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thatonerandomfangirlwhoreads · 4 years

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Tower Of Nero Spoilers/Rant!! (Part 6)

Okay, so... at the end of the book Apollo (NOT Lester), decides to visit all the demigods of the Great Prophecy + Camp Half Blood. So this is how those visits went (WARNING!! Percabeth, Solangelo and Frazel cuteness overload). Apollo visits all these people in the form of ...you guessed it, Lester Papadopoulos.

Camp Half Blood Reunion

Apollo goes to the big house and has a little chat with Chiron about a “cat” (Bast) and a “severed head” (Mimir) and common problems amongst different pantheons. This may be an opening for a stand-alone book *squeak*!!

Apollo meets Mr. D (whose character was fitfully redeemed, when he decided to give Nico therapy for his PTSD), plays pinochle with Mr. D and loses all the games.

He sits by the campfire with Nico, Will and Rachel. Will and Nico are sitting side-by-side, Will has one arm around Nico, who is twirling a marshmallow on a stick. Rachel informs Apollo that she is going to Paris to study art, while her parents house is being rebuilt. They discuss the voice that has been calling out to Nico and Nico says that it’s a Titan who’s stuck in Tartarus (aka Bob the Titan, aka Iapetus). Rachel has regained her prophetic powers after the defeat of Python and issues them a Prophecy, which only Nico and Will can hear, but not Apollo. That is definitely a set-up for a stand-alone Solangelo adventure in Tartarus. Yippee!!

Waystation Reunion

The Hunters of Artemis were at the Waystation and their mission to catch the Teumessian Fox. This too may be a set-up for a stand-alone.

We see some great Thalia and Reyna chemistry, where they both playfully compliment each other on being great hunters.

Josephine is teaching little Georgina all about mechanics in her machine shop. Apollo still isn’t clear about whether Georgie is her daughter or not.

Lityerses is overseeing an “elephant visitation program,” where Livia(from Waystation) and Hannibal(from Camp Jupiter) are on some kind of date. Uncle Rick has been reading fanfics and headcanons. It’s official.

Leo, meanwhile, has been indulging in some community service where he teaches homeless kids about shop skills at a local shelter and the kids like him. It’s been hinted that some of the kids are demigods.

Leo calls Josephine “mom,” who just scoffs but looks pleased all the same. She probably thinks Leo is the son she never had and Leo had said in The Dark Prophecy, that Josephine reminds him of his mom.

Calypso is loving regular mortal stuff, and has adjusted to her new life very well. Apollo doesn’t actually get to meet Calypso, because she’s been away all summer to a band camp where she is a counselor. Leo appears to be lovesick for Calypso.

It was also really cute to see Reyna and Leo getting on with each other too (It was surprising because Leo did destroy half of the Senate House when she was Praetor). Reyna was giving him advice on flirting with Calypso and asked him not to call her mamacita, and that he has to have more respect. She explains this strange action to Apollo, saying that Leo grew up without a mom so he never learnt these things, but now he has two great foster moms and a big sister(referring to herself) who isn’t afraid to smack him.

Camp Jupiter Reunion

Apollo visits Camp Jupiter, where he meets Hazel and Frank, who are both praetors after The Tyrant’s Tomb. Apollo says they are the most efficient and respected pair of praetors to ever run the Twelfth Legion.

Hazel and Frank give Apollo a tour of the Camp where they’ve installed more barracks, expanded the thermal baths and are constructing a victory arch on the main road to New Rome to commemorate the defeat of the emperors, Caligula and Commodus.

The victory arch is going to be completely plated with gold, more specifically, Hazel’s gold. As far as they can tell, Hazel’s curse is finally broken and her gold and jewels are finally safe to use or sell, as they please. They did an augury in Pluto’s shrine and it came up favorable.

Hazel hastened to add that they were not going to abuse this power, but were only going to use it to improve camp and honor the gods.

Hazel says that they won’t spend the money to buy yachts, private airplanes or big gold necklaces with ‘H+F 4Ever’ diamond pendants. Frank pouts in reply to this. This is definitely Frazel cuteness.

Lavinia Asimov fulfilled her promise to teach the entire Fifth Cohort how to tap-dance. The unit is now feared and respected in the war games for their ability to form a testudo shield wall while doing the three-beat shuffle.

The Jason Grace temple-expansion plan was still moving forward, with new shrines being added every week.

Also...Percy and Annabeth had arrived and taken up residence in New Rome, giving them two months to adjust to their new environs before the fall semester of their freshman year in college.

Annabeth, of course, is going to study architecture and Percy is unsure of his major. Annabeth is taking UC Berkeley’s Environmental design course and dual-enroll in New Rome University.

They reached the touchy subject of Jason’s death. Percy is unable to speak about this topic and Annabeth admits that she cried herself sick.

At the end of this conversation, Apollo uses his godly magic to teleport a plate of Sally Jackson’s blue cookies right into his hands and gives it to Percy.

Piper’s Reunion

When Lester arrives at Piper’s Tahlequah home, he sees two silhouettes on the edge of the roof and one leans over to kiss the other. Apollo gets flustered and switches form to adult Apollo, complete with toga and all. Both of them turn around.

One of the silhouettes, (a girl with short, dark hair and a rhinestone stud on her nose) asks Piper who this dude is and whether her dad has a boyfriend. The girl’s name, we discover, is Shel (Probably short for Shelby, I’m just guessing) and so far is assumed to be fully mortal.

Piper tells Apollo that she’s doing fine and that her dad too, has found some peace. She learns of Jason’s funeral and assures Apollo that he did right by him and will continue to as long as he remembers what it’s like to be human. Then she points at Shel and leaves.

Aeithales Reunion

Apollo was greeted by the Meliai, Meg’s personal troupe of seven super dryads. They took him for an intruder and marched him up to Meg.

Apollo found Meg digging dirt and showing her 11 foster siblings from the Imperial Household, how to transplant cacti.

Peaches was also in the scene, talking to another young female karpos, who is native to the area.

Meg hugs Apollo and they go for a little walk.

Herophile the Sybil lives in a trailer when she isn’t working in town as a Tarot card reader or crystal healer.

Lugeselwa was in the living room, putting together a rocking chair. She had been fitted with new mechanical arms, compliments of the Hephaestus Cabin.

Apollo offers Meg the reward he had promised to give her when he became a god again. Meg asks for a unicorn, which he conjures out of thin air. They promise to be friends forever and when Meg asks him whether he’ll come back, he replies, “The sun always comes back.”

A/N: Phew!! That was long. Very sorry about that. It took me 3 days to write. If you had the patience to read it, hope you enjoyed it.

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gwynrielendgame · 3 years

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Sad nessian part 3

Nyx pov

This is not a super popular fanfic of mine but I had this written (truly it is not edited) but I hate leaving anyone hanging so this is for you! @haepaw

Nyx loved pissing off his father. Even at the young age of 137 (young in fae years) Nyx found any excuse to disobey his father, including participating in underground fighting rings. He wouldn't lie, he also liked the boost to his ego his undefeated title gave him, but mostly he did it because his father told him not too.

"Remind me why I come to this again? Mom would kick all of our asses if she knew about this." Velaris grumbled from her seat next to them. Nyx's two younger sisters came to these fights with him. They always said it was because they didn't want him hurting himself, but he thought part of them wanted to disobey their father as well.

"Mom won't find out." Violet rolled her purple eyes- the only one to receive that trait from their father. "And because we can't let him get killed. It would be terrible for the night court's image."

They all sat side by side on a bench, waiting for the next fight to begin. Nyx was fighting someone new tonight and he was excited about it. He was tired of easily defeating the same fighters every week. He began to wrap his hands while his oldest sister, Velaris, continued to ramble.

"I'm a terrible liar." She groaned. "One look from Azriel and I'll jabber like a canary. I cannot believe I have managed to keep it a secret this long. I have to avoid everyone for at least a day after. Ugh why must you be on a mission to piss off dad at least every five seconds. Could you not try getting along for moth-" Thankfully Velaris was cut off by the announcer. Nyx jumped to his feet, hopping from one foot to the other as his fight was about to start. He began walking to the ring when Violet called out.

"Good luck."

"I don't need it." He sent her a cocky smile before stepping on the mat. He cracked his neck then looked at his opponent. It was a female- Illyrian by the looks of her wings. He was surprised to find they were not clipped. As much as his father tried to put a stop to the outdated practice, most females found themselves being clipped at some point anyways. She was beautiful, almost looked familiar to him. He felt as though he knew her, but at the same time knew he didn't. Her hair was pulled away from her face in a way that showed off her sharp cheekbones while her large eyes were hazel- a typical Illyrian trait. He was trying not to seem thrown off by the pretty female, however, that was much easier said than done. He had only fought one other female and she closely resembled a troll, so her looks had not played much of a factor. The female sent him a wicked smile before tapping both wrists. Illyrian armor began to cover every inch of her as seven, red siphons appeared. Nyx finally let his astonishment show. Not a single Illyrian female was awarded siphons. So how did she get seven of them?

"Where did you get those?" He narrowed his eyes at her. She didn't appear as thief's normally do. She also didn't appear to be a female to participate in an underground fighting ring, so perhaps his radar was off.

"I didn't steal them if that is what you are insinuating." That same coy smile graced her lips. Her voice was low for a females, but once again it sounded almost familiar to Nyx.

"Fight." The announcer sounded off, and the female was instantly a whirlwind of movement. Before Nyx could even reacted, she slammed her fist into his face.

"Fuck." After that stunningly powerful punch, Nyx focused himself into fight mode. He found it hard to keep up with the raven-haired female though. She was using a blend of fighting skills that Nyx was unfamiliar with, and he felt as though he was playing the game of catch-up the entire fight. He was always one step behind her.

"Come on, Nyx! That was pathetic." The oldest brother rolled his eyes at the shout that could only have come from Violet. It was not until the female back-handed Nyx that he realized she was toying with him. His face burned with embarrassment.

"Fucking fight. No need to go easy on me." He grunted as he spit blood from his mouth. The female- he realized he did not listen when the announcer said her name- laughed. She was bruised up pretty badly herself, but Nyx knew it was nothing compared to how he looked. Her siphons flared brightly.

"Aww. Poor High lord's son. Has anyone ever fought you with all their strength?" She stuck out her bottom lip in a pout to continue to tease the male. It struck a chord with him though. He was tired of being babied. He was the oldest son of the two most powerful fae in Pyrinthian and heir to the night court-dammit. He suddenly realized why he liked this fight so much though, she had gone harder on him than anyone else ever had- except for his dead cousin. It fueled him to fight harder. He threw out a fist that connected with her temple. She was definitely seeing stars from the way she stumbled. He guessed she was not expecting that. It had Nyx snickering. She returned with a few well placed jabs that the male knew would be sore in the morning.

"You look Familiar. Do I know you?" Nyx found himself saying as they circled one another. They were both breathing heavy at this point.

"No. Might know my sister though." She threw a kick that connected with Nyx's head. His body splayed out on the ground as he groaned. She did not let up. She sent punch after punch to his face while locking his arms down with her legs. He knew the knockout punch was coming, and so did she because her mouth was by his ear as she whispered.

"Tell Rhysand that Amara sends her regards." His eyes did not even have time to widen before she knocked him out. His last thought revolved around Amara.

Amara was dead and had been for 37 years.

When Nyx finally came too, his sisters pounced on him instantly.

"Oh thank the cauldron! I had no idea what we were going to tell mom and dad if you did not wake up within the next thirty minutes." Velaris practically screeched. He realized then that he was in his room, laying in his bed. Both Velaris and Violet were sitting on the end of it staring him down.

"What happened?" He groaned. Last thing he remembered was the mystery female telling him something about his dead cousin. Violet snorted.

"You lost dumbass. Velaris and I had to fly you to the house of wind by ourselves after you refused to wake up. She knocked you out cold." That would explain why his head was pounding. Fuck, she destroyed him.

"Yeah and you are heavy as shit." Velaris felt the need to chip in. He rolled his eyes before sitting up.

"Did either of you manage to catch her name?" It was impossible for her to be Amara. He remembered what Amara looked like and it was not that. Though, now that he thought about it, he realized why she looked so familiar. She looked similar to Amara. Perhaps a sister? Not impossible, but severely unlikely. His aunt Nesta struggled to conceive any children the entire time he knew her.

"I think it was Elle something? They did not announce it like normal, but I overheard someone call her that." Velaris answered while beginning to look over his injuries, her blue-grey eyes a mask of concern. Nothing seemed to hurt quite as bad as his head.

"I think I could sleep for three hundred years." He muttered.

"Good thing we have dinner at the house in thirty minutes." Violet chirped up. She was looking way too perky for someone who just watched their brother get the shit beat out of him.

"There's no way I'm going to that." He fell back in his bed and pulled the covers over his face once Velaris was done with his exam.

"Too bad." Violet replied in a sing-song voice. "Mom said she had something important to share with us and I am putting money down that she is pregnant again." Velaris groaned.

"She better not be. I am much too young to be taking care of their child while they galavant off to gods knows where." The oldest of the high lord's daughters had always taken on a motherly role. Even though, Nyx was five years her senior, she found herself babysitting both Nyx and Violet more often than not growing up.

"You better get your ass up, so Velaris can cover those bruises with makeup- wouldn't want to keep mother waiting." The younger sister strolled out of the bedroom, her purple dress sashaying behind her.

Nyx did not know how to broach the conversation about Amara. There was no sly or subtle way to insert it into the conversation. He did not want to discuss it at all, however, he felt this was too important to keep from his parents. They all sat around the dinner table while discussing very unimportant matters. Mor and Velaris were squabbling excitedly about something, Gwyn and Azriel were discussing daggers with Violet, and Feyre and Rhysand were murmuring quietly amongst each other. Only Nyx remained silent. That was enough to catch his mother's attention apparently.

"What troubles you, Nyx?" Feyre's eyes brimmed with concern for her oldest son. He was hardly ever quiet, usually deciding to pick a fight with his father.

"There is no way Amara could be alive right?" He spit out. The silence the befell the room was deafening. His mother's concerned look turned to a sharp one- almost a glare while his father ground his teeth together. Both his sisters gave him a look. A look to say shut up before it is too late. Mor finally spoke up after almost five minutes of silence.

"Amara is dead. I saw Koschei kill her myself. We all did." He looked toward the beautiful female. Unshed tears glistened in her eyes.

"Why do you ask, son?" His mother responded in a defeated tone. He did not mean to cause all of this, but apparently time had not lessened the pain of her death.

"I met a female." He started. Both his sisters' eyes widened as though they thought he was going to out all of them. They clearly did not need to add underground fighting rings to the list of things that will piss off mom and dad tonight. He also did not miss the look that Gwyn and Azriel shared. "She said to tell you," he gave his father a pointed look. "That Amara sends her regards." His father's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized his son. Rhysand wanted to make sure this was not another ploy to piss him off.

"What was her name?" Feyre interrupted her mate before he could say anything. Nyx began to shift in his seat uncomfortably. Clearly he should have kept his mouth shut.

"Elle something? I did not catch all of it. She looked like Amara. I mean she looks different than her, but similar enough that maybe they are sisters?" Nyx suggested. He watched as his mother and father shared a meaningful look.

"Who is Amara?" Violet had the courage to ask. She was much braver than Nyx. If their positions were switched, he would have kept his mouth shut. He always forgot that Violet was born the year after Amara died. While Velaris was only five years younger than him, Violet was one hundred and one years his junior. She was practically an infant in fae years at only thirty six years old. Technically, fae reached full maturity at twenty-five years, but when you live an immortal life, thirty-six seems young.

"Your cousin." Feyre whispered. Nyx's attention was caught by Azriel's shadows that were clearly hard at work. They were moving around much more than they had been earlier, indicating they were on a mission for information.

"I did not know Aunt Elain had another child." Violet offered to ease the tension. It only seemed to make it worse though.

"She does not." Their mother began. She finally set her silverware down and pushed her plate away. As if she knew that she would be unable to eat anything else for the rest of the night. Her voice was filled with such sorrow and regret that Nyx wished he never brought it up. If only to avoid hearing his mother sound that way. "I have another sister, Nesta. She is mated to Cassian, who I am sure you have seen pictures of around the house. She struggled to have children and when Amara died, it destroyed her. She blamed all of us and denounced us as family. We have not heard from her since."

"Do not leave out why she blames you." Gwyn snapped. It was the first she had said since Amara had been brought up. She was clenching her knife tightly. A stray shadow wrapped around her wrist causing the mates to have some sort of silent conversation.

"She blames all of us because of me." Rhysand finally admitted. Not even Nyx knew the whole story and Amara was his best friend at the time. Nyx sat at the edge of his seat, anxious to finally hear what happened to his cousin.

"I sent Amara on a mission she was not prepared for. She was captured by Koschei and killed in front of Nesta and Cassian, killed in front of all of us." His father's voice was tense- for obvious reasons, but he could see the hurt behind his eyes. Nyx could see the pain his father felt about the role he played in Amara's demise. "Your mother and I thought Amara was immortal- more so than the rest of us anyways. Nesta had great power that was passed to Amara and it manifested in such a powerful way that we assumed she was more immune to death. We were wrong. Nesta was a dangerous female with unknown power. She had threatened to take your life, Nyx, in retribution for the role I played. Cassian, himself, threatened to kill me. However, when the opportunity presented itself, the mates left and have yet to return. I suppose Nesta being pregnant at the time would explain why neither of them have sought revenge after all this time." Rhysand let out a long, contemplative sigh at the end of his explanation. Nyx was more than a little shocked to discover his favorite Aunt had threatened to kill him. He was devastated by her disappearance especially since no one would explain why they left. He found it hard to believe that his uncle Cassian would allow his mate to do something so drastic, but perhaps grief makes monsters of us all.

"Befriend the female, Nyx." His father suddenly demanded. His tone changing from one of grief and regret to his commanding High Lord voice. Nyx found it grating. "Many fae learned of Amara's demise. Someone could be trying to trick us. Best to keep the enemy close, yes?" Rhysand lifted an eyebrow at his son. The entire table knew that Nyx could not disobey the High Lord command. They also knew he would try his damnedest to piss off his father.

"And what if she is Nesta and Cassian's daughter? What then?" Nyx held his breathe as his father contemplated.

"Then we kidnap her and hope the couple will hear us out before killing the entire city of Velaris."

#nesta acheron #cassian #nessian #nyx acotar #acotar #acosf

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damnit-percy · 3 years

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ok this needs to be settled once and for all- pjo characters and their hogwarts houses. i think some of us can agree on most of the characters’ houses, but some are QuEsTiOnAbLe. and bc i’m so much like my father, my opinion is right. idc if you disagree- i’m right :) but y’all can share your WRONG opinions if you disagree 😤 so here we go

percy- alright y’all were starting off with a KICKER. perseus whatever his middle name is jackson. y’all like to say he’s a gryffindor which ya know i see, it’s understandable. then some of y’all say slytherin which like i don’t really see but whatever. none of this matter tho bc y’all are wrong. percy is literally a hufflepuff and congrats to the selective few that already knew that (no shade no shade) but y’all 👁👄👁 tell me how this boy isn’t a hufflepuff. is fatal flaw is LITERALLY LOYALTY LIKE COME ON NOW! now i will say that when percy was being sorted (bc yes i’m imagining them as hogwarts students in my head rn) the sorting hat took a sec to think about it. the hat was like “hold up bro- you’re loyal and put others before yourself. you value your relationships with other people. BUT you’re also very brave and got all that gryffindor stuff” so the sorting hat definitely considered putting percy in gryffindor

annabeth- i feel like annabeth has had the most debate- some people say she’s a ravenclaw and some say she’s a gryffindor. i’m here to confirm that she is, in fact, a gryffindor rAwR 🦁 now you might be like “oH bUt ChArLiE, gReAt BrEaKeR oF kNeEs, AnNaBeTh Is ThE dAuGhTeR oF aThEnA” yes and? first of all, someone is not defined by their godly parent. second of all, that’s it. annabeth is smart yeah but she has done plenty of stupid things. and she would most definitely be on board with all of percy’s dumb shit. that sounds like a pretty gryffindor thing to me. also, annabeth values glory. your values are important to your house, and gryffindors value glory. annabeth is like hermione in this way. they’re both smart, but unlike ravenclaws who just value personal knowledge, they want to share their knowledge and be praised for it. i think annabeth would definitely be a hatstall- i think the sorting hat would have a hard time deciding between gryffindor, ravenclaw, and even slytherin bc of her ambition and pride

jason- señor jason is a gryffindor. i think that’s pretty obvious. most people tend to agree on that. growing up in the legion and being the son of jupiter has shaped him to be a brave and powerful leader. *BURNING MAZE SPOILER* jason would fight until his last breath to protect his love ones and he’d go all out like POW POW POW KACHOW KABOOM which ya know he umm he did do.......... the end that’s it for jason

piper- slytherin slytherin slytherin slytherin. again, most people agree with this one but some people also say piper is a gryffindor. i could totally see how she’s a gryffindor, but i personally think she’s a slytherin. and we’ve already established that my opinion is always right soooo... she’s a slytherin. piper’s charmspeak definitely has a say in this- slytherins are known to be persuassive and cunning. obviously charmspeak makes piper persuassive and cunning. she’s also pretty independent bc she wants to be different than her siblings, and independence is a slytherin trait for sure. she’s also ambitious in the same way, yet another slytherin trait. i don’t really think i need to elaborate more since most people can agree she’s a slytherin, right? 🙂🔪

leo- leo’s house has definitely been discussed a number of times. in the past people would say gryffindor or like hufflepuff idk but i feel like more people are starting to realize that leo is a RAVENCLAW! need i remind you he was doing like college leve math at 8 years old- like y’all i’m 15 and i’m only in algebra 2 (algebra 2 honors might i add so that i seem smarter) but like if that doesn’t say ravenclaw to you idk what does. HE DESIGNED AND BUILT A WHOLE FREAKING SHIP WITH ALL THESE NEAT LITTLE FEATURES WHEN HE WAS MY AGE LIKE BRUH CHILL OUT- THE BEST THING I’VE MADE IS LIKE A BOX IN MY SCULPTURE CLASS 🙈 so um yeah... ravenclaw

frank- ok this is pretty obvious- frank is a hufflepuff 🥰 ik some people say he’s a gryffindor but i feel like you could say all the characters are gryffindors in some way bc they’re all these brave heroes. but frank is a hufflepuff come on y’all- he’s legit the sweetest and adorable-ist (I KNOW THAT’S NOT A WORD LEAVE ME ALONE) member of the seven 💕 like he culdn’t even figure out how to do a chinese figure trap ahhhh 🥺 frank = hufflepuff end of story. woah not me simping for frank 😗

hazel- hazel is a gryffindor guys gals and non-binary pals. c’mon now. some people will probably be like “NO HAZEL IS A HUFFLEPUFF SHE’S SO SWEET AND INNOCENT 🥺💕🙈🥰🤠✨❣️” ummmm ok bud but like.... lemme just remind you that she had her mouth washed with soap for swearing- what can icon. hazel is a bad bitch pArDoN mY fReNcH but like SHE LITERALLY DIED AND WAS ✨ REVIVED ✨ HAZEL REALLY SAID I’M A BAD BITCH YOU CAN’T KILL ME 🤠 therefore, miss hazel levesque is a gryffindor. i don’t need to say anything more. thank you for coming to my ted talk.

nico- ok so i had some trouble with nico but i think that he’s a slytherin. it’s not bc he wears all black and is “evil” like some of you foolish people might do bc you’re STEREOTYPING 😠 one of the reasons i think he’s a slytherin is bc he’s very indepdent and quiet and doesn’t usually like help from others. he likes to organize his life on his own even if he’s not very good at it oop. also, just the amount of power he holds- that says smth. slytherins value power and power is smth nico has like DAYUM. oh and his fatal flaw is holding grudges which like that’s a slytherin trait for sure. so yeah- slytherin

reyna- also kinda had a hard time with reyna- i could see her as a gryffindor, ravenclaw, or slytherin so i think she would be a hatstall too. in the end, i think she’s a ravenclaw. she’s very tactical and strategic with her mom being a war goddess in all. her experience as a praetor has also effected (affected? effected? idek) all that. she’s pretty strict (at least with the legion) and strong-willed. she has a hard time trusting people from her past experiences and is also very mature. these are 100% ravenclaw traits and i’m kinda simping over reyna jsut thinking about this rn wHaT iS hApPeNiNg

will- hufflepuff. fight me if you disagree. weehawken, dawn. guns, drawn. the end.

some more characters! (just not with an explanation bc i’m lazy)

grover- hufflepuff

thalia- slytherin

rachel- gryffindor

luke- slytherin

calypso- slytherin

octavian- slytherin

lester- hufflepuff

meg- gryffindor

magnus- hufflepuff

samirah- gryffindor

alex- slytherin

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amplesalty · 4 years

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TV Binging: The Umbrella Academy - Season 1 (2019)

Not ‘The Umbrella Chronicles’ as I keep calling it in my head for some reason...

With the recent announcement of Season 2’s arrival in July, what better time to finally dip into the Netflix original that has been lingering in my watch list since its debut on the service last year. I knew this had something of a superhero vibe going into it but I was surprised at how relatively mundane it is, at least to begin with.

The start of the show covers the reuniting of a former group of heroes brought back together by the passing of their Father and tutor. Think of it as the X-Men except Professor Xavier is a really pushy Hollywood parent, though I don’t think even Joe Jackson went as far as to lock one of his kids in a mausoleum for days on end. The outpouring of emotion is more skewed towards bitterness over their mistreatment growing up, pushed to extremes in the name of enhancing their powers and bereft of any emotional support from him. I dig the idea, with the explosion of comic book movies over the past 20+ years they’re normally more focused on big action set pieces so it’s neat to have this more dramatic look at how these characters have been shaped by their upbringing.

To some extent I think it’s something Luther as the de-facto leader of the group comes to experience as the show moves along, having to make choices that are hard for everyone to accept but I guess that’s something you have to do as a leader sometimes, not everyone is going to like it but you have to do these things for the good of the unit even if they can’t see it in that moment.

That’s not to say the series doesn’t quickly evolve into a bigger overarching story of an impending apocalypse which the group are destined to band together to fight. It’s actually a lot like Heroes in that respect; visions of an apocalyptic future, that apocalypse brought on unwittingly by a developing power, a shadowy agency manipulating events in the background, deceitful relationships...

Though, even if that one particular relationship was built on a foundation of lies, it would still be one of the more relatively normal ones playing out on this show. I mean, you have Five and his mannequin dummy, Hazel and the old lady who runs the doughnut shop and, of course, Luther and Allison.

Luther and Allison are two of the titular Academy who were amongst a group of some 40+ kids all mysteriously born at the same time across the world to mothers who weren’t pregnant at the time. The way they present that at the start is rather amusing, with these two rather coy teenagers sneaking a kiss under the nose of a strict swimming teacher, only for the girl to suddenly start giving birth in the pool. It’s like the fruition of every overly strict mother’s warnings; “You see, I told you kissing could get you pregnant!”. To that end, they’re not blood relatives or anything so I guess it’s not technically a problem but it’s still really, really weird and even moreso because everyone just seems to know about it and not really bothered by it. At first I thought it was just me reading too much into things, like there’s a flashback to them as kids around the dinner table and they share this smile which, yes on the service is probably not much to go on but even across a near 10 hour long series, these individual moments are there for a reason so it must be leading to something, right? And sure enough, they do eventually kiss in this very cinematic moment where she’s leaving and he makes this last minute plea for her to stay, triumphant music kicks in and they kiss under the moonlight. It reminded me of Clueless where they built up this romance between Alicia Silverstone and Paul Rudd’s characters even though they’re step-siblings. And this is without even mentioning the fact that Luther is some degree of man/ape hybrid after he was injected with some mysterious serum in order to save his life following a botched mission. Massive hairy upper body going on that he’s naturally a bit wary to show off. If you at least shaved I think you’d pass as halfway normal, if people can get past the whole hench body/tidy head combo you’ve got going on. Dude looks like a Goomba from the Mario movie.

Even though there are six of these main characters around (well, seven including Ben but only Klaus can see him), they do tend to stick within these little groups or pairs so you see a lot of the same recurring interactions like Luther and Allison or Klaus and Diego. Makes things interesting when you get these odd combinations interacting for a change. Klaus tends to get around a bit though, which is good, I really like him. Definitely very quirky with his personality and dress sense but I’d say he’s up there as one of the characters that undergoes the most growth throughout the series. It’s cool to get an understanding as to why he is the way that he is early on but also see him develop and realise some of the potential that he never even knew he had. On the surface the ability to talk to the dead is perhaps not the most practical of abilities, he’d probably be at the back of the line if Superman or Captain America were picking out heroes for their teams, but he puts it to practical use during his kidnapping and even taps into his hidden potential in the finale.

I am curious as to where things are going in Season 2 as the finale here felt more like pressing the reset button than anything. I would assume they’re not going to spend a massive amount of time re-treading old ground though and some greater threat will emerge as the protagonist. Like, the Handler was kind of a peripheral figure so maybe she’ll be a bigger part or someone else from the Commission. Hazel and Cha-Cha had their moments but always felt like they were walking the line of serious threats and incompetence. I suppose that’s not massively out of place for the show though, it does waver between tones often, perhaps most jarringly between the end of episode 8 and the start of 9. Especially with how prevalent the act of binge watching has between, to go from the dramatic conclusion of 8 to seeing Marry Poppins stand ins flung through oversized Lego blocks at the start of 9 is certainly quite a shift.

#TV Binging #the umbrella academy

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missjosie27 · 5 years

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Year 1 Part 1: Arrival at Hogwarts

A boy of average build, bright hazel eyes, dark brown hair, and a naturally illuminated face took in the scene around him.

David Grant couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer grandiosity of the institution he would be calling ‘home’ for the next seven years of his young life.

Jacob had been right. You really had to see Hogwarts to believe it.

So overwhelmed was the young wizard, he almost forgot to pay attention to a rather stern looking late middle aged witch dressed in light green robes and a tall pointed hat. Though not frightening, she certainly gave off the impression of being ‘no nonsense.’

“Welcome to Hogwarts,” she said in a short, brisk tone. “I am Professor McGonagall. Before you take your seats, we must sort you into your houses. There are four houses of which you may be selected- Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin, each one representing a characteristic or trait. Be aware that these houses will be something of a second family to each of you. Faithful deeds and achievements will earn points, while dissidence and failure to act accordingly will result in the loss of said points.”

She paused for a brief moment, as if entertaining the notion any of the bright eyed first years in front of her might be brave enough to ask a question.

“Now, I will call each of you by name and when prompted will come up to the stool to be sorted.”

David, young and inexperienced as he was, knew this much. Jacob had told him about that part when he was a little kid…before he had disappeared that was.

Jacob was the teasing sort of older brother, not a bully, but also the type that never withheld a chance to remind his sibling just how ‘little’ he was. Therefore, whenever he had questions about Hogwarts, he wouldn’t get very many specific answers. Practically a hero in his eyes, David’s ignorance of his brother’s true machinations while at Hogwarts remained unknown to him until the Daily Prophet ran its headline one fateful morning. Only then did big questions about what he had been up to form in his mind.

Even so, David knew enough about Hogwarts that the place was HUGE and from the looks of things that wasn’t the only impressive aspect of it. A nighttime sky hung over like a vast sparkling canopy of stars and constellations, candles hung in the air, suspended in place by some spell he did not yet know (his parents had been rather strict on no magic outside of school). But he was also aware of the prying eyes of the older students, even ones not even a year older than him. The brother of Jacob Grant wasn’t stupid. He knew the moment his name was called, the whispers and pointing would commence. Fortunately, he knew how to deflect such gossip- be quick with a joke and a smile.

Disarm them before they even get a chance, he thought to himself, easing out a breath he had been holding for a little longer than previously realized.

His thoughts were interrupted by a loud, raspy voice that seemed to originate from a dusty, brown looking hat.

Come on and see

You were meant to be

And my job quite key

To peer inside

Look and find

Which house you will reside

The lion’s den

Or Slytherin?

Either one will do

Perhaps Ravenclaw?

A badger’s crawl?

Which one is for you?

So don’t be shy

The time is nigh

To begin your schooling days

Let’s have a chat

About all that

And send you on your way

The song was quite short, but the rest of the students began clapping loudly as if it were the greatest hymn in the world. He could hear a red headed boy next to him mutter, “So that’s what Bill meant by a song.”

In any case, the sorting began without another moment as Professor McGonagall began reading out the names.

‘Badeea Ali’

A girl wearing a kind of strange scarf covering over her head David had never seen before walked towards the stool where McGonagall placed the hat on her head. It only took a matter of seconds before it called out ‘RAVENCLAW’

The third table from the right erupted in cheers as the girl gave a bright smile and headed towards her seat.

‘Charles Billingsley’

An awkward looking blonde boy with shoulder length hair shuffled on over and did the same as Badeea Ali. The hat took longer this time, but only just slightly.

‘HUFFLEPUFF’

The fourth table to the left erupted in cheers.

‘Ben Copper’

If the previous boy had appeared awkward, this one was downright terrified. He was sandy haired, with brown eyes, and a body language that practically reeked he didn’t want to be here in the slightest. Nevertheless, he took his place on the stool.

This time, the hat wasn’t so decisive. It took its time and the longer it stood on the boy’s head the more frightened he became. After what seemed like close to two minutes it finally belted out loud.

‘GRYFFINDOR’

The third table to the left immediately stood and hollered, notably much louder than the other two tables had. David knew that was the house Jacob belonged to and it had a reputation for bravery and boldness- that or obnoxiousness depending on who you asked. Jacob, ever the daredevil was a perfect fit, until the day he was expelled of course, in which he became vilified forever. He idlely wondered if he was destined for the same house as his brother.

After a tall black boy named Andre Egwu was sorted into Ravenclaw it was his turn to be sorted.

‘David Grant’

On cue, the whisperings and gossip began.

“Did McGonagall just say ‘Grant’?”

“Is that the brother of the guy who went missing?”

“I heard he went crazy trying to break some curse.”

He gave no outward sign the chatter bothered him, instead casually hopping the steps towards the stool. It may have been his imagination but he swore he saw some of the Professors at the head table give some whisperings as well. Professor McGonagall, however, gave the smallest of smiles, a gesture that David appreciated. He could do this. He’d made it this far hadn’t he? He wasn’t about to back down.

Feeling the hat being placed on his head, a quieter version of the noisy rasp entered his mind as though it were coming from his own conscious.

Well THIS is interesting. You are David Grant, the brother of Jacob.

‘That’s my name last time I checked.’

He hoped the attempt at levity wouldn’t be missed by that hat. Indeed, the old piece of topwear seemed to be amused in its tone.

Apple didn’t fall far from the tree did it? And not just in terms of humor. He too, was difficult to sort.

‘We’re not entirely alike. For example, I happen to know I’m much better looking.’

You are quite the young wizard, aren’t you Mr. Grant? I see great things in your future, indeed. The only question is where to place you.

David thought for a moment, briefly unsure himself. Though not averse to any house in particular (except Slytherin), he could remember the crimson and gold colors that adorned Jacob’s room when they played together. Being a Gryffindor was a sense of pride for both brothers, but the question was, would they have him if the hat chose as such?

You worry what they’ll think of you? The hat probed.

‘Who wouldn’t? Doesn’t mean I’m going to act like a bloody prat am I?’

Indeed, you have quite the determination, Mr. Grant. The mind is keen and you certainly don’t lack ambition despite your dislike of Slytherin.

David’s heart skipped a beat. The hat really wouldn’t put him there, would it?

But I think your intentions are quite clear. Best of luck in GRYFFINDOR!

The third table from the right, rather than shunning him, hollered and whooped as loud as ever as Professor McGonagall lifted the hat, allowing him to join his newfound companions. Several shook his hand, and although a few were a bit apprehensive, the response was by and large a positive one as a great relief fell from his shoulders.

The rest of the sorting seemed to go by quicker after that. Various first years, most of whom he didn’t recognize, were assigned to their respective houses. The good news was that Rowan, the only friend he had made thus far, was also sorted into Gryffindor and he happily plopped down beside him. The last to go was an olive skinned boy named Talbott Winger, who went to Ravenclaw.

Soon afterwards the murmur of the crowd hushed into nothingness as tall man with a long white beard and royal purple robes stepped to the podium. David didn’t need anyone to tell him who this was- Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the most powerful wizard of his time.

“Welcome all, to another fantastic year at Hogwarts!” he said in a clear but calming tone that indicated a great deal of warmth yet also wisdom. “To our returning students I say ‘welcome back’, to our newest students I say, we are all quite pleased to see you here. Now, I could continue with an old man’s babble but for now the only statement I wish to say is this- enjoy.”

Food practically sprouted from the plates themselves as an array of dishes were eagerly fed upon by the hungry teens and preteens in their midst.

For his part, David was quite thrilled. Nothing could beat his mum’s cooking back home but this definitely appeared to be a close second. Without wasting any time, he dug into some chicken and mashed potatoes.

“I can’t believe this, Dave!” Rowan nudged him excitedly. “We’re both in Gryffindor. And from what I’ve read, mealtimes happen exactly like these three times a day!”

“At least someone’s excited,” moaned the boy across from them, whom David recognized as Ben Copper from the sorting. “I’m not even sure I belong here.”

“You belong here,” cut across another voice near them and they turned to see a tall, lanky red headed boy with shoulder length hair giving them an encouraging smile. “Anyone sorted into this house is here for a reason. My name is Bill, Bill Weasley.”

He extended his hand which all three boys took, even Ben.

“Thanks, Bill,” Dave thanked. “I take it you’re no first year.”

“Third,” he laughed. “So I’m not that far off from where you are. But if you have any questions let me know. Hogwarts can be a little bit intimidating at first.”

David could tell Rowan was already awestruck and it wasn’t hard to see why. Anyone observing Bill could tell he embodied a very laid back, cool personality, one that was bound to attract other students, especially impressionable ones like Rowan.

“By the way, this is my little brother, Charlie,” Bill said indicating another red haired boy, one who was much shorter and stouter and had a mouth full of chicken leg. Nevertheless, he smiled and shook everyone’s hand as well.

“Yu dun haf to ca me iffle ah no,” he said through his stuffed face.

“Easy does it there, Charlie. Mum will have my head if you choke on your first day.”

The younger Weasley gave an enormous swallow and replied more clearly.

“I said, you don’t have to call me little, you know. I’m only two years younger. And what was that rubbish about a song?”

“What do you mean, rubbish? It was true wasn’t it?”

“Yeah but you made it seem like a weird test or something.”

“Didn’t want to spoil the surprise,” Bill winked. “Anyway, you’ll be glad it’s just two Weasleys at Hogwarts for now. Believe me when I say our family is quite the crowd.”

David laughed as he nudged Rowan.

“Told ya it wasn’t going to be so bad.”

“We got sorted into the best house too!” he replied enthusiastically. “I can’t wait to dig into the entire extensive history of Godric Gryffindor!”

“How bout saving the books until tomorrow?” David teased. “Have a leg.”

“Don’t mind if I do!”

The meal continued for another hour or so while the students stuffed themselves to their hearts content. By the time it was over, David had more than his fill and was feeling a tad lethargic.

The leftovers vanished and this time Dumbledore reappeared at the podium.

“Another excellent feast if I do say so myself,” he said cheerfully. “However, before I send you off to bed, I must make a few annual announcements. The first, to our first years, the Forbidden Forest is strictly out of bounds to any student of any age here. The second, is Mr. Filch, our caretaker has updated his list of banned items to one hundred and twelve at last count. Anyone desiring to know the specifics can see the posting on his door. Be on the lookout for Quidditch tryouts which Madam Hooch will be post to the board in a couple weeks’ time.

“Lastly, I would like to extend a personal word to all of you. It has been three years since Voldemort’s defeat, and we are currently living in a time of extraordinary peace. But even peacetime can bring its own challenges. I implore you all to take the opportunity that many did not receive for many years and take advantage of what this place can offer you, both as a student and as a person.”

With that, he clapped his hands twice.

“Off to bed you go. Prefects, please escort the first years to their dormitories.”

And with that the crowd of students made for the Great Hall exit, the first years hanging back to find their respective prefects.

“Gryffindor first-years!” a female voice called out. “Over here!”

The ten combined male and female students rushed around a teenage black girl of average height and build, her prefect badge glistening with authority.

“I’m Angelica Cole,” she said kindly. “I’ll be your prefect this year and as such it’s my job to make sure you know your way around while simultaneously preparing you for life here at Hogwarts. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Follow me.”

She proceeded to give them a grand tour, purposefully lagging behind the other students, whose knowledge of the castle was no doubt sufficient to find their respective dormitories.

“Be aware that the staircases change constantly,” she explained to them as they made their way to Gryffindor Tower. “Some of them have trick steps, while others move during certain times in the day. Once you get your class schedule, memorizing it will be helpful in navigating them.”

“That sounds scary,” Ben spoke aloud softly.

“It’s no big deal once you get used to it and find your way around,” Angelica smiled.

David for his part, wasn’t overly concerned as he peered over the railing.

“Wonder what would happen if you dropped a rotten apple from this far up,” he cracked while Rowan, Charlie, and another Gryffindor boy snickered.

“Moving on,” Angelica said clearing her throat. “You’ll find that there is a unique way of entering Gryffindor Tower. I cannot stress enough that no one is allowed to bring a member of another house into our common room.”

Soon enough they came across a portrait of a rather plump lady in a pink dress who seemed to be expecting them.

“Password?”

“Carpe Vinum.”

The portrait swung open, revealing an entrance way to a much larger room. Inside was a sight not quite as grandiose as the one in the Great Hall but no less intriguing- the common area consisted of an assortment of comfy armchairs, pillows, couches, and fireplaces, complete with desks and a bulletin board. Upon the mantle sat the portrait of a lion, surrounded by many large windows that had a view of the grounds down below.

All in all, it was better than David ever could have hoped.

“This is the common room, where you are free to study, play games, or relax as you see fit,” Angelica told them. “Upstairs are your dormitories with boys being on the left and girls on the right. Speaking of which, it is late, and you all have classes tomorrow. Please come to me if you have any other questions. Good night!”

They did as instructed and were almost to their respective rooms when the first test of Hogwarts confronted David Grant. A third year, returning from brushing his teeth took a sour look in his direction and remarked.

“I can’t believe they let you in here. Especially after your mad brother almost single handedly ruined us.”

David, for his part, was not one to be offended easily, even when it came to snide remarks about his brother. He had heard it his whole life, but Rowan of course did not know this.

“Back off!” he shouted at the third year. “David’s going to be one of the best Gryffindors there ever was.”

Touched by the display, he knew Rowan getting beat up on the first night at Hogwarts wasn’t in anyone’s best interests. Best to laugh it off in the best way he knew how.

“It’s okay, Rowan. Look at the bright side, I could be in this house and look like freckles here at the same time.”

That brought another round of laughter, including some from inside the third year dormitory.

The boy flushed red and muttered something that sounded like ‘first years’ before slamming the door shut.

“That’s the way to handle a bloke like that,” David said to Rowan. “Humor is a great tool to have at your disposal.”

“Can you teach me?”

“It’s more of a natural skill if you ask me.”

Truth be told, however, that kind of deflection was years in the making, a constant practice of hiding his true feelings on the subject. Because reality was, despite being able to laugh off most things that came his way, there was still a longing within the recesses of his heart. He loved his brother and would give anything to see him again. Hogwarts wasn’t just the start of a second home, it seemed as though it gave new life and possibility to find out what happened to Jacob.

His mother’s words echoed to stymie that notion.

‘David John Grant, listen to me. Your father and I do not want you going on some ludicrous adventure to find your brother or these cursed vaults he was supposedly after. Do you understand me?’

‘Mom…’

‘Do you understand me?’

In the end he acquiesced to mum’s demands because one did not tell a witch like Heather Grant ‘no’. When she meant business, you had best adhere her words.

That didn’t make them any easier to follow, however.

“Hey, Dave.”

He saw Charlie nod towards him as he put up a poster.

“Don’t pay any of these people any kind of attention. If they’re going to blame you for what happened with your brother, they’re dumber than a sack of dragon dung.”

David nodded in appreciation.

“Thanks, Charlie. Speaking of dragons, that’s quite a poster you got there.”

“Isn’t it amazing?” the red head said proudly, as the photo of the Hungarian Horntail moved about menacingly, occasionally breathing fire. “Someday I’d like to train one of those beauties.”

“I’ll stick with safer jobs,” another voice interjected. “Namely things people actually want.”

An Asian preteen extended his arm out as David took it.

“Jae Kim at your service. I’ve already taken a brief glance at Filch’s list and I sense an opportunity. You know what they say when something’s been banned.”

“What’s that?”

“A market develops for it. And I’ve got my eye on items I suspect the student body will be keen to get their hands on.”

Charlie chuckled, while Ben pulled the blankets over his head, not wanting to hear about anything that was possibly illegal.

“Good night, Dave.”

“Good night, everyone.”

Soon, the light was extinguished and the boys on their way to sleep. For his part, David couldn’t help but think back to Dumbledore’s speech. Was he warning them in some way? Or merely issuing a challenge? Either way he didn’t feel up to it, even with the hoopla surrounding him and his brother.

Achieving some measure of content, aided by the still large amount of food in his belly, the eleven year old drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

#hogwarts mystery #david grant #story #charlie weasley #bill weasley #rowan khanna #ben copper #jae kim

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doodlelolly0910 · 5 years

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Love Don’t Cost a Thing

Summary: Emma thought she was living her happily ever after until she wasn’t. Now Neal is living his with someone else and Emma has a plus one option to the wedding from hell but no one to fill the space. Enter Killian Jones, devastatingly handsome male escort and the answer to Emma’s problems. She hires him for the wedding because he’s the safe choice. The temporary choice. Falling in love wasn’t on the invoice.

You can also find this on AO3 and FFN!

A/N: So this is a day late, I’m sure you’ve noticed, and I am so super sorry for that. These last couple of days have gotten away from me and my attention was on a billion other things. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it cuz it’s (fake) date night part one! Woo! Super huge thanks to @superchocovian for being an awesome beta for this story (her help was seriously invaluable) and also to @artistic-writer who makes the AMAZING art specific to each chapter for this fic. And she took time out to be my third set of eyes on this fic as well! Basically, she’s the best. And thanks to y'all for reading this! Your comments really make my day and I’m so glad you’re liking it so far. Thanks so much!

Chapter 4

Emma had taken the rest of the week off from the office, working from her laptop at home when necessary and forwarding her calls to her cell, but things were thankfully quiet. Perks of being your own boss. She’d barely been able to get her kid at the table with a bowl of cereal and a cup of reheated coffee into herself, looking forward to a relaxing morning before she dropped Henry off with Elsa that afternoon so she could go meet Killian, when there was a knock at her door. Groggily, she dragged herself to the door to answer it, regretting it immediately once the door swung open.

“Good morning, sunshine!” Ruby singsonged, grinning from ear to ear. Emma shook her head, not sure if she was actually seeing Ruby, or if she was hallucinating.

“Ruby, it is nine in the morning. How are you even functional?” Emma asked and Ruby scoffed, pushing her way into the apartment.

“I was supposed to work the breakfast shift this morning. Granny scheduled Ashley too and we were a little slow so she told me to go. So I thought I’d do brunch with my favorite Swans,” she said, making her way into the kitchen and ruffling Henry’s hair.

“We’re your only Swans, Aunt Ruby,” Henry said rather than a greeting, mouth full of Cocoa Puffs. Emma gave her son a warning look for talking with his mouth full and he ducked his head with a small smile.

“That doesn’t make you any less my favorite,” she replied, fixing herself a cup of coffee.

“I can’t, I’m supposed to meet-” she stopped short and glanced at her son, realizing she almost mentioned Killian in front of the curious boy before changing course and continuing, “uh, someone for coffee at two.” Ruby’s answering smile could have powered Times Square.

“Oh my god! What are you going to wear?” she squealed.

“I don’t know, just whatever, I guess. It’s just coffee,” Emma said dismissively, definitely not wanting to discuss her potential fake date clothes with the Queen of Fashion Ruby Lucas. She really didn’t want to discuss this at all in front of Henry.

“Just coffee?” She wrinkled her nose in disapproval. “Is it too late to turn this into a dinner date? Ooh, we could go shopping!”

“You’re going on a date, Mom?” Henry asked as he placed his bowl into the kitchen sink. If Emma’s eyes got any wider, they would have fallen out of her head. She looked, terrified, between Ruby, whose face was coloring rapidly, and her son, whose eyes were looking back up at his mother expectantly.

“I mean, it’s not really a date, per se,” she said evasively. Her son quirked an eyebrow, a behavior she knew he got from her, that said he did not believe her in the slightest.

“Just tell him, Emma,” Ruby said softly. Emma glared at her friend who looked apologetic but encouraging all at once.

“Tell me what…?” Henry asked slowly. Emma let out a large sigh, gripping her son lightly by the shoulders.

“Yes, I’m going on a date, Henry,” she said softly. Henry's face fell slightly.

“Oh.”

This wasn’t the reaction she imagined. She thought there would be a reaction, at least.

“Are you okay with that, Henry?” Ruby asked. Henry nodded, eyes cast to the floor.

“Hey, what’s the matter, kid? You know you can talk to me,” Emma prompted, kneeling to the floor in front of him. He brought his hazel eyes up to meet her jade and Emma was surprised to see there were tears gathering at his lash line.

“Dad is dating Tamara and he doesn’t want to spend time with me anymore. And now you won’t either,” he said, lower lip starting to wobble. Emma felt like someone punched her in the gut. Fucking Neal. She shuffled closer to Henry, and put her hands firmly on his shoulders.

“Henry, listen to me very carefully. No matter how many dates I go on, no matter what happens in my life, even if I'm dating, you will always be the most important person in it. I will always have time for you,” she said, meeting her son’s watery gaze.

“You promise?” Henry whispered. Emma nodded immediately, earnestly.

“Swear,” she whispered back, then seized her son in a fierce hug, which he returned just as tightly. Emma heard sniffling behind her and found Ruby with her back turned, wiping furiously at her eyes. When the brunette turned back around, her heavy makeup was smeared, making her look slightly raccoon-ish. Emma stood and faced her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” Ruby said, and Emma knew she meant it. She softened and hugged her friend. They pulled apart and Ruby looked at Henry, smiling gently. “What do you say I treat you and your mom to lunch in the park and your mom can reschedule her date for tonight, and while she’s doing that, you can spend the night at Aunt Ruby’s?” Emma made a noise of protest at the sudden change before her son cut in.

“Really? Can we stay up late and watch a movie? With popcorn?” Henry asked excitedly.

“Whatever you want, buddy. As long as it’s okay with your mom,” she added and Henry looked up to his mother, eyes shining brightly.

“Please, Mom? Please?” he begged and Emma couldn’t say no to the look on his face. If Killian was busy, she would just occupy herself another way.

“Alright, kid, turn off the puppy dog eyes. Go get dressed and then we can go in a little bit. I’ve got a couple calls to make and then we can go in a little bit,” she said and Henry whooped before running to his room.

“I’m gonna go clean all this up,” Ruby said, waving a splayed-finger hand in the direction of her face and the ruined makeup on it. “Be back in a sec.” Emma nodded and retrieved her phone as soon as she left the room to call Killian. He answered on the second ring.

“Swan,” he said in greeting. “I was just about to call you. Are we still on for coffee, love?”

“Hey, yeah, uh, so something came up and I don’t think I can make coffee this afternoon but I wanted to see if you were free tonight? For dinner…” she added unnecessarily. There was silence on the other end of the line. “What am I saying, of course you’re busy, uh, forget I asked. We can do something another time,” she babbled.

“Swan!” he interrupted. “I was just surprised, is all. I have no plans. I would love to take you out for dinner, on one condition,” he said and Emma held her breath. “You let me plan the evening.”

“I can plan a date,” she grumbled.

“Oh, of that I have no doubt, Swan, but I know how to plan an evening as well, and I have something in mind. Trust me?”

“Okay,” she relented after only a moment. “My son will be at my friend’s house tonight so you can just meet me here. I’ll text you the address.”

“Sounds perfect, love. I’ll pick you up at seven,” he said. Emma confirmed and hung up as quickly as she could, her heart pounding in her chest harder than she expected it to.

This felt a lot like a real date, and that prospect terrified her. If she was going to do this, she might as well do it right though. She didn’t know if she had anything remotely date worthy in her closet besides the red dress he had already seen her in.

This was getting too close to real.

Before she could expand on that thought, Henry, fully dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, and Ruby, makeup now immaculately back in place, reentered the room.

“Looks like it’s just you now, Emma. Get dressed and we can go get some grub,” she instructed.

“Yeah, about that,” Emma said, pausing to chew her lip nervously. “What if we made this a shopping-slash-lunch date after all?” Ruby’s face lit up like Christmas.

“Of course! I am so excited!” She rushed Emma back to her room to get ready to go.

Eight hours, two pizzas, seven stores, and an anxious mess of an Emma Swan later, it was six thirty. Emma paced the floor as Ruby followed her around, holding up various pieces of jewelry against the black lace dress she was wearing. The gold slip layer underneath just barely peeked through the sheer black fabric, the skirt swishing around her thighs. The sleeveless design gave her the option to wear her red leather jacket with it, but she probably wouldn’t. It was warm outside and the jacket was a little bulky. She should be fine.

“I think just the earrings, don’t you think?” Ruby held up a pair of dainty dangling silver earrings and Emma nodded absently. Ruby frowned. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Just nervous, I guess,” she said. Although, why she was nervous, she had no idea. This wasn’t a real date, as she had reminded herself several times throughout the day. Ruby smiled gently and fluffed the golden curls cascading over Emma’s shoulder.

“Don’t be nervous. You’re going to knock his socks off,” she replied with a grin.

“You should be gone already,” Emma said, diverting the conversation away from herself. “He’s going to be here in half an hour and Henry is supposed to be gone.”

“I know, I know, I just-”

A sharp knock sounded from the front door. Emma looked at the clock (6:49 it read), then back to Ruby. Where had the last nineteen minutes gone?! Emma looked at Ruby, panicked.

“It’s fine. It’s okay, just breathe, I’ll keep Henry in the bedroom until you leave and I’ll lock up after I go,” Ruby soothed and then darted off towards the bedrooms. Emma put her earrings in as she walked and opened the door to a sinful looking Killian Jones.

Clad in black head to toe, he looked every inch as gorgeous as the day at the diner almost a week ago. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, the button down front open a few buttons below the collar but above the ‘v’ of where the black leather waistcoat wrapped around his middle. His jeans were just on the right side of tight and Emma could see why he had chosen the profession he had. The man was walking sex if she ever saw it.

“You look stunning, Swan,” he murmured genuinely and Emma smiled softly back.

“You look…” she trailed off, lost for words.

“I know,” he replied, a cheeky grin creeping over his features and Emma rolled her eyes.

“I just need to grab my purse and we can go,” Emma said, turning away.

“Mom?” A small voice came from the direction of the kitchen and Emma felt her heart drop into her stomach.

“Henry!” Ruby’s voice came from the direction of the bedrooms on the other end of the apartment, but it was too late. Henry walked towards his mother, a green plastic cup of water in his hand.

“Is this him?” Henry asked archly, appraising Killian from head to toe. Emma flushed bright red and she sputtered a few vowel sounds out, not knowing how to respond. Before she could fully answer, Killian was sinking down on one knee in front of the boy.

“Hello, Henry, I’m Killian,” he said, holding out his hand for Henry to shake. Henry looked at his outstretched appendage for a moment before grasping it in his tiny hand that wasn't occupied with his cup and shaking. “That’s quite a grip you’ve got lad,” Killian said with a smile.

“Are you taking my mom on a date?” he asked, still wary of this strange man in the doorway, setting his drink on the table next to him. Emma and Ruby both stood frozen, unsure of what to do.

“Aye, lad. If it’s alright with you that I borrow her for a few hours, of course?” It came out as a question, putting all the power in Henry’s hands. Henry contemplated it for a moment.

“What are you guys gonna do?” he asked. Killian smiled warmly at him.

“Well first,” he pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing the single red rose in it that Emma hadn’t noticed before, “I’d like to give this to your mum.” He looked up at Emma but didn’t rise, only extending his hand to offer her the flower. She accepted it with shaking fingers. “A beautiful flower for a magnificent woman,” he said to Emma, adding a wink. Emma flushed the color of the rose at the display. “Then, I’d planned on taking her for a nice meal and I thought we would do some stargazing,” he continued. Alarm bells were going off in Emma’s head.

Did he do this with all of his clients?!

A soft “Aww!” came from Ruby in her corner and Emma shot her a death glare.

“Are you gonna kiss her?” Henry asked, face twisted in disgust at the thought of kissing, making Emma’s head snap back to the scene before her.

“Perhaps, if she wants to be kissed. But I promise to return her home to you no later than eleven,” he said, holding up his hand in a vow.

“That’s late,” Henry said. “But I’m spending the night at Aunt Ruby’s tonight. So I won’t be here. We were supposed to leave already but Aunt Ruby goes crazy when she gets to dress my mom up.” Killian laughed at that.

“Well she has dressed your mother very nicely tonight, don’t you think?” he asked, a twinkle in his eye as his gaze swept appreciatively over Emma’s form.

“Mom always looks pretty. But she is really pretty tonight,” he said and Emma smiled at her son’s words. Killian slowly rose from the floor and brushed the wrinkles from himself.

“Aye, that she is. I think it’s about time we go, lad. By your leave, of course,” Killian said.

“I guess so. But if you make her cry like my dad, my uncle David will beat you up,” Henry said seriously and Emma wanted to dissolve into the floor. Killian looked back at Henry just as seriously.

“I have no intention of ever hurting your mother, Henry, you have my word,” he promised. Henry seemed satisfied with his answer and nodded before wrapping himself around his mother’s waist. Emma hugged him back tightly, cradling his head close to her stomach. Ruby met them in the entryway and took the rose from Emma's hand to go put into water.

“Be good for Aunt Ruby,” she said, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. He unwrapped himself and gave her a small smile before walking over to where Ruby was setting the flower on the kitchen counter.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!” Ruby called out to them and Killian chuckled next to Emma.

“Nice to see you again, Ruby,” he called back to her, placing his hand on the small of Emma’s back. Her skin tingled at the contact, even through her clothes.

“Call me if you need anything, I’ll have my phone on,” Emma said and Ruby rolled her eyes.

“I’ve watched Henry a thousand times before Emma. Get outta here. Have fun!” she practically commanded, steering Henry out of the room by his shoulders, leaving Emma and Killian alone.

Emma looked up at him, frazzled to her core, before snatching her clutch purse from the table next to Henry’s forgotten water cup and darting out the door. She was thankful that went as well as it did, but she was still apprehensive about Killian’s reaction to the whole thing. She supposed she should have been more wary of how easily he slipped into the role of doting boyfriend, especially in front of her son and best friend, but on the other hand, that’s exactly what she was paying him for. At least she was getting her money’s worth.

“I meant it, Swan, you truly look stunning tonight,” Killian said softly to her as he walked closely beside her down the hall.

“Thank you,” she said, feeling his gaze weigh heavily on her skin as they got into the elevator and she pressed the button for the ground floor. “And thank you for being so nice to Henry. I really appreciate that. I didn’t mean for that to happen.”

“So I gathered, love,” he replied with a chuckle. “It was no problem. Henry is a wonderful lad.”

“He is,” she agreed with a fond smile. “But still, you shouldn’t have had to put on an act so soon. I wasn’t planning on having people over when you arrived.” He looked at her her, a puzzled expression sweeping over his face as the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

“An act?” he asked. “Did I say something wrong?” His genuinely confused tone gave Emma pause as they left the building. She stopped and looked up at him in the moonlight.

“No, no, you said all the right things, it’s just, you know, this isn’t real,” she said, the words feeling a lot more blunt in her mouth than intended. Killian’s face softened and a flash of something close to longing flickered through his gaze.

“I’m aware, Swan, but I didn’t need to put on an act. Everything I said to the lad was true, love,” he told her, and Emma’s eye widened as his words sunk in. Before she could protest (or run back upstairs and away from this), he replaced his hand at the small of her back and guided her to a car that was parked on the street. Emma stopped dead in her tracks at the vehicle.

This is a seriously nice car, she thought to herself, looking over the gunmetal gray and black striped ‘68 Chevelle parked on the curb. She shouldn’t have been surprised. A guy that looks like Killian Jones and does what he does can afford a car like this. He didn’t seem to notice how enamored she was with his vehicle as he swept around her and opened the passenger door with a bow.

“Your carriage, milady,” he said, smiling. Emma suppressed a smile of her own, thanked him softly, and sat down in the passenger seat. The inside of the car was just as nice, well maintained, and it all looked original. Emma was a big fan of the vintage vehicle already.

Killian came around and got in the driver’s seat, smiling widely at her, and started up the car. Emma clenched her thighs together at the low rumble of the engine. Holy shit this was a sexy car. About as sexy as the man driving it. Wait, what?

She chanced a glance at Killian, his blue eyes intently focused on the road, the sunset illuminating his features perfectly. The orange light highlighted the ginger whiskers in his beard and his hands were locked loosely around the steering wheel, his forearms flexing whenever they made a turn. He was painfully attractive.

In another life, maybe, she thought wistfully.

“Admiring the view, love?” He smirked and Emma blushed at having been caught staring.

“I was just wondering how a guy gets a car like this,” she deflected easily. His expression sobered slightly with the question and he took a deep breath.

“She was my father’s car. He left when I was eight. My mother gave her to me for my sixteenth birthday and I restored her myself,” he said, pride swelling in his tone.

“‘Her’?” Emma teased and Killian looked at her slyly from the corner of his eye.

“Aye. Sleek, beautiful, powerful, The Jolly was bound to be a woman.” He winked.

“‘The Jolly’? You named your car?” she asked and Killian’s cheeks developed twin red spots on the apples of them that sent a thrill through Emma. Now it was her turn to make him blush.

“Aye,” he admitted. “I’ve always had a fondness for pirates, and what better name for the finest vessel in all the lands than The Jolly Roger?” A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips and Emma couldn’t help but smile back as they pulled into the parking lot of a very chic looking restaurant Emma had never been to before.

Wonderland was a building made of glass and wood that was set against the backdrop of the nearby harbor. Emma was immediately taken aback by the upper class atmosphere. She didn’t think at any point in her life she had been to a restaurant this nice. Growing up in foster care didn’t afford her those kinds of luxuries, and struggling with Neal, there was never another opportunity. She did well for herself now, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to drop $100 a plate on cuisine. Killian seemed to sense her apprehension and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her close.

“Trust me,” he murmured in her ear before pulling away to open the door for her.

When they entered the room, Emma had to stifle a gasp. There was a huge chandelier hung in the center of the room, bathing the space in a soft glow. There were several people dining already, all of them dressed to the nines, leaving Emma feeling slightly inadequate. The black and white decor was very modern chic and there was a large white piano in the center of the room where soft music was being played by a man in a tuxedo, complete with top hat. Killian led her past the several people waiting straight to the hostess podium. There was a slightly bored looking blonde who couldn’t have even been 21 yet making notes in the reservation book, but her eyes lit up in recognition as Killian and Emma moved closer.

“Mr. Jones! It’s been forever!” she gushed and Killian gave her a fond smile.

“Grace? Look at you! I can’t believe how grown up you are!” Killian grinned and the girl stepped around the podium to accept a hug from him. “Home from university, then?” he asked and Grace nodded.

“Only for the summer. Freshman year was amazing, but I missed home. And you know Dad, he gets a little crazy when I’m not close.” Grace rolled her eyes and Killian chuckled.

“He loves you very much. And I’m sure he’s thrilled you’re home.”

“He’s around here somewhere, let me go grab him and we can get a table set up for you and your… date?”

Killian reached for Emma automatically.

“Where are my manners? Grace Hightopp, this is the lovely Emma Swan,” he introduced the two and Grace beamed at Emma, reaching out to shake her hand. Emma had remained in awkward silence to this point, but returned the handshake warmly.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said.

“It’s so good to meet you, too! You are really pretty, Killian is a lucky guy!” she replied and Emma felt a deep flush settle under her skin. It seemed ‘tomato’ was the shade she would remain at for the evening at least. “I’m going to go get my dad. I’ll be right back!” Before they could reply, Grace scurried off in the direction of the piano.

“This is a lot, Killian,” Emma murmured after she left, shifting on her feet. Killian looked down at her, studying her expression.

“I know it seems that way, Swan, and I'm asking you to put your trust in me often tonight, but there's nowhere else I could take you that would be what you deserve,” he said so sincerely that Emma's breath caught in her throat.

“I've never been somewhere this nice,” she admitted softly.

“You deserve it, love,” he insisted, sparkling blue eyes boring into her anxious green. “And it's my treat.”

“Well, technically, it's mine,” she muttered, thinking of the envelope tucked into her purse. His expression wavered slightly at that, almost ashamed, and Emma felt slightly guilty at the unintentional barb.

“Killian Jones!” A bright voice rang out over the din of conversation and clinking utensils around them, breaking the awkward tension that had settled between the two. The man with the top hat who was playing the piano previously made their way towards him, Grace by his side, grinning broadly.

“Jefferson,” Killian greeted, a smile of his own in place, and the two men seized each other in a hug that only two good friends would share.

“It’s been way too long, my friend. How's Liam?” he asked, his tone serious, as they broke apart. Killian's expression turned slightly forlorn.

“He's doing better. Much better,” he said, something darker and pained flitting over his features.

Emma studied him, concerned. She had yet to see him anything but bright, happy, and flirtatious. Tonight, though, he had been an array of emotion, and she felt almost as if she was seeing Killian Jones for the first time. She briefly wondered who Liam was, and what happened to him, but now was not the time or place to ask.

“That’s very good,” Jefferson replied, clapping Killian on the shoulder. “Bring him in sometime, yeah? And who is this?” he said, not unkindly, turning his attention to Emma with a wide smile.

“This is Emma Swan,” Killian said, looking down at her affectionately, leaving Emma feeling unsettled and warm.

“Mr. Jones’ date,” Grace piped in helpfully. Jefferson gave his daughter an adoring smile before his grin turned sly as his eyes, then his head, turned towards Killian.

“Enchante, mademoiselle.” Jefferson scooped up Emma’s hand and bowed his head to it, leaving a firm kiss on the back of it. “Such a pleasure to meet you.”

“You as well,” Emma returned politely. “This place is… amazing,” she complimented, gesturing to the restaurant.

“It’s my greatest accomplishment in life. Next to my Grace, of course.” He released Emma’s hand and pulled his now blushing daughter close by her shoulders. “She’s going to be a lawyer, you know,” he said, his chest puffing out with pride.

“If I survive regular college first,” his daughter said, embarrassed.

“Nonsense. You’re a Hightopp. You can do anything,” he scolded playfully. “Let’s get you two set up for your meal then, eh?” He turned his attention to a nearby waiter and gave instructions to lead them to a table. “On the house, Jones! Your money's no good here!” Jefferson commanded with a wave and a wink over his shoulder as he walked back to the piano in the middle of the room. Emma looked up at Killian who looked just as surprised as she felt. The waiter gestured for the two of them to follow him.

“I honestly didn’t expect that, Swan, I swear to you. I’m not trying to seem cheap,” he insisted as they walked, his hand once again finding its place on her lower back as if it belonged there.

“Killian, trust me, the last thing you seem in a place like this is cheap,” she said with a chuckle, trying to ease his tension. She felt him relax slightly and he stepped around her to pull out her chair for her as they reached the table. She gave him a thankful glance that quickly turned exasperated when he waggled his eyebrows at her. The Casanova mask was back in place. Instead of seating himself across the table from her, as expected, he chose the seat next to her, scooting the chair closer. The waiter waited patiently to the side, placing menus in front of them.

“What can I start you with?” he asked, pad and pen at the ready.

“Whatever dry white you recommend, and a glass of water please,” Emma asked, looking at Killian for his turn.

“Just a water for me, with a slice of lemon,” he said, tongue playing at the corner of his mouth, eyes never leaving Emma’s. She glanced down at her menu to avoid the intensity of his gaze, thankful for the cover it provided over the flush creeping up her collarbones. The waiter smiled and made his way to fill their drink order, leaving the two of them alone again.

The sounds of the other diners in the restaurant surrounded them, breaking through the silence that had descended between them. Emma hemmed and reached for her purse on the table next to her, Killian’s eyes following the movement.

“So,” she pulled the plain white envelope from the clutch and slid it across the table to him, “here is half of what we agreed on. Like a down payment, I guess? And I will give you the rest when this is done. Is that agreeable?” Killian arched a dark eyebrow and pulled the envelope to him, slipping it into the inner pocket of his vest. His face gave away nothing of what he was thinking and he barely gave the envelope a second glance.

“That’s fine, love, as I said. No rush.” He smiled at her warmly and reached over the table space to cover her hand with his, the metal of his rings smooth against her skin. Her brow furrowed as she surveyed his lack of expression.

“You’re not going to count it?” she asked curiously. He hummed an almost laugh and his blue eyes crinkled in levity as he shook his head.

“I trust you, Swan,” he said dismissively. “It’s not of any consequence. I’m enjoying your company and I don’t want to sully the mood by focusing on the business angle of this arrangement.”

“There is no other angle, Jones,” she reminded him. “This effectively is a business meeting.” Killian’s smile faded a bit at her words, but he recovered quickly with a nod.

“So you keep reminding me, darling,” he said, a sour note coloring his words that he was obviously trying to hide. Emma found herself equal parts intrigued and surprised that this continued happening when they spoke. As if he wanted more…

“Okay! Here are your waters,” a voice said, and Emma looked up to find the waiter had reappeared and was now setting two glasses on the table, one garnished with a lemon slice, then turned to wheel a bucket of ice closer, an expensive looking bottle of wine nestled among the cubes. “The bottle is at the insistence of Mr. Hightopp,” he said with a grin as he pulled it free, uncorking it with a flourish. “Would you like to sample it before I pour?”

“No, no, this is fine, I’m sure,” Emma protested, and the waiter didn’t seem fazed at all as he turned over the wine glass in front of her and poured. “That’s plenty, thank you.” She stopped him about midway. He smiled with a nod.

“Tonight’s specials are oysters on the half shell with a ceviche topping, and a smoked salmon and citrus salad with poppy seed dressing. Are we ready to order?” he asked, removing the pad and pen from the black apron at his waist and looked at them intently. Killian placed his folded menu near the waiter and Emma did the same.

“The salad is fine, please,” Emma said and the waiter hurriedly scribbled it down, looking to Killian next.

“Aye, the oysters sound perfect,” Killian replied.

“Very good, I’ll have those out for you in just a bit.” And then he was gone before they could even thank him.

“Are you sure you don’t want any wine? I can’t possibly drink that all by myself,” she said, lifting her glass to her lips. Flavor exploded on her tongue with just the small sip and her eyebrows shot up on her forehead. “Plus, that is really good.” She put her glass down and licked her lips, savoring the taste. She looked back to Killian, his eyes now a shade darker and fixed to her mouth. It was almost as if he had to force his gaze back to meet hers.

“Ah, no, love. I’m fine. Driving,” he reasoned with a shrug. “You can have as much as you like.”

“Trying to get me drunk, Jones?” Emma teased and Killian brightened at her tone.

“Afraid you'll find me even more irresistible after a few libations, love?” Killian's grin was downright lascivious. Emma rolled her eyes and took a long pointed drink from her glass.

“I think you're safe from my wanton advances,” she snarked. Killian chuckled.

“Of course, Swan. All business, I've forgotten myself,” he teased back and sat straighter, knitting his nimble fingers together. “Have at it, then. Tell me everything I need to know.” Emma was slightly taken aback by the change in course from flirty to business, but she cleared her throat and sat a little straighter herself before speaking.

“Alright, then. I think we should keep things as close to the truth as possible. That should make this whole thing easier. We met in a bar, you offered to buy me a drink, I hated your horrible pick up lines, but thought you were cute enough that I called you the next day and we've been seeing each other in secret ever since.” She nodded briskly, satisfied with this story.

“You think I'm cute?” Killian's eyes were glittering with mirth, making Emma groan.

“That would be the part you picked out. This is serious.”

“Of course, love, apologies. And what of this ex boyfriend? Neal, was it? What do I know of him?”

Emma shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his name, the jab at Neal's maturity not going unnoticed.

“Ah, well… obviously you know he's Henry's father.”

“And he is clearly a sodding imbecile for tossing you aside after ten years and a child together,” he nearly growled, and Emma's head popped up at his change in voice. He seemed to remember himself fairly quickly and smiled at her again. “Go on,” he encouraged.

“Uh, yeah. Well, nine years. I'd been with him since I was seventeen. Ran away from foster care and met him while I was trying to steal a car. One he'd already stolen and was sleeping in the backseat of.” She couldn't help the embarrassed chuckle that spilled from her lips and avoided Killian's gaze as she took another sip of liquid courage.

“No family, then, love?” he asked softly and Emma felt unbidden anger rise up in her chest.

“Hey, I have family,” she snapped, stabbing her finger into the tablecloth to mark her words. “I have a brother and friends and Henry and they're all the family I need. Blood doesn't mean shit.”

“I meant no offense, Swan, truly,” he said soothingly, taking her hand in his again and unfurling her tightly grasped fingers. He smoothed his fingertips over her palm. “I've little family myself. My own brother is the last bit of blood I have left. I understand. Please, continue.” His eyes were large and sincere and Emma felt herself relax slightly.

“Yeah,” she cleared away the tightness in her throat with a cough, “well, David's not my blood either. We were in foster care together. He looked out for me, I looked out for him. We reconnected after Henry was born while Neal was gone but I was stupid and almost lost him again a couple of years ago.”

“When Neal was gone? I thought you've only been separated for a year?” he asked, confused. Emma blushed again.

The waiter picked that moment to return to their table. He deposited their plates in front of them and quietly excused himself, seemingly noticing he was intruding on a sensitive moment.

“Uh, ha. I keep revealing these things to you out of order. Let's just start from the beginning,” she said, pushing the food around on her plate. “Just… let me get it all out, though, okay? It’s not a fun story to tell, and I don’t think I’ve told it to anyone all at once.” Killian nodded, his expression serious, and when Emma was sure he wouldn’t interrupt, she began.

She told him everything, from the fact that she was found on the side of the road as a newborn, and never met her parents, to bouncing around in foster homes, to allying with David, meeting Ruby and Elsa, to meeting and falling in what she thought was love with Neal. She told him about almost giving Henry up, Neal leaving and returning, cutting out her friends for him, and working her ass off for a better life because she wanted to give him what he wanted. She told him about Tamara. She told him about the affair and how soon he proposed and sent out wedding invitations. She told him everything.

By the end of it all, Killian had pushed their untouched plates aside and took one of her hands in both of his. She was trembling, having just relived some of her worst moments in life. Killian had listened in rapt attention to all of it, his eyes lighting up in fury in some moments, darkening in sorrow the next, even twinkling with affection and fondness when she spoke of her brother and friends. But never pity. And, true to his word, he never interrupted. It felt very… freeing to tell someone without judgement or fear of repercussions.

“So that's it. Now you know it all,” she said with a forced lightness in her words. She smiled tightly at him. He regarded her for a long moment and she tried not to squirm under his gaze.

“Tell me a good memory you had. One memory that doesn't involve someone else. Just you,” he said suddenly, taking her by surprise once again. Out of all the things he could have said, she wasn't expecting that. She thought for a moment.

“I remember the first time I went to the beach,” she said, eyes glazing slightly at the memory. “I was fourteen and I remember we travelled three hours to the Maine coast in a minivan that smelled like wet dog and throw up with six too loud kids piled on top of each other. The sky was getting overcast by the time we got there, and we almost turned around and went back to the group home. One of the counselors convinced the other that we came all this way so we might as well enjoy it while we could. I remember the second my feet hit the sand, I was running. I ran until my toes hit the water. I'd never felt so free and happy. It gave me something to hang on to, and I escaped to the beach whenever I could. It still makes me feel free.”

“That's what makes you amazing, Swan. You can always find the light in the darkness,” Killian replied, smiling warmly at her. She blushed, and picked up her fork and they ate in companionable silence, Killian's hand still wrapped firmly around hers.

#cs ff #chapter four #4/12 #escort!killian #LDCAT #love don't cost a thing

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bussanbaby · 6 years

Text

happy birthday to the one and only Magnus Bane! ✨

Magnus sets the potion recipe down in the safe corner of his working table, far away from all liquid ingredients, then sets to work. It’s a simpler one, with only ten or so steps involved - he’ll probably be able to knock it out in under an hour and then leave it to simmer for the rest of the day.

His apothecary smells pleasantly of all the herbs spread over the table and hidden away on shelves, and of aged paper, filled to the edges with ancient knowledge. It feels homely - the crackling flames in the fireplace warm up the room, despite the thick snow outside, already piling on the windowsills; right then, the world feels quiet and peaceful, as if it was sleeping in the wait for spring to visit.

As expected in the early days of December, the entirety of New York is covered in a layer of white fluff, delighting children and the more lighthearted adults, curls of frost climbing up the windows. Magnus pauses gathering small jars to glance outside, the same kind of calm happiness pumping through his veins; it’s the first Christmas he and Alec get to spend together however they wish to, whether it’s with fairy lights and dressed-up trees or just with them, thick blankets and eggnog-flavored kisses.

The thought pulls a smile onto his face as he uncorks the brown bottle containing mistletoe berries; maybe he should hang some mistletoe, keep all of the kitschy, but well-loved mundane traditions for his own enjoyment and the prospect of Alec kissing him under it with a blush high on his cheeks.

Magnus’ many previous Decembers weren’t bad, some were quite the opposite, but they weren’t this either - he hosted parties and met up with his dearest friends, but it’s been a while since he’s had someone living with him, someone who loved him just as much as Magnus loved them, someone to share the deepest parts of his soul with.

He’s so lost in his own musings, deftly measuring out all the components, that he almost misses the three rhythmic knocks sounding out against the door. Magnus’ gaze flicks up from a tin of rose buds to watch Alec’s head poke into the room, snow melting in his hair and cheeks red from the cold. His gaze sweeps over the space, snagging on Magnus, a smile already lighting up his face.

“Hi there. Am I interrupting?”

“Hello, darling. You’re never interrupting, come on in,” Magnus answers, rounds the table to meet Alec halfway. They share a hello kiss, a short little peck, Magnus’ palm coming up to rest against Alec’s cheek, while his chilled hands sneak beneath the edge of Magnus’ sweater. “Your nose is like an icicle.”

The words prompt Alec to nuzzle closer, press his cold skin against the warmth of Magnus’ neck just out of spite; it pulls a surprised laugh from Magnus, sends a wave of shivers down his back. Magnus shakes off the snowflakes from Alec’s hair, combs his fingers through it out of habit before they’re face to face again; he feigns offense at the assault, but Alec only rolls his eyes in a silent reply.

He looks more excited than usual, a slight smile pulling at the corners of his mouth as if he has a secret he can’t wait to share; it probably has to do with the black bag hanging from his wrist, the glimmers of light from the flames reflecting on the sleek surface each time Alec moves his arm. He takes half a step back and sighs, eyes soft as they hold Magnus’ gaze.

“You are the love of my life and the most wonderful man in the world. You’re the person that made each second of my life so much more since I’ve met you, someone that inspires me to do better every day and someone I would do anything for. I would give you the sky and all of the stars in it that don’t measure up to how bright your eyes shine,” Alec pauses, reaches out to take Magnus’ hand in his, thumb rubbing gently over knuckles. “There are not enough words in the dictionaries of all languages to express how much you mean to me and that all I want is for you to be happy,” His smile widens into a full-blown grin, tenderness and awe and devotion shining in his eyes. “I love you so much, Magnus Bane, happy birthday.”

Magnus has completely forgotten about what the eighth of December has meant for him; after four hundred years, it has gotten lost in the influx of clients and all of the chores as the High Warlock of Brooklyn. Listening to Alec’s words, he’s stunned speechless, his lips parted around questions he never says - he feels each sentiment echo deep in his heart, nestle itself into Magnus’ memory for him to look back onto in the days that feel bleak.

He swallows past the thick lump in his throat, shaking his head minutely without even noticing. Only his Alec can make birthday wishes for an immortal warlock feel like something more, like a poetic promise of more years to come, of a forever wrapped in a declaration of love. It rushes in like a wave, all the affection for this hazel-eyed, honest man Magnus has fallen so quick for.

“Thank you,” Magnus says quietly, tugs his hand free and instead wraps his arms around Alec’s torso, chin hooked over his shoulder. He can feel the residual winter cold seep through the sweater, but he doesn’t care as Alec hugs him back just as tight, leaning his temple against the curve of Magnus’ head. They stay like that for a couple of breaths while Magnus gathers all the emotions threatening to burst out of him - he’s surprised and a little out of the loop, but also the happiest he’s been this entire week.

Intrinsically, Magnus knows in his heart how much Alec cares about him, but experiencing it firsthand like this is always new to him, another first to add to the collection of all the unforgettable moments they’ve shared.

“I love you, too,” He adds earnestly, overwhelmed by it all in the best way possible.

“This is not the end. I’ve also gotten you something, hope you like it,” Alec says with laughter in his voice, letting the bag in his hand knock gently against Magnus’ shoulder.

With a huff, Magnus takes it, trying to see past the wrapping paper, not being able to help his curiosity.

“You shouldn’t have,” He half-heartedly admonishes, because really, he doesn’t expect gifts, but Alec has made a habit of giving him small trinkets and anything that reminds him of Magnus, which is just the sweetest. Magnus keeps them all in his office or the apothecary, little reminders of them both and all they’ve done together.

“But I wanted to. Now open it, pretty please?” Alec motions with his hands towards the bag, head tilted like a puppy.

Tossing aside the bag, Magnus realizes the gift is quite heavy and definitely shaped like a rectangle. With a strong inkling of what it might be, he unwraps the last layers of paper past the golden ribbon; as expected, it’s a book.

But it’s not your usual cooking guide or even that first edition novel - it’s a white raven of spell books, one Magnus has had his eyes on for years, but never got around to chasing it down. He drags careful fingertips down the aged leather binding, admiring the intricate embroidery and all the faded colors in the lines of thread.

As Magnus opens the spellbook, he feels Alec’s eyes on him, watching for a reaction. How could he not love this? The pages are yellowed, but in an amazing condition, brimming with powerful magic. Eyebrows up by his hairline, Magnus shoots Alec a glance, finding him grinning with satisfaction.

“How?” He asks simply, tone incredulous and elated at once.

Alec hums nonchalantly, arms clasped behind his back in parade rest. “You mentioned it to me once, then I pulled some strings and cashed out some old favors.”

Magnus laughs quietly, more breath than actual sound. He has gone on a tangent about the book, mentioned it being auctioned off in Auckland, New Zealand almost two months ago. It hasn't occurred to Magnus that Alec would chase after it as a gift, but here he is, holding it in his very own hands.

“I don’t even know what to say.” Magnus' eyes flicker between the spells and Alec’s bright smile. “How many more surprises have you got up your sleeve?”

“Stick around and find out,” Alec teases, looking like the cat that got the cream as he sways back and forth on the balls of his feet.

“Oh, I’m planning to, don't you worry.” Magnus sets down the spellbook on his worktable, letting his fingertips linger on it just a bit longer. While his back is turned, Alec comes up behind him, arms wrapping around Magnus’ waist.

He presses a soft kiss to the back of Magnus’ neck, the tip of his nose brushing through short hairs. “Also, I booked your favorite restaurant for seven o’clock. Dress to impress, as you always do, since all your closest friends are going to be there.”

Magnus’ eyes flutter closed, thankfulness and love melting together into something soft and beneath his skin. He imagines Alec organizing it all without Magnus catching on, quiet phone calls and those little notes he always makes in the margins of his notebook.

“Duly noted,” Magnus nods, sighs as he turns in the circle of Alec’s arms. “Thank you, again.”

Tipping his chin up, Magnus catches Alec’s mouth in a kiss, long and warm and conveying all the things Magnus doesn't have the words for right now. When they part, Alec steals another brush of lips, all breathless and starry-eyed.

“Don’t thank me, seeing you smile like this is all I wanted.”

#malec #shadowhunters #posibane #blushyalec #hwob #magnusragnor #magnusbaene #belovedbane #userri #userria #hufflebee #gayndsoft #magnusbanne #my fics #happy birth to the magic man

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willreadforbooze · 4 years

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Hello boozie readers!

Reminder:Our Will Read For Booze twitter account (formerly Sam’s personal account) is going to be dedicated to the whole blog! So go check us out kthxxxx. While that’s amazing, Sam has to start from scratch on a new account, let’s show her some love huh? Check out her new account TheBooktender_ She’ll love you forever and ever.

Linz’s Updates

A missive from the holiday front lines: Decorations are finally up, and this is the year we bake nothing and throw money at the problem. Also saw Knives Out and it was excellent. Also ate a pretzel the size of my head.

What Linz read:

Strangers and Cousins by Leah Hager Cohen: Family and friends come together in a small New York town for a daughter’s wedding. Also there’s a group of ultra orthodox Jews moving into the town. I dunno, it was a little boring and I just don’t think the discrimination issue addressed held up for 2019? It definitely felt like a mediocre indie film – not a lot happens and you’re not really satisfied at the end.

The Wicked Wallflower by Maya Rodale: Romance novel about a young woman who tricks a lord into a fake engagement. The writing wasn’t terrible, the romance was eh, could have definitely used some steamier sex scenes. What I’m super pissed about is that the lord is into modernization and tries to get funding for what’s effectively the early version of the calculator in the 1820s. The thing is Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace would come up with this idea like a decade later, and this could have been a REALLY great opportunity to have the heroine be an Ada Lovelace-esque character…and nothing. Lovelace doesn’t even get a shoutout in the book’s end notes, which pissed me off because Lovelace’s name is easily discovered if you do 5 minutes of research on Babbage.

What Linz didn’t finish:

There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool: One prophecy and the seven people whose paths cross to either fulfill it or ruin it, something like that. So much wading through telling language for the worldbuilding, and so much barely veiled versions of real places that it feels like the author kinda just Googled faraway countries and dropped in 3-4 things that kinda represented it?

What Linz is reading:

Dress Codes for Small Towns by Courtney C. Stephens: Coming of age story about a a tomboy trying to discover her sexuality. I’m actually not sure how I came across this book but I”m very excited for it.

Minda’s Updates

Starting the countdown: six weeks until baby. And wine.

What Minda finished:

The Wicked King by Holly Black – So so good! In the next saga of the series, Jude grapples with her newfound power and love interest in Faerieland—but with an increasing number of enemies she needs to be watching her back. Oh, there will be a review.

What Minda is reading now:

Dark Age by Pierce Brown – It’s definitely taking some time to get back into the Red Rising series—sooo many characters that I can’t remember. An author on Twitter recently recommended that all books in series start with a “Last time on…” section and um can we totally make this a thing? Please?

Ginny’s Updates

Guess who’s tired!

Finished:

The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst: Going to write a review of this, but Daleina has a small amount of talent to control the sprites that cause most of the problems in their country. She ends up going to a magic school where she works incredibly hard but always seems to fall short of others natural talents.

Cowboy Christmas Redemption by Maisey Yates: Fun fact, I already wrote a review about this one. It’s part of a blog tour so keep your eyes out soon. Caleb was the person who helped Ellie get through the death of her husband (who was his best friends) years later, she asks him for help fulfilling a Christmas list to help her get back into the dating game.

Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh: This is book is number 10 in a series and all I can say is finally! Sierra, a young-ish Psy that defected, and Hawke, the leader of the clan, are finally getting their story told. The book told an interesting tale of the difference in decisions between brain and heart. 4/5

Currently Reading:

Darkdawn by Jay Kristoff: Still working on this one. I want to read it, I just haven’t been in a reading mood when I’ve had the book on hand.

The Night County by Melissa Albert: This is the sequel to The Hazel Wood. I’m glad I get the chance to revisit this world. So far we’re back in New York while Alice tries to figure out life. A strong start.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I know, this is a lot of books to read at once, but this book was going to disappear from the library so… I started this book and was kind of bummed at the premise. I’ve read a lot of books where the young reporter gets called in to write a story with no concrete reason why they were chosen. But this book is so so worth it. I’m not super far in, but Evelyn is in incredibly interesting character.

Sam’s Updates

I feel like a broken record but I had one hell of a work week. This week should be better though because the clients are out of town and I have time to catch up!

What Sam read this week:

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer: This is the sequel to A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I didn’t love the first one (check the review here). This went about how I guessed. Full review to come.

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo: I loved this! I was surprised at how much I loved this paranormal contemporary fantasy but I did. Check our Linz’s drunk review!!!

What Sam’s currently reading:

Graceling by Kristen Cashore: I am WAY behind the band wagon on this one. In this story, Katza is a Graceling (one with magic) and in her country, they are “given” to the king to use as he will. Her grace is murder… so you know how that goes. Anyway, in secret, she starts an organization called The Council to actually do some good. While on a mission she runs into another Graceling man. The mission actually creates more questions than answers, Katza and Poe (the other Graceling) go on an adventure to get their answers. I’m really liking this. I’m listening on audio and it’s fully casted and has some sound effects and I am LOVING it so far. It has some problematic elements, but I’m still liking it.

Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim: I’ve barely started this, but it seems like one story is about a person who’s spent the last 7 years working on a debtor’s ship and a merchant’s son. They havent met up yet, but I’m assuming they will soon.

Until next time, we main forever drunkenly yours,

Sam, Ginny, Linz, and Minda

Weekly Wrap Up: Dec 1-8, 2019 Hello boozie readers! Reminder:Our Will Read For Booze twitter account (formerly Sam's personal account) is going to be dedicated to the whole blog!

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booksclevernessblog · 6 years

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I hope everyone who celebrates had a great Christmas!

I can’t believe I’m writing this — 2018 is looming…waiting in the wings…right around the corner! It’s practically here! I’ve been pretty out of the loop for the latter half of 2017, but I have managed to find a LOT of 2018 releases to anticipate (surprise, surprise!). All of my 2018 anticipated releases aren’t here; I wrote another post in October featuring some more!

But before I get on my list, I’m going to book-push the one 2018 release that I have already read and ADORED! The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert! I’m sure you’ve heard about it by now. The hype has been huge surrounding it, and extremely well-deserved. It made its way on to my favorites list immediately after I finished reading it. Think the magic of The Night Circus, meets YA fairytales!

Now, on to the books! I’ve sorted them by month and release date so you can easily plan your book-buying!

January

Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

To be published January 23, 2018, from Razorbill.

Odessa is one of Karthia’s master necromancers, catering to the kingdom’s ruling Dead. Whenever a noble dies, it’s Odessa’s job to raise them by retrieving their souls from a dreamy and dangerous shadow world called the Deadlands. But there is a cost to being raised–the Dead must remain shrouded, or risk transforming into zombie-like monsters known as Shades. If even a hint of flesh is exposed, the grotesque transformation will begin.

A dramatic uptick in Shade attacks raises suspicions and fears among Odessa’s necromancer community. Soon a crushing loss of one of their own reveals a disturbing conspiracy: someone is intentionally creating Shades by tearing shrouds from the Dead–and training them to attack. Odessa is faced with a terrifying question: What if her necromancer’s magic is the weapon that brings Karthia to its knees?

—

2nd: The Lost Season of Love and Snow by Jennifer Laam 4th: The Fandom by Anna Day 23rd: Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra

February

I Stop Somewhere by T.E. Carter

To be published February 27, 2018, by Feiwel & Friends.

Ellie Frias disappeared long before she vanished.

Tormented throughout middle school, Ellie begins her freshman year with a new look: she doesn’t need to be popular; she just needs to blend in with the wallpaper.

But when the unthinkable happens, Ellie finds herself trapped after a brutal assault. She wasn’t the first victim, and now she watches it happen again and again. She tries to hold on to her happier memories in order to get past the cold days, waiting for someone to find her.

The problem is, no one searches for a girl they never noticed in the first place.

TE Carter’s stirring and visceral debut not only discusses and dismantles rape culture, but it also reminds us what it is to be human.

—

6th: All We Can Do Is Wait by Richard Lawson

March

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

To be published March 6, 2018, by Henry Holt BFYR.

Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic. Burners ignited flames, Tiders beckoned waves, and Zelie’s Reaper mother summoned forth souls.

But everything changed the night magic disappeared. Under the orders of a ruthless king, maji were targeted and killed, leaving Zélie without a mother and her people without hope.

Now, Zélie has one chance to bring back magic and strike against the monarchy. With the help of a rogue princess, Zélie must outwit and outrun the crown prince, who is hell-bent on eradicating magic for good.

Danger lurks in Orïsha, where snow leoponaires prowl and vengeful spirits wait in the waters. Yet the greatest danger may be Zélie herself as she struggles to control her powers—and her growing feelings for the enemy.

—

6th: In Search of Us by Ava Dellaria 6th: To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo 20th: Orphan Monster Spy by Matt Killeen 27th: Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood 27th: In Her Skin by Kim Savage 27th: Not If I Save You First by Ally Carter

April

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

To be published April 24, 2018, by Wednesday Books.

Seventeen-year-old Eelyn’s world is war. Raised to fight alongside her Aska clansmen in a generations-old blood feud against the Riki, her life is brutal but simple: fight and survive. Until the day she sees the impossible on the battlefield—her brother, fighting with the enemy—the brother she watched die five years ago.

Faced with her brother’s betrayal, she must survive the winter in the mountains with the Riki if she wants to make it back to the fjord after the thaw. But when she begins to see herself in the people she’s been taught to hate, the world Eelyn once knew begins to crumble. And after the village is raided by a ruthless clan many believe to be a myth, Eelyn is given no choice but to trust Fiske, her brother’s friend who has tried more than once to kill her. Together, they must end the blood feud between their clans or watch their people be slaughtered.

A lush, Viking-age inspired fantasy about loyalty, forgiveness, and the definition of family.

—

24th: Stay Sweet by Siobhan Vivian

May

Fatal Throne: The Wives of Henry VIII Tell All by Candace Fleming

To be published May 1, 2018, by Schwartz & Wade.

The tragic lives of Henry VIII and his six wives are reimagined by seven acclaimed and bestselling authors in this riveting novel, perfect for fans of Wolf Hall and Netflix’s The Crown.

He was King Henry VIII, a charismatic and extravagant ruler obsessed with both his power as king and with siring a male heir.

They were his queens–six ill-fated women, each bound for divorce, or beheading, or death.

Watch spellbound as each of Henry’s wives attempts to survive their unpredictable king and his power-hungry court. See the sword flash as fiery Anne Boleyn is beheaded for adultery. Follow Jane Seymour as she rises from bullied court maiden to beloved queen, only to die after giving birth. Feel Catherine Howard’s terror as old lovers resurface and whisper vicious rumors to Henry’s influential advisors. Experience the heartache of mothers as they lose son after son, heir after heir.

Told in stirring first-person accounts, Fatal Throne is at once provocative and heartbreaking, an epic tale that is also an intimate look at the royalty of the most perilous times in English history.

—

29th: Listen to Your Heart by Kasie West

June

My Plain Jane by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton

To be published June 26, 2018, by HarperTeen.

You may think you know the story. After a miserable childhood, penniless orphan Jane Eyre embarks on a new life as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets one dark, brooding Mr. Rochester. Despite their significant age gap (!) and his uneven temper (!!), they fall in love—and, Reader, she marries him. (!!!)

Or does she?

Prepare for an adventure of Gothic proportions, in which all is not as it seems, a certain gentleman is hiding more than skeletons in his closets, and one orphan Jane Eyre, aspiring author Charlotte Brontë, and supernatural investigator Alexander Blackwood are about to be drawn together on the most epic ghost hunt this side of Wuthering Heights.

—

5th: Save the Date by Morgan Matson 26th: Now You See Her by Lila Michaels

July

Gracy and Fury by Tracy Banghart

To be published July 24, 2018, by Little, Brown.

In a world where women have no rights, sisters Serina and Nomi Tessaro face two very different fates: one in the palace, the other in prison.

Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace–someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir’s eye, it’s Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding.

Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.

—

31st: The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas 31st: Sea Witch by Sarah Henning

August

These Rebel Waves by Sara Raasch

To be published August 7, 2018, by Balzer + Bray.

Adeluna is a soldier. Five years ago, she helped the magic-rich island of Grace Loray overthrow its oppressor, Argrid, a country ruled by religion. But adjusting to postwar life has not been easy. When an Argridian delegate vanishes during peace talks with Grace Loray’s new Council, Argrid demands brutal justice—but Lu suspects something more dangerous is at work.

Devereux is a pirate. As one of the outlaws called stream raiders who run rampant on Grace Loray, he pirates the island’s magic plants and sells them on the black market. But after Argrid accuses raiders of the diplomat’s abduction, Vex becomes a target. An expert navigator, he agrees to help Lu find the Argridian—but the truth they uncover could be deadlier than any war.

Benat is a heretic. The crown prince of Argrid, he harbors a secret obsession with Grace Loray’s forbidden magic. When Ben’s father, the king, gives him the shocking task of reversing Argrid’s fear of magic, Ben has to decide if one prince can change a devout country—or if he’s building his own pyre.

As conspiracies arise, Lu, Vex, and Ben will have to decide who they really are . . . and what they are willing to become for peace.

October

The Boneless Mercies by April Genevieve Tucholke

To be published October 2, 2018, by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR).

Farrar, Straus and Giroux has acquired The Boneless Mercies, a genderbent Beowulf re-imagining in which four mercenary girls chase glory and honor by battling a monster that’s been terrorizing a nearby earldom. Publication is slated for Fall 2018.

Sometime in 2018 TBA

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

To be published by St. Martin’s.

Set in a darkly glamorous Paris, the book follows a charismatic but cursed heir of a massive fortune as he plots to steal one of three ancient and powerful artifacts of fate. He and his crew will navigate the elite gatherings of secret occult societies, traveling through Paris’ catacombs where they must confront their worst secrets as well as a destiny they never imagined.

While the latter half of the year is a bit scarce at the moment, I know I’ll be adding more as the year goes on. 2018 is looking like it’s going to be another great year for books! All of the titles highlighted above that also have the synopsis are the books I’m particularly excited about. I’m also thrilled that so many of my favorite authors are going to be coming out with new books this year!

Whelp, this is my last post before the new year, so have a lovely end of 2017! This year definitely wasn’t the best in terms of the world, but my personal year was a great one.

What was the highlight of your 2017? What’s your most anticipated 2018 release?

2018 Releases! They’re right around the corner! I hope everyone who celebrates had a great Christmas! I can't believe I'm writing this -- 2018 is looming...waiting in the wings...right around the corner!

#2018 Releases

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