#also i can tell ben is experimenting with his accent

[alaskasbignaturals]

normal about him,,,, floofy hair texas,,,,

[don-daygamerz]

Long Way For Love

Ben Barnes x Reader

Requested by: @marimorena06

Request: Heyy!What about a friends to lovers with ben Barnes? ❤

Warnings: some swearing (I think), descriptions of intimacy (not smut just major fluff)

Word count: 4.4K

Italics - thoughts

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Love occurs in many ways. It can happen on the brightest days or the stormiest nights. It can happen on purpose or by accident. It can even happen through gain or loss. Love is a powerful and enigmatic feeling. It can either build you or destroy you. But did you know that love can sometimes not happen instantly? Yeah…Love can take its sweet time to even be realized. That’s what this story is about. And it began with a young man and a young woman.

The young man was named Benjamin Thomas Barnes but Ben Barnes in short. Catchy right? (It even made the woman blush just thinking about it) And our young fair maiden who would soon be the object of Ben’s affections was none other than (Name) (Middle name) (Surname). Ben had thought to himself of what a sweet name she had…beautiful, actually. The two first met on the set of ‘The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian’. (Name) was an aspiring actress and had landed the role of Selene, sorceress, and protector of Narnia. The two instantly connected and were a great support to one another.

They immediately became fast friends and were happy to share some interests and acting tips through their experiences. Ben was always happy to share with (Name) their love of literature, the classics, art, music, poetry, and so much more.

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“So you’re telling me you lied about knowing how to horse ride?” (Name) gave him a shocked but inquisitive look after hearing his confession. The man in question became bashful and wanted the couch he was sitting on to swallow him whole. Why did he have to tell the pretty girl he lied about being a pro at horse riding?

“I wouldn’t say I lied…”

“Oh boy…ha ha ha…I’d like to hear this,” (Name) chuckled at her companion. She needed to hear his hilarious excuse as to what made him think he could get away with such a ‘dark’ secret.

“Ok, ok. Shush…Don’t you want to hear the actual truth?” he asked her.

“You’re right. My apologies, your highness. I did not mean to disrespect you in the slightest,” she said to him in her best posh British accent while giving a mock bow. Which was not bad at all. (Name) was not only an aspiring actress but also dabbled in some voice acting. That was one of the things that fascinated Ben. She was so talented.

After her little antic, Ben could not help but playfully roll his eyes at her. “Anyway…As I was saying,” he continued, “I did not exactly lie…exaggerate is more like it…”

“Oh yeah! You sure did exaggerate it! Ha ha! You basically preached it is what I was told when you did the auditions, ha ha ha!” Ben’s face turned red hearing her say this but he couldn’t stop the smile growing on his face. He thought her laugh was cute and funny…wait, did hear a snort?

“Alright, then when was the last time you rode?”

“Umm… Last I rode a horse was when I was little…”

“Little how old?”

“Seven or eight, give or take.”

“Benjamin Barnes! You need proper lessons! My god! You’re lucky you made it this far! What if you got hurt?!” she chided him but out of concern after hearing the rest of his truth. Ben just smiled at how worried she became. (Name) was the nurturing type among the cast members. She deeply cared for every single one of them including him.

“I’m alright now, aren’t I?”

“Luck may be your friend right now but there’s no telling when she’ll turn tail and stab you in the back…Uh, Uh, No. You need thorough practice, Mister.” She began to lecture him sternly. Ben was smart, without a doubt, but he was also stubborn.

“I am practicing.”

“Walks and trots are not enough. There are scenes where we have to ride the horses at a much quicker pace. You have to master the canter and gallops.” She was right. He just felt lost and confused at this point. “But not to worry…there’ll be an instructor and specialist. Including me.”

“You? I didn’t peg you for an equestrian.”

“One thing in life you shouldn’t underestimate is how cartoons can influence a child’s decisions and life choices,” she explained to him animatedly. Ben laughed at her delightful nature as she gave him a cute and innocent answer to how she gained the skill.

“Are you serious? You have to be joking,” he leaned in close while placing his elbows on his lap. Ben sat on the couch alone while (Name) opted to sit crisscross applesauce on the carpeted floor by the coffee table.

“Dead serious, my good sir!” she said haughtily to her dashing co-star as she sipped from her glass of wine. Ben just kept chortling after hearing how his ‘new-found’ friend committed to learning a dangerous and tough skill such as horse riding just from watching a cartoon show.

“And, pray tell what animated television show was it that influenced such a young mind to study a perilous skill that is horse riding? Strangely I have a feeling I know what kind of show it is…” he grinned at her mischievously. Both the actors just loved to rile each other up in fits of laughter and joy. (Name) chuckled under her breath before looking up and dead straight into his eyes.

“It was My Little Pony.”

“My Little Pony! Ha ha yes! Girls in my primary school days loved that show.”

“All girls either dreamed to be an equestrian or a magical horse… for me I think it was both.”

Learning these silly things about his ‘newfound’ friend and co-star felt like an interesting and thrilling adventure. He felt like an explorer having discovered something new and exciting. Ben didn’t take into account how he could connect and share with a person like (Name). He was normally reserved but (Name) allowed him to open himself and be at ease.

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So yeah that’s how it started with the two. (Name) and Ben started off as friends…good friends actually. It was saddening to know that both actors will have to look elsewhere for open roles in upcoming films/tv shows. But that didn’t diminish their hope of losing their friendship nor contact with one another. From there, they made promises to keep in touch and send support anytime, anywhere. Ben was delighted with how things were going for him in the film industry. He had come a long way and studied hard. He began with minor roles and dabbled in music, and finally, his talent and skills were recognized.

As for our lovely (Name)? Things were also looking good for her as well. Her performance (though a minor role she had played) in Narnia astonished viewers…critiques and gave way to more opportunities for the young actress. Busy schedules, signings, interviews, making appearances, promotion of brands, and so on; this was just the beginning for the two rising but underrated stars. Not at all did it dwindle their connection…only made it stronger. All in all, they always made the time to call one another.

At the start, it was a friendship, yes. But it became more personal for the two. Secrets were shared. Families and siblings were introduced. Insecurities were confessed to one another. A lot of meaningful things were made between Ben and (Name). It was obvious to everyone around them including their families that the two were meant to be. The Barnes family adored (Name) for her selfless and kind nature towards their eldest son. And the (Surname) family was grateful to Ben for looking after their daughter in the film industry. The Barnes were also thankful for how she was patient and respectful of their son’s nature.

You know…when (Name) was first introduced to his family, they actually had mistaken her for his girlfriend. Their chemistry was good…really good that it really misguided them into believing that they were dating. But Ben’s mother knew him well. He was deeply infatuated with her. And he didn’t even know it. After a nice hearty meal in the Barnes household, Mrs. Barnes didn’t have to look further through her analytical eyes as she gazed upon her son talking so animatedly with the sweet girl.

From then on, she’d come to the conclusion that this young lady right here sitting before her was meant to be with her son. Another thing to add, the woman wasn’t getting any younger…she wanted some grandbabies.

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Support was given, secrets were shared, jokes were exchanged, and so much more. The friendship grew and strengthened, and it became apparent in the eyes of everyone how Ben and (Name) adored one another. But it became so frustrating how neither one of them took the initiative to confess to one another. Yeah, they liked each other, without a doubt. Okay, that’s a bit of an understatement so let me clarify it, Ben and (Name) genuinely loved each other (secretly and unknowingly).

However, despite the close relationship they held, they still both led different lives and hence went on different paths. (Name) would be occupied in some part of the US for a TV series and Ben would be in another part of the US in a studio working on his movie. All in all, they were busy with their schedules, interviews, and promotions.

In addition, Ben was a dashing and charming fellow so it was no surprise he was not single most of the time. He would date different girls here and there. Some he met through mutual friends and some he worked with. The relationships didn’t last long but (Name) felt she could not compare to these beautiful and striking women that caught her best friend’s eye.

Now she didn’t think less of herself. No, not one bit. She loved herself and all that she was. Her attitude was basically ‘Fuck you! My body, my choice, and besides I doubt you can handle all this!’ Oh yeah, total badass. But the point was she felt she could never fit herself in Ben’s heart. Of course, there would be some insecurities like; Was she not enough? Will she ever be enough? Does he ever see her as beautiful? Do you think he would feel the same way as she did about him?

I guess she would never know. So she lets fear cloud her thoughts and convinces her to bury those feelings deep inside and lock them away. It was better this way, she would tell herself, better to hide than leave with a broken heart and a destroyed friendship.

As for Ben’s case, he was also cooped up with his own schedule and the interviews but he always had something occupying his mind or rather someone. That, someone, was, of course, (Name). Why? Well, he wondered if she was doing okay... if she got the role she was auditioning for... if she got the package he sent her... or if was it too much. He did recall how much she enjoys candy from the UK, so he thought why not send her a box of candy.

His head wasn’t just occupied with her but his heart too. Ben couldn’t ignore how fast his heart was beating at the thought of (Name). Even with all women he has dated in his life, he always compared them to her. She was everything they weren’t. She was everything that he looked for in a woman. She was just everything and he loved it.

Yes, Ben Barnes was deeply infatuated with (Name) (Surname). And that infatuation would remain a secret for… who knows how long. Ben didn’t want to risk the chance of getting rejected and losing their friendship altogether. He couldn’t imagine losing her. He would not dare be reckless with his feelings either. But deep down… Ben wishes (Name) would one day return his feelings, so, in the meantime, he’ll just keep it all inside whilst he cherished his time with (Name) as being her best friend.

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One of the many things both the actors shared their love and joy in, was celebrating the holidays. Sure at first, these special occasions would be celebrated with close loved ones such as their families and long-time childhood friends. But it had gotten to a point in their lives that their friendship became…how to describe it…wholesome? Amazing? Fun? No, it was UNIQUE.

Ben and (Name) may have had their own circles of friends and companions but when it came to just the two of them…Things were just different really. But in a good way. And with how their friendship felt ‘unique’, many of their cherished moments included sharing some of the holidays.

It was late December but only one day before Christmas Eve. The sky was dim and cloudy as a shower of snowflakes descended upon the white blankets that covered mother earth. Our beloved (Name) (Surname) was currently settled in Ben’s humble abode and getting comfortable in the kitchen. Earlier, the young lad had received word that his old friend, (Name), was in his area and without a moment to lose nor a chance to forgo, called the actress to come over and celebrate the holiday with him.

Well, actually in truth, it may have slipped out as they were catching up over the phone. It started off as a light conversation. (Name) had come to England very early December to visit her cousin and attend an engagement party. During their chat, Ben had thought to himself of how it would be wonderful if she spent the winter holiday with him for the first time. What he hadn’t realized then was that he had voiced out his own thought. Of course, (Name) heard him. She said yes after all. What neither could tell as they spoke on the phone was how Ben was so flushed and red in the face, and how (Name) could not stop smiling to the point her cheeks hurt.

The two were filled with giddiness and glee at the prospect of spending this merry occasion with one another.

(Name) had taken up the duty of baking and was now occupied with rolling the cinnamon-sprinkled dough while mischievous and quite secretive Ben was trying to be sneaky in licking the sugary frosting. He was excited to finally eat some of his friend’s food once again. It was always a treat for him when (Name) pulled out her cooking skills and introduced her ethnic foods to him. It was actually both a treat and a learning experience for him.  

A fond memory to look back on was the first time they cooked together 9It was the first time (Name) had been to his home. She was so flustered that day but happy nonetheless that Ben was opening himself to her. It made their friendship so genuine). (Name) had quite the adorable shocked look on her face when she realized her British BFF did not always season his food properly. Well, he did. Just only salt and pepper. And if he felt like going crazy then a dash of paprika.

“Seriously? That’s a dash? More like dandruff,” she had teased him but he would pipe back saying, “I can’t help it! Don’t judge me!”

“You’re lucky you have me at your side, you uncultured Brit. That palate of yours needs some awakening. You, my handsome fellow need to have a taste of flavor!”

“You think I’m handsome?” he smirked at her which made her blush profusely.

“Ah-ah don’t change the subject! I’m here to teach you and you will thank me in the future.” Nice save, (Name), way to draw his attention away from that compliment you blurted out.

Then again, now that she looked at him closely. Ben was really handsome. He had such an adorable, infectious smile, dark alluring eyes, smooth luscious hair (which she envied so much, I mean have you seen his hair?!), and those lips…so pink, so soft, and kissable- ‘What the hell is wrong with me?! I can’t have these kinds of thoughts about my best friend! Not even, Ben!’

(Name) never saw Ben for his looks but for his personality. She found him to be kind, brilliant, humble, compassionate, caring, genuine, and… gosh, she could go on and on about the great things she sees in him. In the end, (Name) could not deny the truth…and the truth was that she was falling harder for the young actor, day by day.

“You feeling alright, love?” Ben interrupted her train of thought. Seems like she was spaced out there as her mind walked through memory lane. Now back to the present, (Name) looked back to the man that held her heart without his knowledge, and… Wait a second! Is that white frosting at the corner of his lip?! All of a sudden, (Name) boldly swiped her thumb at the corner of his lips picking the bit of frosting and bringing it into his line of sight to playfully reprimand him for his actions.

This caught Ben off guard and brought sweet chills down his back when (Name) touched him briefly. But then his eyes saw how she grumpily looked at him like he was a wanted criminal. God, did she look so adorable. He almost laughed at how she pouted so cutely like an angry chipmunk.

“Ha ha, you caught me,” he told her with hands slightly raised in surrender.

“Mhm, seriously, Barnes. What am I going to do with you?” she questioned him.

“Love me unconditionally? Cuz I think we’re low on frosting…” he trailed off nervously with a mischievous grin on his face that showed no regret in his actions. (Name)’s eyes widened slightly and looked to the bowl that held the concoction of her grandmother’s frosting.

“Ooh you dang little Brit…” she then dabbed her frosting coating thumb on his nose which made him chuckle at her reaction. “Oh well, I wouldn’t say little…” Ben replied naughtily going off perversely which made the woman blush at the thought of it which made the man chortle at her embarrassed reaction.

“Oh-Oh-you… You know what, out! Out! I need to finish this before your parents come over!”

“Are you seriously kicking me out of my kitchen?!” he laughed.

“Yes, yes I am! Because somebody keeps eating the ingredients!”

Ben just kept laughing as he let her push him out through the kitchen door but then paused as he looked up. “Oh look, mistletoe,” he pointed out. This caused (Name) to halt her movements and look up as well. And indeed, there was a mistletoe hanging at the entrance of the kitchen door. Huh, how did she miss that? Suddenly there was a stillness in the air as they both had come to the realization of what being under the mistletoe meant.

Ben’s thoughts of kissing (Name) right there and now but the risk of ruining the friendship and making things awkward between the two caused him to reel in the chance of doing so. He deeply cared for her and he would never dare try to drive her away nor scare her because he held feelings for her. He turned his body towards her and saw her staring at the mistletoe in deep thought and wonder.

She looked back at him and immediately their eyes connected. And suddenly, the world around them began to disappear and it was just them and them alone. It felt like being in a foggy dream. Ben and (Name) stood before each other staring at each other for long until Ben spoke, “Shou-should we… you know...” he barely formed his sentence but (Name) was quick to understand what he meant.

Hold on! Did Ben perhaps gesture that they commit the mistletoe tradition?! Was he serious?! So many thoughts ran through the woman’s mind. “I-I mean… It is tradition… I-If that’s what you want…” she herself found it hard to speak as well. Here she was, in front of the man that held her heart and the way he was looking at her... His face and expression held such a soft, sweet, loving, captivated look.

They coincidently held a reoccurring thought… ‘If I do this… there’s no turning back.’ Their faces then leaned in closer till they could feel each other’s warm breaths and signature perfumes. Ben smelt sweet yet woody whilst (Name) smelt fruity and fresh. Not too long did their lips collide and a passionate feeling burst between the two.

As their lips touched, they went back to recall all of their relationships and past experiences of kissing other people… none of them could compare to what they were doing. Ben felt so happy right then and there that he pushed himself to kiss the girl he’s always dreamed about and (Name) felt other bliss being in Ben’s arms as his lips caressed hers. He was tender yet passionate. The two had to pull away to regain oxygen and finally face the reality of the situation they put themselves in. As they pulled away from one another, Ben still kept his arms around (Name) while she had hers around his neck.

It had dawned on them that their kiss was so… real and intimate that their bodies were brought closer till they were intertwined. Ben began to smile and chuckled which confused (Name) and at the same time scared her into thinking Ben was playing for her fool but what he said next changed everything.

“I- I’m not going to lie and say that wasn’t the best I’ve had since ever…I-I don’t regret what I’ve done, (Name), I don’t,” he confessed to her seriously. She began to pipe in but Ben placed his finger on her lips to give him a moment to finish what he started. “Let me explain, please…” She nodded back and let him continue.

“I don’t regret kissing you, (Name). Not one bit. In fact, I’ve been dreaming since the moment I met you to kiss you… but not what we did back when we filmed Narnia… but out here… in real life… I’ve always held feelings for you, for so long. Too long, actually. I love the way smile, the way you laugh and cry at cat videos…”

That last bit made (Name) giggle for it was true. She both loved and nurtured felines. Ben smiled at her reaction and it gave him the boost of confidence to further his confession.

“…I love how spontaneous you are, how smart… and talented you are, it’s amazing what you’re really capable of, and I really admire that about you… I am in love with you, (Name) (Surname).” He finally said the last part he craved to tell her for years throughout their friendship yet it came out shakily as he feared her reaction to his confession.

But wait…was she…smiling at him and…were those tears?! Oh no! Did Ben screw up their friendship?!

“Ha ha… oh Ben… and here I thought I was the only fool in love with their best friend…” she cried happily to him. Ben let out a huge breath of relief. He smiled through his own tears back at her as he cupped her face to wipe off her tears that trailed down her cheeks. She was too beautiful to cry even though they were happy tears.

“I love you, Ben Barnes. Always have, haha. My god, it’s really happening! I love the way your eyes light up when you- when you’re happy, I love the way you laugh, I love you’re enviously but beautiful hair… God! For a man that uses one product for every part of his body, he still looks good!”

Ben began to laugh uncontrollably at her comment about his hair. (Name) would sometimes mention how it was unfair that men would only have to rely on one product to apply on all parts of the body and yet come out smoother than a baby’s bottom.

“…what it’s true! Anyway, where was I… ah yes, the hair. Love your hair, I also love your passion for music, in fact, I love how you sing Ben…”

Now, this caught him off guard. Ben had been open to her about his dream to one day release his own music but he didn’t think (Name) believed in him.

“You are so talented, so smart, so authentic, so… you’re amazing Ben. I wish you would see yourself the way I see you… And that’s why I love you,” she gave her confession.

Ben was left awestruck by her words and just like always she always left him speechless. “It took us a long time to tell this to each other…” he said to her breathlessly.

“Years of agony of loving in the dark and the fear of rejection… it’s over… I can finally show you my affections in the open, right?” she asked him.

Ben tucked in a stray strand of her luscious locks that smelled of lavender before looking deep into her eyes, “No more hiding. It’s all out in the open.”

“So what’s next?” She was now confused and felt no need to leave the warmth of his embrace, “What does this mean for us?” (Name) wanted to understand further about the change of their relationship and all the changes that would come with it.

“It means… that we become what we’ve always wanted… more than friends…”

“I like that but… what if things ever go south…”

“Not possible,” he said it in an earnest tone.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Because you’re all I’ve been looking for all along.” This made her smile and she leaned into his arms as they hugged like two long-lost lovers who finally found each other once again.

“Ha ha ha, Hah! I love you, Sirius Black,” she said to him playfully.

“You are never going to cease to let me live that down, are you?” he rolled his eyes at her.

“Nope!”

It wasn’t that long ago when Ben learned that Harry Potter fans imagined him or declared him to be the young Sirius Black of the Marauders fandom. Not only that, he was one time asked to take pictures with a Gryffindor tie.

“You can also be quite cheeky, huh. But that’s what I love about you… Sundance…” he said the last part with a smirk that caught her off guard.

“How did you-?!”

“How could I forget that My Little Pony manipulated you into becoming an equestrian… and you only get Sundance merch, ha ha ha.”

“Ahh!”

“What?! It’s adorable!”

Yup, those two were meant to be.

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Author's note:

Hi @marimorena06 I really want to say I'm so sorry you had to wait so long for your request to be fulfilled. I'm aware you gave your request last year (2021) on November. I thought I was confident in taking requests but was overwhelmed with the list of replies (I'm not mad). I'm disappointed in myself in being slow but I'm happy to finally be done with all the requests that were sent to me. Though I think you deserve all of my sincerest apologies for having to wait the longest. So I decided to put all of my mind and heart into this fic and spice it up with so much love, details, short stories, and some humor.

It took me long and hard but I managed. I've come to the realization I don't do well with deadlines so I'm taking a break from accepting requests until I'm a pro at this. All those fandom writers who deal and accept with a lot of tumblr fic requests have my deepest respect. I only had a few and I barely managed. I didn't want to disappoint, I had writer's block many times, I was busy at home, looking for jobs (it is so hard to find), I was so sick (I'm not saying I had the hardest time), and my laptop sucks (like really sucks... I've had it for nearly 10 years).

So my apologies to you and to everyone else that was anticipating this fic. I hope it meets your expectations and that it brings you joy. And again thank you for your request it was so sweet of you to ask me, a newbie, to bring your idea to life. You can request again once I'm available. Right now I'll be going through some changes and introducing new content. Thank you once again, I hope you had a good holiday and happy new year to you and everyone else. And thank you for the support.

Taglist:

@marimorena06 @itzzzzcookie @s0-theking @s1xthirty @sagejames @fromgreytoyellow @esther334 @airsummoner @memymfselfandi @gweaswift @supernaturallover2002 @veganismbymelaniecavill @eginv-blog @fakehappy27 @ivymiriiu @bruxa0007 @jessevans @maregomes @dxvanadeline @lorenshmidt @mandybug39 @lovesssss @enchantingeggslimepeanut @nana-licious @rheathesimp @darlingangel-17 @edithsvoice @lewisroscoelove @calimoi

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Hi Poppy! How was your trip? :D

Ooh, lots of fun! It was hub's and my 25th wedding anniversary trip, the first trip we've taken, just the two of us, since our honeymoon. It was my husband's first trip outside N. America (my second; we're so adventurous).

Edinburgh was lovely as always and I got to visit (twice!) my favourite painting of Achilles Lamenting the Death of Patroclus by Gavin Hamilton.

It's so much more beautiful in person, and I could talk about it all day. Just ask my Facebook friends, they'll tell you that's no lie.

"Enbra" was P A C K E D with tourists, shoulder to shoulder every damn where, but that's to be expected in summer. We took a day trip to Rosslyn Chapel (made famous in The Da Vinci Code, but that's not why we went), visited the National Gallery and the National Museum of Scotland (Dolly the cloned sheep is preserved there, and they have a very good Fashion gallery, including a few items by Alexander McQueen), and took a tour of a whisky distillery (with tasting!). I tried Irn Bru and Monster Munch, both for the first time. We went in Boots once, to get an emery board (my nails all decided to crack, peel, and become snaggly/scratchy for the duration of this trip, it was weird), and there was a DJ! Hilarious. Scottish people are lovely and kind, and no matter how fashionable/dressed up an Edinburgh woman is, she wears sensible shoes. I admire this immensely.

We spent a day in Melrose, Scotland, which is south of Edinburgh in what They call "the Borders" area of the UK. Melrose Abbey was impressive, we had lunch in a very British hotel restaurant (like the one in Fawlty Towers), and experienced how truly dog-mad Scotland is; we met about 60 local dogs and only about 40 local people. I swear you must get a dog with the key to yr flat, there. We also visited a small museum of Roman artifacts from the site of a nearby fort.

Spent one evening/overnight in Berwick-Upon-Tweed, the northernmost town in England--it was still light out at 10:15 when we left the restaurant where we ate dinner--which may be a name familiar to you if you are a fan of my fight!lock stories. Solely because it was a long journey by train from London, and sounded quaint, I sent John there to do some doctoring when he wasn't with Sherlock. Turns out it's the closest place to get a train to London, from Melrose.

London was London-y. We did all the things: the Tower of London, walked the south bank of the Thames, Big Ben/Parliament, stood at the fence of Buckingham Palace awaiting a guard change that never happened, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Borough Market, Camden Market/Camden High Street, V & A Museum, National Gallery.

A definite highlight was seeing Richard III performed by a fantastic all-female cast in Shakespeare's Globe theater. Absolutely recommend seeing Shakespeare at the Globe if you go to London; a completely unique experience.

The weather was H O T and if you ever needed proof that first world countries aren't coping quickly or well with climate change, just ride the London tube, or spend time in almost any indoor space in Britain. There is no air conditioning. It's no wonder heat waves have been killing Britons for the last few summers; the infrastructure is not set up to cope with the temperatures they're getting. We stood aside at one tube station to let cops and medics rush by us to attend to someone who had just been taken off a train and left on the platform (as signage instructs passengers to do) because of fainting from the heat.

There is no such thing as a cold drink in the UK! You can go into a shop and buy a can of Coke or sparkling water, and it is cool, but not cold. When servers heard our accents they would put two ice cubes in our glass at restaurants, but that's not enough. The only truly cold drinks I had there all ten days were gin & tonics, Aperol spritzes, and ciders. Alcohol comes iced; everything else--even the tap water!--just doesn't come cold. It was my only complaint.

Thanks for asking! Great to be home, of course, but it was a lovely ten days.

[prongsmydeer]

Ayesha Liveblogs Heartstopper S1

I will not lie to you have put off watching this show for so long because I thought it might hurt my feelings but I think I'm finally ready to put myself through it

I didn't realize we'd be starting this show with Charlie already in a clandestine relationship. Alright, diving right in

Call me crazy, but I think this guy who is causing Charlie's brain to create gentle cartoon leaves might be the guy he falls in love with:

"Still don't tell anyone about this." Heartwarming words from Secondary Love Interest Ben

"Why are you talking to me? I don't even know who you are." Ben, love, I think you're overcorrecting

Tao saying "Bro Dude Friends" in an American accent tickles me

God I remember not being allowed to have a phone at even at lunch in school. Dark Times

"Have you talked to your friends about it? "They wouldn't get it." HAHAHA the one realistic teacher who deflects dating questions back to the teens

Immediately I like Tori. "Was he a knob?" is exactly the right question to ask

Charlie's imagined romantic cutaways are very fun

"I don't just fall for any guy who's nice to me," said Charlie, as if he had not immediately fallen for Nick on the basis of them just saying hi to each other and having one conversation about ink stains

Genuinely I hope this rugby endeavour ends with Charlie making a bunch of friends and discovering a love of sport

Update from 1 montage later: I think it has!

Also I am immediately invested in Tao and Elle's relationship. They miss each other so much, it's very sweet

This episode took a really harsh and unexpected turn with Ben's reappearance. Bring back the rugby montage

"It was normal," said Nick, in a very convincing statement that no parent would find troubling

Nick said: Move over Charlie, I can also have a cartoonish dream sequence. Welcome to My Instagram-Induced Homophobia Fever Dream

Immediately I'm relating to Nick. I too get stressed out by watching other people type and have to put away my phone. Also it is becoming clearer and clearer that he's going to be the one who is slower to come to terms with his own feelings

"Thank you for being my supportive straight friend." HAHAH bold of Charlie to assume. But I get that it opens the door to that conversation

"You know, when I was a teenager and had a crush on a straight boy, I just repressed it and suffered." Mr. Gay Teacher speaking to the real Teenage Experience LMAO

I love Elle making friends at her new school 💗 Not to stereotype but I do think girls are more welcoming as a social group

Nick has touched Charlie's hair one too many times today to be convincingly straight hahahah

"Nick likes a girl," said Tao confidently, as if the 'girl' Nick's friends had been teasing him for texting was not Charlie

"You've befriended the school lesbians." GOOD FOR ELLE

Nick thinking about holding Charlie's hand but stopping himself. Sweet boy

"I don't think he's straight," said Tori, after witnessing one of the gayest goodbyes I've ever seen

Nick staring at his team photo like he can rugby away gay thoughts

HAHAHAH doing the "Am I gay" quiz and getting 62%. I am so Nick-coded. He is so me. Someone stop these Repressed Queer Blond British Boys from being so relatable hahaha

"We don't want to make a big announcement or anything... just maybe not hide so much." I'm not sure which part of this interaction I liked the most, 1) Nick and Tara immediately establishing they weren't into each other 2) Tara telling Nick she is a lesbian, modelling a chill coming out and 3) Tara immediately giving Nick a sly look as soon as he mentions His Best Friend Charlie

Both cold and cool for Nick to tell Harry off for being homophobic at his own birthday party

Tao making Elle promise nothing will affect their friendship because he is clearly in love with her already LOL

Nick being visibly comforted by seeing happy queer people around him. Once again, relatable:

Very funny of the show to only NOW warn me of strobing effects, which have been bothering me for quite some minutes as I tried to get a screenshot of that scene LOL

"I'm dying." "It's cause you're old." To friends literally months older than you is honestly one of my favourite jokes

Nick said: The quiz was right! I AM at least 62% gay

Charlie immediately realizing he's got himself into another situationship with a guy who is definitely not ready to come out

"It's not that I didn't want to [whispers] kiss you.. I was just so confused. I've just been so, so confused." The immediate juxtaposition between Ben, who did not give a damn about Charlie's feelings through his sexuality crisis, and Nick, who not only apologized right away, but also is actively trying to explain how he's feeling to Charlie 🥺💘

Charlie is also representing a real group of people who are The Only Out Kid At School Whom All Other People Figuring Out That They're Some Type of Gay May Inevitably Direct Their Feelings

"A lot of gay people are good at sports, Charlie," said the Rugby Coach, slightly offended on behalf of all gay athletes

LMAO @ IMOGEN'S "I'm an ally" scene, I've seen it before

Also she really does give me second-hand embarrassment. Read the room girl!!!

Tao is so hostile to Nick undeservedly ghggghhgh Nick wasn't the one who threw the rugby ball but he did get pelted with it by Tao after

LMAO @ Darcy immediately clocking Nick and Charlie as a couple

"Why are the other team literal adult men?" Ah, a classic sports dilemma

"You've got some mud on your face though," said Nick, like the rest of both of them including his own face was not also covered in mud

HAHAHAHA Isaac also immediately clocking that they are sitting way too close and gazing too much to be just homies

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NICKKKKKKKKKK YOU ARE FALLING INTO THE SAME BEN TRAP. BE BETTER! YOU ARE SEEING SOMEONE!!!!!!!!

I know he's just trying to be a good friend to Charlie and I don't know if it's Tao's hair and face but he's reminding me of someone I know (who had a lot of emotional issues) and it's giving me a bit of the heebie jeebies hahahah

"Do you like this girl?" "Well, um, her dog died." HAHAH NICK, this poor people-pleasing boy

"Tao, no, it's his birthday," Tao is a rough mix of incredibly loyal, moderately possessive of his friends and lacking in any social graces whatsoever

Also if Tao understood what was going on, he'd be TWICE as mad. It's growing more deserved by the minute

"I was going to say I'd send him a strongly-worded DM, but murder's fine too." Hahahahah Tao

I've never seen a more uncomfortable exchange of the words, "You're a good friend." LOL:

Even if this whole Imogen thing is still pretty messy, I give a lot of credit to Nick for telling Charlie about it and explaining the context as well as clarifying he was going to put an end to it before it happened

"I wish I'd met you when I was younger," said Nick, like 16 isn't still pretty young

"I really like you." "You like me?" "Yes, wasn't that obvious?" HAHAHAHA they're so silly, I love them ❤️

I love that Charlie and Nick are so into each other they can't help but have a bit of PDA everywhere they go

Elle said: You're not the only ones capable of cutesy animations for the friend you're secretly in love with, Charlie and Nick

Do you think Isaac's like, 'Damn, this is an above average amount of romantic tension for a bowling outing'

"Mamma Mia." "We've seen that four times this year already." Nick continues to be extremely me-coded, including looking up the best LGBT movies nghghgnjg

I said this MOMENTS before he googled being bisexual. INCREDIBLE

"Do you wanna kiss? Would that help?" [Sarcastically] "Wow." "Just a suggestion." Charlie said: Sorry about your sexuality crisis, my love language is giving u a leetle kees on the lips

AWWWWWWWWWW I loooooove Nick finally having someone to talk through his sexuality feelings with outside of his boyfriend

"Kissing you is actually one of the things that made me realize I don't like kissing guys." "Okay, happy to help?" Nick 💖

Personally I LOVE the triple date and Meddling Gays Groupchat

Charlie is so blindingly smiley every time Nick acknowledges to someone that they're together it is the sweetest:

In fairness to Tao being the last to know, he is 1) The only one who actively dislikes Nick and 2) The only cishet person at the table

Must be rough for Tara to go from everyone only ever talking about how fit she is to all the crap of people thinking they're gonna catch lesbianism

It would've been VERY funny if they all got locked in the closet

"They all probably think I'm this like, gay nerd." "Well, you kind of are a gay nerd." Nick said: You're MY gay nerd, Charlie

"Oi, just look at him behind him. Like a little girl." Harry's got so many issues. He's literally in the same proximity to Ben, what's his problem?

"Quick question. What's it like being gay?" Not that EVERY homophobic character is secretly gay, but it does seem more and more like Harry is 🤨

"I'm not even gay. I just felt really sorry for you." Since ep 1, I have strongly been suspecting that Ben will be the one to out Nick and Charlie and I feel it even more strongly now that he has eyewitnessed their handholding

Also it does NOT bode well that this ep is called Bully

"[Charlie] has a friend who won't leave me alone," said Harry, as if he has not been the one pelting Tao and calling him names to deal with what is probably a little gay crush repressed deep under thirteen layers of stupid and mean

"None of us are being homophobic." I feel like people are now growing up in this weird era where people ARE still homophobic but unwilling to admit it because it's less acceptable. It's fucked up to have someone do something bigoted to you and say it's not. At least when someone's horrible upfront you are facing an enemy that's showing its face

I don't blame Nick for finally losing his cool. Also wild of Harry to pick a fight with someone who is obviously bigger than him

"Some of the rugby boys are nice." "Even they just... stood there." There comes a certain point where being able to associate yourself with bigoted people must mean that you are at best indifferent to the people they harm

"I think I know why he hasn't [told me]. He thinks I'll accidentally say something stupid and out Nick to all of Nick's mates. And obviously he cares more about Nick's feelings than he does about mine." SEVERAL THINGS, TAO. 1) IT IS OBVIOUS why he hasn't told you, it's because you have shown numerous times you don't like Nick. 2) Why the hell is OUTING THEM even on your list? 3) In a situation where you COULD accidentally out Nick, his feelings are OBJECTIVELY more important than yours! And 4) This possessiveness towards your friends is part of the problem!!!

"This is all your fault," said Tao, as if Charlie had forced him to fight with Harry instead of literally intervening upon it

I get that Tao's a teen and he's hurt Charlie's priorities are different and he's short-sighted but GOD take some personal responsibility

"He said he doesn't wanna talk to you." If Charlie ends up being the only one to apologize for this I'm gonna be SO mad

All other things aside, I'm glad Tao and Nick are bonding

I love how consistently useful it is that Charlie can run fast

"You don't get to make me feel like crap anymore just because you hate yourself." YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH CHARLIE

DOUBLE APOLOGY, AS WAS WARRANTED FOR THESE TWO:

The butterflies appearing on Tao's side so we know the feeling is mutual ahhhhhhhhhh

If Nick is leaving the rugby match to kiss his boyfriend, that is the FUNNIEST possible thing he could do, surely it could wait til after the match rather than mid-mandatory-sports day

The update is that he was desperate for a conversation, which seems more reasonable LMAO

"My life is way better because I met you." NIIIIICK 😭❤️

Charlie is really coming into his own today. The most nonconfrontational boy crams three different emotional confrontations into one sports day

Bold move to make out in the school corridor mid-mandatory-sports day. In general, interesting how often people are macking around this school. But I understand, it was a very romantic conversation:

"I love liking you," said Nick, like that wasn't one of the most romantic things I've ever heard

"Does this mean we're boyfriends?" "Oh, yes. Was that not already established the last like, ten times we made out?" HAHAHA their DTR talks kill me a little

"Thank you for telling me. I'm so sorry if I ever made you feel like you couldn't." I was nervous for Nick for a moment, but I'm so glad for him now

"It's called bisexuality, if you've heard of that." LMAOOOOOOOOOOOO not Nick genzsplaining bisexuality to Mama Nelson aka Olivia Colman, of The Favourite fame

What a sweet and charming show

[blazedrawsstuff]

Peggy One-Leg, daughter of the dreaded Captain Long Ben One-Leg

Peggy One-Leg  Daughter of Captain Ben One-Leg

Parent

Captain Long Ben One-Leg

Age

16

Killer Style

Corsair Style. White blouses, corsets, sashes ‘round the waist, hats or bandanas, the works really.

Freaky Flaw

I do not give quarter to those that feel me wrath.

Pet

Me beloved Santiana, she’s a beautiful eel with a voice of sirens I tell ye.

Favorite Activity

When I’m not sailing or reading action-packed adventure novels; I also practice swordsmanship in me down time, gotta keep me skills (and me blade) sharp.

Pet Peeve

Me father and I do not see eye-to-eye. While I am a buccaneer at heart, I despise that bilge rat’s treatment of me hearties and greed of precious booty. Even if we’re plunderers, would it kill him to have at least a little honor among thieves?

Favorite Subject

Let me see, Oceanography, Archeology, Ge-Orge-phy, Literature, and Singing...I can’t just choose one.

Least Favorite Subject

Dance, easy to see why.

Favorite Colors

Red, Gold, Brown, and Purple

Favorite Food

Salmagundi. ‘Tis a favorite dish among pirates.

Friends

Vandala Doubloons Kaze Tatsumaki (OC) Gill Webber Finnegan Wake Qi Yewan (OC)

Abilities

Immortality

As a zombie, she is immortal. 

Skillset

Swordsmanship

Peggy was taught the ways of a sword at a young age, as any pirate must know how to defend themselves.

Navigation Peggy is excellent at reading maps, and has a great sense of direction.

Singing

She can belt out a good tune, due to her experience singing sea shanties. Ability to Speak Human English Unlike most zombies, Peggy speaks the English language rather than “zombie”. This is likely because her father is able to do the same.

Personality

Peggy is a hardworking and adventurous pirate, and while she may be a plunderer of the seas as with any pirate, she adheres to honor and does not tolerate disloyalty, greed, and disrespect. She’s an honest ghoul too, well as honest as a pirate can be that is. This leads to her to be at odds with her father, who treats the crew of the Scarlet Skull like garbage, is a notorious liar, and is overall immensely selfish. If there’s one thing she shares with her father; it’s ruthlessness towards those who incur her wrath, as well as those that have committed the above mentioned sins. She is also rather superstitious, as most pirates and sailors are.

Trivia/Additional Information

Peggy’s first name is based on peg legs.

Her headcanon voice actress is Kimlinh Tran, who voiced Ms. Fortune from Skullgirls. With a more "piratey" accent of course.

Her birthday is April 1st, which is when “Creep from The Deep” was released. This makes her an Aries. Coincidentally this also makes her birthday April Fools Day.

Peggy’s pet is named after the sea shanty Santianna. Santianna is also an eel based on the cover of Creep from The Deep. Peggy despises Caspian because his avaricious personality reminds her of her father. To complicate matters, Caspian has an unreciprocated crush on her.

[hukkelberg]

it worked!

w the faceless men - they are an assassin's guild associated w the house of black and white which is a religion that considers death a gift as it is a release from suffering. they are required to give up their former identities entirely. they have an incomparable reputation for success bc part of their training is the idea that whoever they are killing should never even know what's happening. there is rarely confirmation that a faceless men kill was an assassination and not an accident. the secrecy, ability to act unseen and unnoticed, training in lying and acting, issues w identity, ability to shapeshift, tacit allegiance w the lower classes (they were founded by a slave, always require a high price but the "high price" will shift so that the individual is able to pay it but it will always be a great sacrifice, allow anyone into their temples so they can choose to die peacefully via poisoned water), and the fact that they are incredibly powerful but largely anonymous are all great training grounds for a master of whisperers and seemed fitting for pen specifically. the shapeshifting aspect specifically would allow her more freedom as someone whose official post is gathering intel lol - w varys this manifests via his acting skills, wide array of costumes/disguises, and nonthreatening public persona. their main temple is in braavos so training there would mean pen having some experience traveling essos, making it more likely that she'd end up in dany's sphere as well as more likely to hear about what dany's doing in the first place (few ppl in westeros really know about dany's conquests/strives to eradicate slavery - even cersei, the current ruler in westeros who also tends toward paranoia, dismisses reports about a dragon queen - while dany is well-known throughout essos). part of the training is also working w poison so pen could have some fun w that as well as apprenticing under different ppl in certain professions that could prove useful. there are a lot of theories about arya apprenticing under the famous braavosi courtesans which could also be fun for pen tbh. (2/3)

i do think pen would have to pick up most of her fighting from the faceless men because there wouldn't realistically be much chance for her to get any training. She's not like arya in the sense that she'd seek it out, but maybe ben or colin would entertain Eloise's requests and pen would just join for the sake of being with them. The faceless men style suits her! I kept thinking about what kind of master of whisperers she'd be like—i think the face changing is a great ability, in line with bridgerton canon (the changing clothes and accents). she's more a varys than a littlefinger, i think, but im not terribly familiar with the nuances of either. It is likely she'd deploy whistledown as a second identity, much like in the show, but maybe in the sense of an information trader? Kind of like the manga/manhwa archetype of the master of the information guild.

Her presence in essos is thus necessary. I think she would like dany, either way, and you know what, i think she'd greatly dislike her mormont guide (joras?). maybe she'd seek to defend her. probably that is what moves her to join dany, besides just seeing daenerys as the rightful ruler/best choice. perhaps she even reminds her of eloise a little. I dunno where eloise is in all this—im really thinking the braver of the bridgertons get murdered, or at least sent away on their own quests. I can picture either ben or colin shipping penelope away to safety against her will, but since i don't know travel times/possibilities that well, i can't tell you exactly what prompts it all.

[artdecosupernova-writing]

Word Prompt — NSFW

Word: Harbor WIP: Partners Timeline: like 1968/1969 again. likely not canon. (...maybe?) CW: Oh boy-o baby this is 18+. For sex, duh. But also mentions of drug use. Word Count: 1,962 Additional Notes: is this the Spanish Inquisition because I did not expect it

***

"How long have you wanted him?"

Reagan counted out ten whole seconds before turning his face away from the flames popping on the hearth. A crooked smile in Maura's direction, a velvety undercurrent of sin jumping out as the homey and hellish glow danced over his skin, but he was all innocence when he finally spoke. "What?"

Maura watched him dare to feign ignorance for a beat. "How long," she echoed, the alto of her voice, the Bristolian accent running like melted chocolate over the tension sitting between them on the couch, "have you wanted him?"

"…Him." Reagan threaded his fingers through themselves over his knees and his eyes found the fire again. "Have I ever wanted a him?"

"You tell me."

"One of these days," he said right away, the innocence suddenly taken over by arrogance of the spirit, "I'll give myself over to him completely. I'll let him have me in body, mind, and soul…and the aching will finally stop."

Maura sipped a generous amount of the martini sitting on the end table next to her. "Right. You know you'll create a gaping chasm inside of Ben if you do that."

Reagan arched an eyebrow.

"Emotionally," Maura clarified. "Though you could certainly do so in other ways as you're well aware. But he's so in love with you and he has less than no experience with a man…if you were to affirm his desires too abruptly it would irreparably damage him for the rest of his natural life, I think."

"I'm somewhat of an expert at hurting Ben when trying to do the opposite. But I'd like to think I've gotten pretty good at avoiding that these days."

"Then why start again?"

Reagan bit his lip. "Because that ache is powerful, baby. Over the last few years, particularly, it's…consumed my every waking moment and replaced every rational thought process; I can't escape it."

"Do you think about him when you're having sex?"

"Mm. Sometimes," Reagan confessed in a whisper, a rare moment of vulnerability breaking through. "Not that often, if I'm honest. I like to focus more on the body at hand."

"Do you think about him when we're having sex?"

"No." He winked at her. "Never needed to."

Maura rolled her eyes. "That's a bloody lie."

"You're handling this well."

"And the secret to that is that we've been married for almost ten years and I've known about your feelings for him since I first saw the two of you in a room together. Anyone with half a brain can see that you are in immense denial and the only ones keeping yourselves from being together are yourselves."

"And Faye."

Maura paused, having forgotten about that hurdle. "Yes," she said at length, tipping the martini glass toward her lips. "…And Faye."

Reagan rubbed his palms together, the arrogant smirk returning, this time layered with the bitterness of decades of repression and the resulting crumbling frailty. "I can't have him when he's still with her. I won't cross that line and neither would he."

"How would you do it?" When he looked at her again, genuine curiosity became prevalent in the way her eyebrows lifted toward her hair. "If you could."

"What makes you think I'd know that?"

"Because I know the way your mind works. I know the way your urges work. You've thought about this in great detail when you're alone."

Reagan chuckled. "…Is this foreplay to you?"

"It's not the strangest thing you've done."

The homecoming party he threw after returning from Ireland cropped up in his hazy memory. Drunk to hell at the peak of his cocaine abuse, fucking a strongwoman in his empty bathtub while another—sworn nameless—major motion picture star got his mind blown by half a dozen men and women in the next room, the smoke of cigarettes, marijuana, and else stinking up the place he ended up spending hundreds of dollars to clean up before his kids arrived from their mother's house.

He leaned back into the couch and held an arm out for Maura to scoot closer. "That is…sadly true."

Maura raked her nails through his hair. "Where would you be?"

"Here, probably. Not as risky, less guilt. In this scenario, I've bought another piano for him to keep here and he's singin' for me, I'm watchin' him play…I ask him to play 'That Old Black Magic' to end our session."

"Excellent choice," Maura said. "Very appropriate."

Reagan fully relaxed into the couch, letting the placating prickle of his scalp from Maura's fingers carry him through the moment. "I catch him starin' at me while I'm singing, but he does that a lot so it's initially nothin' new. And I'm starin' back. And I get to the last 'I should stay away, but what can I do?' and he stops before he can finish the song. There's tension, we talk for a bit, he gets up to be walked to the door, and then he grabs me and kisses me."

"Oh, he's the one making the first move?"

"That's the beauty of it," Reagan traced the texture of the ceiling with his eyes. "He'd never do it in reality. Never in a million years. I'd want him to make the first move anyway…it would just be safer. Easier on his psyche. But he kisses me, and I know me, I'm immediately into it, I'm shovin' him against the wall, hands scoping out his chest and tangling in his hair and I'm just…so deep in this kiss I could drown."

Maura didn't say anything more, continuing to run her hand gently through his hair.

"And I've…I've gotta be honest, Mo, I'm already rock-hard at this point both in my mind and right this second. Every time I think about this it winds me 'cause I have never wanted something so bad in my life. He's unbuttoning my shirt and can barely get the fucking things undone and I'm sucking his neck and he's breathless in my ear and it's all can do not to hoist him up and take him right there, but I have to wait for him. It's all up to him."

One by one, Maura started to undo the buttons of Reagan's shirt, encouraging him to continue with a hum.

"And I'm dying 'cause he wants friction and he's pressed into my jeans…and I'm moving back, holding his face, asking him a thousand times if this is what he wants, and every time he's nodding, he's nodding and pulling the shirt off my back. 'Don't ask me if I want it again,' he says. 'You know I've wanted you my whole fuckin' life, you prick.' And I'm too scared to walk away from him so I just pick him up in my arms and carry him into the bedroom, and he's kissin' me and I'm weak in the knees..."

Maura unfastened the last button of Reagan's shirt and ran a hand over his chest, lingering over his racing heartbeat, dropping down to the waistband of his jeans. "And you've finally gotten him into your bedroom for the purpose you'd intended."

"Yeah," Reagan sighed, letting his eyes fall shut. "After just about forty years of waiting."

"He takes off his clothes…?"

"Mm-hmm. I want him to feel as good as he makes me feel, so I'm kissing every bit of skin he reveals to me, his shoulders, his throat, his chest, his stomach…and I get to the button of his jeans and I'm very slow to unbutton him and drag the fly down and I carefully..."

He sucked in a sharp breath when Maura palmed him, caressed him over the swell of rough blue fabric.

"You'd make this the most beautiful night of his life."

"Yes," Reagan hissed, squeezing the back of her neck. He closed his eyes, tipping his head back onto the top of the couch. "God, yes..."

"How does he react to you pleasuring him?"

"He's…he's squirming, he's not gonna survive this. I'm very good at what I do," he added with a quick and forced laugh. "He's making noises I'd never heard from him before, his skin is so hot and I'm a little worried he could pass out."

Maura, now with two hands as she'd set the martini on the floor, freed Reagan from his own denim prison and started to stroke him with care and love, smoothing her other hand through his soft hair again. "You think he would?"

"…He'd come within a few minutes." Reagan's eyes snapped open and he looked directly at her. "…And I would devour him."

"Would you? That's bold of you. A little out of character, I'd think."

"It's not," Reagan murmured, gripping Maura's hair in a firm but painless fist. "I'd drink him dry."

Maura leaned forward, nuzzling his jaw with a featherlight touch of the tip of her nose. "…You are in love with him, aren't you?"

At the sensation of her hot breath on his throat, Reagan tensed, a wave of heat rolling over him and concentrating to where her hand had taken to twisting in longer strokes. "Fuck…I would die for him without a second thought."

"So he's spent—in your mouth—and you'd keep going?"

"I'm pullin' him to me and I'm fine, I've got some time before I'm in danger of blowing my top, so I'm getting our clothes off and I slide my hands under him and hold him so tight to me…I can feel his pulse in every part of him, like I'm inside his body, and he's so beautiful and pink, lookin' at me with wide eyes like he can't believe it's happening, and I can't either, he looks disheveled and flushed and I'm so..." He halted, looked down at himself. He frowned, brain muddled with lust and his thoughts. "…I'm close."

Maura, startled, threw herself back across the couch to slip out of her underwear and pull Reagan to her. "C'mere."

Reagan shoved his jeans down and off, scooped her into his arms with a passionate kiss, hitching her short, floral spring green dress up and guiding himself inside without the use of his hands. He curled one of her legs around his hips and drove into her, holding onto the back of the couch for leverage.

She threw her arms around him and though she found herself in the moment as well, he could tell this wasn't for her. He did reach down to press soft circles onto her with his thumb in the seconds before he couldn't hold back and a rolling growl from deep in his chest rumbled his entire body, the fabricated image of Ben's pianist fingers gripping his hardness burned into his brain as he exploded with such intensity that he couldn't catch his breath.

He clutched his wife to him, and she whispered to him, talked him back into reality. Kissed him sweetly on the lips.

"Remind me to buy a piano tomorrow," he panted.

She swatted him on the shoulder.

"You okay?" he asked, blinking spots from his vision. "I'll take care of you, baby, don't worry."

"See that you do," she laughed. "I deserve to have a clear view into the back of my head for all of that."

"Mm," Reagan sighed, already dragging himself down so his face could fit snugly between her slim thighs. "And a new car, and the most exquisite dinners you could ever imagine, and diamonds large enough to crack someone's skull open—"

"Pardon me, use that tongue for less of the talking, please."

Reagan grinned, lavishing her thoroughly, with nothing but her and her scent and both of their tastes on his mind as he brought her to nearly suffocating him with her legs and her squeals ringing through the empty house, then did it all over again.

[evobedevo]

Surprisd to hear his name being called out by Bianca, Ben stopped pacing for a moment. "Huh? Please don't tell me I'm up next..." He hung his head low, not exactly ready for what he knew was about to happen.

Bianca just snickered. "Oh Benny-boo, you're so hilarious."

Hearing that nickname triggered something in Ben for a second. "Wait, what did you just call me?"

"What, Benny-boo? It's cute, no?"

Ben winced. "Well..."

With a sort of abruptness, Bianca burst into laughter. As she calmed down, she wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh god, I'm sorry about that. I just love seeing you squirm like that! I know the reason you hate that name, I just wanted to tease you for a moment. I'm a fan of how that robot chick torments you like this."

Unamused, Ben's face turned into a scowl. Now filled with annoyed anger, he made his way to he front of the cage, facing Bianca. "If we're done here, can we just get this over with!?" Some of the other captives in the cage began to snicker, others whistled nonchalantly from the whole thing that just happened in front of them. Bianca, still with a taunting smile on her face, prepped the transportation box. As she decided who she wanted to fuse Ben with, a little idea formed in her mind. She knew all about Illustro, and how his female self Illia tended to be a shy, nervous wreck. And she knew that Ben could also be a bit of a nervous wreck, although he probably had good reason to, what with hanging around Celest and what not. Combining two could prove to be an interesting experiment. Plus, neither of them had any powers of sorts.  "Oh yes," she thought."...This will be fun."

The box surrounded itself around Ben, who was too annoyed at the moment to be terrified at the prospect of what was about to happen. As this happened, Bianca cloned an Illia into the empty chamber next to Dusk. The transport box carried Ben to the other empty chamber too quickly for him to get a glimpse at who he was transforming with. He could tell from context clues that it might be Dusk again. If that were the case, maybe that wouldn't be so bad? He did have cool ice powers, after all. 

With a devilish chuckle, Bianca started the fusion off once more, eager to see the results. A flash of green and cyan both rang out from their respective tubes, mixing in the central column. No smoke this time, and the resulting fusion could be seen as clear as day from the start. 

Dark brown hair, held in place by a headband. A short, open zippered hoodie with long sleeves revealed the cute striped tank top they were wearing, fitted for the fusions lack of breasts. However, they wore a denim pencil skirt, as a sort of compromise between Ben's jeans and Illia's scarlet skirt. That skirt, along with the knee high socks they were also wearing, showed off the fusions curves quite nicely. All of which was accented by a fusion of Ben's sneakers and Illia's kitten heels.

For a few seconds, the fusion did nothing. They just sort of...stood there. Although after a few seconds, tears started welling up in their eyes, and distinctly feminine sobbing could be heard coming from them. 

Internally, the two members of the fusion had finally synched up. However, due to the two of them having the personalities they had...twice the amount of emotional instability was now present in this one body. Benillia couldn't handle the two parts of their brain panicking at the same time, and the sync made it that much worse. 

Benillia began to wipe their tears with their slightly longer than normal sleeves, their face now blushing red from the crying. They let out a few cute whimpers, trying to prevent themself from losing their composure too much. The teary eyed fusion looked up, trying to form a sentence without stuttering. "T-this feels...feels n-not right. I c-can't..."  And then the transport box resurfaced, closing itself and gently leading Benillia back into the cage. The other captives looked at the cute, crying...er, girl? and all felt a rather strong compulsion to hug and calm them down. It was a rather touching and adorable scene. Reenillia and Dawnanna even took direct interest in acting maternally towards the new fusion, attempting to solace them by talking everything out about their new experience. 

Even Bianca wiped a tear from her eye...although it was probably due to laughing again. Her face was still in its usual grin.  "That...was heart meltingly adorable. All of it. I'm loving this fusion already." And with an over the top flourish, she pulled out her notepad again, crossing off Ben's name.  "But alas, we must move on with the show. And next up is....someone who has a history with our friend Twila already. Interesting!"

[imaginingfrancium]

sharing some of my xyx headcanons

so that my mind will be at Peace, i'd like to share some of my own xyx headcanon crumbsszxs, related to him being Filipino and other random stuff (from a Filipino [me] who can't stop having xyx brainrots. v detailed, sort of political, and self-indulgent themes ahead):

his parents are full-blooded filipinos, who decided to migrate to australia (to have a better life~~) (taking it from my experience of having relatives telling u to get a job/move abroad bc living in the ph suckz)

his dad passed away when he was in his early teen years. his mom married a local aussie man years later.

yes, he loved his dad so much. his dad was That Present, Supportive Father yeh

he grew up seeing his parents being so loving, caring, etc to each other. like that was his basis of love; he wanted to experience what his parents had. he hoped for it so much that i guess after how many heartbreaks (uhuh lovesick teenager xyx), he got tired and gave it up lol (until fLASH FORWARD to meeting us, and there: the love that was really something. not just the idea of something *bow)

his sister (yes, he has one) is a nurse and he is a lawyer. not bc they were coerced by their parents, but they just really decide it for themselves (imagine the number of times they had to say "no, really. i just want to be one") (v random hc, yes)

he used to visit the ph when he was young. those trips stopped since most of his family members already moved to australia too, and other places abroad.

even though he speaks english with a strong australian accent, it's like it's turned off when he speaks tagalog.

(i reckon that he can speak better tagalog than me 🕴 Jose Rizal be laughing in his grave rn)

he grew out of his catholic roots when he lived by himself, but still tries complete all 9 Simbang Gabi/Misa de Gallo masses. to have some connection with his devote catholic mom, and to honor the times he spent attending these masses with his late dad. (i like Simbang Gabis because of the native delicacies being sold outside the church every after mass)

after the first time you attended Simbang Gabi with xyx, he made a mental note to add Ben&Ben's Bibingka to his playlist about u (v self-indulgent but iykyk) (well if he has one) (i think he does tho)

he is Anti-Marcos and you cannot convince me otherwise. (he could've been that guy who called out marcos jr. personally when he was in aus for a family vacation) (can't find the video of it SKSKSKS)

he was supposed to study in the ph for college because attending university in australia is Expensive ™. luckily, he was able to enter one with a scholarship.

if he didn't though, he probs studied in UP or Ateneo (xyx wearing the UP sablay... as an iska, *tucks hair behind ear*)

(to my fellow filo/filo-speaking bp players) he didn't tell you he was filipino and can speak tagalog when you first got together. he decided to keep it to himself for a while bc he wanted to see your reaction 😎 the moment you knew was when he responded to an endearment you said in tagalog.

"so all along, you understood what i was saying?" "yes." "🕴️" "also your tagalog sucks." "oh f*ck off (affectionately)"

there is a news article about him written by a local ph news source. headline was "Australia-Raised Filipino Lawyer helped win big case vs. big company" something something. (you can smell the Pinoy Pride 🇵🇭 XD comments from here)

xyx listens to OPM !!! it's his 3rd most played genre on Spotify.

he grew up listening to it because of his dad (it is a way for dad to cope with his homesickness) (one more and i'll make a separate hc post about his dad)

with that info, lemme tell u that you both once danced to Ang Huling El Bimbo and/or Panalangin

v sorry for the many random, unorganized thoughts lol and the grammar errors. anyw lemme know what you also think ‽‽

(OPM songs i listened to while writing this: Isang Anghel by zild *highly recommend!!; dekada '70 by zild; Torete by moonstarr88)

(also gonna promote my bloomic but pinoy shitposting hehe)

[ghost-rule0]

German! Ticci Toby Headcanons

ATTETION: yet unedited

Wanted to write this since I found out he was part german so enjoy :D

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Toby grew up bilingual. His parents moved when he and Lyra were around 5 or 6 because his mother wanted to move closer to her relatives. 

( note here I am not sure which part of his parents IS german because I have never seen it being mentioned in a character sheet or post by the creator (or at least I have not seen it))

-Since he was homeschooled he rather stayed inside to avoid people making fun of his tics (both motoric and verbal) so it didn’t take him long to discover early 2010 Youtube.  -His current humor matched most Youtube Channels that were popular back then like YTitty, Apecrime, Applewar or IBali, tho I am pretty sure his favorite Youtuber was our Queen Coldmirror.  -The internet, by the time he grew older, had to go to school, face bullying and the contant abuse of his own father, was a safe place for him. 

When he didn’t stay at other peoples places or hide in his sisters room, he spend most time in his room reading or surfing the internet.  -You could say he grew up along with the internet. He watched youtubers rise and fall, websites become popular and die and people change.  -Of course he was a Minecraft teen what would you expect? His sister and mother got him a computer for his birthday once and he not only watched letsplays but also played on his own or on server.

He decided to stay out of Teamspeaks as much as possible because of his verbal tics but other than that his tics didn’t affect his gaming experience that much. Motoric tics calm down when he himself is calm so he could peacfully play for hours when his dad wasn’t home.

-He often played together with Lyra of course -Popular letsplayers around that time were GermanLetsPlay, Taddl, Gronkh, Dner and Ungespielt.  -After Lyras accident he locked himself in his room more than ever. He tried to drown the Opertors (Slendermans) effects with music but that didn’t really work.

 Around that time his day also became a lot more agressive and started to drink more beer 

(German beer is a lot harder than americans btw) which stressed him no end, making his tics hard to conrol and for him to play games almost impossible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Coming to his mansion life. -Because most of the Creeps speak english he rarely says something in german. The fact he grew up bilingual made most of them didn’t even notice he could speak german since he lacked the accent. -People only started to notice because he curses most times in german. -He also switches languages when he forgets words. 

If people understand what he means he just shruggs it off tho if they stare at him confused as he tries to explain he gets nervous and his tics start to act up more and more

And when they still don’t understand what he means he can snap under the stress.

-be careful around him, special when he acts calm but randomly starts saying german words you don’t understand.

Most time that indicates that he is mad. -despite Ben and Jeff telling they are most resistant to alcohol out of the group never mess with Toby (or europeans in general) 

-He isn’t even tipsy if one of the two already is passed out. -He is also the one that gets other alcohol than Beer. 

-He is not afraid to teach Sally curse words. Of course only when his boss isn’t watching. -I know I know, the waffel joke is old and over used, I know. 

-Tho i can see him having a sweet tooth, specially for nutella. Which he buys as if an apocalypse starts the next day.  (Because the best nutella still comes from europe and import takes ages).

-He still is a gamer so it’s obvious he often hangs out with Ben. 

-when I said he grew up with his youtuber I really ment that.

Tho of course he couldn’t use wifi on the run from the police -From the youtubers he watched back as a teen he actually only watches Taddl, Ungespielt (Unge) and GermanLetsPlay (GLP) anymore.  -Because most people probebly don’t know them: Taddl or T had a long pause from youtube where he started a band with his best friends and got into rap. By now he is back with Twitch streams and still plays games but also makes music now. -German Rap is bullshit I tell you that. So he has a pretty solid opinion that T is the only good german rapper he listens to.  -He hates german schlager, not only because its bad (and only bareable when you are hella drunk) but I can see his mom Connie as one of those german schlager moms lmao. -when he isn’t out on jobs for his boss he is in his room and just chills. Even years after the accident he isn’t really the most social person

but that doesn’t mean people like Ben, Jeff or Tim and Brian just come to his room and chill with him. -his room is still his favorite place after all -I have a personal headcanon that Ben just puts stuff like LED lights or consols that HE doesn’t have a place for in other peoples room, which is why Toby also has LEDs in his room  -plays the Hypa Hypa Mama Mia Remix to party (IT’S SO GOOD) -most important. He is a stoner like ben. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ IT’S SO LONG MY COMPUTER IS LAGGING AHAH- 

anyway that are my first headcannons I have ever written omg most of the stuff here is based on my own childhood  I couldn’t put as much character interactions in here as I would like to but when I dont get hated for this one I will write a second one :DDD also I tried to leave his tics out because even tho they affect his character they don’t define his entair character (like i have seen some people comment)

[boldlyvoid]

Amoreena | Chapter Five

Chapter Five

main summary: Heaven is a real place and it's located exactly 14.6 miles away from the FBI, Quantico Headquarters. Off behind a small park, under a fantastical willow tree surrounded by wildflowers, in every colour young minds can imagine.

Don't forget, heaven also comes with angels.

Chapter Summary: (fluff only) weekly Saturday reading only they are joined by an extra 15 lost boys, not just Spencer

Warnings (adding as they happen): fluff, hurt/comfort, depressed spencer, reader has a daughter, falling in love, strangers to lovers, library smut, oral (female receiving) lots and lots of fluff

word count: 3K

from the beginning <3

He woke up Saturday morning to the sound of a bunch of voices coming from beyond the walls of his room. Only it wasn’t his room, it was the room he slept in when he stayed with Y/N and Amoreena, he hasn’t left since he arrived on Thursday and he had no plan to either.

They still hadn’t told her about their relationship, not wanting her to come crawling into bed with her mom in the morning to find Spencer there too. She wasn’t ready to explain to Amoreena what it meant for Spencer to be in her bed, how they were in love and that she might need to learn how to knock before entering.

So he slept in the spare room, completely contently because he knew she was only on the other side of the wall, instead of 30 minutes away like she would be when he slept at his own apartment.

It had been a week since he saw them reading in the park, and now they were his family. It was incredibly fast, anyone who heard the news would say so. But that’s how his life worked, he blew through everything incredibly fast, it only made sense for him to skip every step in the book and become a stepdad overnight.

He woke up then, missing Y/N and Amoreena as he thought about the last week. Finally getting dressed and peaking outside, through the crack in the blinds, to see what was going on on the farm.

There were a bunch of men in the field with the cows dropping new cattle off in a big truck as a bunch of children ran around the yard. Y/N wasn’t kidding when she said her 7 siblings had produced 15 cousins for Amoreena to play with. Children all between the ages of toddler and 7-years-old, screaming while they ran after Rufus and the cats, it was a pure dopamine rush to witness.

He found Y/N in the living room, a book in one hand and a coffee in the other, “good morning cutie, all the ruckus on the farm wake you up?” She did her best fake southern accent as she smiled at him. Beautiful as ever in the early morning sunshine.

He nodded with a yawn, sitting beside her and snuggling into her shoulder. She placed her mug in his hands so she could wrap an arm around him and pull him in closer, letting him take a sip of coffee and become a real person again.

He noticed she was reading a book he had never seen before, reading the pages and not know the words. It was a first for him.

“What’s that one about?”

Y/N closed it to let him look at the cover. It was a hand-bound book, wrapped in green fabric that was at least 30 years old and in well-loved condition. The gold lettering reading Amoreena, along with a pressed gold rose and the author's name. He had never heard of it before.

“My grandma was an aspiring writer and the reason I love books so much, her name was Peggy and she had a dream once about a wonderful little girl named Amoreena and the magical life she created for herself. She wrote it all down and my grandpa had it typed and bound for her, she was so proud of this book,” Y/N gushed, smiling as she held it to her chest softly, thinking of all the memories Spencer didn’t know yet.

“Really?” Spencer couldn’t help but smile at her.

She nodded softly, “she loved Elton John, so much so that when my sister Ashley came out she threw her a party. Almost all those kids out there are Ashley's, by the way, she went down the adoption and foster root after I did IVF.”

She pointed out the front window at all the people gathered on her land, “Ben and Dylan dropped their kids off too while they help dad and Evan with the farm. Those are my brothers in case you didn’t know their names yet, there’s also Carver and Francis but they don’t live as close.”

Her little life was just so perfect, “did they want to come with us to read this afternoon? We need some lost boys.”

“They’d love that, are you sure you can handle 16 kids between the two of us?” she smiled, pure love spreading through her body as she held him.

“They’re not so different from psychopaths right?” He teased, watching her settle against him even more as they enjoyed their Saturday together.

“What else can you tell me about your grandma?” He snuggled into her more as he asked, wanting to know as much about her happiness as possible.

“She was always listening to music, she loved Elton's song Amoreena the most. It was the song she played for the majority of my childhood. It only made sense for me to name my little miracle Amoreena too, cause I wouldn’t have her unless nanny suggested I have a baby.”

“I would have loved to meet her.”

Y/N’s smile changed then, “she would have loved you and your big mind.”

“My mom wants to meet you and Amoreena,” he announces softly, he hasn’t really told her anything about his family yet.

“What’s she like?”

“She has schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s and she lives in a care home in DC right now, I try and see her when I can but she has her own schedule so I have to fit around when she’s having a good day,” it was hard to explain it to most people, but not to her. He didn’t feel any shame or fear in introducing them. Y/N was the most loving human, and Amoreena was just the same.

“When is she free next?” A simple question that made him feel incredibly giddy.

“Tuesday from 3-5,” he snuggled in closer to her as she wraps her arm around him.

“We’ll pick Amoreena up from school after work and take her over,” Y/N agreed, their lives intertwining like they were always meant to.

Like she was the ivy on his old cottage, she took him in and made him her own, wrapping herself all around him and never letting him go again.

He basically finishes her coffee while she holds him on the couch. The sound of the kids outside making them laugh every once in a while, dogs barking and cows mooing, the farm was alive and roaring while they enjoyed each other's company.

“Did you bring your costume for the reading today?”

He sat right up then, looking at her like she lost her mind, “of course I did, I wouldn’t have Penelope spend a week tracking down a Captain Hook costume just to forget it.”

Y/N’s jaw dropped, “you didn’t?!”

He simply nodded with a cheeky grin, “come on Tinker Bell, everyone knows she had a thing for Hook.”

“Who didn’t? He was the first and last bad boy I was interested in, I typically go more for Milo’s and Ariel’s; full of adventure and always learning something new,” Y/N teased him.

“Mhm, I always had a thing for Aladdin and Belle in search of far off lands and happy endings,” he mused, making her smile just as much as he was, “but for real it was between Hook and Wendy for my costume,” he made her laugh again, wanting to hear it for the rest of time.

“You still can, I have a blue nightgown you can borrow,” it was so easy for them to flirt, it fit into their conversation so simply it felt like they had been together forever.

He couldn’t help leaning in to kiss her, resting her back against the couch softly as she held onto him. He loved kissing her, she tasted like coffee and happiness every single time. She made the cutest sounds when they would make out like she was surprised by it or she wasn’t used to it at all.

She made him feel like he was young again like he was 21 and in love for the first time. All his trauma disappeared and that Spencer who used to stare back at him in the mirror was gone now. That guy packed his bags and left the farm to never be seen again.

Good fucking riddance is all he had to say.

He was happy, he enjoyed being happy and he was going to stay happy. It was the only goal he had going forward, and as long as he was in her embrace, surround by the laugher of her child and family, he knew it would be possible.

Amoreena came running inside then, finding the two of them making out on the couch before they could part from each other.

“Ewww!” She cried, jumping on top of the two of them and knocking the wind out of Spencer.

“Get off,” Y/N tried to speak as she was crushed by the two of them. “Mom down!”

Spencer picks Amoreena up then, taking her away from the couch and spinning her around like she’s an airplane. She cheers and cheers and doesn’t want him to put her down because it’s so fun. The next thing he knows he’s being dragged outside to twirl all the kids around like they’re Peter Pan, flying through the air on their way to Neverland.

He’s surrounded by giggles and tickles fights, he’s tackled down against the dirt as a herd of tiny children dog pilled him. Laughing until he cried, feeling more joy than humanly possible and then Y/N’s telling them all to get ready to he’d to the park.

Coming down the stairs in a pirate costume to a bunch of screaming kids was an experience and a half. Spencer couldn’t believe how happy it made them all to imagine Captain Hook had broken into the house and Amoreena, or Peter Pan as she corrected him, chased him outside with all the lost boys.

He took a moment to learn all their names, all 15 of them, however, unlike the cats, they had relatively normal people names.

Kate, Cade, Jet, Lauren, Cassie, Sara, Evan, Benny, Olivia, Jessie, Owen, Maddie, Gwen, August, and Parker, were the cutest little family of cousins. some looked like Amoreena, some looked like their own mothers, a handful of them were adopted out of the country, they were the most perfect cast of lost boys.

He's never had any cousins, no pets, no siblings. His life never felt lonely until he realized what he missed out on.

“Dad,” Amoreena whispered as she tugged on his shirt lightly, “look!”

She pointed towards the house where Y/N was standing. When she said she was going as Tinker Bell he really didn’t think she meant looking exactly like Julia Roberts at the end of Hook.

She looked magical in her beautiful white dress, curly hair with the most perfectly placed flowers and flawless wings wrapped around her shoulders. She was a vision standing on the porch, waiting for him to pick his jaw up off the floor and compliment her.

“Tink,” the words are more like air, soft and barely there.

“Is Captain Hook being nice? Or should we take him to the pond and let the Alligators deal with him?” Y/N teased, marching down the stairs and poking Spencer's chest.

“Ouch,” he teased her, holding his hand over his heart to make her feel bad.

But she didn’t, “some Pirate you are,” she teased, sticking her tongue out at him before taking Amoreena’s hand and running off down the trail towards the main house, everyone following her lead.

Nanny packed enough snacks for all 16 kids, and a little extra just in case. Spencer slipped the lunch box over his shoulder and they made their way towards the adventure. Y/N pulling a wagon just in case the littlest ones didn’t want to walk anymore. It was spectacular.

Y/N stopped then, pretending to stand like an army man turning around abruptly to look at the troop. “Lost boys, are we ready?”

“Yes, Tinker Bell!” They cheered back.

“On my lead, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4,” she marched, bringing her knees up high as they all followed her down the path. “We’re following the leader, the leader, the leader,” she began to sing.

Spencer was in awe, his heart felt like it was going to explode as he watched everyone follow her. Singing along as they marched their tiny little butts down to the park.

“We’re following the leader wherever she may go!” Amoreena yelled the lyrics back, leading the pack as Peter Pan should.

“Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee day Tee dum, tee dee, it's part of the game we play Tee dum, tee dee, the words are easy to say Just a teedle ee dum, a teedle ee do tee day

Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee dum We're one for all, and all of us out for fun We march in line and follow the other one With a teedle ee do, a teedle ee do tee dum”

It was like magic, they all knew the words and they sang the whole way down the path. Every verse and then repeating it. Not a single kid strayed from the path, no one complained about sore feet or hot backs, they loved their Aunty Y/N and so did Spencer.

“We’re off on an adventure, adventure, adventure,” Y/N changed the words, making him smile as she brought happiness into the world. “We’re off on an adventure to read out in the sun! Tee dum, tee dee, a teedle ee do tee day…”

Every single time he thought she had given him the best day of his life, she manages to outdo herself.

—

They barely listened to the story, it was a disaster of epic proportions but they tried. 15 kids is a lot to handle as an ex FBI agent and a librarian, they had lunch and instead ran around the field playing lost boys instead. It was still an amazing afternoon.

He was going to be covered in bruises the next morning. He had been kicked, poked, trampled, jumped on, the whole 9 yards. They were the most energetic bunch in the whole world, and then they came home to ice cream.

“Y/N,” Spencer finally pulled her aside when all the kids were preoccupied with their cold snack after a hot day.

“Yes, cutie?” It was a nickname that was sticking, much like pretty boy, and he didn’t mind it at all.

“We’re going to need more than 2 songs tonight to get her to go to bed,” he teased, stepping into that step-dad role with ease.

She couldn’t stop smiling at him, wrapping him up in her arms gently so he didn’t crush her fairy wings. “We’ll take her swimming, that’ll tire her out instead. Are you lookin’ for some alone time?”

“I love her dearly, but I can’t kiss you as much when she’s around,” he whispered before pecking her quickly and hearing the group of lost boys pretend to be sick.

“Just because he’s my dad doesn’t mean you have to be gross like your mom and dad, mom,” Amoreena’s smart mouth making them both shake their heads and laugh.

“What would you do if I did this?” Y/N teased before dipping Spencer back like a princess and kissing him, he stuck his foot out in shock as she held him there.

“Ewww!!” All the kids yelled as she returned him to his feet.

“Or this?” Y/N pulled him into another kiss, her leg popping like Princess Mia’s in the princess diaries.

Amoreena and her cousins were all screaming then, laughing at how gross their aunt and her new boyfriend were being. Used to it clearly, their grandparents were just as in love and watching from the porch as they held each other on the swing.

“I love you,” Spencer announced, loud enough for all to hear without a care in the world.

“You better,” she smiled. “I love you too, cutie,” she added before kissing him one last time.

His life felt perfectly complete.

Y/N’s brothers were incredibly kind just like her. He learned that Ashley was the oldest with 5 kids and her wife Susie, then Ben who was 46 and his wife Shannon, they had 3 kids. Dylan and Laurie had 4 and Even, her twin brother had 3.

Turns out her mom had 2 sets of twins back to back, 7 children and only 5 pregnancies. It felt crazy for him to think about having that many people in his life for his whole life, he wouldn’t have known what to do with anyone more than just his mother growing up.

Spencer helped Bob with the barbecue, they made burgers and hotdogs for all 16 of the children while they continued to run through the fields. They had enough energy to last them 5 straight days of chaos. It was amazing.

Y/N and Spencer managed to wander off while all the kids ate, sitting under a tree with their dinner so they could finally have some time alone together.

She was beautiful, sitting in the afternoon amber glow as she tried to keep her hair from blowing in her face. Tucking the strands behind her ears so she could eat her dinner in peace before spencer handed her the hair tie on his wrist. Then she got ketchup on her cheek, seemingly on purpose as she smiled at him and laughing as Spencer wiped it off with his thumb. He was so in love he felt stupid, smiling at her like he’s never seen another person before, absolutely enamoured.

“Derek and his wife wanted to come over tomorrow and have his son meet Amoreena if that’s okay?”

Her face lit up, “his son is the one named after you right? Not your godson?”

He nodded with yet another smile, his lips were going to fall off at this point. “Yeah, he’s the sweetest little guy, Hank’s never been to a farm before.”

“You tell them our gates are always own to new minds and pure hearts,” she smiled. “That’s what nanny used to say.”

He leans in and kisses her then, resting his forehead against hers as she held his cheek in her free hand, smiling ever so softly as she stared into his eyes, they didn’t need words, he knew she loved him too. A week of pure bliss had passed within the blink of an eye, and they still had forever to go.

Taglist: @shemarmooresfedora @spookyspence @spencers-dria @manuosorioh @reidsfish @mochionly (send me an ask if you want to be added to the tag list, I don't always see every reply! i love you guys thank you so much for reading)

[lalainajanes]

For the square “water park” on my Klarosummerbingo card! Might be my worst title ever but it’s actually better than the original one so  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Slip and Slide

Caroline speedwalks through the lobby, weaving around people who seem to think it’s the appropriate place for an early morning stroll. “Hold the elevator!” she calls, ignoring the few disgruntled looks she receives.

She hadn’t been that loud, and she’s nearly late for a critical meeting. It’s the first one with a new client, and she’d hate to make a bad first impression.

She’d had to head to the dry cleaners before work, had gotten caught in a traffic snarl in an area she wasn’t that familiar with, and it had taken her way too long to figure out the detour. She should have left her place earlier.

She gets to the security gates, juggling a garment bag, her briefcase, and a portfolio. Her ID seems to be just out of reach, and she jams her hand further into her purse. Albert, her favorite guard, murmurs, “Take a breath, Ms. Forbes.”

She blows one out, frustrated. Rolls her shoulders in an attempt to relax. “Sorry. I’m just…”

“Stressed? I can tell.”

Yikes. Caroline hopes that doesn’t mean her hair has exploded.

She smiles weakly, “Big day today.”

A brand new project, after the last one had been a disaster. Caroline’s comfortable with stress, thrives on high stakes, but she could totally use a win.

Her fingers touch the familiar edge of her badge, and she pulls it out triumphantly. She taps it on the sensor, walks through the revolving gate. “Good luck, Ms. Forbes,” Alfred murmurs as she passes.

It’s a little thing, but Caroline feels a little better knowing someone’s rooting for her.

She’s relieved to spot that one of the elevators is open, a man holding the door, his eyes on her. She doesn’t recognize him, but that doesn’t mean anything. The building has 55 floors, offices for more than two dozen companies within it. He’s dressed in a suit, like the vast majority of the men she sees in the building. His is nicer than most, charcoal grey, perfectly fitted, with a very subtle pinstripe that she only notices when she gets closer. Caroline hurries into the car gratefully. She leans forward, punches 32. “Thank you so much,” she says to him, turning so they’re shoulder to shoulder. “You’re a lifesaver.”

The man on her other side makes a noise, a tiny scoff. Caroline glances at him quizzically. He’s stoic, eyes forward, but she’s sure there’s a hint of amusement on his face.

An arm brushes against hers, drawing her attention. “Feel free to ignore him,” the man who’d held the elevator says. His voice is low, smooth and she’d be charmed by the accent if they’d met in a social situation.

Or any situation, if she’s honest.

“My brother would probably describe me as more of a troublemaker.”

Huh. She hadn’t have figured brothers. They’ve both got attractive and well-dressed going for them but little other familial resemblance. Caroline’s head swings back, “Are you a trouble maker?”

His amusement is plain. His full lips curl, and deep dimples appear in his cheeks.

Oh yeah. Definitely a trouble maker.

“I’m about twenty minutes early for my meeting today; how much of a trouble maker can I be?” His tone is playful, a touch too innocent to be believed.

Damn it. Caroline does not have time for an attractive man this morning. At least she hadn’t changed into the frumpier outfit in the garment bag. Hopefully, she’ll run into this guy again.

“I think I need more info. Could be a one-time thing. I’m almost late for my meeting, which is wildly out of character.”

“Not the trusting sort, are you?”

Caroline shrugs, raising her brows expectantly.

He laughs briefly, “Well, I did send an email ahead to inquire about the coffee preferences of the team I’m meeting. I’m stopping at one of the cafes to pick it up now. Would a troublemaker do that?”

“Hmm, maybe. Could be an underhanded tactic to get on a good side before the trouble starts.”

Dimples’ brother chimes in again, dry this time. “I believe your assistant sent that email. And that she learned the practice from my assistant.”  

Dimples glowers, and Caroline must admit this is a delightful distraction from her anxiety. She glances up at the panel above the door and is disappointed to find they’re almost on her floor. “If you’re going to the café on 36, I recommend the oatmeal raisin cookies. Most people go chocolate chip. Trust me, that’s a mistake.”

The elevator pings, the doors sliding open. Caroline smiles, hitches her briefcase higher on her shoulder. “This is me. Thanks again.”

The receptionist spots Caroline, stands up, a sheaf of papers in her hands, and Caroline’s reminded about how much she has to do. She hurries out, her heels clicking across the shiny tiles of the lobby.

She still glances back at the elevator, can’t help smiling, pleased, when she finds her new friend from the elevator watching her as the doors close.

Even if she never sees him again, he’d made her morning a little brighter.

Now, though, it’s time to work.

* * * * *

Fifteen minutes later, Caroline’s pacing in her office. She’s pinned her hair back and changed into the purple pantsuit she’d picked up at the dry cleaners. It’s a great color but not the most flattering fit. The pants are fine, but the jacket’s boxy, and she’s wearing a plain pink blouse underneath, buttoned to her throat, a thick silver necklace threaded through the collar. There’s a pair of glasses perched on her nose, and she’d changed into sensible flats.

She’d learned her lesson last time, at the first meeting where she’d been the project lead. She’d been called ‘Honey’ and other more annoying pet names and asked to serve coffee and fetch snacks. She’d received skepticism when she’d introduced herself. By the end of that first meeting, Caroline had wanted to scream her credentials – a B.A. and a Master’s in Civil Engineering, a whole pile of certifications, several prestigious internships, and stellar work references, thank you very much – at most of the people in the room.

Ultimately, the project had been successful, but Caroline had experienced frequent bursts of frustration that bordered on rage. Her suggestions were met with questions that made it clear her intelligence was doubted, her corrections with condescension, even though she’d usually been the only one in the room with any significant scientific expertise.

Expertise that’s kind of crucial in designing a water park. It wouldn’t have been a good look, or a sound investment, if guests were to end up injured or dead after paying exorbitant ticket prices and expecting a fun day.

Her skin has thickened considerably, but Caroline hopes that’s less necessary this time. Her boss had assured her that this job would be easier, and Caroline’s choosing to believe her. It’s even potentially exciting – these clients own several international resorts, the park she’s pitching on will be built in Spain.

Being project leader, she’d traveled to oversee construction on the nightmare build, but Tennessee doesn’t carry quite the same appeal as the Spanish coast, at least from the photos Caroline’s seen.

At the very least, it can’t be a worse experience. She hopes.

She hears Katherine coming her way, takes a final deep breath before Kat breezes into her office. “What are you wearing?” Kat asks, sounding both mystified and vaguely disgusted. She pauses in front of Caroline, fingers pinching her lapel and tugging. “Is this polyester?”

“Maybe. I thrifted it.”

Katherine’s face twists in the sort of revulsion one would expect if Caroline confessed to grave robbing the ensemble.

“Ew, why?”

“Figured I needed a costume. To make sure that this time, no one in there thinks to call me ‘sweet cheeks.’”

She’d been paired with another designer last time, Matt Donovan, who was a nice enough guy but had been pretty useless in the having her back department. Caroline likely wouldn’t have cried into her Ben and Jerry’s quite so often had Katherine been her partner. Kat has the unique and impressive ability to make demands and issue orders and have people thank her for it.

Kat snorts, “Elijah Mikaelson would never. He’s aggressively polite. I haven’t spoken to him yet, but I doubt Niklaus would either. I assume he has the same hot accent.”

That’s a new name. Caroline doesn’t like surprises. “And who is Niklaus?”

“A brother. And a business partner. He wasn’t originally scheduled to be here but is unexpectedly in town. What do you think the British equivalent to sweet cheeks is?”

Caroline’s eyes go wide, a few puzzle pieces clicking together. British brothers, twenty minutes early for a meeting. What are the odds?

Crap. Had she been flirting with a client? In front of another client?

There’s a tap at the door, her boss’ assistant’s head poking in, “They’re ready for you in the conference room.”

Ugh. Maybe she’s cursed.

* * * * * 

The presentation goes fantastically.

Katherine had been correct – the Mikaelsons don’t seem to labor under the misapprehension that a conventionally attractive blonde woman can’t grasp complex concepts. They’d shaken her hand when she’d arrived; Niklaus (or Klaus, as he apparently prefers) had looked a bit puzzled when they’d been introduced, Caroline had chalked that up to the outfit. He’d said it was nice to see her again. Explaining her mad dash to the elevator, and Klaus’ assistance, to the room had broken the ice nicely.

Kat kicks them off, and her design is gorgeous; Elijah and Klaus appear suitably impressed. When it’s Caroline’s turn, her nerves fall away by her second PowerPoint slide. She knows her stuff backward and forward, and she’s incredibly pleased with her innovation.

She also begins to feel less bad about the flirting once she sees that Kat throws Elijah a few looks that are borderline inappropriate for the office (that he seems pretty pleased with).

They ask questions, pour over the mock-ups and technical drawings Caroline and Katherine had prepared. Their ideas are actually good, which is a nice contrast for the last project. She’d done far too much lying and finessing to attempt to steer the previous park into a less terrible direction. The Mikaelsons have far fewer notes than Caroline had anticipated, and she promises to put together an update ASAP. They schedule another meeting.

She thinks Klaus’ handshake lingers when they say goodbye, but maybe she’s just riding high on adrenaline and imagining things.

She kind of hopes she isn’t. It’s probably too messy to date a client, but a girl can fantasize, can’t she?

Caroline helps herself to the cookie tray, pleased by the generous helping of oatmeal raisin she finds. Kat’s disappeared, but she knows their boss will want to debrief. Caroline collapses into one of the conference chairs, pulls out her phone to check her messages.

She replies to a few emails before she notices one that’s just arrived.

 Hello Caroline,

I enjoyed your presentation today. I look forward to the next.

Warmly,

Klaus

 She grins to herself, slumps lower in her chair. Clearly, she hadn’t imagined anything if Klaus is emailing her when he’s barely out of the building. She takes a risk and sends a slightly more casual reply than she’d usually attempt at this point.

If he reacts badly, she can up the formality later on. If he doesn’t, well… she’s only fostering a good working relationship. That’ll be essential if they land this contract.

And she’s like 90% sure it’s in the bag.

 Hi Klaus,

Thank you!

The photos your team sent over of the location were gorgeous; both Kat and I were inspired. I think this is some of our best work to date. I’m excited to dive into the updates and meet again next week.

Best,

Caroline

P.S. Thanks for the cookies.

His reply comes minutes later.

Caroline,

I believe it. Your work is impressive, as I’m sure your new ideas will be. Have you ever been to Spain? The pictures hardly do it justice.

Warmly,

Klaus

P.S. You’re welcome. Which coffee order was yours?

 Well, that’s the opposite of a bad reaction.

Caroline sets her phone aside, tells herself she has to be smart here. She’s reasonably sure she’s not doing anything that’s prohibited. The emails will speak for themselves, and they live on the company server. Neither she nor Klaus are offering anything untoward for the contract. If things go well, she may just have to fill out an HR disclosure form. She’ll double-check the firm’s code of conduct.

Just in case.

[duchess-of-mandalore]

Hey! I loved your Ben nickname analysis, I’ve always wondered where that came from! I was wondering, do you have any thoughts on the dichotomy of Bo Katan and Satine’s names? Like, they’re not remotely similar-sounding and tbh the style of Bo’s seems more like Obi Wan’s name than Satine’s. Just curious!

Oh, thank you! Sometimes, I wonder if people find my analyses detailed to the point of being boring, so when someone asks me for more, I'm elated!! You've made my day! (And I hope you enjoy my conclusion!)

This is something that I’ve always wondered as well. Bo-Katan just doesn't feel like it has the same aristocratic feel that Satine has, and I've always wondered if there's a reason behind their names.

First, I just want to say that I think it's a coincidence that Bo-Katan and Obi-Wan's names are more similar in structure. They come from different planets and different cultures which influence their languages differently. My headcanon for Obi-Wan's name is that Stewjon is basically space Scotland. People are identified by a patronym starting with the prefix "ken" to show their clan or family line. So Obi-Wan is literally "Obi-Wan of Clan Obi" or "Obi-Wan, Son of Obi." In a society like that, "Obi" would probably be a popular first name, so "-Wan" is an additional identifier so that they can keep all of the Obis straight!

But back to our Mandalore sisters:

CW writer Henry Gilroy named Satine but has never mentioned what the inspiration behind that was. He still maintains that it's complete coincidence that she bears the same name as Ewan McGregor's love interest from Moulin Rouge, but even Dave Filoni finds that hard to believe!

Dave Filoni named Bo-Katan as a funny portmanteau of his wife's name and her cat's nickname:

The name "Bo-Katan" was created by Filoni as a nod to his wife's cat. Filoni's wife, Anne, calls the cat "boogie," and Filoni derived "Bo-Katan" from "boogie-cat-Anne."

It might be tempting to say that Dave created Bo-Katan without any thought to the Kryze family (since she was a character in Season 4 before being revealed to be Satine's sister in Season 5). However, Dave said that he always had it in mind that Bo was Satine's sister (however, he opted not to tell George Lucas until after Anna Graves and Katee Sackoff worked together on The Lawless, and George agreed that the two characters would work as sisters). So ... all that is to say that it was Dave's intention to have these two be sisters, in spite of their rather discordant names (and different accents).

-

So using Mando'a, can we come up with meanings for Satine and Bo-Katan?

As I mentioned in my other post, Satine sounds like the Mando'a word saviin [sah-VEEN], meaning violet. The word sarad [SAH-rad] means flower, so I could see her name having something to do with flowers, which would be appropriate given the Mandalorian lilies that she wears, and considering that flowers so often have a connotation of peace.

How about Bo? I'm playing fast and loose with roots to come up with this, but please consider:

The Mando'a root "bor" is related to words meaning work: - bora [BOH-ra], noun - "job" - borarir [boh-RAH-reer], verb - "to work" - verborir [VAIR-bor-EER], verb - "hire, buy, contract"

And "aka" is related to a whole bunch of fighting words, including: - aka [AH-kah], noun - "mission" - akaan [ah-KAHN] noun - "war" - akaanir [ah-KAH-neer], verb - "to fight"

So how about this?

Let's say the root "bor" contracts to "bo," and that "akatanir" is an older form of the word "akaanir" (which later contracted). Combine them and drop the "ir" verb ending, and you get:

Bo-Katan - "mercenary, warrior" [literally "the war worker," "one whose work is war."]

Huh? Huh?! I kind of like that!

That's not nearly as non-sensical as I though given that I was starting with "boogie-cat-Anne!"

-

So ... why? Why would their parents have given their girls such different names? (Sidenote: in at least two sources, Dave has used the phrase "when Bo and Satine were six-years-old" to describe a particularly formative experience they had. That implies to me that they're probably twins, which carries its own relevance in the world of Star Wars).

Even though he wasn't mentioned in Clone Wars, we know that Bo and Satine's father, Duke Adonai Kryze, was a great warlord and the leader of Clan Kryze. It doesn't surprise me then that he'd give his daughter a name that means "warrior."

So if that's the case, Satine's name may be more of the outlier, but I think that can be explained as well (though this is more of an assumption than canon). In the Legends Mandalorian culture, there was a clan culture that included a bit of a hierarchy, but it wasn't rigid or defined by class. However, Clone Wars established that the Mandalorians (or at least the New Mandalorians) have an aristocratic class (there's Duke Adonai, Duchess Satine, Lady Bo-Katan, and Prince Tal Merrik, from what we see). Some fans have assumed that the Mandalorian aristocracy came about because some Mandalorians (not necessarily pacifists) were influenced by Core World cultures that also had aristocratic societies.  

In any case, Satine's more aristocratic name could be reflective of the Republic influence that her father had subscribed to, while Bo-Katan's name may reflect his continued commitment to what he saw as "true" Mandalorian culture.

If that's true, it feels like a self-fulfilling prophecy. Adonai Kryze literally named his twin daughters "war" and "peace" ... and his daughters absolutely lived into those names.

[safarigirlsp]

Which movie did you think was the best out of House of Gucci, Annette and The Last Duel? 🖤

Hi! I waited until I'd actually seen Gucci to answer this lol.

1. The Last Duel - 9.5/10. I had very high expectations for this movie and it met and/or exceeded them on all counts! I’ve been hyped about this movie since spring of 2020 before the plague lol! Plus, I love knights, medieval settings, and also courtroom dramas, and this is all of the above. I was expecting to be let down, as is usually the case when I go into a movie with high expectations. I really enjoyed everything about this movie and I’m hard pressed to think of any negatives. Ideally, the premise would have been more fun as say a murder lol, but it was an actual historical event, so it is what it is lol. The subject matter isn’t inherently offensive or a turn-off to me. The only actual structural criticism I have is that I think it would have made for more interesting story telling if there was more ambiguity as to what happened rather than everyone knows at all times and the jig is up from the outset. 

Although obviously a drama, surprisingly it also has a lot of very tongue in cheek humor that I loved! The humor in Gucci is more ridiculous like velvet suits being chic (which I did admittedly enjoy very much!), and there is some of that in Duel that hits perfectly too ala “Come in. Take your pants off!” But the best humor in Duel was more subtle. It killed me with scenes like Margueritte struggling to lie under oath that she does experience pleasure from her husband, and Pierre making Carroughes scoot closer to him to kneel, Carroughes explaining to Margueritte that was well-behaved but “We’re no longer welcome at court,” not to mention all the men saying things 'are science' to a chorus of women's eyerolls lol.

Contrary to Gucci, with approximately the same running time, I didn’t find Duel to get boring or feel as though it was dragging, even during the scenes and segments without Jacques lol. This is extra impressive since it is basically the same story told three times in three different ways! The directing was superb and the nuances each actor gave their characters to change the way each point of view was presented was truly impressive. I also think it’s the most nuanced performance AD has given, and he excels at that in every instance!

More minor in the calculation, but I loved the aesthetics of the movie and the settings! Jacques’s wardrobe in particular was incredible. And the jousting part of the duel was amazing! I think it’s the best joust that’s ever been filmed, certainly that I’ve ever seen. I wish that part had been longer!

2. House of Gucci - 7/10. I thought this was a very fun movie and I enjoyed it, however, I was expecting to love it and I just didn't. There was nothing bad about it, other than some of the accents lol, but it wasn't quite as good as I was expecting. I probably fell victim to the hype machine lol. I thought the second half dragged a little and could have been shortened. I was disappointed by the sex scene, particularly Lady Gaga's animal noises lol, and the mistress I found very blah, irritating, and utterly devoid of character, chemistry, or personality. However, I enjoyed AD’s change from a happy innocent of sorts into a monstrous Gucci! I would have liked to have seen more in his descent and more of Hyde as it were.

One thing that pleasantly surprised me both with Duel and Gucci is that the supporting actors were wonderful! I always love Jeremy Irons, but he was superb in Gucci! His was probably my favorite performance in the movie! The lunch scene where he is just glaring at Maurizio for bringing Patrizia the gold digger home is perfect! That's my favorite scene in the movie. And Paolo's line, "Now I can finally soar. Like a pigeon!" killed me. In Duel, I was truly surprised how much I enjoyed Pierre! In contrast to Irons, I really don't care for Ben Affleck at all, but he did superb. Pierre gets my vote for the best sidekick/buddy in any AD movie yet. He added so much to every scene and he and Jacques are great together.

3. Annette - 3/10. I enjoyed watching Annette as a dark and warped comedy in my own way, but I wouldn't call it a good movie in any regard. I'm not a fan of musicals, so that's a hard sell for me anyway lol, but in some of them, I can appreciate the songs when they're good. Despite my opinion on the quality of the singing in Annette, the songs themselves were just lame. The plot lacked depth from my point of view, and it was generally just too artsy for me lol. I also found myself not engaged enough to care about any character at all. Whereas in Duel and Gucci, I was invested in Marguerite and Patrizia, and caught up by Rudlofo and Pierre, I was utterly ambivalent to every single character in Annette other than Henry, which was solely because he happens to be played by an actor I enjoy.

I obviously have a strong bias for Jacques, so you can factor that in lol. Although, I'm trying to be objective in my movie analysis

[malfoys-demigod]

One Ticket to Ilvermorny - Draco Malfoy x Reader

Summary: You have been offered to be part of a one year exchange student program at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Hogwarts. As you get comfortable over there, especially with American boys, your childhood best friend and longtime crush Draco Malfoy finds a way to enroll there. 

A/N: The prompt is similar to my other work Exchange Student Pt. 1 and 2 which is a Tim Drake x Reader version. 

Today was one of those frequent nights where you and your family would be invited by the Malfoy family to have dinner at their Manor. You were neighbours with them, making it easy to understand why you and him were best of friends since the beginning of your lives. Your parents were well known and wealthy purebloods and also best of friends with the Lucius and Narcissa. 

Today might have been one of those nights to have casual dinner with them especially right now during the summer, but this time your attention was recently bought in an instant when Dumbledore sent a letter to your Manor a few weeks ago, announcing that he has happily chosen you to represent Hogwarts in their exchange student program. At first you were excited because you’ve never been to America but then you realized that this would mean being away from Draco. You were scared of the idea of returning a year later seeing Draco with a girlfriend you didn’t know about as your friendship with him would get worse from not seeing each other. But your parents saw this as an opportunity to build your responsibility skills and boost the family name. So to experience a once in a lifetime thing, you accepted it. 

Before leaving your manor for Draco’s, you politely asked your parents not to be the one’s to announce your move to Ilvermorny. But somehow, they forgot about it. It had to be you. 

Everything was going alright, Lucius was talking ‘Ministry Business’ to your father, your mother gossiping with Narcissa, and Draco talking to you about how he’s excited to return to Hogwarts with new brooms for the team. Then that’s when Lucius brought school up. “That’s right son, we bought the latest brooms once again for Draco’s Quidditch team. It was no problem of doing that.” 

“Y/N, you have to try out for the team! You promised you’d try out, this is the year! Plus, you’d get to show off our brooms to everyone at school.” Draco begged. 

‘Here it goes. Time to break the news.’ you thought. But before you could say a word, your father spoke for you. “Unfortunately Draco, we just received word from Dumbledore that Y/N will be attending Ilvermorny Witchcraft and Wizardry this upcoming school year as part of the exchange student program.” he said proudly. 

At the same time, the Malfoys go:

Lucius: That’s excellent news! You bring honour to your family as always, Y/N!

Narcissa: Congratulations, Y/N!! We’re always proud of you!!

Draco to you silently: W-what?

Since dinner was done, you and Draco excused yourselves to go outside so you could explain things to him. Draco crossed his arms with a mix of sadness and confusion in his face. “Why didn’t you tell me this?” You placed both your arms on his shoulders with a pleading look, “Draco, believe me. My parents promised that I’d be the ones to announce the news, but I guess they forgot. Look, we were only aware of this for a few weeks-” “Few weeks?! Y/N we’re bloody neighbours! You could have dashed to my doorsteps the minute you found out!” Draco interrupted. You sighed and looked down at the floor, “I just didn’t have the guts to tell you. You know I wanted to decline the offer but my parents thought it would be a good idea for me to go, so I obeyed.” Draco nodded his head, very much understanding the demands of parents similar to his. “I’m going to miss my best friend so much. Promise to owl me? I’ll get us the best owls that can travel from here to America.” You hugged him softly, “I’ll owl you every week, Draco. I promise.” 

5 Months after

As Draco was in his dorm studying for his upcoming potions test, his owl dropped by his window, clutching to your letter. Draco in excitement took the letter and opened it, knowing it was from you as the Owl breathed heavily and rested. 

Dearest Draco, 

Another week, another letter, right? I hope you’re enjoying your weekend like me over here. Remember my newly acquainted friends Andrew and Nathan? They’re driving me to a nearby city called Pittsfield in the Berkshire county. We’re going to Berkshire Museum! They said it’s a museum of art, natural history and ancient civilization. Then we’ll be watching performing arts at the Colonial Theatre. For snacks, we’re going to get some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for Andrew and I, then some Dunkin’ Doughnuts for Nathan. I hope we end the day by visiting the public library, I mean it’s near Dunkin’ so why not right? How are you over there? I miss you, D. Sending you my hugs.

Sincerely, 

Y/N. 

For the first few months, Draco really enjoyed reading your letters and sending you his. When your friends Andrew and Nathan came into the picture, Draco would look at their names with complete annoyance and a hint of jealousness. One thing he was scared of was losing you to American boys, especially when you wrote to him saying how cute their accents are and how different they act compared to English boys. He had to stop them before one of them would call you his. He wanted you to be his, but he couldn’t do anything since he was all the way here... Maybe if he could ask his father to do something.. maybe transfer him for the remaining year? Draco did not hesitate and write a letter to his father about his idea, hoping he’d allow Draco. 

-- 

“Mr. Malfoy, your student tour guides have just been informed of your arrival. They’ve been cut from their classes to show you around for the remaining few hours till classes end. If you could just take a seat outside my office, they’ll be here soon.” the headmaster said. Draco nodded and nervously sat outside, hoping all goes well. 

As he was looking down at the floor, all he could see were two pairs of shoes in front of him. When he looked up, he assumed they were his tour guides. “Oh my gosh. Don’t tell me you’re Draco Malfoy.” the one in the left said with excitement in his eyes. “I thought you would know, after all you’re the tour guides.” Draco said with confusion. The one in the right rolled his eyes with laughter, “We were rushed with no information about the student we were going to tour, after all you’re the one who arrived school in the middle of the year and in the middle of the day.” 

Draco stood up and extended his hand, “Draco Malfoy, as you obviously know. The two of you are?” The left one shook his hand, “I’m Andrew, and this is my boyfriend Nathan.” the right one now shaking his hand. Draco then realized something, “Wait, you said you weren’t given any information about me. But how did you know my name?” 

Andrew smirked at his boyfriend, “Y/N of course. She talks about you non-stop. We wouldn’t have needed a picture to know what you looked like. She always talks about how soft your platinum blonde hair looks, your gorgeous face, and everything else.” This made Draco blush and scratch the back of his neck. “You know, if you didn’t tell me you were both dating, I would have hexed you both by now. You see, every time she’d owl me, she’d always include you both. I thought one of you would make a move on her soon so me being jealous, had to fly here.” Nathan gave his boyfriend puppy eyes, “AWW he’s totally into her. I KNEW IT!” Both boys grabbed Draco’s arms and ran outside the office, heading to the library, knowing you’d be there since it was a free period for you. 

You were calmingly about to owl another letter to Draco when suddenly you see Andrew and Nathan burst into the library, holding a familiar face in between them. 

Draco. 

Before you could drop your parchment and run, he dashed towards you and pulled you in for a passionate kiss. You were surprised at first, but you kissed him back, not caring about the students watching you. As you pulled away, you gave him the biggest hug you could give with all your energy. “DRACO LUCIUS MALFOY! How in Merlin’s beard are you here?!?” you laughed. 

Draco brushed a stand of hair from your face, smiling, “I missed you, Y/N. I couldn’t survive a year at Hogwarts without you by my side. School isn’t the same without you. MY LIFE isn’t the same without you. I love you, so, so much and I thought either of your friends here would take you away from me. I just couldn’t imagine another guy by your side. I want you to be mine.” You kissed him in the cheek, grinning at him, “I’m yours. Always and forever, Dray.” 

[carewyncromwell]

[Ficlet] We Can Beat Them Forever and Ever

Yep, another ficlet based on Quidditch Season 1, which focuses on the beginnings of the Carewyn/Orion relationship! 💚 This one actually centers around the actual match (chapter 7-8), though if you’d like to read the previous parts based on chapter 5 and 6, you can read those here and here! Carewyn and Orion only become a couple post-Hogwarts (and post-Second-Wizarding-War, for that matter!), but it’s been really fun kind of charting their beginnings, so that one can have a more complete picture of where they started and therefore how they ended up. This may be a platonic relationship at the moment, but even at this point when these two are babies (13 and 15, what!), they still have such fun platonic chemistry. 

If you don’t want to read the previous parts, then as usual, here are the basic clip notes -- my girl Carewyn “Not-Yet-Mama-Bear” Cromwell is a third year Slytherin; the Quidditch crew is in their fourth year; Orion doesn’t have his facial hair yet because of course not; and this will ultimately be Carewyn’s only Quidditch match this year and only one of two in her entire school career (if you’d like to follow that second match, you can always consult the Quest for the Quidditch Cup tag!). 

Hope you enjoy...and please consider commenting and reblogging if you enjoy it! I hope to include this as part of a masterpost chronicling my writings for the Carion relationship soon, so watch out for that too! xoxo

x~x~x~x

Carewyn didn’t think she’d ever feel more pressured than when she was dealing with the Vaults -- but abruptly becoming something of an unofficial Quidditch Captain just before Slytherin’s big match definitely provided stiff competition. 

Following Orion’s instructions, she didn’t tell any of her friends about what was wrong. She did her best to put on a brave face, but she could tell that Rowan, Ben, Bill, and Charlie thought something was up. She felt so relieved that Andre didn’t seem to, so she ended up spending a bit more time with him during the next Quidditch friendly. His confidence was comforting in a weird way, especially since he never tried to ask her if anything was wrong. 

With only three days remaining until the match, Carewyn knew she was going to need to come up with something fast -- and after practice that day, McNully pulled her aside into the Changing Room to talk to her. He’d heard about Slytherin’s “bait and switch” strategy from Orion himself, and although he granted that it was “typical Orion” and clearly wasn’t thought through in the slightest, he didn’t seem as worried as Carewyn. 

“Look, for as rash and weird as it seems, it isn’t completely out of left field,” he told her. “You do have something of a mediating presence, but you’re also assertive. Orion’s got some pretty big expectations on his shoulders, as the youngest Captain in over a century, and everyone’s sort of been pulling him in different directions...me included,” he added a bit sheepishly. “...From what I gather, he wants to listen to everyone and make them feel represented and heard -- but at the same time, he’s team captain, and he wants people to trust his judgment too, even the players who were part of the team before he was Captain. And the odds he’ll be able to do both at the same time is somewhere around 16%. But you’re the sort to really value other people’s feelings, just like he is. You’re sensitive enough to want to include everybody, but you also have a good head on your shoulders and you’re sharper than most. What you lack in Quidditch experience, you make up for in sincerity, and you’re willing to put in the work to learn what you don’t know.”

McNully smiled. 

“Honestly, I reckon Orion made a pretty good choice, in using you as a sounding board. You respect his judgment and will do right by him as Captain, but you can still kind of ‘check’ him somewhat, on those things he might overlook.”

Carewyn actually felt her shoulders relaxing slightly. She offered him a smile. 

“...Thanks, McNully,” she said quietly. “I appreciate it.”

McNully’s smile broadened. “Good to hear it. We can’t have you getting too nervous before the match -- Hufflepuff’s already noticed it.”

Carewyn blinked. “They what?”

McNully crossed his arms, his expression becoming a bit more grim. “I overheard the Hufflepuffs talking after their own practice. Apparently Ulrich Dylan thinks that the ‘little girl’ Orion picked is losing her nerve. That’s why he was watching you even more at your practice today -- he’s hoping he can rattle you even more, thinking about how you’re going to have to go one-on-one against him.”

Carewyn’s eyes drifted away and she frowned. The Hufflepuff Captain was about three times her size -- so he thought that her nerves was because she was scared of him?

“Don’t let him get to you, though, Carewyn,” said McNully firmly. “Sure, Dylan’s the strongest link on the Hufflepuff team, and he’s brilliant at what he does...but I already told you, physicality is only a percentage of a player’s overall potential, and a low one at that, compared to strategy...”

“He’s not getting to me,” said Carewyn, and she was being completely honest. 

She considered this for another moment, her fist resting over her mouth as her eyes drifted. Then her lips spread into a rather wicked smirk. 

“McNully...when you next talk to Orion in class, will you tell him how worried you are about me?”

~~~

Carewyn was very pleased by how fast the rumors circulated. By the next day, just about everyone was talking about how Orion’s newest pick for the team had an emotional breakdown in the Changing Room after their last practice. The students on the Hufflepuff team clearly had caught wind of it too -- they were giving her the side-eye a lot over the next day and sharing knowing looks amongst themselves. Ulrich Dylan even made a point to stop in front of Carewyn in the halls at one point, towering over her for a long moment and blocking her from walking any further before innocently wishing her luck and walking away. 

Trying to accent how much bigger he is than me again, Carewyn thought drolly. 

She did feel guilty about Rowan and Bill pretty quickly rushing to coddle her and practically suffocate her with reassurance...but at the same time, it felt kind of nice, considering that she was nervous for a completely different reason. 

Carewyn arrived at the Changing Room about a hour early. When she arrived, she found Orion meditating on one of the benches, his hands clasped in front of him.

“Hi, Orion,” she said gently. 

Orion opened his eyes. 

“Greetings, Carewyn Cromwell,” he murmured. 

His face was not as pleasant as it usually was. His eyes grazed her face, almost searching for something. 

Carewyn glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was outside the tent. Then she offered him a guilty smile and came over to sit next to him on the bench, her eyes resting on the floor rather than him. 

“Orion, I’m really sorry,” she started. “What McNully told you -- ”

“No, Carewyn,” said Orion at once. “I believe it is I who should be sorry.”

“No, you shouldn’t -- ” Carewyn tried again. 

But Orion held up a hand to stop her. 

“I’m sure my decision must have seemed strange to you -- reckless, even,” he said quietly. “But I assure you, I was sincere when I said I was content in making it. Now, however, I find my spirit a bit unsettled.”

Carewyn felt her stomach crumpling up in shame. “Orion, it’s okay, I’m -- ”

“I placed a weight that was on my shoulders on yours,” Orion cut her off cleanly, “for it seemed to me that you’re the sort who takes strength from doing what must be done, for the good of all. But instead, it’s upset your own internal balance. And that, in turn, has greatly upset mine...”

“Orion, listen.”

Carewyn actually got up and took both of his shoulders so as to force him to look at her. The physical contact startled Orion so much that he rather resembled a cat with its hair on end. 

“I’m okay,” she told him very firmly. She tried to offer him a smile, even if she still felt so guilty. “I’m really sorry I couldn’t explain earlier, but you said we shouldn’t discuss your plan outside the Changing Room, and I can never find you anywhere else in the school whenever I try to look for you. I’m really sorry I told McNully to tell you I was upset...but I needed you to react badly, at least at first, if my strategy is going to work.”

Orion blinked very slowly in a manner that made him resemble an owl. Then his eyes grew a little smaller, almost confused, as he considered her. 

“...Perhaps you should tell me more about this ‘strategy’ of yours.”

Carewyn released his shoulders, taking a heavy breath. 

“McNully told me that Ulrich Dylan thinks I’m scared of him.”

“Many in your position would be,” said Orion. 

“Maybe others would be, but I’m not,” huffed Carewyn, crossing her arms rather haughtily. “I’ve been small my whole life. If I was scared of everyone who was bigger than me, I’d be scared all the time.”

The very slightest flicker of amusement touched Orion’s eyes, but it didn’t seem quite enough to lighten his face. 

Carewyn grew more serious. 

“From what I’ve heard from McNully, and from how the Hufflepuff team’s acted around me in the halls after hearing I had a breakdown, I reckon they see me as the ‘weak link’ of the Slytherin team. That means they’ll be trying to go after me, so as to pull the rest of us apart. And it makes sense. No one can get a good fix on you, particularly since this is your first match as Captain...and the other houses think we Slytherins don’t play fair, so they’ll probably be expecting the more experienced players to try to pull one over on them. But I’m the least experienced, the youngest, the smallest, and -- as far as everyone else knows -- the most fragile. Right now I’m the best possible ‘weakness’ Hufflepuff might be able to exploit.”

She smiled.

“That means, though, that Hufflepuff’s focus will be solely on me, and less on the rest of you. And if I keep letting them underestimate me...let them think I’m this scared little girl who’s stumbled into the big leagues...then I can throw off their center of balance when I play perfectly in the match. And if I can play perfectly...well...what does that say about the rest of our team, who weren’t those weak links? The Hufflepuffs will doubt their own judgment so much that they won’t be able to focus on their goal properly.”

Orion’s eyes seemed to clear as he brought up a hand to his chin thoughtfully. “I see...so you hope to make us appear off-balance, so that we can in turn be at an advantageous position to put our opponents off-balance.”

“Yeah,” said Carewyn. 

Her expression became more ashamed again as she looked down at her own feet, dangling off the bench in front of her. 

“I’m really, really sorry I upset you. I might not entirely get why you decided to have me call the shots for this, but...well, I meant what I sang. ‘I’ll do my very best, and it ain’t no lie,’” she sang a bit more sweetly, “‘if you put me to the test, if you let me try...’”

Carewyn’s singing seemed to soften Orion’s expression further. He smiled slightly at her. 

“I accepted your apology the first time you made it, Carewyn Cromwell. Though it was easier to do, after our minds melded properly.”

He unclasped his hands, resting them on either side of him on the bench. 

“...As for your role in this match...I chose you because you didn’t want to be chosen. Just like you don’t want to break curses, and yet you still do.”

Carewyn glanced at him out the side of her eye. 

“How do you know I don’t like breaking curses?” she asked coolly. 

“It seems to me that someone who likes being known for cursebreaking wouldn’t lose the light in their eyes whenever anyone brings it up.”

Carewyn was momentarily left speechless. When Orion glanced at her, she avoided his eyes. 

“As a side,” Orion said levelly, “you may wish to apologize to Skye as well. Her internal balance was also shaken, when she heard the rumors.”

Carewyn felt her shoulders slump. Oh great.

“Don’t worry,” Orion reassured her. “She took out her anger on me, not our opponents. As is proper.”

“I’m sorry I troubled both of you,” muttered Carewyn. “I didn’t want to hurt your friendship...”

Orion shook his head with a smile. “You have nothing to be sorry for. All families have their disagreements, so I’ve heard -- and that includes Quidditch families. And yet they’re worth preserving, wouldn’t you say?”

Carewyn couldn’t keep back a small smile. “Mm-hmm.”

She glanced at Orion, her blue eyes a little softer. 

“...It’s really cool, that you’ve made a second family for yourself here at school,” she said. “I really love my friends too...so I reckon it’s got to make things a lot less lonely, while you’re here.”

Orion’s eyes grew a little deeper, almost pensive. 

“Indeed,” he said slowly. “Only...my family here is no ‘second’ for me.”

Carewyn looked up, startled. She stared into Orion’s deep black eyes for a long moment, trying to read his expression as she took in this information. Then, little by little, her entire expression seemed to melt. All hints of a smile or humor were gone, and her eyes had welled up with pain -- so much so that one might think she was grieving a loss of her own, rather than simply showing pity. 

“...Do you...not have a family, Orion?” she said, her voice a mere ghost of its usual self. 

Orion’s hands clasped lightly again in his lap as he considered her. 

“Not one forged by blood,” he said lowly. His features then softened with the traces of a small smile. “But just because I’m parent-free doesn’t mean I have no family. As I’ve said, Quidditch gave me a family. Therefore my teammates are my family. You are my family.”

Carewyn was genuinely touched -- but she still couldn’t help but feel awful for Orion. As small and broken as her family was, she loved her brother and mother more than anyone else in the world. She couldn’t imagine how she’d function, if anything happened to either of them. As lonely as her childhood had been, she’d still had them. Jacob was still there to protect her from bullies and inspire her with his dreams. Lane was still there to teach and encourage her. But Orion didn’t even have that. 

How lonely must his summer holidays be, with no one there waiting for him at Platform 9 3/4? she couldn’t help but think. 

Carewyn had to tear her eyes off of Orion’s face and refocus her gaze on her feet -- she knew she probably looked really upset, and she didn’t like showing it so blatantly. 

“...Do...I mean...does the rest of our ‘family’ know?” she asked quietly. 

Orion’s eyes became a little smaller. “Only Skye and McNully. But I do not tell you this to make you feel sad, Carewyn. I’m telling you this because I want you to trust me. Many doubt my methods, but there is a reason why I was named Slytherin Quidditch Captain. On the path I have traveled, there is no one to follow...and so you lead. You keep a clear head because survival depends on it. You do not question where your decisions will take you because you have no destination. You listen to your heart first because its beat is more stable than the world around you.”

He smiled wryly, turning his gaze out toward the rest of the tent as he leaned back slightly. 

“You could say I’ve been Inspired Broom Surfing through life -- and it hasn’t let me down yet.”

Carewyn felt herself smiling again, even with her eyes still downcast. 

Trust isn’t really something I can do, but...

“You really are a cool person, Orion Amari,” she said softly. “And a good one, too.”

Orion’s smile spread and opened, showing white teeth. “And you are a Snidget of a person, Carewyn Cromwell. Small and seemingly fragile in appearance, yes -- but a rare creature that is quick, bright, and fearless.”

He seemed to hesitate, his black eyes drifting down to her shoulder absently. Then, looking as if he’d changed his mind about something, he returned his gaze to her face, even if it was still turned away from him. 

“I have faith your heart will lead you well -- as well as us to victory -- if you merely listen to it.”

At that very moment, Skye came into the tent. At the sight of Carewyn and Orion sitting on the bench together, she immediately barreled over to them.

“I damn well hope you were apologizing to Carewyn and telling her you weren’t going to make her do your job for you, Orion,” she said at once, her eyes narrowing fiercely. 

Orion raised his eyebrows coolly, his hands clasping in front of him again. “I would have, had Carewyn not already done what I asked of her.”

Skye did a doubletake. “What?”

Carewyn felt guilt prickling at the back of her neck again, and she was completely unable to look Skye in the face. “Let me explain...”

~~~

Skye wasn’t quite as quick to forgive Carewyn’s deception as Orion was, but she begrudgingly accepted it when she had to acknowledge that her plan to mislead Hufflepuff was rather clever. 

“Well, we are Slytherins,” she’d said with a grin. “May as well own it.”

When the rest of the team arrived, Carewyn asked them to meet her in front of the blackboard. Once McNully had joined them too, she felt ready to explain her idea more fully. 

“Okay...so...” She took a deep breath, her eyes hovering vaguely over the others’ heads rather than making eye contact. “We only have two days left before the match against Hufflepuff. I’ve done a lot of thinking and research, and this is what I’ve come up with.”

Taking out her wand, she copied the movement she’d seen McNully use. In seconds, a diagram of different yellow and green circles spread out across a makeshift “Quidditch Pitch” appeared on the board. Two of the circles, one yellow and one green, had stars in the center of them. Each of the green circles had arrows that pointed to one or more yellow circles. The smallest green circle had several arrows pointed right at the largest yellow circle with the star inside, which was in front of the goal hoops. 

“From what I’ve heard from my friend Penny, Ulrich Dylan is a very ‘what-you-see-is-what-you-get’ sort of person. He’s upfront and honest and doesn’t see the need to hide what he’s doing. That’s why he’s not afraid of letting us see him when he comes to watch our practices. He’s confident enough in his own talents that he’ll favor physical skill over strategy. And well, yeah, he is good. I saw him in the matches last year -- he’s really strong and agile. Ravenclaw wasn’t able to score a single point in their match against him last year -- if it wasn’t for Erika Rath taking out their Seeker, Hufflepuff probably would’ve won.”

Skye crossed her arms. “Dylan may be stronger than you, but he’s not agile enough to beat Orion, you, and me when we’re flying together. And Hufflepuff’s Chasers are a joke -- the Parkin’s Pincer can more than take them out...”

Carewyn pursed her lips. She didn’t like being interrupted -- she had to take a minute to regather her thoughts. 

“...Yeah. But we won’t be using the Parkin’s Pincer -- at least, not right away.”

Skye looked confused. “Huh?”

“Let her explain,” King soothed Skye. She gave Carewyn an encouraging nod. “Go on, Carewyn.”

Carewyn gave King a short, grateful nod in return. Her eyes drifting back to the board, she took a deep breath before continuing. 

“...Everyone’s expecting us to use the Parkin’s Pincer. They know Ethan Parkin will be in the stands watching us play...and they’re expecting the more experienced members of our team,” she nodded to Orion, Skye, and the two Beaters, “to take the lead. We should use the Parkin’s Pincer, of course -- it’s a brilliant move, and it’s a classic for a reason. But before we do...we need to throw Hufflepuff off their game first. We need to use our brains as well as our brawn -- especially when brains is something Hufflepuff’s Captain isn’t using as much of.”

She glanced at McNully out the side of her eye.

“So...if it’s all right with you, McNully...may Orion, Skye, and I use your Thimblerig Shuffle, during the match?”

McNully grinned from ear to ear, his eyes lighting up. “But of course, Carewyn! I may play the impartial spectator, but we all know that’s for show.”

Carewyn beamed. “Good. But before we do that, there’s something else we have to do first.”

“Something else?” recurred Skye. “Carewyn, will you get to the point already? You’re going on nearly as long as Orion...”

Carewyn couldn’t fight back a miffed pout. “I’m getting to it!”

“Calm yourself, Skye,” said Orion serenely. “All will become clear soon enough.”

He nodded to Carewyn, and she returned the gesture before returning her focus to the board. 

“Every team is made up of links, some stronger than others,” she explained. “For Gryffindor, their strongest link is their Seeker, Charlie Weasley -- their weakest is their Keeper. For Ravenclaw, their strongest link is Erika Rath -- their weakest is their new Seeker. For Hufflepuff, their strongest link is Ulrich Dylan -- their weakest are their Chasers. For Slytherin, our strongest link is Orion -- and as far as everyone else thinks, I’m our weakest.”

Her lips spread into a smirk. 

“That’s why I’m the one who has to go up against Ulrich Dylan.”

McNully and the rest of the team excluding Orion all looked taken aback and confused. “What?!”’

“But Carewyn,” said McNully, “you said it yourself -- Hufflepuff’s weakest link are its Chasers. The Thimblerig Shuffle would be a much better choice to help you take them out -- hell, the Parkin’s Pincer too...”

Carewyn shook her head. “Hufflepuff’s only going after our supposed ‘weakest link’ because I’m the only part of our team they think they can take advantage of. Plus they probably think we Slytherins play dirty enough that we will go after their weakest players first. But we’re doing the unexpected...”

She grinned at Orion. 

“...so we’re not going after their weakest link. We’re going after their strongest, so that he becomes their weakest link.”

She indicated the tiny green circle on the board beside the biggest yellow one. 

“Dylan thinks that I’m this nervous little girl on a second-hand broom who’s scared of going up against someone as big and strong as him...and now the entire school does too. We’ll keep it that way all the way up until the match -- maybe even during the match, at least at first. Then, when the time is right, I’ll spring the trap on Dylan. In a second, he’ll suddenly be faced with a real opponent, instead of the scared little girl he expects. His center of balance will be shaken so badly that the rest of his team will be thrown off too.”

“Like aftershocks from an earthquake,” said Orion, his black eyes very bright with approval, “the entire Hufflepuff team will feel the devastation wrought by their Captain losing his stability.”

Carewyn nodded. “And once the Hufflepuffs start falling apart, we can latch ourselves onto individual members to cancel them out. Orion, Skye, and I can take out the Chasers with the Thimblerig Shuffle and the Parkin’s Pincer, while Crockett prevents them from scoring any points...and King and Shacklebolt can keep the Bludgers pointed at Dylan and Hufflepuff’s Seeker so that Hufflepuff’s Beaters can’t hit them at us and so that Lucky has free range to catch the Snitch herself.”

The rest of the team’s faces all suddenly appeared much brighter too. McNully was beaming with pride.

“Carewyn, that’s fantastic!” he cheered. “If the match follows this trajectory, I’d say there’s a 96.5% chance that Slytherin will win by a large margin. You really have mastered Quidditch strategy!”

Skye looked awfully proud too as she looked from the board to down at the tiny ginger-haired Chaser. “I have to admit, Carewyn, this is smashing. It really sounds like it could work!”

Orion, however, looked the proudest of all of them as he came up on the opposite side of the board as Carewyn, his black eyes gleaming as he smiled down at her. 

“We shall have to play our parts to aid this ruse as long as possible,” he addressed the others. “When we go out onto the Pitch today and tomorrow, practice as you always do, but be aware of any audience we may have. And as before, discuss none of this outside the Changing Room, nor around anyone who is not already present. Now that all of our strengths have been pooled together...” he glanced at Carewyn with a bright white smile, “...we can place our faith in each other, and in ourselves.”

~~~

The day of the match was bright and sunny, but cold beyond reason. Carewyn was honestly kind of glad that she could forego the pre-match party Penny hosted, for the sake of bolstering the ruse that she was nervous but trying not to show it -- she much preferred the idea of staying indoors with her friends than freezing outside with complete strangers asking her pointed questions about the match and the Slytherin team. 

Before heading out to meet the rest of her team in the Changing Room, Bill had gone all “Papa Bear” on Carewyn and made sure she put on one of his old Weasley sweaters on before heading out to the Pitch to change into her Quidditch robes.

“I know it’s big,” he said through an embarrassed flush, “but the last thing you need is to freeze when you’re playing out there.”

Carewyn carefully rolled up the sleeves of Bill’s old sweater, smiling up at him gratefully. “Thank you, Bill.”

Rowan looked concerned too. “Are you sure you’re going to be okay, Carewyn? You’re not still worried about the Hufflepuff Captain, are you?”

Carewyn gave her best friend a small smile. “Don’t worry, Rowan...I’ll be okay.”

“Of course you will,” Bill said firmly, his lips spreading into a smile too. “After all, Dylan’s a good head shorter than that Ice Knight you beat last year.”

“You mean we beat last year,” said Carewyn, glancing from Bill to Ben with a smile. 

"You did most of the work, though, Carewyn,” said Ben with a self-conscious smile. “I don’t blame you for being scared of Dylan, though -- he is kind of intimidating...”

“Yes, but Carewyn can handle herself out there,” said Penny brightly. “Right, Carewyn?”

“Mm...”

Carewyn had to keep herself from reassuring her friends too much for the sake of her strategy -- after all, Penny was a Hufflepuff, even if she wanted Carewyn to do her best -- but she still gave them all a big hug before heading out to the Pitch. 

~~~

Before the match, Orion gathered everyone around the blackboard for something called a “moment of vivication.” According to McNully, it was his version of a pep talk -- and sure enough, it was full of typical “Orion-isms” that could make the average person tilt their head in utter bewilderment but that made his teammates smile and shake their heads. 

“To win, we must believe we can win,” he’d said. “And we shall, for the greatest loss we can have is loss of focus. I am Quidditch -- you are Quidditch -- we are Quidditch.”

Eventually, though, he got to a point. 

“The time is nearly here, my teammates,” said Orion. “Although you have followed me in all of our practices, as your Captain, remember that once we are in the air, we will follow Carewyn’s lead, when it comes to springing our trap. Use patience, when waiting for her. Defend Crockett and our hoops with tenacity, while you wait for her. Show her the loyalty a teammate deserves. And once the trap is sprung, we can set loose all of our fire against our opponents. Let us go to the Pitch and make Slytherin proud.”

The rest of the team cheered. Orion glanced at Skye, McNully, and then Carewyn, all of them smiling. 

“Blimey,” said McNully, “I’d better get to the commentary box. Good luck, everyone -- give me something to talk about!”

He smiled at Carewyn. “Good luck out there, Carewyn -- dazzle me with that strategy of yours, all right?”

Carewyn nodded determinedly, and McNully wheeled himself out. Not long after he did, Madame Hooch came into the tent. 

“Come along, Slytherins!” she said stridently. “It’s time.”

The Flying teacher and coach gave Carewyn a rather long look as the Slytherins lined up in position. Instead of speaking to her, however, she addressed Orion.

“Since this is your first match as Captain, Mr. Amari,” she said, “you’ll signal your team to take flight, when McNully announces you. You’ll enter from the left side of the Pitch -- the Hufflepuffs are already in position on the right.”

Orion nodded. “Thank you, Madame Hooch.”

“I’ll be very curious to see what you do, Mr. Amari,” she said brusquely. “And I’m sure everyone else will be as well.”

Orion looked around at his teammates with a smile, his eyes resting on Carewyn last, before he took the lead and headed out of the tent, the others behind him. 

They strode up toward the Pitch, coming to a stop under the stands on the left-hand side. Neither the Hufflepuffs nor the audience were in view. Once Madame Hooch left, the team got into formation, with Orion, Skye, and Carewyn standing in a triangular shape at front. 

“Well...here we go,” said Skye. She glanced at Carewyn. “We’re counting on you, Carewyn.”

Carewyn gave her bravest, most determined expression and nodded. She then faced forward, her eyes resting on the small strip of sunlight on the grass just past them, and waited. 

She could hear the crowd gabbing loudly overhead. Her eyes drifted over her head absently. 

Rowan, Bill, Charlie, Ben, Andre, and Penny would all be watching up there...she wasn’t sure if that made her feel better or worse. 

“Find your center.”

Carewyn glanced at Orion. His expression was very gentle and his voice soothing. 

Carewyn’s face softened with a smile, and she nodded. Facing forward again, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath in through her nose and out through her mouth...and began to sing quietly under her breath.

“I...I wish you could swim... Like the dolphins...like dolphins can swim... Though nothing...nothing will keep us together... Oh, we can beat them...forever and ever... We can be heroes...just for one day...”

When she was finished, she slowly opened her eyes and looked at the others. She’d expected to see some smiles -- what she hadn’t expected was just how bright and courageous all of their faces looked, nor how fond Orion’s smile would be. 

The crowd roared overhead, and through the overwhelming cheers and applause, Carewyn caught the sound of McNully’s voice.

“Welcome, one and all, to the first Quidditch match of the season -- Hufflepuff versus Slytherin! Put your Pumpkin Pasties down and your hands together for Hufflepuff, led by returning captain Ulrich Dylan! Look at them fly!”

The excited sounds of the Hufflepuffs in the stands was deafening. Orion mounted his broom, and everyone else followed suit. 

“And now for the Slytherin team, led by new team captain Orion Amari -- also featuring a new addition to the roster, Carewyn Cromwell, flying alongside Amari and Skye Parkin as Chaser!”

The Slytherins all took off in perfect unison and soared out onto the Pitch. Orion, typical to form, looked ridiculously confident while flying -- there were quite a few points, when they flew around the stands, that he didn’t even have his hands on his broom. 

They moved into their starting positions, with the Chasers in front and the Keepers toward the back of the Pitch. Carewyn could feel all the Hufflepuffs’ eyes zeroing in on her -- she kept her focus on the frayed handle of her broom, thinking hard. 

I should let Orion and Skye duke it out for the Quaffle at first, she thought. It’ll be more believable that I’m nervous if I’m hesitant to grab it. It might even look like I’m distracted. 

She resisted the urge to look at Orion or Skye to try to communicate her thought process to them. 

They know what we’re doing. Best keep your cards close to your chest. 

“And here comes Madame Hooch, striding up the Pitch!” McNully’s voice rang out overhead. “The Bludgers are released, as is the Golden Snitch! Remember, everyone: the Snitch is worth 150 points -- when a Seeker catches it, the game is over.”

Madame Hooch gave both teams a rather discerning look as she took out the Quaffle. Then, without warning, she hurled it up into the air. 

“The Quaffle is released -- and so starts the match!”

~~~

The match was stressful and exhilarating from the start. There was no sense of restraint or politeness here -- every team player’s eyes were as hard as diamonds with their concentration. It was enough to rattle most anyone: even Carewyn had to admit, everything was so much faster and felt so much more important than when she played Quidditch friendlies. 

It’s no wonder people treat this game like it’s a matter of life and death, she thought, when you’re out here with seemingly the whole world watching you, waiting for you to fail...

She purposefully missed the Quaffle Orion passed to her, letting Skye double back to reclaim it. A little while later, she purposefully failed to steal it from one of Hufflepuff’s Chasers herself, and even took some time to get yelled at by Skye. (Skye honestly wasn’t that good at acting, but her looking angry was all that was really needed.)

“Looks like we’ve got a dispute between Star Chaser Skye Parkin and newcomer Carewyn Cromwell,” said McNully, his voice dripping with concern. “One can only hope that Cromwell can get her head in the game...”

Carewyn glanced across the Pitch in Ulrich Dylan’s direction -- he was grinning as he shouted something at his Chasers. 

Sure enough, in the next round, the Hufflepuff Chasers seemed to decide that they were purposefully going to stick to Carewyn. Whenever Orion or Skye tried to get close to them, they passed the Quaffle or slipped out from under them. 

“Hufflepuff has possession -- Groves passes to Polson, over Cromwell’s head -- ”

Carewyn caught sight of Skye flying up under them. Catching Carewyn’s eye briefly, she smirked -- then, in an instant, she’d swerved upward, bumping Polson from below. 

“Whoa, Polson’s lost his balance and drops the Quaffle -- Quaffle’s just barely caught by Cromwell -- ”

Carewyn held the Quaffle under her arm, soaring off toward the goal hoops. She could feel all three of Hufflepuff’s Chasers bearing down on her, trying to cut her off from Orion and Skye. She hunched down on her broom, her eyes darting quickly around from each of the three Chasers to Ulrich Dylan smugly lounging in front of the goal hoops. 

And Carewyn’s eyes narrowed.

Now.

Just as the three Hufflepuff Chasers were about to try to attempt the Parkin’s Pincer themselves, Carewyn sidestepped them completely by diving. The two Hufflepuffs who had tried to pin her both slammed into each other. 

“WHOOOA! What’s this?!” cried McNully, unable to hold back his excitement. “A modified Wronksy Feint?! Looks like Cromwell’s been studying with Slytherin Seeker Lucky!”

Once she’d dodged the first two, Carewyn fixed her sights on the remaining Chaser, sweeping around him in a tight figure-eight and bumping his face lightly with the tail of her broom. Although the move had no strength and didn’t hurt, the Chaser still felt the urge to try to protect his face from the bristles, which made him absentmindedly let go of his broom with one hand and almost lose balance. 

“And Cromwell pulls out a Chaser variant of the Double Eight Loop -- signature move of Slytherin Keeper Crockett!” cheered McNully. 

The other two Hufflepuff Chasers, looking faintly stunned, had flown back up after Carewyn, trying to regroup. It was as they flew at her that Carewyn knew the time was right. She hoisted herself up onto her broom in a standing position, the Quaffle under her arm, and she broom surfed right around them. 

“Inspired Broom Surfing, ladies and gentleman!” said McNully, as an awed sound moved over the crowd. “Signature move of Slytherin team captain Orion Amari! Cromwell’s still in possession, approaching Keeper Dylan -- ”

Carewyn fixed her sights on Dylan. The tall, chiseled Keeper was staring right at her, and yet it was obvious he didn’t see her clearly -- just as Orion had suggested, he was too distracted by her technique, and her abrupt switch had clearly thrown him for a loop. 

Smirking from ear to ear, Carewyn chucked the Quaffle right to the side of Dylan’s head. Rather than block it, the Keeper felt the subconscious urge to dodge, so as to protect himself -- and so the Quaffle soared right through the hoop over his shoulder. 

“AMAZING!” McNully had to shout over the sounds of the delighted roar of the Slytherins down below. “Cromwell completely sideswipes Dylan and scores Slytherin’s first goal! Hufflepuff leads 30-10! Looks like she’s not as fragile as she looks, folks!”

Carewyn took the time to lower herself back down onto her broom as Skye snatched up the Quaffle again and headed back toward the goal hoops. The turnover between rounds was so fast that Carewyn had little time to recover -- so she didn’t see the warm, proud smile on Orion’s face as he watched her fly off after Skye. 

The trap was sprung, and the Slytherins immediately let Hufflepuff have it. King and Shacklebolt kept Hufflepuff’s Beaters from attacking their players by keeping the Bludgers aimed at their Seeker and Keeper. Crockett whipped out the Double Eight Loop himself to protect the Slytherin hoops from any more goals. And Orion, Skye, and Carewyn became an unbreakable unit, shaking Hufflepuff’s Chasers off with the Thimblerig Shuffle and then crushing them with the Parkin’s Pincer. By the time Lucky had caught the Snitch, McNully was struggling to keep his commentary unbiased, thanks to the excitement echoing through every word. 

“THE SNITCH HAS BEEN CAUGHT! LUCKY CATCHES THE SNITCH! Slytherin wins 250-30! What a match!”

The Slytherin team all came down to land in the center of the Pitch. Carewyn immediately rushed over to the others, her face alight. 

“We did it!” she said happily. “We did it!”

Lucky grinned from ear to ear. “No, Carewyn -- you did it!”

“Don’t be daft!” Carewyn said with a smile. “I couldn’t have won by my -- ahhh!”

She gave a start when she suddenly felt herself being hoisted up into the air -- both King and Shacklebolt had picked her up, their hands under her legs as they bobbed her up and down and cheered.

“Oh no!” yelped Carewyn, trying to weasel out of their grip, “No, no, no, put me down, please --”

She knew they were excited, but she absolutely did not like being grabbed and picked up out of nowhere. 

It took Orion some time to calm his teammates enough to put her down. Once she’d gotten back on the ground, though, he actually couldn’t restrain himself from wrapping an arm around Carewyn’s shoulders, taking hold of one of them so he could squeeze her against his side. His face was alight with delight and pride. 

“I knew my choice was the right one,” she just barely made him say over the sound of the cheering Slytherins. “You flew like a Snidget, Carewyn Cromwell.”

Carewyn flushed with pride around her smile. “Thanks, Orion.”

Orion’s eyes sparkled like the night sky, even in the middle of the day. "No, Carewyn -- thank you. For your faith.”

The memory of Orion and Carewyn together on the Pitch with their team, with Carewyn’s friends Rowan and Bill both hugging her tight and Skye whooping at the top of her lungs in Orion’s ear, was an image so strong and blazing that it helped Orion -- three years later, in Defense Against the Dark Arts -- conjure his very first Abraxan Winged Horse Patronus.