#jasmine tookes gif pack

[keetika]

    —   ⁺  𝐉𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄 𝐓𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐒  ,  1991  [ AN ADDITIONAL #530 GIFS,  NEW TOTAL #971 GIFS ]  ETC  /  jasmine tookes is black, please cast accordingly and use appropriately. all of the gifs have been created from scratch by me. to access the gifs please click the source link. do not edit, claim as your own or add into your own hunts! time and effort were spent into making these gifs, a like or a reblog would be much appreciated!

[ ! ] content warning: eating

[ ! ] commission work: to view commission info, click here

[spookyrps]

hey wassup i’ve made  311  gifs of   JASMIN SAVOY BROWN  as taissa turner in yellowjackets (season 1, episodes 1-5). feel free to edit, crop, whatever, just please credit me ( tag me + link to post ) if u do ! likes and reblogs are much appreciated!

( CLICK HERE TO FIND THEM! )

[xtra7s]

Regina George (2024) x fem reader smut story please

love your writing💖

𝐃𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤

Pairing: Regina George x Reader

Synopsis: Regina decides to talk to the party's wallflower.

Content: Switch!Regina, Switch!reader, cunnilingus, fingering, degradation, praise

Word Count: 2.4k+

masterlist

Regina George surveyed the pulsating scene with laser-sharp precision. Bodies gyrated beneath strobe lights, shouts competed with thumping bass, and the air clung heavy with teenage pheromones and regretful decisions waiting to happen. She, of course, was above it all – a queen bee observing her hive.

Her gaze scanned the crowd, searching for anything remotely interesting. Suddenly, she spotted her – Y/N, tucked away in a corner like a stray sunflower yearning for sunshine. Unlike the other girls, desperately vying for attention with their suggestive dance moves and clingy outfits, Y/N exuded an effortless cool.

Clad in a rumpled t-shirt and jeans, she sipped from a solo cup of water, an ironic halo of untouched purity amidst the spilled vodka and cheap beer. The way she held her head, the faint amusement curving her lips – it was like watching a lone wolf observing a pack of clumsy hyenas.

Intrigued, Regina glided towards her. As she got closer, she detected a hint of jasmine oil and the faint trace of worn paperback pages clinging to Y/N's aura – an intellectual oasis in a sea of predictable clichés.

Regina, the apex predator, couldn't resist the challenge. "Care to join the living, wallflower?" she drawled, the words laced with honeyed venom.

Y/N raised an eyebrow, unfazed by the Regina George's presence. "Not particularly," she replied, her voice calm yet somehow holding the power to quiet the room. "It seems the living are doing a splendid job entertaining themselves."

Regina smirked, appreciating the subtle dig. Most girls crumpled under her gaze, but Y/N held her ground, her sharp wit mirroring her own. This was unexpected, a challenge.

"Suit yourself," Regina said, leaning against the wall beside her. "Don't tell me you don't enjoy watching the spectacle."

Y/N shrugged, her lips curving into a slight smile. "There's a certain humor in it, observing the desperate search for validation."

Regina laughed, a genuine sound that surprised even her. "You're not wrong. So, what are you validating tonight?"

Y/N took a sip of her water, gazing at the swirling lights. "Myself. By not participating in this charade."

Regina found herself drawn in, captivated by Y/N's quiet confidence. It was a stark contrast to the usual sycophants who surrounded her. "Charades are tiring," she admitted, a touch of vulnerability slipping into her voice.

Y/N turned to her, her eyes meeting Regina's with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. "They are," she agreed. "But sometimes, they're all we have."

The unspoken connection hung heavy in the air, charged with a strange electricity. At that moment, the queen bee and the wallflower found themselves on the same wavelength, two islands of solitude amidst the teenage storm.

A slow song drifted through the din, and Regina, on a whim, extended her hand. "Dance with me, wallflower," she offered, her voice barely a whisper.

Y/N hesitated, then placed her hand in Regina's. Their fingers intertwined, warm and surprisingly comforting. As they moved to the music, a slow, tentative sway, the party faded away. It was just them, two souls yearning for something outside the charade, finding solace in a shared moment of understanding.

"Hey, Y/N, want to take a break from all this craziness? I know a spot where we can have some peace and quiet," Regina suggests, a mischievous glint in her eye.

Intrigued, Y/N nods, and Regina leads them through the pulsating crowd, expertly navigating the chaotic party scene. They reach a more secluded part of the house, away from the booming music and laughter. Regina opens the door to a private room, inviting Y/N inside.

The room is dimly lit, with a few candles casting a soft glow. Regina closes the door behind them, muffling the sounds of the party. The sudden change in atmosphere is palpable, and Y/N can't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Regina smirks playfully, "Well, we've got our own little oasis now. No prying eyes, no judgment. Just us and a room to escape the madness. What do you say, Y/N?"

In the dimly lit room, Regina George's demeanor takes a flirtatious turn as she playfully approaches Y/N. The air becomes charged with a mix of tension and anticipation as Regina, with a mischievous smile, begins to make advances while maintaining her signature mean-girl edge.

"So, Y/N, did you come to the party hoping to be the wallflower, or were you just too scared to stand out?" Regina teases, her words laced with a hint of sarcasm.

Y/N, caught off guard by Regina's sudden change in tone, stammers a response, "I just don't care about that stuff."

Regina circles Y/N, a confident and assertive aura surrounding her. "Well, you're in luck because tonight, I've decided to make you my project," she declares, a glint of mischief in her eyes.

As the advances become more direct, Regina continues to walk the fine line between flirtation and mockery. She compliments Y/N's appearance while making snide comments, creating a confusing mix of emotions for Y/N. Regina's unpredictable behavior keeps Y/N on edge, unsure of whether to embrace the attention or be wary of Regina's underlying intentions.

In this shared space, Regina uses her mean girl tactics to both attract and challenge Y/N, creating a complex dynamic between them. As the night unfolds, Y/N is left navigating Regina's dual approach, trying to decipher whether there's genuine interest or if it's just another one of Regina's games. The shared space becomes a battleground of emotions, leaving Y/N torn between responding to Regina's advances and maintaining a sense of self-respect.

In the dimly lit room, Regina George leans over Y/N, her eyes fixed with an intense gaze as she grins mischievously. Y/N can feel the energy in the room shift, a mixture of nervousness and curiosity.

Regina's teasing tone continues, "Well, well, look who's blushing." Her words are accompanied by a playful smirk as she revels in making fun of Y/N's nervousness.

As Regina continues her taunting, she leans in closer, and with a sudden move, she places a few teasing kisses on Y/N's neck and jaw. Y/N's breath catches, a combination of surprise and the unexpected touch sending a shiver down their spine.

Regina pulls back slightly, still grinning, her tone a blend of mockery and allure, "You're easy to read, Y/N. Can't handle a little attention, huh?"

Y/N, caught off guard by Regina's bold move, struggles to find the right words. The room is filled with a charged atmosphere as Regina maintains her confident stance, reveling in the control she seems to have over the situation.

The shared space becomes a battleground of emotions, with Y/N torn between the embarrassment of Regina's teasing and the unexpected thrill of the flirtatious encounter. Regina, enjoying the game she's playing, continues to blur the lines between mean-spirited taunts and alluring gestures, leaving Y/N unsure of how to navigate this unexpected and complex dynamic.

The room's atmosphere intensifies as Regina George boldly places her hands on Y/N's thighs. Y/N can feel Regina's touch, sending a rush of mixed emotions through them. Regina, with a confident smirk, leans in and kisses Y/N deeply, the moment becoming charged with a blend of desire and defiance.

As Regina pulls back, she locks eyes with Y/N, a hint of challenge in her gaze. "I'm not hearing a no," Regina murmured, her words hanging in the air.

Y/N, still processing the unexpected turn of events, takes a moment to gather their thoughts. Regina's touch and the passionate kiss leave them conflicted, caught between the allure of the moment and a sense of uncertainty.

Regina grinned, hiking Y/N's jeans down her thighs, as Regina's fingers brushed against Y/N's sensitive spot through her panties, sending electric shockwaves of desire coursing through her. Y/N moaned softly, her hips moving subtly against Regina's touch.

"Have you ever been with a girl?" Regina purred, her breath hot against Y/N's ear.

"no," Y/N whimpered, their voice barely audible. "I want to be though"

With renewed confidence, Regina slipped her hand underneath Y/N's panties, pulling them down. "Spread your legs wide for me," she ordered, her voice husky with desire.

Y/N complied, spreading her legs wide apart, exposing her moistening folds to Regina's hungry gaze. Her heart raced faster as she awaited what would come next.

Regina's lips brushed against Y/N's neck, trailing kisses downwards toward her cleavage. She paused briefly, savoring the taste of their sweat and arousal. Then she leaned down, leaving kisses and bite marks on Y/N's thighs. She teased her breath against Y/N's heat, her tongue darting out to lick voraciously at Y/N's wet folds.

Y/N let out a sharp gasp, her hands reaching out reflexively to grip Regina's blonde hair. Regina continued to devour Y/N's pussy, sucking and slurping greedily, her skilled tongue probing deeply into every crevice. She alternated between rapid flicks and slower, teasing strokes, driving Y/N wild with desire.

Her hand snaked down to fondle and squeeze Y/N's ass, applying pressure wherever she felt most sensitive. Meanwhile, Y/N's moans grew increasingly louder, their body trembling with need.

"More," Y/N begged, her voice hoarse with pleasure. "I need more."

Regina chuckled darkly, her breath hot against Y/N's sensitive folds. "You'll get plenty of more," she promised, her words nearly growls of desire.

She increased the pace of her oral assault on Y/N's pussy, her tongue flicking faster and harder, seeking out hidden spots she knew would drive them mad with pleasure.

As Y/N's orgasm neared, Regina's actions became more frantic, her tongue working overtime to pleasure Y/N. "Cum for me, doll." she groaned, her voice rough with need.

Y/N screamed, her body tensing up in anticipation. Her muscles contracted tightly around Regina's mouth, her juices coating her face and mouth. Regina swallowed every drop, her eyes filled with satisfaction as she watched Y/N's orgasm wash over them.

"your pussy is so pretty," she praised, her voice husky with satisfaction.

Without giving Y/N time to catch their breath, Regina slipped two fingers into Y/N's wet opening, stretching her open further. "You're gonna cum so many times tonight slut," she murmured, her tone commanding yet laced with desire.

Y/N moaned, unable to resist the invasion. Her body adjusted quickly to the intrusion, accommodating Regina's fingers effortlessly. She arched her back, inviting more.

Regina obliged, thrusting her digits in and out of Y/N's tight channel, her thumb rubbing circles around her sensitive spot. Each thrust sent shockwaves of pleasure coursing through Y/N's body, causing her entire frame to shake with ecstasy.

Despite being spent, Y/N couldn't help but beg for more. "More, please. I need more."

Regina chuckled darkly, her breath hot against Y/N's ear. "You're such a greedy little thing, aren't you?" She picked up the pace, her fingers moving faster and deeper. "I'm going to make you scream my name, Y/N."

Y/N's walls tightened around her fingers, signaling another orgasm building within her. "Regina! Oh fuck, Regina!" She cried out, her voice cracking with need.

With one final thrust, Regina's fingers found Y/N's G-spot, hitting it perfectly. A loud, primal cry escaped Y/N's lips as she came again, their body convulsing violently. Wave after wave of bliss washed over her, leaving them feeling completely spent yet still wanting more.

Panting heavily, Regina finally withdrew her fingers, allowing Y/N some much-needed respite. She sat back on her heels, admiring her work. "Tell me you want me to tie you down and keep going," she teased, her voice laced with satisfaction.

Y/N laughed weakly, their breath still uneven. "Don't think I wouldn't," they managed to croak out between ragged breaths.

Regina leaned back, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she caught her breath. She smiled down at Y/N, a mixture of pride and desire shining brightly in her eyes. "Well, then maybe later," she teased, her voice still husky with desire.

Y/N, feeling emboldened by their recent encounter, decided to take matters into their own hands—literally. Reaching out, she trailed their fingers down Regina's toned stomach, stopping just above her exposed pussy. Regina's breath hitched in anticipation, her eyes widening in surprise. "Y/N…" she whispered, daring Y/N to continue.

Slowly, confidently, Y/N slipped their index finger between her own lips, savoring the taste of her own juices mixed with Regina's scent. With a smirk, they slid it downwards, tracing a path along Regina's abdomen before pausing just above her clitoris. "Is this okay?" they asked playfully, their voice still slightly slurred from their previous orgasm.

Regina swallowed hard, her heart racing faster than before. Her breasts rose and fell quickly, nipples hardening further in anticipation. "Yes, please Y/N," she managed to choke out, her eyes locked on Y/N's movements.

Y/N's finger circled around Regina's clit, teasingly brushing against her sensitive bud. Regina squirmed slightly, her hips moving unconsciously towards the contact. "More," she moaned softly, her voice laden with desire.

Y/N obliged, increasing the pressure and speed of their caresses. Her finger dipped inside Regina's wetness, exploring her depths slowly. Regina's moans turned into gasps of pleasure, her body arching upward in response.

As Y/N continued to torment her, Regina's breathing became heavier, and her chest heaved rapidly. "Faster," she begged, her voice raspy with need. Y/N complied, picking up the pace, her fingers moving in and out of Regina's tight passage faster than before. Regina's body trembled with each thrust, her juices coating Y/N's hand.

Suddenly, Regina's world exploded, her orgasm crashing over her like a tidal wave. Her body convulsed violently, and she cried out Y/N's name, her nails digging lightly into the bedsheets. Her pussy clamped down tightly around Y/N's finger, milking every last drop of pleasure from their ministrations.

Panting heavily, Regina finally regained some composure. "God, Y/N," she panted, her cheeks flushed crimson with shame and desire. "That was… incredible."

Her eyes were half-closed, filled with a mixture of satisfaction and wonder. "For never being with a girl, you damn sure know how to make one cum."

Y/N smirked, pleased with their performance. "glad you enjoyed it," she admitted, her voice still husky with pleasure. "Let's clean up a bit, yeah?"

After the charged moment in the private room, Regina and Y/N decide to rejoin the party, the energy between them lingering as they step back into the lively atmosphere. The pulsating music, laughter, and colorful lights greet them as they seamlessly blend back into the crowd.

Regina, surprisingly, has a softer and more genuine demeanor as they dance together, leaving behind the mean girl facade. The tension from the private room transforms into a shared connection, and Regina's playfulness takes on a more sincere tone.

[a66-1]

Because of you.

Regency!Simon x Regency!Fem!Reader

Chapter 1

TW: Cursing, Mentions of DV, (small use of y/n so you know who you are) and more to come in the next chapters!

Simon was on his porch, a drink in his hand as he gazed out into the wide landscape around him. He had a few animals, keep his mind and his hands busy during they day. The sun was setting beautifully. the sky an artists masterpiece, as Simon took a sip of his drink. It was wonderful being on the country side of London, a vast difference from being in the lime light all day and night because of a mere label you're born into. Simon was lucky, really. His mom could've dragged him by the ear to betrothe a girl, give the family an heir but.. He did have a ton of siblings, and the ton seemed more interested in them than him and his.. More quiet aura.

He noticed a note by his door. Odd. He must have missed it when we grabbed his morning mail. He put his drink down, and stood, straightening his shirt. He bent to grab the note, and his saw his sisters signature on the front, and his mothers.

Another oddity. It's the middle of the girls season, and Jasmine was already married...

He went inside to grab a letter opener, and slid it underneath the fold, swiping cleanly, as the paper made a small tearing noise. He pulled the note out and read over it. Blah blah blah, its a great season so far, Tommy found his match, Katy is doing well... But Jasmine wanted him over. Do the whole 'older brother' thing where he acts concerned and sits the boys down for a talk. Simon smiled softly, and turned the letter over, and his mothers handwriting filled the first half.

To be frank, he could barely read his mothers words, but something about Jasmine's husband's cousin?

He sighed, and folded the note back up. God, it's been.... Well, it's been years since he's truly had to be in the city.

He packed a small bit, really not wanting to be there too long, and he put his bag in the holder on his horse.

"Aye, Jackson. You ready for a long ride?" He patted his horse, before hopping on and starting his journey down to the city.

Once he arrived at his childhood home, he whistled lowly. Fuck, the house is huge. He lived here most of his life, but compared to his pretty modest ranch, but... Christ. He hooked his horse up in the stables, and he grabbed his back, keeping it on his shoulder, and he walked into the house. He spotted his mother first, and she squealed.

"Simon!" She ran, elegantly of course, holding her dress up. She hugged Simon tight, kissing his face as he laughed softly. He leaning down to her height, hugging her back.

"Hi, mother. It's been a long time since... I've been back." He mumbled the back end of his sentence. She shook her head, as her response.

"Nonsense, I get why. With 2 kids this season, it's getting harder to keep the reins in on these girls!" She had a smile, but it was tense on her forward. "And with your father being away on work, I need you to step up. Just for a couple weeks, but.. We need you, sweetheart."

Simon nodded. He wanted his mom to have a few things off her plate, knowing her tendencies to over work herself during the season.

He took his time to go through the home, finding his old study space, his old room, and then.. Jasmine. She was with her newly wed (by a couple of months) and then she spotted Simon.

"Si? Is that really you?" She stood up and sprinted to him, much differently than their mother, and jumped in his arms. He spun her around, kissing her head.

"Jaz, good god, you've grown." He laughed softly, and held her face. "It's good to see you."

She smiled up at him and gave him another big squeeze, "Oh! I need to introduce you!" She gestured her husband over, and took his hand when he was close enough.

"Alex, meet Simon, Simon meet Alex." She was all giddy, an arm hooked around his. Simon extended his hand.

"Alex. It's nice to see you have my little sister so... Lively." He teased Jasmine, and Alex took his hand.

"Sir. I've heard a lot of good things about you. Nice to put a name to the face." Alex smiled, and shook Simons hand tightly.

The rest of the day was just seeing his family again, getting reacquainted with all the gossip his sisters have. Only one thing was really bothering him. Jasmine and Alex kept... Talking. Alex seemed nervous, Jasmine was trying her best to comfort him. He had letters in his hand, and both of them were reading them, all worried.

Simon managed to slip away, and peered his ear over the door, which was now shut as Jasmine and Alex needed to talk.

"My love, you shouldn't worry so much, she's... She seems like she got out--" Jasmine started, but Alex worriedly interjected.

"Y/n is being chased. Her... ex fiancé is after her, he found her at our mothers, at her best friends... She needs to get out of London." He seemed to be tapping his foot, by the soft tapping sound.

"I understand Alex, but honey, there's nothing we can really do, because if she comes here... I mean, isn't her ex... Using.. You know, substances?" Jasmine kissed his temple, and he deflated.

"I need her out of town. Is.. Isn't Simon living out of the city? Do you think-?" Alex was trying his hardest not to cry, by the sounds of it. Simon tensed. Hell no, he won't get involved with things like this, he's already managed to avoid the problems of the city--

"I could... I could ask him.. But he's not really-"

Simon walked away, shaking his head, what was Jasmine thinking? He isn't interested in homing someone, especially if there's a.. Drug abuser after her..

That's when he heard Jasmine come up behind her, grasping his arm.

Jasmine turns him around, Alex, avoidantly, in tow.

"Simon? Can we talk?"

aha cliffhanger (im still writing but you need to want to keep reading somehow)

small series im making because starving is killing me rn.

ilsym babes, happy pride!

-a661

[adrianasunderworld]

Twst boys x Disney princesses

In which some of the Disney princesses somehow end up in Twst in place of Yuu and are hanging out with the boys. They are all rooming in Ramshackle together. The only context you need is that it is 1am when I thought of and started typing this.

Belle is the one that gets the title of Beast Master slapped onto her. All the beast men students latch onto her. They all get along with her and want to keep her happy. Leona taking residence on her lap while she finds a nice reading spot in the botanical garden is a common sight.

Ariel, much to everyone's regret for not keeping them separated, gets along well with Floyd. They in a weird way match each other's energy. Ariel is so excited and willing to jump into anything to explore this strange new world, and Floyd loves seeing her reactions to things. He thinks it's hilarious.

Merida and Rook archery contest. They're both so good though that no one can judge their matches. It's now escalated to shooting random stuff near each other to show off. Rook will be eating an apple and Merida will shoot it out of his hand from a balcony somewhere, he can't even see her. No one wants to hang out with them.

Jasmine, like the Scarabia boys, always has a sweater with her uniform. Because compared to the desert, NRC is freezing. Shes very fond of Kalim, because he reminds her of her dad, and Scarabia looks like her home. So she's usually hanging around them. Jamil and Kalim note that the carpet really likes Jasmine and listens to her.

Vil did not initially want to be around Snow White, because she is basically a girl Neige. But one day she asks sort of shyly if she had done anything to him, and if so she was very sorry. The poor thing was so genuinely upset, that Vil felt bad and stopped avoiding her.

Cater saw Anna doing her thing where she jumps in front of portraits and matches them. They took so many pictures and it became a new trend/challenge on Magicam.

Aroura is always hanging around the Diasomnia gang. It reminds her of being with her aunt's and helps the home sickness. She watches over Silver when he passes out.

Cinderella gets along with Trein. At first she was unsure, because he is a lot like her stepmother. But upon seeing that Trein is very nice, they got along very well. Trein is fond of her and says she reminds him of his daughters.

Tiana and Ruggie are friends. They both took on jobs at Mostro Lounge and clicked. Ruggie shows her all the recipes his grandma uses, Tiana uses him as a taste tester. Granny Bucchi adores her.

Aroura and Belle are the ones that go out of their way to befriend Malleus. All the princesses are nice to him, don't get me wrong. But those two are his friends.

Snow White likes to bake with Trey. Her apple pies were a bif hit at the next tea party.

Cinderella keeps Grim in line. She will grab him by the scruff of his neck, and go, "What do you have? Drop it. Come on, I said drop it." Or if he won't listen to anyone else, they get her. "Grim, come here!" Cinderella has also befriended all the mice and rats in Ramshackle. She made them sweaters and everything.

Some of the princesses have taken on small jobs around campus. Tiana cooks and packs hot lunches to sell. Ariel will sometimes be a lounge singer for Mostro Lounge. Belle will help out the librarian.

[missusmiller]

my warrior // n.s x gn! human reader

pairing: neteyam x gn! human reader

contains: blood, cheating scene, fight scene, lots of aggression from reader, fluff, neteyam being awesome n sweet, angst if you squint and turn your head at a 75° angle then do a backflip, reader being scared of being seen, shitty writing

3.2k words

@marsconer @blueingsfairy @joalslibrary

notes: i just watched the movie and i didn’t know how the scientist compounds work exactly so lets pretend theres one in the hallelujah mountains and one on the ground a little far away from the first compound. reader lived on the one on the ground. also for plot convenience, reader was blessed by eywa as a baby to be able to breathe pandora air. she gave u na’vi lungs in the womb n shit bc ur parents loved her so much😻😻😻😻. yes. that makes sense yes.

summary/prompt: “i see you.”

“close your eyes then.”

________

“Are you fucking for real?”

Your latest boyfriend, Ian, and a girl you knew as Jasmine snapped their heads towards your menacing presence in the doorway. The looks on their faces showed pure horror as they could basically feel the anger dripping out of every pore in your body. You had just caught them tonguing eachother down in the large cleaning supply closet in the compound that all humans on Pandora lived in.

“I’m sorry, Y/N! I’m really sorry! You know I love you!” Ian sobbed out, knowing that all attempts to make excuses were futile with you.

His apologies meant nothing. You grabbed the nearest thing to you, which happened to be an empty mop bucket, and slammed it against his head with as much force as you could muster. If he wants to cheat, he can get beat the fuck up. Simply how it works.

Ian plunged to the ground with a yelp of pain. Taking this opportunity, you got on top of him and started delivering strikes after strikes to his once pretty face. Since you were stronger than him, Ian had no chance of getting out of the position you had him in. His cries for help echoed through the supply closet.

Jasmine begged you to stop, insisting that it was her fault and not his. In all honesty you didn’t blame her completely since it was Ian’s choice to cheat but god was her voice getting annoying.

It wasn’t until she grabbed your hair, pulling you off of Ian, that you actually touched her.

Hair pulling was foul so if she wanted to fight dirty, so could you.

You grabbed her admittedly beautiful hair and used it as a rope to slam her repeatedly against the one empty wall in the room.

But suddenly, multiple hands ripped you away from her. Many panicked voices surrounded the scene and before you knew it, you were told you had to have your shit packed to get sent away on an ikran to live with the Omaticaya people in a few days until further notice. The scientists told you it was just a temporary arrangement for you to learn morals and self control.

Then almost a week later, you were gone from the compound.

Not all was lost, though. It hadn’t been like you were totally new to the Na’vi people. Jake used to come around the compound with his children and they’d play with the human kids. You had been especially close to the eldest of the Sully kids. Y’all were like two peas in a pod. At least until age restricted the freedom to spend time together as you two got older and responsibilities became heavier.

In all honesty, you missed your friend. Which was mostly the reason why your heart felt like it was about to leap out of your chest in excitement and nervousness when the ikran landed on the edge of one of the mountains that had been home to many Na’vi and other scientists. The other reason for your anxiety was the amount of curious and cautious eyes on you.

Inak, your ikran uber driver, slid off of the large animal and helped you get down. He was a Na’vi man so it took no effort to pick you up and plop you on the ground. Jake greeted you and Inak and they conversed in Na’vi but you didn’t know enough words to fully understand.

While they talked, you truly took in your surroundings. The sky within your fingertips and the beautiful colors everywhere just took your breath away. In the compound, you didn’t see the mountains like this.

“Y/N, go with Jake now. I’ll see you in a bit, alright kiddo?” Inak said, rubbing your back for comfort with a comforting dorky smile smeared on his face. You nodded in understanding and with that he turned around and left. Inak was a pretty awesome dude. Scientist turned Na’vi through the consciousness transfer ritual.

Jake talked you through the tour of the home of the Omatikaya clan. You had trouble listening to everything he was saying because of the growing anxiety in your chest as you two came closer to a familiar group of rowdy kids.

“Kids! Look what the cat dragged in!” He exclaimed which got the attention of them all.

It took no time for you to have been almost tackled to the dirt by Tuktirey with her excitedly shouting, “It’s Y/N! Guys it’s my favorite human, they’re here! They’re here!”

She had gotten so much bigger since you last saw her which was around seven months ago. Too close to your height for sure.

You laughed heartily and embraced the girl back and said, “My wonderful Tuktuk! You’re so grown up now!”

Two more tall blue bodies joined the hug and your heart soared. Kiri and Lo’ak spat utter bullshit about who missed you more. There was nowhere to go in this group hug of death. But good death. Sure, you couldn’t breathe but these people are your loved ones so it sounds like a wonderful way to go out.

Suddenly, all three kids were tugged off of you and strong arms lifted you into an intense bear hug. Your legs dangled freely in the air due to the height difference.

“Neteyam.” You breathed, returning the hug with just as much vigor. He may have changed in the time you haven’t seen each other but you will forever recognize his hugs.

“I missed you, skxawng. Did you get a new best friend and forget about me?” He jokes as he puts you back on your feet.

You rolled your eyes, “Never. I hate everyone at that place. I’m actually here because I beat up my ex for cheating on me so the adults sent me here to learn restraint or whatever.”

His yellow eyes flickered over your face and body with an exasperated expression. The last time he saw you, you were timid and shy. You let people pick on you. Often times, Neteyam would have to come to your rescue. That person he was friends with was definitely not capable of having ‘ex’s let alone pummeling one to the point of your knuckles splitting.

Speaking of that, you definitely needed to get cleaned up and patched up.

“Let’s get your hands fixed up and you can tell me all about it, little warrior.” Neteyam insisted and I laughed before following him to his family’s home.

-

“She pulled your hair? What an ‘eveng. Can’t even fight properly.”

“Right? Then I grabbed her hair right back and slammed her head into the wall. Like girl, be so fucking for real.” You explained, using hand motions during your story with your hand that wasn’t being treated at the time. In your mind, it helped you get the point across.

Neteyam softly laughed at your antics. He never truly understood your human phrases or slang but he always saved them in the back of his mind to ask about later. The boy learned what ‘musty’ meant a while ago because of this.

The both of you told life stories of what had been going on during the time away from eachother. Neteyam had been growing into a mature boy more each time you saw him, mostly due to the overwhelming pressure of being the golden oldest child. Living up to Jake’s standards seemed absolutely impossible yet Neteyam did it. You on the other hand became tougher and rougher. Sadder as well. You dated around constantly and never seemed to be able to keep a relationship for more than a month. All this just to make yourself feel better. It was absolutely a downfall from your once beaming and sensitive self.

Neteyam couldn’t help but to blame himself yet again for your change. If he came around more, you wouldn’t have needed to toughen up to protect yourself from the fuckers at your ‘home.’

You crawled behind his sitting body, wrapping your legs around his waist and hugging his torso. Trying to comfort the boy, you said, “Teytey. Stop being emo bro because it’s not your fault. I couldn’t stay a little bitch forever you know? I just changed around them but I’m still the same person you knew only a few months ago. Just less…snotty and cry-y.”

His laugh vibrated through your body and you smiled against his back. “Cry-y isn’t even a word, Y/N.”

“It is now!” You said and swung your body around to tackle him to the ground. Then as you hovered over him, you took the liberty to give him a real nasty wet willy.

Neteyam gasped and cursed in shock and disgust before reaching his hands up your sides, tickling the sensitive skin.

You fell to the ground and laughed out profanities that were barely audible due to the lack of air in your lungs. Neteyam now loomed over you, continuing his attack. Your best friend only stopped when you declared him the winner of the squabble through breathless laughter.

He dropped next to you and you both laid in comfortable silence as you calmed down and wiped stray tears from your face.

The silence was quickly destroyed when the entire Sully family came into the home. You departed from Neteyam to talk to Kiri about the small insect in her hand that she was completely enraptured by.

“What is it?” You asked, laying your head on her shoulder comfortably to look at the fluorescent bug.

Kiri didn’t take her eyes off of it when she said, “I have no idea but look at it dance! It’s so cute.”

The bug was indeed dancing. It used the two back legs to lift it’s yellow rump in the air side to side.

You and Kiri laughed at the cute thing for a few more moments before she eventually let it go free.

It was coming to be about dinner time and whatever Neytiri was cooking smelled bomb as fuck. Neytiri never came around when Jake and the kids visited you. From your knowledge, she didn’t take to humans too fondly but you would never hold a grudge against her for that. If you were her you’d probably do the same.

Seeing her for the first time today was scary, though. She looked at you with this indescribable expression as you greeted her. When she did not greet you back, Lo’ak told you not to take it personally. You didn’t. You were more interested in how much Neteyam took after her. She was just so beautiful. The Sully family has some good genes for sure!

Once dinner was ready, Neteyam pulled you over to him. Basically not giving you a choice but to be next to him to eat. He slang a heavy arm over your shoulder to ensure any attempts to escape would not be successful. You rolled your eyes at his clinginess but secretly you adored it.

The family talked amongst eachother but you stayed silent, trying to ignore Neytiri’s eyes on you. The food was so damn good but you couldn’t even focus on it because it felt like she was trying to burn holes in your head with her eyes. Once you finished eating, you excused yourself and quickly walked out.

The air seemed fresher outside without the pressuring glare of their gorgeous mother. With your hands on your knees, you deeply inhaled and exhaled to try to calm your pounding heart.

Neteyam followed you out of the home, rubbing your back for comfort as you caught your breath. “She is intense but she doesn’t dislike you. She’s weary is all.”

You nodded in understanding which was all you could seem to do in the moment.

He paused his back rubbing sesh, thinking for a moment before saying, “Come on. I have something to show you.”

Like an obedient dog you followed him. Honestly, you’d follow him to the edge of the earth if he wanted you to but that’s besides the point.

Neteyam guided you to his ikran where he mounted the willing creature. A rush of excitement passed through you as you realized what was happening. He swooped you up by your waist and plopped you down behind him.

“I’ve been meaning to give you this for so long when I finally got my ikran but my duties got in the way. Here you go.” Neteyam said with a slightly sad tone as he reached into his side pouch and pulled out a small pair of flying glasses. They matched the ones that were sitting on top of his head.

You beamed with joy as you took them, thanking him a million times over. They fit perfectly.

For Neteyam, it felt like a dream. He was finally about to ride with you, something he’s dreamt about doing since the day that you two made it official that you were best friends. He loved you, truly. And now that you were finally within his grasp again he promised himself that he’d never let go no matter what his duties were or how busy he was.

Neteyam warned you to hold on tight before the ikran dipped down into the sky between the mountains. You gripped onto his waist like he was going to disappear in your arms. He noticed this and reached a hand back to grip onto your thigh to give you a better sense of security. The innocent act made electricity shoot up your spine. Your face burned despite the cool air whipping against it.

It’s not like you were stupid, though. Your intense crush on your best friend has lasted for years so no doubt his touch made you react that way. Your heart beat like crazy but so did Neteyam’s. The hard thumping in his chest was just from excitement, right?

As he did flips and harsh dips, laughs escaped your mouth, both from fear and excitement.

“Oh my god,” Your voice was airy as you yelled, “I’m gonna fucking die!”

You couldn’t see his face but you were sure he rolled his eyes when he replied with, “So dramatic!”

Suddenly, he started ululating as we soared through the sky.

He sounded so happy it made your heart throb with joy.

“C’mon, Y/N! Do it with me!” He insisted.

“Teytey, I don’t know how!” You yelled over the loud sound of wind blowing in your ear.

Neteyam patted your thigh before he gripped it again and said, “Feel the energy in you! Use your tongue!”

You laughed outwardly at his sentence but nonetheless followed his instructions. A cry of absolute adrenaline left your mouth. It felt so powerful as you let all of your energy out.

“That’s my warrior!”

The praise alone made you feel like you were about to explode.

Eventually the ride had to come to a stop as eclipse was quickly pproaching. But, Neteyam still had one more thing to show you so if that meant he would break curfew then so be it.

He swooped the ikran up to the top of one of the Hallelujah mountains. The darkness of the oncoming night made the nature around you so bright. You two climbed off of the ikran, him helping you of course, and he led you to a particular spot on the floating rock. It was a grassy area that had pretty fluorescent flowers surrounding it.

His demeanor seemed to become nervous as he sat down and motioned for you to follow suit.

“Tey? What’s wrong?” You immediately noticed the change and put your right hand against his face, the left on his knee.

He sighed and leaned into your touch. “Y/N. I promised myself I would never leave you lonely like I did before. Now that you’re within my reach I never want to let you go.”

His eyes were too intense in this moment to look at. Instead you focused on his white freckles as you said, “Neteyam, you’re acting as if we haven’t seen eachother in years.”

“Even a month without you is too much for me to bear. Do you understand what I’m telling you?”

Neteyam’s hands took yours off of his body so that he could hold them. His hands fully engulfed yours.

Rolling your eyes in disbelief you said, “Dude, this is starting to sound really romantic. You don’t think of me that way don’t play with me please. I can’t do shitty jokes like this right now.”

He forced you to meet his beautiful eyes. They were full of emotion and complete adoration as he whispered, “I see you, Y/N L/N.”

Alarms were going off in your head. It all seemed too good to be true so it must not be true. You tried to change his mind by saying, “Close your eyes then because I can tell you now that I am not the one you want.”

But that did not deter him.

Neteyam felt like crying. He only ever wanted to be yours so why were you being so difficult? Neteyam spoke after a long silence, “Why do you not believe me, Y/N? I’ve chosen you since the day we met. We were eight. You strayed away from your home and got lost in the forest. I found you playing with a baby viperwolf. No fear in your heart. So don’t have fear now.”

Your heart beat painfully hard as you realized this was actually happening. The boy you loved for years has loved you too.

“Many Na’vi want you. I want you as well, Tey, more than anything. But, your future is going to be affected by you being with a human. Neytiri would disapprove of us with her whole chest. I’m sure she’d probably throw me off the mountain if she could.” A small chuckle left your mouth at the thought of that woman chucking you to your death. Your chuckle died quickly at the thought of Neteyam being with anyone else other than you. It hurt to think about. Like physically hurt your heart and brain.

You felt sick.

“I don’t care about what my mother thinks of my love life. She’s going to have to get used to it because I only want you, not anybody else. So please, take me as yours forever.” Neteyam begged, looking up through his lashes. His tail swung anxiously. God was he beautiful. The unpleasant feelings slowly melted away.

You sat as tall as you could and grabbed his face, leaning in and planting your soft lips upon his. The sound of his tail hitting the ground wildly made you smile against his lips.

He was utterly in love. Neteyam felt drunk as your mouth moved against his so gently. His arms wrapped around you and pulled you into his lap as he sat up. Everything felt like it was on fire. So many dreams of this and now it finally happened.

When you came up for air, you saw the lovestruck look in his face and you knew that he was yours forever. All worries seemed to dissipate in that moment when you looked in his eyes.

“I see you, Neteyam. And I love you.”

“I love you too, skxawng.”

[donottouchredbutton]

In a Heartbeat

joaquin torres x sunshine!reader/ofc

4k words

she saves someone, and joaquin saves her.

moodboard

note: i wrote this with my oc in mind that i plan to write more about, but i wanted it to be read as a reader insert as well! let me know what you think :)

She had been living in Washington DC for a little over a year now. She moved there for grad school, and some of the excitement had yet to wear off still. It had seemed like a good idea at the time, with all of the good schools nearby and all of the things to do and learn in the capital. It seemed like a busy enough place to never be bored, which was exactly what she wanted. It really had seemed like a smart idea, especially since she hadn’t had any problems since moving there.

Until she did.

She was out with her roommate after classes had ended for the day, enjoying the warm spring day and simply happy to be people watching as they hung out. It had quickly become one of her favorite things since moving there, something she shared with her roommate, Jasmine. She was always glad she and Jazzy got along so well and liked spending time together, often spending time just being out and about like today. 

Jazzy was showing her a small outdoor shopping district just outside of a park. It must’ve been really popular because it was packed with people. People were out walking their dogs, parents were out shopping with their kids, couples and friends were on dates and lounging on the grassy areas. Music was coming from the open doors of one of the stores, loud enough to carry even as you walked away from it. Something smelled good, like fresh bread and cinnamon sugar, and she wanted to follow her nose to figure out where it was coming from. There was a warm breeze that made her shiver whenever they walked in the shade, so she pulled Jazzy away to make sure they stayed in the sun. A few kids ran past them playing tag. It made her smile, she hoped they were having fun. 

She was pulled out of her thoughts when she noticed a bit of commotion going on. She couldn’t tell where it was coming from, but it was progressively getting louder. From the looks of it, she wasn’t the only one who had noticed as many of the people nearby were looking around as well. It continued to grow louder and louder until she spotted a large group of people running in their direction, all shouting and screaming to get away. A ways behind them, she spotted a group of big looking men in scary looking masks carrying scary looking weapons, all running after them with their weapons pointed forward. Before she could think about how cliche that sounded, she knew they had to get away first. Many people around them were coming to the same conclusion as they all began turning tail and running. She and Jazzy shared a look of understanding before following suit.

As everyone kept running away and the noise was getting louder, another noise caught her attention above all the commotion. She could just barely hear a small voice calling for help, but it was loud enough to get her to stop running. Her head whipped around trying to find whoever it was, wherever it was coming from. Her eyes landed on a little girl sitting on the ground holding a little boy, and even from her distance she could see they were crying.

“MOMMY!” the little girl kept shouting, tears running down her face as she tried to pull the little boy up with her. They had to be brother and sister. She sounded terrified.

She took off before she could think about what she was doing. She could vaguely hear Jazzy calling after her, trying to get her to turn around and come back, but she couldn’t. The only thing on her mind was getting to those kids before they could get hurt. She wouldn’t let that happen.

She slid to a stop and knelt down next to the kids when she got to them, unconcerned about the fact that she tore a hole in her jeans by doing so, nor the bruises and scrapes she no doubt would have on her knees either. The little girl, maybe seven or eight, kept pulling on her brother’s arm trying to get him to move, but he was sat on the ground firmly, bawling his eyes out and refusing to move. She knew he couldn’t have been older than three years old. 

She looked around for anyone who could have been their mother, anyone willing to help, but everyone was running in the opposite direction. She turned her head to see the group of men getting closer and closer, and they were gaining fast. She was the only one around.

“I need to get you out of here,” she said, turning back to the two kids, voice urgent. “I’ll get you back to your mom, I promise.”

She tried to pick up the little boy, who immediately started shouting and fighting when she did so. He was on the verge of a full-blown breakdown, determined to stay exactly where he was no matter what she did. 

“He won’t let anyone but mom pick him up,” the little girl cried, “but I don’t know where mommy is!”

Seeing how frightened they were broke her heart. There was no getting them to move if she couldn’t pick the little boy up, but she couldn’t just leave them. She wouldn’t. She didn’t know what to do, and she was struggling to come up with something fast enough. With another glance over her shoulder, she realized she was out of time. They were too close now, seconds away and coming right towards them. 

“Hold onto him, and don’t let go!” she ordered the girl. Once the girl did as she said, she grabbed both of the kids and held them to her chest, making sure neither of them would get hit as she awaited the inevitable first—and what she expected to be the final—blow to hit. 

She felt a strong gust of air rush over her head, and at the sound of a fight right behind her, she held on tighter to the kids in her arms. She knew this was it. In a heartbeat, it’d be finished. She’d be finished. 

“Are you okay?”

The voice was closer than she expected, making her jump, but it sounded genuinely concerned. Chancing a glance behind her, she was met with a pair of soft brown eyes. 

She looked past the man to see what was going on, only just noticing that the commotion had stopped, and she could see that the group of men were all lying on the ground unconscious with a man holding a shield standing above them. Everyone knew who Captain America was, but she never expected to come across him herself. Knowing that the kids would be safe now, she looked back to the man in front of her and was shocked to see he had a pair of wings on his back. The Falcon. They were positioned in a way that was meant to shield them from any danger. 

She finally looked back at the Falcon. His eyes hadn’t left her the entire time, and he stayed put in front of them, as if he wanted to make sure nothing could happen to them even with the threat gone. 

Instead of answering the man, she turned back to the kids in her arms. They were still crying and scared, she knew they would be, but at least she knew they would be safe now. She scanned over them for any injuries, and once she knew they were unharmed, she cupped the little girl’s face to get her attention. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay. It’s okay now. You’re safe,” she assured her, speaking softly to help her calm down a bit. She stroked her cheek to gently wipe away her tears. She felt her own heart beating out of her chest, but she couldn’t focus on that right now. “I’m gonna get you back to your mom now, okay? Let’s go find your mom.” 

She glanced back at the man behind her again, who still hadn’t moved, before she eased the kids up into standing. The weight of the situation was finally catching up to her, her head swimming as she tried her hardest to focus on getting the kids back to their mom before anything else. She kept looking between them and the man who saved them. Stuttering, she said, “I… I need-”

“MOMMY!” the little girl called, grabbing her brother’s hand and running to meet the woman who was running towards them. 

She watched as the older woman dropped to her knees to meet her children in an embrace, her own tears streaming down her face as she held her children to her chest. The woman began kissing all over their faces and on the tops of their heads, and the woman’s voice was just loud enough for her to hear her repeating my babies to the children in her arms.

She was walking towards the family before she knew what she was doing. Her knees were screaming at her causing her to limp slightly, but she didn’t care. She needed to make sure they would be okay. Once she was close enough, the woman looked up at her and a look of gratitude crossed her face. 

“Thank you,” the woman managed to say through her tears. “Thank you for protecting my babies.” For a moment, she thought the woman was talking to the Falcon, the one who actually had saved her kids, but the woman was looking at her. 

“You don’t…” she started, beginning to shake her head, but she knew it would be pointless. Instead, she said, “I’m just glad you and your kids are safe.” 

She watched them a few more moments before the woman gathered her kids up and hurried away from the scene. She couldn’t blame them, she wanted to do the same. 

She suddenly remembered the man who had saved them. The Falcon (she couldn’t get over it). She turned back towards him, and this time she really took him in. His wings had retracted back into his suit, thankfully, as they had been very distracting. He was tall without being towering. His skin looked warm and sun-kissed with sharp cheekbones that made her wonder what he looked like when he smiled. He had a head of short, curly black hair, and those soft brown eyes. Those eyes that were still watching, a strange gleam present that hadn’t been there before. 

She didn’t really know what to say, feeling awkward, but she didn’t need to. Before she could even thank him, he spoke instead.

“Are you okay?” he asked again. Something told her that he wouldn’t leave until he knew she was.

“I’m fine,” she finally answered. She didn’t know if she was telling the truth or not, but she still wasn’t able to focus on how she really felt. The kids were safe, their mother was safe, and as far as she was concerned, that’s all that mattered. And this man made sure of that. “Thank you.”

The man seemed to relax a bit at that, his shoulders losing some of their tension. He opened his mouth to say something else, but another voice cut in. 

“Torres! We gotta go, man!” 

It was Captain America who interrupted (which was something she never thought she’d experience), having just been talking with the police who she hadn’t noticed had arrived. They were hauling the men—masks gone and in handcuffs now—into the backs of the police cars. The hero was inspecting their weapons, clearly waiting for the other man—Torres, apparently—to join back up with him. Torres looked between the two of them, seeming conflicted. Before either of them could say anything, they were once again interrupted. 

The sound of Jazzy calling her name snapped her out of whatever was going on, and she turned to see her roommate running straight towards her. Before she could comprehend what was going on, Jazzy was grabbing her arm and pulling her away, determined to get them away from anything else that might happen. She looked back at the man, Torres, and called out another thank you! before she let her roommate lead her away from the scene. 

—

In truth, she didn’t think she would ever see him again. Why would she? He was The Falcon, Captain America’s partner and a superhero in his own right. He had to have saved countless people all the time. He probably wasn’t even in DC anymore. There was no way she would see him again. 

But then she did. 

She volunteered at a local elementary school, and today they were taking the fifth graders down to the veterans rehabilitation center. They liked to decorate the walls with pictures and bring flowers for the veterans, wanting to try to brighten their days a bit and thank them for their service while doing so, and she liked being part of it as well. She couldn’t imagine what some of them have gone through, but she would sometimes sit in on the group sessions to try to understand more. It was why she made sure to take the kids there at least once every couple weeks.

“It was so nice seeing you and the kids again, sunshine!” the kind lady at the front desk said as she was getting them ready to leave. It was a nickname she had quickly picked up since they started going there, and it always made her laugh.

“Of course, Laura!” she replied. “I’m just glad they like coming down here as much as I do.”

Laura chuckled lowly. “Your visits always make everyones day. They may not say it often, but they appreciate it. More than you know.”

She smiled softly at that. “We try our best. We just want to show our respect and try to brighten things up for everyone, you know?”

“Don’t sell yourself short, hun. What you do with the kids and for everyone here, not many people would do it. We all appreciate everything you do around here. We appreciate you.”

She looked down bashfully at the older woman’s kind words. She never really knew what to say to that. Her eyes flicked back up to Laura. “Oh, I almost forgot!” She reached into her bag and pulled out a small bin. “I know you’ve been wanting to try Jazzy’s brownies.”

The wide grin that appeared on Laura’s face was enough for one to form on her’s as well. She nearly snatched the bin out of her hand, causing her to laugh. “You spoil me, sunshine!”

The two shared a few more words before she checked the time, knowing she needed to leave soon if she didn’t want the bus to leave without her. She said goodbye to Laura with a promise to be back the next week, and the other woman jokingly promised to be ready for more treats. With a wave and another smile to her friend, she began making her way to the front doors. She was in high spirits as she was preparing to leave, paying no mind to the man she passed on her way out until he called out to her. 

“Hey, it’s you!”

She almost didn’t stop, but when she looked around the area and saw it was mostly void of people, she figured it was her he was trying to get the attention of. When she stopped and turned around, her eyes widened when they met the same soft brown ones she first saw just the other day. 

“It’s you,” she repeated, not knowing what to say.

For a moment, she wondered how she could even miss him. Sure, he wasn’t wearing his suit or his wings and seemed, therefore, much less intimidating–not that he seemed intimidating in the first place, but he did save her life, and there’s just something about meeting a superhero face to face that makes a person feel overly self-aware. Without the suit on, you wouldn’t even assume he was a superhero, though in her head she was kicking herself because of course that was the point. He just seemed so normal, and she felt like she could pay more attention now that her life wasn’t on the line. He wore a dark green jacket over a black shirt and jeans, a pair of sunglasses hanging from one of the pockets. His shoulders filled out his jacket well, subtly showing off his built but lean muscles. Part of her wished she could remember what they looked like in his suit when they were more noticeable, and she mentally kicked herself again for thinking that about a complete stranger. His dark curls were styled simply and looked soft to the touch, and she was sure they were. 

Those eyes, though. Unlike before, his soft eyes were looking at her in pleasant surprise rather than concern, his lips quirking up in what was almost a smile. But that weird gleam she saw before was still there, and if anything, it was much more apparent than before.

It took her a few more seconds to realize neither one of them had said anything, her eyes glancing off to the side as her mind raced for something to say. He must’ve realized the same thing because his eyes widened suddenly, taking a step toward her once he knew he had her attention. 

“Sorry, um,” he began, searching for his words, “I just didn’t think I’d ever see you again, but I’m glad I did. How are you doing, after what happened?”

Her eyes widened slightly again, surprised by his words. “I-I’m doing fine,” she answered, but she wasn’t sure how much she believed herself. She added, “‘ve just been trying to get back to normal, is all.”

He seemed satisfied enough with her answer and started to nod, a small smile playing on his lips. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

His words surprised her again. In a burst of confidence, she replied with, “Well, I did have someone to save me.”

His smile grew as he looked down sheepishly, and she thought she heard him say just doing my job under his breath. When he looked back up at her, she thought she liked seeing that gleam in his eyes, especially when he smiled. She thought happiness looked good on him.

“What are you doing here?” she asked gently, suddenly remembering where she still was. 

“Oh, I’m here to meet my partner,” he answered. “He helps out with the counseling sessions when he can. But I’ve got some information I need to discuss with Cap.”

Somehow, it didn’t surprise her to hear that about Captain America. In fact, it made her respect him even more for trying to help people on a more personal level, not just fighting as a superhero. Saving lives on all fronts, she was sure. But the way he talked about why he was there was just vague enough to pique her interest, and just telling enough for her to understand she shouldn’t pry. She was going to find a way to politely remove herself from the conversation, but he spoke again before she could.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, repeating her own question. He cringed at the way it came out, so he quickly added, “I just mean, this is the last place I expected to see you. Are you in the military?”

She shook her head, nearly chuckling. “No, I’m not. The school I volunteer at brings some of the older students down here every few weeks. We like to bring flowers and write cards, you know, to try to show our respect and appreciation. Try to brighten up people’s days where we can.”

“You do all this?” He asked, gesturing toward the decorations on the walls and the flowers here and there. His eyes had widened in surprise again, and it was her turn to look down bashfully this time. 

“Not just me. It’s the kids, mostly, but I like to help out.”

He looked impressed, and something about the look on his face and those damn eyes caused her face to heat up. She wasn’t used to this kind of attention. 

“Well, I can confidently say that I’m not the only one around here who loves seeing all of the notes and decorations,” he said softly, the smile on his face filling her with a sense of warmth she hadn’t felt before. “It’s amazing what you’ve been doing. We all appreciate what you do. And the kids, of course.”

Something told her that he was speaking more for himself than he was for everyone else, and somehow she knew that he meant it toward her directly. The thought made her smile.

His face suddenly got more serious, though, instantly making her feel nervous. “What you did the other day, with those two kids, too. That was amazing.”

That was not something she was expecting, and she definitely didn’t know how to respond to it. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down, suddenly feeling shy. “I did what anyone would do.”

But he was already shaking his head. “No, really. You saved those kids. I may be the one with wings, but you’re the real hero. It was incredible.”

When she glanced back up at him, she saw that a small smile had reappeared on his lips, and somehow, it was enough to ease some of the tension in her shoulders. It was enough to comfort her in a way she hadn’t felt in a long time, and it made her feel seen in a way she never had. All with one look, which is what really surprised her. She knew deflecting would be useless, so she settled with telling him, barely loud enough for him to hear, “Thank you.” And she meant it more than he knew.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” He asked one final time.

She wanted to laugh that he wouldn’t let it go so easily. “I am, or I will be. I promise,” she answered, and she knew she was telling the truth this time. “Besides, this wouldn’t be my first time in a situation like that, and I’m sure it won’t be my last.” Now that got a good reaction out of him, even though it was the truth.

“Speaking of the kids, though,” she said before he could think about it too much, checking the time again and realizing she’d officially run out of time, “I have to get going so I don’t get left behind.” She looked him over one more time, trying to memorize as much as she could, before she began to turn away. “It was nice to see you again, and to talk. And thank you, again, for saving me.”

His smile warmed her from the inside out. “If it meant getting to see you again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

She forced herself not to shudder before turning around. She had only made it a few more steps before he suddenly stopped her again. 

“Wait!” he called, almost too loudly for the quiet hallway. “I didn’t ever get your name!”

She wanted to kick herself again. How had they gone this entire conversation without learning each other’s names? She glanced back over her shoulder, seeing that he had barely moved from his spot. With a warm smile directed at him, she told him her name.

Another smile began to form on his face in return, and it looked like he repeated her name under his breath. Their eyes met a final time before he responded with his own. “I’m Joaquin. It was really nice to meet you, too.”

She turned around before he could catch the wide grin that was beginning to form on her face against her will and tried to rush out of there as subtly as she could. As she went, she could just hear him, Joaquin, repeat her name a second time, and even from where she was she could hear a smile in his tone. She left the building with a bounce in her step and a warm feeling in her chest. 

All because of the Falcon who saved her.

[abbatoirablaze]

Surrogate Luna, Chapter 27

Word Count: 1.5k

Warnings:  manipulation, mentions of betrayal, familial violence, man hitting a woman/knocking her out, mentions of assassination.

“This is almost relaxing,” Sarah smiled as she nudged her elder brother, “you know, aside from the fact that Alpha Barnes went to Steve’s pack lands to rescue him and might be heading into a trap.”

“Don’t worry,” he chuckled softly as he lazily watched the pups running around on the training ground, “Barnes isn’t in any danger.  Your new alpha has always been one to run before it gets to serious.”

“I know that you have a lost a lot of your faith in him because the three of you were friends when you were younger, but this is a serious and dangerous situation, Sam,” she warned, “Cinna barely got out of Sharon’s clutches and she’s traumatized from it.  You may have been protected more because you were always Steve’s beta, but there were things that you never saw, Sam.  I saw it when I was one of Cinna’s attendings.  I saw how truly vile Sharon and her inner circle were to our luna.”

Sam bit his lip and looked away from the pups, towards his sister, “she really scared you…Sharon did?”

“Sam, I left for a reason,” she sighed, shaking her head, “I know that you feel some loyalty towards Steve and by proxy, Sharon, because there was a time where they were mated, and the Rogers pack lands were our home, but I needed to look after my boys.  I didn’t want them dragged into a needless war that Sharon would undoubtedly start when things stopped going her way.”

“Sarah…”

“I’m just glad that you’re here,” she offered, smiling softly at her brother, “I’m glad that we’re together again.  That you’re safe.  That we’re all safe together.”

Same felt a pang in the pit of his stomach as he looked at his sister, “Sarah, there’s something that I have to tell you.”

She looked away from the pups, and the guilt on his face registered with her.  Worry coated her emotions, and her scent turned bitter as she saw the look of betrayal on his face, “Sam…what did you do.”

“What I had to in order to protect us, Sarah.”

“Sam…”

“She said that she would make sure that we were spared…” he said quickly, as though that was enough of a justification, “that she would see to it that you and your boys were safe despite you running to Barnes.”

Panic rose in her soul, “Who, Sam?”

But deep down, she knew the answer.  She didn’t need to hear him say that he’d betrayed them all to Sharon. 

“SAM!”

“I think you know who, Sarah.”

“Please say that it’s some sick joke,” she begged as she took his hands in her own, “tell me that you aren’t being serious, Sam.  Tell me that you didn’t sell yourself to Sharon f-“

“I pledged my loyalty to my alpha!” he said quickly, cutting her off, “once everything is said and done, she’s going to make me the beta of the new pack.  And like I said, she promised me that she wouldn’t hurt you or the boys.  She forgives you for your fear and betrayal.  You were tricked by-“

She stood and ran away from the bench that she and Sam had been lounging on, “THE CARTER PACK IS COMING!  RAISE THE ALARMS.  THEY ARE GOING TO AMBUSH THE LANDS!”

“Sarah!”

But it was too late for Sam to stop her.  She’d already gotten the attention of some of the younger warriors, and they were quick to sound the alarm across the lands, which would bring everyone to defend the packhouse. 

Without a second glance, she rushed towards the pups who had been playing freely in the grounds, but who were now scared, eyes wide as their own scents soured. 

Sam rushed towards her, hoping to stop her, as another she-wolf rushed towards the children.

“Sarah-“

“Get away from me,” she spat, shooting him a glare, while simultaneously shrugging him off, “Jasmine, take the children to the luna.  She will know where to hide them.  I-“

“Sarah, stop!”

“GO!” Sarah commanded, pushing the other she-wolf towards the children. 

The woman spared no time as she gathered the children and started in on the packhouse, but Sarah had taken the moment to look at her brother, “how could you, Sam?  How could you do this to-“

“Sharon spares you no ill-will,” he repeated, “she doesn’t blame you.  You were bewitched by Steve’s whore.  You didn’t know that-“

“You’re a traitor!” she spat, shoving her brother, “you’re betraying your own alpha for self-survival and a place at her table.  You’re a coward, Sam.  You’re a-“

She was stopped when the elder sibling backhanded her, sending her to the dirt.

“Don’t you ever call me a coward!” he growled pointing at himself, “I took over when dad died.  I had to follow suit and protect the two of us when mom abandoned us after his passing.  I ALWAYS LOOKED OUT FOR US!”

“YOU looked out for yourself!” she hissed from the ground, before lunging at him. 

“Sarah stop!” he commanded, pushing away from her.  The two circled one another as Sam tried to make his point, “you had to leave the pack because of Cinna.  She’s the reason that Maria and Wanda are dead.  She’s the reason that you had to leave your real home, not Sharon.  Sharon had been with Steve for years, and we were perfectly fine.  It wasn’t until she had shown up that everything went to shit.  SHE poisoned you against us!”

“She’s my friend, and my luna!” Sarah screamed, before shifting and charging at her brother once again. 

Sam copied her actions and shifted but kept on the defensive. 

He may have been angry about what Sarah was claiming, but regardless, she was still his sister.  And he’d only agreed to go along with Sharon’s plan because it meant that once Sharon came out on top, she’d agreed to spare Sarah and her boys.

He’d only done it to ensure the safety of his family. 

Sam growled as Sarah went to bite at his front paw, warning her the best that he could without hurting her.  But when she lunged again, he’d had no choice. 

Ducking out of the way, he rolled with her, and the two of them tumbled towards the trees. 

She fell out of her shift, and Sam did the same. 

She was too emotional.

She hadn’t shifted much and hadn’t preferred her more primal form. 

And Sam used that to his advantage as he hit her hard in the temple, knocking her out.

“You don’t understand it right now…but I promise,” he sighed breathlessly as he stood over her still form, “when this is all over, you’ll get it.  Everything I do is to keep our family safe, Sar…”

And with his parting words he pushed himself away from his sister and shifted once more, so that he could run to the spot that Sharon had selected before she originally sent him to Bucky’s pack lands. 

So that Sharon’s pack could be let in.

And so that they could kill Cinna once and for all.

“Sarah…”

She was being nudged. 

A warm hand tried to brush the hair that had stuck to her forehead out of her line of sight.  And she caught herself gripping the hand with a heavy hand.

“Sarah.  It’s me.”

Sarah’s eyes snapped open, and she saw a very worried looking Cinna in front of her.

“Luna!” she exclaimed, “y-you can’t be here.  Where’s Jasmine?  Where are the pups?  Wh-“

“What happened to you?”

“Why aren’t you safe with the others?”

“Jasmine said that you were fighting with Sam,” she said quickly, almost anxiously.  She started trying to help her friend to her feet, but she pushed herself away from her, “Sarah, come on, we-“

“Sam betrayed you Luna!”

“Wh-what?”

“Sam…he-he’s working with Sharon,” she cried, “it was all some ploy to get underneath yours and Alpha Barnes’ skin.  Steve was a setup.  Her pack is coming while Bucky and the other leaders are gone.  They-“

“Get to the den beneath the packhouse!” she said quickly, pulling her up, “I have to get to the warriors with a plan of action.  I-“

“Luna you can’t!” she said quickly, cutting her off, “if they catch you-“

“If our warriors have no one to guide them, we will fall.  Our pack won’t exist,” she said firmly, giving the woman a look, “Sarah.  I need to know that the pack’s future is ensured.  Go to the den and seal it.  Make sure the pups are safe.”

“Luna-“

“That’s an order!” she said firmly, pushing her towards the packhouse.  A few of the warriors appeared behind her, and she turned to them, “the Carter pack is coming.  Jake.  I need you to go to the border.  Alert our patrols that we need to hunt down Wilson’s scent.  Tyson…come with me.  We will need to fortify the packhouse until my mate and the others return.”

“Yes Luna!” the first wolf agreed, immediately shifting, then howling, before running into the woods.  She gripped the arm of the other warrior, and bent over, howling out in pain herself. 

“Luna!” he called as she fell to her knees, “Luna, are you injured?”

“My water!” she called anxiously as her own scent spiked.  She looked up to Sarah in disbelief, her eyes wide, “my water just broke…”

Chapter 28

Tag List:  @lohnes16, @prokey16, @tenaciousperfectionunknown, @teambarnes72, @mrsevans90, @skulliecadaver-blog

[lala1267]

Bow down bitches (part3)

Summary: You were on tour with Elvis, but Jerry was getting too comfortable.

I sat on the couch with Elvis and my daughter. Elvis was holding Jasmine, playing with her and admiring her. Her giggles made a light gleam in my heart. Looking at Elvis, playing with my child was the best sight to see. He would be such a good dad. I was 20 years old, and I already had a baby. I knew this journey was going to be hard, but I would do anything for my beautiful daughter. Elvis looked at me with Jasmine in his hands.

"You have a beautiful daughter. Takes after her mother." He said as he played with her curls. I smiled before replying.

"Well, I think we know that." I said sarcastically. We both laughed. I was getting a strong feeling of deja vu. I felt his warm soul radiate of him like when we first met. I remembered when we first kissed, it felt like heaven. He continued to play and giggle with my daughter. My heart was warm just watching it.

"You know I will always be here if ya need me. I can take good care of ya." He said as he turned to look at me with his piercing blue eyes yet again. I moved closer to him so that I we were touching shoulders.

"I know you will. You're a good man, Elvis." I said before placing a kiss on his cheek without thinking twice. He just giggled before placing a peck on my daughters cheek.

"I wanna take ya on tour with me, I think you will like it." He said as he batted his long eyelashes. I didn't hesitate to say,

"Yes, I would love to." I said eagerly.

Before I knew it I was packing a bag of clothes and essentials for tour. All of the clothes that I packed were ones that Elvis had brought me. Ever since i began to stay at his house, he would spoil me like a child. I didn't complain, though. Once I was done, I passed the bag to one of Elvis's assistants. I picked up Jasmine and placed a kiss on her button nose.

"Honey, we have to leave now." Elvis shouted from the bottom of the stairs. I smiled as I headed down to him. I reached the bottom of the stairs, and I was met with Elvis. He had a big smile on his face.

"I love seeing ya with your daughter, it makes me smile." He said sweetly. I stepped towards him and planted my lips onto his. I didn't know why I did it, I just did. We weren't even toughether, but there was definitely a spark between us. I pulled away, and we headed to the car. He opened the door for me, I got in, and he followed behind me, grabbing my hips slightly. I sat Jasmine on my lap and tied her curly hair up. She was only one year old, and her hair was shoulder length. She had light brown, luscious curls. Elvis watched me do her hair with a grin on his handsome face.

"I love her hair, it's nice to see a mixed race child." I just smiled at his comment as I continued to do her hair.

We soon arrived and I could already see the paparazzi. My heart pounded faster, and I gripped my daughter tightly. I looked at Elvis with a worried expression on my face.

"Elvis, I can't go out there. All of the shouting and flashing will be too much for Jasmine." Elvis looked at me and then at Jasmine, who was curiously trying to look out of the tinted window.

"Hmm, take this and put it over her head. She won't be able to see all of the flashes." He said as he handed me a black handkerchief from his pocket. I put it over my daughters head and exited the vehicle with Elvis by my side. He grabbed onto Jasmine and me tightly and rushed us inside. Cameras were flashing, and fans were shouting. Once we were inside, I let out a sigh of relief. I took the handkerchief off my daughters head. She had a cute smile on her face, I was glad that she wasn't fazed by the fans and paparazzi. Elvis walked up behind me and slightly squeezed Jasmine's cheek.

"See, happy as ever." He said with a little giggle. I felt his hot breath on my neck as he inched closer to kiss my cheek. Just his touch made me so happy.

A group of men, known as the Memphis Mafia, walked over to us. Their eyes widened, and eyebrows furrowed as they looked at me, with a baby in my arms. Elvis was quick to speak.

"Don't worry, boys, i ain't a father yet." He said with a slight giggle. The boys laughed before talking amongst themselves. Once all the attention was away from me, Elvis leaned down towards my ear and whispered.

"But I wish I was." I turned my head to look up at his smug face before planting my pink lips on his once more.

A group of professional looking men walked over to me, Elvis, and the Memphis Mafia.

"Elvis, the show starts in thirty minutes. Your dressing room is backstage, and your outfit is already in there." One of them said confidently. Elvis nodded before grabbing my free hand and escorting me and Jasmine backstage. We walked into through the tall door that had Elvis's name on. It was quite small and had just one bench to sit on. I placed myself on the wooden bench as Elvis walked over to his costume. He picked it up and showed it off to me. It was pure white and was studded with red, blue, and yellow diamonds. It also came with a rather large belt that was also covered in diamonds. He stepped behind the curtains. He walked back out with the jaw-dropping outfit, fitted to his body perfectly. It exentuated his small waist and flared at the bottom of his long legs. His broad shoulders looked strong and big. Everything about this man made me want to scream. Jasmine was sat in my lap, giggling and smiling as usual. Elvis stepped closer to me.

"Do ya like it?" He asked in curiosity. I smiled.

"Like it? I love it!" I said. He bent down to place a kiss on my cheek. Jasmine reached her small, chubby hand out to play with the diamonds on Elvis's expensive suit. As he stood back up, he looked down at Jasmine whilst giggling.

"I think Jasmine likes your outfit too." I said cheerfully before placing a kiss on Jasmine's rosy cheek. He just laughed like a child before stating,

"Well, the show is about to start. I've got you a private seating area, it's away from all the noise so that Jasmine won't cry. Is that ok with you?" He asked as he raised his brows.

"Yes, that's fine, but will I still be able to see you perform?"

"Of course ya will, honey."

Just then, a man walked into the room and laid his eyes on me.

"Natalya, I'm here to escort you to your seat." He said with a smile. I simply nodded and followed him as I blew a kiss to Elvis on my way out. He led me to the area, and Elvis was right. It was settled and quiet. I sat down, and the Memphis Mafia sat next to me. I placed Jasmine on my lap and grabbed the baby milk bottle that was sat on the marble table in front of me, just for Jasmine. I placed it in Jasmine's mouth, and she began to drink. And the show had also begun. Elvis was singing and dancing like a mad man, but it was so sexy. I was still feeding Jasmine when I felt one of the members of the Memphis Mafia, Jerry, move closer to me. He placed his hand on my back and rubbed slow, tender circles onto it. I tried to ignore it, but soon he was playing with my long black hair and caressing my pink cheek. He whispered seductively into my ear.

"I can put another baby in ya, I bet you would like that." His breath smelt of liquor, and his hand was moving down towards my breasts. This man was crazy, he was all over me whilst I had a baby in my hands. I looked at him with a disgusted look as I turned away from him. I held Jasmine tight.

"Don't go all cold on me baby, I know you want me." His cold voice said to me. His voice made me physically ill. His hands traced down my hips and waist. This was getting out of hand. I turned to face him.

"Get your dirty fucking hands off me." I said whilst raising my voice slightly. He just giggled.

"I like my women when they are angry." He said with a smug look on his rodent face. I quickly picked Jasmine up so that she was secure in my hands. I got up and looked at Jerry with furious eyes.

"Just wait till Elvis hears about this!". I said before angrily storming off into the backstage corridor. Little did i know, Elvis was watching this all play out, and he was going to stop this. Jerry followed behind me. I stopped In the hallway as I felt Jerry's hand in my shoulder.

"Come on baby, don't be like this."

"Don't call me that." I said coldly as I turned to face him, with my baby still in my arms.

"Elvis doesn't have to know. Either way, you're going to do what I say." He said as his face dropped. His cold gaze sent chills down my spine.

"She won't be fucking doing anything you say." a deep voice called from the hallway. It was Elvis. He ran to Jerry, and before I knew it, Jerry was on the floor getting strong blows to the face. Elvis nuckles were red, and so was Jerry's now bloody nose. I just stood there, watching in shock. Once he was done, he got up and stepped closer to me.

"I'm so sorry baby, he won't be seen near me or you ever again." Elvis said in his deep breathless voice. He looked at Jasmine, in my arms with soft eyes. He kissed her cheek, then mine. I just smiled as I looked into his blue eyes. Jerry was on the floor, bloody nose and unconscious. Elvis and I were loving eachover, this felt like a movie. I felt safe and protected around Elvis. I knew that he would go to extreme lengths just to keep me safe. He would cause disaster just for me. I was the queen of disaster.

[lemoncrushh]

Too Far From Texas | Chapter Thirty

STORY PAGE

Word Count: 5848

Maybe my love could fly over the ocean… Maybe my heart should try to leave him alone...

I could hear Lorelei’s cackle down the hall. She had an infectious laugh, and had I not felt like a truck had run me over for the past couple weeks, I would have smiled. Instead, with a furrowed brow I walked to her office.

“I know, doll, I know!” she exclaimed. “Listen, you’re preaching to the choir.”

When I stepped into her doorway, she looked up from her desk, giving me a quick grin as she held up a finger.

“Okay, sounds great, doll,” she said into her phone. “Yes. See you then.”

“Hey,” she breathed as I took the chair across from her. “Ready for tomorrow?”

“I still have to pack,” I grumbled as I reached down to adjust my shoe that had been rubbing my heel all day. “What time’s our flight again?”

“6:22,” Lorelei replied.

“A.M.?” I groaned. “Jesus Christ, thanks Kris.”

“Hey, I’m not complaining,” said Lor. “It’s free. Besides, it’s an hour later in New York, remember.”

“And an hour later I’d like to sleep.”

“Hush, you.” Lor gave me a look before turning to her computer. “So, since our meeting isn’t until 2:00, I was thinking after we get checked in to our room, we could do a little shopping and have an early lunch.”

“If our meeting’s not until two, why did Kris book our flight so early?” I scoffed. I knew I was being a baby about this whole ordeal, especially since I knew how airlines operated. A later flight might not have been available. I just wanted to complain.

Ignoring my question, Lorelei went her own route. “I just think it would be nice to see some of the city this time around. We didn’t get to do much last time.”

I stared at her blankly as my mind traveled back to the hotel bar, Harry’s red coat, his hand on my back. I thought of the yacht, the dinner and the music. I remembered the look on his face in the moonlight when I told him I couldn’t stay.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, looking down at my hands, the nails that desperately needed a manicure. “We didn’t.”

“So let’s live it up a little this time around,” she grinned, tossing her blonde locks off her shoulder. “I can even show you where I used to live, if you’d like.”

I gave her a soft smile. “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

Her chin in her hand, Lorelei gave me a look, seemingly studying me until she decided to speak again.

“Still haven’t called Harry back, huh?”

Blinking slowly, I shook my head. I’d told my friend about the message Harry had left the weekend before. She had tried in vain to encourage me to call him back.

“Not even a text?” she asked. “I mean...at least to let him know you got his message, that you didn’t block his number.”

“That’s the whole point, Lor,” I explained. “If I give in and reply, that will just give him hope. I’m doing this for the both of us.”

“How do you reckon?” she asked.

I shrugged. “It will just hurt a lot less the next time I see him. We’ll both see it was for the best, and we can move on.”

I heard Lorelei scoff, and I looked up at her, her face full of annoyance.

“Why even give him that, then?” she spat with a wave of her hand.

“What do you mean?”

“Why even go to his concert next month? Just break it off completely, block his number, let it be over. Don’t leave the carrot dangling.”

I bit my lip as I looked at my lap again. I nodded slowly. I knew what she meant, and she had a point. I just couldn’t do it.

“I guess...I just need the closure,” I admitted. “If I rip off the band aid, it’s like I didn’t give the wound time to heal.”

I heard Lor sigh, no doubt exasperated. “I get it, I guess,” she said. “But God, sometimes I wish you weren’t a writer! Your fucking imagery and analogies are so annoying.”

I glared at her. “Hey!”

“I know, I know,” she rolled her eyes, gesturing between us. “Pot, kettle.”

“Bye, sweet girls,” I called to Jasmine and Emery, and blew them a kiss.

“Bye, Mommy!” said Em. “Have a good trip!” She gave me a wave and multiple air kisses before I closed the door behind me.

Since the girls were staying with Tod for the weekend anyway, I told him I had to go out of town for work, and he agreed on my dropping them off on Wednesday evening after dinner. Ever since I’d come back from L.A., Tod had been oddly cordial to me. Not that we were friends or anything of the sort, but he just seemed a lot more agreeable. Lorelei joked that since he’d found out I’d been seeing someone, he’d probably gotten the message that he was no longer in control of me. Though I imagined a piece of that might have been true, I wasn’t holding my breath that he’d never show his true colors again.

Once home, I began packing my suitcase. Opening my drawers, I pulled out some pajamas and laid them inside my bag first. Blinking hard, I willed myself not to turn around and grab the item I’d wanted to. No doubt my eye had caught it laying there between my winter pjs and the back of the drawer with its muted purple floral print.

I’d slept in it that night I’d listened to his voicemail, then lingered in it most of the next day until I’d finally gotten up and made myself take a shower. I hadn’t wanted to wear it again for fear that I’d end up having to wash it, thus relieving it of Harry’s scent completely. Instead, I’d laid it next to me on the bed the next night, pretending in my head I was using it like a blanket, when really I was imagining him lying beside me. On the third night, I finally told myself I was being ludicrous, and if I was ever really going to move on, I had to let him go. So to the back of the drawer, it went.

I packed the rest of my things, opting not to bring anything that reminded me of Harry. That didn’t leave me with much other than office attire, but Lorelei had mentioned shopping. So I figured if I needed something I didn’t bring with me, I could always just buy it there in New York. I wasn’t sure what all she had in mind, but I was willing to bet it included at least one night out.

Closing the zipper, I grabbed the handle and set the suitcase on the floor by the door. By the time I showered, dried my hair and slipped into a nightgown, it was after ten so I got into bed and prepared myself for a restless night since I knew I had to get up before dawn. When I grabbed my phone to set an alarm, however, that was when I noticed I had a new voicemail. My thumb grazed over the screen for a while, my mind battling with my heart until I finally decided to open my clock, set the alarm and turn out the light.

Though the moonlight cast a shadow on the opposite wall, I could barely make out his silhouette. He was there. I knew he was, as sure as I knew the back of my hand. But it was as though a fog separated us, a thickness in the air.

“I think we should talk,” he said, coming closer to me.

I could see his face better then, the lines above his eyebrows as he looked back at me.

“About what?” I asked, my throat dry.

“I don’t think this is going to work out after all,” he confessed.

I felt my body slouch into the chair behind me as his words knocked the wind out of me.

“What? Why?”

“You were right,” he said. “And I...just don’t feel the same anymore.”

“But you said-”

“I know what I said,” he voiced firmly, holding up his hand. “But some time as passed and I don’t think this is going to work. I need to live my own life...and you need to live yours.”

“But Harry…”

He turned for the door then, and I gasped for air, trying to scream his name louder.

“Goodbye, Stacey,” he said before vanishing into the thick fog.

The pilot made his announcement, welcoming the passengers to New York. As the plane made its way to the gate, people in the aisle seats rose to retrieve their luggage from the overhead compartment. I waited with Lorelei as those in front of us formed a line to exit the aircraft.

While we waited again at baggage claim, I people watched. Airports always intrigued me, watching different kinds of people, wondering where they were going or from there they’d arrived. I reached for a notepad in my bag and began taking notes, a little trick I’d recently started for jotting down possible ideas for stories. It was a rather old-fashioned method, but sometimes I just preferred the quickness of my steady hand rather than the speed of my mobile fingers. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lorelei pulling out her phone, scrolling through her messages and notifications. As she began typing something, I felt my own phone vibrate in my purse. Seeing his name on my screen never ceased to jolt my pulse, and I silently cursed myself for my reaction.

Hi, how are you?

I cursed again, this time loud enough for Lorelei to hear. What was he doing, asking me how I was, all casual like? Was he trying a new tactic to get me to talk to him? Was he playing with my head? No, that wasn’t like him. Still, I stared at the screen incredulously, my thumb ghosting over the keypad.

“Maybe you should just talk to him,” I heard next to me.

Lorelei eyed me, her head tilted as though she was pleading with me to consider her words. I was about to give her some words of my own when I saw my suitcase drop down from the baggage chute. Dropping my phone back into my purse and shuffling through a handful of people in front of me, I grabbed my luggage from the carousel just in time.

“He left me a voicemail yesterday,” I announced after Lorelei retrieved her suitcase and we waited outside for a taxi. I wasn’t about to admit to her that my stomach had done a somersault when I saw the line of limousines against the curb.

“What did he say?” she inquired.

“I don’t know. I haven’t listened to it.”

“Stace…”

“I can’t, Lor. Not yet.”

“But...what if...he has something really important to say? Something that could change everything?”

I turned to face her, my well-meaning friend. My mouth opened and shut so many times, I probably looked like a Pez dispenser.

“My life is not a romance novel, Lor,” I finally said.

“Hmm,” she mused, looking down at her phone as the taxi pulled up. “But it could be.”

Ignoring her comment, I smiled at the driver who offered to put my suitcase in the trunk, though I already had it lifted and ready to go. Lorelei slid into the seat next to me, her phone in her hand. She’d seemed to be busy texting someone since we’d left the terminal, and I could only assume it was Kris or someone from corporate. With a slight pause in her typing, she leaned forward and told the cab driver the address of our hotel, then resumed her texting.

I looked out the window at the steady traffic, recalling the last time I’d been in this city. It looked different during the day, no lights reflecting on the window or the sense of inspiration. Instead it was much like any other busy city, the noise of horns and the bustling of people on the street with urgency. This was more like the New York I pictured in my head, the one I was familiar with from films and television.

The skyscrapers kissed the clouds as we drove by, my eyes taking it all in. I heard Lorelei make a sound next to me, something like the click of her tongue. I was about to ask her what it meant when the driver turned a corner and I saw the massive marquee sign.

HARRY STYLES. ONE NIGHT ONLY.

“What?!” I asked aloud, my throat suddenly hoarse.

“Oh, shoot!” exclaimed Lorelei just as I turned to look at her. “The meeting’s been canceled!”

“What?” I sounded again, this time more clearly. “You can’t be serious!”

“Yeah,” Lor frowned. “Seems corporate had a change of heart, and they don’t really want to do the pre-launch after all.”

“But...we’re already here!” I gasped incredulously. “Kris paid for our flight! What...what exactly did they say?”

“Just what I told you, doll,” she shrugged, looking down at her phone.

“This is ridiculous,” I spat, digging in my purse for my own cell. “Let me call Kris.”

“No, Stacey,” Lor shook her head.

“We’re on our way to the hotel,” I continued as I retrieved Kris’s contact number, nearly out of breath. “We’re-”

If there was a contest to see how many clues it would take for someone to realize what was going on, I’d have lost. I glared at Lorelei, feeling a fool for not noticing the signs sooner.

“Kris didn’t pay for our flight and hotel, did she?” I asked softly.

“No, doll.”

“It was Harry.”

Lorelei nodded. I took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“There was no pre-launch meeting.”

“No. It was just a ruse. To get you to New York.”

I practically threw my phone into my bag as I huffed out a breath. I could feel my blood boiling, the veins popping in my neck. Then I turned to the window, my head in my hand, and I began to cry.

“Oh doll, I’m sorry,” I heard Lorelei confess as my shoulders shook with sobs. “I had to keep you in the dark until we got here. It was all Harry’s idea.”

“Don’t talk to me, Lor,” I mumbled.

“What?”

“Just don’t even say another word. When we get to the hotel, I’ll make my own arrangements to fly back. Alone.”

Though I’d never been this angry with her before, Lorelei knew best when it was time to shut up.

I’d been on the phone nearly an hour with different airlines, trying to get a flight back to Houston. A couple of them had an available seat for that day, but the prices were astronomical and certainly not anything I could afford. The next best thing was taking a flight home the next evening which would still cost me a few hundred. With a loud groan, I fell face down on the hotel pillow.

After several attempts at trying to reason with me when we’d gotten to our room, Lorelei finally agreed to leave me alone for the time being. She’d said she was going to grab a cup of coffee in the cafe downstairs, and if I felt like it later, I could join her.

I didn’t feel like it.

I was angry. I was beyond perturbed. I felt deceived and bamboozled, by both Harry and my best friend. This little scheme they’d set up wasn’t a romantic gesture like the trip to the Marchborough Inn. This wasn’t like the surprise to Sound City or the ballroom dancing. This was...manipulative and frankly, I found it very immature.

Lifting my head from the pillow, I sat up.

Well, there you have it, I told myself. He’s just a petulant child. Thanks for proving my point, Harry. Even more than I could have.

Looking around the room, however, I felt the sadness creep in. It was a beautiful room. I’d been so enraged when we’d arrived, I hadn’t taken the time to notice where Harry had set us up. It wasn’t a penthouse, but it was definitely larger than any hotel room in which I’d ever stayed. It contained two luxurious beds, a sofa and coffee table, a small table and chairs in the corner by the window, and a dresser with an ornate mirror above it. On top sat a gorgeous bouquet of flowers. Curious, I rose from the bed and walked to it, taking in its intoxicating aroma. It reminded me exactly of the bouquet Harry had sent to my home along with the tickets to his concert in Houston. Inspecting it closer, however, I did not see a card of any kind.

As though on cue, there was a knock at the door. I strode across the room to open it to a handsome man in a suit, no doubt the concierge.

“Ms. Barnett?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“Special delivery for you,” he said, handing me an envelope that seemed to magically appear from behind his back.

“Thank you,” I nodded, taking it from him.

He gave a curt nod back and disappeared down the hall. Shutting the door, I turned the envelope over in my hands. It was a large, plain, manila envelope, with no words or markings of any kind or than my name and room number in the top left-hand corner. I sat down on the bed to open it, as though I already knew I should be sitting to reveal its contents. Peeling open the top, I reached my hand inside and pulled out what appeared to be two laminates, each with Harry’s face and name on them. Then turning the envelope over, I let the rest of its contents spill out onto the bed. Before me laid two concert tickets, crisp and shiny as though they’d just been printed. Lifting the envelope, I shook it and looked inside. There was nothing else. No letter or even a short note. A lump caught in my throat as I read the date on the tickets. The show was tomorrow night. Harry must have had me fly to New York a day early so that he had time to persuade me to talk to him before the concert. Or perhaps the concert was his final plea.

Dropping the tickets and laminates back into the envelope, I closed it and set it on the dresser next to the flowers. The tears started to fall, but I only tried to stop them a little. I laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

Had I done the right thing? Was I absolutely out of my mind like Lorelei obviously thought I was? Was I only causing heartbreak for myself when there was no guarantee there would have been any otherwise? Had I sabotaged my own happiness because I was so hung up on guarantees in the first place?

My chest felt heavy as I wiped my eyes. My phone vibrated on the nightstand, and I picked it up, ready to text Lorelei. But it was Harry.

Hey, I know you’re here. Will you talk to me, please? Can we meet somewhere?

I cleared my throat, even though I wasn’t actually talking aloud. I admitted to myself that he deserved to at least get an acknowledgement from me, even if I didn’t want to talk.

I can’t talk to you yet, Harry. I’m angry and very confused.

Okay. I understand you’re upset, and I’m sorry I deceived you. But please don’t be mad at Lorelei. This was all my idea. 

I was still lying on my back when Lorelei returned. Tossing her purse onto her bed, she looked at me with a mixed look of disdain and compassion, like I was a child who’d gotten a bad grade on her report card.

“Listen, doll,” she said, her hands on her hips. “I get that you’re angry. Maybe we went about this all wrong. But damn it, Stacey, the guy is in love with you! He’s on freaking tour around the world and he’s been calling me, begging me to get you to talk to him. He’s hurting, Stace!”

“And I’m not hurting?” I cried. “I didn’t suddenly stop loving him, Lorelei!”

“I know!” she said, sitting next to me on the bed. “That’s why I don’t understand why you won’t talk to him? He’s wanting to see you.”

I bit my lip and looked away. “He sent concert tickets for tomorrow,” I mumbled.

“I know that, too. He told me he was going to. He wants to see you before that, but if that’s the only way…”

Her voice trailed off, but I got her point.

“Stacey,” she added, “I can’t tell you how to feel. You just...feel how you feel. But I do know one thing. If you don’t talk to him now, you’re going to regret it. Because you’re gonna see him next month in Houston, with your kids, acting all icy cold like you don’t care, and it’s going to hit you in the face like a truck. And you’ll regret not using this opportunity to patch things up.”

“Lor-”

“Ah!” she interrupted, throwing her hands up. “Okay, maybe you’re right and you don’t belong together. But maybe you’re wrong, Stace. Maybe you’re wrong and you do! And maybe you’re meant to be the most amazing in love couple there ever was. But you’ll never know...if you don’t try.”

I swallowed hard, taking in her rant. She made some valid points. I just wasn’t ready to face them.

“Lor,” I said instead reaching out for her hand. “I’m sorry. I know none of this is your fault.”

“I mean, I did have a hand in it,” she shrugged. “But yeah, the plan was all Harry’s. I wish you would just hear him out before you make your final decision.”

I sighed. “I’m just not ready yet. I’m so fucking confused. Can I...have today to think about it at least?”

Lorelei nodded with a sigh. “Sure, doll. In the meantime, can we please go get some lunch, I’m starving! The coffee here was okay at best, and the danish was barely enough to feed a bird.”

I grinned at her as I sat up. “Of course. Let’s go find a decent meal. Then we can do some much-needed distraction shopping.”

Lorelei’s face lit up. “Sounds like a plan!”

After a somewhat quiet but pleasant meal at a restaurant not far from our hotel, where Lorelei was kind enough to not mention Harry once, we strode along the sidewalk, peeking in boutique windows and occasionally stopping to go inside.

“What do you think of this?” Lor asked me in one shop, holding up a chiffon blouse.

“It’s nice,” I muttered.

“Very Stevie, don’t you think?” she grinned before grabbing another off the rack. “Or do you think the black is better?”

“Either’s fine,” I shrugged.

With a frown, Lorelei returned both blouses to the rack. “You’re still mad at me, aren’t you?”

Averting my eyes, I pretended to inspect a display of earrings.

“I’m just hurt, Lor,” I said. “Why would you lie to me? And about work of all things?”

“I know, Stacey, I realize now it was wrong. How many times can I say I’m sorry?”

“Can I help you ladies with anything?” I heard the sales clerk ask.

“Oh, no thank you, doll, we’re fine,” replied Lorelei.

I turned to face her then, the sales girl’s back to us as she rearranged a display of knick knacks on the counter.

“This book...it’s important to me. I was excited about this trip and this meeting. So to find out it was all a lie? Why would you do that to me? To us?”

Lorelei’s face fell as she leaned against the clothes rack.

“I hated to do that to you, Stace, you gotta believe me. It’s just...it was the only way I knew you would agree to come. If I’d mentioned Harry at all, you would have refused. If I’d suggested a vacation or some other kind of trip, you would have made any kind of excuse in the book. I know you, hon. We’re not best friends for nothing!”

She was absolutely right about that. Work was the only thing that would have made me fly to New York in May.

“It’s just...I had my hopes up, you know? I’d even made an outline of things I was planning to say in the meeting.”

Lorelei sighed. “Of course you did, doll. I’m sorry. I should have considered your feelings. It’s just...if you could have heard him on the phone, Stacey…”

I swallowed hard. “How long had you been talking to him?”

“Um...since right after you told him you would have had his baby.”

“Oh my God.”

“It was just to lend an ear, really,” Lorelei continued. “I told him he just needed to give you some time and you’d probably come around. But you were so bloody stubborn, you wouldn’t even reply to his texts, even when I suggested it. So eventually his European part of the tour was coming to an end, and he was on his way to the States. He told me he couldn’t wait until June to see you. So he devised this plan...with my help, of course.”

I shot a look at her before turning for the exit. I felt her following me, though I didn’t acknowledge her. I kept walking until I reached the corner and waited for the light to change.

“Stacey,” she called, her breaths heavy as she tried to keep up. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the hotel,” I replied.

“But it’s early yet,” she complained.

Ignoring her, I started to cross the street when the WALK sign lit up. Lorelei caught up with me again on the other side.

“I thought maybe we could go to Macy’s and get a facial. And maybe find something to wear to the concert.”

I stopped in my tracks, turned and glared at her. “You seriously think I’m going to the concert?”

“Oh, c’mon Stacey, aren’t you? He sent VIP tickets and everything! Tell me this whole plan wasn’t all for naught!”

I clenched my fists and my jaw so hard, it’s a wonder I didn’t break a tooth.

“You know what?” I spat. “Maybe you should just go. You seem to be so chummy now. I’ll go ahead and book that flight out for tomorrow night.”

“Stacey, you can’t be serious!”

Ignoring her again, I began walking faster. Not necessarily in hopes I’d lose her, but because I was angrier than ever, and I didn’t want anything else to come out of my mouth that I might regret.

Because we hadn’t gone far from our hotel, I made it there without having to take a cab. I sprinted through the lobby, past the restaurant and bar where I could hear the sounds of light jazz music and stopped at the elevators. I arrived on our floor before Lorelei, but as soon as I put my key in the door and pushed it open, she stepped off another elevator. She said nothing as she followed me into the room, slumping down onto her bed.

“I wanted this to be fun,” I heard her say when I had my phone in my hand, ready to call the airline.

“Fun?” I scowled. 

“Yeah,” she said, her chin up in defense though her eyes appeared wet. “I thought we could have a great time in New York. We have four days! And I’ve been trying so hard to get you and Harry back together. It was supposed to be a win-win.”

“What do you want, a medal?” I spat. “Sorry to ruin your little farce.”

“God, sometimes you’re so fucking selfish!”

“Gee, thanks, Tod!”

“Ugh!” Lorelei glowered, rising from the bed, her hands in fists at her sides. “You know this absolutely nothing to do with Tod, Stacey! Ever since you’ve met Harry, I’ve been trying to tell you that! But you’re so fucking stuck in your head, believing the nasty lies Tod fed you during your marriage. You had a good one, one of the best. And you’re just throwing it all away.”

“Were you really expecting me to forget everything and go along with your plan? Like ‘Yeah, Lor, you were right, thanks for lying to me to get me here. Now let’s go find Harry so I can tell him what an idiot I’ve been, and if he wants to string me along for the next few years and then break my heart, I’m totally cool with it’?”

Lorelei’s face softened as she lowered herself onto my bed beside me. “Oh, doll. Is that really what you think?”

I shrugged, wiping a tear on my cheek that I hadn’t noticed. “Of course, why not?”

“Stacey, do you know how much he loves you? I mean, the things he’s told me…”

I looked at her. “He loves me now, Lorelei. Because he doesn’t know what the future will bring. And I can’t live like that.”

Lor made a face. “What do you want him to be psychic? You don’t know what it’s gonna bring either.”

Another tear fell down my cheek and I let it fall in my lap. “Yeah, I do.”

“Stacey, he’s not going to leave you.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Well, you don’t either. But I believe him when he says he’s in love. He’s not Tod, hon.”

The waterworks exploded then, and my best friend wrapped her arms around me. I cried on her shoulder for several minutes before lifting my head.

“I love him so much, Lor,” I choked. “I just...I can’t go through that again.”

Lorelei bit her lip and nodded, pushing a strand of hair from my wet cheek.

“I honestly don’t know what else to say, doll. I’m not in your shoes. But I hate seeing you hurt like this.”

“I’m sorry I’m such a shitty friend,” I cried.

“Oh, Stace, no you’re not. You’re just...an emotional mess.”

Lorelei rose from the bed and walked to the vanity, returning with a tissue. I blew my nose, my head already throbbing from crying.

“Tell you what, doll,” Lor offered. “I told you I’d let you think about it today. It’s only four o’clock. I’m going to head out on my own for a bit, let you rest up here. On my way back, I’ll get us a table downstairs in the restaurant. I’ll just text you when I’ve arrived. If you’re hungry, you can come down and join me. Okay?”

I nodded as I scooted back on the bed, resting my head on the pillow.

“I could probably use a nap,” I agreed.

“Of course.” Lor grabbed her purse and walked to the door. “See you later, hon.”

Turning out the lamp, I eyed my phone that still laid on my bed. I brought up the possible flight information, the one leaving tomorrow night still showing available. My finger hovering over the purchase button, I felt another tear leave my eye and travel down to my lips. Closing the app, I opened something different, something I’d been itching to listen to but my stubbornness had kept me from.

“Hey...um...it’s me. I guess you knew that.”

The sound of his voice was almost like a jab in the chest.

“Um...I know you didn’t want me to call, but I just missed you and...um...I had to try again. Can’t blame a bloke for trying, yeah?”

He gave a nervous chuckle before continuing.

“Um...I’ve been thinking about what you said. Been thinking about it a lot, actually. And um...I think I understand what you meant about me deserving everything I wanted. I just...I wish you would have given me the chance to give you that too. As far as I’m concerned, baby, you would never be in the way. I told you the age difference didn’t matter long ago. I told you I didn’t care what other people thought and what the paps or whoever else posted online. I loved you and...I love you now! God, I wish you would just talk to me, I…”

He let out a deep breath and I heard him get choked up. It cut me to the core.

“Stacey, please...if I could just see you...maybe it’s too late. Maybe I can’t change your mind. At least give me the chance to try.”

I cried harder than I had from listening to his last message. And just as with his last message, I played it over again several times until I had exhausted all of my strength and finally fell asleep.

These tears I've cried... I've cried a thousand oceans... And if it seems I'm floating... In the darkness, well... I can't believe that I would keep… Keep you from flying... So I will cry...a thousand more... If that's what it takes...to sail you home…

I felt the buzz of my phone next to me. A little disoriented, I reached for it, opening my eyes and adjusting to the brightness of the screen and Lorelei’s text.

I’m downstairs in the restaurant if you want to join.

Ok, be there in a few, I texted back.

With a sigh, I rose from the bed and went to the restroom. After brushing my teeth and hair and splashing water on my face, I touched up my eyeliner and reapplied my lipstick. Then grabbing my purse, I headed out into the hall to the elevator.

I could hear the tinkling of the piano keys as soon as I reached the lobby. Turning the corner, I spied the restaurant, the bar taking up the entire left wall.

“How many, Miss?” greeted the Maître d'.

“Oh, um...actually, I’m just meeting someone here.”

“Certainly,” he smiled, stepping back with a gesture of his hand.

The room was dimly lit, making it harder to see since the sun was setting. But I quickly spotted the back of Lorelei’s blond head, animated as it was in her typical fashion. As I stepped closer to the table, however, I noticed she wasn’t alone. Another woman sat across from her, her profile making me stop in my tracks.

Though we’d never met, I recognized her immediately. If not for the fact that I’d seen photos of her online, but also because she shared so many features of someone whose face I’d grown accustomed to, right down to the dimples. Pausing her conversation with Lorelei, she looked up at me, her lips pursed though the corners turned up as if she and I shared a secret.

“Hello,” said Harry’s sister, Gemma.

MASTERLIST | KO-FI | FEEDBACK | PATREON

[lilianvanrouge]

Malleus and Lilia x Frail and Abused Reader Part 8

When you all stepped through the Dark Mirror you all were immediately teleported to The Land of Hot Sands. It was extremely hot there, but you were prepared with a giant sunhat and cold packs to crush and put under your clothes. You glanced at Malleus and saw that he was deep in thought.

“Malyulus, are you-” you said.

You immediately stopped talking to him once you saw Grim fall into the canal.

“Grim!!” you shouted.

You tried to jump into the canal after him, but Trey and Cater grabbed onto you. Grim was nearly ran over by a boat, but escaped unharmed. You were now holding onto him as the limo drove you to Kalim’s house. When you were entering the limo Malleus was about to ask you if you would care to sit next to him, but you were already sitting in between Kalim and Jamil.

Malleus frown and sat down on the other side of the car. Jamil took notice to how Malleus was frowning while staring out the window. Everyone, except you thought that he was getting motion sickness and began to panic.

“You guys need to calm down. He’s perfectly fine. He’s just looking out the window,” you said.

“She’s right, you all are being too noisy. This is just my first time in a car, since we fly everywhere in the Valley of Thorns,” Malleus said, not technically lying.

Once you all arrived at Kalim’s house you were astonished by the peacock fountain and so was Malleus as he followed right behind you. Jamil freaked out about Malleus getting wet and ran over to y’all with an umbrella. Malleus shielded you both from the water by using a magic barrier.

“Thanks Malyulus! Isn’t it the most beautiful thing you have ever see?!” you asked with a big smile.

Malleus smirked and said, “I’ve seen prettier.”

“Really? Like what?” you said, very interested.

Malleus was about to answer when Grim jumped into the fountain. Once again you went after Grim leaving Malleus alone. Once you got a firm hold on Grim you walked back to Malleus.

“I’m sorry, Malyulus, but just think about all the fun we’re all going to have on this trip,” you said happily, while holding a waterlogged Grim.

Malleus frowned.

“All of us. . .” he mumbled.

Malleus realized that he wasn’t going to get no alone time with you unless he did something.

Once you arrived at Kalim’s palace you were in awe of how big it was. Grim said the top of the palace looked like an onion. Trey said it looked like a turnip or a tomato and you joined in.

“It also could be a radish or a beet. Oh, what about a rutabaga?!” you laughed.

“Kalim’s house looks like a pumpkin,” laughed Grim.

Malleus once again looked deep in thought.

“Malyulus?” you said.

“I think it looks more like a bell pepper,” he said.

You started laughing and he smiled. You all went inside the palace and put on the Land of Hot Sands traditional clothing. Everyone was done getting dressed and was waiting for you. You walked out and everyone was staring at you.

You were well adorned in gold and fine silks of purple and turquoise like your hair. You were in a hot pink dress embroidered with gold leaves and flowers with matching sandals. The silk scarf wrapped around your head was peacock green with the same embroidery with a pink jasmine flower. You also had a golden rope tied around your waist with golden bells and tassels.

Your face was red from blushing, because you weren’t used to dressing like this.

“Wow you look beautiful, (Y/N)-chan!” said Cater.

“Yeah, her clothes look the most expensive out of all of ours,” said Trey.

“Well we have to treat ladies special! This is also my first time bringing a girl home!” said Kalim happily.

Jamil gathered all of you into the limo to take you all to the Camel Bazaar. Unfortunately, Kalim had to stay behind and greet the oncoming guests. When you all made it to the bazaar it was all crowded with people. Grim started to get frustrated by hunger so you all stopped at a skewer stall and ordered shawarmas.

Malleus ordered a traditional one while you ordered one with lots of meat, since (Y/B/F) wasn’t here to nag you on eating your vegetables. When Jamil realized his shawarma was missing he saw that his sister Najma was the one who took it. Najma was there to deliver a message from their father to Jamil. Cater brought the idea for Najma to stay with you all, but Jamil was against it.

“Why must he hesitate to bring his sister with him? Aren’t they blood related siblings? You should appreciate your family,” said Malleus.

“Besides I can use some girl advice to help me with (Y/N),” Malleus thought with a smirk scheming.

When all of you were gazing around the bazaar Malleus took his chance.

“Vipers, I need your advice on dates, since I’m not well aquatinted with them,” said Malleus.

“Well there are many types of dates. My favorite are kurma!” said Najma.

“No, wrong kind date,” Malleus sighed.

“Eh?!! You can’t mean a romantic one?!!” said Jamil, shocked.

“Yes, there’s someone who lives in my kingdom who wants advice,” said Malleus, trying to ride around the truth.

Jamil was frozen in shock so Najma had to take charge.

“Well he should do something special that the girl is interested in. Get her alone, give her flowers, but don’t move to fast or be too forceful,” said Najma.

“Hmm. I got it. Thank you for your advice,” said Malleus grateful.

Malleus lured Grim away from you with food without you noticing. He then persuaded you that Grim would be alright and you two went on a small, magic boat ride down the canal. You stuck your hand in the cool water as you watched the fish swim around.

“(Y/N), now that we’re alone I wanted to apologize to you for Silver and Sebek. While Sebek was trying to lecture about being in Lilia’s bed he tripped over a floor tile and fell on Silver, which resulted in you getting burned by the hot water. It was all a misunderstanding,” sighed Malleus.

You smiled and thanked him thinking this is why he got you alone.

“And another thing. . . ” Malleus paused.

He couldn’t ask about your scars otherwise he would’ve just admitted he peeped on you in the bathroom.

“Do you have any food allergies?” he asked.

“No, I’m not allergic to any food, but allergies can always come later on for people,” you said.

Malleus was very nervous considering your the first girl he’s been around that wasn’t family. He had no idea on how to seduce you. He then saw a red water lily bud and he picked out the water and gave it to you. He figured that most red flowers must mean love.

“Thank you, Malyulus,” you said, sweetly.

He smiled and used his magic to make the flower bloom, but to his surprise it was a pink lily.

“Wow, I didn’t know you thought I was smart,” you laughed.

“Smart? I thought pink flowers also symbolize love,” he thought.

“Pink water lilies represent knowledge,” you said happily.

Malleus frowned wishing he learned flowers and their color meanings just like (Y/B/F) told him. You saw Malleus’s mood change and decide to take the initiative. You moved next to him and hugged him, which took him by surprise since you weren’t trying to protect him like before.

“You looked sad and if my brothers taught me anything it’s how to deal with sad faces. You give them a big hug, some tickles, double kisses on both cheeks, and some snuggles!” you laughed.

Malleus blushed from you treating him like a child, but he liked all the physical attention. The things he wanted to do to you, but had no idea how start it. But he was sure of one thing. . . He was going to make you his.

Malleus was now laughing happily and you were now too. You began playing little games like I Spy and telling fun facts about each other. The boat ride was soon and you two were walking around more stalls.

“Ohh! This place sells Silky Melon,” you said.

“What is Silky Melon?” he asked.

“Kalim told me about them. They’re melons with ice cream, oranges, blueberries, and other fruits. Kalim said after eating this your friendship and love will last forever. The downside is that it’s so expensive,” you laughed.

“I’ll buy one for us,” said Malleus.

“Huh?! I can pay for my own; I don’t have any money problems,” you said.

You really didn’t want to be a burden.

“There’s no need to fret. Have you forgot that I’m a king? I can buy you as many as you want. But we’ll only need one, right?” Malleus said with a smile.

“Only one?” you said, confused.

“Yes, to share,” he said with a smirk.

You were confused, but thought nothing of it. You clearly couldn’t tell he was flirting. The Silky Melon was bought and was handed to you. You took a spoon and scooped a portion of the ice cream onto it.

“Say ah,” you said.

“Treating me like a child again. Well so be it,” Malleus said with a smirk.

Malleus ate the ice cream and loved it. He then scooped some more and tried to feed you as well. You ate it amazed at how delicious it was. This date was going better than Malleus planned now, since the others are gone.

“Hopefully this fruit will make our love last forever. I will do anything to give me a shot of a relationship with you,” thought Malleus happily.

[southbankhq]

Mwf that you’d like to see around?

ready with this !

honestly , i'd love to see anyone you'd love to bring as having muse is the most important . i always check out the gif pack tag to see what resources are out there and pick who gives me a muse idea ! however , here are some suggestions ! joy , irene , gemma chan , shuhua , yuqi , joy sunday , jordan alexander , jessica aleander , ming xi , esther yu , halle bailey , zion moreno , seo jihye , angelica ross , simone ashley , ryan destiny , coco jones , hwang yeji , lia ( choi jisu ) , ozge yagiz , araian debose , precious lee , lashana lynch , jessica chastain , ayo adebiri , ara snook , florence pugh , chuu , margot robbie , havanna rose liu , michaela jaé rodriguez , nakamura yurika , shay mitchell , ambika mod , renée rapp, bebe wood, avantika vandanapu, lily rose depp , rachel sennott , cchristina ricci , cierra ramirez , hunter shafer , josie totah , freema agyeman , melanie lynskey , nicole maines , riele downs , priscilla quintana , salma hayek , michelle pfeiffer , jennifer aniston , madelyn cline , zoe soul , maddison bailey , cho miyeon , song yuqi , wawwa nicha , jihane almira chedid , courtney eaton , michelle yeoh , lucy liu , charithra chandran , zendaya , wakeema hollis , jung hoyeon , park minyoung , mookda narinrak , anya taylor - joy , annabelle wallis , shay mitchell , brenda song , jasmine tookes , han sohee , lisa yamada , nadine lustre , lee dahee , kylie verzosa , ni ni , yang hyeji , angela yeung win , poorna jagannathan , kiki layne & namtan tipnaree ! we'll love any face claim u choose !

[ghostt0wns]

(Kristin Kreuk) [THE MISCHIEVOUS]. Please welcome [ROXANNE WU (SHE/HER)] to Huntsville, WV. They are a [38]-year-old [VISITOR] who lives in [TOWN]. You may see them around working as an [UNEMPLOYED RICH PERSON]. Poor unfortunate soul. We’ll see if they survive. 

BASICS

NAME: roxanne wu

BIRTH DATE: November 11

GENDER: female

PRONOUNS: she/her

ORIENTATION: pan

OCCUPATION: being hot

BIRTHPLACE: chongqing, china

FAMILY: mother (status unknown), father (status unknown)

APPEARANCE

FACE CLAIM: kristin kreuk

EYE COLOR: green/blue

HAIR: brown

HEIGHT: 5′4″

TATTOOS: n/a

SCARS/BIRTH MARKS: n/a

PERSONALITY

ZODIAC: aries

MBTI: estj

ENNEAGRAM: 8w7

ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral

TEMPERAMENT: tba

ELEMENT: fire

ASSOCIATED CHARACTERS: inara serra (firefly), jasmine (aladdin), margaery tyrell (game of thrones)

AESTHETIC: white jasmine flowers, the silence of snowfall after bedtime, stiletto heels, impulsive decisions

TW: death, murder, parental manipulation Roxanne has known wealth and status since her birth in Chongqing, China. When she was 12, the Wu family moved to California, expanding their business to the United States. She was a top student, with glowing reports from all of her teachers. Her extracurriculars were packed, and she presented the perfect picture of a successful daughter.

When she was 17, plans of being the perfect daughter screeched to a halt because she met Danny Nguyen. They say the first love is the most intense, and that was true for her. He wasn't a bad influence, per se, but her parents didn't approve. He didn't have the right status for her to date him, and they forbid a relationship with him. That didn't stop her from sneaking off to see him in secret though.

Secrets don't always stay secret. When her parents found out that she'd been defying them and seeing Danny in secret they didn't confront her. Her parents simply hired someone to eliminate him from the equation. Roxanne was unaware, and from her point of view she lost her everything to a breaking and entering that went wrong. She had to take a year off of college because her grief interfered with her studies. All the time her parents played the caring card, comforting her and saying they would support her decision so long as she went back when she was ready.

Eventually she swore off of love, and returned to the only thing that made sense in her life anymore: school and being the ideal daughter. She finished college, going immediately to law school where she doubled down and worked even harder. She worked as a lawyer for her parents company and had a cushy life. Things were like that for a while. She had a series of flings, but never settled down into something serious.

A month ago, while sorting through old financial documents, Roxanne found the payment for the hit man her parents had ordered on Danny. After digging some more she put the pieces together and was horrified. How could they have done something so reprehensible? Without saying anything to them, Roxanne packed everything up in a uHaul, hitching her car to the back and started driving. She took large amounts of cash out of her account so that they wouldn't be able to find her through credit cards and she just... drove. She didn't have a destination in mind, just away, so she headed towards the east coast.

Three weeks ago, Roxanne found herself in Huntsville. She's glad she was driving the moving truck, a small comfort now that she's trapped within the paradox. At least her parents probably won't track her down here. She's been running, and now there's nowhere to run. To be honest, she's no longer sure what to do with herself.

top 5 theme songs:

Roxanne - Arizona Zervas YES MOM (I'm the one to beat) - Tessa Violet Fuyunohanashi (Given) - Madds Buckley Why Do I - Set it Off ft. Hatsune Miku The Magic - Lola Blanc

[hqmutants]

May I ask for more mw please?

many have been listed already but looking through the gif pack tags here is such a fun way to see new faces . adding to who i said before i'd love to see jade eshete , ayla channelle scott , im jinah , park minyoung , seo yeji , amber riley , greta onieogou , salma hayek , jung hyoyeon , damaris lewis , angela bassett , mozhan marno , jessica lucas , shin ryujin , samantha logan , jasmine tookes . antonia gentry , melissa mccarthy , members of twice , lauren ridloff , renee rapp , kaylee bryant , antje traue , alaqua cox , tati gabrielle , jodie turner smith , tao okamoto , kristin scott thomas , jennifer aniston , reese witherspoon , isla fisher , ruth gemmell , retta , jodie comer , emily blunt , meryl streep , sandra oh , hamish linklaker , jude law , isaiah mustafa , tenoch huerta , ismael cruz cordova , murakami  nijiro ,  danny sapani , jeremy pope , shin hakyung , gong jung ,  jay fernandez , andrew scott , selahattin pesari , tovino thomas , benjamin walker , daniel kaluuya , pedro pascal , oscar isaac , chaske spencer , danush , billy crudup , ncuti gatwa , james mcavoy , ee soohyuk , gil birmingham , matthew goode , idris elba , shahid kapoor , david tennant , arjun rampal , shah rukh khan , jeremy irons , brian michael smith , daveed diggs , lin manuel miranda , daniel craig , hiroomi tosaka , steven yeun , aj saudin and manu rios .

[ofwrxth]

BASICS.

Name: Melanie “Mel” Madden

Age & Birthday: 31, November 20, 1992

Gender/Pronouns: cis woman she/her

Birthplace: Woodbury, Colorado 

Time in Hollow Cove: tbd

Species: Werewolf / Vaisman Pack

Role in Hollow Cove: x  

Positive personality traits: adaptable, engaging, quick-witted

Negative personality traits: deceptive, mischievous, ruthless 

ABOUT.

Melanie grew up in the countryside of Georgia, with her twin sister, Vic, and her younger sisters Jasmine and Lexi. And even though they were each twins, all four sisters were close in their own way. Melanie fell somewhere between Vic’s wild shouts, Lexi’s indignant screeches and Jasmine’s sensitive sweetness. She was a bit of a schemer, always a bit mischievous – using any natural charm at her disposal to her advantage. She and Vic in particular were known for causing their own brand of mayhem, with Mel lulling people into a false sense of security before Vic struck. They were their own sort of Bonnie and Clyde, at least until they moved closer to Atlanta. 

Vic chose to join the Cross pack while Melanie followed their other sisters to the Vaismans. It was hard at first, feeling that her sister chose another pack over their family, but it didn’t negate the bond the sisters shared, even between packs. And it was an opportunity for Mel to prove her own cunning and mettle apart from her twin. Things changed when the Cross pack pushed the Vaismans out of the Atlanta region, and Mel held her breath until Vic joined them again, going to New Orleans.

Settling in Nola meant finding a new rhythm and way of living in a city that marched to the beat of its own drum. She would get jobs waiting tables or as a bartender at trendy restaurants in the French Quarter, identifying marks that she and Vic could “run” into later.

Three years in the French Quarter flew by before the war on supernaturals began. The French Quarter fires burned their lives to ash, forcing them to leave yet another home. Separated from their younger sisters and pack members, Melanie and Vic managed to get out of the city by the skin of their teeth. 

What would follow is three years of trial by fire. They survived together, scheming their way across the country and avoiding capture. Though they searched for their sisters and pack members, Mel and Vic never encountered them. But along the way they did meet a fair number of supernaturals. Still, they never trusted anyone beyond themselves and often took what they could from groups they encountered, making away like thieves in the night.

By 2023, they’d made their way into Canada and in the summer they stumbled upon a small town. They planned to take supplies in the night, thinking they could get away with it. Mistaken, Mel and Vic were captured by wolves there and taken to the town’s leader. Adrie Grimm saw Mel’s cunning and Vic’s strength and knew they could be of use. They were offered a place amongst the sisterhood of werewolves and witches Adrie had established and for the first time in three years, they decided to stay somewhere for longer than a week. 

Mel is still searching for their sisters along with Vic but she can’t deny that it feels good to have a pack again. Winter’s arrival has been tough, with supplies dwindling and searches for family stalled, so Mel’s begun to exchange glances with Vic, wondering if they should cut their losses and get on the road once more.          

[manybcdthings]

Name: Ruben Gray

Age & Birthday: 31 years old, Dec 1st 1992

Gender/Pronouns: Cis Man He/Him

Birthplace: Woodbury, GA.

Time in Hollow Cove: Jan '24

Species: Werewolf - Visser pack - Prev. Vaisman

Role: Runner / Soldier / Seeker

Positive personality traits:  Protective, Confident, Capable

Negative personality traits:  Confrontational, Impulsive, Guarded

ABOUT

Ruben and his younger brother were born into the Madden wolf pack, a close knit and humble way of life where they learned to co-exist with humans and keep their wild wolf nature at bay. Ruben struggled with it, if he had to tell the truth. His impulsive behavior was rarely of concern nor did it cause problems within the pack, but it left Ruben feeling like a caged animal. His level of self control came with a price that only he paid, resentment slowly making itself known. When the pack decided to head towards Atlanta but were subsequently met with a choice, Ruben was torn. The Crosses were a pack that he naturally gravitated to, their fierceness enticed him but Ruben wished to remain with his younger brother and instead joined forces with the Vaismans. And a few years later when the pack were driven out of Atlanta and to New Orleans, Ruben finally made his opinions known that the Cross wolves were clearly stronger and that they made a mistake by siding with the Vaismans.

During the three years that they adjusted to life in New Orleans, Ruben reluctantly remained with them. If it wasn't for his brother, he knew he would have left them there and then and headed straight for the Cross wolves. But, loyalty was in his nature and he staved the urge to leave the Vaismans for the sake of family. Over this time, Ruben grew closer with Jasmine Madden and the two wolves began a relationship. It was far from sunshine and rainbows as their differences became known relatively quickly, and yet neither of them seemed to acknowledge them. Instead what followed was a stagnant romance that saw them co-exist as stale friends more than lovers, but Ruben's complacency saw him more than willing to keep it going.

When the war began and the French Quarter Fires took their livelihoods from them, Ruben was separated from his brother and the Vaismans. He fled New Orleans with Jasmine and Fox, just the three of them having to learn how to survive in the wilderness. They managed to last a year before luck saw them cross paths with Visser wolves in 2021. It took some convincing to join them but Ruben knew they were their best chance at surviving. He was also drawn to their wild nature and fierceness, and this time he didn't want to pass the opportunity of embracing the side of him he kept buried away. Over time, Ruben went from strength to strength under Roan's lead and was eventually trusted with the holding title of Beta. Arrogance made him believe it wouldn't be temporary, as Ruben dutifully followed the Visser wolves to help liberate holding camps and facilities while they traveled.

While Jasmine and Fox are inclined to say Ruben has changed since they found the Vissers, he would argue that he's more of himself than ever before. He doesn't care about the strain it's caused between him and Jasmine either, or that he has unknowingly caused a to and fro where she desperately tries to keep up with him. Ruben's mind has been set on earning the cemented title of Beta and his own journey in embracing his wolf gene. Searching for his brother has become more important to him than finding the Vaismans, and Ruben already knows that he would encourage his brother joined with the Vissers if he finds him.

After liberating the Holding Camp on New Years Eve, Ruben returned to Hollow Cove and has remained with the Vissers. But it seems there's a lot of things about their ways he needs to adapt to, and a few lessons underfoot that may just push his nose out of place for once and for all.