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karahalloway · 4 months

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(Less Than) Noble Intentions: Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

Fandom: TRR

Pairing: Drake Walker x F!OC (Harper Gale)

Series Summary: The social season may be over, but Harper Gale’s problems are just beginning. With everyone at court a potential suspect, can she and Drake survive the engagement tour and get to the bottom of the plot against her and clear her name? An AU take of TRR2 featuring my OTP - Harper & Drake.

Masterlist: (Less Than) Noble Intentions

Chapter Summary: Harper greets the world as the new Duchess of Valtoria, but that is not the only newsworthy item that rocks the Apple Harvest Festival...

Word Count: 7,300

Rating/Warnings: M (swearing, angst, possible ulterior motives)

Chapter theme song:

A/N1: Things are slowly coming to a head! Thanks for bearing with me on this series - I know I have a lot of other projects in the works, so I have not been updating as much as I probably should. But, we are finally getting to the exciting parts (as if what's happened until now hasn't been exciting 🤣) as after this chapter, we are into the meat of the engagement tour, and all the juicy plot changes that I have been wanting to write for over a year will finally come to a fore! *evil laugh*

A/N2: If you have not heard of TURN - the TV show from which I borrowed the chapter theme song - then, I can highly recommend it (especially if you like historical dramas, US history (specifically the Revolutionary War period), or just really good story-telling)!

A/N3: This is also much submission for @choicesjanuary2024 Day 12: Smiles / Secret

Chapter 16 - Snakes in the Garden

"Are you sure I look okay?" I ask, nervously pulling at the high-necked strip of emerald lace that circles my throat.

"Stop fiddling!" Bertrand berates, slapping my hand away. "We are running late as it, and we cannot afford to lose any more time to last minute touch-ups!"

"Yeah, but—"

"You look great, Harper," Maxwell assures me with a beaming smile. "Marcie did a great job."

The petite make-up artist that the Beaumonts had procured out of thin air bobs a curtsy to my right. "It was my pleasure, Your Grace."

Her words hit me like a whiplash.

Your Grace.

My new form of address. One I'm not sure I'm ever going to get used to. Lady Harper had been one thing, but that had always felt like a curtesy. A temporary formality that had been extended to me by virtue of my sponsorship by the Beaumonts during the social season.

But there is nothing temporary about my current situation. The weight of the ring on my hand — and its implications — bears down heavily on my finger... and my thoughts. Especially since I still haven't found a moment alone with Drake to finish our conversation from this morning... or bring him up to speed on my new status.

Because no sooner had my ennoblement been sealed with the very expensive — and very potent — champagne, than the Beaumonts had shown back up (somewhat mercifully) to crash Christian's surprise party.

And from there it had been a whirlwind of hair, makeup and outfitting for the all-important Apple Harvest Festival where I am due to make my grand debut as the new Duchess of Valtoria.

A position of some importance — Bertrand has stressed, multiple times — given that in addition to the impressive estate that I am now the official caretaker of, I also have a seat on the infamous Council, as well as a seat on the even more exclusive Privy Council. Not to mention my own fleet of staff, vehicles, bank accounts, and carefully curated online profiles.

Which is why — on top of everything — the ever-industrious press corps have worked at record speed to throw the fruits of yesterday's labours together into an exclusive, twelve-page spread as part of a special edition of Trend magazine, which dropped this morning.

And while I haven't actually had a chance to read through the copy that currently sits on the coffee table of my room (together with every other major national and international news publication), Maxwell has assured me that the social media reactions have — so far — been positive. The snaps of my stress-fuelled efforts at yesterday's apple pick have apparently helped.

Which means that Jonathan's PR gamble is starting to pay dividends, and I now have a public image to maintain. Not just for myself, but for Cordonia as well. Because when I step outside today, I'll be representing everything that the kingdom under Christian's burgeoning rule is striving to be — beauty, modernity, opportunity.

Definitely not the best day to wake up with a litany of awkwardly situated bruises!

Thankfully, both Maxwell and Bertrand seem to have had a chance to pull themselves together after this morning's surprising (and definitely explosive!) turn of events, and — after the initial shock — have set about covering for mine and Drake's mess with the same coordinated precision that they employed to pull the Beaumont Bash out of their butts.

With the result that they somehow managed to transform me from the black and blue disaster I woke up as, into the picture of a polished and refined lady.

I glance apprehensively out at the bright sunshine blanketing the hills. Hopefully, the carefully applied window-dressing survives the literal trial by fire it's about to be subjected to. Because just like yesterday, the temperature is set to climb into the mid-90's today as well, which means I'll most likely end up sweating buckets again, thanks to the Edwardian nature of my dress's neckline.

And what I definitely don't need today is for all the blush and cover-up getting smudged away so that everyone at the event can start speculating about the intimate placement of my of hickeys!

I close my eyes wearily. God, I can't wait for all this to be over...

"No catnaps!" snaps Bertrand, slapping a wide-brimmed hat onto my head. "The people are waiting on us!"

I barely have time to grab my matching clutch before the Beaumonts are whisking me out of my room and down the length of the corridor towards the manor's lawn.

"Surely the Festival can start without us...!" I gasp as I stumble after Bertrand in my heels.

"No, it cannot," he reprimands. "All members of the Council must be present for the ceremonial tree planting."

I frown. "Tree planting? Isn't that a little... agrarian for the aristos?"

"It is a time-honoured tradition!" corrects Bertrand. "Cordonia owes its existence and livelihood to the noble Ruby, so it is the duty of the Council to ensure that the fruits of our bounty are secured for future generations! Hence, the requirement to plant new saplings at the end of each harvest!"

"If you say so..." I concede as we pass through the back doors of the manor.

Based on what I saw at the apple pick, Bertrand's pronouncement seems optimistic at best, given that none of the aristos even bothered to lift a finger to a tree yesterday.

But, looks can always be deceiving, so maybe today is the day that the I am pleasantly surprised for once.

A deafening cheer erupts as the Beaumonts and I step out onto the manor's steps.

Snapping my head towards the source of the commotion, I see what appears to be thousands of people crammed behind velvet-lined cordons, screaming and jostling for position like they're in the front row of a Taylor Swift concert...

...and it takes me a second to realise that it's my name that they're shouting.

"Duchess!"

"Lady Harper, we love you!"

"You're the true Apple Queen, no matter what anyone says!"

"Wow..." I blink, taken aback by the fervency of the crowd's reaction. "I didn't realise I had such a rabid following..."

"Best wave to them," suggests Maxwell, leaning in as he raises his arm into the air with a wide smile.

"Okay..." I concede hesitantly, turning to the crowd to do the same.

The last time I experienced anything remotely like this had been on the red carpet at the Derby — my first public outing as a suitor. But even the bright flash of the cameras and the intrusive questions that the reporters had flung at me paled in comparison to the reaction I am receiving today.

Phones and cameras are thrust into the air as the Beaumonts and I descend the manor's stairs to the accompaniment of the increasingly frenzied cheers and shouts of encouragement. Even a few bouquets of flowers fly through the air, narrowly missing my hat.

And I can't help but smile in the face of the genuine outpouring of support from the crowd. Because it sure as heck feels good to be on top for once!

However, arriving at the edge of the orchard where the tree planting ceremony is due to take place, I am greeted by a very different type of welcome.

Snooty expressions drip down the ends of aristocratic noses as the members of the Council pass silent judgment on my somewhat bombastic entrance.

"They're just jealous," Maxwell whispers to me as we take up our spots at the edge of the gathering.

"Yeah..." I agree with a stilted voice. "That's what I'm worried about."

I know firsthand of the lengths that these people are willing to go to in order to exact vengeance for perceived slights. And I did not particularly feel like painting a target on my back a second time while I am still trying to recover from the hurt caused by the first.

Maybe this is a mistake...

But I don't have time to think on it long, because the public erupts into an even more deafening outburst as Christian appears with Madeleine on his arm.

"Look at her..." snips a voice from behind me. "Acting like she's Queen already."

I whip around in disbelief. "Olivia!"

The Duchess of Lythikos cuts her green eyes over at me with a derisive look. "Oh, don't look so surprised, Harper. Just because you are now a duchess, does not mean that the rest of us have taken early retirement."

"Trust me," I grumble under my breath, "this was not the plan."

"Opportunities multiply as they are seized," she replies sagely.

I quirk a brow at her. "Meaning?"

"Meaning," she expounds surly, "opportunity breeds opportunity. And only by exploiting every advantage will you uncover previously hidden gains. Do they not teach The Art of War inyour schools?"

"No..."

She scoffs under her breath. "Explains a lot."

I roll my eyes at her as Christian and Madeleine pause on the steps for photos and a couple of quick sound bites. "I guess this means your sabbatical was productive?"

"Exceedingly."

I heave a breath. "At least one of us is making progress..."

"Oh, don't sell yourself short," she counters out of the corner of her mouth. "Your recent advancements have served as a welcome distraction..."

"Not sure if that’s a compliment, or not..." I admit sourly.

"You have more power than you realise," she insists quietly. "Make sure you use it."

"Wow..." I mutter, glancing over at her in genuine surprise. "Friendly advice from the Scarlet Duchess? What else have you learnt during your time away?"

"Our interests are temporarily aligned, nothing more," she replies, shooting daggers across the lawn towards Madeleine. "And I'll fill you in shortly."

"Well, it's good to have you back, regardless," I say with a dip of my head. "Your Grace."

Olivia shoots me a sidelong look. "Don't get sentimental on me, Duchess."

But I can see the hint of a smile pulling at her lips.

Christian and Madeleine arrive at the edge of the trees. Stepping up to the row of waiting saplings, Christian pulls a stack of notecards out of his pocket and delivers a short speech to the click of the cameras.

As the mandatory applause dies down, he slots the pieces of paper carefully away... and pulls off his jacket.

"What are you doing?" hisses Madeleine as the crowd descends into a hubbub of excited reactions.

"Taking a leaf out of the Duchess of Valtoria's book," he replies, handing his jacket off to the closest shocked Councillor as he sets about rolling up his sleeves.

"Out of—!" Madeleine bristles in indignation, while trying to maintain an outwardly calm composure. "The only thing you have taken is leave of your senses! Now get back here and—!"

Ignoring his fiancée's outburst, Christian grabs the ribbon-bedecked shovel out of the hands of the footman that was holding it, and steps up to a clear patch of grass. Adjusting his grip on the handle, he digs the metal blade decisively into the ground to the accompanying slew of clicking camera shutters.

"Shall we?" asks Olivia with a sly smirk as she pushes her way to the front of the line of gawping nobles.

"Let's," I agree, instantly catching onto her plan.

"Lady Harper!" hisses Bertrand from behind me. "What do you think you're—?"

"Lending a hand to the King," I throw back over my shoulder as I step to the front of the row of aristos who are looking mutely onto the sight of their monarch working up an actual sweat before them.

Grabbing another shovel from the pile in the corner — these ones obviously having seen some honest work already, judging by the dirt encrusted on their faces — I join the King of Cordonia in enlarging the hole in the ground.

Because regardless of Christian's underlying motives for ennobling me, and whatever his broader game may be, what he is doing right now is bigger than me, bigger than him, bigger than any of us. And that deserves recognition. Especially when he is taking such active — and public — strides towards being the change he wants to see unfurl during his rule. Where the ruling class doesn't just offer empty platitudes and hollow ceremony, but actually practices what it preaches. So, what better way to do that, than by planting the seeds of change in front of thousands of people in the literal heart of the kingdom?

Christian rewards my arrival with a nod and a smile as I take up position next to him.

Hefting my shovel, I slice it into the earth that he's already uncovered, using the somewhat flimsy sole of my heeled sandals to drive it deeper.

Scooping the blade back out, I suddenly feel a presence to my left. Looking up, I see that Maxwell has also joined our impromptu work crew.

Throwing me a wink, he drops his shovel in next to mine.

With the three of us working on tandem, it takes us almost no time at all to dig out a hole large enough to house the new apple tree.

Wiping the sweat from my forehead — the weatherman had not lied, that's for sure! — I see that Olivia, with some assistance from Hana, has already prepared the sapling by shunting it closer to the hole and removing the burlap covering from its roots.

Laying down our shovels, we help her manoeuvre the tree to the edge of the dint. Cheers and applause rise up from the onlookers as the sapling thuds into the earth. Olivia uses one of the knives from her hidden arsenal to slice off the twines holding the branches together, and the tree unfurls itself with a satisfied snap.

"Your Majesty!" shouts a reporter, who I recognise as Frederick Capone. "One for the Cordonian Times, if you please!"

"And for the CBS!" adds Donald Brine, muscling his way to the front.

"Certainly," accedes Christian graciously, holding his arm out. "It was a group effort, after all."

We all gather in — sweaty and dirty, but smiling — as the press corps immortalises the scene...

...and I innocuously sweep my hair over my shoulder in a vain effort to try and hide any bruises that may have become uncovered as a result of the unplanned exertion.

"Thank you for joining me in my moment of impulsivity," Christian acknowledges softly as the bulbs flash.

"Please," scoffs Olivia out of the side of her mouth. "It was coordinated from the start."

"The people don't seem to mind," counters Hana with a demure smile as she faces the cameras.

"With the exception of about half-dozen," I note, glancing back at the disgruntled looks of the Councillors from behind us, as they try to save face by applauding our efforts together with the rest of the crowd.

"They'll fall in line." Christian assures me as he lifts his hand with a wave.

I feel a prick between my shoulder blades. Turning my head, I catch sight of the cold fire radiating out of Madeleine's gaze from behind the mask of her perfect smile.

"Maybe not everyone..." I mutter under my breath as I turn back towards the paps.

I'm already on Madeleine's shit list for daring to return to court after my very public humiliation and banishment. On the night of her engagement tour launch party, no less! So, the fact that I ended up upstaging her — again — probably means that I've sunk even further down the ladder of her estimations.

To what end, I have no idea. But I'm going to have to start being more careful from here on out.

Once the press are finally placated, we disperse across the lawn in search of some much-needed refreshments.

"Harper!"

I swallow a groan as I'm brought up short, mere steps from the freshly squeezed, rosemary-infused lemonade that I desperately need after toiling away in this heat. "What now, Bertrand...?"

"I... uhm..." He clears his throat as I turn to face him. "I wanted to apologise for my earlier outburst. It was unseemly... and in retrospect, short-sighted."

"What do you mean?" I ask with a frown. Bertrand very rarely — if ever! — apologised.

"The public reaction to the tree planting has been overwhelming," he clarifies, pulling his phone out.

My eyes bulge as I take in the view count on the screen. "A hundred thousand views already!"

"And counting," Bertrand adds. "And that is only one website."

"And look at the comments!" I exclaim, scrolling through the feed. "They're loving Maxwell as well!"

"Yes, it appears that my brother has a keener instinct for media relations than I do..."

"You should tell him that," I say. "It would mean the world to him."

Bertrand looks momentarily taken aback. "I... Well..." He clears his throat again. "Yes. Maybe I will. He deserves some recognition for his efforts in diverting — at least temporarily — the negative attention away from our financial predicaments."

"A simple hug and a 'thank-you' will do," I tell him with a knowing look.

Bertrand reels back in abject horror. "I will not subject my brother to such a sordid display of affection! Especially in public!"

I heave a sigh. "And there's your problem, right th—"

I trail off as I spot a familiar figure signalling to me from over Bertrand's shoulders.

"Excuse me," I say, palming Bertrand's phone back to him as I move towards one of the marquees that had been set up at the edge of the lawn.

Slipping inside the flap of the tent, I come face-to-face with Ana de Luca.

"Your Grace," she nods, dipping into a curtesy, something she hasn't deigned to do before. "Thank you for making the time."

"Ana," I nod in return, wondering why the influential editor of Trend chose to pull me away for a private meeting. Especially after I cornered her so forcefully at Madeleine's garden party a few days ago.

"I suppose congratulations are in order," she continues, straightening back up. "Since returning to court you have managed to elevate yourself not just in rank, but in the eyes of the public as well. Rolling your sleeves up in tandem with the King was a masterful piece of image enhancement."

"I didn't do it for myself," I reply evenly.

"Of course," she nods quickly. "We must all step in line with our new King. But your reputation is certainly reaping the benefits as well."

"As is your bottom line," I point out.

"Your initiative is markedly boosting sales of this month's special edition, as well as traffic to our website," she concedes. "For which Trend is very grateful. But that is not the reason I pulled you aside."

"What is it then?"

"I found out the name of the photographer," she replies, reaching into her handbag.

I feel my heart jump in my chest. "You're joking..."

She raises a brow at me from behind the lenses of her black-out Versace shades as she pulls a small flash-drive out. "I can assure you that I am not."

I quickly pull myself back together. "No. Of course not..."

Handing the drive over, she adds. "On there you will find all the pertinent information I was able to obtain through my own means."

"Thank you," I say sincerely, taking the piece of plastic from her. "I honestly was not expecting this..."

She shrugs an elegant shoulder. "I said I would look into it, so I did. It is not much, but I am sure you have people who can hopefully take it further."

"I do," I affirm, slotting the device into my clutch.

"After all," she adds with a knowing quirk to her lips. "You are not the only one with a vested interest in seeing your name cleared, Your Grace."

With another quick bob, she exits the marquee.

I let out a low exhale as the tent flap drops back into place in her wake. "Thank God..."

Some much-needed progress at last!

Hopefully, Drake can take the information from the drive and do a deep dive into the photographer to see if they ever crossed paths with whoever it is that has it in for me.

Which reminds me...

Opening my clutch up again, I pull my phone out and type up a quick message to my elusive boyfriend.

I haven't seen or heard from him since the event started. And now I have two pieces of critical information I need to share with him. So, rather than chasing after him like some damsel in distress, I'm going to make him come to me for a change. Because time is of the essence, and I don't want to wait.

Hitting send, I exit the tent and head back towards the orchard. I figure that since everyone is on the lawn, the secluded garden hidden amongst the trees will give me and Drake the best chance to meet in private, away from the prying eyes of the court and the press.

Slipping between the tree trunks, I try to make my way as casually as possible through the orchard, as if I am simply out for a walk, in order to ward off potential suspicion. But, as I drift further away from the Festival, I start to pick up the pace, mindful of the short timeframe I gave Drake... as well as the exposed roots on the ground.

Because as much as I might want to hurry, I definitely don't want — or need — a twisted ankle the day before we're due to start the international leg of the trip. As Mom was right — I should take advantage of the upcoming whirlwind tour of Europe to at least try and get some sightseeing in. As who knows when I'll get the chance to do this again...

...especially if I'm forced to become a hermit because we fail to expose the mastermind behind the press scandal.

I shake my head. No. I need to stay positive. It's the only way I'm going to get through—

"Competing with a herd of elephants, Gale?"

I snap my gaze up at the sound of Drake's voice... and nearly trip over a hidden apple lodged in the grass.

"You try sneaking ‘round in four-inch heels," I grumble back at him, while using the trunk of a nearby tree to steady myself.

He mutters something under his breath as he steps over to me with an outstretched hand. "Here."

Grabbing his hand, I navigate gingerly away from the tree, only to find that the slightly rotten fruit has become impaled on the end of my stiletto.

"Great..." I groan, trying to flick the stupid thing off... But it stays stubbornly stuck.

"You're a walking disaster, y'know that, right?" drawls Drake as he drops down in front of me.

"Ha-ha, funny," I snark back at him while trying to balance on one foot on the uneven ground.

He meets my eye with a wry look as he finally manages to pull the offending fruit off with a squelch. "You're only gripin' 'cause it's true."

"Yeah, well, not all of us have... reflexes... like Neo..." I reply sardonically as I save myself from tipping over by grabbing onto Drake's shoulder.

He stifles a scoff as he tosses the apple into the trees. "You good?"

"Yeah," I confirm, righting myself again and letting go of his shirt.

Drake regards me critically for a long moment — as if expecting me to keel over again at the drop of a hat — before pushing himself up.

"Thanks," I say, laying an appreciative hand on his arm.

The humour fades from his gaze at the contact.

"Drake..." I start...

...but he's already pulled away.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asks, not quite meeting my eyes as he slots his hands into his pockets, the momentary lightness of our previous interaction gone.

I heave a breath.

We really need to talk about what happened this morning. But his suddenly standoffish demeanour makes it clear that he's not quite ready for that yet.

So, I decide to start with something less contentious.

"We have a lead on the photographer," I tell him, reaching into my clutch.

His head perks up with interest. "That was fast."

"Teamwork makes the dream work," I agree with a smile, pulling the flash drive back out and holding it out to him.

His posture suddenly stiffens. "The hell is that?"

I glance around me uncertainly. "What?"

"The fucking ring on your finger," he declares dispassionately, his accusatory gaze scorching into my outstretched hand.

My heart drops. Oh, no...

This is not how I wanted to break it to him. But unfortunately for both of us, the cat has now ripped itself out of the proverbial bag, so I'm just going to have to scamper after it.

Taking a steadying inhale, I look him square in the eye. "It's my new signet ring." I turn my hand over to show it to him.

His face darkens. "Fils de pute de—" he grits under his breath, snapping a hand out to grab my wrist.

My eyes widen. "Drake, what are y—?"

A storm is raging in his espresso gaze. "Signet rings go on the little finger. On the right hand."

"Oh," is all I can manage as he swipes the golden band off my left ring finger.

"You didn't know, did you?" he asks softly, reaching for my other hand... more gently this time.

I shake my head with a constricted throat. "No, I—"

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

My head jerks ‘round at the sound of the unexpected voice. "Christian!"

"I see you couldn't resist a somewhat impulsive stroll through the orchards, either?" he asks, more rhetorically than anything else. "The scent of apples is truly luscious this time of year."

"Erm... yes...!" I manage to squeak out, shoving my right hand behind my back. "Smells like apple juice!"

Christian's brow quivers ever so slightly at my slightly random — and obviously unexpected — comparison.

But I'm too busy coordinating with Drake to get the signet ring shoved back onto my hand while trying to palm the flash drive off to him without dropping either in the process. As both outcomes would lead to some very awkward conversations!

I feel the warmth of the metal slide onto the index finger of my hand (Drake had probably ascertained that the circumference of the band was too large for my pinky), and I'm finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

Embarrassing backpedaling, narrowly averted!

Drake uses the opportunity to extract the flash drive from my hand as well, dropping the device casually into his pocket as he moves beside me. "She ain't wrong."

"No," concedes Christian, eying the two of us for a second longer than strictly comfortable. "She rarely is."

"So, umm... Are you hiding from the paps as well?" I ask in a bid to diffuse the growing tension in the air.

"No, I came looking for you, actually," he corrects, taking a step forward. "I saw you slip into the orchard, and thought it prudent to follow you."

"Oh?" I say, feeling my stomach tighten again. "Worried I might get lost?"

"I was hoping to catch you alone," he corrects, coming to a stop in front of me.

I swallow tightly as I see him glance over at Drake.

Please don't fight... Please don't fight...

Christian's gaze reverts to me. "But I suppose it is convenient for Drake to happen to be here as well."

My heart skips an uncomfortable beat. "It is?"

"Yes," he affirms. "I have received some news that you'll both be interested in hearing."

"Well, don't keep us in damn suspense, then..." mutters Drake with a noticeable edge to his voice.

I try to reach discretely out to brush my fingers against his, to reassure him that come what may, we'll get through it together, that—

"We found Tariq."

Christian's words hit me like a kick to the chest. The breath explodes out of me so forcefully that I am actually forced to take a step back in a bid to maintain my balance as the apple trees descend into a spin around me.

No way...

"Where?"

Drake's voice floats across the edge of my awareness. And even in my spaced-out state, I can feel the weight of the cold, calculated fury infused into that single word.

No corner... No mercy.

"Dubai," replies Christian, who also sounds like he's miles away. "He—"

But Drake's already spun away. "Send me the coordinates."

"Harper?"

I blink up at Christian in a daze. "Huh?"

"Are you alright?" he asks, laying a concerned hand on my cheek. "You... You looked as if you were about to faint..."

"I..." I swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat. "I'm okay."

"Are you certain?" he presses, peering down at me. "I could ring for a doctor, and—"

"No," I insist, pulling away from him. "I'm fine. I... I guess I just got caught off-guard..."

"It is an unexpected development, certainly," he concedes. "But hopefully still a welcome one?"

"Yes!" I blurt out. "Of course! I want to clear my name more than anyone, and Tariq is key to that! I just..." My voice trails uncertainly off.

Christian flashes me a knowing half-smile. "Feel some trepidation about the prospect...?"

"I guess so," I concede, my fingers moving unconsciously to the horseshoe charm at my wrist.

Because as much as I may want Tariq to pay for what he did from a rational point of view, from an emotional standpoint, I’m terrified.

As even though I know in the back of my mind that a lot of my trepidation has to do with the fact that I am still trying to recover from the psychological trauma that Tariq inflicted on me, a major part of me is also scared of what setting the record straight would entail in practice.

Christian had mentioned that there were 'methods of persuasion' that could be used to force a confession from Tariq. But then what? Would I be made to very publicly relive the entire horrible episode in the form of TV spots and interviews, or would we be able to get by with one official press release? And given my spotty history with the press, will people actually believe my side of the story...?

I mean, Meghan and Harry didn’t exactly fare well in the court of public opinion when they tried to counter the official royal narrative...

On top of all that, in light of my very visceral reactions to returning to Applewood, I have no idea how I'm going to react to seeing Tariq in person again. Would I burst into tears? Have a nervous breakdown? Dissolve into a panic attack? Stab him in the gut and then the nuts?

And (possibly worst of all) what if we discover that Tariq had been acting alone? And his attack on me — while traumatising — is in no way connected to the larger, and definitely more dangerous plot to remove me from the running for Queen? What then...?

"Your qualms are not as misplaced as you may initially think," Christian consoles. "It is a daunting prospect to face the person who actively sought to harm you."

Something in his tone catches my attention. "What do you mean?"

Christian heaves a sigh. "I do not know if you are aware of this, but several years ago, I was the target of an assassination attempt."

I nod tightly. "Yes. Drake told me."

"Then I presume he also told you how deeply the experience affected me," he says, catching my eye with an uncharacteristically guarded look.

"Yes," I affirm, thinking back to the conversation in Olivia's wine cellar that felt like years ago.

"What he probably didn't tell you, however," he continues, "is that I visited the perpetrator in prison."

My jaw drops. "You what!"

"Not publicly and certainly not in any official capacity." He shakes his head wryly. "I did not even talk to the man."

"Then why...?"

"I... I was having trouble reconciling with what had happened," he explains. "And moving past it. The trauma councillor that I was working with suggested that it was perhaps because I was subconsciously endowing the gunman with too much power, and thereby transmuting the man into something more akin to an evil monster."

A shiver runs down my spine at Christian's words. It's like he's talking about Tariq...

"So, to help break the negative emotional associations I had built up, my councillor arranged a clandestine meeting where I would have the opportunity to face the man."

"How... How did that go?" I ask nervously.

"I was terrified, of course," Christian admits. "I had no idea what to expect and each scenario I imagined in my head was worse than the last. But, when I finally got into room where the meeting was to take place, I was surprised by what I saw. As rather than some hulking, shadowy fiend, it was a pale, somewhat diminutive man sat across from me."

"So… what did you do?"

"We simply sat at a table and stared at each other," he recounts. "He with more than a bit of contemptuous malice, I have to admit, but in that moment, I realised that he was a flesh-and-blood person who had fallen prey to the same misguided emotions as I — anger, fear, resentment — just manifested differently. And that helped set me onto the path of true healing. As ultimately, I was able to forgive him."

"Forgive him?" I gasp disbelievingly. "For trying to murder you?"

"Nobody acts in isolation," Christian advises calmly. "Even the most unconscionable horrors perpetrated by the villains of humanity — torture, mass murder, genocide — sprout from the basis of an emotional or psychological motivator such as love, fear, greed, jealousy... to name but a few. So, while we may disagree with and condemn the action retrospectively from the safety of the moral high-ground, it is very possible that had we found ourselves in a similar situation, we would end up being just as guilty as the person we are looking to condemn."

"So, what?" I demand testily. "I should feel sorry for Tariq for what he did to me?"

"Showing empathy and compassion towards our counterparts does not mean forgetting or excusing the harm suffered," counsels Christian. "But it will certainly allow you to start on the path of true healing."

I shake my head as I turn away. "I'm not sure Tariq deserves that..."

"It is by no means an easy assignment," he admits, laying a hand on my shoulder. "But even if you cannot find it in your heart presently to forgive him, do at least try to keep yourself open to the possibility down the line. You may be surprised by the results."

Looking up, I can see that there is sincerity welling on his emerald gaze. And — for once — I don't doubt the true intent of his words. "Thanks. I'll think about it."

"As diplomatic as ever," he smiles, the tips of his fingers brushing down my back as he drops his hand. "And, regardless of what you choose to do, I'll be right by your side to support you."

"Thanks," I mutter with what I hope is a genuine smile, suddenly acutely aware of the fact that with Drake’s abrupt departure, it’s just me and Christian amongst the trees. Taking a step back towards the way I’d come, I ask, "So, umm... How did you end up finding him?"

"Instagram," replies Christian with a wry chuckle as he falls into step beside me.

My head snaps up in bewilderment. "He posted his whereabouts?"

"No," he laughs, looping my arm through his in reassurance. "Not intentionally, at any rate. He took shelter on his cousin's yacht docked off the coast of the Palm Jumeirah, and—"

"What's that?" I ask with a frown.

"One of a trio of artificially constructed archipelagos located off the coast of Dubai," he explains. "They are so called for their shape, which resemble stylised palm trees."

"Sounds... fancy," I admit, while trying to maintain some semblance of platonic distance between the two of us.

"They really are a sight to behold," he affirms, pulling me back to his side. "But it is part of the reason why we were not able to locate him initially — we knew he has family in the Emirates, of course, but—"

"He does?" I interject in surprise. This is certainly news to me...!

"Yes," he nods. "His father is a Cordonian nobleman, but his mother hails from the House of Al Falasi, the branch of the Bani Yas tribe that also produced Dubai's ruling family."

My eyes widen. "So, his mom is royalty?"

"No," chuckles Christian. "She is not directly connected to the Al Maktoum dynasty. But her family is nevertheless influential in the region. Which is why when we hit a roadblock with the French authorities, we decided to focus our efforts on countries where we knew he had familial or business connections. The Emirates, however, boast a multitude of private airfields, not to mention water-based ports of entry, so attempting to narrow down Tariq’s possible time and method of arrival and determining where he went from there was providing to be a complex undertaking. Especially since we had to ensure to conduct our enquiries outside of the official channels."

"Specifically, via social media," I supply dryly.

"Yes," confirms Christian, only half jokingly. "When we realised that Tariq must have switched off or changed out his phone, Drake suggested that we set up a facial recognition-based search algorithm that could scour the various social media and news portals in a bid to help us pinpoint his exact location."

"That sounds... technical," I admit.

"A few years ago, it would have been, But the technology is relatively commonplace now, thankfully."

"So, you managed to get a hit?"

"Yes," he affirms. "One of his cousins on his mother's side posted a selfie featuring his new yacht a couple of days ago... and someone who partially matched Tariq's features was visible on the edge of the frame. But it wasn't until this morning that our man on the ground was able to obtain independent confirmation that it really was him."

"Wow..." I manage. "Talk about blind, dumb luck."

"Never underestimate the awesome power of serendipity," counsels Christian with a smile as we reach the edge of the trees again. "It certainly played a hand in crossing our paths."

I swallow nervously. "Yeah, I—"

"You have some nerve!"

Before I have a chance to realise what is happening, Madeleine has swooped in from seemingly out of nowhere to intercept us with all the wrathful precision of a homing missile.

"Ow!" I hiss, feeling the ends of her manicured nails sink into my arm as she wrenches me off Christian like I'm some kind of plague.

"One would think you would be grateful to His Majesty for his benevolent generosity in elevating your previously non-existent status to that of a duchess," she spits with barely disguised contempt as she pulls me nose-to-nose with her.

"Get off me!" I grit, trying to shake her loose.

"Madeleine..." interjects Christian from behind me in a voice that I only heard him use once before... in the hallway at Ramsford when he realised that Drake had brought me back to Cordonia. "You overstep."

But the Countess of Fydelia seems to hear neither of us as she tightens her claw-like hold on me. "Yet instead, you repay him by not only by hijacking a royal event to serve your own shameless self-aggrandisement—"

I shake my head in disbelief. "Wait... Wh—?"

"—but then you have the unmitigated gall—"

"Madeleine," says Christian again, more forcefully this time. "That is enough."

But Madeleine is oblivious to the quiet threat suffused into the sound of her name, choosing to continue her tirade instead, "—to sneak off into the bushes with my fiancé in order to do God-knows-what when he should be—"

"I said, enough!" snaps Christian, coming suddenly between Madeleine and me with a face of thunder.

The force of his command is loud enough to cause a few heads on the edge of the lawn to turn curiously towards us.

Even Madeleine startles somewhat in response to the uncharacteristically vehement order. But not enough to let go of me.

"Can you not see what she is doing?" she demands indignantly as she turns to face Christian. "Or does she have you wrapped so tightly around her finger that you cannot even—?"

"How I choose to spend my time with the Duchess of Valtoria in private is of no concern to you, Countess," interjects Christian bluntly. "Or do I need to remind you of the conditions of our engagement?"

Madeleine's alabaster cheeks flush scarlet. "No..."

"Then I strongly suggest that you unhand Lady Harper, and ensure that this kind of juvenile outburst does not happen again."

Madeleine's eyes blaze with cold fury. But she relinquishes her hold on me, nevertheless. "My apologies, Duchess..." she snips, her voice dripping with insincerity.

I reach up to rub the spot where her nails had been on the verge of puncturing my skin.

Bitch...

Christian nods tersely in approval. "Now that that is sorted, I believe our guests are waiting. Lady Madeleine, if you'd be so kind..."

Madeleine takes his arm with a look that could've killed. "Of course, Your Majesty."

"Lady Harper," acknowledges Christian with a dip of his head as he starts to steer his seething fiancée away.

Knowing that all eyes are still on us, I drop into a quick curtesy as they walk past, on one hand grateful to Christian for shutting Madeleine down, but on the other hand wondering how badly we kicked into a nest of hornets in the process.

As it is clear that Madeleine is still raging with jealous insecurity... Perhaps even more so than she had been back at her manor when she cornered me in the bathroom. And the fact that — despite the massive diamond on her finger — I now technically outrank her is definitely not helping the situation!

So much for making allies at court…

Blowing a wayward strand of hair out of my face, I turn back towards the festivities…

…only to be greeted by a wall of judgemental eyes, and more than a few camera lenses.

"Great..." I mutter under my breath.

Whether catching me with Christian had been the genuine straw that snapped Madeleine's cool, or whether she deliberately fabricated the showdown to undermine the positive reactions I got from the press earlier, the end result is the same...

I'm going to be on the front page tomorrow. Again.

Exactly in what form, I have no idea. But I've been at court long enough now to know that the whole thing will be blown completely out of proportion, and the resulting story will generate even more press frenzy.

But if there’s one thing that Drake has taught me, it’s that I cannot allow myself to give the aristos the satisfaction of ever thinking that they’ve managed to squash me into the dirt. Because that would undermine the entire reason why I came back to court in the first place, and given how close we now are to claiming back the truth, it would be a massive and premature admission of defeat.

So, raising my chin defiantly, I make my way back across the lawn to rejoin the remainder of the Festival.

The story continues in Chapter 17 - News Flash

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prince-kallisto · 8 months

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I have one last theory to drop before the next Book 7 update- I just couldn’t wait haha. But in Book 6, the SSR Epic Troublemakers are split into three teams, and each group mentions something very interesting. And I think it’s all a reference to just how odd Crowley’s behavior is- and potential foreshadowing.

Leona and Jamil show just how powerful money can be, even in a world full of magic. And Leona is telling the truth- money can manipulate words, people, media. It has a frightening amount of power. It makes me think of Lilia’s line in Book 6 how any point in history can be “twisted” to fit a certain narrative.

Crowley is one greedy mf haha, but when you really think about it, his connections are rather frightening. The Asim’s, Olympus Inc, the Kingscholar’s, STYX. He knows just about every family and every company that controls the flow of money in the world, and has used money many, many times to play dirty

Riddle and Azul’s in depth explanation of transformation potions and their legality is extremely fascinating- and also a bit suspicious. Before Book 6, some were under the assumption that transformation potions were simply restricted on school grounds or in the hands of minors. But the possession and trade of such a potion is wayyy more restricted than we once thought.

Remember in the prologue when Crowley just casually took one? Of course, I doubt he cares much for the legality of it- but why would he take a potion so casually? Why did he have one on his person? Using such a restricted potion so casually makes me wonder if he has a stash of more- but then why would he have so many? Plus, Riddle specifically states that a transformation potion changes your physiology, which is obvious. But Crowley turning into a ghost means…losing his body. Ortho even confirms the nature of ghosts by saying they don’t have a corporeal body.

So just how familiar is Crowley with transformation potions to be willing to temporarily give up his BODY? We know Azul, Floyd, and Jade struggled immensely with turning into humans, but Crowley can move at extremely fast speeds in ghost form. So far, all I can think of is that:

•Crowley uses potions to hide some of his features (*cough* Revan)

•He needs potions to turn from bird to human, so he’s used to his body drastically changing. Thinking about him being the OG Diablo is fun, but Crowley does have Fae features, and some types of Fae can naturally switch between forms.

•Idk…he’s dead and already a ghost and actually uses a potion to appear human?!?!? I’m just throwing random stuff to the wall and see what sticks 🤣 interesting possibility tho…🫢

And finally, bird mimicry with the Pomefiore crew. I’ve made other theory posts going over this line too, but it’s very interesting how birds are specifically mentioned for vocal mimicry. Rook could’ve just left it at “beasts” or even just “animals” in general.

Crowley is a very eccentric vocal range, one that heavily depends on his mood. He lets information slip on purpose and is such a fast-talker that he easily manipulates others. Or rather, shove the work on them so fast that there’s no other choice but to do it haha. But comparing his voice in the opening prologue to his more silly moments, he can appear to be a completely different man when the mood or situation suits him.

All of this combined, doesn’t it feel odd?? Literally all of this new information relates to Crowley somehow, and I have a feeling it’s more foreshadowing. Book 6 is an absolute goldmine for *reminding* us in just how unknown the TWST world is. It also feels like trying to tell us to keep an eye out for these things, because it’s all going to come together in the end.

Or maybe I’m just looking into it too deep, as usual 🤪

#twst #twst theory #twst book 6 #twst dire Crowley #twst headmage #twst Crowley #dire Crowley #twisted wonderland #KallistoPost

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jahayla-parker · 2 months

Note

📱SMAUs: The 2 request limit for this applies to 2 of the same character (in other words, you can send in more than 2 SMAU requests so long as it’s a max of 2 per character) this can include fictional and nonfictional characters. Please include any side characters, events/details, or other information surrounding the SMAU request. If you want it to be with a specific type of reader, please be specific. You’ll get a SMAU fic with at least two posts from the reader and 2 from the character chosen.

oooooh okay hear me out- freddy carter x singer!reader (+ sab cast). where she has a new album to announce while the sab crew is announcing s2? and it's just the cast hyping y/n up and her hyping them up <3

Reflections and Renewals : Freddy Carter x Reader (& Platonic!SaB Cast x Reader)

Descr: SMAUs of Freddy Carter’s girlfriend/wife (unspecified) singer!reader and the Shadow and Bone cast supporting each other on their latest releases!

Warnings: few curse words, minor flirting, that’s all I think!

Liked by freddycarter1, kittheyounger, jessie_mei_li and 10,358 others

yourusername: I did a thing… 🤭

My new album Reflections drops in late March! 🎵

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freddycarter1: So proud of you, my darling virtuoso ❤️

yourusername: My #1 fan❤️❤️❤️

jessie_mei_li: @/yourusername we’ll see about that, I’ll fight for that title ❤️🤺

freddycarter1: also, “did a thing” as if you didn’t record the most profoundly brilliant piece of art yet again 🙄

yourusername: ily ❤️

benbarnes: stoked! sneak peak for your mate?

yourusername: for THE Ben Barnes? But, why of course 😉

amitasuman_: You look stunning! Another album already?! 👏🔥

yourusername:🥹

archierenaux3: y/n, for real? Is this one going to make me cry again?

yourusername: if I say yes will it prevent you from listening? 🫢

archierenaux3: @/yourusername absolutely not! Are you kidding? No force on earth could prevent that xxx❤️

Liked by yourusername, shadowandbone, Ibardugo, and 15,075 others

freddycarter1 Still waiting on that crow emoji, @apple?

Season ✌️ March 16th

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yourusername: KANEJ!!! 😍😍😍

yourusername: honey, you look sooo good ❤️

freddycarter1: pot calling the kettle black there, my darling 😘

amitasuman_: 🪶 we definitely need a crow emoji, let’s get on with it @/apple

yourusername: I agree but while we’re at it, I also need a new phone in general cause I drowned this one with my tears over this beautiful photo of my favorite TV couple 😭

amitasuman_: @/yourusername stoppp ❤️❤️

yourusername: @/amitasuman_ can’t stop, won’t stop. You are both so talented and pretty 😍

yourusername: can’t wait to let my gifted man take over the television screen day and night as he so perfectly embodies Kazzle Dazzle once again 👀🖤

freddycarter1: you’ve lost it my dear 🤣❤️

yourusername: @/freddycarter1 for you & the rest of the S&B cast? 🤷‍♀️ I’m fine with that!

kittheyounger: let’s go! 🪶🖤

yourusername: I need more Wesper content Kit ⏱️

Liked by freddycarter1, paddygibson, lewistanofficial, and 9,320 others

yourusername: You have all been so supportive with me announcing this new album, so here’s a sneak peek into the contents 🥰

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freddycarter1: bloody hell, you’re radiant ❤️❤️❤️

freddycarter1: PSA: for those wondering, as amazing as the song titles are, I assure you the lyrics and tracks themselves are somehow far more enthralling 😉

yourusername: Freddyyyy 🥹 you’re too much ❤️

freddycarter1: @/yourusername I’m simply verbalizing your skillset, love 🙌

paddygibson: sounds incredible already y/n/n!

calahan.skogman: wow! I’m at a loss for words… all I can say right now is… wow!

amitasuman_: so very intrigued 👀

Liked by freddycarter1, yourusername, lbardugo, and 22,479 others

shadowandbone: We all have debts to pay. Two days 'til Shadow and Bone Season 2.

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yourusername: 😍 these next two days better pass quickly!

freddycarter1: brick by brick 🖤

yourusername: When these aforementioned debts are paid… Can I be your next investment? 🫣

freddycarter1: @/yourusername 💀 love … 😂

benbarnes: This is one ace of a promo poster 🙌

yourusername: couldn’t agree more, but so is yours!

Liked by freddycarter1, yourusername, amitasuman_, and 21,564 others

shadowandbone: You’re not ready for S2. But it’s here! ☀️

View all 2,315 comments

yourusername: Has it been even 12 hours since it dropped? No. Have I already binged all 8 episodes? Yes. 🙌 Will I wait patiently for S3? No. 🙅‍♀️ Am I in love with this cast? Yes. 💯 That’s all. ❤️

amitasuman_: … Did you truly?! 🥹

freddycarter1: @/amitasuman_ she did 😂

yourusername: @/amitasuman_ @/freddycarter1 course I did 💁‍♀️ you’re all so unbelievably and incredibly talented 🙌❤️❤️

yourusername: We finally have everyone together 😭 couldn’t have asked for a better cast for any of the Grishaverse characters 🤩 p.s. you all look PHENOMENAL ❤️

lbardugo: agreed y/n! 🖤

yourusername: @/lbardugo and a special thank you to the most wonderful person who made it all possible 🙌🖤

jessie_mei_li: ☀️🖤

yourusername: Love you trying to intimidate Nikolai! And looking stunning while doing so! 😍

jessie_mei_li: @/yourusername ilysm xxx

Liked by freddycarter1, jacktwolfe, longbrophy, and 9,324 others

yourusername: It’s here! I’m so thrilled to share these songs with you!

My latest album, Reflections, is officially available on Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Pandora, and wherever else you listen to music! It’s also set to hit stores this afternoon!

View all 1,408 comments

freddycarter1: just when I think I couldn’t be more proud, you prove me wrong ❤️ just like this album, you are truly exceptional, darling. xxx

yourusername: 🥹❤️

jacktwolfe: unreal! It’s staying on repeat all day ❤️

amitasuman_: girl, you killed this! 🙌

archierenaux3: already crying… you’re so talented it’s unbelievable xx

longbrophy: I officially have a new favorite album 🥰

calahan.skogman: damn, you seriously have a way with words!

Taglist: @ell0ra-br3kk3r @missdreamofendless @nikfigueiredo @b3kk3r-by-br3kk3r @alex-kazbrekkersimp @opheliaofficial07 @historynerd77 @el-de-phi @whistle1whistle

Freddy Carter Navigation

Kaz Brekker Navigation

My Main Masterlist (All My Works) Navigation

Follower Celebration Event Information

#mutuals 👯‍♀️#freddy carter x reader #Freddy Carter #Freddy Carter smau #Freddy Carter x you #Freddy Carter x y/n #Freddy Carter x Reader smau #Freddy Carter social media #freddy carter #spotify #freddy carter x you #freddy carter x yn #freddy carter x y/n #freddy carter x gf!reader #freddy carter fluff #freddy carter imagine #freddy carter imagines #freddy carter x singer!reader #original post

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nixie-writes-aot · 1 year

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So, I have several ideas for a Levi x Male reader, but I'll ask them individually so you can pick & choose which you do first shfnrjjd

one idea is that the reader works with, and trains the horses that the scout regiment uses. Something happens, and they need a horse training expert. Maybe Levi over hears/sees the reader scolding some people who have stable duty for not being as meticulous as possible when cleaning stalls/tack/horses

one thing leads to another, and they start seeing each other more frequently (maybe by Hang Zoes doing or maybe he wants to make sure their doing their job properly). Maybe there's even a miss understanding between them in which he thinks that their a Cadet at first and he treats them as such only for, like, Erwin to have come on the premise of introducing them an is like 'Oh good, my two best men already know each other'

Idk, I just wanna see the reader be a horse guy and also get a hot boyfriend 🤣🤣

"Stop Horsing Around, Cadet"

Warnings: N/A

Pairing: Levi Ackerman x male reader

Word Count: 1.6k

You sat down in the office, dressed in the uniform of the Scouts. Technically, you were one. You were simply one that normally was found in Wall Maria. Something you enjoyed, all the open land. You had survived that due to a horse you now refused to part with. Your commander respected that, of course. Speaking of your commander, he was sitting at the desk, looking to you with a polite smile.

"Ah. (Y/N). Its a pleasure to see you again." Erwin greeted.

You only smiled in turn. "Erwin, you can drop the formalities." You reassured, "Last we saw each other… Shadis was still in command, wasn't he?"

"This job tends to be very difficult." Erwin stated, defending his predecessor it seemed, "But yes. He's in the Training Corps now. Sending new trainees to us, even."

You were quiet for a moment, thinking back to Shadis picking you out specifically. You had been a cadet, alongside Nile and Erwin. You and Erwin had been so excited to see the outside world but then you proposed changing to working on horses exclusively after your first expedition. You had always thought that Shadid merely pitied you but… Regardless, you were put to working on horses. Through the years, that's what you've been doing. Now, here you were. With Erwin once again.

"I should leave you to your job. I'm sure you remember where the stalls are. It really is a pleasure." Erwin's smile had always been infectious. As if he knew everything was going to be okay. You smiled, nodding.

"It is. I'm sure we'll be able to talk again soon. Being a commander suits you, Erwin." You hummed, standing and leaving the room.

Just before you left, you heard him thank you. Well, here you were again. The Survey Corps base. You made a beeline for the training yards and horse stalls. It being lunch, well the start of it, you didn't exactly expect anyone to be out training. Really, today you had no intention of training yourself or the horses. You were still exhausted from traveling from Wall Maria to Wall Rose. All you wanted to do, really, was inspect the horses. Meet them properly. You turned the corner, out the doors of the building and then another corner. It was a pleasant surprise, seeing two soldiers with the horses. As you got closer, however, it only annoyed and frustrated you.

"Attention!" You huffed.

The two cadets jolted, whipping around with wide eyes and looks of complete and utter shock. One was a ginger haired woman with an orange eyed gaze and the other a brown haired man. They were certainly new to you, if not the entirety of the Survey Corps. Both were quick to salute, albeit completely unaware of who you were or if you actually were one of their superiors.

"You don't clean them that way, cadets!" You scolded, rolling into a tangent of sorts as to how someone would tend to the horses. You even stepped forward, approaching the horse in question who snorted, you smiled and ran your hand down the horse's mane.

"You have to be gentle, kind. He's a forgiving beast," you turned your head to glare at them, "so you're going to fucking apologize for being so rough."

The brunette gaped at you, ready to make some stupid retort, you ascertained. However, the ginger elbowed him in the gut as she nodded, "We're sorry, horse! Aren't we, Oluo?" His name was spat with annoyance. You watched Oluo, who had crumpled to the ground with a wheeze, stand and nod. "... Y-yeah. We're uh- we're sorry."

You huffed, "Fuck off now."

"We're uh- we're supposed to-" Oluo started only to be met with a poisonous glare from you.

The two cadets were quick to take their leave as you picked up the brush, tending to the horse they tried to. The horse nickered, looking to you with fondness. You smiled gently. "Yeah, hi there. You rest today, okay? We had quite the day yesterday. Have you slept? I hope so." Your voice was calm and quiet. This was your horse, the one Erwin had let you keep.

You were so engrossed in your horse, you called him Snowbell for his white coat, that you hadn't noticed the short man watching you throughout the interaction.

—

You had woken decently early the next morning after going to sleep shortly before curfew. Albeit, it wasn't a curfew for you nor the higher ups like Erwin or, the two that Erwin introduced you to yesterday, Miche and Hange. You walked to the mess hall, getting your food and sitting by yourself. With Erwin, Hange, and Miche still not there, you had no one else. Well, thats what you thought. Within moments, two cadets joined you. That ginger, Petra as you had learned from Erwin, and Oluo.

"Are these spots free?" She politely asked.

By the time you confirmed that they were Oluo had already sat down, catching you off guard as you nodded. Petra sat beside him, both of them having the same as you. Some potato soup and a piece of stale bread. Oluo watched you, taking note of your more casual demeanor.

"You're a cadet, aren't you?" He bluntly questioned.

"I'm not." You answered, taking a bite of your bread.

"Oluo! You can't just ask that!" Petra scolded him.

You almost wanted to laugh. Those two reminded you of Nile and Erwin in the early days. Not that Erwin and Nile bickered like that but rather that the two seemed like good friends, much like Nile and Erwin. You sighed, finishing up your food quickly as the two bickered.

"Well, see you two around." You stated as you stood, "I have horses to tend to."

Petra stared at you as you left as Oluo merely nodded. You had no intention to be that social that early in the morning. Not if it wasn't with the horses, at least. You made your way outside, rounding the corner to the stables. You had no new horses to really train at the moment, waiting for breeders to bring in horses of age. Especially after the disaster of Wall Maria falling, you could only imagine how many horses were really in the territory within Wall Maria. It was the largest of the three.

"Oi." A voice called from behind you.

You turned, hearing a voice, eyes falling on a man of short stature with black hair in an undercut. His grey eyes staring at you, brows furrowed downwards and arms crossed over his chest. You ascertained that from how Hange spoke about the superior you had yet to actually meet, this was him. Humanities' Strongest. Captain Levi Ackerman.

"Whats up?" You casually questioned.

If it surprised Levi, you didn't notice any change in his demeanor, save for the man shifting his weight to one leg.

"Laps, brat." He growled, "Give me thirty of them."

You wanted to tell this man to fuck off, that you weren't some cadet. Except, by technicalities, he was still your superior. You only nodded, jogging to the dirt track. You could feel his eyes on you as you ran, not at your fastest, naturally. That would've been a mistake that would lead to your exhaustion.

By the time you finished, the captain was with a few cadets. Petra and Oluo, you noticed, were with them. Alongside two men you didn't recognize. One with longer blonde hair and the other with short brown hair. You didn't question it. You simply went to your horses, letting them out in their fenced area. You watched the herd of horses accept Snowbell.

—

Three weeks had passed. You had interacted with Levi a few times, albeit he seemed to have stopped expecting you to drop and give him twenty for every-damn-thing you did "wrong". Which, in reality, was simply you not training as he expected. It had led to a few pleasant conversations. You might even dare to call Levi a friend, as you did with Hange and Erwin. Hell, you found yourself attracted to the damn insufferable captain. You and Hange had turned it into a game of sorts, you had bet that he would have to be told that you weren't actually a cadet. Hange had bet that Levi would figure it out.

You were leaning against the fence, watching Levi approach with Erwin in tow. You let a smirk dance across your face as you wave.

"Captain, Erwin. How are you doing today?" You hummed.

Levi narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at the casual way you spoke to the commander of the Survey Corps. Erwin only smiled, "I am well, (Y/N), thank you for asking." He looked between Levi and yourself.

"Hange told me you have met our newest expert, Levi. I'm pleased that you know (Y/N)." Erwin hummed, a knowing glint in his icy blue eyes as he looked to you, "I do hope Hange pays up, old friend."

With that Erwin made his exit, leaving you and Levi there by the pen where the horses were relaxing for the afternoon. Levi shot a glare after Erwin before glaring at you in the same way, you only smirked.

"You made a bet regarding me?" Levi questioned.

"I did. I wondered how long it might take you." You stated, amused, "Hange bet that you'd figure it out all on your own, if that helps." You pointed out.

"It doesn't." Levi bluntly stated, "Tch, fucking brat."

You snickered, playfully nudging him, "Hey, don't feel bad. Captain Grumpy."

Levi let out an exasperated sigh, "I can still make you run until sun down." He pointed out, "I'm still your superior, brat."

"But you won't." You hummed, "Besides. That would mean you miss out on seeing me yell at some well intentioned "brats", won't it?"

You took note of the ghost of a smile on his face, just watching him cover it with a quiet tch.

"Thats what I thought. I'll yell, you watch. We can call it a date!" You exclaimed, more than happy when you saw his expression melt away into surprise and then a real smile.

#levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman #reader insert #male reader #snk #aot #snk fanfiction #aot fanfiction #attack on titan #attack on titan fanfiction #shingeki no kyoujin #shingeki no kyojin fanfiction #nix writes #nix dreams

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sabraeal · 19 days

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3, 6, 11, 16 and 20 for the fic rec asks!

3.) 😂 A fic that made you laugh out loud

First one to come to mind is @claudeng80's Away From It All, which she wrote for the 2020/2021 winter challenge. Obi is just SUCH a disaster in the first chapter, having agreed to essentially put himself in a bottle episode with the object of his huge, life-shattering crush, and Shirayuki isn't faring much better in hers. Both their POVs are SO funny, it gets me every time (especially Shirayuki really pondering if she should let that terrible mattress Take The Wheel on this whole thing)

6.) 😊 A fic that made you smile on a bad day

I can't remember any SPECIFIC bad days but every time @codango posted a chapter of The road to Clarines is gravel it was an EVENT in the server. Fully everyone dropping everything to scream at whatever new twist had happened. I think me and Joanna spent several days after every drop speculating over what might happen next, and even if there was no outstanding crummy day to pin this on, it at least gave me a whole lot of joy.

11.) 🛳️ A fic that brought you aboard a new ship

Tension in Three Parts by negoshi26. I watched the first season of Attack on Titan right when it came out, and as much as I loved the characters, I didn't have any like...bulletproof ships out of it. Beside knowing I really just did not like either Jean or Eren for Mikasa. One of the people I followed from BSG fandom was a mod on het_reccers, which became a mainstay for finding new pairings for me, and this fic showed up on it as a rec for Levi/Mikasa. Kinda squinted a little bit over it-- I don't mind an age gap but even this one was a bit big-- but I liked both the characters, said what the heck, and then came out the other side of this one being like, OH WELL THIS IS IT FOR ME, I GUESS 🤣

16.) 💞 A fic that led to you making friends with the author

Analysand by @infinitelystrangemachinex. There were like a total of 20 fics on AO3 when I first fell into AnS fandom, and about 7 of them were obiyuki...and about three of those were Andi's fic 🤣 After I inhaled Sharon's Knots, I fell straight into Andi's fics...and I think it was this one where I was like, I cannot lurk anymore. I must come be this woman's friend. She needs someone to feed her as regularly as she is feeding me. And so then I very coolly and calmly left comments on EVERYTHING SHE HAD EVER WRITTEN, and started commenting on posts she made on the comm, and definitely made Andi worry I was going to invite her to a Secondary Location until I posted the first chapter of Seven Suitors. AND NOW WE ARE FRANDS.

20.) 💖 A drabble that made you want 100K more words

Listen there are so many but I must say that is it this drabble where Wen Ying suffers over his working dick by @bubblesthemonsterartist. If you don't know, Joanna and I have OBSESSED over this modern AU EXTENSIVELY, with absolutely no intention of ever writing it, but like. I mean I do want to read it. All of it. In my eyeballs. I KNOW THIS MEANS I WOULD HAVE TO WRITE STUFF TOO. But it would be worth it for the complicate Wen Ying dick feelings okay???

#asks #ask meme #fic rec meme #listen like......the stuff we have thought of for the most niche au #is a LOT. as always #it's inokami all over again but like. with TWO pairings. and whatever gaojun has going on #which by the way we have also thought up and would be great #can't wait for book 6 to come out and for us to devolve into this 24/7 again it's a good time

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away-ward · 10 months

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Heyy, love your willemmy fics ☺️🥰 one thing thats kinda funny to me is that emmy moved to san fransisco from thunder bay for 9 years, so wouldnt her accent change (even a bit) from a kinda posh-preppy-curt of thunder bay, to a valley girl californian accent? Haha, Imagine it!! Emmy was actually the one with the hot surfer/summer girl accent, not will, after all this time 🤣 and what did she said about will and hawaii/surfer boy? Imagine emmy's sharp words, but it sometimes made will laugh because her words spoken in her new accent dont match the serious tone of her initial curt thunder bay accent anymore? Hahahaha! It's just a headcanon tho. I think Will might be into her accent (a lot, they might even do something kinky about it iykwim) & the horsemen/their wives would probably tease her about it sometimes during their big family dinners since none of them (except for winter, micah and rory) had probably lived in another non-thunder bay/meridian city-like places, more than two years.

Hey!! Thank you!

I love this idea!! I actually hadn't considered her accent before, but you're so right. Even if it hadn't changed completely, she probably would have picked up certain words and pronunciations. I've mostly always lived in the western part of the US, so I'm not sure how much it would have changed or how long it would have taken her to drop it once she returned.

Does anyone know much about the San Fran area in terms of a specific accent or speech pattern, or have some thoughts in gen of the transition? I know Thunder Bay is supposed to a New England, so that is quite a bit different...

But now also I HC that they would tease her (friendly teasing, of course) for saying "like" too much when she's tired or how a west coast accent and lingo just appears in her speech unexpectedly. And the idea of her putting on a valley girl accent for any reason is so funny.

#asked and answered #devil's night series stuff #emory scott #devil's night series #asked and answered 13

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jjungkookislife · 4 months

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Hey 😊 I finally finished reading Home for the Holidays 😭 I saw it on the day you posted it, but only got to read small parts from time to time cause it was so hectic in our household. I just finally got the time to finish reading this, yay 🥳, so please bear with my all over the place comments 😅

Here goes:

First of all, may I just say how much I LOVE the chaotic friend group. I think this is a pattern with your writing. You ALWAYS make the friend group so fun and lively that it makes them so lovable to us readers 🥰

The scene where he put in Jin's number 🤣 I’d be pissed too, having randos blow up your phone? That’s like a nightmare to me 😱

I also love Jimin here, totally bff material. The perfect friend to share gossips with but also so dependable 🥺

I really love how his friends are so involved and committed on helping them both, so supportive. They got his back from the moment he told them his dilemma. Then they went all out with the planning and the photoshoot 😳

Jimin casually fixing her hair and feeding her snacks in between shoots 🥺

And Tae just casually teling them to kiss on demamd for the camera, not awkward at all 😅

And Jin telling Yoongi to "fix it" after finding out they haven't kissed yet and then ordering Namjoon to take them to the hall and he stands guard as they have their first makeout session with Tae taking pictures of it secretly. The whole scene was so hilarious 🤣

Jimin making sure she's caffeinated and her making sure he's eating during hell week 🥹

The flashcards are so cute ☺️ Asking questions to know more about each other. I feel like that’s something people should do when they're ACTUALLY dating but I guess this’ll come in handy when they finally make it official 🥴

Joon and Hobi crawling between Jin's legs when he and Tae get stuck at the door 🤣

The movie night scene where the others are watching them both be a natural as a couple 👀😏🤭

Joonie being extra and also making a ppt to help her "study" 🫣

They are all making so much effort so Jk can be gifted with an apartment, such great friends 🥹

Also, how he answered “What, baby?” to her call 🥺 it comes so naturally. Then he adds “Why would they hate you? You’re my girl.” 🫠 This whole interaction of her panic video-calling him but gets distracted by what she sees (cause girl, same 😂) is so cute and just 🥺😌☺️

And then the perilla leaf scene, my heart can't take so much fluff 😭

The scene where she sniffs his shirt 😳🥴

He has SQUISHMALLOWS 😍 and then her planning to take him to Build-A-Bear for a date 🥺 You know, when they finally make it official (cause who are they kidding with them being a “fake” couple 🙄) this would be an amazing future drabble 👀 just kidding 😆 (Unless.....👀 lol 🤣)

Also, is Hobi the only one that doesn't live in that town? Cause they dropped him at the train station so I'm assuming he's going somewhere else. Was it mentioned and my stupid brain didn't catch it? 😅

Aaaaaaaaand it’s stopped there 😫 I can’t wait to read the rest, she’s finally meeting the family 😅 Let’s see how this will turn out, I’m sure it’ll be as amazing as this first half. You did so well with this one as always. As weird as this sounds, I feel really proud of you for finally finishing writing this. I know how much you stressed over this story and whether or not you will actually complete it. And you finally did, all your efforts paid off cause this is soooooooooo amazing and well-written. Don’t feel too pressured to finish writing a story within a specific timeframe cause this story just proves how amazing the outcome is when you take your time to write it. Okay, this is getting really long so i’ll stop here. Just really wanted to tell you that.

I hope you enjoyed your holidays and are doing well 💜

Hello! 😊

I’m so glad you got to read it 😊 I was nervous about posting it and then tumblr and it’s new word count limit/line limit made it hard to post and it kept crashing or not saving 😭

SPOILERS

I absolute love the friend group! The chaotic energy is so wholesome! It reminds me of my high school days 🥰🥹

Namjoon lives and breathes CHAOS as we will see in the next part 👀 he also didn’t want to put his number or Jungkook’s in case nobody was right for the part. He figured Jin would be a better person to sort through potentials but he could have used a texting app 😅

I adore my Jimin’s 😭 I usually make him love gossip or meddling bc that’s how I am 🤣 I can’t help it sometimes but I try 😀

I had so much fun writing the first kiss scene! I think it was bc though it was stated on the flyer that PDA was part of the gig, Tae just assumed they’d kissed by then 🤣 so when he realized they hadn’t it put the shoot behind schedule and Tae is a professional 💪🏼

But also it was a perfect opportunity to showcase more of their friendship 🤣 they’re problem solvers if nothing else and Jin likes to boss people around sometimes and to mess with Yoongi if nothing else 😅

Ahhh thank you for catching those little moments of Jimin and reader’s friendship. I didn’t want it to be too overshadowed by the scheme 🥹

Yes! They had to put it into overdrive and learn everything about each other in such a short time. From having crushes to lemme know absolutely everything is hard lol but I think they did pretty well 😊

The PowerPoint has to be one of my favorite parts! Who better than to teach you than someone who’s known Jungkook practically all his life and with visuals, you know he snuck in some baby photos in there 🤣

And the flash cards 🤣 ah I adore them all so much.

The movie night was fun! I did like writing Joon and hobi crawling to get inside bc they know well enough that once Jin and Tae start arguing there’s no end in sight 🤣 and then JK and reader being couple like in front of them definitely gave them the right vibes in pulling this off. Perfect practice 🥹

He’s so into her! Like sleepy!Jungkook just speaks freely with no restraint bc he just adores her so much already and she is his girlfriend even if it’s kinda fake 👀

And the shirt sniff!!!! Ahhhh and the perilla leaf thing again lmao I watched it recently and it seemed like something Jimin would instigate to annoy Jungkook 🤣 we see a little more jealousy in the next part. Just a little if you squint though lol

I was thinking of writing a build a bear Drabble later on and maybe a spring break drabble bc I just love them so much 🥹 and JK can never have too many stuffed animals! He likes them and yes, he names them all

Originally Hobi, Yoongi and Seokjin were gonna live in different cities from the rest of the group but I ended up changing it. So Tae and Jungkook live right next to each other and Joon and Jimin live next to each other but right across from Tae and JK.

On the next block over (literally on the other side of Jimin and Joon’s backyard, Yoongi lives on the other side of Jimin’s backyard and Seokjin on the other side of Namjoon and then Hobi across the street from Seokjin. So in my mind, Hobi went to a sky resort for a few days before coming home for new year but he ends up coming home sooner when Jimin hunts at the plan failing though it’s not in the fic.

Here’s a snippet:

Yes! I’m so glad I finally got around to it! It’s been 3 years of staring at the old banner that I didn’t even end up using 🤣

But yes I am working diligently to get the next part done. It is 14k as of now but I feel like there’s still something missing from it and I spent maybe 4/5 hours today just editing and proofreading 😴 and making sure the smut made sense and oof it took a lot out of me.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I always look forward to hearing from you! I hope you stay safe and healthy! Have a good day/night 💜💜💜💜

#sweet feedback 💖#pretty pretty moots 💕#fic: hfth

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princesstillyenna · 1 year

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On the first day of Chat-mas Tillyenna gave to meeeeeee A fic prompt she filled just for me... wait what?? SO. It's the HOLIDAY SEASON. And I love to celebrate this season by giving, like, genuinely, I do. I also REALLY REALLY enjoyed filling the prompts for kinktober and I thought... huh, how could I combine these two things for GROUP CHAT PROMPT DECEMBER... And here is how it is going to go I am going to fill 12 prompts for the group chat for december, however, these prompts aren't going to come from me, they're going to come FROM YOU.

Basically, send in prompts, either by dming me, if you want to chat about the prompt or want to really explain it, or anon me if you just wanna drop a prompt. And the first 12 prompts I will fill for groupchatmas.

What kind of prompts can you send in? Honestly anything, it could be a line, a peice of dialogue, a picture, a title, it could be more detailed, it could be a group chat specific request, it could be a backstory request... here are some examples e.g. "you had to tell me like that" <- dialogue prompt e.g. demisexual disasters <- word prompt e.g. (actually I think you know what a picture looks like) e.g. "Gabe's Christmas Card List" <- title prompt e.g. "I don't know but I really want more quinn and brady vibing about their sexualities together" <- gc content specific prompt e.g. "You've hint dropped this pairing, please, how did it happen?" <- group chat backstory prompt e.g. "I need some FLUFF, i need drinking hot cocoa and lighting menorahs and warmth and joy for the winter season" <- random ass prompt I WILL TAKE THEM ALL. The only rules are THIS IS HAPPENING IN THE GCU ok, so prompts CANNOT contradict GCU canon. That means you can't just invent a new pairing that isn't already in the GC, and/or like force people to break up (idk actually, I might bite on that one depending on who it is 🤣) FAQs (by which I mean, questions I think you might want the answers to, because since I just came up with this idea, there can't be any frequently asked questions yet)

How do you know the same person isn't going to send in 12 prompts and then nobody else gets to take part? Honestly, I trust you friends - don't do this? Like, I'm not going to know if you send in more than one anonymously, but be fun about it?

What if you get more than 12? I'm not definitely going to be able to do more than 12, but I'll give it a shot with however many come in

What if you get less than 12? I'll leave it a couple of days and then do a shout out, and then if no more come in then I'll just pick some random holiday writing themed prompts

What if you REALLY don't want to do a specific prompt? Honestly, the only way I can see this happening is if someone requests something that's going to be SUPER out of the GC verse like "I wanna see quinn and jack hooking up" because I'd be lke, "Uh fam, that doesn't happen in this universe" but I might still write it as a non gc compliant prompt if I feel like it?? But ideally, I am wanting gc compliant.

OK FRIENDS SEND THEM IN I LOVE YOU ALL

#group chat shit #gcu #tilly writes

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shibaraki · 2 years

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Ok I read the Dragon King Bakugo fic and I'm in love. I know I dropped the series years back but your fics are just making me consider picking it back up again. I'm just really busy and have so much to catch up on. Baby steps I suppose.

Bakugo is just sweet in his own way and I just want to scream "let me love you" at him. His fierce independence definitely is a turn on. Fantasy settings and dragons help too. 🤣

An unexpected side effect of watching you post about your fics and WIPs has me feeling some relief over how painfully slow I am at releasing the final piece of a series I was posting on my side blog. I'm months behind and hit a wall. I was feeling guilty that I was posting other things, but seeing you go through the same has made the load easier to bear. Not that I want you to go through the stress, but misery loves company I suppose.

Thank you again for blessing us. Even those like me that have left the series behind and are taking a while to get back to it.

I’m glad I can reassure you in that way!! forcing myself to stick to specific wips is very difficult. I know I need to practice some actual discipline and dedicate a few thousand words to each per day but that’s just not how my brain works. if a new wip distracts me I get totally wrapped up in that world and forget the others 🫠 all I can say is write what you can when you can and in a way that is best for you!

thank you so much btw, I’m glad you enjoyed it (and that it’s making you want to pick the series back up!! such a big compliment). I do get anxious with writing and posting bakugo but it’s much less about my ability to characterise him and mostly because I know he gets a lot more attention than other characters lmao. I find that a little daunting honestly! but he’s one of my favourite characters, so I can’t help but want to write him!!

#asks #bakugo ‘please read into my actions and don’t make me say it. I’m telling you everything through my actions DONT make me say it’ katsuki #basically lmfaooo

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king-there0f · 2 years

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1, 8, 13?

@mystery-salad

Thank you for the ask!! Oh man…its been a while since I’ve looked at my askbox and there is….so much in here yall get ready for a backlog of accidentally unanswered asks.

1) What was the current story release when you started playing?

Unofficially I started playing during the beta! My first character was a Norn Elementalist and I played it over at the house of a guy I really hated because my beta key didnt work but he had offered to let me use his if I came over. So my first play experience was on a wonky green TV screen sitting on the gnarliest couch you’ve ever seen while a bunch of guys tried to impress me with how many words per minute they could type. Classic.

Officially tho I started at launch! It was all so new and exciting and I was so fresh off all the leading preproduction hype. As an avid GW1 player I was so excited for continued lore and was also sinking deep into the nostalgia and missing my friends who used to play with me. It wasn’t dissimilar from when I started GW1. Where I started playing alone but was determined to rope other friends into playing with me. And this was before I had even really gotten much farther than character creation haha. Despite how I feel about the personal story now (which is not that its outright bad, just that its kinda boring) it was really fun back then! I crafted all my characters’ stories to fit into it somehow because I had this weird idea that I had to for some reason, but they’ve all changed drastically since then.

8) Do you have any items you keep in your characters’ inventory for purely sentimental reasons?

I cant think of anything specific I keep in anyones inventory for sentimental reasons but I do keep a very cluttered inventory. I’m what you might call an in-game hoarder. You never know when those random item drops might come in handy! This one even has flavor text! What do you mean its a junk item?!

I am guilty of playing the game sub-optimally for character driven reasons though. Like how I refuse to elite spec Matthias because None Of The Ranger Elite Specs Suit Him And I Was Really Hoping EoDs Would But It Still Does Not. 🤣

13) Do you have a favourite story episode (including expansion chapters)?

Tbh I’m really fond of a lot of the stuff they did with season 1 and Im really glad its playable again! I think it can be hit or miss for a lot of people but back then it was really impressive and immersive how many big, lasting changes they made to the world during the events of LW ssn 1. The battle for lions arch was big and dramatic and felt high-stakes. There were some awesome locale introduced and some really interesting narrative ideas. It wasnt all good, and a lot of it had its flaws, but it was still exciting to see things being altered and affected by the story on such a big scale.

#asksksksk

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raindancer2004 · 3 years

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Unloved and Unwanted - Demetri Edition

Word Count: 3,196 Demetri x OC Part One Warnings: Fluff, Angst

Note: This version of Unloved and Unwanted was written first but I decided to write and publish Felix’s version as I had just finished a Demetri series at the time. @vamp-army found out about Demetri’s version and has requested I let it out of the Dungeon. 🤣 🤣

The beginning is very similar as the original until we reach the castle (there are a few differences) Then after that the story changes completely. I hope you enjoy Demetri’s version.

Lucy Matthews was 17 years old when her entire life changed; her mother Molly died in a car accident and she found herself in Forks living with her father Charlie Swan, who she had never met. Charlie was shocked when Lucy arrived in Forks as he didn’t know she even existed. This made it hard for Charlie to accept her; as a result he struggled to build a relationship with Lucy. Charlie and Sue were busy working and planning their wedding; leaving little time to help Lucy settle in.

Bella had already moved out as she was married to Edward Cullen and they had a daughter Renesmee. Bella did not make an effort to meet her younger half-sister, choosing to ignore her.

Lucy didn’t make any friends at her new school as she went almost unnoticed there. She felt truly alone and it only made her miss her mom even more, especially as they had been very close before the accident.

One Saturday morning Bella dropped Renesmee off at Charlie’s for a visit but didn’t stay herself as she had things to do. After a few hours Charlie was called into the station due to an emergency and Lucy was home so he asked her to keep an eye on Renesmee. Renesmee had met Lucy briefly a few times; Lucy choosing to stay in her room during her visits as to not be in the way, so was surprised at being asked to babysit for a short time. Lucy and Renesmee baked chocolate chips cookies and watched a few Disney films together, before Charlie came home.

That night when Renesmee got home she told her family about the time she spent with Lucy. This prompted Bella to finally decide to meet Lucy; six months after Lucy moved to Forks.

This decision prompted Alice to have a vision;

Lucy in Italy with the Volturi; more specifically with Demetri, Demetri leaves Lucy in their shared room making his way to the throne room for a ‘castle tour’ then resumes guard duty. They didn’t look entirely happy together.

Edward saw the vision as it happened and knew what he had to; for this solved a problem for everyone, Lucy would leave Forks and live in Volterra. He filled his siblings and Bella in on the plan and they agreed. “She’ll be someone’s else’s problem soon. Charlie still isn’t warming to the idea of having another daughter around” Bella told them.

Edward asked Bella to befriend Lucy and then bring her over to main house to meet her new in-laws. This way they could inform Lucy about Vampires; the Volturi and her mate.

Bella met with Lucy at Charlie’s a few days later “Hello Lucy, I’m Bella” “Hi Bella, nice to finally meet you” “Yeah you too” Bella said. “How are you settling in?” “I’m settling in ok, thanks” Lucy answered.

They spent the afternoon talking to each other attempting to get to know one another. Lucy couldn’t help feeling suspicious about Bella being nice to her after ignoring her for six months.

The following Saturday Bella invited Lucy over to the Cullen house and she met Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper, Alice and Edward. Carlisle was at the hospital and Esme taken Renesmee out for the day. Neither Carlisle nor Esme knew of Edward’s plan or the other’s involvement.

They sat Lucy down and explained that they were vampires but feed off of animals instead of humans; hence their golden eyes. They explained that every vampire had a ‘mate’ one person they would love and protect and spend an eternity with and that Rose and Emmett were mates; Jasper and Alice, Edward and Bella and lastly Carlisle and Esme. Alice explained that her, Jasper, Edward and Bella had ‘gifts’ and explained which each one was. Lucy sat there thinking about what she had just learnt.

Emmett went onto explain about the Volturi in Italy; how they were the rulers of the vampire world enforcing the laws, one of which was that humans were not allowed to know of their existence. “Why have you told me then?” Lucy asked confused. “We have told you about vampires because Alice has had a vision and has seen you with your mate; he lives in Italy and is a high ranking Volturi guard” Edward answered. “What does that mean for me, does he have to know?” “Yes Lucy, he has to know. If they came here to check on Renesmee and found out that we knew you were the mate of one of their guards and we didn’t tell them; they would kill us and take you to Italy forcibly. Some of the Volturi are gifted also” Edward continued. “What is the guard like that I’m mated to?” She asked. The Cullens and Bella looked at each other before Rosalie answered “He has a reputation for being a Casanova and is not likely to give that up for a mate; especially not for a human mate. The Volturi do not like humans much and so for one their elite to be mated to a human would not go down well. He will likely reject you as his mate as he won’t want you because you’re human” “If he is to reject me, then why does he need to know about me?” Lucy asked. They looked to Edward silently asking him to answer her.

“As I said before if they found out that we knew you were the mate of one of their guards and we didn’t tell them; they would kill us. We can’t and won’t risk our lives for you” Edward replied bluntly. “You need to know more about your mate” Bella added and Lucy nodded, waiting for someone to continue.

“The Volturi do not usually allow newborns in the castle; however, they will make an exception for you. You’ll spend your newborn years in the dungeon and provided your mate remembers you’re down there; you’ll more than likely be taken to a room in one of the towers where you will spend your eternity once you’re no longer a newborn” Edward informed her “Why did you say if he remembered I was in the dungeon?” She asked a little worried “Edward means there are vampires that have been down there for decades if not centuries. They kinda get forgotten about” Alice replied “So if I am to be rejected, why would he keep me in the castle?” Lucy asked feeling confused “Once he meets you the mate bond will kick in and he will feel protective of you and will need to know that you are safe. If a vampire loses their mate they become heartbroken and depressed and he won’t want that, the Volturi leaders won’t want that either as he is too valuable to them. This will still apply even after his rejection” Jasper answered this time.

“You won’t be able to run and hide either as they have the world’s best tracker and will send him after you; he will find you and drag you back to Volterra kicking and screaming if he has to. You’ll likely get to see the cruel side of your mate if you were to run from him” Emmett added; all of them being careful not to reveal Lucy’s mate’s name. “You will leave for Volterra in three days. We have already bought you a ticket and to ensure you actually get there I will accompany you” Edward says. “So I don’t have a choice in this?” Lucy asked “No you don’t” Bella said sharply “Edward I don’t think going to Volterra with another human is a good idea. We have letters for her and Aro; I think it’s best if she goes alone” Alice says looking at Edward, who nods “Fine, but I’m taking you to the airport regardless. I’ll pick you up at 8pm Tuesday” Lucy just nods in response. Lucy made sure to not think about how she felt about this around Edward knowing that he may be able to read her mind.

Later that night Lucy started packing a few things for the trip and couldn’t help her thoughts ‘I find out I have a soulmate, someone who’s supposed to love me forever only to find out that he won’t want me; he’ll just reject me and lock me away forever. I don’t know why I’m so surprised that someone else who is supposed to love me doesn’t. Story of my life recently, being unwanted and unloved. I won’t object to his rejection, what would be the point? I’m not going to make anyone be with me if they don’t want to be. It’s bad enough I have had to stay here with Charlie who doesn’t want me around.’ Tears slipped down her cheeks at the thought of being unloved, unwanted and locked away forever, just to be forgotten about.

The following morning Charlie opens a letter informing him that Lucy has been accepted into an Art college in Italy and that she is due there in a few days. Alice had put the letter together as a cover story for Lucy to leave Forks. “Morning, Lucy. This came yesterday after I left for work; it’s an acceptance letter for an Art college in Italy. They need you there in a few days so you should get packing” Charlie said as Lucy entered the kitchen “Oh ok, I’ll do that” Lucy couldn’t believe the Cullens’ had faked a letter to get her to Italy; clearly they wanted her gone and soon. Charlie didn’t even try to talk her into staying in Forks, which made her even more upset to think that her own dad didn’t want her around.

A few days later Edward dropped Lucy off at the airport and gets her case from the car “Here this is a letter for Aro; make sure to give it to him when you arrive at the castle. This letter is for you to read on the plane, it’s basically tells you what we told you the other night. When you arrive a car will be waiting to take you Volterra. Safe flight” “Thank you Edward” Edward just nods at her as he gets into the car and drives away leaving Lucy at the airport alone.

Lucy sits on the plane reading the letter addressed to her; and it’s a repeat of the information she was told a few days ago. She thought about not going to Italy but figured the Cullens’ will know if she doesn’t arrive or they’ll call Aro to check that she arrived so it’s probably just easier to go voluntarily rather than be chased down by the Volturi’s tracker and incur the wrath of her mate.

The plane lands and Lucy makes her way through to the airport to the waiting car “Miss Matthews?” “Yes, you’re taking me to Volterra?” “Yes miss. Get in the car please” The driver says placing her case in the trunk. Lucy is dropped off just outside of the town square “The castle is just up there; you can’t miss it as there’s a huge fountain in the middle of the square” “Thank you” Lucy said taking her case from the driver.

Lucy made her way to the town square and sat down on the fountain trying to get up the courage to walk into a castle full of vampires; knowing that once she’s inside she’ll never be allowed to leave. Unknown to Lucy she is being watched by Heidi who has stepped outside of the castle to see if there are many tourists around that she can add to the castle tour that is scheduled for tomorrow. With her enhanced sight Heidi notices that Lucy holding an envelope in her hands whilst looking at the castle and after about an hour Heidi makes her way over to Lucy “Are you ok?” She asks sitting beside her “I think so” Lucy replies sounding unsure. “I’m Heidi by the way, so what brings you to Volterra?” Lucy notices Heidi’s eyes are a lilac colour and her skin is pale but looks perfect, just like the Cullens “I’m Lucy. I’ve been sent here to meet my mate, not that he’s going to be happy about it. In fact I’ve been told that he won’t want me and he’ll reject me” Lucy says looking down handing Heidi her letter “It’s all explained in here”

Heidi takes the letter reading it and it explains that Lucy is mated to one of the elite guards and as soon as she reads ‘he has a reputation for being a Casanova’ she knows who Lucy’s mate is. Heidi frowns as she continues to read the letter as she doesn’t like what she is reading as it is depicting Demetri as cruel when in fact he is one of the nicer guards in her opinion and they’re good friends. She also knows that Demetri would his love his mate whether she be human or vampire as he has been waiting a long time to meet her and would be hurt if he knew that his mate thought of him this way. “Who gave you this letter?” Heidi asks sounding a little upset “Edward Cullen handed me this letter at the airport for me to read to remind me about what awaits me upon landing here. I also have another letter for Aro” She tells Heidi “How come you showed me this letter?” Heidi asks “You are a vampire and I’m guessing you live in the castle” Lucy replies “How did you…” Lucy cuts Heidi off “You have pale skin like the Cullens and you came from the direction of the castle and you didn’t seem surprised when I mentioned the word ‘mate’ nor when you were reading the letter” “Huh, very true. Would you like me to take you inside to meet Aro?” Heidi asks “I’m not sure if I’m ready to go in just yet” “Ok I’ll wait with you until you’re ready” “Thank you Heidi. I just want you to know that I won’t object to the rejection” Lucy gives Heidi a small smile. “Why not?” “Not being wanted is not a new thing for me” Lucy responds low ‘Poor beautiful, broken girl. This is not going to go down well with the masters or Demetri’ Heidi thinks to herself.

After an hour of sitting on the fountain making small talk Heidi and Lucy make their way into the castle; Heidi taking Lucy’s hand in hers “Do not let go of my hand” “Ok” Lucy nods.

Once inside the castle Heidi heads to Gianna on reception “Hi Gianna, this is Lucy. I need you to take this to Aro for me please” Heidi says handing her a quick note asking to meet with him, Caius and Marcus and minimal guards as she has a delicate matter to discuss. Heidi and Lucy wait in reception for Gianna to return “Heidi, Lucy Aro is ready for you and the guards have been dismissed except for Jane and Alec” Heidi was pleased Demetri wouldn’t be in the room during this conversation.

They arrive at throne room “Good afternoon masters” Heidi greets them with a smile “Heidi so good to see you and you have bought a human with you” Aro replies. “There is a very good reason for that. This is Lucy and she has a letter for you from the Cullens” Caius’ attention is piqued when he hears the Cullen’s name mentioned. “May I see the letter please my dear?” Aro asks “Of course” Lucy responds handing the letter over. Aro reads the letter and Lucy watches Aro’s facial expression and he doesn’t seem happy. “What’s in the letter brother?” Caius asks impatiently; Aro extends his arm holding out the letter for him. “Lucy my dear, when did you learn about us?” Aro asks “A few days ago, I was invited to the Cullens’ house and Edward, his siblings and Bella informed me about vampires, the Volturi and mates” “Do you know who your mate is?” Caius interjects “Not exactly. I only know that he is one of the elite guards and that he along with the rest of you don’t like humans much. He also has a reputation as a Casanova and likes that lifestyle; therefore, he won’t want me as his mate. I’ve been told that I will be rejected and locked away” “WHAT?!” Caius screams; Heidi and Lucy flinch at his reaction, Heidi grips Lucy’s hand in a comforting gesture. Lucy’s comment also gains Marcus’ attention whilst Jane and Alec look on curiously.

Caius storms down the steps to stand beside Aro “If you know you are to be rejected why did you come here?” Aro asks gently “Edward told me that if you found out that they knew I was the mate of one of your guards and they didn’t tell you; you would kill them and bring me here by force and they wouldn’t risk their lives for me. They also said that if I were to run and hide you would send the world’s the best tracker after me, who would find me; bring me here kicking and screaming if needed and I would incur the wrath of my mate, who can be rather cruel. I just figured it was just easier to come here willingly” She replied quietly looking down. “You mentioned being locked away, what do you mean by this?” Caius asked confusion clearly showing on his face “Edward told me that you do not usually allow newborns in the castle; however, you will make an exception for me and that I’d spend my newborn years in the dungeon and provided my mate remembers I’m down there; he’ll come and get me and take me to a room in one of the towers where I’ll spend eternity once I’m no longer a newborn”

A look of shock crossed the faces of the leaders and the twins upon hearing this. “I want you know that I don’t intend to object to the rejection either” Lucy added. “Why would you accept the rejection child?” Marcus asks curiously joining his brothers at the bottom of the steps “Not being wanted is not a new thing for me. I’m not going to make someone be with me if they don’t want to be. I have no intention of messing up his life just because I’ve sent here by the Cullens” Lucy replied. “How do you know the Cullens?” Caius asked curiously “My mother was killed in a car accident six months ago and I was sent to live with my father; who I had never met before. It turns out Bella and I share a father. I only met Bella for the first time about 10 days ago and I’m not sure why she decided to meet me after all this time as neither her nor our father have made me feel welcome or a part of the family” “I’m sorry to hear that Lucy” Marcus says looking sad. Hearing this makes Jane and Alec feel sorry for Lucy as they know how it feels to be unwanted by those who are meant to care for you.

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