#she felt the vibe and snapped the shot and is VERY PROUD of herself

[innytoes]

Happy birthday @invisibleraven

The problem with soulmate dreams was that they could be so damn vague. Reggie dreamed of stars. Stars, and sparkles, supernovas he could get lost in, warm sparkling glitter he could trail his fingers through, that tinkled like piano notes when he touched them. He always woke up feeling warm, and happy, and loved.

Well, at least it was better than Alex, who dreamed of crashes. No wonder the poor guy had anxiety.

Sometimes, Reggie wondered if his true love was an astronaut. But then, what astronaut would want a schmuck like him, walking dogs while trying to get their band off the ground. For a short while, he thought for sure the handsome baker at the coffee shop was his true love, his soulmate. Why else would he always put little star sprinkles on his donuts? Until he introduced Reggie to his wife, Estrella.

Reggie kind of gave up after that. He didn’t want to mess up again and lose something more important than a great coffee shop because he was too embarrassed to go back. What if his next not-soulmate worked at the music store and he got it in his head they were the one because they got a tattoo with a star, or something?

It was going to happen when it was going to happen, he thought. That’s how soulmates worked. No point worrying about it.

So he wasn’t looking anymore, that New Year’s Eve. They’d booked a killer gig in the Trevor Wilson’s mansion. Sadly, as Reggie discovered on Instagram, Trevor Wilson himself wasn’t going to be there, off at some Hollywood party, but his daughter’s band was doing a thing too and Alex loved them from the second Reggie showed him the videos.

So they played their gig, and Alex danced along to Dirty Candi, and apparently he was so enthusiastic they were invited to stay instead of having to scram before midnight. Hey, who were they to turn that down? So Alex got to dance and Luke got to gape at all the pretty guitars hung on the wall and Reggie got to... well, he wasn’t sure yet. He avoided the drinks stations with actual real life mixologists, though he did score some wicked awesome snacks. There didn’t seem to be a dog or a cat he could befriend (his go-to at parties), so he made his way outside. He bet the view of the fireworks would be killer out here. Rich people probably had all kinds of illegal stuff, and you could see pretty far along the coast from here.

Two girls were messing around with sparklers outside, trying to make a heart with them while the other took their picture. Then they swapped. Reggie tried not to be a creep, but he did crane his neck just a little to see how it had turned out on the girl with the braids’ phone.

Except she caught him, and pointed at him. He was about to stammer an apology, when she said: “Hey, pretty boy, can you take our picture?”

“Oh, uh, sure!” he said, fumbling as she shoved the phone at him. He waited until they both lit their sparklers again, and grinned when they each made half a heart. “That was awesome!” he called, showing them the picture. “You nailed it on the first try.”

The girls high-fived. The one with the curly hair bit her lip, smiling. “In that case, we have some sparklers left over. You want one?”

Alex would kill him for playing with fireworks. He wanted to say he was banned after The Firecracker Incident when they were fourteen, but it was just a sparkler, right? Besides, he wanted to look cool in front of these cute girls. “Sure!”

He took a sparkler, beaming when the girl lighted her own first, holding it out for Reggie to light his.

When their sparklers touched, Reggie... well, later he would say that he saw stars. All of a sudden he felt warm, and happy, and loved. All of a sudden, he understood all his soulmate dreams. All of a sudden, he didn’t just see stars, he felt them, inside of him, sparkling and shining and burning bright like a supernova. 

He looked up at the girl in front of him, so beautiful in the fading glow of their sparklers. “It’s you,” he breathed.

“You’re... you’re my soulmate,” she whispered, before flinging herself at him, catching him in a hug. He hugged her back, laughing, spinning her around, feeling the stars bubbling up inside him, dancing around them, her giggle tinkling like piano notes.

Now that he understood his soulmate dreams, he wouldn’t have them any other way. Julie was his star, burning bright, guiding him home, making him feel warm, and happy, and loved. She was his soulmate.

[sunjaesol]

My BFB is the one for me!

juke | human!au + brother!reggie | title from BFB // victorious

If someone had to ask her who the one constant in her life was, she would have to say Luke Patterson. Which was depressing, cause the guy went through life pretending to be a 90s heartthrob and, even worse, that list didn't even include her own mother. 

Julie met Luke when she was five and he was six. Her brother Reggie befriended him on the first day of school and the rest was history. "Soul-brothers" they called themselves, which would be cute if they weren't so obnoxious together. Separate, they were somewhat manageable. Put those two in the same room? Chaos would ensue. 

He was there for it all. Weekly play dates, birthdays, the occasional holiday, her mom's funeral, band rehearsals. And when Luke had a month-long falling out with his parents, he stayed with them. 

Realistically, that should make him seem like a brother to Julie. But neither Carlos or Reggie were as infuriating as Luke was! With the stupid band tees and the stupid smile and the stupid, relentless teasing he lovingly bestowed upon her. She lost count how many times he "poisoned" her soda with salt or woke her with a heart attack by playing his electric guitar. At least she had some grip on her brothers, being their only sister, but Luke… 

Luke and her had this interesting, little relationship that she couldn't quite put her finger on and it unnerved her. Like it was an itch she couldn't scratch. (Or maybe he was just an annoying mosquito buzzing around her and should leave her the fuck alone. Probably.)

Hopping down the stairs for her midnight snack, it was no surprise to her to find the idiot gaping into the fridge like a goon. With a nudge of the hip, she pushed him aside. 

'Hey!' 

'Either pick something or save power,' she retorted, grabbing a bowl of grapes. 

He snorted. 'I don't think my indecisiveness is gonna kill the planet.'

She shot him a look, an amused smile tugging on her lips. 'You wanna say that in the cute face of a polar bear?' 

Luke stared at her for a beat, a smile crawling on his own face and shaking his head with a chuckle. The fridge fell shut with the pride of a won argument swelling in her chest. 

'So why're you still up?', he asked as she flitted around him for the bread and peanut butter. Maybe she could sneak up a butterscotch cookie too - her dad won't notice one missing, right? 

Unscrewing the lid, she sighed. 'Mendoza's class is murdering me. I really don't get why we need to learn calculus. We're an arts school, not like any of us are going to use formulas on the set of a movie.'

When she passed him to get the orange juice from the fridge, he took hold of the jar, sliding it between his hands thoughtfully. 

'Just don't overthink it,' he shrugged. 

She rolled her eyes. 'Easy for you, obviously.'

His mouth fell slack, offended, as Julie put the bottle on the island with mirth glimmering in her expression. After years of sparring with Luke, she knew how to press his buttons and took great joy in doing so. 

Suddenly leaning into her personal bubble, he sputtered. 'Are you… calling me dumb?' 

Her hand pushed his face back with a scoff. 'Don't breathe on me. All I'm saying is that you look like you have elevator music playing up there 24/7.'

When she went to grab the jar from his hand, he moved it away. 

'Uh, I think you're mistaking me for your brother.'

'No-' Tried again, moved away. '-I don't think I do.'

'You do.'

She crossed her arms, resolute. 'He's part of the gifted program.'

It unfazed him. 'Yeah. And it means shit.'

She held her palm up, exasperated. 'Just give me the peanut butter, Luke.'

Raising it over his head with an infuriating smirk, the other tugged on a curl. 'No.'

Gah! He was so dead! Did he forget she lived with three men in this house?!

Without a second of hesitation, Julie barrelled into him and jumped to catch it. Luke snatched her wrist before she could with a laugh, a hitched puff coming right after as her elbow jabbed his ribs. 

He set the jar down at lightning speed and grabbed her other wrist. Both their arms were outstretched as her foot kicked his calf, hard. When he yelped, her left hand loosened and dove for the jar. Right as her fingertips grazed the glass, a strong arm snaked around her waist and pulled her back. An "oof!" left her lips, the breath kicked out of her lungs. 

Luke guffawed in her ear victoriously, whooping the house together. Curse words rolled off her tongue as she repeatedly slapped his forearm to let go. She felt embarrassingly small with her feet hovering above the floor and this power dynamic was not doing it for her confidence. 

'The fuck are you doing?' 

Julie smacked to the floor before the last words were uttered, a flabbergasted Reggie staring at the pair. 

Luke stammered. 'Uh…' 

'Your bestie held the peanut butter hostage,' Julie replied sardonically. 'Did dad wake up?' 

He shook his head, a peculiar expression fixed on Luke. Her gaze shot between the two. Were they having… a silent conversation? With the way their brows quirked an lips twitched, it seemed like some "bro-talk" Julie wouldn't even like to understand. 

'Don't break your head too much over Mendoza, okay?' Reggie added, smiling at her this time. 'Just relax.'

She sighed. Relax. Because the fear of failure got eradicated with the snap of a finger if she just relaxed. 'Yeah. Sure.'

The boys finally left, silence descended, and Julie made her sandwich. For some reason, the quietude made her uncomfortable. 

***

Though Luke was annoying at times, the band he was in - Sunset Curve - definitely wasn't. Reggie, Alex and Luke created it when they were thirteen and overzealous. Reggie and Luke met Alex the same year and bullied him into a friendship, all bonding over cliché lyrics and overused chord progressions. They quickly got better though, earning a small following and a hopeful future in the LA scene. Julie was very proud of her brother. All those hours practicing the bass until his fingers bled was finally paying off with each new gig they rocked. 

And as the Molina's were raised to appreciate good music, Julie often found herself sprawled on the leather couch as they rehearsed. Reggie used to hate it, saying she was being "sticky" and "distracting", but eventually found her useful whenever they needed someone to bounce ideas with. She has co-written many of their songs. It was then that Luke was the least annoying, when he was so entranced and passionate about music that he had no time to pester her. 

(If she were honest with herself, she'd admit that song-writing with Luke was when she felt like herself the most, enjoyed life the most. But Luke was stupid and she definitely didn't feel a vibe when they wrote, so honesty was obsolete.)

'Or else you'll get,' Luke growled in the mic, music crashing together in their signature punk-rock sound. 'Crooked teeth!' 

They shot into an electrifying interlude. Alex headbanging the sweat of his forehead from his fast-paced drumming, Reggie bouncing in his heels as he heightened the bassline and Luke… was being Luke. Julie looked up from her laptop as his strumming came closer, that signature grin fixed on her as his fingers expertly glided across the neck. Her typing paused, amused. 

Why was he so adamant about "impressing" her with a riff? He knew she liked their music (and has caught her looking at his hands… ugh, fourteen year old Julie had bad judgement), he didn't have to prove himself or something. 

She smiled. 'You're going to miss your cue, idiot!' 

Ignoring her exclaim, he bobbed his head to the melody and wiggled his brows. Her eyes drifted to Alex, the blonde staring at Reggie and Reggie staring at the back of Luke's head. This has been happening a lot, Julie realised. There was this weird energy whenever they were all in the same room. For a bit, she thought it was her that was the problem, but if she was, Reggie would've told her by now. 

Now Luke was really in her face, pushing her laptop shut with his knee and making those stupid expressions he pulled whenever Grace talked to him in the hallway. Never one to back down, Julie abruptly stood up and pushed him back with a challenging smirk. The boy was seventeen; he was in serious trouble if he lacked the spatial awareness and common sense. 

‘Sing with us?!’, he pleaded over the crash of the cymbal. Behind him, Alex’ brows went so far up it disappeared into his snapback. A nervous tug knotted in her stomach at his request, like she was afraid to disappoint him, and shook her head. Keeping up the attitude she nodded at the laptop he so valiantly closed for her. 

Pulling it against her chest, she pointed at his bandmates. ‘Go sing about some fucked up teeth more!’

‘Crooked teeth!’, they all yelled in annoyance. Proud to have executed her role an irritating, little sister, she hopped out the studio. If she felt someone’s gaze burning in her back, she must’ve imagined it.  

***

There was something to be said about Grace and Luke. Though it wasn’t Julie’s business (or anyone’s, for that matter), the coupling has always intrigued her. Or lack of coupling, really. Every few months they’d find themselves at each other’s lockers flirting up a storm for everyone to see to then ghost each other again. This vicious cycle has been on loop since sophomore year. Julie felt bad for Grace, the pretty senior girl deserved far better than Luke. 

Last night, Julie couldn’t sleep. “Crooked Teeth” was blaring in her mind and haunted her dreams (and Luke’s stupid face) until she woke up in a sweat. Something was off. Like solving a math question and knowing the result is wrong but unsure where it all went wrong. Around four in the morning, it hit her. The bridge! It was all jumbled and clunky and she had far better ideas on how to craft it! She sat at her keyboard until seven in the morning, only to stop when a frustrated Carlos barged in, threw a pillow at her and yelled to “zip it!” Reggie and dad, naturally, slept through all of it. 

Now, a sleep-deprived, caffeinated and kind of manic Julie was bustling through the hallways trying (and failing) to find Luke. Sure, they butted heads a lot, but music has always been the glue. Temporary glue, but the fact remained that she and Luke were cut from the same cloth when it came to composition and lyrical prowess. (Not that she’d ever admit that. Ew. His ego was large enough as is.) 

And then she saw him. At Grace’s locker. Her breath lodged in her throat at the sight. It shouldn’t. God, it truly shouldn’t. But it did. Because Grace was pretty and Luke had one of those faces and they looked good together and it annoyed the fuck out of her. Like, who decided who went through puberty better. Julie knew she wasn’t unattractive, but she wasn’t Grace either. Tall and lithe and glossy black hair and a perfect nose. The ugly, green monster in the back of her head snarled about how her personality was probably off-putting, though Julie knew that to be untrue. Grace was, well, graceful. Genuinely kind. Gah! Since when did Julie hate on other girls? Pushing the voice down, she mustered back the previous excitement (the! bridge!) and paraded towards the pair. Luke saw her before Grace did.       

She rushed the last few steps and hastily grabbed the papers from the side pocket of her backpack. 'Luke! Hi, Grace. Okay, I know "Crooked Teeth" is finished, but I couldn't stop thinking about it and I had this amazing idea for the bridge.'

When he didn't react for a beat, stunned by her giddy attitude, her smile mellowed awkwardly. 'I mean… it's your song. You don't have to-' 

'No!', he shouted, frantic. Her brows raised in surprise. 'No, uh-' His hand flew to the back of his head, raking the ends of his hair. 'Yeah. D'you wanna go to the music room? To show me?'

Julie’s eyes flitted to a confused Grace. ‘Um…’

Luke caught on and shot the girl an easy grin. ‘Talk to you later, yeah?’ 

She shrugged. ‘I guess?’

Before she could say anything more, Luke snatched Julie by the wrist and dragged her to the nearest, open music room. The arts school was littered with them, though most had a reserved schedule. Luckily, one was empty. 

‘Okay,’ she said, tucking her hair behind her ears as she slid down in front of the piano. Luke sat next to her, expectant. ‘The bridge right now? It’s fine, but it’s not “wow”, you know? I was thinking about how the verses and chorus sound so visceral and loud, so the bridge should have something guttural. Like, primal. That’s a weird word to use, but, I don’t know, have it sound dangerous? Like - why’re you looking at me like that?’

A strange expression was plastered on Luke’s face. A half-grin and wide eyes, like he was scared he’d miss something, like he’d blink and she’d disappear. In other words: he looked insane. Then again, her exhaustion mustn’t look too appealing either. 

He shook his head, that smile falling away for something more timid. All the bravado he oozed while talking to Grace just moments before, was gone for shy eyes and fingers gripping the chain around his jeans. 

‘Nothing.’ He nudged her. ‘You kinda ambushed me here, Molina.’

Her words stuttered out. ‘I- I was just-’ Zeroing back on the keys with a frown, she said: ‘I’ll just play you the bridge.’

As she did, her mind was elsewhere. This wasn’t weird, right? They’ve done this before. Collaborated, gone to music rooms to bounce ideas back and forth, played until dusk. She knew it wasn’t weird. It was always just a matter of time before the next “ambush” came, as he put it. Soon, he’d barge into her room with half a melody and forced her to finish it. This was normal.

Then why did her skin ripple with anticipation from his intense gaze directed on her temple? 

When she finished, she kept her eyes on the keys. Suddenly, his hand appeared in her vision and softly patted her knuckles, urging her to look at him anyway. He had that strange look again, the sight letting the most peculiar feeling rush through her veins.   

Luke smiled. ‘I like it.’

‘Yeah?’

‘Wanna play it for the boys during next rehearsal?’ His brows raised with hope, head leaning her way as if he wasn’t already close enough. And he wasn’t close enough. 

Julie went on autopilot at this point, too enthralled by her emotions running wild. ‘Yeah.’ It came out breathy and foolish and if she had half a brain cell right now, she’d kick herself in the face for how dumb she sounded.  

His hand squeezed hers and then let go, that smile turning nervous. Oh God, did he notice how weird she abruptly got? ���Cool. Sweet. Perfect. Your- this was perfect. I’ll see you, uh, -’

‘Yeah,’ she squeaked. ‘Whenever.’

When he left the room in a hurry, her face planted itself on the keys and erupted a harsh sound. Fitting, she believed. Her mind was a mess too. 

***

Then stuff began piling on and each time it did, Julie’s heart fluttered like the traitorous bitch it was. 

Like when Luke told her to tell calculus to “bite her” as a joke, but then she actually did during a test and somehow didn’t get a black out. She knew it was likely just a placebo, but the grin she earned later on when she showed him the B+ and he gave her the tightest hug was worth the pseudo-science. 

Or he found her in the hallway whenever they both had a free period and casual small talk turned to slamming each other into lockers or, more recently, pulled her outside to get boba from the place right across the street. Their boba hangouts were probably the strangest development of all, but it was… nice. Pleasant. If she ever secretly thought it was a date, then it must’ve been a sun stroke hitting her. 

Or she’d be doing her homework and he’d waltz into her room (because he was always at their house and that never changed) and randomly help her with a task or question. It was small and it usually slowed her down, but she hasn’t had the guts to turn him away either. She blamed his stupid smile. 

Or just yesterday they were all in the kitchen and she was peering over Reggie’s shoulder as he tried and failed to properly text his crush Kayla, when she said: 

‘Isn’t that weird? That you’re talking to a junior?’

Luke, who was looking over his other shoulder, scoffed. ‘Why would that be weird?’

Pointing at the emoji he should be using (the purple heart - duh!), she shrugged. ‘I don’t know. You just don’t see a lot of people date outside of their year. It’s, like, an unspoken rule.’

Reggie pouted. ‘Not helping, Jules.’

‘I am! Use the purple heart!’

Luke snorted. ‘Please, if you were asked out by some senior boy, you’d say no?’

The Molina’s looked up from the phone to shoot him a weird look. The boy shrunk under their stare, fingers nervously drumming island. 

Caution tinged her voice. ‘I don’t know… should I?’

The boys stared at each other for a beat. That “bro-talk” again, Julie presumed with a roll of the eye. Typical.

‘Yes,’ Luke trailed, unsure. ‘You should say no.’

A ball of disappointment dropped to the pit of her stomach at his words - hard. Oh. So he didn’t mean himself then. Julie froze. Why would she even want that? She was not returning to her fourteen year old self that gawked at Luke like an idiot. Nope. Not happening. Just because she felt flushed and ecstatic every Wednesday afternoon when they schedules lined up, that didn’t mean her crush has resurfaced. Totally. 

But then something even more maddening happened. It was Thursday afternoon, right before lunch, when Nick approached her by her locker. She’d been fervently texting a sick Flynn to get better when he started asking about dance class and how on earth he was supposed to master a calypso by Monday next week. He was clearly stressed and Julie gave him a hug. Just as she was going to offer her help (or redirect him to Kayla, as she was an actual dance goddess), a familiar arm draped around her shoulder and pulled her back. 

Julie was fuming. Luke decided to start acting like some jovial prick as he intimidated Nick with all these terror stories about his own dance assignments from last year and that “a calypso was just the beginning.” The poor guy was practically passed out from anxiety by the time his spiel was over. She couldn’t even yell an apology as he sped off and spun around the corner at lightning speed.        

The arm fell away, Luke stared at her ridden with guilt, muttered some half-assed “sorry” and rushed off in the opposite direction. A baffled, angry Julie was left standing there. 

If Luke thought he could be some white knight, he was dead wrong. 

***

She got lucky. Reggie mentioned beforehand Luke was coming over and knew that he, inevitably, would ascend the stairs. A pent-up Julie paced in her room, feeling that fever pitch come to a boiling point. Argh! Why was he so… infuriating?! (And attractive?! And charismatic?! Argh!) 

Then she heard it. His tentative steps up the steps. Like he knew. The fact that she was seemingly predictable left her cold this time, slamming her door open at just the right moment to snatch his wrist and roughly yank him inside. 

Before he could react, she yelled: 'What the hell, Luke?! Why did you do that?' 

Luke was a stammering, embarrassed mess. Good. 'Uh- I- I-' 

'You can't just act all overprotective or possessive like that! What's your problem with Nick? He's super nice and, you know, my friend. I already have two brothers, I don’t need one more!’

'I-'

'You don't get to decide who I talk with! Or save me or whatever fantasy you were living in! And-!' 

'I like you, Jules,' he blurted. 

Julie was blazing though. 'So? That doesn't mean that-' Until the words dried on her tongue, stunned. All else she had prepared to say flew out the window. The constant fluttering in her heart hitched. Did she… hear him correctly? 'W-what?' 

A beat went by, like he couldn’t believe he actually said that, but then word vomit spewed out. 'I- I like you? Like, on and off since I was eleven and I tried to not like you - I really tried - but you're just incredible and pretty and an amazing singer and you keep doing that thing with your lips when you have a thought and it's been killing me seeing Nick shoot his shot and-' 

Julie dove forward and pressed a kiss on his rambling mouth. Stretched on her tippy toes, she saw him freeze and stare at her in wonder. Slowly, her poor heart began to beat again, fast and fond and for him and oh my God, what was happening? 

'Did you just-', he croaked. 

Shit. Should she have asked to kiss him first? Her hands didn't leave his shoulders, alarmed. 'Uh… you just kept talking and-' She swallowed back her nerves and mustered a smile. 'If you wanted to be my boyfriend, you could've just asked.'

Luke blinked, completely in awe by her words. 'What?' 

Alright. Time to take life by the balls, Molina. 

'You didn't think I might like you back?' 

An incredulous laugh puffed from his lips, looking from her hands on his shoulders and then grabbed onto her waist. Jitters burst in her stomach at the sudden touch. This was actually happening. Holy shit. But God, how could she deny that bright smile and his warm smile and that giddy feeling that rippled her skin each time they hung out? 

'Can we try that again?', he breathed. 

His grin captured hers before she could fully nod, his hands slipping to her lower back and jaw without hesitation. Her arms slung around his neck, finally getting a feel for his soft locks of hair. Heat grew from her chest to her toes, curling from bliss. She felt deliciously empty and full of glee all at once. 

Her back fell against the door with a giggle. Just as he went back in, she pressed a finger on his lips. 

'Still doesn't make it right what you did.' 

'Yeah.' He kissed her again. 'Sorry.'

She tried saying more, but each word was muffled by another warm kiss of his intoxicating lips and all she could do was melt against him. The odd lyric that “heaven was his lips and larger than paradise” passed her by, hopefully reminding her of its existence in an hour or two. 

His fingers slipped under her shirt and dug into her heated skin. They became lazier, the kisses open-mouthed and smiling and already so amazing at first try. Julie has kissed a handful of boys before, but this? Unmatched. 

Two sudden knocks against wood. ‘Julie?’

They froze, Julie slapping a hand over his mouth to stifle his inevitable snicker. 

‘Have you seen Luke?’, Reggie continued, confusion lacing his voice. 

‘No!’, her voice squeaked, still affected by their make-out. Cringing, she tried to level it. ‘Uh, maybe he’s gone to the, uh-’ His lips grazed her neck, teasingly. She pinched his arm, but he didn’t lean back. Asshole. ‘-uh…’

‘Julie? Everything okay?’

‘Yeah! Yeah! I’m fine!’ Julie pushed Luke back again, this time the boy giving her some space. The wolfish smirk he was sporting was one she either wanted to slap or kiss away. ‘Maybe he’s in the bathroom? Annoying Carlos? The studio?’ Not my room!  

They held in their breaths as they waited for a reply. Her mind was failing to catch up to what she’s just done. Here she was, with flushed lips and tingling skin from Luke’s actions as her brother was meandering on the other side of the door. How did she end up here? 

He blew a raspberry. ‘Okay…’ They sighed. ‘When you’re done making out, can you force Luke to start our project? Kind of an important assignment.’

Luke’s face crashed into pure horror, mouth falling agape and skin pale as a ghost. Julie snorted despite herself, dropping her head on his shoulder in an attempt to muffle her giggles but failing horribly. Of course, Reggie knew. His dreamy nature made anyone forget how observant he actually was, yet here he instantly he had his pulse on the facts. Or he’s always known about Luke’s crush on her. Probably both. 

Her smile stretched against the fabric of his shirt. Luke had a crush on her. Luke liked her. 

Reggie’s footsteps faded away, his bedroom door falling shut. Their gazes met again. 

Luke gulped, green eyes wide and oh so adorable. ‘He took that surprisingly well.’

Her chin raised, haughty. She hasn’t forgotten about that infuriating face of his just one minute before. ‘You kissed my neck.’

That look returned as he hummed, edging closer. ‘I did.’

‘You’re an asshole, you know that?’

His face brightened at her words, weaving a hand through her and making her sigh just like that. She was gone and she didn’t even know it. ‘And you’re-’ he murmured, softly kissing her lips, ‘-into that.’

How desperately she wanted to keep this going, she has heard what Reggie said. An important project due. She shouldn’t trouble her brother like that, even if making out with his best friend was far more appealing than anything else in the world right now.

The measly words puffed out. ‘You have-’ kiss ‘-a project-’ kiss ‘-with Reggie.’ kiss.  

‘Hmm…’ Letting her stand between his legs to be even closer and consequently shutting down any rationale, Luke mumbled against her lips: ‘One more minute.’

In the end, Luke stayed for another thirty minutes before Reggie barged in, dragged the boy from Julie’s bed by the collar and wordlessly trucked back out the room. When later that night she received a text saying goodnight jules 💙 she knew she hadn’t been dreaming.

And when Luke kissed her square on the lips the next day for everyone to see, Julie had inkling this interesting, little relationship of theirs was the just the beginning.  

@blush-and-books @bluefirewrites @willexx @unsaid-emily @sophiphi @ourstarscollided

[dreamcatcherfication]

The Queens of London Part 4 - My Shadow’s the Only One That Walks Beside Me

I wrote this at 1 AM and it really shows. Anyway, I have no idea what’s happening anymore but I tried my best! This chapter feels very filler-y at parts, but I do like where everything is going, so you’ll have to stick around and “Suddenly Seymour”! *gets hit by flying book* Okay, I see how it is. Anyways, I hope you enjoy! Sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors, I’ve gotten so little sleep that I can hear colors.

Writing Masterpost

If you want to send a request or a prompt, my inbox is always open! I publish a story at 8:00 AM PST everyday, so I’m always in need of new ideas (now featuring random asks). If you want to be tagged in my works, just let me know and I’ll be sure to tag you!

Prompts | More Prompts | The Trifecta of Prompts | Random Asks

Trigger Warnings: Vague allusions to abuse

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Everyone was sat at their meeting table, silently watching each other. There was a (laminated) plan set out in front of each chair for every queen and lady, the only empty seat being Anne’s. Clearly, some of the queens and ladies like Aragon and Joan were eager to start, but no one made any move without Boleyn. The silence was practically deafening for Kat who swore she could hear something ringing.

Soon enough, the door opened slowly and Anne shuffled in. She shot a glance at Kat but turned her gaze away and sat in her seat. “Can we start now?” Aragon asked in exasperation.

“Yeah, sorry,” Anne replied, her voice slightly heavier than normal. She didn’t quite look nervous, per se, but rather like she knew something she wished she didn’t. Cathy shot a questioning glance at Anne, but kept her mouth shut. Kat couldn’t help but observe all of this, an uncomfortable hole settling in her stomach.

“Alright,” Jane started, smiling warmly at her companions. “Henry’s party is in two nights time, and we need to be prepared. Anna, I believe you have something for us.”

Snapping her fingers, Anna stood up. “Right you are, Jane Suddenly Seymour,” she joked. Bessie stood up as well, lifting a large bag she had set under the table. “Outfits made by yours truly,” Anna presented, helping Bessie lift the first dress. “Miss Aragon, would you like to see your dress,” Cleves continued her over dramatic flair.

Rolling her eyes, Aragon stood up and moved over to the other two women. Unfurling the dress, Kat couldn’t help but gasp at its beauty. It was long and sweeping, the ends ruffled in all the right places to create shimmering waves. There were sparkles around the chest portion, accentuating Aragon’s dark skin against it. As for the whole of the dress, it was a radiant gold, regal and unapologetic, perfect for the queen who would wear it. The bottom half of the dress was silky and trembled at the slightest wind. Holding the dress against her body, Aragon admired Cleves’s work. “You’ve outdone yourself again, Anna,” she praised, leaving the room to go change and try the dress on. Even if she trusted Anna, the designer always encouraged them to try the dresses on and make sure they fit well.

“Just wait until you see the rest,” Anna smirked.

As Aragon changed, Bessie pulled out the second dress. “Anne, I believe this one’s for you,” she said, delicately placing the dress on the table. If Aragon’s had been radiant, this one was entrancing. It was a dark green, so thick that just looking at the dress made Kat’s chest clench. This dress was a little shorter and more revealing (important to the part Anne would be playing) but no less astounding than Aragon’s. There were jewels tacked along the breast line, making the dress even more elegant. A leather band wrapped around the waist, holding the dress together. 

“Wow,” Kat murmured, absolutely transfixed.

“Going off Kat’s reaction, I think I can safely say this dress is going to capture plenty of attention,” Cleves raised an eyebrow at Anne. Kat blushed and looked down, embarrassed at being called out.

“Wouldn’t want it any other way,” Anne replied cheekily. Aragon came back into the room, twirling in her dress. There were various compliments among the women, including a wolf whistle from Anne. “Looking good Catalina,” she teased.

“Stuff it, Anne,” Aragon pretended to be annoyed. “Go change into your dress,” she ordered.

“As her majesty wishes,” Anne bowed out of the room, with her dress, off to try it on.

“I suppose I’m next,” Jane spoke up. She and the other ladies had been quiet throughout the ordeal, simply watching on in silent interest.

“Indeed,” Anna affirmed, reaching into the bag. Her next item was simpler, but when Jane laid eyes on it, she couldn’t help but immediately fall in love. It was a white dress with black outlines around the edges, accenting the curves and highlighting a wavy pattern. There were faint glitters on the dress, making it shine, but there was nothing inherently distracting about it like Anne’s. It was straightforward and beautiful, just as Jane would’ve asked.

For some reason, seeing the dress brought up a nostalgic feeling in Jane’s chest. She pushed it down and grasped the dress, thanking Anna politely. She left the room quicker than the others, moving past Anne as she reentered the room. “Wow,” Kat said again, seeing Anne in the dress. 

Winking at the table, Anne twirled, catching everyone’s attention. “This is the best thing you’ve made yet, Anna,” she praised while smoothing the dress.

Shrugging off the praise, Anna and Bessie pulled out the next two articles of clothing. “Now, for our last two queens,” she looked at Cathy and Kat respectively, “you need utmost mobility while also appearing formal and wearing your best. Cathy, if you’re to observe properly, you can’t be wearing a distracting dress that hinders you. Solution? Suits.” 

Revealing the suit, Cleves grinned proudly at her creation. A dark blue blazer, rich in color but plain otherwise surrounded the outfit. The color was eye-catching and blended perfectly with Parr’s skin tone. The shirt was a white button up with black stripes running up it, thin but strongly supporting the outfit. The pants were also blue, high waisted over the shirt itself. Sat on the table it was stunning, and Kat couldn’t wait to see the journalist actually donning the outfit.

When Cathy didn’t get up, everyone stared at her. “Aren’t you gonna… try it on?” Bessie nervously prompted.

Hiding her awkwardness behind a laugh, Cathy shook her head. “No, I - uh - I’d rather do that by myself if that’s alright.”

“No problem at all,” Cleves waved her off. “Let me know if there’s any problems with it. Kat,” she called unexpectedly.

Jumping in her seat, Kat quickly put on her persona. “Hmm?” She voiced, hiding her excitement. “My turn? Go ahead,” Kat made it seem like she was holding back a yawn.

The women all shot her confused looks, surprised by her nonchalance that had come completely out of left field. Maria and Maggie shared a confused look, but they said nothing. “Alright,” Cleves frowned, attempting to dispel the sudden tension. “Now, we weren’t sure what color would work, but Bessie had the great idea of this hot pink that I think you’re going to love.”

Sure enough, Kat had to stifle her astonishment at the suit. Like Cathy’s, it was covered by a hot pink blazer with black flower patterns scattered on it. The white shirt beneath it was plain, but the suspenders attached to them gave off a 1920s vibe that Kat adored. The pants were also pink, the same shade as the blazer, although there were no patterns on it. To top it off, there was a black choker sat on top of the outfit. “You like it?” Bessie asked, her eyes slightly twinkling. She had worked on this outfit specifically with Anna, and she was extremely proud of how it had turned out. 

“You did a good job,” Kat coughed out, making sure to keep her compliments vague.

“It’s absolutely stunning,” Jane said softly from the doorway, her dress stealing the spotlight. Everyone turned around to gaze at her, their eyes wide. For something so simple, Jane stood out among all of them. The dress had a life of its own, practically giving off an air of emotion to whoever set eyes on it.

Pushing Kat’s suit forward, Cleves urged, “Now that Jane’s back, you can try your suit on, Kat.”

“Uh,” panicking, Kat replied, “could I do what Cathy did?” At the awkward looks she received, Kat clarified, “Try it on at home?”

“Sure,” Anna continued, unbothered. “Bessie and I guessed on your measurements, so make sure to tell us tomorrow if something doesn’t fit right.”

“What about you, Anna?” Joan asked, speaking up for the first time that night. “Unlike us ladies, you’re going to the party. Don’t you need an outfit?”

“Of course, I have my suit already prepared. It’s a surprise for you all.”

“Why would you need a suit if you’re not going to be sneaking around,” Maggie snorted as she put her feet up on the table. 

Clicking her tongue, Anna leaned towards Maggie. “Because I just look that good in a suit.”

“Okay!” Aragon cut in. “How about we finish this meeting so we can all get home. Thank you for the clothes Anna and Bessie, they’re wonderful.” The fashion team nodded and sat down, listening to Aragon take control. “Now, let’s move on to politics.”

Walking home at one in the morning was not something Kat enjoyed, but she didn’t have a driver’s license, much less a car, so she was stuck. Trekking home with the suit, Kat couldn’t help but feel dirty. This suit in her hands was the most expensive thing she had ever held. Kat hadn’t grown up poor, sure, but she was never given things. And being kicked out of the house at a young age didn’t help her either.

Having this suit made for her felt wrong, she didn’t deserve it. She had lied her way into this group and was being rewarded for it. Kat knew she wanted to help, but it didn’t make the process any easier. She was used to being alone on the streets. Before she had been able to earn barely enough for rent, Kat had lived on these streets. All by herself.

There was a strange limbo between comfort and fear as she stood alone at a streetlight. Kat was used to this, the silence of the night disrupted only by her breathing. Yet she knew of the things that lurked around the corners that weren’t her shadow. For a second, Kat contemplated staying out in the dark and never returning home. 

Before she could travel further down that path, Kat arrived at her apartment. Going into the building and making her way to the door, Kat fumbled with her keys. Getting the door open was harder than usual, the lock seemingly jammed for some reason. Regardless, she got the door open and made her way inside. Running a hand through her hair, Kat flipped on a light and squeaked in surprise, coming face to face with Anne Boleyn in her kitchen.

“Hey Brandon. You and I are gonna have a little chat,” Anne spoke coldly. “Couch. Now.”

Sitting on the couch, Kat stared at her hands, too afraid to look in Anne’s eyes. She had been caught, hadn’t she? Terrible thoughts kept running through her mind on what Anne might do, but Kat refused to voice any of them. “I thought you looked familiar to me,” Anne monologued while pacing in front of Kat. “I was just really curious as to why I know your face. But you know,” she shot a glance at the teen, “curiosity killed the Kat.”

Shivering, Kat opened her mouth, but closed it. “I thought if I stole your wallet, I’d be able to learn something about you. And oh boy did I learn something.” Making a full stop, Anne stared straight through Kat’s persona. “No drivers license or ID, no nothing. Just a few stray pounds and some lint. A laundry card with an address to some,” she gestured around the apartment, “disgusting slum house. No offense,” she quickly corrected herself, not wanting to be too aggressive. Kat shrugged. She couldn’t fault Anne for thinking her home was disgusting if she felt the same way. 

“But most intriguing of all,” Anne continued, “was the autographed card of Thomas Wolsey, one of the heads of Gemini Records. Now, anyone who has done business with Darkrider Records knows of the war those two labels are neck deep in. It’s not something they publish on the news, but if you truly were affiliated with Darkrider Records, you wouldn’t be seen within an inch of anything related to Gemini.” Gulping, Kat knew how deeply she had dug herself into a hole. “So tell me Kat, who are you?”

Taking a few quick breaths, Kat started to talk. She didn’t lift her head to face Anne and her voice was small. “My name is Katherine Howard. I’m a street musician and I have no idea how I got your letter.”

Narrowing her eyes, Anne leaned in closer to Kat. The teen expected to be slapped for deceiving Anne, or receive some kind of retaliation. Instead, Anne gasped and backed away, a look of recognition in her eyes. “Kat? Kat Howard?”

“Yeah?” Kat mumbled in confusion.

“Your father is Edmund Howard, right?” Still confused, Kat nodded, not wanting to upset Anne. “Oh my God, I know why I recognize you.”

“Why?” Kat probed, needing answers for Anne’s sudden change in behavior.

“Because you’re my cousin.”

Silence. And then Kat stood up. “I’m your what?”

“Your cousin!” Anne exclaimed. She moved closer to Kat and started inspecting her face. “I mean, you’re a lot less chubbier than I remember, but you would’ve been, what? Four at the time? You look so different.”

Backing away from Anne, Kat wrinkled her nose. “You’ve gotta have me confused with someone else. I’m not related to any Boleyns.”

“Uh, clearly you are,” Anne rolled her eyes, pointing to herself. “Your aunt is my mom. You won’t remember me, we only met like, once.”

Still, Kat was unconvinced. “Why wouldn’t my father tell me about you?”

Anne frowned and lost a bit of enthusiasm. “Everyone in the family knows Edmund as the deadbeat. His wife died and he totally pulled away from everyone. No one’s talked to him since the funeral.” Kat cringed, remembering her mother disappearing one day. And how everything had changed after that. “Although I’m not one to talk, seeing as I’m the black sheep of our family,” Anne added.

Scoffing, Kat looked at the floor. “You’re the black sheep? Have you seen where I’m living?”

Awkwardly clicking her tongue, Anne once again observed the place. “Yeah, not the best living space.”

“Can’t afford anything else,” Kat grumbled.

“Street musician doesn’t pay too well.” Turning her attention back to her newfound cousin, Anne still needed answers. “How did you get that letter?”

Shrugging, Kat wound her arms tightly around her chest. “Some lady dropped it in my guitar case yesterday. It had my name on it, so I thought it was for me. I went to the meeting and you all started calling me Katherine Brandon and… I panicked.”

“Understandable,” Anne muttered, thinking about the implications of the letter landing with Kat. “And so the plot thickens,” she whispered to herself. Anne decided not to push on that front, instead bringing up another topic. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because I need to,” Kat fired back. “I’m never going to do anything worthwhile in my life. This is my one shot.”

If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have encouraged Kat, but this was Anne Boleyn, known for her chaos. “Then let’s do it.”

Of all things Kat had been expecting, that wasn’t it. “You’re just going to help me?”

“Hell yeah,” Anne agreed. “I already want to take down Henry, and you’re already in on everything, so why stop now? If you’re willing to do this, then I’m gonna help you.”

A short grin grew on Kat’s face. “You won’t tell anyone I’m not really Katherine Brandon?”

“Anything for my baby cousin.”

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

@annabanana2401

@boleynhowards

@radcowboyalmondtree

@babeebobo

[bastillewolf]

The Grand Tranquility Hotel (III)

Pairing: Alex Turner/Reader

Summary: An eccentric hotel owner and an inquisitive writer find solace in each other when they both seemed to be at the edge of rock bottom.

Notes: These chapters keep getting longer. I hope you don’t mind ;)

Let me know if you’d like to be added to the tag list.

Chapter III - One Point Perspective

“Good morning, Nicholas,” she greeted, joining him at the breakfast table. “Have the others already eaten?” Nick’s jaw momentarily stopped chewing his food as he glanced down at his watch with a surprised expression, before he swallowed. “Uhm, I didn’t expect you to be up this early, miss. I’m pretty sure Matt is still in bed. Jamie’s in the kitchen, though. I could ask him to cook you up something.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’ll go ask him myself. I wasn’t sure what time breakfast would be served, and I wanted to take an early walk through the garden,” she explained. Nick quickly shook his head and before she could protest, he’d already barged into the kitchens.

After having a nice and simple meal with eggs on toast with Jamie consistently reminding her that he could make her a dish more elaborate if she desired and her cutting him off and telling him it was delicious, she wrapped herself in her coat and finally headed outside.

The fresh morning air hit her face and instantly woke her up as she breathed in the smell of freshly cut grass, pine trees and that distinct whiff of autumn. Her feet carried her across the gravel pathways which lead her around symmetrically cut hedges and marble statues overgrown with moss. It was a peaceful environment, the only sounds being produced by the running fountain, wafting wind and chirping birds around her.

She eventually found herself in front of the stables and her keen eyes sleekly moved across the field to see if she was being watched. No one ever really gave her a reason to believe she wasn’t allowed in the stables, but the mysterious impression the hotel and staff were giving her made her doubt everything she was doing. When she felt the coast was clear, she slowly opened the creaky wooden door and stepped through.

She hadn’t noticed a curtain shift on the second floor of the Grand Tranquility Hotel.

There were about five boxes, but only one held a horse. It was the one she had spotted through the window yesterday; the rowdy one Matt was trying to calm. It had a dark brown coat and a white triangle-like shape on its head. She slowly approached it, and when her hand reached out to touch it, it only huffed in response. She smiled and ran her fingers along its neck. “You’re a real beauty, aren’t you?” she muttered.

“That’s Mardy,” a voice behind her said. She jumped and the horse made a noise of protest. She turned to meet Matt’s calculating gaze and put a hand over her rapidly beating heart. “Christ, Matthew. You scared me.”

“I’m sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. It’s just that Mardy usually has a bit of a temper and doesn’t do well around new people. But it appears that she likes you,” he told her. She raised her brows, “and what if she didn’t like me? What would you have done?” Matt blinked, clearly not having thought through that his guest could’ve gotten hurt purely because he was curious. She let out a chuckle. “It’s fine. I’m afraid I was being sneaky, too. I wasn’t really sure if I was allowed in the stables.”

“Why wouldn’t you be allowed in the stables, ma’am?” he asked her with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “I don’t know…”she replied, thinking it over, “It’s just the vibe the hotel is giving me, I suppose. I can’t really explain it. I must seem like an idiot, I’m sorry.”

“Not at all, miss. I know exactly what you mean.”

Matt took her on a more extended tour around the gardens and told her of the origins of Mardy’s name. One of his co-worker’s old girlfriends – he wouldn’t say who – went by the name Mardy and he explained that they always used to call her Mardy Bum because she had such a bad temper. “Perhaps the horse is payback for that nickname,” she laughed. “Probably,” he grinned, “Now that you mention it, she kind of did remind me of a horse.”

“I was wondering if you could tell me a bit about how the hotel started?” she hesitantly wondered. Matt seemed to remain calm, so she felt a heap of weight fall off of her. “It was really all Alex’ plan. He’d been friends with Miles since high school and they’d always talked about opening a hotel together. When Miles became mayor, he’d upheld his promise and made sure Alex had the funds to make their dream come true.”

“So that’s why the mayor visits so often,” she concluded. Matt nodded, “They’re still great friends to this day. I met Alex in college, and we quickly became mates. When he told me that he’d hire me as staff in his hotel that he was convinced he was going to open, I’d laughed with him and jokingly told him I’d want nothing more. I didn’t think he could actually make it happen, and yet here we are.”

“You must’ve felt very proud of him.” “I did. I still do,” he smiled, “We’ve been through a lot together. Don’t tell him I said that, though. He might be my mate, but I wouldn’t want to add to his already massive ego. He’s still an idiot.”

They arrived back at the hotel just in time for lunch, and this time Jamie and Nick were both already waiting at a table for them, casually holding conversation. “I didn’t know what you’d like,” Jamie explained, “but I wasn’t going to let you have me make you a grilled cheese sandwich or whatever other basic lunch item you most likely would’ve picked.” He waved towards the trays of sliced fruits, triangularly cut sandwiches, pastries and a big steaming pot of some sort of vegetable soup. “I really appreciate it, Jamie, but it’s a tad excessive. I’m only your guest and I don’t need any special treatment from you,” she tried to communicate, but Jamie was having none of it. “Nonsense. You’re our favourite guest. Just don’t tell mister Turner I said that. Or the mayor.”

“Tell me what?”

She nearly choked on her tea and gently set the cup back down before she would drop the expensive china. She turned to meet the now familiar brown gaze as Nick quickly filled the hotel owner in; “We were just talking about how much we enjoy the missus’ company, mister Turner. She’s been very kind to us.”

Alex’ calculating gaze landed on her, and he hummed. “I suppose she has been very kind. You don’t mind my staff joining you during your meals, do you, miss?” “Not at all,” she replied, “In fact, it was my suggestion they join me.” His eyebrows sleekly quirked up. “Is that so? Then you wouldn’t mind me pulling up a chair?” She was at a loss for words for a moment, not having expected this sort of behaviour, so she simply just shook her head. The others seemed a bit uneasy as well. It was clear to her that he never did this sort of thing with any of his guests, and perhaps neither with his staff.

While Jamie ladled the soup in each person’s bowl, Alex leaned his elbows on the table, his fingers adorned with golden rings intertwining as his eyes locked with hers. She didn’t look away, but she sure as hell didn’t feel as bold as Matt had been when he’d talked back against the hotel owner just yesterday.

“I was wondering what the purpose of your stay was, miss? If you don’t mind me asking, of course,” he said, a glint forming in his eyes. His voice was as smooth as velvet and though there was an underlying tone that made her uncomfortable, it also provoked a different feeling deep in her stomach. Something she wouldn’t necessarily describe as a bad feeling. She just hadn’t experienced anything like it in years.

“Well, as I told you before, I’m curious about your hotel. A writer’s instinct, I suppose.”

“But that couldn’t have been the only reason to visit this particular hotel. Lots of hotels have interesting stories,” he continued to prod. She hesitated. “I suppose you’re right,” she said. “My mother used to visit this hotel on her birthday each year. She always talked about it in such high regards, I had to see what the fuss was about. She passed away a few months ago, you see. Her birthday would have been tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry for your loss,” he said quietly, and it was with a sincerity she hadn’t expected. “I’m glad we made her feel comfortable.”

Matt cleared his throat, “Maybe we could hold something in celebration tomorrow, boss. I’m sure her mother would have liked that.”

“What do you suggest?” Alex asked. “Just a small gathering. We could kill two birds with one stone and celebrate that other thing we talked about as well,” Matt replied vaguely. Alex hummed, “I’ll think about it. I’ll let you know at dinner.”

Jamie’s eyebrows nearly shot through the roof. “You- You’ll be joining us for dinner, sir?!” “Of course, I am,” Turner answered, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to suddenly join his staff during meals when he hadn’t done so in a very long time, “I’d like to get to know our guest a bit better.” It was in the sultry way he’d said it that made her doubt his intentions. She had a feeling dinner was going to be a real ordeal.

While they finished their soup and ate the various delights spread across the table, they held conversation, but this time it felt more strained and superficial and she had a good feeling it was because of mister Turner. He didn’t say much else throughout lunch and when they had finished, he politely bade them farewell and took off to do god knows what. Her eyes followed him as he buttoned his jacked and clenched his jaw until his tense shoulders disappeared around the corner of the hallway. His feet carried him in such a way she was almost entranced by watching him come and go. He was a fascinating figure, to say the least.

“I wouldn’t worry too much about tonight, miss,” Nick snapped her out of her trance, “Mister Turner might be a bit held back, but he’s a man of honour. He’d want nothing more than to commemorate one of his guests.” “Then why does he have to think it over?” she wondered. Matt sighed, “he probably just needs to map out how things will be arranged for tomorrow. Just let it sink in. It’s how he usually deals with these things. He’ll lose his train of thought otherwise.”

She’d spent the rest of the afternoon roaming around the grand hotel, taking in the scenery and paintings when she stumbled upon the library. It was an open room, not nearly as big as the dining hall but still very spacious. Bookshelves built up to the ceiling that were filled to the brim, illuminated by the last rays of sunlight streaming through the large windows. Rugs with various designs were strewn across the floor and the velvety curtains along with the matching red loveseats gave a warm and inviting impression. Before she knew it, she’d gotten lost in one of her favourite books that she’d accidentally stumbled upon and Matt was already asking her if she was ready to have dinner.

“Is you escorting me to various rooms becoming a thing now?” she asked with a smirk. Matt chuckled, “Only if you’d want it to be, ma’am. I for one, wouldn’t mind.” She playfully smacked his arm and a blush dusted his cheeks.

Nick appeared to have been alone and anxiously waiting for their arrival when they entered the hall. He informed them that Jamie was still in a craze about getting everything perfect for when she and mister Turner arrived, and she couldn’t help but pity the man. It was his job, of course, but she’d always been the person who didn’t want other people to fuss over her. She was about to get up to go and ask Jamie if he needed any help when the hotel owner himself casually strode in and took his seat across from her.

When he finally acknowledged Matt’s intensely questioning gaze, he sighed. “I’ve mulled it over and I’ve decided that your mother should be commemorated at the gathering tomorrow.” “What made you reach your final decision, if I may ask?” she questioned curiously. Before he could answer, Matt cleared his throat. Alex shot a look at him, silently conversing something, before answering, “I’d looked over some of the files in our archive. Matthew and Nick had both already voiced the fact they found you to have a familiar face. Only when we found your mother’s old details did they remember who she was, and they only had good things to say about her.”

“Your mother actually helped me get the job,” Nick informed her. “Really?” she smiled. “She did. I was young and didn’t have much experience. I applied for the job as a secretary at the place she worked, but they didn’t really need any more staff. So, she helped me get a job here. Wrote a letter to mister Turner herself, she did.” “I still have that letter,” Alex murmured quietly. He looked so fond when he’d said it, she could see he’d never had any regrets about hiring Nick. His stoic façade snapped back in place when Jamie barged through the kitchen doors.

“Good evening,” he said, slightly out of breath and sweating, “My name is Jamie and I will be your chef during your stay here. May I take your order?”

“You don’t have to introduce yourself, Jamie,” Matt whispered to him, but Jamie quickly shushed him. An awkward pause followed; Alex silently observing the chef with a raised eyebrow until Jamie had realized his mistake. He came back with a set of menus.

Dinner went surprisingly well. Apart from their chef’s worried glances to his boss, his boss’ calculating gaze and Nick accidentally throwing wine over himself, there was no further incident. She’d even had a bit of wine herself, and she was feeling a tad woozy because of it.

“I think I’m going to take a stroll trough the hallways and then retire for the night. Enjoy the rest of your evening, gentlemen,” she said as she got up from her chair. Alex stood as well, and the others automatically followed, but more out of obligation. The hotel owner eyed them in irritation, before asking her, “Mind if I join you?” She paused for a moment. “Not at all.”

She didn’t know if he’d expected to gain some sort of information by accompanying her, but he certainly wasn’t making an effort by remaining silent for the first few minutes. Eventually he seemed to cave when she’d stopped to inspect a painting. It was a picture of a great ship in a lightning storm. “You appreciate art?” She raised a brow at him, “Does that surprise you?” She’d sworn she’d seen a flicker of amusement cross his features before that wall went up again. “I didn’t mean to offend you, madam. It’s just that usually the people who visit this hotel are the people who buy paintings just to own them, not to admire them.” “Well, I’m not the usual people, am I?”

“You are most certainly not,” he quietly muttered.

He continued to bewilder her by showing her the hidden gems of the hotel, the paintings and statues hidden in the crooks and corners. Something in particular stood out; a group photo taken in front of the hotel. A bunch of people were waiving their arm at her, with Alex proudly standing in the front, shaking hands with who she presumed to be Miles Kane. He looked so young, a messy mop of hair on his head and a bright smile adorning his face. Quite the contrast to the serene man standing next to her today. On his other side were Matt and Jamie with their arms wrapped around what seemed to be another staff member. She wondered if he’d lost his job, too.

“That was when the hotel first opened,” he explained. “These were the first visitors. I believe your mother is in the top right corner there.” Taking a closer look, she indeed spotted her mum. It made her heart ache to see her so happy and healthy. She’d almost forgotten what she’d looked like before getting sick. She turned to meet the hotel owner’s gaze. “Thank you for showing me this.” And she meant it. He only hummed in response.

She took a moment’s hesitation before asking, “What happened to the hotel?”

When his gaze hardened almost instantly, she knew she’d made a mistake. “I don’t think that’s any of your business.” “I don’t mean any harm, I was just curious,” she tried to explain, but he wasn’t having it. “Perhaps if you didn’t spend as much time sticking your nose in other people’s business you would’ve published a book by now,” he snarled.

She was at a loss for words. So, he continued, “It’s probably best if you retire early, miss. I’m sorry if our hotel couldn’t give you the juicy gossip you were hoping for,” and stormed off.

She was absolutely fuming. She stalked back to her room, passing the front desk where Nick had been about to greet her until he’d realized he wasn’t getting a response from her. She slammed the door behind her, took out her pen and notebook and wrote down the truth about what kind of an arrogant, narcissistic ass Alexander Turner really turned out to be.

[kayr0ss]

Appointments Chapter 2: She’s a Little Abrasive

[LWA, Diakko, Small Town AU, Fluff and Slow Romance, Pining™ lol]

Chapter 1 & Table of Contents [Links] AO3

She would have really liked her first, new, friend to be here for the occasion, but Lotte had class and Akko could understand. Besides, they were going to have brunch at a cafe the following morning—and Lotte was bringing a friend!

She was definitely going to master biking today. Any minute now! She could feel it in her bones.

…at least, in the ache of her bones.

A few days prior, Lotte had dutifully brought Akko downtown where shops lined the streets and market stalls set up camp in the few open lots. It was a wonderful experience; they made a girls’ night out of it. By the end of the evening, Akko was the proud owner of a brand-new bike.

Never mind that she didn’t actually know how to ride it. Yet.

‘Yet’ was very important, because whenever Atsuko Kagari put her mind on something, she did every damn thing she could to get it done. She had a new bike, a lot of free time—I probably need a job soon—and nothing to lose. She popped her knuckles, tongue-in-cheek while she gripped the leather coverings of the handle bar. Like a sniper, the brunette surveyed her surroundings. The park was in a state of relative peace, apart from the grade school football team practicing at the center field. She was in the designated bike lane which encircled the field, and the weather was dry and overcast. It was three in the afternoon on a Thursday, only a few locals had come out for their afternoon runs, so she was going to have to maximize the time she had the lane all to herself.

She remembered being seven, sitting cross-legged in front of their TV while she watched a famous triathlete finish the Samhain Cup in record time. The woman said something about believing in your heart—Akko couldn’t remember the exact words—but it was enough to get her going. She pushed the right pedal down, and with excitement in her chest she felt the bike roll forward. When the momentum was enough to keep her upright, she grinned, bringing her left foot to its respective pedal, pushing down on it with renewed confidence because she was going fast enough to feel the wind against her skin!

She was biking!

And then she was screaming.

“Shit!” was an understatement—she completely missed a rock and was unceremoniously tossed off of her bike. She hissed, feeling a sharp, stinging pain at the knee, blinking through the mess of brown hair that had flown forward and covered her face. She pushed herself up on her palms and could hear the bike’s rear wheel still spinning on its axle. At least it wasn’t broken?

“That—”

Akko saw a strong hand thrust in front of her face.

“—was a complete embarrassment.”

“I noticed.” Akko groaned, clasping the hand. She mumbled a small ‘thank-you’ while she was pulled up—her knee was bleeding pretty badly.

“You need to have that cleaned,” the woman pointed out. “Then buy some knee pads. Or borrow some from the kids,” she pointed over her shoulder towards the football team.

Akko regarded her wound with a cringe. She bent downwards, trying to dust off the grime around it, but when she looked up to ask for her name, the lady had turned on her back and was walking towards the field. Akko shrugged, figuring she’d be hanging around the park often enough to see her again anyway.

But for now, she needed to see a doctor.

15:58

Or not. That’s going to have to wait. Skinning her knee wasn’t part of today’s schedule and she had Applied Physics by five-thirty. Soap and a bandage would do, and Akko cursed her luck while she walked her bike back to the apartment; she didn’t feel like sprinting across town again.

By five-fifteen, she was freshly showered and seated in class. Akko did a little dance because ‘small victories count!’

Applied Physics wasn’t as bad as it sounded. She thought it would be full of undergrads like Sociology was, but it seems this was the nightshift class—full of post-grads who needed units in science ‘for formality’s sake’ like her. There were only a few in attendance, and she had acquainted herself with a peculiar girl named ‘Sucy’. Akko had, in her usual fashion, declared them friends out of ‘Asian solidarity’, and honestly Sucy didn’t look like she cared so she took that as a yes.

—

It was a pleasant surprise when she discovered that the friend Lotte was bringing for brunch was Sucy from Physics.

“I can feel the beginnings of a solid friendship!” Akko grinned, starry-eyed while she looked between Lotte and Sucy.

“I thought I was through with this idiot last night,” Sucy drawled, to which Lotte only sighed.

“Sucy and I have known each other for a while,” Lotte supplied. “We’re roommates.”

“You guys live together?” Akko asked in wonder.

“Yeah,” Lotte smiled, “helps cut costs. Tuition is expensive, and I’m trying to finish my degree as quick as possible because I chose to study full-time.”

“I intern at the Chemistry department,” Sucy interjected.

Akko shot her new friend an expectant look, taking the opportunity to observe her appearance. She exuded an over-all ‘I honestly don’t give a fuck’ vibe, and her long, purple hair which mysteriously covered her eye added to the effect. It suited her.

“And?”

“That’s it,” Sucy punctuated. “I intern at the Chemistry department.”

Facts and interests were shared over a brunch of eggs and toast, and while it was mainly Akko and Lotte who did the talking, she eagerly learned more and more about Sucy Manbavaran and her talent in mixing things that either exploded, corroded any organic material it interacted with, or corroded the material before causing it to explode. Akko thought it was ‘really cool’ that she cultivated a mushroom colony underneath her bed, but apparently Lotte didn’t because ‘fungi’ and ‘potentially dangerous spores’.

The minutes ticked by and their drinks had gone cold. The cafe owner—a kind, soft spoken Russian woman—would occasionally join in; Akko learned that Lotte and Sucy were regulars and the owner seemed happy to welcome a new face to the neighborhood. Lotte had ordered and slice of cake (“They are to die for!”), and the group was sucked into a detailed report of Akko’s biking progress and subsequent accident.

“I can’t believe I let you buy a bike,” Lotte massaged her temples. “Let me see the wound?”

Akko pulled her skirt up, and Lotte winced.

“Akko!”

“I think I have something for that,” Sucy had fangs in her grin.

“Sucy—” Lotte hissed, “—no.”

Akko blinked, “but if it helps—”

“Nope!” Lotte set her palm on the table. “You’re going to see a doctor. It’s looks terrible! Why did you leave it untreated over night?”

“I… was late for class?”

-

-

When the door to her office swung open, Diana retracted her pen with a click, looking up from the patient file Barbara gave her with a practiced expression of professionalism. She would nod politely, greeting them a good morning before engaging in small ta—

Brown hair and… red eyes?

“Wait, you?”

Diana didn’t expect the reaction from herself, and apparently her very confused patient didn’t either. She stole a quick glance to the patient file.

Atsuko Kagari F | 24 | Blood type O+ | 161cm | 48kg

“Er—what?”

Her gaze flitted back towards the woman, and it dawned upon her that this was no way to behave herself at work. She cleared her throat and put a cool facade back on, internally scolding herself for the slip-up. “My apologies,” Diana stood to offer a handshake, “there was a woman at the crosswalk some days ago, I may have mistaken you for—”

“You’re the pretty blonde chick!”

Atsuko-Kagari-With-Red-Eyes-and-Blood-Type-O+ had a finger pointed towards Diana and a slack-jawed look of recognition.

“Excuse me?” Diana snapped.

Her patient visibly cringed. “Shit. Not going to repeat that—doesn’t mean I don’t mean it! It’s just my mouth spews out crap before I really think about it and—anyway—what I’m trying to say is I think I messed my knee up pretty bad.”

Diana crossed her arms, choosing not to react because this woman just made her cycle through three different emotions within fifteen seconds. The best defense was a statement of facts, “so you were the one who shoved me in the middle of the road.”

“Yeah,” the other woman grinned sheepishly, looking away while she scratched at the back of her head. “Sorry about that. Was late to class.”

“Interesting.” Diana raised an eyebrow, “and your knee?”

“Biking accident.”

She relented, choosing to let the circumstances of their first meeting slide in favor of the automaticity of a check-up. Barbara had taken care of the preliminaries—blood pressure, vital signs, and other pertinent information.

“Tell me what happened.”

She directed the brunette towards a nearby stool while she fetched a pair of rubber gloves and pulled the lamp closer. ‘Atsuko’ recounted yesterday’s events in a jumbled run-on sentence and Diana felt her exasperation grow because the brunette simply couldn’t stay still.

“Stop fidgeting.”

“But it tickles!”

To her frustration, Atsuko just kept squirming. Diana held the other woman’s knee steady with a gloved hand, brows knitting together in thought while she scrutinized the injury. The surrounding area was red and seemed a bit swollen. She gently put pressure around the abrasion—

“Ouch!”

“Tenderness and pain,” she mumbled. “It’s infected.” Early stages; no pus or liquid discharge.

“So what do I need to do?”

“First off—why did you let it get to this? You should have come in yesterday.”

“You aren’t the first to tell me,” Atsuko groaned, crossing her arms. “But I would have been late to class.”

“Again.”

“Would have been,” the brunette emphasized, shooting a challenging glare to her direction. “And I wasn’t, for the record.”

“Lovely. Will a pat on the back suffice?”

Atsuko frowned, her lip jutting out in a pout, “I don’t need your approval!”

“While this is true, I believe that running around town—constantly late for class—is no way for a college student in Luna Nova to behave.”

“I’m a graduate student,” the brunette huffed.

Diana raised an eyebrow. “Then even more so. You’re already at the professional level, Atsuko.”

“Akko.”

The physician tilted her head in inquiry.

“It’s my nickname.” ‘Akko’ rubbed at the sides of her head. “Calling me ‘Atsuko’ in that nagging voice of yours is reminding me of my mother and giving me headache.”

“Well, Atusko,” Diana said pointedly, “perhaps I should just include an aspirin in your prescription.”

She pulled out her pen in a sharp motion that signaled the end of their conversation and scribbled something onto a prescription pad. She tore off of the leaf of paper and held it out towards her patient, who had snatched it up and was now inspecting it with those big, curiously red eyes.

Those same red eyes which were now narrowed in thought. “I’m not even going to pretend to know what these are.”

Diana almost chuckled. Almost. “Fucidic acid—it’s a topical anti-bacterial. Apply it twice a day for a week after thorough washing, and then dress your wound according to the instructions I’ve written. If the wound begins to close and there’s still pain or swelling, you’ll have to come back and I might need to give you oral antibiotics.”

“Right,” her patient dutifully nodded.

“If there’s pus, or if it becomes watery you need to come back immediately. May I ask where you’re staying?”

“Why?”

The blonde rolled her eyes. “So I know which pharmacy to refer you to. The nearest is along Orion Street.”

“Oh—that’s on the way home!”

“Good. The attending pharmacist is a good friend—”

“Glad to know you actually have those,” she mumbled.

“—named Ms. England.” Diana punctuated, purposefully ignoring the jab.

“Her surname is seriously England?”

“Yes.”

It looked like she was trying her hardest not to snicker but— “we’re in England.”

It must have been her hundredth eyeroll, but Diana did it anyway.

“It’s like… if my surname was Japan,” she giggled.

“Anyway,” Diana interjected, “there will also be no biking until the abrasion heals”

“But—”

“No buts. The wound will open—you’ll just be susceptible to infection all over again.”

“Mou,” she pouted. It was rather disarming. “Fine.”

Diana heard the front door’s bell ring. Her two o’clock appointment was on the dot. Unlike ‘Akko’, she noted with a mixture of annoyance and… something.

“Well,” the brunette blurted out, spirits evidently dampened. “Thanks. I’ll just head out to the reception for my due.”

The blonde nodded, wordlessly allowing Atusko to collect her things.

“Atusko Kagari,” Diana muttered to herself once the woman in question was out of earshot. She leaned back into her leather office chair. “Akko.” What a peculiar woman. They were roughly the same age, with Diana being older by a little over a year, but there was a glaring difference in maturity. And an over-abundance in child-like glee. Which isn’t inherently a bad thing, she hummed. It was… rather refreshing. She deduced that her patient was likely new in town.

“You?!”

The sudden shouting jerked her up in her seat. She leaned forward to get a view through the opened office door and saw that new arrival’s usual scowl was a little deeper today. The lilac-haired woman had an accusatory finger pointed towards none other than Atsuko Kagari.

“You’re the crazy-ass woman who vaulted over my equipment a few days ago!”

“You were the weird-looking computer lady!” the brunette gasped. Then she squinted, rubbing at her chin in thought, “…though I swear I’ve seen you somewhere else before.”

“Did you just call me weird!?” the woman in glasses glowered.

“Holy shit,” Akko gaped.

“You two know each other?” Barbara, who was watching from behind the front desk, looked like she was about to burst a nerve from all the yelling.

“Aren’t you my Physics professor?!”

“If you attend the five-thirty on Thursdays, then yes.”

“How do you not recognize me?” Akko flailed her arms. “There were like, eight of us.”

“Because I don’t give a fuck,” the bespectacled woman grunted. “My job is to teach and give you tests, not hold hands and make friends.”

“But you’re supposed to be a mentor to look up to!” Akko whined, and Diana was amazed at how she didn’t seem to care that this woman was apparently her professor and that she already had two strikes against her before their second meeting in class.

“What are you?” the older woman scoffed. “In elementary school?”

“Why does everyone keep talking to me like a kid!” the brunette cried indignantly, slamming her payment onto the front desk without bothering with the receipt. She dramatically stomped out of the clinic, and the three other women could only watch in bewilderment.

“That girl is going to give me an aneurism,” Barbara blinked.

“Or a heart attack,” her latest patient agreed. The woman let herself into Diana’s office, lazily falling into the vacant chair with her arms crossed.

“Good afternoon, professor.” Diana picked up her stethoscope—this one was a pulmonary case. “Have you been considering your options for cardio exercise? Perhaps light jogging to build lung stamina?”

The woman shuddered, “can’t I just rely on my inhaler forever?”

Diana sighed, clicking at her pen before looking down to review the patient record. This time, it was a regular.

Dr. Croix Meridies F | 35 | Blood type AB- | 172cm | 57kg Instructor: Department of Engineering & Actuarial Sciences, LNU — Asthma & Misc. Pulmonary Complications

One difficult patient after another, she supposed.

-

Hey guys! I just need to clarify that I'm not a medical person so I really just tried to wing the technicalities of this! [Thank you Google and WebMD - but please don't self-medicate using Google or WebMD!!!!!!!!!!]

Thank you to everyone who commented on the first chapter! Your response to it really got me up and writing and smiling silly! Anyway I hope u enjoy ehehehe

@ tumblr ask people: I am so sorry for neglecting the ask requests pls 4give me I will get around to all them [like--6 or 7ish left?] sometime!

[sayofchains88]

Chapter two: Christian's destiny by OrangeLetters88~

"Hey he is coming around!" A voice rings out. Christian slowly opens his eyes. Registering his surroundings, his eyes watering up; he is silent as Dr. Carol examines his vitals.

He is hooked up to a heart monitor; his finger is in a Pulse oximetry. "Seems like the shop owner shot you too many times not wondering in his pea brain if it would kill you not. You went into respiratory failure not too long after, but getting home I was able to successfully get you the proper help..."

"You need to relax Christian. You tried your hardest. We at least know where Alex is." Alice says sadly, but happy Christian is okay.

"Get better soon man." Mars fist bumps Christian lightly. "I miss us doing stuff."

"Me too..." Christian whispers.

The doorbell can be heard from the upstairs. Christian tries to get up, however Dr. Carol pushes him back down on the bed. "You need to rest. There is more than one person here to take care of things."

Steel and Clarence shoo everyone away. Behind them is a woman. "We saw her sneak around."  Clarence states.

"I wasn't sneaking around, I was weighing if I should've come or not" She replies in her defense.

"Sure looks like you were though..." Steel responds annoyed.

"Wait what happened to you? Why are you uhh...anyways..."

Christian sits up to take a better look at her. "You are that girl from the auction house!" He shouts coughing afterwards.

"Yes I am...I am came to ask you to free me and my sisters. You can free your friend too I assure you."

Christian thinks back how all three auction houses have a pretty witch in each doing a task. He wanted to speak, but all the sudden he feels a burning rising into his throat. Clarence goes to touch Christian. He stops after feels a spark of electricity motion through his body.

Christian shrieks in pain holding his neck before falling forward into Clarence's chest effectively passing out.  

"I didn't see a tag on him..." She says to herself out loud dashing over to Christian. Clarence is now able to hold him by the shoulders. She grabs his shoulders falling backwards. "He is connected to that guy. I can see him through this man."

Dr. Carol shouts for everyone to leave except the woman. "My name is Sadie. I assure you I came here with no intention to do harm." She loosens her blouse to show the same slave symbol as the ones put on the vampires.

Clarence is still in the room despite Dr. Carol's disagreements. Christian's breathing is laboring hard now to the point you can hear him wheezing. He somewhat is coming around, he clutches Clarence's tie dragging him down.

"Water please..." He begs. Dr. Carol shoves Clarence away to steady Christian to drink. Clarence laughs. "Be my wife and I will help you...we plenty of time to get to know each other."

"Fine! You got a deal, but you need to be able to win us the star ring events! I don't accept failures."

"You sure are a cheeky guy..." Clarence says looking away embarrassed.

"You will be living with us in the castle walls, we will have a ton of children and I will make you a proud wife!"

She reddens at the thought of his words. "What are my sisters going to think??"

Dr. Carol and Clarence start to giggle. "I should have known you were digging the witch girls, but I was too distracted." Dr. Carol snickers even louder.

"What are these star ring events?" Clarence asks.

"Usually pompous rich people get rid of their old slaves or switch them around, but newbies can win them too. Usually these are old men or vampires that are well endowed can afford to take our lives. There is usually a grand switch witch as well who will as her title states will switch the titles for winners."

"But aren't you concerned about one little detail Christian?" Dr. Carol says worried.

"What are you talking about?"

"You are connected to Alex. This could be very bad for you..."

"But you also must be a title holder..." Sadie explains. "If you are connected then you are not a head."

"Vepar will only come out for Alex, but Christian does get a secondary prize which can allow him to stand haul as a leader." Clarence confirms.

"Why haven't you claimed it then?" Dr. Carol replies with a smirk.

"Because I am more than capable on my own...anyways it is known as the tome of nowhere which is meant for secondary's. It usually is seen as a captain lead book though."

"That's great! Where do you obtain it?" Sadie asks.

"There is an abandoned castle deep into the countryside. Christian has to pledge his eternity to the queen of vampires. I say it is abandoned cause what is in the middle of the church is a coffin with only ashes...she was killed during a greater war than forgotten war, but her presence is still felt with her followers."

"Wait she is dead? Are you making her to be the Mary saint of vampires?" Sadie argues.

"Don't you worship Hecate?" Dr. Carol snaps.

"I mean we do..." She says stopping herself.

"Head vampires do not need her permission. They are equals to her greatness and something of an admin thing, but secondaries are what betrayed her. Why she died so one day according to legend a man of head leaders was killed...he went to the temple to beg forgiveness and handed a guide with a spirit of their own which has become to be known as the tome of nowhere. Your allegiance is burned into your eye as proof, but the eye has its own perks."

"We need to be careful then since Sadie has a seal. Anyone could be lurking here now..." Dr. Carol discloses. "I will the lock the dungeon gates so if anything gets in, then they cannot get upstairs."    

"If you are feeling better tomorrow then we will go." Clarence says to Christian. He taps Sadie to come with him. "You are a human so you need a room to sleep. Follow me this way. Christian get some shut eye please."

Clarence shuts off the lights exiting the room. Christian Is left with the hum of the heart monitor. He didn't realize how tired he was till everyone had left the room. He could barely keep his eyes open.

Almost instantly he falls asleep, sometime during the night he feels the burning again in his throat. He pulls the pulse oximetry off getting up to try to make his way to the door withering in pain. He can feel what is almost like a thousand volts tunneling through his body.

He is about to open the door when Dr. Carol comes in catching him. The pain stops causing him to droop in his arms fainting. "Must be the shock treatment again...I was actually about to check on you, but seems you dropped in my arms instead. Hey are you awake?"

He is limp in Dr. Carol's arms. "What are they doing to him?"

"I don't know...I am sorry you suffer his fall out."

"No I feel closer to him by feeling his pain, but it is so painful I am in fear of what is happening to Alex. He has already been captive before...he must be terrified."

"You need to get rest. It's almost sun up and I need to get to my coffin."

"You...have a coffin??"

"Yes I do actually. It's pretty cozy. It's by the dungeons. It's nice and cold, perfect for sleeping. Anyways I will see you later."

Dr. Carol leaves the room when Clarence strolls by. "Good luck later." Dr. Carol says as they cross each other's paths.

"No doubt it will be fine." Clarence responds. The two shake hands. "Have a good deep sleep."

He stretches his arms out yawning. "Hey! Hey Christian!" Dr. Carol makes his way back in the room hearing Clarence.

"He is really trying to fight this seal...I can feel it. I feel so drained."

"Sadie had an attack earlier too..."

"She had an attack? Is she okay?" Christian asks holding his chest.

Yes...Steel is staying with her tonight...I am staying with you It seems till later when we need to leave."

Clarence falls asleep in an adjacent bed. Christian starts to sleep talk. It catches Clarence's attention when he seems to talk like Alex. "I really...miss home...Alice forgive me..." Christian says slowly in his sleep. "Samuel..."

Clarence has to hold Christian down as he wails in his sleep. His movements are erratic. He kicks Clarence in the head. He has to use the medical bed restraints to stop him from hurting himself.

He ends up falling asleep on the chair as Christian thrashes around. Dr. Carol makes it in around seven pm. "I see you had to put him in the restraints...you also have a black eye." He laughs.

"We will go tomorrow to see the church. Today might not a good day to go as I wanted...you know Alex is talking through him?"

"Is that why you are using the neck restraint as well?" Dr. Carol asks.

"He is mildly sedated for now as well. Do you think he is purposely talking through Christian?"

Clarence sits back on the chair. "What are we going to do if this becomes worse? If I remember correctly you spoke before how he was affected by a generational curse before meaning this is nothing."

Christian finds himself covered in complete darkness. Confused he keeps running till he sees the soft yellow light of a lantern. He views his surroundings till he walks straight into Alex. His foot literally knocking into Alex's knee, shocked to see Alex looking his way despite being blindfolded.

His arm right hand chained up, his legs folded with his other hand resting on his arm. "Alex, can you hear me."

"Christian? You aren't physically here...but I have a feeling why you are here." Alex states.

I don't why...Alex please tell me what to do! I don't know what to do..." Christian asks falling to his knees.

Alex looks down forlorn pausing a moment before looking Christians way. He notices his awkwardness. "The witches will guide you Christian...I trust you...you will grow a lot before we next meet. This is your destiny. I see the visions sometimes how you will get there so I must not speak much..."

Christian starts to cry. "Please Alex don't do this to me man. You got to give me more than this, this is painful. Were connected, how I will get further with these vague sentences, don't get be giving me old man vibes now!"

Alex looks away a single tear falls down his cheek. "I know you feel the shock...that's why I see your future. This was meant to happen for both of us. You will be more confident next we meet I assure you...you need to leave till then please!"

"Come on man you not now!" Christian says touching his shoulder.

Christian's whole body trembles awake, he realizes he is bound when the tears continue to fall. "Alex..."

"Clarence shakes Christian all the sudden. "Hey snap out of it. The heart monitor was going nuts."

Dr. Carol un-wraps his straps before he lets him sit up. He quivers in Clarence's arms. "Alex is so different now...much more mature...was becoming this my destiny?"

"Is that you are crying Christian? You saw Alex?"" Dr. Carol asks letting a puff of smoke out.

"He said to trust the witches...I didn't want to leave him, but he insisted."

"Then this is your destiny Christian, you need to do this for Alex."  

https://www.wattpad.com/1074938888-chronicles-of-alex-fighting-against-eternity Please support my works at wattpad if you like them!

[mindwideopen]

A fake conversation with Ali g. (Writing sample)

Disclaimer 1: If you are related to me, and you’re embarrassed by my writing, please stop reading my work.

Disclaimer 2: sexually explicit implied material

Disclaimer 3: Ali g is a fictional character. No malice or real character assassination intended. Not to be confused with the actor who portrays him.

Ali g: baby doll, you and me, are very similar in the way me n you, flow. Watch, ok? Check it: it’s 10, 10, 10, 10, 10am, but at the same time, no no no no no it be 10:04am.

Kari: yes, no.

Ali g: so Me hear that yous creates your own flowing stream of consciousness. Me feel close to you because of that. You can hit it and Me can smack it back and you n me would volley it together, until me racket decided it had enough, and then me would spill all of me Gatorade all on your tennis skirt.

Kari: no.

Ali g: so, your form of writing these, “monologues” are called, “free association” ones. Ok? What does that mean to you? But before you tell me, Me gon do it now. Watch me flow, check it: (Ali g does some hand jives n shit) here we go! S’gon be great!

Kari: ok.

Ali g: see?! Me in the flow now. The flow is the flow, and it comes and it goes whethers you n me be in the vibe or not. So Me always jamming out to the good shit with the vibes on high and me ass in the low riding pants that barely covers the crack of me existential experience. Me always in the motion with the pelvis of life.

Kari: yes.

Ali g: ok, Me really feelin it now! Me in the middle of the melody now! Me can almost taste the juice of me own creation.

Kari: 😶

Ali g: here it comes! Me coming! Me literally coming into it! Watch the sausage juice of me over flow! This be earth shattering! Feel me world move under, around and through you! Me like a volcano of eruptive nonsensical energetic pickle juice!

Kari: 😳

Ali g: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10!!!!! Booooooom shacka!!!!! Yessssss!!!! Ahhhhh yessss, 10, 10, 10, (quieter) 10 10 10 10 10…Boutros Boutros-Ghali Dali lama drama!!!!!! ahhhh…. yes. The yin and the yang, the alpha n the omega 3s n shit, the masculine and feminine products of the coitus of creation of musical love creaminess.

Kari: 🏃‍♀️💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨💨

Ali g: yeah!!!! Me do it great n shit!!! (Snaps and wiggles in his chair, all proud of himself) she got so excited by me manly prowess that she ran away n shit… Me have that affect on the birds all over the world that way!

Richard Pryor: um, Ali g?

Ali g: yes! You are the Richard of the comedy of the 1970s greatness!!!! Hello! Me so enjoyed it or not all or most of your good shit n such!

Richard: yeah, listen man. Your approach with women? Completely whack. You are not into the flow. You’re in the “no”. Just thought I’d jump in and let you know that, from one asshole to another.

Ali g: yeahzzzzzz, Me felt it. But Me tend to ignore the obvious and go all the way to the most heightened energy and milk it until it’s ridiculous n shit. Me whole gig is like this: me make it so awkward it be impossible to tolerate, and then boom! Bust the shit! Besides, she a wanker n shit, not bein into me shit n shit.

Richard: Listen, the shit n the shit? That’s some shit, ok? You seem like a nice guy, but not. Cause your coming off disrespectful and very mean. Your approach is rude, and thick. Very very very heavy… like an anvil to the head, very weighty, for your very thin self. You just gotta chill, man, ok? Don’t come on so strong. You are a love bomb, and your jizz has exploded all over this page, and Kari had to leave and decontaminate herself now, because you slimed her with your insane shit n the shit, with your shooting the shot on her shit, ok? I’m just trying to help you out. Cause in the future, when you’re interviewing other women, they will hit you in your shit spot, and that shit spot won’t be hot, ok? That shit will hurt, and turn your dick into a spot! You get me?

Ali g: yeahhhhzzz, ok, you make points that me didn’t hear because Me stopped listening awhile back n shit! Me was thinking about this beautiful bird Me just energetically boffed, and she was so into my groove stick! Cause she and Me were grinding to the beat of the animal magnetism of the heat of her boombox…

Richard: uh… yeah man…. Good luck with that..

Scene.

[butdallywinston]

Whiskey Makes My Temper Flare

“Go fuck yourself, Keith Matthews.”

Pairing: Two-BitxReader

Warnings: Cursing, Violence 

Song(s) to listen to: Fight Night by Migos AND/OR Forever and Always by Taylor Swift 

A/N: This is my second time writing this because this website hates me. Also, to the reader who requested this (Two-Bit cleans up his girl after a fight), I changed it a little and sort of combined it with an idea I had. If you want just what you had, I’ll be more than happy to write that! Lots of love, hope you enjoy!!

Whiskey burnt my throat and cigarette fogged the room. The entire gang was at Bucks for a pretty typical Friday night. Well typical besides the fact that Two-Bit had brought some girl. Which usually I wouldn’t care, but this girl gave me bad vibes. Something felt different tonight.

He had brought her over to the Curtis’ right before we had left. I tried to be as nice as possible since Two was my best friend, but she kind of brushed me off, which kind of pissed me off. But I kept my mouth shut anyway.

Dallas slid me another shot across the make shift bar and I happily caught it and downed it. He winked at me before downing his own.

Besides Two, I was closest to Dallas. He taught me how to fight, how to drink, and everything in between. 

“Wow, you really are a drunken slut, huh?” 

My smile immediately faded and I whipped around. I came face to face with the girl Two-Bit had brought, Jo. 

“I’m sorry?” I was beyond confused. I had literally met this girl maybe, 2 hours ago.

“I said, you’re a drunken slut. Isn’t it obvious?” She smirked. I could feel the whiskey pulsing through my body and my temper flaring. 

“Who do you think you are, exactly? You literally just met me.” I said, raising my eyebrows. I was trying to keep calm, considering I’d rather not fight Two-Bit’s date.

“You can drop the act, (Y/N). Everyone knows you have to sleep with all those guys you hang with. And I mean, God only know’s what you’ve caught fucking Dallas Winston.” She grinned. This girl was begging me to fucking hit her.

“What the fu-” I cut off Dallas before he had a chance to say something. 

“You’re just making shit up now. I’ve never done anything with any of the guys. And even if I have, it would’t be any of your damn business.” I snarled. I felt Dallas creep closer behind me. I slammed my shot glass down on the bar and ignored the shattering glass.

“Oh babe, there’s no need to lie. But don’t worry, they’ll probably ditch you soon enough, just like your paren-” She didn’t have time to finish her sentence before I swung. 

I made contact with the side of her face. She let out a screech before grabbing at my hair. I grinned to myself. 

Both of her hands were latched onto my hair and I let my head drop a little before giving her a nice uppercut to the jaw. She let go almost immediately. She managed to get a hit in to my cheek, but it only made my more livid. I drew back and hit her with everything I had, square in the nose. 

She fell to the ground clutching her face. Blood covered her hands and before I could do anything else I felt somebody grab me by the waist and yank me back.

“Nice hit.” Dallas winked. 

“Everyone calm the fuck down!” Buck’s voice boomed over the gathered crowd. I spotted the rest of the guys minus Two in the very front. They were all grinning and laughing and playfully hitting each other. Soda let out a loud whoop followed by howls from Steve. 

I grinned but my smiled faded when I saw Two-Bit push his way to the front. He glanced back and forth between Jo and I. One of the other guys had already helped her up, but her nose was still bleeding into her cupped hands. Buck shoved a towel at her. 

“What the fuck happened?” Two demanded. Before I had the chance to speak Jo bitch started yelling like a fucking psycho.

“She just attacked me Two! Out of nowhere! Look at the what did to me!” She lifted the towel up. Buck stifled a laugh. I lunged at her again but Dallas caught me again.

“Calm the fuck down.” Dallas grinned. I rolled my eyes but he didn't loosen his grip this time.

“(Y/N)?” Two questioned. 

“I wouldn’t just fucking attack her, Two. She was calling me a slut and-” Jo bitch interrupted me and I swear if Dallas didn’t have ahold of me she’d be fucking dead by now.

“I did not!” She screeched. I could see purple bruises forming below her eyes. Serves her right.

“Stop fucking lying!” I yelled back. Soda had made his way over to me and Dally by now. He handed me a towel and I looked at him in confusion before glancing down at my hands. My knuckles were bleeding. I rolled my eyes again but it was worth it.

“Both of you quit! (Y/N), no matter what, you shouldn't have just attacked her.” My mouth dropped open at Two’s words. What the actual fuck? “Excuse you?” I growled. Best friend or not, I’d fight his idiot ass too. 

“You need to learn to control your temper.” He replied while moving to Jo. She smirked before flinging herself into him.

“I swear to my fucking-” 

“Alright, alright, let’s go get some fresh air (Y/N).” Dallas guiding me to the door, never letting go. He was smart enough to know that if he let go, I’d go back. 

I heard the music start up again and knew good and well Buck wasn't about to let the party die. If anything, the fight probably hyped it up more.

“Are you ok?” Soda asked once we were standing in the parking lot.  “I’m fine.” I breathed. I really was. Nothing hurt. My cheek throbbed a little and it was probably going to leave a bruise but nothing bad. She got the worst of it for sure.

“That was badass. I’m proud of ya.” Dallas smiled before ruffling my hair. Soda laughed and agreed before going back into the party.

Dallas and I took a seat on the hood of a random car. He lit two cigarettes before handing one to me. We smoked in silence before he asked if it was cool if he went back inside. I told him it was fine and I’d be out here.

I was out there for maybe another 15 minutes before someone else joined me.

“(Y/N)?” I looked up at the familiar voice. I was not any less mad at Two’s dumb ass than I was a half hour ago.

“What the fuck do you want?” I snapped. He sighed and shoved his hands in this jacket pockets.

“Soda explained what really happened. You had every right to do what you did. I shouldn't have said what I said or even believed her over you in the first place.” He admitted before sitting beside me.

“You’re damn right you shouldn't have.” I pushed myself off the hood and started to walk off before he caught my arm.

“(Y/N), I’m sorry. You mean a lot to me and I never want to lose you.” He pulled me back before I shoved him off. 

“If you don't want to lose me, don't bring around dumb broads.” I yelled. He looked a little taken back. 

“What do you mean?” He cocked his head to the side, his hand still reached out for mine.

“God, you’re a dumbass sometimes Two.” I laughed sourly. I had tears in my eyes now and cursed everything for letting myself be so weak right now and not letting me stop myself from pouring my heart out to the guy that would never love me back.

“I’m sorry, but what?” He took another step closer to me but I shoved his hand away again.

“I’m in love with you Two. I have been forever. But all you do is bring around stupid girls to fuck in front of me over and over and over. And you don’t even give a shit, you never do! I can’t fucking do it anymore.” I screamed into the night. I was walking away now and I heard him chase after me.

“(Y/N), wait!” He called after me. He grabbed my arm and spun me around to face him.

“Go fuck yourself, Keith Matthews.” 

[blessedsinnersrp-blog]

Follow your fellow sheep down to the slaughter, Lennon.

You’ve been accepted as Colette Young with the FC Emmy Rossum. Saying wow five hundred times would not adequately describe how we felt about your audition. The depth you put into Colette was incomparable. she already had so many issues, and you were cruel enough to add to the pot. You are just such an incredibly talented writer, and we can’t wait to watch this town devour your characters.

Please send in your account within the next twenty-four hours.

desired character  →  colette wanda young

face claims  ⟨⟨ please list 2-3 options ⟩⟩ →  emmy rossum, phoebe tonkin

why do you want this character  →  Colette is a fascinating character to me; her skeleton suggests that there is a lot more than what meets the eye which I positively love. It’s not that she’s stronger than she seems, it’s that she is likely weaker. The first bullet point suggests someone who is fearless and blunt, but the fact that she allows these men to walk all over her suggest something else. She reminds me a lot of the women I grew up around- truly southern women. Not the bless your heart church goers, but the redneck wives that are tough as nails but ‘know their place.’ I have a love/hate relationship with that trope and I wanted to try to make it my own.

character quote  ⟨⟨ this can be dialogue that your character has said, a song lyric, etc. just something that catches the vibe of your person ⟩⟩ →  i have survived so many fires, i can no longer tell if i am alive or still burning

possible future plot ideas  ⟨⟨ this could be pertaining to a certain direction you wish to take your character as well as connections and potential plots with other characters  ⟩⟩ →

I’m still trying to feather out exactly where I think Colette would go but I do have a few basic connections with most of the groups already existing in bumfuck.

i. The MCs; Obviously, she works for them, she fears them in her own way, and she fucking despises them. I would love to see how her interactions differ between the older more racist members and the newer ones. She would be weary of all of them and I can’t see her being fond of Hunter at all- ‘yes ma’am. no, i don’t mean hunter- i mean ma’am. because like it or not having that name don’t make you better than me, ya’ fuckin’ bitch.’ Colette hates it when people talk down to her and I could see Hunter doing that a lot- doing woman’s work at all that. It would really rub her the wrong way because of everyone involved with the MCs, she would expect Hunter to get it. And the fact that she would treat her the same way as the testosterone fueled dumbasses, boils her blood. If anything, she might try to fuck Leo to secure her position in the bar, and to make sure one of his trigger happy minions won’t shoot her if she ever snaps at them.

ii. Church Goers; Depending on how long the members have been there, they might remember Colette and her siblings coming to church every Sunday. Or when they suddenly stopped because their momma was serving life in prison for shooting their daddy in the head. It wouldn’t be that shocking if one of them reached out to her family following the tragedy of their father’s death. Colette fucking hates the church and everything that has to do with religion but she likely sees a lot of them around town. She has probably butted heads more than once with Jeremiah and Juliet, which isn’t doing her any favors. As her skeleton stated, she’s likely served multiple church goers and she loves having something over the self proclaimed saints.

iii. The Law; She, like any self respecting redneck, does not much care for the police. She doesn’t trust them and even though it has been over ten years since she shot her father, she is still worried that someone is going to reopen the case of her father’s murder and find her guilty. No one, save for one of her younger sisters, knows that she was the one that killed her father. I would love to see that fear explored on a deeper level.

iv. Meth Ring; Her family- her father, her mother, her brothers and sisters- have all dabbled in the drugs and meth has always had a place in her family’s home. Her siblings have probably dealt for the ring before. I could see her father have worked for or with the ring before, but if that doesn’t comply with what you guys had in mind I totally understand. Either way, I think that she, or at least her family, would be well known to the ring. Remi is, of course, another connection that I think would be amazing because I can’t see how this relationship wouldn’t be toxic as hell. As much as Colette knows that she’s addicted- like really fucking addicted to the point that she’s turning into her dearest mother- she can’t stop. That’s the great thing about addiction, ya see. And she probably has a love/hate relationship with Remi, loves that he keeps giving her what she wants but hates him because she sees him as something of an enabler.

v. Other- Character Specific; Colette could have a very interesting relationship with Rhys, simply because he likely frequents the bar she works at and he’s associated with the criminal justice system so she already has a chip on her shoulder against him.

Other - General;

- Colette is very protective over her siblings, particularly her younger sisters. She’s acted as the ‘father with a shotgun’ for much of their lives so she probably could have threatened someone who was attempting to fuck one of her siblings.

- Colette is a sucker for a pretty face - well, not really, but she does get around a lot. I could see her having one or more fuck buddies.

- I can’t imagine Colette has a lot, or really any, friends, but I imagine that she has one or two from high school or childhood that remained in her life. After all, with how fuckin’ small bumfuck is, it would be impossible not to.

Ｈ Ｉ Ｓ Ｔ Ｏ Ｒ Ｙ

biography  ⟨⟨ minimum of 400 words ⟩⟩ →

tw: rape, sexual abuse, domestic abuse, abortion, murder

John Young, a cousin fuckin’ good ole boy, had nine children with Claudette Pickens; most of his kin were following in his footsteps of making a career out of being incarcerated. His fourth child and first daughter, Colette Wanda, was the apple of his eye. Of course, that meant instead of slapping her around like he did his boys, he saved her until she was old enough to take him to bed. The first eight years of her life were relatively happy; her house stunk of meth and cigarettes and desperation, but she thanked the Lord above that her daddy loved her enough not to put out his cigarettes on her arms. Her brothers got the brunt of her father’s anger, though on occasion he would strike Claudette with a beer bottle. But his daughters, his precious little girls, would remain untouched until a certain age.

She tries not to think about her childhood after her eighth birthday, the year John said she became a woman. The touch of older men is still enough to make her stomach turn and her hands twitch towards her knife. The years after that didn’t matter much to her. They were spent hiding bruises on herself and on her siblings, learning how to hold her liquor and when to switch daddy from bourbon to apple juice, how to throw a punch and how to take one. It cultivated a pistol in her mouth, one that caused her father to promote her from a bedwarmer, to a punching bag and a bedwarmer. Her momma was so proud.

Colette tries not to think about the years between eight and fourteen. She was fourteen when her father got her pregnant. She was fourteen when she had her first and last abortion. She was fourteen when she started sleeping with a knife under her pillow. She was fourteen when her father tried to sneak into her room and she stabbed him in the eye. He lived; Colette was in the hospital for two weeks- fell down the stairs, her mother said. When she came back, her father stopped coming into her room.

Colette was fifteen when she went to her first funeral. She was fifteen when her father was killed by a bullet that was lodged in his head. She was fifteen when her mother went to prison for life for his murder- one look at Claudette’s rotting teeth and arms covered in track marks and the jury couldn’t deliberate fast enough. She was fifteen when she had to keep the secret that still haunts her. She isn’t sorry that she took the shotgun off the wall and shot her father dead. She was sorry he was standing over her little sister when he fell over with a bullet blasted through his brain.

Two of her older brothers were over eighteen, but both of them were serving time when the rest of the children were left without any sort of parent to speak of. Colette and her siblings were ready to fight tooth and nail to force that state’s hand and let them all stay together. Fortunately for the Young siblings - or unfortunately depending on one’s view - child protective services in bumfuck were lack luster to say the least. No one wanted to waste the time or resources on children who would likely end up in prison and someone else’s problem sooner or later. Colette and her twin brother, Carl, were the ones to carry the family and take care of the younger siblings. Carl immediately dropped out of high school, but Colette attempted to stay for another year. Eventually she had to drop out to work full time. As far as her employers at Legs knew, Colette was well over eighteen, though most people knew that the eldest Young daughter was barely sixteen.

When she was offered a job at Snake ‘n’ Jake’s, she was more than willing to leave her job at Legs. The MC set her goddamn teeth on edge but working with limp dicked bible thumpers who got off on calling her a whore when they only lasted twelve seconds was making her go out of her goddamn mind. Colette never had the longest fuse when it came to… well, anything- she much preferred to come out fists swinging instead of taking shit endlessly. She figured that working with drunken patrons would be a slight step up from working at Legs. It takes every ounce of her self control not to crack a bottle of beer over the patrons’ heads but she’s managed so far. She hates how much the bar, or rather who owns it, feels so familiar to her. The guns, the drugs, the white supremacy- reminded her of daddy dearest and her brothers. As much as she hates her job, it’s not as though she can quit, or get fired- there’s not much employment options for a high school drop out without a GED or much anger management to speak of.

3-5 factoids  ⟨⟨ these can be as simple as a few of their favorite movies and colors, to something more complex that you feel fleshes out your character  ⟩⟩ →

i. She grew up with a father that was very handsy, to put it politely. People, especially men that are much larger than her, touching her sets her teeth on edge. Most of the time, she would unload her glock into their skull, but at work, she is unable to do so. That doesn’t stop the thought from entering her mind everytime an MC gets a bit to close. Her patience has never been that impressive, and it’s wearing thinner and thinner as time goes on.

ii. Colette wouldn’t say she has a vendetta against the church, but she sure as fuck doesn’t believe in their God. As a child, she and her mother would attend every Sunday service and she would pray every week to God above to save her from the awful monster that was inside her daddy. And she never felt any relief. As an adult, she is incredibly bitter about the church and any who place their faith in the old building- or the crook who preaches there. Colette is thankful that most of those high and mighty bible thumpers stay the fuck out of her bar. On the rare occasion that one of them stumble into a seat before her, she maintains composure enough to allow them to come to confession over cheap whiskey.

iii. Despite working for the MC, Colette is positively disgusted with the views the club has about… literally everything. Everything they spew is literal bullshit. She’s lived in bumfuck just as long as the rest of them, and she knows exactly how hateful this town is. She doesn’t agree with any of it, and she’s fairly certain that at least one of the member have caught her snickering at their dated ideals. She’s been able to brush it off, batting her eye lashes and flattering them with compliments until they dropped it. Colette knows she needs to get her mouth under control, for her own safety and stability. She might think all of them are fucking idiots that she doesn’t agree with but she happens to agree with living and having a stable income, thank you very much.

iv. She wouldn’t say that she is an avid defender of the second amendment but she is damn sure that she’s not going to get hurt because some cousin fuckin’ good ole boys come in and decide to test her. Because of this, Colette is always armed. Always. She always has her knife attached to her thigh and she keeps a gun underneath the bar at work. Every room in her house has at least one firearm, though all of them are hidden from the house’s other occupants.

v. Colette and those of her siblings that aren’t incarcerated live in their childhood home. Plenty of her siblings and cousins pass through the house when they’re out on bail, and are welcome to stay as long as they follow Colette’s rules namely - ‘you touch one of my kids and they will never find your body’ - but she is the oldest permanent occupant. As such, she currently resides in the old master bedroom, formerly owned by her parents. There are still bullet holes in the walls and there’s a stink of meth that a decade couldn’t waft out but she prefers it to the time that she had to share her bedroom with three or more people.