#daphne: illusion practice

[eremington]

@daphne-blackwood when Daphne was in college

Elijah usually didn't agree to meet people in his office at the university, but it turned out to be the most convenient way to meet with Daphne, so he'd taken down a few of the wards he normally had up to prevent others from performing magic. A knock came at the door and he set aside the assignments he was grading. "Just a second." He knew the hallway outside didn't have any windows so he turned to the ones in his office, projecting a steady drizzled over the sunny courtyard view that was actually there. Daphne was working on illusion magic, so why not a pop quiz? He opened the door with a small smile. "Please come in, Daphne."

[man--eater]

Daphne is Hellborn and not a Sinner AU

hahaha this is very prescient, because this is actually my next fic!! Five fun facts about Queen of Hearts, Ace of Sorrow: 1. In this AU, Daphne is half-Goetia and half-sinner demon. Her mother was a hummingbird demon, a great-granddaughter of Paimon. As such, Daphne has functional wings in this one! But is still half praying mantis. 2. Between his broken staff and angelic wound, Alastor has lived several powerless, miserable, traumatic years of captivity at the hands of Vox. His dignity, his health, and his sanity have been all but stripped from him. He flinches away from any touch, and is filthy and starved. 3. Daphne was raised to be practical and hard-hearted by her mother, who married for love that was fleeting and led to a lifetime of resentment. She doesn't want her daughter to make the same mistake as she did, which is why she is forcing Daphne to marry an Overlord for political gain. There will be no illusions about the purpose of the match, and Daphne will never have her heart broken.

4. Alastor is practically feral when Daphne chooses him on a technicality instead of Vox. She has to try to domesticate him and gain at least a little trust before she can drag him out in a public wedding ceremony--it's not a good look to have your ghoul of a fiance start eating the wedding guests, even in Hell. 5. Daphne continues to be non-musical in a very musical world. Her tutors tried to teach her piano and flute and harp, but she never could grasp it--perhaps it was her uncreative mind, hampered by her mother's insistence on keeping her detached and unemotional. Decades later, she still cannot carry a tune even if she's just humming.This is baffling and upsetting to Alastor, once he finds out.

thank you for the ask, this was fun!!

[charmixpower]

I have a question: what would be Roxy's dynamics with the others (not the Winx) like Trix, Diaspro, Mirta, Lucy, Daphne when resurrected, Krystal, Galatea, Miele, Selina for @parola-di-winx 's sake. I just don't remember if I asked this question before

Okiii

Here's a free Roxy doodle!! She's scared of the Wizards XD

The Trix:

Roxy has never and will never meet them. My timeline stops at the movie after s3, so the Trix and ansestal witches are fuckin gone. Icy is probably straight up dead, and Darcy and Stormy are likely starting a gang in the Omega dimension. So Roxy never directly interacts with them, even if I keep Orgon's stupid ass plan to run to Omega, Roxy isn't powerful enough to not immediately freeze to death there. So she's never directly met them but she does know of them.

She knows of Icy from the scars littering Bloom's body, though how Tecna teaches her to respond to surprise attacks, from the way Bloom responds to any little amount of aggression with bared teeth, from the way the winx categories the best way to defend any building they're in, the way they all stop if there is a sudden cold breeze. Roxy knows Darcy from Riven's insistence that she learns how to recognize illusion and emotion magic, she knows Darcy from the way the Winx freezes when they see purple magic, she knows Darcy from the way Stella lights up dark corners instinctually. She knows Stormy from the lichtenberg scars along Flora, from the way that Musa stresses the importance of speed in a battle, from how Aisha practices weather spells. She knows the Trix from the look in the Winx's eyes when it's night with a snow storm, and how they all flinch when lightning strikes.

She's never met the Trix, but she feels their shadow every day.

Diaspro:

Diaspro as a favor to the Winx, who saved her from her existence being stuck under the thumb of Samara and Erendor until they die, is helping Earth get accumulated and caught up with the rest of the magical dimension. Basically Dymond (Diaspro's planet) is Earth's first ally. She's mostly around Nebula trying to help her as (elected) Queen figure out how to put in proper magical infrastructure and learn about everything in the magical dimension.

Roxy as the (elected against her will) princess of Earth she often sits in with Diaspro and Nebula discussing how the fuck to bring Earth into the magical dimension and up to date. Since plants are expected to act as one governmental body, a world government is going to HAVE to be established, people with magic are going to need to be gathered and trained properly, the fact that magic on earth is a thing now needs to be delt with, and Roxy has to be the representative of earth to the magical dimension so she needs to be caught up on EVERYTHING.

Roxy and Diaspro's dynamic is mentor and student. Diaspro is stupid good at politics, mostly because it was either gain allies or die in the Eraklyon palace, so she caught on pretty quickly or else. Diaspro's political training is VERY informed by the cut throat nature of Eraklyon politics on the brink of civil war. So it's very urgent and a little too scary and pressuring for Roxy but she tries her best to keep up. Diaspro doesn't realize she's freaking Roxy out, she probably catches on eventually.

(If you're wondering why the Winx aren't teaching her politics, that's because none of them know any. Stella and Aisha are children of politicians, but neither of them were ever interested in politics and have always concentrated on being magic combatants and have always had the goal of being guardian fairies. The rest of them have no experience with politics. Sky avoided politics like the plague because they were often horrifying, Brandon who had been pretending to be Sky since they were in highschool (if there collage students in s1, if it's like canon it would be since middle school) knows politics like the back of his hand but he's busy dealing with the whole "holy fuck there's a new company of light" and "Valtor destroyed so much shit" things for the Winx to help Roxy. Saladin knows some politics and tries to pass them to Helia and the only part that Helia internalized is lying.)

Mirta:

Mirta and Helia are the only witches apart of Winx, or auxiliary Winx members, so they're the ones basically handing Roxy's early magic education before Roxy goes to CT. Roxy and Mirta are alt babies, so I think Roxy would take to Mirta quickly (esp compared to Helia who Roxy finds a little intimidating, not his fault exactly but Roxy always feels like he's staring though her soul when in reality he's just zoning out).

I think they are friends!! Mirta is trying her best to teach Roxy witch magic while avoiding being murdered by the wizards of the Black circle . Mentor, mentee, but in a friendly way! They like hanging out and vibing together. They definitely go shopping together and stuff!! They are friends!!

Lucy:

Mirta and Lucy aren't as close as they used to be. After Mirta got wrecked by the Trix for Lucy and Lucy getting mad at her for it, and yeah. They decided they needed a break from their friendship to deal with....all of that, but since Mirta is training this new witch she might ask her old bestie for help, and that's how Lucy and Roxy met. I don't think they'd be close because of how much Roxy looks up to Mirta and the awkward vibes, but Roxy would love Lucy's fashion sense and think she's super cool whenever she comes over. They like each other's fashion and vibe.

Daphne:

Daphne is Roxy's weird older cousin who just came out of a coma. Roxy has no clue how to interact with her and absolutely doesn't like how Daphne seems to know so much about her and tends to avoid her when possible

Krystal:

Because Krystal appeared in s5 when Roxy begins school she's one of her classmates that Helia specifically asked to watch over Roxy. Roxy thinks this is a bit annoying but loves her dumbass uncle's anyways so she guesses it's fine. Krystal is a ditzy bubbly girl who has a natural inclination towards witch magic and is really good at the math part so constantly helps Roxy study and catch up. They become best friends and are roommates (bc Helia said nepotism) who hang out a lot. They're very different but Roxy really appreciates having a straight forward and uncomplicated person around to talk too without having to worry about anything else

Galatea:

After s3 it becomes really unpopular to be a monarch (with reasons beginning with Erendor and ending with Samara) so I like to imagine Melody quietly became a constitutional monarchy and Galatea not so subtly starting publicly talking about how Melody has a big poverty problem, and it all looks very bad on them so they're doing better on account of being slightly scared of being as on fire as Eraklyon is right now. Galatea is politically advisor #2, less informed version because Galatea was sheltered her whole life. But unlike Diaspro Galatea knows how to blend in with the politician crowd and get people to like her quickly, very useful skills. They don't talk often but occasionally Diaspro will point Roxy her way for help

Miele:

OH DEAR GOD WHY IS FLORA'S LITTLE SISTER SO UNHINGED.

Miele is Flora's eco-crimes but worse. She's the witch of bugs and this is officially everyone else's problem. As the witch of bugs Flora thought it was a good idea to have her help the Witch of animals before remembering that her little sister is certifiably insane and more likely to go to jail for terrorism than she is. Which is honestly a feat. Anyways Roxy is ever so majorly afraid of Miele and her bugs and wants to go home now

Selina:

The contract I signed with Nove says I have to say their girlfriends.

Jk CT dorm rooms come in odd numbers, bc witch magic works best in odd numbers, so Selina is Roxy and Krystal's third roommate and the Witch of Imagination. I imagine she and Roxy don't get along at first because Selina hates all authority and Roxy is technically one now, and that pisses Roxy off so bad because she doesn't even want to be. But they eventually become besties because they think all of this shit is stupid

[ofmcthman]

⌠ lili reinhart. 24, unspecified sexuality, cis woman, she/her. ⌡ wait a minute, is daphne abernathy still in town? i thought i saw a flash of (a tattered backpack covered in souvenir and novelty pins and buttons, torn jeans and overly-worn shoes abandoned on the floor , and an alien tattoo on her ring finger )! last i heard they were working as a journalism student nearby. when it’s the (virgo)’s birthday on 09/13 i forget that they’re persistent and celebrate that they’re big-hearted. i hear here with me by dido every time i think of them.

TW: death mention

@liminalintro​

full name: daphne jean abernathy-fitzpatrick

birthdate: september 13th, 1998

age: 24

height: 5’6”

birth place: centralia, pennsylvania

bio:

there are six abernathy-fitzpatrick girls, and as the youngest of the brood, daphne takes pride in being the weirdest

from the time she entered the world, daphne has been nearly uncontrollable, a fact that drove her mother nuts at any point in the day

her sisters at least gave the illusion of being civilized, but in comparison daphne could usually be found hanging from a tree or building a fort out of every blanket and pillow in the house, often with a book in her hands that she would consume in record time

being the youngest meant that she was mostly shielded from what people in town would say about her family

unfortunately for her parents, she was quick to catch on, though the youngest of the abernathy-fitzpatrick clan was good at pretending that she didn’t, especially when it came to giving her family some sort of relief where they could get it

daphne’s form of escape came in the form of books, science fiction ones to be exact, and those paired with her obsession with x-files sent her into what could only be described as a tailspin

suddenly her world was consumed with aliens in any form she could get them in, usually resulting in her going to the library at least twice a day

daphne didn’t have a very big friend group because of this, and the friends she did have tended to drown her out when she went on tangents about the knowledge she had on some of these creatures, writing her off as the nerdy one of the group

despite her weird interests and behaviors, there was always one person that daphne kept coming back to, and that was michael

the two were thick as thieves, getting along almost too well as kids, and then even moreso as teenagers

nobody was surprised when they started dating, and before she could really blink, daphne knew she was in love with him

the two wanted a future together, going so far as looking at the same colleges and making plans in case that didn’t work out for them; needless to say, they were attached at the hip, and daphne could never imagine a life without the boy by her side

for once, daphne didn’t feel out of place in life or like she needed to be something else in order to impress others; michael allowed her to be unapologetically herself and that put her at ease

unfortunately, after quite some time together, her luck ran out when she received a phone call informing her of michael’s untimely passing

of course she was devastated; he was the love of her existence and suddenly she felt entirely empty

it was a shock to no one when daphne threw herself into keeping busy; it didn’t matter if it was school work or her writing projects, she always needed something to distract her

before long, daphne’s theories about michael’s passing began to consume her entire life, and she threw herself into research

she’s always felt that there was something suspicious about his passing, the way he died practically unbelievable to her

daphne’s life suddenly became consumed with both grief and the need to find the answer, days filled with finding the spare time during school to get to the bottom of what happened, and it quickly became an obsession

soon enough she wasn’t taking care of herself; she skipped more meals than she ate, and when it came to a sleep schedule, it was practically nonexistent 

by the time she’d graduated high school, the friend group that daphne did have had dwindled significantly, leaving her all by herself again

she liked to pretend that she didn’t care, adamant that she didn’t need anyone to take care of her, but everyone knew that was a lie

what daphne failed to realize is that she had a good support system in the form of her sisters, an easy fact to overlook when the stigma around your family isn’t the best in the world

despite her family urging her to go away for college and to distance herself from the town that held so much loss, the youngest abernathy chose not to listen, settling for a school in philadelphia so she could be close to home

daphne feels like she’s been floating through life for the past few years, but she’s found ways to distract herself

first it started with skateboarding, taking the time to meet up with her sister bowie so they could learn together

she also took to going to the woods more and more often, ignoring the pleas of her family to stay safe — though how could one be unsafe with the likes of kelly mcmaster trailing behind her

these days, daphne is becoming more and more comfortable with opening up to people, though she still keeps her heart mostly closed off

daphne’s major form of showing affection is showing people the cool rocks she finds, all of which are deemed extraterrestrial

her career as an investigative journalist is steady and safe, and it allows the youngest abernathy creative freedom so she doesn’t feel so stuck

she spends most of her days with kelly, finding comfort in his companionship and ignoring the fact that she’s quickly developing feelings for him

daphne’s main goal is working on her relationship with her sisters; after michael’s death, she worked hard to isolate herself, and getting out of that slump has proven difficult

overall, daphne abernathy is just a spitfire, and if you can keep up with her you’ve made a friend for life

[petalsmooth]

The nutcases on line who claim to represent Bridgerton fandom btw think this man....

Is not only the least attractive brother but not attractive at all.

You see why I don't like some of the fandom? They are delusional. Much from a fandom starting with K.

I don't even overly care about their appearances because I gravitate more to acting talent, story, character progression when I develop favorites but objectively speaking out of all the brothers? He is the most classically handsome by traditional standards. It's just ridiculous. And I won't even dignify some of what they have said about Nicola other than in their worldview if not a certain size aren't worthy of being a lead or desired.

Oh, and apparently childhood friends falling in love is boring, nevermind will include the chaotic revelation of Whistledown, but spending 6 episodes on chemistry free Anthony/Edwina is not. And somehow seeing another rendition of Cinderalla only in this telling with the "Prince" trying to make her his mistress is somehow more anticipated.

BTW...no one tell them because I don't think they could handle it but I think part of the reason Benedict's story wasn't next is because his story is problematic. Light romantic rom com with Polin is much easier to address than how to modernize Benedict and Sophie's story. Because it's not just boy and girl from different worlds meet and he searches for her to make her his bride. It's Benedict having to deal with his own ingrained privilege and expectations as a member of the elite and make a personal sacrifice if he truly wishes to love and be loved. It's all well and fine to be pretentious and declare casually his appreciation for the working class or lecture Eloise about how a modiste is treated or rebel against Anthony with hedonistic pursuits with his art community because at the end of the day Benedict is a man. He is a Bridgerton. He is the second born son, not the first so less responsibility. Society will allow his current musing and antics to a degree with no harm to his standing. Benedict has never truly had to sacrifice anything personally and to maintain the integrity of the book arc he WILL in order to have Sophie. But prior to that he's unlikeable.

Either the show just completely whitewashes the book and makes it another telling of Cinderella which is NOT original at all (speaking of boring?) so they can maintain the illusion he's the charming affable brother. Or, he's going to have to be unlikeable and get his hands dirty in ways they won't like. Even if they don't have show Benedict try to force her into being his mistress, will still have to have him unwilling to make her his wife. IF you want continuity from the book. Because you can't DO Benedict's arc properly without him making a sacrifice about his personal comfort and status, and it's not a sacrifice if he gives that up without resistance at first. Speaking pretty verses to Anthony about sacrifice for love might make a viewer swoon, but putting into practice is an entirely different thing he will struggle with if maintain continuity. The show has already foreshadowed this when they had him observe a male couple together in secret and his response to it.

Phillip and Eloise's book is easier to adapt. The scene with Marina basically just lying there unresponsive in bed so he can "do his duty". is not essential to the plot. So long as the abuse from his father and the loveless marriage is retained you can adapt their story fairly easily for a modern retelling without changing the narrative. It will still be dark since involves depression and long lasting affects of childhood abuse but you can easily wipe out that one scene.

But Benedict's story is the thorniest adaptation since season 1 with Daphne forcibly trying to be impregnated by Simon. That was then followed by Anthony playing two sisters off each other in season 2. I know that fanbase wishes to present Edwina as the villain but Anthony was not very likeable. the only reason either of those storylines were muddled through is because the actors were likeable. If going off the actual story and words....Anthony was extremely unlikeable. He wasn't altogether different from Berbrooke really in how he thought of women, only that he drew the line at violence towards them. So I completely get why the show would be happy to take a break and do something lighter for a season.

[allforafro]

ok, I hope that whoever reads this still remembers more or less what happened in each episode, if not, it may not make sense to you

opinions about individual episodes of heroes season 3 begin

3.1

I don't know anything about medicine, but the Nathan rescue scene was weird/badly done

peter looks good as usual

got hit by a teenager lol

Sylar started working in horror films during his break

I understand you maya I don't understand science either

hiro is cute and childish

You have to save the world, so I will speak in riddles

what happened, what are you doing, future peter

nathan I almost died but I'm alive and I'm more religious em ok dude

Mohinder, what's wrong with you?

sylar what the hell are you talking about?

this scene was quite disgusting

oh mother mohinder go to therapy because with your obsession with sylar you can't live a normal life

why everyone is coming back from the dead this season

Matt, get up, there's a scorpion on your face, it's scary

did mohinder die because that would be funny

Angela is great as usual

what the hell is this narrator text?

no, he's still alive

3.2

Claire was traumatized and now feels no pain

nice vision Angela

maya is beautiful mohinder you should focus on flirting with her and not bullshit

but you could slow down a bit

maybe because you didn't raise her, you asshole

is this another niki personality?

Millbrook stole some good stuff

life dilemmas (not sarcasm)

is Linderman just an illusion?

poor elle

kill him noah, too bad sylar is immortal

the best thing is that the others don't know that the screaming guy is Peter

or you misunderstood future hiro

you can't tell anyone the truth except nathan, you haven't changed anything peter

ok tracy is definitely not Niki

no hiro don't turn your back on ando

Is there something wrong, Dr. Suresh? it was obvious, idiot

disgusting!!!

talking turtle lol

Africa? Interesting

why isn't claire so surprised that her father is alive, didn't they think he was dead

Yes! nathan is crazy, let's go!!!

I don't know if the company is bad or good anymore

That scene with Meredith showing up was weird (I mean their faces)

I wonder what Jessie can do?

angela is creepy

3.3

Angela is Sylar's mother, did I miss something? no, she's definitely winding him up

duet noah and sylar I didn't know I needed this in my life

lyle is right

claire lol

sandra is right claire, education is important

XD angela plays sylar as she wants

Daphne is funny

this guy knows matt's life, interesting

Lol sylar you watched too many movies

you don't know peter

Sylar probably won't listen to Noah and it will be a mess

Is Tracy Niki's twin sister?

this lecturer is hopeless, Zimmerman's name is read with a "C"

it wasn't her fault, it was yours hiro

mother-daughter bond

their partnership is great

is this the series where noah becomes a cosmic godfather to everyone with special abilities

what does matt have in common with this african guy?

Claire doesn't go to school but she goes to cheerleading practice, that's just an excuse

This Zimmerman is interesting

music puts them into a trance?

yes noah kill him

Why did I develop the desire to kill Sylar? This guy didn't do anything to me

shrugs - whatever

3.4

I become death, how dramatic (yes, I know what the title refers to)

Rash? allergy? This is disgusting

Triplets? Interesting

they gave them powers

Hey, wait, didn't Niki have a sister, Jessica?

this time four, not five in the future

It's funny but both present peter and future peter are right

yes peter sylar will help you lol

don't manipulate her feelings mohinder

I don't know why but I laughed at the scenes between peter and future mohinder

I made the same face as peter

uuu gabriel is adorable

it's funny that everyone says peter is a villain

If you want my power, fix this watch

not poor little noah, poor gabriel

stop acting like children hiro and ando

web yuck

Was Nathan going to have an affair with another of the triplets, I knew

I wonder if when we meet the third one, Nathan will also have an affair with her

army of super soldiers

don't hurt nathan peter

No!!!

You're here, brother

A spiritual journey

Cemetery?

Adam!!! Yay!!!

3.5

I wonder who has this formula

Everyone prefers clear answers nathan

Linderman from Nathan's head is weird

Ok mohinder I'm not going to comment on this

better kill your mother peter it will be good for everyone

Angela's weakness on peter is great

Sandra is a good mother

Wow Claire is turning into Noah

Lol adam is funny

Interesting thing about this Linderman from other people's heads

It turns out that not all of these Level 5 people are bad

If a guy keeps silent about something, there's something wrong

Okay, this is getting scary, run away, maya!

I wonder if it's really God?

No

He killed me once and now he saved me

I don't know if I trust you on this, noah

Nathan has artificial abilities?!

He lives!

Just like in horror

Well, whatever you say, no one would think of it

Kill him, maya, it will be better for him

Suresh is harmless, lol I guess not anymore

oh hiro, ando

What? Hiro no!

Why is ando always unlucky

Lol that Sylar in the back of the car

Sometimes you're stupid noah

Who is this disgusting guy?

I wonder what this pinehearst is?

Is this Arthur Petrelli?

That's him, interesting

3.6

Fortunately, it's a trick

She goes with her wow

I wonder what ability Arthur has

I wouldn't like to ask mohinder for help but they don't know that he has become weird

Matt this is weird

Trust him, Daphne

So now you're killing people mohinder wow

How is he supposed to know that, he's not his future self

So he's the puppet master

What did you expect, hiro

Listen to her mohinder she is right

The shooting scene was intense

Sylar just want to be loved by mommy

Let's drug each other, it's a real family thing

Take her hand, I told you so

Actually it may be true that you may not be able to help her matt

Invisible peter yes

Surprise!

he takes away their powers, not bad

I wonder how they are going to defeat arthur

that's all for now, the rest when I have time

[not-a-hawk]

magic system, go

There are two main types of magic, Ghost magic and Life magic. They both work with the same principle, mostly draw on the energy around the caster rather than the energy within the caster, but what they do are wildly different. 

Life magic draws on energy that's living, expanding and shrinking it to the caster's will. Healing, plant growing, speaking to animals, etc., all these could be done by a Life mage. Life magic cannot make something out of nothing, however. If there is no seed there cannot be a tree, and a Life mage can't regrow a lost limb, only reconnect it. Life magic feels like tree bark slowly crawling up your limbs when cast. If it feels like that bark reaches your heart, then you get Daphne’s curse, where you basically turn into a tree. The idea is that you become something of the energy you overused.

Ghost magic draws upon dead energy. Dead humans, animals, plants, you name it. Since there’s so much energy, Ghost magic is much harder to control, and much more prone to blowing up in the caster’s face. Communing with the dead, casting illusions, seeing into the future (never very far, only like a week or two at most), etc. are all things ghost mages can do. Unlike Life mages, where almost everything they do leaves permanent impact, Ghost magic is illusions and ghosts. It operates by the rule of seeing is believing, and the few physical structures that Ghost mages can make fade with the caster’s concentration. Casting Ghost magic feels like swimming, with what body of water you’re swimming in ranging from a calm lake to a raging river depending on what is being cast. There’s also a Ghost magic version of Daphne’s curse, known as Ravitis’ plague, which you’ll know you have if you feel like you’re drowning when you cast magic. Rather than turning into a tree, however, the caster will simply fade from existence, becoming the dead energy that they so often drown upon.

There is no way to gain magic later in life. It’s being double-jointed, either you are or you aren’t, you can’t learn how to cast. You can, however, learn to control it. Magic arrives in varying strengths, and while it can become stronger with practice, most people simply leave it as is.

[kpostedsum]

high | d.m

summary: you find an unhealthy way of coping after draco cheats on you

warnings: drug use (marijuana) angsty¿, cheating, illusions to sex

song: habits - tove lo

a/n: this fic isn’t meant to romanticize drug use in any way. i also know nothing abt weed so LOL and very rushed & not edited

masterlist | taglist

I eat my dinner in my bathtub

Then I go to sexclubs

Watching freaky people gettin' it on

It doesn't make me nervous

If anything I'm restless

Yeah, I've been around and I've seen it all

you had a few minutes left of your charms class which was your last class before the weekend. you wanted nothing more than to get out of here and cuddle up with your boyfriend— who was enjoying his free period right now.

draco was one of the best boyfriends you could ask for, the frequent dates, gifts, and attention— it was more than you could wish for.

“you’re excused. you essays are due at the beginning of next week” snapes monotone voice dragged on as you quickly packed up your things and made your way to the slytherin common room.

I get home, I got the munchies

Binge on all my Twinkies

Throw up in the tub

Then I go to sleep

And I drank up all my money

Days get kinda lonely

entering the slytherin common room your eyes immediately searched for a certain blond boy, yet he was nowhere to be found. you made your way to the boys dorms in hopes of finding him there but you’re quickly interrupted by two familiar voices.

“why hello y/n, marvellous weather we’re having today aren’t we?” theo asked looking towards the ceiling and smiling as if he were outside, blaise blocking your path as he did so.

“i’m not sure what weather you’re talking about since we’re inside but i am okay thank you” you responded with a chuckle, trying to make your way past blaise.

“wait y/n” he stopped you. “can i borrow the astronomy notes? i would ask luna but i can’t find her anywhere” blaise continued.

they both seemed awfully on edge and anxious, you figured it was just quidditch nerves getting to them since there was an upcoming game this week.

“i have yet to finish my astronomy notes, but i did see luna in the great hall if you want her notes. now if you’d excuse me i’d like to see draco” you said trying to push past the two boys who still wouldn’t let you through.

“forget malfoy! let’s do something instead, we’re so much more fun than him, right blaise?” theo said giving blaise a pointed look as he threw his arm around your shoulder.

“right you are nott, let’s go!” blaise continued also throwing his arm around your shoulder and leading you away from the boys dorm.

“what? no, i have plans with draco. now excuse me” you said pushing them both off and heading towards dracos door.

as you get closer to his door you can hear heavy breathing, pants and skin slapping on skin. you’re confused, you figured draco would be taking a nap or running over drills for quidditch practice. the closer you get, the louder the noises become.

“pans, you feel so good”

you recognize that voice anywhere.

You're gone and I gotta stay

High all the time

To keep you off my mind

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

High all the time

To keep you off my mind

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

quickly you turned your head towards blaise and theo who had their heads lowered in shame, refusing to meet your gaze. “is this some kind of sick joke, are you guys pulling a prank or something because this isn’t funny” you said seriously not wanting to believe what you’re hearing from inside of your boyfriends dorm.

“we’re sorry, we tried to convince him not too but he wouldn’t listen” theo muttered silently.

it felt like your world was breaking apart slowly. just not too long ago you were excited to spend a weekend with your boyfriend who you loved so dearly, the same boyfriend who you’ve been dating for years, the same boyfriend who gets jealous about how much time you spend with his mum rather than him.

with shaky fingers you put your hand on the door knob and quickly pushed the door open, already preparing for the worst.

there he was, wrapped up with parkinson in the same bed you two shared not even twenty-four hours ago. her body straddling his naked, just like yours was doing the night before. you stood there frozen, mouth agape— not even knowing what to do with yourself.

“baby, i can explain, just please— y/n please don’t leave” draco said pushing pansy off of him, shuffling on his pants and reaching out towards you.

“dont touch me, malfoy!” you yelled and everyone froze. “you lost the right to touch me the minute you even thought of touching her” you continued sending both him and pansy a glare with tears threatening to slip from your eyes.

“darling please, i can explain—”

“no draco, we’re done just leave me alone, please” your voice cracking at the end as you pushed past blaise and theo rushing towards the girls dormitory.

Spend my days locked in a haze

Trying to forget you babe

I fall back down

Gotta stay high all my life

To forget I'm missing you

Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh

it’s been days since you last left your room, days since you last saw draco. daphne would come by and check on you but you’d always dismiss her, wanting to be alone. regret is one word to describe how you’ve been feeling— you gave him everything and he threw it away so carelessly for a quick hook up.

you missed waking up against his smooth skin in his embrace, tracing the lines and scars across his porcelain skin as you waited for him to wake up, the way he’d try to kiss you in the morning without brushing his teeth and you wouldn’t let him because of morning breath— but he’d still do it anyways.

you missed him, but he didn’t want you anymore.

maybe it was something you’ve done, you’ve been quite busy with work recently so you haven’t been spending as much time with him as normal. he was probably lonely and trying to seek the attention you lacked to give him.

getting up, you stared at yourself in the mirror picking yourself apart. you were pretty, it was a well known fact around hogwarts, maybe he thought she was prettier. she was the life of the party and always up for some mischief whereas you preferred to do stuff in silence and would rather be with a small group of people. maybe he liked how exciting she was in comparison to you, she probably brought a spark of excitement to his life that you couldn’t.

dreading to feel something you quickly showered and got ready to leave your room hoping to run into a specific set of twins.

Pick up daddies at the playground

How I spend my daytime

Loosen up the frown,

Make them feel alive

I'll make it fast and greasy

I'm on my way to easy

“well what can we do for you today” fred said to you with a cheeky smile plastered across his face.

“do you have any muggle herb left?” you asked in a low voice making sure no one heard you.

“maybe we do, maybe we don’t” george said. “how much are you offering in exchange though” he continued.

“ten galleons for three ounces, is that enough” you said pulling the galleons out of your pockets and placing them in george’s palm.

“it was a pleasure doing business with you” they said in unison as fred placed the tiny baggie in your pocket so no one would see.

once you returned to your dormitory you quickly pulled out the pre-rolled muggle herb, lit it and let yourself forget.

You're gone and I gotta stay

High all the time

To keep you off my mind

Spend my days locked in a haze

Trying to forget you babe

I fall back down

Gotta stay high all my life

To forget I'm missing you

you started showing up to class late with red tired eyes, not caring about the looks you got. at this point every one knew what had happened but you couldn’t bring yourself to care.

the muggle herb brought you a sense of bliss and freedom, a new feeling you haven’t felt before but something that you now craved.

“are you high right now?” draco said as he sat himself in the seat beside you.

“since when do you care about what i’m doing” you said sharply, not wanting to talk with him.

“love, you don’t smoke. who gave that stuff to you, i’ll kill them—”

“no you won’t.” you said turning towards him. “you won’t do any of that because you don’t own me and i’m not your girlfriend anymore. so mind your business malfoy, i’m sure parkinson’s waiting for you”

the rest of the class you both sat in silence working on potions that draco did most of since you weren’t in the correct mind state and he wasn’t willing to let his mark falter over your slip up.

you find it amazing how even when you’re on drugs he still looks amazing. the way his nose curves perfectly with a slight bump, and the way his hands move with caution as he pours the potion into the waste bucket.

“look, i’m sorry for what happened with pansy. it didn’t mean anything i swear, i don’t know why i did it but i regret it with my life” draco said breaking your thoughts, he looked older than normal and had dark circles underneath his under eyes. you wondered why he looked so distraught when he wasn’t the one who got cheated on.

“a sorry isn’t going to fix this draco” you told him. he knew you were right but he didn’t want to admit it. he hadn’t talked to pansy since the day you walked in on them, the guilt has been eating him up inside. he stayed silent and didn’t bother respond to you, he knew anything he said would have made the situation worst than it already is— but how he wished you were still his sweet y/n.

“now if you excuse me, i have some fun to attend too” you said leaving him alone as you made your way back to your dorm.

Staying in my play pretend

Where the fun, it got no end

Can't go home alone again

Need someone to numb the pain

You're gone and I gotta stay

High all the time

To keep you off my mind

over the last few weeks, you couldn’t remember the last time you were sober. you started skipping classes to smoke and avoiding your friends so they’d stop questioning your habits.

you were forgetting and that’s all that mattered, you didn’t care how it was affecting your health— it made you feel better. sometimes you wished there was another way, another way to forget how he held you at night pressing soft kisses to your skin, another way to forget the way he took pansy the same way he took you. you wonder if he feels as sorry as he looks, he’s the one who cheated so he can’t possibly care that much.

you hear two knocks at your door which quickly break you from your state making you more attentive, cleaning yourself up and opening the door. there stood draco— his eyes red as well, like hes been crying.

“y/n listen, i know what i did was wrong and that i tried to pretend it wasn’t me but please. i didn’t mean too, you mean the world to me. i miss you so much love.” he pleaded with you.

“y’know draco, i miss you too” you admitted. “but i’ve found a way to forget about you, maybe you should do the same”.

Gotta stay high all my life

To forget I'm missing you

-

taglist: @mauvea @teenwolfbitches28 @ilygw @nic0lodean @s1ater @henqtic @justreadingficsdontmindme @i-love-scott-mccall @harmqnia @gwlvr @alishahpotter

[theviscountbridgerton]

Anthony's solution if Kate wouldn't share her bed was probably a perfectly acceptable deal back then, as long as the husband was discreet, didn't bring home any form of unwanted guests (in form of mistress, babies, or STDs, of course), and treated his wife with every possible respect. It sounds weird to us, but marriages of convenience were common at that time. Marrying for love was nice, but certainly not as common as Jane Austin or modern bodice ripper books want us to believe they were. If you had a nice spouse you got on well with, with no bad habits (aside from a discreet mistress of course, a man needs a bit of TLC on occasion if his wife's unwilling), then you were good. But it *does* sound weird to us - and Anthony DID sound like an ass at that point, even if he himself though he was reasonable.

Exactly. The idea of marrying for love is a relatively modern idea; it’s really only around the end of the 18th century/early 18th century that it started to become acceptable or desirable. Marriage was for political, social and financial gain especially among the ruling classes. (So the idea of the Queen of England pushing for a marriage between a Prussian prince and the sister of an English Viscount is hilariously absurd.) Daphne and Eloise turning down numerous proposals from wealthy men is a sign of their privilege. Most people married for convenience.   

Once a marriage had produced an heir and a spare, and everybody was discreet most people turned a blind eye to infidelity. Anthony’s attitude is essentially that you don’t cheat on someone you love, but having a mistress is acceptable in a marriage of convenience if his wife doesn’t want to have a sexual relationship with him. It’s not a completely unreasonable attitude for the time. 

He does sound like an ass when he proposes it and my full sympathy is with Kate. However, I think if at the beginning of the season, Kate had been offered a marriage to a wealthy man who she had a friendly relationship with, who treated her with respect and would provide financially for her sister and mother and would only have a mistress if she wasn’t interested in having a sexual relationship with him - she would have taken that deal gladly. 

The Sheffields are in London looking for a wealthy husband that will provide for the three of them. I don’t think that Anthony is under any illusions that he’s so desirable because of his mutton chops or sparkling personality. He knows that he’s considered the most eligible bachelor because of his wealth, status and connections. So in his eyes, this is a practical arrangement and they’re both getting a good deal even if it’s not the one either of them intended. 

[invisibleinorange]

Swelter Weather | 6/?

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: M Warnings: None at this point. Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Marina Thompson/Phillip Crane, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Kate Sheffield/Anthony Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Hastings Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Phillip Crane, Benedict Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton, Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin

Summary: Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU!

It was a little wrong to sneak out and leave Eloise alone with a man that she’d just met but Penelope was willing to wager that their friendship would survive this slight.  They’d had plenty of disagreements over the years and they nearly always made up. Nine times out of ten, their disagreements revolved around little secrets that Penelope wasn’t quite prepared to divulge and Eloise failing to be observant about them or Eloise being a little overly pushy with her own feelings and opinions.

This time would be different. Penelope had already made her mind up about this. She had every intention of sitting her down, having a heart to heart conversation about this Colin thing but first she had to be sure that there was actually going to be one.  She didn’t actually know what was happening. She just knew that she’d always wanted something to happen and it was and she was terrified if she stopped it, she’d never be this lucky again.

That was why she dragged Colin away from the corner they’d disappeared to for longer than was appropriate to find Eloise and Phillip at the bar.  She had a single-mission apologize away and then go. She’d ask for forgiveness later.

“There you two are,” Eloise asked suspiciously eyeing them curiously.

Phillip oddly didn’t look suspicious at all though Penelope did pick up on a hint of some sort of secret smile toward Colin.  It definitely didn’t go without notice and it did strike her that perhaps Colin had known precisely what he was doing tonight. They weren’t the distraction for Phillip. Phillip was the distraction for Eloise. He was a reasonably good-looking, nice guy and it had worked swimmingly. Penelope had to give credit where credit was due.

“Yeah, sorry – I think something I had at lunch didn’t settle well,” she said, telling a little white lie.  She might have failed by not exactly telling Colin more than they were going to be leaving as he looked confused for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, so… Colin is going to escort you home then?” Phillip said with the save.

Penelope hadn’t really had the chance to talk to him much but she already really liked this guy.  He clearly was getting the memo.

She was starting to wonder if she’d sucked all the oxygen from Colin’s brain when he didn’t jump in on this.  She elbowed him slightly which seemed to trigger him into action.

“Of course,” he said after a moment. “I’m really sorry that we didn’t have much time to hang out but hopefully Eloise hasn’t bored you too much.”

Eloise seemed to think this meant she needed to go too.  She started grabbing her bag, trying to stand.

“I hate that our night was cut short-“

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of stealing you away from Phillip,” Penelope said after a moment, leaning into Colin for full effect and trying to will herself to look pathetic. “Please stay so his night isn’t ruined. Colin can take care of me.”

Eloise was definitely suspicious.  Her eyes moved back and forth between Colin who had plastered the look of pure innocence on his face and Penelope who looked the picture of death.  They were definitely on to something.  Phillip seemed to think it was legitimate though and she shrugged deciding to just leave it be.

“I’ll make sure she gets home safe,” Phillip assured.  

“Then it’s settled then,” Colin said with a nod, arm going around Penelope’s back to lead her up and out of the club before Eloise could change her mind.

--

In the grand scheme of things, the wait between the car being ordered to take them home and them arriving wasn’t that long but it felt about a million years.  

As the slipped into the back of the car, Penelope couldn’t help but laugh when Colin pulled out his wallet and handed a hundred dollar bill to the driver.

“You see nothing, you know nothing,” he told the driver who accepted the money and thus the promise of absolutely ignoring them. He had ever intention of behaving but it never hurt to have someone turn a blind eye. The vehicle started moving without further question from the driver and that was all he wanted.

Colin grinned sheepishly in the dark before reaching to turn Penelope’s face so he could claim her lips again.  He’d not wanted to stop at the bar and he was grateful to have the freedom to do it again even if the car wasn’t exactly private.

He certainly wasn’t ashamed to kiss her in front of other people. His problem was that his lips were pretty eager to explore more than her mouth and he wasn’t quite sure how much longer he could behave himself.

There was also the matter that they hadn’t actually discussed what was happening between them and he felt like they ought to.  He wasn’t under any illusion that he didn’t have a reputation albeit a false one.  He didn’t want Penelope to have the wrong idea about his intentions nor did he want her to feel pressure to do anything either.

She seemed to be the one calling the shots more than he was lately and he wasn’t upset about it. He couldn’t help but find the moments when she took control, made it clear precisely what she wanted appealing.  He’d always known the confident, direct girl existed but more often than not she let herself be pushed to the shadows.  It was silly when she was so funny, smart and beautiful!

He admittedly felt his pants tighten when he heard the click of her seat belt, felt her move from her seat to his lap and her dress rose slightly bunching against her thighs.  She was wonderfully warm against him and so perfect. He his hands moved to her hips to try and grip her.

His eyes closed when her mouth moved to tease at his neck.   An audible groan escaped him and he was grateful that the driver decided to turn up the music he was listening to.  He wanted to move his hands from her hips to her ass or elsewhere but he kept clutching her hips to try and keep himself in check.

“Pen,” he murmured after a second, knowing that he had to gain some self-control.  He had to actually have a conversation with her before he ended up having his way with her in the back of this vehicle. She deserved so much more than that.

Her eyes opened slightly and she did pull back, confusion flickering across her face.  Colin couldn’t help but pick up on what appeared to be hurt playing on her features and he felt like an absolute monster for it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked before trying to slip back to her seat. He shook his head no, hand tightening harder to keep her precisely where she was in his lap.

“I want to talk,” he said resolutely.

Penelope’s face turned ghastly white.

“I misread the whole thing and you don’t owe me any explanation for that,” she said trying to cut him off at the pass if he was going to tell her that he wasn’t looking for something long-term or that he couldn’t possibly want to be with her. It made sense to her. Colin wanting to be with her was too good to be true. “We’ve always been friends. You don’t have to… ”

He kissed her again to silence her not wanting to hear another minute of her thinking that he didn’t want her.  It was ludicrous.  

“Are you going to let me talk?” he asked when he broke away.

She nodded.

“Good. I was trying to tell you that I don’t want to just kiss you,” he told her after a moment. “I mean, clearly I want to do more than that but – I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time and my entire family cares about you. I care about you too.”

Penelope didn’t have to question for a minute that he did.

“I care about you too,” she told him softly.

“I need you to understand that if you let me have my way with you, you’re never going to be rid of me again,” he said firmly.  “I need you to know that I’m going to be all in and I need to be sure you will be as well.”

Penelope wasn’t sure that she’d heard him correctly.  Was he suggesting that she might be the one who decided it was a one and done?  It was the most insane thing she’d ever heard in her life.

“You think that I’m going to shag and run?” she asked looking at him like he had grown another head. “I’ve had a crush on you since we were practically children.”

“No,” he said after a moment, jaw tightening. He didn’t think that was anything special and she was.  He wasn’t as confident as he might like the world to think. He could let momentary vulnerability come through here. “I just – what if I don’t live up to your expectations?”

“What I don’t live up to yours?” she said turning it back on him.  She didn’t consider herself beautiful.  She could hide behind her clothes but when they came off would he be repulsed by her curves? Would he dislike her inexperience?  She couldn’t imagine a scenario where he didn’t live up to her expectations but the other way around seemed far more probable.

“That won’t be happening,” he told her shaking his head.

“Then maybe we slow it down,” she said after a moment, biting her lip.  “Until we’re both sure that the other isn’t going anywhere. I mean, not too slow and definitely not a secret because I’m going to talk to Eloise but a little less impulsive, a little more…thoughtful.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod, realizing the car had finally come to a stop. They were actually home.  “Well I think that we have a lot of ground to cover and the house to ourselves for a little while.  I do believe I’m supposed to be taking care of you so if you just happen to sleep in my bed that won’t be a problem.”

“I don’t suppose it would.”

Penelope moved off him enough to open the door and climb out, Colin following behind with a polite word of thanks for the driver.  

“One more thing,” he said moving behind her, keeping the conversation going.

She turned her head toward him watching while he maneuvered around her to unlock the door and let them in.  She kicked off her heels at the entrance.

“Okay?” she said waiting for him to say it.

“If someone asks, you’re my girlfriend,” he said firmly. It wasn’t a question but a statement. Of course, she could argue it if she wanted.

“I don’t remember you asking?” she said, pausing slightly, amusement was written on her face though.

Colin wasn’t one to turn away from a challenge though or an opportunity to be overly dramatic.  He paused, moved down to one knee.

“Will you allow this to be an official thing?” he asked her, gazing up at her.  

“Well since you asked nicely,” she teased.

[juliandev0rak]

Bite Hard

Chapter One of I’m Your Villain

Words: 3019

Warnings: alcohol

It’s a typical Tuesday night, Cadmus is drunk and somewhere he really shouldn’t be. 

One drink, two drinks, three drinks? He can’t keep track any more, and there’s really no point in counting, Cadmus decides. He’s half forgotten how he got to this tavern in the first place. There’s a man talking to him, someone whose name he can’t remember, who moves his hand to rest on Cadmus’ arm. He doesn’t really feel it, it’s as if he’s disconnected from his body, which is somewhat true. The body he’s in right now doesn’t exactly look like his own.

Being the son of the Comte D’Avronne means Cadmus isn’t able to blend in. Everywhere he goes in Avronne people seem to be afraid of him, and if he wants any fun he has to hide his identity. There are rumors that Cadmus is an assassin, a murderer. The rumors are true of course, but it’s not like he’s going to hurt some random townsperson.

Still, needs must. He’s concocted a disguise over the last few years, using his magic to change his features just enough so his visits to the local tavern remain unnoticed. Cadmus doesn't have much magic, despite his mother’s best attempts to teach him, but it’s enough to provide him cover. The illusion doesn’t do much, just turns his hair and eyes a few shades darker, but it’s a handy trick. Unfortunately, it’s an illusion that slips easily if he isn’t being careful enough.

The man talking to him laughs, bringing Cadmus’ attention to his very ruddy toned face, “Hey your hair’s changed color!” The sound of the man’s voice is grating and Cadmus can’t help but physically cringe. He notices the man’s eyes are a little too high up on his face and he thinks of his own eyes, they’re perfectly symmetrical like the rest of his face. 

What’s the man’s name? Ryan? Brian? Something with an -ian for sure…

“Who cares,” Cadmus responds to his own question aloud, the man might have an obnoxious laugh but he’ll do, it’s not like they have to talk. He flips a longer lock of hair out of his eyes and realizes that his hair has indeed gone from brown back to its natural blond. 

The man seems to think the response was for him and shrugs, taking a sip of his drink. Cadmus sighs and leans closer to the man, he’s so bored. “Do you want to go somewhere more… private?” Cadmus suggests, placing his hand on the man’s knee. If this guy doesn’t want him maybe that girl over by the bar? She’d been making eyes at him all night. It doesn’t really matter who wants to hook up with him in the side alleyway, so long as someone will.

The man seems eager enough, and they’re headed to the door when a hand claps down on his shoulder. Cadmus immediately grabs the arm and pushes it off as he turns around. His stance shifts and he’s about to draw his dagger when he realizes who’s standing in front of him. The spike of adrenaline subsides as he’s met with the familiar face of his best friend and captain of the castle guards, Alexander.

“Cadm- er, Jean.” Alexander stumbles, trying to remember the pseudonym Cadmus had assumed for the evening. 

“What is it?” Cadmus tries to keep his voice light, but by the look on Alexander’s face his frustration is obvious. Things were just getting interesting until boring Alexander had showed up to ruin the fun.

“The Comte wants to see you.” Alexander gives Cadmus an appraising look and takes the half full glass Cadmus is still holding. He sets it down out of reach on a nearby table and Cadmus swears at him under his breath. 

“Well of course he does, but he’s got shit timing. My lovely friend and I,” He gestures at Brian/Ryan, “were just about to fu-”

“Cadmus,” Alexander hisses in his ear, pulling him away from the man. “Your hair is blond you ass, you’re going to get caught.”

“Well I do look better blond,” Cadmus grins, running a hand through his shoulder length hair. His father’s been telling him to cut it shorter for weeks, but he thinks it looks nicer this way. Though really, he knows he looks nice any way. 

“You’re drunk aren’t you? That’s our one rule and you broke it! We agreed on one drink, Cadmus.” Alexander looks frustrated, and the logical part of Cadmus’ brain understands. He knows he’s not fun to babysit. 

“What, you’re not mad you’re just disappointed?” Cadmus says snarkily and Alexander huffs under his breath.

“What are you, five? The Comte said it’s urgent. You’ve got an assignment.” 

“I just went out last week, can’t he give me one moment of peace?” Cadmus groans in complaint. 

“I’ve heard the target is royalty, Cadmus,” Alexander says insistently.

“Oh.” Cadmus shakes his head slightly in an attempt to shake the foggy affects of alcohol from his brain, this changes things. 

“Yes, oh. Your sister can only cover for you for so long, we need to get back before he goes looking for you.” 

“Fine, fine, let’s go then.” Cadmus turns to look for Brian/Ryan and sees the man is already across the room talking to someone else. He sighs, a bit hurt that the man had lost interest so quickly. 

“Let’s go,” Alexander pulls Cadmus by the arm and Cadmus pushes his hand away. “Your eyes have changed back too.” 

Everyone in Cadmus’ family has the same bright blue eyes, they’re the telltale sign of a Durand. While his blond hair could be passed off as someone else, the eyes are a dead giveaway. He knows they need to leave. Still, he’d been having more fun talking to random strangers than he’s had all day, and he doesn’t want to go on another boring assignment even if it is royalty. 

The tavern has grown quiet and he looks away from Alexander, noticing quite a few suspicious eyes trained on him. They wouldn’t start a fight, no, but he’d still prefer to get out before word gets to any other castle guards or his father. He hears a voice behind him say, “Is that Cadmus Durand?” and decides he’s outstayed his welcome.

“Alright well, lovely to see you all!” Cadmus calls to the crowd, giving a little mock bow, and then he runs.

It takes twenty minutes to run through town and up the hill to the castle, and by the time he and Alexander have arrived he’s begun to grow a bit nervous. Cadmus knows better than to leave the Comte waiting this long. The run in the cold night air had sobered him up at least, though he’d felt like he might be sick for a moment climbing all the steps up to the gates. 

He smooths his clothes down as he walks towards the private wing of the castle and Alexander checks to make sure he’s looking like himself. He ensures that not a blond curl is out of place before proceeding. When they reach the door of the Comte’s office, his throne room for all intents and purposes, his sister Daphne is waiting outside.

“Daph,” Cadmus greets her, his nervous expression fading into a tight smile. Despite what he might be feeling he doesn’t let himself slip in front of her. She’s only sixteen, and though she’s well aware of the family’s darker dealings, it’s something he’d like to keep from her as much as possible. 

“Cadmus!” At least she’s always happy to see him.

“How is he?”  

“Same as always. Did you know he told me I couldn’t go out in the gardens anymore? He says it’s not safe. Why would it not be safe? It’s inside the walls!” Daphne clings to his arm as she rambles and under any other circumstance he’d be happy to listen to her talk, but he’s late. 

He places a hand on hers and gives her a more genuine smile this time, “I’ll talk to him about it, I know how much you love your flowers.” 

“Thank you!” She walks down the hall, practically skips, and he wonders at how someone could remain so cheerful in a place so full of death. The stone walls of the Durand castle practically seep blood, but Daphne and her garden keep the place alive. But now is not the time to ponder blood and flowers, he has a job to do.

Cadmus takes a moment to relax his face into a blank mask of composure and knocks sharply on the heavy wooden door.

“Enter.” 

“Father.” Cadmus bows as he enters the room, biting his tongue to keep his tone respectful. 

“You’re late.” 

“I was training, Alexander had trouble finding me.” Cadmus looks up from his spot on the ground, raising his gaze to meet his father’s. The Comte D’Avronne sits behind his desk, his hands laced together and leaning back in his chair, completely at ease. It’s always a bit unnerving to look at him because of how alike they look, seeing the Comte is like seeing himself in thirty years. The Comte regards Cadmus critically with a raised eyebrow, and he’s glad Alexander had looked him over before he walked in. 

“I trust that extra training will serve you well. You have a new assignment.” The Comte smiles, and it’s an expression that looks entirely at odds with his face. Cadmus waits for him to continue, he knows better than to ask questions or interrupt. 

“The city of Merona is set to finalize a marriage alliance with Greythal, our rival as you well know.” He pauses to make sure Cadmus is listening, “Though we have tried other means of persuasion, it seems we must force Merona’s hand to ensure that Avronne’s power is retained. We’ll marry one of our own to the Duke of Merona, and we must ensure that the Princess of Greythal is no longer a problem.” 

Cadmus sighs, yet another boring political maneuver. “Can we not just exile the girl? Or threaten war?” 

“No, our resources are drained enough as it is. The Princess is almost of marrying age, and we simply cannot risk Greythal making an alliance with someone else.” His face slips into a frown as he talks, and he looks at Cadmus as though the fate of Greythal is somehow his fault.

“What’s the assignment?” Cadmus already knows, but decorum requires him to ask. He grits his teeth again to keep any sarcastic comments at bay, every moment spent in the presence of his father is tiresome.

“In four days time the princess is having a birthday party. You are to attend, take down the target, and leave unnoticed. Master Xiphos will have more instructions, and I do believe he has a new sword for you as well, should you need it.” When his father mentions the name of his old swordmaster his mood brightens.

Xiphos has been abroad for nearly a year, travelling all the way to Karnassos to bring back new materials and news from the west. Cadmus is eager to see him again, there are so few people he actually finds interesting. 

“Understood.” 

Something in his tone or expression must have seemed off, because his father’s frown deepens and he stands up from his desk. He comes to stand in front of Cadmus, resting a hand on his shoulder. Cadmus resists the urge to shove the hand off and simply keeps his expression blank as his father speaks. “Remember Cadmus, everything we do is for the good of this family, the good of this city.” 

“Of course.” He’s relieved when the hand moves away.

The Comte’s tone is as cold as ice,“You will not fail me.” 

“I won’t.” He never has and he never will, not necessarily for his father’s benefit, but because he hates to fail. 

“You are dismissed.” He gestures to the door but Cadmus doesn’t move.

“I wanted to ask why Daphne is not allowed on the grounds?” Cadmus asks, ducking his head in deference to try to appease the Comte.

“It’s not safe. There could be any number of enemies prowling about, waiting for an opportunity to murder or ransom her.” 

“So you’re planning to keep her locked inside the castle?” Cadmus does his best to keep his tone even, but no matter how hard he bites his tongue the frustration seeps out.

“You’d question my judgement?” His father doesn’t sound angry, he never does, but Cadmus knows a fire burns beneath the icy veneer, just as it does in him. 

“Of course not father, I merely wondered whether she might be allowed to tend to her garden. Perhaps she could have a retinue of guards, Alexander would see to it.” He thinks of how his sister always looks when she’s out in the garden, her dress caked in mud and her face lit up by a smile. She’ll be devastated if she’s not allowed to go outside.

“That is out of the question, it’s too dangerous given the business with Greythal. And as it is,  Daphne is far too old for something so frivolous. We have groundskeepers to keep the gardens.” The Comte sounds almost amused, and when Cadmus looks up he sees that eerie smile pasted on again. Most people find his father charming, but Cadmus can see right through it. 

“But-”

“Not another word. You have a job to do.” His tone brooks no argument, and Cadmus knows it’s futile at this point.

“Yes, father.” 

“Get to it.” He gestures to the door again and this time Cadmus obeys, bowing as he exits.

Cadmus walks quickly down the hall, keeping his shoulders back and his chin up in case his father is watching. He nearly jumps when Alexander pops out of the alcove where he’d been waiting. His friend places his hand on his shoulder again and Cadmus pushes it off with a huff, people have been doing that far too much this evening. 

“You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that, one of these days I’ll have a sword drawn and your hand will end up disconnected from your body,” Cadmus says irritably. All he wants is to sleep, or perhaps return to the tavern to see if Ryan/Brian is still around. He could use another drink. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, I could take you in a fight, Cadmus,” Alexander scoffs. 

Cadmus’ lips pull up in a half smile as he paces a circle around his friend. “When I return from my assignment we should put that to the test. I’d love to see you get your ass handed to you.” 

“You’re so confident for a man who once slipped in mud while dueling.”

“That was ages ago, and it had just rained! There was no way around it,” He argues, his tone defensive though he tries for nonchalance.

Alexander laughs, “You looked like a pig rolling around in the mud like that.”

“Shall I remove your tongue instead of your hand, then?” Cadmus hisses through gritted teeth, his hand moves to the dagger at his belt.

“Now, now, there’s no need for that. What’s got you in such a bad mood? What exactly was the assignment?” Alexander’s still grinning, knowing that Cadmus isn’t actually about to pull a knife on his oldest and dearest friend.

“Some princess from Greythal. Should be easy.” Cadmus continues down the hall and Alexander trails behind him.

“You always say that.” 

“It’s always easy,” Cadmus laughs.

“I’m sure it is for you, Cadmus Durand, the world’s greatest assassin.” Alexander’s tone is mocking and it makes Cadmus stop to look at him. 

“Nobody calls me that.” “That’s a good thing, you don’t need the ego boost.” Alexander claps him on the shoulder and Cadmus rolls his eyes. 

“Don’t you have duties to attend to Alexander?” He’s impatient now, his room is right around the corner and if he doesn’t get a bed or a pint of ale soon he might just lose it. 

“Just wanted to make sure you survived your meeting with the Comte!” “He wouldn’t risk hurting me, I’m too valuable.” 

“Well let’s hope you stay that way what with Alastor being... Alastor.” Alexander’s words fade to a whisper by the end of the sentence, like he’s afraid Cadmus’ younger brother could be hiding in the walls eavesdropping. For all Cadmus knows, he probably is.

“Don’t bring up that prick, you’ll only make my mood worse.” Cadmus catches himself scanning the dark hallway behind him, and turns back around, determined not to let the pale specter of his scheming brother haunt him now. 

“I’ll see you for training tomorrow?” Alexander asks as they reach Cadmus’ door. “Same as always.” 

When Cadmus finally enters his room he moves to the mirror first. He looks tired, the beginnings of dark circles forming under his eyes, and that simply won’t do. He realizes he’s been clenching his jaw since the moment he entered the castle, and he relaxes the muscles, his jaw popping from the release of tension. He feels something on the bottom of his leg and looks down to see a grey snake coiling around his ankle.

“Agatha darling, what have I said about crawling on my shoes? They’re Venterrean leather, they cost a fortune.” Cadmus sighs, reaching down to pick her up. She sticks her tongue out and hisses at him in greeting as he strokes the top of her head. He’s pensive as he looks out the window into the dark moonlit grounds.

“I’m leaving again, soon. I think I'll bring you with me this time.” 

Though he’d claimed this job would be easy Cadmus has a feeling that was a lie. He’s always been able to trust his instincts, they’ve kept him alive for the last nearly thirty years, and right now his instincts are screaming that this is a trap. Something will go wrong, of that he’s certain. He just needs to ensure that he ends up on top.  

Cadmus isn’t too worried, he always succeeds- why should this time be any different? 

[mattzerella-sticks]

Supernatural Crack🩹tober

Day 31 - Group Costume

           Jack stares at his name, Sam’s quick scrawl legible despite all the wrinkles it held from Dean’s zealous attempts at folding. He rereads the four-letter word instead of glancing up, at three aggravated sets of glares. Each waiting for him to decide.

           They only had a few days before Jody’s Halloween party, and they still could not decide on a costume. What the Winchesters can agree on was making it a group costume. That’s when they ran into their problems.

           “It’d be really funny, Dean,” Sam plead his case, “C’mon… it’s only for a day anyway. And everyone’d know it’d be a joke. What’s so wrong with being a group of hippies?” He shows off his tablet, where an edited photo of their family appears. Outfits replaced with outlandish threads Jack never knew could exist, and hair far past lengths he thought the others were comfortable with. “It’d be a nice change of pace!”

           “You mean before or after my toes purpled from hypothermia,” Dean shot back, sipping at his beer. “You’re not getting me in tie-dye, even if this was happening in Southern California instead of South Dakota.” He sniffs, holding up his phone with another selected image. “Don’t know why you’re against my idea, though. The Scooby Gang are practically hippies in their own right.”

           Sam scoffs, rolling his eyes. “I am not doing that. If we don’t have a dog than what’s the point?” He glances between him and Cas, grimacing, “Besides, I’m won’t be party to helping you fulfill some teenage fantasy, watching you and Cas make out as Fred and Daphne. Keep that shit inside the bedroom.”

           Cas glowers at Sam, fiddling with an antlered headband he picked out earlier when they shopped for costumes. “Which is why you see how I’m not on board with this idea.”

           “Cas, if you’d just try the –“

           “I’m not Daphne, Dean,” Cas reminds him. An argument they’ve often had, judging by the exasperation edged throughout his sigh. “Besides, if you two even pictured how adorable we’d look as deer –“

           “No.” Both brothers pulled the rug out from Cas’s feet, not bothering to listen as Cas goes over – again – how being hunters made this choice the most ridiculous.

           Jack had no plan on what he wanted. The costumes in the shop were fantastic, and he would wear them all if Halloween were more than one night a year. However, if he wants to make a decision fast before the others steamroll ahead. Which meant less listening and further reading. In the article he read as their bickering increased, it said homemade, clever costumes were popular. Things that will bring a sensible chuckle. He tried thinking of ideas like that.

           Sam interrupted his brainstorming with a small thunderclap. “We’ll draw names out of a hat,” he said, “whoever’s name gets picked, they decide on the costume. Fairest way we can go about this, right? As long as we agree to the costumes – no matter what.”

           Dean grumbled his assent, while Cas proudly declared his luck. Jack’s nod went ignored as the three men scrounged for materials. Paper, pen, and an unused hat.

           Now, it all rests on his shoulders. But the mounting pressure weights heavier than the world, and Jack feels his stamina fading. Mind jumping from idea to idea, hoping one will stand out. He can sense the others’ impatience. Sam’s drooping brows, Dean’s curled lip. How Cas taps on the table in rapid pace.

           Dean’s finger does the same thing, and Sam also has a problem where the corners of his mouth bend. Cas’s eyebrows fall to a similar level as Sam’s. Over the years, they’ve adopted similar mannerisms.

           And that’s when it hits. “I’ve got it!”

🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹🩹

           Jody opens the door in a witch’s hat holding a bowl of candy. Her hand reaches inside as she laughs, “Okay, who wants some –“ She finally takes in the group in front of her, and Jody lets the candy slips through her fingers. “Oh… it’s you.” Biting back her giggling, she studies each of their costumes carefully. “Who are you supposed to be?”

           Jack purses his lips, squints, and cocks his head to the side. “We’re Team Free Will,” he declares, grunting, “I’m Dean.”

           Dean waves half-heartedly with the hand not holding Cas’s, pushing bangs from his face that fell over since last he fixed the wig. “Sam.”

           Cas mirrors Dean, although copying Jack’s movements like his reflection with how his fingers bend and straighten. “Hi, I’m Jack.”

           “And I’m Castiel, the Angel of the Lord.” Sam really committed, tying his hair back in a loose ponytail. Trench coat pooling at his sides, kneeling, pantlegs rolled up aiding to this illusion.

           “Team Free Will, huh?” Jody jerks her thumb inside, smirking, “Glad you could make it. I’ve got a couple of demons that could use some exorcising.” She turns into the room, yelling, “Hey everyone! Team Free Will made it!”

           Judging by everyone’s reactions, and how Claire holds her phone up while they enter, Jack thinks he made the right call.

(Day 30 - Bunker’s New Costume)

[scoobydoominuscoobydoo]

I really enjoyed y’all’s opinions on my headcanons regarding the Blake and Rogers family dynamic and I’m really glad I’m not the only one with extensive feelings on this.

A little over a week ago I answered an ask about how many kids I thought Shag and Daph had. I settled on about four or five because Daphne is of Scottish heritage and I like to give into stereotypes (not really but I can only picture them having a lot of kids because they always seem to be babysitting somebody, five kids would be no problem). And that whole post got me thinking on parenting styles for the two of them.

Now Shag and Daph are very different people and parenting styles are as diverse as fingerprints. The fun thing is that they do need some sort of common ground because raising kids is a team effort and they need to at least give the illusion that they’re on the same page.

Shaggy is for sure Mr. Eccentric Overprotective; and can you blame him after spending his childhood being chased by criminals? Not like keeping his kids under 24 hour surveillance to ensure they’re safe (maybe he felt that way for their first kid but Daphne forbid it because there was no way she was letting her husband have their Great Dane follow their daughter through kindergarten) it’s more on the lines of, “Make sure either your mom or me know where you’re gonna be at all times.” Which is kind of a hassle for the late 80′s and early 90′s but at least Mom convinced him to drop the 8:00 p.m. curfew. The perks are that Shag is a very supportive dad and is always encouraging his kids to go after what they want. However unconventional it might seem he practices the, “There are no stupid questions,” kinda household. Granted when his first daughter starting bringing guys home and he remains indifferent Daphne start playing the boyfriend scarer. When she expresses annoyance on why he doesn’t do anything to intimidate them he says, “Daph, in what universe does dad with a shotgun fit my character?” Daphne remains silent on the subject afterwards, instead glaring at any boyfriend or girlfriend that is brought in. Despite his panic whenever Daphne goes into labor (all four or five times) Shaggy is usually the one to remain calm when one of their kids fall off the roof or fail a bike stunt. His wife is typically the one who’s threatening to sue anyone and everyone if her kid doesn’t survive (”Babe, he just broke his arm calm down.”). He’s also the one stuck with giving each of their kids “the talk” because he is significantly more comfortable talking about sex than she is (her parents were a little too open about it when she was growing up and now it’s scarred her).

Daphne is definitely a little cheek pincher. She calls her sons handsome and makes them roll their eyes and braids her daughters’ hair constantly. She dressed them up until they were all old enough to dress themselves and could not wait until their first kid was old enough to be given make up tips. She’s embarrassing and she knows it and she embraces it because she loves her kids more than anything else in the world. While she is embarrassing, she is also way more relaxed when it comes to letting the kids roam free (”This is Coolsville honey, it takes like five minutes to pass the city limits.”) She makes a big deal out of making sure the kids have their freedoms while still playing an active role in each of their lives. She knows what it’s like to feel ignored by her parents who could barely keep up with their own five kids so it means a lot to her when she remains a key part of her own kid’s lives. She is a pushover on most things except dating. Daphne’s done a fair bit of dating and the result is her fearing her kids getting the same broken heart she suffered from. It gets so bad by their second kid that Shaggy decided to host an intervention between his wife and two eldest. Living room interventions are a regular thing in their household it seems, simply because Shag is a firm believer in talking things out. Daphne begins to wonder if she’s becoming as crazy as her parents which Shaggy denies adamantly (”You’ve got strong feelings on things Daph, that’s not really crazy.”). As the years go on she questions this but then when her first kid calls home regularly from college she finally believes that she’s a good mom. 

[skonnaris]

Books I’ve Read: 2006-2019

Alexie, Sherman - Flight

Anderson, Joan - A Second Journey

                          - An Unfinished Marriage

                          - A Walk on the Beach

                          - A Year By The Sea

Anshaw, Carol - Carry the One

Auden, W.H. - The Selected Poems of W.H. Auden

Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice

Bach, Richard - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Bear, Donald R - Words Their Way

Berg, Elizabeth - Open House

Bly, Nellie - Ten Days in a Madhouse

Bradbury, Ray - Fahrenheit 451

                        - The Martian Chronicles

Brooks, David - The Road to Character

Brooks, Geraldine - Caleb’s Crossing

Brown, Dan - The Da Vinci Code

Bryson, Bill - The Lost Continent

Burnett, Frances Hodgson - The Secret Garden

Buscaglia, Leo - Bus 9 to Paradise

                         - Living, Loving & Learning

                         - Personhood

                         - Seven Stories of Christmas Love

Byrne, Rhonda - The Secret

Carlson, Richard - Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff

Carson, Rachel - The Sense of Wonder

                          - Silent Spring

Cervantes, Miguel de - Don Quixote

Cherry, Lynne - The Greek Kapok Tree

Chopin, Karen - The Awakening

Clurman, Harold - The Fervent Years: The Group Theatre & the 30s

Coelho, Paulo -  Adultery

                           The Alchemist

Conklin, Tara - The Last Romantics

Conroy, Pat - Beach Music

                    - The Death of Santini: The Story of a Father and His Son

                    - The Great Santini

                    - The Lords of Discipline

                    - The Prince of Tides

                    - The Water is Wide

Corelli, Marie - A Romance of Two Worlds

Delderfield, R.F. - To Serve Them All My Days

Dempsey, Janet - Washington’s Last Contonment: High Time for a Peace

Dewey, John - Experience and Education

Dickens, Charles - A Christmas Carol

                             - Great Expectations

                             - A Tale of Two Cities

Didion, Joan - The Year of Magical Thinking

Disraeli, Benjamin - Sybil

Doctorow, E.L. - Andrew’s Brain

                         - Ragtime

Doerr, Anthony - All the Light We Cannot See

Dreiser, Theodore - Sister Carrie 

Dyer, Wayne - Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life

                     - The Power of Intention

                     - Your Erroneous Zones

Edwards, Kim - The Memory Keeper’s Daughter

Ellis, Joseph J. - His Excellency: George Washington

Ellison, Ralph - The Invisible Man

Emerson, Ralph Waldo - Essays and Lectures

Felkner, Donald W. - Building Positive Self Concepts

Fergus, Jim - One Thousand White Women

Flynn, Gillian - Gone Girl

Follett, Ken - Pillars of the Earth

Frank, Anne - The Diary of a Young Girl

Freud, Sigmund - The Interpretation of Dreams

Frey, James - A Million Little Pieces

Fromm, Erich - The Art of Loving

                       - Escape from Freedom

Fulghum, Robert - All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten

Fuller, Alexandra - Leaving Before the Rains Come

Garield, David - The Actors Studion: A Player’s Place

Gates, Melinda - The Moment of Lift

Gibran, Kahlil - The Prophet

Gilbert, Elizabeth - Eat, Pray, Love

                            - The Last American Man

                            - The Signature of All Things

Ginsburg, Ruth Bader - My Own Words

Girzone, Joseph F, - Joshua

                               - Joshua and the Children

Gladwell, Malcom - Blink

                              - David and Goliath

                              - Outliers

                              - The Tipping Point

                              - Talking to Strangers

Glass, Julia - Three Junes

Goodall, Jane - Reason for Hope

Goodwin, Doris Kearnes - Team of Rivals

Graham, Steve - Best Practices in Writing Instruction

Gray, John - Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus

Groom, Winston - Forrest Gump

Gruen, Sarah - Water for Elephants

Hannah, Kristin - The Great Alone

                          - The Nightingale

Harvey, Stephanie and Anne Goudvis - Strategies That Work

Hawkins, Paula - The Girl on the Train

Hedges, Chris - Empire of Illusion

Hellman, Lillian - Maybe

                         - Pentimento

Hemingway - Ernest - A Moveable Feast

Hendrix, Harville - Getting the Love You Want

Hesse, Hermann - Demian

                            - Narcissus and Goldmund

                            - Peter Camenzind

                            - Siddhartha

                            - Steppenwolf

Hilderbrand, Elin - The Beach Club

Hitchens, Christopher - God is Not Great

Hoffman, Abbie - Soon to be a Major Motion Picture 

                          - Steal This Book

Holt, John - How Children Fail

                  - How Children Learn

                 - Learning All the Time

                 - Never Too Late

Hopkins, Joseph - The American Transcendentalist

Horney, Karen - Feminine Psychology

                        - Neurosis and Human Growth

                        - The Neurotic Personality of Our Time

                        - New Ways in Psychoanalysis

                        - Our Inner Conflicts

                        - Self Analysis

Hosseini, Khaled - The Kite Runner

Hoover, John J, Leonard M. Baca, Janette K. Klingner - Why Do English Learners Struggle with Reading?

Janouch, Gustav - Conversations with Kafka

Jefferson, Thomas - Crusade Against Ignorance

Jong, Erica - Fear of Dying

Joyce, Rachel - The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy

                       - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry

Kafka, Franz - Amerika

                      - Metamophosis

                      - The Trial     

Kallos, Stephanie - Broken For You  

Kazantzakis, Nikos - Zorba the Greek

Keaton, Diane - Then Again

Kelly, Martha Hall - The Lilac Girls

Keyes, Daniel - Flowers for Algernon

King, Steven - On Writing

Kornfield, Jack - Bringing Home the Dharma

Kraft, Herbert - The Indians of Lenapehoking - The Lenape or Delaware Indians: The Original People of NJ, Southeastern New York State, Eastern Pennsylvania, Northern Delaware and Parts of Western Connecticut

Kundera, Milan - The Unbearable Lightness of Being

Lacayo, Richard - Native Son

Lamott, Anne - Bird by Bird

                         Word by Word

L’Engle, Madeleine - A Wrinkle in Time

Lahiri, Jhumpa - The Namesake

Lappe, Frances Moore - Diet for a Small Planet

Lee, Harper - To Kill a Mockingbird

Lems, Kristin et al  - Building Literacy with English Language Learners

Lewis, Sinclair - Main Street

London, Jack - The Call of the Wild

Lowry, Lois - The Giver

Mander, Jerry - Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television

Marks, John D. - The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind         Control

Martel, Yann - Life of Pi

Maslow, Abraham - The Farther Reaches of Human Nature

                              - Motivation and Personality

                              - Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences

                             - Toward a Psychology of Being                            

Maugham. W. Somerset - Of Human Bondage

                                        - Christmas Holiday

Maurier, Daphne du - Rebecca

Mayes, Frances - Under the Tuscan Sun

Mayle, Peter - A Year in Provence

McCourt, Frank - Angela’s Ashes

                          - Teacher man

McCullough, David - 1776

                                - Brave Companions

McEwan, Ian - Atonement

                      - Saturday

McLaughlin, Emma - The Nanny Diaries

McLuhan, Marshall - Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man

Meissner, Susan - The Fall of Marigolds

Millman, Dan - Way of the Peaceful Warrior

Moehringer, J.R. - The Tender Bar

Moon, Elizabeth - The Speed of Dark

Moriarty, Liane - The Husband’s Sister

                         - The Last Anniversary

                         - What Alice Forgot

Mortenson, Greg - Three Cups of Tea

Moyes, Jo Jo - One Plus One

                       - Me Before You 

Ng, Celeste - Little Fires Everywhere

Neill, A.S. - Summerhill

Noah, Trevor - Born a Crime

O’Dell, Scott - Island of the Blue Dolphins

Offerman, Nick - Gumption

O’Neill, Eugene - Long Day’s Journey Into Night

                            A Touch of the Poet

Orwell, George - Animal Farm

Owens, Delia - Where the Crawdads Sing

Paulus, Trina - Hope for the Flowers

Pausch, Randy - The Last Lecture

Patchett, Ann - The Dutch House

Peck, Scott M. - The Road Less Traveled

                         - The Road Less Traveled and Beyond

Paterson, Katherine - Bridge to Teribithia

Picoult, Jodi - My Sister’s Keeper

Pirsig, Robert - Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance

Puzo, Mario - The Godfather

Quindlen, Anna - Black and Blue

Radish, Kris - Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral

Redfield, James - The Celestine Prophecy

Rickert, Mary - The Memory Garden

Rogers, Carl - On Becoming a Person

Ruiz, Miguel - The Fifth Agreement

                     - The Four Agreements

                     - The Mastery of Love

Rum, Etaf - A Woman is No Man

Saint-Exupery, Antoine de - The Little Prince

Salinger, J.D. - Catcher in the Rye

Schumacher, E.F. - Small is Beautiful

Sebold, Alice - The Almost Moon

                       - The Lovely Bones

Shaffer, Mary Ann and Anne Barrows - The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Shakespeare, William - Alls Well That Ends Well

                                   - Much Ado About Nothing

                                   - Romeo and Juliet

                                   - The Sonnets

                                   - The Taming of the Shrew

                                   - Twelfth Night

                                   - Two Gentlemen of Verona

Sides, Hampton - Hellhound on his Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin

Silverstein, Shel - The Giving Tree

Skinner, B.F. - About Behaviorism

Smith, Betty - A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Snyder, Zilpha Keatley - The Velvet Room

Spinelli, Jerry - Loser

Spolin, Viola - Improvisation for the Theater

Stanislavski, Constantin - An Actor Prepares

Stedman, M.L. - The Light Between Oceans

Steinbeck, John - Travels with Charley

Steiner, Peter - The Terrorist

Stockett, Kathryn - The Help

Strayer, Cheryl - Wild

Streatfeild, Dominic - Brainwash

Strout, Elizabeth - My Name is Lucy Barton

Tartt, Donna - The Goldfinch

Taylor, Kathleen - Brainwashing: The Science of Thought Control

Thomas, Matthew - We Are Not Ourselves

Thoreau, Henry David - Walden

Tolle, Eckhart - A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose

                      - The Power of Now

Towles, Amor - A Gentleman in Moscow

                       - Rules of Civility

Tracey, Diane and Lesley Morrow - Lenses on Reading

Traub, Nina - Recipe for Reading

Tzu, Lao - Tao Te Ching

United States Congress - Project MKULTRA, the CIA's program of research in behavioral modification: Joint hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence and the ... Congress, first session, August 3, 1977

Van Allsburg, Chris - Just a Dream

                                - Polar Express

                                - Sweet Dreams

                                - Stranger

                                - Two Bad Ants

Walker, Alice - The Color Purple

Waller, Robert James - Bridges of Madison County

Warren, Elizabeth - A Fighting Chance

Waugh, Evelyn - Brideshead Revisited

Weir, Andy - The Martian

Weinstein, Harvey M. - Father, Son and CIA

Welles, Rebecca - The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood

Westover, Tara - Educated

White, E.B. - Charlotte’s Web

Wilde, Oscar - The Picture of Dorien Gray

Wolfe, Tom - I Am Charlotte Simmons

Wolitzer, Meg - The Female Persuasion

Woolf, Virginia - Mrs. Dalloway

Zevin, Gabrielle - The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

Zusak, Marcus - The Book Thief

[choupichoups]

Press F (Instagram/College AU) Ch.2

Lucas swears he’s the absolute master of undetected stalking. Or: Eliott is instagram famous and Lucas is the disaster gay who accidentally likes his post.

Lucas feels attacked.

Ever since the great Instagram fiasco of last week, Eliott has been liking every single one of Lucas’ new posts. Every. Single. One.

So Lucas, confused and alarmed, could only retaliate by liking all of Eliott’s posts as well.

Their strange little game doesn’t go unnoticed, of course. The universe simply never spares Lucas from such situations. The boys tease him about it endlessly while Emma and Manon circle around the topic like the most unsubtle vultures in existence. Lucas brushes them off with responses so bullshit they drop the subject out of sheer exasperation.

Imane eventually asks as well, probably sick of seeing both sides suddenly liking each other’s posts out of nowhere.

“I didn’t know you and Eliott were close,” she says once they’re both settled at the back of the library and for once Lucas would actually prefer it if she focuses solely on their studying.

“Uh, no? Not really,” he fumbles, ever so eloquent.

“That’s a whole lot of likes for a not really.”

“I don’t— I mean— uh…” How does one go about explaining that they’ve literally only interacted for a whole ass week. “His posts are nice.”

“You mean his face is nice.” Imane quirks an eyebrow at him and Lucas rolls his eyes. He doesn’t bother to defend himself, pointedly flipping open his textbook so they can start their work.

But when he turns back to his laptop, Eliott’s newest post is still up on his screen. He’d clicked it open while waiting for Imane earlier, huffing out a fond sigh at the photo. Talk to me. How dare he put some obscure, nonsense caption and still look cool doing it? God, he’s whipped for a boy he’s never even properly met and he’s very much aware of how bad this could turn out for him. He likes the post absently, so used to doing it for the past week that it’s more a reflex by now, closing out of the tab before Imane catches sight of his screen.

He forgets about it for the rest of the day— or forget isn’t exactly the right word. More like he stops himself from checking in every other hour and it gets easier to tamper down the temptation once he’s helping Manon and Daphne set up for their sorority fundraiser. He’s turned off the notifications on his phone after every alert tone from Instagram has sent him panicking for no reason other than he’s a complete moron when it comes to Eliott.

The most infuriating thing about the Eliott situation is that Lucas knows they go to the same university. It’s in the description box for Polaris. That had been Eliott’s first year project for film studies. Lucas has seen a glimpse of him multiple times, always surrounded by a group of rowdy boys who look way too intimidating to approach. Not that Lucas would know what to say if he ever grows the balls to go up to him anyway.

“Can you move the pink ones to the far right, please? The colours have to balance.”

Lucas moves the cupcakes, allowing Daphne to maintain the illusion that colour arrangement would actually affect the end result. He checks the time on his phone, making sure he has enough spare time to make it to his part time job later. He has no class on Wednesdays and that’s usually when he covers most of his hours but Basile’s moving to a new place tomorrow and that guy needs all the help he can get.

There’s a small commotion across from them and they all look up to see a large group of girls cheering and clapping about something.

“Why are they set up there?” Daphne exclaims, sounding offended. Lucas turns to Manon for an explanation but she just shakes her head with a tiny smile.

“They came early too, it’s a good spot. It’s not like we can stop them.” Manon shrugs, placing the last plate of cakes on the table. Their entire area is covered with baked goods. He has to watch his steps so as to not stomp all over some backup muffins. Lucas just hopes the sales make enough of a dent so Daphne doesn’t end the day upset with herself, having spent an insane amount of time preparing for this event.

Lucas looks around their booth and then back up to where the other girls have set up what looks to be an imitation carnival game type of thing. He recognizes them as one of the more popular sororities on campus and immediately understands where Daphne’s stress is coming from.

Still, he thinks the girls’ cakes are pretty banging, not to mention they’ve gone above and beyond with the decor. They deserve the same amount of attention.

He gets distracted by another round of loud whoops, and looks over to see six boys crowding around the booth across, with one of them holding a plastic archery set and laughing with his friends when he misses the target. One lanky boy who has practically trademarked that black hoodie and tan jacket combination in Lucas’ eyes.

“Shit,” he mumbles, sliding behind Daphne’s giant signage so that he’s fully hidden from view. He doesn’t know if Eliott would recognize him just from his photos on Instagram alone but he doesn’t want to risk it. Lucas is too sleep deprived to deal with meeting him in person right now.

Alexia arrives shortly after and the girls get distracted enough with finishing up the finer details that Lucas is fortunately left to his own device.

But now that he’s just standing there staring at the trees, nothing stops him from fishing his phone out of his pockets to check on the holy app. He squints down at it, pausing when he sees that he’s got a new message.

srodulv So you’re finally gonna talk to me?

Lucas’ breath hitches. Eliott has no business sliding into his inbox like this. He fiddles with his phone for five agonizing minutes, not knowing how to respond. He doesn’t want to take too long, though, because what if Eliott thinks that Lucas is ignoring him?  

lucallemant Hm?

It’s the best he can come up with. He clutches his phone to his chest, peeking around the signage to see if Eliott looks at the message. He sees Eliott reaching for the phone in his back pocket, shuffling a little away from the ruckus at the other booth. Lucas can hear the pounding of his own heart getting louder and his hands start to sweat a little— which, what the fuck he didn’t even really say anything, he needs to calm down. 

srodulv Oh good you responded I was starting to think you’d leave me on read

Lucas twists back into hiding, unable to stop the big dumb smile on his face. 

lucallemant Maybe I should’ve

srodulv What, why? 

lucallemant I don’t even know you

srodulv I’m Eliott :)

lucallemant Wow ur so funny 

srodulv I know Comedy is my passion

Lucas snorts a little too loudly, which makes the girls look over at him in question. He shakes his head, pointing at a student wandering close by so they can sell their food and stop bringing attention to him.

lucallemant Haha

He gets an idea then, hesitating only a little before deciding, fuck it. It's a big campus and Lucas has practice with avoiding people if anything goes wrong.

lucallemant Now go back to your game The point is to hit the target you know

He crouches down and turns a little, watching Eliott's head snap up, bright blue eyes surveying the crowd closely.

srodulv Okay, stalker Where are you?

Lucas waits for Eliott to turn around, searching for Lucas in the wrong direction, before he grabs his bag and kisses the girls on the cheek goodbye.

"You're leaving us already?" Alexia asks, wrapping up a set of cookies her girlfriend wants reserved. 

"Yeah, picked up a shift this evening. See you later!" He jogs out of the crowded area, taking advantage of the traffic to cover him from Eliott's view. 

lucallemant My friends are selling cakes and stuff across from you Lot 3 You should check it out

srodulv Will I see you?

He hops on the bus, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from grinning like a lunatic.

lucallemant Go and find out

srodulv  Hmmm The cakes are good But I don't see you

lucallemant Maybe if everything sells out you'll see me

srodulv Okay 

He stares at the response, unsure of what to say next so he lets the conversation go.

And then proceeds to spend his entire shift agonizing over what that okay means. Okay as in that's ridiculous, pal, it's not gonna happen? Okay as in I have nothing else to say so let's end the chat here? What kind of okay does Eliott use in everyday language? Is it positive? Negative? Neutral?

Lucas spills boiling hot water on his finger and gets sent to the back of the kitchen to get his shit together. 

It isn't until he’s headed home that Lucas finds out exactly what Eliott means by it.

His laughter comes out breathy, as if punched right out of his lungs. He’s not sure whether he’s laughing at how glaringly out of place the photo is in comparison to Eliott’s usual posts or if it’s the tingle of pleased disbelief at the thought of Eliott wanting to meet him so bad he takes Lucas’ dumb joke seriously. There’s just no way Eliott’s actually doing this for him. No way.

But then he notices that Eliott had tagged him on one of Daphne’s posts. Curiously, Lucas clicks on it, small chuckles turning into full blown laughter when he sees what it is.

Lucas has to physically stop moving, standing right before his own apartment door as he gapes down at the screen.

No. Fucking. Way.

srodulv  Thursday, B building at the bridge, 13h

lucallemant Holy fuck

srodulv So I’ll see you? 

And what’s he supposed to do? Say no?

lucallemant  Yes

[parkinsvns]

&&. about pansy parkinson

“did she make you cry? make you break down? shatter your illusions of love.”

introduction

name: pansy parkinson also known as: pans age: 46 birthday: august 26th astrological sign: virgo species: pureblood witch gender: cisfemale pronouns: she/her orientation: heterosexual past/bio:

being a part of the sacred twenty-eight means the parkinson family had a lot to uphold–their dignity, their honor–and always wanted to make a good impression on other pureblood families. pansy’s family is filled with lawyers, ministry workers, and politicians. those jobs went to the men of the family, while the parkinson women were expected to stand on the side line. pansy grew up itching to do more, hating that her mother badges her about finding a man. 

growing up in a rich family means a distinct lack of discipline. the nannies and house elves practically raised her. of course, she ordered them around to do whatever she wanted. her mother was troubled by pansy’s lack of “lady-like” behaviors while her father laughed and called her leader. being alone for a majority of her childhood, pansy developed a sense of entitlement, which only shined when she got to hogwarts.

she had to learn how to play with others, though anyone can agree that she barely does that well. being at hogwarts taught pansy a sense of agency and independence she never had before. pansy took hogwarts by storm, becoming friends with draco malfoy and blaise zabini. together they ruled slytherin house, gaining admirers and enemies alike. of course, she’s still the entitled brat her parents raised, but she has an itch to do more. and so she did. 

during the war, pansy became close with corban yaxley’s son, cypress. sixth and seventh year was the darkest time in pansy’s life. she still has nightmares about it till this day. her parents pushed her to step up and make an impression. at eighteen, she took the mark. though she barely did anything. she often sat on the sidelines, and went to meetings, but she was never trusted to actually go in missions. with everything being so dark, her realtionship with cypress was the only light thing in her life. they quickly fell in love. they managed to stay together when the war came to an end, both of them avoiding azkaban. 

they left wizard london and started a new life in muggle bristol. pansy didn’t do much, still having nightmares about the war. she felt stuck, everyone seemed to be moving on and she just...wasn’t. everything changed when she got pregnant with cypress perseus parkinson II or, as he likes to be called, dylan. pansy knew she had to get better for him. she wanted him to grow up in a world better than hers.

pansy thought she and cypress were both finally moving past the war. her husband would come home so happy, promising pansy that things were going to change for them. little did he know that pansy enjoyed their new life away from everybody, and little did pansy know that the new beginnings cypress talked about had to do with voldemort’s followers coming back. at first, nothing was different about her husband. he was there for dylan’s doctor’s appointments, his first steps, and so forth, but things began to become off. his smile wasn’t as bright, the look pansy recognized in his eyes began to left, and he often sneered about their muggle neighbors. together they often made of muggles, but there was pure hatred in his tone now. 

when dylan was three, cypress turned for the worse. pansy will never forget holding dylan so close to her chest as her husband, his father, was taken to azkaban. she did the only thing that would truly protect dylan from his father-- she sat him and down and erased all memories he had of cypress. never wanting her baby to grow up knowing what his father turned into. 

asking her parents for help with the divorce, they saw fit to help her take care of dylan as well. she was grateful for the help as she got her life together. as the years went on, pansy became stronger than ever. though, she couldn’t escape the blood purist ways of thinking, she didn’t hate those that were different. not how the death eater’s did. although, she made a terrible mistake when dylan was three and he has seemed to forgive her, she still strives everyday to be better. 

personality

label: the primadonna positive traits: loyal, independent, hard-working negative traits: moody, cunning, patronizing goals/desires: fears: she’s terrified of pushing dylan away and cause him to act like his father. hobbies: designing, reading, horseback riding, calligrophy  habits: picking at her dead ends, tapping her nails against the desk

appearance

face claim: katie mcgrath height: 5′6 eye color: blue hair description:

color: black highlights: none length: down her back style: straight, parted down the middle worn: she wears it out, most of the time. it’s rare to see her with an up do, but at times she throws it in a pony tail. she often has it parted down the middle or to the side

scars: a long one down her calf piercings: her ears tattoos: the dark mark scent: chanel no.5 clothing style: preppy, rich, business casual. usual expression: indifferent distinguishing characteristics: her eyebrows

health

physical ailments: none neurological conditions: mild ptsd, anxiety allergies: tomatoes sleeping habits: light sleeper eating habits: she snacks throughout the day, and is a fast eater exercise habits: when she goes to her boutique, but she doesn’t really excercise.  emotional stability: 5/10. gets angry easily and likes to hold a grudge sociability: very social body temperature: cold addictions: none drug use: none alcohol use: she’s a wine drinker, she has it at dinner and sometimes before bed. she also drinks at social settings. 

relationships

father: perseus parkinson  mother: lilaine parkinson siblings: children: dylan parkinson family line of work: ministry workers, house wives best friends:  draco malfoy, blaise zabini, theodore nott, tracy davis friends: daphne greengrass, milicent bulstrode, gregory goyle love interest: tba. enemies: tba.

education

school: hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry house: slytherin best core class: transfigurations worst core class: ancient runes elective: divination quidditch: hell no extra-curricular: astronomy club, divination homework meeting

magic

wand:

- length: 9 inches - flexibility: springy - wood: ash - core: unicorn hair

pets: a ragdoll cat named aquaria boggart: dylan being seriously hurt or injured patronus: sparrow amortentia: salt from the ocean, marble, clay, lavender

favorites

theme song: hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have by lana del rey food: salmon drink: white wine color: mint green animal: snake flower: pansy season: spring