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bigbraincel · 2 years

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this is a weird mix of old drama and meta, so if you want to skip the preamble, go to the text under the heading ‘love vs conquest’. the drama: ok so this speculative post about book!daenerys’ fate ended up being way more controversial than i ever expected. i was pretty blindsided by the response. the only reason i made it in the first place is because it was massive cope for the prospect that book!daenerys might end up getting killed off at the end. i got kind of cowed into believing this ending was an inevitability since i had received nothing but sneering derision from reddit bros for even suggesting daenerys might have a different course in the books and live. plus GRRM himself has said the general plot points are the same. etherealdany went on to accuse me of being a biased sansa stan, then even weirder, accused me of shipping sansa/daenerys in order to hide my bias & true “hatred” for daenerys or something. i don't even actively ship them, i just rb’d cute art of them once 🤷‍♀️

anyway, it was pretty much cope, because i thought the idea of dany dying heroically on her own terms to save the fucking world was a lot more palatable than her “going crazy” and getting murdered by her lover. don’t get me wrong, i understand how insulting that is. there’s still the problem of yet another female character dying for Man Pain(tm), the major protagonist of the series no less, but again... i was kinda just trying to come to terms with an ending i really don’t want and see if i could find anything salvageable in it. upon reflection, i shouldn’t accept something just because i became convinced it was inevitable. i still think etherealdany really overreacted and it’s wild that people defended them. imo, even if you think i had a garbage idea, you don’t have to insult my intelligence because of it or search for imaginary resentment i’m apparently harbouring over a fictional character. now, yeah, obviously asoiaf is known as a series where plenty of major characters die, none of them are safe etc. so the idea of her dying isn’t out of the question. but beyond loving daenerys as a character, my main reason for not wanting this ending for dany is fairly simple! it would be narratively unsatisfying -- and not in a good way. let me get into why. love vs conquest imo, the classic “want vs need” conflict for daenerys is her desire for the throne vs her need for love. she wants the throne because she’s been fed stories about targ supremacy/westeros by viserys, but what she really needs is what she’s been lacking her entire life precisely because of viserys’ dream: she needs to be nurtured and loved. despite what the show writers thought, dany doesn’t just want obedience. there’s a reason book!daenerys genuinely tries to make her betrothal & marriage to hizdahr work, while show!daenerys intimidates him by burning men alive in front of him, then only agrees to marry him after he's begged and pleaded on his knees for mercy. at the time, i think the show writers wanted to make this a certified Girl Boss moment because daenerys trying her hardest to be diplomatic just isn’t cool enough (lol), but they later covered their asses by pretending it was foreshadowing, actually, for her eventual ‘madness’. book!daenerys constantly laments how the people around her love her as a queen, not as daenerys. which........... come to think of it, is strikingly similar to sansa’s lamentation she may never find true love..................... they should kiss (joke). she repeatedly draws a clear distinction between the impersonal love of a ruler versus the romantic, passionate love she craves. hell, even after ser jorah forces a kiss on her, she blames herself for not wanting it and tries real hard to think of him as a potential lover. this obviously says a lot about the social dynamics of the world they live in, but i think it also speaks to her deep loneliness. ser barristan loves daenerys as a knight loves his queen, irri has sex with her because it’s what daenerys wants, and daario probably just wants her for her crown. even if his love is true, it’s telling that one of her biggest fears is that it may not be. and in my opinion drogo “loved” her mainly because she would bear the stallion that mounts the world & daenerys understandably has rose tinted glasses on when it comes to their relationship. book!daenerys’ fate: short story is: i think defeating the others will come after the destruction of king’s landing -- the destruction of which will be caused by the mad queen. except “the mad queen” isn’t daenerys, it’s cersei. joncon will also 100000% have a hand in this (and i have thoughts on how this will happen but to stop this from becoming an asoiaf-length post i’m gonna stay vague). so i believe daenerys will unintentionally destroy king’s landing, and in doing so, realise that conquest...... isn’t really... worth it. i think that dovetails pretty nicely with GRRM’s general views & his dramatically ironic twists. of course, her want vs need conflict could still align with the idea i wrote in my original post; daenerys could hear of the nissa nissa prophecy and sacrifice herself with longclaw, ignoring jon’s heartbroken protests, and turn longclaw into lightbringer. then she would die with the knowledge that someone finally truly and honestly loves her for her. tragic and sentimental af, which is in keeping with GRRM’s style.

but even if it happened in a less shitty way than the show, that doesn’t make it any less shitty. how about this instead: if daenerys finds love, realises it’s worth more to her than the throne, and is forever changed by this realisation, wouldn’t it be far more meaningful if she got to live with this drastic change? daenerys being nissa nissa’d would be akin to killing off jaime pretty soon after he had his hand cut off. like, sure, it’s not unthinkable, but wasn’t it a lot more narratively satisfying to read the way this event shook jaime to his core and transformed the trajectory of his life? or maybe a more apt comparison is sandor clegane. as far as we know, the hound is dead and his story is over. but the heavy implication george gives us is that sandor lives and finds peace in the quiet isles after the hound dies. and that’s... far more interesting to me?? the great thing is, it might not even be a stretch to say this will happen. as etherealdany helpfully pointed out, it could be argued that daenerys has already fulfilled the nissa nissa prophecy and lightbringer is drogon. this is a really cool idea and LORD i hope it happens. ultimately, i do still think her story will end in a bittersweet way with her riding off into the sunset on drogon’s back, all while being reviled as “the mad queen” by the masses. which, incidentally, would be a super interesting meta commentary on what the show writers did to her legacy & how people react to powerful women generally. but is george based enough to pull this off? who the fuck knows. i certainly hope so, but i’m not holding my breath.

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cto10121 · 1 year

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Some quick Breaking Dawn points so far:

Jacob has one of the best voices I’ve read in (recent) fiction ever. I’ve never been more entertained by a voice in my life (baring maybe Catcher in the Rye). I was crying just at the chapter titles. I guess back then I was too pissed at Jacob’s dickishness as a love interest for Bella to appreciate that fully, but I do now

That said, he still sucks as a love interest to Bella. Oh god the suckiest

Edward and Seth’s bromance will never not warm the cockles of my cold dead heart

Jacob and Rosalie’s hatemance will never not warm the cockles of my cold dead heart (reprise)

Bella and Rosalie’s newfound alliance is surprisingly wholesome. Honestly, it’s nice

Actually I’m just enjoying the character dynamics. It’s interesting how the alliances swtch and change

I’m still ambivalent over Bella’s decision to keep the baby. Yes, it is in character and the about-face is not far-fetched. I guess I wanted a little more struggle and ambivalence before Bella accepted the little critter

On that note I’m annoyed by how Edward’s arc is written constantly with a two-steps-forward-one-step-back progression. It’s the last book in the series and he is still surprised at typical Bella shit, re: She would love and want to keep her vampire baby??? Jacob understood immediately, which is the most horrific ship bait, but Edward was still blindsided

But…he respects Bella’s decision. Ditto Carlisle. Those clown antis that have tried to claim BD is pro-life propaganda don’t know what they’re talking about. If anything the baby-obsessed Rosalie is framed über critically for caring for Bella only because she is pregnant with a kid. Jacob at least is rightfully scornful and Edward hates it too

Re: Anti clownery, the idea that Bella has no agency in her story is laughable at this point. Laughable. She makes key choices and decisions that drive the plot, everyone literally respects her decisions, and her plan to birth the baby safely and live???? Actually worked. Bella got the sweet vampire D, a wholeass found family, and a sweet kid in the bargain.

On the Quileute side: Sam really was done so dirty. His decision to attack and his insistence to the point of exercising his Alpha power felt OOC to the extreme, particularly given his characterization beforehand (also the explicit Sam and Carlisle and Sam/Emily and Edward/Bella parallels). Given that he backed down after Jacob left, I feel Meyer just needed a good excuse for Jacob to break off and form his own pack. She knew Jacob wouldn’t have gone against Sam otherwise; he is no leader. It’s narrative chicanery

Jacob is finally understanding Leah much better now. Leah is doing much better now that she is not in Sam’s pack

#cristina reads #breaking dawn #the premise is bonkers but the execution is…not bad #that said it was clear meyer was hard pressed to come up with more material for the fourth book #romance needs obstacles #this is obstacle enough i suppose

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your-dietician · 2 years

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The Big Bang Theory Ending Series Drama Behind The Scenes

New Post has been published on https://medianwire.com/the-big-bang-theory-ending-series-drama-behind-the-scenes/

The Big Bang Theory Ending Series Drama Behind The Scenes

To this day, The Big Bang Theory remains one of the biggest TV shows in recent memory. Having won countless Emmy Awards during its run and being one of the most-viewed shows of all time, it’s safe to say this series will remain a classic for a long time.

With the show recently celebrating its 15th anniversary, there has been a lot of looking back on the series and the massive milestones it was able to achieve.

From who was almost cast on the show — literally Marisa Tomei nearly played Penny — to the failed pilot that had to be reworked, this book goes into all the behind-the-scenes details, and it’s a fascinating read.

One of the most interesting parts comes toward the end of the book, when the cast and crew detailed the decision to end The Big Bang Theory after Season 12, even though there were rumors circulating online that the show was likely to be picked up for Season 13.

According to the new book, Jim Parsons made the personal decision to step away from the series in order to “get out of the security of the show and find out what was next” for him after Season 12.

At the time, only Simon Helberg, who Jim describes as his closest friend in the cast, knew that Jim was thinking about stepping away. In fact, Simon was also thinking Season 12 would be his last.

When the cast got back to work for Season 12, Jim recalls that “nothing had come up about [new] contracts” for the cast, and he was “frightened and anxious” when he thought about having to let the creators and writers know this would be his final season.

“I felt like a liar at that [first] table read, because I knew that at the end of these next 24 episodes, that was it for me,” Jim recalled in the book. “So I asked Chuck [Lorre] and Steve [Molaro] if we could talk.”

Looking back on the meeting with Jim, executive producer Steve Molaro said “there was never a question about continuing on” without him, so this meant The Big Bang Theory had to come to an end. Executive producer Lee Aronsohn even added, “I’ll tell you, without Jim Parsons, there is no 12 years of Big Bang Theory.”

After the initial conversations between Jim and the producers took place, it was time to let the rest of the cast know, which is where some of the behind-the-scenes drama began to unfold.

Following a table read, the cast was asked to stay for a meeting, and director Nikki Lorre recalls watching the cast “happy” riding on golf carts to the production offices, not knowing what was about to be “dropped on them.”

In the meeting, creator Chuck Lorre immediately handed things over to Jim Parsons, which he now says might’ve been a misstep. Jim revealed to the cast that he was leaving the show, and Chuck said he “didn’t see a path forward without Sheldon.”

For The Big Bang Theory cast, what ensued after the meeting was a lot of tears and heartbreak once they realized they were suddenly filming their final season.

“The shock of Oh my god, what is next? was scary,” Kaley Cuoco said. “I mean, we cried for hours that day. We thought we were going to do another year, so all of the sudden your life kind of flashes before your eyes. … I couldn’t breathe. It just felt like a death, but also a new horizon for everybody as well.”

Meanwhile, Johnny Galecki said, “I was shocked. We were just blindsided that day. And not necessarily shocked by Jim’s decision, but that he hadn’t had that conversation with his castmates first to prepare us. So yes, it could have been handled better. We’re a family; have a conversation.”

“There was a part of me that almost stood up and said I’m not going to sit here and watch the people I love be so hurt,” Johnny continued. “But I stopped myself from doing so and I hugged [Jim] instead. Still, that’s what literally went through my mind because it was tearing me to shreds watching Kaley break down and see the tears from everyone.”

Similar to Johnny and Kaley, Melissa Rauch, Kunal Nayyar, and Mayim Bialik all had similar feelings of knowing it was the “right decision” but being crushed over the ending of the show. All three of them said that looking back, it felt like it was easier that the decision to end was made for them.

The following morning after the meeting that essentially canceled The Big Bang Theory, Steve Molaro recalled tensions were a little high between Johnny Galecki, Kaley Cuoco, and Jim Parsons.

“I got a text that morning from Kaley saying she didn’t know if she could work that day because she was still really upset,” Steve explained. “Upset with Jim. … The first run-through back was kind of icy and none of them were talking between scenes, but everyone was professional.”

After that first run-through, the cast had three days off, and once they returned, it was back to normal. “By the next run-through, pretty quickly I saw Kaley and Jim talking between scenes and laughing,” Steve Molaro said.

“I remember Kaley saying later that [the cast members] loved the show so much and it was such a special place and such a big part of their lives, that they didn’t want it to end ugly,” writer and co-executive producer Steve Holland said. “If this was going to be the last season, they were going to put aside their anger and frustration and differences and enjoy every moment of it.”

To read more about the final season of The Big Bang Theory, plus other behind-the-scenes moments from the show’s 12-season run, you can buy a copy of Jessica Radloff’s new book, The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series here.

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cathygeha · 2 years

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REVIEW

Bitter Past by Caroline Fardig

Ellie Matthews #1

Ellie Matthews quit her job with the police force as a criminalist when one case too many that hit close to home and had her needing a less stressful job. Working as an instructor at a university provided a calmer life that while allowing her to keep her forensic skills current. Her peace was definitely shattered when she was asked to consult by the police on an active murder case and I have a feeling that one case might lead to more cases in the future.

What I liked: * The case to be solved: murder of a student and then a few more murders that followed

* The police procedural aspect of the story, investigation techniques, and forensic steps taken to solve the murders

* The setting on and near a campus

* That there was more than one potential killer suspected

* The twists and turns, red herrings, and surprises

* Getting to know the characters that will probably show up again in the series as it progresses

* That Ellie was flawed…but not too flawed. I didn’t find her warm, likable, easy to connect with, even tempered, or easy to understand but I am interested in what happens next and would like to know more of her backstory

* Detective Baxter: a good work partner for Ellie in solving crimes

* Rachel: Ellie’s younger sister, single parent to Nick, college student – expect to see more of her in the future

* The potential for the series

* Finding out what triggered Ellie to leave her job with the Police department

* Thinking about what it would be like to have been in Ellie’s shoes…don’t think I would choose to be her

* Wondering about what her next case will be

What I didn’t like: * Who and what I was meant not to like

* Feeling that Ellie seems less than well grounded…perhaps that will change as the series progresses.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes

Would I read more in this series? I think so

Thank you to Severn River Publishing and Bookfunnel for the ARC – this is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

BLURB

From USA Today bestselling author Caroline Fardig comes a gripping new forensic mystery series. Three years ago, criminalist Ellie Matthews was blindsided when a grisly homicide case suddenly became personal. She abandoned the danger and stress of crime scene investigation for a professorship at a posh private college and never looked back. Now, Ellie’s pleasant world is shattered when she finds the dead body of a female student. The campus is in chaos, reporters are circling like vultures, and Ellie is trying her best to distance herself from the situation. Not an easy task when her closest colleague becomes the prime suspect. After the college community is rocked by another suspicious death, Ellie’s mentor, Sheriff Jayne Walsh, convinces her to consult on the case. Partnered with quick-witted Detective Nick Baxter, Ellie reluctantly bottles up her personal demons and dives back into the world she left behind, racing to make sense of the evidence before the killer strikes again.

#Caroline Fardig #Severn River Publishing #Ellie Matthews 1 #Murder #Mystery #Whodunnit #forensics #Police Procedural

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jerzwriter · 2 years

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Delaying the Inevitable Chapter 33: A Twist of Fate

Book: Open Heart 3 (Post Series)

Pairing: Tobias Carrick x MC, Ethan Ramsey x MC

Rating: Chapter: Teen Warnings: Some cursing, verbal altercations.

Summary: Extended Series WIP – Love Triangle. In this chapter – Ethan’s admission leads to several heated confrontations, leaving the diagnostic team to find a way to continue to work together. Though it hasn’t been long, the job search hasn’t been moving as quickly as Casey would like and her friends have some advice. Casey receives disturbing news.

Category: Extended Series (WIP)

A/N: Almost there! Just two chapters left, and I can’t believe it’s almost over! I want to point out that in this chapter we will refer to Raf as an EMT. That is because you don’t just take a couple classes to add to your EMT training to become a physical therapist in any world. So, once again, we make up for PB’s ridiculousness. I hope you enjoy the chapter, as always feel free to shoot me any questions or observations you may have!

SERIES MASTERLIST

CHARACTERS BELONG TO PIXELBERRY STUDIOS

Sometimes, things that seem predictable turn out to be anything but. Emotionally exhausted, Casey could barely keep her eyes open as they drove back home. There was no doubt in her mind that she’d be asleep as soon as her head hit her pillow, but sleep never came last night. She promised herself she would tell Tobias the whole truth in the morning. The DC incident taught her they were a team, and he deserved the truth. They’d get through whatever they needed to together. But morning arrived much sooner than she had hoped for.

She prepared for the worst, assuming that he would be enraged. But, once again, she was wrong, and for some reason, that worried her even more.

Tobias hadn’t said a word since she finished speaking, and she couldn’t take her eyes off him across the room. He sat like a stone in his chair, completely still as the light from the grey morning sky cast a shadow on his frame. Any reaction would be better than none, so she could not let it remain any longer.

“T. Can you say… something?”

He slowly swiveled his neck in her direction. For all of the emotions that were stirring within him, not one registered on his face.

“I don’t know what you want me to say. I knew he still loves you.”

“You.. you did?”

“Yeah, I thought it was just kind of known.”

A languished sigh escaped him as he stood up from his chair to pace the floor anxiously.

“I can’t even fault him for it,” he walked up to Casey and placed his hand lovingly on her cheek. “You’re not easy to let go of. You know that, baby. Don’t you?”

“So, you’re… you’re not mad?”

Tobias ran his hands down the front of his face with a soft groan. He shook his head when he continued.

“I’m sure he can’t control his feelings for you any more than I could when I was in love with you, but you belonged to him. The only difference I’m seeing here is that I respected your relationship. You were both my friends, and I couldn’t dream of hurting either of you, so I shut my mouth. I guess I was wrong to think he’d show me, show us, that same respect.”

“Are you going to say anything?”

“I have to. I can’t just let this slide. But, to be honest, it’s not Ethan that’s concerning me right now… it’s you.”

“Me? What do you mean?”

“Casey… you were pretty upset last night. And, look, I know you’ve been through a lot lately, and being blindsided is never fun, but… you were prettyupset. Why? You could have just shrugged it off unless… do you still have feelings for him?”

Casey’s eyes went wide, both shock and hurt registered on her face.

“What? Tobias! How could you even ask me that? No. No! I love you! You know that! I can’t believe you’re asking me this!”

“Casey, it’s just….”

“No! There is no just anything! Sure, I still loved him as a friend and as someone who had been an important part of my life. But no, I was not… I am not… in love with him! My God, T! How could you even suggest that?”

Closing the distance between them, he took her hand and pulled her into a tight embrace. His lips fell to the crown of her head, where he kissed her tenderly.

“It wasn’t an accusation, baby; it was a question, that’s all. Your reaction was… intense… so I needed to ask.”

“It was intense because I was angry. It was intense because, once again, he was so damn self-centered. I was furious, T! So, yeah, my reaction was strong, but love him? No. In fact, after last night, I don’t even know that I like him anymore.”

“I’m sorry, Casey….”

Casey shook her head apologetically. “You have nothing to be sorry for. I’m sorry, I shouldn't have jumped down your throat.”

Tobias fell back onto the couch, and Casey followed, nuzzling under his arm.

“Working together is going to be interesting now,” he sighed.

“Yeah, that’s why I… I think I want to leave Edenbrook.”

Tobias tilted his head, “For DC?”

“No. I made my decision regarding that, and it stands. But someplace local. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that our team's dynamics are just a disaster waiting to happen. I was stupid to think it would ever work out.”

“You’re not stupid, Casey. And, honestly, I wonder if I should do the same thing.”

“You?”

“Yeah. Maybe this whole idea of the three of us taking on the mysteries of the medical world in perfect harmony was all just a fantasy to begin with. With all the history between us… you’re right… it was only a matter of time.”

“You know, it was going well. If only he didn’t open his damn mouth.”

“But he did.”

“Yeah, he did, and now it’s going to be as awkward as hell.”

“We’re professionals,” Tobias shrugged, “we’ll make it work. Plus, knowing it’s just temporary, that should help.”

“I think so too,” she smiled.

“I’m going to head in to work early. I need to talk to Ethan before we start the day.”

“T, at work? Do you think that’s a good…”

“Case,” he interrupted, “it has to be done. You can’t ask me to sit across from him at the morning meeting and act as if nothing has happened. I promise you, I won’t kill him.”

She threw her arms around his neck and smiled. “Good. Because we’re not married, so, I don’t think they’d allow us conjugal visits.”

“Mmmm, that would be a problem,” he grinned. “I hope you know how much I love you, Casey.”

“I do. I hope you know how much I love you.”

“I do. Now, let me get dressed.”

_____

The past year had been a whirlwind, and it left Tobas dizzy as he drove through the nearly empty early morning streets of Boston. The silence and solitude only made his thoughts louder. He hated to admit it, but he almost felt sympathy for Ethan. If he were to lose Casey, he’d love and miss her until the day he died, so why would Ethan be any different? But he also knew if she had moved on and was happy, he’d respect that. He knew he would because he already had. He furiously slammed his hand on the steering wheel at a red light.

“God damn it, Ethan!! We talkedabout this!”

He felt disrespected. Ignored. Furious. HE snickered loudly when he opened his window for some fresh air, of all places to get a red light… directly in front of Sorellina’s. His mind went back to the day Ethan asked him to lunch there. Tobias was convinced he had figured out he was in love with Casey, and that was his plan to poison him. Instead, it became their turning point, inadvertently brokered by Casey herself. He sighed deeply. The three of them had woven a tangled web. It wasn’t only Casey that he didn’t want to lose; he didn’t want to lose Ethan either. Both men knew they shared a bond that could be frayed but never broken, at least until now.

Before he knew it, his feet were carrying him down the nearly empty halls of Edenbrook. The determination in his steps gave no indication of the conflict that existed in his heart and mind. Seated at his desk, Ethan heard the footsteps growing closer to the office, and he knew who it was at once. A strange sense of relief came over him as he calmly shut his laptop and turned toward the door, waiting for Tobias to enter. He knew this would be unpleasant but not as unpleasant as the anticipation.

Tobias entered the room without saying a word, and you could hear a pin drop when he turned around and shut the door behind him. Ethan had spent the night awake, filled with remorse, and he didn’t think he could feel worse, but when he looked up and saw hurt, more than anger, on Tobias’s face, he did.

“We need to talk,” Tobias announced gravely.

“Yes,” Ethan sighed, “I suppose we do. But, is that all that we will be doing?”

“Excuse me?”

“f you wanted to take a slug at me, you’d be well within your rights to do so.”

Tobias crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a deep breath.

“Why, to give you a reason to fire me? I’m not making it that easy on you.”

“I don’t plan on firing you….”

“Yeah, well, I don’t plan on hitting you. But let the record show, I reserve the right to change my mind.”

“Fair enough.”

Tobias pursed his lips and shook his head.

“I don’t blame you, you know… for still loving her. How can I? I know I’ll love her forever, no matter what. I know that. But she’s not yours anymore, Ethan. What’s more, she’s mine, and I am hers. You blew it with her all on your own. Hell, I tried to convince you to make it work with her. Because I cared about you. I respected you and respected the love you shared no matter how much it hurt me!” Turning away from Ethan in disgust, he walked to the window; his calm demeanor began to unravel despite his attempts to control it. When he spoke again, his measured tone had turned into a growl. “You love her…OK? You can’t control that, but you DAMN well can control what you do… what you say, and I know because I did it! Was it too goddamned much to ask you to show me… to show us… the same respect!”

“Tobias, it wasn’t premeditated. I hadn’t intended… it just happened.”

“It just happened? It just happened? You bought a fucking house, Ethan! That doesn’t just happen!”

“I never planned on letting Casey know why I bought the house….”

“BULLSHIT! Bullshit, Ethan. If you wanted a beach house, you could have bought any. But it had to be that one. Then you let her walk into it, with a clue… what did you think her reaction would be?”

“I didn’t buy the place because of Casey, per se. I bought it because I want to be the man I hoped to be when I was with her, and I truly didn’t expect her to react as she did. And I absolutely didn’t do any of this with the intent of coming between you two.”

“Oh? Is that why you told her you love her, Ethan? Huh? With your history? What did you hope would come of that?”

“I hadn’t planned on saying….”

“But you did! You did! And you can’t take it back. What response were you hoping for? And don’t lie to me. You were hoping she’d say she still loves you too, and how the hell is that not trying to come between us?”

Tobias’s face was red. The silent anger boiling inside him began to boil to the surface despite Ethan’s contrition.

“Tobias, I mean it when I say….”

“What if she had said it, Ethan?” He interrupted. “What if she said she loved you too. What then?”

Unprepared for that question, Ethan’s face went pale as he felt his breath escape him. He wanted to say something, anything, to alleviate the situation, but he was at a loss for words, and the lingering silence spoke for him.

“I thought so,” Tobias snorted. “There’s no more to say; the damage is done. All the progress… you and Casey building a friendship again, you and me….” Tobias shook his head sadly, “What a fucking waste. Where does that all go now?”

“I don’t know,” Ethan murmured, “but we’ve been through a lot, and I think we can manage this… somehow.”

“You do? I’m not so sure. Because I don’t trust you, and trust is the foundation of friendship. I’m letting you know, effective today, I’m looking for another position. I don’t know how the hell we thought the three of us on the same team would work… we all must be a fucked in the head.”

“We’re not. It was working until….”

“Was it? Or were we kidding ourselves? Maybe this was just a powder keg waiting to explode all along. One woman, both of us in love with her…” he laughed ruefully, “I’d say it was like old times, but Casey is no Floria. She’s… she’s so much more.”

Tobias turned and neared Ethan’s desk; standing directly in front of him, he found the fury in his voice had disappeared once again.

“You asked if I wanted to hit you. I don’t. I can’t even bring myself to hate you, even though I really want to. I told you that I came to Edenbrook because I knew you could make me be a better doctor, and I meant that, but it was only part of the reason. I also came here because I wanted to repair the friendship I destroyed all those years ago.”

“And we did,” Ethan replied.

“Did. I never expected all of this.”

“Well,” Ethan chuckled sadly, “who could have? So, where does that leave us, Tobias?”

“I don’t know. Right now, I’m staring at a man that would willingly take the one thing that matters most to me in this world. I should knock your lights out, but all I can think is why you had to fuck so much up. You should begin to look for my replacement.”

Tobias began to leave the room as Ethan struggled with what to say. He wanted to convince him to stay for many reasons, but he also knew what Tobias was right. If there was any chance of salvaging what was left of their friendship, the best prescription they could offer was time and space. In the end, all he could do was mutter…

“For what it’s worth… I’m sorry.”

Tobias turned around when he reached the door.

“So I am buddy, so am I.”

____________________

Ethan looked at his watch as Tobias nervously tapped his pen on the table. Harper’s eyes moved between them. Casey was now twenty-minutes for their morning meeting. On a typical day, Ethan would have been asking for her head, and Tobias would have been franticly checking his phone with worry. But today, their lack of reaction left Harper bewildered.

“I suppose we can begin without Casey,” Ethan announced nonchalantly.

Just seconds later, Casey walked in and took a seat next to Harper without saying a word. Once seated, she looked across the table at Tobias, who smiled gently in her direction. The tension in the room could be cut with a knife, and Harper had many questions. But it was apparent that this was not the time to ask.

The meeting never veered from the topics, and Casey’s tardiness was never mentioned. Professionalism was the cornerstone of everyone in the room; as long as they focused on work, they’d get through almost anything. When the meeting was about to adjourn, Casey gathered her belongings and made a beeline to the door. Harper looked at the two men, and again, they had no reaction.

Several hours later, Casey walked to the office after completing her morning rounds. The lightness in her step was courtesy of knowing that Ethan had back-to-back meetings that would consume the bulk of his day. This coincided with her goal of not running into him today, especially without others present.

But when she trotted into the office, she was to find Ethan looking up from his. She turned on her heel and attempted to make a hasty exit, but Ethan rose to his feet and took long strides trying to beat her to the door. He almost made it, but as her hand reached for the knob, his arm passed over her shoulder, and he pushed the door shut from behind her.

“Let me go,” she whispered.

“We have to have this conversation sometime, Casey. Let’s just pull the band-aid off.”

She didn’t speak, didn’t move, but she also didn’t leave.

He remained behind her, hand still on the door.

“I’ll cut to the chase. I owe you an apology.”

“Do you?” she answered with sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“Yes. I do.”

Her arms crossed her chest, and cold defiance was in her eyes as she turned to face him.

“For what exactly?”

“For… for handling things so poorly. I should have told you where the party was going to be. Better yet, I should have held it elsewhere. Then, if that wasn’t inconsiderate enough, I….” He thought sucking in that deep breath and releasing it slowly would enable him to speak again, but he was wrong.

“Then you had to cap it off by telling me that you love me.”

“Yeah,” he said, fidgeting uncomfortably on his feet. “I did. I shouldn’t have, but I’m human, and sometimes I even show it.”

“I’m well aware of your humanity, Ethan. The good and the bad; it just seems that I am often at the receiving end of the bad. And I am tired of being hurt by you.”

“Casey, while what I said was inappropriate and wrong. But how does me telling you that I love you hurt you.”

“How does it hurt me?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes, how does that hurt you?” he replied softly.

“It hurts me because I’ve worked so hard to get to where we were! I tried Ethan! I tried to be your friend. I tried to let you be my mentor, just like we were… just like we used to be. And we were there, or I thought we were, then with three words, you took that all away!”

She looked to the side, and he couldn’t be certain what emotion was causing her face to turn red and her body to tremble. He went to speak, but she raised her hand, ordering him to be quiet. With a deep breath, she fended off the tears beginning to glisten in her eyes. Her voice was strained when she continued.

“How many times are you doing to do it? How many times will you take what we have and destroy it? You did it when you ran away from me after my trial, leaving me to cope with all the fallout of everything by myself. You did it when you threw me out of your home and seemingly out of your life. But even then, I was destroyed, but I didn’t run away. I stuck around! And I did the work to be your friend, so we could share… something. And now you have stolen that from me.”

“Casey,” he said, involuntarily taking a step toward her as Casey lurched backward. “I didn’t want to hurt you, and I don’t want to lose you… we can still have that relationship… we can….”

“I don’t think we can,” she sniffled.

“Why do the words matter? Really, why? Didn’t you know I still loved you? Didn’t you know I never stopped? Casey, if I had been in my right mind, I would have never let you go. Everyone knows that. So why does me saying those three words out loud matter?”

“Because it does!” She yelled. “Because it DOES! You know damn well how much those three words mean! If they didn’t, it wouldn’t have taken you three years to say them to me. Even on my deathbed, you couldn’t say them to me. But now, now I am in love with Tobias, and he’s in love with me! Heis my future! And he is your friend! How could you?”

“You haven’t answered me,” he said softly. “Why does it have you this upset.”

Casey turned away from his stare. She looked to the door and longed to exit. His next words were but a whisper, yet they filled the room, hanging in the air and stealing all oxygen. There was no escape.

“Casey, do you still love me?”

She snapped around to face him, her hand crashing his cheek with a loud smack.

“How dare you? How. Dare. You!!! I just told you! I’m in love with Tobias. With your best friend! I love him, Ethan, do you hear me? I love him, and I hope to spend the rest of my life with him. And he’s not some sloppy second because it didn’t work out with you. I. LOVE. HIM! Do you understand me?”

“Yes,” he whispered, looking away. He had no choice to believe her despite her shaky breath and the hot tears in her eyes.

“But I loved you, Ethan. I loved you so much, and I believed we were forever. And no matter how much you hurt me, I’m not… I’m not some robot who just flips a switch and turns off my feelings. I can’t pretend it never happened, even if I wanted to. It happened, Ethan! It happened, and it was beautiful… until it nearly destroyed me. So I rebuilt myself, rebuilt my life. And I’m happy! So how dare you come in and unearth the past. Tell me you love me in a home where we spent some of our most tender moments, and expect me not to care! What do you think I am?”

She wiped her eyes with her sleeve, then lifted her hand to his chin, forcing him to look at her.

“A part of me will love you until the day I die. Real love, once shared, never dies. But it can be put away; it can change. My eyes are on the future, and I refuse to let them turn back to the past. I thought you knew that, and that’s what enabled us to become friends again. But you took that away… now, we have nothing.”

“It doesn’t have to be….”

“Yeah,” she sniffed, “I believe it does,” she turned back to the door, shaking her head. “Look, I have work to do, and so do you. As long as I’m still at Edenbrook, please, let’s keep it professional because I… I can’t do this anymore. Promise me, Ethan?”

“I promise you,” he whispered. “I’m so sorry… for everything.”

Her hand reached for the doorknob, refusing to be stopped again. But she turned to him before she left.

“I know.”

Ethan shut his eyes tightly. When he opened them, she was gone. All that remained was the sweet smell of jasmine and bergamot. Her favorite perfume. It would hang in the air for exactly six minutes. He knew it when she was an intern. He knew it when he was hiding his feelings from himself. He knew it when she was his, and he knew it now. He always treasured it, keeping her presence with him a little longer when she was gone. But now it was clear, the day was coming when she would walk out that door for the last time. And when did she would fill his sense for six more minutes, and then, she’d be gone.

____________________

Two weeks had passed, and the team fell into a pattern that allowed them to work together. Sometimes they even joked, but the tension was still prevalent. Ethan was so anxious to discuss things with Dr. Fernandez he even arrived early. He was seated in his usual chair, legs folded and a copy of the latest New England Journal of Medicine in his hands when Sonia walked in.

“Good morning, Sophia. You’re running late today.”

She shook her head with a smile and made her way over to Ethan. Removing the journal from his hands, she rolled her eyes.

“You know, Edgardo, you really need to diversify.”

“You’re a physician, Dr. Coelho. I assumed reading pertinent literature in our field would be something you would do.”

“I do… but it’s not all I read.”

“You have suggestions then?”

“Absolutely! I’ll bring some books next week.”

“Why wait until next week. Are we still on for dinner tomorrow?”

“We are,” she smiled.

Ethan tucked the Journal into his bag to give Sonia his full attention, and she noticed.

“You were right, you know,” he muttered. “About so many things.”

“I usually am,” she laughed.

“Well, maybe I should just start giving you my co-pays. You have such insight, especially for someone your age.”

“Someone my age? How old do you presume I am?”

“I’d say in your late 20s. Based on where you are in your residency.”

“Not too far off. I’m 31. I took two years off between high school and undergrad. I had to work to save up money; otherwise, college wouldn’t have happened,” she shrugged, “not everyone is rich, you know.”

“Oh, I know that first hand. You couldn’t have gone on scholarships?”

“No,” she shook her head. “My grades in high school were abysmal. I had a lot going on, so…. I blossomed in college.”

“And we’re all grateful for that.”

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow night.”

“Me too,” he grinned. “6:30?”

“Mmm-hmm…” she smiled just before her therapist called her name.

Ethan smiled too… after all, it was nice to know there was someone who he hadn’t pissed off. Someone who saw him as more than the mistakes he had made.

____________________

Casey was completing paperwork at the nurse's station when she was approached by Sienna and Jackie on both sides.

“Greetings!” Jackie chimed.

She didn’t look up from her paperwork.

“To what do I owe this ambush?”

“Wow, this is what it’s come to? Your friends stop by to chat, and it’s an ambush?”

“Oh, Jackie!” Sienna replied, “I don’t think she meant it that way!”

Jackie shot Sienna a sharp look, “Is this what it’s come to? You no longer realize that sarcasm is my main language.”

Casey snorted quietly before putting her paperwork back in its folder.

“Don’t worry, Jackie. We all know that. Always.”

“Good,” Jackie smiled, “now I feel better.”

Sienna scrunched her nose. “How’s the job search going, Casey?”

“It’s going… slower than expected,” she sighed. “Tobias could make a call, and I’d be in Kenmore tomorrow, but I’m not sure that’s what I want.”

“I don’t understand why you just don’t make a call and go to DC, Casey. You know you’d still get a great offer.”

Casey turned her head and looked across the room, a melancholy expression on her face. Tobias was holding court, his arms flailing as he told a story with such animation that no one could keep in their laughter. She smiled gently.

“Because I’m where I want to be, Jackie. It will all work out in the end.”

“Are things going OK, though?” Sienna motioned toward the door of Ethan’s office. “With… you know….”

Casey shrugged, “We’re professionals. We can all behave until I’m gone.”

“Why don’t you look for another position in Edenbrook,” Jackie asked. “I mean, we span numerous buildings. It’s possible you could get far away but remain in the best hospital in Boston.”

“No,” she answered emphatically, “I want out of here. I don’t want to run into Ethan, and I don’t want to be reminded of him. I want a fresh start.”

“Well,” Jackie stood up from her chair. “Suit yourself. But if I were you, I’d ask what am I running from.”

Casey lowered her eyes as Jackie walked away, as Sienna placed a protective hand over her friend’s.

“Are you OK?”

“Yeah, why?”

“I’m… worried about you.”

“Well, there is no need to be.”

“Casey, I’ve seen some of the jobs you’re applying for when we have lunch together, and they’d be such steps back. They’re probably not calling you because they know you’d bore of them within a week.” Sienna looked over at Tobias, now entertaining an even larger crowd. “You know, we all love Tobias, you most of all… but sometimes, you have to put yourself first. And about Ethan,” she sighed, “I understand wanting to get away, but have you really asked yourself whyit’s so important to do so.”

“What are you suggesting, Sienna?” she answered defensively.

“I’m suggesting that you really need to find out who Casey is and what she wants before you make any big moves. Because I’m not so sure that you have done that. I hope I didn’t overstep, it’s just that… I love you.”

“I know,” Casey smiled, “I love you too. But I’m going to be OK, Si. Really.”

“I hope so.”

_____

Casey returned to the team's office and found Ethan was seated at the conference table, reviewing a large document. Instead of running off, Casey continued in and went about her work.

“What is that?” she asked. “It doesn’t look like it’s related to medicine.”

“Well, not directly,” he said. “It’s a draft of the new wing we’re building. The diagnostic team will be getting a suite there, so I get a look at the plans.”

“Oh,” Casey answered, surprised. “I didn’t realize… that will be… nice….”

“Yeah, it will be,” he answered. “Everything new, state of the art. Everyone will have their own office off the new conference area… it’s more than I ever imagined.”

“That’s great,” Casey smiled.

“It’s going to be.” He stared ahead for a few moments as the silence dragged. “Are you sure… are you sure you won’t reconsider? The team is going places, and I think you would….”

“Ethan,” she interrupted, “I’ve made up my mind. Sure, it is tempting. But it’s best for me to leave, and it’s best for you if I leave.”

“But is it?” He asked. “Casey, I know I shouldn’t have….”

“Ethan….”

“No, let me finish. I know I shouldn’t have said what I did, but the truth is… you’ve already moved on, and I’m, I’m starting to. I’m taking steps to get there, and I’d hate to see you miss out because of my stupidity.”

Without thinking, he reached over the table and placed his hand tenderly over hers. Casey’s hand lingered just a few seconds before pulling away.

“I’m I… I have a date tonight?”

“You do? A “date date.”

Both of their heads turned as Tobias walked into the office. Casey wasn’t sure, but there was an almost suspicious look on his face.

“Who has a “date?” he asked, pouring two cups of coffee, one for himself and one for Casey. He moved next to her, kissing the top of her head then looking over at Ethan. “You have a date?”

“It’s… sort of a date. With Sonia.”

“Why sort of?” Tobias asked, stirring his cup. “She seems great.”

“She is, but… she wants to take it slow.”

“Because?” Tobias quizzed.

Ethan shrugged. “You’d have to ask her.”

“Well, I don’t have a date with her tonight, you do. But I don’t suggest asking her,” he smiled.

“A date tonight?” Floria asked, stepping into the room. “Who has a date tonight?”

“I do,” Ethan answered firmly as he swiveled his chair toward her. “It’s not a date date, but….”

“It’s a date,” Casey answered.

“Oh,” Floria stumbled. “Well… I was going to… but… never mind.”

“No, what is it, Floria?” Ethan asked.

“I was going to see if you could give me a lift. I have a meeting at Mount Auburn in Cambridge. You know, about the shared services proposal, and Dr. Reynolds is already there, but don’t worry, I’ll get there.”

“No, Flor, I’ll give you a lift. I’m sure I can delay my plans a bit.”

“You sure you don’t want me to give you a lift,” Tobias smirked.

“Uh, are you all leaving early today?” Floria asked.

“I’m just busting you, Floria.”

“Shocking! But you sure you don’t mind Ethan?”

“I’ll make a call. It should be fine.”

“Thanks,” she said demurely before leaving the office.

Tobias looked over at Ethan, shaking his head.

“You know she just totally played you, right? She could take an Uber and charge the hospital.”

“It’s not a big deal, Tobias. Honestly. Plus, I feel sorry for her.”

“Why?”

“Because the three of us… we all had our shit, and it impacted us all differently. But we all have our damage. Even though it’s largely her own doing, she really doesn’t have anyone. I’ve been there, and it’s lonely, it’s painful,” his eyes drifted over and met Casey’s. “It took a lot to get me past that. Maybe… maybe I can help Floria get there like others helped me.”

“Well, when you put it that way, I feel like an asshole.”

“That’s because you are,” Ethan smirked. “I should get going, and I don’t want to delay my plans with Sonia too much.”

“Good luck with that,” Tobias smiled. Casey pretended to be too focused on her reading material to answer.

“So, that just leaves us here for the night shift, kid.”

“Are you ever going to stop calling me kid?”

“No way, that’s our thing.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “It’s slow, and we could take a little break if you want.”

“Ohh, and what conference room do you want to sneak in to.”

“You know, as appealing as that sounds, I do think of other things.”

Casey raised a brow.

“OK. I think of other things at least 25% of the time… when I’m with you, that is. But right now, I’m thinking about dinner. Want to order, and we can eat together here.”

“Oh, why don’t we get that acorn squash ravioli we like from Harvest.”

“Because Harvest doesn’t deliver.”

“OK, forget it, we’ll get something else….”

“Shh. Shh. Shh. If my baby wants Harvest,” he smiled. “Then that’s what she’s getting.”

“Are you sure?”

“Totally. Can you hold down the fort while I drive over?”

“I think I can manage.”

“Of that, I have no doubt,” he said, hugging her. “I’ll see you in about an hour.”

“Hey, but if you take an hour now, how will you have time to eat with me?”

“Because I’m the boss when Ramsey isn’t here. I make the rules, and it’s a slow night,” he winked.

“Fine,” Casey laughed. “Just hurry back. I already miss you.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

Casey and Tobias walked out of the office just as Ethan and Floria were about to leave.

“Where are you going?” Ethan asked.

“To get dinner at Harvest.”

“I’m not gone 10 minutes….”

“Oh, shut up, Ramsey. Has the place ever fallen apart when you’re not here? Come on, I’ll walk out with you.”

“You realize I’m here,” Floria deadpanned.

“Yeah, you’re here. Are you opposed to walking out with me?”

“No,” she smiled. “It’ll be like old times.”

“Heh, I wouldn’t go that far….”

Casey listened to them walk off, and she smiled. Maybe… just maybe,in the end, they could all be friends. But then she shook her head. She didn’t trust that they could be.

She stopped in to check on her patients as the night moved on. She looked at her watch and realized Tobias had been gone longer than expected. She attempted to call him, but there was no answer. She shook it off.

He’s probably in the restaurant and can’t hear his phone with all the noise.

Another fifteen minutes passed, and she began to worry, especially when he didn’t answer his phone.

“Casey,” Maureen called over.

“Yes?”

“Has Ethan gone for the day? Mrs. Solomon’s test results are back, and he insisted he wanted to hear about them right away.”

“Well, he is gone. And he has a rather big night tonight. How about I take a look at them and call him.”

“That sounds good,” Maureen smiled, handing Casey the results.

“Well, it doesn’t look too bad,” she muttered out loud and then dialed Ethan.

No answer.

What the hell is going on tonight? Two doctors not picking up their phones?

“Hey!” She heard a resident yell as he jogged past the nurse’s station. “There was a massive multiple car accident at the entrance of Longfellow bridge. I’m headed downstairs.”

Casey didn’t give it a second thought. After all, Tobias & Ethan both left some time ago, but they’d hit the traffic back for sure.

I guess it’s cold squash ravioli.

Maureen hung up a phone and motioned to Casey.

“Hey! They want you to head down to ER. We’re expecting a lot of patients, and it’s all hands on deck.”

“Wow, it’s that bad?” Casey asked.

“I guess so.”

“OK, heading right down.”

Casey began trotting off to the elevator when she stopped cold.

“We just got a call from Raf,” one of the nurses said with a nervous voice, “apparently he’s bringing in one of the doctors from the diagnostic team.”

Casey’s blood went cold.

“Do they know who?” the other nurse asked.

“He didn’t say.”

The clipboard she had been carrying fell out of her shaking hand. Something was terribly wrong. She could feel it. She took a deep breath and calmed the panic that filled her chest and rendered her immobile. Without another word, she ran to the ER.

_____

A/N 2: Have tissues next week :) (And yes, Tash, ice cream.)

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#delaying the inevitable #tobias carrick #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick x mc #choices open heart #choices fic writers creations #fics of the week #cfwc fics of the week #open hear fanfics #open heart fanfic

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panlight · 3 years

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What are your top five ways that Meyer blindsided you regarding what you thought versus what she meant? For example, you've said before how you truly thought that Bella being afraid of blood would have implications but that never did. Or how Jacob would fight the imprint!--but he didn't. Or maybe in a more subtext way: for example, Bella showing signs of suicidal ideation in New Moon but Meyer insisting that isn't at all what's happening. In what ways did Word of God blindsided/confuse?

1. Jacob fighting the imprint. I was absolutely sure that was where this was going. Any other YA series would have the main characters be like "NO! I will NOT have some outside force decide my life for me! I don't CARE if we'd be perfect together. It's MY life, I get to choose!" Like just look at all those stories of "utopias" where the characters are paired up by the government or a computer or whatever and they they FIGHT it and that's the whole point and I thought that's where imprinting was going, especially with Jacob being so against it. "They don't belong to themselves anymore" "what's wrong with falling in love the normal way?" "It's just another way of having your choices taken away from you." Like, my god, there was SUCH potential here for a parallel with the veggie vampires choosing not to surrender to their instincts but no, it's a Happily Ever After (supposedly). Also still think if he had imprinted on like Jess or Angela or Random Girl in New Moon/Eclipse, SM would have had him fight it and ~choose his love for Bella~.

2. The James bite. I thought this was going to be a big deal and that would end up mattering later in the series. That the bite and exposure to vampire venom would have made Bella immune and impossible to turn (!), or that they could create an antidote to vampirism from her blood (!), or that it would be the explanation for why she was so good at vampiring right away, or something. But it's just . . . never a big deal, not important, never even really mentioned again other than there being a scar that Edward can be emo about.

3. Denali story/foreshadowing. I legit thought Carlisle was going to die in Breaking Dawn. And he's basically the most interesting character to me so I wasn't all that psyched about it, but it made sense. Often in YA/coming of age stories, the mentor figure has to die so the young characters can really come into their own. But the main reason I thought he was doomed was at the beginning of BD when Bella's talking about the Denali coven and how Carlisle told her about how the sisters' 'mother' had been killed and they were still so upset they couldn't utter her name, and Bella has a thought like "I can't imagine the Cullens without Carlisle" and I was like welp he's a goner. But then, no, we just get that non-fight at the end.

4. THE BABY. Okay, once we get to BD, it's pretty clear the baby is happening. Bella's dreams and the whole Denali backstory with the Immortal Child aren't exactly subtle. But PRIOR to BD, SM seemed to be trying really hard to make the fandom think it was impossible. I remember those halcyon pre-BD days vaguely. I wasn't super into the fandom but I had read the first three books and was Twi Curious, basically, and read some stuff on the Lexicon and followed a few. . . I guess they were livejournals at the time, lmao. And the WHOLE FANDOM was convinced and babies were impossible and would quote things SM has said at Q&As or on the Lexicon and like babyfic was disdained because "that can't happen." And it's retrospect it's clear that SM was tip-toeing around it and answered very carefully so she could be "Haha I never said a male vampire and a female HUMAN specifically couldn't have a baby! Checkmate!" but the fandom still basically felt lied to from the Word of God stuff we had been getting from her over the last few years. I think the backlash wouldn't have been as bad if she had just been like "I'm not going to answer that" or something versus heavily implying it was impossible while leaving a specifically E/B-shaped loophole.

5. Born to be a Vampire. Maybe it's just me, but if you're setting up a character to be "born to be a vampire," maybe making her pass out at the sight/scent of blood and LOVE the sun/warmth is a weird choice? Bella being able to smell blood is supposedly weird (but like . . . I can smell it?) and maybe a hint to her vampiric potential, but then why does it make her sick rather than make her be like "Idk it smells kinda good? That's weird, right? I'm so weird." I also just . . . being a vampire is framed as BAD. The Cullens "rise above the hand they were dealt." They make the best of a situation that is written as being kind of lonely and frustrating at best and DAMNED FOR ALL ETERNITY at worst and then Bella becomes a vampire and it's perfect forevers and bliss and fairytale cottages and I'm just like, what? I wanted bittersweet! I was fine with her becoming a vampire, but I wanted it to be a struggle, for it to not be the fairytale she thought it was, but for it still to be worth it in the end. And I thought that's where it was going with all those gloomy quotes SM put at the beginning of the books. Do not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. Violent delights have violent ends. The world will end in fire or ice. Uh, none of those point to a fairytale in my mind. Also Bella being framed as being uncommonly good/selfless AND 'born to a be vampire' just does not compute in my mind. The Cullens are the way they are because Carlisle was so unsuited to be a vampire that he just rewrote all the rules. Maybe Bella was born to be a CULLEN but born to be a vampire implies something different to me. That's something I might say about a James or an Aro.

#asks

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readyplayerhobi · 3 years

Text

Flower | Drabble 5

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, slight angst

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: Another little drabble! It's hard to give this couple up 🥺 this is also a scene that was basically deleted from the main series, so it's been given a time jump! I didn't want people to think it was a cliche moment (it kinda is) but...I think this gives some good clarity on how the MC has grown! Unedited as on mobile.

"Do you think your mom will like this?" You query, brows farrowing together as you turn the elegantly decorated plant pot around in your hands. It would match her current living room decor and she loved gardening.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah...why?" Hoseok asks with a distracted tone, his attention grabbed with the collection of fake plants. The two of you had come to a home decoration store as you wanted to redecorate your bedroom. He wasn't hugely interested in how it was done and you were pretty sure that he was here just to spend time with you.

Which was sweet and you loved that he was content to just be with you, but he wasn't being very helpful right now.

"...her birthday? It's next week, we're taking her out for dinner, remember?" He pauses for a moment before his lips turn into a circle.

"Oh yeah, shit. I need to book the table for that." Before you can say anything else, he's pulling out his phone and tapping away on it.

Sighing, you place the pot into the cart and begin to look with an eye for your bedroom. You wanted to inject more plants into the house but Kasumi just tried to eat real ones, so you were stuck with fake plants.

"How about C'est Bonne? Wait no, she doesn't like French food. Hmmm, Italian feels boring though. Do you think she'd like Thai, I think that'd be alright." Hoseok is muttering to himself as he scrolls and you smile affectionately.

To say he'd completely forgotten, you weren't surprised that he was throwing himself into it now.

"Hoseok?" For a moment, neither of you respond. You, because it wasn't your name and so you weren't conditioned to respond to it, and Hoseok because it wasn't your voice.

His head jerked up in confusion, gaze going to you first before looking around. The voice calls again from your left and you turn to see who it is, wondering who was calling out your husband's name.

What you didn't expect is for Hoseok's face to open in surprise, shocked recognition taking over his expression. Like, real shock and you're even more confused and intrigued.

"Yoona?" He asks, his tone slightly unsure and you realise it's obviously someone he once knew. You've heard him mention the name at some point, but you can't remember why you know it.

"It is you! Oh my god, it's so good to see you. How long has it been?" The woman in question, Yoona, smiles brightly and you observe that she's pretty. Very pretty with the kind of hair you see in commercials.

She's wearing plain black jeans that conform to her legs alongside a subtly flowered shirt. Her black pea coat tops it off with a matching deep purple scarf and beanie to cope with the colder weather.

"Err...a while." Hoseok laughs, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck and you recognise the awkward movement. He's a little uncomfortable and your stomach turns as you wonder if this is one of his hook ups.

Surprisingly, you'd never met one of them given how prolific he'd been. Though you did wonder how many of them had also been drunk and probably didn't remember him at all.

Still, you feel the urge to comfort him and move closer, resting your hand on his back in assurance. He straightens a little at the touch before relaxing into you, his arm coming to wrap around your shoulder and hugging you into him a little more strongly than you'd anticipated.

"Oh, Meeps this is Yoona, the girl in college who got me to sort my shit out?" Hoseok's brows rise as his voice turns dry before he looks back at Yoona. "This is Y/N, my wife."

Her eyes flick over to you and surprisingly enough, she doesn't give you a once over. You almost expected her to view you as some kind of threat or rival, but the reassuring smile she gives makes you realise how silly that would be.

"Really? Oh my god, Hoseok! I'm so happy for you, and for you, Y/N! I always knew he had the makings of a good partner, even if he couldn't see it. I'm glad you finally took my advice." Yoona says before reaching out to shake your hand politely.

Surprisingly, it's not nearly as awkward as you'd think to meet one of your husband's ex-flings. Especially one who'd had such an influence on his life.

"Erm, thank you. Hoseok's talk about you sometimes, thank you for helping him back then." You say shyly, feeling your stomach twist uncertainly as you take your hand back and play with your fingers.

Just like he always has, Hoseok instinctively knows when you're not comfortable and he reaches for one of your hands.

"I've told her lots of things over the years," He grins before kissing your forehead. "My therapy was very good, I promise."

That's directed to Yoona who laughs sweetly and nods in appreciation.

"Good, good, I'm glad. Anyway, I've got to be going but...it was nice to see you! And I'm really happy that you've found someone. I'd love to get to know you better but I'm sure you're amazing. Gotta be to have captured this guy's attention." She smiles and gestures towards you, causing you to feel hot with embarrassment.

"Erm, thank you." You mutter, unsure of how to react. But you're surprisingly okay with her and don't feel any form of threat, even with her important history with Hoseok. It was clear there were no feelings between either of them and you genuinely felt that she was a good person.

Before either of you could say anything else, she said her goodbyes and headed towards the cashiers at the front of the store. There was a brief moment of silence as you both tried to compute what had happened and Hoseok recovered quicker than you did.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, his words laced with concern that matched the worry in his eyes. You knew why he was feeling like that - Yoona was beautiful, once upon a time he'd slept with her and she'd helped him realise how to move forward. Or at least take the steps there.

If this had happened in the first year of your relationship then you probably would feel disconcerted, unsure what to think about this blast from his past. But you weren't that girl anymore, and whilst you still had your anxieties, you had full and complete faith in Hoseok.

Plus, he'd been as blindsided by her as you were.

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was nice to finally meet the famous Yoona, she seemed nice." You comment, slipping your arm through his and leaning against him as you both walked towards the bedroom section. Bring so close to him meant that you could practically feel him relax at your words.

"Good, good. I didn't...well I didn't know what to think, really. I was worried you'd be upset or something." Hoseok admits, trailing his hand down your coat sleeve until he can grasp your fingers between his own.

"No, I know all about your history and it was only a matter of time before we met someone. And like I said, she was sweet." There's still some uneasiness in his demeanour though and you squeeze his hand before gently poking the back of it with a finger.

The movement makes him smile and you feel relief at him looking a little happier.

"Seriously, I'm okay. Are you okay?" It was probably a big thing to accidentally meet up with such an important fling, but but could understand why he wasn't comfortable with it all.

That was a part of his past that he wasn't entirely happy with colliding with his very happy present. So you just held on to him as he worked through his feelings.

"Yeah...yeah I am. It was just weird to see her, you know? Never expected that." He let's his free hand trail over a soft, velvet cushion idly and you hum in contemplation.

"I get it. But don't fret over it, okay? I'm fine with it all and...well, it was nice to meet the woman who helped to bring the Hoseok I know to life. Or at least, started the process. Without her, we wouldn't be here."

Hoseok is silent as he considers that, his lips twisting before he licks at his lip ring and nods.

"Yeah, you're right. She's the one part of my past that I'm okay with you seeing in person. I should've thanked her…" Muttering, he sighs before shrugging with a lopsided smile.

"Oh well, let's carry on shopping. Your decorations await! And I need to finish booking that table...I'm actually thinking of maybe trying that Lebanese place…"

#networkbangtan #armiesnet #hoseok x you #hoseok x reader #hoseok drabble #hoseok fluff #hoseok fic #bts drabble #bts fluff

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cheelduh · 3 years

Text

The Shackles of Duty

Pairing: Diluc x gn!reader

Synopsis: As a weapon of the Abyss, your obligation towards your Princess should be eternal.

Warnings: Unedited angst. Pls ignore any mistakes besties <3

Word count: 2k

You've never really given the weather any thought. It's not as if it matters to you. Stormy day or not, your responsibilities—no, your duty towards the Abyss will remain the same.

It's still raining. The mud thick underneath your boots, slippery against your heel, the putrid smell of grassy dew lingering miserably against the air.

"You know what you have to do." The Abyss Princess commands you, her loyal servant, hers to dispose if she so desires.

"The dragon...Stormterror." You explain, goosebumps forming on your skin as a result of the damp clothes that adorn your wet body. "Your brother, the honorary night, along with others, thwarted our plans by eliminating the fragments."

"Why?"

"You know why, your grace." Is all that you can give to her. "I shall follow him. Keep him away, from inciting another encounter—"

"No," Lumine declares, no room for argument. "Infiltrating their ranks is no easy task. You mustn't be relieved of your post, not yet at least. We need to extract as much information as possible to further avoid outcomes like these."

Exactly the answer you don't want to hear in the middle of this archon forsaken storm, all bruised and bumped up from Stormterror's confrontation.

Don't make me do this again. I don't know how much more I'll be able to take.

You bite your tongue, knowing full well the finality of her words. "As you wish, my princess."

The familiar redhead suddenly plagues your mind, stoic, and with years worth of anger at the world. The hero in the shadows, the man with an agonizing past, a sense of retribution albeit his severed connections with the knights of favonious.

Despite the obstacles of life and the intellect honed from his journey, he's reckless. Reckless enough to still believe that he can make a difference. That anyone can make a difference.

Diluc is reckless enough to love someone, reckless to think that his sworn brother would be the only one capable of betraying him.

—

"There's no point." Diluc whispers loud enough for you to hear him underneath the stars, adding onto the lull of night. "They all keep walking—no, running, aimlessly because of duty. They follow orders without knowing where they come from. It's utter chaos."

"But in all the chaos, there is calculation." You lean against the stone of the walls, and as always, you know how to speak to Diluc. How to open him up and read him like a book.

You're sure he can do the same with you, but he just isn't looking where he should be. You need him to look; to realize he's tangled up in your web of deceit and that there's no way out.

"How do you do that?" He says, aware all at once. "How do you give me so much yet so little?"

I want to give you everything, the pretty and the ugly things alike. I want to give you my secrets, fold them up in a dirty, black, envelope, and have you turn it to ash with the violent flames of your heart.

It's a lot of work hiding under false pretences.

"It's a beautiful night, my love." You say instead.

Diluc's never gotten used to the term of endearment, still new to receiving affection. It warms him up differently to his vision, pleasant yet unfamiliar. It takes a moment for him to come back to himself.

You briefly jolt at the pleasant warmth of his hand atop yours, a silent reassurance, one that worsens your guilt, weaves it into something that pierces your rotten core.

—

You don't know what you're thinking when you stand in front of Jean's office, fist hovering.

Is forgiveness why you're here? No, because you would've went to Diluc first. You would've confessed to him right then and there about what a vengeful weapon you are, a mindless soldier that will do anything for their queen.

You don't even get a chance to think of the various ways he'd kill you when the door is open, and you're met with the view of the acting Grandmaster herself. Another dear friend that will come to despise you.

"Y/N! I'm glad you're here—"

"I'm a servant of the Abyss." You cut her off, and don't stop yourself, letting the words run freely against the fast pace of your heart. "I've infiltrated Mondstadt under the orders of the abyss princess and used what I've learned to conspire against the archons."

Everything's spinning, so fast you can barely breathe.

Jean doesn't move, doesn't even blink as the confusion dawns on her face. You aren't looking for confusion.

"Don't pretend you're blindsided completely," You give her a humourless chuckle, and by the hush of your tone it's as if you're telling her a secret to any spectators. "You've known for a while now that there's been a traitor within your ranks. Every single attack from the Abyss—too clean, too unpredictable, one could say with coincidence."

"But the universe is rarely so lazy." Your voice is smooth, calm, the complete opposite to the flurries of emotions that bloom your being. "Varka knew that. And so do you."

"No," Jean finally speaks up, denying your claim incandescently. "We've fought together for years. You're one of our best, our most dependable. Everything we've done—everything you've done has been for Mondstadt. As always."

If only that were the truth.

You wave a hand over your right eye, releasing the magical bind to reveal the intricate marker. Jean's eyes widen, and she's far from her usual composed self.

"Still don't believe me?" You ask, knowing full well she's still in denial. It's not everyday your best mate, the one that fights alongside you, admits to being a traitorous scum of the abyss drenched in years worth of lies.

Ah the trials and tribulations of friendship.

"Fine then," With the flick of your wrist, it doesn't take much effort for the main doors to open up with a bang.

The acting grand master draws back at the shrill sound, teeth gritting.

She isn't the only one that's provoked. Wood and Wyratt, the only two guards on duty at this time let out shouts of surprise, reaching for their swords on instinct.

You summon your abysmal magic, which shapes into deep blue, if not black, appendages. They glitter, hiding the entire galaxy in them, with stars that burst into life. Breathtaking if not used on the battlefield.

In mere seconds, one latches on to Wyratt's leg, while the other takes Wood by his arm. All it takes is a jerk of your index finger, and they're sent flying outside the doors, which unceremoniously slam shut behind them. The lock clicks into place, cherry on top.

Jean materializes her sword, taking on a defensive position. You don't think you've ever seen the woman irritated, let alone as livid as she is right now.

That's more like it.

"Go on. Arrest me." You bring your wrists up, casual as ever. "We'd better hurry. They'll come after me soon enough, it's in your best interest to listen to everything I have to say if I'm willing to die over it." There's a tightness in your chest that you can't explain.

Jean hardens her gaze, not allowing herself to relax. You know what she's going to say. You've been her friend, her advisor, long enough to understand where most of her actions and decision stem from.

She says—well she says nothing, because she doesn't get a chance to when an abrupt screech erupts from her office, causing your ears to perk up and your blood to run cold. A series of heavy footsteps, footsteps you're all too familiar with follow.

Although you're fairly certain you know who it is, you glance over her shoulder anyways to meet the fiery red eyes that have reserved a place in your heart. The sole reason you're blowing the whistle.

You feel a sharp pang in your heart.

The pure, authentic, hurt in Diluc's hardened features are enough to have you gutted completely. Mouth dry with a rock in your throat, you don't so much as allow yourself to exhale.

You finally understand why you didn't go to him first. You were sure he'd be able to survive the betrayal, but you weren't sure you'd be able to survive it yourself.

Diluc. You want to tell him, tell him how sorry you are. Tell him how much of a piece of shit you are. Tell him that he doesn't deserve this, that he deserves so much better. Tell him that you love him, devastatingly so.

It isn't supposed to end this way. Things never go as planned.

You avert your gaze, clench your jaw shut, and wait.

"Jean." Diluc says, and there's grim finality in his voice. "We need a moment." His words send small pricks throughout your spine.

Jean regains her composure, mulling over his request, but any resistance is placated by a simple look from the redhead.

When she reluctantly leaves, the quiet is near unendurable.

"Why?" If the way Diluc's fixed gaze could set anything on fire, you would've been burned to the stake by now.

You'd calculated this moment countless of times, predicted exactly how this would go, lived through every outturn in the dead of the night as you struggled to find sleep in his arms.

Living through it is far more dreadful than you could've ever imagined it to be.

His body closes in at your lack of reply, hands gripping your forearm to pull you in and kick the door shut. "Why?" This time it's more firm.

You open your mouth to speak, like a fish out of water, and out comes nothing.

"I trusted you," Diluc says weakly, in a way that has your heart shattering a million times a second. Tightening his hold on your arm, he continues "You were the only one I...I should've known. I was foolish to think I could believe in you." a sharp exhale, and he pushes you back against the door, but it's not harsh at all. He's gentle, and somehow that makes everything so much more worse.

Your inability to reply sparks a different kind of rage in his heart.

"It must have been quite the show, watching everyone run in circles." He seethes, furious, wounded. "Was it all just a lie? Were my feelings ever returned? Or was I just another one of your fair games?"

You wrench away from his hold as if it's burning you. The words are like needles, pinning into you with so much force it has you lurching in place, and then they twist deep within your blackened veins.

"Stop it." You should've just left. Should've just pushed back the nagging in your brain and jumped off a cliff or a something. Surely the unexpected death of a royal guard—no, the death of a fundamental piece in their plan would surely be enough to cripple them for at least a few days, if not weeks.

Anything but this.

You meet his gaze. "I do love you Diluc, that I am sure of. You don't have to believe me. I know I wouldn't."

"Is that all you have to say?" He all but hisses, gloved fingers closing in to form a fist. "You've betrayed everyone. Your friends, your family...me."

"You think I don't know that?" Your voice breaks when you look away. "I don't know what's right anymore, what's wrong. I don't even know what I've been fighting for this entire time." A sharp, mirthless laugh escapes your lips, "To allow myself to carry out orders I do not believe in is too much to bear. How long do I delude myself into thinking that this is all for Khaenri'ah? That this is all for a reason that is beyond me?"

There's a sliver of softness that shows in his features, but you're too busy calming the waves crashing in your head.

"Whatever it is, it doesn't matter anymore." You say, the sinking of your chest only expanding. "I've already contravened against the abyss, and for that they will come for me. The only thing I regret is that they couldn't get to me before you did."

A stricken look passes across his face, brows furrowed and desperation as clear as day when he reaches for you.

This time, you let his arms curl around your shaking figure, welcoming the comfort that you're undeserving of. "I won't let them."

"I'm sorry." You whisper shakily, fisting the fronts of his coat. "I'm so sorry Diluc."

Diluc hums as he strokes your hair soothingly, with the utmost of care. Although his trust in you has shattered, like irreplaceable fragments of glass, his love for you will remain constant.

Even with the storm that is fated to come.

#genshin impact #genshin impact oneshot #jean gunnhildr #diluc ragnvindr #master diluc #diluc x reader #diluc x y/n #genshin fanfic #diluc angst #genshin diluc #lumine #lumine genshin impact

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alwaysfeelingsaintlike · 3 years

Text

Driving Me Mad [G.W] - Part 2

Series Description: You and George come up with a plan to pretend to date each other. But what happens when you actually start to catch feelings...

Pairing: George Weasley x Gryffindor fem!reader

Word Count: 2k

Part 1

Description: After an unexpected breakup, you and George formulate a plan to incite jealousy in detention.

“Morning babe,” you said as you planted a kiss on Roger’s cheek. You took a seat next to him and started building your plate with breakfast items. His mouth was full and he managed to spit out a greeting.

“Where were you last night? I thought you would’ve been at the party,” you asked casually.

“I just got carried away with some studying and I forgot,” he said. It sounded a little rehearsed but you didn’t question it.

“Well, you didn’t miss much. Although, I did get caught heading back to the common room. Detention on Thursday.”

“Mmm.”

“Are you okay? I feel like something’s bothering you.”

“I’m fine,” he said, shoveling more food into his mouth.

“So, I’ve been thinking. For the Yule Ball I might get a navy blue or a purple dress. So don’t get your dress robes until I pick one out. I just wanna make sure we match.”

“Y/N, you’re getting ahead of yourself. The Yule Ball is still months away.”

“I know, I just can’t help but be excited! And I want us to look perfect.”

Roger slammed his fork down on the table and sighed, “You’re making this so difficult.”

“What?”

He grabbed your hand and pulled you out to the Entrance Hall. “Look, I didn’t want to do this right now, but...” he spoke.

“Roger, what are you talking about?” you grabbed his arm and looked him in the eye, thinking no good could come of this.

“I…I think we should break up.”

You were speechless, unable to process what he had just said. This was the last thing you expected.

“Please don’t be too upset. It’s nothing you did. I just…I’ve found myself interested in someone else and that’s not fair to you.”

“…Someone else?” you asked, holding back tears.

“I’m sorry. I never meant for this to happen.”

“We can work through this Roger. It doesn’t have to be the end,” you pleaded.

He merely shook his head, kissed your cheek, and walked away. You sat on the staircase and realized things were really over. You felt heartbroken, but mostly blindsided. You knew you were never going to marry Roger, but you didn’t have any serious relationship issues. Things were always great between you.

You sat there a while longer, waiting to see if someone would find you or if your emotions would change but nothing happened. You went about your day, attending classes, as if nothing had changed even though you were hurting on the inside.

You arrived at McGonagall's office ten minutes before your detention was to start. You sat there, waiting for George to arrive and a few minutes later he dashed into the room, out of breath and took a seat next to you.

“Excellent, now that you are both here, we can begin your punishment. This evening, you will be polishing the trophies in the Trophy Room, by hand. Once every trophy has been polished and is up to my standard, you may go.” She summoned rags and polishing liquid for you and sent you to the trophy room. You walked in silence to begin with but you knew it would be a long evening if it kept up like this.

“I’m sorry. About what I said the other night,” he said as he started on the first trophy.

“Don’t be sorry. You were right. I have been a bit of a bitch to you. I’m sorry I’ve treated you so poorly all these years.”

“S’okay,” he mumbled casually.

“I don’t know how it got this way. I just caught up in unimportant aspects of life. I guess I wanted to be popular and now look where that got me.”

“I heard about Roger and Fleur.”

“Fleur? That's who left me for? Bloody hell, my life keeps getting worse and worse.”

“Sorry, I thought you knew…” he muttered.

“Is everyone talking about it?” you asked him seriously.

“I…I only overheard it from some Gryffindor girls. That’s all I know about it.”

“Yeah, word spreads so fast here, I can’t say I’m surprised.” You moved past him to work on the next trophy. “The worst part is, I still want him back.” You caught yourself before you revealed any more. “Sorry. I’m sure you don’t want to hear any of this,” you chuckled.

“No, it’s okay. We used to be friends at one point. You can tell me things. But if you want my opinion, you can do better than Davies.”

“Hardly, he’s the school’s most eligible bachelor, behind Cedric and maybe Harry Potter now that he’s been crowned champion.”

“So what��s your plan then? How are you gonna get him back?”

“I…I don’t know. How can I complete with Fleur? She’s part veela for God’s sake.”

“That doesn’t mean anything. You’re just as beautiful as she is. Plus I guarantee you have a better personality.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Absolutely. You’re actually funny, and you have a toughness to you which means you can stand up for yourself. Fleur’s more…delicate, fragile.”

“And since when do boys look for personality in a girl?”

“Personality is the biggest factor in looking for a lass to bring home. Guys want someone who is confident and comfortable in their own skin, and who can actually talk about things other than clothes and makeup. Someone real. And you have that quality.”

“No offense, George, but I don’t think Roger dated me because I’m ‘real’.”

“Perhaps you should be questioning your taste in men, then.” You pondered this when he added, “Do you really want to get back with Davies?”

“Yes.” At least, you thought you did.

“Then you have to get back at him.”

“What did you have in mind?”

“You gotta get even. He has a new girl, so you can’t try and win him back. Instead, you have to make him jealous.”

“Okay, okay. I see where you’re going with this. But with who?”

“That I don’t really know. Probably someone who is well known by everyone, but different than your usual type. Someone unexpected; someone who will shock everyone. Who that is, I’m not sure.”

You stopped cleaning your trophy and looked at him, a sly smile creeping onto your face. The gears were turning in your head and there was no turning back now. He questioned the look on your face and said, “What…you know someone?”

You nodded and said, “Oh I know someone alright…”

“Who?” he asked. You didn’t say anything. Instead you let your smile grow a little bit and tilted your head, hoping he would pick up what you were putting down. It took him a moment but you saw his face change when he realized who you were talking about.

“No, no absolutely not,” he said, shifting his attention to the latest trophy he was polishing.

“Oh come on. You’re perfect. Everyone knows you, and loves you for that matter. We run in different circles so it would be totally unexpected, yet we’ve known each other for years so it’s believable.”

“Y/N, this is crazy.”

“Is it really that crazy? This whole thing was your idea and I actually think it could work.”

“Okay, say I do agree to this. What’s in it for me?”

“Easy. You can get the attention of a certain girl on the Gryffindor quidditch team that I know you have your eye on. Act like an awesome boyfriend to me and she’ll be more inclined to date you. And we’ll get to spend more time together. Just the other day you said you wanted to hang out more-“

“I did not say that. I said ‘we haven’t talked in a while.’”

“Still, I make a compelling argument. So what do you say?”

He didn’t look at you; he continued to polish the already spotless trophy in front of him. You walked over to him and put your head on his shoulder. “Come on, look at how cute we are together,” you looked at your reflection in the trophy and he did the same. “And you know it’ll be fun,” you said, shooting him a winning smile. “Help me out here and I’ll owe you a favor. Or five.” You hoped your last statement might set him over the edge.

He sighed, “Okay fine.”

“Really!?” you chirped.

“But on one condition, an easy out clause. If at one point, either of us wants to end things, we end things. No questions asked.”

“That sounds perfectly reasonable. But, I just want you to know that I don’t half-ass anything. If we’re doing this it has to be believable. We have to be attached at the hip; inseparable.”

“This takes commitment from both sides. You can’t go around making out with other guys if we’re supposed to be a couple.”

“You have my word I will not make out with anyone while our fake fling is going on.”

“Then I’m in.” He held out his pinkie and you interlocked yours with his, making this deal quasi-official.

“You really are something else Y/N,” he laughed. You continued working through your punishment and you made the best of it. Somehow you forgot how funny George was. You were laughing at almost everything he said and every now and then you would send a joke or a funny comment his way. You kind of forgot what it felt like to laugh.

The laughing made the mundane task go by much quicker. You weren’t sure how much time had actually passed but a moment later you were polishing the last trophy.

“Looks like it’s time to call McGonagall in for approval,” he said. She closely inspected every cup and plaque and gave you the okay that you could head back to the tower.

“Any plans for tonight?” he asked as you started your trek.

“Probably just catching up on school work tonight. What about you?”

“I have some business to attend to…” he said.

“Wow, vague.”

“I can’t spill all my secrets to you just yet.”

You reached the common room and you gathered your books and started working on your latest essay as George disappeared, probably up to no good.

“Still up?” George asked you as he found a spot next to you on the couch a few hours later.

“Yep. Trying to be as productive as possible. What about you? Finish up with that business?”

“Ah yes, it went quite successfully.”

“Let me guess…another prank? Who was it this time, Filch or a group of first years?”

“We decided to mix it up this time and go with some Slytherins.”

“Ah, a justifiable prank. Well done.”

“So have you thought about how we’re pulling off this ultimate plan?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” you hoped he wasn’t backing out.

“Like, are we doing this gradually or just going full force?”

“Well, what do you think is more believable?”

“Personally, I think we need some sort of build up. Instead of just emerging as a couple, we should build the suspense. Make people speculate.”

“Okay, I can agree with that. So right now we just need to do a lot of public appearances. Nothing overly touchy or flirty, just spending time together.”

“Excellent. I just wanted to check with you before telling Fred about the situation.”

“Wait, what? You…you can’t tell him about our arrangement.”

“Y/N, he’s my twin brother and my best friend. I can’t hide anything from him.”

“No, no, no. You can’t tell him. He is a key player in this situation. His reaction to us needs to be genuine.”

“I tell him everything. I feel like he’ll know something’s up if I don’t say something.”

You paused for a moment, as you realized you weren’t being fair. “Look, I know that I’m asking a lot of you, but please don’t tell Fred. At least not yet. Please.”

He looked at you with a pained expression and said, “Okay, if that’s what you want.”

“Thank you, George. Now go get some sleep and I’ll see you at breakfast.”

#george weasley #george weasley x reader #george weasley x you #fred weasley #weasley twins #george weasley x fem!reader #george weasley x gryffindor!reader #george weasley fanfic #weasley twins fanfic #fred and george weasley #hp fanfic #drive me crazy #george wealey oneshot

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fleckcmscott · 4 years

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Bewitching Hour

Summary: October has been a blissfully busy month. With Halloween around the corner, Arthur and Y/N have some planning to do.

Warnings: Swearing

Words: 4,665

A/N: Special thanks to @hhandley80 for this request! You've been so supportive and sweet. I truly appreciate you and hope you enjoy it!

On a side note, my oneshots will be more sporadic. I'm still writing but life has been life. Also, I've finished the first draft of another multi-chapter featuring Arthur and Y/N. It's going to take time to rewrite the subsequent drafts and edit, edit, edit. The chapters will go up once the story is ready. Thanks for your patience and support! 🙂 I heart you all!

If you have any thoughts or questions, please comment, feel free to message me, or send me an ask!

Arthur's suggestion that they make plans to celebrate Halloween should not have been a surprise. He loved starting traditions with Y/N, and she prized adopting them with him. "It's been awhile," he'd said as they'd walked arm-in-arm to the laundromat. "I think it'd be nice."

Holidays had been a source of merriment most of her life. The beauty of red and green decorations at Christmas. Turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. An egg hunt and chocolate rabbit at Easter. The togetherness of family during them all.

Halloween, though, wasn't a favorite.

As a child, she'd had fun trick-or-treating, riding her bike from house to far-flung house. And she hadn't minded escorting her little sister as a teenager. Y/N's homemade witch costume had been passed down. She could still recall the sleekness of the ribbon between her fingers as she'd secured the pointed hat under Mabel's chin.

But the magic had fallen away. When married to Jeff, she'd had to attend his boss's annual party. After receiving an apologetic shrug and kiss, she'd be relegated to hanging out with the other wives. They'd included her in their recipe swaps, in their exchanges of mild gossip. Her natural friendliness made chit-chat easy, far easier than having a good time. Those evenings had been spent nursing a glass of wine and willing the clock to go faster.

During the period she'd cared for her father, she'd tried to hand out candy. She liked being a good neighbor and imparting kindness in the form of bite-sized sweets. As his health had declined, the porch light had gone dark. Random rings of the doorbell would result in shouting and swearing. Repeated attempts to explain the door's lock wasn't broken. Festivity would transform into drudgery. It hadn't been worth the trouble. Instead, she'd watched terrible TV specials while her thoughts wandered to a future far from Boonville. A future she'd doubted would ever be.

"I don't know if it's your thing," Arthur had continued, bringing her back to the present. "But you might enjoy it with me." The response he longed for was evident in the worrying of his pocket, outlines of his knuckles visible through the tan cloth.

Everything they'd experienced together had soothed the sting of those wasted years. The hesitancy lurking in her was silly. Unwelcome. Less than either of them deserved. She'd met his keen eyes and half-smile. The sudden mental image of him dressed as a cowboy or pirate, eyepatch and all, prompted a laugh. Convinced her as she dug out her dry-cleaning stub. "It isn't my thing," she'd said. "But you are."

Relief had relaxed his wrinkles, save for his crows feet, which had deepened as he'd returned her happy expression. A slender arm wrapped around her waist, drew her against his solid frame. Once the clerk disappeared through the swinging doors to retrieve their clothes, Arthur grasped her chin and kissed her. The tender explorations were soon sloppy, and she'd giggled, his enthusiasm becoming her own. Their noses had met, his lashes resting on his wide cheekbones. "I think you're the sweetest treat, Mrs. Fleck."

Currently, Donahue's Department Store, Gotham's number one retail emporium (if the ads were to be believed), was bustling with last-minute shoppers. Weary mothers escorted their babbling children through the aisles. Clerks swapped out displays for the changing blue light specials. Lines went for yards. Patricia and Y/N sought refuge at a corner table in the café on the top floor. The warm glow from the pendant lamps provided a relaxed ambience, one that matched the hot cider and pumpkin spice cake they were savoring.

"I've got my grandson on Sunday," Patricia said between bites. "My daughter's going to a party with a medical records tech from Gotham General. Met him when she missed the bus. They split a cab and hit it off." Chuckling, she lifted her mug. "Speaking of, how's married life been so far?"

Memories of the past week quickened Y/N's heart, until she thought it might stop. How Arthur had gripped her replacement Social Security card, just to read her new name. The way he'd grab her for a twirl whenever they were in the kitchen. The reverence in his gaze when they'd lay together after sex, a look that both thrilled and made her blush. "The bills for his medication and appointments will no longer make us cringe," she deadpanned. She lowered her fork. "When we met, I was kind of blindsided - I'm not the type to fall in love quickly." The corners of her lips tugged up. "Being married to Arthur feels like a habit. A habit I should have learned twenty years ago."

"I'm glad you found each other." Patricia reached across the light brown table and covered Y/N's hand, gave it a squeeze. Then she wiped frosting from her mouth and nodded in the direction of the escalator. "Now let's find a costume that'll drive him nuts."

Beyond the colorful cosmetics and pungent perfume counters, they sorted through racks of vinyl smocks and plastic masks. Pop culture icons and princesses. Vampires and spooks. Knockoffs of classic movie monsters. Most were poorly made and decidedly uninteresting. Y/N pawed through accessories in a nearby basket, a cigar here, a patched hat there. "How about a hobo? I could steal Arthur's tie."

"This was his idea. Give him something a little exciting." After a roll of Y/N's eyes, Patricia held out a plastic display bag. "Found it."

The white font on its blue label declared she should "Create a unique look!" A woman in a leopard-print leotard and bow-tie wore black cat ears and a tail, the only two items included in the set. Y/N's nose wrinkled. "I don't think so, Patricia." She rummaged through another bin and examined a hockey mask. "I don't show a lot of skin."

"You show Arthur." Patricia ignored Y/N's glare, continuing to shove it at her. "Every man loves a woman dressed as a cat. Our next lunch is on me if I'm wrong."

Patricia could be relentless, but Y/N had to admit she was usually right. She arched a brow as she eyed the costume. Maybe she could find a solid body suit instead of animal print. The kit was only $2.98. And her friend had made it a challenge. "You're on. But I'm not wearing a bow-tie." She crossed her arms across her chest and tapped her mouth. "Your turn. Would Robert like you as a French maid or a go-go dancer?"

~~~~~

It was a busy season for performers. Arthur remembered HaHa's talent agency being booked solid for October by the end of August. Myriad functions at nursing homes, parties, and children's organizations took place throughout the city. Amusement Mile had a series of special events, allowing Arthur to work extra hours before the slowness of winter dragged in. Once the holiday was over, he'd buy make-up and props on clearance.

He'd always assumed he would like Halloween - if he'd had the chance to celebrate it properly. It was about connection, something he'd never managed. The customs gave him a pretense, a template to meet people, rather than leaving him wondering how to go about it. Provided a hiding place for his seeming inability to act normal.

Recollections of the day were few but vivid. When he'd been around eight, there'd been a party at school. The teacher had made brownies and given the students a half-hour respite from lessons. (A welcome relief, since he wasn't very good at most of them.) But he hadn't had a costume. Hadn't known how to reply when the other kids asked where it was. Not wanting to be left out, he'd pocketed a watercolor pallet and sneaked to the bathroom.

The teacher (he wished he could remember her name) had walked in as he'd smeared green and blue on his face, a pathetic attempt at a turtle. Fear of punishment had caused his laughter. But her kindness as she knelt, wiped away tears and pigment with a scratchy, brown paper towel, had calmed him. "Wait here," she'd instructed. It had taken all his courage not to run home.

After some minutes, she'd returned, an old white sheet in one hand, black marker and pair of scissors in the other. "The nurse won't miss this." She'd traced eyeholes, helped him cut them out. She'd asked questions. About his mother and what it was like at home. Questions he was at a loss for how to answer. Finally, she'd draped the cloth over his head. "There," she'd declared. "Gotham Elementary has its own ghost."

Even as he'd gotten taller and the sheet no longer went beyond his knees, that costume had remained his go-to. He'd venture out to the rest of his building, knocking on paint-chipped doors and pushing broken buzzers. Having learned to stay away from doors that yelling or funny smells emanated from, he hadn't gotten a lot of candy. What he had collected he'd shared with Penny. The wax lips became a free toy. He wasn't sure his memory of startling his mother and being tickled until he couldn't breathe was real or imagined.

At twelve, he was told he was too old to go trick-or-treating. He'd starting scrounging for change to buy hard candies at Helm's Pharmacy. They weren't particularly appetizing, but they'd been what he could afford. Only a few kids rang, a number that dwindled further every year. Most neighbors kept their distance, likely aware he was troubled. Cinnamon discs and butterscotch drops had loitered around the apartment for months. He'd sucked on them in an attempt to cut down on his smoking, just to save money. It hadn't worked.

Y/N hadn't spoken about the holiday, not the way she had other special occasions. At first, he'd thought it had slipped her mind. Work, planning their honeymoon, completing the red tape required to meld all aspects of their lives had taken up much of their time. But, given her reluctance to talk in detail about her past heartache, he'd come to assume her Halloweens had been unpleasant. He was certain he could change that.

Sitting on the dingy, dark green plastic seat of the train car, he giggled to himself, chest puffing up as he straightened. They'd been man and wife for eight whole days. Movies and songs said love was supposed to be somewhere between serendipitous and fated. A happy accident that was meant to be. Lying awake at night, he would find himself wondering where they were on that scale. If the emotions swirling through him - the excitement of belonging, the fear of fucking up - were what every newlywed felt. Then Y/N would snuggle closer in her sleep, murmur nonsense into his skin, and for a few minutes he'd be at peace.

Years had been spent trying to figure out who he was. Trying to find an identity, his role within the world. While he was still searching, it had been far easier to become accustomed to the role of "husband" than he'd dreamed.

Teaching his wife about events across the city had been a delight. Gotham Village's Annual Costume Extravaganza was a parade that went all the way to Gotham Square. He'd participated a couple of times, never formally registering but slipping into the clown section. It had been exhilarating. Had allowed him to pretend, for a little while, that he was being seen. That the crowds lining the sidewalks were cheering for him. Signs for extravagant balls were plastered on billboards and lampposts throughout the streets; he'd have gladly attended and shown her off. A haunted house was being held in a building in his old neighborhood, a fundraiser for the orphanage. He hadn't brought that up.

In the end, once he'd explained trick-or-treaters went from apartment to apartment, they'd decided on a cozy evening at home. The details had been left to her. Whatever she'd plan, he'd love it. He wondered what she'd disguise herself as. Would she be a sexy devil or nurse, like he'd seen on a sit-com? The notion sparked a fire in his cheeks.

Given how busy he'd be, he'd stay dressed as plain, old Carnival. Part of him regretted accepting two gigs, especially on a Sunday. He would have preferred her company. But he wanted to put the money towards the wedding band he'd put on layaway. (Even though they had one account, he wasn't going to let her chip in for it.) He should already be wearing it for all of Gotham to see.

The lurch of the subway prompted him to rise and grasp the pole grip. His stance widened as it came to a halt, knees bending with the instinct of a man who'd ridden public transportation since he was a boy. As soon as the graffiti-covered doors parted, he stepped out onto the platform and ascended the stairs, eager to share his new insurance information with Dr. Ludlow.

~~~~~

Scratchy violins and the hum of a theremin. Shrill shrieks and cracks of thunder. A cackle resounded, then a pipe organ, playing a melody in a minor key.

There was no doubt about it. Halloween spirit had saturated 4A.

NCB's Movie Marathon Mayhem had begun at 10:00 AM. Y/N had had it on since getting out of the shower, hoping to catch a horror classic while she decorated the apartment and prepared Bloody Mary mix. As she hung cotton batting between the television's rabbit ears, creating a long, narrow spider-web, she realized they were only playing cheesy B-movies. Giant insects threatening buildings. Science experiments gone wrong. Alien invasions. Oh well. At least she wouldn't have to pay much attention to get the gist of the plots.

The orange plastic platter, black bats along its edges, had been an impulse buy. She thought its array of sugary skeletons, candy bracelets, and Jolly Jack chocolate bars would be well received. But having seen only one or two kids in the lobby, she had no idea how many children lived in their building. She hoped she'd bought enough.

The cardstock window decorations she'd found were festive and matched Arthur's sweet nature. One portrayed a warted, green witch flying on a broom past a full moon. On the other, a ghost and mouse shared a pillowcase of candy and wished a "Happy Halloween." She held the tape dispenser between her teeth as she stuck them to their white front door.

Just then, the elevator dinged. Glancing to her left, she saw Arthur stroll down the cheerfully lit hallway. Buoyant expression on him, despite his white, blue, and red make-up being streaked from sweat. Striped prop bag on his shoulder and carved pumpkin cradled in his arms. "The store owner was going to throw it out," he explained with a half hug. "But he let me have it as a tip."

Classic, triangular eyes evoked the annual carving contest her parents had taken part of back home. Her father had been well-known in the community, being the town's only doctor. Entering the competition had been expected. They'd never won but enjoyed it all the same. Y/N had picked out the patterns and scooped out the squash's slimy innards. Her mother had baked the seeds. Peals of their laughter echoed in her ears, and a lump formed in her throat.

She swallowed hard against it. Dammit, Y/N. Get it together. This was supposed to be a special night for Arthur and her. She needed to distract herself. One of his curls peeked out from under his bald-cap and green wig. She twirled a strand around her finger. "With that toothy grin, it just might be your twin," she said. He pecked her temple, the kiss sticky from greasepaint. She lit the half-melted candles using his red lighter and put the jack-o-lantern just outside their door.

While he freshened his paint in the bedroom, she slinked into the bathroom to change. Arthur's and her routines were closely aligned; keeping her costume hidden had not been easy. The headband holding the furry cat ears was quite stiff, its teeth a tad sharp on her scalp. Once it was in place, she hid it under her hair. The lint on her form-fitting stretch top and leggings reminded her why she rarely wore all black. She retrieved her brown eyeliner from the nearby shelf and started in on her whiskers.

Arthur's footsteps neared, heavy due to his clown shoes, and Y/N turned to lean back on the sink. His thin lips parted as he scanned her body, forehead furrowed in pleasant surprise. His reaction planted a seed of bliss in her belly, one that bloomed every second they regarded each other. The lunch she'd have to spring for was well worth the pink shells of his ears. Eventually, she held out the fluffy, wired tail and a safety pin. "Would you pin this just below my waistband?"

Fingers grazing hers, he took it and sat on the toilet lid. He cupped her hips and pulled her closer, positioned her until the dampness of his breath hit a bare sliver of her back. "Hold still," he murmured, his voice sending a tingle through her. At his gentle ministrations, the spandex of her leggings felt snugger. "Did you- Did you read my journal?"

A faint click of metal as the pin closed. "No." She colored the tip of her nose, frowned at how lackluster the shade was. "I'd never do that. Even if I'm dying for a preview of your material. Why?"

"No reason." A soft huff, his shy smile clear in his answer. "I have an idea." He handed her a washcloth and hurried out of the room. She was patting her face dry when he returned, a fine tipped brush and pot of black greasepaint in his hand. "This'll look better."

Her brow arched. She'd only had her make-up done once; Patricia had invited her when they'd first met. Such an outing was not her preference, but Y/N had accepted, being new in town and wanting to learn about her colleague. There'd been champagne at the counter, which she'd sipped until she'd spent too much on eyeshadow and apricot scrub. The next morning, she'd put the products and a note on Patricia's desk: "I'll never forgive you. Thanks!"

The heat radiating from Arthur prompted her to close the gap between them. She craned her neck towards him, slid her palms to his yellow vest until she held him just below his ribs. His forefinger curled under her chin, lifted it slightly and angled it to the right. The cool, wet brush met her fevered skin. The dusty smell of the greasepaint blended with a whiff of stale cigarette smoke and traces of his sweat. She licked her lips.

The vibration of his chuckle was felt before heard. "I really like your costume," he said lowly. Two more ticklish caresses of the bristles on the apple of her cheek. "If you're not careful, I might werewolf and go wild."

She stretched closer to him, the fervor in his tone going straight to her center. Though he'd been growing bolder, his cocky side wasn't often revealed. She wanted it, thirsted to see more of the wild horse kicking inside him. Her touch ran over his chest, until she dipped under his black suspenders and pulled. "Are you going to gobble me up?"

Teasing strokes on her nose. "Maybe." Then his thumb whispered along her jaw and guided her face upwards. His kiss was supple, slow, a drag of his mouth as his tongue sought entry. She yielded, the simmer of anticipation bringing her to her toes. He groaned deeply and palmed her thigh, then fondled the curve of her rear-

The ding-dong of the doorbell halted them. He lifted his head and laughed, gaze sparkling. "I got paint on you."

She twisted in his arms and looked in the mirror. The whiskers caught her eye, embellished at the ends with dainty curlicues - his skill never ceased to impress her. Red brightened her lips and streaks of white were on her cheek. "It's all right. They'll just know I've been necking with a clown."

~~~~~

The sound of the bell continued. Over and over and over. More than it ever had in Otisburg. There were mummies, ghosts, a couple of skeletons. A superhero proudly displayed his red cape and blue tights, and a kid in her karate robe went on about her yellow belt. A tiny clown, too young to walk, was brought by her sister. As Arthur made funny faces, the baby cooed and tried to take his red, foam nose. Arthur parted with it gladly.

Only one member of the Wayne family appeared, slicked back hair and pompous pout making the disguise complete. The man accompanying the boy introduced himself as their upstairs neighbor and shook their hands. After one look at Y/N, he nudged Arthur's bicep. "So, she's the one keeping half the building up at night. Good on you, pal." Arthur blinked in confusion as she ushered the guy away, red-faced and muttering about his nerve.

Arthur was overly generous, giving out fistfuls of sweets while taking a few extra seconds to gather his nerves and compliment the costumes he liked best. It felt good to interact with strangers without constantly second guessing himself. Y/N would rub his arm or kiss his shoulder and tell him what a great job he was doing. "Kids are easy," he said, refilling the candy dish. But he reveled in her praises, anyway. And the knowledge that meeting the neighbors was going well.

Clean-up required little effort. The jack-o-lantern sat on their kitchen table, flames flickering as the wicks burned away. The door decor was packed safely for use next year. His plaid blazer was slung over the back of a dining chair and his wig was off. Y/N's decision to leave her whiskers on pleased him - she made a damn sexy cat. He pocketed the last few pieces of candy to snack on during the remainder of the evening.

The Sunday Night Special Presentation she'd picked out, a made-for-TV horror movie, began at 9:00 PM on GBC. Most of its airtime was punctuated by her tipsy snickers and legal wisecracks, which was typical when they watched something stupid. Yet, as the show went on, she grew quieter, barely speaking between sips of her third cocktail. As they sat on the sofa, her posture stiffened. Forearms crossed over her breasts. Her nails dug into her upper arm.

The change started two-thirds of the way into the show, when the plot about a doll running amok twisted into a story about a professional woman trying to assert herself against the demands of her mother. Against the expectations of availability. To fight for the simplicity of having dinner and peace and quiet. It resonated with him, which felt weird. Especially when the film cut to black, the implication being the mother would meet a violent end at the hands of her possessed daughter.

A cheerful jingle came on. Puerto Rico was a direct flight from Gotham Airport, it advertised, a flight that lasted "two hours and fifteen tropical minutes." They should get out while the weather was still good. The juxtaposition of mood broke him out of his ponderings. He flicked off the blaring television with the remote. Then he heard Y/N sniffling.

She set her glass on the coffee table, a slight tremble in her hand. "I need some air," she whispered as she rose, then went out onto the fire escape.

Arthur rubbed his thigh and pressed his lips together. He wasn't used to seeing her cry. Not from sadness. Should he follow her? Give her time? Both had worked previously, depending on the situation. But he wasn't sure what had upset her, what situation they were in now.

Exhaling sharply, he grabbed her glass and dumped the rest of the drink down the kitchen sink. Rinsed their dinner plates and put the slow cooker in the fridge. When he'd finished making decaf coffee ten minutes later, she still hadn't returned. He ambled towards the ajar glass door and stepped out.

Moonlight outlined her shapely figure and reflected off her hair, the silver a contrast to the orange glow of the streetlamps illuminating her face. Her stare seemed fixated on the street below. He followed it to see a group of ghouls and goblins spraying shaving cream on a shop window. A couple, one he'd see occasionally when out for a cigarette, walked down the sidewalk. A woman was half-carrying a drunk man towards a bus stop.

Upon clearing her throat, Y/N spoke. "I may not look like it, but I had a great time with you tonight. The movie just got to me." Relieved, Arthur sidled next to her, wrapped his arm about her back. Her head fell to his shoulder and she smoothed her hand over his stomach. "I don't mean to hide from you. Someday you'll know the details of my earlier life." She scoffed. "When I'm ready to think about them." He entwined their fingers and kissed her hairline, avoiding the wired tips of her cat ears.

Shivering, she took a shaky breath. "There are no skeletons in my closet. Only disappointments." Her voice cracked as she beamed at him, cupped his cheek, and pressed her face to his. "Knowing I'd get to have you would have made those years so much easier."

He held her tightly, massaging between her shoulders. She'd been speaking about herself, but he couldn't help thinking it was about him, too. His years with Penny. His stints in Arkham. The loneliness, the isolation, the endless anger and yearning to be more than a speck of dirt no one cared for. His journal was full of questions about where the hell his one and only was. If he'd known she'd be real, tangible instead of a figment, would existence have hurt less?

Wincing, he tried to push through those thoughts. To focus on her instead of himself. What mattered was that Y/N needed him. Perhaps a joke would cheer her. "I was thinking the other night of how easy it is to smile around you," he said. "You tickle my funny bone." Amusement bubbled in her throat, music to his ears. She released a contented sigh and nuzzled the crook of his neck.

Peaceful stillness ensued as the minutes passed. Though the breeze was chill, goosebumps forming on his pale skin, her affection kept his heart warm. His fingertips rubbed circles into her lower back, and she offered a pleasured hum. Across the way, footsteps pounded. He glanced to see a kid darting up the street, plastic pumpkin pail in tow. The boy's scream was filled with boundless energy: "Happy Halloween, Gotham!"

Snorting, Y/N took Arthur's hand and led him inside. The cheap tail she wore bounced with every exaggerated swivel of her hips. "I've behaved all evening, which your werewolf comment made extraordinarily difficult." She looped her arms around him and flashed a come-hither stare. "May I have a goodie?"

The scrape of her nails on his scalp coiled a knot in his abdomen. "Aren't you supposed to say 'trick-or-treat?'" he asked huskily.

"Your pussycat needs a petting or two." She closed the bedroom door behind them. "Maybe even a mauling."

His brows shot up on a hitched giggle. Then he palmed her hip while she started in on his buttons. Before she got too far, he traced a whisker with the pad of his thumb. Let their foreheads meet and pecked her eyelids. "Only if you give me something good to eat." He pressed into her, his enjoyment relentless, not waiting for her reply before devouring her mouth.

~~~~~

Tag list (Let me know if you want to be added!): @harmonioussolve, @howdylilflower, @sweet-nothings04, @stephieraptorr, @rommies, @fallenstarsabyss, @gruffle1, @octopus-plasma, @tsukiakarinobara, @arthur-flecks-lovely-smile, @another-day-in-chuckletown, @hhandley80, @jokerownsmysoul, @mrscarnival

#arthur fleck #arthur fleck fanfic #arthur fleck x reader #arthur fleck x ofc #arthur fleck x female reader #joker 2019 #watchwhathappens

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bright-eyes-strawberry-lies · 4 years

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Part Three of Three where I talk about Luke Castellan in an attempt to educate you clowns.

Percy’s Personal Sense Of Evil

Throughout the series, we see Percy refer to Luke as evil. What caused this shift in Percy’s perspective is much simpler and a lot more personal than Luke joining Kronos.

The only betrayal that Percy cares about is the one where Luke tries to kill him. Percy was blindsided by it. He couldn’t believe that Luke would hurt him. He doesn’t even really think it’s Luke; it’s just Kronos brainwashing him. Because Luke was the only person at camp who treated him like a human being and because Percy would literally kill for his friends.

I’d imagined meeting Luke again many times since he’d tried to kill me last summer. I’d pictured myself boldly standing up to him, challenging him to a duel. But now that we were face-to-face, I could barely stop my hands from shaking. [Percy] (TSOM, pg 126)

This hurt Percy on a fundamental level. This event impacts Percy so much that after it, he starts calling Luke evil. In Sea Of Monsters, he refuses to let Luke be friendly with him at all and makes it clear that any interactions are purely business.

You’ve got to remember that Percy doesn’t care about the gods. He still hasn’t figured out how he feels about his dad now that he’s met him. Though like most children, Percy is desperate for his dad’s love and approval even though he’s furious that Poseidon left him and his mom alone.

Percy also asks for all of the (surviving) demigods who were on Kronos’ side to be pardoned and welcomed back to camp. So no, it isn’t Kronos that makes Luke evil to Percy. It’s that Luke betrayed him.

It takes four years before Percy softens at all towards Luke and it’s because a) he considers Luke to be dead in all but name after being possessed by Kronos, b) Percy understands now. It might also have to do with Luke never trying to kill Percy again and always giving them opportunities to escape.

Thalia Never Liked Luke

Thalia has always been interesting when it comes to Luke because she’s never done anything on the page to indicate that she actually likes him.

Thalia withholds information from Luke even when it isn’t important info. She wants to follow a goat around for three days and won’t even tell Luke why. She knows the goats name but doesn’t tell Luke what it is for three days. She doesn’t tell Luke that their meeting wasn’t an accident for three years. She tells Luke the bare minimum about her past; that her mom was a drunk so she ran away.

On the other hand, Thalia mentions that Luke told her all about his mom.

Thalia’s one thing that she does for Luke is not joining the Hunters of Artemis because otherwise Luke would be alone.

When Thalia sees Luke in the golden casket in Percy’s dream, she’s surprised.

After Thalia is brought back to life, in Titan’s Curse, she tells Percy that Luke has never let her down...only to say that she’ll kill him with no hesitation a heartbeat later. When Thalia and Luke fight, she walks away without a scratch. While Luke first gets cut across his chest and then kicked off a cliff by her.

Luke begs for them to be a family again. And that’s probably where he went wrong. Because family isn’t what matters to Thalia.

Afterwards, Thalia regularly tells Percy not only that Luke has to die but that Percy can’t sympathize with Luke. Rehabilitation or therapy for Luke are not things that ever cross her mind. Even the idea of using him doesn’t appeal to her; Thalia would rather he be dead.

Thalia also blames Luke for her death. There’s no way to get around it. She tells Percy that Luke became reckless and fought every monster they came across...without mentioning that they came across more monsters because of her or that it was Grover who led them straight into trouble (and if you want to get real technical, it wasn’t even Thalia’s fault they were being hunted so hard [to a point] it was Zeus’ fault for killing Maria Di Angelo).

You could argue her feelings two ways: she’s never liked Luke or she’s already written him off and there’s text to support both.

Luke Needs A Friend

Demigod Diaries was big on giving us info on Luke’s childhood. Mostly that he is desperately lonely.

Luke tried to make friends with mortal kids. He told the mortals about his dad being Hermes and the monsters and all they can say is “that sounds so cool!” Luke doesn’t want to be around people who don’t understand him.

He wanted someone to relate to and the closest he found was Thalia. Luke even says that now that he’d found her, he was determined to stay with her. He ignores his instincts because he’s so desperate for someone to understand.

In the books, Luke doesn’t seem to be close to anyone from the Hermes cabin. His siblings seem to be fine with him taking off. He’s never seen hanging out with anyone at camp except for Percy. Almost all of his time after leaving camp seems to be spent with monsters. It’s implied that Luke has been training the demigods he’s been recruiting and that he’s proud of them, but those are both one liners and are never expanded upon.

Luke and Kelli might have had a friendship or relationship but after Kelli kills a boy, Luke wants nothing to do with her.

Speaking Of Annabeth

Annabeth doesn’t seem to know what to think of Luke. In her head, Luke goes from family to crush to enemy and back to brother.

Luke knows exactly what he thinks of Annabeth and has since the very first time he laid eyes on her. He constantly refers to her as his: daughter, sister, cousin, family.

Their family dynamic fell apart not just because of Thalia’s death and Luke “switching sides” but because by The Lightning Thief, Annabeth couldn’t even handle a hug from Luke without panting like a dog in heat. When she spoke to him, her entire voice changed to become breathy.

It was likely extremely awkward to have a girl Luke considers family to be blatantly crushing on him to the point that the new kid notices it after a single interaction. But despite that huge amount of cringe, Luke still tried to get Annabeth on his side. He promised they could be a family again, like the old days.

Annabeth goes back and forth between whether she wants Percy or Luke. She wants to keep Luke around because he might be useful but she also can’t get rid of Percy because he brings her more status (and being around Percy means that she’s always going to be involved).

By The Last Olympian, Annabeth winds up cursing her dagger because she feels Luke betrayed her...and then on his deathbed, she tells him that she finally sees him as a brother again. Which is a little bit late but at least Luke gets to die with that much.

#percy jackson #luke castellan #annabeth chase #thalia grace #percy jackson series #riordanverse #meta #pjo

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wetislandinthenorthatlantic · 3 years

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2020 / Week 52 — Year Re-cap and Blog Relaunch

Hello! As we come to the end of this crazy year I thought it was time to resurrect my blog. Over the course of this year I have managed to do something that I have wanted to do for years — start a daily writing practice.

Yep. Every weekday I write for an hour. And 90% of the time I write Mollcroft! Because of this consistency I feel more confident in sharing with you what I am currently working on, and what is coming up next. I’ll also be sharing a bit of back ground about the fics I write— why it was written, perhaps how it was written, that sort of thing. When I write like to try out new things and see what I can learn to make myself a better writer. I’ll share those things here.

Let’s get started!

Lie To Me - Backstory Recently I posted Lie to Me. This was a request by @cliotris It did take me a long time to fill this prompt because, like many people, I was blindsided by COVID and didn’t feel like doing much for a few months. Lie To Me turned out to be way more frustrating than I had anticipated. What I thought was the story line in the beginning didn’t work. Not. At. All. Because the focus of the fic was on angst, for a long time I had Molly getting shot at the state event. It would not be life threatening but would cause Mycroft a great amount of grief. But once I started writing this idea didn’t work. It was too much; I couldn’t pull Mycroft out of the tailspin I had put him in. For months would open LTM and fiddle with it for a few sessions then stop because I just could not make anything work. All the tools in my writing tool box seemed to be broken.

In late July I began my daily writing practice with the London Writers Salon, and in one of my first sessions this quote was shared:

“An unfinished book, left unattended, turns feral and she will need all her focus, will and ruthless determination to tame it again.” - Ruth Ozeki, A Tale for the Time Being

Wow. I had never heard a piece of writing being referred to as feral but that certainly was what had happened to LTM. I was determined not to let this fic beat me so I started again. Not gonna lie — it was a struggle and I had to kill many darlings and chuck out most of the second half. During one of our late-night conversations @obotligtnyfiken mentioned mirror structure. After doing some reading I found this was a great way to figure out why stories aren’t working so I gave it a go, and finally things started to fall into place. From a fic that I thought was going to get the best of me, I’m quite pleased with the end result.

Last Week: I kicked off on a short fic for Lvv — the prompt was to do a “fake date” — complete with beautiful dress and a possible twist. After a week I now have a solid first draft finished. Working title: “Just Like Old Times”

This Week:

Finish up JLOT it might not be ready to post but hopefully it won’t be far off.

Finalise my writing goals for 2021

Continue research for my non-fanfic writing - a cyberpunk fairy tale

Looking back at 2020:

Steady Hand Just Take the Wheel — April 2020 - This is the first COVID focused fic of what I hoped was going to be a series of three. In the end only two were finished.

Behind the Bedroom Door - April 2020 - The second COVID fic was, I believe a prompt from chiefdoctor in the comment thread on SHJTTW.

(The third fic — which I could not seem to make work was a classic bed sharing troupe — brought on by COVID. I’ve not completely given up. I keep hoping for an epiphany.)

The 5 Times Molly Saved Mycroft and the 1 Time She Didn’t - August 2020 - Again, this one had been in the works for YEARS and was finished due to my new writing schedule.

I Should Have Danced With You - December 2020 - A quick little fic for @elizadoolittlethings It came at the perfect time — after NaNoWriMo I was looking for something quick to do :)

Lie To Me - December 2020 — This wasn’t meant to be my last post of 2020 — My plan was to post a Mollcroft Christmas Carol. I have been working on the Christmas Carol fic for five years now! And this year I even started working on it in November in order to get it done. At this point I think it has become my Christmas tradition to work on the fic but never post it. (There is always next year - maybe!)

Have a great week everyone and I’ll be back in few days with more Mollcroft fic updates. If you have any questions or prompts leave a comment or feel free to DM me.

#mollcroft #fanfiction #fanfic

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callieelectra · 4 years

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Calling Midnight Sun by Stephenie Meyer a disappointment would infer that I believed that the book would be good in the first place. Like so many others, I grew up with Twilight and enjoyed it. Before I found the likes of Shelley and Austen, women like Meyer and Rowling enthralled me in their imperfect fantasies. The latter of these women being my main source of disappointment has become a constant, Meyer just blindsided me! I was unaware of Midnight Sun until Meyer’s announcement made on the 4th of May, 2020, although I had heard of leaked chapters and publishing setbacks in the past. Leading up to the novel being released, just two days ago, my other Twi-hard gal-pals and I were elated. We preordered the books, we reminisced about Team Jacob memorabilia and counted down the days until we’d be able to get the books in our hands and relive the magic.

When I marched into my local Barnes and Noble on August 4th, 2020, a stack of hardcover Midnight Sun books sat exclusively on a table right by the checkout. My friend Samantha and I quickly grabbed a copy for each of us, paid nearly thirty dollars a book and were out of the door in less than five minutes. The book was heavy. Like, alarmingly large. One hundred and sixty pages longer than Twilight heavy. Before I get into the nitty gritty about what I did and didn’t like about the book, I'd like to make it apparent that I know the original Twilight series is seriously problematic. I'm not going to go into too much detail about the many issues with character portrayal in the original books (like the fact that Bella literally fainted when Edward kissed her, or the obvious, him being a stalker/murderer thing)I am just here to talk about the wonderful atrocities that we would have never had without Midnight Sun.

I think the thing that excited me most about this book was that I knew that canon couldn’t drastically change. Like many others, The Cursed Child and J.K. Rowlings Twitter has me permanently scarred. Collectively, we were allowed to recant the things about the series we loved, reconnect with characters we freely enjoy and maybe even get to know them more. I will say, we did get to know Edward and the Cullen family a lot more. What I didn’t expect was that I was going to strongly dislike more and more characters with each chapter passing. Particularly Edward. Edward Cullen was probably my first literary crush. I read the Harry Potter series in elementary school, so no, I wasn’t crushing on our favorite boy-wizard, I wanted to be Harry Potter, not date a Harry Potter-type. The Twilight series was different, I read the first two books when I entered the sixth grade, before anyone from the opposite sex could even tell I was a girl. Edward was my dream-boat. He noticed the plain, bookish girl and was openly in love with her. Her clumsy nature was what endured him to her. Her shyness was intriguing. I, like so many awkward, nerdy girls my age, craved that attention. The fact that Bella ritualistically described him as perfect definitely didn't help lower my standards for men, either. Something that I didn’t expect when reading Midnight Sun was that I’d eventually find my Original Boy Crush to be repetitive, clingy and annoying. For this, I directly blame Meyer. Realistically, the original series ended so loosely that it seemed a sequel series with Nessie and Jacob at the center was inevitable. Instead, collectively we were robbed thirty dollars a head to foolishly read a story that we already knew from the perspective of a boy we shouldn’t have found endearing in the first place. For this, I am to blame. Somewhere deep in my subconscious, I knew that this book would be bad, I bought it anyway. Jo Rowling trained us for this kind of disappointment, a trap that I would fall into time and time again.

What I was most intrigued to read about were two very different events that we saw in Twilight. First, the initial classroom scene when Edward smells Bella for the first time. Secondly, in the ballet studio when Edward is forced to drink Bella's blood in order to save her from becoming a vampire.

Both of these retellings were the least disappointing scenes from Midnight Sun, they almost made the entire read worth it. Almost. Reading Edwards initial reaction to Bella was genuinely fun to read, he goes into so much depth about how mundane his second life is until he meets this girl and is transported into super-serial killer mode. A direct quote from page 12 is “I could snap four or five of their necks per second, I estimated. It would not be noisy. The right side would be the lucky side; they would not hear me coming.” I was hooked! This was the kind of crazy, outlandish shit I couldn’t wait to read, and for a while, this type of language was persistent. Edward was a certified freak! And his entire family knew it. I, like Emmett and Jasper, found myself waiting for Edward to snap. There had to be a reason why Stephenie Meyer wrote this, right? There had to be some ultimate secret that we didn’t know, I convinced myself this. My darkest fantasies started to form... Maybe Edward would run all the way to Alaska and kill the first human that agitated him? Maybe he’d go on some secret sex-capade in an attempt to eleviate his stress? I dunno! I’m not the author! But maybe I should be because both of those options seem a lot more exciting than the secret we got. Basically, his family was like “it’s cool if you kill her or turn her, we don’t really care either way, just stop being annoying about this.” ….Not the route I would have taken, but it did seem practical.

After Edward's first couple weeks of deciding if he should kill Bella or not, the book started to drag. We already knew that they’d fall in love, we’ve heard that he is a sick, masochistic lion, and I’m pretty sure we read a description of Bella blushing on every other page. I started to get bored, but I knew I had to keep going. I was committed to reading the entire book, like a true fan, but I found myself getting irritated and wanting to skip ahead. In the ten years that it took for this book to get published, Stephanie Meyer did not become a better writer and her vocabulary hasn’t changed in the slightest. “Infinitesimal” isn’t the only adjective worth using, Stephenie, please get a thesaurus.

By the time I got to the blood drinking, I was too bored to even care. Edward described drinking Bella's blood as a decapitation and I was envious. Having my head severed from my body honestly seemed like a better alternative than having to continue reading the book (ok that’s a little extreme, but you get what I mean. I was fucking over it.) …. And there were four more chapters to go. I finished those chapters less than an hour ago and I honestly can’t tell you if there was anything worth reading within those moments.

All in all, I love the original Twilight series. I think they are so ridiculous but they are romantic and fun and easy to enjoy, but I won’t find myself returning to Midnight Sun or recommending it to anyone because I do believe reading it was a waste of time. Anything we gained from this behemoth of a book, we could have gotten from a Tweet (Jo Rowling style!) it would have been cheaper and easier on all of us. Hopefully Stephenie Meyer will use this cash grab to settle down and spend the next decade of her life writing the sequel series we deserve.

#midnight sun #twilight #stephenie meyer #edward cullin #bella swan #new moon #eclipse #breaking dawn #review #midnight sun review #sorry its scathing

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