#how much of this actually comes up in the books? WHO KNOWS! but it’s there

[newtonsheffield]

So I found this recently on Instagram, and the first thought I had was you. Afterall only you could do this justice. Over to you master❤️🫶🏻🫂

Oh my god, imagine Anthony storming into her office and being absolutely thunderstruck by the woman sat behind the desk looking up at him with one eyebrow raised.

“Can I help you?”

Anthony was a little taken aback, truthfully. Usually he carried a little more sway in places like this. “I’m Anthony Bridgerton.”

“Ah.” Her lips parted a little with the noise as though she’d half been expecting him. “Then let me thank you in person for your very generous donation. Usually people just… wait for the fruit basket at home.”

Anthony shifted a little uncomfortably, “I’m here about the painting actually. My brother… brought the wrong one. I’d be more than happy to donate something, charity is very important, but… that piece I’m afraid is… not for sale.”

The woman, Kate Sharma, the brass desk plate read, leaned back in her chair, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders and adjusted her glasses. “I thought it might be a mistake. Which is why I confirmed with…” she looked down at some paperwork, “Gregory, three times. But he insisted.”

Anthony’s jaw clenched. “Gregory is… not an appreciator of art. He wouldn’t know a Monet from a Picasso.”

Kate but back a smile, “Bless. I do have your Monet though.”

Anthony cleared his throat, “Well, you understand of course, so if you could in fact send back my Monet I’d be happy to arrange another piece for your auction.”

She leaned back in her chair again, surprise written on her beautiful face. “No.”

Anthony, who’d already turned to leave, nearly fell over. “No?!”

“No.” She confirmed. “I have a signature from you on this piece of paper,” she waved it at him, “Allowing me to auction it.”

“I… didn’t check the title of the piece!”

She clicked her tongue sympathetically, “Your sloppy paperwork really isn’t my problem, Mr Bridgerton. After all, you might have been condescending but Charity is very important.”

“Do you have any idea how much that’s worth?!” He spluttered.

“I do.” She nodded, “It’s sort of what I do.”

“So you’re just… keeping my painting?!”

“No, I’m keeping our painting.” She waved the deed again. “Because of this.”

Anthony stared at her in shock, “I- Never in my life-”

“You do strike me as someone who’s used to getting what they want, Anthony.” She tapped her pen on the desk. “If you tell me why it’s so important to you, you can have it back.”

Anthony froze. He couldn’t tell her that. He wouldn’t. She didn’t have a right to know anything about his father. Instead Anthony leaned forward, pressing his palms against the desk. Dropping his voice. “Come on, Kate. Surely we can discuss this over dinner.”

She blinked at him, a laugh falling from her lips. “We can if you want to hear the same answer over wine.” She stood, she was taller than he expected and looked him straight in the eye as she stepped around him and patted his chest. “I’m sure a man like you has a huge cheque book he’s just waiting to whip out. So… I’ll see you on the 17th and you can do some charity work, if you want your painting back.”

And she strode from the room leaving him there. Gasping.

[radiant-reid]

24 Hours

request: a blurb where he actually gets mad at JJ when she confesses to love him but doesn't really say anything at the moment. But then when he introduces reader to the team as his girlfriend, JJ is being kinda rude to her. She tries to tell him she doesn't like her, that she's not good for him. And spencer gets mad and protective👀 maybe he even throws a "i'm going to marry her, whether you like it or not".

a/n: my return piece !!

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader (Fluff)

Word Count: 2.2k

Spencer sees red when he walks out of the jewelry store after shooting the unsub.

JJ is the first girl he has ever asked out, someone he pined over for years after her subtle rejection at the Redskins game. He understood her reasoning. It would have been impractical for them to add relationship highs and lows to everything the BAU has been through over fourteen years, and that's if they stayed together. If they hadn't, things would have been even more complicated.

Also she just generally didn't like him that way. Or so he thought.

It didn't mean she wasn't his ideal for many years. His first love, who had so many traits he didn't have that he desperately wanted.

His confirmation he would be unlucky in love came after that with Maeve, who he once again thought could be the one for him. And then he realized that maybe the person for him had been taken away from him.

Then he met Y/n, and it all seemed worth it. All those terrible nights of crying and feeling like he would forever be alone, all the times he was the only single one on the team, knowing everyone was going home to someone they loved unconditionally and relied on for support.

She's the sun and the moon, and he fell in love so fast he couldn't stop it. Luckily, she did too.

Until JJ fucked it up.

The truth she had to tell to get them out alive dropped an atomic bomb on his newly formed life plans.

Spencer doesn't speak to her that night as they finish their recounts and reports. She leaves it out, though, he discovers, opting to write the secret about her miscarriage instead of confessing her love for her best friend and the godfather of her kids.

It messes with his head the whole way home. He can't sleep on the jet, even if he wanted to as he tried to work out what he was feeling.

All JJ does is send him pleading looks, and all he does is get angry because how dare she do this now? After she had fifteen years of them working together, all those chances to tell him how she felt.

He would have married and had a family with her, the family he always wanted. It's always stayed in the back of his head for so long, and just as he sees someone else in that role in his dreams, she drudges all of it back up.

It's such a long flight, and he taps his foot the whole way while staring out the window, not even able to read.

He goes to Y/n's. He's not sure what he's going to say, how much of it he's going to tell her, but he needs to see her to cool off the fury boiling out of him.

"Hey, handsome." She calls out when he walks in the door as cheerful as ever.

He feels a pit of guilt sink into his stomach because he can't tell her without ruining everything they delicately have put together. Maybe it's wrong to lie by omission, but his brain keeps coming back to fault. And it's JJ's fault. She's the one who's jeopardizing everything.

"Hi, gorgeous." He replies, walking into the living room to find her laying on the couch, book in her hands and her head on the armrest. He's reminded how accurate the petname he calls her by is when he's taken off guard by her breathless beauty. "How are you liking it?" He asks.

"It's good." She answers, putting the book down. "But that's because it's very you."

She gets up, meeting him behind the couch to cup his jaw, stroking over his skin and staring into his eyes for a moment before kissing him properly.

He relaxes into it, the tension in his shoulders easing and his brain slowing down for a moment. It's heavenly, as always, and it's what being loved is meant to feel like.

"How was your case?" She asks when she pulls back, still not daring to move too far away from him.

He tenses instantly at that, totally readable behavior, but he's got to perfect excuse to play it off. "It was rough." He holds out his bandaged hand that he's been avoiding showing her. "I got hurt."

"Shit." She straightens up, noticing how big it looked. "What happened?"

"Cut it on glass." He answers, not going as far as to say where he was when it occurred. "I'm fine, though. Promise."

She nods, reassured. "We've got to be up in, like, six hours, you know?" She reminds him of the time.

With the amount of coffee and adrenaline in his system, he barely registered it was already past 2 in the morning. Usually, they would have stayed in LA for the night, but being home in time for Rossi's wedding trumped a good night of sleep for everyone.

"Can I sleep here?" He wonders, awkwardly looking down at his feet.

"Duh. I'm not going to kick you out and make you come pick me up so we can go tomorrow morning." She jokes. "Picked up your suit, too. You're going to look very handsome."

Spencer grins because she seriously can't get more perfect. She still feels so unattainable, but he'd do anything to make sure he doesn't lose her.

He really should tell her, but he can't. Not right now.

Y/n snaps him out of it. "Bedtime now?"

"Please." He agrees gratefully, keeping his arms wrapped around her while they walk to her bedroom.

He keeps her close while they go through the motions of getting ready for bed. Spencer quickly sheds his suit and both of them brush their teeth.

His head is on the pillow for only a few seconds before he's asleep, and she follows soon after.

The alarm going off isn't as much of a problem when Spencer is lying in bed next to her, arm wrapped around her waist. It's one of the things she misses a lot when he's away.

"Hi, beautiful," Spencer whispers, a husky voice as always. He's glad he fell asleep quickly, not having wanted to sit up thinking about the stupid things JJ has said. He just couldn't understand why it was coming up now. Sleep provided absolutely no clarity.

She grins at him. "Hi."

"Are you ready for today?" He asks softly.

"A little nervous," Y/n admits. The BAU is his family after all. His mom is there but the BAU has been where he's spent most of his life for the last 15 years.

"They'll love you." Because I love you. Spencer assures her.

She smiles softly, feeling a little better. "Let's get up then."

Spencer agrees, not before planting a few kisses on her lips and hugging her tightly.

They get ready side by side, feeling a great sense of domesticity. She's never gotten close to someone as quickly as she has with Spencer. Somehow, it's not scary that it's happened this way.

"Wow, you're very gorgeous," Spencer tells her as she touches up the final strand of her hair, adding enough hairspray that it won't fall out. He stands in the doorway of the bathroom, admiring her. "Wow."

"Thank you." Y/n spins around to look at him in his deep maroon suit. It matches her dress color which she agrees looks very nice on her. "And you're very handsome."

"Ready? The car is coming soon." He says.

She nods, fixing her bracelet. "Let's do it."

There are still some nerves as the car takes them to the venue. Spencer does a good job of assuring her it'll be okay, his hand like a magnet to her thigh. He seems slightly off like there's something out of place, but she shrugs it off. She hopes he's being cute and afraid his friends still say something embarrassing.

The venue and interior are exquisite as they make their way in. She takes a deep breath before they come across the man of the day, welcoming everyone at the entrance. She has no doubt that the value of the artwork in this room totals her apartment and everything in it.

"Spencer." Rossi, supposably, greets him in a tight hug.

"This is my girlfriend, Y/n." Spencer introduces them.

As she expects, and as she was warned about by Spencer, Rossi pulls her in for a hug, immediately calming her nerves with his warm greeting. "It's so nice to meet you. This one won't stop talking about you." Rossi jokes, nodding at an increasingly reddening Spencer.

"It's nice to meet you too." She smiles. "Thank you for inviting me."

Rossi nods. "Of course, it's a pleasure."

And then the rest of the introductions begin. Everyone's so kind, like she expected. She's seen photos and heard stories but everyone seems to have more personality than he conveyed. She's quickly fast friends with Penelope and Tara who do their absolute best to make sure Y/n's feeling comfortable.

It's how she ends up being dragged onto the dance floor after the ceremony. Once the alcohol starts flowing, there's no more anxiousness left and some extroverted spirit has been brought out.

Spencer's not one to dance, but he's one to admire. Only Y/n, though. She looks angelic, despite the old-style dance moves.

He's so wrapped up in watching her that he doesn't register JJ's heels on the ground as she approaches him. It's only when she sits next to him that his head turns around to face her.

He waits for her to speak first. Hopefully, provide some explanation.

"Spencer." She says his name softly, almost like how he used to imagine she'd say it if they were together. Much to his surprise, she doesn't go into any detail about the bomb she'd dropped less than 24 hours ago. "I'm worried about you."

He doesn't hide his scoff. "Worried about me?" He repeats.

She goes for another tactic, trying not to get him mad. "You don't think you're rushing into this?"

"Rushing into what, Jennifer?" He spits back, snapping to anger. Using her first name drives the point home, almost unnecessarily when he sounds so angered.

"You know what I mean." She continues. "You've only been talking about her for a few weeks and now she's here."

He can't fathom that she'd suggest he's rushing into a relationship. He's been careful and deliberate, but Y/n's safe, and she's proved it time and time again.

"She's been part of my life for 6 months." Spencer fact-checks her. "And you said I seemed happier since I met her."

JJ stalls, regrouping before trying another angle. "She's just not what I expected. Is she really the type you should be with?"

"What does that mean?" Spencer states, more furious than ever. There's a chance he will fully snap at her and he wouldn't be sorry.

"I feel like you should be with someone extroverted." She suggests. "You know, someone to get you out of your shell."

Spencer needs a deep breath. "You're not being a good friend right now." He tells her much more calmly. There's not one thing he doesn't love about Y/n, whether she's more on the extroverted or introverted side."I'm going to marry her, whether you like it or not." It's not even what he expected to come out of his mouth.

"Spence-" JJ tries again to reason with him.

"No, don't you dare," Spencer says firmly. "You flew back and forth from New Orleans so many times to see Will, without telling us once and we were all accepting of your relationship. If you don't like my relationship, I don't care. But it's not too soon for me to know. We can talk about what you told me later, but for now, I'm going to dance with my girlfriend." Without another word, he gets up and walks off, leaving her a little gobsmacked.

Y/n frowns at him as he approaches the dance floor. "Are you okay?" She checks.

"More than okay," Spencer tells her with a soft smile.

"Dance with me then." She says, mirroring her smile and holding out her hand.

"I'd love to." He takes her hand just as a slow song comes on for them to sway together.

JJ gets ignored by him for the rest of the night, something unnoticed by Y/n but purposeful by Spencer. But it's fun. So much fun. And he's sure he wouldn't be having as much fun had Y/n not been there. She truly makes his day.

They're in the car later that night, parked near her apartment, ice cream eaten on the trip home. "I'm in love with you," Spencer admits when her laughter falls off after he tells a joke.

It's not a word they've said before.

Her expression is of pure shock, but joy quickly creeps in. "I'm in love with you too." She tells him, grinning.

And it's an entirely better confession than the one he heard 24 hours ago.

[sunflower-lilac42]

𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 | 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 ♔

➪ summary: afer many milestones of her brothers, she finally comes home for the first hughesbowl

➪ warnings: none (surprises?)

➪ word count: 2.6k

➪ file type: fic + one insta post

➪ sunny's notes: i'm pretty sure this was the first hughes bros fic i wrote so i definitely had to go back and rewrite a bunch of it. for a little context you're a famous youtube vlogger :) also i would definitely reread this one because a lot has changed and i wrote like a thousand more words for this one

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⟹ Sunday, December 3, 2023 @ 3:30 in the morning - Naples, Italy

“Hello everyone, my name is y/n, and welcome to my channel if you are new here and welcome back if you’re not! It is currently,” She pauses to take a brief look at her watch, “3:30 in the morning on Sunday, December 3. I am very much still in Italy, but not for long.”

The video cuts and now her camera is sitting on her desk, the windows are opened and the lights are adjusted to be a little bit brighter. She smiles brightly at the camera before she starts talking again, “So you’re probably seeing this mid-December ish whcih means you kind of already know what is going on, but. I am officially flying and moving back home.

“Italy has been such a great experience and I’ve had so much fun here, I’ve learned a ton of new things and I am so grateful for everyone I’ve met. If you know, I’ve been here for almost three years now and I think I’m starting to realize how homesick I am. It’s super nice and amazing here but if I’m honest, I kind of miss ‘the land of the free’. That was a joke, the land of the free part, trust.”

She laughs and continues, “Anyway, the main reason I have decided to come home now is because of my brothers. If you also don’t know, I have three younger brothers, Quinn, Jack, and Luke who are professional hockey players. Quinn plays for the Vancouver Canucks and the other two play for the New Jersey Devils. I honestly have missed so much of their careers, Luke especially and I just really want to be there for the first ever ‘Hughesbowl’ I think they’re calling it.” 

She wipes her eyes, trying not to let the tears fall. She looks around at her room and then back at the camera, “So, I’m flying into New York this morning, my flight leaves at 7 so I should probably get going in a little bit. But yeah, I’ll see you guys when I touch down in New York!”

Videos play of y/n getting ready for the airport, all of her luggage behind her. She navigates her way through the airport, stopping to get some food at the Starbucks and a small drink before sitting and reading her book. After the montage, she is now in a car looking a little tired but her smile is still plastered on her face. 

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

⟹ Sunday, December 3, 2023 @ 10:21 in the morning - New York City, New York

“So as you can see, I am now in New York!” The camera pans to a girl in the driver's seat, “This is my American homie right here. Oh, it’s so weird being back, everyone still can’t walk and drive to save their lives.

“Anyway, Julia and I are heading to drop my stuff off at her place and then we’re going to go get some brunch, I think? We’ll, or I guess, I will go sightseeing. I leave for Vancouver tomorrow night so I can rest up before the shorter flight. It’s honestly, kind of fun being back home, everything is kind of like how I remembered. I might also break into Jack and Luke’s apartment to steal some Devils merch so I can wear it to the game, but yeah.”

“Do the boys know you’re going?” Julia asks, pulling into the parking lot of her apartment complex.

Y/n shakes her head, “Nobody knows except for you and Tiffany, my friend who lives in Vancouver. So that will be an additional bonus to the game. I’ve set up some things with the arena and I guess, actually, some of the team know so Brock, Petey. I think Jesper and Nico know too, we were talking a little bit earlier together when I got here. Alright, I will see you guys sometime soon!”

Another quick montage plays, Julia and y/n are out and about, going from store to store while y/n gapes at all the things she remembered about visiting Jack before she left. At one point, there was a video of her successfully sneaking into her brother's apartment and stealing one of their beanies they kept on the countertop. 

The next video was of her collapsing onto a bed, “We’re home! It is now almost 10 o'clock here and I am going to get some much-needed rest. Tomorrow I think we’re going to meet up with a few more of our friends which I don’t think I’m going to vlog. Which means, I will see you all when I am headed to the airport!”

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

⟹ Monday, December 4, 2023 @ 7:00 in the evening - John F Kennedy Airport

“It was already 5 and I am here at the airport,” Y/n pans the camera around before focusing it back on herself, “I am actually starting to get so nervous about this. I mean in a little over 24 hours I get to see my little brothers for the first time in almost 3 years. Wow, that is crazy to say. I ended up going out to an early dinner with some of my friends so I am definitely full for this plane ride. I am going to be landing in Vancouver around 10, basically, I’m going to be falling asleep when I get there.

“I also finished this book which will be in a different video but it was so good and I’m so glad I got to read it. I’m rambling too much, I will see you guys in Canada.”

Footage of the plane played, looking down at the ground below. In the middle of those clips, were videos of y/n either trying not to fall asleep and also her reading. Then, clips of her dragging her luggage through the airport and out the doors to find her friend's car. 

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

⟹ Monday, December 4, 2023 @ 10:13 in the night - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

“Oof! It is nearing my bedtime. Also, Tiffany just mentioned to me how weird it looks that I’m coming all the way from Italy with just a suitcase and carry-on. Don’t worry, I didn’t leave my stuff in Italy. I shipped most of my things here to Vancouver because I’m planning on living with Tif over here for a while until I can afford my place. And who knows, maybe Quinn will kidnap me and force me to come live with him.

“That is completely beside the point there. I have now been in three different countries and two different continents in basically 24 hours theoretically if we look at it from completely one time zone, Pacific. I’m going to cry actually, whether that is because of exhaustion or because I get to see my brothers in less than 20 hours, I don’t know. I will see you guys tomorrow, probably somewhere close to the time I leave for Rogers Arena. Tomorrow is the day.”

The video ends with her sighing with a smile on her face, both happy and nervous for the upcoming events to happen. She went to bed that night, comfortably in another bed instead of an airplane seat once more. Tomorrow was going to be a lot and she could only hope everything went to plan.

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

⟹ Tuesday, December 5, 2023 @ 6:23 in the evening - Rogers Arena

“I am now standing outside of Rogers Arena on this very cold day in Vancouver. I am really wishing I brought another coat, somehow I still have not trained my body to be adaptive in the cold.” She rolls her eyes but smiles nonetheless, “We’re going to go meet with some of the people who are helping me pull this off and if everything works out you should be seeing the video Tiffany is taking from behind me mashed with another video my friend is taking from the stands.”

『••✎••』

Y/n stands nervously in the tunnel, playing with her fingers and picking at the skin around her nails. She bounced slightly on the balls of her feet as she listened to the skating come to a halt. It was like her eyes were trained to find her family no matter where she was or where they were. As soon as everyone stopped and got into their lines, she let out a deep breath when her eyes focused on Quinn standing alongside the others. 

His hair was longer, that was for sure. He looked older, more mature than the last time she had seen them. The last time she had actually talked to them was a few days prior, probably about a week ago. She had texted them a few times but other than that, she was too nervous she would accidentally slip up and tell them about her plan. 

Her eyes moved and they zeroed in on Jack who was conveniently also standing next to Luke. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw Luke, he was taller, much taller than she remembered. Jack almost looked the same in her opinion, the only thing different was his hairstyle but even then, he looked like the younger brother who used to pester her when she wouldn’t make his Mac ‘n Cheese the way he wanted her to. 

On the other hand, the boys were standing, looking at the ground while their feet shuffled back and forth to help keep them steady on the ice. Jack and Luke shoved each other once or twice playfully throughout the opening speeches. Quinn had a million thoughts racing through his head. This would be his first time playing against Luke on big league ice, his first time playing his brothers as captain of his team, the first time they would all be playing together in the NHL on the same ice and she wasn’t here. 

He would never hate or relent his older sister for wanting to go off and study in another country, it was an amazing opportunity. He was, however, upset about everything that she had missed of his. Luke’s draft, Luke’s debut, Luke’s first goal, the start of Luke’s rookie season, Jack’s record-breaking season, him being announced captain, his first game as captain. 

While Jack and Luke weren’t thinking about this, Quinn couldn’t help it. Y/n was his big sister, the person he had looked up to for his whole life, the person who took care of him when he took a big hit on the ice, the person who helped him through his first relationship, the person who made him soup when he was sick. She was practically everything to him. And it hurt that she wasn’t here. 

“This isn’t something we normally do, but we figured since it was a special occasion we would make an exception.”

Everyone in the arena had practically gone quiet at the words, no one knew anything extra was happening tonight. A lot of friends looked at each other in confusion, the teams eyed one another - some knowling and some just as confused as the fans -, y/n got even more nervous as the words she had drilled into her head were spoken out loud. 

“As everyone knows, this is an incredible thing happening tonight, three brothers playing against each other.” The said boys rolled their eyes once more but still had smiles on their faces, “We do know that there is one person missing however.”

Many fans of y/n who happened to be in the audience knew almost exactly what was happening at this moment. While she hadn’t hinted at coming back home, who else would they have been talking about? She was the only Hughes in question who wasn’t here. 

“As she told me when she got here, she couldn’t miss another big milestone for her brothers. So after being away in Italy for 3 years, please welcome famous YouTuber and older sister of Quinn, Jack, and Luke Hughes, y/n Hughes!”

Cheers erupted as she stepped out onto the ice and she waved a little to the fans before being almost knocked to the ground by a body tackling her. Luke’s arms wrapped around his sister tightly, his head resting on hers. She smiled softly and wrapped her arms around him as well, “Hi Lukey.”

His voice was soft, “Hi.”

“When’d you get so tall?”

“I’ve always been tall, you’re just short.” He pulled away, his hands resting on her shoulders as he looked at her. His eyes slightly glistened with tears before he pulled her into another hug. He murmured something at first, causing y/n to have to ask him to repeat it, “I’m really really really really really happy you’re here. I don’t think I could’ve gone another six months without you.”

She frowned and squeezed him a little tired before he ultimately pulled away and let Jack scoop her into a hug as well. Compared to Luke’s, Jack’s hug was relatively short because he was now antsy. This would be the first time in years that he would be playing in front of her and he wanted to make her proud. So when he pulled away about a minute later she looked at him confused. He only smiled at her before speaking, “I got the zoomies now.”

She threw her head back as she laughed, shaking her head at him. Her eyes moved round once more to see Quinn standing a foot or two away from her. When she opened her arms, he all but dove into them like Luke had done earlier. He, however, shed a few tears as his head buried into the shoulder. She patted his back and suddenly she realized how many eyes were actually on them. So while she wanted to continue her reunion with the three of them, she whispered something into his ear and he pulled away nodding. 

She waved one more time at the fans as the applause and made her way to the stands where her parents were. Once she was even slightly near her parents, Ellen pulled her into a hug, asking her a bunch of questions about when and how she got there. 

『••✎••』

After the game, y/n stood with Jim and Ellen as they waited for the boys to be done. She was in the middle of catching them up on her trip here when someone came from behind and hugged her tightly, slightly lifting her up. She squealed and turned around to hit Jack on the arm, “Hey!”

“What?” He said innocently as he threw an arm around her shoulder, “Can I not hug my sister who I haven’t seen in three years?”

“Of course you can.” She wrapped her arms around his torso and side-hugged him, “You just can’t pick me up.”

He scoffed a little, “Someone’s picky.”

“Where’s Luke and Quinn?”

He shrugged, “I don’t know. I was too excited to see you.”

At that moment, Luke and Quinn made their appearance right behind Jack and hit him over the head. Y/n rolled her eyes before hugging each of them, Quinn’s being a little longer than Luke’s. They all stared at each other once they stopped hugging and then they looked at their parents. 

“Can we go get dinner?” Jack asked.

She rolled her eyes, “Only if you’re paying rich boy.”

He shrugged before walking ahead of them. Y/n looped her arms through Quinn and Luke’s, walking down the hallway out of the arena, “Ah my favorite boys.”

“I heard that!”

❛ ━━･❪ ❁ ❫ ･━━ ❜

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[koolades-world]

I absolutely LOVE your headcanons esp the Indian ones they make me feel quite seen even if I'm from a country that have super similar cultures (Mauritius) 💗🫶

But now I have to ask, I'm the eldest cousin so whenever there's a family gathering I'm usually the one stuck looking after all of my little cousins so if I brought one of the brothers with me they would all be wondering who he is to me and would interview him just being like, "Are you his boyfriend?!?!?!"

Any chance I could get any headcanons for the brothers for this? Completely okay if you can't!

hello! yes of course :)

this request was send in more recently but I just got back from a family gathering (as of 5/25 this is very prewritten haha) and got a fresh taste of this because im the eldest cousin too! i understand your pain haha. all of my cousins are little. chasing after kids you sometimes barely know the name of in a sari, lehenga, or salwar kameez is no fun

god this will be so fun to write!! (there’s still a whole bunch of random aunties, uncles and little kids at the house so I’m hiding since I don’t get to leave until tomorrow) like yesterday, most of this was written on mobile since I’m traveling so excuse autocorrect please :)

enjoy <3

Mc who babysits their younger cousins at a family gathering w/ the brothers

Lucifer

he’s getting war flashbacks /j haha and it’s written all over his face

he left home to get away from his brothers and basically entered an environment that’s exactly the same but with easily one hundred times the people

he’s almost impressed on their ability to never shut up and now knows why you’re so good at handling his family

however, he is dadcifer™️ so he’s great with the kids, and will try his best to answer their questions, even ones regarding your relationship status

Mammon

nothing gets past kids, and they can sense his weakness when he’s talking about you. they are ruthless

before they can break him, you have to step in and tell them to pick one question each to ask. he’s not sure how you’re corralled them so well, or how you can even tell some of them apart to the point of reprimanding them for tricking him. no wonder you can keep his family in line

once he realizes your job isn’t over until the night ends and their parents come to get their kids, he tries to sneak off a few times, but he always ends up with a couple shadows and has to come back

eventually he’s resigned to his fate, and finds he much prefers the cute little babies since they’re more than happy to mess with his jewelry, and he gets to pinch their cute little chubby cheeks <3

Levi

as much as he hates it, the kids love him and whatever device he brought along to play with

after promising to replace anything they break, he sits down and plays games with them and finds out he actually enjoys it

the older ones actually engage in the game with him and ask him game related questions, which he's more than happy to answer, and the younger ones can be handed a disconnected controller and still be kept happy

this is to the point where the kids actually forget to question him about who he is, and only ask if he'll be at the next event. who is he to say no?

Satan

you’re prepared, and he thinks he is too until he gets there haha. but, he keeps it together and adapts well

you’ve thought of just about everything, from wearing extra, cheaper bangles to hand to them to keep them happy to man knowing every trick in the book to get them to finish their dinner and he can only hope to reach that level someday

he's very collected though, he tries his best to deflect their questions and keep them off that topic

however, part of him knows that's impossible and eventually he caves and just answers the questions to the best of his ability, hoping you aren't listening. never have you seen him so out of his element

Asmo

if it’s a dry event and for some reason isn’t on the dance floor, or there wasn’t one to begin with, he’s so in love with the job you hate so much haha

he’s so attentive with the kids and adores them. he’s got lots of tricks up his sleeve to keep them entertained

of course, he owns it when one kid asks if he’s your boyfriend and proudly tells them yes, he is, (even if he’s not) and answers any other questions they have even if you’re embarrassed

now, the kids look forward to seeing him and expect him everytime

Beel

he’s very chill and almost finds it enjoyable, mostly there to keep you from losing your mind

when the kids eventually decide the food they picked out wasn’t what they wanted, and instead whatever he’s eating, he’s more than happy to share with them. after, they’re you’re flesh and blood, so they’re his family too

of course he’s their jungle gym and he takes turns tossing them in the air, and giving piggy back rides

he’s not quite sure how to respond to all of their questions, but as long as you’re alright with it, he’ll answer honestly

Belphie

as a youngest himself, he’s overwhelmed. is this what he’s like?

the kids won’t let him sneak away to nap, because they’re hyper aware of everything and will catch him

honestly, he’s more annoyed than anything, but he might take a liking to a few and spend all his time with them. he feels like he’s being attacked by all the questions

he’s a lot nicer to you after that, since he realized that’s your life, and he only got a small taste of it

[alittlebitofloveliness]

Johnny Cade and Steve Randle as Foils

Ok so the great thing about the Outsiders is how every character foils every other character in some way, but there is one glaringly obvious foiling is barely ever talked about and it drives me crazy because it’s brilliant. I’m talking of course, about the similarities between Johnny Cade and Steve Randle.

The brilliance of them as characters is that personality wise they’re almost complete opposites. Steve is cocky and self assured and has a bitter, occasionally cruel streak a mile wide. Johnny on the other hand, is unsure, quiet, and deeply kind. These differences are what people seem to focus on the most when discussing these characters, but as characters they’re actually INCREDIBLY similar.

Both of them are the members of the gang with the worst home lives, coming from downright abusive situations- yes, Dallas had a shit dad, but at the time of the book it’s established he’s living by himself at Buck’s, he’s made himself an adult and as such his home life doesn’t foil Johnny’s, not really. Steve on the other hand, still lives at home but gets kicked out every other week, and ends up crashing at the Curtis place or anywhere else he can find. His mother is deliberately never mentioned, leaving the audience to draw their own conclusions, but it’s clear Steve doesn’t have much of a relationship with her. Either she’s a doormat who doesn’t defend him when his dad is hollering or maybe even beating him around, or she isn’t around at all and she left him with his dad. Either way, Steve has an abusive father (EVEN if it isn’t physical it is DEFINITELY psychological and emotional) and a neglectful mother. We have even more backstory for Johnny whose mother is an emotionally abusive ‘selfish slob’ and whose father beats him viciously. Of all the gang, their backstories and home life are the most similar, and their characters have been shaped by it as a result. (The way Steve is sometimes vilified in this fandom for his very real responses to childhood trauma and abuse, while Johnny is universally pitied is a whole other essay so I’ll save if for another day.) 

Ponyboy even says as much early on in the book;

 “Johnny was high-strung anyway, a nervous wreck from getting belted every time he turned around and from hearing his parents fight all the time. Living in those conditions might have turned someone else rebellious and bitter; it was killing Johnny.”

Rebellious and bitter, huh? Sounds like Steve Randle to me. His presence in the book is to show what kids in Johnny’s situation but without Johnny’s kindness turn into. Yes, Dally foils him a bit in this regard too, but I think Steve is a better, more in your face example of it. Their are other pieces in the book too, that highlight Steve and Johnny’s similar upbringing and the effects it has had on them, without directly calling them out as foiling characters, such as the fact they’re the two members of the gang who Pony calls out as examples when he’s talking about starting smoking young (woohoo nicotine as a coping mechanism am I right?);

“Johnny had been smoking since he was nine; Steve started at eleven.”

Here, the linking of their names even in what Pony views as an innocuous thing- smoking isn’t a big deal to him- forces us as readers to think about why they started. Knowing that smoking is used by the greasers as a tool to help them calm down reminds us that at their core these characters aren’t so different, and they likely felt the need for nicotine to deal with horrible experiences Pony never had to. Ponyboy smokes a lot, and he started young too, but whatever his catalyst was, it wasn’t the same as Johnny or Steve’s.

Yet another attribute that links them as characters is their fierce independence. Johnny is young, and the gang is protective of him, but as his core he is incredibly self sufficient because he has to be. He finds himself places to sleep, is forced to provide himself with food, and prior to being jumped was fine walking by himself. Steve works for a living, and much like Johnny, he too has to find himself a place to sleep and food to eat on the nights where he isn’t safe to be at home. Both Steve and Johnny are also incredibly protective in their own ways, especially of their more ‘innocent’ best friends (Soda is less innocent than Pony by a long shot, but he is still used to a modicum of security that Steve isn’t.) Steve gets angry at Ponyboy on Soda’s behalf when he asks about Sandy, even though Pony had no way of knowing what happened. Johnny kills Bob for Pony and looks out for him a whole lot in the church, then later sacrifices himself when he pushes Pony out of the fire. To their buddies, their main ‘safe’ zones, both Steve and Johnny are ride or die.

Finally, an important scene that rounds out my analysis of them as foils, is when Dally dies and Steve breaks down crying. 

“Steve stumbled forward with a sob, but Soda caught him by the shoulders.”

Here we see Steve Randle pushed to his limit- and Steve’s breaking point leads to tears, whereas Johnny’s breaking point pushed him to kill Bob. There’s a subversion of their roles here, where the usually cold, bitter, hateful Steve shows a sensitive side, and quiet little Johnny Cade gets rough and cold. To me, this just shows once again, how they’re very similar characters, with similar trauma, that has simply shaped them differently and made them tough in different ways. Steve, with bravado, craving a fight all the time because he can’t fight the helplessness or the feelings of being stuck; Johnny, resigned to his lot in life and tough because of it, seeking out love when he knows he will never find it where he wants it; but at their cores the both of them are battered, lonely kids who were forced to grow up way too fast. 

[imineffible]

Blitzo had probably stayed outside of Stolas' palace for about a couple hours. He screamed, begging to be let back in, and tried every window and door, but they were all locked.

He didn't mean it. He never thought lowly of Stolas - it's Stolas for fuck's sake! He's a Goetia, he's powerful, he's gorgeous, he's charming - Blitzo just never thought that Stolas could ever actually care about him like that, nobody ever has.

Once it was clear Stolas wasn't going to let him back inside, Blitzo yelled, "You know what? I don't even need you!"

He stormed off with no destination in mind. Eventually, he found himself at a bar.

He spent the rest of the night numbing himself with alcohol, sex, and he might've been slipped some drugs too.

Only when morning came did he think about going back to the I.M.P. office. Blitzo managed to stumble his way back unharmed.

Everyone else wouldn't even know anything was wrong. Loona was used to him not coming home on full moons and all of them were used to him coming in late the next day.

Blitzo opened the door and trudged in.

"Good morning, sir," Moxxie said with too much enthusiasm. "How did it go? Do we still have the grimmoire?"

Blitzo gritted his teeth. He ripped the Asmodian crystal off his glove and slammed it on the table. "We don't need the stupid book anymore."

"Is that-"

"Yeah. Sto-" Blitzo's voice cracked. "He gave it to me."

Moxxie and Millie exchanged confused looks.

"Why did he do that?" Millie asked.

Blitzo ignored her question and went into his office, letting the door slam behind him. He sat with his head on his desk and tried not to think about anything.

The first one to try finding out what happened was Moxxie, slowly opening the door as if Blitzo was some wild animal that would run if spooked.

"Sir?" he said softly after closing the door. "What happened last night?"

Moxxie looked surprised to see the tears in Blitzo's eyes when he lifted his head.

"Nothing," Blitzo said. "Go choose a client for us today or something."

"Blitzo... If you're this upset, I don't think that will help."

Blitzo groaned. "I don't care. If you won't pick a client, then go find something else to do that isn't in THIS FUCKING ROOM!"

Moxxie had never been one for confrontation, so it was no surprise that he left after that. Not long after, Millie was the next one to come in.

"Heya, boss," she tried to be casual. "How ya doin'?"

"I'm fine," Blitzo growled. "But if we're not killing anybody, then get out."

"Blitzo..."

"GO!"

She appeared annoyingly sympathetic and said, "I just think you'd feel better if you talked about it instead of sittin' around and mopin'."

Blitzo slammed both fists on the desk. "What do you want me to say, huh? You think I'm just gonna pour my soul out to you?"

Millie gave him a look of pity - which didn't make him feel any better - and left. He grumbled and hid his face in his hands.

It wasn't until a few hours after Millie tried that Loona finally gave it shot.

"Hey so... You've seemed a little... off today," Loona stated the obvious. "I didn't really believe it, but was I right when I said he was getting bored of you?"

Blitzo glanced up at his daughter. She looked uncomfortable and worried at the same time. He guessed he owed it to her as her father to tell her a little bit.

"No. No, it was... the opposite, basically, and I fucked it up, like I do with everything," he explained.

"Well, not everything. You didn't fuck up with me, right? ...Dad?" she added after a moment.

"Oh, Loony," he said, ready to start crying again. She let him give her a big hug.

After awkwardly patting him on the back a few times, Loona slowly extracted herself from the hug.

"Umm. So..." Loona said. "Are you feeling any better?"

Blitzo nodded and Loona smiled at him before leaving.

It was nice to know that he had people who cared about him, who will stay even when he pushes them away.

Maybe even Stolas wasn't fully out of his life yet. Maybe he could try talking to him again later.

It was unlikely, but maybe, just maybe, it could happen.

[bultaoreunheyyy]

Rather Be

Title: Rather Be

Word Count: 1,850

Sickie: Yoongi (cold/snz)

Caretaker: Hoseok

A/N: Written for anon request for a very sneezy/needy/affectionate Yoongi with a cold

want to come over and hang out? we can watch a movie :D

It’s the first thing Hoseok texts Yoongi when he hears it start to rain outside. He knows there’s a fairly big storm forecasted to roll in soon, and it’s been dreary all day, but now that it’s actually raining and the sky is growing dark, Hoseok can’t help thinking instantly about his friend.   

Hoseok hates to be stuck inside due to the weather, but it’s Yoongi’s favorite thing. He’s not even expecting Yoongi to answer his text, because Yoongi would love nothing more than to chill at home by himself on a Friday night with the excuse of the rain to keep him inside. He can picture Yoongi already, sitting by the window and listening to the rain while he reads a book.

He’s thoroughly surprised when Yoongi texts him back less than five minutes later.

Maybe. I probably shouldn’t though, I think I’m getting sick.

Hoseok frowns and starts typing.

oh no!!! are you okay?

you can still come, I totally don’t mind

or do you want me to come over there instead?

do you need me to get you anything at the store? 

After that, it takes Yoongi a longer time to respond. Hoseok feels a weirdly strong sense of concern, but it’s just because it’s unusual that Yoongi’s sick. Hoseok can’t even remember the last time that happened. 

Just when he considers calling Yoongi, his phone buzzes.

No, I can come to you, if you really don’t mind.

It takes about fifteen minutes for Yoongi to get there, and Hoseok uses the time to set up the couch with plenty of comfy pillows and blankets and brew a pot of tea. He’s not really sure what Yoongi is sick with, so he still gathers their usual assortment of snacks they like during movie nights too.

He hears a knock on his front door, and then a second later it opens and Yoongi comes inside. He leans his dripping umbrella against the wall, and bends down to take his shoes off. They’re soaking wet, as are the bottom of his pants, and his rain jacket is dripping all over the floor of the entryway. 

“It’s really coming down out there,” Hoseok comments, peering out the window. He turns to Yoongi, who nods and then lifts his arm up to his face.

“hsch-eh! hshch’iew! Ugh, excuse me,” Yoongi mumbles, sniffling a little. He pulls off his hood and unzips his jacket, and Hoseok can see that he’s shivering. Even though he’s wearing the coat, his face is wet and so is most of his hair.  

“Bless you. Go change into some dry clothes,” Hoseok instructs. “And if you need anything, there’s plenty of medicine in the cabinet in the bathroom. Tissues, too.” 

Yoongi gives an uncharacteristically shy smile and goes to change, sniffling as he makes his way down the hall.

When he comes out, he’s wearing a pair of Hoseok’s sweatpants and sweatshirt of his own he’d left there at some point, and he’s sneezing up a storm, stopping every few steps to sneeze into the crook of his arm. 

“hrrshsh-eh! ksh’shuh!”

“Bless you!” Hoseok says, but Yoongi doesn’t even hear him, not even close to being done sneezing. 

 “hh-ktsch-uh! hh-hh-hshch’uh! S-sorry…hshch’iew! hrrshsh-eh!”

Hoseok blinks in shock, He’s never heard Yoongi sneeze so much before. “Bless you!” He exclaims, nudging Yoongi in the direction of the couch. “Sounds like you’ve definitely caught a cold.” He’s instantly worried, and the worry grows exponentially with each sneeze.

“ksh’shuh! hh-ktsch!” 

“Bless you. Sit down, there are plenty of blankets on the couch. I boiled water for tea, I’ll be right back.” 

As he makes his way into the kitchen, he hears Yoongi sneeze twice more– he has no clue how he never noticed before today that Yoongi sneezed in twos. 

When he returns to the living room with two mugs of tea, Yoongi is sitting on the couch, curled up under a blanket and sneezing into his sleeve yet again. 

“hh-hh-hshch! hsch-eh!” 

“Bless you. Are you sure you’re okay? We don’t have to watch a movie if you’re not feeling up to it.”

“I’m okay,” Yoongi replies quickly, chuckling softly even as a blush appears on his cheeks. “It’s just a cold. I did take some of your medicine, though. Thank you.”  

“Of course. Take as much as you need. Or, I guess, as much as recommended.” 

They both laugh, and Hoseok turns on the TV. He sits down on the opposite end of the couch, and he’s surprised when Yoongi moves over so he’s sitting right next to Hoseok, their shoulders touching. Grinning to himself, he glances over and tries not to be noticeable as he observes Yoongi up close, his smile faltering a little when he sees that he doesn’t look very well at all.  

There are dark circles under the older man’s eyes like he hasn’t been sleeping well, his lips are dry and cracked, and Hoseok gets a good look at how red his nose is for just a second before Yoongi is covering it with his hand, inhaling sharply before– 

“hrRSHSH-eh! HSHCH-eh!”

“Bless you!” Hoseok grabs a blanket and spreads it out over both of their laps, still a little surprised at how close Yoongi is sitting. Yoongi isn’t exactly one for physical affection– or any kind of physical touch, really– but he pulls his feet up onto the couch once the blanket is over him, knees bending as he leans against Hoseok’s side even more.

He’s quiet after that, leaning against Hoseok’s side as they watch the movie. Less than ten minutes in, Hoseok notices something; little by little, Yoongi leans further over, until his head is resting on Hoseok’s shoulder, his hair brushing against his neck. 

He stays very still as he processes the surprising unfolding of events. He wonders if it’s just because Yoongi is so tired– he also briefly wonders if Yoongi has a fever or something, because it’s so unexpected. And then, Yoongi pulls one arm out of the blanket, lifts his fist to his nose to rub briefly, and then when he puts his hand down he lets it rest so that it’s almost in Hoseok’s lap instead of his own, his fingers splayed out over Hoseok’s blanket-covered thigh. 

Hoseok tries very hard to resist the urge to grab Yoongi’s hand, or to put his arm around the older man’s shoulders, grinning to himself the entire time. He can’t help being excited at the fact that Yoongi trusts him enough to be so close. 

Suddenly, Yoongi pulls away a little, lifting his head and turning away from Hoseok to sneeze. “hh-KTSHCH-uh! HSHCH’uh! Excuse me,” he mumbles, sniffling afterward and rubbing his nose with his knuckles. 

“Let me go grab a box of tissues,” Hoseok says as he listens to Yoongi sniffle. 

He’s not sure if it’s in his head, or if Yoongi is reluctant to let him up, but he pauses for a moment before he does, sitting up slowly and barely just enough to let Hoseok stand up. 

As soon as he returns with tissues and sits down, Yoongi burrows against his side, spreading the blanket back out over their laps and then wrapping his arm around Hoseok’s waist. 

Hoseok beams.

He keeps the tissues in his lap, and he’s not really sure how he senses it– maybe Yoongi sniffles softly, or his body tenses a little– but he has a sudden thought to pull a couple of tissues from the box, and he passes them to Yoongi at the same exact time that Yoongi reaches over.

“Th-thank you,” Yoongi gasps before letting out a particularly wet-sounding pair of sneezes. “HSHCH’iew! hrrshsh-eh!”

“Bless you,” Hoseok murmurs, pulling a few more tissues from the box and passing them over. “Are you okay?” 

“KSHshuh! hrrshsh-iew!” 

With a harsh sniffle, Yoongi nods, but then he sneezes twice more and groans afterward, his face flushing. 

“Bless you.”

Yoongi blows his nose, mumbling an apology that Hoseok brushes off. Once Yoongi’s nose seems to settle, they go back to watching the movie, and a couple of minutes later Hoseok feels eyes on him. He glances down to see Yoongi looking up at him.

“Sorry I’m so boring tonight,” he whispers as soon as Hoseok looks at him. “Thank you for still wanting to hang out with me.”

“Of course,” Hoseok replies. “I love hanging out with you.”

Yoongi smiles, then settles back against him, cheek against his shoulder. 

Hoseok isn’t really thinking when he reaches over a few minutes later and starts to rub Yoongi’s back, and he feels Yoongi tense beneath his hand. He pulls his hand back, but Yoongi makes a small, congested sound and shifts under the blanket.

“Keep going?” He asks sleepily, mumbling the words against Hoseok’s neck. 

Hoseok does not have to be told twice. He focuses on rubbing Yoongi’s back, completely ignoring the movie now in favor of bringing his friend comfort, and when Yoongi tenses again not five minutes later, he’s startled by Yoongi sneezing softly. 

“hsch-eh!” Yoongi barely gets a hand to his face in time to cover the sneeze, and Hoseok pauses, waiting for the second one.  A second sneeze doesn’t come, though, and he cranes his neck a little to check on Yoongi when he sits up halfway; he’s taking tiny little breaths, chest moving up and down rapidly, and Hoseok bites back a smile at the way his nose scrunches up. It feels a little silly, sitting and waiting for Yoongi to sneeze, but before he can think about it too much more it finally comes– 

“hshch’iew!”

“Oh, bless you,” Hoseok coos, tugging Yoongi back against his side. His heart flutters when Yoongi comes easily, snuggles up against him like he does it all the time.

As the movie plays on, Yoongi starts to slump further down, like his head is too heavy to keep upright, and soon he slides down until his head is in Hoseok’s lap. Hoseok keeps rubbing his back, smiling when Yoongi makes an unintentionally cute little snorting noise that turns into a yawn. 

By the time the movie is done, Yoongi is sound asleep. Hoseok doesn’t want to wake him. He looks so tired and sick, and so vulnerable resting his head in Hoseok’s lap, and he can’t bear the thought of breaking the peaceful atmosphere surrounding them. Outside, the rain falls harder than ever, but it feels cozy inside, like they’re in their own little world.

Hoseok cues up another movie and settles in, knowing he might be stuck on the couch for a while, because there is no way he’s going to make Yoongi move until he does it on his own accord. 

And when Yoongi coughs himself awake halfway through the second movie, Hoseok just keeps rubbing his back and holding him close and soaking up the way Yoongi leans purposefully into his touch, glancing up at him with a shy, grateful smile every so often in a way that makes Hoseok melt. 

He can’t think of anywhere else he’d rather be.

[ramblings-of-a-mad-cat]

I’m not familiar with Dr Who so why do people dislike Lindy?

(Spoilers for the new season if anyone is not caught up)

Ooh boy, this one is a doozy.

So, first thing to understand is that Doctor Who is a do-everything show. The protagonist is an alien called The Doctor who periodically changes his face (therefore the show can theoretically go on forever.) We currently have our first ever Black Doctor, played by Ncuti Gatwa. The Doctor travels in space and time. One episode could be about earth history, the next could be an alien planet. And they’ve had some weird ones.

Lindy Pepper Bean is the stereotypical white girl and that’s very much on purpose. living on a planet called Finetime. Yes, that is it’s actual name. A bunch of rich humans sent their kids there to serve as a vacation spot where they only have to work two hours a day. The rest of the time they are connected to a social media hub called The Bubble, which acts as a hologram obscuring their vision and it literally gives them directions on where to walk since they can’t see. When Lindy turns the Bubble off, she finds she has forgotten how to without it.

The Bubble is controlled by this floating computer called The Dot, and everyone has one. The AI has grown sentient over time, and it’s ultimately revealed that The Dots have grown to hate their human masters and wish to kill them. If you’re thinking this is a commentary on social meda, or on the dangers of AI…just wait. It gets worse. Finetime is exclusively white. Was that just a lack of diverse casting? Oh no. Let’s talk about Lindy.

Lindy is extremely selfish. She is arrogant, superficial, and rude to most people. Especially The Doctor. She is constantly condescending to him. More so than his (white) friend and companion, Ruby. This is not unheard of. The Doctor is a genius who often struggles with socializing, people don’t always like him. But in this episode, he and Ruby are presented as equals and they’re both just trying to save her life.

Lindy shows her true colors when she, without hesitation, throws another character named Ricky under the bus. After he saved her life and shieldee her from The Dots, after he told her to go without him, she stops them from attacking her by revealing information that she knows will cause the Dots to kill Ricky instead. Ricky was entirely innocent and one of the more enlightened people on Finetime, choosing to read books rather than use The Bubble.

Lindy shows absolutely no remorse for this and never faces any consequences because nobody finds out it happened. She lies through her teeth and says Ricky just went back to help more people escape The Dots. But the real kicker is what comes next.

The Doctor offers to save the survivors, who would otherwise be doomed. They refuse his help. He has a space timeship that could evacuate all of them. But they won’t go with him, because he is “not one of them.” Lindy singles out The Doctor, she doesn’t include Ruby in this judgment. According to her, talking to him onscreen was tolerable, but in person is just too much. They don’t ever directly state that it’s about skin color, but the subtext is painfully clear.

TL;DR: Lindy is selfish to the point of using other people as human shields, incapable of even walking properly thanks to her social media addiction, has an overall rude personality, and (this is the big one) she’s fucking racist.

[memoriesndew]

ways to unwind after school

we all know how stressful and mind-boggling school can be so here are a few ways you can unwind after school before diving into assignments and other academic tasks of the day

a short nap can help you recharge and feel refreshed, as someone who went to boarding school I can speak very highly for this after school was meant for sleeping even though most times I didn’t end up sleeping and just chatted with my roommates or used my laptop, the times I did take a nap after school were the best and it was easier for me to focus on work during prep, and taking a bath before that nap is so lovely.

engage in physical activities like running, swimming, dancing, or yoga to release endorphins and improve your mood. You really don’t need to do a full workout for this you can very simply just take a walk to clear your mind and just really get your thoughts intact while being healthy by moving

dive into a good book and stimulate your imagination. I do love reading, you can learn from it without actually wanting to learn and it's just a really nice way to pass the time and just be a girl y’know

play your favourite songs or discover new music to help you relax and uplift your spirits. Music will always be one of the most therapeutic experiences ever after school you can just play a few tunes while you tidy up your desk for reading later or just lie on your bed and listen to calming sounds

spend time on activities you enjoy, such as drawing, painting, playing an instrument, or crafting. Hobbies are a great way to wind down after school, as most hobbies are therapeutic and likeable

write about your day, your thoughts, or your goals to process your feelings and clear your mind. Journaling is so great it is a two-in-one for me, keeping memories and also practicing mindfulness

watch a movie or catch up on your favourite TV shows for entertainment. when I watch shows I mainly watch sitcoms as it is something I can come back to without like dwelling on it too much because compared to a drama which would keep you at the edge of your seat a good sitcom is less likely to make you want to watch all episodes at once

note - it's ok to feel overwhelmed by school and it is ok to take some time out for self-care. I hope these little things help you to feel better after school.

well then I bid you a dew {adieu} my dew drops temi 🎀

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

This is more of a game mechanic ask but what are your recommended stats to beating books 6 and 7 (including how many SSRs to SRs are preferred and how many times it should be uncapped) I recently got back into TWST after a 2 year hiatus of waiting for book 6 and I wonder what to do now since I'm basically trying to catch up

Welcome back to TWST!! … But unfortunately, you’ve come to the wrong place for super specific gameplay help 😅 I’m a casual player myself; I just slap together my tried and true “strong” teams and then brute force through battles. I found late book 7 battles to be pretty challenging, even with 30ish battle-viable SSRs (level 80 or higher, spells level 7+, and Buddies level 8) .

Here is what I’ve gathered from my own experiences:

How many SSRs + SRs you have and how much you’ve uncapped them actually does not matter that much. You could easily clear with a few OP SSRs early on. What is more important is how strong each individual card is, not what rarity they are. SRs and even Rs can be useful, given the right situation.

Of course, still try to get your cards to be as high level as you can! Minimum 60. You should also Groovy them! This will result in higher overall stats, as you do also get a boost after groovying.

Level up your spells. This may unlock additional effects (buffs, debuffs, etc.), stronger attacks or more hits, and DUO magic.

Increase your Buddy levels. These can actually make a significant difference in battle (especially at level 10), as they provide stat boosts to your team members.

For the love of the Seven, INVEST IN YOUR HEALERS (denoted by spells with a heart icon). You will encounter battles later where your health does not reset after every battle, meaning when your cards take enough damage they are no longer usable.

Don’t try to level up every single character; pick a handful and concentrate your resources on those ones. I would recommend looking at Riddle, Leona, Azul, Jamil, Vil, Rook, Epel, Sebek, and Silver, as those are the characters that the game will force you to take along with the others you hand select.

When composing your teams, make sure the characters you pick have good synergy with each other. Put characters who DUO together, and even better if they have high Buddy Levels with one another.

I would check out a more meta-focused blog if you’re looking for more detailed advice. I know that TWST Gameplay has done team and character comp recommendations before if provided with the list of cards an individual player has to work with. But if I recall correctly, they may not be offering that anymore. You could still always look at their archived posts and team comps recommended to other people though.

[confirmeddead]

Hello!

I very much enjoyed reading your theories about Devil’s Minion so if you don’t mind I’ll add some thoughts? Would love to hear what you think! I’ve found some hints online - so there might be spoilers so feel free to skip obviously if you’d prefer!

1. I agree that if Daniel is turned it’s going to be Armand who does it. Nothing else really makes sense to me, especially since the show has emphasized the maker-fledgling bound to such an extent. Armand’s possessive tendencies have also revealed themselves already. If Armand wants Daniel to be turned, I don’t think he would feel comfortable having anyone else do it.

2. I don’t believe Daniel will be turned this season. Listening to EB on a podcast recently he made a comment, following explaining how wanting to play a vampire basically lead him to the show, about how on these shows almost everyone who is around vampires gets turned in the end. Which is true, but more importantly this kind of speculation and the way EB spoke about it made it sound like this hasn’t happened to Daniel yet. That he doesn’t actually know if and when Daniel is getting turned.

3. I do think however that Daniel might be bitten. Can’t really justify it, but I feel like something will happen to Daniel in the finale. Might be bitten by a vampire, maybe by Armand - maybe this triggers some more memories. Thus far Daniel’s memories have been triggered by similar noises/actions. In episode two when Louis started recounting the facts of a “shameful” memory this triggers Armand doing the same in San Francisco. In episode four Armand leaning forward and the noises of Louis slamming the binders of photos on the floor seem to heighten his memory of Armand walking around in that room/leaning towards him etc. I’ve seen some speculation about a medical event happening, but I’m unsure. I just feel something will happen…

4. When asked in an interview with the Nerdist EB replied when asked if viewers will see anything of Daniel and Armand’s complex relationship this season: ”We’re going to have to leave that to your imagination because there is a lot coming. But I guarantee there will be some cool stuff happening by the end of the second season”. And: “But, it’s also going to be heavy. There’s going to be a lot of heaviness.” This could just be the trauma and torture of episode five but I would say it seems to hint that something will happen in the season finale between them - or something will be revealed. The romantic in me think it’s revealed that they were in love, that some of Daniel’s memories of Armand has been mixed up with Alice and that the feeling freer in Paris thing might be about Daniel’s internalized homophobia. He felt freer in Paris because either it was long away from home (so no one would know him) or because Paris was less homophobic (not sure if accurate though). And Armand might have had someone who saw him at his worst but still loved him, i.e someone who loved and accepted him fully. The heaviness could then be the separation, be it due to Daniel’s addiction, want to be immortal, Armand believing him to be better off living a full life - or something completely different. All of this does however sound a little to wholesome in a way for iwtv tbh. So to adjust expectations, the comments could very well just be about Daniel’s trauma in episode five.

What do you think? Also, if you would speculate where do you think the show is going next with the DM relationship? What would you like to see? Thank you!

Hi! Thanks so much for sending your thoughts. Let’s discuss!

1. Yes! I think the majority know this will stay the same. They haven’t changed anyone’s maker as of yet so why start now?

2. No, he won’t be turned. I’ll reference Rolin’s words from last week when answering a question at the Texas panel. It seems a lot of stuff is up in the air regarding DM and he exasperated the point that it’s three books ahead. So, in saying this, we know he wants to do TVL for season 3 meaning QotD would be season 4 (possibly). Of course they could change things but I think he wanted to really drive home the point that they have a lot to do to get to the point of Daniel being turned.

3. Going back to one of my theories, I do think Daniel’s SF memories will be a big trigger for Louis. Learning the extent of what happened might really upset him (whether it was his attack on Daniel or what Armand proceeded to do). As for the sounds triggering memories, this is a great point! And it seemed every glance at Armand triggered Daniel’s memories.

So about the medical event… I’ve seen people theorize Louis will attack Daniel. I genuinely don’t think this will happen but if Daniel were to be hurt (book falling scene in trailers), I could see either Vampire rushing to his aid. I’d say only Armand would but I think Louis cares for him enough to help him.

4. Okay, so when I hear heaviness I hear trauma, I hear broken hearts, I hear a LOT. I think a lot of Daniel’s trauma will be addressed next episode or even episode 6, so what is left for the final two episodes? Revelations. The interview is ending, Armand and Louis’ relationship is probably ending, but the rest is kind of… unknown. The trial is happening episode 7 and the secrecy of the title of episode 8 and what even happens has my brain scrambled. The “surprise character” Rolin (?) mentioned appears at the end of the season is likely Lestat or someone else entirely.

So what’s left regarding Armand and Daniel? I think a lot of people want to see Armand as controlling and straight up evil, but in the books HE left Louis. He left Louis because his (Louis) passion for anything was gone and Armand knew there was nothing he could do to fix that and it was dead in the water. Who is there to turn to? The flame whose memories you erased? I could see Daniel comforting him and so begins the chase (again).

Of course that last part is just a theory but I think this is the “end of the season” event that might happen. Daniel is a different person now. The internalized homophobia of his youth is gone. He’s an old man with all the triggers that come with it. He’s twice divorced and an empty nester. What’s there to lose? I always go back to the first scene of Daniel and how bored and over it he was with his life.

[cam3lliaw]

Catching the eye of a prince

-crownprince!gojo x maid!reader

Who would’ve thought getting caught reading a book during work hours one random day would not only make you good friends with the right hand of the crown prince, but also end up making the said crown prince be interested in getting to know you.

contents/ warnings: might be ooc, insecurities( some implied), mentions of stealing, a bit of angst at times to eventual fluff, friends to lovers trope, the main characters are all in their early 20s, tba

word count: 0.7 k words

series masterlist

notes: I've read a lot of jjk royalty au recently and I was inspired to write one as well :) this is the prologue and I don't really know how long this will turn out to be but i hope you enjoy it !! (fic under the cut)

“Need any help with that?” a gruff voice could be heard from behind.

You didn’t need to turn around to know that the voice belonged to none other than Geto Suguru, the crown prince’s right hand, his one and only best friend, and last but not least, your occasional thorn in the side.

“You really like that joke a lot, don’t you, Lord Geto.” you said, still not turning to face him as you continued to hang the sheets on the clothesline.

“And you really like to call me that, even though I tell you all the time that Suguru is just fine. And besides, I wasn’t, and never will be, joking when I ask you that question, [name].” he chuckled.

“You know that my answer will always be no, Suguru. There are some lines that even I won’t cross, and to be honest, it’s absurd to even consider I’ll let you help me.”

“And why is that?” he asked, even though he fully knows the answer already.

“Well for starters, I’m not that stupid not to be aware of the difference in our status, friends or not, it still matters to me. And secondly-” you turn to face him as a smile stretches on your face “You don’t see me coming to your office and telling you how you should do your work.”

“I wouldn’t oppose to that, you know.” Suguru smiled back.

“Like I’m smart enough to even step into a place like that.” you huffed jokingly.

At that he grimaced slightly.

“Come on, [name]. We both know you are way smarter than a lot of the people that work in this palace.”

“Reading a few books here and there only get you so far, Suguru. You, out of everyone, should know that well.”

It never gets easier, admitting that you wish for more. In another universe, you would read all day, study literature properly with someone who actually knows what they’re doing, not only from damaged pages of stolen books from the royal library, books that are about to be disposed not only because the years have left them in a horrible shape but sometimes also because the concepts explained are so old that they aren’t even right anymore.

“You know I could always bring and lend you newer ones right? I told you that on multiple occasions already and I mean it every time.” Suguru said as he approached you and stood by your side.

You also know Suguru would never make fun of you, he really wants to help. But it’s hard enough to get and hide the books in the maids’ chambers before you finish reading them and returning them to the library's unofficial “trash” section. Imagine what trouble you would get in if you get caught with fancy new books. It hurts only to think about it.

“I know…I’ll let you know in case I need anything. I promise.”

Saying this is clearly better than admitting the truth. As much as you don’t want unnecessary problems for yourself, dragging Suguru into all of this mess is even worse.

“This doesn’t look very…straight.” Suguru changed the subject to lighten the mood, as he tried to lightly stretch one of the sheets.

“We both know that’s a bold-faced lie! Don’t mess the laundry! If it ends up falling down and I’ll have to wash it again, I won't talk to you anymore, Suguru.”

“We also know that’s not true.” he chuckled as he gently bumped his side into yours.

You returned the action.

And he did it once again but a bit more forceful.

And the cycle repeated itself for a few more times until you literally shoved him, but before he could fall on the grass, he grabbed your hands and dragged you down as well, falling down a step away from the dark haired man.

“You’re acting like a child!” you exclaimed as you started laughing.

“Says the one who shoved me!” he started to laugh too.

“You started it!”

“Oh that’s such a mature argument, [name]. Impressive, really.” the male continued to laugh as he got up and helped you up as well.

Unknown to the both of you, this whole exchange was watched from afar by none other than the crown prince, who was initially looking for his best friend, but it seems like he found something else instead.

end notes: i hope you liked it! :)

[strawberryshortcake1495]

So I was rereading my sister’s old James and the Giant Peach book and I was struck with an idea.

Introducing…the Amazing Digital Peach!!!

If you read the JATGP book or watched the 1996 movie, you already know pretty much the whole plot.

Pomni is a 7-year old human girl who’s orphaned and has to live with her two relaxed but extremely neglectful uncles. They’re too lazy to do anything other than sit around and compliment themselves so they make Pomni do all the work around the house. They let her roam around freely but they’ll lock her in her room if she tries to go down to the shore to play with the other children.

One day, she’s doing work and comes across an old computer. She turns it on and on the screen it shows Caine, obviously. He tells her about these cool crocodile tongues that are inside a jar buried underneath where she found the computer. He instructs her on how to cook it properly and wished her good luck. Curious, little Pomni digs the jar out with her bare hands (because the dirt is really soft) and she decides to hide it from her uncles. If they find it, they’ll probably eat it and something bad might happen. She runs inside the house and to her room. It doesn’t have a lot of things in it, except for a rag doll, a gummy alligator, a king chess piece, a tragedy mask and some red ribbon, a purple bunny plushie, and a box full of random toy parts. Pomni trips on a broken floorboard and drops the jar of crocodile tongues. It breaks open and most of it spills onto her stuff. She tries to grab them (the crocodile tongues) but they’re already out of sight. She even saw a few actually crawl out of her window and towards the old ancient peach tree that was in the garden. With a bleeding foot and tears on her face, Pomni climbs onto her bed and decides to clock in for the day.

The next day, Pomni wakes up to find all her stuff gone! But she doesn’t have time to look for them, because her uncles are making a commotion outside. The ancient peach tree which hasn’t been able to grow a single peach in its entire lifetime, has started growing a peach that kept getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER. At first, Pomni’s uncles planned on eating it but then they decided to show it off to everyone else. Pomni was forbidden from going outside during the open house though, and was locked in her room. At night, her uncles send her out to clean up the mess (but they gave her an eaten chocolate bar to give her some energy). While cleaning, she noticed a hole inside the giant peach and went inside it. She climbed through the long passageway before she got to the seed, where a door was carved into it. She opened it and you can all guess what happened next. If you can’t, I’ll tell you anyway. Pomni saw all of her stuff inside the seed room, but they were much bigger and taller than her, and they seemed…ALIVE. Zooble notices her and welcomes her in the crew. Then Jax asks her to go through his endless wardrobe and get him his black leather jacket, and Pomni was way too scared to protest. He explains that he had gained sentience only 13 hours ago and the others chime in. Pomni tells everyone about the crocodile tongues and everyone’s weirdly calm with that. Once Pomni finds Jax’s black leather jacket, she gives it to him, and some rough banter between him and Kinger ensue. Gummigoo then noticed Pomni’s wounded foot and offers to patch that up for her. He takes out the tiny splinters, cleans the wound, and then bandages it with some gauze. Pomni is very grateful for his kindness and decides that she likes Gummigoo, as well as Jax because his snarky personality was entertaining. Then everyone goes to sleep, with Zooble making the beds by knitting string.

The next day, Pomni wakes up with the group cheering and hyping Jax up. Ragatha explains that Jax has razor-sharp teeth and he’s currently gnawing away at the stem that kept the giant peach from rolling off the hill. Pomni didn’t want to leave her uncles behind, since she didn’t really hate them, but decided to stay inside the room instead of leaving. Ragatha offers to carry her so she wouldn’t fall when the peach starts rolling, and Pomni agrees. She liked being held by her new friend, it reminded her of her late mother. Though the holding thing didn’t work, because when Jax finally broke the stem, the peach started rolling down the hill and the first thing Pomni did was fall out of Ragatha’s arms. Meanwhile, her uncles didn’t even seem to notice that she hadn’t returned last night and were just counting their money. When the peach started rolling, they were instantly crushed (R.I.P).

And the rest is pretty much what happens in the original book! I’m not good at drawing, so I’ll give you key design details if you ever want to make fanart of this AU.

Pomni has cute little pigtails, like this ⬇️

She also wears a dirty white gown with short sleeves!

Jax has a little tuff of hair at the top of his head and he wears a simple black leather jacket over his overalls (you can give him sharp teeth too if you wanna stick to the razor-sharp teeth thing)

Ragatha, Gummigoo, and Gangle look pretty much the same lol

Zooble has a bit of a darker color scheme, with more purples, blues, and blacks. It doesn’t have to be specific, she does canonically mix and match.

Here’s a little fun fact: Pomni’s uncles are based off Chad and Max, Gummigoo’s friends (and apparently brothers according to the wiki). They’re not maliciously evil so I made them chill but they are kinda supposed to be problematic so I made them extremely neglectful.

Anyways, hope you guys like this! I think I’m seriously cooking here.

[thechosenthree]

Thanks to this post I am in my Kendra Young is such a freak <3 feels. Thank you @finalgirl1984 <3

[This went in a completely different direction that I expected, I do love to ramble.]

We talk so much about how by the book Kendra is and how she never got to be a kid or be a teenage girl. She was The Slayer before she was anyone else and before she was ever even actually called as the slayer.

We definitely don’t talk enough about how maybe compared to Buffy, Kendra was a stickler for the rules, but she definitely wasn’t completely by the book!

I saw a comment once about how leaving a vampire locked up to wait for the sun to burn him to ash is definitely not in the slayer handbook. And that’s so true!! She was enjoying it, she was laughing at his attempts at threatening her!! Literally not scared of him for a second. #1 Angel hater who also thinks he’s a loser. And she could have just staked him, she should have staked him, she was the vampire slayer and that is literally her job. But she played with him like a cat hunting a mouse instead and I love her for that.

Like I generally tend to think that Buffy was to Kendra what Faith was to Buffy, but that’s not entirely true?

Both Kendra and Faith were completely accepting of their slayer sides, proud of being slayers and able to enjoy the hunt and the kill in a way that Buffy really struggled with.

I think Kendra and Faith are a lot more alike than I’ve given them credit for? They both try to kill Angel when they first meet him, they are both confused why Buffy wants to protect him and not just stake him. That goes against what they have been taught.

We obviously don’t know much about Faith’s slaying life before coming to Sunnydale, what her watcher was like, or what her training was like. But it’s possible it was a lot more by the book than Buffy’s. Faith watched her watcher be killed in front of her and then shows up in Sunnydale with serious issues with authority.

But the way she is with Gwendolyn Post paints a picture of the way she may have taken to her first watcher. She wanted someone to look out for her and give her guidance. So if she had a watcher she liked and respected, her doing what she was told and being by the book seems likely. She did what Gwendolyn told her to do over listening to Buffy, so we even have evidence in the show for that.

Faith’s training may have been a lot more like Kendra’s than Buffy’s. Of course she didn’t have that watcher training her for very long, just the summer. So she wouldn’t have learned near as much as Kendra, who spent her whole life training for this did.

And whereas Kendra never had a life apart from slaying, Faith didn’t have one worth missing once she was called. There was nothing holding Faith back from full on accepting her destiny and giving her all to it, unlike Buffy.

Buffy had a life before slaying. She got to be a kid, she got to be a girl. She got to live her life without worrying about much. She got to just be. And being the slayer did not mesh with that, her fighting to make both sides of herself fit is a huge part of the show.

Faith is very heavily implied to have been abused by her mother, and who knows what else she went through. She didn’t get to just be a kid, she was dealing with stuff no child should ever have to go through. Being called as a slayer gave her the physical power to fight back. And she embraced that with open arms and did not look back.

The circumstances that preceded Kendra and Faith being called as slayers is obviously very different. But it’s also similar is some ways I hadn’t previously thought about.

Kendra was forged as a weapon, her life was lived in training to be the slayer. Faith was living a life she couldn’t escape from, couldn’t fight back against.

Kendra being called brought everything she’d been taught, everything she’d worked towards into focus. That is what she had always been told she was meant to do. It was her purpose.

Faith being called gave her an out from her old life, gave her the strength and the power to defend herself and fight back. We know she’s never had anyone looking out for her, that she had to take care of herself. In a way, being the slayer gave her a purpose she didn’t know she was looking for.

Neither Kendra or Faith got to just be a kid. They didn’t necessarily know what they were missing when they embraced being a slayer. Kendra literally did not know anything else. And the life Faith knew was definitely nothing worth holding on to.

I think this makes their attitudes towards being slayers compared to Buffy’s make so much sense.

And if we go with the slayerhood as a metaphor for queerness…

Buffy was just living her life and was blindsided figuring something out about herself that she hadn’t been looking for. She didn’t want to be that person, it made her life more difficult. She wanted to go back to a time before she knew this about herself. She was so focused on how much she didn’t want to be the slayer [read: queer] that it took her a long time to acknowledge that she enjoyed it. That it was a part of who she is. And that she liked that about herself. It took her a long time to be proud to call herself the slayer.

We also see that Buffy’s parents were not immediately accepting, and before she actually “came out” they talked to and about her like she was a different person now and like they just wanted her to be who she used to be. And then of course Joyce literally kicks her out of the house when she can’t accept who Buffy is and Buffy refuses to go “back in the closet” to please her. Buffy having internalized slayerphobia makes a lot of sense.

Kendra always knew who she was. She was raised by someone who knew who she was, and who wanted her to be that person. She is proud of who she is, of being a freak. She is so happy to connect with Buffy and not be alone being a freak.

But also looking at how the council is scared of the slayers, and wants to be in control of them, it’s a conditional sort of acceptance. Kendra can be herself as long as she’s useful to the council. Also looking at it this way, her parents knowing who she is and sending her away because of it is an interesting thing to think about.

Faith did not always know who she was. But she likely knew she was different or at least felt like she was. Having an abusive parent will make that clear to you. On top of that the things she implies about her high school experience make it clear she did not have friends or fit in. She was a loner, an outcast, a freak.

Then she found out who she was and everything made sense to her. Faith embraced being a slayer [read: queer] and she was proud of who she is. She enjoyed it, she liked it. And she met Buffy and loved that someone else was a freak with her.

Kendra and Faith genuinely enjoying being slayers and being proud to call themselves freaks in juxtaposition to Buffy who definitely loved not being alone, and finding kindred spirits in the two of them but was also having a hard time liking that part of herself is so interesting.

Makes me wish we’d gotten to see Kendra and Faith meet even more. I used to think they would clash and take a long time to warm up to each other. But now I’m wondering if they wouldn’t be off tying up vamps and enjoying the kill together.

[itstimetojellyfish]

I’ll hold you if no one will . ( Dan Heng x reader)

This is another post! Critical advice is welcomed! And it’s sorta long!

It’s…. Been a long day ….. from fighting Mara- struck to dealing with entitled people trying to gas light you into doing something you don’t want to . Nevertheless, you still help people .

It’s a good way to forget . All the memories of the past , essentially, everything . You don’t want to remember. You’d rather feel safe and warm instead of reminiscing the times where the so-called friends you had left you for dead .

So , you keep to yourself and never reveal a single thing about your past , it was a defense mechanism to you . Also , to further ensure you never have to look back on the past , you read books , taking in tons of information, hoping you’ll finally forget every single thing.

It doesn’t work , but it helps you stall time and helps you get lost in an imaginary world where no one would judge you .

Now don’t get it wrong , you love the astral express and its inhabitants, including the fluffy , bunny-like conductor ! But

This is sensitive information that’s really hard to open up to people . So , you stay away and hide who you used to be underneath a bubbly and happy mask .

Because of how often you read , you find yourself in the archives half of the time , Dan Heng , the guard of the astral express, lives there , and dutifully writes down information.

On multiple occasions you interact with him , though most of the time he just listens to you and occasionally hums an acknowledgment.

Soon enough , you’ve formed a bond and he allows you to barge into the archives whenever you like .

Today was not your day . From people trying to guilt trip you to having the people of the past haunt your mind as you constantly try to forget .

At night , the nightmares come . Haunting laughs and shill screams echo in your mind as you toss and turn , trying to get the noise out of your mind .

However , the effort you put in is fruitless. So you tumble out of bed , put on some casual clothes and head out of your room to the archives at 10 pm .

When you open the door , Dan Heng isn’t there , he’s probably just collecting data then . So you plop yourself down in a corner and curl up in a ball .

You take some books from the shelf and start to read , but the voices progressively get worse and soon enough it was too much to handle .

Everything seems to hate you at this point . Fat droplets drip down your cheeks as you start to cry . Why was everyone out for your blood right now?….

In midst of your crying , the door creaked open and you came face to face with Dan Heng . Your eyes widen as you scramble to compose yourself and wipe away your tears . You stare at each other for a while , but then Dan Heng breaks the silence .

Starring at your disheveled state , he asks in a gentle tone. “ Are …. You okay?…. You seem sleep deprived and you look like you were crying earlier….”

You look down and sniff . “ I’m sorry for disturbing you….”

He stares at you for a bit before kneeling down to your height and asking you ,” Did you have a nightmare?”

You look up at him before nodding sheepishly. “ it’s fine though!”

Before you could argue about your feelings any longer he gathers you into his arms and starts to cradle you as if your porcelain.

This triggers something on you as more painful memories rush back full force . Tears fall down your face , how long has it been since someone held you like this? Actually, how long has it been since someone affectionately touched you?…

As you begin to sob , Dan Heng gently rubs your back and continues to shush you , calming you down and letting your emotions out , he doesn’t pet about what troubles you , only lets you know he’s there for you as he hold you close to him .

You let out all your emotions and thought and everything about you and how your friends didn’t feel like friends when they left you for dead and used you as a meat shield .

You didn’t notice it in midst of your crying but as more and more information tumbled out of your mouth , his expression got darker and darker , with his teal eyes glowing softy.

Soon enough , your tear ducts are dry and you begin to tire out . You curl into him , and he lets you , cradling your figure even tighter . You making a mental note to thank him when you wake .

When you’re fast asleep , a tail curls around your waist and the fluffy end gently caresses your face , careful not to wake you up . Dan Heng gently presses his forehead against yours , nuzzling you as his more draconic instincts show .

“….. I won’t let anyone hurt you again, you’ll be safe in my arms and if anyone does try to harm you . They won’t see daylight again .“ He whispers to you , gently rocking you back and forth .

Nobody will hurt you . He vows his life upon it .

[teaandtime]

Creloise University AU

this is a excerpt from God, I'm Actually Invested (how did that happen?) which I have posted over on AO3!

Eloise shoved her silenced phone into the deep recesses of her tote bag; in the few days that had passed since her concussion and the failed Bridgerton sibling dinner, Penelope Featherington had been relentless in trying to contact her. She had emailed, texted, rang, messaged and even went so far as creating new social media accounts (which were promptly blocked) and she had also enlisted Eloise's siblings for help. Francesca had remained steadfastly loyal but both Daphne and Benedict had messaged her in an effort to convince her to talk to Penelope. It had been a nightmare trying to avoid her, the other day she even spotted the redhead waiting outside her lecture. Luckily she had been able to spot her in time and leave out of the back door but it had made traversing campus increasingly hard. So this morning, Eloise was taking a much needed break. She had no classes on Wednesdays, so she had gone for a morning walk upon which she had discovered a busy little coffee shop in a part of town she’d yet to explore. Here she had ordered an oat chai latte and pain au chocolat, food and drink secured, she managed to snag a corner table from a couple who were just leaving- no mean feat it seemed, for the shop was full to the rafters- and pulled out her book. 

It had been barely a few minutes before she was interrupted.

“Bridgerton, who knew you had such taste?”

She looked up and was greeted with the sight of Cressida Cowper, standing over her table and gesturing to the book she was holding. Eloise placed it down in front of her, eyebrows raised in disbelief, partially because it seemed like Cressida Cowper was deliberately speaking to her and also because- “You’ve read it?”

“Is that so hard to believe? I read.” Cressida’s eyes narrowed over her takeaway paper cup.

“Well- I guess I didn't know you liked reading.” How could she know? Cressida didn’t like her. Usually she went out of her way to avoid Eloise and now for some unknown reason here she was striking up pleasant- or at least something adjacent to pleasant- conversation. 

“Did you know she went here?” Cressida ploughed on, “To Cambridge?” 

“I did, and if I wasn't reading this for the third time I might be mad at you for spoiling it.” Eloise couldn’t help but jab, her bafflement growing when Cressida boldly took the empty seat across from her. What is happening right now?

“It’s a wonderful book, isn't it? I rather believe every woman should read it-”

“I don’t mean to be rude,” Eloise, who was now briefly entertaining the idea she had somehow wandered into a parallel universe, cut in, “But do you want something?”

Cressida glanced quickly over her shoulder, before leaning forward and hissing, “Can you at least pretend to be interested in my conversation?”

Eloise leaned in and hissed back, “Cressida, I really have no idea what's going on, so unless you wish to enlighten me-”

“The man by the counter in the purple jacket was hitting on me the whole time I waited for my tea, so I told him you were here for me.” The words tumbled from Cressida’s mouth almost as if she were embarrassed by them, “Please just let me sit here until he leaves, then I’ll be out of your hair.”

Eloise glanced over towards the counter and sure enough, a man in a purple jacket was just picking up his coffee. He had an unpleasant, greasy look about him and Eloise took an immediate dislike to the man- though to be fair that wasn’t unusual for Eloise when encountering men. 

“Why didn’t you just tell him to bugger off?” She asked, looking back at Cressida, “Or hit him with your-” Eloise made a face and brought her fingers up by her eyes to mime tiny little laser beams coming from them,”-laser vision.” Eloise had watched grown men wither under Cressida’s glare more than once at many of the weird, stuffy, old fashioned events their parents insisted on dragging them along to. It was perhaps the single faucet of Cressida she actually held a teeny little bit of admiration for. 

Cressida rolled her eyes, “Because I kind of know him. He’s the son of a business associate of my father’s.” 

“Right.” Eloise conceded, perhaps a teeny bit disappointed she wouldn't have the pleasure of  witnessing Cressida’s glare causing Mr Purple Jacket’s balls to back crawl up inside him. 

Mr Purple Jacket took that exact opportunity to grace them with his highly unwanted presence, “Ladies,” He arrived in front of their table and nodded in what he probably thought was a gentlemanly manner, though it came off quite smarmy in Eloise’s opinion. “Cressida, I know you are meeting with a friend,” He nodded at Eloise, who thought he was doing a rather swell impression of those little bobble headed dolls truckers often stuck to their dashboards. “But I was hoping, before I go that I might get-”

“I’m sorry but who are you?” Eloise (who sensed where this was going) cut him off abruptly.

“My apologies, I am Roland Burbank, an acquaintance of Cressida’s.” He offered his hand to Eloise, who left it to hang in the air until he gave up and lowered it to wipe his palm nervously on his jeans. “I was hoping to-”

Eloise cut him off again, “I’m sure you were, but you see I was rather hoping you wouldn’t.” 

“Oh?” Mr Purple Jacket looked rather taken aback and Eloise continued before he could try to embarrass himself further.

“As you can see, Cressida is otherwise occupied-”

“Eloise!” Cressida’s quiet reprimand held undertones of shock but lacked any true vexation. Eloise took Cressida’s hand from where it was resting on the table and squeezed it gently in an effort to communicate to the other girl she needn't worry.

“-so I think it’s probably best you give up now, don’t you?” She finished.

“My apologies, I didn't realise-” Mr Purple Jacket stumbled over his words as he nodded yet again. Perhaps he could take up a career as one of those dolls, Eloise thought as she watched him hastily begin his retreat. At the very least he could earn a fortune doing impressions at birthday parties.  

“Lovely to meet you, Ronald!” Eloise called after him as he hurried out of the coffee shop. They managed to contain their laughter until the door swung shut on his purple back. “Honestly the audacity men have,” Eloise shook her head when they were able to catch their breath again. 

They sat for a moment, each nursing their drink, before Cressida gestured to the book, “It really is a favourite of mine,” she said, “right at the end, when her aunt tells her her grandfather cancelled his plans in case she came by, and then that she's counting the hours until Tara arrives- it makes me cry every time.” 

Eloise was taken aback by the admission, “Me too.” She admitted.

“Thank you, for getting rid of Roland.” Cressida had pulled the cardboard sleeve off her tea and was slowly pulling apart the layers, “I was afraid if I was frank with him he might go crying to his father and that it could affect my fathers business. Though, I suppose he still could.”

Eloise waved her concern away, “If he does, just blame me.” 

“Well I don’t think I’ll have to worry about him again, I think my father told his I was ‘available’.” She shuddered slightly and began shredding the cardboard.

“And you’re not?” Eloise asked, picking up her mug.

“Certainly not for him.” 

“A tragedy, really, you could have had the most beautiful maroon babies.” 

Cressida threw a wadded up piece of cardboard at her head and Eloise ducked out of the way, laughing.