#Liam cares for his sister but that was the sign of war to him

[petitexmagician]

nowtheyknow // ((Can you blame him?))

The blissful comfort of sleep as the new year slowly draws in, your so close to the door of dreams wondering if it’ll be pleasure or peace that awaits you in your own escape. Only to shoot up like a tabby when they see the sight of a cucumber at the sound of fireworks launching next to your temporary home.

#nowtheyknow #ooc // Let's Start the Show! #Liam cares for his sister but that was the sign of war to him

[eponymous-rose]

Return of the Revenge of the Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E108-109 (September 15, 2020)

It’s been six months since the last Speech Machine Upper Luminosity (is that right?), so let’s jump right back in like nothing ever happened!

Tonight’s guests are Laura Bailey and Matt Mercer!

Announcements: Talks will now be biweekly, discussing two episodes at a time! Unfortunately, this means fan question submissions aren’t doable yet, since they’ll often be filming Talks for episodes that haven’t aired yet; questions will come from crew, but fanart and cosplay from earlier episodes will still get awards. Dani Carr’s new official title in the company is Lorekeeper!

Episodes 108-109

Brian asks Matt about the tug-of-war with the Moonweaver’s influence: “how much of that did the Traveler and Jester’s interactions influence him not going back to the Feywild?” Matt: “Okay, well, the Moonweaver isn’t necessarily happy about taking on the images and icons and co-opting elements of her worship, but also isn’t a vindictive deity necessarily.” She has a similar fey history to Artagan, “so I knew this encounter, there would be a punishment involved, at the very least to take Artagan down a few pegs.” He wasn’t going to be actually banished; the Moonweaver just wanted to “scare the shit out of him: You think you’re a trickery god? Welcome to the original trickery god, bitch.” There was a possibility of him just vanishing for a while, if there was no sign of humility; but based on their interactions, it was just enough to show the planetar that maybe this isn’t the same “troll of an Archfey” that the Moonweaver had known. “Maybe this is enough of a lesson.”

Laura thought Artagan was going to be “gone-gone, and Jester was going to be left alone”. She thought there was going to be a Feywild rescue, and Jester would have to try to find a new deity.

Laura’s wi-fi conks out. So does mine. Ah, 2020.

Jester would probably have followed the Moonweaver in an attempt to make amends. Laura mentions that every time she sat down to prep something for Traveler-Con, she realized Jester wouldn’t sit still long enough to plan it.

Laura: “If that cult hadn’t been there and she hadn’t seen what a false god could do to people, I don’t think she would have come to the realization that what her and the Traveler were doing was detrimental: oh, we’re fucking over people’s lives, hardcore.” If Artagan hadn’t been on board with picking a different deity, Jester would have stepped down at Traveler Con and she would have exposed the lie.

Matt’s “super happy” because he was purposely making sure he didn’t know what was going to happen at Traveler Con. “Okay, everything around it’s going to be interesting and fleshed out, but as to the actual convention, I have no idea what’s going to happen.” He wanted to balance a complete train wreck with character beats and mini-arcs, and he was satisfied with how that worked out.

Brian asks if Jester ever considered walking away from the Traveler. Laura: “Yeah. It could have progressed to that point. Jester always gave him the benefit of the doubt, and loves him with her entire heart, so if he would have not seen that what they were doing was not acceptable, in his own way, then Jester would have probably walked away. I don’t know if she would have walked away from him, but it would have been a big issue for her. I have no idea what that would have meant for her... my entire character arc.”

How does Jester feel about the Traveler now? “She loves him, but at the same time, she doesn’t adore him without boundaries. She sees a little bit more of who he is, and the worshiping aspect isn’t there anymore. She sees him more like another friend. That’s a complicated relationship for a cleric to have.”

Matt talks about what a fan he is of his players. “I’ve just been enjoying the hell out of this.”

Has Artagan learned his lesson? He’s been living for a long time, and old habits are hard to break. Matt points out that Artagan “is free in a place that he doesn’t have complete domain over, and he’s been humbled a few times. I think he’s definitely learned a series of lessons to some degree. We’ll see how far it sticks and where their relationship goes.”

Brian asks Laura how it’s been to have the spotlight on Jester for a long time. Laura: “It was nerve-wracking. I feel very relieved that it’s on to something else now, but it was so much fun, too. I feel like I kept getting so emotional as her through all this. Having to come to terms with all the things she was going through was crazy. But it felt good.”

Cosplay of the Week: An amazing Yasha by @shiieldmaiden on Twitter, photo by @asheneyed.

Matt: “I took a bath for this.”

Brian notes that Jester found herself caught between her god and the M9. Who would she have chosen if Artagan hadn’t kicked her off? Laura: “Here’s the thing. If Fjord hadn’t jumped on my back, Jester would have gone. But him doing that, I mean, that’s why I froze like I did. I really didn’t know where it was going to go. Thankfully Artie made that choice for me.”

The Vilya reveal’s been waiting since Marisha made Keyleth’s backstory. Brian recalls that the question of what happened to Vilya came up in the campaign 1 recap, and Matt was cagey about it. “When I got the original backstory from Marisha, in my head, I was like, her mother’s probably still alive, just lost to the chaos for reasons that I’ll get to, but I like the idea of an eventual reunion when it made sense.” As they got later in the campaign, Keyleth’s story became about taking on this leadership and stepping into her mother’s footsteps: “I didn’t want to rob her of her journey by bringing her mother into it before it was complete. There wasn’t a beat that felt right for it in the first campaign unless the players actively wanted to go and seek it out.” He knew she was on an island somewhere, and that there was an issue with her memory, but the details were still hazy, and it never came up in the first campaign. “As soon as we got to Rumblecusp as a possible visiting location, I was like, this would probably be the island that Vilya’s at.” He knew the community would pick up on it quickly, but the players would likely be too engrossed in their own story. “Getting to send her home was wonderful, both for an idea of closure, but as a long-waiting gift to Marisha and Keyleth. It’s something that I’ve been looking forward to giving to her.”

On building Vilya’s character: “I wanted to make sure she wasn’t too similar to Keyleth. She couldn’t remember her family, but when she did, it meant everything.”

Brian asks what inspires Jester’s thought process to try and befriend every creature they come across. “Everyone is interesting. Except for Celia, she’s a bitch. If you piss her off, she might just hate you forever, but everybody else she thinks is pretty great. Jester can hold a good grudge.”

Brian asks Matt about the inspiration for Vokodo. “It is a heavily customized version of a Morkoth. I was just intrigued by how they had created this creature that creates this island around it. It has ways of affecting the minds of creatures around it. I didn’t enjoy that the creature was only Medium in size, and I wanted it to be something that was a little bit more changed by its experiences.” He also tied it in with the Astral Sea lore and suggested that it had been changed by its proximity to this volcano, similarly to how Thordak did in the first campaign.

Fan Art of the Week: An amazing Traveler Con Jester and Artagan by @callanthee on Twitter

How about the visions of the living city? Laura: “I don’t know what the fuck is going on with that thing. If it true that there’s a Molly connection, the Eyes of Nine, I don’t know. It’s just too much. We have to look into it.” Matt, blandly: “Weird mysteries.”

Who would the Disintegrate spell have hit if it had ricocheted? “Initially, I would have wanted to choose Caleb, like back at himself, because the immediate threat of that ray towards Vokodo, it would have been just right back at him.” But the runner-up would have been Jester because of the threat of the banishment back to the Astral Sea, the one place he didn’t want to go.

Laura could tell from Liam’s gameplay that he hadn’t realized someone was going to perma-die from that. “I thought it was going to be me, because I had been the one to banish him.”

Dani points out that the group would probably have gone after Artagan if Jester had died right before Traveler Con.

Matt highlights Cad’s Divine Intervention as pretty much the only way they could have learned the important information they used to prepare for the fight with Vokodo. He was torn between frustration at not being able to use this boss to its fullest potential... and pride in his players.

Laura is amused at listening to the characters talking about Jester when she’s not there. “It’s fun to hear but not be able to use that at all in your interactions with them.” Laura points out that even her sister who watches the show doesn’t trust the Traveler. Matt mentions that he’s always being very careful with the relationship between the Traveler and Jester, because it could get into rough territory. “There are unhealthy elements of their relationship, very much so. A lot of her story has been about disillusionment.” Laura: “Yeah. Eyes open.” They’ve set up bumpers to make sure they don’t veer into territory the players find uncomfortable. 

“Artagan at the end of campaign one versus Artagan at campaign two are different. He came into this world a purely selfish being of id and impulse. He still has those dark tendencies and can lean down those dark paths. But he went from a purely chaotic, selfish creature to unintentionally beginning to care for people that aren’t him.” Traveler Con definitely left a mark on him. “Aw shit, I let them in.”

Sam starts Facetiming Brian. “How does he know when we’re filming this?! No. I’m not going to do it.”

Matt and Laura are "super excited” for the new landscape of the next part of the journey.

Laura notes that Jester is getting past the point of “needing to put on the mask”, including around her mom. And as that’s happened at Traveler Con, the small breakdowns have been piling up. “That’s what therapy’s like, right?”

On the new goliath shopkeeper (even with the mispronunciations as clues, I got nothing on that spelling), Matt points out that purchasing magical items is tricky because most things were pulled into the war effort. He was trying to figure out how a shopkeeper could build a business in that environment: “with a bunch of really small, shitty enchantments”. As a kid, he loved novelty shops, and took a lot of inspiration from those memories.

So glad everything’s back in business! “As always, don’t forget to love each other. And don’t worry, it’s almost Thursday.”

#critical role #critical role spoilers #talks machina #talks machina spoilers #long text post

[xxrainbow-princessxx]

Act of War - Mafia!Leo x Isabella

Synopsis: Leo wants to show off his new fiancée and to ensure his message gets delivered that he is not to be messed with, but does it backfire?

Taglist: @lorirwritesfanfic @lorircreates @kimmiedoo5 @rafasgirl23415 @kingliam2019 @secretaryunpaid @drakewalkerfantasy @rainbowsinthestorm @mom2000aggie

Masterlist of chapters here

TW: Violence, Swearing etc - most things with Mafia AU to be aware of.

He treated her like a Queen. Whatever Leo Rys’ little kitten wanted, it would be served to her on a 24k gold plate, all she would have to do was flutter those long, dark eyelashes at him and he was gone. How could this 5’2” woman bring Cordonia’s most feared man to his knees and beg her to hold him, to kiss him, to love him. Liam wasn’t joking when he referred to his older brother as being whipped and whether the Crown Princess had realised it or not, but she was the puppet master, pulling all of the strings. Her sweetness drove him insane and knowing that she had never been with anyone else made Leo lay claim to her even more. The playboy ex-royal who had a new play thing each time he was seen in public was a reformed man. Now that Isabella was back in his life again, it was the only life he wanted. Holding her small frame against him in their large king size bed, Leo placed gentle kisses - his lips nuzzling her neck.

“Stay for a little while longer…” Isabella whined, pleading with him but Leo could only sigh, “Sorry doll… I gotta go, but remember we got plans tonight…” Isabella rolled onto her back, her naked torso barely covered by the silk sheet as she grinned up towards her soon to be husband, “Can I not persuade you to stay mi amor?” almost purring as the final ‘r’ rolled off of her tongue. A deep, low groan escaped passed Leo’s lips as he drank in his view. His sea green eyes were burning with a raging desire but he knew this wasn’t a meeting he could be late for. “How ‘bout I come home early… huh?” He began to trace his thumb agonisingly slowly across her plump lips, making her whole body tingle, “Just you an me for a couple hours kitten…” Leo’s voice was commanding and authoritative as he spoke, causing Isabella’s body to shiver from head to toe as he finally parted her lips with his thumb, “I’ll take good care of ya…” Isabella’s dark chocolate brown eyes glittered as she spoke, barely more than a whisper, “Promise?” Leo lowly chuckled with a mischievous smile, his sea green eyes melting into hers, “Always…”

Leo decided that he’d like to keep his friends close and enemies closer - inviting Royalty from around Europe, rich and famous friends and the Cordonian Court. “No sign of our wonderful sister?” Liam surveyed the crowd, his brow raising in interest before he smirked, “Her handler is here though…” Leo’s smile broadened as he began to move forward. “We should say hello…” Leo began to chuckle, with Liam trying to stifle his own laughter. Liam always found watching Leo’s attempts at diplomacy quite entertaining but this evening, it was on point. “Your Majesty…” his signature grin showed as he bowed, “Welcome to my humble home…” There was nothing humble left of Applewood after Leo renovated, “I hope you’ve been enjoying this evening…” Sigrid’s eyes narrowed in intrigue but she began to warm more to the Rys brothers once Liam ensured another glass of champagne was in her hand. “And there was me thinking you boys were complete savages…” the former Crown Prince licked the bottom of his lip before he smirked, his voice low and enticing “I can be whatever you want me to be…” with a subtle wink before clinking his champagne glass against hers.

He knew what women like Sigrid wanted to hear, he had to dance around Court etiquette for long enough to know all they wanted an innocent flirt and a cheeky smile considering their husbands were too busy trying to puff their chests out to make sure people knew how important they were. “I believe…” Sigrid’s lips began to twist, “You are now a newly engaged man…” as her eyes glared towards the Laurentian Princess and the large gemstone that adorned her finger. Leo’s sea green eyes lit up with mischief noticing, “I am indeed…” He turned to the right, his eyes immediately finding Isabella who stood on the balcony with trusted friends. “Look at her…” he began to sigh happily, his eyes still locked onto the petite brunette, “…absolutely perfect isn’t she? Such a doll…” The Vallenheim Queen’s friendly demeanour began to finally escape her, “More like a thorn amongst roses…” she began to mutter, “For her and your sake… maybe she should listen to her father…” Leo began to chuckle knowing exactly what Sigrid was inferring immediately changing the subject, “Maybe… but the King takes a lot persuasion…” Leo grinned once more towards the Queen as he continued, “…He didn’t want me to ask her to marry me when I was a Prince, he really ain’t happy now!”

“Excuse us…” Liam began to cut in perfectly timed, diplomatically smiling towards Sigrid. He leaned in barely any more than a whisper but just enough to hear, “Where the hell is Beaumont?! He should have been here by now!” Leo’s scoff towards his younger brother had been oscarworthy, “Li… don’t worry. Those pair of social butterflies are always somewhere, in someone’s business… I’m sure they’ll make their big arrival soon…” he began to slowly grin, “But for now…” The sandy haired Cordonian continued, “I gotta go make an announcement…” Leo effortlessly made his way through the crowd. His powerful stature and presence made those in attendance know not to stand in the crime Prince’s way. Bounding up the marble staircase, taking a double step each time, he easily made his way towards the balcony with full force. Isabella’s caramel curls were blown out, her sleek tresses tumbling down her shoulder. The Laurentian beauty’s frame was hugged by a pale gold bodycon dress that emphasised her curves much to Leo’s enjoyment.

“There she is…” he met his fiancée with a warm smile, his arm protectively wrapping around her petite waist before he placed a gentle kiss against her olive, sun kissed cheek. “Mi amor…” the Crown Princess purred, in delight at Leo’s kiss. His nose traced her soft skin towards her ear before whispering, “Ready for me to show you off beautiful?” Isabella took a moment before she began to smile, nodding. Leo cleared his throat, his voice echoing throughout the manor to command the attention of the gathered crowd. “Everyone!” he bellowed, “As some of you may know already…” he held her close to him, the petite brunette looking lovingly up towards the former Crown Prince, “Isabella and I are engaged to be wed…” both of them reached out, taking a flute of Champagne that was brought to them before Leo continued, “My wife to be…” gesturing to Isabella, “…she’s somethin’ else isn’t she?” As Leo spoke, his warm smile began to darken, his voice lowering and eyes narrowing as his glare turned to the gathered crowd, “I expect my fiancée to command the same respect as I do…”

Liam patted his brother’s shoulder with a smile and raised a toast to the new couple before Leo pulled the Laurentian beauty close to him, kissing her passionately in front of the gathered crowd. As the cheers and whistles echoed throughout Applewood, screams began to echo from the Cordonian Palace. Leo’s little reminder had been delivered in the moments of his speech. “What is going on?” Lena barked, finding the lady’s maids screaming in horror. Her eyes widened to find remnants of the three men Leo had murdered. Their heads were delivered as a warning, their Via Imperii pins roughly imprinted into their foreheads. “Who sent this?!” Lena demanded, looking at the lady’s who were in shock, “Tell me! Now!” They began to shake their heads, “We… we…” one lady began to stutter, “It was addressed to you… a man delivered it saying it came from Queen Sigrid, so we brought it here…” Lena’s eyes narrowed immediately - she was a trained mercenary. She knew this was a warning but the Queen declared it an act of war. She didn’t care that it was Maxwell, Bertrand or Barthelemy. If anything, she was glad as she couldn’t stand the snivelling bunch. “I swear… I am going to find out who did this and I will make them pay with their lives!” Sucking in her cheeks, the Vallenheim raised sister of Leo and Liam had a strong inkling knowing that her brothers had something to do with it.

Leo jumped into bed, crawling on top of Isabella, eliciting a giggle from the petite brunette. “I fucking love you…” he groaned against her soft, supple lips. As Isabella’s legs began to wrap around Leo’s muscular frame, his brow lifted and he placed his index finger against her lips, “Stay quiet kitten…” he whispered before rolling off of her, his hand immediately reaching for the pistol he kept in his side drawer. Isabella shrieked as the lights came on around them, her pulling the Egyptian cotton sheets around herself, Leo turning to meet them realising he and Isabella were surrounded by the Queen’s guards headed up by the new Cordonian police chief; his old handler. “Bastien!” Leo smirked, “Long time no see, good to see you’re no longer on the unemployment line…” but his laughter fell flat. Bastien jutted his head towards Leo instructing the guards with him to make the arrest. “I always serve the Throne of Cordonia…” Bastien barked, watching Leo be bent over the bed to be handcuffed, “You’ve got some questions to answer…” Bastien continued but Leo’s attentions turned to his shaken fiancée who was trying desperately to reach out to him, “It’s ok doll… I’ll be back before breakfast…” Leo tried to reassure her with a wink before he was dragged off into the darkness of the early morning hour.

#choices #the royal romance #leo x isabella #king liam #drake walker #playchoices #choices fanfiction #prince leo #choices the royal romance #playchoices fanfiction #queen isabella #royal romance au #trr #choices stories you play #playchoices fanfic #royal romance #choices: stories you play #king leo #theroyalromance

[twinkleallnight]

A Twisted Tale

Chapter 4

Book: The Royal Romance AU

Word count: 2422

Characters: Liam, Drake, Riley, Olivia.

Disclaimer: All characters belong to pixelberry.

Rating: Mature

Warning: None

A/N: We are participating in @wackydrabbles prompt 86: “Have you lost your mind” that appears in bold.

Catch up here

An AU of The Royal Romance paving it's way through mixed emotions of wants, needs and desires, of revenge and regrets, of trust, faith and hope.

A joint venture brought to you with love by @twinkleallnight and @annekebbphotography

Olivia's PoV

Aunt Lucretia stands beside me, looking up at me proudly. She has helped me in preparing for my dinner date with Liam.

"You sure don't want to stay back until I return? You may be interested in all the things that happened around?"

She gives me a loving smile, "You have a nice time, my dear. I somehow can't tolerate the Rhys blood in my vicinity."

"Now you are overreacting aunty."

"I am not." She snarled. "The Rhys dynasty has always been unfair to the Nevrakis clan. From times unknown, they have exploited the strength and valour of our people to rule their land."

"Do you think Liam is any different? They say he is compassionate to his people unlike his father."

"Have you lost your mind? They are all the same. Try taking away the throne from him and he will show his true colours." She fumes in anger but the next moment she speaks to me in a composed tone. "Remember Olivia, what they did to my sister and your mother. They reduced our family line to the extent that we are the only two left to bear the name. Don't let your aim be deterred by this boy's few sugar coated words."

"I will not forget what you have taught me aunt." I reassure her.

"Now I need to leave before your party comes."

It is late in the evening as I stand on the terrace of my Chateau looking at the golden Sun hanging on the horizons. The sequins on my dress shimmer delicately in its fading light. I am ready, waiting for Liam when unknowingly, I leave a cold sigh. The loneliness creeps over at such times and nibbles over my train of thoughts. It brings back the painful memories of the time when I was left alone after my parents assassination.

Aunt Lucretia has already left. I ponder the way she behaved today. It's difficult to understand her sometimes. She visits me often, she is there for me, she tells me stories about my parents. But she never stays around.

The sound of footsteps behind me bring me back to the present. Fiona, my chambermaid comes to inform me of the arrival of the king. I pat my hand on the parapet, as if telling the bricked wall to keep my secrets safe until I return. A quick check in the mirror and then I sway down to the great hall to meet Liam.

I see him staring at the portrait of my forefather, Diavolos Nevrakis in the hall.

"Are you asking some dating tips from Diavolos?"

He turns and smirks at me. "Nope... I don't need it. I have Leo remember."

"They are poles apart. Just to brush up your memory, Diavolos' extraordinary courage swept away your great grandma Kenna's heart. He was loyal, Leo cannot stay with one woman for more than a week. I really doubt what you are going to be if you consider Leo as your teacher.

He chuckles as he turns to look at me completely. "If I remember correctly, Kenna ended up with my great grandpa Dom. But anyway, Leo is not that bad. He has a way with ladies. He might surprise you."

"That's the point. Nevrakis never got a chance to be with Rhys even after all the love, care and loyalty they showed."

I waddle my finger between both of us. "What chances do we have Liam?"

He walks closer to me. "Right now? None!" He looks at me with a stern look on his face. Was he hurt or angry? I have never seen Liam like this. "You have to let me in... Stop pushing me away and I will give you all of me. Only then do we have a chance."

"And it starts with dinner today?"

"Olivia, this is your only chance. I am serious. I care about you, but I need to move on if this isn't what you want." His voice is laced with hurt. "And don't lie to me....." He pauses as if he is trying to find a way to say 'I will always find out the truth.'

I smile and advance to him, holding his arm into my hands. " What has gotten into you Liam. You never were so harsh."

I need to keep this under control. I cannot let him go astray with the new blue eyed beauty he has found.

Liam pours out his feelings. "I just feel like my heart is out there and you don't feel the same. I have to protect myself."

"From me? I say wide eyed.

"From heartbreak. I will be honest. I feel attracted to Riley. I want to see where things can go. I will not lead either of you on, but you need to know that I won't take your hot and cold anymore."

My blood boils at the name of the American brunette but I keep my emotions under control.

Instead I show him that I am hurt, I know the way to soften his heart. I look at him with sad, glossy eyes. "Liam, so much for our years of bonding? You know her since what? Five days? And we have known each other since I was five years old."

I know he will take a U- turn with this

He cannot see me hurt like that.

He reaches out and strokes my cheek with his thumb. "Liv, we have been friends for years and never did you show me any sign that you wanted more than friends. Not until I showed up with Riley....." He moves his hand away and I somehow already miss his touch. "There is something about her that has me captivated and I want to get to know her. Maybe just as friends."

"I understand Li." I use his short name for the first time in years. Now I need to have some excuse. My mind is running out of ideas fast. I just blurt out. "I had my reasons to keep you away Li." I try to develop some intimacy by placing my palm softly over his broad chest. "Let's give this a chance. Seriously this time."

"We can see how it goes." Something in his eyes tells me he is hesitant. What has happened since we got here? I keep my fears aside and curl my hand around his elbow and bean at him. "Take me for our date."

"It would be my pleasure." He gives a meek smile and I feel my heart sinking. Have I already lost this battle? I respond with a brighter smile and we walk out into the cold evening.

He helps me into one of the SUVs, and then instructs the driver. "Let's go have dinner." He is not the same Liam as he always is. I feel like he is distant. I have to fix this or my plan won't work.

At the restaurant, getting out, he walks over to help me out of the car.

I look at the signboard of the restaurant and then I smile at him. "You remembered?"

I feel a knot inside. He remembers my favourite eating place.

"I did." He shrugs. "I remember everything about you." He takes my hand and leads me into the restaurant.

I feel the knot tighten with those words. 'Focus Olivia. Don't fall for the sugar coated words' aunt Lucretia's warning resonates in my mind.

We sit at the table and Liam gives me a sweet smile, but there is something on his mind.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"Just admiring the beautiful view."

I turn around to check the view behind me. There is just a wall.. I look back at him puzzled.

He chuckles and raises his brow at me. "What are you looking at? You are my beautiful view..."

I feel the heat rising up my cheeks.

'This is not how it was supposed to be'. "How many times have you used those lines?"

"Wouldn't you like to know. Just take the compliment."

"I am not used to such compliments Liam. Unlike you I have not had a chance to date. My life is like an open book in front of you." I laugh inside at the contrast in the last comment I made. Still to keep up the game I nod politely. "Thank you anyways."

He stares at me silently and I have no idea what to think. It's as if he is looking right through me. "Liv, you need to accept and love yourself then you will see that other people care and love you." He reaches his hand out and cups my cheek. "You don't even realize how beautiful you are." He runs his thumb along my cheek.

I shiver at his touch. I curl my fingers around his hand and gently pull it away from my cheek. I need to breathe. I need to remember why I am here. I cover his hand with both my hands, I cannot let him go. The way he is treating me is cluttering my mind with so many questions. Oh Lord! Help me! I clear my throat and try to stay in the moment. " I will try. From now. " I barely complete a sentence.

This is not going to be easy I realise. I need to speak to keep up the conversation.

"Why me?" I blurt out.

"Why not...." He pulls his hand back and takes a sip of his drink. "I.... I Can't....." the waiter shows up and Liam stops talking giving him his order.

I keep staring at him. Is he really the son of Constantine? How can he be so loving when his father was so cruel? It's like a tug of war playing between my heart and my mind.

'The Rhys blood is all the same' aunt Lucretia's voice echoes again in my mind. I straighten up to be in my character.

He says something and I realise I have been staring at him all this time and missed out on his talk.

"Huh?"

"What would you like to eat." He raises his brow.

"Why? You don't remember what I like to eat?" I tease him and that brings in a sense of satisfaction.

'Okay Olivia try to keep it platonic and you may be able to sail through this successfully.' I make a fresh resolution.

"I was just checking. You seem too far away for a moment." He gives my order to the waiter.

We keep having small casual talk as the food is served. I keep picking myself from falling for his charm all the time.

As we finish our desserts I try to continue normal chit chat. "How are things at work? Now that you have a new…'assistant'." I air quote.

"We haven't started yet. She will only start on Monday. But from what I have heard and seen, she will make my life a lot easier." He smiles as he looks out the window.

I feel a sting of jealousy even if I brought her up in our talks. "Easier? You mean we will be able to spend more time together?"

"I will have a lot of free time on my hand." He doesn't give me a direct answer.

"Hmm. I would like to see what you plan to do with that time."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "You will see soon enough."

"Liam, you do understand that if we are trying to be together, there should not be any hidden plans in between."

I am hiding my true motives and asking him to have a transparent relation. How ironic!

"I am not hiding anything. You will see what I spend my time on. That is me being honest."

"I like where this is going." I give him a sly smile and he grins back at me.

"I knew you would." He gets up holding his hand out to me.

I slip my hand into his as he clasps his other hand over it and pulls me into him. "Care to go on a long drive?"

His calm ocean blue eyes boring into me, I manage to give a slight nod.

He tucks my hand into the crook of his elbow and we walk out to his SUV.

The driver stands there but Liam signals him aside and himself opens the door for me. He then instructs the driver and rounds up to settle down beside me. The SUV wheels through the dark roads of Lythikos.

I feel the touch of Liam's fingers on my hand. I look down at my hand that is now covered with his and then I look up at him. He smiles at me and I reciprocate. As he feels encouraged with my welcoming smile, he entwined his fingers in mine. He makes small circles moving up my arm, causing the tingling on my skin.

"Where are we headed to?" I ask to distract him.

"The palace? I thought we could spend some more time together." I know he is still not convinced and I have to make him believe.

"Sure, why not."

We spend the next hour in each other's company, Liam murmuring sweet nothings and I, accepting his advances.

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

Liam's POV

We are finally back at the palace. The time I spent with Olivia was very eye opening, she’s still guarded, but for right now I need to figure out what it is I am actually feeling. It has always just been Olivia and then this blue eyed brunette came crashing into my life and now my feelings are all over the place.

I left Olivia at her room even though she wanted me to stay. I just couldn’t. What the hell is wrong with me? I have always wanted Olivia and now I have my chance, but something is just telling me that why did it take me to bring another girl around for Olivia to finally open up to me. Why didn’t she open up to me all those times that I have made my intentions pretty clear.

I fall down on my bed as I stare at the ceiling, every time I close my eyes I see Olivia’s green eyes staring back at me and as I move closer the most dazzling blue eyes replace Olivia's and I can’t help being pulled into her even more.

I shoot up from the bed grabbing a shirt. “I need to talk to Riley. I need to know if it’s just me feeling this way.”

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

Tags: @anjanettexcordonia @bascmve01 @charlotteg234 @choicesficwriterscreations @cordonia-gothqueen @drakewalker04 @eadanga @gkittylove99 @krsnlove @hopefulmoonobject @hopelessromanticmonie @iam-the-kind-and-thoughtful @indiacater @jessiembruno @kingliam2019 @lisha1valecha @mom2000aggie @neotericthemis @ntoraplayschoices @princess-geek @princessleac1 @secretaryunpaid @sirbeepsalot @speedyoperarascalparty @queenrileyrose @texaskitten30 @txemrn @sfb123 @sweatyrysconnoisseur @theroyalheirshadowhunter @aestheticartsx @yourmajesty09 @grsarco-blog @lovelyladyk88

#pixelberry #playchoices #the royal romance #trr fandom #trr #twinkleallnight #olivia nevrakis #king liam #a twisted tale

[everything-person]

Surprise

A/N: Surprise @darkcolinodonorgasm! It is I your Captain Swan Secret Santa! Sorry this is a day late couldn’t get on an actual computer until this morning and I have lost to many post to the app to try typing this all out on my phone.  Without further a do here is your @cssecretsanta2020

STOCKING STUFFER: White Solstice  (as promised and is actually my secret Santa gift from last year) 

Summary: Prince Killian Jones just returned home after two years of traveling the world to find he has been arranged to be married. But that isn’t the only surprise he has coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Their lips fused together in a passionate kiss. Their tongues fighting for dominance. Both clutching onto each other in pure need to become impossibly closer. One hand gripped her hair as the other one slid down her body, feeling all her magnificent curves until he reached her thigh raising it so her leg wrapped around his hips. How many nights has he been dreaming of those legs wrapped around him as she withered beneath him or above as long as she was with him the position didn’t matter. 

They separated when the need for air over came their need for each other. His lips left hers only to travel down the side of her face, grazing her neck to sucking on her collar bone.

“Captain,” she panted as she carded her fingers through his hair.

He bit down on her shoulder causing a soft cry to leave her lips. 

“Say my name, love. I need to hear you say it.”

He lifted his head to see her wearing a smirk, challenging him to make her. 

‘Stubborn lass,’ he thought to himself. She knew he was never one to back down from a challenge. He captured her lips once again in a fierce kiss before his mouth once again traveled down her body. He nibbled on her ear, kissing her neck, biting her collar bone, licking the tops of her breast before getting on his knees. He lifted her skirt expose her wet center to the air causing her to shiver with excitement. He began to tease her lifting her leg to hook onto his shoulder he kissed her knee traveling up her thigh. He kissed every bit of exposed skin his mouth could reach except where she needed him most.

She squirmed above him. She grasped and moaned, thrusting her hips trying to get him to pay attention to her dripping center. “Please. Please Killian.”

Hearing his name fall from her lips was all he needed. He finally leaned forward swiping his tongue along her slit. He drank her essence like a fine wine and he was a man dying of thirst. He sucked and licked at her quim being encouraged by every moan, pant and grasp of his name on her lips.

“Killian, Killian Killian”

“Killian. Killian. WAKE UP!”

Killian woke with a start feeling his covers being ripped from his body. Lifting his head, he was greeted with the sight of his older brother standing at the end of his bed blankets still in his fist. 

“Bugger off Liam,” Killian groaned burying his head in his pillow once again.

“No can do little brother-”

“Younger brother.”

“Today’s the day. The maids have been trying to get you up for an hour and you nearly missed breakfast. Get up. Get dressed and come down stairs.” Liam threw the blankets on the ground and made his way to the door. Leaving Killian as his words echoed in his head. 

Today’s the day.

The day he’s been dreading all week.

His wedding day.

Killian groaned into his pillow. He rolled over so he was laying on his back. When he did he was greeted with a reminder of what he was dreaming about, and has been dreaming about since his return home, since he left that port if he was being honest. He thanked the gods that he was sleeping on his stomach when Liam rudely woke him. Though he would like nothing more than to continue the dream, or even take a moment to take care of himself, he knew if he didn’t get up Liam would come back and drag his ass out of bed. 

Sitting up Killian begrudgingly got out of bed and made his way to the tub that is filled for him every morning. As he sunk into the now lukewarm water his mind began to wander. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I didn’t know the Captain of the Jewel of the Realm knew how to ride.”

Killian smiled as he looked down from where he was astride the horse he’s borrowing for the day. The lass before him was a vision before him. She wore a cream colored dress with a ivory cloak covering her. He would be lying if he said it didn’t give him ideas of another day she maybe wearing white. 

“As you should know by now love, I am full of surprises.” Killian leant down slightly offering her his hand. at her hesitation Killian said, “Stop thinking, lass. Just trust me.”

She paused a second more but seemed to not need anymore encouragement as she grabbed his hand allowing him to help her straddle the horse. Once she was on and her arms secured around him for balance they took off. They laughed as the wind whipped around them, listening to the steady sound of hooves against the ground. They watched as the trees began to thin out til they were in a clearing, a field of flowers. They dismounted and allowed the horse to graze while they walked further into the clearing. 

“That was incredible,” she laughed, “and this place is beautiful.”

“Aye,” he smiled fondly at her reach down to pick one of the many pink flowers scattering the field before presenting it to her, “I thought it was a nice place to be alone.”

She smiled accepting the flower looking at him through her long lashes,”And now that we are.”

She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he her waist. Closing their eyes they came together in a slow passionate kiss. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Killian was once again ripped from away from thoughts of the beautiful lass by a knock on the door. 

“Your Highness I was sent by their majesties to bring you down.”

Killian huffed before calling out, “I will be out in a moment.”

He quickly scrubbed down his body before getting out and drying off. He went to his wardrobe picking out a simple pair of trousers and a white linen shirt. He was going to have to change soon anyways no point in getting all dressed now. He finally left his room following the servant that was sent to get him to the dinging room where his brother, aunt and uncle all sat waiting for him.

“Killian thank you for finally joining us,” his Uncle Eric greeted.

“Not that I had much choice now did I,” Killian responded as he sat down. His voice eluding to more than him having to get out of bed.

“Killian,” his Aunt Ariel pleaded. 

His mother was Eric’s sister she abdicated the throne when she fell in love. She went on to marry that man and have his brother and him. They lived a decent life before his mother got sick. When she died his father put them on a ship and left. When King Eric heard his sister had died and left two sons he sent to have them brought to the castle. He and his wife raised them from then on.

Liam was set to take the throne when Eric and Ariel step down leaving Killian to do free what he wished. At least he was for two years. They allowed him to take a ship and a crew of his choice and travel all the realms. That how he met her.

The beautiful barmaid from the Enchanted Forest. He was taken with her beauty the moment she waltzed over to his table and inquired on what he and his mates were playing. He stayed in that port for an extra week the first time they met then over the last year hes returned to that same port just for her. Last time he saw her was four months ago, promising to return to her with jewels from Agrabah. He wasn’t able to keep his promise. He planned to tell his family about the lass that has stolen his heart but he wasn’t expecting that his aunt and uncle had other plans.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE,” Killian shouted.

“Yes. It has been set for a couple months now, part of a treaty with a neighboring kingdom,” Eric calmly said.

“Why the bloody hell did you do this without consulting me? Why can’t Liam marry this princess?”

“Liam is already engaged to the Queen of Arendelle and is to be married when he takes the throne. This offer came suddenly and rapidly we need to give them an answer,” Ariel tried to explain.

“And what if I decline? What if I abdicate like my mother?”

“Then you would be risking the possibility of sending your brother to war. The treaty has already been signed. Your brother is to take the throne in a matter of months. You would not be seen as the one breaking the treaty, he would.”

Killian looks away from his aunt and uncle considering their words. Thinking of his brother and if there was a way out of this. 

“Who even is this princess who has been arranged to be my wife? What kingdom is she from?”

“You have been arranged to marry the Crown Princess of Misthaven.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Even with the threat of war Killian still considered refusing the offer. That was until a white dove landed on his ship one day with a letter tied to its leg. 

“Dear Captain Jones,

I hope this letter finds you well. Though we have spent many nights together I fear you have gotten the wrong idea about our relationship. We were simply two ships passing in the night. Passing closely I will give you. But these meetings must come to an end. I do not wish to leave you with question so I will be clear. I have no feelings for you. I do not love you.

That is why I write this letter. I want you to go live your life. Live it without me because there is no place for us together. Fill your heart with love for someone else. Someone who can love you the way I never have. The way I never will.

Swan”

He stared at the parchment for hours after reading it. Her words ringing in his head. 

I do not love you.

His chest tightens at just the memory. Her letter was what made him agree to this marriage to the mysterious princess. 

“Killian please. Lets not fight, today is a day for celebration,” Ariel pleads with her nephew.

Killian rolled his eyes, “I have already agreed to this marriage is that not enough?”

“No,” Eric stated in a commanding voice,”You must behave and be a gentleman. You may not be in favor of these circumstances but the girl has done nothing to you. You will treat her with the respect she deserves.”

“Good thing I believe in good form and I am always a gentleman.” Killian rises from his seat to return to his chambers.

The next couple of hours the castle was buzzing with energy. The staff rushing around to finish preparations. Excitement filled the air except for one room. 

Killian stared at himself in the mirror. He wore his royal best, looking like a real prince. He couldn’t feel more uncomfortable. He preferred leather he spent the past two years sailing in. He tried to think back on his travels, of the sea to calm his nerves but all thoughts brought him back to her and how she rejected him.

“Killian,” Liam entered his room, “It’s almost time. The guests are being seated.”

“Has she arrived yet?”

“Yes the Royal Family of Misthaven has arrived.” Liam looked over his brother before saying, “I know this wasn’t you choice brother but I want you to know I’m proud of you for going through with it. I think mother would e proud of you as well.”

Killian looked his older brother in the eye before responding, “Thank you Liam.”

Liam nodded, “And who knows. Maybe this princess won’t be so bad. Maybe you can grow to love each other.”

Before Killian could respond trumpets could be heard from a distance. Liam patted his brother on his shoulder, “Come on then. Let get you married.”

Moments later he stood at the altar waiting for his bride to be. The room was filled with people chatting amongst themselves as he stood with his back to the rest of the room. Music began to play and a hush fell over the crowd as the bride made her way down the aisle. When the bride and her father reached Killian the King gave his daughters hand to Killian who wrapped it around his elbow. Together the bride and groom approached the officiant. 

“You may remove the veil,” The officiant told Killian.

They turned to face each other. As Killian reached for the veil nothing would’ve prepare him for who he saw underneath. 

“Emma,” he breathed out in awe.

She said nothing but he could tell from the look in her eyes and the tick in her jaw she is just as surprised as he is. A number of emotions flooded Killians heart. Relief over not marrying a stranger. Confusion over the reason of the marriage. Hurt over the memory of her words from the letter. Happy at the realization he was marrying the woman he loved.  The officiants words fell on deaf ears until he said.

“Do you Killian Jones Prince of the Southern Seas take Emma Crown Princess of Misthaven to be your wife?”

His eyes never leaving Emma, “I do.”

“And do you Emma Crown Princess of Misthaven take Killian Jones Prince of the Southern Seas to be your husband?”

“I do.”

“You may now kiss the bride.”

This kiss isn’t like any of the others they have shared together. This kiss was a kiss lacking emotion, just a peck for show. Once their lips met the crowd erupted into applause. They made there way down the aisle and out the doors into the hallway where a maid was waiting for them. The maid lead them down the hall to the room they were to wait in until the ball to celebrate their marriage.

As soon as the maid closed the door behind them, leaving them alone, Emma snatched her arm away from him. She looked at him with furry in her eyes, her jaw set, as she backed away from him.

“What the hell Killian you’re a prince?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Killian furrowed hi brows, “Lass I think you also for got to tell me something. I Thought you were a bar maid.”

“You thought I never said I was. Unlike you who said you were ‘Captain of the finest ship in the realms’.”

“Aye, I am. I was given a ship and two years to do as I pleased and travel all the realms.”

“So what? Everything you said, everything we did was just a lie. Was just you having fun. Was I just another quest? A challenge?”

“No,” Killian looked Emma in the eye, “Those two years I sailed. The year we spent together. Every moment with you was true. Aye I am a prince but by title only. The man you met in that tavern. The man who tried so desperately to win your heart was the real me Emma. That was the man whos heart you broke with your letter.”

Emmas eye softened at his declaration. When he tried to approach her sh stepped back maintaining the distance between them as she crossed her arms. Killians eyes grew dark and his jaw tensed.

“What about you? Was I just something for you to toy with? A bored princess looking for dangerous sailor to fool around with. Was I your last adventure before your parents carted you off to some random prince from a strange land?”

Emma shook her head, “No. I sneak out of the palace for fun sure but you were not a toy Killian. I cared for you.”

“Then why the letter to break my heart? Why were your parents so eager to marry you off so quickly?” Killian shouted.

“Because I am pregnant,” Emma yelled back.

The anger and hurt fell from Killians face at that. His eyes darted to her stomach and back up to her face.

“I became sick so my parents sent for the doctor and we found out I was pregnant. With your child. When I told my parent I met a Captain at my Aunt Reds tavern they thought you a pirate that took advantage of me. They wouldn’t listen and came up with a plan to marry me off to their friends nephew, who hadn’t a wife yet and was to return from sea soon. I had to marry soon if I had a chance to avoid scandal and make my new husband believe the baby was his.”

Killian nodded his understanding, “And the letter?”

Emmas eyes grew wet, she bit her lip before looking away and responding, “I didn’t want you to come back to port and look for me only to find I was married and with child. So I wrote you that letter in hopes you would stay away and continue to live your life of adventure and forget about me.”

At this Killian approached her with determined steps. When he reached her he gently caressed her face until she looked at him. 

“I could never forget you Swan. I have been taken with you since the first moment I laid eyes on you and have loved you since the first time our lips met.”

Emma let out a stuttering breath. Killian tilted his head down as Emma lifted herself up when there was a knock at the door. Killian rested his forehead against hers, letting out a disappointed huff. They straighten themselves before calling for there interruption to enter. A guard entered stating that he was sent to escort them to the ballroom. They followed the guard to large double doors, with polite smiles set on their faces and their arms entertwined the double doors open and they with greeted with applause and smiling faces. 

Killian raised his hand signaling to all he had something to say. As the crowd quietened He lowered his hand and cleared his throat, “We would like to thank you all for coming today to celebrate not only the union of two people but of two kingdoms. And I would like to say to my new wife and family.” Killian looked at Emma as he said, “I know though we just started our journey and have much to learn of one another. I promise I will do my best to deserve the right to be your husband every day and to cherish you until my last.”

He finished his statement by placing kiss on her cheek whispering in her ear, “Along with any surprises that may come our way.”

He pulled away to see Emma looking at him in awe. A soft smile creeping to her face as music began and they made their way to the dance floor for their first dance. As they danced other couples joined but the world melted away. Emma and Killian only had eyes for each other and as their dance came to an end Emma once again lifted herself as Killian leaned down. When their lips touched this kiss wasn’t like any other they had, this kiss was filled with hope for a happy beginning.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: Thats all she wrote. Hope you enjoyed. and again sorry for the delay.

#ouat #once upon a time #captain swan #cs au #cs ff #cs fanfic #cs fic #cs secret santa #csss20 #emma swan #princess emma #killian jones #captain killian jones #prince killian #enchanted forest #arranged marriage #unplanned pregnancy

[thebcwens]

『 avan jogia. thirty. cis man. he/him. 』 oh heavens, is that JASPER BOWENS from MAIN STREET i see roaming around mapleview? minnie may’s always calling them -SELF-DESTRUCTIVE & -IRRESPONSIBLE. i happen to think they’re not that bad! they’re a pretty cool OWNER of STRINGS & THINGS MUSIC SHOP and every time i’ve seen them, they’ve always been +SPONTANEOUS & +CARING. i hope i see them around again!

drugs tw, addiction tw, miscarriage tw, death tw ! @mapleviewstarters​

NAME : vincent jasper desai-bowens NICKNAME : jasp, vinnie (family and older mapleview residents only) SEXUALITY : pansexual RELATIONSHIP STATUS : in a relationship with paxton ZODIAC SIGN : aquarius PARENTS : james bowens and priya desai-bowens SIBLINGS : amir bowens (40), eva bowens-walker (40) RESIDENCY : a quaint and comfortable apartment near the music shop OCCUPATION : owner and manager of strings & things CHARACTER INSPO : ulysses zane (apocalypse now), klaus hargreeves (the umbrella academy), lito rodriguez (sense8), liam (high fidelity), frank n’ furter (the rocky horror picture show), laird mayhew (why him?).

CHILDHOOD

vincent jasper desai-bowens was born and raised in mapleview to an irish dad and an indian mother. james and priya bowens moved to mapleview in 1979, not long after they got married. james soon found himself a job at the factory and they decided to build their family in the small town.

the couple welcomed their twins not too long after, the golden boy and the wonderful girl were both named after priya’s late parents -- amir and eva. that’s when the bowens’ started to settle down and james made the bold decision to make money from his passion for music, quitting his job at the factory and buying the music store in town.

but then nearly ten years later, priya got pregnant with their third child. it was a risky pregnancy, since she was almost in her forties. they welcomed a strong and healthy baby -- who was named after james’ father and personal hero, a brave man that fought in the war. they were living the dream. that was, until vincent grew up.

being the youngest of three was hard. especially when your parents' had great expectations for you and your siblings’ were fucking geniuses and you were just, well, you. vincent was never the brightest kid or even interested in anything. he was the kid who’d bite others for no reason, yell at the teachers and break toys. he was the worst possible kid a parent could want but once his teenage years rolled in, the bowens’ knew he was never going to change.

TEENAGEHOOD

by the time vincent got to high school, he started to finally make friends for the first time. that’s when he met adrien and tba, who later on became his best and only friends. the teenage version of vincent wasn’t much different from the kid version, only this time the rebellious acts were in different ways -- vincent stopped attending church, would spend more time in detention than in class and would even pick fights for the hell of it. but what was the last straw for his father was when the rumors of vincent using drugs started to run around town. of course, it wasn’t like he was doing hard drugs or anything, but the bowens were a respectable family in mapleview.

to say james was furious was an understatement. and during their last fight, he told vincent he didn’t deserve the name he got and he was a lost cause. that’s when he dropped the name and started going by jasper. that was also the night he ran from home. only sixteen, with nowhere to go and no money to his name. he never talked to his dad again after that.

his sister eva, not wanting him to turn into a homeless person, took him in. but it still hasn’t enough. jasper started getting into a darker path and eventually into heavy drugs. around that time, jasper and his friends found a man that was almost dead. they saved his life but it always stuck with him. he watched as his friends were moved by the act, but he felt nothing. the only desire he had was to deepen himself in drugs. it didn’t take long for jasper to drop out of school and get kicked out of his sister’s house. he then became known as mapleview’s junkie and the bowens’ black sheep -- if he wasn’t already.

ADULTHOOD & NOW

because of his addiction, jasper pretty much pushed out every single friend he ever had from his life, refusing to drag them into his mess. when he turned twenty-one, he was in and out of rehab like it was a hobby. but during one stay, he met someone. and that someone gave him hope.

jasper was in love with her and he actually saw himself having a future for the first time. the boy even got a job so they could shack up together. after a year of being together, they found out she was pregnant. but the dream didn’t last long, she had a spontaneous miscarriage and that’s when things went downhill again.

feeling guilty about what happened to her and thinking that somehow it was his fault, jasper left her and fled to los angeles. he doesn’t talk much about what his life was like there.

about two years ago, jasper’s mom reached out to him with news that his father had passed. she told him about the plan his older siblings had of selling the music store since they had no interest in it, obviously too busy with their own lives to care, and asked that he’d come home to take over the business. he’s been the owner since.

his return to mapleview was a shock to everyone who hadn’t seen or heard from him in years, most of which just assumed he had died or something. and to be honest, if it wasn’t for his mom, he’d never step foot in town again. the amount of trauma that jasper went through would be enough to break anyone, but he’s managing. well, not really. but he’s trying.

RANDOM FACTS

only is ok with getting called “vincent” by his family and older mapleview residents. he will hit a bitch if he gets called that.

since he’s living near his mama, he’s trying to get on his best behavior. he’s just happy to be with her and be able to take care of her.

always shaking like a fucking chihuahua because of his addiction.

he hates his siblings. if he had the strength, he’d roundhouse kick the shit out of his brother

luckily for him, he doesn’t have to deal with them since they moved away from mapleview a while ago. they also barely talk and he doesn’t even know if he has nephews or not. Sad

sometimes he forgets he’s the boss ( oi leo from that 70s show! ) and forgets to pay his employees

if he says he’ll be “taking care of stuff” in his office, you bet he’ll be napping there pls come back from 2 to 4 hours thanks

he can speak three languages: english, hindi and gujarati

#mapleviewintro #drugs tw #addiction tw #miscarriage tw #death tw #this is a mess? yes #but so is jasper so <3

[myfineline]

WIP Folder Challenge

I was tagged by @fallinglikethis - Thank you!

Rules: Post the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous, and then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Disclaimer - I’m purposefully leaving out three of my WIPs since I’m undecided which I’ll be working on for the WIPs Anonymous Writing Fest, which is definitely happening! Everything else is in the someday-maybe category :)

Won’t You Blow Me Down - Kid Fic where Louis is a single dad and Harry is the really cute Music Together teacher. Lottie and Gemma may or may not have had something to do with it.

Everybody, Rock Your Body - Bachelor Party Fic in which Louis is the Best Man and Harry happens to be the really attractive (and flexible) instructor for their Pole Dancing class.

Cupcake Wars - Self indulgent Cupcake Wars Fic starring Baker Harry and Celebrity Guest Judge Louis who is in need of some extra special cupcakes for his new album release party.

Just Kidding - Kinda Sorta Kid Fic where Louis and Harry meet at a local playground and not everything is what it seems.

Birthday Surprise - Fic Bases on a Bro Pal Meme I saw a million years ago on my dash. Louis is the Birthday Boy and he’s really missing his best friend Harry. His friends have big plans.

Cape Cod Exes to Lovers - When Harry finds himself back on Cape Cod in his mother’s summer cottage nursing a broken heart, the last person he expects to see is his first love Louis - who still happens to be his neighbor. Summer on the Cape ensues, maybe even a romance.

Back Home - Harry finds himself living back home with his mother helping nurse her back to health after a bad fall. The last thing he expects is his mothers Physical Therapist to be his high school teenage dream.

Gifts and Curses - Beauty and the Beast ABO where Harry’s an Alpha with a secret and Louis is an Omega that does not want to marry Gaston.

Frozen Heart - A Frozen AU where Prince Harry has to find his newly coronated sister in the North Mountains before he’s forced to take over the Kingdom. Thankfully he finds a couple of local guides and an interesting stranger to help him on his journey. Starring Harry as Ana, Louis as Kristoff, Liam as Sven and Niall as Olaf.

Famous/Non-Famous AU - Louis is an ex-childhood star who’s best known for sharing the silver screen with now Academy Award Winner Harry. When Louis is invited to participate in an Anniversary Magazine spread and small promo signing the last person he expects to show up is Harry. Turns out some friendships are hard to forget.

10 Year Reunion AU - Harry and Louis manage to be two ships passing in the night all through high school. None of the same classes, friends or extracurriculars. Until the night of the senior banquet when they exchange yearbook messages - wish we could have gotten to know each other, maybe we will see each other around.10 years later and in the height of social media they’re getting ready for a high school reunion where the only people they care about seeing is each other.

Since all of the people I was planning on tagging have already been tagged - I encourage anyone who wants to participate to please consider this as a tag from me!

#wip meme #wip folder challenge #writing meme #I encourage anyone #who also has a million wips #to join me #in the #WIPs Anonymous Fest

[sprinkle-jay]

duchess of gumberly

Might I interest you all in a... Jet character study? (Also on AO3)

Jet is born two minutes before Ruby, a fact that she despises deep down. Not that she’d wish being heir on her twin sister, she just doesn’t want to rule a kingdom. She’d much rather be fighting, though of course she also had to have been cursed to have been born in a time of peace. Growing up in Castle Candy means far too many lessons for her to enjoy any of them. Chancellor Lapin drones on and on and she can hardly bring herself to care. She and Ruby sneak out, go to Dulcington and talk to Cirinda, get letters from Thad, toss gems at the peasants there. And oh how she wishes she could be one of them, living far away from the castle. More than anything, she wants to learn how to fight, she wants to learn how to use a sword, wants to know how it feels to stab something with one. She’s always been obsessed with war.

As she continues to grow up, the lessons she’s taught never get more interesting. She begs Theobald for combat training, for him to teach her a stunning blow at the very least. He always refuses to teach her, telling her she has to be heir. She sometimes goes to the statues of her aunts, stares at Aunt Rococoa’s statue in admiration. She’s Jet’s inspiration and Jet wants to be like her, a complete badass in combat. Screw sitting around and learning about history and etiquette, if no one will teach her how to fight then she’ll just have to teach herself. So she sharpens a candy cane and learns how to stab things with it. She’s always been obsessed with war.

The twins sneak out again on their 18th Saint’s Day, using scarecrows to fool Lapin as he drones on and on, engrossed in his lesson. And after they’re done being lectured, when their mother goes to speak with Liam, their father walks over to them with two boxes. She hides her excitement for a moment until her father hands her the Twizzling Blade, Flickerish, her aunt Rococoa's sword. Immediately she goes to train against Theobald, all the while informing him that she'll replace him. He tells her that she can do that when she's queen but she doesn't want to be queen, she wants to be a soldier in a great war. She's always been obsessed with war.

When their mother comes back with their father, she talks to them about the Concord and Jet desperately wracks her brain for anything she knows about it. Nothing comes to mind quickly enough and so she makes something up about notes. But it doesn’t matter because her mom tells her that they’ll be able to go to Comida for the tournament and the twins can barely contain their excitement in their interlocked pinkies. Of course, their enthusiasm is slightly curbed by the fact that there won't be time for gift shops or exploration, but the thought of a tournament is more than enough to balance that out. But later that night at the banquet, her curiosity is piqued when she witnesses Lapin sneaking out of the room. She and Liam follow him and overhear his conversation with the Sugar-Plum Fairy, something the twins and Liam keep in mind in case they need to blackmail him. It pisses Jet off when Lapin questions if her family is even worth it, though she keeps her anger in check until she has a chance to confront him. She’s always been obsessed with war.

Then they’re on their way to Comida, Jet bothering Lapin about the Sugar-Plum Fairy while Ruby does tricks on top of the carriage. It’s supposed to be “safe and healthy and unexciting” in Ruby’s words, just a simple journey from one kingdom to another. But they’ve stopped because of a fallen tree in the road and Jet can see Theo tense up as he looks outside but there isn’t enough time to react. Jet feels Ruby collapse, tries to steady her even though she knows what happened, even as she hears more arrows thudding into the carriages. She yells to Lapin to heal Ruby and climbs up on top of the carriage, laying perfectly on top of her twin to shield her. She can’t lose Ruby, Ruby needs to join the circus, they need to get an apartment in Dulcington. When Lapin heals Ruby, Jet grabs her tight and hugs her before rushing into battle. She watched Theobald’s first turn in battle and she can’t believe he’s actually cool. And she’s determined to prove herself in battle, too. She’s always been obsessed with war.

So she rushes forward, relishes the feeling of making her blade stabbing into the cheese bandit, relishes the taste of the blood she licks off of Flickerish. She sees Theobald’s shock and she hears her father’s pride. This is everything she’s always wanted, fighting has always fascinated her. The fight continues on and her father falls unconscious several times. She rushes over to him and puts her locket around his neck, glancing back in surprise as Theo blocks a blow meant for her with his shield. Maybe now he’ll give her fighting lessons. The imperial army arrives with Commander Constano Grissini at the front and he fights with her, praising her abilities in battle. And she finds that she’s proud of herself. She’s always been obsessed with war.

After the fight she searches for a Carnish shield before she goes to talk to Liam, asking him for help in watching over Ruby. There’s no way Jet is leaving her twin without protection, not after that fight. Liam agrees and Jet goes off to talk to Grissini, partially to spy and partially because she wants to talk about combat. But Theobald repeatedly tries to get her to join them in the cramped carriage and eventually Ruby joins in. She goes into the carriage with no intention of listening to what they have to say until her father yells at them to start listening. And she listens to their explanation of magic with anger. Later, when Theobald tells the twins and Liam about Aunt Lazuli, Jet’s anger grows. So many incredible things can be done with magic but everyone is too scared to accept it. Fuck the Concord, she’ll go to war if they do anything to her sister. She’s always been obsessed with war.

At the banquet, Jet meets Thad for the first time in ten years and is instantly repulsed. She struggles through conversation with him before telling him to wait for her in an alley. He goes and she assumes he waits for her all night. In the meantime, she debates signing up for the tournament with everyone else, making sure to get their opinions and advice before doing anything. Her father tells her to sign up for the melee and she does, glad that he’s letting her participate. Before it starts, she Messages Theobald and Ruby, worried about her father, asking what to do if he goes down. The tournament starts and Jet immediately yells to Anabelle, tells her and everyone else present that she won’t marry. Maybe she brings shame to her family with her exclamation, but it seems to get Anabelle on her side and that’s all that matters in the moment. She turns and attacks Grissini, directs him towards the alley without a second thought. Anabelle runs up and joins Jet in attacking Grissini and Jet is awed by her. She’s always been obsessed with war.

For a moment, Jet is so caught up in the fighting that she doesn’t notice anything wrong with her father. But then he jumps over the fence and lies down and she knows something’s happened. Scravoya jumps over after him and swings down on him as Jet watches on in horror. Even though something had been telling her to expect this, she doesn’t know what to do. Scravoya is disarmed, her father is healed, Liam finds the source of the poison, Ruby pulls out the daggers, and Jet can feel herself breath again. It’s the second time in the past week that her father has almost been killed and Jet is determined to make sure it doesn’t happen again. As they return to their chambers, she puts herself in the middle of all of her family, worried about all of them. And she comes to a decision about her future, she will take the throne. And when she’s King of Candia, magic will be legal. She’ll open up a kindergarten and teach them magic. It doesn’t matter to her what the rest of Calorum thinks about magic, she’ll fight them on it if she has to. She’s always been obsessed with war.

She and Ruby sneak out into Comida, weave through the city with Ciabatta, hop fences and search. They watch as Ciabatta expertly kills a guard and disposes of his body. The scene is gruesome, but Jet can’t deny that she’s fascinated and impressed. They find Alfredi’s lab, her secrets, her poisons. They find her blackmail, Ciabatta burning some papers and taking the Ceresian blackmail for himself. He’s efficient and so cool. They return back to the chambers, Jet and Ruby immediately gushing about everything they’d done. While they’re sharing everything they learned on their excursion, discussing everything that’s happened, there is a knock at the door. It opens and Lapin enters with dozens of knights, announces he’s there to arrest Liam, and Jet is filled with rage. She steps forward with her father, blocking Liam from view. There’s no way she’s just going to let him be arrested, she’ll stand against the knights to prevent it if need be. She’s always been obsessed with war.

It’s tense in the chapel, the Emperor died overnight but the paperwork was never filled out. Liam is there suspected of witchcraft, standing up to say that Amethar was named successor with Theobald. Jet discreetly tries to read her banned book and find out more about the Profidian Heresy and the Ramsian Doctrine, but stops when Plumbeline claims Ciabatta was named heir. Her father and Plumbeline go to swear on Aunt Citrina’s Book of Leaves and Jet feels a brief sense of relief when Plumbeline admits to lying, only to start in shock at the Pontifex’s questions. She instinctively grabs for Ruby’s hand and flinches in surprise as she is called a bastard, as her father is excommunicated, as war is declared. She’s filled with anger as she pulls out Flickerish, determined to fight the Pontifex, completely disregarding the dangerous circumstances they’re all in. She’s out for blood, fuck the Bulbian Church and everything it’s done to her family. She’s always been obsessed with war.

#dimension 20 #acoc #acoc spoilers #a crown of candy #crown of candy #jet rocks #jay's fic tag

[ladyherenya]

Books read in April

I probably spent more time reading but I also read a handful of novellas and a couple of children’s novels, which means I read more books than usual.

Many of these were, if not outright retellings, than heading close to that sort of territory: faeries and fairytales, Sherlock Holmes, Jane Austen, and Norse gods...

Favourite cover: Masque, maybe.

Reread: Nothing, too busy reading new things...

Still reading: Cinder by Marissa Meyer.

Next up: There’s a new Murderbot novel out in early May!!!

(Longer reviews and ratings are on LibraryThing and Dreamwidth.)

*

The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams (narrated by the author): Adams’ descriptions are clever and unexpected, and he strings together a series of events even more bizarre and unexpected than his descriptions. Sometimes I felt exhausted on behalf of his poor protagonists, bounced from one mishap to another, but I was impressed by Adams’ ability to turn this madness into such a coherent story.

Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White: A solid, tense conclusion to Heartstone and Dragonshadow. However, I suspect it would have made more of an impact had I read the first two books recently. It assumes that the reader remembers more worldbuilding details -- about history and family connections and magical folk -- than I did. And because I found such details confusing, I didn’t pay close attention to some of the history and politics revealed in this book, and those things turned out to be unexpectedly important. A trilogy in much need of a glossary.

Hamster Princess: Harriet the Invincible by Ursula Vernon (aka T. Kingfisher): A very amusing take on ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Upon learning of her curse, Harriet accurately concludes that she must be invincible until it strikes -- and when the time arrives, she’s determined to avoid falling into an enchanted sleep. This is heavily-illustrated. The pictures are great, but were often awkwardly displayed in the Libby e-book. 

The Art of Theft by Sherry Thomas: More of a heist story than a murder mystery, which may explain why I found it less compelling than The Hollow of Fear, although admittedly, it has its suspenseful sequences. Thomas does some interesting things in expanding her portrayal of the era as well as Mrs Watson’s story, taking Charlotte Holmes and her trusted associates to France on a mission along with someone from Mrs Watson’s past. I liked that Livia gets to play a more active role in those adventures. But I expected to like this more.

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn: Meg is desperate for inspiration and company. She comes up with a project, looking for hand-lettered signs around New York, and invites along a former client -- who has turned up to question Meg about the hidden message in the wedding program she designed for him and his ex. A story about signs, secrets and the importance of having difficult conversations. I liked how those themes are explored in different areas of Meg’s life: making an effort to get to know Reid, setting boundaries with a new client, and trying to stop her best friend from drifting away.

Once Upon a Marigold by Jean Ferris (narrated by Carrington MacDuffie): Christian was brought up in a cave by Edric the troll, who discovered Chris hiding in the forest. Now Chris is in love with the princess Marigold, with whom he has exchanged letters carried by pigeon but has never met.  If I had discovered this in 2002 when it was first published, I suspect I’d have been delighted by its gentle, whimsical, almost-fairytale-ness. These days I tend to want more complexity and more emotion and, often, more critical engagement with the genre’s tropes. But this was still pleasant company while I did a few hours of housework.

The Shards of a Broken Sword novella trilogy by W.R. Gingell: 

Twelve Days of Faery: King Markon’s son appears to be afflicted by a strange curse, because accidents and misadventure befalls any girl the prince flirts with. When an enchantress offers to deal with the curse in exchange for the expected reward of the prince’s hand in marriage, Markon gets swept up in her investigation. This is so much fun. I liked the way it focuses on a middle-aged father, rather than any of the more usual candidates for this sort of story, like his son or any of the young women affected by the curse. And I enjoyed Althea’s confidence and practical competence.

Fire in the Blood: Another story interested in twisting fairytale tropes. A prince sets out to rescue a princess from a tower, but neither of them are the protagonist -- that’s Rafiq, the prince’s enslaved dragon, forced into human-form. Rafiq has been dragged along on this quest and quietly hopes that his vicious master will fail to unravel the tower keep’s protections. I enjoyed this. The tower keep, with its magical puzzles, was an intriguing setting, and it was rather satisfying to see Rafiq and the princess’s serving girl subtly undermine the prince’s efforts without drawing his ire.

The First Chill of Autumn: The first two standalone and take place over a few days. This does not. It begins with Princess Dion’s childhood. At seventeen, Dion is sent on a tour of her country and discovers the truth about the Fae’s influence. She ends up joining forces with characters from the previous books. I liked each of these sections. However, this could easily have been expanded into something novel-length and been stronger for it. If more time had been given to Dion’s relationships -- with her sister, Barric and Padraig, and maybe her parents -- the ending would have made more of an emotional impact.

“A Tale of Carmine and Fancy”: This short story takes place during The First Chill of Autumn. I didn’t care about Carmine one way or another when he turned up in the trilogy, so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

A Posse of Princesses by Sherwood Smith (narrated by Emma Galvin): Sixteen year old Rhis is one of many princesses invited to attend festivities held in honour of a crown prince. My first impression -- a nice-but-unremarkable story with an irritating audiobook narrator -- quickly changed. I got used to the narrator’s voice. I really appreciate Smith’s portrayal of social interactions and of group dynamics from the perspective of someone who is trying to understand why others are competing for attention. And once the plot took off, I was hooked. I have mixed feelings about the very end but that didn’t change how much I liked the rest of the story.

The Two Monarchies sequence by W.R. Gingell:

Clockwork Magician: Several years after Blackfoot, Peter starts at university. Because Peter ends up messing around with time-travel, there are scenes from his future in the previous books. It’s interesting getting those moments from Peter’s perspective and fitting the puzzle pieces of his story together. I also felt invested in Peter’s journey even though he spends a lot of time being arrogant and oblivious, because I knew that there must be a significant change up ahead. The way his dawning realisation is handled was unexpectedly satisfying. I also enjoyed seeing more of Poly and Luck, and getting to know Glenna.

Masque: A murder mystery which turns into a Beauty and the Beast retelling. Lady Isabella Farrah is determined to investigate after a friend is killed at the Ambassador’s Grand Ball, even if doing so annoys the official investigator, the masked Lord Pecus. Isabella is excellent company. She’s quick-witted, resourceful and uncowed. I really enjoyed watching her banter and meddle. The Beauty and the Beast elements are cleverly woven into the story, and even without the murder investigation, there’s enough to make it a unique take on an old tale. A delightful standalone companion to this series.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon: Frank Li has watched his parents react to his older sister’s choices and he knows they will never accept him dating anyone who isn’t Korean. So he and a family friend, Joy Song, pretend to date. Fake-dating is one of my most favourite romance tropes but I’m not a fan when it’s a cover for actually dating someone else -- I don’t like others getting hurt by the deception. Despite that, I found this YA novel engaging and unexpectedly moving. And an absolutely fascinating look at being the child of immigrants.

The Night Country by Melissa Albert: The Hazel Wood was excellent, sharp and compelling, but I didn’t enjoy the sequel much at all. In the first book there’s a much stronger thread of hope running through the darkness.

This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone: The letters exchanged between Red and Blue, two agents on opposing sides of a time war, are vibrant and memorable, playful and poignant. I particularly enjoyed their different names for each other. (“Dearest Blue-da-ba-dee”, “My Dear Mood Indigo”, “Dearest 0000FF” -- that one made me laugh, “Dear Red Sky at Morning”...) The scenes in between leave many questions unanswered about the war being fought. I couldn’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that if I actually understood what was going on, I wouldn’t like the characters. Nevertheless the letters are brilliant, and I can deal with uncertainty for the space of a novella.

A Dead Djinn in Cairo by P. Djèlí Clark (narrated by Suehyla El-Attar): This novelette is too brief to involve what I enjoy most about murder mysteries, like carefully prying into people’s motives or characters forming supportive relationships in the face of an atmosphere of suspicion and unease. It is possible I’d like this worldbuilding in a different story, and that I would care more about Special Investigator Fatma el-Sha'arawi if I spent more time with her.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn: Rachel and Liam, a doctor and an actor-turned-academic, are sent back to 1815 to befriend Jane Austen and uncover an unpublished novel. Time travel allows for portraying Austen’s world with historical accuracy from the perspective of a woman with contemporary attitudes, and creates interesting challenges and anxieties. There’s a high degree of wish fulfilment in meeting Austen, but also realistic complications and consequences. This book impressed me even though -- or perhaps because -- it wasn’t always comfortable or to my taste. I’d have adored it, had things been slightly different, yet it’s nevertheless gripping and thought-provoking storytelling. I respect that.

#Herenya reviews books #W.R. Gingell #Ursula Vernon #Sherwood Smith #Kate Clayborn #Elle Katharine White #Sherry Thomas #Douglas Adams #Jean Ferris #David Yoon #Melissa Albert #Amal El Mohtar #Max Gladstone #P. Djèlí Clark #Kathleen A. Flynn

[babygirl-diaz]

Hounds of Hell

Part of a series that I am writing: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1709182 

***

“Whiskey,” Liam nods at the dark-haired man in a leather jacket, taking a seat on a chair in the middle of the warehouse, like a stereotypical movie villain. “Tango,” he nods at the other man with similar dark hair and an expensive suit instead of a cheap leather jacket.

“Excuse me?” Mr. Expensive Suit, who Liam has fondly named Tango, asks.

Liam’s lips twitch with a lopsided smirk and the man he calls Whiskey sighs.

“Ya just had to ask, didn’t cha?”

“Well, your brother’s Jameson, therefore… Whiskey,” he replies proudly pointing at the head of the gang. “And that makes you Tango.”

Tango’s lips immediately into a thin angry line and Liam smugly smiles to himself when he hears quiet from James snort behind him.

“My name is-”

“Don’t care,” Liam cuts in before Tango can tell him his unimportant name. “So Irish Whiskey, you got the papers?”

“Yes, but who’s that?” Whiskey asks, nodding behind him.

“My lawyer,” Liam replies without giving any further explanation. “So you have the papers or not?”

Whiskey nods at his brother, who produces the papers from his briefcase and holds them out towards Liam but instead of taking the papers, Liam points to James instead. “He reads them.”

Liam doesn’t miss the hesitation in James’ hand before he takes the papers.

“What exactly am I looking for?”

Liam gives Whiskey one last stare down before getting out of his chair. “Irish Whiskey here and I agreed on our territories. I take Chester, he takes further up north. We don’t deal on each other’s territories.”

The horrified expression on James’ face almost makes Liam laugh. “What court is going to accept this as a valid contract?”

A laugh from Whiskey, Tango, and their heavies makes Liam throw them an annoyed look.

“What type of lawyer you got, Liam. He thinks these papers are for the courts.”

“They’re not?”

Liam never knew James could even look as innocent as he does right now but he tries to ignore it. “No, this is for us. If we disagree on something in the future then we can just pull this out and whatever happens next will be fully justified. It ensures no gang wars.”

“Oh,” James mumbles and Liam can tell there are a million questions running through his head right now. “Well, everything looks in order, except did you agree on a 30%, 60% share on the profits?”

A sudden rush of anger rises through Liam. His gun is out of his pocket with the barrel pointed right at Jameson’s head within seconds.

“Hey. Whoa,” James says beside him.

Liam hears loud clicks of other guns but he doesn’t pay them any attention or take his eyes off Jameson. Jameson just sits there quietly with his hands in his pockets looking calm like he isn’t about to have his head blown off.

“What are you playing at, Jameson? We agreed to a 50-50 profit share.”

“I didn’t have a problem with that. But the boss did.”

“Boss?” Liam asks confused. “I thought you were the boss.”

“Not anymore, I’m not,” Whiskey informs him. “Got a new top dog in town. Or should I say an old one… who’s come back.”

“Liam put it down,” James coaxes him, trying to lower his gun.

“Yes, Liam, listen to ya lawyer. There’s five of us and there’s just two of you. You can’t shoot your way out of this.”

Liam considers his options as he carefully watches the heavies and Tango with their guns pointed right at him. He’s also pretty sure Whiskey is packing as well. Unlocking the safety, Liam pockets his gun and takes a seat at the edge of the chair leaning forward to fold his hands in front of him. “Whoever this new boss of yours is, you better go tell him that Liam Donovan is not accepting anything less than 50 percent,” Liam informs him.

“Tell him yourself, why don’t you?”

Liam hears an unfamiliar voice from behind. It’s a low, deep, almost sinister sound. Turning around, he finds a man about as tall as James, but medium built, with a heavy beard and swept-back dark hair that has a few grays in them. His black suit is neatly pressed and hugs his body quite well. His red lips are visible above his beard and Liam finds himself just staring at the man for a few seconds. There’s something almost familiar about him. Like he’s seen this man somewhere before but not in person. In a photo maybe?

“Who the hell are you?” Liam asks as the man saunters over to them, his perfectly polished loafers rhythmic against the concrete floor.

Jameson immediately gives up his seat, even going as far as to clean it for him.

“Foxtrot,” the man replies with a fake cheeky grin on his lips.

“You what?”

“Whiskey,” self-proclaimed Foxtrot points to his right at Jameson, “Tango,” he then points at Jameson’s brother before pointing to himself, “Foxtrot.”

Liam hates to admit it but he finds the man’s low, dark voice a bit intimidating. He knows the man is using that tone on purpose. There’s also a bit of a slur in his voice and Liam has to wonder if he’s drunk or if it’s a natural slur.

“I think I know you,” Liam wonders out loud. “I have seen you somewhere before.”

“It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I play the funny gay lad,” the man replies smugly. He scoots forward in his chair to mirror Liam and looks him right in the eyes. “So you’re the little shite who’s taken over ChezChez and tried to take over my drug business in Hollyoaks?”

Realization washes over him like a freezing cold shower. “Brendan.” He gulps staring at the man before him. “You’re Brendan Brady.”

“Ding ding ding... 5 points to the child pretending to be a big man,” Brendan Brady laughs- fake again- as he leans up further and without warning grabs Liam by the coat, hauling him forward. “You want to be my equal, you have to earn your stripes first. Got it?”

The longer Liam stares at Brady, the less he’s scared. There’s something in his eyes. Something he can’t quite describe. This doesn’t look like the man Liam has heard stories about from Grace. Liam doesn’t think this man will actually hurt him. Prison does often change people.

“Well, handsome, you don’t even know me yet,” Liam replies seductively assessing the man from top to bottom. He smirks when Brendan’s grip slightly loosens around his jacket. “A lot has changed around here since your time. I run the drug trade out here now. I have the suppliers, I have the dealers, I have the connections that you have lost after your 7-year stint in prison.”

Brady lets go of Liam’s jacket completely and Liam leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other like the smug bastard he is. “So… the way I see it, we can either have a 50-50 deal or no deal at all. And before you answer, just remember I have the police out here in my pocket, which means I can have you neatly packaged and parceled back to prison in no time.”

“Are you threatening me?” Brady asks, sounding almost amused. “Okay, I’ll make you deal but only on one condition.”

“You’re hardly in a position to negoti-” A sudden loud bang right next to his foot, makes Liam yelp, his heart practically lurching up to his throat. As he cowers in on himself, behind him, he hears loud “SHIT!” from James.

“DID YOU JUST SHOOT AT ME?” Liam demands when he notices the gun in Brandan’s hand.

Brady lets out a sardonic laugh as he strokes his beard. “That was a warning shot,” he threatens and points the gun at Liam’s forehead. “The next one goes between your eyes,” he continues in that low voice. He suddenly shifts the gun away from Liam and points behind him instead. “Or his. I haven’t decided yet.”

Liam gulps. He doesn’t exactly know why but seeing James’ life in danger bothers him. “Okay, okay, what’s your condition?”

Brady smirks and lowers his gun. “I want a 50 percent share in ChezChez”

“You mean The Loft ?” Liam asks confused. “Why?”

“The Loft,” Brady scoffs. “Could that name be any more boring. Anyway, you can say… I want in for… sentimental reasons.”

Liam knows exactly what those sentimental reasons are. The place did belong to his beloved sister years before Grace. “The place isn’t just mine. It also belongs to my sister… Grace. I’ll have to talk to her before I can make any decisions.”

“You have exactly uhhhh…” Brady mocks, checking his watch. “...10 minutes to decide before I slowly and painfully kill that tall glass of water over there and make you watch every second of it.”

Liam looks over at James and notices how the colour has practically drained from his face. He believes Brady’s every word and right now he is more of a threat to Liam than Grace will be when she finds out what he’s done.

“5 minutes,” Brady announces.

“Liam, come on,” James nervously whispers resting a hand on his shoulder.

“H-how about 40 percent?” Liam asks

“You are in no position to negotiate, kid, and no, it’s an equal partnership or Nightingale over there gets it.” Liam almost has the urge to tell him to take James. It’s not like James means anything to him. Liam can suck it up and get a different lawyer.

“1 minuteee,” Brady practically sing-songs.

“LIAM!” James cries out.

Two of Brady’s heavies move towards James and grab him dragging him along with them.

“LIAM! YOU ARSEHOLE!” James yells while struggling against the two men, “Let me go!!” His pained voice makes Liam cringe and tighten his fists on his thighs.

“10.”

“9”

“8”

Brendan’s countdown makes Liam’s heart pound in his chest. Grace or James . His sister. Or the man who’s nothing to him.

“5”

“4”

“3”

“OKAY FINE! STOP!” Liam shouts before he can reach one. “You can have half of The Loft. Just- just let him go”

Brady snaps his fingers smirking dangerously at Liam and James is immediately released from the clutches of his men.

“Good boy,” Brady slaps his hands against his thighs and gets off the chair. “Tango over here will send the contract over to Nightingale first thing tomorrow morning. Read it. Sign it. And you double-cross me-” he stops talking and stalks over to him, leaning down to get close to his face. “-and it will not end well for you.”

With that, he strides out of the warehouse with his posse right behind him. When the door closes, Liam is finally able to release a breath. He looks up to find James with a horrified expression on his face.

“I’m hungry. You hungry?” Liam asks jumping out of the chair as if they hadn’t just almost shat their pants out of fear.

#jiam #Liam Donovan #James Nightingale #Hollyoaks #fanfcition #long post #angst #tw: guns #tw: violence #my wriitng

[atamascolily]

Lily reads Star Wars: Red Harvest (part three)

Previously: Sith happens and orchids are snarky, to the point where @threadsketchier dubbed this one “Miette”:

Orchid: “you make me cold??!?1!  oh, JAIL FOR MOTHER!  JAIL FOR ONE THOUSAND YEARS”  

Unfortunately, the orchid and its Jedi keeper have been kidnapped by a bounty hunter and are en route to Sith Hogwarts... so of course we cut to Geonosis to meet the Hard-Boiled Jedi Detective who’s going to track her down.

...who also happens to be her brother???

Geonosis: once a hellhole, always a hellhole. We learn that Coruscant got sacked by the Sith a while back, but that’s pretty much it in terms of backstory or context for people like me, who are fuzzy on what’s supposed to be happening in this part of the timeline. Oh, well.

Anyway, there's a belligerent Jedi named Rojo Trace, who is based on Liam Neeson's character in Taken, right up and including parroting some of his dialogue. I'm just gonna call him not!Qui-Gon, because he's basically Qui-Gon but with even more issues, and... a biological sister who is also a Jedi?? How does that even work??!! Suffice to say it will not be explained, because explanations are for losers.

Not!Qui-Gon is grumpy and a loner and Not a People Person, which is HILARIOUS given how the Jedi are supposed to be diplomats and peacemakers.

She stepped toward him, casually brushing his arm with her own. “I have to confess, I’ve always admired the Jedi Order, but I’ve never had the opportunity to get to know a Jedi Knight personally.”

“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen today,” Trace said.

She frowned a little. “But—”

Before she could continue, Trace moved past her, turned, and jumped straight into the crater.

Yup, definitely Qui-Gon in literally everything but name.

Also, he's a psychometrist by profession:

Trace exhaled, reminded now of other terms he’d heard used to describe the Republic’s role in crash sites like this. The officers might call them investigators, but the enlisted men on the ground had other names. Names like corpse counters and dirt tourists.

The nicknames meant little to him. That was the job; everything else was a distraction, including female officers who wanted to get to know him personally. He was aware of his reputation for being cold and impersonal: it didn’t bother him in the least.

LOL, attachments are for other people. Not THIS Jedi. The only thing that’s missing from the usual hard-boiled detective stereotype is the drinking problems! The only person he cares about is his sister Zo, and he has a vision of her screaming as she's kidnapped, so he's going to track her down and rescue her! Because he's a tracker named Trace! (LOL, I see what you did there.)

What’s his relationship with Zo? Why does he care about here so much? How did they both end up as Jedi? Why did she go to the AgriCorps and why did he take this particular job? What was their training like? How often do they talk? What are Rojo and Zo’s relationships with the rest of the Jedi like? I have so so so so so many questions, none of which will ever be answered in the text.

This character has the potential to be really interesting, but the author provides me with zero personal details to explain why Rojo Trace is the way he is, and how he got to this point, so instead it’s like every action movie Liam Neeson ever made. Strip away the Determinator tropes and there’s not much left. 

Meanwhile, Zo comes to in the Whiphid bounty hunter's trophy room, which is full of decaying skeletons and skins and super gross, along with space!dermestid beetles gnawing on the flesh of recent kills. I'm reminded of the Imperial governor in the Truce of Bakura whose desk is one giant tooth and wants Leia's for his private dental collection. And, of course, the orchid macguffin.

The initial process of communication was never easy. At first it had felt almost unnatural. Yet with practice, through countless mornings spent sitting alone with the orchid, she’d soon reached a level of mastery that eased the transitory awkwardness into a smoother and more organic leap.

Are you there?

Within its glass vessel, the plant finally twitched, brightening slightly in recognition of her presence. Zo watched its dust-colored stem inclining toward her like a beckoning finger. At the same time she felt its life essence stirring within her, filling an almost physical void directly behind her breastbone and between her lungs, a place she thought of almost colloquially as her soul. At the same time she heard the first coarse whispers of its voice, gender-neutral, incoherent at first and then becoming clearer, like a foreigner adapting to the nuances of an entirely new language.

Zo? What happened? Are we well?

Zo gave a rueful smile, felt the lump on the back of her head. I wouldn’t exactly say that.

The orchid shares what details it can about their captor:

Solitary, a bloodthirsty species, and aggressive.

Zo waited, processing the comment. The orchid had a gift for understatement, and she couldn’t help but wonder about the criteria for this assessment.

And a flower collector to boot, she told it.

If the orchid had an opinion on this, it didn’t voice it.

The orchid stayed silent. Staring at it, Zo began to realize how her fully wakened presence had already affected the trophy room’s biosphere. The naturally occurring moss on the ship’s ceiling had started spreading at a noticeably accelerated pace, sprawling to swallow up the exposed bolts and seams in the interior walls. There was some kind of switch plate just above her head with a sign written in another language—the Whiphid’s mother tongue, she assumed—but it was already so moss-covered that she couldn’t make out the letters. Scraps of green rot within the skulls had begun extending their first initial tendrils up as well, reaching outward through eye sockets and trepanned holes. Simply by being here, she’d jump-started the growth of the Mirocaw’s incidental flora.

This is so cool, and I wish we'd see more of this, but sadly, we have to go to Sith Hogwarts, which is traumatizing for everyone, but especially the orchid, who is, as we established, A Delicate Flower.

In her arms, tucked against her, the orchid had started to make the same repetitive clicking sound over and over again, as if it were stuck on a thought, a compulsive stammering noise that she didn’t like at all.

Meanwhile, not!Qui-Gon arrives at the scene of the crime and sets to work:

The silver-haired agricultural-lab attendant stood with his hand extended. Trace paused just long enough to give it a perfunctory squeeze, his eyes already scanning the area, taking in everything at once as they walked across the landing bay. The ship he’d commandeered was a generic midsized star skiff, big enough for a crew of eight, small enough to escape scrutiny, retrofitted with ion engines and a Class One hyperdrive for long-range travel. He traveled alone.

OF COURSE HE DOES.*cue “Boulevard of Broken Dreams” by Green Day*

So here's the explanation of the (lame) reason why Zo can't be separated from the orchid macguffin:

Emmert nodded. “The Murakami orchid is renowned for its Force abilities. It possesses power, but it requires a keeper, someone with an equally high midi-chlorian count, to keep it fully alive.”

How the fuck did this plant evolve? Did someone breed it to be like this? They had to have bred it for this, there's no way this could happen in nature. Why did they do that? Because it was cool? Because they could? Because it’s useful for something besides nefarious Sith alchemy? If it was bred by the Sith, that would explain a lot, but why would the Jedi being growing it if it were a creation of evil? Is the orchid going to become evil? (Please don’t let the orchid be evil!) WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING HERE??

And how far away can its keeper get from it before it dies (or turns into a zombie, given the “fully alive” remark)? Can it switch keepers? What do midi-chlorians have to do with anything? How does that... even... work...?

Never mind, because not!Qui-Gon is also space!Sherlock:

“What’s that?” Trace pointed at the screen, at a series of pale bluish green discolorations along the [photo of the] Mirocaw’s portside. The marks had an oddly phosphorescent glossiness, almost as if that portion of the ship’s outer plating had been streaked with a layer of iridescent oil.

“Carbon scoring?”

“No.” The Jedi Knight shook his head. “That’s Thulian vapor residue—it’s a galactic anomaly, a mixture of post-industrial airborne pollution and crystal fog. You only find it in about three places outside the Mid Rim.”

Emmert gave him a blank look.

“Have my ship ready,” Trace said. “I’m leaving in five minutes.”

At least he's efficient, I'll give him that.

#star wars #star wars legends #red harvest #space botany #space orchids

[mo-mo-and-porkchop]

Hehrlana

Hehrlana

Vikings fan fiction

Chapter 4 (Chapter 3 here)

*I do not own any part of the Canon Vikings characters. It is simply my interpretation. I make no profit off of this.

**I do own the original characters and everything associated with them.

Tagging for updates: @kenzieam , @wilddrabble , @oddsnendsfanfics , @thoughtsmeander2tumblingblindly , @captstefanbrandt

"You can not be serious father?!" Arlen exclaimed hurt and angry. Their sister would be taken away by a heathen of all people. "He is nothing more than a pagan brute!" he growled.

"Arlen!" Ehrlana scolded.

"He can not be trusted sister," he spat firmly in reply.

Harald's anger rose with Arlen's accusations, even if he was mostly right. He was a brute. Ruthless in times of war. He even lied when necessary to further his ambitions of becoming King. But this time, however, things were different.

The Celtic Princess stirred emotions deep within that he long thought dead. His breath caught with her presence. His heart raced. His mind voided itself of everything except her. The woman, unbeknown to her, had him under her spell. He wanted Ehrlana. Yearned for her; almost as much as he had desired Elisef.

He set his utensils down and readied himself to argue his defense when they were both cut short by the King.

"Watch your tongue!" he roared before Harald could intercede.

"Father, he will surely kill her the first chance he gets," Arlen pleaded much more quietly.

"King Harald is our guest and I will not have such disrespect at my table! You and I will discuss your punishment later, but for now I suggest you leave before you lose what dignity you have left," he finished definitively.

The King resumed his meal as the growing tension seemed to fill the room. Awkwardly they sat in silence as Arlen stared his father down. The king ignored him and continued eating; his word final. His eldest son pushed himself angrily from the table and left. If he wouldn't listen then he would take care of the matter personally. He would protect his sister from the heathens with or without his father's help.

"I apologize for my son," the King began once Arlen was gone.

Although he agreed with him, it was not his place to decide Ehrlana's future; a future directly tied to the fate of their people. An alliance with Harald and the great heathen army would be beneficial for all. If his son had only controlled himself long enough he would have found the same truth.

"He is very....passionate at times," he explained as nicely as possible.

"It seems to me he is full of hatred for my kind," Harald retorted with disdain.

"He is upset over the recent attacks. One Northman is the same as another to Arlen unfortunately," he further explained, slight sorrow in his voice. "I, on the other hand, understand the benefit of our alliance." He glanced over at his daughter and gently held her hand. "Even if it means losing my daughter."

He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting go for the last time.

"Arlen may be misguided, but he is a formidable warrior," Liam chimed in, his attenetion still on his food. He casually ate and drank as if his brother hadn't just caused a scene.

"I will handle Arlen," the King firmly, yet calmly professed.

"I would not underestimate his anger or his passion father," he warned finally looking to him.

"If he can can not control his anger or his passion, then I will handle him," Harald said finally breaking his silence. Nothing was to going stand in his way of making her his wife. Especially her ignorant brother.

Ehrlana's heart froze and her chest tightened with the threat. She could feel the truth of his words in her veins as they slowly turned to ice. Her nerves tingled and for a moment she feared Arlen was right.

"I do not doubt that," Liam replied. "My sister's safety is all that matters to me. As with Arlen. We are very protective of her," he continued.

When Harald's eyes found hers, he immediately relaxed his demeanor. He wanted her as his wife, not his enemy. His heart clenched seeing the fear in her eyes.

"Then you have no need to worry. She will be in the safest place in all of Norway," Harald offered trying to back pedal a bit.

"For your sake I hope so," her brother countered, glancing at his sister before going back to their meal.

-------

"You can still change your mind," her brother, Kieran reminded her. He glanced over his shoulder at Harald and his men as they carried the remains of their camp onto their ships. "The winters are much worse than here," he tried convincing her as he brought his attention back to her.

"You have been speaking with Arlen too much," she replied with a small laugh. "Liam will be with me until I am married. I will be fine. Do not worry," she reassured him as she hugged him goodbye. "Please try and convince Arlen of the same and take care of Siobhan," she said before giving him one last squeeze.

"You have my word, Queen," he replied with a smirk and a playful bow.

She pushed him playfully; her brother laughing in return. "I will miss you," she said with a sad sigh once their laughter died down.

"And I you," he agreed just as sorrowfully.

"We will see her again," Liam cut in, seeing Kieran's anguish. He'd done well hiding it from their sister, but he never could fool him. His brother was about to break down.

"You watch that King," he replied lowly, locking eyes with Liam. "We have to know he can be trusted with her."

"I will make sure she is safe before I return. You have my word brother," he said squeezing his shoulder reassuringly. The two brothers locked eyes and it was clear Kieran wasn't completely convinced Ehrlana should go. "My word," he reiterated with a firm squeeze, silently forcing his brother to get control of his rising anger.

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

Ehrlana watched her brothers and father at the shore as the boat pulled away. Liam beside her, his arm wrapped caringly around her shoulders. She was leaving her home behind. Sadness gripped at her heart as it slowly grew smaller. As much as she dreamt of this moment, she would miss it.

"Are you ready for this little sister?"

She sighed and leaned into him, hugging him gently. "I don't know," she replied with a small shake of her head. "But I am ready to find out."

Liam was the first to turn away from the sight. Ehrlana couldn't bring herself to do the same and watched until the shores of Ireland were out of sight. She pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders before finally turning away herself.

------

Moonlight danced along the ripples left behind as small waves crashed gently against the ship's underbelly. A gentle breeze strong enough to carry their sail blew across the seas. Harald's men were casually scattered across the longboat; some working, some sleeping. Others sang softly to themselves as they sharpened their swords. They were nearly done their trip and it had been peaceful.

"I have heard your men say the Gods are happy," Ehrlana said as she made her way next to Harald at the ship's prow. "But they are surprised by this. I suspect it is because my family is Christian," she continued a bit dejected with a shrug. "I hope my brother Arlen will not be proven right about my safety once in Vestfold," she added hugging herself slightly against the wind.

Harald's heart sank with her words and the hidden worry in her voice; though he understood her concern. His younger self would have done exactly that. "You are their Queen," he said wrapping his cape around her shoulders. "No one would dare harm you."

"I am not their Queen. Not yet. We are still to be wed," she reminded him, glancing back at him. The extra warmth was welcomed and she pulled it closed around her.

"You became my Queen when you were given as my bride," Harald sighed, leaning against the edge of the ship, facing her.

"But I am not their Queen," she reiterated.

Harald's eyes found hers and saw her worry. A slightly frustrated, quiet sigh left him. At least she wanted them to accept her. That was more than he could say for most other Christians he'd met. His heart tugged with care - a small sign he had been right about one thing.

She was different.

"If that is what you truly want, then you will be," he reassured her. "They will see you as I do. They will have no choice but to accept you."

She softly smiled, slightly sad. "And how is it that you see me?"

Momentary panic coursed through his veins when he realized what he'd said. Instead of falling apart from embarassment he reached for her hand and pulled her closer, settling his arms around her waist and intertwining his hands at the small of her back.

"I see you as my Queen," he said smoothly.

Her worry and sadness slowly began to fade. He was trying; which meant her belief that Arlen may have been right faded to a distant memory as she stood in his arms.

Ehrlana smiled gently at him before snuggling against him. "I hope you are right. I quite like the thought of being your Queen," she said softly with a sigh.

A smile spread across his face; pride swelling within his chest. Perhaps the Gods had not cursed him after all.

Liam watched closely as his sister cuddled into the King. He held his own reservations over their marriage, but he couldn't deny that she looked happy in his arms. He could only hope it would last.

-------

They all deboarded at Vestfold's shores; Ehrlana and her brother escorted to the main hall to prepare for the wedding.

"Halfdan!" Harald yelled as his brother came walking down the pier.

"Brother!"

The two men embraced in a joyous reunion.

"I hear you have brought a Queen home with you, but I see no woman here," he said glancing around teasingly.

Harald chuckled quietly. "Her name is Ehrlana. And she is not here because she is off preparing for our wedding," he countered with a smirk.

Halfdan returned the small smile before falling serious. "Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" he asked tentatively.

Halfdan knew his brother's weakness when it came to women; always choosing the wrong ones. But he'd always been there to catch him when he fell. He feared this time however that even he wouldn't be able to help if things went sour.

"A king needs a queen," he chuckled lightly, squeezing his brother's shoulder reassuringly.

"But she is Christian," he added as they headed away from the shores. "An outsider. How do we know she can be trusted?"

Harald fought the urge to let his smile fade as well. He knew this would come up with Halfdan, but the marriage was going to happen. It was good for both parties to ally with each other and his brother could either accept it or not.

"Wait until you meet her. Then, if you feel the same, we will make sure she will never think of betraying us," he offered in in compromise to keep him from spoiling the upcoming festivities.

Halfdan contemplated his brother's compromise a moment before grunting slightly in agreement. He doubted she would change his mind and he would soon prove himself right - allowing him to once again make sure Harald was protected from the fairer sex.

----

"I am nervous," Ehrlana admitted to Liam as various thralls dressed and readied her for marriage.

"I will not let any harm come your way, but if you have decided against this marriage then --"

"About tonight," she cut in.

Her brother chuckled. "Sleeping with your husband is what makes you nervous?" he asked rhetorically.

"Not all of us can be whores," she teased him, but her nerves were real and they made her voice quiver slightly.

"Listen," he started understandingly. "There is nothing to worry about. Sex is not as big of a deal as everyone makes it out to be. It is fun, I will not lie..."

"Liam, please. I already know of your exploits."

"It is fun, but it is not a life changing experience. You will be fine Lana."

She appreciated the effort to comfort her. Liam always knew how to calm her fears, but this was different. Harald would be the first man she ever lay with. The first to ever see her nude body. To see her truly vulnerable. And her soon to be husband's reputation for prowess hadn't missed her.

"Just, be honest with him," he added with an empathetic sigh, pulling her in for a reassuring hug. "If he has any decency at all, he will understand. And besides," he said leaning back to look at her. "I will be here at least until morning. Come and find me should he not."

#harald finehair #king harald finehair #vikings #harald x oc #fan fiction #fanfiction #fanfic #fandom #fan fic #historical #fiction #indie #writing

[jennacolemans]

The Man in the High Castle - Character Bios from Amazon’s X-ray feature - requested by anonymous

John Smith 

John Smith was born in Manhattan in 1917, the second son of a prosperous Wall Street Banker.  In many ways, John's early life looked picture perfect.  Any hint of superiority, however, was tempered by his father, who instilled a deep sense of civic duty and propriety in his sons.  The boys were four years apart in age.  John looked up to older brother Chris, a star athlete and an A-student, following in suit.  In 1927, when John was 11, Chris collapsed and was soon wheelchair bound.  In March, 1929, The Wall Street Crash struck, and overnight American banking institutions folded.  John's father was financially ruined and promptly took his own life.  And so, at 13 years old, John Smith swore to himself that he would never allow himself to break.  Even when his beloved brother passed away, two years later, John Smith pressed on.  Despite witnessing a New York City that had become decrepit and corrupt, and a failing America that had been gutted once more by the 1933 assassination of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, John was still determined and still a patriot.  He earned a degree at Princeton, he joined the New York Mayor's office, implementing programs to get America back to work, and, when war loomed, he signed up for officer training at West Point. where he proved a natural solder and tactician.  Graduating to a post within the US Signal Corps.  By 1942. John Smith was a 1st Lieutenant.  In 1943, he was promoted to Captain and re-deployed to the Pentagon to advise all branches of the military on intelligence gathering.  During this time, he met and married Helen McCrae, the beautiful, accomplished daughter of two Harvard academics.  Helen became pregnant with their first child in July, 1945.  Just a few months later, the American government fell to the New Reich.  Smith saw surrender as the right thing to do.  America had lost.  Nothing in the US arsenal could compete with Nazi nuclear power.  So, John Smith assimilated into the interim government, in sincere hope he could lessen the brutality of Nazi retaliation against rebel uprisings.  He could save American lives.  He could keep those he loved safe.  Nazism is survival.

Wyatt Price

Wyatt Price is the alias of an Irishman who fled Nazi Europe in 1944 to seek refuge in unconquered North America.  Though Ireland had remained neutral at the outset of The War, large numbers of Irishmen had been called to fight and more took to the front after nearly 400000 British soldiers were killed or otherwise defeated at the beachhead in Dunkirk, France in 1940.  In September of that year, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was killed in a German air raid, and the war raged on.  Young Liam had been away from home for a year, fighting for the British Army.  In January, 1942, the British Government fell to the Reich.  England was occupied, but fierce resistance continued in Wales and Scotland for two more years.  In 1944, the remnants of the British Isles were finally conquered.  When Ireland capitulated to German rule, Irish men and women left the mainland In droves, pushing off the coasts by night, bound for the Americas.  Young Liam was among those who fled.  In America, Liam became Wyatt Price.  He had seen his fair share of horrors back in Europe. He had lost almost his entire family, and wanted to start anew.  But war was encroaching on North America as well, and in 1945 Germany took the continent, dropping the A-Bomb on the capital.  For two years, Wyatt fought in the Rebel American War.  By 1947, badly beaten, and starved of resources, the resistance was forced underground.  Wyatt's surviving network spread out.  Some military comrades stayed on the East Coast in the Greater Nazi Reich, while others dispersed to the Neutral Zone in the former American heartland, where 'freedom' became simply another word for ‘lawlessness’.  It was in this wild, neutral territory that Wyatt established himself.  He became known as a shrewd, resourceful fixer.  He was depended on by many, but trusted no one.  He never spoke of the past, he never told anyone his real name.  He shrouded himself in secrecy and misinformation.  He could smuggle anything, obtain official-looking documents; it was impossible to know whose side he was on.  And Wyatt liked it that way.  It was the best way to stay alive while doing so-called dirty work.  He had long abandoned the fight for liberty and justice in this world.  He resigned himself to mating for justice in the next one.

Juliana Crain

Juliana has a tendency for deep introspection and even depression - a result of her father's death, which cast a shadow over her life.  She was 10 and her sister Trudy nearly 3 when the A bomb fell on Washington, D.C.  Within days, the American government had surrendered.  Intense resistance followed and life became hard for white Californians.  The Japanese occupation was brutally enforced.  White people were denied ownership of major businesses.  Anyone not bowing to a Japanese citizen in the street was shot dead.  By the time Juliana completed high school, the San Francisco where she was born was unrecognizable.  But, despite the horrors, many things about Japanese culture fascinated Juliana - its orderliness, beauty, food, and subtle philosophy.  She persuaded a Japanese Dojo to take her on as an Aikido student and found she had a talent for the martial art and its focus on energy, poise, and balance.  Nevertheless, the atmosphere of oppression and obedience in the JPS was draining.  Over the years Juliana's depressions deepened until, one day, she stepped in front of a bus, determined to set herself free.  Death, however, was not In store for Juliana Crain.  Instead, she found herself injured and in the arms of a young passerby, Frank Fink.  Over the course of her recovery, the two established a strong bond that became a deep love.  But as she began to settle into a life with Frank, a restless searching began to rise once more within her.  On the night she witnessed her sister Trudy's execution at the hands of the Kempeitai, Juliana Crain stepped once more into the unknown, this time to answer the call of a transcendent force, somewhat akin to destiny. 

Takeshi Kido

Takeshi Kido was born in 1917 in the town of Koriyama, Japan.  The son of a tenant farmer, Kido was the fourth of eight children.  Theirs was a hard life with no prospects for improvement, of backbreaking work, and unpredictable, often swift, death.  In 1930, a 13-year-old Kido took the intelligence test given to 15-year-old prospective students for the Japanese Intelligence Service and scored off the charts.  In 1932, he ran away from home to join the Army and was recruited into the Kempeitai — the highly respected Japanese military police and intelligence force.  Kido excelled not just because of intellect but because of his strength of will and unyielding sense of patriotic duty.  His drive to succeed was unmatched.  Orders that might give others pause had no effect on the young officer.  Kid0 was serving in Manchuria when the Japanese army invades deeper into China in 1937.  The infamous Rape of Nanking occurred during this campaign, and Kido was confronted with a level of brutality he had never before imagined.  Such horrors left an indelible mark on him.  In the intervening years, Kido became a seasoned officer, serving honorably across many bloody campaigns.  He witnessed many horrors including the Rape of Nanking and, later, the carnage of the Solomon Islands offensives, which claimed the lives of many American and Japanese troops.  Having risen In the Japanese societal hierarchy, Kido took a wife in 1950.  He would father two children with his bride, but the family was divided by Kido's duty to the Empire.  Kido took up a post in the Japanese Pacific States of America in 1952.  In 1957, he was promoted to Chief Inspector of the Kempeitai, one of the most senior positions in the JPS, and by 1962, the year he shot and killed a young rebel by the name of Trudy Walker, Kido had spent five years crushing American resistance firmly under his boot and almost seventeen years away from mainland Japan, a place he would never again call home. 

Joe Blake

Joe believed he was born in Brooklyn in 1938, the single child of a single, German mother who claimed Joe's German father abandoned them before he was born.  When the A-bomb dropped on Washington. D.C. the Nazis assumed power, and, by 1950, the American Reich was firmly established.  But young Joe Blake was never totally certain who he was or what he wanted to be.  He still wanted to hide his mother's German-ness.  Most of all, he never felt worthy of an absent father's love.  This confusion and shame came out in a rebellious streak.  Joe stole a car at age 15 and, at the police station, he heard his mother tell a desk sergeant about what an important man his father was, back in Berlin.  Later that day, he received a visitor - a GNR colonel named John Smith, who offered him a ride home.  Joe's run In with Smith helped him turn a corner.  He got an apprenticeship in construction, did a year of mandatory military service and signed up to the Corps of Engineers.  He was a charming young than who kept intimacies at a distance.  He did honest work for an honest Mark.  His mother died of Septicemia when he was 21 years old, and Joe buried his grief along with her.  That muted sadness turned into a silent rage at their poverty, at their abandonment by his father, a man he longed to have known.  Two years later, John Smith - now Obergruppenführer - re-appeared In Joe's life.  Smith had a Job for him if he was willing to commit.  Joe didn't care about the Reich or duty to his country but Smith fascinated Joe and so did the prospect of finding out more about his elusive father.  Joe agreed to Smith's terms for he had nothing to lose.

Nicole Dörmer

Nicole was born to a pretty, young ward of the Lebensborn nursery where every aspect of her upbringing was designed to indoctrinate her and her Lebensborn fellows.  One of Nicole’s earliest memories was a visit by Himmler to the orphanage.  Nicole was only four and already a starling beauty.  She as chosen to hand Himmler a bouquet and sing a patriotic song.  Himmler raised her in his arms and kissed her cheeks, telling Nicole that he was her father.  Then, in the spring of 1944, Otto Dörmer, Nicole’s real, biological father arrived.  Young Nicole was taken to Dörmer’s grand family home in Potsdam, where she had the run of the mansion.  By 1944, the Lebensborn program was being phased out by the Reich; thusly, its products were becoming more and more valuable.  Private schools vied for the privilege of taking Nicole and her comrades.  With their privileged status, the Lebensborn children often found they could get away with behaviors or attitudes that would have placed other citizens in danger.  They illicitly collected Jazz, read banned books, and made mildly critical observations of about the state.  But despite this rebelliousness, they were proud believers in the clear superiority of the Nazi regime.  Nicole traveled the world before college.  She dined at all the fashionable restaurants and attended all the best parties, plays and film galas.  Fascinated by the media as an instrument of State Control, she enrolled at the Brandenburg Studios Propaganda Arts course and dropped out after four semesters, bored by the conventionalism.  She experimented with LSD and had liaisons with both men and women in an attempt to free herself from conventional norms.  In 1960, at age 21, Nicole was expected to find a husband, but she wanted a career, she wanted to be noticed, and she wanted to make a difference.  Later that year, she was arrested under suspicion of publishing a seditious pamphlet.  Upon release, she was cowed but far from broken.  It was a wake-up call that she was not immune from harm and that she shouldn't be foolishly outspoken.  But in other ways, it made her even more determined to challenge the received wisdom of the "fossils" in power.

Robert Childan

Robert Childan was born in San Francisco in 1919.  He was an only child and the apple of his mother's eye.  Robert's father was a stern and emotionally closed man who ran a kitchen and housewares business.  Robert was 10 when the Great Depression hit and his father's enterprise went bust.  The family moved into a small downtown San Francisco apartment and lived in the midst of Mrs. Childan's sprawling book collection.  After college, Robert got a junior curator position at the San Francisco Museum of Art and managed to avoid going to war after a mild cardiac arrhythmia was detected during his medical examination.  In 1942, Robert's father died, and, in 1945, his mother passed away too, just before the Germans dropped the A-bomb.  As Japan began its occupation of San Francisco, Robert realized he'd need to adapt quickly or he'd likely wind up dead or arrested.  His resourcefulness ultimately led him to the idea of starting a bookstore using his mother's collection as initial inventory.  The white-collar jobs Robert was suited for were not open to him in the San Francisco of the JPS, but Japanese hunger for Americana and curiosity about American literature was taking hold all over the city.  He knew he could exploit this.  Robert began to buy up old heirlooms and American antiques.  Very soon sales of American object's d'art outstripped book sales.  His livelihood depended upon a growing Japanese client base.  Over the years, he grew to admire the distinctive and aloof cultural superiority of his patrons and envied their grace and beauty.  He was becoming part of a new class of 'Nippophile' aesthetes, an inevitable side effect of Japan's cultural imperialism in California.  But, deep down, Robert resented those he seemed to adore.

Edward McCarthy

Edward was born in Oakland in 1934 to proud second-generation Irish Americans.  His father had grown up in the Bay area, inheriting a small metalworking factory from Ed's grandfather.  After his family moved into a modest townhouse near the factory, Ed met and quickly befriended his neighbor, Frank Frink.  The war with Japan began in April 1941 and many factory workers signed up, leaving wives and daughters to keep factory production lines moving.  Ed spent a lot of time there; he loved the smell, sound and vitality.  In July 1944, when Ed and Frank were 10 years old, the war with Japan arrived on America's doorstep.  Planes swooped down on San Francisco to unleash their bombs.  The family survived the raid, but later that year, the Japanese dropped Chlorine explosives on the city, leaving Ed poisoned and on the edge of dying.  Ed's mother perished in the attack.  At the hospital, Ed spent many hours alone, in pain and in fear.  With this isolation and suffering came an extraordinary strength of resilience to endure.  And though he did not recognize it as a boy, he felt a deep love towards Frank who came to visit him every day for months.  It was a bond of affection that would be a guiding light for the rest of his life.  By 1946, Ed would need this kinship for survival.  The Bomb had been dropped on Washington, the factory had been taken over by the Japanese, and Ed's father had been dragged into the factory courtyard, forced to his knees and shot in front of all the workers; Ed went to live with his grandparents.  Churches closed, St. Patrick's Day was banned, and San Francisco filled with waifs and strays fleeing the Nazis in the East and migrant workers from the Japanese Empire in Asia.  But Ed never hated the Japanese; he hated war and violence and brutality.  Ed's deepest reaction to loss was always to love.  This was his gift.

Frank Frink

Frank was born in 1934, his older sister had been born two years earlier.  After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor in April, 1941, Frank and his sister went to live with their grandmother.  They worked jobs after school, cooked, cleaned and helped to pay the bills with what meager funds they could scrape together.  Their father died on the front lines in 1943, fighting the Japanese, and five years later, their mother passed away too.  It was around this time that Frank's best friend's father was shot dead in the courtyard of his metalworking factory by Japanese occupiers who had come to take over.  Frank and his friend, Ed, were bonded in unspoken shared pain.  At age 16, Frank got a job at the factory where he helped craft handguns for the Japanese market.  Frank's first passion had always been art; drawing and painting had been a way for his mind to escape.  Unfortunately, there was little appreciation or legitimate outlet for Frank's gifts.  One morning, on the way to the factory, Frank was shocked to see a beautiful young woman purposely step into the street in front of an oncoming bus.  It was Juliana Crain.  The two moved in together shortly after Juliana got out of hospital and began a life together.  They were happy, for a time.  But, as much as Frank and Juliana loved each other, a series of tragedies and shocking experiences would set them on very different paths.  Frank supported Juliana as she committed herself to a purpose he couldn't fully understand, making the best of a bad situation, until finally, they parted.  The young artist also fell victim to the encroachment of racial purity laws on the JPS and Frank Frink, once passive and resigned, found himself consumed by hatred for the leader of the Kempeitai who cruelly and capriciously enforced the laws of the Reich.

Helen Smith

Helen was born in Boston in January 1922 to parents who were academics.  Helen was being raised to think for herself and challenge conventional wisdom.  After the Great Depression hit in 1929, she witnessed deep poverty and hunger in addition to the birth of a fierce political environment, which helped incite the assassination of President Roosevelt in 1933.  With Stalin's rise in the Soviet Union and Hitler's imposition of Fascism in Germany, it seemed to young Helen that America was itself on the brink of totalitarian take over.  And why not?  If it got America working again.  In 1940, Helen went to study at the prestigious NYU School of Commerce, Accounts and Finance and, in 1941, after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, she dropped out to volunteer as a secretary in the New York War Office.  Then, in June, 1943, Helen's life changed again.  A young Captain, named John Smith, came to City Hall to set up an intelligence bureau.  He and Helen became friends, then lovers.  A year later, they were married in a modest ceremony, just before John left to fight in the war raging in the Pacific.  Every day, Helen dreaded bad news from the front.  But in 1945, Helen discovered she was pregnant; this good news was accompanied by word that her husband was to take up a permanent post at the Pentagon.  The couple shipped their belongings to Washington, D.C. and drove down from New York together, stopping for the night, just outside of the city.  That night, the Nazis dropped the Heisenberg device on Washington; overnight, the world changed.  John Smith was a profoundly moral man who shared Helen's belief in a benevolent and supportive community.  It seemed the only way towards that future would be to fully capitulate to Reich, avoiding potential nuclear annihilation.  And so began Helen's embrace of the Nazi way of life.  She wanted a safe world in which to raise her son, and eventually her daughters.  Despite her parents' executions in 1949 at the hands of the GNR, she had made peace with the realities of Fascist America, the means and methods by which it was achieved, and was grateful for the benefits it brought her - if only for a time.

Nobusuke Tagomi

Tagomi was born in Tokyo in 1887, in the Meiji era - when Japan restored the Emperor and rapidly began to militarize and modernize.  Tagomi's family was Samurai caste from the ruling elite, with close ties to the royal family.  He and his younger brothers were raised from the cradle to understand that their life would be in service to the Japanese State.  At age 11, Tagomi was sent away to Navy Cadet School.  There he was schooled in English, French and German, served in the Japanese fleet for several years, and became a junior Naval Attaché.  He soon realized his aptitude for diplomacy and negotiation was better suited to work in the Trade department and in 1916, he left the Navy for a position at the Japanese Trade Mission.  Years later, in 1933, Tagomi met and wed the daughter of another elite Samurai family from Yokohama.  He was 38 years old at the time.  Their son, Yoshi, was born the following year, and, in many ways, this era was the happiest of Tagomi's life.  Professionally, he continued to rise in stature, but clouds were gathering.  Fascism in Germany, coupled with the emerging political influence of Major General Hideki Tojo, was an increasing threat.  In 1939, the war in Europe began, and in 1940, Japan allied with Hitler.  Tagomi became crucial to the war effort as Japan was challenged by lack of oil in its territories.  He went on a series of trade missions to California to negotiate oil imports and was successful in his negotiations.  The irony: US oil would fuel the conflicts that eventually defeated her.  Despite much success, death was slowly closing in on Tagomi's loved ones.  His brothers perished in the Pacific at the start of the war.  After the family moved to San Francisco in 1947, so Tagomi could help set up a colonial administration, Yoshi joined the Japanese Imperial Army and died serving in Manchuria in 1952.  Tagomi's wife returned to Tokyo, heartbroken, and succumbed to Pneumonia in 1953.  Tagomi went into himself, seeking solace in meditation.  There must be some purpose to this life.  Some reason to the world.  Could he find it, alone in San Francisco?

#the man in the high castle #tmithc #john smith #Helen Smith #Juliana Crain #joe blake #frank frink #wyatt price #inspector kido #nobusuke tagomi #nicole dörmer #ed mccarthy #robert childan

[voxarnason]

Never Thought I’d Be the One to Burn

It’s hot. It’s so damn hot; why can I never time these things better?

The heat didn’t typically bother Vox, but everything over the last few weeks took a toll on the man’s mental state. A decision of this caliber was not one made lightly, especially with the stipulation that Tree could never know why he was leaving...

...again.

He slowly approached the den that was solely occupied by his son. The boy couldn’t have been more than twelve... thirteen. He was thirteen. The formative years they spent together consisted primarily of quiet excursions throughout the Andaar Forest in an attempt to teach basic survival to Liam, though often met with frustration and an even more silent trip home. Though not always the best examples of Vox as a father, he still cherished the idea that he could even have this family after a lifetime of struggling to stay alive.

Then why am I doing this?...

He fought against the dichotomous struggle waging an existential war in his head. Morality and vindication seemed to be winning.

Making every effort to silently pass the opening of the room without being spotted, Vox could hear his heartbeat resonating in his skull. He couldn’t bear having to try and explain to a child why he would be gone for so long. He’d rather do anything else at this po-

“...dad?”

Damn it.

Vox took a moment to breathe, and tracked back into the den. He saw Liam sitting in the middle of the room, almost as if he had planned for this to happen. The boy always had a strange way of being around.

“Hey bud, it’s late. Why are you still up?”

“Can’t sleep.”

Vox chuckled, knowing full well that Liam had inherited his inability to find sleep most nights. It was a curse he didn’t wish to pass down to any child, but it was strangely comforting to know that he had that in common with an offspring that already had so many similarities to him.

“Makes two of us. Your mom was talking in her sleep again.”

He didn’t have a lot of time before he had to be gone. Tree would soon realize that he wasn’t next to her, and it would only make things harder to have to explain his absence.

“Buddy, do you remember Uncle Dario?”

"Is he coming over?”

“No, pal. I wish he were... but I need to go do something for him, like an errand. I might be gone for a little bit.”

Liam didn’t bother to look up from the ground at his dad. This was an unfortunately common occurrence in the Arnason household.

“...I know it seems like I’m gone a lot... and I’m sorry for that. You know, one day, you’ll have to take care of your mom and sister for me, when I’m not around anymo-”

“You’re not around now.”

That stings. I deserve that one.

“I get it... I do. I haven’t had the chance to spend the time with you and Kendra that I would like to, but I promise you that it’s for reasons that are going to help a lot of people. You and I have talked about doing things that may be hard on us, but in the end, are the right things to do. This is one of those things, I promise.”

Liam continued to trace the same pattern into the floor with his foot. He was old enough to understand that his father wouldn’t be around for a while, but not enough to grasp the gravity of his reasoning. Vox sighed, placing his hand on the boy’s head and ruffling the hair that bore much resemblance to his mother’s.

“Tell Kendra to stay out of trouble for me. You’re a little better at the whole signing thing than me.” Vox glanced down at the arm that once ended in a hand; now the home of a fully healed stump. He felt some degree of guilt for never being fully able to converse with his daughter, as he was still learning to sign with the only usable extremity he had left. It was better left to Liam and Tree to do most of the talking for him.

Liam pushed his father’s arm away with less force than he usually applied. Vox could feel that his son was defeated.

“Whatever.”

Liam grabbed a pillow that had been haphazardly cast to the side of the room and made his way towards his bed. There was no effort on his part to even acknowledge his father at this point, and Vox couldn’t blame him in the slightest. This wasn’t a choice that would be easy for anybody to understand.

“...I love you, buddy. Just know that.”

Knowing a verbal response wasn’t to follow, Vox retreated back to the doorway. It wasn’t the first time he was leaving on less-than-stellar terms with a member of his family, and much to his dismay, it more than likely wouldn’t be the last. He kept as quiet as he could muster in this moment, taking great care to avoid waking Tree or Kendra. With a swift movement, the man slid out the front door, and into the night.

#botgd #botgd2 #some backstory as to where vox has been

[jellyjamjazz]

Ocs!!!!! Pls ask me about them!!! In no particular order, not all from the same stories but probably same universe ig

Andy- science boy, makes chemistry puns(the only puns he'll tolerate), tall as shit, sweaters and bowties, 100% believes in aliens, dating a jock (Jared seen later), easy to tease, drinks too much coffee

Bri- Boxer, grunge aesthetic, wears NASA shirts just for the Look(tm) not because she cares about space, cowboy emoji mixed with sunglasses emoji,

Claire- Ballet, ukulele, Femme, dating Valerie(seen later), lacey dresses, red head, paints and doodles on everything, flowers

Crysanthemum- Modern day witch, moon necklaces forever, red cardigans, will either fight you or make you a flower crown, goes all the way with make-up, journals

Jared- Jock, pretty boy, dating Andy the massive nerd, will text you at 3 a.m. if he's bored, you never know of he'll high five you or bear-hug you, loves girl scout cookies, has a brother-sister relationship with his bf's cousin but it's fine

Jay- Fucking dork, tries to not be a fucking dork but this results in my being more of a fucking dork, crushing hard on Sierra, tiny

June- Games online instead of doing anything else, poofy/curly hair that is impossible, star wars, always cold, will wear a hoodie over a dress,

Leila- Theatre legend, low-key pure, hates people for being too attractive (aka a bicon), Pluto is a planet and she'll fight you on that, gym bunny, lennon sunglasses, has a matching necklace with her best friend

Liam- Short, stands on toes 78% of the time, archery, bad relationship with trees, can't handle too many sweets, weak man

Maria- Goth(tm), wears lacy shirts and leather jackets, bicon, sunglasses, plays dnd despite not being the type

Nigel- Wears a red zip-up and jeans and nothing else, someone help him, sucks at every sport except ping pong because that's just how he is, agile boy(srsly he's from a superhero story and he has super agility) oblivious to everything, will wear big clunky headphones instead of earbuds for the aesthetic

Oza- Alien 1/3, blue shit forever, flannels, stars, makes slime, obsessed with 90s shit, wears sillybandz in this day and age unironically

Poppy- Belives in ghost and studies them constantly, fucking owns being a sexy woman, lesbian, low-key a drama queen, just wants cuddles

Signe- Alien 2/3, purple, wears fancy dresses everywhere, attracted to glitter, will spend 2 hours on makeup but it's worth it because oh my GOD, new hair color every week

Teagan- "tHe GReAt oUTdOors" too many freckles, rlly likes dinosaurs, older sister to Liam, protective, presses flowers and leaves, kind of a hippie

Valerie- the big gay, dating Claire, polaroids, record players, vintage gal, jean jackets, sunglasses, artsy

Voli- Alien 3/3, green, rocks pantsuits, collects succulents, "PLANTS ARE PEOPLE TOO" goes to antique shops and buys everything, vegetarian, sarcastic bitch, shoulder pads and elbow patches, space buns

[nottooldforthisship]

🎬   It Had To Be You , by @fullonlarrie (When Harry met Sally AU) : Harry and Louis are strangers who share the drive from Chicago to NYC after college. They don't have anything in common, don't get along, and at the end of their trip, they're both glad to say goodbye. During a chance meeting five years later, they find that nothing has changed, and they part ways expecting never to see each other again. Ten years after their first meeting, Louis and Harry meet once again, but this time they become friends. Eventually, things get complicated.  (45k, M)

🎬  Take My Breath Away   , by @realitybetterthanfiction​ (Top Gun AU) : There is a prestigious school in the British Royal Navy classified as Premier Delta - or as it is known by its flyers, 1D. These select pilots are an elite set of Naval lieutenants who are trained in the skill of aggressive aerial combat. They are instruments of war, trained in times of peace. They are dogfighters, relentless and fearless in their mission to protect their beloved country. From their lofty vantage, they are always watching, waiting, and ready to lay it all on the line.Lt. Harry Styles, call sign Sparrow, is a prodigy when it comes to flying. The owner of an unrivaled Naval pedigree, being a pilot was always written in the stars for Harry. With his trusty RIO, Lt. Niall Horan, Harry has made an unprecedented ascension in the ranks of the Naval aerial combat elite, and has been recruited to the esteemed Premier Delta flight school, carrying on his family’s legacy. What he finds there are unexpected friendships, perilous challenges, and something beyond what he ever thought possible. Because as his father had always told him, before the great Captain Styles went tragically missing in combat, you don’t fall in love with the sky, you fall in love with what keeps you on the ground. (153k, M)

🎬 everything that shine ain't always gonna be gold   , by  sarcasticfluentry  (Inception AU) : Inception-inspired AU. Louis Tomlinson is the most respected and skilled extractor in the dream-sharing business; together he and his point man Zayn have been hired countless times to steal hundreds of valuable secrets straight from the minds of CEOs and politicians. One day, a mysterious and wealthy client contacts Louis and Zayn, offering them triple their normal rate in exchange for successfully completing a job that other extracting teams have deemed "impossible." The one catch is that this client wants the very best - so he's decided to team Louis' skills up with those of Louis' most hated rival, another highly-respected extractor named Harry Styles. Can Louis and Harry work together to complete the job and get the payout, or will they lose their minds along the way?  (49k, E)

🎬  Paint The Sky With Stars , by kiwikero (Titanic AU): On 10 April 1912, Harry Styles boards the finest ship the world has ever seen. Still grieving the death of their mother, he and his sister are being sent to America to live with a callous uncle who cares more about his business connections than family. Harry prepares himself for a long, disappointing voyage alone in his stateroom.Louis Tomlinson has borrowed and saved, and finally has enough to purchase a Third Class ticket to America. With all of his belongings in a single ruck sack, he boards the Titanic filled with hope for a brighter future. Never one to sit still, he can’t resist exploring the massive ship, and soon goes sneaking into First Class in a stolen steward’s uniform.By a twist of fate, Louis finds himself in Harry’s stateroom, entranced by the most attractive man he’s ever laid eyes on. He keeps returning day after day, even if he doesn’t understand what it is about Harry that continues pulling him in. That’s all right; Louis has a week to figure it out, and Harry is plenty willing to help.Except they don’t have a week. They have four days. Because on 15 April, their entire world will be turned upside down.Or, the historically accurate Titanic AU with a happy ending. (62k, M)

🎬 If You Wanna Try Me On  , by zimriya (The Devil Wears Prada AU):  To be fair, Harry’d been half asleep when Niall convinced him to put in his CV in the first place. Like, Harry wants to be a proper serious journalist--he’s not about to give up that dream in favour of becoming a personal assistant at a fashion magazine, or...whatever. Harry’s not actually all that sure what Tomlinson Styles even is, beyond his ticket to fame or any of the other things Niall’d spouted off at him, but when he shows up for the interview and is unceremoniously shoved into an office with the Tomlinson part of that equation, all Harry can really think about is that he would like to be a Tomlinson-Styles.  (19k, E)

🎬 Just Hear This and Then I'll Go , by @allwaswell16​ (Pride and Prejudice AU) : Former boy band member Louis Tomlinson can’t stand pompous indie artist Harry Styles, but with a new record label to launch he is going to have to endure his pretensions to snag up and coming new artist Liam Payne, who happens to be Harry’s oldest friend. Luckily, Liam seems to be very interested in 78 Records and maybe a little more than interested in Louis’ best friend. Too bad Harry won’t be making this easy on any of them. Or a modern day Pride and Prejudice--Louis is Elizabeth, Harry is Mr. Darcy, Zayn is Jane, and Liam is Mr. Bingley. Oh, and Niall is Mrs. Bennett. Obviously. (44k, E)

🎬  Life as We Know it , by  Rearviewdreamer  (Life As We know It AU) :  When a couple dies unexpectedly Harry and Louis are brought together to care for their daughter. (34k, M)

🎬  Who Painted the Moon Black    , by throughthedark  (Hunger Games AU) :  where Louis Tomlinson is district six's victor from the 69th Hunger Games and Harry Styles is district seven's victor from the 72nd Hunger Games.  (95k, E)

🎬 don't be afraid, it's only love , by threewhitehorses  (The Proposal AU) : A proposal!AU where Louis is at risk of being deported back to England and Harry just really wants a promotion. (14k, E)

🎬  The Dead of July , by  whimsicule   (Captain America AU) :  Being an Avenger means continuing to be Captain America and smiling and being honorable for the public and Harry does his best. But it doesn’t give him time to figure out who he is supposed to be once he takes off his uniform and puts the shield to the side. Just being Harry had always involved Louis, and Harry fears he doesn’t know how to exist without him. or: Harry is Captain America, and Louis’ been dead for 70 years. (117j E)

🎬  got the sunshine on my shoulders , by @hattalove (Sweet Home Alabama AU): five years ago, harry styles left his tiny home town to make it big as a recording artist. he didn’t have much regard for what he left behind - a life, a family, and a husband, who woke up one morning to find him gone.now, harry has everything he could possibly want: he’s rich, famous, and adored by everyone he meets, including his boyfriend. but when said boyfriend proposes to him, he’s forced to face the uncomfortable facts of his past - and louis, who’s spent the last five years returning every set of divorce papers harry sent him.(124k, E)

🎬  You Drive Me Crazy (but it feels alright) , by MrsStylinson  (Bridget Jones AU) : “Harry is not short for Harold,” he corrects, his voice as thick as molasses. He lowers his eyes to Louis’ sequined lapels, rubbing one between two fingers. “Is this small or extra small? It looks lovely.”Louis breaks away from his grip with a petulant huff and pushes him back with two fingers.“You’re mocking me. Again.”Harry smiles and it's a real honest swoop of his lips this time. Louis’ stomach swoops with them. (102k, T)

🎬  Let's Fall in Love in a Place You Want to Stay  , by  embro  (George of the Jungle / Tarzan AU) : where Louis is a model who meets Wild Man Harry in the Congo. He was raised by apes and barely speaks a word of English and turns Louis' life upside down.  (134k, E)

🎬  Love Actually, is all around, by satellitemoments  (Love Actually AU) : Louis is Prime Minister and Harry his fortunate catering manager.  (16k, M)

🎬  Keep on Dreaming, This is Hollywood , by popfly  (Pretty Woman AU) : Louis Tomlinson, a pop star manager, makes his way to LA with a pop star (and his new music demands) and a very busy schedule.Harry Styles came to Los Angeles with a dream and ended up sharing a flat and an occupation with a male prostitute from Ireland.What happens when Louis meets Harry, and makes him an offer he can't refuse?AKA A Pretty Woman AU where Louis is the high-powered businessman and Harry is the hooker. No, there is no necklace scene, but there is definitely piano sex. (31k, E)

🎬  Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life Too) , by orphean_account (If Only AU) : “What would you do,” Louis begins, knowing that this will only hurt him more, “If this was your last day on earth?”Harry thinks for a bit, brow furrowed in concentration, and then he says sort of cheekily, “Go skydiving. See my family, see my friends.” “What else, Harry?” (9k, E, TW for MDC)

🎬  I would name the stars for you (I would take you there) , by                    impetuous (Notting Hill AU) :  "Harry Styles is a poem waiting to happen, Louis thinks, eyes tracing peach flesh and the undercurrent of blue veins. He wants to write him all down, to capture the image of green eyes and red lips and skinny wrists... dark ink spilled across the page." Or a vaguely Notting Hill-like AU (or that made for TV Disney movie Starstruck if you’ve seen it… no? Just me?) starring popstar!Harry and bookkeeper/soulful poet!Louis; and including guest appearances by Fate, a wise elderly aristocrat, and lots and lots of pining. (91k, M)

🎬  When In Rome , by @nowweare9direction ( Roman Holiday AU ) : A modern day Roman Holiday AU, where Harry is the prince of pop on a European tour desperately in need of a break and Louis is an expat in Rome just trying to make rent. (19k, T)

🎬  Serendipity, Actually  , by  somethingsilly   (Serendipity AU) :   AU where Harry truly believes in Destiny and Louis just happens to cross his path at the right moment. Featuring a world with the size of a stamp, Liam as the best friend ever, Niall as a social butterfly who knows everyone and Zayn who always knows what's going on. Or where everyone is at the right place at the right time. (142k, M)   

🎬  the new romantics , by wildestdreams (John Tucker Must Die AU) : After being blindsided and dumped by his boyfriend Isaac, Louis does the only thing he can do: wallow and mope. But when Harry tells Louis that karma’s going to get Isaac eventually, Louis decides karma isn’t moving fast enough. He takes matters into his own hands, and if he has to drag Harry into his schemes and seduction plans, then so be it.orJohn Tucker Must Die AU featuring drunk dance sessions, bad disguises, and a seduction plan gone wrong.  (36k, E)

🎬  the sound of shooting stars, by  theseblueskies  (Sleepless in Seattle AU)  : where Harry is Sam, Louis is Annie, and the universe has a twisted sense of humor. Guest starring: fate, magic, destiny, and one little girl who unknowingly changes everything.  (33k, NR)

🎬  After Hours  , by  Velvetoscar (You’ve Got A Mail AU)  :   Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson are the bane of each other's existences. Unfortunately, they're already in love--even if they aren't completely aware of this minor detail. (26k, NR)

#mine #fic rec #my fic rec #fuck this is very long one #and I prpbably forgot a lot #but anyway #that's a good start #so this is for my anon who asked today #nottooldforthisship fic rec