#Ronnie loves Gray

[destourtereaux]

treat you better - cedric diggory x fem!reader (part 4: the finale)

read first: part 1, 2, 3 summary: all is well in love and friendship wc: 1.4k follow @lovebirdupdates to join my "taglist"

a/n: dear reader, thank you so much for following this series - i never imagined you would like it so much. i hope you enjoy this final fic, and please do reblog if yes! i’m sad to leave ceddie and harry, but i like how i've ended it :)

The morning after Cedric’s surprise party, you’re woken up by the soft sunlight streaming in through the huge windows of the Hufflepuff common room. Lifting your head up, you hear Cedric grumble, arms tightening around you. The scene feels so cozy that you don’t want to return to reality - but there’s a Herbology midterm coming up, and you’ve never been a natural at the subject, unlike a certain Hufflepuff. And so, you begin extricating yourself from Cedric’s embrace, which is no easy feat.

“How’s it feel to be seventeen, Ceddie?”

You get a groan in response.

“Alright, alright, then you stay put, but I’ve got to go study. I’m not a genius like you,” you tease, squirming in your efforts to slide out of his grasp.

“‘M not a genius, Y/N/N. You help me all the time. Don’t go, I know you’re ready for it, you don’t need anymore studying,” comes a sleepy protest. 

“Mm… thank you for your confidence, but I assure you I am not in the least prepared. And what is all this bad advice coming from a prefect,” you raise an eyebrow, before finally slipping out of Cedric’s arms, and standing up immediately to avoid being pulled back in. 

You feel the loss of Cedric’s warmth around your shoulders, and it weakens your resolve far more than it should, so you figure you need to leave as soon as possible, before grey eyes melt you into a puddle and back into his chest.

“Oh, fine. Leave me right after spending the night,” Cedric jokes, fully awake at last. He chuckles at the flush on your cheeks from this statement, and dodges your hit to his arm. “Just kidding, darling. Thank you for the party. Now go do what you have to do, I know you’re a busy girl.”

You smile softly, before tiptoeing up to ruffle his hair, and turn to leave. The gray eyes don’t leave you until you’re fully out of sight.

******

Climbing through the portrait hole, you see Ron and Harry sitting on the carpeted floor in front of the hearth, playing Wizard’s Chess, and Hermione engrossed in a book on the nearby couch. The scene is so familiar and comforting that it brings an involuntary smile to your face, before you wipe it off, the fight replaying in your head. 

Ron is the first to see you, freezing mid-check, and gives a weak wave. Harry turns, and so does Hermione, with the former also stiffing up, and the latter offering a sweet smile. Hermione then looks back, and, finding the two boys silent, rolls her eyes, and jerks her head in your direction, glaring at them.

Spurned, Ron and Harry stand up, and walk over, looking so dejected that you almost feel sorry for them.

“Y/N - it’s nice to see you again,” Ron begins, his expression sheepish. Harry nods to echo the sentiment.

“We just wanted to apologize for that night. For the mean things we said. None of it was true, and it was of no fault on your end,” Ron confesses.

Your eyes soften, and give him a pat on the shoulder, “thanks Ronnie. And I expect you’ve said the same to ‘Mione?” giving him a pointed look, to which he nods fervently. At this, you offer a smile at last, and seeing this, Ron seems to realize he’s forgiven.

“I’ll give you two some space then,” he says, guiding Hermione away, and leaving Harry alone with you in the Gryffindor Common Room.

Harry gestures for you to sit, and the two of you settle in on the carpet.

“Y/N/N - I’m really, honestly sorry. I had no right to say what I said, and I’ve felt horrid about it every day since then. I know you’ll always have my back, and some Yule Ball date would never change that. I hope you’ll forgive me,” the black haired boy finally blurts, the words spilling out of him.

Your resolve crumbles. I mean, this is Harry. One of your best friends. You could never stay mad at him, no matter how much he messes up. It’s like he said: you have each other’s backs. So you lean forward and hug him, breathing in the smell of broom polish and treacle toffee that you had missed incredibly, feeling the boy physically relax into your touch.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Harry chimes, as you pull out of the hug.

“Yes, I do. And I hope you’re okay with that,” you share, crimson spilling onto your cheeks.

Harry nods, a grin spreading across his face, “I am, really. I know I acted in jealousy at the ball, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually felt romantically towards you - not that you’re unlikeable, you know, just -”

You laugh out loud, cutting him off, and offer a nod, “I get it, don’t stress yourself out, mate.”

He nods in relief, “you’re my best friend, Y/N/N, and that’s it. I love our relationship, and I do not want it to ever change.”

You nod, feeling better than you have in nearly a month.

Ron and Hermione choose that exact moment to enter the room, the guilt of eavesdropping written on their faces. But you’re far too happy to care - the gang’s back together.

******

Over the next month, life returns to normal, or rather, a new normal. Hermione is hanging out with Krum as much as possible, to make the most of their time together before the tournament ends and he returns to Durmstrang. You don’t see her nearly as much anymore, but it’s understandable. 

Instead, you spend your days either studying out on the greens with Harry and Ron, or hanging out with Cedric, going to Hogsmeade’s various little cafes.

The second tournament task comes along, and you, Hermione, and Ron are pulled into the headmaster’s office then sent to the bottom of the Black Lake. When you awake, Cedric is treading water to keep the two of you above the lake, and you’re quickly pulled out and given a warm towel. Since Cedric finished first, the two of you rest in the champion seating section, and the boy keeps asking you if you’re okay, despite your fervent exclamations that you’re probably doing better than he is.

His friends soon surround him, arriving with endless teasing about how you’re the person “he’ll sorely miss,” and Cedric flushes scarlet at their words, refusing to meet your eyes. Eventually, he manages to shove them all away, and looks down to see you grinning.

“Ced, just so you know, I would’ve sorely missed you too,” you admit, before pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

Suddenly, Cedric could care less about his friends. He feels warm and dry and cozy, not a trace of the Black Lake’s eeriness on his mind.

******

A few weeks later, and it’s your birthday. Cedric had wracked his brain for ways to top your surprise party for him, and enlisted the help of the trio to do so. Hermione contributed all your likes and dislikes: she knew you like the back of her hand; Ron got Fred and George to put together a little sparkler show for you, and Harry was in charge of inviting all your closest friends.

The day of, you wake up to Cedric’s voice, before he gives you five minutes to pick an outfit, then promptly blindfolds you and leads you out to the courtyard, where the cutest picnic party had been set up. You laugh in delight, ecstatic, and after a quick kiss for Ced, rush over to meet up with your friends. 

As you catch up over drinks with them, two boys, one Gryffindor, one Hufflepuff, are standing a distance away, both looking at you with slight smiles.

Soon, the sky is darkening and the party growing more and more uproarious. You spin around to see Harry and Cedric talking, and grin. Strolling over, you place an arm around each. Cedric kisses your hair, and you give Harry a tight hug.

“Thank you for all of this,” you say, “seriously. I’ve never been happier.”

Before they can reply: you were never one for cheesy emotions, you (forcibly) pull them toward the karaoke machine, where Ron and Hermione are singing their hearts out.

****** THE END! interested in my other works? see my masterlist!

[lolahasmoxie]

Sleep Tight - E.M.

Pairing: Single Dad Eddie Munson x Fem Reader

Word Count: 3.8K (this may have gotten away from me)

Warning: fluff, idiots to lovers, a couple of curse words

Notes: This has been living in my brain for days, and I had to get it out. So everywhere I've read Eddie as a dad, he has a little girl. Don't get me wrong, I love it. But can you imagine him with a little boy who is his tiny doppelganger? Dead.

For this, I picture Eddie and Reader as having known each other since they were kids, and both were close growing up. Eddie flunked his first senior year, and reader graduated and left Hawkins for college. They kept in touch for a while but eventually drifted apart. She returns to Hawkins and reconnects with Eddie and his 4-year-old son. Mom has been out of the picture since he was born, and I picture Eddie as a mechanic who plays with Corroded Coffin on the weekends.

Eddie and Reader are 28 in this (takes place in 1994). An AU where the Upside Down doesn't exist, and Eddie lives.

Divider from @firefly-graphics

"Daddy, rain!"

Eddie and Y/N paused from the couch as they looked at the small four-year-old excitedly pointing out the window. The rain shouldn't have been a surprise; it had been gray and overcast all day. Eddie walked over to the front window, looked outside, and noticed a bright flash of lightning followed by thunder less than three seconds later. Before he could say anything, the skies opened up, and a torrential downpour began to beat on his roof.

"Crap, I should probably leave if I'm gonna make it home in one piece," Y/n pondered as she joined the two Munson boys at the window.

"Are you insane? There's no way I'm letting you leave now." Y/N had joined Eddie at his home for dinner instead of at Benny's due to his son's babysitter canceling last minute. The three had spent the evening playing, eating pizza, and finally settling to watch Ghostbusters. She had been on the verge of excusing herself for the evening when the storm had come upon them.

"Eds, my car will be fine. Besides, I can't stay the night." Y/N casually tried to motion to his son, who was now staring at her and preparing himself to bring out the big guns.

"But I thought we were having fun." Ronnie Wayne Munson was his father on a 24-year delay. He had the same wild curly brown hair and brown cow eyes as Eddie, and based on how he looked at Y/N, she knew his father had taught him how to use them to his advantage.

"Look, far be it for me to question the integrity of your Honda, but it’s not like this would be the first time you had to stay; you used to crash all the time when we were kids. Besides, it's unsafe to be on the road right now. You can't even see the house across the street!". Y/N turned back towards the window, and she had to admit that Eddie was right. Even with streetlights, the house across the street was nearly impossible to see. She sighed before looking at Eddie and his boy standing next to him, both with expectant looks on their eager faces.

"Okay, I'll stay."

"Hooray!" Ronnie yelled as he ran up to give her a hug. Eddie beamed at Ronnie. He was usually reserved around new people, but as soon as Y/N had reappeared in Hawkins two months ago after a ten-year absence, Ronnie had taken an instant liking to her. The little boy seemed as infatuated with her as his father had been years before.

"So, how late is this party going to go on?" Y/N asked as Ronnie climbed back onto the couch.

"Well, little man's bedtime is usually 7pm..." Ronnie looked at Eddie with a sad face. Y/N had just agreed to stay the night; it was unfair that he would have to go to bed soon. "but since tonight is a special occasion, I think we can watch one more movie."

"Yes!" Y/N couldn't help but chuckle as Ronnie did a triumphant dance before jumping off the couch. "Can we watch Nightmare Before Christmas?"

"Sure, let's get you into your jammies."

"I'll make the popcorn." Y/N motioned to the kitchen, and Eddie quickly told her where everything was. As she popped the bag in the microwave, she couldn't help but smile at the giggles emanating from Ronnie's bedroom. Eddie now lived in a small house on a quiet street near the edge of town, which felt warm and cozy like his and Wayne's old trailer. The coffee rack in the kitchen now held Eddie's mugs instead of Wayne's, and his beloved Sweetheart sat in the corner of the living room next to his acoustic and amp. Above the well-loved couch were numerous pictures, ranging from Eddie's graduation to him holding his newborn son in the hospital. There were several with the two of them and Wayne, and even one of her and Eddie from back in 83.

The sound of little feet coming from the hallway pulled her from her thoughts, and soon she was greeted by Ronnie, who was now wearing dinosaur pajamas. He ran up to her and wrapped his arms around her leg. He leaned up to give her a big toothy grin.

"Hi," he said cheerfully, and Y/N couldn't help but chuckle.

"Well, don't you look comfy? You ready for the movie?" He nodded gleefully as the timer for the microwave went off. She carefully removed the bag and poured the contents into a bowl, handing it to Ronnie when he made it clear that he had to help her. "Two hands, go slow, ok?". He nodded, his little tongue sticking out in concentration as he made the short journey to the living room. They both sat on the couch while Eddie quickly popped the VHS into the tape player, pausing to turn off the living room lights before he sat down.

Ronnie sat between the two of them, and the three of them snacked as they watched the movie. The kid was on cloud nine, happily eating popcorn and singing along to the movie. Eddie's arm eventually rested on the back of the couch, causing Y/N to blush whenever his fingertips brushed the top of her shoulder. When the popcorn was gone, the bowl was moved to the side, and Ronnie took this as his cue to make himself more comfortable.

"Whoa, we don't climb on our guests." Eddie chided as he watched his son climb onto Y/N's lap. He was worried it would make her uncomfortable, but he was pleasantly surprised when she put her feet on the coffee table and wrapped her arms around Ronnie's stomach, letting him rest his back against her chest.

"He's fine, now hush."

"Yeah, Daddy, the movie's on." Eddie's eyes bulged from being sassed by not only his son but also his childhood friend. As the evening progressed, he kept stealing glances at the two of them. From the way Y/N would rub Ronnie's stomach to how they would occasionally whisper and giggle with each other, his emotions were all over the place. As the rain continued to beat against the roof, Ronnie eventually gave in to sleep. When the credits finally rolled, he was sleeping contentedly on Y/N's lap, her hand rubbing over his tummy soothingly.

"That kid usually has to be dragged kicking and screaming to go to bed," Eddie commented as he gingerly reached over to take Ronnie from Y/N. She grinned as she handed him over, stretching her arms above her head once he was safely in his father's arms. "Hey, once I get him in bed, would you be up for a movie?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure. Do you have anything I could change into?"

"I've got you, be right back." Y/N watched as he disappeared down the hallway into Ronnie's room. To be honest, when she had run into Eddie on her first day back in town, she had expected it to be awkward. After all, they hadn't seen each other in ten years. Yet, in the two months they had spent reconnecting, it felt like no time had passed at all. They quickly fell back into their dynamic, which had been created over numerous sleepovers and hangouts during their childhood. When Eddie returned to the living room he held up a clothing item in each hand.

"Okay, so the boxers are old and very stretched out, but they're clean, and the shirt was a gag gift from Henderson."

"Gag gift?" she asked, and had to bite her lip when Eddie unfurled an oversized shirt that had "Virginia is for Lovers" emblazoned across the front. "That is amazing."

"Go change; I'll pick the movie. Horror okay?" Y/N nodded as she shuffled into the bathroom. Eddie hummed to himself as he tried to pick a movie for them to watch. He was mentally preparing to keep his cool when he heard the bathroom door open a few minutes later. Whatever composure he had quickly flew out the window when he saw her adorned in his clothes, and she looked at him expectedly as she waited for him to say something. "Um, everything fits ok?"

"Yeah, the boxers are a tad tight around the thighs, but it's no biggie. Now, what are we watching?"

"Well, I don't know about you, but I haven't seen "The Thing" in ages."

"Fuck," she chuckled as she sat back down on the couch. "I think the last time I saw it was with you." Eddie popped in the video and sat next to Y/N.

"Well then, let's get to it, shall we?" The movie started, but it wasn't long before Eddie and Y/N started talking. Old inside jokes and stories passed between them, quickly resulting in giggles that they tried to keep quiet so they wouldn't wake Ronnie. When the movie ended, they kept talking, the rain becoming static noise as their conversation moved to their love lives.

"Wait, he cheated on you?" Eddie asked incredulously as Y/N took a sip from her beer.

"Yeah, had a side piece for like two months before he finally had the balls to break up with me. You want to know something funny?" Eddie shook his head as he watched her settle into the cushions more, a sigh leaving her lips. "I wasn't even that mad about it."

"You'd been with the guy for over the year, and he cheated; I'm shocked you didn't set his car on fire. Fuck, Jason Carver started that rumor about you sophomore year, and you took a bat to his headlights." Y/N giggled at the memory.

"I also told the cheerleading team he had a micro-penis, but that's not the point. And don't get me wrong, it sucked that he didn't have the balls to just break up when he realized he didn't want me anymore. But, in the end, I wasn't angry like I thought I would be."

"You were together a while, though." Y/N sighed as she thought over her response.

"When I was little, I remember asking my Mom why she married my Dad. She said it was because she felt this spark every time she saw him; she said she knew from their first date that he was the one for her. Over a year with Daniel, and I never once had that feeling." She paused as she turned to look at Eddie. "Did you ever feel that way with Ronnie's mom?"

"Veronica?" asked before running a hand over his hair, letting out a heavy sigh as he thought about his son's mother. "We weren't together long before we found out she was pregnant, we hadn't been very serious before, but since there was a kid on the way, we decided to give it a shot. Turns out we were two puzzle pieces from two different puzzles."

"When did she leave?"

"Left when Ronnie was 3 months old. Said motherhood wasn't for her, and she felt it would be best if Ronnie didn't grow up with a Mom who resented him." Y/N nodded in understanding before letting out a loud yawn. "Alright, that's enough sad shit for tonight. Let's call it a night."

"Just toss me a pillow and blanket, and I'll be fine out here."

"Or," Eddie started with a hopeful gleam in his eye. "We could make this like old times, and we can share my bed." She raised an eyebrow at him, and he put his hands up defensively to plead his case. "I know what you're thinking, but we won't be crammed on a double like old times. I upgraded to a Queen and," he paused as he let out a puff of air. "would be nice to have someone else in the bed, you know?" The air was tense for a moment, but it disappeared for Eddie when she gave him a sleepy smile and motioned for him to lead the way.

Eddie's room was different now that he was an adult. The bed was on a frame instead of the floor, and the tan-colored walls had pictures of Ronnie and Wayne instead of metal band posters. He had a tall dresser, and above it was a small bulletin board covered in concert tickets and wristbands. It was surrounded by Corroded Coffin fliers for The Hideout, where the boys still played when they had the time. Y/N stood quietly in the doorway while watching Eddie pull back the comforter.

"Alright, any preference on a side, m'lady?"

"I'll take the right side. And I swear to God, if you dutch oven me, I’m gonna punch you right in the dick."

"Holy shit. I did that once, and in my defense, it was over 15 years ago."

"It was traumatic. Smelled like a sumo wrestler took a dump on a burning pile of hair." She giggled as Eddie tossed a pillow at her.

"The fuck it did; it was not that bad."

"Well, it didn't sell like sunshine and roses either!" Her giggles stopped as they both stood on opposite sides of the bed. He looked at her like he wanted to say something, and she found herself unable to look away as she returned his gaze. It was over in a second as he shook his head and motioned for her to climb in.

"Fair warning, Ronnie is an early bird and will likely be in here at an ungodly hour."

"Thanks for the warning," she replied as she yawned, feeling sleep calling for her as she savored the perfection that was Eddie's bed. Their backs were towards each other as he leaned over and turned off the bedside lamp, the only light now coming from the slivers of moonlight through the window. Just before she succumbed to sleep, she heard Eddie's soft voice in the quiet of the room.

"Night, Y/N."

"Night, Eddie."

It started when she heard crying in her dreams, but what fully woke her was Eddie getting out of bed. It was only then that she realized the crying was coming from Ronnie's room. She followed him, Ronnie's cries pulling at her heart as she wondered what could have possibly haunted him in his sleep. She stood in the doorway of his room, watching Eddie with Ronnie in his arms.

"Come on little man, it's okay. I've got you, bud." Eddie ran a hand over his son's back as he paced the room, pausing when he saw Y/N in the doorway. "Shit, I didn't mean to wake you." Before she could respond, Ronnie realized she was in the room. Fidgeting in Eddie's hold, he held his arms out for Y/N. Eddie saw a look of shock take hold of her, but it was gone in a flash. Before he could blink, she had Ronnie's small body against her chest as she started cooing in a soothing voice.

"Now, what has you crying so hard, huh?" Y/N rubbed Ronnie's back as his sobs began to turn to soft cries. She turned to exit the room, and Eddie followed like a sailor caught by a siren. He watched as she walked past the living room into the kitchen. She pulled a carton of milk from his fridge, now holding his son on her hip as if that was where he was always supposed to be. "Eddie, where do you keep your glasses?"

Snapping out of his trance, he shuffled across the kitchen to stand behind Y/N. He reached up to open the cabinet, a hand on her shoulder as he pulled down three glasses. He watched as she lined them up before opening the milk jug and pouring it until all three glasses were full. She motioned to the microwave, and Eddie nodded. As he set the timer Y/N placed Ronnie on the counter and cradled his face, her thumbs gently wiping his tear-stained cheeks.

"Wanna tell us what woke you up?"

"We were at the park, and I couldn't find you or daddy when it was time to go. I kept yelling, but you weren't there." A new round of tears was about to fall, but she simply smiled as she took Ronnie's hands in hers.

"Don't cry, your Daddy and I are right here. See?" Ronnie looked from Y/N to his father, and Eddie gave him a small smile and wave as the timer for the microwave went off. Eddie brought the glasses over, and Y/N took one and held it to Ronnie. He took it and looked up at Y/N.

"What's this?"

"When I was little and I had bad dreams, my mom would give me a glass of warm milk. Then we would turn the TV on and watch it until I got sleepy. Sound like something you would be interested in?" Ronnie nodded as he lifted the glass to his lips. Y/N and Eddie did the same, and when they were done, she lifted Ronnie from the counter and carried him to the living room. "Your dad will find something good for us to watch, right?"

"Comfort TV, coming right up." Y/N sat with Ronnie's little head against her chest, her hand running over his back as Eddie found a rerun of The Addams Family on Nick at Nite. From his spot crouched on the floor, so many thoughts ran through his head as he watched Y/N comfort his son; he couldn't quite catch what they all were. But despite the late hour, he knew deep down that it felt right.

It took almost an hour for Ronnie to fall asleep, and by the time he had, Y/N was leaning heavily against Eddie's arm. She had spent nearly the entire time talking to him softly and rubbing his back. Eddie shut the TV off as Y/N carefully walked to Ronnie's room. She carefully placed him in his bed, covering him with his blanket before she ran her hand over his soft brown hair. Content that he would be asleep until the morning, she stood and noticed Eddie watching her from the doorway. He was wearing the same expression he'd had before they'd gone to bed. She gave him a soft smile before walking past him to his bedroom.

She heard Eddie close Ronnie's door, but before she reached the bed, she felt his hand on her wrist. She turned and, seeing his expression, her brows furrowed in curiosity as he pulled her closer. She called his name but lost her voice when he raised his hand. It cradled her jaw, his thumb running over her cheek as his eyes bore down. He lowered his head, and without saying a word, he pressed his lips to hers.

Y/N had wondered multiple times growing up what it would be like to kiss Eddie Munson; she figured that just came with having a best friend of the opposite sex. But as his other hand came to cradle her face, she realized that this moment was miles better than anything her schoolgirl imagination could concoct. Her eyes closed as his lips trailed to her cheeks, followed by her nose and forehead. She felt her heart racing when he rested his forehead against hers.

"I love you."

"Eddie,"

"Since I was 10 years old. Fuck," he chuckled as he reached down and took her hands. "I think I loved you before I even knew what that was." The room was quiet as they stood there in the dark, and Eddie wondered if he had royally screwed everything up because she wasn't saying anything. Then he felt her thumb run over the back of his hand.

"You didn't say anything," she said softly. Her eyes now were looking into his. "You let me leave for Chicago without saying anything."

"I know. Hands down, one of the worst moments in my life was watching you drive away."

"But why?" she implored. "Why wouldn't you say something?" Eddie sighed as he looked down at the floor. He only spoke when he felt her squeeze his hand.

"You were always better than Hawkins, better than me. You were destined for fancy dinner parties where assholes like me just serve the drinks." Eddie was no stranger to rejection in his life; he often wondered if it was just a part of his DNA at this point. Then he felt her hand cup his chin, forcing his face to look at her.

"It's sweet you think so highly of me, but I don't want any of that, not if you're not next to me to enjoy said drinks." Before Eddie could respond, she pulled his face down and kissed him. His hands found their way to her hips, her shirt bunching in his hold when she pressed her tongue against the seam of his lips. There was no rush, no hurry as they kissed in the dark. Eddie felt what Y/N's mother had talked about, a spark he could only hope she felt in return. When she pulled her lips away, he pulled her body closer. He pressed his nose into her neck as she ran a hand over his hair.

"Let's go out on Friday."

"A date?" she asked hopefully. She felt him nod as she felt him inhale deeply.

"A proper date, the one I should have asked you on in high school," he said as he rose to his full height. "It's been a while since Ronnie's had a sleepover at Wayne's; we'll do dinner and a movie; what do you say?"

"Pick me up at 7, and you have yourself a deal." Eddie beamed down at her before leaning down to steal another kiss.

"We'd better get some sleep before my demon spawn wakes us up at an ungodly hour." Y/N chuckled as they both climbed into the bed. Instead of sleeping back to back, now she was curled into Eddie's side, her head on his chest and her arm slung over his torso. The feel of his fingers tracing over her arm made her eyes droop, and as she drifted off into sleep, she could faintly feel his lips on her head as he whispered unheard words to her.

Eddie woke when the sun from the window moved over his face. He first noticed that his arms no longer held Y/N, and he wondered for a brief moment if it had all been a wonderful dream. But then he felt a slight movement to his left. Y/N was sleeping on her side, facing him, and between them was Ronnie. His son was sprawled on his back, his sleep shirt had ridden up to show his stomach, and his tiny hand was holding onto Y/N's even in sleep. He knew in an instant that was what he wanted to wake up to every day for the rest of his life.

Tonight, when Wayne came to visit, he was going to ask for his grandmother's ring. Eddie knew he wasn't the smartest guy in the world, but he was sure of this. He was going to make Y/N his wife before the year was out.

[psychojetcocktail]

Arcade gannon headcanons?

Ok well since this is the second ask, and since I need to get these out my head, here’s some headcanons!

• Has very cold hands, even when he’s sitting in the desert all day, due to poor circulation

• Has had cataracts since birth (i also like to imagine his eyes look tiny through his glasses because of that)

• Only likes to sleep on his back, he gets overstimulated if he doesn’t

• Is autistic and had OCD (personal analysis ofc)

• Before he deserted the Enclave, I like to imagine he was in military medical training

• And because of that, spent a while in military service (definitely did gay shit)

• Bad at keeping relationships

• Plenty of gray hairs from stress and age

• Loves reading gothic literature

• Veronica likes to call him “Izzy” (Arcade both hates and loves it)

• Father-Daughter relationship with Ronnie, helps her learn more about the followers and constantly trying to explain medicine to her

• Always wanted children, but sadly cant because you know… gae

• Since he cant have kids, Veronica means a lot to him and is trying his best to do anything he can for her

• Would never treat a synth, mutant or a ghoul differently than a human

• Him and Ulysses would get along great (spread the yaoi propaganda)

[f4iry-bell]

stained shirts and two seats for one [Grayson hawthorne x reader] | part 5

finally!!😭 also last part(?)

It took everything in Grayson to stay away from her but he couldn't take it any longer. He has to see her and apologise again, he would beg until she forgives him. He knocked on her apartment door and mentally revised his monologue— that if she is ready to listen without interrupting. His mentally prepared monologue vanished once she opened the door in her pyjamas.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him with a frown.

“I know you said you wanted space, and I'm glad to give it to you but you need to understand why I did what I did. I understand why you are mad, you have every right to. I didn't respect your privacy. I didn't think how it would look, I had you stalked for my personal selfish reasons. I had to know what kind of person I'm getting myself involved with. I can't afford to make mistakes. Please understand, it was never my intention to hurt you. I would never go too far either.” It wasn't what he prepared mentally but he somehow managed to spit out words.

“You wanted to know if I was a criminal or something?” She asked.

“If we are putting it that way, yes.” He couldn't bring himself to look her in the eyes.

“Look, Grayson. I'd say I understand, it's probably some rich people thing. But I still have to process this, okay?” She raised her eyebrows at the last part.

“I understand. You need time. I'll be on my way. Please don't let everything go.” He begged.

She didn't say anything but when he turned she stopped him. “Wait.”

“What is it?” He asked, ready to do anything she is going to ask him.

“Um, it's nothing. I'm going out with a few friends tonight. A club. I thought you should know.” He didn't know why she him know this.

“You’re allowed to do what you please.” He stated.

“There'll be guys.” She paused for a moment. “My friends wanted me to meet someone because of…”

“I hope you enjoy your time.”

“But I'm not going to.”

Well that was a relief for him.

“I trust you to do the right thing and the thing you want, Arya.”

_

It would be a deliberate lie if Grayson said he was not bothered by the fact that his girlfriend or whatever they are now is out in a club probably being set up with a random guy by her friends. Grayson can't sleep on a good day let alone a time like this, he was swimming like a mad man in the hotel’s pool and had to stop because his phone rang. He saw her name on the screen and immediately answered it.

“Are you okay?” He asked. It was his first thought.

“Yes! But I miss you, so, so, so much.” Her words slurred.

“How many drinks did you have?” He asked.

“You're an idiot! When I said I'm going to the club you should have said ‘Can I come?’”

“I didn't think you'd want me there.”

“Of course not, but you should have stopped me from coming to this lame hangout.” She scoffs.

“Lame? Why is that?”

“I'm not having the fun my friend promised me.” She said. “What are you doing now?” She asked.

“I was swimming right before you called me.” He told her.

“Are you naked?” She asked in a teasing manner.

“Not fully.”

“Not helping.”

“With what?”

“Come here.” She didn't answer his questions.

“Where?”

“To the club, obviously.”

“Are you sure?”

“Hundred percent.”

He let her hang up the phone and went to his room to get changed. He put on a suit and drove to the club she told him she was at. When he arrived at the club he found her at the bar counter talking about some random things to the bartender.

“Arya.” He called her name from behind.

“Gray!” She turned to him and back to the bartender. “This is the guy I was talking about!” She told the bartender. “Ronnie here asked me to file a restraining order against you.” She giggled.

“I think it's time to go home.” He told her, ignoring the last part.

“What? Why?” She asked with a scowl.

“You're wasted, love.” He gently grabbed her arms and helped her up.

“I called you here to have fun with me!” She whines.

“You need to lay down, you're way too drunk to be out here.” He wrapped his arms around her waist to get a hold on her as he led her out.

“Am I?”

He nodded and helped her to get inside his car and put on her seatbelt. He started diving slowly to her apartment after he gave her a bottle of water. After drinking the water she took out her phone and texted someone.

“Who are you texting?” He asked out of curiosity.

“My other boyfriend.” She grinned playfully.

“Funny.”

“I'm texting my friends letting them know I left.” She informed him. “I made a new friend.”

“Oh?”

“You know him! Ronnie. He doesn't like you.” She said.

“For good reasons.” There was guilt in his voice.

She kept talking about what she told Ronnie until they reached her apartment. Grayson decided it's better to carry her and she didn't fight it. He let her down once they reached her door. She opened the door by herself and let him in as well.

“I'll leave now. Call me if you need anything.” He turned to leave but she stopped him. He turned back to her, instead of saying something she pulled him by his tie to make his head reach her level and gently kissed him.

Grayson was surprised by this. It has been a week since they kissed. Or even be this close. He didn't kiss her back, she is only kissing him because she's intoxicated.

“Kiss me.” She whispered against his lips.

“You're drunk.” He stated.

“So?”

“You don't want to kiss me. And you're drunk, I'm not that kind of man.”

“Just kiss me. Didn't you stalk me? Or had someone stalked me? Shouldn't you be like, I don't know, obsessed with me or something?” She asked out of frustration.

“I am obsessed with you. But I can't let this happen when you're drunk.”

She rolled her eyes and paused for a moment before she spoke. “Why did you do it? Why did you have to do it? Why couldn't you be a normal hot guy? You ruined everything.”

“I know.” He took her hands. “I'll do everything I can to make it better.”

“I know you will. That's the problem.” She groans.

“Why?”

“Because I will forgive you.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No. What will people say? Going back to the guy who professionally stalked you?”

“Who cares what they think?”

“I do.” She looked down. He took her face in his hands.

“It's totally up to you. You can be with me or not. It's your choice.”

She didn't say anything. “Will you stay over tonight?” She asked.

“Whatever you want, love.”

“Liar. You didn't kiss me and let things get heated up.” She reminded him.

“Ask me tomorrow.” He told her with a mischievous smile.

[toomanybs]

Homo Superior: Awesome New Species or Super Over-Exaggerated

Mutants being called a different species compared to baseline humans is a common trope in X-Men media. Sometimes by human bigots, sometimes by mutant supremacists. But that,,, doesn't sound right. So we're going to use a trio of Species Concepts biology taught me to test the question: Does this claim hold any water? Like, any at all?

Morphological Species Concept:

If two groups look different and distinctly recognizable, they probably aren't the same species. This is appearance, abilities, and behaviors.

Mutants can obviously do things that are impossible for baseline humans. Professor X can read minds, and Magneto can control electromagnetism. No "Homo Sapien" could, so they are a new species. Very cut and dry. However... can Professor X bend metal with his mind? No? Then I guess he is also a different species from Magneto. And every other non-telepath

Mutants are shown distinct from baseline humans by defining what they are not, but they are as different from one another as they are from baselines. A different species that does not make unless you want to try and apply that logic to each and every one of us, individually

Is a lactose intolerant man a different species than me, who loves to drink milk? No? Guess amazing abilities a nebulous ~~someone else~~ wouldn't have isn't enough to be a new species

Mutants think the same way humans do, socialize the same way humans do, and live the same way humans do. If they can hide their powers they fit right in, no greater difficulty than the stress, which they would not be able to do if a different species

Verdict: They are the same species

Molecular Species Concept:

DNA. If two groups have very similar DNA they are probably related. Similar enough and they are probably the same species.

It's called the X-gene, which seems to either refer to a group of genes or be very poorly understood/vague. Either way the genetic difference between baseline and mutant is small, possibly to the point of being unidentifiable. If you watched First Class, you've seen Charles flirt by naming mutations as an analogy for Mutants. We can assume the X-gene is so small as to be comparable to normal variation

Verdict: They are the same species

Biological Species Concept:

A species is a distinct evolutionary line. If two groups can reproduce together and get kids that can also reproduce they are probably of the same species, because the pair isn't an evolutionary dead-end. If anything gets in the way, be it mechanics, timing, genetic incompatibility, behavior, or kid's (poor) survival they are probably not the same species or on their way to diverging

Some differing species, like grey wolves and coyotes, can produce hybrids, but they won't be of either species. Instead the are something distinct and new (often less suitable to either of the parent's niches), such as the previously mentioned coywolves, who are on their way to being their own species

Let's look at some canon examples of human and mutant pairings, and their kids. I will include Comic and Movie characters, because I wanted an example of baseline parents = baseline kid without feeling pedantic:

Magneto (mutant) married Magda (baseline) and their first child was Anya (baseline). They sometimes then had Wanda+Pietro (mutants). Magneto and Suzanna Dane (baseline) had Lorna Dane (mutant)

Mystique (mutant) and Sabretooth (mutant) had Grayson Creed (baseline). Scott Summers (mutant) and Jean Gray (mutant) had Cable (mutant).

William Drake (human) and Madeline Bass (human) Bobby Drake (mutant) and Ronny Drake (baseline)

mutant + baseline = mutant or baseline, no hybrid

mutant + mutant = mutant or baseline

baseline + baseline = mutant or baseline

If you believe parents of a shared species could produce offspring of a different species, you are wrong. About as wrong as a guy who thinks the dinosaurs are all dead because a black hole was jealous of their beauty and sucked them all up. That's how wrong

Verdict: They are the same species

To Conclude:

Magneto is dumb. Apocalypse is dumb. Shaw is dumb. Trask is dumb. Baseline humans are not the irrelevant leftovers of a bygone area, or the blood-sworn enemies across town. They are the Mutants' identical twin in the bottom bunk with a slightly different freckle pattern

The fact that Apocalypse has existed since 10,000 years ago (according to X-Men: Apocalypse) and manages to find 4 other Mutants every time he shows up despite mutants being unknown to humans is evidence enough to be honest. Mutants are a part of humanity and have been for longer than literature. They are not the instantaneous, brand new direction to replace humanity. They are fully integrated, but often unrecognized, members of the Homo sapiens. No such thing as a Homo superior

You could argue they are a subspecies (Homo sapiens superior), but humans have spread across the entire globe and been cut apart by entire oceans for and have not a single subspecies among us. Native Americans are twice as old as Apocalypse, the oldest known mutant. Mutants aren't even isolated from baselines. It would be very hard to believe they are more separate than any real world group

[how-very-salty]

1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 12 for ronnie plss

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

I absolutely love her 💙

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

If we take away the whole speech about gray morality and self-destruction, about Ronnie's character and her whole arc as a character… I love her laugh. I just love it. Her goofy sense of humor is in my heart.And that moment in Off Broadway when she rushed over to JD's beating and stood over him, defending him.

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

If we're talking about the West End version, Veronica decided to dump JD just after his father humiliated him. I understand her decision, I just don't understand the timing.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Visual novel

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

I like it when she's morally gray. Of course I love it when she love JD and be able to forgive him. I love it when she's selfish and can move on with her life after what she's done, though tormented by her conscience. Love it when she's ambitious and in some ways very "Heathers" - but with a lot of self-respect. I like her strong and brave nature, so I like it when she's not made into a damsel in distress (even though she sometimes let JD rescued her).

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

There are headcanons on my blog, so to avoid repeating myself, I'll write a few:

Veronica has a hard time relaxing, she works to the point of exhaustion and studies until she passes out over her notes. She doesn't know how to rest, she's always on edge. Therefore, when she has a drink, it becomes difficult for her to control herself.

Ronnie is very picky about her appearance - this was formed under the influence of Heathers and has stayed with her even after graduation.

She is very fond of smells, almost the first thing she evaluates in a person. For her, scents create feelings of comfort, security, and even attraction.

[seeingivy]

I don’t know if you care for the hunger games at all BUTTT with the new movie out I’ve been thinking

Hange would have totally played Katniss early in her career and I think Sasha would have been a good Lucy Gray from the new movie :)) I’m also thinking gojo for young Coriolanus just cause of the blonde hair and blue eyes lol

OH AND yn would’ve defffff sang “can’t catch me now” by Olivia Rodrigo from the soundtrack of the new movie

omg ANON THE HUNGER GAMES WAS MY ROMAN EMPIRE. I had to put a read break cuz I rambled

two unsolicited ronnie stories to prove it:

when I was in seventh grade, I bought a mockingjay necklace from hot topic and wore it to school. but I went to private school and wasn't allowed to wear necklaces like that. and when my teacher asked me why I wore it, I looked at her straight in the face and said that "I was the mockingjay"

I used to be in orchestra when I was in middle school and there was one year where we got to vote on the song we played. so naturally, I stood up and I was like guys...there's this really underground song idk its called the hanging tree. and it litearlly won but then I took it ten steps farther and made us all do the whistle together and the little salute when we finished because naturally, I am dramatic. I am unfortunately never beating the weird kid allegations

that being said, THERE'S SO MANY GOOD HUNGER GAMES FANCASTS. this was the one I had in mind (but I love yours too!!) + it's the one fancast I chose to include in my ACTUAL fic (towards the end chapters, so we'll see this one come back)

original trilogy

yuuji as peeta mellark, duh. our beautiful boy with the bread

y/n as katniss

gale you are a lame, sack of bones. so obviously floch.

ceasar flickerman is CONNIE SPRINGER YUP

levi as haymitch

hange as effie, obviously

finnick is jean

mikasa is annie (they are soulmates everywhere I fear)

annie is johanna mason and I think that bertholdt would be a really good betee

erwin plutarch heavansbee that one wrote itself

gojo is seneca crane 😭, heavy on that one scene where hes like everyone loves an underdog 😃 and president snow is like no.

nobara is playing the extras that are part of effie's prep team or just someone in the capital you will not catch her being one of the tributes

YELENA SCARY BITCH IS PRESIDENT COIN

ballad of songbirds and snakes

utahime as lucy gray baird

young gojo as president snow (the entire press is utahime saying she vomitted after she kissed gojo as a joke and people think its real)

suguru as sejanus :((((((

shoko as tigris snow (says having to be nice to gojo during the scenes was her personal hell)

alternate (from the fic)

this is the one i'm including in the fic!

y/n and yuuji, true to the original, play katniss and peeta

(megumi and eren are the most supportive boyfriends to boyfriend)

gabi plays lucy gray baird

gabi gets to write eyes open for the original trilogy

y/n writes you can't catch me now for the ballad

they are mother and daughter your honor (can you tell im so excited to unleash my gabi yn dynamic in the next chapter)

[seramilla]

Hey.... If you decide to make Velvette, Kiki and Clara, triplets a thing. Dm me up. I like the series. I wanna draw them. OwO

They are already kind of a thing at this point! 😄😄 This AU has taken off! But if you want more to work with, here ya go! I took some time to give them names and more depth. Appearance-wise, they are a lot like Disney kids and look very similar to their associated parent (because I’m lazy and also because I think it’s hilarious):

Cashmere (Caz for short): Ironically the oldest and tallest of the triplets. Takes after Velvette. Always brags about being born first. Hyper independent (except when he’s upset, then he becomes a mama’s boy to Velvette) Is a little bit of a germophobe. Has an eye for fashion just like Velvette. Maybe has a touch of the ‘tism if he would ever bother to get diagnosed. Obsessed with purple.

Oberon (Ronnie for short): Youngest. Takes after Clara. Despite being the youngest, is the most mature and level-headed. Personality is a lot like Carmilla, and he usually takes her side in any argument between her and Velvette. Was a little baby goth/scene kid when he was younger. Is an amazing cook, like, fucking fantastic. Best cook in Hell. Obsessed with blacks, grays, whites, and muted colors.

Rhys: Middle child. AMAB but identifies as nonbinary. He/they pronouns. Looks most like Kiki / an incubus. Has horns. Absolute dream boat. Very popular with the ladies and gents. Always seems to have a new partner but very dramatic and breaks down when they eventually break up. Has so much love to give but often gets taken advantage of for it. Huge people pleaser with self esteem issues. Very close with Oberon and often likes to cook with him (but he bakes more than cooks). Obsessed with reds, pinks, and whites (and associated love colors).

[kcrabb88]

I can't work on this fic properly for a bit, but my QuinObi AIDS Crisis AU is definitely bubbling on my mental backburner stove (the thought is that Obi-Wan finds out he has HIV in the late 80s, progresses to AIDS in the early 90s, but manages to survive until 95 when the post AZT drugs that were much better came out and life expectancy improved greatly). Anyway, this idea popped into my head on my walk home yesterday and I'm too impatient not to share:

"I'm really sorry for bothering you," Shmi says as Obi-Wan shows them inside. "You know how it goes. Unless it's a plumbing emergency, it's always you have to wait until morning, and it's cold out. The thermostat's been finicky for a bit."

"No, of course." Obi-Wan wasn't ready for guests in his blue turtleneck sweater with the hole in the sleeve and his gray sweats, but letting Shmi and Anakin sleep in a cold apartment is out of the question. "Anytime you need it we're here." 

"Hey, you two," Quin calls out from his place at their tiny eating table where he's composing some lyrics idly on paper. "Cold, huh?" 

Anakin, bundled up in an oversize coat--probably from Goodwill--nods, and his nose, Obi-Wan notes, is a little pink. He'll have to pull out an extra blanket. The apartment is mostly clean if cluttered. One of Obi-Wan's flannel shirts is tossed over Quin's drum set. His half-graded freshman English papers are stacked on the kitchen counter. The coffee pot wasn't cleaned out this morning because they were both too busy. ACT UP pamphlets Obi-Wan helped draft are on the coffee table.

"I think we have some hot chocolate, Ani," Obi-Wan adds with a smile. "That might warm you up?" 

Except Anakin, who almost always answers with excitement--and greets him with a big hug when they meet at the diner for dinner--doesn't reply. He's staring at something with a grin. 

Ah. 

One of Quin's old concert posters hangs on the wall, framed. A red slash cuts through the eyes of a smiling Ronald Reagan.

The Annual Alphabet City Fuck Ronnie Fundraiser for AIDS, it reads. 1987. 

Quin's band had been the headliner that year. Before Obi-Wan's diagnosis. Before them. Well, they'd always been them. Official them. 

"Uh," Quin says, running a hand through his locs and shooting Obi-Wan an apologetic look. "Sorry about that." 

"Not at all," Shmi says with a grin. "Fuck Reagan. Bush too." She looks over at Anakin. "You're not allowed to say fuck yet." 

"Mom," Anakin complains. "I'm eleven." 

"Exactly." Shmi taps the edge of Anakin's nose. "Obi-Wan asked if you wanted hot chocolate but you didn't hear? Do you?" 

"Yes, please!" 

"You can have the bedroom," Obi-Wan says. "The sheets are clean. Quin and I can take the couch. And before you argue, it's a pullout. A nice one my dad bought. Insisted on buying. I should have you meet him one day. I think he'd really appreciate your art, Shmi."

"Obi-Wan," Shmi protests. "You need your rest." 

"I'm all right," Obi-Wan assures her. "That cold I had is gone and I'm feeling good this week." 

He shows them into the bedroom. 

And immediately turns red. 

There's still a box of condoms on his bedside table. Black, purple, and with a rainbow across the top. 

Durex Fiesta: for colorful loving. 

Obi-Wan, wanting to replenish their stock and always looking for the best brands, thought these would also amuse Quinlan. He'd been right. So right, in fact, that Quinlan wanted to test them out that very same night. Hence them being out.

"You are so red right now, Obi-Wan," Anakin says, matter of fact. "It's okay though. I know what condoms are."

In the living room, Quin bursts out laughing. 

[preciadosbass]

17/8/24 [2X DIYS!! draft from yesterday — key + significant photos at end]

woke up at 4 because i got mixed up last night regarding the bootsale and thought it was today. i soon realised that my dad agreed to take me tomorrow, so i went back to sleep. i slept on and off, and actually woke up at 8:40. when i woke up, i scrolled on emo/sceneblr and saw that ronnie radke streamed and i missed it :’[ - i attatched pictures of my DIY’s and stuff to the upcoming weekly recap and went through a few more drafts. i spent quite a lot of time just on socials and looking through pinterest so i finally got round to doing something at 10:50. i saved a spiderweb made out of wire in my DIY pinterest board yesterday and wanted to try. i then put on the ronnie radke stream for something to listen to in the backround. i tried for ages to make it look cool, but it’s safe to say, i failed miserably. so i decided to make a bracelet instead. i used plain black elastic and these rainbow-black beads that smell of metal [i don’t know how to explain the colour, you’ll see in the photo at the end]

once i was done [11:20] i painted a few more rocks. i attempted to make one with multiple sharks on, then a single great white, a fish skeleton, and just a spiral patterned rock. the multiple shark one was an utter disaster and i messed up the spiral rock with black paint but it sort of looks textured now so i’m not devastated about it. i just don’t think anyone else will be able to look at it and not think it’s the ugliest thing they’ve ever seen in their life because i can’t see through its ugliness either. they’re all incredibly imperfect but i honestly prefer things when they’re messy. i still am a perfectionist though, if that makes sense. i only like certain things to be scruffy, like my patch stitching, or painting, or sometimes physical writing. anyway, i think i’ll keep the great white and fish skeleton one, i’ll probably paint over the spiral it’s literally atrocious. while doing this, the ronnie [radke] stream ended so i started listening to sky eats aeroplane and get scared. i finished doing the rocks at 12:12, counting the time i waited for the paint to dry. [photo at end]

afterwards i went outside with boris from 12:20 to 1:50 when i got dressed. while i was out there a few horses came by and the people riding them were shouting about something or another. today i wore this low cut black + checkered shirt that used to be my mums, black ripped skinny jeans, knee high converse, a studded belt, a taxidermy scorpion necklace, a taxidermy silver fox tail [with a barn owl keychain attatched], gray + black striped arm warmers sleeping with sirens bracelet, long spiked cuff bracelet, the new bracelet id made, mcr bracelet, can tab bracelet, and a panic! at the disco bracelet. [photos at end]

today me, my parents and my sister were going to a party. i dont know or anyone remembers or if anyone reads my journals to know, but quite a while ago my neighbour that id never met before invited me and my family to his wife’s birthday party. upon getting there, two random women started speaking about how much i’d grown up but i swear i’ve never been around them before haha. i noticed a girl playing with the younger children in the huge garden and thought she looked epic. she had dark purple roots and her neck was decorated in gothic jewellery. she also had a couple of piercings but i couldn’t see what type because of the distance i was from her. i got frustrated because i knew that i wouldn’t have the confidence to even compliment her and both of my parents seemed to think she was at least in her 20s. while i was speaking to my dad about approaching her, she walked away from the kids and came up to me.

she said she loved my outfit and that i reminded her of her younger self. she also asked what bands im into but i’m terrible at listening things off the top of my head so i scrolled through a bit of my playlist and showed her. she mentioned loving mcr. while doing so, her friend walked over. she hyped up my playlist and the alt girl asked how old i am. i told her mine, and she said her age back. [shes currently 19, i’m going to assume the other friend is around the same age/the same age] i also asked if she’d seen any live bands, she said yes but didn’t name anything in particular. however she did mention that she’s also going to see slipknot in december!! not at the same venue as me, though.

afterwards she asked if i wanted to come up to the bar and get a drink with them both. i said i already had a drink over at my chair and they encouraged me to follow them anyways. once they’d gotten their drinks, we all sat on a beanbag next to a fountain in the garden. they took out cigarettes and J [the alt girl, the other one i think is still alt but dosent dress in a way that’d give it off] started asking about school and if i have any alt friends. i told her and N [the other girl] that i’m not in school or technically being homeschooled, and told them a little bit about my social life. we all just talked about how hard it is to be alt/have any kind of alt mindset in school [or in general] and how ruthless people can be. J also showed me some pictures of her in secondary.

N was already pretty drunk [i assume, or she might’ve had bad memory] and kept on forgetting about me not going to school. they were both the loveliest people i’ve ever come across and i was literally ecstatic. i think they were both glad i came across them as well considering they related to not having any alt freinds at some point and how lonely it can feel. J kept on making sure i was okay with them drinking/smoking and asked if she was being a bad influence. i honestly don’t mind what people do around me, so. THEY WERE SO NICE AA I CANT BELIEVE I MET THEM!!!!

it started getting colder outside as the sky got darker and the music was super loud so J invited me to come up to her room with N. turns out that J is the grandchild of my neighbours. she lives in scotland, but comes down quite often to meet up with family. as for N, she lives in the same town as the grandad i last saw, where i got my evanescence and avril cd. before going upstairs, they both got another drink and once again, asked if i wanted anything. i haven’t really had alcohol in large amounts before so i said it would be cool to try vodka/coca cola. they asked if i was sure and we went up to get our drinks. after we made our way up to J’s room and all sat on her bed. we just spoke about random stuff while i tried getting used to my drink [i haven’t had vodka before i’m a loser i know]. J started playing some screamo/metal music but i didn’t get the opportunity to ask what band it was. [8:45pm]

we spoke about random stuff, more about what it’s like to have alt friends, cool alt clubs i could go to when i’m 18, that i can text/game with either of them if i’d like, and we exchanged instagrams. i didn’t get N’s but she said for me to ask J’s for it when i text her at home. this whole night i smiled more than i have in at least a year, not even overreacting. the last time i can remember being so full of just every positive emotion was when i got boris/my late cat, riley. and we got boris 4 years ago. N started getting the munchies and J suggested i should get something to eat because of me drinking. we went downstairs to the kitchen and J got be some crisps. she opened up about past eating issues while we were upstairs so she already knew that i’m nervy about eating too.

while we were there, this younger boy, one of the children that J and N were playing with earlier started filling a toy truck with popcorn and delivering it to people. meanwhile, J and N spoke to these other two girls. i’m pretty sure J mentioned that they’re her cousins, and that N is also really close with her family. i let them speak and we sat in the kitchen eating for a while. what we did after this is kind of a blur as this was when i was starting to get drowsy, but i’m almost certain we went back outside after eating. the music was somewhat louder and they were playing more singalong tracks. J and N got up on the dance floor bit [which is actually a really cool pateo, the floor is originally from a cobble road in london and my neighbour got it taken out and put in his garden.]

they were playing pitbull, oasis, kings of leon, the killers, etc. J could sense that i didn’t know what to do and didn’t want to watch them because that’d be weird, so she consensually pulled me up onto the dance floor. she put my hand in hers and we danced together. for oasis and the killers [possibly more, i cant remember] all of us, me, J and N danced together and interlocked arms/hands. i don’t think i’d ever felt that free or comfy in myself. like, i danced.. in front of tons of total strangers. i danced for what felt like forever [in a good way, i was loving it. i also don’t know if this is odd to say concidering our age difference, even though i only mean it in a platonic way, but it was nice to be held hands with and included with activities. i haven’t willingly engaged in any kind of physical touch in years [literally] as i really struggle with it and a few other things. but yeah, it felt really nice to be comforted by the holding of hands + dancing.]

all of us were leaning into eachother and swaying our hair and shaking our heads whenever any kind of beat dropped. we’d all come closer to eachother and sing at one another. after definitely over an hour of dancing and singing our hearts out, we were understandingly exhausted so J and N sat down on the outside chairs and smoked some more. we sat mostly in silence, while talking about how nice tonight had been/how fun dancing was [etc] every now and then. the music finishes and people started to pack up, so my parents signalled for us to head off. at this point, my sister had gone home absolutely ages ago to game with her friends. which is good in a way because otherwise she would’ve followed me around/found out about me drinking/and possibly told someone. shes reliable with secrets until she’s not, kind of thing.

we said our goodbyes, hugged and then walked across the side of the road home. we got back at approximately 12:20 and i attempted to process how much fun id had and the fact that i literally made FRIENDS. TWO FRIENDS. i’m quite literally overjoyed. and super excited to see them again. J’s mum seemed to like me and she [J] said that we’ll be able to meet up again, hopefully decently soon. i watched a patrick stump X pete wentz interview, had a 15 minute nap, and asked my questions about boris at 1 after my sister had gone to sleep. me and my mum got into an argument again [we usually do, it’s not really ever me and my dad that have a full on argument.] she got mad at me because she slipped up and said something implying that boris won’t be the slightest bit okay tomorrow so i freaked and started sobbing.

i finically finished at about 3 and cried over how loud and angry my mum was at me up until roughly 3:20. i shouldn’t really have been overwhelmed/sad concidering how much of a success the party ended up being, but i was just so terrified that boris wouldn’t be okay/awake in the morning and my mum wasn’t making it any better. i appreciate how annoying all of this is for the both of them, but she refused to try and understand/address my concern even after me explaining and my dad going through it aswell. she knows how paranoid i am over boris and she just ultimately told me she didn’t care [not exact words] and that i was trying to make myself scared/feel bad.

once coming downstairs, i tried to calm myself down, got undressed into my onesie, did my teeth, and then said goodnight to boris. i did this quite ‘late’ as i had to wait until id completely stopped crying because boris sometimes gets scared over the sound of crying/sniffling. i finished saying goodnight to him at nearly 4am. before i was about to go to sleep, boris welcomed himself into my room and crawled inside my clothing drawers. i started to get worried as i heard scratching and he wasn’t coming out, but he did soon enough and let me fuss him for a bit while he ate, before i got into bed. i went to sleep at 4:10 and eliminated the thought of even trying to write a bit of my journal as i was so tired. [that’s why this is draft, sorry lol]

🗝️ — boris/my cat, questions [about boris]/i ask my parents questions about my cat to verify he’s okay + will be okay in the morning. its a compulsive thing and i’m hopefully going to be tested for OCD in the future.

have a good day/night O_o

[hooked-on-elvis]

"Loving Arms" (1973-1974)

Recorded on December 13, 1973 at Stax Studios, Memphis · Released on March 20, 1974 · Album: Good Times.

MUSICIANS Guitar: James Burton, Johnny Christopher, Charlie Hodge. Bass: Norbert Putnam. Drums: Ronnie Tutt. Piano & Organ: David Briggs, Per-Erik Hallin. Vocals: Kathy Westmoreland, Mary (Jeannie) Greene, Mary Holladay, Susan Pilkington, Voice, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps. OVERDUBS Guitar: Dennis Linde, Alan Rush. Percussion: Rob Galbraith. Piano: Bobby Ogdin. Organ: Randy Cullers. Vocals: Ginger Holladay, Mary Holladay, Mary Cain.

Cover sleeve: (1) LP Good Times, released on March 20, 1974.

RECORDING SESSION Studio Sessions for RCA December 10–16, 1973: Stax Studios, Memphis The next number, Tom Jans’s “Loving Arms,” was perfectly suited to Elvis’s voice. The powerful but touching folk-country ballad instantly sparked the musicians to new heights of fresh, sophisticated playing. The song was as demanding on them as “My Boy” had been on Elvis’s voice, and when Felton cautiously asked for a third take, he was relieved to watch it yield a perfect master. Excerpt: "Elvis Presley, A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions" by Ernst Jorgensen. Foreword by Peter Guralnick (1998)

"Loving Arms" — LYRICS Songwriter: Thomas Louis Jans (Tom Jans) If you could see me now The one who said that she'd rather roam The one who said she'd rather be alone If you could only see me now If I could hold you now Just for a moment, if I could really make you mine Just for a while, turn back the hands of time If I could only hold you now I've been too long in the wind Too long in the rain Taking any comfort that I can Looking back and longing for The freedom of my chains And lying in your loving arms again If you could hear me now Singing somewhere through the lonely nights Dreaming of the arms that held me tight If you could only hear me now I've been too long in the wind Too long in the rain Taking any comfort that I can Looking back and longing for The freedom of my chains And lying in your loving arms again I've been too long in the wind Too long in the rain Taking any comfort that I can Looking back and longing for The freedom of my chains And lying in your loving arms again I can almost feel your loving arms again

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

ORIGINAL RECORDING "Loving Arms" was first-recorded by Dobie Gray and released as a single by MCA Records on July 1973, backed with "Now That I'm Without You" (Ref. MCA 40100). The same year, in September, the song was released on a long play record, the album Loving Arms (Ref. MCA-371).

"Loving Arms" by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge (1973) On September 1973, Kristofferson and Coolidge's version was released on the album Full Moon. The song was released as a single in early 1974 (backed with "I'm Down (But I Keep Falling)" - Ref. A&M 1498).

FOLLOWING RELEASES (1974) Petula Clark released "Loving Arms" as A-side single (backed with "I'm The Woman You Need"- Ref. Dunhill 15019) in November 1974.

THE WRITER'S RECORDING In 1974, A&M Records released Tom Jans' recording of "Loving Arms" on his self-titled album (Ref. SP-3644).

[sntshadleys]

case     file          :          hadley , roan

2003     ,     boston , massachusetts

memoir          :          the scent of pine trees and wet grass that lingers / / rainy gray days / / bloody knuckles covered by bruises / / nails bitten too short / / messy sun-burned hair smelling of the horrors in the forest / / a black mangled wolf / / worn clothes loved by time

basics.

full name . . . ; roan harrier hadley

nicknames . . . ; ronnie, sea brain, boy

association . . . ; none

birthplace . . . ; boston, massachusetts

occupation . . . ; none , but open to work

date of birth . . . ; december 31, 2003

status . . . ; single

sexuality . . . ; bisexual

pronouns . . . ; he/him

languages . . . ; english, does barking and howling counts?

to note . . . ; suffers from ptsd, has problems breathing since his attack, strangely strong immunity, has anger management issues related to trauma, has troubles speaking (from years and years of being quiet), suffers from night terrors, suffers from anxiety and is dealing with panic disorder, doesn't know how to be much human anymore. his favorite movie is shrek, someone please show him more movies

scars . . . ; has a long deep scar running from the end of his neck, down his chest, reaching his right side. it's a gruesome scar, the beginings of it visible when he wears a shirt / / has a scar on the back of his left tight, not long but thick and deep / / scratch marks on his shoulders and left arm / / marks on his wrists and forearm from retraints

tattoos . . . ; none

piercings . . . ; none

positive traits . . . ; kind, gentle, loyal, selfless

negative traits . . . ; violent, impulsive, troubled, anxious, quiet

connections . . . ; valka hadley . . . mother / / luna sylvestri . . . saved from death, but couldn't stop her from turning / / unnamed wolf . . . 'adopted mother'

biography.

TW: Kidnapping, Torture, Abuse, Emotional Abuse, Child Abuse, Violence, Blood, Death, Cannibalism, Stockholm Syndrome, Choking, Death Idealization, Depression, Traumatic Experiences

The beginning is the end ⸻ or is it the end, a beginning? You won't pretend to know ⸻ The two are so often interchangeable, you question if there's a difference. Not your most complex confusion, you are sure. You wonder most days if your very birth was the cataclysm of your life ⸻ had you been doomed from the start? Were there no chances of peace when your first breath filled your lungs? Did any of your actions matter? ⸻ You find yourself praying they do, now; that they matter, are capable of changing your seemingly bleak fate. For it was fate, was it not? Which cursed you, destroyed you. What else could it possibly be? 

You know ⸻ knows as bird naturally learns how to fly, knows as a fish knows how to swim. You dare not say it, for it makes things painfully real ⸻ but it is there, in the back of your mind, like the constant drum of your heart; it was their choices that led you to become this ⸻ you are the one paying for the consequences of their actions. 

You feel like you are swallowing glass when you think about them ⸻ a family you barely remember the faces of. It cuts the skin of your throat, fills your tongue with blood, chokes you on its mass ⸻ It is a poison you cannot escape. You were loved, or so you thought, by a mother and uncles, grandparents and cousins. A perfectly normal child ⸻ you would go to school, play with your friends, join the East Boston little league, spend time with your mom. A good childhood for a good kid. Thinking back on it, you wonder if you were sold a lie; when you wish to feel better, you tell yourself every child is plucked from safety to be thrown in the wild every seventh birthday ⸻ becoming something dirty and feral over the years. Is every child taken from a comfortable home in Boston, kicking and screaming, to a small general store in Wyoming County, and then deeper into the woods still? 

Yes, you lie to yourself. What other choice do you have, but cling to foolish beliefs? You would be driven completely mad, otherwise. 

Your captors would taunt you often ⸻ their favorite pastime was to remind you your mother gave you to them, willingly. You didn't believe them ⸻ would often snarl and fight back, rolling in the mud with people three times your size until your were bruised, bleeding, and broken. Your anger and refusal were hilarious to them ⸻ the stray bites, ooohh, how scary. It was the cruelest things they could've done to you, destroy your spirit. The first year, they didn't manage ⸻ how could they, when you trusted your mother so much you knew she would come to rescue you from the cage they kept you in. A blanket, a small wooden structure, and water bowl were the only things inside your prison. How ironic. You were fed scraps of pigs, deers, people. And full moons were a nightmare ⸻ the bars were strong, but the wolves would bang on it enough they would break, eventually. Their paws would reach into your small cell, claws ripping any skin and clothes it could touch. You often hide inside the dog house, under the blanket, shivering and waiting for the night to be over. 

The second year was strange ⸻ it began how it had ended, as most things does; your cage, you, and your shattered blanket. You couldn't count the days anymore, but you knew your mother was close to finding you. She had to be. She wouldn't leave you alone, here, with the beasts. And then, you were taken out of it to stand in front of a wooden wall, cold water cleaning your tired body with little care. They didn't scrub you, cut your hair, brushed your teeth. They didn't care. She didn't care. The first wife of the Alpha, one of many, you were told ⸻ you hadn't seen her during the first year, didn't even know she existed  ⸻ but her only child had died, and although the wolves they kept as pets were more important than you, she had decided a child in the house would fix her sadness ⸻ And you were the only motherless bastard around. She didn't offer you affection, didn't offer you love or protection ⸻ she demanded you called her mother, set up your room in the small, cramped, dusty attic of her cabin, and fed you too red meat ⸻ you never asked of what they came from. You were treated like a pet still, but at least you had enough freedom to wander through the pack's village. The other kids taunted and teased you, the adults would often find reasons to punish you, and they all reminded you daily of how your own mother had abandoned you here. When you were hiding in the closet, every full moon night ⸻ covering your ears so you wouldn't hear the snarls and screams from outside ⸻ you told yourself they were lying. She was coming for you. She would come soon, and you would be home. 

The third year they began dragging you out of your hiding spot on full moon nights before the sun was gone, setting you off in the woods to run while they shifted. If you can survive, little human, the Alpha had said, we won't kill you tomorrow. You were foolish enough to believe you could reach somewhere safe ⸻ with people, who would call your family and protect you from the wolves running outside. You stumbled on a homestead, but despite how much you knocked and banged and screamed, the couple with the gun inside didn't open their door. By then, your lungs hurt and your body couldn't take any more running ⸻ you didn't have enough nutrients in your body. The wolves were close, too close, and all you could do was hurriedly climb a tree. One of your ribs was broken the first time you fell, your hands scraped raw from the clumsiness of your second try. You made it to the top, and exhaustion overtook your mind. You woke up to peebles being thrown at you, some of the older wolves having a good laugh at your situation. When you eventually fell again, she was waiting to take you home. There wasn't a warm bath waiting for you, nor cute bandaids and a comforting hold ⸻ there was only the ice cold water in the basin, the rough pack healer spreading some dirt and gel on your ribcage, and her stern tone telling you to eat the suspicious stew in a metal bowl. 

You learned pretty quickly they wouldn't let you go ⸻ the years spent running and hiding in the woods every full moon night, only to be found and dragged back in the mornings, taught you as much. It took you longer to finally admit to yourself your mother abandoned you. It was a particularly long night, extremely cold and dark, your feet carrying you to places your eyes couldn't reach. You squeezed inside a hole you had made long ago ⸻ protected by thick logs, rocks, and leaves. It was small, damp, and dark, but you had thought it to be safe. Nothing ever was, you learned. You don't know who had found you ⸻ it wasn't the first time you were found, and you didn't keep track. But it was the first time one managed to actually break through the barriers of your hideout ⸻ partially. It was enough to for its claws to sink so deep into your chest you could swear your entire rib cage broke. It pierced your heart, it felt like. They would have eaten you ⸻ you had accepted it, welcomed it even ⸻ until she bit into the wolf's neck and dragged it away. You do not know what happened. You don't know how long you stayed there, bleeding to death in your hole, unable to breathe. You thought that was it, you were dead. And it was then that it hit you ⸻ Your mother wouldn't come for you. Never. They were right ⸻ she had left you here, given you to them as a gift. She didn't love you. She wanted you dead. The tears down your face weren't from the pain, you knew. 

When you woke up, bandaged and weak, bedridden for a long time, something inside of you had finally broken ⸻ You didn't fight back anymore, didn't scream or snarl. Instead, you howled with them, asked to join hunts for deer and rabbit, and fishing days. They didn't treat you good ⸻ your had no place in this pack, no love. But their anger wasn't aimed at you anymore, and you barely spent days chained outside for pissing someone off. Years were spent in this relative peace, without incidents, until you overheard them saying her name. They were careful, had always been, but the Alpha seemed panicked about something ⸻ angry more often than not, worried someone was going to find them. The words molded together in your mind ⸻ witches, port liery, fellowship, valka. You don't know what happened to you ⸻ your chest tightened, you couldn't breathe, the world was spinning, and all you could do was sit on the ground and hope to die. When you became yourself again, you decided you had to find her. You had to know. It could kill you, trying to escape again, but you had to try. 

You were stronger now, older ⸻ they often had you fighting against their beloved pet wolves, and you hadn't died yet. That meant something. You planned, packed a small bag with food and clothes, and took the opportunity of the Alpha marrying yet another wife to slip away. The celebrations were full of alcohol, and hunting when the night was full. If you were careful enough, slow and meticulous, you perhaps could make it far. You don't know how you did it, but soon you were standing outside that same goods store by yourself this time, not taken by a pack member to help them carry boxes of food and supplies, overwhelmed with the world around you. You barely talked to the people around you. You wanted to make it to Port Liery before they could find you. You began to feel her following you when you left Mcdowell County. You don't know if the pack had sent her, or if she hunted you of her own choice. The journey was blurry, with the anxiety and need to stay one step ahead of her. You nearly made it, until one full moon night, you were finally caught. 

You knew she wouldn't kill you ⸻ yet she put up such a good fight. But so did you. Unfortunately, a girl distracted the both of you. Your mother had gone for the kill, but before she could eat the girl alive, you managed to get her attention again ⸻ by trying to tackle her and running as far as you could. When she caught you, the bite wasn't pretty ⸻ her jaws were so big it nearly ripped your side off. You still had some fight in you, enough to hit her over and over again with a rock, enough that the sounds of your screams alerted some hunters in the area. You don't know if the shot they fired killed her ⸻ you were too busy limping away to check. In the morning, weak and hungry, bleeding to death, you were caught trying to steal some supplies from a gas station by an empty road. 

When they asked your name in the hospital, you remained quiet. When they asked for it again, hours later, you said, “Roan.” Speaking felt wrong, that name felt wrong. But you didn't want to die. “My name is Roan Harrier Hadley.”

[wanou-dorm]

HSA- Chung Ae Chul

Hourglass Station academy -@fumikomiyasaki

Hollejigoku -@sakuramidnight15

SOAP-@forestwispocs

Name: Chung Ae Chul

Based on: Queen of Hatred( Lobo corp )/ Fairy Knight Tristan( Baobahn Sith) ( Fate )

Race: Unknown but he’s definitely isn’t a Demon or Human .

𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿: Male

𝗔𝗴𝗲: 17-19

𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗱𝗮𝘆:January 4

𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻:Capricorn

𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁: 176 cm

𝗘𝘆𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: Gray / Yellow when Beserk

𝗛𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿: Light blue and highlights change color with Emotion usally pink

𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗦

𝗗𝗼𝗿𝗺: Hollejigoku(performance)

𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿: First Year

𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀: 1-E

𝗢𝗰𝗰𝘂𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Student and Nuance

𝗖𝗹𝘂𝗯: MovieClub

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁: Social Media / Management Sexuality: Pansexual /Polyamorus ( Everyone Deserve my Love…right?)

Homeland:Alpha beta City … Also may have Escaped from SOAP.

𝗙𝗨𝗡 𝗙𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗦:

𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱: Right

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: Lollipop , The Love and Hate From other beings , The Flesh of Demons

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱: “ icky Gross Demon Food, bleck “

Likes: His friend(Knight of Despair , Queen of Hatred, Servant of Wrath ), Helping people , Magic, Flynn for some reason

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀: not Being able to help , his poor Memory, his Clusmyness, His bad side , Ronnie

𝗛𝗼𝗯𝗯𝘆: Making Magical Girl Costumes , Sidren got him into Superheroes … why

𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀: Throwing people out,Dancing , Magic tricks

𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗦𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬 and Backstory:Chung Ae is a someone who seems Really Innocent on the surface , He enjoys Helping people even though his “ Help” usally makes more of a mess. He seems Really out of place in Hollejigoku . Chung Ae is Super nice And unapologetically Sweet its like he Hides very Little of his personality and Peppy get up and go Attitude .However Chung Ae is not one to be Messed with Refusing his Help and having nothing to do for to long can cause Chung Ae to go abit insane due His Parents Messed way of praising him for …Taking people off the Census so his Peppy Personality is Really Contrasted by some of the Violent act he dose .Mainly because having something to do keeps What he Calls “the Voices” From coming back . If Chung Ae Is having particularly bad episodes he may start becoming Despondent and mumbling nonsense about being useful and If he's really worth having in the Dorm full of actual Demons. If this isn't Addressed than you’ll have to Play Real time Lobotomy Corporation if starts he starts attacking people unprovoked ..

Unique Magic

In the Name of Love and Hate Unknown in what it Does , It's Seems to be a type.of Magic that can Harm Demons and other Creatures like them .

Trivia

- like Zorion his birthday is Based on Queen of Hatreds containment number.

Chung Ae isn't Really liked by many Dorm members due to his Peppy personality , He doesn't like many people here either, he's though about Transferring in but Realizes in with his Condition Hollejigoku is kinda the only option . Else he’d been Back with Soap again in and he Hates SOAP.

He's Kinda made hints to to his Past , that his Family was Messed up even before the “Light “ happened.

Zorion is Pretty protective over him, As Hollejigoku People can come off as Mean.Especially to Chung Ae ‘s Messed up head from living on the Street of AlphaBeta city .

He is often Stated to be Annoying by Other Hollejigoku members . Often Stating his Helpfulness is annoying and Some even calling him a Weebo due to his Obsession with Magical Girl Anime .

Chung Ae ‘s Favorite Anime seems to be Very Similar to Madoka Magica.

Voice Claim: Sinclair (Limbus Company)

[voraciousvore]

Bucky's (17/44)

***Contains soft, safe vore***

Chapter 17: Drinks at the Bar

Ronny was beginning to despair of ever finding a woman to love. His options were rapidly drying up as he swiped through the dating app on his phone, taking rejection after rejection, getting blocked, finding he was not compatible with most of the Giantesses on there. He was frustrated. He could only conclude that most of the women were stuck-up hoes not worth his time. It probably didn’t help matters that he was so picky with his selections. 

One particularly lonely night, he was feeling hungry and restless. He didn’t want to stay holed up in his apartment, alone, gorging himself on frozen TV dinners. He wanted some comfort food, to fill both his heart and his belly. He didn’t have a date to go out with, so he decided to eat out at his new favorite restaurant, Bucky’s, by himself. It was drizzling outside, so he grabbed a raincoat before heading out into the stormy weather. 

He trudged through the gray streets, hood up to keep his head dry, the rain tricking down his huge back. The sun, hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, was setting, making the gray sky grow darker. The downtown area was less busy than usual on account of the weather, but still brightly colored with neon lights that reflected off the shiny puddles on the pavement. Passersby were huddled under umbrellas or bundled up in colorless waterproof coats just like Ronny. The world looked as gloomy as Ronny felt inside. 

Before long, the bright blinking red of Bucky’s neon sign came into view, mirrored in the road below. Ronny entered and shed his wet coat. The seating hostess flashed him a friendly smile, in spite of his serious demeanor. “Table or bar?” 

“Bar,” Ronny growled. He would feel weird sitting at a table by himself. She led him over to the bar section where he sat down and ordered a beer. “Just keep ‘em coming,” he instructed the bartender. 

Bucky’s was slow, on account of the rain, so Ronny was able to sip on his drinks in peace. After downing a few beers, he felt a pleasant buzz inside his skull and decided to placate his whining stomach and order some food. After perusing the menu, he requested a burger and a hearty plate of cheese fries, with a human entrée to accompany the fries. 

“Hey, there’s a specific human I want in my dish. Her name’s Patty, if she’s available.” The Giant taking his order wrote down the name with a nod and walked away. For some reason, Ronny felt a touch of warm blush creep into his cheeks, and an excited electricity in his gut. He didn’t entirely understand these feelings. Perhaps it was just anticipation to feed his hunger with her exquisite taste. He licked his lips and swallowed the pool of drool forming in his mouth. Definitely hunger. Nothing more than that. 

In the human tank, Patty was dismayed to find a giant hand grabbing her up to take her to the kitchen. She was handed off to Chef Gore, who stuffed a pill in her face, slapped her into a mound of fries with melted cheese, and loaded the plate up with toppings. Patty wasn’t restricted at all, but she knew running would be futile. She didn’t want to lose any more toes. She schemed every day to escape, but she was out of ideas for now. She needed to find some way to get the tracker off her wrist. The only way she could think of was cutting her hand off, hardly a desirable option. Bucky did not allow the humans any weapons, like saws or knives, so Patty’s morbid idea would likely not come to fruition. Besides, she doubted she’d be in any condition to run pouring out blood with a severed hand.  

Patty sat listlessly in the mountain of fries, cheese, sour cream, bacon bits, and chives as a waitress stopped to pick up the massive plate. The human groaned inwardly when she saw she was heading for the bar. Her last experience at the bar involved being thrown up in a trash can by a drunk Giant, and she wasn’t eager to relive that incident. Her attitude changed, however, when she recognized the handsome Giant Ronny waiting for her. He was one of the few Giants she had met, other than Leon, who had actually been nice to her and treated her like a sentient person, even if he did still eat her in the end. 

Ronny’s pulse quickened when he spotted the familiar face of the human in his meal. The waitress set the plate down in front of him and hustled off. Ronny fixated his gaze on the tiny woman buried in fries and cheese. She looked... cute. Adorable, even. And very tasty. He swallowed nervously, feeling a sudden onslaught of social awkwardness. He glanced up briefly to make sure the bartender wasn’t nearby before finally opening his mouth to speak. 

“Um... hi,” he said. He leaned forward, casting a shadow over the plate, but Patty didn’t flinch this time at the Giant man towering over her. She met his gaze, and while it was hard to tell because she was so small, he almost believed he saw her face turn pink. 

“H-h-hi,” she stammered quietly. Ronny stared at her, not sure what else to talk about. What was he supposed to say, to a human who was sold to him in a plate of food to be eaten? What could a Giant like him possibly have in common with her? She seemed to be struggling with the same affliction, because she looked away and started fiddling absently with a green chive next to her. She slipped it onto her arm like a bracelet and Ronny had to resist letting out a chuckle. Maybe it was just the beer influencing his judgement, but he thought she was precious, with how miniscule she was. 

The waitress stopped by again to deliver Ronny the burger he ordered. He thanked her and started chomping down on it with great big bites, since he was hungry after all. He had yet to touch his fries, as if he were hesitant to disrupt the human in his food. Patty watched him curiously, and Ronny glanced back at her.  

He swallowed his bite of food so his mouth wasn’t full. “Uh... if you’re hungry, you can have some of those fries,” he mumbled.  

Patty raised her eyebrows with surprise. “Thanks,” she said timidly, barely above a whisper. She didn’t touch the fries, though, beyond sitting in them like she was before. She was too anxious to eat anything. She gulped and continued, “S-s-so... um... I see you don’t have a date tonight.” 

Ronny scowled. “No. No I don’t.” He picked up his glass of beer and chugged a monumental gulp, polishing off the rest of the glass. Patty thought to herself that enough beer went down his huge throat to get all the humans in the tank drunk. Ronny slid his glass forward and tapped the table to get the attention of the bartender, so he could get another beer. “Fucking bitches,” he grumbled bitterly under his breath. 

Patty was a bit frightened by his anger, but she supposed she could understand. “I’m sorry to hear that, Ronny,” she told him gently. He looked down at her and his expression softened. 

“It is what it is,” he answered dismissively. He munched on a few fries and thought to himself it might be best to change the subject, so his temper wouldn’t flare up. “So, uh... how’s your day going?” The bartender slid him another beer, giving him an odd look as he noticed Ronny conversing with his dinner plate. Ronny glowered at him and the bartender shrugged and walked away. 

Patty sighed. She wasn’t sure if it would be such a good idea to talk to a Giant about her troubles, but for some reason she felt comfortable confiding with Ronny. She didn’t really have anyone else to talk to, besides the other humans, who were sympathetic but also oftentimes quite melancholic and indifferent. “Not so great, to be honest. I’ve been eaten twice already today.” She let out another labored sigh, looking up at Ronny’s towering beer glass. “I could really use a beer right now.” 

Ronny raised an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous, almost sadistic grin. Before Patty could interpret the meaning of his look, he pinched her between his fingers and lifted her out of the fries. She let out a startled yelp. With a single swift movement, he plunked her into his beer. 

“Hey!” Patty cried. “That was mean!” Ronny guffawed and smirked at her. He lifted up the glass and swirled it around in his gigantic hand, stirring Patty in the beer. 

“You did ask for a drink,” he remarked wryly. He brought the glass up to his lips and took a big swig. 

“Yeah, but this isn’t what I meant!” Patty protested, exasperated. She collided with his upper lip and pushed against its squishy surface with her hands, suddenly fearful of the strong suction drawing her toward his mouth. Ronny finished his draught and lowered the glass, smiling roguishly. He was teasing her. 

“Please don’t drink me up,” Patty pleaded. “I’m just… so tired of all this…” She tried not to cry with frustration. “Being eaten over and over again… it’s so awful and exhausting…” 

Ronny was having too much fun to take her seriously. He ignored her, slipping back into his old ways, and raised the glass for another drink. This time, he tossed his head back and opened his mouth wide, wide enough to imbibe the miniature woman. She flowed into his mouth and he trapped her inside, gulping down his beer. He nearly swallowed her, but a hard, frantic kick to the roof of his mouth gave him pause. He realized she really, truly, absolutely did not want to be eaten. She was deathly serious, and he could sense her fearful desperation in that kick. He abruptly felt guilty as he recognized what a monster he must seem to her, devouring her even as she pleaded with him to stop. In that moment, he saw himself for the bully he was, saw himself through the eyes of the poor girl in his mouth and his human coworker that he had tormented so cruelly in the recent past. He drained the rest of his beer into his throat and gently released the woman, little more than a wet ball, into his hand. She was quivering with fear. 

“Sorry,” he expressed lamely. “But I just don’t understand.” 

“W-what?” Patty questioned, disoriented. She was expecting to be swallowed, but instead she found herself in Ronny’s soft, expansive palm. She brushed strands of hair, dripping with beer and spit, out of her face and gazed up at the Giant’s mountainous visage above her. His dark eyes focused on her, puzzled. 

“You’re used to being eaten, aren’t you? I mean, it’s your job after all. It’s what you’re paid to do?” he inquired. “If you really hate your job that much, why don’t you just quit?” 

Patty was so dumbfounded she stood up in his palm, gaping up at him. “You… you’re joking, right? You think I’m here by choice?!” Her voice jumped to a higher pitch. “Are you dense?!” 

Ronny’s brow furrowed and his countenance twitched with irritation. Patty clapped her hands over her mouth in horror, realizing what she had done. She had just insulted and angered him. Here she was, standing helplessly in the palm of his massive hand, where he could easily close his fingers and crush her in a temperamental fit of rage. Luckily, his wrath seemed to pass over, like the shadow of a cloud on a windy day, and instead he cupped his hands protectively around her. His face was overtaken with concern as he drew in close to her, studying her intensely. His enormous, handsome face filled her vision. At this range, she could distinguish the black holes of his pupils from the dark irises encircling them. 

“You’re… a prisoner here?” he asked, his voice soft. He was genuinely surprised, not expecting this development. He had assumed that the humans were workers at Bucky’s, just like the humans at Big Corp Inc. 

“Yes,” Patty confirmed sadly. “All the humans here are. You really didn’t think we’d voluntarily file to our deaths if a customer chose us for fatal ingestion, did you?” 

“I-I suppose not,” Ronny admitted. He hadn’t even considered fatal ingestion. He felt terrible, trying to envision what life must be like for Patty. He felt even worse when he recalled he had tormented her, like the brute he was, and she had no choice in the manner but to take it. “Why haven’t you tried to escape?” 

Patty’s eyes blazed with frustration. “I HAVE tried.” She pointed to her foot with the missing toes. “Bucky caught me and punished me.” Ronny’s dark eyes moved down to her feet, examining the damage done to her. His face contorted, this time with righteous anger. Bucky was even more of a barbarian than he was. He remembered the last time he had patronized the restaurant, and how Patty had been all bandaged and bruised up. So, that had been the owner’s doing. Without thinking, Ronny curled his fingers around Patty’s back, as if to shield her from danger, and stroked her gently. Even though Patty was still fired up, the comforting gesture was not lost on her, and she subconsciously leaned into his tender touch. 

“All of us humans are outfitted with trackers,” she explained, holding up her wrist to show Ronny. “It has an alarm on it, so if I leave the restaurant, everyone in the vicinity is alerted. I can’t take it off myself.” 

Ronny contemplated the diminutive object on her wrist. “Let me see that,” he muttered. He clasped the tracker between his fingers with some difficulty, since it was so tiny on Patty’s thin wrist, and effortlessly popped it open with his Giant strength. 

To the shock of both Patty and Ronny, the alarm on the tracker blared loudly and flashed with lights. The bartender rushed over, along with other restaurant employees, and the pair found themselves surrounded, all eyes on them. Bucky hustled over, breathing heavily, and shouldered his way through to confront Ronny. 

“What are you doing?” he bellowed sharply. He snatched Patty out of Ronny’s startled hands, making her scream. Deftly, he snapped the tracker back on her wrist and silenced the device with the handheld remote he kept in his pocket. 

“S-sorry! It was an accident!” Ronny shouted back, flustered. To bolster the lie, he hastily added, “I got carried away playing with my food.” Bucky narrowed his eyes with skepticism, but he dropped the frightened human back into Ronny’s open palms. 

“Quit stalling and eat your food then,” he demanded, crossing his arms expectantly. 

Ronny didn’t want to appear suspicious, so without asking Patty for permission he dunked her back into his beer. He didn’t want to think about the consequences for Patty if Bucky caught on to what he had been trying to do, especially after seeing how she had been mutilated. He gave her a subtle apologetic look before chugging his drink, swallowing Patty in a single gulp. He had to admit, even when he was under pressure and didn’t get the chance to appreciate her flavor, she still felt amazing running down his throat into his belly. He slammed the glass onto the bar counter with a satisfied sigh and smirked defiantly at Bucky. 

“Delicious,” Ronny commented, smacking his lips for added effect. Bucky, pacified by the display, left Ronny alone, and the other employees went back to work as well. Ronny sat back into his chair slowly, consumed by guilt—not merely for eating Patty against her will, but for the intense pleasure he experienced having her inside his stomach. He rubbed his belly tenderly as he felt her shift around inside. His heartbeat slowed as he calmed down from the stressful incident. 

“Sorry, Patty,” he apologized softly, hoping she could hear him from inside his body. To his surprise, he felt her stroke the lining of his gut from within. She had heard and forgiven him. He exhaled in relief and perceived a sort of comforting, tingling warmth through his body. As disgusted as he was with himself, he didn’t want to arouse concerns among the restaurant staff, so he took his time and finished eating his meal. 

Bucky was still suspicious of the black-haired man at the bar, and kept darting furtive glances his way the whole time he was there. Later, he pulled the bartender aside and questioned him about the odd Giant’s behavior. 

“That dude was strange,” the bartender expressed. “He was talking to his human entrée the whole time, treating her like a person. He even spat her out when she begged him not to ingest her. I think he’s a human sympathizer.” 

“Did you catch his name?” Bucky asked. 

“Yeah. She called him Ronny, like she knew him already.” 

Bucky made a mental note of the mysterious Giant’s name and likeness, carving it into his memory. He had a feeling he’d be seeing that Giant again, and not under positive circumstances. He needed to find out who he was, whom he worked for, and where he lived, in case he caused any trouble. Bucky felt a strong need to protect his investments, at all costs. He would not tolerate any theft of his property. 

Chapter 1

Chapter 18

[emotionalcadaver]

Part 8: Exes & Ohs

Fandom: Inception

Pairing: Robert Fischer x OC

Summary: Some things from the past come to light after an encounter with one of Robert's exes.

Word Count: 4,311

Notes: Warnings for depictions of classism and references to sexual content.

Previous Part • Series • Next Part

“This is ridiculous,” Alice complained to Robert under her breath, clutching tightly to his arm to keep her balance as the deck of the yacht swayed beneath their feet. 

“I know,” he said, squeezing her arm.

“Is there a reason that this ‘meeting’ had to be conducted on a yacht?” she asked, tugging on the neckline of her dress, eyes glancing up at the multi-level boat; more of a mini cruise ship than a yacht, really. There was a large pool in the middle of it, a buffet and bar inside, several bedrooms for guests to stay, and rooms for entertaining or whatever other sleazy activities Maurice Fischer’s business partner was involved in.

“Probably so none of us can escape,” Robert mumbled, looking unenthusiastically at the rather unnecessary amount of supermodels gathered in the level beneath them, most of them dressed in little more than string bikinis as they lounged by the pool.

“That’s…more than a little disconcerting.”  

He pressed a comforting kiss to her temple, pulling her gently along beside him down a flight of stairs, across the deck, past the pool, and towards the buffet. 

“Oh my goodness, Robert!?”

They both skidded to a stop at the sound of the voice, Alice’s shoes squeaking against the wet surface of the deck. She knew that voice. Where did she know that voice from…

Oh, no.

Why?

Beside her, Robert had gone rather stiff, muscles tensed and jaw locked. He looked a little like he was trying not to scream.

“Veronica,” he said with the enthusiasm of someone who had just been told they were about to be guillotined. “You’re here.”

The woman who approached them was beautiful, with shoulder length blonde hair and stormy gray eyes. Her smile seemed to glitter in the lights illuminating the pool. Alice tugged her black shawl a little tighter around herself at the all too familiar sight of one of Robert’s ex-girlfriends, eyes darting downwards to focus on the deck almost on instinct. 

“Oh, come on now, Robert. Surely we know each other well enough for you to call me Ronnie,” Veronica crooned, coiling her arms around him like a snake in a hug that seemed to leave him intensely uncomfortable, eyes wide as they darted to Alice, begging for help. Clearing her throat softly was enough to catch Veronica’s attention, loosening her grasp on Robert so that he was able to pull free.

“Oh, and you brought Alice with you. That is so sweet. Really, this all must be so exciting for you. Considering where you come from and all.”

Alice had to fight back the temptation to knock a few of Veronica’s pretty pearly white teeth from her skull.

“Veronica–” Robert started in, shoulders tensed in the way that they often did when he was preparing for a verbal spar.

“I know, I know, I’m sorry. My mouth sometimes gets away from me,” Veronica continued on before he could say any more. A few of the women in the group that she’d abandoned to run up to them began to call her name. Brows furrowing and huffing in mock annoyance, Veronica glanced over her shoulder at them. “I have to get back to my group,” her eyes darted over Robert, lashes fluttering. “But I would love to catch up later,” she was flouncing away across the deck before either of them could respond.

“Well, she doesn’t seem to have changed much,” Alice said, squeezing at Robert’s arm. He just sighed with heavy exhaustion, pinching at the bridge of his nose. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know she would be here.”

“It’s okay,” she kissed his cheek to let him know that she meant it. “When was the last time you saw her?”

“I don’t know…we broke up a month after you left and I haven’t seen much of her since. Maybe at a gala about a year or so ago.”

“Was that the last time you broke up?” she asked. Robert and Veronica had been on and off during college. It was hard to keep track of how many times they’d split over the years.

“Yeah,” he cringed. “God, it’s embarrassing to think about now. We were so volatile together.”  

“I remember,” the pattern of them fighting one moment and then being all over each other in the next was one she’d grown familiar with. A laugh escaped her lips, elbowing him lightly. “At least she didn’t call you Bobby,” she remembered how much he’d hated the nickname, listening through the shared wall of their apartment as he complained about it without fail every time.

Robert came to a screeching halt, staring at her with huge eyes. Something she couldn’t quite place had entered his face. “What are you talking about?”

“Well that’s what she used to call you, right? You hated it.”

“Yeah, but…” he stammered, cheeks beginning to turn pink. Frowning, Alice grabbed more firmly onto his arm, pulling him into a secluded, quiet corner where no one would overhear them.

“What?”

“How do you know that?” his voice came out in a panicked jumble of words, suddenly grabbing at her frantically.

“What do you mean?”

“Veronica only ever called me that when…” he swallowed hard, cheekbones dusted with scarlet. “When we were…” looking down, his fingers tightened against her shoulders. Hands settling on his forearms, she stroked gently along the expensive material of his suit, her own eyes growing wide as she realized what he was trying to tell her.

She’d never really given it much thought whether or not he knew that she could hear him through the walls when he would bring women home at night. She’d been a little too busy nursing a wounded heart over what she assumed at the time to be unrequited love to really consider it. But a part of her had assumed that he must have known. After all, they shared a wall. Surely he must have realized–especially considering how loud Robert sometimes was–that she could hear him. But one look at the growing panic in his big blue eyes made it clear that he hadn’t. He hadn’t known that she could hear him. And the revelation that she had was clearly sending him into a tailspin.

“Robert,” she said as gently as she knew how. “We shared a wall.”

He stared at her in utter and absolute horror. “What else did you hear?”

Her hesitation was answer enough. He tried to pull back, but she grasped onto him tightly. “Robert, sweetheart, it’s okay–” she attempted to soothe. Really, it was. At the time, it had bothered her, but not anymore. They were together now, and outside of a few bouts of minor insecurities, that was enough for her. She knew that he loved her. 

“Mr. Fischer?”

They both jumped as one of the guests of the evening–someone who’s name Alice couldn’t remember–approached them.

“Yes?” Robert asked, smoothing down his hair and his tie, eyes still darting over to Alice every couple of moments even after she let him go.

“I just wanted to congratulate you on what a marvelous job you did with the Morrison deal.”

“O-oh, thank you,” he mumbled, bashful.

“I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time to talk about some of the logistics–”

“You know, I would love to,” she knew him well enough to know that tone indicated the exact opposite. “But I’m actually in the middle of something right now,” reaching into his inner suit pocket, he pulled out a business card and handed it to the guest. “Call my office and we can set something up.”

The guest took the card, nodding and smiling politely, even as his brow furrowed when Robert promptly turned away, hands bracing against the railing of the yacht.

“Seasickness,” Alice mouthed to the man and his expression instantly turned sympathetic, nodding and rushing away. Moving to stand beside Robert, she rested a hand between his shoulder blades. He was leaning over the railing, staring down at the black waters below, chest heaving. “Robert?”

“I think that I’m going to throw up,” he said.

“I think that I have a Dramamine in my bag, somewhere…”

He gave her a look. “Not from motion.”

“Oh,” shifting closer to him, she let her thumb rub circles into the center of his back. “Really, Robert, it’s fine.”

But he just shook his head, eyes so miserable and full of guilt that it broke her heart a little bit. “I didn’t know. I know that you could hear. If I had, I wouldn’t have…God…” he whimpered and buried his face in his hands. Alice wrapped an arm around his shoulders, squeezing him in a half-hug. Robert turned his head so that it was pressed into her collarbone. “I’m sorry, Alice. I’m so, so sorry.”

“Shh. It’s okay. I mean it. Really.”

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

Shrugging, she looked down. “I dunno,” one of her hands traced through his soft hair, biting her lip. When her eyes caught on the gleam of his watch, she frowned. “Robert, you’re supposed to be in the conference room in five minutes.”

Head raising slightly, his brows furrowed. “I am?”

“The meeting with your father, you, Peter, and Mr. Traeger, remember?”

“Shit,” he mumbled, glancing down at his watch. “Yeah. Yeah, I remember.”

She smoothed down his hair and the front of his suit for him, cupping his cheeks and pecking him on the lips. He was still looking at her all anxiously and full of guilt. “Don’t worry about me, okay? We’re fine, I promise. Come find me when you’re done.”

He still didn’t look fully convinced, but he nodded, taking a step back. “Where will you be?”

“I’ll head towards the back of the boat. It’s quieter there.”

“Okay.”

Watching him rush away, she tugged her shawl tighter around herself, head tilting fondly. He really was far too sweet for his own good. Walking briskly across the deck, she headed towards the back, where there would hopefully be fewer people gathered.

“Alice.”

Fighting the urge to cringe away from the arm suddenly draped across her shoulders, she tilted her head up to stare at Veronica.

“Yeah?”

“Where did Robert run off to?”

“He had a meeting.”

“I see. I have to say, I was surprised to see you here. I thought you’d disappeared off to Europe.”

“I did. Now I’m back.”

“He was so upset when you left,” Veronica’s eyes were suddenly hazy and far away. “Heartbroken, I would say.”

Looking down, a lump of guilt formed in her throat, arms hugging tighter around herself. “I know.”

Veronica loosened the arm around her. “You really think that you can just come swooping back in and take him?”

“I didn’t take anything, Veronica–”

“It doesn’t mean anything. I mean, look at you. We’re talking about a man who has slept with more than his share of supermodels and movie stars. Do you really think that you’ll hold his interest for long? You’re something new and different for him to try out. And then he’ll move along to the next girl who catches his eye. You won’t be able to hold onto him for long.”

“Why? Because you couldn’t?” the words fell from her mouth before she could stop them. Veronica froze, just gaping at her in silent fury. Then her eyes narrowed.

“You’re nothing but gutter trash. Picked up off the side of the road,” Veronica said finally. “You’ll never be one of us.”

Alice shrugged, finally pulling herself free. “Who said that I wanted to be?” her head tilted. “Good-night, Veronica.”

She turned away, walking hurriedly, before anyone could see the beginnings of tears shining in her eyes.

∗ ∗ ∗ 

His foot tapped rhythmically against the carpeted floor of the conference room.

“Somewhere you need to be?” Uncle Peter asked as he slid another paper across the table for Robert and his father to sign.

“I want to get some of the chocolate cake they were just wheeling out at the buffet before it’s gone,” he lied. Though, actually, that didn’t sound too bad after everything that was just thrown at him in the last half hour.

“Last one and then you’re free to go,” Uncle Peter said good naturedly, handing him one last paper that he scribbled his signature on. His father scowled, clearly perturbed by Robert’s hastiness to bring the meeting to an end. Whatever. If they wanted to stay in the conference room and chatter with boring old Mr. Traeger, they could. He had a girlfriend who he needed to profusely apologize to a thousand more times.   

The mental image of her in his head was near torturous. Of how she must have laid in her bed in their shared apartment all those years ago, curled in a ball while she was forced to listen to him fuck whatever person he’d had in his bed that night. Who’s name he probably didn’t even know. Had she cried as she laid there alone in the dark? Had she held a pillow over her ear to try to stifle the noises? Just the idea alone was enough to make him want to hide away in some dark place and wallow in his shame for all eternity.

He was down the stairs, halfway across the deck and almost to the buffet, when someone linked their arm with his.

“Hi, stranger.”

“Not now, Veronica.”

“You and Alice are so adorable together.”

“Um, thanks? Now if you don’t mind–”

“But be honest with me, Robert,” she was stronger than she looked, yanking him back towards her. “How long do you really think that’s gonna last?”

His head finally snapped around towards her, eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”

“Robert,” she clicked her tongue. “We both know how you are.”

Wincing at the silent insult, he turned away. “This time it’s different.” 

“Pfft. I give you two a few months at most. You’ll get bored,” she patted him on the arm. “And she’s probably just with you for your money.”

“And you weren’t?”

The question had Veronica skidding to a sudden halt, lips parted in surprise. He needed to get out of here. Otherwise they were going to start screaming at each other. That was how it always was with her. Ripping his arm free, he started to stalk away.

“What about the rest of us?”

His brow raised at the term us. Like she was the elected spokesperson for all women who would ever want to sleep with him. Glancing over his shoulder, he shook his head, laughing with a coldness that reminded him alarmingly of his father. 

“Well, about half of you were pushed on me by my father…and the other half weren’t much more than a stupid attempt to get over her.”

“And now you’re with her,” she gave him a look. “Are you really going to tell me that none of us measure up?”   

He took a careful step forward, leaning close to ensure that she heard him. “None of you ever even came close.”

He left her standing there, open mouthed and incensed and probably about to spend the rest of the evening telling everyone what a cold-hearted jackass he was, but he didn’t care. Instead he swept past the buffet table, scooping up a slice of chocolate cake settled on a pristine white plate and two forks as he passed by.

Alice was where she said she’d be, arms curling over the railing, black shawl fluttering around her. Her black dress hugged close to her body before flaring out at the waist, the entire bodice and sleeves covered in silver, shimmering sequins. The neckline was plunging in a way that made his cheeks heat, and she’d let her hair hang loose, swaying fluidly around her waist.

“Hey,” he approached her slowly and cautiously. “I brought you cake.”

Alice turned and smiled when she saw that it was him, looking near ethereal. But there was something off, a subtle redness about her eyes that hadn’t quite subsided. His brow furrowed. Had she been crying?

“Thanks,” she took the plate from him with one hand, grabbing at his fingers with the other and leading him to a little bench sheltered by the wind. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, stroking a hand down her cheek, rubbing his thumb under her eyes and frowning at the slight puffiness there.

“Mhm.”

“Alice,” he could feel the beginnings of his previous panic returning to close up his throat and seize his muscles. “Sweetheart, I am so, so sorry about–”

“Oh, no. It’s not that,” she said, setting down her fork. “It’s…” she trailed off, eyes gazing at the ocean. “Look, I don’t want you to do anything about this.”

“About what?” it only took about five seconds for his mind to come up with a whole myriad of horrible things that could have happened in his absence. Rich people could be incredibly cruel. 

“While you were gone, Veronica came over to talk to me.”

He felt himself go stiff, eyes closing in quiet dread. “What did she say?”

“Oh, you know. What they all say. Nothing particularly original.”

“What did she say?”

Alice huffed. Wiped at her nose. Shrugged. “Just that you’ll get bored of me, basically,” her lips pulled into a frown, looking down at her hands. “And that I’m…”

“What?” he asked, setting the plate aside so he could more properly grasp her.

“I believe the exact words that she used were ‘gutter trash.’”

Cupping her face in his palm, he traced the shape of her lips with his thumb. The temptation to stalk downstairs, grab Veronica by the hair and hurl her over the side of the boat was a strong one. But not as strong as his need to comfort Alice. “And you believe that?”

“No. Well, I mean…” her hesitation broke his heart, reaching out desperately to pull her closer. “She’s not wrong,” Alice murmured into his chest. “You could have anyone you wanted.” 

He was already shaking his head before she’d even finished the sentence, pulling back and leaning forward so that their foreheads rested against each other and he could look into her eyes. “Why would I want anyone else when I can have you? I love you.”

She was close enough for him to count her eyelashes as she blinked. “I know. I know, I love you too. I don't know why it got to me so much…”

He kissed her tenderly, murmuring quiet, sweet nothings, arms going tight around her. For a long time they just leaned against each other in silence.

“I don’t…I don’t want this to cause any fights or anything like that with Veronica,” Alice said.

“Oh, she’s dead the next time I see her,” Robert said definitively. Alice just giggled quietly, despite her quiet, rather halfhearted attempts at dissuasion. “If it makes you feel any better, I did already kinda tell her off after she tried to corner me when I was on my way to find you.”

“Really?” Alice asked, eyes curious. “What did you say?”

“Oh, you know,” he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “How no one could ever compare to you.”

She ducked her head in a futile attempt to hide her blush. Smiling, he kissed her nose.

“Sort of called her a gold digger too.”

“Robert!” any attempt at sounding disapproving was greatly undercut by the way her chest vibrated with laughter.

“Well, it’s true!”

She tried to stifle her giggles by pressing her hand to her mouth, eyes shining up at him with cheerful fondness. Kissing her again, he let his arms tighten around her protectively, chin resting on the top of her head. Breathing deeply, he allowed his eyes to close, the feeling of her in his arms and the scent of her shampoo soothing him from the anxious, guilt-ridden wreck he’d been earlier. It was all okay. They were okay. He wasn’t going to lose her.

Her head craned around him, like she was looking for something.

“What?”

“Where’s my cake?”

Snorting out a laugh, he grabbed the plate where he’d set it down beside them. They ended up with their sides pressed together, her head resting on his shoulder with his arm around her.   

“How did you stand it?” he asked finally, once they’d finished the slice of cake and set the plate aside. As better as he may have felt in comparison to earlier, guilt still ate away at his chest. Not to mention the embarrassment of how stupid he’d been. His thumb circled over the back of her hand, unable to look her in the eye. Every time he thought about how he would have felt had he been in her position, he was tempted to curl into a little ball of shame right there in the middle of the deck.

“Stand what?”

“Hearing me through the walls.”

Alice cocked her head. “Honestly? I invested in a very expensive pair of noise canceling headphones.”   

Robert drew in on himself with a whine, guilt making his stomach feel queasy again, but Alice just smiled softly and kissed his cheek, wrapping an arm around him. 

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

“I’m trying to decide whether it would be worth it or not to try to swim back to shore.”

“Hm. Well, the water might be a bit cold this late at night.”

He snorted.

“And there might be sharks,” she shot him a playfully perturbed look. “And I'd be very annoyed at you for ditching me.”

That got a laugh out of him, but when she looked up at him her eyes were serious.

“It’s okay. It sucked, but it’s not like we were together at the time or anything.”

“I should’ve realized that the walls were so thin, or not brought them back to the apartment, or…” or not have slept with any of them at all.

“And I probably should’ve told you that I could hear you,” Alice shrugged. “Really, you should be the one who’s pissed at me for invading your privacy like that.”

“I’m not mad at you,” he said immediately.

“And I’m not mad at you either.”

He didn’t deserve her. Not even a little bit. “I love you,” he gripped her cheeks firmly. “I love you so much, I never wanted to hurt you…”

“I know, Robbie, I know.”

He practically melted at the nickname. “None of them ever meant anything.”

Her eyebrows rose almost skeptically. “Really? None of them?”

He shook his head furiously. “Not one,” looking away, he swallowed down his shame. “I never loved any of them,” he wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse, somehow.

Touching his face lightly, Alice tilted her head. “Does it make me terrible that hearing that makes me feel better?”

Turning his head, he kissed her fingertips. “I don’t think so.”

“Hm. That’s not a fair assessment, though. You’re biased.”

He chuckled, gathering her in closer, eyes sweeping over her body. “Damn right, I am.”

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Do you really mean it when you say that we’re okay?”

“Yeah, I do. I know you love me. You just had a little bit of a hoe phase for a few years before we got together. That’s all,” she smirked at the tiny sound of indignation he made.

“I think I’d prefer to refer to it as my Casanova years.”

Alice cackled. “What, you don’t like ‘hoe phase?’ I think it’s quite fitting,” she kissed his cheek fondly. “My adorable little hoe.”

“I take it all back. You’re horrible and I hate you.”

She laughed again, kissing his forehead and snuggling closer. He was busy nuzzling at her shoulder when he felt her shiver a little, tugging her shawl tighter around her and he was out of his suit jacket before she could even blink, wrapping it around her shoulders.

“Thanks,” despite the jacket she still snuggled into his side. He just hummed, stroking her face, enjoying having her so close.

“I’m going to make it up to you.”

Her brows rose. “You don’t have to–”

“I want to,” he insisted, slanting his mouth over hers, kissing languidly before pulling back. She was so beautiful. Warm and soft where she was pressed up against him. “Starting right now.”

Her eyes widened as he dipped his head to begin placing open mouthed kisses along her skin. “W-what do you mean?” 

“I mean, that there are at least five bedrooms on this boat. One’s got Mr. Traeger staying in it. The rest are free.”

Her eyes grew round as dinner plates. “We can’t do that!” but when she cast him a tentative look, he knew that he had her. “...Can we?”

“We’re going to be stuck out here for at least a few more hours. We might as well enjoy ourselves,” smirking, he scraped his teeth over the spot that made her shiver, hands spread openly on her ribs. Head tilting back, her fingers tangled in his hair, a pleased sigh falling from her lips. “And I want you to scream my name so loud everyone on this damn boat can hear it.”

He felt more than heard her breath catch, the beginnings of a truly wicked smile blooming across her lips. “Even Veronica?”

“Oh, especially Veronica.”

She laughed, letting him grab her by the hand, practically racing down the steps and inside, shoving open the door leading to where the bedrooms were. The first room he tried was, ah, occupied, but the second was open. Alice’s laughs as they fell in a tangled mess of limbs onto the bed went straight to his heart, warming and filling it with joy. He loved her. He loved her more than anyone or anything in the goddamn world.

And he’d spend every day reminding her of that if he had to.

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[how-very-salty]

How do I make my characters have more depth or like a spark yk? How do I make them feel alive and like actual people. (Also I need general tips on writing please)

Hi…I'll try to give some advice, although I don't think I'm that skilled at it :3

Always read your writing out loud, especially dialog. With intonation, as if you were an actor.This will help you see the mistakes and correct them.

Characters shouldn't have only black and white sides. People are usually gray and often very contradictory. For example, the way I write Ronnie in one of the fics. Outer layer: On the outside, she seems very confident. Flirts a lot, knows how to keep a face. Inner layer: She is vulnerable and dependent on other people's opinions. She needs approval. Digging deeper: Veronica believes that she's actually a good person and that she's just underestimated. So she tries to live up to her self-image, but… And a little deeper: …but she fails, and this striving drains her. Her parents loved her, but expressed love only as a reward. She never received unconditional love, it always seemed to her that she had to work hard to get it. And this is where you get motivation that you can use later. Of course, you don't have to say it directly, but leave clues: the resentment of being underestimated, the feeling of butterflies in her stomach when JD taked her side without question or reproach. Motivation is important. It may not be shown, it may not be mentioned, but the most important thing is to know it when you write. That way, the character's actions will be smooth and believable.

Accidents happen, impulsive decisions are made. If you want a character to suddenly decide to do something out of character, why not? Just lead up to it. Add fatigue from routine, thoughts of "I'm tired of thinking things through," and so on. And then the reader will believe that this is not a god from the machine, and that the character has just gone over the edge.

You have to play "yes, but" with the characters. For example, there is Martha. Martha is kind and naive. She's naive. Yes, but naivety is a childish trait. With naivety often comes selfishness, not from evil, but from a black-and-white view of the world. Even if you look at the canon, Martha didn't really think about Veronica's feelings when she suggested going into her boyfriend's locker, or when she assumed he was a murderer. It didn't occur to her that if Veronica hadn't known it was really him, she would have been hurt by the situation. That she would have had to choose between an old friend and love. Or no longer about canon, but about fanon. Martha is kind - what dark side could there be? Simple, she is good, but her goodness can be suffocating. Veronica is sarcastic by nature, she has an innate adaptability, black humor and gray morals. And she can feel bad around Martha, not just because she compares herself to her, but because Martha, for all her goodness, may not accept all of Veronica's darker sides. And Veronica will have to work harder to hide her bad sides and earn Martha's friendship. Which brings us back to Veronica's inner conflict.

Well, probably the last thing on my mind is rereading and correcting it until it comes together in the right way. Sometimes you've already written a chapter, and you reread earlier chapters and see that there was a situation that could be the reason for the characters' actions now. Because you have the motivation in your head, all the events follow each other, even if you didn't think them through. They just fit into that character's vision. And rereading helps to connect and flesh that out, to make the story even more coherent.

I hope I've been helpful. Have a good day!