#Jude Jazza x OC

[judesmoonbeauty]

I wrote an angst about Jude today, then when I played an escort, he gifted me with 2,000 gold coins over 50 diamonds. Well, played, Jude. Well. Played. Thought about it for while, and said, "Nah, let's mess with him." So, here's a little tit-for-tat fic in which I screw with Jude for his giving me gold over diamonds. Also, this is an introduction to my OC - Isla Corbin - that I will feature in my writing from time to time. This fic was written in like 30 minutes, so keep that in mind..... WC: 1,309 Pairing: Jude Jazza x OC Isla Corbin Pronouns: She/Her CW: Cursing Tags: SWF ┃Teasing ┃Self-Aware Characters ┃Bullying Jude ┃OC Introduction

Sitting on a bunch crates near the harbor, Jude, Ellis and Isla sat together enjoying their gelato in the summer heat. The sky was bluer than it had ever been after weeks of rain, the people were working hard, but in a cheerful mood and Jude had a good morning of debt collections. There was no reason for any of them to be questioning the ordinary day, but Ellis finally spoke up after a while.

“Hey, Jude. Have you ever wondered if we’ve ever lived different lives?”

“Hah, I knew ya were off you rocker, but this an another level of creepy. ‘Course not…..why?”

Ellis pulled up from the crates he leaned against, and confessed this odd feeling he hadn’t been able to shake for a while now.

“I feel like, I’ve seen other versions of our lives…..as if they were stories written about us.”

Jude raised a quizzical brow at his assistant’s ramblings and then looked at Isla as she was munching on her cone. She didn’t seem to be bothered by Ellis’ prattling nonsense at all.

“I mean, what if we were works of fiction and controlled by some kind creator?”

“What?”

“Jude, what would you say if you lived in another world and rode around in some kind super fast black carriage that was powered like the steam engine and went on what was called a “road trip”, or if Isla were almost taken advantage of by a bad guy while she was alone in the Scala?

“Say that last part again?!”

Isla kept to herself as Jude became more and more worked up over Ellis’ hypothetical ramblings, but far from being over Ellis continued….

“Yea, what if I you went through months of suffering and pining over her because you were written to be stuffy about your feelings instead of honest about them? Hmm, I feel like I’ve seen some good things to…like you and Isla having a gelato date near the bridge, and reuniting after you saved her……playing with her hair, licking her fingers. But the most recent thing I feel like we’ve lived through was her leaving you soaking wet at the dock over there. Oh! And the creator of that story had a seagull crap on you. Hmmm, I guess you could say they’re like an author. If that’s true, then how’d you feel about it, Jude?”

Furrowing his brows at Ellis and feeling immense anger pipe up like steam, “How would I feel ‘bout it? Ha! What poppycock! Even IF that were true, I don’t remember any of it, and that’s some shitty ass author for writin’ about people like that. I’d roast their ass ‘n sink their ashes in the river Thames.”

“Hmmm, maybe you’re right. But, what if this very conversation were being written as we speak?”

Ellis points up to the vast sky to make his point, “What if they are watching us right now and every word I say, and every reaction you make is being simultaneously written.”

Jude scoffs at Ellis, lights a cigarette and decides to test his little theory.

“Fine, then let’s test it out. Go ahead, call out to this author,” he laughed menacingly.

Standing up Ellis walks a few feet away from Jude and Isla who was finally finishing up her cone, not concerned in the slightest as to what was about to happen. Clearing his throat Ellis calls out to the sky, “Excuse, sir or madam author, um…..if what I say is true……can you make another seagull crap on Jude’s shoulder?”

“Oi!!! What the hell?”

Jude stood up to walk towards Ellis, but within seconds there was a large splatter of white all over his coat.

“Ugh, what the-”

“Wow! See Jude it’s true. Thank you, author!”

A gentle wind ruffled past Ellis like it was patting his fluffy hair in approval. “That’s just a coincidence!” Jude fought back as he took off his jacket and threw it to the ground.

“Then, why don’t you try Jude? Just politely ask them do something as a sign.”

“Outta my way, ya loon.” Jude looked up to the sky too and challenged the unknown being on the other side.

“If this crazy bastard is telling the truth, then make it rain while it’s still sunny outside.”

It was a simple command to control the weather, it should be easy for an author or creator to make happen if it were true. After a few moments, nothing happened and Jude laughed triumphantly, although many onlookers did wonder if they should contact the asylum for a madman screaming commands at the sky.

“HA! See, you’re wrong. Now shuddup.”

Just as Jude was walking back to the crates to take a seat, a sudden downpour erupted and drenched him with bullets of rain and more than that, with small bits of hail pelting him. He covered his head unable to move because of the severity of the storm, and when it finally ended, he was shocked to find that neither neither Ellis nor Isla were wet. In fact, they there wasn’t even a drop of water on them.

Ellis was stunned at what just happened, but Isla just sat there on the crate resting her chin in a thinking position as she crossed her leg, and watched her lover lose his temper. Jude was shocked that what he asked to happen actually happened, no it was not what he asked, it was far more severe than what he asked. Then, if this were true and all of what Ellis said were true…..

“OY! THE FUCK WAS THAT? HAH?! I’LL CREAM YOUR ASS!!!”

When Isla erupted into a giggle over Jude’s tantrum, he turned around to find her sitting there like she was the Queen of Sheba. Her reaction was odd, she’d normally ask if Jude were alright and suggest they go for a drink or something to calm him down.

“Isla…..”

“Are you cold you, Mr. Jazza? Want me to dry you off?”

With a snap of her fingers, a strong East wind blew past Jude knocking him over, but after the wind subsided he was indeed dry again.

“H-how did you…?” He stood up from the ground and walked to his lover.

“I am she and she is I.”

The confused look on his face was quite adorable, so Isla stood up and walked over to him and pinched his cheek, “She has a message for you, Mr. Jazza.”

“What does that mean? Who is “she” and why is “she” doing this?”

Leaning into his ear - Isla Corbin - the young woman whom Jude had known since her days as a clerk at the solicitor’s office that he frequented, the daughter of the well-to-do merchant of a business called D’Lune, and his fiancee who now worked with him and Crown, now seemed to be some one completely different as she whispered in his ear….

“Because you’re fun to bully Short King.”

“Short King? I’m not s-”

Isla grabbed his head before he said another word.

“This is what you get for giving me 2,000 coins during an escort over 50 diamonds you petty, lovable bastard. Do it again, and I’ll melt your brain by stuffing it with all the fan-fiction I’ve written about you.”

“Isla, you’d better-”

The author typed for Isla to quickly give the love of her life a kiss on the cheek, and instantly the entire scene rewound to the start of the fic, leaving the author smiling happily on the other side of the sky - through her screen - as she watched the three precious darlings she loved with all her heart go about their day enjoying gelato and collecting debts - completely ignorant of the fun she just had with them.

@ichigostellaglynn @atelierquinn @mrslelouch Please let me know if you want to be added to my tags list.

[razzmatome]

The Webs We Weave (Jude/f!OC)

A cautious witch stays alive.  Five words the Calloway sisters have lived by for as long as they can remember. They live like humans even though they’re not; a letter carrier, a dress maker, and a baker. They practice their craft in secret and never so much to draw the eyes of others. The hardest part of Bea’s day has always been playing peacemaker between her overprotective older sister and free-spirited younger. But everything changes when one of her sisters suddenly disappears. To make matters worse, the new investor in the dress maker’s shop is more than human himself and has taken too sudden an interest in her.  Caught between the urge to find her sister and the desire to stay safe, Bea must decide how fully she wants to step into the shadows and join the world she was hiding from.  A cautious witch stays alive, but a clever witch lives.

Pairing: Jude/f!OC

Word Count: 2354

CW: Swearing

Next

Note: Since we don't know what's going to happen on Jude's route, I thought I'd play with him and my oc in a different way. This story is technically set during William's route which is happening in the background and there are a couple relationships brewing in the background as well. I have ideas but we'll see if I can pull it off. I mostly just wanted to write a 'canon' setting for Jude and Bea. Borders from the lovely @/natimiles

         “Cate didn’t come home.”

         Bea looked up from the newspaper. Maggie was hovering at the edge of the table, twisting her fingers together. Worry was radiating from her, filling the room. She frowned as the words properly registered. “At all?”

         Maggie flopped into a chair, shaking her head. “Her room is exactly the same as yesterday.”

         That didn’t necessarily mean anything. Cate was particular about her things, liking everything to be in a certain place. But Maggie wouldn’t say that based on that alone. Setting the newspaper aside, Bea said, “What else?”

         A pained look crossed her face and she glanced away. “I came home late last night and I replaced your lock. It’s still mine on the door.”

         Something whispered down her spine, leaving a chill in its wake. There was no way Cate would forget to replace the lock when it was her rule in the first place.

         “Bea, something happened. There’s no way Cate wouldn’t come home. Not without telling us first.”

         No, she would have come home. She always came home. Since their mother had passed, Cate had taken her role as eldest sibling seriously. Too seriously if Bea was being honest, but they’d all processed Eleanor’s death differently.

         “We need to look for her.”

         Damn it. “No.”

         Maggie stared at her. “What do you mean no? Bea! We have to-”

         “Not yet,” she interrupted before her younger sister could start to spiral. “We can’t look without a plan. If we do, we might put her or ourselves in danger.”

         “She could already be in danger!”

         “We would know, Maggie.” Except if Cate were actually in trouble the last thing she would do was expose that trouble to her sisters. And judging by her expression, Maggie thought the same. “Tonight.”

         “What?”

         “We’ll look for her tonight. We need to prepare so that we don’t make anything worse.” Or expose themselves if Cate was fine.

         Maggie pressed her lips together, clearly displeased, and reached for her hand.

         Bea let her wind their fingers together, ignoring the tiny jolt her touch caused. She kept her mind clear, holding fast to the idea that Cate was fine. Maggie was a loose cannon on the best of days but adding a missing sister to the mix? She hadn’t dealt well with their mother dying, her emotions turning into a deep-rooted fear of the rest of her family abandoning her. Cate not coming home would have amplified that fear.

         She normally played mediator between the two of them so she understood both of her sisters’ emotions. But it was hard to keep a lid on her own concern to make sure Maggie didn’t act on her own.

         Her sister slumped after a few minutes, sighing. “You promise we’ll look?” she said in a small voice.

         Squeezing her hand, Bea murmured, “I promise. I’ll get everything ready.”

         Dark eyes searched her own before she sighed again. “Alright. I need to help open the bakery. Did you have breakfast?”

         There was no hiding her flinch this time and Maggie’s eyes narrowed.

         “You aren’t skipping meals again, are you?”

         “No. I’ll eat.”

         “You will,” Maggie said firmly. “Come to the bakery before you leave. I’ll give you something to eat on the way.”

         “You don’t have to. I’ll make something.”

         “I don’t trust you. You never eat properly if we leave you alone and you have that meeting with the investor today.”

         “Mr. Hale has a meeting, not me.”

         “You’re the only reason they’re still open to get an investor,” Maggie huffed. “They’ll want to talk to you if they want to know anything about the shop.”

         She really hoped they didn’t want to. “Get going before you’re late.”

         “Don’t forget to stop by before you leave!”

         Bea forced herself to smile as Maggie left before sagging in her chair. This wasn’t how she thought today was going to go. First, one sister missing and the other on her ass. She’d merely wanted to get through the day without incident. It was bad enough that with the investor wanting to visit, Richard and Sissy would likely be at the shop. They’d be in the way and make things harder on the ones that actually worked there.

         Twisting in her seat, she looked into the next room. What could have happened to Cate? It wasn’t like her at all to not come home. If she’d been running late, she would have sent word. Forget sending word; she couldn’t remember her sister ever spending the night out. Despite the fact that she and Maggie were grown adults, she was fairly certain Cate still checked to make sure they were in their rooms at the end of the night.

         Bea pushed out of her chair and walked into the sitting room. She approached a small side table in the far corner of the room. A flower arrangement took up most of the surface and in the center of it was a trio of candles, each a different colour.

         Taking a steadying breath, she passed her hand above the candles and watched flames flicker to life on all three. Each flame burnt the same colour as the candle. The yellow and black ones were steady, burning smoothly. But the orange one’s flame was diminished and flickering wildly in distress.

         “Why didn’t you call, Cate?” Bea muttered. She gripped the coin hanging around her neck and tried to focus. If Cate had been caught, any word or sign she sent would be traced and bring more harm than good. But there was strength in numbers and, even being cautious, there was little the three of them couldn’t overcome together.

         Closing her eyes, she let go of the coin and said, “Come to me.”

         A moment later she felt something curling around her legs and purring filled the room.

         She needed to make a choice now because she knew only one of them would leave her side. She couldn’t command both to. So did she send one to find the stable sister who had disappeared or to keep an eye on the chaotic sister who might not wait for tonight?

         “Jynx,” she said softly, “find Catherine Calloway.”

         A pleased meow before more purring.

         Looking down, she saw a single black cat at her feet, yellow eyes staring back at her. She leaned over to scoop him up and dropped a kiss between his ears. “Stay with me today, Grimm,” she whispered. “I’m going to need all the support I can get.”

         A soft paw touched her cheek, the purring growing louder.

         She took a deep breath and strode toward her bedroom. The sooner this day was over and they had answers, the better.

~

         Blowing smoke out the carriage window, Jude reviewed the contract in his hand. He knew every line, every word. He’d drafted it himself but he wasn’t above another check. He doubted the one who had signed it had done so as thoroughly as he should have. Wasn’t his problem though. Worked more in his favour that way.

         “You look happy.”

         “The fuck I do,” he growled, putting the contract away. “Shouldn’t have to check on a business ‘cause the shit who owns it doesn’t know shit about it.”

         Ellis hummed softly. “He did say it was his father’s shop.”

         “Family business and he’s family. He should know how to run the shop.” The fact that he didn’t was another point in Jude’s favour. It was highly likely that they were going to default on the contract in one way or another.

         Before drafting the contract, he’d gathered enough information on this family to know it was going to pan out for hin in the end. The dressmaker’s shop had been in the family for generations but neither the current nor former generations had picked up the trade. Despite that, they were still popular enough and seemed successful on the outside. But the family itself was a mess. A father who doted shamelessly on his daughter and a mother who preferred drink to her own family. A shameless son with a gambling addiction and a spoiled daughter who spent her every moment trying to climb the social ladder.

A single look at their personal habits had told him all he needed to know about why he’d been approached for help.

         Yet their shop remained afloat. That was the reason on paper for this visit. Even with everything he’d learned about the family, it had been nearly impossible to find any information on those that worked there. Any he’d sent had merely come away confused which wasn’t right. So now he was going to see what the hell was going on.

         His upper lip curled back. Victor had caught wind of the situation and made it something official to be investigated. It pissed him off that, on top of taking in that unlucky woman last night, the idiot was poking his nose where it didn’t belong. He had no interest in collecting more cursed; he just wanted to know what the fuck was going on in this shop and if it was going to interfere with his contract.

         It was far more likely the people he’d tasked this with were idiots and got drunk instead.

         An irritated noise left him. He had better things to do than check up on spoiled brats that were an easy mark. But here he fucking was.

         The carriage rolled to a stop and Ellis hopped out. Jude followed, finishing his cigarette. He stared up at the sign proudly proclaiming the business and exhaled a waft of smoke. “Let’s get this over with,” he muttered, striding toward the door.

         A little bell overly enthusiastically announced their arrival and every eye turned to them. Jude paid it no mind, heading to the counter and the official looking person standing behind it.

         For his credit, the man didn’t run but Jude didn’t miss the balk. “Welcome, sir. How can I assist you?”

         “Richard’s expectin’ me.”

         Pale eyes widened. “Ah, Mr. Jazza? Of course. Wait here and I will fetch him.”

         Watching as the man scurried away, Jude could feel the eyes still on him. It wasn’t surprising. This was a woman’s shop and he stood out like a sore thumb.

         Whispers raced around the shop as he waited and, while he didn’t outright pay attention, he heard every word they said. Drumming his fingers on the counter top, he counted the minutes he was kept waiting. They’d known he was coming at this time; what the fuck was the hold up?

         “Mr. Jazza!”

         That was not Richard. He watched with disinterest as the young woman flounced over to him. The daughter. What was she doing here? Everything he’d learned had said she rarely came to the shop. Meaning she was here because of him. “I was expectin’ your brother.”

         She stopped abruptly, a mix of emotions racing across her face. But he saw them and wasn’t about to forget them. Clearly he wasn’t what she’d been expecting. She quickly settled on the smile again but the edges were fake. “Richard’s coming. He wanted me to entertain you first while he finished his business.”

         There wasn’t anything entertaining about her. She looked like an overdone doll and didn’t sound much better. “My time’s valuable and I’ve only got so much to spend here. If your brother doesn’t value our contract, I can take my business elsewhere.”

         Something in her eyes shifted, a calculating look filling them for a moment. That he recognised. She was trying to figure out what she could get out of him. “I can show you whatever you want to see,” she said, reaching for his arm.

         He smoothly dodged her attempt. “Haven’t even told me your name.”

         She didn’t look pleased with him at all but her smile stayed put. “Oh, how rude of me. You can call me Sissy.”

         He really wasn’t going to do that. “I want to see the shop, see what I invested in.”

         Panic for a moment now, quickly stifled. “Oh, of course. Come this way.”

         She didn’t look confident at all which just further proved she didn’t know anything about the business. Had Richard thought he’d be distracted by his sister enough to forget why he was there?

         Anger coiled in his gut at that thought. If Richard thought that would work on him, he was in for a rude surprise. The contract between them was the only thing keeping his ass safe if he kept trying that shit. The moment he broke it….

         Ellis fell into step behind him as they moved toward the back and Jude took a slow breath. He’d dealt with idiots all his life. This wasn’t going to be any different. All he needed was some answers and then he could be done with this place.

         But he frowned immediately as they stepped into the workroom to find it empty. “Where are they?” he asked.

         “Oh, we sent them on break,” Sissily said breezily, waving a hand. “They don’t know anything anyways.”

         Jude took another breath. “How long does it take to finish a custom order?” he asked.

         She blinked at him. “Pardon?”

         “How much does it cost in materials to finish an order?”

         She took a small step back from him, pressing a hand to her chest. “Oh, well, I don’t-”

         “How many repeat clients ya have that put in regular orders?”

         He wasn’t surprised when he saw tears flood her limpid eyes at the questions. “Mr. Jazza, I-”

         “Get the head seamstress or your brother. I wanna see if this was actually worth my time.”

         She quickly fled the room, a further sign that she had no idea how to run this business. Yes, he was an investor but to leave him unsupervised among their goods?

         Jude made a sharp noise and strode toward a window. He shoved it open, wanting fresh air. They hadn’t even been here ten minutes and he already wanted out. These people were going to set his teeth on edge every time he dealt with them. But he would deal with it until they ultimately created their own doom.

[adreaminthesea]

Threaded

I’m a little late with posting this, but better late than never. This is for one of my best friends, @atelierquinn. She was the one who introduced and inspired me to the OC world (pre-tumblr days). If it weren’t for her and her girls, Violetta & Mallory, then neither Isla nor Estella (& a couple more TBA), would have ever come into existence.

It’s her OC’s (Mallory’s) birthday, and this is a little gift to celebrate Mallory & Jude’s relationship. Happy Birthday, Mallory 🪡 Jude loves you so incredibly much!

Pairing: OC Mallory x Jude Jazza WC: 1,327 SFW, Fluff, Surprises Summary: Jude’s birthday gifts for Mallory.

From a private box in a darkened theater, Mallory sat in quiet anticipation as the whispers of the audience rose up from below. Smoky sandalwood wafted into her nostrils from the man sitting next to her, the one who orchestrated the very unexpected surprise.

The lights of a grand chandelier slowly illuminated the stage below, and the fashion show that she’d been dying to attend finally started. Her eyes lit up as she watched the models strut elegantly down the walkway, and filled with gratitude she turned to her fiancé and said, “Thank you, Jude!”

Twinkling amethyst eyes darted over to his beloved as she smiled at him radiantly, it was a rare sight for her to show so much emotion, but that was repayment enough…for now.

“Tch, ya wouldn’t quit yappin’ ‘bout it. Figured I wouldn’t get any peace ‘til ya attended.”

Crossing her arms she snipped back playfully, “Liar. I only mentioned it to you once, unless you heard it from Ellis, and you didn’t have to come did you? You could’ve just handed me the entry ticket and went back to work, but you tagged along because you wanted to be with me. Isn’t that right?”

“If that’s what ya wanna think, princess,” Jude dodged the question with a sip of his cognac.

”Yeah, yeah,” she chirped back before she returning her focus on the stage, knowing Jude of all people would never own up to it, but that’s one of the things she loved about him.

He watched her as she observed the models astutely, jotting down notes and quick little sketches into her small notebook that she always carried around.

A thin lock of hair fell in front of her face accentuating her loveliness, this moment was no different from when he watched her working so diligently in her tiny shack she called a studio. She’d often get lost in her own world, bringing her fashion designs to life into the early hours of the morning, as if nothing else mattered.

“Such a mess,” Jude sighed as he twirled the loose lock of hair around his finger before kissing it and pinning it back in place.

“Jude?”

When her concentration finally broke, she lifted her head up only for the tips of their noses to touch, her breath hitched at their closeness, and soon the craving to taste his lips bubbled up inside her. The feeling of Jude’s long fingers creeping along her jawline beckoned her to lean into him, but she suddenly found her gaze facing the stage again.

“Pay attention. I don’t wanna hear ya whinin’ later on that ya missed somethin’ important,” he ordered.

“Ugh, asshole,” she affectionately mumbled as she obeyed him.

After the show ended, they left the theater, but they weren’t heading back to Crown.

“Where are we going?”

“Anyone ever toldja ya talk too much?”

Mallory rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand holding it tightly, “Yep. You. At least once a day.”

He looked at their clasped hands and recalled the time when he once chaffed at the idea of being in a relationship, being loved or loving in return, and now there was no turning back. He was in too deep to go back living without her, he’d never let go of her, even if the world had to burn he’d make sure she’d never get away. Even so, he knew that she’d never run from him, that she’d never be one that he’d have to take revenge upon; if he smoked cigarettes to fuel his rage, then she was the source of his peace, and for that….

I’ll give you anything to see you smile.

Once they reached their destination, Jude and Mallory stood in front of a large ornate building in the heart of London, her heterochromatic eyes stared with curiosity in the dead of night.

“Hurry up,” he commanded has he unlocked the door of the darkened building.

After they entered, Jude turned on the lights that revealed a large empty storefront with several rooms, and as they reached the back of the building a staircase guided them up to higher floors.

They ascended the spiral staircase until they reached the third floor, halting in front of the door, Jude turned to Mallory and handed her a gold key with a brilliant ruby set in it’s head.

“Wh-”

Jude rolled his eyes, took her hand and placed the key in it, “Open it.”

She stepped forward, unlocked the door and slowly pushed it open, “Where’s the light switch?”

Her fingers fumbled around until she found it, and after flipping the switch on she gasped at the sight of the room, her mind went blank as she covered her mouth in disbelief.

Jude lit a cigarette and leaned against the doorframe as her purple and pink eyes brimmed with excitement at the walls lined with numerous bolts of high quality fabrics, mannequins, shelves lined with a plethora of laces, threads and buttons; catalogs of the latest textiles available to order, books about fashion from around the world, design tables, and the latest sewing machines.

Mallory spun slowly towards Jude with tears in her eyes, she didn’t need to ask because she knew that he was giving it to her, but she couldn’t understand…..

“Why?” she asked with a cracked voice.

“Ain’t it your birthday?”

“What,” Mallory asked with a perplexed expression. She looked down at the key again, and recalled that ruby was her birthstone.

She had completely forgotten it was her birthday, because her parents…..well, her past wasn’t exactly an affectionate one, so she never received much other than ridicule.

She’d celebrated Jude’s birthday last year, but never thought much about hers. Clenching the key tightly she held it to her chest completely speechless.

Jude isn’t the type to say, “I love you,” but he never fails to express it in his actions.

“Three floors,” Jude finished his cigarette and started walking towards her.

“This’ll be your atelier,” he grabbed her by the arm and walked her to the design table.

“The second’ll be your business office. I’ll send someone with brains from Raven to help ya keep the books,” he picked her up and sat her on the table, trapping her between her his arms.

“The bottom floor’ll be your boutique or whatever ya call it. I’ve got suppliers on standby, so make your decoration choices by the end of the week, or I’ll choose ‘em for ya.”

“My….own business? But what about the danger you say I’m constantly in for being with you? A-are you sure about this?”

“Lookin’ down on my ability to protect ya know matter what, huh? Think I ain’t competent enough to keep ya safe ‘n make your dreams come true?” His face scowled defensively, but all Mallory could do was smile as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Of course not,” she sniffled as Jude’s face softened, wiping away her tears gently.

“Then let me keep cursing ya like I promised,” he said with a low voice, his lips eagerly locking with hers like he wanted to do earlier in the theater. His hand snaked down her waistline before pinching it in his favorite place, causing her to let out a soft moan, “Jude.”

“Now, how’re ya gonna repay me, princess?” he snickered as he bit onto her earlobe. The sweet sting moved Mallory to grab a fabric tape measure near herself, which she wrapped around Jude, pulling him closer to her. There was no way she was letting him escape from her. Ever.

He chuckled and whispered hotly into her ear, “Happy Birthday, Mal.”

In the middle of night, they threaded their bodies together, creating the most beautiful design of cursed love.

[natimiles]

🤍 Platonic/Friends | 💖 Romance | 💔 Angst

Fanfics & Scenarios:

Jude

💖 Lazy morning with Jude 💖 Your beloved Jude

Roger

💖 It's alright 💖 I really like it 💖 Heartbeats (OC: Mina)

Liam

💖 More than yesterday

[judesmoonbeauty]

Art Comm completed by @ reliafutu on X. My OC: Isla x Jude⌛️🌊

Isla’s Lore: Most know that her Victorian version isn’t cursed, but her mod AU version is. However, the water plays a large part in their lives, and both girls are excellent shots. Their fathers took them hunting quite a bit growing up, and although modern Isla can drown anyone with within her line of sight, she’d rather shoot someone dead because she can lose control of her ability when her emotions are too high. Although, Jude loves watching her victims struggle for their lives as they drown, so she humors him when she’s not emotionally involved

[razzmatome]

Beauty III

         Bea glared at Jude, half-slumped against his chest. While she’d managed to get out of his hold on her wrist, he’d spun her around to face him. Now both arms were locked around her, trapping her against him.          “We need to work on your stamina, princess.”          “Shut up,” she panted.          He smiled lazily at her, clearly pleased with himself.

Pairing: Jude x f!OC

Word Count: 1534

CW: Body insecurity, Jude being Jude with a cameo of soft Jude

A/N: And the conclusion! This was nice to write even though it touched on insecurities I have myself. But it's nice to explore them in fiction and have someone say good things about them. Header and dividers from @/natimiles

Part I (sfw) // Part II (nsfw) // Part III (sfw)

Read on Ao3

         Sinking deeper into the tub, Bea sighed softly. The water was hotter than she normally preferred, but it felt amazing on her aching muscles. It seemed like she found a new set of them every day. Or rather Jude was.

         She blew out a breath, bubbles forming in the water. He’d been like a man possessed this last week. Something in their relationship had shifted, something in him had shifted. He hadn’t pushed her to wear the outfit again. He didn’t need to. Every night, he had stripped her out of whatever she’d worn to bed, hands moving over her body like he hadn’t thoroughly mapped it the night before. He wouldn’t let her get away or hide from him for an instant and he had taken to leaving the lights on.

         Just this morning, she’d woken to stinging kisses and firm fingers on her before he’d taken her again. It was a miracle she’d been able to get up after.

         Lifting an arm out of the water, she studied the faint bruises around her wrist. They had faded from that first night but she could still feel his hands around her, holding her right where he wanted her. So he could do what he wanted to her.

         “That’s a lewd look, princess.”

         Her nose wrinkled at the sudden voice. Why did he always have to catch her when she didn’t want him to? “I was thinking about you,” she admitted, looking at him.

         “Me or what I do to ya?”

         “Yes.”

         Jude snorted and came into the room.

         She watched as he started shrugging out of his clothes, letting them fall to the floor as they would. A warmth filled her that had nothing to do with the bath. She rolled her eyes when he smirked at her, no doubt at whatever expression she was wearing now. “I like looking at you,” she said softly. Which wasn’t a lie. She would gladly watch him, clothed or naked, whenever she could.

         His smirk remained. “Shove over.”

         Moving forward in the tub, she watched the water ripple and rise as he stepped in behind her. A laugh bubbled out of her when he gripped her waist to pull her into him.

         “Why’s this so fuckin’ hot?’ he growled at her.

         “I wanted it to stay warm longer.”

         A thoughtful pause from behind her. “Waitin’ for me?”

         She nodded, flushing. Her lips pressed together to contain her moan as his fingers dug in. She glanced at him and wasn’t surprised at the satisfaction in his eyes. Letting her head rest on his shoulder, she smiled at him.

         “You’re too simple to please.”

         Rolling her eyes again, Bea let her fingers stroke along his thighs. The words sounded mean but she knew better. The tips of her fingers traced patterns on his skin, feeling the raised edges of scars marking the toned muscles. He wasn’t the only one that liked touching the other but she so rarely got to. He’d taken to restraining her hands the moment she tried to cover herself and sometimes he didn’t let her go until she was ready to pass out.

         “No,” she said quietly when he grabbed one hand and lifted it out of the water.

         He didn’t listen to her. Long fingers stroked over the bruises and he muttered, “I should give ya more. Let those idiots know you’re taken.”

         Oh, how she wanted to tell him no. The girls had gotten one look at her high collars and the marks around her wrists that the lace hadn’t fully hidden and been in titters all week. They’d been merciless in their teasing and desire for details, but she knew they were genuinely happy for her. Thankfully, they’d behaved the few times Jude had stopped by the shop.

         She jumped when he bit her ear. “H-Hey!”

         “Pay attention.”

         “I am!”

         “Now ya are.”

         Bea huffed and tried to push away from him. His arm around her tightened, his fingers pressing into her belly. “Jude!”

      ��  “Thought ya learned not to run from me.”

         He was being ridiculous! “I’m hardly running.”

         “Then sit still,” he growled.

         “Stop it!” she squeaked when he pinched her.

         Water splashed out of the tub as they struggled. But she quickly found herself in a worse situation.

         Bea glared at Jude, half-slumped against his chest. While she’d managed to get out of his hold on her wrist, he’d spun her around to face him. Now both arms were locked around her, trapping her against him.

         “We need to work on your stamina, princess.”

         “Shut up,” she panted.

         He smiled lazily at her, clearly pleased with himself.

         Bea gave up and fully slumped on him. Here she’d hoped they could just enjoy each other’s company after a day apart. She should have known better. But now that she wasn’t struggling, his grip was a little looser and the tips of his fingers were tracing along her back. Maybe…maybe this wasn’t so bad after all.

         Her own fingers began to wander, following the edges of his scars. There were so many littered across his body, ranging from relatively minor to leaving her baffled how he could still be alive. It spoke of the life he had lived, was still living. And she….

         “Spit it out.”

         “What?”

         “I can hear ya thinkin’ so spit it out.”

         She hesitated, trying to find the right words. “I was thinking about what you said, about….” She took a breath. “About marks on the body.”

         “What ‘bout it?”

         Bea pursed her lips. The marks on his body were a testament to his will to survive. Hers were a result of a cycle of punishing her body and it lashing back. She made a noise when he pinched her ass. “They’re not the same!” she said quickly before he could do it again.

         “’Course they ain’t. We ain’t lived the same life, have we?”

         “No.”

         “Then why would they be the same? Princess, I know you’ve got a brain in there so use it.”

         She considered biting him but that would only prove his words wrong because there was no way he would let her get away with that.

         Jude fell quiet as she did but she could feel his fingers tracing along her hips. Along the stretch marks there. It was hard not to tense at the touch but she tried.

         She blinked when she felt him brush against the top of her head, his breath fanning over her. Had he just kissed her? She tried to move to see him but his arms tightened again, one hand moving to cup the back of her head and press her into his chest.

         “Different battles, Beatrice,” he said quietly. “That doesn’t make yours any less than mine.”

         Tears pricked her eyes, her breath catching. “Jude….”

         “It ain’t gonna be easy unlearnin’ that shit in your head, but ya need to. You’re worth more than ya give yourself credit for.” His fingers flexed. “You’re worth more to me.”

         Oh. Oh. Bea squeezed her eyes shut to keep herself from crying. She wasn’t ready for this side of him, she never was, and it was always so devastating to her heart when he let her see it.

         His arms squeezed her briefly. “I ain’t gonna make ya promise me. Yet,” he added. “I’m gonna trust ya to try.”

         To be kinder to herself. He didn’t need to say it for her to know what he was talking about. It had been loud and clear in everything he’d done this week, showing without words what he felt for her. But he was right, it wasn’t going to be easy. “I’ll try,” she said softly.

         “Good girl.”

         His praise made her feel too damn good. Her toes curled in the water and she kissed his chest before pressing her flushed cheek to him. He was still stroking her, following the lines in her skin. She shivered as one hand moved lower, her nose wrinkling as he found the dimples on her thighs. “Stop it,” she muttered.

         “No.”

         She hadn’t thought it would work. Even before the incident, he’d spent a lot of their time together touching her. Through clothes, against bare skin, he hadn’t seemed to have a preference. But it had gotten worse since that night.

         “You’re not gonna take away my favourite part of the day.”

         “Damn you,” Bea whispered.

         “Too late for that, princess.”

         He always had to have the last word but she found herself smiling despite it. Listening to his heartbeat, she sighed quietly but even she could hear the contentment in it. She made a small noise when he shifted them both in the tub, letting her lay more fully on him. “Too heavy?’ she asked when he sighed.

         An annoyed noise left him and he pinched her. “Never. Fuckin’ stay put, Beatrice. I ain’t got anywhere to be ‘n neither do you.”

         “Bossy.” Her smile stayed and she relaxed back into him. It was still hard not to flinch a little when he found something new to touch but there was nothing but love behind his touches. He was right that this wouldn’t be easy but she’d try. For the both of them.

[judesmoonbeauty]

I FINALLY FEEL LIKE I CAN SHARE OUR VOWS WITHOUT HOLDING BACK NOW!!!!

ILYSM JUDE 💜⌛️🌊

Let’s work hard and stay together forever 💜💜💜

You can’t see it, but his avatar includes his wedding ring.

[judesmoonbeauty]

Highway Kisses

Apparently, it's international kiss day or something like that, so I thought I'd write a tiny drabble. It was supposed to be a fic inspired by a chat the IkeVil server about theme parks, so I intended it to be longer, but it turned out this way. Maybe I'll write a follow-up to their misadventures at the theme park one day. WC: 269┃Fluff ┃Kisses ┃Love Bites CW: Mild cursing Pairing: Jude x My OC - Isla

On their way back from an intel mission, a large theme park came into sight as they were driving on the highway. Noticing her eyes brighten as she caught sight of the lights, Jude expected Isla to mention that she wanted to go, but she didn’t say anything. It was probably because she knew he had a business meeting the next day that he wanted to prep for once they returned from their mission.

“Tch….if ya wanna go then say so.”

He suddenly swerved the vehicle into the next lane just barely merging onto the exit needed to get to the theme park, leaving Isla to feel like her heart was going to leap out of her chest.

“Jude, what the hell?! You’re such a jerk.”

“And?”

He snickered at her while enjoying every bit of the expression on her face. Picking up her free hand he bit down on the top of her knuckle, quickly grazing the sore spot with his hot tongue before gently kissing it, a sweet tingle traveled up her arm before it settled in her heart.

As he locked his fingers with hers, she lifted his hand to her mouth biting him back with as much strength as he bit her with. With a sweet peck over the mark she left she responded, “And I love you.”

Those words wrapped around his heart like a returning promise.

“Ya better, if ya know what’s good for your ass, princess.”

With a warm summer night ahead of them, the dangerous pair continued onto their destination, enjoying sweet kisses throughout the evening.

Dividers: @/natimiles I have a taglist, but I don't usually include that for my OC fics/drabbles, but if you want to be tagged for this or any of my writing, then please comment or DM me.

[razzmatome]

The Webs We Weave (Ch 2)

         He studied her. “What’s that tell ya?”          “You’re agitated. Frustrated likely that this visit isn’t what you expected.”          “Ya some kind of mind reader?” he demanded.          Wrong sister, she thought to herself, picking up a spool of thread. “I’ve worked here for five years,” she said. “I know the Hale siblings and I know what I see here.”          “What else ya see?”

Pairing: Jude/fOC

Word Count: 2350

CW: a hint of fat shaming (not from main oc nor suitor), swearing

Previous // Next

Borders and headers from @/natimiles

         Lazily stroking Grimm, Bea watched people walking by the entrance of the alley. She’d told the other girls to go for a walk when Sissy had demanded they leave the workroom. They apparently weren’t needed for the visit with Mr. Jazza and would only be in the way. But she’d stayed nearby. Neither Sissy nor Richard had any idea about how the shop ran beyond money came in and dresses went out.

         She expected one of them to come running in a panic before too long. It wasn’t her job to save their asses but she had no desire to deal with the temper tantrum either one of them would throw if no one was here. She did find it curious, however, that it hadn’t been their father that had facilitated the deal. Mr. Hale at least came by the shop frequently so he had some idea of what the business was doing. Even if he generally only spoke with Charles to review the books.

         Leaning against the wall, she sighed. She was tired already and it was barely noon. Too much was happening today. Why was it all happening today? Was it some kind of warning? Was it a sign that something more was coming?

         Her lips quirked up when she heard pounding footsteps from inside the shop. That hadn’t taken half as much time as she’d anticipated. She didn’t bother to move off the crate she was sitting on, scratching between Grimm’s ears. She wasn’t going to make it easier for anyone that came looking for her.

         The door banged open and Sissy spilled into the alleyway. She looked completely out of place in her brightly coloured dress, not that she’d looked at home in the shop either. She hadn’t even had the decency to wear something from the shop for the visit. As soon as she’d walked in, it had been clear that she was there for one thing when it came to Mr. Jazza.

         Bea waited as she frantically sorted herself out before looking around. The panic melted into annoyance as she saw her. “Of course, it’s you,” she spat. “Where are the other two?”

         She didn’t even know their names, did she? “You told them to leave so they did. They’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

         “Twenty?!”

         Grimm’s ears folded back at Sissy’s shout and Bea kept petting him. “Is there a problem?” she asked mildly. “Is Mr. Jazza not happy?”

         “He has questions about the shop.”

         That you can’t answer. “I see.”

         Sissy huffed, tossing her hair. “Well? Get your fat ass up and come inside!”

         Grimm hissed, the sound louder than a cat of his size should have been able to make.

         Sissy pressed a hand to her chest, eyes wide as she took a step back. “Get rid of that thing and come inside!” she said, stomping her foot.

         Bea stared at her calmly. “Go inside. I’ll be right there.”

         She opened her mouth to argue but fled inside when Grimm growled.

         Waiting a moment, she looked down at the cat in her lap. He looked back at her, a growl still rumbling through him. “No,” she said softly, “you can’t eat her.”

         His eyes narrowed, clearly displeased.

         “No,” she repeated, keeping her voice firm. If she wavered for even a moment, he would take it as approval and do something she absolutely did not want to deal with.

         He flicked his ears before leaping to the ground as she stood up. His tail lashed a few times before he wound between her legs.

         She waited, watching as he slipped behind her to disappear into her shadow. Perhaps she should have kept Jynx today. She wasn’t as excitable as her counterpart.

         Taking a deep breath, she gathered herself and went inside. She found Sissy at the door of the workroom, tapping her foot.

         “Finally!” she snapped, yarding the door open.

         Bea grit her teeth and followed her in, stopping just inside the door. Sissy didn’t seem to notice, flouncing over to her brother but Bea kept her focus on the pair she didn’t recognise. They were both looking at her as well, which made it hard to breathe. Something about them made it hard to breathe. Were they…witches?

         “This is Bea,” Richard said, informally introducing her and making her frown. “She’s in charge of the girls.”

         She slanted a glance at him. Oh, was she? That was news to her.

         “She can answer any questions you have, Mr. Jazza.”

         Bea started to sigh when one of the men made a sharp noise. “Ellis, review the sales logs with ‘em.”

         “Oh, we can do that later, Mr. Jazza. I want-”

         “Neither one of ya could answer my questions and I’ve wasted enough time waitin’ for answers already. We’re leavin’ once I’m done talkin’ to her.”

         Bea fought to keep her face expressionless, but she was shocked. No one had ever talked to the Hale siblings like that. Hadn’t Richard sought this man out? Why had he helped them to turn around and berate them?

         “Let my sister stay to confirm-”

         “Why? She doesn’t know shit. Ellis, now.”

         “Sure, Jude.” The dark haired man smiled and approached the siblings. “Nice to meet you, Miss Bea,” he said politely before ushering the siblings out the door.

         She blinked as he ignored their protests and closed the door behind him. “Huh,” she said quietly.

         “Ya really in charge?”

         Getting right to it was he? He really must not want to be there any longer. Turning back to Mr. Jazza, she shook her head. “No, that would be Mrs. Turner.” When his face clouded with frustration, she added, “She’s been away for some time now, sick.”

         His head cocked. “They said you’re in charge.”

         “Because they won’t replace her. I was working as her apprentice so her responsibilities fell to me.”

         He made that sharp noise again and sucked on his cheek. His hands were steepled in front of him but she saw the way his fingers were twitching slightly.

         Oh. She recognised that and it probably wasn’t helping his mood at all. “We can move to another room if you want to smoke,” she offered.

         “What?”

         “You’re acting like you want a cigarette.”

         “Ya just met me and ya think ya know me?”

         Bea shrugged and moved to a workbench to sit down. It wasn’t as overwhelming now that there was only one but something about him made her skin itch. Keeping the room between them was probably for the best. “You had questions?”

         “How’d ya know I smoke?”

         She frowned. Why was he stuck on that? “One of the girls smokes,” she explained. “We don’t allow smoking in the workroom to keep the smell off of the fabrics. She has certain tells when she wants one but can’t have it yet.”

         He studied her. “What’s that tell ya?”

         “You’re agitated. Frustrated likely that this visit isn’t what you expected.”

         “Ya some kind of mind reader?” he demanded.

         Wrong sister, she thought to herself, picking up a spool of thread. “I’ve worked here for five years,” she said. “I know the Hale siblings and I know what I see here.”

         “What else ya see?”

         Bea paused in unwinding the thread to consider him. What was he really asking her? He didn’t seem the type to beat around the bush, but did he want that honesty from her? Was he testing to see if she was loyal to the people who employed her? “A sinking ship,” she said, cutting the thread loose.

         “Most people don’t stay on those.”

         “Some people don’t have a choice.” She pushed the thread across the table, twisting it absently around her fingers. “While the situation leaves something to be desired, there is some security here.”

         “Not much.”

         “Do you know how hard it is to find a decent job, Mr. Jazza? That doesn’t see you worked to the bone every day? Or to not have any advances made on your person? They might not know what they’re doing, but we do.”

         He studied her, clearly thinking about something. She didn’t care what; the majority of her attention was focused on the sigils she was using the thread to conceal she was making.

         Sighing softly, she pressed her hands to the tabletop and looked fully at him. The spell released slowly, carefully, shivering up her fingers before spreading through the room. Silently. She watched as his shadow flickered behind him, the edges warping and turning jagged, but mostly keeping its shape. Not one of her kind then but more than human. The list of what ‘more’ could be wasn’t very long, but she didn’t have the desire to figure out what. She scrunched the string into her palm before letting it and the spell drop. “Was there anything else?” she asked politely.

         “Turn around time on orders.”

         Bea blinked. “That depends on the order and the availability of the client. We strive to have all orders completed within two weeks. It is harder with only the three of us as they haven’t decreased the amount of orders we take but the machines make up for it.”

         “Who purchases materials?”

         “I generally do if they don’t bring it themselves,” she said slowly.

         “Where?”

         “Why?”

         He gave her a look, waiting for her to continue.

         “Why would I tell a man I don’t know where I shop? You may have business with Mr. Hale but I’m not a fool.”

         “At least one of ya has a damn brain,” he muttered, “but you’re alone in here with me.”

         “Across the room and closer to the shears than you are,” she said mildly. The shears would be the least of his concerns if he decided to try anything.

         Why did he look pleased with that answer? “Ya hafta stab anyone here?”

         “No.” She had better tools to deal with wandering hands and had already used them. There was a reason why the girls were safe when a man like Richard Hale worked here.

         Bea watched as he pulled out a pocket watch and made a face. “Not a complete waste of time,” he muttered, putting it away. “Ya here every day?”

         Her eyes narrowed and she didn’t answer.

         He smirked at her and, even across the room, she could see the wicked way his eyes danced. “Good. I don’t trust either of ‘em to tell me the truth about shit. Money is meant to go into the shop. Books will tell me if they ain’t; you’ll tell me why.”

         “Why should I? You’re asking me to betray my employer.”

         “Given the amount of money I gave, I am your employer.”

         That wasn’t what the Hales thought. “Not much of a deal when you aren’t offering me anything in return?”

         His lips quirked again. “Whaddya want?”

         Was he seriously offering her a deal? To keep tabs and spy on her employers for him? He didn’t seem like he was lying or trying to pull her leg. There was an odd light in his eyes that made her nervous to even continue the conversation. “I’d like to think about it,” she said honestly. “I’m not rushing into anything with a man I just met.”

         “Three days. I’ll be back ‘round again in three days.”

         She watched as he moved toward the door and left without waiting for her to say anything back. Sighing again, she braced her head in her hands. What had just happened? She’d gone from not thinking she would meet him at all to being offered a deal to rat out the Hales. Because she was certain that everyone who knew about the deal was aware it was unlikely that money was actually going to go into the shop. But why pick her to be his spy? What would he gain if they defaulted on whatever contract they had?

         Why did things keep happening today? Couldn’t it just stop? Was something trying to punish her and her sisters? Hadn’t they already been through enough?

         But he was going to be the least of her problems for three days. She had bigger things to worry about.

~

         Ignoring Ellis as he ate his gelato, Jude worked on his cigarette and rolled the earlier conversation around in his head. Miss Bea had been oddly forthcoming given she kept saying she didn’t know him, even if she’d had the self-preservation to not give him details about herself. But that told him the situation was worse than he had initially thought.

         “Did you get what you wanted?”

         Did he? He’d gotten answers to questions he didn’t really need the answers to but…. “Won’t say I know how but I’d wager she’s the reason,” he said.

         Ellis hummed and ate another bite of gelato. “Should we tell Victor?”

         “No.” He had no proof she was cursed. He had absolutely no answers about why his men hadn’t learned anything. Maybe he should have hired a woman to try to get those answers but it was too late now. But he doubted even that would be enough to get close enough to her to find anything out.

He did respect the fact that she hadn’t simply accepted his offer. Her wariness of him was good to see after the Hales; at least she recognised that a deal wasn’t something to rush into. She didn’t seem to like the idea of feeding him information but she hadn’t denied him outright so she was open to the idea.

She’d called the shop a sinking ship; what was she going to want in return as her life line off of it?

         “I think they might be worse off than we thought,” Ellis said after a moment.

         Jude looked at him with a frown. “What?”

         “The lights nearly went out while we were reviewing the books. They both seemed spooked when it happened but denied there were problems with the building.”

         “What?” he said again.

         “Didn’t you see it? I even heard people in the shop yelling about it.”

         Staring at him, Jude silently swore. Cursed or not, something was going on in that shop that wasn’t normal.

[adreaminthesea]

WC: 2,790 CW: Brief descriptions/allusions to s*icide. Pairing: Modern AU Jude Jazza x OC Isla Corbin Tags: Angst, Pre-Relationship, Pairing Introduction Dividers: @.saradika-graphics/@.natimiles

Sunken eyes stare across the skyline, the breeze plays with silvery brunette hair, pulling it up in an airy dance. Bitter cold brushes against her skin as the tips of her shoes peek over the edge of the high clock tower. The view of the campus and the rest of London fill her vision, the silence is deafening in the early twilight.

The creaking of the opening door from behind made her tense, but as soon as Alfons voice cracked into the air, Isla’s body relaxed.

“Thought you’d be up here, my dear.” He joined her, side by side on the ledge, while she just kept staring ahead as he spoke.

“So, Isla?” He looked straight ahead at the vast forest of dead trees that surrounded Crown’s restricted area on the campus.

“Just saying goodbye.” There was a listless finality with that statement which made his misty gray eyes dart her way.

Her frame was as still as stone, but one that could easily topple at any moment. With some thought, he pulled the glove from his hand, “Well then, shall I offer you a sweet dream on your tumble down?”

She pulled her hair away from her nape and offered it to him willingly. “Yes, let’s have one more beautiful dream,” she said numbly.

Alfons stepped up behind her and whispered gently into her ear, feeling conflicted deeply for the first time in a long time, but he couldn’t deny her. As soon as he stepped away, her eyes glazed over in pure joy, and without a care in the world, Isla plunged below into the sea of dead trees that stretched out their branches like a pack starving claws.

Gasp!

Isla woke up while her body was in the middle of falling onto the floor. Catching herself on her wrist, she barely missed face planting onto the cold hardness. Her stomach still rolling just as it had when she was plummeting to her death in her dream. Flinching at the sharp pain in her wrist, she quickly sat up and looked at the clock on her nightstand.

5:00 a.m.

She let out a long breath, and out of habit she reached for the rubber band on her nightstand, but when she remembered that she threw it away, she felt frustrated.

“Let’s just go.” She said with a huff.

She got up, showered and then went to the clock tower that she had just dreamed about to watch the dawn break over the campus. However, this time Alfons was there before her. This time she was the one who stood next to him atop the ledge. This time was the last time she would ever do this, but not for the same reason in her dream.

“You’re up rather early.” He said with a playful smirk.

“And you’re home rather early.” She kicked back in a flat tone.

The sleeves of her sweater were pushed up on her arms as she stared at the still starry morning.

“Ah, it seems you’re no longer wearing it,” Alfons observed her bare wrist which used to don a rubber band.

Isla gingerly tugged her sleeve down to hide her skin, “Time to break bad habits….and start new ones.”

“Ohhh?” He queried.

“Well….” She paused choosing her words carefully, “…You could say I’m taking a page from your book. I’ll just stop thinking about unpleasant things.”

“I never wanted them anyway.”

Alfons turned his head to look at her. “You mean you aim to forget…about him. Sounds like a good habit to me.”

She smiled faintly, “I’ll lie to myself. Deny myself. Fill myself up with other things….until maybe, I'll forget him just enough that my fate won’t be as hellish as it’s going to be, and then…..”

She hopped down and started walking to the door, never minding the faint orange glow creeping up in the East nor finishing her sentence. And as he watched her back, for a moment, Alfons felt that she was the one that was more faint than morning mist. He figured what she meant to do, and he was silently grateful he’d not be involved.

“Your tenure is up today, what shall you do?” he asked after her.

Isla stopped midway to the door.

Originally, she was supposed to die by hands the of Crown in three months time, which she readily agreed to, but that was before Crown learned of her ability, and before she knew what her tragic ending was - to live eternally in a watery hell as a half-crazed water spirit that pined for her lover.

Her wrist stung as if reminding her that she needed to see Roger as quickly as possible. Now was not the time to get distracted, but she couldn’t leave Alfons hanging either.

She turned and asked in a somewhat stoic, yet mischievous tone, “Can you keep a secret?”

Isla stepped into Jude’s private wing after visiting Roger in his lab, her wrist splinted from her fall, and other business conducted.

She arranged the documents on his desk, prepped his tea, and cleaned out his ashtray. After a few moments, he entered without acknowledging her with a morning greeting. That was a normal interaction between the two. Isla stepped away to the bookshelf to catalog a few things, when Jude finally spoke up.

“Yer wrist.”

Isla didn’t stop what she was doing when she responded, just as he didn’t stop reading when he spoke to her.

“Fell from bed this morning. Just a mild sprain.”

That was a sufficient response, but the fact that she seemed so unaffected by recent events, it grated on Jude’s nerves in an abnormal way. Especially since she crossed a line she strained not to cross for many years - he being the reason why the line was crossed.

He let it go after some thought, even though she explained why she did what she did, he could not bring himself to accept those words nor offer the same words to her in return. It would be disgusting of him to do so, she had a family who loved her, and she should be with them for as long as she could.

“Ya got a meeting with the swim team today. It’s usually later in the week.”

Isla turned around with a mild smile, “Seems like things were changed this week. Well, I’ve gotta run or I’ll be late. Your first meeting is at 9:00 a.m., then you’ve got a class. Ellis will be with Liam all day prepping for the next fundraiser until Crown’s meeting tonight......It’s a rare, quiet day for us.”

Jude watched her pick up her bag before he shifted his attention back to his work.

Isla turned the knob on his door, paused for a second and said, “Bye.”

She didn’t stick around to listen to his response, which was for the best because he was wasn’t even listening to her at this point, being so absorbed in his work he didn’t even recognize the mist disappearing from his life.

Later that evening, all Crown members gathered in the large, pure white meeting room, each colorful member sitting at the long white table in stark contrast.

All were present, save for two, Jude and Isla.

“Now, that will be all. Ellis, my dear boy, I’m counting on you to relay the assignment information to Jude when he returns, and that shall wrap things up.”

Just as the meeting adjourned, a hand quickly darted up, “Um, Victor….where’s Isla?”

Before Victor could answer, Jude entered the meeting room.

“Oh, Jude! Welcome!”

“Can it. Ellis, have ya seen Isla? Can’t reach her mobile.”

Ellis shook his head, “No. I texted her before the meeting, but it said the message couldn’t be delivered.”

“What?!” He seethed between a clenched jaw.

Victor promptly announced, “Ah, Isla will not be returning to Crown. In fact, she will not be returning to campus -“

“The hell? Care to repeat that?”

Liam’s face grew grim and Harrison looked down in realization before he said, “Her time was up, huh?”

Victor smiled, “That’s right.”

William smiled wickedly at Victor’s affirmation, which pissed Jude off so much that he walked over and grabbed him by the collar.

“Oi, ya bastard. What did ya do to her?”

Roger stood up to pull Jude off William, only for Victor to clarify rather quickly, “Ah, she’s quite alright. She should be halfway to Germany by now.”

A look of shock painted Jude’s face as he let go of William, and turned to Victor.

“The hell does that mean? We’ve got a contract, she can’t leave.”

“…About that,” Victor held up a letter, “Isla was accepted into a six month exchange program she applied to prior to her involvement with Crown.”

He placed it on the table and slid it to Jude, who quickly took the letter and read it over.

“So that’s why she let me draw so much blood this morning….”

“……What?” asked Elbert in surprise.

Roger laughed, “She was adamant that I use it for research. Of course, she asked me for something in return…...”

Jude’s thoughts were solely on the acceptance letter, and couldn’t focus on anything anybody else was saying.

“Jude, this nullifies your contract with Isla, as there is a clause allowing the contract to be voided if she were required to travel to further pursue her education.”

All eyes fell on Jude as he grit his teeth, being subjected to accept the situation by force. The entire room was silent until Alfons started belting out laughter, “Ahaha, she really pulled one over you, didn’t she you villain?!”

“Al that’s not nice…..”, Elbert quietly reprimanded.

“Well, what’s done is done. We should be happy for her since she’s following her heart.” William finally chimed in.

“But wasn’t she supposed to…..you know?” Liam tilted his pink head quizzically.

“Things changed the moment we learned she was cursed, and even more so afterwards.”

Victor explained while standing up, “Well, I have a faculty meeting to get to, have a Good Evening, my Cursed Ones.”

In a gambling den ran by Jude, he sat in the darkest corner simmer over everything that happened with a glass of whiskey in his hand, and a cigarette with the other. The way he was made a fool in front of everyone made his blood boil, as his memory of that morning in his office retraced everything that expired between them, and finally he connected the dots.

“Bye,” Her voice echoed in his mind.

It was enough to move him to barge into Victor’s office, who was caring for his succulent’s at the time, to confront him, “Ya helped her with the schedule change, so she could leave quietly, and kept her acceptance a secret.”

Sapphire eyes met amethyst ones in silence for a moment, “...She came to me asking if I’d pardon her death sentence for certain reasons, and let her leave for the program now that her time was up with Crown. She proved herself loyal to us, to her own evil, and I had no reason not to help someone as lovely, caring and adorable as her.”

“Sneaky bastards,” Jude turned to leave.

“If she approached you to tell you about this program, would you have let her go?”

“‘Course n-“

“Why not? I read the contract, I know you placed her into a contract under the guise of repayment, but it seems it was really a form of protection for her against Crown. Essentially, if her three months were up, we couldn’t touch her because her debt with you wasn’t satisfied yet. You’re using your contract with Crown to do whatever you wish with your targets in her favor.”

Victor stared at Jude’s back as he paused.

“We aren’t going to harm her, so your contract isn’t needed.”

Victor’s cheerful tone scraped against Jude’s ears. I know that.

“Now, you’re free of a nuisance. Isn’t that right, Jude?”

“Tch, ya cost me free labor. Be prepared to pay me for it, Counselor.”

Jude hissed back at Victor full of venom.

“Of course.” Victor agreed readily, knowing he had one-upped the angry Jude who left his office in quiet fury.

As soon as Jude left Victor behind, there was Alfons leaning against the wall waiting for him.

“One problem after another,” he muttered, walking past Alfons.

He followed Jude from behind saying not a word, but simply chuckling to himself.

“Got somethin’ to say?”

“Oh, my no. It’s just…..I’m enjoying this immensely. Isla never disappoints me. When she told me her pla-whoops! That was supposed to be a secret.”

For some reason, as he watched Alfons pretend like he was sorry for saying something he shouldn’t, those words pricked Jude more than they should’ve, like a barbed thorn pricking his cold, impregnable heart. The pain felt….

“Well, I ain’t lettin’ her off.”

Alfons looked genuinely surprised for a moment before he laughed at Jude, “You pathetic thing, do you really believe she’s coming back?”

“……”

“She’s never returning.”

His eyes narrowed on Alfons, “And how d’ya know that?”

Alfons walked ahead of Jude with a shrug, “Like I said, she told me her plan herself this morning.”

The thorn pricking Jude’s heart drove itself deeper, with the knowledge that Alfons knew something about her that he didn't. In truth, Jude didn't really know anything at all about her - at least not was spurring her most recent action.

“Ha, why'd I believe an immoral spectacle like yerself?”

Alfons turned around chaffing at his insult. It's true, he wasn't the purest soul on the face of the earth, but he wasn't so calloused to be as cruel as to lie about this to him, about her. Cruelty was apart Jude's curse not his. They sized each other up for a moment.

“Do you know why she truly left in the first place?”

The implication of that question annoyed Jude further. Dammit, it’s just a small thorn. If it hurts, all I need to do is pull it out.

“Dunno. Don’t care. Good riddance.”

Just like that, Jude’s heartlessness rejected the thorn, and pushed it back out, he never wanted it anyway - this thorny love.

She was just a bad habit that crept slowly within him.

Alfons grew hot at his indifference and stepped up to Jude’s face.

“Indeed. Now that she’s gone she’ll drown better without you in her life. Still, I hope your hell is more miserable than hers.”

“What’s that mean?”

Isla’s eyelids lift slowly, her vision greeted by wintery patchwork below her. She thought about how distant she was now from her family, Crown, and him. It stung, but it felt exhilarating knowing she was on par with him enough to dupe him.

When a voice from the intercom announced that their descent was about to begin, Isla looked at the time on her phone, and thought about Jude who’d be finishing up his class right about now, making his way back to his office to complete Raven’s work until he had to attend Crown’s meeting.

Old habits die hard, but it wasn’t too difficult to shut him out. She carefully practiced the art of carving out love and affection for others over the years, saving only a measured amount for her immediate family. She couldn't afford to have strong emotions affect her ability.

Still, both Crown and Jude, sat heavily in her mind, more than she thought they would. So, just this once, Isla decided that until she stepped onto German soil, she’d relish a little longer in her memories she’d soon intentionally turn into sterile, emotionless encounters.

True to her word, as soon as she arrived, she killed everything she had been reminiscing about with indifference, and focused on her future tasks. She promised to do one last job for Victor over the next six months, so there was no room for error.

After picking up her luggage from the baggage belt, she walked towards the entrance to look for the ride who had been arranged to pick her up at the airport, when a sudden cheerful voice popped behind her.

“Guten Tag, Miss.”

Isla turned around and was greeted by a lovely crash of blue and a robust smile.

“You must be, Isla Corbin.”

Finally, it's taken me months to figure out just how I wanted to start modern Jude's & Isla's story, I knew the plot and how things would play out, but I don't know if it's because we lack official Jude lore due to his route not being released (I like mixing in canon lore), or my simple lack of creative-writing skills, but I struggled with this. After umpteen rewrites, countless nights of being up to 3:00 am, and lots of head scratching, the inspiration finally hit me how to go about telling their story in the middle of the work day.

I was struggling very badly that day with a down-ish mood when I started listening to: This Love, This Hate by Hollywood Undead, (I was regressing to my angsty high school kid phase), and there was one line that stuck me as Isla-core in terms of the Destiny that she will face due to her curse. And so, the opening scene just spilled into my head, and I immediately started typing on my phone.

I feel like I'll continue their AU journey in the form of flashbacks to fill in the gaps of what transpired between them before she left Crown.

[Next]

[judesmoonbeauty]

It’s WIP Wednesday already….hmm..this is a tiny clip from my OC Isla x Jude (not mod AU):

Weapons were scattered across the floor alongside the bodies, and stopping just short of where the blood was pooling she spoke up, “Mr. Jazza…..”

[judesmoonbeauty]

Jude Jazza Creative Master List ☾.

MDNI. Please let me know if you'd like to be added to my tag list.

Series ☾. A Briar Dream Master List The Real Reason | SFW (Read Prior to Moon Garden) Moon Garden | SFW (Read After The Real Reason)

Full Fics ☾.

Vengeful Kiss | SFW

One Shots ☾. Gelato Kisses | SFW What If? | SFW Hey Jude | SFW The Viper & The Bird | SFW

Drabbles ☾. Erupt | SFW Should Be | SFW

OC Isla x Jude ☾. Highway Kisses | SFW

Dividers Courtesy of: @/natimiles [Master List] Please let me know if you want be added to my tag list by inbox or commenting.