#no atticus i actually need you to not be there anymore. and if i stand up without moving you the not there anymore you will go is the floor

[gendernewtral]

cats are ridiculous, you move one off your lap to stand up and it immediately tries to return to its original location. as if you picked them up and put them five feet away accidentally

[writingintheshadowsforever]

Imagine returning home to reconcile with Riri and Shuri

There was nothing Riri hated more than having to track a fellow student down for her money. All of her clients were repeated users of her services these days. Which every single one of them knew the routine, so she shouldn't being going through this right now.

Especially with a guy named Atticus Nelson.

Everything about him matched his name. He was a textbook nerd. If someone looked up the definition of nerd there would be a picture of him. He was tall and scrawny with a mop of brown hair on his head. A pair of wide circular black rimmed glasses on his face, and he had little to no fashion sense.

The first time he came too her asking for her assistance with a robotic project. He was tripping over his own words, and it only got worse when she rose an eyebrow at him in irritation.

Nope there was no logical reason in the world to explain why she was currently hunting down Atticus for her money. The nerdy boy was two days late with his payment, and she let it slide longer than usual. Because she genuinely thought it was possible he forgot to Venmo her. Atticus was one of the few kids who really didn't need her to do his work, but he came to her anyway to take some of the load off his own back. The kid was crazy enough to do a double-major and take all advanced classes. His workload was four times the size of hers, and any other student at MIT.

The amount of times he was caught sleeping overnight in the library had to set a new record. At one point the librarian actually considered just giving him his own key. So yeah Riri gave him the benefit of the doubt until she couldn't.

"Yo Atticus wait up" she called out to him trying to keep the underlying tone of anger out of her voice. The last thing she needed was him getting spooked and trying to run.

Atticus came to a stop glancing over his shoulder to see who had called his name, and when his eyes landed on Riri. His entire face lit up with excitement, and something else she couldn't place. Why was he so happy all of a sudden.

"Riri my favorite little helper. What's up?" He asked her a gleaming smile adoring his face.

Riri grimaced at the nickname feeling mocked. "Don't call me that alright we ain't cool like that especially. When you owe me money."

He cocked his head to the side playing dumb. "For what?"

"Atticus don't be stupid where's my dam-" Riri cut herself off taking a deep breath. She didn't like the sudden change in his demeanor. It had been going on like that for a few days now ever since the rest of the student body seemed to catch on to. The fact that you were gone rather or not it was just a break, or for good remained to be seen. But she really hoped some of these kids thought they could get away with stiffing her, or shorting her with money just because you weren't around anymore.

"You turned the essay in three days ago, and I know for a fact you got an A plus. So you owe me fifteen hundred. Cough it up now" she demanded.

"You don't think you can give me like a friendly discount or something. I was thinking five hundred."

Riri gave him a fake laugh before her expression went stoic. "The discount for friends is actually eight-fifty, but we aren't friends."

Atticus dug a hand into his pocket and pulled his phone out, and Riri released a sigh of relief. The last thing she wanted to have to do was force him to cough the money up. Unlike you she was definitely afraid of getting caught breaking the school's strict code against violence.

Riri's eyes drifted down to her own iPhone waiting for the ding, and to see the notification of payment pop up. Seconds ticked by but it never came up, and when she glanced up at Atticus. He was still standing there regarding her with uncertainty.

"You really are hopeless without y/n here to fight your battles huh" He commented with a tiny smirk.

It took all her self-control not to explode, and sock him in his pointy nose. She could hear her mother's voice in her head telling her to keep her cool. It was the only thing saving Atticus at the moment. If you were there he wouldn't have even dreamed of saying something like that to her. Maybe that was the problem Riri got to comfortable with you fighting her battles when she didn't need you to. Now you weren't here to do it anymore, and now guys like Atticus thought they could get over on her.

"Atticus I promise I'm about to become your worst nightmare in the next five seconds. If you don't send the money" Riri threatened with a look that could kill.

His confidence faltered as he flinched taking a step back, and his smirk vanished. Good he was intimidated maybe now he would find his common sense.

Nope.

Atticus fixed his posture trying to poke his chest out but failed. "You won't touch me your scholarship would be revoked the second you did" he shot back.

"Well then I guess its a good thing I'm not on scholarship". You said had sneaking up right behind him without either of them noticing.

Atticus let out a yelp swinging around eyes widening in fear at your presence. Riri was as equally shocked by you showing up, but hid it better than he did. Her face stayed neutral but her heart was going a hundred on the inside.

"Atticus please tell me you're not giving my girl any trouble with her money?" You asked cracking your knuckles just for show. "Buddy I'm pretty sure I'm in the doghouse with her, and if blacking your eye will increase my odds of an early release. I will gladly do it."

It worked Atticus started fumbling with his phone in a rush to send the money. His fidgeting was so bad the iPhone slipped out his hand and hit the ground. If it wasn't for the sturdy case the screen would've shattered.

"I'm running out of patience, and my fist is hungry" You sang.

"No no no stop I'm sending it alright" he begged.

"It's eighteen hundred now" Riri threw in staring down at him.

He gawked at her.

"Since you wanna try and play somebody."

Atticus picked his cellphone up and sent the money before scampering off. You watched him run away wondering how things would've played out if you hadn't shown up. You knew Riri didn't need you defending her, but it was less risky for you.

Speaking of Riri when you turned back to finally address her. She was already walking right past you without so much as a hi or thank you. "Aye Ri slow down and just hear me out" You pleaded with her having no problem matching her speedy pace.

"The way you heard me out before dumping me." She fired back not stopping or looking at you.

"Riri please I wasn't in my right mind okay, and can you really blame me?"

She paused but didn't look back, yet you still took the opportunity to constrict an arm around her waist, turning her around and pulling her to you.

"I know you didn't outright lie to me, but an omission of the truth is still a lie. If I ever found out something about your dad that you didn't already know. I wouldn't hesitate to tell you no matter who asked me not to." You told her talking so fast it was a wonder she could actually keep up with your words.

But she did the anger in her eyes was replaced with guilt as you reminded her of. The part she played in the events that took place, and tore the two of you apart.

"I'm sorry y/n it was just a lot, and I didn't know how you were going to react. I figured coming from Shuri it would be easier for you to deal with." Riri admitted not meeting your eyes.

"Finding out someone who you love and lost had a whole other side of them you didn't know about sucks. There was no way to ease me into that news or soften the blow. I was going to lose it no matter how you or Shuri handled it." You replied taking a deep breath before continuing with an apologetic tone. "But I'm sorry you got caught up in my warpath when I'm pretty sure you did your best to protect me. I'm sorry I hurt Riri and I don't care what I have to do to make it up to you I will do it."

Her eyes lit up with disbelief as she finally looked in yours. Your mother was right about your track record with apologizing. It was something you hardly ever did, even when you knew you owed it to someone. It was a psychological thing sometimes all people wanted from others who wronged was an admission of guilt. You knew that and in the past held back apologizing to just drive them crazy.

"Wow did y/n Stevens just apologize" Riri said turning her head in different directions. Pretending to make sure you had been addressing her, and not someone else.

"Ri stop it I was talking to you" You laughed squeezing her side.

She jerked away from your prodding away holding back laughter. "Alright its just I didn't think you even had those words in your vocabulary. I don't think I've ever heard you apologize before."

"Well someone reminded me that apologizing is important if you want to build and maintain a healthy relationship with someone. And that its the mature thing to do" You said.

"And who might this person be because I need to meet them like asap. If they can convince your stubborn ass to do something."

"My mother and if you mean it I'll take you back home with me next time I go" You answered without hesitation. A grin spread out across your face when her body tensed in your arms.

Your mother wasn't exactly a hot topic so it was no wonder you mentioning her threw Riri off her game. In the past whenever she brought your mom up. You either shut the conservation down almost instantly, gave her vague answers to her questions, or redirected her curiosity to something else. Riri just came to the conclusion that your mother was a touchy subject, and figured you had a bad or at least a complicated relationship with your mom. But that couldn't have been further from the truth, you were hesitant to talk about her. Because of the mountain of guilt that hit you for not visiting her for so long. It was easier to ignore. If you didn't talk or think about her for too long.

"Your mom as in the woman who gave birth to you. The woman you acted like didn't even exist before you left. Wait is that where you disappeared to you? Riri asked putting everything together.

You gave her a nod. "Yeah the truth was easier to hear, and to accept coming from her I guess. My father might've kept something like that from me, but he would've told my mom."

"Wow so you not on bad terms with her or anything?"

"Nope I just missed home more than I let on, and didn't want to admit it. My mom would've saw right through me so I avoided her too" You admitted sheepishly.

Riri gave you the same scolding your mother had when you told her the truth making you throw your head back with a groan.

"Ri don't start I don't wan-"

"Naw ma you really need to work on this whole tough girl act. You don't got to walk around keep everything bottled up inside-"

"Yeah yeah I know I'm emotionally damaged-"

"See that's the problem you not-"

"Riri" You exclaimed to put the bickering to an end. She raised an eyebrow at you not liking the way you shut her down. "Sorry but you seem to be forgetting there is one more person I owe an apology. Is the Princess still around?"

Riri didn't answer you right away answering your question partially. If Shuri had gone back to Wakanda already she would've say so with no hesitation. But you wanted to know where she was, or at least how to get into contact with her. And Riri wasn't sure if it was a good idea unbeknownst to you. She didn't even think you were going to come back, and told Shuri to just go home. But the Princess figured you would cool down and return for answers, so she stuck around.

"Ri come on I promise to not lose it this time please" You begged.

"And you got manners all of a sudden oh yeah I'm going to have to meet this woman" she joked.

"Oh please you're the same way around your mom" You threw back.

"I'll reach out to Shuri to let her know you're back, and we'll just go from there" she suggested ignoring the dig.

It wasn't the answer you wanted but you understood why she wanted to do it that way. "Sounds good so does this mean we're good?" You asked leaning down to press your forehead to hers.

Riri moved her head back shaking her head with a scoff. "You really thought you were going to get off that easy huh."

One Day Later

It didn't take long for Shuri to get back to Riri after the young girl left a voicemail telling her of your return, and you wanting to reconcile with her.

Shuri called her only five minutes after missing the initial call to apologize for not picking up. The message had been a lifesaver considering Okoye had shown up from Wakanda insisting. It was time for Shuri to just give it up, and come home. Even though M'Baku took over the throne to save Shuri from that pressure. She was still the Black Panther, and her country was still on bad terms with the other nations. So the elders were nervous about her being away from so long especially on undisclosed business.

Shuri decided from day one when she had guessed your heritage to keep your existence a secret from everyone except. Okoye who surprisingly agreed with to do the same.

Riri suggested the two of you meet up somewhere in public to put both of you at ease. Shuri was fine but Okoye did insist on tagging along after hearing about the first meeting between the two of you. The Princess knew the guard's presence would worry you a bit, and just hoped you didn't run away.

The chosen location for the meetup was none other than Starbucks. It was public and it made Okoye happy as this was the first time the woman was finally able to visit the popular coffee chain, and truly enjoy it. She was at the counter putting in an order when you walked in, and you were able to locate Shuri with no problem.

Even in civilian clothes the Princess stood out amongst all the other young adults occupying the lobby. She gave off a powerful aura that demanded attention, and put you on edge. You were too caught up in your raging emotions and theories to notice last time. But this time you felt it wondering if it was the effect of her being the Black Panther. You still managed to stand tall as you made your way over to the table, and took a seat across from her.

"I gonna be honest I thought you would tell me go the hell. After the way I treated you last time, and all those things I said" You told her.

Shuri lifted the shades revealing her brown eyes, and let the glasses rest upon her head. "Oh believe me the thought crossed my mind, but then I put myself in your shoes, and realized your reaction was normal. I was foolish to believe you would just accept my words at face value."

"But it wasn't just face value you had proof." Your fingers started playing with the gold chain around your neck. "I gave the ring to my mom."

Her eyes lit up with curiosity as she sat up a bit more with twenty questions on the tip of her tongue. After finding you truly were the daughter of Erik Killmonger. Shuri did another deep dive on his past looking for your mother, but came up empty-handed. The only girl she could connect to your father was the one who helped him pull off the museum heist with Klaue. And she had been murdered by Killmonger, and while Shuri didn't think much of her cousin.

She still gave him the benefit of the doubt, and refused to believe he had killed the mother of his child. Shuri came to conclusion that he did everything in his power to make sure both of you had been hidden making it impossible to connect either of you to him.

"We can talk about her later for now there's something I want to say. You said relaxing the muscles in your face to kill some of the tension.

Shuri gave you a nod folding her hands together, and placing them on top of the table. She was trying to play it cool, but you could see her muscles tightening.

"I'm sorry Shuri for what I said about you and your brother. The accusations I made you turning your back on me were out of line" You started. Shuri could tell you wanted to say more and motioned for you to continue.

You took a deep breath choosing your next words carefully. "I didn't know T'Challa but all I ever heard about was good things. Its a known fact he changed Wakanda in so many ways, and made it his mission to help others. It couldn't have been easy to hear me suggest otherwise so I'm sorry for that too."

"You're right it wasn't easy and I had to remind myself that I didn't react any better. When your father showed up in Wakanda, and did the same thing. I refused to believe a single thing he said about my father until my brother opened my eyes up to the truth." Shuri said in return thinking back to that faithful day.

The Rivers of Wakanda

"Why are we doing this again? Shuri asked T'Challa standing beside him on the boat.

"Because it was his dying wish to be put the rest this way, and honoring his last request is the least we can do Shuri." T'Challa said staring ahead at the calm waters before them.

"I just don't understand why you feel like we owe him anything after what he did" Shuri grumbled under her breath. She crossed her arms over her chest pouting like a five-year old.

"Killmonger actions were the result of our own father's mistakes Shuri, so we do indeed owe him" He snapped at her fixing her with a hard gaze.

His little sister flinched letting her arms drop to her side where her hands clenched forming fists. "How can we be so sure of what he said was the truth. He could've been lying brother."

"He was not Shuri" T'Challa demanded in a booming voice that had her taking a step back. He had turned his body around so he was facing her fully now practically towering over her. His outburst cause fear to flare up inside of her, and he hated it.

T'Challa took a few deep breaths before speaking again gently clasping Shuri on the shoulder. "Baba told me the truth in the astral plane dear sister. He left the boy behind to cover his own tracks, and hide our uncle's disloyalty to Wakanda."

"No father wouldn't do such a thing" Shuri cried shoving him away from her. At least she tried to T'Challa didn't budge a single inch instead he wrapped his arms around Shuri to pull her to his chest. Tears fell from her eyes matching that of a rushing waterfall as she sobbed into his chest. "Our father was a good man sister, but alas he was not perfect." He whispered the wind carrying his words into the sky and beyond.

"My father was buried in the water" You said in a whimper-like voice with glistening eyes. As she recounted the memory to you.

Shuri cursed herself for giving up what had to be a painful revelation for you. She was trying to avoid talking about Erik's death too much, but she got too comfortable and let that slip. "Its what he wanted" she murmured.

You held back the tears and cries that wanted nothing more than to break free. "My mother told me you were telling the truth, guess he didn't have it in him to lie to her too. Shuri I'm sorry for everything I said alright and if it's possible I want to put all that behind us."

Shuri didn't even need to think about it. She nodded "if you want I can finish telling you what happened with your father-"

You held up a hand cutting her off. "I don't want to hear the rest of the story." Your head dropped as you stared at the floor hiding the pain in your eyes. "My father was a loving and caring man. He protected me. He raised me with a firm but gentle hand, and he was a good man. I want to continue to remember him that way. I'm not ready to see him any other way at least not right now."

In all honesty, you weren't sure if you would ever be ready for the truth, but all you knew for sure was that today wasn't the day. When you looked back up making eye contact with Shuri. A moment of understanding passed between both of you. If someone had given her an option all those years ago to not know about T'Chaka's miatakes. She would've made the same choice, and she found herself feeling grateful you didn't want the truth.

"So we're good?" You asked with a hint of nervousness finally acknowledging the bald woman sitting at the table right behind Shuri eyes focused solely on you.

"Yeah little cousin we're good" Shuri replied with a tentative smile. Things had gotten off to a rough start, but progress was finally being made. "Maybe we can talk about you coming to visit Wakanda next?"

Her words stunned you for only a second, but the chuckle that left your mouth had Shuri frowning. In disappointment and confusion her offer was far from a joke.

"There's no need for that Shuri" You told her pausing contemplating your next words. In the end you couldn't find a nice way to say what you were thinking so you were blunt. "Its not really a good idea either when you really think about it."

Shuri leaned forward placing a hand on top of yours, and squeezing it. You jumped at the physical contact but made no move to pull away. "No one knows the truth about you, and we can keep it that way" she promised.

"That doesn't change the fact my family doesn't seem to have a good track record with Wakanda. My grandfather was murdered for betraying the country, and while I don't know what happened to my dad. The end result was still his death, and you can't tell part of the reason you sought me was to make sure I wasn't following him my father's footsteps."

She looked away in shame or guilt maybe both at your last statement indicating. The thought did cross her mind especially when she realized your father had attended the same college. "Y/N-

"It's okay, Shuri. I get it you wanted to keep history from repeating itself. You gave me the truth, which is more than what my father got from anyone, and I'm grateful for that. But that doesn't make Wakanda my home, or Wakandans, my people. My heritage is the only connection I have to that place, and that's where it ends."

Shuri had assumed once you came to your senses you would want to at least visit Wakanda to see your father's burial sight. So your utter dismissal of her offer had her reeling to find the proper response.

You turned your hand around to fold it around hers. "You don't owe me anything else Shuri, and I'm sorry if you expected me to have this feeling of longing to see Wakanda. America is my home and I know it's not as beautiful but I grew up here. My life is here."

"I know but Wakanda is your birthright-

"Nope that right there is what got my dad killed. I have no right to the throne nor do I want it. Seriously Shuri you don't have to worry about me anymore" You reassured her.

"If this is it then what happens now? Shuri asked releasing your hand to settle back into her chair.

You shrugged your shoulders. "I got a degree to earn, and you got a country to protect."

"I mean but we're still family" Shuri pointed out seeming a bit overwhelmed all of a sudden.

"Yeah" You prompted.

"I don't know about you, but I don't exactly have a lot of that left. At least not blood relation, " Shuri corrected, thinking of the woman sitting behind her, ready to jump at any sign of danger. And Nakia her unofficial sister-in-law even though the relationship took a turn for the worse. When she didn't reach out after T'Challa's death. Even M'Baku, Aneka, and Ayo came to her mind the way they stood by her when she was ready to go to war. A nation more powerful and with more soldiers than what Wakanda possessed.

"I would like to have a relationship with you y/n maybe even learn about who your father was. Before he was consumed by vengeance, and I can tell you about my family in return if you wish. Brother always believed things could've been different with Erik if we had found out about it earlier. Maybe we can have that" Shuri said.

"I'd like that" You answered with a smile.

It wasn't the ending either of you expected, but it was the start of a new beginning.

Tag List: @lizlil @darkmemesworld @rhayanm @aliives @angel-bi666 @agustdeeyaa @liliana-byers @sp5derzworld @marice23top @filmsbyhyuna @shuriswhore @vevethirst @londyn-loves-u @iwillbeabitch @klackyb @ziayamikaelson @taleiak @awolfcsworld @shinsousliya @mbakuetshurisprincess @youralphawolf72 @mxyx-rx444 @simpin4pixels @deliciousfestsalad @quintessencewrites @alistair-mooncrest

[mangosimoothie]

4, 5, 15, and 24 for Atticus and Ryan ❤❤❤

thank youuu <333

4. What feature(s) do they find most attractive about their partner? (I'm interpreting this as physical trait)

Atticus loves Ryan's tattoos and piercings. It's sexy to him that Ryan made his entire body into a work of art, and that he had to endure pain to do it. And not physical but he's kinda very into Ryan's temper. It's a thing for him. He's definitely guilty of teasing Ryan just to rile him up a little. Can you blame him?? Ryan's hot when he's angry. And last thing I'll mention -- the way Ryan smells. Maybe it's because of how their relationship started (Ryan was Atticus's bloodbag) but Atticus has always thought Ryan smells very good. Even other vampires notice Ryan still has a mortal-y scent about him. Atticus loves it.

This one also probably stems from the beginning of their relationship, but Ryan's always had a thing about Atticus's mouth. It's NOT how it sounds. He likes the cupid's bow. The faaangs dear god the top AND bottom fangs (not the ideal standard of beauty for vampires to have both, about equivalent to having a gap tooth). How when Atticus is focused and his lips are slightly parted you can see the pointed tips of his canines. Hot. See also: Atticus's collarbones, the small of his back, his hands (BIG hands, long, slender fingers), and, he's only seen it once but, his dark form.

5. What traits / personality aspects do they like most about their partner?

Atticus admires how hard-working Ryan is. Atticus has never had much of a work ethic, he never had to, so to see the pride Ryan takes in his work and the satisfaction he gets from it -- Atticus just finds it really impressive and admirable. See also: His stubbornness (loves AND hates this about Ryan but has to admit it's impressive how set Ryan is when he's made his mind up about something), his assertiveness (kinda goes hand in hand with the temper thing), his demonically high sex drive lmao

Since they met, Ryan has always admired how true to himself Atticus is, to his very core. His unwavering, full-force confidence and knowledge of self. To be fair, Atticus has had a few centuries to figure it out, but still. Ryan also loves how vocal Atticus is with his love. And not just to him -- Atticus is the type of person who gushes about his friends, waxes poetic about the Special Thing he's obsessed with, adores his mother and writes her letters, he's absolutely overflowing with love and not afraid to show it.

15. If someone disapproves of the relationship, who is it, and why do they disapprove?

Isadora, Atticus's sister, is the Number One Katowin Hater. She hates that Ryan is mortal-born. She hates that he's not afraid of her anymore. She hates that their mom loves him and their dad tolerates him. She hates that Atticus is able to go against everything the Winthorpe name stands for (vampire supremacy) and still be accepted by their parents. Shouldn't they be dissapointed? Angry?? Ryan and Atticus's relationship represents everything she resents about her brother.

Atticus's dad was skeptical at first but Ryan really excelled as a vampire and gained his respect. He's on board now. Not as like, gushing about his son in law as Imperia is, but he got over his disapproval.

Ryan's parents don't know about the whole vampire thing, but besides that: his dad is homophobic rip

24. Do they have a song?

Love this question 😭 I need to find a new song for them actually, but during The Bachelorette, when Ryan decided to leave the competition and follow Atticus, it was "I'll Come Too" by James Blake

Oh, you're goin' to the brink? I'm goin' there Why don't I come with you? You don't care what they think I'm gettin' there I could get there too

[what-if-nct]

Yo its been such a long time I'm sorry. How's everything going? Are you doing well? Are you feeling well? World've better treated you well. I wanna throw a fit when not. I totally love your insta its too cute!!! Also your clothing style, you actually dare to go out in that? I cant believe it I wish I was brave enough to wear cute clothes but ppl are assholes in my surroundings so I probably wouldn't dare to- I love your style so so so SOOO much.

I mightve fallen back in a (not too severe) Mark Lee obsession and a (very severe) tgcf obsession. Also scumvillains self saving system, I bought volume one only my mom read the backside of it, which is about someone being a half demon and she tells me not to buy it anymore. I'm probably still gonna buy it because I wanna read the happy endingggg (same for tgcf but the next volume i should buy has a very sus cover so I have to hide it from everyone XD)

I have Mark Lee hanging up my wall and once in a while, I stand there and take a selfie with Mork. Its kinda tradition for me now.

Mannn i wish I had stuff to sayyy TT anyways 🥋 anon actually deserves the world so wtf is going on like actually. He didnt do anything wrong right then why is all going on and also why can't people see? I get so fucking angry and upset whenever I see ppl making fun of mental health and when i hear abt how people treat him, and I'm not even the person it happens to!! Like why must world be so unfair, like God may take all the happiness I have and give it to him. Please

That turned a little deep i'm sorry. Some people would just need to know (also 🥋 yeah ily amd ill never stop saying it) (i'm still gonna start a fanclub for him)

-sneeze

(Ps theres a character from tgcf who is canonically a dilf, and kinda turned into the god of coitus and hes scared of women) (hes my fav I love him so much) (his title Ju Yang meaning perfect sun was once misspelled as Ju Yang meaning tremendous masculinity and boom. Ppl started praying to him for sex and kids) (sorry i love that dude too much)

Hiii! And I'm doing fine and I'll stay fine as long as I stay away from people once the pms kicks in I think that's been my problem the past few months. Gotta seclude self during the moon time. And thank youuuu, you're so sweet and I do go out dressed like that. I really don't notice people when I'm out, so I never think twice about it until a creepy man says creepy things like please don't look at me. Only women and guys who look like Timothy Chalatmet and Heir Of Atticus are allowed to perceive me. But I rarely hear anything negative. But seeing my reflection in store windows and hearing girls yell they love my outfit is all that matters. Oh a girl who worked at the grocery store told me she liked my outfit and when I pulled out my card my Jeongin photocard was in my wallet and she asked if I liked kpop I wish I could've said more to her she was so cute but I was shy. So it's worth it to dress however you want cause for every person who has something mean to say there's 10 people with something nice to say. Also how you think you look and how it makes you feel is the most important part. I suggest you at least once to wear a really cute outfit just on a normal day.

I don't know what has gotten into mark lately but I totally understand falling back into it. He's at full power right now. Don't look directly at him cause he's collecting people left and right. Hes still like my boyfriend's kid brother so he doesn't affect me. But I definitely see it, his power. But that is so cute you take a selfie with your picture of mark. I kiss my pictures of Hyunjin or Chan before I leave cause they're right by the door. Their great traditions to have.

I've never heard of tgcf but it sounds like really cool, and yeah it sucks that his mental health is being disregarded it's not okay and he deserves so much better.

[kaimelia]

Five Times Atticus Lincoln Knew He Was in Love

a/n: this fic was inspired by and is dedicated to the wonderful @teammorningglory ! you’re one of the best people I’ve met throughout my time writing fics, and I’m so endlessly grateful for all of your support!

"I feel like I'm on top of the world," Amelia grinned, pulling off her coat and tossing it over the back of his couch. "God, I love this feeling."

"You saved his life," Link muttered, walking up behind her. "You did an incredible job." She turned around to face him, the enthusiasm on her face still evident as she threw her arms around his neck, jumping up into him and laughing happily.

"We should celebrate." He raised his eyebrows at her, watching her face contort as she pulled away and glanced around his bare apartment.

"How are we celebrating?" Amelia simply grinned and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling it towards her until his face was close enough to hers for her to kiss him, which she did.

"Donuts." She let go of him and jumped away, running over to the counter and grabbing his car keys. "I'll be back; stay here." She ran out the door of his apartment, leaving Link standing there with a warm feeling in his chest and a huge grin spread across his lips.

Amelia returned later with a box of donuts in hand, dropping it on the counter and eagerly pulling one out, lightly tapping it against his and muttering, "Cheers!" before shoving the whole thing in her mouth, causing Link to laugh before doing the same.

"Cheers to what?" He muttered through a mouthful, covering his mouth with his hand as he chewed.

"Cheers to us, being incredible doctors, and to being together. Even if the one time we actually have a date, it gets interrupted."

"Interrupted by your genius," he added, grinning as her cheeks turned red and she glanced down at the floor below her, while Link was unable to take her eyes as he stared at her, utterly enamored by the woman standing in front of him.

-----------

She'd left him sitting alone in the plant room just a minute earlier, but his hands tightly braced the armrest of the chair, and he breathed heavily as he looked at the door that had just shut.

She'd told him she was pregnant, and he was terrified. And then, she opened up about her fears, and all of his didn't matter anymore because he was overwhelmed with a feeling of protection and love for her.

Which terrified him in a different way, thinking of that word and what it meant for a future they may or may not have.

He pushed himself off of the chair, his legs seemingly moving out themselves of the room and down the hall until he fell back into the seat across from his best friend, who stared at him as she waited for him to say something. He cleared his throat.

"I think I love her."

"That's big," Jo leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest and cocking her head to the side.

"I told her that no matter what she wants to do, I'm in, and then she left, so I don't know what's happening, but I think that I don't even care what happens with the baby because I just want to be with her."

"Yeah, I'd say you're in love. I've never seen you like this."

"I've never been like this," he muttered, slumping down in the seat. "I don't think I've ever felt this in my entire life."

"Not even with Bronwyn?"

"Not even close."

-----------

"Stay tonight, please?" Link sighed softly, not wanting to disappoint her and tell her he couldn't.

"I've got a morning shift; I need to go home and get some sleep," he spoke, glancing down at their intertwined hands, hers tugging him into the bedroom behind her.

"You can sleep here; I won't wake you up, I promise." She grinned toothily and stuck out her pinky. "It's the least you can do."

"The least I can do?"

"Well, you're the reason that all I want to do is cuddle, so I think that you should have to be the one to cuddle me." He smiled at the reference to her pregnancy, something he was still figuring out how to settle in his mind as it still felt so foreign and new, but still something that hit him with a wave of joy at each mention of it.

"Okay," he started softly, allowing her to tug him into the bedroom and close the door behind them. "But, no funny business. I really do need to get some sleep."

"None." Amelia walked over to her drawers, pulling off her cardigan and tossing it on the bed behind her, replacing her shirt with one Link recognized well.

"Is that my shirt? Why do you have that here?"

"Because I wanted it," she muttered, kicking off her pants and flopping back onto the bed. Link picked up the clothes from the floor and changed into another one of his shirts in her drawers. "Hey, you don't get to steal that," she protested, crossing her arms over her chest and pouting her lip out.

"I don't get to wear my own shirt?" She shook her head and rolled her eyes, holding her hands out. Link took them and joined her on the bed.

When they finally settled, with Amelia's back pressed tightly against his chest and their hands intertwined and resting together over her small stomach, he nuzzled his face in her neck, happily breathing in the smell of her perfume and dreaming of the future together he knew he wanted.

-----------

He glanced down at Amelia in his arms, her face pressed gently against his chest and her snores muffled by the fabric of his shirt.

It'd taken her hours to settle after spending far too long with her head over the toilet, with Link feeling utterly helpless as he held back her hair and muttered soft words in an attempt to comfort her, but knowing that there was nothing he could truly do.

She'd crawled into bed afterward, pulling the blankets up over her body, and instinctively curled into him, not saying a word as she squeezed her eyes shut and steadied her breathing. Link didn't make a noise but wrapped his arms around her tightly and pressed his lips against the top of her head, gently pulsing a kiss against her hair every time her body shuddered against his.

As he looked down at her, only illuminated by the sliver of moonlight creeping through his bedroom window, he couldn't help but feel a calming warmth inside of him, an instinct to pull her closer and hold her tighter.

He knew that in a few hours, she would wake, and the cycle would start all over again; her loss of appetite, any food she managed to eat coming back up hours later, the cramping in her stomach, her endless complaints about the pressure on her bladder and cursing him out for the hormones she felt throughout the day at every slight inconvenience.

But, in the moment, he thought she looked incredibly beautiful, and he felt his heart beat faster as she moved her head in her sleep, his lips sliding to her forehead and her face gently tipping up towards him.

She wouldn't let him say it if she was awake, but knowing that she was fast asleep and wouldn't wake up unless he dragged her out of bed for breakfast, he whispered softly, "I love you."

-----------

"What are you doing out here?" Link asked as he walked into the kitchen, glancing at the clock on the stove and raising his eyebrows at Amelia, who was sitting on the kitchen counter in the wee hours of the night when he was barely awake enough to notice she had slipped out of his embrace.

"I can't sleep," she muttered, glancing away from him. Link pouted his lip and reached out to take her hand, which she pulled away from him.

"What is it?"

"I don't think that I'm going to be a good mom," her chin quivered, and a hand subconsciously wrapped around her stomach. "I don't know if I can do it."

"I think that you're going to be an incredible mother," he whispered, reaching up to thumb away a column of tears from her face, bringing his thumb backward to brush her hair away from her cheek. She wrapped her legs around him, gently pulling him closer to her until he was pressed against the counter, his hands bracing a grip on either side of her legs and his face close to hers. "And, if you ever think otherwise, I will tell you every reason why." She nodded slowly, and her hand found his as their eyes stayed locked on each other. "You are one of the kindest people I know, and you are incredibly selfless. You care about this baby so much, who you haven't even met, and I think the fact that you're worried means that you're going to be an amazing parent. And you, Amelia Shepherd, are a freaking superhero, and superheroes can do anything."

He stared into her eyes, and it was as if he could see everything inside of her brain; the slight edge of a laugh at what he'd said and the emotion building up inside she didn't quite know how to vocalize. He laughed gently and brought a hand up to her cheek, and she rested her head against it. His lips turned upward into a small smile, and he stared at her in silence for a moment until his mouth formed the words he'd never spoken before.

"I'm in love with you."

[wondereads]

Personal Recommendation (2/14/20)

The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley

I’m doing something new this week! I’ll be reviewing every book in The Sisters Grimm series. Each will get a small paragraph and get a rating out of ten, and then I’ll rate the series overall. Hope you guys enjoy it! Please keep in mind this will contain spoilers for the later books, so don’t read ahead if you don’t want some major spoilers!

#1: The Fairy-Tale Detectives     9/10

The very beginning! Sabrina and Daphne Grimm, after a year in foster care with some dubious caretakers, are being sent to live with their grandmother, who, until a few days ago, they didn’t know existed. Granny Relda lives in Ferryport Landing, a typical small town in almost all aspects except for the significant population of fairytale characters or Everafters. The first book serves as a good introduction to Buckley’s world. The sisters have been shielded from fairytales their entire lives, so it’s easy to insert explanations for the inexperienced reader. It also very quickly sets up Sabrina and Daphne’s characters by using their reaction to Granny Relda and her fairytale reveal. Daphne, being a younger, more sheltered child, accepts it wholeheartedly and is excited to get involved in solving magical mysteries. Sabrina, after protecting her sister from nutcases for a year, has a much more cynical outlook, and it takes an actual giant scooping Relda up for her to believe. There’s also some memorable introductions for other important characters such as Mr. Canis, Puck, Mirror, and Mayor Charming. In terms of the plot, Buckley consistently creates mysteries that have twists but aren’t too difficult to follow for late elementary students.

#2: The Unusual Suspects     7/10

Things are starting to get a little more intense. Sabrina and Daphne are required to go to school after being preoccupied with chasing giants around the countryside. Unfortunately, especially for Sabrina, who wants to regain some semblance of normalcy, something is killing the teachers at school. I forgot how gruesome the murders were. I also forgot that Sabrina is in sixth grade. This particular book always got on my nerves. Sabrina is clearly having some issues; her parents are missing, she’s trapped in a town with fairytale characters, she can’t see to escape humiliation either at the hands of Puck or her classmates, and now people are being killed left and right. And yet, her family refuses to see that she needs help and decides to reprimand her constantly instead. The villain for this book is particularly disturbing. I must warn readers-child manipulation and abuse is a common theme in these books. If you couldn’t already catch on in the first book, it becomes obvious here that Sabrina has some grudges against the magical community.

#3: The Problem Child     7/10

This book has a sort of in-between feeling to me. Sabrina comes upon a maniacal little girl dressed in red who is holding her currently enchanted parents captive. The little girl, obsessed with recreating her family, is convinced they are her own parents and controls a jabberwocky, her ‘kitty’. All she needs is a granny and a doggy-Granny Relda and Mr. Canis. Everything in this book pours into the next ones, while, unlike the other books, there isn’t much of a self-contained plot. Red comes more into play in Tales from the Hood and The Everafter War, the election sets up Magic and Other Misdemeanors, and the vorpal blade and Puck’s injury lead into Once Upon a Crime. This book, however, introduces Uncle Jake, one of the most interesting characters in terms of development, and it also begins the problem of Sabrina’s magic addiction. The events of this book contribute to Sabrina’s distrust of magic after she has some run-ins with her addiction. It is also when you maybe start to develop some affection for Charming, despite his over-inflated ego.

#4: Once Upon a Crime     10/10

This one is my personal favorite. After Puck’s run-in with the jabberwocky, the Grimms take an emergency trip to New York, Sabrina and Daphne’s old home. There they plead the king of Faerie, Oberon, to heal Puck. Unfortunately, Oberon is poisoned within hours of their arrival, and Relda, of course, takes the case. This book is so much fun because in Ferryport Landing they just sprinkle the whole town in forgetful dust. In New York, Everafters need real jobs and a way to cover their tracks as beings who don’t age. The Wizard of Oz works at Macy’s, Ebenezer Scrooge makes a living as a medium, and pirates such as Long John Silver feed off of Wall Street. It also addresses the downsides of that. Everafters don’t age; some of them don’t even look human. It comes as a shock to Sabrina, but her mother, Veronica Grimm, was secretly working with the New York Everafters to fix their problems. I feel that Sabrina finding a connection to her mother through the Everafter community is the first step she takes toward accepting her role as a Grimm.

#5: Magic and Other Misdemeanors     8/10

The conflict between humans and Everafters starts to take center stage. Someone in Ferryport Landing is stealing powerful magical artifacts, causing rips in time, but the Grimms have to split their attention with Mayor Heart’s new tyrannical rule. This is where the series begins to take a darker turn. The new mayor, the Queen of Hearts, and Sheriff Nottingham are set on running every human in Ferryport Landing out of town, and the divides between human and Everafter are becoming more pronounced by the day. The rips in time are particularly interesting, especially Sabrina and Daphne’s trip to the future, which really raises the stakes going forward. Also, the idea of a past Grimm arriving in town, giving Heart and Nottingham a chance to end the entire family, is very nervewracking. Also, the concept of Everafter-human relationships and how that would work presents some interesting conflicts.

#6: Tales from the Hood     10/10

There’s nothing I love more than a fractured fairytale. Intent on getting rid of the Grimms’ staunch protector, Heart and Nottingham put Mr. Canis, or the Big Bad Wolf, on trial. Some investigation in order to clear his name reveals that the story of Little Red Riding Hood might not be all true. Technically, the entire series is based on fairytales, but this is the first book where those stories are actually challenged. The actual story of Little Red Riding Hood is amazing, and it also ties into all the other stories the Wolf is present in. Also, I love Red, the sane Red, and I always get so happy when she’s cured. Once again, Sabrina clashes strongly with her family in this one, for understandable reasons. I’m less inclined to side with her on this one, but she definitely learns her lesson.

#7: The Everafter War     8/10

The Grimms are finally united! Henry and Veronica Grimm are woken up from their magical sleep, but Henry, having too many bad memories, wants to leave town immediately. Unfortunately, the Scarlet Hand has taken over all of Ferryport Landing and only a small resistance stands in their way. There’s a lot of family drama in this one. The dynamics of Sabrina, Daphne, and their parents are all out of whack after spending over a year apart. On one hand, they now have parental support again. On the other, Henry can’t seem to conceptualize that Daphne is, in fact, not five anymore. If that isn’t enough drama for you, Puck finds out he and Sabrina are married in the future, and Snow and Charming are caught up in a soap opera of their own. Also, not to mention the plethora of betrayals in this book. The plot is really picking up here.

#8: The Inside Story     8/10

This one took quite some imagination. After the reveal of the Master’s identity as their own beloved Mirror, Sabrina, Daphne, and Puck pursue him and Pinocchio through the Book of Everafter, a living book filled with fairytales that could actually change history. I find it absolutely hilarious that the kids absolutely refuse to follow the story no matter what. Also, this is where Sabrina starts coming into her own. She’s going through a rough patch in this book. As would anyone whose best friend turned out to be the leader of a magical terrorist organization. By the way, if you are connected to these characters in any way, Mirror’s betrayal will hit you like a punch to the gut. She’s having trouble trusting her judgement, which will have her come back stronger than ever. Also, it’s nice to see her and Puck get through a couple sentences without a barrage of insults. Finally, Relda was such a badass in this book. If you didn’t love her before, you definitely love her now.

#9: The Council of Mirrors     9/10

It’s time for a happily ever after. With Mirror running loose in Ferryport Landing and the rebellion in tatters, things are looking bleak. Especially when the twenty-four remaining magic mirrors issue a prophecy putting everyone’s fate in the hands of Sabrina and Daphne Grimm. Sabrina starts out pretty broken in this book. She’s been betrayed, her grandmother is possessed by an evil mirror, and now everyone is expecting her to lead an army. I absolutely love that when she gets the push she needs from the mirrors it plays to her strengths. She’s a master of planning and subterfuge, and it’s so nice to see it come out. On a less chipper note, I hate Atticus with everything in me, and I was so happy he ended the way he did. In terms of Mirror, I found it poetic, but also so typical of a kid’s book, that he was defeated by the one thing he never had: love. Finally, the reason this book doesn’t get a 10/10 is because I felt the epilogues were kind of rushed and unrealistic. However, they don’t have much impact on the book overall, and I still loved most of it!

Overall 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10

The Sisters Grimm is one of my favorite series from childhood. The characters are realistic, relatable, and get great development. Kids books are great because there’s no worries about the idea being too juvenile. This book could never be an adult book, the ideas in it are too silly. However, that doesn’t mean it isn’t amazing, and I find the crazy ideas and cheesy lessons absolutely charming. It gives some unexpected sides to some well-known characters, and the amount of thought that went into incorporating classic and even more obscure characters into the modern world was crazy and very amusing at times. I also suspect that this series is the root of my fondness for fractured fairytales. I would recommend this book to people who like modern fantasy, sibling relationships, and fairytale characters in a decidedly un-mystical setting.

The Author

Michael Buckley: American, 51 years old, also wrote N.E.R.D.S. and Undertow

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every two weeks, and I take recommendations. Check out my about me post for more!

[carewyncromwell]

“You never know when you're gonna meet someone, And your whole wide world in a moment comes undone -- You're just walking around and suddenly Everything that you thought that you knew about love is gone... You find out it's all been wrong...

And all my scars don't seem to matter anymore 'Cause they led me here to you...”

~“Start of Something Good” by Daughtry

x~x~x~x

Atticus Grimsley Lestrange @cursebreakerfarrier hadn’t gone to Hogsmeade village very much. The Ravenclaw Prefect had always been hyper-aware of how much his family legacy was placed squarely on his shoulders -- as the only son of the family not currently in Azkaban for the torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom, Atticus was the one who could bring his family the esteem his father so thought they were entitled to. Atticus being Sorted into Ravenclaw alone had broken a precedent, so Wulfric Lestrange was all the more strict in his expectations for his only child.

This time, however, Atticus told himself, there wasn’t much choice in the matter. He had to have the oral report ready for Binns, and his partner had set their meeting place as the Three Broomsticks. That didn’t mean Atticus would ever tell his father any details about the assignment -- he could just imagine how very displeased Wulfric would be, knowing his son had to engage with a Muggle-born like Robert Bellamy.

Atticus brought an entire heavy stack of books from the library with him, all of which were recommendations from Madame Pince. To his surprise, the school librarian actually seemed oddly pleased that Atticus was working with Robert.

“He seems to be a very bright boy, and yet he seems determined to not show it,” she said, sounding almost petulant. “Filius has said Mr. Bellamy likes reading -- that his marks are quite high, even despite his obsession with Quidditch and his penchant for trouble. And yet the faculty’s said he frequently holds back during class demonstrations, and in the last five years, I have never seen him study in the library. I see his friends in here plenty, but Mr. Bellamy? He’ll practically sneak in, pick up his books, and then leave as quickly as possible. I almost wonder if he’s actively trying to avoid being seen here...”

She smiled indulgently at Atticus. “Perhaps you might be able to get that boy to actually take pride in something other than chucking Quaffles around.”

Atticus wasn’t entirely sure how in the world he’d ever do that, even if he wanted to. After all, Robert was Barty Gilbert’s best friend -- Atticus didn’t want anything to do with Barty, and Robert was deathly loyal to him. But even with this, he had to admit, something about Robert intrigued him. Madame Pince thought that Robert was determined not to show he was smart, and yet when Atticus challenged him, he launched into a whole history lecture on the Witch Trials that could’ve put Binns himself to shame. Robert had even taken out a bunch of Muggle books on the subject over the summer and read them before coming to school, so that he’d understand the material in depth. Still, Pince’s assessment made Atticus feel a bit better for having seen Robert as a dumb jock -- he never really had stood out much to Atticus before, except as Barty Gilbert’s sidekick. Yet Atticus couldn’t help but wonder...why would someone who was Sorted into Ravenclaw, and therefore valued wisdom, knowledge, and learning, actively try to downplay how talented he was? Perhaps it was the thought of a mystery Atticus could unravel, but he wanted to know why.

When Atticus arrived at the Three Broomsticks, the stack of books under his arms, he found Robert sitting at a table, two butterbeers placed in front of him and the seat across from him. Standing beside the table were his best friends, pretty, ginger-haired Cecelia and tall, auburn-haired Barty -- Cecelia was pulling lightly at Robert’s arm despite him sitting down, chatting animatedly to him, and Robert was grinning broadly.

“...now, Ceci!” he said. “I doubt Atticus Lestrange would be much the sort to want to talk homework while trying on robes at Gladrag’s. You and Barty go on ahead -- you lot’ll have more money to buy something cool anyhow..”

At the sound of his own name, Atticus couldn’t help but hang back. Not only did he feel awkward about interrupting, but part of him really preferred the thought of not interacting with Barty more than he had to. He didn’t like the weird, irrational ball of dislike that would well up in his throat whenever he looked Barty in the eye.

Barty was blushing slightly, but the mention of his friend being low on money made him frown.

“If you want something, I could buy it for you,” he said in a very quiet, but earnest voice. “It could be an early birthday present...”

But Robert waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, mate, I don’t need anything. Now go on -- I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”

Cecelia was frowning too. She exchanged a look with Barty, looking faintly hesitant, but finally released Robert’s arm.

“All right,” she sighed airily. “Be sure to invite Atticus along too after you’re done, all right?”

This startled Atticus. Robert looked uncomfortable.

“Invite him to Gladrag’s?” he sad, trying to play it off with humor. “Not exactly a party spot, Ceci.”

“Invite him to hang out with us,” Cecelia corrected him.

Robert frowned deeply. “What? Ceci...I get that you’re trying to be polite...but every time Lestrange gets within ten feet of Barty, he looks at him like he ran over his cat.”

Barty sighed and then gave a reluctant nod of agreement. “You know he doesn’t like me, Cecelia. I don’t even really know why, aside from his dad not liking my parents...”

Atticus felt like his stomach was being squeezed uncomfortably. Part of him wanted to just leave the pub all together -- but what Cecelia said next made him give pause.

“Barty, you’ve always said you feel like he must be lonely, sometimes. And Robert, you said the same thing, right after you first collided with Atticus, remember? ‘He should be smiling,’ you said. ‘His face doesn’t look right, somehow.’”

Atticus straightened up slightly. He understood that feeling. It was the same feeling he had when he first met Barty -- that his eyes weren’t right, that his smile and voice weren’t right. And yet the sentiment here...also came across as oddly sweet too, in a weird way.

“I was eleven years old, Ceci -- eleven-year-olds say dumb things,” said Robert in a voice that attempted to sound off-hand, but instead came out rather evasive.

“I don’t think it was dumb at all,” said Cecelia very firmly. “You felt sorry for him, and you didn’t even know him that well.”

“It was rather cool of you, Rob,” said Barty, smiling proudly at his best friend.

Robert, however, sidestepped the praise.

“It was a stated fact, not me trying to be nice,” he said in a very grounded, modest tone of voice. “I don’t get why a guy who’s as smart as he is can’t loosen up a little and have some fun once in a while. He can’t be happy, being so...”

He trailed off, his dark eyes drifting down to his mug of butterbeer.

‘Strange?’ Atticus finished in his own head dully, thinking of how everyone else in school tended to nastily play off of his name.

As soon as he thought it, though, another word echoed over his mind.

“You really are too grim for your own good…”

Atticus felt that weird, sad kind of deja vu ripple over him for a second time.

Cecelia sighed tiredly. “As always, you’re determined to play off the best parts of yourself.”

She turned to Barty. “...I guess we should go. Play nice with Atticus, Rob.”

“Yes, Mum,” Robert shot back with a playful smirk.

Barty grinned over his shoulder at Robert before leaving with Cecelia, his cheeks touched with a blush as he looped his arm around hers.

Atticus watched them leave -- then, swallowing back the lump in his throat, he finally approached the table where Robert was still sitting.

“...Hello,” he said stiffly.

Robert looked up, only mildly startled.

“Afternoon,” he greeted.

Noticing the books in Atticus’s arms, he held out his hands. “Here -- let me take those.”

He immediately took the stack, lifting it with significantly more ease than Atticus had and putting it down on the table.

Atticus glanced at the mug of butterbeer placed at the spot left aside for him. Noticing the glance, Robert frowned.

“Do you not like butterbeer?” he asked. “You struck me as the type of person who would...”

“I do,” said Atticus very quickly. “...It’s one of my favorites.”

He slowly lowered himself down into his seat, still feeling oddly hesitant. It had been so weird hearing Robert talk about him with his friends. Most of it wasn’t surprising -- after all, Atticus and Robert had rarely talked largely because of Robert being Barty’s best friend -- but the thought that Robert had actually expressed concern about him despite that...was kind of surreal.

“...You thought I’d be the type to like butterbeer?” he asked.

Robert shrugged as he took a sip, his dark eyes drifting up toward the ceiling. “Don’t most people like it?”

“I suppose they do,” granted Atticus.

He picked up his mug and took a long sip himself. It warmed him up from head to toe, and he couldn’t help but relax slightly.

Robert looked Atticus up and down briefly, cocking his eyebrows.

“You’re awfully overdressed,” he said lightly.

Atticus raised his eyebrows rather coolly in return. “I’m sorry -- I suppose I could’ve ripped the knees out of my trousers, before coming.”

Robert blinked. Then, to Atticus’s complete surprise, he actually burst out laughing.

“So you can joke!” he said. “Merlin...and here I wondered if I’d have to be serious the entire time...”

Atticus raised an eyebrow. “Is that something you can do? Be completely serious?”

Robert smirked slightly. “Of course. I just don’t fancy doing it that much.”

“Not like me, you mean.”

“Definitely not like you.” Realizing what he said could be considered offensive, Robert then added, “...You’re a smart guy, Lestrange, don’t get me wrong. I guess I just don’t get why someone as smart as you would be willing to settle.”

Atticus looked down at the books on the table and then back up at Robert, his eyebrows knitting over his blue eyes.

“And I don’t quite understand why someone as smart as you tries to hide it,” he said straightforwardly. “I mean, someone who can do lectures like the one you came up with on the fly the other day could easily become a professor someday...yet you don’t tutor, or participate in class...you don’t participate in any of our classes, by choice. And when you do...I reckon you’re holding back.”

Robert snorted. “I don’t hold back on the Dueling Field -- I don’t love getting my arse handed to me that much.”

Atticus couldn’t completely bite back a laugh. Robert was actually pretty funny, too.

Robert took another sip of butterbeer, his expression slowly becoming a bit more serious.

“I just don’t see the point in broadcasting my marks or how much I know, that’s all,” he said simply. “I learn so that I can be of use -- not to show off. Knowledge is power. With it, you can fix people’s problems and make the world better. I don’t need to win awards or accolades for my academics -- I just want to know as much as I can and use that knowledge for good.”

Atticus’s expression softened somewhat. “That’s...actually really admirable.”

Robert shrugged. “It’s how I feel is all. Just because I play Quidditch doesn’t mean I’m obsessed with getting attention.”

“You don’t seem uncomfortable about the attention,” said Atticus.

“Well, it’s not just me, is it? Even when I get attention, it’s attention for the team, not me. And any attention I do get, I get for helping out my mates. It feels good to be what they need, that’s all it is.”

Atticus’s blue eyes narrowed slightly as he brought his mug of butterbeer up to his lips again.

“...You really are determined to play off the best parts of yourself.”

Robert straightened up noticeably. Atticus couldn’t help but grin, seeing how effectively he’d startled him. 

“Will you be all right with presenting what you’ve already researched?” he asked. “I reckon the class would probably find a lecture about both the wizarding and Muggle perspectives of the Witch Trials really interesting...and it would almost surely earn us an O.”

Robert raised an eyebrow. “Are you asking me to teach the rest of our class with you?”

“Well, since you’re so critical of Professor Binns’s teaching style, perhaps it’s right you show everyone how it should be done,” said Atticus smugly.

Robert’s lips curled into a broad smirk. “Is that a dare, Lestrange?”

Atticus’s own mouth also spread into a wry smile. “You could always refuse to accept it.”

“You know full well I won’t,” said Robert, his dark eyes sparkling with mischief. “All right, old boy -- we’ll be Professors Lestrange and Bellamy for a class, then. And if we don’t get an O, I’ll dress like you for an entire month.”

Atticus couldn’t hold back his own laughter. “Careful -- I might be tempted to get an E just to see that!”

[oboevallis]

Amelia is pregnant again and she and link decide not to tell anyone yet but they go to have lunch with Links parents and then they notice something and Maureen tells Link she knows because of the symptoms Amelia has

the mariners game

thank you so much for the prompt i really appreciate it!!! i hope it’s alright i incorporated this prompt into my unexpected series, i hope everyone’s doing well and staying safe

“Mom! Your not ready?” Scout exclaimed as his mother tiredly came down the stairs.

“Huh? For what?” Amelia asked rubbing her eye.

“We’re going to the Mariners game with Grandma and Grandpa!” Scout reminded his mother.

“If your too tired I’ll just take the kids, we’re meeting my parents there anyway so you don’t have to worry.” Link told her as he washed the dishes from breakfast. He knew she hadn’t slept well the night before, this pregnancy her morning sickness had been active at night.

“No, I want to go. Just give me a minute to get ready.” Amelia told him sleepily as she made her way back up the stairs. Once Link had finished the dishes he went upstairs to find his wife.

“Are you sure you want to go?” He asked leaning on the doorway to their bathroom.

“Yeah, I’m sure. Scouts been so excited for this, it’s all he’s been able to talk about. I don’t even feel sick right now, just sleepy. I’ll probably sleep in the car anyway, there’s always terrible traffic on game days.”

“Hmm, your favorite part.” Link smirked, Amelia didn’t necessarily have road rage but she was very impatient when it came to traffic. He went behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

“Have your told your parents about the baby yet?” Amelia asked as she brushed through her hair.

“No I haven’t. Should I of already done it?”

“No, I mean it’s still early. We haven’t told anyone, and we shouldn’t of even told the kids.”

“Well you had to make it clear we couldn’t have a dog.” Link smirked once seeing his wife roll her eyes

“No one in this house will let me live that down will they? The dog had an owner!”

“I know I’m just messing with you. You really can’t take a joke can you?”

“I can take a joke.” Amelia defensively stated.

“Not while your pregnant you can’t.” He immediately regretted him statement once he saw the look his wife gave him.

_______________________________________

Link looked over to see his wife fast asleep next to him. He knew she couldn’t of been comfortable sleeping in the car, and he felt guilty for not making her stay home.

“Dad? Do you think the Mariners are gonna win today?” Scout asked anxiously, the team hadn’t been doing great this season.

“I hope so, it’s gonna be a tight one. Especially with our star player out.” He had heard all about the players injury from Nico as he wanted his expertise, but they were optimistic he’d be back in play soon.

“I still don’t get the object of the game.” Addison admitted as she heard her father and brother talk about baseball.

“I think the word your looking for is objective. And your vocabulary has been so good, I’m really proud of you.”

“Benny uses a lot of big words. His dad is a English professor so he uses a lot of big words, so Benny has been teaching me.”

“That’s nice of him.” Link smiled, he was so happy his daughter had made a friend.

“Dad.” Addison whispered leaning closer to her fathers seat. “When we go to the baseball game can we get nachos?”

“Sure.” The girls father whispered back. “Why are we whispering?”

“Because mommy’s sleeping.”

“Why’s mom sleeping?” Scout interjected leaning forward to see if his mother was actually sleeping.

“Because she’s sleepy, she didn’t sleep much last night.” Link answered his son.

“She’ll be awake for the game right? It’s very important she watches the game with us, she’s gonna love baseball once she sees it in person.”

“I’ve been trying to get her to love baseballs for years, I just don’t think it’s gonna happen bud.” Link chuckled. “But she loves watching us enjoy baseball, her absolute favorite thing is seeing you kids happy.”

“Well I’m sure I can convince her, I’m her favorite.” Scout smiled.

“No your not.” Addison quickly said, offended with her brother. “I’m moms favorite.”

“Your mother doesn’t have favorites.” Link firmly stated before the conversation escalated.

“Dad, everyone has favorites.” Scout blatantly stated. “Moms my favorite, what about you Addie?”

“My favorite is mom too.”

“So mom is both of your favorites, not me?” Link faked jealousy, both of the kids were attached to their mother and he couldn’t blame them.

“Mommy is my favorite because she gives the best cuddles.” Addison admitted, looking to her brother for his answer.

“No she doesn’t. Dad gives the best hugs.” Scout defended his father.

“Scout’s right your dad does give the best hugs.” Amelia confessed she had woken up a couple of minutes ago, but she was entertained by the conversation so she kept quiet.

“Who’s your favorite mom?” Addison asked.

“I don’t have favorites.”

“What about you dad?” Addison asked realizing she wasn’t going to get anywhere with her mother

“Hmm.” Link seemed to contemplate this for a moment. “I’ve gotta say your mom.”

“You are ridiculous Atticus Lincoln.” Link looked over to see his girlfriend grinning at him

________________________________________

“We’re gonna lose this game aren’t we?” Scout asked his father and grandfather.

“I think they can pull it together.” Eric confessed on the edge of the seat. The Mariners were pitching at the moment.

“I’m going to the bathroom.” Amelia whispered to her husband before standing up.

“Where are you going mommy?” Addie asked realizing her mother was leaving.

“To the bathroom, do you need to go?”

“Nope.” Addison said turning her attention back to the game and leaned against her grandmother. “Are you bored?”

“Just a bit. I’ve been watching this game for years, your grandfather and father are big fans. So I’ve gotten used to it. It was more exciting when I got to see your dad play.”

“My dad played baseball?” Addie asked her father had never mentioned this to her, she had to remember to ask him about it.

“For a little bit when he was in high school, but I made him quit because it was too dangerous.” As this was true the real reason he had to quit was because his cancer had come back, and he was undergoing treatments. But she didn’t want to go into that with her granddaughter.

“That’s what mommy says, she doesn’t want Scout playing it and getting hurt.”

“How are you liking soccer?” The girls grandmother asked, she recalled her son telling about them enrolling her into soccer to help her socialize.

“Oh, I didn’t like it so my mom let me quit.”

“Well, do you have another activity that your interested in?”

“Nope.” Addie shook her head no. “There’s this book club at the library my friend showed me though.”

“That should be fun.” Maureen smiled happy to hear she was socializing, she knew how worried her son had been over it.

“They still haven’t scored?” Amelia asked as she came back sitting between her two children.

“Nope.” Scout popped the ‘p’. “They’re gonna lose.”

“Give them a chance they’ve got this.” Link optimistically smiled.

________________________________________

“Can you believe they won?!” Scout exclaimed excitedly as the group walked into the burger place.

“I told ya.” Link smiled picking his son up.

“It was quite impressive.” Eric agreed as they sat down at the table. “I think the Mariners have a good chance at making the playoffs at least.”

“I hope so.” Scout toothily grinned. After everyone got their food and started eating, Maureen spoke up realizing the neurosurgeon wasn’t quite eating.

“You feeling okay Amelia?”

“Yeah I’m okay.” She forcefully smiled pushing the fries around her plate.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Link put his hand on his wife’s thigh in attempt to comfort her, knowing she was probably feeling nauseous at this time of the night.

______________________________________

“You guys have made the best kids.” Maureen smiled as she stepped onto the porch where her son and daughter in law were.

“Thank you.” Amelia smiled as the woman sat next to her.

“It’s good that Addie is socializing. She’s told me she’s made a friend.”

“Yeah she has.” Link proudly smiled, he knew how much his daughter had struggled with making friends and was relieved she was starting to get more comfortable making friends. “She seems happier, she doesn’t get as overwhelmed when she’s put into a situation, but we’re still working on it.”

“Dad?” The three turned around to see Addison at the back door.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

“Can you tuck me in? I had a bad dream.”

“Of course.” He smiled picking his daughter up causing her to happily shriek.

“He’s the best dad.” Amelia said as she watched the pair walk back into the house.

“I’m so proud of him.” Maureen agreed, she was so happy she got to see her son be a father. She thought she’d never even see him grown up. The two sat in comfortable silence, listening to the noises around them until the older woman spoke up again. “When we’re you gonna tell me your pregnant again?”

“What?” Amelia asked her voice going an octave higher, but when realizing the woman believe her she confessed. “Yeah I am. It’s still early though.”

“Congratulations.” The woman smiled brightly excited to have another grandchild.

“Thanks.” Amelia basked in the slight breeze, she loved sitting outside to think. “How’d you know?”

“Your kidding right?” The woman laughed. “You were up nearly every twenty minutes at the baseball game to go to the bathroom, and at dinner I nearly thought you were going to throw up.”

“Yeah who was I kidding.” The neurosurgeon laughed along with her.

“Do the kids know?”

“Scouts over the moon excited, and Addie was upset at first but Scout’s helping her realize this is a good thing. He’s the best big brother.”

“He really is. Growing up my big brother meant everything to me.” Maureen confessed. “I think it’s one of the most important jobs.”

“It really is.” Amelia nodded think about her own brother who meant the world to her even if he wasn’t there anymore.

[amelink66world]

Love of my Life

Heyyy guys!! Checks out the new chapter! Kinda steamy ;)

Patience...or not?

It's been exactly 2 weeks since their date. They had gone on four more dates each one ending just like the first one, though the feeling of need only intensified with the next. Even the slightest touch ignited a fire inside them.

This going slow thing is too much!! I can't bear it anymore. I have to talk to her! I mean, she's killing me here. Ughh but I need to wait. This is what she wants and I can do anything for her. Sooo, suck it up, Atticus Lincoln. He groaned thinking why in the world did he agree to take things slow when he knew it would be too hard to control himself in her presence, especially when she looked sooo sexy all the time! It's like she was doing it on purpose!!! He walked towards the coffee cart, waiting for Amelia as usual. He chuckled, she's always late.

Meredith and Maggie tried their level best to mind their own business but Amelia was making it really very hard. This whole past week, she was in a pretty bad mood. You could hear her soft groans and grunts from time to time. Some head banging on the table was involved too. One time, Meredith had to cover Bailey's ear when his dearest Aunty Amelia came down the stairs cursing. Of course, she hadn't noticed the child in the living room before muttering those horrendous words not suitable for a child to hear.

Maggie probed and prodded her occasionally but she just wouldn't budge. Meredith finally snapped. "WHAT?!" They were carpooling to the hospital, as usual. Amelia looked up from her usual seat at the back, astonished. She was continuously sighing which annoyed the crap out of Meredith. Amelia asked, " What? What did I do? "

" Obviously something's bothering you, Amelia. We can't see you like this anymore. What is it? Just spit it out now! ," Meredith said indignantly.

" It's nothing," she muttered.

Maggie sighed. Curiosity was turning into exasperation. " You know, you can talk to us, right? We're here for you," she smiled. Amelia returned her smile and told her genuinely, " I'm just not ready to tell y'all about it. I'll tell you two at the right time. Don't worry about me." Meredith seemed convinced with her answer too and nodded before continuing driving.

SHIT! I'm late again. Link must be waiting for me. Ugghh, she groans way too loudly. Amelia rushed to the attendings' lounge and quickly changed into her scrubs. She hurried towards the coffee cart and could not spot Link anywhere. He didn't wait for me?! Oh yeah right,who am I kidding? I'm 20 minutes late! He can't wait for me forever. He has patients to see, Amelia thought sadly. Dejectedly she stood in line which was moving way too slow adding to her frustration.

What she didn't know was that Link had noticed her almost dashing towards the coffee cart and wanted to tease her a little bit. He just moved a few steps back and his behind a tree until she got in the line. This was his favourite pastime now, to rile Amelia up so much that she would be forced to break that "going slow" deal and crack under the pressure. He would always pull away just in the nick of time before things got too far, making her mad. He just loved it when she got mad. Her cheeks flushed deep red and her eyes burned with such fire and desire when she got angry that he had a hard time keeping himself in check. Obviously what he was trying to do had consequences too. He always had to adjust his clothing to get rid of the sudden tightness he felt after such nuances.

Amelia suddenly felt the oh so familiar fingers sliding up her arm and her back being pressed to a sturdy chest. " You like to make me wait, don't you?", he breathed in her ear. The obvious innuendo was not lost on her. She shivered. Okay. That's enough! Do I really need to hold on for soooo long?! I'll jump him RIGHT NOW! Uggghhh...but he turned it into a competition now. No backing out now, Amelia Shepherd.

Link very well knew what effect he had on her. He wanted her to know the ridiculousness of the deal. Deciding to play dirty, he started peppering her exposed neck with feather light kisses driving her mad. They were in the middle of the park, for crying out loud!! Amelia clutched his arms wrapped around her waist for support. She was trying so hard not to moan that it seemed to physically hurt her. Her nails dug into his skin but he didn't seem to mind. Finally satisfied with his work, he pulled back before softly kissing her cheek from her behind.

Breathless, Amelia opened her eyes and smiled at his goofy face. She then mock glared at him and whispered fiercely, " You'll pay for this, mister."

His face gleamed with a dazzling smile, "Oh, that's the whole plan all along. I'll definitely wait for it." He winked at her. She blushed deep red and hit his arm. Both of them laughed. They engaged in a deep conversation about their surgeries for the day and planned to watch movies together after their shifts.

As usual, Link ordered her coffee and paid. Amelia didn't even bother to protest, he just never listened.

Their hands were constantly bumping while walking towards the hospital. Neither of them noticed who held whose hand first. It just kept happening again and again. It became like a routine. Meeting each other first thing in the morning after reaching the hospital, walking back together, having lunch in the cafeteria, making out in the on-call room for several moments between surgeries and then occasionally him dropping her off to Mer's place after their shifts. This became like a routine. THEIR routine.

The elevator was partly empty by the time they entered. They were standing next to each other with his hand on her back when suddenly a large group of people entered the elevator together. It had suddenly become very crowded. To shield Amelia from the occasional bumping, he pulled her behind him at the back of the elevator and stood stoically in front of her. She stared at him with adoration for several long moments. She was utterly grateful for this man in her life. He is so damn thoughtful! I've never had someone thinking so selflessly about me. God, I love him.

Link always wanted to protect her from everything in the world. He had decided he would always be her shield and keep her away from ever getting hurt. She could always lean on him and find him in her corner. He was pulled out of his thoughts when he felt her soft fingers gently wrapped around his waist from behind and she hugged him. Link felt his heart burst with emotion and a gleeful smile framed his face. He slightly leaned back to reciprocate the hug and caressed her fingers with one hand.

They were locked into a tight embrace till the elevator cleared out and they reached the Neuro floor. Link pulled her from behind him and towards his body. He kissed her deeply before whispering, "Have a great day." Amelia sighed with delight and kissed his cheek before pulling back. "You too!" She then playfully ordered after getting out, "Miss mee!!" She heard his laughter as the doors closed. She was highly enjoying the hospital nowadays.

Four hours and two craniotomies later, Amelia was starving. She missed Link terribly and had texted him immediately after her surgery but there was no reply. Maybe he's in surgery. Pcchhhh. She wanted to meet Link. She loved having him around. She loved their conversations, their silences, their routine. She was content and didn't want to lose all of this. She knew it was too soon to feel like this, yet she had never felt like this in her entire life! This was not irrational and impulsive Tumor Amelia. This was new. Wait, love? Is it really love? It's too soon. Nope.

She went to the cafeteria and suddenly found her eyes wandering aimlessly. Where IS everybody?! Suddenly quite surprisingly there was no one in this freaking hospital for her to talk to. There was always someone. ALWAYS. People never seemed to mind their own business here. Everyone knew about everyone and everything. Privacy actually is a thing of the past here. Groaning she grabbed a cookie and went to the pit to look for some interesting. A surgery always helps, doesn't it?

Going to the pit proved to be fruitful. Well not like thaaat, if you know what I mean. Not that I want people to have injuries. Her patient needed an ortho consult stat before going into surgery. Luckily, Nico took over for him in the OR and he came for the consult. Amelia was really glad.

Accustomed with Link's plan of action, she had already ordered an MRI. She was trying to read the scans in the room when Link suddenly brushed past her moving to the screen just next to hers. Obviously, it was intentional. Amelia hid her smile and acted nonchalant. In reality, her skin was tingling where his skin brushed hers. A devious plan popped up in her head and she smirked. No one messed with Amelia Shepherd.

Acting serious, she deliberately brushed past his body and moved to his left. Link worked an eyebrow and looked down at where her skin touched his. He shrugged and concentrated on the scans. This happened again. And again. He smirked and tilted his head towards her. " What are you doing, Amelia? Is this your weird version of Tit for Tat, huh?," he asked with amusement.

Amelia feigned offence, " Hey! First of all, it's not weird. Second, what are you talking about?," she asked with innocence and blinked. He just squinted his eyes accusingly and looked down at her, trying to break her facade but she just shrugged and moved. AGAIN. This time, the scan Link was looking at suddenly interested her too much.

Unabashedly she moved to stand right in front of him and leaned back slightly. Link's breath hitched and his hand involuntarily moved towards her. But he stopped them just in time. He wanted to see how far she'd go even if that meant taking a very cold shower in the lounge afterwards. He could practically see her smirk from the back of her head! Oh this woman will be the death of me! She knows what she does to me. Everytime. He held in a breath.

Feigning interest in the upper part of the scan, she stood her tip toes and leaned back furthermore to trace her finger on the scan. This movement pushed her ass right into his groin. Notwithstanding any of this anymore, Link groaned and grabbed her waist tightly. He pulled her body snug towards him and breathed down her neck. " Well played, Amelia," he whispered seductively. Before he could start kissing down her neck, Amelia rotated her hips once before turning in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pushing her body towards him which he gladly accepted. She kissed along his jaw and moved to his neck before brushing her lips with his.

Wanting to dominate the kiss, Link deepened the kiss and softly bit her bottom lip. Several moments later, she pulled back and moved towards his neck. Her kisses ignited a fire inside his body and he pulled her towards him even more. His fingers played with the hem of her top. She slided her fingers to his hair and gently tugging his hair. He groaned and moved his hand inside her top. She sighed loudly and bit his earlobe before seductively whispering, "The ball was always in my court, mister." She tugged his hair once last time before completely pulling back, leaving him shocked and equally frustrated.

She was grinning triumphantly whilst adjusting her top, all the while maintaining eye contact with him. Link groaned in frustration, " Ameliaaaaa...nooo. You cannot do this to meee! ", he whined. Amelia only laughed and blew a kiss at him while moving towards the door. " Tit for Tat, baby. I...have surgery. And you obviously need to take care of...that," she pointed towards his lower half. Link looked down horrified and completely missed her disappearing in the hallway.

Her laugh echoed making him laugh at her feistiness. God, I love that woman. I promise, one day I'll marry her. This was what he totally loved about her, she never backed down from a challenge. He shook his head at her antics with a loving smile on his face and stared at the door for few long seconds and moved to look at the scans, all the while adjusting his pants which was almost impossible in the condition she left him in.

Amelia's surgery finished early and she decided to wait for Link. She had texted Link. She even texted Meredith informing her that she would arrive home late. Upon receiving double question marks from her, she texted her that she would explain later. Maggie was the only person apart from Jo who knew about them. People were getting to know about them but the word hadn't spread much. For that she was grateful. All of the hospital gossip was now directed towards Jackson which she did not mind. That's the least he can go through for dumping my sister the way that he did, she puffed her cheeks and rolled her eyes.

In the attendings' lounge, about twenty minutes later, Link came running. She looked up from her instagram and chuckled at his disheveled appearance, " I will never get how you can run so much." She shook her head. Link laughed and leaned close to her face, whispering hoarsely, " Got to keep myself in shape," he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Amelia stopped chucking and looked deep into his eyes.

Link pulled back and removed his scrub too right in front of her face, his torso directly in her immediate lone of vision. Amelia's eyes darkened at the sight and she gulped. She suddenly found herself drooling and wanted so badly to touch those damn sexy abs. Her eyes patiently roamed his bare figure before meeting his eyes. He was enjoying it thoroughly. He was observing her face the whole time and smirked proudly. Her hungry, dark orbs met his playful, blue ones. They stared at each other for several long moments. His smirk grew even more and he flexed his pecks once before breaking eye contact and moving towards his cubby.

Amelia gulped and tried to calm her nerves. When did it get so hot in here?! She wanted to fan her face at the sight of his bare back but caught ahold of herself. She was ogling him shamelessly and she was painfully cognizant that he was aware of this fact. But she didn't care. That man is beautiful! It would be a shame not to stare at such a gorgeously sculpted man. But only I can stare! No one else. And why is he taking so long to change?!

" What?!," she shouted pointedly. She looked at him accusingly. Link turned around with pure innocence, " What?," he blinked like a child.

" Do it fast !"

" Do what fast?," he prompted feigning confusion. But he could not trick her.

" We're getting late. Change faster, Link!," she was getting really aroused and could not trust herself any longer. She even pointed her finger at him for extra measure. Link hid his smile and raised his arms in surrender. Suddenly he possessed the speed of lightning and was ready to leave in no time. He smirked and shrugged proudly.

Amelia shook her head and rolled her eyes at his petulance, " Couldn't you have done that sooner? " Link only laughed in response and took her hand in his.

They silently left the hospital and drove in Link's car. They were each telling how their day was when he pulled the car to a movie rental store. It was already late so they figured that they would rent a movie and watch at his place with pizza and popcorn. Each selected a movie of their choice, Amelia a rom-com and Link a superhero movie. Both of them laughed at the cliche an proceeded to get the pizza.

Amelia had spent the night at his place before so she already had extra clothes there. Link changed into his boxers and a loose tshirt while Amelia was in the washroom, freshening up. He laid put her pajamas on the bed before going to the kitchen to warm the pizza. He even prepared the popcorn and proceeded to keep the food on the on the sofa. He got comfortable by the time she arrived. He turned his head in her direction and felt the wind knocked out of his chest.

She had never looked sexier to him. She was wearing nothing but his old Mariners tshirt which was triple her size and hanged loosely on her body. It didn't even reach mid-thigh !! Her long, slim legs were completely bare and he had a hard time trying to concentrate on something other than her legs. Amelia dressed in his clothes made her ten times sexier. God, this woman surprises me every time! How does she expect me hold back when she's dressed like that?! Ugghh, Ameliaaaa. He silently groaned when she nonchalantly sat close to him and stretched her legs on the table in front. His eyes just could not leave her legs!

She snatched the remote from his lap and showed him a 'V' sign. She grinned and played her movie. Link stared at her, mesmerised. How can a person be so beautiful, both in and out?! She is the cutest human being on the planet. Wanting to feel her close to him, he pulled her close. He wrapped arm around her and she laid her head comfortably on his shoulder. They had their pizza while watching the movie. Well, Amelia watched the movie whereas Link watched her. He admired her completely and placed an impromptu kiss on her head.

Suddenly he reached into the pizza box only to find that one slice was left. Amelia had reached for a slice at the same time and their hands bumped. Both of them looked at each other with determination willing the other to back out. Amelia was quick to react though. She snatched the box and took off running. Link was both amused and determined to win at the same time. He followed her in the whole apartment and their laughter could be heard from a mile away.

Link was amazed. For such a petite person, she sure could run very fast. Her lack of clothing did not help his case either. His arousal was increasing by the minute. He followed her into the kitchen and it was now his turn to think quicker. He successfully trapped her between the kitchen counter and his body. Amelia tried to wiggle away but her efforts went in vain. He squinted his eyes and mock threatened her, " Give me the box, Amelia."

Defiance ran in her veins. " Nope. The slice is mine." She moved to open the box but before she could do that, Link pinned her hand behind her. The atmosphere in the room rapidly changed. Suddenly highly aware of their proximity, Amelia looked into his eyes only to find them dark with desire. Amelia wanted to melt at the hungry look he was giving her. I just don't want to wait anymore!

Link pushed himself closer to her to gauge her reaction. But she was visibly panting thereby encouraging him. He pried the pizza box from her hand and place it behind her on the counter, never once breaking the eye contact. His eyes fluttered closed and he inched his face closer but when he was only centimeters away from her lips, she whispered, " Link..."

Thinking she's asking him to stop so that they could take things slow, Link pulled back slightly but didn't remove his hands from her body. He desperately whined, " Please don't ask me to stop, Amelia. Screw 'taking this slow'. I don't want to take things slow with you, Amelia. I'm all in. Do you hear me? All in. And I really, really like you. So let's just please forget about that. I really wanna feel you close to me. It's been too long, Amelia and I miss you! Also, how do you even expect me control myself while you waltz in the room wearing nothing but MY tshirt looking so damn sexy that I couldn't remove my eyes from you! You're killing me here, woman," he groaned.

Amelia stopped his rant by putting a finger to his lips. She then cupped his cheeks and made him look into her eyes. She smiled widely at him and whispered seductively, " Shut up, Link and just kiss me already! " Link looked at her with astonishment before grinning mischievously and picking her up in his arms. He placed her on the counter. He pried her legs open and stood between them.

The tshirt rode way up exposing her creamy thighs. Link ran his hands up her thighs and groaned, " God, you're sooo sexy, Amelia." She moaned and pulled him in by his tshirt for a bruising kiss. It had been too long. There was no stopping them now.

Their tongues were battling for dominance. Link wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled body close to his. Amelia played with the hem of his tshirt and pulled it above his head, momentarily breaking the kiss. Link used this opportunity to his advantage and completely dominated the kiss this time. He was hungrily kissing, biting, nipping and licking her lips. Amelia desperately groaned and held onto his shoulders with dear life. That kiss was single handedly capable of making her cum!

He moved down to her neck and pulled his tshirt down to fully expose her left shoulder. Amelia tilted her head to give him more access which he gladly accepted. He slid her right hand up her body and grabbed her breast. She moaned loudly and tugged his hair with her fingers. She bucked her hips forward in desperate need of friction. He was palming her breast through the tshirt. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him even more towards her.

He pulled back slightly only to remove her, rather, his tshirt from her body. He blatantly stared at her, taking her in, mesmerized. She was not wearing a bra underneath!! She definitely wanted to kill me tonight! She had given him enough time to start at her body and couldn't wait any longer. She pulled him down and kissed him fiercely. She ran her hand down his torso along his strong abs. Oh, I wanted to touch them for soooo long! Wanting to completely devour her, he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist whilst he carried her towards the bedroom, never once breaking the kiss.

He sat on the edge of the bed with her sitting on his lap. He squeezed her cheeks pulling her further towards him. Both of them groaned. Amelia pushed him down on the bed and straddled him. She leaned down to whisper in his ear, " No more of this 'taking things slow' crap. I'm all in, too. And just by the way... I like you a lot too, Atticus Lincoln." She grinned down at him. Her words pulled at his heart strings and he quickly changed their positions. He pinned her arms above her head and smirked down at her, "That's good, Amelia Shepherd. That's the nicest thing I've ever heard," before diving in.

Author's Note:

Heyyy guysss!!! Sorry for being AWOL for soooo long. I don't even know what came over me when I took such a long break. Huuhh, writing again is so refreshing! I missed all of my readers!

This is a brand new chapter for you. I hope you really, really it ;))) Again, I apologize for the delay in updating this story. ( please don't hit me, guys 😅🙈 )

Anyway, don't forget to vote and do drop some comments! I just looovee reading your comments. They encourage me so freaking much! Thank you guys for all the love!❤ I surely don't deserve so much. Next chapter will be up in a few days. Until then.

[starthefoxhound]

Choices

Fandom: Mass Effect

Characters: Nezon Raenik

July 22, 2184 Omega

There were some days, Nezon reflected, when your life seemed like it was going in in one direction, and then it got completely turned around in the course of a few hours. This was the second of those days he'd experienced in the 14 years he'd been alive. He stood in the middle of the main living space of his apartment on Omega, his eyes traveling from the painting of one of the oceans on Sur'kesh that hung over one if his two couches, to the boxes of Calis's mech parts stacked against the wall where he'd shoved them out of the way only the previous night, apologizing to Atticus for his brother's mess as he did so. How long ago that felt now.

He remembered the day he and Calis got this apartment just over two years ago, a few weeks after their arrival on Omega, and their forced recruitment into Eclipse. There was no point in continuing to live out of their tiny starship after it became clear they were staying. So they'd sold the ship, and used the credits to start their new life as mercenaries. That day he'd stood in this exact spot, wearing his new Eclipse armor, trying to accept that the dreams he had for his life were coming to an end.

Now Nezon wasn't sure what direction his life was going anymore. His time with Eclipse was at an end. Soon enough the word would be out that he'd turned on Diizra. Would the other members of Eclipse care enough to do anything about it? Nezon wasn't planning to stick around and find out. This was probably the last time he would ever stand in this apartment.

When he left the apartment earlier that day with Atticus and Calis, everything had been simpler. They were going to meet up with the rest of the group, and Diizra, and drive some batarian slavers from one of their bases. And they'd done all that, except then after the fight, Diizra had turned on Lani. Because Lani was an Ardat-Yakshi.

Before meeting Lani, the only thing that Nezon knew about the Ardat-Yakshi were the stories Diizra told him. She said they were nothing but monsters, addicted to killing, who would, if not contained, travel the galaxy leaving a trail of bodies in their wake. When she pulled Nezon aside earlier and told him that Lani was one of those monsters, and she needed his help bringing her in, Nezon hadn't been able to connect the monsters in Diizra's stories to the friend he'd spent the last few days fighting alongside, the friend who took a big risk rescuing him from a warehouse of batarian slavers. He told Diizra that. Maybe if he could just make her understand.

"Remember if you ever betray me, I will kill you," Diizra had said two years ago when she'd given him the choice that wasn't really a choice. "Join Eclipse, or I'll kill you and your brother."

She liked to remind him of that. His life, his brother's life, she could decide to take them anytime she wanted. But she wouldn't, because Nezon had skills she wanted. He was useful to her, as long as he remained loyal to her. And her mother had influence in Eclipse. Nezon had never actually met her, but Diizra liked to talk about her, just another threat if he betrayed her or tried to run. So he didn't do either of those things. He did what Diizra told him to do. Until now.

When Lani and Atticus interrupted his conversation with Diizra, Diizra insisted that Lani turn herself in to the asari government, or she would turn her in. Another choice that really wasn't a choice at all. From what Lani said, if the asari commandos caught her, they would kill her.

But Diizra wouldn't back down. She would report Lani. She insisted that Nezon would do exactly what she said. And then Atticus had asked that question. "Do you want to be in Eclipse?"

Did he want to be in Eclipse? Did he want to continue to follow the one who'd forced him to join the mercenary gang? Did he want to listen to her even if it meant he had to betray his new friends? If it meant he had to betray Atticus? There was no doubt in Nezon's mind which choice he had to make. He'd lived with Diizra's threat hanging over him these last two years, but in that moment she was outnumbered, she wasn't in control. And even if that wasn't the case, Nezon would rather die than see the look on Atticus's face if he sided with Diizra.

"No."

And that one word changed everything.

Nezon didn't regret it. He'd never wanted to be in Eclipse. And if Diizra, or Eclipse, wanted to devote their energy to hunting him and Calis down, he had a feeling their new friends would stand beside them.

His omni-tool pinged, telling him he had a new message. Lani wanted to know if he had any furniture in his apartment that they could use on their ship. A small smile crossed Nezon's face. He was leaving this apartment behind, but he had another place to go.  The ship wasn’t as nice his apartment, but the people were certainly better than the ones he’d spent the last two years working with.

Nezon looked forward to leaving Omega. He wanted to take down those batarian slavers, not for Eclipse, but for his new friends.  He wanted to travel the galaxy with Atticus.

[msiopao]

The One Where the Moon Became a Witness

pairing: sera x jeno

summary: in the middle of a blackout and dead phones, they danced to the music from her box in the dark with light from the moon streaming in through the window

for christmas, the members all respectively went to their homes with Renjun and Chenle going back to China and the rest to their families, but 2 remain. The parents of the two decided to take vacations without their children since they were told to warn their families that they might not make it back home for the holidays. But it was proven wrong as they were free and now, had no family to go to.

One was in a cruise while the other was in a vacation to make up for a previously cancelled anniversary trip.

Refusing the other members’ wish to stay with them, they slightly regretted the decision at the empty dorm and the silence that filled every crevice.

Sera sat on the couch with Haikyuu playing in the TV but she was barely paying attention, instead focusing on her phone with her fingers typing rapidly and her brows furrowed together. Her brothers were all in college and they too, were without their parents. At least, they had each other and met up in New York. 

...

elliot: why couldn’t you just have taken a plane here

mika: its only 15 hours

sera: ‘iTs oNLy 15 hOUrS’

sera: fool get off crack

elias: we dont want you here anyways 😤

sera: i will actually fite your face

atticus: its literally christmas eve

atticus: would it kill you to be nice for a few days

sera: hmm,,, suddenly mom appeared in the chat

mika: can you video later

mika: we usually celebrate the first few hours of christmas together

elliot: we wouldnt need to do that if finny was here

sera: lit rally just say you miss me

elliot: yall hear sum

elias: SLDKFJAELLIOT

sera: that unfair

sera: i dont have a twin to clown you with

elliot: god has his favorites and its obviously not you

mika: stop arguing

mika: its annoying having to swipe up when i just want to play my game

sera: jeez, mik, why you so pissy for

atticus: elias used up all the hot water

sera: imagine being pissy for taking a cold shower

sera: you shouldnt be unfamiliar with it since you used to take one every morning right, brother mikhail sir?

elias: KSDFJ;ASDKLGHKLDSFJIMSCREAMING

elliot: GET REKT HYUNG

mika: GOD SERAFINA SHUT UP

atticus: one christmas

atticus: one peaceful christmas was what i want

...

jeno noticed her soft smile and he approached her, holding 2 mugs full of hot chocolate and marshmallows topped with whipped cream. Exactly how she liked it. A giggle escaped from her and she turned to look at him as she felt the cushion beside her sink due to the weight placed on it. She smiled gratefully at him and moved to hold her cup so he could safely hold his.

“Do you miss them?” He asked, noticing the name of her oldest brother’s name pop up. 

With a wistful look, she nodded and blew on the hot liquid. “Yeah. Even though I want to see them, we only have 3 days of break so its not worth flying back and forth.”

Jeno wrapped an arm around her shoulder, gently pulling her close. His eyes trained on the ball that flew around the court in the show and he felt her laugh when the orange-haired boy missed the ball.

“Ah, no!” She whined with a laugh at the face of the boy.

Continuing to watch the banter between 2 characters, they grew silent as they became focused and interested at the show and the speech that a character was giving. She soaked in every word since it reminded her and Dream but then it went blank.

Everything went dark and the soft glow from the street light came through the window beside the TV to give them a way to see things a little bit clearer. Jeno felt her tense form and with the help of the slight light, he gently pried the cup off of her hands and placed both of their mugs on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Ah, we have a blackout,” Jeno said. Sera nodded and she moved to turn on the flashlight from her phone only for it to blink ‘1%’ in red. 

Cursing at the worst timing, she turned it off and placed it to the side since it was no use anymore. “Jeno, can we use your phone?” 

With a sheepish look, he sent her a lop-sided smile. “You see, I played my game too much and I just plugged it in earlier. It might not have a lot of charge in it. I can go get it?”

“Oh, it’s okay. We just need it to tell the boys we have a blackout and in case they need to get ahold of us,” she reasoned as he stood up to get it from his room and coming back with it on hand.

They sat in silence, even the sound of birds disappeared and was replaced with eerie quietness which was very unfamiliar to the dorm. This might be the first time the walls heard such silence after they moved in.

“The light is hurting my eyes,” Jeno mumbled before taking off his glasses and rubbing his eyes.

“Do you want to go in my room? My string lights are battery operated so it’s not turned off. It’s very bright,” she suggested. He nodded and they padded over to her room at the end of the hall.

Jeno has been in her room millions of times so it wasn’t unfamiliar territory and he even noticed his hoodie hanging on her chair.

“There it is!” He pointed at the missing material he was just looking for a few days ago.

Sera smiled guiltily and placed her hands up. “Sorry,” she apologized.

“Nah, it’s okay. I just thought I lost it. You can keep it,” he reassured before jumping on her bed. “It’s so not fair you got a soft bed.”

She rolled her eyes before climbing on it beside him. “What are you talking about? Jaemin has the softest. This isn’t that comfortable.”

Jeno turned his head to look at her and his ears turned red as admired the way the bright lights against the wall illuminated her face and made her eyes brighter than they usually were. It almost made it look like she was glowing.

Sera noticed his stare and looked at him curiously. “Hm? Something on my face?”

He snapped out of it and his smile reached his eyes, turning it to crescents. “No. I just like the lights.”

For a 30 minutes, they just talked about absolute nonsense and old memories to past time since they couldn’t use his phone for entertainment. Then the string up lights flickered slightly that went unnoticed by the two.

“God, Chenle almost killed Renjun. Thank god you were able to hold him back,” Sera laughed at the memory.

Jeno shook his head with a smile when he remembered the unpleasant time that Renjun spilled a little bit of paint on his apple watch. “Honestly, he could’ve just gotten a new one. It didn’t help that you pointed it out in the first place.”

“Yah, if I didn’t, Jisung would’ve. There was a big blob of blue in the screen of his watch. Who wouldn’t notice that?” She defended and tightened her hold of his middle.

“Okay, okay,” he chuckled and was about to say something when for the second time that day, they were covered in darkness again.

“Really, God absolutely hates me right now,” she muttered harshly. “Chenle took all of that good luck with him. I told him to leave that jade bracelet here.”

Jeno knew about her slight fear of the dark because she slept with the lights on everyday and it’s been probably a while since she changed the batteries. 

“You stay here while I go get some batteries and a flashli-”

“No, don’t leave me.” She stopped him from sitting up with a hand on his arm. 

Jeno saw her slight wide eyes and nodded before laying back down. His brain racked up ways to comfort and keep her entertained but he came blank. Turning his head to the side, he looked around her room with blurry eyes and he found the small box that she had on top of her dresser.

“I have an idea,” he said. “But I need to get up, love. Will you let me go get it?”

She nodded and he smiled softly before standing up and crossing the room to grab the circular object. Sera sat up and saw the familiar outline of her great-grandmother’s music box that was given to her right before she died.

Jeno gently wound the box and opened the lid, hearing the soft melody of an unknown song and watching the dancing of the 2 figures. He placed it on her nightstand and he held his hand out to her.

“May I have this dance, m’lady?” He asked. Sera wasn’t able to answer properly since the moon hit behind him so perfectly that it looked like he was an angel and she still cannot believe someone as gorgeous and perfect like Jeno was her best friend.

“I-Um,, Yes.” 

In their pajamas and socks, the two people danced slowly, moving side to side. Their eyes were closed as they slowly got lost into their own world. The soft music from the box filled the room and she could feel his heartbeat as her head rested on his chest and her arms were loosely around his neck. Jeno’s hold of her waist tightened when she moved closer to his warm form.

“Thanks, Jen.” Her gratitude made a smile appear in his face and he kissed the top of her head.

“I can feel your heartbeat,” she mumbled against the cloth.

“Hm? Can you really?” He asked, smile growing wide.

“Yea,” she answered. “Hey, Jen?”

“Hm?”

“I love your smile the most.” 

The declaration took him aback. “W-Well, thanks?”

Sera smiled at his awkward stutter and continued on. “It reminds me of the moon. When you smile, it just lights up everything else. Like the moon in the sky. It gives purpose and comfort that there is light in the midst of darkness. And your eyes. They scrunch up like moon crescents. That’s my favorite hour of the moon.”

“I love your smile, too.” He giggled and there was something different in the atmosphere.

She opened her eyes and saw the digital clock flash a red ‘12:05′. “Look, it’s Christmas.”

Jeno moved his head and he swears he could see faint snowflakes. “Oh? It is.”

“I guess I got my wish then,” she hummed happily. 

“What?”

“I wanted God to let me spend Christmas with someone I love,” she revealed and looked up to meet his eyes. “It wasn’t just a coincidence that you happened to have to stay here too.”

He brushed away strands of her hair that rested on her face before patting her hair. “Stuff happens for a reason.”

“When I came to Korea, you and Jaemin were the only ones I had. But now, I have 18 people with me. I’m very thankful for everything but I think meeting you is the one I’m most thankful for.”

The confession might’ve been spawned as she got more tired and sleepy but he thinks that she’s probably wanted to say that for a while.

“I’m here for you, Sera. I’ve been here from the start and I’ll be here till the end.” Jeno reassured and she hugged him tighter with a content sigh.

His promise is only heard by the 4 walls of her room and remembered by the two of them but it signifies a new beginning and the creation of a deeper bond and the only witness was the moon.

And it thought this was beautiful.

a/n: this was lowkey cute but it didnt turn out the way i wanted it to :(

[illegalsouniverse]

Atticus & Echo: Intro

Seventy Nines buzzed with a vibrant energy, a commodity that was slowly on the decline as the war continued onwards into what felt like oblivion. But this place was .  . . an escape. That was probably the best term for it.

     The pounding music, the intensity of the flashing lights, it almost mirrored an illusion of the battlefield, and yet . . . it was treated entirely the opposite way, with a calming environment where soldiers could relax and let loose. Instead of ducking for cover, clones could lounge about and leisurely sip their drinks as they absorbed the pulsing noise rather than try to hide from them.

     That’s where most of the 501st now resided. Sitting together in a cramped booth, Fives found himself and his batchmate Echo wedged between Jesse and Kix while Rex was perched at the head of the table in a single chair he’d pulled to the table for himself. Not a moment later did Hardcase come scampering back to their table, Fives and Kix’s refiled drinks clutched between his jittery hands along with his own. Once placed on the table Fives quickly snatched his half-empty drink before his vod could spill anymore, making a mental note to send Kix to retrieve their next round considering the medic’s infamously steady hands.

     Over the loud music, Jesse muttered some kind of joke that caused Echo to chuckle, but over the ecstatic music, Fives couldn’t quite make out what he said.

     His attention was caught when Rex swiveled around in his chair, clearly catching sight of someone at the packed bar nearby, the Captain’s face immediately lightening up. “Hey, boys!” He cheered, barely turned in their direction as he addressed them, “there’s someone here I want you to meet!”

     With that, Rex cupped both hands over his mouth and shouted loudly over the thumping beat; “Atty!”

     Fives caught sight of a head swiveling towards their direction at the shout of the name. A short woman of surprisingly strong build, with dark brown locks tucked into two high buns that sat at the top of her head. She wore a pair of baggy-yet-classy pants that Fives thinks was meant to be some kind of fashion statement that she actually pulled off rather well. Her eyes seemed to catch onto the collection of half-kitted blue armor and a familiar blonde clone that made a friendly smile cross her lips as she started towards them.

     Fives turned his head to share a curious glance with his brother, but was shocked to see Echo’s eyes remained completely and utterly stationary on the approaching stranger. Fives knew that look in his vod’s eyes before that woman even reached within a ten feet of their table. And something foreign churned in his stomach when he glanced back at the charming smile that came nearer and nearer — the kind of smile that, with the more you looked at it, felt like a loth-wolf smiling at its next meal.

      Distrust, that was the sickly feeling that was beginning to brew inside him. He didn’t trust her, and he didn’t even know her name.

     Fives opted to remain quiet as he watched her come up next to Rex, placing a friendly hand on the Captain’s shoulder as she greeted them with a, “Hiya boys!” Based on her accent, she wasn’t from Coruscant, but with their vast galaxy that didn’t tell Fives too much.

      “Gentlemen,” Rex said, the word half a taunt, half a warning. “This here is Medical Officer Atticus Titan, she’s just been reassigned from the 212th to the 501st.”

     “Nice to meet you all,” She wiggled her fingers as she continued to beam that blindingly clever smile. “I’ve heard quite a few things about you lot.”

     Jesse, who was sitting on the opposite side of her cocked a brow, asking, “What kind of things?”

     Atticus pressed her lips together, as if concealing a giggle as she replied, “Let’s just say the only thing General Kenobi told me when signing off my transfer papers was “Good luck.””

     That elicited a chuckle from everyone at the table, so Fives forced a smile to his lips, although beneath it his doubts only continued to swirl.

     She glanced down at Rex, who had placed a gentle hand on her back, telling him, “I better rejoin my group,” Rex nodded in understanding, and Fives watched cautiously as she bent down and whispered something in the Captain’s ear that made his face go rigid for a second, but an expression he covered almost as quickly as he showed it.

     He could see Jesse and Kix share a suspicious look at the exchange, mind following the same track as Fives. They hadn’t missed how Rex called her “Atty”, a clear nickname for her first name. The lack of professionalism in how he addressed her was rather telling, and the table quickly came to the same conclusion. That this Atticus and their Captain were possibly — oh, how did Hardcase so wisely put it . . ? Ah, yes. “Scrubbing his blaster together.” That was how he put it. 

     When Atticus stood up straight again, she flashed another brilliant smile as she bid them a, “Have a good night, boys!” before walking back to where she’d come from.

     “I requested him to join the 501st a whole cycle ago,” Rex explained to them, “He’s the best damn medic I know.”

     They ignored Kix’s slightly offended scoff, instead focusing on Fives’s next question, ““He”? I thought you said “she”?”

     Rex shook his head, “Atticus is gender fluid,” he began to explain, “His terms change. Sometimes he feels more feminine, other times more masculine, his pronouns change with it.” Fives realized that must have been what he’d whispered in Rex’s ear.

     Hardcase’s brow creased, “How do you know when he changes? Doesn’t that get difficult?”

     “Not if you’re a di’kut about it,” Rex scolded as Hardcase received a smack to the back of his head by Kix next to him. “Atticus is pretty understanding, he’ll correct you if you make a mistake, but won’t get pissed or anything. And usually the more time you spend with him, the easier it is to tell on your own.”

     Jesse arched an eyebrow as he glanced over at Titan, who was now standing by the bar again, laughing at something some fellow clone from the 187th had said to him. “You’ve been spending a lot of time around ‘em then, Captain?”

     When their eyes fell back on Rex, and even under the warm hued lights they couldn’t miss the scarlet that painted his tan cheeks.

     Kix arched an eyebrow as well (a seemingly common trait in the Fett genes) asking Rex, “You hit that, Captain?”

     Rex rolled his eyes, but his blush did not fade. “No need to be so crude, vod.”

     “So you did hit that,” Hardcase summed, and when Rex failed to answer, their small table erupted in a series of proud cheers and encouraging pounds on the table.

     “Alright, alright,” Rex cut off their celebrations in his honor with a quick wave of his arms, bringing his brothers to silence again. “It was a while ago, it’s been over for some time now.”

     That’s when Echo spoke up for the first time, Fives nearly jumping out of his skin, completely forgetting about his batch mate sitting next to him. “What happened?” he asked quietly, the timidness to his voice almost completely earned him his name. Fives knew why he was so shy about his inquiries into this Atticus, and he didn’t like it one bit.

     Rex took a sip of his drink as he shrugged. “We kinda just fiddled out. We agreed we were probably better as friends.”

     “And are you?” Kix asked curiously, Rex giving him a taunting glare.

     “Do I look overly heartbroken to you?” Rex shot back, making Jesse shrug in response.

     “No more then usual,” That evoked another laugh from the 501st, however Fives found it harder to focus on their continuing conversations as his suspicious gaze continued to trail Atticus across the 79s for nearly the rest of the night. He didn’t like him, he was an unknown.

     Who was Atticus Titan?

     Atticus didn’t like being drunk.

     Okay, that wasn’t entirely true. He didn’t like not being drunk enough.

     The occasional taste of burning liquor that caused your senses to tingle and your chest to lighten was fine. And the times where you consume an entire bar until your mind acts on impulse and you can finally just let go, that is also fine. But it’s the in between that he so often found himself caught in that he loathed the most. Not being drunk enough to actually be fun, and not sober enough to be thinking straight. That’s when your mind takes the worst turns, and the darkest plunges. And boy, did he have some dark alleys to turn down.

     Shaking off the oppressive hopelessness that tried to plague his mind, Atticus managed to open up the door to his small apartment that sat just on the border of lower and upper Coruscant. Inconspicuous, and he liked to keep it that way.

     Shrugging off his jacket and hanging it up with shaking hands, his deep sigh was cut off by the loud pinging of his personal holocommunicator, the noise only seeming more annoying in his not-nearly-intoxicated-enough state. Fishing it out as fast as he could, he stepped into the middle of the living room before answering it.

     And the cold, brutal eyes that appeared sobered him up faster than any bucket of ice water and stim pack ever could.

     His head dropped quickly in submission as he greeted the hologram with a timid, “Count Dooku.” The bow of the head felt wrong, it fell against every ideal Atticus had ever held for himself before then, but the fear that raked across his body easily drowned out any sense of defiance that might still linger.

     “Titan,” the old man replied, his cold voice filled with such a pretentious tone, as if he were speaking to a mere insect. (Perhaps in his mind, he was.) “What have you to report?”

      Atticus didn’t dare lift his head as he replied, “Nothing as of yet, Count. I’ve just been assigned to the 501st–”

     “You haven’t failed to get close to the clone Captain Rex, have you?”

     Atticus caught the inside of his cheek between his teeth, gnawing nervously as he tried to summon an explanation, finally replying with a quiver in his voice, “N-No, Count. It’s–It’s complicated–”

     “Complicated how?” Count interrupted yet again, the venom in his voice only growing, “Your mission is a simple one. I do not have to remind you of the consequences should you fail, do I?”

     Atticus shook his head furiously, “N-No, Count, no. I got close to Rex, as you ordered, but we, uh . . . I wasn’t yielding enough results from our relationship, so, I-I’ve decided on a new approach–”

     “What kind of approach?” Dooku huffed impatiently.

     “I-I have been assigned to the 501st,” Atticus explained, “General Skywalker’s Battalion. Perhaps there I can work my way up the ranks and–”

     “This was a dangerous change of pace, Titan, that could compromise your whole mission.”

     Atticus’s head dipped lower in submission, his lip quivering as he tried to muster all the courage he had to reply, “I-It won’t, Count, I promise.”

     “It better not,” the Sith snarled, “For your sake . . . and for the sake of your brother. His livelihood depends on your actions.”

     Atticus tried his best to prevent the tear that threatened to spill at the mention of his little brother, “I-I understand Count . . .” His mind battled for a moment before daring to ask, “M-May I see him, p-please–”

     Count Dooku did not answer his question, instead warning, “Do not fail me, Titan,” before cutting off the transmission, and leaving Atticus alone in the dark.

     The holocommunicator slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor loudly, but it fell on deaf ears as his heart pounded against his chest, the wave of emotions he had fought so strongly to keep at bay breaking through like a tsunami against an already bulging floodgate.

     He didn’t know when his knees gave out, just that when they made painful contact with the floor, it barely registered as he slumped forward, forehead colliding forward as he began to sob into the carpet.

     He . . . he was so afraid. What was he going to do? What if he failed? What if he was caught? The Republic would kill him, at the very least . . . and his little brother, who he’d been looking out for the past ten years since their parents were killed . . . he had already failed him. He couldn’t let him die, he won’t.

     Perhaps cutting things off with Rex had been a mistake, but it was a moment of weakness. He let himself get wrapped up in feelings, and instead of doing what a proper spy should do and continue to exploit that man’s emotions, he’d let him go.

      Stupid, foolish, idiotic, Atticus caught himself scoulding himself internally. Your brother will die if you don’t get it together.

      But, Maker, he was just so scared. And . . . and so alone.

     No, he won’t let it happen. He wasn’t alone as long as his brother was still out there. He was going to save him, finish what Dooku wanted and take him home. Atticus wouldn’t give up, he couldn’t.

     And he won’t.

[paralysis-comic]

yourocsbackstory week 1: parents

|| @yourocsbackstory​ ||

gettin this in niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice and early. tw for vaguely implied child abuse

Baby Blues Act 1, or Gina Takes A Deep Dive

You’ve come to use the phrase “my dad” interchangeably for them both now.

As always, you’re never sure how confusing it is for anyone who’s not, for example, John or Diane; but you maintain that the word for man who raised you and man who (allegedly) had a part in creating you are, at least in English, one and the same. ‘Stepdad’ sounds a bit…

Uptight?

Stilted?

Crass?

No, you reserve stepdad for teachers and police officers. Or – in times where you feel the need to throw all mention of long-dead folks out the window and focus on the more-recently-dead – when mum’s boyfriend is too many syllables to fit into one conc- ah.

No, no, put it down. No, on the sofa. Now stand up. Never mind if you look like Bambi on the ice, no one’s here. Mum’s at work, Dad’s in America, fuck knows where John is, Dad’s in America, remember? Not identifying bodies, not being questioned, not (FUCK!!!!!!) holding this in front of you.

Now stand up.

Pick it up.

Sit down.

Breathe.

Actually, no, get the other one.

You’ve never properly looked through it.

What did you come here for again?

The first one is a bit tatty. That’s how it’s always been. Black, red corners, looks like a photo album you’d see on TV, like in The Simpsons or something. Wait, isn’t that how something from 90’s America should look?

On the inside cover, a tiny “1980-1999” in the top left corner, a normal-sized “To Mimi & Nate, happy anniversary!!!! love Glad & Atticus” (ugh) and a large cut-out message of general condolence that you never bother to read.

And on the first page, before the album proper, two portrait photos taped in.

On the left, in black and white, a thin teenage boy in a suit, and an old lady in a long dress and headscarf. You flip it up, as careful as you’re physically able. There’s some Russian on the back, then some Welsh in the same handwriting. You know neither. Shit. Fuck– And below it, what looks to be the English counterpart:

Just after Sam’s Bar Mitzvah. Never went to another one. Only photo I’ve got of her. D x

You wish you’d had a Bar Mitzvah. Ceri did, but Auntie Lettice didn’t let you go.

Ceri still keeps asking you why.

You bite your nail. God, if you get this emotional over every one, you’ll be here forever. And you can’t even remember why you got them down in the first place. The one on the right, in full 90’s colour, that’s your dad and some guy you don’t know. No one’s told you about him yet. He’s sitting on your dad’s lap, attempting to drum, like you used to do to Charles. It looks professionally done, like a photo of Queen. Blurry hands in the foreground and all. Oh, you never noticed Cadz there at the piano. Adorable.

Theres a note under it. All in English, thank fuck.

Hello boys, found this when I was rummaging around in Mikey’s room, thought you’d like to have it. Give my love to Althea and the kids. Love from Sue xxx

You have never heard those names in your life, although now you’re never sure what you mean by that. It may well be that you and John (and Beth and Gel and Ronnie and Llew and Renée and Meic (and Hector)) have been sat down and told all of this in great detail. You try not to let the name Sue get in your head. You try and think nice thoughts. You don’t have a lot of nice thoughts at this time of year.

You’re not fussed with most of these. You were once, before the novelty of having one very famous, very dead parent wore off for the second time.

The ones at the beginning, you got bored of those ages ago. There’s only so many times you can see a photo on tumblr and still want to reblog it. @fuckyeahgoosnargh never got back to you when you told her to take them down. You like the way their hair looks — Cadz in pigtails, your dad with a vague approximation of Brian May. Reminds you of you, in a mad way.

Some more early ones. The three of them, the four of them, the funeral, the three of them again.

Then a few from gigs. They don’t impress you much. Sure, Cadz is a serviceable musician – he did give you your first banjo, after all – but as a frontman? Come on. And you wish they’d have focused in on one of the others; between the aggressive drummer with black greasepaint over his eyes (still in a suit, by the way) and the tiny guitarist in drag (think John Travolta, not Ru Paul), you can see why you and John turned out the way you did.

The ones in the graveyard are your favourite. Most of them are in black and white, which you’re not a fan of, but there’s one of the whole band, in colour: your dad, Cadz, the woman with the drawn on eyebrows, that Mikey guy, your other dad (he had drawn on eyebrows as well in those days, and his hair was straightened and slicked back), and some other bloke. He kinda looks like your dad but with real eyebrows. Maybe thats the Uncle Gaylord that Nana was on about. He’s not in any of the other photos. Gotta ask her what happened to him next time you see her. If you see her.

Some of your dad and Auntie Al. You like the one of him in the front doorway with the sun coming through, looking over his shoulder at all the boxes on the floor. You wonder why they split up. You wonder– oh, now you remember why youre here. All the ones of Ronnie and Llew must be in another album. Shit.

The next ones are of him in hospital. You’ve no desire to know what was wrong with him – medical stuff makes you cringe now – but he’s very pale and thin, and so is his hair. He looks way too young to be totally grey, even as haggard as he is. At least, with the curl back in, he doesnt look too dishevelled, if you disregard the missing eyebrows. There were ones of Mikey in hospital earlier, but you skipped past those. You don’t want to think about him anymore.

A lot of magazine and newspaper clippings. You’ve read them all before. You’re not in the right mood to read them again, but you do look at the pictures. As you turn the page, a newer and shinier piece of paper falls out. It’s from that one notebook article about you, with the covers of your and your dad’s first (only) solo singles. You’re making the exact same face. You suppose the effect would have been lost now, what with your bleached hair and ruined nose.

Then some of your parents — all four of them. They must have met at the same time. The ones that aren’t in Canada (you don’t need to see those, there’s enough of them on the walls) are in various parts of Wales: Great-Nain and Great-Taid’s village in Glamorgan, Nana’s house in cardiff (not many of those), John’s place, the big house you sometimes call home, the normal-sized house you currently call– huh.

It ends there.

gina: so yeah idk

diane: dude

diane: you know you were just away for 3 hours

diane what the heck were you doing

gina is typing…

[fracturedmotivationwriting]

tie the knot

Atticus was going to kill somebody if this didn't work. God forbid Peter White went back on his word now.

"I object!" Atticus shouted, bursting through the double oak doors of the chapel at full speed.

All heads turned towards him. Atticus vaguely noticed Torin and Excalibur share a knowing smile as they rose from their seats. They'd been counting down the seconds until this moment, after all.

"I'm sorry, young man, but we are not at that part of the ceremony yet," the minister scolded, giving Atticus a disapproving look.

Atticus chuckled, slowly making his way down the aisle as he fixed his tie and straightened his cufflinks.

"Sorry, Padre, but I couldn't let you continue. You've got the wrong groom up there."

He kept his gaze trained on Zima, feeling way too much joy at watching the confusion and anger turn his face red. Atticus had pictured this moment as he waited for his father and Peter to iron out the details. The real thing was even better than his imagination. Grinning smugly, he clapped Lev on the back as Torin and Cal grabbed hold of him before he could respond. Atticus jokingly waved goodbye as the two assassins practically carried out the struggling Russian. He caught sight of his sister, ushering out Lev's guests with a condescending smile gracing her features. Most of the guests left no problem, clearly confused but willing to follow Lev's exit.

Ksenia, unsurprisingly, was starting to object rather loudly. She was practically screeching by the time Alice approached her. As Alice tried to guide her out nicely, the other girl's hand flew towards her face. Atticus was about ready to intervene when Alice managed to stop the blow and actually twist Ksenia's arm behind her back forcefully. Looks like those lessons with Torin were paying off.

Atticus finally allowed his attention to turn to the bride next to him. The bride who had yet to say anything or react at the events unfolding before her. The bride that was soon going to be his wife. Atticus felt his heart leap.

"C'mon, Ravyn. Alice insists we do this all properly, starting with you rewalking down the aisle," Cal informed his cousin, already gently grabbing her arm and leading her away from Atticus' loving gaze.

Ravyn nearly tripped at the sudden movements, her legs seemingly not working. Her mind was racing with a million questions, too consumed with confusion to process her own actions. But she allowed her cousin to lead her towards the entrance.

Atticus watched as she walked away, unable to take his eyes off her. He heard Torin telling the minister to beat it, his services were not needed anymore. Atticus had convinced Torin to get ordained so he could perform the real ceremony. He couldn't change the venue or the dress or anything else for Ravyn's perfect wedding -- it was too late for that -- but he could at least surround her with her favorite people in the ceremony.

Atticus waited (impatiently) for Alice to return to his side so the ceremony could begin. She was his best woman, and he couldn't get married without her by his side. But his sister was making her way to the back of the chapel. Atticus' eyebrows furrowed.

Alice stepped up to Ravyn, holding something out to the older girl. It caught Ravyn's attention, lifting the confusing haze she had been in. She gingerly picked up the sapphire hair pin.

"I figured your dress was already your something new. I wanted to give you something borrowed, old, and blue," Alice shrugged, reaching out to help Ravyn place it in her beautifully done hair. "It belonged to my mom. She would've wanted you to wear it, though."

"Alice," Ravyn whispered, her words catching in her throat. Alice shook her head, stopping her from saying more. Placing a sweet kiss on Ravyn's cheek, Alice nodded to Cal before hurrying back up the aisle to stand beside her brother.

"What was that about?" Atticus whispered.

"Just bringing a piece of mom to the ceremony," Alice shrugged, smiling up at her brother. "She would've wanted to be here for you. And she would have adored Ravyn."

Atticus felt tears prick his eyes. He reached out and squeezed his sister's hand.

As the traditional wedding march began to play (for the second time that day), Atticus turned his attention back to the double oak doors. He could of sworn that he had died and gone to heaven as Ravyn stepped back into the chapel. He'd obviously already seen her in her wedding dress, but something had changed. He always thought she was beautiful, but now she truly looked like an angel floating towards him. Atticus almost forgot how to breath.

By the time she reached him, Atticus couldn't even deny that there were tears in his eyes. He didn't even try to hide it.

As Cal kissed Ravyn's cheek and stepped aside, Atticus took her hands and helped her up the step to the altar. His hands her were shaking and he was sure his palms were sweating, but he didn't care. His best friend was standing before him, looking completely stunning, and he was about to marry her. The love of his life.

He couldn't even hear a word Torin said, his heart pounding too loud and his eyes only on Ravyn. But after a moment he saw her laugh, felt her squeeze his hand, and he finally realized that he was supposed to be talking.

"I'm sorry?" He spoke up, his voice slightly hoarse from unshed tears and embarassment. He was sure his cheeks were red as he finally tore his gaze away from Ravyn and looked to Torin.

"Too distracted by Ravyn, you're not even paying attention to your wedding," Torin teased, all the guests chuckling. "Your vows, Atticus."

"Oh! Right," Atticus chuckled, his ears burning. He returned his gaze to Ravyn.

"I would say that I didn't have a lot of time to prepare, since I wasn't meant to be the groom until an hour ago, but we both know that's a lie," Atticus teased, an easy smile gracing his features. "Ravyn White, I loved you the day I met you sitting on the boys' kitchen floor eating Nutella with one of my gold spoons. I've been preparing for our wedding ever since. 'When I look at you, I find it hard to believe that the whole universe had not conspired to bring you to life. I cannot think of a more beautiful reason for it all to exist than for you in this day.' You are the most beautiful thing to happen to me, Ravyn. You're my best friend. And I want to spend the rest of my days giving you the happiness you deserve."

Atticus glanced down at their entwined hands, catching his breath for a moment. His eyes were full of tears. His heart full of happiness.

"There's a quote by F. Scott Fitzgerald that, I think, summarizes us," Atticus started again, his voice barely above a whisper as he met Ravyn's loving eyes. "'Two souls are sometimes created together and in love before they're even born.' Ravyn, I loved you when I met you in that kitchen in the middle of the night. But I fell lin love with you way before that. My soul just needed to find yours."

[schmicos]

angsty, fluffy, slightly unrealistic hc:

— nico’s been in some pretty rough relationships

— unhealthy ones, ones where you could never call it love

— he moves to seattle when he just can’t stand being in that place anymore, he feels trapped and weighed down and just needs a whole new change of scenery to heal

— he vows here he’ll never fall for someone again, he needs time he owes to himself to put himself back together, build himself up again from the ground up.

— everything’s going well and all until he gets transferred to grey sloan memorial hospital working under the guidance of atticus lincoln

— it isn’t long until he meets levi, a quirky, adorable intern with the brightest eyes and most endearing smile nico has ever seen

— and then nico swears to himself because he can already feel the feelings he told himself he couldn’t have

— then shit gets hard and he stops knowing how to act because he said to himself he couldn’t go through this again but at the same time he knows in his heart there is no way he could deny himself all of the things he’s starting to feel for this bright and bushy-eyed intern

— eventually it all gets too much and he figures, he’ll just take the chance and if all goes to hell, so be it. he’ll be grateful for getting to feel whatever it is he’s feeling even if it does end up falling apart in the end.

— and he’ll take the good with all of the bad.

— but he kind of proves himself wrong because things are... good. like really good. better than anything nico has ever known.

— he’s so deliriously happy he literally doesn’t know how to act lmaoooo and for a little bit he’s just denying himself the luxury of really fully feeling it because it’s almost too good to be true

— he’s never known a love like this, he doesn’t know how to love but damn is he gonna try

— because for once in his life he’s finally met someone he can see himself really be with and love and be loved by and he finally feels like he has something to lose

— he vows to abide by all that is in him to be good to this man he’s still not sure he really deserves yet

— one night nico wants to do something romantic just for the heck of it. he wants all of it, the rose petals, the candles, the delicious dinner, etc.

— levi’s at the hospital working a shift and won’t get back until 8 or 9 at night so nico has time

—he gets to work buying the groceries and supplies he needs and goes about setting everything up and placing everything

— it all goes smoothly for the most part, the food is good, everything is set mostly in place and nico isn’t completely satisfied mostly because he doesn’t think anything will ever be good enough for all that levi has done for him but he’ll have to settle because time is running out and levi will be home soon

— but once levi opens the front door and steps foot into nico’s apartment, it makes everything all worth it because he has never seen someone so in awe and just happy

— levi is at a loss for words, his mouth open in shock and he just can’t believe that nico’s living room looks like something he thought he could only ever dream of and it’s all for him.

— but it is and nico’s standing there tall and handsome with a bouquet of roses as he slowly walks up to the younger man and tentatively holds the bouquet of flowers out to him

— “uh, these are for you.” and levi wants to squeak because nico’s hands—those hands that have crafted the most intricate, most delicate surgeries, those hands that have held levi night after night, day after day, those hands that have enveloped levi when everything else had fallen apart, when levi had needed a safe haven the most—are shaking...?

— levi can’t even believe it, nico kim... nico kim, is nervous? because of him?

— and sure enough nico is fidgeting of all things because he just really wants levi to love everything he’s not sure how to really act because he wants to reach out and hold him and make sure he’s happy with everything but that also seems like a little much so he’s just standing there with too much adrenaline coursing through him without actually knowing what to do with it

— but levi of course being levi notices and gently reaches out and takes one of nico’s hands in his own and gushes about how beautiful the flowers are and how much he loves them and nico can finally feel like he can breathe again because levi is there and looking at him like he’s never been so content and so in love and nico’s just that much more relieved that everything might be more okay than he thought

— it takes him a second but nico eventually snaps out of it and realizes he has a whole dinner just sitting there behind him waiting to be eaten and he kind of wants to laugh at himself because he was just standing there like a dope but he he turns around and stumbles a little asking if levi would please be his dinner date

— and of course levi exhales a breathy “yes, of course.” like he finds it so ridiculous how nico would even have to ask like there was even a slight chance levi could ever say no to him

— in his head levi is just like I literally love you you dumb bitch why would I not want to stuff my face with food with you but actually he can see nico is also nervous and kind of a little insecure like maybe he doesn’t feel like he deserves to spend time with someone as amazing as levi and that just break’s levi’s heart just a little bit

— he doesn’t say anything yet though, doesn’t want to spoil the night by having some long but meaningful talk but vows to bring it up later

— they sit down and nico is still a little tense but everything is fine, nico asks levi how his day went and levi tells him funny stories about the patients and families and also the drama between meredith and deluca and all that.

— it’s really nice being in the comfort of nico’s apartment where they can just giggle and gaze at each other and enjoy each other’s company without having to worry about responding to anyone else or making decisions and such

— after dinner nico wants to take the plates back to the kitchen and levi feels awkward just sitting there doing nothing while nico does all the work so levi follows him of course and nico being the annoyingly mushy gentlemen he is doesn’t let levi do any of the dishes because this night was supposed to be for him and despite levi’s protests he simply settles for wrapping his arms around the taller man’s waist to at least hold him and be close to him and let nico know that levi is still just as obsessed with him as the first day they met, like levi wants nothing else than to just always be with him

— once the dishes are done and nico’s drying his hands off, levi stands there and admires all 6′1″ of his tall and handsome boyfriend like dayum

— but then levi does turn serious and tells nico how thankful he is for all that nico did for him that night, how everything was absolutely perfect and he’s so happy like no one has ever done anything like that before

— levi goes to hug him and he physically feels nico deflate from relief and that is both the most heartwarming but heartbreaking thing at the same time

— like levi’s feelings and opinions mean that much and hold that much weight to nico like levi is so important to him he almost doesn’t feel like he’s worth it

— but levi is amazing and incredible and so reassuring because nico has tried so hard to make him happy tonight even if nico hasn’t ever really had a good example or experience of what love should be but he’s only turned out more kind and generous than levi imagined.

— levi tells him over and over again how beyond overjoyed he is at the night but more importantly how in love and how much he adores nico because maybe nico only wanted to feel as loved as he feels towards levi

— like the man in front of him who he loves so much also loves him just as much back

— they end up kissing a lot and then going to nico’s bedroom to have lots of meaningful and intimate sex and the rest of the night is just as perfect as the beginning

— they end up tangled in the sheets laughing and caressing each other’s faces and gazing into each other’s eyes because there is absolutely nothing else in the world they could want more than this.

[oh-dolly]

well well,  if it isn’t dolores dixie coming out of apartment 5.1. i always think of soft pastels and ruffled blouses, too sweet smiles that don’t always reach the eyes, and rose colored heart shaped glasses when i see them, don’t you? anyway - i heard the eighteen year old moved out to new york a year ago to live with her sister and start her life completely over. they’re now a senior in high school with no idea what the next step is anymore, or how to take it if she did; maybe that’s because they’ve a tendency to be dramatic, sensitive, and curious. i guess they could’ve been someone… 

* 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓉𝓈

→  FULL  NAME :  dolores patsy-mae  dixie →  NICKNAMES :  dolly, lola, lolita, doe, doll, patsy-mae, →  AGE :  eighteen →  ZODIAC :  virgo  →  BIRTHDAY :  september 12, 2001 →  SEXUAL  ORIENTATION :  heterosexual (she assumes) →  HEIGHT : 5ft. 5in. →  HOMETSTATE :  georgia

* 𝒶𝑒𝓈𝓉𝒽𝑒𝓉𝒾𝒸𝓈

soft pastels , ruffled blouses, too sweet smiles that don’t always reach the eyes, homemade peach cobbler that heats up the whole apartment in the worst way, weebles wobbling, a thin gold chain carrying a cross and two rings, curious eyes and nervous laughter, essays written in the vip area, flashcards quizzes with the coat check girls, learning not to be the baby, and rose colored heart shaped glasses

* 𝒶𝒷𝑜𝓊𝓉  —  TW  FOR  MENTIONS  OF  FIRES ,  ANXIETY, AND  PARENTAL  DEATH .

born  in  a  small  town  in  georgia  to  robert  dixie  and  isabelle  lee ,  dolly  is  the  youngest of the dixie clan .

the curse and the blessing of the youngest child - hailed as perfect, rarely sought after.. dolly’s done her best to be everything her mother wanted kitty to be, kitty was perfect, and dolly wanted to be just like her

funny how she got a lot more attention when kitty started being a little.... less perfect

it wasn’t that she minded, really

dolly was thrilled it was her turn to do the pageants, to be the little darling of the family

kitty’d taught her everything, after all, and she’d always been watching kitty.

but then kitty was gone, and then she was really gone

she worried, at first, when atticus left... she didn’t want himt o leave forever too.

that didn’t happen in other families, she was pretty sure. the less perfect ones, their kids all stayed in touch when they left for school.

it wasn’t normal to leave forever.....

was it?

what did dolly know about normal?

dolly’s normal was being the popular girl, the sweetheart, the lead deb, and the favorite for the crown every year

dolly’s normal was church every sunday and wednesday, with youth groups, and charity drives, and bake sales, and football games, and pom poms, and 

a sister who vanished and a brother who still called every friday night like clockwork

dolly’s normal ended in the middle of the night, halfway through her junior year

she was woken to a screaming alarm and a house full of smoke and... no idea what to do

dolly never was good in a crisis

she bolted, grabbing things at random - a picture here, a sweater there, shoes there... she didn’t even know what she grabbed

she made it outside

dad made it outside

but dad went back for mom, and dolly doesn’t remember very much after that, it’s all a little hazy

she remembers her bff’s family coming to the hospital to pick her up, and she remembers talking to atticus on the phone....

but the next few weeks pass in a blur, as the community arranges the services, and comes together to provide her with whatever she needs - it doesn’t feel great to be the charity case, and that look, oh she hates that look more than anything

the “i’m so sorry look”

she can’t stand it

she’s almost glad when atticus takes her to the bus station, packing her two donated suitcases filled with the castoffs of her classmates, and the few mementos that were actually salvageable

she struggled at first

she’s still struggling

after 4 years, it was weird to see kitty again

it’s weird to be part of her life again, but dolly just wants to be as little a bother as possible

it’s nice of kitty to take care of her, but she does so much....and dolly never really has figured out how she’ll repay her for it

probably by leaving when she graduates

that’d probably be best, she figures, then kitty can have her life back

but everyone else around them is already at, well, rock bottom, if you asked them

so where can she go from here?

* 𝑒𝓍𝓉𝓇𝒶

when i do her pinterest i’ll put it in here