#everyone say hello to charles and james!!

[defensivelee]

Dona Dona: You Could Have Been a Bird, You Could Have Been a Swallow

The third chapter is a story about a boy and his mother. Please enjoy. Here is the AO3 link :)

CW: gun violence, murder, abusive marriage, religious indoctrination, fantastic racism, religious war, implied/referenced terrorism, ableist language, child abuse, non-sexual nudity, implied/referenced child murder, implied/reference child sexual abuse, implied/referenced father/son incest, pedophilia, normalization and glorification of sexual assault.

He thought when he fell asleep that morning he would never wake up again. His father had stayed with him practically all night, and he was sore all over. It even hurt to breathe, though eventually his father had given him his inhaler. Even he had his limits, he said. William had no idea what that could possibly mean.

Much to his disappointment, he did wake up, shaken by his mother. He looked up at her with wide eyes, and then she held him close and began to cry. He didn’t know what to do about that; all he could think about was how she wished she had killed him as soon as he was born.

Is that what you still want? He wanted to push her away, but he found he couldn’t disagree with her.

“Oh, William,” she said once she had composed herself enough, though her voice was still shaky. She pushed his hair back; it had been clinging to his cheeks and shoulders with sweat. “I’m so sorry. You were never supposed to be here. But I’m going to fix it now, okay? We’re leaving today. As soon as he goes, we go too.”

“No,” he said matter-of-factly. That much he knew.

“No?” His mother looked at him with disbelief. “William, we are both going to die if we stay here. I have friends on the outside, we’ll be safe.” She sighed, looked away. “This has been a long time coming, and I thought I could wait, but I can’t. Not anymore, after seeing what he did to you. What he’s been doing to you.”

“I’m okay,” he said in a hushed voice.

“You are not!” She took him by his wrists, and at that William gasped, flinching back. “I decide what’s okay for you, and your father sleeping with you is not okay! Do you understand, William? We are leaving, and you will live a normal life. No more terrorism, no more religious mania, no more fear.”

No more fear sounded nice. But a normal life? He only stared at her as she stood and looked around the room.

“Take only what you think you need,” she spat at length. “But make it as little as possible. I want nothing around that will remind us of him. That monster.” She glanced down at him. “Did he give you that earring?”

William’s hand flew to his ear. He shook his head, swallowing nervously.

“Where did you find it?” She took his hand away and examined the earring. “I asked you when you first got it and you never told me. And you’ve worn it everyday since.”

What could he say? That a devil had given it to him? Would she see that as treason? Or maybe not, now that they were leaving. He had no idea.

“Give me that,” she said, starting to unclip it from his ear.

“N-No—!” He pulled away, but she caught him by the horn.

“Hold still, you’ll hurt yourself!” She took the earring and held it up to the light. “It’s like a devil’s horn.”

“Please, Mama!” He jumped up, trying to take it from her, and she glared down at him.

“Why do you want it so badly? If he gave it to you, I don’t want to see it on you!” She pushed him back, and he cried out as she fitted the earring around the tip of her horn and then turned her head abruptly to the side.

The earring snapped in three pieces, and she caught them in her hand, snorting with disgust as she looked at them. “There. So you won’t have to wear him on you at all times.”

He only stared at her in shock. He wanted to be angry, but mostly he was just stunned into silence. He was already trying to remember the summoning circle for Liselotte. He had seen it countless times.

His mother glanced out the window. “I think he’s gone now. Come on, William, we don’t have much time if someone else comes. Grab what you need and meet me downstairs.” She hurried out of the room, and William’s tail shook.

He was leaving? Leaving everything here? What about Hans, what about de Witt? He couldn’t leave them at the mercy of his father.

My books! He looked under the bed, pulling out all of the ones that de Witt had given him. He knew he couldn’t take them all, but maybe just one. His favorite one, the first book with illustrations of the world’s history. Every bit of it that he needed.

So he took that, his coat, Liselotte’s knife, and his inhaler. He glanced at himself in the bathroom mirror and realized he looked like a mess. But his mother was calling for him already, so he descended the stairs and met her at the door.

“We are going to meet a few friends,” she said. “Don’t freak out when you see them, okay, William? They’re on our side, trust me.” She rested her hand on his head, smiling at him with misty eyes. “I’m sorry for everything that has happened here. I’m sorry for bringing you into this world, for never being able to fight him off—” She paused, taking a shaky breath. “But you’re here now. And you can make the world your own kingdom without him.”

“I’m a Devil of Orange-Nassau,” he protested.

“No,” she said. “You’re just a normal boy. And we will not stay here so you can realize your delusional fantasies that everyone has fed you. Now let’s go.” She took his hand and led him outside. He was tempted to pull away, but part of him was curious, part of him was...hopeful. He shouldn’t have been.

They didn’t drive, they walked for a long time right into the heart of New Amsterdam. William was shaking; all the walking had not made his soreness any better. But he was also nervous, somehow certain that everyone they walked by knew what they were doing and would tell his father. And he would be furious, William was sure of it.

“I’m hungry,” he announced. He hadn’t even eaten breakfast.

“We’ll eat when we get there,” she said. “I’m hungry, too.”

“My legs hurt.”

“You think mine don’t?”

He clamped his mouth shut and glowered at the street ahead of them. There was a Hoerenkast on the corner, smaller than most but with tall spires and a tower with a bell in it. He wondered if it was functional; he’d never heard it before. Maybe he’d just never been close enough.

Much to his dismay, it was the Hoerenkast that was their destination, and he collapsed onto the first bench he found inside, flopping dramatically onto his back. His arm was stiff from having carried the book all the way here. At least it was dimmer and darker here. Quieter, too, where he didn’t get the urge to bite anyone who spoke a single word at all.

“Mary!” A booming voice he recognized called from behind him. “You made it! Come, we have a room upstairs, take the boy with you, too.”

William sat up, his eyes widening when he saw Charles Stewart. What was the leader of the Disciples doing here? Wasn’t he their enemy?

“Thank you, Charles,” his mother said. “William, come on. De Witt told me you had seen him before, but you’ve never properly met. I’m sure you know who he is.” She paused, lowering her voice. “But I promise he’s on our side. I’ve known him for a very long time.”

A long time? William blinked, bewildered. This whole time, his mother had been friends with their worst enemy! The things he had heard about how she had come to the Devils of Orange-Nassau, then— were they all true? Had she been a Disciple before?

“And Charles, this is William,” she said, motioning to her son. “My boy. He’s ten.”

“Ten years old, hm?” Charles raised an eyebrow. “I couldn’t tell from his height, yet somehow he looks older.” He held a hand out to William, who saw the blue tattoos hiding under his jacket sleeve and sprawling out towards the back of his hand. “Hello, William. I’ve heard much about you and how you’ll kill me eventually.”

“I will,” William said, shuffling back on the bench.

“Oh, don’t talk that way, boy!” Charles laughed. “You and I, we could be great friends. Hm? Uncle Charles, how does that sound?” He sat down by William. “We could be the greatest Overlifers this world has ever seen.”

“No,” William said resolutely. “I could never call you family. You’re a Disciple, and I’m a Devil, and anyway, there can’t be two Overlifers at the same time.”

“Guess for that you’ll have to kill me, then.”

“I will.”

“No, William, you will not,” his mother said. “He’s a friend now. He’s helping us. He’s why we got to leave in the first place. I trust him, and so you will too, and you will not lay a finger on each other.”

“Awfully intense for such a young boy,” Charles said, twisting his tail around to tap Mary on the shoulder as he stood. He somehow had more diamonds on it than when William had last seen him. “James was like that too. You had to practically untwist his tongue so he could get the words out, but once you got him to talk, he wouldn’t shut up.”

“And you’re saying my son’s the same way?” She narrowed her eyes.

“Just ask him what he likes.” Charles shrugged and turned around. “Speaking of, James is waiting for us. I told him I’d only be a minute, let’s go, let’s go!”

“Come on, William.” Mary took him by the hand as they went up the decorated stairs, the walls painted with praises in Infernal.

“You still hold his hand?” Charles looked back at William, who glared right back.

“Leave him alone, he just likes to run off sometimes,” his mother said. “Does it matter? Sometimes certain things are just more interesting than the bullshit his father was spouting at him.”

It wasn’t bullshit. It was our doctrines and traditions. How could his mother be so easily turned?

“Look what I’ve brought us, Jamie!” Charles swept aside a curtain, and William and his mother found themselves in what looked like a tiny replica of the Ally meeting rooms. There were far fewer offerings, though, and a bed instead of a throne. William recalled from de Witt’s many lessons that some Hoerenkasten had temporary rooms available for those who wanted to please the devils and Allies in a much closer manner. That made no sense to William, and de Witt’s explanation was useless.

It is not a place where you should ever go, William, not until you’re older, was all he said.

“You seriously brought a child here?” A man looked up from his spot on the bed, lying back on a few pillows and blowing smoke from his mouth to the ceiling. He had white horns with a black, random wiry pattern all over them, sprouting from his sandy curls that fell over his wide blue eyes. He lay under the heavy blanket, switching the channels on the TV, and his bare arms were covered in dark green tattoos with both praises and curses to the devils.

“What do you mean, I brought a child here?” Charles asked. He picked up a collared shirt from the ground and threw it at the stranger. “Put some fucking clothes on, Jamie, you knew they were coming.”

Is he not wearing clothes under there? William swallowed and squeezed his mother’s hand.

“I thought they’d die first, honestly.” But this man, Jamie, obeyed and lifted himself up so that William could see all the tattoos on his chest as well. He pulled the shirt over himself and began to button it up, staring at William as he did so. “This is who I came all the way here for? He looks scrawny.”

“James, if you would please stop smoking,” Mary said. “He has asthma.”

“I just lit this one,” James said, yawning. William caught a glimpse of gold on his teeth, and he shuddered. “Can’t you take him somewhere else?”

Charles walked over to him and snatched the cigarette from James’ fingers, taking a puff from it before putting it out on the ashtray by the bed. “Ignore him, William; this is just my brother, James. He thinks he’s hot shit and he might be, but I’m not allowed to opine on that so make your own judgment.”

William looked up at his mother, who rolled her eyes. “Why are you here?”

“Charles wants me to move back here,” James said. His long blue tail, decorated with rings and dangling jewels more than even that of his brother’s, swished irritatedly behind him. “Wants me to bring my daughter over, too. But I’ve never wanted to return, not after...everything that has happened.”

“Well, if you do decide to leave,” Charles said, “you can take Mary and William back with you. You live far enough away that her piece of shit husband won’t be able to find her. That is,” he added cautiously, “if you’re willing to help.”

“Sure,” James said, shrugging. “Just as long as they’re out of my sight after a year.”

Charles tilted his head to the side. “A year? James, do you really think-”

“It’s fine,” Mary interrupted. “A year is more than enough time. It’ll be...hard to adjust, but after that, I think I can manage.”

“It’s just as well,” James said, curling his lip back to sneer at William. “I have no desire to help raise a little monster who believes his destiny is to destroy us all. That’s how these Devils of Orange-Nassau play, that’s how all Westerners play. Accept your kindness just to return it with violence. Isn’t that right, boy?” He stood, and William narrowed his eyes up at him.

“James, that’s enough,” his mother said, swiping her tail at his nose. “He’s been through a lot.”

“Why doesn’t he say so? Doesn’t he speak?”

“He’s exhausted,” Mary said. “His father raped him last night and has been doing so for a while. And don’t get me started on the beatings. The horrific lies. William learned how to hold a gun before he learned how to speak. This has been his whole life so far.” She lifted her head, her eyes glinting. “So he can do whatever he likes now.”

William’s face flushed. Had it really been necessary to say all that? He didn’t know these men, and they didn’t need to know him.

“His father did what?!” Charles barked out. Beside him, James took a step back, his tail twitching at the tip as if he had just smelled something foul. “And you didn’t think to start with that? We should take him to a hospital!”

“I- I don’t think that’s necessary,” Mary said, clearing her throat.

“It’s okay,” William said. He lifted his head haughtily at Charles. “It’s nothing. I’ll be an Overlifer one day, so it’ll be worth it.”

Charles glanced down at him. He looked very much a different man than the person that William had seen at the Southern Kingdom celebration.

“You do look exhausted,” he said. “Lucky you, you won’t have to walk for much longer. We’ll be headed a little farther out, and you can sleep on the way there. How does that sound?”

“Aren’t we going to eat?”

“You haven’t eaten?” Charles raised his eyebrows at Mary. “Alright, we’ll go there first.”

After they had eaten (not very peacefully on William’s part; he kept glancing outside and half-expecting his father to walk through the door), William found himself in Charles’ car, leaning against his mother in the backseat. It was very warm back here, and it was making him drowsy.

“You want to sleep, William?” She stroked at her son’s horns. “Go ahead.”

“Where are we going?” He shut his eyes.

“Far away from here,” she said. “And we’ll never return. Just promise me one thing, as we leave this place.”

“What?”

“You will never get your six lives,” she said. “You will never be an Overlifer and carry out what the Devils of Orange-Nassau would have wanted for you. You will live a normal life forever and you will be safe.”

He wanted to protest. He opened his eyes but realized he was too tired to do so. He also realized James was staring at him through gleaming eyes, and Charles glanced over at him through the rearview mirror.

“You promise that right now,” James said in a low voice. “Don’t think about it. You belong to us now.”

“That isn’t how I would phrase it,” Mary said, “but yes, William, we’re with them now. And if you want to stay, you have to make this promise.”

He didn’t want to, but he remembered everything de Witt and his father had taught him. That to survive in this world, you had to deceive. It was something Mary herself had taught him, one of the first lessons he remembered— he had to keep his father happy, whatever it took.

And so to guarantee to himself that one day, he would be an Overlifer, he would rule the world, he made that promise, but inwardly whispered to Ferocity that it was a lie. He made his own promise to her that he would come for her descendants soon.

I’ll kill both of you, too. He closed his eyes again. He didn’t care what his mother said; didn’t she see that Charles and James were still enemies? They wanted to control her!

But he didn’t say that. He fell asleep and let them believe they had quelled the danger.

They ended up in a hotel; at least, that was what William observed when he woke up. He’d never stayed in many. Even on their rare visits to relatives in Grand Cabaret, his father had insisted on staying with the family.

“This is where Jamie’s been staying,” Charles said as he turned off the car. “Even though I told him he didn’t have to do that.”

“And stay with your whole mess of dwaallicht spirits, no, thank you,” James said. “When will you settle down? Those sultry little beasts are no match for a lifelong partner.”

“It’s not necessary yet, is it?” Charles said. “I still have much time. Six lives, you know!”

“I just think it’s best to get it over with,” James muttered under his breath. He turned back to William and his mother. “And you see why I stayed here instead.”

James’ room was larger than William’s room back at home, and had infinitely more places to hide. William counted them all in his head and then ran over to the balcony, hearing his mother’s exclamation behind him. But the words everyone was saying were all blurred to him now.

He leaned over the edge. Today the city was clearer than usual. He took a deep breath, which his lungs met ungratefully with a sharp cough.

“William,” he heard his mother breathe out beside him. “We’re far away from him now.”

William shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“We are,” she insisted. “We can live our own lives now.”

“You said I should have never been born.”

She inhaled sharply. “That...doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to live. I’m only sorry I couldn’t have left before it all happened, and for what he’s done to you, I—” She paused, taking William’s hand. “I never would have guessed. I knew there were other women, but you- you’re not-”

“It was better than everything else he did,” William said.

“William, look, I- I swore I was staring right back at myself when I saw you last night,” she said. “When I was younger. Not your age, but before this...before you. That’s how you were born and now to realize my son suffers the same—!” Her voice went higher at the end, and she began to cry like she had this morning.

William leaned on her. Maybe he could forgive her. He wasn’t entirely sure what was her fault, but he thought it could make her feel better.

But after everything she told him? After she’d broken the earring, after she had quite rudely ripped him away from his destiny and his friends, did she deserve forgiveness?

One day, maybe. When I rule the world and my father’s dead.

He wiped at his eyes, glaring down at the city and realizing he was crying too. Was he allowed to hope that things could get better? That his father would never lay hands on him again? Was the price of his authority worth it?

So many questions, I just want one answer. He looked up at the sky. He could just taste the beginnings of a tentative new destiny; it was hanging right there in front of him if he wanted to reach for it. Like de Witt had always spoken of it, there was no fear and no pain and no blood. He was tempted.

“What are you two doing out there?” James asked behind them. “It’s freezing.”

“R-Right.” Mary looked up, wiping her tears away. “Come on, William.”

William looked back at James as he walked in and wondered how his mother had ever come to befriend such a sour creature. He didn’t seem at all sympathetic to either of them. He wondered if it was true, if James was really going to take them along with him when he left. It seemed to him that living with James might be the same as living with his father, except more annoying.

But the good part was that his mother assured him that they would leave James after they figured everything out. “Besides,” she added later that night, “he’s not that bad once you get to know him.”

Well, William did get to know him. After his first day there (much of which he spent rereading de Witt’s book) came his first night. It was hard to fall asleep as he had been sleeping for a good part of the day, and he couldn’t close his eyes knowing that this time Liselotte wouldn’t open them. He wondered if the connection was severed or if she would show up to the dream anyway and just wait for him. Endlessly.

He got off the bed, taking care not to disturb his mother, and walked past the Disciple brothers’ room to search in his coat pocket for Liselotte’s knife. Though none of the city’s glow made it this far into the room, the knife on its own shone in his hands, especially from the red stripe over the blade.

He looked up and nearly screamed out loud when he saw the figure on the balcony, with the tall, twisting horns and the unblinking blue eyes. James was staring right at him, blowing smoke out from his lips into the night.

Why did he scare you? William tried to quiet his breathing, his hand clutching at his chest to calm his beating heart. He’s just an idiot smoking. He knew both James and Charles had been out for a while today, late into the night, but when he heard the door he’d assumed both of them had gone to bed.

James lifted a hand and beckoned for William to join him there. William hesitated; he wouldn’t put it past James to push him off the balcony. But it was a stupid way to kill someone as important as him, so he lifted his head up with as much dignity as he could and stepped out beside James.

“Can’t sleep?” James asked.

“I could if I wanted to.”

“Don’t be like that.” He flicked his tail over William’s horns. “I couldn’t sleep, either. Especially since I couldn’t smoke all day thanks to you. Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for this?”

“I don’t care,” William said.

James raised an eyebrow. “You should try it.” He held his cigarette out to William’s mouth, and William stumbled back, holding his hand out defensively.

“D-Don’t burn me,” William said. And he hated himself for pleading.

James tilted his head to the side and looked back to the city. “I wasn’t going to.” He laughed suddenly. “Oh, your daddy had it out for you, didn’t he? Is that why you can’t sleep? Because he went into your room last night, or you went into his, or whatever he made you do.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” William mumbled.

“Of course you don’t,” James said. “But I don’t want us to be strangers, hm?” He lifted William’s chin up with his tail. “So here, I can tell you something about me, and you can tell me what your father did.”

“I- I don’t think-”

James hissed, suddenly bringing William closer and speaking right into his face. “Listen here, you little monster. I’m not fucking stupid. You were planning to murder me and Charles, weren’t you? I saw that flashy knife you were playing with.”

“I wasn’t going to kill anyone,” William said, pushing him away. Inwardly, though, he was pleased that James would think that of him.

That’s right, fear me! See me for the danger I am!

“I know what you were brought up to do,” James said. “You think just because you’re ten I’ll believe you? News flash, kid, I first killed someone when I was twelve. You don’t need all these years to know when someone deserves to die.”

Twelve? William could hardly remember anything from when he was younger. He knew there were the ever-present sensations of terror and blood, though, and he knew the plainly-worded facts like he knew the names of every Ally.

A seven-year-old boy killed someone three years ago.

Why did James get to wait for so long? He wanted to say that that wasn’t fair, but maybe that was why James was such an idiot. William had learned early on. At least his father had done that well.

“I know,” he said quietly.

“So unless you want me to take you back to your father, I suggest you be nice,” James said. “Go along with what I’m telling you and everything will be fine. I’ll go first, how about it?”

“Okay.” William looked away, coughing as James flicked his cigarette thoughtfully in between his fingers.

“I have a wife and daughter,” he began. “I live over in the Mercia Governorate, but I was born here. I can’t say I miss it. Bad things happened here.”

“Was it the invasive devils?” William asked. He still remembered what his father had told him, how the brothers had fled Berufungsachse because of a situation with those devils. One he called Cromwell.

James blinked. “Yes. How did you know?”

“My father told me,” William said. “How’d it happen? I thought they couldn’t do it anymore.”

“When you’re stupid as fuck they can,” James said. He flicked his tail dismissively. “Enough of that. Tell me what your father did. Did it hurt?”

William hesitated. “Yes.”

“Did he kiss you?”

“Yes.”

“Did you like it?”

William stepped back. What kind of question was that? Did he look like the kind of person to like it?

“Answer me, William,” James said. His eyes glittered. “You did, didn’t you?”

“No!” William cried. He paused. “Should I?” He had tried to last night— and look where it had ended up. Not an entirely bad thing, though, to be out here, but he wasn’t sure if he would have done it all over again even if he had known.

“Would you rather it hurt you instead?” James asked. “Might as well try to make the best of it. It’s what defeated enemies in the Four Kingdoms did.”

“I have more pride than them,” William said, his face flushing.

“They are pleased that the enemy who beat them still wishes to touch them at all,” James said. “It’s tradition. I know this is something very different, but maybe it would have helped you to think of yourself that way.”

What a stupid tradition, William wanted to say. It’s what they’d done for centuries, even among the Overlifers themselves— after any victory, the winner would take the loser to bed, and the loser was expected to like it. And judging by the stories William had read, they did. But he was better than that.

“That’s nothing to be proud of,” he said. “Letting the guy who beat you do all that to you?” He shuddered, the shiver running down to his tail. “It’s gross.”

“Think of it that way if you want, little prince,” James said. “But if you don’t like it, perhaps it was your father doing something wrong.”

“There’s no right way to do this.” William began to cough, and James shook his head as if that was the most disappointing thing he’d ever heard.

“You’ll find someone you like one day,” he said.

“I’m ten!” William glared up at him.

“And that’s exactly what makes you so special.” James rubbed his head in between his horns. “No one else knows as much about this as you do.”

Special? For some reason the word didn’t feel so great to William anymore.

“William—!” He heard his mother’s cry from within, and he jumped, rushing back inside. Anything to rid himself of James’ presence, he thought, but when he looked back he saw James had followed him.

What he found was his mother sitting up on her bed, breathing heavily as she stared down at her ringing phone. Charles was beside her, rubbing at his eyes and taking her hand.

“Calm down, Mary,” he said. “Just don’t answer.”

“But- but what if he- he’ll find us—!” She looked up at William and immediately brought him closer to herself, and William saw the name on the dim screen. It was his own name, but also not his own, because he didn’t have any phone.

William. His father.

“If he’s calling this late, he was probably out pretty late, too,” Charles said, narrowing his eyes. “Maybe cheating again?” He flicked his tail against her nose, but she only looked away and shook her head.

William tilted his head to the side. His father’s unfaithfulness had been the subject of a lot of his parents’ arguments, often the reason he was able to summon Liselotte in the first place. But he hadn’t heard that point brought up in what felt like a long time.

“He- he hasn’t in a while,” Mary said. She looked William up and down. “I think because he had you.”

Oh, great. William swallowed. “You’re welcome?” he tried.

“But he’s always been- I mean-” She took a shaky breath. “If he was doing it now, I wouldn’t be surprised.” She lifted the phone, her eyes widening. “Do you think he can- he can find us like this? He’s taken my phone before— what if-”

The phone stopped ringing for a moment, then it started up again.

“Give me that,” James said, snatching the phone from her hand. He answered the call and held the phone up to his ear. “Hey, freak, your son thinks you’re awful in bed. And I would agree.”

There was silence, and William froze. His father would absolutely kill him for that.

“Jamie...” Charles winced.

“Ah, Charles. James.” The high voice came from the speaker. “I should have known she went running back to you.”

“We’ve done more for her than you ever have,” James spat. “I hate you. I fucking hate you. You know you could have helped us when the invasive devils came.”

“That was never my responsibility. I owe you two nothing.”

“Are you aware that they would’ve come for you, too?” He lifted a hand to his horn, rubbing at it like Mary had often done to William to soothe him. “You had everything to gain and nothing to lose if you had just helped us. No, we had to run to the Southern Kingdom and- and do you know what happened there?!” He snarled the last words out, and William saw his eyes glistening. “You can’t be bothered to care about anyone but yourself! You piece of shit, you don’t deserve Mary.”

“James, please,” Mary said. “Calm down.”

“Mary,” her husband said. It was said as calmly as ever, but William recognized the anger behind it. “Where are you?”

“She’s not telling you,” Charles said firmly. “Fuck off, William.”

“Kidnapping my wife is grounds for a war, you know.”

“Then say the word and we’ll be guaranteed to fuck you up.”

“Very well. I’ll be there tomorrow.” With that, he hung up, leaving everyone’s tails lashing nervously.

“Damnit,” James grunted. He wiped at his nose, and William got a strange, dizzying sense of watching himself in someone else’s body. James was holding his head up as if his father had just punched him right in the nose, and sure enough, William saw the blood running from his nose to his lips in the light reflected from outside.

“Again?” Charles nudged him to his feet. “Go get yourself cleaned up.”

“I’m sorry,” James said.

“Aw, don’t worry about it.” Charles smiled. “It hasn’t been so long since, ah...” He glanced at William. “Everything, I suppose.”

James narrowed his eyes at William and left the room without another word.

“What’s everything?” William asked.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Charles said, patting William roughly in between the horns.

Ugh. William backed away.

Mary was silent. She kept staring at the phone, then picked it up, her finger hovering over the numbers. “I- maybe I should call him back...and tell him I’ll go back on my own...”

“What? No, Mary!” Charles took her hands. “You just left!”

“But I put you two in danger.” Mary blinked, and William saw tears running down her face. “If it’s all because of me I couldn’t forgive myself. Maybe if I go back willingly he won’t be so mad.”

“But you would put yourself and William in danger?” Charles twined his tail with hers. “All over again?”

Mary shook her head helplessly and shuffled back, covering her face. “No...I can’t do that again...”

“We’ve known each other since childhood,” Charles said. “And no matter what’s happened between us, this isn’t what I would want for you. You deserve to be free, Mary. And so does that boy.”

“I could just leave you with William,” Mary said, looking up. “I know it’s me he wants. I could handle everything he does to me as long as William is safe.”

“No—!” William burst into tears at that moment, burying himself in his mother’s arms. “No, no, no, I- I wanna stay with you!”

“Oh, William, I could never leave you,” he heard her whisper, and he gripped her tighter. If that monster was coming for them in the morning, then they had to stay together, whatever he did to them.

“I don’t know.” He heard Charles pacing behind them, his tail lashing and making a sound like a whip. “I don’t think he’ll be able to find us here, but as long as you’re in New Amsterdam...you’re not safe.”

“Then what do you suggest?” she asked.

“You leave with James immediately,” he said. “He can take you to Mercia.”

“In the middle of the night? By train or by car?”

“Car, obviously, what do you think we are, poor?” Charles laughed. “He did come here by train, though. I’ll just lend him mine— I know your husband loves attacking the rails, and I wouldn’t put it past him to order bombings on multiple lines if he thinks you’re there. Chances are, he would hit you eventually.”

“He wouldn’t kill me,” Mary said.

“Absolutely he fucking would,” Charles said at the same time William nodded fiercely.

“Where would that leave you?” Mary asked, squeezing William perhaps harder than she intended. He winced, hiding in her arms again and sniffling.

“I’ll handle any war he wants to fight,” Charles said. “I’ve been through worse, trust me. And he won’t care once he realizes that I don’t have you anymore. Right now, I can just call someone to come get me...” He yawned and stretched. “Jamie, you heard all that?”

“No.” James’ voice sounded muffled.

“Alright.” Charles smiled at Mary. “You get ready, I’ll explain to him what he needs to do.” He walked out after James, and Mary stood, beginning to pack what little she had brought. William wiped away his tears and watched her, his tail shaking.

We can’t go back there. He felt the sting of his father’s touch everywhere on him suddenly, like he’d just gone through another beating. Whatever that meant at this point. He shook himself out and stood to help his mother. He could fulfill his destiny without his father, he decided. Without the whole of the Devils of Orange-Nassau.

Does this mean I’m leaving Hans forever? De Witt? He thought there might still be a chance he could see them if he stayed here in New Amsterdam, but what were the chances they would find him in the Mercia Governorate?

He would find them again. He had to. And they had to be okay. He took a deep breath and tried to look as dignified as a prince had to look, even with his face still wet with tears.

I didn’t even get to say goodbye.

“Be safe,” Charles said as they got into his car, with him waiting outside of James’ window. “I think it’s about five hours from here. You might get there at dawn.”

“They can just sleep on the way there,” James muttered. He didn’t look too pleased to have to drive back this late. “They’re not the ones driving.”

“I’m sure there’s a few places you can stop if you get tired,” Charles said cheerily. “Alright, James, don’t die out there, please and thank you.”

“You don’t die here,” James said.

“I can afford to lose one.”

“No!” James cried out, turning his head to him frantically. “You have to survive. Don’t lose even one. I want to come back to you later.”

Charles paused, then laughed, leaning into the window to pat his brother on the shoulder. “Call me when you get there. I’ll wait for you whenever you decide to bring your family over.” He rubbed at one of James’ horns, then stepped back and cleared his throat. “Alright, I can’t keep you waiting. It was nice to see you and Mary again. And it was good to meet you, William.”

William looked away. He was still crying, albeit quieter now, and his mother was rubbing at his back.

He fell asleep about twenty minutes into the ride, as the bright lights around them started to dim and become fewer and farther apart. The silence in the car made him sleepy, calmed him down a little, and he thought perhaps he would be safe after all.

He woke up not so long after, when a bright light shone into the window and his eyes. He groaned a little, rubbing at them and sitting up when he realized the car was stopped. Had they arrived already?

“Oh, I’m sorry, William,” his mother said. “James just wanted to stop here for a bit.”

“Yeah, ‘cause I’m tired,” James said, yawning. “You know your brat snores like a devil lord?”

“Leave him alone,” Mary said. She looked out the windows and narrowed her eyes. “I know you did not just bring us where I think you did. William’s not allowed in there, you know how-”

“Don’t worry, the Disciples run the show here,” James reassured her. “Besides, he won’t see anything that he doesn’t want to see. They have extra rooms here, and we can all take power naps and then get out of here. I’ve got some business to do here, anyway. Meeting with some of the Devils, coincidentally.”

“Of Orange-Nassau?” Mary asked, her eyes widening when he nodded. “I- I think I’ll just stay in the car.”

“I’m not leaving the heat on,” James said. “Come in, just make sure no one sees you. I’ll walk in before you.”

“Fine.”

As they stepped inside, James lit a cigarette as if he had forgotten William was there. It was much too loud and bright here already, with lights like the ones in New Amsterdam at night, and so many people dressed in clothing somehow more revealing than that of the Allies, their tails bouncing along to the beat of the current song. William shut his eyes and hid behind his mother as he heard James speak to the men at the bar who greeted him with a strange, yet all too familiar respect.

“You will have to forgive the late payment...I’ve been running with Charles in Berufungsachse, but I’m here now...”

“Did you bring the kid for us, too?”

William realized with horror that one man was pointing at him, and he sprung back behind his mother, covering his ears. The voice had somehow sounded louder than the music. It hurt from his ears to his heart, and he could feel himself shaking against Mary, sickness rising in his throat. He knew what this place was now.

He didn’t open his eyes until the music and voices faded away to a muffled lull and he was sure his mother had led him away from the crowd. They were standing in an endlessly dark hall, the only light being from the street lamps outside.

“I think this one’s empty,” James said. He opened the door to the last room and motioned for them to go in. “I’ll come back for you when I’m done. Don’t get into any trouble.”

“You too,” Mary said. James bowed his head at this, and William thought he was hiding a smile.

His mother fell asleep soon enough and ordered him to do so as well, holding his hand that rested on the pillow by her. But he couldn’t bring himself to lie on this bed.

He pulled his hand away. He would be an Overlifer; no one ordered an Overlifer to go to sleep.

Instead he left the room and walked cautiously down the hall. He didn’t know the path they had taken to get here, with his eyes having been shut the entire time. But he knew there were rather sharp turns, so he took a left and then a right and another left. There were the stairs, where he knew for a fact his mother had to drag him up. But he hadn’t seen the animals painted on the wall.

There were heraldic deer and griffins with muzzles of rope and leather clamping their furious jaws shut. They lay on top of trios of saltires, and underneath those sat cheerful lions pulling on those very ropes. There was a haughty air to them that reminded William of James.

Lions of the Eastern Kingdom, he realized. Of course. In a place run by the Disciples, that was more than expected. He looked scornfully up to the griffin of the Western Kingdom; the poor, weak thing. 

You’ll never muzzle me.

He didn’t want to go downstairs, that was where the music and the bad men were, so he went up the stairs again, farther and farther away from everyone. It was a little lighter here, but the lights flickered often, starting to give him a headache.

There were fewer rooms, too. Louder ones, with people speaking behind doors. He thought he heard James’ voice. And, he realized as he crept closer, a more familiar one.

“Just tell us where he is. You must know.”

“I left Charles in New Amsterdam. There’s no one here but me.”

That first voice was Mijnheer Bentinck. Hans’ father.

Oh, Ferocity. William began to step away, turning around cautiously just as he heard rapid footsteps start up on the stairs behind him. He didn’t know who it was, but he knew he couldn’t be found.

There were no rooms he could run in. To barge in and hide with James would only make things worse, with Bentinck there. He could only freeze in place, falling still as if his father had finally caught him.

It was Hans who entered the hall, yawning and wiping at his eyes. He looked up and gasped when he saw William.

“William? William, it’s you!” He ran to William, taking his hand and embracing him. “Your father said you’d been kidnapped! I was so worried, I-” He stepped back. “What are you doing here? Is this where your kidnappers brought you?”

“N-No.” William shook his head. “I mean, kind of. If you could just please be a little quieter—”

“I have to tell my father!” Hans declared. “Come on! Don’t worry, he’ll drive us back, and you’ll be safe back in Berufungsachse in no time.” He pulled William along with him, and William stumbled, following him for fear of having his arm ripped off.

“Hans, please— I don’t wanna go back!”

“You- you-” Hans paused, looking over at him and tilting his head to the side. “Huh? Really?”

“I mean, I don’t want Mama to go back,” William said, his face burning with shame. “She’s been through a lot. So I went with her, but I don’t- I don’t want to leave her alone.”

“But how will you become an Overlifer?” Hans asked.

“I can do it on my own!” William insisted. “I don’t need my father to teach me the right way to rule. I can figure it out myself. It’s what Overlifers have always done. Besides, I don’t-” He took a breath, holding back sudden tears. “I don’t want to be afraid anymore.”

Hans slowly let go of him, blinking in surprise. “But I’d be more afraid if I didn’t have my father with me. If I didn’t have the Devils of Orange-Nassau. And especially for the heir— William, this is everything to you, and you’re leaving it behind?”

“I’ll never be more afraid than I was with him,” William said firmly. “I know that.”

Hans was silent for a moment. “There’s...nothing to fear,” he said at length.

Is he crazy? William narrowed his eyes, and just then the door behind them opened, Hans’ father glaring down at them and then back at James beside him. James himself looked very annoyed, but his eyes widened in disbelief when he saw William.

“I knew I heard him,” Bentinck growled. “Our Overlifer is very wise. I would advise you to think twice before attempting to fool him.” His gaze softened as he looked down at William. “Did the Disciples capture you? Where is your mother, little prince?”

“I- I’m just-” William began to back away.

“You still have my phone, Hans?” Bentinck looked down at his son. “Call de Witt and tell him we found the prince.”

“The fuck you are,” James said. He started towards Hans, who looked up in alarm, just as his father slammed into James, his elbow in particular stabbing into James’ chest, having as sure as an effect as if it had been a knife. The Disciple fell back on the ground, huffing for breath and shuffling back when he saw Bentinck take out his gun.

“Hans, get out of here.”

“But-”

“I’m telling you to go!” He cocked the gun down at James, who scurried towards William in a manner that much reminded him of the smallest dwaallicht spirit. But he couldn’t escape the first shot; his legs buckled under him as the sound rang out, and he fell forward with a sharp grunt.

“Mijnheer de Witt!” William heard Hans’ voice behind him. “Tell our master— we found William! Yes, he’s okay, but he’s with the Disciples— they could have hurt him—”

That was William’s cue to run. He didn’t know where exactly he would go, but he knew he had to get his mother. Some part of him didn’t want to leave James, the man who was somehow, in his own awful way, trying to protect them, but he didn’t think there was much they could do for him now. Besides, his mother could drive, couldn’t she?

“Mama!” he cried as he opened the door. “Mama— the Devils are here! Hanni and his father!”

“What- what is it, William?” She opened her eyes with a yawn. “Where’d you go?”

“The Devils, Mama, I’m telling you! Come on, we have to go, they shot James!” He ran to her and started pulling her off the bed, and she sat up abruptly, putting on her shoes and following him out the door.

“Where? Where is he?”

“It doesn’t matter! He-” He was cut off by another gunshot. “He’s probably already dead!”

“No!” Mary cried. “Charles needs him alive! And he’s the only one that can take us. I need him alive, too!” She ran ahead of him, past the alarmed faces poking out behind the doors. William backed away from them and followed her, trying to stifle his wheezes.

The two of them nearly collided with James on the staircase, running down with an awkward limp. “What are you doing here?” he asked, bewildered. “We have to go!”

“William said you were shot,” Mary said. “Was it your leg? Did it hit the- the artery?”

“Fuck, no,” James muttered. “I can feel it in there, but it’s not the first time I’ve been shot. Come on!” He pushed them forward, and William heard someone else running down the stairs behind them. There were lighter steps, quicker than the heavy ones.

James seemed to hear it too, because he stopped, holding his tail out on alert. “You go,” he told Mary. “I’ll hold them off. It’s just a brat and his father.”

“And if you’re shot again?” Mary asked. “I’m staying with you. At least give me the keys!”

“Ugh, fine.” James turned around to do so, but they were cut off by another gunshot beside them, the bullet just barely missing James’ horns. William winced, and James looked up, his eyes wide.

“I’m not letting you leave with the heir of the Devils of Orange-Nassau.” Hans’ father still had his gun pointed at James. Hans was hurriedly writing on slips of paper as he followed him. “We’ve been training him for years.”

“Abusing him, more like,” James hissed. “To fulfill his father’s fantasies. You would be sick if you knew what your Overlifer has done to him.” He snorted as he looked at Hans. “You think a boy’s messily written spells will help you?”

“You stole our prince!” Hans retorted. “And I’ve gotten very good at spells, I’ll have you know.”

James raised an eyebrow. “Doubtful.”

“Lady Mary,” Bentinck spoke up, bowing his head at William’s mother. “Did you go with them willingly? We all know of your...history with the Disciples of Restoration. While I’m ready to forgive you, I don’t know how easy it will be for your husband to do so.”

“It doesn’t matter,” she said. “I’m not going back. And neither is William.”

“And why is that?”

“James may look like an idiot to you, but he’s right about one thing.” Mary narrowed her eyes. “That man is not an Overlifer you want to follow.”

“So you are traitors,” Bentinck said thoughtfully. “I do have to question what wisdom William had in choosing an Easterner for his wife.”

“Hold that thought,” James said, lurching forward with a lash of his tail, “because that means you’ll die a traitor, too.” Something unnatural glinted in the dim light, and William looked up, trying to make sense of what he’d just seen before he realized in a split second that Mijnheer Bentinck’s throat had been split open, and James held his tail high with blood dripping from its tufts of fur. No, not just the fur— out of one of the many gold rings he wore on his tail, there was a blade pointing towards the ceiling, and that was where the blood came from.

A hidden blade. William’s father had one on his tail, too, and he’d used it often. Nobody could ever pinpoint which ring it would come out from, though, which was why William had liked it.

Bentinck lifted a hand up to his throat, holding his other hand out to steady himself on the wall. But he didn’t stay up for too long and fell to his knees, and Hans looked wildly from James to William to his father. He knelt beside him and shook him, crying out, “No- no, stay up! We can’t let the Disciples win! Please, Papa!”

“Hans, you must—” Bentinck looked up, and William swallowed. When had his own father said his name with such love? When had he ever looked at him like this, like he was sorry for everything he’d been through?

“There’s so much, oh, Ferocity, it’s too much,” Hans whispered frantically, holding his hand up to his father’s throat. “Papa, please, breathe!”

But his father was not breathing, his father held his son’s hands in his own until he couldn’t anymore and slumped against Hans' body. Hans wrapped his arms around his neck, and that kept him up until the boy collapsed as well, sobbing into his father’s chest and blood dripping onto his hair as he did so.

He tried to stop us. William lifted his head high, trying not to let any emotion show on his face. It was necessary.

“Well.” James, however, sounded very pleased. “Now you’ve watched your father die. It isn’t fun, is it?”

Hans shook his head. “He’s not- he’s not dead,” he said shakily. “He’ll be up again soon, just you wait.” He pushed the body off of him, looking into his father’s eyes. “Look at me, say something—!”

“Hans,” William spoke up. “You can come with us.”

“What?” Hans looked back at him. “I- I’m not going to leave him until he’s okay.”

“You know he’s dead,” William said. “But that’s okay, ‘cause you can come with us now, and no one’s gonna stop you.”

“What are you talking about?” Hans’ eyes widened. “He’s not dead! He’s not dead, William, stop talking like he is! I’m staying with the Devils forever, just like you! I’m going to be your Ally, don’t you remember?” He stepped forward and took William’s hand. William shuddered at the feeling of the blood, but forced himself to meet Hans’ eyes.

“Yeah,” he said. “I know.”

“I don’t have a problem with taking this boy with us.” James shrugged, but in his gaze there was something William had seen from his father before, and he didn’t like it.

His mother must have seen it, too. “Of course you wouldn’t.”

James laughed dismissively, but William thought he noticed an uneasiness in the way he waved his tail. “I only mean to protect him.  Of course, we could always return him to the Devils...or we could just kill him right here.” His smile faded, and he looked bored suddenly. “He’ll want vengeance when he grows up. Might as well kill the brat before he gets any ideas.”

“No!” Mary and William yelled in unison.

“Why not?” James rolled his eyes. “Didn’t I tell you Louis did it? It was smart.”

“Louis is a paranoid psychopath,” Mary said. “You are not. Don’t make me think that way of you.”

“I’m- I just- I want to get him help,” Hans said, pulling at his father’s arm. “Come on! Help me, William!” He wiped away his tears, his eyes narrowed in determination.

James snorted. “What do you think, William? Should I shoot this boy, too?”

“Argh, shut up!” Hans took the gun lying beside his father and pointed it at James. “I’ll kill you first!”

“Ooh, feisty,” James said, raising his hands. “Fine, then, I’ll let you live. We don’t have time for this shit, anyway. I’ll get some of my guys to clean this up later. Come on, Mary. William.” He waved his tail at them and continued down the stairs.

“I’m sorry, Hans,” Mary said. “You called de Witt, right? Go with him before the Disciples kill you.”

“I couldn’t go with you Easterners,” Hans hissed. He was crying again, and William felt sick, staring into his friend’s bloody, desperate features. “Just leave me alone.”

“Goodbye,” William said. He couldn’t think of anything else to say. “I love you.”

“Huh?” Hans looked up again, but William didn’t know how to elaborate, so he just followed his mother down the stairs.

“Alright, clear out, all of you!” James was saying to the Disciple guests and clients when he got there. “I suspect the Devils of Orange-Nassau will be here soon, and you don’t want to be in the crossfire when they demand to know where I am.”

“How’s your leg?” Mary asked.

“Same as it ever was.” James scowled. They walked towards the exit, and William glanced back worriedly in case Hans was following them. He still had that gun.

Mary opened the door for him. William looked up and in that moment saw someone standing there, blocking his way, and his heart stopped when he thought he recognized who it was. His mother’s shocked exclamation behind him only confirmed it.

“William?”

William stumbled back into her arms as his father came in, de Witt following close behind. He didn’t look very thrilled to see William there— if anything, he looked horrified.

“William,” he blurted. “Where are the Bentincks?”

“Um-”

“I killed one of them,” James announced proudly. “Next time, William, come here yourself if you must and quit sending your dogs after me.”

“Don’t make him mad!” Mary prodded him in the shoulder with her tail.

But her husband only turned his head towards James, his own tail eerily still behind him. “You have killed the boy?”

“I was going to,” James said. “Would you have cared?”

“No.” 

The coldness in his reply infuriated William. He had sent Hans and his father to them, and if they had died for it— he couldn’t find it in himself to care? Hans was his friend! And with that knowledge, with the idea that he would never again return to living with this rat, he ran at his father with a furious scream, taking Liselotte’s knife out from his pocket.

He was aiming for the stomach, and though he felt blood splash on his face, he realized that wasn’t where he’d hit at all. His father had held out his hand, catching the blade in his fist. William glared up at him, shaking slightly as his father withdrew his hand, the wide, open wound dropping blood onto the ground.

“Formidable boy,” he said. “You must check that impulse. That was what my mother told me.”

“What?” William’s gaze softened.

“You think you could have killed me?” His father, for once, looked apologetic. “That was never for you. I only say this because she’s gone now, but my mother was right. Marrying an Easterner was the worst thing I ever did. And you were never supposed to be here.” He ran his bloody hand through William’s hair. “I was supposed to rule forever.”

Don’t you want me to rule? William shuddered as he felt the blood stain his cheek.

“Get away from him,” he heard his mother spit out behind him. “I’m done. We’re not going back. William, come here.”

“Yes, run off to her!” William’s eyes widened as his father raised his hand high, but before it could come down on his face, James shoved him away and bucked his head forward, much like a provoked bull. His horns drove through the Overlifer’s chest, and as James jerked his head violently to the side, William heard an ugly tearing sound.

His father fell to the ground, holding his hand shakily up to his chest. William had never seen anyone draw blood from him. He thought he was going to faint. Only seeing de Witt saved him; he saw the steady gaze fixed on him, no longer shocked but patient.

This is what he wants. The right word for that was traitor. He’d always known it.

James barked out a triumphant laugh, his pristine white horns now stained red, the blood running down to his hair and face. “You know, I can kill you now,” he said. “Do you know how delighted Charles would be with me?” He brought his heel down on William’s chest, eliciting a loud grunt from him, his body jolting at the impact.

“Don’t hurt him!” Mary frantically pulled James away.

“Why not? After everything he’s done to you?” James looked into her eyes. “And your child? Mary, you don’t- you can’t seriously feel anything for him at this point. “

She held her son close, and William shut his eyes. He couldn’t bear to stare at his father like this anymore.

“Please,” she said. “I just don’t want you to kill him. Let him go.”

“Mary, if you’re with us now you have to understand that we’ll forever be against the Devils of Orange-Nassau.” James’ voice sounded unsympathetic. “There’s no room for split loyalties. If I have a chance to kill one of our greatest enemies, why shouldn’t I?”

“De Witt,” William heard his father say. “Kill James now.”

William peeked behind his mother and saw de Witt with a hand on his gun. He was tempted to let it happen, but he met de Witt’s gaze and shook his head.

De Witt paused, then nodded once at William. “Sir, you’re wounded. The prince takes charge in your absence.”

“I am not absent.” William’s father began to stand, and Mary shoved William behind her, turning around to glare at her husband. “I am right here.” Every breath he took seemed an agony for him, and William was briefly disgusted before he realized he was pleased.

“I really must advise against this, sir, you may be at risk of losing a life,” de Witt said. “We’re at a serious disadvantage. If we don’t leave now, you could lose all of them.”

“No!” a fierce little voice insisted behind them. “You have me, sir.”

Hans. William’s tail dropped to the ground, and James and Mary stepped closer to him, James in particular lashing his tail nervously when he saw the boy with the bloody face and the gun.

“He killed my father.” Hans wiped at his eyes, but his voice betrayed that he was still crying. “I’m not letting this Disciple get away.”

“Hans, if you think you’re any match for Charles’ brother you are sorely mistaken,” de Witt said. “Look what he’s done to our leader.”

“No!” William’s father snapped. “He’s done nothing to me! I am very well, I-” He stumbled forward, and de Witt rushed to hold him up as he fell into fits of coughing. William raised his head higher.

“Hans,” de Witt said. “Come here.”

“I don’t follow orders from you,” Hans growled. He looked at William. “You, tell me to kill him. Please. There’s nothing more I want right now.”

“He will do no such thing,” James cut in, much to William’s relief. “You couldn’t kill me, boy. No one can. You see that the blood on my horns is that of your Overlifer. I have only one life, but I am more powerful than he could ever imagine. I killed your father.” He limped toward Hans, who shuffled back, holding his gun out cautiously. “I can kill you too. The rest of your family would come first, however, because you don’t get to die without seeing that.”

“You’re not doing that,” William’s mother said sternly. “He’s doomed enough as it is, working for the Devils of Orange-Nassau. The least you can do is let him keep the family I know he loves.”

“Mary, Mary,” her husband sang, still held up by de Witt. He was smiling, but William saw the urgency and panic in his fiercely twitching tail, and in the shudders running through him as he reached for his gun. “Don’t pretend like you still care for any of us anymore. You betrayed us and you betrayed me. You took my heir with you. Unforgivable.”

“I don’t want your forgiveness,” she said, taking a deep breath. “I- I just want you to leave us alone.”

“Leave you alone?” He laughed, as if in disbelief. “After everything I’ve given you, including that half-bred little brat, isn’t this a little unfair? I think so.” He lifted the gun and pointed it towards James, and William saw the apathy come back to him again and knew in an instant that James was going to die.

He didn’t cover his ears fast enough. The gunshot seemed to bounce around and rattle in his skull, and he scrunched his eyes shut, trying to make it stop. Through the ringing, he picked up Hans’ voice.

“Lady Mary!”

William opened his eyes and found his mother swaying beside him, a hand held out to shove James behind her. James looked stunned, and when William looked up he saw why. She removed the hand she held over her chest to reveal the bloody hole there and flexed her fingers curiously before her legs slid out under her and she fell rather ungracefully. James caught her, shaking her and saying something that was fading into the back of William’s mind.

Not now. Not now. He was losing his words again! But he had to say something.

He saw his father’s eyes widen in outrage and horror, he saw Hans drop his own gun and run to de Witt as if he’d been frightened. James was crying now, but William could tell he was trying to stop himself. Out of his frantic speech William could pick out names.

Mary...William...Mary...Mary...Mary...William.

When he walked over and fell to his knees beside his mother, she looked up from James’ arms, her gaze all on her son. She was saying something, wasn’t she? He had no idea. He shut his eyes and felt her hand run over his horn.

William, he heard her say through labored breaths. That was all he knew, and he wasn’t ever going to forgive himself for not hearing the rest.

When her hand fell still over him at last, he realized James was glaring at him. William cocked his head to the side, and James shoved him back against the ground and took the gun Hans had dropped. He turned as if he was about to point it at William, but then de Witt was shouting at him. His name was there again, and William thought maybe that meant he wanted him to go there. So he stood and ran over to de Witt.

James’ tail dropped behind him. He hesitated before he roared something out at them, his tears mixing with the blood that had fallen to his neck. De Witt turned and pushed William along with him, and the last thing he heard from James was his mother’s name.

Mama. He had to go back for her! He turned around and cried out, but de Witt caught him by wrapping an arm around his chest and holding him back. William kicked his legs out, desperately trying to push him off. He heard Hans’ name said from de Witt, and then that same man was holding him in his arms, whispering gently, slowly enough so William knew what it was.

“I’m so sorry, William. This isn’t the end. Your mother loved you very much. You have to keep going.”

“No,” he managed through his sobs. He hadn’t even realized he was crying. “I wanna go back.”

“Where?” “To her.”

“I know, William.” De Witt brought William’s head down to rest on his shoulder. “I know. I’ll be with you now, okay? I’m here.”

Normally seeing de Witt’s car would have made William’s heart jump with excitement, but now it only scared him. They were taking him away, taking him away from his mother.

His father hadn’t said a word. He lay in the backseat, and William saw him wince as he held a hand over his bleeding chest.

“I- I’m going to die,” he coughed out. “Too much blood, I’m drowning- in it.”

“No!” William leaped at him, trying to stifle his tears but failing. He buried his face in his father’s belly, realizing too late that this could be punished for insolence. But he didn’t care; he’d taken worse. At least if his father hit him, he’d know he was still alive.

But he only felt a hand smoothing down his hair, and he looked up slowly. His father was staring at him, and not in any way he understood.

“After this...it- it will be my last life,” he said. “Like I said, William...I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m sorry,” William let out hurriedly before his father could go. “I’m sorry I left, Papa.” It was a stupid idea to think he could have been anything less than the Overlifer in the destiny his father had laid out for him. He was already almost there.

Just one more life and his father would be dead, and he would be alone. The realization shook him to the tip of his tail when before it would have brought him relief.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, his voice shaking. 

“You should be sorry. You...should be sorry.” His father’s eyes looked up to the sky and didn’t move again.

William turned away. He knew, logically, his father would return, but he wondered if the devils had become displeased enough with him that they would end it right here.

“William, sit over here,” de Witt said. “Next to Hans. Please.”

William nodded absently and sat beside Hans, right behind de Witt. He could hear Hans sniffling, his body shaking violently. Maybe he was cold. William sure was, even in his coat.

“I’m...sorry about your father,” he tried to say with a steady voice.

Hans wiped at his nose with his arm, looking up. “My family’s gonna hate me. They didn’t even say goodbye. I didn’t say goodbye, William, I- I don’t know what I’m gonna do!”

“We’ll get him back, Hans,” de Witt said, glancing at the boys from the rearview mirror. “When James doesn’t want to kill us as much.”

“Not alive,” Hans mumbled miserably. “He should have killed me too. He wanted to.” He buried his head in his arms, and William scooted closer, his tail waving over Hans’ shoulder. He didn’t know what to say, but he wanted to stop crying. He wanted Hans to stop crying.

“We- we always knew this would happen,” he began. “People die for us and- and for their Overlifers. Awful things will happen to us...it’s only a price, Hans, of the power we’ll have.” It was what his father had always told him, it was what he’d always told himself. It always worked for him; he could only hope it worked for Hans.

But it didn’t look good when even this couldn’t make him feel better. The price was too high.

“I don’t want this power, I don’t wanna be an Ally, I don’t- I don’t wanna do any of this!” Hans let out, his voice breaking. “I don’t want any power if I can’t fix things with it.” His eyes widened. “Wait, can you do that, William? Can Overlifers- can they bring people back to life? They can come back all they want!”

“I- I don’t know,” William admitted. “I hope they can.”

“Please, William, tell your father to bring mine back!” Hans begged. “Please, I don’t know- I don’t want to go on like- not like this- I’m not-” He brought William closer and wept into his shoulder, and William stared out the window.

We never should have left. His mother had only gotten herself killed and brought Hans’ father down with her.

No, he couldn’t forgive her. Not for this, and not for dangling this new life in front of him and making him want it. She was a traitor and she had died like one.

He would not be a traitor as well and grieve for her now, he decided. Instead he shut his eyes and wrapped his arms around Hans.

[tthesongofachilless]

THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL

♟️ — relationship: Max Verstappen x fem!teammate!reader

♟️ — face claim: Pinterest

♟️ — WARNING: This smau includes hate, death threats and sexism.

♟️ — a/n: thank you everyone for the support recently! Its been a wild ride making this, so I hope you enjoy it! For requests on my next smau, feel free to put in an ask! Enjoy

maxverstappen1, yourbestfriend and 384,752 other liked..

f1: F1 BREAKING: Y/n Y/l/n signs with Redbull! ✏️

view comments:

user1: WHAT HUH WAIT WHAAA

user2: RUE... WHEN WAS THIS?

user3: IM SHAKING

redbullracing: welcome 🫶🏻

user4: OH HELL NO

user5: checo come back the kids miss you (im the kids)

maxverstappen1: 👋

user6: i thought we were getting a maxiel reunion..

user7: she's a fucking rookie what do redbull expect is gonna happen

user8: the history book on the shelf is always repeating itself 😔😔😔

yourusername: 🫶

user9: shut your goofy ass up go to Williams instead they will LOVE you there

yourbestfriend, landonorris and 23,038 others liked..

yourusername: trying to live my life till the fullest until my trainer forces me to stop 🙈

view comments:

user10: oh don't worry girlie you'll be back to living your life till the fullest in no time

user11: gosh lando in the likes she's already tryna bag every driver

user12: all i wanna know is how does y/n make that many cups of coffee and not finish any of them?

user13: cant wait to see her make a post talking about her leaving F1

user14: y/n is about to become the james charles of f1

yourbestfriend: miss you xxx

yourusername: miss you more!!!

—

liked by redbullracing, maxverstappen1 and 197,296 others..

f1: 👋 Hello Max, Hello Y/n! Who's ready for our opening round of the season?

view comments

user20: gosh she won't even let the photographers get a good picture for the official f1 insta

user21: did they..... arrive together...?

user22: uhm!!! who is this girl!!!! where is checo!!!!???

user23: max run

redbullracing: Hello, f1!

yourusername: ME!!!🙈🙈🙈

user24: shut UP ALREADY

schecoperez and 482,074 liked..

f1: CONTACT! 💥 Max Verstappen is okay, safety car is deployed.

view comments:

user25: im going to murder y/n.

user26: turning the tv off it isn't worth watching anymore

user27: CHECO IN THE LIKES HAHAHA

user28: hey y/n do a mazespin

user29: redbull shaking in their boots

landonorris, redbullracing and 963,285 liked..

f1: Y/N Y/L/N, A FORMULA ONE GRAND PRIX WINNER!

view comments

yourbestfriend: THAT'S MY GIRL

redbullracing: 👊👊👊

user30: ugh

user31: can't wait for her to crash at every other race!

user32: wondering how the haters feel now...

yourusername: I FEEL AMAZING 🥁🥁

user33: kill yourself

yourusername posted a story!

caption: I'm winning

tagged: maxverstappen1

view comments

maxverstappen1: uhm you cheated

yourusername: you literally ate one of your cards

user34: leave that man alone

user35: jump out of the bus

maxverstappen1, taylorswift and 38,284 others liked..

yourusername: Taylor was right! Haters gonna hate hate hate while I'm just gonna shake shake shake!

view comments

user36: she's so annoying

user37: she's a swiftie? Gonna stop listening to Taylor now 🙉

taylornation: glad we could help 💕

user38: are we not going to talk about the second picture

user39: im scared for that mans wellbeing

maxverstappen1: 🏌️ Score!

user40: MAX RUN

—

— 7 Months later..

maxverstappen1, yourbestfriend and 918,024 others liked..

yourusername: wanna die but at least I've got my boo 💐

view comments

yourusername: you deserve so much better baby 💕

maxverstappen1: 👫 twinssss

user44: I'm sorry YOU SAY TWINS IN THAT YOU WANNA DIE OR YOU GOT YOUR BOO

user45: girl has been through it all in the past few months

user46: show them that they're wrong!!

user47: who is the boo?

user48: ugh such a pinterest lifestyle

liked by redbullracing, maxverstappen1 and 486,019 others

f1: Our final race of the season is upon us! Who will take the title? Verstappen or Y/l/n?

view comments

user50: if y/n manages to win the title in her rookie year despite all the hate she's getting I'm going to be so proud

user51: both deserve it so much 🧡

redbullracing: We are happy either way!

user52: DU DU DU DU MAX VERSTAPPEN

user53: y/n prove the haters wrong!

liked by 401,851 others.

F1: RED FLAG 🚩 Mick is okay.

view comments

user54: SHITTTT

user55: Mick baby you need a new seat

user56: doesn't this now make redbull 1-2?

user57: yeah! y/n is leading while Max is second

liked by 1,052,852 others

F1: We go racing again in Abu Dhabi! Y/n is leading with Max in second and Lewis in third.

view comments

user58: YOU GOT THIS Y/N!!!

user59: Lewis could do so something really funny now

user60: MAXIE 2024 CHAMP

user61: last race with Lewis at merc... im not sad... no...

user62: im shaking

maxverstappen1, yourbestfriend and 4,952,012 others liked..

F1: OUR NEWEST WORLD CHAMPION, Y/N Y/L/N!

view comments

user64: fucking bitch

user65: YESSSSSS

user66: UGH

user67: the way max looked at her when he got out of the car ��

user68: can't tell if she used him to get the wdc or if they are actually in love

user69: MAX AND Y/N OH MY GODD

user70: 💕

yourbestfriend: AHDHDHHGDDHHD IM GONNA DIE

yourusername, redbullracing and 6,308,157 others liked

maxverstappen1: Y/n, I've loved you since I first met you in our junior years. Your personality matches mine, and I could've never asked for anyone more beautiful than you. Please let us grow old together and look back on these moments and laugh.

Love you, world champion. 💛

view comments

yourusername: 💛 Gosh I love you come back to our room let me kiss you

user71: "let us grow old together" max what if I just died now

redbullracing: So happy for you both 💛

user72: THE THIRD PICTURE?

user73: gonna cry myself to sleep

user74: THEY ARE SO CUTEEEE

user75: UGHFHFHFHD

— fin 💐

— ♟️ a/n : thank you all so much for reading this! This took a while to make, as i was really stuck on how to progress the story further without making it too short. Again, if you have any smau requests, feel free to put them in my asks! Love you all 🦅🦅

[monzabee]

this is a relationship, that i don’t think anyone saw coming  – cl16

masterlist

Summary: The one where you and Charles think you are successfully fooling everyone on the grid, when in reality you are the ones being fooled.

Pairing: charles leclerc x merc!driver!reader

Word Count: 5.2k

Warnings: cursing, kissing, hiding a relationship (and doing it very badly), smut elements! (in one of the scenes, nothing penetrative), idiots to lovers, sexism and racism in motorsports, pop culture references (bad and many of them).

Request: “Hello! Can I request a charles leclerc imagine where the reader is a f1 driver and they try to hide their relationship from the paddock, but everyone knows and in the end they just reveal it. Thanks xx” + “this is not a request, but, can you use a dialogue from one of your favourite tv shows/series?”

Author’s Note: hi, hey, hello!! the title comes from an episode of the kardashians, but it was very popular on tiktok for a while so here you go! the request for this one was so good, and i had so much fun writing this, so i hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as i do. the dialogue i used for the second request/promt is from season 1 episode 9 of suits, which is one of my absolute favourite tv series of all time (even though it has too many legal inaccuracies), and you can watch the scene from here. ALSO, because i can never choose one, i decided to use another dialogue from season 1 episode 18 of gilmore girls, and i think it is the best piece of television ever written, and you can watch it from here. there are a bunch of pop culture references in there, so if you can spot them, you are a star! thank you anons for your requests, and i hope you guys enjoy this one! good morning, noon or night wherever you are, xoxobee

Please also note that all of my works are protected under copyright, and not available for reposting on other platforms. 

Charles is not stupid, in fact, he prides himself in being smart. However, as one of his best friends are looking at him with an unamused glare, he suddenly fears that he might have been stupid when he was getting ready before arriving at the venue for the party tonight.

“You are not dressed,” Pierre drawls, “What are you wearing?”

“A suit?” Charles asks, confused as he looks at his friend’s attire. “What are you wearing?” 

Pierre points to the outfit he’s wearing, which consists of brown pants with a linen shirt and a brown vest thrown over it, an annoyed look washes over his face as he explains, “I’m Indiana Jones, this is a costume party, Charles.” 

“Why would you have a costume party when you’re turning 27?” Charles’ face scrunches up in even more confusion. 

“Because it’s fun, and it’s my birthday.” Pierre rolls his eyes, “We have to do something about it; Kika, I need help!” He calls out to her girlfriend, who rushes into the room in a white dress and a very voluminous blonde wig. 

“What’s wrong?” Kika asks, her eyes falling on Charles’ outfits as she groans disappointedly, “Who are you supposed to be?” 

“I didn’t know!” Charles argues. 

“Mate,” Pierre objects, “it was on the invitation; ‘Hollywood Icons’?” 

“We can fix this,” Kika tries to offer Charles a supportive smile. “You could be… Patrick Bateman?” 

Charles’ eyes widen with shock, “From ‘American Psycho’?”

“Morbid, Kiks,” Pierre shakes his head. 

Kika shrugs, “He’s hot. What about Brad Pitt in ‘Mr. and Mrs. Smith’?”

“Does he even wear a suit in that one?” Pierre asks, still shaking his head in thought. 

Kika lets out a loud groan, “James Bond!”

“That could work–” Charles start saying at the same time Pierre objects, “The suit is not sharp enough.” 

“Then give him a tie, Pierre.” Kika frowns. “God, the two of you are like children, not even the girls had this much trouble, and the two of us almost matched.” 

You’re shivering when you finally arrive at the venue thanks to the thin trench coat thrown over your costume. You link your arm with Lily, who is holding Alex’s hand and the two of them are dressed up as Jack and Rose. “Why are we doing this, again?”

“Because we like Pierre, he is nice.” Lily turns to Alex to let him fix her ginger wig for her as she replies to you.

“I don’t know, I think I want to go back to the hotel.” You mumble, your hands nervously playing with the belt of your coat. 

“Just give it a try, Y/N,” Alex smiles at you. “We’ll take you back if you’re still feeling nervous.” 

You nod your head with a sigh as you let Lily pull you in towards the entrance of the apartment building. You’re too busy admiring the Italian architecture when you hear a squeal. “You guys made it!” Alex excuses himself to go greet some of the other drivers and you smile at Kika as she pulls you and Lily in for a hug at the same time as she chants, “I’m dying to see your guys’ costumes, show me, show me!”

You laugh softly as you take of your coat, pulling gasps from both of the girls looking over your outfit. “You both knew what my costume was going to be!” You whine, holding your coat close to your body. 

“I didn’t know it was going to be –” Lily starts, looking at Kika for help. 

“Tight,” Kika clears her throat, “it’s very tight, and your body looks amazing!” 

“You’re literally a model, Kiks,” you mumble, “can we please focus on Lily and how historically accurate her costume is? Not to mention yours, I mean, Marilyn?”

“You look amazing, Lily.” Kika agrees, giving her a warm smile. “And thank you, Y/N.”

“Thank you, Kika,” she turns to you, “thank you, Y/N. I’m going to find Alex, meet you at the bar?” 

“Sure, see you.” You tell her, smiling as she starts to walk towards the crowd. 

“Let me take your coat,” Kika leans over you. “You should grab a drink before more people arrive, Pierre made sure to invite half of the city, it seems like.” 

You thank her before she leaves to hang your coat, taking a deep breath as you start moving between dancing people, some of whom greet you as you make your way towards the bar. You give the bar tender a tight smile as you order yourself a gin and tonic, strawberry, of course. The first thing Charles notices about you is your hair, having memorised all the different tones mixed between your locks. His eyes travels down your body, his eyes linger particularly on your dress; the white bodice is connected to the tie dye skirt by a metal circle, and it is oh so tight, accentuating all your curves in the best way possible. His legs start to move towards you in their own volition when his eyes reach the leather thigh-high boots, his voice is thick as he approach you from your right. “Y/N.” 

You look at him with your lips parted in shock, your voice coming out in a low breath. “Charles, you’re here.” You let him take one of your hands into his as you lock eyes with him. “I thought you were going to be in Monaco.” 

“I was already in Italy for the car testing.” He explains, his fingers gently caress your inner wrist. “I’ve missed you. Were you back at home?” 

“I’ve missed you too,” a smile takes over your face, “yes, I’m trying to get used to changing cities.” 

“I’ll give you a private tour when we go back.” He offers, eliciting a giggle from you as you reach for your drink and take a sip from the straw. His breath hitches for a moment when he focuses too much on the way your red-painted lips close around the plastic, but he’s quick to shake it off. “Did you see the pictures on Twitter?”

“The ones with Frédéric?” You ask him and he nods in return. The pictures he is referring to being his new team principle giving your four-year-old niece some daisies. There is a teasing smile on your lips as you say, “Don’t worry, Charles, I’m not coming for a Ferrari seat. He was just giving Cecily some flowers when we were passing by.” 

“I wish you would’ve brought her into the garage, I’ve missed her.” The pout he’s sporting lets you know that he is being genuine and not putting on a show for your attention. 

“You know I couldn’t, I had to get back to my own garage before the race.” The emphasis you use makes him roll his eyes as his fingers occupy themselves with the stacked bracelets on your wrist. “Who are you supposed to be, anyway?”

“James Bond.” He replies in an unattached voice, exhaling a deep breath. “I didn’t realise it was a costume party.”

“Charles,” you laugh, head tilted to the side as you keep holding his gaze, “it was on the invitation, darling.” 

He groans, “I know that, now. Pierre was not impressed when I first showed up.”

“I can imagine.” You agree in a sympathetic voice. “Maybe we should’ve thought of something before you left last week.”

“Oh, yeah, like what? Vivian?” He smirks, his eyes going over your body once more, but without any shame this time. “Do you have any idea how great you look?”

“It was the last movie we watched.” You shrug, a coy smile on your lips. “Maybe you could’ve been a ballerina, like Natalie Portman, in ‘Black Swan’.” 

He lets out a hearty laugh. “Oh please, you know how good my legs would look in tights compared to yours.” 

“Oh, chéri,” You tut, stepping closer to him as you rake your fingers down on his tie. “You couldn’t if you tried.”

“I would crush you.” He challenges as he lifts an eyebrow.

You shake your head. “You wouldn’t touch me.” 

“Why not?” He asks, amused. 

You shrug in a nonchalant manner. “Because you'd be too busy staring at me in tights.” 

“No I wouldn’t,” Charles argues, shaking his head slightly. 

“You’re doing it right now.” You sing in a light voice. 

“You’re not wearing any.” He points out, his hands moving to rest on the bare skin of your waist, curtesy of the cut-outs your dress provides. 

You tug on his tie to draw him closer to you, his lips lingering near his ear as you whisper, “I’m not wearing any underwear.”

He is left speechless when you let him go, grab your drink and start walking towards your teammate, making sure to add an extra sway to your hips because you know Charles is watching you to confirm what you’ve just told him. 

You have a secret, and it’s big – big, huge. And it has something to do with the Monegasque laying beneath you. Charles talks about the last few days he spent at the Ferrari factory as you listen to him, your eyes focused on the way his face moves through various expressions when he talks about the car. Your chin is placed on your hands which are placed together on his chest, giving you the perfect view of his face. His fingers are moving on the bare skin on your back, the white bed sheet pulled up only enough to cover the globe of your ass. Although you try your best to keep up with his stream of consciousness, humming where accurate and asking him questions here and there, but Charles can see the sleepy look in your eyes through your hooded eyes. 

“Are you okay, mon soleil?” He asks, his chest rumbling with his voice underneath your hands. 

“Sleepy,” you mumble, leaning up against him to bury your face against the side of his neck, “you’re warm, though.” 

He pulls the sheet up your body; interpreting the way you shiver as you being cold, when the actual reason is the pleasure the skin to skin contact brings. “You can go back to sleep; we still have some time.” The incoherent mumbles leaving your lips makes him chuckle, which in return makes you smile against him. Your fingers trace over the edge of his five o’clock shadow, and you suddenly find yourself thanking whatever deity is up there that he forgot to shave because of all the commotion of travelling over the past few days. “What did you just say?”

“It’s just funny that you tell me I should sleep after you’ve kept me up the entire night, darling.” Your breathy chuckle hits the side of his neck as he lets out a chuckle of his own. 

“I didn’t hear you complaining at any point,” he raises one of  his brows, earning him a pat against his chest and you making yourself rise enough to glare at him. 

You try your best to frown at him, locking your gaze with his, as you can feel the heat starting to rise up to your face at the mention of your not so innocent activities of last night. “You’re incorrigible, Charles.” 

“Oh, chérie,” he coos, brushing the pad of his thumb over the swell of your cupids-bow. You’re about to give in and give him a kiss when he rises up, himself, with a frown and you in his arms. 

“What’s wrong?” You ask in a worried voice, following his line of vision to your closed bedroom door. 

“Does anyone else have your keys?” Charles asks, “I heard the front door open–”

Your eyes widen as you scramble to get off him, pulling the sheet up to cover your nakedness. “Charles, hide!” You hiss, while trying to force him to move. 

“Y/N?” You hear your assistant, Margo, yell through the house. “I got those thermal things you wanted!” 

“One second, please!” You call back to her, looking at Charles with pleading eyes. Thankfully, he manages to hide underneath the sheets just before Margo barges into the room. Even more luckily, the duvet over the sheets ends up hiding his body seamlessly. “Hi, Margo.” You give her the best smile you can muster up under the situation, your hand still clutching the bedsheet on your chest with enough force to make your hand hurt. 

“Oh my god, are you naked under there?” Margo babbles, a light blush covering her cheeks. “Since when do you sleep naked?”

“Um… I heard it’s good for your circulation?” You answer her in an unsure voice, causing Charles to tighten his hands on your thighs in warning, you have no idea how he managed to squeeze between them in the first place. “Thank you for the thermals, you’re an angel.”

“N-no problem.” She smiles at you nervously, obviously stressed because of the lack of clothes on your body for the sake of professionalism. “Toto wanted me to tell you that he is meeting up with Lewis for lunch later and asked me to ask you to join them if you were free.” 

“Sure, do you know wh-when?” You stutter during the last word, feeling Charles’ fingers and breath coming closer to your center. 

Margo checks her watch, then looks back up at you. “Around three, at that Italian place the team went out for dinner the last time.” 

You nod in acknowledgement as you try the remember the exact location of the restaurant she mentioned, gasping because Charles decides to give your clit a little lick before taking it between his lips to gently suck on it. “I’ll be there!” You rush out, hands gripping the white sheet even tighter. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Margo asks while eyeing you up with worry, “Should I take you to a doctor, or something?” 

“Oh no, I’m fine, honey.” You wave her off with a nervous chuckle. “I think it’s all in your – head!”

“Um.. okay. I’ll see you later, then.” Margo mumbles as she leaves your room with red cheeks. 

You throw your head back in a groan over the awkward encounter, waiting until hearing the front door open and close before pulling the sheets back and glaring at the man between your thighs, who still has his mouth on you, by the way. “You are evil, Charles, pure evil! What were you thinking?” 

He draws back slightly to raise a questioning brow. “Do you want me to stop?” However, he resumes his torture when you don’t answer him, looking up at you while grinning like the devil himself as he murmurs into your skin, “That’s what I thought.”

It’s hard, being a woman in the motorsport world, and especially in F1. While some may say it’s unprecedented, and you’d agree, you also think there’s going to be misogynistic pigs in any sector you might end up working in, so why not have some fun? The article comes out the day before the race, right before the qualifying session. You’re not the one to check your phone before going on track, but an urge to do so pokes at you when you realise people are giving you worried looks in the Mercedes garage. Your jaw tightens as you read through the article, fingers tightening around your phone as you read every single sexist comment being made about the way you dress, talk, and your entire F1 career and accomplishments being discredited just because of your gender. You’re absolutely fuming as you throw your phone onto the couch in your driver’s room and grab your helmet and balaclava as you walk briskly towards the garage. 

Both Toto and Lewis look at you with surprised, but worried, looks as you announce, “Make me go out first.”

“Are you sure, Y/N?” Toto asks, sharing a worried glance with Lewis. “You usually wait for a while for other people to–.” 

“No, I’m sure.” You tug on your balaclava as you add, “Make sure I’m on softs, please.” 

The two men watch you walk off towards your car, Lewis mumbling, “Hell hath no fury like the woman scorned.” The Austrian turns to him, eyebrows raised, which causes him to roll his eyes. “Yes, Toto, I read.”

You’re a force to be reckoned with on track during qualifying. Although having not the best start to the season, you push your Mercedes to its absolute limits, managing to outpace even the Red Bulls, and constantly asking your engineer for another lap until Toto has to ask you to retire for the day – in long story short, you are the pole sitter for the Sunday’s race. There are four people waiting for you when you get out of your car, those four people being: Toto, Susie, Lewis and Mick – though you’re pretty sure the latter was dragged into this intervention because you’re usually unable to get angry next to the reserve driver. 

“You were reckless out there, Y/N.” Toto frowns, crossing his arms over his chest (Mick copies his actions, nodding, as he does his best to give you a stern look). 

“I drove the best I have in over a year,” you argue, “we are starting on P1 tomorrow because of my driving today.” 

“I don’t care if we start P20, you know you shouldn’t have gone out there that angry!” Susie places a pacifying hand on your team principle’s arm when his voice gets higher. 

“We know you were angry about the article,” Lewis starts, but you cut him off as you grumble,

“A very astute conversation, Lewis.” You snap, not allowing him to continue as you begin ranting, “He called me a ‘Malibu Barbie’, and suggested that I should find another career, do you know how disheartening that is?”

“They called me Ken once,” Mick mumbles with a small pout on his lips, quickly mumbling “sorry,” when you give him a scathing look. 

“There will always be journalists who are against you and me,” Lewis goes on to remind you, “I told that before you signed, and before your first race.” 

“I know, but–” You stop to swallow down a sob, tilting your head back to delay the tears which are threatening to come out. “They implied that I’ve slept my way up to where I am today,” you inhale a deep breath as your voice wavers, “I’m so tired of my accomplishments being reduced to this.” 

“Men will always be afraid of women who have the ability to be better at their jobs than they are,” Susie smiles softly at you – soft, but not pitiful, you realise. “It doesn’t mean that we should give up, it means that we do our best to make sure they are proved wrong.” 

“You could’ve hurt yourself and others today,” Toto shakes his head, “you almost collided with both of the Ferraris.” 

Your entire break pauses at the mention of the red cars, mind quickly drifting to the owner of the eyes you love looking into, but you’re quick to snap yourself out, “Are they okay?”

“Both Carlos and Charles are fine,” Susie assures you.

“No more reckless driving,” Toto points a finger at you and then to Lewis, who raises his arms in surrender. “I mean it.” He pats you on the back before leaving, whispering a quick, “Good job today, kiddo.” 

“Why do I get in trouble because of you?” Lewis wonders aloud, his hands on his hips. 

“We haven’t been teammates for that long, Lewis.” You squint your eyes. 

“Are you okay, Y/N?” Mick asks with a concerned look on his face. 

You nod in thought, pointed to both of them. “I will be, but I need both of your help.” 

Mick gulps, voice tentative as he asks, “We’re not doing anything illegal, are we?”

After you’re done explaining your plan to your teammates, you say goodbye to both of them and make your way towards your driver’s room. Charles gets up, quickly, from the couch as you enter, shocked expressions on both of your faces. “H-how did you get in here?”

“I had to sneak in through the back,” he explains as he gets closer to you, hands quickly cup your cheek for his thumbs to swipe under your eyes. “Chérie, did you cry?”

“I- no!” You shake your head as you try to get him off. “I’m just- ugh, I’m just so angry!”

He lets you rant in his arms, eventually giving in and shedding a few tears of frustration, but he doesn’t comment until you’re done with your thoughts, and when he does comment, it is not to undermine your feelings. He takes you back to the hotel, and before the two of you leave your garage, he sneaks a soft kiss on your lips which has you melting in his arms. Unbeknown to you, Susie, Toto and Lewis watch the interaction from the other end of the corridor, with the latter murmuring, “Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning.” Lewis gives Toto a side-eye as the team principle looks at him with the same surprised look from before, “For the last time, man, I read!”

All the eyes in the car are on you, the next morning when you, Mick and Lewis arrive to the track in the same car. “You ready to leave?” Lewis asks you, looking at you from the rear-view mirror from the passenger seat; Mick drove to the track instead of you because you told them both there was no way you were driving with the heels you wore today. 

“It’s now or never,” you mutter, subconsciously fixing your hair.

“Give them hell.” Mick turns back to smile at you, and you give him a nervous smile as you exit the car. 

A few people around the entrance turn to give you funny looks, you reply to some of them by offering a thin-lipped smile. The real show starts when you finally enter the racing grounds, photographers turning to snap a picture of you when they realise it’s actually you. You plaster on a plastic smile, waving at them as you do your absolute best to walk in the 6-inch heels which were definitely not the brightest idea you’ve ever had.

“Hi, Barbie!” A similar voice calls out to you, and you smile genuinely for the first time as you call back. ,

“Hi, Ken!” You turn towards Pierre, pushing your sunglasses up towards your hair as you watch the Frenchman walk towards you with Carlos and Charles behind him. 

“Please tell me it’s a wig,” Carlos frowns, his eyes lingering on your suddenly platinum hair. 

“I’m having fun as a blonde, Carlos.” You shrug innocently, your arms crossing over your chest, and the pink dress you’ve decided to wear for the occasion. 

Pierre nods in support, “Blondes do have more fun, Carlos.” 

“I- Why?” Carlos asks, not getting the joke shared between you and Pierre. “I don’t understand.” 

“Fine, no soup for you, then.” You mumble rolling your eyes. However, your eyes widen when you realise he genuinely doesn’t get the reference. “Seriously- Carlos, it’s from Seinfeld.” 

“I’ve never watched it.” He admits, his frown still prominent on his face. 

“It’s okay, mate,” Pierre assures him taking him away to explain the joke to him, which leaves you and Charles alone. 

You turn to Charles with a coy smile on your face. “You like the new look?”

“I- but, when?” He asks you, more confused then ever. “You were not blonde when I left last night.”

“Mick bought the dye for me.” You explain, trying to supress a grin. “We stayed up all night trying to bleach my hair.” 

“You stayed up all night?” Charles asks, more concerned now that he learns that you didn’t have a good night’s sleep. “That’s so wrong, mon soleil, why did you do it? Is it about the article? Of course, it is.” 

“Charles, calm down, darling.” You place a hand on his chest, even though you’re hyperaware of the fact that both of you are out in the open. “I’m just going to prove something, alright? I feel fine.” 

“You should’ve slept.” Charles frowns, taking a deep breath. “Are you sure you feel good enough to be in a car?”

You nod excitedly. “Positive, I have a race to win. And wait until you see what Lewis and I are going to wear.” 

“I can’t wait, chérie.” 

Just as you promised Charles, you win the race. Your pace is even better than the previous day, but instead of being fuelled by anger, you are fuelled by determination to win. Your engineers play Aqua’s Barbie Girl as a surprise, and to make things even better, Lewis and you stand on the podium in a Mercedes 1-2 in your matching pink helmets and shoes – even Toto donned pink glasses for the occasion. Charles lets out a hearty laugh alongside you on the podium when he sees your outfits. Yeah, you decide in that moment, this one is for the girls.

You and Charles’ relationship happened so unexpectedly, but that doesn’t mean that you regret a secret moment of it. It all started when you were moving to Monte Carlo at the end of last year’s season, and Charles was the only one available to help you in the process – not that you asked him of course, he offered you to help because he is a gentleman like that. It didn’t take the both of you long enough to go on dates as you spent more and more time together, and it was a natural transition to both of you dating each other exclusively. Despite what you expected, the first time Charles actually kissed you was on a cliff overlooking the entirety of Monte Carlo, the view was beautiful, but you were still apprehensive because of your location on the cliff. So, being the gentleman he is, Charles offered to hold you, and that’s when he decided to kiss you. 

Lewis comes back to the table after taking a phone call as he apologises, “Sorry, I was on the phone; long distance.”

“God?” You ask him, mockingly nodding, which makes George and Carmen laugh.

“London,” Lewis clarifies as he gives you a questioning look. 

You gasp as you ask. “God lives in London?” 

“No, my mother in lives in London.” Lewis replies in the calmest voice he can muster. 

“You mother is God?” You ask right back, without the appearance of joking. Your small discussion grabs the attention of other drivers and couples as the two of you continue bickering. 

“Y/N,” Lewis tries to warn you, but you continue on with your rant. 

Leaning towards Charles, Alex and Lily who are seated close together, you announce, “So, God is a woman.” 

“Y/N!” Lewis groans this time. 

“And my teammates mother, it’s so cool! I’m definitely going to ask for strategy points for the next season.” 

The table shares a laugh as you and Lewis continue bickering back and forth, eliciting laughs from people who watch you with amusement. Eventually, Pierre clears his throat. “Okay, what is everyone’s plans for the break?” he asks, trying to look over the long table. 

“Isa and I are off to Mallorca,” Carlos announces as she presses a sweet kiss to his cheek. 

“I’m going back home,” Yuki shrugs. 

“I’m going to see Chloe and Scotty,” Lance mumbles, “and probably Daniel, too.” 

Everyone goes around to announce their plans for the break, but when it comes to you and Charles, you are nervous as you announce, “I’m just going to stay home, get to know the city, you know?”

“Yeah, same.” Charles nods, thinking he got away with his evasive answer. 

“You’re going to get to know the city you were born and raised in?” Fernando asks with a knowing smirk. 

“You can always find new things if you know where to look,” Charles replies in a serious tone, trying to appear stern as he nods to strengthen his point. You’re busy squeezing his hand under the table to death. 

“Yeah, like what?” Max asks, which earns him a slap on the arm from Kelly. “What? I’m curious.” 

“Like, umm, like-like cafés, and bookshops, and you know those little stores which sell souvenirs but not the generic kind?” He rambles, trying to think of more examples. 

“Okay that’s enough,” Lewis cuts him off, shaking his head as he pinches the bridge of his nose. “We all know the two of you are dating. The entire grid, and engineers, and probably most of the team principles.” 

“What?” You laugh nervously, trying to shrug him off. “Don’t be stupid.” 

“Yeah, we are not dating.” Charles shakes his head, his octave going up as he receives looks from people around the table. “We are not!”

“Drop the act, it’s disgusting the way you two look at each other.” Checo complains from the other side of the table. 

“Yeah, and I can see him doing stuff to your hand under the table.” Lance winces. 

“He is not doing stuff to my hand under the table!” You squeal, but Charles is too busy trying to contain his laughter next to you. “Is this funny to you, Charles?” 

“I mean, a little bit,” Charles confirms, finally succumbing to his laugher, “we have nothing to hide now, chérie.”

“I knew it!” Pierre exclaims, “I told you I saw them together at my birthday!” He tells his girlfriend. 

“Toto and I saw them kissing after quali,” Lewis shrugs. 

You gasp as you turn towards him. “You did not!”

“Yes we did,” Lewis argues, “even Susie saw.” 

Charles pulls you towards himself, still laughing over people arguing whether they saw you together over the past year or not, as he wraps your arms around your shoulder, you murmur to him, “I am so crashing next to him next year, Daniel style.” You take a pause to think, “No, Mazepin style.”

“Maybe not crash into your teammate for the sake of poor Toto, mon soleil.” 

You let out an unsatisfied grumble as you hear Alex complain to Lily, “Why didn’t she tell me? I thought we were best friends!” You groan and look around the table at all the people around you, who are all surprisingly supportive of your relationship, you smile as you press a soft kiss to Charles’ lips. 

He grins as he asks, “What was that for?”

“Nothing,” you shrug, “I just think you’re pretty cool.” 

“I think you’re pretty cool, too, my love.” He mumbles and gives you another kiss despite few groans coming from around the table. 

[f1amboyant]

hello! It’s the anon who was talking about Oscar being jealous of Charles bc of the Ferrari vids. Seeing everyone react so positively is def motivation omg, the drafts I have in my notes right now is so so rough but I’m at least getting the ideas down haha.

I saw another anon’s ask about jealous!oscar but with Vowles and I think a really funny fic would be like a 5+1 of Oscar getting cockblocked by Vowles. Bc now we know that James and Carlos have been in constant contact for months and surely that must have bled into time with friends and family? So in rpf land I just love the idea of Oscar increasingly losing his mind as Carlos has to reschedule dates bc he’s meeting Vowles, or god forbid have to stop sex to pick up a phone call from him, leaving Oscar horny and angry. Kicking Oscar out of his hotel room to spend time with James??? Oscar has a plan to murder that man fr. And the +1 could be something like Oscar thinking now that the contract has been announced he’ll finally know peace but instead James is just blabbering about how he’s basically in love with Carlos and that’s just Oscar’s last straw.

Maybe I need a draft for this one too omg I have so many thoughts

Jealous Oscar anon, welcome back! 🥰 I'm so happy you got so many ideas for this fic of yours! And I'm glad how everyone reacted gave you motivation (it's only fair, with how you fed us with this beautiful idea!) There's so much potential!!

It's okay to have rough notes and drafts. That's what notes and drafts are for 🥰 Compile everything you think about, even if it looks like a mess. You'll have all the time after to write it beautifully and polish everything 🧡

And oh, a 5+1 fic would be amazing! Of course, with all the months James has been courting Carlos, he has cockblocked Oscar more than once. Especially when they were already both in bed, getting frisky and then suddenly a call and Carlos has the nerves to answer and say that 'sorry, he has to go, it's important' and it's another meeting with James fucking Vowles. Oscar clearly would have murderous thoughts 🤬

Usually, in 5+1 fics, the +1 is a little twist on what happened in the 5 other times, usually sweeter. So I would personally expect something like Carlos finally muting James' calls, saying 'the contract is signed now, he can wait' and then go down on Oscar and make him see stars. Or something like that 🤭 But it's your story anon, and you have every right to do what you want with it 🥰

Please, feel free to share more ideas with me. I love them all! 🧡

[lifewouldbebetteronmars]

Title from right where you left me by Taylor Swift

Angstmas Days of Summer Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(I Stayed There) Dust Collected On My Pinned Up Hair

December, 1904; One year after the death of Christopher Lightwood

“Grace?” It was Thomas who called to her this time, instead of one of the Fairchilds like it normally was. They were concerned about how much time she was spending down there in the lab.

Everyone was it seemed. It had even spread to Christopher’s friends.

She didn’t respond, too focused on the book in front of her. It was Christopher’s journal, she’s read it cover to cover dozens of times by now. She could probably quote it word for word now if asked.

Grace could hear Thomas’s footsteps, loud and heavy, on the stairs. She ignored him and again started to focus on Christopher’s journal, mouthing the words as she read.

“Grace?” Thomas called again when he got down to the lab. He sounded concerned. He shouldn’t be concerned but he sounds so concerned.

“Matthew told me you’ve been down here for weeks, he’s concerned about you. The whole family up there is, really, even Charles and Charles doesn’t care for anyone.” he kept talking and Grace kept ignoring him. Maybe if she ignored him he would go away and leave her alone. She deserved to be alone.

He kept going on and on, rambling before Grace finally slammed the journal shut and turned to glare at him.

Thomas just smiled at her in response. “Oh, hello, there you are.”

She just turned back around and started going through the beakers and organizing them, a mindless enough task. “Yes, here I am. I am fine, leave me alone.”

“Sorry, Grace, but I can’t do that.”

“And why not? You have two legs and two feet. It seems to me like you can leave.”

“I can. But I can’t. Not today.”

“And what is today?”

“Grace, you what today is.”

“No I don’t, please, enlighten me.”

“It’s the day Christopher died, Grace.”

The beaker fell out Grace’s hand and smashed to the floor, shattering in pieces all over her feet.

Today couldn’t be that day, it just couldn’t. She would know if it was that day. She would know. He had to be lying.

“No, it’s not. You’re lying,” she accused him. “I would if he…if he died, today. I would never forget.”

Thomas looked at her with a sad expression. Grace truly looked at him now and he looked like he’d been crying. He wasn’t lying. It really was today.

“No.” she whispered, voice hoarse.

“Yes. I’m sorry, Grace.” Thomas said, his tone was genuine and Grace hated it. He shouldn’t be the one apologizing.

“No, no, no! I’m the one who should be apologizing! It’s all my fault! It’s my fault that Christopher is dead and that today is sad! It’s all my fault!” Grace screamed. She didn’t know where all the anger came from and why it had came so suddenly.

But once it started, it couldn’t stop.

“None of this ever would have happened if hadn’t been for me. I’m a horrible person. I manipulated James, Matthew, Charles, I probably even manipulated Christopher too. It’s because of my actions that he died. They should’ve kept me in the Silent City. He should still be here and I shouldn’t be. He should still be here right now and you should blame me, you should be angry. You shouldn’t even care about me at all because I killed your best friend. I’m just as bad as she was.”

Thomas had gone quiet, listening to Grace rant on and on. But now he spoke up. “Tatiana killed Christopher, not you. And yes, you manipulated the people I care about, people that Christopher cared about, but you have apologized for it. But it wasn’t your fault that any of this happened. You know as well as I do that Tatiana is the one at fault here. She abused and manipulated you for years, and then when you finally fought back, she killed your first real friend. And that’s a trauma Grace, a trauma that you didn’t cause. She was a bitter person who let what happened to her effect her actions until she died. You are nothing like her, Grace. Please don’t say that you are.

No one blames you or hates you, Grace, everyone is just concerned for you. You’ve been down here for days without eating or drinking, you don’t respond to anyone. Jesse’s concerned, the Fairchilds are concerned, I’m concerned, all of your friends are concerned. And before you say it, I’m not going to stop caring about you because you’re my friend and when you’re my friend, I never stop caring about you, no matter what you do. Just ask anyone and they’ll tell you. You have people that care about you, just like we cared about Christopher, we care about you too. You can lean on any one of us if you need to, because today is hard on everyone.”

Grace looked down at the broken shards on her feet, unable to look at Thomas anymore. He was Christopher’s best friend, his cousin, no, his brother. And he didn’t hate her.

It was silent for awhile, neither of them speaking. Until Grace broke the silence

“I loved him.” she whispered, barely audible but Thomas heard her anyway.

“I know.”

She looked back up at him. “You know? How?”

“Because he loved you too.”

That took Grace aback. Christopher didn’t love her, he couldn’t have loved her, he barely knew her. But at the same time, he knew her better than anybody. And she loved him for it

“How do you know that?”

Thomas smiled sadly and reached behind him for a small parcel that Grace didn’t notice he had had with him. “He had these made for you, before he died and you were still in the Silent City. He thought they would make a good first weapon for you.”

He handed her the parcel and she opened it with trembling hands.

Two silver hairpins laid in the tissue paper, delicate and sharp, with detailed spiders attached to the end. She had always loved spiders, something she had mentioned to Christopher during one of his visits.

And he had remembered.

Tears started fall from her eyes uncontrollably and her chest began to feel tight. Grace couldn’t breathe.

She clutched the parcel close to her chest as she fell to the floor and sobbed, all of her grief and sorrow finally being unleashed.

It wasn’t long until she felt arms around her, holding her as she sobbed.

She could feel Thomas’s tears in her hair.

He was grieving too and he felt her pain.

For once, Grace didn’t feel so alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The hair pins look like this btw (except in all silver)

Tagging (ask to be added/removed)

@tessherongraystairs @petalsofaflower-shutupthomas @littlx-songbxrd @wagner-fell @aliandtommy

[secrets-of-everwich]

04-1 I’ve Got It

[Click]

[Electronic hum underlies the recording]

{Callie}

Hello, this is the 7th October, and this is Callie Hew- You know who I am.

I’ve got it. The missing piece. It’s Charles. I’m sure of it. See, I was doing a tour of the Manor, and we got to the part- I should start at the beginning.

We do tours of the Manor, you know, to get money in. People pay a surprising amount to listen to me, X, or someone else to drone on about Everwich and the Manor’s history. I mean, I’d be one of them if I wasn’t the one doing the tour. I’ll make a second part to this where I describe the tours of the Manor in detail. Anyway, we go to a spare room in the middle of the tour, where we keep all of the paintings of the Florences. All the ones of Charles were destroyed before we got there. Like, his face is ripped out.

[Getting fainter]

Hold on, let me get one and show- Wait. No. Try to describe- Give me a second!

[Door opens]

[A pause]

[Door closes]

[Getting louder]

So, basically, it’s an early 19th Century portrait, because all the high-up people had enough money to get portraits of themselves and their kids. There’s one of Kitty, Henry, and Esther, but that’s not the point. This one is of Charles. And- His body, it’s normal. Kinda green-ish clothes, with hints of blue. Pale skin, but not deathly pale. Then you look up the portrait and- No face. It’s like someone has got a knife and ripped up the canvas. Right on the face. It’s sort of creepy, to be honest. But then you can see their ginger shoulder-length curly hair fine.

[Sounds of a large painting being put down]

So, I got thinking. If the Everwich Ghost is Charles, and the Everwich Ghost doesn’t want to be seen, that must be why everyone who sees them gets attacked. When Charles was a kid, he didn’t like too many people being around him at any one time, so would often run away.

[A pause]

I think, I mean, this is just an assumption. Based off that newspaper. From that James person. That’s why. Yeah.

Anyway, he didn’t like people seeing him, so maybe that transferred into their ghost form? Ghost-ness?

But why’s the ghost not been seen for about 10 years? That’s a good question. There’s definitely been a dropoff in the number of deaths and disappearances. The police say it’s better security everywhere, but no. I think it’s something to do with the Everwich Ghost. There’s been less weird activity recently. It’s confusing, because if Charles kept being seen, people wouldn’t just- Stop seeing them? Unless it's to do with everyone staring at their phones. Ugh, I come up with an answer, and it just raises more questions.

[A pause]

I think I’ll ask Rin about her grandfather. See if he’s got any information. I feel like I’m so close, yet so far. I’ve said it before, but I really do feel like the entire town is against me! I’ll discover something important, then it transpires that all the information I need to collect next got burnt the day before in a stupid fire!

I’m going to keep carrying this recorder around with me, so I can talk into it at any moment. I’m determined to find the answers. I will!

Oh, I’ve had an idea.

[Click]

[Radio static for a moment]

[Click]

[Sounds of Outside – people talking, birds, footsteps]

Hello, this is Callie Hewitt in the graveyard. I went to see the Florences’ graves. I can’t remember if I mentioned it before, but the Florences’ bodies lie in the graveyard. I’ve spoken to the caretaker before, he showed me the records of all of them being buried, at the same time. Except, there’s no record of Charles body being buried. It just explains that this is a cenotaph – a grave without a body. Which is. Interesting. Also, the grave is broken in two. While Kitty’s, for instance, reads:

‘Here lies Kitty Florence, 18- [radio static covers the date] to 18- [radio static covers the date], daughter of Henry and Esther Florence. Beloved by her friends, and family. A beautiful sister, daughter, and friend. May her body rest in peace.’

Charles’ reads:

    ‘-Friends, and family. A handsome-. May his body re-.’

The top half is missing. Here you go, Charles, here’s a flower. I don’t think you ever got many.

[Click]

[Radio static]

[Click]

I’m back in my bedroom now, this has been a Secret of Everwich thanks for listening!

[Click]

[pens-and-gems]

Princess Hierarchy Preview

Hello everyone, this is a preview to one of my upcoming plays, Princess Hierarchy that I will be posting on my deviantART known as Muggle-Gem-Princess and my Wattpad known as LovePrincessGem. I really hope that this play will make you not only laugh, but you will enjoy it as well.

Princess Hierarchy

A Play by Princess Gem

Characters (in order of appearance):

Narrator (Either Gender)

Snow White "Snow"

Cinderella "Cindy"

Sleeping Beauty "Sleeps"

Miss. Royally Your Majesty

Rapunzel "Zels"

The Queen of Hearts

The Mad Hatter

Pinocchio

Prince James Charming (Charming #1)

Prince Damien Charming (Charming #2)

Prince Charles Charming (Charming #3)

The Sugar Plum Fairy

The Three Little Pigs

Thumbelina

The Evil Queen

Prince Arthur

Beauty

The Beast

Little Red Riding Hood

Goldilocks

Principal Her Royal Highness

ACT I takes place at the ASB Club and Rapunzel's Home

ACT II takes place at the ASB Club; the Math and Science Club; and the Garden Club

ACT III takes place at Snow White's Castle; during Gym Class; and then ASB Club

Time/Setting-Modern Day Fairy Tale/Modern Day High School

Act I, Scene I

(Scene I. A fairy tale book appears and it reveals itself as a pop up book. We are introduced to a castle-shaped school titled "Fairy Tale High." Then, THE NARRATOR starts speaking.)

The Narrator: Once upon a time, there were fairy tale stories that became popular throughout the years they were introduced. Whether they were used as bedtime stories to children or cinema successes for families, fairy tales became a popular genre for people everywhere around the world. Until one day, when all the famous fairy tale writers such as the Brothers Grimm, Charles Perrault, and Hans Christian Andersen all found themselves wondering "What if, all of our fairy tales went to school together?" As in, "What if the children of tomorrow made their own spin on their stories?" Maybe, they could be superheroes or horror detectives, or maybe, they could go to school together! And thus, the iconic authors put their stories together as one big collection book, and whoever came across it, would make their own fairytale story! As time went by, public domain happened, and so our very own fairy tale characters became different people in different stories. And now, the trend contiunes with the one and only: Princess Hierarchy!

(The book then gets zoomed in as we now transfer to the play's setting: Fairy Tale High where various and iconic fairy tale characters such as Puss n Boots, The Big Bad Wolf, The Fairy Godmother, and others as teenagers adjusting to the new story they're in. We then zoom into the school's building where more characters were seen as they were chatting, being on their smartphones, having a coffee or two, among other teenage behavior they displayed. Finally, we reach our last location: Association Student Body or the ASB Club where SNOW WHITE, the club's president was writing down a few notes for today's meeting. Helping her was also some little blue and yellow birds.)

Snow White: Alright so, 12:30 PM is our Lunch Meeting to discuss Homecoming Week, Back to School Night, and Class Election. Friday at 3:00 PM is the Save the Dwarfs meeting, then Monday shall be New Students week to make up for pictures

(A blue bird gives her a latte in a bag)

Snow White: (takes it kindly) Aww, thank you so much Skylar. How sweet of you. (takes it out of the bag and sips it; only to spit it out immediately) Does this have soy in it?! How many times do I have to say that I'm allergic to soy?! (throws her cup down) Get out of here, (swats her hands at them) go! You disgust me!

(SNOW WHITE continues writing down her meeting notes. Then a knock is heard. From here on out, SNOW WHITE IS NOW REFERRED TO AS SNOW)

Voice: Snow?

Snow: Yes, yes, come in.

(Enter CINDERELLA and SLEEPING BEAUTY, SNOW's "friends" to say the least.)

Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty: (excitedly) Snow!

Snow: (squees) My girls! My queens! My princesses!

(All three run up to each other and greet each other by mimicing a kiss on the cheek.)

Cinderella: How was your summer?

Snow: I went to the Bahamas!

(They all squee again)

Cinderella: Any cute guys that you met?

Snow: Pfft, do I even need to ask?

(They all share a laugh)

Snow: What did you girls do?

Cinderella: (sadly) Prince Dean and I broke up.

Snow: Oh darling, I'm so sorry.

Cinderella: Yeah, but he was also such a creep. I mean, all he ever liked was my feet and my older step-sister.

Sleeping Beauty: I guess he likes ugly feet?

(SNOW and CINDERELLA gasp)

Snow: Sleeps, you are like so unprofessional! You're a princess, be better than that!

--

That's all I have for now. Hope you all enjoy it and you're always free to give me feedback.

P.S. If you guys believe that I should tag this as "mature" due to the feet joke, let me know.

UPDATE: 1/11/24

Made a few more edits and corrections with help from my Discord friend. Same one that helped me with my Bottom of my Asylum Heart and The Wish posts.

[james-vi-stan-blog]

I’ve missed seeing this blog in my notifs! I’d like to ask - what do you think really killed James? I was listening to a podcast about the more sinister royal deaths and yes, I can agree it was a combination of health issues, but what really got him in the end? ‘Dysentery’ is too obvious. Thanks! - thelastplantagenet 💚

HELLO. Yes, I have been dead. I got mono in the spring 🙃

Answering this from memory without books to reference in front of me.

I tend to be skeptical of diagnoses fitted onto figures of the past, since there are so many layers of interpretation involved, decisions on which sources to trust, etc. And medicine of this time period in England was… not good. The difference between the "legitimate" physicians of the time and the utter quacks is, IMO, very slight. Humoral doctors were often powerless against fatal illness, and a lot of the treatments, like bleeding and purging, would actively make cases worse. I'm totally convinced that his grandson Charles II's death (60 years later) was Death by Early Modern Medicine.

In James's case, I think it's hard to say because he had been in bad health for a long time and was really falling apart in 1624-5. His doctors diagnosed tertian ague (malaria) and I think that's reasonably plausible. While he was sick he also had a stroke that may or may not have been connected with the malaria, and he could not speak or rise after that point. What finished him off was an attack of dysentery, but he had already spent most of March dying by that point.

IMO, it is in fact possible that the posset/"potion" that Buckingham and his mother gave James could have killed him. I do NOT think it was poisoned (it was tasted by everyone in the room!!!), but given that GI issues finished him off, it could have upset his digestion or added more pathogens to his weakened body (just imagine all the stuff in their milk). It is true that James's condition took a downturn after he drank it. But, maybe he was going to have a downturn anyway, maybe it was a fatty drink upsetting his stomach, etc. I'd believe almost any explanation before poison.

But it's equally likely that the official treatment from his doctors would have done the same - humor-purging treatments weakening this frail old man and adding all sorts of new germs to his system. I think it's ridiculous to point fingers at George/Mary in particular for "interfering with James's treatment", because James's official treatment was dangerous pseudoscience, too!! Maybe if more people interfered with official treatment back in the day, more patients would've survived!

[birdsthatsingaftermidnight]

Of course we're watching the coronation.

We're watching it in our own way, though, and currently we're making up traditions. 

"And, of course, the footmen accompanying the carriage, will be mentally preparing for the final 800 meters of the Mall, where by tradition they will engage in a race with the Household Cavalry - the loser to be executed to get things underway in the manner of that great leader, Ghenghis Kahn.

And the footmen, of course, returning to their old titles since leaving the European Union, when they were, of course, Thirty Centimeter Men, of course."

- - - -

Huw Edwards: "Prince Andrew, making a rare public appearance."

Me: "Oh go on, Huw.  Say why."

He did not, much to my disappointment.

- - - -

"Once they pass the Cenotaph, the queen will, of course, change coaches, where the traditional Race to Westminster Abbey will begin.  She will be in the golden coach, the one without suspension, as the king gets first choice of coach. The competition is, of course, fierce, as whoever arrives first gets to call dibs on being the sovereign."

- - - -

"And there we see the Duke of Norfolk wearing the traditional Coronation Trousers and, as is the custom, nothing else.  He wears them on his head, in honour of "Bonkers Norfolk" who, at the coronation of James I, with only breaches on his head and his ribbon of the Garter attached to his left nipple, leapt in front of Queen Anne and her Ladies-in-Waiting whilst shouting, "hello ladies, would you like to see my impression of a windmill?!"  He will of course be tackled in the traditional manner by several members of the choir whilst the Household Guards stare straight ahead, trying not to make eye contact with anyone at all."

- - - -

Huw Edwards: "The king has chosen to wear the Robes of State."

Me: "Has he? What a genuine surprise!"

- - - -

"And as King Charles III arrives, the doors are slammed in Camilla's face by boxers hired by the king himself in honour of that time George IV continued to be a petty prick to his own wife."

- - - -

Huw Edwards: "And there, the Cross of Canterbury..."

Archbishop of Canterbury: "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'VE SQUEEZED MYSELF IN HERE IT'S STANDING ROOM ONLY! I ALSO CAN'T BELIEVE THAT ASSHOLE, THE BISHOP OF WESTMINSTER, IS DOING THE GREETING! ROYAL PECULIAR MY ARSE!  AND ANY CHOIRBOY GOING FLAT WILL BE SHOT! I AM SO CROSS!"

- - - -

King: "In His name and following His example, I come not to be served but to serve."

<produces tennis racket>

- - - -

Bass: <sings Kyrie Eleison, arms folded in front of him>

Me: "There's a man who doesn't know what to do with his hands.  Either that or he's been told not to wave them in case he hits a peer."

Spouse: "You can't trust basses.  He's been discreetly handcuffed."

- - - -

"And, of course, there are some mysteries that remain unexplained.  Like why the Archbishop of Canterbury has the face of a bushbaby on the front of his robes."

- - - -

Archbishop of Canterbury, paraphrased: "Do you promise you're a protestant?

King: "Yes." <points at Boris Johnson> "Get him!"

Huw Edwards, over the sounds of the scuffle: "A deviation from tradition, not because Boris Johnson is a Catholic, of course, but because he really gets on the king's nerves."

- - - -

Huw Edwards: "There will be many rods and scepters used in the ceremony, but the king will eventually be handed his own, inscribed with the words "Bad Mother-Fucker" because, of course, when you absolutely have to reign over everyone in the room, you should accept no substitutes."

- - - -

Can you claim leadership of the Conservatives by right of combat? Because Rishi's right there and Penny Mordaunt's got a sword...

- - - -

Huw Edwards: "And having decapitated her opponent, Penny Maudant stands and patiently awaits the Quickening."

- - - -

I'd love it if, as he's talking about duty to society, the vulnerable, and the sick, the Archbishop of Canterbury was looking, directly and without blinking, at the Prime Minister.

- - - -

Zadok the Priest is a cracking piece of music.

- - - -

When the screens are removed the king's not going to be there.  There'll be a gasp, and he'll appear at the back of the Abbey to rapturous applause.

- - - -

Spouse: "He's sloped off for a smoke. 'It's incense. Rothmann's incense. Mmmmm.'"

- - - -

THEY'D BETTER BE PUTTING THAT STONE BACK WHEN THEY'RE DONE

It's not like the English don't have their own rock at Kingston anyway!

- - - -

"He receives the Jewelled Sword +2, which is, of course, +4 vs Scots, but that gets glossed over these days."

- - - -

"The regalia, of course, will be returned to Ricky's Pawn Brokers where, later, a Beefeater will nip down and redeem the lot for the traditional hundred and twenty quid in order to return them to the Tower treasurey."

- - - -

"The Archbishop, deviating from the traditional words, forgets his lines and shouts, 'it's magic hat time, bitches!'"

- - - -

"And we come to the crown, where all claimants will try to take it in a NO DQs, PINS COUNT ANYWHERE, ALTERS, LADDERS AND THRONES, CROWN-ONNA-POLE MATCH!"

- - - -

OMG the Archbishop woggled the crown about as he put it on Charles so it wouldn't fall off! 

That might be the best bit!

- - - -

Me: "It's a bit odd that the Archbishop is having to check his notes to say the blessing. It's only what he says at the end of every service he's ever led."

Spouse: "He almost said 'it's magic hat time, bitches!' He has to be sure!"

- - - -

This singer isn't handcuffed. 

Obviously more trustworthy.

- - - -

"WAIT A MINUTE! That's not the Archbishop of Canterbury! That...that's Dick Dastardly! And this Abbey's... IT'S MADE OF CARDBOARD! We've been had!"

<cuts to Dick Dastardly, crown on his head but still in the Bush Baby Cope, tying the king to a train track whilst Muttley sniggers>

- - - -

...it sounds a bit like boss fight music is happening... any minute now a Sith Lord is going to appear.

- - - -

It's fair to say we're enjoying the coronation the way we enjoy Eurovision.  With great sincerity, genuinely and honestly,  but not necessarily in the manner that the organisers were hoping for.

- - - -

Spouse: "If he takes any longer leaving, they'll have to turn around and crown William!"

Me: "He can only move one square at a time now!"

- - - -

Spouse: "It does look for all the world like he's holding a thermal detonator."

Me: "It's in case Prince Andrew tries to get too close."

[trashbaget]

Hello i see you haven't heard of black sails?? I am DELIGHTED to inform you that it's a four season masterpiece and that if you like pirates you should ABSOLUTELY check it out.

It's set in 1715, and it's a prequel to the story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. It tells the tale of where the treasure un that story came from; how it came to be hidden on the island, how Long John Silver came into existence, how he knew James Flint, etc -- and it is SO fucking good.

It SEAMLESSLY merges real life historical pirates like Jack Rackham, Anne Bonny, Charles Vane, etc, with the various fictional characters from Treasure Island (the aforementioned James Flint and John Silver; Billy Bones; etc) and is genuinely the best tv show I've ever seen in my life. The character development that all the characters go through is unparallelled, and it's also very much a study in motivation - what motivates people to do the things that they do; what can drive people together or apart. The way that alliances and enemies shift around and swap places with each other based on character motivations and what each individual values is so amazingly done and so interesting to watch. You'll have two people who could not be more aligned with each other, and then one thing will change, and suddenly they're on opposing sides-- and youve got sworn enemies who, again, one thing changes, and the enemies suddenly find themselves as allies.

It's also very much an analysis of colonisation and the power of the English empire. One of the characters, Flint - he hates the British empire with every cell in his body, and initially you don't get to know his motivation for that hatred; you know he wants to find the gold and you assume it's because it's gold, right, of course he wants it; everyone wants gold. But then you find out WHY he hates the British empire and everything that England stands for; you find out WHY he wants the gold; what he wants do do with it, and suddenly not only does his character have SO much more depth than you thought it did, but also, you look at every heinous thing he's done so far and you're like "Yeah actually you are SO correct for this, keep doing what you're doing."

The writing for the show is PHENOMINAL - there are several pieces of character dialogue that I deadass want to get calligraphied so I can frame them and put them up on my wall. And the layers to the show and the themes of it, the reflections of society, the analysis of what a story truly is, are incredible once you start noticing them.

It's the kind of show that you can watch over and over and over again and still pick up new details. New themes new parallels new Easter eggs new musical motifs new messages. Honestly I say with my whole chest that it is unquestionably the best show I've ever seen in my life. I ABSOLUTELY recommend you check it out. ESPECIALLY if you already like pirates.

this sounds absolutely brilliant omg alfhskdj thanks lovely ✨✨

i am so two cakes excited about this and gonna write black sails on my forehead so i remember to watch it soon

[imnotobsessedwfictionalchracters]

Basic Information: Harry Potter OC's

Hello everything, so here is all the basic information about my Harry Potter OC's Anneliese (Anne/Annie) and Rose. This does mention relationships so spoilers there as well as spoilers when I mention different events in their life!

I also just want to say as I am white, my characters are as well, if you wish you make them not, that is up to you. Just don't get mad whenever I describe this as white. But most of my characters have skin similar to my own, white as hell during the fall and winter months but during the spring and summer months with the sun, is more tan.

Link to my nav page here

Link to my main masterlist here

Link to my Harry Potter masterlist here

Character 1

Name: Anneliese Erika Green

Nickname(s): Anne (everyone), Annie (Albus & her mother), Al (to Albus P.), Scor(p) (to Scorpius M.), Lil(s) (to Lily P.)

Birthday (Zodiac): October 31st, 2005 (Libra)

Where she was born: Wales, UK [specifically Pontardawe, Rhos, Swansea (according to Google)]

Parent(s): Danielle Aleksandrova (mother) and Peter Green (father) and Katrina Bolish (step-mother)

Sibling(s) (born): Aidan P. Green (1999), Antonio E. Green (2001), Derek I. Green (2001), Dominick K. Green (2002), Liam A. Green (2003), Randolph L. Green (2003), Genevieve R. Green (2004), Alexa K. Green (2006), Liana L. Green (2006), Clara A. Green (2008), Odette A. Green (2009), Elina L. Green (2012), Eden S. Green (2013), Nicholas B. Green (2015), and Charles P. Green (2024)

Partner(s): Albus Potter, Rohyn Goyle, Colin Creevy, and Oliver Avery

Job: Waitress at the Leaky Cauldron and Healer

Physical Description:

House: Slytherin Blood: Pure-Blood Hair: medium brown, has a habit of dying it different colors Eyes: amber eyes (basically hazel with yellow/orange specs) Height: 177.8 cm (5’10) Glasses Freckles Tattoos: a few around her body, specifically around her hip Favorite colors: dark green (#006400), dark purple (#301934), and mint green (#98ff98)

Events in life: Is up until the end of her 7th year

Born to be the middle of 15 (7 older and 7 younger) Meets Albus Gets put in Slytherin: 11 Her mum gets sick: 14 (summer after her 3rd year) Her mum dies: 15 (summer after her 4th year) She dates Rohyn: 15-16 She breaks up with him Dad announces he is dating Katrina She gets with Albus: 16 (winter of 5th year) Her dad announces engagement to Katrina: 16 (spring of 5th year) Dad marries Katrina and she refuses to go and starts to live with her grandparents: 16 (summer after 5th year) Moves out to her own flat: 17 (winter of 6th year)

Link to playlist

Character 2

Name: Rose Lily (Potter) Lupin

Nickname(s): Ro (everyone)

Birthday (Zodiac): July 31st, 1980 Leo)

Age per film:

The Sorcerer's Stone: 10-11 The Chamber of Secrets: 12 The Prisoner of Azkaban: 13 The Goblet of Fire: 14 The Order of the Phoenix: 14-15 The Half-Blood Prince: 16 The Deathly Hallows Part 1: 16-17 The Deathly Hallows Part 2: 17 The Epilogue: 37

Where she was born: (according to Google this is where Godric's Hollow is) Godric's Hollow in the West Country of England

Parent(s): Lily J. Evans (mother) and James Fleamont Potter (father)

Sibling(s): Harry J. Potter (1980)

Partner(s): Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini

Child(ren): Scorpius Hyperion Malfoy (2006) and Estella Cissy Malfoy (2008)

Job: Travel photographer

Physical Description:

House: Slytherin Blood: Half-Blood Quidditch Position: Chaser Hair: curly dark red, dark red with black streaks/highlights/tips (15-24), and blonde (41-45) Eyes: brown Height: 173.863 cm (5’8.45) Scars: one on her left forearm and on the top of her right hand Tattoos: a few on her left forearm and one on her right hand Favorite colors: dark lime green (#104e2e), dark almost black blue (#1a2326), and light grey-violet (#896ab9)

Events in life:

Is separated from Harry once she turned a year/moved in with Remus and Sirius Is raised by Remus with the help of Andromeda and Ted Tonks: 1-17 Is aware that Voldemort killed her parents as she grew up Finds out that Harry is her brother whilst ease dropping on Andy and Remus before she started Hogwarts: 10 Is placed in Slytherin: 11 Moves into Grimmauld Place with Remus and Sirius: 13 (summer after 3rd year) Begins living with Andy and Ted more: 15 (summer after 5th year) Starts dating Blaise Zabini Gets placed into the Slug Club: 16 (fall/winter of 6th year) Continues to be at Hogwarts, attempting to help Ginny and the rest of the kids at Hogwarts: 17 Tells Harry the truth because what was the point of keeping it silent at the point of the end of the war: 18 Helps ensure everything with Teddy is settled: 17-20 Breaks up with Blaise: 20 Travels the world, selling photos to both muggle and wizarding papers/magazines: 20-24 Begins to secretly date Draco: 24-25 Gets pregnant with Scorpius and has to come out about their relationship, ruining her relationship with Harry Has Scorpius: 25 Marries Draco: 26 Has a daughter Estella: 28 Falls ill mysteriously for a year or so: 40-41

Link to playlist

[imthebadguyyy]

Temporary Fix

Pairing - Lewis Hamilton x Reader (fem!F1 driver!reader)

Fandom - F1

Summary - You're the only female F1 driver, and you're damn good at your job. Oh, and you also have a friends with benefits relationship with a certain 7x World Champion.

Warnings - smut, best friends -> lovers, slight exhibitionism

A/N - you have the second merc seat in this, so Valterri isn't here : (( not proof read

Sometimes, you hated yourself for following your passion. Driving a F1 car had been your dream ever since you could remember. The long process from karting to F1 had been a difficult one. When you were seven, you had a go kart track manager that you couldn't race there because you were a girl. That had cemented your will to be the best you could be, and you had done it.

You had made it into a Mercedes F1 seat after spending two years in Williams. It was safe to say that you were one of the best drivers, with killer instinct and an excellent eye for overtakes. The likes of Mika Hakkinen, Niki Lauda, Jacques Villeneuve and others had praised your skills, naming you one of the best talents in the current driver pool.

But the glory, the fame, the praise, sometimes you wished you could just evaporate into thin air. This was one of those times. Press conferences sucked, they really did. Reporters and journalists thought they were entitled to ask you the most sexist of questions, brushing them off by saying it was 'just a simple question'. Sometimes the drivers you were paired up with defended you, like Seb or Pierre or Lewis or even Kimi. Sometimes people didn't want to say anything, or they just laughed it off or answered for you.

This was not one of those times. Charles was supposed to be your partner for the press conference, but he wasn't feeling too great so you were on your own. It had started off fine, with the usual questions like 'how are you feeling about the race?' 'is it gonna be a good weekend for Mercedes?' and then it had gone to 'Do you think you being the only woman here, you should have a special suit?' or 'Are you sure it's a good idea for you to continue another year in F1?' that's what had irked you off.

With a roll of your eyes and a shake of your head, you bit back the cutting response that had sprung to your lips, opting to simply look disapprovingly in silence, speaking more words in the quiet. Eventually, the conference was over, and you made your way out of the hall, deep in thought, so lost in your own world, you didn't notice when a pair of arms wrapped around your waist, pulling you into one of the nearby storage closets.

Your protest of "Hey!-" was cut off by a pair of lips pressing to yours, strong arms wrapping around your torso. "Heard you had a bad day with the press" Lewis mumbled against your lips, brow furrowing when you sighed and let your head drop onto his shoulder. "Yeah they're such fucking jerks" you replied, closing your eyes. "I'm sorry you have to deal with them every time" he continued, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead. "Eh, I mean I'd rather not talk about it" you continued, letting your fingers trace a pattern on his chest.

The silence in the room was disturbed by the ringing of Lewis's phone, making you jump softly. "Bono" he answered, looking down at the screen. "Pick it up"

"Hello?"

"Lewis, we're waiting for the meeting? And is Y/N with you?" Bono's voice rang through the tiny closet, as you turned to look at Lewis with wide eyes. Shit, the debrief. "Yeah, I'm coming! Oh, and I'll see if I can find Y/N" he replied, making you suppress a smile. The moment he put the phone down, the both of you burst into giggles, before he leaned down to press another kiss to your lips. "Well, we should go" he said, biting back a smile when you sighed, and cuddled into his shoulder. "Fine"

"But I'll make it up to you tonight baby" he continued, as a shiver ran down your spine. Oh yeah, you two had a friends with benefits situation going on too. No biggie

Except, well, you know you couldn't tell anyone, and you were definitely in love with each other, but I mean, of course it was better to be stupid and just simply refuse to acknowledge those feelings for each other.

♥︎☾☁︎

It had happened, when Lewis won his championship in Turkey. The team had thrown a (socially distant) party, and you had gotten just a little more drunk than you should have, but the champagne was flowing, tequila shots were being taken, beer was being chugged so you just jumped in and had a few more glasses of wine than you should have, and participated in a few rounds of shots.

Before you had known, a pair of hot lips had crashed onto yours, and your arms had tightly held onto a broad pair of shoulders, as the pair of you had stumbled up to your hotel room, crashing backwards onto the bed. Your drunken mind had been sober enough to recognise the 'Still I Rise' tattoo across his back when he tugged his shirt off.

At the same time, Lewis had recognised your face, heart speeding up ever so slightly because holy shit he was making out with you, and he really, really liked you. Before he knew it, your dress was down to your knees, and his shirt was a rumpled mess on the floor, your friendship gone far beyond repair, but only in the best way possible.

The next morning, you had let out a groan when the sunshine had flashed into your eyes, rolling over to find Lewis lying next to you, his arm wrapped around your waist as he slept peacefully. Your heart rate had sped up, and you had shot up, scaring the living day light out of Lewis. He had awoken with a start, confusion present in his brown eyes, before realization had sunk in, and he had shot out of bed, wrapping one of the towels around his lower body.

But before the two of you could get awkward, he had strutted over to you, grabbing your face in his hands before pulling you in for a kiss that made you feel weak and light headed.

And then the both of you came to the conclusion that you two wanted something loose and flexible, something fun with no commitment.

But was it what you wanted?

♥︎☾☁︎

Sometimes debriefs could drag on. And on. And on. Eventually, the engineers left the room, leaving only Toto, Lewis, Bono, Angela, James and yourself in the room. Over the years, it had become like a family for you, and you loved them to absolute bits. The mood in the room had changed, as you all joked around for a while.

Watching from the other side of the room, Lewis couldn't help the smile that etched itself onto his face, when he saw you throw your head back with laughter at something Toto said, inhaling sharply when your neck came into clear view, a sudden urge to mark you up settling in on his body.

It was a thrill, to think of how many times you had come undone on his fingers and his tongue, how many nights you begged for him to fill you up with his cock. It was a thrill to think of all the times he had cried your name out in ecstasy while your tongue worked wonders around him. And yet, here you were, acting as if you two were just best friends, not two people who could barely keep their hands off of each other.

Just two nights ago, he had made you scream his name so loud, the person the next room, who just happened to be Daniel, had not let him hear the end of it. Thankfully, the Aussie hadn't realized it was you in his bed. Two nights ago, he had made you see stars, and after that you had rewarded him with the performance of his life to Nights Like This by Kehlani.

Snapping back to reality when a slight poke was applied to his shoulder, Lewis looked over to see Angela looking at him with a slight smirk on her face. He strongly suspected that the woman definitely had some sort of inkling about the both of you. How ? No idea. But she was a crazy smart woman, and was bound to have figured out that he was seeing someone.

It didn't help that atleast half the people on the grid had at some point teased him, telling him the both of you were made for each other. It was like the universe was pushing the both of you to be together, and he kept pushing it away

"So are we feeling confident going into this weekend?" Toto asked, grabbing his attention from the smirking blonde.

"Yup!" Your cheery answer elicited a smile from everyone in the room. "Yeah I think so" he said, watching as you flashed him a quick smile. "Okay, then, I think we're done for now. Any questions?" Bono asked, scanning a data sheet in front of him. "No, i'm good" you replied, reaching over to grab your phone. "Yeah me too" Lewis said, far too concerned with what was going to happen later that night to pay his full attention to Bono.

"Okay then. We'll see you tomorrow"

And with that they departed. Before Lewis could follow you, a hand grabbed his and he turned to see Angela, Toto and Bono looking at him expectantly. "So whose got you all distracted and flustered?" Angela asked, earning a smirk from Toto. "What? No one" he replied, slapping himself mentally for being all day dreamy during a meeting. "Oh really? I'm willing to bet you didn't hear anything I said during the meet except the last bit" Bono said, smiling when his driver got visibly flustered.

"So do we know her?" Angela continued, watching him closely for any giveaway reactions. "How would you know her if I don't like anyone?" Lewis said, hoping to God it didn't come across as awkward as it sounded.

"Never said you liked anyone. I'm saying you're in love with someone" Angela said, watching as her friend's eyes widened in shock, and he shook his head profusely. "Okay are you on something? I'm just gonna head back to the hotel now" he murmured, confused, and somewhat taken aback by her bluntness.

Ignoring the looks on the others faces, he made his way out to the paddock, trying his hardest to make sense of his feelings. Was a casual relationship with you what he wanted? He wanted so much more than that.

Lewis knew, deep down in his heart, that he wanted to hold your hand in public, and kiss you right on the lips in front of everyone when you shared a podium. He wanted to be able to call you his, to not just spend the night with you, but to spend all his days with you. But you didn't want that.

Or so he thought.

♥︎☾☁︎

Back at the hotel, Lewis busied himself with working out, trying to push all his frustrations out via the workout. He knew that you were going to turn up in the night, and he looked so damn forward to seeing you each night, but god, he hated it when you left in the morning. Every morning when your warm body slipped out from under the sheet, his arms would tighten for a moment, before your giggle would bring him back to reality and he'd hastily draw back, smiling at you. His favourite moment was when he came to your hotel room in Spain. In the morning, he had woken up before you, and before leaving, he had pressed a little kiss to your forehead. The most gorgeous smile had curled onto your lips, and his heart had melted into a little puddle when you rested your cheek on his hand

And then in Monaco, when he had taken you to his apartment, you had woken up before him, and he had woken up to the sight of you bringing a tray of pancakes and fruits, followed by a soft kiss to his cheek.

It was those moments he cherished, but it was those same moments that confused him.

His train of thought was broken when a knock echoed in the room, as he walked over to the door, opening it to find : you

"Hey" you greeted him, walking in and shedding your jacket. "Hey" he replied, reaching for a towel to wipe the sweat off of his body. "Wow um, is this a bad time?" You asked, eyes trailing down his abs, watching as his body glistened in the fading sun light. "No its fine, I just finished my workout. You hungry?" He continued, biting back a smirk when he saw your eyes roaming his body.

"W-what? Yeah, i, um, suppose - yeah" you murmured, mind already far down the gutter.

"For food darling, not for sex" he said, making you blush and let out a small gasp. "Lewis!" You chided, shoving him softly. "You know you were thinking it" he mumbled, pushing you up against the wall. "Yeah I was" you whispered back, yanking him forward by his shoulders, slamming your lips against his.

Lifting you up from the waist, he pressed his body further into yours, one of his hands wandering down to your ass, squeezing harshly, earning a moan from your lips. Taking the opportunity, he pushed his tongue into your mouth, groaning when you let your core grind against him.

Leading you towards the bed, he stopped in confusion when you stopped him, maneuvering him towards the balcony. "Want you to fuck me against the window or in the balcony" you gasped out, earning a moan from him.

"Right where anyone could see us, hmm? Didn't know you were into that baby" he growled, grabbing your earlobe in between his teeth, earning an airy gasp from you, as the wetness threatened to seep down your legs.

"Mmhmm" was all you could muster, your mind so clouded with desperation you couldn't form a single coherent thought. The only thing you were aware of was that only Lewis could make you feel the pleasure you wanted to feel, only he would take you to that little piece of heaven, only he would hold your hand and fuck you into oblivion, and he would still be there to clean you down with a sponge softly.

"If you insist"

Grabbing you roughly, he slammed your body against the massive hotel room window, ripping the mercedes team shirt you were wearing off of your quivering form, letting it drop to the floor, before he hooked his fingers into the material of your jeans, tugging the denim down your legs

With a soft groan, you pulled his nike shorts down his legs, moaning when his cock came into view, the throbbing in between your legs making you whimper, arousal and need growing tenfold in your tummy.

"Please" you whispered, meeting his eyes, so he could see the pure desperation in your eyes. "Please what?" He said, a certain roughness you hadn't heard before creeping into his voice

"Please fuck me" you moaned, gasping when he brought his hand up to your neck, squeezing ever so slightly. "Oh trust me doll, i will. But first, i want to have you dripping wet and ready for me. I want to make you cum on my fingers, so you're wet and ready for my cock. Do you want my fingers princess?" he continued, feeling his arousal grow when you whimpered and whined.

"Words baby girl. Or I'll just leave you here with your pathetic fingers. I bet you can't even reach all those spots inside you that make you scream, when your tiny little fingers try to please yourself. I bet you just feel like sinking into yourself, but the thought of my fingers keeps you awake. Do you do that, sweet girl? Do you pretend your fingers are mine when you're touching yourself, hmm?'

When you didn't answer, he delivered a smack to your ass, groaning when you moaned at the pleasurable sting. "Yes" you whispered abashed.

"Don't be shy baby. Its okay. I know you feel so good when I love on you. I can see it when you scream my name" and with that, his pointer finger began circling your clit, rubbing circles around it before shifting so he was rubbing the sensitive bud directly.

Your moans of ecstasy were music to his ear, a smile gracing his features, as he let his middle finger slip into you, thrusting it in and out of you. Your soft cry of "fuck" cracked when he shoved his pointer into you as well, scissoring them in and out of you

"Oh fucking hell Lew-" "Shh my darling, i didn't say you could talk, did I?" He said, fingers working at an indescribably quick pace, as the knot in your tummy tightened and threatened to loosen. "I'm gonna-" "go ahead baby" he murmured, using his pointer and thumb to pinch your clit roughly, as you came around his fingers with a scream

"Good girl. You wanna put that pretty little mouth to use somewhere else?" he asked, watching as you dropped to your knees eagerly, (just like I would do irl) reaching up to rest your hands on his hips.

"Someone's eager to suck my cock hmm? Be a good girl for me, and don't waste time" he ordered, a shudder running down his body when your nails traced the veins on his cock, and then as they reached downwards, your thumb circling his tip, collecting his pre cum on your finger. Then you shoved your thumb in your mouth, swirling your tongue around it, before sucking softly on your digit, rolling your eyes back. You were snapped back to reality when Lewis roughly yanked your head up, pure arousal clouding his pupils

"You better use your mouth right now, or i swear i will leave you here alone to pleasure yourself" he threatened, moaning when you took his tip into your mouth at once, sucking softly before swirling your tongue upwards.

The feel of your tongue on him made him buck his hips into your mouth, the unexpected movement pushed him quite far back in your mouth, looking up at him, you hollowed out your cheeks, taking more and more of his cock into your mouth, the sounds he was making above you fuelling you. You took him as far back as you could without gagging, as a strangled moan of "Fuck Y/N!"left his lips. He grabbed your hair, tugging upwards, the tingling on your scalp sending shockwaves of pleasure through you. "Fuck baby, you're gonna have to stop now, I really want to fuck you now" he growled out, pulling you up before pushing you towards to balcony railing

Lining up with your entrance, he watched as you let out a shaky breath, eyes falling shut, as you clenched in anticipation.

"Are you sure you want this Y/N?" he asked, eyes searching your face for any sign that he was being too rough, or that you didn't want what was coming next

"Turning your head around to face him, you pulled him in for a passionate kiss. "I've never been more sure baby" was your affirming reply.

Kissing you back with the same fervour, he slowly pushed into you from behind, the both of you groaning in sync when your walls enveloped him. "fuck you feel so good darling. So fucking tight" lewis moaned, making you moan as well as the pleasure coursed through your veins.

Reaching around you, Lewis rubbed your clit while he continued to snap his hips against yours, making your breasts bounce against your chest, your hands gripping the balcony railing for dear life. Thank god it was dark.

He continued to rub and pinch you clit, before swiping his fingers through your wet folds. Then he shoved his fingers into your mouth, prompting you to suck on them

"Be an angel and suck on my fingers for me" he growled, moaning when your mouth eagerly closed around his fingers, sucking them with fervour.

Snapping his hips into you desperately, his hands encircled your waist, pulling you back to meet his thrusts, swishing his fingers around in your mouth. "Fuck baby thats it, i'm gonna cum" he groaned, capturing your earlobe in between his teeth, moaning when you clenched down on him again

"Oh fucking hell-" with a moan, he came into you, pulling his fingers out of your mouth to rub your clit again, sighing with satisfaction when you came around him with a scream of "Lewis!"

Panting, he dragged you back to the bed, both of you collapsing into the covers.

Your chest rising and falling rapidly, you curled up into his chest, letting your head droop onto his shoulder, as his fingers traced his initials onto your hip.

"Well princess, we seem to have a problem here" he said, as you snapped your head up to look at him in confusion.

"I think i'm in love with you"

♡☾☁︎

A/N - part 2? Also feel free to drop a comment, i'd really appreciate it 🤍 thank you so much for reading 🤍

[heronducks]

THE LAST HOURS AS VINES

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

Matthew: hey guys I'm really sad

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

James: is there anything better than p*ssy

James: yes, a really good book

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

Christopher: look at this graph

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

Matthew (to alastair): imma fuckin ripp your face off, bitch

Christopher: what did he do?

Matthew: cause he fuckin pushed me!

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

Christopher: haha thAt is not cOrreCt

Christopher: because according to the encyclopedia of pdldkskoajd

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

Matthew: people are constantly asking what it's like to be a sexy–

Matthew: *trips and falls*

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

Charles: no off topic questions

Charles: because I don't want to

Charles: no that– no

Charles: permission denied

Charles: that's an off topic question, next

Charles: you have been stOPPed

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

Cordelia: hey everyone today my brother pushed me so I started a kickstarter to put him down

Cordelia: the benefits of killing him would be I would get pushed way less

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

Anna: hey I'm lesbian

Christopher: I thought you were american british

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

Christopher: would you rather kill alastair or–

Matthew: yes. kill him.

Christopher: I didn't say the other–

Matthew: I don't need to hear it.

Alastair: feeling a little unsafe...

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

Anna: oh so you're not coming to my tea party?

Anna: Cordelia, I MADE BISCUITS

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

Matthew: I don't sing in the shower

Matthew: i PERFORM

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

Alastair: stop saying I look like chicken little

Alastair: he's dumb and he's a coward

Alastair: and I'm NOT a coward

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

Christopher: an avocado thanksss

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

James and Cordelia: *kissing in the whispering room*

Matthew: wtf is this allowed

Matthew: wtf... is that allowed

Cordelia: stOp

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

*the first time in the hell ruelle*

Malcolm: has anybody ever told you you look like beyoncé

Cordelia: nah they usually tell me I look like cordelia

Malcolm: who the fuck is that

Cordelia: me

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

Alastair: oh hi thanks for checking in I'm still a piece of garbage

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

Matthew: so I'm sitting there, bbq sauce on my tiddies

James: *rolling on floor laughing*

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

James: *shoots a chandelier with a pistol*

Lucie: THIS IS WHY MOM DOESN'T FUCKING LOVE YOU

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

Matthew: Well, when life gives you lemons

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

Thomas: road work ahead?

Thomas: uh yeah I sure hope it does

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

Matthew: and just remember

Matthew: nobody is gonna hate you more than you already hate yourself

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

Christopher: HEY HEY HEY

Thomas: shhh james is sleeping

Christopher, whispering: sorry

Thomas, also whispering: what's up?

Christopher, still whispering: there's a fire

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

Lucie (about matthew and james): two bros chilling in a hot tub five feet apart cos they're not gay

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

Matthew: oscar do you want the ball

Matthew: *throws ball into a tower of bottles*

Oscar: *jumps to catch the ball*

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

James: uaAAAAHHH

Matthew: staaahhhp I coulda dropped my croissant

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

jesse: *sneaking on tiptoes through the house*

jesse: *trips and falls* ah fuck

lucie: who's there???

jesse: nobody fuck off

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

James (to Will): you are my daaad

James: you're my dad!

James: boogie woogie woogie

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

Matthew: *is asleep*

James: *pours water bottle on matthews head*

Matthew: hello?

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

James (to alastair): I'm about to say it

James: I don't care that you broke your elbow

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

Matthew: hey guys good alternative to recycling

Matthew: when you're done with a glass bottle, eat it

Matthew: fuckin eat the bottle

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

Christopher, with his newly invented weapon: don't fuck with me I have the power of God and anime on my side

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

Cordelia: hi im renata bliss and I'm your freestyle dance teacher

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

Matthew: two shots of vodka

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

James: don't tell your mother

Grace: kiss one another

James: DIE FOR EACH OTHER

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

Thomas: man do you have any shaving cream?

Christopher: nah I don't like the way that it tastes

Thomas: wait you eat shaving cream

Christopher: no why would I eat it if I don't like the taste

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

Grace: I spilled lipstick in your valentino bag

Tatiana: you spilled– whdoahdhskhaha liPSTICK in my vALENTINO WHITE BAG

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

lucie to cordelia: dude I've heard rumors that these stairs are like haunted

lucie: apparently some guy died here when he was like 9 or something

jesse: im 17 so shut the fuck up

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

[fandomlit]

proximity concert (corpse husband x reader)

requested by @greenie-of-shield “reader is friends with like James Charles and is really good at guitar or ukulele and singing and one day they are all streaming together and like they hear reader playing in the background of someone’s mic and ask who it it’s like James is like “ooh yeah this is my friend (y/n)” they all say hi and corpse compliments her voice and like they ask her to play among us with them and when she dies in among us she plays music for her stream or her friends in proximity chat and stuff. She and corpse get close cause of music and it spirals into like a friends to lovers or something”

summary you’re hanging in the background as your dear friend james charles records an among us video with some youtuber friends (pewdiepie and his usual gang). you decide to entertain james with some ukulele and singing, and end up gaining the welcome attention of youtube’s beloved horror narrator.

warning swearing, sexual reference

gif cred belongs to @datchidatchi​

“let’s go!” james cheered when his screen displayed a bright blue crewmate label. you cheered behind him, your voice distant and the sight of you blurry on his camera as you raised your ukulele to cheer with him. he laughed. “oh wait, im not supposed to be muted, we’re using proximity..” you laughed as he unmuted himself and went to do his tasks.

james groaned as he began to download in weapons, slumping against his desk. “this is the most boring task for no reason,” he complained. then he turned to you suddenly and you gave him a surprised look. “y/n, queen, can you sing me a song to pass time?”

you laughed but nodded at your best friend, beginning to strum your ukulele into an upbeat tune. james cheered at the familiar tune. before you could sing the first line out, he waved you over. you paused your strumming to question, “what?”

“come to the mic!” he exclaimed. “let the people hear your beautiful voice!”

you laughed again and went over to his mic. “hi,” you spoke closely into his mic, looking into his camera. he laughed as you leaned back and began to strum the tune again. “sittin’ all alone, mouth full of gum in the driveway..”

james was too busy dancing and you were too busy singing to notice his download had finished and many people had come and go through weapons during the entire scene.

“my friends aren’t far, in the back of my car lay their bodies,” you sang smoothly. “where’s my mind? where’s my mind?” you grinned. “they’ll be there pretty soon, lookin’ through my room-” you cut yourself off as an emergency meeting was called. you clapped a hand over your mouth and pressed a quick kiss to james’s cheek before sneaking back into the background.

james gaped at the perfect lipstick mark you had left on his cheek as toast spoke, “okay, does anyone else hear the ukulele playing or am i going crazy?”

“i was actually just about to ask about that,” corpse spoke. james’s camera zoomed in on your shocked face at his voice.

‘is that corpse?’ you mouthed. james nodded, leaning to mute himself.

“crazy, right?” he laughed. you nodded frantically as he turned back to the game.

“so who is it..?”

“it’s me, guys, sorry,” james spoke. “well, not me, but it’s coming from my room.”

“.. what?”

“my friend y/n is here entertaining me,” james laughed as he explained. “but im honored you’d think my voice is as angelic as hers.”

“i will kiss you!” you exclaimed, loud enough that the mic could pick up your voice. they all burst into laughter.

“sorry,” james said again.

“no, it’s okay, i was just making sure people were doing their tasks,” toast chuckled. “cause i don’t think you can play the ukulele and among us at the same time..”

“not as good as y/n did, anyway,” corpse backed up.

“yeah.”

“your voice is very pretty,” corpse complimented. you placed a hand to your heart as james grinned at you teasingly.

“thank you!” you called over. they laughed simply at the distance and abruptness of your voice. “i think your voice is pretty, too! just like the deep part.” james burst into hysterical laughter.

“thank you,” corpse chuckled. “we, uh, we can skip now.”

“you made him flustered,” james said, turning to you after everyone had dispersed to finish their tasks.

“here, wait, find him,” you spoke, scooting your chair up next to james’s mic. 

“you got it, sis.”

james found corpse alone in electrical. corpse turned away from his task to stare down james. “are you here to kill me?”

“no,” james laughed.

“we’re here to sing!” you spoke into the mic.

“oh, great,” corpse chuckled.

“any requests?” you asked, picking at your strings to make sure they were tuned.

“uh.. something with cuss words.”

james let out a loud laugh as you giggled. “okay, i can do that.” you thought for a moment before looking down to your strings, “fuck you, and you, and you. i hate your friends and they hate me, too. im through, im through, im through. this that hot girl bummer anthem turn it up and throw a tantrum.

“this that got girl bummer anthem turn it up and throw a tantrum, this that throw up in your birkin bag, hook up with someone random. this that social awkward suicide that-” a body was reported and you cut yourself off again as corpse groaned.

“guys, i was getting a concert,” corpse complained as you and james laughed.

“okay, well, sykkuno is dead, so i think that trumps your concert,” pj sassed.

“where was his body?”

..

after that round, and much more entertainment of your uke playing, the crewmates managed to beat out the imposters; toast and felix.

“y/n, you should join,” corpse spoke as you all loaded back into the lobby.

“yeah!” rae agreed, many others piping up to encourage you in.

“shit, i don’t know where my laptop is,” you laughed.

“go find it!” james exclaimed. “corpse wants you to play!”

“oh my god, hold up,” you said, handing james your uke and running out of the room.

“so, corpse,” james spoke, strumming your uke as best as he could with his long nails. “what are your intentions with my girl, y/n?” everyone burst into laughter, including the now red-faced faceless youtuber.

..

you were the first to die. gasped at your screen, you grabbed your ukulele. you had gone into a separate room from james to be able to play fairly, but you weren’t very good at the game in the first place.

“james!” you yelled out.

“yeah?”

“request?”

there was a pause. “something sad!”

“got it!” you sighed as you turned back to your laptop screen, considering. you had begun streaming to your youtube when they asked you to join, and now your chat was blowing up with sad song requests. “oh, that’s a good one. thanks..” you let out a laugh. “corpselover3340. i got you, hun.”

you started to strum the song, but as you were playing, corpse’s ghost appeared by yours. “hello, y/n.” you stopped your playing, sitting up straight.

“oh, hi, corpse!” you exclaimed. “request?”

“cuss words, please.”

you laughed. “i got you, i got you..” you considered before beginning to play, “a few weeks ago, i could only do ten pushups. six months ago, i thought you were my girl. but now things have changed, and im so tired. i thought that i was your world. but now you’ve got new friends, and you have all beginnings, well i’ve got ends.. that i didn’t want.

“and yeah, you fucked some other dude.. i guess he loves u more than i do.”

“there it is.”

“what?” you asked, looking up from your uke with a laugh.

“oh, i was just waiting for the cuss word. continue.” 

you let out a laugh, but just before you could start playing again, a dead body was reported.

“sean’s body was electrical..”

..

the round was long. after you serenaded corpse a few times, you both talked about music and how you both got into it. eventually, it was just james, felix, rae, and sykkuno left.

“well, there’s only one imposter left..,” sykkuno sighed after calling the meeting. 

“i think it’s felix.”

as they all started pointing fingers at each other, james was mostly quiet, to your absolute surprise. then, interrupting a yelling match between rae and felix, james spoke, “do you think y/n and corpse are fucking in ghost chat?”

before anyone could react, corpse unmuted himself to confirm, “yes.” everyone exploded into laughter, you included. as innocently as he could, corpse spoke, “oh, was i unmuted? my bad..” and he muted himself again.

after that round and everyone had gotten their aggressions out on each other, sean reminded everyone with a laugh, “fucking in the ghost chat.. i can’t.”

you all laughed at the reminder.

“oh, y/n, we should go,” james sighed. “we gotta get that video edited before midnight.”

you sighed with him. “yeah, that’s gotta get done.. thank you all for letting me play, it was a lot of fun.”

“bye, y/n!”

“feel free to join again!”

“oh and corpse,” you called out.

“yeah?”

“that was not fucking,” you clarified, making everyone laugh and ‘ohhh’. 

“no?” he prodded.

“nah, that purely foreplay, baby,” you confirmed. “see you all!” and you left the call just as they all exploded again.

james walked into the room you were in before you turned off your live. he placed his hands on his hips. “young lady, we need to have a talk.” you laughed and turned off signed off.

[tomdutch]

bored out of my mind so i put on a random youtuber drama video essay to fill the silence while i gif and this white woman rlly went “how was shane dawson able to put out such terrible and racist content and still have a career and make everyone think he’s unproblematic?” um.... take a wild guess. 

white ppl will rlly go on their soapbox “exposing” other whites for being racist then show their ass by admitting they don’t even know how racism works. how did a white man build his career on blackface and saying the n word like it’s hello? racism. bc the rest of the “youtube community” is also antiblack, and ignored and supported his antiblackness until he went after white poster boy james charles and that’s what made y’all bring up his racism so you can cancel him “properly.” y’all didn’t care abt his racism and most of you still don’t, you just brought it up again to make it seem like you’re not only mad at him for trying to take down a white fave, like it’s a matter of morality and not petty youtuber beef.

[rainingpouringetc]

Hello,,, can you please tell me in just what happened in the coi table???? I'm really bad at listening closely in a video. It's fine if you can't. Thanks!!

lucky for you, anon, i am extremely bored and mad so i need a distraction. as such, i’m gonna do my best to transcribe it, although obviously it won’t be perfect. hope this helps :) (if you just want it broken down in simple bullet points, this was a good post for that)

[obviously this isn’t my own writing, i simply transcribed as best i could from cassie’s video]

Cassie: we open at a party. Cordelia is looking over at her brother.

Alastair looked... well, Alastair looked expressionless, or would to someone who didn’t know him. Cordelia knew by his slumped posture--he was nearly sliding down the pillar--and his tightly fisted hands that he was quite upset.

Charles: “I know you read mundane newspapers, too. I wondered if you’d noticed the recent murder in the East End. It’s the sort of thing that seems as if it shouldn’t interest us, but on closer examination...”

Cordelia stepped up to Alastair, blinking demurely. She knew people were watching. She wanted to give them no reason to talk.

Cordelia: “Charles, I believe that you agreed to stay away from my brother.”

Charles raised a superior eyebrow.

Charles: “Cordelia, dear, men have disagreements among themselves sometimes. It’s best to leave them be to sort it out.”

Cordelia looked at Alastair.

Cordelia: “Do you wish to converse with Charles?”

Alastair: “No.”

Charles flushed.

Charles: “Alastair, only a coward needs to be rescued by his little sister.”

Alastair’s expressive eyebrows flickered.

Alastair: “And only an ass puts people into situations in which they need to be rescued at all.”

Charles took a deep breath as if he were about to shout, but Cordelia moved swiftly between him and her brother. Her smile was starting to make her face ache.

Cordelia: “Charles, go away now, or I will tell everyone how your aunt and uncle must go rushing off to Paris to rescue the Clave from your blunder.”

Charles’ eyes narrowed, and somehow in that moment Cordelia saw Matthew in him. She could not imagine why. There could not have been two more different people. **If only Charles was more kind or more understanding, and perhaps Matthew would not--

Cordelia blinked. Charles had said something, undoubtedly something cutting, and stomped off. As he did, she noticed they were indeed being watched, by Thomas. He was gazing at them from across the room, seemingly arrested in midmotion. Behind him, James had rejoined his friends and was chatting with them, one hand lightly on Matthew’s shoulder.

Several things happened at once. Thomas, seeing Cordelia looking at him, blushed and turned away. The music ended and the dancers began to stream off the floor. And Grace left Toby without a word and came up to James. Matthew and Christopher were laughing together. Matthew stopped, staring as Grace said something to James, and the two of them stepped a bit apart from the others. James was shaking his head. His silver bracelet glimmered on his wrist as he gestured.

Alastair: “Want to go over and break James’ legs?”

Cordelia: “He can hardly run away screaming if Grace approaches him. He must be polite.”

Alastair: “As you were polite to Charles? Don’t take it the wrong way, Layla, I’m grateful, but you don’t need to--”

Out of the corner of her eye, Cordelia saw James break away from Grace. He came toward her; he was white as a sheet, but otherwise his Mask was firmly in place.

James: “Alastair, good to see you. Are your parents well?”

Alastair had told her she didn’t need to be polite, but politeness had its uses. James wore his manners like a suit of armor. A Suit to match his Mask.

Alastair: “Well enough. The Silent Brothers recommended my mother rest at home, given her condition. My father didn’t want to leave her.”

Some of this was doubtless true. And some of it wasn’t. Cordelia didn’t have the heart for investigation. She no longer had the heart for the party at all. James hadn’t betrayed their agreement, but it was clear that it caused him pain to be in the same room as Grace. The worst part was that she could sympathize. She knew what it was like to be near the person you loved but feel as if you were a million miles away.

Cordelia: “James, I find I have a rather desire to play chess.”

That brought a smile from James, though only a slight one.

James: “Of course. We shall depart at once.”

Alastair: “Play chess? How thrilling.”

Cordelia kissed Alastair goodbye on the cheek as James went to offer the necessary excuses to their hosts. They collected their things in silence and soon found themselves on the front steps of the Wentworths’ house, waiting for their carriage to be brought around. It was a lovely night. 

Grace had watched them go, a thoughtful expression on her face. Cordelia could not help but wonder how much she concealed. It was not like her to approach James. Perhaps she had felt desperate. Cordelia could not blame her if she did.

But she could not ask James because they were not alone on the steps. Tessa and Will were there. Tessa was smiling up at Will as she tucked her hands into fur lined gloves. He went to brush her hair from her forehead. James cleared his throat loudly.

James: “Otherwise they’d start kissing. Believe me, I know.”

Tessa seemed delighted to see them. She beamed at Cordelia.

Tessa: “Don’t you look lovely! Dreadful we have to leave the party so early. Fortunately, Ms. Highsmith has offered poor Filomena the use of her carriage later, but we’re meant to Portal to Paris early tomorrow morning.”

She did not, Cordelia noted, mention Charles.

Will: “We tried to approach you inside, but were cut off by Rosamund chasing Toby around because their ice sculpture had melted. What does it mean for the youth of today that they don’t know that ice melts? What are we teaching them in the school rooms?”

James: “Is this another youth-of-today speech?”

He dropped his voice into a passable imitation of Will’s.

James: “Running about, no morals, using ridiculous words like ***barney and brinkets.”

Will: “Even I know brinkets is not a word.”

He and James bantered back and forth as the Institute’s carriage rolled around the corner and stopped at the foot of the steps, driven by a skinny footman in silver and ivory. Cordelia could not help but think how different James’ relationship with his father was from Alastair’s with Elias. She wondered sometimes what Elias would say if he knew about Alastair and Charles. She wanted to think he wouldn’t care. Months ago she would’ve been sure of it. Now she was sure of nothing.

Her reverie was broken by a sudden shout. The skinny footman had leapt to his feet, looking about wild eyed.

Footman: “Demon! Demon!”

Cordelia stared. Something that looked like a spinning wheel covered in wet, red mouths shot out from under the carriage and rolled about in a circle. She reached for Cortana and flinched, her palm stinging. Had she cut herself on it somehow? That couldn’t be possible. James laid a hand on Cordelia’s shoulder.

James: “It’s all right, there’s no need.”

Will was looking at Tessa, his blue eyes wide.

Will: “Can I...?”

Tessa smiled indulgently, as if Will had asked for a second helping of cake.

Tessa: “Oh, go ahead.”

Will made a whooping sound. As Cordelia stared in puzzlement, he leaped down the stairs and raced off, chasing the wheel demon. Tessa and James were both smiling.

Cordelia: “Should we help him?”

James: “No. That demon and my father are old friends--or, rather, old enemies, but it amounts to the same thing. He likes to chase him around after parties.”

Cordelia: “That is very peculiar. I see that I have agreed to marry into a very peculiar family.”

James: “Don’t pretend you didn’t know that already.”

Cordelia laughed. It was all so ridiculous and yet so very much the way James’ family always was. She felt as if things were almost normal again by the time their carriage came around and they clambered into it. As they rolled off into the night, they passed Will, brandishing a seraph blade as he happily chased the wheel demon through the Wentworths’ rose garden.

~end of scene~

**this sentence was spoken really fast (cassie talks a mile a minute), i’m not sure if i got it entirely correct but i think i got it pretty close

***again, i think this is what they’re saying, but it’s hard to make out