#And then there’s the distant “wealthy” side of the family

[jellyjamheadobb]

[helianthus-tarot]

RELATIONSHIP: What do men think about you? How do they see you? (general)

This reading is about men, people who identify as men and/or people who have a strong masculine energy, and their perception of you. It's meant to be about men as a group, but you can try asking about your person, though I can't promise you'll get an accurate answer. If you want to ask about a woman, or someone with a strong feminine energy, you can try, but again, I can't promise you'll get an accurate answer. Keep in mind, when we talk about perception, it's bound to be biased in some way, so if you get a negative message, don't let it affect your self-esteem.

I posted the extended version on my Patreon which includes what do men who are ❤️ romantically attracted ❤️ to you think about you 👀📝 There are other 60+ fun and juicy readings on Patreon too so definitely check it out!

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Instructions: Focus on the topic and ask yourself the question. Choose a number/picture that you feel the most drawn to or that you can’t stop looking at. Trust your intuition. May the message resonate. Let me know which pile you choose! Feedback is appreciated!

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PILE 1

General: 10 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, 6 of Swords Rx (The Hermit). The Sun, The High Priestess.

They sense a stable and grounded vibe from you; they think that you are the type of person who moves slowly or who takes time to evaluate things before you make your decisions, the type of person who considers future impacts and future gains when you make your decisions, the type of person who cares about being sensible, like, having good personal finance skills, knowing how to take care of your health, etc. Some of them think you come from a wealthy family, upper middle class and above, you are privileged, or you receive material support from your family. For some of you, this could be the wealth or the material comfort that you’ve built on your own, but they assume it’s provided by your family.

Despite the privilege/wealth they think you have, whether it’s coming from your own effort or your family, they think you are also generous with it. You share your abundance with others, you guide and help others when you can, especially by providing practical help or material help. So them seeing you as well-off isn’t really coming from jealousy or envy, it isn’t something they do to look down on you or to treat you like you grew up spoiled; it’s just something they think you have, and they think you use it for good.

Some of them see you as someone who could be a good spouse, whether they are romantically interested in you or not. They could simply think that you’ll make a nice partner for their own son/daughter/etc, for example. They think you’re quite reserved and conservative. What I mean by conservative here is not necessarily you believing in traditional beliefs, it’s just that, you give off the vibe of someone who doesn’t really party a lot, you are kind but you aren’t exactly a social butterfly, perhaps you prefer to stay at home and cook or read or do activities that are pretty lowkey or that make you feel calm and stable. That vibe. You come across as committed and responsible to them, hence a good spouse material.

But they also think that you secretly have some wounds or sources of stress that you haven’t moved on from, and they wonder if these wounds are the things that make you feel a little distant sometimes, like, you don’t properly open up. Some of you lowkey give off a sombre vibe, despite outwardly showing that you are happy or you are enjoying your time and interactions with people, so they pick up on it.

You ‘make’ them feel at ease with themselves, they feel like they can be who they truly are around you and perhaps they also feel like you bring out their good sides, you ‘make’ them feel inspired or encouraged to be truthfully and authentically themselves. For some of them, your responsible vibe brings out their inner child, so they usually get the desire to express themselves more around you, without shame, without insecurities. Some of them may be more playful too as a result, it depends on their age, but they could ‘poke’ you playfully so you come out of your restraint, especially if you have a serious demeanour. They also feel open towards you, they feel inclined to receive you with open arms. You evoke curiosity too, hence why some of them may poke you playfully just so they can see more of you. Some of them are drawn to you in a way that they can’t explain, though this is probably because you bring out their inner child.

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What do men who are romantically interested in you think about you? How do they see you? Is it the same or is it different? Do they notice the real you? 🫢 Find out here! 👀📝

PILE 2

General: The Empress Rx (Judgement Rx), The Moon Rx (3 of Wands Rx), Temperance. Ace of Swords, 10 of Cups.

They think you are mild-mannered and placid, kinda passive. Perhaps you don’t react much, or perhaps they often see you taking the less confrontational way out. There’s this appropriate, agreeable and peaceful vibe coming from you, like you try to be mature, and patient, and try not to ruffle feathers. They think you often choose to be the bigger person, but some of them disagree with this decision. They think there are situations where you need to be more forceful and push for what you want, but you choose not to. Some of them could think that your peacefulness is actually coming from a lack of maturity (as if you aren’t fully ‘developed/mature’ yet to them, whatever this means) and a lack of self-assurance. Basically they think you haven’t properly come into yourself or stepped into your power. 

This is just an example, let’s say you chose not to confront a problematic situation because you were secretly scared or you were insecure about something related to it, but you acted as if you just didn’t want to fight or force things to go your way, you wanted to be mature so you chose to let go of that situation instead. That’s the vibe that they get from you, or that’s the assumption they make about you. You sound wise when you talk and they might think that you are interested in the spiritual or philosophical side of things, but yeah. Remember this is their perception, in reality it could be that you actually speak and act from experience and wisdom.

They think you are secretive about your feelings, not in a good way, they think you suppress a lot of things, especially negative emotions. They think you often choose to show a smooth and kind demeanour to the world instead of the murky, ugly feelings that you truly have. And some of them see this as harmful, because they think you aren’t really dealing with those, or you don’t really address those issues. Honestly if they are right about you, I wonder if you have Enneagram 9, because this sounds like it.

Some of you may not fit the beauty standard, they think you look like you could become more beautiful but you are still in the process of becoming, you’re still in that awkward stage or the stage where you haven’t quite realised your own worth/value/beauty yet. They may not see you as someone to pursue romantically, or to introduce to someone else, because of the lack of self-assurance that they perceive, they think you aren’t properly yourself, like you suppress parts of yourself and you could have insecurities with regard to that, and you don’t seem like you are open to working on those either.

Whether they are romantically interested in you or not, your presence makes them think about your romantic potential, about how you act in a group and around other people. Especially if you are a woman, some men think about the romantic potential of women around them, especially when they are deciding whether they want to stay friends or pursue something more. And they can be critical of your romantic potential, of how you act around people and in a group; it’s like their critical nature comes out more when you are around, their mind starts to turn and they start to sit and think and observe, and notice things that could be problems if you were to become their partner or their friend’s partner, etc. It’s very clinical though, I’m not saying it’s good, but they aren’t actively trying to be mean when they think these things.

Despite that, they think a connection/friendship with you can be very pleasant, not much drama because you aren’t the type for it, and so they are open to including you in their group, they are open to being nice to you and getting along with you. Some of them could see you as someone to protect, despite not having romantic feelings for you.

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What do men who are romantically interested in you think about you? How do they see you? Is it the same or is it different? Do they notice the real you? 🫢 Find out here! 👀📝

PILE 3

General: 5 of Wands Rx (Ace of Swords), The Emperor Rx (Ace of Wands), 6 of Pentacles. 4 of Swords, Page of Swords.

They think you are assertive and confident, but there’s a negative connotation to this. Not super negative to the point that they hate you, no, but it bothers them a little. They think you are outspoken and combative, you fight for what you believe in, you say what you think, you stand strong in yourself, but they think there’s something wrong with this, or they think you need to do it in a certain way, or in a better way, you need to be less this or less that. It’s that kind of feeling. You behave in a way that ruffles their feathers lol. 

In reality, it could be that you are actually pretty chill, you know how to balance yourself, when to push and when to wait and receive, you may not be that aggressive or difficult, just healthily assertive and forward (some of you actually come with rough edges, but I don’t think these are bad). Regardless, many of them just don’t receive your masculine traits well, as if those traits challenge their masculinity or beliefs/comfort in some way. Some of them could think that you are a little stuck-up or full of yourself, perhaps they judge this based on your demeanour (or your face, maybe you have a resting bitch face), so when you are just out and about minding your business, getting what you want, to them it looks like you are acting as if you own the place lol.

Some of them could pick up on your more playful side, but perhaps you don’t show it often or openly. It feels like for some of you, they think your playful side is something they need to bring out, and in order to do that, they need to deal with your sharp edges. Despite the edges that they think should be smoothen out, they think you are generous and helpful. You share what you have with people who need it, especially things like skills, expertise, practical knowledge, money and material possessions. When you are in this energy, they think you come across as reliable, secure and responsible. It’s the quality that brings out your calmness and conscientiousness. Some of them think you are good with children, or good with people who need your help since you know how best to support those people. It’s a good quality that they think you have, yet there’s that but.

But they are often triggered by you. Again, not in a super negative way, they don’t actually hate you, not really. It’s just that you make them want to say something to you, to poke you, to challenge you, to get you to talk and respond to them, to argue with you a bit. It’s like you disturb their peace for some odd reason, and they have a lot of opinions about it. They could be slightly mean with their words just to see how you react or just to scratch the itch of their annoyance. They may be randomly or unexplainably confrontational, making sharp comments out of nowhere, or telling you what they think about you unprovoked and in a way that isn’t really kind, as if they have no social skills to handle the situation with tact. You ‘disturb’ their peace, now they want to do the same to you. 

Some of them could take a more playful approach; they could intentionally be annoying towards you, tease you, make jokes and start random conversations with you, just to get you to respond to them. You evoke curiosity and desire to know, the way they go after this varies, like I’ve described, it depends on how kind and mature they are. Some of them may not be able to leave you alone without some kind of annoying behaviour or comment. They act like they know who you are, but it’s like, there’s a subconscious part of them that is lowkey open to change, as if they’re waiting to be proven wrong or they are waiting for reasons to change their mind about you. Perhaps they secretly feel like they don’t completely understand you, hence the desire to poke around.

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What do men who are romantically interested in you think about you? How do they see you? Is it the same or is it different? Do they notice the real you? 🫢 Find out here! 👀📝

PILE 4

General: The Sun, 4 of Pentacles Rx (King of Cups, 8 of Pentacles), The Empress. The Hanged Man, The World Rx.

You seem very genuine and positive to them. Your vibe is light and joyful, like a beautiful butterfly, it’s like you shine wherever you go. They think you like to laugh or smile, or you bring a lot of laughter and joy to people. They think you make people feel comfortable, you make your surroundings more beautiful and positive. They think you are full of inspiration and you seek to live your life the way you want, instead of following what’s accepted or what’s well-regarded by the external world. There’s this authenticity about you that is very freeing or liberating, like someone who passionately pursues what brings them joy and lives their best life. There’s a childlike quality to you, maybe you look youthful, or you give off a youthful, sunny vibe. Despite you having the wisdom to know that the world isn’t always good and nice, they think you are the type of person who chooses to see the good in others and the world anyway. Despite your youthful vibe, they don’t see you as naive.

They think you attract attention; some of them think it’s because of your vibe, it’s positive to be around you. Some of them think it’s because of your looks/beauty. Some of them think it’s both. They think you are stereotypically beautiful (i.e. you meet the beauty standard), or you take good care of yourself, like smelling and looking good, which makes you look beautiful. They think you have a good self-esteem, you value yourself, you know your own worth, so you live your life like that, but without arrogance. They think you are loving, generous and kind; to people, to animals and plants. It’s the vibe that they pick up on.

If you are a woman, they could think that you like stereotypically feminine things, like jewellery or the colour pink, cooking or baking, or being a homemaker or a mother. They think you deserve to live a good life, you deserve to have your needs met and some more. They think you aren’t closed off, you are open, you show your vulnerability with grace and integrity, you aren’t ashamed of what makes you human. When you have something you are working on, like a flaw or a weakness, you don’t mind showing it to them. So they can only acknowledge the emotional maturity that comes with that ability, i.e. they think you can do that because you are emotionally secure.

You ‘make’ them feel calm, to be honest, it’s like being around you put them into this introspective mode. They start thinking and pondering life, and feeling open to having their perspectives changed, to shift their understanding, and to look deeper into things. You make them more philosophical, and possibly also spiritual. Maybe through their observation of you, or words that you say; they learn more about the world and themselves, about their previous beliefs and misconceptions and how these can change, about a better way to be, a better approach to take, nuances they haven’t considered. They are also more patient around you, gentler and slower to react. They feel more open and willing to change their ways and adapt to you. Some of them are also more open to giving you what you need, even if it’s not something they normally do.

EXTENDED VERSION IS ON PATREON! What do men who are romantically interested in you think about you? How do they see you? Is it the same or is it different? Do they notice the real you? 🫢 Find out here! 👀📝

[dcxdpdabbles]

thought: what if jason had the ability to see ghosts but only when tired. so he ends up thinking he’s hallucinating and doesn’t tell anyone because thats tims thing

There is a little girl singing nursery rhythms and spinning in small circles. Now usually, Jason wouldn't find that too out of place. Kids always found the strangest things entertaining.

No, what was strange was that the little girl was floating just above the rails of the stairway. She looks like a poorly edited clip slapped onto the backdrop of the gala he has been dragged to.

She's wearing a red dress and a large bow in her hair that seems to have been stolen from Alice on her way to Wonderland. Her skin had a greenish hue, and a slight glow was coming off her, reminding Jason of a miniature night light.

"Huh," He mumbles, taking another sip of the water he picked up. Bruce is the one who pretends to get sloppy drunk at all the parties, while in comparison, Jason has gained a reputation for never touching alcohol. It says a lot about how powerful the Waynes are if his presence ensures the hosts have other refreshments ready for him.

This means that the little girl is not a drunken hallucination. Maybe he's more tired than he thought.

"What is it?" Tim asks to his side. His disgusting CEO smile is still firmly in place, a twist of the lips that belie the hidden tension. Tim would appear relaxed and enjoying the party like any other elite if anyone glanced in their direction. "Trouble?"

The little girl is sticking her tongue out at some teenagers heading her way. She's not doing anything but making faces at random guests that walk by. "I don't think so."

"What is it then?"

Jason had a choice here. He could mention the little girl, but that would mean admitting he could see her. Based on the way, literally, no one is reacting; he's the only one that can.

She's likely another hallucination.

Jason has been getting those since he was young, usually due to a lack of sleep. Just last week, he saw a butcher wandering the streets of Gotham, wearing the highest heels he had ever seen. That had been after the five-day mission with the OutLaws, where he thinks he only had a chance to sleep maybe three times.

He should go home before the little girl starts doing something weird.

Not that he would ever let the rest of the family know, especially Tim. Seeing things that aren't there is Tim's thing, and Jason has teased him too often over the years about it to start admitting he's got the condition too.

He nods his head at the teenagers. Tim turns his body slightly, allowing his gaze to take in what he's looking at without making it obvious he's staring. Apparently, he can't make it known he's interested in someone. Ugh, another rule of high society that Jason will never bother to understand. "I've never seen them before."

He means the two accompany Samatha Manson. He's aware of the inventor's granddaughter, seeing as her family had ties with the Waynes, distant as they may be. It was Waynes who bought the rights to her grandfather's inventions many years ago, and his son was the one that started investing in some smaller shell companies of Waynes, further building the family fortune.

Jason didn't see her often at galas because while the Mansons were wealthy, they were new money. They had no connections, mannerisms, or mindset to be welcomed by the elites.

"Daniel Fenton and Tucker Foley. Foley is in the brown suit, Fenton is the one in the black one." Tim identifies quickly. He probably went over the gala invitation guest list to memorize everyone attending even though it wasn't a gala they were hosting. "Her best friends. Nothing that stands out too much about them except for Fenton. His parents are independent ghost hunters and researchers."

Jason blinks down at this brother. "Ghost hunters?"

Both brothers know how real ghosts can be in their line of work, seeing as Deadman has helped them with some cases before. Still, it's surprising to find civilians who are that close to the undead.

"More Ghostbusters than actual hunters." Tim shrugs when he gets a confused frown. "I looked into them to make sure Fenton over there wouldn't be a danger once in Gotham. His parents' inventions are marketed as ghost-hunting equipment but are authentic weapons. He's been known to show signs of rouge potential behavior."

Jason looks back at the black hair boy who is......talking to the little girl? Or trying to? She is spinning again, floating up to the chandelier, not caring for the teenage boy leaning over the railing towards her as Foley and Manson stand guard. If they trying to be inconspicuous, they are doing a poor job.

Jason spots Damian approaching the trio with a tense set of his shoulders. His youngest brother taps his finger against the glass in his hand in a specific rhythm.

If any of the Bats have seen Damian- which is all of them, given that everyone in the family always keeps an eye on Damian at galas- they have all been told the same message.

Possible jumper.

Granted, without the little girl, it looks like Fenton wants to take a leap over the railing. That's worrying.

Tim proves this by tilting his chin slightly in their direction, shoulders also tense. "Let's go."

Jason follows after Tim, trying his best to not make it obvious they are freaking out about a possible tragedy about to happen. Damian, thankfully, has already reached the teenagers but is stalled by Manson.

He can't hear what she's saying, but she's matching Damian's angry scowl with her own. Seeing the only two goth kids standing off with each other is hilarious.

Damian had told Bruce a few months back that he wanted to try and change his civilian persona a bit and had taken their dad's credit card with Raven to do shopping.

He's come back as a goth, giving Bruce a near heart attack, as Damian changed out all his suits to have a scull somewhere on his person at all times. Jason thought it was the best cover plan the brat could have ever done.

Mason's right eye twitches when she sees them, but other than glaring harshly, she doesn't say anything as they come up to stand behind Damian. Tim is in the perfect place to sludge for Fenton should the boy throw himself over. Jason is to tackle the two teenagers should they try to stop his brother.

"Dude, it's okay. Danny always does that," Foley assures as they finally climb up to them. "He's really into, ugh, parkour."

"It's dangerous," Damian particularly bites. Looks like someone needs more sensitive training.

Fenton stops trying to lean over the rail to glance over his shoulder to Damian. "I'm okay. Thank you for worrying about me, though."

Jason is standing in the prime location to see Damian's haughty expression melt away into startled wonder. He watches a tiny bit of red appear on the cheekbones of his youngest brother, and for a moment, all Jason can think is how much he will have fun teasing the boy later.

Gosh, if he wasn't so tired he would realize he wasn't the only one who noticed.

"He's red like a tomato!" A feminine voice chirps, and he can't help but laugh at the comment. Damian's face is slowly turning redder by the curious head tilt Fenton does in his direction. Cute.

"You got that right, kiddo, so red he's ripe for the picking. " Jason smirks down at his brother, who, for his part, dares to look confused.

"What are you babbling about?" Damian snaps as Tim's intense eyes swing over the boy's head to lock gazes with Jason.

"What the girl said"

"I didn't say anything," Manson denies, and Jason finally realizes he has responded to the little girl, who is grinning ear from ear. Shit.

"Oh." Fenton nods, stepping down the railing to look Jason dead in the eye and smile. "You see dead people."

"Cool, one of us. One of us." Foley chants with a grin, and even Mason seems to relax more, going from irritated to indifferent. The teenager stops his chat when the three brothers fail to find humor.

Danny just smiles near-vacantly, which causes Damian to look hot under the collar.

Maybe Jason should leave to take a nap in the safety of his room because he does not have the time to unpack all of this.

"Maybe we should find Bruce," Tim says after a moment, and that is when the little girl choices to fly right up to Tim and flick his ear. Tim startles so hard he slams into Damian, who loses his footing and falls over. Jason is fast enough to catch him before he rolls down the stairs.

Danny giggles, and for the first time since he's known Damian, he looks like he wants the ground to swallow him hole. What a weird night for Jason.

"What the hell was that?" Tim mumbles, looking around.

Manson grins a sharp, wicked thing. "A ghost"

"Of course it is." Tim sighs then he gives Jason a near-eye glare. "How long have you been able to see ghosts?"

"Honestly? Probably since I was six. I thought they were hallucinations."

"And why did you not tell anyone about having what you thought were lifelong hallucinations?"

"I'm not you. Hallucinations are your weird thing. Mine are guns."

"I like them," Fenton announces, and the other two finally step back. Only then does he come to the startling observation that Manson and Feley had been acting like bodyguards by placing themselves between Fenton and the Waynes?

What a strange night indeed.

"Todd, let me up!"

[elryuse]

Yandere Winter...arrange marriage?

The Arranged Marriage

YANDERE WINTER X MALE READER

Winter glared at the ornate wedding invitation, the embossed gold lettering mocking her. "An arranged marriage?" she spat, tossing the card across the room where it landed with a soft thud on a pile of discarded designs. The rejection felt good, a defiant roar against the archaic traditions her family clung to. Winter was a supernova in the K-pop galaxy, her name synonymous with electrifying dance routines and chart-topping hits. Marrying some faceless nobody chosen by dusty family pacts was laughable. There was no time for love, not when she was on a relentless climb to the very pinnacle of K-pop stardom.

"Winter, darling," her manager, Min-seo, a woman whose steely gaze could rival Winter's own, sighed, picking up the discarded invitation. "Your family is serious. They've even chosen a candidate."

"Let me guess," Winter scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Some chaebol heir with a nose for publicity?"

Min-seo shook her head, a flicker of amusement dancing in her eyes. "Someone more… unexpected. Apparently, his family owns a chain of bakeries across the country."

"A baker?" Winter snorted. "Seriously? What's next, are you going to set me up with a street performer?"

"Stranger things have happened, my dear," Min-seo countered with a sly smile.

Days bled into weeks, a whirlwind of rehearsals, interviews, and promotional appearances. But beneath the carefully constructed facade of the K-pop machine, a gnawing unease began to fester. A dull ache in her side, dismissed as exhaustion at first, intensified into a searing pain that stole her breath away mid-performance. The stage, once her throne, became a torture chamber. The roar of the crowd turned into a distant buzz as she crumpled to the floor, the vibrant lights blurring into a disorienting kaleidoscope.

The sterile white of the hospital room offered a stark contrast to the glitter and synthesizers of her world. The doctor's words hung heavy in the air – liver failure. A life sentence of a slowly fading light, or a desperate gamble on a transplant. Hope, as fragile as a spiderweb, clung to the possibility of a donor, a life preserver in a sea of despair.

Days turned into agonizing weeks, the silence punctuated only by the rhythmic beep of the heart monitor. Winter, the idol who commanded legions of fans, felt utterly powerless. The awards, the screaming audiences, the carefully curated image – they all felt hollow in the face of her own mortality. Then, a flicker on the horizon. A donor. A match.

The surgery was a blur, waking up to a world she thought she'd lost. And then she saw him. Y/n. A young man, awkward and shy, yet his eyes held an undeniable warmth. "Y-youu s-saved me," Winter rasped, her voice weak but filled with a sincerity that surprised even her.

"I, uh…" Y/n stammered, overwhelmed by the sight of the K-pop icon in such a vulnerable state. "It was nothing. Just… a lucky match, I guess."

But the gratitude, a nascent seed, began to take root in the fertile soil of her isolation. Why him? Why not a wealthy heir or a fellow K-pop star? The questions gnawed at her, a relentless tick in the back of her mind.

Y/n, overwhelmed by the whirlwind that was Winter, disappeared after a brief visit. Her world, once filled with flashing lights and screaming fans, felt deafeningly silent. Obsession, a creeping vine, started to coil around her heart. She couldn't understand why the man who'd saved her life had vanished so completely.

Fueled by a twisted sense of entitlement, Winter used her vast network of resources to track Y/n down. He was found in a small town, flour dusting his clothes as he kneaded dough in a quaint bakery. The scent of cinnamon and warm bread hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the antiseptic sterility of the hospital room where she'd first laid eyes on him.

"Winter?" Y/n stammered, his voice barely rising above the clatter of the mixer. Her smile was dazzling, but her eyes held a glint of steel.

"Remember that wedding, Y/n?" Winter purred, stepping closer, the cloying sweetness in her voice sending shivers down his spine. "The one our families arranged?"

He paled. The memory of the preposterous agreement, something they'd both scoffed at in their youth, resurfaced. "Winter, I… I can't. I don't even…"

"Of course you can, Y/n," she purred, her grip tightening on his arm with a surprising strength. "You saved my life. Isn't it only fair I save you from a life without me?"

Y/n's breath hitched. The playful banter of youth, the easy dismissal of the arranged marriage, felt like a lifetime ago. Now, trapped in the gaze of this powerful, pale woman, he felt a cold dread pool in his stomach. "Winter," he stammered, "T-things have changed. I… I already have someone."

The smile on Winter's face faltered for a fraction of a second, a flicker of something akin to pain crossing her features. But then, it was gone, replaced by a chilling steeliness. "Someone?" she echoed, her voice dropping to a dangerous whisper. "Tell me, Y/n, who could possibly compete with the woman that you had saved?"

Panic clawed at Y/n's throat. He knew he shouldn't speak of Mina, his childhood sweetheart who helped run the bakery with him. But the thought of Winter, with her fame and fortune, swooping in and taking everything away, was unbearable. "Mina," he blurted out, his voice barely a squeak. "She's… she's my everything."

Winter's eyes narrowed. "Mina, huh?" A dangerous glint flickered within them. "Then perhaps it's time Mina learned the true meaning of sacrifice."

Y/n's heart lurched. He knew, with a horrifying certainty, that Winter wouldn't hesitate to hurt Mina. He had to get away, to warn Mina. But as he lunged for the bakery door, two burly men in black suits materialized behind Winter, blocking his escape.

"Let me go!" Y/n yelled, his voice choked with fear and defiance. He struggled against the men's grip, but they were simply too strong. A chilling calm settled over Winter as Y/n was dragged away, his pleas for help swallowed by the rhythmic clatter of the mixer.

Back in the opulent prison that was now her mansion, Winter sank into a plush velvet chair, a manic glint in her eyes. Mina was a nuisance, a fly to be swatted away. Winter had the resources, the power, and a twisted sense of entitlement. She would see to it that Y/n understood that his life, his love, everything belonged to her now. The debt, she would convince him, was far from settled.

Winter wasn't above getting her hands dirty. The designer gowns and manicured nails were a facade, a chilling disguise for the monster that lurked beneath. The gifts, the trips, the suffocating luxury – they were all meticulously chosen to twist the knife. They were a constant, sickening reminder of the life Y/n had lost, a life he could never reclaim unless he bent the knee to his gilded prison.

The burly guards were ever-present, shadows flanking him wherever he went. Their stoic silence spoke volumes – a chilling reminder of his captivity, a constant pressure against his will. Winter reveled in his fear, a twisted aphrodisiac that fueled her obsession. His haunted eyes, once filled with warmth, were now a canvas of terror, and Winter found a perverse beauty in that reflection.

One evening, the silence in the opulent mansion was shattered by a strangled gasp. Winter found Y/n slumped on the plush carpet, clutching a single red rose – the same kind that bloomed outside Mina's bakery. A cruel smile, devoid of warmth, stretched across her face.

"Missing your little baker, Y/n?" she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed venom. "Perhaps the croissants weren't so stale after all?"

Y/n scrambled to his feet, the rose falling from his grasp like a crimson tear. His voice, hoarse with terror, rasped, "Leave her alone, Winter. You don't understand."

Winter tilted her head, amusement dancing in her cold eyes. "Oh, I understand perfectly, darling," she countered, her voice dropping to a seductive whisper. "She's the weed threatening to choke the delicate flower of our love. But fear not, I've taken steps to ensure your garden remains… pristine."

Y/n's blood ran cold. He lunged for her, a desperate snarl twisting his features. But before he could reach her, the guards were upon him, pinning him to the floor with practiced ease. A sickeningly sweet scent filled the air, cloying and thick. Winter held a small, crystal vial aloft, the liquid within shimmering like a captured rainbow.

"A little… encouragement," she purred, her voice laced with a chilling delight. "A reminder that some debts are settled not just with sacrifice, but with obedience."

The truth slammed into Y/n with the force of a sledgehammer. The rose, the scent – it wasn't a coincidence. Winter hadn't just threatened Mina, she'd… incapacitated her. The realization shattered the last vestiges of hope clinging to his heart. Tears streamed down his face, a silent scream lost in the suffocating opulence of the room.

Winter knelt beside him, her touch as cold and sterile as the diamond bracelet adorning her wrist. "Now, Y/n," she murmured, her voice a silken snare, "tell me everything about your little baker. Every detail, every secret. Only then can we truly begin to build a future… together."

A single tear escaped Winter's eye, but it wasn't a tear of remorse. It was a predator savoring its kill, a monstrous artist gazing upon her masterpiece. The once vibrant idol was gone, replaced by a chilling puppet master. In her twisted game of love, Winter wasn't just the prize – she was the player, the architect, the god. And Y/n, a broken marionette, was forever condemned to dance to her macabre symphony of obsession.

The air hung heavy with the stench of disinfectant and a cloying sweetness that clung to Winter like a second skin. Y/n, a hollow shell of his former self, stared at her with a mixture of resignation and a horrifying flicker of something akin to acceptance.

"You'll leave Mina alone," he rasped, his voice raw with despair. "That's the only condition."

Winter tilted her head, a cruel smile playing on her lips. The vial that once held the incapacitating agent was now empty, discarded like a child's forgotten toy. "Such a selfless offer, darling," she purred, her voice dripping with a mockery of sympathy. "But where's the fun in that?"

Y/n flinched, a tremor running through his thin frame. He knew, with a chilling certainty, that Winter wouldn't hesitate. He envisioned Mina, her bright smile replaced by a mask of fear, Winter's cold hand clamped over her mouth.

"Alright," he choked out, the words scraping against his throat. "Marry me. Just… don't you dare hurt her."

Winter's smile widened, a predator savoring the kill. "Such a devoted little lamb," she cooed, her voice laced with a sickening sweetness. "But promises are meant to be broken, wouldn't you agree?"

With a flick of her wrist, a hidden screen on the wall flickered to life. It displayed a live feed – a quaint bakery, bathed in the warm glow of the setting sun. Mina, oblivious, was humming as she dusted flour onto a counter.

Y/n lurched forward, a strangled cry escaping his lips. Winter, with a casual cruelty that sent shivers down his spine, grabbed a remote from the coffee table and pressed a single button.

The screen flickered, then went dark. A sickening silence descended on the room, broken only by Y/n's ragged gasps. Winter stood, her movements predatory as she circled him like a wolf stalking its prey.

A chilling laugh erupted from her throat, echoing in the opulent emptiness of the room. It was a sound devoid of joy, a symphony of twisted satisfaction.

"Consider it a wedding gift, darling," she purred, leaning down to meet his horrified gaze. "Now, shall we seal the deal?"

Before Y/n could react, she grabbed his face, her manicured nails digging into his skin, and slammed her lips onto his. The kiss was cold, a grotesque parody of affection. It reeked of victory, of a love so twisted it had curdled into something monstrous.

Y/n tasted blood, his own metallic tang mingling with the cloying sweetness of her perfume. When she finally pulled away, a single tear traced a path down her cheek.

"A beautiful beginning, wouldn't you say?" she whispered, her voice strangely devoid of emotion.

Y/n stared at her, his eyes hollow and dead. Winter had taken everything from him – his freedom, his love, and in a final, horrifying act, his very soul.

The opulent mansion, once a symbol of wealth and success, now echoed with the deafening silence of a broken man. Winter, the idol turned monster, had claimed her prize. But in her twisted victory, she had also forged her own gilded cage, a prison built on the ashes of love and the chilling emptiness of a heart consumed by a deadly obsession.

The world gasped. Winter, the electrifying idol, the epitome of sunshine and pop perfection, was getting married. Not to some fellow K-pop star, not to a wealthy heir, but to a simple baker from a small town. The news cycle spun with speculation, but the carefully orchestrated photos showed a radiant Winter, her smile brighter than ever, leaning on the arm of a shy-looking Y/n.

The wedding was a spectacle – a meticulously crafted performance. Winter, adorned in a dress that shimmered like a captured dream, walked down a rose-petal strewn aisle. The cheers and applause were deafening, a symphony orchestrated by her team. But beneath the flawless facade, a horrifying truth festered.

Y/n, his eyes as dead as the diamonds on her hand, was a ghost of his former self. His smile was a practiced rictus, a mask that hid the chilling emptiness within. Every touch from Winter felt like a branding iron, every whispered word a cruel reminder of the life he'd lost.

During the vows, Winter's voice, sweet and saccharine, spoke of eternal love and devotion. Y/n's response, devoid of emotion, echoed in the cavernous hall. Yet, the cameras captured a perfect picture: a love story for the ages.

The reception was a whirlwind of flashing lights and champagne flutes. Winter, a consummate performer, played the part of the blissful bride. Y/n, trapped in his gilded cage, danced with a practiced ease that sent shivers down the spines of those who knew him best.

As the night wore on, and the guests began to depart, the mask slipped from Winter's face. In the seclusion of their suite, a terrifying coldness settled in her eyes.

"You played your part well, darling," she purred, her voice devoid of warmth.

Y/n, a broken marionette, said nothing. There was nothing left to say. His silence was a deafening testament to the monster he was now chained to.

Winter leaned in, her breath warm against his ear. "But remember, Y/n," she whispered, a cruel smile playing on her lips, "our dance has just begun."

The world reveled in the fairy tale wedding, oblivious to the chilling truth behind the glittering facade. Winter, the idol, had achieved her twisted victory. Y/n, trapped in a gilded cage with a monster disguised as a lover, was forever condemned to a dance macabre, his only companion the hollow echo of a love destroyed and a life stolen. The price of Winter's twisted obsession was a broken man, a chilling reminder that sometimes the most beautiful smiles hide the most terrifying darkness.

Months bled into a year, a year of gilded bars and a suffocating emptiness. Winter, however, seemed to grow restless. The sparkle in her eyes, once fueled by performance and adoration, had dimmed, replaced by a cold, steely glint.

One evening, as Y/n sat slumped in a plush armchair, a cold, clinical document landed in his lap. It was a fertility report, his name stark against the sterile white background. Winter stood before him, a predatory smile twisting her features.

"It seems you're perfectly healthy, Y/n," she purred, her voice laced with a chilling possessiveness. "Time to fulfill your duties as my husband, wouldn't you say?"

Y/n's blood ran cold. He understood now. This wasn't just about possession; it was about creating a permanent tie, a child who would forever bind him to her. The very thought of bringing a life into this twisted reality filled him with a soul-crushing despair.

But defiance was a luxury he no longer possessed. The guards, ever-present shadows, flanked him, a constant reminder of his captivity. He could fight, he could scream, but it would be a futile effort. Winter held all the cards, and Y/n was nothing but a pawn in her macabre game.

In the following weeks, the once vibrant mansion became a sterile prison. Doctors became regular visitors, their pronouncements echoing with a chilling finality. Y/n became a vessel, his body another stage for Winter's twisted performance.

The day the pregnancy test came back positive, Winter's smile could have rivaled the rising sun. Y/n, however, felt a cold dread settle in his gut. This wasn't a victory; it was a life sentence, not just for him, but for the innocent child who would be born into this gilded cage.

The world outside continued to celebrate Winter, the idol who had it all – a perfect marriage, a blossoming career, and now, a child on the way. But behind the carefully constructed facade, a monstrous truth festered. Winter, the idol, had become a puppeteer, her strings controlling not just Y/n's life,

[morallygreyyn]

can we get a second part to do your duty pls?? not even just for the smut, i wanna see the reader grow soft for our boy <3

do your duty (omega!illumi x alpha!reader) (part 2)

description: omegaverse au where after you, a wealthy highborn, presented as an alpha, your parents immediately arranged for your marriage to illumi zoldyck, an omega, when you both came of age. as you began to resent the idea over the years, you had no idea that the allegedly haughty and indifferent illumi had begun to feel the opposite…

authors note: this is my favourite fic that i've ever written, no question. part 2 has been sitting in my drafts for just under a year at this point but i'm so glad i'm finally posting it

this fic will be turned into a full story very very soon (i've started writing it) so if you would like to be tagged when it's posted, please lmk! i'm so excited to be writing it as it gives a lot more depth to this fic that i randomly wrote one day because i was reading too much of the omegaverse genre - enjoy!

warnings: same as the last fic

word count: 7.6k (not proofread we die like men).

tag list (adding the people who commented on my last fic so sorry if you didn't want to be tagged!): @justyanderes @laylasbunbunny @expectroyalpurple @ladies-man217 @nai2fly

read part one here

requests are open! please read my rules!

You stood at the altar, fidgeting with your formal black attire. Surprisingly, you weren’t nervous, just more impatient to get this wedding over and done with. You couldn’t wait to get away from your family, from your intended family, from the prying eyes and expectations. Even if you had to drag Illumi away with you, it wasn’t all bad. At least he would also be somewhere he was appreciated.

His wedding necklace lay on an embroidered pillow, waiting to be clamped around the omega’s neck. It was a tradition within rich families for the alpha to claim their omega with a collar during the wedding ceremony, and a bite to the neck during the honeymoon. Any omega with both the necklace and mark was considered untouchable to other alphas.

A ridiculous tradition but one your families insisted on.

You took in your surroundings with a disinterested gaze. It seemed a wedding of this scale was bound to have a large audience. All of your close and distant family were sitting on one side of the aisle, your bride’s family on the other. You could see Illumi’s younger siblings sitting next to Kikyo and Silva, all dressed in their finest. Killua, the obvious family favourite and the heir to their fortune, was sitting between his parents looking for all the world as if he’d like nothing more than to leave. The rest of Illumi’s siblings wore similar expressions, with the exception of Alluka who just looked happy to be somewhere that wasn’t her house. 

You had only a couple of brief interactions with your soon to be in-laws, but from what you could gather, it seemed all of the Zoldyck siblings had a screw loose. Being the eldest, you supposed Illumi had to bear the burden of each of his siblings and all of their unique oddities. Then again, it appeared as though your bride was perhaps the strangest of them all.

When the music started, your heart gave a minute jump. Perhaps you were nervous after all. Turning to face the doors at the opposite end of the aisle, you watched as they pulled apart, revealing your bride. One look at him was enough to knock the breath out of your lungs. 

He was wearing white, forced by his family no doubt, and his pale skin almost matched the tone of the fabric. It was an impressive garment, truly fit for a bride of his calibre. His trousers, while tailored perfectly to his long and slim frame, were paired with an almost translucent, billowing shirt that flowed like water with each slight movement. Attached to the shoulders of his shirt was a matching sheer cape with gold and emerald details embroidered from the hem, branching upwards. 

Turning your attention upwards, you noticed that his admittedly gorgeous long hair was coiled into a bun at the nape, with large gold needles holding it in place. An odd accessory to choose but it didn’t stand out as peculiar.

Illumi looked as if he was an omegan fairytale prince that alpha knights would slay dragons for. You wanted to laugh at the thought that his family was the dragon and your wedding attire was armour. Your wedding ring that was currently lying on a cushion could be your sword. 

Focusing your attention back on your bride, you watched as Illumi’s eyes scanned the room, stopping briefly on his family. It didn’t take a genius to guess what he was thinking. Once his eyes found yours, they didn’t leave your gaze. You tried to give him a small smile in hopes to quell any fears he may or may not be feeling. If there was one thing to come from this marriage, it was that your bride had nothing to fear from you.  

The music started up again, and Illumi made his walk down the aisle. He kept his head held high, portraying almost an aura of royalty. All eyes in the audience were on him and you knew he didn’t want to embarrass his family, so with his gaze firmly locked on you, he soldiered on past the people who raised him and headed straight towards where you waited. 

It didn’t take long for Illumi to climb the steps that lead to the altar and soon enough, he had joined your side. You couldn’t believe he looked even more breathtaking up close.

“You look beautiful.” You murmured, low enough that he was the only one who heard. Illumi, to no one's surprise, didn’t reply. He just quietly stood beside you, surveying the venue. His scent was stronger today, no doubt a side effect of his upcoming heat. It was difficult to maintain a composed exterior when all you wanted to do was bury your face into his neck and drink in as much of the heady scent as you could. 

This was going to be an incredible test of your self control.

On cue, Silva stood from his place in the audience and approached the vacant spot beside Illumi.

The minister approached the altar then, standing before the two of you. “Who gives this omega to this alpha?”

“I, Silva Zoldyck, give my son, Illumi, to this alpha.” Taking the omega’s hand, your soon to be father-in-law placed it in your waiting one. Ignoring the coldness of his fingers, you gently squeezed Illumi’s hand. Silva, having done his part, made his way back to his seat.

“Kneel omega and be brought under the alpha’s protection.”

Illumi dropped to his knees before you, cape and shirt fluttering as he lowered his head to expose his nape. Picking up the glorified collar and feeling the weight of it in your hands, you almost considered walking out then and there. If Illumi was to wear this everyday, surely he’d have neck problems before the year ended. However as everyone was watching, you didn’t even have time to pause. Your fingers brushed over the soft skin of his neck, and clamped the necklace into place, and if your fingers lingered longer than necessary, no one was able to tell. Nobody apart from one.

Illumi rose once you pulled away, his expression betraying nothing of his feelings, if he was feeling anything at all that is. His hand quickly fluttered to brush the foreign object around his neck, feeling its cold, emerald encrusted exterior. At least the green suited him.

It was customary for the omega to wear that necklace in public and you began to hate the stupid tradition that your families were determined to uphold. The saving grace was that Illumi would be yours, and therefore he wouldn’t be subject to anything he didn't want anymore. If your families wanted to follow tradition, then they couldn’t ignore the one that states that the omega belongs to their alpha before anyone else. Not even the Zoldycks themselves had the power that the spouse, now you, holds.

“May all people present today be witness to the union of y/n l/n and Illumi Zoldyck. Today it is their wish, and the will of their families, for them to be joined as one. One heart, one body, one mind, one soul.” The minister paused, and you felt the gravity of the situation sink in. This was really happening. Your fate, that was organised for you so many years ago, the one you thought you could outrun, had finally caught you. The minister turned to you then, not giving you a moment to lament your situation. “Do you, y/n l/n, take this omega to be your lawfully wedded wife and mate? Will you love him, comfort him and protect him? Will you honour and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

“Do you, Illumi Zoldyck, take this alpha to be your lawfully wedded husband and mate? Will you love them, comfort them and abide by them? Will you honour and obey them, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to them as long as you both shall live?”

“I do.”

A small part of you was surprised at the utter lack of hesitation in Illumi’s response.

“May the alpha please stand before the omega and pronounce your vows.”

Taking a breath, you turned to face your bride. You didn’t need a sheet as you had thankfully memorised the vows you had written. Truthfully, you had much different vows a few days prior, however last night had you hastily scribbling new ones as you reeled from the events. 

“I, y/n, take you, Illumi, to be my omega and these are my vows to you that I shall uphold until my last breath. I promise to put you first above all others, your needs and wants will always be a top priority to me. I vow to never turn you away or reject you. I promise to care for and protect you, and to always take your side should you need me to. I will always honour you and you will never be alone as I am now a part of you, just as you are now a part of me. Till death do us part.”

Illumi’s already wide eyes seemed to have opened slightly wider at your words, if that were possible. Perhaps he didn’t expect those vows to be made to him, or didn’t expect the sincerity behind them. Either way, it appeared as though a light flush was creeping up his neck though you couldn’t be sure due to the makeup that expertly covered his skin.

“May the omega stand before the alpha and pronounce your vows.” 

Illumi didn’t have a sheet of paper either and you wondered if he had memorised his too. Then you questioned who exactly wrote his vows because you were sure his family would’ve had some input as to what he was supposed to promise.

“I, Illumi, take you, y/n, to be my alpha and these are my vows to you.” It was almost uncomfortable looking into the omega’s eyes as he began reciting his vows, it felt as though these were for your ears alone and all others present in the room were unwelcome. 

You almost missed what he said as you were too shocked at what was happening. Your omega was promising to obey you, care for you, provide support where you needed it, and all you could focus on was the frantic race of your heart. How ironic that you needed support now at this moment. 

You gave him a small smile once he had finished, providing some proof that you had been paying attention. Something had shifted in his eyes, they looked slightly less lifeless.

“Does anyone present today reject the union of these two souls?” Not a single sound could be heard and you didn’t expect to find yourself relieved, but you couldn’t deny that you were. The minister then asked for the rings, signalling that your ceremony was coming to a close and so was your free life. Though you could argue that it was never free to begin with.

“With this ring, I thee wed.”

“With this ring, I thee wed.” You repeated, swiftly slipping the wedding ring onto his slender finger, giving his cold hands a light squeeze. You weren’t sure, but you imagined he squeezed back. Then Illumi repeated the same steps, sliding your metaphorical sword onto your finger.

Your fate was sealed. Staring at your new wife, you struggled to comprehend the complex emotions that were surging through you.

“By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife, y/n and Illumi l/n!” Then the minister turned to you, shaking you out of your shock at hearing Illumi having your surname for the first time. You had forgotten about that part. “You may now kiss your bride.”

Illumi closed his eyes and waited, and you realised with a start that he was following your instructions from the night before. Immensely glad that you had already practised, you couldn’t help the small smile as you pressed your lips against his. All the kisses you previously shared flashed through your mind and it was almost impossible to keep it as a chaste kiss, you wanted very much to explore the omega’s mouth the way you did last night. By some miracle, you managed to restrain yourself as sophisticated applause rang out throughout the venue.

Hand in hand, you both turned to face your now joined families. You could feel Illumi’s fingers warming under your touch as you both gazed out at the families who had forced you into this situation. Surprisingly, you felt as though you had gained some power rather than having lost some like you had previously expected. You glanced over at your wife who was looking at his family, something deeper lingering in his usual blank stare. You could only begin to understand what he must be feeling right now. Giving his hand a reassuring squeeze, you smiled slightly as he turned to face you.

“We made it.” You whispered as your family ushered you outside the venue to meet the photographer who was in charge of your wedding photos.

Illumi nodded, seemingly unable to find his voice. Subconsciously, you felt yourself grip his hand tighter as you were both suddenly caught up in the drama of arranging family members for the photos.

“Now time for the newlyweds, alone.” The photographer said after what felt like a thousand clicks of the camera, waiting until your surrounding family members filed out of his shot. 

Noticing that there was a slight gap between you, you gently pulled the omega towards you. You could feel Illumi jump slightly at the arm you wrapped around his thin waist.

“Sorry.” You murmured, stepping closer to him like the photographer asked. 

“It’s okay.” He replied, not looking away from the lens. 

Unsatisfied with that response, you leaned to whisper in his ear. “If ever you’re uncomfortable with me touching you, please let me know.” 

“I’m not uncomfortable.” It seemed as though Illumi wanted to say more, but he restrained himself for reasons unknown to you.

Unwilling to pry, you left it there. “If you’re sure.” 

A couple clicks of the camera later, the photographer still seemed unsatisfied with the results. 

“Maybe we’re not photogenic enough for him.” You mused, watching with humour as the man fiddled with the focus.

“Or he needs a new lens.”

Chuckling, you turned to face your new wife, photos be damned. You hadn’t expected your wife to be funny, albeit unintentionally. 

Illumi turned his head to look at you, lips parted ever so slightly, seemingly shocked by your reaction to something he said. Perhaps no one had ever given him the reaction you just had.

Just then you heard the click of a camera, the photographer's astounded voice following soon after. “That looks perfect! We’re finished!”

Without getting the chance to breathe a sigh of relief, you both were then ushered into a side room to fill out your marriage paperwork while the guests made their way back to your family estate where the reception was to be held. You didn’t even get to utter a word to your new wife as you were both relentlessly hounded into signing sheet after sheet of paperwork by the administrator. Barely having time to process what you were signing, you took what felt like your first breath once you left the room and headed outside. 

Illumi diligently followed, matching your steps in silence, heels clicking as he walked.

“I’m amazed you even made it down the aisle wearing those.” You commented, looking at those injury promising shoes.

“They’re not as high as some shoes mother wears.”

“Really?”

Illumi hummed in response, watching as you opened the car door for him. Quickly making sure his attire didn’t get caught underneath him or in the car door, you closed the door and swiftly got into the driver's seat. Pulling away from the venue, you begrudgingly turned onto the main road that would take you home for the reception.

“Maybe now’s the time to run away.” You grumbled after a while, breaking the tense silence between the two of you.

“Why would we do that?”

“Do you really want to spend an evening with our families with us as the centre of attention?” Feeling like it was necessary, you took his empty hand into your free one.

“Not particularly.” Turning away from the window, he stared at your interlocked hands and then at you. “Where would we go?”

Happy your bride was playing along, you cast him a mischievous glance. “Hmm, let’s see. Somewhere far away, preferably warm too. Does anywhere come to mind?”

Illumi shook his head. “I’ve never been anywhere other than my home and yours so I wouldn’t know where to go.”

“Then that makes running away an even greater adventure.” You squeezed his hand and then brushed your thumb over his knuckles. “Perhaps a beach resort on a far away island, or a cabin nestled in mountain woodland? Or how about a skyscraper hotel in a bustling city? Or a cruise ship that takes us to famous tourist spots all over the world?”

Illumi blinked, looking a smidge shocked at all of the options you were suggesting. “All of them.”

“All of them it is.” You laughed, giving him a rare, genuine smile and to your utter bafflement, he offered a small one in return. 

You almost stopped the car. Never in a million years did you think your bride had the capability to smile but here he was. Granted, it was barely there, a mere tug at the corners of his lips, but it was there nonetheless. 

Careful not to break the mood, you pretended you weren’t floored by his expression and went back to discussing becoming runaways. Before long and before you were ready, you pulled up to your manor.

You sighed, wishing you could put the many plans you made in the car into action. “Are you ready for this?”

“It’s only a couple of hours.” He nodded, looking out of the window to the unavoidable party that awaited you. “Then we’ll be on our honeymoon.”

“Our first grand escapade.” You chuckled as you got out of the car, ignoring the fact that you’d have to deal with Illumi’s heat for a portion of it. You circled around the vehicle and opened the door for your new wife. Taking his hand, you helped him stand in those treacherous looking high heels. 

Once he was standing, it was only then that you noticed the proximity. Face inches away, Illumi’s flat gaze was locked on yours. 

“Screw them, they can wait another five minutes.” Wrapping an arm around his waist, you pulled Illumi in for a much less innocent kiss than the one you gave him at the altar. 

You supposed that his upcoming heat was to blame for his whisper of a whine. Nonetheless, it spurred you on. However it was only a couple of seconds later before Illumi pulled away, though it seemed with poorly veiled reluctance.

“We need to go inside.” 

Groaning, you dropped your head onto his shoulder, unable to help yourself from breathing in more of that addictive scent. “It’s not too late, we can still jump in the car.”

“We can later.”

Begrudgingly, you lifted your head and held out your hand. "Let’s get this over with then.”

Nodding, your bride quickly took your hand and you both made your way inside. The sound of applause was the first thing that greeted you, choruses of congratulations rang out from the many guests in attendance.

“There they are!” Your father announced, approaching you with the rest of your beaming family in tow. Illumi’s family also made their way in front of you, looking a little relieved that you had actually gone through with the wedding.

“You’re just in time for the banquet.” Your mother ushered the two of you through the halls and outside to the grounds which had been turned into a wedding reception fit for royalty. 

Extravagant tents had been pitched with many tables and chairs for all your guests situated underneath. Strings of warm fairy lights hung from the ceiling, mixed with garlands of flowers. There was even a dance floor and a couple of chandeliers.

Taking your seats at the head table, you watched as everyone else found their places. Your parents sat at the same table as you, yours on your side and Illumi’s on his. It didn’t take long for everyone to be seated, however you did find it a bit funny that some people were hidden due to the giant bouquets adorning every table.

“Attention please.” Your mother called and almost immediately there was silence. “I would like to give a huge congratulations to y/n and my new son in law, Illumi. We welcome you with open arms into this family and wish you a very happy marriage. With that, I’d like us all to raise a toast to the newlyweds. To y/n and Illumi l/n!”

You didn’t think you’d ever get used to hearing that. Absently, you wondered what Illumi thought of his new name.

The banquet was a boring affair. Multiple dishes were put in front of you, each more elaborate than the last. Buzzing chatter from the attendees filled the air, even your parents eagerly chatted to the Zoldycks. It seemed as if you and your omega were the only silent ones. 

Determined not to be the odd ones out at your own wedding, you turned to Illumi, making sure to keep your voice low so you couldn’t be overheard. “So, have you thought anymore about where you’d like to go?”

The omega looked at you, seemingly happy enough to be speaking with you and not part of the larger conversation that was happening at your table. “I keep trying but I can’t picture anything.”

“That’s probably because you don’t know what you like yet.” You tapped your chin in mock sympathy. “I’m afraid there’s only one cure for that.”

“What’s that?”

You grinned. “We have to keep travelling until you do know.”

“Okay.” Illumi nodded, apparently liking the sound of your suggestion. 

Toasts came after the food and you all but blacked out during most of the speeches, most being the same with well wishes, future children, and inheritance. It was decided before, with heavy backing on your part, that neither you or Illumi would have to make a speech. You said everything that needed to be said in front of family during your vows. Anything else was for your bride’s ears only.

You leaned towards him, lips almost touching his ear. “Was that as boring for you as it was for me?”

Your wife agreed with a bob of his head. “They were all the same.”

“I guess money and children is all we’re good for.” You joked humourlessly, hating the truth to it. “How I would hate to disappoint them.”

“You sound as though you would love nothing more.”

Laughing lightly, you smiled mischievously at Illumi. “Perhaps I would.”

You were brought out of your scheming by your father announcing that the banquet was over and it was time for the first dance. 

Groaning internally, you took Illumi’s hand and led him to the centre of the dance floor. You could not only feel your nerves, but you imagined you could feel his too. Dancing? Neither of you had practiced that. Granted, you should’ve expected to dance at your own wedding, but in your defence, you didn’t want to think about it much until today. Vaguely remembering the ballroom dance lessons your mother insisted you take in your younger years, you somehow managed to get both you and your bride into position.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” He whispered as you both waited for the music to start.

“Not a clue, I’m just going with it.” You could see Illumi’s shoulders oddly relax at your words and once the music started, you guided him around the dance floor. Stiff in the beginning, you both began to get the hang of it more and more and soon enough, you were both gliding across the floor. You even chanced it by spinning you both around, Illumi’s cape swirling around you like a ripple of water. 

Once the music stopped, everyone applauded and joined you on the dance floor as the music started up again in a continuous loop.

“Looks like we survived.” You panted, struggling to regain your breath. You were only stepping together now, both coming down from the extravagant display you put on.

“Somehow.” Illumi looked at your joint hands, seemingly lost in thought. However, just when you were about to ask, your mother cut in.

“It’s time for the parent dances.”

Ah, you had forgotten that you would be dancing with your mother, and Illumi with his father. Reluctant to let go, you suppressed a sigh and you took your mother’s hand and guided her around the dance floor. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Illumi watching you leave until his father approached. 

“It looked like those dance lessons you took came in handy.” Your mother remarked, pleased to be proven right. “I told you they would and yet you still complained.”

“Yes mother, thanks to you I didn’t make a bumbling fool of myself and my bride.”

She hummed and her smug expression stayed in place for a while until it dropped abruptly. 

“It will be a lot quieter without you now.” Her voice was softer, as if she had just realised that she was losing her child today. “Take good care of your omega, we’re quite high maintenance. It takes a lot to keep us happy.”

Actually smiling, you kissed your mother’s cheek. While your family did many things that you disagreed with, your mother wasn’t entirely bad all of the time. “Just say you’ll miss me and be done with it.”

She didn’t hesitate to playfully smack the upside of your head before giving you a serious, pointed look. “Just make sure his needs are met.”

Ah, so she also knew about how Illumi was raised. “I will.”

“I know you will, I raised you right.” She spoke proudly. “Also, I know where you’re going for your honeymoon.”

Neither you or Illumi knew where you were going so it came as a shock for your mother to bring it up so soon. “You do? Where is it?”

“Of course I do, I’m the one who organised it.” She smiled at your eager expression. “We have the family run beach resort which you seem to have forgotten about.”

“The beach resort? As in the island beach resort a couple of miles out to sea?” You stared at her, flashing back to your hopeful conversation in the car a couple of hours ago.

“The very one.”

A whole month by the beach, on an island, away from your families. You couldn’t have asked for anything more than that. “Illumi will be overjoyed to hear that.”

“Will he? I never know what that boy is thinking.”

You laughed, understanding that feeling all too well. “Neither do I but I better start figuring it out.”

“Yes, you should.” Suddenly her gaze shifted past your shoulder. You followed her gaze to where your father stood at the edge of the tent, beckoning you over. “Your father wants to speak to you.”

“This can’t be good.”

“Regardless, don’t forget what I said.” Your mother smoothed your attire, looking more lost than you’d ever seen her in your life. “You did so well, I’m so incredibly proud of you.”

You were frozen, unable to comprehend the words you had never heard directed at you throughout your whole life. “You are?”

“Of course. Look at the responsible alpha you’ve become, how could I not be?” She kissed the top of your forehead before letting you go. “Don’t forget about me in this new chapter of your life, okay? Feel free to take me and your bride out shopping any time.”

Laughing once, you bid your mother goodbye before making your way over to your less favourable parent. 

“Father.” You greeted, walking with him out of the tent and onto the grounds. It was night now which made the fairy lights seem all that more inviting. 

“Y/n, I trust you’re enjoying your wedding.” 

“I am.” You were surprised that your response wasn’t a total lie.

“And your bride?”

“Is probably enjoying it just as much. Speaking of, I haven’t seen him in a while so if you’ll excuse me I should probably get back to him.”

Before you could make your getaway, your father spoke again. “One moment.”

“Yes?” You feigned politeness through gritted teeth.

“After your honeymoon, I expect news of an heir.”

“What?” Somehow, you had almost forgotten about that crucial part. How stupid of you. 

“You will do your duty to this family and put an alpha child in that omega as soon as possible.”

Oh you didn’t like his tone one bit. 

“That omega is now my wife and therefore a part of this family. You will show him respect.” You couldn’t hold back the sneer if you tried. The way he spoke about your omega had you seeing red. “I will put a child in him if he so wishes and he does, so rest assured, our family will have heirs.”

Your father made a move to reply but you cut him off before he could. “Also, his name is Illumi and he’s now your son-in-law.”

You didn’t bother sticking around to see your father’s face, and you quickly retreated to where you knew you could be alone for a moment. Slipping away from the reception and into the manor, you successfully made it to your room. Throwing open the doors to the balcony, you had a wonderful view of your wedding reception which you had abandoned. Closing your eyes, you quietly listened to the sound of the merriment that you couldn’t bring yourself to be a part of.

Surprisingly, it hadn’t been all bad. You had even enjoyed some parts of your wedding. It was just a shame that your father had to bring you crashing back down to earth. 

A child? You weren’t sure you were ready for that just yet. There were still so many things you wanted to do that would become a lot more difficult if you had a child to worry about.

You spent a few minutes wallowing until the sound of heels could be heard approaching from the hall.

“Y/n?” A muffled voice called from behind the door, the only one you wouldn’t turn away.

“Out here, Illumi.” The door to your room pushed open and your bride stood in the doorway, looking at you with that same unreadable expression.

He slowly made his way into your room, drawing closer to you. “Why are you hiding?”

“My father was getting on my nerves.” You admitted, resting your forearms against the railing. “They’re already hounding me about putting an ‘alpha baby’ in you.”

He nodded, as if that made complete sense to him. “I need to produce heirs.”

“No.” You shook your head, hating that your mate was brainwashed into thinking that bearing children was his duty. “You’re mine now. You don’t have to answer to them anymore, not if you don’t want to.”

“I know, I obey you.”

“Not if you don’t want to, Illumi.”

“I want to, I made a vow.”

“A vow your family wrote no doubt.”

“I wrote my own vows.” He whispered, as if unsure he should be revealing this information.

Baffled, you turned to face him with wide eyes. “You did?”

“My parents checked over them, but yes.”

“Then why did you write that one?”

“Because I want to obey you.” You were so sure he’d leave it there, but to your shock, Illumi kept speaking. “You’re my alpha and someone who has my best interests in mind.”

He moved to stand beside you, heels clicking against the marble flooring. 

“And that's a good enough reason to obey my every word?”

“I also know you’ll put me and our future children first.”

You snorted. “Still not seeing how this adds up.”

Then your omega did something you never expected to happen twice in a lifetime, let alone twice in one day. Giving you a small, half smile, you had to strain your ears to hear his soft whisper. “I know that you’ll never do anything to harm me.”

It was obviously quite challenging for Illumi to say such a thing as his expression quickly shifted back into one of indifference, but for a brief fleeting moment, you felt as though you had cracked through his impenetrable armour. It was clear that his parents didn’t care for their oldest child, and you wondered to what extent did that mental, emotional and physical abuse scar the boy before you. Being touch starved was about the extent of your knowledge and you shuddered to think about what other things your mate must be dealing with.

You nodded, unable to stop yourself from wrapping your arm over his shoulders and bringing the omega into your side. “You’ll always be safe with me. I'll take care of you.”

You couldn’t stop the mushy words from leaving your mouth even if you tried. You supposed it was the injustice he had faced, you couldn’t help but want to shield him from it all. Perhaps you really were a knight in shining armour come to save the prince.

“Will you?” His voice was quieter than you had ever heard it before. Maybe his upcoming heat was affecting him more than he let on? If this is what he was like before his heat, you wondered with abject fascination at what he would be like during.

Hooking a finger under his chin, you tilted his head up. Once your eyes locked, you gave your bride a lopsided grin. “I made a vow.”

Illumi took a sharp intake of breath, an uncertain hand slowly coming up to rest on your one. You caressed his cheek, unable to stop yourself from marvelling at his unique beauty. It still hadn’t settled in yet that this was your wife. He now bore your last name. He was your omega. Illumi was yours. Yours.

Perhaps his heat was starting to affect you too. 

You could feel Illumi leaning into your touch, as if he was desperate for it. You could also sense his hesitation, unsure what to do with the attention he was receiving, clearly not used to it like an omega should be. You would be sure to fix that. It may take several years, and perhaps all the damage done could never be erased, but you would try your very best to help him through it. Your own private vow to him that didn’t need hundreds of witnesses to hear it. Just one was enough.

“From now on, if you ever feel like you need me for anything, don’t hesitate to ask, okay? Even the smallest of things.” You whispered as you leaned in, unable to bear the thought of someone overhearing. “I promise, I will always be by your side to help you through it.”

Guiding his chin upwards, you brought your lips to his. It was meant to be a simple reassurance kiss however when Illumi so eagerly opened his mouth for you, all innocent notions flew out the window, so to speak. Pulling Illumi flush against your body, you deepened the kiss. 

He desperately clutched the front of your shirt, as if you were some kind of lifeline. You could feel yourself doing the same, your grip tightening around his waist, ensuring there was no gap between you. You couldn’t explain how you felt, even if you tried. 

From not wanting to be married and pretending as if your bride didn’t exist, to wanting nothing more than him being safe in your arms; your emotions were almost giving you whiplash. 

But you didn’t have time to focus on that, not when Illumi was making breathy little moans in your mouth. His whines and whimpers, while still quiet, were a little more audible today. Another side effect of his heat. 

Before you both passed the point of no return, you reluctantly broke away. “We better go back down.”

“Can we stay up here for a while longer?” Came a barely audible response, as though he was daring to ask for something unattainable, something he wasn’t allowed.

You were shocked he would even suggest such a thing. “Why?”

He hesitated, unwilling to say too much.

“Illumi?” You tried catching his gaze, wanting to know what thoughts he was locking away. “What’s wrong?”

“You might be stolen away again.” You could’ve sworn his grip on your shirt tightened. “I...”

“What?”

“I don’t want that.”

You would have laughed at the situation if it weren’t for your new wife finally showing some vulnerability. Perhaps his heat was a considerable factor in why he wasn’t as tight-lipped. “Are you possessed?”

“No, I think my heat is already affecting me.” Bingo.

“Ah, so you’ll say what you really think only when you’re about to go into a heat cycle. Got it.” You teased, shooting him a half grin. “Don’t fret, you’re the only one I want to dance with anyway.”

He caught your gaze then, almost too innocent with the way his flat eyes locked with yours. “Really?”

You smiled, resting your forehead against his. “You’re my bride and this is our wedding. Of course you are.”

“Oh.” Came his response. 

You stroked his cheek, loving the way he subconsciously leaned into your touch. “Just a couple more minutes then.”

Standing behind him, you wrapped your arms around Illumi’s narrow waist and looked out at the festivities below. 

“Honestly,” You whispered after a couple moments of silence. “This wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting. Even dancing with my mother was somewhat enjoyable.”

“I enjoyed dancing with you.” Illumi’s voice matched yours. “Even if you are terrible at it.”

“I’m not that bad! I got us through it, didn’t I?”

“I suppose.”

“You suppose.” You huffed, resting your head on Illumi’s. “How does it feel now that your surname isn’t Zoldyck anymore?”

“It feels weird.” He paused, considering his words. “But not in a bad way.”

“Weird in a good way? You’re happy to have my last name?”

“Yes.”

“Huh.” You didn’t want to say how happy that made you. You didn’t even know the reason why. “Nice.”

Illumi let out a breath that almost resembled a laugh.

“You seem a lot less guarded today.”

“Would you prefer me the other way?” He seemed to ask this honestly, as if he truly wanted to know.

“Absolutely not, I’m quite happy with you like this.”

“I see.”

You left it at that, closing your eyes and feeling the summer breeze that carried the sound of festivities with it. An odd sense of calmness washed over you, one you hadn’t expected to feel in this situation but it was welcome nonetheless. Illumi seemed a lot less rigid in your arms, as though he had finally found a safe place where he could finally, finally let the mask fall.

Maybe you could get used to this after all. 

“We really need to go back down there now.” You sighed after a couple of minutes that felt more like seconds, not really wanting this quiet moment to end. 

“I suppose we must.” Illumi didn’t move from his position in your arms, nor did you make any effort to remove them.

You chuckled and finding the will to step away, you held out your hand to your new wife, offering him a rare genuine smile. “Let’s rejoin the celebrations. We are the main event after all.”

Heading back downstairs and outside, it was almost as if you had never left at all. The celebrations were still in full swing by the time you spun Illumi back onto the dance floor. As promised, you held on tightly to your omega and didn’t even consider dancing with anyone else who wasn’t him. 

A couple of songs had passed before you remembered your previous conversation with your mother. “Oh, I know where we’re going for our honeymoon.”

“Where?”

“It’s a surprise.”

“It’s not a surprise if you know.”

“I meant it’s a surprise for you.”

“But I want to know.”

“You’ll know soon enough.” You chuckled, spinning your bride before pulling him back in. “But I can give you a hint.”

“Please tell me where it is.”

It was incredibly difficult not to tell him then and there, but you held firm to your silly little game. “One hint, take it or leave it.”

He huffed slightly, giving in to your ridiculous behaviour. “Fine, what’s the hint?”

“I mentioned it earlier today in the car.”

“But you mentioned hundreds of places.” He protested and you could almost see a slight pout forming.

“Mhm, you did say you wanted to try them all.” 

“How am I supposed to narrow it down?”

Your grin turned evil. “You’re not.”

Before he could retort, you pulled Illumi in for a kiss. Smiling at the small noise of surprise he made, you quickly pulled away again. Your good mood soured when you noticed who was getting closer to where you were.

“It’s almost time for you to leave for your honeymoon.” Your new mother-in-law approached, giving you a warm smile before turning to her son. “You must change before you go, follow me.”

“I’ll see you soon.” You whispered to him, placing the ghost of a kiss against his cheek before he was whisked away to change into more suitable travel attire. Your only issue was that Illumi was to be alone with his mother and who knows what sort of nonsense she was going to fill his head with. At least you’d be able to rebuke it now. 

You also quietly slipped away to get changed. Having previously set out travel clothes the night before, it didn’t take long until you were back under the fairy lights waiting for your omega. You passed the time talking to some distant relatives, only partially listening to the conversation as you eagerly counted down the seconds until you could leave. You didn’t have to wait long until Illumi returned, side by side with his mother, in flowy clothes, save for his wedding necklace, that seemed a lot more comfortable than what he was wearing a few moments prior. 

You watched him as his disinterested gaze scanned the crowd, actively seeking you out. Watched him as he spotted you and looked for all the world as though he wanted nothing more than to run to your side. Before he could move towards you however, his mother caught him by the arm and whispered something harshly in his ear. Illumi nodded and pulled away.

“What was that about?” You asked when he approached, automatically wrapping an arm around his waist. 

He just shook his head, clearly unwilling to give the details now. You made a mental note to ask later. 

Car packed and ready to go, you were ushered towards the driveway by the rest of your family. Clapping and cheering filled the night as you helped your bride into the car, and finally pulled away from the place you called home. 

It was an odd feeling, driving away from your childhood manor to start a new life. Granted, it wasn’t one you had chosen but something told you it wasn’t bad. Sneaking a glance at Illumi, you decided that perhaps this was almost something you would have wanted for yourself, without the family duty aspect.

“Can I get another hint?” Illumi broke the silence first, seemingly thinking very hard about where you were driving to.

You laughed at his helpless tone as you turned onto the main road that would take you to the docks. “Fine, I can’t drive the entire way there.”

“You can’t?” Illumi’s nose scrunched slightly, brain working on overdrive in attempts to figure out where his first adventure would take place. 

“Nope.” You were still chuckling as you relished in the odd glow this day had filled you with, feeling lighter and freer than you had in years. Taking your wife’s hand, you began the long journey to the coast. 

“How are we going to get there?”

“Ah ah, that’s more than one hint.”

He paused, contemplating the options. “Are we going by rocket?”

You couldn’t help it. His innocent tone had you thrown into a fit of laughter. You had no idea your bride was able to crack jokes, albeit accidentally. 

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing.” You had to calm down and focus on the road. It wouldn’t do to die before your honeymoon. “No, we’re not going by rocket. Hate to break it to you but we are limited to this planet.”

The omega hummed and looked out of the window. He then very quickly realised that he couldn’t see much in the dead of night. 

When did Illumi get so cute? Or was he always like this and you just never noticed? He certainly wasn’t like this around his family, that much you were certain about. A delicate, warm feeling settled over you at the thought that maybe, just maybe, he was like this only with you. That he was comfortable enough that you wouldn’t judge, yell or reprimand him if he put a toe out of line. 

You felt yourself grip his hand tighter.

[deliciousangelfestival]

Tears In His Ferrari - 11

Character: Bucky Barnes x Farmer!Reader

Summary: Bucky Barnes, used to a life of luxury, takes on farm challenges in a bet with his father. Mud-stained Ferraris and a rustic farmhouse lead to unexpected personal growth, guided by the stern mentorship of Y/N, a farmer making his city-boy life difficult.

Theme: Fluff, Slice of Life, Heart-Warming.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Thank you to anyone who gave a like, reblog, and left a comment. It motivated me to write more. 

Chapters: Chp 1, Chp 2,Chp 3 , Chp 4 , Chp 5 , Chp 6 , Chp 7 , Chp 8 , Chp 9 , Chp 10, Chp 11 , Chp 12.

Bucky then found himself inundated with tags from numerous people: “#SaveBuckyFromY/N”, “KateBucky4ever”, and more.

Feeling increasingly uncomfortable with the online scrutiny, especially since he hadn’t even established a relationship with Kate, Bucky realized the weight of social media speculation.

"Bucky-" as Y/N began to speak, Bucky sensed the tension building within her. Before she could ask him anything, her phone rang, interrupting their conversation.

Reacting swiftly, Bucky urged, “Wait, don’t pick up the phone.”

However, it was too late.

“Hello?” Y/N answered, her expression turning serious as she engaged in the call.

Moments later, she visibly struggled to maintain her balance and leaned heavily against the nearby table. Reacting instinctively, Bucky hurried to her side, offering his support.

Guiding her to sit down, Bucky observed a vulnerability in Y/N that he hadn’t witnessed before, despite their months of companionship.

Letting out a weary sigh, Y/N confessed, “This thing still chases me wherever I go.”

Concern etched across his features, Bucky inquired softly, “Is it true?”

Y/N met his gaze and nodded solemnly. “Do you want to know why I disliked you the first time we met?”

Bucky attempted to lighten the mood with a jest, “You did? I didn’t notice.”

Y/N smiled stiffly, her expression betraying a mix of emotions. “You reminded me of my old self. Selfish and childish.”

Bucky’s brows furrowed in confusion. The Y/N he knew appeared aloof, but beneath her exterior, she always extended a helping hand whenever someone needed it.

“You?” Bucky exclaimed, genuinely surprised.

Y/N nodded, her gaze distant as she recounted her past. “I used to despise farm life. So, I ran away to the city.”

“No way,” Bucky responded, struggling to reconcile this revelation with the Y/N he knew.

“I took on any job I could find to survive,” Y/N continued. “Eventually, I landed a position in a small restaurant. The owner took me under his wing and taught me everything I know. After a year, he recommended me for a chef position on a cruise ship.”

“That’s where you met Paul?” Bucky interjected, connecting the dots.

Y/N nodded, a faint smile playing on her lips. “We were the youngest chefs on board, constantly underestimated by our senior colleagues. But we worked tirelessly to prove ourselves.”

Her smile faded as she delved deeper into her story. “Who would have thought that Paul was actually the son of the ship’s owner?”

Bucky nodded in understanding. Kate came from a wealthy family, and while he knew her mother, he was unaware of her father’s identity.

“Paul asked me to join him in opening a restaurant,” Y/N continued, her voice tinged with reminiscence. “I became his sous-chef.”

Bucky’s eyebrows furrowed in concern as he processed Y/N’s words. “Starlight restaurant?”

Y/N simply nodded in confirmation.

“Wow,” Bucky remarked, impressed. “It’s notoriously difficult to secure a reservation there.”

Y/N’s expression shifted, her eyes clouded with memories. “The restaurant was successful, but I grew exhausted and burned out,” she explained. “I couldn’t handle it, especially with Paul’s gambling addiction.”

The restaurant had flourished financially, but much of the income had been drained to cover Paul’s debts, leaving Y/N drained and depressed.

“So, I quit and returned to working on cruise ships,” she continued a tinge of regret in her voice. But even that decision proved a mistake, as she became increasingly depleted and devoid of the passion for cooking that once drove her.

Then came the fateful night of the accident. Paul, inebriated and reckless, had implored Y/N to drive him home. Despite her protests and her inability to operate the sports car, Paul had insisted.

The car veered off course, crashing into a tree. While Paul had sustained injuries, they hadn’t affected his culinary skills. It soon became apparent that the accident had been staged—a ploy for Paul to evade responsibility and declare bankruptcy for the restaurant.

Disgusted by Paul’s deceit, Y/N had returned home—a place she had once fled in search of escape. But upon her return, she realized just how much she had missed it. It was then that she resolved to stay and make amends as a dutiful daughter.

Bucky listened attentively, a mix of empathy and understanding in his gaze. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” he reassured her sincerely.

Y/N met his gaze, her eyes reflecting a blend of surprise and gratitude. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear those words. I never expected to hear them from you.”

“Hey…” Bucky’s soft and comforting voice offered solace amid Y/N’s turmoil.

As their faces drew closer, a palpable tension crackled in the air, igniting a silent conversation between them. Y/N’s heart raced in anticipation, her mind swirling with the possibility of what might transpire between them. Is this really happening? she wondered, her breath catching in her throat as she closed her eyes, bracing herself for the inevitable.

But just as their lips hovered tantalizingly close, the spell was abruptly shattered by the intrusion of Samantha’s voice.

“Baby, are you okay?”

Startled, Bucky and Y/N quickly recoiled, putting a respectful distance between them as Samantha entered the room. The moment was lost, replaced by a wave of awkwardness that washed over them both.

Samantha’s eyes flickered over the scene, a discerning glint in her gaze. She approached her daughter, her expression a mix of concern and determination. “Don’t worry, baby,” she assured Y/N, her voice laced with unwavering resolve. “Mom will handle this. Nothing this skinny person said is true.”

Y/N’s brows furrowed in confusion and apprehension. “What are you going to do?” she inquired, her voice tinged with uncertainty as she awaited her mother’s response.

******

Kate, thoroughly enjoying her followers' flattering tweets and comments, lounged back in her chair with a satisfied smirk. "Hehehe."

Meanwhile, her assistant, feeling a bit groggy, couldn’t seem to sit still.

"Stop fidgeting," Kate commanded, her tone impatient as she continued scrolling through her phone.

"But she didn’t do anything wrong," her assistant pointed out, a hint of sympathy in their voice.

Rolling her eyes dismissively, Kate waved off the comment. She was too engrossed in the online attention to entertain any doubts or second thoughts.

However, her focus was abruptly interrupted by the ringing of her phone. She glanced at the caller ID and saw it was her estranged brother, Paul.

Kate's trembling fingers hesitated before accepting the call, her long, manicured nails glinting in the dim light as she whispered a tentative "Hi."

The voice on the other end was cold and devoid of any warmth one might expect from siblings. "Keep my name out of this," Paul commanded, his tone sharp and unforgiving.

With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Kate watched as the call abruptly ended. It was a brief exchange, leaving her feeling pale and unsettled.

Despite being siblings, Kate and Paul had grown apart over the years, their relationship strained by their parent's divorce and Paul's withdrawal from social interactions following the accident.

As Kate tried to process the call, she was startled by a commotion from her rented house. Peeking cautiously through the curtains, she saw a sight that sent shockwaves through her. Quickly retreating from the window, she cowered in the safety of the shadows, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty.

"Get the car keys," she ordered her assistant, her voice tinged with urgency.

"What's going on?" her assistant pressed, confusion evident in their tone.

"Stop asking! Just do it!" Kate snapped, her patience wearing thin.

With a resigned sigh, her assistant rolled their eyes but complied with her request.

Peeking anxiously from behind the curtain, Kate's heart sank at the sight that greeted her. A crowd had gathered outside, wielding fiery torches and brandishing pitchforks.

It resembled a scene from a medieval village, and Kate couldn't shake the feeling that she was the target of their ire.

Voices clamored outside, demanding her presence. "Come out, come out! Where is the person who just slandered my daughter's name?" one voice shouted.

"Right. Come out and talk," another added, the tone laced with hostility.

Kate trembled with fear, her mind racing with panic.

"You want to go now?" her assistant asked, their concern palpable.

"Now!" Kate insisted, her voice quivering with anxiety.

As she hurriedly exited town, Kate swore to herself that she would never return. The events of that night had left her shaken to the core, and she had no intention of ever crossing paths with Bucky or anyone else from the town again.

********

Kate's message sat unread in Bucky's inbox, a stark reminder of her betrayal. He felt a pang of guilt as he reflected on how things had unfolded.

If he had been firmer in asking Kate to leave, Y/N wouldn't have been subjected to such humiliation.

Despite the turmoil, Bucky resolved to carry on with his daily routine. Tending to the crops and livestock provided a sense of normalcy amidst the chaos of recent events.

During lunchtime, he decided to visit Toby and his grandparents. As he arrived at the farmhouse, nothing could have prepared him for what he was about to encounter.

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Author Note: Hey friends,

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[avelera]

Reflections on the Ides of March

After all the excitement yesterday about the assassination of Julius Caesar, I think it's worth mentioning that Julius Caesar's death being celebrated as the common man's answer to tyranny is a little like celebrating the Mayflower Pilgrims for being on the side of religious tolerance.

Like, the Mayflower Pilgrims emigrated from England because England wasn't religiously controlling enough for them. They wanted more religious tyranny and were upset that the government was too moderate for their liking in allowing other ways of life.

In a bit of a distant parallel (bear with me, ADHD connection brain go brrrr) Julius Caesar first made enemies among the aristocrats who eventually murdered him by being a populist endeavoring to solve Rome's growing inequality issues by bringing land reform to Rome specifically targeted at redistributing land that had been gobbled up by the rich and powerful to give it back to its people.

It's a little complicated because, yes, Caesar's move to dub himself dictator for life was absolutely an authoritarian move. In addition, Augustus and subsequent European authoritarians/monarchs (I believe we should use the term more interchangeably tbh) used "Caesar" as a title and justified their reign going back to him via Augustus's eventual ascendence as his heir after a bitter power struggle and killing off all his other rivals who could claim that title, and thus brought an end to the (already tottering) Roman Republic. This puts Caesar as a step on the path to a reduction of a form of non-authoritarian rule.

But tyrant, as Caesar was referred to by those who assassinated him, in the ancient sense had a subtly different meaning. A tyrant was usually a figure who gained popularity among the masses by becoming their advocate against the rich and powerful and who ascended to power usually on the wave of a cult of personality and promises of egalitarian reform. They rarely established dynasties because the skills needed to reach their position of power rarely appeared in their biological heirs and without the structure of a monarchy to pass that mantle of authority onto their sons and heirs, the power structure of that tyrant usually fell apart upon their death.

Basically, one really magnetic person would occasionally rise up when the rich and powerful had gone too far in the societal imbalance. Rich aristocrats hated that. The enemy of most classical tyrants were the rich and powerful. Tyrants were populist leaders who usually took power for life (often, a rather short one if they couldn't keep the reins of power well in hand). This is a part of the rather complex political history of "rule by the people" and how it wasn't always a straight line from "rule by one" straight to democracy, sometimes a single authoritarian dictator/tyrant actually was the representative of the common man in confrontation against the accumulation of power by oligarchs.

So, Julius Caesar is a bit of a complicated figure here, because he rose to power by being a champion of the common man, in a tradition in Rome going back to the ill-fated Gracchi. By taking "dictator for life" powers, he was feared to be setting himself up as a king, or rather as a tyrant by Roman Senators, all wealthy aristocrats and by today's standards, oligarchs. Rome originally became a Republic, historically, when a Brutus family member assassinated the then-Etruscan tyrant so Rome could rule itself (or rather, could be ruled by its own oligarchs, which was much more democratic before it exploded into an empire by Caesar's time).

But the material damage the Roman Senators feared from Caear was just as much that he would take their land and money from them with that dictatorial power in order to repair the desperately crumbling "middle class" (term used loosely as it does not directly translate) which had been picked clean and robbed blind by the aristocrats over the past century or so in Rome since the Punic Wars. Caesar was championing anti-poverty measure that was looking out for the actual common citizens of Rome, something the Roman Senators did not want Caesar to do because it would bite into their wealth.

This makes it rather bitterly ironic that the common people today celebrate Caesar's death when, at the time, one of the reasons he was murdered was for being the champion of the common man. However, it is an understandable irony given how Caesar's legacy would be used by authoritarians after his death, up to and including in modern times.

[sexualtensiongrowing21]

As the Sun Sets // Scars // Part Two

TW: Smut and physical abuse

Part three

After the welcome back dinner and the sorting ceremony for the first years we make our way back to the dungeons. Draco stays silent while we all listen to Pansy and Blaise talk about who they are going to spend the semester shagging.

“I heard Mclaggen is single this year. Looks like he has been training pretty hard as well.” She raises her eyebrows.

“Well I hear Chang is looking for a distraction from The Chosen One. I wonder if she likes the taste of chocolate?” Blaise jokes.

“Bloody hell, don't be crude Blaise.” I say while shaking my head.

“Don't act like you’re so innocent Scar, we all know you like to get down a dirty in the boys locker room” Theo joins in on it now. My mouth hangs open and I blush with embarrassment.

Pansy and I have been roommates since first year, and best friends since second. Her and Draco are the only ones who know the truth about me and my family. To everyone I am Scarlet Johnson. Not Scarlet Lestrange. Aunt Cissy convinced my father that it would be best if no one knew who my mother was. The fact that Raldophis Lestrange and Belatrix Lestrange had a child would make me a target. Not that they cared about keeping me safe, but the things I know. That I could be used against them. So it was hidden who my parents were. To everyone else I am a distant relative from the Malfoys from a pureblood family in France and that I was left in front of their floo one day.

Raldophis and Bellatrix wanted an heir. Someone who would join the ranks and bring honor to their name. But, instead they had me and they never let me forget what a disappointment I am.

“You know Pans, you could help me and Draco study instead? With O.W.L.S coming up soon we could make it like a study group! It will be fun!” I say while locking my arm into hers.

“Pass.” She says “Dray, you must have a list of lovely ladies to shag this year… or at least ladies…” turning her attention to Draco.

Draco huffs out a laugh. I roll my eyes while I pull her along.

“Yeah Dray, who's first on your list this year?” Bliase joins in from behind us causing Draco to shoot a glare in his direction.

No one calls Draco Dray except Pansy. Only because that has been her nickname for him since we were little. I also think he's scared of her, but he would never admit that.

“You know who looks rather fit this year?” Theo questions from beside blaise. “Patil” He answers himself.

“Which one?” I laugh “Both” he and Blaise say with a shrug

“Circe, could you be any more of a man whore?” I ask.

Theo pulls ahead and turns around putting his hand over his heart “You wound me Scar”.

Shaking my head we come to a stop once we finally get to the common room door and spot a group of first and second year Slytherins outside the common room trying to remember the password to enter.

“Move” Draco spits to the newer students. “pura sanguine” The snakes slide to reveal the door and we all step inside, the newer students follow with their heads hung low.

“Meet back in twenty?’ I ask while we all split up and go towards our dorms to unpack and settle in.

Pansy and I are pulling out all of our stuff from our trunks that are at the end of our four posters. The Black Lake against the windows is looking particularly dark this evening. I always loved falling asleep to the sound of the water humming against the panes. Our beds are across from each other on either side of the room. Third year Pansy threw a fit and demanded her dad bribe Snape into giving us our own dorm room alone. Perks of being a wealthy death eaters daughter I suppose.

“So Scar, got anyone on your to do list? Maybe Potter? Or one of the Wesselbee twins… Or both of them?” She laughs, flicking her want to send her clothes magically fly into the wardrobe.

“Oh Circe, Pans. No. They are just friends. I told you before, I just want to focus on my studies this year. I was never good at flirting anyways. ” I give her a sad smile.

“Hey, I can still study while having some fun on the side.” She winks. “Besides, I am a Parkinson, flirting comes easy to me. Come on. There has to be someone new you fancy. We are to be wed soon enough.” Venom laced in her voice. “Might as well have some fun before we are forced onto some oldy to produce an heir.”

Fancying someone requires me to actually get to know someone. Which also means that they need to know me. While I can give them surface level information like my favorite color, or my favorite quidditch team I can't trust anyone else to give anything real or personal about me. Last year I dated Adrian Pucey for a couple months last year. He is the closest thing to a boyfriend I have had. He showered me with gifts, sugar quills and affection. He really was a good boyfriend. That was, until I stumbled upon him with his trousers around his ankles and buried in Susan Bones while she was bent over a table in an empty classroom. Draco, Theo and Blaise almost killed him.

“What about Adrian? Did you ever talk to him after he left the infirmary last year?” Pans asked while fixing her makeup in our bathroom mirror.

I can't blame him entirely. I wasn't exactly the most attentive, what with running around with the golden trio and spending most free time with Draco and the rest of the boys. I wanted to hear him out. Let him apologize without the boys getting in the way.

“No. Draco never left my side, and then we left for summer. He sent me many owls over the summer, but Draco always incendio’d the letters.” I say solemnly. “I planned to find him tomorrow after dinner.”

“Would you like me to drag the boys away somehow? Distract them so you can talk to Adrian?” Pansy asked, grabbing my hand and rubbing circles on my knuckles.

“Oh Pans, that would be great! Thank you. You really are not the heartless bitch everyone says you are after all.” I playfully smile.

“Tell anyone and I will hex you.” She half heartedly threatens while pointing her wand at me.

—————————————————————————————-

After we have unpack we meet up with the boys in the common room. Theo is on the couch while Draco and Blaise are in the adjacent chairs. I jump over the back of the couch next to Theo while Pansy slides on the arm of the chair that Blaise is sitting in.

“Finally you two return. You know how long we have been waiting?” Theo teases while checking his imaginary watch on his wrist.

“They had to unload the eternity of their closest, Theo boy. You know how these two are with their clothes and shoes.” Blaise smirks from his set next to Pansy.

“You know us ladies, we must look our best when we visit gentlemen callers.” I laugh while patting Theo on the leg.

Pulling out my potions book I start to study while the rest of the group continues with their conversation. Draco and Blaise playing exploding snap, Pansy is doing her nails and Theo is reading besides me. After an hour or so everyone starts to trickle back to their dorms. The only two left are Theo, Draco and I.

After losing countless games (and galleons to Blaise) Draco gets up and looks towards the two of us “I'm gonna head on up. You coming, Nott?”

“Yeah, just gonna finish this section then I will be.” Theo says without looking up from his book waving his hand in the air to say go on without me.

“Night Scar.”

“Night Draco.” I say smiling in his direction and he heads towards the boys dorms.

After Draco leaves and is no longer in sight I get off the couch, put my book in my bag, and grab the blanket Molly Wesley made for me for Christmas last year wrapping it around my arms. Walking towards the common room exit I hear Theo snap his book shut and yell “And where do you think you're going all alone?” from behind me.

Throwing back an innocent smile while walking out I say “I'm going to get fresh air. Care to join me?”

Theo looks around before grabbing his cloak and following me out the dungeon door. We walk in silence till we get outside. Theo mutters a warming charm over us as I lead him to the edge of the black lake. This has been our go to spot since third year when Theo and Blaise found me in the midst of a panic attack after encountering my bogert. From then on this is where we go when we need to be away for a while. Hide for a while from all of the drama that occurs within the walls of Hogwarts. For Blaise when he found out about father number 4. Theo when his trip home left little to the imagination. Pansy for when she needed a secluded place to cry. And for Draco. When life at home started to bleed into his time at school.

I lay out the blanket and sit down tapping the spot next to me, motioning Theo to sit beside me. I sit cross legged while staring upon the edge of the lake. I hear Theo pull out a cigarette and light it next to me. The red embers burn as he inhales. Making smoke rings as he exhales. I have found whenever I have some time to myself I spend it organizing my thoughts. Always occluding.

“You know, You don't have to occlude around me.” Theo says from beside me as he inhales again.

I open my eyes and tilt my head to the side to look at him.

“Maybe you're a master in legilimency, secretly trying to get into my head to learn all my weaknesses.” I say swiping his cigarette from his hands and taking my own inhale with a smirk on my lips.

“Scared I might discover that you're secretly in love with me Scar?” He laughs while pushing his curly brunette locks out of his face dramatically.

“You wish.” I say while handing back the cigarette.

I can't say that I haven't thought about Theo in that way. We have been friends since first year because of Draco. I can deny how attractive he is. Tall, built like a seeker, honey skin tone, green eyes that light up when someone is talking about quidditch. The way his brows furrow when he is trying to understand something from his textbook. The way a single curl falls into his face throughout the day no matter how many charms he puts on it.

I have had a crush on Theo, one of my cousin's best friends since we were younger… But he doesn't know the real Scarlet. The girl whose mother is a delirious murder. Whose father only ever wanted an heir and makes sure she knows it. That the only attention he gives her is through forcing her to learn the dark arts and teaching her physical lesions when she gets them wrong. I cannot add to the stress of his life by adding the shitshow that is mine. So I fake it. Pretend that I am not crazy about the brunette sitting beside me. To protect him.

“How do you know I don't use it to protect you from me?’ I ask, eyeing him while he takes a drag.

He turns to look at me and smiles. He put his arm around me pulling me into him and kissing the top of my head

“Because I am one of your best friends! You don't need to protect me from anything. And hey, one of these days I'm going to get you to let your walls down with me.” he says matter of factly.

I just hum in acknowledgment and lean into him while we watch the giant squid rise above the surface and back down again in silence.

After a while Theo takes another drag of his cigarette.

“I saw Adrian at dinner tonight.” Theo says with an exhale of smoke. “He looked like he wanted to talk to you.”

“Really?” I say as a blush makes its way to my cheeks.

“Yeah. I thought you two broke up?” He says while passing me the stick.

“We uh.. Yeah we did.. But he has been trying to talk to me all summer.” I say taking a small drag.

A couple of minutes goes by in silence.

“Is it wrong to miss him Theo?” I say just barely above a whisper.

“He cheated on you Scar. He lied and cheated on you. He hurt you.”

I can feel tears start to prickle my eyelids. Quickly wiping the tear that was threatening to fall.

“I know Theo. It was my fault though. I wasn't good to him. I didn't give him the attention he deserved.”

“Oh bloody hell. Don't do that. Do not sit here and tell me it's your fault that he decided to get his dick wet by someone else.” He turned to face me now. Holding my face in his hand. His hands are so soft. Closing my eyes I relax into his touch. “You deserve the world Scarlet Johnson. Don’t let anyone say otherwise.”

Nodding and whipping the tears that fell I felt a pang of guilt in my chest at the foux name that came out of Theos mouth.

After an hour we decided to head back inside. We saw our goodbyes and parted ways to our dorms. Once I made it to my four posters and curled into the blankets. Thinking about what Theo said, “You don't have to occlude around me.” “You deserve the world” If only he knew how dark it can get within my head.

————————————————————————————-

“Again” “Crucio” he shouts from behind me. I drop to my knees. A thousand white hot knives cutting through my skin, and within a second I am laying on the floor. Every bone in my body is breaking. After what felt like hours it stopped. “...please… I can't… no more…” I struggle to speak. “Pathetic” he spits. “Get up.” He grabs my arm and yanks me to stand on my feet. Tears running down my face.

“Again.” “CRUCIO” he pours all of his magic into me. This time I scream. I'm begging him to stop. “please… father… no…. more…” I manage between screams, but he's relentless.

“Again” He yanks me up to my feet. I can barely stand on my own before he yells again “CRUCIO!” falling to the ground I know I am screaming but I can no longer hear myself.

“Scar!” Please stop… “Scarlet!” I can't take it anymore… Shaking me awake my eyes snap open. Everything hurts. But her grip is strong. She's holding me down.

“You're okay. He's not here. You're in our dorm. Scarlet you are safe” She stares, as my body is convulsing underneath her. Occlude, occlude, occlude. Breath. Breath. Breath.

In

Out

In

Out

In

Out

Ground myself.. I see the green curtains above my bed. I see the family signet ring on my left index finger. I see Pansy sitting next to me. I hear the lake hum against the window. I hear my heavy breathing. I hear Pansy reassuring words. I can move my toes. I can move my head. I can move my hands.

Finally my breathing slows. I look around and Pansy is next to me. “Father?” I slowly nod my head and she lets go and slowly gets off the bed.

I must have woken her, she is in her green satin pajamas and her short black hair messy. I get out of bed and make my way to the bathroom. Sweat covers my body. My throat is sore. I was screaming in my sleep again. Fantastic.

“I'm sorry for waking you Pans” I say over my shoulder while shutting the door to the bathroom.

Turning on the shower I walk over to the mirror and discard my clothes. Staring at myself makes me nauseous. The disillusionment charm has worn off by now.

My arms littered with a mixture of cigarette burns and various cuts and bruises. Lashes on my chest and stomach from curses I don't remember. Cuts on my legs are a mixture of my own doings and my mothers.

Turning to the shower and tearing my vision away from my reflection I try to relax my muscles with the hot water pouring down on me. Once I step out I cast my disillusionment charm over myself once more and get dressed for the day. It's breakfast so I head down to meet the rest of the group before classes start.

—————————————————————————————-

Walking in to the great hall I see Harry, Hermione and Ron and give them a wave.

“Where were you last night Scar? I didn't see you come to bed.” Pansy asks as I sit next to her.

“Me? I went out for a walk. Wanted some fresh air.” I begin pushing food around my plate.

Looking around I see Theo, Blaise and Draco deep in conversation about quidditch. Looking farther down the table I see Adrian. He really did change over the summer. His hair has gotten longer, lying lazily in his face. His eyes. His eyes always had a way to get me lost within them. All of a sudden, his eyes are on me. A blush creeps onto my face as he smirks. God I miss that mouth.

There he is. In the great hall I see Adrian. A toothy smile, and a wink is thrown my way while he sips his pumpkin juice.

“Earth to Scar.” Snapping her perfectly manicured fingers in my face.

“Oh I'm sorry, Pans. What were you saying?

“It's time to go to charms. If you would stop staring at Adrian, I was going to tell you that I have a plan to occupy the boys. I'll tell you about while we walk to class”

The rest of the day went by rather slowly. Charms with Pansy, Herbology with Blaise and Theo, Poisons with Draco and Theo, Divination with Draco and Pansy, History of Magic with Theo and Pansy, and Astronomy with all of them. Potions is my favorite class and being able to have Draco in my class makes it that much easier, except for when I have to fight over being his partner with Theo, but this time it looks as if Pansy beat us to it.

“Well hello partner” Theo sings while sliding in next to me. I roll my eyes at Theo.

“You're welcome by the way. I know you stole me away from Draco so that you could get an easy O.” I joke while settling into my seat.

“Or maybe I just wanted to work with you” He says while putting his arm around me and squeezing me.

“Oh whatever, Theo.” I giggle.

“Hello losers. I need your boy's help.” Pansy says while plopping across from us.

“Oh no. I am not helping you decide on an outfit again. Last time you made me try them on. Nope no again.” Blaise says while popping the ‘p’.

“Oh please you loved it Nott. No. I need help learning to fly. I need you and Draco to show me and for Theo to wait below to make sure that I don’t die when I inevitably fall to the ground.” Smiling while looking at her nails.

“And what is in it for me, Pans?” Draco grabbing another roll.

“Help me and you might find out.” Pansy says smirking in his direction.

“Fine. We'll be there. Scar will probably be studying for our first quiz from Slughorn anyways”

—————————————————————————————

After dinner I make my way to the dorms looking for Adrian within the swarm of boys playing exploding snap and wizards chest. Once I hear his laugh I make my way to him.

Making eye contact with me he says something that I couldn't hear from our distance. He pats his friend on his back and makes his way towards me. Once the distance is closed he reaches for me and pulls me in for a hug.

He whispers into my hair “There you are, angel. I have been waiting for a moment. I could swift you away. Are you free? None of your body guards around.”

“There are outside. Wanna talk?” He snakes his arm around my back as I lead him up to my dorm.

In my dorm we are sitting on the bed across from each other. He reaches up and tucks a strand of hair behind my ear.

“Circe I have missed you angel. I thought when you didn't respond to my owls you didn't wanna talk to me. What I did was inexcusable and I'm so sorry. I just think I needed someone who had time to care for my needs. Make me feel important, you know?"

I lean over to touch his face “I missed you too. So much. And I'm sorry. I should've worked harder. I promise I will do better this time... If you'll have me that is. ”

He leans his forehead against mine. His hands come to tangle into my hair. Slowly he inches closer to my mouth. Just a breath away. “Its okay, angel. You can always try harder.”

He closes the distance between our lips and my body tingles. He deeps the kiss his tongue asking permission to enter. As I open a small moan escapes from me and he starts to push me down on the bed. “I've missed this, the feel of your skin. You little moans.” he says between breaths as his hand travels down father gripping the hem of my shirt. Pulling it off of me he starts palming my breasts.

“Oh Adrian” mumbles from him as he works his way down my neck to my chest with his mouth. Flipping my skirt up over my hips he presses kisses on my thigh.

“That's it baby, Circe those sounds you make are so sweet.” I'm soaked, my panties are ruined by my arousal for the boy in front of me.

“Already wet for me baby” Slipping one finger in gaining a gasp out of me.

“Still so tight for me” Pulling down my panties, throwing them across the room and attaching his lips to my clit. Putting another finger inside, the knot that is building is starting to fray.

“That angel came undone for me.”

“Oh. Adri-”

“Tell me what you want, angel. Use your words” He growls while unbuttoning his pants but keeping the same rhythm on my clit and in my pussy.

“You- Ugh”

“Please- you, I want you I want to taste you too”

Without a second thought he disregards the rest of his trousers. He removes his fingers leaving me feeling empty. 

He grips my hair and shoves my head hard onto his crotch, as I open my mouth to fit him inside. 

““Dear Salazar. I missed your pretty mouth angel” He says between breathy moans never breaking the pace of fucking my mouth.

“Tell me you want me. Tell me how much you love me.” Adrian pants out.

Unable to respond with his cock jamming in and out of my mouth I hum around him.

“TELL ME. SAY YOU ONLY WANT ME” He growls out, fastening his pace. His hand came around my throat. Pressing hard onto my throat, hard enough to feel himself.

Pulling myself off of him just long enough to croak out “I.. only… want you.” 

“That's right angel. Swallow all of me and I’ll make you come.” He grits out hammering himself back down my throat. 

He shoves down my throat one more time and stays there. Trying to breath out of my nose I can feel tears streaming down my face as I feel his come shoot down my throat. His heart beats rapidly in his chest as he comes down from his orgasm. 

“Come here angel.” He says pulling me into him. He brushes the hair out of my face and wipes the tears off my face. “Good job. Come on, lets snuggle.” 

It's late by the time that I wake up again. My arms swing to the side to snake around Adrian waist but I am met with the empty presence of my bed next to me. A scrap of parchment is on my pillow, reaching for my wand on the bedside table. I cast a lumos to reveal what it says.

Angel, I'm sorry that I left but when Pansy came into the room, I just didn't want to get hexed in my sleep. I didn't wake you because you looked peaceful sleeping. I didn't want to wake you. Come find me tomorrow? Adrian

He is so sweet. I look over and Pansy is sleeping soundly in her bed. Reaching over to place the note in my nightstand I take a peek at the time. It's still the middle of the night. Rolling over to the new bed I engulf myself in the leftover scent of grass and broom oil. Slowly drifting back to sleep.

[madlysage]

my stardew valley bachelor headcannons:

(basically just me creating my own characters as fodder for fic atp :,)

elliott (my darling)

- is from a wealthy family- his dad is british and a distant descendent of the royal family

- went to college for an english and philosophy double major and graduated with honors

- had an affair with a professor in college (he didn’t know she was married) and is estranged from his parents as a result

- secretly loves trashy bodice ripper romance books

- always comes in without knocking (dramatic man that he is)

- cannot garden to save his life

- an ugly crier

- yappiest yapper ever

- LOVES dancing (and was classically trained as a child- hello rich preppy parents)

-bi king

^^ like this but longer red hair (UGH)

sebastian

- bi-icon

- he’s mixed white and native american (choctaw to be specific)

- i always picture him with long ass black hair (it’s hot sorry)

- literally always picture billy wirth….

- he has a secret belly button piercing (but he’s hiding it from robin)

- his mom and dad had him as teens and his dad abandoned them because his family didn’t approve

- wants to be closer to maru but doesn’t know how

- alternates having crushes on sam and abigail (but let’s be so real it’s gotta be sam)

- has a soft spot for classical music

- smokes weed even more than cigs- feels responsible for how much sam smokes too

sebastian fans come at me all u want this is the man in my head when i picture himmmmmmmm

sam

-another bicon (could honestly be pan)

- secretly a smoker (don’t tell jodi)

- has tons of army men in his room- he started collecting them when his dad got deployed

- loves crop tops and will cut any and all of his band tees- but his mom keeps throwing them away

- is still kinda in the closet and a little girl crazy (particularly for abigail and penny)

- is teaching jas to skateboard on school breaks ever since she asked (a bit to impress penny)

(this just works for me idk- he gives me this vibe but like grungier and spunkier maybe)

harvey

- refuses to drink anything but black coffee

- king of anxiety

- secretly a good cook

- loses his glasses at least once a week

- can name any model of plane just from the sound of the engine

- wants to get his pilot’s license

- has a phenomenal record collection

………… yes this is my harvey and I WILL TAKE 0 NOTES GO ATJ GO

shane

- leaned how to braid hair just for jas

- was on the gridball team in highschool but keeps it a secret to avoid alex begging him to join his rec team

- was also best friends with jas’ dad in highschool from the gridball team and since his death he hasn’t been able to bring himself to play again

- wanted to go to college for agriculture but the loans would have been too much

- let’s jas paint his toenails any color she wants but is too embarrassed to let her do his finger nails

- got his ears pierced one night on a bender in the city but never wears them

- has a little crush on emily but is too embarrassed by it to ever tell (he doesn’t think she would ever feel the same)

- 1/4 indian on his mom’s side but isn’t in touch with the culture

- is a vegetarian but never talks about it

likkkke COME ON

alex

- wears a specific cologne and gets very upset whenever he runs out and can’t have his “signature scent”

- gets up early and makes breakfast for his grandparents everyday

- is poly but doesn’t rlly know that’s an option- and it ruins most of his attempts at monogamous relationships

- went to college for human physiology on a gridball scholarship but got Cs the whole time (but he’s still smarter than u would think)

- does yoga with evelyn every sunday and does george’s physical therapy each day too

- is the stardew equivalent of a freaking baptist christian (he’s all into Yoba)

likeeeee is this not bro

[dreamcubed]

girls like me | remus lupin x reader

song; girls like me [will joseph cook] pairing; remus lupin x fem!werewolf!ravenclaw!reader genre; f2l, soulmates, fluff, mild angst word count; 6,7k timeline; marauders 6th year warnings; swearing, implied self harm, assault, injuries (involving blood), insecurities, implied anxiety summary; after becoming a werewolf over the summer holidays, y/n returns to find that remus lupin, a famous marauder, has an air of attraction around him that she never noticed before

masterlist

"girls like me don't come around that much."

———————————

Y/N Lykos hadn't been born werewolf. That much was obvious. But she wasn't bitten at an awfully young age, either; she was bitten when she was sixteen years old, in the Summer holidays between her fifth and sixth years. It was a shame really, because the event had occurred during what was supposed to be a pleasant holiday to the very North of Canada, to visit family. Her distant cousins who attended Ilvermorny had warned her about there being a couple wild werewolves in the nearby forest. If only she had listened.

A midnight walk wasn't such a bad idea, right? Just a little time to escape the stress of family gatherings, and ease the mind. Y/N really should have thought more logically than to take the forest path, especially considering her high grades and therefore intelligent brain. But, alas, she did not, and wandered down the snow-laden track with the ice crunching beneath her feet. It was eery, as aside from her cold shallow breaths, her footsteps were all she could hear. Everything was quiet. Too quiet.

Eventually, instinct got the better of her, so she turned tail to begin power-walking back to her Canadian family's hidden castle. They were wealthy family members; of course, Y/N didn't have nearly the same luxury, but she wasn't fighting for money back home, either.

In the turn of a second the silence turned to the sound of twigs and rustling of leaves from the trees just beyond the path. 'It's just the wind,' Y/N thought to herself. The memory of her cousins telling her about the werewolves suddenly hurried back, making her anxiously glance up to the night sky to check and try and feel some comfort. But, there it was in all its glory: the shiny full moon. Y/N felt her breath become shaky, shivers not just from the cold shooting up her spine.

A growl.

That was unmistakably a growl.

Maybe things would have turned out differently if she hadn't frozen in fear.

White fur flashed in the corner of her eye. And then the other corner after the feeling of a swoosh behind her. It was then Y/N's eyes locked on to shimmery blue ones, except they weren't pleasant shimmery. They were glaring into her very soul as if she was just a piece of meat. Which, in all fairness, was probably exactly what she was to it. All she could do was watch as it raised its claw, most likely to take a fatal blow to her, but was cut short by another white furry monster pummelling into Y/N's side and sinking its teeth into her thigh. She yelped in pain, and momentarily accepted fate, when she saw the first werewolf attack the second.

The pair began taking part in a deadly brawl, so Y/N took the opportunity to pull out her wand and send up a massive red flare spark, now the pain had brought her back to her senses. She knew doing any more magic than that could get her in trouble, so instead began limping away with her hands providing some sort of pressure to the wound. It was pure agony, and tears streamed from her eyes while she gained little to no ground.

She must have passed out and been found before the werewolves could cause any more damage, because she had woken up back in the room she had been staying in. The bite on her thigh had been healed over, but a scar that would remain forever was still settled there.

For a solid month after that, everyone had kept an eye on Y/N but wouldn't tell her why. She wasn't dumb, and had figured it out after researching werewolves. There was a good chance that she was a werewolf. In fact, there was a very slim chance she wasn't. Every single recorded werewolf bite case had resulted in the victim becoming a werewolf.

And, sure enough, she transformed on the full moon a couple days before sixth year, during which she accidentally injured her parents. They had contacted Dumbledore on the matter, and he told her he would discuss it in person with her when she was back at school.

Needless to say, Y/N was petrified of the damage she could cause, and the rest of her life as a fucking monster.

***

Y/N was punctual as always with getting on to the Hogwarts Express, meeting her best friend, Lily Evans, in one of the cabins.

"Hey, how were your holidays?" the red-head asked.

"Good," Y/N lied, "How were yours?"

"Great!" Lily's emerald eyes sparkled, "Sev and I spent a lot of time together down by the lake."

The train got going in short time, which was, of course, when the infamous Marauders decided to show up, led by James Potter who came to confess his undying love for Lily yet again. Except, when they all entered one by one with Peter coming in last, Y/N couldn't help but notice something different. Remus smelled good. Like, really fucking good.

His almond-coloured eyes pinned on to her as she stared up at him expectantly. She noticed as his nostrils shifted, as if he were sniffing something. Plus, the atmosphere between them had changed completely: before, it was normal, a sense of mild friendship during their brief encounters. Now, there was an unprecedented tension that couldn't be described.

"So, my Lily-flower, how is life treating you?"

"Bugger off, Potter," the red-head snapped.

"Hey, Y/N," Remus greeted, taking a seat beside her without thinking about it, "What did you do over Summer?"

"I- I went to visit my relatives in Canada," she said with a small smile, but all she could focus on was Remus' voice. Rowena, had it always been that deep and attractive?

"Right, come on, Moony. Evans has kicked us out," Sirius said, pulling Remus by the roughs of his collar. The lanky boy gave one more lingering glance to Y/N, before letting himself be pulled out by his friends.

Lily sighed at her, "Be careful, hun, everyone knows Lupin can be just as bad as the rest of them, despite his 'goody two-shoes' reputation."

"Yeah- I know. Did he always smell amazing?"

"Hm? What d'you mean?"

"Do you think he got a new cologne over the holidays?"

"I don't know."

"And his voice! Has he always sounded like that?"

"Godric, Y/N, are you feeling alright?" Lily pressed her hand to Y/N's forehead, "You actually find a Marauder attractive?"

She scoffed, "Don't act like you don't secretly return Potter's feelings," which made Lily's face match her hair colour.

***

"The password is... violet beans?" Y/N frowned, looking up at the statue curiously. Sure enough, it turned around, opening up a staircase that began moving upwards. She hopped on to it, allowing herself to be taken to the top without any required effort. An oakwood door was before her, so she tapped twice.

"Come in, Miss Lykos."

Y/N opened the door, to walk into the large and beautiful headmaster's office. She stared in awe around the room, as it was her first time having ever being allowed into that secluded part of the castle.

"I believe you are aware of what I have called you here to talk about."

"Yes, professor."

"Right, well, this isn't my first time taking care of a student such as yourself. By the way, I'm terribly sorry about the accident."

"It's- it's alright, professor."

"I have arranged for a secluded locked cellar just several metres into the Forbidden Forest that you can lock before transformation. The mind of a werewolf will not have the capacity to figure out the lock on it." Dumbledore gave her the directions. "Do you think that'll be alright?"

Y/N nodded, "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry for being an inconvenience."

"Oh no, never. You're only an inconvenience if you purposely try to bother me."

"Right, if that's all, goodbye, professor."

"Yes. Have fun settling back into Hogwarts."

Meeting with Lily back in the Great Hall for dinner, Y/N took a seat at the Gryffindor table since no one ever paid any mind to her being there. It's not like she was a Slytherin, after all. "Where've you been?" she asked.

"Oh, Dumbledore wanted to talk to me," she shrugged.

"How come?"

"I'm not too sure, I wasn't paying attention," she said. Lying was something she was quickly getting used to, and while Lily narrowed her eyes at her, she didn't comment further.

"I had my first potions lesson today," the redhead began, "Slughorn gave me constant praise for my amazing potion."

"And that's bad because?"

"It gets a little annoying, and I know it'll just make it hurt more if I fail."

Y/N nodded knowingly, "I had muggle studies and transfiguration today."

"I don't know why you even took muggle studies," Lily scoffed, "Your dad's literally a muggle."

"I like to see it from a wizard's perspective."

"I suppose... hey, have you seen Potter?"

"Why? Gonna confess your love for him?"

Lily slapped her arm gently, "No, he just hasn't pestered me all day... which means he's up to something."

"I'm here, my Lily-flower!" an all-too familiar voice called out, "Did you miss me?"

"In your sweet dreams, Potter."

"Ah, Lykos, darling, how are things going?" Sirius said, surprising her as she hadn't realised he had sat down right next to her.

"Fuck off, Black."

"Harsh."

James laughed, "Come on, Padfoot, Lykos' even more stubborn than Evans. You don't stand a chance."

"Shut up, Prongs."

Unfortunately, Remus was nowhere in sight.

***

If only Y/N had elected to bring her wand to the library with her, she wouldn't be in the dilemma she was currently: attempting to obtain a book on magic history from a significantly higher shelf than her. She had jumped a couple times, but had now paused to glare at the spine of the book as if that would inspire it to cooperate. It's a shame the library magic only worked when putting books back. That was when a familiar intoxicating scent wafted up her nostrils, followed by the presence of someone tall behind her, and then a tanned and scarred hand reaching for the book she had almost declared war on.

"You need this?" Remus' voice said softly, making Y/N turn around and flush. She nodded, nervously holding out a hand to take the book. "You really are short, huh?" he commented.

"You're just freakishly tall," she mumbled, but he heard easily and chuckled.

"You know we're in a magic school, right? You coulda just- ya know."

"I left my wand in my dorm."

Remus raised an eyebrow at her, finally handing over the book but still following her over to the table she had set up camp on.

"What do you want, Lupin?" Y/N asked, but didn't really care for the answer. He was there and that was all that was required for her heart to flutter.

"Nothing," he shrugged, taking a seat.

Y/N began reading a book as did Remus, who had picked a random one off the table. Of course, with her mind being distracted by the words on the page, she was no longer actively suppressing her instinct to shift closer to Remus on the sofa they were sharing. He had leant back against the backrest, while she was hunched over the table trying to ignore his intoxicating scent. Thankfully, when she had already subconsciously shifted a few millimetres, the sound of someone biting down on something hard made her head snap in the direction of the noise. Remus.

And he had chocolate.

He arched an eyebrow at her, knowing that she was eyeing the delicious chocolatey treat in his hand. "I don't share chocolate," he said, "Everyone knows that."

"I know-"

"But-" he cut her off, smirking a little, "-maybe I can make an exception." He snapped off a couple squares and handed them to her.

Merlin, when would this boy mature? But, hey, at least he was sharing his delicious snacks.

"Thank you," Y/N said with an extra sweet smile, accepting the chocolate and biting into it, "Shit, this is good."

"You never had Panselinos Chocolate before?"

She shook her head, "My mum always buys me the mainstream stuff."

"Yeah, but normally only a certain type of people like this chocolate."

***

"Fuck, Y/N, you alright?" Lily asked, jumping back after her arm brushed against her best friend's.

"What d'you mean?" Y/N replied, trying not to let her teeth chatter.

The redhead sighed, "You're in a DADA classroom with a roaring fire right there and you're freezing your tits off- hell, you're freezing my tits off! Seriously, are you okay?"

"Yeah, 'm fine. Just a little cold."

"Not only are you freezing up, but Lupin over there is burning up, and he's the furthest away from the fire- look at how he's sweating! He gets a fever every month, I swear."

Y/N glanced across the room at the lanky boy, just as he turned to look at her with her arms wrapped around her body in an attempt to retain any amount of body heat.

"Oh, Godric, he's looking at you!" Lily whispered.

"For a genius witch you are a bit of a Captain Obvious."

Just as soon as Remus had looked, he had looked away, and resumed with the assigned task. Y/N did the same, but not before taking a minute to squat dangerously close to the fire in a desperate attempt to warm up. She knew what symptoms she was experiencing: it was the first full moon of the school year that night.

Dinner was quite a stressful time, and Y/N kept glancing up at the magic Great Hall ceiling to check it wasn't dark yet. She was tapping the table in anticipation and had hardly touched the scrambled eggs she had reluctantly scooped on to her plate. The sickening feeling in her stomach prevented her from consuming any delicacy, other than the expected craving of very raw meat. Anxiously, she watched as the sky gradually turned to a pinky-orange, and decided that that was her cue to leave. Y/N lied to Lily and told her that she didn't feel well and was going to the infirmary. A special thanks to James Potter for flirting with Lily and therefore preventing her from offering to come as well.

Entering the gloomy Forbidden Forest was less nerve-wracking than Y/N had anticipated. But maybe that was because part of her felt as if she belonged there; after all, she was a monster too. The trap door was in the exact spot Dumbledore had said it was, and had a weird magical lock that she managed to work out quickly: she wasn't a Ravenclaw for nothing.

There was a provided safe for when she had stripped herself of her clothing and wand to lock them away safely overnight, and according to Dumbledore, the room was soundproof, so no one would hear her outrageous howls.

***

Madam Nosokoma, the school nurse, tapped gently on the trapdoor the next day, under which Y/N was lying exhausted, wounded and nude on the floor. She forced herself upwards to pull on a jumper and some shorts, before grabbing her wand and opening the door. "Hey, honey, how're you feeling?" she smiled.

"Tired," Y/N sighed, climbing up the ladder with all the energy she had left. Nosokoma supported her weight as she limped back up to the castle; the pink touch of sunrise brushing against the hints of blue in the sky. Just as she was helped through the doors of the infirmary, she laid her eyes on three of the Marauders crowding round an injured Remus on a hospital bed. They all turned to look at her, their eyes widening in shock at the bleeding scars littered all over her revealed legs, and the blood seeping through the woollen jumper.

Y/N didn't have the energy to acknowledge them all that much, but she was somewhat confused. Remus had always disappeared once a month, granted, but she had never paid much mind to it since they weren't close. Never in her wildest dreams would she have imagined he was getting injured. Almost like he was a werewolf.

The suspicions settled in Y/N's mind.

"Lykos, what are you doing here?" James asked, but all Y/N could give him was faint smile as Nosokoma began magically patching up her wounds. In fact, she had passed out by the time the bandages were done.

"Is she alright?" Sirius turned to Madam Nosokoma, sparing a glance to his bed-ridden friend of whom was also nearly passed out.

"She'll be fine, she's just had a rough night."

Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs exchanged glances, before looking at Moony to see he was fully out cold.

***

Remus woke up a couple hours later, as he was able to recover relatively quickly since he was so experienced. He laid his eyes on the bandaged sleeping girl a couple beds down from him, and the worst case scenario popped into his head. Had he hurt her? What if he had bitten her? Nosokoma was nowhere in sight, so he cautiously and painfully forced himself out of his bed to stand by Y/N's. Out of nowhere, Nosokoma appeared behind him, gazing down at the sleeping girl as well.

"Did- did I do this?" Remus asked, worry filling his glistening chocolate irises.

"No, Remus, you didn't," the nurse sighed.

He looked slightly relieved, but still confused, "Then what did?"

"That's not my secret to share."

"Okay..."

"Anyway, now you're up, you need to take the healing medicine, so we can get you back to class as soon as possible."

Remus was gone by the time Y/N was awake.

***

"Merlin, Y/N, where have you been?" Lily cried, practically throwing herself on to Y/N. It would have hurt if the wounds hadn't been magically healed over, the only remnants being the scars littered across her skin, that were covered by her chosen baggy school jumper.

"Oh... just the infirmary... I was feeling sick, remember?" she shrugged, taking a seat at the Gryffindor table.

"Yeah, if you define feeling sick as being covered in wounds and blood," Sirius, who was just a little way down the table, scoffed.

Y/N glared at him.

"You what?"

"I'll tell you later, okay? Not here," she replied. She knew she should tell Lily, her best friend, and also that she could trust her with such a hefty secret.

Lily narrowed her eyes, "Yeah... okay..."

***

"You're a- you're a werewolf?"

"Yes, an arctic werewolf- and you don't have to make it sound like an awful thing! I feel shit enough about it as it is."

"Right, sorry, it's just sudden information. Did you say you got bitten while you were in Canada?"

Y/N nodded, sitting down on the grass by the Black Lake and pulling her hands down her face. The Autumn breeze was nipping at her cheeks, but she was too stressed to think about the coldness in her bones.

"Hey, I'm- I'm so sorry you have to go through this..." Lily said, her green eyes laced with concern, "Is there- is there anything I can do to make it easier? Does- does it hurt?"

"I don't know, Lils... and, I mean, it's agony at first but then I black out and don't become conscious again til morning..."

"Animagus!"

"Hm?"

"Animagus," Lily repeated, "What if I became an animagus? My patronus is a doe, which is fairly large, and werewolves only crave human blood. I could help you while you're transformed-"

"I don't wanna put you in danger."

"I don't care, Y/N, you're my best friend! I'd do anything for you."

"Becoming an animagus is difficult."

"I'm sure I'll manage," Lily grinned, "I'm actually quite excited thinking about it- obviously it'll be illegal... I'll just keep it a secret til I graduate when I'll register myself..."

"You're planning a lot from such a brashly made decision."

"Eh, I've been wanting to become an animagus for a while. Now I have a decent excuse."

"Rowena, what would I do without you?" Y/N chuckled.

***

"I think I've finally mastered talking with this mandrake leaf in my mouth," Lily said, sucking on her tongue, "Thankfully the awful taste has disappeared now."

"I can't believe you've had that thing in your mouth all week. How do you eat? How do you sleep without choking?"

Lily shrugged, "I made a potion that I take before bed. It stops anything from going down my throat, other than air, of course. And eating isn't too hard if I push the leaf to the side."

"Ah, my dear Lily-flower, Lykos!" the voice of James called, making the girls turn to see three boys behind him. The Marauders.

"Great. Here's trouble," Y/N muttered. But, she had to admit, seeing Remus did make her go warm and fuzzy inside. The boys joined them in their position in the secluded corner of the library, which really begged the question of how the fuck did they find them?

-two minutes prior-

"Where is Lily?" James whined, trailing behind Sirius as they entered the library to find Remus.

"Maybe you should stop bothering her," Peter mumbled, silently walking behind James.

"There's Moony," Sirius grinned, ignoring the previous topic.

James immediately asked the wolf boy, "Do you know where Lily-flower is?"

"Probably with Y/N."

"Do you know where Y/N is?" James' eyes lit up hopefully, "You've taken a huge interest in her lately!"

Remus looked up from his book, before rolling his eyes, and scrunching his nostrils in a sniff. "Come on," he said, standing up to lead them between the aisles of the library.

"How much of a stalker do you have to be to recognise Lykos' scent?" Sirius laughed.

"Her scent is very distinct." They rounded a corner. "Here they are."

-present-

"Hello, Y/N," Remus smiled, sitting beside her.

"Lupin," she greeted.

"Godric, can't you just call me Remus?" he said. Y/N could tell it had come out unexpectedly, as he normally was quite reserved and much less straightforward around girls.

"O- Okay, Remus..."

He grinned.

Y/N glanced at the book he had carried all the way over, "What's that you're reading?"

"Oh, nothing-" he said, rereading the title of Werewolves: The Concept of Mating. She read the title for the first time herself, and looked back up at him to lock eyes.

"Can I- can I have a look?"

"Oh- uh- yeah... but I'm- I'm not finished reading it..." Remus handed her the book.

She flicked through the pages, skimming over each page until she found one that read Signs of Mating. Y/N paused, and cautiously began to read the bullet points that followed while Remus watched her.

• A mate's scent will be intoxicating and addictive to a werewolf. • The feeling of kissing a mate for the first time will send the mind to euphoria. • Werewolf mates can calm each other down during a full moon. • Something as simple as a mate's touch will instantly be calming. • In rare cases where a regular werewolf mates with an arctic werewolf, the difference in temperatures during the full moon phase will reach an equilibrium when they touch.

"I didn't know arctic werewolves existed," Remus said nonchalantly, "I've always found werewolves interesting."

"Yeah... interesting..."

He looked her up and down, not in a sexual way, but as if he were judging her character. "Why were you in the infirmary last week?"

"I just- I just took a fall," Y/N said, "Why were you in the infirmary?"

"Same as you," he said slowly, leaning closer, "I just took a fall."

"Come on, Flirty Moony," James called, evidently finished flirting with Lily for the time being, "We're off."

"Goodbye, Y/N."

"B- Bye, Remus."

When the Marauders had disappeared, Lily turned to Y/N with a mischievous look in her eyes, clearly suspicious of her and Remus. "So... what's with you and Lupin then?"

"Nothing."

"Yeah, that's what they all say."

"Okay, fine. Is it just me but is he really hot? Like really fucking hot?"

"I mean he's cute, yeah, but, Godric... has being a werewolf made your hormones rage or something?"

Remus hadn't taken the book back, and at Lily's statement Y/N couldn't help but glance down at the page she still had open in thought.

"What is it?"

Y/N handed the book over; she closely examined Lily's face while she read over the bullet points.

"You don't- you don't think...?"

"He's always disappeared once a month... he's covered in scars... he was reading that book... and he kept talking to me as if he knew..."

"Now that I think about it... it does make a lot of sense," Lily pondered, "In fact... it seems unlikely that he isn't a werewolf. But, wait... are you implying you think he's your mate?"

"...Yes?"

***

The tension between Remus Lupin and Y/N Lykos truly was something else: they would look at each other and feel their collective breaths hitch, and their hands would brush against each other and they would melt. Y/N didn't exactly know how to start a werewolf conversation, so left it, but, of course, the next full moon came around. It was the evening of the day of the full moon, and Y/N could feel her body freezing over. Lily had gotten too concerned and dragged her into the Gryffindor common room. McGonagall hadn't said anything as she was aware of Y/N's current condition.

Lily tried her best to wrap her best friend up in jumpers, blankets and with a hot chocolate by the fire, but Y/N was still shivering uncontrollably. She was showing no signs of warming up whatsoever. "It's- it's get-ting worse..." she chattered, curling into an even tighter ball, "I'm so- so c- cold."

The redhead looked around distressingly, until she remembered what she saw in the werewolf book about mates. If Remus was indeed a werewolf and also Y/N's mate, he would be able to equalise their temperatures. The Marauders were messing around at the other end of the common room, and Lily couldn't help but notice how Remus was practically passed out on the sofa, sweat droplets on his forehead. He was covered in ice packs, but they clearly weren't doing anything. "Y/N, I've got a better idea."

"What?"

Lily took the hot chocolate out of Y/N's hand and pulled her out from underneath the layers, dragging her all the way over to the boys while trying to ignore the fact her hand was freezing up. "Oh! My Lily-flower came to me!" James gasped.

"Shut up, Potter," she snapped, turning to Remus, "What's up with Lupin?"

"He's got a fever," Sirius said.

"Bullshit," Lily muttered, making all the boys' eyes snap towards her, including Remus'. She placed the hot chocolate on the table, and forcefully pushed Y/N to fall on to Remus' lap. If she hadn't been so cold, she would probably have blushed.

"Oh my Godric, you are literally a block of ice," Remus' eyes widened. He had never felt relief from his hot spells before.

"And you are so fucking hot," Y/N muttered, but immediately cringed at her choice of words. All the words to use for 'warm', and she chose the one with sexual connotations?

Thankfully, he said nothing on the matter, as he was too focused on the temperature relief he was finally feeling. Y/N glanced up in shock when she felt Remus' warm calloused hands cup her cheeks, but he wasn't looking at her. His eyes were closed and his head was resting on the back of the settee. She let out a small breath, feeling her blood warm up, which allowed a blush to rise to her cheeks. In a split second rushed decision, Y/N buried her face into Remus' chest, causing him to react by tightly securing her in his arms.

"Well then," James said, "Does this mean you will be hanging around with us more, future Mrs Potter?"

Lily glared at him, "In your sweet dreams."

"Is Lykos alright?" Sirius asked, seemingly more curious than concerned, "She looked like she'd just trekked through the Arctic."

"She's just got the shivers."

"Bullshit. What is it really, Lykos?" Sirius turned to look at the girl curled up on Remus' lap. Unfortunately, she couldn't respond, because she was fast asleep on top of the only source of warmth she required. Remus appeared to have drifted off as well.

***

"The sun's setting," James suddenly said, shaking his sleeping friend with a sense of panic.

"So?" Lily said calmly, trying to hide the fact she was worried that Y/N needed to get outside.

"So, we've got... plans..." Potter continued, managing to wake up both of the werewolves, "Moony, come on, it's almost dark."

"Shit," the boy cursed, carefully pushing a yawning Y/N off of him, "Sorry, I have to go."

Y/N's eyes snapped open as she finally registered what the others were saying. She, too, muttered a, "Shit," and jumped off the sofa to run over to the portrait hole. Lily didn't follow, since she wasn't yet an animagus, but the boys ran after her for a reason she was too worried to think about.

Once out the castle, Y/N sprinted down the grassy slope, nearly tripping on the way, to enter the Forbidden Forest. The Marauders watched from the top of the hill as she ran, piecing together what was happening. "You don't- you don't think she's...?" James trailed off.

"Yeah... Yeah, I think she is," Remus replied, "Anyway, we'll worry about that tomorrow."

They all nodded, before sprinting over to the Walloping Willow.

***

Madam Nosokoma came to collect Y/N earlier than she did the previous full moon, and as they walked up the hill, the boys were also supporting a wounded Remus on the way to the castle. "R- Remus..." she murmured, before passing out entirely due to blood loss and exhaustion.

The infirmary time went pretty much like the previous one, but what came after was different. Both of them were pretty sure that the other was a werewolf, but how exactly does one start up such a conversation? They weren't close enough to justify telling the other they were a werewolf for the sole reason of trusting them, and it's a little too insensitive to just ask 'hey, are you a werewolf?'.

And, so, the following month consisted of intense avoidance between both the Marauders and Y/N, since there were things that had to be said that couldn't be said. But, in more positive news, Lily successfully became a doe animagus, and was clearly ecstatic at her new ability. "I can help you now!" she had beamed.

Until, it was, again, the evening of the full moon, and Remus cornered Y/N in the library while visibly sweating. "Remus..." she mumbled, trying to suppress a shiver, "What-" she gulped, "-what do you want?"

"Come with me," he said, holding out his hand. Y/N glanced at the darkening sky outside, but still apprehensively accepted his offer, which allowed Remus to drag her out of the library. He dragged her all the way out of the castle, until they were outside standing on the grass.

"Remus- I- I have somewhere I need to be-" she said, watching the last bit of sun fall under the horizon.

"So do I," he said, tightening his grip on her hand, "What are you? Scared of the dark?"

"N- No-" she whispered, witnessing in pure horror as the white sphere peeked over into the pool of white-speckled navy blue.

"Y/N!" Lily's voice called from behind, followed by her grabbing Y/N's wrist and pulling her away from the boy, to drag her down to the Forbidden Forest in a sprint. The Marauders appeared behind Remus, and he spared them a glance paired with a frown, before sprinting after them. His friends followed suit.

There wasn't time to climb down into the cellar. The moon had risen quickly, and was shining down in all it's glory on to Y/N, who yelled, "Lily! Get back!" before collapsing on the ground in pain as she felt her bones crack and move.

The redhead quickly morphed into a doe, just as the Marauders arrived, with Remus falling on to the ground as well. James morphed into a stag, Sirius morphed into a black dog, and Peter morphed into a rat. Lily looked at them in shock, but most prominently at James who was a stag. She was a doe; he was a stag. She was torn from her thoughts at the sound of a growl from an arctic werewolf figure beside her, who was quite small but still deadly. Lily turned to what Y/N was glaring at, to see a larger brown werewolf, Remus, growling back at her.

Out of caution, she silently crept over to the other animagi, positioning herself beside the stag that was James. The werewolves let their front paws touch the ground as they growled more deeply at the other, ever so slowly edging closer and closer. Until, Remus suddenly stopped, and tilted his head as he sniffed the air. Y/N continued to growl, but didn't attack as he proceeded to approach her and lick her nose. That made her stop growling, and she backed up with a small whimper.

Remus barked, and began panting like a happy dog, making Y/N tilt her head. He got into a playful panting position, but snapped out of it when Sirius dared to come any closer. He growled at the dog, guarding Y/N behind him protectively. Lily decided to step forward, since she wasn't a canine and also a girl, so the chances were that Remus wouldn't see her as a threat. He didn't react to her, which allowed for her to approach her werewolf friend and rub her head affectionately against her.

The night was both the weirdest and easiest full moon any of them had ever experienced.

***

Y/N woke up with a start at the foot of a tree by the Black Lake, curled up in Remus' arms - something she did not expect. She gave a brief scan of her body, and was surprised (but relieved) to see that there were no new scars littering her skin. Remus was in the same situation. Their friends had evidently gone through the effort of getting more clothes for them, and draped them over their sleeping bodies so as to avoid public nudity.

She felt him stir next to her as she scanned the surrounding area and saw Lily asleep with her head on a sleeping James' shoulder, and Sirius and Peter also in physical contact with each other as they slept. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon and the temperature was warm but breezy.

Y/N could truly say that she felt peaceful in that moment.

"Good morning," Remus spoke gently, rubbing his nose against Y/N's cheek.

"Morning," she replied, watching as he looked his body up and down for scars.

"Nothing?" he said in surprise.

Y/N nodded, "Nothing."

Remus's face stretched into the largest grin she had ever seen bestowed upon his face. His calloused hand soon touched her cheek and tilted her head towards him, allowing him a decent angle to conjoin their lips in a chaste kiss. Y/N's mind had never been filled with so much warmth and butterflies before that moment, and for the first time in his life Remus felt like he truly belonged.

They eventually pulled away when they heard movement from a couple of their friends around them. Sirius was waking up, and yawned as he sat up and groggily looked upon Y/N and Remus. He remained sleepy for a few seconds, before a sudden realisation appeared to shock him fully awake.

"Moony - you're not injured!"

Remus' face split into another grin.

"Merlin, did we actually get some sleep last night?"

His loud voice awoke the others sleeping underneath the trees.

"What time is it?" Lily asked, clearly not yet having registered she was asleep on James' shoulder.

"The sun's still rising, so around seven, I guess," Y/N replied.

"Lykos," Peter spoke for the first time that morning, "You're a- you're a... you're just like Remus."

"A big surprise... but not an unwelcome one if it keeps Moony calm on full moons," Sirius added, and it was only then James' eyes opened.

He gaged his surroundings, doing a double take when he noticed Lily still half-asleep on his shoulder: his gaze on her made her finally realise her position, and she shot up instantly, her face bright red.

Deciding against saying something to her, he looked towards Y/N, and said, "I mean, I guess Moony isn't the only Moony now."

A penny dropped in Y/N's head, and she couldn't believe that she hadn't made the connection before that moment. "Your nicknames are your animagi!"

"Took you long enough, Lykos," James said, making her glare at him.

"Believe it or not, Potter, I don't spend every waking moment analysing your lives."

"Except Moony's," Sirius added.

"We should head back up," Lily finally spoke, "Before too many people are awake."

Everyone agreed, and after Y/N and Remus had awkwardly pulled back on clothes, began tiredly standing up to trek up the grassy slopes to the castle.

"I can't believe it. This is the first time since I was turned that I haven't needed medical care after a full moon," Remus said to Y/N as they took the back of the group on the walk.

She beamed at him, "Well, it's only been a couple months for me, but I can still appreciate how nice this is."

"It happened over the summer?"

Y/N nodded, "While I was in Canada. I'm an arctic werewolf, if you hadn't figured that out."

"I had," he reached his hand out to grab hers, "I'm just so- so relieved. I've felt like a monster all these years because there's never been a way to calm me down while I'm turned, and I've been so so scared of hurting people."

She glanced up at him, to see him staring ahead at the grass.

"I haven't felt this peaceful and just- human- in so long."

"I don't think we're humans, Remus."

He chuckled, "Yeah, yeah, I know. But I feel like I have more control over myself now, which makes me feel more human."

"My life has changed so quickly in these last months."

"Mine too. I've been feeling more and more like a monster everyday-"

"Well, if you're a monster, then I'm a monster."

"You could never be a monster, Y/N," he said gently.

She scoffed, "Hypocrite."

"Let me finish what I was saying - I've been feeling more and more like a monster everyday... until now."

He gave her the warmest smile, paired with the kindest eyes she had ever seen.

"Well, I guess we can't ever be away from each other now - at least on full moons," she said.

"I think we're gonna be close to each other a lot more than once a month, love."

"What- what do you mean by that?" She watched with widened eyes as Remus began laughing.

"You know exactly what I mean," he winked, before breaking into a sprint up the hill.

"Moony, get back here!" she yelled after him, beginning to run as well.

Soon, all the others of James, Sirius, Lily and Peter began running as well, yelling questions of why they were running, but laughing all the same.

And just like that, the new exciting years of friendship, self-confidence, and love began for them all, but especially Remus and Y/N.

———————————

masterlist

written; 18/11/2020 —> 21/06/2022 published; 24/06/2022 edited; —/—/——

[mask131]

The evolution of Morticia Addams (1)

And where else to begin our journey about the evolution of Morticia but with the original drawings and cartoons of Charles Addams?

Morticia Addams was the unnamed character of the mother in the bizarre, creepy and derelict family Charles Addams had created. Her appearance is now extremely famous: tall, thin, wearing a tight black dress with tendrils-like cuts at the edges, a pale skin for raven-black hair... But something most adaptations ended up forgetting is that in Charles Addams original cartoon, Morticia is not truly “sexy”. Mind you, when he was first conceiving the character he thought several “glamorous” versions of her (notably with well-done hair, and dresses with very revealing lowcuts - a version more akin to a flamenco dancer) ; but his first “drafts” of Morticia also proposed an alternate, “frumpier” version, with unkept hair, bags under the eyes, a more hunched disposition... Ultimately Charles Addams settled between the two and created the iconic Morticia look: she is a beauty, but a withered and morbid beauty. She is not just slim: she is so thin she seems unnatural. She isn’t just fair-skinned, she is pale like a corpse. The “tendrils” on her dress were meant to evoke something torn-out, worn-out, not something deliberatly cut. She lacked any kind of expression, her eyes were often half-closed : she was a person who was sucked out of life and color. She was in the image of her grand house: something that could have been a superb and splendid beauty, but is now becoming a grim and sinister ruin. She was a literal “femme fatale” : beautiful with her superb figure, but without any voluptuousness, fascinating with her elegant makeup, but lifeless in her expressions. A dead beauty.

In fact, as many pointed out, Morticia’s design was at odd with the usual way Charles Addams drew mothers or wifes. All of his mothers and spouses tended to be small, heavyset, big-nosed, ugly or plain matron-like women, with nothing of the style, elegance or sleekness of Morticia. Before creating her he had already used this kind of silhouette and face for other dangerous beauties - notably some Gorgon/Medusa drawings, and there are elements left of it in the “tendril-like” or “snake-like” aspect of Morticia’s hair. Charles Addams also confessed that a big inspiration for the character was the famous actress Gloria Swanson. 

Morticia is probably one of the “oldest” of the family members, due to appearing on her own long before the rest of the family was imagined by Charles Addams. Before Gomez or the kids, she was there in Charles Addams’ drawings, already the beautiful but disturbing and dark lady of a grand, dusty, old house - with by her side a tall, grim, creepy butler (the future Lurch). This all leads to presume that the house and the butler originally belonged to her, before Gomez arrived in the picture - plus, given her worn-out glamour, stern and haughty behavior, coupled with her owning a butler and living alone in a grand manor, it all leads to the idea that Morticia belonged originally to the wealthy, the aristocrats, the elite.

Stern, yes. Stern and aloof : this is how Morticia originally was in Charles Addams drawings. In fact, in them she was much more unpleasant that later adaptations made her out to be. She was a cold figure without any emotion or expression. All she seemed, at best, was bored. She could allow herself some physical affection - but mostly with her husband, and it only extends to them being close together on a couch. While Gomez is seen spending a lot of time with the children, playing with them and teaching all of sorts of things, Morticia only exists as a cold and distant mother. When she is seen with the kids, it is either to remind them of their duties (she summons them for their meals, she tells them when it is time to stop playing or go to sleep, she reminds them of the conditions for them to keep their pets) ; or to punish them (at best she scoffs off Wednesday complaining to her about her brother poisoning her drink, with a dismisive “Well just poison him back!” ; at worst she is seen locked up the children into a big chest in the attic - something assimilated to the equivalent of a spanking in the Addams family). She truly isn’t much of a “motherly” character, even though she is apprently a sweet and devoted wife (who notably greatly misses her husband whenever he leaves the house for long). 

Most of the time she is mostly seen in the role of the “lady of house” and as the “housekeeper”. She is often with Lurch the butler, giving him orders or overseeing him. She welcomes the various guests at the house and makes sure they feel at home. She greets the door-to-door salesmen, she places the Christmas decorations on the tree, and she is the one that watches over when a repairman comes into the house. Overall, it seems she is the one who makes sure everything works and who has all the “house-tasks”, while her husband is away - she probably is a housewife. She is the “social” and “managing” member of the household, always on the phone, and always organizing various appointments - though in her own words, she is always too busy on Friday the 13th.

Beyond all the above, she is often seen knitting in various occasions. She also seems to have a good relationship with the grandmother character: she is seen having a chat with her about what name she’ll give her future baby ; they both play cards together ; they hang out together in the kitchen to cook...  But Morticia herself is never actually seen doing any kind of “menial tasks”. She never cooks for example, while the grandmother and the butler do. She also seems to have a great passion for gardens (even though she is never seen gardening herself) : in one very famous drawing of her, she writes a passionate letter to her husband about the magnificent state of the garden and praises greatly the nightshades, death camasses, henbanes, dwarf’s hairs, slugs, belladonas and snake eggs that multiply in it. Morticia also seems in these drawings to have a certain link with animals, as she is seen taking care of bats in a birdcage (well... batcage) and she also participates with the children in feeding the vultures with meat leftovers (they have a special feeding station placed in a tree by the house).

As I said, originally Morticia did not have a name, like every other member of the family ; but when it came time for him to put identities on these characters (for the upcoming television series), Charles Addams decided to name the mother “Morticia”, after the job of “mortician” (he was looking in the Yellow Pages, opened it randomly at the category “Morticians” and said bingo!). Here is the full description he gave of the character :

“The real head of the family and the critical and moving force behind it. Low-voiced, incisive and subtle, smiles are rare. This ruined beauty has a romantic side too, and is given to low-keyed rhapsodies about her garden of deadly nightshade, henbane and dwarf’s hair. Generally indulgent of the often sinister activities of the children, but feels that Uncle Fester has to be held in check. Her costume is always the same : the form-fitting black gown, tattered or cut to ribbons at the elbows and feet. Occasionally, she will wear a shawl. Her voice is never raised, but has great range. Contemptuous and original and with a fierce family loyalty. She never uses a cliché except to be funny. She is a thoughtful hostess in her way and, if a guest needs anything, he is advised to scream for it. The children are instructed to observe the amenities and always kick Daddy good night.”

In additional interviews, he also described Morticia’s look as “an ideal, a kind of good looks, with eyes slightly up center and dark, snakelike hair.”

[redbuddi]

Just went through your Phantom Redux tag and I like it so far!

I'm kinda curious about the Fenton family in this concept now. Any major changes from the original you'd like to share?

Yup!

When MILF meets DILF (Apologies for the awkward Jack design, I am bad at drawing large lads, this design is not final)

A lot of the core of the OG family will remain more or less the same, but like with Jazz slight tweaks need to be made to match the newer dynamics of the story.

Like in the OG series, Jack and Maddie are a couple obsessed with ghosts and ghost-hunting, despite never having found a ghost. I do have slight backstories for them this time, but these are details that would mainly exist in the background and probably won't ever come to the forefront.

For Maddie she had always been interested in ghosts, growing up in the swamps countless myths and stories were told to her and she had numerous encounters that made her adamant that ghosts were real. She studied hard and eventually got into a prestigious college on a scholarship, where she first met Jack and Vlad, and the story from there is the same as in the show.

She is loving, supportive, and fiercely protective of her children, and this in itself fuels her desire to hunt ghosts. From an early age she was taught to fear ghosts and other supernatural entities, and she wants to protect her family from any threats that may arise. However, ironically, it's this obsession with protection that makes her more absent from her kids lives than she probably should be. Even after Danny's accident, she still is obsessed with fighting ghosts, and the fact that tangible ghost threats show up shortly after certainly doesn't help.

She is sensitive to the fact that Danny and Jazz have grown distant, but is assuming that they're just rebelling as teens do. Still, it does kind of hurt the way Jazz doesn't seem to respect her work, and how neither kids seem interested in ghost-hunting, and as the story goes on this tension will only build.

Jack, on the other hand, is from old money, a family of ultra-rich and successful scientists, but like Maddie he developed an intense fascination with ghosts that wouldn't go away no matter what his family tried. He was also friends with Vlad from a very early age, who also came from a wealthy family and shared his interest in ghosts, but knew how to keep it on the down-low. They went to college together, and when Jack made it clear that he wasn't ever giving up on ghosts, the family decided that the best thing to do would just be to give him a massive lump-sum of money on the condition that he change his last name and never bring them up again. This is meant to explain how Jack got into the same fancy college as Maddie and Vlad despite being less competent, why you never see Jack's side of the family, and how the Fenton's are able to afford all of their facilities even before it turns out that ghosts are real. Like I said, though, this will primarily exist in the background, although as you can probably already tell it does also play into Vlad's backstory a bit~

Jack is loud, boisterous, and overwhelmingly positive. He isn't stupid, as many consider him to be, but he is extremely scatterbrained and will often miss the smaller details. He loves his kids and is passionate about sharing his work, but is more understanding of their lack of interest in ghost-hunting given his own break from his family. To him, it's much more important that his kids are around and happy than that they follow in their footsteps, something that he will often help remind Maddie of. He has a slightly better relationship with Jazz because of this, as Jazz sees him as incompetent but well-meaning, but for reasons he doesn't understand Danny is even more distant with him than with Maddie. The reason for this is because while Jack isn't a bad person and is certainly more open-minded than his parents, he is still very old-fashioned, especially when it comes to gender roles and traditional masculinity. On top of this, while both Danny's parents misgender him, being unaware that he is trans, Jack is more likely to use specifically gendered language like "That's my girl", while Maddie tends to use terms like "honey" or "sweetie," which is more gender-neutral.

Jack is somewhat aware of his old-fashioned behavior and will often ask and try to understand his families experiences as woman, but since Danny isn't one, this just further drives a wedge between the two.

As a unit Jack and Maddie are hell-bent on fighting ghosts, not just researching them, and this is the biggest difference between them and Team Phantom. Danny originally also believes that all ghosts are evil, and though he and Tucker invent the thermos to put the ghosts back in the Ghost Zone, this is less out of altruistic reasons and more because Danny simply lacks the ability to destroy ghosts at the beginning of the series. However over time they learn that evil ghosts are a small minority of ghosts, and the majority of them just want to be left alone. Over time Team Phantom will pivot it's approach from fighting ghosts, to understanding them and what their needs are, as even violent ghosts can become docile and even friendly if the right conditions are met. But meanwhile, Maddie and Jack are still hunting ghosts, and thus while at first Danny could at least try to cooperate behind his secret identity, he eventually becomes actively opposed to them, as does Jazz, making life in the Fenton household even more stressful as the story goes on...

[scotianostra]

On April 4th 1617 John Napier, the mathematician, died.

I hated maths with a vengeance at school, I'm not talking about counting, I can hold my own with that, but real maths. algebra, geometry, topology and worst of all logarithms, which we have Robert Napier to "thank" for, he introduced them in the early 17th century as a means to simplify calculations, aye right!

If John Napier had been born a common man he would maybe have been burnt at the stake, nothing to do with him and his maths nonsense but because he dabbled in the occult at a time when we were routinely setting such people on fire!

James VI was on the throne and his obsession with devilry consigned hundreds of unfortunates to the flames. Unless you were born of a noble family of course. A wee bit background on the Napier's his father was Sir Archibald Napier of Merchiston Castle, and his mother was Janet Bothwell, daughter of the politician and judge Francis Bothwell, Lord of Session, and a sister of Adam Bothwell who became the Bishop of Orkney. Archibald Napier was 16 years old when John Napier was born. John, as was the common practice for members of the nobility at that time, he was privately tutored and did not have formal education until he was 13, when he was sent to St Salvator's College, St Andrews. He dropped out of Uni and toured Europe for a time before returning to Scotland aged 21.

Back to his links with sorcery, several members of John Napier’s family – respected and wealthy participants of Edinburgh society - were commonly known to be wizards or sorcerers. Their necromantic power was feared by nobles as well as peasants from far and wide.

The family wizardry started with Napier's father, Sir Archibald, seventh Laird of Merchiston, who successfully predicted when Mary, then the former Queen of Scotland, would leave Lochleven Castle, where she was imprisoned. The story goes: "Claude Nan, the Queen's secretary, wrote that 'the Laird of Markyston (Sir Archibald), who had the reputation of being a great wizard, made bets with several persons to the amount of five hundred crowns, that by the 5th of May Her Majesty would be out of Lochleven." Mary escaped on 2 May 1568 – and the senior Napier was presumably wealthier for his prediction.

Sir Archibald married Janet Bothwell, sister of Adam, Bishop of Orkney, who the paper said was "a notorious necromancer", so that their son, the future mathematician, inherited "a double inclination towards the magic arts". This might explain some of John's odd behaviour. A necromancer is a wizard or magician by the way, I had to google it!

Tenants who lived on the vast Merchiston estate south-west of Edinburgh thought John to be a bit mysterious at times, Napier would be seen many evenings wearing a long gown, pacing outside his tower chamber, a private work area where he often would pass many long hours alone.

Many people thought that his pet black cockerel was a familiar – a supernatural being which assisted witches and wizards in their magical practice. However, the Napier family held the hereditary role of King’s Poulterer and Napier may have kept the cockerel on a whim but I have read he travelled not only with the bird but also with a black spider in a small box, not normal behaviour.

The Scottish writer and translator Sir Thomas Urquhart, who, told of a demonstration of devastating artillery Napier devised against the threat of invasion by Spain.

"He gave proof upon a large plaine in Scotland to the destruction of a great many herds of cattel and flocks of sheep, whereof some were distant from other half a mile on all sides and some a whole mile,"

A well as being a wizard and mathematician Napier was also a fervent Protestant, much of his writing is vehemently anti-Catholic even by the standards of the time. He was a man of contradictions though, as he is said to have had friends who were Catholic, including Alexander Seton, the Earl of Dunfermline, although the vast majority Catholics back then had to hide their faith.

The last interesting, and worrying, fact I found out about John Napier is that his cause of death according to wiki he died "from the effects of gout" at home in Merchiston tower, now I suffer from gout and it is bloody painful but I didn't know it could kill you!

[sleeplessdreamer14]

being related to Mr Fischoeder

request: no

headcanons

warnings: minor spoilers for the bobs burgers movie

a/n: reader is in their late teens

techincally you’re a distant relative, but you just call him your uncle

your morally ambiguous uncle

whenever people find out you’re related, they’re often surprised

Calvin had met you before you could even remember

beneath the shell of a wealthy man, the man actually adored you and likes to spoil you on occasion (despite your protests)

since you were from the ���poor” side of the family, you grew up working hard for what you wanted (like tiana from tpatf)

Calvin has a fund set aside for when you’re grown up, despite you saying that you don’t need it

heaven help you if he sees you in public, ‘cause he will make it known that you’re his relative to anyone standing nearby

since you were little, Felix loved to dress you up (he still does every so often)

so far, you’re the only Fischoeder relative that Bob has met who hasn’t tried to murder him

when you turned 16, Calvin set up a scavenger hunt lead you to the secret clubhouse beneath the molehill

you also get a “family discount” at Wonder Wharf

though he may not show it a lot, Calvin actually admires you a lot, and actually really likes to be involved in your life

he’s even considered making you the sole beneficiary in his will

of course your uncle would tease you, but it wasn’t as bad as what Grover put up with (he envies you for that)

[cygninae]

So this is really random, and no one asked for this, but have my nationality headcanons for a whole load of asoue/atwq characters.?? No real explanation for these hcs, it's just how I imagine the characters ! :) (might throw in some extra hcs along the way because why not.)

P.S I'm quite fascinated by the history of the colonisation of America and the patterns of immigration that occurred thereafter, which is partially why I'm making this post. However, I'm not American and have never received actual American education so I'm sorry if I am miseducated in any regard.

Sugar bowl gen

Esmé Squalor is British/Syrian

HC: she is a first generation immigrant to the USA when the events of the books take place. Her mother was Syrian and her father British. She has a twin brother who disagreed with her involvement in VFD and left the USA to go back to England once they were of age. She hasn't seen him since they were teenagers.

Jerome Squalor is British-American

HC: His parents immigrated to the USA from England before he was born.

Bertrand Baudelaire is French

HC: He is a first-generation immigrant and went to the USA on his own after the death of his parents.

Beatrice Baudelaire is American

HC: By the time she was born, her family had been in the USA for many generations. Some British and Irish ancestry.

The Snicket siblings are Chinese-American

HC: the Snicket siblings are second-generation immigrants to the USA. Both of their parents were Chinese.

Mrs (headcanoned first name Marzia) Quagmire is Italian-American

HC: she is a second generation immigrant. She grew up in a household that primarily spoke Italian.

Mr (headcanoned first name William) Quagmire is American

HC: like Bea, his family had been in the USA for many generations before his birth. British and Dutch ancestry.

Count Olaf is German-American

HC: Olaf is a second or third generation immigrant. His family were very wealthy but went to ruin and ran away to the USA. He still insists on keeping his ancestral title despite this.

Montgomery Montgomery is Pakistani-American

HC: Monty is a second-gen immigrant. He had three siblings who all moved across the USA once of age, but he made an effort to keep in touch with them and their extended family in Pakistan.

Ellington Feint is Chinese-American

HC: Ellington is a second-gen immigrant. Her father was American with British ancestry and her mother was a first-gen Chinese immigrant.

Captain (headcanoned first name Rory) Widdershins is Irish-American

HC: a third-gen immigrant who grew up very disconnected from his heritage due to being in the foster system.

Fernald "Widdershins" is Moroccan/American

HC: him and his sister Fiona (and theorised sister Friday) had an American mother and Moroccan father. Their father left before they were born and mother left when Fiona was young, so they were raised by Widdershins. They know very little about their heritage.

Moxie Mallahan is American

HC: her family had been in the USA for many generations before her birth. Distant British and Dutch ancestry.

Arthur Poe is American

HC: Poe and his wife both had generations of family in the USA. He has some Dutch ancestry.

Josephine Anwhistle is American

HC: her family had also been in the USA for many generations. She had distant Irish ancestry. She made effort to reconnect with her ancestry in some regards.

Ike Anwhistle is American

HC: Ike, too, had family for generations in the USA. Canonically in the books, he is the second cousin of one of the Baudelaire parents (I hc him on Bea's side of the family) so in my headcanon, his ancestry is British/Irish. His brother, Gregor, is obviously the same.

The Denouement triplets are American

HC: the triplets are third-generation immigrants with British and Dutch ancestry. Mother's side British and father's side Dutch. There had been plans to raise the triplets in England, but a mysterious friend of their mother convinced them to stay in the USA for reasons unknown...

Unfortunate Gen

The Baudelaire children are French-American

HC: Bea is American and Bertrand French, as stated above. They grew up speaking both languages fluently.

The Quagmire triplets are Italian-American

HC: their mother is Italian and their father American. Their mother and her parents made sure they grew up speaking Italian.

Fiona Widdershins is American/Moroccan

HC: As stated with Fernald above, her biological father was Moroccan, although her and Fernald never knew him nor that they were Moroccan.

Carmelita Spats is Dutch-American

HC: Carmelita is a fourth-generation immigrant and she has little connection to her ancestry due to not being in contact with her family anymore.

Beatrice Baudelaire II is Chinese-American

HC: as Kit is her mother, she has her ancestry, of course. I am personally a fan of the theory that Olaf is her father, not Dewey, so in this post, we'll say that his ancestry plays here too...

Ben (Violet's friend) is American

HC: Ben is American with British and Native American ancestry.

Well, I've probably missed about a million characters, but there it is ! This is a super random post but I just felt like I might as well post some headcanons for the hell of it. Always love to hear other people's headcanons for Snicketverse characters. Thanks if you read all the way to the end, I love you

[grandeoatmilklatte]

Meet My MC!✨

After seeing my two Discord servers have RP channels and never being able to participate cause I don’t have a dedicated OC, I gave into the FOMO and decided to create one. This is my fourth HL character but the first one I’ve ever fleshed out and given a back story.

So with that, meet Kamila Cortes! ✨

General

Name: Kamila Cortes (kuh-me-lah)

Nickname: Kami

Gender: Female

House: Slytherin

Age: 18

Blood Status: Half Blood

Nationality: Spanish/British

Wand: 10in, Holly, Unicorn Hair, Solid

Patronus: a goat

Scent: Rose and Vanilla

Birthday: April 9th (Aries)

Other info: Fluent in English and Spanish, semi-fluent in Portuguese.

Appearance

General: Kamila is short, measuring at 152.4 cm (5ft 1in). She is a bit on the bustier side with a soft stomach, but overall is slender and petite.

Facial appearance: She’s fair skinned with blue eyes and long voluminous dark brown hair, usually tied in a long braid.

Distinguishing Marks: She has a small faint collection of freckles on her upper cheeks.

Fashion: Kamila prefers to wear dark colors and neutral colors, opting for blacks, whites, greys, and her favorite color, emerald green. She alternates between wearing skirts and trousers, tied between the femininity offered by a skirt, and the mobility offered by trousers.

Personality

Strengths: Kamila has the loyalty of a Hufflepuff. Although she keeps her circle of friends incredibly small, once someone is considered in her circle, she’ll go to bat for them, defending them against anyone who dares wrong them. She is incredibly determined, and stops at nothing to reach her goals. She is a good listener, and gives great advice despite not following her own advice. Kamila is passionate and fiery, with an infectious energy about her.

Weaknesses: Growing up as a wealthy only child has made Kamila a bit spoiled and stuck up, becoming upset and vengeful at times when she doesn’t get her way. Kamila can be hotheaded and fiesty, and has a habit of acting before thinking, frequently getting into physical altercations with other students, especially those who bully her/her friends.

Morality: Kamila likes to think she’s morally sound, defending and protecting her loved ones, but her methods are sometimes wrong. She is ultimately very self serving, and won’t hesitate to use others outside of her friends to get what she wants.

Likes: Kamila enjoys cooking and baking, as her mother was a cook prior to marriage, and showed her a lot back when she lived in Madrid full time. Before she learned how to conjure up a full kitchen in her Room of Requirement, Kamila could be found sneaking into the Hogwarts kitchens at night, begging the house elves to let her use the oven. Her love language is feeding her friends. Kamila also loves Potions, reading, architecture, and relaxing in the courtyards.

Dislikes: Spiders, people who treat magic as if it’s evil, sports of any kind.

Fears: Not amounting to anything in life, something bad happening to her loved ones, especially her mother, loneliness, losing her family’s fortune and status.

Hopes: Once done with Hogwarts, Kamila hopes to open up a restaurant or a bakery. While she would prefer to do this back home in Madrid, she’s not opposed to fulfilling this dream in England or Scotland, if a love interest keeps her there.

Friends: Kamila considers Ominis, Sebastian, and Garreth to be her closest friends. Kamila and Ominis confide in each other often, Kamila being a shoulder to cry on and a helpful aid to Ominis. Despite being upset with some of the things Sebastian has done in the past, she remains supportive of Sebastian, even during the times where they were distant with each other. Kamila and Garreth briefly dated, but the relationship wasn’t serious, and the pair remain friends. (Not including this in the RP stuff but I wanted to write some head cannons for friends, enemies and love interests)

Enemies: Kamila frequently tortures Duncan. Why? Because Ominis doesn’t like him. That’s the only reasoning she needs. Kamila also doesn’t get along with Imelda, Imelda thinking Kamila is a stuck up brat, and Kamila thinking that Imelda is just jealous. (Not including this in the RP stuff but I just wanted to write some head canons for friends, enemies and love interests)

Love Interest: Ever since their first meeting in the Slytherin common room years ago, Kamila and Ominis have been inseparable. What began as a friendship based in trauma bonding eventually grew into a desperate need and desire for each other. After two years of friendship, they decided to take the next step and start a relationship together. They are deeply in love, Sebastian often referring to them as a unit by the nickname “Kaminis”. Kamila also briefly dated Garreth for a few months before her and Ominis made things official, and she briefly had a crush on Sebastian (and he had a crush on her) but the events of 5th year killed her feelings for him. (Not including this is the RP stuff but I just wanted to write some head canons for friends, enemies, and love interests)

Backstory: Kamila is an only child to her parents, Elizabeth and Jose Cortes. Jose is of Spanish origin and a muggle, while her mother is of English origin, and a witch. Jose is a top general for the Spanish royal army, and a close friend and confidant of the king of Spain. As a result, Kamila and her family live in luxury. Prior to learning of her magical abilities, Kamila mainly resided in Madrid, but often visited England and Scotland due to having family members there from her mother’s side. Since starting at Hogwarts, she has spent more time in England, staying at her grandparents’s home when school is not in session, and only returning home to Madrid during the summer holiday.

When Kamila exhibited no magical abilities at 11 years old, Kamila’s parents breathed a sigh of relief. Growing up in a predominantly Catholic country and surrounded by the extremely religious royal family, Kamila would forever be labeled as a demonic entity and would be in danger if she had inherited her mother’s magical abilities. While Jose was accepting of Elizabeth being of a magical bloodline, Jose’s family and the royal family would not have accepted this; thus Elizabeth made the choice to hide her magic when they got married, only displaying magic in the privacy of their own home. Elizabeth fainted the day a 14 year old Kamila made a teapot levitate off the table.

At first, Kamila’s parents wanted her to fully suppress her magical abilities to avoid hardship in her life. This caused many arguments between Kamila and her parents, Kamila being fascinated with her ability, and her mother’s history, which she had never been told about previously. It was ultimately Kamila’s grandmother who convinced Kamila’s parents to allow her the chance to go to school and hone her magic, under the condition that she keep her abilities a secret to all besides her parents and maternal family. Jose crafted a story that his daughter was going off to study at some prestigious school in London, which Jose’s circle believed. Nowadays, Kamila has a good relationship with her parents, understanding that they were just doing what they thought was best for their daughter at the time.