#my niece has my copy now

[el-im]

when I was a kid, I was obsessed with Jack London. i got a copy of white fang/the call of the wild w a brown cover and gold leaf trim as a very special gift (it was a new book—money was tight so we always bought second hand—and a beautiful one at that. It came with a gold ribbon stitched into the spine to use as a bookmark, which I don’t believe I’d ever seen before) after my mom read her copies to me and I fell in love. I think it was the first book I felt was really mine, in any significant way, and not one we’d gotten from a children’s section of a secondhand store or something passed down from my older siblings. i kept it in good condition, which is a lot to say for a kid, even though I’d been brought up on bookmarks (my mom thought dog-earring, laying a book out flat, open to a page to keep your place, and writing in books—all of which I’d do later at some point—was sacrilege) and thus at least preserved the integrity of the spine/page corners by using them.

[nadjabear]

I just caught up with the skip and loafer manga and it's SO CUTE!!!! Definitely one of my new favorite mangas I love it so much and I need to scream about it

[neil-gaiman]

Dear Neil, on the off chance you see this, I wanted to share a story with you. Four years ago, through the wonders of DNA, I found my only sibling, a half sister I never knew existed. We are remarkably alike in temperament and taste, but had wildly different upbringings and experiences. While discussing our favorite authors one day, she showed me her pile of Neil Gaiman books (none of which I’d ever read) and I exclaimed, ah! He’s the dude that wrote that Good Omens tv series with one of my fave authors, Terry Pratchett (whom she had never read, though she’d picked up a copy of GO years ago with best intentions). WELL, my sister declared, you take these, and loaded me up with instructions to begin softly with Stardust and go from there. I prodded her towards GO and Discworld (especially those featuring Granny Weatherwax). I’m visiting her this week, and happened to choose American Gods as my travel reading. My sister picked me up from the airport with my 9 year old niece, who was also deep in Gaiman land, half way through Coraline (in fact she’s so engrossed that she read it through recess today and got very teased). Now that school’s started again, my sister has time to watch GO 2, and I’ll finally get to scream with her about the finale. I guess I just wanted to say a very heartfelt thank you. It’s funny how fate works, and how threads meant to be woven together always find a way. It’s ineffable, maybe?

It's marvelous.

[sheisjoeschateau]

"Oh, so we DO love Steve..." | PART I

Steve Harrington x Bauman!fem!reader enemies to lovers, heavy angst, hurt/comfort, upside down mayhem, S2-S4, post S4 universe hot-take, end-of-the-world / dystopian setting, ugly fights turned smut (...but with hella plot). 18+

WHEN THE UNEXPECTED NIECE OF MURRAY BAUMAN GETS THROWN IN THE MIX, THE GANG HAS NO IDEA JUST WHAT THEY'RE IN FOR. SCRATCH THAT - STEVE DOESN'T KNOW. YOU GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE WELL. YOU BANTER WITH THE ADULTS, WHO APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. THE KIDS LOVE AND WORSHIP YOU. YOU'RE HELPFUL ALL AROUND. BUT AS FAR AS STEVE IS CONCERNED, YOU'RE JUST NUISANCE. AFTER ALL, YOU'RE THE REASON HE LOST THE LOVE OF HIS LIFE AND MISSED OUT ON A LIFE THAT "COULD'VE BEEN." IF YOU HAD JUST KEPT YOUR SORRY ASS OUT OF THE PICTURE... IF YOU HAD NEVER GONE WITH NANCY AND JONATHAN AFTER THEY LEFT YOUR WHACK-JOB UNCLE, MURRAY BAUMAN'S, BUNKER? HE WOULD BE HAPPY. SO F*CKING HAPPY. BUT HERE YOU WERE. YOU WERE BASICALLY THE COOLER (...AND SURE, MUCH MORE ATTRACTIVE) FEMALE VERSION OF MURRAY BAUMAN. YOU WERE SARCASTIC, QUICK-WITTED, TOO SMART FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, AND APPARENTLY BUILT FOR THE WAR. SURE, YOU WEREN'T AS BRASH AS YOUR UNCLE. BUT IN STEVE'S EYES, YOU WERE SOMEHOW FAR MORE OBNOXIOUS. HE DOWNRIGHT HATED YOU. HE WILL FOREVER HATE YOU... BUT WILL HE?

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT GIVE PERMISSION FOR MY WORK TO BE COPIED AND/OR REPOSTED ON HERE OR ANY OTHER PLATFORM, OR PUT INTO ANY AI PROGRAMS. THIS IS AN 18+ BLOG, MDNI.

An original fanfiction series, written by Misha St. James.

⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ SERIES MASTERLIST ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆

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

I did not proof-read this after Tumblr gave me hell trying to share. So pls excuse possible typos. hehe

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

Let's just get to the point, shall we?

Once upon a time, a young boy named Will Byers went missing. Later, he was found in an alternate dimension by the world's #1 mom and a cynical cop turned hero. A girl with a shaved head had telekinetic superpowers, befriend's Will's four loyal friends along the way and helping them track down their missing party member. Then, whatever the hell was on the other side - whatever was in this...upside down...took back Eleven. She'd been missing ever since that dreadful winter.

Fast forward to now: you're sitting in your uncle's bunker, looking at his wild display of efforts.  Papers, files, whiteboards covered in multiple words, arrows, sketches - all in different colored markers. Murray Bauman was on a mission, and he would be damned if that grumpy, cynical smart-ass known as Jim Hopper honestly thought that he could dismantle his efforts.  Nice try, chum. Game on. Thankfully, you'd gone to school with Barbara Holland. That's whose parents had assigned the task of searching for her to your uncle. Murray was asking you tons of questions, and you were glad to help. It meant spending time with the only family member you cared for, despite his wackiness. You guys got each other. Bantered well. Got shit done. Honestly, it was also a great way of drinking safely and not with a bunch of rowdy teenagers at some stupid party. You got along just fine with everyone at school. But damn, they could all be annoying.  ...especially Steve fucking Harrington, who was now the topic of conversation. You know, given that his house is where Barbara was last seen. "It just isn't making sense," your uncle huffed, raking his hands through his oily dark hair.  You sipped on the glass of vodka that your uncle had poured you, hissing at the strong taste. Leaning across the coffee table, seated on his couch, you tried to connect the dots with him. "I'm telling you, someone in that group of teens knows what's up. Or at least has an idea." Your uncle swigged at his vodka, defeated but ruthlessly trying to piece together his clusterfuck of scattered evidence across his wall. "Well then, guess we better grill 'em."

And that's how you come into the picture. When Nancy and Jonathan came to seek out Murray. And when they arrive, they're surprised to see you. They recognize you from school. Jonathan took several classes with you. In fact, the two of you got along well at Hawkins High. No, you weren't close. But you both were cool. Nancy, on the other hand, didn't know anything about you. Just that you took political science with Barbara, and got straight A's across the board. You could've been class valedictorian. But you were not looking for any sort of title that demanded pressure or attention. At least not in high school. Career wise? Sure. Not here, though. Not Hawkins. "Your timeline is wrong," Nancy is saying, making you and Bauman freeze.  Nancy is telling you that the girl with the buzzed hair is not Russian. She is, in fact, from Hawkins lab. And her name is...Eleven? So they do know something. And something turns out to be everything.

Jonathan sits you both down to relay everything to you both. And woof, does it give you guys a headache. Strangely, though... it makes a whole lot more sense than some mundane explanation of sorts. Obviously though, that puts you all in a tough spot where you'll all need to put your heads together. So the two classmates of yours stay, sharing in chilled Smirnoff and having to endure the hilarity that ensues between you and your uncle. You and Murray both banter well with the two of them. Jonathan finds you to be hilarious. Nancy finds you intimidating. Very intimidating. You’re quick witted, darkly humored and independent. But there is a reserved, mysterious sort of feminine energy to you, despite your more masculine strengths and bluntness. Over glasses of stiff vodka, you all come to the conclusion on how to go about exposing the truth about Barbara Holland's disappearance: water it down.

At the end of the night, you're all winding down -- you and your uncle having convinced the two lovebirds to stay. But when you're telling them they can take your uncle's guest room while you take the couch, Jonathan's asking if he can take the couch. You blink. Huh? ...surely Nancy is not still with --

"Okay, I'm confused," your uncle's saying. "What's going on here? Lovers quarrel?"

You cock an eyebrow, leaning back into the loveseat.

But Jonathan and Nancy are then talking over each other with weird, flustered excuses...saying they're just friends.

You and your uncle bust out laughing. And then you're shrinking back in your seat, knowing what's coming: one of your Uncle Murray's lovebird witchdoctor speeches that he barrels into anytime that two delusional people have convinced themselves that they aren't in love. Or at the very least, not into each other. 

Uncle Murray is breaking them down, one at a time. He's reading Jonathan like an angsty teen novel, seeing right through him and his brooding, mysterious energy.  Trust issues, thanks to daddy issues. Yikes, that makes you sip some more drink.

And then he's onto Nancy, saying that she's harder to read. But he manages anyway.  It's the Bauman way.

He's telling her that she's likely like everyone else, "afraid of what would happen if you accepted yourself for you who you really are." He looks at you. "Am I in the right ballpark?"

You nod, swallowing the last drop of vodka in your cup. "That...and afraid of that might happen if she didn't retreat back to the safety of someone familiar."

Nancy looks bewildered. But more than that, she looks caught. 

"Name?" your uncle is prodding, snapping his fingers.  "Name."

You and Jonathan both say it. "Steve."

Uncle Murray's face is priceless. He feigns adoration, putting on a baby voice as he repeats the name. "Dawh. Steve. We like Steve."

"Yes," Nancy laughs nervously.  Eek, you think.

"But we don't love Steve..." Your uncle's words floor Nancy.

And when Nancy's saying something about still being with Steve, insisting that she loves him, you roll your eyes. Even scoffing, getting her attention. Maybe if the vodka weren't in your system, you wouldn't be so bold. But Jonathan's mopey look just gives you more confidence.

"Boom, ladies and gents," you say with a grin. "Second lie of the evening." "The hell was the first one?" Jonathan asks, blinking. "You guys being just friends." You and your uncle say something along the same lines, simultaneously. You both laugh together, clinking glasses. The two not lovebirds just squirm awkwardly in their seats. Finally, you sigh. "Look. You guys don't wanna give up the ghost? Be my guest. I'll happily keep my bed." You stand up, ready to turn in. But not until casting them one last work, pointing a finger. "But if I were you two? I'd cut the bullshit and just share the damn bed." Murray snorts, rising to stand as well. He stretches. "Welllllp. I'm turning in for the night." You begin mounting the stairs, hollering: "Better act fast, kiddos. At least before this poison in my system knocks me out cold. Don't worry, Nancy, I don't snore. So if you do choose me, you're safe." "But that's so lame," Murray adds to that wryly, heading off to his room. You both tell each other goodnight, leaving the two angsty teens to decide their fate. All you know is that Nancy ends up walking out and not coming back, at one point in the night.  Yeah, thought so. Breakfast the next morning is even more hilarious. You and your uncle ask every single question that drips with innuendo that you ever possibly could. And it's worth every fucking minute.

Murray's gonna need to keep that couch cleaned. To your surprise, Murray sends you off with Nancy and Jonathan, but given that you want to go and see it all for yourself you don't mind. You’re basically his little spy.  Most uncles send off their nieces and nephews with some good advice, maybe a packed lunchbox or snacks, and a warm hug. 

Yours, however, sends you off with a full bottle of vodka, a thick wad of cash and some fun sarcastic banter. But he headlocks you in for a hug, and you cackle. He really is a nutcase, and man you can't help but love him. He is so not the parental type. Yet somehow, he's practically raised you. And in your opinion, you're pretty well-prepared for the world. More than most, in Murray's opinion. So off you go with Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Buyers, and they both honestly enjoy your company. It helps them get past their umm...well...awkward new reality. That new reality that comes post-sex, after a long ass time of playing the tip-toe game. The sexual tension between them is hysterical to you. But you keep your thoughts to yourself for now. The vodka did most of the talking for you last night.

When you both arrive at wherever the hell your destination is, it's dark outside. And if you're being honest, it's pretty creepy. You're somewhere near the woods, and as you all walk closer you're beginning to see lights approaching you...along with a handful of shadowed figures. 

Fuck, you literally just got here.

But then, after a tense several moments... Nancy and Jonathan call out to them. You jump, startled at the fact that they do it so confidently. But the name that they call out suddenly makes it all make sense. "STEVE?" "NANCY...?" And that's how you became a crucial part of the most royal pain in the ass, King Steve's, life.

[pvrkacciosan]

Moment we share

Synopsis: Holding your child for the first time is the best feeling in the world, sharing the moment with others is even better.

Pairing: Charles Lelerc X fem!reader

Warnings: Fluff! (idk,)

Word count: 924

You were utterly exhausted but you didn't want to move, largely because your whole body was aching from labour and partly because you were so infatuated with the little baby in your arms, a genetic copy of you and Charles, that you couldn't bring yourself too move.

Being at home helped, your husband was a rock of solidarity in the moments when your body wouldn't yield to your commands.

"She's perfect" Charles was hugged into the side of your bed, contently watching your daughter. Rosa Leclerc was going be a force to be reckoned with.

You shifted, trying to ease the ache building in your muscles, Charles observed you quietly from where he now stood.

"Let me take her" he didn't want to force you into letting her go again so soon,

Much to his surprise you lifted the bundle of blankets up, Charles stepped closer securing his arms to support his daughter.

You bit back the smile as the worry line on his forehead appeared, stressing over the littlest of things,

"Is this right?" He looked to you for support, the knowledge tugged something inside the hollow of your chest.

"Yeah you're fine" His shoulders were almost rigid and it took Charles a few minutes to ease into a posture that look at least half way comfortable.

"She's looking at me" Charles whispers, his voice soft.

"Hi baby" he cooed, pulling the blanket back to see her face.

Rosa yawned and as you watched Charles you were almost convinced your husband was going to combust on the very ground on which he stood.

There was a soft knock for the door, before it was pushed forwards. The muttering of French coming from the women to the people behind her. Charles family had come to visit the new Leclerc.

Your family had already been in, having been here since the moment you were hit with contractions. A home birth was always a plan for you, his family had respected your time frame and had appeared not a second before you asked them to.

Charles's mum shuffled into the room, his brothers falling in after her, tumbling over one another to be the next to hold their niece.

Charles turns to meet their stares, Rosa tucked tightly into him.

"Oh my.." his Mum leaned closer to her son, being respectful enough to not grab for your daughter as your mother had earlier. Something which had initially annoyed both you and Charles.

Despite the infant, his mother came across to your bedside, allowing his brothers that access to watch Rosa.

"How are you my darling?" Charles mum has always been lovely with you from the moment he brought you home to meet her. You need that now. Since your own parents had not been as kind, her gentle voice was soothing in a way you had once upon hoped your own mother's to sound like.

"I'm sore, but I'm fine now that's she's here"

She passed her gaze back to her three sons, practically melting over your daughter, Arthur pandering over her little fingers which gripped around one of his.

She began to unpack a bag onto your bed,

"He loves her so much", Continuing to watch your fiance, you sighed in relief when you watched her unpack tubs of homemade foods, the smell wafted across to the men.

Arthur's head popped up, he wandered across,

"Hey Y/n, you feeling okay?"

He subtly reached for a small tub of soup, his mum was quick to slap at his hands,

"Hands off, they're not for you"

Arthur grumbled but settled down into the new armchair in the corner of your room.

The conversations went on, with Charles passing Rosa between his family, each cooing and taking this moment with her.

With every moment that passed you could feel yourself wanting to drift into the embrace of sleep, Charles swirling small circles into the skin of your shoulder with the pad of his thumb was only aiding in the effect of needed sleep.

Lorenzo was smiling, making faces at Rosa, the infant laying in your mother in law's arms. Snuggled in, despite Charles conversation with his mum and youngest brother.

Your eyes were drawing heavier by the second, Pascale noticed your state, her eyes softening, she sat upright, carefully keeping a hold of your daughter.

You tried to pry your eyes open, to ask if she needed anything, but Pascale simply smiled at you, before turning to her other two sons,

"Y/n is tired, let us take our leave now." There was no room for error in her words, Arthur looked about ready to protest, but one glance your way and he nodded.

Charles squeezed your shoulder softly rising from beside you to kiss your head and walk to his mum. Pascale handed her son his daughter,

"Get some rest, Y/n you deserve it we'll be downstairs if you need anything"

Once they left it was easy to slip into the drag of the warm duvet, changed out from the towels which had previously covered your body.

Just as you had begun to drift off once more, a vibrating notification came from your phone, reaching for it you switched it to see the photo Charles had sent you from the other room.

Rosa was snuggled up into Arthur's chest once more, sleep drawing her own eyes shut.

Charles messaged popped into the screen not a second later.

. Like mother like daughter.

You couldn't breath past the swell in your throat, it was moments like this that had you realizing just how much you loved Charles and the life you had both made together, to the life you would continue.

To every little moment you would share as a family. 

.

.

.

Taglist: @80sloverry @unofficial-journalist @celestialams @mirrorball-6 @love4lando @ironmaiden1313

[s0lar-ch3ri]

what if i wanted to make another insane promo post?

yeah, ik, its promo time again. BUT this time around i do wanna add in the post both my cousin and niece

one thing i did get wrong, heartz is my niece, starz is my cousin! this will basically be going over what each of these 2 do (...and im also adding in a bonus competitor/promoed person, well actually 2 because I GOT A CHANNEL YIPPEE)

each channel will be seperated up so yeah lets go!

first channel:

Starzzz.andgalaxy (my actual cousin, lol) is a great yter who absolutely deserves to be celebrating more then just 170 subs! since shes actually here with me, i can let her say a lil something on the matter:

"hello! I would love to reach 200 subscribers at least, I think my hard work should not be for nothing!" <- her typing

shes very very fun (and also with this i hope all the god damn hate comments shut lol) and does very cool things such as:

Roblox videos

(comment is from me lol, we'll get there soon) For right now these are just rating videos of her avatar, but I find them very fun (plus since I play roblox if needed I can help with filming lol)! Not much to say on it cause it's not a common kind of post, so onto the next form, which is:

2. Art

As you can see, she does very cool art, this one in particular is a tutorial on how to draw bodies. Is it the best? No, but the fact she's trying makes it great! (this is also where I've seen a couple hate comments come up, so yeah, I'm trying to be mature enough to not commit violence for her upon them) She does admit this video isn't her best work, but she does A LOT of very very cool drawings! Go check them out and her channel of course! There is one thing she also posts about which I love most of all...

3. Paper Dragons!!

(the first image is her first dragon, second is her most recent i think) I don't get how these things are "paper furries", but I do know THEY ARE SICK AS FUCK. I got to see one in person and they're very cool, all with different stories! I honestly wanna ask for one but right now, I'm gonna stick with watching them.

Channel link can be found here:

(this section was finished on january first of 2024, so at the point of this being posted she wont be over here, but i had her here so yeah :D i love my cousin)

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

Second channel:

Heartzzz.❤️ is my niece, and she does similar content, but still does good content! A couple of videos of Starz and Heartz are them promoting each other, so yeah. While she is on vacation and can't be here to give her reasons to subscribe to you, I certainly can!

Memes

One thing I forgot to mention my cousin doing (well, actually my cousin's section is just kinda old because it's from when she last came over, but she's back to help me again, yay!) is making memes like this. Sometimes they do involve a paper dragon, but I think they're pretty funny and/or relatable (also dragons very cool)!

2. Edits (and Undertale related things)

I'm putting these 2 in the same category just because of the example image above. While my cousin has recently started doing edits, Heartz is the only 1 of the 2 to make anything Undertale related. While the Undertale stuff comes once every blue moon it seems, that doesn't make it any less enjoyable.

I actually found in her description a run down on what she does post, so here:

Link to her channel can be found right here:

(okay ik this section was really short, again, she posts similar things to my cousin, and i didnt wanna repeat, so yeah, if you want more reason, here's what the cousin herself says: "[Heartz] is really nice, she's a good artist, and she's creative"; time i finished this section was 1/15/2024 lol)

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

third channel:

Boli and gang (or as their original user is + the profile picture says, Boli the bear) is the channel belonging to 2 kids I babysit! They're pretty new to making content, but they have a promising start already! Currently, their content consists of...

Animations

One of them has really been getting into animation, posting things like ball loops and such on their account. They're very interesting to watch personally!

2. Cool places

I'm not sure if this is going to be a common theme, but there is around 3-4 videos of places like this one. I have to admit, this has to be the prettiest of them all.

3. Art (+FNAF/Five Nights at Freddy's Content)

This is another one grouped together, but because this is the first drawing related one I've seen. They're very big FNAF fans, of course leading to things like this. Is it the best? No, but they tried very hard of course, and maybe you could leave some tips for them to improve with!

(they also post memes and funny videos, but I'd rather not do repetition; FINISHED THIS ALSO ON THE 15TH LETS GOOOOOOO)

Link to their channel can be found here:

Oh, one final reason, their profile picture is super cool! Can you guess who made it? This actually provides me with the perfect transition into...

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

fourth/final channel:

ITS ME!!! FINALLY I CAN STOP DOING PROPER ASS TYPING

yeah, i have a youtube now, and there's like nothing on it minus a couple videos. all of them are made back in like 2021-2022? cant really remember, but i posted them for younger me's sake. i have like a couple more to get through, but afterwards im probs gonna do a bigger variety of content! art videos, jrwi edits, animations, rambles, essays, you name it! (might even stream again on twitch if that seems what the people like lol)

you may want actual reasons to subscribe, but i currently dont have any. i can only make promises of better future content, but right now i can admit theyre shit. i dont post often, its only oc related rn, all very vague, nothing that interests most people on my blog (cause i know a lot of you are here for jrwi content, huh?). this channel, the choice to subscribe is fully up to you, im not gonna sell myself to it, im simply just saying its real.

Link to the channel is found here:

if you at all took the time to read through my part, i appreciate it, but please do actually check out the other 3. after all, you can always find me here, but you cant find the others anywhere else!

(FINISHED THE REST OF THE POST ON 1/15/24 LETS GOOOOOOOOO)

[authornina]

Savvy Day Care

***THIS HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH A TYPICAL EDITING PROCESS; ALL SHORTS ARE ROUGH DRAFTS***

Sav sat in the driver seat of their shared brand-new Mercedes Benz sprinter passenger van going over his checklist to make sure he had all of his nieces. They had so many children and counting, a regular little mini-van wouldn’t do—like on ballet and gymnastics days that they all had together or when Jacob did field trips with them. Minus the boys who rarely made any fuss, all nine girls were very specific at times and some didn’t like sharing seat belts or their personal space if they weren’t in the best mood, so they invested in a sprinter and it’d been smooth sailing since.

“Melody, she so pretty make my heart all fluttery.”

“Here,” she cheerfully replied to her uncle. She didn’t always get to spend a lot of time with her father’s side of the family so being in the presence of her uncle and cousins made her happy.

“Delightful Damaris, she gon’ be a stunnin’ runway model in Paris.”

“Here!”

“Pretty Poppy, all these hoes gon’ wanna copy.”

“Here me go, Uncle Sav!”

“Savannah my precious banana,” Sav called then looked in the mirror and she raised her hand, still not able to verbally communicate much but they were working on it day by day. They mostly depended on sign language. He and Chi were just thankful she was able to walk on her own now without assistance. “Queen Day B, my G!”

“Here daddy!” she giggled.

“Aubree my gorgeous lil cup of tea.”

“Here,” she blushed.

“Ivory, my cute honeybee.”

“I’m right here,” she replied bashfully.

They loved their pet names given by Uncle Sav.

“Lovely Loire, even though you mean you the one I’ll always adore.” “Hmph!” she folded her arms with a scowl. The last thing she wanted to do was be in a leotard, tights, ballet shoes and a slick back bun. She looked just like a little Lake with an attitude.

“Ion know what hmph mean lil girl.”

“Me here!” Loire pouted, attitude on a hundred.

“You gon’ be flung over the bushes you keep actin’ up,” Sav threatened and she poked her lip out, and started crying into her sister’s arm. “My beautiful River gon’ always have my back and deliver…slaps! To ya muhfuckin’ dome on behalf of her uncle!”

“Here, Uncle Savy,” she laughed. “You make my sister cry,” River put her arm around Loire.

“She made her lil bad ass self cry. Loire cut it out before I get Sugar Sprinkle Pickle,” he referred to their dog that Lake let them name and she straightened up real quick. For some reason she was afraid of that little ass chihuahua. “Ard, everybody got their seatbelts on?” “Yes!” they all responded at the same time, Savannah nodding her head up and down.

“Do anybody gotta go number one or two before I pull off?”

“Nooo!”

“Goin’ once, goin’ twice, and we out!”

Jacob was on vacation for a week so what he’d usually tend to with their children was split between Sav, Lake, and Dem. Vant declined to help, wanting to use all of his free time from the kids trying to give Ivy another baby which she refused.

They had so many kids that keeping them active was necessary. They had tons of energy which needed to be channeled in something productive other than fighting with one another. Leave them in the house for too long, barrettes were flying, hair was being pulled and nothing but crying and screaming filled the air.

Once they arrived at the studio, Sav parked and got out making all of the girls hold hands as they crossed the lot. They basically had private lessons seeing as their group made up one class.

“Good afternoon!” their teacher, Ms. Farrah smiled as each of her tiny ballerinas marched into the studio. While the class went on Sav sat to the side taking pictures and videos, sending them in the group chat.

Avery: Fix Loire bow, she get on my nerves with that lil ass attitude! Ivy: Why is Aubree actin’ like we don’t practice the pliè at home? Ooh that girl! Vant: Fuck off my daughter bro Ivy: STFU! Avery: Nobody is talking about Damaris eatin’ everybody up though Chi: Straight running circles around them! Show them how it’s done Maris! Sav: My Banana is the best one Chi: And she is! Avery: She is doing so good, I’m so proud of her Ivy: Me too. Vant: Love Banny and all but I’m not bouta sit here and lie Ivory killin’ all them! Avery: LIES! It’s Damaris, River, THEN my pookie poo Ivory Ivy: Avery don’t make me kick your ass. Avery: Facts are facts! Lake: Can y’all all shut the fuck up? Chi: Husband! Why you gotta be so mean? Avery: Chi. Ivy: CTFU! Sav: I’m mutin’ y’all dickheads now Chi: You better not nigga! Ivy: Whose making dinner tonight? Avery: Not me! I’m tired and my back is hurting Chi: I can’t cook Lake: That’s why you need to sit the fuck down somewhere Avery: Do you see how you talk to me?😭 Ivy: Omg! Avery go away, you wasn’t complaining how he talk to you or crying when you laid up and got your ass pregnant again! He said sit down somewhere so SAT DOWN! Chi: Husband I woulda been sittin’ Sav: Chi get your fuckin’ head knocked off Vant: At least she lay down and get pregnant, some people act like it’s gon’ ruin their fuckin’ life to have another baby. Ivy: Vant do not start! You are not the one that has to PHYSICALLY go through a pregnancy! Vant: If I could carry my own fuckin’ babies I would! Sav: This nigga gay Wreck: Gay asf Vant: 🖕🏾

Pav: The girls are so cute! I wish I had a daughter to do ballet Sav: You late Pav: We were all napping Chi: You always sleep, let me find out you lettin’ Daly do you like Lake Daly: 🍆

Ivy: Okayyyyyyyyyyy! Get it get it! Vant: Ivy. Relax my nigga. Avery: I swear this is the last one. I can’t do this anymore. We’re gonna have to use condoms. Lake: Yea ok Ivy: TMI Chi: I would never make big daddy—nevermind Sav: Wait till I get home. Ima put a dent right in your fuckin’ forehead. Avery: LMAOOOOO! Big daddy that bitch! Chi: 🖕🏾 Dem: I’m not reading all that shit Ivy: Heyyy bookie Dem: Hey Avery: LMAO! Dem did you eat? Dem: No Avery: You want me to cook you some food? Sav: But you just said you was tired and your back was hurtin but now that Dem ain’t ate shit you got the energy Avery: Hater much? Vant: I’ll cook Wreck: Then I’m stayin home Daly: Me too Lake: I’m not eatin’ nothin Vant cook Pav: I will cook. Geez. Everybody be here by 8 Vant: Ayeee! Wreck: I’ll be over there Sav: You cook better than Avery anyway Avery: 🖕🏾

Sav: Ard the class is over. I’m takin all they asses to my house for a minute. Chi: Lord. Let me put up all my good shit Ivy: Don’t do that to them lmao Chi: You know they bad as shit! Sav: No, THEY kids is bad as shit. My babies is good. Dem: And mine Avery: So what tf are y’all saying? Ivy: Exactly! Wreck: Lake and Vant got some bad ass kids. Lake: Ok Daly: Now I need to put up all our good shit Ivy: Vant? Vant: Man…Ion feel like fightin’ and our kids is bad as shit Ivy: Wow. Sav: Bye dickheads!

Putting the phone in his pocket, Sav gathered his tribe of little ladies. They all walked to the van hand in hand talking over one another.

“Loire, you feel better?”

“Yes!” she answered her uncle now all smile. Sometimes it took his niece a minute to warm up.

“Good…who wanna go bother auntie Chi?”

“Meeeeee!” they all raised their hands at the same time.

“She’s my mommy,” Sav heard Day say.

“And she’s my auntie,” Aubree sassed.

“Don’t be mean to me.”

“Talk to the hand!”

“Daddy!” Day shouted. “She put her hand in my face,” she whined.

“Aubree chill out.”

“I’m tellin’ my daddy on you!” Aubree asserted.

“And what he supposed to do?”

“Beat chu up.”

“Your daddy can’t beat my daddy,” River added twisted her neck.

“I bet he can!”

“No he can’t!

“Ard,” Sav laughed. “Y’all chill, it ain’t that deep.”

“But Uncle Savy, she—”

“It’s ard River,” Sav turned to her giving her a look. “We know the real.”

River nodded then rolled her eyes at Aubree. “My daddy still can whoop uncle Vant, I seen him do it,” she whispered just having to get the last word.

[copperbadge]

This book is as big as my cat and might weigh more.

Proof copy of the second Omnibus volume has arrived! I need to read through it for errors (and I have an ask in my inbox, I swear Anon I will reply to you soon, about errors in the Royals/Ramblers first edition, so I have to do that too) but then all I need to do is fix the cover and it should be good to go. I don't have a date yet but the end of this month and beginning of next are very crazy for me, so probably not until mid-April.

Releasing it on the eclipse does have its appeal...on the other hand, that particular day I'm going to be in the ass-end of Texas with R and my niece and my parents, so perhaps not the most ideal time to be posting a bunch of marketing stuff. Well, we'll see what I get done between now and then.

[ID: Two photographs of my proof copy of The Shivadh Romances, Volume II, a massive paperback with an olive-green cover. In the first image it is lying on the bed next to Polk the tabby, who looks a little confused; it is as big as her entire curled-up body. In the second image, it is resting on top of Volume I to demonstrate how much visibly thicker it is than Volume I, with the books that both volumes contain in the background.]

[unicorncornflakes]

Dark Desire - Modern AU! | Chapter 12

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter

Paring: Aemond Targaryen x Niece!Reader

Summary: Aemond doesn't know how he feels every time he sees you. Neither do you when you look at him. Your father Aegon has always been absent from your upbringing ever since he divorced your mother. That role has been filled by Aemond until last summer, when everything changed.

Tags:  Alternate Universe – Modern/ Setting Emotional Hurt/ Comfort/ Drama & Romance/ Eventual Smut.

Warnings: This fic includes  manipulation, violence, death, and inc3st, at some points. Reader has purple eyes and her mother is from Dayne House, the rest is complete free :D

Tag-List (If you wanna be tagged in thi series or all of my work, let me know):  @thedamewithabook @afro-hispwriter @chainsawsangel @thetrueblackheart @atherverybest @itsabby15 @boundlessfantasy @partypoison00 @glame @tempo-rary-fix @tssf-imagines @aaaaaamond @imaloserbby @youngcomputerpuppy @aemondsfavouritebastard @cloudroomblog @queenofshinigamis @bluevxnus @wooya1224 @serving-targaryen-realness @darkenchantress @padfooteyes @mariannnavao @moonlightfoxx @jennifer0305 @ammo23 @iloveallmyboys @tempt-ress @bellameshipper @okfashionista @shelbyteller @dahlias-and-marigolds @the-knights-of-ne @bellaisasleep

Author´s note:  Pls, enjoy! Feedback, shares and comments are always welcome!

Word Count: 5.7K

Acknowledgment: To @ammo23 for the brilliant corrections and the wonderull work as beta reader, for all the patience and the love that always shows to this story. I´m so grateful. Thank you so much :D

“I don't know what we can do. The drunken dragon always accepts our conditions. Always. That Stupid Aegon...” Gerolf Dayne, the oil magnate, the richest man in Starfall and the second richest man in Dorne, just behind the Martells, was smoking a cigar in that meeting room in King's Landing, at one of the most expensive and prestigious law firms in all of Westeros. “If now (Y/N) has stopped having her head on the clouds and wants to study a career, everything is fine with me. It was about time that she stopped those stupid dreams of wanting to be an artist," he took another puff, and Gerold, his eldest son, narrowed his violet eyes, annoyed.

"We have enough money, both us and the dragons, to do whatever she wants," your uncle said, getting up from the seat he occupied next to his father, who presided over the long table in the office. "Let her be what he wants to be; let her do what she wants."

"The only thing that worries me is that she has suddenly changed her mind. If she applied to Sunspear the same day, and then told me she didn't want to go, that she wanted to make a career here, I don't know. It worries me," your mother sighed, defeated, not understanding what was happening to you. You had always been firm in the things you wanted, in what you desired. And now all of them had gone to the capital for an emergency meeting so that they and their lawyers could talk about the conditions they would put in place in this new situation because that's how it had been all your life; conditions and more conditions imposed by the lawyers of one and the other, all imposed looking for what is supposedly best for you, but very rarely taking into account your own wishes. It had been like that all your life, and it would be like that until you finished college.

"It's normal for you to worry. It's your puppy." Gerolf smiled at his daughter; he had always had a soft spot for his little girl, even if she had disappointed him by marrying your father. His little girl had come home, leaving behind a lazy, terrible dragon. However, she had returned with a small setback for his father: You. You weren't a Dayne, you weren't a Targaryen… Did your grandfather love you? Sure, you were like your mother enough that he saw a little copy of his little girl, but he kept feeling like a failure. Had he brought up your mother so badly that she allowed herself to be tricked by your father? "But still, this meeting could have been settled with a fax machine: 'We don't accept dragon terms.' That's all I would have told them."

"I need to see her, Dad. I didn't feel like things were going well the last time I talked to her," your mother emphasized again. Your mother had only received a call from you, in which you had told her that you wanted to stay there, that you were fine, but even so, she had not been convinced. Something was up, and all her alarms had gone off when you told her you would be living at your father's house while studying at the university. That was not something your mother would condone under any circumstances.

"Besides, we have to talk about the question of changing her last name." Your uncle Gerold sat down next to his father, right in front of your mother, after looking out the window. “Before she left, it was what she wanted.”

"What?" your mother asked, surprised, almost worried. Because deep down, she knew that it would kill Aegon. Because deep down, she was still worried about your father, maybe she wasn't in love, but she was still fond of him. "I don't understand you. She has never told me anything like that."

“Well, she and I talked about it several times last year. When she came of age, we discussess wapping Targaryen for Dayne, and we're done with all this crap," Gerold said with a shrug as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Your mother looked at her older brother as if he was telling her something she had never expected, and your grandfather smiled with pleasure.

"I think it's great. After all, the ones who have been in charge of raising her have been us, not the dragons," he answered happily, at least in that you were a Dayne, an authentic girl from Starfall.

“That would break her father,” your mother said, almost afraid to speak, and her father looked at her, raising an eyebrow questioningly.

“Well, Aegon might have thought the same thing when he fucked someone else while he was married to you. He could have thought about your heart…" he said it without any love, almost not believing what he was hearing from his daughter. It was terrible, too terrible. But, just as he was going to continue his speech, the meeting room door opened, and you appeared first, followed by Aemond, who seemed like a shadow of you. Your father followed him, and then Daeron appeared, who was chatting with the lawyer of your maternal family. Your mother was surprised to see you with a necklace of the heraldry of your paternal family, and Gerold smiled cheekily. So, in the end, the one-eyed dragon had fucked you, and that was his cheeky way of naming you as his own? Great.

"Mom", you ran into her arms, and your mother hugged you tight, not wanting to let go because she really didn't want to. She was just worried about you. She would never stop being, but all those changes were too much. Then you greeted your grandfather with a brief kiss. He responded with a loving smile, and again, you ran into Gerold's arms, who hugged you and simply whispered in your ear, "Are you finally flying dragons now?" He winked at you, then shook hands with Aemond, who had followed you across the room as the others greeted each other.

You blushed at his words while the others greeted each other. While Gerold and Aemond were talking, they had always been a good rapport between them even though Gerold called him an asshole behind Aemond’s back, you saw the scene that would mark the rest of your life. Your father reached out like a helpless puppy to your mother becauseif your mother was going to marry another man, your father would never get over it. He would always be in love with his Stargirl and would always live with the burden of knowing that he had destroyed the most beautiful thing he had. Your mother kissed him on the cheek, and Aegon smiled to himself; they exchanged a few more words that made your father smile, and your mother left him without looking back. She just sat in her seat while your father went to the other end of the table. This was what a love that could never be again felt like.

Although you were not physically present during those negotiations, they did involve topics that directly affected you. But this time your mother's family had demanded that you be present; after all, you were already of legal age, and what was said there would begin to mark your adult life.

"How about we sit down?" Your grandfather spoke with the deep voice that characterized him. "I would like to finish before lunchtime, " he said, and all the others sat at the table; at one end, the Targaryen’s; at the other, the Dayne’s. You went to sit next to Aemond when your maternal family's lawyer spoke. The best thing for everyone was that you sat in the middle of the table, without taking sides for any position and where you could not feel pressured by any of the parties. You looked at Aemond and saw his jaw clench, but he said nothing. You just sat in the middle of the table, almost as if you felt that the fight for you was just about to start and that you would always be the victim.

“I think you received our proposal. The one we sent out last night,” Daeron said, taking a seat between his brothers as your mother's lawyer did the same. Gregory Martell, one of the younger sons of Sunspear's owners and your mother's future brother-in-law, had always been devoted to your family's cause. After all, your custody and everything around it had fed his children for the last 17 years.

"Sure. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here," Gregory smiled and cleared his throat as he offered your uncle Gerold and your grandfather a copy of the proposal. Your mother almost seemed left out of the negotiations, but you could tell Daeron was doing the same. The only one with a copy of the conditions was Aemond, while Aegon stared at the ceiling and wiggled his leg in his seat. It seemed that your life had been directed entirely by your uncles and your grandfather as if your parents didn’t have a say.

"First, I'd like to talk to (Y/N) because we've gone from wanting to go to Sunspear to wanting to stay in King's Landing." Your Uncle Gerold put on his reading glasses, the kind he hated to wear in front of people who weren't his own family, but he still did it so as not to lose details of the new contract that your paternal family was trying to establish. "Why?" He looked at you seriously, expecting an argument bigger than the one he already knew. Now you were between Aemond's sheets,and he didn't care, but he needed a more convincing excuse than that. However, just before you spoke, Aemond cleared his throat.

"Why wouldn't she want to stay here? We are her family," he said feeling attacked, and Gerold smiled. Well, it was your boyfriend coming to your aid, but he needed to listen to you, not Aemond. "I think (Y/N) has reached a greater maturity this summer, where she has realized that she can have a bigger and brighter future if she stays at King's Landing College instead of going to Sunspear School of the Arts," Aemond said, almost relishing the stratagem he had concocted that bound you to his side. You looked at him out of the corner of your eye with a sad and indecisive grin, almost as if you felt that he had never liked the idea ​​of what you wanted to do with your life. As if he felt completely in control now of your life as well. You looked at the table under the watchful eye of your Uncle Gerold.

"Okay," your maternal grandfather replied, taking another drag on his cigar. Gerold looked at his father with a frown, almost as if he felt that his father didn't realize what was wrong with you. "Sunspear always seemed stupid to me. A career here will always be much better than five years of studying the arts, which will lead to nothing." You looked at him incredulously, as if you had never expected that from people who loved you, but that meeting was not normal, and neither were the reasons that had led you to be there.

"I don't think Sunspear is stupid," your father spoke, breaking the silence, and your mother followed shortly after.

"Of course not. If that's what you want (Y/N), we're here to support you." Your mother followed your father in her argument, and for the first time,you wanted them to stay together as many things would have changed. Your uncle Gerold sighed, and you saw Aemond's jaw clench again, not daring to look at you. You wondered what was going through his head. "Honey, don't change that decision because others think it's not something with a future", your mother spoke with affection, and your father followed her.

"Exactly," Aegon replied, nodding, and Aemond continued without looking at you. You only saw how he avoided eye contact with you, almost as if he regretted having asked you to make such a selfish sacrifice and that it seemed to be for his only benefit.

"This summer, a lot has happened and... I want to stay in King's Landing," you said in a whisper. "I'll study history and philosophy at the university here and…" your uncle Gerold laughed sarcastically while your mother looked at you incredulously.

“(Y/N), you've never been good at philosophy. I mean, you passed it, but you never got good grades in it," your mother said almost desperately, not understanding what was happening to you. Your uncle looked at you incredulously, almost as if he didn't believe what he was hearing from you.

“Uncle Aemond will help me with the admission and…” you started saying, but Gerold cut you off quickly.

"Aemond, how much do you have to do with this change of heart?" He said it almost as if he was trying to protect you again, as if he didn't like it anymore that you were flying with dragons instead of staying with them. If Aemond was going to control you, Gerold was not going to. He wanted to see you happy, not at Aemond's side, like a nice possession to show off to others.

"It's the only college where I could get her admitted, taking into account that the deadlines are already closed", your uncle put forward as an excuse. He didn't want to admit that it was the career he wanted for you, the hidden dream he'd always had, that you'd follow in his footsteps, that you'd manage to finish the doctorate that he had to give up to take care of the family after his father's death. "It is a good career and a good institution."

"Gods, did we only come here because you managed to sweet-talk her, Aemond?" Your mother sighed almost desperately while your uncle Gerold raised his fingers to his eyes and scratched them hard, almost fed up with that encounter. You had never been in a meeting like that, but you already saw how they were, how they had always been. A continuous fight between two sides that would never reach an understanding. Aemond was about to speak when you lashed out again.

"No, Mom. Really, it's what I want to do," you sighed, defeated; you wanted to stay there, next to Aemond. You didn't want to lose him, you couldn't. You were just freaking out at that meeting. You felt your heartbeat anguished. Why did everyone put you in that situation? "Please, can we continue?" you asked, and everyone in that gathering looked at each other.

"Perhaps, it would be better if you wait outside", Aemond said, addressing you as if you two were alone. You looked the other way, seeing how your mother looked at you confused and your uncle Gerold angry.

"It's okay. I just want to get this over with," you declared tiredly. You hadn't slept all night, and Aemond looked at you desperately, almost as if he was beginning to realize how far he had come in his selfishness.

"At this point, Gregory, bring out the conditions," your grandfather Gerolf spoke again, giving an order to his lawyer. The Martell opened his case taking out a new paper and handing a copy to Daeron and another to Aemond. Your father moved closer so he could read the one he'd given Daeron. Aemond read silently and laid the page contemptuously on the table, slumping back into his seat, utterly jaded.

"Whose brilliant idea was this?" Aemond took out a cigarette and put it to his lips, lit it with his Zippo and puffed on it, exhaling uncharacteristically through his mouth, almost as if he were angry and confused all over again. You were already beginning to understand how he acted every time he felt attacked.

"Mine." Your mother spoke, not looking at Aemond. He could never bear her. Never. The one-eyed man had always been driven crazy by her and on issues that referred to you even more so.

"How not?" Aemond replied, sneering at your mother as if he were the smartest in the room because He felt sorry for the rest, but Aemond Targaryen was superior to any of them.

"Does it bother you that you have to pay for your studies in full or that (Y/N) doesn't stay to live in the mansion?" Gerold came to his sister's defense and spoke, looking at Aemond, holding his gaze, daring him to speak. But your uncle was always talking; he was never silent. Dragons couldn't afford to be.

"I don't mind paying, it bothers me that you want to separate her from us", Aemond reproached your maternal family for that part, angry and furious "It almost seems like what you've always wanted to do. Separate her from what she is: a Targaryen."

“No, what I want is for my daughter to start making her life. Away from anyone who cuts their wings, away from people who always forget her birthdays," your mother replied, remembering that hurt. Her words were so true, but at the same time, so painful that you just wanted to cry while everyone ignored you in the name of your wellbeing. They fought against themselves in a fierce battle in which there would only be one loser.

"I do not agree with this clause," Aemond repeated again, ignoring all your mother's words.

"Me neither", replied your father, offended for the first time with his ex-wife. "(Y/N) is not so bad at home" Your father pushed you into the jaws of the dragon and locked you up without knowing it, thinking that you would be happier that way. You spent all your day with Aemond, and he always saw you happy; why wouldn't you be happy living in his home? He did not understand where those conditions came from.

"Perhaps a good measure would be that since we are going to pay the full amount of the studies, which we do not care about and which we will be happy to do, (Y/N) could live in the family home, as a measure of good faith" your uncle Daeron spoke with his lawyer speech and your mother did not remain silent.

"No, definitely not. We will take care of the cost of the place where she wants to live in King’s Landing, but she will not live with you. I'm sorry, but no," the daughter of the biggest oil tycoon, the woman who had never allowed herself to be tamed by anything or anyone, appeared again on the scene, ready to fight for the happiness of her puppy. "I refuse. We already made the concession that she changed her mind at the last moment, but not that she lives with you. No."

"We want (Y/N) to live where she will be close to the university, to develop as an independent entity, without family ties that can bind you," said Gregory Martell, explaining the wish of your maternal family. They only wanted for you what they had always wanted; that you be yourself, that you develop away from her last name, from your father's last name or from anything that could stop you from being yourself.

They continued arguing, much to your grandfather's chagrin, even after lunch. They continued until night fell. The session was left to continue the next day, waiting to find a solution to your situation. But you realized something, nobody asked you again what you wanted. You only saw your mother scream, Aemond clench his jaw every time she spoke, your uncle Gerold trying to control his sister, and your father staring at the ceiling in despair. That was your happy family, and it seemed that in it, you were nothing. Not a Dayne, not a Targaryen. Nothing.

"Do you have the dress yet?" you asked your mother, both lying in the hotel room that your maternal family had reserved at the last moment when they saw that the negotiations about your studies were dragging on. The two of you had dined alone in her room, although Aemond had taken you there, and he would be in charge of picking you up and taking you back to the family home. You knew that he was waiting for you in the hotel bar. You didn't know if he was patient or not, but at that moment, you needed to be with your mother.

"No, not yet. I would prefer that you come with me to see them, and there is still time," your mother told you, looking at the ceiling. She looked tiredat the end of the day. The truth was that the last thing on her mind at that moment was her wedding. You worried her even more. "You've barely eaten," she commented, looking now at your plate, which you had barely touched. She sat on the edge of the bed, and you followed her.

"It's just that I'm not hungry lately", you commented without much desire to talk. You just wanted to be with her. Having a moment of rest in what was now a roller coaster of emotions.

"If all this change is because of Cregan Stark..." she started to speak, blaming everything that was happening on what had happened with the northerner as if you wanted to stay there just to wait for Cregan to come back. You blushed. You barely thought about him; you would never do it again.

"No, Mom. It's just that I want to stay here. That's all," you replied, looking at the plate with empty eyes. The truth is that you didn't feel like eating, you hardly slept, and you only spent your days at the expense of what Aemond wanted. Was that the life you wanted to lead? No, but you were afraid of losing the person you loved.

"I need to understand why, honey. I need to know," she begged you to know, but you couldn't tell her. You couldn't tell her that you loved Aemond, that you just wanted to be by his side, that you needed him, that he was like the worst drug you were addicted to, that you adored when he undressed you and when he kissed you, that you were dying to be a single dawn away at his side… that you were simply in love.

"You wouldn't understand, Mom", you whispered to her, holding onto your knees, wanting to end the matter. They were all blind. No one saw what was happening, but the necklace that now hung from your neck made your mother begin to flake at an idea that she preferred to bury in the bottom of her heart. It was impossible for history to repeat itself, right?

"Get me the same, and get me the bill" Your uncle Gerold sat next to Aemond, took out his credit card and gave it to the waiter, much to Aemond's annoyance. The dragon narrowed his eye in annoyance. The last thing he wanted to do was talk or just see Gerold after arguing about you all day. Both sitting at the Hightower hotel's bar, Aemond took a silent sip of his whiskey while Gerold drank it in one go until almost finishing it.

"You didn't have to pay for it," Aemond commented, not looking at the Dornishman who now sat next to you.

"That's true. You have much more money than me. The three heads of the dragon came out in that interview," said the son of the oil magnate. His eyes would always seek to provoke Aemond, pushing him almost to his limit, yet this time when Aemond looked at him, Gerold only dank silently.

They both continued in silence for a long time, and Gerold watched with a smirk as Aemond looked at his expensive watch, waiting for you. The amount of time you had already been upstairs seemed excessive to him. Besides, he had decided to give you a surprise. After such a long day, he didn't think about taking you home to sleep. You would go to a hotel, you would make love until dawn, and he would whisper to you what a good girl you were. You always liked that. He took another swallow of his whiskey, why didn't you come down now?

"I don't think she is going to come go down anytime soon if it's any consolation," Gerold answered, seeing him look at the clock desperately. However, he frankly asked what the others refused to see. "How long have you two been fucking?" he asked bluntly, not looking at him, just taking a small sip of his whiskey as if it wasn't him.

"None of your business," Aemond replied, not flustered, not feeling like a monster. He was superior in every way to a man like Gerold. He wasn't going to feel threatened by him, he never would.

"I think at this point where she wants to give up her dreams for you, yes, it ismy business", he replied. His violet eyes locked on Aemond's one-eyed gaze. The dragon averted his eye from Gerold. He felt guilty. Having seen you as he had seen you in that meeting was proof that he would never be a good choice for you. It was too selfish, but he couldn't be without you. He did not imagine it. He could not. It was impossible for him.

"She can't leave King's Landing. She just can't." That was all Aemond told him, unable to say much more. He could never be weak, ever. Next to Gerold, in that bar, that was exactly what was happening, and he didn't feel comfortable with it.

The Dornishman took a swing of his drink and dared to speak. He would be the first and only one who would care about your true happiness. “I have a place, it’s not big nor luxurious, but the most loyal to me serve there," he said, shrugging. "It has a garden, and the main rooms face an inner courtyard where you could fuck her against the balustrade, and no one would ever know. Nobody."

Aemond looked at him in confusion and swallowed. He didn't want to accept his help, never would, and yet he knew you would be happier at Sunspear than you would be at home with him and the rest of the family. Gerold was showing him the perspective of what your life would really be like if you stayed in King’s Landing. You wouldn't eat, how long had you not eaten? You wouldn't sleep. You wouldn't be happy because it was being close to everything that trapped you and didn't let you breathe. Gerold was proposing a solution to both of you, a solution where you could be away from all prying eyes but together at the end of the day.

"You take a plane on Friday afternoon, and you leave on Monday morning. The two of you, in a new place, where you could be more than you are now.” Your Dornish uncle spoke again, wishing he was having an effect on the dragon.

"It's still Westeros," Aemond whispered to himself, taking another small swallow. The Dornishman's words cut deep into his heart. However, he did not trust Aemond Targaryen – he was not a being that could be trusted by anyone. "What do you want in exchange for this?" he spoke frankly since Aemond knew that favours pay off.

"May (Y/N) be happy, may this never be heard of... may the same thing as Rhaenyra not happen to her..." Gerold shrugged, remembering the scandal that had happened so many years ago. "I don't want anyone to find out, ever," he declared, getting up from the seat next to Aemond. "Think about it and leave a good tip for the waiter. You have more money than me," he sneered, leaving Aemond alone with his thoughts, only at the prospect of you being happier than you are now.

"Have you had anything for dinner?" Aemond finally spoke, and you looked at him with a smile, sitting on the terrace of that hotel room where he had taken you that night. You stretched out, your whole body half-naked in front of him, and he just smiled. That was how he liked you, in the moonlight, happy and radiant because you were with him, but something was missing. If you stayed on King's Landing, you would always be missing something.

"My mother ordered some dinner" You smiled at him, and he knelt in front of you, between your legs, and you wrapped your arms around his neck, smiling at him, happy to have a moment like this after so long. "And have you had something to eat?"

"Well, the guy from the bar gave me some sweets with the whiskey", he confessed, knowing that this would make you laugh.

"Nooo, what are you doing eating that? They must have been years old," you replied, laughing and caressing his hair, and he laughed too. He kissed you sweetly, and you followed him, stretching your arms over his shoulders, letting yourself be carried away by such a quiet moment. At the end of the kiss, he just sighed and unhooked your bra, getting goosebumps all over your skin. His touch will always fascinate you. He buried his face in between your bare breasts, and you laughed. Aemond might be held in higher regard than other men, but in the end, they were all equal, and all did the same.

"Go to Sunspear. Never listen to me again when it comes to something that goes against what you want," he whispered to you, and you separated him from your body. You contemplated a surrendered man.

"Aemond..." you started saying, but he interrupted you again.

"I'll come to see you. I would travel the whole world to see you. But don't let me stop what you want to be. I need you to be happy. Much more than I need to be happy myself," he whispered to you again, and you didn't talk about it again. Nevermore. He wouldn't tell you about his conversation with your uncle Gerold, he never would. He wouldn't tell you that he planned to come to see you whenever he could, that in the house that Gerold had offered you, no one would see you, and… for a moment, he was excited at the thought that he could go hand in hand with you in a public place, although that was madness, a simple fantasy. But what do humans not live on, if not fantasies? And Aemond, at that moment, felt closer to men than to gods, despite being a Targaryen.

The next day, the new points and terms of your new change of mind were discussed. It was concluded that you would finally study at Sunspear, that your paternal family would be in charge of paying for the school for the coming years and that your maternal family would arrange everything for you to live in the house with a garden that Gerold had in the capital of the Martells.

Both parties reached the same agreement that they had prior to your previous change of mind, and your mother breathed easier as if that visit had been what you needed, and you smiled happily. The subject of the change of last name was something that was not discussed at that meeting at Gerold's insistence. He had understood that now you were more Targaryen than even your father. After all, you had succumbed to the same thing that all Targaryen’s ended up surrendering, the same taste for their own blood and lineage. But he didn't care, he wanted you to be happy without anyone finding out. And thanks to Gerold, relative peace returned. He would protect you; he would take care of you. However, no one saw how your face changed when you received an unexpected message: Cregan was returning to the capital. And you didn't know what you would tell him now that things would never be the same again.

Aemond remembered blood. He remembered the pain and the scream as he was hit. His mouth tasted of blood. The metallic, iron taste that ran through his throat as he sobbed. His nose couldn't get rid of the unmistakable scent of blood either. Like a deluded child, he thought his eye would be saved as he writhed on the floor. He was a stupid kid. Always  was.

Rhaenyra had no natural children, or at least it was what she always said to end up avoiding the shame of having given birth to three bastard children, who had nothing to do with the cousin she had married to gain the influence of the Velaryon. A fruitful union. In which the three bastard children that Rhaenyra had given birth to had been given as adopted. They had all believed it, or at least they had all pretended to believe it. Even Helaena, who had married one of them to her own nephew, but no one had said anything because they weren't Targaryen blood like them, were they? Hypocrites. They all danced to what Rhaenyra said, but that was another story. Another story that has nothing to do with that child who was writhing in anguish and pain on the floor. Or, perhaps a lot, but that was not what was happening to Aemond now.

Luke had attacked him. Aemond knew the truth as well as they did. That dirty truth that everyone was trying to hide. They were bastards and children of the pure and holy Rhaenyra, although they all tried to hide it, and Aemond was the only one brave enough to have said it out loud, or perhaps the most innocent and sincere of them all.

Still, there had been consequences. He had lost his eye for telling the truth, and it was not the pain of losing the eye that affected Aemond the most. It was afterwards, looking in the mirror, the memory of the hospital room where they had sewn him up, adolescence marked by a disfigured face... and the words of Daemon, his favourite uncle. He had said that he deserved it and had sided with the one who had gouged out his eye, and Aemond promised himself that in an act which one Targaryen had positioned himself against another would not go unpunished. Aemond Targaryen learned to be a vengeful man.

[neewtmas]

12 days of Christmas // A Lockwood & Co Advent Calendar

DAY 6

Welcome back! It's currently 01:16 am on the 13th, which means I'm technically a day late but we'll just ignore that bc I gave my absolute best to get this finished in time and it simply got out of hand.

After the Lucy x reader I wrote for day 2 thought that I couldn't possibly forget about the Lockwood girlies, and since we're at the halfway point I wanted to do something extra nice, so here is a very long (4.2k??) Lockwood x reader with a some enemies to lover-ish dynamics and reader as Kipps' little sister. Hope you enjoy!

A Mission For Two

pairing: anthony lockwood x Kipps!fem!reader

wordcount: 4.2k

masterlist

advent calendar tags: @givemea-dam-break @wellgoslowly @maraschinomerry @losticaruss @oblivious-idiot @uku-lelevillain @avdiobliss @strawberryloveyyy @strawberrycowgirly @demigoddess-of-ghosts @thefriendlyneighborhoodmomfriend @boookfreeak

day 1 day 2 day 3 day 4 day 5

"4 pm, my office. There's no excuses, I know you don't have anything else to do." Lockwood grumbled a half-hearted yes into the telephone, before slamming it down, harder than necessary. He walked back into the kitchen, where Lucy and George sat with a cup of tea each. His tea was probably cold by now. Lucy furrowed her brows. "Who's calling?" "Barnes, who else", Lockwood replied, snatching his cup of tea and emptying it in the sink before pouring fresh hot water from the kettle. "Says he has a job for us." "That's good", George remarked. "Business has been a little slow." Lockwood crossed his arms and huffed. Unfortunately, George was right. Business had been slow the past few weeks. What irked him most though, was that Barnes seemed to know all about it.

A little before 4 pm they entered the DEPRAC building, an ugly structure in the middle of London, with a hideous interior to match. No wonder all DEPRAC agents they came across at their jobs seemed to be in a perpetual bad mood. The route to Barnes' office was well known to them, as it wasn't the first time by any means they had been called in. Lockwood adjusted his tie and coat before knocking on the door twice. Barnes' assistant opened the door seconds later, and the three of them stepped in. But almost immediately, Lockwood froze on the spot, causing George to run into him.

"What are they doing here?", Lockwood inquired, gesturing to the group of people already seated in front of Barnes' desk.

The person closest to Barnes' desk turned around. "Tony. Great to see you around here. Business is going well, I hear?" Lockwood narrowed his eyes at Kipps, hand already on his rapier. "Just sit down", Barnes said sharply. "We have more important things to talk about." Lucy and George could tell that Lockwood was of a different opinion, but a rather forceful push from Lucy caused him to take a seat and postpone the inevitable fight, at least until they were out of there.

When they were finally all seated and quiet, Barnes leaned forward, his hands clasped together. "I want to be here just as much as you are", he began. "If it were up to me, this wouldn't be happening. But unfortunately, it's out of my control." He leaned back in his seat, nodding at his assistant. She stepped out of her corner and placed a print-out of a newspaper site on the desk. "Are you familiar with the Wentworth family?"

"Don't they host these ridiculously fancy balls? What do we have to do with this?", Kipps asked. Barnes sighed, and it was obvious that he had already spent much more time than he wanted on this. "The next one is supposed to be held at Wycliffe Hall Estate." Silence. "Haven't there been ghost sightings?", George asked, pushing his glasses up and leaning forward to grab the article copy. "Yes." Barnes sounded tired. "I have tried everything to mitigate this, but to no avail. They have been adamant that it has to be there. Lady Wentworth's daughter - or was it her niece? - is engaged to Wycliffe's son. And the possibility of a ghost adds the certain 'flair' they are looking for."

Lockwood and George shared a look. Lucy scoffed. "Rich people", she mumbled under her breath and Barnes sent her a reprimanding look but it was not hard to see that he thought just the same. "And what are we here for?", Kipps asked, sounding somewhat impatient. "DEPRAC tasked me with providing agents to mingle among the crowd and keep their eyes out for any disturbances." He gave Kipps and Lockwood a pointed look. "Don't think for a moment that you are my first choice for this. But we are understaffed and I need someone."

He pulled his chair closer to his desk and leaned forward again. "I need you - together - to go to this ball. You will form pairs - couples if you will - and mingle. I and a few other colleagues will be present as well. If anything happens, if anyone gets hurt - I will lose my job. So don't mess it up." He took his time to look at each one of them. "You're dismissed, he finally said.

The two groups walked in silence until they stepped through the huge glass entry doors. "Tony -" Kipps began and Lockwood's hand flew to the hilt of his rapier. Kipps raised his hands. "Don't be so defensive. Let's just get this over with, alright? Everyone does their research and at the event, we work separately." He offered his hand to Lockwood, who didn't take it immediately. Kipps being so good-natured was out of character - maybe Barnes had had a word with him on his own. Lucy nudged Lockwood and he slowly let go of his rapier to take the hand Kipps offered him.

The next two weeks were spent with unspectacular - exceptionally boring really - cases every few nights. There hadn't been any more communication with Kipps and his team, something neither Lockwood, Lucy or George had any issues with. Three days before the big event, Barnes called 35 Portland Row to give further information on the dress code. "This whole endeavour is just ridiculous", Lockwood said as he recounted the talk with Barnes to George and Lucy. "We are allowed to carry our rapiers, but only minimal other equipment. Can't have us ruining the aesthetic, he says." George shook his head. "This is a suicide mission. For the adult attendees at least. Why would you ever willingly spend a night somewhere that has reported and confirmed ghost sightings?"

"They are bored. They live their whole lives locked up in their mansions, so that's a night of freedom. They have no idea that a few agents won't do much if a ghost is gonna make its appearance", Lockwood replied. "Also the Wentworths are known for their elaborate parties and events. A ball in a haunted mansion is the perfect way to stand out." Lucy raised her eyebrows. "So you know the Wentworths?" Lockwood grinned at her. "They are regularly on the cover of my gossip magazines. If you read them, you'd know them." Lucy grimaced. "No thank you. I'd rather not."

Three days later, on the morning of the ball, Lockwood and George sat in the kitchen, already two toasts deep into breakfast, when Lucy staggered into the room. She was pale, wrapped in two sweaters and a scarf and still wearing her pyjama bottoms. "You look like death", George said dryly as Lucy flopped down on a chair. She wanted to say something, but instead, she was caught in a coughing fit that shook her entire body. Lockwood watched her with furrowed brows. "Guess it's just us tonight, George", he said, pushing a cup of tea in front of Lucy. She grabbed it and took several sips, before clearing her throat. "I don't know where this is coming from", she said with a hoarse voice. "But Lady Wentworth would probably kill me if I were to cough around her esteemed guests." "Barnes would do that before she even had a chance to see you", George remarked while buttering his third toast. "Can you cough on me? Maybe I'll get sick before tonight as well."

George did not get sick, and so he and Lockwood sat alone in the cab that would take them out of London to the Wycliffe Hall Estate. They were both wearing a suit - usual for Lockwood, very unusual for George. All available pockets were filled to the brim with salt bombs and silver nets, which made them both look a little less elegant. When the cab pulled up to the front of the estate, Kipps' team as well as Barnes already stood by the stairs to the entrance, waiting for them. The gravel crunched under the soles of their shoes as they made their way over. Barnes looked them up and down with a less than favourable expression, but they seemed to pass his expectations, because he didn't say anything about their appearance. Instead, he asked: "Where's Miss Carlyle?"

"She came down with a bad cold."

"Unfortunate", Barnes said. "Really unfortunate. That doesn't make this easier. Mr Karim - you're going with Mr Vernon and Mr Shaw." All three opened their mouth to protest, but Barnes wasn't having it. "I don't care, whatever you have to say. None of you could be a very convincing couple. That's why you'll pose as waiters. Ms Channing will show you the basics."

All three of them were less than excited about the prospect of handing out champagne to the elite of London, and George mumbled something rather rude under his breath that Barnes either didn't hear or chose to ignore. The three boys were led away by a young woman in her early thirties.

"Alright." Barnes eyed the four agents in front of him. "Mr Kipps, you'll go with Miss Godwin. Mr Lockwood, you'll pair up with Miss Kipps." "No way he's going with my sister!" "Mr Kipps, we talked about this", Barnes said sternly, his patience wearing thin. "You'll do as I say, or you'll deal with the consequences. But I promise you, they'll be worse."

Kipps was red in the face, huffing and puffing, but he didn't say anything else. Lockwood suddenly wished that Lucy's cold had befallen him instead. (name) Kipps was almost as bad as her brother, and he could not stand her. Since she became part of her brother's team, they had crossed paths a little too often for Lockwood's taste. And every time everything she did only aggravated him. Tonight (name) was wearing a dark red, almost floor-length dress that swished around her legs as she walked over to Lockwood, following Barnes' instructions. She didn't look at Lockwood, and he did his best to train his eyes on Barnes instead of her neck and shoulders that were exposed by the neckline of her sleeveless dress. Leave it up to her to dress entirely distracting and inappropriately. Who could fight ghosts in this?

"I need you to blend in seamlessly. I have arranged to fill the room with as many iron decorations as possible, to hopefully seal it off to any supernatural disturbances that might occur. Lady Wentworth was very clear to me about the fact that she doesn't want you to look like agents to the other attendees, she wants you to look like guests. That means I expect you to dance and at least act like you want to be there." Barnes looked more tired than he did two weeks ago. No one said anything, so he took a deep breath and turned around. "Don't disappoint me", he said over his shoulder.

They watched him disappear behind the imposing door wing. While they had been talking, the first guests had started to arrive. Every car was fancier than the last, the men that emerged wearing expensive suits and the ladies draped in luxurious gowns and glittering diamonds. Kipps offered Kat his arm, following the example of the couples ascending the stairs. Lockwood went to follow them, but (name) didn't move and instead cleared her throat. "Don't you have any manners, Mr Lockwood?" Her mocking tone was already working to raise his blood pressure. The way she said his name was almost worse than Kipps calling him Tony. He bit his tongue to not say something he would regret in the first five minutes of them working together and turned around to offer her his arm. He didn't look at her as she looped her arm around his and they walked up the stairs together. The other attendees either ignored them or looked at them with something akin to disdain - this was an exclusive circle they were not part of.

It was quite early, so any disturbances would take a while to occur. Lockwood dreaded what that meant. Kipps and Kat were already on the dancefloor, and Barnes stood at the side, next to a tall blond woman in an emerald green gown. Lockwood immediately recognized her at Lady Wentworth. She turned to whisper something to the man on her other side and Barnes took the opportunity to wave at Lockwood, gesturing down to the dancefloor. He rolled his eyes and tugged on (name)'s arm, and together they descended the stairs. They reached the very edge of the dancing crowd and Lockwood stopped. "What? You don't know how to dance?" Again that mocking tone.

The ballroom was bigger than expected, with high ceilings and a row of huge windows on one side. It was already bustling with people, some dancing, some in conversation. Lockwood and (name) stood atop some stairs that led down to the dancefloor. Kipps and Kat were gone, but as Lockwood let his eyes wander over the crowd, he spotted George. He had to bite back a laugh at the sight of George with a tray of champagne flutes and a scowl on his face that deterred anyone he walked past from taking something off his tray.

Lockwood grabbed her hand and placed the other one on her waist. As they started dancing, rather slow and awkward, Lockwood again wished that the illness that had befallen Lucy had chosen him instead. He did his best to not look at (name), or think about her hand on his shoulder, or her hand that laid in his. This was the worst. "Is this all you have to offer?" "We're dancing", he said curtly, still avoiding eye contact. "What else do you want?" She giggled, and a shiver ran down his back. That was new. "Well for starters, we need to be closer together. Much closer." Her next step wasn't to the side, but instead towards him, which caught him off guard. He almost stumbled over his own feet, but her hand gripped his shoulder and she continued the sequence of steps so that he could get back into it. "Also, you are supposed to lead me."

He made the mistake of looking at her. She was much closer than he anticipated, which made him lose his footing again. Only briefly though, because for whatever reason she seemed to know exactly what she was doing. And probably made him look like a fool. He wanted to scream. What was she doing to him? How could a person make him so angry and flustered at the same time? "If you fence how you dance, I have no idea how you ever beat Quill." He just huffed. No matter how hard he racked his brain, he couldn't think of anything clever to say that would shut her up - and that just wasn't something that happened to him. Ever.

A few hours later, they stood with Kipps and Kat on the side of the dance floor. The room had filled up even more, and no one seemed to be concerned that the clock was nearing midnight. Out of nowhere, George appeared next to Lockwood. "This has been the worst night of my life", he breathed out, looking around restlessly. "I dumped the champagne into one of the flower pots and have been hiding from Barnes ever since", he whispered to Lockwood. "How are you holding up?" Lockwood looked over to (name), who was talking animatedly with Kat and her brother. "She's driving me up the wall", he said. "Somehow she manages to push buttons I didn't even know I had." He missed George's knowing grin as he looked around the room. "Have you noticed anything else?"

"The corners got progressively colder as the evening went on. I checked the temperature every now and then. I bet if there weren't so many people in here, we would feel it even more. But all the iron is probably holding it off so far."

It didn't take long for Barnes to appear and hurry them back onto the dance floor to 'keep up their cover' - not that this was working that great to begin with. They looked too young, their dancing was too awkward and the rapiers at their side didn't help either. Lockwood and (name) were standing close to the walls, far away from Barnes. They had parted as soon as he was gone. (name) had complained about her feet for the past hour, and Lockwood just about had enough. The whole thing gave him a headache and he wanted to get far away from her as soon as possible. Especially because with time, dancing closely with her had turned out to be not that bad. He didn't like that at all.

He was picking on a stray thread on his sleeve when suddenly a cold feeling washed over him. He jumped when (name) roughly grabbed his arm. "Do you hear that?" she hissed and he tried for a moment to shut out the sounds of conversation and heels on hardwood floor from the crowd and just listen. Nothing. "I'm not a good listener," he said quietly to not alert the few people standing closest to them. It irked him to have to admit this to (name). She stood there with her eyes closed and her head tilted to the side. For the first time this evening, Lockwood could take a closer look at her, even though part of him violently fought against it. Her hair was pulled back, away from her face. She was wearing a thin necklace with a pendant that laid a few inches above her dress's neckline. He briefly wondered if it was a gift from someone, but immediately shut that thought down. This was ridiculous.

Suddenly she opened her eyes again. "I can't describe it. It's like a whisper… and a scream… all at once." She took a look at her watch. "It's almost midnight", she said quietly. Lockwood patted over his pockets. "I don't have a thermometer with me. That's George's job usually. But don't you think it's gotten really cold just now?" She nodded, and he noticed her slightly shivering. Taking a look around, no one besides them seemed to have noticed anything out of the ordinary. Lockwood took a few strides to the set of doors closest to them. When he touched the handle, he almost pulled his hand back immediately. The metal was ice-cold to the touch. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked, and he looked around once before opening it carefully and peeking around. The corridor that laid in front of him was almost entirely dark, only illuminated by the streak of light let in from the open door. The air that hit his face was dry and much too cold. (name) appeared next to him. "Let's go", she said. "Let's get it over with." Lockwood thought for a moment that maybe it was better to get the rest of the agents, but then again, what could go wrong? If George's research was correct, there should only be one ghost. They just had to find the source. And this corridor seemed promising.

The two of them slipped through and Lockwood closed the door. Immediately they were enveloped by complete darkness, and now that the door separated them from the warmth and the light and the perceived safety of the ballroom, Lockwood could feel the malaise creeping up on him. He fumbled with his jacket to pull out the flashlight he had stuffed into one of the pockets inside. He switched it on on the lowest setting, and when his eyes had adjusted to the light, he started to move it around to get an idea of their surroundings. (name)'s dress almost looked like blood in the dim light, and as they slowly moved down the hallway, she reached into a fold of the skirt and swiftly pulled out a rapier. "Hidden pocket", she said as she noticed Lockwood's stare. Something about the way she had just pulled that out of nowhere - his brain felt jumbled.

The temperature was dropping rapidly now. (name) was now really shivering, and Lockwood felt the urge to offer her his jacket. But no, that was a stupid idea. He'd make a fool out of himself. They were walking close together now, arms brushing against each other as she tugged at his sleeve. "Can you turn off the light for a second", she whispered. "I think I heard something." It took a few seconds for their eyes to adjust to the dark. "There it is again. Do you really hear nothing?" Lockwood noticed that her tone was normal - she wasn't trying to mock him anymore. He closed his eyes well. There, far in the distance, he heard something. But nothing he could put a finger on. "There was a door right there, right? I wanna see what's behind it."

"Do you need the light?", he asked. "It should be fine. His stomach did a little flip as he suddenly felt her hand slip into his. "Just so we don't lose each other in the dark", she whispered as she pulled him forward. The door creaked as (name) found the handle and pushed against it, her rapier scratching against the wood. The air that came out was even colder. The room could almost be described as well-lit in comparison to the hallway, a big window opposite the door letting in the cold blue light of the moon. They stepped inside. Lockwood did not close the door. While taking a look around, he noticed that (name) had not let go of his hand - even though now there was no risk of getting lost in the dark. Then something in the corner caught his eye. "A deathglow", he whispered, pointing over. "Right above the bed. About the size of a small child." "That checks out. I think one of the nannies - " "- murdered the child", finished Lockwood. "Looks like we read the same articles." She smiled at him, and he realised it was the first genuine smile she had ever shown him. He was reminded of the fact that they were also still holding hands.

"What do you think the source could be?", she asked. He looked around the room, all senses heightened. Until now, nothing had materialised. "It was a small child, right? There's a stuffed teddy sitting next to the pillow. Maybe…" As if the ghost had heard him, the atmosphere got heavier. It was like the air itself got denser and heavier, weighing on him and making it harder to breathe. "I think that might be it. Are you feeling it?" (name) just nodded. Her hand slipped in the front of her dress and Lockwood quickly averted his eyes. "I have a silver net", she whispered. "Give me cover and I'll throw it. If we're lucky, that's it." Lockwood did not argue with her. A pulsating headache had started in the back of his head. He drew his rapier and watched as (name) crept slowly towards the bed, silver net at the ready in one hand, rapier in the other. Basked in the pale light of the moon, with the gleaming rapier and the red dress that flowed around her, she looked like a vengeful ghost herself, and Lockwood had to remind himself to stay aware of his surroundings.

Then, everything happened all at once. (name) threw the silver net, and in the same moment, the supernatural scream that Lockwood had only heard at the very edge of his perception swelled to a volume that pierced through his head like a dagger, and a gigantic blast of wind threw (name) back, catapulting her through the air before she crashed into Lockwood with full force. His rapier was blown out of his hand and out of reflex he wrapped his arms around (name) as they both hit the ground.

It took a moment for Lockwood to gather himself. His ears were ringing and all of the whirled-up dust made it harder to breathe. (name) was lying half on top of him, her hair covering her face. "Are you okay?", Lockwood croaked out. For a moment she didn't move, and he already started to feel panic creeping up on him, but then she coughed and slowly pushed herself up in a sitting position. She raised her hand to her forehead, only to gasp at the blood on her fingertips as she lowered it again. "Is it bad?" "It looks small." He managed to stand up slowly, extending his hand to her. She took it without hesitation. "And pretty cool, might I add", he said as she stood next to him, making no moves to let go of his hand.

Suddenly, the door that the blast of wind had thrown shut burst open again. In the doorframe stood Kipps, followed by George and Kat. He looked at Lockwood and (name), then at the bloody wound on his sister's head, and finally to her hand that was still holding Lockwood's hand. And he looked ready to explode.

thank you for reading, feedback is appreciated :)

[bxddiebloss]

✦ In which you and Nagi spend the rest of your life together.

✦ Fluff.

✦ Part one here.

✦ Part two here.

⟡ masterlist

⟡ A/N: Thank you for requesting a third part! <3

After Blue Lock, Nagi stayed in Manshine City. But of course, he was invited to play for the Japan national team and accepted.

He practiced every day but he always made time for you, Choki and his video games. But you more than the others.

But one specific detail that was left out was that Nagi proposed to you, in a very special way (and didn’t even get help from Reo!).

8 months ago, you both celebrated your anniversary, Nagi taking you to your favorite fancy restaurant.

After that, y’all got ice cream and walked along the pier. It was during a special occasion, so there were a lot of people walking around.

Once y’all got to a peaceful and quiet place, you leaned over the railroads and stared into the starry sky along with the fireworks.

After a few seconds, you noticed that Nagi hasn’t joined next to you on the rails so you turned around and was faced with Nagi on one knee, hands showing the beautiful ring inside the velvety box.

He waits a second before he starts speaking.

“My love, thank you for being here for my whole life. You’ve been with me since childhood and without you, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now. You forced me to join Blue Lock and thanks to that, I’m a professional player that can support us.”

You start tearing up, feeling all kinds of emotions. Happiness? Of course.

“And we’ve stayed together through the worst. Like when Reo tired to take me away from you and when we were long distance from when I was in Blue Lock. Despite that, you stayed with me and I love you for that. Thank you.”

By this time, you’re bawling your eyes out. Tears running down your face from happiness and snot coming out from your nose.

“So, will you marry me? I promise to love you forever and ever.”

As soon as he said that, you rushed into his arms and through your choked sobs, you said yes.

Nagi grabbed your left hand and slipped the pretty ring on your finger, kissing it and then kissing you.

Now, a year later, you’re married and living the best days of your life.

Supporting Nagi while he goes to practice and his games is always a thrill.

But either way, you always make Nagi breakfast, lunch, and supper.

But how does he show his love for you?

Like he always has. Cuddles are his favorite and so are little kisses from time to time.

He also loves it when he wraps a arm around your waist when both of y’all go to sleep at night in the same bedroom.

As the years passed, children came into the view. A son and a daughter.

They both inherited the gaming from their father.

And even after 20 years have passed, your children are living their best life while you and Nagi are at home, confiding in each others warmth and love.

Even Uncle Reo was apart of the picture, spoiling his niece and nephew from time to time as they got older.

But one thing was for sure, you both stayed together forever, loved each other forever, and grew old together.

This was the one thing that you always loved throughout your life.

All rights reserved to bxddiebloss. Please don’t copy or modify my works.

[doxypsychlean]

Hey! I was wondering if you still accept requests about Aegon? I will make it clear that English is not my first language, I am from Brazil. A request involving a relationship similar to the couple (if and what you can call that a couple) with Catarina the great and her husband Peter the great. From the big series. But once I apologize for my scratching English. I love your work, kisses from Brazil.

You are not capable of love

Aegon II x Targ!Reader

Warnings: ?

Thou shan't repost/copy/ translate any of my work or I'll sneak into your home late at night and bite your nose off!

English isn't my first language. I don't proofread. I slap commas wherever I feel they're needed.

A/N: Yep, still accepting requests! Tho I sure as hell take my time w posting the results... Anyway, here's this one! Hope yall like the results. Not that sure if I got it right tbf, but meh... Oh, and here's some info on this one- Rhaenyra steps down as her daughter marries Aegon, leaving him to be crowned King. In reality, she sees that her child is the one that holds the power. Yep, that's about it. Cheers!

She cringed at her husband's question. He'd been asking her the same thing for so long now, it was getting tiring.

"What's it going to take? I've given you all I have! All I fucking am!"

"Aegon..." She sighed in annoyance as she stood up, shaking his hands off of hers. "I do not have time for this."

"No one ever has time for me. Not you, not my mother or father, not my siblings. No one." Prince Aegon whispered, eyes glued to where his wife had been sitting.

He'd been in search of someone that would all his life. The hope never died, even when the news of his betrothal to his niece were made public. Aegon wasn't stupid, no. The prince knew his sister and mother had only agreed to it, so they could mend the fences between the two families. So the Greens and the Blacks could have at least one reason to not strike at eachother's throats.

And yet, he still hoped. Even after she pushed him away on their first night together as husband and wife, sending him out of their shared quarters. Even after the Queen started avoiding him, turning her back and walking the other way whenever she saw him in the halls of the Red Keep. Even after she'd drag his name through the dirt to anyone that was willing to listen.

In his search for her love, he'd allowed her to sit at the small council meetings and make the big decision in his name. He even surrendered the Iron Throne to her, leaving the Queen to sit upon it herself as she did as she wished. His father's crown on her head. Aegon never protested. Never said a word against her. Agreed with her, even when he thought she wasn't right. Took all the humiliation in silence. Sat through all the jokes without saying a word to defend himself. As if he had any right to. It was all true. He'd given everything he had to his name away, only so he could see her smile as she took it.

One would think the young king would've come to his senses, once he caught his beloved in bed with his own brother. All Aegon did instead, was mutter a weak "Excuse me" as he made his way out of the room. Aegon didn't get mad at her on that night. Nor did he on any night that came after it. Instead, he got mad at himself. It was obvious- he just wasn't enough. She needed a strong man. Stronger than he ever was. He understood. His wife wasn't at fault. Who could blame her, just look at what she'd been made to marry.

And his brother... That damned one-eyed bastard was everything he wasn't. Aemond was strong, intelligent. Aemond was a skilled warrior. He rode the biggest dragon in the world. Who was he, compared to his younger brother? No one, that's who.

So Aegon swore he'd get better. Be better. He read all the history books. And this time payed attention to what was written in them. He trained, harder than he'd ever had. He even managed to defeat both Ser Criston and Aemond at the same time, knocking the two down to the ground. But his wife didn't reward him with a proud smile. No. Instead she ran over to Aemond with a worried look on her face. Instead of wrapping her arms around her husband's neck, she wrapped them around his younger brother as she helped him get back on his feet. He still wasn't enough.

"I am fond of you." She said once she noticed the defeated look on his face.

"But you don't love me."

"No."

It got easier with the years. They'd found a way to coexist, hardly ever getting in eachother's way.

"Is he better than me?"

"Hm?" She asked without words, her naked body shining with sweat as her chest heaved.

"My brother...Is he?"

"I honestly don't remember, Aegon."

It was his turn to let out a confused hum, his brows furrowing.

"I haven't been with your brother in years. You didn't know?"

"What? Why?"

"I don't need him." The Queen smiled softly. Her delicate fingers traced mindlessly over the skin on his naked chest. Aegon looked at her with searching eyes, hand reaching up to stop her as he propped himself up on one elbow.

"What do you mean? Who then?"

She huffed as she threw her head back, hand tearing free from his grasp.

"Who do you think?" The woman asked as she laid on his chest, her head finding place under his chin.

"With the risk of repeating myself for who knows which-"

"Yes, Aegon. I love you." She laughed out, the sound finding its way through skin, flesh and bones, untill it reached his heart and wrapped around it tightly.

The moment of bliss was interrupted by a small voice that came through like a foghorn.

"Mother, Aemon won't give me my toy back!"

"You or me?" She whispered.

"I'll deal with them, you stay here." Aegon said as he got up, wrapping one of the sheets that were now in a ball at their feet, around his waist. "I'm not done with you for tonight, wife."

Before he swung the door open, her voice came from behind his back. It was barely above a whisper, as if the words weren't meant to reach his ears.

"I've loved you for so long now..."

[itsgameofthronesimagines]

Would you be able to do another Alicent Hightower x fem reader headcanon/imagine? Maybe where the reader is a targaryen/velaryon but enjoys fighting/hunter instead of normal “lady” things?? I’m not great at coming up with prompts so srry if it’s bad, but there’s a lack of Alicent content and I really need some. Thanks!

-🐢

Title: Green With Envy

Fandom: House of the Dragon

Pairing: Alicent Hightower x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1,482

Summary: Y/n Velaryon is the best of both of her siblings. She’s a cunning warrior and skilled in fighting like Ser Laenor, and is one of the best dragon riders in all the Seven Kingdoms, like Lady Laena. Alicent would be a fool not to notice this.

Warnings: Anxiety, mostly. Alicent’s riddled with it.

Author’s Note: It’s a short one but I loved the idea of it, nonetheless. I hope you enjoy!

(I do not consent my works to be reposted/copied)

“Cousin Y/n. Walk with me. I wish to hear about the years we’ve been apart.”

Alicent could feel her face twist momentarily into a frown against her will as she watched Y/n and a pregnant Rhaenyra leave the room, arm-in-arm, behind her wine cup.

Between the chaos of Vemond Velaryon’s death and the King’s wish for a family dinner, Alicent hasn’t had her usual warrior to stand by her side. Y/n had been reuniting with her nieces and nephews and allowing her mother to dote on her. Alicent couldn’t feel envy from this. Princess Rhaenys lost two of her children in a short span of time, and she would no doubt want to spend her days in King’s Landing beside her last living child.

No, what truly thrusted envy into Alicent’s heart was Rhaenyra, once again taking whatever she wanted without ever facing the consequences. Surely, the princess wasn’t stupid enough to take Y/n away from Alicent as well as everything else. Nothing will take the Queen’s sword shield from her. Nothing.

Y/n has done the impossible. She fought all odds and survived her birth. She claimed the Bronze Fury, Vermithor when she was only ten years old. She rose to the ranks of knighthood even though she was a woman. She put herself in the King’s court and swore fealty to the Queen... She even stole that queen’s heart.

Ser Y/n Velaryon is a perfect mixture of both her brother and sister, therefore a storm, not even her father could tame. And like any storm her family avoids, she swallows up and takes what she wants without mercy. But like many storms, Y/n is also forgiving and gentle, proving the fruits of her labor is well worth her knighthood. She believes in faith and justice, much like a true knight often portrayed in a little girl’s fantasy.

If Alicent was still a little girl, she would have considered Y/n the knight of her fantasy. Now a woman grown, she looks at Y/n and sees so much more. Y/n is more than just the Maiden or the Father. She is the Warrior as well, all of them reincarnated into this woman to tempt the Queen Consort.

Y/n was a powerful ally to the Greens, which made Alicent all the more concerned at the thought of Rhaenyra stealing her away. Should the Blacks want to take her sworn shield, Alicent would be sure to make their efforts a living hell.

These thoughts kept her awake for most of the night, waiting anxiously for her sworn shield’s return. A knock suppresses her door, and the Queen bids whoever was there to enter. Ser Y/n marches in, her helmet under her arm as she dutifully bows her head to Alicent, “Your Grace.”

“What did Princess Rhaenyra want from you?” Was the first thing Alicent could find within herself to ask, standing from her chair by the hearth.

Y/n smiled slightly as she raised her head, “She wanted to know how my days in court have been. She congratulated me when I told her how I was your sworn shield.”

Suspicious and on edge, Alicent clasped her hands together so as not to pick her nails, “That’s all you spoke of?”

“We talked about the baby for the most part. She’s very confident it’s a girl.”

The Queen forces herself to relax, unwinding her hands to lean on the back of the chair. Alicent takes a deep breath, watching the flames dance in the hearth, “I see.”

She hears Y/n’s armor as the female knight takes slow steps forward, and with each step comes the beating of Alicent’s heart, pounding in her ears, “Your Grace, I fear I have news from my mother that may concern you if you mind me telling.”

Her heart sinks before Alicent forces herself to remain undeterred, briefly nodding her head in her shield’s direction, “Please do.”

“She spoke of my father and his health and then mentioned a letter he had sent to her before he sustained his injury. As you well know, with Laenor and Laena dead... Lord Corlys no longer has an heir to Driftmark until Prince Lucerys comes of age. His legacy is dwindling... and so he wishes me to go home and marry the son of a Sealord of Braavos.”

The crackling of the fire fills the room and drowns out the silence. Alicent’s eyes finally move to meet Y/n’s gaze as her stomach drops with dread, “... What?”

Y/n’s sigh was heavy, internal mourning shadowing her features as her eyes dance over Alicent’s, “I am Lord Corlys and Princess Rhaenys’ last living child... and I am unwed and childless.”

“But you’re a knight!”

A scowl takes its place on the knight’s lips as she spoke ill of her father, “Not even Lord Corlys believes that my vows ring true because of my sex.”

Alicent scoffs in disbelief, turning around and drawing closer to the fire as her nails finally rise to her mouth. Her fingers shake against her lips, her teeth desperately wanting to tear at the skin around her nails, desperate to feel the familiar sting to relieve the stress of her troubles. It was as she feared. The Blacks wanted Y/n, as powerful as she is, with her dragon and her lust for battle. Rhaenyra, yet again, wants to take everything as hers knowing that there is no one able to tell her ‘no’. The princess wants nothing but to cause Alicent pain, as she always has. Even when they were girls, lovesick and innocent of the world, Rhaenyra did as she pleased and gave Alicent grief for worrying so much about her public figure. Either Rhaenyra was blind to life’s expectations of her as a woman, or she just didn’t care and wanted to fly her dragon with Alicent at her back. It was stupid, wishful thinking at the time, and even after all these years, Rhaenyra seems determined to prove her point by taking whoever she wants whenever she wants.

And yet, Alicent also couldn’t help but think of this small betrayal as a political move. House Velaryon was, by all accounts, loyal to Rhaenyra and her succession to the Iron Throne, through her marriage to Laenor and Corlys’ ambition for power. If the Sea Snake felt threatened by the Greens in any way, he would want his daughter removed from her service to Queen Alicent. Rhaenyra might have been aware of this prior to her arrival at the Capitol and could have wanted to persuade her cousin Y/n to the Blacks.

This hardens Alicent’s heart, her back straightening until she’s the regal queen the public believes her to be, her fingers falling from her lips to draw to her sides. Remembering her station and place in this world, Alicent’s persona becomes stern and confident, unlike the young lady she once was, full of crippling anxiety. Turning away from the hearth, Alicent points her gaze back to Y/n.

The change in her posture must have been obvious as Y/n slowly straightens to attention, watching her carefully as Alicent stepped closer. The Queen took several steps until she was close enough to feel Y/n’s breath on her forehead, then proceeded to lift a hand to rest on her sworn shield’s chest plate. With determination and authority, Alicent spoke as clearly as possible, “You are sworn to me. You made your vows to me. As your Queen, I forbid it. I forbid you from leaving King’s Landing. I pray for your father’s recovery... only so that I can tell him this myself.”

Her hand trails further up until it rests on the side of Y/n’s face, and finally, the knight relaxes against Alicent’s touch, shoulders slouching in relief as if she was worried the Queen would obey her father’s wishes. In a small whisper, Y/n nods to Alicent, “Thank you, Your Grace.”

Alicent nods sternly despite the hammering of her heart and her wish to smile. Instead, she pulls away, immediately missing the feel of Y/n’s flesh against her skin, but refused to show it. Clasping her hands together to keep them from touching Y/n again, Alicent lifts her chin high, “Tomorrow, I wish to meet Vermithor officially. You must introduce me.”

Y/n’s eyes widen in shock and Alicent can’t entirely blame her for the surprise. She didn’t know what came over her, but Alicent didn’t dare take it back. She was always wary about dragons, even as a girl. She always refused a ride when Rhaenyra offered to take her on Syrax, yet to Alicent, this felt entirely different. Y/n is not Rhaenyra, and Alicent always feels the need to be a part of Y/n’s life, in every way she can be. Knowing her sworn shield to be a dragon rider didn’t bother Alicent like she thought it would, and perhaps that’s how she knew she was in love with Y/n.

Her sworn knight smiled widely, her eyes gleaming against the flames of the hearth, cheeks warm as she bowed, “As you command, My Queen.”

~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Please leave your support and if you want a request, send a raven and leave it in the ask box!

[jqnehr]

les améthystes du ciel | neuvillette — part 7

two individuals under pressure to marry. one has the hydro archon on his back, and the other has her matchmaking friend pushing her along. when the two meet at a ball, and both in dire need of peace from two meddlesome females, what better arrangement is there than their own betrothal?

pairing : neuvillette x fem!reader warnings : hurt no comfort mwahahaha this is sfw. word count : 4.4k (definitely a step down LOLL) note : idk either tbh

! not proof read

! do not copy, redistribute, translate, or use my work with or without credit in any way. thank you.

part six ⋮ masterlist ⋮ part eight

ao3 ⋮ playlist

...

“Brother,” you greet, slipping off your shoes as you enter your brother’s home. “I’m here.”

“[Name]!” He rounds the corner and smiles at you, reaching forward to give you a warm, brotherly hug. “It’s been a while. You look tired. Want some tea?”

“That’d be lovely, thanks.” You nod in gratitude, following him down the hall and into his living room. You look around, noticing someone missing. “Where’s Elvira?”

Your brother, Daniel, replies to you from over the top of his clattering in the kitchen. “She’s out for some groceries. Want to stay for lunch?”

You don’t want to impose, but it has been a while since you last saw your brother, the only blood family you’ve left, and you’ve got a lot to tell him. “Sure. How far along is she now?”

“Twenty-one weeks.” Daniel places a cup of steaming tea on the coaster on your side of the coffee table, filling you in about the pregnancy he and his wife, Elvria, have been so excited for. “I told her I’d go out and get the food, but she says she’s sick of sitting around here all day.”

“Fair enough.” You smile, lifting the cup to take a sip, before you grow solemn again. “I’ve actually come to tell you about something.”

“Yeah. I’ve noticed the engagement ring.” Daniel leans back in his chair with his own tea, nodding towards your right hand. “Who’s the lucky guy?” His stare turns cold. “If he’s anything like your ex—”

“No! No, he’s not.” You immediately scramble to assure him that your ex-fiancé is incomparable to Neuvillette. “He’s a good man, but there’s a lot more to it than you think. I’ll tell you both over lunch. Just, uh…try not to freak out too much.”

Daniel frowns in confusion. “What does that mean?”

You shrug, avoiding his eyes. “Let’s just say the guy’s pretty…important.” You quickly change the topic. “Have you guys been told the gender of the baby yet?”

“Oh, yes!” Your brother instantly sits up straighter, looking like an excited kid on his birthday. “We were told two weeks ago. You’re going to have a niece!”

“Really?” You smile. “How wonderful. I can make some baby clothes for her, if you’d like.”

Daniel opens his mouth to reply when the sound of keys jingling at the front door and the door opening interrupts him. Shuffling ensues, and Elvira soon rounds the corner. “Daniel, I grabbed some profiteroles—oh! [Name], how lovely it is to see you!”

You stand and hug her in greeting, glancing towards the obvious bump on her belly. “Daniel just told me it’s a girl!”

Elvira dumps down the bags of groceries on the kitchen counter. “Yes. Isn’t it exciting? Anyway, what’s brought you here today?”

“I have news.” You flash an awkward smile. “Big news.” You hold up your right hand, showing the engagement ring on your finger. “I’m engaged…again.”

Elvira’s eyes bulge in shock at the sight, before beaming. “Oh, congrats, [Name]! Who is he?” Then she also adopts that same icy, protective stare your brother just had, smile vanishing with such speed, you blink in surprise. “Please tell me he’s better than that sorry excuse for a man you once were betrothed to.”

“Way better,” you can easily say with confidence. “But, well…like I just said to Daniel before you arrived, there’s a lot more to it than just a simple engagement out of love.” In fact, ‘love’ has nothing to do with it. 

She tilts her head confusedly at her, passing a jar of peanut butter to Daniel for him to put in the cupboard. “How do you mean? Is it like an engagement of convenience or something?”

“…You’ve hit the nail right on the head,” you murmur, awkwardly scratching your cheek. “I’ll go into detail over lunch, if you’re happy to have me.”

“Of course! Like we’d kick you out.” Elvira grabs a pot down from the cabinet below the sink and places it on the stove. “How’s Navia been? Considering the entire ordeal after Lyney and Lynette’s trial.”

Until the moment you all sit down, you engage in small talk and lighthearted conversation before picking the opportune moment to drop the enormous bomb of who your future husband is. You’re starting to regret choosing to tell them over food, because with Daniel and his tendency to be dramatic when reacting to big news, he would probably choke on his boiled egg.

“Okay, now—who’ve you wooed this time?” Elvira jokes, setting the dish of salade niçoise down upon the middle of the dining table. You three take a seat, Daniel and Elvira beside one another, you across from them. Daniel passes the spoon to you first, and you scoop some of the salad onto your plate. Huffing out an attempt at a laugh, you shake your head. “I haven’t wooed anyone. This engagement isn’t out of…love.” You avoid their perplexed looks. “It’s of convenience, because I met the man at a ball, we danced and—”

“Hold on…” Daniel narrows his eyes at you. “Didn’t we hear something similar in the newspaper? That the Chief Justice danced with some woman at a ball about two or so months back?”

You purse your lips, inhaling a deep, readying breath. “Yes. That woman was me.”

Elvira’s fork clattered to the table from her hold. “What?! You’re kidding! And—and…”

“Let me explain. Neuvill—I mean, His Honour is under a lot of pressure from our Archon to marry.” You avert your gaze to the tablecloth, worrying your bottom lip as you search for the right words. “Navia and the Duke of Meropide managed to dupe him into dancing with me, albeit unwillingly, and that’s what sparked the rumours. I’m still unidentified…until we marry and his marriage is announced to the public.”

“Oh my…” Elvira holds a hand over her mouth in shock, while Daniel gapes at you, a piece of lettuce hanging from his lips. You’d find the sight grossly comical if it weren’t for the current conversation topic. “So…how did he propose to you?”

“It’s…a long story, but put simply, we talked in the garden privately later that night and he explained his circumstances to me. I saw no other way out other than agreeing.” You stab at a half of a cherry tomato, appetite nonexistent, absentminded. “Things have escalated thanks to the Hydro Archon. I even had an argument with her over how ridiculous this whole thing is. She keeps on insisting—but I managed to make her agree to us not having a ceremony. Oh, and it’s only for a year. So it isn’t as big of a deal as it seems.”

“You’re not getting married…for love?” Daniel’s tone is quiet, his expression dismayed. “I’d hoped you’d moved on and had finally found the right person, sister.”

You give him an emotionless, rueful grin. “Well, I haven’t, and I’m only doing this because I’ve no choice. I’d never pursue another relationship again if it weren’t for my betrothal to the Chief Justice. And when the twelve months are up, he and I shall part ways and have no reason to interact again. I will grow old, he will not, so this entire thing is utterly incompatible anyway. He is a good man, and we get along very well, but this is more like a business agreement than anything else.”

Your brother and his wife stare at you in silence, and you feel judged. Uncomfortable, you force yourself to take a sip of water. “You don’t need to look at me like that. I’m managing just fine.”

“…If you say so.” Daniel sounds utterly unconvinced, before giving a decided shrug. “Either way, I must meet with the Iudex and have a chat with him myself. He’s going to become my brother-in-law soon, anyway.”

You want to argue, but he has a reasonable point. “…Alright, I’ll send him a letter and ask him for some time for you both to meet. Don’t pull anything funny, now.”

Daniel gives you a look. “We’ll just be having an amicable, brotherly chat about his future wife—my sister.” Sometimes you get tired of how protective your brother has always been—especially since the incident with your ex-fiancé. You appreciate how much he cares for you, considering he’s the only family you have left, but you doubt he’ll get anywhere trying to intimidate the Chief Justice of Fontaine.

“Well, good luck with that, Daniel.” Elvira seems to think the same as you, as she gives your brother a smack on his upper arm with the back of her hand. “As if you’re gonna exert superiority on the Iudex. He’ll probably think you’re an idiot.”

“No, he won’t.” It’s beginning to annoy you how much people put Neuvillette in a box; acting as if he’s some kind of authoritarian that is void of emotion. Someone who you just cannot approach, someone you’ll never be able to relate to—and while some element of that is true, considering his impartiality and aversion to pursuing relationships with others, he is not the man people have painted him out to be. He is by no means cruel or unfeeling. And he understands more than people think. “He will see where you’re coming from. Neuvillette would never consider you a fool. He’s just not that kind of person.”

The couple stares at you, silenced, before you realise just how your words have come off. “He and I are friends. The man has been exceptionally kind to me. Please don’t judge him too harshly.” 

Daniel relents—however, he does not lose that sceptical look in his eye. “Okay. But I’ll leave my personal conclusions for when I personally speak with the Iudex.”

The judge is now getting judged, you think humorlessly, shoving a forkful of the salad in your mouth. I wonder how he’ll react? I’d better warn him in advance in the letter.

Elvira, ever the peacemaker, eventually brings up another topic to diffuse the tense atmosphere, and you spend the rest of the afternoon catching up with your brother and sister-in-law. However, nothing proved successful in repudiating the premonition brewing within you at the inevitable meeting between your brother and Neuvillette—and for what would be to come subsequent to that.

・・・・

To Mademoiselle [Name],

Thank you for your letter regarding your brother’s intention to meet with me. I understand and respect his reasoning and why he would want to discuss this matter with me personally. That is what family is for, is it not? I have time on Monday at 1:30PM, if that is a suitable day for us to gather.

Please have a pleasant rest of your week.

Chief Justice Neuvillette.

“Well, there you go, Daniel.” You shove the letter towards your brother, crossing your arms. “There’s his confirmation. He’s happy to meet with you. What, you gonna criticise his handwriting now?”

You can’t understand how your brother has decided to adamantly dislike the Chief Justice when he’s never even met him. You suppose Daniel never really had much of an opinion of the man in the first place, but now it’s really down below par. For what reason, you really don’t see—as Neuvillette has never done anything personal to neither you nor your brother. 

Daniel huffs once he reads the letter. “It’s too brief. Maybe he could’ve complimented you a bit more? Or maybe even me?”

You squeeze your eyes shut in aggravation. “For the last time, Daniel—this is a marriage of convenience! There are no strings attached—no love, no feelings! And Neuvillette is nothing like that man. Save your harsh judgements of him until you’ve actually talked with the guy.”

“I don’t need to have talked with him—I can already gather from just the way he acts in the Opera Epiclese that he’ll neglect you—”

The sharp sound of a smack! resonates around the street, earning stares from passersby. Daniel lets out a yelp of pain and rubs the back of his head, recoiling from you, eyes wide. You have your hand raised threateningly, silently warning him that another one is sure to come if he keeps up this rot. “When we are in his office, you will talk to him respectfully, you will not try to one-up him or demand anything from him, and you will not, under any circumstance, say anything about my ex. Got it?”

“Yes, ma’am,” your brother immediately answers subduedly, looking like a little kid who just got a good scolding—which he, essentially, did. 

“Glad to hear it,” you curtly say. You both are currently outside the Palais Mermonia, and it is Monday, the day you’re meeting with the Chief Justice—well, your brother is meeting with him. You’re just going in with him to keep a hawk’s eyes on him, to make sure he doesn’t do anything out of line—something you have a feeling he’s going to do anyway, regardless of your warnings.

To think I have to escort this manchild in there myself, you both ascend the steps to the entrance of the Palais Mermonia, twenty minutes before your scheduled appointment with the Iudex. He’s married and with a pregnant wife and older than me, yet he always acts like he’s still twelve!

You’ve simply resolved yourself to believe this is the ultimate dynamic siblings will always have. There’ll always be one keeping the other in check—regardless when your said sibling acted as your legal guardian until you were eighteen, and then it was like you had to babysit him from then on. 

Whenever Elvira isn’t around to whack him over the head with a rolled up newspaper when he acts out, the responsibility falls to you. And it appears there’ll be quite a bit of pinching where he’s most ticklish to keep him from opening his big mouth and humiliating both of you in front of the Iudex in the upcoming meeting.

You have to keep a hand on Daniel’s sleeve as you practically drag him in. You both trudge up to the front desk where the same Melusine, Sedene, sits, going about her duties happily.

“Hello again, Sedene,” you smile, pulling your brother to a stop up beside you. “We’ve come for our appointment with the Iudex at one-thirty.”

“Ah! Of course, give me just a moment, I’ll let him know you’ve arrived.” The Melusine promptly hops down from her chair and begins to toddle over to the Chief Justice’s office door. “Take a seat over there for now.”

You thank her and immediately turn to sit down, leaving your brother no room to make any potential moves. “Remember what I said? About speaking to him respectfully?”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it, [Name].” Daniel rolls his eyes, but quickly fixes his tone and expression at the murderous look you send him. “Ahem. Yes. I won’t speak out of turn.”

You don’t answer, not exactly satisfied, still anxious about how he’s going to act around the Iudex. You’d probably have to stick around after your brother leaves to personally apologise to Neuvillette.

“Alright, you two, come along now—the Iudex is ready for you.” You both snap to attention when Sedene’s friendly voice calls from before Neuvillette’s door. “Head on in.”

The two of you quickly head into his office, the door shutting behind you. Neuvillette is at his desk, perusing some papers, before looking up and giving you both a closed-lipped, welcoming smile, standing and stepping around his desk to greet you. “Ah, Mademoiselle [Name], Monsieur.” Neuvillette holds out a hand to your brother to shake. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

You’re relieved to see Daniel give an equally amicable smile back and take Neuvillette’s hand to firmly shake it. “No, sir, it’s my honour to make your acquaintance. I was a bit shocked at the news of your betrothal when my sister told me, you see.”

Thank goodness, he’s being mature. You side-eye your brother in the meantime, warily watching him like a hawk. One wrong move and he’s dead meat, I tell you.

“Of course, as anyone would likely be.” Neuvillette turns and gestures to the sofas, welcoming you both to take a seat. “Please, sit. Would you like a drink?”

“Oh! Yes, please.” You can tell just by Daniel’s elated expression that he thinks Neuvillette’s going to pour him a glass of brandy—when, in reality, it’s going to be a glass of personally selected and imported water all the way from Natlan or something. You amusedly watch the Chief Justice do just what you predicted—lift a glass jug foggy with condensation, the water inside pleasantly chilled, and elegantly pour it into a drinking glass. You see Daniel blink in confusion, but politely accepts the drink either way, subtly taking a whiff of the liquid inside just to make sure—ultimately frowning even more in puzzlement. Meanwhile, Neuvillette’s expression is content, the corners of his lips lifted into a small, pleased smile, his aura nothing like his usual intimidating, grave countenance. You also take the glass offered to you with a soft thank-you and smile, trying hard not to cackle at Daniel’s baffled reactions.

Neuvillette also takes a seat upon the armchair having been previously pulled up in front of the sofa so he can casually chat without being on the other side of his office, far away. You, opting to remain silent and leaving it to the two men to initiate the conversation, lean back into your own seat and eye Daniel amusedly, foot purposefully close to his shin if there is a need to kick him. 

“Now, I think I already know why you’ve requested to meet with me,” begins Neuvillette, inclining his head towards Daniel in a respectful gesture. “And I completely understand why. I am happy to explain to you the reality of the situation—or, should I say, predicament, your sister and I are currently in.”

“Ahem, yes,” Daniel coughs lightly, awkwardly. He seems to have taken my warnings to heart. You mercifully shift your foot a little further away from his leg, not so on-guard now. “[Name] has told me the brief version. May I inquire as to where your relationship with my sister truly lies?”

Neuvillette doesn’t seem bothered at all by any of his questions, much to your relief. “I can assure you that this is a business transaction of sorts. Our relationship is strictly professional—however, Mademoiselle [Name] and I have mutually agreed to become friends.”

“We both believe it to make things easier for us while we are forced into intimate proximity as part of the act Lady Furina is impelling us to put up,” you inform your brother. Neuvillette nods in agreement, and you continue. “We have a contract. It has all the necessary clauses towards making sure this ‘marriage’ remains chaste and systematic.”

You really don’t know why you both have to explain yourselves to Daniel so much, but here you and Neuvillette are. Daniel looks from you to Neuvillette with clear scepticism. “…Okay. I’ll be honest, then.” You immediately tense at your brother’s tone. He looks the Iudex straight in the eye. “Initially, monsieur, I came to suss you out. To see what kind of man my sister is marrying. I didn’t expect you two to just be heading into a marriage of convenience; like this is some kind of third-rate romance novel from Yae Publishing House.” You could’ve sworn you saw a flicker of surprise and slight amusement in Neuvillette’s mauve eyes at your brother’s unintentionally ironic statement. Daniel doesn’t appear to notice, as the look is gone as quickly as it came. “And, well, I’m sure you can understand why I, as her older brother, would be so protective. You see, five years ago, she was—”

You immediately kick Daniel’s leg—aiming for his shin, accidentally hitting his ankle instead, earning a slight yelp from him. Neuvillette blinks in surprise, sweeping his perplexed amethyst gaze to you. You smile tightly. “We don’t need to go that deep into it. What he’s saying is that he’s wary, which is perfectly fine. However,” you grit out the word, turning to Daniel. “He ought to have had quite enough explained to him by now. So, therefore, I believe this meeting is ov—”

“Wait just a minute, [Name],” Neuvillette interrupts. “I believe I’m owed an explanation. What happened five years ago that has made you all so cautious? I’d like to know.”

“Neuvillette, please don’t pry—”

“Five years ago, my sister was in a relationship and got engaged,” Daniel says over the top of you, having recovered from rubbing his sore ankle. You whip around sharply, drilling him with a warning glare to shut up. Your brother ignores you, and panic rises. “Her ex-fiancé was a very bad man. That…” He reciprocates your look with a stern one of his own. “Is all I’ll say. You’ll tell him in due course, right, [Name]?”

No, I won’t, but you’re not exactly sure about that yourself. Clenching your jaw, you send a guarded look the Iudex’s way, and he silently stares back with a clear-eyed, unreadable gaze. That makes you quickly avert yours back to your brother. “Depends. This is for twelve months only. I don’t see why—with all due respect, of course, Your Honour—” your tone turns a tad sardonic, and Neuvillette notices, giving you a sidelong look. “—He needs to know. It’s not that big of a deal, anyway.”

Neuvillette lifts one silver brow slowly, as if to say, really? while Daniel gazes at you incredulously. They’re both dead silent, staring at you, and you press your lips together awkwardly. “Five years is a…long time. It won’t affect this contractual relationship at all, so I don’t see why it matters.”

You know that Neuvillette has already connected the dots—from your initial reluctance to agree to this entire ordeal, the panic attack at the opera, to the background check he’d have done on you, where all the undetailed but necessary information would’ve already been recorded—he clearly does not believe your words. Save for Daniel’s dubious, open-mouthed stare that really isn’t helping your case, you can’t say you agree with your own words yourself—because, ever since the time alone with Neuvillette after your anxiety attack, he hasn’t really left your thoughts. The way he dealt with the situation so calmly and then stayed with you afterwards really got you thinking—this man seems trustworthy. Is it worth the risk…?

“So, do we have your blessing, brother?” The awkward silence has gotten too much to bear. Your words make Daniel snap his mouth shut and blink, before shaking his head in indecision. “I don’t know…I don’t want you hurt.”

“I’m not going to get hurt, Daniel.” Is it really that hard to understand? “This marriage is not real. So there is no problem posed. We’re going to have to go through with it anyway, as the contract’s already signed.”

You’ve noticed Neuvillette’s silence so far, and you try not to let it bother you too much. He’s just observing the both of you quietly, expression unreadable—which makes it all the worse. You’re just hoping he gets the hint and doesn’t prolong this tedious conversation any longer. 

“Well, you’re an adult, [Name].” You almost sigh in relief at how your brother finally decides to relent; shaking his head and sighing wearily. “I just fear you haven’t learned your lesson.” You freeze up at his words, blood now ice-cold in your veins—but neither seem to have noticed, as Daniel has turned to the Chief Justice. “This may be a ‘contractual’ relationship, but please take good care of her. She needs it.”

You hardly hear him—and you don’t catch Neuvillette’s reply. You’re too busy thinking about your brother’s words.

I haven’t learned my lesson? Yes, the wound is still only scabbed over, the inside still bloody and vulnerable. Yes, you’re a fool for thinking that keeping all men at arm’s length and never pursuing another relationship would help you move on. And yes, you know how weak you and your heart is—especially to the actions of a man that appears genuine, as if truly derived from the depths of his heart with sincere feelings and motives; one who looks at you with such soft, feeling amethyst eyes, and would be sure to engulf your small hands within his large, warm ones and hold on tight, never to let go. The words hit real close to home, too close—and now, you’re at a loss for what to do.

It’s like everything you fabricated yourself—that image that you had illustrated with your own hand, that mirage you’d dreamed up while wallowing within the depths of your darkest memories as mere, weak fragments of comfort—finally had that cruel brick of reality thrown at its feeble glass. And when glass shatters, it goes everywhere—splintered into millions of tiny bits and pieces, impossible to ever find and pick up and put back together again and into its original state. The mess subsequent is nonetheless bothersome—you must be careful to not cut yourself with the larger shards, the edges sharp and cruel; and beware the smaller pieces, as they are so easy to get into your skin, into your bloodstream, posing great medical setbacks.

Your heart is guarded by a glass box. One wall of it has now been broken, and the shards have embedded themselves deeply into your heart’s flesh, dealing irreparable damage.

Your heart is struggling to beat. A major, detrimental part of its shield has been demolished, leaving it to leap in fear—to race in dread. It’s a conscious muscle; if the glass box—the one that protects your soul from further harm, when the seams holding your unmended heart together through the middle are so loose—collapsed entirely, leaving only one blow left to vitiate your heart once and for all, what will you do then?

They say the heart knows what it wants. Would they also say the heart knows when it’s about to disintegrate? 

You’re snapped from your abysmal thoughts when someone pats your shoulder. You look up at Daniel, who gestures towards the door. “Time to head off, [Name]. Thank you for having us, Monsieur Neuvillette.”

“Of course.” You don’t miss the concerned look he sends your way, before it is masked with politeness again. “Have a wonderful rest of your day, you two.”

With a quick goodbye and smile, you and your brother exit the Palais Mermonia; Daniel letting out a large sigh of relief. “Well, glad that’s over. I think you’re marrying a good guy—hey, [Name], you okay?”

“I’m heading home now, Daniel,” you say quietly, avoiding his eyes. “I’m…tired.”

“Oh, okay.” He blinks, clearly not fully believing you, before conceding. “Well, I’ll tell Elvira you said hi. Make sure to eat dinner, alright?”

“Yeah.” You’re already walking away, leaving with a feeble wave. “See ya, Dan.”

You leave your brother standing there, confused at your swift change of mood, while you cradle what’s left of your heart’s shield. 

What will happen if my soul is shattered?

It’s simple: you won’t recover.

hey guys!! sorry if this seems rushed, it's because im going away for the weekend and won't be able to write, so I had to get this out the door asap. it's almost 11pm for me so if I don't hurry up and get this uploaded my parents will barge in here and take my laptop off me 🥰

say hello to your brother!! he'll be showing up a lot, so better get used to him LOLL

yeah, this wasn't even meant to be that angsty. oh well. sometimes things just don't go to plan (wink wonk)

so! hope you enjoyed, however short this may be. again, tyasm for the sweet messages on here and on ao3. it's appreciated!!

taglist!

@shiroonekoo @just-here-reading @avyakaslana @eternal-dokja @confusedparticle @xitrinez @tanspostsblog @vcatson @sek0ya @loving-august @mxyarylla @ultigoblin @constantlyoverthinking @pvbbyb0y @lynettezzp @esthelily @furblrwurblr @sangoqueenkoko

© jqnehr 2024. all rights reserved. do not translate, repost/redistribute and plagarise any of my works

[cypherverze]

CHAPTER ONE

Hardest Part of Ending is Starting Again

an avengers x john wick crossover fanfic

SERIES MASTERLIST

PAIRINGS: avengers x teen!reader (platonic) , tony stark x niece!reader , john wick x daughter!reader , peter parker x female!reader

SUMMARY: Five years after your father’s death, you don’t know how to cope up with the loss, resulting in you joining the life that he had lived before. As you navigate your new found life, old enemies of your father had resurfaced and decided to come after you, knowing that your father is no longer alive, nothing will be able to stop them.

AUTHOR’S NOTE: hello! this is my first time writing a fic/imagine. i just had a random idea of reader being john wick’s daughter, and i’m currently hooked in the john wick franchise, so i’m giving this a shot. i’m not sure yet of the romance pairing, but if ever this turns out okay, maybe i’ll add a pairing in the future. though i’m leaning towards it being peter parker x reader. this will be an avengers crossover with john wick. my apologies if there will be typos.

REMINDER: this is purely fiction, i had made fictional connections so that my fic would make sense. i don’t own the characters in my story. please do not repost or copy my work in any way.

WORD COUNT: 6,200

WARNINGS: mention of death, blood, knives, and violence.

DIVIDER BY: @delishlydelightfuldividers

FIVE YEARS.

It has been five whole years since your father died. You still clearly remembered receiving a call from one of his closest friends that your father passed away during work, finally succumbing to his injuries. It took you a long time before finally deciding to visit his grave, and there you were standing infront of the tombstone, with an epitaph. He was there, buried right next to your mother.

Loving Husband and Father.

You felt bitter. You let the anger and rage build up inside of you. You don’t know how to let out all of the emotions that you had bottling up. At this point, you are a ticking time bomb, little things can set you off. With the death of your parents and no other relatives, not that you know of, that you can turn to—basically making you an orphan, you never know how you’ll cope up in the harsh realities of this world. So you had resorted to the one thing that your father had promised you not to get involved with, and that is involving yourself in the criminal underworld. Thinking that why not continue your father’s legacy, what could be so wrong about it? It’s not like he’s still alive to berate you for it. You needed an outlet, and this is the closest thing that you can think of.

From there, just like your father, you climbed your way to the top, making you one hell of a legendary figure that was once your father, established yourself in the criminal underworld at a young age. You are a literal carbon copy of your father, how you maneuver and mimic all of his moves. However, no one knew you connections with your father, Jonathan Wick. Your father did all of his best for you to be kept hidden, though a few people know of your existence, yes. But only those people who your father trusted the most.

You don’t go by the name (Y/N) Wick, but (Y/N) Jovanovich—your father’s legal last name. The moment everyone finds out that you’re Jonathan Wick’s daughter, you are done for. Everyone will be coming for your head, using you against your father, and knowing him, you are his weakness. He can’t afford to lose you, just like how he lost your mother. He had decided to teach you basic self defense skills as well, and little by little, you are slowly becoming exposed to his true nature of work and in no time, teaching you everything as well—leading you now to the life you are currently living in.

You had decided to take a break from accepting contracts. After accepting contracts after contracts, you had felt a little burnt out and need to catch your breath, take a breather. You shouldn’t be doing this kind of job, a kid killing other people for a living, being tied to the to the criminal underworld. You should be attending high school right now and learning stuff, you have all the resources—monetary resources, because your father didn’t leave you empty handed when he died. He had solidifed everything to your name, knowing his line of work, he was bound to be gone soon, so he had wasted no time in fixing everything.

That is until one day, you had appeared under SHIELD’s radar. You couldn’t hide everything from them, so they knew everything about you. How you are a daughter of a legendary and elite assassin of the criminal underworld, and surprisingly connected to the one and only Anthony Edward Stark. Turns out you’re not alone in this world after all. Your mother, Helen, was Tony’s closest cousin—until Helen and him had lost contact. Tony was so persistent for you to live with him back at the Avengers compound, but you had refused. You had decided to live on your own, in your family’s house where you had grown up and had focused on rebuilding to keep the memories alive after Santino D’Antonio had blown it up to pieces. But you promised that you’ll visit and hangout with everyone at the compound from time to time.

You had never really showed any interest in joining the avengers, despite how qualified you are. It’s kind of a hypocritical idea for you, you kill people for a living while your uncle’s team saves the world. So that does not really sit well with you, also the publicity that the avengers are getting, it’s bad for you. You prefer a quiet life, a life in the shadows, and that’s a big part of your job. But hey, on the bright side, if they need help, you are always open in helping them in silence and secrecy.

Overall, the avengers were all really nice people when Tony had introduced you to them. They had welcomed you with an open arms, and they were excited to meet someone like you. They still can’t believe that at a young age, you are an elite assassin, a literal force to be reckoned with. Of course they understand your stand on joining them, so they didn’t push it any further, in which you are very grateful about.

“Hey, any family of Tony’s is already a family of ours. Welcome to the family!” Says the star-spangled man when he had met you.

It was a very tiring day, you had just gone back home from hanging out and helping the avengers out in stuff that they needed to do back at the compound. Unlocking your front door, you had been greeted by a dog. It was your dad’s dog, a pit-bull. Your father had never bothered on naming him, but you had taken it upon yourself in naming him ‘Koda’, from your favorite movie when growing up, Brother Bear. Koda had a bit of a time to adjust to his new name, but he came around.

“Hey, Koda! How are you boy? Sorry I had to leave you all alone…again. You know uncle Tony’s policy, no animals in the compound,” You bent down and pat his head, “But sooner or later I’ll have to raise that policy to him, maybe make an exception for you. I don’t want to leave you in this big house all alone whenever I’m out for work.” You sighed.

Koda had been kind of your emotional support dog in some way when your parents passed away, and he makes you really happy, gives you so much joy. You made your way to the kitchen to refill his dog bowl and let him run off in the backyard after finishing his meal to do his thing, while you went upstairs and change into one of your oversized shirt and pajamas.

It was a quiet night. A bit of eerie quiet, but that is how it is every night and you live alone, the neighborhood was peaceful and quiet in general, so kudos to your parents for picking out a good environment to live in. But somehow, there’s this feeling of discomfort in your chest, your chest felt heavy and you don’t know why. You decided to ignore the feeling and went back out to check on Koda. You had opened the sliding door that leads to the backyard for Koda to come in, closed and locked it afterwards. Since you are not sleepy yet, you had decided to have a movie night, preparing some popcorn in the kitchen and grabbing a can of soda.

Turning all of the lights off, the only source of light in the house is the television. You had relaxed yourself on the couch, and Koda had positioned himself beside you. Half way into the movie, you heard a few rustling of bushes outside and paid no attention to it, but you are on high alert. Until it all happened in a blink of an eye. Your body had been thrown off across the room so hard, you had a hard time focusing your vision, you saw that everything around you is slowly being destroyed due to the huge fire consuming it. Koda had rushed to your aid, whining. You had let out a chuckle, knowing that the same thing had happened to your dad. The only difference is that there is no marker binding you.

“Really?! Fucking hell, I just rebuilt this house and some moron decided to mess with the wrong person.” You’re seething with anger, trying to stand up and hissing from the pain.

You slowly and carefully make your way out of the burning house, with Koda guiding you, and stood still in the backyard, slowly watching how the house be destroyed by the fire all over again, with Koda right beside you. You just stayed there, waiting until the help arrived.

“You good, kiddo? What happened?” The police woman, Eliza, asked.

“Gas leak.” Your gaze had remained on the pavement, not bothering looking at her.

“Uh huh.”

“I forgot to check everything before I went to bed.”

“Alright. You got any relatives near the area that you can stay with for the meantime?”

“Yeah.” You stood up, “Have a good evening, officer Eliza.” You began walking away with Koda by your side. Eliza sighed and just stood there, watching you walk away.

It’s was a long walk to the continental, but you have no choice. You had sustained a few minor injury and minor forehead wounds with blood still visible and fresh your shirt. By the time you had reached the continental, the sun was starting to rise.

“Is the manager in?” You asked the concierge.

“Ms. Jovanovich, welcome. Yes, the manager is always in.”

“I would like to talk to the manager. Thank you.”

“Would you like me to announce your presence?”

“Yes please.” You nodded and commanded Koda to stay with the concierge, and made your way to the lounge.

You had arrived in the lounge and saw Winston, the manager of New York’s continental. He motioned you to sit down on the seat infront of him.

“(Y/N), what brings you here? I thought you’re on break.” He chuckled lightly at you, he can see the resemblance of you and your father.

“Yeah, until some moron decided to blow up my house.” You seethed in anger, “Do you know something about this?”

“Not that I know of.” He leaned back on his seat, “Though I heard that some people had finally catch on to you, and discovered your true identity. But you didn’t hear it from me.” You held his gaze, never faltering. He wrote something on the paper, tore it and slowly slide it towards you and took it.

Tarasov.

“You are free to do anything. Since you are not bound by any marker or have accepted a contract, if you want to track the people behind it, be my guest. The continental’s door is always open to you, but always remember, no activities of any kind here in the continental.” You stood up, thanked and bid him goodbye.

You left the continental and began walking to the avengers compound, to seek refuge for the meantime. But you can’t stay there for long, it’s a matter of time before Tarasov catch a whiff of you again, you don’t want the avengers to be involved in this possible personal dispute. They might be the world’s mightiest hero and can defend themselves against Tarasov’s man, but this is your mess to fix. No matter what, you can’t let the avengers be involved.

One of the most important thing that you need to do is you need to get your shit together, you’re angry, of course. But you don’t want to act impulsively without carefully planning everything. The Tarasov mob are once your father’s associates, that is until he had decided to retire so that he can spend the rest of his life with your mother. Viggo Tarasov, the head of the Tarasov mob, gave your father an impossible task to earn his freedom. Life went well with your dad, despite the death of your mother, until his knucklehead of a son, Iosef Tarasov, had decided to mess with your father. But eventually, that said knucklehead had gotten what he deserved, along with his father, Viggo.

Now, the Tarasov mob is being led by Abram Tarasov, Viggo’s brother. He had took on the reigns and steered it back to its original course. Clenching your fist at the sudden realization, you had realized that your father had a close encounter with Abram when he retrieved his car from him, instead of killing him, he had decided to spare his life. Knowing that if Abram messes with your father again, he won’t hesitate to fire a bullet into his head. Now that your father is gone, he’s coming after you. A revenge for what your father did to his brother, Viggo and his nephew, Iosef. He had already learnt of your father’s death and it’s only a matter of time as well before he puts up an open contract, targeting you.

“Abram, that fucking son of a bitch.”

By the time you had arrived at the avengers compound, the sun was already at its peak. The security of the compound had immediately recognized you and let you in. Everyone was already awake and doing their tasks for the day, they haven’t been called for a mission so some of them are present. You had started limping toward the common area and FRIDAY announcing your presence.

“Ms. Jovanovich has arrived.”

Natasha looked up with a smile when friday had announced your arrival, but the smile from her face instantly faltered as soon as she saw your condition.

“Kid, the hell happened to you?!” Sam and Rhodey rushed to help you and sat you gently down on the couch.

You leaned back and rest yourself on the couch, closing your eyes for a bit. Steve, Bucky, Vision, and Clint staring at you as well with full concern visible on their faces. Wanda rushed to the kitchen to get you some frozen peas to numb the pain the you felt on your shoulders, handing it to you quickly and thanking her.

“Fri, please tell Tony and Bruce that (Y/N) is here and is in need of medical attention, ASAP.” Steve commanded Friday.

“Yes Sir.”

“Bruce and Tony are currently in the lab right now, but don’t worry, (Y/N) they’re coming soon.” Steve softly assured you.

“Do you want to tell us what happened, doll?” Bucky asked you softly.

“Some moron decided to have a playtime with a grenade launcher and blow up my house in the middle of the night.” Anger radiating off of you, and had straightened yourself on the couch.

You also sensed the anger from the team when you mentioned the reason why you’re in a bad condition right now. Tony and Bruce came rushing in on the common area, heading straight towards you.

“(Y/N)! Are you okay?! What the fuck happened to you?!” Tony asked in full panic and anger.

“Some people had blown up her house in the middle of the night.” Wanda said.

“You need to be brought to the med bay, (Y/N). We need to check on your injuries.” Bruce calmly said and nodded at him.

“Tell me the name and I’ll destroy that fucker.” Tony seethed.

“No.” You firmly said, “No one will do anything. I will handle this myself, this is mine alone to fix.”

“Kid are you crazy?” Sam said, “In your condition, you won’t be able to that last long.” You grinned at Sam.

“Thanks for the concern, Sam. But you haven’t seen me fight, have you? I have fought everyone even in my worst condition but I still made it out in one piece. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid.”

“Hate to break it to you guys, but the kid’s right. She’s a natural,” Natasha backed you up, “But I agree with Wilson, you are in no state to fight. At least until you have fully recovered.”

“This is just some minor injuries and gashes, it’s no big deal.”

“Okay, kid. You’re a persistent one, aren’t you,” Tony sighed, “If you want to finish your business, you have to recover first. You are in the compound, so follow the rules. Also, why the hell would someone randomly blow up your house in the middle of the fucking night?” He said as he sat right next to you.

“Well, if you have a father that has a job of being an assassin and legendary figure in the criminal underworld, everyone is bound to come for your head.” You chuckled lightly.

They know informations about you, given what the profile that SHIELD has of you. But there had been information in the file that had been omitted, information that shouldn’t be put in the file for your safety, if ever the file had landed in the wrong hands. So they don’t know everything about you besides what the file from SHIELD says. Even Tony, despite him being your uncle, there are stuff that he doesn’t fully know about you.

Everyone was just looking at you. You sighed and had decided that it’s time for them to know the truth. They are your family now, at least they deserve to know the truth about you.

“My father is Jarnadi Jovanovich. He’s an assassin in the criminal underworld. People professionally know him as Jonathan Wick or John Wick.” The team was listening intently at you, “They call him The Devil, The Ghost, Lo Spettro, Death’s Very Emissary, but he’s well known as Baba Yaga.”

“Baba Yaga? What’s that?” Rhodey asked. Before you can answer Rhodey, Natasha had beaten you off to it.

“It’s Boogeyman in Russian.” You nodded as a thank you at her.

“My father earned the nickname Baba Yaga because of his unparalleled hyper-lethality. His reputation throughout his career, his peerless efficiency and reliability had earned him considerable respect, and at same time, fear within the criminal underworld.”

“Well damn.” Sam said.

“My father has this persistence to go after those people who earned his anger, making him a legendary figure that is known to the leaders of all criminal organizations as someone never to cross or mess with.”

“Years before he died, he was an associate, the head executor of the leader of the Tarasov mob, Viggo Tarasov. My dad wanted to retire, so he did. But Viggo gave my dad an impossible task, which is to kill all of Viggo’s enemies in one night. Dad really wanted to live a life of peace, away from it all. He wanted to live, marry, and grow old with my mom, Helen Stark—uncle Tony’s closest cousin.”

“What happened then?” Sam asked.

“What do you think happened?” You chuckled, “I’m here right infront of you. He had succeeded the task and Viggo granted his freedom. Then yadda yadda, got married, dozed off into the sunset and eventually, they had me. When my mom passed away, dad had kept me hidden. Off the radar from anyone else that is connected to the underworld, aside from those people who he really trusts. Trust me, you wouldn’t want someone like my dad coming after you if you had betrayed him.”

“I can imagine.” Wanda chimed in.

“No one really knows that he has a daughter, up until now because he hid and protected me so well from those people that wanted to come after him. That’s why I never really use ‘Wick’ as my last name, knowing that if I use them, it will cause too much noise and unwanted problems for me. So I had decided to use Jovanovich as my last name, which is my dad’s legal last name. It helps me keep off unwanted attention at bay, and assassins and mob families coming for my head just because I’m Jonathan Wick’s daughter.”

“I have been living peacefully, as you all know. Despite the job that I do which is unusual for a teenager to be involved in, but not that I care, it’s fun—until last night, when someone had decided to blow up my house,” You growled, “I had just rebuilt that house, but the motherfucker had decided to mess with a grenade launcher and blow up my house.”

“Don’t tell us that someone had learned your true identity and had decided to come for you.” Steve said, concern evident in his face and ignoring the colorful language that you let out.

“Bingo, cap! You got that one right.”

“But who would even do that? You had made your private information completely hidden. I just don’t get it.” Bruce said.

“Years ago, before my dad passed away, at that time he was already retired. Mom just passed away, so he was on the grieving stage, some nutjob infiltrated our house and managed to beat up my dad, left him unconscious, killed our dog, daisy, which is a parting gift from my mom, and stole his car. Which also held very important memories for us. Turns out, the one who did it was Iosef Tarasov, Viggo’s useless and stupid son. Viggo respects and had always feared my dad, but his useless and stupid son had decided to poke the devil in the back.”

“When Viggo found out what his son did, he was angry. Viggo valued and respected my dad, he knew very well that my dad won’t let this go easily. His stupid son had killed our dog, daisy and stole his car, Iosef won’t be getting out alive after it. In the end, dad had managed to kill Iosef and Viggo as well. Now it brings us back as to why my house was blown up.”

“Before I went here, I had visited the Continental. Continental is a hotel for us assassins and other people that has ties with the underworld, it serves as our neutral ground. It is our sanctuary, where we can be safe, in where rule number one is that you can’t do underworld business, like killing, inside the contenental. Rule number 2, is to honor the marker. But story of marker will be on another day.”

“Okay, let me get this straight. This vendetta against your dad, and eventually you had started just because of a dog and a car?” Clint raised his eyebrows.

“Well, if you’ll look at it, that’s kind of what it is.” You shrugged.

“I mean that’s understandable, we have and dog and anyone who killed my dog, I’ll come after them.” Clint said. You nod in agreement.

“Is there a peaceful way to settle this?” Steve suggested, you just laughed a little bit in a maniac way.

“Cap, when you work in this kind of field, settling this is never peaceful. There will always be a loss of life that will be involved. Viggo tried settling this peacefully with my dad, but what happened? That man ended up dead, along with his son. That will teach you to never mess with other people’s stuff.”

“So what do you want to do now, doll?” Bucky asked.

“Meh,” You shrugged, “Besides, it’ll be no time before Tarasov put out an open contract for other assassins to kill me, putting a bounty on my head. Which brings me to my other agenda to talk about, I can’t overstay here in the compound, there will be assassins that will be after me the moment that open contract is up and going, I can’t risk them tearing up this place.”

“You don’t have to worry about us, (Y/N). We can completely protect ourselves.” Rhodey said.

“We have Bruce, he can just smash them in one go, it’s no sweat.” Natasha joked and everyone laughed, including you.

“No, do not in ANY way get involved with this. If you manage to kill one of them, they will know that someone is aiding me. I can’t afford for these people to know that I’m tied with you guys, I’m already thankful enough that the High Table haven’t caught a whiff of me yet being Jonathan Wick’s daughter, and I also intend on keeping it that way, thank you very much. The last thing that I want is the High Table coming for my ass.” You stood up so fast, causing yourself to wobble and almost fell out of balance, if it’s not for Tony catching you, you would’ve fallen on the floor by now.

“I will be staying at the continental, it is the place that I damn well know I won’t get murdered while sleeping for sure,” You smile at them gently, “Though no offense to you guys, okay? I know that no one will be able to get in and out in the compound that has state of the art techs, but it’s better to be safe than sorry. These people are really good in blending in, like one of those people that you’re fighting.” They nodded.

“What? Hydra?” Sam asked.

“Yes, them. You never know, that one of the staff that works here inside the compound might be an assassin. Who knows?”

“Okay, how about you stay first to get treated and after that, I’ll accompany you to the continental.” Tony suggested, in all honesty, he was not having it at all. He wants you to say in the compound, until you’re already in good state.

“Can’t,” You sighed, “I can go there through a an uber or taxi. You cannot be within the continental’s vicinity, ANY of you. That is the place where assassins are all in. They’ll easily know that I’m all connected with you.”

“There are a lot of don’t’s than the do’s, kiddo. I don’t like it one bit.” Tony was a bit frustrated.

“But to make it up for you guys, okay, fine. I’ll stay, but only for one night, to be patched up. After that, I’m gonna bounce out from here, but I’ll make sure that after all of this fiasco, I’d visit more often.” You smiled, and you compromise had earned cheers from the team.

You never stay too long in the compound, they rarely see you as well. You’ll visit once or twice a month, then there are times that they won’t see you for a whole month or two, depending on your work. So that’s why they wanted to you to stay a bit longer.

“Yay! Can’t believe that (Y/N) is staying with us for the first time!” Wanda cheered.

“It’s only temporary,” You reminded and smiled at Wanda.

“Hell yeah girl! We only get to see you once or twice a month kid, so excuse us if we get too happy of you staying instead of visiting just for a day and dipping out on us then going off the grid for how many months.” Sam ruffled your hair and smiled.

Tony put an arm around your shoulders to steady you. You hissed from the pain, there’s a wound in your right stomach that is yet to be treated, you got that after your last contract. It is taking its sweet time to heal, that’s why you took a break from work. You don’t want the stitches to burst open, and with the recent thing that happened to you, the wound surely bled and had opened a bit from the impact when you were thrown off across the room the moment that the explosion had happened.

Abram Tarasov really picked a good time to attack you, right when you were taking a break from the wound that you had suffered from. Knowing that your moves will be limited, that bastard. But he should always remember that any kind of wounds won’t stop you.

“Let’s get you to the the med bay so that you can be patched up asap, kiddo,” You thanked Tony silently, “I also need to talk to you about something.”

You thanked the rest of the team, and they told you that they’ll be visiting you in the med bay from time to time to keep you company.

Once you arrived at the med bay, with Bruce following right after, it was quiet. They laid you down in one of the beds, you noticed an Asian woman, assuming that she’s the one in charge, walked towards you.

“Hello, my name is Helen Cho. I’m the head doctor.” She smiled at you.

Helen. She has the same name as your mother, you couldn’t help but get a little bit sad when you had remembered your mother. But you are quick to mask it off and smiled back at her.

“Nice to meet you, Helen. I’m (Y/N), Tony’s niece.”

Tony and Bruce stepped aside and watched while Helen patch you up. When Helen lifted your shirt up, you were correct, your wound on the right stomach had bursted off a bit. Causing it to bleed and soak in your shirt, you were thankful that it’s only a little bit.

“(Y/N), you were here at the compound yesterday, why didn’t you had it treated?” Bruce looked at you sadly.

“I was doing fine, I treated the would myself.”

“Is this why you’re feeling a discomfort yesterday?” Tony questioned.

“Yeah…kind of” You trailed off.

“How did you get that wound?” Bruce asked.

“I was fighting someone at work, when I didn’t noticed that there was an opening on my end, the asshole took their shot and managed to slash me with a knife.” Tony and Bruce sighed.

“So what’s the advice, doc?” Tony asked.

Helen was already working on patching up your wound, cleaning it off and sewing it close. After that, she proceed on cleaning the gashes on your forehead.

“The wound on her stomach may take a while to heal, it’s pretty deep. If you decided to jump back right in, there’s a high chance it will bust open again, and you do not want that to happen. If it did, you’ll bleed a lot, again.”

“It’s something that had happened to me before, I can take a little bleeding.”

“Are you kidding me right now, Jovanovich?” Tony bursted, “How many days does she need until she recovers?” He turned towards Helen.

“Maybe a week or two, the wound is deep and still fresh. I’m amazed that she hadn’t passed out yet for the amount of blood that she lost.”

“It’s nothing that I can handle, I’ve already done this so many times, trust me.” You butted in.

“Zip it, young lady!” Tony glared at you, you looked at him in disbelief.

“That’s it, she’s all patched up. She needs to rest for at least two weeks before she’s up and going again, I will be leaving a few medications for her to take, mostly to subdue the pain.” Helen cleaned off and kept the stuff that she used in patching you up and left.

“Thanks, Helen!” Tony and Bruce thanked him.

“I’ll go ask Natasha if she can lend (Y/N) some clothes to change on, she needs to change that shirt because it’s soaked in blood.” Bruce left the med bay.

“You know that I can’t stay here for two weeks, right?” You said to Tony as he sat down on the chair beside you.

“I’m not up for any arguments, you’re staying here at the compound until you’re fully recovered.” Your eyes widened.

“What?! You know I can’t! What the hell?”

“I said what I said, (Y/N). You are staying here until you recover and that’s final. No more arguments. Ajourned.” You groaned, knowing that you can’t win against Tony on this one, it’s a stalemate.

“Fine. Let’s just hope that Tarasov doesn’t put out an open contract while I’m completely out of commision.” You sighed. Tony stood up and hugged you, left a soft kiss on your head.

“Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something.” Tony sat back again and looked at you softly.

“What is it?”

“How’s the idea of you going to high school? There’s a good school that you can go to in Queens. Just a few minutes away from the compound.” You stared at him, not knowing what to say.

There’s a part inside of you that wants to agree, to experience living a normal life. But at the same time, there’s a part of you that you don’t want to. You are afraid that these people may come for you, in a place that a lot of people go to and doesn’t have any idea of what the hell is going on, there’s also a high chance that they can target you there. Where they can easily blend in, due to the amount of people that goes there. So you are unsure.

“There’s a boy that’s currently interning for me, he goes to the same school. You can hangout with him and his friends at school, you won’t be alone.” He smiled at you.

“You’re accepting interns now?”

“Really? That’s the only thing you gathered from what I said?” You chuckled.

“Look, uncle Tony, I’m thankful for the offer. Really. But I’m not sure about this one, I don’t know how long can Tarasov keep my identity any longer from others. I don’t want putting everyone there in danger, especially this boy. Can this boy even protect himself?” Tony smirked at you.

“Trust me, this boy can protect himself alright.” You narrowed his eyes at him.

“Don’t tell me that he’s one of the team.”

“Yes, no. Maybe, kind of? But the point is, he’s perfectly fine in defending himself. So you have nothing to worry about.” You sighed.

You wanted to agree, but the sudden idea of going to an actual high school might not be so bad. However, you aren’t permanently living in the compound, you are set on rebuilding your house, again. You are not sure that you’re capable of leaving the house, your family’s house where a lot of memories had been made. Your parent’s memories are buried there, so it’s one of the many reasons why you can’t make any hasty decisions at the moment.

“Is it alright if I can think about this first? It’s a lot of stuff to take in, especially that I had just taken a medication. Everything’s woozy for me at the moment.”

“It’s alright. I’ll give you time to decide, kiddo. No pressure.” You thanked your uncle silently.

You desired to live a life that your father had lived once. To grow up as a normal teenager that goes to high school. When your father got a taste of that life, everything had been worth it of leaving everything behind. But you chose to enter this life, the life he had before retiring, the one that your father had spend the rest of his life in staying away from the moment he retired, until these people had decided to throw him back in the game all over again. No matter how you desire for it, you know that you can never escape it. Somehow, it will be a constant in your life. The dream that you dreamed of, it will only remain as a dream and nothing else.

You never regretted any of the decision you made. You were thankful, you were given an outlet to release everything that you’ve been bottling up inside of you, it became a comfort for you. Thinking about it, if you didn’t make any decision of doing it, you might have ended up going all crazy. Your trance had been broken up by barking, it was Koda rushing near the bed. You laughed and reach down to pet his head.

“Hey, buddy. Sorry for leaving you there, but I take it that the team loved you.” You smiled at him and leaned in your touch.

“You know about my policy about animals.”

“Speaking of policy, is it possible to bend it a little on my favor?” You smiled at Tony cheekily, “Please.”

“Ugh okay, fine.” Tony playfully rolled his eyes at you, and you squealed in happiness.

“Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” You reached forward and hugged him tightly.

“Sir, Mr. Parker has arrived.” Friday announced.

“Thanks, Fri. Tell him to meet me at the lab.”

“Ms. Jovanovich, Ms. Romanoff said that she will be bringing you the clothes later.”

“Thank you, Fri.” You break the hug, “I assume that it’s your intern?” Tony nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll introduce you two once you’re out of here at the med bay.” You nodded.

“Alright then, can’t wait to meet Tony Stark’s protégé.” Both of you laughed. He stood up from his seat, gave a quick hug and softly kissed your forehead.

“Get some rest kiddo. Red will be right up in a while.”

2 weeks.

2 weeks where you’ll be able to live normally for a while. You really do hope that Tarasov doesn’t make any move, or has said anything about your true identity to the others. You need 2 weeks of peace to think properly.

[theriu]

By a stroke of unexpected blessing, I acquired an actual in-store copy of LoZ: Tears of the Kingdom! Behold!

And the natural first thing to do was inform my niece and nephew who are also avidly awaiting it. This was quickly followed by impromptu arrangements for a Cool Aunt Sleepover including said niece and nephew and also another niece and nephew. We took turns playing through the intro and exploring the first map and completely lost track of time! And now, slightly out of context potential spoilers under the cut as I recount our reactions and my favorite moments of the night:

[Link crawling on the ceiling like a lizard while Older Nephew searches for Clues] Zelda: Oh! Link, the master sword is glowing! [Link back on the ground, but tbf she totally could have noticed the sword glowing while he was crawling on the ceiling]

“[Older Nephew], can you PLEASE keep moving?” “I need to click Zelda a fifth time to make sure we got all the dialogue!”

Awwwwww ZELDA IS A LIL HISTORY NERD BLESS HER HEART

“Those rocks are definitely patterned like breakable rocks. I bet we can come back later and break them.” “Yeah they are you’re probably right.” (We were not right.)

Older Nephew: “Just what is Ganon smoking for there to be so much? He must have horrible lung problems.”

Me, totally nervous about upcoming creepy scene: “[Younger Nephew] you’re gonna need to leave pretty soon, this next scene is probably gonna be SUPER CREEPY” (It was indeed creepy but nowhere NEAR as creepy as I expected from the trailers, altho I did close my eyes for the one head-turning part, dont judge me)

Older Nephew: “Yeah, dead Ganon. Ganon without water. Dehydrated Ganon.”

“SO THAT’S HOW THEY RESET HIS STATS”

[Everyone to Younger Nephew] “You can come back in now!”

“Where did his shirt go?” “Magic” “Why are his PANTS gone?” “No idea”

[After finding pants] “Did we miss his shirt?!” [The quest for a shirt continues]

“The portal is down there—“ “I KNOW I’m EXPLORING”

Link really just walked up to a giant drop into open air without his parasail and went “Time to yeet,” no answers given and no questions asked. Classic.

“Giant lilypads!”

“I found a STICK!”

“NEW MUSHROOMS!!!”

[Everyone while Older Niece was breaking pots] “Destroy ancient relics! Demolish personal property for cash! Commit vandalism!”

Older Niece decides her talents are better served livetexting our progress on Discord.

Younger Niece is delighted that the new fuzzy race have big wing-shaped ears like her original character and is now calling Rauru her grandfather.

“I bet you can ride the emus!” (You can’t and I’m still mad about it)

[While I am searching a tree for eggs] Older Nephew: “Are there any eggs? Do we get to consume a bird’s children-to-be?”

Younger Nephew ends turn early because he hasn’t learned how to hit yet and there is an enemy robot RIGHT OVER THERE. Understandable, really.

Older Nephew slides down to explore dangerous ledge hovering over the abyss. Younger Nephew, repeatedly: “This is dumb.” Me: “Yeah, it is.” Older Nephew: [finds a hidden chest] Me: “Never mind!”

Older Nephew has dubbed first hand power Magic Superglue. I don’t remember what it’s actually called, so apparantly it stuck (ha!)

“THE KOROKS ARE BACK!” [cheering]

The children cheering me on as I fuse six giant blocks into SUPER BRIDGE

Accidentally glueing comically small-by-comparison crate to the very corner of Super Bridge

Younger Niece gets jumpscared by an emu BOLTING out of the trees RIGHT AT THE SCREEN. Gameplay paused while room recovers from laughing fits.

“We can FUSE STUFF INTO NEW WEAPONS?!! This is the BEST THING EVER!!!” [Older Nephew and Younger Niece conduct rigorous experiments resulting in some actually cool weapons, a stambulb arrow, and an apple stick.]

REVENGE OF YOUNGER NEPHEW: Comes out of shrine and destroys a robot in two hits with Boulder Sword.

[After 2 1/2 hours] “WE FOUND HIS SHIRT!!!” [cheering]

“You hit the fans to make them work!” [Older Nephew forgets to unequip ax and obliterates half the raft]

Utterly delighted over discovering the glow seed arrow trick myself while ineffectively trying to kill a robot.

Younger Niece: “How come you always find the eggs?” Me: I’m just that good. It’s because I own birds.”

[Group hilarity] “MINE CART SHIELD!”

[Group insanity] “MINE CART HAMMER!!!!”

And that’s when I looked at the clock and realized it was 1:30 in the morning, so we wrapped up and went to bed. AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!