#hope quinn has fun with his boat friends

[hischierswhore]

eternal pining | jack hughes

pairing: childhood bff!reader x jack hughes

warnings: major angst // unrequited pining // slight cursing // probably other stuff that i missed

author’s note: this might be the longest fic i’ve ever written??? anyways i’m backkkk and hopefully i’ll start being consistent soon. i have so much planned and this has been in the works for quite a while now.

You were sitting on the couch at the Hughes lake house as you discussed your plans for the day. Well, more like you were listening to Ellen & Jim as they told you that they would be leaving on a trip for a few days and Jack was just there. He was on his phone, typing aggressively like the world would end if he didn’t finish whatever he was typing.

A sigh left Ellen’s lips when she realized that her middle child wasn’t even paying attention to what she was saying. You looked at Luke & Quinn, who both also saw that he was just not focusing. Quinn extended his arm to hit Jack’s knee in attempt to get his attention.

You said bye to Ellen & Jim, wishing them a safe trip before helping them carry their bags to their car. As you made your way back inside, you plopped right back into the same spot you were in before.

Moments passed and you turned your phone off, sparking conversation with Quinn & Luke about what the groups plans were for today.

“What do you guys wanna do?” You asked, hoping someone would come up with something fun.

“Boat day?” Luke suggested and you nodded in agreement.

“Are you gonna join us, Jack?” you questioned as you turned around to look at your best friend. His eyes didn’t shift from the device in his hands, causing you to roll your eyes.

You were annoyed, so you moved off the couch and walked to your room to change into your swimsuit.

"Where are you guys going?" Jack asked as you, Quinn & Luke walked towards the deck, his phone now off and on the couch.

"Boat day. We were talking about it but you were too indulged in your phone to even contribute to the conversation" Quinn stated as Jack's mouth formed an 'o' shape.

"Are you joining us or not?" Luke asked, waiting for his brother to respond so he could finally get some sun.

“Oh uh yeah. I'll join y'all. Just give me a few to change" He hopped up from his spot on the couch and went to his room to change while you made your way outside, the other Hughes brothers following.

10 minutes passed and Jack had not yet come outside. You were all getting rather impatient and annoyed with the boy.

"Can we just go without him?" Luke sighed, beyond frustrated with his brother. Just as he said that, the boy trotted out of the house and down the dock to where you all sat. You all immediately noticed his lack of swim trunks and rather a button-down shirt & some jeans.

"Hey guys. Sorry to bail on you all but I've got a date in like-" He looks down at his phone for a moment to check the time. "20 minutes so I've gotta get going. See you all later" Jack waved as he hugged everyone goodbye.

Your heart shattered the moment you heard "a date". You had been hopelessly in love with your best friend since you were kids. You'd known the Hughes brothers since you were 6, and you'd all been inseparable since day 1.

The ever-growing crush you had on Jack was evident to everyone around you except for him. Quinn and Luke would relentlessly tease you when you three were together. Hell, even Trevor and Nico would join in on the teasing whenever you saw them.

You faked a smile at his words, hoping he couldn’t see the tears welling in your eyes. You looked around at Quinn and Luke, who had already been looking in your direction, knowing damn well what you were thinking.

"Have fun, J. See you later" You said as you looked down, seeing as your mood had now been more ruined than it was before and you didn't want to deal with all your emotions, or rather the cause of these emotions, right now. You knew that if you made eye-contact with the boy, you would have a breakdown.

Jack jogs back up to the house and shuts the patio door, leaving you and the two other Hughes brothers on the boat for the day.

2 pairs of eyes immediately found your figure as you curled into a ball on the couch and let it all out. Both boys immediately came to your side for comfort, knowing how difficult this must be for you.

Luke rubbed your back as you sobbed while Quinn held you in his arms, holding you ever so carefully.

Hours passed before you all decided to head inside.

“I’m gonna head up to my room. If he asks, I'm out. I don't want to talk to him right now" You told the remaining brothers before going into your room and locking yourself away.

— later —

Jack arrived back at the lake house.

“Hey, where’s Y/n?” He asked as he wandered into the living room, noticing his brothers sitting on the couch watching a movie but you were nowhere in sight.

“She went out” Quinn simply said, not feeling the need to give his younger brother details.

"Out? What do you mean she went out?"

"She's not here, Jack. She wanted to go out so she did" Luke shrugged, trying to focus his attention back on the movie.

"And you both let her go by herself?!" Jack was practically shouting.

"She's 22 years old, Jack. She can make her own decisions" Quinn paused the movie to turn his attention to his brother. Jack let out a huff and sat next to his brothers to watch whatever movie they had put on, still ever so slightly upset that you had gone out without him.

20 minutes had passed since that initial exchange when Luke's phone got a notification. He glanced down at it and immediately got up and excused himself to the kitchen with a simple "I'll be back".

“What’s up with him?” Jack whispered to Quinn, who shrugged and paid no mind to his brother's curiosity. Moments later, Luke emerged from the kitchen and raced upstairs quickly.

You had texted Luke asking him to bring you some medication for the growing migraine you had from crying nonstop. He quietly knocked on the door to avoid attracting Jack's attention. You slowly unlocked the door and let the boy in as he handed you the pills and a bottle of water.

"You good?" He asked as you had a hand on your forehead and your eyes were red & puffy.

"I'll be fi-" The words got lost in your throat as you heard footsteps ascending the stairs and you saw the one person you did not want to see: Jack.

You muttered "shit" as you tried to hide behind Luke's tall frame, which was to no avail.

"Y/n? What're you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be out?" Jack asked as he made his way to your doorway.

"I uhh, came back early. Didn't feel too great" You lied through your teeth.

"How'd you come in? And when did you even come in?" Jack questioned you as he leaned against the door frame.

"Came in through the back door. Didn't wanna make too much noise to interrupt the movie" You slowly tried to push your door closed, but Jack was blocking the way.

Luke was stood there, watching the encounter unfold.

"Oh what's that Quinn? We need more popcorn? I'll grab some" He shouted down the stairs to remove himself from the extremely tense conversation he was witnessing.

“What’s wrong?” Jack's voice was low as he slowly pushed the door open and grabbed your hand.

“I’m fine, Jack. I just don’t feel good” You were on the verge of tears as you pulled yourself out of his hold.

“You look like you've been crying, Y/n/n... did someone say something to you?" Jack's anger slowly increasing at the thought of someone hurting your feelings.

"Nobody said anything. More so what you did. But I'll be fine, I'll get over it" Thankfully, he had back up enough to give you space to close the door, and his reflexes weren't fast enough to grab the door handle before you shut and locked it, leaving him on the other side of the door.

Your words left Jack extremely confused. More so what you did. What in the hell did he even do?

Once you had locked the door, you slid down the back of it as more tears spilled freely onto your cheeks. Why did you have to fall for your best friend?

Jack stomped down the stairs, confusion & frustration written all over his face as he threw himself onto the couch.

“What the hell did I even do?” He screamed into one of the cushions. Quinn & Luke exchange a look before ultimately deciding to tell him bits of the truth.

“You went on that date” Luke said quietly, praying that Jack has heard him the first time so he wouldn’t have to repeat himself. Fortunately for Luke, Jack lifted his head up as soon as the words left his mouth.

“What does that have to do with anything?” Jack was more confused than before. He didn’t understand what was going on.

“How is it that we all see it except for you, dude? She’s in love with you. She’s been in love with you for years now, and you’ve never once noticed or acknowledged her feelings. It’s evident to everyone in our lives except for you. You leaving on that date today made her feel like shit” Quinn spoke.

“Well, it made her feel more like shit than she already did before. You neglected her all morning because you were on your phone and then when we all agreed to go on the boat, you bailed on us and she felt more forgotten than ever before” Luke added onto Quinn’s speech.

Jack sat there in shock. There’s no way that you, his best friend of 16 years, were in love with him. He couldn’t fathom the thought, but slowly the realization sank in and now he felt horrible for his behavior. He didn’t mean to hurt you. He never knew.

He didn’t say anything before he raced up the stairs and knocked on your door but received no response.

“Y/n please let me in. I want to talk to you. Please hear me out” Jack pleaded as he rested his ear against the door, listening closely in hopes of hearing movement on the other side.

Silence. All that could be heard was the sound of the fan circulating air throughout the room.

Quinn & Luke had followed him up the stairs and watched as Jack slowly fell to his knees infront of your door. They’d never seen him like this before.

“J, she needs some space right now. Let her get some rest and talk to her in the morning. It’s the least she deserves” Luke suggested as he placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

— the next morning —

You woke up to a massive migraine, probably from all the crying you did last night. You felt uneasy as you stood from your bed and made your way to the connected bathroom.

You knew you’d have to see him again. You couldn’t avoid him, hell it was his house.

You braced yourself for the day as you washed your face and changed into something more comfortable before heading downstairs for breakfast.

You overheard a conversation taking place as you silently made your way down the stairs, in hopes of not alerting anyone of your presence quite yet.

Just as you turned the corner and entered the kitchen, silence filled the room. You chose to not acknowledge it, just as Jack had not acknowledged your feelings for him.

You felt multiple pairs of eyes on you as you grabbed yourself a bowl to pour some cereal. You slowly carried your bowl to the dining room, where everyone was seated.

It was only then that you had noticed the extra eyes staring at you. Seated at the table included Quinn, Luke, Jack, Trevor, Cole & Nico. The latter 3 must’ve flown in early in the morning because they weren’t here last night when everything happened.

You softly wave at the 3 boys before placing your bowl on the table.

“Morning” you quietly said as you sat on the bench between Quinn & Luke, which was ironically as far away from Jack as possible.

Small talk is made and you barely speak unless you’re spoken to. You quietly converse with everyone except for the middle Hughes brother. He hasn’t said a single thing to you this morning except for stare at you occasionally when he thought you didn’t notice. Of course you did, you always noticed.

Breakfast finished & you kindly collected everyone’s dishes and headed towards the kitchen to clean them.

You stood infront of the sink on your own for about 5 minutes when you felt a presence behind you.

“Can we talk?” You knew that notice all too well. You placed the plate in the sink as you turned around slowly, resting the plane of your hands on the edge of the counter.

You took in his appearance for the first time since he left for his date yesterday afternoon. His eyes were swollen, much like yours, and his hands were fidgeting at the back of his neck.

“Sure” You simply spoke, not wanting to be the one to bring up the elephant in the room. Jack cleared his throat before he spoke.

“Could we maybe go outside? I’ll get Luke to do the dishes or something so we can talk in private” He suggested as you nodded your head.

Jack led the way to the backyard before holding the door open with a simple “After you”.

You sat on the couch next to the fire pit, leaving Jack to sit next to you.

You sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the calming breeze the morning had brought. That peace was interrupted when Jack cleared his throat and turned to face you.

“I want to start with an apology. I genuinely had no idea that you even felt neglected yesterday. I was a shit friend and I shouldn’t have ditched you for someone else. I know I messed up. And I’m sorry that it’s taken me til now to realize how you feel towards me. All this time I thought it was just you being friendly, I never knew you liked me. I was so confused by what you meant yesterday that the realization didn’t click until Luke & Quinn said it. I couldn’t believe the fact that I had been the one to hurt you and I will forever be sorry for that”

Jack looked into your eyes, and he swears he could see your heart shatter into a million pieces at every word. God, how he wishes he wasn’t the reason behind it.

“I’ve been in love with you since we were 6, Jack. I’ve spent years pining after you, only to watch you pine after every other girl on this planet. This summer was different though. You paid no mind to other girls and you treated me like I was yours, and I stupidly believed that things would change between us. That was until yesterday. You act all lovey with me one second and then suddenly I’m nonexistent the next” You watched the frown grow on his face as you spoke.

“I’ve never been in a relationship because I’ve been holding out hope for you, Jack. Hope for you to finally come to your senses and see that I’ve been here waiting for you this whole time, stupidly thinking that my chance will come” Jack stayed quiet as you let it all out.

“I’m in love with you, Jack. I have been for the longest time and I really shouldn’t be” You cried into the hands as he stared at you in silence.

“Y/n/n…” Jack was at a loss for words. He didn’t know you felt that strongly about him, or that you watched everything unfold from the sidelines of his life.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Y/n/n”

“It’s okay, Jack. I’ll be fine, I’ll get over it. I just don’t know if I handle anymore heartbreak” You sobbed as Jack brought you into his embrace, holding you in his arms.

Despite you feeling this hurricane of emotions, his arms still felt like home to you. He felt like home.

“I hope I’m not too late” He whispered softly, causing you to remove yourself from is hold, a look of confusion spread across your face.

“Huh?” You sniffled as you wiped your nose.

“I’ve been in love with you from the moment I met you. Not even, the second I saw you holding that little bear of yours as you walked into your new house, I knew you were someone special. Someone who would be the only consistent person in my life besides my family. I always thought you saw me as a friend and never anything more, hence all the failed relationships. I’ve tried to get over you so much since I thought you’d never return the feeling. I looked for you in other girls, but none of them were you, so they never lasted. You have been the only person I have truly wanted since we were 6, Y/n/n. I now know that you’ve felt the same this entire time, and I have somehow misread everything for 16 years. The timing of this is horrible and I’m afraid I may be too late, but please know I do love you, Y/n/n. I always have & I always will” Jack confessed as he held your hand in his.

You searched his eyes for some sign of this being a sick and twisted joke, a prank that would forever haunt you and ultimately be the end of your friendship with the boy.

But you found none of that. You found love & hope & sadness. He hoped that the love he had for you was enough to fill the hole of sadness that he had accidentally burned into your heart. He hoped that you would forgive him and give him a chance to redeem himself.

A shy smile appeared on your face before you removed your hands from his to wipe the tears on your face, and the tears that were slowly trickling down his.

“I love you too, J. You’ll always have a chance” A goofy smile took over your face as the boy brought you into a tight hug, holding you there for what felt like an eternity.

After who know how long, he finally pulled away and let you breathe.

“I’m so happy right now that I could kiss you, but I won’t solely because we just made up and I’m not trying to ruin my chances & lose you again”

“Oh shut up” You placed both hands on the sides of his face & pulled him for a kiss.

The world felt like it had stopped but like it was also spinning simultaneously. The butterflies you got in your stomach when his lips touched yours felt heavenly.

Jack, who was a little taken aback by the kiss, immediately kissed you back once he realized what was happening. One of his hands found its way to your face and the other at your hip.

You wish you could live in this moment forever, and you genuinely believed you could, that is until you heard cheering coming from behind you. You both pulled apart to see Quinn, Luke, Cole, Trevor & Nico all cheering from the patio.

“THEY FINALLY DID IT!!!” Trevor shouted as he jumped up and down.

“Hurt her again, Hughes & you’re gonna regret it” Nico said before making his way back inside the house. You looked back to Jack to see him gently caressing the back of your hand.

“Wouldn’t even think about it” he smiled as he pressed a kiss to your temples, holding you closer than ever before.

[hearts4hughes]

prompt 16 with jack hughes pleaseee

wakeboarding - jack hughes

jack hughes x fem! reader

100 followers celly!!

warnings: swearing, light kissing

notes: i don’t know if i like how this ends, but enjoy reading!

✨: “oh yeah? well then make me.” “my pleasure.”

gif is not mine

spending my weeks at the hughes’ lake house is always the highlight of my summer. i get to hang out with my best friends, luke and quinn, and my boyfriend, jack. this is my first year attending as jack’s official girlfriend, so the taunting and teasing from quinn and luke was at an all time high.

currently, i’m outside tanning, while the boys get ready to go wakeboarding. i’ve never been a fan of any type of surfing, especially wakeboarding. i tried it once and completely embarrassed myself. then, i tried it again, and even though i did good, no one let me forget what happened the time before.

“you coming with us, babe?” jack asks, jogging up towards me and sitting down on the chair next to me. i remove my sunglasses to get a good look at him.

god, he’s so cute.

“you’re adorable, but there’s no way i’m going on that boat with you.” i raise my eyebrows, pull a loud laugh out of him.

“c’mon! we won’t make fun of you this time!” he pleads, doing a fake pout. i giggle at his ‘very convincing’ argument, running my hand through his long hair.

“very convincing and i believe you,” i respond, giving him false hope, “but, no thanks.”

he throws his head back and whines ‘y/n’, really dragging out the syllables in my name. i mock him and do the same in return and a smile starts to tug on his lips.

“it’s not going to be fun without you. you have to come.” he mumbles as his big head falls into the crook of my neck. he lays soft kisses along my jaw and finally down to the ticklish spot on my neck. i bark out a laugh, pulling him away from my neck.

“oh yeah? well then make me?” i taunt. just as the words leave my mouth, i regret saying it. jack’s eyes light up like a child’s and i know exactly what he’s going to do next.

“my pleasure.” he grins, rising to his feet. before i can protest, i’m being thrown over jack’s shoulder.

“jack!” i scream, kicking, hitting, and wiggling, doing whatever i could to be released from his hold.

“what? you said make me.” he uses my own words against me and i can hear the cockiness in his voice. jack begins walking towards the dock, where the boat is tied up. i can’t see them, but i hear quinn, luke, and trevor all laughing as jack doesn’t even struggle to carry me.

accepting my fate, i go limp, allowing jack to carefully step onto the boat. once we are fully in, he sets me down. he stares at me with a big smile as i give him nothing, but dirty looks in response. the boat starts to take off and i sit down.

“you’re sleeping on the couch tonight.” luke whispers to jack, causing a hardy laugh to come out of both of them. i send them a glare as i flip them the finger and mouth ‘fuck you’.

**

we’ve been out on the water for about an hour, before everyone convinces me to give wakeboarding another chance.

nervously, i step into the board and steady myself. trevor puts the boat in neutral and we begin to slowly move forward. for a moment, i lose my balance and wobble, but when trevor starts to speed up, i stay perfectly balanced on the board.

“oh my god,” i exclaim, “i’m doing it!” my eyes flick between everyone in the boat, making sure they see how good i’m doing.

quinn has his phone out, recording this for evidence- like i told him to do before. luke giggles, waiting for me to wipe out, and jack watches me proudly.

“you’re doing so well, baby!” jack encourages. he wears a proud and excited smile on his face as he watches me balance on the board.

just as i’m staying completely steady, jack steps onto the boat seat. my eyes go wide, “what are you doing?!”

i don’t hear his response before he jumps off the motorboat, knocking me off the board. my head submerges in the water for a moment as my life jacket brings me to the surface again. i blink the water out of my eyes, trying to get all my senses back. when my eyes fully open, i see jack laughing his ass off.

“you dick!” i yell at him, playfully hitting him in the arm. “i was doing so well.” i pout, trying to make him feel bad.

he giggles, reaching out to grab onto me. we stay in the cold water, wrapped around each other. his cold hands cup my face and he presses our lips together. he tastes like lake water and the mint gum he was just chewing. the kiss is short, but just as i pull back, jack connects our lips once again. we ignore the whistling and cheering from the guys on the boat and continue to enjoy kissing each other.

[bordysbae]

Heyy lovely can I request a Luke hughes fic with the prompts 4 and 10. Maybe the readers on her period and is crying on the phone to jack or Quinn because luke won’t answer and she’s got bad cramps?

“on my way”

luke hughes x fem reader

4. i’m here baby, don’t worry

10. you make me feel safe

warning: vomiting and nausea

word count: 0.7k

—

its the first week of summer, and of course you’re spending it at the hughes’ lake house. the boys always stay at the lake house for a month during the summer, it’s been their ritual since they first bought the house nearly 10 years ago. you and luke have been dating since first semester of freshman year, and ellen has really grown to like you, which is why she always invites you to go on trips with the hughes family. this is your second time at the lake house, and it already feels like a second home to you.

“morning honey! i’m assuming luke told you that him and the boys are going fishing with jim right?” ellen says as she sips her coffee at the kitchen island. “yeah he did, what are you doing today?” you ask her, as you pour yourself a cup as well. “i’m going out with one of my friends, are you alright being alone for a bit? i should be back at like 1, we’re just going out to lunch. if not you can always join me and my friend, she’s known the boys forever so i’m sure she would be delighted to meet you, she’s heard about you being luke’s girlfriend.” “oh no! i don’t mind being alone at all, honestly i’m not feeling too great. my cramps have been acting up a bit today” you say as you sit next to her. “aw i’m sorry hun, if you need anything don’t be afraid to call me okay! i’m gonna be leaving here in about 20 minutes.” “thanks elle, you’re the best” you smile, her returning the favor.

you’re now alone since ellen left about 15 minutes ago, and the boys are still fishing. your cramps are killing you, and the pain meds are barely working. you’re in pain and you’re hormonal, so the best thing you can do is cry. you always get cramps so bad that you feel the need to vomit, and luke knows this. so you decide to just call him and see when he’s coming home. unfortunately he doesn’t pick up, and this makes you cry even more. you hate vomiting, and the fact you know you might vomit at anytime is freaking you out. you start to panic, and luke still won’t answer his phone.

you decide to call quinn in hopes that he can get ahold of luke, and with your luck, quinn doesn’t answer. you keep feeling more nauseous by the minute and your last resort is calling jack. “hello?” jack says. “hi jack sorry to bother you, could you get luke please?” “yeah, everything okay?” “um, yeah. sort of, not really. can you just get luke?” “yeah yeah of course here” he says, a slight panic in his voice as he hands the phone to luke. “hi babe, are you okay? i’m so sorry i didn’t hear you call, jacks phone was connected to the speaker so i didn’t hear it ring. don’t worry he disconnected it when you called, what’s up?” “luke i think i’m gonna vomit” you say softly. “what? are you okay? what’s wrong?!” he says concerned. “my cramps, they’re killing me. and your mom left like 20 minutes ago, what time are y-you coming home?” you say, holding back your gags. “now! i’m not that far out on the lake i’ll have them drive me back and drop me off, i’m on my way.” “luke no, don’t stop your fun cause i’m sick. i’ll be okay i just wanted to let you know.” you sigh, taking a sip of water. “too late, my dad already started the boat. i’m gonna hang up okay? i’m almost home” “okay. i love you lukey” “i love you more” he says before ending the call.

as you’re leaning over the toilet, holding your hair back with your hand luke slowly creaks the door open. “oh y/n” he says as he quickly walks over to hold your hair back. “i’m sorry luke” “you’re sorry? don’t be sorry for anything. honestly it wasn’t even that fun, i was the only one who couldn’t catch anything and i was tired of getting bullied for it” he chuckles, making you smile at the thought of the comments the boys must’ve made. you begin to start gagging again, and you start to freak out a bit. luke rubs your back gently, “i’m here baby, don’t worry.” he states softly.

once you begin to feel better you both climb into luke’s bed, and you’re cuddled into his chest. “thank you luke, you make me feel safe.” “of course, i’d do anything for you. i love you.” “i love you more lukey.”

[ahockeywrites]

Better in Hoboken - Quinn Hughes

Authors note: let’s try this a second time because tumblr has decided to take a shit and fuck my formatting up 🙄. Thank you so much to @antoineroussel for organising the fic exchange I’ve had so much fun writing this story and I hope you enjoy it. I was matched with @torontoflames and I hope I’ve created a little story that you enjoy!

Warnings: underage alcohol consumption, swearing

Word count: 3.5k

Jack watched as Quinn scowled at his phone once again, clearly receiving another negative response from his friends about coming to the lake house over summer. Luke had invited his friends over from Michigan and Jack already had some friends over from when he was in the US National Team Development Program. Jack knew that Josh Norris was coming for a week slightly later in the summer but that was it.

“Probably not gonna make you feel much better, but I’ve got a friend coming over next week who’s your age,” Jack explained.

“Jack,” Quinn groaned, “you think inviting one of your hookups from Jersey is gonna make me feel any better?” It was as if Jack wasn’t even thinking about how his brother would understand his comment. From Quinn’s perspective, the only person he knew at the lake house was Nick Blankenburg from their time at Michigan together but it felt like he was imposing on Luke’s group of friends.

“Woah woah,” Jack started to recoil back, “Y/N is not a hookup. She went out on a few sort of dates with Nico because she’s friends with Ty’s girlfriend but nothing ever came of it and she just stuck around and joined our friendship group. She’s sound, an engineering student at Rutgers, but can’t go home as she’s international so I invited her here for a week, maybe longer if she wants to.”

Quinn showed the slightest hint of a smile, thinking that maybe he might not be the only one who barely knows anyone. “Okay,” he conceded, well, conceded might not be the right word. He was excited to have someone his own age hanging around not just Michigan freshman.

A few days had passed, and aside from having a few beers on a boat, wakeboarding, and going to the gym, Quinn really didn’t do much. Yes, he enjoyed cooking dinner for everyone on the barbecue and occasionally baking with his mother. But he felt isolated, that was until Jack announced to everyone that he was going to the airport to pick Y/N up.

All of Jack’s friends started whooping and Quinn could specifically hear Cole asking if she was Jack’s girlfriend, which he denied once again. “Just a friend who would be alone all summer if she didn’t come here.”

Just a friend. Those words rung around in Quinn’s head. He really hoped that his brother and Y/N really hadn’t done anything together because he had gone and found her Instagram profile and although it was on private, he sent a request. Within a few hours the words requested turned into following and he had gained himself a new follower too.

The feed contained photos of her studying, one at a Devils game where she was hanging out with some of the girlfriends and another from a night out with some of Jack’s teammates. The pair of them may not have been dating but they certainly were good friends.

Quinn couldn’t help but look at her Instagram feed and think that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Beautiful and smart was a winning combination in his eyes. All could hope was that she was funny to, or at least funny to him.

He had completely zoned out thinking about her, thinking what she could be like. It wasn’t until he heard the sound of keys jingling and Jack shouting that he was home, he came back to reality. Alex and Cole seemed to be sprinting back into the family room, dripping with chlorinated water from the pool. Nick was following closely behind, trying to get them to at least wrap a towel around themselves so they didn’t stain the carpets of the house.

“Boys, Y/N,” Jack introduced her. “Y/N, the boys.”

“Can’t wait for me to be the only girl once again,” she spoke whilst rolling her eyes. Y/N was used to hanging around with just guys, she thought it was just easier to hang around with them. Yes, she hung around with the WAGs occasionally and was also the go to person for events. It started with Nico after their failed tinder dates, then when the captain started dating Abbie, she was Jack’s go to.

Y/N had become like an older sister to Jack, helping him to cook and do basic house tasks which he struggled with. But he was always there when she needed him, like after her boyfriend had cheated on her, Jack was there as a friend with a pint of ice cream in the freezer and her favourite wine on the wine rack.

Jack did have the feeling that Sebastian was up to something behind Y/N’s back, however he didn’t feel it was his place to mention anything. She thought that something wasn’t right when Sebastian kept cancelling their lunch plans and found out when she turned up at his place with a bottle of wine, hoping for a cute evening date but ended up being greeted by an absolutely stunning, model-esque looking woman asking if she had turned up to the wrong house with a food delivery order. It took all of Y/N’s strength to not shout at the woman, knowing that she was unlikely to know that Sebastian was seeing another woman. All Y/N did was introduce herself as Sebastian’s girlfriend to which the other woman was confused. They were both of the impression that Sebastian was dating them, and only them. The pair of them then confronted him and Y/N invited Abbie back to her flat to share wine and rant about shitty men. Y/N and Abbie then became friends and to celebrate their singleness, Jack organised a night out for both of them, cementing Abbie into the group.

“Y/N!” Luke shouted, after running down the stairs to figure out what the commotion in the living room was.

“Baby Hughes!” Y/N replied, taking the younger boy into a playful headlock. Quinn watched as his youngest brother almost melted into the grasp of the woman. “If Jack had told me someone who can cook would be here, I would have been out weeks earlier.”

“Hey,” Alex looked shocked, “I can use the barbecue.” Y/N rolled her eyes, not trusting the words coming out of his mouth.

“Better than Jack, he struggles with everything,” Y/N joked before releasing Luke from the headlock and messing up Jack’s hair.

“And on that note, your room is upstairs,” Jack spoke before pretty much dragging Y/N up to the top floor where her room was allocated.

Quinn was fucked.

~~

Being the oldest there, Quinn was trusted by his mother to drive the boat out onto Lake Huron and he had to make sure that the boat was docked when he got back. Ellen Hughes didn’t spend too much time at the lake house when it was packed with young adults but she did make sure that everyone felt welcome. Quinn tried to extend his mother’s hospitality by offering to take Y/N to the store and to grab whatever alcohol and food she wanted. Her list wasn’t extensive but she offered to tag along with Quinn and help pick up the ever extending list made by Luke’s friends. The pair engaged in friendly conversation throughout the drive and in Target but it was limited to questions about their time at college and how difficult Jack can be at times. If Quinn was feeling awkward, Y/N didn’t notice it as she grew fonder of his presence, even if it was barely an hour they had spent together.

The pair stocked the fridge on the boat up with beers, White Claws and soft drinks before seamlessly moving on to preparing some food to eat on the boat too. Y/N chopped fruit up and made it look pretty before wrapping it in plastic wrap and setting it on the portable cooler and Quinn moved to prepare some pita bread, vegetable sticks and hummus. It was the first sense of calm that either of them had felt since arriving at the lake house.

Until Jack came tumbling down the stairs claiming that the girl he had been talking to back in Jersey was going to be coming out to the lake house for a few days. Y/N rolled her eyes, now it wasn’t that her and Faith didn’t get along. Faith seemed to be jumping from one famous person’s bed to another and that lifestyle wasn’t one that Y/N could see herself living. But she did her best to get along with Faith when she was around.

“There’s a girl?” Quinn questioned his younger brother, realising that there were more things that Jack was keeping hidden from him.

Y/N hummed in answer to Quinn’s question, whilst rolling her eyes giving the Canuck player all the information he needed about this girl.

“She’s getting here in a week,” he gasped, rereading the texts. Jack’s golden retriever behaviour didn’t just stop there as he almost sprinted over to his older brother to show him Faith’s Instagram profile. Quinn took Jack’s phone off him and scrolled through her account. It was bikini picture after bikini picture, with a few lingerie shoots dotted around. He noticed that, compared to Y/N’s account at least, Faith didn’t seem to show much personality. Y/N had her at brunches, in the electronics labs and at hockey games, Faith’s had none of that.

“She looks lovely,” Quinn managed to get out before shooing his brother off to get everyone else up for the day out on the lake.

The water was calm as Quinn drove the boat out onto the lake. The stillness calmed him as he concentrated on taking everyone to the small island in the centre of the lake safety. Quinn watched the branches of the trees on the shoreline move with the gentle winds and the waves crashed softly on the sandy beach, slowly bringing him to a state of relaxation he hadn’t felt in some time.

Quinn was brought out of his calm state by his youngest brother shouting the unfortunate nickname given to him by his teammates. He rolled his eyes before turning around to see what the commotion was.

“Alex wanted to know where the White Claws were,” Jack told him.

“And you had to ask me, whilst I’m driving the boat?” Quinn replied, annoyed with the middle Hughes brother.

“Well you packed the boat full of stuff,” Jack said nonchalantly, “why would anyone else know where the stuff is.” Jack shrugged his shoulders, stocking the boat up with alcohol generally fell to Quinn because he was the oldest and usually the only one who could legally be seen with the alcohol.

“Y/N,” Quinn replied, “you know, the other 22 year old who can drink. Plus she helped me set up the food so you know it won’t kill you.” Quinn rolled his eyes at Jack, he really was clueless the majority of the time.

“Oh,” Jack sighed. He would have tried to make some connections between Y/N and Quinn heading out to the shops together and them getting the boat ready, but he was too occupied with his phone and replying to Faith with snapchats of himself on the lake.

Alex didn’t need Jack to ask his older brother where the alcohol was as it was obvious, where else would it be but the fridge. He swiped himself a pineapple White Claw and a Cherry one for Y/N. She hadn’t asked, but he assumed that she wouldn’t turn down a drink. “So,” Alex started, wrapping his arm around Y/N, “you deal with Jack all season long, and you choose to come here and hang out with him more?”

“Let me make this clear”, she replied, cracking open the can and taking a sip, “I did not come here to hang out with Jack any longer.”

“So why come to Michigan,” Alex asked, genuinely curious. He didn’t know how someone could put up with Jack on an almost daily basis, but to come and hang out with him and his friends during her summer break, it seemed crazy to him.

“Needed a break from Jersey City, couldn’t go home, here was the next best thing,” she smiled before flicking her head down so the sunglasses that were resting on the top of her head sat on the bridge of her nose. “Even if it means dealing with Jack pining over a woman once again.”

Quinn looked back to see Alex pissing himself with laughter at something Y/N had said as she sipped on the drink he hoped she had got for herself. The pair seemed to be in a conversation, ignoring the antics of the other boys on the boat and it made Quinn hate himself for being the responsible one. He wanted to be sat at the back of the boat, with his arm wrapped around Y/N, forgetting everyone else even existed. But he didn’t let his emotions show, he couldn’t.

The boat didn’t stay on the lake for too long as Quinn knew that Jack wanted to get a barbecue going so after everyone had jumped into the lake and got enough pictures for their first Instagram post of the summer, he turned the boat around and drove slowly back to the shore. Y/N steadied herself before attempting to get off the boat but she could feel her feet slipping on the inside of the boat. Before she could fall down, a pair of strong arms caught her, keeping her from losing her balance.

“I’ve got you,” Quinn spoke calmly, “one foot in front of the other, you’ve got this.” Quinn’s voice soothed Y/N as she held his hand to get off the boat.

This action went unnoticed by most, except for Jack.

~~

Y/N was woken up to the sound of ceramic breaking and pans being smashed together and she had to admit that it wasn’t her preferred way to wake up. She grabbed one of her oversized Devils shirts given to her by one of the team and found her slippers before swinging open the door to the room which she was staying in. Standing directly opposite her was Quinn, his hair disheveled and bags under his eyes very apparent. All he was wearing was a pair of team issued shorts and his thighs were on full display and Y/N had to stop herself from staring at him.

“I think we get coffee, some fruit and head outside to ignore whatever they’re doing,” Quinn suggested. All Y/N could do was agree because the sound was causing her to develop a headache.

“I’m just gonna grab some Advil before we head out,” she explained to Quinn before running back up the stairs to find the medication.

Quinn started to collect some fruit out of the fridge before setting the coffee machine up to make Y/N’s favourite. There was also a jug of chilled water which he brought out to the decking along with some glasses. Next was the plates and bowls and he thought he would go without anyone noticing him until Jack shouted directly at him.

“Yo Quinner,” he exclaimed, “whatcha doing?” Jack questioned as he dodged some pancake mix being thrown through the air by Alex.

“I am getting some breakfast, then going to sit outside and eat it,” Quinn groaned, really wishing he could have just not been spotted.

“Alone?” His younger brother questioned, knowing that it was likely that he wouldn’t be alone.

“For gods sake Jack,” Quinn replied, “Y/N isn’t feeling too good so I’m hoping some fresh air and food helps her, okay?” All Jack could do was nod, he was pretty preoccupied with all of his hockey friends so didn’t really have much time to spend with Y/N but was glad she was being friendly with his older brother.

The cool wind hit Y/N as soon as she stepped outside and Quinn noticed immediately. He excused himself quickly before speeding into the laundry room to find one of his mums spare blankets. A large fluffy blanket engulfed Y/N, immediately warming her up. She thanked Quinn profusely but his only response was a blush.

“Eat some food then have some Advil,” Quinn instructed. “We can always take the boat out later because sea air is the best air.”

“Just the two of us?” Y/N asked, really hoping that it would be a chill day.

“If that’s what you want, yeah, just the two of us,” Quinn confirmed. “Let’s eat then we can get the boat ready.” She nodded, looking forward to another day out on the water.

~~

The cool breeze floated over Y/N’s skin as she drank out of the travel mug Quinn had prepared for her with some peppermint tea. She sat next to Quinn as he aimlessly directed the boat along the lake. Sometimes she even steered the boat, reaching over over Quinn’s lap. That was until he had enough and pulled her onto his lap.

His hand found presence on her thigh, thumb rubbing semi circles on the jeans she wore. Y/N settled into his touch, slowly sipping on her tea, which had cooled down sufficiently for her to drink.

There were only two more days until she left to return to Jersey, back to a job where she ground coffee beans and made the most ridiculous caffeine concoctions for those doing summer school in Jersey. The occasional banker or lawyer would pop in because the queue was usually shorter than ones in the centre of town.

“You’ll come visit when you’re playing in Jersey right?” Y/N asked meekly, not too sure if Quinn would want to keep the friendship they had going.

“Of course,” he replied, shifting slightly so that his whole hand was now sitting on her thigh. “I can’t deal with Jack and Luke on my own.”

Y/N replied with an awkward smile and nod of her head. She knew she wouldn’t be the only reason he was in Jersey and that was okay.

“It’ll be great to see you too,” Quinn finally got out. He felt a tug towards Y/N whenever she was around, he wanted to be around her, he wanted to talk to her. He enjoyed the time they had spent together even if it was Jack who introduced them.

“I’d like to see Vancouver too,” she spoke, trying to convince herself that she could do this. “I’ve never been to the West Coast.” A small smile graced Quinn’s face, hoping he had read the signals right.

“Vancouver is nice,” he said, “not as nice as here though. I’d pick being back home over Vancouver any day. I’m back end of August if you want to come visit, get away from Jack at the start of training camp.”

“I’d like that,” she replied, turning her head around to look at Quinn. He moved the thumb that was resting on her thigh to slowly draw around her bottom lip, eyes flicking between her lips and her eyes. “Kiss me Quinn.”

He didn’t need any more convincing as he pressed his hips to hers in a sweet kiss. The pair shared a few more kisses before Y/N pointed out a small island where they could dock the boat and sit on the beach for a few hours.

Quinn opened out the picnic blanket on the sandy ground, before quickly popping back onto the boat to grab a few drinks. Y/N and Quinn both cracked open a can of soda before digging a small hole to rest the can in when they weren’t holding it.

She kicked her sandals off, encouraging Quinn to do the same. He complied, not realising that Y/N was going to drag him into the water. Looking back to the blanket, Quinn thought he would be able to throw his shirt over to it so he could give it to Y/N if she got too many of her clothes wet.

It didn’t go as he planned as the wind caught his shirt, blowing it back into the water. Quinn watched as she started laughing at him, not with malice.

She was beautiful.

~~

“Quinn,” Y/N giggled as she rounded the corner. Quinn was trying to lift her up and place her into a fireman’s hold over his shoulder but she wasn’t having any of it. She darted out of his grasp as soon as she noticed what he was thinking. They looked like two young lovers spending a summer holiday on the lake.

Jack looked out of the window to see who was causing the noise, thinking it was one of their neighbours but was pleasantly surprised when he saw his brother and best friend. Inviting Y/N out to Michigan was one of the best things he had ever done. Jack hoped that the pair would end up hitting it off, but going back to Jersey with a potential sister-in-law was certainly not on his mind.

Life might be better in Hoboken, but holidays are better in Michigan.

[tahitianmangoes]

The story of Clementine Quinn

I literally spent all morning just writing this. I usually can’t just sit down an write like this and it turned out more like a mini fic(?) than a biopage but I hope it’s ok!

@fangirl-ramblings​ I know you were interested in seeing it too so I’ll tag you here ^^;;;

Zhang Xiaomeng was nineteen when he came to America from Harbin in China looking for a better life. He had heard of the promise of the Golden Mountain and hoped to work enough to get his family out of the debt that his own father had put them in through his drink and gambling addictions.

Xiaomeng arrived at Angel Island after a long and treacherous  boat ride with many other Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos only to find that America wasn’t a land of freedom, nor was it paved with gold… At least not for him and other non whites.

Americans wanted cheap Chinese labour to do the jobs they would never dream of doing, so he began working just outside of Annesburg building a railway with other Asian immigrants.

The labour was backbreaking and many of his friends collapsed due to exhaustion and malnutrition. Some ran away but if caught, they would be beaten and not be permitted food or water as a punishment. Xiaomeng saw many of his friends die. It hardened him. He realised that the life he had chosen here had been a lie.

Determined to live, he took his opportunity to escape one night when the guards were drunk and ran away to Saint Denis. There had to be more to life here than building railroads. 

Xiaomeng hoped that Saint Denis would be different and in many ways it was. He was able to find lodgings with other Chinese people and made friends. But the fear, segregation and racism hadn’t gone away. With American swept away in an ocean of yellow peril, Xiaomeng would often find himself being chased or attacked in the street with no one batting an eyelid. Chinese people who owned businesses had them burnt down and it was common for someone to not return home and never be seen again. 

Xiaomeng had made friends with a young Chinese man who worked washing pots in a restaurant but one day, he stopped showing up for work. Xiomeng found that there was little use going to the police for help. They didn’t care about the likes of Xioming and other immigrants; they made fun of his broken English and thick Chinese accent and told him to get out before they threw him in a cell. 

Saint Denis is where Xiomeng met Clementine’s mother.

He was able to find work in a general store whose owner took pity on the poor immigrant boy. Xiaomeng promised he would work harder than any white person the owner had ever employed and he made good on his promise. Xiaomeng did everything from cleaning the store and the storefront, riding out to get supplies, making sure the shelves were always full and appealing  and delivering goods in and around Saint Denis to customers. 

Elizabeth Quinn, the daughter of a wealthy Irish-American family who owned properties in Saint Denis and Blackwater.

Elizabeth was sheltered and inexperienced, never having left Saint Denis. She grew up with a governess and was distant with her parents whom she didn’t see too often. By the time she was eighteen, her family had made an agreement with another family in Blackwater who had an unmarried son of thirty-three named Lewis Clark. The Clark family had made their money in the cotton trade but now owned a mining company in Annesburg.

Elizabeth had never met Lewis. She hated the idea that she wasn’t marrying for love and was marrying a man who was almost double her age. It was a transaction and she wasn’t an item to be sold.

The arrangement was purely monetary; Elizabeth’s father would allow Lewis to marry his only daughter in exchange for partnership in the mining business and other business ventures in Blackwater.

Elizabeth met Xiaomeng when he began delivering goods from the general store to her home a few times a week. 

She was struck by how handsome he was, he was lean from the manual labour. His jet black hair was worn long but tied back so that Elizabeth could see his face, his skin a golden brown and his eyes a shimmering amber. 

She had never really met anyone from outside the house before other than the people who were invited around for her parents parties but none of them looked like Xiaomeng .

Xiaomeng was also struck by Elizabeth’s beauty. Elizabeth had long red hair and bright blue eyes, she was slender and graceful - beauty without contrivity. 

Xiomeng was so enraptured by her that he dropped everything he was carrying when he first saw her in the gardens as he made his way to the back door where the kitchens were. Glass shattered and the contents spilled all over the floor causing a commotion. Elizabeth stepped in and took the blame, knowing that Xiaomeng would be punished harshly if she told the truth.

Xiaomeng had a kind smile and while he didn’t speak English well and Elizabeth didn’t know a word of Chinese, there was most definitely something between them that neither of them could explain, like the world was pushing them together.

Elizabeth made sure she was always in the garden for when Xiaomeng came with his delivery. 

The pair started a secret relationship, Xiaomeng would slip Elizabeth little notes that the wife of the general store owner would help him compose and Elizabeth would write letters in return that she spritzed with her perfume. Xiaomeng kept all of the letters, the only thing that had any value to him in this world.

On Xiaomeng notes, he would tell Elizabeth when he days off were and Elizabeth would meet him in town. Many places wouldn’t let Xiaomeng in, so they would walk to the edge of Saint Denis by the water and talk. Sometimes, they would go back to Xiomeng’s house which was usually empty during the day but sometimes, the other people he shared with were there and Elizabeth soon became friends with them. Neither Xiomeng or Elizabeth understood the other too well to begin with but with but love has its own language.

Soon, Elizabeth fell pregnant. The pair knew they didn’t have long to figure out what to do - the engagement to Lewis was to be announced soon. Xiaomeng wanted to run away with Elizabeth; he promised her he would always take care of her and their baby, no matter what: they’d get married and live happily. But both knew that with the exclusion act, they would never be allowed to marry or live any sort of normal life.

Maybe it had all just been a silly dream which was rapidly turning into a nightmare…

Elizabeth began to show, despite trying to cover her bump with baggier clothes but it was fruitless; one of the men who worked for Elizabeth’s father had seen Elizabeth with Xiaomeng in town one day. 

The word got to her father who flew into a rage. Still worried about his business plans, he tried to arrange for a doctor to “take care of things” but by this time, word had reached Lewis Clark and his family in Blackwater and the engagement was promptly called off.

Elizabeth pleaded with her father but he went to the store where Xiaomeng worked with some of his men, dragging him into the street by his hair and proceeded to beat him in front of everyone saying that this filthy chinaman, this filthy dog had defiled his daughter and ruined his business. Xiaomeng couldn’t fight back, he was outnumbered and no one would step in to help - he knew that.

They kept beating and beating until the dusty road turned crimson and Xiaomeng’s handsome face was no longer recognisable. He crumpled lifelessly to the floor where he lay motionless, Elizabeth’s father didn’t stop, he stamped on Xiaomeng’s head until there was a sickening crack and then silence.

The crowd quietened and soon dispersed, leaving only Elizabeth at the foul scene, howling and weeping for her one true love. 

Elizabeth knew she had to leave. She was terrified that when the baby came, her family would take it away from her - her last part of Xiaomeng.

Clementine was born in 1873  somewhere in Tall Trees where she had a fairly happy childhood. She liked nature and animals, Elizabeth doted on her and they spent many happy days in their small homestead not too far from a dam where they would fish. Elizabeth would sell the fish in Strawberry, it didn’t pay a lot but it kept them clothed and fed. 

When Clementine was thirteen, Elizabeth became ill. Dysentery. She told Clementine to go to a woman she had met in Strawberry who would take care of her - when Elizabeth was better, Clementine could come back. Only Elizabeth didn’t get better and she knew she never would.

Clementine never saw her mother again.

Clementine went to Strawberry to find the woman whose name was Miss Burgess. Miss Burgess was in her sixties or so and was a mean woman. Clementine worked for her for a while cleaning houses owned by rich, fancy folk. It was hard work and Clementine barely saw a penny once Miss Burgess had taken her share.  Clementine shared a room with several other girls and boys around the same age who all worked for Miss Burgess. Clementine didn’t make any friends in that time and remembered crying herself to sleep many nights on the itchy bedroll she slept on on the cold floor of that room.

By the time she turned fourteen, Miss Burgess decided to sell Clementine to a wealthy man who was looking for a girl to live with him, take care of the house and such...

Elizabeth had raised Clementine to be vigilant and never to really trust anyone. Clementine knew what the man’s intentions were and when she arrived at his impressive house outside of Blackwater. He wasn’t all that old, perhaps thirty or so but his parents had died and left him the property and a lot of money. 

Clementine was to cook and clean for him. She felt uncomfortable in his presence, his eyes lingered too long on her and he would make excuses to touch her on the shoulder or small of the back.

It didn’t take long for him to call her to his study. He asked her to sit in his lap and although she didn’t want to, although she knew she shouldn’t, before she knew it, he was pulling her towards him and sitting her down on him.

He made advances on her, telling her that she was pretty and mature for her age and he could make her a woman, hands roaming her body while a prickly wave of sickness crashed over her. 

She felt his horrible, hot lips on her neck. As he did this, Clementine seemed to go into autopilot. She saw a glint of sliver on his desk, a letter opener. Before she could think, she had grabbed it and stabbed him in the neck, driving the blade to the hilt. She watched him clutch uselessly at his throat as he gasped for air. When he stopped breathing, Clementine looted the house of everything she could sell and left for Saint Denis, the place her mother hated so much.

She thought she would feel something by killing him: fear, excitement or disgust? She felt nothing. 

****

Clementine hoped to find herself in Saint Denis but all she found was crowded streets and people who didn’t care, especially for someone who looked like her; her curly red hair was enough at first glance for people to mistake her for white but her small mono-lidded eyes, tanned skin and flat nose gave her away as impure.

Too white for other Chinese people but too Chinese for white people - Clementine has never been  accepted anywhere.

She eventually fell in with a group of street kids who initially tried to pickpocket her but she had fought them off with relative ease, leaving one with a broken nose and a bruised ego. For some reason, they took a shine to her and taught her how to pickpocket, where to run and hide from the law and most importantly, how to make friends. 

She became close with an Irish boy named Oliver who joined the gang not too long before her. Clementine didn’t know love but knew that when she was with him, the world made sense and the anger that seethed inside of her settled. She was… happy, just like she’d been with her mother.

Oliver was a year older than her and a good hear or two taller. Lanky with a gap between his two front teeth and freckles across his nose. He probably cared more for Clementine than Clementine cared for him and he would be the first to admit that but that was ok. It was the innocent kind of love that only young teens were capable of having. 

Oliver flushed redder than the paint of a pillar box when Clementine allowed him to hold her hand as they walked the streets together. 

Oliver stole clothes and jewellery for her but Clementine has never cared about her appearance or expensive gifts. She liked having someone to talk before she went to sleep at night and she liked knowing that he would be there again in the morning. She found that sharing things was nice. She wanted to share everything with Oliver. 

The small amount of money she had went towards her horse, a gorgeous chestnut red Turkoman who she had spent months and months saving for and when she produced the right amount of notes at the stable, the stablemaster had all but fallen over in surprise. The horse was her most loyal friend. Clementine loved animals and often fed the stray cats and dogs of Saint Denis, much to the disdain of others. Clementine felt calm amongst the animals, almost as if they understood her better than any human ever could. Maybe one day, her and Oliver would own a farm or stables together. 

Clementine stayed with the gang until she was seventeen. 

Oliver hadn’t been seen for a few days, which wasn’t unusual if he had found work somewhere so Clementine didn’t worry too much. Oliver knew how to take care of himself; he was able to think on his feet and he was able to talk himself out of almost any situation. One afternoon when Clementine was wandering aimlessly through the overcrowded streets, she noticed a gathering at the park. As she edged closer to see what was happening, she saw that there was another public hanging.

Although Clementine had killed before, public hangings made her sick - to think that people came out to watch someone die was horrific. 

Her blood ran cold, however, as she recognised one of the men standing on the gallows, that befreckled skinny boy. Oliver. He’d been caught rustling cattle. She did her best to fight through the crowd towards him, pushing people out of her way and despite her strength, she was still small of stature and couldn’t reach the front.

She heard the door open, heard the rope unravel and heard Oliver choke out his last few breaths. When she reached the front, she saw that while his body was limp, his eyes were still open. She wondered if he had seen her.

****

In 1898, Clementine Quinn is now 25.  She left Saint Denis soon after Oliver was hung and now she travels from place to place, trying to make sense of the world.  She met a beautiful woman named Madam Nazar who buys trinkets and interesting objects that Clementine acquires on her journeys. She recently started helping an older woman named Maggie Fike with a moonshine business - it’s dangerous work with revenue agents at every corner but Clementine doesn’t mind. 

She hates this country; the country that looks on while others suffer or condemns people for the colour of their skin. Maybe one day she’ll leave and start  again somewhere new.

Since leaving Saint Denis, she’s been a loner and a wanderer. She’s found that other people can’t be trusted and will almost always use you in the end. And getting close to people only complicates things... She always leaves before it gets to that point. Maybe that makes her selfish but she doesn’t care. The world has never shown her any mercy so why should she show mercy to the world?

[flowerfan2]

Group Texts Are Ridiculous (Or, Five-0 Starts a Group Text)

McDanno, T, A03

Summary:  After Steve leaves Oahu to go find himself, Five-0 starts a group text to keep in touch while Steve’s away.  Picks up after the end of Season 10.

Notes:  This story is set in the present, following 10x22, but there’s no COVID in it.  I wanted it to be fun.  The story is complete and will be posted over the next few weeks.  Many thanks as always to my awesome beta, @perryavenue. And apologies in advance for any formatting errors on tumblr, I spent forever fixing it up for A03 and it probably won’t translate easily at this point!

Chapter 1

April 2, 2020

Group message:  Tani Rey, Junior Reigns, Lou Grover

TR:  You guys going over to Steve’s to say goodbye tomorrow?

 JR:  Yeah.  Still think we should have a party.

 LG:  The man’s had two parties and a lunch already – how many send offs does he need?

 JR:  I don’t know, he didn’t seem to like them very much.  Maybe he needs a better one.  With just us.

 TR:  He’ll be fine.  Plus, there’s not really any time left.

 JR:  What about tonight?  He’s not coming in today, right?

 TR:  He’s got plans, Junes.

 JR:  He does?  I thought he said he had work to do around the house?  We could bring pizza and beer, help him out.

 LG:  He’s got plans with Danny.

 JR:  Danny won’t mind the help – he’d be happier supervising, anyway.

 TR:  Lou, what are we going to do with him?

 LG:  No idea.  Nothing’s worked so far.

 JR:  Are you guys talking about me?  That’s not very cool.  At least fill me in.

 TR:  Sweet Junes, if you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not sure we can help.

 LG:  But bring that beer over to my place tonight, and I’ll do my best.

 TR:  I’ll bring chips.

  April 3, 2020

 JR:  Okay now I feel really bummed out.  Why did Steve leave Danny down on the beach like that?  We should have had a party.

 TR:  Chill, Junes, he’ll be ok.  He’s just sad.

 JR:  Do you mean Danny or Steve?

 LG:  Yes.

 JR:  But Steve is the one who decided to leave, he shouldn’t be sad – I don’t get it.

 LG:  It’s not a straightforward situation.

 TR:  Good one, Lou.

 JR:  I feel like I’m still missing something.

 TR:  Wouldn’t be the first time.

 JR:  Hey, should we add Adam to the text?  Because he’s standing over there petting Eddie and it feels kind of awkward that we’re all texting.

 TR:  Sure, Adam is definitely sort of not really barely on Five 0 these days… why not add Jerry while you’re at it?

 JR:  Okay.

 LG:  I think Tani was joking.  But we should add Danny and Steve, it’ll give us an easy way to keep in touch while Steve’s away.

 TR:  You think it’ll work?

 LG:  Look at that sad boy down there on the beach.  It couldn’t hurt.

 TR:  Sounds good.

 JR: …so should I add Adam or not?

  April 5, 2020

 JR has changed the name of the group text to Keeping in Touch with Commander McGarrett

 JR:  How’s your trip so far, Commander?

 SM:  No need to be so formal, Junior.  And good, thanks.  Ran into an old friend.

 TR:  Wow, so we’re going to start with that, are we?  You know Danny’s in the chat, right?

 DW:  How do you think Chin knew Steve’s flight info?

 TR:  Wait, so the old friend was Chin?

 SM:  Yeah, Catherine was surprised, too.  She thought I was going to Tahoe with her.  Not sure where she got that idea.

 DW:  Careful what you say, there are kids present.

 SM:  I didn’t say anything bad.

 DW:  You were thinking it.

 LG:  Not to change the subject or anything, but how are Abby and Sara doing?

 SM:  They’re great.  Sara’s adorable.  Smart as a whip, too.  

 DW:  You gonna stay in San Fran a while?

 SM:  Yeah, a week or two.  See the sights.  I hear they have some great Italian restaurants.

 DW:  Now you’re just being mean.

 SM:  Nothing could rival your lasagna, Danny.

 DW:  Aw, you’re forgiven.

 SM:  Anyway, thanks for giving Chin the heads up that I was coming, Danny.

 DW:  No problem.  Had to make sure you weren’t going to immediately start free climbing rock faces or something.  Need to at least let the jet lag settle.

 LG:  Say hi to the Kelly clan for me, will you?

 SM:  Of course.  Gotta go, Abby and Sara want to take me to Alcatraz.

 DW:  By boat, right?

 SM:  Danno, people swim away from Alcatraz, not to it.

 DW:  Leave it to you to start a new trend.

  <b>April 24, 2020</b>

 <i>JR has changed the name of the group text to</i> <b>Keeping in Touch with Steve</b>

 SM:  Hey, just want to let you guys know that I’m going to be out of contact for a while.

 DW:  As opposed to the past few days, when you answered approximately 5% of my texts?

 LG:  You headed out into the woods?

 SM:  Desert, but yeah.  Gonna do some camping.

 DW:  Maybe you’ll see a bear.  Beat some sense into you.

 JR:  Are there bears in the desert?

 TR:  No, but there are snakes.  And spiders. Be careful, those things can be vicious.

 DW:  Yeah, careful is his middle name.

 JR:  What’s Danny so mad about?

 TR:  Not the time, Junes.

 DW:  I’m not mad, I just know how he is.  He’s probably hoping to see some snakes.  Maybe shoot a rattler, cook one over his campfire.

 SM:  I have no intention of shooting anything, I’m just going camping.

 DW:  Since when is going anywhere without shooting something fun for you?

 SM:  I’m not exactly here to have fun.

 TR:  Um, Steve, you okay?

 SM:  Signing off.  Talk to you guys later.  Give Eddie a hug for me, I miss that big guy.

  April 25, 2020

 TR:  Junes, you awake?

 JR:  Yes, are you?

 JR:  That was a joke, I know you’re awake, you texted me first.

 JR:  This is just a text between us, right?

 TR:  Yeah, it’s just us.  Lou and I are done with the stake-out, we handed it off to HPD.  Lou’s driving me home.

 JR:  Did you talk to him about Danny and Steve?  Danny seemed pissed in the group text.  What’s going on?  

 TR:  I tried, but if Lou knows what’s going on, he’s being unusually tight lipped.

 JR:  I wish Danny was back at work.  It’s weird with both him and McGarrett not there.

 TR:  He’s got at least another two weeks until his ribs heal enough to get cleared to return to active duty, at least that’s what he told me yesterday.

 JR:  Can’t he come back to headquarters, though?  I would have thought he’d want to come back, especially with him being in charge now.

 TR:  Temporarily in charge.

 JR:  Yeah, whatever.  Didn’t really sound like that when the governor stopped by, did it?

 TR:  I don’t know, Junior, I really don’t.  But Danny doesn’t really seem eager to get back to work.  Maybe he’s had it with us.

 JR:  With Five-0?  You think he’s gonna do the restaurant thing again?

 TR:  No, that was a disaster.

 JR:  Well, I hope Danny comes back to Five-0.  Otherwise Adam might think he’s got a permanent spot.

 TR:  You really don’t like Adam much, do you?

 JR:  I don’t know, he seems to have an explanation for everything.  But I don’t trust him.  Not like Steve and Danny.

 TR:  I miss them too.  But Danny’s around anytime you want to talk to him.  He whispered in my ear for two hours yesterday when I was questioning that record store owner who tried his hand at money laundering.

 JR:  But Steve’s been pretty out of touch.

 TR:  I think that was the idea of his trip.  It’s definitely going to be a long summer.

 JR:  You think Steve won’t be back until fall?

 TR:  That’s my bet.  September, refreshed and ready to go.  But I really don’t have a clue.  What do you think?

 JR:  Sooner than September, that’s ages, Tani.  Why does he need to be away so long?

 TR:  You’d have to ask him.

 JR:  Tani?

 TR:  Yeah?

 JR:  One more thing… I think we forgot to put Quinn in the text group.

 TR:  Shit.

 May 4, 2020

 LG:  Grace has got skills, Danny.  She’s beating Steve at his own game!

 TR:  Um, what are you talking about, Lou?

 LG:  Steve and Grace went surfing in L.A.  Big waves, too.  Didn’t you see the pics on Facebook?

 DW:  You’re showing your age, Lou.  Facebook is for old people.

 LG:  Grace posted on it, she’s not old.

 DW:  She only puts pics on there when she wants her parents and grandparents to see them.  They’re carefully curated.

 TR:  Why am I not Facebook friends with Grace?  I feel left out.

 JR:  Ditto.

 DW:  You should both feel free to friend her.  I’m sure she’d friend you back.

 TR:  I’ll look for her insta instead.  Probably get better stuff.

 LG:  Do you even know Grace?

 TR:  Rude.

 JR:  Ditto again.

 DW:  That’s the same thing.

 JR:  No, I’m actually saying ditto for the second time.

 LG:  This group text is more ridiculous than Grace’s sanitized Facebook page.  

 TR:  At least if Steve’s surfing we know he made it out of the desert.

 LG:  On a horse with no name.

 DW:  Now you really sound old.

 TR:  Dad joke alert.

 LG:  What’s wrong with dad jokes?  I am a dad, after all.  I’m quite proud of being a dad.  I deserve to make dad jokes.

 TR:  Try making better ones, at least.

 LG:  Danny, you’re a proud dad.  Back me up here.

 DW:  Proud, yes.  As uncool as you, no.  

 TR:  Settle down, you’re both old and uncool, no need to get worked up about it.

 DW:  Fine.  This old guy is staring at some very nice looking steaks, and was planning on lighting the grill soon.  Assuming you’re still willing to eat my food despite my advanced age.

 JR:  Tani and I are getting in the car now, we’ll stop for beer on the way. Jerry said he was coming, too, and bringing fruit salad with no pineapple, just for you.

 DW:  Yet another reason I like Jerry.  And did you guys talk to Quinn and apologize for not including her in the group text?

 TR:  I did, and she actually seemed relieved not to have to deal with us all outside of work.

 DW:  Seriously?

 TR:  No, of course not.  I already added her.  She’s on now.

 QL:  Hi guys.  Danny, thanks for inviting me.  I’m bringing margaritas and guac.

 DW:  See, already glad you’re in the chat.  Sorry Tani forgot you.

 TR:  I did not forget Quinn!  

 LG:  Tani has been suitably repentant, Danny, don’t worry.  And do put my name on two of those steaks - Renee made her special chocolate cake with mocha buttercream.  We’ll be there soon.

 DW:  Does your wife think I’m dying or something?  She only makes that cake when someone’s sick.

 TR has changed the name of the group text to Chocolate Cake For the Detective’s Soul

 TR:  Maybe she thinks it’ll make your ribs heal faster, so you can come back to work and make sure Lou doesn’t do anything stupid.

 DW:  Tani, not for nothing, but it’s not Lou I’m worried about.

 TR:  That building wasn’t that tall.  I landed in the pool, and apprehended the suspect on the way down.

 DW:  I rest my case.

[mamahanu]

fanfic tag game

I was tagged by @dragonnan. Thanks, friend! I love these!

Questions:

Ao3 Name: HanukoYoukai

Fandoms: ~long inhale~ Well... I’ve been writing for a while. A long while. So... I’m just gonna follow dragonnan’s example. Bear with me. 

Currently writing fic for (that are posted/going to be posted):

Final Fantasy

MCU

Captain America

Spider-Man

Deadpool

Avatar: the Last Airbender

Currently finished and recently posted (yes... there are WIPs for these fandoms, and yes, I’m still working on them):

Dragon Prince

Merlin

Wrote fics years ago (and I may still revisit the fandom):

Glee (on FFN)

Harry Potter

Wrote 1 or 2 fics but won’t write more:

Diabolo

Weiss Kreuz

Fruits Basket (deleted... it was bad. I’m not sorry it’s gone)

Wolf’s Rain (see above)

Haven’t published any fics yet but have (or had) ideas ~cracks knuckles~:

Doctor Who 

The Legend of Zelda

How to Train Your Dragon

FireFly

Split/Glass (crossover idea... it’s outlined...)

Birds of Prey and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn

The Flash

DC

All up and coming plans are subject to change depending on my whims as a creator. ;-)

Number of fics: I’m only going to count the fics that are currently posted between Ao3 and FFN. 

Spider-Man/MCU/Captain America/Deadpool: 16 (this includes the crossover with Final Fantasy)

Dragon Prince: 1

Merlin: 4

Harry Potter: 1

Glee: 2

Diabolo: 2

Weiss Kreuz: 1

Total: 27

1. Fic you spent the most time on: Omertà hands down. Wow that fic... I mean, just posting it took 10 months. And I started writing it way before I posted the first chapter so, I think I spent about a year and some change on it. 

2. Fic you spent the least time on: So This is Christmas. I was a pinch hitter for an Irondad Secret Santa. I got this one written in a few hours due to the deadline. 

3. Longest Fic: Again, Omertà. The final word count on this bad boy is 154,668. 30 chapters. It was supposed to be 10 chapters and about 50,000 words. That did NOT happen. 

4. Shortest Fic:  I Like Oatmeal. The word count is 652 and it is easily the shortest thing I’ve ever written so far. This was just a fun little crack fic that broke me into the Merlin fandom. 

5. Most hits: In all honesty, this is a very difficult one to answer because as far as I can tell, FFN does not record hits very well. My two highest fics for Ao3 are  Omertà with 8008 to date, and You are in Control, I Disappear with 5450 to date (but it’s porn, so surprise, surprise.) On FFN, the fic with the highest hits (if I did my month-by-month math right) is The Trouble with Gossip (using the Ao3 link) with 6102 hits to date .

6. Most kudos:  Omertà again. Really, y’all should read it. It’s pretty good. ;-)

7. Most comment threads/ reviews: Want to guess? You got it! It’s Omertà! You all are so smart. :-)

8. Fave Fic you wrote: What? These are my babies. These are my blood, sweat, and tears. You want me to pick a favorite? You’re crazy. 

...

No, seriously, that’s a really hard question. I love them all and for very different reasons. So I’ll pick one that I haven’t mentioned yet. I’ll say Bear the Burden of Responsibility, which was the fic that broke me into the MCU/Spider-Man fandom (I’d been reading for forever, but this was the first one I wrote). It also was my intro to Irondad and Spiderson, which has been SO fun to write, and the community has been fantastic to be part of, in my opinion. 

9. Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: Hmm. Well, I’m already expanding on it, just slowly. I have a series called Take My Heart With You which is kind of an alternate reality/alternate universe series for Merlin. It mainly focuses on the gap between seasons 3 and 4, and events in season 4, but there is a relationship between Merlin and Percival that I’m playing around with. I also am touching on the friendship Merlin has with Gwen, so there may be elements from previous seasons added soon. I actually really enjoy that one, but I’ve lacked inspiration for it, so I haven’t been writing much in this universe lately. 

10. Share a bit of your WIP or share a story idea that you’re planning: How about both?

Love Runs Deeper than Blood

***SPOILERS! FOR MY READERS WHO WANT TO WAIT UNTIL I POST, SCROLL UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEXT BOLD TEXT!***

“Tarkik.”

“No.”

“Koko.”

“Hmm, maybe.”

“Nanouk?”

Kyra laughed, bouncing the baby boy on her knee. “You have great love for that name,” she said, grinning. Bato shrugged, wiggling his fingers at the boy and making him giggle.

When he brought the child to Kyra, she broke down in tears before immediately thanking the Great Spirits. She fell in love with his soft hair and golden eyes, and she held him like she could never let him go. Bato understood. He was like that with the boy the whole journey back.

“It’s a good, strong, water tribe name,” Bato defended, grinning. “What about Toklo? For your father?”

“My brother was named for my father already,” Kyra replied. “Maybe Tonraq?”

Bato made a face. “No,” he replied, shaking his head.

“Why not?”

“When I went Ice Dodging, the boy manning the main sail was named Tonraq. He’s the reason I have a scar on my boat,” Bato said, darkly. Kyra laughed.

“Well, there’s always Soomool,” she offered. Bato shrugged. They had been going over names for two days now. Even Kya and Hakoda offered input, with baby Sokka in tow. The new boy was fascinated with the chief’s son. Bato hoped they would become good friends. Kyra handed the boy to him and he lifted him up so their noses could touch. The boy went a little cross-eyed, making Bato laugh.

“You know what his eyes remind me of?” he asked Kyra.

“The sun?” she asked, grinning.

Bato shook his head. “No. Well, yes, I suppose. But they look like the sky during a storm, when lightning strikes.”

“You mean when the sky turns to gold for a moment?” Kyra asked, thoughtfully. Bato nodded. Kyra hummed in thought.

“What about Kallik?”

*** OKAY ALL CLEAR***

Story Idea - Spider-Man Villain/Anti-Hero AU:

Plot: What if Peter stopped the convenience store thief instead of letting him run away? Uncle Ben is still alive, and that major guilt he felt that acted as a catalyst for him to become Spider-Man and look out for the little guy isn’t there anymore. Instead Spidey is a wrestler, then a “hero” who asks for donations to his paypal, and then a mercenary. All his bad guys are now neutral contacts, and he frequently teams up with DP, Moon Knight, and Black Cat (among others), working for cold, hard cash. He drives Iron Man crazy, he baffles Captain America, and Black Widow has a soft spot for him (because she gets that double life). 

It’ll be fun when I get to writing it. I’ve got some semblance of an outline. ;-)

Tagged: I’ll tag @silentsaebyeok, @reachingforaspark, @blondsak, @jro616 and @kitcat992, as well as anyone else who wants to play. And if I tagged you and you don’t, no pressure! <3

[tvdversefanfiction]

Canary Carnage

Chapter Four: Brotherhood of The Vampire

Warnings: I don’t own any of the rights, content or characters belonging to any of the DC content I use within the story along with not owning any rights, content or characters within The Vampire Diaries, Originals or Legacies.

18 Rating: Moderate/Graphic displays of violence, sexual innuendos, sexually charged scenes, SMUT, strong language and potentially triggering scenes.

Pairings: M/M, F/F, M/F.

Laurel Lance hadn’t been having the best time since coming to this new world she and her brother called Earth Blood.

She had went from having a strained alliance with the Mikaelson family to almost being murdered by Rebekah and Kol which led to a surprising rescue from her clearly not entirely evil after all brother and now she had to deal with the fallout of her supposedly dead sister Sara Lance and her first love Oliver Queen showing up on Earth Blood very much alive.

It was fair to say Laurel was spiraling ever so slightly so when her brother Lucas Lance took the prerogative to cover up their sister’s recent murder and reform their alliance with the Mikaelson family she was pleased he had managed to lift some weight off her and despite never quite fully trusting her brother she was more than happy for him to leave New Orleans with Klaus for France to help the original hybrid get his older brother Elijah Mikaelson back.

Laurel’s plan was to sort things out with Sara and learn more about her life after her death and attempt to give Oliver time to explain himself but their betrayal still stung her hard and despite desperately wanting to reconnect with her sister she couldn’t help how she felt so instead of operation sisterhood she decided to hang out in Rousseau's in an attempt to escape her mind not realizing things were never quiet in New Orleans.

“So, considering we’re going out on a limb here by trusting your brother being innocent of my sister’s murder it really bothers a girl when her spies reveal there’s two more occupants staying in the hotel your brother seized.” Rebekah complained to the Black Canary after vamp speeding into the bar to find Laurel sat at the counter drinking from a bottle of beer. “This little partnership of ours is holding on by a thread as it is so I demand you tell me who exactly checked in.”

“If you must know one’s my sister the other’s my first love and yes their sharing a room.” Laurel replied as she took another drink. “Hence my need to be anywhere but there and my lack of caring to your attempts to threaten me.”

“I thought you told me they died on some boat when they were having some dirty weekend away together?” Rebekah questioned as she sat down next to Laurel.

“Nope turns out their very much alive and clearly still seeing each other after all this time.” Laurel admitted as she finished her beer. “I’m supposed to be the dutiful sister and try to forgive and forget but with one sibling being a backstabbing bitch and the other being a psychopath I’m getting real sick of being the oldest sibling.”

“My brother Niklaus used to dagger each one of us anytime we did something that didn’t amuse him,” Rebekah revealed as she ushered the bartender for a drink. “My siblings never stole any of my men, but my bastard brother did kill a bunch of them.”

“Suddenly I don’t feel too bad about my family.” Laurel joked with Rebekah as the bartender walked over to the Black Canary and the female original and passed Laurel another bottle of beer and Rebekah a glass of red wine.

“Don’t get me wrong your brother is a bloody bastard but he clearly has your back just like mine this sister of yours however seems like she should’ve stayed dumped at the bottom of the ocean.” Rebekah replied as she took a drink from her wine. “As for this man I don’t understand how he’s even still breathing I’d have killed him the second I saw him again if I were you but I guess that’s why being a good girl is never fun for anyone.”

Klaus Mikaelson never like partnerships in general least of all ones with people he believed responsible for his sister’s demise but he had to think about his brother Elijah knowing his alliance with the canaries only had to last just a little longer until his brother was back in the family fold and then he’d kill the Red Canary and everyone associated with him.

Klaus had compelled his way onto a private plane having compelled the pilot to fly him and his canary alliance to France on their search for Elijah and as Klaus was sat waiting for the Black Canary to show up he quickly found himself with an unpleasant surprise as the Red Canary walked onto the private plane and sat down opposite the original hybrid with an annoying smile on his face.

“I don’t think we’ve officially met I’m Lucas Lance your brother Kol knows me very well and I’ve met both of your sister’s condolences on the deceased sister by the way.” Lucas greeted him, clearly trying to torment the original.

“What the hell are you doing here and please talk quickly if you want me not to kill you right here and now.” Klaus snapped at the Red Canary.

“Firstly, that’s just rude considering my family’s doing your family such a big favour and secondly my sister Laurel is having a few days off to recover from my other sister Sara and Laurel’s ex’s return from the dead.” Lucas informed Klaus all too happily. “Now get a guy a glass of champagne already I tend to like a glass when flying to France.”

“The only thing I’ll ever get you is a coffin!” Klaus made himself clear.

“I like you!” Lucas replied with a flirtatious smile before standing up from his seat and beginning to search the private plane for some champagne leaving Klaus looking completely and utterly miserable at the idea of sharing a flight with him.

Lucas Lance had a thing for psychopathic men with a murder tendency it was why he found himself playing minion to Slade Wilson, it is why he aligned himself with The Joker and it was also why he became number one on Harley Quinn’s hit-list.

His recent dalliance with Kol Mikaelson had wet his appetite for more men who shared his tendency for mixing pleasure with pain but considering Kol hadn’t returned for round two he quickly began checking for other options and while on a private plane with Klaus Mikaelson he began to consider swapping brothers.

In the short time he had lived on this Earth he had heard a lot of rumors about Klaus like how he plotted to murder an orphan only to later use her as a human blood bag, how he daggered his siblings every time he disagreed with him, the villages he massacred to teach enemies, a girl who ran from him for five centuries and he hoped all rumors were true.

However Lucas was no fool and he knew the Mikaelson’s never bought his lie about who killed their sister and so he played his cards close to hand but that didn’t stop the Red Canary from having a little fun until murder was next on the agenda.

“Oh my god is this plane ride going to be completely and utterly silent because I’m seriously considering jumping out right now just to add some excitement into this journey.” Lucas complained to Klaus as he sat opposite the original hybrid on the private plane with a glass of champagne on hand as he watched Klaus roll his eyes at him. “I’ve heard a lot about you and so far, you’re truly disappointing me!”

“If you’ve heard anything about me then you should know what happens to the idiots like you who annoy me!” Klaus warned the Red Canary. “Of course, I rarely leave people alive to tell any stories.”

“See when you talk like that, I can see us being good friends and then you start moaning about that bloody family of yours and those chances just sliver away.” Lucas told the original hybrid as he took a drink from his champagne. “I do hate it when a monster is domesticated into a man.”

“Says the man who talks more about his sisters than himself!” Klaus snapped back as he sat forward to furiously face Lucas. “I get life got a little bit tough for you and this whole path is one long tantrum but you’re nothing more than a child throwing hissy fit after hissy fit whose too stupid to ever realize when you’re playing with beasts who could destroy you with one bite.”

“If you must know my life was never tough it was just boring until I did something about it.” Lucas replied as he finished his glass of champagne and moved forward from his seat to get even closer to the original. “I chose the path I chose to make something of myself sure some people tend to go more for corporate then killer but I am not most people and as for not talking about myself I can’t stop talking about myself you just seem to only listen to what you want to hear because you’d rather see me as an enemy than the man who could be your match.”

“Please,” Klaus scoffed. “You run around screaming heads of people while being chased by your sister when my sister even thought about betraying me, I had her daggered until she seen her wrongs. You are nowhere near a match for me little canary you’re out of your league!”

“Go ahead and underestimate me I’ve dealt with that my entire life but remember this every single member in your family who has squared up against me has been taken down. Laurel is only alive because I allow it because your family couldn’t take me just like you can’t take me!” Lucas reminded the original hybrid. “I’m a rare breed with powers you can’t even begin to understand and all you want me to do is scream for your siblings maybe your right about not being my match because Niklaus it is you who is beneath me.”

“I really can’t figure out if your completely and utterly insane or if you genuinely believe your own hype your sister only formed an alliance with my family because she knew you’d wind up dead otherwise because she clearly knows you better than you know yourself.” Klaus replied as the two continued to fight for dominance. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the only reason your even alive to this day is because your big sisters have been pampering and protecting their kid sibling their entire lives.”

“I would argue that it is me who protects them I could throw my dick out right here and start comparing it to you but I don’t have to prove I’m better than you in some toxic masculinity match to the death.” Lucas continued to argue while Klaus began to realize something he hadn’t considered until now. “I like this world it’s bloodier, brutal and far less plagued with morality and humanity so you can play the power card all you want because I’m staying put whether you get in my way or not.”

“When did you say the other canary show up in my city you know the one who slept with her sister’s man before and after faking her death just to get away from you both?” Klaus questioned the Red Canary while beginning to suspect the White Canary of murdering his older sister.

“I didn’t.” Lucas quickly bluffed, realizing Klaus’ suspicions were raised.

“You really didn’t murder my sister Freya.” Klaus said with a knowing smile on his face, concluding Sara Lance was Freya Mikaelson and Keelin Malraux’s killer. “But your sister sure as hell did.”

Sara Lance’s life was turned upside down the day the Gambit went down and her and Oliver Queen were presumed dead although in some ways those versions of them really did die birthing the White Canary and the Green Arrow in the process.

Sara and Oliver’s path to heroism didn’t start out that way as they washed up in a deserted island known as Lian Yu which proved to be anything but deserted as they were found by a top-secret organisation known as the league of assassins.

The two were trained as assassins by the group’s leader Ra’s al Ghul after the leader of the league of assassins was convinced by his daughters Nyssa and Talia took a liking to each of them Nyssa al Ghul falling for Sara Lance and Talia al Ghul becoming one of Oliver Queen’s many conquests.

However, neither Sara or Oliver quite took to the countless murders they committed due to being members of the league of assassins plotting together to flee the association knowing if they were ever caught they would be murdered by them but the want of freedom being too strong to not chance it.

Sara Lance and Oliver Queen knew returning to Star City as themselves would pose too many problems for those they cared for and alert the league to where they were but they wanted to see their loved ones once more leading to the births of the White Canary and the Green Arrow as they vowed to help the Black Canary protect their city only to return home to find no Black or Red Canary and no Laurel or Lucas leading them to Earth Blood.

Sara Lance wanted nothing more than to reconnect with her sister Laurel and fix their fractured relationship following her brief fling with Oliver as Oliver wanted nothing more than to seek forgiveness from his first love Laurel, reclaim her heart and make her understand that Sara and Oliver were nothing more than friends that his heart belonged to Laurel Lance and Laurel Lance only.

Their only problem was Laurel was keen to avoid them both at all costs even if it meant drinking with enemies who had once tried to kill her believing Rebekah Mikaelson to be better company than her sister or her first love.

“I’ve got to ask where the bloody hell this whole canary alter ego of yours came from? I understand the supposed need of masks in your world but why the hell choose to call yourself the Black Canary?”  Rebekah wondered as her and Laurel remained in Rousseau's, Rebekah on yet another glass of red wine while Laurel was working on finishing yet another bottle of beer.

“I discovered my power after my sister died but it was my father’s death that made me try and save my city. Before he lost himself to the booze and the grief over Sara, he believed my home Star City could be saved and therefore in his memory I decided to take on that task.” Laurel admitted to Rebekah, touching the original female vampire by her honest words. “I was always closer to my father than my mother in fact that’s why I called myself the Black Canary mainly because of the connections between the obvious voice specialties and because my father once bought me the most beautiful Canary for my birthday.”

“Wow it’s refreshing to hear of a father who actually gave a damn about his children instead of chasing them and trying to murder them for a thousand years.” Rebekah replied to Laurel, sharing some of her past with the Black Canary.

“Your father really hunted his own children?” Laurel rhetorically asked her drinking companion with a genuine look of disgust on her face. “I hope you murdered the bastard!”

“No,” Rebekah laughed as she finished her glass of wine and placed the empty glass on the bar counter. “Although my brother Niklaus had the privilege of killing him twice.”

“It’s always the brothers that get to have all the fun while us sisters are always busy cleaning up their messes!” Laurel moaned after finishing her bottle of beer.

Rebekah Mikaelson liked Laurel Lance not so much from the first moment considering that consisted of her head literally exploding but she had liked Laurel since their first deal was made.

She felt a bond with her over being the put upon sister looking after her devious siblings and she began to feel sorry for what her family had in store for her brother that was until she received a text from her brother Klaus which so simply said Sara killed Freya, time to repay the favour dear sister and then she realized friendships will never get in the way of revenge.

Lucas Lance loved his siblings more than he ever fully realized until the moment Klaus Mikaelson learned Lucas’ sister Sara was responsible for Freya Mikaelson’s death and after Klaus’ private plane landed in a field within a small town in France he knew that he was too far away to stop any carnage the other members of the Mikaelson family may inflict on his sisters meaning he had to do something he hated doing more than anything which was showing emotion and hoping a brother to brother talk would convince the original hybrid to protect his sister.

“Let me make myself clear I’m not going ahead with reuniting you with your brother until I get your word that you won’t harm a hair on any of my sister’s heads.” Lucas demanded as Klaus and him reach the bottom of the private plane’s stairs and began walking through the field located within a small town in France.

“Your bloody sister murdered mine and you really think you can make demands of me!” Klaus shouted furiously at the Red Canary. “You will do what you need to do here, or I’ll kill you right where you stand!”

“She believed she was protecting me she’s not a bad person Klaus, not like me! I may not have killed Freya but if I didn’t attack her that day then my clueless sister never would have harmed the witch or her wolf girlfriend.” Lucas pleaded with the original hybrid. “Please don’t take her from us when we’ve only just taken her back!”

“My sister Freya put nothing above family, and I’ll put nothing above getting revenge for her now you can either come with me now or die by me now!” Klaus warned Lucas, making it clear he wouldn’t back down.

“She took a sibling from you so take one from her.” Lucas suggested in a desperate bid to spare the White Canary. “I’ll come with you scream the hollow out of your brother and then I’ll stay by your side as you kill me without putting up a fight.”

“You’d really die for your sister?” Klaus asked the Red Canary, shocked by his rare act of selflessness. “What makes you think we won’t kill you all?”

“Because unless you give me your word right here right now then you’ll never get Elijah back and I’ll personally take everyone else from you!” Lucas threatened the original hybrid.

“I do tend to torture my enemies instead of just killing them straight away, but your sisters would seek revenge and I’d have no choice but to kill them both anyway.” Klaus responded to him.

“Laurel would do anything to protect her family no matter how unworthy we are you keep Sara alive and she’ll be forced to stay the hell away from you both knowing it’s the only way to keep her safe.” Lucas explained to Klaus. “Besides think of how much joy you’d get from finally silencing the loudest canary.”

“Sibling for sibling?” Klaus said while beginning to consider Lucas’ proposal. “I suppose I am a reasonable immortal…very well we have a deal you for your sister but only after we both deal with Elijah.”

“Thank you!” Lucas responded with a sincere smile, believing in that moment he had just saved his sister. “You’ve just proven to me you really are above me!”

Kol Mikaelson’s relationships with his siblings were often strained he often though they’d all kill each other in the end but instead he lost his youngest sibling Henrik to werewolves a thousand years ago, then Finn twice at the hands of others and now Freya was the latest sibling to meet her demise.

Kol never got revenge for Henrik or Finn and he would’ve regretted it if his father didn’t kill most of the werewolves on Henrik’s behalf and if Finn didn’t already kill him once before. However, Freya was different despite their strains he knew Freya didn’t deserve to meet her end and it instantly turned him against Lucas as he believed the Red Canary was the one to blame only to recently find out from a text from Rebekah that it was Lucas’ sister Sara Lance who killed Freya.

As he sat on the edge of his bed in his bedroom at the compound he considered how things may have escalated instead of fumbled with him and Lucas for a second thinking of the carnage the two of them could’ve found themselves causing knowing he was about to get revenge and kill Sara Lance.

For a moment he considered leaving Rebekah or Klaus to exact the revenge but he knew Elijah would be home soon and figured it would help his brother to know revenge had been taken for their fallen sister and realized he had to act now and he had to be wise knowing the White Canary wouldn’t be an easy kill and knowing he didn’t know what to expect from Oliver Queen.

He knew Rebekah was keeping Laurel busy with drinks at Rousseau's and Lucas was in France with Klaus so there was no better time than now to kill the canary responsible for Freya Mikaelson and Keelin Malraux’s death as the original family of vampires would once again restart their war against the Black Canary and Red Canary by killing their sister.

Kol walked into the reception area of the hotel Lucas Lance had claimed, the same hotel he and Lucas had their first meeting as he vamp sped upstairs to where him and Lucas had their second meeting as he searched room after room in search of Sara Lance or even Oliver Queen as he prepared to kill the White Canary the only problem being she was already dead which he discovered after finally finding their room.

“Well this is definitely new.” A shocked Kol mumbled to himself as he looked around the blood-soaked hotel room to find Sara Lance laid lifeless on the floor with several arrows launched into her chest, realizing Rebekah couldn’t possibly be the culprit or Hayley considering she had taken Hope back to school leaving him with only one question. “Who the bloody hell killed the White Canary?”

Elijah Mikaelson’s life had taken a drastic change from the life he had lived for a thousand years thanks to the compulsion of upgraded original Marcel Gerard and the magic of New Orleans witch Vincent Griffiths.

He had always put family above all else which had cost him countless pain over the centuries but he no longer remembered that family or his sense of obligation towards them as he lived a quiet and blissful life in a small town in France as a bartender and pianist within a local bar and apart from his blood lust it was a rather simple life but after a few years he had managed to get all that under control.

He had learned who he was from a series of whispers all across the world about the original family as he discovered he was different to other vampires and upon discovery he headed to a quaint small town where he was fooled into believing he’d never be found as he longed to live out all of eternity as normal as any immortal could the need from that more than likely coming from Marcel’s compulsion.

However his time of being free from all the chaos and carnage of his family was nearing an end as his brother Klaus Mikaelson walked into the quaint and quiet pub with Lucas Lance by his side to find Elijah sat by the piano playing a beautiful and simplistic song with no words just music.

“You have an exquisite touch when it comes to playing the piano however I prefer my songs with some vocals and a little more drama.” Lucas complimented Elijah after walking over to him and causing him to move so he could sit down in front of the piano before he began playing an acoustic version of Nick Jonas’ hit single Jealous before beginning to sing the song as well, surprising the entire bar especially Klaus and Elijah with his deep husky like beautiful voice proving he really was a songbird.

Everyone continued to watch and listen to the Red Canary’s performance as both Elijah and Klaus found themselves surprised by Lucas Lance especially Klaus who couldn’t help but smile at the all singing canary realizing in that moment, he really was full of surprises.

“You’re very talented!” Elijah compliment Lucas after the Red Canary finished his performance.

“You have no idea Elijah.” Lucas whispered in the noble original’s ear before releasing a deafening canary cry straight through his ears causing the Mikaelson’s brother to instantly explode in a gust of blood spreading all over the piano as the customers and staff within the pub screamed in horror and shock.

“Was that really necessary?” Klaus asked while guarding the doorway before breaking a female’s neck after she tried to run past him to escape the terror only for him to then through her lifeless body to the ground.

“I figured at least we’d have a few people to kill while we wait for his head to regrow.” Lucas replied as he dropped Elijah’s body to the bar floor and stood up from his seat to look Klaus face to face while covered in the blood of the original noble.

“Actually, I was talking more about the performance.” Klaus teased the Red Canary with his signature devilish smirk spread across his face before he vamp sped around the pub again and again, each time stopping at a different human to snap their neck even biting into a few for some blood until the entire bar floor was filled with lifeless corpses as only he and Lucas remained standing.

“I guess this is a part where you kill me to spare my sister,” Lucas mentioned as he walked towards the original hybrid with a sense of sadness on his face. “It’s a shame we didn’t meet under different circumstances because I truly believe we could’ve had a lot of fun.”

“Maybe a few decades ago for sure but now I’m firmly family first.” Klaus stated as he placed both hands on Lucas’ neck. “If it makes you feel any better you may just be one of the rare kills I actually regret.”

“Just get it over with already.” Lucas pleaded as Klaus tightened his grip on the Red Canary’s neck to the point he was now strangling his enemy before he pulled him in towards him so their bodies were clashing against each other as Klaus passionately kissed Lucas much to Lucas surprise before Klaus let go of the canary. “What was that?”

“I’m not going to kill you Lucas Lance and I promised I wouldn’t kill your sister however I never said anything about my siblings doing the deed.” Klaus revealed with a wicked smile on his face. “Consider us both now even!”

Laurel Lance had spent most of her night in Rousseau’s trading sibling horror stories with Rebekah Mikaelson while continuing to drink away into the late hours before leaving her to head back to the hotel having avoiding her sister long enough but after walking up to the hotel’s front doors she was suddenly stopped by Kol Mikaelson who sped his way to the front door with a look of dread on his face a look which Laurel instantly realized didn’t mean anything good.

“Laurel you may not believe me here but someone else bet us to it.” Kol tried to convince the Black Canary of his innocence before breaking the news of her sister’s second death but before he could her phone rang which Laurel was all to eager to answer in avoidance of whatever tragedy Kol was about to inform her about.

“Hello.” Laurel eagerly answered the phone.

“Laurel it’s Sara…” Lucas said through the phone in between his own canary cries which both Kol and Laurel overheard. “She’s not dead!

“I just found her body she is dead.” Kol informed Laurel reluctantly. “But our family is innocent I promise.”

“No, she’s not dead.” Lucas shouted through the phone. “I tricked her into taking vampire blood! Laurel the alliance is off protect Sara.”

Laurel quickly hung up on Lucas before releasing a canary cry of her own towards Kol forcing him to be sent flying across the streets by the force of her powerful sonic screamed which made the entire street shake before Laurel vamp sped into the hotel eager to find her little sister and ensure her safety.

[thewickedmerman]

My Top 10 Favorite Fictional Couples

It’s been a really long time since I posted something here on Tumblr. I spend most of my time on the internet on Fanpop, Youtube, and Deviantart. Maybe I should try to get back into the swing of things here on Tumblr. I mainly come here to chat with my friend @keeloves rather than to post anything here. I mainly post my stuff on other websites. I hope you guys like this and let me know what you think but don’t be rude. Enjoy!

10.Odette and Derek (The Swan Princess)

With Odette and Derek, yes, they didn't get along at first and fought over the years, but there were subtle hints to them secretly liking each other. I mean, Odette, as a preteen was constantly following Derek and Bromley, like most girls at that age, did when it came to boys they secretly liked. Unfortunately, boys at that age thought that girls had cooties. Along with that, Derek as a teenager was shown to have some interest in her, though he wouldn't show it. When Bromley said that he thought Derek kind of, sort of like her, Derek didn't deny it, he simply said that he'd like her better if she'd lose at cards. He didn't deny he didn’t like her! Whenever a guy doesn't like someone and someone says they do, they'll instantly deny it, which he didn't do. Plus, if you noticed, when Odette and her father were leaving on their boat, at first Derek was just pouting, but then his face softened up, and he slowly turned to look at Odette leaving when he thought no one was looking (Right until she sling-shotted a tomato at him lol). Then we have them when they're grown up and I've said in the past, that Derek just wasn't good at expressing himself, which was why he said, "What else is there?" and not because he was superficial. Odette loved him but refused to marry him until he could express what he loved about her besides her looks. Derek obviously loved her for more than just her looks, if he didn't than he would've just gave up on her when it got difficult. Would you hunt down a dangerous animal, try to break a spell, and risk your life to defeat an evil wizard just for someone you loved only for their looks and nothing more? I don't think so! Derek learned how to grow and his love for Odette was what helped with it. He thought he'd be able to express his feelings for Odette but was so blinded by his love for Odette that he mistook the fake Odette for the real one. He was even suspicious of the fake Odette because he felt something was different about her, it was only when she presented to him the swan locket that he returned to the real Odette when he found her that he thought she had to be the real Odette. He even ran after Odette in her swan form, knowing she was dying, to find some way of saving her and to at least say some final word about his love for her and how he was sorry. Odette didn't say, "Derek... how could you?" because she knew that he meant the vow to be for her, he even says that the vow was for her, and she simply replied, "I know... I love you Derek..." before she died. But he refused to let her die and was willing to risk his life to save hers. He didn't care if he died, as long as she would live. He fought with every fiber of his being to save her, even though he was close to death himself, since Rothbart as the Great Animal was too powerful. But in the end, Derek did defeat Rothbart and his love for Odette was part of what helped bring her back and break the spell. The vow said he had to make a vow of everlasting love and prove it to the world. However, the spell didn't specify what it meant by “the world.” From how I see it, having a room full of people isn't the world but rather was just one person who was Derek's entire world to him, Odette herself. He finally said what else he loved about her, her kindness and courage, which was what broke the spell. Even after he killed Rothbart, Odette didn’t come back to life instantly. It wasn’t until he made his vow of everlasting love to the lifeless body of Odette that she came back to life. He learned how to express his feelings and appreciate the ones he loves while they're in his life because you might not always have them, so you should always cherish every moment with them while you can. They vowed to love each other far longer than forever.

9.Cory and Topanga (Boy Meets World and Girl Meets World)

These two remind me of a modern-day version of Odette and Derek for many reasons. First being they’ve known each other since childhood, they couldn’t stand each other, they became attracted to each other because of hormones, Cory seemed to like her for just her looks at first and Topanga wanted to be loved for more than her looks, he proved he loved her for more than her looks, they had their problems, and would go on about how grand and enchanting their love for each other is. They are Odette and Derek to a T! I love them more because of how we do see more of them acting like a real couple with problems. We did get that with Odette and Derek in the two traditionally animated sequels but not to the same level as Cory and Topanga. They are one of the most iconic on-again, off-again relationships in TV history. However, unlike something like Ross and Rachel from Friends, who I do love as a couple, they aren’t dysfunctional or ever questionably unhealthy as a couple. They had problems where they would react like real people would, though Cory would overreact in some instances (Especially in the last few seasons), they’d stay apart for a realistic amount of time, and they’d work it out like two mature adults that love each other. They would do anything for each other and balanced each other out really well. He’s more of the living in the moment and having fun type that gets into a lot of trouble because of his reckless and naive nature while she’s the smart and responsible one that sometimes doesn’t know how to loosen up because of how controlling and perfectionist nature. They balanced each other's weaknesses with their strengths. They even stayed an amazing couple when they had kids in Girl Meets World, where they worked just as well as a team as they did as a couple and were great parents because of it.

8.Snow White and David (Once Upon a Time)

These two have incredible chemistry and part of the reason is that the actors, Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, are actually married in real life with kids. It was because of this show that they met and their love blossomed. Ginnifer actually said she never planned to get involved in that way with a co-star but love changed her plans. This couple is so well-done and passionate. These two developed their relationship and didn’t just instantly fall in love. Hell, when they first met, she was robbing him and hit him in the face with a rock. When he caught up with her, he trapped her in a net. Not exactly a traditional fairy-tale romance meeting. These two are adorable with how dedicated they are to one another and how they will always find each other no matter what. While they didn’t have as many conflicts as the other couples on the show, they still had their conflicts and would work through them. They are willing to do anything for each other but would also sacrifice their own happiness for the sake of others. They even share the same heart! I just absolutely ADORE these two and the fact that the actors are married with kids in real life makes me love them even more. Their chemistry is just so enchanting that I can’t help but gush about them so much!

7.Regina and Robin Hood (Once Upon a Time)

These two are my absolute favorite couple on Once Upon a Time and they're just absolutely amazing. I love how even though they didn't get along at first that it's clear that they had a strong chemistry. Regina was afraid of falling in love because she was afraid that she'd lose her happiness because it's happened before. Being the Evil Queen, she was used to losing things she loved. However, she felt such a strong connection between her and Robin Hood that she even allowed him to keep her heart (literally) and even kissed him. She was even able to feel such a strong passion for him without her heart, that should tell you something. Even with the whole Marian thing, it's clear that the two still adored one another and just want to be together but things keep on happening. Finally, the two of them were together once again because it's clear that they're simply meant to be, the pixie dust even said so. Plus I just love couples where a woman is evil (or rather was) and the man is a good guy. That probably explains why the next couple is on this list. Unfortunately, these this romance would be torn apart because of how Robin was killed trying to save her life. Their love was so amazing that he was still with her and in a sense, he was with her to help her be able to move on with her life and be happy. Their love was so incredibly strong that even their clones fell for each other. Plus, this is an interracial romance, which is something we need more of in media. 6.Batman/Bruce Wayne and Catwoman/Selina Kyle

This is ironic because my least favorite comic book couple (and one of my least favorite couples in general) is The Joker and Harley Quinn. Anyway, if The Joker is Batman's villainous opposite, Catwoman is Batman's villainous similarity. Yes, I got that from the Nostalgia Critic video! Anyway, both of them are very similar because both of them have tragic backstories, dress up in skintight outfits, have style to them, and operate outside of the law. However, Batman fights crime and is a good guy, while Catwoman will both fight crime and commit crimes. Batman has more of a moral code than Catwoman and tries to influence her. He tries to deny that there is an attraction and strong chemistry between the two, but of course, there is no hiding his true feelings for her. Catwoman is obviously very flirtatious with Batman and uses his attraction to her to her advantage. However, it's clear that even when she has nothing to gain from it, she'll save him from danger because she loves him. There have been many different interpretations of these two that are pretty interesting. In the comics, Selina came from a tragic life but was middle-class and later lived off the streets, as opposed to the animated series where she's a wealthy upper-class woman like Bruce. In Batman Returns, she's more of a psychotic... well, more than usual. Bruce thinks that he can save her but realizes that he's insane too and that they both could use some saving. These two probably have the most complicated relationship EVER! Sometimes they know each others identities and other times they don't. But either way, they're still amazing. 5.Shrek and Fiona (The Shrek Franchise)

Talk about the opposite version of Belle and Beast. Instead of the ugly monster turning into someone beautiful, it's someone beautiful turning into the ugly monster. But you know what? That's part of what makes it so unique. Fiona no longer cared what she looked like because she had finally found the one she loved and he loved her for who she is on the inside, not the outside. The two of them have a really strong chemistry and it's clear throughout all of the Shrek movies. I love how Shrek was even willing to give up his species to make Fiona happy but it turned out that wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to live happily ever after with the ogre she married because that's the one who helped her change and become the person she was. The two of them are incredibly dedicated to each other but they also act like a real married couple. They’d have their fights and arguments but in the end, would do whatever they can to make it up to each other. They even had kids together, which is always a great symbol of love, unless it ends in divorce. However, in this case, it just makes their love for each other stronger because it just means there's more of their love to go around and their love created three little miracles. 4.Danielle and Henry (Ever After)

This is definitely the best version of the couple of Cinderella and Prince Charming because we actually see them talk about their dreams/interests and get to know each other. They have a clear instant chemistry from the very moment that they met each other. The two of them are very dedicated to each other but they actually do start off being friends and it wasn’t just, "I wanna marry you." The two of them were friends that clearly had a thing for each other and would later admit that it's love. Unfortunately, Danielle didn't want to admit it because she was pretending to be a high-class lady when she was really a servant girl. She was afraid of being rejected by Henry, which he did because she lied to him. However, not too long after, he went after Danielle and begged for her forgiveness because he realizes how stupid he was for almost losing the most important thing in his life that he loved more than anything, her. I love how we do get to see them get to know each other with such amazing scenes. Neither one of them is shown as the weaker one but instead as an equal team. They can both take care of themselves and do save each other. They're a great couple and clearly deserve all the love that they get. 3.Quasimodo and Madellaine (The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2)

Such a tragically underrated couple that deserves a lot more love, despite coming from a bad movie. These two just have instant chemistry from the very beginning. Madellaine acts silly and feels self-conscious, but Quasimodo finds her charming and he even gets in on the silliness. At first, she was frightened by his deformed appearance but later sees what a kind-hearted and sweet soul that he was, so she gave him a chance. He showed her so many new things that happen every day that she never noticed were so amazing. I love how both have been abused and have their insecurities and helped each other work through them. Madellaine was very insecure and didn't feel particularly pretty, smart, or capable of anything great. However, Quasimodo thought that she was beautiful, clever, funny, and amazing and helped her to see all of this. Madellaine managed to look beyond Quasimodo's appearance and see the true beauty inside of him. To her, on the inside anyway, he was the most beautiful person in the world. I think they're an even better message of beauty lying within than Belle and Beast or Shrek and Fiona because neither had to change their appearance to be with the other. They loved each other for what was on the inside and the only thing that changed was how they viewed themselves because of their love for the other. Madellaine loved Quasimodo so much that she would rather have him hate her than for the villain to hurt or kill him. That's true dedication and absolute true love. Their love is a beauty that can't be denied. 2.Jack and Rose (Titanic) & Noah and Allie (The Notebook)

It's hard to decide between these two because both couples are really similar but do have different outcomes. I mean, both are about poor guys who fall in love with rich girls that are having their lives decided for them and are about to be in a loveless marriage until their true loves come along. However, Jack and Rose end in tragedy because Jack dies saving Rose's life. Noah and Allie, on the other hand, actually do get married and live a long and happy life together. However, both of them end in a very similar way. Rose dies as an old woman and is reunited with Jack and both Noah and Allie die at the same time when they're old. The Notebook is actually based off Nicholas Spark's wife's grandparents love story, so that's very romantic. I love how both couples try to keep their love alive. Jack is dead but Rose keeps him alive by taking his last name and never forgetting him because he helped make her the person she always wanted to be. Someone who wasn't afraid to define her own destiny. But his love also gave her the strength to be able to move on, marry someone else, and start a family. Allie in her elderly age had dementia, so she was having a problem remembering things, so Noah would try to keep the memory of their love for each other alive. Both couples are very well-written and romantic as can be. Both couples make people ball their eyes out and it's clear to see why. However, there is one couple that is better than them. 1.Carl and Ellie (Up)

There is absolutely no doubt about it that Carl and Ellie are the best fictional couple to ever come into existence! We don't get to see the story of how they fell in love but we did get to see their married life together. They were friends as kids, so of course, they knew a lot about each other and were really close. They grew up, fall in love, got married, and just lived their lives together. It gets to the point of what all of us looking for love want. To be with someone to have a life with, be your best friend, make memories with, grow old with, and spend the rest of your life with. You can see how much these two just loved each other and how whenever they had a problem they managed to get through it because they worked as a team like a real married couple would. Carl felt bad that Ellie never lived to have the adventure she dreamed of but it turned out that he gave her an even greater adventure, their life together. His love for her and the life they built together was what made her die a happy woman. If you look through the scenes she’s in from the movie, there was hardly any moments when she wasn’t smiling because she was just so happy to be with the man she loved, same with him. I love how both of them brought out the best in each other, despite being both different and similar. He's shy and awkward while she's energetic and talkative. But both of them have such an amazing sense of adventure. Seeing their life together is always the best part of the movie and are clearly, in my opinion, the best couple with the best love story of all time. While I think the movie itself is overrated, if it wasn’t for this couple, it never would’ve won the Oscar for Best Animated Picture (Which I felt should’ve gone to The Princess and the Frog). This couple is relationship goals, especially for me, except I want to have kids and will adopt children if I need to.

[ionlyreadfivebookslastweek]

Bless The Broken Road - 4

Monday morning, Reid and Addison sat at Jane’s desk, Reid sitting on the desk and Addison in her chair, discussing the errors and things left out of the Harry Potter movies until Garcia came over to tell them that they had a case.

The team gathered and Garcia began the briefing.

“Earlier this morning in Bayside, Texas, the bodies of Joel, Thomas and Charlie Porter were found inside their home. A neighbor said they weren’t at church yesterday so she went to check on them and found the bodies.” She clicked her remote and pictures of a man and two boys appeared on the screen followed by pictures of the crime scene.

“It says the dad was strangled, but the boys were shot execution style,” Rossi observed. “Odd that he used two different methods.”

“Perhaps Joel was his intended target and the boys were just collateral damage,” JJ suggested. “He didn’t want to kill the boys, but he needed to get rid of the witnesses.”

“Wait, there’s more,” Garcia spoke, bringing their attention back to her and the screen. “Joel Parker’s wife and daughter, Hannah and Bailey, are missing.”

“Bayside’s a small town with a population of 349 people. It’s likely that whoever did this knew the family,” Reid shared.

“We can discuss more on the flight. Wheels up in 20,” Hotch told the team.

~~~

The team made it to Texas and got to work right away, taking a look at the crime scene, the bodies, and interviewing friends and neighbors of the family.

“I still don’t understand it,” Jane told the group as they gathered to go over what they knew. It was day three and any hope of finding Hannah and Bailey alive was dwindling. “It’s obvious that the UNSUB had something against Joel and probably wanted Hannah for himself. That’s why he was strangled instead of shot like the boys. But why take the daughter too? Why not kill her with the rest of Hannah’s family?” She shook her head.

“Unless the UNSUB believes that Bailey belongs to him too.” Reid’s eyes lit up as he figured it out.

Morgan pulled out his phone and called Garcia before setting it on the table in the middle of the room. “Baby Girl, you got the whole team here. We need you to find any men in town that has a connection to Bailey Porter.”

“I’ve already done that, angel face, I’ve got nothing,” she told him.

“Try looking for men who arrived in town around three and a half years ago. That’s when Hannah would’ve gotten pregnant with Bailey,” JJ instructed.

Through the phone, they could hear the tapping of keys as she searched. “We’ve got three names.”

“Any of them still in town?” Morgan asked.

“Just one. Jedidiah Quinn.” More tapping sounds. “Looks like he owns a dock and a boat on the Gulf. I’ll send the address to your phones right away!”

“Thanks, baby girl.” Morgan hung up the phone and the team prepared to go out to the boat.

~~~ The team managed to get there in time to save both Hannah and Bailey.

Since the jet wouldn’t be ready to fly home until the next morning, the team decided to go get something for dinner before heading to a hotel in the next town over for the night.

The only place to eat nearby was a local dive bar, but the team was so hungry, they didn’t care to travel any farther for a different place to eat.

After dinner, the team stayed and had a few drinks while listening to the cover band and watching locals doing line dances on the dancefloor.

Jane watched for a couple of songs before turning to the team. “Anyone wanna go dance?” Everyone smiled and laughed, shaking their heads. “I’m serious! No one wants to join me?” When nobody volunteered, Jane turned to Reid and grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the dance floor.

“Woah, Jane wait! Stop, I don’t want to. I don’t know how!” Reid protested.

“Who cares, you’re a fast learner! Come on!” Jane pulled him to the end of a line that had formed. “Here, stand across from me and just follow what everyone else does,” she told him.

A couple at the other end came together and joined hands before moving their way through the middle of the group and back. Then they began to do-si-do with everyone in their line, coming together in between each person. They then moved back to the front of the line as they had before.

Next, the couple turned and walked around the outside of the group and everyone followed. The couple stopped and made a tunnel with their arms. The others each went two by two through the tunnel. Jane smiled at Spencer as they linked arms and she guided him through.

Four more couples went through and did the same moves as the first had before it came to be Jane and Spencer’s turn.

Jane laughed as they side-galloped though the middle and back and then do-si-doed. As they made their way down the line, they kept looking back towards each other. When they made their tunnel, Spencer started laughing. Jane had to reach up on her tippy-toes to reach his hands. Once everyone had made it through their tunnel, the song came to an end and the whole bar clapped.

Jane fell into Spencer as she continued to laugh. “You see? Wasn’t that fun?”

“You’re right. It was pretty fun,” he admitted, staring down at her.

They realized how close they were standing and took a step back, clearing their throats.

“We should probably go see if the team’s ready to head to the hotel,” Jane said. Spencer nodded and followed her back to the table. “You guys missed a really good time,” Jane insisted once they returned to the table.

“Looks like you two had plenty of fun without us,” Morgan smirked.

“Yeah, we did,” Jane agreed, looking back at Spencer and causing him to blush.

“We have an early flight tomorrow. We should head to the hotel,” Spencer said, trying to change the subject.

The team agreed and headed towards the door.

~~~~~

The team arrived back at Quantico the next day, but before they could take off to their respective homes, another case came in that forced them to head back to the jet.

Friday afternoon, Jane stepped out of the police station to answer a call from Jack.

“Hey, Jack. I can’t talk long. I’m on a case,” she told him, leaning against the building.

“Another one? I was gonna ask if you were coming to visit this weekend,” he said, disappointed.

“Look I’m sorry, alright? Maybe next weekend-”

“You said that last week,” he argued.

“I know but-”

“Hey Jane, we gotta go,” JJ interrupted, poking her head out the door.

“Right yeah, be right there,” you told her. JJ nodded and disappeared back inside. “Jack, listen I- “You gotta go. Yeah, I heard her,” he said bitterly.

“I’m sorry.” She heard a click, indicating that he had hung up. She exhaled loudly and ran a hand through her hair before heading back inside.

“What happened?” she asked as she rejoined the group.

“Another body was just found,” Hotch filled her in. He shared the details he was told before assigning people off to the crime scene, etc.

JJ, Jane, and Spencer headed out to one of the vehicles to go check out the new crime scene. Before they reached the SUV, Spencer pulled Jane aside.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Jane looked up at him and then down at her feet, crossing her arms in front of her. She debated lying to him but figured it was no use. Turning her eyes back towards him, she confessed, “I’m worried about Jack. He hasn’t been doing well since I started this job and can’t visit as often.”

“It’s definitely an adjustment that’s going to taking some time,” Spencer told her. “I’m sure it’ll get better.”

“He was so upset when I said I was on another case.”

“He’s your brother, Jane. He won’t stay mad at you forever.”

Before she could explain any further, JJ honked the horn, telling them to hurry up.

~~~

The team arrived back early Sunday evening and Monday ended up being an office day, a nice reprieve after having two cases back to back.

Tuesday brought about another case. While on the jet, Jane decided to give Jack a call.

“Jack, hey. How are you?” she asked, staring out the window.

“I’ve been better,” he replied.

“Have you been taking your medication?” she asked.

“It doesn’t help. It just makes me feel worse,” Jack insisted.

Jane sighed, “Jack, you just have to trust me. If you take it every time that you’re supposed to, it will help.”

“How would you know when you’re hardly ever here?” Jack argued.

“Jack, that’s not fair. Jack?” Jack hung up the phone before she could say anything else.

~~~

The team arrived back early Thursday evening. As Jane headed to her car, she called Jack to see how he was doing.

“Hey Jack, we just got back from the case. How are you doing? Do you want some company?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well I have to work in the morning, but I could still come for one night and just get up early to make it to work,” she offered as she threw her bag in her back seat before climbing into the driver’s seat.

“I don’t really feel like having company right now.” “Jack, are you sure? It’s not a problem to come over, I swear. I want to see you.”

“Not tonight, Jane. I’m pretty tired.”

“Well, if you’re sure.” Jane put the key in and turned on the car.

“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ll talk to you later. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Jane hung up and headed home.

~~~~~

“Hey mama, where’ve you been?” Morgan asked Jane as she rushed into the office, setting her things down at her desk.

“Sorry, my alarm didn’t go off and I overslept,” she explained, walking over to where he and Spencer were standing. “Have any cases come in?”

“No. Looks like serial killers have taken the day off,” Morgan informed her.

“Great, so what are you two talking about?”

“We were wondering where you were. I didn’t see you at the coffee shop this morning,” Spencer told her.

“Yeah, well, like I said, I overslept. I’ll just have to settle for break room coffee today.”

Jane’s phone went off. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. Her eyebrows furrowed and she frowned. “I’m sorry, I have to take this.”

Morgan and Reid nodded and watched as she walked away to take the call.

“Is he alright?” Jane asked the person on the other line. “Ok, thank you. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

Jane hung up and walked back over to Morgan and Reid, who were still watching her with concern.

“Is everything alright?” Spencer asked.

She looked up at them and then down at her feet and shook her head. “No, actually. That was the hospital. My brother tried to commit suicide.”

“What? Is he alright?”

“Yeah, they were able to stabilize him. He’ll be ok.” Spencer put a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. “I have to head to the hospital to see him. Will you let Hotch know where I went?”

“Yeah, of course,” Morgan assured her.

“Thank you.” Jane grabbed her things from her desk and headed out the door. She was about to step onto the elevator when Reid caught up to her.

“Wait, Jane! You shouldn’t be driving in this state. Let me drive you,” he offered.

Jane’s eyes widened. “All the way to Richmond?”

“I don’t mind. Please let me.”

Jane thought for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Thank you.”

When they got to the parking garage, Reid led her over to his car and opened the door for her before rushing over to the driver’s side.

They rode in silence for the first half hour before the realization of what had happened hit her and she began to cry. Reid glanced over at her, worried.

“I don’t get it. He was doing so well! He hasn’t done this in over six years,” she told him.

Reid reached out and took her hand in his in an attempt to comfort her. She gasped, startled by his gesture, but then relaxed and gave him an appreciative smile.

When they arrived at the hospital, Jane ran up to the front desk and asked for Jack’s room number: 303.

They took the elevator up to the third floor. As they were stepping out, they ran into a couple heading towards the elevator to leave.

“Mom? Dad?” Jane gasped.

“Jane!” they exclaimed, rushing forward to greet her with hugs. Spencer stepped to the side, getting out of the way.

“How are you? We haven’t heard from you in a couple of months,” Jane’s mom questioned.

“I’ve been busy with work,” she explained.

“How’s that going?” her dad asked.

“It’s going great.”

He turned to Reid and offered his hand. “Daniel Addison. This is my wife, Laura. I hope you’re treating my girl right.”

“Jane never told us she had a boyfriend,” Laura chimed in.

“Mom, no! He’s not my boyfriend. This is Dr. Spencer Reid. We work together at the BAU and he’s just a good friend.” Jane saw that her dad still had his hand extended. “Oh, and he doesn’t really shake hands.”

Daniel dropped his hand back down to his side. “Well why don’t we all eat lunch together,” he suggested.

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Why don’t you two go get food and bring it back here and we can all eat together in Jack’s room.”

“Well I was thinking more of a sit-down restaurant sort of lunch,” he clarified.

“But…Jack can’t leave the hospital and I haven’t even seen him yet,” Jane argued. “How is he, by the way? You haven’t even mentioned him once since we ran into each other.”

“He’s going to be fine,” Laura told her.

“So as long as he’s OK, you feel like you can just leave? You don’t talk to him at all except for holidays. You don’t pay any attention to him but when he tries to kill himself, you come to see if he’s ok and then leave right away again?”

“Jane, your mother’s right. He’s going to live. He’s fine. Let’s go to lunch.”

“No,” Jane shook her head, raising her voice. “No, he’s not fine! He tried to kill himself. How is that fine? Maybe if you two would pay more attention to him he wouldn’t be struggling so much.”

“He’s been doing well for years. Before today, he hasn’t made any attempts since he was 20,” Laura insisted.

“Doing well? He’s still been struggling, with you two pretending he doesn’t exist.”

"We don’t do that,” Daniel objected.

“Yes, you do!”

"Well when’s the last time you’ve made time to see him?” Laura asked her.

Jane took a step back, faltering. “A couple weeks ago, maybe,” she spoke softer this time.

"So you haven’t been seeing him as much lately either.”

“We’ve just been really busy at work, but at least I try my best to go see him.”

Laura scoffed, "Work, it’s consuming your life! You won’t have any time left for him soon.”

“Jack and I agreed that taking the job would work out alright. He understood that I wouldn’t be around as much, but he still let me take it.”

“And you listened to him? Now look where he is. We may not have spoken to him that much in years, but you were committed to seeing him often up until you got this job. You caused this.”

Jane took another step back and shook her head. “Just leave. I don’t want you here. I need to go see my brother now.”

She turned and headed down the hallway, turning the corner towards the room.

Reid hurried to catch up to her. “Are you OK?”

She shook her head. “No, but I’m tough. I can handle it.”

Jane found the correct room and entered. Jack was lying in the bed. He had his eyes closed and was hooked up to a bunch of machines. She sighed and pulled up a chair next to his bed.

“Jack,” she spoke softly.

His eyes opened and he turned his head towards her. “Hey,” he spoke, his voice hoarse.

“Hey. How are you doing?”

“Alright.”

"I just saw mom and dad in the hallway on their way out. I hope they weren’t too bad to you.”

“Nah. They just asked if I was ok and if I had talked to you recently.”

She looked down at her lap. “I’m sorry they pay so much more attention to me.”

“No, it’s not your fault.”

“How long are you here for?” she asked, looking around the room.

“The doctor says just one night.”

“Not too bad,” she replied with a shrug.

“Yeah.” His eyes caught sight of Reid standing in the doorway awkwardly.

She followed his gaze and said, “Oh, sorry. Jack, this is my friend and colleague at the BAU, Dr. Spencer Reid.” He moved from the doorway and stepped further into the room.

“Is he the one you had over for a Harry Potter marathon the other weekend?” Jane nodded and Jack looked over at him. “Bless you for putting up with my sister’s obsession with Harry Potter.”

“Hey, I am not obsessed!” Jane scoffed.

"You kinda are…” Spencer spoke tentatively

"See!” Jack laughed.

"Spencer!”

"Sorry, but it’s the truth,” he told you.

Turning the subject back around to Jack again, Jane asked if he needed anything.

“I’m kinda hungry.”

“What would you like to eat?” “Jello.”

Jane laughed. “Of course, your favorite.”

“Mine too!” Spencer chimed in.

“Really?” Jack asked.

"Yeah! How about I go to a store to buy some jello and you two can have some time to talk?”

"That’d be awesome. Thank you, Spence,” Jane said.

Spencer exited the room.

Jack and Jane continued talking. At some point, the conversation turned towards the BAU.

“You should meet them sometime,” Jane insisted. “But when you’re better.” Jack sighed. “Jack, you need to promise me that you’ll take your medication like you’re supposed to. And you need to tell me whenever there’s something wrong.”

“I know,” he replied.

Jane’s phone rang. Reid was calling. “I didn’t know what flavor to get, so I bought every kind they had,” he told her.

“You’re kidding,” she laughed, her jaw dropping slightly in surprise.

“Nope.”

“Oh my god, Reid.”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

“Ok, see you then.” She hung up and filled Jack in on what happened, causing him to laugh.

“Reid seems like a cool guy,” he said.

“Yeah, he’s really great.”

There was a pause and Jack’s eyes lit up. “You like him, don’t you?”

“What?! No! Of course not. He’s just a great friend,” Jane insisted.

“Oh come on, sis. I can see it in your eyes. I haven’t seen you like this since-”

“Yeah well I was wrong about him, wasn’t I?” Jane said, the smile falling off her face.

“That was just one guy, Jane. Reid seems nothing like him.”

“Still…”

Before they could continue, Reid came in with the bag full of Jell-O and the tone turned light again.

They spent the rest of the day hanging out with Jack in his room. When visiting hours were over, they told him they’d come back in the morning and headed to a hotel for the night.

The next morning, they took Jack home and decided to spend the whole weekend with him.

On the way home, Jane thanked Reid for spending the whole weekend with her and Jack. “I want you to understand that you caught Jack on a good weekend. Other than what happened, that is. He’s not always that well,” she explained. “At times, he stops taking his medication. It used to be only a few times a year, but lately, it’s increased since I’ve been gone more.”

“That’s why he did it,” she told him, looking over at him. “He wasn’t taking his medication again.”

"You said it’s been six years since he last did this. So he made an attempt when he was 20 as well?”

“That was the worst one. He still has scars on his arms from the cuts.” She looked down at her hands. “They had to revive him twice that day.”

A silence fell between them for a few minutes.

“Four,” Jane said.

“What?”

“To answer your next question, he’s made four attempts. I just feel so lucky that none have been successful.”

“Have you considered getting him help other than his medication?” he asked.

“I have a friend that checks on him every day. He’s the one that found Jack on Friday.

"I mean more help than that.”

She looked over at him. “Like what?”

“Like, give him a place to live where he can be safe,” he said cautiously.

“You mean a sanitarium? No, my brother is not insane!”

"It’s not for insane people,” he argued.

”What do you think sanitarium means?”

“Well, the definition is actually ‘an institution for the preservation or recovery of health’.”

“Still, Jack doesn’t need to go into a mental institution.”

”Jane,”

”No.” She shook her head

”But-”

”No!” she snapped.

“Fine, I’m sorry. I’ll drop it,” he gave in.

“Good.” She crossed her arms in front of her and slid down in her seat.

They rode the rest of the way in silence. When he dropped her off at her own car so she could drive home, she thanked him, but there was still hostility in her tone.

~~~~~~~~~~

Bless The Broken Road Masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~

Tag List:

@cynbx

[akamaiden]

Skinny Love

A/N: I'm writing this since july 15th, but it's finally ready. This is inspired by this song. ltalic means flashback.

Gifs belongs to: @bonniebirdsgifcentre.

Pairing: Hvitserk x Reader (platonic).

Warnings: Mentions of violence and rape, this may be triggering.

Words: 1530.

You sat for a moment and took a deep breath trying to steady your heart beat. You didn't see any of the boys around.

You remember how Ivar was screaming at the saxons, all covered in blood. Still, it was like he was having the time of his life.

Other that enjoyed all the killing was Hvitserk you saw him smile ear to ear everytime he killed someone. You remembered the sound of him growling and by the Gods how you wanted to know what else would make him growl like this.

“Y/N, are you okay?” Ubbe said catching your attention.

“My clothes are definitely ruined, but yes I'm fine,” you said. “Did you see Hvitserk or Ivar around?”

“Yes, they're inside the church,” he said.

“I'll check on them,” you said and got up and went to the church.

Ivar was sitting in a chair smiling alone. “You did amazing today,” you said to him.

“I was looking for you, where were you?” he asked.

“I was close to Hvitserk,” you said.

“Why do I still ask? When will you tell him?” he said.

“I won't. He treats me like a sister, actually all of you,” you said.

“Well, you can't wa-”

That's when you heard someone crying and sobbing. You followed the sound with your axe in hand and you definitely were not prepared to what you saw.

Hvitserk was raping a nun. And even that you barely understand her language you could see that she was begging him to stop.

You came closer to them, trying to not make a sound and you pressed the cold iron of your axe against Hvitserk's neck.

“Let her go,” it was all you could say.

He stopped thrusting inside her and looked at you, it was all you needed to grab him by his armor.

“What the fuck, Hvitserk?” you said.

If this was possible the nun starts crying even more and she was saying something looking at you.

“What she's saying?” you asked to Hvitserk.

“She's begging me to fuck her again,” Hvitserk mumbled.

“I'm not kidding. What she's saying?” you pressured your axe against his neck again.

“She's asking you to kill her,” he mumbled.

“Probably is the best, considering that if I spare her life other man will do the same to her. Stay here,” you said and got closer to the nun.

“I wish there was another way. I'm sorry,” you said, even that she didn't understand your language, and sank your dagger into her chest.

She murmured something to you and you waited the life left her body. You closed her eyes and said, “I hope your God has a place like Folkvang,”

“Are you satisfied now that you spoiled my fun?” Hvitserk said.

“Did you consider this funny?” you asked turning to face him.

“I'm a man, I have my desires and-”

“There are a plenty of girls that would love to warmth your bed but no, you rather raping women like her!” you yelled at his face.

You took a deep breath before talking again, “You promised me, Hvitserk-”

“Look, I was what? Fifteen or sixteen when you told that? I'm a man and I'm a viking, we do this kind of thing. It's normal,” he said.

“Normal? You had a woman against her will, and it was not only this time, I'm sure. You lied to me. You fucking lied!” you said.

“Yes because I wondered that you'd act like this. Look it was not a big deal, it was just a quickie. I'd kill her when I finished, you know? I wouldn't take her as a slave or something,” he said.

“No big deal? You hurt her, Hvitserk! She asked me to kill her and you say it's no big deal?” you said.

“Okay, but now it's over, thanks to you. Can we get over this?” he said.

“No Hvitserk, we can't. Look what you did to her! You could've done the same with me, how do you expect me to trust you after this?” you said.

“No, I'd never do anything to hurt you, Y/N,”

“Well, you just hurt me. Deeply. Once I was on her place, remember? It hurts me so much seeing a woman suffering such a violent act,”

“Okay, it's pointless discussing with you now. Talk to me when you're ready to forgive me,” he said and started walking.

“Hvitserk,” you said and he stopped and turned around to face you.

“Well, that was quicker that I expected-”

“Nothing will stop me if I see you doing this again,” you said interrupting him.

“Would you kill me, Y/N?” he asked.

“If this would mean that you won't do this again... I'd kill you without question,” you said firmly.

He nodded smirking and restarted walking. When he was gone you fell to your knees and started crying.

Hvitserk lied to you, he betrayed you and the worst was the he thought that what he did was not a big deal.

You still remember the vow he made to you years ago.

“My stepfather, he used to go to my room every night. He used to tell me stories about how was going on raids. But when I wasn't a kid anymore, he started touching me and I didn't understand what he was doing until... Until he claimed me. I wasn't understanding anything, I knew it was sex, but he was the closest I had to a father. And Gods, it hurts. It hurts so much. That night I cried myself until sleep. And that day I swore before the Gods that I'd kill him. And I did it. I'm finally free,” 

“I'm so sorry, Y/N. I wish I could protect you,” he said hugging you. 

You felt the tears of joy tearing down your face, the knife was so heavy in your hands, the blood all over your favorite dress. But you were now free. It was all that matter.

“Thank you,” you said. 

“You're my best friend, Y/N. I'd do anything for you,”

Hvitserk helped you to get rid of the dead body of your stepfather and that night he took you to the Great Hall, and he told everything to his mother. 

It was a complicated situation, your mother recently died, you killed your stepfather and you have no other relatives. 

The Queen took her time thinking, but she ended deciding that you'd stay there. She always wanted a daughter and from that day on, she treated you like one.

On this same day Hvitserk went to your room and got on his knees and made you a promise.

“I'll protect you, Y/N. Even if I have to do this giving my own life to protect yours, I'll do it. And I swear I won't do this brutality with any women, I don't want to be a monster like him,” 

You didn't have words for this. At that time, you already loved him. But even in your best dreams he wouldn't feel the same way about you. So you decided to hide your feelings. 

Until now. You don't know how but you managed to go to your room to got your body cleaned from all the blood of the battle.

But in your mind, you couldn't stop thinking about Hvitserk, about his actions.

You felt empty. It was like there was a missing part of your body. You weren't whole anymore.

You cried yourself until sleep again, but unfortunately you dreamed with Hvitserk the whole night. And the worst part, he didn't ask for forgiveness.

You were so upset that you barely talked to other people, you avoided contacting everyone. You spent two entire days alone and thinking about the latest events.

When it was evening you were going to talk to Ivar when you saw both Ubbe and Hvitserk injured. You couldn't avoid but smirk seeing him in such a situation.

You sat at Ivar's side and watched the whole scene he made saying that his brothers made a bad call.

Seeing Hvitserk humiliated was priceless. You were only worried with Ubbe, he didn't deserve this. But Hvitserk? He deserved so much worse than just his younger brother yelling at him.

The other day you were eating and talking with Ivar when some men told you that his brothers were ready to leave York.

You followed Ivar and saw Ubbe, Hvitserk and some few men, not more than ten people, ready to leave York behind.

But on the last second Hvitserk jumped from the boat and decided to stay.

“You see? Everyone's with me,” Ivar yelled.

Once you were back at York Ivar said that he needed to talk to you alone.

“I know you're not getting along with Hvitserk anymore, I just don't know why. You can tell me if you want. But will you stay? Please,” he said.

“I'd never leave my baby brother behind,” you said playing with his hair.

“Hey, stop!” he grabbed both of your hands and for your surprise he kissed your knuckles. “Thank you, Y/N. I feel that you're my only friend here,” he said.

“I feel the same way Ivar,” you said kissing the top of his head.

Tags: @amour-quinn, @nothingeverdies, @ivarsshieldmadien, @mblaqgi, @ivarslittlebadgirl, @ivarswickedqueen, @dangerousvikings, @rekdreams247, @jade770, @haliannej, @feistybaby, @lisinfleur, @filthy-lil-thing, @thisishowdynastiesareborn, @float-autumn-leave.

[miasswier]

miasswier’s ultimate glee ranking: no 88

88: Pilot

Written by: Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuck, Ian Brennan Directed by: Ryan Murphy

Overall Thoughts: I have a love-hate relationship with this episode. Before it was announced that Darren would be on Glee, I was told by several family friends that they thought I would really like Glee. So, I gave it a try. The first time I watched the pilot I think I got… ten minutes in? I had to stop. I was so bored. A few months later I was recommended Glee again, and I though, well, that’s like four people now that have told me to watch this show – I should try again. So, I did. I got maybe fifteen minutes in. I just could. not. do it.

I only managed to finally watch this episode the whole way through after watching several other episodes that gave me more of a feel for what the show was actually like, and made me curious enough to actually stick the pilot out. Plus, my favourite actor was going to be on the show, and I needed to catch up. I think I’ve watched this episode all the way through a grand total of three times.

That being said, I didn’t actually mind it this time around. It does feel draggy at parts, but what pilot doesn’t? I felt very nostalgic watching it, especially since we got “2009”, which filled in a bunch of this episodes gaps. Finn’s stuff, especially, was fun to watch, albeit heart-wrenching. Honestly, I think nostalgia is part of why this episode is where it is on this list. If it weren’t for the nostalgia, it would probably be a lot lower. Plus, there’s some pretty funny parts.

What I Like:

They do a good job of introducing Rachel as an obnoxious character, but also creating sympathy for her. The MySpace scene in particular tugged at my heartstrings. The words she’s speaking are so annoying, but when you watch her read the mean comments it really makes you want to root for her. Lea Michele does an amazing job at saying so much with just a little frown.

“I’ll pee in a cup. I’ll pee.”

Finn <3 As much as it frustrates me that they had him start out by being a passive bully, they do a pretty good job of showing some good character development, even just within these 50 minutes. You can tell that Finn wants to be more than what he is. Also, I’ve always found it sweet how much he obviously cares for his mom. Even though the whole “Finn finds a father figure in Will” storyline pisses me off, at least they never tried to act like Finn’s mom wasn’t enough. It’s clear he loves her, respects her, and wants to do right by her.

Great foreshadowing on the Kurt/Finn crush storyline! This is the first time I’ve noticed, but when Finn first starts singing in “You’re the One That I Want” and Rachel looks over at him and smiles in interest, Kurt is doing the exact same thing. It’s cool that they obviously already knew where they were going with that story.

The introduction to Emma’s OCD. I like that this was introduced in the first episode, and wasn’t just dropped as the show continued.

Howard Bamboo. I really wish he’d been a bigger character on the show. He’s hilarious, and adorable.

This isn’t really something the show did on purpose, but I find it really funny that Sue says that Will is “blurring the lines” while “When I Get You Alone” plays in the background.

“There’s nothing ironic about show choir.”

“Being a part of something special makes you special.” Oh, right in the nostalgic feels.

What I Don’t Like:

Quite a bit actually.

First things first: it’s too long. It’s only about 5 minutes longer than a regular episode, but it feels eternal. So much of it just drags on, and on, and on. Ugh.

There is way too much focus on Will. You can obviously tell that Finn and Rachel are going to be the main teenage characters, but they really paint Will as the protagonist in this episode. Having seen the whole show, it’s clear that Rachel is the main protagonist of the show, and that starts to come out relatively early on. I wish that they’d made that more clear in the pilot. Also, I hate Will.

The way Terri was characterized always pissed me off. She’s almost more cartoony than Sue in how absolutely horrible she is. The dichotomy presented in this episode of “Terri – Bad; Emma – Good” is annoying. I get that she’s a terrible person, but did she have to be that terrible? I mean, aside from Will saying that “she used to be so full of joy” there’s no indication as to why he would be married to someone like Terri. Plus, the way that the show always tried to push the “Will needs to get away from Terri because she emasculates him” narrative has always bothered me, and that comes across from minute fucking one. Basically just the beginning of this shows weird obsession with masculinity and “what it means to be a man” or whatever.

Emma’s creepy crush on Will, and Ken’s creepy crush on Emma. Like, I get having a crush on someone, but the way both of them act around the people they’re crushing on is really weird. They’re adults, not teenagers. Yet, the way that Emma acts around Will is dangerously similar to the way that Rachel acts around Finn (even just in this episode). I don’t know if they were purposefully trying to parallel the Finn/Rachel and Will/Emma relationships, but it definitely comes across that way, and it’s pretty weird. As for Ken, he’s just pushy and licking Emma’s door handle was just gross and immature.

Sue’s characterization. You would not know from this episode that she’s being set up as the show’s main antagonist. Yeah, she’s not that nice about the Glee club, but neither is Ken. In fact, Ken comes across as more of an antagonist here than Sue does. I mean, come on, she’s got like two scenes in the whole episode. I feel like they didn’t really know what to do with her yet.

Puck and Quinn. I find the mean popular kids character so annoying, and Puck and Quinn are just ridiculously exaggerated. Puck especially is not characterized as someone who interests me, or who I want to root for. Watching this episode, I don’t care if he has character development. It’s kind of the same with Quinn. Unlike Rachel, the show doesn’t juxtapose their obnoxious behaviour with something that makes you want to cheer for them. They’re just straight up mean.

There’s actually a lot of offensive stuff in this episode – ableism, homophobia, transphobia, to name a few. I mean, it’s cool to see this and contrast it with the end of the show when these issues had been dealt with, but it’s still shocking to see Quinn calling Rachel “RuPaul”, or listen to Figgins refer to Artie as “a cripple”. Yikes.

Will instantly making it clear to the audience and to Rachel that she’s his favourite student. He literally tells her that she’s the best singer in there. I feel like this would be more acceptable if the show hadn’t become such an ensemble show. Within the episode it doesn’t seem too out of place, but when looked at in the context of the whole show it’s a pretty shitty move. Also, he goes out of his way to blackmail Finn just so that Rachel will stay in the club. That’s pretty ugly.

Will’s Spanish. “Que hace en tu verano pasado” literally translates to “What it did in your previous summer”. It should be “Que hiciste el verano pasado”. I know a lot of people might not catch this, but it’s kind of frustrating that they didn’t try and make sure he was using the correct verb tense. I mean, it foreshadows the Will being a bad Spanish teacher stuff in season 3, but at this point they want us to cheer for Will. The audience is supposed to want him to stay at McKinley. We’re supposed to think he’s a good teacher. Instead they show him butchering the language he teaches, purposefully showing favouritism towards a student, and blackmailing someone and giving him false hopes about a scholarship. Considering Will is the “hero” of the story, he really, really doesn’t come across very well.

Songs:

Respect: I wish we’d gotten this full song. Mercedes absolutely kills it. Also, it’s interesting watching this having watched “2009” – Mercedes is (rightfully) upset in “2009” about how Rachel gets the first solo, but hers is the first solo of the show. Sure, it’s not a complete solo, and “On My Own” is more fleshed out, but it’s still technically the first solo. It’s just cool how that turned out.

Mr. Cellophane: Same as above, I wish we’d gotten this full song. Not just because I like this song in and of itself, but because Kurt sounds really good singing it. Plus, the way he fixes his hair as he holds that note always makes me giggle.

I Kissed a Girl: I don’t like this song. I briefly did, when it was popular, but the first time I heard it after realizing I was bisexual made me very angry. That being said, I think the context for it is better here than in “I Kissed a Girl” (which I have a lot of issues with, but if you’ve read my review of that episode you already know that), and it does a good job of introducing Tina’s voice.

On My Own: Very emotional, and an amazing introduction to Rachel as a character. She sounds fantastic, and the montage, as mentioned above, really makes you want to cheer for her. I don’t particularly like the song in and of itself, but it still works really well as a character piece.

Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat: Again, another song I’m not a particularly big fan of, but it’s still a pretty humorous sequence. I don’t think they sound as terrible as they seem to think they do. Artie sounds good, it displays his voice really well. It’s actually always confused me how Rachel insists on needing a male who can keep up with her vocally when Artie shows he’s a very powerful vocalist in this number.

I Can’t Fight This Feeling: While Finn sounds good in this song, it’s definitely not his strongest, and the fact that Will is listening to him in the shower (and doesn’t seem to realize how creepy that is) really puts a damper on the number as a whole.

You’re the One That I Want: Funny, and a pretty interesting way of introducing the love plot for Finn and Rachel. There’s not a lot of shows where the main couple start off with one half being blatantly, ridiculously obvious about their feelings, and the other half being totally terrified of how out there the first person is. While they basically ruined this by having them kiss in literally the next episode, it’s still a pretty original way of introducing Finchel, as a couple. Also, nostalgia.

Rehab: Watching this number, I don’t really understand why they’re all so freaked out. Yeah, VA is good, but a lot of that comes from the fact that they’re big. If you actually watch the choreography, it’s really not that complex. There’s a few cool moves, but nothing like some of their later stuff (I mean, let’s compare “Bohemian Rhapsody” to this number). There’s just a lot of them on stage. That’s it.

Leaving on a Jet Plane: Ugh. Not only is it boring, but we’re forced to watch Emma creepily draw a heart around Will’s picture in the yearbook like she’s some lovesick freshman in love with the senior football captain. Again, there’s a real high school feel to the way they portray Emma’s crush on Will. I know she’s inexperienced, but the audience doesn’t know that yet, and honestly, I know people just as inexperienced as Emma, and a lot younger than her too, that don’t act like smitten twelve year olds around their crush. It’s infantilizing, and kind of gross.

Don’t Stop Believing: This song and this scene is the highlight of the episode. I mean, DSB is what made Glee, Glee. It’s emotional, and it’s strong. Plus, after all these years, it has the nostalgia aspect. Definitely the strongest number of the episode.

Final Thoughts: Considering that the first season of Glee was so well received and liked, it has a really lukewarm start. It has some good, funny moments, but overall it’s draggy, and there’s way too much Will. Usually when I do Glee re-watches, I skip this one. It’s nice for the nostalgia of it all, and for a couple of funny lines, but that’s basically it.

[ffskalice]

Never Let Go

A/N: This is a sequel to A Thin Line. Those who have read my other stories know I'm a big sucker for fluff. I can't promise how regular the updates will be, but I'll post when I can. I'll also be tweeting the updates - skalicethomas on twitter.

I'd like to dedicate this entire story to Lauren, the best friend anyone could ever have. She's strong, brave and she never stops fighting. I admire her for that, and she deserves much more appreciation than this silly little story - but I hope it counts for something!

Tiago Lopez longs for his family so intensely that he can feel his bones ache. There are simply no words that can describe how much he needs to hold his kids and kiss his wife – and this from a man who deals with the written word for a living.

The surroundings become more familiar as the taxi nears his home. Gradually, he starts to recognise the streets, the trees, the closed storefronts. It's late and the further away from the airport, the fewer people are out. His head is throbbing slightly, the way it always does when he's been traveling. There's a reason he usually lets Jolene handle that part of the job.

He rests his head against the window, finally allowing himself to picture his family. He's been trying to stop himself lately, because it only made him miss them more. But he's so close to them now that he lets it all in.

He has no doubt that Quinn will have tried to wait up for him, but will have fallen asleep anyway. He texted her when he got into the taxi, so she knows when he'll be home and that will have only strengthened her determination to stay awake. He's pretty sure that Mateo will have gone through a similar ordeal. Quinn will have put him to bed with all his usual rutuals to assure a good night's sleep, but the little guy will have been too anxious for his daddy to come home to fall asleep. Riley, on the other hand, won't suffer the same fate. She'll have trusted her mommy when she told her that daddy would be home when she woke up – knowing her as he does, she'll have tried extra hard to fall asleep, so she could see her daddy sooner.

Tiago loves his job – a love that only grows deeper as the years go on and he gains experience and confidence. He knows he's very lucky that he's able to make a living from what is essentially a hobby – books, literature, fiction. He doesn't usually travel for work, though – he prefers to leave that to Jolene, who adores it. But this week-long trip happened to coincide with her long-awaited and well-deserved honeymoon with Jackson, and Tiago was the best person to fill in for her. He doesn't hate it, he even enjoyed himself – but he hates not seeing his family for an entire week.

Just thinking of them warms his heart and puts a smile on his face.

The love between him and Quinn seems to be stronger than ever – whenever he feels utterly convinced that he can't love her any more than he does, she does or says something that makes him fall for her all over again. Other times, just looking at her does the job. She's very career-driven, and he does wish she'd be home more often, or at least earlier at night – but he's known this woman for as long as he can remember. She's always been like this and she's not likely to change. He also knows how much she cares about their family and how hard she tries to make it work.

Mateo is a kick-ass son. He has his dad's jet-black hair, but his mommy's hazel eyes. He's a very affectionate boy, always up for a cuddle with his parents. He's a very brave, talkative little guy who loves to sing, dance and tell jokes. Mateo is also a great observer, noticing details and remembering them to a degree that amazes them often. He needs a lot of love, but Quinn and Tiago have a lot of love to give.

Riley, two years younger than her brother, is a gem of a girl. She has her mother's blonde locks and her daddy's chocolate brown eyes. Quinn and Tiago always joke that their two kids together can't deny being their parents' offspring. Riley is very driven – when she gets something into her head, she never gives up until she gets what she wants. It drives them crazy sometimes. Riley is also very creative. She loves stories and is so hooked on her daddy's bed-time stories that he Skyped with her while he was away to be able to read to her. He recorded himself reading stories for the days he couldn't Skype with her.

Tiago's heart is racing as the taxi stops in front of their house. He's such a homebody that Quinn often pokes fun at him for it, so to be away for an entire week has really stretched his limits. He pays the driver and thanks him. He's pretty sure he would hug the house if he could.

He makes his way inside, leaving his bag in the hallway. A light is shining from the living room and he eagerly makes his way there. His heart skips a beat when he sees his wife. She's awake, but looks extremely tired. It seems to him as if she only becomes more beautiful with age – and she was a stunner already when they were mere teenagers. He's really lost his heart to his woman, but he can't say he particularly minds. There's nobody else he'd want to belong to so irrevocably. "You look like you could sleep for a week, but still you're easily the most beautiful woman I've ever seen," he says softly.

Quinn treats him to a bright smile and they meet each other in the middle of the living room. Tiago wraps his arms around her waist and leans in to kiss her lips. Quinn pulls him closer and kisses him back hungrily, her lips so soft. Her breath is warm as she opens his mouth with hers and she slips her tongue inside. His heart stops and his mind blanks, but his body doesn't need any guidance from his brain. He licks her tongue, she bites his lip lightly. They kiss until they're out of breath, then they kiss again.

Finally, they just stand there, holding each other – and feeling utterly content.

"I'm so glad you're home, baby," Quinn says softly in his ear.

He shivers as her breath caresses his kin. "I missed you too. I have to say, I'm surprised you're awake. It's late and you must be so tired."

Quinn chuckles. "I'm guilty – I fell asleep. I did have the presence of mind to set my alarm for when I thought you'd be almost home, set it to vibrate and kept my phone on my chest so I'd definitely wake up."

Tiago smiles. "I'm jealous of your chest. I missed your chest a lot."

Quinn raises an eyebrow. "I'm sure you did. I got to say, I missed these arms of yours a lot too."

Tiago takes a deep breath. "Mrs Lopez – I would love nothing more than to take you right here, right now."

"But you want to go and check if your kids are still alive after a week without hugs from their daddy?" Quinn reads his mind. He can tell from the look on her face that she doesn't mind, though.

Tiago nods. "Yeah. Wish to join me on my investigation, dear Watson?"

Quinn laughs. "Jesus Christ, you are such a dork." But she takes his hand and they quietly make their way upstairs.

Tiago feels overwhelmed with a sense of belonging as he makes his way through the house. He's anxious not to make a sound on the stairs, hoping that he won't wake up those little bastards who took his breath away with their first. He wants nothing more than to talk to them, hug them and never let them go – but he also knows they really need their sleep.

He opens the door to Riley's room and tears well up in his eyes when he sees his little girl, sound asleep. His little angel, Riley Sophia Lopez. On her nightstand is a copy of the book she wants him to read to her next before bed. Her room is a mess – she definitely gets that from her daddy. He takes a deep breath, employing every bit of willpower he has not to go over there and take her in his arms. Quinn squeezes his hand and it settles him a bit.

Then he makes his way to Mateo's room. Mateo always leaves the door open. He's wearing his favourite pj's – the one with all the cars on it. He seems to be asleep and again, Tiago feels a surge of unconditional love when he sees this little man. Mateo's room the opposite of his sister's chaos-wise. His cars, planes, boats and other toys are all neatly and thoughtfully arranged. There's definitely a system in there somewhere. He takes after his mommy like that. The lamp on his nightstand is on, which means he had a nightmare earlier. It breaks Tiago's heart.

Just as he's about to leave, Mateo's eyes fly open. "Daddy!" he says excitedly as he jumps out of his bed.

"Shh, quiet, your sister's asleep," Quinn admonishes him gently.

"Sorry," Mateo says quickly, then runs to his daddy. Tiago scoots him up in his arms and hugs his son tightly, tears now flowing down his cheeks. "I missed you, daddy," Mateo says quietly.

"I missed you too, buddy," Tiago says, his voice thick with emotion. "Daddy missed you so, so much." He takes in the smell of his son and couldn't feel happier. Tiago blindly reaches for Quinn and she joins in the hug. Tiago wishes they could have Riley here too, but if they wake her up now, her mood will be terrible tomorrow.

"I hear you've been a very good boy, Mateo," Tiago says. "Daddy's very proud of you."

Mateo smiles brightly and in that instant resembles Quinn so much that it's uncanny. "I counted down the days until you were home, daddy. I even made a calendar, mommy taught me!"

Tiago grins. "That's awesome. Now you have to go back to sleep, alright? So you can have a good rest and do well in school tomorrow."

Mateo nods. "I can't wait to tell Miss Lauren that you're home!" Then he yawns, and Tiago puts him to bed. Usually, they sing a song together before he goes to sleep – softly, because Riley's already in bed by that time. But now, Mateo's already fallen asleep before his head hits the pillow.

Quinn and Tiago go to the master bedroom, closing the door behind them. Tiago makes his way to the ensuite bathroom, where he lets the tears flow freely. "I missed you guys so much," he manages to say.

Quinn pulls him close, embraces him lovingly. "We missed you too. But you're back now," she smiles.

They share a soft kiss before getting ready to go to bed. They have sex so often that a week without feeling that intimacy feels like a lifetime, but they're both too tired for that now and instead fall asleep in each other's arms, naked, taking comfort in feeling the other's skin against their own.

The next morning, Quinn moans softly when she wakes up. She stretches, opens her eyes and frowns in confusion when she spots her husband tiptoeing around the room.

"Honey? What are you doing?" she asks quietly.

Tiago stops and turns to her. "Shit, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up! I was going to go for a run. I only got in one run in San Francisco."

Quinn shakes her head with a chuckle. "You really are addicted. I respect that, I do – but come here and I'll give you a different kind of work-out," she winks, using a sultry voice.

Tiago's throat goes dry. "Aye aye, Captain Lopez."

Quinn throws back the covers, inviting him back to the bed. Tiago forgets all about his plans for a run.

They kiss hungrily, their hands roaming each other's bodies as they reconnect. Quinn flips them over so that she's on top. Tiago cups a breast, squeezing softly, then moves his hand to her ass, squeezing again.

Quinn kisses his neck, slowly, gently sucking on it. He moans when her tongue finds his pulse point. His dick brushes her pussy lips and she pushes her hips into his.

"I missed this spot," she says softly, moving her kisses to his shoulder. "And this spot." To his other shoulder. "And this spot." She gives him a long, very sensual kiss on the lips.

"I missed your lips," he says, then kisses her again.

Quinn moves her kisses to his cheeks, his ears, his chest, his nipples, his legs, his calves, repeating every single time how much she missed that spot. Then she reaches for his dick, which is already throbbing in anticipation.

She purses her lips and kisses the head. "And I missed you too, handsome. So much," she addresses his dick.

She opens her mouth and closes it around his cock. It stretches her mouth, she moans as she takes in his entire length. She pushes her tongue against his skin, her teeth lightly scraping – enough to elicit a hiss from him without pain. She sucks on his dick and fondles his balls, her nails pressing into them lightly.

Very slowly, she takes his dick out of her mouth, licking with the tip of her tongue. He feels his entire body tingle as she sucks on the head, explores under the ridge of his foreskin, then twirls her tongue around the head. While doing this, she closes a fist around his shaft and starts pumping.

Quinn licks her lips and smiles at Tiago, then repeats, but keeps his dick in her mouth longer. He combs his fingers through her hair, juts his hips up a little – involuntarily. She adjusts to it excellently.

Every time Quinn repeats these motions, she adds something – first a flutter of the tongue, then she hollows her cheeks around his throbbing member. He groans softly – this feels so incredibly good. Quinn increases the pace and moans when precum drips onto her tongue. It's becoming very difficult to keep quiet, but he manages – just enough.

Quinn bites a little, then soothes with her tongue. His dick leaves her mouth with a pop and she clearly can't get enough. Her hunger for his dick turns him on so much – and then she keeps him inside her mouth, sucking harder, moaning, sending vibrations over his cock. He doesn't have much control over his hips – they respond, she takes it.

"Babe," he pants. "Shit, I'm so close!"

Quinn knows what Tiago moans: if she doesn't want to swallow, now is the time to pull away.

Quinn Lopez does not pull away.

His balls tighten and send long ropes of hot seed into her mouth. She swallows and sucks, eagerly milking his cock. She sucks him off throughout his orgasm, then keeps suckling softly. She licks her lips happily.

Tiago's out of breath. Finally, he manages: "Quinn, that was incredible."

She winks at him. "I had some catching up to do."

He kisses her lips, tasting himself. Then he cups her boobs and turns their bodies around. She opens her legs for him. He breathes onto her pussy and she shivers. Tiago can feel her nipples harden against the palms of his hands. Her body shifts. He grins, then gives her lower lips an elaborate, open-mouthed kiss.

Quinn is so incredibly wet. The scent of her arousal hits his nose and he takes it in happily. Tiago licks the heavy folds and her body reacts when he reaches her clit. He circles her clit with the tip of his tongue, coaxes it out from under the hood, then closes his lips around it.

Her hips rise, he grabs her ass. He lets go of her clit, makes his way down applying pressure with his tongue, then circles her entrance. Slips his tongue inside, out, pumping – then up to her clit. He repeats the motions, building up a rhyhthm. She closes her legs around his head.

"Tiago," she moans. "So good!"

She bucks her hips into him, rocks them. He loves it. Then he focuses his tongue on her clit, keeps sucking. She almost passes out and when he bites down on it ever so gently, then licks it, she loses it. She squirts, and it's glorious. Tiago laps up her juices, then kisses his way from her pussy, over her stomach and her boobs, to her mouth.

Quinn is panting and delirious. The sight of her is so beautiful and eliciting her orgasm with his mouth always turns him on so much that his erection is almost painful.

Tiago guides his hard dick into her. She jumps lightly, but accepts him eagerly. He thrusts into her slowly, her wetness on his pelvis. His balls slap her thighs. She closes her legs around his hips and fucks him back.

Tiago closes his lips around a nipple and sucks on it happily – he loves her boobs and he knows it turns her on. He can feel the effect of his ministrations as her pussy tightens, her walls squeezing his dick.

He moves his mouth to her other breast, losing himself in the sensation of her warmth, the tightness as it becomes more and more difficult to push through.

She wraps her legs around his hips and locks her ankles, and his dick goes even deeper, his balls tightening. She slaps his ass, her pussy traps his dick – she's now fucking him from underneath him. Her athleticism will never cease to amaze him – and never cease to make him come so fucking hard. Tiago grunts when he feels that sweet release, spurt after spurt of cum filling up his wife. It seems to go on for ages, and then her pussy flutters around his dick, her orgasm prolonging his own. She holds on to his strong arms, pushes herself up a little - her pussy keeps spasming, and it blows his mind.

He collapses next to her and they find each other in a cuddle. They share a lazy kiss and Quinn nestles her head on Tiago's chest. "I love you," she whispers.

He kisses her lips. "I love you too."

"I'm happy you got up early for that run, so we could do this before the kids wake up," Quinn grins. "I'm such a fan of your runs."

Tiago laughs. "I bet you are. I have to say, as much as I love working out, I vastly prefer this. We should probably get dressed now, though. Get breakfast ready for Mateo and Riley."

Quinn kisses his neck. "Good idea."

They take a shower – separately, because they both know they'll get distracted if they don't. Tiago prepares breakfast as Quinn goes to wake up the kids.

"Is daddy home?" he hears Riley ask excitedly.

Then she storms down the stairs, runs to her dad and he manages to catch her before she tackles him. He hugs her tightly as she settles on his arm. "Hey there, baby girl! Daddy missed you loads!"

Riley grins at him. "I missed you too, daddy! I saw you lots but I missed your hugs."

Tiago grins and kisses her hair, hugs her again. "Want some breakfast?"

Then Mateo comes downstairs. He pouts when he sees Riley in Tiago's arms.

"Don't be jealous," Quinn says when she sees their son's face. "You got to hug daddy last night," she says to him softly, making sure Riley doesn't hear. Luckily, Riley is too wrapped up in her father to hear it.

"Come here, let's have a family hug," Tiago suggests.

The four of them hug each other. Tiago and Quinn share a look and they knows they feel the same: this is all they really need in life to be happy: their family. The Lopez clan.

[popthejackson]

The pros and cons of jinteki.net

It's an exciting time for Android: Netrunner. An entirely new way of playing the game is about to arrive. Possibly. Eventually. If they can find the boat. 

Forthcoming "campaign expansion" Terminal Directive was this week reviewed by Shut Up & Sit Down's Quintin Smith. Quinns, who was for a while the most effective hype-man that Netrunner could have wished for, doesn't play any more. In his review he explains that this is due to various factors, some personal and some down to the game’s direction. But he also points to online play:

The game might have fared better ... if it weren’t for the growth of fan-made internet platforms that let people play Netrunner online. As these have gotten better and better, we get people playing Netrunner faster and faster, where testing some hot new deck is as simple as downloading a file.

When my friends and I started going to meet-ups, everyone in the scene was playing around five games a week, which means the refinement of our decks was a magical, personal process. Today, when you and your friends can test the same deck six or seven times a night, with no tedious sleeving and unsleeving cards, you end up with brutal decks that are more science than art.

So, then: jinteki.net.

The first thing anybody that plays Netrunner says about Netrunner is: "It's amazing, you should play it, do you want to play it, let's play it now.” Then, after a short and confusing game that ends for some unclear reason, they confess: "It's a complete bastard to learn.” Some games have a learning curve; Netrunner has a learning wall that disappears up into the clouds and hurts as you scramble up and then fall down, again and again.

Which is fine. Fun, even. (Part of the reason I started playing Netrunner was as a challenge: here is a complicated thing, can I get the hang of it?) But it can also be quite dispiriting, particularly when you get a short way up the wall, start to feel pretty good about how things are going, and then look up and see that the top is still not in view, and that the clouds you've just broken through were hiding ... more wall, and more clouds.

The only way up that wall is to play Netrunner, over and over. SU&SD are almost certainly correct to note the accelerant effect that j.net has on the competitive game, but for those just coming to the game that same acceleration is much more benign. It might even be crucial.

Personally speaking, I’m exceptionally lucky. I have no kids or other dependants, and I have a reasonable amount of free time. I live in London, which as a city has its problems but as a Netrunner meta is full of lovely people who really want to blow up your house. Which all means that I can play Netrunner one or two evenings a week, and go along to tournaments every other weekend or so if I'm feeling ambitious. This is, I think, a pretty decent amount of Netrunner to be playing.

Yet even in that exceptionally privileged position, the ability to squeeze a couple of games into a lunch break, or a slow Sunday morning, made the process of getting acquainted with all the crunchy, basic, functional stuff much quicker and much more flexible. And Netrunner has loads of that stuff. I have, after about a year of playing online and off, achieved the giddy heights of barely-informed, fumbling mediocrity. If I'd just been playing off-, I wouldn't even be able to say that.

(It should also be noted Netrunner now isn’t just more complicated than it was when it was just a core set; it’s also straightforwardly bigger. About a thousand cards now. And so the ability to do more learning through j.net has, usefully and symbiotically, evolved in step with the need to learn more.)

Perhaps more importantly, jinteki.net also means that the game can exist for those people who don't inhabit a scorch-happy London, or have logistical or personal reasons that prevent them from tripping along to the pub on Tuesday. At Reading's BABW qualifier I played a game against somebody from Yukon, Canada, near the Alaskan border, who happened to be in London on holiday. His local meta consists of two people; if his adversary quits, or gets eaten by a bear, it will just be him. Perhaps understandably, he plays a lot online.

What Quinns says feels right. Jinteki.net probably does mean that Netrunner as a game -- strong archetypes, their counters, their counter-counters, and so on -- is “solved” quicker that it would otherwise be. It certainly does mean that decks can be tested and tweaked on an almost industrial basis. And all of that must be terribly bleak for anybody that hoped that the joy of personalised discovery and boutique deckbuilding could be preserved within competition.

But j.net also means that the problems of Netrunner as a game in the world, as a game played by people who have complicated lives filled with things that aren't Netrunner, can be minimised and worked around. It serves an important function in taking the game to places, to times, and to people that it otherwise couldn't reach. Even if the online version of the game it brings is riddled with breakerless Leela.

Ultimately, if a game has an accessible online platform and also has a competitive scene, then naturally the latter will co-opt the former for testing, for tweaking, and for practice. And naturally they will take others with them. Yet if it doesn’t, then the game becomes much more closed: harder to get into; harder to get to. This is, perhaps, a irresoluble tension, the inevitable consequence of taking a hobby and firing it through the internet.

Doesn’t make for a particularly snappy conclusion, sadly, but here we are. Jinteki.net, a land of contrasts.

[ciathyzareposts]

Consulting Detective Vol. II – The Lions, the Pick, and the Redhead

Written by Joe Pranevich

In the words of the world’s greatest detective, “Wowsers!” We have a case with two dead actual lions and one dead guy named “Lions”. It may be contrived, but thus far it’s been a challenging case even if I don’t see how all of the clues fit together. Let’s start this week with a recap before I interview a few more people.

Our dramatis personae:

Lenny and Bruce, two circus lions, now deceased. They were captured in Africa by the lion tamer Barry O’Neill. They had only just arrived in London after a European tour– most recently in Germany– before they were killed and their wagon (and bodies) ditched in Hyde Park. They were not tame and permitted only Barry and his wife to come near them. Exactly how they ended up in Hyde Park or why they were taken there is unclear, but Holmes found empty pouches near where they had been killed. What was in the pouches? We have no idea.

Barry O’Neill was their lion tamer. He was injured or assaulted on the docks while unloading circus equipment prior to the theft and murder of his lions. Was he attacked just to allow someone access to the lions? Were the lions attacked because someone wanted to get even with Barry? I have no idea yet.

Thomas O’Neill was the lion tamer’s brother, also last seen in Germany, although it is unknown whether he and Barry met during the tour. Thomas had once loaned Barry money and continues to hold this over his brother.

Steven Lions was a first officer for the Aberdeen shipping company. He was last seen having a night on the town with drink and prostitutes, before falling dead in the street. Lions may have moonlit as a smuggler, using his position to move illicit goods in a secretive way. According to his landlady, he expected come into a large amount of money soon. His cause of death was a rare poison. Other than his companions of ill repute, he was last seen with Wally Sharp and a mysterious red-headed man. 

The Redhead may be important and is my best suspect for poisoning Steven Lions, but his identity is a mystery. 

That’s enough of a refresher. We also spoke to a number of others, including the pair of prostitutes that Mr. Lions was looking forward to hanging out with, but I believe the above are the key people to watch out for. It’s time for the thrilling conclusion to “The Two Three Lions”!

This set design looks familiar…

I start this week with my final lead from last session: Wally Sharp, one of the met who met with Mr. Lions at the bar before he died. I am not sure what I was expecting, but it turns out that he’s Lions’s captain with Aberdeen. The pair didn’t get along well, although they must have been close enough to share a drink or two. Lions implied to him that he would be coming into money soon, perhaps even buying his own boat. Sharp throws some shade at his employer, stating directly that they don’t get paid enough to ever be able to afford their own ships! If he knows the redheaded guy, he doesn’t mention him.

The only new information we get out of him is the name of the tavern where Lions was drinking, the Red Bull Inn. We visited there once or twice in the last game and I expect it’s one of the only pubs that cater to the worst sorts of individuals. Beyond that, we knew that Lions worked in shipping and that he expected money soon. Not as productive of a lead as I hoped.

My old friend!

I don’t have any more leads, so I turn to Holmes’s regular sources. I hit Porky Shinwell first, a tavern-keeper and reformed criminal who keeps tabs on the underworld. Just our luck: Steven Lions used to frequent his tavern! What are the odds of that? Then again, Lions doesn’t seem like he hangs out in the reputable parts of town, so it may have been inevitable that he ended up in Porky’s orbit. Porky gives me crucial information: both Lions and his brother are expert lockpicks. Not only is he a smuggler, but a thief as well! The next bit is confusing because Porky is talking as if he is the barman at the Red Bull Inn, where Lions had his last few drinks before the end, but I already spoke to someone there last post! Maybe they both work there? He tells me that Lions visited his pub yesterday and talked to our mysterious redheaded fellow. More importantly, I learn that the redheaded guy was also seen speaking with Derrick Quinn, but I do not know who he is yet.

As far as the lions-of-the-animal variety are concerned, Porky tells me that Thomas O’Neill, the lion-tamer’s brother in Germany, is an expert jewel thief. Worse than that, he doesn’t even have a criminal’s sense of honor. This leads me to suspect that Thomas had more involvement than I realized, but how? Was he using his brother? Were they both in on it? I have no idea.

I next head to the home of Derrick Quinn, but Holmes just scolds me for wasting his time. Is it a false lead?

New judging scenes!

With no other leads, I check to see if I have enough information to solve the case. The game thinks I do, because I can talk to the judge! This time around, they have recorded digital little scenes for the judgement rather than just text menus and audios. Another improvement from the previous, if only a small one. I recall that the judge was in the re-releases and I’m glad to see that he got his start here. Let’s get the judging underway.

Question #1: Who murdered the lions?

Just like in the last game, I have the whole London directory to choose from, so you’d be unlikely to guess the wrong guy by accident. I am not completely positive who killed the lions, but I will guess a straight-forward “Chekhov’s gun” theory: it has to be Thomas O’Neill. While that would never hold up in court, at least in the games they are not that likely to throw you clues that will never pan out. In my case, Thomas O’Neill was a jewel thief and did not get along with his brother. Since the lions also wouldn’t like him, he had to kill them to liberate the jewels he was after. But who put the jewels there in the first place? His brother? I guess we have to wait and see. I make my selection and am correct!

Motive? Oh crud.

Question #2: Why did he kill the lions?

This question will be easier since I only have four options to choose from. It’s pretty clear that the answer cannot be A or B: Thomas didn’t kill them in self-defense, but nor was it a fit of jealousy. That leaves C, a story that the “Oldenberg jewels” were hidden in the pouches, and D, Mary O’Neill put him up to it. It’s really just C, but I don’t know anything about those and feel like I missed a huge clue somewhere. Still, two questions down!

Question #3: Who are O’Neill’s two accomplices?

Wow. This question us much, much harder. We have to pick two names from the directory. Who could Mr. O’Neill possibly have teamed up with? For lack of any better ideas, I select Steven Lions and Derek Quinn, but I don’t have enough information to back up either. I have failed to solve the case and the judge kicks me out of the courtroom. I wouldn’t have felt great winning by process of elimination so I’m glad that didn’t work out. What clues am I missing?

Sorry, I’m too busy working on the last game to help…

Just like before, I’m stuck going through Holmes’s list of regular informants. This time, I pick Quintin Hogg, the crime reporter for a London paper. He has been too focused on a string of jewelry thefts that he hasn’t given any consideration to the deaths of two circus lions. Instead, Hogg has been researching the “Society Burglar” and the theft of the “Oldenburg Jewels”. Watson says that he read about both in the Times and that is clue enough for me that I need to look there.

This unfortunately is an aspect of the game that I keep forgetting about: the newspapers are cumulative. While I only looked at the current day’s paper, the game forces you to look at previous days as well. In this case, there was an article about the “Oldenburg Jewels” about a month ago. They had been stolen from the local duchess and never recovered, despite arresting prominent thieves in the country as well as shutting down the border. The two suspects were Helmut Schnitzler and Thomas O’Neill! With the border closed, how could Thomas and his accomplices get them out? Would border inspectors look in little pouches on angry lions?

The second bit of Hogg’s clue is a bit of misdirection: the “Society Burglar” was a case that I cracked last time, in the episode entitled the “Mystified Murderess”. We deduced that a rich playboy, Guy Clarendon, did those deeds. Is it clever to call back to a previous case? My suspicion is that the modified order of the cases in this series made what would have been a fun nod to a recently completed episode into a head-scratching feeling of deja vu. Fortunately, I take good notes! In any event, neither Schnitzler nor Thomas O’Neill live in London and even the German embassy is no help. Since I know about the Oldenburg Jewels now, do I have enough information to solve the case?

What was Tomas O’Neill’s role?

I try the judge again. This time, I select that Barry O’Neill and Steven Lions were the two co-conspirators in the case. I choose Barry because if the lions were used for the smuggling, then he (or his wife) had to be involved. Since she claimed not to have talked to Thomas, we’ll go with Barry. As for Steven Lions, I think there must have been a brotherly double-cross going on. While Thomas would have benefited from Mr. Lions’s smuggling skills and potential fencing contacts, more immediately he needed someone to pick the lock on the lions’ cage so that he could retrieve the jewels. Thomas is a dastardly sort, isn’t he? He worked out the whole score and then double-crossed everyone as soon as it was done, including his brother and his brother’s prized lions. What a terrible guy!

What was Steven Lions’s role?

Question #4: What was Mr. Lions’s role in the caper?

I am correct! It was Barry and Steven Lions who were accomplices, but next I have to answer a question about what role Mr. Lions played in the whole affair. This one is easy and I take A, saying that he was just responsible for picking the lock. None of the other options even come close to making sense.

Question #5: Who murdered Steven Lions?

With that answered correctly, the judge next asks who Lions’s killer was. This is tricky, but not too difficult. It was Tomas O’Neill in that previously described double-cross. That turns out to be correct as well! How many questions are there going to be? I don’t remember answering nearly so many in the previous game.

Uh oh. I don’t know the answer to this one, even if it is an easy guess.

Question #6: How did Thomas poison Steven Lions?

The next question stumps me. How did Thomas poison his accomplice? The answer must be B, but I don’t “know” that. We know that it was an uncommon poison, so that rules out A and C. We are good friends with the bartender (and talked to two of them), so it’s not likely D. But if so, I had no idea that Quinn provided the poison. In fact, I thought he was a dead-end since Holmes scolded me for going to his house.

I deliberately get the question wrong so I can find the lead that I missed. I struggle for a bit, but knowing that it was Quinn meant that it wasn’t long before I worked it out: we had to look up Quinn in Holmes’s files. (That’s the little filing cabinet icon on the right that we never press.) Holmes maintains a personal encyclopedia of news clippings and other information on many of the people in London and that is where I needed to turn to learn that he ran a shop called “Vipers Unlimited”.

Oh Holmes, why did you keep this from me?

That seals the deal since we know that the redhead– who I now assume was Thomas O’Neill, although his hair color has not once been mentioned– talked to him at the bar the day that he poisoned Lions. That he talked to him at apparently the same bar where he met his mark is tremendously stupid, but the case feels like it’s been edited since we talked to two barmen for the same place. Did the tabletop version have two separate pubs? Either way, I have the last detail. In every other case, we would have been able to learn the same by visiting Quinn’s house or at least a clue that we were looking in the correct direction. I’ll have to be more mindful of that in later cases.

Why did Thomas O’Neill kill Steven Lions?

Question 7: Why did Thomas O’Neill kill Steven Lions?

I play through the judging again and this time answer the correct “B” that Quinn provided the poison. This leads me to the next question about a motive for his death. Notice that we have the “Lyons” spelling here again. I wish the game was more consistent on this point, but I do think they are using the “y” spelling more often even as I settled into the “i” spelling. Oh well. In any case, I think it’s D because Thomas just didn’t want to pay him.

Wow. I suck.

With the “trial” over, Holmes invites Lestrade over for a chat. Exactly why he talks to the judge before the police inspector, I have no idea, but let’s just go with it. Let’s discuss Holmes’s official answer:

Five months ago, Thomas O’Neill escaped a London police search. Lestrade says that they almost had him, but Holmes scolds him that almost is not good enough.

Right off the bat, I missed this. I had no idea that Scotland Yard was searching for Mr. O’Neill months ago. Maybe I missed an article in the Times?

Three months later, he was arrested in Germany on suspicion of stealing jewels from the Duchess of Oldenberg. They couldn’t prove that it was him.

At the same time as the jewels were stolen, Roy Slade’s Animal Show finished its European tour. Thomas convinced his brother to help him smuggle out the jewels.

They used leather collars with pouches to sneak the jewels across the border.

So far so good on this.

Lestrade wonders why the lions had to be killed to get the jewels off, if Barry was an accomplice.

Watson says that it is because Barry was in the hospital with two broken legs.

Without a key to the cage, Thomas needed the services of a lockpick.

Barry then had Mr. Lions killed to avoid paying him.

Aargh! Holmes doesn’t think it was a double-cross. He thinks that the accident on the docks was just an accident. Thomas couldn’t have waited a little while for his brother to come out of the hospital? He didn’t ask his brother for the cage key but hired an expert lockpick and smuggler instead?

Watson adds that Thomas’s injury would have healed in four weeks; Holmes responds by saying that Barry O’Neill was not the patient sort.

Watson also doubts that Thomas would have agreed to the killing of the lions. Holmes agrees and says that would not have been part of the plan, only improvised after the accident on the docks.

Holmes closes by saying that the poison for the final murder came from “Vipers Unlimited”.

Finally, the note on our door came from Thomas O’Neill’s wife. She caught wind (somehow?) of her husband being involved in smuggling and wanted Holmes to solve the case to extricate him from it and that he’d be forced to settle down in London.

I don’t want to disagree with the official solution, but I’m unsatisfied by this. I can’t say that the accident on the docks was an accident, nor that Barry and Thomas couldn’t have found some other way at the jewels even with his brother laid up. And why would they plant that Barry hired a lockpick and smuggler to help get the jewels? Steven Lions could have been Thomas’s way to fence the jewels or otherwise get them out of the country, until he decided to poison him instead. And the bit with Barry’s wife? Not supported anywhere in her interview. And if her husband is in jail for smuggling, how does that encourage him to settle down and have a family with her in London. I just don’t get it.

Hate me if you want, but I’m not really happy about this case. It seems a difficult and unsatisfying start to the game. The false lead back to a case that I solved “a year” (in game time) ago made it a bit worse rather than better.

On the bright side, that is three games in a row with evil circus performers. What do I win?

Time Played: 2 hr 00 min Total Time: 3 hr 20 min

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/consulting-detective-vol-ii-the-lions-the-pick-and-the-redhead/