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twoidiotwriters1 · 3 years

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Written In The Stars CXXXV (Harry Potter xF!Oc)

A/N: :c

Words: 4,500

Series’ Masterlist

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Chapter Thirty-Three: The Battle of the Department of Mysteries.

The group divided in two and she was leading Ron, Luna and Ginny without having a clue of where to run next.

Rodolphus Lestrange suddenly appeared ahead and she silently raised her wand, shooting a bolt of purple lightning directly into his chest.

"You know nonverbal spells?" Ginny panted.

"She can do that since our third-year," Ron responded. "Don't stop running! — Stupefy!"

"And you decide to use them until now?!"

"I've been using them all the time!" Mel argued, shooting towards another Death Eater. "But I'm obviously not going to walk around announcing it!"

She cleared the way and pushed Ginny and Luna through the door, then Ron pushed her and before he could close the door a dark something hit the side of his head and the boy stumbled back. Mel slammed the door close as Ron fell flat on the spot, she kneeled beside him.

She shook his shoulders but nothing happened. Ginny shouted something about footsteps getting closer. Mel pointed to his chest and used a reviving spell to bring him back, Ron's eyes sort of cleared, but only for the briefest moment, he stared at her with a stupid smile.

"Haha... Mel," He giggled. "You have two heads..."

"Great," She groaned. "He's been confunded... At least he's awake — We need to move."

"You go ahead, Luna and I will carry him," Ginny replied, grabbing her brother.

Mel advanced carefully and as quickly as she could, a new pair of death eaters ran into the room and started to throw curses. One charged up to her, caught off guard by his sudden actions, she fell backwards and cut her face with the edge of a table.

"Get off!" She shouted, placing both hands on the man's chest. A burst of energy sent him flying across the room. Mel wasted no time, the other death eater was fighting with Ginny and Luna.

"Reducto!"

The shelf next to him exploded, giving the girls enough time to push Ron out of the way. Mel grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and dragged him to the next room, closely followed by Ginny and Luna.

The group ran all together into the next room. Mel suddenly felt her feet being lifted from the ground.

"Space," She gasped.

But this couldn't be the real thing, since she could breathe and the planets were all her size.

"Avada —"

"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Luna.

Ron was floating around and having a laughing fit; she pushed to get closer to the boy and shield him. A planet exploded a few feet away, she landed on top of Ron, who laughed louder.

"My foot!" Ginny growled behind her.

Mel pushed the hair out of her face.

"Take Ron, you three keep going —"

"But —"

"Do as I say!" Mel yelled as she lifted Ron from the ground with Luna's help. "I don't need to use my wand!"

Ginny ran to the door, broken ankle and everything. Mel forced Luna to walk out of there with Ron, and with both hands, she conjured a stunning spell strong enough to hit the three remaining men. She didn't wait to see the results and turned around, rushing out of the room and slamming the door close.

"Ginny?" Harry's voice took her by surprise. "What happened?"

Ginny fell to the ground and held her leg tightly, Mel walked up to her and crouched.

"Ferula!" She exclaimed, Ginny's ankle quickly got wrapped in bandages.

"I think her ankle's broken, I heard something crack," Luna explained. "Four of them chased us into a dark room full of planets, it was a very odd place, some of the time we were just floating in the dark —"

"Harry, we saw Uranus up close!" said Ron. "Get it, Harry? We saw Uranus — ha ha ha —"

"What happened to you?" Erick asked when he saw her. "You have a huge cut on your —"

"Doesn't matter," She moved his hand away from her face.

"It does matter!"

"Everyone here is hurt!" She replied harshly. "You have a massive cut on your lip — Neville, dear Merlin, Neville's got his nose broken and — What's wrong with Hermione?" Mel walked up to her unconscious friend.

"And what about Ron?" Harry asked them, holding Ron so he wouldn't fall.

"I don't know what they hit him with," said Luna, "but he's gone a bit funny, I could hardly get him along at all... Mel woke him up — It's been lucky that she was with us, she took down three of them at once."

"Harry," Ron snorted, "you know who this girl is, Harry? She's Loony... Loony Lovegood... ha ha ha..."

"We've got to get out of here," said Harry. "Luna, can you help Ginny?"

"Yes," said Luna.

"It's only my ankle, I can do it myself! Mel fixed it!" But even with all the fixing, Ginny couldn't stand on her own.

Harry tugged Ron's arm over his shoulders. Neville pulled Hermione closer and Erick quickly approached to help him. Mel was the only one left who still had no extra weight to carry.

An invisible mantle had fallen onto her unexpectedly, now it was her duty to make sure everyone would leave this place in one piece. She almost wanted to fall to her knees and cry like a baby, she knew that people would eventually need her to lead, but it had been too soon, too sudden.

"There they are!" Bellatrix yelled.

Mel lifted a big magical division between them.

"GO!"

Harry kicked another door open and went inside, closely followed by Erick, Neville and Hermione. Mel started to walk backwards as Luna helped Ginny move forward, trying to maintain the spell for a bit longer. Two figures appeared on her sides, Erick and Harry were back in the room, helping her keep the protection. As soon as they reached the door, Erick yelled 'Now!' and the three of them ran for it.

"Colloportus!" Harry shouted, just in time to hear the adults crash into the entrance.

"It doesn't matter! There are other ways in — WE'VE GOT THEM, THEY'RE HERE!"

"Decide quickly!" Mel yelled. "We can seal all the doors or run, but we have to do it now!"

"We keep going, but we seal half of these first. You and Erick watch over the others," Harry said. "Luna — Neville — help me!"

The three of them tore around the room, sealing the doors as they went: Harry crashed into a table and rolled over the top of it in his haste to reach the next door.

"Colloportus!"

There were footsteps running along behind the doors; every now and then another heavy body would launch itself against one, so it creaked and shuddered. Luna and Neville were bewitching the doors along the opposite wall — then, as Harry reached the very top of the room, he heard Luna cry, "Collo — aaaaaaaaargh..."

"Get Potter!" Bellatrix shouted.

"Stupefy!" Mel said, hitting another death eater across the chest.

"Hey!" said Ron, somehow he'd escaped Erick and Mel's protection. "Hey, Harry, there are brains in here, ha ha ha, isn't that weird, Harry?"

"Ron, get out of the way, get down —"

"Honest, Harry, they're brains — look — Accio Brain!"

"DON'T—" Erick started, but it was too late.

"Ha ha ha, Harry, look at it —" said Ron, watching it disgorge its gaudy innards. "Harry, come and touch it, bet it's weird —"

"RON, NO!"

"Harry, look what's happen — no — no, I don't like it — no, stop — stop —" The tentacles wrapped around his arms and quickly crawled up his chest.

"Diffindo!" yelled Harry.

"Harry, it'll suffocate him!" shouted Ginny, before she could reach her brother a spell got her and she fell unconscious on the ground.

Erick did one swift movement with his wand and the death eater who'd gotten Ginny flew back against the wall.

"STUBEFY!" shouted Neville. "STUBEFY, STUBEFY !"

"Immobulus!"

Mel got the brain around Ron's torso. The thing stopped at once and fell limply on the ground, but Ron was half-gone already. Only Mel, Erick, Harry and Neville remained.

"We cover," Mel said. "You and Neville run."

"But —"

"I can do more than you," She said tensely. "Protect that bloody orb — Do what I say."

Harry and Neville ran while Mel and Erick shot at the adults all the curses they could remember. Some of them bounced on the walls and she realized how dangerous this could be for her fallen friends. She had no option but to follow Harry and Neville so this room could be left alone.

They were back in the room with the stone archway, Harry stumbled down and Neville was nowhere to be seen, the terror in Mel's body started to show through her magic, thin dark lines started to spread around the back of her hands.

"Children, your race is run," Lucius Malfoy pulled off his cloak. "Now hand me the prophecy like a good boy..."

"Let — let the others go, and I'll give it to you!" Harry panted.

"You are not in a position to bargain, Potter. You see, there are ten of us and only three of you... or hasn't Dumbledore ever taught you how to count?"

"There's ford obf us!" Neville shouted from the top of the stairs.

"And I can assure you Dumbledore taught me way more than just numbers," Mel replied, holding her wand firmly.

"Neville — no — go back to Ron —" Harry urged desperately.

"STUBEFY!" Neville shouted, trying to take down as many people as possible, "STUBEFY ! STUBE —"

One man launched over him and seized his arms behind his back.

"It's Longbottom, isn't it? Well, your grandmother is used to losing family members to our cause... Your death will not come as a great shock..." Lucius started.

"Longbottom?" Bellatrix asked in delight. "Why, I have had the pleasure of meeting your parents, boy..."

"I DOE YOU HAB!"

"Someone Stun him!"

"No, no, no... No, let's see how long Longbottom lasts before he cracks like his parents... Unless Potter, Dumbledore and the traitor want to give us the prophecy —"

"DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!" roared Neville, she would've been proud hadn't been for the fact that they were all about to die. "DON'D GIB ID DO DEM!"

"Crucio!"

Neville fell to the floor in agony, Erick tried to curse Bellatrix, but four different death eaters attacked at once. Harry and Mel managed to protect him from most of it, but he doubled abruptly, blood staining his uniform.

"That was just a taster!" said Bellatrix. "Now, Potter, either give us the prophecy, or watch your little friend die the hard way! And eventually the rest of your friends. The nasty traitor will bleed out, and nutty will join us to be the Dark Lord's little pet..."

Harry and Mel stood side by side, it didn't matter how strong she was, she couldn't fight ten people ready to kill. Harry hesitantly stretched out his hand, but before Malfoy could grab the prophecy, the doors burst open and Sirius, Lupin, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley entered the room.

Harry grabbed her wrist and yanked her down, she seized Erick and dragged him too. The three of them crawled all the way up to Neville.

"Are you okay?" Harry shouted.

"Yes," Neville said shakily.

"That was really brave!" Mel cupped his face, examining his injuries. "And really stupid, Neville! You were supposed to stay close!"

"And Ron?" Harry asked them. "And the girls?"

"All out," Erick panted, he was holding onto the side of his body and was getting paler with each passing second. "But alive."

"I don't know how to heal cuts that deep," Mel said in worry. "Stop moving!"

Harry suddenly got lifted onto his feet by a man.

"Give it to me! Give me the prophecy —"

Neville stood up again and stabbed the man's eye with Hermione's wand. He let go of Harry and Mel shouted: "STUPEFY !"

Harry yelled 'Thanks!' as he stood up, but he slipped on Moody's eye, who was now unconscious a few feet away. Dolohov stared at them with a nasty smile.

"Tarantallegra!" He yelled at Neville, making him lose balance. "Now, Potter —"

"Protego!" Harry shouted.

Mel lifted Erick's white shirt that was now sticking to his body and did the first thing she could think of: She cauterised the cuts.

Her friend screamed in pain, she apologized hurriedly and kept going as Sirius and Dolohov fought behind her. When she finished, Erick was no longer conscious. Harry helped her stand and stared at him worryingly.

"He's not bleeding now," She tried to dry her tears, but only managed to smear Erick's blood across her face. "I can't do anything else — I don't know if he'll live..."

"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry yelled over her shoulder. Dolohov fell backwards.

"Nice one!" shouted Sirius forcing them to lower their heads. "Now I want you to get out of —"

Tonks fell a few feet away from them.

"Take the prophecy, grab Neville and Erick, and run!" Sirius ran towards Bellatrix.

"Can you stand?" Harry asked Neville.

"Hang on," Mel pointed her wand towards Neville's legs and ended the jinx.

"Put your arm 'round my neck," The boy told Neville, then turned to her. "You're sure you can take him?"

She pointed at Erick's limp figure and made him float a few inches above the ground.

"I don't need brute force," Mel said, pushing her friend's body forward.

Just as they started moving, Malfoy launched himself towards Harry and both fell onto the ground. Harry kept his hand up in order to not crash the prophecy, Mel let out a growl.

"The prophecy, give me the prophecy, Potter!"

"No — get — off — me... Neville — catch it!"

Harry flung the prophecy across the floor, Neville spun himself around on his back and scooped the ball to his chest. Malfoy pointed the wand instead at Neville, but Harry jabbed his own wand back over his shoulder and yelled, "Impedimenta!"

"Round up the others and GO!" Lupin yelled, standing in front of Malfoy to keep him from attacking.

Neville approached her.

"You grab dis," He handed her the prophecy, surprisingly warm at the touch. "You're a better dueller."

"You're okay?" Mel asked.

"I'b fine," He said fiercely.

"Come on!" Harry yelled.

Neville pushed the Slytherin's floating figure, Mel looked down at the prophecy and froze.

'S.P.T to A.P.W.B.D'

She recognized the initials.

"That's how he knew..." Mel whispered.

"Mel!" Harry yelled.

The prophecy was dangerous and they had almost let it fall onto the wrong hands... but there was a way to make sure this wouldn't happen, and it didn't necessarily mean both sides would lose.

She held the orb firmly and smashed it against the ground.

"NO!"

A white misty figure appeared wearing a pair of glasses that she knew all too well, a triumphant expression appeared on her face while Harry rushed back to her side.

"Have you lost your mind?!"

Her hand now had pieces of broken glass encrusted, but she couldn't feel pain, the adrenaline kept her working, the strange dark lines were slowly spreading across her skin. Harry looked down at her hand and shook his head, still unable to believe what she'd done.

"Let's get out of —"

"Dubbledore!" gasped Neville.

"What?"

"DUBBLEDORE!"

Mel's heart went from being in the depths of despair, to high above the clouds, now they had a chance to leave the Ministry in one piece: Albus Dumbledore had arrived, and he was angry.

It was an impressive display of power. A few death eaters ended up tied and wandless in a matter of seconds. Sirius and Bellatrix continued fighting, not noticing the battle was almost over.

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius taunted.

"He shouldn't be here," Mel pulled a piece of glass out of her palm. "Sirius shouldn't —"

Before she could finish, a spell hit him right on the chest. Sirius' eyes opened in shock as he stumbled back.

Mel was vaguely aware of Harry as he ran down the steps, her body went numb as she witnessed the man falling further into the veil. She couldn't see his face from where she was standing, but she saw his body fall, not quite touching the material hanging from the archway. The veil moved slightly, and then engulfed him.

"SIRIUS!" Harry screamed. "SIRIUS!"

Lupin caught the boy before he could go too far, Mel's fists tightened and she felt the pieces of glass piercing deeper into her skin.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry —"

"Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"

"It's too late, Harry —"

"We can still reach him —"

"There's nothing you can do, Harry... nothing... He's gone."

"He hasn't gone! SIRIUS! SIRIUS!"

"He can't come back, Harry, He can't come back, because he's d —"

"HE — IS — NOT — DEAD! SIRIUS!"

Something inside Mel snapped, the glass shot out of her palm and she walked back into the fight, attacking every dark shape her eyes would encounter.

She wanted to hurt, to make them regret Sirius' death. Dumbledore slowed down her movements when he realized Mel had lost it, the girl looked down just in time to see faint, black lines vanish from her forearms.

Mel wouldn't remember much of it afterwards, all she knew was that her wand was extremely warm once she'd finished with the remaining death eaters and her fingers had a grey mist coming out of them.

"What..." She stepped back clumsily, crashing against her great-uncle.

"I warned you," He said quietly.

"Harry? Mel?" Neville had reached the place where Harry was standing, the boy had an absent look on his face, and he was unable to look away from the archway. "I'b really sorry... Was dat man — was Sirius Black a — a friend of yours?"

Harry nodded, looking completely lost. Mel realized someone had managed to slip away from her outburst: Bellatrix was still fighting with Kingsley. Anger rose up to her chest once more, but Dumbledore didn't let her move forward.

"Let me have her!" She yelled.

BANG!

Kingsley fell flat on the ground, Bellatrix tried to run for it and Dumbledore threw a spell, but she was fast enough to avoid it.

"Harry — no!"

"SHE KILLED SIRIUS!" Harry ran. "SHE KILLED HIM — I'LL KILL HER!"

Mel pushed Dumbledore aside and shouted 'Protego!' before anyone could try to stop them. They ran across the brain room and into the room full of doors, but this time neither Mel nor Harry had time for guessing.

"Where's the exit?!" Harry shouted. "Where's the way out?!"

The door behind them opened and they reached the elevator just as Bellatrix was leaving, Harry pushed the button to call a second lift and once inside Mel crouched, struggling to breathe. She didn't know how she still had the energy to do all this, but she didn't care as long as they could end that woman.

Bellatrix was in the middle of the entrance hall, she threw several spells their way but Mel made them bounce away with flicks of her wrist. However, a potent spell pushed her back, and Harry dragged her behind the fountain before Bellatrix could take advantage of the momentary slip.

"Come out, come out, little kiddies! What did you come after me for, then? I thought you were here to avenge my dear cousin! You were doing so well downstairs, you nutter!"

"We are!" Harry yelled.

"Aaaaaah... did you love him, little babies?" Bellatrix let out a peal of manic laughter. "Well, you're not the little babies, that filthy newborn is! Lucky for us we killed the father before he could ruin it! If we kill the mother too, we could raise their bastard on the right side of the family!"

Mel's stomach dropped, how did Bellatrix know about the baby? Where was her mother?

"Crucio!" Harry stood at the same time as her.

Mel once again lifted a protection spell around them, but this one came out slightly weaker.

"Never used an Unforgivable Curse before, have you, boy?" Bellatrix was now talking to them more like equals and less like infants. "You need to mean them, Potter! You need to really want to cause pain — to enjoy it — righteous anger won't hurt me for long — I'll show you how it is done, shall I? I'll give you a lesson — Crucio!"

Mel pointed her wand to the woman's feet and the ground exploded, causing her to lose balance and stumble back.

"You cannot win against me! I was and am the Dark Lord's most loyal servant, I learned the Dark Arts from him, and I know spells of such power that you, pathetic little children, can never hope to compete —"

"Stupefy!"

"Protego!"

Mel and Harry only had time to crawl back behind the fountain.

"I am going to give you one chance! Give me the prophecy — roll it out toward me now — and I may spare your life!"

"You're in no position to bargain," She said, the same way Lucius Malfoy had done it. "And we have bad news for you —"

"— You're going to have to kill us because it's gone!" Harry said, and he glanced briefly at Mel before wincing in pain. "And he knows!"

Mel couldn't feel this, probably because she was already hurting as well.

"Your dear old mate Voldemort knows it's gone!" He panted. "He's not going to be happy with you, is he?"

"What? What do you mean?"

"Mel smashed it! What do you think Voldemort'll say about that, then?"

The girl raised her injured hand and waved it around.

"See? I crushed that thing until there was nothing left!"

Her hand stung badly and she lowered it to rub it, smearing more blood on her skin.

"LIAR! YOU'VE GOT IT AND YOU WILL GIVE IT TO ME — Accio Prophecy! ACCIO PROPHECY!"

"Liar?" Mel spoke over Harry's insane laughter. "I'm a nutter! Crazy people never lie!"

"Nothing there!" Harry shouted. "Nothing to summon! It smashed and nobody heard what it said, tell your boss that —"

"No! It isn't true, you're lying — MASTER, I TRIED, I TRIED — DO NOT PUNISH ME —"

"Don't waste your breath!" Harry continued as Mel tried to heal her hand. "He can't hear you from here!"

"Can't I, Potter?"

She still remembered him from her visions, but it was nothing compared to the live version.

Tall, thin, and black-hooded, his terrible snakelike face white and gaunt, his scarlet, slit-pupiled eyes staring... Lord Voldemort had appeared in the middle of the hall, his wand pointing at Harry who stood frozen, quite unable to move.

Mel knew then that she would not survive, she was starting to feel tired.

"So you smashed my prophecy? No, Bella, they're not lying... I see the truth looking at me from within his worthless mind... Months of preparation, months of effort... and my Death Eaters have let Harry Potter thwart me again..."

His eyes moved to Mel, she used the remnants of her strength to keep him out of her mind and closed her eyes tightly, breathing heavily, Voldemort let out a quiet hiss.

"Miss Dumbledore, how nice to finally meet you... I see the rumours are true... Unfortunately, you're too young to be a real threat. Since it's been you who destroyed my prophecy, I'll have to kill you, but at least I'll make it fun to watch..."

"Master, I am sorry, I knew not, I was fighting the Animagus Black!" Bellatrix kneeled down in front him, Mel found the scene revolting. "Master, you should know —"

"Be quiet, Bella. I shall deal with you in a moment. Do you think I have entered the Ministry of Magic to hear your sniveling apologies?"

"But Master — he is here — he is below —"

"As for dearest Potter," He continued, ignoring the woman. "I have nothing more to say to you. You have irked me too often, for too long. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

[...] The headless golden statue of the wizard in the fountain had sprung alive, leaping from its plinth, and landed on the floor with a crash between Harry and Voldemort. The spell merely glanced off its chest as the statue flung out its arms, protecting Harry.

"What — ? Dumbledore!"

Mel's uncle was standing in front of the golden gates.

The statue of the witch ran at Bellatrix, who screamed and sent spells streaming uselessly off its chest, before it dived at her, pinning her to the floor. Meanwhile, the goblin and the house-elf scuttled toward the fireplaces set along the wall, and the one-armed centaur galloped at Voldemort, who vanished and reappeared beside the pool.

For some reason, none of the statues charged towards her, and Mel had the strange thought, that it was because her uncle knew she was done fighting.

"It was foolish to come here tonight, Tom," said Dumbledore. "The Aurors are on their way —"

"By which time I shall be gone, and you dead!

Dumbledore flicked his own wand. The force of the spell that emanated from it was such that Harry, though shielded by his stone guard, felt his hair stand on end as it passed, and this time Voldemort was forced to conjure a shining silver shield out of thin air to deflect it.

"You do not seek to kill me, Dumbledore? Above such brutality, are you?"

"We both know that there are other ways of destroying a man, Tom. Merely taking your life would not satisfy me, I admit —"

"There is nothing worse than death, Dumbledore!"

"You are quite wrong. Indeed, your failure to understand that there are things much worse than death has always been your greatest weakness —"

[...]Fawkes swooped down in front of Dumbledore, opened his beak wide, and swallowed the jet of green light whole. He burst into flame and fell to the floor, small, wrinkled, and flightless. At the same moment, Dumbledore brandished his wand in one, long, fluid movement — the snake, which had been an instant from sinking its fangs into him, flew high into the air and vanished in a wisp of dark smoke; the water in the pool rose up and covered Voldemort like a cocoon of molten glass —

For a few seconds Voldemort was visible only as a dark, rippling, faceless figure, shimmering and indistinct upon the plinth, clearly struggling to throw off the suffocating mass —

Then he was gone, and the water fell with a crash back into its pool, slopping wildly over the sides, drenching the polished floor.

"MASTER!" cried Bellatrix.

The girl tried to walk towards his uncle, Harry moved out of the statue's grip.

"Stay where you are!" Dumbledore ordered.

Both froze, waiting for something, anything... Then Mel's body burst into flames.

Next Chapter —>

Taglist.

@dee123ksha @vampiregirl1797 @siriuslysirius1107 @stardusthigh @mikariell95 @vernon-dursley @thesuitelifeofafangirl @tomshollandz @kylosleftbuttcheek @reverse-hxlland @bloodorangemoonlight @omiwashere @t-rexs-world @just-here-to-escape-from-reality @21bruhs @i-am-scared-and-useless-bisexual @dielgonacoffee @thelastpyle

#twoidiots writing #hp fanfic #Harry Potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter xoc #WITT fic

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the-inner-weebs · 3 years

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Gong Yoo ~ Kim Shin

Kim Go Eun ~ Ji Eun Tak

Kim Shin was once an unbeatable general in Goryeo's military who died a tragic death. He now possesses immortality but is tired of living while everyone else around him dies. For 900 years, Kim Shin has searched for his bride, a mortal who can pull out the sword and end his life. One day, he encounters Ji Eun Tak, a positive, upbeat high school student who can see the dead and has gone through tragic events, yet still stays strong. She claims to be the Goblin's bride who can end his immortal life, but what appears to be an easy task, only gets complicated, as the two fall in love.

Director: Lee Eung Bok

Moorim School (2016) 무림학교 ~

Genre:Action/Romance/School/Drama/Martial Arts/Fantasy

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧𝐖𝗼𝗼 ~ Yoon Shi Woo

𝐇𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Wang Chi Ang

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Shim Soon Duk

𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Hwang Sun Ah

The Moorim School is a hidden school that can only be seen by special individuals, it isn't focused solely on high academic scores but on physical abilities. The school teaches its students great virtues which include honesty, faith, sacrifice, and communication. The teachers and students at the school come from different countries and each has their own stories. Everything is very extraordinary and normal until a student who doesn't seem to fill the role wanders into the academy and changes the destiny of all the students.

Director: Lee So Yeon

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon (2017) 힘쎈여자 도봉순 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Supernatural

Park Bo Young ~ Do Bong Soon

Park Hyung Shik ~ Ahn Min Hyuk

Ji Soo ~ In Gook Doo

Do Bong Soon is a petite, unemployed woman who is honest and kind. She appears little and sweet on the outside, but she is in fact very, very strong. In her family, for generations the women have been gifted Herculean strength to use for the greater good. If abused, however, their power will be taken away. Whilst standing up for herself after gang members bully her, she finds herself approached by Ahn Min Hyuk, the handsome and somewhat childish CEO of Ainsoft, a gaming company. Ahn Min Hyuk, who holds a great distrust towards the police, witnessed the whole exchange of Bong Soon's superhuman strength, and now wants to employ her as a bodyguard after being threatened by an unknown enemy. Min Hyuk falls in love with super-strong Bong Soon at first sight, but there's a catch. Bong Soon has eyes for someone else; police officer and childhood friend, In Guk Doo, whom she has known since high school. When chaos ensues after a series of kidnappings in Do Bong Soon's hometown of Dobong-dong, Dobong-gu, Bong Soon must decide whether to use her strength and stand up to evil, or play it safe and keep her powers hidden from the world. Combined with the love triangle she faces between In Guk Doo and Ahn Min Hyuk, as well as having to keep Min Hyuk safe, Bong Soon's life is thrown into turmoil. Can she use her strength for the greater good, or will it prove in the end to be too much?

Director: Lee Hyung Min

He is Psychometric (2019) 사이코메트리 그녀석 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Fantasy

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝗼𝐮𝐧𝐠 ~ Lee Ahn

𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐧 ~ Yoon Jae In

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐊𝐰𝗼𝐧 ~ Kang Sung Mo

After losing his parents in a fire, Lee Ahn acquires the power of psychometry, the ability to read a person or an object's past through physical contact, and he decides to use it to take bad people down. While he does not know how to control his power yet, he meets Yoon Jae In who tries her best to hide her painful secrets. Together with his foster guardian, prosecutor Kang Seong Mo, and the latter's colleague, investigator Eun Ji Soo, they team up to solve an elusive case that has been haunting the lives of Ahn, Sung-Mo, and Jae In. The case revolves around the life of prosecutor Kang his mother and father who were the main cause of the fire. Jae In and Lee Ahn heal each other through their past present and future and find the culprit.

Director: Kim Byung Soo

Memorist (2020) 메모리스트 ~

Genre: Action/Thriller/Mystery/Crime/Supernatural

Yoo Seung Ho ~ Dong Baek

Lee Se Young ~ Han Sun Mi

Dong Baek has an extraordinary ability. He can peer into the memories of whoever he touches. With his supernatural power, get it done attitude, and eye-pleasing looks, he is fervently revered worldwide as a superstar detective. However, when his punches meet with suspects before words, he can be a bit of a headache to his comrades. Starting from the age of twenty, Han Sun Mi is the youngest to have passed the bar exam, obtain a doctorate in criminal psychology, and become a senior superintendent in the police force. Having solved five cold cases that even a detective with supernatural powers couldn't do, she is a genius profiler. She has a secret that drives her to do what she does. These two highly-skilled professionals meet their match—a serial killer with abilities that transcend theirs combined. It's going to be a fight worth watching.

Director: So Jae Hyun, Kim Hwi

Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020) 구미호뎐 ~

Genre:Action/Suspense/Thriller/Horror/Romance/Fantasy

Lee Dong Wook ~ Lee Yeon

Jo Bo Ah ~ Nam Ji Ah

The mythical nine-tailed fox, or gumiho, Lee Yeon had to settle in the city many centuries ago. Able to transform into human form, he eradicates supernatural beings that threaten the mortal world. His real aim is to find the reincarnation of his lost first love.

The talented television producer Nam Ji Ah works in a show that features urban myths. In the past, her parents were involved in a mysterious car accident and disappeared, and she suspects that Lee Yeon might be connected with this accident.

The half-brother to Lee Yeon is the captivating Lee Rang. Despite being half-human himself, he harbors a deep-seated contempt for all people. For sport, he will unleash his seductive prowess upon his human-du-jour, by promising to grant them their wishes, only to trick them into paying a hefty price for their earthly desires.

Director: Kang Shin Hyo

PSYCHOLOGICAL

Heal Me Kill Me (2015) 킬미힐미 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Ji Sung ~ Cha Do Hyun

Hwang Jung Eum ~ Oh Ri Jin

A traumatic childhood experience leaves Cha Do Hyeon, suffering from memory loss and dissociation. The latter has resulted in the creation of seven distinct personalities. Wanting to regain control over his life, he asks Oh Ri Jin, a first-year psychiatric resident, to help him, but she eventually falls in love with one of his personalities. Ri Jin’s twin brother, Oh Ri On, a famous mystery novelist, investigates Do Hyeon and his family.

Director: Kim Jin Man, Kim Dae Jin

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020) 사이코지만 괜찮아 ~

Genre: Psychological/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Family

𝐊𝐢𝗺 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Moon Gang Tae

𝐒𝐞𝗼 𝐘𝐞 𝐉𝐢 ~ Ko Moon Young

𝐎𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐞 ~ Moon Sang Tae

The story of a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who lives on 1.8 million won (approximately $1,520) a month and a storybook writer suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. A man who denies love and a woman who doesn’t know love defy fate and fall in love, finding their souls and identities in the process.

Moon Gang Tae is a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who was blessed with everything including a great body, smarts, ability to sympathize with others, patience, ability to react quickly, stamina, and more. Meanwhile, Ko Moon Young is a popular writer of children’s literature, but she is extremely selfish, arrogant, and rude.

Director: Park Shin Woo/Jung Dong Yoon

MEDICAL

Emergency Couple (2014) 응급남녀 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐒𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐉𝐢 𝐇𝐲𝗼 ~ Oh Jin Hee

𝐂𝐡��𝐢 𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐤 ~ Oh Chang Min

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐏𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝗼 ~ Gook Chun Soo

Jin-Hee led a satisfying life as a dietitian. She then met medical school student Chang-Min. Despite his wealthy family's strong opposition, Jin-Hee and Chang-Min decided to get married. Chang-Min's family is full of doctors. Chang-Min though gave up his medical internship and began working as a pharmaceutical salesman. Their marriage life was not happy. Chang-Min's family looked down on Jin-Hee and even Chang-Min seemed to change. Chang-Min began to think terribly of Jin-Hee and they finally divorced. After their divorce, Jin-Hee became a medical student and now works as an intern. Chang-Min also graduated from medical school and begins to work as an intern. One day, they meet in the emergency room of a hospital where they will both work together.

Director: Kim Chul Gyu

Doctor Stranger (2014) 닥터 이방인 ~

Genre: Thriller/Romance/Drama/Medical

𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐉𝗼𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐮𝐤 ~ Park Hoon

𝐉𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Song Jae Hee

𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝗼 𝐑𝐚 ~ Oh Soo Hyun

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐚𝐞 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Han Jae Joon

As a child, Park Hoon and his father were kidnapped by North Korea. In North Korea, he was trained to become a doctor by his father who was already a doctor. Park Hoon became a genius-like heart surgeon. He then flees to South Korea. Park Hoon begins to work as a doctor in South Korea's top hospital Myeongwoo University Hospital, but he feels like a complete outsider. To bring his love from North Korea, he does anything to make money.

Director: Hong Jong Chan/Jin Hyeok

Blood (2015) 블러드 ~

Genre: Action/Vampire/Romance/Drama/Medical/Supernatural

𝐀𝐡𝐧 𝐉𝐚𝐞 𝐇𝐲𝐮𝐧 ~ Park Ji Sang

𝐆𝐮 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝗼𝐧 ~ Yoo Ri Ta

Park Ji Sang is a doctor specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery in the best cancer research hospital in the country. He is also a vampire. Despite seeming cold and unfeeling, Ji Sang masks his soft heart and inner pain and yearns for closeness with people. He believes very strongly in the sanctity of human life and suppresses his thirst for blood to treat terminally ill patients and save lives.

Among his colleagues is Yoo Ri Ta, a hotshot physician who entered medical school at the age of 17 and is also the niece of the chaebol group chairman who owns the hospital. Ri Ta is highly capable but snooty and prideful, yet Ji Sang finds himself falling for her. He also gets drawn into a conflict between good and evil as he encounters Lee Jae Wook, a two-faced hospital chief who gains everyone's trust with his gentle demeanor but inwardly harbors a dangerous ambition for power and a talent for cruelty.

Director: Lee Jae Hoo/Ki Min Soo

D-Day (2015) 디데이 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Kim Young Kwang ~ Dr. Lee Hae Sun

Jung So Min ~ Dr. Jung Ddol M

An unprecedented 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck Seoul, destroying roads and buildings, and preventing ambulances from reaching victims. Woefully unprepared for such a massive disaster, Korea can only watch the desperate situation and listen to the pleading cries for help. Hae Sung, a competent surgeon, can’t resist doing everything he can to help the injured people during the emergency. This upsets his hospital and they put him on a blacklist, as his benevolent help is against the hospital's profit. Ddol Mi, beautiful and ambitious, chased money and fame as a doctor, but now wants to become a truly compassionate doctor after meeting Hae Sung. Woo Jin has been building a successful career as Korea’s rising doctor, but secretly, he truly cares about being a genuine doctor, saving the lives of the sick. These three characters team up to rush into emergencies, holding onto hope in the most desperate situations, and taking all sorts of risks for the sake of saving lives.

Director: Jang Yong Woo

Hospital Ship (2017) 병원선 ~

Genre: Romance/Drama/Medical

Ha Ji Won ~ Song Eun Jae

Kang Min Hyuk ~ Kwak Hyun

Lee Seo Won ~ Kim Jae Gul

Army doctors board a hospital ship, which is a floating hospital that serves people who live on remote islands. But were these doctors interested in helping underprivileged people for free? Not at all. There is the non-army doctor Eun Jae, a cold perfectionist surgeon whose fast-track career was derailed. Kwak Hyun who practices internal medicine is the first army doctor to volunteer for duty on the hospital ship. Then there is the irritating Jae Geol, an oriental medicine doctor who drew the short straw and now has to serve on the hospital ship. A bunch of doctors with different backgrounds finds themselves afloat at sea. They are too old to be called youthful doctors as they are all in their thirties. Though they have skills obtained through long years of studying in medical school, their hearts and souls are barren. This is a coming-of-age story about doctors who have experienced setbacks in life that they are trying to bounce back from while they learn how to be a compassionate doctor and pursue fulfilling lives.

Director: Park Jae Bum, Kim Sang Woo

Doctor John (2019) 의사 요한 ~

Genre: Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Medical

Ji Sung ~ Cha Yo Han

Lee Se Young ~ Kang Shi Young

“Doctor John” is a new medical drama about doctors specializing in pain management. In a refreshing take on the genre, “Doctor John” will portray the doctors’ search for the cause of their patients’ mysterious pain as a thrilling chase, almost like a detective hunting down the perpetrator behind an unsolved crime.

Cha Yo Han is a genius anesthesiologist, who is also the youngest professor at his medical school. The brilliant doctor goes by the nickname “10 Seconds,” referring to his ability to figure out his patients in the 10 seconds that it takes for them to enter an examination room and walk to their seats.

Kang Shi Young is a legendary anesthesiologist, who was always at the top of her class throughout medical school. The talented doctor inherited her skills from her cool-headed, rational mother, while she inherited her empathy, listening skills, and warm bedside manner from her father.

Director: Jo Soo Won

ROMANCE COMEDY

Pinocchio (2014) 피노키오 ~

Genre: Thriller/Mystery/Comedy/Romance/Melodrama

Lee Jong Suk ~ Choi Dal Po

Park Shin Hye ~ Choi In Ha

The idealistic Choi In Ha has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast journalist, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome,” which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Choi Dal Po, whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Bum Jo, a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Yoon Yoo Rae, whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. The 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.

Director: Jo Soo Won

I am Not a Robot (2017) 로봇이 아니야 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Sci-Fi

𝐘𝗼𝗼 𝐒𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝗼 ~ Kim Min Kyu

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 𝐁𝐢𝐧 ~ Jo Ji Ah

𝐔𝐡𝗺 𝐊𝐢 𝐉𝗼𝗼𝐧 ~ Hong Baek Gyun

Kim Min Kyu is the largest shareholder of a financial company. He suffers from a "human allergy", preventing him from normal interactions with other people. He becomes interested in a robotic project named Aji-3 created by the Santa Maria robotic team. The team is headed by Hong Baek Gyun, inventor of Aji-3 and world-renowned robotics professor. He modeled Aji-3 after his ex-girlfriend, Jo Ji Ah, a struggling inventor that also works as a personal shopper to make ends meet. Just when Kim Min Kyu wants to test the robot, an accident causes the malfunction of the robot's battery. Hong Baek Gyun begs Jo Ji Ah to take the place of Aji-3 and pretend to be the robot so they can get funding from Kim Min Kyu. But, Aji-3 becomes the closest thing that the lonely Min-Kyu has to real contact with another person.

Director: Jeong Dae Yun

My Shy Boss (2017) 내성적임보다 ~

Genre: Business/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

𝐘𝐞𝗼𝐧 𝐖𝗼𝗼 𝐉𝐢𝐧 ~ Eun Hwan Ki

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐇𝐲𝐞 𝐒𝗼𝗼 ~ Chae Ro Woon

When a young, energetic employee joins a public relations firm with an introverted and severely misunderstood boss, she makes it her life’s mission to show the world who he really is.

Eun Hwan Ki is the boss at a PR company. He is really shy. So shy that even his employees don't know him that well. He prefers to hide in his office. Everyone thinks he is a cold, prickly, arrogant grouch. They call him the "Silent Monster".

Chae Ro Woon is a recent hire at the same company. She is energetic, bubbly, loves to be the center of attention, and always has something to say. The exact opposite of her boss, who she seems to have an old grudge against. Her goal in life is: to expose the big boss man for who he really is and take her revenge.

The same company also employs Kang Woo Il, co-boss at the company. He, unlike his partner, is warm, sensitive, and well-liked.

Eun Yi Soo is a chaebol heiress who has been engaged for three long years.

Director: Song Hyun Wook

Thirty But Seventeen(2018) 서른이지만 열일곱입니다 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Coemdy/Romance/Life/Drama/Family

Shin Hye Sun ~ Woo Seo Ri

Yang Se Jong ~ Gong Woo Jin

Woo Seo Ri, a violin prodigy at 17 who was about to study in Germany, got into a bus accident and fell into a coma waking up 13 years later. Mentally she is still only 17, while physically she is now 30.

Due to a trauma he experienced 13 years before, Gong Woo Jin does not want to have a relationship with others.

This series is about a man and a woman whose lives in their own ways essentially stopped when they were 17. Together, they use all their might to try and open the door to the happiness that they once thought had been closed to them.

Director: Jo Soo Won

Romance is a Bonus Book (2019) 로맨스는 별책부록 ~

Genre: Frienship/Business/Comedy/Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Lee Na Young ~ Kang Dan Yi

Lee Jong Suk ~ Cha Eun Ho

Cha Eun Ho is a successful and handsome writer who is also the youngest chief editor at a publishing company. He has a calm demeanor and remains reasonable at work. He then becomes involved in the life of his childhood friend, Kang Dan Yi who was once a popular copywriter. She is now divorced, a single mother, unemployed and struggling in life though still attempts to find a job, but even with her once good career, she cannot.

However, in a desperate attempt to find a job, she lies about her background and begins to work as a temporary worker in the same building under none other than Cha Eun Ho. As they become involved in each other’s life more than often, a love story begins to unfold.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

DoDoSolSolLaLaSol (2020) 도도솔솔라라솔 ~

Genre: Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Melodrama

Go Ah Ra ~ Goo Ra Ra

Lee Jae Wook ~ Sun Woo Joon

Goo Ra Ra is a naive rich girl, who dreams of being a great pianist with her father's love guiding her. But her path becomes rocky when her father passes away, and she finds herself going bankrupt. Being scammed of home and needing an escape, she goes on a ride where she encounters an accident trying to avoid Sun Woo Joon, a diligent worker trying to meet ends. Being hospitalized with a broken arm and no place to go, guilty Sun Woo Joon decides to take responsibility and take care of her. With Go Ra Ra’s naive personality, she slowly begins creeping into Sun Woo Joon's heart, while trying to deal with the challenges of living an adult life.

Director: Kim Min Kyung

YOUTH/LIFE

You’re beautiful (2009) 미남이시네요 ~

Genre: Friendship/Music/Comedy/Romance/Drama

Jang Geun Suk ~ Hwang Tae Kyu

Park Shin Hye ~ Go Mi Nam

Jung Yong Hwa ~ Kang Shin Woo

Lee Hong Ki ~ Kang On Yu

The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother.

Director: Hong Sung Chang

Boys Over Flowers (2009) 꽃보다 남자 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama

Gu Hye Seon ~ Geum Jan Di

Lee Min Ho ~ Goo Joon Pyo

Kim Hyun Joong ~ Yoon Ji Hoo

Kim Bum ~ So Yi Jung

Kim Joon ~ Song Woo Bin

Geum Jan Di comes from a poor family who owns a dry-cleaning shop. One day, she visits Shinhwa High School, a prestigious school for the wealthy, and saves a student trying to commit suicide because of bullying. For her heroic act, Jan Di receives a swimming scholarship and starts attending the school.

In school, she meets the notorious F4, the most popular and powerful group of boys at the school, consisting of Gu Jun Pyo; the leader of F4 and heir to the Shinhwa Group, Yoon Ji Hu; the grandson of a former president of Korea, So Yi Jung; a skilled potter who comes from a family that owns the country's biggest art museum, and Song Woo Bin; whose family runs the country's largest construction company.

Her life at school starts out miserable, as she doesn't fit in with other students because of her status, and later becomes worse when she is labeled as the new bullying target of the F4.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

To the Beautiful You (2012) 아름다운 그대에게 ~

Genre: Comedy/Romance/School/Youth/Drama/Sports

Sulli ~ Goo Jae Hee

Choi Min Ho ~ Kang Tae Joon

Lee Hyun Woo ~ Cha Eun Gyeol

Tae Joon became Jae Hee’s strength during her toughest time, and she leaves the US for Korea to enroll in a men’s physical education high school to help Tae Joon restart his high jump career.

Tae Joon announces his retirement from the high jump national team and closes his heart, but his closed heart begins to open after meeting Jae Hee.

Eun Gyul is confused about his sexual orientation as he falls in love with Jae Hee who is masquerading as a man. The student-athletes have a fun time training with each other and are not tied down to setting a record or competition.

Director: Jeon Ki Sang

Strongest Delivery Man (2017) 최강 배달꾼 ~

Genre: Friendship/Business/ Comedy/Romance/Life/Youth

Go Kyung Pyo ~ Choi Kang Soo

Chae Soo Bin ~ Lee Dan Ah

Choi Kang Soo is a deliveryman. In spite of his humble beginnings, Choi Kang Soo is fearless and gives it all in everything he does. Lee Dan Ah is another delivery worker. She hates her current socioeconomic status so much that she, like many young people, calls her country “Hell Joseon.” Lee Dan Ah is so focused on making money and changing her life that she has no time for men. But when she comes across the charming Choi Kang Soo, her attitude is due to be moved.

Together, Choi Kang Soo and Lee Dan Ah have a budding competition and romance in their quest for glory. And, for them, glory means being like rich folk Lee Jin Yoon and Oh Jin Gyu. They compete to conquer life but, as our two delivery workers soon learn, being the strongest does not guarantee success.

Director: Kim Shin Il, Jeon Woo Sung

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (2016) 역도요정 김복주 ~

Genre: Friendship/Comedy/Roamnce/School/Youth/Sports

Lee Sung Kyung ~ Kim Bok Joo

Nam Joo Hyuk ~ Jung Joon Hyun

Bok Joo is a weightlifter who is pursuing her dream of winning the gold medal but she then finds romance for the first time in her life. While she is a woman who trains with heavy steel weights, she is also very feminine when it comes to relationships. To focus solely on weightlifting would jeopardize her relationship but leaving her weightlifting career for love would keep her from attaining her dreams. Can she find a way to have love as well as glory at the age of 20? The characters within this drama are elite athletes in weightlifting, swimming and rhythmic gymnastics who work hard to reach their goals in life. It covers their coming-of-age stories and relationships through hectic life.

Director: Oh Hyun Jong

Itaewon Class (2020) 이태원 클라쓰 ~

Genre: Food/Friendship/Business/Romance/Life/Drama

Park Seo Joon ~ Park Sae Ro Yi

Kim Da Mi ~ Jo Yi Seo

Kwon Na Ra ~ Oh Soo Ah

Park Saeroyi's life has been turned upside down after he gets expelled from school for punching a bully and his father is killed in an accident. Following his father's steps, he opens a pub named "DanBam" in Itaewon and, along with his manager and staff, strive towards success and reaching greater heights.

Director: Kim Seong Yoon

ROMANCE

One Spring Night (2019) 봄밤 ~

Genre: Romance/Life/Drama/Melodrama

Jung Hae In ~ Yoo Ji Ho

Han Ji Min ~ Lee Jung In

Feeling trapped in a stale four-year relationship and reluctant to take the next step into marriage, Lee Jung In stumbles into Yu Ji Ho's pharmacy one morning, nursing a hangover after a night of drinking with her friend. As she tries to reassemble herself before going to work, Jung In discovers that she has forgotten her wallet and cannot pay. Ji Ho kindly helps Jung In, despite her prickly personality. What begins as an innocent daily interaction, develops into a deeper attachment as the two find themselves drawn to one another. They embark on a secret friendship while navigating the minefield of familial and societal expectations.

Director: Ahn Pan Seok

Crash Landing on You (2020) 사랑의 불시착 ~

Genre: Military/Comedy/Romance/Drama/Political

Hyun Bin ~ Ri Jung Hyuk

Son Ye Jin ~ Yoon Se Ri

Tells the story of two star-crossed lovers, a South Korean heiress and a North Korean elite who also happens to be an army officer. One day, while paragliding, Yoon Se Ri has an accident caused by strong winds, leading her to crash land in North Korea, where she meets Ri Jung Hyuk, a North Korean army officer, who agrees to help her return to South Korea. Over time, they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

Director: Lee Jeong Hyo

THRILLER

Extracurricular (2020) 인간수업 ~

Genre: Friendship/Psychological/Crime/Life/School/Youth/Drama/Mature

Kim Dong Hee ~ Oh Ji Soo

Park Joo Hyun ~ Bae Gyu Ri

"Extracurricular” is centered around three high school students who start committing crimes to earn money and the unpredictable dangers they face as a result.

Kim Dong Hee will portray Ji Soo, who goes from a model student to a criminal after committing an unthinkable act. Jung Da Bin as school bully Min Hee, who gets caught up in Ji Soo’s crime. Park Joo Hyun will portray Ji Soo’s dangerous partner in crime Gyu Ri, while Nam Yoon Soo will appear as Min Hee’s boyfriend and the school’s most popular guy Ki Tae.

Director: Kim Jin Min

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thosebizzareserpents · 4 years

Text

The Second Wizarding War was over and 12 Grimmuald Place was once again an empty shell.

When Harry and company returned to the house Walburga Black's portrait was on the floor the frame cracked and her face from the neck down had completely been "blacked out." It was as if she had clawed out her own face.

No sound came from the former matriarch of the Noble and Most Ancient House Black. It was a eerie and ghastly sight.

"Didn't Sirius say a permanent sticking charm was placed on it?" Ron pointed.

Hermione turned the painting on the back and examined it.

"Let's get it out of here" said Harry.

"Agreed."

Ginny traced outlining of the frame. "Something feels different about the house."

She looked at the family tapestry and there was a letter on the table next to it.

Weeks earlier....

Several cloaked hooded figures stood in the entrance way of 12 Grimmauld Place.

Walburga Black's portrait screams and sobs echoed throughout the house. The house-elf Kreacher was no where in sight to comfort his mistress.

Portraits came from the near and far corners of Grimmuald Place. Whispers soon reached paintings of family members that were elsewhere in Britain.

She continued to bawl, clawing and tearing at her face.

"Hush girl! These are the consequences of your depraved actions!"

Phineas Nigellus Black bellowed. The former patriarch of the Black family held expression of contempt and disgust at his great-granddaughter.

Walburga's grandfather Pollux, father Cygnus II, youngest brother Cygnus III, and cousin/husband Orion stared in horror.

Walburga's mother Irma Crabbe and cousin Charis Black rushed to restrain her.

Phoebe and Elladora Black began to laugh hysterically and wail as well.

Her younger brother Alphard and cousin/sister-in-law Lucretia Black never took their eyes off her.

Melania Macmillan swept up her grandsons Sirius and Regulus in her arms, Ignatius Prewett shielded them from their mother's sight. A faint smile graced Melania lips.

Walburga's grandmother Violetta Bulstrode and great-grandmother Ursula held no emotion.

Magenta Tripe, Arcturus III, Lycoris, and Sirius II, and Dorea Black looked at her with contempt.

Walburga's sister in-law Druella Rosier gathered her own children. Narcissa hugged Andromeda tight silently crying into her. The eldest, Bellatrix broke free and ran towards Phoebe and Elladora laughing.

Lysandra Yaxley and Herbert Burke covered their ears, Belvina and Arcturus Black ll closed their eyes and turned away.

Hesper Gamp, Ella Max, Harfang Longbottom, Licorus, Callidora, and Regulus II Black shook their heads in commiseration.

Cedrella, Marius and Phineas Il began to sing.

" The stars shine brightest, boldly and beautifully bathed in a pure sky."

"House of Back has long forgotten themselves and became voids of misery and contrite."

The cloaked figure stepped forward and hit their fist against the wall.

Walburga's portrait fell flat on the floor with a simple thud.

"Enough out of you. Shut up."

Misapinoa Blishwick (née Black) portrait looked at the mysterious figures.

"Is that you dear niece?"

The person in question removed their hood.

It was revealed to be Iola Black. One of the earliest members of their family. The daughter of Cygnus I and Ella Max.

The youngest sibling of Sirius I, Phineas Nigellus, and Elladora Black.

In 1870 she had been blasted of the family tapestry by her older sister Elladora for marrying a muggle of African descent known as Bob Hitchens. Iola's husband was the only Muggle to ever step foot into the house.

"It is aunt Misa."

At her unveiling her sister Elladora screeched.

Phineas did you know she was here!?" Elladora's eyes bulged.

Her brother Phineas Nigellus inhaled deeply, and nodded towards Iola in acknowledgement, but remained silent to Ella's questions.

Iola's eldest brother Sirius looked at her curiously, smiled and gave a small wave. He had passed away at the age of eight before Iola was born. He was the first in the family to be named after the Dog Star.

She stood before the portraits of her relatives. Many gawked in bewilderment. Iola Black - now Iola Hitchens was very much alive and well.

"When I left the this place was in shambles now it's worse off. What a pity. "She feigned a look of hurt."

Ursula Black laughed. "Your sense of humor never failed to impress me. Nice to see you again Iola."

"Likewise," Iola winked at her former sister-in-law.

"Momma did you really you live here as a child?" Another person took off their hood.

" It wasn't his drab looking but yes once upon a time."

Misapinoa and her husband Jimbo greeted them warmly.

"Oh where are my manners. Aunt Misa, Uncle Jimbo, Ursula these are my children."

"Eridanus, Tucana, Vega, Pavo, and Alcyone.

"And this is my granddaughter Taygeta Zavijava one of my many grandchildren. I assume You've met her already Phineas?"

Phineas Nigellus slowly nodded. At Hogwarts his grand-niece used an alias. Known as "Tracey Davis" a student in Slytherin House.

The former patriarch of House Black and headmaster of Hogwarts cleared his throat.

"I'm a glad to see you survived the battle." The battle he was referring to was Battle of Hogwarts which had taken place weeks earlier.

"I bet you are." Taygeta rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at her grand-uncle.

Phineas II, Sirius III, Lycoris, and Alphard sniggered.

Iola eldest's brother Sirius motion toward his youngest sister.

"Iola?"

"Yes?"

"Your children are metamorphagi like Lexi, Eddy and I?

Metamorphagi were wix who could morph at will. It was an inheritable trait among members of of the House of Black.

Lexi and Eddy were the siblings Alexia Walkin and Eduardus Limette Black.

Eduardus was the first and earliest member to be blasted of the family tapestry by his elder sister Phoebe.

Alexia and Eduardus stepped forward alongside Sirius I.

"Ah yes! Pavo and Alcyone are."

Elladora moved into the painting with Irma who quickly stepped aside. The latter was currently studying her daughter's portrait that laid on the floor.

She sneered and pointed a sharp finger at Iola.

"I knew you would eventually come groveling back. Elladora cackled.

'Shameful Blood Traitors usually are full regrets" Phoebe chimed in.

"Have they gone mad?"

"Enough Phoebe it is over!" Licorus bellowed.

Aunt Ella!" Belvina huffed.

"God's don't you tire of ranting?"

Phineas Nigellus turned his back.

"What gives you the right to decide who is shameful? All of this started because you could not accept the inevitable Phoebe?" Alexia stood firm.

Misapinoa clicked her tongue.

Phineas Nigellus turned his back.

Eduardus strided across and grabbed Phoebe hand.

"Let go of me you filth blood traitor!"

"Let go traitor!"

"Let go Eduardus!

"She began to sob hysterically ."Let go Eddy"

"Phoebe stop."

Iola followed suit and calmly walked up to her older sister’s portrait.

Elladora whimpered and shrank back.

“Ella, I am free. Free of this elitist, hereditary bigoted institution. You and Phineas upheld and clung to it for decades and it has left this family as an empty void.” A true black hole."

Iola gently touch the scorched marks of the Black Family’s tapestry. “Regrets? My only regret is that the younger generations of this family suffered for it.”

artist Nicola Samori (image source)

#the noble and most ancient house of black #walburga black #too many to tag but everybody is there in portrait form #after the war #she tore herself apart #i just rewatched the scene of azula in atla fully breaking down and....#the house of black is dead and under ground #phineas nigellus black realising how he fucked up his family #can a portrait have an exsistential crisis #wizarding families #magical portraits #iola hitchens #iola black #vega auriga hitchens #taygeta zavijava hitchens

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futuristicallyspeedyparadise · 4 years

Text

Waiting For You (Jack x Zhao Zi Story) Chapter 1

“Zhao Zi, if you stare any harder at the door, it will burst into flames.”

Zhao Zi lurched back into reality, ripping his eyes away from the kitchen door to look at Yi Qi’s brown eyes glittering in amusement.

“Why are you so insistent on knowing the new chef? Given our experience with the last few, I would’ve thought you would want to steer clear of that kind of demented folk.”

Perhaps it had just been bad luck, but the restaurant’s endless parade of chefs had resulted in slight trepidation amongst the waitstaff about who the newcomer would be. The chef before this one had the habit of throwing literal knives when someone or something pissed him off. The one before that had emotional breakdowns every once in a while and would lock themselves up in the walk-in freezer for half an hour. And not to mention the one who used the kitchen pantry as his own personal food supply. He would “shop” for items, often the expensive stuff like truffles and Wagyu beef, and take them home to host parties; when being ousted he remained adamant that he hadn’t been stealing.

Each of the previous chefs had cooked spectacularly, but their inability to handle the pressure--or their literal thievery--had made the restaurant owner Tang Yi fire them without hesitation.

Zhao Zi turned fully towards the table again and tucked into his French onion soup. The restaurant’s kitchen was massive, filled with different food stations and prep tables galore. In the corner away from the action, was an area where wait staff could grab food or take their scheduled break. One of the perks of working at the restaurant was that they would occasionally receive free meals. Zhao Zi, a self-identified foodie, could not have been any happier with that particular perk. Sometimes he was able to eat dishes that people had to pay hundreds to eat, for free.

“I’m just curious as to who the new chef is going to be. I mean, c’mon Yi Qi. You know we’ve had quite a string of bad luck.”

“Well...you don’t have to tell me that,” Yi Qi muttered, rubbing her wrist distractedly. Her wrist had been the unfortunate receiver of the last knife that had been thrown by the previous chef. She had not been the intended target, but some things could not be forgiven. When Tang Yi, the owner, heard the news, he had dismissed the chef on the spot and assured Yi Qi that any medical expenses would be paid. Yi Qi had worn a protective band on her wrist for a month and now had a shiny scar to show for it.

“I wonder what their specialty is? I don’t know how we stay afloat. Our menu changes every time a new chef parades through this door!”

“I think that has become the novelty of it. Everytime we fire a chef and the media gets a hold of it, they start conducting polls on what our next specialty food will be.”

“I mean you can’t fault Tang Yi. Whether they are crazy or not, he does find the top people in the culinary field,” Yi Qi agreed.

Tang Yi, their boss, was a no-nonsense restaurant owner. He came out of nowhere a few years before and opened this restaurant, somehow managing to curate the top talent in the field. People wondered how a nobody could convince top chefs, sous-chefs, maître d’s and sommeliers to abandon their posts and come join his restaurant; given Tang Yi’s dubious past—it was rumored he had been affiliated with the gang activity—many figured it had been blackmail.

Despite that, or perhaps because of all the mystery, Trapped surged to the top of every national restaurant list and garnered many recognitions and awards. It’s ever changing and experimental menu, mostly due to the revolving door of chefs, kept it fresh. Though the food changed, the quality certainly did not slip. Zhao Zi had to interview extensively to be a waiter at the restaurant. It was a position that many people in the service industry, from long-time waiters to culinary students, vied for because it included great pay and benefits as well as the chance to work for the culinary greats.

Zhao Zi sighed. He loved working here at the restaurant. Despite the occasional uppity customer who felt they were too rich to have decent manners, he enjoyed the clientele and enjoyed ensuring that they had a great experience. Plus the staff at the restaurant was like family, something that was nice to have given that he had no actual family.

He had lost his parents when he was very young and had grown up with his grandmother. His grandmother, a small but feisty woman, always made sure that he was well taken care of. She put him through school, and encouraged his love for food blogging and consumption. He missed his grandmother’s cooking the most. She made the most wonderful feasts, plates full of steaming, richly flavored food that warmed his stomach and soul.

Stricken with a bout of pneumonia, she passed away a couple of years ago in her sleep.

The door to the kitchen creaked open, and Zhao Zi’s head whipped around to see who had come in. He groaned when he realized it was just Jun Wei, another waiter.

The kitchen staff knew the identity of the new chef; they had had some closed-kitchen training with them to work out the new menu and how the kitchen would be run under their direction. However, it was a tradition for the kitchen staff to not reveal the identity of the new chef to the waitstaff, and legally mandatory for them not to leak information to the press. Tang Yi had made them sign non-disclosures even before the parade of chefs began. Though they had a legal obligation not to, the staff knew that helping drive the media into a speculation frenzy helped garner the restaurant free publicity and more clients which meant a prosperous business. They also just loved to take part in the fun.

“So, sorry to disappoint,” Jun Wei said sarcastically as he made his way over to Zhao Zi and Yi Qi. The waiters at Trapped all wore black button down shirts, black slacks and a black vest. Jun Wei was tall, with an athletic build and wore his uniform well. When he drew close, he reached out to ruffle Zhao Zi’s hair.

“Stop it!” Zhao Zi cried, fending him off. “You know the boss will kill me if he sees my hair like this,” He dropped his spoon, reaching up to pat down his hair. Jun Wei laughed and took up the seat next to Yi Qi. A line-cook came by and dropped off a bowl of soup in front of him; Jun Wei thanked them gratefully.

The cooks in the kitchen and the waitstaff had a mutual respect for each other. They understood that they needed to work cohesively in order to run the restaurant well. Their boss wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Has the dining room been set yet or do they need help?” Zhao Zi asked Jun Wei. He finished off his soup bringing over the bowl to the sink for cleaning.

“I think you might want to go out there and help out a bit. Hong Ye looks a bit...peeved.”

Hong Ye was the restaurant’s maître d. She was a formidable character, strong in personality and with very high standards. She was Tang Yi’s sister and together they ran the restaurant like a pair of benevolent dictators.

Zhao Zi nodded, already heading towards the door. As he was about to push out the doors, someone pushed them in and Zhao Zi jumped back to avoid being hit. The person who walked through the door was...different. He had red wine-colored hair, a black leather jacket and boots to match. He was tall and lithe. His face was nothing short of elegant, a beautifully carved Adonis with a smirk.

“I am so sorry, sir!” he squeaked.

The man’s smirk grew wider. “No need to apologize.”

“How can I help you, sir?” Zhao Zi asked, with a slight bow. It was a habit to address all clientele as ‘sir’ and ‘madam’ or ‘miss.’ He figured that having gotten past Hong Ye, this person was surely some kind of business partner on his way to chat with Tang Yi. He wasn’t dressed like a businessman, but Tang Yi’s visitors were rarely corporate looking characters. They were often older gangster looking types, or young ones who came with their chests puffed out looking for Tang Yi and referring to him as “boss.” This one however, with his green leather jacket, simple white t-shirt and motorcycle helmet in hand was definitely one of the more interesting ones.

“Do you call everyone, sir, or is that one particularly reserved for me, shorty?” The redhead asked, smirk still in place.

Zhao Zi blushed. Sure he was practically a head shorter than the man who was standing unbearably close, but it hadn’t been necessary to point it out.

“I...uh—”

“You can follow me,” came a deep voice from behind him.

Zhao Zi turned, hearing Tang Yi’s voice. Tang Yi wore a soft gray cashmere shirt and black slacks, a rich man’s simple daytime outfit. Tang Yi turned and walked back towards his office, clearly expecting the newcomer to follow him.

“Sure thing, boss.” The man said, moving around Zhao Zi to follow Tang Yi. They went into Tang Yi’s back office, which Zhao Zi had only been to once, during his interview. It was a beautiful room, decorated in splendorous dark woods and emerald accents. It was truly a gentlemen’s den. Zhao Zi let out a breath and pushed through the doors to the dining room to see how he could help.

---

Hong Ye wasn’t necessarily mean when she told someone off, but rather she was incisive. She chose her words carefully, ensuring that each word held its own weight and cut the person to their core.

She gazed about the dining room in disgust.

“So far we have fallen in our standards it would seem,” she said in an emotionless, measured tone. “Dust on the wine bottles, crumbs on the floor. Wine glasses on the wrong side of the table. Did you think I would not notice?”

She gazed at the staff. A beautiful woman standing at just over five feet, her stature did not stop her from seemingly towering over anyone. She wore a white billowy shirt, with draped arms and simple black pants.

“If you think for a second I would not fire all of you in a heartbeat then I’ve clearly haven’t made myself clear enough. Perhaps I have been too soft.”

The dining room was in a state of slight disarray. They had just changed the decor and some of the details were still being worked out. Zhao Zi liked the new look. Just like their food, the restaurant underwent certain changes to match the style of the new chef.

Looking around Zhao Zi was able to learn a little bit about the chef who would soon join them. Whereas before the restaurant had adopted the sophisticated golds and burnt oranges that matched their emphasis on Thai food, now the room was decorated in swathes of red with accents of greens, yellows and blues. The room took on a more intimate and private feel with dimmer lighting; it invited introspection and commiseration. Zhao Zi was reminded of the temples he and his grandmother would visit while growing up.

Perhaps the new chef had an affinity for traditional Taiwanese culture? Zhao Zi couldn’t help but feel a slight disappointment. It didn’t seem like they would be getting any exotic foods with this new chef.

Hong Ye disrupted his thoughts by barking out a list of orders and so they spent the rest of the day fixing up the dining room, rearranging again and again the furniture and decor in order to satisfy Hong Ye’s vision. The restaurant was closed to the public this week in order to prepare for the debut of the new chef, so they worked until Hong Ye was satisfied.

Sometime later in the evening, collapsing on to a chair, Jun Wei groaned, “I am so tired. Man, at least we get to eat.”

That was another perk of working at Trapped. All new chefs cooked a full meal for the wait staff thereby making them always the first to fully try the restaurant's new menu. Tang Yi might have been an emotionless, mysterious boss, but he was a good one.

Zhao Zi was nearly bouncing in his seat; he was always excited when it came to trying out the new menu. He often raced home afterwards to update his food blog. He wrote his thoughts and feelings about the food, tried to describe the flavors accurately and fairly and described how the decor tied in with the food and the mood it established. He was careful to not post his accounts until after the restaurant debuted its new chef to the public; he wrote anonymously and was careful to avoid any details that would identify him as one of the staff.

Zhao Zi had quite a following. He received a lot of correspondence from newspapers and magazines inviting him to join their staff or asking for an interview. It was tempting, but Zhao Zi truly loved his coworkers and the ability to have an inside look at the unique restaurant. He loved watching it come together, each piece necessary to its core: Tang Yi’s curation of staff, Hong Ye’s organization, the kitchen staff’s passion and the waitstaff’s excellence. Each review he wrote about the restaurant was like a letter of deep appreciation to his family, because at the end of the day, that’s what they were. The reviews, however, did not shy away from critiquing the food, and were honest about any faults that were found.

Hong Ye thanked them for their hard work and instructed them to sit down. It was time. From the kitchen doors came first Tang Yi who somehow still managed to look put together and unaffected after a long day of work. Behind him came the new chef.

It was the red-haired man.

Zhao Zi’s eyes widened as he took in the new chef’s apparel. He wore a black chef’s jacket with a red trim that seemed as if it had been tailored. It hugged his body like a glove, showing off his athletic form. The man walked casually behind Tang Yi, a casual smirk in place. They stood at the head of the dining room.

“Thank you all for your hard work today.” Tang Yi began his speech, his deep voice carried across the room. He truly had an impenetrable expression. The only time Zhao Zi had seen him crack a smile was with Hong Ye and even that had happened three years ago. “In order to thank you for bringing his vision to life and for the future work on which you will embark together, our new chef has created a menu for us to dine on tonight. You will find the new menu in the booklets in front of you. Please order as you wish.”

The first dinner with the staff was not only a thank you, but also a test to the new chef. It was their chance to command the kitchen fully. They hired extra wait staff for the occasion so that Trapped’s staff could enjoy their meal. As a reward for the night's hard-work, Tang Yi would in turn treat the kitchen staff to dinner at some of the leading restaurants in Taiwan. Cold he was, but benevolent.

“Before you start, our chef would like to say a few words.”

The redhead stepped up beside Tang Yi and greeted them all with a grin. “Hello,” he said, his voice smooth, low, and rich. Zhao Zi swore he heard some of the women and men swoon in response. Yi Qi’s cheeks immediately turned bright red. He himself even felt a slight swooping sensation in his stomach that he decidedly ignored.

“My name is Jack. You may refer to me as Chef Jack.”

Jack was an odd name. Zhao Zi wondered whether the chef had spent some time abroad. Plus, did he not have a last name?

“Today I have prepared a traditional Taiwanese menu, with my own personal touches. I hope you enjoy it.”

He nodded and led the way back to the kitchen to start the service.

“Taiwanese, huh,” Yi Qi said as they all turned back to the table. A low murmur was already filling the room. They opened the menu and were scandalized. “But...but this looks like the kind of food you would get at a corner shop! Why would anyone want to pay top dollar for this?”

Zhao Zi had to agree. The menu items weren’t particularly exciting, but perhaps the execution would be. He settled for a bowl of beef noodle soup. You could tell a lot about a chef by how they executed the simplest of dishes. Beef noodle soup was common, but every restaurant and food-stand had their own closely guarded recipe that made the dish their own. Zhao Zi was interested to see the chef’s take on it.

Orders taken, the team settled into their seats, wine in hand.

“I wonder what made Tang Yi go for this guy,” Yi Qi questioned. She lifted the glass of white wine to her lips. “Has anyone ever heard of him? At least we had heard about the others.” She looked at Zhao Zi in particular, seeing as he was the one who always displayed more knowledge about the industry.

“No,” he shrugged. “But Tang Yi has never failed us before..”

Jun Wei peered at him. “You are not as excited about this menu as I’ve seen you be at other times.”

Zhao Zi laughed. “Yeah, it’s a bit difficult to be excited about something I can get anywhere. Plus no one can beat my grandma’s beef noodle soup. Not even a top chef, or whatever this guy is.”

“You sure?” Jun Wei challenged, a growing grin taking over his face. He nodded towards the food that was now exiting the kitchen. “We will find out soon enough.”

When Zhao Zi’s beef noodle soup was set in front of him, he couldn’t help but feel a little impressed. Plating up an appealing looking soup was always a challenge and the chef’s arrangement of this one was stunning. The broth was dark and rich, contrasting greatly with the white noodles. The bok choy was a deep green and accented by the light green scallions sprinkled across the top. The beef was sliced thinly and served on top of the noodles. Zhao Zi saw hints of red flakes, indicating the soup would come with heat.

He stuck his chopstick in and pulled out a wad of noodles. They were well cooked with a slight firmness. Zhao Zi brought the noodles to his mouth.

A moan escaped him.

Jun Wei and Yi Qi stopped and looked at him with raised eyebrows. Zhao Zi flushed a deep red, quickly chewing up the noodles.

“That good, huh,” Jun Wei laughed.

Zhao Zi nodded, but had no words. He continued to dig into the soup, enjoying the tenderness of the beef contrasted by the structural fidelity of the noodles. The hint of licorice flavor in the soup was perfect and there was something else, something Zhao Zi couldn’t pinpoint quite just yet, that tied the whole thing together.

His grandmother had been an expert at making beef noodle soup. She had her own recipe and made it for him constantly. It was his comfort food. So he wondered what was the story behind this meal. Despite its clear appeal to the palette, a symphony of tasty perfection, he felt something was missing. Something that told a story and gave a hint as to who Jack was.

The team enjoyed their meal. Yi Qi praised her vermicelli oyster soup and Jun Wei had a second order of soup dumplings.

“Well I guess you were right. Tang Yi didn’t let us down. That was amazing,” Yi Qi said. “The public won’t know what hit them.”

After dinner, they always completed anonymous surveys that were given to the chef. While he knew most of the staff praised the food, he often tried to give good constructive criticism. For his beef noodle soup, he wrote: Amazing soup with a deep, rich flavor and delightful hint of licorice. A flavorful adventure. However, I can’t help but wonder, where’s the story? What are you trying to say?

Zhao Zi knew that previous chefs had never responded to their critiques. Oftentimes they thought themselves above the staff, an unfortunate result of early career success and zero-humility. He wondered if this chef would be the same.

When he got home that night, he stepped into his house and felt...alone. Putting his things away, Zhao Zi slipped into his pajamas, a big t-shirt and soft sweat pants before walking over to the little alter he kept for his grandmother and lighting a candle for her. “Nǎinai, I had some pretty amazing beef soup today. World class,” he whispered to her. “It still wasn’t as good as yours.” He bowed his head and stood up, making his way upstairs to bed.

--- Back in the kitchen, Jack looked over the survey responses that had been submitted by the waitstaff. A lot of them expressed the fact that they had been surprised at the simplicity of the menu, but were blown away by the food. Good. Jack liked surprising people with the unexpected.

He knew he didn’t necessarily carry himself like a professional chef, and that he was relatively unknown and would therefore be put under a lot of scrutiny, but Jack had no doubts that he would succeed in impressing the public. He would settle for nothing less.

“How did the staff take it?” Tang Yi asked, slipping into the seat next to him.

“I seem to have pleasantly surprised them.”

“I expect you to do the same to the critics.”

“I will, boss,” Jack affirmed. He pulled out one of the survey cards, “Do you know who this is?” Jack asked. Tang Yi took the card and read through it.

He smirked.

“What is your story then?”

Jack smiled back, coyly taking back the card and slipping it into his pocket. Tang Yi and him had met under unconventional circumstances. Tang Yi did not know much about Jack’s background, no one did, but in their time of interaction he grew to realize that Jack was amazing in the kitchen. Now he was using that to his advantage.

Jack stood and lazily saluted Tang Yi before slipping through the kitchen doors.

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

I will be posting updates to this story on AO3.

#jack x zhao zi #zhao zi x jack #history 3 #history 3: 圈套 #fanfiction

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celticcrossanon · 4 years

Text

Will Prince Harry Attend Remembrance Day? Draft, WIP

This is speculation only.

Practise spread - we will see how much I get written up.

Celtic Cross Spread

Spread drawn at approximately 4.15am on the 15th of September GMT

Cards used: The Mythic Tarot (the cards are based on a version of Greco-Roman mythology; the descriptions are more the mixed, popular culture version of mythology than the original myths, so keep that in mind as you read the interpretations below)

All interpretations taken from the book that came with the cards

The Celtic Cross had 3 Major Arcanas out of 10 cards, so while this is significant for the BRF and will be played out on the world stage, it is not hugely significant for them (only 1/3 or so of the cards were major arcana). Of the remaining 7 cards, there were 3 Cups, 2 Swords, and 2 Wands. No Pentacles. So this is not about money, it is about family and emotions and being nurturing (Cups), long-term, strategic planning (Swords), and the image that is communicated to those outside the BRF (Wands). Repeated numbers were two Sixes, two Twos, and two Nines. I usually only consider repeated numbers if they repeat three or more times.

Bottom of the Deck - Overall Theme - Strength (Card 10)

This card shows Heracles wrestling with the Nemean Lion in a cave.

The lion can represent royalty, even at its most destructive, i.e. Harry. The lion is also the infantile, savage, and completely egocentric beginnings of individuality, i.e. Harry's attempts to 'find himself' as a person and all the damage these attempts have caused to others. The lion here is the Nemean Lion, which possessed a hide that no weapon could pierce, giving it a shield of invincibility, i.e. Harry's position in the Royal family. Here the Nemean Lion stands for a "Me First" drive that will happily destroy anyone and anything in its path, as long as its gratification is assured. One of the manifestations of this "Me First" drive is an furious, explosive, rage-driven tantrum when the person does not get their own way. Another is bombast and an inflated sense of self importance, making the person savage and unrelenting both towards the people on whom they are dependent (i.e. Harry and the BRF) and the people [who they see as] stealing their limelight (also harry and the BRF).

Heracles wresting with the lion shows the struggle we all face to subdue the lion's unbridled individualism and make it serve a higher purpose; the need to subdue our desires and care for others so that together we can form a caring and responsible community instead of being a collection of individuals running rampant and destroying each other in our need for instant gratification. It is considering the long-term consequences of our actions and putting other's needs before our desires. Courage, strength and self discipline are necessary to see the struggle through to a successful conclusion.

In this specific instance, the card shows the BRF (and their long tradition of service to their country) wresting with Harry's unbridled egomania. Do they include him as part of the family (and the BRF is all about family), or do they cut him off and show quite clearly that however loved as a brother, he is no longer a member of the Royal Family. Will they sucumb to his temper tantrums and unjust accusations, or will they hold firm for the good of "the Firm"? What damage will he do if he is allowed to attend? If they place limits on him, will he follow them (hint: No)? These are the questions the BRF is struggling with at the moment, and while the course of action may seem clear to an outsider, for them it is not yet decided.

Significator: The Moon (card 18)

This is where the situation is at this moment in time.

The card shows the goddess Hecate, associated with the Moon, magic and the underworld. Hecate is an ancient goddess, as the BRF is an old regime. She is shown of the card with a cute-looking (not terrifying) Cerberus, who guards the entry to the Underworld, a domain associated with her and full of mystery, wisdom and hidden riches. To me this signifies that Prince Harry thinks that going back to the BRF (here represented by Hecate and the underworld) will be easy, as there is no monster guarding the way, only a cute dog (who will be expected to roll over and obey his commands). Hecate, shown here as an older woman (and usually shown as a very old woman, like the Queen) is looking to the past, the present and the future all at once, as the BRF must do in making this decision. As an impersonal image of the feminine, one of the rulers of the Underworld, she represents the Queen in her role as the ruler of Great Britian and some countries of the Commonwealth, a figure who cannot be the warm and loving grandmother that we know she is with Harry, but who rather must be the impersonal Ruler who puts the good of her country above all else.

In the bottom right hand corner of the card, supporting Cerberus and Hecate, is a crab. The crab is the sign of Cancer, and Cancer is the sun sign of Prince William. Prince William may very well be acting as the 'right hand man' pf the Queen during this decision making process. The unseen presence of the underworld in the background suggests the hidden presence of Prince Charles, a sun sign Scorpio, as Scorpio is the sign that rules the Underworld. Prince Charles may be working behind the scenes in this decision, absent in flesh but present in spirit.

The road to Hecate's realm is the 'royal road' of dreams, and Prince Harry may well be hoping to either using his visible status as a royal (supported by an appearance at Remembrance Day) to fulfil his non-royal dreams, or to use his appearance at remembrance Day as a road back to his previous status as a taxpayer funded working Royal sometime in the future, or both together.

Hecate was associated with the crossroads, which suggests that this decision is a crossroads for the BRF - they have to choose a path and move forward on it, removing all other options. Hecate also had the power (according the to tarot book) of bestowing or withholding from a mortal any desired gift, and that is exactly the position that the BRF are in - do they bestow the desired gift of attendance upon Harry (and his wife), or do they withhold it?

So the BRF is facing a choice, a crossroads. There is confusion (heart versus head) and anxiety over this choice, and it has not yet been made. The Major Arcana card says that this is a major decision and one that will have a lasting impact on all involved.

* Crossing Card : Queen of Cups

This is the main obstacle in making the decision.

The card represents Helen, the woman who was married to one man (the King of Sparta), fell in love and ran away with another (the Prince of Troy), and thus instigated the Trojan Wars (during the course of which she took three more lovers). As a woman who created a crisis in the ruling family of her country by following her own selfish desires, the parallel to Meghan Markle is obvious. If you look at the woman on the card, she resembles Meghan Markle as she is today with her long black extensions. As well as creating trouble wherever she goes (as Helen of Troy did), Meghan Markle has also run away with a prince of the BRF (a neat inversion of Prince Paris running away with Helen). My feeling is that the obstacle is not so much Meghan Markle herself, but rather her effect on Prince Harry, the loved grandson of the Queen and prince of the BRF.

The Queen of Cups can be seen as a woman who is a catalyst for the emergence of deep feelings and fantasies that have previously been hidden from awareness, and there is no doubt that in his association with Meghan Markle, the public have become aware of Prince Harry's rage and contempt for both the BRF and his position within it, something that was previously skillfully hidden by the 'Hero Harry" and "Harry the lad" PR. This emergence in the public eye of the 'real' Prince Harry is also part of the obstacle the BRF faces in making this decision.

Another meaning of the Queen of Cups is a loving and nurturing woman. As such, the card can be taken to represent Princess Diana. From this perspective, the obstacle is not Meghan Markle herself but rather her unsuccessful attempts to push herself onto the public as Princess Diana 2.0, with her constant cries of "racism" and her accusations of the BRF as "unsupportive", "mean", and "treating her like they did Princess Diana". While easily disproven in themselves, these statements gain traction when they are supported by Prince Harry, either by his actions, his own statements against the BRF, or his silence.

Prince Harry is considered by most to be under the thumb of Meghan Markle. He supports her behaviour in tearing down his family and appears to be transforming into a woke male version of herself. Prince Harry is known to have mental issues, and as the nurturing, caring force represented by the Queen of Cups the BRF may hesitate to do anything that could worsen hos mental state. Unfortunately, this leaves them open to emotional blackmail by Prince Harry (the negative side of the Queen of Cups), as he will not hesitate to use the "Princess Diana Card" and remind everyone of the trauma he suffered as a child to get his own way (the fact that Prince William suffered the same trauma while also a child does not seem to occur to anyone).

The crossing card is a Minor Arcana card, so while the obstacles are being considered carefully by the BRF, they are not a huge problem, as would be the case if a Major Arcana card appeared in this position. The Minor Arcana card shows something that is a nusiance but that also is a problem that is definitely manageable/surmountable.

* Crowning Card and Base of the Matter Card: Ace of Wands and Six of Swords

This is where I made a mistake in the spread.

When I drew the cards, I drew the Ace of Wands as the third card and put it in the Crowing Card position, and then I drew the Six of Swords as the fourth card and put it in the Base of the Matter position. However, before I started this spread, I formed the intention of doing the spread as it appeared in the accompanying book, and that book spread has the third card as the Base of the Matter and the fourth card as the Crowning Card.

I put the cards in the wrong positions. Bollocks.

Rather than choosing between my intention to follow the book spread or my instinct in putting down the cards, I have decided to honour both and read both cards together as both the Crowning Card and the Base of the Matter Card (next time I will double check the spread before I draw the cards).

Card 3: the Ace of Wands

Due to certain life events, the Ace of Wands is strongly linked in my mind with the male, um, 'manhood', and that phallic imagery immediately suggests that someone here is being "led by their dick", that someone being Prince Harry (apparently Prince Charles referred to it as being 'cunt-struck'). This association is strengthened by the card showing a male wearing a crown and holding the world in one hand while the other holds a thick wand emitting flames (the phallic imagery of the wand is obvious and I won't detail it here). The crown and the world can be taken as showing Harry's previous status as a royal prince, where the world was his oyster (more or less).

The image on the card is the god Zeus, who is famous (or infamous) for not being able to keep it in his pants, and thus reinforces the "led by his dick" meaning.

The Ace of Wands as a card symbolises the creative power of the imagination, the impulse that makes us restless and dissatisfied until we formulate and manifest it in the world (successfully or not). It is important to note that here the idea has not been thought through and formulated; it is simply a dissatisfaction, a feeling that things could be different. I believe that it was this feeling of dissatisfaction that led to Prince Harry leaving the BRF. He could have looked for ways to improve his role/position/life within the BRF. Instead he chose to leave when his wife did and, together with her, to pursue another future outside the BRF.

The Ace of Wands, like all aces, also indicates something new. This indicates that this situation is something new for the BRF - never before has a blood royal left Great Britian to live as a minor celebrity n Hollywood. As with all new situations, they may be uncertain as to what is the best response, especially as we now live in an age of instant social media (and not the previous time of newspaper media, which was slower and could be controlled by the BRF).

Card 4: the Six of Swords

Here we have Orestes, the doomed hero, travelling to Argos to fulfil his terrible duty to murder his mother. He is travelling through rough water, although calmer weather lies ahead. This figure again has echoes of Prince Harry, whose mother died when he was young, and who has left the country of his birth to travel overseas and make his home in another land. This is the Prince Harry who is no longer a working royal and who has left the BRF for the life of a wanna-be celebrity in Los Angeles. Orestes's future murder of his mother could show Prince Harry's future 'murder' by overexposure of his mother's image via documentary, after dinner speeches, and Netflix musical, as well as his constant use of the "Princess Diana Card". For both Orestes and Prince Harry, this journey appears to be one-way; both have left with no intention of returning to their former place of residence.

Orestes was born in Argos, banished to Phocis, and returned to Argos to avenge his father by murdering his mother. Harry was born in Great Britain, willingly left for a life in Los Angeles (and there are articles saying how unhappy he is there and how he feels in 'exile'), and now he is trying to return home - to resume his role in the BRF, or like Orestes, to 'murder his mother' by trying to complete the destruction of the public image of the BRF who bore, raised and nurtured him? Both interpretations are possible, and indeed by doing the first the BRF may achieve the second. Popular opinion seems to be that the UK public are very glad to be rid of Prince Harry and his wife, and they do not want them to return - ever. These sentiments and the possibilities of what Prince Harry will do in Los Angeles are things to be considered in making the decision whether to extend him an invitation or not.

The Six of Swords in general shows a time of moving on, a time when clear thoughts, understanding and logic will ease a difficult situation and propel you into smoother waters. Sentiment and emotions (cups) play no part in this process, it is all duty and an acceptance of your obligations. This, then, appears to be the path of the BRF - to decide with the mind and not with the heart.

Together

As the Crowning Card, these two cards show the situation as it appears to others - Prince Harry being led by his dick to leave the BRF and create a future for himself in another country as a minor celebrity.

As the Base of the Matter, these two cards show other motivations - Prince Harry being prompted to leave by dissatisfaction with his life as well as sexual desire, the idea of having him invited to remembrance Day bringing with it the danger of destroying the reputation of the BRF, the fears of what exactly he will do in Los Angeles if he is - or is not invited, and above all the necessity for clear, logical thought without sentiment to find a path through this situation.

Past Influences: Justice (card 8)

This is what has influenced the situation in the past. The situation is moving away from it.

The Justice card shows the goddess Athena, seated on her throne, holding the sword and scales of justice. Athena sprung fully formed from the head of Zeus, so this Justice is impersonal, abstract, a thing of thought and not passions. This is further emphasised by the armour worn by the goddess. Her chest and her back are encased in steel, stiffening her spine and enclosing/locking away her heart, the seat of emotions. It is like the judgement handed down in a court case is supposed to be - the situation is weighed against the law and, if found wanting, a punishment prescribed by the law is delivered. There is no room for the passions or emotions in this sort of justice. Facts are all that matter.

The female goddess Athena represents the Queen, a powerful female who made the decisions in this matter. This impersonal, abstract, emotionless justice is how the Queen has dealt with this situation with Prince Harry in the past (to the best of her ability). She has considered the facts, weighed them in her mind, and delivered a consequence. The goddess is armoured and armed with a spear, and so the Queen has acted not out of personal pain but in defence of her institution (the BRF) and her realm.

As the goddess is sitting down, the consequences were more often passive than active; the result of Prince Harry's repeated actions rather than actions taken to forestall them. Like the scales the goddess holds in her hand, the Queen did her best to deliver consequences that she saw as balanced and fair (no matter how the rest of the world saw them). Athena is the goddess of strategy, and the Queen would have taken the strategic long view when deciding on the consequences for Prince Harry's actions. Justice is the card of Libra, and Libra aims for civilised harmony, so the Queen may have had that as a goal in making her decisions (for example, playing Happy Families and presenting aunited front to the world).

The fact that this is a past influence suggests that things are going to change. A new force will lie behind the actions of the BRF. Prince Harry may not be aware of this change. Justice is said to be blind, and he may go blindly forward, expecting everything to work out the same as it had in the past.

This is a Major Arcana card, so it was very important in the past for the treatment of Prince Harry to be seen as fair and unbiased by emotion. Whether this holds true for the future remains to be seen.

Future Influences: Nine of Wands

These are the influences on the situation that are going to appear in the immediate future. The situation is moving towards this.

The Nine of Wands shows the ship Argo just before it passes the final obstacle in its journey home, the Clashing Rocks, and comes into the safe harbour of the city of Argos. The sails of the ship are tattered and torn, for it has been through many difficulties on its voyage, and only one final obstacle remains between it and its goal. That obstacle is the Clashing Rocks, a pair of huge rocks that clashed together whenever a ship sailed between them, crushing the ship between them. The captain of the ship, Jason, acted on the advice from a crew member and released a dove between the rocks to see how fast the crew would have to row to escape them. The dove lost a few tail feathers, and by rowing at a similar speed, as fast as they could, the Argo passed between the rocks, losing only its stern ornament. After this defeat the rocks became motionless, facing each other across the sea.

For this card, the Argo represents both the BRF and Prince Harry. Both have been battered by the events of the past, and both want to come to a calm and stable future. Standing between them and this outcome is the Clashing Rocks, which represent the interests of the BRF on the one side and the desires of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the other. A passage between the two needs to be negotiated without destroying either the BRF or Prince Harry. Then the rocks will freeze in place, the calm and stable future will be reached, and both parties will continue to hold the positions that are seen at this event. Otherwise, one or both party will be destroyed between the rocks of their conflicting goals.

Like the dove, both Prince Harry and/or the BRF might have to lose a few tail feathers to achieve this result. The compromises will not be significant in the overall scheme of things - the dove can still fly away and regrow its feathers; similarly both Prince Harry and the BRF will recover from whatever compromises they have to make to achieve this future.

The passage to this future will not be easy. The sea around the rocks is turbulent and the crew of the ship are exhausted. it is the same with the BRF and Prince Harry. They have both been on a long journey, and both are exhausted, and finally the end is in sight. Then one last hurdle appears. The obstacle may have been foreseen, as the crew of the Argo knew of the Clashing Rocks, or it may suddenly arise from the depths and stand before them. They must try again, one last time, to overcome this obstacle and finally reach their goal.

The Nine of Wands represents one last burst of energy that comes from the willingness to try again, one last time, even though you are exhausted, when a final obstacle arises and stands between you and your goals. That willingness to try will bring forth fresh energy and new ideas. It is this last burst that can carry both Prince Harry and the BRF through the rocks and through any compromises into the safe harbour beyond, their positions set for the future. The alternative is for one or both parties to be destroyed. Blindly rushing ahead, refusing to take the time to observe and plan and take advice, will result in the person being crushed between the rocks and drowning. Only by planning and taking advice, as Jason did when he released the dove and calculated the rowing speed required, will a safe passage be assured.

The member who advised Jason to release the dove was Phineus, a King rescued from his torments by two of the crew of the Argo during their long journey, and who then joined the crew on their quest. Perhaps someone in a similar position may offer wise advice to the BRF and/or Prince Harry.

Wands can represent PR (creativity, ideas). It is very likely that this final obstacle (future influence) will either be in itself or will come from PR pieces designed to stir up the emotions of the general public (emotions are water and the ship is sailing through a turbulent/stirred up sea). As the PR from the Harkle camp has already shown itself capable of being extremely nasty, I expect either something even nastier from them that completely crosses one or more lines, or for Meghan Markle to turn on Prince Harry and tear him to pieces. The current trend of the Harkle PR can go either way.

Where One Finds Oneself: Judgement (card 20)

This is what will happen in the near future. The situation is moving towards this.

Here we see Hermes the Psychopomp, the traveller between two worlds, who brings messages to and from the Underworld, summons the dead to the Underworld, restores the dead to life, and who leads heroes out of the Underworld.

When we die, it is said that our life passes before our eyes, and in we go the the abode of the dead, where we are judged for our deeds and delivered into peace or torment. This is where Prince Harry will find himself. Gone is the abstract justice of the past, now his actions will be judged with emotion, based on how they affect the BRF, and he will be punished or promoted accordingly.

If we look at the picture, we can see a land of glowing wheat fields at the top of the stairs. To me this is England, the Underworld is the life of exile in Hollywood, and Hermes is the messanger between the worlds, with a message that has been or will be sent to Prince Harry. How Prince Harry responds will determine whether he is led out of the underworld and back to the wheat fields of England, or whether he is left to languish in the darkness of Hollywood. Hermes as a God often displays deceit and trickery, and here he could also represent not a message, but Prince Harry trying to lie and cheat his way back into his past privleges as a member of the BRF.

Whether or not Prince Harry returns to England, he faces a judgement. Should he be restored to some of his past privleges, should he be seen to be a member of the Windosr family but not the BRF (i.e. present in a minor role), or should he simply be excluded from all public events? This is not the cold, abstract, passive Justice of the past, but a Judgement that is active, as Hermes is upright and moving in this card, and a Judgement that is emotional, full of the hurt and pain that he has caused to others (to his family on a personal level, to the BRF as an institution, and to the British public whose taxes have supported him his entire life). This is a very different sort of "judge and jury" than in the past, and I don't think Prince Harry is aware of the change. He is represented here by the dead people, as he "died" by cutting himself off from the BRF. They are swathed in bandages that block their eyes, ears, and mouth, as Prince Harry is blind, deaf and dumb to the changes that await him in the BRF.

The Judgement card is the card of Pluto, the ruler of Scorpio, and Prince Charles is a sun-sign Scorpio. This suggests that Prince Charles is going to move from a force in the background to a major player, front and centre (as Hermes is in the card) in the decision about whether Prince Harry is invited to Remembrance Day or not, and if so in what capacity. Scorpio is a water sign, and water signs are very emotional, so this judgement of Prince Harry's worth as a member of the BRF is going to be based on an emotional response to all his past actions, the good and the bad, the ones Prince Harry accepts as his and the ones where he places the blame upon others . The Judgement card is a Major Arcana card, which says that the judgement on his position is a major event and it will be seen on the world stage.

The Judgement card also shows the personal process in which Prince Harry will find himself in the near future. He will face the consequences of all his actions, both those he admits to and those where he has avoided responsibility. All of those actions will be called to account, not just on a world stage but also on a personal stage, and Prince Harry will be confronted with the realisation of what he has done and how it has created his future (whether he accepts his part in this or chooses to play the eternal victim is another matter entirely). The Judgement card signifies the end of a chapter in his life. Whether the next part is sweet or bitter, as part of the BRF or alone in Hollywood, will be the result of all his actions, past and present.

Views of Others: Two of Cups

This is how friend s and family see the situation.

Hopes and Fears: Six of Cups

This is what the people involved hope for and fear from the situation.

Final Outcome: Page of Swords

If no energy shifts, this will be the outcome of the situation.

Clarifiers: Queen of Swords, Seven of Pentacles

I pulled two clarifying cards to help me understand the outcome.

Queen of Swords

Seven of Pentacles

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aegor-bamfsteel · 4 years

Note

Why do people say that Aegor raped Calla when she was a child? Daemon betrothing his oldest daughter to Aegor does not mean the marriage was consummated when she was a child. Sadly, Daemon himself was betrothed as a child. His grandmother Daenaera was married when she was 6 and his grandfather Viserys II was 12 when he wed and 13 when he had his first child, only a year younger than Daemon when he had his. Usually, it is custom to wait to consummate if the bride is a child.

Furthermore, the people who hate the Blackfyres try to frame it as Daemon selling his daughter to be raped, but I doubt that is why he betrothed her to Aegor since he already has Aegor’s unconditional support. Calla and Aegor never had children, per GRRM, so Aegor championed his nephews and nieces, essentially dedicating his life to his brother and his family. Daemon didn’t need to sell his daughter to Aegor for support, so that was not the reason for the betrothal. (2/3)

My point is that GRRM is wildly inconsistent with his child brides (and grooms). He uses Unwin Peake’s nameless daughter dying in childbirth at the age of 12 as a reason for why he is so despicable (and that is despicable). But then has Aemma Arryn consummate her marriage at age 13 and paints her father, grandparents, uncle, and husband as decent people. Daenaera is then married at age 6 but doesn’t consummate until age 15 or 16. It’s due to Aegon’s depression instead of custom. (3/3)

Thank you for the very thorough ask, tiger. I hope that I have successfully responded to all of your questions. Calla, as with all Blackfyres (and many non-Targaryen women), has certainly gotten a raw deal when it comes to page time/character depth; her only mention is in twoiaf: “Whatever the case may be (for Aegor’s anger at the Targaryens and Bl00draven), Aegor Rivers soon began to press Daemon Blackfyre to proclaim for the throne, and all the more so after Daemon agreed to wed his eldest daughter, Calla, to Aegor.” As Yandel doesn’t make any further comments, I assume the people who believe Calla was raped as a child exist in fandom rather than on page. Rape is a very sensitive subject, and I’m trying to keep the fanwank a bit quieter, so my response will be under the cut.

Why do people say Aegor raped Calla as a child? This actually involves several leaps in logic I don’t find convincing, so I’ll try to break it down:

We are first introduced to Aegor in the Dunk and Egg novellas via mention by some Blackfyre supporters, who are the natural antagonists of the Targaryens; the protagonist, Dunk, is best friends with the Targaryen prince Egg. Many of the Blackfyre supporters are minor antagonists to Dunk, especially in The Mystery Knight when they attempt to kill him (Alyn Cockshaw) or kidnap Egg (Tommard Heddle). Meanwhile, Bittersteel is a legendary hero to Blackfyre admirers (such as Osgrey), at least an important hoped-for ally to the Whitewalls conspirators (Gormon Peake needed some quick victories so Aegor would have faith in his and Daemon II’s rebellion), and a threat Bl00draven takes as seriously as the Blackfyre sons themselves. As an important member of a faction which has members that tried to harm the protagonist Dunk, people see Aegor as a villain.

The problem with seeing him as a villain (as opposed to simply an antagonist, which he undoubtedly is if you consider the Targaryens protagonists of the story) is that, due to lack of page-time and because he’s not that bad, he never actually does anything too villainous. Urging someone to rebel is at the end of the day just words. He took Bl00draven eye out in battle, but that appears to be an accident and doesn’t seem to have slowed him down. Leading the Golden Company to sack Qohor for failing to honor a contract is severe, but its only mention is in a non-canonical app that few people read. When his chief rival Bl00draven is a canonical child-murderer, child-crippler, kinslayer, deserter, head of a secret police organization, tyrannical overlord, etc...Aegor’s “evil deeds” don’t appear to add up to much. He might even seem more sympathetic than Bl00draven! But that cannot be, so fandom has to headcanon villainous behavior for him, because he must be a villain antagonist.

But what sort of villainous behavior should he do? In order to root for Bl00draven against him, it must be something terrible. GRRM often uses rape to signal how terrible a male character is (and how awful Westeros can be). The most evil villains in the main series are serial rapists: Gregor Clegane, Ramsay Bolton, Euron Greyjoy, Craster; even Tywin Lannister, Roose Bolton, and Petyr Baelish have raped or enabled the rape of young women and girls. When the age of the victim is specified, she is often a preteen/young teenager to make her rape even more evil. The lone exception is Joffrey Baratheon, and that is only because he is 12 (he still molests Sansa repeatedly). Fandom rightly criticizes GRRM using sexualized violence against women as shorthand for “irredeemably evil” or window dressing for a dark fantasy. Yet when Aegor, a character who shows no sign of being a sexual predator (look at Shiera’s SSM, the Dunk and Egg books, and Yandel’s commentary on Aegor’s anger at Bl00draven: one-sided Aegor/Shiera has even less evidence of being real than Daemon/Daenerys), needs to commit villainous actions, some in fandom fall into the same trap as GRRM and imagine him raping women.

Then Yandel tells us that Daemon “agreed to wed his eldest daughter Calla” to Aegor shortly before the Rebellion. As Calla was not a triplet of his eldest sons Aegon and Aemon, the oldest she could possibly be was 11, still a child even by later GRRM standards. The phrase “agreed to wed” is at most a promise; it’s not an official betrothal, it’s certainly not an actual wedding, and it’s absolutely not a consummation. If it had been a consummation, that certainly would have been mentioned, as Yandel has repeatedly recorded rumors just for the purpose of making Daemon look bad (the 14 year old newly acknowledged landless natural son petitioned the king for a polygamous marriage with a princess and an Essosi noblewoman? sure...) Considering Daemon died at the end of the Rebellion and Aegor was now a landless, penniless rebel dependent on his goodsister Rohanne’s mercy, and how the Blackfyres needed to find more allies, I think any talks of marrying Calla was silenced. She married someone else, whereas he remained a bachelor for life and championed the cause of Haegon and his son Daemon III (not necessarily the others, as seen with Daemon II and Aenys, and he did not crown any of Daemon III’s brothers).

Whatever I headcanon, 2018 GRRM’s comment that he doesn’t think Aegor had any offspring pretty much puts the nail in the coffin of Aegor having consummated any wedded relationship, let alone with Calla. If a male character is promiscuous, GRRM raises the possibility of them having sired natural children; with Aerion Brightflame in Lys, and Brandon Stark in the North, and even Tywin Lannister, he says, “I suppose they could’ve sired bastards” (or in Tywin’s case, gives a non-answer). That he gave a straightforward NO regarding Aegor’s potential children indicates that he feels it would be out of character for Aegor to have a sexual relationship, whether in marriage or outside of it. I hope that when people headcanon Aegor as a serial rapist, they take GRRM’s comments and fandom criticism of sexual violence to heart.

My point is that GRRM is wildly inconsistent with the ages of his child brides (and grooms): I would disagree to the point that in his earlier works, underaged girls forced to wed old men was universally portrayed as terrible and a feature of a corrupt character. Hoster regretted his actions toward Lysa on his deathbed, but it led to their estrangement and her susceptibility to Littlefinger’s manipulation; Sansa Stark’s marriage to Tyrion showed the breakdown of societal norms under Lannister rule; Jeyne’s forced marriage and immediate consummation to Ramsay moves Theon to try to rescue her. Although the marriage wasn’t consummated, GRRM found it difficult to write the Tyrion/Sansa scene because of her horrific abuse. But then The World of Ice and Fire and Fire and Blood are published and older man/younger woman marriages and relationships are outright romanticized by the authors themselves (Elio Garcia said 37 year old Daemon Targaryen’s relationship with the 16 year old Nettles was a true romance; GRRM said that 56-year-old Alyn Velaryon was the great love of 21-year-old Elaena Targaryen’s life) Perhaps the lack of PoV in these works distanced the male writers from the female characters’ emotions and allowed them to envision Rhaenys (16)/Corlys (37), Corlys (61)/Marilda (17), Thaddeus (56)/Floris (14), and Aemma (11-13)/Viserys (16-18) as mutually romantic couples with sympathetic men; but then in the same works the authors use forced relationships with young girls to villainize other men Unwin Peake (daughter died in childbirth at age 12) and Aegon II (was receiving a blowjob from a 12 year old when his father died). The double standard seems to imply that a teenage girl can consent to a relationship with a man old enough to be her father/grandfather if she is genuinely in love with him, which is disturbingly close to real-life defenses of statutory rape. I hate the way that the supplemental material has suddenly decided to defend these couples with “the girls wanted it”, and I can only hope this doesn’t start appearing in the main series that people actually care about.

One type of underaged pairing seems to have a consistent portrayal: child grooms don’t seem to be granted the same mutually happy relationship as child brides. Both Viserys (12) and Larra’s (19) and Androw (17) and Rhaena’s (25) marriages ended in tragedy (and death, in the case of the latter). This makes me...unsettled when thinking about how the authors will write Daemon (14)/Rohanne (older). But to stay within the bounds of your question, I don’t think they will depict an Aegor/Calla marriage due to it making little political or characterization-based sense; so fortunately it will neither villainize nor romanticize Aegor. Although an antagonist to the Targaryens, he has consistently took the higher road over Bl00draven and has the potential to be a tragic and multifaceted character.

#ask #calla blackfyre #aegor rivers #daemon blackfyre #marriage #grrm criticism #fandom critical #asoiaf #anti bloodraven #asoiaf meta #male writers #female characters #sexism #tw: rape

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saiilorstars · 4 years

Text

The Girl in the Forest

Chapter 10: A Witch’s Secret

// Story Masterlist //

Fandom: The Originals

Pairings: Klaus Mikaelson x Original Female Character

Pronunciation of OC’s name: Ma-leh-nee

No real warnings for now!

Requested tag: @queenmj10

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Chapter Summary: Maleny and Klaus go on a hunt to discover the purpose of Kieran's key. On the other side, Cami and Elijah embark on their own hunt...but for a witch.

A blonde Maleny sat on a lonely tree stump in the middle of the forest. It was dawn out and the wind was light as only small wasps of her long hair seemed to move. Maleny's face was covered in tears, her blue eyes red and puffy from the crying she'd been doing for some time now. But that was all she could do after the awful argument she had with Klaus earlier.

"Little girl?" she heard a woman's voice call to her. Maleny turned her head to both sides for the source of the voice, "Little girl?" a middle-aged woman with long brown hair and brown eyes emerged from the trees.

"I'm not a little girl," Maleny declared as she rose to her feet, "And whoever you are, you need to go or-"

"Or what?" the woman raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on her face, "You'll use your nonexistent powers on me?"

Maleny eyebrows knitted together in confusion, "H-how did you know that? You're not from the village," she hadn't been able to identify the brunette as someone she recognized.

"I am on my own, child," the woman walked towards her but Maleny quickly moved behind the tree stump. The woman lightly chuckled, "I have not come to harm you, I have come to help you."

"How?"

"I know what Esther Mikaelson has done to you. I believe I can help."

"Why would you want to help? And how do you know what she did?" Maleny remained still, not daring to run for the woman was clearly a witch by the garbs she wore around her neck.

The woman flashed a knowing smile that gave Maleny chills, "The Mikaelsons have made several friends-"

"Enemies," Maleny corrected, the term no where near scaring her, "But those are enemies within the village. You are not from there so how do you know about them?"

"I have family in your village," the woman gave the brief explanation, apparently having no intention to elaborate more, " My name is Lilith, and I would like to help you get back what is yours."

Maleny's seriousness faltered at the reminder of her powers, "I...I can't get them back," she quietly sniffled, "I can never get them back."

"But that's not exactly what you want, is it?" Lilith raised an eyebrow, Maleny too engulfed in her feelings to question the knowledge of the woman, "You want to change who you are - for one of them."

Maleny shut her eyes, stifling another sob, "I just want to turn. But Klaus won't do it. He's too scared or something. And his mother isn't helping either."

"Esther is a selfish woman," Lilith declared, "I have been told all about her and believe me, you are not the first one she's wronged."

"I can imagine," Maleny whispered.

"Her children are in the dark about their mother's action and they believe they are sparing you the monstrosities they have become," Lilith moved for Maleny and came to stop in front of the stump.

Maleny looked up from the ground, "H-how do you know this? How do you know Esther stole my magic?"

"Child, that's not important. What is important is you doing what you want but no one will do."

Maleny frowned, not even realizing she was blurting out her story, "I helped her turn her children under false knowledge and she used it to take my magic..."

Lilith shook her head, "The worst thing a witch can do to her own kind."

Maleny was near tears again, "She's an awful being...but even now I ask her to use my own magic and turn me as well...but she declines."

"There is a way to live on for centuries without being what the Mikaelsons are," Lilith smirked, "There is a way that you will retain your youth, your beauty, and, most of all, your love for all of eternity."

The offer seemed attractive which brought Maleny to ask, "How so?"

"There is a spell, a spell only my hands can conjure. I will gladly help you be what you wish to be."

"And what's the price?"

"Upon granting the spell, your magic will return in bits and pieces, I ask that you allow me and my family to channel that power," Lilith explained, "We are in trouble and we need all the magic we can get. Please, allow me to channel your powers and I will give you what you want."

Maleny glanced back in the direction of the village, the place she knew Klaus was probably waiting for her. They had an awful argument where he explicitly swore to her he would never turn her. What future awaited for them if she would inevitably grow old while he stayed young? Esther had already told her countless times she would never do the spell again. Lilith's way seemed the only alternative that would guarantee an eternal life.

Lilith anxiously waited for an answer, "What do you say? Do we have an agreement?"

Maleny studied Lilith, trying to see anything that would give a motive to distrust. But there was none. Lilith just seemed hopeful, like there was a grand necessity for her. Maleny thought of it as a deal where both of them could win. Lilith would save her family and Maleny would garner immortality.

And so, after carefully thinking it one more time, Maleny held out a hand for Lilith, "I accept," she declared boldly.

Lilith grinned, taking Maleny's hand and leading her away from the stump, "Then we must get started. I promise you everything will change after this."

Maleny shot up in her bed with wide eyes, her mind quickly replaying that dream of the night. The sunlight emitting from the room's window made her realize it was day. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table to see it was noon. She had slept more than intended but what reward she'd gotten then.

She had willingly gone with that woman who had been the 'curser'. Slowly, Maleny reached for her journal on her nightstand and opened it up, reaching for a pen to write down her horrible revelation.

~ 0 ~

Cami was walking down the tomb rows of the cemetery with a small, white notepad in her hand and a pen in the other. After listening to Maleny she had decided to investigate on her own for the moment. There was someone Maleny had wanted to look more into and with everything that had happened lately, Maleny never got the chance. Cami was more than willing to start investigating Emily Cordera. She had been at the cemetery for a good thirty minutes or so looking through the graves until...

Emily Gates Cordera

Loving wife and cherished mother and grandmother

Cami's eyes widened at the name on the tomb. Her hand scribbled down the information on her notepad. While the name didn't match exactly, the dates coincided perfectly with the story Maleny had told her. Klaus was wrong, Emily Cordera did exist. The only question that stood was what had the woman wanted with 'Maya Sterling' in the 20th century? And did she meet Maya?

~ 0 ~

Genevieve was fiddling with a couple herbs in her hands when Cami burst in from the shop doors. Genevieve only had time to raise her eyes when Cami slammed the notepad on the counter, "Emily Cordera, who the hell was she? And what did she do to my cousin?"

"Well...I see someone is up to date with the news," Genevieve laid the herbs on the counter and looked at the blonde with a smirk.

"Maleny told me everything, including your little deal which by the way off. She's a bit hung up on the fact there's a mystery murderer on her trail. You told her about this woman, Emily, for a reason. What was it?"

Genevieve felt like throwing out the human from the shop but she knew by doing that she would anger Maleny and therefore make it impossible to get closer to Klaus and Hayley. And after her new orders from the ancestors, she couldn't risk that. She would have to help Maleny and tolerate her human cousin.

"Emily Cordera was a witch. She had family in New Orleans," Genevieve sighed, "In fact, she married in the city, a warlock of great powers."

"And?" Cami raised an eyebrow, "You were an ancestor and by that logic you know a lot more than you're letting on. What did she want from Maleny?"

"Maya, was a witch, an orphan," Genevieve shrugged and looked around the shop, "She had a couple friends but primarily the Mikaelsons'. Emily came into the city specifically for Maya. She never said what she wanted but after I died I got a little glimpse from the other side."

"Like?"

"Maya's prone, dead body was carried in by some group of witches, one of them Emily. I don't know how they did it but they killed her," Genevieve leaned on the counter with a fake, solemn smile, "and they sacrificed her for power."

Cami was stunned but it didn't fog her actions, "My uncle said something about that before dying. How could he know that Maleny had been sacrificed?"

"The hex placed on him allowed the ancestors to mess with his mind," Genevieve gave a shrug, "Something must have stuck."

"So, wait a minute," Cami rubbed her temple, "You knew all this time and you never said?"

"To be fair, I didn't know Maya and Maleny were the same person. I tended to avoid Maleny."

"Why did they sacrifice her? What did they want?"

"Power, it was an old spell they used," Genevieve honestly tried remembering the words of the spell, "A channeling spell, though. It's used, if I remember correctly, to give a family an increase of power."

"None of this makes sense," Cami whispered as she thought, "Sacrifices? Why did Emily come specifically for Maya? Why not any other witch?"

Genevieve honestly didn't know the answer to that, "I have no idea. You'd have to take that up with the current Cordera generation. Though I assume they knew Maya was the current Maleny in their generation."

"How would they know?" Cami asked more to herself than to Genevieve. How could the people know which woman was their target?

"Well," Genevieve honestly pondered on the question for a minute, "I would say Maleny has to be branded with something to identify her."

"Like I mark," Cami realized then, "Like...like a chained necklace?" what if the perception filter placed on Maleny's necklace had been not to necessarily hide but to identify her as the current prey for the cursers?

"Your studies haven't been in vain I see," Genevieve couldn't help her sarcasm which earned herself a glare from the blonde human.

"Okay, okay," Cami started to think about it again, "So the current generation of the curser lives and is hunting Maleny down by a mark she has to have. Who's the current generation now?"

"I can't remember all of them, some of them married, but I do know one," Genevieve smirked before saying the name she knew would cause chaos within the Quarter.

But by doing this, she would instantly garner trust not only from Maleny, but from the entire Mikaelson family. And if it would allow her to get close to the unborn baby, then so be it.

Let there be blood.

~ 0 ~

Maleny was frantically passing the pages of her mother's spell book, trying to figure out what kind of spell could do what Lilith had promised her all those centuries ago. But with the scarce dream it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, or unfortunately, however he would react, Klaus walked into the study room of the compound. As soon as he saw her frantically looking at the pages, he knew something was wrong, "What are you looking for?" he approached her but didn't sit down.

"I had a dream..." was all Maleny mustered while reading words she could barely comprehend.

"Elaborate, perhaps?"

Maleny released a breath and set the book on her lap, "I had a dream last night...of myself, the original me," she looked up at him, "It appeared we had an argument and I ran into the woods or something where I met this woman, Lilith. She knew me, and she...offered me a deal: the deal I'm pretty sure is what allows me to be here today."

"Changing bodies without remembering," Klaus pointed out and made her frown, making him raise his hands in surrender, "Only saying. The deal wasn't that good."

"Well, I was angry at you, my mind wasn't thinking clearly," Maleny rolled her eyes, "Apparently we had some type of argument, and a big one."

"Ah yes," Klaus remembered that argument with a long sigh. He sat down on the edge of the bed, looking ahead, "That was the last time I saw you. And you were so...upset," Maleny noticed a distant look was taking him over, "That was certainly not the way I wanted to see you last."

Maleny looked down at the open book and simply could not help but to ask, "Then how would you have preferred to see me? Old and dead?"

"Maleny," Klaus sighed again, letting his head hang low, "Not this again. Please-"

"Well, it's the truth," Maleny shrugged. She didn't intend to start an argument with him about it but she did want him to see the truth, a truth she had wanted him to see centuries ago.

"Centuries later and you still cannot let it go?"

"Well look at me," Maleny gestured to herself, "What ever I did, I thought was right because no one else wanted to turn me."

"So now this is my fault?" Klaus stood up, easily taking the blame as was the custom. However, with Maleny, it...it was not easy, "It's my fault you disappeared?"

Maleny saw the guilt she was willing to bet had followed Klaus for centuries, starting the day she originally disappeared, "No, I don't think it was your fault," she made sure to voice her thoughts, "I did it out of my own choice. I thought if I did it, then..." she felt awkward saying her next words, "...you and I could be together," she cleared her throat as she felt a warm blush rush in her face, "Forever."

"I wanted that too, Maleny, but I just didn't want you to go through what I had," Klaus sighed, "I didn't want you to suffer."

"I get it," Maleny told him, meaning it, "but because of this I actually chose to take this curse. You know, Maya, Victoria, Cordelia and Valerie told me I chose this path...and that's why I ended up stealing their lives. It may not have been intentional but it was my fault. I have been stealing lives for a very long time now. I'm an awful woman."

On that last accusation, Klaus had to openly disagree, "You are far from that. How can you think that?"

Maleny looked down momentarily, choosing to be honest with him as he deserved to know the important detail she'd also remembered, "Klaus, I remembered that...I helped your mother turn you and your family into vampires..." the knowledge left Klaus stunned, his eyes widening for a minute. Maleny took a deep breath and faced him, expressing her guilt in her eyes, "I don't think Esther told me exactly what she was going to do to you but I know I helped her...and in the process, she took my most of my magic. Genevieve was right, it was stolen. I just didn't think it was your mother."

"That..that doesn't make sense," Klaus said, still processing the grave accusation against Esther, "My mother saw you as one of her own..."

"And she turned her own into vampires," Maleny gently pointed out, "If she treated me like her own then of course she had to hurt me in some way. But that's not what I wanted to tell you, well...it wasn't the most important thing I had to tell you. I want you to know that you turning wasn't all her fault - it was mine too," her eyes began to water up as she continued, "I'm sorry, Klaus. I helped her turn you and hurt you. I'm so sorry!"

"I would never blame you," Klaus immediately took her into a hug, his mind reaching to the conclusion that this was one more thing Esther was responsible for.

"You should," Maleny pulled away enough to look at him, her face now covered with tears, "Because I helped her, me," she pointed at herself, "You trusted me and I let you down."

"No, no," Klaus still insisted and began to clear her tears from her cheeks, "I know you, and I know you would have never done something that you knew would hurt people."

"So..." Maleny sniffled and shakily breathed in, "...you're not...you know...mad at me? Don't want to lock me up somewhere?"

"Never," Klaus said then added, "Well, besides this place," he pointed to the room and made her chuckle, "I still don't want you going out on your own."

"I know," she said quietly, no longer upset about it. She learned that spending time with him hadn't been so bad in the end. It had certainly helped remembering more things of their past.

"How about we take another look at that spell book," Klaus suggested, nodding over to Maleny's spell book, "Now that we know a little more of the spell we can pinpoint one in the book."

"Okay," Maleny sniffled again and looked for the book beside her, "but I tried to on my own and it's not easy. There's a lot of stuff in it."

"Well, now it's us doing the job - and we were always a good team, you know," Klaus smirked at her, making her sheepishly smile back, "And, if we can't find it, we could always call your little witch friend. Sure she'll love to hear me asking for help."

"Maybe if you asked nicely," Maleny joked with him and grabbed her book, putting it on her lap, "she would gladly accept."

"Yeah, we'll see," Klaus scooted closer to see the pages, having no intention of asking Davina Claire for something in a 'nice' way.

~ 0 ~

Elijah was confused as he stood in front of a gravestone with the name 'Emily Cordera' carved into the headstone. He, frankly, had a lot to do and so receiving a call from Cami practically demanding to meet with him wasn't a very pleasing task. He could start with the fact witches weren't very content with having a vampire, an Original, standing in the one territory they could call their own. Thankfully, he could see Cami coming from across the row, though her expression wasn't the usual, cheerful one she commonly bore. But nowadays, what other face could anyone have?

"Thanks for coming here," was the first thing Cami said when they stood only feet away from each other, "I know this wasn't, um..."

"My first choice?" Elijah raised an eyebrow, "No, of course not. Any other place would've been good, but then again...you didn't exactly leave time for me to make a suggestion."

Cami didn't look the least bit ashamed of the hurried call she'd given to earlier, "I'm sorry. But I knew that if I told you what I know in the compound, Klaus would certainly hear and then, well...bloodshed would happen," the words made Elijah tense a bit, mostly because he knew Cami wouldn't go to such measures for nothing, "Plus, I thought you would need concrete proof," she looked at the gravestone.

"What is it, Cami?"

"This woman," Cami gestured to the gravestone, "is responsible for Maya Sterling's death in the 20th century."

Elijah glanced at the tombstone, once again confused, "That is impossible. Maya died the day we fled the city. My father killed her."

"You think that's what happened," Cami corrected, "But the truth is Maya didn't die that night. And I have a witness: Marcel. He said that Maya gasped back to life and a couple days later she went missing," all of that was new to Elijah, and with that came doubt.

"Well, Marcel isn't quite the best source of history," he pretended to dust off something from his fingers, "I'm sure you've heard of the attack he caused a couple days ago."

"Yes, but this was before you threw him out of the city," Cami explained, "This was him trying to protect me from what he considered a threat, Maleny. Maya survived your father's attack but she didn't have the same luck with this woman, Emily."

"Cami, all this is-"

"Please," Cami raised a hand and stopped Elijah from continuing, "Just...hear me out, okay? I'm a psychologist, well, getting there, but I'm sure I've cracked something," Elijah nodded and motioned for her to keep going. Cami took a breath, "Emily Cordera, along with her family, sacrificed Maya for power. She killed Maya somehow, knowing just the way for Maya to actually die. But you know what gets me the most? Is how did Emily decide/know Maya would be the witch to be sacrificed? Maleny's been branded with some sort of recognizable mark that allows the enemy to know she's the target - her chained necklace that belongs to her mother. She had to have had it on her in the past, hidden to you all except for the cursers which would then explain the times where she disappeared. She disappeared because the enemy took her to be sacrificed for power..."

"You've certainly got the makings of a psychologist," Elijah concluded after several moments of silence had gone by, "Tell me now, how did you gather this information?"

Cami knew the answer would spark doubts but she still went ahead and said it anyways, "Genevieve told me something and then I put it together."

"What? And you believed that woman?" Elijah stepped forwards, already irritated this seemed like a loss of time.

"I know she isn't a reliable source but I studied everything she told me and it checks out," Cami assured, "She was telling the truth. My theory could be correct, and if it is then that means Maleny is in serious danger."

Elijah had to admit that explanation would fit perfectly with the two attempted murders Maleny had endured. He just couldn't figure out why Genevieve would be so gracious to tell the truth all of a sudden.

"There's one more thing," Cami said quietly, garnering his attention fast, "Genevieve told me the current living Cordera generation..."

"Who?"

"Now look, just because he's part of the family doesn't mean he could have anything to do with it," Cami said first which alerted Elijah and frankly left him suspicious, "It's...Riley. His name is Riley Dawson Gates...Cordera. Emily Cordera was his grandmother - great grandmother or something."

"Do you mean to tell me that, perhaps, all this time the murderer was right under our noses? In our home?" Elijah was horrified to learn he had been that careless...and that Klaus could've been right this whole time.

"Like I said, we don't know if he has anything to do with it," Cami pointed in reminder, "Plus, Maleny said that Riley wasn't even there the two times something happened."

"Yes, but that doesn't mean he couldn't have gotten one of his little friends to do the dirty work," Elijah pointed out, his agitation of himself growing more and more, "Or, that he hid to do the crime."

Cami suspected he would be going into some type of attack sooner or later, making her panic, "I called you because I would think that between you and Klaus, you would be the brother with the least chances of murder."

"Smart move," Elijah remarked and studied her a moment, "We have to tell them..."

"But the first thing Klaus will do is kill that poor guy," Cami crossed her arms, "My theory isn't 100% correct. I don't want Maleny mad with me because I made Klaus kill her friend."

"But Riley is part of the Corderas', meaning we have to pay extra close attention," Elijah countered with, "I believe I can convince my brother to hold off on his actions..."

"You can make him not kill Riley?"

"Oh no, that man's dead either way," Elijah shook his head, surprising Cami with his bluntness, "But we can do this in a smart way, one that'll give us information on how to help Maleny. But first thing's first, Maleny can't know about Riley. I fear her appreciation for him will cloud her judgement."

Cami nodded in agreement, "Okay, but if he turns out to be innocent he's not going to die," she warned, "Just because his grandmother was bad doesn't make him bad as well."

Elijah smiled, "Camille, when you've lived as long as I have, you come to learn the phrase 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree' is almost always true."

Cami tilted her head and raised an eyebrow, "But your parents weren't exactly 'parents of the year' and I don't think you're all that bad. Maleny's father was also a horrible man and she's the complete opposite. Sometimes, the bad things in life can make you kind."

Elijah's smile grew a little more and gave her a nod of agreement, accepting his loss, "Indeed. Shall we get to work, then?"

"Yes," Cami replied quick and turned to walk off, Elijah moving right behind her.

~ 0 ~

"Nothing," Maleny snapped shut her mother's spellbook with a loud thud and rose from the couch, "We searched through the whole damn book and there's nothing!" she let the book drop to the cushion and walked in frustration towards the threshold.

Klaus reached for the book and opened it up again, skimming more pages, "Then we'll have to go through Esther's," he proposed but that only opened up a whole other mess with Maleny.

"Sure," she turned around, crossing her arms, "right after you take it back from Genevieve," she was still mighty irritated Esther's spellbook had been relinquished to the ginger witch after she'd saved Maleny.

"Mal, I understand you're frustrated but I could use a little less of it towards me," Klaus gave her a look and shut the book again.

"That's what you do all the time," Maleny accused and turned away, taking a breath to start calming down, "We need something else because simply looking for the spell isn't doing much."

"I agree," Klaus stood up and left the book on the couch, "Any suggestions?"

Maleny bit her lip as she began thinking, "Well..."

Klaus knew a plan had formed inside the brunette's mind and immediately pressed for the details, "What are you thinking of?"

Maleny turned around, "Before uncle Kieran died he gave me this key. I told him he should've given it to Cami but he said it was more adequate for me," she gestured to herself, "and then he added it was for 'my kind'."

"So this key has something to do with the witches," Klaus couldn't help but be irritated that he was just finding out about this, "Do you think they're...weapons? Or..."

"I don't know," Maleny shrugged, "but maybe we can find out today - if you're willing to lift my lockdown that is," she added innocently.

"Well," Klaus swayed his head in the manner that Maleny knew would soon be telling her 'no'.

"No, no, don't do the 'well' thing," she waved a hand to stop him, "Whenever you do the 'well' thing it always means 'no' for me. Now, I'm not gonna give you the key if I don't get to go," she warned.

"Alright," Klaus agreed rather easily, figuring he wouldn't be getting far without her assistance anyways, "But," he was quick to lay down the rules, "you stay within my eyesight and hearing at all times."

Maleny rolled her eyes but agreed with the terms, "Yeah, okay."

"Do you know where to start, then?"

"...no," she admitted and rubbed her neck, "Kieran didn't get to tell me what it opened exactly. And Cami doesn't know about any of this so let's not go asking her," she turned and left the living room, heading for her own room.

Klaus was right behind her, and asking the questions that Maleny preferred not to get into, "Why exactly doesn't she know about this key?"

"Um...because I thought it was best not to tell her right now?"

"And you think that'll end well?"

Maleny stopped beside her bedroom door and gave him a look, "Look, I don't know what this key will open. If it's dangerous I don't want her to get hurt. So, please, can it just stay between us until we see what's on the other side?"

"Yes," Klaus nodded and relieved Maleny from her fear. With a small smile, Maleny hurried into her room to retrieve the key for their task.

~ 0 ~

Riley was coming out of a cafe shop holding a drink in hand when he stopped by to chat with a young woman. Across the street, unbeknownst to him, were Elijah and Cami. The two were hidden by the passing people but had a perfect view of the young warlock.

"Okay, so maybe I was wrong about this theory," Cami admitted after a while. They had followed Riley for a good two hours and all the man had done was go into a library and then the shop.

"Patience is a virtue, Camille," Elijah reminded, earning a mock-glare from her. With the two hours passing he had enough time to really think about the idea of Riley being a secret enemy. It made a sense when one really looked into the matter. Riley had arrived a near month before the attacks had started against Maleny. Whenever the attacks occurred, he wasn't there.

"Yeah, or maybe I was wrong," Cami insisted, nervously looking at the warlock across the street.

"Or perhaps you wish it to be so, so that Maleny never has to find out about any of this," Elijah said rather smugly, having known that from the moment they started.

Cami swallowed hard, "Well, I'm not gonna lie and say that wouldn't be nice. Maleny really likes this guy and he's done nothing but help her and even me with our uncle."

"A patient enemy knows when to attack at the right moment," Elijah explained to the young psychology student, "A smart enemy gets close to their target, earns their trust and learns about them."

"She's going to be crushed if this is true," Cami sighed.

For a minute, Elijah looked away from Riley to see Cami, "Do you know if Maleny...has feelings for this man?" Cami's eyes snapped to his in an instant, "I don't intend on telling my brother," Elijah clarified, "I simply want to know where he stands with Maleny."

"Well, does Klaus still have feelings for her?" Cami countered with, unable to help smirk when Elijah remained quiet, "Why should I answer your question if you can't answer mine?"

Defeated, Elijah returned his focus to Riley, "Touche," he said in the end, surprising Cami and frankly himself. It wasn't often a human could outmatch him in words.

Riley had ended his conversation with the woman and moved down the block.

"He's moving, let's go," Elijah said and trailed after Riley with Cami alongside him.

~ 0 ~

Klaus led Maleny into the cemetery and strode down the row of graves. Maleny had the key stuffed in her bag in case Francesca Correa was still looking for it. She didn't want any of the goons of the woman to swipe it off her without knowing.

"You know something interesting about the O'Connell's?" Klaus asked and stopped in front of the O'Connells' tomb area.

"Um, they've surprisingly managed to procreate despite the fact they've lived among your kind?" Maleny looked at him with a teasing smile.

Klaus rolled his eyes at the comment and continued on like she hadn't even answered, "Cami's twin brother never had a proper funeral unlike the rest."

Maleny looked down, "I know, I remember that. They had him buried out with the criminals and the John Does of the city. Cami's parents wanted nothing to do with him anymore."

"Kieran was a smart man and if he wanted to hide something without ever having to worry about it being found out he had the perfect location," Klaus smirked as Maleny wondered just where the location was.

And then she got it.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, her mouth forming into an 'o'.

"There we go," Klaus took her by the arm and led her across the cemetery, coming to stand before Sean's grave.

"I feel bad about this..." Maleny remarked when Klaus acquired a sledgehammer on their way to the grave, "...disturbing the dead..."

"Well, the good thing about the dead is they don't tend to feel anything anymore," Klaus gave a shrug, "Especially when they're normal ole humans."

"I sure hope there's nothing dangerous behind the door because someone's gonna have to explain to Cami why her brother's grave had been broken into."

"I'll leave that to you, love," Klaus was quick to say.

"Oh, and what are you gonna do then?"

Klaus gestured to the sledgehammer he held, "I'm the muscle!" and with that he slammed the hammer to the grave.

In the end, they managed to retrieve a box from the grave. Klaus handed it over to Maleny who quickly tried using the key on it.

"There's nothing," Klaus frowned at the empty box after it was opened.

"Hold on," Maleny brushed some dust off the lid of the box, allowing them both to see a carved code, "I remember this. It's from my implanted memories."

"Can you read it?" Klaus curiously asked her, hoping their plan wasn't over already.

"Yeah, I think so," Maleny looked at the box more carefully, "Kieran taught it to Sean who then showed it to Cami who then...showed it to me. This was supposed to be opened by a true O'Connell," she sighed, "Instead an outsider - a witch with barely any magic - broke into a grave for it."

"Let's skip the whole ordeal of you feeling guilty, shall we?" Klaus took the box from her and took a look at the code himself.

"Sorry I feel guilty," Maleny crossed her arms.

"Sort of used to it, love. It's one of your traits that allowed me to see when you were lying to me," Klaus smirked at her which only made her roll her eyes.

"Well tough because I'm a far better liar now," Maleny snatched the box from him and stuck her tongue out, feeling much like a child but she didn't really care, "Now c'mon, we have somewhere else we need to go to."

~ 0 ~

The code in the box had been an address which led Maleny and Klaus to an apartment complex. Thankfully, the owner had been more than willing to show them to an apartment that apparently belonged to Kieran. After the owner left them to see the apartment, the two started looking around but were mostly disappointed.

"I think you can safely show this to Cami," Klaus shot Maleny a look from the kitchen, unimpressed with the destination of their travel.

Maleny refused to believe this was what Kieran wanted Cami to have had after his death. She sighed, "There has to be more to it."

Klaus continued to look but couldn't really see anything beyond a dusty old apartment, "Perhaps you read the code wrong," he then suggested.

"Word of advice, never tell me I got something wrong," Maleny sarcastically said and walked over to a closet, "I believe that's how you and I got into plenty of arguments in the past."

"That's also because half of the time you were wrong," Klaus reminded and turned to see her looking into the closet.

"And the other half I was right," Maleny didn't fail to point out then pretended to think, "Hm, you weren't the best of boyfriends sometimes."

"Mal," Klaus' voice took a sharp edge, "I hardly think this is the time to point out faults in our past relationships."

"They were your faults," Maleny said casually as she noticed a panel in the back wall of the closet, eyeing the bright yellow duct tape that marked an 'X' on it, "Your ideas weren't always good."

"Are you kidding me?" Klaus walked over, huffing at her accusation.

"Let's remember how our most recent date turned out, shall we?" Maleny teasingly looked back at him, "I was nearly murdered and your friend, Marcel, had other humans murdered that same night."

"Mal!"

"Oh hush," Maleny waved a hand at him then promptly pulled out the panel of the closet to reveal an entire hidden room on the other side, "...woah..." she breathed as she stepped inside.

The room was filled with all type of files, heirlooms and artifacts. Maleny and Klaus were in awe as they took in the entire room, both walking around to see what they could find.

"This is for Cami," Maleny came across a box with a sticky note bearing 'Cami'. She rummaged through the things and found they were some sort of witches objects.

"Dark objects," Klaus spoke up from across the room, making Maleny look up and see him holding shackles, "These are mostly witches' dark objects. How could I have not known about this room?"

"Maybe because they're not ours?" Maleny walked over and took the shackles from him, "These are for Cami and she'll definitely know about this room."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Klaus made a face, seeing all the potential of such objects going to waste with the human, "I can get some work done with these things," as he reached for the shackles Maleny put them behind her back.

"These are not ours to handle, Klaus," Maleny warned him, "And you are most certainly not gonna use any of these things for your fights."

Klaus rolled his eyes, "Leave it to you to suck out the fun in my plans," he walked past her and looked through the shelves.

Maleny set the shackles back on the shelf and turned after him, "Well someone's gotta restrain you sometimes," she moved onto some other objects, wondering if there truly could be anything to help her with her curse, "Plus, I don't want to explain to Cami why you suddenly have acquired her dark objects."

"You'll owe me for this," the hybrid declared, already wearing a smirk on his face as he debated just how that would happen.

Maleny scoffed at the idea and glanced at him, "You will drive me home, let me tell Cami about this room, and then get nothing," she teasingly smiled at him, "and you'll like it."

"We'll see," was the response she received before Klaus went into another aisle of shelves. Maleny shook her head and continued to look through her area of shelves.

~ 0 ~

Night was settling over the Quarter and with nothing to report of Riley, Cami had began to convince herself her theory of the warlock was completely wrong. Elijah had taken her all around the Quarter after Riley, apparently not giving up as easy as she had. At the current moment, Riley was picking up takeout from a Chinese restaurant and Elijah and Cami were waiting a mere two shops away.

"I was wrong, completely wrong," Cami was repeating to the Original while they waited for Riley to come out, "I'm sorry I wasted your day, Elijah. Let's just call it a night."

"I don't think so," Elijah stopped her from leaving by putting a hand on her arm, "I am not going to let this possible enemy slip away due to a mistake."

"But he hasn't done anything to prove me right," Cami frowned, wondering if she'd made a mistake sharing her discovery with him.

"Actually," Elijah looked at her with a small smile, "there's one thing that he did today that I'd like to know more about."

"What?"

"He went into an herbal shop today," Elijah looked back at the Chinese restaurant just as Riley was walking out.

"So? Lots of people do that," Cami was still confused on the relevancy of his answer, "I do that."

"Yes, but when you're a warlock you tend to look for specific herbs," Elijah tried to explain quickly as he pulled her into a walk after Riley, "And he bought several of them. Cami, we need to know what those herbs do."

"So what do you suggest, then?" Cami raised an eyebrow, "Steal them from him?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of 'sneak a peek'," Elijah flashed her smile and immediately Cami knew she would be involved in another plan of the Mikaelsons'. She only hoped Elijah's would be less violent.

~ 0 ~

Now angry with her luck, Maleny pushed a box away from her and it nearly fell to the floor if Klaus hadn't grabbed it. With a smirk, he placed it back on the table and gave her a sharp look.

"I know, I'm angry," Maleny muttered and turned away from the table, looking at the bookshelves instead, "But we have spent the whole afternoon here and there's nothing to help me."

"There's one box left," Klaus pointed to the box bearing Cami's name.

"I doubt a bunch of dark objects is gonna help me break the curse," Maleny crossed her arms, "This is so frustrating!" she exclaimed and turned back to the table only to kick one of its leg.

Klaus watched her hiss in pain from the kick, "Are you quite done?" he inquired, quite amused with her antics. It reminded him of his original Maleny. The blonde woman, while often mature, had her childish moments which always made him laugh. For a minute he could truly see her as the Maleny that had disappeared in the forest centuries ago.

Maleny stalked out of the secret room and went straight for her bag she'd left behind in the kitchen, "I'm done for today, I don't want anything to do with the stupid curse," she growled and snatched her purse off the table.

Klaus calmly walked out of the secret room and closed it all up, "Are you sure that's what you want?" he called to her as the woman now stood by the door waiting for him.

"I think so," Maleny answered sarcastically, "I feel like I want to throw things, burn things, and punch things. So yeah, I think I'm done for the day."

Klaus smiled to himself as he made sure the entrance to the secret room was concealed once more. As he did so, he could hear the things Maleny muttered under her breath. More than angry, he knew she was disappointed they hadn't made progress on her curse. He was upset too but he cared more for Maleny's feelings at the moment.

"Mal," he called to her and turned around, seeing the brunette still waiting for him, "do you mind if we take a detour before going home?" Maleny's eyebrows raised at the question, curious of what he now had in mind.

~ 0 ~

"Riley! Riley!" the young warlock heard his name being called. He turned around and saw Cami hurrying up to him, looking frantic for some reason.

"Cami," he abruptly stopped the blonde in front of him, making him stumble back a couple steps.

Cami shook his arm and accidentally made him drop a couple bags of his, "There's a little kid hurt down the block, you have to help me! I think he's a warlock or something."

Riley quickly looked down the street, searching for the boy, "Who is it?"

"I don't know, he doesn't speak English very well. He doesn't want to come with me," Cami started pulling him down the street, "C'mon!"

As the two left, Elijah emerged from the corner of the street and hurriedly picked up the bags left on the ground. He rummaged through them until he found the one containing the herbs Riley bought earlier. Elijah didn't know a lot about herbs but he had someone who could recognize them. In a quick speed, he headed for Genevieve's shop.

~ 0 ~

Out in the park Maleny glumly stared at a couple performers across her. She was waiting for Klaus to return with something he apparently needed to buy from a shop. He had wanted her to come with but she was in no mood to go anywhere else that wasn't home. So, Klaus resorted to her staying at the park - having a perfect hearing shot of her in case anything went wrong. As she waited, she took to watching the performers and its crowd. They were musicians with two of them dancing around.

She hugged herself and grew even more downhearted with her circumstances. If she couldn't break the curse she wouldn't ever get to fully live. She would never be able to do the simplest of things like ever figuring out if she had natural talents. Could she perhaps learn to play guitar? The violin? Or maybe dancing was a talent of hers. If she didn't break the curse, she wouldn't even be able to take up a career like Cami was doing. Maleny honestly didn't know what she would if she actually broke the curse but she wanted the options. But maybe that wasn't her fate at all. Maybe her fate was to jump bodies for the rest of time, getting killed or sacrificed each and every time. And...to never actually have a true lo -

"You know," Klaus' sudden appearance broke Maleny's thoughts, "in one of your past lives, you adored the piano," Maleny silently turned her head to him, awaiting for more details, "You loved that thing more than anything. And you were good. Exceptionally good too."

Maleny slowly looked back to the musicians, "I don't think I'll ever get to play again, then."

"You could always learn it again," Klaus shrugged, seeing no trouble in that.

"What for?" Maleny's voice took on a cold tone, "So that in a month I can forget it because I was sacrificed again? No thanks."

"Mal, I know you're feeling discouraged, but we will find a way to end this curse," Klaus turned to her, allowing Maleny to see he held a black bakery box in one hand, "I promise you that."

"I believe you'll do everything you can, but there's always a chance we'll fail," Maleny bit her lip, "Just like the many, many times I've failed in the past."

"But there's a difference between then and now..."

"What is it?"

"You're not alone this time," Klaus declared, "You've got me, you've got Elijah, you've got Cami and Hayley - even a witch who hates anything to do with us."

Maleny smiled and considered his words, "That is a big difference..." she agreed in the end, "What'd you buy?" she pointed to the box.

"I hope you still like berries," Klaus handed her the black box.

"I love berries," Maleny assured and opened the box to find a small, rounded, berry-cheesecake inside, "Ooh, and I love them most when they're in pies," she looked up with a big smile on her face, "Is this for me...?"

The doubt in her face made Klaus chuckle, "No, I decided to buy it for myself and show it off to you," Maleny mockingly-glared at his sarcastic response. Klaus laughed again and finally spoke normally, "I figured it would perhaps make this day slightly less bad."

"Look at you," Maleny began, traces of sarcasm lacing her tone, "Klaus Mikaelson, big bad hybrid who everyone fears... buying me pie?" she chuckled to herself.

"Well," Klaus stepped closer to her, satisfied to hear her heart take quicker beats, "To you I was never all that. I wasn't a title holder. I was simply Klaus...and he loved you very much."

Maleny awkwardly coughed then, her cheeks sporting a bright pink tint, "And, um...how's that, um...how exactly does that go now?" her eyes slowly raised to meet his, "I mean...do you still...feel anything?"

"That depends," Klaus perfectly evaded the question, a bit out of his comfort zone as well.

"On what?" Maleny whispered, doing her best not to seem so anxious of his answer.

"If my answer would make any difference in your life..."

"Oh," Maleny stayed quiet a minute, wondering how the hell things had gone from gloomy to awkward and nervousness in less than two minutes.

Klaus could see her face contorting to confusion and decided to keep pressing for a better, clearer answer than the one she would probably come up with, "Can I ask you a question, Mal?"

"Sure..." the brunette weakly said.

"That Riley guy...is there actually something going on with you two?"

"I don't...think you need to know about that," Maleny quietly said, "But I know you and I know if I don't answer then you'll start thinking what's not. Riley is a great guy, and any woman would love to go out with him...except for me," and when she saw the small glimpse of relief in Klaus' eyes she couldn't help smile a little, "He's just a friend. And he's gonna stay a friend. But now it's my turn to ask invading questions," she took on a smirk, "You and Genevieve...did you start that because of what happened with us before Rebekah left? Or did you actually like her?"

Klaus gave her a smile and walked past her, "We should get going."

Maleny playfully rolled her eyes and called him back to her, "Oh no, Klaus, you have to answer me right now," she turned to face him, only he had his back to her, still refusing to answer. With determination, and admittedly curiosity, she walked up to him, turning him by the arm, "Was that serious? Or was it because we fought before that?"

Klaus resigned to tell her the truth, knowing she'd get a kick out of it in the end, "She's a very attractive woman..."

"Oh, we're off to a good start," Maleny rolled her eyes.

"Mal, you know I'm impulsive..."

"Mhm," Maleny gladly agreed with him, much to his irritation. She wasn't making it easy on him, "Kinda picked up on that when we were kids."

"I don't care about her," he spoke honestly, "Never did. She's attractive, but...nothing. There was nothing and there never will be."

"And now? What do you intend to do now?" she motioned to the bakery box she held, "Buying me my favorite dessert? Telling me these pretty things?"

"I would be lying if I said it wouldn't be interesting to see what could happen with us," Klaus surprisingly admitted to her with ease. He once again stepped closer to her, "But right now I only want to see you happy. And if me telling you these 'pretty things' makes you feel anything unhappy then I will stop. Would you like me to stop?"

Maleny opened her mouth but found she didn't know what she wanted then. She looked down, "I..." she began, hoping to know there and then but it seemed she was conflicted, "...I wish to go home right now," she finished with instead.

While it wasn't exactly what Klaus wanted to hear, he didn't go against her wish, "Let's go, then," he turned to the side and gestured for her to start walking. Maleny thanked for his understanding and walked off with him.

~ 0 ~

Upon arriving at the compound, Maleny and Klaus came to find Hayley tending to Davina in the courtyard. The teen seemed a bit irritated to find the two were together - and according to Hayley, they'd been together for most of the day.

"Davina, what are you doing here?" Maleny asked, slightly confused with her presence.

"Where the hell have you two been?" Hayley almost demanded from the two. If neither Maleny nor Klaus knew Hayley well enough to see her last trimester pregnancy hormornes kicking up, they would be irritated for her rudeness.

"We were looking for more things for the curse," Klaus answered her.

"Together?" Davina frowned, "Why?"

"Because that's how teamwork works?"

"Funny, I didn't know you actually knew what that word meant," Davina crossed her arms.

Maleny didn't want to have to break up any arguments between her and Klaus, "Davina, did you need something?"

Davina looked at her with much softer eyes, "I haven't heard from you in a while and I got worried."

Maleny smiled, "I'm fine. Thank you for stopping by but actually, I am kinda in the need for a trusted witch to help me look over my mother's spellbook. You think you can do that with me right now?"

"Yeah, I told you I would," Davina beamed at the opportunity, "C'mon," she sent Klaus a glare, "But alone."

"My spell book's in the upstairs living room," Maleny pointed and so Davina started to walk off for the staircase. Maleny turned to Klaus afterwards, "Thanks for today. But I think Hayley needs you right now."

"No I don't," Hayley defensively said, crossing her arms.

"You're moody," Maleny pointed at her, "and so is he," she pointed to Klaus next, "I think you can help each other."

"Mal, have I told you your sarcasm is completely annoying?"

"I don't ever want to be pregnant," Maleny made a face and started for the stairs, chuckling as she heard Hayley begin to complain to Klaus about how bad she felt with herself.

~ 0 ~

Cami impatiently waited in her house for Elijah to at least call and tell her what those herbs in Riley's bag had been. After tricking Riley into going with her to help a boy who didn't even exist, Cami had gone for her house as had been the instructions the Original gave her. He was going to bring the herbs to Genevieve and get an identification on the herbs to see if they were malignant. That had been over an hour ago and now Cami was plain frustrated.

Eventually, someone knocked on her door and she dashed to go answer it. She opened it up and was relieved to see Elijah standing on the other side, "You took forever," she accused.

"It's only been an hour and half," Elijah countered, disregarding her irritation, "May I?" he gestured to her home. He hadn't ever been to her house and so needed her invitation.

"Yeah," Cami nodded and stepped side, "Come in."

"Thank you," Elijah stepped inside with the herbs bundled up in a cloth given by Genevieve, "We'll need a better plan to capture Riley."

"Wh-what?" Cami blinked as she closed her door, "What do you mean? What were the herbs?"

Elijah turned around waving the bundle of green leaves, "These are meant for knocking someone out for a good hour or so. Riley bought these with an intention on using it on someone."

"Are you sure Genevieve didn't lie to you?" Cami took the herbs from him and gave it a light sniff.

"She's the one that told you this in the first place, plus she did save Maleny recently."

"That doesn't mean she's seeking redemption..."

"Camille you came to me for a reason," Elijah's voice now had a sharpness that expressed the grave situation they were in, "And that was to see if you were right or not. Surprise, you were right. It's time to accept it and find a solution."

Cami knew he was right, but it wasn't easy to accept a person that had helped with her uncle's passing was actually evil. She handed Elijah back the herbs, "So, what do we do?"

"I agree if we tell Klaus he will probably kill Riley and that is something we don't want - for the moment."

"Then what are we supposed to do?"

"We take care of it on our own," Elijah resolved, "Do you think you can keep this from Maleny?"

Cami nodded quickly, "Yes, if it'll help her then yeah," she only wished this would lead to Maleny's salvation. If they caught the enemy before he tried attacking...that would have to save Maleny, right?

~ 0 ~

As Maleny and Davina overlooked Maleny's spell book, Davina kept glancing at the brunette woman who often took bites of her berry pie.

"So, this whole teamwork thing between you and Klaus, does that include having dinner together?" Davina finally decided to address her big issue, "...and dessert?"

Maleny set down her fork into her box and studied the teen beside her, "I know you don't agree with my past-"

"It's not just about your past, it's what's happening now," Davina sighed, "Mal, I love you, and I don't think that this place," her eyes looked around the quiet room, "is the place you should be at."

"I feel pretty safe here," Maleny shrugged, "I don't see anywhere else I want to be at."

"Do you think there's a chance that your memories resurfacing have maybe...manipulated your feelings?"

Maleny frowned at the bluntness of the question, "What? Wh-what's the relevancy in this?"

"I'm saying that maybe you remembering your past lives are making you feel things that aren't real anymore."

"And just what are these 'feelings'," Maleny raised her fingers to create air quotation marks, "You're talking about, hm?"

"I'm talking about the feelings you used to have for Klaus," Davina made sure to enunciate the past tense clear for Maleny, "Your head is mixed up and what you think you feel may not be true!"

Maleny blinked with wide eyes, stunned by what she was hearing. She would've snapped but Davina seemed honestly frustrated and concerned, "Davina, calm down," Maleny set her hands on the girl's shoulders.

"I can't calm down!" Davina shook her head, "Because you're putting yourself in danger! You can't love Klaus, you just can't! Stop spending time with him, stop letting him take you out, just stop before you get yourself killed!"

"I'm not gonna die because I fell in love," Maleny scoffed at the idea, "And for your information I don't even know what I feel for Klaus right now. So please, calm down."

But it wasn't enough for Davina to feel better. She was terrified for her friend's life, "Mal, get out of this place, please."

"No, Davina, I won't."

"You're going to do exactly what your past yous have - you're going to start something with Klaus and then you're going to die again."

"I'm not," Maleny insisted, "Because nothing is happening right now. I'm focused on my curse and breaking it."

"Look me in the eye right now and tell me you wouldn't even consider starting a relationship with him again," Davina challenged, crossing her arms as she waited for Maleny to prove her right.

Maleny shifted awkwardly on her spot, looking to the side, "I...I don't know..."

"See," Davina gestured and stood up, "You can't do it. You can't stay away from him."

"Well maybe I don't want to," Maleny blurted out, not about to feel ashamed for something that wasn't wrong. She faced Davina and stood up, "Maybe I'm curious to see where it would lead to between us...if things would be...interesting or something."

"Maleny..." Davina shook her head.

Maleny straightened up and gave her final word on the subject, "I honestly don't know what's going to happen between me and Klaus, but if something does happen and it makes me happy...then I will let it happen and no one - not even you - will make me choose otherwise."

Davina deeply sighed and hugged her friend, "I just don't want you to get hurt, Mal. You're my friend, I want you to be okay and with...someone that isn't already dead."

Maleny smiled, knowing that Davina was only trying to look out for her, "I'm okay, Davina. I know Klaus, alright? He wouldn't ever hurt me."

But Davina wasn't so sure about that. Every time Klaus was involved with something or someone, they ended up hurt...or dead. Davina didn't want to see that happen to someone as sweet as Maleny.

#klaus mikaelson x oc #ocappreciation #ocapp #the originals imagines #klaus mikaelson imagines #the originals fanfics #klaus mikaelson x original female character #oc: Maleny Rowan #noblecrescentedit #fic: the girl in the forest

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aion-rsa · 4 years

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NOS4A2 Showrunner Breaks Down Season 2 Ending and Teases What’s Next

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The following contains spoilers for NOS4A2 season 2.

The first season of NOS4A2 ended with ambiguity. Charlie Manx is left injured and brain-dead, permanently trapped in the hospital. Vic McQueen discovers that she’s pregnant, putting a damper on her attempts to escape Haverhill and her old life. Bing Partridge is on the run from the cops, Manx’s partner in crime now left without a boss and with the authorities nipping at his heels. If the show stopped there, there’d be hanging threads, but there was confidence enough that evil was stopped, until it’s shown that a well-meaning mechanic bought the burnt hulk of the Wraith and has started to lovingly restore Charlie Manx’s murder-mobile. With a little help from Bing, Manx’s Wraith is back in action and Manx himself is able to staple himself together and get back to his evil ways.

NOS4A2 season 2 doesn’t end on such an ambiguous note. Charlie Manx’s Inscape is shattered beyond repair. The children of Christmasland have been rounded up by the authorities and either returned to family members or put into the foster care system. The Wraith is a mangled-up cube. Charlie Manx is a bloated corpse fished out of a river and cremated. Bing Partridge is in prison. Wayne is back in the custody of his loving parents.

And yet, not all is right with the world.

From the midway point of the season two finale episode, “Bats,” NOS4A2 showrunner Jami O’Brien and the show’s creative team are hard at work preparing for the show’s third season, and possibly beyond. The universe of NOS4A2 is broader and deep; there are whole worlds out there just waiting to be explored. There also remain hanging plot threads from season two just itching to be grasped and pulled.

Maggie’s Magical Mystery Tour.

The final moments of the finale see Maggie heading back to the hotel where she bested the Hourglass Man, and rather than hang out at the bar or go up to the suite, she hops into the elevator and descends into the basement thanks to a tip from her tiles. She’s seen Vic’s Bridge and Charlie’s Christmasland, and now she’s looking to explore the rest of the world of thought.

Said executive producer and showrunner Jami O’Brien, “The novel hints at a much broader world than Vic and Charlie. Joe Hill makes a point of saying in the novel that there are many Strong Creatives and many Inscapes. Some of those folks and places are positive like Vic and Maggie and some are not, like Charlie and the Hourglass Man. I think it would be really exciting to meet more Strong Creatives. We see Maggie going down that elevator; I’m curious to know where she winds up. And I personally would love to see her taking on larger adventures in the world of thought. She, as a character, is excited to do that.”

What little that has been revealed of the greater world of thought hasn’t always been positive. Christmasland was, essentially, Santa’s nightmare. The Night Road and Parnassus weren’t exactly a drive through the countryside to Grandmother’s house, and Abe and Snake weren’t exactly friendly faces. Charlie says that to even make it to Parnassus reveals a darker side to a Strong Creative, and exploring that darker side could make for some interesting, harrowing journeys for Maggie and Vic.

Bruce Wayne McQueen’s Return to Reality.

“Bats” shows just how difficult of a time Bruce Wayne McQueen is having returning to a normal life. No more sugar for dinner, no more sleigh coaster, no more freedom from the aggravation of every-day life. He was only in Christmasland for a few days or weeks at most. If Wayne is having a hard time, the dozens of other children saved from Christmasland must also be struggling, particularly those kids left with only foster care as their option. Tabitha mentions that difficulty in passing in conversation with Maggie, bringing up how some of the kids are untrustworthy, and Wayne himself is good evidence of that based on his erratic behavior.

That difficulty adjusting isn’t going to go away in the break between seasons, says O’Brien, and the draw of Christmasland isn’t just a passing phase for Bats.

“Wayne’s longing for Christmasland comes from having been there and having seen the wonders and horrors of it. I think like Vic, Wayne has been affected by his encounter with Charlie Manx and with Christmasland. It is a more difficult to shake that off than one would like.”

Wayne wants nothing more than to be back in Christmasland. He might not say it out loud, but it’s reflected in his behaviors (like hiding food and not eating) and in his artwork, where Wayne draws a loving picture of himself and a very specific playmate back at a rebuilt, refurbished Christmasland. There’s only one person out in the world that understands what Wayne feels and what Wayne is missing, and she’s the third hanging thread aching to be weaved into NOS4A2 season 3.

Teenager Tartar a la Millie Manx.

Millie Manx, as played by Mattea Conforti, has become one of the show’s most visually distinctive characters. The little girl dresses like a tin soldier, leading the other children through merry games of Scissors for the Drifter while waving around a razor-sharp cutlass. She is Charlie Manx’s first and only daughter – the child who put the seed of Christmasland into her father’s mind over years of bedtime stories and wild flights of fancy in lieu of actual parenting. She is also the razor-teethed monster who stalks the woods of Colorado, savagely attacking teenagers seeking cheap thrills near the ruins of the Manx manse.

There’s more to come from Millie in the third season, should the show get one.

“Millie Manx is still out there and there’s a relationship hinted at between her and Wayne. So that’s something that I think is interesting and I would love to explore further as well.” O’Brien says, “Mattea Conforti is just so great. I love her and I love the character of Millie Manx. I think the only thing that’s scarier than 140 year old vampire, is a tween girl who’s on the loose. I’m excited by Millie.”

Millie is trapped in a world she does not understand and is cold, lonely, and hungry. When she was the only child in Christmasland, Charlie Manx promised to bring her friends, and he did so. The last of Millie’s new friends, Wayne, is the first friend she has on the other side of Christmasland’s gates. Just how far will Wayne go to get back to Christmasland? How far will Millie go to escape the hell of the modern world? Just what sorts of hijinks will the two of them get up to together when they inevitably meet again?

That all depends on just how strong her grudge is against Vic McQueen, and how badly Wayne wants to get back to Christmasland.

The source material behind NOS4A2 is deep enough and rich enough to support a world of more than just Charlie Manx, even if Manx’s influence will continue to be felt. Manx might have been cremated, and the Wraith crushed into a cube, but there’s no true way to stop a horror movie villain, particularly one as powerful and evil as Manx. Maggie and Vic have adventures on the table before them, provided they can finally put the past behind them. Millie Manx might not let that be easy.

The post NOS4A2 Showrunner Breaks Down Season 2 Ending and Teases What’s Next appeared first on Den of Geek.

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shadowtagged · 4 years

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DISCLAIMER: this is my take on tsu’s ability. i’m still in the process of reading the gaiden light novel + manga, but this particular hc is based on my own thoughts and will likely diverge from canon. i'd also like to give a huge shoutout to vega / antigifted for sparking the idea of tsu's mom being a part of the ability user experiments.

❛ No wealth. No ruin. No silver. No gold. Nothing satisfies me but your soul. ❜

THE TRUE IDENTITY OF THE REAPER -- as well as the source of YST / Kino no Kagefumi’s power -- is the goddess of death and creation, Izanami-no-mikoto.

Many centuries ago, perhaps even milenia, a woman found herself at what was believed to be the entrance to Yomi, land of the dead. The woman had been betrayed, abandoned by the only man she ever loved and in a moment of desperation, she prayed for retribution from the goddess who could empathize with her pain. Izanami heard the woman’s cries, but she could not come and go from Yomi as she pleased. She needed a vessel, a stake in the ground to hold her in place.

If the woman offered her body, as well as her soul, then the goddess of death would be more than happy to seek revenge against the man who had broken her heart.

The woman accepted and Izanami was alive again.

However, her power as a goddess had not been fully restored. Izanami found that she could still summon shinigami servants to do her bidding. She could also sense death and amplify the darkness lurking in a person’s heart, influencing them to give in to their darker nature. But the few abilities that she had retained paled in comparison to her true potential.

In order to unlock her former power, she had to make good on her promise to Izanagi and destroy 1000 lives.

Rumor has it that Izanami was eventually sealed away. Some accounts say that she was stopped before she could even achieve her goal. Others go to great lengths to describe the devastation she reeked before finally being stopped.

To this day, the truth remains unknown. Even Izanami herself is fuzzy on the details, but somehow her spirit hasn’t returned to Yomi. Instead, it -- along with her power -- has been passed down through the descendants of the woman who had first made the contract with her. When one chosen descendant dies, Izanami’s spirit is reborn in another.

Eventually, these chosen descendents became known as ability users and the truth behind their power became lost. All that remained was the name ‘ Kino no Kagefumi ‘ and a mysterious ability to control shadows.

Tsu’s great grandmother was one of these chosen descendants. She died before Tsu’s mother was born, but Tsu’s grandmother would recount stories to her daughter. This was how Tsu’s mother learned that her ability was like a family heirloom; inherited, rather than being unique to the person. As Tsu’s mother grew older, she learned that inherited abilities like hers were remarkably rare and it led her to begin researching the origin and nature of abilities.

Tsu’s mother made some incredible discoveries -- including the possibility of transering abilities to blood relatives -- and it wasn’t long before whispers of her reputation reached the ears of the government. Their courtship began with funding, so that Tsu’s mother could continue her research uninhibited. Eventually, though, the government recruited Tsu’s mother to not only work on, but lead several top secret projects. ( It’s possible these projects included the Arahabaki experiment, as well as early stages of the Hunting Dog program. )

As the nature of the protects crept far beyond the realm of moral ambiguity, developing tensions began to give way to conflict. Tsu’s mother became an obstacle that needed to be dealt with -- but before the government could succeed in their mission to silence her, she transerferred her ability to her daughter as a means to protect her.

It’s unclear whether Tsu’s mother knew the true consequences of her actions because she didn’t just pass Kino no Kagefumi on to Tsu. By seperating Izanami’s spirit apart from her own soul / body, Tsu’s mother gave Izanami autonomy. Something that the goddess had not experienced in centuries. Perhaps not even since she was first reborn. The division between Tsu and Izanami as opposed to Izanami existing as one piece of the chosen descendent’s soul, is what allows Izanami to manifest as the Reaper and to possess Tsu’s body as a separate entity living in the same body.

Tsu is Izanami’s second chance to become whole again.

#◂ 〈 影 〉 ─ ── ╱ about .

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drjackandmissjo · 4 years

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firewhisky on ice, sunset and vine

you’ve ruined my life by not being mine

Chapter 6— previous chapter — next chapter

Harry Potter fics Masterlist

They were once again in their original compartment, the one they shared all the way back during their first ever ride on the Express.

In the past few years, under Pansy’s suggestion, they had moved to more populated carriages, not remaining locked in their little booth, to have the opportunity to mingle with other students, yet after the incident between Draco and Saint Potter, they had decided a more secluded area was in order.

And there they were, Draco and Theo and Pansy and him, just as old time. Crabble and Goyle were in the nearby compartment, as if they were guard dogs waiting to be fetched, which wasn’t a far approximation of both their use and bestial nature, considering how they behaved. The rest of their housemates were scattered all over the Express, but in that little moment of time and space they were alone, far away from prying eyes and from tall Gryffindor idiots.

He had managed to avoid seeing him, back at the station, but Blaise had failed miserably at keeping him out of his mind during the holidays: his mother had bombarded him with thousand different questions about the ‘mysterious boy’ that had snagged his heart and hadn’t stopped meddling during their entire stay at his grandparents’; each one of his aunts and uncles and distant cousins kept on asking about his relationship status, twisting their noses whenever he replied, disapproving of the lack of a ‘nice pureblood girl in his life’, to which he simply had to politely smile to prevent himself from doing something irrational and idiotic; he had found himself asking his grandmother suggestions on how to tend plants, with the sole purpose of using them to then impress the useless plant-head.

At King’s Cross, he had sprinted as soon as he saw his friends, ignoring everyone else and focusing on Pansy, who was in the midst of telling Theo about her newest achievement, in the form of a freshly out of Beauxbatons boy who was doing an internship at the Ministry.

He didn’t know why, but he dreaded his next encounter with Longbottom. He had brought a plant from his grandmother’s garden and was planning on giving it to him during their next study session together, alone and in the privacy of the empty classroom they used, and he had already rehearsed several times in his mind the speech he was going to give to the Gryffindor, to excuse his foolishly romantic behaviour and masquerade his uncharacteristic affection and attachment. Yet he feared immensely an unscripted encounter, conscious that his brain didn’t work at his maximum potential around the tall idiot.

It had been quite an effort, the one he constantly had to make to concentrate in Transfiguration class whenever he decided to tap his fingers over the desk or whenever he bit his thumb when he focused on something he didn’t understand. During their private sessions, it was even worse: Longbottom would usually loosen his tie, roll up his sleeves and put a pencil behind his ear whenever it was his turn to explain something, and Blaise’s brain immediately went blank and dead for several moments, his only thought being incomprehensible blabber about biceps and forearms.

Overall, Blaise Zabini was whipped, not entirely in a bad way, but couldn’t be seen acting smitten. Especially not over a boy. Clearly not over a Gryffindor.

He focused his attention once more to his small group of friends: Theo was reading a trashy wizarding romance novel about a witch and a half-blood that, based on the plot, sounded too much like a wizarding version of Wuthering Heights, yet Theo entranced and captivated by the story, unaware of the Muggle origin of it, based on the time of release; Draco was poetically staring off the window into the vast [ic1] and immeasurable space that could be seen from the window, lost in his problems, mostly Death Eater related; Pansy was filing her nails, mindlessly nodding her head to a song that was playing in her head and remained stuck there for the foreseeable future.

“I gotta tell you something” he blurted out, without really thinking about the course of action he wanted to follow. He knew, deep down, that they would accept him no matter what, but the little anxious voice in the back of his head still whispered frightened.

They all turned to him, each with a puzzled look, stopping whatever they were doing to give him the attention he deserved.

It was an unofficial rule, never once discussed yet always respected, between the four of them to constantly listen to each other’s rambles and problems. It had been done when Theo’s father pressured him into learning Divination, when Pansy’s first time happened in a dark corner of the Slytherin dungeons with a sixth year boy while she was still in her third, and, of course, when Draco came back from the Summer vacations with a new tattoo and a burden on his shoulders. While he never truly admitted what he’d have to do for the Dark Lord, the other three still leant their ears to the blonde’s panicked whispers.

And they were all returning the favour now.

“No turning back, brace yourself and do it” his mind told him. He was a Pure-blooded Slytherin, on top of his classes and better than any of them, and if they had a problem with him being himself they could’ve shoved their heads up their arses even further than they already were.

“I don’t know if you’ve ever wondered or not, about why I don’t keep girls around for more than a public appearance or just for a couple of weeks” he began, hoping for once to be able to fulfil his speech as he had imagined it in his head.

As it could’ve been predicted, he was immediately interrupted by the monotonous voice of Theo, who simply went back to his book while saying: “Not our place if you wanna shag one different chick each week.” Then as if in an afterthought, he raised his head once again, staring into the distance with clouded eyes, and whispered: “They sure as hell about to fall over you, the wee girls chasing your attention as Nifflers with gold.” He had been reading one too many trashy romance novels for Blaise’s likings and now imagined love stories and escapades everywhere. Just before leaving for the holidays he had admitted of ‘having a feeling with his seer powers’ that Thomas and the Fire Kid were snogging on a daily basis, which left Blaise speechless while the others laughed.

“Are you trying to say that Blaise’s a heartthrob?” asked Draco, almost offended at the idea that he was less desirable than his friend. Pansy then intervened in the situation, leaning in before conspiratorially claiming: “Girls in the bathrooms talk, you know? Many do when they think no one’s there to listen, but Millicent heard that Romilda Vane, that hideous bitch, might be trying to sneak some Amortensia into either Saint Potter’s or Blaise’s cup!” That was an interesting news indeed, that side-tracked the conversation and also derailed Blaise from his train of thought; “Rule number seven: a possible poisoning should always be avoided, unless it was planned.” “Might be a miracle if she even knew how to brew tea, let alone perform correctly all the steps to properly do the potion” commented Draco, tilting back on his seat and folding his arms while sporting an insufferable smirk on his lips. “How’d you know? You never pay attention to classes anymore!” asked an affronted Theo, who was constantly complaining about the lack of response from the blonde prefect, but rarely mentioned it whenever Draco was near: Blaise had a feeling he partially knew what their friend had to do, since his parents were once again on the previous path, but he also never confirmed nor commented the situation.

“So does Pansy!” yelled outragedly the blonde, trying futilely to defend himself, despite the true words that just had been spoken. In the past few months, his attention span had drastically declined and now even teachers had started to realize it, which meant fewer House Points than intended. Which gave Blaise constant headaches[ic2] . The she-devil then turned to his friend, a dissatisfied expression on her face: “That’s different, I never paid attention to anything other than Charms, cause everything else’s boring and useless to me, you on the other hand…”. That was a trite topic that could go on and on for weeks. Blaise had his out, his one chance to have them forget he even started the discussion, which would last the remaining train ride for certain.

Yet he didn’t want to go back in hiding his true nature with them and, since he desperately wanted thing to move and work with Longbottom, if he turned out to be a fellow as well, he might’ve used Pansy’s help to woo finally the Gryffindor and Theo and Draco’s discretion if thing really got going.

It most definitely was a ‘Now or never’ type of situation.

“I’m into boys” he admitted quietly, partially drowned by the sounds of his friend’s argument, yet they all perfectly heard him.

The following silence was morbid and sickening, with Blaise looking out of the window with his wand in position to cast a protecting charm over himself. “Rule number five: better safe than sorry.”

Tentatively, as if handling a porcelain doll, Pansy moved forward, placing softly a hand on his and whispering: “Are you certain?”

“Sweet Salazar, Pansy, of course he’s certain, what kind of fudged up question is that?!” Theo exploded, throwing his hands in the air and watching the girl as if she had grown two extra heads, and now looked like the dog their current Professor of Care had during their first year.

Blaise had always been curious about how they had managed to fit such a large creature inside the third floor corridor, but still had no explanation. His most quoted guess would be a shrinking spell firstly and then a second enlarging one, probably performed by either Dumbledore or Flitwick, for sure. Hagrid, although he was a great and passionate professor, didn’t strike as the master of form changing and fitting charms, although he could clearly impress and surprise.

His overturning trail of thoughts was once again shifted back into the conversation at hand, instead of being let to free float in a very Pindaric [ic3] style, by the curious voice of Draco Malfoy: “Why you’re not cursing?” he asked, tone dripping disbelief, that now Blaise shared as well. Pansy was also looking at their fellow housemate as if she intended to solve the mystery before her, clearly having forgotten what spun their conversation in the first place.

Theo, on his own, merely shrugged, “Gave it up until the Spring break in a bet with my cousin, she’s from Durmstrang and won’t drink alcohol, the loser gets kicked of the Easter feast and doesn’t get the food.” The explanation was short and concise, typically in Nott style: “If it can’t be said in one sentence only, it’s not worth it” was his life motto, which was an interesting perspective in life, yet became complicated when asked to write a three feet parchment long essay, while the Slytherin in question could only master a very poetic “The Wound-Cleaning Potion is a potion used to clean cuts and other open wounds.” Needless to say, many nights were spent begging Theodore Nott to just write four more sentences cause Professor Snape wanted more than a simple “It’s used by healers.”

They all managed to convince him to be marginally less crisp only after reading out loud the works of Crabble or Goyle, which sounded too much like his own for his liking, which lead to the domino effect of a two and a half feet piece.

“Weird shit you pulled, you started it?” asked Pansy, incredibly suspicious and folding her legs under her body, a cat ready to pounce. “Grandma’s work, she casted a spell on us to check it and if we remove it we lose” he admitted, sounding excited and vengeful at the same time. While his grandmother had probably meant it as a meaning to have a peaceful evening, she did not keep in count the sheer ambition her grandchild had. Knowing Theo, this little challenge would keep on going until the last day, or until he won. He was too headstrong not to finish it with first place, whichever prize might be coming, it was the pure conscience of being first that would keep him warm during cold nights. “So, you rash-holes gotta keep your fudging mouths clean around me or I’ll lose my shirt” he then added, pointing his finger at all the three remaining people and throwing his best glance their way.

“That fucking sucks ass, Theo. So fucking sorry” exclaimed Pansy, fretting hurt and exaggeration, mocking him with every breath she took. “You’re a bench, Parkinson, and you should definitely caramelize yourself!” “Theo! You kiss your grandma with that mouth?” intervened Draco, placing a hand over his heart and pulling an incredulous face, scandalized and amused.

Once again, for the billionth time, the topic had switched and Blaise could feel his newly headache spread. He had a half thought of leaving the compartment to jump over the train and simply lay there, but decided to try one more time to get on top of the issue: “GUYS! Can we please focus here for once? I just told you I’m gay and I’m slightly uncomfortable not knowing whether you’ll hex me or I’ll have to kill you first” he said, staring at each of his friends dead and emotionless in the eyes.

“You would never kill us, Blaise” commented a very relaxed Draco, comfortable in his position. He was so dead wrong, or plain dead, depending on which came first. “Try me bitch. I had to study bloody herbs on my own cause of you so I’m already murderous.” He seemed visibly shocked by that, “Oh, yeah, sorry mate, how’s it going?” he asked, probably genuinely curious. “Pretty well actually, turns out it’s actually fun and…. Hey, back to the main side, what’s it gonna be, stronzetti?” Blaise all but yelled, losing his patience. It was an actual miracle that he had managed to keep up with them for that long: screw Potter, he should be assigned holiness, or at least a martyrdom, for his years spent in suffering.

“Well, that’s easy: I personally don’t care and as long as nobody” Theo began, pointedly looking at all his friends in the eye and not just at Blaise, “trickles nobody on my bed I’m chill with whatever.” Blaise took a breath of relief, his shoulders sagging a little as he felt all his tension leave his body. “One down, two more to go.”

“When you say trickles you actually mean fucking or a general shagging?” asked Draco, tilting his head forward with an unreadable expression he always used when playing with his friends. Not many saw this side of the blonde, the joyous and rascal version, reserved to his closest circle only. He had the best one liners, for certain, and used sarcasm and humour at every possible occasion.

More than once, Blaine had to hex him whenever he started punning, cause once it had begun, he never stopped willingly.

Theo leant forward as well, eye to eye with the blonde with a murderous look on his face: “Malfoy, you keep your hands off my property or I’ll chop them off clean, but as a general rule don’t get on my bed or I’ll burn our dormitory down.”

Pyromania was a serious issue of Theo’s, which was the main reason why he was on speaking terms with the Fire Kid from Gryffindor, which as a downside meant endless teasing from the rest of his house. Despite it all, their unlikely friendship was solid and dangerous, with one accidentally sending things on fire and the other purposefully letting it all burn. “I’d do it if I was you, mate. Who knows who did whom before you took the room” Pansy intervened, reclining back into her seat and picking up her nail filer once again, starting back to where she got interrupted. “THANK YOU FOR THE IMAGERY PARKINSON!” Theo yelled, bolting up on his feet and thundering over the compartment. Raising a hand to pass through his hair, he gave out a huffed breath and opened the door to the corridor, “Imma go and claw my eyes out excuse me” he proclaimed, before hastily exiting and loudly closing the door with a sound that reverberated the entire train, probably.

The remaining trio burst out laughing immediately, Pansy and Draco falling onto each other as Blaise wiped tears off of his eyes. “Merlin, He’s so sensitive!” he commented once his chuckles had quieted down and as his breathing returned evenly. He then closed his eyes, savouring the moment as an eventual calm before a tumultuous storm: “What about you two?” he asked, returning to seriousness.

Pansy looked at him softly, before shrugging and returning back to her task, “I’ve had my suspicions but kept quiet cause.” Then, in an afterthought, she pointed her filer at Blaise’s chest and conspiratorially added: “Hope you know we’re gonna talk about it in private, just the two of us, also just cause I may have already someone to set you up with.”

Blaise chuckled at that, already conscious that the action might be immensely futile but touched by the feeling nevertheless. “Draco?” he asked boldly, turning fully toward the friend that had been keeping silent about the matter. Despite Blaise’s suspicions, it was not his place to say anything about the other boy, but an acceptance would’ve been gladly welcomed still.

“I’ve have too much on my own plate to deal with this as well but” he began, messing up his non-gelled hair as if to pull the words out of his brain directly, “I’m cool, mate. As Theo said, don’t fuck anyone on my bed” he finished with a wicked smile and a wink. What was the wink for, Blaise had no idea, but he warmed up at the sentiment nonetheless. “Not gonna be a problem, trust me” he admitted smirking: even if things were smooth with a certain boy, he still would be extremely hesitant of bringing anyone of the same species further than the common room, and even then he couldn’t exactly bring a Gryffindor there! “Why not? Are you ashamed of us or something?” asked Draco, offended and wounded at the idea, at which Blaise could only reply with a huffed out laugh and a shake of his head, “That’s one way of putting it.”

Draco turned expectantly at Pansy, who just looked him sternly in the eyes before deadpanning: “Your room smells like flowers and douche deodorant, no one with an ounce of self-respect will ever bring a date to shag there” she claimed, with great reasons, before returning to her nails. Crabble and Goyle had an unhealthy lack of familiarity with personal hygiene, which meant that the remaining occupants of the dormitory had to constantly keep the windows open or, during the winter, spray the room with whatever substance strong enough to hide the odour of musk. “Speak for yourself, Millicent’s cat’s always stinks worse than death itself!” outragedly cried Malfoy, desperately trying to defend his wounded honour for some reason unknown to Blaise, who simply stood back and enjoyed the scene. “Which is why he’s not allowed in the room, we keep him on the doormat, asshole” venomously rebutted Pansy, raising her filer in the air and vehemently threatening the blonde.

“Isn’t that poor creature already been through enough?” “Quiet Zabini, he chewed on my favourite pair of shoes and they were expensive” she replied immediately through gritted teeth, without lowering her makeshift weapon nor detaching her eyes from her prey. “We all come from powerful and rich Pure-blood families and are talented wizards, couldn’t you just use reparo?” snorted Draco, slowly and unperceptively leaning backwards and far away from the witch. Pansy simply drew closer, fury in her eyes, “First of all, that’s not the point. Second, they were bloody Louboutin and even with the spell they still had something missing and I’m still salty about it” she said, punctuating each word with a blow with her bludgeon, which caused the blonde to wince in pain.

The scene was comedic and truly heart-warming, but it was interrupted by Theo’s head, which poked from the newly opened door: “We’re there, guys, move your sugar plum behinds” he said entering, shifting the pair of bickering idiots to take out his coat.

Blaise felt better than he had in weeks as he fixed his tie on the window reflection. Holidays had been great, the quick chat with his friends freeing and fantastic and he was finally ready to set his plan in motion.

With his heart infinitely lighter, he grabbed his suitcase and exited the train, secretly hoping to be able to peak a certain Gryffindor before the meal in the Great Hall.

GLOSSARY:

“Stronzetti” means “Little pieces of shit/Little Assholes”

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makeste · 5 years

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BnHA Chapter 234: Tomura Flashbacks and Giganto ex Machia

Previously on BnHA: Re-Destro lost his temper and hulked the fuck out and started breaking off Tomura’s fingers like a goddamn Kit-Kat bar. Elsewhere, (1) Twice cloned Toga in order to give her a blood transfusion, unaware that Skeptic was heading their way; (2) Spinner’s quirk of being a Gecko Man was revealed and he attempted to wall-crawl his way over to Hanabata only to be assailed by a bunch of redshirts fired up by Hanabata’s Trumpet quirk; (3) Dabi continued to battle Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine offscreen (I assume); (4) Compress was also probably doing something but who can be sure; (5) Giran was running off to safety with one of the clone Twices, and finally, (6) Gigantomachia Goron-rolled his way towards the action while Slidin’ Go stood there nervously, probably sensing that his number is coming up on the great cosmic roulette wheel. All of this happened two whole weeks ago because the manga was on break last week! But it’s finally back now, so leeeEET’S geeet ready to rrrruuuuUUUUUUUUMMMMMBLE.

Today on BnHA: RD continues to get handsy with Tomura until Tomura starts to disintegrate one of RD’s own fingers to see how he likes it. He does not, in fact, like it, so he flings Tomura away and starts thinking all of these shocked antagonist thoughts about how Tomura is stronger than he expected and his powers are ~awakening~ and blah blah blah. Meanwhile Tomura hops back onto the Flashback Train to Feels City and recalls how AFO gave him his family’s severed hands to make sure he stayed good and pissed!! And he also remembers more about his sister and how much she loved him! And his mom and grandparents who were also super nice and are now fucking dead and it’s a lot! Horikoshi is pretty fucking ruthless! Anyway so RD decides he’d better go all out and wrap this up, but before he can deliver a killing blow, Gigantomachia finally makes his entrance. At the same moment, Tomura finally remembers “everything” (?? ???!?!?), which, holy fucking shit you guys.

(All comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity immediately afterward, and added one or two ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.)

okay so let’s see what gruesome things are in store for our intrepid villains this week

“destroyed memories” oh? come again? you don’t say?? fancy that?? goodness me???

so is this referring to Tomura? or Dabi? if it’s referring to Re-Destro or one of his gang, I swear to god...! nobody cares about your memories RD. you’re a jerk and you suck

lol what the

aww. is this a “real” in-universe children’s book, is that what this is. did all the lil U.A. dumplings read this when they were small. and was there also a similar book called “don’t judge people by their lack of quirks” and if so why did no one read it to lil baby Kacchan hmm

anyway now we’re cutting right back to this unpleasant image! and not only that, but in the two weeks we’ve been gone things have even escalated!

we’re up to two hands being grabbed now! um. he’s really going to need at least one of those? probably?? please don’t Overhaul my deranged villain son fffff

reminder that Tomura needs to touch something with all five fingers in order for his quirk to activate (or he did before at least), so even though he still has... two...? fingers remaining on his left hand, that hand is still effectively useless as far as quirking goes. so if he suffers even the smallest amount of damage to his right hand as well, it’s basically all over for him. unless he actually was using his quirk with his feet in the previous chapter. I’m assuming not because he presumably would have decayed his way all the way down to the center of the earth if that was the case. I think @khorale mentioned this in a comment on my last recap, but yeah, seeing as the ground’s not disintegrating underneath him, it’s safe to say it’s Hands Only here

anyway I got so caught up in being calmly horrified over the current situation that I didn’t even read the dialogue. so RD’s saying that superpowers are linked to personality, and so that “don’t judge people by their quirks” stuff is in fact bullshit

um, source? are you a psychologist? in general I try to take things with a grain of salt when they’re said by pieces of shit, so yeah

fffffffff noooooo Tomura’s face sob Horikoshi you bastard

he looks so freaking young here. okay, shit. I’m starting to think I need to make plans to unwind after I finish reading this chapter. maybe get an Enya playlist in the works. diffuse some essential oils. find some cute baby animal videos

but on the plus side, it’s looking ever more likely that his are indeed the Destroyed Memories in question omg. so I will continue to get hype while also feeling very guilty and stressed

you guys I’m actually really glad RD is feeling like he has the upper hand now, because he’s starting to waste some valuable time monologuing, and with every second he babbles on, Machia is getting closer and closer to whooping some ass

so he’s asking Tomura what he’s trying to create

and well, actually, he’s not really that far off

I mean. does it count as nothing if he wants to destroy the whole world? one could argue that would be “creating” a new world in which everyone is fucking dead. idk. I might have to give RD this one; his whole point of “quirks are linked to personality and you have a quirk that destroys everything you touch so you probably just want to destroy shit” is holding up surprisingly well to scrutiny thus far

yeah so now he’s yelling “YOU ONLY LUST FOR DESTRUCTION! AM I WRONG?!” and nope. but even a broken clock, twice a day, etc.

oh shit OH FUCKING --

um, okay, (1) NO IT’S NOT, SHE WAS A LITTLE GIRL, NONE OF YOUR HANDS BELONGED TO A CHILD YOU GULLIBLE RUBE

and (2) MY FUCKING FEELS. why am I even surprised. what the fuck. I knew more angst was coming and yet it still...

just, god. okay fine Horikoshi I’m a glutton for punishment, please continue then

HAHA SOB IT’S A WHOLE FUCKING FLASHBACK OKAY SURE LAY IT ON ME!!

this really is the wildest shit though you guys. I still can’t get over it. “hello little boy I’m sorry your family is dead but don’t worry I’m adopting you and here are all of their severed hands. with little plugs on the end too or some shit. just, you know. souvenir”

I can’t fucking believe AFO played this so straight. maybe that’s why it worked. it was just so fucking out there that Tenko wound up buying it hook line and sinker. “hmm, seems a bit shady, but then again why else would a strange man I met only yesterday just randomly up and give me a dozen severed hands”

I don’t know if any of this shit is important, but it’s probably good practice to just post every mysterious thing that AFO says

yes you really did a great job healing this guy’s wounded fucking heart, Dr. Phil

oh wow, never fucking mind, even

I see, so that wasn’t meant to be a reassuring “in time you’ll get over it” speech; it was meant to be a cautionary “you’d better surround yourself with reminders of your terrible pain at all times or else you might actually stop feeling fucking miserable and WE CAN’T FUCKING HAVE THAT” speech. holy shit

I’m seriously having trouble wrapping my mind around just how terrible this is. like, it’s nearly impossible to fathom that level of cruelty. this is a four(?)-year-old child. he tracked him down, gave him a quirk that would kill his family*, sat back and watched it happen, and then let him stew in the horror of it all alone until he finally swooped in and claimed him and then raised him with the express purpose of keeping him sad and scared and angry and depressed at all times, all so he would eventually grow up and, with any luck, murder the man that his grandmother thought of as a son!

(*this is just conjecture right now, admittedly, but until I’m proven wrong I’m basically operating under the assumption that it’s true)

just. “fucked up” doesn’t even begin to describe it. god

anyways, let’s continue to read more about young Tenko’s extreme emotional abuse at the hands of the final villain I guess

OMG HANA

okay so I can’t remember where we left off on this last time, but a bunch of people said they suspected that the young Tenko wanted to be a hero when he was a little boy, and that’s why he was always clashing with his dad, because his dad’s own experience with heroes was pretty sour on account of the whole his-mom-gave-him-up-when-he-was-little-and-then-later-died-horribly thing

so yeah, I assume that’s what Hana is referring to here with the whole “I just tell Dad...” bit. so they both wanted to be heroes! how perfectly fucking tragic! great!

Tomuraaaaaa

KEEP IT UP TOMURA YOU CAN DO IT!! YOU CAN REMEMBER! YOU’RE DOING GREAT. aside from the whole “this really big man is killing you slowly” thing

yeah, this whole deal

but aside from that. doing great

OOOOOOOOOH SHIT, THIS MUMMIFIED LITTLE PUNK’S STILL GOT SOME FIGHT LEFT IN HIM YOU GUYS

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

he got him to fling him away! YESSSS TAKE THAT YOU ASSHOLE. FOOL HIM ONCE, FUCKING OUCH, BUT FOOL HIM TWICE, AND LET’S SEE HOW YOU FUCKING LIKE IT YOU BIG WAD

so now Re-Destro is belatedly realizing that Tomura is going through a very weird leveling-up process and taking advantage of the fact that he’s temporarily become the main character of the series and thus possesses all of the narrative powers that come with that venerable distinction

...that he’s the main character? yes

anyways lol there’s some real good crazyface action going on here guys

did Horikoshi take the extra time just so he could devote a little longer to nailing down panels like this because if yes, A+++

SDSKJSODIFHOIESJ

it’s mom!! wow!!

DSLKFAJSLDK ARE WE GETTING BACKSTORY ON THE FUCKING SCARS OMFG I CAN’T THIS IS TOO MUCH

SOB YOU GUYS I’M CAUGHT UP IN THIS WEIRD CROSS BETWEEN BEING HYPED AF AND ALSO CRACKING THE FUCK UP NOW THOUGH, BECAUSE:

ALL OF THIS WAS SO FUCKING BADASS, AND THEN THAT LAST FUCKING PANEL, THOUGH. LMAO WELL HE’S ON THE BRINK OF SOMETHING, BUT WHO CAN EVEN FUCKING SAY WHAT

ANYWAY HE’S ZOOMING TOWARDS RD AND RD’S THINKING “HE’S FAST!” AND YEAH, BITCH, YOU SCARED??

WHAT ARE YOU THE PRESIDENT OF HIS FANCLUB NOW OR WHAT

you guys this is the most I’ve ever liked Re-Destro. there’s something about evil nemesis characters being begrudgingly impressed by their enemies that just pleases me, idk

LJSDFIJWEOF

WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED TO HIS FACE HE LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THE SCARY TREES FROM SNOW WHITE

OH SHIT YOU GUYS WE’RE BREAKING OUT THE TROPES

so do we get 100% when he goes up against Machia, then? smdh, fucking power levels. well I guess Deku technically uses them too. but still, it’s not something we see in this series too often aside from that

holy shit you guys

honestly, I guess this should be really intimidating or whatever, but all I can think is that it’s about time this guy finally started taking this “pitiable gang of thugs” seriously. even if that does mean Tomura is probably about to fucking die, barring some Giganto ex Machia. that guy really needs to get a move on

oh hey

[RAISES EYEBROW AT GIGANTOMACHIA AND JABS FINGER TOWARDS WRISTWATCH] cut it a little closer next time why don’t you??

(ETA: also I didn’t notice all of Tomura’s other hands being flung away from him by the impact, but whoa. so now he’s just got the Papa Hand left in his pocket, along with whichever hand is grabbing the back of his head. and that’s it. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that his dad is the only remaining family member whose face we still haven’t seen yet. some big reveal coming up with that soon, I bet.)

oh and also guys here’s some more flashbacks. this time with loving grandparents. because Horikoshi just really wants to make sure our emotions are good and churned about

okay guys, Tenko’s very dead flashback!grandma and grandpa telling him not to cry and giving him yummy food so he won’t be sad is pretty much close to the limits of what I can take, angst-wise. I don’t know why this is hitting me so hard! this is hardly my first anime flashback! I should be a pro at this by this point, the fuck is wrong with me

but on the other hand, I think a big part of it is that I’m not just sad about Tomura’s past, but also angry. because none of this is just coincidence; all of it is actually stuff that was done to him very deliberately, and the worst part is he doesn’t even realize it. and so in addition to the usual rush of protective feelings, there’s also this sense of outrage about it all too. and I think that’s the harder part to deal with. here I am, a grown adult, getting really mad over the staggering cruelty of what was done to this fictional character when he was a child. it’s possible there’s some real-life anger and frustration over certain real-life horrific cruelties and injustices that may be bleeding over into this, idk. just, the world is a fucked up place, and my emotional support manga is currently being less than supportive and it’s a struggle sob

anyways sorry about that. meanwhile while I was having a mini breakdown, possibly the most pivotal character development in Tomura’s history was happening and HOLY SHIT THOUGH WAIT UP GUYS

sdfkdsfjwoilkkj BOY!!!!!!!

SOB HOW ARE THERE ONLY TWO PAGES LEFT I’M GONNA CRY THIS CHAPTER WENT BY SO FAST

-- HORIKOSHI WHY ARE YOU CUTTING AWAY FROM THE FLASHBACK OH MY GOD I’M GONNA!!!

FUCK ME, THIS IS WHAT I WAS WAITING FOR SO IMPATIENTLY, SO OF COURSE HORIKOSHI JUST HAD TO FINALLY MAKE IT HAPPEN RIGHT WHEN I WOULD HAVE GIVEN ANYTHING TO NOT CUT AWAY FROM THAT SCENE WE WERE JUST ON. THIS SADISTIC SON OF A...

...hee. but it’s hard to stay mad, though

... :)

:D :D :D

lol what. recall, if you may, that you guys are the ones who basically forced them to come down to your mountain city and kick your asses you dickasaurs

HAHAHAHAHAAA

SDLFKJLSDKFJ AND ALSO OH NOOOOOOOO

OH MY FUCKING GOD. AND THAT’S IT. THAT’S THE FUCKING CHAPTER. WHYYYYY

EAT IT YOU PRICKS, I HOPE GIGANTOMACHIA FLATTENS YOU ALL INTO NEXT WEEK

Tomura looks so freaking sad, you guys. he’s just standing there completely still and he looks like he’s just completely destroyed emotionally

and he said he remembered everything!?! so what the shit am I supposed to do, Horikoshi?? my boy is just standing there with seven fucking fingers and one shoe and so caught up in his sad reverie that he’s seemingly oblivious to the fact that the long-awaited cavalry has finally arrived. kid is maybe 2-3 chapters away from finally triumphing over this bald Disney tree man who talks too much. and not only that, but he’s more than likely going to finally win Gigantomachia’s loyalty in the process. which in turn means he’ll have access to Ujiko and all of his resources

so in short, this boy is minutes away from becoming one of the deadliest and most powerful forces on earth... and I’m pretty sure that right now, at this moment, none of that matters to him one iota

you guys. so what does this mean for future developments?? I’m really going to need him to define “everything” ASAP, for starters. that’s a very vague statement, and its implications could mean the difference between us just having a sadder-than-usual Tomura from this point out, or a Tomura that’s sad but also realizing for the first time that there’s a lot about his past that doesn’t quite add up, or hell, even a Tomura that’s actually out for fucking vengeance against AFO. that last one seems like too big of a jump to happen right away, but dare I at least hope for the second option though? god that would just be the icing on the cake for this fucking perfect arc

now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to go do some yoga or chant some mantras or something holy shit. this fucking manga

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alj4890 · 5 years

Text

None But You

Request from @pixieferry for (Thomas x Amanda) in a Regency Era Romance.

A/N This was originally meant as a one shot but my mind decided to stretch it out and @pixieferry was very encouraging toward my madness. This story takes place in London around 1819. I'm not sure how many parts this mini series will have yet or who will appear, but here we go 😉

Our Main Characters: Lord Thomas Hunt, Viscount Kirkwood of Kirkwood Manor in Norfolk. Lady Amanda Bridgerton, heiress to Snowfield Abbey in Doncaster.

@graceful-popcorn @krsnlove @alleksa16 @hopelessromantic1352 @pixieferry

Masterlist

Chapter 1

"Now then. We must go directly to a modiste as soon as possible. If you are to have a proper season amongst the ton then the right wardrobe has to be purchased." Lady Lucinda Bridgerton explained to her niece.

"Yes ma'am." The young lady softly responded. She gazed out at the fashionable homes in London's Mayfair. Amanda Bridgerton tried not to dwell on the reasons for having to attend a London Season. It would do nothing but cause the tears she had yet to shed to fall from her eyes.

Her sweet, widowed aunt was all she had left for family. Her parents death three years earlier had revealed that their estate was near ruin. Her father had been the Earl of Snowfield. He had been a compassionate landowner that had made certain the families that farmed his lands and tended the sheep herds were taken care of during destitute times.

His wife had been of the same mindset and had trained their daughter to be a benevolent lady of the manor. When they died, her Uncle Nicholas and his wife, Lucinda, came to live at Snowfield Abbey. The new earl tried to continue his elder brother's mission but soon found that the coffers were nearly depleted.

He worked himself to death to try to recoup their losses and keep Snowfield and his family well taken care of. Now it was up to Amanda to make things right. The estate was beginning to thrive again yet there was a need that only a well established fortune could provide. The land alone would garner many a proposal from a titled gentleman. Her only wish was that she could marry for love. If not love, then perhaps she could have friendship with her husband.

"Here we are, dearest." Lady Lucinda stepped out of the carriage before a freshly painted building. They walked in and were immediately greeted by a whisper thin lady who spoke with a questionable French accent. Amanda lips curved in humor as she suspected the woman who asked to be called Marie, was really a Mary. She gestured dramatically while pretending to struggle to find the English words to describe Amanda's figure.

The young lady grimaced. There was no chance she would ever be considered a diamond among the upper class. She was the exact opposite of being deemed the ton's incomparable. Instead of a willowy, blonde angel with blue eyes; Amanda was cursed with her father's dark hair and eyes along with her great grandmother's voluptuous figure. She was much too tall for a lady, or at least that was what some of the shorter gentlemen had been heard to whisper at the local assemblies.

Her aunt and the seamstresses debated over silks, velvets, and muslins. It was soon discovered that pastels made Amanda's skin appear sickly. Jewel tones brought out her peach tinted cheeks and made her dark hazel eyes sparkle. She was set on a stool and measured, poked, and remeasured.

After many hours of this particular torture, they were at last released. As they stepped outside, Amanda gazed longingly toward a shop with windows filled with books across the street. "Aunt Lucy? May we go in there before we return home?"

Lady Lucinda chuckled and linked her arm with Amanda's. "We might as well. I fear that we will not find any of Lady Radcliff's novels in the library of our town home."

They entered the shop and both sighed in contentment. They took a deep breath of the leather bound air and spilt up to see what could be discovered to tickle their fancy. Her aunt chose the poetry section while Amanda went toward the back of the store where an attendant told her the novels were located.

She noticed a gentleman searching through the books on an upper shelf. He glanced at her and nodded politely. She returned his nod with a pleasant smile before squeezing past. Her attention was captured by the number of different novels avaiable. After running her fingers along a shelf, she picked up one and flipped through the pages. She stopped at the last chapter and began to read.

The gentleman she had passed watched her curiously. He frowned when he noticed her quickly reading the end of the story before choosing another to only do the same. When she started to repeat the process with a third book, he could remain silent no longer.

"See here, miss. You are ruining each story you pick up!" His deep voice was gruff with irritation. "Why are you only reading the final chapters?"

Amanda narrowed her eyes at his nerve and tone of voice. "For a very simple reason, sir. I prefer certain types of endings in stories. The only way to ensure such is to read the last chapter of books that have been recommended to me."

"Can you not simply read what is recommended without spoiling it for yourself?" He persisted. "Dash it all! People spend months to years creating such for someone to enjoy. They do not do so to be judged solely by the final chapter!"

Amanda bristled at his losing his temper with her. "Did you write this?"

He glanced at the title of the book she thrust at him and his frown grew fierce. "I did not."

Her chin lifted in defiance. "Then you, sir, have no right to be offended." She presented her back to him and set the book she was holding back in its proper place. She could feel those dark eyes of his on her and finally turned around in a huff.

Their wills clashed silently, each glaring darkly at the other. If he had not angered her, she would have thought him handsome. He was tall (a blessing in itself) with dark brown eyes and hair. The indentations in his cheeks hinted at dimples being present if he were ever caught smiling. His clothing was finely made and molded over a figure not given to the idol laziness that plagued many gentlemen in society. What a pity he should be possessed with such a sour disposition.

She began to feel guilty for her loss of temper. The good manners and kindness instilled by her upbringing forced her to utter an unwilling apology. "Forgive me. I should not have been rude to you. I'm afraid my patience was sorely tested earlier at the dressmaker’s."

His eyebrows lifted in surprise. His own chagrin flickered in the dark depths of his eyes and the easing of his lips. "I believe I am the one at fault here. I should not have chastised you over such an action."

Amanda smiled warmly at him, knowing that he was not one to apologize easily if his strangled words were any indication.

He found his own lips turn up some at her friendliness and held his hand out. "My apology would be more heartfelt if I had the name of the lady I am giving it to."

She placed her hand in his. "Lady Amanda Bridgerton."

He bowed over her hand. "Lady Bridgerton. A pleasure." He released her hand when a servant approached.

"M'lord, you asked to be reminded of the time."

"Ah, yes. Thank you, Walters." He turned back to Amanda and started to take his leave. He paused and reached over her shoulder. She softly gasped at nearly being pinned between his chest and the bookcase He glanced down when he heard her indrawn breath and placed a book in her hands. "Do not read the final chapter until you finish the ones before it." His lips finally curved into a smile. "Perhaps one day we will meet again and you can tell me what you think of it."

She looked down at the title, Persuasion. She let out a laugh. "Well played, sir. You chose a title that not only reveals your intentions toward my reading habits but also one that leaves a mystery to its plot."

He took her hand and brushed a kiss to her knuckles. "Promise me you will read it properly."

She shook her head in admonishment while her glowing smile ruined the effect. "Very well, though it would be nice to know to whom I am giving my word."

"Thomas Hunt, Viscount Kirkwood." He bowed and began to leave. He looked over his shoulder and spoke once more. "I look forward to hearing your opinions, my lady." Once he was gone, she hugged the book to her chest and searched for her aunt.

"Aunt Lucy! Did you see the gentleman who left a few moments ago?"

"I did indeed. Well done, my dear! I have heard of Lord Hunt. He is not one to remain in conversation with ladies longer than manners demand." Lucinda took the book from her niece. "You will have to read this now. He will be at many of the functions you will attend." She took her selection and Amanda's to the clerk and paid for them.

Amanda felt a warm fluttering in her stomach at the thought of speaking to him again. Once they were returned to their home in Mayfair and had eaten dinner, she escaped upstairs and quickly changed into her nightgown. She climbed into bed and began to read about Ms. Anne Elliot and her rather unfortunate romance with Captian Wentworth.

A few nights later, she and her aunt walked into Almack's. It was a warm evening and Amanda sighed at having to gain permission from the grande dames to waltz at the balls that were to begin next week. So many ladies, a few years younger than herself, were standing with painfully young men that had most likely been bullied into dancing attendance on their sister's friends.

Lady Jersey, one of the patronesses of Almack's, was in conservation with Lucinda and was looking over at Amanda in a critical fashion. She nodded in respect to the older woman and received a nod of approval. She only needed one to give their permission. Amanda wondered how she was to do so if no man approached her.

While lost in thought, murmurings reached a fevered pitch in the room behind her.

"Can you believe he came?"

"He never attends opening night at Almack's! My cousin Matthew swears the man avoids these type of functions and matchmaking mothers."

"He is so handsome. Mamma is going to have Howard invite him to our home for dinner one evening."

Amanda ignored the dramatic whispers of what had to be about another shy young man and moved closer to the open doors leading to the outside courtyard. She longed for a breeze to blow through the stifling room. She closed her eyes in pleasure when a cool wiff of air touched her overly warm skin.

"Falling asleep? I can't say I blame you. Finding buried treasure under the floorboards is more likely than finding a person to converse intelligently amongst this crowd."

Her eyes snapped open at the deep voice near her ear. Her lips parted in surprise. "Lord Hunt!"

He gave a quick nod. "Lady Bridgerton, we meet again." He noticed some ladies coming to join their conversation. "Good heavens, they are like a plague of locusts." He took her hand and placed it in the bend of his arm. "Introduce me to your aunt." He quickly walked off with her and stopped before her Lucinda and Lady Jersey.

"Thomas!" Lady Jersey gasped. "You're here?"

He lifted an eyebrow before looking down at himself. "So it seems." He took Lucinda's hand and bowed. "Lady Bridgerton, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Once she was over her surprise, she smiled at him. "And you, m'lord. My niece has spoken highly of you after your book recommendation."

His lips curved. "Lady Amanda is too kind." He turned his gaze back to her after studying Amanda for a heated moment. "May I have your permission to dance with her?" His mocking smile landed on the patroness. "And yours of course Lady Jersey?"

Once permission was given in a stuttered manner, Thomas led her in a waltz. He smiled softly as he looked down at her. "What do you think of the novel so far?"

"Anne and Fredrick's relationship is quite heartbreaking. To be parted so cruelly only to meet again with such coldness..." She shook her head when words failed her. "I find myself in amazement that she refused Charles once Fredrick left."

His brow furrowed. "You think she should have married Charles though she loved another?" Perhaps Amanda was not the type of lady he thought she was.

"Not at all! Just that, I am in amazement she was not tempted to do so to escape her ridiculous father and sister. The Musgroves are by far superior to the Elliots." Her smile grew when he laughed.

"I admit that I myself would be tempted to do so now that you reminded me what Anne has had to endure remaining with those two." As they continued to converse, he realized he was chuckling more than he ever had while dancing. She easily held his attention like she had at the bookshop. Once the dance ended, he led her back to her aunt.

He placed his hand over Amanda's as he offered to escort them both to the opera on Thursday evening. "My box has an unparrelled view of the stage."

Lucinda glanced at Amanda's surprised smile and nodded her consent. "Thank you, Lord Hunt. We look forward to it."

Thomas took his leave when he noticed the more determined mothers approaching with their simpering daughters. He kissed Amanda's gloved hand and reminded her to not read the ending to Persuasion yet.

The next day, she curled up with the book and had just come to the part where Anne overheard Captain Wentworth share that she had changed so much he would not have known her when the butler came in with a calling card. She saw the name and frowned. Who was the Earl of Comery? "Do show him in Hudson. And please inform Lady Lucinda of our visitor."

A short, stocky young man walked in with a bouquet of flowers. "Lady Bridgerton?"

Amanda stood up and noticed that she was a couple of inches taller than him. He bowed over her hand and flourished the bouquet before her. "It is a pleasure to meet the heiress of Snowfield Abbey."

Her smile of welcome dimmed. "Thank you, my lord." She motioned for him to sit down and set the flowers in a vase. He began to extoll the beauty of Snowfield and it's many fruitful acres of land. Amanda listened with half her attention. Of the two of them, she believed she knew her own home better. During a pause, she asked him about his estate.

"I'm afraid I am unfamiliar with Comery. Is it South of here?"

He nodded, pleased at her interest. "Southeast actually. It is in Kent."

Lucinda walked into the drawing room with a small package. She greeted the Earl then turned to Amanda. "Dearest, this was just delivered."

Amanda took it and noticed there was no return address or name of who sent it. She opened the box and lifted a beautiful seashell out. "How lovely!" She exclaimed. She took the scrap of paper with it and read the elegant script. Perhaps Capt. Wentworth found a seashell such as this during his travels and gifted it to a certain lady.

Lucinda peeked over her shoulder and smiled at the hinted sentiment. "Do we know who sent it?" She asked for Lord Comery's benefit.

"It is unsigned." Amanda said softly. She set it back in the box and turned her attention back to the earl. After a dull tea with him, he finally left once her aunt urged him to leave before the rain began to fall.

"Lady Bridgerton, there is not a cloud in the sky." He argued with a smile.

"That does not mean it is impossible. The pain in my ankle signals that a deluge will occur within the hour. I insist you leave and get to your next destination quickly." He was no match for her arguments and subtle nudges out the door. He left with a spoken desire to see them soon.

Lucinda was not about to promise such. "I am certain our paths will cross during the social season." Once Hudson shut the door, she hmphed. "Thank heavens you will not be reduced to marrying a man like that."

Amanda chuckled. "Aunt Lucy, I am afraid you are the only one to believe I will end up having a number of suitors. We both know I need to marry a man with a fortune if we are to keep Snowfield and our tenants in the lifestyle they are accustomed to."

"Yes, but there is bound to be a man out there that can be not only well heeled but also of a more pleasing temperament."

"I know Lord Comery lacked stimulating conversation, yet he seemed to be a pleasant sort of man." Amanda argued half heartedly.

Lucy snorted. "He complimented your inheritance more so than you." Her green eyes flashed with angry determination. "I would rather we be forced into a small cottage somewhere than to see you married to such a man."

Amanda rose from her chair and hugged her. "You are a darling and I love you, but I am going to do my best to make certain you and Snowfield are taken care of."

Lucy gently patted her cheek. "You are a stubborn creature." She stood and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress. "Come. Let us go for a walk and see who we meet along the way."

"Walk? Outside? Were you not predicting a deluge approaching?" She teased.

Lucy suppressed her mirth for a moment before bursting into laughter. "I need to remember which ankle is the more intelligent of the two for future escapes."

"I would go with the right one." Amanda suggested between giggles. "That way you can stress how correct it is."

"Minx." Lucy chided.

#choices rcd #choices: stories you play #choices thomas hunt #thomas hunt rcd #thomas hunt x oc #thomas hunt x amanda #thomas hunt #1800s au

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