#lydia appearance for evie

[brunuhvielle]

Evie Frye (with Lydia appearance) moments: 5/?    

[skylinerd]

ya boi back at it again with another batch of codextober ft best girls

[sparrowsfallingfromthesky]

In case anyone else was curious, these are all* the names people have given Trent Crimm’s daughter in fanfiction**:

*unless I've missed any **on ao3 as of November 7, 2022 [updates below]

Seraphina/Sera

Emma

Evelyn/Evie

Georgie/Georgina/Georgiana

Leith

Katie

Amina

Genevieve

Sophie

Lola

Mia

Sara

Maisie

Rose/Rosie

Amanda

Olivia

Poppy

Mella

Annalise

Imogen

Samantha

Maud

Edie

Ruby

Annabelle

Willow

Lucy

Maggie [could be nickname for Margaret which will show up later]

Beatrice/Bea

Joanie

Ellie/Eleanor/Elle [later variation: Nellie]

Deliah

Freya

Cressida/Cressy/Chrissy/Cress/Chris (one of the fics using this name also has the middle name Ching-ling)

Drew

Alice

Ophelia/Ofelia/Feeli (one of the fics using this name also has the middle name Clementine)

Lizzie/Elizabeth (one of the fics using this name also has the middle name Tabitha [later addition: another fic has the middle name Jessminder])

Adelaide/Addy

Tabitha/Tabby

Charlotte

Madeleine/Maddy [later variation: Madelyn]

Mabel

Tessa

Clementine

Anna

Khadija

Kendall

Penelope/Penny [later addition: one of the fics using this name also has the middle name Rose]

Simone/Simi

Amelia/Emilia

Rowan

Pia

Lily

Addison

Emily

Octavia

Isabel/Izzy [later variation: Isobel/Issy]

Violet

Kieran

Freddie

Estelle/Estie

Miranda

Flora

Olive

Sibyl

Winifred

Camille

Megan

Jemima

Eloise

Malia

Mina

Isla

Emmeline/Emmy (middle name Nicola)

Thea

Cassie

Some fun facts: - This list is not quite in order of when the first usages of these names appeared, but it's pretty close. - Assuming I caught everything and did the math correctly, Trent's daughter has been mentioned by name in 192 fics! For reference, Trent has been tagged as a character in 395 and does not actually appear in some of those, so she's really named in over 49% of the fics he's in. - Of the approximately 77(!) names used, ~33 have been used in multiple fics (including several series), and ~21 of those have been used by multiple different authors. - Seraphina and Georgie are tied for most usages (18 each) but when it comes to usages by the most authors, Seraphina (probably unsurprisingly, given how many people have been inspired by a kind of dwell and welcome) wins in a landslide with 15.

EDIT March 14 2023 I don't feel like updating the math but here are the new names that have been used since I originally posted this:

Ivy

Rosa

Clara

Eliora Eli Asher (nonbinary in this one)

Persephone

Agatha

Sadia

Lottie [could be a nickname for Charlotte (already on the list) but not necessarily and not clarified as such]

Mira

Karime

Lydia

Billie Rose

One more day to season 3, can't wait to see if we get a confirmed name! Either way, it's been fun <3

EDIT April/May 2023 to add:

Isadora

Molly

Darla

Patricia/Trish

Amaya

Ella

Meg/Margaret

Charlie [again I'm assuming this is a nickname for Charlotte but that's not stated]

Eliza [Could be standalone name or could be nickname for Elizabeth]

Carmilla/Millie

Annie [Could be a nickname for a number of other names. EDIT: One of the two fics using this name just revealed it's a nickname for Cordelia Annabel. Not sure how to count this tbh.]

Frances

Emi

Kara

Ingrid

Astrid

Beth [again this is probably a nickname for Elizabeth]

Claire

Maya

Cindy

Harriet

EDIT after the finale aired (this info also added to a reblog):

Well, it seems we're not getting a canon name! I guess she's our daughter now. I haven't decided whether I'm going to maintain this list going forward (though for my own sanity I'm leaning towards no) but at least it's fully up to date as of 7:30 pm est today (May 31, 2023).

Some "final" statistics: The numbers aren’t perfect, because there were a few names I grouped together and probably should have counted separately, and a few names I counted separately and probably should have grouped together, and those may or may not have balanced out, but keeping that in mind, about 110 names were used! About 49 were used in multiple fics (including individual installments in several series) and about 35 of those were used by multiple authors. Trent’s daughter has been mentioned by name in about 298 fics by 149 authors. This includes works in which she’s mentioned but doesn’t show up as a character, but doesn’t account for works in which her existence is mentioned but not by name. Fun fact, about 21 new names were used just while season three was airing!

[bex-la-get]

A Surprise Visit (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Natalie Cusack

Special Appearances: The Ramsack Kids

Word count: 998

Summary: Ethan gets a surprise for Father’s Day.

Rating: T

Category: Fluff. Nothing but fluff.

Author’s Note: So, I realize Father’s Day is not until Sunday but I will be out of town for a memorial and without wifi so I’m posting this now. Happy early Father’s Day to all dads, step-dads, grandads, and father figures out there! You are appreciated and loved! 💙

A few weeks later...

Ethan looked up from his paperwork at the sound of his phone ringing. Rolling out his neck, he picked up the receiver and clicked “Answer.”

“Hello?”

“Hi Daddy!” 

Ethan grinned at the sound of his youngest daughter’s voice. “Hi, baby.”

“Happy Father’s Day!” Lydia exclaimed.

“Thank you, honey.”

“Are you doing anything fun?”

Ethan chuckled and shook his head. “No. Your mother is taking me out to dinner, I think. But we’re keeping it low-key.”

“You‘ve always been the party animal of the family,” Lydia joked. “Is Evie going with you to dinner?”

Ethan shrugged. “I’m not sure. Last I spoke to her, she said she was really busy with work so I don’t know if she’ll be joining us.”

“Mm,” Lydia replied. “Well, I’m sorry I can’t be there. But I’m sending you lots of love vibes!”

“Your vibes are felt and appreciated,” Ethan said, smiling. “You doing okay?”

“Yeah, just busy. You know how it is.”

“I do,” he replied, nodding. “Just make sure you carve out some time for yourself, okay? Don’t be like your old man and make work your whole life.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Lydia said. “I gotta go though. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay, baby. Thank you for calling.”

“Of course! Love you! And give mom my love too!”

“Will do, honey. Love you.” 

Ethan hung up the phone and smiled. Father’s Day looked different now that all of his kids had grown and moved out. But his heart swelled every time they called and he heard their voices. There was a time he never thought he would be a husband, or a father. Now, he doesn’t know what he would do without the little family he and Nat created. 

There was a soft knock at the door and his wife popped her head through. “Hey you,” she said.

“Hey,” he replied, smiling. “Lydia called. She sends her love.”

Natalie smiled and entered the room fully, walking up to his desk. “I send my love back.” She leaned across the desk and kissed Ethan softly. “Happy Father’s Day, my love.”

“Thank you, love.”

“You should get ready to go, babe. Dinner’s in a little over an hour.”

Ethan nodded and stood from the desk. “Let me get cleaned up.”

He placed another soft kiss on Nat’s lips before walking ahead of her to leave the room. Natalie smirked behind his back and slapped his rear end as he walked by, causing Ethan to jump. He turned around and raised an eyebrow at her, but she feigned ignorance.

“What?” She asked, her eyes wide but shining with mischief.

“So that’s how you want to play it, huh?”

“Play what— oh shit!” She began to laugh as Ethan swooped down and picked Natalie up, throwing her over his shoulder! “Ethan! Put me down!”

“Oh, I will,” he replied, smirking. He walked them into the bedroom, Natalie laughing the entire way, before he dropped her onto the bed and he crawled over her, peppering her face with kisses.

“Mm, Ethan,” Nat said, in between kisses. “Baby, we’re short on time.”

“Then I’ll be sure to be quick,” he murmured. Natalie didn’t argue as his hands and lips began to explore her body.

---------------------------------

An hour later, Nat and Ethan walked through the doors of the restaurant, right on time for their reservation. Natalie gave their name to the maître d’ and took Ethan’s hand in hers as they walked to their table.

As soon as their table was in their line of sight, Ethan stopped short, his jaw dropping. Sitting at their table, was all three of his children, chatting and laughing as they awaited their parents’ arrival. Natalie looked at Ethan and gave him a smile. “Happy Father’s Day.”

Ethan looked at her in awe. “You knew?”

“Of course I did,” she replied. “It was Evie’s idea but I helped organize everything. And I picked up Lydia from the airport earlier in the week.”

Ethan’s eyes welled with tears and he blinked them back as he pulled Natalie in close, kissing her temple. “Thank you, my love.”

Nat grinned up at him and bumped her hip with his. “Well, go on. They’re waiting for you.”

He wiped his eyes and made his way over the table, his smile widening into a grin as all three kids stood up and wrapped their father into a tight group hug. Ethan kissed the tops of all three of their heads and squeezed them tightly in his embrace. Natalie walked up to the group and joined the hug before they all split and sat back down at the table.

Dinner was a lively and happy affair, with conversation flowing easily. Ethan couldn’t help but grin as he looked at his family, his heart swelling. Suddenly, a vision flashed before his eyes, and he was a younger man, no gray hairs or wrinkles in sight. Natalie, next to him, looking radiant, as always, and their three children sitting before them at the dining table, all young and boisterous, with cherubic cheeks and eyes full of wonder, the sound of their giggles filling his ears.

The vision passed just as quickly as it appeared, and Ethan was back in the present, at dinner with his three adult children and his wife, now with a few gray hairs and some laugh lines, but still breathtakingly beautiful. He reached over and took Natalie’s hand in his, rubbing his thumb along her wedding band.

She smiled at him. “You okay?” She asked.

He leaned over and kissed her temple. “I’ve never been better.”

Noah cleared his throat and raised his wine glass. “I propose a toast!” He gestures towards his father with his glass. “To the best dad in the world. Happy Father’s Day!”

“Happy Father’s Day!” His family echoed, clinking their glasses together. 

Ethan smiled. He knew he’d be wrong in the future, because something better always came along, but in this moment, he knew: he had never been happier.

Bonus:

A/N: Tagging separately.

[its-a-journal-of-ideals]

i don't know anything about bsd so how many genshin fankids do you have? who are they? do any of them have visions? give me the adhd brainrot i thrive on hearing about other people's ocs

EVIL CACKLING. (ask sent in reference to this post)

how many: gee i actually dont know. I have some that are still in concept phase and some that i went "hehe wouldn't it be funny if" and never went in depth about them again but thankfully the majority are named and personality'd. four ragnvindr(gunnhildr)mincis (Jean left her name out bc it would be too much of a mouthful),two crepttores, two named and three concept varkitanos, the various and numerous concepts for genetics experiment creations, a tomokazu kid, a couple kids fathered by Zhongli and promptly left with their other parent, even one named and further nebulous concepts for cynonari adoptees because let's face it Collei is not the only stray Cyno has ever dragged home. there's a fucken lot. i really need to update and fill out my google slides

out of sheer consideration for the poor suckers who follow me(i love yall), the rest'll be under a cut

who are they: we are going to be here a while even if i do stick to the names alone. the Ragnvindr-Mincis (jeanlisaluc) are Lydia, Crepus "Crepes" Jr, Frederica "Freddie"/"Fred", and Evie. Lydia looks almost exactly like her father and the rest look like their mothers. (lydia and crepes are jean's and fred and evie are lisa's twins) (technically I share custody/ownership of this family, the kaedehara kid, and kaeya's kid w zhongli with @/dusted-star) the Ragnvindrs (crepttore edition) are Clara and Florina. they're twins and both of them have similarly mixed appearances, though Clara's the only one with Zandik's shark teeth. clara's bangs are light blue and the rest of her hair is red, and Flora's hair is the reverse. both of them have red eyes. the Kaedehara is Chiisai and she also looks like a mix of her parents, but the red streak is dye. zhongli's kids are with kaeya (Zetian Alberich) and childe (Sofiya). Zetian is all but a clone of Kaeya. Sonya is much more dragony, but dragon cant outweigh ginger. the varkitanos are Nadezhda and Pavel they look very much like cap(black hair dark eyes light skin) but the triplets in production are gonna look a lot more like varka(brown, brown, tan). the only named cynonari adoptee is Zayneb and she's brown with black hair and brown eyes (i gotta Do Something w her and the nebulous pile of concepts for adoptive siblings theres too much potential to go untapped). there are many too many experiment concepts to talk about and there isnt currently much to say either. i seem to be filling dottore's laboratory with genetics experiments. i almost forgot pantalone's ex street kids that im working on! saw a kid getting whooped for trying to survive had a flashback to himself being in that exact situation went "NOPE" and adopted the entire passel in five seconds flat.

any visions: i had not thought about it before i will tell you that. i know neither clara nor flora have one. i also know that vision holders usually have some kind of trauma and i tend to make fankid verses for eventual happiness for all parties involved so that kinda. crosses each other out ? idk! i might play around with researching the vision types and the shared traits between each element and all that but honestly it hasnt been a priority what with the. yknow. the trauma.

[triviareads]

ARC Review of When the Viscount Wanted Me by Lydia Lloyd

Rating: 3.75/5 Heat Level: 3.5/5 Publication Date: January 16th

Premise:

Lady Henrietta Breminster's indiscretion with her friend Lord Hartley is coming back to haunt her. The indiscreet lord won't stop hounding her for her hand in marriage, and the only person who can intervene is her brother's friend the Viscount Tremberley. Henrietta has long harbored feelings for Trem, and during the course of handling this situation, it turns out Trem is not so indifferent to Henrietta either.

My review:

I'd been looking forward to Trem and Henrietta's romance ever since they were teased in When the Duke Loved Me, and it doesn't take very long for them to get together in this book, that too, inadvertently thanks to another man.

I appreciated this book's treatment of sex and female sexuality; Henrietta is curious about sex and decides to experiment with a friend (who is not the hero), and her experience is a good one. You don't see this in a lot of historical romances, namely, the heroine having premarital sexual experience before the hero, or if she does, the experience is a positive (and consensual) one. When Trem demands to know why she did this, Henrietta quickly impresses on him that "because I wanted to" is an absolutely valid answer, like it always has been for men. And Henrietta explicitly acknowledges the pregnancy risk and states she would be fine with having Trem's child out of wedlock, which, again, isn't something I see very often in a historical romance. Also, I did find it funny that while Trem felt suuuuper guilty about debauching his best friend's sister to the point where he sent ye olde batsignal to his other friends to counsel him, that didn't stop him from doing it over and over again (not that Henrietta was complaining)

Here is where I became a bit confused about the direction of the plot and conflict: Henrietta and Trem quickly become engaged without revealing they've had sex to Henrietta's brother John (the previous hero and Trem's best friend). John is happy at first but becomes suspicious about why they've suddenly decided to get married. After that, he devolves into this almost comic state of immaturity and freezes out Trem. On top of that, Hartley is demanding Henrietta marry him and goes as far as to make a public fuss, but he's never quite treated as a villain and is instead treated as a mere nuisance. Eventually, Henrietta runs away to see her birth mother, with Trem chasing after her, however, even that conflict is quickly resolved between them as well as Henrietta and her birth mother. Hartley ends up making a random, final appearance where he does actually try something dastardly, but there's still no explanation or motivation for his actions.

There were also a couple plot points I think could have been explored further: Henrietta is given an opportunity to run a ladies' magazine, and she wants to expand its offerings to include political articles on subjects such as abolition. In addition, Trem comes to the realization that he's, well, an indolent lord, and he could be doing more with his life, but there isn't much development or discussion on that front apart from his one grand gesture near the end of the book.

The sex:

Plentiful would be the best way to put it. Trem seduces Henrietta by asking her to show him exactly what she did with Hartley which I thought was just great, and after that, nothing can stop these two: Not being at a public ball or the middle of the woods, not cockblocking siblings, not even gunshot wounds (as Trem tells Henrietta, "I could fuck you with a bullet in both [arms]").

Funnily enough, this will be the second book this year I'll be recommending by saying if you felt cheated by that scene in A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas where St. Vincent insinuates he's going to use a pearl necklace on Evie but we never read the follow-through, this is your book.

Overall:

I'd recommend this book for anyone looking for a historical romance with instalove, plenty of sex, and a relatively low-stakes plot.

Thank you to Tule Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

[nwdsc]

(▶︎ Imposter Syndrome | Barbra Licaから)

Imposter Syndrome by Barbra Lica

n a world where almost everyone appears to have their public image and hashtags in order, “Imposter Syndrome” explores instead an identity still in flux. Equal parts playful and sombre, these songs flip unapologetically between genres, tempos, and production styles in search of what it means to be a flawed human with big dreams, bigger feelings, and a verifiably awkward social presence… With this newest EP, JUNO-nominated singer-songwriter-producer Barbra Lica presents her most brutally honest music to date, combining elements of Folk, RnB, Indie Pop, Jazz, and Existential Synth (not a real genre). Recorded almost entirely in home studios and cobbled together instrument by instrument, “Imposter Syndrome” represents a two-year production collaboration with some of Toronto’s most accomplished artists including James Bryan (Prozzäk, Philosopher Kings), Nicolas Tateishi (Sam Drysdale, Joanna Majoko), Christine Bougie (Bahamas, Lydia Persaud), Drew Jurecka (Dua Lipa, Jully Black), and Joel Visentin ("This American Life"). With her light-hearted dance number dedicated to girl nerdom (“Girls Like Me”), her reverie to utter defeat ("The Ghost of Me"), her gentle musings on empathy (“Take Care of You”), and her Randy Newman-esque ode to aging women (“Sour Women”), Barbra takes listeners on a rollercoaster ride of emotions and soundscapes.クレジット2022年10月7日リリース Written by: Track 1: Barbra Lica Track 2: Barbra Lica & Danielle Knibbe Track 3: Barbra Lica & James Bryan Track 4: Barbra Lica, Danielle Knibbe & Alexandra May Track 5: Barbra Lica & Tom Fleming Track 6: Barbra Lica & James Bryan Track 7: Barbra Lica Produced by: Track 1 & 4: Barbra Lica & Joel Visentin Track 2: Barbra Lica & Nicolas Tateishi Track 3 & 6: Barbra Lica & James Bryan Track 5: Barbra Lica & Christine Bougie Track 7: Barbra Lica & Drew Jurecka Strings Arranging: Track 7: Drew Jurecka Editing: Tracks 1 & 4: Joel Visentin Track 2: Nicolas Tateishi Tracks 3 & 6: James Bryan Track 5: Christine Bougie Track 7:Drew Jurecka Vocals: Barbra Lica Support Vocals for Track 1: Contributed by: Genevieve Marentette, Sammy Jackson, Lori Cullen, Andrea Ramolo, Whitney Ross-Barris, Carole Binsky, Faith Amour, Laurent Bourque, Avery Raquel, Denielle Bassels, Chynna Lewis, Joanna Majoko, Stacey MacIntyre, Gina Pennesi, Leah Canali, Julie Mahendran, Sara Lynn Swaigen, Julia Swaigen, Grace Hightower, Evie Hightower Synth Programming: Tracks 1 & 4: Joel Visentin Track 2: Nicolas Tateishi Tracks 3 & 6: James Bryan Track 7: Drew Jurecka Keyboards: Track 1 & 4: Joel Visentin Piano: Track 5: Joel Visentin Track 7: Barbra Lica Organ: Track 3: Joel Visentin Guitars: Tracks 1 & 5: Christine Bougie Track 2: Nicolas Tateishi Tracks 3 & 6: James Bryan Track 4: Rich Grossman Electric Bass: Track 4: Alex St.Kitts Track 5: Mark Godfrey Track 6: James Bryan Acoustic Bass: Track 7: Justin Gray Drums: Track 1: Sarah Thawer Track 5: Joshua VanTassel Track 6: Marito Marques Trumpet: Track 4: Tom Moffett Violins,Violas: Track 7: Drew Jurecka Mixed by: Justin Gray @ Synthesis Sound Productions Mastered by: Justin Gray @ Immersive Mastering Photography by: Jen Squires Makeup and Hair by: Sydney Desnoyers Haircut and colour by: Jamie Potts CD Graphics and Design by: Matilda Armstrong 8-Bit Disc Art by: Matthew Barnett This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.

[noona-clock]

Mistletoe Manor - Epilogue, Part 1

Genre: 1900′s AU/Romance

Pairings: Park Seo Joon, Bang Yongguk, Brian Kang, Jung Daehyung, Jung Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong x OCs

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Epilogue 1, 2, 3, 4  | Words: 3,766

A/N: Chelle ( @prettywordsyouleft​​ ) and I wanted to re-visit our magical world of Mistletoe Manor. The series left off on a bit of a cliffhanger, so we really had no choice! We hope you enjoy this extra look into the lives of Cassie, Evie, Joey, and all their friends and family.

Keep a lookout for the second part of the epilogue tomorrow at 6pm EST/ 10am NZST.

Evie let out a soft, shaky breath before lifting her hand, balling her fingers up into a fist, and knocking gently on the door in front of her.

“Come in,” Cassie’s muffled voice replied, and Evie turned the doorknob.

“I hope I’m not... interrupting,” Evie said softly after taking a step into her older sister’s bedroom.

Cassie, who was sitting at her vanity brushing her hair out for the night, set her hairbrush down and turned to look toward the door. “Evie, darling,” she greeted. “No, not at all. What’s going on? Is something wrong?”

“No, nothing -- nothing’s wrong,” Evie assured her with a shake of her head. And then she gestured inside Cassie’s room, taking another step forward. “...May I?”

“Of course!” Cassie stood from her chair and strode to her bed, perching on the edge and patting the spot next to her.

A small grin tugged at Evie’s lips as she stepped fully inside and closed the door behind her.

“What is it, dear?” Cassie asked once Evie sat down cautiously.

Evie pressed her lips together briefly, hoping her nerves didn’t show on her face -- though she was sure they did.

“I --” she began. “I just... was wondering... what it’s like being married.”

Cassie reached up and cradled her sister’s cheek in her palm, her lips curving into a soft but beaming smile. “You’re nervous for the wedding? It’s understandable. It’s a huge change in your life.”

When Yongguk had somewhat proposed to her on Christmas Eve, right before he’d left to go find Joey and Brian, she had been so excited. She knew Yongguk was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with; there were absolutely no doubts in her mind.

And when he actually proposed to her three days later after bringing the newly married couple home, she had accepted with tears of joy in her eyes.

They’d been planning the wedding for a few months now, and Evie was still excited...

But she was also nervous, as Cassie presumed. Not necessarily in a bad way, of course. She loved Yongguk dearly, and she still knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

But it was a huge change. And Evie had never been the biggest fan of change. She liked reading her favorite books over and over again because they never changed.

She’d lived her whole life at Mistletoe Manor with her two sisters, and now... she would be getting married and leaving.

Cassie had stayed here with Daehyun because she could quite possibly give birth to a son in the future, and he would become the heir to the estate. They certainly could have moved back to Daehyun’s home, but they had eventually decided to stay here.

But Evie had no real reason to stay and had agreed to move into Yongguk’s house.

...Well. ‘House’ was not the correct term. From her future husband’s description, it was even bigger than Mistletoe Manor. And she would become the mistress of the household in just a few days.

So, yes. Evie was just a bit nervous.

Or... terrified.

She nodded in response to her sister’s question, wringing her hands in her lap and furrowing her brow deeply. “Is it normal to be nervous?”

“Of course, dear,” Cassie assured her. “I would like to meet a bride who wasn’t nervous before her wedding. I most certainly was.”

“I just... I thought it would be different since I actually --” But then Evie cut herself off because she didn’t want to sound insensitive.

Cassie finished her sentence for her, though. “Since you actually love him. You’re right, I didn’t love Daehyun when we got married. And our first year of marriage was... not typical. And quite difficult. But now we’re happier than I ever dreamed we would be. Imagine what will happen to you. You’ll fall even more in love with Yongguk, and you’ll be so happy your heart could simply burst, I’m certain of it.”

“You are?” Evie asked meekly.

“Absolutely,” Cassie nodded. “It might be difficult, at first, but Yongguk will be there by your side. He’ll probably be nervous, too, and the two of you can help each other through it.”

Once Cassie stopped talking, Evie let out a shaky breath, though her stomach was not quite as jittery as it had been just minutes ago.

“Thank you,” she whispered to her older sister, reaching to take both of her hands. 

“Oh, Evie,” Cassie murmured, bringing her sister’s hands up to her lips and kissing them. “I feel I have always underestimated you, and for that, I am truly sorry. But I hope you know just how delighted I am that you’ve found someone who loves and appreciates you for who you are and not who you should be.”

Evie simply smiled softly before leaning forward to hug Cassie tightly. “I love you,” she whispered.

“I love you, too,” Cassie replied, her voice becoming choked with emotion. “I will miss you, but I know you’ll be more than content over at Blackmon Abbey. Do say you’ll come and visit as often as you can, though.”

Evie nodded, finding a lump of emotion forming in her own throat. “Yes, of course,” she promised. “As often as we can.”

When Cassie pulled away, she reached up to quickly wipe a tear away and then sniffled. “Thank you for coming to me. I hope I helped, even if just a little bit.”

“Oh, you did,” Evie assured her. “Very much. I -- Why were you alone, though? Where is Lydia?”

Cassie’s eyes were still glassy with tears but at Evie’s question, a sly smirk appeared on her lips. “Lydia is... otherwise engaged.”

Unsurprisingly, Evie knew just what she meant. “Ah, I see,” she murmured with a smirk of her own. “I shall not seek her out, then, and let her enjoy her evening.”

“You should seek out Joey, however,” Cassie suggested. “She certainly has an entirely different perspective on marriage than I do, so she might have some other advice to offer.”

“Oh, yes, you’re right,” Evie agreed, her brow furrowing softly. “I’ll go into the village to call on her tomorrow.”

“Perfect,” Cassie grinned. “I would offer to accompany you, but I have plenty here to keep me busy.”

The look on Cassie’s face was just secretive enough to make Evie suspicious... but she kept her lips zipped. For now.

“Where are we going?” Lydia asked quietly, her lips tugging into a soft, shy smile.

Seo Joon smirked to himself as he held Lydia’s shoulders with one hand and covered her eyes with the other, guiding her to a small room off the servant’s hallway. It was typically used for ironing and shining shoes, but not tonight. Tonight, Seo Joon had conspired with the cook and Anna to...

Well, you’ll find out soon enough.

He bent down as he shuffled along the hall, placing his lips next to Lydia’s ear. “How many times have I told you to just be patient?” he whispered.

“I’ve been patient the whole afternoon!” Lydia retorted with a giggle. “Plus, I’m starving. You know I get more impatient the hungrier I am.”

“Don’t worry, that will be remedied soon enough, my love,” Seo Joon murmured before pressing a kiss to Lydia’s earlobe.

Lydia leaned back slightly against Seo Joon’s chest, bringing one hand up to hold onto his wrist as he kept her eyes covered.

“Almost there...” he said as they approached the doorway.

“Can I see now?”

“Hold on just... one... more...”

Seo Joon stopped walking, letting go of Lydia’s shoulder and reaching out to open the door. As the hinges squeaked and the door swung open into the room, he removed his hand from her eyes and pressed his lips together in anticipation.

Instead of the usual shoes littering the table, there was a crisp, white tablecloth and two lit candles in silver candlesticks adorned the top.

Lydia’s eyes fluttered open, her lips parting slightly in surprise when she saw the scene before her. Also on the table were two plates of Lydia’s favorite meal: roast chicken with mashed potatoes and vegetables.

Seo Joon had thought to ask (plead) the cook to make a fancier meal, one she would prepare for the family upstairs, but... he knew Lydia particularly loved Cook’s roast chicken, and all he wanted to do in life was make her happy.

“Seo --” Lydia gaped, turning around briefly to glance at him before stepping forward toward the table. “You... you prepared this?”

Seo Joon gently closed the door behind him. “I did,” he replied with a very proud grin. “It’s been so busy, and we haven’t had a chance to have any real alone time since the Mistletoe Ball, so I thought I would kindly ask Lady Cassandra to give you the evening off tonight.”

Lydia turned around fully then, her eyes wide and her brow furrowed slightly. She stepped over in front of Seo Joon and took his hands. “Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hands gently. “This is -- it’s perfect.”

Seo Joon’s grin widened, and he leaned down to press his lips to hers. He let go of her hands, moving his arms to circle around her waist and pull her closer.

The corners of Lydia’s mouth turned up into a hint of a smile as she slid her arms around Seo Joon’s neck.

“Have I told you,” Seo Joon murmured in-between kisses. “Just how much I love you?”

“Yes,” Lydia chuckled softly. “But, after all these years, it’s more than nice to hear it as often as you say it.”

To be honest, she was still getting used to everything. A voice inside her head was still telling her she shouldn’t be touching or kissing Seo Joon right now because she was so accustomed to hiding her feelings.

But the door was closed. No one else was in the room with them. Cassie had given her the night off. She could kiss the man she was in love with as she damn well pleased!

“Well, then,” Seo Joon whispered, rubbing the tip of his nose against hers. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Lydia replied with a grin.

“I love you so much that... it’s hard to even put into words.”

“Who needs words, anyway?” Lydia’s grin widened, and she stood on her toes to kiss him again. She pressed her lips to his more urgently than before, capturing his bottom lip and tugging on it. Seo Joon held her even closer, even more tightly, and a whole flock of butterflies suddenly appeared in her stomach.

...Oh, wait.

Those weren’t butterflies. Butterflies didn’t growl like that.

She was just still hungry.

Seo Joon pulled away, letting out a soft laugh and gazing down at her with a teasingly adoring grin. “I see it’s not actually me you’re hungry for.”

Lydia’s cheeks warmed at his remark. She pulled away, trying to hide a bashful smile as Seo Joon took her hand and led her over to one of the chairs at the table.

“The food is starting to get cold, anyway,” he pointed out as he helped her sit down and spread a cloth napkin over her lap. Before he sat down across from her, he served her, dishing out the potatoes and vegetables and cutting off some tender pieces of the chicken.

“Why thank you,” Lydia grinned, her eyes widening as she took in all of the delicious-looking food now in front of her.

“Please, don’t wait on my account,” Seo Joon assured her as he began to fill up his own plate.

Lydia, although polite, was also very good at following directions... so, she lifted her utensils and dove right in.

Unsurprisingly, the next ten minutes or so consisted of just a few sentences exchanged between the couple. The two of them were far too busy eating to engage in conversation, and when Lydia finally set down her knife and fork with a satisfied sigh, Seo Joon informed her they weren’t quite finished yet.

“What do you mean?” she asked curiously as Seo Joon took her empty plate away.

He set both of their plates down on a side table behind him and then bent down to retrieve...

When he stood back up and placed a small trifle on the table, Lydia let out an extremely delighted gasp.

“You didn’t think I would forget about dessert, did you?” Seo Joon smirked as he handed her a spoon.

“Oh, I do love you!” Lydia giggled.

Seo Joon’s grin lit up his face as he watched her -- Lydia, the absolute and complete love of his life -- scoop into the trifle with unadulterated glee. 

Even if he didn’t have a romantic walk in the cold moonlight planned after this, and even if he didn’t know he would kiss her until she was breathless later, this would go down in his personal history book as a perfect evening. Just the fact he got to spend this time alone with her, and the fact she was so adorably happy was enough. More than enough.

He would have to plan more nights like this -- as many as he possibly could. One day, far in the future, he would plan a night like this to propose to her.

But, for now, he was fully content with the way things were. No more secret longing, no more hidden glances, no more worrying and fretting over ‘what ifs.’ He wanted to marry her, yes... but one day. Not just yet. 

He’d waited so many years just to get where they were now. He could most certainly wait to take things a step further, and Lydia -- without question -- was worth the wait.

It had taken Seo Joon, Yongguk, and Daehyun almost two days to find Lady Josephine and Brian after their somewhat dramatic escape on Christmas Eve.

Thankfully, when they did find them, the couple was already married and awaiting passage on a boat to America.

Daehyun managed to convince them there was no need to run away to a whole other continent; her sisters certainly wanted her to return, and even if her parents didn’t quite approve of the marriage, they would much rather she stay here than be an ocean away.

Joey had -- somewhat reluctantly -- agreed to come back, and when she and Brian had returned to the manor, her entire family had surrounded her. They’d hugged and kissed her, both Cassie and her mother had been crying, and her father had almost immediately ushered Brian into his study to interrogate him.

The next week, the newlyweds had moved into a house in the nearby village, and Brian had begun teaching at the local school. Apparently, knowing how to read and write was a good enough qualification; Brian did end up rather enjoying the job, though.

And now, just about three months after their legendary departure, they were settled in their quaint cottage and -- much to some’s surprise -- incredibly happy.

Joey smiled to herself as she thought of how Brian -- her husband -- still teased her and got on her nerves. Daily, in fact. As she stuck the needle through her embroidery hoop, she recalled the first snowball fight they’d had -- and the few they’d had since, as well.

When a sudden knock interrupted her thoughts, she let out a soft gasp and dropped her project on the floor. Instead of picking it up, she scurried to the door and practically threw it open.

With Brian being gone at the school all day, Joey’s ideas for keeping herself busy were wearing thin, and she was more than glad to have a visitor.

“Evie!” she cried with delight when she saw her sister standing on the doormat.

She was especially glad to have this specific visitor.

“I hope I’m not interrupt --”

“No, of course not,” Joey assured her hastily, stepping aside to usher her in. “Please, come in. Shall I ring for some tea?”

“Oh, yes, please,” Evie answered, taking off her coat once she’d entered the house. “It’s almost colder than it was at Christmas time.”

Joey popped her head into the kitchen and requested a tea tray from the cook -- the only servant she had now.

“Come, sit down,” she murmured to Evie before leading her to the living room, the room she’d just occupied. 

Joey bent to pick up her embroidery, and Evie let out a soft sputter of a chuckle.

“What is that?” 

“It’s -- it’s my embroidery!” Joey explained with a huff. “Why did you say it like that?!”

“You’ve never embroidered a thing in your life,” Evie laughed.

“Well!” Joey cried defensively. “I can’t think of anything else to do! I’m stuck in this house all day while Brian’s at work!”

Evie’s jaw practically dropped at her younger sister’s ludicrous statement. “Are you quite serious?”

“Yes! I’m bored out of my mind!”

“Joey! There are so many things you could do outside of the house!”

“Oh?” Joey asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Such as? And don’t say planting a garden, you know my thumb is the opposite of green.”

“I can think of any number of things you could get involved in! Like -- the orphanage, for example. They’re always in need of help!”

Joey’s brow furrowed softly, and the corners of her mouth turned down in thought.

Hmm. The orphanage.

...Why had she never thought of that? She hadn’t been around children too much, but the ones she’d met in her adulthood had certainly seemed rambunctious and clever enough to keep her thoroughly occupied. It wasn’t too far from the village, and it would certainly be much better than trying to embroider all day.

“Evie,” Joey said softly. “I believe... you have come up with a wonderful idea.”

For a split second, the expression on Evie’s face was one of surprise. It quickly morphed to one of satisfaction, however, and she tipped her chin into a satisfied nod. “Of course, I have.”

Before Joey’s train of thought could get permanently derailed onto thoughts of the orphanage, she turned back to her older sister.

“Now, why did you come to see me?” she asked directly. Joey had never been one to mince words.

Evie instantly frowned, though, her forehead wrinkling adorably. “Why do I need a reason to come see you?”

“Because... I mean, don’t you, especially, always need a reason to leave the house?”

“...Well, yes.”

Joey simply smirked triumphantly.

��The thing is... it’s rather a... well, a private topic,” Evie replied in hushed tones.

Before Joey had the chance to ask what her sister could possibly mean by that, the door opened, and the cook ambled in with the tea tray.

Evie sat silently as the cook set down the tray and poured tea into two floral, porcelain cups.

“Thank you, Mrs. Whitmore,” Joey grinned before taking one of the cups and handing it to her sister.

Mrs. Whitmore dipped into a curtsy before shuffling out of the room, closing the door behind her.

It took less than half a second for Joey to focus all of her attention back on Evie.

“What could you possibly mean by ‘a private topic’?” she asked in hushed -- but hurried -- tones.

Evie’s cheeks immediately pinkened, and Joey’s mind went right into the gutter.

“I’m just... nervous,” Evie gulped.

Joey waited as long as she possibly could for her sister to continue... which ended up being about three seconds.

“About the wedding night?”

Evie’s cheeks pinkened some more, and her brows rushed down to wrinkle her forehead. “No! I mean, yes, but I’m not -- just -- getting married, in general. And moving away from home and being mistress of such a large estate and -- there are just so many changes, and I’m incredibly anxious about it all.”

“Ohhhh,” Joey nodded in understanding before taking a sip of her tea. “Yes, of course. You would be nervous about that.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” Evie murmured with a slight pout.

“You are a creature of habit, my dear,” Joey pointed out. “You like to be surrounded by things and places and people you already know, like books and our family. And you prefer to stay in the background. You don’t like attention -- never have. And now, suddenly, you’ll be in a new house with all the servants looking to you for direction and leadership. I should have guessed! My, you must be quite terrified!”

When Joey lifted her gaze to her older sister, the look on Evie’s face was not one of relief that Joey had just voiced the nagging thoughts in the back of her head.

No. Not one of relief in the slightest.

Her expression was one of absolute panic.

Hastily, Joey set her teacup down and reached over, resting her hand comfortingly on Evie’s knee. “Oh, my dear, you will be all right. I’m all right, aren’t I? And I moved from Mistletoe Manor to this... well, it can only be called a cottage, can’t it? It took a while to get used to, but having Brian with me helped tremendously! Truly, it took hardly any time at all to create a new routine and get settled here.”

Evie softly quirked one eyebrow at that. “But you’re embroidering to pass the time...”

Joey waved one hand through the air dismissively. “Oh, you know me. Always wanting to do things I’m frightfully bad at. I’ve never had a hobby like you, which is why you will be fine. I am much assured that Blackmon Abbey has a very well-stocked library. Does it not?”

Evie nodded, though she still looked just a bit anxious.

“Then you will be more than fine. There are probably an enormous amount of books in there you haven’t read, so if your husband is not on hand to ease your worries, you’ll have your books.”

After chewing on her lip for a moment or two, Evie shot her younger sister a hopeful glance. “It won’t be... too scary, will it?”

Joey shook her head vigorously. “My best advice is to simply talk to your husband-to-be. I know how much you hate talking about your feelings, but it must be done. And I promise you will feel better afterward.”

Knowing her sister was right -- for once in her life -- Evie nodded.

“I will,” she said with quiet determination. “Thank you, Joey.”

Joey, looking entirely too pleased with herself, removed her hand from her sister’s knee and took her teacup again.

“You are most welcome,” she said with a confident grin. For she was feeling quite confident. She had just given her sister some smashingly wonderful advice, and she was currently devising a plan to keep herself occupied.

Things were looking up!

Part 2

[brunuhvielle]

Evie & Jacob

[catalinatimes]

TERROR AT A WEDDING WHILE MYSTERY FIRES PLAGUE THE TOWN

Sunday, June 21st, 7:41AM 

CATALINA ISLAND, CA — Last night, Micah Davenport, a thirty year old male, was arrested and charged with arson and felony assault for disturbing the most talked-about wedding on the island.

“It was awful,” Morgan Bergman recounts. “All of a sudden, he appears, yelling about fires and how much he’s in love with one of the brides, and after that, it was pure chaos. I got my mom and got out of there as quickly as I could.”

Micah claims to have started several fires on the island to declare his love for Tinsley Lester, whose father owns much of the property on the island. She was married to Cassandra Mapleview that night, but according to sources, they are looking to dissolve their marriage.

Simultaneously, much of the island was on fire, including large parts of Ventura and isolated locations in Avalon and Lafayette Square. Though Davenport has admitted to starting all of the fires, local PD are skeptical. The Catalina Marina has also been trashed, cutting off the island’s only way of getting to the mainland, and the large tourism industry they rely on.

If anyone has any information on the fires, please contact the Catalina Island Police Department at (310) 510-0714.

PLOT DROP:

TRIGGERS: Fighting / Physical Assault, Heart Attack, Infidelity, Arson, Fire.

At 11:30PM, right as the wedding ends, Tinsley’s ex-boyfriend, Micah Davenport (software engineer for IBM, 30), shows up to the wedding drunk, claiming he’d burnt down a couple of buildings to declare her love for her, and claimed that Tinsley had been cheating on Cassandra the entire time.

The man is immediately arrested by Evie Morris and Daphne Palmer-Slade, who’d been attending the wedding as friends, not before Micah dumps an entire bottle of champagne over Detective Morris’s head, and pushes Detective Palmer-Slade into a table.

Cassandra immediately confronts Tinsley, which turns physical.

In the scuffle, Eleanor Hirsch and Elizabeth Kennedy try to pull them off of each other — not before Eleanor is punched right in the eye and Elizabeth falls and hits her head.

Officer Austin Cabot intervenes, removing the two women from hurting each other.

Marcus Mapleview, in an attempt to defend his sister, attempts to throw his shoe at Bronwyn Lester, which ends up hitting Rory Hirsch in the head instead. Billie Murphy, in an attempt to stop Marcus from throwing things, gets elbowed in the nose.

Vance Lester, taking advantage of the chaos, slashes the tires of most of the Mapleview guests, including:

Aaron Hirsch

Elena Perez

Marion Stewart

Sage Beckett

Cassius Mapleview, in shock from the whole ordeal, suffers a heart attack and collapses.

Immediately, Lucian Carter and Wolfe Harwen rush over to help the man, but Daniel Mapleview, mistaking them for people involved with the Lesters, charges at them with an empty vase.

In the commotion, Diana Cornswallet nee Mapleview tries to escape with Digby Lester — they are the ones having the affair, but right as they get to the exit, Gregory Cornswallet stops the two and punches Digby in the nose.

Hayden Stewart, Maya Baxter and Jack Adler are dragged into the fight with Digby and Gregory, while Diana, Lydia Beckett, and Tyson Hart attempt to break it apart.  

Fires were set to both of the brides’ homes, which quickly spread to other areas in the Ventura, including:

The Carlson estate

Halliwell Funeral Support

Tristan Hartley-Steele’s home

Ryan Moore’s home

Pearson, Specter, Litt and Associates

The front lobby of the Catalina Island Medical Center

Ventura Coffee Roasting Co.

However, many other establishments around the island were also set on fire, including:

Robin’s Barbecue, owned by Elijah Hinkley

Coyote Joe’s

Scoop’s

The Locker Room

The two ferries in the Catalina Marina were also trashed, making it impossible for residents and visitors to commute to and from the island.

Law enforcement is skeptical that Micah Davenport is solely responsible for the fires, as it is virtually impossible for one man to set fire to that many buildings in such a short amount of time.

OOC INFORMATION: 

Woo! Plot drop! I’ve attempted to include everyone into the drop that requested to be in it, so please take a look over and read it all! Though we’ve woven the characters into this storyline, what happens to your muses afterwards is completely up to you. (i.e. how much damage your home / business sustained, the extent of your muse’s injuries, if they are even injured, etc.) If you’re uncomfortable with anything that I’ve written above, please let us know so we can remove or re-work the drop! As always, if anyone has any questions about this, please don’t hesitate to let us know. Happy writing!

[prettywordsyouleft]

Mistletoe Manor - Part 5

Summary: Christmas is the most important time of year for all those who live within Mistletoe Manor. From the staff to the Hawthorne family themselves, everyone works hard to ensure that the festive season is a success every year! We invite you to see if everyone can pull off another  magical Christmas at the manor this year.

Pairing: Park Seo Joon, Bang Yongguk, Brian Kang, Jung Daehyun, Jung Jaehyun, Lee Taeyong and OCs.

Genre: regency au / romance / christmas au

A/N: Becky ( @noona-clock​ ) and I wanted to create a magical Christmas for everyone and what  better way to do that than at Mistletoe Manor! Because of the nature of having several idols, we chose to work with OCs and we hope you love them as much as we do.

Mistletoe Manor will be posted daily at 10am NZST / 4pm EST daily.

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10

For such an ordeal that it had been to get to this night, the opening of the Winter Festival had gone off without a single issue. And as Cassie walked around with Evie and Joey, she couldn’t stop smiling.

Everyone looked so happy.

This was what Christmas was all about for the Hawthorne’s. All the long hours had paid off to see those who made this area of land prosperous laughing and enjoying themselves. From ice-skating to hot cocoa and sitting on Santa’s knee, the market had something for everyone. It renewed hope that whatever hardships people faced could be overcome with the magic this season possessed.

Cassie was hopeful that even if she had to spend this Christmas without Daehyun, she would continue to smile just like this.

“Is that Anna and Taeyong holding hands over there?” Evie questioned and Cassie grinned as Joey clapped her own hands together.

“It’s truly about time they realised there was more to their arguing.”

“Do you think they won’t bicker so much anymore then?” Cassie wondered and the sisters watched on as Taeyong attempted to show Anna how to skate. She was soon frustrated and pushed him away. They couldn’t help but chuckle, some things never changed.

Cassie then spotted Jaehyun and Grace trying out handmade treats together and not far behind them was Lydia and Seo Joon. Her smile grew as their hands inched closer to one another inconspicuously. She hoped that in the New Year these couples – or those not yet together – would be proudly showing off their affections for one another.

“Do you think there is any hope for me to find love this Christmas?” Evie suddenly asked, and each sister on her side turned to look at her curiously. Evie blushed. “Just a thought!”

“I hope you both get what you want this Christmas,” Cassie encouraged and Joey let out a snort.

“It would take a special type of man to match me. I don’t have a desirable disposition.”

“Nonsense, someone will rise to the challenge!”

“Or die trying,” Evie added on, laughing with her older sister as Joey pouted.

“I pray Daehyun is back in time too,” Joey mentioned a moment later, eyeing Cassie cautiously.

Cassie waved her hands around herself. “I’m fine; please do not look at me waiting to see if I will cry again. I am done crying over it. I am his wife and he has to come back at some point.”

“Yes, but you love Christmas.”

“And he loves you.”

“How do you know that he does?” she questioned the pair and Evie shrugged whilst Joey inspected her nails. “Say, even if he loves me most ardently, it doesn’t mean he will magically appear for Christmas. He is serving our King and that has to come first.”

“Well, he has twenty-nine days to make it back in time and finally put you first. Anything could happen between now and then.”

December began and the manor was livelier than ever. Grace’s parents had arrived, much had other relatives. Cassie spent her days trying to get her own pursuits fulfilled or spent time with her sisters and Grace, before taking part in fancy dinners and get-togethers in the evening. There was an element to every Christmas she always seemed to forget until the jolly season was upon them.

It was utterly exhausting.

Still, on the fifth day of December, she rose to the sound of hooves upon the driveway. With the five inches of snow already settled upon the ground outside, using cars had been suspended until the roads were clear. And knowing all the expected guests, bar Daehyun and his company, were already lodged here at the manor, she sprung from her bed, dashing over to shift the drapes aside anxiously.

Her hopes were dashed when it was just the Vicar from the village stopping by to meet with her father.

Climbing back into her bed, Cassie thumped at the bedding in a very unladylike manner. A brief giggle from the doorway alerted her that this moment had not gone unwitnessed. Lydia grinned as she made her way to the bed. “My Lady, are we feeling alright?”

“Quite.”

“Well then, shall we prepare for your day? I am afraid it is another one that will keep you busy.”

“I shall rest for a month after December leaves us,” Cassie offered dramatically, heaving herself up and preparing for the day ahead.

She spent time reading with Evie and Grace in the library, sewing with her Mother and Joey in the parlour and played a game of cards with Lydia and Seo Joon when she was meant to be upstairs attending another dreadfully boring family meeting.

Seo Joon shot her a look. “This headache you claim to have is not preventing you from winning yet again, My Lady.”

“Perhaps it improves my skills greatly.”

“Actually Seo Joon, you’re just not the best at card games.”

“What?” the man questioned Lydia’s admission, his mouth falling apart incredulously. “Must I show you of my worth?”

“Will you be able to beat Cassie at all today?” Lydia wondered with an airy laugh.

“Just you wait; I will ensure you never utter such words about me again!”

“But not right now, I’m afraid.” Glancing up at Taeyong’s stricken expression, he came over to Cassie’s side. “Your mother just came to check on you and found you were not in your bed resting as you proclaimed. I told her that I saw you walking down to the conservatory, and so-”

“Of course, I must go.” Standing up, Cassie then smiled at her friends. “I task Lydia with the opportunity to challenge you instead, Seo Joon.”

“I accept!” Seo Joon replied heartedly, sweeping the cards up as his mood increased.

Whilst Cassie’s decreased. Thanking Taeyong for his help, she slipped into the main room, weakly taking hold of Grace’s hand. “Did I miss anything?”

“Nothing of importance. Aunt Jane has been projecting something of a song for about twenty minutes now.”

“That long?!” Cassie whispered, aghast. “Last year someone stopped her after ten.”

“It appears she is quite the force this year, sister,” Evie lamented and the girls all sighed in unison.

After another hour of family time, Cassie was released to freshen up for dinner, frowning when she heard a carriage out on the driveway again. She chastised her need to check out the window and yet she made her way there, realising guests from within town would be arriving for dinner.

She told herself to stop hoping her Christmas miracle would come true tonight.

Cassie focused on smiling more. She didn’t wish for the questions to come from nosy relatives of why she felt particularly disheartened today and so she put on a brave face and actively threw herself into conversation with her cousin Severus about his recent purchase of some run-down estate up north. She nodded when she needed to and she laughed at the right times, Severus none the wiser that Cassie was completely bored.

And thankfully, Grace came to her aid, rescuing her with an excuse to need to stretch her legs with a companion.

“You miss him tonight, don’t you?”

“How do you miss someone you barely spent time with?” Cassie wondered, still nodding in answer. “It is odd, today I felt as if he would arrive.”

“Maybe he will, there is still time, the night is young,” her cousin encouraged and Cassie smiled at Grace.

“Where will I be in this world if I did not have you to make me hopeful?”

“Perhaps in the arms of a man who has waited almost a year to take you back within them?”

Turning hastily, Cassie gasped, her knees growing weak at the person before her. He caught her just in time and smiled broadly. “Why, you even fall at my feet! I did not expect that until some time into our relationship, Cassandra.”

“Daehyun.”

“Oh you have other companions with you,” Grace announced, moving away from the pair staring at one another longingly. “Earl Yongguk is it? And who might you be? Come with me, surely you must be famished from your travels.”

Cassie slowly smiled, lifting a hand up to his face. Daehyun grinned when she became delighted, laughing with her. “I am here.”

“I half expect this to be a dream, I’ll have you know.”

“Shall I go back out the door and then come in again?” he suggested and she shook her head, gripping him tighter.

“I fear if you go out again, I will have to wait another year to see you.”

“So you did miss me!” Her cheeks coloured and Daehyun caressed them tenderly. “So beautiful.”

“What is?”

“You.”

“I was concerned that your words would just be that, words,” she admitted, taking his hand and leading him over to the library, shutting the door behind them. Once seated on a chaise, she soaked him in quietly. “It feels those words make this moment easier for us both.”

“I did worry you would be less inclined to take my hand once I was back,” Daehyun told her and she instantly took it in hers, making him laugh, his smile brighter than any she had ever seen. “It appears my wife is just as enchanted as I.”

“We do have a lot to learn about each other,” Cassie pointed out and Daehyun nodded. “However, I am all too pleased to see you.”

“Not as much as I am.”

“You made it back in time for Christmas,” she murmured, taking his cheek in her hand again. It amazed her by how natural this felt to do. And she giggled when he nuzzled into her hand affectionately. “Thank you.”

“You waited so long for me; I was not prepared to miss spending this time of year with you.”

“Just like last year?” Daehyun chuckled, taking her hand from his cheek and burying it into his chest. “Last year, we barely spoke to one another. Did you not wish to marry me?”

“No, I did not,” she answered and his hand faltered on hers. Cassie then smiled. “But I am relieved I did.”

“I wanted to marry you as soon as I saw you,” Daehyun expressed, surprising his wife. “You were exactly who I dreamed of marrying. Someone who had a mind of her own, who was intelligent and caring. You were so selfless whenever I watched over you. I wanted to offer you the world.”

“I never knew you felt this way.”

Daehyun nodded. “Because you would barely stop to have time for me. I did not wish to intrude.”

“I thought you were standoffish because of the arrangement.”

“I was enamoured by your beauty.”

Cassie attempted to settle her emotions, her lip wobbling as she asked, “And now?”

“Now I want to kiss my wife that I have missed since the day I left her behind. May I?”

“Will you ask every time?” she wondered, her mouth now hovering around his.

“I hope in time, I can just kiss you without my heart thudding and giving me away like this.”

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes.”

“Don’t be, I already gave you my heart,” she told him as she pressed her lips to his, her mind and soul soaring. This is what she had always dreamed of. The prince of her fairytales was right before her, holding onto her as he kissed her passionately, months lost between them to establish such a physical love.

And yet, had it not been for their separation, for all the letters, Cassie was unsure if she would have reached such an easy conclusion that she loved Daehyun as much as she already did. She was grateful for the lessons she learned, and the time to grow and fall in love with the man she had married at the start of the year. She was also excited for where their future would carry them, and what her life could amount to. Until then, it was Christmas time and she had received her present early. Cassie was certain this year the festive season would be her favourite so far.

“I am sorry I was late, I wanted to be here for your festival,” Daehyun murmured when he pulled back and Cassie shook her head, dismissing his claim with a smile.

“You were right on time, my love.”

_________________

Part 6

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[msjr0119]

Belated WIP/Six sentence Sunday (it’s Sunday in the Uk 🇬🇧)

Thanks for the tag on Wednesday @loveellamae

I’ve been very quiet recently due to personal issues, but I’ve tried catching up with all my series, so are posting the bits that I’ve done below. Thank you to everyone who has asked how I’m doing - love you all 💕

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*****

Cordonian Wags (can’t believe I haven’t posted since December 😱)

The Apples do not need anymore drama within the club- it looks as though Walker is arguing with his manager.

It’s such a shame that such a good match has come to this- I wonder what the argument is about? Walker has played well, but I’ve seen that he hasn’t been on the ball- get it?

Good pun- yes, even though he’s scored a hat trick his eyes have been scrutinising elsewhere around the stadium.

“Get back on the pitch, Walker!” Bertrand snapped towards Drake, he hated being stern towards him as he was his brother in law- but for some reason he was jeopardising the game.

“No!”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me Bertrand. Riley’s not well.... I saw her run off...she needs me.”

“She’s just been sick. This match is important... is she pregnant?”

“No! And Riley is more important to me than a stupid match....”

“Tell me what’s up with her, then we can determine what is more important!” She’s got cancer you fucking moron.

“Just take me off, I’ve done enough in this match....” Bertrand grabbed Drake by the collar- his grip was tight, not knowing what had got into him- he witnessed the team walk over attempting to calm the situation down.

“Get the fuck off of me Bertrand! I quit!”

******

One Temptation

Drake pressed the button in the elevator, taking him up to the highest floor. Walking towards the desk, the receptionist looked Drake up and down- wondering who he was and what his intentions were.

“I’m here to see Mr Rhys. Before you ask, no- I haven’t got an appointment.”

“Name?”

“Just tell him his worse nightmare is paying him a visit..” Panic was written across the woman’s face, leaning closer towards her desk- her hand hovered over the security button. “Just tell him, it’s Drake.”

Hello Mr Rhys, you have a visitor. His name is Drake.

Hanging up, she explained that Liam would be with them momentarily. Sitting down on the leather chair, Drake was unsure how Liam would react to seeing him- would he throw him out? Would he play mind games?

“Drake. It’s nice to see you.” Not. “Follow me into my office.” Drake followed his instructions, as the two men walked into the room. Liam poured them both a drink, however Drake politely rejected. Not knowing if Liam could have potentially added poison to it as revenge.

“What can I do for you? I never thought I’d see the day that you’d pay me a visit voluntarily.”

“Trust me, I don’t want to be here. I despise you. Have you seen or heard from Riley?”

“No. Why would I hear from her? She wanted to send me to prison for raping her.” Hearing that word, Drake grit his teeth- knowing that Liam was still in denial with his past actions.

“Well you did do that. Listen, you probably know her better than any of us. We need your help. She ran away, she left me in Texas.” Liam laughed in Drakes face, just picturing Riley riding off into the sunset wearing a cowboy hat.

“What did you do?” He asked Drake, assuming he was the reasoning behind her disappearance- from past experience he should know how her mind ticked. She did the same when he hurt her.

“I did nothing, my mom and aunt Leona spoke to her. Then she went cold towards me, and was gone. Do you know anywhere that she could have gone?” Liam now knew the reasoning behind her departure- he was the reason why. Instead of acting like a dick, he felt empathy towards everyone who was looking for her- guilt for his past actions.

“Bianca, this is Liam Rhys- a friend of Drakes.” Bianca recognised the name immediately- clearing her throat, she provided a fake posh accent.

“Hello, Sir. How may I help?”

“Has Drake arrived in Texas yet? His flatmate was just wondering but he’s broken his phone.”

“No, not yet. I assume he should be here shortly. I’ll get him to ring you once he arrives.”

“Okay, thank you Mrs Walker. I hope the prostitute he is in a relationship with doesn’t ruin your families reputation. Have a good day.”

******

Hold my girl

Freya stormed out of the ballroom, not knowing why. Both her and Drake had confessed their feelings towards each other in New York, they had both agreed to a long distance relationship. So, to see him so close to the mystery woman was like a stab to the heart.

What am I even doing here? She muttered to herself.

“Freya!” Ignoring him, she ran off to her room- not looking back as she wiped her tears. Liam has suggested going to speak to her instead along with Maxwell for moral support, whilst drake took the time to ‘chill out’ before he put his foot in his mouth again.

“Blossom?” Maxwell said softly, as the two men waited for her to answer the door. “Lady Freya, we just want to make sure that you are okay?”

Opening the door, the two of them had sorrow in their eyes- both pulling her towards them for a group hug.

“I’m sorry. Liam, stop calling me lady please. I’m not in your court anymore. I’m just an American nurse now. Not a suitor, or a Duchess, or a Cordonian.”

“Frey, you are a Cordonian even if not officially- you’re a Beaumont, always will be. That woman...”

“Don’t Max... I don’t want to hear it. I thought we had something good- was all the words he said to me a lie? Did he use me for sex? I don’t know what to think. It was Drake who suggested the long distance thing- insisting it would work because he loves me. Maybe he should have just stayed as a jerk!” The two men knew that Drake wouldn’t hurt her, Maxwell soon had a smile appear on his face- a mischievous look, that look made Liam’s mind work overtime, wondering what the lord was thinking.

“Freya, grab some things and meet me in my room. Slumber party time, Beaumont’s only- sorry, Liam. No invite for you.”

“I’m busy anyway, no need for an apology. Goodnight Freya, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kissing her on the cheek, Maxwell mimicked the king’s actions before following him out of the room.

A couple of hours had passed, and there was no sign of Freya. Maxwell just assumed that she had fallen asleep- walking out of his room towards hers, he noticed her door was slightly ajar.

“Frey?” Scrutinising the room, his heart sunk as realisation hit him like a ton of bricks.

She’s gone.

*****

Return to New York

Liam shouted for the guard to allow his visitors into his study- turning to face them he was shocked as to why the familiar person was here, and not with Riley.

“Daniel. It’s nice to see you again.” Is he here visiting? Like on a vacation? These questions were soon knocked out of mind as he heard the tiny patter of footsteps enter the room. Libby? Lydia? Lily? Fuck what’s her name again? What’s she doing here?

“I wish I could say the same, your Majesty. I’m sorry to disturb you. Do you know where Riley is? I can’t seem to get in touch with her.”

“I’m not sure of her exact location, but I have an inkling of where that might be. I don’t mean to sound rude, but why is she here? Shouldn’t she be with her father?” Daniel sighed, not knowing how to explain the reason for the impromptu visit. Asking the guard to escort the young girl out- he didn’t want to upset her anymore than she was already.

“Lissy, she lost her father. When Riley ditched him at the wedding- he became drunk, he got into his car.... he had a crash, and didn’t survive. He was upset, humiliated that Riley couldn’t talk to him herself. Lissy has no one, she’s going to go into care if Riley....”

“If Riley what?” Liam interrupted, he had an inkling about what Daniel was going to say- but really hoped that he was incorrect.

*****

We Belong

My dearest Evie, I’m so sorry for all the pain I caused you. I always loved you, I was stupid to let a diamond like you go- all for the sake of nothing. I had hoped in time that you’d forgive me, I killed the man who tried to rape you- the man who you would cry in your sleep about. Stupidly I believed once you knew my true identity that we could get back together. I was part of a troupe, going against the crown- Bianca and Anton had reasons. I didn’t. I was just in it for the money- the money that I would have used to shower you with gifts, to pay for your dream wedding that we imagined. I didn’t mean to stab you, Bianca pushed you into me- id never hurt you again. I still don’t know if you survived or not, no one will inform me. I was an idiot. I can’t live without you knowing that it was always you- if you survived, I hope you find true happiness. Happiness that you deserve. Liam is in danger, Anton goes by a fake name known as Justin. He is Riley’s press secretary. I need you to tell someone, to protect my old friend and his family. I’m so sorry for everything I’ve done. But now I’ve told you this, I have no choice but to end my life. Toby xo

*****

The Greatest Show

“Ri?” Amber questioned, assuming she was hallucinating- seeing her friend stood in front of her. Liam held onto Riley’s waist, looking adorably towards her.

“Surprise!” Riley shouted enthusiastically, waving her hands in the air.

“I’m confused, what the hell are you doing here? Why are you so close together? Liam have you forgotten about Olivia?”

“I’ve no got amnesia, Amber. Olivia has been in a relationship with Leo, behind my back. I’m no angel, as I fell in love with Riley whilst I was supposed to be courting Liv.” Amber was trying to allow this information to sink in, trying to figure out what exactly was going to occur due to the burden being her friend.

“Well I’m happy to see you Ri, lets hope you don’t get stabbed...” Riley’s eyes widened, but Liam laughed knowing exactly what she was referring to- or who.

“I’ll see you both tomorrow? I’ve got one tall, dark, handsome commoner waiting for me...” Making her way out of the room, she quickly turned to the two of them. “Oh Ri, thanks for bringing Jackson- I’ve missed him so much, and he’s missed his Mom like you said on the note.” Before Riley could react, Amber had shot out of the door. But I didn’t bring Jackson.

Exiting the room, Amber couldn’t wait to get back to Drake- mainly to explain the new court gossip to him. Feeling arms go around her waist, she smiled- turning around, that smile soon disappeared in a flash.

“Thought you’d escape me, did you?

*****

Hold on (follow up)

“Brooks....” Feeling like this was a waste of time, Drake decided that the best option was to walk away, as she wasn’t responding. Jackson placed a hand onto his father’s shoulder, suggesting that Drake should leave. Listening to his son’s advise, he left in a swift motion- frustrated that he couldn’t persuade her to come out of her hovel and just talk.

“Aunt Ri?” Jackson said softly as he knocked on the door. Riley knew she was being stubborn whenever a visitor would knock on the door- but for some reason she could never ignore her children, or her friends children.

“Jackson.” Smiling at his auntie, he pulled her in for a hug. “What can I do for you?”

“Have a walk? Or just a little talk with me? We all miss you, and want to help you through it. Dad just wants to grieve with you. You could help each other?”

“You’re only twenty one Jackson, you should be out with your friends- enjoying life. Don’t take a minute for granted. Loving each day as if it’s your last.” Listening to her words, he knew what she was referring to. His heart sunk, the usual poised Queen stood in front of him absolutely broken. “I miss him so much Jackson, and I miss your mom too. Each day that goes by, doesn’t get any easier. I need to be strong for Ayah, Louis and Ellie but truth be told- they are so much stronger than I am.”

[bex-la-get]

Sunday Mornings (Ethan x f!MC)

Book: Open Heart

Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x Natalie Cusack

Special Appearance: The Ramsack Kids

Word count: 1945

Summary: Nat and Ethan enjoy their Sunday mornings. Told over several years.

Rating: T (All the fluff)

Author’s Note: Literally wrote this in the span of an hour and it’s currently 1am here so apologies in advance for any mistakes. Enjoy!

Sundays were for them.

Every Sunday, Nat and Ethan had the day off from the hospital, something Ethan had negotiated with Naveen and the Board early into their relationship. And, as a result, every Sunday was theirs for the taking. If they wanted to be lazy, they would be lazy. If they wanted to run errands and prepare for the week, then that’s what they would do. If they wanted to turn off their phones and focus only on each other, then that’s what they would do too. Regardless of their plans, their Sundays were always sure to be full of one thing: each other.

On a particular rainy Sunday morning, Nat woke to the sound of thunder rumbling outside her window. She groaned in protest at the sound and snuggled deeper into the mattress, burying herself beneath the covers. Within moments, she felt a strong pair of arms snake around her body and hold her tightly, the feel of Ethan’s bare chest against her back, as they breathed in sync with one another.

“Mm, good morning,” Ethan muttered into Nat’s ear.

She groaned in response. “No.”

Ethan chuckled. “No to me or to the morning?”

“To the morning,” she mumbled, her eyes still closed. “Too early.”

Ethan glanced at the clock on his bedside table, noting it was rather early for a Sunday; 7:15 to be exact. He turned back to Nat and pulled her closer in his embrace, placing a soft kiss behind her ear. “I love you,” he said, quietly.

“Mm, love you too,” she replied. Her eyes were still closed and her voice was still sleep laden. He smiled and placed another kiss on her shoulder, laying his head back on the pillow and intending to fall back asleep, only to feel Nat shift in his arms until she was facing him. She began to gently run her fingers up and down the bridge of his nose and he opened his eyes to find her blue-green ones staring back at him. “Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi.”

“Let’s stay in today,” she suggested. She snuggled closer to him as she spoke, their noses almost touching. 

“Mm, didn’t you want to go grocery shopping?” he asked.

She shook her head. “We can have them delivered. Today, I just want you and me. And Jenner.” The aforementioned pup perked his head up at his name, his tail gently wagging.

Ethan smiled. “Okay; you, me, and Jenner then. Anything in particular you want to do?”

“Mhm, this.” Cupping the back of his head with her hand, she kissed him firmly. He melted into the kiss instantly, his hands gripping her hips as he pulled her impossibly closer. But just as the kiss was growing in intensity, Nat pulled back and bit her lip. “I just realized, I have morning breath,” she giggled. “I’ll be right back.”

She moved to make her way out of the bed but Ethan held her down tightly, readjusting the two of them so he was laying on top of her. “Oh no, you don’t.”

Nat fell back onto the mattress and laughed. “E, I’m just going to brush my teeth. I’ll be right back.”

“Nope, don’t care,” he said, peppering kisses along her neck and jaw. “I’ll kiss you with any kind of breath. Morning breath, coffee breath, garlic breath; I don’t care. I want to kiss you always.” He kissed her lips softly to emphasize his point and Natalie smiled when he pulled away.

“That’s quite a declaration, Dr. Ramsey. Are you sure you want to stick with it?” she teased.

He grinned and kissed her more firmly this time, eliciting a soft moan from Nat. “Always,” he repeated, when he broke the kiss. Natalie returned his smile and kissed him again, this one full of love and passion. Soon, their kisses led to roaming hands, stripped clothing, and moans of pleasure filling up the room. On this particular Sunday, they never left the bedroom.

-------------------------------

Two Years Later

Ethan was the first to wake, the sounds of crying filling his ears. Quickly getting out of bed, he made his way to the nursery, finding baby Noah wriggling around in his crib, crying for his parents. Ethan smiled at his son and gently picked him up, the crying stopping almost instantly. “Good morning, Noah,” Ethan whispered quietly, looking into the bright blue eyes of his son. “There’s no need to cry, Daddy’s here. I’ve got you.”

Taking his son to the changing table and giving Noah a clean diaper, Ethan made his way to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle from the fridge before returning to the bedroom. Settling Noah comfortably in his arms, he gave Noah the bottle and watched as his tiny hands grabbed for the container. Ethan smiled at the sight.

Halfway through his son’s feeding, Natalie began to stir next to him. Opening her eyes, she smiled at the sight of Ethan and Noah in front of her. “Good morning.”

“Good morning, my love,” Ethan replied, smiling at her. “Happy Sunday.”

“Mm, happy Sunday, indeed.” Natalie stretched her arms above her head before sitting up to watch her feeding son. “How’s our little Bear this morning?”

“Just fine,” Ethan said, proudly. Nat gently ran her hand over Noah’s curly hair and smiled. When Noah finished, Ethan transferred the baby into Nat’s arms for a burping while Ethan got up to make them some coffee. When he returned, two steaming mugs in hand, his heart swelled at the sight of Nat gently rocking Noah in her arms, humming a quiet tune to the small boy. Noah’s bright blue eyes stared back at his mother in awe, as if he were amazed by what he was hearing. Ethan couldn’t blame him; Nat was quite the amazing woman.

He entered the room further and placed the coffee mug on Nat’s nightstand before sitting back in his own place in the bed. “Thanks,” she said, smiling at Ethan.

He returned her smile and placed a chaste kiss against her lips. “You’re welcome, my love. So, what’s on the agenda today?”

Nat thought for a moment. “Brunch with your dad, we need to get some more baby-proofing stuff for the apartment, and… oh, didn’t you want to hit up that new bookstore?”

“If we have time, yes,” Ethan confirmed. 

“We’ll make time,” Nat said, confidently. “I hear their children’s section is really extensive.”

“More books? Nat, he’s already got a shelf full,” Ethan replied, fighting the smile that was growing on his lips.

Nat shook her head, a familiar mischievous look in her eyes. “You can never have too many books, baby. Besides, I want him to be well-read! And, studies show that reading to babies can help them develop their language skills.”

Ethan chuckled. “I should’ve known not to question you on this. But you know we’re going to need another bookshelf at this rate.”

Nat shrugged and smirked. “You say that like it’s a bad thing!” Ethan simply laughed in response.

---------------------------------

Ten Years Later

Little Lydia was the first to wake in the Ramsey household, early one Sunday morning. It was a quiet, snowy morning in December; the Christmas holiday was right around the corner and she’d been dying to know what Santa would be bringing this year. She’d planned on asking him for the new toy doctor set that she’d seen on TV; she really hoped she’d get it. She’d been extra good this year too! If only Christmas wasn’t so far away.

She tiptoed out of her room and glanced down the hallway, only silence and a slight chill greeting her. She shivered and turned to her left, making her way down to her parent’s room. She cracked open the door slightly to find her parents fast asleep, Jenner sleeping on the floor next to her mother’s side of the bed. The only creature in the room that was awake was Louis, their calico cat, who was watching her with mild interest from his perch on the window sill. 

Quietly, Lydia entered the room and made her way to her mother’s side of the bed. Patting her arm gently, she waited as Natalie opened her eyes, sleepily. When she spotted her youngest daughter, Nat perked up slightly. “Hi baby,” she said, quietly.

“Hi Mama,” little Lydia greeted. “Can I sleep with you?”

“Of course, sweetie,” Natalie said. Scooting further into the middle of the bed, she lifted the covers for little Lydia to crawl under, tucking her youngest into her embrace tightly as they snuggled together back into bed. As the two of them settled back into bed and began to fall back asleep, Natalie felt a strong arm wrap around her, stopping when it felt an extra body in the bed. She fought back her smile as she felt Ethan lift his head up from the pillow.

“Why are there two of you?” he asked, groggily.

Nat giggled and turned her head to her husband. “You do know we have three kids, right?”

“Oh, is that who they are? I thought they were just tiny roommates who don’t help pay the mortgage.”

Nat rolled her eyes and placed her cold foot against Ethan’s leg causing him to jump at the sensation. “Now, that’s just cruel,” he joked.

Natalie chuckled. “That’s what you get for being snarky this early in the morning.”

Ethan shook his head, smiling. “Yes, dear.” He nuzzled his nose into her hair and placed a soft kiss on her temple. Just as the two of them settled back into bed, they heard the distinct sound of their bedroom door creaking open. Ethan looked to the source to find Evie sneaking into the room. “Hi honey, everything okay?”

Evie nodded. “It’s cold,�� she replied.

“Come here,” Ethan gestured. “We’ll put you right between me and Mama for extra warmth.” Evie followed her father’s instructions and crawled into the middle of the bed, snuggling under the covers between her parents. Ethan wrapped his arm around the three Ramsey women, who now occupied most of his bed, as best he could, his fingertips just resting on little Lydia’s back. His head falling back onto the pillow, he slowly began to drift back to sleep.

Until the door creaked open again. He did his best not to groan; it appeared this would not be the Sunday to lie in. 

This time, Nat was the one to look up at the new occupant of the room, finding Noah groggily looking confused at his parents. “I heard voices,” he explained, “it woke me up.”

“Sorry, Bear,” Nat said. She quickly glanced at Ethan who gave her a small nod before she looked back at her son. “Come on in here, there’s plenty of room.”

“I’m too tall, I won’t fit in with the rest of you,” Noah protested. It was true, he was tall for an eleven-year-old; but neither Nat nor Ethan cared. Their boy would never be too tall for them for anything; especially cuddles. 

“I’m tall too,” Ethan reasoned, “and I still fit. Come on, we’ll make it work.”

“Come on, Noey,” little Lydia encouraged. 

Smiling, Noah nodded and crawled into his parent’s bed, snuggling next to Nat as Evie snuggled against Ethan. It was tight, with all five of them in the bed at once, but the Ramseys were nothing if not resourceful, and they found a way to make it work. With all of their children tucked safely into their arms, the Ramseys finally fell back asleep, as a light snow fell on the ground outside. As both Ethan and Natalie drifted back into their slumber, they shared one singular thought: Sundays were their favorite days.

A/N: Tagging separately.

[lets-break-free-from-our-chains]

Evangeline Herondale Bio

A/N: I will being adding more information, wherever needed, to Evangeline’s Biography as the series progresses on through each chapter. I know that sometimes I prefer to imagine an OC in a story I'm reading in my own way based off the description of the OC’s characteristics given in the story. With that said, I will not cast a specific girl to be the face of Evangeline. That way all my lovely readers can imagine Evangeline’s Physical features exactly the way they want to; aside from the eyes, hair, and skin tone, of course. Whether she be made up completely from your imagination or cast as your favorite actress who holds the same features. Feel free to send messages on who you feel is perfect to play Evangeline. I got quite the adventure planned for this series, so buckle up, my brave Shadowhunters! I feel the actors I did cast, for all the other roles, are notoriously well known enough. However if you don’t know the actor and would like to know or have a question about the people I chose feel free to message me anytime and I will do my best to get back to you as soon as possible. -xoxoxo

Warning(s): Possible Spoilers for people who haven’t read the dark artifices yet. Evangeline Herondale and Alec Lightwood are their own warnings. Information overload. Non-certified Crash Course for New Series ahead.

Disclaimers: I claim nothing as my own except for my OC that I created to co-exist with the Shadowhunter Universe that belongs to Cassandra. Any and all rights and claims to every Shadowhunter Universe characters, places or objects in this series that also rightfully belong to her. All text from the movies and books belong to Cassandra. This is purely a fanfiction story created for enjoyment, with the help of said previously existing fandom. My only claim is to my OC, my plot changes, and my series title. 

Word Count: 1845

Masterlist

Sneak Peak in The series: “Your Mother Loved You, Evangeline.”

A Tale of Frayed Gold Series

Full Birth Name: Evangeline Josephine Herondale

Full Marriage Name: Evangeline Josephine Herondale-Lightwood

Born: January 8, 1989, Herondale Manor, Idris Age: 23(as of 2012) Kind: Shadowhunter

Alias: Eve Josie Fray Evangeline Josie Fray Evangeline Josephine Herondale-Fray Evangeline Josephine Lightwood

Nickname(s): Little Angel(by Imogen) Josie-Bear(by Marcus) My Evangeline(by Celine) Evie(by Alec, Clary, Max, and Izzy) Big Sis and Josie(by Jace) Residence: New York Institute in Manhattan, New York London Institute in London, England(Former) Brownstone in Park slope, New York City(Former) East Village, Manhattan, New York City(Former) Herondale Manor, Alicante, Idris(Former; Unless on business in Idris; in which case both her and Alec prefer to reside in the manor until they return to the New York Institute)

Spouse/Shadow-Mate: Alexander Gideon Lightwood

Child(ren): TBA

****************************************************** Mother(s): Celine Montclaire-Herondale*(Biological)

Jocelyn Fairchild(Adoptive)

Father(s): Stephen Herondale*(Biological)

Luke Graymark(father-figure) 

Sibling(s): Jonathan Herondale(Younger Biological Brother)

Clary Fray/Fairchild(Adoptive Younger Sister)

***************************************************** Parabatai: Clary Fairchild

***************************************************** Family:  Herondale Family Lightwood Family Fairchild Family Montclaire Family(Disowned/unacknowledged by Eve)

Relatives: 

*= Deceased

Lightwoods

Maryse Trueblood-Lightwood(mother-in-law)  

Robert Lightwood*(Father-in-Law) 

Isabelle Lightwood(Sister-in-law)      

Max Lightwood*(Brother-in-law)

Fairchild

Jocelyn Fairchild(Adoptive Mother) Clary Fairchild(Adoptive Sister)

Herondales

 Imogen Whitelaw-Herondale*(Paternal Grandmother)

 Marcus Herondale*(Paternal Grandfather)

 Owen Herondale*(Paternal Great Grandfather)  Lydia Kingsmill-Herondale*(Paternal Great Grandmother)  Cordelia Carstairs-Herondale*(Paternal Great-Great Grandmother)  James Herondale*(Paternal Great-Great Grandfather)  Lucie Herondale-Blackthorn*(Paternal Great-Great Aunt)  Will Herondale*(Paternal Great-Great-Great Grandfather)  Tessa Gray-Herondale(Paternal Great-Great-Great Grandmother)  Cecily Herondale-Lightwood*(Paternal Great-Great-Great Aunt)  Ella Herondale*(Paternal Great-Great-Great Aunt)  Edmund Herondale*(Distant Direct Ancestor)  Linette Owens-Herondale*(Distant Direct Ancestor)  William Herondale*(Distant Direct Ancestor)  Tobias Herondale*(Distant Ancestor)

Montclaire

Lisette Montclaire*(Maternal Grandmother)                                                    Jules Montclaire*(Maternal Grandfather)

******************************************************* Personality Traits: Evangeline is wise beyond her years, but still managed to keep a young and fun personality similar but not exactly like her younger brother's personality. She is naturally funny and sarcastic. She is kind to people she deems deserving of it, which happens to be quite a lot of people; Downworlders among said group. She carries a very warm and calming atmosphere around her. One of the many things that her family enjoys about her. She is highly intelligent and you can nearly always find her with her nose in a book, or writing more pages in the book she's working on. Now that she has her shadow mate she can't see life without Alec and vice-versa. While she can sit in the quiet with a good book for hours on end. she also has quite a competitive streak in her. She knows that many people can find that annoying in a person and tends to fight with herself on keeping her competitive side at bay. However, oh boy. When she found out Jace had a competitive streak to rival herself, and that he actually considered it fun and endearing in a person who could enjoyed good, fair, and friendly competition. She almost couldn't contain herself. Jokingly calling Jace her long lost twin and asked him where he wandered off too; both still unaware of Jace's true heritage. Eve also has an amazing amount of patience and therefore is very hard to truly upset her, but the angel help anyone and everyone who crosses Eve, directly, or crosses her by crosses someone she loves.

Evangeline is extremely loyal to her own. There is no such thing as anything other than 100% loyalty, to the ones she cares about, in her mind. Because of that fact about her, she is ruthlessly unforgiving to those she sees as traitors, Liars, thieves, and most of all cheaters of any kind. Eve loves the ones she cares for so fiercely, strongly, and whole-heartedly that she finds herself unsettled and perturbed; almost disgusted, by those who don't seem to cherish and define themselves by loyalty and honesty on some level, no matter how small or big. One example being when Robert cheated on Maryse. Eve showed him no mercy, and viciously came to her defense, followed closely by her mate Alec and brother Jace, whenever the two older Shadowhunters disagreed on any level. Eve would do nothing to hide her disdain for Robert even to his face. In Eve's mind, an attack to a family member might as well be a direct attack on her. 

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

Important Trivia: Evangeline was extremely close to her grandmother, Imogen, during her two years as a resident at the Herondale Manor. As soon as Evangeline was born Imogen loved her granddaughter as much as she loved her beloved Stephen; quite a few would say even more than Stephen. Imogen took care of Evangeline while Celine rested from the extremely hard labor she went through. Imogen was she first and only person to call her, little angel, derived from her first name. Imogen would also occasionally call her Josie-Bear when playfully teasing her. However, that was a rare occurrence as Imogen preferred little angel as she saw the name fit to describe the light that her little angel brought into her grandmother's world. After Imogen lost her shadow-mate and son she was devastated, but she managed to keep it together with the hopes that she would be with her granddaughter again. However, as soon as she received word that Evangeline was kidnapped, and likely dead after a raid in Herondale manor that left Celine and her unborn grandson dead. All the light left her and with the grief of losing her Evangeline turned her harshly bitter and hostile to the world around her. Imogen's once very warm aura died and was replaced with a shell of a woman who showed no mercy and kindness what so ever. In late 2007 she received word that a family of Shadowhunters that didn't belong to any institute showed up at the new York institute. One of which was the shadow mate of Alec Lightwood. However that's not what caught Imogen's interest. It was the fact that her last name was Fray but she was adopted and bared a striking resemblance to the Herondales and her first and middle name was Evangeline Josie. Imogen trying not to get her hopes up, after thinking her granddaughter dead for so long, decided to go to the new York institute and see for herself. There she identified Eve as her granddaughter based off the birthmark over her heart and blonde hair and gold eyes. Rare physical features supposedly only her granddaughter possessed; even though Jace held the same features, the only different being that the Herondale birthmark was on his shoulder and not over his heart. Imogen appeared to return to her old self instantly as her eyes welded up with tears and she gave Eve a watery smile while introducing herself as Evangeline's grandmother.

Evangeline was spoiled rotten by her grandfather, Marcus Herondale, who had always wanted a little girl. He was also the only one to ever call her Josie-bear and in response, after she was big enough to talk more, Eve would call her grandfather, papa bear.

Evangeline has a deep hatred for her mother's parents and the way they treated Celine. When Eve realized children would be the real outcome of her life now that she found her shadow- mate. She become nervous about motherhood. Concerned that she didn't know if she would be any good at it. Imogen and Jocelyn told Eve about how Celine's parents were towards her, and how different Celine was from them because of her childhood. Imogen spoke of how gentle Celine was with Eve. Always handling her like the most fragile precious treasure in the world. She always spoke so soft and gently to Eve, that in Imogen's mind, it seemed like Celine thought if she spoke to loud or to harsh that her beloved Evangeline might break and shatter. Imogen and Jocelyn told Eve not to worry so much, and pointed out the fact that because she was worrying so much proved that she wanted and would strive to be best mother for her children. 

Eve has always had a general love and great respect for her Biological mother, Celine, just because she was her mother by birth and title. However that love soon became very deep after hearing many stories from both Imogen and Jocelyn about how much Celine loved and cared for Evangeline before her abrupt and untimely death. However before Imogen or Jocelyn spoke in detail about Celine's relationship with her daughter; Eve deeply struggled with the small nagging doubts her mother ever truly wanted her or cared for her.

********************************************** Quotes spoken by Eve about the Montclaires: 

"Okay. Don't be like Mother's parents[Montclaires] under any circumstance goes without saying, but I'm gonna say it anyways. I'll just be like you two and Maryse. Did you guys happen to write personal survival guides during your time with raising kids. Cause I've always been on the opposite end up until this point." -Eve to Jocelyn and Imogen, on the do's and do not's of motherhood.

"They're NOT my family! Family doesn't do that to each other. Parents who claim to love their children do NOT do that to said children!" -Evangeline to The Clave, when questioned on her heritage and allegiance.

"I refuse to acknowledge they[Montclaires] were ever family at one point in time. Or at all for that matter." -Evangeline to The Clave, when questioned on her heritage and allegiance.

Quotes Spoken by Eve about her Enemies:

"Anyone who hurts my family, is no friend or ally of mine. They're my enemy." -Evangeline to Sebastian, delivering him a promising threaten when the two talked about Max's death and the Lightwoods grief over the youngest member's horrific death.

"I will hurt you for this. I'll kill you, one day, for what you have done! Not even the angel can save you. Your fate has been fixed." -Evangeline declares to Sebastian, infuriated over Max's death and the devastation it left her shadow-mate in.

"This is the beginning of the end. THEIR END, not ours." -Evie to Clary, in regard to their enemies and the end of The Dark War.

"I never lose, Jonathan. I hate losing. Failure is not a option for me. You should have learned that about me by now, Morgenstern." -Evangeline to Jonathan Morgenstern, on her Hatred for losing as she's seen, First hand, how costly it can be to lose. Especially if it's losing to Valentine and his followers.

Quotes Spoken by Eve about her mother, Celine:

"My mother LOVED me! I was WANTED and LOVED by my mother...and you[Valentine] took her away from me, along with my baby brother! Why did you do that?!" -Evangeline to Valentine, while desperately trying to understand why he would hurt her so deeply in such a way for no reason.

"You ripped my mother, my brother, and my world away from me...and because you took those things away; you also took my happiness away from me...and this is what you've done with it!" -Evangeline to Valentine, Outraged with Valentine, himself, and with his plans.

"I wonder anywhere from once everyday to infinity on what those two words would sound like falling from her[Celine] lips...My Evangeline." -Evie to Alec, about her mother's personal term of indearment for Eve.

Sneak Peak in The series: “Your Mother Loved You, Evangeline.”

[brxssknuckld]

∇

jacob getting old headcanon?!?! OLD?!! \

Jacob resists “getting old” for as long as he can. Based on his opening appearance in JTR, he’s still very active into his early forties and probably still happily freeruns and does jobs well into his 50s (esp since I have a Red Dead Redemption verse where a well-aged 52-yo Jacob goes into staredowns with Dutch and chuckles about ‘these damn kids’ with Hosea).

In addition, with him being back in England by WW1 and Lydia insisting he and Evie retreat to the countryside - Jacob doesn’t like that at all. I see him very much like Ezio in refusing to let age slow him down, so he would want to stay in London and fight for his city. As the AC Wiki doesn’t have details on when and how he dies, I personally believe Jacob is one of the few Assassins (with Evie) to live to die of rather old age.

That or doing some stupid shit in his 80s he really shouldn’t have been doing.

[truthofficial]

Teaser #6 || (SPOILERS) Who Is Green?

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS REGARDING THE TRUE IDENTITY OF GREEN. DO NOT READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

The house was as most abandoned houses were: overgrown, falling apart. Unspectacular. But it offered shelter somewhere few would look, and the bushes and trees growing around it would offer enough cover to talk without being noticed. There was a gap in the fence around the back of the building, just large enough for someone to slip through, and Elyan made a beeline for it; tailed closely by Lydia.

"Remind me again why we're doing this behind their back?"

"She clearly doesn't want them to know she's alive, yet," he explained in hushed tones as they squeezed through the gap and into the spacious backyard of the house. "It's risky enough that she's agreed to talk to us directly; keeping up this small sign of trust will hopefully be enough to gain hers."

Angela Mason. Biological sister of Evie Mason; both missing from their home in Inverness as children. Tori had clammed up the moment he asked how Angela died, but however it happened it appeared not to have stuck.  As far as he could tell she was the only one to have "died" before Erik and Tori's escape, and judging from their reactions to even the mention or thought of her, it wasn't a good "death". He didn't blame her for wanting to keep this quiet for now. The house looked like it was beautiful once, a long time ago. Amongst the overgrowth were flowers and plants that had clearly been planted there, and they almost walked directly into a garden shed that was completely overrun by bushes and vines. The house itself was once painted white, with bright, open windows now covered with dust and boards and creeping plants. For a moment Elyan wasn't sure how they were going to get in, but as he examined the boards covering the door, they disappeared -- fading away to reveal the door itself. It was old and faded and pieces of wood still hung from it, like the screws had been pulled out ages ago, but the door was operable and after a confused glance back at Lydia (who was staring and nodding before he even looked, just knowing he'd need confirmation it was real), he pushed it open and crept inside.

The dust had been disturbed recently. There were footsteps and tracks in the dirt and grime on the floor of the once-lavish kitchen, and they followed them quietly, rounding a corner to the living room. The place was mostly unfurnished, save for a couple of old, dusty sofas and a broken down coffee table. On one of those sofas perched not one, but two people. One was an unfamiliar blonde woman, soft-faced and grey-eyed, sat patiently with her hands in her lap. The other was more recognisable, and while Elyan's heart kicked into overdrive, Lydia's blood boiled. Paul Jameson.

"Let us explain," he said quickly, before either of them could think to react to his presence here. Indicating the sofa across from them, he fixed them with pleading eyes. "Please." Lydia looked just about ready to pounce, but Elyan reached an arm out gently to stop her; as reassuring as it was restraining as he stepped cautiously into the room, eyeing Paul's companion with a frown. She hadn't made to look at them despite the conversation; merely tilting her head up slightly, looking almost like a cat "feeling" her surroundings. Looking closer, he noticed her fingertips twitching just slightly like operating invisible keyboards.

"You're Angela, I'm guessing?"

"I am," she said, barely a second after he stopped speaking, "You're Elyan. And Lydia. Thank you for coming alone." Her voice was struggled and impeded, like it took effort to form every syllable but she wasn't entirely sure how to in the first place.

"What is that?" Lydia, apparently, couldn't contain her curiosity; gesturing to Angela's hands with a frown, "What're you doing with your hands?"

Angela smiled almost imperceptibly. "I'm feeling the air for you," she said, "I-.. think I should start with an explanation of myself, no?"

"Aye, I'll say," Elyan hummed, "Erik and Tori seem to be under the impression you're dead."

"I was," she sighed, "for about ten minutes. Long enough for the Controller to drag me away and have me revived."

"Why? What killed you in the first place?"

"I was-.. the least receptive to his experiments. My powers grew at a similar rate to most of my siblings, but I paid the highest price for them. I started losing things. My sight. My hearing. Then, slowly, my sense of feeling. I only feel anything worth note in my fingers and feet now. Everything else takes a lot of focus. The Controller knew I wouldn't be any use to him in the field; I'd never be worth anything in the squad the way I was. So he told the others to kill me." She spoke the words with the kind of calm that came with having years to come to terms with what happened to her. The calm of understanding and acceptance. "They did as they were told. Since then he's had me working for him in secret, dealing with the menial tasks and taking care of any new recruits. Mostly he just uses me as his guinea pig." Again, despite the tiny hint of spite that was there this time, her words came calm and accepting, "Something already broken, that he can toy with without breaking something useful."

"He doesn't know the extent of her powers." Paul added, "I've been training her in secret. The electrokinesis is a secret only we and the people she contacts can know about, or else this whole game is up."

"How are you talking to us, then? If you can't see or hear?"

"I can read your minds," she said simply, "Surface thoughts. The words you're about to say come louder, and I give a second for you to process and speak them before I respond." Lydia and Elyan both stiffened at the idea. Even "surface-thoughts" could reveal things neither of them would want said. It was enough that she could access their computers; their private files. To access their minds too-.. "If that makes you too uncomfortable, that's okay. I can pull back, and Paul's mind will tell me what you say as he processes it."

"Yeah. Do that," Lydia agreed quickly, perhaps a little sharper than she intended.

"The trick with the door outside," Elyan wondered, content to continue with his line of questioning now that had been settled, "was that you?"

"The disappearing boards. Yes. It was an illusion, to "hide" the door from anyone I didn't want finding us. I lifted it when I felt you approach it."

"How are you getting hold of so much information to give us?"

"As Paul said, the Controller doesn't know what I can do. When he's busy, I search his systems. I don't go as deeply as I could in case he has defences, but I get enough that those searching for us will be able to learn more than otherwise."

"She only gets involved when people are actively searching," Paul interjected again. "I tend to step in to-.. discourage."

"Aye, got that much," Lydia hissed, glaring at him, "If you're so fucking interested in helping us then why did you try to kill us first?"

"You think The Controller is going to trust me after what I did for Erik and Tori? I helped them escape. I managed to worm my way out of being killed but he's had a close eye on me ever since. Offering to lead a clean-up crew to deal with you is all I could have done."

"'Clean-up crew'. Nice." Lydia scoffed, shaking her head, "And if we weren't saved? If your little operation actually worked?"

"I knew Erik and Tori were nearby."

"And I kept the Controller from seeing them in the area," Angela added.

"I wouldn't have tried it otherwise."

Lydia looked as though she were about to argue further, but Elyan lifted a hand to quiet her again. "This whole thing started from a case I got recently. A missing girl."

"Jani Grant." Angela gave a shaky, unsteady nod. "You want to know if we know anything about her disappearence."

"The poor girl was starting to show the signs of psychic sensitivity that the Controller looks for," Paul sighed, "She's one of his throwaways to poke and prod at until there's nothing of her left. She's still alive and I'm trying to keep it that way, but-.. unless a miracle happens I doubt we'll get her back to her family. I'm sorry."

He wasn't surprised. Not in the slightest. But still, he couldn't help the piercing jolt of disappointment that squeezed at his chest, "And what am I supposed to tell her mother?"

"The same thing you always tell them."

I'm sorry. Nothing has come up yet and I've lost her trail. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do right now; but don't lost hope. I've never found a case that's truly lost, as long as there's still someone to believe in it. It was a speech he’d made so many times now he was beginning to wonder if he ever completed a job any more. Chewing at his lip, he nodded, falling silent.

“You should take this,” Angela said eventually, sighing and carefully reaching to pat Paul’s arm. He nodded, fishing in his jacket for a small but chock-full folder and handing it to the siblings. A cursory flick-through revealed just what a risk it was for her to be here: files. Similar in nature to the ones she'd been sending them, but so many more and all at once. There were details of the Controller's work, and of the people he'd kidnapped over the years that filled in the blanks in the files he already had. "It's not much, but it's everything I could get for you. Maybe it won't help, but-.. at least you won't be so in the dark."

"All the squad members' files are in here?" Elyan wondered, glancing back up at the two with a grateful, impressed smile.

"Including some of the experiments performed on us, and the more recent squad."

"More recent," Lydia repeated, "so it's true. You're being replaced."

Paul nodded grimly, "He believe's he's done what he can with the first-.. 'batch'. There were so many complications-.. so he's making a second."

"He made a second," Angela clarified, "grown from us. Spread out across the world. He thinks the pain we experienced growing up is what made us strong. He wants to see what would happen if we started with our powers and grew into that pain. It's all in there."

"We're hoping you'll find what's left of them before he does."

"Wait a minute," Lydia interrupted, chewing at her thumbnail as her mind raced, "If you're alive, that means it's only Josh who died, right?"

Angela nodded slightly once more, gaze flickering down at the memory.

"What if he didn't?"

Elyan heaved a sigh at that, gaze softening again, "Lydia--"

"No. None of the 'Lydia I know that'd be nice but it's not likely' detective-turned-your-sister's-therapist crap. If she's alive, and she died years ago, maybe Josh is alive too."

"I only survived because the Controller wanted me," Angela breathed, her voice shaking just a little more than usual, "If he wanted Josh too, I'd know about it at least. Paul would know."

"Then what if he faked it?" All three faces were sympathetic and cautious, and it made her sick. Elyan was always talking about gut feelings, right? All she knew was that she had to find her brother. Or at least see a body to know what everyone was saying wasn't bullshit. That she still felt that way even now-.. that had to count for something. "It's classic, aye? Inescapable shit? Fake your death, hope to hell they leave your body there so you can sneak off when they're gone."

They still held the same look, but she could see just under the surface, in the glint of their eyes, that they all wanted to believe her. That was enough for Lydia. It always had been. “Whatever,” she huffed, flopping back against the dusty sofa and watching them all with a sharp glare, “so you want us to find these new kids now? What about the first lot?”

“Both would be ideal,” Angela sighed, “but I’m beginning to think collecting the children is a higher priority right now.”

“Of course.” Lydia threw her hands up in defeat, scoffing derisively, “Every time we fucking get anywhere, the goalpost moves. You know what? I’m starting to think miss mysterious know-it-all voice on the computer doesn’t actually know shit all about what we should do.”

“I don’t,” she said simply, though there was an edge of annoyance there this time. Her hands stilled for the first time, bunching tightly in the fabric of her too-small dress. “I’m just doing what I can to help my family, same as you.”

The words were biting and pointed, stilling Lydia’s temper in its tracks and silencing her then and there.

“We’re all doing our best,” Paul tried, his voice finally sounding as tired as his sunken eyes again, “and I know that’s not good enough but our best is all we have right now. I’m sorry.”

“We should go.” Though reluctant, Angela’s voice was urgent; her hands restarting their restless, searching dance, “we’ve already been out too long. We’re putting them in danger.”

“Agreed,” Paul hummed, pushing to his feet and picking up the folded wheelchair he’d rested by his feet. “Can you manage until we’re outside?”

“Of course,” she insisted, allowing him to help her unsteadily to her feet as her twitching and searching increased tenfold; clearly aiding her as she navigated the narrow space between the sofa and table with a similar stiffness and imbalance to that of a child just learning to walk. Managing to seek out the Moores again, she held a hand out. “It was a pleasure to meet you both in person. I hope it won’t be the last time.”

“What do we tell Tori and Erik?” Lydia wondered, ignoring the hand while Elyan politely moved to shake it.

“Whatever you feel is best,” she said simply, turning to slowly make her way out of the room.

“Thank you for hearing us out,” Paul added with a sad smile, following close behind with one arm consistently poised to guide Angela.