#Is he like the distant cousin that only comes like four times a year | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

probably-writing-x · 1 year

Text

Healed and Hurt.

Conrad Fisher x Reader

Summary: Conrad had broken your heart, and broken all of you along with it. You’d finally put the pieces back together… but there was just something your heart could never ignore.

Author’s Note: Can people please make more TSITP gifs so I can get more inspo for writing these pretty pretty please??? Y’all seemed to love the other tsitp one shot so I hope you love this just as much xoxo

You weren’t sure of the moment you’d lost him. But you knew the exact moment when you realised that you had. He’d come back from surfing, and it had started raining outside in Cousins - a rare summer shower even on the hottest day. Conrad had showered and came downstairs to where you were curled up on the couch, eyes closed. The Conrad that you knew would have grabbed the nearest blanket and settled it over your shoulders, and taken up the spot closest to you so that, when you awoke, you could snuggle into him and he’d share in your comfort. But this Conrad had taken a seat on the opposite couch, his eyes focused on a distant spot somewhere in the lounge. You’d woken up when it got oddly cold and realised that he’d left the garden doors open, letting in sprays of rain and the coldest wind.

“Con?” You’d spoken, voice full of sleep, “Everything okay?”

He looked at you with an off, empty look in his eyes - like he was looking at a stranger. You knew then, and you still couldn’t figure out why.

That wasn’t your Conrad. That wasn’t the Conrad that loved you.

———

That exact moment had been four months ago, only a week before things ended between the two of you. You’d cried more than your heart could cope with, and you’d had enough sleepless nights to make it feel like you wouldn’t sleep again. You’d stopped eating and stopped enjoying the smallest things in your life. Until, one day, you just felt… better. There was no specific cause or cure, just that you were yourself once again. The self that you’d been before Conrad. Healed.

Your parents had owned a house in Cousins for the past couple of years and that’s how you’d first met the Fisher family. This weekend would be the first time you were returning to Cousins since you and Conrad had finished, and it was agitating a pain in your chest that you tried your best to ignore.

“(Y/n)?” It’s your Mom’s voice that snaps you back to reality, “Do you mind taking a trip to the store?”

You look at her and blink a second time, feeling your mind return to the setting of the beach house, “Yeah, yeah, of course I will.”

“Thanks honey,” She smiles, “There’s a list on the kitchen island.”

You nod and she steps back out of your bedroom, letting you return to welcome solitude.

There was something about being back here - this house, this town - everything reminded you of him.

———

The shop is relatively empty when you get there and you make your way around the aisles picking up the items from your Moms list. It was thanksgiving next week so these were just the bits to keep you fed between now and then. She definitely wouldn’t trust you with the real thanksgiving shop.

As you round onto the next aisle, your cart bumps into someone coming the other way.

“Oh shit my-“ A familiar voice speaks quickly and you glance up to see Stephen at the end of your cart.

“Stephen!” You grin, “Hi!”

He grins just as widely and stretches out his arms, “Holy shit (y/n) it’s good to see you.”

His arms wrap you in a bear hug and he breathes deeply as your chin perches atop his shoulder, stood on your tiptoes to do so.

“What are you doing here in Cousins?” You ask him, “I thought you guys were only here for summer.”

“Yeah well my Mom and Suzanne decided to start doing thanksgiving too because they think we should see each other more often,” He shrugs his shoulders, “I’m not complaining, it’s more fun here than back home.”

“Yeah, yeah, definitely,” You nod, “I didn’t even think to ask you guys if you’d be here. I mean, normally I’d ask Co-“

Both of you stop and he looks at you with that frown between his eyebrows as if watching the discomfort settle between you.

You clear your throat, “How are the boys?”

Stephen smiles that sort of sympathetic smile, “They’re good. I’m sure they’d love to see you, and my sister would too - she’s going to hate that she didn’t come to the store with me.”

You laugh and drag a hand through your hair, the mention of Conrad and the Fishers bringing back that same glimpse of empty pain you’d had for weeks after things had ended. You avert your eyes from him towards the large windows in the store and notice that the heavens have opened, rain pouring onto the concrete.

“Shit, I knew I should’ve brought the car,” Stephen winces, “I better call Jere-“

“No, no, don’t be silly,” You shake your head, “I’ll drive you home, it’s the same way anyway.”

“(y/n) I always knew you were an angel,” Stephen jokes with a bright smile.

He helps you put your things through the checkout and then the two of you clamber into your car, dumping your bags into the back.

You drive the short distance in the direction of both houses, the Fisher’s house only being a street away from your own. The roads are all familiar, a second home within itself. But the sight of their exact house, as you pull into the driveway, settles an uneasy feeling on your chest. You ignore it.

“Thanks (Y/n),” Stephen smiles, “And, hey, don’t be a stranger. We’d all still love to see you, I’m sure they’ll all say the same when I tell them you were here.”

You smile and go to respond when your car door is pulled open.

“(Y/n) (y/l/n)!” It’s Jeremiah, his arm holding your door as he stands in the opening, grinning wildly as his hair gets rapidly soaked by the rain, “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Driving Stephen back to avoid the rain,” You laugh gently, “Which you should be doing too.”

“Please come in, Belly’s going to kill me if you were here and she didn’t get to say hi,” He has those sort of eyes that it’s impossible to say no to, the same golden retriever look that ran through his personality.

You turn your keys in the ignition and pull them out, “Alright, just five minutes.”

Jeremiah reaches out a hand to you and stretched one side of his hoodie out so you can both duck under the material, the three of you hurrying towards the house.

It’s all so beautifully familiar. Stephen grumbling about the rain in his hair and Jeremiah laughing the same way he always did, the warmth of the walls in this house, the sense of home.

The door shuts behind you and you feel it again - that little bit of relief that you really had moved on. This place held good memories - for the year that you’d been dating Conrad he’d been everything and his family came with that. Losing him didn’t mean you lost the sense of family that his own people had always given you.

“Okay, now we can say a proper hello,” Jeremiah laughs, wrapping his arms around you as he lifts you up from the ground, spinning you around before settling you back down.

“It’s good to see you too, Jere,” You return, “I’m sorry, I had no idea you guys were back in Cousins.”

“Yeah, well, it was a last minute decision,” He nods, “Come on, I think Belly’s in the kit-“

Stephen grabs Jeremiah’s arm before he can go any further, “Um, Jere, is Conrad here?”

“Oh shit yeah I didn’t eve-“

“Guys, seriously,” You shake your head at them, “Come on, what happened with me and Con was a long time ago. We’re all grown ups here.”

They look at you with a slight uncertainty but nod anyway, walking through the back of the house.

Your steps pause ever so slightly when you catch sight of him but you don’t let it show, letting your eyes look around the rest of the room before falling back to him.

Conrad stands up almost instantly, his entire being alert.

“(Y/n).”

Your name from his lips turns a knot into your stomach but it dissipates when you focus on it for long enough.

“Hey Con,” You smile, running a hand through your hair.

“What are yo-“

“Oh my god (Y/n)!” Belly squeals and hurries over, engulfing you in a velocity fuelled hug, “What are you doing here?”

You laugh and squeeze her before stepping back, “Just dropping Stephen home.”

“Yeah, it was raining like hell when I was in the store so (Y/n) offered to drive back,” Stephen comments.

“You, uh, you hate driving in the rain,” Conrad clears his throat, eyes on you as if nobody else was there.

You let out a breathy laugh and let your eyes lock onto him, your fingers tightening around the car keys in your hand, “Yeah, a few months ago I did. I guess I just got better.”

He swallows the lump in his throat, his lips parting.

“I should probably get going,” You clear your throat, “My Mom will kill me if I let that ice cream melt.”

“We’ll catch up soon, okay?” Belly squeezes your arm, “I’m so glad you’re here.”

You wave goodbye and step back out, feeling the weight on your chest release just enough that it no longer feels like it’s there. You step back out of the house and, for the first time in a long time, Conrad races through your mind. You turn the music up just a little louder in your car so it’ll somewhat drown out the thought.

———

The following night, there’s a party down at the beach that it’s impossible to say no to when Jeremiah, Belly and Stephen have all been convincing you all day. You change into a pink ditsy floral dress that has a corset style top and a simple pair of white converse - they’d only end up full of sand anyway. It was cold enough that you knew it was a terrible idea to just wear a dress, so you throw over a baggy grey jumper and roll up the sleeves twice so they don’t hang over your hands.

Once they’ve texted to say they’re already there, you leave and take the short walk down to the beach, bag tucked over your shoulder.

“Hey! (Y/n)!” Cameron waves you over to where he’s filling up a red cup with a can of Sprite.

“Hey Cam,” You smile, “How are you doing?”

He nods, “I’m thinking this party is a terrible idea in the middle of November.”

You laugh, “I’m hoping a beer will warm me up a bit,” You take a cup and fill it from the keg beside him.

“How are you doing anyway?” Cam nudges you, “Is it weird being back?”

You take a second of looking at him before you respond, invisibly composing yourself, “No, it’s okay. What happened with me and Conrad was… and obviously I wouldn’t want to… I’m fine. We’re fine.”

He nods, taking it as certain sign that he shouldn’t persist with the topic, “I think Belly and the guys are over that way.”

You follow him over to where Belly, Jere and Stephen are all sat around a big campfire, warming their hands on the floating heat.

“Hey, are you not freezing in that dress?” Stephen looks at you slightly bewildered.

“Yeah, I’m used to never packing clothes to come here because I always have summer clothes in my closet in the house but… that doesn’t exactly work in november,” You wince, running your hands over the skin of your thighs.

“Yeah who thought it was a good idea to have a beach party in the middle of november?” Belly shakes her head, “It’s meant to get freezing tonight.”

Jere shrugs, “Where’s the fun in that attitude Bels?”

The chatter continues but you find your eyes drifting around the beach for a pair of eyes that you’re yet to find. Somewhere in the lost time, you get through a few more beers and the sun continues to set over the Cousins beach until the cold really starts to set in. The beer is warming your system just a little but far from enough.

A shiver runs over you and draws goose pimples to your skin, so you take it as your cue to leave, saying your goodbyes before heading up the beach towards the path that let you back to the houses.

You’re not sure why. But your feet take you in the direction of the street adjacent to your own, one you’d driven up and walked up countless times. One you missed.

In the one house that catches your attention, there’s a light on out the back and you find yourself pushing through the back garden gate into the yard.

“Jere?” It’s Conrad’s voice that speaks out and you turn to find him sat at the edge of the pool, his feet dragging below the surface.

“Um, no, it’s me,” You clear your throat, “Sorry, I’m not really sure why I came this way.”

He keeps his eyes on you, pushing himself up to stand at the poolside, “Do you-“

“Sorry, I should probably go home I-“

“I bet you’re freezing,” He interrupts, gesturing towards the doors into the house, “Do you want to come inside? I can make you a hot drink or something.”

“Um,” You look at the slightly pleasing look in his eyes and realise it’s impossible to say anything other than, “Sure.”

Conrad nods and pulls open the garden door, stepping aside to let you in.

“I think my Mom and Laurel are out at a bar tonight, it’s just me here,” Conrad comments as you follow him through to the kitchen.

You two spent every minute together when you’d been dating - thankful to be living in the same city without the hours long drive between you that you had at home. This kitchen was where he’d first kissed you. You’d been sitting atop the kitchen counter and he’d been making pancakes at the stove. You laughed when he failed at flipping one of them and he’d come over to make you try the first one - telling you it was good luck to try the first pancake of the night. He’d wiped a bit of syrup from the side of your mouth and the next thing you knew he was kissing you. His lips were uncertain at first but they soon-

“(Y/n)?” Conrad’s voice slices through.

You don’t remember ever hopping up onto the countertop but you’re in the exact spot you’d been in on that pancake morning.

“Do you want cocoa or tea?”

“Tea, please,” You swallow the lump in your throat, dropping your bag down to the counter beside you.

He nods and sets the kettle onto the stove, cracking up the heat before turning around to lean back against the counter opposite you, the water waiting to whistle to a boil behind him.

“What are you thinking about?” He asks you, crossing his arms over his chest.

You look at him and study his face for a moment, a face you’d memorised over and over again, and then shake your head, “That I’m fucking freezing.”

He laughs gently, the kind that rumbles the air, “That’ll teach you to not wear a dress in winter.”

“I didn’t have anything else,” You raise your hands in defence, “And this outfit looks cute.”

“It’s the most impractical outfit ever I mean seriously you must be cold as-“

Without you realising, Conrad has stepped forward from the counter and his hand has come to rest on your thigh - enough for you to feel the electricity charging through you.

“Sorry I-“

Before he can retract, you fly a hand down to press over the top of his, relaxing a little at the contact, “It’s okay. Your hands are warm.”

Conrad looks up at you through the hair that falls around his eyes and you bring your other hand up to brush the strands away from his face. He winces at the cold of your fingers when they brush his face and brings his own hand up to wrap around yours on his cheek to warm your skin there.

Both of you are silent, trapped in the most contact you’ve had in months. You hold each other there for just a moment before the kettle whistles behind him and it seems to snap you back to where you need to be.

“Thank god, I’m dying for a tea,” You pull both of your hands away from him and hop down from the counter, grabbing two mugs from the cupboard.

Conrad stays stood where he was, his hands resting on the countertop in front of him as he squeezes his grip against the edge of it.

You go about making two teas and hand one of the mugs over to him, wrapping your own two palms around the heat of the other.

Conrad winces as the liquid touches his lips, blowing gently on the rippling surface of the drink. You’d always loved his lips. The way they spoke, the way they laughed, the way they kissed. The indent of his cupid’s bow and the shadow of stubble that surrounded them when he didn’t shave. You’d always loved him.

“How come you didn’t come to the beach tonight?” You ask him, your hands burning a little under the heat of the mug.

“In this weather? It’s stupid.”

You shake your head, “You prefer the cold anyway.”

He stops for a moment and sets the mug down, “I figured you wouldn’t want me to be there, and I didn’t want to ruin your night.”

You purse your lips together and look away from him, down at an invisible mark on the floor, “You wouldn’t ruin it.”

Conrad doesn’t speak.

“Come on, just because we split up doesn’t mean we have to act like we don’t know each other,” You comment, “We’re always going to run in the same circles.”

He looks up at you again, studying you, “But we didn’t just split up. I broke your heart (y/n).”

You find yourself smiling just a little, “Anyone would think you’re full of yourself Con.”

“Oh, no, I didn’t mean-“

“I know,” You interject, taking a deep breath, “You did break my heart. But time heals, surprisingly. I’m good now, I’m happy.”

You watch his face falter for just a moment. Conrad was right - he had broken your heart. You’d been hurt by him. But things had changed. You couldn’t hate him forever, and you couldn’t hate your life without him forever. But, the truth was, he didn’t feel even close to being over you. And it killed him to think you’d already slipped away. Far enough away that he couldn’t pull you back.

“I’m glad you’re happy” He swigs the drink, “That’s all I ever wanted.”

You’re not sure what makes you say it. But you do without thinking.

“Really?” You raise your brows, “It didn’t feel like that last summer.”

“(Y/n)…”

“I fought for you Conrad. I really did,” You feel your voice tremble a little but regain it, “I remember even after I knew that you were done with me, I was trying so fucking hard to fix it.”

He’s silent, eyes watching you.

“Two nights before you ended it, I remember I stayed up after you thought I’d gone to sleep and I felt you pull away from me. You pulled your arm from underneath me, you took your arm away from around me, you pushed yourself back to the other side of the bed. And I knew you’d wake up and blame it on being cold in the night. But I felt you. I felt you go. And that’s when I gave up. When I knew there was no saving what you didn’t want to fix,” You shake your head, shaking out your hands to fight the way your body seems to tremble against your will.

“I never wanted to lose you (Y/n), I just… I got scared and I-“

“I don’t need you to explain things Conrad. I spent days and nights trying to figure out where the hell I went wrong. And I made my peace with it - if you weren’t going to love me that was fine, it didn’t mean I wasn’t capable of being loved.”

“I did love you, I do love you,” His words are almost pleading and he steps closer to you, still two feet standing between your bodies, “That never changed.”

You look down and smile a little at the thought, words that would have been wrenching at your heart a few months ago. Today, they settle into you and fall into your system like they weren’t ever said to have an impact.

“I shouldn’t have come here tonight Con,” You look up and take a deep breath, “Thank you for the tea, and for letting me in, and for… I don’t know, maybe we can class this as an impromptu therapy session. But I should be going.”

When you turn around, you notice the pounding rain outside, pattering against the glass and into the open cover of the swimming pool. It’s relentless, the kind that you can hardly see through.

“Stay,” Conrad speaks from behind you.

You turn around to look at him, his eyes soft as if there could never be a bad intention behind them.

“You can take my bed, I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Your breath falls deeply from your chest, staring into eyes that had once broken you into pieces as you say, “Okay.”

———

The following morning, you step out of Conrad’s room and into the house. Everyone else is asleep, or at least you suppose they are from the shut bedroom doors and faint snores. You collect up your things and pad quietly along the wooden floors, wincing when one of the boards creaks on the staircase. You slip out of the back of the house, knowing the shortcut that would lead to your own house before your parents woke up to realise you’d never made it home.

It’s a crisp morning but the sun is just starting to warm the air and you squint against the bright light. Just visible at the end of the boardwalk leading towards the water, you can make out the shape of a boy sat in solitude. You’re not sure what draws you to him, maybe the same thing that had drawn you in the first place.

Conrad turns around when he hears your feet against the wooden pier and watches as you sit down in the seat beside him along the wooden bench, both of you looking out at the still water.

“Did you sleep well?” He asks, clearing his throat when the words come out dry.

You nod, “I always said your bed was comfy.”

Conrad nods, folding his arms over his chest, “The same can’t be said for those couches.”

You smile a little and look down at your hands in your lap, “Thank you for letting me stay.”

He shrugs, “It’s the least I could do. My Mom would kill me if I let you walk home alone in the rain.”

You’re both silent.

“I should pro-“

“Can I ask you something?” He cuts you off.

You settle back into your seat and look at him briefly, turning your head back to the water soon after, “Of course.”

“How did you get over it?” Conrad asks so simply as if the question has been playing on his mind a hundred times, “How did you make it look so easy?”

You take a deep breath, “It wasn’t easy, Con. I cried for weeks over you.”

He clenches his jaw, the mention of your hurt making him hate himself a little more, “But what about now?”

“I was home and you were in Boston. It was easier to get over you when we weren’t around each other. I just… I realised I could be fine by myself,” You swallow the lump in your throat, “I just convinced myself that there was nothing I could have done. That in a thousand lives in a thousand universes, you’d have still done the same - because you’d have just fallen out of love with me. And so it was out of my control.”

“You really think I fell out of love with you?” Conrad looks at you with his eyebrows slightly raised, his lips parting as if he’s echoing the hurt into silence.

“Come on Con,” You turn your head to him, “I was there. I watched you slip away.”

“I-“ He takes a deep breath, “I meant what I said yesterday. I was scared. It wasn’t that I fell out of love with you. Hell, I think I fell so in love with you that that’s why I jumped. Because I’d wake up and Id think of you and then I’d want to see you all day, and I’d go to bed thinking of you and every single day I knew you were all I ever wanted.”

You feel the lump form in your throat, the electricity coursing through your hands that just seem to want to reach for him.

“People would mention your name and I’d be listening for the rest of their sentence. I couldn’t see colours without thinking of you, I couldn’t hear songs without reminding myself of you, I couldn’t do anything without being consumed by you,” He gasps as if all air has left his lungs and his hand lifts to press against his chest, “You became me, my whole life. And I was so fucking terrified of it. I just… it’s stupid, I know it is. But I loved you too much to ever think I’d be enough for you, like I was waiting for the moment Id hurt you.”

“And you don’t think ending it was what hurt me?” You point out.

He laughs a little and you see the tension release a tiny bit, “Yeah, yeah, I guess I should’ve thought of that.”

“You know the worst thing you can do when you love someone that much is to push them away? To make them feel like they’re not loved, not wanted, not worth it,” You explain, “You might’ve felt all of those things Conrad but did you ever try to tell me that? To show me that?”

He closes his eyes and swallows the lump in his throat, “I want to. Now, I want to.”

You shift yourself on the wooden bench and draw your legs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them, “Okay.”

“Wh- what?” Conrad blinks, “I don-“

“We’re not getting back together, Con. I’m not the same girl that I was when we first got together, and you’re clearly not the same guy. But I think we need to get to need to get to know these versions of ourselves - and if those two love each other, then they’ll make it work,” You nod, more certain of yourself than ever before, “I’m (Y/n).”

Conrad looks down at your outstretched hand and smiles to himself, clasping it to shake his hand with yours, “I’m Conrad.”

He keeps his hand around yours and his thumb brushes your skin. When his grip releases, you watch his hand flex slightly away from the loss of touch.

You look into his eyes, the ones that pierced into your soul so often. And you feel a little piece of yourself melt under his gaze, a little piece of your heart swell softly.

“Well, (Y/n), do you like pancakes?”

“I do.”

He outstretches a hand once again and this time you lace your fingers with him, a course of adoration flooding through you.

You could do this.

You had healed.

You could be you, and he could be him. And the two could cross once more.

1K notes · View notes

writing-intheundercroft · 25 days

Text

Ser Freckles // S. Sallow

Rating: T

WC: 2,743

Summary: As heir to the throne, the princess takes appointing her sworn protector very seriously.

A/N: Submitted as part of a writing challenge because I'm a glutton for starting AU projects. inspired heavily by HOTD (I've been looking for an excuse to use the name Gawayne). Much love to the pals who keep Knight!Seb living in my brain <3

“Now that you are of age, and officially the heir to the throne, it’s time you appoint your first sworn sword.”

She looked up to Fig as they walked down the stone stairs, the excited chatter from the courtyard echoing off the walls. Fig had been her tutor all her life, and only now did she realize her lessons with him had a greater purpose. She was the only daughter of the king’s dearly departed brother, a king who lacked any heirs of his own. And now that she’d turned eighteen, with no hopes for a male cousin in sight, she had been formally invested as the heir apparent.

Fig was no lowly court tutor, she realized. He’d been placed with her from her youth, preparing her for what had seemed like a distant possibility that she might one day become queen. Lord Eleazar Fig, a member of the King’s Counsel, had been priming her to take power all along.

”I’m not sure why I can’t keep Lady Singer,” she mumbled, kicking her skirts as they continued their descent. “She’s been my guardian for as long as I can remember.”

”Lady Singer is a governess,” Fig reminded her. “And in no way capable of being your sworn protector. The young man you choose today will become a knight, sworn to your king's guard. Can you remind me what the function of your king's guard is?”

”My queen’s guard,” she snipped, emphasizing the word, “will protect my counsel and me from harm, as well as my future heirs.”

“Precisely, Princess.” Fig smiled. “It’s largely a symbolic role considering the relative peace our realm has seen this past one hundred years, even more so with the city watch taking guard of the castle. But the king—er, queen’s guard is a deep rooted tradition each house takes very seriously. The gentlemen we’ve assembled today for your selection come from some of the great houses of the realm. Others have been lauded for their bravery and skill in the battlefield.”

The princess and Lord Fig walked to the balcony, the crowd below falling into silence. There were six men (boys, she observed, especially considering she’d grown up with four of them around court) standing in the courtyard below. They all wore gleaming armor, save for the last, wearing a dull set without embellishments. Each had a pennant with their house sigil, members of their families standing behind them. The animals on each pennant were embroidered with gleaming metallic thread–lions, eagles, badgers, and snakes taking center, representing the great houses each family bowed to.

Lord Fig took her hand, helping her stand on a stool to catch a better glimpse of her future knight.

”The first proposed candidate is Ser Leander Prewett,” Fig stated loudly. “Ser Leander is the second son of Lord Lyonel Prewett. He is a fine duelist, trained by one of the land’s most notable swordsmen.”

She cocked her brow, observing the redhead below. Tall, lithe, with a glorious mane of red hair.

”And rather shit on a horse,” she muttered under her breath. “Did you see him in the last tourney?”

”Horsemanship is not a requirement of a knight, Princess.” Fig muttered.

”He truly had no idea if he was facing the front, or the back.” She joked.

Lord Fig concealed his laugh in a cough. He waved his arm, and Leander’s gleaming smile vanished into a rather sour expression as the next option stepped forward.

”Ser Garreth Weasley,” Fig announced. “The third son of Lord Gwayne Weasley.”

”I know Ser Garreth well,” she smiled demurely. “Is it not one of the oaths as my queen’s guard to take no wife, have no children, and to be sworn to uphold the duties of the crown until death or dismissal?”

”It is, Princess.”

She clicked her tongue. “I know very well my dear friend Lady Natsai would be quite upset if I took her beloved to my service. I’d rather see the two of them happily married than split apart by duty.” She waved him backwards, knowing Natty would be pleased. Garreth stepped back, cheeks red, but a relieved look on his face.

“The next option is Ser Amit Thakkar,” Fig looked down at his notes. “Son of the Dowager Lady Tara Thakkar. No notable tourney experience, he’s been—“

”Away for his studies in the new world,” the princess interjected. “I know Ser Amit quite well. Tell me, Ser, how was your research on the skies? Anything new to report?”

“I’ve identified at least twelve constellations once lost to our maesters,” Amit announced excitedly. “And I do look forward to finding more.”

She tilted her head to Fig, eyebrows raised. “I do believe Ser Amit’s talents are better used with the college of maesters, rather than as a member of my queen’s guard.”

”Moving on,” Fig tutted. “Ser Duncan Hobhouse, son of—“

”No.”

”Okay, on to the next.” Fig winced, letting the young Duncan Hobhouse step back with a sigh. “Next is Ser Isaac Cooper. Son of Ser Tristan Cooper, the Lord Commander of the city watch. Strong, steady, and good with a lance. Ser Isaac has topped the tourney lists, specifically winning the tourney of Aranshire this past spring. ”

The princess chewed her lower lip as she appraised Ser Isaac. He stood tall, black hair cropped closely to his head. His parents stood behind him proudly bearing the badger on their sigil. Isaac gave her a beaming smile, followed by a rather obvious wink.

“I look forward to serving you, my princess, in all ways you see fit.” Isaac said loudly, followed by a showy bow. A gaggle of young ladies on the upper balcony giggled audibly, Ser Isaac blowing a kiss to his admirers.

The princess gagged, wrinkling her nose as she turned back to her tutor.

”A tourney knight,” she huffed. “Tell me, Lord Fig, do any of these knights have real combat experience?”

Fig sighed deeply, beckoning forward the sixth option. It was the knight in plain armor; unlike the others, he did not have a large gathering of family members behind him. A thin, peaky girl stood by his side, wobbling on her feet as their sigil shook in her hands. The green velvet of the flag looked worn, but a silver snake had been embroidered into the fabric with metallic thread, red beads for eyes. Behind them was a stern looking man, beard peppered with silver hairs.

The boy paid them no attention, standing forward with his head bowed to her.

“Ser Sebastian Sallow,” Fig cleared his throat. “The nephew of Ser Solomon Sallow, a former knight of the city watch. He was dismissed from his post after the death of his brother, taking on the stewardship of his young niece and nephew. Ser Solomon and his nephew Sebastian have taken the responsibility of patrolling the lower highlands, protecting their hamlets from ashwinders and poachers.”

She leaned forward over the railing, interest piqued by the humble knight below. “Tell me, Ser Sebastian, of your experience fighting against the ashwinder rebellion.”

He lifted his head, big brown eyes framed by an explosion of freckles. He had a round, boyish face for eighteen, thick brown hair descending in waves. A blush took over his cheeks as he dipped his head once more.

”I have fought against the ashwinders for the past five years, Princess. For as long as my uncle has allowed me.” He said, tipping his head back towards the stern man. “The lower hamlets rarely see reinforcements from the city watch, so it is up to the residents themselves to gather arms.”

“And when did you become a knight, Ser Sebastian?”

Sebastian turned briefly to look at his uncle, who merely nodded. “The Lord Commander of the city watch was passing through our hamlet when he witnessed me apprehending a cohort of ashwinder assassins.” He adjusted his grip on the helmet in his hands, metal clanking as he shifted. Unlike the others, there were no grand decorations, no feathery plumes attached to the helmet. It was practical, well-worn steel that had seen battle many times before. “He knighted me on the field, after the battle.”

”One boy against twenty ashwinders,” Fig whispered in her ear. “Quite a feat.”

She braced her palms against the stone ledge, hair falling over her shoulders. He looked up at her intently now, eyes wide. even with his armor on, she could see his throat bobbing, swallowing down his nerves.

“That settles it for me. I choose Ser Sebastian Sallow.”

The hall descended into loud whispers; the girl holding his sigil gasped with delight, while the man behind her dropped his mouth open in shock. Sebastian knelt, but kept his gaze fixated upon her. It was as if the chocolate brown orbs were burning into her, somewhere between admiration and curiosity.

Fig gave her a knowing look. “Ser Sebastian it is.”

”I’ll leave the details to Ser Sebastian’s investiture to you, Lord Fig.” the princess said, stepping down from the stool. Her heels clattered against the floor, hands folded behind her back. “And measure him for new armor. Something befitting my sworn protector.”

”The customary armor, of course, with your sigil on the pauldron.” Fig noted.

She paused, turning one last time towards her counsel.

”Don’t forget his snakes.” She reminded him. “Silver with ruby eyes.”

Fig tried to conceal his smile. “Yes, princess.”

“You know we’re not allowed in the armory,” Poppy hissed, trying to tug on her skirt. “Lady Singer–”

“Lady Singer can kiss my arse,” the princess declared, enjoying the way her lady in waiting’s cheeks flushed. “I would like to supervise the fitting. Will you join me?”

“I think not,” Poppy lifted her nose. “I’ll be off to the library to meet with Imelda. You should stay out of trouble.” the brunette warned.

The princess pulled open the heavy door of the armory, grinning at her friend. “Trouble is my middle name,” she sang, waving goodbye as she entered the room. The normally bustling armory was quiet at midday, with most of the knights standing guard. She stepped past the rows of white cloaks, all hung under their corresponding owner’s name. Weapons were stacked against the wall on wooden racks; she wouldn’t dare go near the spears, swords, and morningstars for fear of tipping them over. Her slippers pattered against the flagstone floors as she walked deeper into the chamber in search of her new knight.

“There you are,” she declared, seeing him standing on the pedestal. Ser Sebastian Sallow stood in his freshly tailored white breeches and shirt, half dressed in his new gilded armor.

“Princess,” the armorer bowed his head quickly, stepping away from Sebastian. “I did not realize you were coming in to supervise the fitting.”

“Is it not tradition?” she asked, circling the pedestal with an approving nod.

“It is,” the armor rubbed his hands together anxiously. “For the king. But you are a young lady, it’s hardly appropriate for you to be in the armory with a knight in a state of undress–”

“Ser Sebastian is my choice,” she pointed out. “So I will supervise the fitting of his armor and his sword selection, just as my uncle did for his sworn swords.”

“As you wish, princess.” The armor nodded. “I’ll fetch his sword at once.” He bowed, walking backwards out of the room.

“Are you always so commanding?” Ser Sebastian asked, a hand on his hip.

“Only when they’re so formal.” she grinned, crossing her arms. “The armor looks good on you.”

Sebastian’s cheeks flushed. “Thank you.” he stammered. “And thank you for honoring my house.” he gestured to his pauldron, decorated with the Sallow family sigil. Instead of the crudely carved

The armorer returned, holding a glimmering sword with a checked handle. “His sword, your grace.” he handed it to her for inspection. “I shall return shortly with his cloak; the seamstress was just finishing the hem.” He backed out of the room once more, leaving the pair alone.

The princess bobbed her head as she held the sword in her hand, testing its weight. “Good balance,” she mused, tossing it from one hand to the other.

“You’re trained with a sword?” Sebastian asked, eyebrow cocked.

She gave him a toothy grin, swinging the sword from side to side. “My uncle thought it best that I was taught the same as any other prince of the realm.”

“I certainly agree,” Sebastian offered. “I trained my sister as best as I could before coming to the capitol.”

“Well then, should we practice for your investiture?” She asked. “On your knees, then.”

Sebastian sank to the floor, beaming up at her obediently. He tipped his chin upwards, right hand resting over his heart.

“Do you swear to uphold the code of the kingsguard?” she asked, trying her best to remember the vows Lord Fig had tasked her with memorizing.

“I do,” Sebastian echoed.

“Do you swear to guard the king with all your might, and give your blood for him and his heirs?” She recited the words slowly and thoughtfully. The sword was beginning to feel heavy in her hands, but Sebastian didn’t budge. He stayed, knelt below her on the ground, closed fist bound to his chest.

“I do.”

“Do you swear to take no wife, father no children, hold no lands? Do you swear to guard your king’s secrets, obey his commands, defend his name and honor?”

The princess blinked down at her chosen knight, hovering the blade over his shoulder. His big, brown eyes stared back at her, a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. She hadn’t noticed the freckles on his lips; then again, she’d never been so close to him before. He looked both like a knight and a boy all at once–his armor was unfinished, missing the pauldron on his left shoulder that would bear her sigil. Sebastian’s messy hair stuck up in the back, and the princess felt the strong urge to pat it down.

She instead remained steady, blade in hand.

“Do you swear, Ser Sebastian?” she asked.

“I swear to take no wife, father no children, nor hold any lands. I swear to guard my queen’s secrets, obey her commands, defend her name and honor. For as long as I breathe, my life is my queen’s.” Sebastian gave her a coy look, eyes glittering with mischief; he aimed to flatter her, charming the princess with his change in verbiage.

Two could play that game, she thought. The princess lifted her sword, tapping it on both of his shoulders. “By the grace of the future queen, I name you Ser Kiss Arse.” she declared dramatically.

Sebastian choked, and the princess laughed. Her whole body shook with her giggles, and Sebastian pouted.

“No fair,” he complained. “Pick a better name.”

“Fine,” she wiped a tear from her eye. Feigning composure, she straightened her posture and gave him her best queenly glare. “By the grace of the future queen, I name you Ser Freckles.”

“You’re making a mockery of it,” Sebastian whined.

“We’re practicing, remember?” She snorted. “I promise, I’ll be much more official during the actual ceremony.”

Sebastian huffed. “Fine then. But if I get a nickname, then you get one too.” he warned. “Princess Picky is what I’ll call you.”

The princess scoffed, backing away. “Who called me picky?”

Sebastian gave her a sheepish look, rubbing the back of his neck. “Everyone at court, actually. They thought you were too picky with your requirements of the kingsguard. The public is fairly certain you’re making a mistake in picking me as your sworn sword.” his smile faltered, a wave of doubt crashing over his face. “My family has no riches, no influence at court. I have nothing else to offer you.”

The princess chewed her lower lip, dragging the sword behind her as she leaned down to face her knight. “It is no mistake,” she murmured, pressing a hand to his shoulder. “You are the most deserving of the title. I chose you. And if that makes me picky, so be it.”

Sebastian touched her wrist; the gesture shocked her, eyelashes fluttering from the surprise embrace. But she did not move her hand–the princess kept it on his uncovered shoulder, her hair falling in her face as she looked down at her sworn protector.

“Princess Picky and Ser Freckles,” Sebastian joked. “An eclectic pair.”

She gave him an earnest smile. “I’d have it no other way.”

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #sebastian sallow AU #knight!Sebastian Sallow #honestly I can't even begin to tell you guys how we got here #I blame my lady jane and criston cole #and fight me on it but criston cole was hot before he became a stage five clinger

132 notes · View notes

ludiharambasha · 7 months

Text

Hello everyone!

Sorry for being inactive in the last couple of days.

A dear friend of my cousin needs help to get her family evacuated from Gaza. Down below is a gofundme link. If you can help, please do so, it would be very much appreciated. Just sharing this post would also mean a lot.

Here is Tasnim's letter.

"Dear compassionate souls,

I come to you with a plea from the depths of my heart, a plea for compassion, empathy, and the chance for a family to reclaim their shattered dreams amidst the relentless chaos of war.

My beloved sister, Nour Thabit, a dedicated English teacher and a devoted mother, along with her husband who runs a small electronics business, and their three precious children, have been engulfed in the horrors of the ongoing attacks happening in Gaza. They have seen their home reduced to rubble, their livelihoods snatched away, and their hopes and aspirations torn apart by the merciless hands of war.

Hadi, the eldest at only six years old, was filled with the innocent excitement of starting school, which he only got to experience for one month. He now only dreams of a life far away from the deafening echoes of bombs and screams of children under the rubble; a life where he could live his dream of riding horses like he used to do, on the shores of Gaza.

"I miss you, please take me away from here!" - the last sentence I heard from Hadi, on a rare occasion when I am able to reach my family since internet and electircity are cut off. Each time I do hear from them I can hear the terror and the trauma in their voice even though they are trying so hard to stay strong and not let it show.

Amr, at four years old, used to revel in the joy of playing football and the simple pleasures of kindergarten, until the sounds of violence forced him to flee, leaving behind his beloved activities and the safety of routine.

And sweet Julia, just two years old, now battles the cruel grip of waterborne illness, a consequence of being deprived of very basic necessities like clean water which my family got deprived off for more than 4 months now.

Their journey has been one of unfathomable trauma and loss. Moving from place to place, seeking refuge in a world where safety feels like a distant memory, they have witnessed horrors no family should ever endure. My sister tried all in her powers to shield her children's innocence, shattered by the brutal reality of death and destruction that surrounds them; she was even coming up with comforting lies about sounds of bombings being fireworks. But it soon became impossible to build any sort of illusion of safety since my sister and her family witnessed people dying before their eyes.

My heart aches as I witness their struggle, for there is no refuge left to seek. They live now in a makeshift tent, devoid of the most basic necessities, their health deteriorating with each passing day.

But amidst the despair, there glimmers a fragile hope. A chance to escape the nightmare they find themselves trapped in, a chance to rebuild their shattered lives and reclaim the dreams that once filled their hearts with joy.

Yet, this chance comes at a cost. A fee of $8000 stands between them and the border to safety, a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in their path to freedom and peace. The only way to cross the border with Egypt is to pay this fee at the checkpoint. The rest of my family is also still in Gaza but we are hoping we can at least save the kids, and with heavy heart we are making this type of prioritizing. No one should have to make choices like this. My whole family was stripped out of everything which is why there will be additional costs to cover up for the traveling and living expenses during the travels. Their only hope right now is to reach the safety of Canada where they can recieve further help from our relatives who migrated there and a chance to rebuild their lives.

So, I humbly implore you, dear friends, to open your hearts and extend a helping hand to my sister and her family. Let us come together in solidarity, in kindness, and in the unwavering belief that humanity still exists in this world. Every contibution counts. Even if you are not able to help financially, please share our story.

Let us give them the chance they so desperately deserve, to find peace, to heal, and to build a future filled with hope and possibility.

With deepest gratitude and endless hope,

Tasnim Atia

p.s.

Since I don't have a bank account in a "gofundme" eligible country, your generous contributions will be safely managed and distributed to my sister's family through the trusted hands of my dear friend, Milena, whose family (living in the UK) have graciously offered their assistance in ensuring that every donation reaches its intended recipients promptly and securely. Your support will directly impact the lives of my sister, her husband, and their three children, providing them with the means to escape the horrors of war and rebuild their shattered lives. Thank you for entrusting us with your kindness and compassion. Together, we can make a difference."

#free palestine #please #rebog #boost

73 notes · View notes

guess-my-next-obsession · 2 years

Text

8 Days of Christmas — Christmas Always Makes Me Cry

pairing: javier peña x f!reader

rating: E (18+ ONLY, angst, javi being homesick, talks of crime, violence, other shit that comes w/ being a dea agent, alcohol consumption, strangers in a bar trope, blowjob, filthy!javi, cunnilingus, ass eating, dirty talk, soft!ending)

word count: 2.5k

8 Days of Christmas Masterlist

It was Christmastime in Bogota, Javi finding himself far away from the comfort and familiarity of Laredo for the third consecutive year—though at this point, Bogota had become more familiar to him than his hometown.

It was summer in Colombia, the heat making him feel all the more distant from the holiday as he washed off the sweat and grime built up from a hard day chasing down sicarios they never could seem to catch. In a way, he felt appreciative for the sweltering air outside—it gave him the opportunity to pretend as though Christmas didn’t exist, and therefore he didn’t have to feel guilty about missing yet another holiday with his father.

But he did miss him. No matter how hard he tried to push the longing out of his head, he missed his dad.

Every year, Chucho and Javi would be sent off by his tias and tios to collect at least five different Christmas trees, the two men helped by a couple generous cousins. They’d drive over to the town’s farm and pack the trees in the back of their trucks before delivering them to each of the Peña households, their payment typically being tamales and, if they got lucky and picked a particularly good tree out, a cerveza.

His family celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve, as most other Mexicanos did in this part of the country at least. Javi never really did know the reason why—it’s just what they did.

Chucho and Javi rarely spent a Christmas at their own home, the two-story ranch house full of too many memories of Christmases past when his mother was still around to make the holiday feel right. Since her passing, it just felt easier to leave and head over to one of Chucho’s sister’s houses, the crowded, loud, and busy nature of the home providing the perfect distraction for their grief.

But now Javi was left to do his grieving alone, this job of his becoming less of a career and more like a lifestyle with each passing day.

Though he truly didn’t regret going into this line of work—helping people had always been his strong suit—it would be a lie to say that there were days, weeks, months even that he found himself buried beneath the violence and death he witnessed while trying to put these bad guys away. The old Javi, the one that his father and tias knew, was hard to find through the layers of thick skin and numbness he needed to build up in order to survive.

Even if he made it back home for the holidays, he wasn’t sure his family would even recognize him anymore, which hurt him in a way he wouldn’t dare to acknowledge. Not right now, at least.

Needing to blow off some steam, Javi chose to head out to one of the bars catered to tourists and Americans who couldn’t speak a lick of Spanish, hoping to find someone so far removed from everything here in Colombia that suffocated him to take home for the night. While he thoroughly enjoyed his usual exploits here—DEA secretaries and informants, typically—they were all too close to everything he was trying to forget.

“Whiskey,” he ordered once he walked up to the bar, his head turning to the side to scan the room for anything that caught his eye, coming up short in this unusually packed room full of mostly elderly people escaping the northern cold.

When the glass of amber liquor was set in front of him, he paid and tipped the bartender before picking his glass up, taking a full-mouthed swig in hopes of numbing the constant stream of anxious thoughts running through his mind.

One drink turned to four as the hours passed by, the nagging voice inside finally hushed as he continued to watch everyone else have a good time, but no amount of liquor could cure the loneliness he felt deep inside. In fact, he was pretty sure nothing in the world could cure it. He was bound to feel this way forever.

“I’m serious! We went out for a drive and I swear to god I saw a car shot up with bullet holes,” one of the clearly well-off grandmothers beside him recounted to her group, earning a scoff of disbelief from the man beside her.

Javier had never wanted ear plugs more in his life as he sat listening to these out of touch and over-privileged Americans detail how much fun they were having here “exploring the culture”. If only they had any fucking clue that real people lived in this country and had to deal with this shit on a daily basis, maybe that would have removed the smile on their faces, but he doubted it.

“That gonna be it, sir?” the bartender asked, bringing Javi’s eyes forward. Javi held his finger up to gesture for one more drink, hoping that by some act of fate, the woman he’d been hoping for would walk in and help take some of this weight off his shoulders.

With the door opening, Javi turned to look over at the new patron and found his lips parting in surprise. Perhaps the universe was listening after all.

He watched as you walked in, your face scrunching up at the amount of people packed into the bar, a sigh leaving your lips as you weaved your way to the empty spot beside him at the bar. Between your natural beauty and the clear scowl on your face, Javi felt sure that he’d stumbled upon the only other Scrooge in Bogota.

Finding his courage, he managed to clear his throat and gesture to his glass.

“Can I get you one?” he asked, watching you as your eyes flickered to his as though you weren’t sure that he was talking to you.

“Me?” you questioned with a quirked brow, earning a chuckle and a nod. The bartender turned his eyes from Javi to you, awaiting yo ur order. “Uh, yeah. Gin and tonic.”

“I, uh, I’ve never seen this place so packed before,” Javi spoke, the liquor in his system forcing his voice into a huskier tone than usual.

“Yeah, it’s usually dead,” you replied, taking a look around the room before sneaking a glance at him, impressed by his handsome profile as he took a sip of his whiskey. “Must be the tourists escaping the cold.”

“That what you are?” he asked, setting his glass down and looking back to you. You felt your cheeks heat as his eyes bounced across your features with an intense admiration.

“Uh, no, I teach english lit at the University of Bogota,” you informed with a small smile. Javi nodded as though he was proud of you, widening his smile just a bit.

“Impressive.”

“What about you? You here for the season or do you live here?” You noticed the way he tensed a bit at the question and hoped you hadn’t crossed a boundary. Picking up your drink, you decided to take a few needed sips to loosen you up a bit, your nerves clearly still in control.

“I, uh, live here. For now, at least.”

“Oh yeah? Where to next?” you pressed, watching as he weighed his head to the side and shrugged.

“Hopefully back home,” he replied, cracking a somehow sad smile that brought a frown to your face.

“Why hopefully?”

Because I don’t know if I’m gonna make it out of here alive, he wanted to reply.

“It’s…a long story that i’m not allowed to tell you even if i wanted to.” He flashed you a winning smile before holding his hand out. “I just realized I haven’t caught your name.”

You smiled as you slipped your hand into his and told him your name, pleased by the warmth of his palm and how his fingers encompassed your entire hand.

“Javi,” he gave you his name and you whispered it back to him, watching as he nodded in confirmation. “Sounds better when you say it.”

You blushed and rolled your eyes playfully y his compliment. “Well, Javi, what brings you to a bar on Christmas eve? Sú mujer le molesta?” [Your wife bothering you?]

He chuckled. “¿Ves un anillo en mi dedo?” [Do you see a ring on my finger?]

“Figured you took it off,” you shrugged, the liquor in your system turning you playful.

“No, no wife at home nagging at me,” he finally answered your question, bringing his glass to his lips. “What about you? Escaping somebody?”

“Escaping everybody,” you replied with a groan. “Tonight was our work party, and I walked in, took a look around, and walked right back out. Figured getting drunk in a room full of strangers was better than a room full of coworkers.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, eyes flickering to your lips. “Sometimes it’s easier to be with a stranger. You can be whoever you wanna be.”

“And who would you like me to be for you, Javi?” you purred, reaching your hand over to trail a finger up his forearm. Javi’s breath hitched but he quickly recovered, placing his hand on top of yours and intertwining your fingers.

“Just yourself,” he replied, hardly audible over the loud chatter and ambience of the bar.

“Ah, fuck,” Javi had one hand on the back of your head, the other gripping the sink behind him as you took him deep in your mouth. Sinful slurps and glucks filled the single stall restroom at the bar, your eyes wide with tears falling down your cheeks as you bobbed up and down on his cock like you were determined to win a trophy. “So fucking pretty like this, cariño. Gonna make me cum quick.”

You lived for his praise, his husky rasp like music to your ears as you reached to cradle his balls, determined to get him across the finish line in record time. Javi’s neck strained as he tossed his head back, gulping down the strangled moans both of you wished he could let spill freely.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum,” he warned looking down at you with a crease between his brows, s look of awe on his handsome face as he watched you stroke him in time with your slurps and sucks. “Fuck, fuck, fuuu-uck!”

Javi’s coco pulsed as you took him deep into your throat, his lips forming an ‘o’ as he watched you swallow his entire load with ease.

“Jesus fucking Christ, come here,” Javi pulled you onto your feet and kissed you without care of the saliva and cum that remained on the corners of your mouth, his neediness driving you wild. You tossed your arms around his neck and kissed him back with just as much fervor, Javi’s hands reaching for the hem of your dress and lifting it up over your ass. “Bend over. Wanna eat your pussy.”

“Fuck,” you whined and did as he requested, bending over the sink while he positioned himself on his knees behind you. You looked into the mirror, staring at your fucked out state as Javi tugged your panties down your thighs and spread your cheeks to get a good look at your glistening heat.

“So fucking pretty,” he praised before leaning in and licking a broad stripe from your clit to your puckered hole, pulling a gasp from your lips. “And you taste fucking good.”

“Shit, Javi,” you breathed out and reached your hand back to hold his head against you. Javi growled and began his work, lapping at your clit until it swelled before running his tongue all the way up to your ass and back down again. Your thighs shook as you kept yourself upright, your eyes unable to watch yourself anymore as you could hardly keep them open, his tongue pressing into your cunt wiping all coherent thought away. “So good…so fucking good, Javi.”

Javi wrapped his lips around your throbbing clit and started to suck, obscene sounds filling the room again as he spit on your cunt just to slurp it all back into his mouth and do it again.

“Your pussy tastes so good, I could eat you for hours, cariño,” he praised before pressing his tongue to your tighter hole while he circled your clit with two fingers, threatening to push you over the edge. “You gonna cum, baby? Tell me so I can lick it all up. Wanna taste everything you have to give me.”

“Fuck, Javi!” you whined, guiding his head lower to your cunt again as your high began to dawn, Javi’s lips replacing his fingers as he started to suck on your clit again, the pulsing sensation finally pushing you over the edge. “Javi, I’m coming! Fuck!”

“Yes,” he growled against you, sliding his tongue to your entrance to drink you down while you convulsed against the sink counter.

Once your walls ceased their fluttering, Javi stood up, tucking his cock back into his jeans before sliding your panties back up and pulling the hem of your dress down. He helped steady you as you turned around, your hands on his face tugging him down for a searing kiss.

“You wanna come back to mine for the night?” he asked breathily against your jaw, palming your ass as he held you close.

You bit your lip and shook your head, feeling him frown against you. “Sober me wouldn’t be proud of me for going home with a stranger on the first night. No matter how handsome or talented he is.”

“Understandable,” he chuckled against you, his lips now on your neck leaving tiny kisses all over. “I’d like to you see you again, though. Got any Christmas plans?”

“Si, con mi gato,” you replied with a playful grin. “You could come and join us, if you want. I bought a ham and some sides for dinner. Wouldn’t mind sharing it with a handsome stranger.”

“Maybe then you wouldn’t see me as a stranger anymore,” he suggested, pulling back to look down at you. “I’d like that. Might have to take an allergy pill but, for you, it’s worth it.”

“I’ll tell my cat to leave you alone,” you chuckled, stroking over his mustache. “I’m glad I came out tonight. You really made my holiday better, Javi.”

“I can’t tell you just how much I agree,” he smiled and kissed you again. “C’mon, stranger. There’s probably a line of old people outside waiting to scold us for taking so long.”

“Gotta fix this first,” you gestured at your face, your mascara running and lipstick smudged over your chin. Javi shrugged as he took a good look at your fucked out state.

“I think it’s a good look.”

taglist: @infesstisssumam @outlawedmando @suttonspuds @joelmillerscoffee @ajeff855 @wildemaven @axshadows @sherala007 @browneyes-issac @tooflef @mariasabana @tae27 @kimm4710 @stxrrylunatic @sara-alonso @paulalikestuff @jbh-castaway @oceandolores @mandomover @chxpsi @auberosier @mashomasho @vanemando15 @wickedmunson @marvel-sw-lover @jediknight122 @harriedandharassed @star-wars-fan-2005 @alwaysdjarin @jalobro @trickstersp8 @mccn-bcys @manuymesut @trinkets01 @tanzthompson @jlmaddinson @golden-library @ayoungpascallover-readings @ziggyrocket @pasckles @mrsparknuts @dodgerandevans @medusaandposeidonshead @pastelnap @mando-amando @notyourlovemonkey @psychesreads @oncasette @laureliciousdefinition @notyourlovemonkey @peachyaeger

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal fic #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal smut #pedro pascal fluff #narcos fanfiction #javier peña angst #javier pena fic #javier peña x you #javier peña fluff #javier pena #javier peña x y/n #javier peña x reader #javier peña smut #javier peña #javier pena x reader #javier pena fanfiction #8 days of christmas

538 notes · View notes

fractiflos · 5 months

Note

Because it suits my sense of humor and personal taste, an AU where Hikage, Banjo, and En are all blood related to All for One. Yes, all of them at once. They could be his kids or Yoichi's kids or even distant cousins. Just as long as All for One has to deal with an excess of family.

I had fun trying to come up with the worst family dynamic for this.

Hikage is Yoichi's biological child. AFO wanted to start over so he used Yoichi's DNA to try and make a new little brother to deal with his grief after his brother's death, but he tweaked it a bit so Yoichi wouldn't be as weak as he had been, but wasn't so strong AFO couldn't control him. The end result was Super Anxiety, er, Danger Sense.

Then as Hikage grows up, AFO decides he wants to be a father again. This lead to Banjo being born as AFOs biological child. He does have a mom since AFO didn't want to spend years in a lab again, but he doesn't know who she is or care. Hikage is the older brother by four years.

Their teenage years were a nightmare with Hikage refusing to give any affection to his father and Banjo constantly getting into trouble. He shaved his head after an argument with his dad and liked the look so much he decided to keep it. AFO almost died from a heart attack when he heard. Then again when he found out that Daigoro went behind his back and became a hero. And a third time when he heard that his little Hikage had a child... Despite the fact that he was 22 when that happened.

Thus, En joins the family. He may take after her in looks, but he has Hikage's personality. AFO adores his grandson and spoils him. As for En's mom, she got a job offer in Australia and took it, but they still face chat from time to time.

Now for the million-dollar question: What about OFA and criminal activity? His family doesn't know. As far as Banjo and Hikage know, their dad is just an ordinary business man and Garaki is a very unlikeable babysitter. And he's just a very young-looking grandpa to En. AFO plans to let them in on a few things once En turns 18 so they can talk it over like rational adults (he says, being the only irrational one)

En decides he wants to be a hero too. At 14 he looks for someone to secretly train him so he can get into one of the new hero schools that just started up. He doesn't tell his father since he doesn't want them to worry and he wants to try and do it without his uncle's help, and he knows his grandpa doesn't think he's capable. Then, he stumbles upon a much older Third who offers to train him if he accepts this quirk and the responsibility that comes with it. En thinks that taking down the villain AFO will be a great way to prove himself to his grandfather and says yes.

I believe the rest is best left to the imagination.

#all for one #middle may ask game #hikage shinomori #daigoro banjo #en tayutai

41 notes · View notes

sunflowervoltwentyeight · 1 year

Text

Happy 28th! Here's my August 2023 fic rec, organized by length from longest to shortest. Enjoy!

My Lights Stay Up, But Your City Sleeps by pearlydewdrops / @moonhusbands (108k)

Harry breaks into his own smile, scrunching his nose when he glances back up, meeting Louis' eyes, his stiff posture loosening. They stare for a beat, Harry's smile dwindling. "So... you're okay with it? That it can’t go anywhere?"

Louis nods easily. "We're on the same page. Promise." He holds out his pinkie to prove it, mind hazy and giddy from alcohol. Harry’s dimples appear in each cheek as he holds out his own, their pinkies intertwining. "We're just two people who like each other, have fun together, and who may or may not kiss and... stuff.” He grins, wild adrenaline pumping through to his fingertips.

Harry sinks his teeth into his bottom lip, lowering his flushed gaze to the floor.

“Just don't go falling in love with me, and it'll be fine," Louis smirks.

Or Louis has trouble sleeping, Harry has a habit of wrapping himself around Louis during the nights, and a mutual agreement to engage in a fun and simple thing quickly turns into something perhaps not so fun, and certainly not simple.

Somewhere In Between Lightning by jassy117 nauticalleeds shiningdistractionwrites / @nauticalleeds @shiningdistraction (99k)

As Louis took another bite, he thought back to how he had once believed that the hardest thing about being on Love Island would be Liam handling his social media. He had been wrong. It was Harry Styles, peeking over at Louis as he forked a pancake into his mouth, and gauging his reaction. It was having to quench the swelling of his heart, which felt simultaneously like hope and the breaking of a thousand pieces.

---

A summer gone wrong (or very right) when, under Liam’s persuasion, Louis finds himself drunkenly applying for Love Island, and getting accepted. Oh, well. A summer spent on an island paradise couldn’t be all that bad, right?

Imagine his surprise when Louis arrives in sunny Majorca to find that his first love and ex-boyfriend, Harry, is another contestant, about to capture the hearts of everyone in the villa. Most normal people don’t have to face their ex on an otherwise straight TV show. Most normal people don’t fall for their ex again in front of the whole nation, either. Too bad this whole situation isn’t normal.

The Murmur of Yearning by mediawhore / @mediawhorefics (93k)

Four years ago, Harry Styles was forced into a marriage of convenience to enrich and ally both his and his promised's families. The sudden, and slightly suspicious, death of the Marquess of Haxshire, however, brings great disturbance to Crescentfield Hall and, as his late's husband's closest male relative, Harry unexpectedly finds himself the head of a family he never felt he belonged to. Between a meddling distant cousin hellbent on inserting himself in Harry’s life, his wicked and mistrustful mother-in-law and his late husband’s advisors refusing to help or take him seriously, Harry struggles in the fight to keep what he’s earned and make the Estate finally feel like home.

Luckily, he doesn’t stand completely alone and finds himself an unlikely ally in Mr Tomlinson, the elusive Land Stewart who has been taking care of the property in the shadows for years. Louis Tomlinson is caring, patient, and unlike everyone else, he doesn’t seem to think Harry committed a murder.

Consequences by allwaswell16 / @allwaswell16 (78k)

Two years ago Harry let his powerful family come between him and the love of his life, something he deeply regrets. Louis has tried to move on from their devastating break up. Sometimes, he even thinks he has. It only takes one moment to freeze them back in time.

An amnesia au

Truth Be Told (I Never Was Yours) by justfortommo (76k)

Harry watches Louis as he scrunches up his nose and bites the end of a pen in concentration. He’s been working on seating arrangements for the past hour and getting more frustrated by the minute. Louis huffs out a breath and glances down at Harry with a soft smile on his lips before he returns to the task at hand. It’s easy, right then, for Harry to let himself believe that they’re planning a seating chart for their own wedding and bickering over who is going to sit where from a list of their own family members. He can let himself daydream about a white picket fence and a dog that they could have within the next year.

It’s like a cold slap in the face when Harry looks to the top of the page to see “Aiden and Louis Grimshaw” at the head table, and Harry has to mentally remind himself for the thousandth time that Louis is not his. Never was, really. He’s just the wedding planner that’s been in love with Louis since he was sixteen.

(or the one where Louis and Harry have a complicated past, Louis is getting married to someone that’s not Harry, and the universe has decided to have a laugh and make Harry the wedding planner.)

That's What I'm Here For by taggiecb / @taggiecb (46k)

Louis Tomlinson is a dairy farmer on a tiny farm in eastern Canada. His wife of nearly thirty years has left him and his children are all grown up and out of the house. Louis needs help running his business but has no idea where to even start looking. Luckily for him his children know just the man for the job.

Suddenly Last Summer by disgruntledkittenface / @disgruntledkittenface (44k)

Louis is bored, rich and lonely. He has no reason to expect that this summer in the Hamptons with his friends will be different from any other – until he meets Harry. Suddenly he has someone who listens to him and cares about what he thinks. Someone who really sees him. But their happily ever after is forever marred by an incident at a party during Labor Day weekend, and Louis is left with a choice to make.

Walk My Days On A Wire by sunshiner / @theprizeofcoolness (38k)

Harry hums, staring at his hands in his lap, and Louis can still feel their smoothness, how solid they were in between his own. “Do you think it’s the same for us? Are we here only because of the likeliness of our jobs? Of our lives?” “We’re here because we have inventive managers,” Louis says, giving Harry’s leg a little nudge with his knee, but all that’s going around in his head is, I think I'd be in the same spot in every possible universe.

or, when actor Louis Tomlinson used to daydream about dating Harry Styles, this is not what he had in mind.

The Happiest Season by sadaveniren / @sadaveniren (37k)

“You’re going to spend Christmas - and your birthday - with his homophobic WASP parents? That’s gonna be hell.”

Louis closed his eyes in frustration. “It was either that or be apart and I don’t think that’s gonna be good for either of us this year, you know?”

A fic loosely based on Happiest Season but make it ... different

Tightrope by sadaveniren / @sadaveniren (33k)

Louis knows he and Harry are going to be together for the rest of their lives and one day they were going to get married and have three point five children, a dog, and two cats. But life hasn't matched up perfectly yet and that time is not now. So they are both happy to be best friends and casually date other people until life decides they really should get their shit together.

aka Louis gets pregnant from "one last time" sex and he and Harry somehow think they'll be able co-parent without it being weird for anyone (most especially their new boyfriends).

Brown Skin and Lemon Over Ice by penceypansy / @penceypansy (2k)

A short one shot of a reunion in Italy, around the time Harry filmed the Golden video.

- He should know with more certainty which one is their bedroom but he’s only been here twice, only once since their things had moved in, and come to think of it, he’s not sure this is the room they slept in last time.

Regardless, he’s got clothes he knows are his hanging in the wardrobe, sees his old Stone Roses shirt crumpled and worn on the unmade side of the bed. He drops his bag, rummages through the drawers for a pair of trunks, goes into the bathroom to change. It doesn’t feel like enough of a home yet for him to be totally comfortable, but that should change soon enough. He can’t help a spray of the cologne sat by the sink, vanilla and wood and comfort.

#28th appreciation #fic rec #larry fic rec #2023 fic rec #trackinghappily #hlcreators #trackinghome #1dficvillage #monthly fic rec #read

56 notes · View notes

bluegarners · 8 months

Note

What drives me crazy with Dick Grayson is that literally he's only " " canonically " " like what? 24? 23? He was an only child at least until he was 18 and within literally the time of a bachelor's and masters degree he went from just starting as nightwing never had any siblings but a team who loved him and now he has no external support and is supposed to be the "glue" for a ginormous family that's developed faster than he could blink. Honestly I think while Dick loves and enjoys all his relationships with his family half the time he still feels like he wishes they were all friends and a little closer in age instead of him suddenly being in charge and cleaning up Bruce's problems not just for Bruce, but now cleaning up Bruce's problems which cause everyone else problems which cause more problems which inevitably he has to fix because no one else will

And 6ish years ago he didn't have ANY siblings! The whiplash is crazy. I think the fact that Dick would resent all this proves how much he loves them all bc he still goes to such lengths for his family despite his frustration and aggravation

hiya anon! i think right now, dick is in his mid-twenties, say 25 or 26... which is CRAZY bc in my head i am always picturing him as 29 or early 30s... but canonically i think he's stuck with the mid-twenties just like tim is stick at 17

also, i get the impression that all my posts about dick being in a kind of limbo of "eldest daughter" and also estranged brother-son figure to bruce has kind of given the perspective that i think he bemoans his position in the family, but i think he honestly greatly enjoys it! there really hasn't been many instances in canon, if any at all unless looked at with a severe magnifying glass, that gives off the impression that dick more or less begrudges the amount of pseudo-siblings and other family members he has come into quick possession of. if anything, i think dick probably takes a lot of comfort in being able to have so many people around him again, as i think what a lot of people miss out on is that dick didn't come from an "only child family" but a village (haly's). we get glimpses of his family life before bruce, and ultimately it forms a picture of one where, yes, dick was the center of attention because he was the baby of the troop, but also he was more or less raised in a huge family that consisted of people entirely unrelated to him- aunts, uncles, people he looked to as sisters or brothers, grandfather figures, cousins, friends; all of these more familial lens people that he grew up with until his parents were murdered, and he was suddenly taken away from

i imagine the shift to being surrounded by many to being surrounded by exactly two would have been very startling. and, like you said anon, it wasn't until he fully integrated with the titans did that sense of a bigger family really come into perspective for him. however, it is interesting that you bring up how fast it all happened, as i agree, dick essentially got- what? four or five new "family members" within the span of five or so years? like, that's a pretty big shift from being a trio (dick, bruce, and alfred) for ten years, adding very few people (excluding the titans) that he could sincerely count on or even recognize as family (barbara, for example), and now all within the span of a bachelor's degree, he's had to hand off his robin legacy to three different people. damian came a bit after everyone else had more or less settled, but he's a wholeeee other topic of conversation considering exactly what had to happen for him and dick to even meet the way they did

but, going back to the quick new additions, again i don't think dick has ever for a moment thought to begrduge or resent the influx of people in his life. i think a really defining part of his character is his love of people, his love of being around them. while bruce loves people, he loves them in a kind of distant way, where he sees gotham itself as akin to a person he can love- a person composed of a million other individuals, but an almost singular entity. the same goes for bruce's love of the world, i think. but dick, dick loves people as individuals, as persons he can speak to, hold, comfort, cry for, touch, embrace, etc. dick likes the physical presence of people, as well as the whole of humanity like bruce, and i think the defining line of separation for the two and how they love people, is how they grew up

circling back to dick's early childhood, he was raised not only surrounded by the performers, but also the crowds, the fans. dick grew up loving being loved, and though that may come off as superficial or a purely egotistical thing, i interpret it as something that is a soulful, very human thing. bruce can love humanity without being loved, and so can dick, but dick is also willing to embrace the love he gets in return. it's why, i think, dick is also known for having so many lady friends (donna, kory, and barbara being the most outstanding examples). dick loves to be loved, and he also loves to love, so to me, dick suddenly feeling trapped because of a couple new additions to a family that has been so small for so long doesn't make complete sense- i'm not arguing with you however anon!! just making my case that, even though i do think it's an interesting thing to meta-textually analyze, with dick being in that eldest position as well as the next "bruce" (oof, that's shudder inducing), it doesn't quite follow his character for him to wish that things might be different in their circumstances

#again not arguing- i agree!! the whiplash is crazy and its like an out of body moment to really look at the timeline for when #all of this happened/is happening esp with various retcons and how the titans have like. almost ceased to be a part of #dick's usual day/comics #anon #asks #dick grayson #nightwing

23 notes · View notes

gerec · 1 year

Note

Hi! Do you have recommendations for fics in which Charles is older than Erik？Extra kudos for Bottom!Charles

Thank you in advance, and thank you for all the amazing cherik fics esp the hooot porns :-))

Hi Anon! Sorry for the delay it's been a little crazy this week :D

I think the combination of older/bottom!Charles might be this fandom's unicorn lol. BUT these are all amazing fics with older Charles that I hope you enjoy!

Give me your stars to hold by pearl_o

Charles returns home from college and figures out why Erik has been so distant since he’s been away.

Counting Bodies like Sheep (To the Rhythm of War Drums) by cm (mumblemutter)

Erik was born broken, their father always told Charles.

Wind and Words by velvetcadence

Lord Charles of House Xavier has been out-manipulated by Queen Emma into a marriage with her cousin. Still, there are worse fates than having to wed a handsome child.

Casual Encounters by SharpestScalpel

Charles is a busy professor in his 30s - busy enough that a craigslist casual encounter is really the only way he's going to get laid any time soon.

Erik is a 19-year-old virgin with an internet connection and no social skills.

Letters for His Majesty by motleystitches (furius)

When Charles the Gentle, King of Westchester, was nineteen years old, he killed a man named Shaw and rescued a boy he gave to the MacTaggerts’ to raise. Twenty years later, he has almost forgotten the incident. With a wife he loves as a sister, no heir, and a war going badly, Charles falls quickly and inappropriately in love with the knight Erik Lehnsherr.

wait (they don’t love you like I love you)

Charles is a bad guy (head of some shady criminal organization) and Erik is the kid that grew up in his household (his mother is the help? so they maybe live in the servant’s quarters). Anyway Charles likes Erik a lot and assumes that when Erik grows up he will end up working for Charles (maybe he recognizes some violent streak of potential in Erik). Only then Erik decides, while Charles is away on some sort of shady business deal overseas, to go away to college. So obviously Charles has to go and drag Erik back because Erik is his and his alone.

David's Dad (Has Got it Going On) by afrocurl

Charles doesn't know what to do with the crush his son's best friend, Erik, has on him. At least not until Erik all but forces himself into Charles' lap one night.

An Arrangement of Soulmates by Fullmetalcarer

King Charles III of House Xavier gazed at the painting of his betrothed. Strong jaw, wide, thin lipped yet sensual mouth, straight nose, high cheekbones, intense grey-green eyes, short auburn hair.

tonight is all we need by Oxsa05

Erik has just come of age and soon will be trapped in an arranged marriage against his will. Before losing some of his freedom, he wants one night for himself so he can fulfill his true desires. Charles, an expert and famous prostitute, will make sure Erik has a lovely evening and forget about his troubles for a while, giving him everything he asks for.

Machine of a Heart by traumschwinge

Thirteen years ago, when he was just recovering from an incident during one of his deployments, Logan met Dr Charles Xavier. Dr Xavier, who'd just decided that Logan, while still unconscious, was perfect to try some physical improvements as a proof of concept for the large military project he was, back then, co-heading. Now, Logan's mostly a spy, tangled up in whatever mess Charles and his superiors think necessary to involve him with. It doesn't matter that Logan has feelings, about Charles' project, about Charles himself, about just altering other people's bodies without their consent. What'll matter soon, however, is stopping some harebrained weapons manufacturer from causing the consumption of the entire biomass on planet Earth.

twenty four hours from tulsa by intentation

After having self-emancipated (aka run away), Erik's been holing up in a shitty motel while he figures out his next step. When Charles Xavier moves into the room just down the hall, Erik discovers his new favorite pastime: sex.

Drunk Night, Sobering Days by issabella

Erik is drunk, naked - and standing in the kitchen of Charles Xavier.

Yet what comes easy to do and say while drunk to the gorgeous man with the blue eyes, seems suddenly filled with awkwardness the next morning. Erik feels like a fool though the proverbial silence is golden is not always the best advice, especially if one is quickly developing a crush.

How Prof. Shaw’s Grammar Nazi Ways Got Me Laid and Helped Me Find True Love by jasminetea

Charles is a professor. Erik is a student. They meet through Craigslist.

#gerec rambles #cherik #fic rec #gerec's fic rec #older!charles #also thank you so muchly about my pornz :D

23 notes · View notes

popentertainment-moviereviews · 1 month

Text

ALIEN: ROMULUS (2024)

Starring Cailee Spaeny, David Jonsson, Archie Renaux, Isabela Merced, Spike Fearn, Aileen Wu, Soma Simon, Bence Okeke, Viktor Orizu, Robert Bobroczkyi, Trevor Newlin and the voice of Annemarie Griggs.

Screenplay by Fede Álvarez & Rodo Sayagues.

Directed by Fede Álvarez.

Distributed by 20th Century Studios. 119 minutes. Rated R.

There have been nine Alien-based movies in the 45 years since the 1979 classic space horror film. (That is, if you are counting the two super-silly Alien vs. Predator movies, which I am.) That’s coming up on an average of a movie every five years for over four decades. The problem is that only the first film is a bonafide classic, and only the first sequel Aliens is also an above-average film. Since Aliens came out in 1986, that’s over 30 years of Alien movies which have essentially been sort of a disappointment.

In fairness, the Alien series has fallen apart simply because they were trying to change things up too much – advance the mythology of the creatures and build a world where they could exist. However, unless you are an absolute fanboy of the series, it all kind of got boring. (As much as I respect the original Alien, I would have been perfectly content if they finished the story there, or at the very least after Aliens.)

Thus, to me, there is really very little reason for Alien: Romulus to exist. It’s not exactly a good film, although it is one of the better Alien movies. However, it is simply fan service, some rather blah characters and a rather uninteresting storyline tossed in the midst of a gaggle of frothing aliens. Alien: Romulus feels more like you are watching someone play an Alien themed video game than experiencing an actual storyline, and yet this constant sense of motion does keep it exciting and scary.

Interestingly, unlike most of the other sequels, it stops trying to do something new and just goes back to the vibe of the original, with the volume and pace turned up to eleven. It’s actually because of this lack of ambition that Romulus kind of works. Alien: Romulus is like watching a tribute band cranking out energetic, if slightly detached, versions of a classic band’s greatest hits. It’s not seeing the real thing, but it’s a mostly pretty fun simulation.

Alien: Romulus takes place sometime between the first two films in the timeline of the series. It revolves around six miners on a permanently dark, dystopian planet whose lives are made miserable by the infamous Weyland-Yutani Corporation – which exploits their labor and holds them down and squashes their basic humanity (although one of them is a humanoid robot).

The leader of the group is Rain (Cailee Spaeny), a miner who felt she had earned her freedom only to have the corporation snatch it away from her, blithely doubling the time needed to be spent working to leave the planet. She has a robot friend Andy (David Jonsson), who seems almost like an autistic child, but he has become like a brother to Rain. The other characters are Rain’s boyfriend Tyler (Archie Renaux), Tyler’s pregnant sister Kay (Isabela Merced), their cousin Bjorn (Spike Fearn) and Bjorn's girlfriend Navarro (Aileen Wu).

They decide to try to hijack a giant old spaceship which is hovering well above their world. They think they can commandeer the vessel and fly it away to a distant colony where they could be free. This idea would have to work, right? Because there is no bad reason why the corporation would just leave some massive piece of technology just floating like a cosmic ghost town. And it certainly wouldn’t be full of aliens, right?

With the exception of Spaeny and Jonsson’s characters, the people here are pretty one-dimensional alien bait. Spaeny comes as close to a Ripley (Sigourney Weaver’s character in the first episodes) type of hero as there is in the film, even though she looks like she’s about 14 years old. Jonsson’s conflicted android character is also inherently fascinating, although when his programming is changed to make him more of a corporate stooge, he becomes less intriguing as a character.

Honestly, the creepiest part of Alien: Romulus – and not in a good way – was the appearance of an AI-generated version of late actor Ian Holm in his android character from the original film. (Although the android was named Ash in Alien and Rook here, so maybe he’s just supposed to be just playing the same model of robots.) I suppose that it’s technically impressive that they could make a major supporting character using an actor who died in 2020, but honestly it always looked and sounded kind of fake and lifeless. (Granted, he is playing a robot.) I hope this isn’t the wave of the future unless the technology is greatly improved. Honestly, even if they figure out how to do it perfectly, it feels morally and artistically wrong, and honestly kind of ghoulish.

And, honestly, the climax references more from Promethius (the fifth film in the series) than the first two films, and that is a disappointing choice for the filmmakers. However, on the most basic level, Alien: Romulus does work – as a revved-up nostalgic funhouse version of the thrill ride of the first two Alien films. So, like I said, while there is no real reason for Alien: Romulus to exist other than greed, it does a pretty decent job of putting together a bright, shiny story stoking the hardcore fans, which is better than the last several entries in the series can say.

Jay S. Jacobs

youtube

#Alien: Romulus #2024 #Movie Review #Cailee Spaeny #Jay S. Jacobs #Youtube

6 notes · View notes

panthera-tigris-venenata · 2 years

Text

That one AU where Harriet Hook and Anthony Tremaine go to Auradon.

@dragoneyes618 @auradon-bore-a-don @idontliketomatoesleavemealone @eahravinqueen

The start of this AU?

Well, no weird soulmate dreams, for starters. Ben decides to start the Isle kids program with no dubious magic whatsoever, because he is a sweetheart like that.

So instead of taking a purple-haired girl and whover she runs with (Isle novella), or simply taking randomly-chosen children of major villains that approximately match him in age (D1) and going for a shock therapy I guess, he reaches out to Dr Facilier, the headmaster of Isle's biggest school.

(Not to Yen Sid, because I have no idea who the fact is that and he sounds suspicious anyway.)

So Ben, the soon-to-be boy-king, sends a message about his first official proclamation to the Dragon Hall.

Now, Doctor Facilier's objective is „get my kids out of there as soon as and not fuck it up for the other ones,“ which, you know, sensible enough. Good for him.

He asks Harriet and Anthony to his office, to discuss the matter, as they are more of an unpaid help than students anyway. He shows them the envelope.

„So, the Beast is dead?“ asks Harriet, which, again, sensible reaction, because why the fuck would you name a sixteen years old a king anyway.

„Unfortunately, no.“ (Which is why we can't afford to fuck this up.)

„...Shame,“ both of them sight at the same time. Dr F can't say he disapproves of that sentiment.

They look over the text for some time.

„Who is comming over?“ Anthony asks, as if he didn't care in the slightest. Honestly, Facilier is kind of surprised they hadn't made a grab for the invite yet, to get it for them and their families.

„My daughters,“ he says.

„It says four people,“ Harriet says, „With the hope of bringing more over if the first four prove that they can give up their villianous ways.“

Yeah. And what's her point?

„...You do know that your daughters would level Auradon in between them, right?“

„Excuse me?!“ His daughters do have self-preservation instincts, thank you very much.

She only lifts one eyebrow at him and jerks her head in the direction of distant explosions. ...Which are most likely caused by CJ Hook (which Harriet conveniently ignores for the moment), Zevon, and, yeah, his Freddie. Those other two are bad influence, but yes, point taken.

„Celia then. Freddie comes over in the next round.“

„Fair enough. Who's coming with her?“

In that moment, he makes the decision: „You two should come. You want the little ones out as much as I do. Oh, and you will take care of my daughter, unless you want to experience the other side, first hand.“

„Wouldn't dream of doing otherwise.“

Great, he still has it.

But, of course, there is still one spot left. Dr F leans back as they stare at it, and then at each other. This is not his problem anymore.

Harriet bites her lip: „...I want to take CJ,“ she says, her hand in a fist, „but...“

Facilier watches in amusement as Anthony briefly covers her hand with his own, and really, shame he won't see how this will play out. Celia will keep him informed, he is sure.

Eventually, they decide to take Dizzy, because she is the least murder-prone out of their relatives, and also friends with Celia. Oh, and Auradon will adore her, with her colourful dresses, sparkly tiaras and unnatural cheerfulness.

That can only be beneficial.

(Not CJ, for obvious reasons. After her fun trip, there wouldn't be much of Auradon left.)

(Not Harry, because he'd refuse to leave without Uma and their crew, and also because he might just hook the Beast, which, fajr enough, honestly.)

(Not the Smee twins, because you don't split up twins.)

(Not Sammy, because Harriet needs them to run the crew and ship in her absence. And look after CJ – Nothing to envy here. Absolutely nothing.)

(Not any other of the Tremaine cousins, as they might just throw themselves at all princess and princesses in sight, which, not a good idea in the long run, or stab when they are looked at. Generally depends on... Actually, neither Dr F nor Anthony are sure. They don't intend to find out.)

(Not any of the younger ones, either, because they picked up the stabbing habit, and also, highschool.)

Now, here is how it went down in the port:

[Several minutes of stabby Sammy Smee trying to track down the two younger Hooks]

Harriet: „Harry, CJ, I'm going to Auradon for a while.“

CJ and Harry: „What?! When-?! Unfair!“

Harriet, paying them no mind: „If it all goes well, we will be able to get you and the other kids out of there very soon.“

CJ: „Why can't I go now?!“

Harriet: „Because you'd blow something up and get sent back. Also, we need to make a good impression.“

Harry: cackles

CJ: „Hey! I can behave if I want to!“

Harriet:

Harry:

CJ: „...Fine. Point taken. But they'd deserve it.“

Harry: „And why can't I go?“

Harriet: „Would you? Alone?“

Harry: „...Point taken.“

Harriet, sighting: „That's what I thought. Meanwhile, do not die, try not to kill too much people, and remember, no open fire in the port.“

And by the Tremaines:

Anthony:„Dizzy, you are going to Auradon.“

Dizzy: „I am?!“

Anthony: „Yes. Go pack your things.“

Lady Tremaine: „Where are you going and where are you taking her?! Who will run the saloon?!“

Anthony: „You could do it, for a change, grandmother. It is in your name, after all.“

Lady Tremaine: „You-!“

Anthony: „Yeah, no. We are staying in the port until we go. Don't try to reach us.“

So, you know.

No one dies.

(That's always worth mentioning with the Hooks.)

Celia and Dizzy spend the remaining days on the Isle trying to get Harriet and Anthony to confess their love and ideally also to get Sammy to officiate their wedding. CJ helps, of course, but turns out she and Dizzy don't agree on the methods.

Anyway, the day of departure is there, the limo comes, same old, same old.

The goodbyes contain last reminder to „not murder anyone, or at least not to get caught,“ (the Hooks, on both sides), „Have fun,“ (the Faciliers, and it's terrifying), and promises to send a lot of letters and dresses and tiaras (Dizzy).

In the limousine, Anthony reminds Dizzy to not stuff herself silly with chocolate or at least wipe her face properly for god's sake, and Harriet swallows her remark that it might be poison. (She is reasonably sure that tea time with poison is not exactly normal. Won't stop her from being paranoid, though.)

Finally, they arrive to Auradon Prep, and, oh my god, the music.

What on earth is that music.

It's illegal, that's what it is.

The limo stops.

The music, unfortunately, does not.

Anthony is the first to climb out: he opens the door right into the driver's face and then he is in Auradon, the colourful kingdom of pixie dust and other glass shoes and other such insanities: Dizzy is gonna love it here.

But meanwhile, why is the world so bloody bright?!

Seriously, his eyes hurt.

And not only from the onslaught of honestly offensive pastels.

He turns around and offers his arm to Harriet to help her climb out of the limousine, as a proper gentleman, and it's only basic etiquette, really.

...Ignore Dizzy and Celia giggling.

Harriet steps out into the sun, mutters a soft „fuck“ and blinks a few times; she also keeps her hand on his for slightly longer than reasonable, but he is pretty sure no one in Auradon notices that kind of stuff. Or cares.

Either way.

They take a few steps forward, to allow the younger girls to climb out too and also to create a barrier between them and the crowd with their bodies.

Dizzy and Celia hold onto eachother for support, too, Dizzy a bit overwhelmed, but Celia seems to glow under the crowd's attention. (She has also managed to draw a totally unnatural shadow over hers and Dizzy's eyes.)

Now, a boy steps forward and introduces himself as Ben.

So this is prince Ben. How... Intriguing.

„Right,“ Harriet says, and then leans to whisper into Anthony's ear: „How old is he again?“

Of course, being the drama queen she is, she stage-whispers loud enough for the majority of the crowd to hear.

„I believe he is sixteen,“ Anthony answers, ignoring the boy-king, and actually quite amused at the expression the princess by his side is making, thanks for asking.

„Pfff. Just a baby,“ Harriet snorts, „Teenage boys shouldn't be in charge of anything, much less a kingdom.“

„You wound me, Harriet.“

„Anyway, as I was saying,“ interrupts the boy-king rather awkwardly, „I'm Ben, and-“

„Prince Ben, actually!“ the pink princess on his arm is much better at interruptions than he is, „Soon to be king!“

Anthony can see the willpower it costs Harriet not to roll her eyes, and, honestly, same.

„And I'm princess Audrey!“

So this it the game they want to play?

Fine.

He glances at Harriet and she nods subtly.

Let's dance, then.

He smooths out his suit and steps forward; he takes the shallowest bow he can afford, one that could be interpreted as much as an insult as a sign of respect.

„I'm Lord Anthony Tremaine,“ he introduces himself, and takes pleasure in the gasps of the crowd; then he moves on to introduce Harriet, as a proper gentleman should: „And this is Captain Harriet Hook of Scattered Hope.“

He takes extra care to stress her title.

She doesn't bother to as much as angle her head.

He introduces his cousins, too, as „Lady Desdemona Tremaine,“ („I go by Dizzy, actually!“ she beams at the crowd), and then Celia, who doesn't have any titles as far as he is aware of, but who has perfected the art of creepy waving and eerie smiles.

Good for her.

Now, hete comes the fun part: when the Isle kids hear „Captain Hook,“ they think of Harriet and her safe ship more often than not.

On the other hand, when the Auradon citizens hear „Captain Hook,“ a shiver runs down their spines as they remember her father.

Which is, of course, why Harriet insists on being addressed as „Captain Hook“ at every possible occasion.

Yes, even in the bullshit that is Fairy Godmother's Remedial Goodness class.

FG:„Miss Hook?“

Harriet: „...“

FG: „Miss Hook!“

Harriet: „...“

FG, sighting: „Captain Hook, your answer to following question?“

Harriet: „When I see a baby on the street, first I check whether it is a trap or not, so I take my cutlass out and poke at the shadows a bit and maybe threaten a few people. If no one shows up, I check my pockets. Then I give the baby to Sammy to take to the ship and track down that bastard that abandoned a baby. Or murdered its mother, in which case I've got another stupid murderer at my hands, and need to deal with that, too, on top of somehow getting baby formula and deciding which one of my crew will get stuck carrying for it. Does that answer your question, Fairy Godmother?“

FG: „...“

Harriet and Anthony: smile sweetly

And, of course, they get into moderately heated discussion with King Beast, which Lumiere later describes as "the shouting match a the decade".

Upon exiting his office, Anthony asks when they are going to shout at him for real;

„Just wait until my sibling get there,“ answers Harriet, „Especially CJ.“

And Anthony smiles, because he finds the image of Harriet's tiny half-way feral sister yelling at King Beast as amusing as she does.

(It happens, btw. CJ yelling at him. She needs to drag a stool over to look at him straingh, which is hilarious as it is, nevermind that the former king doesn't run because he doesn't know what is good for him.)

Shortly after the first debate, the rest of the Isle kids are brought over.

Happy end!

(I'm soft, people. How could I not?)

Also, here, enjoy some fun facts:

Anthony is an only son of a french noble family that likes to think itself better than it is. Harriet is the eldest daughter of an English noble and an Eton graduate. Of course they know etiquette. And they are not afraid to weaponize it.

They are also nineteen years old. Surrounded by sixteen years old royals that have never once prepared a breakfast in their lives. They are tired.

Rules? What rules? You mean those things we have memorised so we can break them better?

„Technically-“

Anyway, curfew, that is, like, a suggestion? Right?

Meaning, Harriet has insomnia and Anthony is not leaving her alone. They are found wandering the school grounds more often than not. Well, they are not found, as the school security sucks.

Also, Harriet has some things to say about Lonnie being Ben's only bodyguard. As has Anthony. And Celia.

She just stares at the people that told her and goes: „Well that's bloody stupid.“

„Language, Celia!“

Also, both Harriet and Anthony reflectively (and preventively) reprimand the AKs and order them around.

„Careful in those high heels, the pavement down there is broken. Are you prepared to drop them if you need to run?“

„If you want to steal the knives, hide them better.“ („I was just trying to... I was just trying to butter a toast?“)

„Don't stab eachother in the halls, please.“

(As I said, they are tired.)

None of the Isle kids wear the uniforms. Anthony and Dizzy think they are a crime against nature, Harriet doesn't care enough, and Celia complaints that it doesn't fit her aesthetic.

Harriet wears her red cloak. It flares around her when she marches down the hall and she enjoys the manner in which the AKs get out of her way.

Anthony calls her „Ettie“ in public precisely one (1) time. She reacts by saying that she will dismember him and use his bones to create a tinker toy to hang above his youngest cousin's crib.

Oh, and Anthony gets a look at the financial management of the kingdom. You wouldn't believe how bad it is.

Yeah, he and Harriet are totally dating. As in, established relationship, but they refuse to acknowledge it.

Also, Dizzy and Celia are crushing at eachother a bit. (They are, what, thirteen? That happens, right?)

If you have any questions//anything that you find interesting, I'll gladly elaborate.

#disney descendants #cj hook #harriet hook #harry hook #freddie facilier #celia facilier #anthony tremaine/harriet hook #anthony tremaine #anthony descendants

84 notes · View notes

outofangband · 1 year

Note

I was wondering if you had any headcanons or ideas about Aerin's family! Since all we get is Indor's name. I think you've come up with some stuff for her mother before, but I wondered if you had any more thoughts, and about possible siblings. And what you think happened to her family during/after the Nirnaeth :)

I wrote briefly about Aerin's mother here!

Headcanons on Aerin’s relationship with her kin and a few extra thoughts on the first few months post Nírnaeth

warnings: canon warnings, nothing described but certainly intense topics

Aerin's mother is not named in canon. The name I give her is Limmiel, of the House of Marach. Her and Indor were both older than average when Aerin was born.

I headcanon Aerin as an only child! She has five or six first cousins on her mother’s side and one or two on Indor’s. And of course lots of distant relatives including Húrin and Huor. There were lots of kids around as she grew up and she didn’t always feel like an only child. Her family are very centered around horses like many Hadorians and they travel with them along the traditional grazing routes. Typically some family members will travel while others remain on the homestead and several times throughout the year they will switch. (It's an aspect of Hadorian society I've written about before and it's very important to Aerin's story!)

Aerin grew up happy and very active. She was very close with Húrin and Huor as well as some of her first cousins. She traveled with the horses a lot growing up and was strong and capable with them. Her and her mother shared a connection over horses. It was her mother who taught her jumping games on them, which she became highly skilled in.

Aerin was not actively thinking about marriage at the time of the Nírnaeth though she was aware that some expected her to start.

Indor died in the Nírnaeth like most Hadorian men of that age. Her mother died a few years before of an illness when Aerin was a teenager. Aerin was closer with her father after her mother's death, I think. She took over a lot of running of their horses and land in her stead. She was living in the house she grew up in when he died.

Below is the post Nírnaeth stuff! Warning for mentions of abuse, slavery, etc

Sometimes, often actually, during her captivity, Aerin is glad her mother and father did not live to see what happened to her and their people. And she lives in such fear for her loved ones. If her parents were there it would have been almost unbearable.

Most of her cousins (first cousins and others), many of the men under 16 or so and most of the women, were in Hithlum during and after the Nírnaeth. A few managed to escape in the chaos of the first few days of the invasion. Most did not and were imprisoned as thralls, tending lands that were no longer their own, making wares they’re forced to immediately hand over, etc.

Under this oppression many of Aerin’s relationships inevitably suffer.

Many of her cousins and a maternal aunt as well as other distant relatives, neighbors, etc were present at her “wedding”. I mentioned this in my drafts for great was the company but some of them did not speak to her again afterwards. To say this adds insult to injury seems wildly understating it but that’s the sort of pain it is, I think. A stinging, shameful pain of betrayal amid the utter horror.

Aerin doesn’t see as much uch of them during her captivity. Some avoid her, I think. They don’t know what to say, or they’re scared of Brodda, or they can’t face what’s happening. A few unfortunately might hold victim blaming beliefs.

I’ve written before about how Brodda frequently uses other people to hurt Aerin; forbidding her to speak to them and them to her, forcing her to watch them being hurt, threatening them and even sending them off to other locations. At least four people she was close with were taken without any warning.

Even just forcing them to serve at feasts where Aerin is present, forcing Aerin to pretend her treatment and situation are so much better than the others…(I have an upcoming fic about this)

Indeed there is a mounted effort to turn the Hadorians against one another. People are rewarded with better treatment for telling on others, punished for protecting others, etc

Some counsel Aerin against trying to help Morwen, trying to convince her to remain in safer standing. This Aerin does feel guilty for ignoring. She knows that she is not the only one in danger if she is caught.

(I’ve written about this on some of my post Nírnaeth headcanon collections; just like the various hierarchies of Angband which I also write way too much about, the hierarchies maintained, enforced and defied in post Nírnaeth Hithlum are fascinating to me! And that reminds me I need to work on updating my huge Angband Hierarchies post… anyway)

Anyways we've talked about information networks in Hithlum at this time, how precious information was, information as a valuable good and a means of control, etc. I think this is highly relevant here.

One of her first cousins reports one of her times leaving the house. She knows that they could be in danger of violence if it was known that they kept quiet about it for her and she tries not to blame them but she does. She hates them after that and she can't stop hating them, even when she doesn't want to.

There are ways that her kin are able to comfort and help her, just like what I talked about on one of my previous posts like this one! There is kindness maintained by some, even when they are actively punished for it. Some of her relatives lie for her, cover tasks, help smuggle, conceal or prepare vital herbs (including the ones I mentioned from Morwen's now wild garden!), and can provide often brief but still significant companionship.

Aerin is eventually allowed to act as a go between for the occupiers and other Hadorian slaves which includes some of her family. This is less a kindness or a privilege than it is a necessity for their captors. Even drawing from the Book of Lost Tales version where some to many of the occupying lords had some connections to Hithlum rather than being an entirely foreign host, they were still not liked or trusted. I say Aerin is “allowed” but of course she has very little choice in the matter. She knows that if she doesn’t do as she’s told and communicate with the others as ordered, more people will be hurt

I should note here I headcanon that while there were Hadorians who were actually taken from their homes and held in specific slave quarters, many farmers and crafters were instead essentially under house arrest; they were allowed to remain in their homes (though many still had weapons and goods robbed and were subject to abuse) though under strict curfew and were still forced to labor for the occupying regime, not being allowed to claim any of their goods from farm or forge or loom.

The first few weeks she spends locked in her own chambers or forced to sit beside Brodda or remain by him as he went about various orders. This often included her witnessing the abuse and dehumanization of her kin. From the beginning she was isolated from them. Anything she was able to do for her people she fought and often suffered for. She is expected to be silent, speaking only when spoken to and often her answers are met with criticism or punishment. She is expected to remain silent and passive in the face of the brutality inflicted on her kin and any attempt to aid them or even plead for them Brodda very much wants to isolate her from her kin and she is often forced to mitigate the extent of her suffering and even to pretend that her position is better than it is.

Anyways.

This needs to be its own post but obviously Aerin’s relationship with Indor is more complicated in the BoLT version or versions more based on it, where it’s him who arranges her marriage to Brodda. I imagine even if he dies in the Nírnaeth in that version, Aerin has complex feelings about him. How could he not have known...

#the silmarillion #the children of húrin #aerin #musing and meta #occupation of hithlum

17 notes · View notes

disregardcanon · 1 year

Text

woke up and started thinking about the yellowjackets and birth order, so. here’s the Thoughts TM. i did literally every person who’s slightly relevant to the plot other than adam, shauna’s dead boyfriend, so i hope y’all enjoy

our crop of DEFINITELY onlys are- jackie (her parents were and are so obsessed with her. like, they could hypothetically do that if she weren’t their only but they don’t seem like two or more children kinda folks) shauna (her social insecurities just feel like a kid who grew up very lonely before she met jackie, and even though siblings don’t always get along... they would have made her a bit more socially adjusted) natalie (independent in a way that she wouldn’t be if she either had little siblings to protect or older siblings to protect HER), lottie (oh god her parents. they were like We’ll Have One Perfect Princess! and then... well, they weren’t about to try and “screw up” again...) tai (her leadership style screams only child. not in a bad way! just in a way) and then van (it seems like she was an out of wedlock oopsie that wasn’t going to be repeated) and misty (i think that her parents were distant and that she wasn’t really wanted. they were a lot better about making sure it didn’t happen again after misty was born)

i would also add jeff, lisa, and walter to this list. jeff is mainly because i feel like if that guy had any siblings he’d be very clingy with them and have them over like ALL the time. walter just has the vibes. lisa’s mom is obsessive in a way that strikes me as mother-of-an-only.

oldests- travis. we see his little brother and nothing gives us the indication that there’s a secret older sibling off at college. with the exact pressure it looks like his dad puts on him he’s GOTTA be the oldest.

laura lee- i feel like she has one younger brother who’s somewhere 3-5 years younger. they don’t interact a ton but they get along fine

coach martinez- i just have a feeling. i’d say he has a single mom and younger sisters, so he never had much masculinity that wasn’t His Own modeled for him, so when he sees travis he’s like NO YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG

middles- mari! i’d say that she’s either the middle out of three sisters or the third oldest out of four. she gives me vibes of growing up in a bit of a dog-eat-dog world with LOTS of girls around fighting, but her being close to the bottom of the pile

coach ben- he just feels like a middle? like, of course his behaviors could be the result of a LOT of things, but i think that both being able and willing to try to take charge but also to just. completely give up and let shit happen around him? feels very much like he grew up with someone who dragged him along and took care of him but ALSO someone who he could drag around and take care of. i’d say he has a brother who’s 3 or 4 years older and one that’s slightly younger, and they’re both Normal Nineties Level of Homophobic, which makes things harder on him with the idea of coming out because he does love them.

melissa- i’d say she has an older sister she doesn’t get along with super well (very stereotypical girly girl) and two younger siblings (a brother and a sister) who she DOES get along with and they do sports together. i dunno, it’s just vibes.

youngests- akilah! we know that she has an older sister with a baby that she’s close to, but she never mentions other siblings so i think that they’re the only two in the family. i also think, though, that akilah had a lot of interaction with a lot of kids growing up too. she probably has a slew of cousins that are both older and younger than her and hung out with some neighbor kids. she’s a very well rounded youngest

crystal- i don’t think that crystal is probably close to her older siblings, but i’d say that she was an oopsie on the far end of her mom’s child-rearing years. her older siblings (i’d say a pair of sisters who are like eight and six years older) think of her as an annoyance and her parents didn’t pay a lot of attention to her once they got her to proper school age, so she got all the downsides of having siblings but few of the advantages.

gen- she’s got one brother who’s basically a year older and they’re very close. that kinda relationship you get when the kids are almost twins but not quite

javi- if javi weren’t the baby, then we would have seen a younger sibling in the brief scene with mrs. martinez. also.. he does not seem like he’s got anyone younger around

allie- i am so sorry to stereotype youngests but... allie is the youngest. i’d say that she’s probably the only treasured girl with four or five older brothers too. a ginny weasley kinda situation.

OH WAIT I FORGOT TO DO DOUCHEBAG COPS

kevyn- i feel like this guy’s the baby. he’s got older sisters so he like, knows how to talk to girls? but he’s also constantly teased by them so.

the cop that groomed callie- an oldest. this guy has younger sisters and he seduced all of their friends.

#yellowjackets #yellowjackets meta #i guess? does this count?#the yellowjackets

12 notes · View notes

rosefilledpiano · 8 months

Text

---- Character details

Enid Wright (15. 5'7. Lesbian. She/her)

Having a dad who's a detective, Enid's always looking for solutions. Whether it be something simple, like a debate. Or something complicated, like a missing persons case you have to solve with a bunch of (mostly) idiots. Enid is hot-headed, stubborn, and gets frustrated easily. Her fatal flaw is that she's too stubborn for her own good; refusing to go with anything other than her plans unless she doesn't have a choice. She's the leader of her little mystery-solving group, keeping them all in check, and the oldest of four kids.

Enid has brown skin, siren-like black eyes, and curly black hair that's usually in two buns, two little strands of curly hair being loose in the front. She wears her school uniform most of the time, being incredibly busy in her everyday life with her grades, chores, etc. While she's usually distant and cold, if she likes you, she'll be a sweetheart in her own little way. Definitely more dominant than submissive.

Rubi Lawrence (16. 5'5. Straight ally. She/her)

Rubi grew up in a dysfunctional family. Her mother an attention whore, her father a busy man with barely any time for her, and her brother the only one she could rely on without being let down. As a child, she and Enid were fairly close. Always going on playdates, and always together. Growing up, the two stayed close. Rubi plays basketball for the school team, with her brother always there to cheer her on. Rubi is distant as well. More than Enid is. She's got a bad temper and tends to take it out on sports. While she may be intimidating, she's sweet once you get to know her. Being like a mother.

Rubi has tan skin, brown eyes, straight light brown shoulder-length hair, and dresses in a casual style whenever she isn't in her uniform. With significant others, her love language is touch. A switch.

Selene Aedes (15. 5'4. Demisexual. Genderfluid. Any pronouns but they prefer he/they.)

Selene isn't the easiest to handle. Her parents never gave her much attention, so they learned to fight for it. Growing up, they never had many friends outside of her brother and her cousins. Always having been known as the "weird kid" at school, but never actually being picked on. Just avoided. Which they were fine with because "who wants to hang out with those losers anyway?" in his exact words. Selene is the comedic relief of the group. Cracking jokes to lighten the mood is hard when you're solving a murder, though. They never seem to shut up, and they're always distracted. Enid is the one who keeps everyone in check, and Selene is the one who keeps Enid in check. Making sure she was mentally okay and in the right headspace to continue. Selene's almost the exact opposite of Enid. Being social, a pushover, and having worse grades than anyone in the group. (Mostly C's and D's, but still less than mostly everyone). She developed a love for analog horror, horror, the paranormal, cryptids, and developed an obsession on Percy Jackson.

Selene has wavy dark brown hair that reaches her upper back, tan skin, dark brown eyes, slight freckles, and a slim build. She isn't the strongest, but she might just be able to lift twice her weight with adrenaline. She's biologically a female, but nobody other than her family really knows that since she's spent years convincing them he's either a male or female. Nobody can take much more than a guess as to what his gender is, and he prefers it that way. His clothing style is cryptidcore, always ready for an adventure. (A definite sub btw.)

Liam Hernandez (16. 5'1. Gay. Demiboy. He/they.)

Liam has no idea what he's doing half the time. In a way, he prefers it like that. Liam is the definition of 'no thoughts, head empty'. Always doing what he's told no matter what. Liam grew up in a supportive and stable family, having a close bond with his younger sister and older sibling. Growing up, Liam was afraid to come out. He saw the way people treated Selene, and even just being around her made his gaydar go off. (Not that kids were avoiding Selene because he was gay, no. Just because he was the type of kid to run around chasing other people screaming "I eat children.") He didn't come out to anyone for a while. Eventually, he and a cute boy started dating and Liam told his older sibling. Naturally, word spread in the family. But they still accepted him nonetheless. Liam has short curly blonde hair, blue eyes, slightly tanned skin, and slight freckles. Compared to most boys, he's more pretty than anything. He's a complete book nerd. When he isn't wearing his school uniform, he's wearing either light academia or just casual clothes. A huge sub with a desire to be praised. One of Enid's favorites in the group because he's just so easy to be around. He doesn't complain, and Enid likes that. (She also likes how much shorter than her he is, often teasing him about his height. It's all in good fun, though.)

Aries Deam (5'6. 15. Bisexual. Transgender male. He/him.)

Aries is that one quiet kid in the corner of the class who you expect to start spouting some ancient curse. He's unpredictable and prefers to be alone or with a tight-knit group of friends. (Bet you can't guess who.) He's often seen around campus either drawing, hanging out with friends, listening to music, or trying out different hairstyles on his boyfriend. He's a huge Mitski stan and listens to music in class. Using his hair to block his earbud as he either naps, doodles, or uses his phone. Aries has short curly black hair, fair skin, slight eyebags, long eyelashes, and brown eyes. His hands are slim, and his body a bit scrawny. Really giving that punk (or just emo) vibe. As expected, he dresses in either pajamas outside of school, or punk/goth clothes. He has a good relationship with his parents and family despite people thinking he doesn't, lmao. A switch.

Tyler Aedes (5'9. 16. Pansexual. He/him.)

The brother of Selene, and the one that always keeps her in check. He grew up responsible. Taught to take responsibility if others won't. He didn't have to fight for his parents' attention. Always having it on him was like both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, he liked the praise and the good reputation he was giving them. On the other hand, he was constantly pressured into keeping his grades high and his attitude low. He tries his best to be a good brother, but finds it hard to spend time with his sister since he's always so busy. That being said, I do think he acts like a parental figure. Even if he did have his parents attention, Selene didn't. And that made him feel really bad. So he makes Selene lunch, leaving little notes like 'I love you :)' or 'stay safe!' into cute little bento boxes for him and Liam.

Tyler has dirty blonde hair, pale skin, slight acne, big and bright blue eyes, an almost permanent smile, and smile lines. He absolutely lives for acts of service. When he isn't in uniform, he's usually wearing something casual. Like jeans and a t-shirt. Nothing special, just plain. He looks damn good in white, though. Definitely a switch with a top lean. Boys gotta get his frustration out somehow. But at the same time, he just loves being whispered sweet nothings as his partner takes care of him. Loves being called "prince".

Sammy (Sam) Deam (5'3. 15. Lesbian. Pangender. Any pronouns.)

Literally dead asf.. Since this post is going up before my actual series, I may as well just say this now. Sammy's fucked, lmao. But seriously, this girl is a sweetheart. She grew up with a punk/goth brother, so she doesn't judge too hard. She enjoys painting, drawing, anything to do with art, really. She's always been interested in the paranormal. She knows a lot about the town history and the fucked up secrets and wont hesitate to talk about it. Long brown hair, tan skin, a birthmark on her neck, and brown eyes. As sweet as she is, she's super easy to manipulate. But no fear, Aries is always there to back her up. With a significant other, her love language would be gift-giving. She works super hard just to get her darling something with her own money.

Anyway, feel free to send in some requests. The fandoms I write for are in my other post. Feel free to guess who I'm pairing with who in this little series, or send in requests for them. I'm just happy to write tbh. NSFW will be alright as long as the characters are aged up!

#aspiring author #original character #character concept #cryptidcore #lgbtqia #gay teens #gods help me ive been on here for hours #its currently 9 pm and I want sleep

4 notes · View notes

fabseg-creator · 1 year

Text

Miraculous: Tales in the Opposite Universe (Inversed Personas AU): Chapter Two part 4

This story is a fanfiction (Not an official script for an episode of the TV show). Some characters result from Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (original title: Miraculous: Les aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir). It contains some original characters (OC) but they're fanon. All rights reserved to ZagToon.

Part one part two part three

Luka approaches 'Germaine'. She feels a bit of impressed. By seeing his clothing style and his little scar on the nose Luka is like a bad boy (a delinquent). How intimidating he is.

Luka (doubtful): " Hmm… You look like M.D.C., 'Germaine'."

When Marinette hears Luka saying MDC, she is disconcerted. She thinks about the other girl: "Is it a coincidence ? What if this M.D.C. is the other 'Marinette' Cerise talked me about ?"

M: "Who is M.D.C. ?"

Luka is a bit of embarrassed.

Lk: "Huh… Forgive me, girl. It's just the surname most of us give to Marinette Fathom Dupain-Cheng, the Ice Queen of the Fathom Academy."

Marinette feels like amazed about this revelation: Ice Queen. Fathom. Wait a minute ! Some of their 'friends' have talk about Fathom a lot.

She was already aware about MDC as her eventual opposite counterpart and as a complicated person (It's only based on Cerise's infos).

M: "It seems Fathom looks like famous in this city."

Adrien who listened the conversation rethinks about 'Fathom'. This name (too pronounced many times) reminds him of Félix's father: Colt. Meanwhile, in his homeworld, he's supposed to be dead, right ?

Myl: "Yeah. The Fathom guy is 'popular'. But for the worst. Do you want to know the thing between MDC and Fathom, huh ?"

M (trying to not be suspicious): Can you talk about her, please ?

Juleka expresses.

J: "According to her own words, she is a teenage girl like us all (She always says the same thing when someone compliments her). Most of us study in same grade level as her. She rarely communicates with us. Despite the respect and the admiration she can inspire for the others, she is distant, even emotionless. Meanwhile, the surprising but real fact about 'M.D.C.' is she's the Colt Fathom's adopted daughter."

Marinette is surprised about this info: "Adopted daughter ? That means… Felix's sister, Adrien's cousin… Wait… Cousin ? I will never marry Adrien, right ? Why not Lila's secret 'fiancee' if you can say ? I'm going to panic or laugh if this next infos were true in this parallel world !"

She pulls herself and she asks it.

M: "What's happened to my… Marinette's real parents if she is adopted ?"

An uncomfortable silence comes between Marinette, Adrien, Rose, Juleka, Luka, Ivan and Mylène. The Kitty Section gang looks like mourned. But Luka breaks the silence.

Lk: "I'm sorry for telling you: Dupain-Chengs are dead. A fire had destroyed the bakery and killed their parents four years ago. Marinette is the only survivor."

Marinette feels mourned to hear the bad news. She knows well this story is her other self's story. She sympathises for the latter. Adrien too.

A (to Marinette): "Are you okay, Ma… Germaine ?"

M (feeling concerned): "Uh… I'm fine Ad… NATHAN ! (to the Kitty Section gang, becoming normal again) All my condoleances. I didn't know about her story."

A: "Me too."

And now, it's the Adrien's turn to ask questions about his Opposite counterpart.

A: "I have learned some informations about the 'Prince of Pranks' but i wanna know this: What kind of life Adrien had lived until now ? How did he become this… boy you know today ?"

Lk: "Adrien Graham de Vanily is the only son of Gabriel Agreste and Émilie Agreste. He's a pupil from Fathom Academy like MDC. His parents both died four years ago (like MDC's parents)."

A (shocked): "Both… Died ?"

Lk: "When his parents were killed in the crash of their private jet, he had been devastated. The Fathom couple adopted him but the couple was already in trouble. They divorced and it was her aunt Amélie who became the legal tutor for Adrien. Since his parents' death, he acts like a troublemaker. But for me, he's in distress. He needs help because I feel that in his own melody."

The Adrienette duo feels sorry for the boy.

Lk: "Another thing. Autorities had recently found out the bakery's fire and jet's explosion weren't both accidents but both perpetrated assassinations. Both related to the Mafia. There is already a guy, a gangster named Cash, who is actually in jail. He was accused to arson a Chinese temple in Shanghai too. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment the last month."

M and A (both surprised): "That's crazy this story !"

Lk: "I promise to you two it's the truth. Meanwhile, some of us (like Cerise, Alix and Max) suspects Fathom to have connections with the organised crime. It's because Cash worked at Fathom Company."

The Adrienette duo feels confused but pained by the revelation for a brief moment before erasing their negative emotions. Adrien asks a final question.

A: "Do you know where do these two characters live now ?"

Lk: "MDC lives at the hôtel of Paris. Adrien lives with his aunt and his cousin Félix. At Paris, they're both resident from the Fathom Academy-led boarding school."

M: "Okay. Thanks for…"

Rose cuts the line.

R: "I must warn both you the Fathom Academy isn't not an ordinary school. They want to make us believe it's a middle-high shool of Prestige. In reality, it's literaly a mix between a kind of 'Big Brother is watching you' and a kind of 'Full Metal Jacket'. Bref, It's a chilling place, morons."

Suddenly, someone joins the discuss group: It's Cerise !

C (cheerful): "Hi, pals. I see you're meeting with Germaine and Nathan."

The Kitty Section gang (simultaneous): "Hi, Cerise."

C: "But now, I must introduce the two tourists to the rest of the group before Wayhem can give his speech to everybody."

Lk: "See you later."

Cerise holds the two 'tourists' by the hands and she brings them away from the crowd. They hide under the stone stairs of the quai one hundred meters away. Marinette and Adrien demand explanations to her.

M: "What are you doing, Cerise ? Why are you separating us from the group ?"

C: "Silence ! I heard you talking with Luka and Co.. You are asking too many questions to people for finding out who are your counterparts."

A: "We do nothing wrong here."

C: "They will have suspicions towards you two. They can confuse you with your own counterparts from my world. Wayhem and I know you're strangers to our world. But if you attract the attention by this manner, you could be considered as agents of Fathom. Worse, you could risk to interest Lycène Bleue. You could even endanger yourselves and them: your alter egos."

M (glaring at Cerise): "Oh Yeah. And how are we supposed to deal with our acquaintances' alter egos in these circumstances ?"

C: "To continue to keep your origins secret from everyone. You will protect better your 'parallel twins' from every akuma battle, from every unknown bully and from Lycène."

A (to Marinette): "I think Cerise's right. We haven't a choice, Marinette. Yesterday, a group of teenagers had purchased me because the other 'me' had pissed off these guys. This boy must be really the prince of pranks. I won't make problems to him."

M (sighing): "Fine. (to Cerise) We will follow your advice."

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous au #opposite au #miraculous inversed personas #opposite universe #my writing

5 notes · View notes