#it’s because lady Celeste is allowing her to see what she sees

[simgerale]

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ; 1/3

It was like her every nerve was suddenly on fire.

TRANSCRIPT:

[a clock chimes nearby, ringing out twelve times]

magdalena: [sighs]

celeste: Come in, your majesty… Come in.

. . .

c: I wondered when you would return. Waiting for the Emperor to retire to his quarters, perhaps?

m: No… I-I could not sleep. I needed to see… [gulps] I needed to be certain that Prince Luca was still breathing.

c: That does not surprise me. It is only natural for a fading Seam to cause restlessness.

m: What… What exactly do you mean?

c: Were you not aware…? You and the Prince have a Seam, your majesty. A bond that has not existed in over a thousand years.

m: …I do not think I heard you correctly. Prince Luca and I have… a Seam?

c: [nods] Mm. As it has been over a millennia since my old eyes have seen it, I was uncertain until you appeared outside the door moments ago.

m: But how did you know I was there?

c: The Seam appeared again. Flickering, as it was attempting to connect through solid wood, but there.

m: Lady Celeste, please explain.

c: I believe it would be much simpler to show you, your majesty. Allow me.

m: [gasps]

[awritersometime]

please write that zelda x cordelia x reader fic before I die😩 I haven‘t been able to think about anything since your post 🤍

If love is a sin, my stake is already burning

Here’s my attempt that’s clearly gonna have multiple parts… otherwise I’m not happy with myself 😭 fingers crossed 🤞🏼 and before you guys come at me with flaming torches, I named reader Celeste. Sorry not sorry. 😬

[ z. s & c. g ]

part 2 here

To say you were exhausted was an understatement. Yawning softly, you lean your chin over your arm, blinking softly as you force yourself awake. At least you were a witch that with a snap of fingers could put clothes on and appear presentable. You had a class to teach that morning in New Orleans at the Robichaux's Academy of exeptional young ladies, and then another in the afternoon back in Greendale.

Technically you had one job but in two different schools at the same time. Why? Because you couldn't bring yourself to pick one, being emotionally connected to both headmistresses in a profound way. You grew up in Greendale and attended the Academy of Unseen Art, growing close to the Spellmans since the very first day when they took you under their wing. After finishing your studies, you obtained a specialization in both ancient tongues and herbalism. It wasn't difficult for Zelda to see your potential as witch. She praised you in a way that you never experienced before.

Honestly you felt like you owned her everything and more, because she showed you a love you had no idea could exist for someone like you. At the end of your academic journey, her role of High Priestess allowed her to easily offer you a job at the Academy, as teacher. Your eyes had twinkled with emotion and gratitude. You're pretty sure you shed a couple of tears and Zelda too, ended up feeling emotional, and blaming you for messing up her mascara.

Back in the day, Zelda had offered you a home, considering your unfortunate situation. You were adopted by a family of mortals, that loved you until they didn't. When you turned fifteen, they came to terms with your true nature, got scared and the rest is history. You never blamed them, or at least, you tried not to. After all, if your biological parents abandoned you, what could prevent your adoptive ones to do the same? Feeling like a burden, you left and found refuge with the Spellmans.

At first, Zelda was skeptical of you, a bit coldish and distant, however that facade soon faded, being replaced by a new sentiment. You learned the tragedy that affected her family, first the loss of an elder brother, and then that of her niece, Sabrina, and you told her about yours. Zelda grew close to you in her own way, a way that you soon came to see as love. It was through suble glances, soft touches, and sultry jokes, that she never failed to put a smile on your face, or result in a chuckle. You became her dearest. Your mutual second chance.

It wasn't unusual to feel her arms circle your waist, the pads of her fingers pressing against your skin, as she pulled your body against her front. The way her lips cracked upwards everytime she got you blushing, her voice calling you her dearest. When you were sick, Zelda was the first in line to look after you. You often asked her to stay the night with you, whereas other nights, you didn't even need to ask, that she was there.

You could say there was something between you and Zelda, that something being obvious to everyone in the house. But you never really put a name to it. Why? Because it wasn't unusual for witches to feel physical attraction towards one another and commitment, real commitment wasn't really something taken in consideration. And truth be told, an ordinary relationship hardly seemed possible for one like you. Why? Because your heart was split in two.

You loved Zelda to a fault, but she wasn't the only woman haunting your dreams. There was also a certain blonde witch that occupied your mind every day and night. The Supreme, your Supreme, the headmistress of the Robichaux's Academy for exceptional young ladies. You two met when the world had its days counted with the apocalypse around the corner. It was important by then that all witches joined forces to prevent a spoiled little child like Michael to destroy the world.

Not with little effort, the world was saved, but life had never been the same after that. Neither for you nor Cordelia. You two grew closer, she took a liking on you and your abilities, having never met a witch like you, with common interests such as herbalism, but also opposites in terms of general knowledge in witchcraft. Cordelia was gentle, extremely affectionate. If you had to use a methaphor to describe the two witches, you'd say one is a cat and the other is a golden retriever. Pretty obvious and simplified as explanation.

You were screwed. At first you thought the feeling growing towards Cordelia was only a crush meant to pass, but it never did. Ant it was confusing you to the bone, because the attachment to Zelda never subsided either You came to understand that you were in love with both witches. You couldn't explain why to your eyes that felt like a betrayal from you. If love was a sin, your stake was already burning. You were screwed.

You were a sinner, because you wanted both: the delicacy of your Supreme, and the fierceness of your High Priestess. When you told Zelda you had accepted a position at Cordelia's Academy, she was left speechless for a bunch of seconds, her eyes had welled up with angry tears that she had refused to shed in your presence. You explained her that accepting Cordelia's offer didn't mean erasing your duties at the Academy of Unseen arts, so eventually, she came to terms with it.

Whereas the Robichaux's Academy mainly focused on mastering the seven wonders, along with extracurricular subjects such as herbalism, Latin and sacred scriptures, which honestly were introduced after your arrival, the Academy of unseen arts dealt with occultism in more detail. Under Cordelia's guidance, you were able to learn to transmute and you were now mastering the pyrokinesis. Considering the great distance between the two academies, it was necessary for you to learn about transmutation first.

Each and every time, you lost your temper, because you couldn't perform the spell, she had to stifle a laugh, taking in the sight of your pouty face with nothing but pride and admiration. She never laughed at you, but with you. And even more when you childishly crossed your arms over your chest and called her meanie. Then she would click her tongue, briefly roll her eyes before prompting you to come give her a hug. You'd give in, obviously. You could never deny her a thing, even less a hug. "You're too pretty to pout, petal," she would say, making you blush and giggle.

Back to the present, you've been going back and forth for quite some time now, from New Orleans to Greendale and vice versa. Considering you often had a class to teach at both schools, you performed transmutation countless times a week. At first it didn't affect your health, but lately your body was sending you desperate signals for you to listen.

"Hi sweet lamb, here's your coffee with a pinch of cinnamon as you like it," Hilda speaks softly as she places the steaming cup right in front of you.

It was seven in the morning, meaning that you still had an hour before showing up at the Robichaux's Academy for exceptional young ladies.

You lift your head and meet her gaze, a grateful smile tugs at your lips. "Thank you, Hilda" you mutter, your voice sounding lower than intended.

You take a couple of sips, and sigh contently.

"Are you quite alright?", she asks, a crease forming in between her brows.

You nod quickly, sweeping your tongue over your lips, "Sure, just a bit tired," you chirp, "anything that your amazing coffee can't fix."

"I'm glad," Hilda chuckles at that, a light blush comes coloring her cheeks at the compliment just received. But a part of her knows it's not a complete truth. Her forehead creases, undecisive rather to say something or not, as you keep sipping your coffee nonchalantly. In that moment, a certain redhead comes down the stairs. You grin as you perceive her aura invade yours even before feeling her physically behind you.

When she places a hand over your shoulder, your eyes dart to her. Mesmerized by those red lips smiling down at you, she voices tenderly, "Good morning, dear."

A little dimple appears on your cheek, as you try to contain the butterflies in your stomach, but it's no use when the redhead brushes her lips against your forehead. Your lashes flutter close for a moment, "Morning, Zelds," you breathe out.

She takes a seat next to you, then greets Hilda, that had already placed her coffee on the table.

"So, Celeste, what's your plan today?", Zelda asks you.

The change in your expression doesn't go unnoticed neither by Zelda nor Hilda, as you take a couple of seconds to collect your thoughts.

"I teach at the Robichaux's Academy between 8 and 11, then I have a short break, which isn't really a break but a gap to use to plan my next class here later this afternoon at 3," you explain, before taking another sip of your coffee, "Oh before that, I also need to check on the bay tree that I planted at the greenhouse. Cordelia is as excited as a five years old to learn about the use of it," you add with a chuckle, however, Zelda doesn't find it funny.

Her eyes linger on your features with a persistent frown. Your face looks paler than usual as you speak.

"I'm still amazed sometimes when I think that they hardly deal with subjects like invocation or conjuring," you blabber absentmindedly.

Hilda takes a bite of one of the fresh baked cookies she churned out that same morning, "I don't blame Cordelia's choice on the matter, lamb. The knowledge of such things can be dangerous in the wrong hands," she points out, with a mouthful.

You nod amusedly, while Zelda winces, "You're probably right. But, they are so interesting," you emphasize, "I think she is seeing it too now," you grin proudly, "I'm this close to convince her to add demonology to the program."

Zelda laughs bitterly, making both you and Hilda to turn towards her.

"It shouldn't be your concern, Celeste. Seems to me you're taking on too much."

You saw it coming, you roll your eyes, knowing Zelda was being just... Zelda. Unnecessarily apprehensive. "That's not true, Zelds," you reach out a hand to touch hers. Her lips twitch in a brief smile, when you affectionately stroke her skin, "Besides, I'm happy to show her coven a different way to teach magic."

"I still believe she is asking you for too much."

You promptly shake your head, "She isn't asking for anything," you insist, but she doesn't buy it. Those were all your initiatives, your ideas, that Cordelia simply went along with, because she trusted you. "Zelds," you squeeze her hand, a hint of joke in your next words, "You shouldn't talk about Cordelia like that. She is the Supreme. Our Supreme."

Zelda groans dramatically, "And it's precisely for this reason that she should be able to plan her classes better. She lets you do all the work, way too convenient, if you ask me."

"That's not true, I--" you try to interject but she stops you, "If you want me to be frank with you, Celeste, I don't believe I've ever seen you so tired before starting working at the Robichaux's Academy."

It was coming again. You sigh and bow your head, withdrawing your hand from hers. A sense of nervousness rush over you, as you try to focus on your now cold bevarage.

"We are not having this conversation again," you state simply.

Zelda's brows draw together, "Too bad because we are."

You close your eyes shut and inhale sharply, "Can you just— not?"

You loved Zelda, you really did, but sometimes her fierceness took a significant toll on you.

She grins amusedly, before mouthing a simple and annoying no.

"Zelda, I have a class in half an hour and it would be really unfortunate to start off with a headache," you declare, stubbornly.

But she is Zelda Spellman, of course she doesn't drop it just because you ask her to.

"Why can't you be honest with me? For weeks you haven't been yourself. Did you reall think I wouldn't notice? " she sighs softly when you don't respond. She turns to face you before carefully placing a single finger under your chin, "Celeste..."

"Zelda, I'm fine. I'm just excited to get things done."

"Celeste, this isn't working anymore," your eyes snap open, in both shock and confusion. "What are you saying?", you ask hesitantly. She hushes you softly, noticing the sudden concern in your eyes. "I'm just suggesting that maybe you need to slow down, take days off..."

"No," you shake your head, "Zelda, you're overreacting, I truly don't know where this is coming from but I'm f--"

"Do not say you're fine or help me Lilith —" she spats, almost startling you. Hilda bounces on the spot, blinking softly, a crumble of cookie falls on the table, "Zelda," she interferes, however the redhead doesn't even listen to her and adds, "I'll forbid you to leave the house until you're properly rested."

You laugh bitterly at this point, "You can't do that!"

"Oh please dare me," she gives you that look, the sassy and bossy look that gets on your nerves sometimes. She has good intentions and you know it. Both you and Hilda understand her actions are guided by her heart, that is not for everyone.

"You're unbelievable," you mutter while rubbing your sore temples.

"You're clearly unwell," Zelda insists.

You feel like you're going to explode, "Because you're being a little overjudgmental, maybe?", you snap and she glares at you, not particularly enjoying your behavior.

"Zelda dear, I think we should all calm down and find a proper solution," Hilda stutters akwardly.

You turn to face Hilda, "So you too think there is a problem? Really?", you ask in disbelief.

"Sweet lamb, Zelda is simply worried about you. And so am I. Your aura is feebler than usual, and that's probably due to the amount of magic you perform daily which is extreme even for the Supreme herself."

Your fingers start trembling, your entire body actually feels like it's out on a limb. You stand up and starts pacing in the attempt to calm your nerves. Zelda never drops her gaze from you. Deep down, she knows she can't keep you nor force you to do as she pleases. She would never forgive herself if you stared growing hard feelings towards her.

"I simply didn't get enough sleep last night, but it doesn't mean I'm worn out or unable to do my job."

Zelda gets up, taking careful steps towards you. She can feel your magic crackling, the air getting thinner and tenser.

"I never said that, dear. All I'm saying is that you should slow down," she pleads. Hilda is looking at you as if you're a defenseless little creature. "She means good, lamb. We just want to help you," the youngest interferes.

"I'll think about it," you say curtly. It was still early for your class, however, you needed a change of scenery for your own sanity. "Now, I'm sorry I have work to do," you mutter waving your arms and performing transmutation.

"Celeste, wait-", when Zelda calls out your name, it's already too late and you're gone. She groans loudly, now pissed off for real, "Mother of Demons grant me the strenght."

[sonicstalker123]

Mondo x Short-ish!Childish!Reader

✨Female pronouns are used!✨

TW: fighting, Celeste, a fight

It was laundry day for some of the students at Hope’s Peak. Mondo noticed that it’s been a hot minute since his Crazy Diamonds coat, so he decided to go to the laundry room to get his coat cleaned.

He then noticed that there was some machine that dry cleaned clothes. “Fuck yeah, it’s about time something like this was added! I needed to get this thing cleaned up.”

He then hung up his coat on a hanger and that would’ve somehow cleaned it.

Just go along with it folks

It was about 6 am when he did all of this, so he figured that he would go back to sleep for a bit before the morning chime would play.

Y/N hasn’t woken up yet so Mondo decides to walk towards her room with his foot on the wall. Like this:

The morning chime played and that’s when Mondo continues to stand there, waiting.

“She’s probably just waking up, give her a second, Mondo.” He mutters to himself. Thirty minutes pass and he’s getting a little worried.

He then knocks on the door. He hears an “eep! W-What was that??” noise from her room and then he gasps and continues to knock on the door. “The fuck was that? Y/N, what’s wrong? You good?”

Y/N gets out her phone. ‘I’m alright, mostly!! I think I felt something grab me! I’m really scared and idk what to do’ SEND.

Mondo’s phone chimes and he gets it out of his pocket. He finishes reading it and rereads it about three times, getting more and mad every time he rereads it.

He doesn’t know what to do and is pacing around the hallway. “God dammit, what should I do? I can’t kick down the door because that’s against the stupid fuckin’ rules.”

‘Hey, I’m gonna do my best to save you, but hold on just a little bit longer, I have to see who in the cafeteria is missing and get everybody here to help me, try to hide in the bathroom and keep the door locked and don’t unlock it until you hear my voice, ‘kay?’ SEND.

‘Yeah, okay! Running and hiding right now, I’ll be alright!’ SEND.

Mondo waits to hear the door close and then he walks towards the cafeteria, giving everybody death glares.

“My, My. It looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.” Celeste says, observing Mondo.

“Wait, a few people are missing. It seems like.. Y/N and… Leon aren’t here?” Hina states, looking puzzled.

“Leon?? The fuck is that bastard doing in Y/N’s room?” Mondo asks angrily.

Everybody gasps.

“Leon? In Y/N’s room? That isn’t like him at all. It’s rather odd.” Sakura states.

“I need to get that fuckin’ door open. All of you, come with me.” Mondo storms off towards Y/N’s room.

Everybody is running towards her door and Mondo’s shaking the doorknob, hoping that it’ll open somehow.

“Leon, we know you’re in there! Open up the door.” Hina exclaims.

The door eventually opens, but nobody is standing at the front of it. Everybody is confused. “He has to be in here somewhere!! Leon, come on out, it isn’t very gentlemanly of you to scare a lady, especially Miss Y/N!” Hifumi yells.

“Under the bed. He might be under the bed. That’s the only logical place he could be.” Byakuya states as he walks towards the bed. He notices someone swearing a bunch, almost like they’re panicking.

“Allow me, Byakuya.” Sakura walks towards the bed and lifts it up and notices a very scared Leon. “Oh shit.” Leon mutters as he tries to run, but Mondo picks him up by the shirt and everybody surrounding him with disappointed looks.

“Thanks. You guys can leave now, I can take care of this from here.” Mondo says. Almost everybody has a spooked expression on their faces. Hina walks up to Leon and slaps him. “How dare you. I can’t believe you’d do something like this.” She storms off.

Mondo then has a very pissed off look on his face. “Stay put.” Mondo walks towards the bathroom and knocks on the door. “Y/N? It’s me, can you open up?” The door opens and Y/N gives Mondo a big hug. “You’re a hero, thank you.” Y/N gives Mondo a quick kiss on the cheek, causing him to blush.

“Y-Y/N? Can you meet me in the cafeteria in a little bit?” Y/N nods and smiles. “See ya in a bit!” She grins and giggles to herself as she closes the door and walks down the hallway.

“So… you.. and Y/N are dating?” Mondo nods. “Yeah, and you fucked up big time, messing with her like that.”

Leon pauses and his eyes widen in shock. “I didn’t mean to! I… just thought it’d be funny to mess with— hey put me down, right now!” Leon yells, struggling to breathe. Mondo has a tight grasp on Leon’s throat. “You are absolutely disgusting. Did you really think that it was okay to scare somebody, especially a girl? My girlfriend?! Never mess with her again, do you hear me? If you have the fucking audacity to do something like this AGAIN, all hell will break loose.” He throws Leon on the ground and then he runs away.

Mondo sighs and notices his Crazy Diamond coat on Y/N’s bed. “Huh? Is that where my coat has been? I’ve been looking for this all day! Was Y/N wearing my coat? I-I wish I could’ve seen her wear it. She would absolutely rock the look… I’m gonna… find her. She is probably waiting on me right now.”

Mondo puts on his coat and walks towards the cafeteria and notices Y/N just chilling, happily dancing around the cafeteria, singing to herself. She hears Mondo entering the cafeteria and stops. “Hi Mondo!!!” She runs up to him with the happiest and biggest grin and hugs him once more.

Mondo blushes. “H-Hey there, Y/N. I’m here now, are you good? You’re safe now. Nobody’s gonna mess with you anymore, and if they do, lemme know, alright?”

Y/N happily nods. “Okay! Oh hey, you found your coat! I… I was… wearing it this morning, it just looked so soft! It was sooo soft and I started running around with it on and it was really fun— Oh!” Mondo puts the coat on Y/N. “Oh my god, she looks so cute!” Mondo thinks to himself and Y/N starts to run around the cafeteria.

Honestly like this:

Mondo continues to watch her run around for about an hour.

Y/N stops to catch her breath. “Haaa, I’m hungry. Wanna get some lunch?”

Mondo nods and they get lunch together.

[meadowofbluebells]

Masterpost:

Hello, my name is Meadow, and I am a 22-year-old university student who loves to draw and write.

My writing is SFW, but I do commonly write about the darker parts of the human experience such as addiction, self-harm, and abuse. I will, however, do my best to tag that in my writing so no one is blindsided.

Writing:

I decided to put my writing on this site because I was afraid for years that my work was not worth sharing if it was not perfect. It has taken me a long time to realize that not only is that not true, but it harms my ability to be the creative individual I want to be. Thus, I forewarn you, the reader, that these stories will not be perfect and that is fine by me. My goal is not to achieve perfection but, rather, to strive for progress. So, by all means, leave constructive criticism, but note that cruelty will fall on deaf ears. With that said, enjoy the stories below. They are all cherished in their own right.

Questions/Suggestions/Prompts:

Feel free to suggest prompts if there is something you would like me to write about. I am always looking for more practice. :)

I'm also open to answering questions about my work or characters, though I can't always guarantee an answer due to possible spoilers for future stories.

Fan fiction:

Amidst the Moonlight - As a prince, Roman is used to going to balls. This event is no different. That is, it is no different until a man in a purple suit shows up.

Fitting Forever Into Goodbye - Janus loves his son Virgil, which is why he needs to let him go. Now all he has to do is find the words needed to say goodbye.

Janus Was Not Dying - Janus had always thought that constructing everyone else’s false realities would ensure that he kept his own feet planted firmly within the truth. After all, to be a successful liar, one must be aware of the truth that is being denied. Yet, here he was, destroying himself in the name of a lie. Falling into the same trap as the others - telling himself one thing despite knowing that it was false. Because, despite seeing all the evidence to the contrary, Janus was not dying.

Personal Writing:

"Love, Jayden" - (Genre: Contemporary) - Jayden has never been allowed to touch his mother's journal. Now, after her death, it lays in his grasp.

A Tale of Endings - (Genre: Magical Realism) - Cierra had a book report to do. She just wasn't expecting the books to talk back.

Remnants - (Genre: Fantasy and Romance) - Audio Format - Celeste is about to marry an immortal being and fears leaving her best friend Terra behind.

The Snapshot Slayer - (Genre: Thriller) - A child star is done with the paparazzi interfering with his life. As the years pass, his mind slowly descends into ruin.

Grasping at Gravity - (Genre: Fantasy and Contemporary) - Audio Format - Graham lives in a world with superpowers, where people can create fire or fly on wings, but Graham has never been able to control his.

Signed, Death - (Contemporary Fantasy) - David was having a great day up until he got a note from Death.

Hidden Grief - (Fantasy) - A young girl has to sneak out of her own home in order to go to her sister’s funeral.

Under An Array of Embers and Ashes - (Historical Fiction) - A mother waits with her children for her husband to get home while Pompeii crumbles around her.

To Heal Through Death - (Science Fiction) - A teenage girl stands in the shadows with a dagger in hand.

Within Reach - (Fantasy) - Maya has to have magic, it is the key to saving her family.

So Too Queens Can Fall - (Historical Fiction) - Solana knows that it is a queen's duty to produce a male heir, but that doesn't mean she loves her young daughters any less.

Coren: (Genre: Fantasy)

Note that my writing within this world is disjointed. There will be some full-fledged stories, but also some test scenes. I am simply in the process of seeing what works and what doesn't.

Two Dancing Ladies

Decaying Souls

Sleep-Deprivation and Other Woes (Genre: Historical Fantasy) - Audio Format - Patia had been studying for an exam for weeks - she was frazzled and exhausted. Her sister, Keller, tried to get her to take a break by convincing her to go to a ball that they were invited to.

[emilykaldwen]

what's abby's relationship with her family

you ask me such sweet and thoughtful questions and I could kiss you for it. I've had so much happening these past few weeks all I can do is like, reblog people's stuff. hopefully after surgery, my brain can settle lmao.

This is gonna be long, but let's start with some backstory on Abby's creation because it leads into how her relationship with her family developed.

SO when I first created Abby, she lined up canonically with Lyonel's wiki entry, where his two maiden daughters were ladies in waiting for Princess Rhaenyra (Alicent and Rhaenyra shouldn't have been so fucking isolated in the show but here we are). I don't remember who I was talking to - probably @starcrossedjedis and @inmydrcams about what to do with her because I wasn't sure what her story would be (I was really leaning on the 'her marrying Otto Hightower' train because it made political sense and Clair and I had been talking about Alicent's mother being a Reyne and that's how Abby ended up being a Reyne). Then I started RPing Abby because I thought that would be a good way to see if she even worked as a character and find her voice. I was writing a secondary verse with @targaryenprinces where Aegon and Abby grew up together and basically Aegon x Abby is all Tate's fault but we of course regret nothing. (ILU Tate you changed my life and I give you credit on the 33k words of fic I've written and brainrot)

FAMILY DEETS UNDER THE CUT TO SAVE YOUR DASHBOARDS CAUSE IM NICE LIKE THAT

Also I have a crude and incomplete family tree that I'll pop in at the bottom of the post

Abby swung her legs and reached for the jar of honey. Papa caught her eye as he reached for it too, and their hands stilled in the air. He squinted at her and Abby peered back at him, to the jar, and then back at him again. His hand began to move and hers darted out to capture the honey jar before he could get to it. “Huzzah!” She relished the word, although the Queen would sometimes yell at them when they would start chanting. Abby is the first and only child that Lyonel and his third wife, Celeste Reyne had (grrm really loves unnamed dead wives). She's substantially younger than her elder three siblings, and she was born not long before Lyonel became Hand. Her papa can be an intimidating man to many, but as a father, he is undeniably loving and caring, if busy because of his duties. Neither of his daughters were ever treated differently and I think that has a lot to do with Lyonel's history of learning at the Citadel. He understands how important knowledge is and wants his children to be prepared in all ways. Oftentimes, Abby would go to his office and read books outloud to him - histories of the seven kingdoms, law, really anything. She didn't understand all of it, but the point was that her papa always, ALWAYS encouraged her and supported her. Abby is 100% a daddy's girl. He's her beacon of satefy. As a child, she would run to him and he would wrap her in big bear hugs, challenge her, play with her, etc. Towards the end of her mother's life it grew more difficult however and the sudden, violent death of Lyonel and Harwin nearly broke her.

Abby thought it chivalrous how Papa gave Mama the chair at the head of the table. The arms of it allowed several blankets to be piled around her and even though she was only in her robe, she looked very queenly. Celeste Reyne's first marriage produced one son (I haven't fully developed all of that). She was the niece of Cybelle Hightower (nee Reyne) (@inmydrcamscams needs to correct my spelling on that) and it was she who suggested to Lyonel that perhaps him and Celeste would be good for one another (this was during the early years of Lyonel being Master of Laws). Celeste was a very intelligent and very kind woman. She was even tempered, and took things in stride and didn't have a problem rolling with the punches. Abby is very much like her, although she attempts to emulate a far more childlike view and expectation of her mother. Celeste would let people get away with enough, but time and experience had her boundary and push back settings a lot sooner. After Otto was dismissed, he did ask Lyonel if it would be possible for Celeste to come to King's Landing and be there for Alicent, which both Lyonel and Celeste took seriously. Celeste was a pretty tempering influence on Alicent in the early years and vital in helping the young queen through her pregnancies. Abby's earliest memories are of watching her mother and the queen work on tapestries, laugh at their mischief in the gardens, just in general HAPPY times. But not long after baby Daeron was born, Celeste started getting sicker. Papa was sad a lot, the queen was sad (not just for losing an older sister/mother figure, but also post partum) and I think that in the long run, it's Celeste's memory that's had a negative effect on Abby. She was 8 when Celeste died, and the memories of her mother were seeing her wasting away, or supporting people (again, as a child, she had no real concept of her mother as a full person). Due to this, Abby put herself in this role of selfless, charitable, giver. Her mother was reserved due to propriety, but over time Abby took that as doing everything she could to hide her own negative emotions and burying it down, only wanting to be someone supportive and happy. So you know. Complicated. While Lyonel and Harwin's deaths nearly broke Abby, Celeste's long illness and death very clearly shaped Abby as a person.

(let's try this for the 4th goddamn time) “Come on,” Harwin’s voice was no longer quiet. “Up you get.” “I’m not ten, anymore.” “And yet the stairs remain the same.” Abby looked back, familiar with this dance and gave them a nod and hurried down the stairs. “It’s clear!” She waited for a moment until her brothers came into view, Larys on Harwin’s back with a flat expression on his face. There were so many stairs, and Larys' would complain of leg pain trying to navigate them all. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with it, but Larys said that he did not wish others to view him in such a way, since they might undermine his position and capabilities. It didn’t seem fair to Abby that he should have to hurt himself to be seen as whole. She hurried down further and gave an audible tap and they continued on - Abrogail would keep a lookout, and then would let them know if the coast was clear. I'm tired of writing this out in more detail so we'll keep it simple. I definitely feel like Harwin is the epitome of oldest brother energy, but it had been awhile since he got to do that. So once Abby comes around, he gets to channel all the untapped Dad energy he doesn't get to do with the boys into her. Harwin makes the world safer for Abby in a very similar way Lyonel does. If she's not with her Papa, Harwin is giving her shoulder rides, or teaching her how to defend herself, and he promised to teach her how to use a dagger. After his death, it's the hardest with him because Abby doesn't feel like she can *ever* talk about him (for obvious, strong boys reasons). I think she does with Helaena and maybe Aegon sometimes, but only to a certain degree. But it ABSOLUTELY says something that Aegon pisses her off so bad at one point, that she says "Were my dearest brother still here, he'd geld you and give me your balls on a platter". As for Larys? They're not close. Larys doesn't know what to do with kids, and he kinda looks at Abby for much of her life like a puzzle he can't figure out. I believe that once she gets into her teenage years, he does take more of an interest. On the flip side, Abby is unnerved by him. Larys is difficult, if not impossible to read, and she is always unsettled by him. I don't think that ever stops.

“Oh, there’s a raven from your sister, Abrogail. She’ll be coming to help you with wedding preparations.” Mother smiled across the table at her, where she still sat by Helaena. Aemond watched the slight rattle of her fork in hand before she nodded mutely. “Is she still a wretched bitch?” Aegon’s voice was muffled in his cup before he spat it back out with his eyes wide with some perceived betrayal. “This isn’t wine!” Corynna and Larys are about 11 months apart and the pair of them watched their mother drown when they were children. There's no relationship between the girls the way Abby has relationships with the rest of the family. If she'd been a man, Corynna would have been sent to the Citadel. She's intelligent, observant, and a calculating game player. Corynna was married to Erwin Lannister not long after Lyonel became Hand. When Lyonel dies, Cory rolls into town and basically exerts her authority over Abby by just criticizing the poor thing. That's how she exerts her control, her way being Best And Only Way. She knows how valuable Abby is in terms of connections (the same reasons Otto decides Aegon and Abby would be advantageous, although that main motivation is Harrenhal and the Riverlands). Corynna's plan was to take Abby back to Casterly Rock with her, which then set off Aegon's Uncontrollable Abandonment Issues, and, because he's a 13 year old prince with no impulse control or the ability to long term think consequences, he kidnaps Abby on Sunfyre (which is why they're on the outs at the start of the fic).

Thank you so much for this ask! It was so fun! And here's the crude family trees I'm in the process of making:

[pollyssecretlibrary]

“Up All Night with a Good Duke”, by Amy Rose Bennett

I read this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review

RELEASE DATE - JUNE 28TH, 2022

I’m giving it 5/5 stars

This is the first book in the “Byronic Book Club“ series

This is the first book of a new series by an Australian author that is new to me and, before I go into detail let me tell you I had so much fun reading this book that I want to read everything that she has written in the past and, of course, the rest of the series as it gets published. As a bookish person (I read everything from spicy romance to fantasy, sci-fi, you name it) this is my book, because the main characters in there are as bookish as I am; Artemis, our heroine, belongs to a book club with two friends whom I suspect will be the protagonists of the following books.

Artemis Jones alter ego Lydia Lovelace, our marvelous 29 year old heroine, is a teacher by day and a gothic romance novelist by night. She is really bookish and she has disagreements with her very conservative headmistress. So when one of her friends in London is going to have her season and is scared about it, she gives in her resignation and runs to her friends’ side. In London she’s staying with her aunt and her younger sister of 24 who won’t be allowed to have a season until Artemis marries. But our heroine has a past, she isn’t a virgin and she never wants to get married. Instead she dreams of having her own college for young ladies with a more progressive approach to female education.

She meets our hero by accident when she runs into him outside Paddington Station. Dominic Winters is a duke and a widower with an adolescent daughter with whom he has some trouble. The young Celeste is a huge fan of Lydia Lovelace and of books in general. She keeps to herself and is going though a rebellious phase. Her father adores her but doesn’t know what to do with her. When Dominic sees that Artemis reads the same shameful books as his daughter, and thanks to their instant mutual crush, he decides that maybe Artemis would be a good wife and mother in a marriage in convenience. As it happens, Artemis plans with Dominic to have her compromised in front of her aunt so she leaves her alone and concentrates on her little sister. What could possibly go wrong?

I adored this book. It wasn’t perfect but it was perfect for me. It’s got an awful lot of literary references of the era (around 1858 more or less): Mary Shelley and Mary Wollstonecraft, the Brontës, Jane Eyre, Elizabeth Gaskell… all those incredible women that I read over and over. The story is actually inspired by “Northanger Abbey” in some aspects, “Pride and Prejudice” in others and “Jane Eyre” too. It’s an incredible homage to all of these novels. It has gothic elements, drama, family love, feminism, sorority, forward thinking and romance. The hero is a man who is already modern but there’s still room for learning, and he’s so openminded that he actually learns and evolves mainly inspired by Artemis and in order to understand Celeste.

As I said the book is real fun, and it’s very steamy too. Because Artemis owns her own desires, and she’s not ashamed of it. And Dominic is such a considerate lover, so trusting and loving… he’s actually the one who falls in love first! But for him and Celeste there’s also a lot of grief. 9 years after his wife’s passing father and daughter are still grieving, and that grief is what’s keeping them apart. Dominic “The Dastardly Duke” has a notoriety for supposedly killing his first wife when he actually adored her, and with Artemis he learns that he has a second opportunity at loving a woman with all his being, and having a family while supporting her fulfilling her dreams at the same time. Because he wants to, he wants to give her her dreams.

The chemistry between Artemis and Dominic is explosive. They have great bed scenes and surprisingly beautiful communication. Their conversations are so much fun, so easy, so fluid… they feel incredibly natural and they develop such a level of trust that they unveil all of their secrets little by little when the time is right for them. There are no lies, they understand they need time and having the right state of mind and mood. It’s perfect.

Of course there’s a lot more going on in the book including a subplot with Celeste’s governess that I felt wasn’t necessary. And something else happens with Artemis’ sister Phoebe that nearly breaks Artemis’ and Dominic’s “fake” engagement. But you’ll have to read the book to find out. It’s really really worth the while.

[dimeremantiro]

⭐️

I can't imagine any of my muses not being interacteable with Rhae! Even those who I have not very developed HOTD verses for are feasible.

Regina -> I can't not see a female warrior not enthrancing Rhaenyra. I can imagine us keeping the idea of her being with Rolland the same, except maybe they fought in the stepstones?

Fiona -> Would work even better, Valyrian head of a family. I think she'd try to claim a dragon, which I don't think she'd be allowed to: She's not a dragonseed, her lineage is undisputable. That could maybe be a fun betrayal.

Jennifer -> Lady-in-waiting, I think she'd be good at it. She'd also be easy to extort, because while she isn't brainless or that fearless she is resourceless..

Celeste -> See this is interesting because I can't see any Targ raising her so high, but she could have been raised by some other noble, or perhaps being a Lyseny who got caught with the Dance. She has white hair, and maybe so does her daughter? If Rhaenyra wants to use Celeste's baby as a double, what could she even do. I can see Daemon harrassing her and who knows how Rhaenyra would take it.

Alucarda -> Only person on my muse list who I legitimately see claiming a Dragon. Comes with Justine, they're a set that I can't separate. I guess if she has a dragon she can ask for a place for Justine at court as a small concession.

Justine -> I don't know but she's too good a person. Wait can she fly in this AU? That could be interesting. She's an orphan noble, too. Maybe a hostage? She could teach Rhae's younger sons about the Faith of the Seven? Again, I can also see Daemon harrassing her. Which would be dumb as shit if her girlfriend has a dragon. Double stupid if Alucarda is still a witch.

Andreas -> Andreas becomes a rather famous artist! He has an apprentice named Gaspar he'd do anything for when he establishes a name for himself, however, I think it'd be fun if this was when he was starting. He was a limner (Which I think he enjoyed more tbh and he would've continued doing that more were it not for the printing press, which in ASOIAF is far far from even existing. In case you don't know what it is, a limner transcribes manuscripts and does all those little medieval decorations and drawings around the pages) And since Rhaenyra mistrusts Maesters, I think she'd like employing his services. Limners are not a thing in Westeros so I guess he could be Bravosi? He's also from a middle class family which I don't think Rhaenyra would be able to even conceptualize lol.

Miss Kirkstein -> Another artist! This time she's also a tutor, which I don't know Rhaenyra would employ (In the cases above it's because Justine comes by the hand of a dragonseed or because Limners are not a thing in Westeros) however, if Rhaenyra knew of the magical properties of Miss Kirkstein's master artwork, she would want one for herself? In her case I think it'd need more plotting but it could be fun. I see Miss Kirkstein as being the orphan child of artists who became the ward of a noble, that may be what takes her to court? This adds the posibility of Rhaenyra and her being friends in their youth!

[cjsinkythoughts]

Suits, Dresses, and Heels

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Avenger!Reader

Word Count: 4000

Warnings: !FATWS SPOILERS!, Cursing, More Mentions of PTSD, Gun Violence, Slight Mentions of Drinking, Club Dancing (You’re all gonna hate me for that part, but I’m not sorry)

A/N: Here’s Part 4.2 - The Second Part to Episode 3 - as requested. This is a little more scene-by-scene, but there are some off-screen moments. I’ll be posting Part 4.3 (which will have the rest of the episode) later tonight.

There’s a bit more information on Reader, but not as much as the last chapter. Sharon comes in during this part, so you get to see her and Reader’s relationship.

Also, I have mixed feelings about Zemo at this point. Not in the story, the Reader’s not a fan as you learned previously, but for me personally, he’s surprised me a couple times by coming back and helping.

Anyways! Thank you so much for reading! This isn’t beta’d so excuse any mistakes! Check out my other parts before you read! Thank you again! Stay tuned, loves!

FATWS MASTERLIST

cjsinkythoughts MASTERLIST

!SPOILERS UNDER CUT!

The dress was far too tight for your liking, and showed way too much skin. Not that you didn’t like being a tease every once in a while, but for this mission, you’d rather have more cover and movement.

You had to admit though; Zemo had nice taste. The dress fit deliciously - which made you wonder how he got your size. The color and cut was devastatingly flattering. Plus, he let you do your own makeup.

Being the only female, you were in a separate area of the jet getting ready. Once you were done, you made sure to knock, even though you’d walked in on Sam changing too many times to count while on the run and had seen Bucky answer the door in nothing but a towel. It was mainly for Zemo’s sake, just a warning that you were walking in whether or not they were ready.

“Damn, girl! You clean up nice!”

You rolled your eyes at Sam, painted lips quirking up as you studied him, shooting him a wink. “You should try a mirror, Sammy.” You turned to Bucky to find him staring wide-eyed and slack-jawed at you. “What do you think, Buck?”

His mouth snapped shut and he cleared his throat, eyes exploring the dips and curves your body. “You…” He blinked once. Twice. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, his intense eyes making you heat up, before he shook his head. “You look good.” He rushed out, before spinning on his heel shoving past Sam who was snickering.

“Where’s Zemo?” You noticed he wasn’t in the main area of the plane when you walked in.

“Rearranging our ride once we get there.”

You huffed, fixing your hair. “Oh God. We’re really doing this.”

“Yup.”

“Okay.” You looked down at yourself before looking up at the boys. “Something’s gonna go wrong, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely.”

“No doubt.”

Giving a slight groan at their simultaneous answers, you nodded. “Let’s try not to screw up too badly, boys, alright? I at least want to live long enough to see Peter graduate.”

Sam rolled his eyes with a scoff. “That kid’s a punk.”

“You’re a punk.” You shot back.

Bucky raised his hand. “I second that punk thing.”

“For which one?”

“Both of them.”

You chuckled as Sam gaped at Bucky, who shrugged innocently. The former assassin tilted his head in your direction to shoot you a grin and a wink, making you laugh more. Shaking your head, you go to make a joke when Zemo walked in.

“It’s time. We’re landing now.”

And just like that, the teasing atmosphere dissipated, leaving you anxious and regretful.

*******************

You walked by Bucky, arm linked with his metal one, listening as Zemo told Sam about his “character” he was to play.

“He’s a known womanizer - always has a gorgeous lady on his arm.” Zemo gestured towards you. “It’s the only way they’d let in a woman.”

“Aren’t we going to see a woman?” You questioned, gently patting Bucky’s metallic bicep when his hold on you tightened.

“Which makes it more imperative that you don’t act threatening. Women don’t make the same mistake men do; they don’t underestimate other women.”

You nodded. He had a point there. Bucky faced you, a frown on those pretty lips. “I don’t like this.” He mumbled.

“You think I do?” You whispered back. “With you being him again? Even if it’s just pretend? And need I remind you whose idea this was?”

“I know, I know. Just…” He sighed. “Promise me you won’t get hurt on purpose.”

Your forehead creased. “Why would I-?”

“To protect people. You always do. And I get it, I do. It’s why you started this in the first place, but…save yourself first, this time, okay?”

“Buck-”

“Promise me.”

It wasn’t often you could see the fear in his eyes, hear it in his voice, but you could then. Unable to do anything else you nodded, a soft, “okay” falling from your lips. He nodded back, pressing a kiss to your head, before letting you go as a car approached.

Bucky helped you in - the heels you were wearing were no joke - before sliding in himself, Sam getting in on the other side of you. “And you two can’t be…” Zemo gestured to the two of you as the car started moving, eyeing your still connected hands. “Doing that.”

“This isn’t my first theater production.” You snapped at him. “We’ll be fine.”

He raised his hands in surrender, turning back to look out the windshield. Once you arrived, you gave Bucky’s hand one last squeeze, before accepting Sam’s hand to get out on his side, linking your arm with his like you were doing with Bucky earlier.

“I finally get to see one of your performances, baby.” Sam grinned at you.

You smirked back. “Best seats in the house, too, Smiling Tiger.” He groaned at your jest, nudging you playfully with his elbow as you giggled.

“This way.” Zemo cut in, jerking his head in the direction you’d be going. You took a breath, steeling yourself, before the three of you nodded at each other and followed his lead.

You found the fellas reactions amusing, their heads turning to study and scan everything they could see. You were more subtle in the way you analyzed your surroundings, feeling a bit more at home in this situation than, say, fighting super soldiers on top of semi trucks.

Your jaw tightened, as did your grip on Sam’s arm, when Zemo started speaking Russian, the four of you pushing through a crowded bar. Sam ran his fingers over your arms, giving your hand a little squeeze, silently reassuring you.

It was a bit obvious Sam hadn’t done much undercover work, put he stayed in character and you were impressed. Especially when the bartender started cutting up the snake, which you had to look away for because if there was one thing you couldn’t do…it was snakes. You nearly gagged when Sam reluctantly downed the drink. 

Bucky eyed you, lips pursed in a way you recognized as him trying to hold in a smile. That made you feel a little better, hiding your own smile by turning into the crook of Sam’s neck. “Not. Funny.” He growled through clenched teeth, lips not moving.

“Kinda is.”

He grumbled under his breath, before the two of you tuned into the conversation between Zemo and a thug that came up, learning about the apparent power broker of Madripoor, which you a bit of from your time undercover there.

Sam held you tightly when Zemo turned to Bucky, knowing what was about to happen.

You didn’t like it. You didn’t like how easily aggressive he became. You didn’t like the little smirk Zemo gave as Bucky attacked. You didn’t like the cellphones being pointed in his direction. You didn’t like it.

“Didn’t take much for him to fall back into form.” You gave Zemo a warning glare, a shaky breath leaving you.

He’d been doing so well. At least, for someone who had been through what he had. Especially considering it’d only been a few months since he’d been pardoned - half a year since everyone came back. You knew bringing Zemo on board had been a bad idea, but-

A squeeze to your hand pulled you out of your thoughts. You let out an inaudible sigh of relief as Zemo allowed Bucky to let the man he was choking go.

“Selby will see you now.”

One step down. You hoped that would be the hardest part, but you knew it most definitely wouldn’t be.

“You good?”

Bucky sniffed, giving you two a curt nod, before following Zemo. You bit your lip. “That wasn’t really an answer, was it?”

Sam shook his head. “No. No it wasn’t.”

Selby wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but you’d come to expect that. You stayed on Sam’s arm, giving the guards coy smiles and playing with the fake nails you had on in faux-boredom.

When she purred at the man besides you, you and Bucky glanced at each other, with you resisting the urge to scrunch up your nose. “And who is this gorgeous creature?”

Your eyes snapped back to Selby, giving her a slightly bashful smile. “Celeste Addams. Pleasure.”

“Trust me, dear. The pleasure is all mine.” Alright, you thought as she scanned you with a smirk. She was swinging for both teams. You could work with that. “What’s the offer?” She looked back to Zemo.

Zemo gave her the offer - information about the super soldier serum for the Winter Soldier and the code words to control him. Your blood boiled as Zemo touched Bucky, fingers grabbing his chin. You swore, once this whole thing was over, you would kick Zemo’s ass. You should make a list, just to keep track of all the things he’d done, and no doubt would do, to piss you off. That way he’d know why exactly you were beating his ass.

A name came up, Dr. Wilfred Nagel, along with the knowledge that the super soldier serum was, in fact, in Madripoor. You and Sam met eyes. Second step down.

But before they could get anything else, Sam’s phone buzzed. You ducked your head, closing your eyes, mumbling “fuck” when you saw it was Sarah. Sam’s responses just made you inwardly cringe even more.

“The bank, yeah. We laundered so much mo-” He chuckled nervously. “Yeah. They’ll come around.”

Is he fucking serious? For the love of God, Sammy…

And then she called him Sam. Next thing you knew, Selby was shot and you, Bucky, and Sam were taking out a guard each, you growling at the fact that you couldn’t use your legs because the dress was too damn tight.

You had no choice but to trust Zemo’s lead, but word traveled very quickly here, and less than a minute after walking outside, you were getting shot at.

“C’mon!” Bucky grabbed your arm, pulling you besides him.

“Can you not right now?!”

“I can’t run in these heels!”

You glared at Sam, the killer six inchers on your feet feeling like hell. “Hell no! You did not just say that in front of me!”

“You started it!” You scowled at him, following Bucky into an alley, only to duck as shots rang out. Chest heaving, you looked around for the source of the bullets that killed the men chasing you.  Your “guardian angel” as Zemo put it.

She soon appeared in all her stunning, blonde badass glory. “Sharon?”

Sam quickly explained the situation, trying to get her not to shoot Zemo who she had a gun pointed at.

“I stole Steve’s shield, remember? I also took the wings for your ass,” she pointed the gun at Sam, then Bucky, “so that you could save his ass, from his ass.” And the gun was back on Zemo. She shot you a smile. “And your ass is looking beautiful as always.”

You grinned back. “Thanks. You’re not looking too bad yourself.”

As she spoke, your lips turned down. You had tried calling her after Germany, but it always went to voicemail. First thing you did when you got back was try to get everyone pardoned, but it was a process. And then you found out about Wanda and ever since…

Sharon was your first real friend. She was only a couple years younger than you and had been one of your first partners during your time with SHIELD. And the fact that she’d been on the run for years now, even with the Blip, her family not having seen or talked to her since…that was exactly why you couldn’t take a break. She was family and you found there was nothing more important than family. But when she needed you, you were out searching for someone who didn’t want to be found.

How were you supposed to choose between two sisters? How could you cope with the fact that you chose the wrong one?

“Sharon, we need your help.” She laughed at Bucky’s statement. “Please,”

She glanced at you and you nodded. “I’d appreciate it, Share.”

She gave a sigh before nodding. “This isn’t over. I have a place in High Town. You should be safe there for a while.”

She turned and started walking, and you were about to follow, when you remembered something.

Spinning around, your fist connected with Zemo’s cheek, Sam and Bucky shouting in surprise while the man stumbled back. “Don’t you fucking dare touch him like that ever again, or I will break every bone in your body.” You threatened, your expression twisting into a scowl as you grab his hand and bend it awkwardly. He grunted but didn’t move, knowing one wrong turn would break his wrist. “Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.” He ground out.

You pushed a little more, making him wince, before letting go and rounding back to Sharon, who was smirking at you. “Let’s get moving.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She jerked her head back over her shoulder to where a car was waiting, leading them over.

You quickly followed after her with Bucky on your heels and Sam dragging Zemo along. Speaking of heels, as soon as you got in the car - getting shotgun for the first time ever at Sharon’s insistence - you prodded the stupid shoes off your feet.

“Nice kicks.”

“Yeah.” You scoffed. “Unless you’re trying to kick.”

“Did you rip the dress?”

“I was tempted to.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you in something more comfortable. And you’ll look just as good. Not that you wouldn’t look good in literally anything.”

You chuckled, giving her a look. “Let’s not test that theory.”

She smiled back, nodding. “Fine. I’ll let you pick something out.”

Sam huffed, crossing his arms best he could, being squished with the two other fully grown men in the back seat. “Women.”

The two of you exchanged looks, rolling your eyes at the three pouting guys. “Men.”

*****************

“I’m gonna go check on the boys. But I’ll be right back.”

You nodded, looking through her closet. No dresses. And absolutely no heels. Flats, if you had to, but you’d definitely prefer sneakers right now. You decided on shorts and an off-the-shoulder blouse, grateful for the looser clothing.

“They’re idiots.”

You laughed and looked over at the door as Sharon entered. “Yeah. I know.”

“Cute.” She commented on your outfit, sitting on her bed. “They explained the situation. Sam said if I help, he’d clear my name-”

“Sharon.” You sighed, biting your lip. “I tried. I really did. I-”

She shook her head, smiling at you reassuringly. “No, I know. It’s why I’m not mad at you. Sorry I didn’t call back. How’ve you been?”

You shrugged. “Fine, I guess.”

“Even with the whole ‘Cap is back’ thing.”

“Walker’s the government’s pet. He’s not Captain America. He’s not…”

“Steve?”

Looking up at her from the ground, you nodded. “Yeah.”

“Do you miss him?”

You smirked, wagging your eyebrows at her. “Do you?”

She rolled her eyes, tossing a pillow at you. “It’s kinda weird now, isn’t it?”

“Maybe a little. But I can’t blame you. Have you seen him shirtless? Good God.”

Sharon laughed, shaking her head as you joined her on the bed. “How come it’s always you getting wrapped up in these things?”

“I have no clue.” You chuckled, crossing your legs underneath you. “First I’m answering a phone call from Bucky at five in the morning and next thing I know, I’m being kicked off of semi trucks, breaking criminals out of prisons and running in six inch heels.”

“You answer Bucky’s calls at five in the morning?”

You gave her a look. “Sharon-”

“No, no. Hey. That’s cool. Some girls like bad boys, some like jocks, others like nerds. You like super soldiers from the 40’s. Everyone’s got a thing.”

A playful shove turned into a pillow fight, which turned into a sparring session, during which you pin her on her back. “You’re getting better.” You complimented, getting up.

She glared at you, taking your outstretched hand and letting you pull her up. “I guess that’s why you’re an Avenger.”

“That’s still weird to say.”

“Why? You’ve been an Avenger since, what? Ultron?”

You nodded, straightening your clothes. “Officially, anyways.”

“Right. Because you were there for the Battle of Manhattan as the secret seventh superhero.”

“Yeah…I miss it. The anonymity. I’m pretty sure I’m one half the Senators’ speed dials.”

Sharon frowned, brows pinching together. “What about the other half of the OG? Where are they?”

“Thor’s in space, Bruce is MIA - which I can’t really blame him for - and Clint’s retired with his family.”

“You think he’s gonna stay retired?”

You shrugged. “I hope he does. He’s been trying to retire for years. He deserves it. Knowing him, though…probably not.”

Sharon crossed her arms, nodding at you. “So that leaves you.”

“Yes it does.”

“Do you ever think of taking a break?”

You gave a half-sigh, half-groan, making her smirk in amusement. “It’s…come up a lot recently. I dunno. I think I’m burning out, anyways.”

“What makes you say that? I was watching you guys with Selby. You’re still one of the best I’ve ever seen.”

“I-I’ve been having…problems.”

Her eyes narrowed, her hands setting on her hips like a mother about to scold her child. “What kind of problems?”

“Just flashbacks. Of different things. It happens at random times. Certain triggers; something someone says or does, or something I smell or hear.”

“PTSD?”

“Something like that.”

“Has it affected you in the field?” Hesitating to answer was answer enough and she nodded. “Then…maybe it’s time you do start considering retiring.”

You snorted, shaking your head. “At 36? There’s no way.”

“C’mon. It’s not too late for you to settle down. Go one a few dates. Meet someone. Maybe have a couple kids-”

“Woah, woah. Slow your roll.” Your features scrunched up in incredulity. “Pump your breaks. No one said anything about marriage or kids.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m just saying…think about it. I heard even Bucky’s been on a few dates.”

It was your turn to narrow your eyes at her, hearing the suggestive tone in her voice and seeing the eyebrow raise. “Yeah. He has. A few. I told him to. Told him it might be good for him to, I dunno, get back out there.

“Or, you could just…go out there with him.”

“Not you too! Have you been talking to Sam?”

“Is it Steve? Is that what’s stopping you? Because you know he’d just want you to be hap-” She stopped as he phone vibrated, grabbing it and reading the text. “Company’s arriving.” She pointed a finger at you. “You got very very lucky. This conversation isn’t over. I’m not dropping this.”

You bit your cheek and nodded. “Alright, mom. Can we go party now?”

She breathed out a laugh and nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go party.”

**********************

“Hey, gorgeous! There you are!”

You smirked at the boys as they met you near the top of the stairs, eyeing Sam and Bucky appreciatively. Damn, could Sam pull off a turtleneck. And Bucky in black and skinny jeans? Sharon sure had good taste. “Today’s the day for attractive outfits, huh, gentlemen?”

“I’ll say.” Bucky hummed, glancing at your own outfit. “You look beautiful, doll.”

“You look very dashing yourself, Barnes.” You grin, pulling at the lapels of his black blazer and fixing the collar. You smoothed your hand down the front of his shirt, looking up at him with an eyebrow raised when he caught your wrist, keeping your palm over his heart.

He clenched his jaw, taking a breath, before letting it out, almost dejectedly, and letting your hand go. “Um,” He cleared his throat, hand falling down by his side. “Did, uh, did Sharon say anything more about these friends of hers to you?”

“Nope.” You shook your head. “Just told me to enjoy the party.”

“I guess we should go enjoy the party, then.” Sam nodded towards the stairs, where the music was floating up, her guests already pouring in.

You made your way downstairs, looking around the room. Sharon sure did know how to throw one, that’s for sure.

People were pushed together, dancing to the beat of the music, drinking, with colored lights flashing every which way. Bucky’s hand found yours almost instantly, and you smiled at him. “C’mon.”

“What?” His eyes were wide as you dragged him towards the groups of people dancing. 

“Dance with me.”

He shook his head violently. “I-I can’t.”

“I thought you used to be a dancer?”

“Used to. And I was a swing-dancer. Not…” He gestured around to the people bobbing up and down, moving their bodies with each other.

You waved dismissively, pulling him closer. “All you need to do is feel the beat. I’m sure you can do that, can’t you, Mr. Tough and Scary Assassin?”

He licked his lips, looking around nervously. You brought his hands to your hips, making his eyes snap back to yours, your own arms winding around his neck. You started moving rhythmically, nodding your head to the music, smiling up at him and giggling at the adorable concentration on his face.

“You, uh, you go to parties like this a lot?”

“I specialized in undercover operations, remember? I practically lived at these places for some of them.” He licked his lips, his grasp on your hips tightening. “Loosen up a little.” You laughed, catching his jaw between your fingers and making him look at you instead of the crowd surrounding him. You scratched at the scruff, speaking softly, but loud enough for him to hear. “It’s just me.”

He nodded and, slowly, a bit hesitant, started moving his body with yours, relaxing his tense muscles the longer you two danced.

“Nice hit, by the way. With Zemo earlier.”

You shrugged, turning in his arms, biting your lip when he pulled you closer, your back to his chest. “I didn’t like the way he grabbed you. It was unnecessary. I was thinking of making a list, actually.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Your arms wound around his neck again, your head falling back to his shoulder. “Of things he’s done so far that warrant’s me beating his ass once this is done.”

He chuckled, warm breath tickling your cheek, thumbs tracing circles on the bare skin just above the waistline of your shorts. Your own fingers had found home in his hair holding his head where it was, his lips centimeters away from your ear. “Share it with Sam. I’m sure he has a few things to add.”

Your breath hitched as his metal fingers danced along your bare navel, arm tightening around your waist. “I’m sure he does…I thought you said you can’t dance.”

“I guess I just needed to warm up. I’m a bit rusty after eighty years.”

“Don’t seem that rusty to me.” You breathed out, turning your head to look at him. His tongue ran across his lips again, his eyes glancing to your own.

“Hey, guys!” The world and your situation came crashing down on you, the music you didn’t realize you’d been tuning out, along with the crowd’s boisterous laughter and cheers, rushed back to yours ears. The little bubble with just you and Bucky shattered. You both stepped away from each other; you cleared your throat and pushed down the heat that had nothing to do with the hundred bodies in the one room, while Bucky rubbed the back of his neck, the tips of his ears red with no help from the colored lights. Both of you were panting lightly, avoiding eye contact with the other three staring knowingly at you. Sharon nodded her head, gesturing behind her. “I found him.”

Sam nudged Bucky - who was staring at you, his jaw ticking and his throat tightening as he swallowed thickly - before jabbing his thumb in Sharon’s direction. “Here we go.”

You nodded, eyeing Bucky with a small smile. “Here we go, Buckaroo.”

[darling-i-read-it]

Maidens

Alcina Dimitrescu x reader

Word Count: 2.6k

Warnings: death, threats

Author’s Note: ahhhhh I loved this so much!! What i wouldn’t give to live in the castle with these ladies omg. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Requested: by anon, I'm a bit dumb ahahahahaha but I had a small idea about reader being a maiden of the castle but instead of ending up as all the others, Lady D fells for her and idk it sounds silly to me, if you don't like that idea I'm completely okay with the headcanons, idk I trust you completely 💖💖

Summary: the request

I don’t own these characters. They belong to author/director/creator

(not my gif)

Mother Miranda shoved you into Castle Dimitrescu the second she saw you. She muttered something about how Alcina was getting rid of maids and food too quickly. You had come from outside the village and didn’t know much about the place you had ended up.

Truth be told you were just trying to get on for a nature walk and then you ended up in a village. That’s what you get for straying too far. You were exhausted, alone and without any kind of cell service. The woman, Mother Miranda, took a quick look at you and then pushed you into a huge castle.

That surprised you. You didn’t think there were people in castles anymore.

Confusion spread over you even further when you were handed clothes by the other maidens in the castle. You looked around eagerly, searching for an answer to where you were.

“Is there a phone here?” you asked quietly to the woman who was giving you clothes. She shook her head quickly.

“You’re not from the village are you?” she asked. She looked to be about your age but her hair was graying from the roots. Something was weighing her down, that was for sure.

“No I was walking and then....I drove too far up and couldn’t find a trail…”

“Well you better get used to it here. You’ll die here.” Her voice sounded so calm that you almost thought she was joking. But she didn’t laugh.

“Excuse me?”

“The mistress here will kill you and if she doesn’t, her daughters will.” You scoffed as she started to take off the strap of your shirt.

“Hey hey!”

“Just put these on,” she said, sighing. She sounded a little bit scared, but only a tad. You grabbed the clothes and nodded, turning around. You were in a small room that you had to guess was the servants quarters. How old was this place? You quickly got undressed and put on the clothes that she had given you. All black, knee length dress. Typical maids outfit. How did you get yourself into this?

“What are their names? What do they look like? What’s your name?”

“I’m Celeste. They took me from the village a couple of months ago. The tallest one, the lady of the house, is Alcina Dimitrescu. Her daughters are Bela, Cassandra, and Daniela. The girls are made of bugs…they..drink blood,” her voice was shivering now. You scoffed.

“Vampires? Made of blood? Come on now Celeste you can’t really believe in that?” She gestured to the door.

“You’ll see soon enough. Just do as they say. Even then you might get killed.”

=====

You just walked around the castle, waiting until one of the supposed vampires found you. Bela was the one who saw you first.

“Who are you?” If you hadn’t seen her come out of thin air from bugs, you wouldn’t have believed it. You stumbled back, gasping. She looked you up and down, circling you. “One of the new madeins?”

“Uh...yes. Yes. I’m Y/N.”

“Bela Dimitrescu. Have you met my mother?” You shook your head quickly, circling around and watching her watch you.

“No, I haven’t. You’re the first of the family I’ve seen.” She nodded, stopping in front of you and grabbing your arm.

“All of the maidens have to meet my mother before they die. And I’m terribly hungry.” You shivered and let her drag you up the main stairwell. You looked around at the beautiful architecture. It wouldn’t be too bad to live there. It was gorgeous and regal.

She took you down the hall and then up another stairwell. She knocked on the door of one of the many rooms. You waited wordlessly and nervously.

“Come in,” a voice said. Even the voice sounded regal. Bela opened the door and pushed you inside.

“A new maiden!”

Alcina turned around in her chair. Your eyes went wide. She was gorgeous. Her dark lips turned up to a smile and she held her hand out, gesturing for you to come forward. You gulped and took a couple steps to her, wondering if she could truly feel your heart beating in your chest.

“What’s your name?” she asked kindly.

“Y/N.”

“Not a local?” she hummed. You shook your head gently. She nodded, grabbing your arm and then tracing her fingers down your arm, examining you. “You’ll do nicely. Don’t kill her Bela.”

“But mother!”

“Not yet. Have Celeste show her the rounds, she will do Elizabeth's old route.” Bela groaned but nodded.

“Fine.”

“I will be seeing you Y/N. I’m Alcina Dimitrescu, by the way.” You wanted to say something like ‘I figured’ but you bit your tongue. Bela grabbed your arm and led you out

=====

You spent the next couple of days doing the things that Celeste told you to do and anything the daughters wanted as well. You cleaned, helped them dress when they were feeling lazy, got people in for them to feed on.

But you didn’t see Alcina.

You would go outside of her room and clean outside but you never were allowed to go in. Celeste would clean her bathroom and bedroom. Sometimes you would hear her speak and you would strain to listen.

Celeste walked up to you, out of breath and dripping with sweat.

“Go clean Lady Dimitrescu’s room,” she said. You were scrubbing the floor on the main hall but stopped when her words registered.

“What?”

“I...Daniella...just go.” She grabbed your arm and shoved you away. Then she ran back into one of the rooms. You took a deep breath and briskly walked up the stairs to Alcinas room. You stepped in front of it and took a deep breath, holding your things.

What if she screamed at you the second you went in? What if she killed you on sight?

Better yet, what if you got to see her?

You knocked on the door and then opened it a bit.

“Lady Dimitrescu, Celeste is indisposed and has sent me to clean your room,” you said before fully entering. Alcina was sitting at her vanity and turned to look at you. Clearly something was wrong. She slammed the phone down and nodded civilly.

“Go ahead Y/N.”

You walked in and started to make her bed. She was still breathing heavily from whatever phone conversation she had been having. You glanced over at her a couple of times then decided to risk speaking.

“Are you alright?” you asked, voice quiet. She turned to you and nodded stiffly.

“Mother Miranda asks a lot of us because she knows we can handle it,” she said proudly but there was a little bit of exhaustion in her voice.

“I don’t want to overstep, but I think maybe you deserve a break,” you said, putting her pillows down. She thought about it for a moment, staring at you. No one asked her how she was doing. Mother Miranda wanted to know how the girls were, how the experiments had gone.

“I’m perfectly fine thank you.” You nodded quickly.

“I mean, of course you are. I’m sorry.” You turned and started to wipe down the other things in her room .

Alcina watched as you worked.

“How did you end up in the village?” she asked. You were surprised she still wanted to talk to you. You thought you were dead.

“Well, I was trying to take a hike but I drove too far away and then went off the trails...somehow I ended up here,” you said honestly. She nodded a bit, formally like she had to be formal in front of you.

“I suppose you regret that now.”

“I wouldn’t say I regret it. Your home is beautiful. You and your daughters seem civil. It’s at least interesting.” She nodded a bit at your words.

“Thank you.” You smiled at her, holding your wash rag to your chest.

“Of course.” You quickly turned back and finished cleaning up the room. She let you move without any protest.

====

You were eating some of the food provided by the family when Celeste approached you. This confused you because usually she was cleaning while you were eating and vice versa.

“Lady Dimitrescu wants you to clean her room from now on.” She sounded a little antsy as she spoke. You stopped chewing.

“Really? Why?”

“I have no idea.” You nodded and put your food down.

“Then I should probably go now right?” you asked. She nodded and you stood up, brushing off your clothes. “Well then I’ll be upstairs if you need me. Oh and Daniella is in a mood so watch out for her.”

Celeste nodded and you walked up to Alcinas room. She was standing up, walking out onto the balcony. You weren’t sure you had ever seen her standing. She was quite tall. You tried not to let on your surprise.

You started to get to work without speaking to her but she interrupted you.

“Have you seen the view?” You looked up.

“No. No I haven’t.” She gestured for you to come out to the balcony. You walked outside and stood beside her, looking down at the village below. You hadn’t gotten a chance to see it well when you were done there, you were whisked away so quickly.

“Wonderful view isn’t it?” she asked. You nodded.

“It is actually.” You leaned over the edge a tad, looking at how high up you were. “This castle is so big.”

“It was my familys. I got it...before the girls,” she told you.

“Well I’m happy to keep it clean.” She laughed a bit. It was a hearty laugh, matching her voice perfectly, you couldn’t help but notice.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever been happy to clean the castle before.”

“Proud to be the first then Lady Dimitrescu.” You laughed as well, leaning against the stone.

“Alcina, please.” You smiled and nodded. She watched you, a smile on her face as you laughed and felt a swell in her heart. Quickly she recognized the feeling. Admiration.

She cleared her throat.

“You should get to it,” she said, all business once more. You nodded and turned back to her room.

====

Celeste died a couple of days later. New people came. New people died.

A couple of months in, you were starting to wonder why you were still alive. Everyone that came in as a maiden died except you and you couldn’t figure out for the life of you why. Not that you were complaining.

Cassandra approached you. You were pretty familiar with each of them, as they were with you. You were standing in the library, putting some books back. You had never seen any of the daughters read them, you thought.

“How come you’re still alive?” she asked, sitting down in one of the big chairs. You turned to her.

“I was just wondering the same thing.”

“Everyone else dies in a month, tops. Not you though. I keep asking mother and asking and asking and she keeps saying no,” Cassandra said.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Bela came into the room, materializing out of her bugs. “Mother has a crush on her.” Cassandra scoffs.

“Does mother even know what a crush is?”

“Oh sure. She has to, everyone does,” Daniela said, appearing as well. You were rarely in the room with all three of them.

“Do you like her?” Cassandra asked. All three of them turned to look at you. You were caught off guard.

“Uh I suppose so,” you muttered. Bela clapped her hands. “Sounds like a plan! Set her up with mother!” You shook your head.

“She’ll...she’ll crush me!” you whispered screamed. Cassandra rolled her eyes.

“You’ll live.”

====

Bela shoved you into Alcinas room. She was walking out of the bathroom. She raised her eyebrow at the sight of you.

“You aren’t usually here at this time,” she observed.

“Your daughters are standing outside the door with their ears pressed against it hoping that you admit your love for me,” you whispered nervously. She raised both eyebrows. She felt a put in her stomach at you speaking of her love so nonchalantly and then she realized that you truly didn’t believe them.

“Do you believe I’m in love with you?” she asked, amusingly. You cleared your throat nervously.

“I don’t know. I suppose you like me at least. I’ve gone through like three rotations of maidens,” you said. “But I would never assume that you would like me. You’re a goddess.”

She smiled and sat down on her vanity chair. You were almost eye to eye. She gestured for you to come forward and you did. She grabbed your hand and held it. Alcina took a deep breath.

“I do like you, more than I care to admit,” she said evenly. You realized after a second that she was waiting for you to respond.

“I like you too! A lot! You’re gorgeous and funny and...I love your house,” you admitted. She laughed.

“So it’s settled? You’ll stay?”

“I had a chance to go?” you asked in awe. She shrugged.

“I would have let you, had you asked. Do you...want to go?” You didn’t even have to think about it.

“No. I would like to stay.” She smiled brightly and nodded.

“Perhaps you could be more than a maiden, if that pleases you.” You nodded.

“It would. Although I don’t know if anyone else will clean to my standards,” you admitted. Alcina smiled.

“I’ll have the girls get you new clothing. You can be in charge of the maidens.” You nodded happily.

“That would be wonderful Alcina. You’re wonderful.” You paused for a moment, took a deep breath and kissed her. She was caught off guard and started to retract her nails but stopped quickly. When you pulled away you had her lipstick print on your lips. She pursed her lips and then smiled.

“You look wonderful.”

Bela fell through the door. Alcina stood up quickly, claws out in surprise.

“I told you not to lean on the door handle!” Cassandra hissed.

“It was Daniela!” Bela screeched standing. You supreseseed your laughter.

“Girls while you're here, why don't you go get Y/N some regular clothing yes?” Alcina suggested. They turned and nodded, smiles on their faces.

“We would love to!”

“Then go girls and leave us alone.”

The girls skipped away and Alcina smiled softly at you.

[marvel-ousnesss]

Hand in Hand

Pairing: Harry Styles x reader

Summary: Y/N and Harry the night of the Brits.

word count: 2806

masterlist 

A/N: I wrote most of this on my phone so sorry for any typos or mistakes. Lots of love 💜💜💜

“Y/N, Y/N!”

You approached the source of the storm of voices with a wide grin on your face. You still couldn't hide the thrill that your fans brought you, nor you could stop yourself from just hanging with them for a bit. You ambled through the red carpet exchanging smiles and posing for selfies until you reached the end of the path.

When you stepped inside, you greeted a few other people who had arrived at the event and went to freshen up a bit so you could pose for some photos.

You looked at yourself in the mirror and grinned widely. You felt like the girl singing covers in her room, yet here you were, attending your first-ever music awards as a nominee —with one of the best albums of the year under your arm.

As you made your way back from the restroom, you felt a presence behind you. Before you could turn around, they spoke.

"Well hey, fancy seeing you here.” Harry's voice was raspy, tinted with mischief.

You stopped, turned toward him with an amused half-smile.

"Right back at you,” you joked back. “Do you come here often?"

He exhaled a fruity laugh and smiled at you, finally allowing his gaze to drift down onto your figure and then back to up to meet your own. "You look… wow."

He made you blush with almost no effort but you were quick to cover it up, doing your best to get rid of the tension that seemed to constantly glide around the two of you.

"Well, don't you look 'wow' yourself", you smirked.

It had been going on for a few months now; flirting here and there, hanging out at parties, and even a few dates which you had tried to keep out of the spotlight. Nevertheless, headlines hadn't stopped gushing on about 'the newest, freshest face of the industry' and the 'beloved, eclectic Harry Styles.'

Looping your arm around his you subtly prompted him to continue walking toward the awaiting cameras, where you were headed before bumping into him. He obliged, smoothly guiding you through the crowd of crew members, press, and artists.

After a moment of hesitation, his hand traveled to the small of your back. When you felt his tender fingers against the silk of your gown, you lifted your head to look at him.

"So, what’s the game-plan for tonight?”

“Y’know how ‘t goes,” he explained. “Step one: performance, step two: get hold of all the tiny statues, step three: world domination.”

You laughed, but insisted, “really, how’re you doing; ready?”

Even if he seemed to be perfectly collected, you knew that tonight’s show had his head spinning. This was gonna be his first live performance of the year, and, to be honest, you thought it was admirable that he decided to go through with it after what had happened that weekend.

“‘m just a mess of nerves and excitement right now. Tonight needs to be brilliant.”

He didn’t wanna talk about Caroline’s death and you were ok with it, so you didn’t push on the topic.

“I’m sure it’ll be. The whole album’s just amazing; and, you know, the guy who sings it isn’t that bad either.”

He chuckled lightly, then sighed, “just hope I make it justice.”

You smiled, “you will.”

That’s when you found yourselves between the gray wall upholstered with logos and brand names and the army of photographers equipped with cameras of all sizes.

You both faced them and quickly displayed your best angles.

Offering a smirk as he fixed the collar of his blazer, Harry asked, “what ‘bout you, eyes on the prize, I assume?”

You turned around with grace, so that the back of your outfit was visible, then faced the cameras over your shoulder.

“Well, yeah,” you sighed dramatically. “But, to be frank, I’m not sure I’ll be able to keep them there with you looking so dashingly handsome.”

His eyes widened for a second and he let out a ringing laugh, his cheeks reddening slightly. It was truly a beautiful sight. However, no longer than a moment later, he concealed the gentle blush with a snort and a devious grin, which he directed at the cameras.

“I know ’m irresistible, love,” he smirked. “And I hate to tell you this, but I‘m ‘a be professional tonight, no funny business.” His tone was dripping with feigned seriousness.

"Your loss," you flipped your hair.

_______

You guided Y/F/N to the table where your team had been placed. Being honest, she was thrilled to be there with you, but also quite surprised that you had honored the promise you both made back in middle school. When you had first told her about your YouTube channel —after a fair amount of bugging on her part—, she had shown complete support and joked about being your date to the met gala. But, as the met was still clearly out of your league and you had missed the Grammys because of your mom’s birthday, here you were.

She already knew your manager so you introduced her to the rest of them before taking a seat, ready to enjoy the rest of the evening.

The first few minutes were full of laughter and conversation. When the event officially began, you watched the presentations with a gaping mouth and cheered hastily when every award was presented.

Before you knew, it was already time for Harry’s performance. You bit the inside of your lip when he climbed upstage, effortlessly rocking a lace jumpsuit that gave a deific, but simple air to him.

“Can’t believe you turned that down to bring me,” your friend whispered to you.

“Seriously?, my first ever-awards were something I needed to share with you, dork.”

“Awww, friend.”

“Aww”, you mocked, then hit her shoulder lightly. “Shush, let me listen.”

Everything happening on stage was truly breathtaking. You mouthed the lyrics as your gaze followed his every move. His eyes were full of stars and his voice was so flooded with emotion that it made chills run down your spine.

“I’ll rip his throat out with my teeth if he ever fucks up.”

Those words somewhat pulled you out of your daze-like state. Part of you wanted to ask her what she meant, but it was no use. For her, you were an open book, so you didn’t even try to hide how bad you had fallen.

Only with a glance your way, Y/F/N managed to catch the way in which your eyes twinkled when you looked at him and the way you blushed ever so slightly when she brought him up.

You tried to conceal the impact of her words with a sip of your drink, to which she responded with a smug wink.

The following half an hour or so went by uneventful. You nearly fainted when Lizzo performed, and it didn’t get better when you discovered she was but a few tables away from you, next to where Harry had been placed. A couple of categories where presented and the moment you dreaded the most arrived.

Celeste was flawless on stage, and you couldn’t be happier for her. Yet, as you listened to her song, your brows were glued in a frown and the corners of your mouth seemed to weigh a ton. It was time for the rising star award, and then came international female solo —to which you had been nominated.

You turned your head to the side when you heard the scratching of a chair against the floor, and offered a quivering smile to Harry, who had not so discreetly sneaked to your table.

“Hey,” he mumbled, taking hold of one of your hands under the table.

“Hey.”

Celeste’s speech, which ended before you would’ve wanted, was followed by Sporty’s introduction to your category. You tried to stay positive as the nominees were announced.

Y/F/N managed to dodge Harry and get her hand on your shoulder. She gave him an awkward attempt of a smile, then looked at you. “You got this.”

You nodded at her words but, not so deep down, you knew this wasn’t gonna be your year.

“I’m so excited, they’re all so brilliant,” Sporty began.

Harry’s grip tightened on your hand while she opened the envelope, and you barely heard him mumble, “come on.”

That’s when the winner was announced. Billie’s name echoed through the speakers across the place and your face fell for a few seconds.

You were quick to recover and clapped just as eagerly as you had for the rest of the winners, but the smile plastered on your face quivered a bit as you swallowed a wave of disappointment.

That changed when she got to the stage, that’s when utter pride kicked in. While Billie said a few words in acceptance of the award, Jack Whitehall made his way to the table and squeezed a chair between you and Harry. You let out a snicker as he clumsily tried to sit comfortably, then you moved a bit back.

He was given his cue by the camera guy and began.

“Congratulations, to Billie Eilish! Now, I’m just so excited to be here with this power couple who, for some reason, are not officially a couple yet.”

"Glad to have you."

His eyes drifted between the two of you, then settled on Harry. “Harold, you’ve been coming to the brits for 10 years. Not to make you feel old.” Then he looked at you. “Y/N, on the other hand, this is your very first time here.”

"Yup," you chuckled. "Total newbie."

“Sorry for the stock question, but how’s it feeling so far? Kidding, we don’t wanna talk about that, do we? I bet you’ve already got at least five rehearsed versions of the answer to that question.”

You snorted.

“Let’s get to the point here.“ Jack leaned closer to the table, to which you responded by mimicking his posture. “Ever since the ‘Up All Night’ era, when Harold here was just a lad with his little bow tie and a mop on his hair, he’s been a ladies man.

Harry scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

"And, as such, he can only be paired to someone like you,“ he pointed his finger at you in mock accusation, “my dear Y/N, who has been leaving a fair share of lads and ladies’ hearts broken —including my own— ever since your very flare-up on that strange platform which somehow houses both Rebecca Black’s ‘Friday’ and your phenomenal album ‘Tears of Blade’. However, putting my broken heart aside, I wanna Know… you didn’t come as each other’s date, why’s that?"

Harry took a sip of his drink, "I tried, but she turned me down."

Jack faked shock. "Should I get my hopes up then?"

"Oh no, none of that."You shook your head. "I just brought a friend tonight."

His mouth opened in realization, then he smirked, wiggling his brows. "Not to intrude, but… a special friend of yours or a friend friend."

You threw your head back, laughing, then said, "Jack, this is Y/F/N. Y/F/N, Jack."

"Hi." She stretched out her hand, which the host gladly took.

“I like the way your hand fits in mine,” he gushed.

——————————

You struggled to stay awake in the car to your place, your eyelids didn’t seem to be obeying you anymore and your head was feeling too heavy for you to lift. Harry chuckled when he looked at you, bringing you closer to him so you could use him as a pillow. For the rest of the ride, he quietly hummed to the music playing and did what he could to ignore the feeling of numbness that was beginning to invade his arm.

You woke up when the car stopped and raised your head, scanning your surroundings. When your gaze met Harry’s, you smiled. He grabbed your purse and helped you out of the car, then you both took the lift to your apartment.

"Make yourself at home," you said, taking off your coat and shoes.

"Thanks, love." He hanged his blazer on the rack by the door, together with his vest and the purple pashmina that adorned his neck.

After changing into some sweatpants and a t-shirt, you made your way to the living room and found Harry, neck deep into your fridge. That's when you recalled you hadn't done any grocery shopping.

"Tell me if you find something, my fridge's just sad to even look at," you jested, standing behind him.

"S'not that bad. I mean, carrots, beer, tortillas, we could do wonders out of this," he scoffed, still looking for something worth looting.

After no avail, he closed the door.

"Or… we could order pizza."

He chortled, "Y/N/N, we ate like an hour ago."

"Is that a yes or a no?"

He sighed, letting himself fall to the couch in fake exasperation. "Woman, you’re a bad influence." Now, that was a yes.

You giggled when he ended up sitting on the floor, then taunted, "worried your Gucci suits won’t fit you anymore?"

"Ha-ha very funny." Harry settled on the floor, grabbing one of the decorative pillows.

"C’ mere," he patted the spot beside him.

"The couch’s right there."

"So?"

"So?" you mocked, "you come here." You clumsily sat on the couch, but he grabbed your ankle and pulled you to the floor. You let out a squeal but, taking advantage of the boost he had given you, managed to place yourself on top of him, caging his body between yours and the couch.

You were about to gloat, but he placed a hand on your waist and used the weight of his body to push you back, turning the cards.

"You got me where you want me, what are you gonna do?" When you spoke, your voice came out quieter than intended.

Harry's hand found the hem of your shirt and he began tugging it faintly, brushing your skin ever so slightly. He looked at your lips for a moment, then your eyes.

"'Ve got a few ideas-" his words were drowned by the doorbell ringing.

"Fuck," he groaned, head burying in the crook of your neck. Your fingers curled around his silky locks, then you mumbled, "I have to get up, you know."

He grumbled something else, but you pushed him off you.

You received the pizza and locked the door, proceeding to put the cardboard box on the marble counter. As you cut the tape with a small knife, Harry joined you in the kitchen. Stepping behind you, he placed his hands on your sides and a kiss on the line where your neck met your shoulder.

"Patience is a virtue, Harold," you teased.

"Don't care."He rested his head on your shoulder but his hands carried on with the feathery strokes.

Just then, you opened the box and swiftly turned around, giving him a quick peck before stepping out of his grasp.

"Help yourself," you instructed while grabbing two beers from the fridge.

After giving him one, you took hold of a slice and walked toward your previous spot on the living room floor. "Don’t know bout you, but I’m starving."

Harry followed with the box in hand, after settling once again, he placed the box between the two of you and grabbed the remote control.

You shook your head and scoffed, "all that wailing and you're just as hungry as I am."

"Not my fault that the bloody doorbell killed the mood." He took another bite.

Three beers per head later, as the credits of Dirty Dancing rolled up the screen, the pizza had been discarded long ago. You hummed to the credits song as your head rested on his lap, enjoying the feeling of his hands playing with your hair.

"Thanks for tonight," he mused.

"What d'you mean?" You adjusted yourself so that you were looking up at him.

"Just, you know, "he hesitated, finding the words. "You made sure it was a great night."

Your mouth opened in realization before you smiled, lifting one of your hands to his cheek. “That's what 'm here for." Then you sat up, and joked, "besides, 's only fair to admit that, for a business night, it was fun."

"You break my heart, love" he sighed, "all your business partners get after parties like tonight’s?"

"Nah," you avowed, "just the cute ones."

"I'm relieved, then." He pulled you to him by the waist.

You beamed, throwing your head back, "you're unbelievable."

When you straightened up, after your laugh died down, his gaze found your lips once more and he leaned in. "Can I kiss you?"

Your hands moved up to the back of his neck and, without a word, you pressed your lips to his.

Requests open!

[celesterunewhisper]

Day 11 - Watch

Tik. Tik. Tik. The slow sounds of an unseen grandfather clock audibly marked the choking silence that engulfed the elaborate living room. On any other day, the room might have felt comforting, perhaps even welcoming; however, the tension that wove itself with that damn ticking almost made sitting in the room unbearable. In the center of the den, two large couches—red and gold in hue, as was the rest of the decor—were set facing each other with an elegant coffee table between them. Next to the couches, an oversized chair sat to meet the entire room, sitting there like a throne; the fireplace flickering behind the high-back chair only served to cast a menacing shadow over any who sat in it. Compared to the rest of the furniture, it was clear the chair was moved deliberately into the room for whatever purpose the mysterious gathering served. The rest of the decorations of artwork and statues were purely there to display the wealth of the Crimsonburn family. Sitting in the throne chair, a middle-aged Quel'dorei man gazed out at the crowd of three with his beady, contemplating blue eyes. His complexion was lined with not only age but experience in the thralls of stressful politics. He wore elaborate robes of red and maroon and had his white-blond hair slicked back for the occasion. Lord Norath Crimsonburn glanced to the two men on the couch to his left. The elder of the two—looking not too much older than Norath—had long straight black hair, partially braided to keep his bangs from his face sporting robes of violet and slate-gray. A younger man sported the same hues in attire and hair; however, he had his short and slicked back similar to the Lord of the house. “You have met my wife, Lady Larae Crimsonburn, Lord Velvetlight?” Norath then glanced to the woman on the opposite couch who was meek in appearance with short, curly red hair and gorgeous robes of crimson. He smirked when her matching blue eyes locked with his, only for her to look to the table with discomfort seconds later. It thrilled him to see her so obediently in her place. The raven-haired gentleman raised a dark brow at the Lord of the house. “Indeed. A fetching catch. However, it is your daughter, my son, and I wish to meet.”

“Her tardiness is unorthodox, I assure you. Perhaps, she is nervous about being among such distinguished companies.” Norath replied, his voice icy and uncomfortably calm. Lord Velvetlight simply sighed before reaching forward towards the coffee table. An array of refreshments rested upon the wooden surface, including snacks, tea, coffee, and wine. The guest Lord helped himself to a glass of the latter. A superb Dalarn red; year 450K.C, much before the wondrous city made its floating charge to Northrend. An expensive taste with the delicate bite of a lingering arcanic crisp. Not enough to quell Lord Velvetlight's patience, unfortunately. As if the swelling distaste was the perfect queue, a young elven woman was politely escorted into the room by a servant of the manor. Her short hair matched both the curliness of her mother's and the pale blonde hues of her father's, and just like her parents, the Crimsonburn colours painted her corsetted, victorian gown. The servant didn't stay long and left the young woman to linger awkwardly at the door; her blue eyes glanced to her father's with an apologetic expression. Norath smiled, yet no humour or kindness touched his eyes. “My daughter; Lady Celeste Crimsonburn. What a pleasure for you to have finally indulged us with your presence.” Celeste winced, immediately curtseying before Norath, with her head low, “My apologies, father,” she spoke carefully, turning her attention to the two guests in their home. “I thank you for your patience, my Lords.” Her politeness was useless at this point; she had already disappointed Norath to irreparable levels that night. But, she still had a role in maintaining, lest she made it worse for herself. “Take a seat, Celeste,” Norath instructed cooly. “You remember Lord Velvetlight, don't you?” Truthfully, Celeste did not. However, she forced herself to dig through her memories in an effort not to embarrass herself further. She took a shot in the dark. “You...were a guest speaker at Sunstrider University. You taught a lecture for my Introduction to Political Theory class.” As she spoke, attempting to sound confident in her answer, she sat beside her silent mother. “Ah, so you do remember. Excellent.” Lord Velvetlight looked pleased. “I also met you in your adolescent years, but I do not expect you to remember something eighty years ago.” There was a momentary pause as the Lord took a sip of his wine. “I would like to introduce to you my son, Lord Zan Velvetlight. A proud Magister of Quel'thalas and Scryer under the ranks of Astalor Bloodsworn's trusted Arcanists.” Zan stood to his feet to bow towards Celeste, “A pleasure, my Lady.” Instinctively, Celeste held her hand towards the expecting man, to which he took and placed a gentlemanly kiss upon it. She was used to such gestures with her family's position in the noble hierarchy; however, she could never bring herself to enjoy that flavour of attention. It took everything in her power not to grimace as Zan retook his seat. “The pleasure is mine, Lord Zan.” “Celeste, why don't you elaborate for Lord Velvetlight more about your education,” Norath commented in a thinly veiled order. “Yes, indeed,” Lord Velvetlight began, “I am very interested in hearing more about the daughter Lord Crimsonburn has been raving about.” Celeste rose a brow at the strangeness of the conversation, and she couldn't help but glance at her mother for answers. However, when Larae met her daughter's gaze, her bright eyes glazed over with sadness. For some reason, the woman could not bring herself to speak out of turn and left her daughter to the thralls of confusion. “Right,” Celeste breathed, now looking to Lord Velvetlight—vividly aware of her father's icy gaze boring down on her while she spoke. “I have been studying the economics of the country primarily. Provincial stabilization, governance, representation through the monarchy, and the delicate balance of power and influence.” She took a deep breath, “I hope to follow in my father's footsteps of becoming a member of King Sunstrider's advocates.” This, of course, was an utter lie. “Ah, such high expectations. So much in common with my son.” Lord Velvetlight hummed with satisfaction. Zan spoke to provide context to his father's statement. “I hope to enlist within the Kirin Tor eventually. Put more experience under my belt to either rise further with the Magisters of Quel'thalas or, perhaps, a cozy seat on the council of the Magus Senate.” Arrogance coated his tongue as he spoke a matter of factly. Celeste forced an interested smile to her face and spoke with perfunctory attentiveness. “How do you not burn yourself out from such strenuous tasks?” Zan's ego predictably inflated as he smirked with bottomless pride towards Celeste. “Because I am superior. Other low-lives let opportunities pass them by, while intellectual men must rise to guide this wayward Kingdom. I intend to learn all I can to do so.” Celeste felt her blood run cold as her smile faltered. “Ah—your...father is right about...sharing high ambitions, then. I suppose.” Another lie. She wanted nothing more than to leave both the conversation and company. Norath spoke up once more, “It is as I said, Lord Velvetlight. It would be a flawless arrangement that will benefit both sides of the political spectrum. We must act upon the traditions of the monarchy's system before the ambitious Prince threatens to change the whole thing. What with that Theron whispering in his ear.” “Father, what are you talking about—” Celeste began. “You will speak when you are spoken to.” Norath snapped. Then turning back to Lord Velvetlight, he continued as if the outburst never happened. “What say you?” “Zan?” Lord Velvetlight glanced to his son, asking a vague question Celeste still did not understand the context of. The younger lord gave Celeste a once-over before smirking. “I find it both an excellent strategy and a rather lovely match. I agree to Lord Crimsonburn's proposition if you are inclined to act upon it, father.” Lord Velvetlight smiled. “Then our deal has been settled. The ceremony will be scheduled for the end of the month as planned.” “Perfect.” Norath grinned. “I have already arranged for their housing, as well. A gift for the new family, hm?” Lord Velvetlight chuckled, “So generous, my Lord.” Zan bowed his head, “I generously accept, Lord Crimsonburn.” Norath stood to his feet, and the other two lords followed suit. “A rather short meeting, but I understand you and your son are rather busy this evening.” “It has been a pleasure, Lord Crimsonburn. Till the ceremony, then.” And soon, Celeste was alone in the den with her father. Her mother couldn't bear to be in the room any longer, and she still didn't understand why. Norath gestured his hand silently towards Celeste, allowing her to speak freely. “What was that all about, father?” “We plan on uniting our causes together, Lord Velvetlight and I. The details are none of your concern, but we came up with an ideal way to permanently seal our partnership. A bargaining chip, if you must.” Norath responded as if Celeste's question was foolish. “What was the bargaining chip?” she asked hesitantly. “You, my dear,” Norath said. “You are.” The silence was almost deafening if it wasn't for that rhythmic ticking. “I beg your pardon?” Her voice was almost inaudible. Norath sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Ignorant girl. You are to wed Lord Zan. What did you think I meant when I said 'ceremony'?” His blue eyes narrowed at his daughter. Celeste's jaw nearly dropped to the floor; however, she closed it quickly before her father sneered. “Wait,” she breathed, “I just met him. I don't even know him!” “Frankly, my dear, I couldn't care less if you loved him or hated him. This is out of your control.” “You can't make me marry a stranger!” she shouted, standing to her feet. Norath was swifter than Celeste anticipated, and as he stood to his feet as well, the back of his ringed hand made contact with his daughter's cheek with an audible slap. Her face jerked to the side from the force, and her hands immediately went to cup the welt with a shaking whimper. “I can.” Norath towered over his trembling daughter. “Just watch.”

@daily-writing-challenge​ @howlingowl-wra​

[fundielicious-simblr]

(Valentina’s POV)

Happy Harvestfest! I volunteered to host this year, meaning we had 21 people descend on our quiet little cottage out here in Brindleton Bay. I loved having my parents, all my siblings, and all my nieces and nephews around and filling up the house, it definitely brought be back to growing up at home with all 10 of us before we all got married and moved away. My mum said it was nice to have a change of scenery and be out in the countryside for Harvestfest, whilst Newcrest where we live is itself already outside of the commotion of the city since my grandparents wanted to raise their family away from worldly influences, out here where we live it’s truly the countryside where you can appreciate nature.

The family is under the cut! 

Ryan (56) and Clare (52) Paulson

My wonderful parents are still so in love with one another with this year marking 32 years of marriage for them, 10 children and 9 grandchildren later and you’d think they were still newlyweds! Dad is still working in tech programming and at this point has helped create many Bible and devotionals apps that help other Christians get closer to the Lord, his current plan is to work until he’s 65 then he can retire and support the family with the pension that he’s earned as well as the money he gets from the apps. When she’s not homeschooling my youngest brothers (the only two left being homeschooled), my mother is either writing or teaching music. She helps coordinate the music at church, with the Winterfest nativity play music being her current project, and whenever the band/orchestra play she’s usually the one that has arranged the music, as well as guiding the players through the song. In the new year Newcrest Baptist is running a music camp, so she’s been preparing for that mainly; my cousin Zoe and I will also be teaching at camp so we’re all looking forward to the new year. 

The Paulson Family - Carter (30), Madelynn (27), Lester (6), Fitzwilliam (1)

Carter and Madelynn have their 2 boys and right now are enjoying the different experiences that come with having a child and a toddler. Madelynn is homeschooling Lester as well as having him to go a christian homeschool co-op in their area twice a week, to further enhance his learning. Fitz is a year old and so just tags along with whatever Lester does, Madelynn goes through the toddler basics with him, but mostly focuses on Lester right now. This winter they’re going skiing with Madelynn’s family, her father is supporting their local conservative candidate in the election and the fundraiser is being held at a wonderful ski resort in the mountainous region.

The Townsend Family - Eric (32), Valentina (29), Aria (8), Ansel (6), Asher & Abbott (2)

We’re all good over here! I’ve started the school year with Aria and Ansel and both are progressing wonderfully, it’s amazing how much these kids love learning and I’m encouraged by their enthusiasm! I’m starting a rudimentary course with the twins to get them hopping on the learning train, they’re so interested in what their older siblings are doing that I thought it best to jump right into school with them. Eric and I have been thinking about getting some farm animals, we took the kids to the farmer’s market the other day and they were enraptured by the chickens, goats, cows, and sheep. It would be great to have the animals, we’d get fresh animal produce that’s homegrown to add to our fruit and vegetable garden produce, as well as a learning opportunity for the children to learn about animals and to learn the responsibility that comes with taking care of animals. This winter, other than learning about plants that flourish in the winter, we’ll also be focusing on learning all about animals and how we care for them. We want to be ready to welcome any animals that we might get onto our little homestead in the coming spring. I’m also working on what I’ll be teaching at music camp hosted by Newcrest Baptist in the new year, when I think of opportunities like this I can’t help but thank the Lord for my parents, had my mother not poured into us and taught us how to play instruments then I’d never be blessed with this opportunity to teach others.

The Paulson Family - Alan (28), Tessa (21), Charity (1), Edgar (6 weeks old)

Alan and Tessa have had the most recent addition to the family, 6 weeks ago Tessa had their second child, a boy they named Edgar! Tessa truly inspires me, she barely had the time to recover after having a baby before loading up to travel down here with everyone! She’s such a blessing, I was talking to her on how she handled travelling with a 2 children under 1 and she made it sound so easy! If they keep going at their current rate then they’ll have another baby by next Harvestfest - how wonderful! This winter they’re travelling to Sulani with Tessa’s family, they’re excited to have the sun and the ocean instead of frigid air and snow as they celebrate the birth of our Lord! 

The Crocker Family - Gregory (28), Kristyn (25), Kayla (1)

Kristyn and Gregory are enjoying life with little Kayla, they’ve had a wonderful time adjusting to her joining and family and love it. She’s the first granddaughter on their side of the family as Gregory’s sisters have had all boys, so she’s definitely being spoilt at home! Kristyn has always had a great love of children, and she’s been open with us sisters about praying for another child soon. They’re staying in Oasis Springs this winter and celebrating Winterfest with Gregory’s family.

The Crawford Family - Tucker (26) and Sabrina (25)

The newlyweds have been loving this new season of life together! Sabrina called me and told me that she’s been loving married life way more than she thought she would. She and Tucker honeymooned in a little cabin tucked away in the woods up by Granite Falls; after a couple gets married and goes from limited physical intimacy to being married and being allowed to do everything, it is quite an adjustment to get used to. It’s good for them that they got that time together because they’ve got a packed schedule soon after this. They’re travelling with the Crawfords to sing at churches in the area for the winter, and after that they’re back on the farm for the springtime harvesting and to prep for the summer harvest and their summer tour. It’s been great to have my sister living in the same area, during times when they are home we try and coordinate when we can see each other.

Jarrod (21) and Madison Jenkins (19)

We’ve also got a newly engaged couple on the block! Jarrod proposed to Madison when he was on a visit to see her in Evergreen Harbour, they had just finished church when he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him! They’re planning for a winter wedding, meaning that they’re also planning around our cousin Charles and his wedding; hopefully they can nail down dates so that we can all make it to both weddings. With a family as large as ours, it’s definitely going to be interesting to see how the rest of the singles do it when it comes time to plan their weddings, since Celeste is the last girl left my parents only have one last time to be the wedding hosts.

Celeste (27), Zachary (19), Conner & Jarrett (16)

Celeste is truly thriving in her singleness, when she’s not at home serving others she’s travelling around visiting those of us who moved away and investing in the lives of her nieces and nephews. She also spends time investing in the lives of those around her, she travels with our cousin Macie to different young ladies’ retreats and they both counsel and guide young ladies on how to better their walk with the Lord. This winter she’s joining Macie and a few other youths from our Newcrest Baptist on a missions trip to Selvadorada, so that’s another thing to add into our families already hectic winter.

Zachary is also enjoying his new status as an adult, he’s started working part time for a lawn services company run by a member of the church and a friend of the family. He’s also joining Celeste on the missions trip to Selvadorada this year, it’ll be his first time out of the country so he is very excited!

Conner and Jarrett are enjoying their time as the youngest kids in the family, they’re quite self sufficient at school meaning that they’re working through it quite quickly and are on track to graduate early! It’s always great when we get to see the boys, Ansel is old enough for them to bring him along when they go on outings, so it was great to have them here together.

[allcrncthing]

TITLE :: WHAT?

DESCRIPTION :: Flynn gets an unlikely visitor early one morning.

TIME PERIOD :: July, 2012

CHARACTER(S) :: Flynn Aspen, Nick Fury

WORD COUNT :: 1.7k

WARNINGS :: Swearing

NOTE :: This is part one of two in the DON’T RUIN HER mini-series!

It was seven in the morning when knuckles thumped against her apartment door. Flynn shuffled out of her room, rubbing her eyes as she went. God, I hope it’s not Mrs. Baust complaining again. Mrs. Baust was Flynn’s elderly neighbor located on her right. For whatever reason, she didn’t like the redhead; always complaining about stupid shit and trying to her the landlord to kick Flynn out.

She opened the door then nearly slammed it shut. Standing before her was Nick Fury, director of SHIELD. “Can I help you?”

With his one good eye, he looked her up and down. “You know why I’m here. Get important shit and meet me on the roof.”

“Mister, you must be confused.”

Fury scoffed. “Me? Confused? Hurry up and grab your shit, I’ll see you on the roof.” He closed the door for her, leaving a dumbfounded Flynn in his wake.

She pressed her forehead against the cool wood of the door. “How the hell did he find out?” She groaned, agitated. “Christ Flynn, he’s Nick Fury, he always finds out.”

Around three months ago Flynn found out she had powers. She gained them after a chunk of alien tech fell from the sky. Crazy, right? The tech--which was a good sized piece of metal if she was being honest--slammed into the back of her neck, embedding itself in her skin. Flynn could still feel it back there, sometimes rubbing her finger over the weird bump when she was nervous or bored. It must have been from a far-off society that thrived off radiation or something, because these new powers were seemingly radiation based. It was all still very new to Flynn, so she wasn’t 100% sure of anything regarding her abilities.

She trudged back to her room, shrugged off her lavender old lady nightgown, and stepped into bleach-stained grey sweatpants and an oversized I HEART NYC shirt. It was left over from her parents’ visit a while back. Hey, she wasn’t going to get all dolled up for a stranger who told her to “pack up her shit” at seven something in the morning.

Flynn grabbed a duffle bag and filled it with the basics; toiletries, a few pairs of clothes, and chargers for her devices. She hopped whatever Fury wanted with her was quick and easy. Trying to explain her disappearance at work would be a bitch.

Minutes later she appeared on the rooftop, seeing Fury standing off at the ledge, looking off into the distance. “Seen Fallen Soldier recently?”

Her blood ran cold.

Flynn licked her lips, “No.”

“Not after your skirmish in the alley?” He pressed, turning to face her.

Flynn shook her head.

Fallen Soldier was one of HYDRA’s goons. He was a fallen World War I soldier by the name of Dennis Van Dyke. According to what Flynn had read--which may or may not have been on the dark web. . .--HYDRA recently reanimated his once frozen corpse to snuff out anyone with powers. His supposed mission was to kill his target before dragging their body to a local HYDRA lab for testing.

It just so happened that he went after Flynn. Three nights ago while walking home from her shift at work, the corpse struck. He came at her with stinking, peeling flesh and the sharpest bayonet she had ever seen. While he moved at a slow pace, every time he made contact with Flynn she would get knocked over by his force. The fight was her first real power test-run. Flynn discovered she could fly and somehow create fireballs among other things. Going against Fallen Soldier was tiring. So much so she lit him on fire then proceeded to pass out on a nearby rooftop. Flynn was lucky he didn’t find her and kill her in her sleep.

Fury turned back around, facing the sun once more. From his coat pocket he drew a remote. In the sea of buttons he pressed a white one off to the left.

Hundreds of feet in the air floated the SHIELD Helicarrier. Flynn had never seen the beast of an air ship in person before. She only saw pictures of it from the battle in New York.

“Wow,” she breathed, nearly dropping the duffle bag.

“Welcome to your new home.” Fury said, watching as a ramp came down from the helicarrier’s underbelly.

Her brows immediately furred together. “My what?”

“New home! Can’t let you stay down here with that undead bastard looking high-and-low for you.”

Fury walked towards the ramp, taking quick strides. “Hurry up so we can get started on paperwork.”

She scampered after him like a puppy. “Why?”

“You’re just full of questions.”

“Oh no, how dare I question the man who told me to pack up my stuff and follow him.” Flynn groaned.

A look flashed over his face, like she did have a point. “I watched your fight with Fallen Soldier and I liked what I saw. Had to get to you before HYDRA.” Fury pressed another button, opening a door on the carrier’s side.

“Is this a temporary thing?”

“Temporary?” He howled. “Does Tony Stark shop at Walmart?”

“No. . .”

“Well, you have your answer.”

The inside of the helicarrier was bustling with life. Scientists in crisp white lab coats drifted around while armed security members marched from corridor to corridor, looking for any threats. Standing in the middle of that mess was Maria Hill.

The brunette had her arms crossed, eyes focused on Flynn. “How the hell did you get her onboard so quickly?”

Fury chuckled, “I have my ways, Hill.”

Maria rolled her eyes. “Welcome aboard, Aspen.” She held out a hand for a quick shake. “Come with me and I’ll take you for testing. It’s just to make sure your physical health is decent. If not, we have world-class doctors on board.”

“Don’t forget about that paperwork,” hollered Fury, walking away from the two women.

The ladies made eye contact. “The paperwork isn’t much, don’t worry. Most of it’s just new stuff the council requires.” Maria explained, easing Flynn’s mind just a little.

They walked down the hall, heading towards the lab wing.

Walking through the helicarrier was just mind boggling. Each part of the air ship held a certain meaning, and all of them served it well. She passed by a holding cell of lower-level, petty villains sitting inside. Many of which were whining about calling their lawyers. Another section was dedicated to the testing out of weapons. A tall ginger dressed in precautionary armor threw a small, onyx colored orb at a rubber dummy (akin to the ones found in dojos). Upon making contact with the dummy, the circle exploded, wrapping it in two thin but sturdy pieces of white rope. The tester let out an impressed noise and went to scribble something down on the clipboard next to her.

Now, they were in the lab wing. Each scientist aboard the helicarrier had their own designated lab, Maria explained. The one they were heading to belonged to their lead medical examiner, the one they sent all of the new recruits to, Doctor Sierra Warner.

Dr. Warner was a tall black woman with thick dreads dyed light brown almost blonde, pulled into a ponytail atop her head. She greeted the two with a smile, motioning for Flynn to take a seat on the examination table. “Welcome,” she said, voice as sweet as her smile.

“Thank you,” Flynn replied as she hopped onto the table.

“Fury’s newest recruit?” She inquired, eye flitting between Maria and Flynn.

Maria nodded, “Yup.”

The following minutes were taken up by basic tests; ones where Dr. Warner would check Flynn’s reflexes and her eyesight. Pretty standard stuff. Then she kind of went off track. “Fury showed me footage of your. . .fight with David Van Dyke--”

Flynn’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. He has footage of that? “How the hell did he get footage of that?”

Dr. Warner chuckled, “SHIELD has cameras all over New York.”

“God, you guys are like big brother.”

“I like to think we have flashier stuff here,” said Warner. “But as I was saying, Fury showed me your video and I thought it would be smart to use a dosimeter on you; just to check your radiation levels.”

“But why?”

The doctor shrugged, “I just have this gut feeling. Here at SHIELD we developed our own version. Instead of having you hold it, you’ll breathe into it like a breathalyzer. The results come back much faster and more accurately. For whatever reason.” Dr. Warner reached into a desk, and pulled out the SHIELD dosimeter, which did look a lot like a breathalyzer. “You can tell that I didn’t help in the development of this.”

“Who did?” Flynn inquired, grabbing the dosimeter. She brought the tube to her lips, sending a steady stream of air into the piece of tech.

“Dr. Celeste Flores-Rivero.” Warner replied, pulling the dosimeter from her mouth after it beeped, allowing her to know it was done processing the sample it had received. “Before she dropped off the map,” she muttered, observing the data displayed on the dosimeter’s digital screen.

“I’ll tell you later,” Maria whispered, giving Flynn’s shoulder a pat.

Dr. Warner chewed on her bottom lip, eyes flitting from Flynn to the dosimeter. “Flynn, I’ve never seen numbers like this before.” She rubbed at her chin, face full of uncertainty. “You’re as radioactive as Chernobyl. Hell, I didn’t even know that was possible.”

“Me?” She pressed the tip of her finger right in the middle of her chest. “Me? Flynn Aspen me?”

She nodded, “Yes.”

Flynn’s fingers went right to the back of her neck, feeling the foreign object just below her skin. “What will happen then?” God, I should’ve just stayed in my fucking room.

Dr. Warner wheeled her chair over to Flynn, resting two gloved hands on her knee caps. “We’ll figure something out. We’ve dealt with the Hulk, we can deal with some radiation. For the moment we’ll keep doing tests and then figure out what our next steps are. Some of the most brilliant minds are here, we’ll find a way to help you cope.”

She let out a heavy sigh, deflating a little bit. “Okay, yeah, that’ll work.”

[jasperswhumpjourney]

Teeth

Jasper breaks a rule...

CW: Minor mouth whump (dental pain), sick, Pet whump, Slavery, comfort, it as a pronoun, past lady whumper mention.

it hadn’t meant to disobey.

he hadn’t meant to disobey. his new Mistress, Mistress Abbey - Miss Bee, as he called Her in his head, allowed him a name and pronouns. Still, after so many years as an “it”, this still took some getting used to.

Waking to the continued ache in his jaw and the remnants of a nightmare, he realized soon after that the pain had gotten worse. jasper rolled onto the floor immediately; his comfy pet bed, thick and plush with a built in heater, now sat empty next to him.

he had been sleeping, acting like such a spoiled pet on his pillowed nest. jasper sniffled, ashamed at having taken the soft warmth for granted when flouting Miss Bee’s rules so completely!

Panic and pain holding a tug-of-war inside him, he pressed his face into the floor’s wood panels. Their coolness felt surprisingly good against the hot, swollen skin of his cheek. Upset at how he’d failed, he tried to breathe properly - something he had never been good at even in the best of times.

All his life, no matter what, Jasper had tried his best to be good and obedient. he had been doing so well for Her too, before this.

To make things worse, his Mistress didn’t even have many rules. And though Her rules were weird and often made no sense to him, most were easy to obey. This stood in such stark difference to his previous masters.

Also an extreme difference from his other owners, Miss Bee had been kind. Something he’d never deserved, but was even less worthy of now.

Yes, surely there would be no more mercy, no more chances. Because he’d broken this rule.

Her most important one...

Tell Mistress Abbey when it… when I do not feel well. Any discomfort or pain must be reported.

Of all Her rules, this was the least easy one to obey. Trained from a very young age to be a quiet and obedient shadow, the idea of bringing attention to himself, of complaining. It wasn’t appropriate for a thing like it pet like him.

Tears filled jasper’s eyes and his jaw throbbed.

When the hurt in his mouth had started over a week ago, it was just a small ache so he didn’t say anything. he’d had mouth pain in the past. Unlike this, before it had always been the result of a punishment or a beating. Head jarred in ways that left him bruised and aching.

It always went away at some point though. Eventually. he’d thought this too would go away.

Except. It hadn’t.

Instead, it had quickly accelerated over the past days. Now the ache had built to a blinding pounding in his head, and jasper knew he couldn’t get away with hiding it any longer.

Worse than the pain, which was bad - and jasper had plenty of experience to know - was that by revealing his failure, he was going to lose the kindest, absolute best Alpha he could imagine. All because he couldn’t do something as simple as obey.

he should have told Her right away.

But he hadn’t.

When She found out, Miss Bee would finally, finally, get rid of him. And they both knew he was so broken. Too broken really, to go to anyone else.

Would She have him put down? Send him to a lab like so many other owners had threatened?

Lost in these thoughts, jasper didn’t have long to spiral. Miss Bee walked into the room a few minutes later.

“Jasper, lamb, what are you doing out of bed? That floor is too cold for you.”

It was too soon, he wasn’t ready! And yet she was there. And so kind, She sat down next to where he knelt in his most submissive bow. Nose pressed to the floor, hands bent nicely in front of him, every part straight and perfect despite the terrible ache.

“Sweetheart, why are you posed like that? Did you have another bad dream?”

A warm hand came to rest on the cool, bare skin of his scarred back. Oh, he didn’t deserve such a kind touch. Even worse, despite how naughty he’d been he desperately craved it. jasper trembled and hiccuped on a sob at how awful he was. he shook his head “no” in answer to Miss Bee’s question. It wasn’t a lie really, he did have a nightmare, but that wasn’t why he was out of his bed and shivering beside Her.

Her hand rubbed in marvelous soothing circles over his shoulders. jasper felt his slutty omega hole respond, slick leaking into the little pet panties he wore. With Her sitting so close, his body was unable to resist Miss Bee’s delicious scent and Her gentle touches. It made his transgression all the more unbearable.

“Do you have a bellyache then, babes?” Miss Bee sighed. “I hope I didn’t accidentally overfeed you. I know how delicate your poor tummy can be.”

jasper shook his head “no” again and sniffled. Tears ran down his cheeks. his belly did ache but with terror. Not because of some wonderful treat he’d been given.

Miss Bee allowed him so many luxuries. An excess of human food, was a particular one he loved, having been fed only omega chow for most his life. It was normal for masters, Alphas, to have size preferences in their omega pets. And most, wanting tiny slender things, restricted their omega’s food to fix the issue.

Before Miss Bee, jasper’s life had been ruled by this, and he’d known only pet chow and hunger.

But then She found him!

When Miss Bee first commented about his weight, or lack thereof, and said She would feed him more, jasper had expected an extra portion of kibble at most. he had been very confused when She told him She didn’t and wouldn’t buy it omega chow.

Instead, She fed it delicious and filling people foods. And She’d always end its meals with a taste of something sweet. Fed to it from Her very own fingers!

And what had it done with Her generosity? it’d thrown it back into Her face with its disobedience. it was so terrible. Miss Bee deserved a much better thing than it… him.

“Then what is it, little lamb?” She asked, her warm fingers skating up to massage into his curls. he didn’t flinch away, but the soft touch on his head was enough to cause the pain to spike. It was nothing less than he deserved, however, even if She didn’t know.

And when She did know…

A previous Alpha, one far different from Miss Bee, had taken his voice. It wasn’t something he understood fully. Only that Mistress Celeste had taken him to the vet, and after he’d woken up unable to speak. Whatever had been done to him, it hurt like knives to try to talk now. And when sound did make its way out of his throat, it was a broken almost barking noise that humiliated him more than he thought possible.

Miss Bee knew this, and jasper had learned that just because She asked a question, it didn’t mean he had to answer verbally. She chatted, asked questions, and talked a lot. It was reassuring how She filled the silence.

he still had to answer Her, however.

Rising slowly and only as far as he dared from his penitent bow, jasper kept his eyes glued to the floor in respect. he had disobeyed Her, it was the least he could do. he rose enough that he could tilt his chin towards Her and used a stubbed finger to point at his mouth, his jaw.

It took all the effort he had, docked nub trembling as he brought attention to himself. Tears blurred his vision, so he wasn’t expecting it when Her hand carefully cupped his chin. It hurt, but he was trained to never flinch away. Instead he shied into Her hand, jarring his jaw painfully.

“Oh oh, sweetheart.” She cooed. Seeming to know how he ached, her grip on his jaw became lighter still. Miss Bee gently, too tenderly for the likes of him, urged him up straighter. “I don’t see a bruise, but this hurts?”

jasper barely nodded his head, just enough for Her to feel his answer. The pain radiated from the tooth in the back of his mouth, throughout his head, throbbing with the beat of his heart.

Her thumb gently stroked across his jaw, barely touching, just testing lightly. It was expected, so jasper was able to brace himself for Her touch. He didn’t budge again when she carefully pressed directly where the pain radiated from.

“You’re all swollen and warm here, little lamb, can you open your mouth for me?”

jasper obeyed, mouth dropping open before realizing what had been asked of him. he was always obedient, even if what he was ordered to do was painful or terrifying. And unlike others, She had never hurt him intentionally. Yes, Miss Bee had always been kind, but he had been a terrible pet. he broke Her rules. It wouldn’t be unexpected, he thought, if She realized She was being too kind to him, for Her to change Her ways and hurt him.

This wasn’t the case, yet, as She gently directed his chin so that She could get a better look inside. Miss Bee even pulled out Her phone, turning the flashlight on so She could see better.

jasper blinked away his tears while She was distracted examining him. Taking a moment to try and breathe as normally as he could, his heart stuttered when She tutted and pulled away. he didn’t dare close his mouth or move from where She left him. he’d already been disobedient enough, even if She didn’t know it yet.

“I don’t see anything.”

he could see Her frown and ice flooded his body. That couldn’t be right? he wasn’t making this up! he wasn’t lying to Her!

jasper hadn’t hid this pain from Her, broken Her very important rule, only for nothing to be wrong! Before he could react, She gently nudged his mouth shut and ran Her fingers through his hair.

So upset that she might think he was fibbing about the pain, Her petting wasn’t as nearly comforting as usual.

“How long has this been hurting you?”

And this was it. Now he would confess his sins to Her and he would lose this Goddess of a Mistress who had been entirely too kind to him. Even if nothing really was wrong. Even if She couldn’t see anything, he had still hidden his discomfort. That was still breaking Her rules.

jasper ducked his head down, wanting more than anything to go back to his formal kneel. But She had to be answered; he couldn’t get out of it. Speaking was hard and painful, and whenever he’d tried it he’d met with very little success. But his stubbed fingers were a terrible way to show numbers legibly and he had to answer Her.

his fear was overwhelming, filling his throat and making it feel even harder to try and say something.

jasper’s voice cracked and broke. “W-week, M-mistre-ess A-ab-bey,” he rasped out, voice barely above breathing levels. The effort left him desperately swallowing to lubricate his very dry throat. He fought the urge to cough from the discomfort.

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he fell into his formal kneel again. It felt so much better to be pressed down on the floor, where he belonged. And he wasn’t going to curl up and try to hide from whatever punishment She deemed fit for him. his scarred back was available for Her to rain Her anger down on.

Likely whatever happened next would only be the start, but he wouldn’t dare try to stop Her meting out justice.

Hearing him speak Miss Bee made a noise of surprise. When Her hand gently landed to rest on his head, he held himself politely back from flinching, even though the soft touch on his head startled. he’d expected pain on his back, maybe his thighs, his feet. There were so many options for her!

“Jasper, lamb. ” Her voice was soft and sad, it made him quail to think that he had caused this. She didn’t deserve this, She shouldn’t waste Her time and thoughts on Her disobedient omega. Especially after that disobedient omega had just confessed to breaking Her rules! “Jas, my darling, look at me.”

jasper’s head popped up, eager desperate to obey. he would never be able to make this up to Her, but that didn’t mean he shouldn’t try. Fresh tears had built up in his eyes. They were so thick they wouldn’t just blink away. Instead, She gently held his jaw and wiped the tears away for him.

She was kind, too kind. It only made him cry harder. How could he have done this to Her?

“What a good boy, using your words. I’m so proud of you. And Sweetheart… I’m not mad.”

Before he knew what he was doing, he shook his head, contradicting her! jasper couldn’t help it though, how could She be proud of him? How could She not be furious? She had to be. She didn’t have to lie to him! he knew he was bad, he knew a punishment was the least he should expect.

Suddenly he wasn’t on the floor anymore. She pulled him into Her arms and cooed sweetly at him. Her comfort and sweetness threw him into a confused panic. his heart rate kicked up higher and his breathing faltered, gasping coughs punching through his chest and throat. A high pitched whistle of air could occasionally be heard between his coughs.

At first Her attempts at soothing didn’t help stop his choking. Then Miss Bee carefully maneuvered jasper’s head so his nose was tucked into Her throat, right over Her bonding gland and where Her perfumey Alpha scent was strongest. She was able to press him close without jarring his jaw. Her concentrated pheromones immediately went to work, helping him settle. If jasper had possessed the ability to notice, he would have been desperately grateful for Her kindness. Instead, he was too overcome.

he didn’t know how much time had passed, how long She spent whispering words of comfort to him, or for how long he gasped with panic, breathing in Her scent. Slowly, however, he was able to calm down, to be good for Her.

Well, not good - he was a bit past that at this point - but better than he had been behaving.

What a terrible omega pet it he was! he’d misbehaved, and instead of being punished like he rightly deserved, he’d panicked and She comforted him. This was so unfair to Her. he’d been awful. he’d failed.

he had to be better!

When he could finally breathe and he had calmed down, he wanted to be able to force more words out. Words that She needed to hear from him. How sorry he was for breaking Her rules, for inconveniencing Her like this, even after all that!

“S-sorry,” was all he managed before She stopped him.

he didn’t whine when She pulled away from him, though he barely caught himself. he hated how spoiled he’d become. But he needed Her so desperately. She didn’t go far, however, and instead tilted his chin up again so She could see his face better. It always made him feel so exposed when Miss Bee did this. Slaves were to keep their heads down: it was high disrespect to look at an Alpha, or even a Beta, directly.

jasper worked to keep his eyes respectfully lowered as She regarded him, but it was hard with how close She was.

“Jasper. Look at me,” She ordered.

It was work to obey. To raise his eyes enough. But he did it, because no matter what, he wanted to be an obedient pet. But he couldn’t help the trembling that shook his body from the effort it took to look at Her. And the effort not to break down into sobs again.

“The rule was to tell me when you are in pain and or uncomfortable.”

jasper eagerly nodded in agreement, the pain in his head blinding with each frantic bounce. he didn’t try to speak, She had already made it clear She didn’t want him to. he knew the rule! he knew it!

And that was worse! Because he had known it but disobeyed, even if he’d thought the pain would go away at first.

“Oh, lamb…” A soft touch from the Alpha stilled his frantic nodding before She continued on. “That’s not a rule to invite punishment. That’s a rule for your protection. I need to know when you hurt so I can help fix it.

“Did you not tell me because you were trying to be bad and rebellious?”

Jasper shook his head, a barely there shake, and breathed a barely audible “no.”

Soft lips pressed to his fevered forehead before Miss Bee continued, “You are mine, and I care for you. I’m only sorry I didn’t know so I could’ve helped you sooner. We can fix it, sweetie. So please don’t worry. ”

jasper couldn’t help the sobs that broke through, hearing this. That an Alpha, this Alpha, the best he had ever known, said She cared for him. It was all he had ever wanted, his entire life.

Despite this, he was also terrified of what She meant by “fixing it.”

Other owners would have fixed his pain by simply telling him to shut up.

he shivered on Miss Bee’s lap thinking about the next most likely option.

Or a trip to the vet….

his breathing grew ragged again. Maybe She’d have his teeth pulled?

his teeth had been the only part of him that had stayed intact since he’d left the breeders. It pained jasper to admit how much it grieved him, the idea of losing this one undamaged part of himself. But surely this would fix the problem: his teeth couldn’t hurt if he didn’t have them!

It would be a perfectly appropriate remedy. And it didn’t matter if he wanted to keep his teeth. They belonged to Miss Bee. Not him. jasper made a soft sad whine around his wheezes.

“Shhhh, babes.” Miss Bee soothed as She picked up Her phone again and punched in a number.

“Hello, Shain? Is there a chance I could bring Jasper in to see you tomorrow. I think he has a tooth hurting him.

“Eight thirty? Yes we can make that. Thank you so much for making time for us.

“What am I doing? Oh… Well… Besides taking care of poor Jassy, I started a new crochet pattern. A dress actually… Purple.”

jasper closed his eyes and snuggled against Miss Bee’s chest even if he didn’t deserve the softness. he knew She had a crush on Vet Shain. The heat of Her blush seeped into his skin where he pressed against Her. At his next sniffle She began combing the fingers of Her free hand through his curls.

jasper wept softly, amazed and overwhelmed with gratitude for his Alpha. It was so hard to believe this was real and not some kennel dream. he closed his watering eyes, allowing his Mistress’ wonderful voice to wash over him as She chatted with Mistress Shain and petted him.

Wrapped in his Alpha’s softness, warmth, and sweet scent, jasper drifted. he couldn’t believe he’d almost fallen asleep when Miss Bee next addressed him.

“Okay sweet boy, let’s get you up and get some food in your belly. Maybe some soymilk at least. Vet Shain wants me to give you one of your left over pain pills from when you first came here.” She shook Her head, remembering, and looked at him with such soft eyes. Despite how much he hurt, he blushed as his hole slicked up again at Her attention.

“And you need something in your tum to take your medicine.” She patted his flat stomach.

Seeing the bump in his panties where his tiny cock had grown hard at Her touch, She smiled at him. Even though he ached for release, he was happy She ignored it: he didn’t deserve that kind of treat after such disappointing behavior.

Then Miss Bee carefully shuffled him off Her lap and stood. She extended a hand. Reaching out his stubs, jasper took it and shakily climbed to his feet too. he followed Her out to the kitchen. Minstrel and Liver jumped off the sofa where they’d been napping and trailed after them in hopes of a snack as well. Minstrel yowled at them both about the tuna he wanted.

Jaw throbbing, jasper clung to Miss Bee’s hand. As they walked She argued with Minstrel about his waistline. jasper meanwhile, thought about the coming medicine.

he knew what pills meant. he knew this would make him sleep.

Maybe when he woke next, he would be able to be better for his kind Miss Bee. She was so gracious to have forgiven him, but it still ate at him that he had broken Her rule.

his stomach still ached with his failure and he wondered if he’d even be able to drink his milk. he’d try. he needed even more to be good now.

his chest was tight with anxiety too, knowing now he was going to see Vet Shain tomorrow. But while he feared the coming vet visit, since Miss Bee hadn’t punished him, maybe the certain pain that was coming would be enough to set things right… jasper shuddered... Even if he lost some teeth in the process.

Masterlist

[mediaevalmusereads]

The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics. By Olivia Waite. New York: Avon Impulse, 2019.

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Genre: historical romance, wlw romance

Part of a Series? Yes, Feminine Pursuits #1

Summary: As Lucy Muchelney watches her ex-lover’s sham of a wedding, she wishes herself anywhere else. It isn’t until she finds a letter from the Countess of Moth, looking for someone to translate a groundbreaking French astronomy text, that she knows where to go. Showing up at the Countess’ London home, she hoped to find a challenge, not a woman who takes her breath away.

Catherine St Day looks forward to a quiet widowhood once her late husband’s scientific legacy is fulfilled. She expected to hand off the translation and wash her hands of the project—instead, she is intrigued by the young woman who turns up at her door, begging to be allowed to do the work, and she agrees to let Lucy stay. But as Catherine finds herself longing for Lucy, everything she believes about herself and her life is tested.

While Lucy spends her days interpreting the complicated French text, she spends her nights falling in love with the alluring Catherine. But sabotage and old wounds threaten to sever the threads that bind them. Can Lucy and Catherine find the strength to stay together or are they doomed to be star-crossed lovers?

***Full review under the cut.***

Content Warnings: sexism, allusions to homophobia

Overview: I feel like I’m in the minority of not loving this book as much as I wanted to. Based on content alone, it should have been a perfect storm for me: a historical sapphic romance, a lady scientist, debates about the value of art and women’s contributions... but while the romance genre doesn’t have nearly enough wlw stories, representation alone wasn’t enough to sustain my interest in this novel. It had the threads of a good story - something along the lines of The Countess Conspiracy or The Suffragette Scandal - but in my opinion, too much of the focus was on needless interpersonal drama, which left the plot dragging for the bulk of the story. So though the representation is great, and there are a number of feminist themes that I think are valuable, I didn’t enjoy this book enough to give it more than 2 or 3 stars.

Writing: Waite’s prose is about what you’d expect from the romance genre. It’s simple and straightforward, getting to the point without leaving the reader wondering what’s going on. My main criticism would perhaps be that Waite sometimes does a little head-hopping in the middle of a chapter without a section break. One minute, we’ll be seeing things from Lucy’s POV, and the next, we’ll get something from Catherine, then back to Lucy. It was a little jarring, but not too distracting - I could still immerse myself in the story ok.

Plot: The Lady’s Guide follows Lucy Muchelney as she translates, expands, and publishes M. Oleron’s Mechanique celeste (an astronomy text) under the patronage of Lady Catherine St. Day, Countess of Moth. After being rebuffed by the male members of the Polite Science Society, Lucy endeavors to render her own translation in hopes of educating readers who are interested in astronomy, but may not have had access to the range of texts needed to understand Oleron’s work. Catherine, for her part, funds the printing of Lucy’s work, while also discovering her own value as an embroiderer.

On the surface, this plot had all the things I love: women in science, valuing women’s art, a social commentary on patriarchy. But despite the interesting threads, I didn’t feel as if Waite used them to the greatest advantage. Aside from a few scenes, there wasn’t a lot of external pressure from the Polite Society; any drama that arose from their sexism was easily dismissed or avoided with a trip to the country, and I felt as if sexism in this book was more of a nuisance than a threat. This isn’t to say I wanted the characters to be constantly suffering or be miserable from an onslaught of male meddling, but I would like to have seen more of a sustained plotline where the Polite Society attempts to thwart Lucy’s efforts, thereby creating more suspense and giving Lucy and Catherine some external challenges to face together.

I also think the subplots could have been strengthened so that they enhanced the main conflict. The plot involving Eliza, the maid with a talent for sketching, was a good parallel to Catherine’s arc, which involved finding and rewarding women’s talents in art, but Eliza wasn’t a compelling character on her own, nor did I think Catherine reflect enough on the paradox of how she encouraged Eliza but not herself. I also think more could have been done with Lucy’s brother, Stephen, so that his meddling in Lucy’s career paralleled the Polite Society’s - just in a more subtle way, thereby showing different forms of sexism. Granted, there is a little of that, but like the Polite Society, Stephen pops up at convenient times before disappearing a page or two later.

Characters: I hate to say it, but I didn’t feel as if I could connect to the characters. Lucy, one of our heroines, is a mathematician and astronomer who inspires Catherine to see herself as an artist... and that’s mostly it. I guess she’s also bold and headstrong, but honestly, she felt more like an archetype than a fully-fledged character.

Catherine, for her part, is meek on account of being mistreated by her husband, but has brilliant skills as an embroiderer and is generous with her financial support. I did like the depth that Catherine had with regards to her insecurity over whether or not she could call herself an artist, and I liked that she respected Lucy’s feelings and didn’t allow her desires to be too selfish. But I also felt like she had no ambition or desires of her own until maybe 75% of the way through the book, and she mainly existed to support Lucy.

Side characters were hit or miss. I liked the idea of Eliza, the maid who gets to put her drawing skills to use as an engraver, but she wasn’t a fully-fleshed out character and didn’t hold my interest on her own. Stephen, Lucy’s brother, had the potential to be interesting, as he is an artist and acts as a foil to Lucy in many ways, but he flits in and out of the story as needed. Even Lucy’s ex, Pricilla, seems only to exist to make petty drama; there was no pining, no angst, and I didn’t see why Lucy had once loved her. There wasn’t even any commentary on how both Pris and Catherine were blond women who were skilled at embroidery.

Polite Society members had the potential to be good antagonists, but because their appearances were so contained, I don’t think they were used to their full potential. They provided some nice commentary, but I would have liked to see them meddle more often in Lucy’s translation process.

Romance: This is personal preference: I don’t like it when the love interests get together too early in the story. It usually means the rest of the romance is going to revolve around petty drama, and I think that’s what I got here. Lucy and Catherine become a couple some 25% of the way through the book, and for the life of me, I couldn’t see why they wanted to be together other than they were interested in women and happened to be sharing a house. Over time, their reasons for loving one another became a little more clear: Lucy loves that Catherine believes in her and lets her forge her own path, whereas Catherine loves that Lucy values her skills and lifts her up, rather than dismissing her (as Catherine’s deceased husband did). While these are certainly nice, I wanted there to be a little more to their romance. Because they got together so quickly, there was very little pining, very little growth in their affections.

I also think all the angst and relationship drama that happened after they got together was a little tedious. Lucy spends some time pining for her ex, which causes Catherine to be jealous. Catherine also sees the relationship as being incompatible at one point because Lucy likes science and she likes art, so of course that means they’re on different paths that can’t be reconciled. Most of the barriers to the relationship could have been overcome by either talking it out or getting to know one another a little better, so rather than good tension (in the form of suspense), I felt like there was pointless tension. I would have much rather seen Waite dive into the very real concerns, such as the economic inequality between them or the lack of permanence that comes with not being able to marry - I think those are real, life-altering concerns that could have tied in well with the non-romance plot, but unfortunately, those concerns seemed to be resolved a little too neatly.

TL;DR: Despite having some much-needed wlw representation and a number of feminist themes, The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics does little to cultivate a compelling plot and relies on misunderstandings to drive the romantic tension.

[imaginethreehouses]

Support Summaries I - Celeste [Crimson Flower]

Thank you @celestear11 for being my first Support Summaries request out of the three! It was fun to write. Anyway, here goes... 

💙Ferdinand: Ferdinand would quickly catch Celeste’s noble mannerisms and eventually learn of her identity. However he would apologise when he learns the reason why she left her home. He vows to keep her secret and admits that even though the idea never crossed his mind while he was younger, his life might have been happier had he done the same as her.

C Support (pre-ts): Ferdinand approaches Celeste in a friendly manner, but the conversation turns awkward when he asks her about her past. Celeste leaves while Ferdinand is left pondering what could have prompted her reaction.

C+ Support (pre-ts): Celeste approaches Ferdinand for help with her homework, but Ferdinand instead ponders out loud the reasons why he thinks Celeste must be not just a foreigner to Fódlan, but a noble of her land as well. Celeste tells him he's wrong and leaves in a hurry, leaving Ferdinand confused again.

B Support (pre-ts): Ferdinand approaches Celeste again, looking sad and apologetic this time. He admits to have been investigating her in fears that she could have been a spy, but that he will stop now that he has learned the reason why she fled her home.

A Support (post-ts): Celeste is now good friends with Ferdinand and is surprised to see him bring up the topic again, worried that he still feels bad after all this time for what he did. He confesses that he has just been wondering how his life would have been different if he had done the same as her in his youth, even if it no longer matters now.

"I am sorry. I thought that if I could uncover a foreign spy, I would prove to be superior to Edelgard in at least one way. But I put your safety and happiness at risk for my own benefit. That is inexcusable. I hope one day you can forgive me."

💙Petra: Similar to Ferdinand, Petra would recognise Celeste as a fellow foreigner, and would be sympathetic to her from the start, offering help with the things that she found most hard when she came to Fódlan.

C Support (pre-ts): Celeste is trying to do her everyday chores (homework, cooking, cleaning) but Petra keeps interrupting her, offering her advice seemingly out of nowhere that is hardly helpful to her. Celeste thanks her for the help, but looks relieved when Petra leaves.

B Support (pre-ts): Petra and Celeste are shown doing chores together, working in sync a lot better than before. Celeste looks happy, but stops to asks Petra why she keeps helping her so much. Petra admits she did not get much help when she first came to Fódlan and didn't want Celeste to go through the same. Celeste is heartwarmed to hear this, but makes Petra promise that she will agree to recieve help from her in return from now on.

"Very well. I will allow you being helpful to me, if you allow I keep being helpful to you."

💙Caspar: Poor sweet lil bean wouldn’t suspect a thing. He would treat Celeste as if she were any other classmate, and wouldn’t know until much later how much his lack of wit helped her feel accepted and at home.

C Support (pre-ts): Celeste and Caspar are first meeting each other, and Celeste is surprised to see Caspar does not seem interested in her life in the slightest. He explains that there’s no point wasting time on that while there’s training to do and bandits to punch.

B Support (post-ts): Having disclosed her identity to him, Celeste asks Caspar if he never suspected her of being a spy like most of her classmates did. He admits the thought never crossed his head, and asks her if she is a spy and he should apprehend her now. Celeste laughs and tells him there’s no need for that, thanking him for not having been suspicious of her all this time.

“So you’re thanking me... for being slow? Hah. I guess all those blows I took to the head over the years counted for something in the end.”

💙Dorothea: Having worked as an entertainer in Enbarr, Celeste holds great admiration for Dorothea, and is very awkward around her. Despite this, Dorothea insists on approaching her once she hears her singing voice.

C Support (pre-ts): Dorothea approachs Celeste after choir practise to praise her singing voice, but Celeste makes excuses to leave, which leaves Dorothea frustrated.

C+ Support (pre-ts): Dorothea lets Celeste know that they have choir practise together this week, to which Celeste replies she doesn’t think she can sing in front of her and escapes her again.

B Support (pre-ts): Dorothea finally confronts Celeste to ask her why she’s so reluctant to befriend her. Celeste finally admits that she feels inadequate in Dorothea’s presence, as Dorothea is a glamorous great opera singer and she is only a girl who started out singing in the streets. Dorothea laughs, revealing her own origins to Celeste and telling her she hopes they can pit their talents against each other’s sometime soon.

“I don’t believe what I’ve been missing since I left the company. You have to let me hear your voice again!”

💙Hubert: Hubert harshly suspects Celeste as he fears she could have been sent by a foreign enemy to jeopardise Edelgard’s plan. He decides to keep a watchful eye on her, which inevitably brings them closer over time.

C Support (pre-ts): Hubert warns Celeste not to try anything against Lady Edelgard if she wants to keep her life. To his surprise, Celeste doesn’t seem scared or put off but rather concerned for him instead. 

C+ Support (pre-ts): Hubert approaches Celeste to threaten her again, claiming she was doing something suspicious. Celeste proves that she was only watering some plants and notices Hubert looks incredibly tired. She warns him that if he keeps neglecting his own wellbeing, he will keep seeing threats where there are none, and might even miss some real ones he could’ve caught. 

B Support (post-ts): Celeste and Hubert are taking a coffee break together where he agrees that taking more breaks did help him improve his performance in the long run. He reveals that he has known all about Celeste’s past for years now, but admits that there was one thing he was never able to find out. He refuses to say what it is, promising to hone his skills enough to learn it on his own in time.

A/S Support (post-ts): Celeste is minding her business when Hubert approaches her, announcing proudly that he has finally found out the answer to his question. He reveals he wanted to know why Celeste spent so much of her time with him for seemingly no gain, and proudly announces he’s realised now that it is because she has feeling for him. When Celeste asks him if he has feelings for her too, he blushes and tells her that is an answer that will take him even longer to find out.

“Firstly I thought you must have been suspecting me the same way I had suspected you, but I am now certain the reason runs deeper. Admit it: you have developed feelings for me. There is no other answer. I have seen through your schemes.” 

💙Linhardt: Being a crest scholar in all but name, Linhardt is eager to prove to Celeste that there is a benefit to the existence of crests, even if that benefit is purely intellectual.

C Support (pre-ts): Celeste finds Linhardt in the library and asks him what he is reading about. When she learns he is researching a Crest, Celeste expresses his disapproval of the Crest system, which Linhardt mistakes for a general dislike of Crests.

B Support (pre-ts): Celeste approaches Linhardt to clear up the misunderstanding, which results in Linhardt stating that he looks forward to discuss Crests with her further in the future as she seems to have a more complex take on the subject than most.

“Well, I am very interested in crests not disappearing anytime soon. I can hardly imagine how I would occupy my days. For example, if there were no crests, we would not be having this stimulating conversation. Don’t you agree?”

💙Bernadetta: Bernadetta keeps to herself, and Celeste keeps to herself. This is a problem. Or maybe not? The girls seem to get along quite fine, by not getting along at all.

C Support (pre-ts): A series of mandatory day to day interactions such as homework, weekly tasks and monastery chores, where the girls coexist without talking to each other, each keeping to their own business to get the task done quickly and flee. 

B Support (post-ts): The same interactions but during the war phase instead. However, Bernie stops Celeste before she can leave in the end, saying she wants to tell her something. Very nervously, she tells her she wants her to know that despite not talking much, she still thinks of her as a very dear friend.

“Don’t you find it quite silly that even though we never talked to each other, I still see you as a friend? Wait... what am I saying? Of course it is silly. Don’t be silly, Bernie...” 

💙Edelgard: Edelgard would realise Celeste is hiding a secret but would not pry further unless she found reason to. However, Celeste has noticed Edelgard’s keen eye, and decides to keep a safe distance to protect herself.

C Support (pre-ts): Edelgard approaches Celeste to talk about a class assignent but Celeste is very cold to her, even colder than to most others, which Edelgard notices and is frustrated about.

B Support (post-ts): Edelgard approaches Celeste in the same fashion to talk about their next mission, only for Celeste to react in the same way as she did in the past. Extremely frustrated, Edelgard tells Celeste that she does not care about her secrets as she has proven herself loyal to Edelgard’s cause in the war time after time, earning her trust. Then, she asks Celeste to place the same trust in her in return. 

“Secrets or no secrets, I am still your commander, and I want you to be able to trust in me when you need my help.”