardrobe fittings for the stunt double would be so... invasive."

"Yeah, well, usually the pants aren't so tight. That's all thanks to Ryder."

"I bet they look good on Tom," she said, half teasing, half meaning it. Anything looked good on Tom as time had proven again and again; from covered in sweat, puking in a toilet to wearing Gucci brand glasses, she had yet to see the guy look bad. Speaking of, "shouldn't he be here too?"

Colt, adjusting the tight collar of his leather jacket, shot her a look. "He's probably staring at himself in a mirror somewhere. That's how they trap raccoons, you know. They get so distracted by their own reflection that they forget to run off before the coon dogs get them."

"That's not a thing."

"Sure it is," he said, twisting on the pedestal as the ladies started to adjust the inseam of the pants. He eyed their gleaming needles nervously as they continued on their warpath across the fabric. "You should watch Animal Planet sometime. They did a whole episode on it."

"On how to catch raccoons?" Parker reiterated, absolutely not believing her brother for a second.

"It was a special."

"Maybe a Looney Tunes' special," she deadpanned with an eyeroll. Colt's mouth propped open in argument, only to freeze up when two pairs of hands started plucking the fabric across his butt, and she watched his face flush red. "Seriously? You're such a child!"

Being called out, Colt scowled at his sister. "Am not."

"Are too."

"Am—you know what?" he caught himself before he could go on his second preschool tirade of the day. Parker sipped her drink with an impish gleam in her eyes. "Whatever. You're supposed to be amusing me, not stirring up shit. Tell me something interesting."

"Sure, Caesar," she rolled her eyes. "What would your highness like to be amused by?

"I don't know! Anything. Like—what were you and Melissa doing today at the shop that had you running scared?"

She blew a raspberry, spinning slightly on the table to snatch up an oversized top hat. She didn't have a clue what sort of movie it would be acceptable for—definitely not a sci-fi one—but she traced the stitching with a bored eye anyways. "Shelf liners. They're way harder than they look, and she can get mean when she wants to be. I swear she acts like she's the boss sometimes."

"Ooooh," he teased. "Scared of a teenager?"

"You should see her first thing in the morning. She must wake up at five am to do her beauty routine, and anyone with that sort of willpower should be feared. I think I'll have to move when she finally saves up for her car. God knows the roadways won't be safe."

"Just because you can't wake up before noon without a liter of coffee doesn't mean everyone else can't. Some people are naturally early risers."

"Says the guy that slept for nineteen hours straight once."

Colt shot her a cross look. "I had a concussion."

"All the morning reason not to sleep that long. Isn't rule number one of head injuries that you're supposed to wake up every so often for a health check?" she asked.

Her brother popped his mouth open to argue, finger poised, before he slowly let it drift down to his side. His silence spoke volumes, however, and she raised her brows at him with a smug smile.

"Oh, like you're so perfect," he huffed irritably.

To which she beamed, plopping the top hat onto her head with a flourish. "Maybe I am. Ever thought about that? I'm pretty, popular with famous people, and am the reigning champion at beerball five years running."

"You cheat at beerball," he snarked before the rest of what she said caught up to him. With a gesture, Colt flexed on the pedestal, adding, "and you're not the only hot Seavers. Look at me? See how these pants are hugging my curves? You wish."

Parker laughed at that, couldn't help it if she tried. Her brother was so ridiculous that at times the way he spewed word vomit surprised even her. Not to mention the fact that he was her brother, best friend on too many planes to count; it was hard not to be in a good mood when hanging with him. Even if she was watching him get pampered like a princess before an upcoming ball.

Speaking of, "so, you don't think Tom will be around?"

Something bewildered cracked across his features at the same time that Sasha and Betty told him to step down from the pedestal. The ladies took their notes to the table, adjusting this and that, while Colt stepped behind a privacy screen. She could hear him grunting as he tried to maneuver out of the pinned clothes without sticking himself.

"Do we need to talk about this?" his voice echoed.

"About what?"

"You. Tom. Whatever weird relationship the two of you have going on," he continued, before yelping when he did stick himself on a pin. Sasha rushed behind the screen to help him get out of the pants, and when she returned, she had the garments in hand. "It's sickening to even think about."

"How is us being friends sickening?" Parker echoed.

"Because—you—he—the guy is an ass!"

"He's not an ass," she argued back, surprising herself at how quickly she came to his defense and how little she actually cared. There were few things her and Colt disagreed on; siblings that knew each other as well as they did often had minor squabbles, but nothing ever world-changing or big. Yet, it didn't feel right to let him say those sorts of things. She could consider why later. "He's just... misunderstood."

"Misunderstood?" his voice pitched behind the screen, before he was stepping out in a totally new suit. It was black and yellow, leather, emboldened with the NASA logo, and for a moment she forgot entirely what they were talking about to ogle it appreciatively.

"Ooh, nice job ladies, I like that one."

Colt paused, glancing down at himself. "It is nice," he said in surprise, twisting and turning in the mirror. As he smoothed the material down, he added, "comfortable too. Is this worn much in the film?"

Betty checked her notes. "Looks like he wears it in a few scenes. Oh, looks like you should be wearing it for a harness drop, so make sure you tell us if it's too tight anywhere," she said as the women headed back over to him with their tape measures and pins. "Good?"

He stretched up and down, left and right, before gesturing to the armpit seams. "Probably could be loosened a bit."

She nodded, and the ladies got to work on that, as Colt returned his attention to his sister. Clearing his throat, he continued their earlier disagreement. "I can't believe you of all people think he's misunderstood."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Uh, hello? Remember the whole coffee thing?"

"I think I understood him perfectly well then," she argued, top hat shifting on her head as she gestured. It was surprisingly heavy, and Parker fixed its lean half-heartedly. "He was an asshole during that encounter, and several encounters since then."

"Then what's with the whole PR parade?"

"I just think he's, I don't know... not always like that."

Colt stared at her; blinking, wide-eyed, with wheels spinning slowly between his ears. She swore she could smell the smoke from there, and Parker prepared herself for whatever ridiculous conclusion he was going to come once the spinning stopped.

"You didn't drink any kool-aid recently did you?"

And, yup. She saw that one coming from a mile away.

"Jesus Christ, Colt," she rolled her eyes, huffing. "When are you going to stop with that Jonestown shit?"

"It was a big deal! More people should be talking about it."

"Yeah, like, three decades ago. No one is trying to copy it with kool-aid. That would be a little bit of an obvious tactic, don't you think? I don't know how many times I have to tell you that I'm not in a cult!"

He held his hands up to placate her, before dropping them back down at Sasha's disgruntled tsk-ing. Parker supposed the ladies would be amused by their conversation if they weren't so intently focused on their work. That or they would be seriously concerned for the siblings' mental welfare.

"I'm just checking. Cult leaders are hard to spot you know. That's their whole gimmick. They look normal, just like you and me, and then next thing you know—wham! Indoctrination. Cult. Weird clothes and bad bathing habits and no teeth. It's a slide, not stepping stones, Park. Tom Cruise fell for it in the eighties and hasn't gotten out since"

"Yeah, well, I don't have any sort of money to give a potential cult leader so I don't really think I'm a good target in the first place. Plus, Tom Cruise seems to be doing just fine with the whole Scientology thing," she replied drolly. He didn't have an argument to that, and she shook the melting ice in her cup half-heartedly. "All I'm saying is he's under a lot of pressure from a lot of people. Isn't it possible that he overreacts sometimes?"

He didn't look pleased with her line of questioning one bit, shaking his head at her like a disappointed parent. "I don't think you should be friends."

"What?"

"I don't like it. I don't like it at all."

"Now who's drinking the kool-aid?"

"I'm just saying! It's weird," he continued, gesturing to her a second time only for Betty to snatch his arm and tug it back down with a glare. Colt didn't seem to notice, however, as he barreled on in the way that idiots often did. "First, it's the bookstore. Normal, no biggie. Then, it's the little giggling and laughter. Odd, but whatever. But then, all of the sudden, he has an invite to my exclusive birthday party—"

She threw her head back with a groan, top hat tumbling to the table. "I already apologized for that!"

"—and next thing you know, our Friday night is being highjacked by some ritzy party in upper LA where I have to wear my nice shoes and act like an adult. I'm telling you—rockslides only take a pebble."

"Are you saying you didn't have fun?" she asked with a pointed look, to which her brother hedged and hawed instead of answering. Like a guilty dog that knew it was in trouble, he avoided eye contact. Replacing the top hat onto her head, she waved her hands around. "See? So what's the problem? You got along then, too, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah."

"Then isn't it possible you misjudged him too?"

"I've known him a lot longer than you."

"But you've never actually spent time with him outside of work."

"For good reason."

"Really? Because you always seem to get along when I'm around," she continued, not ready to let the point go if only because she needed it to stick. "So, how good can the reason be? Maybe he's grown up since you first met him, and you just don't want to accept that."

It was a solid argument, they both knew that.

But Colt was as stubborn as she was. He sniffed. "Well, I still don't like it. Is something going on between you two?"

"Like what?" she asked, despite knowing exactly what was going on between the two of them.

They had kissed. Once. Twice. Three times. Then a few more times until she couldn't really remember what was happening. All she knew was one moment they were kissing and the next moment she was riding home with Colt and Jody, bewildered, breathless, and giddy.

"I have no clue what you're on about," she said despite knowing exactly what he was on about, deciding that gaslighting her brother might be the best option at the moment. "We're just friends."

"Well, obviously," he scoffed, as if anything else was beyond the scope of his imagination.

Which—fair.

She couldn't exactly begrudge him for thinking that there was no chance in hell Parker could kiss someone like Tom Ryder. She could barely believe it, and she was the one that had done it. Still, she scowled at him, contemplating it she wanted to drop the subject entirely or tell him in explicit detail all the reasons he was an idiot, but before she could, the fitting room door opened, and in he walked.

He looked good.

He always looked good.

But today he looked especially good with his dewy skin and jean jacket. Or, maybe, Parker was just looking at him in a new light, and when his gaze landed on her, she couldn't help but grin at him.

"Hey, Tom," she said with a little too much enthusiasm. If he thought it was odd, however, he didn't comment on it. Just ran his gaze over her.

"Nice hat. I'm glad you're finally taking my advice and trying to improve your style, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind."

"The—? Oh!" Parker snatched the top hat off her head with a blush, and in face of her karma, Colt snorted with pleased laughter. Ass. She shot him a side-eye before chirping, "it's Colt's, actually. I told him it looked ridiculous, but the prom is coming up, and Jody is just so exited. You should see his cummerbund. Straight out of the eighteen hundreds."

That effectively wiped the smirk off his face, and Colt started to argue just as Betty ushered him towards the privacy screen for another fitting.

Pleased, she blinked back at Tom.

"What are you doing here?"

"Colt dragged me along for his fittings. Something about being scared of the fashion department team," she joked in a half-whisper, gesturing to where he was hidden behind the privacy screen knowing that he wouldn't be able to hear her. "What are you doing here?"

"I just finished my fittings."

She perked. "Oh, you're done, then?"

He nodded just as Colt re-appeared from behind the screen. The flight suit had been replaced with a suave looking tuxedo that seemed to fit wrong in every place it could, and without knowing fashion at all, Parker had a feeling it would be a while before they finished pinning this particular look. Feeling both rebellious and like a high-schooler with a crush, she cast her brother a look. He immediately caught it, and returned one of his own.

Don't you dare, he said.

She lifted a brow testily. Oh, I dare, the look said.

And just like that, Parker faced Tom and asked, "you want to get lunch?"

"With you two?"

"I don't think Colt will be finished for awhile," she said, mock sincerity in her voice. Her brother heard it, face blustered and annoyed, as she batted her lashes across the room at him. "We could always bring him back something."

"But—!" Colt cried, gesturing at them so hard that he almost whacked Sasha in the head. He didn't even notice in his rush to argue, and it took both seamstresses to position him on the pedestal where they wanted him. "We were gonna get lunch!"

"Well, you're not done, and I'm starving."

"I—I could be done. Right?" he asked, turning his own version of puppy dog eyes towards Sasha and Betty. Unlike Jody and their mom, however, it seemed that they were immune to his charms, and together, they tutted at him. "...but—but!"

"This one needs a lot of work on it," Sasha said, as Betty patted him on the back. "And there's still four more looks to get through before we move you to hair and makeup for mock-ups."

"But—!"

"Don't worry Colt," she cooed at him with a victorious grin, and she would have felt bad for abandoning him if he hadn't been so adamant about his opinion on who she could be friends with. Plus, he accused her of being in a cult four times a year; this was his penance. "We'll bring you back something."

"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Tom asked her once they were in the safety of the hallway.

Parker gave an impish look. "Just Colt being Colt. He gets mopey when he's hungry. Is Mexican okay? I really am starving."

His amusement turned scathing. "Mexican? That's all carbs. No fucking way, I just had my fitting done this morning, and I'm not going to have my pants let out."

She rolled her eyes. "Carbs are good for you," she tutted.

"Not that many."

"Rock, paper, scissors?"

Tom blinked at her—as if he couldn't believe she would suggest such a childish solution—and started off down the hallway without another word.

"Well—we can do two out of three!" she cried in his wake, and it wasn't until he disappeared around the corner did she realize that he might actually leave her to deal with Colt alone. Yelping, she rushed after him. "Okay, okay! Fine! Sushi?"

---

"I can't believe you actually eat this stuff," Parker whined twenty minutes later, a salad with more vegetables than she could name, quinoa, and some sort of vinaigrette dousing the top set out in front of her. The lettuce is limp when she lifts it with a fork, and she can't even pretend to find it appetizing as Tom munches through his. "Like, seriously? I'm not about to be Punk'D?"

He rolled his eyes at her. "You have to be famous to be Punk'D."

"I'm with you, aren't I?" she sassed, prodding the food like a toddler not allowed to leave the table before finishing their peas. She wrinkled her nose at the idea. "I get that salad is healthy or whatever, but don't you ever eat anything that tastes good?"

"This does taste good."

She shot him a look of disbelief to which he shrugged.

"I mean, kind of good," he corrected after a moment.

"It's disgusting. Why is it both limp and hard? You know an entire ethnic community eats all the carbs associated with Mexican food and they're thriving. Have you ever seen a Cinco de Mayo party? Unreal how much fun they're having."

"That's because they're drunk on tequila."

"Well, sure," she hedged, head tipping left and right as she tried to ignore the weird smell coming from the bowl in front of her. "But you gotta live a little, right?"

"I don't want to live a little," he corrected her, spitting out the word like it was distasteful. But he had that same sort of tone that he used when he was repeating something he heard a thousand times, but didn't necessarily believe. "I want to live to be a hundred, and I want to look good while doing that."

"Colt eats Mexican food," she argued.

"Colt isn't the face of a multi-million dollar movie franchise."

"No, just the body."

"Maybe you should have just gone out to lunch with Colt, then," he said, both look and tone cross.

And suddenly Parker felt like she had ceremoniously swallowed her foot in front of him. It hadn't occurred to her that he might have a touchy relationship with food, and guilt settled on her shoulders like a weight. She felt pretty stupid for not seeing that—just like she had told Colt, the amount of pressure he was under at all times was not something either sibling would be able to comprehend—and five minutes into lunch she had already made an ass of herself.

"Sorry," she said, stuffing limp lettuce into her mouth as if to prove that she agreed with him. It tasted gross, though, and Tom definitely didn't miss the way she had to choke it down. "Mhmm, it's so... salad-y."

Whether it was her tone or the look she made while saying it, something about the act worked, and when he shook his head she caught the edges of a smile peeking across his face.

Feeling better, Parker aimed for more neutral territory.

"So, your party was fun," she said, before immediately realizing that was clearly not a neutral territory if the way he paused in his chewing was anything to go by. The last thing she wanted was to come across as some sort of lovesick teenager, and she nearly choked on her tongue to add, "I just mean—Colt and Jody really liked it. She got to network a lot. Plus, Colt has been dying to see your house for, like, ever."

"He has?"

"Sure," she shrugged. "You guys have worked together for almost a decade. I think he's always wondered what your life outside of work looked like."

Tom digested that information as slowly as he digested his food, and she managed another bite of soggy, lemon-flavored lettuce before he decided on a reaction. "I didn't realize that he really cared."

"What do you mean?"

Tom shrugged; one of the rare moments he actually looked awkward while talking about something, and Parker set aside her fork to wash the bad flavor down with some bitter tasting kombucha.

Bad. It was all bad. The health food industry had to be some sort of joke.

"I don't know; just never really thought about hanging out with Colt outside of the set. I told you the stunt guys don't like me."

"What?" she deadpanned. "You? That is such shocking news. I'm shocked."

Tom huffed, then laughed, before shaking his head at her. "Don't be an ass."

"Me? Never."

"Never," he echoed, clearly mocking her. She didn't mind though. It wasn't vindictive or mean, and if it made him feel better, her ego could handle a little mocking banter. Especially when his shoulders relaxed as if a weight was being taken off them. "Whatever. Glad they, uh, had fun."

"Well, you know—open bar, secrets about the Hollywood elite. What wasn't there to like about the party?"

He nodded, another bite taken, as Parker miserably tried to force herself to eat her own food. When he had suggested a vegan salad spot, she hadn't been thrilled, but never in her wildest dreams did she imagine it would be this bad.

"Did, uh," he cleared his throat, "you enjoy the party?"

"Hm?" she hummed, not properly hearing the question as she tried to figure out if the brown thing in her bowl was a raisin or a date. Then she did, and Parker blinked up to find Tom watching her carefully. "Oh. Yeah. Yes. I had, you know, lots of fun. With Colt, Jody, er... you."

He glanced away, nodding, before peeking back at her. "Yeah?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it was... it was nice. I mean—not just the, er—you know. Not just when you—when I—when we..." she overemphasized, face hot and red as she struggled to put her thoughts into words. She absolutely didn't want to sound like their kiss was the only thing she had thought about all weekend, but she also didn't want to act indifferent because dating had somehow drifted into a game of tag nowadays.

Not that they were dating.

Oh god.

It was one kiss. Obviously they weren't dating, and he probably hadn't even thought about it a second time, and that's probably not what he was asking about in the first place, and—she was obsessing, wasn't she?

Oh, god.

"...um," Parker choked, swallowing some more kombucha before remembering she actually hated the taste of it. Wiping her mouth, she slumped onto the table with an embarrassed sigh. "Can you just put me out of my misery, please?"

Tom lifted a brow. "You might do that yourself. Are you having a stroke?"

"Maybe."

He passed over his cup of water, and Parker took a couple small sips until her cheeks didn't feel so hot. He was still watching her, still eating his food, but it was clear from the sparkle in his eye and the smug curve of his mouth that he was greatly enjoying the show. "Just wanted to make sure you had fun," he said.

"I would have had fun if we just played twenty questions," she said, catching the way he hesitated in his eating, before continuing. The cocky gleam was gone from his eye, and something kind remained when he glanced at her. "Not to complain about the... other stuff, but I meant everything I told you. I don't hang out with you for an open bar."

Tom's gaze swept the planes of her face before he nodded. It was a confident nod, for once, and he spoke he almost sounded... happy.

"Well, that's a relief at least. With how much you drink, I'm a little worried between you and Gail I'm going to go bankrupt this year. I swear every party costs more and more."

"Can't you set a budget?"

"It's Hollywood," he deadpanned, and she supposed that was an obvious enough answer that the deadpanning was necessary. "You think anything is ever under-budget?"

Parker wouldn't really know; the only thing she stuck to a budget for was Bath & Body Works lotions and Uber Eats. Just like he had said though, if she didn't, she was confident that she would be bankrupt within days.

Shrugging, she quipped, "next time you can just invite Jody and I. By keeping Colt away, you'll probably spare yourself a few thousand on alcohol alone. Though, he did behave himself last time since he was the designated driver, but I swear he's put a few bars out of business from Happy Hour deals alone."

Tom, another heaping of lettuce down, jabbed a fork at her. "Think I'd be better keeping you away considering how many napkins you took."

"Oh, shut up. They're, like, fifty cents each!"

"You had at least a hundred in you purse when you left."

"Well—" she threw her arms up, blustering, "it's not like I took all of them. Plus, when I sell them on eBay I'll give you a commission. Unlike when you got this fancy sci-fi role. I'm still waiting on my agent's fee for that one."

He shook his head at her. "Yeah, just hold your breath on that one."

With all the maturity she could muster, Parker stuck her tongue out at Tom, and with all the maturity he could muster, he chucked a carrot at her. It bounced onto the patio ground, and she noticed with a look of betrayal that not even the local squirrel population would touch it.

"Tom," she leaned forward, "I am begging you. I need carbs."

"You don't—"

"I'm going to die. Dramatically. And not quietly. Everyone will know, and they're going to think you killed me, and the tabloids will never let that go. Forgot living to a hundred, you'll be seventy and in a retirement home. Please."

Her pleading did nothing.

So, taking drastic measures, Parker used all of her own acting experience to flutter her eyelashes at him, eyes wide and dog-like. And whether it was the pathetic way she threw herself onto the table, or maybe it was the smell of the hotdog cart from down the street, but after a long moment of begging, Tom's shoulder sank with a sigh.

"Jesus Christ, fine."

"Oh, thank god," she slumped, a disgruntled look towards her salad and kombucha before the idea of real food had her perking right back up. She had tossed their stuff in the trash before Tom could manage one more bite of his salad, and though he tried to look disgruntled by that fact, when she tugged him to his feet with a giggle, he was fighting off a smile. "Have you ever had the monster burrito from Lolita's? It has cream cheese and pickles."

"That sounds disgusting."

"I know!" she bounced in excitement, pulling him along after her, gabbing all the way.

Tom let her drag him down the street without any complaint, let her order him her favorite burrito, chips, and Mexican lemonade without arguing—though he did try to see the calorie count on the menu before she snatched it away from him—and because they were on an empty set on a Sunday no one paid them much mind.

A good thing, too, because if someone had, they might have noticed the goofy grin she was wearing, or the amused smile he was; and if they looked closer, they might have even noticed that even after they got to where they were going, Tom Ryder was still holding her hand as they waited in line, letting her lean against his chest as they waited on their orders, before sitting awfully close to her on a little stone bench outside.

But, no one noticed.

Not until her shrill ringtone broke through their game of twenty questions about an hour later as her brother complained about how hungry he was. And though he suspected something weird was going on, not even Colt noticed the sly smiles they shared with one another when they delivered his food as promised or the spot of wet lipgloss smeared on Tom Ryder's mouth.

[cassidyafton]

M.I.A: Chapter 3

Summary: Tired as she is of the whole "being the only person to realize someone is in danger" schtick, when Trinity Bales's parents disappear the night after her rescue mission, she once again takes on the role of the rescuer in hopes that she and her appointed "rescue squad" can get to the bottom of the mystery of her parents' absence before whatever's taken them from her can have its way.

Chapter summary: The fallout begins the next day at school.

Content warnings: Illness, harm to children, potential medical inaccuracies

"Are we just gonna pretend Delroy's been here the whole time?"

Trinity shrugged, leaning back on one of the clubroom's counters as Enzo reached behind them to grab a cookie from the tin on the counter. "He sits with you guys at lunch sometimes. It's not that different."

"Yeah," Maritza took a sip from her bottle of lemonade- a funny choice for how late in the fall it was, but that had been what the Esposito siblings had brought for their little hangout, along with sugar free alternatives for Trinity herself, so she couldn't complain- and rolled her eyes. "Because none of us have anywhere else to sit."

"You could sit with me," Nicky mumbled. "Wouldn't kill you."

"With you?" Maritza gasped dramatically and faked choking at the thought, but Nicky didn't laugh- that was becoming the usual. Maritza chuckled instead, but she didn't seem too confident as much as she did like she was trying to convince Nicky to at least smile.

He didn't.

"And anyway, Delroy was my backup when you and Enzo were out at the house," Trinity continued. "He agreed to help, so I don't see the big deal."

"The big deal is that he's an asshole," Nicky grumbled. "Why'd you even ask him?"

"Nicky, I know like six people and you guys are five of them. It was him or Finch, and I was not going to ask Finch."

She reached behind her and grabbed a couple more cookies, nearly bumping straight into Enzo's arm as she did- Oreo-like sandwich cookies had been the only sugar free option that the store had, according to Enzo, so to not make her feel left out, he and Maritza had bought Oreos for everyone else. She was familiar with the brand they'd bought, though she noticed now that the cookies were a little less sweet than usual, lacking the licoricey aftertaste she had come to associate with them. That was fine with her, though- the more unpleasant aspects of those foods had been a fair trade in her eyes for the ability to keep eating sweet foods after she had gotten sick.

"So, we've got a suspect now, thanks to Maritza and Enzo, and two potential locations- the Peterson house and the amusement park." She took a bite of her cookie- she hadn't noticed until now how hungry she was. "But the thing is, I don't want any more investigations happening that I'm not part of. So we need to devise a plan. Some way to outsmart them."

"And we aren't telling the police about this one, why?" Ivan asked as she finished her cookie, voice and expression as meek as Trinity had come to expect of him. Always a shy kid. She grabbed another cookie from behind her.

"I did. The police haven't done anything. They haven't even talked to me about it. And y'know what's weird about that?" She cleared her throat. God, when did her throat get so dry?  She needed some water. Had she even had anything to eat or drink before she came to school? "Guess which cop they put on the case."

"No way." Enzo's eyes widened. "Kornwell?!"

"Kornwell!" Trinity repeated. "They put Officer Kornwell on the case, and I guess he's just been sitting around with his thumb up his-" she cleared her throat again. "Sorry. Point is, he's clearly not worried about what happened to my mom and dad, so someone has to be."

"That creepy crow thing seems to be plenty worried about it," Nicky added.

"Which is all the more reason we need to worry!" Trinity coughed. "Sorry. Sorry. My throat's really dry right now." It came out almost defensively, and she wasn't totally sure why. "But we need to worry about my parents because that thing is also worried about them." She took a sip of her lemonade. "This is serious. It's not just another mystery. People are in danger. So we handle this like we handled Peterson."

"It's gonna be a lot harder when we don't even know who we're following..." Ivan chimed in again, voice shaky.

"We'll be fine. We've got each other's backs, after all. Besides, there's no reason to be scared! You're plenty brave."

"I... I am?"

"Psh- no." Maritza rolled her eyes. "She's just hyping you up to get her to do what she wants."

"Oh."

"You guys." Trinity sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Another sip of lemonade would probably stave off the headache that was starting to form. "We needed every one of us last time. Whatever's going on now, it's all hands on deck." She held her hand out.

Maritza's expression briefly turned to sympathetic concern as she eyed Trinity's hand. "Dude, you're shaking."

"I'm fine." Trinity shook her head. "It's not important. What's important is if you're in or out."

Enzo put his hand in on top of Trinity's, gently cupping the back of her palm like he was going to guard her and not the other way around. "I'm in. Ivan? Nicky?"

"This feels like a wrong turn." Nicky frowned. "Someone's going to get hurt."

Trinity shook her head. "I'm not going to steer you guys wrong. But if we don't do this, someone will get hurt."

Nicky leaned back, but Ivan reached forward and put his hand in. Delroy shrugged and did the same.

"Maritza, it's on you. Are you really gonna quit a game before it's over?"

"I'm with Nicky, this is a dumb idea." She scoffed, but before Trinity could open her mouth to defend it, she put her hand in. "But I'm not a quitter. Let's go for it."

"Yes!" Trinity pumped her free hand. "Inventor's club on three. One, two, three-"

"Inventor's club!" The cheer echoed through the room as they raised their hands. But when she looked back at Nicky, he somehow looked even more exhausted than before. She briefly wondered if this was something he would've done with the rest of the club before what happened with Mr. Peterson- before she even came to Raven Brooks. She took a step back, reaching again for her lemonade, and stumbled over herself, barely catching her balance on the counter.

Everyone was looking at her weird when she looked back up.

"Jeez, girl!" Maritza cried. "Are you okay or are you not?"

"I'm fine," Trinity repeated, though it was a bit of a struggle to catch her breath. "I'll be fine. There's more important things going on right now. Besides, I'll be fine by the time of the meeting this afternoon- then we can start discussing plans. Delroy, you joining us for the meeting?"

Delroy shrugged. "Might as well, if I'm gonna be helping out."

"Then we'll plan on it. I'll see you all at lunch?"

"That sounds like a good cue to leave."

The kids jumped- through what felt like a sudden jolt of shock to Trinity's brain, she could make that out- and she directed her focus to the clubroom door, where Mr. Murtaugh, creepy guy that he was, was poking his head in. Were it not for the fact that she had him for science, and he seemed at least decently well-adjusted, if a bit eccentric, she might be suspecting him to be behind something like this.

"Class is starting soon," he continued, sporting his same gummy smile as usual. "I wouldn't want you kids to be late."

"Right." Trinity nodded slowly. "Thanks, Mr. Murtaugh."

Taking that cue, she headed for the door slowly, as to keep her balance- she didn't need the others looking at her like that again, like she was incapable or weak in some way. She hardly paid attention to the counter they'd left a mess, or the tin of cookies that'd gotten knocked over. She chuckled to herself, though, wondering if any of the others had noticed that they must've been getting into her sugar free cookies.

Maybe this sickness would go away by the time of the actual club meeting.

-

"Trinity!"

Trinity jumped a bit- another jolt of shock to the brain that seemed to make her vision go blurry- as Enzo approached her. "Enzo, hey."

"Where were you at lunch?" Enzo asked, his expression that same one of sympathy and worry that it'd been when she'd fallen in the clubroom that morning.

"I'm fine," Trinity responded. Only after she said it did she process that it wasn't an answer to his question. The truth was, she'd spent most of that lunch period pacing between the halls and the first floor girls' bathroom, fighting off a persistent dizziness and the urge to vomit. She didn't want to admit that, though- so maybe the situation was getting to her, but her friends didn't need to know that.

"We were worried about you," Enzo pressed.

"I said I'm fine, Enzo," she repeated as she sped up a little bit, nearly stumbling over herself again as the dizziness hit her again with a vengeance. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright, really. We've got more important things to worry about, anyway."

She reached for the clubroom door, hoping Enzo would ignore the way she struggled to get a grip on the handle. 

"Anyway, I was thinking during class, and we've got a few ways we can go about this. Once everyone else is here, I'll go over it."

"Ah, Trinity, Enzo, there you are."

Trinity recoiled again, her vision more than beginning to blur from the shock, as her focus struggled to fix on the source of the voice. She reached out and leaned against the chalkboard on the wall for balance.

"Principal Abanante?" Her brow furrowed. "What are you doing here?"

Abanante clasped her hands together and smiled. "I overheard some of the conversation this morning, and I just thought I'd step in and make sure everything we're doing is, well, legal. Things we would want to be encouraging at the middle school."

Trinity clutched her forehead with her free hand and squeezed her eyes shut, briefly removing her other hand from the chalkboard to pull the purple cardigan she'd worn today over her chest. "Look, I- I understand, but now isn't a good time. Can we talk about this later? Please?"

"Well, my dear, I'm worried this is a more pressing matter than you might want me to think it is. I know you kids are wound up after what happened with Mr. Peterson, but it's important that we don't cloud our judgements with fantasies. I'd hate to have you sneaking around harassing some poor sap who hasn't really done anything wrong in hopes of solving another mystery."

"It's not-"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Enzo asked.

"No! I mean- yes, I'm..."

"-Fine?" Maritza finished. Trinity could hear her voice drawing nearer. "You don't look fine."

"No, I... I am, I just-"

She stopped abruptly, swallowing back the acid rising in her throat, and opened her eyes. She was shaking again, so nauseous she could barely stand up. And there it was- everyone was looking at her like that again. 

"I think it's just stress." Abanante smiled sympathetically and tilted her head just like that goddamn crow had done. Her stomach turned. This was wrong, this was all really wrong. "How did you sleep last night? I'm sure things have been hard these past few days with your family."

"What did you do?" Trinity choked out, unable to help herself. Her voice was weak from pain, and that only made everyone else's pity worse. "What did you do to my parents?"

"I think you need some rest, Trinity. I'll take you to the nurse's office."

"No, no- no-"

She couldn't form any more words than that. As Abanante reached for her, her attempt to pull back became a jolt in her arms and a buckling in her knees. She felt her head hit the chalkboard before she recognized she'd been falling. She heard the others' confused cries before she realized anything was wrong.

The sugar-free cookie tin was the one that was knocked over.

All she knew was that she couldn't see anymore.

[best-nun-tournament]

Round 2, Match 11

Percy Jackson and Polyphemus (Percy Jackson) vs Mercer and Gage (The Silt Verses) vs Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII (Egyptian history)

(Mercer and Gage art by @thedoublepp)

Propaganda under break. Spoilers for the Alexandrian War (47BC).

Percy Jackson and Polyphemus

Points to the part in Sea of Monsters where Polyphemus threatens to snitch to Poseidon like he did with Odysseus and Percy’s like good luck buddy I’m dad’s favorite

Mercer and Gage

Mercer and Gage are two fairly young people who have been failed by the systems in place. They’re a pair of orphans who have been working to birth a god and are attempting that through their hunting. They get hired by a politician to kill a few other gods, which results in them spending several months traveling up and down the countryside, razing entire towns and killing worshipers of whatever god they are hunting at the time, going so far that the politician who hired them asks them to chill out a bit because now they’re just killing voters. Over time, Gage grows to hate the hunt and longs to do something more with their life, while Mercer grows angry that their sibling is drawing away from her. She tries to push Gage to keep going, and reluctantly they do. When the politician instructs them to stop hunting the god they’re currently after, Gage tries to tell Mercer to stop, but Mercer refuses because she believes that after they finish hunting this god, their goal will be accomplished. Seeing that Mercer will never stop and Gage will never be free of her, Gage decides to kill her.

Poll Runner's Note: I also really liked this drawing by @caimitos. The detail of Gage having the dog's jaw at the bottom of their hood is really cool!

Cleopatra VII and Ptolemy XIII

You know

Poll Runner's Note: I sure do, and now I'm going to tell everyone about it! Ptolemy XII, their father, had five children: Berenice, Cleopatra, Arsinoë, Ptolemy XIII, and Ptolemy XIV. Berenice had usurped Ptolemy XII's rule and was executed when he regained power, making Cleopatra his eldest living child. In his will, he declared that when he died Cleopatra and Ptolemy XIII should get married and reign as co-rulers of Egypt.

Ptolemy XII died when Cleopatra was about 18 and Ptolemy XIII was 11, and right from the start she was not interested in this co-ruler business. She started leaving his name off documents, leaving his face off the coins, and generally acting like she's the only ruler in Egypt. Unfortunately for her, Ptolemy's guardians weren't keen on being demoted from "power behind the throne" to "glorified babysitter", and they deposed Cleopatra and forced her to flee to Syria, where she raised an army and started a war against her brother. It didn't go well for her, and things were looking bad for her until Julius Caesar showed up with his army.

Caesar was 1) Already mad at Ptolemy's advisors for killing Pompey who he'd wanted to spare and 2) famously a huge slut so Cleopatra was pretty easily able to convince him to restore her to power.

It's at this point Arsinoë shows up with her army. She joins forces with Ptolemy XIII, declares herself Queen Arsinoë IV, and beseiges Cleopatra and Caesar in the palace complex. For five brutal months, they battled through the city. The fires are said to be how the Library of Alexandria was lost, which is probably a legend but it was still devastating. Ceasar himself almost drowned while fleeing Arsinoë's forces at the Battle of Pharos Island.

Finally Caesar's allies show up with their armies, and Ptolemy drowned trying to flee across the Nile while Arsinoë was taken prisoner. She was brought back to Rome as part of Caesar's triumph, but her life was spared and she lived out the rest of her days at the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus. This was about five years because Cleopatra later persuaded Mark Antony to have her murdered right there in the temple.

Cleopatra married her youngest brother Ptolemy XIV, before finally poisoning him so she could make her son Caesarion the new Pharaoh.

Cleopatra was at least partially responsible for the deaths of all her siblings except the one her father killed, and the struggles between them were devastating for Egypt and caused a lot of suffering. These are some legitimately awful siblings.

[intimidating-fettuccine]

I don't know if this is a valid question, but I've been seeing several requests about the five stages of grief.

So I was wondering if you could do Sally dealing with the 5 stages of grief after she lost a Y/N who was like a brother/sister figure to her and the person closest to her??

(sorry, not sure how it could be put in gender neutral)

Sally with a deceased sibling reader, coming right up. Angst train is arriving at the station.

Denial:

To say that your death was a shock to Sally's system would be an understatement. Sally, always staying in the mansion, was not that acquainted with death. The only death she was familiar with was her own, and even that was so long and distant to her now to the point she barely remembered it. So, for you to die, it felt incredibly unreal to her. After all, you were so strong, and you always protected her and cared for her, so surely nothing could have hurt you that bad, right? Everyone else had to be mistaken, you'd be coming home soon, right? When her brain realizes you won't be coming home as a human, she tries to convince everyone that you'll be like her, you'll turn into a ghost, you'll come home that way, they just have to go find you! But, unfortunately, that day never comes to pass.

Anger:

Sally has a hard time at this stage. The thing influencing her most is anxiety. She previously viewed everyone living in the mansion as basically unkillable, that they were basically immune to any fatal damage, but now that you, her favorite person have passed, she's constantly extremely scared that someone else is going to die next. It gets to the point that she refuses to let them go out on their jobs, even if she has to use her powers and be destructive to stop them from going. This is of course upsetting for everyone in the mansion, because while none of them want Sally to be distressed and scared like this, they have to do their jobs, or else the mansion is going to stop bringing in money. Slender ends up having to have a series of long talks with her and get her on a therapy plan to help her process things because everyone knows things can't continue like this.

Bargaining:

Sally becomes incredibly clingy at this point. She knows she's not allowed to keep people from leaving anymore, so whenever people she's closest to are in the mansion, she's practically glued to their side and will not leave them alone unless she finds someone else she wants to be glued to. Everyone is happy to comfort her and help her, and there's a silent agreement throughout the mansion that if Sally clings to you, you're to keep her entertained and cared for, so she doesn't have to feel lonely and isolated. The hard part is, that the thing she wants to talk about most is you. If someone tells a funny story, she relates it back to you. If someone brings up one of her hobbies, she relates it back to you. She wants to keep your memory alive, but this causes her to break down every time she does it, and it gets hard for people to figure out how to comfort her without reminding her of your death.

Depression:

The depression stage really hits Sally hard. It hits around the one year mark of your passing, and it's truly solidified in her mind that you aren't able to come back anymore. She finds herself isolated a lot of the time in this stage, curled up in her room buried in all the stuffed animals you ever got her, just wishing that she could will you back into existence. She even considers trying to find a way to get ahold of Zalgo, because he's the king of the Underworld, so surely he can give your soul a form to reside in, right?? She decides to not bring that up again after seeing how incredibly upset the suggestion made those around her, too young to realize things like that cannot just be undone. She gets much more quiet and more withdrawn. She doesn't really partake in her hobbies anymore, and she sort of just floats around the mansion in a daze. The only thing keeping her grounded is the help everyone continues to provide, and the therapy Slender is still making her go through.

Acceptance:

It's through this therapy, luckily, that Sally is finally able to make progress. One day, Slender asks her a question. "Why don't you want to move on?" Sally sits there for a moment in thought, before telling him that she's scared that if she moves on, if she gets happier, that everyone, including her, will forget about you. This leads to a very emotional discussion, in which Slender tells her that's not true, that you and everyone else in the mansion want her to be happy and healthy, and that nobody will forget about you. Everyone else misses you just as much as she does, and you won't fade away just because Sally decides to be happy. It's after this that Sally starts changing her outlook. Starts asking people for stories about you, and when she sees how happy they are to talk about you, about the things you did and the ways you helped them, it makes her start to feel that way too. It will still be a long uphill battle, but she makes progress, every day. She starts looking back on your memory with fondness, instead of sadness, and she starts to come out of her shell again. She knows now that you want her to be happy, and so she'll try. She'll be happy for you because she doesn't want you to be sad for her in your restful peace.

[storiesforallfandoms]

the freak ~ steve harrington;stranger things

part one   part two   part three   part four   part five   part six

word count: 2903

request?: no

description: in which she deals with her brother, and then she makes an unexpected new friend

pairing: steve harrington x female!reader

warnings: swearing, derogatory name used about the reader, carol being carol

masterlist (one, two, three)

(well, well, well, look who’s finally joining the party)

“Keep your voice down,” I hissed as I walked back down the stairs to meet Mike. “What does this have to do with you? Why do you care?”

“Oh, I don’t,” Mike said. “But I’m sure Nancy would like to know that her twin sister is macking on the guy she was dating a few weeks ago.”

Most siblings would only be bluffing by saying that. Or it would be blackmail to get out of doing chores for a week or something. But not Mike. Mike was an annoying little shit, and always had been. He would tell Nancy what he saw just for the sake of telling her. He’d want nothing more than to cause a rift between me and Nancy, just for his own amusement.

“She’s with Jonathan now, she won’t care,” I retorted. Although, I wasn’t completely sure I believed that. Nancy was the one who broke up with Steve and moved on first, but that didn’t mean it was right for me to move in on her ex-boyfriend so quickly.

“Why don’t we ask her what she thinks?”

Mike opened his mouth, but I quickly covered it to stop him. “What do you want, you little shit?”

“What do you have to offer me?”

I rolled my eyes. “I’m serious, Mike, can’t you just leave this alone? I’m going to tell Nancy eventually, I just need to figure out the right way.”

Mike crossed his arms. “How long have you been sneaking around behind Nancy’s back, though?” I hesitated, which was the only answer Mike needed. “Geez, what a sister you are. Did you even wait long after they broke up to steal her boyfriend?”

Mike’s words cut like a knife. I wanted to argue, but nothing would come out. I hadn’t “stolen” Steve from Nancy. She had broken up with him. She hadn’t even told me herself that she had until a few weeks later, after Steve and I had already started dating.

But was that even really a defense? It had still only been a few weeks in between them breaking up and us getting together. Not that that mattered; he was my sister’s ex. Even in five years time after their breakup, it would’ve been wrong to date him. It was like the ultimate sibling betrayal. I had been thinking this from the start, but I had been so blinded by how good it felt to be with Steve; how happy he made me when we were together.

If it was so wrong, though, why did it feel so good?

When I didn’t respond, Mike took a step away from me. “That was harsh. I’m sorry.”

If I wasn’t having such an internal conflict, I would’ve been shocked by Mike’s apology.

“I won’t tell Nancy,” he continued. “You should tell her soon, though. You guys are too close to let anything get between you like that.”

He turned and walked back downstairs to join his friends again. I was left stunned. I knew things had to be bad when Mike of all people was the voice of reason. I could feel my eyes stinging with tears. I forced myself up the stairs and to my room before anyone found me. I slammed my door behind me and collapsed onto my bed. I shoved my face into my pillow to try and muffle my tears.

I felt so terrible. I knew Mike was right. I knew I had to tell Nancy before things with Steve and I went any further, but now I felt like the admission was going to go terribly. I kept trying to convince myself that Nancy wouldn’t be mad about me dating Steve. I thought that it wouldn’t ruin our sisterly bond if she had already moved on. But now Mike’s words had gotten to me. I knew they shouldn’t have, because he’s Mike. Mike didn’t know shit, and he loved to bother Nancy and I. But I just couldn’t get what he said out of my head.

After some time, I managed to cry myself to sleep.

~~~~~~

I was still feeling off the next day. I didn’t want to face Mike or Nancy, or our parents for that matter, so I got ready for school while everyone was downstairs and rushed out the door. I didn’t even call back to tell mom I was going to school when she asked.

Normally, if I wasn’t getting a ride with Nancy, I’d get one with Holly. But today I didn’t want a ride to school. I wanted to walk, hopefully clear my head with the fresh air. I couldn’t avoid everyone forever, especially Nancy. I needed to come up with a plan to tell her, and soon. Mike said he wouldn’t tell her, but I didn’t completely believe him. I couldn’t have him holding this secret over my head, and I definitely couldn’t keep this secret for much longer. Not if this was how I was going to feel about it.

I was still so deep in thought when I got to school that I didn’t notice how empty the hallways were. It was still pretty early, but this level of emptiness was eerie for Hawkins High. I definitely did notice that all the usual hall occupants were stood in front of my locker. My heart started to pound as I got closer, pushing through the crowd to get to my locker.

When I caught sight of my locker, I sucked in a breath.

In bright red spray paint across my locker door, it said, “Boyfriend stealing slut.”

And next to my locker, with a spray paint can in her hand and an evil smirk on her face, was Carol.

I could hear the whispering behind me. Carol was giggling with her friends. I knew she did this as a way to get back at me for the whole Tommy and Steve fight. She didn’t actually know about me and Steve. And it was certainly working. My eyes were starting to gloss over with tears again. The voices around me sounded loud and like they were engulfing me whole. Like my whole world was crashing down around me, and it was being pulled down by their voices.

I turned and shoved through the crowd, running away before any of them could see me cry. I ran out the nearest door and kept going as far as my legs would let me. Eventually, I came to a clearing in the trees surrounding the school when my legs finally gave up and I collapsed into a sobbing heap on the ground.

I wasn’t sure how I’d go back to school after that. Not just today, but ever. Everyone would see what Carol had written on my locker before the day was out. It didn’t matter which “boyfriend” she was accusing me of stealing, or whether or not her claims were true. The rumors would spread through school like a wildfire. No one would ever look at me the same way again.

“Hey, are you okay?”

I jumped and looked up to see someone stood in front of me. He looked vaguely familiar, with long, curly brown hair, big brown eyes, and ripped jeans and a Metallica t-shirt. He took a step back when he saw my startled face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I was passing through and heard a noise. I just wanted to make sure you’re not hurt or anything.”

I shook my head. “I’ll be fine. Thanks for checking, though.”

He looked at me for a long time before kneeling down in front of me. I furrowed my brows at him in confusion.

“You look sad,” he said. “Why are you sad? The school day hasn’t even started yet.”

“It hasn’t even started, but I’m already over it,” I said. “I’m fucking sick of those people back there. I never, ever want to go back.”

Fresh tears started running down my cheeks. I tried to wipe them away, but they fell quicker than I could stop them. I felt embarrassed to be crying in front of this stranger. I just wanted to go back home and lock myself in my room and cry until I was so dehydrated that I just shriveled up and disappeared.

He put his hand out towards me. I looked at it for a second before deciding to put my hand in his. He rose to his feet, pulling me up with him. We walked over to one of the nearby picnic tables. He motioned for me to sit down, then sat down across from me.

“I’m Eddie,” he said. “What’s your name?”

“(Y/N),” I responded.

“Nice to meet you, (Y/N). Now, do you want to talk about what has you crying in the middle of the woods?”

I sighed and wiped my face again. My eyes felt heavy from all the tears. My day had barely just started and my body already felt exhausted.

“Carol,” I said, my voice breaking.

Eddie made a face. “Yeah, she would make me feel like that, too.”

“She wrote on my locker,” I explained. “She...she called me a slut. A-A boyfriend stealing slut.”

His eyes widened. “What?! That’s...why the fuck would she say that? Did you look at Tommy H for too long?”

I shook my head. I looked down at my lap as I felt myself about to cry again. I wasn’t sure how much water was even left in me. I blinked away the tears and tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat.

“I’m dating Steve Harrington,” I blurted before I could stop myself. “We’ve been dating for nearly a month. And before he dated me, he was dating my sister. Like...maybe two weeks before we got together. But she doesn’t know. No one does, besides my best friend and my little brother. But Carol must suspect it, and she’s trying to get back at me for Tommy H being punished over a fight with Steve. A fight that, admittedly, happened because of something Tommy H said to me.”

My chest untightened with every word. I didn’t realize how freeing it was going to feel to admit all of this to someone. Even if Eddie was a complete stranger to me; even if he went running to tell everyone about me and Steve, it felt so good to finally talk to someone about it. It freed the lump in my throat and dried up the remaining tears.

And somehow, it made me even more exhausted than before.

Eddie was silent. He looked at me with his big, doe like brown eyes. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking about my confession. Maybe it was too much to drop on a total stranger. He was probably regretting his decision to come over and check on me when he heard me crying. This is what happens when you try to be a good person, he was probably telling himself.

“That sounds like a lot,” he finally said.

I let out a noise that sounded half like a laugh, and half like a sob. “It is. It is a lot.”

“Listen, I’m no expert on these things, I don’t even play one on TV - ” That earned him a more genuine laugh from me. “ - but I think your best course of action here is to sit your sister down and tell her everything. Even if she doesn’t take it well, at least you finally have that off your chest. And then you can decide what the fate of your relationship with Steve is going to be. If you feel your bond with your sister is stronger than whatever you feel for him.”

“I’m terrified,” I admitted. “I keep telling everyone I’m not, and I keep making up excuses, but the truth is I get so scared to tell Nancy the truth that the thought of it alone makes me feel nausous.”

“Well, that’s understandable. You’re keeping a huge secret from her. One where you’re anticipating the worst outcome of telling her the truth. But you can’t keep this secret forever. Eventually, she will find out, and it’ll be much better for her to find out from you soon, than for someone else to tell her way down the line. It’ll especially be better for you to tell her over her finding out from Carol’s suspicions.”

I cringed. I hadn’t thought of that. I was afraid Mike would be the one to tell her, but Carol had way more of a vendetta against me right now than Mike did. Even if she had no evidence about mine and Steve’s relationship, nothing would stop her from just telling Nancy what she thought was going on between us.

I wiped my face again, but finally found that it was dry. I gave Eddie the best smile I could muster. “Thanks, Eddie. I appreciate this.”

“Hey, what are friends for?”

I raised an eyebrow at him. “Friends? We met like five seconds ago.”

“Yeah, and now I’ve decided that we’re friends. Strangers don’t just approach random crying girls and give them life advice without some form of friendship coming from it.”

I chuckled. “Okay, fair enough.”

Eddie smiled back at me. I felt like some of the weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. The rest of it would be lifted once I finally talked to Nancy.

I could hear the warning bell ringing off in the distance. The grey cloud of despair appeared over me again at the thought of going back to school. I didn’t want to face any of those people after what Carol did. I knew I’d have to go back eventually, but today I just couldn’t.

"Do you have a car?” I asked Eddie.

“I have a shitty old van,” he responded. “It’s shit, but it drives.”

“Can you...would you mind taking me back to my house? I don’t think I can go to school today.”

“You don’t want to find Steve and ask him?”

“I don’t think I want to see Steve at all right now.”

Eddie agreed. We both stood and made our way back through the trees. The grounds around the school were mostly empty now that the warning bell had rang. Everyone would be inside, racing to their classes, probably whispering about the angry red letters that were written on one of the lockers in the hallway.

Everyone, except for Steve, who was stood by the front doors of the school.

I tried to quickly pass by without him seeing us, but the movements only made him notice us more. Steve got to his feet and called for me. He started to approach, his arms out like he was going to hug me, but then stopped when he noticed that I wasn’t alone. Eddie put his head down once Steve noticed him. I could tell by the look on his face and by his body language that Eddie and Steve likely had the same type of relationship I had with Carol. Or at least, they did before, back when Steve was still part of his shitty friend group.

“What are you doing with Eddie ‘the freak’ Munson?” Steve asked me.

I looked at him in disbelief. “Is that what you call him? Jesus, Steve, that’s such a shitty thing to say!”

“It’s just a nickname,” Eddie mumbled.

“No it’s not, it’s bullying,” I said. “That’s the exact same as Carol calling me a slut.”

Steve winced. “I’m sorry. That’s what...I used to call him. I didn’t mean...” He trailed off. He lifted his arms again, as if trying to start the whole interaction over. “I’m so sorry about what Carol did. I know this has to be about me and Tommy, and it’s not fair that she’s taking it out on you.”

“No, it’s not fair,” I said, stepping away from his waiting embrace. He lowered his arms, a hurt look taking over his face. “And this person who you have decided to call a freak was the only person who brought me any comfort. Because you didn’t even come looking for me, Steve! Eddie found me, in the woods, crying my eyes out because everyone is making me feel like shit for dating my sister’s ex-boyfriend.”

“Who else knows?” Steve asked.

“That doesn’t matter. What matters is...I can’t deal with this right now. I’m going home. Eddie is taking me home.”

Steve looked at Eddie over my shoulder. Eddie had stepped back again, like he was trying to inch himself away from the situation.

“I can take you home,” he said.

I shook my head. “I’d rather Eddie take me home. I...I just need space right now, Steve.”

“(Y/N), I’m sorry for what I said about Eddie. And I’m sorry I didn’t come looking for you. No one knew where you went - ”

“It’s not about that,” I cut him off. “Honestly, Steve, I just need some time alone.”

Before he could say anything else, I turned back to Eddie. His eyes flickered between me and Steve, before he finally nodded his head for me to follow him. I tried not to think about Steve’s sad eyes boring against my back as I walked away from him. I tried to focus on anything except for the fact that it felt like my entire life had fallen apart in less than 12 hours.

taglist!: @itjustkindahappenedreally @ladyfallonavenger @sleepylunarwolf @pandoraneverland @kindablackenedsuperhero @callsignwidow @palmtreesx3 @phantomxoxo @bdalas @eddiesguitarskills @hehehehannahthings @k-k0129​

If you want to be tagged, let me know!

[littlest-w01f]

Chapter Five

Series Masterlist

Cw: None

Time was a fickle bitch, it stayed with you long enough for you to feel it will choose you. But time would never be by your side. It was always running. In her life, Rheana had learned many lessons, but that was perhaps the most important one of all. There was never enough time, things couldn't be put to another day, a day that might now not exist as a war that moved with the wind. To her, and to her family.

The closest friends could betray you, and you could find yourself allied with who you consider an enemy to do what you think is right. In seconds, you had to decide who you would die for and who wasn't even worth passing the salt at the dinner table to. And to be the good person, the bigger person, you had to find a way to save them both. It was a good thing that Rheana didn't consider herself good, nor the bigger person, she wasn't the one to take the high road, and she was content being the female with a plan that ended with her drenched in blood but with them winning.

When war came knocking at your door, you needed an army big enough to make them shake on their knees. Needed more allies than enemies. Which is why, Rheana and Rhysand had sent Feyre back to the Spring Court with hopes that she could convince Tamlin to bury the enormous hatchet and ally with them against Hybern.

The hatchet that needed burying because of the Spring High Lord, but they had not told Feyre that, hadn't told her that her beloved high lord had so easily given up their mother and sister to get some sort of appreciation from his cruel father. That the reason his family was dead was because they picked a fight with the wrong one. The two siblings had silently agreed that just because they had to ally with Tamlin, did not for a second mean that they were at peace, nor did they wish for Tamlin to forgive them for retaliating.

As much as Rheana wished she had been there to gut the Spring Court heirs, it felt glorious, to think how they had revelled in the power of having two defenceless females under them just for them to wake up to a monster hovering over them.

Only Rhysand was unable to kill Tamlin, something in his stomach weighing heavy that their father, and Rheana, seemed to simply not posses, guilt. Rhysand was clouded with guilt as he stood outside Tamlin's bedroom, drenched in Spring blood. It was guilt that was magnified when his father stood in front of him.

Her father, who Rheana was sure was unable to bear the sight of the High Lord of Spring curled up with his mate, had killed the innocent female too. Her father had wanted to kill Tamlin in his rage, but in the end, Tamlin had taken her father's life.

Hence forcing the two ex-best friends, on a path that led down very different roads. Any and all court relations that could've been formed were gone by the time the sun rose up.

And so, time was a fickle bitch, Rheana had decided, because it would never be on your side, and everything you loved would get destroyed one day. What you considered home would begin to lack, things would change, and time would change them. All she could do was be prepared for whatever changes lay ahead.

The first thing Rheana realised when the sun hit her face early in the morning was that she had fallen asleep in her bay window. The sun rose past the mountains, streaks of sunlight beaming straight into Rheana's room in the house of winds, she fluttered her eyes open with a soft groan.

Her eyes opened and she was still in her bay window with Kallos in her lap. She groaned, trying to move free of their weight without waking them up. She entered the bath, sinking into the warm tub she sighed, another day, the usual day to the habit she'd had for the past fifty years, everything was different now, every time she would have a new normal it would change drastically.

She had gotten used to Windhaven, loved it, she loved that part of her heritage, only to lose that part of her after being forced to play royalty immediately after her family's demise. She had grown to be a stern royal only to have Amarantha come in and make her feel powerless to protect her brother and their court. Now, another war was coming even before they could pick themselves up from the spoils of the last one.

Rheana looked to the sky, a little brighter now, her room filling with sunlight, all she wanted was for things to go back to the way they were, when her brother and their friends were young, when the only problem was that they caught drinking at an age when they probably shouldn't because Azriel couldn't stop his hiccups. How hard they would party every time her mother would return to the townhouse to be with their dad.

When their biggest problem was that they had to sneak away and stay up past their bedtime. Rheana and Rhysand would sneak up to the roof, and the two would stare at the stars, soon joined by Cassian and Azriel. The two friends they had made back then were their most trusted ones since they had had them in their lives. Rhysand had found Cassian while Rheana had been one to come across Azriel, the two siblings had made the family they had now, themselves.

Rheana stood up from her tub and left her thoughts behind in it, letting the water drain away the negative way she felt. She quickly dried herself and changed into her usual leathers, covered by a formal dress.

She made her way to the kitchen to see Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel already eating. "Hello, boys." She smiled, taking a piece of toast from a Cassian grumbling at her with his mouth full.

They greeted her one after another as she scooped up food on her plate, taking a seat at the tail of the table.

"So how was time with your mate, brother?" Cassian wiggled his eyebrows at Rhysand, "Did she throw any more shoes in the week?"

Azriel snorted at that, earning a glare from Rhysand, "Well, while you were trying to play High Lord of Night Court with the bring of Spring, Rheana and I hunted down the last of the Illyrians helping Amarantha."

"Well, there is one left, But I decided that the fear of us getting him would be worse than us actually capturing him." Rheana chuckled, drinking some water.

"So, how was Feyre after you left her." Rheana and Rhysand found themselves outside while talking after breakfast.

Rhysand chuckled, "Well, she tried to spit on me when I let her go..."

"Well, I hope my mate at least can handle being around me." Rheana joked, bumping her shoulders with his, making Rhysand shove her harder.

Rhysand sighed, "I can't wait for another month, I need her close to me, after having her here just for a week, I... just... need her."

"I'm sorry, Rhys..." Rheana offered a comforting smile, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Things will work out, I'm sure of it. They always do."

It hadn't taken a long while before Feyre had needed them, in a few weeks her panic had spiked again, Rhysand was busy in a meeting at the Court of Nightmares when his eyes had gotten wide and he had flooded Rheana with what he was feeling, the pure panic, Feyre's panic.

Rheana held eye contact with Rhysand, talking through their mind link, "Get-Get her for me." Rhysand gave a firm nod, the order of a High Lord.

Rheana nodded back, winnowing out of the Court to land on the border of Autumn and Spring. The second she landed she gasped, hunching over, her mind was flooded with images, a young fae male, coppery red hair, deep amber eyes, the boy was playing with his mother, he looked like an exact copy of her, there was a male, his father, who dragged him away, then the boy was locked in a dark place, completely naked, whip lashed on his back and sides, but the boy wasn't crying, not a single tear leaving his eyes.

Rheana blinked hard, trying to fight the images that flashed in her mind, she took a step into Spring and her mind cleared. She took a deep breath and looked behind her into the woods of Autumn Court, her eyes caught those of a giant fox. There was fire on the fox's tail, amber eyes meeting her violet ones.

She turned back to face the Spring Court and crossed the border on foot to winnow in Tamlin's mansion, She landed outside, walking in slowly, blending in the shadows, releasing her darkness she made the guards of Spring pass out.

She reached a whirlwind of power, she was sure she saw the power of every court swallowing Feyre Cursebreaker, she saw a female with skin made of bark trying to get to her, Rheana's eyes met hers and she bowed her head slightly, clearly recognising her.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded sternly.

Rheana raised her hands, her darkness rising with her hands, "I am here to take her, do not try to stop me."

The female sighed, an understanding in her eyes, "Please-Please take care of her."

"I will." Rheana nodded. "Be glad your High Lord wasn't here, otherwise things would have been a bloodbath, your guards with wake up with a headache, but they will wake up alright."

Rheana easily walked into the boundary Feyre had created for herself and as she touched her cheek, Feyre passed out in her arms. Rheana held the female in her arms, gathering her as if she were a babe.

Feyre opened her mouth to ask something but she looked like she had no power to, but Rheana answered the question Feyre had shot through her head anyway, "Did you think a simple shild could keep us out? Rhys shattered it the second he knew it was there."

Rheana smiled softly as Feyre's hands held her shoulder in a tight grip, she shushed her gently. "You're free now, sweetheart, You're free."

She was back in the Autumn Court, her eyes fixed on Azriel carrying Mor in her arms, strong, beautiful, mutilated Morrigan, limp in Azriel's arms, Azriel who whispered to her, "You're out. Free. You're free."

Rheana's darkness seemed to welcome what was in Feyre, what she and Rhysand thought he had given her. Once out of the gardens she winnowed to the border to the Autumn Court. Rhysand winnowing in at the same time at her.

"i did everything by the book." Rheana confirmed, Rhysand adding in instantly, "Then we are done." Rhysand took Feyre from Rheana and winnowed away fast.

Rheana again stood at the edge of Autumn, from the corner of her eye she was sure she saw the same giant fox, the fox that she was now sure was High Fae.

{Taglist: @anuttellaa @nox-ceur @tuggboatfishin @inloveallthetime}

[prettylittlelyres]

Violins and Violets - Series - WIP page

1784: Katharina Schmidt and her brother Hans grew up composing and performing music for royalty all over Europe. Now they are adults, only Hans is allowed to pursue his music, while Katharina's father tells her it's time to find a husband and settle down. Katharina's attempts to do as she's told only convince her that it's not what she wants to do, and she must decide how far she's willing to go to keep making music.

Hello, friends! It's been a minute since I updated the links on my blog, and I have just seen that I still have the "Beta Readers Wanted" post linked to the "Violins and Violets (WIP)" button... from the draft I finished and started querying in 2019 / 2020!

Things have... changed somewhat since then...

"Violins and Violets" is now a series, of (I expect) five books. None of them have titles yet, so I'm just referring to them as "Violins and Violets 1," etc. I thought it was time to make a new WIP page.

Book 1 tag - WIP page - first draft completed in December 2023, second draft in May 2024. (Earlier titled "Ladies Don't Write Music" - but this may be a better name for Book 2.)

Book 2 tag - WIP page - first draft completed in January 2024, now writing second draft in June and July 2024.

Book 3 tag - early planning stages, hoping to create outline in October 2024, with a view to writing the first draft in November and December 2024. Hoping to redraft in 2025.

Book 4 tag - hoping to plan and draft in 2025.

Book 5 tag - hoping to plan and draft in 2025 or 2026.

Series tag - all posts made about "Violins and Violets" since I realised it needed to be a series, no matter what book I'm talking about.

Everything "Violins and Violets" - the whole story, right from the beginning, when I started writing the first draft of a single book for Camp NaNoWriMo in April 2018.

One-Shots - short stories that I've written for the "Violins and Violets" world.

"Vogeltje" - another novel that takes place in the same world, and features some of the same characters.

I'm trying to bring each book in somewhere around 75,000 words, taking three months to write a first draft, and two months for each subsequent draft. I find it easier to focus on the story proper when I write quickly and regularly, so when I have a draft on the go, I try to write every day. Between drafts, I am trying to take whole months off writing, so that I can rest my creative muscles, as it were.

You can follow my progress here on my writeblr, and on the NaNoWriMo website.

Characters:

Katharina Schmidt - musical prodigy and composer who performed for royalty as a child, but is no longer allowed, because she's a woman. Disguises herself as "Sebastien", and flees Salzburg to start a composing career in Prague

Hans Schmidt - brother of Katharina, who is also a musical prodigy and composer, but is allowed to pursue his music as an adult.

Franz Schmidt - solicitor; father of Katharina and Hans, who wants to see his daughter married well enough to put silly ideas of music out of her head.

Julia Schmidt - lady of leisure; mother of Katharina and Hans; wife of Franz, who loves to make tapestries and knitted garments; wants the best for her children and is willing to let Franz decide what this is.

Barbara Kirkmann - housemaid to the Schmidts, Katharina's closest friend and confidante.

Elisabeth Meyer - daughter of Franz' boss, Katharina's first "acceptable" friend, and the oldest sister of many siblings; keen to get married and start a life of her own.

Miléna von Tritten - Elisabeth's best friend, and daughter of one of the Meyer firm's wealthiest clients, Baron von Tritten; expected to marry a noble, but totally absorbed in Johann Schneider.

Johann Schneider - training to be a magistrate, under pressure to get married, but totally uninterested in... anyone? All the ladies want him; none of them can catch him. Absolutely tone-deaf, but loves to watch musicians play; friends with Katharina.

Louisa Schneider - Johann's younger sister, also tone-deaf, but keen to become a musician under Katharina's tutelage.

Magdalena Fialová - an opera singer who wants to get more young women into music; one of "Sebastien's" first and best friends in Prague.

Miklós Kovács - a fellow violinist who persuades the management of the Malá Strana Opera House to give "Sebastien" an audition. Best friend of Magdalena, and very close with "Sebastien".

Background:

Yes, Katharina Schmidt is based on Maria Anna "Nannerl" Mozart, who deserved a much better life than she got. I have always wondered what would have happened if she had defied her father when he told her to stop composing. Would she have known as much fame as her brother?

Yes, Katharina Schmidt is a lesbian. That's because she's only based on a real person; she isn't actually Nannerl Mozart. I have no idea what Nannerl Mozart would have called herself, or how she felt, and I think it would be rude for me to try to guess. This part of Katharina's character is inspired less by history than by my own experiences and desire to see more representation of Queer people in historical fiction. (She's not the only person in the series who isn't straight! Who are the others? You'll have to read the books to find out... or just follow here; I'm yappy about it.)

[1lostsoul0fishbowl]

do u have any sibling headcanons for Max and Eddie?

like maybe activities they do together or shenanigans they get into?

Okay first of all I LOVE YOU for asking this, because I live and breathe the Munson-Mayfield Sibling Agenda! 😄 I have a zillion headcanons for them but here are just a few:

They made up their own secret code language and absolutely refuse to explain it to anyone else. Eddie won’t even tell Chrissy what the code words mean.

They have their own private walkie-talkie channel, which they immediately change if one of the other kids manages to find it.

They talk every single day. Even if it’s only for two minutes, a quick “Hey. You doing okay? Alright, great. Catch ya tomorrow. Love you.”

In the Lostsoul Universe, Max escaped Vecna with only one arm badly broken. While her arm was in a cast, Eddie would brush and braid her hair for her every morning before school. He was actually a little sad when she finally got the cast off and could do it herself again, so every now and then she still asks him to do it for her.

Whenever they go grocery shopping together they play a game where they try to sneak something weird into the other person’s cart without them noticing. Five points if they don’t notice until the checkout line. Ten points if they accidentally buy the thing. They’ve kept a running tally for over a year now, and Max is winning 35-5.

If Eddie loses Max in the store, he will absolutely scream “MARCO!” at the top of his lungs. And as embarrassed as she is, she never fails to holler back “POLO!”

They both love McDonald’s and they eat there, as Chrissy says, way too often. Eddie introduced Max to dipping fries into a milkshake, and Max taught Eddie to put the hash brown right into the middle of the Egg McMuffin.

They also play a game called “my sibling’s an expert”. It involves going to the flea market and waiting to be approached by a seller. Some lady will innocently say “would you like to buy a picture frame?” And Eddie will immediately respond “oh, my sister’s an expert on picture frames!” and then Max has to make up some ridiculous facts about why frames are always rectangular and never square. Or at the homemade jellies table Max will casually tell the old couple “you know, my brother’s an expert jelly checker” and Eddie has to convince them not only what a jelly checker is but that he definitely is one. 25 points to whoever makes up a plausible sounding story without laughing. 50 points if they can get the seller to believe it.

Before Mystery Science Theater 3000 was a thing, Eddie and Max had perfected the art of wisecracking and riffing on movies. They actually got banned from the local movie theater for talking too much and distracting everyone around them. Before renting a movie, sometimes Chrissy will make Eddie swear to just keep quiet and let her watch without adding his own dialogue. More than once she’s threatened to duct-tape their mouths shut.

Eddie sometimes forgets that Max isn’t actually his biological sister. Once an old lady in the grocery store asked him where his sister got that lovely red hair, and Eddie spent a few minutes trying to think if he had any ginger relatives before he remembered.

Max, on the other hand, never forgets that Eddie isn’t actually her brother, and worries a lot about him replacing her. Finally Eddie made up a set of fake adoption papers, formally adopting her as his little sister “until the end of time”. He set up a ‘courtroom’ in the Harrington’s living room and had Hopper act as the judge and made it into a whole big thing. They goofed around and acted silly the whole time until Hopper formally pronounced them siblings. Then they both started crying.

I could seriously go on and on but I’ll stop here - thank you again for the fun ask!!!

[isekyaaa]

So here's the backstory to my Yae Miko fics "Spark" and "Unwillingly."

Over five hundred years ago, reader, a half-sky kitsune half-human, was found by Lady Saiguu. Reader was the child of one of her dear friends that fell in love with a human. After finding out her dear friend and his wife were killed by nobushi, Lady Saiguu decided to raise their child as one of her own. It was at this point that reader meets a young Yae Miko. Wanting them to be companions, Lady Saiguu encourages them to be friends, and they grow close. Reader, being older than Yae, acts almost as an older sibling figure without the older sibling vibe. LOL They try to protect and spoil Yae to their heart's content.

After the cataclysm and Lady Saiguu disappearing, however, Yae was too young to become Guuji, so the elders of the sky kitsune decide to take control. It has to be said at this point, the elders always would talk to Lady Saiguu about abandoning reader. They viewed reader as a filthy half-blood, a stain upon the dignity of the sky kitsune. But Lady Saiguu never listened. So when the elders got in charge, they took reader from their home and basically beat and brainwashed them to believe they were nothing. They told reader the lie that Lady Saiguu never truly loved them and only raised them to serve Yae as a retainer, not a friend. They trained to become a soldier, and once they passed the test, they were given back to Yae as a guard.

Unfortunately for Yae, she has no knowledge of this. The elders told her that reader left because any reason they had to stay (Lady Saiguu) didn't exist anymore. They basically imply reader abandoned her. So when they suddenly appear before Yae again, they tell her the only reason why they're back is to fulfill their promise to Lady Saiguu to protect Yae. But you see, Yae is a smart cookie. She knows how manipulative the elders are and she can see how dead reader's eyes have become over the time they were apart. She can't bring herself to believe that she means nothing to reader.

The following centuries are just loads of sexual tension between the two. There's no other way to describe it. She keeps taunting and teasing reader, trying to get them to break, but reader remains steadfast that their existence is to protect her and nothing more. They even make up that their first love was Lady Saiguu, which is why they're taking their promise to her so seriously. But Yae doesn't believe it. Even though reader gives no outward evidence of such, Yae is convinced that reader is in love with her.

I really can't blame her for feeling that way too. Though reader doesn't react to her teasing and temptations, there's just things they can't help but do to make her happy—secretly ordering for her fried tofu when she's irritated, taking her routes where fireworks can be seen, somehow not noticing when she escapes from her duties despite always having a constant eye on her. Just like from their childhood, reader always tries to make her happy.

At some point in the general present, reader has a "moment of weakness" when it comes to Yae, but I don't know what it is. They definitely do not give in and sleep with her though. I know it's not that. If they did, Yae would definitely tempt them again and they would not be able to resist after tasting the forbidden fruit the first time. I wanna say that it's either that they almost kiss her or that they hug her for some reason. And then run away right after, not addressing it when they meet the next day. Idk. I have to flesh this part out. The fic "Spark" happens sometime around this time.

Either way, around half a year after this, the Traveler and Paimon end up visiting the shrine. They bring Yae what looks to be an old notebook they found on one of their journeys. Upon taking a closer look, it is revealed to be the diary of Lady Saiguu. Upon reading it, Yae becomes quite…. irate. I'd say furious, but that doesn't quite match her. In the book, she discovers the truth. That reader was someone Lady Saiguu cherished, she wanted them to become close companions with Yae, and that the elders despised reader. Upon finishing, she goes straight to the elders and interrogates them about what they did to reader.

Upon coming back, Yae calls reader to her and tells them that they're relieved of their duties. They don't need to serve her anymore. Which causes reader to panic because she's the reason for their existence. Yae tells them the truth about the elders and Lady Saiguu, but they have a hard time believing it. Knowing theyre going to be difficult, she basically gives them an ultimatum. They can either believe her and attempt to foster a relationship (not necessarily romantic) with her once more or they can leave and never return. They choose the first option. Tbh this whole scene is supposed to be more emotional and angsty, but my brain isn't completely working right now.

After this, reader and Yae's relationship is awkward (a glimpse can be seen in the fic "Unwillingly"). Reader vacillates between being warm and cool with her. Sometimes they try to approach her, but then will suddenly withdraw, unable to get over the shame that was beaten into them. Yae understands that they have a lot of trauma and brainwashing to work through, but she does get a bit impatient with them.

At this point, though, reader and Yae are basically a volcano waiting to blow. A bomb about to go off. Reader has loved Yae for centuries and Yae has been waiting that whole time for them to finally give in. If they don't approach their budding relationship carefully, reader will get pushed over the edge and just… It would get really physical in the indulgent addictive sense. Reader would be the addict for her body and attention trying to get back in control of themselves and Yae would be the enabler consistently tempting them to take what they want. That being said, would it be unhealthy? Uhh….. Not as much as you'd expect. I think they'd address their traumas and whatnot much quicker that way lol.

Anyway, this is the full backstory.

[wiithstars]

star sign: aquarius mythological creature: fairy folktale: the princess and the pea fairytale character (classical or modern): rapunzel (tangled)

"Rapunzel is a spirited, clever, kind, playful, and a very adventurous girl, though a bit naive. However, she is not afraid to stand up for herself or others when the situation calls for bravery. [...] Rapunzel is also very charismatic; able to influence a group of pub thugs to share their dreams and convince Maximus, the palace steed of the Captain of the Guard, to postpone his pursuit of Flynn until she fulfills her dream on her birthday (which is heavily emphasized). Rapunzel is also known, particularly by Pascal, to be quite trustworthy and never ever breaks the promises she makes." (x)

3 fictional tropes: the pollyanna, the idealist, genius ditz

The Pollyanna - "Characters who undergo various hardships, losing almost everything they hold dear, and yet seem never to lose their sunny disposition." (x) The Idealist - "A character who genuinely believes that their world is A World Half Full; that Humans Are Good, or at least that Rousseau Was Right and a person who will tell you that if you think it's wrong to hope that you're wrong every time. They will take ideals that others have for the future and will do everything they can to take them to fruition, sometimes going too far." (x) Genius Ditz - "This character would be nothing more than The Ditz, except they have one area of expertise in which no one can beat them. When that skill or talent is needed, they suddenly switch gears from airheadedness to hyper-competency. Sometimes they don't even know that they're doing it." (x)

romantic or platonic trope: opposites attract; foolish sibling, responsible sibling

Opposites Attract - "They have conflicting personalities, but they love each other." (x) Foolish Sibling, Responsible Sibling - "In this trope there will be one sibling who is foolish, usually acting melodramatically and prone to doing irresponsible and impulsive things. They may be louder, more outgoing and usually more popular (or at least try to be). [...] The other sibling is often more of a parental figure in the other sibling's life, even if their actual parents are still present. They might be quieter or plainer, though usually they are only quiet or plain by comparison to their obnoxious other sibling. They're almost undoubtedly smarter though." (x)

creepypasta story: All In the Family (x) greek god or goddess: hestia, goddess of hearth and home time of day where they draw the most energy: noon their achilles heel: their pets medieval weapon of choice: pole axe survival, starvation, or death by the undead in the apocalypse: survival by dumb luck (and the help of others) which of the seven sins represent them? horseman of the apocalypse?: gluttony, famine could they pull excalibur from the stone?: yes one aesthetic for each of the five senses (taste, hearing, sight, smell, touch):

blowing a bubble with bubba max and having it pop over your lips, the soft snores of a dog who is peacefully sleeping, a bed of flowers that are a mixture of bloomed and about to bloom, a sugar cookie candle that's been burning for hours, floral lace gently brushing across one's skin

a bad habit that won’t go away: acting without thinking first a recurring nightmare: being back under the care of the first "parents" they knew an object they consider their lucky charm: a charm bracelet that has a heart with each of their pets' names inscribed on it

[sleekervae]

Past Lives [1.3]

Masterlist

A/N: Woohoo! Two updates in two weeks, not bad for a burn out lol. Also, if you have not yet, please consider signing and sharing this petition to get Disney to let their animation industry unionize. This is an incredible time in entertainment history we're living in and as an animator it would mean a lot to me for you guys to help spread awareness and get protection for our artists! Don't take the artist out of the art!

Warnings: some mentions and talking about sex, but nothing major.

--

5:30 AM

The phone on the side table blared her usually set slow-morning start, but practically every time she heard it Jade wanted nothing more than to smash that phone across a wall. Nevertheless, she rolled out of bed, blinded briefly from the light rays of the greater world sneaking through her black out blinds.

She had exchanged her sleep shirt for a pair of loose cotton shorts and a thin sport bra and she was cleaning up her space before her workout. Jade's morning routine looked a little different from others', though. When she had first looked at the townhouse, she had discovered a den to which she knew she wasn't going to use for its original purpose. So she remodelled it with a wall mirror, some soft mats, and a stainless steel dance pole in the middle of the room.

Meanwhile, Austin was frustrated as his alarm went off, more because he had woken up an hour before and he couldn't get back to sleep no matter how hard he'd tried. For the last two or three days he had been waking up earlier and earlier, of course the lack of would hit him later on in the day when he couldn't afford to be falling asleep on his feet. Nevertheless, he had a full day ahead of him and he hauled himself out of bed.

Jade flipped through her usual pre-selected playlist for whatever tickled her fancy that morning. She had accumulated a full playlist for these warm up mornings, all in the name of putting her in the correct headspace.

He had set up his punching bag in his rec room, the air was thick with humidity and the AC was taking its sweet time to start up. He was flustered this morning, jumbling around for his gloves. There were plenty moments in his life where Austin had found himself flustered, though it usually didn't take much. He inhaled sharply, his neck cracking and he stared down the sand bag with a renewed intensity. He delivered a hard first blow into the leather.

Jade was twenty-five when she first discovered pole dancing. Of course, she knew it was a practice that happened in the clubs, though she wasn't so aware that it wasn't just a stripper's cliché. Pole dancing was a unique and sensual workout experience that she had fallen in love with the moment she'd tried it, not to mention watching herself perform in this way was much more exhilarating than doing rounds on a treadmill or pumping weights for hours.

Of course, she didn't tell her family right away. Her sibling was much more accepting and excited by her new hobby than her parents were. Nonetheless, she was an adult and they couldn't stop her. Her friends thought it was really cool, some even went to take lessons with Jade.

Her ex however had an all around different opinion. He was livid when she had told him, hurling insults and trying to convince her how dehumanizing pole was.

"Do you have no self respect?"

"What's the media gonna' say about you when they find out?"

"How much attention do you think you need?"

Belittling, destructive, always under valuing her and there were times where she almost -- almost -- believed him. Bear in mind he was nearly ten years older than her, it wasn't the biggest age gap but somehow, the difference in opinion was enough to drive another wedge between them.

She'd learned there's a longstanding practice in the pole industry that attempts to separate pole dance from stripping and sex work and to vilify the two. Many failed to realize—because many often aren’t taught in the places they learn—that the art of stripping is a huge part of what laid the groundwork for the art form that those who perform have today.

The ex boyfriend didn't have the strength Jade did, the nerve to pull herself off the ground, her thighs clenched tightly around cold metal and persevering through tensing muscles. Her relationship with her body was renewed every time her skin burned against the steel, a spark of adrenaline coursed through limbs as she climbed higher up the pole and admired the ethereal divinity within her own reflection.

It was so odd, the further amount of time she spent without him, the more she'd begun to realize how wrong he was for her. Suppose when you're too close however, the red flags never present themselves as such.

One blow after another, dust popping from the pores of the bag, Austin was annoyed as the room was becoming too cold and yet his body temperature was running too hot. Every move was coordinated and impulsive, every smack echoed sharp in his ears like a train's horn giving off warning. The tension in his body was supposed to be dropping with every punch but he felt as though he was simply buzzing with a wild energy.

Austin took a moment to breathe, his cheeks were flush red and his panting was heavy as he tried to regain control. He felt as though he was out of his body, watching himself as oppose to living within himself. The last time he'd felt so torn apart he'd just come off the Elvis set. Each hit after hit was another bubble of tension leaving him, so he kept going.

The song changed to an instrumental Bossa Nova jazz track, pulled from underrated, sensual classics she had discovered on her Spotify. The calm rhythm along with a languid tempo was as gentle as the waves stretching across the expanse of Muscle Beach, the psychedelic soft samba tones transported you to a whole new existence.

Jade was the water reaching across the beach, powerful and violent; seeking a new existence on the shore and despite every time she was pulled back, an impression of her was left in the sand.

Circling back to Austin, the impression she left on him was a little foggy. Her expectations of him were low, the simmer of elation was always the same. Two weeks ago proved just as much, sitting on his couch and reminiscing over a life that proved fleeting and tasteless for the both of them. Jade never liked to get sentimental over such things, though looking back now she knew there were things she would do all around differently if she'd known the outcome of this path.

Two weeks would soon enough turn into three weeks and then three months but every time she saw him, Austin always looked so incredible, dressed up, down, clean or messy he was always so perfect. If anybody had asked, she would tell them he was the coolest person she knew, and he was, his film career be damned. Everything she knew then and what she knew of him now had culminated into the fine young gentleman he'd become, a sated, secret safe place she had sought out and made her nest in.

With one final punch Austin winced and groaned, his knee had buckled and a sharp pain flew through his leg. He hobbled over to the wall, throwing his gloves off and it was then he'd spotted the red welts forming on his knuckles. He had forgotten his wraps.

Austin patted the sweat off of his face, cooler now though he still felt out of breath. Sitting against the wall, his eyes fell shut and he let his mind wander back to... well... what else? He wondered if she was up at this time, what she was doing if she was crazy enough to be up.

The first thing that crossed his mind was that satisfied smirk of hers when he'd found her on the edge of the pool, dry as a bone and seductively wicked. And then he thought about her long delicate fingers and the chipped polish on her nails, they seemed to change once every two weeks. Her hand fit so well within his, whether they were locked together on a park bench or lounging together in bed he realized that he had really liked holding her hand.

If she could push him so much just being in his mind then God help him when he'd see her next. He swallowed sharply at the realization he was semi-hard in his shorts, struggling to think properly despite the fact she wasn't even here. He was looking forward to the next time he would see her, excited to ruin her and hear her moan his name over and over whilst he gave her everything he had.

Their relationship had become private rendezvous, false names at establishments, messages filled with salacious subtext and pillow talk that could last for hours and hours. The physical aspect was giving way to something more; the familiar simmering in Jade's gut when she was younger and her naivety wasn't so innocuous.

Thighs clenched around the pole, her spine stretched taut as she hung upside down, every sensation was amplified. The breeze of the AC against her skin felt tingly, chilled, so vulnerable and yet incredibly powerful. What would Austin say if he saw her like this? Would he think her crazy? He was more or less -- no, definitely -- intrigued when she'd confided in him; she still remembered how his face lit up when she had. How her chest fluttered when she thought about him watching her perform in the way not many were privileged to see.

He made her chest flutter in and out of the bedroom, she had to be real. Sitting together in a bar, just being close to him was more than enough she could ask for. Though finding herself claimed week after week, waking up with his hickeys on her chest, the echo of fingerprints ghosting across her legs almost proved to be too much for her to believe, and yet he was coming back to her for more time and time again.

Finally, her alarm blared through the music, slicing violently through the soft guitar tempo and pulling her back down to Earth. When she touched back down upright her body ached and burned all over, nothing a hot shower couldn't fix.

After splashing water on his face, Austin watched himself in the mirror, curious. His lips were dry and chapped from his shallow breathing, his shoulders felt stiff despite how he rolled them, his knees burned from the constant back and forth shuffle, and the humidity around him felt thick. He tried to reel in his thoughts like a lasso around a wild stallion and he figured a hot shower would relieve his thoughts of her. And yet every thing he set his focus on, Jade found a way to wriggle her way back in.

Austin discarded his t-shirt and shorts to the side, smiling to himself as he'd caught a glimpse of the pink scratches down his back. Jade was a constant juxtaposition in his eyes; maiming him without intent, lost in the throes of passion and yet when it was all over she came back to this timid mindset, apologizing profusely no matter how many times he had assured her it was okay. If anything, he found it pretty hot.

Jade shuffled over to her bathroom, scowling as her phone flashed a grim 6:45 at her. A pot of tea was steeping on the counter while Jade hummed the Bossa nova to herself, it wasn't quite the same melody as she hit notes off here and there. The more she did the more original the melody became, her hips swinging in time.

It was then that it hit her; her breakfast and shower be damned as Jade fetched her guitar and her notebook. Time became an unknown concept as she sat on the couch, fiddling and picking out different chords until it began to resemble the song in her head. Every chord that matched she wrote down and when she played the full piece in tandem, a little rusty and pausing here and there, it was so cool. To be honest she felt that it was the coolest piece of music she'd ever put together. What to do with it? She still wasn't sure.

Pre production could either be the most fun or most draining process in the world, or so was in Jade's experience. The studio wanted the video for her song, Masochist, to premiere one week before the release of the Batman movie, giving the creative team either the most or least amount of time depending on how they wanted to scale their budget.

Jade had lost interest in the conversation some time ago, spinning around and around in her chair as Cam and her creative director, Elsie, were gabbing back and forth on what direction they thought would best suit the song. When they were on the same page, Cam and Elsie could conquer the management world, when they were divided, they made Jade want to walk into oncoming traffic.

"Just imagine -- we open the video with Jade walking into a burning city --"

"A burning city?"

"Well, the whole thing's not gonna be burning. But you know, it has to fit the whole Gotham theme!" Elsie explained

Cam shook his head, "Exactly, which is why it makes more sense to set the whole scene underground,"

"Be serious, Cameron,"

"I am! It's a great metaphor!" he exclaimed.

"A metaphor for what?"

"The great underbelly of evil in a metropolitan city,"

"In that case, why don't we just go to Detroit to film, then?" Elsie suggested.

"Gotham's not based on Detroit,"

Jade finally stopped doing spins in her chair, dizzied for a moment as she slapped her hands down on the table, "Hey, Mom? Dad? I'm still sitting here!" she exclaimed.

"We know! But you're not contributing," Cam huffed back.

"Because neither of you have asked my opinion since we sat down. Elsie just threw some storyboards onto the table," she replied.

Elsie straightened out her slacks and dress blouse, tossing her blonde hair behind her shoulders as she relaxed in her chair, "Okay, you're right. This is her song after all," she mentioned to Cam.

"Fine," Cam sat back as well, turning to Jade, "What's your idea, then?"

Visually speaking, Jade wasn't the most creative person when it came to this stuff, hence she usually trusted Elsie. Nonetheless, she knew what she wanted to say in her music and what she needed to get her point across, even if her team felt it didn't fit or wasn't enough.

"I think we should just do a studio shoot. Throw up some strobes and an oscillating camera,"

Cam and Elsie stared at her blankly, then they stared at each other, in disbelief or disappointment Jade wasn't sure.

"That's it?" Cam finally spoke.

"That's it," Jade shrugged back.

"But that's so plain," Elsie replied, almost teetering on a whine, "Jade, we can do better than that,"

"Why do we have to go all out to make it a hit? Besides, the focus should be on the film, not me," she said.

"But you're aiding in selling the film!" Elsie told her, "You saw the scale of production they had for the Birds of Prey soundtrack!"

"Yeah, I loved them all! But that scale isn't gonna work for this!" Jade argued back. She took one of the production folders and pulled out the set list of songs that would be featured in the movie, a main song being Nirvana's Something in the Way, "Nirvana didn't need flashy gimmicks and big productions to be successful, and they friggin' soared! I wanna' do something like that!"

Elsie released a heavy sigh, take the folder and skimming the track list of notable songs. The star of the movie would surely be Nirvana's gritty hit, further emphasizing the dark and humble characterization for this version of Bruce Wayne. The purpose of Masochist was an overall iteration of the state Gotham was in. Surely, Elsie of all people had to see where Jade was coming from.

The older woman set the folder down, "Less is more?"

Jade nodded, sporting an optimistic smile.

"Well, the song is called Masochist, can we at least set it up in a church?" she asked.

Church meets division meets anarchy? Why the hell not? "... Yes," she relented.

"Amazing," Cam huffed, "We'll get some mock ups and we can set a film date for the new year,"

"Then let's move on. When are you starting your next album?" Elsie asked Jade.

"Already have," she replied simply.

"How many songs you got?"

"Four or five. Nothing solid, yet"

"Well, is it four or five?"

"She's been working on what she can and she's taking her time," Cam informed her, "You know how she works, Elsie,"

"You'll forgive me, Cam, but I literally have not left my house in a year and half. I forgot you had that neck tattoo for a hot minute," Elsie replied, referring to Cam's very detailed rose tattoo running up the side of his neck.

Cam turned to Jade, "Does your 'four or five songs' include Thick Skull?" he asked.

"It's too early to say right now, Thick Skull was a standalone," Jade replied, "Give me a few more weeks, I'll have a better idea of what I'm doing,"

"You've had a whole year," Elsie pointed out.

"I haven't exactly been on vacation, though," Jade replied.

Cam's chair squealed as he shifted in his seat, "Do you think you could have a release date by the end of next year?" Jade raised an eyebrow at him, "It's not me asking, it's the label,"

"Seriously?"

"Sweetheart, you released your last LP in 2018,"

"And Frank Ocean hasn't released an album since 2016, what's the point?" she fired back.

Elsie shook her head, "It's the studio executives just trying to make bank on their investment,"

Jade scoffed, "You may as well call me a show pony, then,"

"Well, you've been a very lucrative show pony," Cam teased back.

"Oh, please," Jade checked the time, relieved to see two o'clock was finally approaching and she began to gather her things, "You guys can tell the studio execs that my creative process is not one to be rushed. And if they want songs written faster than they can get some fancy AI bot, but I'm not gonna' sing them,"

"Oh God," Cam groaned, "Could you imagine a computer writing songs?"

"Hold on to your hats, it's closer than you guys think," Elsie warned, "Where are you going, anyway?" she asked Jade.

Jade threw her sweater on and looped her bag around her shoulder, "I got a late lunch. We're back tomorrow, anyway,"

Cam eyed her curiously, it was a particular, third-degree interrogation stare he'd perfected the longer he worked with Jade. Jade stared back at him, not as intense though she did her best to stand her ground, "What?"

"You're not going out with Victor, are you?" he asked tentatively.

"Fuck no!" she caught herself before she could yell some more, the idea now overly repulsive, "Imagine I said that without yelling,"

"I'm trying," he simpered, "He's still coming around looking for you,"

"Ew, seriously?" Elsie gaped.

Jade rolled her eyes, "You gave the doorman his picture, right?"

"And the shift change. And I tacked it up in the office," Cam nodded solemnly.

"What does he keep coming around for, anyway?" Elsie asked.

"Because he fucked around, found out, and now he's grovelling. Trying to, anyway," Cam replied.

Elsie simply shook her head, "God, I guess covid did a lot more than just fuck up his breathing,"

"Too bad it didn't finish the job," Cam sighed.

Jade glowered at him, "Cam. Really?"

Cam swivelled around in his chair, "Listen, you are my client which means you also like my child. Which means the man -- no, boy, because he acts like boy -- got cocky with you, and I get to hold a grudge for the rest of my life," he grinned smartly.

Elsie smirked at Jade, "How lucky are you to have wound up with this idiot for a manager?"

"Still pinching myself," Jade started for the door, "Don't wait up!"

The door fell closed behind her with a sharp slam, giving Elsie permission to roll across the floor and buddy up beside Cam.

"Who's she going out with?" she asked.

"How should I know?" Cam shrugged back.

She popped a brow, "Your her manager, you just gave a half a pep talk on how she's like your kid. But you guys are -- what, fifteen years apart? That's weird,"

"You know what I meant," Cam grumbled back, "I don't know who she's out with. Even the band don't know where she keeps disappearing to,"

Elsie sat back in her chair, her manicured fingers tapping sporadically against the plastic arm as she thought it over, "Hm, well the last time she was this tight lipped about anything, she was seeing he-who-shall-not-be-named,"

"Because she knew I was gonna' kill her when I found out, and I came this close," Cam pinched his fingers together, "Like I said: fuck around and find out. She better have learned her lesson,"

"Six years isn't a lesson," Elsie replied, "It's a blue collar punishment,"

The studio was still mostly empty with covid protocols slowly being lifted and the halls were quiet; it wasn't too unusual with the sound proofing in the walls.

Jade felt she was traversing a library rather than a lively music studio. She tapped the elevator button with her elbow and her mask was pulled tightly over her face. The bell dinged over her head and the doors slid open, and Jade came face-to-face with another masked stranger. The elevator was small, it was an old building after all, and as far as Jade knew the social distancing protocols were still in place.

"It's cool, I'll get the next one," she waved to him.

His eyes crinkled and he stood aside, smiling under his mask, "No, please. Come on in,"

Jade stepped inside and they began their descent down. Chasing Cars played gently overhead, the blocky numbers flashed one after another on the screen and Jade couldn't help but sneak a glance at the stranger. Unsurprisingly, he was glancing back at her.

"Have we met before?" he suddenly asked, he then began to laugh, "I'm sorry, that's really forward. I just feel like I've seen you somewhere,"

"It's okay," Jade nodded, "I'm a singer, you might've seen me on your Spotify or something,"

"You famous? Like -- A-List?" he asked.

"I'm more of a B minus," she replied.

"What's your name?"

"Jade Theodore,"

He shook his head, "No offence, but you're not in my playlist,"

"I'll try not to take that too personally," she replied.

"I'll give you a listen, though," he replied. She picked off the smell of pine cologne, his flannel was distressed but clearly new from the lack of fuzzing. His hair was shaved close to his ears, not exactly slicked back at the top but he presented himself clean, compact, she pegged him to be somewhere in his early thirties, "Sorry, my name's Chris. Russel,"

"I'm going to assume Chris is your first name," she joked, "You famous, Chris Russel?"

"I wish," he shook his head, "I'm a screenwriter,"

"And what's a screenwriter doing at a recording studio?" she asked.

Chris lifted his chin, seemingly proud of himself, "I was meeting some hot shot producers in the board room. Penthouse level,"

Now she was intrigued. Not even she had been up to the penthouse boardroom. It was reserved for especially for the big wig names that came to town, "Wow, fancy. Who you working for?"

He looked around the elevator then, he was looking for a camera or a mic, "If you had to sign an NDA, I get," she said quickly.

"No, no, it's cool, we're just trying to keep everything on the down low for now," he said, 'But... word on the block is that The Weeknd is going to be starring in a new TV show,"

"Abel's got a TV show?"

"Yeah," Chris popped a brow, "You guys are on a first name basis?"

She nodded, "We worked together on some songs,"

At that, the elevator dinged again and the doors slid open to the ground floor. They stepped out together and started for the glass door, only then did Jade notice the handful of security guards laying wait. Out front was a silky black Cadillac, the windows were tinted. Chris seemed taken aback as well.

"Well, that explains all of this," Jade said.

"Swear they weren't here when I came in," Chris noted.

"Was he late?"

"Fashionably,"

"There you go,"

They exited the building under the keen, watchful eye of the security guards. Jade understood why it was needed, but she never liked having security guards flank her wherever she went, be it for a meeting or a social outing. Of course if it was necessary for a high profile function, that was a different story, but even then Jade always felt stifled.

It was then Chris peeled off his mask, revealing his sharp jawline and his boyish, all American grin, "So... what are you up to today?" he asked her.

Jade took her mask off as well, "I'm just off to meet a friend. What about you?"

"Head home, work on some drafts. But maybe next time I see you... maybe it'll be over a drink?" he replied.

Jade cocked a brow, smiling tempestuously, "Oh, I --"

"Wait, I'm sorry. I know, that's super forward and we just met," he chuckled sheepishly.

"It's okay," Jade nodded, "How about we start with coffee instead?"

His eyes lit up, "Yeah, yeah! Sure!" he replied, "I'll... shoot you a message later? You got instagram, right?"

"Begrudgingly so," she simpered and she started walking backwards, "Good luck on your drafts, Chris,"

His hands were buried in his pockets, his charming smile on full display as he wished her well, "Nice to meet you, Jade,"

Austin was waiting with arm crossed, leant against the wall in the middle of the lobby with his hoodie pulled over his head. He blended into the contemporary scenery, his mask was pulled over his nose and his knee was bouncing on the spot as he waited patiently for her. And even though she was late sometimes he kept telling himself not to fret, she was coming off of a work meeting and he knew well enough how late those could run.

He looked up when the door swung open and she wandered in, glancing around the restaurant and her eyes squinted as they readjusted to the lighting. Her hair was a little longer now, a little frizzy but he could tell she'd made an effort to keep it neat. Much to his amusement, Jade walked right past him. He was utterly inconspicuous in his get up, unintentional of course but he couldn't help but smile as she peaked left and right in the dining room.

"Jade," he waved her down. The moment she spotted him she glowered, half her face was covered but he could pick off that irritated leer at anytime.

"Jesus, you look like a bank robber. Or -- or Death," she reached up to slip his hood off and he ducked down to help her.

He simpered, "Give me a break, I've been ducking camera vultures all morning," he tutted at her, "You're late," he was smiling at her nonetheless, though her general posture much calmer than his. She had slipped her leather jacket off now and showing off a crisp white tank top, the strap of the same bra he'd slipped off her time and time again was peeking out from the sleeve. Her green eyes twinkled under the lighting and it killed him how effortlessly cute she was without her makeup, her hair pushed off of her face.

"Yeah, sorry," she huffed, shrugging uneasily, "My meeting ran late," obviously she had been privy to something in particular from her sheepish, carefree grin, "Are you pouting at me?"

"Me pout? I don't fucking think so..." he glanced up and down at her and she almost flinched.

"You've been pouting more, lately,"

"Have not," he stated, his lips curled. Jade laughed merrily, she could sense there was a little tension within him that she wanted to soothe, "So, what're we doing?"

"I'm hungry," she told him firmly.

"So can we go eat now?" he asked.

"Yes!" she grabbed his forearm in a way that made his breath hitch in his throat, her fingers squeezed him, "Let's go!"

No more than ten minutes later they were seated at a sleek table close to the bar. Austin pulled out Jade's chair before the waiter could offer.

"What a gentleman," she mused as he pushed the chair forward.

"You know me," he replied, walking slowly around to his side of the table. He sat in his chair in a sort of slump, trying not to squirm as his knees ached and his shoulders were sore. He didn't want to let on to her that he was in pain, so he settled for a brief moment and graciously tipped his head as the waiter handed them their menus and ran through the restaurant specials for the day.

Though Jade was in fact hungry, she couldn't focus on the waiter fully. She was preoccupied by Austin, watching him wriggle in his seat uncomfortable out of the corner of her eyes and she nodded along to the mention of the corn and jalapeño chowder. If his fidgeting wasn't enough, she quickly noticed the welts on his knuckles. The waiter left them to make their decisions.

"Austin, you okay?"

He looked across at her tentatively, the way her lips parted when she said his name so sweetly. As if to taunt him his morning thoughts of her had returned, he stretched again to distract himself but became annoyed with the pain in his shoulder.

"You good?" Jade asked again, her voice giving a hint of genuine concern.

"Yeah. I haven't boxed in a while, that's all," he sighed, frustrated with himself.

"You were boxing?" her eyebrows raised again when he lifted his gaze to her at last.

"Yeah, I've been going all week," he gave her an assuring grin, "Not so fun when you wrench your shoulder at six in the morning,"

"Oh God," she tittered, hesitantly turning back to her menu. She looked up at him again briefly, his wriggling and stretching a little unnerving, she wasn't so convinced he was okay but she didn't want to push him.

The waiter approached at last and took their order. By this point, Jade's stomach was rumbling and though she knew he wouldn't care really, she prayed Austin couldn't hear it. She picked a mushroom pasta and he went for a cuban sandwich.

"Any drinks?"

"We'll do a half litre of chardonnay," Austin confirmed.

"Of course, sir,"

The waiter hurried away and Austin turned back to Jade.

"You know, I don't get called 'sir' enough," he nodded, relieved by the fact he was making a joke now. He was very aware of the dull throbbing in his knuckles still, cracking them under the table.

"I am not going to start calling you 'sir', Austin," Jade replied, shaking her head despite his teasing, "Don't even think about it,"

"But why not?" he tutted, his lips curling in amusement, "Sir Austin Butler's got a nice ring, don't you think?"

"Maybe in someone's fan fic," she suggested, half joking but Austin was intrigued.

"Some what?"

"Fan fiction," she giggled, "Oh trust me, once the promos and the photos start dropping on the internet, Tumblr and all those other blogging sites are gonna' go mental for you,"

Austin wasn't naive, he'd known enough about the internet to know Jade wasn't kidding around. But it was surreal to think of people on the internet thinking of him in 'that way', he still wasn't so convinced, "Me? No, no way,"

"That's what Harry Styles thought, too," she smirked back.

He grinned wide, ear to ear and he blushed on the spot. As much as she liked to annoy and tease him in fun, Austin couldn't help but take on her infectious energy.

The waiter returned and poured each of them a small glass of the wine they'd ordered before popping off to his next table. Once he was gone, Jade tutted and filled their glasses 'properly', about half way and she made a comment about how they both needed it. Austin shifted in his seat again as she slid his glass over to him, she was still concerned by how quiet he was being since they'd sat down. She zeroed in on the welts on his knuckles.

"Man," she mumbled, reaching out to touch his hand which was balled into a loose fist. It wasn't so shocking for them to be touching anymore, but her fingers wrapping over his hand didn't particularly fix his train of thought, didn't dull how badly he wanted her, "Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore, I iced them," he assured her.

Still not convinced, Jade shifted her chair over so she sat next to him as oppose to across from him. Her thumb massaged around the welts, careful not to agitate the open skin. Austin swallowed the lump in his throat, her massage felt wonderful and her citrus perfume tickled delightfully under his nose.

"What about the..." she nudged her head backwards, her lips pressing together.

"The what?" he glanced behind him.

Jade narrowed her gaze ad she reached around and grabbed at her shoulder, "The -- the... you know..."

Oh, it clicked for him then as he glanced down at her fingernails, cleaned of polish and filed down from before. There was a hint of twisted satisfaction, but then he had always enjoyed making her blush even when it was purely self inflicted.

Austin leaned over to whisper just above her ear, "The scratches are healing just fine,"

She grimaced as she felt her face heat up and she squeezed her legs together, subtly shaking her head, "I'm sorry, again,"

"I'm not upset," he assured her, "I kind of deserved it, anyway,"

"Of course you did," she grinned, squeezing his hand now, "I'll be gentler next time,"

He popped a brow, "Well, I don't want that, either," he smirked back.

Jade rolled her eyes, "You make me upset," she mumbled sheepishly.

"Why?" he chuckled.

"Because I'd like to at least eat my lunch first before we cycle back to sex," she replied, consciously keeping her voice to barely a whisper.

"Okay, okay," he relented, "Let's talk about something else,"

Jade sat back in her chair, "Like what?"

He took a sip from his glass, mulling it over. There were so many things he was dying to know the answers to, everything ranged from as mundane as her plans for the holidays to the wildest places she would want to travel to.

"Are you big into zodiac stuff?' he asked, drumming his fingers across the table cloth.

"The horoscopes or the serial killer?" she laughed.

"The horoscopes, of course," he simpered, "If you wanna talk about the serial killer, we might be here for a while,"

"Fair," she nodded, "I don't put too much faith in it, but nine times out of ten that shit is scarily accurate,"

"Yeah, but it's worth the laugh, though. It's all subjective,"

"Okay," she fumbled for her phone in her bag, "Do you know what time you were born?"

"No. Do you?" he laughed.

"Not a clue. We'll make it up as we go along," she tittered back, tapping her screen a few times and coming to her horoscope page, "What do you wanna know?"

He glanced to the side, shrugging sheepishly, "I -- I don't know. What does it tell you?"

Jade skimmed through the article and stopped at the lifestyle column, "Leo. You love the holidays but want to make sure both you and your loved ones stay safe. When the spiritual planet Neptune, which has been retrograde since Friday, June 25, goes direct on Wednesday, December 1, you look at your professional life with a new perspective. During the months when Neptune was retrograde, you came to terms with what makes you happy at work and what needs to go. When the expansive planet goes direct, you're ready to make changes to achieve the working atmosphere of your dreams,"

Austin couldn't lie, he was a little thrown off, "Hold on... what does that mean?" he asked.

"Basically, you're recognizing what's been good in your life and cutting out what hasn't been," she replied.

"But how did it know I was gonna' travel?"

"Where are you going?"

"I'm gonna' visit my sister for Christmas,"

Jade shrugged, smirking, "The stars just know, Austin,"

"What does 'retrograde' mean?"

"No clue, but it sounds fancy," she continued to read on, "Saturday, December 4, brings a new moon and solar eclipse in Sagittarius and your 5th House of Pleasure. No clue, can't tell you," she interjected as he opened his mouth, "The standard advice regarding eclipses is to lay low to avoid stirring the pot, as these are infamous times of drama. But you, Leo, were born for drama," she nudged him gently to which he nudged her back, "And if you use this night right, the only drama you experience... will be fantastic sex or some role-playing. Wow," Jade covered her mouth in disbelief.

Austin laughed again, "I think stars have cycled back, Jade,"

"Oh shush," she rolled her eyes.

"Hey wait," he stopped her as she continued to scroll, "What's our compatibility?" he pointed to a separate article.

"Are you sure you wanna' know?" she nodded confidently, though she questioned whether the truth would hurt her.

"Why not?"

"Alright," she opened the page in her browser.

"You're a Taurus, right?" he asked, still not sure that he understood what that fully meant.

"I am," she scrolled to the section and cleared her throat, "When a Taurus and a Leo walk into the room, one thing’s for sure: The sex appeal just went up a few notches,"

"Great, let's do it," he drawled.

"Shhh..." she laughed. Austin rested his chin in his hand, readily waiting for her to continue.

"These two signs are showstoppers --"

"Really?" he chuckled deeply.

"Shush!" she glowered playfully, "And both know how to take the air out of a room–in a good way!"

"So far so good,"

"One unshakeable thing that have in common in their loyalty. When these two make a commitment, they’re in it for the long haul, which is something they’ll come to love the most about their counterpart. However --"

"Here it comes,"

"With these two zodiac signs’ unparalleled stubborn streaks, they will have to choose to cooperate when they disagree. If both dig their heels in the ground, they'll be at risk in letting each other down,"

"I would never let you down, Jade..." he mumbled, a little lost in the idea of this hypothetical relationship with Jade. She looked up from her screen at the softness of his words, though part of her already knew that they were true.

"Like you said," she scratched behind her neck, "It's all subjective,"

She was trying to be realistic, didn't want to admit that the idea of them together in everyday life was heavy on her mind and for once tried not to read too deeply into the words on her screen. She didn't want to overthink, just decided to feign some emotional strength.

"They have to learn to compromise and hold their longterm vision for their shared future above all else. They’ll also have to learn to leave jealousy and possessive behaviors in the past. These two both want an all-access pass to their lovers’ hearts–and if they ever feel threatened, their claws and horns will come out to play,"

Austin glanced down at Jade's nails again and she caught him forthwith, smacking his arm gently, "Shut up,"

"I didn't say anything!" he laughed.

"You didn't have to," she pouted back, her eyes twinkling with a somewhat familiar excitement. She reminded herself not to get too carried away, knowing how one look, one slight drop in his voice would have her head spinning, "Can I keep reading?"

"Please,"

She cleared her throat again, "Leo’s flair for the dramatics is often tempered by Taurus’ down-to-earth energy and approach to life, and Taurus can be encouraged out of their comfort zone thanks to Leo’s lust for life and desire for adventure,"

"Would you say I'm dramatic?" he asked, his commentary as endearing as the directness of his gaze.

"You're an actor, Austin" she replied simply, reading on, "Meanwhile, intimacy between a Leo and Taurus is a sensual and theatrical experience," she licked her lips, "Taurus is a sensual and physically attentive sign that will give Leo all the attention they desire and more,"

"Oh, are you?" he chuckled. Jade refrained from hitting him again.

"Leo aims to perform and please, and they won’t shy away from the sensual and slow foreplay that Taurus craves. All good performances take time, and Leo will soak up the spotlight and adoration along the way," she looked at him now, her head cocked, "You're a performer in every sense of the word,"

His smirk grew as he leaned in closer, "And have I performed well?"

She was about to counteract his teasing, convinced she could make him blush if she tried hard enough when the waiter suddenly returned, handling two piping hot plates. She was a little irritated, but also relieved.

"Bon appetite!" he wished them well before he walked off again. His sandwich was crispy, grilled to perfection and it smelled of hot cold cuts and briny pickles while her pasta was glimmering in truffle oil and fresh herbs.

Jade twirled some of the pasta onto her fork, trying to ignore Austin's smug smile as he nudged her again, "You never answered me,"

"And I told you," she smiled back, "I'm going to eat my lunch and only when I finish can we go back to talking about sex," and she ate her food, sassily popping the fork into the air afterwards.

Austin relented again and took his sandwich, "Alright. Enjoy," he was about to take a bite when he stopped, startled as he felt her foot slide up his calf. He gave her a pointed glare, though Jade remained unbothered as she sipped her wine.

[lunarcovehq]

WELCOME TO LUNAR COVE, LEYLA SELVI

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cis Woman, She/Her

DATE OF BIRTH: May 21st, 1994

OCCUPATION: Owner of The Daily Drip

RESIDENCY: Celestial Hills

FACECLAIM: Burcu Özberk

IF I DIE YOUNG

SPECIES: Fae

SUBCATEGORY: Pixie

REGENERATED: No

FAE COURT POSITION: High Fae

AGE THEY APPEAR: 28

LAY ME DOWN IN A BED OF ROSES

Trigger Warnings: Memory Loss, Violence, Kidnapping, Parental Death & Abandonment

Once upon a time, there was girl who believed in fairytales. Now known by the name of Leyla, Eda Yildiz used to ‘waste’ her summer vacations away, as her ‘mother’ liked to say, curled up by the pier with her nose buried deep within some book. The smallest up-tilt of a smile stained in romanticized dreams lay across her lips as she flipped through crisp page after crisp page, all too eager to make it to the end. Only unlike the heroines and heroes of her novels who were scarred with tragic backstories and a desperate need to escape their current circumstances, Eda’s life was the reverse. She started off with her ‘happily ever after’. She was born to a family of five or so she thought. She grew up with two of the most loving parents in the world who would rope their kids into family game nights and sneak off on a date night of their own each week. She grew up with two siblings- a sister who would always steal her clothes and encourage her to stop hiding behind her fantasies and actually put herself out there and a brother who would bicker with her to no end and yet would always be there to stand up for her when she needed him to. She grew up with a picture perfect family in a small town with a house right on the water and where the most exciting thing that ever happened was the silly gossip at school as to who was hooking up with whom and some resident disputes between neighbors. Only the perfect life Eda was living didn’t belong to her…

Eda knew something was different the moment she reached puberty. Suddenly, random and unexpected good things kept falling into her lap. The math final she hadn’t had time to study for was pushed a week later. She won a contest where her friends and her could take a weekend trip into the city to watch their favorite band perform and, every time she went into the school cafeteria, she found herself stumbling upon the last slice of pizza one day or cookie the next. She was becoming incredibly lucky practically overnight and the bizarre occurrences didn’t stop there. After watching someone play piano once, it was as if she suddenly and inexplicable could play it too. Her ‘mother’ just chalked it off to her being talented, but she knew in her gut something wasn’t right as much as she tried to convince herself that the shifting gaze her mom would occasionally cast her way, as if she was trying to remember something she couldn’t quite bring to the tip of her tongue just yet, was only Eda reading into things and being paranoid. But, the truth was far worse.

While Eda’s loving and all too normal family were human, she was not. But, she hadn’t been reborn into this life. She had been swapped. The Yildizs should have had a daughter around her age, that much was true. Only she wasn’t the real Eda. She was an imposter living under their roof and in their home. A changeling her birth parents had convinced the Yildizs was there’s, only the mirages her birth parents had casted over the household were wearing off and, right after Eda’s fifteen birthday, she found herself wandering through the kitchen door like she always did and calling out to her mother, only for her to meet the eyes of a woman who looked at her as if she was nothing more than a cruel stranger. What happened next is still very much a blur, but she remembered her mom breaking down into tears as her dad berated her, shouting questions at her over and over again that she didn’t quite understand. Where is she? Who even are you? Where is our daughter? Please Ed- please whoever you are, just tell us where she is?

In a matter of seconds, her family, the people she had grown up believing would love her until the end of time turned on her and, logically she knew they were in shock and maybe if she had stuck around long enough to give them more time to process everything, things might have been different. But, she was barely fifteen and when the people whom had only weeks before been lovingly singing her happy birthday, now treated her like some manipulative criminal, she did the only thing she could think of doing. She ran upstairs, hastily packed up a bag and left.

She didn’t know where she was headed. She didn’t even fully know what she was, but crashing at a friends house in a small town where gossip seemed to travel at the speed of light and whose parents would immediately send her back didn’t exactly seem like an option. So, Eda bought the first bus ticket out of town. She didn’t go far, crashing at a motel on the way into Hartford, but it was far enough for her to feel completely and utterly alone. She spent those first few nights cradling herself to sleep as she clutched her phone in her hand as if to try to will one of her parents or siblings to call. Only they never did and instead she found herself having a run-in with a family member she hadn’t even known she had - a sister going by the name of Hande Kaplan.

Hande, though, was far from a friendly lost sibling who would welcome her in with open arms. No, it appeared Hande harbored quite the resentment against Eda. Apparently, the Kaplans, their birth parents, had been two fae whom had been on the run from a group of hunters and, in desperation to save their children, ended up committing one of the most taboo acts a fae could. They swapped their two youngests at birth into what they had hoped to be loving families which was how Eda had ended up with the Yildiz. While, it seemed she had another sister out there unaware that the family they claimed as their own wasn’t biologically related to them. And as for Hande? Their parents never had a chance to find a loving family for her. The hunters took their lives before they could, leaving young Hande alone with the group of humans who not only killed her parents but hated her own existence. Only, rather than kill her too, they decided to train the small fae and mold Hande into a weapon of their own design that they could use to aid in their hunt for others like her. And it now seemed that the fae turned hunter had appeared before Eda to hunt her down too.

But, Eda was lucky alright, because in the midst of her fear, she turned invisible for the first time in her life and in doing so was able to narrowly escape. And yet, after everything she had been through, she was hardly the same girl she was before. The name Eda Yildiz now felt foreign on her tongue. She still had no idea what her birth parents had done with the real Eda, but she knew she no longer deserved carry that name anymore. It didn’t belong to her and, at this point, she didn’t even want it. She’d rather be someone new. So, by the time she bumped into the other fae Hande had been hunting in addition to her whom she could only deduce was her other biological sibling, Dilan, she found herself introducing herself by the name of Leyla. A new name that she had selected for a new her. Someone who wouldn’t hide behind her books anymore, but take action which is exactly what Dilan and her did.

Maybe it was the fact that they were both on their own or being hunted down by an older sister they would both rather have no relations with, but Dilan and Leyla seemed to quickly develop somewhat of a kinship between each other. The two looking out for each other as they did what they felt they needed to, to get by and later thrive. While Dilan became a con-artist, using her looks to her advantage as she manipulated those around her, Leyla feel into the world of recon and theft- what started out as pickpocketing to get by turned into breaking and entering and larger cons performed with her sister acting as the front. The pair becoming an unstoppable tag team as they traveled from city to city up until they came back to the hotel room they had been crashing in one night to find it raided through. Hande had found them once more. Their past was once again catching up to them, so the pair of sisters packed up their things and found their way to Lunar Cove, the one place they knew the hunter wouldn’t be able to reach them and, ironically only an hour drive away from where Leyla had originally grown up.

[heartxsighs]

✦ ・( megan suri. cis woman. she / her. ) ⸺   🦬   greetings,  buffalos !   walking  around  campus,  sporting  HER  FAVORITE  PAIR  OF  FUZZY  ANIMAL - PRINT  SOCKS  we’ve  spotted  NOOR  RAI,  a  TWENTY - FIVE  years  old  who  contributes  to  our  thriving  community  as  a  SCAVENGER.   according  to  our  intel,  she’s  been  around  the  sanctuary  for  FIVE  YEARS  and  what  we  know  about  her,  aside  from  the  fact  that  she  DOESN’T  agree  with  the  decision  to  close  the  gates,  is  that  she  doesn't  feel  quite  at  home  in  the  sanctuary,  thus  leading  her  to  scavenging  on  the  outside  and  thinking  about  days  long  past  before  the  brutal  deaths  of  her  parents,  which  she  shouldered  alone  as  a  child  and  forced  her  into  growing  up  fast;  she  has  a  beautiful,  warm  smile  but  she  finds  it  hard  to  display  it,  leading  her  to  looking  a  bit  hard,  especially  because  she's  usually  in  resting  bitch  face  mode;  she'll  argue  what  she  thinks  is  right  or  fair  and  tends  to  be  rather  blunt  and  bitchy,  but  the  presence  of  those  fuzzy  animal - print  socks  and  pink  notebook  with  hearts  drawn  on  the  inside  shows  that  she's  not  all  toughness  and  hard  edges.  doesn’t  that  make  them  fantastic ?   we  think  it  does,  and  that’s  why  we  appreciate  her  so  much,  grateful  for  what  she  gives  to  our  community.

꒰ basics ꒱ ✦ full name. noor kanika rai ✦ nicknames. n/a ✦ age. twenty-five ✦ d.o.b. august 10th (leo) ✦ gender. cis woman ✦ pronouns. she/her ✦ orientations. pansexual homoromantic ✦ marital status. single ✦ occupation. scavenger ✦ languages spoken. english, hindi

꒰ physical ꒱ ✦ hair color. black ✦ eye color. brown ✦ height. 5 ft 4 in ✦ piercings. one in each ear, one in her right nostril ✦ tattoos. none - she's never had much of an interest in getting one, but if she did, it would probably be some metal band lyrics on her wrist ✦ distinguishing marks. she has a few scrapes and scars on her arms and legs from getting out of rougher territory (and the trouble she seems to find herself in occasionally) ✦ fashion style. lots of jeans and flannel shirts over band tees. you won't catch her dead in a dress, so don't even try to convince her. muted colors are her favorite, or just plain wearing black - if she has something cute or pastel-colored on, it'll be because someone gifted it to her and she begrudgingly wore it to make them happy for a day before deciding to remove it ✦ face claim. megan suri

꒰ psychological ꒱ ✦ positive traits. resourceful, determined, independent, freethinking, firm ✦ negative traits. abrupt, sarcastic, cynical, argumentative, stubborn ✦ mbti type. entj - the commander ✦ temperament. choleric ✦ education level. high school graduate (only after she arrived at the sanctuary - she hadn't even started her freshman year before the virus outbreak and while education wasn't firmly fixed in her mind, some people were insistent that she go back and at least 'earn' her degree, even if it's unofficially) ✦ hobbies / skills. she likes to keep busy and keep her hands moving, so she's likely asked people to teach her various skills - carpentry, cooking, etc. however well this has gone really depends on her ability to stay focused on each task, which depends on her interest. she loved the carpentry, hated the cooking. ✦ mental ailments. depression ✦ physical ailments. she was injured in a previous scavenge run and her ankle likes to bum around sometimes, but it hasn't given her enough trouble to keep her from going out. she's never down and out if she can help it

꒰ familial ꒱ ✦ mother. name rai (deceased) ✦ father. name rai (deceased) ✦ siblings. anushka rai, sister; other siblings (deceased) ✦ children. hell no ✦ significant other. none currently

꒰ history꒱ (a very messy rundown but here we go!!) cw: familial death

✦ noor was the youngest in her family, meaning that everyone spent their time trying to shelter and protect her. funnily enough, though, she ended up preferring to do things on her own after some of them made it clear she was too young to hang out with them ✦ she did fairly well in school, was neither a nerd nor a jock - just your average elementary and middle schooler who fell somewhere in the middle of things. what she definitely was into was music, and not the kind her mother or father would have approved of. she was obsessed with making playlists and sneaking band t-shirts into the house, the ones with skulls on them ✦ she probably would have started rocking some dark makeup and a specific style, too, had things not gone to hell in a handbasket before she could make it to high school. her childhood and subsequent teenage years were very quickly taken from her and she was pushed into growing up quicker than she expected, finding herself in unknown territory with a brain that wasn't fully formed, but could still process that things would be forever changed ✦ a lot of her life has been spent trying to survive, as well as not be a burden on those who looked out for her until she could watch out for herself reasonably well. but she always wanted to be involved in decisions, to know the truth of what they were facing. in hindsight, so much being on the shoulders of a girl that young did, in fact, make her much more bitter towards the world than she might have been. but she doesn't think she regrets being in the know instead of being kept in the dark - after all, the world wasn't a place to go in blind ✦ she survived but many around her did not, including her parents and her siblings. having to shoulder that load was agonizing, especially when she ended up being the only one left. having to carry on afterward was even harder for someone as young as noor was at the time. she found a way, though, and after a matter of time in a couple different groups, she found her way to the sanctuary, where she's lived for the last five years ✦ after what she's seen and had to do in order to survive, though, it's hard for her to try to live 'normally'. after all, literally half of her life has been spent in this new world, and something doesn't sit right for her to play pretend - to go to the 'bar' and get a drink, or find the library and look at a book. she's spent so long in survival mode that she doesn't know much of any other way, thus leading her into scavenging and getting out of the bounds of the sanctuary as often as she possibly can, never being idle there for too long ꒰ headcanons ꒱ ✦ she hasn't had a chance to really explore her preferences. that said, she is a full disaster lesbian who definitely stared at cute girls in her classes and didn't realize why she was doing it until she was older ✦ she does get a bit resentful when people overly worry for her. she's survived this long and doesn't expect that things are going to be much different on any other given day, so noor doesn't believe spending any time stressing for her safety is going to help someone at all. it's just going to give them high blood pressure, and do you really wanna deal with that? nah. ✦ she once dreamt of becoming a drummer or guitar player and was probably secretly saving some money up to buy one of these instruments by doing some jobs around the neighborhood, such as cutting grass, etc. who really knows if that dream would have come true, though. she certainly doesn't *cue sarcasm* ✦ she hates the hell out of coffee but it keeps her awake and alert, so she chugs the stuff like it's her life's blood. and when i say chug, i MEAN chug. five huge gulps and a cup is gone and her stomach hurts, but boy isn't it a rush to the bloodstream ✦ she'll speak her mind always. if she isn't, there's probably something wrong or some hidden reason as to why she's keeping what she thinks to herself ꒰ wanted connections꒱

✦ i'd love to have someone that she shares a dorm room with. she's in and out of the sanctuary as much as possible, so her side of the room is probably pretty bare except for necessary items and a few knick knacks. it leaves a lot of space for her roommate to do whatever they want in the room when she's away, as long as they don't mess with noor's side ✦ workout buddies!!! especially over the last five years. she wants to stay #swole and while it's typically not hard to convince her to do a workout, she does get out of the routine occasionally. i imagine her as more of a drill sergeant than anyone else, so maybe also people she has to kick the ass of to get them into gear? ✦ like i said above, she is very gay. but she also has no idea how to romance a woman, couldn't tell you the first thing about it. someone she finds herself stuttering and stumbling metaphorically around would be so fun to me. taking her from, well, not confident but at least certain of herself, to just heart eyes over someone would be a great ride ✦ other scavengers to be her friend! i'd say she feels... freer? when she's outside of the sanctuary and though she's not someone to hide herself away at all, being looser out there definitely helps her to get into more vulnerable aspects ✦ she likes to speak her mind but there are some she may filter herself more around, just because she doesn't want to shatter their beliefs that things will get better one day. her sister is one such person, and though it's very rare, there could be friends she has that don't get the fullness of her thoughts ✦ friends are great, but also people who don't like her? who think she's very abrasive? i just honestly want everything and anything, please!! ✦ people to teach her various skills she's interested in!