#But I'm like “What if we spent seven years waiting on a show... and it was good?”

[twilight-deviant]

completely agree about fisk and bullseye doing the joker job — i’m ofc “a little” biased by saying fisk is matt’s joker asfjksj but it still works! even if 60% haha. anyways, about the finale i am so disappointed as you are. i honestly think 1x08 could’ve worked better as a season finale, 1x09 was so rushed and i feel like they wasted everything they did on 8 and as you said a phone call or even a little line from fisk could’ve saved it. matt took a bullet for him for christ sake, that’s crazy they acted like it didn’t happened! like, i get it fisk is the villain so i feel like they are trying to say ‘it doesn’t matter he’s the villain’ but it matters. a great super hero comes with a iconic villain and mattfisk dynamic are so amazing to work with, they did in the original show and they Were actually doing a nice work til the finale idk what happened in their heads. i don’t even wanna talk about the way they’re pushing us the frattkaren love triangle, pluahse i thought we were over karenmatt come on now.. but anyways

even with the mess they did, im excited to see what they’re doing on season 2. im sure you already saw the spoilers about fisk having a boxe fight on foggwells 👀 veeery curious about that!

so sorry about the delay to message you again 😔😔 lots of love x

No bother about "delays." I know I'm not the most punctual reply either. ♥ Sometimes slow correspondence makes me think of ye olden days of writing letters. Haha. I like it.

Anyway, me with BA right now:

Gah, you are so so right. 1x08 of BA was a good, strong episode with a good, strong ending. It built the tension up and up and then paid off with such a dramatic end scene. Versus 1x09, which simply... didn't. Probably the closest thing to a climax was Matt and Frank fighting in his apartment, and the energy of the episode just went down from there, settling in a very mid conclusion. That wasn't a finale, it was a S2 prologue. Not to mention how YEAH, basically no payoff from the 1x08 cliffhanger. We got Matt in the hospital for a few minutes and a "I dunno" on why he did it. Laaaaaaame. YOU wrote the plot! You have to write the fallout too! Ugh. But I've kinda abandoned any expectation it'll be (properly) addressed in S2 either. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Fisk MATTERS! He is one of the very, very, very few last Marvel villains on screen with any sort of depth who hasn't been killed off or written out. (What villains who are left and not dead comprise a very short list with basically no guarantee we'll see them again.)

The creative team behind original DD worked so hard fleshing out Fisk's character, and their work has been praised for a decade. Then BA comes in, eradicates most of that depth, but still gets praise for some reason. I swear NO ONE is noticing how Fisk's complexity (even just his intelligence) has been stripped away, and I feel like a crazy person! I also hate them taking away Fisk's good qualities to escalate him as more and more of a pure evil villain because they're not leaving a lot of outlets for resolution where he isn't killed. No thank you!

But yes, equally as important is Matt's relationship with Fisk. And all of the hype and promo material centering around THEM was how BA got me to put on my clown makeup. I think I'm still just... confused over how we got one scene of dialogue. Even when lead-up interviews said, "We're following the trend of minimizing their scenes together so it's more impactful when they do meet," I thought... what, two or three good dialogues maybe? 🤡 They kept trying to manufacture parallels and proximity between Fisk and Matt with the rapidly intercut conversations they had with other people, but it didn't work. The whole season is based off these two characters but they're basically strangers. Even S3 had the genius forethought to have a mental projection of Fisk haunting Matt. Because with only one phone call and one climactic confrontation, they knew it needed more. BA didn't get that memo.

I hate love triangles so much. Very bitter about them. Name a love triangle in a series that worked for the narrative and didn't rip apart its fandom. Creators don't care about that though because it drives up viewership and engagement. And yes, I hate backsliding. Have these ships not lost their window of opportunity in canon? The will-they/won't-they is dead. (Side note and unpopular opinion: Frank is a great character. Maaaaaaybe he should mostly stay in Punisher and let Daredevil be about Matt.)

I wish I could say I'm excited for S2, but... *sigh* I lost a lot of faith with that finale. Like... a lot. They had me for 1x08 (even with its problems). I thought they might do something here. But currently, to me, it looks like an issue of too much budget, too grand of a plot, and writing that just doesn't go hard enough or clever enough. I don't look for these matters to clear up for S2. They're welcome to prove me wrong, of course. 🙏 I am curious about Fisk's match though. Haha. And maybe since Charlie was there, it will have more significance than just Fisk trying to win back constituent positivity. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Sorry for ranting and rambling, but thank you for the ask. ♥ Feel free to keep messaging me at your convenience.

[serafilms]

song 24! message in a bottle (taylor swift) + aang requested by @fylithia (spotify wrapped event)

but now you’re so far away and i’m down, feeling like a face in the crowd, i’m reaching for you, terrified

It’s been years now since the war ended. Years since you and your friends saved the world, defeated Zuko’s father and brought peace to the four nations once more. Ever since, everyone’s been busy trying to piece the world back together. Katara’s been staging a feminist revolution in the water tribes, Toph has been reinventing Earth bending, Suki taking the Kyoshi Warriors all over and recruiting, Sokka inventing, Zuko rebuilding a nation and Aang flitting all over the place.

You, on the other hand… What have you achieved? You went back to your village and spent some time telling stories of your adventures to children, then picking up odd jobs on fishing boats and cargo ships to hitch a ride to wherever your friends are off making history. You tell yourself you like the simplicity, like not having to worry about the fate of the world, but you feel like about as insignificant as a speck of dust at your biannual (twice a year) catch ups.

I’m like an old lady telling stories to relive her glory days, you think bitterly.

But you like reliving them. You miss adventuring and seeing the world with your friends. You miss when you were all just kids and there were no real titles or duties in the way (aside from your common goal of ending the war, of course). You miss when Aang looked at you like you’d hung all the stars in the sky, when he was just a boy who liked you but never said it, and when you liked him but refused to show it. Now you feel like you’re miles apart, like he’s on the top of the mountain and you’re left waiting at the base.

You still all write each other, Aang more than the rest but you can’t shake the feeling that it’s out of pity; it’s an obligation to you as an old friend. They’re busy now and that’s not their fault, and you all really would have no reason to go back to camping out. In fact, with the Avatar and Fire Lord especially, it was probably a security risk.

You’re too busy drowning in your own misery to notice Katara until she’s already nudging you in the arm. “Hey, why aren’t you over there with everyone else?”

Starting a little in surprise, you stare at her for a second before sighing as you kick your foot into the dirt and watch the dust rise.

“No reason,” you lie. Because I don’t want to talk to you guys. Especially Aang.

Your time alone has dulled your social skills, because Katara stares at you for a good seven seconds before you realise she expects you to keep talking.

“I think it’s just a little overwhelming to be around many people when I’m usually by myself.”

Her face softens and she reaches out to put her hand on your knee. “But it’s us. We want to make you comfortable and be around you. You know that, right?”

You nod, and she squeezes then releases you. “Let’s start small. Aang!”

Your chest flickers with panic as his bright eyes locate you instantly and he leaves his conversation with Zuko without a second thought. Katara takes his place, striding back up to the group as Aang stops right in front of you.

You feel your heart lurch at finally seeing him up close after spirits knows how many months. He's taller than you now, so it's not hard to avoid his gaze, but you can't tear your eyes away yet. His eyes sparkle at you and you feel yourself flush at how cute he looks with faint freckles dusting the upper part of his cheeks.

"Hey," he greets you softly, taking a seat beside you. "How are you?"

"I'm good," you find yourself saying, despite your mind being devoid of any thought that's not of him. His smile that's as sweet as ever, his eyes, his pink lips. How he's so, so out of your league.

Much like Katara, Aang seems unsatisfied with your short reply. "What have you been up to?"

Thinking about how much I love you. You can't say that, of course, so you babble on about the courier job you did a few months ago, which was great because you helped find a few new Kyoshi Warriors for Suki. When you look back at him once more, Aang has a soft look on his face, and a smile that seems to be there without his knowledge. Your face flushes, stomach flips and something akin to hope rises within you.

His cheeks turn pink when you've trailed off and he realises you're looking at him.

"Wow," he says. "That sounds really great."

You roll your eyes a little, feeling a sense of familiarity. "It's fine, you don't have to pretend you're interested. I know it's all boring compared to the work of the great Avatar."

"No, really," he insists, and there's an urgency in his voice, as if he needs you to know how genuine he is. "I think everything you do is amazing."

You smile. "Really?"

Aang nods down at you, eyes wide. "Well, yeah. I mean, it's you."

Embarrassed but pleased, you look down at your shoes before looking back up at him. "Thanks, Aang."

He grins at you, before glancing over to the others. "Wanna go catch up with everyone else?"

You take a look over at your friends. They look normal now, like a group of friends laughing, instead of the incredible figures they are. You nod at him and he extends a hand out to help you up. You take it.

You can't tell him how much he means to you, but you feel closer now. All you can do now is hope that one day, he gets the message.

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Love it when characters casually reveal some insane childhood trauma with a nostalgic smile on their face because this is just a normal part of their childhood how fun! to the absolute horror of those around them who are very much in the 'that's not normal what the actual fuck' boat

Okay but here's what makes me tear up:

This conversation happens in a devilgram where Diavolo is picking apples for Barbatos to make an apple pie for him and it cuts to a flashback that shows Diavolo wanted an apple tree to impress his new angel friend and excitedly tells this to Barbatos. Barbatos then helps Diavolo plant an apple tree in the forest

Isn't that rattling your brain!!!? Aren't you foaming at the mouth!?!?!

The Demon King enchanted this forest to be full of things that could hurt and kill his child, all in the name of preparing Diavolo to be a better king

Then Barbatos helps Diavolo plant apple trees in it, because Diavolo wants to share it with their enemy, a gesture of friendship and good will that would eventually bring peace to the three worlds* which in turn helps Diavolo grow towards becoming a better king

Diavolo's father created a deadly survival course for a child so he wouldn't get bored, something that would keep Diavolo away from him, and the man who actually raised Diavolo spent time with Diavolo helping him grow apple trees in it

A labour of love grown and tended to for years, if not centuries, just so Diavolo could give his friend apples (another gesture of love) built upon the soil of something that was meant to push and punish Diavolo into being the ideal ruler

*(over a series of meetings Diavolo & Lucifer become friends -> Lucifer starts questioning things in the Celestial Realm -> Lucifer, pushed by the sentence against Lilith, starts a war in the Celestial Realm -> Lucifer seeks sanctuary in the Devildom -> Diavolo helps Lucifer + reincarnates Lilith -> Lucifer pledges his loyalty to Diavolo + through Lilith's line MC is eventually born -> through MC & the brothers' fates being tied Lucifer accidentally picks MC for the exchange program -> MC showing that people from all three worlds could not only be close friends but family starts mending bridges + MC wanting to stay in the Devildom permanently gets everyone actively pushing for peace leading to them becoming part of the student council/government and challenging the views of the older/more conservative demons -> all this eventually kickstarts both Diavolo & Lucifer's character & relationship development -> Diavolo learns to be a more considerate ruler & person who listens to others instead of immediately jumping in with his own plans & ideas + Lucifer learns to actually push back against Diavolo & not just be his 'Yes Man')

Also this Devilgram is called "The Seven Apples"

and with lines like,

"Still...I hope that all this effort bears fruit, someday"

"With enough care and attention, I'm certain that it shall."

"Ah, well. Good things come to those who wait, and all that."

And talk about the future of the Devildom and how they pick exactly seven apples, the whole tree talk/metaphor is 100% about gaining the friendship & trust of Lucifer and his brothers by putting in the effort, care and attention to one day, years in the future, have seven shining apples with you

BUT, EVEN WITHOUT THAT DOUBLE MEANING,

It's not just a tree.

It's all about love, isn't it and the things we do for the people we love.

[bellaxgiornata]

All These Years [Part 21: "The Sound of Your Voice"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader Word Count: 3.7k [Series Masterlist]

Warnings/tags: 18+ for this series; contains emotional hurt with no comfort until the final installments, angst, pining, friends to lovers, slowburn, and eventually smut [Comfort now exists in this series!!]

a/n: It has be SO LONG since this series got a much needed update!! But here we are with yet another little bittersweet installment. Though I'm working on a happier next part already tentatively titled "Declarations and Desire." And hopefully the tags at the bottom of the post worked, tumblr was giving me issues with the tag list for a few days. Feedback is always appreciated!

Lowering yourself down onto your couch, your eyes focused on the show you'd thrown on to watch while you ate, you felt your tired body relax into the cushions. Adjusting the plate of food in your lap, you made yourself comfortable for the evening. 

You'd had a meeting at work which had run late with your boss tonight and that was the reason behind you sitting down to eat takeout for dinner at almost seven tonight. You were tired and ready to just relax for the evening, looking forward to the phone call later that you’d come to expect from Matt just before you went to bed. It was usually when he’d return from his night out as Daredevil, giving the three hour time difference between you both at least one positive advantage because it meant that you could go to bed at a reasonable hour and still know he’d gotten back home safe.

You’d be lying if you said it hadn’t been difficult trying to navigate your new relationship with Matt ever since you’d come back from your brief visit to Hell’s Kitchen a month ago, though. The pair of you still talked everyday, whether it was via phone calls or texts periodically throughout the day. Matt had even begun leaving you sweet voicemails some mornings when he first got to work, knowing that shortly afterwards you’d be waking up on the other side of the country getting to hear his voice first thing. It always managed to make you smile starting off your day with one of those messages from him, and you’d quickly come to realize just how incredibly sweet and thoughtful he really was every time he left one. Which unfortunately also made you only miss him just that much more, desperate to be able to wake up beside him and hear him say all those things straight to you instead of over a voice message.

You’d also quickly come to realize that Karen had been right. You’d found yourself regretting not taking the opportunity to be more physically intimate with Matt while you’d been in New York and had the chance. You found yourself frequently thinking about Matt in sexual scenarios more often than not since you’d returned to L.A., which often resulted in you being quite sexually frustrated most of the time. His outright flirting with you over the phone hadn’t helped, either. Sometimes once you’d finished a phone call with him before bed, you’d found yourself needing a few minutes with your vibrator just to ease the ache he’d–sometimes intentionally–created between your legs. And often as you’d gotten off, you’d wondered if he was back in his own apartment in New York taking care of himself, too. And that thought only equally further frustrated you and turned you on more every time.

Without a doubt in your mind, when Matt came to visit you in Los Angeles in a matter of weeks, you were certainly not taking sex off of the table. Especially now that you both were officially a couple and with how many years you’d both been waiting for and wanting the other. Because who knew how soon you’d have another opportunity to see him again afterwards for that chance? You’d certainly spent enough years trying to imagine what it would be like to sleep with him, and you were without a doubt tired of only imagining it.

You also knew you wanted to tell him how you felt when you finally got the chance to see him in a few weeks. Of course the word ‘love’ had been mentioned between you both quite a few months ago when you'd first discovered your feelings had been reciprocated for each other, but neither of you had ever actually said it to the other since. Many times you'd found yourself biting your tongue when you were on the phone with Matt, struggling to not blurt it out to him. Often you found yourself overcome with the urge to tell him those three words at the end of a phone call, or to call him up after hearing one of his morning voicemails just so he knew exactly how you truly felt without a question of a doubt after the years of misunderstandings. But it was something you wanted to say to him in person when the moment felt right, not something you wanted to blurt out when he was too far for you to hold in your arms. Though you were dying to finally say it to his face after all these years, and you were even more anxious to hear him hopefully say it back to you in return.

As you were halfway through eating your sandwich wrap, your attention focused on the mindless show you’d thrown on, you heard your phone begin to loudly ring from across your apartment. Chewing the bite of food you'd just taken, you glanced over your shoulder towards your kitchen where you’d left your phone on the countertop once you’d gotten home. Curiously you eyed the device and its lit screen from a distance, wondering who would be calling you right now. Normally Matt didn’t call for another couple of hours; it should have been far too early for it to have been him. But then the fear that something might be wrong hit you and you quickly swallowed down the bite of food, feeling a little sick to your stomach at the thought. Especially with you being too far away to do anything to help.

Leaning forward, you set your plate down onto your coffee table and rose to your feet. You quickly made your way towards your kitchen, your phone still ringing loudly from its place on the countertop as nerves swirled in your stomach, mixing with your dinner. When you were near enough to your phone to see the name displayed on the screen, you were surprised to see it was in fact Matt calling you. Brows furrowing at the sight of his name, you felt worry and concern further fill you as your hand darted out, picking the phone up in a rush before frantically sliding the button over to answer the call.

“Matt?” you asked, feeling slightly panicked. “Is everything alright? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

“What?” he asked, sounding confused. “Yeah, of course everything is okay, sweetheart. Why would you think something was wrong?”

You sighed in relief, the tension easing from your shoulders as you leaned back against the counter behind you. You didn’t even know what you’d do if he’d called because he was bleeding out in his apartment right now.

“Because it's a bit early for your usual phone call,” you pointed out. “Normally you’re out later than this so you call me later. I just figured something was wrong.”

“Ahh, I see,” he answered. “I’m sorry to have scared you, sweetheart. I didn’t think calling you early would have you thinking something was wrong. But I actually wasn’t planning to go out tonight, which was why I figured I’d call sooner.”

“Not going out as Daredevil?” you questioned curiously. “Because you have too much work to deal with?”

Matt laughed, the sound sweet and soothing as it came through the line. You couldn’t help but relax even more at the sound of it, a smile sliding onto your own face as your racing heart began to slow. You longed to hear him laugh in person again, to be able to actually see the way his eyes lit up when he did.

“If that was the case,” he began, “calling you would be a far bigger distraction than just running out as Daredevil for a bit tonight.”

That usual warmth you felt whenever you spoke to Matt soon flooded you, your body sinking down into one of the nearby breakfast bar stools behind you at your counter. Your dinner and the show you’d been watching were quickly forgotten in the other room as you focused on your conversation and the sound of his voice instead.

“How am I the bigger distraction?” you asked him.

“Well for starters, if there isn’t any crime, there’s no need for Daredevil,” Matt explained. “So if the city is quiet, which it thankfully is tonight, there isn’t much need for me and therefore there’s nothing for me to do. But you on the other hand are always there for me to call. And most importantly, sweetheart,” he continued, his voice dropping to that sultry register he often used to flirt with you over the phone–the one he somehow knew had an effect on you, “I could sit and listen to you on the other line doing literally anything, even just snoring, until the sun came up. Whereas eventually I have to come back home and be Matt Murdock again when I go out in the suit. Therefore you’re the bigger distraction to me.” He paused briefly before adding, “But no, that’s not the reason I'm staying in tonight, either.”

You crossed your legs in your chair, curiously noting the sudden shift in his tone. He almost sounded…sad? Like something was bothering him. You’d certainly known Matt long enough to know when he sounded off, even over a phone.

“Sounds like something is wrong, though,” you gently pointed out. “What’s on your mind, Matty? Did something happen?”

Matt expelled a long, drawn out sigh over the line. The noise had your lips curving into a frown, especially with how exhausted he had already sounded when you’d first answered. You wished you were there with him in his apartment now, wished you could pull him into a hug because it sounded like he needed one. You'd happily sit there and hold him, comforting him as long as he needed it.

In that moment you found yourself missing the way you’d always had such easy access to each other in college; all you’d had to do back then was walk over to his residence hall and take the elevator up to his dorm. If you wanted to stay up all night talking and drinking, you really could have just skipped a class in the morning. Things had certainly been much simpler back then in some ways more than they were now, though you definitely didn’t miss the heartache you had always carried around not knowing Matt had been within your reach in more than one way that entire time.

“Nothing really,” he told you, his voice sounding a little dejected and worn. “It was just a really difficult week this week and I was having a…bad day, I suppose. I just missed the sound of your voice, if I’m being honest.”

You felt the ghost of a smile cross your lips at his words. You knew that feeling all too well. Truthfully you felt it every single day when you thought about him, but even more on the days that were long and draining. Days like today.

“I’m always just a phone call away, Matty,” you assured him. “But I miss you, too. I’ve been missing you more than usual lately myself.”

“Little less than three weeks and I’ll be right there with you, sweetheart,” he reminded you softly.

There was a smile in his voice, you could hear it in the way it had coated each and every word of his. Matt was not alone in counting down the days until you could pick him up from the airport and have him all to yourself in L.A. for a little while. You’d already been trying to plan things out, wondering what he might enjoy doing with you the most while he was here.

“I’m excited to show you around out here,” you told him, a small smile making its way back onto your lips. “Take you away from that cold New York winter for a bit. Maybe I can bring you to a beach out here, one not filled with tourists. My coworker showed me a good place shortly after I moved here.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked, a brightness returning to his voice already. “I’ve never been to the ocean before. Or a beach.”

“I know,” you told him. “Figured it might be a fun experience. Or at least…I’m hoping it is for you, considering your, you know, heightened senses.”

“Anything I get to do with you while I’m out there will be amazing, sweetheart,” he assured you. “I'm just going to be happy to be with you again. It's already been far too long.”

You ducked your head, your nails nervously toying with the hem of your cotton shorts you’d thrown on after work. He always knew the right thing to say to you, but you could also hear the truth to his words. Honestly you felt the same. You’d easily be content to never leave your apartment for a single minute over the few days he’d be staying with you. If you could curl up with him on your couch for the entire duration of his visit, you’d be blissfully happy.

“Plus,” he continued, his coy tone breaking through your thoughts, “a beach date most likely means you’d be in a swimsuit, right?”

Heat began to creep up your neck and into your cheeks. You’d certainly thought about the implication of a beach date meaning Matt would most likely be shirtless and splayed out on a towel with you, cuddling under the warm California sun. Giving you ample opportunity to appreciate his body and the muscles that his clothing always hinted at, something you’d never once been able to do before as his friend.

“I mean, yes,” you answered softly. “But what does that matter, exactly?”

“Ohh trust me, sweetheart,” Matt began with a deep, amused chuckle, “there’s plenty of ways for me to appreciate you partially dressed on a beach. Where my eyes might fail me, my hands certainly won’t.”

Your cheeks began to flame at the thought of what he might mean by that, your eyes slowly closing. Once more you found yourself mentally kicking yourself for not sleeping with Matt when you’d had the chance last month. Because once again you were beginning to feel that all too familiar dull ache between your legs that was begging to be relieved by him and him alone. 

Clearing your throat, you tried to change the topic before you found yourself too worked up. Something you weren’t entirely sure wasn't intentional even now.

“So what exactly was on the agenda for you tonight then?” you asked him. “If you weren't going out?”

“Ahh, well,” he began, sounding a little sheepish, “truthfully I was just going over some documents and counting down the minutes until I could realistically call you after work. But I eventually caved because I couldn’t make myself wait any longer.”

You sighed, spinning around in the breakfast bar stool towards your counter. Leaning forward, you rested your chin in your hand. “Why couldn't you have gotten the ability to fly with those heightened senses of yours, too?” you joked. “Or like, the ability to teleport? Then you could just show up here whenever you want.” 

Matt laughed lightly over the line and you closed your eyes, trying to pretend he was here sitting beside you. You would’ve given anything for that. 

“I'm sorry, I didn't exactly get a choice in what those chemicals did to me as a kid,” he joked back. “Nor could I have foreseen the usefulness of that for a long distance relationship in the future.”

“I know, I know,” you murmured. “I just wish you weren't so far. I miss you.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” he whispered back, the mirth disappearing from his voice. 

A silence fell over the line, the only sound being Matt’s quiet and even breaths. Those three words once more rose to the surface in your mind, dancing on the tip of your tongue. You wanted so badly to just say them already as you sat there, but you knew now wasn't the right time. Thumbnail slipping between your teeth, you began to half-heartedly chew it as you fought to shove the urge to tell Matt how you felt about him back down. That ache in your chest returned as you did, reminding you that even though you finally had Matt, you didn’t have him how you’d always wanted him. Not exactly. Not yet.

“So how’s work been for you this week?” he asked, voice breaking through your thoughts.

“Eh,” you said, shrugging a shoulder. “Busy, even though nothing much exciting is happening at the office. Still certainly a lot less stressful than your week sounded with that big trial you were dealing with.”

A sigh slipped out of your lips as you continued to distractedly chew your thumbnail. If only you had a way to leave L.A. and realistically move back to Hell’s Kitchen. If only things could be different between you two now that you were finally together. If only you could just decide that you wanted to stop by his apartment and then just go there. Like how things used to be back in college.

“Something on your mind?” Matt asked.

“Not really,” you answered. “Was sort of just…missing how it was easier for us to get together back when we were at Columbia. All those Saturday nights I could just show up with a pack of beer at your guys’ dorm and lose track of time. Go grab breakfast together at the dining hall the next morning with you two while we were all still hungover.”

Matt laughed lightly on the other end of the line. “If only I wouldn’t have been an idiot and just told you how I felt, maybe we wouldn’t have wasted so much time. And maybe you wouldn’t be…”

His voice trailed off, his thought left hanging unfinished over the line. Though you knew what he’d been about to say without him having to say it. Maybe if he’d told you how he felt, you might not have been so far away in L.A. right now. If you’d known how he felt, you might never have left in the first place.

But there was no way to change the past now.

“Hey, do you remember that one night at the bar?” you asked Matt, sitting up straighter in the stool as a memory came back to you. “Back at Columbia, when you called me a female version of Foggy?”

Matt groaned loudly over the line, a grin growing wide over your lips at the sound of it. You could just picture him throwing his head back as he sat on his couch, remembering that moment from all those years ago. 

“Yes, I remember,” he told you. “Though I don’t think I’d thought about that night in a long time. That was the real reason why you left crying that night though, wasn’t it? Because I’d called you a female Foggy?”

“Yeah,” you answered. “Definitely not the thing you want to hear your crush tell you. That you’re basically the equivalent of their best friend.”

“Shit,” Matt cursed, laughing a little. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t truly know just how hurtful that comment was. I hadn’t meant it to be. But what has you bringing that up?”

You shrugged, aware he couldn’t see the gesture. Slipping your nail out from between your teeth, you began to trace the patterns in the quartz of your countertop.

“I’ve always wondered why you’d said that,” you confessed. 

“Because I’m an idiot, clearly,” Matt replied, causing you to giggle. “But honestly I’d meant it as a compliment. And I think when I’d picked up on how awful you’d felt thinking you weren’t good enough for Fog at the time–because that’s who I’d suspected you might be talking about–I was hoping it would help your situation. As much as I didn’t want to see you two together, in that moment it pained me to feel how bad you were hurting sitting there next to me. I was hoping that if you’d possibly meant Fog, that the comment would get him to see just how much you both had in common.” Matt exhaled a deep breath, pausing for a moment. “Though it was…clearly a stupid comment to make at the time. And it killed me to know how much it upset you that night after the fact. I’d never meant to make you feel like that.”

“Yeah,” you said softly, finger still tracing the stone of your counter, “I know.”

“Suppose I wasn’t always as smooth as I thought I was back then,” he muttered.

“As long as you don’t feel that way about me now,” you teased back. “I’m certainly hoping you view me a little differently than a female Foggy.”

“Oh trust me,” Matt said, his voice dropping back down to that sultry tone, the one now raising the hair along your forearms as it rumbled right into your ear, “there’s only one of you that I’d like to crawl into bed with and do all sorts of things to, and it’s certainly not Foggy.”

You felt the heat not just creeping back into your cheeks at his words, but now flooding your entire body and sending your blood rushing south. Raising your hand from the cold stone, you pressed the back of it against your burning cheek. Tongue slipping out, you nervously wet your lips.

“Well maybe in a few more weeks you can finally do a few of those things,” you shyly whispered back.

Matt made a pleased noise in his throat, the sound only causing your thighs to press together on the stool. Swallowing hard, your eyelids dropped closed. You could feel your pulse beginning to race, your heart pounding hard in your chest.

“I was certainly planning on it, sweetheart,” he whispered back. “Now you’re only making me look forward to my visit even more.”

“You’re not the only one,” you replied. “I uh, don’t exactly want to waste anymore time when it comes to that.”

“I think we’ve already wasted enough time,” Matt agreed.

And just like that, you knew tonight would inevitably be another night spent with your vibrator when this call finally ended. But you knew you’d be lying in your bed wishing you had Matt between your legs instead, and that only made you more desperate to somehow find your way back to Hell’s Kitchen and back to him.

Tag list: @acharliecoxedfan @theetherealbloom @rotscinema @magnumstyles @roseallisonparker @ofmusesandsecrets @readerhead @paracosmic-murdock @v4leoftears @why-always-me-gosh-please @redbircl @keepingitlokiii @yarrystyleeza @mattkinsella @ms-murdockswift @margoo0 @1988-fiend @lockleywife @strangeobsessed @justalittlebitbored @am-3-thyst @buckybarnes-1917 @thora-jane @lionalsowrites @cloudroomblog @prince-tassel @danzer8705 @yourlocalbentspine @harperdoodle @hollandorks @mattmurdocksstarlight @yeonalie @will-delete-this-later-probably @darkened-writer @kmc1989 @yomamasitsaroundthehouse @sumo-b98 @mrs-bellingham @shouldbestudying41 @midnightreids @mattmurdocks6thscaleapartment @pazii @littlenosoul @haydensith @anehkael @kezibear @dorothleah

[abstractnaturaldisaster]

is it over now? (was it over then?)

part seven

part eight: i think about jumping off of very tall somethings

Eddie was fully convinced he had lost whatever remaining dignity he might have had when his friends had found him sunken into his beanbag chair with random detritus strewn around the room. He really thought he could not feel any lower than when Ronnie made it more obvious than necessary that she was picking her way through Eddie's junk to stick a hand into his nest and pull him out by his collar. He thought that was rock bottom, but being early for coffee with Robin and Nancy and having to wait with a cooling americano he spent way too much money on really gave that whole experience a run for its money.

Ronnie had suggested dming Robin and Nancy and testing the waters to see if they would be willing to broker some sort of reunion with Steve. Eddie stared at her like she had suggested he deliver the one ring to mordor alone; however, she obviously had a point since the newly announced couple suggested meeting up.

"Hey! Eddie! Sorry we're late!" Robin caught Eddie's attention as Nancy went to order.

"Oh, uh, no worries," Eddie fumbled, "I'm just happy you're here at all honest."

"I mean, Nance said it's only fair to hear you out but you were fucking brutal to my best friend, dude, so like the window to give you some grace is pretty fucking small," Robin answered.

"No, yeah totally understood. How do you want to do this?" Eddie asked.

"Why don't you just explain what happened from your side of things. From our angle, you look like kind of a douche but also I feel like maybe Steve didn't handle things great either? I dunno. I mean, you made him really happy, if we have a chance to fix that, I think I owe it to Steve, right?" Robin answered.

"Sure, yeah, no that makes sense," Eddie started as Nancy sat down with her and Robin's drinks.

"Keep going, Eddie, this is mostly Robin's thing anyway," Nancy prompted. She did not look quite as open to fixing things as Robin did and Eddie felt a little more nervous after he let himself relax in Robin's easy presence.

"For sure, so like obviously you know all of the like tabloid bullshit about Steve and whatever and like I kind of got it and understood but then without any warning I show up and Steve's like gorgeous and super successful ex was just on his couch and Steve isn't willing to explain? I mean that was pretty fucking hard to swallow," Eddie finished a little less certain of where he stood with Robin as she narrowed her eyes over her tea.

"So instead of trusting Steve and listening to him when he told you how much the tabloids have lied about him throughout his career you let the fact that I was present in his home be enough to trump years of what you all had built?" Nancy questioned. Eddie could see her journalism chops coming out.

"That's fair. I mean, I definitely acted without a lot of thought but like, why wouldn't you have looped me in? Did you guys not trust me?" Eddie asked still trying to figure out why he was left flat footed all those weeks ago.

"I think that might be on me," Robin piped up, "I was pretty nervous about coming out and I think Steve was being super protective and didn't want to ask me to come out to more people than I was wanting to. It's not that he didn't trust you, Eddie, it's that we had some pretty shitty years with different agents trying to push me in different directions and I think he just was sick of feeling like outside forces were making me move quicker than I was ready to. And it's not like you made it easy on him to reach out to you after. How was he supposed to respond when you blocked him on literally every platform?"

"I guess I didn't think he would want to explain or he'd try to like explain everything away even though it had seemed obvious at the time he was cheating on me," Eddie paused when both Robin and Nancy threw death glares across the table, "Jeez, I know now that was stupid but at the time it was the only rational I could see."

"I guess we should stop interrogating you, you do seem pretty serious, otherwise I don't think you would have agreed to meet both of us," Nancy jumped in.

"I really regret cutting him off like I did. I know I got way too in my head about everything immediately and just didn't give it time or let him respond," Eddie tried to sound as apologetic as he felt.

"We believe you, you two are both dinguses," Robin cut in, "more importantly, what are we going to do about that fucking song and how the hell do you propose apologizing for all the shit you stirred?"

"I thought we were done with the interrogation," Eddie held his hands up.

"Only about whether or not you're genuine, you still have to figure out how you are putting my bestie back together," Robin answered.

"So about that. I have a couple ideas. One, I feel like a song got us into this mess and my label wants more music anyways so I am kind of thinking of an apology song. The rest of my band has actually started workshopping some stuff with me to try to put it together as soon as we can. I'm kind of hoping to release it before Steve gets back so we are a bit under the clock," Eddie began, "And second, that's where I was kind of hoping you guys could help. I don't want to like ambush the guy but I also don't know if Steve will be interested in meeting with me or like ready to start dating again. I was kind of hoping I could crash one of your movie nights? Maybe once Steve gets settled a bit more?"

"Steve is not the best with surprises," Robin thought aloud, "but that's not a no, it's a convince me."

"I just figure he'll be in his space and relaxed and he also fully has an out to have you kick me out if he isn't interested. If he is, I was kind of hoping you too would be willing to make yourselves scarce?" Eddie hoped that was enough.

Surprisingly, Nancy was the one to answer.

"I think we have a deal, Munson," Nancy stuck her hand out for Eddie to shake.

Eddie left the cafe feeling more hopeful than he had in some time.

part nine

@lololol-1234 @swimmingbirdrunningrock @zombiethingy @grtwdsmwhr @dreamercec @anne-bennett-cosplayer @strawberryyyenthusiast

@mensch-anthropos-human @kal-ology @ttyrussss @kristmkris @starman-jpg @wonderland-girl143-blog @child-of-cthulhu @legalmenace87 @adealwithher @practicallybegging @lunaraquaenby @stripey82

@lexyvey @goodolefashionedloverboi @mothmamhasyourlocation @mugloversonly @sherrylyn0628 @steddieinthesun @wonderland-girl143-blog @counting-dollars-counting-stars @bookworm0690

(if you wanna be tagged in future parts feel free to comment! happy to add people)

[50calmadeuce]

EOL - Chapter 9

Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Top Gun: Maverick world, trademarked by Paramount Pictures Corporation. I do not claim ownership of the characters and the world that I am borrowing.

The story and situation I am creating are a work of my imagination and I do not ascribe them to official story canon. This work is for entertainment only and is not a part of the storyline.

I am not profiting financially from the creation and publication of this story, but I do hope it gives you happy thoughts.

These stories are my own, so please do not take them and use them for yourself without my permission. If you see them somewhere else, please let me know.

I also do not own the right to 'In Case You Didn't Know' by Brett Young. This song just fits the mood perfectly.

It was late when you arrived home, the house nearly dark except for the faint glow of the lights your mom left on for when you kids came home late.

You climbed the stairs, your mind replaying the events of the night. You’d shared everything with Nolan—Jake, your history, the complexities of it all. You learned more about Nolan and his family, and though he was a great guy, he wasn’t your guy.

You opened the door to your bedroom and flipped on the light. The sight that greeted you was unexpected—a pile of letters and a few boxes stacked neatly on your desk.

“What the fuck?” you muttered to yourself, walking over to the desk and picking up the top envelope.

They were all addressed to you...from Jake.

Your heart skipped a beat as you stared at the familiar handwriting on the envelope—Jake’s handwriting. It had been years since you’d seen it, and the sight of it brought a wave of memories crashing through your mind. You set the envelope down for a moment, your fingers trembling as you glanced over the stack. There were at least six or seven letters, each one sealed, each one waiting.

You could feel the pull of them, the weight of what they represented—the years, the silence, the unanswered questions. Jake had written you. All this time, he had been reaching out in a way that you hadn’t known about.

You couldn't take it anymore, so you reached out, grabbed a letter, tore it open and unfolded the letter.

You carefully unfolded the first letter, your fingers trembling slightly as you began to read.

Y/N,

I’m writing you this letter because I don’t know how else to say what’s been on my mind for the past few months except that I miss you.

I know. I probably sound desperate and probably even pathetic, but you're the only one I've ever showed that side to, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I've tried asking where you are, but all I get is that you're busy with school. Which is what I know you wanted to do.

I've been busy with school as well. I'm currently stationed at Naval Air Station Kingsville in Texas.

I drove home on some vacation and drove to your school. They said you were gone on an internship.

Your heart squeezed as you continued reading, each word heavier than the last.

I don’t know if you ever think about me anymore, but I think about you every day. I think about the days we spent together, and the way we talked about the future like it was something that belonged to us. And I think about how, when I left, I told myself I’d come back and everything would still be the same. But nothing’s the same anymore, and I don’t know what happened.

I can’t change the past, but I can’t stop thinking about the future, either. If you can’t forgive me, I understand. I just needed to get this off my chest.

I miss you. I miss us.

-Jake

You blinked back the moisture in your eyes, trying to steady your breath. The ache in your chest was overwhelming. You’d spent so many years convincing yourself that the past was behind you, that you were moving forward. But now, with every word in this letter, it felt like everything you’d worked so hard to bury was clawing its way back to the surface.

As you read the letter, the memory of the kiss in the stables came rushing back—how his lips had felt against yours, the way he held you close while dancing, as though time itself had momentarily stopped.

A knot tightened in your chest as the realization hit. Why were you running from him? This man, despite everything—the loss of your child, the years of silence—still loved you. He had never stopped, even after all the pain, even after six years of distance.

The weight of it all made your mind spin. Could you truly continue to hide from this, from him, when he was still so clearly holding onto you?

The letters in your hands trembled as you placed them down, the weight of their words sinking deeper. You couldn’t escape the feelings they stirred, feelings you thought you’d buried, tucked away under layers of time and distance. Jake’s voice—his words, his longing—were so tangible, so real in the letters. They wrapped around your heart like a thread you couldn’t untangle.

You pressed a hand to your forehead, trying to clear the storm of emotions swirling within you. Every question, every "what if," seemed to batter at you, impossible to answer. It was so much easier, so much safer, to pretend that you had moved on. To convince yourself that you had built a life, a future, that didn’t revolve around the man whose heart you had broken—and yet, every step away from him had always felt incomplete.

And now, standing here in the quiet of your room, surrounded by these letters, you realized how much you had longed for closure. Not just for the past, but for the possibility of what could have been. What could still be.

"Why am I running?" you whispered, the question falling into the stillness of the room.

It was a question you didn’t have an answer to. You knew the past wasn’t easy, that there was hurt there that couldn’t be undone. But Jake’s return, his presence, his vulnerability—it brought the possibility of something new, something different, despite everything that had happened.

The stables, the dance, the words he had spoken—they hadn’t just been memories; they had been a reminder of the deep connection between you. The connection you’d once shared and, despite everything, still seemed to have.

You carefully placed the letters back on your desk, the weight of Jake's words lingering in the air. You glanced at the pile of envelopes and boxes, your mind racing. Where the fuck did these letters come from?

You took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as the weight of everything swirled around in your mind. You’d figure it all out tomorrow. For tonight, you needed to let the silence of your room settle over you, to let everything sit before you confronted it.

You turned away from the desk, walked to your dresser, and began getting ready for bed, your movements slow, your mind still a million miles away. The soft rustle of your clothes and the quiet of the house seemed like a temporary escape—just for tonight.

"Morning, baby. You ready for another day at the rodeo?" your mom asked, her voice warm and steady as she moved around the kitchen.

You walked over to the cabinet, grabbed your favorite coffee cup, and then made your way to the coffee pot. You poured the dark, steaming liquid into your mug, the warmth comforting as you took a moment to gather your thoughts.

"Yeah, I think so," you replied, your voice still a little distant as you stared into your cup. The events of the night before still weighed on your mind, but you couldn’t avoid facing it much longer.

Your mom smiled, seemingly noticing the change in your mood as she moved to the stove to finish preparing breakfast. She didn't press you for details, but the concerned look she shot your way was enough to let you know she was paying attention.

"Rumor is you looked great as the Flag Girl," she said gently, a proud smile in her voice. "But, you know...I just said, 'That's my girl.'"

You couldn't help but smile softly, the warmth of her words soothing the tension that had been building inside you. "Thanks, Mom," you replied, taking a sip of your coffee. It was just what you needed to start the day, even if your mind was still tangled in everything that had happened.

"Momma? Remember how I asked about letters from Jake?" you asked, your voice hesitant, unsure of what you were about to uncover.

"Mmhm," she replied, her voice steady but laced with something you couldn’t quite place. She turned to face you, a knowing look in her eyes.

"They were on my desk in my bedroom when I got home last night," you stated, your voice a little more strained now as the weight of the situation settled in.

Your mom set the spatula down with a soft clink, her expression unreadable for a moment. She looked at you, her gaze soft but piercing, as if she were weighing her next words carefully.

"Oh, Y/N. I don't know what to say," she said, her voice tinged with concern as she glanced at you.

Puzzled, you looked at her, trying to make sense of it all. "You don't know where they came from?"

"Why, no," she replied, her eyes avoiding yours for a brief moment before meeting your gaze again. Then it hit her. "Y/N. I would never..."

She trailed off, her face softening with the realization, as if she understood the implications of what was being said. Her voice became quieter, more sincere. "I would never have kept them from you. If I knew, I would have told you. You know that, right?"

You stared at her, trying to process the layers of confusion that were rapidly piling up. The thought that your mom might have had a hand in keeping something from you felt like it didn’t fit. She had always been open with you—supportive, understanding. This was different, and the fact that she seemed just as confused and concerned as you only deepened the mystery.

You drew in a deep breath, the weight of your mother’s words sinking in. “Yeah. I know.”

You took another deep breath, the fog of uncertainty clouding your thoughts. "Then where did they come from?"

Just then, Cole came in from outside, his boots heavy on the floor as he noticed the tension in the room. He paused, his gaze flicking between you and your mom, a quiet concern in his eyes. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah. Everything's fine," you said quickly, forcing a smile as you tried to ease the atmosphere. But the weight of the conversation lingered, and you could feel the questions still swirling in the air.

"Did you want some breakfast?" your mom asked, her voice warm as she tried to shift the focus.

You glanced at your watch, realizing you were running short on time. "Actually, I'll grab something at the rodeo. I have to go. Some meeting," you explained, offering a quick smile as you grabbed your keys from the counter.

"Alright, sweetheart. Take care," your mom said, watching you with a mixture of concern and understanding.

Cole gave a nod but didn't push any further, sensing you needed space. You grabbed your coffee to-go and headed out, still feeling the weight of everything hanging over you as the day started.

The day at the rodeo was a whirlwind—loud, dusty, and full of energy. Time seemed to slip through your fingers with every handshake, every laugh, every thundering gallop. You’d ended up placing third in the barrel racing, which, all things considered—six years out of competition and only three days on a horse like Skunk—was nothing to scoff at. You were proud, even if you didn’t say it out loud.

After more meet and greets and a few congratulatory hugs from familiar faces, the golden light of evening began to spill across the rodeo grounds. The crowd had thinned, and a new band had taken the stage at the bandstand, their twangy chords floating into the warm dusk air.

You found an empty picnic table near the edge of the crowd and sat down, letting the music wash over you. It was peaceful now—soft strumming, the smell of kettle corn in the distance, the hush of voices carried on the breeze. You exhaled, finally still.

Then you heard the sound of approaching footsteps—measured, purposeful.

You looked up and there he was.

Jake.

“This song goes out to Y/N Travers,” the lead singer said, his voice carrying easily over the mic. A few people turned their heads, curious, but the crowd stayed mellow, swaying to the slow change in rhythm.

Your brows lifted in surprise just as the opening notes of In Case You Didn’t Know by Brett Young drifted through the evening air. You looked toward the bandstand, heart skipping once, then twice.

Then Jake stepped closer, hand outstretched, his voice barely above a whisper. “Can I have this dance?”

You looked at him—really looked at him. The softened expression, the way he held his hand like it wasn’t just about the dance, but everything that came with it. The years. The silence. The weight of all the things neither of you had said.

Slowly, you slid your hand into his. “Yeah,” you said quietly, “you can.”

He led you out into the open space near the stage, not quite a dance floor, but enough. You slipped into his arms like it hadn’t been years, like the rhythm had never broken.

Jake’s hand settled at your waist, firm and familiar, and yours rested against his chest where you could feel his heart thudding steadily beneath your palm.

You started listening to the lyrics of the song:

Baby, I know you've been wonderin' So here goes nothin' In case you didn't know Baby, I'm crazy 'bout ya

Jake's thumb brushed gently along your waist, a subtle reassurance in the middle of the song’s confession, like he needed you to hear the lyrics not from the band—but from him.

I would be lyin' if I said That I could live this life without you…

Each word hit like a wave—soft but strong, reshaping everything you thought you had packed away in a neat box labeled past.

You had my heart a long, long time ago In case you didn't know...

Jake leaned in just a little, close enough that his breath tickled your temple as he whispered, “I told them to play it… I didn’t know if I’d get the chance.”

You blinked, looking up at him. “Jake…”

“I never stopped, Y/N. Not once. I just didn’t know if I’d ever get to tell you again.”

The tears threatened again, but you held them back, resting your cheek against his shoulder, his arms tightening slightly as if anchoring the two of you in place.

The crowd melted away. The smell of dust and barbecue and worn leather boots faded. All you felt was him. The way your bodies still knew how to move together. The way the world quieted when he held you like this.

And as the chorus came back around— “In case you didn’t know… Baby, I’m crazy 'bout you…”—

You whispered the words against his chest, more to yourself than to him, but loud enough for his heart to catch it.

“I know, Jake. I think I always did,” you said, your voice barely louder than the music as the final chords began to fade.

You looked up at him, eyes catching the last traces of fading sunlight in his. He stilled, the weight of your words settling between you like dust in a quiet room.

You took a breath, steadying yourself. “Your letters… they ended up on my desk last night.”

Jake froze, his hand still gently holding yours, the other resting against the small of your back. His expression shifted—hope, regret, maybe even fear—all chasing each other across his face.

“You read them?” he asked, his voice rough.

You nodded slowly. “I read a couple of them. Six years is a lot of letters, but I think they pretty much summed up how you felt.”

Jake let out a quiet breath, almost like he’d been holding it in for years. His gaze searched your face, uncertain. “And… how did they make you feel?”

You looked down at your joined hands for a moment, thumb brushing over his knuckles. “Like time stopped every time I opened one. Like I never really let you go… even when I told myself I had.”

He didn’t say anything right away, just pulled you a little closer, the space between you almost nonexistent now.

“You should've told me,” he said finally, the words thick with regret.

You met his eyes again, steady and honest. “Maybe. But I wasn’t ready then. And maybe you weren’t either.”

A soft smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, bittersweet. “And now?”

You exhaled slowly, heart beating a little faster. “Now… I’m still figuring it out. But I didn’t walk away from that dance, did I?”

Jake’s smile deepened, something softer settling behind his eyes. “No. You didn’t.”

“And you’re not upset about losing the baby?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper, eyes shining with sadness.

Jake’s expression shifted—pain flickering behind his eyes, jaw tightening for a brief second. He took a deep breath, steadying himself.

“Darlin’,” he said softly, “I’m more upset that you didn’t tell me.”

You looked away, blinking rapidly. “Jake, you had your whole life ahead of you. The Academy… the Navy… I didn’t want to be the thing that held you back.”

Jake reached out, gently tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “Y/N. You were never the thing that held me back. Not once. You were the reason I kept going.”

Your lips parted, but no words came. The ache in your chest had nothing to do with the years you lost, and everything to do with how he was still here. Still looking at you like nothing had changed—even though everything had.

“I have faith that we would’ve figured it out,” he said, his voice low but unwavering.

You looked at him—really looked—and for a second, it was like no time had passed at all. Just the two of you, hearts a little bruised, lives a little tangled, but still standing here in the same quiet orbit.

“I used to imagine it, you know,” you said softly. “What it would’ve been like. You, me, the baby. Some version of normal.”

Jake nodded, his thumb grazing the back of your hand. “I imagined it too. More than you probably think.”

You swallowed hard. “But it didn’t happen.”

“No,” he said. “But that doesn’t mean everything else has to stop too.”

Your eyes met his, full of years and heartache, but also something fragile and blooming—hope.

“You really think we could start over?” you asked.

Jake gave the faintest, wistful smile. “I don’t think we ever stopped.”

Another song started to play—upbeat, with a familiar rhythm—and the dance floor filled quickly with couples, laughter, and the shuffle of boots on packed earth.

Jake leaned in a little closer, his voice warm against the shell of your ear. “You wanna get out of here?”

You pulled back just enough to meet his gaze. That sparkle in his eye—mischief wrapped in affection—hadn’t changed one bit.

You smiled, soft and sure. “Yeah.”

Without another word, he laced his fingers through yours, the way he used to, like it was second nature. He gave your hand a gentle tug and led you off the edge of the crowd, away from the noise and the lights and the hum of voices.

The cool evening air wrapped around you as you walked, but your hand stayed warm in his, steady. Safe.

And for the first time in a long time, you didn’t feel the need to look back.

Tags: @tylers-twister-gal @smoothdogsgirl @tgmreader @crashingwavesofeuphoria @lunatygerqueen @illisea @findthebeautyinbreakdowns @untitled-document-95 @mrsevans90 @djs8891 @justwaveandsmile @kmc1989 @fantasyfootballchampion @khouse712 @literal-tv-menace @malindacath @jackiehollanderr @but-I-write-so-I-must-count

[comically-callous]

Can you do a story were you date Sirius so he can actually Date Remus and reg don't know and likes you and gets jealous

If you can thx you <3

I didn't think I'd like writing this as much as I did lol.

Regulus Black x Fem!Reader

Some Warnings: Technically a modern AU, a bit of cursing, mentions of a bad home life, jealous Reg, sort of angsty???

A/n: I made this new Year's themed even though new years has passed 🤗 Cause y'all can't stop me 🤬🤬🤬 This is DEFINITELY my longest fic yet. PLEASE DON'T LET IT FLOP GUYS.... My requests are open btw

Ah, winter break. It was something everyone at Hogwarts looked forward to. Well, almost everyone. There were those who didn't get to go home to their families and some who wished they didn't have to go home to their families.

One of those people was a friend of yours, Sirius Black. He often avoided talking about his home life, but you knew it wasn't good. And you knew going home for the holidays could be hard for him. So, when it was the day before winter break and the two of you had a moment alone, you asked if there was anything you could do to make the break easier for him.

"I need you to be my girlfriend."

Seven words you'd never expected to hear from your best friend. Your best friend who was in a gay relationship, nonetheless.

"What?" You asked in bewilderment. "No!"

"Wait, wait, wait. It's not what you think." Sirius put his hands up as if to show his innocence. "I don't really want you to be my girlfriend. I just need you to pretend. Please."

"Why?!"

"Because," he explained. "My parents have started to get... Suspicious about my total lack of any girlfriend. And I may have told them that I was dating you.... Y'know, to throw them off my track..."

You stared at him. "You told your parents we were dating?!" You repeated, clearly upset at him.

"I know, I know. It was a shitty thing to do, and I'm sorry." He says. "But, if I didn't give them some sort of excuse, they might've found out about me and Remus!"

You were still upset, but you could understand why he did what he did. "So..." You crossed your arms. "You said I need to pretend to date you. What is it exactly that you need me to do?"

"Over the break, I need you to come over for a couple days. My parents will meet you, get to know you, blah, blah, blah. And then, you'll never have to speak with them again. If they ask about you after that, I'll say we broke up."

You really weren't a fan of having to fake date your best friend. You also weren't a fan of having to meet his parents who you'd only heard negative things about. But... You knew how happy he was with Remus and you would hate for his parents to find out about the two. You sighed. "You're lucky we're friends."

"Is that an agreement?" He asked, a grateful smile on his face.

"Yes. But, you'll be forever in debt to me."

"Fine by me."

The next day, while on the train to 9 3/4, you and Sirius mostly just planned for you having to meet his parents. You decided that you'd arrive the day after Christmas, stay for news years eve, and leave new Year's Day.

A lot of the train ride was spent establishing some basic facts about your "relationship". How you'd met, your first date, what your wedding would be like (which was strange, but Sirius assured you that his parents would ask about marriage), and some other details.

Soon enough, the train ride was over. Your winter break was fine. You enjoyed getting to see your family, but you were quite stressed about seeing Sirius' family. Part of you wanted to call the whole thing off, but you knew that was out of the question. You had to do this. For Sirius.

The morning of December 26th was a cold one. You wished you'd had more protection against the cold, but the formal attire you were wearing could only do so much. Sirius had told you to bring nice, formal clothing for the few days you'd be there. You were a bit worried you'd still be underdressed, though.

You took a deep breath and knocked on the door to the literal mansion that Sirius lived in.

After a few moments, the door opened. Regulus black stood on the other side.

Oh.

"Hi." You greeted, trying to politely smile at him. He didn't return the gesture. He did the opposite he gave you a look of... Annoyance?

"You're here for Sirius."

You couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, so you just gave a nod.

He stepped aside to let you in, his eyes trailing over your attire, making you feel nervous. "He's in the living room with mother and father." Regulus said before walking off.

What a strange interaction. You and Regulus weren't close, by any means. But, you never thought he disliked you. You thought the opposite was true. Whenever the two of you did interact, he was always quite nice.

You tried to shrug off the interaction, but you just couldn't. Even when you were next to Sirius, meeting his parents for the first time, the way he'd acted toward you was on your mind.

The worst part of your day was dinner. You were worried about everything. How you were eating, how you were sitting, the way everyone was looking at you, the way Regulus was looking at you.

"Y/n," You were broken out of your thoughts by Walburga's authoritative voice. "I want to know how you and Sirius began seeing each other."

You nervously glanced over to Sirius who gave you a forced looking smile. You looked back to Walburga. Gods, she scared you. "Well, it wasn't too long ago." You said, trying your hardest not to break eye contact with her. "It was late September. He told me since we'd known each other for so long, he thought we'd be a good match."

Sirius nodded along. "We went on a couple dates, turns out we really like each other." He said.

You glanced over to Regulus. He was glaring at you. You didn't break eye contact and after a moment something else flashed through his eyes. Something softer. Sadness?

"So," Walburga broke your attention away from Regulus as you looked back to her. "Are you serious about your relationship with my son?"

"Very." You replied.

"Do the two of you plan on marrying?"

You swallowed. "As soon as possible."

You heard silverware clatter as Regulus abruptly stood up. "I need to be excused." He said lowly.

Walburga raised an eyebrow. "You've hardly eaten." She stated. There wasn't any concern in her voice like you'd expect. It was a blatant statement.

"I know." He says. "I'm done."

His mother gave him a disapproving look, but didn't object.

Regulus stormed out of the room. You couldn't help but frown as you watched him leave.

The next few days were a bit uneventful. Most of your time was either spent in the guest bedroom you were staying in, or talking with Sirius. You were still confused by Regulus' attitude toward you. You knew his and Sirius' relationship was a rocky one. But, you didn't think that affected what he thought of you. He'd known you and Sirius were friends, and he still treated you kindly. But, now that the two of you were pretending to date, he had a problem with it? It didn't make any sense!

It was December 31st now. You and Sirius were sitting in his room, eating lunch while sitting on the floor.

"I was thinking-"

"Oh, God."

"Shut up, let me finish." Sirius chuckled, playfully hitting your arm. "I was thinking about going to a party tonight."

You furrowed your brows. "Where?"

"James and his family have a new years party every year. I'm sure they wouldn't mind some extra company."

You thought about it. Honestly, you weren't really in the mood for a party. Plus, if his parents caught you sneaking out, your heart would probably stop. "I think I'll sit this one out." You said after a moment.

"You sure?"

You gave a nod. "Yeah, I'd rather stay in. I'm sure you'll have plenty of fun without me."

"Oh, I will."

You smacked his arm.

The clock read 11:39. You were alone in your guest room sitting in your bed. You had your laptop open in front of you as you watched a broadcasting of one of the many new Year's events that were going on tonight. You were absentmindedly looking at the crowded city streets displayed on your screen when-

"I wouldn't be using that while having the door open." Regulus said. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed, looking from you, to the laptop, and then back to you.

"Why not?" You asked.

"My mother doesn't approve of us using muggle technology." He said. "And I doubt she'd be okay with her son's girlfriend using it."

You sighed. "Right... Girlfriend."

Regulus raised a brow at how you'd said that. "What are you watching, anyway?" He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him.

"A new Year's parade."

"... Could I join you?"

You were surprised at that. After how cold he'd been acting toward you over the past few days, you'd assumed the last thing he'd want to do tonight is spend time with you. But, you weren't against the idea of not being alone when the new Year started.

"Sure." You replied as you moved over on the bed to make room for him to sit.

The two of you watched the parade in silence for a few minutes until Regulus spoke. "How come I had no idea you and Sirius were dating?" He asked.

You glanced over at him. "What do you mean?"

"You said the two of you had been together since late September." He said. "How come nobody knew about it?"

You subconsciously began to fiddle with the fabric of your shirt. "I don't know." You shrugged. "Guess we weren't shouting about it from the rooftops."

Regulus didn't break his gaze away from you. After a pause, he spoke. "I never would've guessed you liked him in that way."

You didn't know how to reply to that, so you just shrugged again.

Regulus was still looking at you, even though your gaze was focused on the screen in front of you.

He paused. "What made you fall for him?" He asked.

You thought it was an odd question. When you turned to look at him, he looked sort of sad. "He..." You trailed off.

Regulus looked at you expectantly. You were trying to come up with something, but your mind was blank.

"You do like him don't you?"

You looked away nervously. You began to wonder whether or not he'd even care that your relationship with Sirius was fake. If he really was upset about you dating Sirius, then wouldn't he like to know that it was all just pretend?

"Y/n." He said your name and you were pulled away from your thoughts.

"He's not actually my boyfriend." You blurted out.

Regulus paused. "What?"

"He asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend. He didn't want Walburga finding out about his actual relationship, so-"

"It's all fake?" He asked.

"All of it."

"You don't like him?"

"Not like that."

You swore you saw a sliver of a smile creep on to his face. "That's... Good."

You tilted your head. "Is it?"

"I mean..." He shrugged. "I just... I guess thinking you'd gotten with my brother was making me upset." He said.

"Why?"

"Because..." He hesitated. "I like you, Y/n."

You felt your heart skip a beat. Fuck, that actually explained a lot. You couldn't believe you hadn't realized sooner. You felt your face heat up. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "I was jealous. That's why I was acting so... Weird. Sorry for being such an asshole to you."

"That's alright." You paused. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? About your feelings, I mean."

He shrugged. "I didn't think you'd feel the same."

Honestly, you'd always found Regulus quite attractive. But, you figured there was no way he'd ever like you back, so you let go of that silly crush a while ago. But, this? This was making all of those feelings wash over you again.

It was 11:59 now. You could hear the commentators of the parade excitedly get ready for the countdown.

"I feel the same." You said, watching as a blush creeped on to his cheeks.

"Really?"

"Really."

His eyes seemed to sparkle at your admission. "I..."

You heard the countdown to the new Year begin.

"Can I kiss you?" Regulus asked softly. You nodded.

"Five!"

He leaned closer.

"Four!"

Your tongue darted out to wet your lips.

"Three!"

His hands came up to cup your cheeks.

"Two!"

He closed his eyes. You closed yours.

"One!"

Your lips met in a soft, romantic kiss. He brushed some hair out of your face and Gods, his hands were soft. You couldn't believe you'd ever managed to stop liking him.

When you pulled away he sighed contently as if that kiss was all he'd been needing his entire life.

You whispered something to him before pulling him in for another kiss.

"Happy new year."

[nexus-my-beloved]

Alright, welcome to my ramble about why Five/Lila in s4 makes absolute complete sense and why everyone tearing it down and making derogatory remarks make me ridiculously angry when they refuse to really think about it.

UMBRELLA ACADEMY S4 SPOILERS !

One of the biggest things I'm seeing people do/say about season 4 is that adding a love interest for Five ruined it or that Five "wouldn't do that" and that it was extremely out of character. At a glance, yes, that can make sense, but if you stop to think about it for five seconds longer than it becomes increasingly apparent that it MAKES SENSE.

Another thing people keep complaining about it the fact that Five was being a homewrecker/Five was being an awful person/etc. What people are doing is they are neglecting to acknowledge the fact that the relationship was as much as Five's persistence as it was Lila's. Lila was not roped into a relationship, she was just as much into it as he was! If you are going to call out Five, remember that you need to call out Lila, too.

Now that my baseline points are out there, let me explain:

When Five was in the apocalypse the first time, he felt completely alone in a barren wasteland. He was isolated, and young, and he wanted to get back to his family to save them. While he waited, though, he grew extremely attached to the first thing he could that gave him any kind of company: Dolores. He cared about her and even loved her, to a degree, proven by how he threatened to shoot Luther in s1 for trying to drop her out a window and by how he kissed the hallucination of a human Dolores when under the influence of Jayme's hallucination venom. Whether the love was real or not, he felt that it was, and it was a result of forced proximity and a lonely person wanting affection ("we only had each other")

When Five ended up trapped in the subway, he was lonely in yet another wasteland with more dangers than before. He felt isolated from the world around him, wanted to get back home to save his family (sound familiar yet?) but this time he was years older. He and Lila spent seven years on that subway, alone, together, and as would happen with forced proximity they got close. (I've heard people argue that they would've had a good sibling dynamic and that the romance ruined it, but the parallels between Lila and Dolores here are kind of obvious, I thought.) Five got attached to Lila, cared about her, and grew to love her (again, whether it was true love or not, that didn't matter when he thought he loved her, at least). In fact, throughout the entire show, Five has never smiled like he did when he was with Lila. He was happy. He did love her.

Often, Five is the one blamed for the relationship (that I have seen; I haven't yet seen ANYONE say Lila was also at fault). The issue is, Lila was the one who was married, the one who had kids, and yet she encouraged the relationship anyway. She didn't think she would get back to Diego, after a while. They were making the best of what they had, and personally, I don't think anything is wrong with the fact they had a relationship while in the subway - neither of them thought they would get home. Lila wasn't intending to cheat, she just didn't think she'd be able to get back to them and wasn't going to spend the rest of her life miserable. Five wasn't intending to play homewrecker, he fell in love and she encouraged it - what was he supposed to do? They were together of their own free wills. I think it's alright that they were together, but if you're going to blame anyone about it, both of them deserve blame because both of them were equal parts into the relationship.

I have heard people say that the stopping to rest was out of character and that it wasn't the same Five who fought 45 years in an apocalypse to get back to his family. That's the thing, though, isn't it? Five has done nothing but work to save his family since he was thirteen years old. 45 years in an apocalypse, a hellish two-ish weeks between saving them from a falling moon, WWIII in the 60s, and trying to get them out of a hotel that was hellbent on killing them. Then, when they get out, no powers, they all go their separate ways and he is no longer right with his family. He spends six years without them, working for the CIA, because working is all he knows how to do now (it's clear he hardly has a life for himself, seeing as everyone else's life was shown but Five had nothing outside of work), and when he gets put in another apocalypse for seven years you all are mad at him for wanting to have a break? For wanting something domestic? At face value, yes, it seems out of character, and it seems slightly selfish compared to his past actions, but when you really think about it IT MAKES SENSE HE'D WANT A BREAK. His life since he was 13 has been dictated by running himself ragged for his family's sake and now he might not be able to get home (similar to how it was in his first apocalypse). He's not at fault for wanting to go somewhere that he can rest. Wanting to have some sense of domesticity with Lila isn't bad.

The entire arc made sense! Five and Lila shared an experience with the commission. Both of them had been subject to The Handler and they could bond over it. Both had been through different apocalypses/problems (Hotel Oblivion, Lila was there in the sixties, they were now in the subway together) together, and both knew what it was like to get irritated by a crazy family (both, consequently, being subject to the Hargreeves). Sure, they fought in the past, and in past seasons their relationship would have never worked, but in that subway? In the subway it made sense. In fact, the show could have gone well either with or without their relationship, but adding in the relationship added to the watcher feeling the same level of defeat as Five did at the end. Losing everything, now having to lose his life, it gives the watcher empathy after watching the breakup.

Truly, I haven't seen anyone say that Five deserved sympathy for the breakup. He did deserve it, though: he was made to fall in love with Lila, and then the moment she found out they could go home, she was running off to leave like she was ready to ignore that they ever happened. He had been in love with her, made her gifts, called her "love", said that he "aimed to please" as he tried to make her happy, held her so gently when he'd kiss her because he was sweet and tender and this was the first real love he'd gotten to have, and he wanted to do it right. Then, the moment he told her she could go home, she was ready to leave, and she looked him in the eyes and said that "it was survival", practically throwing his heart to the ground and shattering it. They'd spent seven years together and he'd grown to love her and she made it seem like she was just biding her time and never truly loved him in the first place. Imagine how he must have felt? And yet he still loved her anyway. He'd known that she had been annoyed with Diego sometimes, and because he was in love and upset after getting his heart broken it made SENSE that he'd be bitchy towards Diego. Yes, she was Diego's wife, but Five was in love with her, and he was jealous that after everything they went through Diego still got to have her. He fought Diego to get out that frustration, even if (in my heart of heart's) it wasn't really frustration at Diego, but instead just generalized feelings of hurt. He dealt with it the way he dealt with things in the past: he fought. Five was forced to be a fighter, and it was the end of the world, it's not like he'd allow himself to cry. If anything, Five fighting Diego was the MOST in character thing they could've done after that, and yet people are upset at him for fighting his brother! That final "it's over, Five" that Lila said after breaking up the fight broke his heart, you could see that, in both his face and the way he blipped to the subway, ready to leave. He was heartbroken, there didn't seem to be a way to end this apocalypse, and again, Five wanted to rest. He loved her, she hurt him, and yet he STILL held her when she broke down after sending her family and the kids away on the train. He was strong, but you could tell he was hurting.

Their relationship wouldn't have worked anywhere besides the subway but it happening there made perfect sense, it made for a good feeling of Five experiencing defeat and the idea that he could never truly be loved, by family or otherwise. (Dolores couldn't reciprocate, Lila tossed him aside the second she could go home, Reginald surely was no father figure and there's no doubt he likely didn't see Grace as much of a mother, his siblings were always upset with him for some reason or other even if he was just trying to save them and out of this whole time, I believe he's only ever been called a good brother twice. He only got told that twice after his years of suffering for his family's sake.)

So, in conclusion, the Five/Lila arc made sense, it fit well with the story, there were good implications if you bother to think about them, Lila was just as much at fault as Five, Five was NOT super out of character for being a man just wanting a break (he even said it himself, it was a break, not giving up), and I'm so sick of hearing people just talk shit about them. Thank you for coming to my ramble, if you were a hater before, I hope I changed your mind, and to everyone that agrees with me thank you.

[eisforeidolon]

Question: With your new projects, with Countdown and I guess your guest starring arc on Fire Country, like, why did y'all choose those projects? Specifically, like, what to expect on Countdown, 'cause Jensen, you've done a lot of projects that have been a bit traumatizing, so.

Jensen: Well, expect no different. It's - well, the reason that this show kinda came to be, or I came to be a part of it? So I had a, like, in the wake of The Boys, I signed a deal with Amazon, they wanted to develop a project and kind of develop something with me in mind. So I had a few meetings with different writers and different kind of takes for shows. When I met Derek Haas who created Countdown and has written all thirteen scripts? I just, I clicked with him immediately, he and I are actually grew up in the same town, we went to neighboring high schools, so we had a lot in common right off the bat. But he's just a really great storyteller and he comes from a long line of just writing really kind of intense type of stuff. And so the character that he created, I just, I felt like I could tell that story in the world that he was also creating. And so that lead to more meetings and then that lead to some outlines and I got to read the first script, and I just kind of really - I liked where it was going, I liked the kind of world that he was setting it in and I got excited about it, and so that's kinda what we're doing and where I'm at right now. I was fortunate enough to be in a position to do that and be there from kinda the beginning, the genesis of it all. 'Cause that's not normal for most actors, most actors, it's everything is kind of already cooked and then they come in and they get cast as a role that's already, it's already happening. This I was kind of - not involved creatively? But I was already on the train from the beginning in the station. So that was nice, and it is going to be - there are some twists and turns with this show, there are some big reveals, so to speak, so it's -

Jared: Not his butt.

Jensen: No, no.

Jared: Not just his butt.

Jensen: That's a different show. So I'm excited for you guys to - I'm excited to get it done, we're about half way done with the season right now. I think they're shooting for a June probably release, next summer? And I'm excited to see what you guys think and to see it once it's on its feet.

Jared: Hell yeah, I can't wait, man. For me, Fire Country, per se? Was kind of different. So I spoke for many years, and I know some people have heard this, who have been around for a while? But after Supernatural was done, I wanted to take some time. That's not the way it kinda worked out, 'cause Walker started really quickly and shortly thereafter? But in my head, I wanted to kinda have a couple of years or whatever where I - this sounds very arrogant, but, like, a friend calls and says, hey wanna come work with me, or something? That did work out with Max, who is a buddy of mine, a buddy of Jensen's, and when we found out Walker didn't go, it was like, hey dude, so sorry, you wanna come to Vancouver and play a little bit? And I was like *gasp* this is what I think I've always wanted. Just like uh hey, Kripke, doing anything? Hey Max, doing anything? Hey Jensen, doing anything? Y'know, and kinda hopping in and out. And so it was a fun time, and I spent nineteen straight years as number one on the call sheet, y'know, and that takes a lot. Takes a lot, and I'm not complaining myself, but my friends and family, the way I work, it's kind of all-consuming? I don't do it on purpose, but I wanted to be there - you know, my kids are twelve, ten, and seven and I want to be there for them and help them with homework and help them go to school and to soccer and to piano and to therapy and this and that. And I mean that, like, legit, they go to therapy every week, and I'm very proud of that and I hope they carry it on into adulthood. But I wanted to be [audience cheers] yeah, yeah, yeah. And so with Fire Country, which was three episodes, it was one of those situations where a close friend for a decade said hey you wanna come play in Vancouver in my sandbox, and I was like, yeah, for sure. And so I haven't seen the episodes yet, I did ADR, I meant to watch them last night but got distracted, but I'll watch them and I hope y'all enjoy it. And I can't wait for Countdown.

[ghostieeeee]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐: 𝐂𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐓

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

Word count: 1.8k

Warnings: Possible spelling errors? :D

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

The day had passed by fairly quickly, you spent your breaks cooped up in the library with your friends and Eunchae, and although classes were basically a death sentence, you managed to survive till this point at least. The last ten minutes of the day. But despite the reasonably short time, every minute seemed to drag on to become an excruciatingly tiring sixty seconds.

The classroom has become your penal institution, keeping you locked up for good as a consequence for your naivety and lack of knowledge. It felt restricting, but this was one of the limited classes you share with a friend- your dearest Kim Chaewon.

“I hate this” There she goes again, complaining about the class- she's only complaining because of her lack of understanding over the topic you're currently covering. “I don’t understand why we can’t just study this ourselves, Sir has almost sent me to sleep with this lesson multiple times!” she whisper-yells, avoiding all eye contact with the teacher himself as she jots down notes into her personal notebook.

“It’s school, Chae, most things about school are bound to get boring sooner or later” You feel yourself smile at her annoyed huff, shaking your head lightly out of habit. “There isn't that long left until you're home free”

“Huh? Where are you going after school?”

“My english partner invited me to a coffee shop so we can start our assignment together”

In the corner of your eye, you notice the sudden stop to her note-taking and the turn of her head to face you,”Wouldn’t you have started that in class with them?”

“We were planning a few things. We still need to research more and actually begin to type it out or whatever” you explain, ignoring the strange look Chaewon was giving you.

“Mmhmm… Who’s your partner this time?”

“Aren’t you nosey today?” You stifle a small laugh,”If you must know, I'm paired with Kang Haerin”

“As in the shy popular girl, Haerin?” Her voice was laced with an undertone of uncertainty and concern,”You know this could bring attention to yourself, right?”

“Yes, I'm very much aware, but at least she wants to do the project. I’d rather face minor attention than have to do a whole assignment again. Chae, I was extremely sleep deprived last time, I became almost erratic” You let out a gusty sigh,”It’ll be something quick. We agreed to get the project done as soon as possible, and that's that”

"I'm just looking out for you, you know how much I love you"

"I know, Chae, but I know what I'm doing"

You listen to her sigh. You're almost certain the only reason she hasn't pummelled you to the ground yet is because you're her friend. You have too much of a backstory together for her to just bury, quite literally and figuratively. Three years has certainly been a show in the making when it comes to you. "If this comes back to bite you in the ass I'm here for you"

"You always have been, and I appreciate it a lot. I appreciate you a lot…" You pause to glance at your friend, sharing a gracious smile with each other,"get back to your work"

"Yes ma'am," Chaewon nods, turning her attention back to her note-taking as her wrist goes into immediate overtime.

The next seven minutes dragged on by, making your every movement feel slugged as a result. Students were evidently done with the Monday hassle as most flickered between the clock on the wall and the clock on their phones. They were desperate to leave and confine within the comfort of their homes- preparing for either an early night's worth of sleep or none at all.

However, after what felt like three hours worth of agonsing torture, the same mellow ring of the school bell radiates the air, completely sending the class to carnage. Students hadn't even waited for the teacher to dismiss them. They hadn't even waited for him to finish his sentence before they were already out the door and very well down the hallway.

“Free phone?” Chaewon speaks up, nudging you slightly as she nods to the seat on your left. It was completely empty, the boy you sat next to had vanished,”I guess someone was in a rush”

“That doesn’t mean we should take it though. Who knows what's stored on that thing?” You speak with a slight disgust, putting your notebook into your bag.

“I suppose,” she grins, “but that won't stop me!”

“Hey, hey! That's not your phone to take!” You complain, trying to block her sight of the black cased device.

“I'm not going to keep it, you make it seem like i'm the villain” Chaewon rolls her eyes, her grin having transformed into a misleading frown.

You shake your head, walking past the forgotten possession,”maybe you are the villain, maybe you're not… who knows?”

“That's cruel”

“Maybe?” You stop outside your classroom, hand tightly gripping the material of your bag’s strap. “Time to socialise” you sigh, having already spotted the girl you're meeting with.

Has she told Minji?

“goodluck Y/n, you might need it”

“Thanks Chae” You're both quick to separate- with Chaewon taking off in a hurry to find Kazuha, and you staying to meet with Haerin.

It wasn't uncommon for Chaewon to scurry off to meet Kazuha, they are neighbours afterall, but you're still stuck in the state of wishing someone you know would join you to help ease your mind a little.

Friend or alone, you're still going either way.

“Are you ready?” Turning your head to the meek voice, you find Haerin already looking at you with her same stoic face. That sweet voice had almost no correlation to the way she presents herself outwardly.

“Yeah, i'm ready”

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

Pushing past the glass door, a fresh ambience of crushed coffee beans rade your nose. The warmth from the heaters attacked the chill you had brung in with you. The late October air stood no chance here. The exterior was cloistered and closed, so many tables and such little space, but you suppose that only added to the acquaint charm of the business.

Slightly trailing behind Haerin, you make your stop at the partly busy counter, where a female from your chem class stands, her hands occupied with retying her coffee stained apron. “Hello, welcome. What can I get for you today?”

It was Jiwoo- one of your sister's other friends- they are perfect friends in all honesty, them and another girl called Sullyoon. The three of them are almost always in other people's business for no clear reason. Like you said to Chaewon earlier, you were certain they were working against you with their weird spying techniques.

“Y/n?” You hum to Haerins call, eyes connecting with the barista's apron in front of you as your throat squeezes itself shut momentarily. “I’ll just get whatever Hearin ordered” You almost squealed out.

“Very well,” Jiwoo nods, placing your order through “That’ll be eleven-thousand won please”

“I’ll pay,” Haerin declares, having already pulled out her card and inputted the pin. You had no chance to even get a word in before she had already paid for the order.

“Thank you, we’ll bring your coffees over to you when they're ready”

“Thank you” You and Haerin surprise each other alongside yourselves with the sudden synchronisation to your words. While it was a generic response, and literally anyone could have done that, it was still surprising. Unbeknownst to you both, however, was that Jiwoo had judged this with narrow slitted eyes, her mind booting and reeling in any possibilities of your strange outing. Never has she ever seen you both talk- let alone in unison. As far as Jiwoo knows, this could even be a drug deal, and obviously, you're the sourcer.

Taking your seats at a round, plastic top, table- located somewhat close to the counter- you pull out your laptops, your hand also moving to unsheath the sheet from earlier. You kept the paper in case you ever needed to use her email again- fortunately, for now, you have not.

“What part do you want to follow up on?” Haerin questions, without looking away from her screen, her mouth left to hang slightly agape.

“That sounds creepy” you mumble, pondering over your options. However, your focus lifts at the sound of a small chuckle.

Was that Haerin?

Looking up only confirmed your suspicion. It really was Haerin. Her little chuckle was a first with you, and her widening smile only made her look all that much more like a cat. The corners of her eyes were pinched as she smoothed out her shirt.

“Not in that way. I don't think you’d be able to follow a printed sentence home”

Feeling yourself smile at her lighthearted attitude, even if it may only be temporary, you respond in the same demeanour “Doesn't it technically follow me home?”

“Because it’s in your bag?”

“Yeah” you observe the girl opposite you as her nose scrunches up.

“Maybe you have a stalker…” she almost whispers.

“Should I report it?”

“Maybe… I wouldn't want some random stalker if I were you”

“Two iced americanos?! A third voice intrudes, a voice you’ve heard so many times coming from your sister's room late at night when she's on facetime with her friends. Jiwoos' other partner in crime- Sullyoon. Of course they would both work together in the same establishment.

“Yes, that's us” Haerin responds as her smile retreats back into the shadows of her more introverted personality. “Thank you”

“Thank you” you repeat Haerins' words after Sullyoon places your own drink in front of you. “So… an iced americano, huh?”

Haerins face flushes a dusty red,”I know it’s not everyone's favourite, sorry if you don't like it”

“That's alright, I’ve never had this order before” you speak, holding the beverage between your fingers and palm as you evaluate it through the glass cup provided. You rarely ever hang around long enough to stay inside of a coffee shop, so having a glass container is certainly new to you.

“Oh… well, I promise it isn't as bad as the students at our school make it out to be”

“It’s okay, I trust you, i’ll try it in a minute." Haerin nods, shifting herself back on the purpose of your meeting- the english project.

“That’s good to know, since we’re doing a project together and what not”

“I suppose I have no other choice but to trust you”

“Possibly…” Haerin trails off, quickly glancing at you before she's completely immersed in her own world.

“I’ll start on the words of Shakespeare” You finally answer her question, earning a hum of approval from the brunette.

“Okay, i'll start on modern literature then”

Was it really a necessary idea to give a bunch of high schoolers a project based on the evolution of english literature and the culture surrounding it? Probably not. But are you going to try your best to get the best result possible? Absolutely… with a little help from your new partner, of course.

You just hope nothing bad comes from this…

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

: Dating in a high school full of love thirsty teenagers was never really something you wanted. But of course, things change- and you learnt that in more ways than one. Kim Minji, one of the more popular students. Hong y/n, probably the most invisible person alive. They couldn't possibly be dating… or maybe they could be? You never know what goes on behind closed doors.

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 | 𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 | 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓

ᶜᵘᵗ ʰᵉʳᵉ ✄-----------------------------------------

𝐓𝐀𝐆 𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓: [𝐎𝐏𝐄𝐍]

@jeindall777 @feisrants @thefckghost @everydayiloveyves @nasyu-kookies @justdelulumeh @feb14-kid

@ehcyps @imjeyjjey @winteresss @haechansbbg @urwyf3

@idkwhatim-doinghere101 @imahallucination11 @sserajeans @lesleepyyy @jennasluma @kaypanaq

@petruchiosstuff @pandafuriosa60 @haexrin07

[sgt-scottymoreau]

Belgian Meeting - COT

Summary: After their visit to the MacTavish clan, Scotty ponder a lot about how her own family would take the news. Deep, she knows it won't be well; some might take it better than others. She wants to keep it secret a little longer, but it also eat her from the inside to not be up front with her own family.

Warning: None

Words: 4.3k // AO3 // Masterlist

A/N: I'm struggling a little to write recently. I'm working on something but I used to be able to finish some work in like a few days. It has been weeks now. So I'm just going in my back log and will post this for now <3

After the almost fiasco with Soap's family, Scotty thought for a little while about how she should bring this up to her family. She did say that they should wait, let one side let all of this sink in. The MacTavish clan took it rather well. Even Soap's mother didn't seem to mind when they finally explained everything. Which in itself still surprised all of them, but in a good way. Mother. 

That was the one person Scotty wasn't too sure would be very pleased with her new boyfriend. However if there was one person who could pull up with her shenanigans, it was Gabrielle. That might be a start. Her fingers trembled as her thumb hovered the call icon. Scotty swore that every time she spent a long time without talking to her sister it would always be to bring some very big news. Either unexpected visit with the whole task force, introducing Ghost as her boyfriend on the day she visits for New Year. And now this. The last time she spoke with Gabrielle was only three months ago, if she didn't consider the few messages here and there, which wasn't that long. Still, today's call felt as stressful as if she had to stop a missile or bomb. Which was ridiculous. 

The buzzing from her phone took her by surprise, she almost dropped it. It was Gabrielle calling. Scotty answered quickly. "Talk about coincidence I was going to call you!"

"Were you really? Or you just pretend so I don't patronize you." Gabrielle frowned on the other side. 

"I swear I was. I had something to tell you."

"So did I. Who first?"

Scotty saw it as an opportunity to stretch the confession and she was actually curious as to what her sister had to say. Last time she did so, it was seven years ago to announce the twins. "Go first, age before beauty." Even without the video call, Scotty could feel the glare through the phone. 

"Very funny. Ok, I need a weekend away from Nathan and the boys. They are driving me insane! Do you think I could come by?" 

The sergeant wasn't really expecting this. Since she started to work for the 141 and moved to England, no one had visited her. Not that she had time nor the place to receive anyone, it was always easier for her to be the one visiting. Although it was only Gabrielle that could be arranged. "Sure! Well if you visit, then maybe we can talk about what I wanted to tell you in person. You will see when you are home." 

*****

True to her words, Gabrielle arrived the next day. Camille was waiting at the Central station when she found the woman through the crowd. The two sisters hugged each other and Camille walked her back to the car; they still had a long way to home. But before getting in, the eldest had a burning question. "So what is it that you wanted to tell me but then choose not to till I was here?" She had a mischievous smile on her face. 

This was matched by Cam's own mischievousness. "Nothing big… I just have a second boyfriend." She thought about how to bring this up. All possible ways and to be blunt and direct was the only one that felt right to her.

Gabrielle looked at her shocked. She closed the trunk stronger than she expected. That was hell of a bomb to drop so casually. "This is a joke? What are you talking about, you can’t have two boyfriends?"

"Watch me Gab." The sergeant grabbed her phone, showed her lockscreen. It had a picture of her in the middle with both Ghost and Soap kissing each cheek. "See? This is Soap." 

Gabrielle went from shocked to unimpressed. A soft groan escaped her throat and it took her a lot to not facepalm. She might not have seen him since that one time they crashed at her place, but she sure recognized the man. "Really? From all the people, your other colleagues. Seriously Camille? You have a lot to explain…"

"Good thing we have another two hours drive to get to my place."

Up to date with her sister's life, Gabrielle still couldn't believe the situation. It still felt surreal. It didn't help that when they arrived home, Camille admitted that Ghost and Soap were on a mission, so it would only be the two of them for the weekend. Not that the eldest minded, if anything it was nice to have a girl weekend, they hadn't done that since Camille joined the army. Which was ages ago. Despite the initial shock, the rest of the days went rather calm and nice. The sergeant showed around, Gabrielle having to not worry about a thing, even though she did send a message once in while to see how the kids were doing. They stayed up late watching movies like they used to do as teens. Overall, they both enjoyed that time and Camille really needed this if she was ever to eventually tell her parents about Soap. Having Gabrielle still acting the same around her despite this was a huge relief and stability. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad with her parents? Although both women agreed that their mother might be hard to convince. The eldest proposed that Camille give a quick call to try to bring the news. Give a hint. The sergeant wasn't too sure if it would work. How to even hint something as big as this? 

In the end, as Camille wished good travel back home to Gabrielle, she made her promise to keep it secret till she was ready to say anything. 

*****

Eventually, Ghost and Soap had a two week leave after this mission, while Scotty only had a week remaining of hers. Who knew when would be the next time they could have time together. She told them about the surprise visit and how… maybe she might want to take a few days to go see her parents. With them. Both. Ghost already knew the old folks and had no objection. Soap was rather glad to meet his in-laws, hoping everything would go smoother than with his family when their secret will be out. At least this time, they didn't go with the mindset of keeping it under the radar. Scotty wanted to be up front from the start to avoid any drama. With her sister already aware it should be only easier. 

"We don't have to force anything if you don't want to." Soap said once they exited the airplane and walked the long way to the arrival.

"No, it's alright." She assured him. Scotty had her own plan to bring the news slowly to everyone. Step one; her dad. The two of them had always been so close that she trusted the man to have a rather open mind. He did accept Ghost rather easily. Of course, he would approve of Soap too. The thing was how much he would approve of her relationship. "I didn't introduce Ghost to my family till we had been dating for six months… I'm on five with you. I suppose it's in the timestamp." 

"That's one way of putting it." Ghost smiled under his mask. He had traded the full-on balaclava for a surgical mask, exposing more than he wished, but it felt like the most tactical move to do on a commercial plane. He was itching to cover himself as soon as they passed the customs. Something he did a little too fast when they were clear, making the two sergeants laugh heartily. Hearing both send a strange feeling down to his stomach. He couldn't exactly pinpoint what, but it was a feeling that had been hanging for a long time now, but only now was he a little more aware of it. 

When they passed the door, they got some glances from everyone. Thanks to Ghost. He was hard to miss; tall and the mask. Very subtle. But Scotty didn't mind it. Her dad waved at the group and she ran into his arms, very happy to see him. "How was the flight?" He quickly gave a handshake to both men. "You must be Soap?"

"Aye, nice to meet you, sir." He replied. 

"So he is the friend you told us would be coming to visit?" 

Scotty rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah… about that." 

Henri raised an eyebrow. His daughter was so easy to read, even if she tried hard to hide it. "What is it, sweetie?" 

"He is not exactly a friend… Well he is.. I mean he has been my best friend since I joined the task force and…"

"Camille. Get to the point." He knew she would go on and on for a while.

"He is my boyfriend." Her dad looked at her with big eyes, unsure if he heard that well. "Surprise, I have two boyfriends now." She chuckled nervously. The old man looked at the other two, thinking this was some sort of joke, but the unfazed expression from Ghost and the genuine smile from Soap made him reconsider that it might in fact be true. 

"Excuse us, one second boys." He grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away. Last time Camille felt his grip like this was back in high school after she got in trouble. "What are you playing at, Camille? Two boyfriends, what the hell is that?" He switched back to French as soon as they were away.

"Is that so bad? What's wrong with that?" She genuinely wanted to know.

"You… you can't seriously love two persons at the same time? This is crazy." 

Her heart pinched, the smile on her face vanished and she started to regret her choice. Maybe she should have kept it secret… But from all the people, she really thought her dad would be someone to understand. If not, at least support her in her decisions, but the sound of his answer didn't really reflect either. It hurted more than she thought. She felt a pressure build up behind her eyes. "I was expecting this kind of reaction from mom. But not from you." 

The old man realized how harsh he might have sounded. He held her by the shoulders. "I'm sorry, tulip. I didn't mean it. It's just a bit of a shock. I thought you were happy with Ghost, weren't you?"

"I am! I'm still very happy with him. But… I realized that I also had deeper feelings for Soap and Ghost was fine with this and…" Emotions were forcing themselves all at the same time. Henri pulled her in a tight hug. 

"No worry, sweetie. I understand. It feels strange, but as long as you are happy." He looked at the two men. "At least we see the face of one of them. Glad to see you also like your men unmasked." He teased her. Camille let out a soft laugh. Alright maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Awkward yes, but not bad. Anyway, this was but a trial to when it will come to face her mother about this.

They joined up with the other two and Henri walked them back to the car. They still drove an hour before being home. Scotty quickly reassured them that everything was fine, her father had just been a little shocked by the news but he was eventually ok with this. Still a strange concept to him, but he could handle it. They shouldn't worry too much. The drive was spent mostly by Henri asking questions to Soap. The casual ones to figure out who the man was. Ghost found himself rather amused how Soap was being interrogated more than he had been when he met the man for the first time. Scotty begged her dad to stop, she wasn't a teenager anymore and knew who she was dating. But even then, her dad will still be a dad. Anyway compared to Ghost, Soap seemed more open to chat. 

A few kilometers before they arrived, the tension in the car was suffocating. Ghost and Soap could feel how the two Moreaus were apprehending the arrival at home. Henri grabbed his daughter's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. Scotty returned it; the situation felt very familiar. This was just like the time she was about to tell her mom she joined the army.

Scotty let her dad go in first. Soap came behind her. "Are you sure everything will be alright?" 

She took a deep breath. "Let's just say that if it doesn't, please don't intervene." 

Ghost and Soap looked at each other frowning. What did she mean? "Why are you so scared to tell her?" Ghost asked without mincing his words. 

Her gaze met his, with a tired look. "Because she has a strong opinion when it comes to some aspects of my life. I don't align with her values." That gave them more questions than answers. Ghost didn't remember any animosity between the two when he first met her family years ago. Then again back then they were invited in a rush and during holiday, maybe there was some sort of truce? Scotty was the first to cross the entrance and she could already tell that it would be a thought conversation. The atmosphere felt tense, or it was her. To her surprise Gabrielle was also there. Alone. No kids or husband. Her sister got up to greet her with a kiss and hug. Gabrielle noticed the two men behind her. "Are you really going to do it?" She whispered in Camille's ear. The youngest simply nodded. 

Her mother got up to welcome her, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Ghost coming from the corner followed by an unknown face. "Who's that?" She asked, looking at Soap. 

Camille glanced at her sister and dad who stood on the side, silently supporting her. "This is John." Soap had allowed her to introduce him by his real name to make things easier. "My… my second boyfriend." 

Her mother's eyes went from Camille to Soap a few times, passing by Ghost. She looked at the three of them as she was trying to figure out what was going on. "Your second what?"

"You heard me mom. Boyfriend." Camille repeated calmly. 

The old woman shook her head, giving the sign to the non French speakers an idea that this was not going well. "I know you can't have kids but that's not a reason to whore yourself like this." 

"Suzanne!" Her husband cried out, shocked by the boldness of the statement. 

"Good god mom!" Gabrielle said at the same time. "You can't stay stuff like that!" 

"This is not how it works! You have one partner in your life and that's it! I'm fine if she had chosen a woman but I'll not tolerate that." She waved at Camille and the two men. The Englishman and Scotsman had a hard time following, but by the reaction of the others, the mom might have said something bad. Soap started to wonder how his family had been so open with the idea, but hers wasn't too keen. Why? 

Camille stood there still processing how her mother just called her a whore for daring to love two persons and bring back a fact that had no place in this conversation. She knew exactly why, and she had enough. "You are saying this just because it would look bad to your fucking Sunday friends!" She lashed out, taking everyone by surprise. "You don't fucking care about me all your care is about how it will looks like that your daughter is not living be 'normal' convention! I'm sure you already tell all your friends that I'm not in the army because oh no what I shame! When it's totally normal to have women in the army nowadays!"

"Camille Moreau! You change that tone immediately!"

"No I won't! Ashamed that the pastor will judge you when he will ask how's the family? Not everyone lives by your church bullshit!" 

"Camille, that-" The father tried to stop this argument which would only heat more, but was interrupted by his wife blaming him for taking his daughter's side again. Which he tried to say he wasn't, this prompted Camille to say he was again siding with his wife. Henri was completely torn between the two, if he kept going it would only be like throwing oil on the fire. The two women started to argue again, so he waved at Gabrielle and the two men to leave the living room with him. It was for the best. The patriarch took them to the backyard. Even with the door closed, you could still hear the shouting. Ghost and Soap, but mostly the latter, looked rather uncomfortable. 

"Don't worry, boys. Just need to let the storm pass." Henri said with a defeated groan. 

"Does it happen often?" Soap inquired.

"No, but when it does it's best to not intervene. Last time I was almost asked for a divorce. They are both very stubborn." 

Ghost looked over his shoulder. Hearing all that shouting gave him bad memories of his own father yelling at him. When he couldn't defend himself and wish he could have. His fist clenched as he held himself from going back in; he knew she was capable of defending herself. He simply hated to see her in such a situation. The four of them tried to make small talk. Gabrielle explained that she knew this was bound to happen hence why she was here. Provide a way to escape if the animosity was too high. Henri on his side explained that as much as Camille had respect for authority or her parents, she sometimes wouldn't mince her actions when something annoyed her. Ghost and Soap agreed on that point. The father also admitted that this clash was mostly due to one woman not caring about what others think while the other was worrying a little too much. Whenever they had a heated argument this was often the core of it. "I can assure you boys, it has nothing to do with you. Nothing personal." He tried to reassure them. 

The door opened suddenly, making everyone jump. "Sure go ahead, always bring this back to Gabrielle! Sorry for being such a fucking disappointment!" Camille screamed back, slamming the door shut. A miracle the window didn’t shatter. She turned to see the four of them looking at her. "No offense Gab."

"None taken." Gabrielle cleared her throat. 

This was a disaster. Henri gestured silently to Gabrielle to come back inside, leaving some time alone to the trio. Also, it was probably best to check on the mother. Scotty turned to Soap and Ghost, holding back so many tears. She knew this would have been a possible outcome, that they might witness this. She promised herself to handle it maturely. She was prepared for this or so she thought. But at this point Scotty wasn't sure if she wanted to cry because her mother was against that relationship or because they saw her in such a state of anger. She wasn't really proud of it. "Sorry about that." She eventually let out. Not without falling in Ghost's arms for a hug. 

The Brit held her close to her. Soap watched feeling like this might have been his fault. From his point of view, everything had always been fine till he showed. As he voiced his concern about this, Scotty was quick to remind him that she was the one who wanted him to be part of her life and this would have happened no matter who she had brought home. They will work this out. Scotty didn't need her mother's blessing to live her life. She let go of Ghost to wrap her arms around Soap and pecked a kiss on his lips. He smiled, pressing his forehead on hers. Ghost watched them, as a strange sensation fluttered in his inside. Yet familiar. 

The door opened slowly, Gabrielle stood there with a shy smile. "Our mother said she will go to her brother's to cool off. You are all welcome to come back inside." 

The rest of the evening went as well as it always went at the Moreau's after a fight. The atmosphere was calm and convivial around the table, some jokes here and there, but it was also walking on eggshells to not bring back what happened and sour the moment. Eventually the night rolled in and everyone was rather exhausted. Gabrielle thought she was driving back home, but agreed to also stay over and leave in the morning/afternoon. Another issue that rose was the fact that Scotty's old bed could welcome two people but three? It would be cramped. The lieutenant told them to take the bed, he would be fine with the floor. They both complained that it wouldn’t be fair, at worst they could take turns. But he insisted. 

"Despite that… intense show, I do like your family." Soap whispered as she cuddled up. 

"Really wish it went differently, I know it's a bit on my fault, but it is what it is. The MacTavish are better with guests." 

He laughed. "We’re not so different, don’t be fooled. I had my fair share of heated conversations too, no worry sweetheart."

******

The next morning, Ghost was the first one to open his eyes. Not that he had slept much anyway, he was used to short nights although he had improved in the last years. Maybe having someone around you could ease the mind. He silently stretched, pushed himself up. His gaze landed on the other two still sleeping like logs. Scotty's hairs were all over Soap's face who didn't seem to mind, still softly snoring. As he watched this peaceful display, the strange fluttering came back as his eyes lingered a little too long on the Scotsman. He shook his head to chase this feeling. The lieutenant wasn't sure where this came from, but the fact that it has been a recurring thing in the last days, made him worry. Because in retrospect he clearly remembers when he experienced it before…

Scotty moved in her sleep, slowly waking up and this took him out of his thoughts. 

"Morning sunshine." She smiled with a still sleepy voice. Soap mumbled something and rolled on his side making the other two chuckled. The sergeant carefully got out of bed and grabbed some clothes here and there. "What about we let sleeping beauty sleep a little longer?"

He nodded silently. Without a noise, they left the room and headed downstairs. No one was up yet, which surprised Scotty. Her father was often an early bird. It was almost 10 in the morning. She checked the outside; his car was gone. He was probably out for some reason. Ghost brought her a note he found on the kitchen table. Which was from Henri saying that he was going to pick up Suzanne. In the meantime they were welcome to have breakfast on their own. 

The two operatives made their usual routine. Halfway through their silent breakfast, Gabrielle joined in and eventually Soap showed up. The four of them chatted casually. 

The main entrance creaked all the way through the kitchen. Scotty went silent while Gabrielle and Soap kept talking. She bit her inside cheek; she had been wrong and shouldn't have yelled at her mom, she should have handled this better. 

Suzanne entered the room and saw the four young ones sitting at the table, very casual and relaxed, till they saw her. She had been wrong for insulting her daughter without even trying to understand why she had a second partner. It just felt so wrong, so out of place. She grew up with the idea that love was only for one person and having feelings for someone else meant infidelity. Add to the fact that she indeed always worries about what the others say, this whole situation felt like a slap to the face. 

"I'm sorry." They both said at the same time. 

"Gabrielle, note this down on the calendar!" Henri said, eyes wide open. He even used English so Soap and Ghost sort of followed what was going on. This reaction from him dragged a chuckle from his daughters and a nudge from his wife. In his defense, never did he expect both of them to apologize so easily and at the same time. Suzanne, by respect, switched also to the language the men would understand.

"My little tulip, I'm sorry for the reaction I had yesterday. I realize that what I said was insulting and I shouldn't have used these words." She turned her head to look at Ghost and Soap. "I'm sorry if I offended you and if we had a bad start." 

"And I'm sorry for yelling at you, mom. And for swearing a little too much, I know you don't like it when I do it."

"You swear like a sailor since you were a kid. I blame this on your dad." The laugh that followed from everyone made the atmosphere much less tense. Under the table, Ghost's hands relaxed around Scotty's once everything defused to a calmer state. Soap gave her a reassuring smile from across his side. The parents took a seat at the table and Suzanne tried to start over with Soap. She did pass the same comment Henri did yesterday at the airport that at least they could see his face. This was an improved move in her daughter's choice for man. Scotty was glad that all seemed to go the right way now. Very rough start but a good ending. She wondered if her uncle also talked some sense to her mother, but better not to reignite the fire. At least now they could spend the next two days without any problem or so she hoped. 

[perspectivestarters]

Perspective's Sentence Starters; The Great Impersonator (Part II)

I NEVER LOVED YOU

It wasn't enough.

They couldn't save her.

It wasn't her fault.

It was there from the start.

Trying to love you through an open wound

If you only knew how bad it hurt me too.

You can take the money.

You can rest your head down and not feel any shame.

I never loved you.

I never loved you in vain.

We argued a lot.

You drove off screaming on the night you were caught.

You left me standing in the parking lot.

I took off chasing you down Route 22.

You never listen and I'm terrible too.

You kept on driving far away from the issues.

If you stopped, I would've kissed you.

I almost thought I heard you call my name.

DARWINISM

There's lots of fish out in the pond.

What if I'm from outer space?

I have fire in my bones and in my veins.

I let it show and scare my suitors far away.

They say that God makes no mistakes, but I might disagree.

If everyone has someone, then the math just isn't right.

I'm the only outlier, the lonely archetype.

If everything is by design, well, I might disagree.

You all know something that I don't.

You all learned something that I fear I'll never know.

What if I'm just cosmic dust?

I was born all by myself, it's not unlikely that I'll die that way as well.

LONELY IS THE MUSE

I spent years becoming cool.

In one single second, you can make a decade of my efforts disappear.

Didn't know you were here.

I always knew I was a martyr.

I was built from special pieces that I learned how to unscrew.

I can always reassemble to fit perfectly for you.

Lonely is the muse.

So where do I go in the process when I'm just an apparatus?

I've inspired platinum records.

I've earned platinum airline status.

I'm reduced to just a body here in someone else's bed.

I will always be a martyr.

When you're done, you can discard me like the others always do.

I will nurse my wounds until another artist needs me new.

I will always reassemble to fit perfectly in view for anybody that decides that I'm of use.

ARSONIST

Arsonist burning down the world to feel its heat.

The arsonist doesn't feel the embers on his feet.

Your human starter kit came incomplete.

My apologies, arsonist, you loved me.

Fool me twice, the shame is on me

Am I a victim in your game?.

Will you pass me through your bloodline with your ornamental rage?

Can I take the blame for everything you hate?

The punishment and crime are not the same.

Somebody will love me for the way that I'm designed.

You don't love the flames, you just want them for yourself.

You smothered out the glow I grew for you but it was mine too.

Alchemy's not love, it's playing God.

Have you ever been broken and thrown down?

Have you ever given the world to somebody as a gift and had it returned?

Did you know the father's DNA stays inside the mother for seven years?

Have you ever waited seven years?

Have you ever woken from a dream just to realize that you're still asleep?

Do you ever wish you were still asleep?

Do you ever wish you wouldn't wake up?

LIFE OF THE SPIDER (DRAFT)

For several days now I've been living here.

I feel like a monster.

It doesn't help that you will treat me like I've got the venom in my teeth.

I came for shelter from the cold and I'd thought I'd stay a while.

You'll kill me when I least expect it.

God, how could I even think of daring to exist?

I worked real hard on the last one but the last one got me here.

I'm minding my own business but my presence makes you curse.

I should be getting better but I'm only getting worse.

I know you hate the sight of me.

You would break me if you tried.

HURT FEELINGS

My dad is almost home.

I'll perpetually believe that any man who says he loves me is hidin' somethin' up his sleeve.

I'll be changin' like the weather.

I'll never be like him.

You know my father isn't dead, but it don't feel like he's still here.

It's strange now that he's grey and getting older by the day.

My eyes tell me that he's harmless despite what my heart has to say.

Maybe this is just another trick that hasn't happened yet.

Blood is thick but water is forever.

That girl will be a problem only if you let her.

I left her back home but I cannot forget her.

I thought that it was my fault, and now sometimes I still do.

I can't bear to fake a smile when you walk into the room.

LUCKY

I am so lucky.

My self-loathing so deep-rooted.

Truth is I'm not suited for it.

I hope that you still love me.

I'm a star.

If there's nothin' missin' in my life, then why do these tears come at night?"

I feel her, but I can't relate.

I'd never end up in that state.

What do you do with a difficult grownup?

I thought I changed so much, nobody would notice it, and no one did.

I told everybody I was fine for a whole damn year.

That's the biggest lie of my career.

She's so lucky.

Haven't you heard?

LETTER TO GOD (1998)

Please, God, or whoever you are.

These days I get less calls 'cause no one wants to hear my voice.

I miss the days when I was gettin' texts that I could just avoid.

I've been tryin' to be calm and not pre-emptively destroy.

Every time I'm in the real world, I just end up paranoid.

I don't ever wanna leave him, but I don't think it's my choice.

I'm basking in these moments where I feel a shred of joy.

I don't think my pleas are heard because I'm screaming in the void.

Oh, you've gotta be sick.

Why do you make it hurt, and why's it over so quick?

I'm finally loved.

I finally found somebody I don't wanna get rid of.

You took a little while to respond to my prayer.

Please, God, no, this doesn't seem fair.

I'm tryin' not to show it, but I'm terribly scared.

THE GREAT IMPERSONATOR

No one has to know.

I could always hide.

They don't know I'm lonely.

They don't know I'm kind.

Every single truth I sing once started as a lie.

Does a story die with its narrator?

Surely it's forgotten soon or later.

Hope they spell my name right in the paper.

This is a cry for help.

You can't tell I need it when you’re watchin' from a distance.

[shannendoherty-fans]

October 1995 - Cleo Magazine

Talking to... Shannen Doherty

She came to the world's attention as the wholesome Brenda in 90210, but made her mark as the brat of Beverly Hills. Now Shannen Doherty wants us to believe she'd make the perfect mother. By Eric Clarke

ACTRESS SHANNEN DOHERTY, at only 24, is a household name the world over. Thanks to a role in TV's Little House: A New Beginning when she was just 11, Shannen went on to play one of the bitchy Heathers in the quirky movie Heathers in 1989, and then rocketed to success as Brenda Walsh in the TV series Beverly Hills 90210.

Shannen's success on screen, however, was seriously tainted by her wild-child behaviour off screen. Her nightclub brawls, two broken engagements and seven-month marriage to Ashley Hamilton (now in rehab for heroin addiction) became infamous. Her exploits led to her leaving the program by “mutual agreement" with producers in 1993. These days Shannen has settled down and is rebuilding her acting career. With the support of film director and partner Rob Weiss, she's back making movies, starring in a new film called Mall Rats, due to be released here in autumn.

CLEO: Do you remember the night Beverly Hills 90210 premiered? DOHERTY: Yes, very well. I watched the sitcom A Different World that night. I was home alone. Just about everybody else in the cast was over at Darren Star's house, the guy who created the show. I stayed home by myself because I was so nervous. I didn't want to be around anybody. I mean, I find it so embarrassing to watch myself on TV in front of people. I remember watching myself on a tape of Little House: A New Beginning six years after we went off the air.

Why did you wait so long? I waited so long because I'm very, very critical of myself. I always find flaws in my performance. I've never been positive about a performance. I'm always thinking that I'm really bad on screen, even when I think the show as a whole is very good.

Have you and Jason Priestley, your brother in 90210, always been good friends?

We've been very close. From the day we shot the pilot, we spent hours and hours in each other's dressing rooms talking about our lives like real brothers and sisters would. On the show, as Brandon, he felt like he had the right to evaluate my life and criticise my friends. And that's what he ended up doing in real life, too, including giving his unsolicited opinions on my boyfriends. [She smiles, then blushes.]

What was your first professional acting job?

Just a few weeks after getting an agent, I did a guest spot on Father Murphy, which was a Michael Landon production. The funny thing is that I had been dreaming of working with Landon. When we finally met on the set, he loved me so much that he wrote me in to Little House.

Have you ever done any TV commercials?

A whole bunch. I did some for Pepsi and even McDonald's. But I hated doing commercials because the producers would always want me to wear braids. And when the other stage mothers saw me in braids, they immediately whipped out their hairbrushes and started working on their kids. I'm sure they hated me.

Is it true that you've never studied acting?

I took an improvisation class only four times and then quit. I did spend a very short time with Lee Strasberg's organisation. I couldn't get into the method acting bit. [Laughs.] They kept asking me what it felt like to be an oak tree. I told them: kind of lifeless. It just didn't work for me. Michael Landon once said to me that he thought I was a natural talent and that I shouldn't mess with it.

What turns you off about show business?

Let's say that when I have kids — and I do plan on having five some day — and they come to me when they're 10 years old and say, "I want to be an actress”, my response will be, “Ha, ha, ha…NO!” And I'd say no because this business – show business is filled with so many artificial people. I find it very difficult to make friends, long-lasting friends, in this business. My best friends, when I'm on the set, are members of the crew. To me, they're real people. They're never usually concerned about their looks. You won't find a member of the crew constantly looking in the mirror to see if their make-up's on right or if their hair looks good. And, if you don't have a strong set of values, you can get real messed up in this business.

How do you feel kids can get screwed up?

I've seen a lot of child actors become very resentful of their parents because they were pushed into the business by them. I also know people who made lots of money when they were kids, but who didn't have a penny to their names when they turned 18 and could take control of their finances. They're broke and they suddenly discover they've got nothing left because their parents stole and spent it all!

How have you managed to hang on to your money and avoid a similar situation? I hired attorneys and accountants. From the very beginning, my parents never got involved in my career that way and they never took a penny. I can honestly say that my parents support themselves and that I got all my money when I turned 18. Yes, maybe I spent it all on clothes and cars but I had a real good time doing it.

Are you serious about marriage and a family life one day? I'd like to be married by the time I'm 25. I know that doesn't give me much time but I don't want to wait until I'm 30 and go, "Well, let's see, I had this great career but where's the rest?" The most important thing to me is family. I'm sort of a country girl and want to move out of the city eventually. I'd like to have goats, pigs, dogs and horses everywhere. And I want five kids! I want two girls, one boy, then boy-girl twins. I already have the girls' names picked out; Alexandra Elizabeth, Langston Maria and Dylan.

Your first marriage to Ashley Hamilton didn't work out. He was the son of an actor. Is there something specific that you are looking for in a man now? I know that the typical answer is, “I want a man with a sense of humour and looks don't really count.” But I don't know about that. When you see somebody walking down the street, the first thing that attracts you to them is the way they look. It's purely physical. And I'm not saying they have to be gorgeous. It's annoying to be with another actor who's always staring at himself in the mirror. But not all actors are that way. Still, if I was married to an actor, it would be difficult to watch my husband in love scenes with other women all the time. I'm not sure if the insecurities would be worth it.

What's the most brutal aspect of the business?

Rejection! One minute you're the hottest thing in town and everybody's going, “This is it!” Big agents are calling and saying, “God, we want to represent you we know you're the up-and-coming young star.” And then the next week comes along and you're nothing. Nobody knows your name and agents don't return your phone calls.

Do you remember the most painful experience you've had in Hollywood? Vividly! When I was 12 years old I wanted the title role in Pollyanna more than I wanted anything in life. I was so positive that I would get the role. I knew it! And then I didn't get it. I started crying and crying and crying…..

How do you feel about being looked at in public?

I'm flattered. If people are watching me, I'd like to think that it's because they like my work. And that's really important to me.

So where do you go from here? Do you think you'll ever do another episode of 90210?

I don't know. [She smiles.] But I do have a lot of irons in the fire and I'm sure I'll surprise a lot of people very soon.

[andrealvsbooks]

Demons

Who is Lizbeth Potter really?

That's a question that gnaws at Lizbeth herself. All her life she has felt strange as if a piece of her life was missing, when at last it seemed that the moment of answers would come, everything seems to get worse.

What seemed like a simple tournament in which she would also see her boyfriend Peter Pevensie again, becomes her biggest problem while she deals with new powers, a new identity as hated as the girl who survived and lies.

Have I mentioned yet that she now has a voice in her mind that says it's her dragon pestering her all the time?

Yes, Lizbeth Potter's luck couldn't get any worse.

English isn’t my first language, so if you see any mistakes or things that look weird please tell me so I can fix them.

Chapter 1

POV Lizbeth

It's been two days since the Quidditch World Cup. Death Eaters showed up, and someone conjured the Dark Mark, which caused chaos that still feels fresh in my mind. After the train ride back to Hogwarts and receiving a letter from Sirius, I am now sitting in the Great Dining Hall, next to Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, my best friends, waiting for Dumbledore's welcome speech. Apparently, he has a very important announcement to give us.

Oh, I almost forgot: I haven't introduced myself. My name is Lizbeth Potter, I'm 14 years old, and although I'm just beginning to discover the extent of my powers, I already have a story to tell. I have a boyfriend named Peter Pevensie, whom I met in the Muggle world. He told me about a magical place called Narnia, and I confessed to him that I was a witch. We spent a lot of time together, but one day, he and his brothers just… disappeared. It was as if they had evaporated, as if no one but me remembered that they ever existed. Ever since then, I've been searching for answers.

When I returned to Hogwarts after that summer without Peter, I became obsessed with understanding what had happened to him. Eventually, I discovered that his disappearance was part of his return to Narnia. Now I wait patiently for the day when I can see him again. Because, after all, if magic allowed me to remember him, doesn't that mean we will meet again someday?

-Well, now that you are all seated I have some announcements to make: Mr. Filch the janitor has asked me to remind you that you are not allowed to do magic in the corridors, I also remind you that the forbidden forest is absolutely forbidden for all the students as well as the first and second year students are forbidden to go to Hogsmeade -Filch entered and approached Dumbledore, As I was saying - he continued, smiling at the crowd of students in front of him- we have the honor of hosting an exciting event that will take place over the next few months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It gives me great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will take place at Hogwarts this term.

-He's staying with us! -said Fred in a loud voice. Almost everyone laughed, and so did Dumbledore, as if appreciating Fred's intervention. -I'm not staying with anyone, Mr. Weasley -he replied, -although, speaking of staying with people, I was told a really good joke this summer about a troll, a witch, and a leprechaun walking into a bar… Professor McGonagall cleared her throat noisily. -Eh… Well, perhaps this is not the most appropriate moment…. No, it's true -said Dumbledore- Where was it? Ah, yes, the Triwizard Tournament! Well, some of you probably don't know what the Triwizard Tournament is, so I hope those of you who do will forgive me for giving a brief explanation while you think of something else. The Triwizard Tournament originated about seven hundred years ago, and was created as a friendly competition between the three most important schools of magic in Europe: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. A champion was chosen to represent each of these schools, and the three champions participated in three magical trials. The schools took turns hosting the Tournament, which took place every five years, and was considered an excellent way to establish ties between young wizards and witches of different nationalities as well as to invite rulers from one of the worlds around us… until the number of deaths grew so high that they decided to discontinue the tournament.

-The number of deaths? -Hermione whispered, a little frightened.

But most of the students in the Great Hall didn't seem to share that fear: many of them whispered excitedly, and even I was more interested in hearing more about the Tournament than worrying about deaths that had occurred over a hundred years ago.

-In all this time there have been several attempts to hold the Tournament again -Dumbledore continued -none of which were very successful. However, our departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Sports and Games have decided that now is a good time to try again. We have worked flat out this summer to make sure that this time no champion is in mortal danger.

I'm going to try it! -said Fred Weasley, his face lighting up with excitement at the prospect of such glory and riches. He must not have been the only one who was imagining himself as Hogwarts champion. At every table, I saw students looking at Dumbledore with rapturous expressions, or whispering to their neighbors in utter excitement. But Dumbledore spoke again, and the Great Dining Hall fell silent once more. -Although I imagine you are all eager to take home the Triwizard Tournament Cup -he said -the Headmasters of the three participating schools, in agreement with the Ministry of Magic, have decided to place an age restriction on this year's contestants. Only students who are of the required age (seventeen years of age or older) will be allowed to propose themselves for consideration. This -Dumbledore raised his voice slightly as some people made noises of protest in response to his last words, especially the Weasley twins, who seemed suddenly furious- is a measure we deem necessary since the tasks of the Tournament will be difficult and dangerous, no matter how many precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below the sixth and seventh years will be able to cope with them. I will personally make sure that no student under that age cheats our impartial judge to become Hogwarts champion -His light blue eyes sparkled especially brightly as he winked at Fred and George's faces, which showed an expression of defiance. So, please don't waste your time introducing yourselves if you are under seventeen. Now without further ado, let the Beauxbatons students enter!

Suddenly, the huge doors of the Great Hall opened with a solemn echo, and the murmur of students faded into an expectant silence. In walked a group of girls in elegant sky-blue uniforms, their cloaks billowing softly as they passed, as if a mysterious wind were surrounding them. Each of them moved with impeccable grace and amazing synchronization, performing a delicate and harmonious dance that caught everyone's attention. Their movements were smooth, and each gesture carefully calculated. It was impossible to look away. As the show progressed, I could see some of the students begin to blush, enraptured. Ron, in particular, was completely mesmerized, his cheeks taking on a bright red color that went unnoticed by anyone. Hermione, the twins and I couldn't hold back a laugh at his expression, a mixture of admiration and rapture that made him seem completely oblivious to our surroundings.

When the students finished their presentation, a huge woman appeared behind them and started walking towards Dumbledore. In all my life I had only ever seen one person as gigantic as that woman, and that was Hagrid. It seemed to me that they were exactly the same height, but even so (and maybe because I was used to Hagrid) that woman seemed even bigger. Taking a few steps, she stepped fully into the area illuminated by the dining room light, and it revealed a beautiful face with dark skin, large black crystalline eyes, and a sharp nose. She wore her hair tied back at the base of her neck in a shiny bun. Her robes were black satin, and a multitude of opal beads glittered around her throat and on her thick fingers. Dumbledore began to applaud. The students, imitating their headmaster, clapped as well, many of them standing on tiptoe to get a better look at the woman. Smiling graciously, she advanced toward Dumbledore and extended a glistening hand. Though Dumbledore was tall, he barely had to bend down to kiss it. -My dear Madame Maxime -he said -welcome to Hogwarts. -Dumbledog -Madame Maxime replied, her voice deep- I hope you are well. -In excellent form, thank you -Dumbledore replied.

Without another word Dumbledore directed the Beauxbatons students to sit at the Ravenclaw table while Madame Maxime sat at one of the free seats at the teachers' table. -Now, our friends from the north, let us welcome the proud students of Dumstrangs and their headmaster Igor Karkarov - said Dumbledore. For the second time, the doors of the Great Dining Hall opened, and this time they revealed a group of burly, imposing-looking young men. They were tall, with serious faces and intense gazes, and they moved forward in an intimidating line. Every step they took echoed off the ground, and with calculated movements, they tapped their staffs in unison. In perfect synchronization, they traced figures in the air with flames that seemed to emanate from their staffs, forming orange and golden sparkles that illuminated their faces and gave the place an almost mystical aura. Leading them was a man of sinister bearing, who wore on his shoulders a cloak of singular skin, smooth and of a silvery tone that reflected the light as if it were made of pure metal. His hair, of the same silver hue, fell in an orderly fashion.

-Dumbledore! -he shouted effusively as he climbed the slope- How are you, my old companion, how are you? -Splendidly, thank you, Professor Karkarov! -Dumbledore replied. Karkarov had a pasty, affected voice. He was tall and thin like Dumbledore, but his white hair was short, and his goatee (which ended in a small curl) did not quite conceal his weakly pronounced chin. Arriving before Dumbledore, he shook hands with him. -Old Hogwarts -he said, looking up at the dining room ceiling and smiling. His teeth were quite yellow, and notice that the smile did not include his eyes, which kept their cunning, cold expression- It's great to be here, it's great….. As the Durmstrang students made their way to the Slytherin table at Dumbledore's direction, we saw a boy, with his nose, prominent and curved, and thick black eyebrows. To recognize that profile I didn't need Ron's punch in the arm, nor did I need him whispering in my ear:

-It's Krum! I don't believe it! -Ron exclaimed in amazement- Krum, Lizzie! It's Viktor Krum! -Ron, for God's sake, he's just a quidditch player! -said Hermione. -Nothing more than a quidditch player? -He's one of the best seekers in the world, Hermione! I never would have guessed he still went to school! Before Ron could express his excitement any further, Dumbledore spoke again, causing the dining hall to fall silent again.

-And finally, we welcome the rulers of one of the many worlds that exist. This year we have the pleasure of welcoming the kings and queens of Narnia.

What?

The doors to the Great Hall slowly opened, and an imposing figure filled the doorway. A huge lion with golden fur and deep, serene eyes walked in with calm, confident strides. Following him, in an elegant formation, came Peter, Lucy, Susan, Edmund, and a taller young man with a noble bearing and dark hair I didn't recognize. Awe and excitement made me grip Hermione's hand, who seemed quite curious.

As they reached the front of the Great Hall, the lion stopped in front of Dumbledore. The headmaster greeted him with a smile.

—Aslan, old friend —Dumbledore said, bowing his head slightly in respect.

—Albus, it's good to see you again —the lion replied, his deep voice leaving us all astonished.

An absolute silence took hold of the room. Students and professors were stunned until Fred and George broke the tension.

—The lion... —Fred whispered in amazement.

—He spoke! —George added.

—Awesome! —they both exclaimed in unison, prompting some laughter among the students.

With a playful expression, Dumbledore looked at everyone and introduced:

—Dear students, it is an honor to present the kings and queens of Narnia: Queen Susan, Queen Lucy, King Peter, King Edmund, and King Caspian. They all come from a world called Narnia, filled with magic and adventures.

Following Dumbledore's lead, the kings made their way to the Gryffindor table, while Aslan walked toward the professors' table. I suspected he might be another judge for the Triwizard Tournament.

Fred and George, ever curious, quickly approached the newcomers.

—Hello, kings... —Fred said with a playful grin.

—And queens —George added with a slight bow.

—We’re the Weasley twins, and we welcome you to Gryffindor —they both said proudly.

Peter smiled and nodded formally.

—It's a pleasure to meet you, Fred and George.

The twins laughed, giving him a light pat on the shoulder.

—No need for so much formality, okay? —Fred said, winking—. Here in Gryffindor, we consider ourselves the lions of Hogwarts. We’re brave and loyal, and besides, the Potter family has always been in this house —he added with a proud smile.

I shot him a mildly annoyed glance at the mention of my last name, while Susan looked on with curiosity.

—Potter family? —she asked, intrigued.

—Yeah, yeah —George said, pointing at me—. Lizbeth Lilian Potter, our friend since day one. Come on, we’ll introduce you to her. We’ll tell you how she saved the Philosopher’s Stone, defeated a basilisk, and rescued her godfather.

As the Narnian kings approached, Lucy stepped forward and hugged me warmly.

—Lizzie! —she exclaimed with a big smile.

—Lucy! —I replied, wrapping her in an equally excited embrace.

Hermione watched the scene with a furrowed brow, clearly confused.

—Do you know each other? —she asked, looking at Lucy and then at me.

—Well... —I started to say, noticing Peter taking a seat next to me. With a calm smile, he took my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine, giving me the courage to continue—. We met in the Muggle world when Peter and his siblings moved near the Dursleys' house. At first, we were just friends, but over time, something more developed —I added, smiling—. Peter and I have been together for almost two years.

A murmur of surprise swept across the table. Just then, the food appeared on the tables, distracting everyone’s attention. As we ate, the conversation shifted to the Triwizard Tournament. When dinner ended, Dumbledore stood up again and walked over to a brown box next to the professors' table, capturing our attention once more.

—Your attention, please, I would like to say a few words —he said, standing next to the box—. Eternal glory awaits the student who wins the Triwizard Tournament, but to achieve it, they must survive three dangerous tasks...

But at that moment, a deafening thunderclap rang out, and the doors of the Great Hall flew open. A man appeared in the doorway, leaning on a long staff and draped in a traveling cloak.

All heads in the Great Hall turned to observe the stranger, suddenly illuminated by a flash of lightning that lit up the ceiling. He pulled down his hood, shaking out a long mane of hair that was part gray and part black, and walked toward the professors' table. A dull thud echoed with each of his steps across the Great Hall. He reached one end of the professors' table, turned right, and limped heavily toward Dumbledore. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room. Hermione stifled a gasp.

That light highlighted the man’s face, and it was a face very different from any I had seen in my life. It looked as though it had been carved from a piece of wood worn by time and rain, by someone who had no idea what human faces looked like and who was also not very skilled with a chisel. Every inch of his skin appeared scarred. His mouth was like a slash at an angle, and a large chunk was missing from his nose. But what made him truly terrifying were his eyes. One was small, dark, and shiny. The other was large, round like a coin, and a vivid, electric blue. The blue eye moved constantly, never blinking, darting up and down, side to side, completely independent of the normal eye... and then it would turn white, as if looking inside the man’s head.

The stranger reached Dumbledore. He extended a hand as roughly formed as his face, and Dumbledore shook it, murmuring words we couldn't hear. He seemed to be asking the stranger questions, who shook his head, remaining unsmiling, and answered in a very low voice. Dumbledore nodded as well and gestured for the man to take the empty seat to his right. The stranger sat down and shook his mane to get the gray hair off his face; he reached for a plate of sausages, lifted it to what remained of his nose, and sniffed it. Then he took out a small knife from his pocket, poked one of the sausages at one end, and began to eat it. His normal eye was fixed on the sausage, but the blue one continued darting back and forth without pause, moving in its socket, focusing both on the Great Hall and the students.

—I present to you our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher —Dumbledore said cheerfully, as the room fell silent—. Professor Moody.

Normally, new teachers would be met with cheers and applause, but this time no one clapped, neither the professors nor the students, except for Hagrid and Dumbledore. The sound of their hands clapping resonated so sadly in the silence that they quickly stopped. Everyone else seemed too stunned by Moody's strange appearance to do anything but stare.

—Moody? —I whispered to Ron—. Mad-Eye Moody? The Auror?

—It must be him —Ron said, sounding scared.

—What happened to him? —Hermione asked in a very low voice—. What happened to his face?

—I don't know —Ron replied, watching Moody with fascination.

Moody seemed completely indifferent to this cold reception. Ignoring the jug of pumpkin juice in front of him, he rummaged again in his traveling cloak, pulled out a flask, and took a long swig from its contents. As he lifted his arm to drink, the cloak lifted a few inches off the ground, and I saw, from under the table, part of a wooden leg ending in a claw.

Dumbledore cleared his throat again.

—... just to clarify the procedure we will be following. But first, for those of you who don't know them, allow me to introduce Mr. Bartemius Crouch, director of the Department of International Magical Cooperation —there was a hint of polite applause—, and Mr. Ludo Bagman, director of the Department of Magical Games and Sports— They applauded much more for Bagman than for Crouch, perhaps due to his fame as a Quidditch Beater, or perhaps simply because he looked much friendlier. Bagman acknowledged the applause with a jovial wave of his hand, while Bartemius Crouch neither waved nor smiled when presented. Remembering him in his immaculate suit at the Quidditch World Cup, Harry thought the wizard’s robe didn’t suit him. His bristle mustache and the straight part in his hair looked very odd next to Dumbledore’s long, white hair and beard—. Messrs. Bagman and Crouch have been working tirelessly over the past few months on preparations for the Triwizard Tournament —Dumbledore continued—, and they will be with me, along with Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, and His Majesty, Aslan, on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts.

At the mention of the word "champions," the students' attention increased even more, dispelling the tension that Moody's entrance had caused. Perhaps Dumbledore sensed the sudden silence because he smiled as he said: —Mr. Filch, if you would be so kind as to bring the chest...

Filch, who had gone unnoticed but was paying attention in a corner of the Great Hall, approached Dumbledore with a large wooden box studded with jewels. It looked extraordinarily old. Murmurs of interest and excitement rose among the students. Dennis Creevey stood on his chair to see better, but he was so small that his head barely popped above the others.

—Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman have already examined the instructions for the trials that the champions will have to face —Dumbledore said as Filch carefully placed the chest on the table in front of him—, and they have arranged all the necessary preparations for them. There will be three trials, spaced throughout the school year, that will measure the champions in many different aspects: their magical abilities, their daring, their deductive skills, and, of course, their ability to face danger. At the mention of this last word, an absolute silence fell over the Great Hall, and no one seemed to breathe.

—As you all know, three champions compete in the Tournament —Dumbledore continued calmly—, one from each participating school. The perfection with which they carry out each of the trials will be scored, and the champion who has obtained the highest score after the third task will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial judge: the Goblet of Fire.

Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped it three times on the top of the chest. The lid slowly creaked open. Dumbledore reached in to pull out a large chalice, roughly carved from wood. It wouldn't have drawn attention if it weren't for the trembling bluish-white flames that filled it to the brim. Dumbledore closed the chest and carefully placed the chalice on top so that everyone present could see it well.

—Anyone who wants to volunteer as a champion must write their name and the name of their school on a piece of parchment in clear handwriting and toss it into the chalice —Dumbledore explained—. The aspiring champions have four days to do this. Then, on Halloween night, the chalice will give us the names of the three champions it deems most worthy to represent their schools. Tonight, the chalice will be displayed in the entrance hall, accessible to all those who wish to compete. To ensure that no underage student succumbs to temptation —Dumbledore continued—, I will draw an age line around the Goblet of Fire once we have placed it in the entrance hall. No one under the age of seventeen will be able to cross the line. Lastly, I want to emphasize to all who are thinking of competing that careful consideration must be given before entering the Tournament. When the Goblet of Fire has selected a champion, he or she will be obliged to continue in the Tournament until the end. By putting your name in the Goblet of Fire, you are signing a binding magical contract. Once turned into a champion, no one can back out. So you must be very sure before offering your candidacy. And now it seems to me that it is time to go to bed. Good night, everyone.

As we all stood up, I took Peter's hand and quickly led him to a more secluded corner of the hallway. Without thinking twice, I hugged him tightly.

—I’ve missed you so much, Peter. I’m glad you’re here —I whispered without pulling away from him.

—I’ve missed you too, Beth, more than you can imagine. I love Narnia, but… by Aslan, I’ve never missed anyone so much —he replied. Hearing him call me by that nickname he only used filled me with warmth.

—How have you been? I can’t wait for you to tell me everything…

But before I could continue, Susan appeared with a soft smile.

—I’m sorry to interrupt, but Aslan wants to talk to us, Peter. It’s great to see you again, Lizzie.

—Su! I’m excited to see you too —I exclaimed, happy. I had forged a good friendship with her during the summers at the Dursleys' house.

—I’ll see you later, okay? —Peter said, though it was clear he wasn’t very happy to have to interrupt our conversation.

—Sure, don’t worry. Besides, I have to go show a new girl around the castle. We have the whole year to catch up —I replied, smiling as I caressed his hands.

We said goodbye with one last exchange of glances, and I headed off to find Professor McGonagall for instructions on where to find the new student. As I walked, I thought about how promising this fourth year looked.

[mxtantrights]

what makes us, breaks us (part one)

a/n: totally self-indulgent fic here [not an x reader] this features an oc paired with an established character on the show general hospital. If you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, honestly valid. Just know that every time I watch this show I want a character like this to show up and give us PLOT.

pairing: Gio Palmieri x oc (Renne Renault)

The ride from the city was long. It felt even longer because of the reason she was leaving for.

Finally after years of knowing who her father is, he died. Cyrus Renault is technically still at large but he is presumed dead. She couldn't have jumped any higher for joy when she heard the news.

The news she didn't even look for. The news that came to her via mail. Apparently he had something for her. His estate wanted her to attend his will reading in Port Charles.

The latest city he's spent terrorizing.

She's kept up here and there. The mob feud between him and a local mob boss. The hostage situation when it all came crashing down around him. His time in jail. His release.

She didn't want any part of it. She never wanted any part of it. Even when she found out that he was her father. He tried to throw money at her to get her to spend time with him. Luxurious clothes, fancy trips. She wouldn't budge.

She weren't going to now either.

The door to the office is already open. She walks in through the door and walks to the back. There are a few seats and she takes an empty one. Honestly there are a lot of people here, she wouldn't be surprised if no one noticed her.

Well, they will. Once the lawyer reads out what it is he left her.

The lawyer gets the crowded room to settle and everyone takes their seats. Up front she sees his brother Martin. She's seen pictures of them together. Online.

Once the process starts she zones out a bit. It all gets a bit monotone for her liking. Something about bibles being left to someone and the radio program being handed over to some company.

Reene sighs lightly as the lawyer goes on.

Until her name is said. She doesn't stand. She watches the people in the room look around themselves.

"To my daughter, I leave my small fortune that I've made along the years. The total adding up to seven million, five hundred ninety thousand and..."

As soon as the lawyer says million she loses it. Silently. She's thinking of what the hell she could have done to deserve it. Seven million from a former mobster. A guy who donated a sample one time.

"What the hell?" she asks out loud.

The whole room turns around. She sheepishly looks at them, and slowly gets up from her seat. A small fortune has just landed in her lap. A fortune she doesn't want.

"I don't want it. You can keep it." she says.

The lawyer guffaws. She thinks it's a weird sound and that he sounds like a bird.

"Excuse me, Ms. Renault you can't simply rescind-"

"I can. And I do. I rescind it. All of it. I don't want it."

"Wait a second, you're Cyrus' daughter?" a voice asks.

He stands up. The man with all white hair and a snappy suit looks right at her. He looks shocked. She always wondered if he knew about her. Guess not.

"Yes. Nice to meet you. Uncle Martin." she answers.

"I don't have time for this, can we get on with it?" another voice says.

You watch as Martin comes over to you. He looks flushed. You worried that you might have caused this nice old man a cardiac event. The lawyer goes on.

He holds out his hand, as if it's an adequate enough thing to do when you meet a new family member. You take it anyways.

"It's nice to meet you. I never heard of you until right now." he says.

You nod your head to his words, "I figured. He told me about you though."

"All good things I hope." he says in that southern drawl.

"Just that you were a good lawyer. And a good brother."

He nods.

"I might need your services to get rid of this money." you speak up.

"Well, you can't just give it up. That lawyer is right. That money has probably been sitting in a trust waiting for you. There's certain rules and such." he answers.

She nods, "Are you a good enough lawyer to get around that?"

He smiles.

"I'm one of a kind. Of course I can figure something out."

-

There's a need inside of her to just get away from the prying eyes of the city. Sure enough she's only been here for a few hours and everyone knows who she is. She wasn't denied service anywhere but damn it sort of felt like she was wearing the scarlet A on her chest.

The looks from the people as they walked by. As she entered a store or crossed the street. It was relentless.

So that's why she's hanging out at the pier. There's a party going on. Some sort of underground rave. She got dressed int he tightest dress she packed and with platform heels.

And the idea was to go inside and drink her worries away. Maybe dance with someone she won't ever see again. Hell, find a one night stand for the hell of it. She had never done those things before but she would now.

She would do all these things because Port Charles wasn't her home. These people wouldn't see her every day. These people weren't her community. She could leave whenever she wanted.

Reene didn't make it past the front door when she saw some snort a line of something. It triggered her. Memories of the past came flooding back.

How she had caught her mom snorting stuff. Here and there. She was in control she said. She was just trying to not think about something. Someone. Cyrus.

Which is the real reason she hates him. Because she's never known the real version of her mother. She's always been high or strung out. Too guilty and too fearful of choices she made when she worked for / slept with Cyrus.

Reene took a seat at the bench. She twiddled with her fingers. When that wasn't enough she scrolled on her phone. She didn't want to go to her hotel room just yet. She didn't want to be alone.

A guy her age comes strolling past her then. His eyes red and he walks heavy. His hands are in his pockets. When he goes to take them out she goes into panic mode.

"Oh my god please don't do drugs in front of me." she yelps.

The guy turns to her. She closes her mouth. She can't believe she just said that out loud. Not even said it, blurted it. Like an idiot. She clamps a hand over her mouth.

"Excuse me?" he asks.

She removes her hand from her mouth, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you were going to do drugs. If you are that is your business. I just didn't want to see it in front of my face."

"I'm not going to do drugs." he answers.

She lets out a sigh of totally relief.

"Why'd you think I was gonna do drugs?" he asks.

She shrugs, "Your eyes are red. You walked over here, probably to go to that rave. I saw a guy snort something within seconds of getting to the door."

"Not your scene?" he asks.

Then he takes a seat next to her. She moves over a bit. Just a fraction. She doesn't mind talking to this guy, but she had to keep her wits about her. Especially in a city she doesn't know.

"Just got here actually. So not sure this whole city is my scene." she answers honestly.

"I get it." he nods in agreement.

She looks him over, "You look like you've lived here your whole life. Fit right in."

He shakes his head with a laugh.

"No I just came into town about-uh a year ago. Yeah. It's been a rollercoaster since then." he says.

She sits in silence after that. He wasn't going to do drugs. And he didn't leave her to go inside of the party. But his eyes were red. Maybe he was crying? Maybe she should mind her business.

She was never too good at that.

"So why are your eyes red?" she asks.

He looks at her for a second. Then he shrugs his shoulders. Huh. She sits back into the bench.

"Personal. What brings you to town?" he asks.

She smiles, "Personal."

"Huh," he starts and then he gets up from the bench, "seems like our personal lives are putting us in places we don't need to be."

She scoffs, "You can say that again."

"How 'bout we get outta here?"

She looks up at him in surprise. Surely she shouldn't just leave with a guy she doesn't know. But she had been recklessly planning to have a one night stand not too long ago.

It's not like she's going to sleep with the guy. She'll just talk to him. Maybe talking to him will help her feel a little bit better about being here.

"Before you offer me something like that, you should know who you're extending niceties to." she says.

She gets up from the bench and extends her hand.

"My name's Reene. Renne Renault." she introduces herself.

She can see the slight hesitation on his part. How he looks at her hand. How he reacts to her last name. But then he grabs her hand and shakes it. He smiles.

"I'm Gio. Gio...I don't even know."

She can feel the heavy sentiment in his sentence. He really is going through something personal. She lets go of his hand.

"Well, where are we off to Gio?" she asks

"Wherever the night takes us Reene."

[blububs]

Can anyone relate?

So I have DID from RAMCOA and ITBC. They were trafficking me. They also did this thing where they left my alters messages through TV, music and movies. I know that it sounds weird but it's true. Let me explain how.

So I believe that it began with an obsession with me and labeling me because I have autism. I also had DID at age five, but they didn't know that. Because of those two reasons, I stood out, and they hated me for not being able to catagorize me. When they saw characters or heard lyrics that reminded me of them, they would make me watch it religiously until I understood the entire plot or knew all the lyrics. They would watch to make sure that I was paying attention to the screen. That started in 2nd grade.

In middle school they began to act out scenarios. Starting with Cinderella. I was Brandy and had to get the matching braids. They laughed and called me Cinderella for months. My feet were labeled as "huge!" and my mom and my sister both had tiny feet. So they started buying me a size 10 or 11 and then sizes 8 or 8 1/2. We were all size 9. That was my only birthday present throughout my entire adolescence. The DVD. But they confiscated it once I had watched it enough.

So, as an adult, as more people gathered to gangstalk me, they began to script scenes from movies. In the moment it was really weird. They would emphasize things that didn't fit the context of the situation or they would use words that they normally wouldn't use.

I didn't have a TV my entire adult life, until now. I can't enjoy exploring movies or TV because they've infiltrated everything, it seems. Definitely the most popular shows or the ones that I'd like. Then, the ones that they didn't script out, I begin to associate them in those. I've been trying to find things that they didn't infiltrate but now I have triggers. Very annoying.

Anyways, here's the thing. One of the guys that was participating in trafficking me, scripted a bunch of love songs and movies about marriage and romantic love. I didn't like him in that way but they wanted me to because they wanted to coerce me into marriage. Once married they could get me pregnant to abuse me when I would be weak and then abuse my child once they were born.

They wanted a Muslim marriage, although I'm not Muslim, because that way my 'husband' could marry more wives. Also, he wouldn't have to make the marriage legal because I'm not worthy. Mind you, they forced me into this type of marriage at 20 years old. It's just that I dissociated and completely forgot because it was only one day. The man, my ex, expected me to wait for him for four years, while he married multiple other women and had seven kids in four years by five different women.

During those four years he facilitated trafficking me to multiple men. Then attempted to sleep with me. I declined and they didn't force me. They attempted to influence me and coerce me into remembering the marriage. So that's why this new guy appeared in my life. He was another Muslim man who felt that I needed to fulfill my obligations as a forced Muslim revert and wife to the man who was trafficking me.

He never said it directly. But, in hindsight, I know exactly what he wanted. He began to pursue me himself after a man at my job began to pursue me and telling others about his ideas about marrying me and rescuing me from trafficking. That's when I became 'worthy' of this guy. It's only because my coworker was white and him valuing me made me inherently more valuable.

You see? Isn't it obvious that he's a horrible person. But, again, hundreds of people had come together to act out these love scenes because they want me to choose him.

I'm thinking, hell no!! If you loved me, you would've taken me away from the trafficking. WTF? But I've spent two years reminiscing about him and listening to those love songs, because I was so desperate after my repressed memories began to resurface. Additionally, he's supposedly rich. Which I guess I'm supposed to be excited about. I'm not impressed with him.

Finally, I believe that my alters are fighting each other on this topic. A part of me is asexual and doesn't want ANYONE to EVER touch me again. The other part of me yearns for love. Yuck.

So, you see my dilemma? I feel like he missed his chance. But I also feel like I shouldn't expect anyone to rescue me. What do you think?

Just give me ways to get him out of my mind. He's in my psyche. Please help me remove him. He's not like the other men, I never ever think of them. I want him gone!!