#she’s a gossip and she’s messy and she’s hilarious and this is part of her character that no one gets right.

[cosmictapestry]

the concept of lucienne being a cheerleader for literally any dream ship IS viscerally funny to me because she would never. she judges him for breathing wrong man literally the second it starts raining flowers or whatever the fuck she’s like 🙄😒 and saying shit like “Well! i Certainly hope His Majesty know what he’s doing This Time” and “PLEASE do not disturb His Lordship on his……. date………….. lest you invite Darkness upon us all” and if anyone asks her anything she’s all “oh well i CERTAINLY don’t know.” and launches into her two hour video essay on the situation

#the sandman #she’s a gossip and she’s messy and she’s hilarious and this is part of her character that no one gets right. #morpheus #dream of the endless #lucienne the librarian

[bellewintersroe]

Max Verstappen X HornerDaughter!

Part 7, here’s the LINK for part 6.

Max throws a luxurious 26th birthday on a yacht in Monaco. Despite it being a fairly civilised meet up the drinks flow a little too easily when the majority of guests have retired for the night. Leni finds herself being one of the party goers drinking with Max until the late hours of the morning. Things only get a little too out of hand from there.

warnings: no spoilers but obviously alcohol consumption, swearing, Max and Leni are giving each other the eyes 👀 mentions of specific antics I will not go into detail about. Taglist: @ironmaiden1313 @callsignwidow @fangirl125reader @norassimpingzone @roseseraj @eugene-emt-roe @copper-boom @its-elias-world @cassiopeiia24 @larastark3107

“Happy birthday! Happy birthday!” I cheered, the birthday boy holding a hand out for me as I climbed on the boat, handing Max the biggest bottle of alcohol and a card over.

“Leni!” He exclaimed catching a sight of the present. “You didn’t have to!”

“No it’s fine, you should celebrate with it.” I wobbled slightly before setting my feet down on the ground below. “Thank you.” He smiled, rubbing my arm slightly. “It’s okay.” My voice cracked slightly as I had to force myself to tare my eyes to the other guests on the boat. Amongst them were Max’s mum and sister, whom I’d got along with so well over the years. I was relieved to see them here, alongside a couple more familiar faces I’d met over the years. ”Leni, it’s been too long!” Victoria stood up, welcoming me in a tight hug, one which was followed from his mum. “I know it’s been ages. When did I last see you both, last year?!” “In Abu Dhabi!” Vic immediately began snorting out laughter as I attempted to muffle mine, the memory of how plastered we both were after Max had been crowned champion was hilarious. We did things that were super messy and ever since it had been our inside joke. “Oh..” I cleared my throat. “Was it really that long ago?”

“Yes. I’m surprised you’re not still hungover.” Her voice wobbled from laughter. “What, I don’t get it?” Max approached, touching my back gently before sitting down besides where I stood.

“You wouldn’t.” His sister responded. “I probably am.” I answered her question with a giggle before we returned to our seats. I purposefully sat a little away from Max, especially seeing as his family was here. I didn’t want them to think anything was going on between us, not that it was- but I did want something to happen. Well, partly, the other side of me was playing devils advocate and told myself it was too early after his previous breakup. Even I was in a full fledged relationship only 5 months ago, hell I didn't think I’d thought about my ex once in the past two months, but I had to rationale the time frame before letting myself fully grow feelings for Max.

My mind was a goldmine for overthinking. It was hard not to, even when he was next to me, the warmth of his skin would brush against mine and I’d move away, but only after I’d experienced the way my cheeks warmed, or how my heart would skip a little, stomach would churn, or I’d experience the overwhelming sensation to move closer to him. Fuck! “Are you still with your boyfriend then, Leni?” Sophie asked me as I smiled gently, shaking my head. “No, we broke up a couple months ago now.”

“Oh.” She nodded as I awkwardly smiled, gripping my glass of champagne.

“He wasn’t a really nice boy though, was he? You could do better.” When she did that, I noticed how she eyed Max up slightly who sat besides me, innocently swigging his beer.

“Probably… has my dad been telling everybody about this or?”

“Actually Max told us.” She nodded as I almost choked on my drink. Max looked towards her as if to say ‘shut the hell up’ before I began laughing.

“You’re just as bad as my dad.” This time, I placed a hand on his arm. “They gossip all the time!” Victoria added on as my hand slipped off, shaking my head. “And they say girls are bad…” “Well are you going on dates, Leni?” Sophie asked again. Max let out a groan, “mum, we don’t have to talk about this now.”

“No it’s fine.” I reassured Max. “I’m not, nobody’s asked me.”

“Max ask her on a date.” Sophie immediately spoke, speaking deadpan serious. Victoria and I began laughing at the bluntness behind her words, but when I glanced over to Max I knew I’d needed to save him from such an awkward situation.

“No, no, I’ve seen a couple guys, but I wasn’t really interested.” “Well, I’m sure you’ll find somebody very soon…”

As the night continued we’d sailed further out, lingering not too far from the harbour when we’d dropped a few people off to go to bed. It was 2:30AM and despite the fact we weren’t allowed to play music, the 7 of us that were left were playing all kinds of stupid games.

“I’ve got a game! I’ve got a game!” Maria, who was a girlfriend of one of Max’s friends announced excitedly. “It’s like would you rather, but it’s not would you rather, because we don’t play kids games anymore.”

“Okay..” Ben, her boyfriend waited patiently. “So you have to say like ‘Ben would you rather drink this drink or that one’, and whatever you pick you have to do.”

“Alright, alright.” Max agreed, clearly pretty drunk if he was agreeing to play. “Would you rather, Ben, jump in the water or drink three of them.” Max pushed forwards 3 cans of beer.

“Well, seeing as we’re not allowed in the sea…” he reached out for the alcohol, making a start with his chugging skills. I cringed, praying I wouldn’t get such a difficult question. Who would’ve thought the game would turn so silly so quickly, when people began kissing each other, I’d already polished off way too many drinks.

“Leni!” Somebody called out. “Strip off your dress or take your underwear off.”

“Oh my god.” I laughed, knowing some of the other girls had already done the same. “Neither!” My response was met with protests. “You just want everybody to go commando!” I pulled on the strings of my underwear, not believing I was doing this at all. People wolf whistled and I rolled my eyes, sticking my finger up at Henry who had sent the request out of several other girls. From besides me Max was snickering like a child.

The game was still going heavy with four of us left, Ben and Maria, and Max and I. I found myself with a blanket Max and I shared wrapped over both our shoulders, huddled closer together.

“Leni sit on Max’s lap or give him a lap dance.”

“I don’t know how to give a lap dance!” I exclaimed in my defence, feeling Max’s arm shift down onto my lower back as I shuffled onto his lap, sitting across him with a casual arm over his shoulders comfortably. The alcohol was making me fidgety, I’d craved nothing more than this, I didn’t care about any prior doubts I had. When Max’s other hand rested on my lap, beer in hand, I gulped nervously.

“Max, now kiss Leni or throw her in the sea.” Despite my lack of sobriety I knew I was blushing a vibrant pink colour, giggling towards the Dutch man. “You can throw me in the sea, Max.” I teased. Max was smiling, borderline grinning in amusement. He took my cheek with the hand that still held it beer and we shared a peck on the lips, one that ended so fast I barely even felt anything.

“Oh, do a real one!” Maria groaned, swaying. “Like this-” Ben pulled her in closer, arm wrapping around the back of her neck as they shared the most sloppiest kiss I’d ever seen. Max and I both grimaced, blinking away. They weren’t stopping. “Ew.” Max muttered as I laughed.

“Go around the other side of the boat if you’re gonna do that!” The driver exclaimed as they actually stood up, ‘sneaking’ away on Max’s half-joke.

“Oh my god.” I exhaled in amusement, glancing back to Max. My legs were fidgeting slightly, and being alone in a position like this was making feel all hot and bothered.

“Jesus.” Max muttered as I glanced back down to him, amusement spread across both our faces. Max’s eyes fell to lips and I felt a burst of energy, excitement, an overwhelming desire to lean in. It must have been a mutual feeling, because his hand reached up to touch my face again, bringing me in for a kiss which happened so quickly my drunken mind couldn’t comprehend it.

The kiss was warm, his lips were plump and smiling against my own. We laughed as we kissed one another, butterflies filling my stomach as I placed another hand on his chest. At first it seemed playful, borderline not even real. We were giggling into the kiss like we knew we shouldn’t have been doing it. It seemed to come out of nowhere, but I wasn’t complaining. Max was a good kisser, even if we were both shit-faced. His lips moved against mine, beer discarded to one side as he deepened the kiss, pulling me in closer to his lap with a hand on my waist.

We were giggling, like children, and when a funny noise emerged from the two stumbling around on the other side of the ship I turned away and let out a louder laugh. Max exclaimed one of his own too, hugging me closer with a hand on the side of my hip. I felt his chin rest on the bare skin of my shoulder, eyeing my body up from where I sat.

“They’re so drunk.” I managed to squeak out, like the two of us weren’t absolutely rat-arsed. “I know.” He snickered, I turned back down to him and we shared a few more kisses. “What’re we doing, Max?”

“I dunno.” He laughed, kissing me again. I hummed out a giggle, deepening the kiss. I could feel his hands beginning to press on me, finger tips digging in as he pulled me even closer. Our tongues moved against one another’s, and we were fully making out. In fact, when I’d shuffled even further onto Max’s lap, I could feel something pressing against my thigh. He was fucking hard, oh my god. The thought felt alien to me, the fact I was sitting on my good friends lap, making out and he had a whole fucking boner. It turned me on to say the least.

It wasn’t until the boat docked up at the harbour that we broke apart, his hand digging deeper into the flesh of my thigh, as though he was desperate for more. My core was throbbing for him, I hated to sound so crude, but I was so desperate for him it was pathetic. Maybe it was a good thing that we were both a little too drunk, Max attempted to swig the last of his drink, but in return he heaved all over the path on the way to get a ride home.

“Oh, no, Max!” I scurried away in a fake disgust. Truth be told I went home and threw up more than I’d liked to have admitted that night (or morning) and passed out on the bathroom floor. Only future Leni would have to worry about the events of the night which just unfolded…

#max verstappen imagine #max verstappen fanfiction #max verstappen x oc #max verstappen x hornerdaughter #F1 x reader #f1 x OC #f1 x hornerdaughter #Horner daughter

[foxydivaxx]

ZoSan High School AU: Without Plastic There Is No Paradise Chapter 1

Zoro’s POV

I remember the first day I met Sanji. He was 13 going on 14 at the time. He was dropped off at school in a sleek red sports car by his dad. I remember everyone suddenly paying attention because here comes yet another rich kid.

In our town, whenever there is a newbie, gossip always follows the person. In Sanji’s case, there were stories about him being a promiscuous kid that only slept with older guys and that he was a mafia prince. Ironic since I am also a mafia prince myself.

My first impression of him told me otherwise. At a glance, he did not seem to be the typical mafia kid. Far from it. He instead resembled those sexy male supermodels and popstars that pose for Calvin Klein ads.

He had the looks for it too. Adorable little blue eyes, pretty kissable lips that I occasionally stare at every single day even when I think others ain’t looking, a slightly tanned skin tone that shall delved more into as time goes on, that messy blonde hair, the tall frame and long legs that give him that modellike look and lastly and most importantly, the world’s most beautiful ass. Those doctors better protect that ass during surgery else I will riot!!

He stepped out of the car with such grace and finesse that it shocked us all when we learned about his past. He gave a shy smile as he made his way to the Principal’s office.

I remember how everyone was talking in excitement about him. Now I was kinda torn here since I was the popular kid and he was the newbie that got attention with ease. Oh don’t get me started on my crush on him.

That has always been the guy’s selling point without him realizing it; Sanji is just that naturally charismatic and sexy without trying too hard that when he tries too hard, it is hilarious and cute.

When he came into the class, he was so shy that I kind of felt bad for him. He managed to introduce himself without stumbling on his words.

“Hi. I am Sanji Vinsmoke. Nice to meet you all.”

He was directed to a seat at the back, the seat closet to mine. He takes his seat and keeps quiet. I decided not to pester the guy that day. Did not want to stress him out.

That still did not stop me from having my colourful thoughts about him. I occasionally stole glances at the boy, trying not to let my sexual fantasies get the better of me.

School came and went with a blur but it was fun yet torturous. For one, he sat with the rest of the gang as Vivi and Nami insisted on it. Thankfully, he was coy. He did not say much about himself. But that did not stop me from staring at him which makes him flirting with the ladies even more infuriating. Why bother with them when I fucking exist, huh? Or wait, was he playing a game here?

Either way, that was the past. We are now in the present and our current situation is a lot dire than expected.

“Zeff and the boys stationed at the East wing survived. However, majority of the cartel, particularly the Don himself Judge got murdered in brutal fashion. From what I gathered, Zeff was not the one that ordered the attack on Sanji. I suspect Pudding and that friend of hers chose to punish Sanji because he refused her sexual advances.“ says Mihawk.

“Smart move on his part because I have always been suspicious of that brat.” says Shanks. “How is Sanji?” Perona asked.

I sigh and reply. “He is resting after the first round of reconstructive surgeries. One thing I know is, he will never feel the same after this. Plus he now has to fully take over as the Don now.”

“He was trying to escape the house after hearing about Big Mom’s attack but Pudding blindsided him by shooting him in the hip first and then her friend dumped the acid on him.” says Crocodile. “Saw it in the CCTV footage.” He shows us all and I literally grimaced at what I saw. That bitch has to pay for her treachery.

I know why she did this. The bitch hates the fact that although Sanji is a charismatic flirt, he only had feelings for one person: me. So she and that friend hatched that plan in the hopes of ruining Sanji’s looks and beauty for eternity. Afterall, that was one of Sanji’s major weapons. Now that girl has ruined his confidence for good. Oh I have to make that bitch and her entire family pay for that.

“The least we can do for Sanji is to lay low and lick our wounds and slowly regain our strength.” says Ace. Mihawk then turned to me. “Zoro, keep on watching his progress. He may not be able to regain his beauty again but we need to watch his mental health. He has lost enough friends and relatives already.” I nodded.

With that, the meeting is closed and I head off to the hospital to check on Sanji. As soon as I arrive, I see my friends Luffy, Nami, Vivi, Usopp, Brook, Chopper,Franky, Robin and Jinbei waiting outside Sanji’s ward.

“We have all gone in and Uhm…..he wants to talk with you.” says Luffy. Nami nudged me as encouragement and I walk into the room.

Staring at the window in a wheelchair was Sanji. I could still see some burn scars on his hands. Upon hearing the door open, he turns around to take a look at me. His face still looked terribly scarred but it was still decent though his skin looked terribly mangled. There was great sorrow in his eyes, prompting me to step forward and take his hands. “You should not have gone through all this trouble for me Marimo.”

I miss hearing him call me that weirdly affectionate nickname. “No Curly. You have been through enough hell. You deserve all the love and kindness in the world.”

He then begins to tear up with the one eye that is functioning properly. “I am tired of living Marimo. I have lost everyone I ever knew to that wretched Charlotte family. They caused that car accident. They killed all my friends I met on the streets. I do not want you guys to suffer because of me.”

I pull him into a hug. “Listen to me Sanji. You are not responsible for your pain and suffering. But you have to come back stronger. They destroyed your father but they spared you because those fools underestimated you.”

He stops crying once he heard me say that. “You serious about that?” I pull away and nod. “Yes. I have heard so much about you and what you do from the others and what I see is the most badass and competent Don.”

He gives me a little smile. “Just give me a minimum of a year. I will be back. Please tell Zeff to handle the affairs of the cartel on my behalf. I may need more surgery because I am not satisfied with my face.”

I chuckle. “Hey this is just phase 1. There are more phases to come.” He sighs. “When I said without plastic there is no paradise, this was not what I meant.” he grumbles, earning a laugh from me.

“I love you so much Marimo and I am so glad that I met you.” I grin and lean forward and kiss his forehead. “Love you too. Get better for me my Don.”

He smirks. “Anything for you my beloved husband.”

Sanji’s POV

Once Zoro leaves the room, I take in a deep breath. My body is still weakened and tingles as a result of the acid attack. My blood boils at the mere though of Pudding and her wretched family.

My biggest mistake was ever saving her from those thugs. Should have left her to die. Now she ruined me and in the most humiliating way possible. I would have given up and ended my life had not been for Zoro and the others because what use is an ugly, crippled Don? I would be even more vulnerable.

Thank goodness for Shanks, Ace and Mihawk. They sprung into action and did some brilliant damage control. Plus they helped with the reconstructive surgery. Speaking of which, I am not yet fully satisfied with the current results. Granted this is just stage one which is all about patching up the face to regain most of its original structure. Regardless, I am not satisfied and want my old beautiful face because bitch I am fucking vain.

That was the difference between Dad and I. Dad loved to pander to people not worth any substance whereas I am a lot more calculating. Those streets I spent years on hustling and getting my ass beat turned me into the coldass bitch that I am today.

I am not above using my beauty to get what I want out of people which is why everyone calls Black Leg Sanji. My legs can be inviting but can also end you.

That is partly why Pudding hates me. I was always one step ahead of her. I did fuck her boyfriend better than she did. So that is fine. There is also Zoro. She thought she had a chance with him. How wrong she was. And then she took it out on me.

She may have weakened me temporarily. But make no mistake, I lived because I am that stubborn and when you fuck with a fiery spirit like moi, oh payback will be such a bitch to you that you would be begging for God to send you straight to Hell instead.

I love being bad. I enjoy being nasty. I don’t know, being a bad boy feels good. I cannot pleasure myself now due to my weakened state but come next year,no one would know what would hit him. And I shall so enjoy making people’s self esteems drop.

#one piece #sanji #zoro #zosan

[lila-rae]

“I think he may have reassured her cause she was throwing things at him and going batshit.”

Was this part of the gossip tea around that time? Tom Holland had a girl throwing things at him omg that is hilarious Lila! This man and his BDE got girls going bananas fighting over him getting jealous. Fuckboy era Holland was something else lmao!

Nah this is my own messy petty heart adding creative liberties to the screenplay.

[thefandomcassandra]

hallowed be thy unknown Ch1: Haunted Turnabout 1: Bluebell and Statice

The trip from Kurain to the metropolitan area was always Maya's least-favorite part of visiting Mia. It was two bus rides—one of which was so finicky that she actively had to pray it would arrive on time—and a bullet train. A two hour affair that was only made worth it by the bright light and bustle of downtown that signified stepping into the world her sister lived in.

Sure, she'd prefer Mia called her more frequently with idle gossip and chatter about this that or the other rather than just 'hey, hold on to this for me for like a week, max, kay?' but with reception being what it was out in the mountains, it was a miracle they even talked when they did. Still...what drove her to put documents in a hollowed-out clock of all things? Was she just getting paranoid in her old age?

Ooh, Maya should try and scare her. Last time she'd done that, Mia swore a blue streak and Maya picked up some new fun words. It was hilarious. Yeah...that sounded like a great idea.

The building that Mia's office was in always reminded Maya of an anthill. People bustled in and out in swarms, passing by each other without giving anyone a second thought. It was so different from how insular and close-knit Kurain was in comparison. Nobody here really knew each other and that's how they liked it. Which is why the suspicious lack of people in the area made her suddenly on-edge. It was never this quiet.

The eerie quiet was only broken when she got close to Mia's office, where Maya could hear someone wailing like they were hurt. Concerned, Maya broke into a sprint and threw open the office door, then froze in place. Her heart closed her airway off, throat clenching around the horror and agony of what she was witnessing.

Mia—

She was slumped against the wall by the window, chin tucked against her chest, something crumpled by her hand. Her eyes were sightlessly focused on the floor. Glass shards framed the scene like a halo, the blood matting her hair leaving tacky streaks down her forehead and chin.

Kneeling next to Mia's— next to Mia was someone Maya didn't recognize. He was wearing a pink sweater and a red scarf—bright red, not blood red, her foggy mind appended—as well as grey sweatpants and what appeared to be house slippers. While she could only see his back, he looked like he might only be a little older than her.

He was wordlessly wailing, mourning her sister. Had he found the— had he found Mia first? Why hadn't he called the police? What—?

"Hh—!" Maya tried to call out to him, tried to ask him what happened, what he was doing, but she couldn't breathe. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think, Mia was— she was— Mia—!

The guy turned to look at her. In the darkness of the Fey & Co Law Office, his eyes seemed empty and white, nonexistent in his pale face. Still, as Maya's gaze slid off of Mia's unmoving body—she couldn't be dead, she couldn't be, they'd just talked earlier that day, she had just talked to Mia, she couldn't be—and came to rest on him, he seemed to realize something that made the agony and sorrow twist and warp into something hopeful.

Hope...how could he hope when Mia was—

The guy stood up slowly, his knees quivering. Then he took a step towards Maya. She reflexively stepped back, the sound of her panicked breathing only broken by the click of her shoe against the thin office carpet. The confusion the guy was expressing blossomed—like a flower, like a bloodstain—into actual, real hope. He pointed at Maya with a shaking finger, mouth working around words he wanted to say. Then he finally got them out.

"You can see me?" He sounded excited. He sounded ecstatic. He sounded like no one had ever acknowledged his presence before.

Ice and fire ripped through Maya. Tears coursed silently down her face. She couldn't breathe.

Why was he happy? Why was he acting like Mia wasn't dead behind him?!

"M—" She still couldn't form words. She wanted to scream and collapse into a messy pile on the floor. She wanted to shake her sister awake. She wanted to wake up from this horrible dream herself.

"You can see me—can hear me too!"

"Wh—" What happened? Who are you? Why are you so happy? Where did you come from? None of those questions would knock loose from where her heart choked her silent. She gaped and wept. Her legs gave out and she crumpled to the floor in a heap, reaching out with one shaking hand to try and touch her sister so she could tell if she was—

She wasn't. Of course she wasn't. There was too much blood. She wasn't moving.

Mia was dead. Maya couldn't refute that fact, no matter how much she wanted to.

As she had that singular thought, the moment of damnation that cemented this horror as truth and reality, the guy launched himself forward to close the distance between him. He was all in her face, his obviously blank eyes searching for something in her expression. His legs were folded slightly, his body still in the air.

He floated by her, surprised she could see him.

He was dead too.

The shock rattled her voice free and Maya screamed as though she was joining them in the afterlife. Then everything went dark as she finally gave in.

Maybe when she woke up, she would be proven wrong and Mia would be fine. Maybe this was all just a bad dream. Maybe...

Maybe...

Coming out of fainting was only tangentially similar to waking up from sleeping. It left her aching—especially her head and throat—and she felt exhausted and uneasy. Her pulse kept a rapid beat in her ears, her breathing irregular, and even after all that, she couldn't cry. She had nothing left in her, it seemed.

She felt like a jack-o-lantern, hollowed out, fragile, and slowly rotting. It was miserable but what could be more miserable than waking up on the bed of what looked like some kind of jail cell with no food or water and no idea how she'd even got there.

Also the dead guy she found at— in Mia's office was here too. He was keeping a respectable distance from her, sitting on the ground in the far corner of her cell, watching her as she tried to collect herself.

Now that it wasn't dark and there wasn't— Now that it wasn't dark and she could see better, the dead guy wasn't so scary. Sure, his eyes were blank, which made it hard to tell what he was looking at, but overall he seemed like some dude. His dark hair was spiky and slicked back save a little cowlick that fell over his forehead. His eyebrows were wild and expressive. He was wearing a face mask, though he had pulled it down to his chin, no longer needing it now that he wasn't alive. The sweater he was wearing looked handmade and sported a large red heart—the same color as his scarf—with a yellow 'P' on the front.

He didn't look anything like how Maya assumed ghosts would look—all bloody and mangled from their horrible deaths. Save for the blank eyes and the vague translucency, he looked like someone she might've passed on her way to visit—

As if he realized she had calmed down, the ghost stood up—feet planted firmly on the ground like a living person—and bowed deeply. "Sorry!"

"Huh?" The first thing she had said since— and it was an unintelligent and garbled noise of confusion. Still, his apology was confusing.

"I didn't mean to scare you. Things were already bad and you'd just come in but I'd been there a while so I didn't realize you hadn't had time to come to terms with things and my just being there terrified you." He spoke all one rambling run-on sentence, as if he didn't need to breathe—which he didn't. "So I wanted to apologize and also introduce myself since you're the first person who's been able to see me?"

Maya wasn't sure how to react. She wasn't sure she had it in her to react with anything other than neutral passivity. She just nodded at him.

He stood up and beamed a million-watt smile her way. "Phoenix Wright!"

"Maya..." She suddenly remembered her manners and tacked on, "Fey."

"I figured. Mia talked a lot about you. Plus you look like her." Phoenix watched her curiously. Hearing Mia's name stung but no more than everything else did. "I, uh, was kinda haunting her?"

"Why?" What reason would this ghost have for haunting her sister? Mia was a good person! She hadn't done anything worth haunting, had she?

"Oh, uh, no, it wasn't anything bad like that!" Phoenix held his hands out as if to soothe her, as if she was a startled and caged animal. She relaxed a little, unaware of how on-edge the idea had made her. "No, uh...I don't really know why I became a ghost? But Mia had done her best, all things considered, and I was already studying law on the side—which my friends made fun of me for because it's such a strenuous thing to do as a side gig compared to being a classical theater major—so since I wasn't going anywhere I thought I could learn how to be a lawyer by watching her?" Another one of his breathless run-ons.

Maya tried her best to parse what he had said and came up a little short. "You...Mia defended you in court?"

"Yep." His easygoing expression shifted into something a little more melancholy for a moment, a sheen of sweat forming on his forehead, before he grinned again. "But, like I was saying: I was hanging around Mia because I admired her so much and it's not as if I had anyone else to go see. No one could see me anyway, so why not just stick with the last person to really believe in me?" That was something loaded and heavy.

Better to not bother with pressing at open wounds. "Yeah..."

"So, introductions out of the way and all, I have good news and bad news—not necessarily in that order and not exactly in that amount. Which do you want first? You've been unconscious all night and I haven't so I can fill in all the blanks if you like."

Did she want to know what was going on? Maya looked at Phoenix as he stood there, bouncing in place, too full of energy to sit still. This man was a ghost and Mia wasn't? Why? And what happened? What was going on?

She nodded. She didn't care which news came first.

"Okay," Phoenix began counting on his fingers to keep track of what he was going to say, "so let's start with this: you're in a holding cell in the local detention center. You're suspected of having murdered Mia, though I don't know what charges exactly—I'd assume second-degree at best, first-degree at worst, but that all depends on what the witness has to say and who all the prosecutor is as to the severity. All-in-all, you're facing a decade or more in prison."

"But I didn't—!" For a moment, Maya forgot that she was a glass vessel. Shouting spiderwebbed cracks across her surface. Vitriolic anger pulsed and pushed against her ribcage and she could feel fire press against her teeth. Deep breaths. Don't...don't...

"I know that," Phoenix spoke softly but with a firm steadiness that helped brace her in this trying time, "and you know that, but they don't know that. Someone saw you enter the office and called the police. They must've had enough reason to suspect you of assaulting Mia because the cops made sure you weren't dying before they took your personal effects and threw you in here—metaphorically. They were very careful and set you down gently, even if the cots aren't comfortable."

She became acutely aware of the metal bars that poked through the thin cot, achingly cold against her sweaty skin.

"You probably have a few minutes before you're taken for questioning with the acting prosecutor for your case. The guards noticed you were awake and sent a message up the chain of command. You're going to want to have your legal counsel sorted before they take you there. Also you haven't had your phone call. You should exercise that right."

"..." Did she have an attorney? Mia once told her that if she ever found herself in a legal mess and she couldn't help, to call the firm she used to work for. Grossberg was the guy's name? Maybe she should use her phone call for that.

Even though he chattered a mile a minute, Phoenix was an observational person. For all that Maya hadn't spoken or emoted much, he seemed to have picked up on the fact that she was deep in troubled thought and carefully walked over to her, only to gently float by her shoulder. "Maya, do you want me to go look at the crime scene? Gather information for you so you're not in the dark?"

Would it even matter? "...sure." It wouldn't make anything worse. She was the only one who could see him in the first place.

He beamed at her. Maya was beginning to wonder if he was just happy she could see him, the joy of that eclipsing the sorrow and grief of losing someone they both cared about. "Alright. I'll find you if you're not back here when I'm done, alright?" Maya nodded at him, slow, worried she might crumble to dust. "Don't worry. You're going to be fine." Then he floated out the ceiling and she was left alone with her thoughts.

Somehow—somehow!!—the ghost that had been haunting her sister wasn't the most horrifying part of this day. Instead, it was the understanding that—save for said ghost—she was alone. Aunt Morgan and Pearl were in Kurain. Mia was dead. They thought she killed her. It was just Maya, the girl from out of town, and the ghost of some college kid.

A choked sob scraped past her walls, through her teeth like a shotgun blast. She hunched over on the cot and covered her mouth with her hands, trying to stopper them up. She couldn't cry now. She couldn't cry. She couldn't.

Mia, slumped against the floor. Blood trickling down her forehead. She wasn't breathing. Iron and bile. Wailing—not just Phoenix mourning his friend and mentor but her mourning the loss of her last remaining direct family member.

Every time she blinked she saw after images of that horrid scene. Her fingernails dug into her cheeks as she tried to swallow her terror and sorrow. She couldn't break now. She had to keep going. She had to!

Through the ocean tide in her ears, Maya caught the sound of someone opening her cell and heavy footsteps closing the distance between the exit and her. Someone was standing over her, looming. Their shadow was large and eclipsed her. She swallowed heavily and turned her face upward to see whoever had come to take her to questioning.

He was huge, easily twice her size, and rather unkempt. He had a pencil tucked behind one ear and a large bandage on his cheek. His eyes were kind, his smile genuine and asymmetrical, and he was offering her a large hand to help her up.

She refused his offer and simply stared at him.

"I was told you were awake, pal." Despite his size, he managed to stay rather quiet. "You're wanted for questionin'."

"What time is it?" She hadn't even gotten the time. When had she eaten last? When had she had a drink? She felt nauseous.

The large man blinked in surprise. Then he turned to look at the guard outside her cell—the one holding the door open. "Has she eaten?"

"She just woke up, sir."

The man shook his head. "Get her somethin'. A donut or whatever. She needs food in her."

Why did that matter? Maya stared at him, trying to see what his angle was. He wasn't like Phoenix, whose only anchor to the living was her. He was some cop—maybe a detective—so why did he care if she ate or not? She was going to questioning. She was going to be raked across the coals for a verdict that fit with the narrative everyone else had decided on.

He turned back to face her and scratched at the bandage on his cheek, the edges of it peeling a little beneath his fingernails. "Sorry 'bout that. They should've gotten you something before lettin' us know you were up. Dunno why they thought it was okay..." The last bit was mumbled under his breath, as if only to himself.

"What time is it?" Maya pressed again. He hadn't answered her, just assumed she was hungry.

(She was but the hunger was secondary to the grief. The ache in her stomach helped her ignore the ache in her chest. If she filled that, she'd have one less pain to drown the actual problem.)

"Ten in the mornin'." The next day, then.

Maya stood up—slowly, slowly, or she'd spill her guts on the floor—and turned to face the man. "I'm supposed to get a phone call?"

"Did they not—?" Why was he so indignant on her behalf? She didn't care this much and yet this stranger—this enemy—was upset that she hadn't been given her due rights.

"I was unconscious." If she spoke in small sentences, in simple phrases, then she wouldn't cry.

The man frowned, the expression pulling his face in a way that seemed very unlike him. He must be an easygoing man for frustration to be this uncomfortable looking. "I'm gonna' bring this up durin' the next meeting. We can't just toss unconscious perps away without takin' care of them first. Just isn't right, is it pal?"

Was he talking to her? Maya stared at him blankly.

He seemed to realize she wasn't sure what he was on about and dropped it. "Now let's get you to the phone so you can call...whoever. Hopefully they'll have gotten you food by then, so you don't pass out during questionin'."

Maya followed the detective out of her cell and down the hallway of the detention center. She tried her best to not look at any of the other holding cells, at any of the other people waiting their trials, by focusing on the detective's back instead. He was broad-shouldered and it was hard to lose track of him, especially in such a narrow hallway.

Like Phoenix, the detective saw fit to chatter as he walked, almost uncomfortable with silence. "My names Dick Gumshoe, by the way. I'm a homicide detective."

"Mm." Maya made a noise to acknowledge she was listening to him.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Everyone keeps saying that but this detective can't possibly mean it because he's certain she killed Mia. "I didn't work much with Miss Fey but she was pretty damn good at her job."

"Mm."

"It's actually really fascinatin' coz at first it was lookin' like Payne might be takin' this one, on account of it bein' an open and shut case, right? But then - then they got Prosecutor Edgeworth in! He takes this case like it's personal. I'm not one to talk out of school or anythin', but he and Miss Fey didn't have the best relationship or anythin'. Sure there was some respect there, but Prosecutor Edgeworth thought Miss Fey was an upstart and she thought he was a brat. Dunno why but—" Maya tuned out what he was saying at this point. He was just talking to talk, all gossip, no substance.

What did any of this matter? They thought she was guilty. She didn't have to be nice to Detective Gumshoe, even if he was being nice to her.

Eventually, however, they did reach the phone. Detective Gumshoe stepped aside and gestured for Maya to make enter the room where the corded phone was. "Here ya go, pal. Make your phone call now and then we'll get goin' to see Prosecutor Edgeworth, to get your story sorted."

"Okay." Maya entered the room and closed the door. On the other side, Detective Gumshoe watched her through the small window. She felt like a caged animal. Like a specimen in a zoo.

The phone here was about as old as the one up by Kurain, which was only good because it meant it was something familiar and comforting. She needed all the comfort she could get. Attached to the phone was a thick phone book that Maya balanced on her knee while she leafed through it, choosing to forsake searching all of it manually for using the index to narrow down where Grossberg's office number would be in the swathe of white and yellow pages.

She dialed the number she found and sandwiched the receiver between her chin and shoulder as she closed the phone book and put it down where she found it. It rang once, twice, thrice. The dial tone felt like a death knell. Maya tried to time her breathing to it to calm down, each shuddering breath forced slow to prevent her from throwing up.

Someone finally picked up.

"Grossberg Law Offices, how can we help you?" The chipper, practiced voice of a receptionist was crunched and compressed by the bad phone. Maya let out a breath and winced. The noise was probably unpleasant for the poor woman.

"Hello, my name is Maya Fey. I was hoping to speak with Mr. Grossberg? My sister used to work for him." Could the woman tell she was desperate? Did their phone have caller ID? Did she know the call was coming from the detention center?

"Mister Grossberg? One moment." Before Maya could say anything else, she was put on hold. A squelched and crackly classical tune played through the receiver, marking out the time on hold. She could wait. She could be patient.

She was on hold for a suspiciously long time. Longer than would be necessary for a simple line transferral. Unless Mr. Grossberg was swamped with cases, it was unlikely that he would be in his office and unavailable like this. Anxiety began to breed butterflies in her gut.

The repetitive hold music cut off with a click as the receptionist picked back up. "Mister Grossberg is currently unavailable to take cases at this time. He says he's unable to fit you in his schedule on such short notice and wishes you well, Miss Fey."

Rage burned bright against the back of Maya's eyes. She hadn't mentioned she was in need of a lawyer. She hadn't said she was in the detention center. He was lying to her, refusing to help her, and he knew something. Mia had trusted him to have her back and yet the cowardly man was running away, abandoning her.

"Ah..." If she said any more she might scream. She had to choose her words carefully. She had to be clever, like Mia would be. "Can you pass him a message then?"

"Of course!" On the other side, Maya could hear the receptionist uncap a pen, ready to take her message. "Go ahead, Miss Fey."

"Please thank Mr. Grossberg for his assistance. Mia worked at his firm, interned there, and his loyalty is astounding. I do hope he is rewarded for all that he's done for my sister and myself." She could be clever. She could be vicious. She could hurt with her words. She could make this man regret refusing her help with noting more than the power of guilt. "And please tell Mr. Grossberg that I will never forget this, truly."

The receptionist was silent. It was hard to tell if she was reading between the lines of Maya's message or if she was waiting for more.

"Have a nice day, ma'am." Maya took initiative and hung up the phone. She leaned against the table and swallowed air in an attempt to not start crying again. Her eyes stung, watered, her chest felt hot.

Even Grossberg—her sister's mentor, the person she'd interned for—was abandoning her. She only had a ghost on her side. What a sick joke.

When she felt composed enough, she exited the room. Detective Gumshoe was still standing there, alongside one of the many faceless cops that seemed to populate the place like drones. He handed her a cheap to-go cup of some hot liquid and a glazed donut wrapped in wax paper.

"There ya go. Food." Detective Gumshoe seemed pleased with himself. The way he was smiling at her reminded her of an overeager and friendly dog. Maya blinked at the food and drink. "Wasn't sure if you liked coffee or not so Darryl grabbed you some cocoa." He pointed at the faceless cop—Darryl, apparently—with his thumb as he spoke. Darryl pulled his hat down over his eyes as if he was embarrassed.

What was their game? "Thank you." Maya took a small bite of the donut. It took all the restraint she had to not devour it in seconds. She had to pace herself.

"Any time, pal!" Detective Gumshoe started off down the hallway again and Maya followed him with no worry. "Anyway, I hope you don't mind but I've already put in the request for a state-appointed attorney for you, since you probably don't got anyone."

"Thank you." She didn't, but that was none of his business. He probably assumed she had nobody because her sister was a lawyer.

"You're welcome!" Her mental comparison to a dog was becoming more and more apt as she thought about it. He seemed happy for simple, empty praise. It was a little sad. "So I do wanna warn ya, okay?"

Maya nibbled on the donut and took a sip of cocoa. "Hm?"

"Mister—Prosecutor Edgeworth is kinda stern and a little scary, but he means well. I just want you to know that he's not just gonna slam you with the book, okay? You don't have to worry about tellin' the truth in questionin' coz he's not gonna use it to make things worse. He just wants to know what really happened and pursue judgement."

Maya didn't believe him. Lawyers had a difficult job—from what she remembered of Maya grousing over the phone about one case or another—but prosecutors were at an advantage when it came to how the law was upheld. Guilty until proven innocent with a maximum trial length of three days. Prosecutors just had to craft a narrative and file the charges while the defense had to lobby for an acquittal or a reduction of charges due to extenuating circumstances. Prosecutor Edgeworth, whoever he might be, was just looking to corroborate the evidence so he didn't have to twist the truth so hard.

Justice. As if.

"I just don't want you to feel like you gotta lie to protect yourself, okay pal?"

"My name's Maya." She didn't mean to say that but it was out there. Bitter frustration coated her teeth and tongue. "Not 'pal'."

"Right..." That shut Detective Gumshoe up. He fell silent as he walked, Darryl following behind Maya so she was sandwiched between the two.

It was at this moment that Phoenix returned, phasing through a wall to float in step with Maya. "I don't know how helpful this will be, but I did find some interesting things."

She didn't respond. She couldn't respond with other people nearby. She did, however, tilt her head at him in greeting. He smiled back at her.

"So the light stand that Mia bought recently was shattered next to her. That probably broke during the struggle but I thought that was interesting enough to note. Her phone had been disassembled recently so I think someone bugged it but we don't have concrete proof of that so it won't be any help. They have an eyewitness, like I said, and it's the woman who called the cops. She was in the hotel across the road, the Gatewater? From what I can tell, she's being difficult to work with but not for the reasons you'd expect." The constant low chatter of Phoenix talking—to himself, to her, it was all unclear—was oddly comforting. It was like white noise, a rise and fall of near-endless sound.

Maya continued to eat as she listened to him talk about what he had found, trying to piece together the bigger picture herself.

"They found a paper with your name on it, Maya. Written in blood. It's weird because the autopsy report I saw said she died instantly so she couldn't have done that but who could have known your name to try and frame you? Maybe it has to do with the wiretap I can't prove existed?" Phoenix was floating with his legs curled slightly, leaning forward as if he was swimming through the air. "The weird part of everything is why that clock was used as a murder weapon again. I'm beginning to think Larry is cursed, frankly, but you know the Butz."

Phoenix's thoughts filled the remainder of the walk to the interrogation room. Maya hardly noticed they'd even arrived at their destination until Darryl filed to the side of the door in front of them and Detective Gumshoe opened the door and held it for Maya to enter.

She did and he closed the door behind her and stood to the side of it on the inside.

The interrogation room was a slightly larger than average room for the detention center. There was a square table in the center and two chairs facing each other across the table. On one wall was a large mirror—two-way, if TV shows could be trusted on this matter—and there was a very visible security camera in the upper corner of the room. She felt judgemental eyes raking every inch of her body as she sat down across from who she figured was Prosecutor Edgeworth, silently placing her half-empty cup and wax paper down as she did so.

Beside her, Phoenix righted himself. "Edgeworth?" He sounded shocked. No, not shocked, horrified? Or perhaps simply breathless. Something was up about that.

Did Phoenix know Prosecutor Edgeworth? She looked between the two and tried to imagine them in the same room. Even if she matched their ages, the idea of this man and his wine-red suit and cravat being acquainted with Phoenix in his handmade sweater and scarf was nearly unthinkable.

Prosecutor Edgeworth tilted his head in greeting. "Miss Fey."

"Maya, Prosecutor Edgeworth." Miss Fey was her sister. She was just Maya. Only Maya.

"Maya, then." His voice was soft but carried weight with it, his accent imperceptibly not local—more than Maya's own. "Do you understand why you're here?"

"Mia." She wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of any kind of reaction.

Beside her, Phoenix muttered, "I didn't know he was going to be the prosecutor for this case. I mean, not that it matters or anything, but a little forewarning goes a long way. Plus the last time I saw him wasn't exactly..."

"Correct. You are being held under suspicion of killing your sister, Mia Fey. You will be going on trial tomorrow, in fact. Do you have legal counsel as of yet?" He was so clinical. It's not as if Prosecutor Edgeworth was scary so much as he was detached and treating this whole situation as if it was nothing more than paperwork—which it likely was for him.

Lucky for her, Maya was incapable of being emotional without going out in a blaze of glory and she'd locked everything behind a glass dam in her head. She could be dry and emotionless too. "Not right now."

"Did Grossberg not help?!" Phoenix sounded scandalized. Maya shook her head and he started mumbling under his breath. Maya caught a few choice words about Grossberg, among other things.

"Has the precinct put out a call for a state-appointed attorney?" Prosecutor Edgeworth asked Detective Gumshoe.

He saluted at the younger man. "We got the word out the second she finished her phone call, sir. She should have an attorney by tomorrow's trial." No sooner. Last-minute. Great.

"Good." Prosecutor Edgeworth focused his attention back on Maya, shuffling through a handful of papers he had on-hand. "Now you understand this looks bad for you, correct?" He didn't wait for an answer, pushing forward into his accusations. "We have an eyewitness who saw you assault the victim as well as an incriminating piece of evidence that names you as her killer. These are serious charges being brought against you and I want you to take them as such."

Did he think she was a child? She was young, yes, and not quite an adult, but she wasn't a child. She wasn't naive. She understood what was happening.

"I'm not a fool, Prosecutor Edgeworth. I am well aware of what's happening." If her words were icy, if her tone was cold, it was to bite and cut at his skin. How dare he think she's not aware of the gravity of the situation.

He blinked, barely ruffled by her response. "Good. Currently what you're being charged with is first-degree murder and forcible entry—"

"First-degree?!" Phoenix leaned forward and slammed his hands on the table between Maya and Prosecutor Edgeworth. If anyone else saw it rattle, they said nothing. "On what grounds?! She had only just come down from Kurain. What premeditation includes bludgeoning her sister with a clock?!"

"On what grounds am I being charged with first-degree? What evidence of a motive do you have?" Even if Prosecutor Edgeworth couldn't hear Phoenix, he was probably making good points? Maya could never keep the murders clear in her head but she knew first-degree was the worst of them.

Prosecutor Edgeworth didn't expect that, it seemed, as he took a moment to collect himself. "As I was saying: you are currently being charged with first-degree murder and forcible entry. I am advocating for second-degree murder or even manslaughter, although this is dependent on your testimony and any additional information you can give me at this time." He cleared his throat. "As of right now, we have no definitive evidence of a motive, hence my push for a different charge."

"That's better, I suppose..." Phoenix stared at Prosecutor Edgeworth as if he was upset about something Maya could barely understand herself. "I don't know why they're pushing forcible entry except to tack on additional fines and a longer sentence. The door was fine. Nobody had broken in. Mia had been expecting Maya."

"I didn't break in." Prosecutor Edgeworth looked at her oddly. Maya continued, level, emotionless. "I was expected. If you're going to add to my sentence, don't make things up."

"The door was thrown open—"

"I had opened it like that because I was worried about my sister. Her office was dark, even though she told me to come by at nine. I fainted not long after seeing...I didn't think to close the door. It was unlocked." He had to think she was stupid then. Why else would he just assume?

Phoenix was of a different mind about the whole situation. "I don't know why Edgeworth would make such an obvious mistake. I mean, it's not if he's perfect or anything, but he's pretty smart and he wouldn't call for forcible entry unless he was fed incorrect information. That's assuming that he was the one leveling the original charges. Maybe the witness said something?"

Prosecutor Edgeworth looked at Detective Gumshoe, face pinched in frustration. "Detective, did we have proof there was forced entry to the office?"

"Uh, not to my knowledge, sir?" Detective Gumshoe looked confused, as if he didn't understand why Prosecutor Edgeworth was so upset. "We got pictures of the crime scene, like always, and the boys drew up a diagram but I never saw nobody talkin' about the door or the locks."

"Make doubly sure we know if there was forced entry. Now!" At Prosecutor Edgeworth's sharp command, Detective Gumshoe saluted and left the interrogation room in a hurry. Prosecutor Edgeworth sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose with one hand. Then he leveled a flat glare at Maya, who returned it in kind. "Thank you for bringing this...oversight to my attention."

Maya didn't accept his thanks. She didn't want to owe him anything. If anything, he owed her. And Phoenix, really.

"Now, I am formally requesting your testimony at this moment. In order to properly ascertain if you deserve these charges, I must know what your part in all of this is." Pretentious. That was what Prosecutor Edgeworth was. Pretentious and detached but she didn't mind the latter.

"Formally?" Maya pressed back.

"You're not obligated to say anything. You, in fact, have the right to refuse giving testimony if it's incriminating. You can spend every agonizingly quiet minute in this room without saying a single word but it will only harm your case." Again, he spoke slowly, as if he was explaining this to a child. "The formality is so we have a record of your testimony for the court in case you chose to refuse to testify on stand if and when you're called. Backups, if you will."

"He's being vague," Phoenix complained. "Pleading the fifth doesn't always imply self-incrimination, it just is your right to keep your mouth shut. He might keep you a while but he can't torture a confession out of you."

"Alright." What harm could it even do? "What do you want to know?"

"Why were you visiting Mia Fey that night?"

"She's my sister." What a stupid question. "I don't see her very often because she's here and I live up in Kurain, but every so often I'll take a trip over and hang out. She called me up and asked me to visit."

"Careful." Phoenix's warning caused Maya to stop talking. "Don't give him any more than what he asks for."

"You live in Kurain but Mia didn't?"

"Yes." Why was that important?

"And how long of a trip is it from Kurain to your sister's office?"

"About two hours if you're lucky. A bus, a train, a bus, then on foot." That seemed more like an important question.

"On your phone we found evidence your sister called you earlier that day. What was the purpose of that phonecall?" What?

"It's legal but I hate that they can do that." Phoenix shot Prosecutor Edgeworth a glare. "Because it was on your person, it was processed when you were detained and, as a phone, it might have evidence on it so they looked at your message and call history."

"She called me, like I said, to ask me to come visit." Maya wasn't going to give Prosecutor Edgeworth an inch on this one.

"Any particular reason why?" He was leading.

"Does it matter?"

"It might lead to a motive." That was his angle. Okay.

"She wanted to see me. That's all." She wasn't going to budge now. The Fey women were notoriously stubborn. She'd like to see him try and make her talk when she didn't want to.

"Fair enough." Prosecutor Edgeworth flipped through his papers and, as if he found what he was looking for, tapped the paper and locked eyes with Maya. "Are you aware of what the murder weapon is?"

Maya stared at him. He continued, unperturbed.

"It's a statue of the Thinker, given to Miss Fey after her latest case by the person she defended. That would make this the second time that the Thinker has been used to kill someone."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"It seems unlikely she just had the Thinker sitting on her desk at all times, is all. I certainly wouldn't." Was he trying to infer something?

"I mean, I wouldn't either," Phoenix admitted, "although Mia was her own person. I just don't trust Larry that much, believe it or not. Seems like Edgeworth doesn't either."

That was enough. It had been bothering Maya for some time. "Prosecutor Edgeworth?"

"Yes?" He seemed surprised she was initating any kind of conversation.

"Do you know a Phoenix Wright?"

His shoulders tightened and his face darkened and paled all at once. Prosecutor Edgeworth, who had been a firm and unreadable opponent until this moment, was surprised. Something familiar swam behind his eyes. Something dark and deep and hungry, agonized. Then he schooled his face and posture back to stern and rigid decorum. "I did. Why do you ask?"

Maya watched Phoenix out of the corner of her eye. He was watching Prosecutor Edgeworth like he was waiting for something. "Mia defended him, is all. I wasn't sure if there was a connection since you weren't the prosecutor on that case but I wouldn't want to prosecute someone I cared about either."

"I—" She'd stumped him. Just as Maya was gloating inside her head, Prosecutor Edgeworth stood up and roughly shoved the chair away from the table. Then he exited the room, taking his papers with him.

Maya stared at where the prosecutor had been sitting. Had talking about Phoenix really upset him that much? She turned to look at Phoenix and noticed he was staring at where Prosecutor Edgeworth had been sitting as well, his expression unreadable. Maybe she had pushed too far. It hadn't even hurt the person she wanted to hurt.

A cop—not Darryl but some other faceless person—came to retrieve Maya and she went quietly back to her cell. Once back in there, she sat on the cot and let herself feel.

She shouldn't have many tears left in her. Her prior breakdown had worn her down so much already and yet, as if to prove the well would never run dry, she sobbed like a small child. It was choking, freeing, every hiccupping wail the truest agony of her soul. Even as she muffled the noise so nobody would hear her, even as she clutched at her face and pressed the balls of her hands against her eyes to stop herself from crying so hard, she couldn't help it.

On the far side of her cell, facing away from her, Phoenix waited for her to stop.

When she was done, finally spent, she sighed heavily and scrubbed the tears off her cheeks and from around her eyes. Phoenix was still facing away from her, patiently waiting on his cue that things were okay.

He had given her space and time while not abandoning her. Maybe it was because he had been a ghost for so long but he was oddly conscientious about seeing people in vulnerable positions. It was...comforting.

"I'm okay." Maya's voice was shot but steady. She really did feel better. No longer was she a thin glass jar with a volatile liquid in it. Her heart was settled, though still aching. She wasn't in danger of breaking any more. She could focus on other things. "Thanks."

"No problem." Phoenix smiled at her, a soft one. "I know how hard it is to be alone. I wanted to give you space without leaving you alone. Plus that gave me time to think."

"Think?"

"Well yeah!" He floated so he was reclining sideways. "About your whole situation, what to do, and so on. I have some ideas if you're willing to hear me out?" He really was just excited to talk to someone. Maya was starting to understand why, even in the short amount of time she'd known him.

Maya tilted her head at him, wordlessly indicating he should just go for it.

Phoenix righted himself. "Here goes. To start with, it's unlikely any state-appointed attorney will actually fight Edgeworth on whatever charges he's bringing forward. He's got a...bit of a reputation as a 'demon prosecutor' and most defense attorneys tend to be a little scared of him. Something about his mentor, Manfred von Karma's whole forty year legacy really rubbed off on him and he's been holding his own for a fair couple years."

"You're friends with the demon prosecutor?" Maya didn't like him. She was allowed to not like him. He was a condescending prick.

"Childhood friends," Phoenix corrected. Then his face turned bright pink. He hadn't meant to say that. "Look, I haven't seen him since we were like...ten? Elementary school or so. I just...there's more there. Trust me, okay?"

"Mm." Maya rolled her eyes and waved for Phoenix to continue his thoughts.

"Right, uh, state-appointed attorneys. So they're not gonna fight Edgeworth which means you're probably on track for ten to life, if you're lucky, which you might be. If he brings proof it was manslaughter instead of murder, you're on for fifteen max. So him offering to adjust the charges against you is actually a kindness." Phoenix seemed pretty serious. "Or as kind as prosecutors get a lot of the time."

"That's so nice of him."

"Isn't it?" If Phoenix noticed her sarcasm, he didn't comment on it or react to it. "That's not accounting for the fact that they'd also likely advocate for a self-defense plea to marry the manslaughter charge. That's the best they could do without trying to fight Edgeworth too hard. No defense attorney worth their salt will take your case and push for a full acquittal." It stung hearing that, but it wasn't news to her.

"Self-defense plea?" She knew what all three of those words meant, just not together.

"They'd say that you and Mia got into an argument that night and it came to blows. During the scuffle, while defending yourself, you bludgeoned Mia over the head and she died. It was neither premeditated, nor intended to kill. The closest thing to an accident you could have in a murder case."

"But that's not what happened!"

"Again: I know that and you know that, but they don't know that. All they know is that there's an eyewitness account that says you hit your sister over the head and she died. Plus that message in blood. It doesn't look good so why would they fight for a full acquittal when there's an easier way out?" Phoenix looked as frustrated by the idea as Maya felt. "That's what you're going to get out of the state, anyway. You'd need a better—or more brave—lawyer for anything else."

"That's...that's not fair!"

"No, it's not." Phoenix took a moment to think something over before he spoke again. "Speaking of the eyewitness: her name is April May, she's very pink, and I think nobody is going to like her on the stand. She seems...prone to manipulation. But she says she saw you there that night and she can pick you out of a crowd because of that. She's also, like Edgeworth said, the one who called the police. That makes her credible in tandem with that paper that has your name on it."

"In spite of the fact that she's lying?" Why was the whole world against her?

"Yeah." Phoenix kicked back in the air and frowned as he thought some more. The oppressive silence of the detention center blanketed them both until something seemed to occur to the ghost and he planted his feet on the ground in surprise. "Oh, oh, wait, wait, so I have an idea but you have to hear me out, okay?"

"O-okay?"

"So there is one way you could have a brave and-slash-or better defense attorney than the state-appointed one: defend yourself." He seemed so proud of himself, which was heartening, even if Maya was very confused as to what that would even entail.

"How would I even do that?" It's not as if she knew law or courtroom procedures. Mia had never really talked about work with her so she would be going in relatively blind. "I don't know how. I'm not— I'm not Mia."

"I know that." His voice was low and careful, soothing. He was worried because she was stressed but he seemed so sure about his idea. "But remember how you took what I said in interrogation and got Edgeworth to drop the forcible entry charge and explain his reasoning?"

"Yeah?"

"We do that, but in court."

On paper it was a fine enough idea. Phoenix had all the law knowledge and Maya was the only one who could see and hear him so nobody could tell she was being fed the answers. But the idea of standing in front of a group of people—some of which wanted to see her put away for life—and arguing that she didn't kill her sister was anxiety-inducing. It made Maya break out in a cold sweat just thinking about it in hypotheticals. If she had to actually do it...she might just pass out again.

"I know the idea is terrifying," Phoenix must have seen how pale she had become because he was back to comforting her, "but I've been there before and it's not any worse than letting someone else do it for you and do it poorly, right?"

Wait. "You defended yourself? I thought Mia—"

"I got up on the witness stand and argued for important things to be struck from the record because I didn't like what was being said. Also I committed perjury. Several times. You can't do much worse than that." He gave her a weak, embarrassed grin.

When she didn't ask anything else, Phoenix took that as his cue to keep explaining his idea. "I was a law student. I know things, right? And I spent all my time as a ghost following Mia around and learning how she did her job—both while working for Grossberg and when she opened her own offices—so I think I have a pretty good idea how to handle this. The only thing I can't do is defend you myself and talk to witnesses. And pick up physical evidence. You have to be the one to do the legwork and all the talking in court but I'm pretty confident in my skills. I was top at debates in my literature classes."

"So you do all the technical work and I do all the presentation?" It sounded a little bit like a bad group project but if Phoenix was offering...it's not as if she has any better options right now.

"Yep. The only really complicated thing is how we're going to get them to let you out to do independent investigations. Prosecution isn't going to look too deep into things like the phone and the destroyed light stand. It doesn't hurt their case, so it's a nothing piece of evidence, even if the defense can make it into something useful, right?"

"Are attorneys allowed to investigate?" Maya frowned. "Isn't that the police's job?"

"Prosecution works hand in hand with the police so they have better access and control over crime scene investigations. It's part of why they've got the upper hand in cases, among other things. Meanwhile, defense attorneys aren't working with the police but they're allowed to do independent investigations and that's where a lot of the more interesting parts of being the defense comes from, in my opinion!"

"You must've liked mystery novels, huh?"

Phoenix smiled like he was caught and tugged on his scarf a little, embarrassed to have been read so easily. "Used to want to be a superhero growing up. Nothing quite like playing hero in the park to make crime scene investigations feel like they're exciting...not that I was ever doing any, but I did watch Mia during a lot of them."

Idle chatter was what it was but it didn't hurt that Maya was more relaxed than before. She smiled at him and indicated he should continue his thought. "Do you have any ideas for how I can get any investigating done? I doubt they're going to just let me leave the detention center without a fuss."

"Probably not." He crossed his legs and sat mid-air, his lips pursed in deep thought. "So I have two possible fixes, both of them more than a little difficult to pull off. The first is that you get one of the cops on the investigation team to act as your informant and let them do all the hard work while you take a nap in here."

That was...well it was the lazy option but Maya didn't trust the cops as far as she could throw them. Despite her looks, she could throw them rather far, but throwing cops wasn't a smart idea so that whole point was moot.

"And the other?"

"You get them to take you out to investigate yourself." That one was more straightforward but also...a lot riskier. "Tell them you'll be defending yourself, that you want to go investigate, that you'd like an escort and guard. If you're lucky and they're nice, they'll let you do that but they'd have to ask the Chief of Police or the Chief Prosecutor to clear that and it's just a lot of paperwork. You do have the upper hand, though, so it might be easier than you think."

"What? How?"

Phoenix looked at her oddly, head tilted. "Did you not know? Mia and the current Chief Prosecutor went to school together. They were close. She called from time-to-time." When she didn't say anything, he laughed loudly. She did her best to not be embarrassed but her cheeks were hot. "No, no, you don't have to be upset or anything. That's on me for assuming. But yeah, Mia and Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye were friends. I'll bet if you ask, she might say yes."

"Worst thing she can say is no," Maya admitted. "She can't throw me in jail any more than I already am."

"There we go!" Phoenix floated closer to Maya, laughing.

Maya stood up, walked to the door to her cell, and rapped her knuckles against it. On the other side, a faceless cop startled and walked over to where she was standing.

"Yes?" Even their voice was generic. Amazing.

"Do you think you could ask Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye if I could talk to her about my sister, Mia Fey?" She made sure to properly emphasize both the names. It would do her no good if her message got lost in a game of telephone.

The cop blinked at her, somewhere between startled and horrified. "Uh..."

"They were friends and I had a question for her." Trying to ride the line between a hard sell and being casual was difficult. It was taking a lot of effort to not sound desperate.

"I can— uh, I'll ask." They walked a distance away and started talking into their walkie-talkie, constantly glancing back at Maya as if they were worried she would just disappear. Then they walked back up to her and said, "Chief Prosecutor Skye will be here in half an hour or so."

"Thank you." Maya was surprised but she didn't want to show it. Turns out asking nicely works! Who knew?!

As she sat back down on the thin cot, Phoenix floated close, his eyes sparkling. "I'll level with you: I didn't think it was going to be that easy. Mia and Lana are two completely opposite people and, with as distant as Lana is these days, I wasn't sure if she was going to even entertain the idea."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Maya rolled her eyes.

"It worked out fine, didn't it?" It did but she wasn't going to let him off the hook so easily. "Maya, c'mon!"

She waved a hand at him. "I'm going to take a little nap while the Chief Prosecutor shows up. Wake me when she's here, okay?"

"With what?" Phoenix shoved his hands through Maya's shoulder, leaving patches of weird prickly cold where he was phasing into her.

"You're loud." He let out a squawk of indignation. "Just yell."

"Rude." But he didn't seem too bothered by it. Both of them had adapted to their situation rather quickly. Maybe that's why Maya wasn't as nervous about defending herself as she should be. Phoenix was going to be there. She wasn't going to be alone. That was well worth the stress in the end.

——

Lana Skye was a tall and imposing woman. Even on the other side of the glass in the visitor's booth, sitting in a terribly uncomfortable chair, back rigid as a two-by-four, she radiated an aura of command and no-nonsense.

Phoenix undercut all that by sitting next to Lana so Maya could focus on him instead of her.

"I was told you wanted to speak to me about Mia Fey?" Lana's voice was monotone and low, emotionless. It wasn't too far from how Maya had been in questioning. So even she was mourning Mia.

"Yes. Well, yes and no. Sorry for lying to you a little." Maya flinched as Lana's flat expression pursed, her disappointment apparent. "It does have to do with Mia, just not...all of it..."

"...continue." She wasn't leaving. That was a good sign.

"I've decided to defend myself in court tomorrow." Better to get the simple news out of the way first. One thing at a time.

Phoenix gave her a thumbs up from where he sat next to Lana.

"Interesting. Was there any particular reason for this?"

"Considering the evidence and witness, any state-appointed attorney would argue for a lesser sentence but not a full acquittal. I didn't kill Mia, so pleading anything other than not guilty isn't something I want to do." Be firm. Be direct. Deep breaths. The worst she can do is say what you're doing is foolish.

Chief Prosecutor Lana Skye stared at Maya through the glass. She hadn't moved much since she sat down, remaining as still as the surface of a lake. Trying to read her expression or body language or even her tone of voice for her mood was nearly impossible but also...she wasn't making Maya half as nervous as Prosecutor Edgeworth had. Maybe because she had been friends with Mia when he had despised her?

"Are you sure this is something you want to do? I understand that this is a trying time for you, but you can't be rash."

"I've given it plenty of thought." Maya cut off whatever else Lana might have been saying. "I might not have been living here with Mia, but I was studying law in my spare time. I wanted to be just like my big sister and the best way to do that was to read her old textbooks so I could eventually join her firm." That was a blatant lie that she and Phoenix had put together to explain any information she would repeat that was too complicated and specific for some random girl from the mountains to know offhand. It was so nobody scrutinized her knowledge too closely. "I want to defend myself because I didn't do it. Someone is framing me. I would never have k— I would never have hurt Mia."

Lana maintained steady eye-contact for what felt like forever before she spoke again. "Was this the only reason you asked for me? To inform me that you wouldn't need an attorney?" She didn't seem to think it was. Good. It was easier if she was smart.

"Not just that, but I wanted to ask a favor of you. That's why I used Mia's name to get your attention. Again, sorry about that." She did genuinely feel bad. If someone used Mia to get her attention and then never actually talked about her, Maya'd be upset too.

Lana said nothing so Maya continued on, filling the silence.

"In order to properly represent myself, I need to be able to gather information about the crime scene and so on. I was hoping that I could be allowed to go investigate, despite my being arrested on suspicion of murder. If need be, with a guard or two? Handcuffed, if that would make it an easier sell." This was the big gamble. There was no telling if she would even entertain the idea with how risky it was to her position. "It would let me get a better understanding of what went down and build a better defense. It would mean the world to me."

What felt like an eternity passed before Lana spoke again. Her voice cut through the tension like a knife, precise and sharp. "You understand this is an unusual request, correct?" Maya nodded, afraid if she spoke aloud she'd start crying again. "But what you're suggesting is well thought-out and has very little risk for us and the precinct. If you're willing to behave and keep your hands to yourself—no pocketing evidence at all—then I can assign one of the current team to act as your guard while you do your investigation. This is because of my admiration for your sister, you understand?" She leaned forward and braced her hands on the countertop, her tone deathly serious with undertones of anguish. "I am choosing to believe that you're innocent. I am trusting you to find the person who killed her and bring them to justice. Can you promise me that, Maya?"

Maya blinked in surprise. Lana had been so stoic, so unflappable, and now she was passionate and demanding. The contrast was a little shocking. "Of course. I promise I'll find who did this and make sure they're caught and suffer the full extent of the law."

Lana sat back down and folded her hands in her lap, pulling her composure back around her like a shawl or armor. "Then I will have an escort sent to your cell within the next ten to twenty minutes. No longer than a half hour. Do not make me regret this."

"What if the trial goes on for another day?" Phoenix wondered aloud.

Maya parroted, "And if there's a second day?"

"This is a luxury gifted to you for the duration of your stay in the detention center. Does that help?"

Maya grinned and nodded her head. "Yeah it does. Thank you, Chief Prosecutor Skye."

"...Lana."

"Thank you Lana."

Lana stood up and pushed her chair back under the counter. "I look forward to seeing your work in court, Maya." Then she was gone and the guard in the visitor's room gestured for Maya to follow them back to her cell. Phoenix floated next to her the whole way.

"That went better than I thought it would, really, but that's to be expected considering Lana and Mia's relationship." Maya shot Phoenix a confused look so he elaborated. "They were 'friends'." Still, she didn't understand why he was emphasizing the word so hard. He just snorted and buried his face in his scarf as he laughed. "Never mind. This is good though."

Maya walked in her cell and waited for the guard to leave before she spoke aloud again. "Yeah?"

"Even though she said to not take evidence, it's less about having evidence and more about having context for evidence that matters. Plus, if she's assigning a guard to you, that's a singular person. They can be distracted." Phoenix waggled his eyebrows.

"You're saying I should steal evidence anyways?"

"Only if you need to!" He backpedaled so hard he floated backwards in the air, seemingly repelled by Maya's glare.

Only if she needs to.

The fact that Lana had agreed was buzzing through Maya's veins like an adrenaline rush. She could look at the crime scene, go talk to witnesses, gather information that Prosecutor Edgeworth had no control over. That meant she could start building up her ammunition for court. Even if Maya didn't understand the legal aspect of being a lawyer, she understood the arguing part and was really good at it. She was a youngest sibling after all. Arguing was in her DNA.

As she thought about all this, Phoenix muttering about where they should go and who they should talk to for the best possible use of their time, the door to Maya's cell opened up and a shadow fell across her once more.

She looked up to see Detective Gumshoe standing over her, holding handcuffs and looking somewhere between apologetic and a little miffed.

"Detective Gumshoe," Maya greeted.

"Miss Maya," he responded. "I'll be your guard while you're investigatin'."

She stood up and offered him her wrists without complaint. This was one of the stipulations, so there was no reason to put up a fight. "Thank you."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter, pal." He cuffed her and then looked back out of the cell. "Where to?"

Maya looked at Phoenix, who chewed on his lip while he thought. "Maybe the office, if you'd be able to stand being there?"

"Fey & Co. Law Offices," she told the detective. And then, as an afterthought. "Can I have my phone back?"

"Huh?" Detective Gumshoe looked at her, confused. "Your what?"

"My phone? It's...I don't have a lot of personal things with me outside of Kurain and even if I can't make phone calls, it still...it's my phone and Mia..." She couldn't explain that she wanted to hear Mia's voice again, that she had a recording of their last ever conversation on her phone. She couldn't tell him that it was an anchor to a person who isn't around any more. She could only fumble around for a plausible lie.

Thankfully, Detective Gumshoe seemed to understand that she was having a rough time and just started poking around in his jacket pockets. Then he pulled out Maya's phone and handed it to her. "Don't tell nobody I gave you this, okay?"

Phoenix was staring at Detective Gumshoe, eyes wide, a thoughtful frown on his face. He was trying to suss out what Detective Gumshoe's angle was.

Maya just felt grateful that he was kind enough to bend the rules for her. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...

"Thanks..." Maya tucked her phone in her sash, the charm attached to it hanging out as a reminder she had it.

"Literally do not mention it, pal." Detective Gumshoe doubled down on his demand. Maya just nodded and followed him out the detention center, toward the building Fey & Co. was located. While they walked, the detective started to talk again, filling the air. "So you were right about the door and the locks. There was no sign of forced entry or nothin' so Mister Edgeworth dropped that charge. Sorry we kinda implicated you in that way, pal."

"Hm?" Maya looked up at Detective Gumshoe, surprised he was apologizing. Apologizing for things, giving her her phone back, and being nice to her. Maybe he was a nice guy in spite of it all, huh?

"Wow...he's apologizing." Even Phoenix was taken aback.

"Oh, uh, it's okay..." What else could she even say about that? "I mean, I'd probably have assumed the killer forced their way in too."

"You're still sayin' you're innocent, huh?" He wasn't asking out of some kind of malice. He seemed to genuinely not understand why she was refusing to accept the charges against her.

If he was on trial for the murder of his sibling, would he roll over and accept his death or would he fight to the death to prove his innocence. It was a stupid question.

Maya didn't bother answering him. If Detective Gumshoe realized her silence was aggressive and pointed, he didn't speak out about it. Instead he spent the rest of the walk to Fey & Co. Law Offices without trying to start another conversation with her.

Even Phoenix only muttered once about how that was a stupid question and fell quiet. If a chatterbox ghost noticed, then she has to have been giving off a dangerous aura.

Police tape cordoned off the entire hallway that led to Mia's office, a few gawkers craning their necks to try and catch a glimpse of whatever the police were doing. Thankfully—for Maya—the scant few cops posted up around the area were preventing anyone from getting close to the door so nobody could see a damn thing.

Detective Gumshoe stopped to talk with one of the cops on duty to inform them of why the suspect was allowed out, then gestured for Maya to enter the crime scene. "Go ahead. Miss Chief Lana said you aren't allowed to touch anythin' but you can look about. I also got a copy of the autopsy report that was printed off recently if you want that."

Phoenix, already past the threshold and waist-deep in the chair, poked his head back out towards the door. "Oh that's useful!"

"Is that okay?" Maya wasn't sure if what he was doing was allowed, even if he was offering.

"Don't ask that, just take the evidence!" Phoenix whined.

"I mean, I already offered, didn't I pal?" Detective Gumshoe waved the paper at Maya. She took it and read it to herself quietly.

Victim: Mia Fey (27, Female) Time of Death: 9/5 at 9:00PM Cause: Single blunt force trauma. Death was instantaneous.

All that remained of her sister printed in black and white. Maya folded the report as small as she could—using an old note-folding origami pattern she remembered Mia teaching her when she was little—and tucked it in her sash next to her phone. She didn't want to see it anymore. She didn't want to think about it.

Phoenix waved at Maya. "C'mere." She walked to where he was floating, carefully stepping around the chair and over the scattered papers to where he was. He pointed at the phone sitting on Mia's work desk. "This is the one where the back is a little messed with, see?" Maya picked it up and turned it over, noting where screws were a little loose. "That's where it connects to the phone line."

"I know how a landline works," Maya kept her voice low so Detective Gumshoe couldn't hear her speaking to Phoenix. Like he was saying, the bottom of the base was a little loose, as if something had been attached to the mounting cord and hidden out of sight. "...that does look bad."

"If you're looking for messages left on the answerin' machine, there aren't any. We already checked." Detective Gumshoe was still standing by the door—now closed, probably so she couldn't run away—but his loud voice carried far.

"Oh, uh, I wasn't." Maya put the phone back down. Phoenix had already made his way to where the glass was, near the outline of Mia, pressing his face too close to the shards. If he wasn't already dead, she'd be worried he'd get glass in his eyes and face but he was incorporeal so he was just trying to get extra details. Maya picked her way over the fallen plant and peered at the glass too.

"This was a lightstand. It was nice, too. I remember when Mia bought it...I think." Phoenix sorrowfully stared at the broken thing. "It brightened up the room, the colors playing off of Charlie." When he noticed Maya's confusion at the name 'Charlie', he pointed at the upturned plant. "Charlie."

"Poor Charlie." Poor Mia.

"Don't pick the plant up!" Maya jumped when Detective Gumshoe called out. "It's sad and all, but we aren't allowed to mess with the crime scene!"

"I wasn't going to!" What a busybody.

Phoenix had already moved on to looking down at the outline of Mia. He kept worrying at his scarf and had pulled his face mask up. He never wore it over his mouth, not since she'd met him. Why now? "Mia..."

"Phoenix?" Maya kept her voice low, standing next to him. He looked at her, startled, and then back to the outline.

"...I have problems with time. Being dead means that, unless I'm making a conscious effort, days become a sludgy mess. It was...easier to stay aware when I had goals, which is why I know so much about law and stuff, but I was having issues finding motivation as of late." His voice sounded rough, like he had been coughing a lot. He looked like he was in pain. "I also liked giving Mia her space. I didn't listen in on phone calls, didn't watch her answer emails or write letters or even keep notes on cases. I already felt a bit like I was intruding, right? Things had gotten busy for Mia...personal. So I clocked out more and more frequently."

Oh. She understood. "You weren't aware or around when Mia—"

"If I had been—if I had been awake and around—if I had been better—!" He tugged on his scarf like it was choking him, pulling it up over his mouth and nose. Phantom tears poured down his face. "I could've helped more. I could've told you who did this. I just...woke up because I felt something was wrong and Mia—"

What could Maya say to comfort him? It wasn't alright, because Mia was dead. But also it wasn't his fault. What could he have done to stop this? So far, Maya was the only one who could see and hear him!

"Dead men can't testify in court," Maya settled on.

That pulled a laugh from Phoenix. A snotty, hoarse laugh, but a laugh nonetheless. "I mean, they tried it once, but yeah."

They had tried it once. Maya could never forget that fact.

"Detective Gumshoe?" Maya turned towards the large man as she called out. He looked over at her, eyebrow raised in confusion. "Can we go somewhere else?"

She must've sounded extremely pitiful because he didn't hesitate to hold the door open for her again. "C'mon, pal. Where do you need to go?" He was quieter than before, as if he was worried seeing her sister's murder scene upset her in some way.

"Maybe the Gatewater?" Maya tried to not flinch. Phoenix hadn't made a sound as he came up alongside her—he was a ghost, after all—but failed somewhat. "The witness was staying there. I'll bet we can talk to Miss April May."

"Across the street, to the Gatewater?" She tried her best to not make it sound like she was unsure of what she wanted to do.

Detective Gumshoe grimaced. "Hey, uh, I don't know if that's a good idea?"

"Why not? Isn't that where the witness called from? Don't I have a right to see where the crime was witnessed from?" Maybe if she played up being an indignant young woman, someone genuinely torn up by seeing where her sister died, she could manipulate the detective in her favor.

(It was true, really, but he didn't need to know that.)

Detective Gumshoe's face went on a journey. First concerned, then confused, then almost constipated, and finally he just looked defeated. "Well...y'see...you're not supposed to bother the witness, pal."

"I won't bother her, I promise!" Technically not a lie. She wasn't going to bother the woman if she could help it.

"How d'you know the witness was a woman?" Oops. Phoenix had been the one to tell her anything about their so-called eyewitness.

"Lucky guess?"

Detective Gumshoe stared at Maya as if he was trying to read her mind. Lucky for her, she has a better poker face than most people would assume. It helped she looked cherubic. People underestimated her. Then he let out a long, weary exhale. "Fine, but remember what Miss Chief Lana said, okay? No takin' nothin', no runnin' away, and no tryin' to break free, alright? I don't wanna' hafta' put you back in your cell with no chance of doin' this again."

Did he think she was stupid? She wasn't going to do any of that. There was too much riding on her being able to walk about! "Right." She put on her most serious face possible.

Detective Gumshoe gave her what she could only assume was a fond smile and started his way back down the hallway. "Alright, c'mon pal."

Maya followed behind him once more, Phoenix hovering just above her. As they walked, Phoenix wondered, "Do you think Gumshoe would really care if we talked to April May?"

Maya shrugged.

"I mean...I don't think he would let you ask too many probing questions—not as if she would answer them, from what I saw—but if we needed to, you could very much use Gumshoe as a distraction while you searched around." Then, as an afterthought, he asked, "Do you think they'll let us in her hotel room?"

Maya made a vague noise. Detective Gumshoe looked back at her but didn't ask anything. Maybe he just assumed she was thinking and vocalizing some of her thoughts aloud.

"I mean...it's a nice hotel and it costs so much money and we are going to see a singular woman. That's a bad look, even for you." What? "Actually...especially for you."

Maya glared at him and he held his hands out as if he was soothing a vicious beast.

"All I'm saying is that the person she said killed Mia—you—and a big detective rolling up on her hotel room to have a chat might raise some flags. Gumshoe's presence will help assuage her fears but like...you're seeing why it's probably not going to earn you brownie points with April May?"

What could she even say to that? She just rolled her eyes and sighed.

"I know, I know. It's something to think about." Phoenix then fell silent as they entered the Gatewater.

At the front was a tall man in a nice uniform. He gave Detective Gumshoe a bright smile and bowed. "Ah, welcome to the Gatewater Hotel, good sir. How can I be of assistance?"

That seemed to throw the detective off-balance. He blinked at the man in confusion, then scratched at the bandage on his cheek. "Uh, yeah. We're here to see the room of one, uh, Miss April May?"

That name got a reaction out of the man, who blushed deeply. "Ah, the lovely Miss May. May I ask who is making this courtesy call? We cannot allow just anyone to enter our customer's rooms without first ascertaining their intent."

"Detective Dick Gumshoe, with the local precinct." He flashed his badge at the man. "I'm here as escort and she wanted to speak with Miss April May about what she saw recently."

The man—bellboy, judging by his outfit, though why he was working the front desk was unclear—looked at Maya and frowned. Then he turned to face Detective Gumshoe again. "And you are certain you can keep a handle on her?"

"It's not as if she can't hear you," Phoenix griped from over the check-in book.

Maya just let his derision roll over her. She couldn't get upset by things like this or she would flip her lid every couple minutes.

"She's been a model prisoner. You don't gotta' worry, alright pal?" For some reason, Detective Gumshoe got a little upset at how Maya was being treated.

"Oh. He thinks you're good now?"

He probably thinks she's at least a polite and amicable person when bound by law and chains.

"Then I will trust your judgement, good sir." The bellboy bowed again and waved them towards the elevators. "Third floor suite, room 316, to the right when you exit. Please tell Miss May hello for me." Again, he blushed.

Phoenix made a gagging noise. Maya forced herself to not laugh.

As Maya, Detective Gumshoe, and Phoenix filed into the elevator, the detective pressed himself against the far wall so Maya wouldn't be crushed. She stared at him in confusion. "The elevator isn't that small."

"Yeah, but I know how people get in enclosed spaces. I don't wanna' make you uncomfortable or anythin'."

As he was saying that, the elevator rose and Phoenix disappeared into the floor. He let our a startled yelp. "Right, shit."

"I'm not uncomfortable in enclosed spaces, I promise." Maya tilted her head a bit. "You're fine."

"Oh." He stepped away from the wall a little and hummed as they waited for them to get to the third floor. When the doors opened on their floor, they both stepped through. Phoenix followed, his head poking up from the floor like a strange shark.

"The plumbing here is so nice. I don't think I've ever been in pipes this clean." What was Phoenix on about? Maya gave him a glare and jerked her chin up, silently telling him to walk on the floor like a normal person. He rose up and walked behind Maya, his ghostly footfalls silent. "You're no fun."

Room 316 was easy enough to find. Maya stayed behind Detective Gumshoe as he knocked on the door so that, when the witness opened it, she would be nearly invisible. He seemed to take it as her being nervous anyway.

It swung open and poor Detective Gumshoe stood face to face with the most pink woman Maya had the displeasure of seeing. Every inch of her was a bubblegum color, her hair perfectly styled, and her perfume was saccharine enough to put Maya off of cake and other sweets for a while.

"Oh!" April May spoke at a shrieking pitch. Maya flinched back a bit, as did Phoenix. "Hi there, big boy. How can I help you?"

"Uh, Detective Dick Gumshoe, local precinct. I, uh, that is, we have some questions? Can we come in?" Poor Detective Gumshoe didn't know how to handle her. Considering she was pressing herself seductively against the doorframe, Maya was suddenly impressed with him. A lesser man would've started slobbering over her.

"We?" April May peered past the detective's large frame and made eye-contact with Maya, who was glaring. Her pupils contracted, becoming thin slits, and she nearly hissed. "Isn't that the girl?! The killer?!"

"She's only here to ask questions and I'm here to keep an eye on her." Detective Gumshoe spoke to her like he was soothing a wild beast.

"I just wanted to see the view." This was not just a half-truth, but the same half-truth she told Detective Gumshoe. Maya did want to see the view, if only to see how well she could have seen into Mia's office, but also to try and get a read on this April May. Thus far, Maya was inclined to agree with Phoenix's original assessment of 'difficult' and 'manipulative' if only because she was trying to get Detective Gumshoe's attention by being sexy.

"Hey, Maya?" Phoenix was already inside her room, out of sight. He didn't need to be quiet, thankfully, but Maya had to pretend as if she wasn't trying to hold two conversations at the same time. "I found something. Do you think you can get inside here and get April May distracted?"

Probably...

"Look, Miss April May, we won't be here long, I promise." Detective Gumshoe to the rescue! "She just wants to see your view of the crime scene and then we'll leave. No questions, no mess. You have my word."

"Well...," April May drew the word out like she was unspooling yarn, "if you say so, Mister Dick." She stepped inside and Detective Gumshoe and Maya followed her.

Detective Gumshoe mumbled, "Please call me Gumshoe."

Inside the hotel room was a truly luxurious place. A lavish bed with nice sheets, two gorgeous chairs sharing an end table with a beautiful glass lamp on it by the window, and a large wooden dresser. Off past the bed was a door—presumably leading to the bathroom—and the overall scheme of the place was red and gold—even if the 'gold' was actually brass.

Phoenix was half-in, half-out of the dresser. When Maya entered, he met her eyes and pointed at a screwdriver that was poking out of the top drawer, grinning widely. "Thing!"

"So, Mister Dick—"

"Gumshoe."

"—are all the men on the force as big and strong as you, or does the Chief of Police give his hardest jobs to his most handsome soldiers?" April May was practically purring at Detective Gumshoe, who looked like he was unhappy with that development.

"Well, uh, it wasn't the Chief of Police exactly, but, uh..."

Maya felt bad for him, sincerely. He was nice to her and she was just letting him be harassed by this irritating witness. Still, she wasn't going to let this chance go to waste. She sidled past the dresser and waited until April May was facing away from her before opening the drawer and snatching whatever was inside to palm into her sleeve—a difficult feat when one was handcuffed.

It was square, with two wires protruding out of it, and she had to be incredibly careful to not drop it or even give away she had it in the first place.

"Smooth!" Phoenix stepped out of the dresser and kept pace with Maya as she walked to the window and looked at the building across the way. Mia's office was...there. As much as Maya hated to admit it, it was plausible—if not difficult—for her to have seen inside her office that night.

Maya turned on her heel and walked carefully back towards the door. "Detective Gumshoe?"

"Yeah?" The way the poor man's voice pitched was so sad. He sounded panicked and glad that she was probably asking to leave.

"I'm ready to go now." She tried to keep her tone even, crossing her arms and glaring at April May to sell how she was hiding the object she'd stowed in her sleeve. "Back to the detention center, I mean. I saw what I was looking for."

April May sneered at Maya. "Go back to prison, you little murderer." Then she pawed at Detective Gumshoe one last time. "Don't be a stranger, okay Mister Dick?"

"Yeah, uh, sure. Let's go, pal." Detective Gumshoe could not leave fast enough. Maya definitely felt bad for him now. He looked so unhappy with how she was acting. "You have a good day, Miss April May." He didn't give her a chance to answer, closing the door so fast it rattled the frame. Then he let out a heavy sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Maya started her way back to the elevator, hoping to put as much distance between her and April May as she could as quickly as possible. "I didn't like her either."

"Not just coz she's sayin' you did it, huh?" He caught up to her and called the elevator, smiling down at her.

What was a...diplomatic way to answer him? Maya looked over at Phoenix—already prepping to drop down to the ground floor through the other floors—for help.

He shrugged. "Iunno?" Wow...

"She strikes me as...prone to flights of fancy." Maya settled on something inoffensive and technically true. A lie is, at its heart, a flight of fancy.

"I just don't know how to handle people like that..." Detective Gumshoe held the elevator door for her and then pressed the button to take them down. This time he didn't press himself against the wall. Growth.

"She was rather...touchy." Again, Maya was being generous. Again, she was being careful.

Detective Gumshoe was silent for the remainder of the elevator ride—not in a bad way but in a thoughtful way—but when the doors opened, he spoke up again. "You're...you've been real good this whole time. I wanted to thank you for that."

Maya frowned at him. "Did you think I would've gone to the trouble I did just to ruin all my hard work? I'm serious about this; it's my life on the line, after all. Of course I'd be good."

"Yeah, but still...I wanted you to know I noticed." Detective Gumshoe picked at the bandage on his cheek as he spoke. "I wasn't too keen on bein' your babysitter but your attitude made hangin' out with you kinda' fun."

"'Hanging out'? Does he think this was a playdate or something?" Phoenix, who had fallen from above to follow the two of them out of the hotel, snorted. "I mean, nice of him to find your company enjoyable—heaven knows I do—but like...he was your guard. And he was pretty bad at it too."

But at least he was nice.

"Uh...thank you?" What did she even say to that? "You're...not so bad yourself?"

"Aw, shucks..." Detective Gumshoe chuckled and beamed at Maya.

The rest of the trap back to her holding cell was oddly quiet. Even Phoenix remained silent as he tried to figure out their game plan for the trial tomorrow. When they finally got back, Maya looked for where the security camera was and angled herself in a way so she could retrieve her illicit evidence from her sleeve.

It was a small black box with two wires that ended in the same plug as a phone line had.

"That's...a wiretap. That's...that's decisive evidence. That's great evidence, actually! Holy shit, Maya! That's such good evidence!" Phoenix laughed with every bit of him, his joy throwing him backwards in a lazy spin.

Maya stared at the wiretap in her hands. Looking down at the small electronic device, she could feel the faint flickering of hope kindling in her chest. Phoenix's elation, his unbridled delight at them having this wiretap, was a gentle breeze stoking this hope towards a slowly growing flame.

"A wiretap...what does that even mean?"

"It means that April May will know things she shouldn't! It means we can catch her in impossible lies!" Phoenix laughed harder. "She was tapping Mia's phone! If we're smart about this, we can discredit her!"

Oh. Oh! Maya clutched the wiretap to her chest. This evidence that only she and Phoenix knew about would be their secret weapon. That and—

She tucked the wiretap into her sash and pulled out her phone. Then she cycled through the menus and clicked on the message she was looking for. Through her cheap phone speaker, Maya heard her sister's voice for the first time since she died.

"Hello? This is Maya." Phoenix stopped laughing and closed the distance between them, his expression suddenly grim.

"Hey Maya, it's me." Maya had to fight back tears. This was the last converstion she had with her sister. This was the last time she said her name.

"Mia! What's up? You haven't called in a while." What a foolish complaint. She should've been happy Mia had called her at all. Service in Kurain was already spotty at best.

"Sorry, I've been so busy." She sounded genuinely sorry. She hadn't meant to be too busy to talk to her. "How you been?"

"Well, lonely. And it's all your fault." How could she have said that? How could she have even jokingly implied that Maya's isolation was Mia's fault? "Nah, I'm just teasing. I've been great! I'm finally getting used to having my own place." She'd only moved out of the manor was all. It's not as if she has moved out of Kurain in its entirety. She still had ties to the place, was too childish to go be an adult outside of her hometown.

Not that Mia knew any of that. She died assuming her little sister was growing up.

"That's good to hear. Actually, I'm calling because I have a favor to ask." Phoenix looked at Maya with a strangely concerned look. He wanted to ask her a question but didn't want to interrupt the recording.

"I know, I know. You want me to hold evidence for you?" It wasn't as if this was the first time. Mia liked using Maya as a bank vault for evidence every so often. Maya always agreed. It made her feel connected to her big sister.

Mia laughed. Maya missed Mia's laugh, even if it was a tinny recording playing out of her phone. "Sharp as always! There's a lot of buzz about the upcoming trial... I just don't feel safe keeping the evidence here."

Maya didn't remember much about the trial Mia was preparing for, just that it had to do with the man who'd ruined their mother's reputation—the reputation of the Kurain Channeling Technique. Mia hadn't shared much with her...something about eyes and ears.

It hadn't mattered much at the time. "I gotcha. So, what is it this time?"

"It's... a clock."

Phoenix gaped at her. He seemed to realize something that she had known since she'd gotten the information about the murder weapon from Prosecutor Edgeworth. The clock she was talking about was the same thing that killed her.

"A clock?"

"Yeah, it's made to look like that statue, 'The Thinker.' And it tells you the time! I thought you might like it. You always liked toys." Toys. Toys.

Maya choked back a sob.

"Hey! I'm not a little girl anymore!"

"Now, now." Mia laughed again. "You know I'm only teasing. Ah, I should probably tell you, the clock isn't talking right now."

"Huh? It's not working? That's dumb!"

"I had to take the clockwork out. Sorry. I put some papers inside it instead." Something seemed to occur to Phoenix in that moment, another epiphany. Whatever he had realized, he wasn't going to speak until the recording was done.

"Papers? Is that the evidence, then?" They shouldn't have said this out loud. They should've been more vague.

"Hmm, well... there's a possibility that it might turn out that way, yes. Can you come by the office tonight, say 9:00, to pick it up? I'll be in a pretrial meeting until then." She had just said what time she was going to be there, when the door would be unlocked. She had set the table for her killer.

"Okay, but I expect dinner! Something good! Like...burgers! I could really go for a good burger." They always ate out whenever Maya came over. It was a ritual of theirs. The guy who ran the place knew their orders by heart.

"Okay, okay." Mia laughed. "We'll hit the usual joint."

That was all it took. "Alright! It's a deal! Okay, see you soon!"

"Yep. I'll be waiting, Maya."

Then she had hung up. The recording caught the phone clicking. Then a stilted digital voice said, "Conversation recorded on September 5, 9:27 AM."

Maya cradled her phone to her chest and cried, silent tears blurring the world around her. When she could finally speak, she choked out, "I just wanted my phone so I could hear her again but..."

"Maya." Phoenix reached out as if to lay his hand on her shoulder in comfort, then paused, remembering he couldn't actually touch her.

"This is evidence, right? This and the wiretap?" It had to be. It had to be or she might fall apart. If this was evidence, if Mia's killer had tapped her phone, then they killed her because of the case she had been preparing.

If this was evidence, then she knew who killed Mia and it would be near impossible to get him without buying another day.

"Yeah. It's pretty damning, actually." Phoenix was sitting midair, legs crossed. He looked pensive. "This is...tomorrow, we can draw this out."

"I think I know who did it but..."

"I do too." Phoenix scowled. "If we draw this out, if we buy one more day, then we can get him. I know we can."

"I'm scared." She wasn't a lawyer. She was barely an adult. Tomorrow she was going to stand up in a courtroom and defend herself using the words of a ghost and pray she could prevent her own conviction. "I'm scared, Phoenix..."

"You're stronger than you know."

"What if I mess up?"

"You just have to act like Mia. It's what I do." Maya stared at him. He gave her a sad smile. "Maya, I've been dead for three years. Every bit of being a lawyer I've got is stolen directly from your sister and you thought I was someone impressive. I'm not, I just pretended I was Mia and you saw me as someone of her skill-level. So tomorrow, you'll do the same."

Pretend to be Mia? Maya tried to imagine Mia in her place. Her mannerisms. Her confidence. Her smile. Could she even do that?

"You'll be great, I promise."

"How do you know?" She wanted confirmation. She wanted comfort. She wanted to be held. Phoenix could only do two of those things.

"Because I've seen you go about all day and solve this mystery with me. I've seen you lie to people using clever half-truths, smile when you wanted to scream, and claw your way out of a desperate situation with your words and your wits. You, not Mia." He floated down so he was sitting level with her on the floor. "If anyone can do this, it's you, Maya Fey."

Phoenix believed in her.

Maya scrubbed at her face. "I wish I could give you hug."

"Me too." He missed comfort, probably. He wanted to comfort her. He wanted to be comforted. "But know this: come tomorrow, everyone else will know just how competent Maya Fey is. Everyone will see how brave and capable you are. You just have to pretend, just for a little bit."

"I miss her..."

"Me too."

"I wanna go home..."

"I know."

"I'm tired..."

"Let's get you on the cot so you can sleep, okay? C'mon now, I can't touch you so if you pass out on the floor and wake up with an aching back, I can't do anything about it."

Maya hoisted herself up and clutched her phone to her chest as she curled up on the thin cot in her cell. Phoenix hovered next to her, unable to touch her but wanting to tuck her in. She pulled the blanket up over her shoulders and screwed her eyes shut.

"G'night Phoenix."

"Night Maya."

The world faded to black, the warm feeling of hope spreading through her body in waves as Maya gently fell asleep.

#the sheepy writes fic #hallowed be thy unknown #ace attorney #gyakuten saiban #trials and tribulations spoilers #ace attorney spoilers #long post #ao3 link in title #guess who once again wrote 16k of an au? #its me #anyway im on a bit of an aa bender so im trying to juggle my two interests #but i have this one drafted in more detail lmao #when ive escaped the transcribing gameplay aspect of sc ill be writing more of that but i have done myself dirty

[orleans-jester]

RP Characters as Pokemon PART DEUX

Clopin - Okay, so a photo of the Liepard is all that’s really needed to explain why it fits Clopin. The colors are magnifique! He would be drawn to them right away! But that is not the only reason why he would lean towards this Dark-type pokemon. A Liepard’s ability is Limber, which does fit our still cartwheeling, one-legged jester. They both have well-defined muscles that allow them to run silently, strike from behind. Or at least, that’s how Clopin used to be. But he would find a way to make his crutches, cane, prosthetic more silent, not squeaky. Known to vanish and reappear without warning, which has happened in many the lives of the people he knows - bonjour, salut, homemade smoke bomb, cough cough oh no, he’s gone! Thief, Payback, Endure, Taunt, Trick, Foul Play, these are all attacks of both the pokemon and the man himself.

Wiggins - The Pokemon with one of the more fun names to say - Bidoof. Bidoof, Bidoof, Bidoof. If it was a ginger, it would actually resemble him a little bit too. Beady eyes, vacant expression, hairy. And quite simple, even Wiggins himself would admit that about himself, unprompted. He likes the simple things. Working with nature. Teraforming. Creating life out of what already exists so that it takes a different form. Bidoof likes making damns. Wiggins likes turning bushes into unicorns. They both have a calm temperament, not very easily perturbed. Wiggins felt like he went through the worst with what Declan had made him do time and time again, everything else in his life feels so easy and breezy and comparison. Just these two, in the woods, on a nice and sunny day, doing their thing? They’d both think they’re in paradise.

Iain - Single parents often have to play the role of both mother and father, especially if the other just isn’t in the picture at all, which is why Iain would most relate to the always-female Kangaskhan. This large, normal type Pokemon is always carrying their offspring in a pouch, much like how Iain used to walk around with Petey inside of a harness attached to his chest or back, depending on his messy and grabby she was feeling that day. Like the Pokemon, Iain would do anything to protect his child, even enter the war itself if she was threatened. You’ve got your Mama and Papa Bear Bellerose, and the Papa Wolf Thomas, but in comes the Kangeroo Daddy. Both are quite scrappy in a fight, using their environment, or rather the environment that Iain can build, to their advantage, and won’t give up until either it’s over or their young one is somewhere safe.

Ellie - It’s tough to choose between ice and fire for her, but given her personality, fire seemed much more appropriate, and so did Vulpix. Not only does the color scheme fit, but the youthfulness of the face, the look of innocence that it has, and the potential there to be so much more than ‘smoll bean’. Inside of the pokemon is a fire that never goes out, and that relates to this girl, the one who could have turned into another Elsa, becoming cold, but succumbing to the warmth instead, becoming as fiery as her red hair, stubborn, protective, scolding. Don’t let the demure expressions fool you with either of these beings - there’s a lot of embers burning beneath the surface.

Rory - Okay, yeah, this is a little bit hilarious, I will admit. A leprechaun everywhere-all-the-time bartender being a Ribombee. But just like insects, he tends to buzz around, find out the gossip, listen to the woes of the misers, the celebrations of the victors - and like the pokemon, Rory is a small in stature. This bug and fairy type Pokemon collects nectar and pollen to form balls called Pollen Puffs, which can be used as food or to relieve tiredness. Rory, the Bartender, serves drinks to give energy, to give color, to increase excitement and fun, which - isn’t all that just a sort of nourishment in itself? Well, a lot of alcoholics would probably say so.

Elsa - Obviously an Ice-type, there’s no way around that, so therefore, Frosmoth. They’ve both got this cold-type beauty to them, Elsa with her very pale hair, matching her skin, her bright blue eyes - she’s an attractive woman even if she very much looks like she wants to kill most people. Same with the Frosmoth, deep blue eyes with long lashes, and a pale body, with arms usually crossed in front of it. The scales on Frosmoth’s wings fall like snow as it flies, and the wings have an extraordinarily cold temperature, much like Elsa herself. Frosmoth is also known to show not the slightest bit of mercy to anyone who desecrates her space, which reminds me of the blonde witch very much, both known to cause blizzards in stressful or slighted times. Icicle Spear, Avalanche, Ice Beam, Blizzard, these are all moves that the two have in common.

Gabby - There’d be no other type for her than a fighting type, so Mienfoo fits the bill. They both have a very intense inner focus, blocking out everything except for their goal - which, let’s be honest, is usually fighting. Much better with fists than with words like most Pokemon as well.  Perhaps not the most powerful person physically, but engages in flowing, speedy and continuous attacks, quantity making up for quality. They both seclude themselves when training, disappearing for long periods at a time, preferably in a place with mountains, though that’s harder in the south-east. Also, they’re both often underestimated because of their cutiepie looks, but they’ll both still punch a bitch.

Sally - Since they were both ‘put together’ by scientists, Sally would feel most akin to Magearna. Sally is a rag doll, made of flesh and thread, while Magearna is metal, forged and cold. It’s the hearts underneath that are real when everything else seems so disposable. The pokemon has a soul heart, created by life-energy from other Pokemon while Sally was raised watching her father experiment on other witches, on people, on all matter of beings. They both have very caring personalities, and try to save injured people, even if the people don’t acknowledge that they are injured (The Tritons).

[realhousewives-fan]

The Memorable Memories of Season 4

The incredible return and reboot of RHOM was a game changer for Real Housewives. 

It feels like this was an experient for how a Real Housewives show could be. The changes wasn’t big and radical, but noticable. 

The form of the cast: 

Only 6 was announced as housewives. Marysol Patton and Adriana de Moura was only friends on the show even though they were instrumental and essential for the season. 

Kiki Barth wasn’t listed as a friend of the show or anything. But she was always around. 

Shorty, but a goody: 

The season wasn’t long, but it was eventful, entertaining and good. The stories was never dominating or tiresome. Every storyline got their moment to shine.

The reunion:

There was so many breaks during the reunion and so many behind-the-scenes conversations about the reunion. That was so good! They need to do this with all of the other shows!

Season 4 was a gamechanging season and  I want to highlight some of the most memorable moments. 

Here they are in a cronological order:

Larsa’s OnlyFans account

Larsa Pippen is back in Miami and there’s a mystery surrounding her. What happened between her and the Kardashians? And what’s up with her OnlyFans account? 

Especially Adriana was poking and prying into Larsa’s business, but Alexia Echevarria was by far the most judgmental about it: 

“If you’re making more than $10,000 a day, you’re showing more than your outfit of the day.”

The Lover of Alexia's Ex-husband

Alexia’s mountain of storylines this season was out of this world. 

One of them was how she learned that her late ex-husband was gay and had a lover before he died. And she wanted to meet the lover. 

Lea Black criticized her for outing her ex-husband, but my recollections is that Alexia only talked positive about homosexuality. 

It was such an exciting storyline though! Meeting the lover of her dead ex-husband. It’s the stuff of soap operas!

Julia’s Foot Massage

Julia Lemigova’s birthday party was crazy and the conversation at the table was chaotic. 

Julia had given Adriana a foot massage, and Guerdy  Abraira announced it at the party as revenge for Adriana’s nagging.

Adriana took the whole thing very seriously and personal, while I think that Julia and her wife, Martina Navratilova, were being playful with their bantering.

Alexia’s Family Feud 

The intervension over at Alexia’s home was one of the rawest and upsetting situations I’ve seen on Real Housewives in a long, long time. 

There had been an incident before filming between her fiancé, Todd Nepola, and her troubled son, Peter. There had been an awful argument between them and they had this meeting in an attempt to move on.

This is another part of Alexia’s storylines this season and her dedication this season has made her one of the top tier housewives ever. 

"I Think I Trust Nicole the Least”

Messy Marysol started some shit in the Hamptons by exposing Nicole Martin as a gossip and trash talker. 

Marysol was by far my favorite on RHOM this season. She was incredibly funny and she started drama among the women. She deserved the status as a housewife on the show. 

The Hangover Emergency

Yeah, their trip to the Hamptons didn’t go so well. There weren’t many of the women who had a lot of nice things to say about the trip. 

But the top of the cake was when they called 911 for Julia’s hangover. 

The "Kanye’s Dick” Fight

This was definitely one of season’s most bizarre situations. Adriana and Larsa had been surprisingly friendly this season, but that ended in the Hamptons. 

And when they met back in Miami they started feuding as Adriana was hellbent on talking about how she once upon a time saw Kanye West’s dick.

Alexia’s Bachelorette Party

On paper this sounds like one of the most iconic and legendary bachelorette parties ever. I mean, who waste that moment to argue?

This should’ve been an incredible bachelorette party, but the feud between Adriana and Larsa put a damper on the mood. 

Alexia’s confessional was hilarious though:

“This was supposed to be my bachelorette dinner. I’m thinking ‘Ok, we’re gonna talk about all the drug dealers we went out with in the 80s’. I was ready for the conversation to be about me, not about them.”

No Wedding and a Funeral

Just when Alexia’s wedding finally was falling into place, her mother died from covid on what was supposed to be Alexia’s wedding day. 

The episode made me cry. But it also made me laugh. Poor Lisa Hochstein who showed up to the memorial in her neon green dress.

In a sad way it was the perfect ending as it made the women put their differences aside to support Alexia. 

Julia’s Shocking Story

Just when the season was over, they throw something new at us. 

Julia’s shocking story about the father of her son and the death of her infant son is one of the strongest and shocking moment on a reunion stage in a long time.

#Real Housewives of Miami #RHOM #Marysol Patton #Adriana de Moura #Kiki Barth #Larsa Pippen #Alexia Echevarria #Lea Black #Julia Lemigova #Guerdy Abraira #Martina Navratilova #Nicole Martin #Lisa Hochstein

[perseusannabeth]

Don’t Look (Okay Maybe Just a Little Peek) - Part 2

So here’s part 2 of Don’t Look (Okay Maybe Just a Little Peak), which was highly requested (I was so shocked lmao). Shout out to @bookstantrash for the idea! I hope you enjoy it.

If anyone has anymore requests, then please send them to my ask box! I’m currently running very low on prompts. It seems I am on a roll this week, since I’m off work.

Read part 1 here

Read on AO3

Masterlist for all fics

Word Count: 1806

Cassian was staring at the ceiling. He had the fan blowing on him, the windows were open, and he was in his boxers, but he still couldn't sleep. All he could think of was the events from yesterday afternoon. He closed his eyes and cursed the gods for taunting him. There was no other way to explain it. Cassian had been head over heels in love with Nesta for what felt like forever but was more likely to be a few months after meeting her nearly 3 years ago. He had been the one that had suggested living with her, thinking he could handle it, but it had been pure torture.  

Nesta had always been so put together, full of fire and looked as though she would rip his balls off if he dared to even breathe wrong, and he had loved it. Seeing her first thing in the morning, wearing oversized shirts that were extremely faded, and her hair a mess, her eyes barely open had been too much for Cassian to bear when he had first seen her. Now, almost a year of them living together, it still took his breath away, he had just gotten better at hiding his reaction to her, or so he hoped. Either way, she didn’t snap at him for funnily staring at her anymore.   

He had thought that would be the best version of Nesta he could ever see. That was the soft side of Nesta, which only a privileged few could say they had seen, and Cassian could add his name to that very shortlist. The horny side of him had decided that the best version of Nesta was the version he had seen yesterday. The horny part of his brain seemed to take over a lot when it came to Nesta which was unfortunate. This was even worse than when she walked around with no bra on under her shirts and he could see the faint outline of her nipples poking through. 

Cauldron, he felt like such a pervert. He felt incredibly guilty for walking in on Nesta in the shower. He was an idiot. He should've been paying attention when he had gotten home, but he hadn't because he had just assumed Nesta wasn't home yet. He had planned on just having a quick piss and then asking Nesta if she needed picking up since she hadn't texted him. He hadn't even noticed the shower running, although after he had left the bathroom, it was the loudest sound he'd ever heard.   

He had just barged into the bathroom, and gods above, he was so fucked. He had only caught a glimpse of what he had known was under her clothes all along, the thoughts he had tried not to linger on all this time. The pert breasts, rosy coloured nipples, the round ass that he just wanted to take a bite out of, her soft-looking skin, the little patch of hair between her legs that he just wanted to sink into, with his mouth, fingers or dick, he wasn’t particularly fussy, he just wanted to taste her.  

Cassian let out a small groan of frustration as he closed his eyes, images of Nesta flashing in his mind no matter how much he tried to wish them away. Just brilliant, now he was warm and horny. He was never going to sleep now. At least tomorrow was Saturday and he didn't have to go to work. He knew that if he turned up to work with shadows under his eyes and irritated, his brothers would easily figure out what the cause of his sleeplessness was. He had managed to pass Friday off as the unbearable summer heat keeping him up at night, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to make them fall for that one twice in a row. They had seemed suspicious when he had given his excuse but had let it go when Mor had changed the subject. He had never been more grateful for Mor in his life. He knew that she would probably grill him afterwards though, the price of her help was always gossip.   

His brothers thought it was hilarious that he was so gone for Nesta. They had never seen Cassian pining for someone. The pining was made even more interesting by Nesta's cold outward demeanour, and the way she rebuffed his attempts at flirting with her. Cassian knew there was more to it than Nesta being some ice queen. He knew that her shitty ex must have done a number on her. He saw the way that even Feyre was so soft and careful with Nesta when it came to certain topics. She hadn't been at first, but she must've found something out. Found out what that dickhead Tomas had done.  

Cassian couldn't stop thinking about the way Nesta had looked when he had cornered her in the kitchen. Not just how beautiful she looked in her pyjamas, her wet hair shoved up haphazardly, the slight blush on her cheeks from the embarrassment of being seen by Cassian in such a vulnerable state. No, Nesta was shocked. Shocked that Cassian would ever have feelings for Nesta, that he would ever think of her in that way. 

Maybe she had written off all of his flirting attempts as him joking around, he had never wanted to try seriously because of the fear of rejection. He didn’t want to make things awkward, to ruin what they already had. If things went south, he knew Nesta would cut off their friend circle, and he couldn’t live with that. But the fact that Nesta had never noticed the other men and women who flirted with her when they were out, the lingering stares. That surprised Cassian. He had just assumed she knew what she looked like, the effect she had on people.

He hoped that Nesta’s comment before she left to go to her room the other day meant that perhaps, she was slowly starting to change her mind about herself. That she would see herself the way she was, not the way that dickhead Tomas had made her see herself. She deserved better than that. 

Cassian eventually snapped out of his Nesta musings. He hadn’t seen her since they had spoken in the kitchen, since Cassian had opened his big fat mouth. He hoped he hadn’t scared her off. He hoped that she was just busy with work, and that’s why he hadn’t seen her all day. That had happened to them before. But if she was avoiding him, Cassian wasn’t sure his heart could handle that. 

Feeling even more restless now, Cassian decided to get up and get himself some water to drink. Maybe he’d take a sleeping pill and pass the fuck out because he wasn’t sure he could deal with 2 days in a row of not sleeping properly. 

He got up, pulling on some joggers just in case Nesta happened to be up at this time. He doubted it, Nesta slept at old people times, but still, he wouldn’t want to parade around in just his boxers and make her uncomfortable. 

He opened his door, only to come face to face with the woman who had ruined his sleep for 2 nights in a row now. She looked surprised, but then quickly neutralised her expression, and stepped away slightly after noticing just how close they were. 

“Nes, are, erm, is everything okay?”

Nesta was in her pyjamas, her hair slightly messy like she had been tossing and turning before she decided to get up. Her eyes were bright and alert, so she hadn’t just woken up. Perhaps Cassian wasn’t the only one unable to sleep.

“I… fine. I just, I was wondering, I mean-” Nesta rubbed her face, her frustration visible across her face. She took a deep breath, as though to ground her, and then tried again. “I just wanted to apologise for making things awkward with everything that happened.” Nesta’s face flushed slightly as she spoke. 

“Oh. You don’t need to apologise, it’s not your fault. I should’ve been paying attention. I’m sorry I made you feel uncomfortable, and for any of the dumb things I said afterwards.”

Nesta was silent and still. She didn’t move beyond the rise and fall of her chest. She just stared at Cassian in a way that was almost unnerving. Like she was analysing him for any little weakness. 

“You surprised me.”

Cassian’s eyebrows raised slightly at her admission. “What I said in the kitchen?” Nesta nodded slowly, her eyes now studying his, as though she was trying to look for some hidden meaning in them. “It’s true. I was afraid it would somehow ruin things, so I never said anything, but I used to practice how to ask you out in the mirror. Before you moved in before I found out you were with-” He cut himself off, not wanting to mention Tomas’ name in case it somehow upset her. 

“If things had been different, would you have?” 

“I’m not sure, I’m not sure I would have been brave enough. I’d like to think so. But either way, it doesn’t matter. What matters is now. Nesta Archeron, please, put me out of my misery and go out with a date with me?”

He couldn’t hide the hope on his face as he stared down at Nesta. 

“Okay.”

Cassian felt like he couldn’t breathe. “Okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll give it a shot.”

Cassian couldn’t help the big smile spread across his face. “I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t regret it. Thank you.”

Nesta smiled slowly, and Cassian felt like he had been punched in the chest. She was stunning, breathtaking, and she had agreed to go on a date with him. He was the luckiest bastard in the world. 

“Actually, I should thank you. You made me realise something.”

“What?” He asked breathlessly. 

“That I need to re-evaluate the way I see myself.” With that, she smiled, and leaned in, standing on her tiptoes to give him a quick peck on the cheek before walking back to her bedroom. 

Cassian was in a daze. He could feel the heat rushing to his cheeks. He felt like a 12-year-old, blushing because he had been kissed by a pretty girl. But Nesta Archeron wasn’t just a pretty girl, she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. She was a wildfire, but he was more than willing to get burnt by her. As Cassian got back into bed, completely forgetting why he had gotten out of bed in the first place, and unable to wipe the dopey smile on his face, his cheek still tingling from where Nesta had kissed him, he couldn’t help but think that perhaps things were looking up for Cassian and Nesta. 

Tags list (please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from this).

@hizqueen4life @kelly-fasel @sannelovesreading @acourtofmarauders @maastrash @sjm-things @bookstantrash @cursebreaker29 @humanexile @iammissstark @stardelia @superspiritfestival @courtofjurdan @cass-nes @thewayshedreamed

#my fic #acotar #acomaf #acofas #acowar #acosf #nessian #nesta archeron #cassian #nesta x cassian #text #dl(omjalp) ch2 #a court of thorns and roses #a court of silver flames #a court of wings and ruin #a court of frost and starlight #a court of mist and fury

[wwitbeyondmeasure]

Summer at the Burrow: r.w. fan fiction

Previous Chapters

Introduction / Author’s Note / Chapter 1: The Journey to the Burrow / Chapter 2: Hidden Letters / Chapter 3: Ron’s Return / Chapter 4: Nighttime Conversations / Chapter 5: A Morning Surprise / Chapter 6: The Quidditch Match 

Chapter 7: Girl Talk

Lunch passed by in a whirl. Numerous freckled hands snatched sandwiches off plates and scarfed them down. Jokes were played on family members as messes were made on the wooden table. The atmosphere of the dinning table in the Burrow was as it always was: chaotic and wonderful. However, you had a hard time enjoying the usual festivities. Your mind, and heart, with both still upstairs with Ron in that tiny bathroom. You wished more than anything to be back there, leaning in to the one person you wanted more than anything.

You risked a glance at Ron. He was unusually silent, not bothering to jump in when the discussion turned towards Quidditch. His eyes met yours and your heart skipped a beat. His cheeks reddened as he looked away quickly. You couldn't help but think that his thoughts were also focused on the same moment that had been replaying in your head.

"Y/n, do you want thirds?" Ginny asked from across the table. She had always been clever, and her steady look let you know she noticed your absent disposition. Her arched brow and knowing eyes told you that you needed to talk- soon. You shook your head to answer her question, despite how good the sandwiches were.

The rest of the day was spent doing chores. With most of the Weasley family home this summer, along with some additional guests, the house got messy very quickly.

"Couldn't you just magic everything clean?" George grumbled at his mother when she gave the list of chores to the group.

Mrs. Weasley's tone was as cold as ice. "Maybe if you children wouldn't have dragged mud all over the house after your Quidditch game, I would be happy to use magic. But since you did bring the entire garden into this house, you will clean it yourselves!" Her narrowed glare lessened as she looked upon you and Hermione.

"Of course, I don't blame you dears. You can rest while my children- yes Harry that includes you- clean the house," she told you with a loving smile.

Despite the offer, Ginny forced you and Hermione to help her sweep and mop the floors. The twins were tasked with putting away all their joke items and Harry and Ron were outside degnoming the garden for the second time that week.

To lighten the mood, you ran upstairs to retrieve the muggle radio you brought from home. You spent a lot of your time listening to it while you were lonely, dancing around your room when you knew no one would be watching. Turning the dial to your favorite station, you placed the radio on the shelf so everyone could hear it. Then your chores begun.

Sweeping wasn't so bad while you were doing it with your best friends. You joked and laughed the entire time, singing badly and off-key to your favorite songs. Ginny used her mop handle as a microphone to dramatically serenade Hermione. The twins even joined in on the fun by dancing next to you, feather dusters in hand. You threw your head back in a laugh as Ginny fell to her knees for her final solo.

This is what family is, you thought to yourself.

You didn't notice when Ron stopped in from outside to grab water for him and Harry. You didn't notice his gaze softened as he watched you dancing with his family. You didn't notice his eyes dropping to the way your hips swayed to the music, and you didn't hear Harry mumble, "Mate, you're whipped," to his friend.

                                                            ...

The sun set as you completed your chores and you found yourself cornered after dinner.

"Sleepover. Tonight. My room. You, me, and Hermione" Ginny said with a tone that made it impossible to argue with her. Not that you wanted to argue that, you actually missed having sleepovers with your dorm mates.

You made your way over to Ron who was just finishing up washing the dishes. You tried to ignore the way his broad shoulder muscles moved beneath his thin cotton shirt. You also tried to ignore the freckles peeping out from behind his hairline. Everything about him made your head feel dizzy and you suddenly felt the need to chug a large glass of water to cool down.

"Hey," you said gently, standing next to him and picking up a dish rag to help dry the plates.

"Hi," he responded, his voice alone making butterflies erupt in your stomach.

The next ten minutes passed without either of you saying a word. You fell into the familiar comfortable silence that only best friends can experience with one another. The rhythm of him washing the plates, you drying them, and then them magically floating back into the cabinets felt good. Everything you did together always just felt right.

"So," you said, speaking up once the dishes were done, "Hermione and I are sleeping over in Ginny's room tonight." You don't know why you brought it up, maybe as just another excuse to stay around him for longer.

You were surprised by the grin that immediately spread across Ron's face. "So I don't have to sleep on the couch tonight? Wicked."

Your smile subsided slightly. Ron didn't assume you and him would share a bed again tonight like you did the night before. You were silly to have hoped that would become a regular occurrence. Confused thoughts swirled around you in a whirl as you tried to hide your disappointment.

You nodded, and as you turned to walk up to Ginny's room, you felt Ron's hand reach out to catch yours.

"Y/n- wait..." he began. You looked up to meet his eyes and your insides melted when you saw him looking at you differently. He looked at you with determination and absolute attention- the same way he looked at you earlier that day, when you thought he was going to kiss you.

"If you have nightmares tonight, you know where to find me. My bed is always open for you" he said with a cheeky smile. His smugness and arrogance took you back for a second. Fred and George must be getting to him. You blushed as you turned back up the stairs.

Was that an invitation? Or just a flirty joke that friends say to one another?

These questions filled your mind as you changed into pajamas and made your way to Ginny's room. The moment you approached her doorway the door swung open and you were yanked inside. Ginny swiftly closed the door behind you to ensure privacy.

"Talk," was all she said.

You blushed as you sat down on her worn blue carpeting. Hermione was sitting on the floor, leaning against the bed with a book in her hand. The redhead plopped onto the ground next to you, laying on her stomach as she propped herself up on her elbows. This was the usual procedure for girl talk back at Hogwarts- Ginny leaning in, eager to hear your gossip as Hermione pretended not to notice but eventually gave in and joined your discussions.

"About what?" you asked innocently. Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione shut her book, her attention now focused on you. They were two of the smartest witches you ever met, and knowing you couldn't fool them, you decided to come clean.

"I think Ron and I almost kissed," you blurted out.

Hermione's mouth hung open as Ginny exclaimed, "Shut up!"

You nodded at their reactions, closing your eyes for a brief moment to relive the moment.

"When? How?" Hermione asked, scooting closer to you.

"Upstairs, he was helping me clean my cut after the game and then I guess...we started leaning in. I don't know if the kiss actually would have happened though- we were interrupted before I could tell what was going on" you explained.

Ginny's eyebrows knit together with anger. "Who interrupted? I swear if it was Fred or George I'm gonna beat their-"

"You did, genius. Your voice carries throughout the entire house," you said with a hint of humor, cutting her off.

"Oh," she replied, her ears turning pink.

Hermione grinned at you, "well this is good! Maybe you didn't kiss that time, but there will be other opportunities."

You smiled at your friend's optimism. As much as you loved your friends for supporting you and being interested in your love life, a part of you wanted to keep a part of the interaction between you and Ron to yourself. You wanted to keep a part of him close and secret to only you, so you switched the topic of conversation.

Turning to Ginny you asked, "So, how's Harry?" You wiggled your eyebrows in a teasing manner. The question made her launch into a hilarious story about how she caught him staring at her during Quidditch and managed to knock him off his broom.

"That's what boys get for not keeping their eyes to themselves, right y/n?" Ginny joked.

You laughed, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please! You should have seen the way Ron oggled at you while you were dancing today! His eyes were practically glued to your arse. I almost would have told him to get a room, it was so intense," Hermione said with a giggle.

You rolled your eyes, pretending this new information didn't make your heart race. If he really watched you the same way you watch him, maybe this fantasy of yours wasn't so far-fetched. Maybe, just maybe, he felt the same way.

The rest of your girls sleepover was filled with laughter and chatter as you talked into the wee hours of the morning. As Ginny and Hermione drifted off to sleep, you couldn't help but wonder if Ron was in his room right now- waiting for you. Each time your eyes closed, all you could picture was Ron, leaning closer and closer and closer... You fell asleep to your imagination wondering what his lips would feel like against yours.

#ron #ron weasley #ron weasley imagine #ron weasley fanfiction #ron weasley fan fiction #ron weasley imagines #ronald weasley #rupert grint #rupert grint imagine #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter references #harrypotterfanfiction #harry potter fan fiction #harry potter fan fic #harry potter imagine #harry potter imagines #harry potter preferences #ron weasley oneshot #harry potter oneshots #harry potter oneshot #ron weasley oneshots

[diyunho]

The Joker X Reader - “Ghost Driver”

When The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations. Turbo is The King’s Ghost Driver and although she’s a legend, her life is far from perfect.

Part 2

“Where’s all your stuff?!” Frost asks since the apartment is pretty much empty.

“Gave it to Adam,” you sulk. “He wouldn’t sign the divorce papers so I gave in; I don’t even care… I’m glad he’s out of here.”

Jonny gazes at you in silence, a million words rushing through his mind and The Joker’s henchman can’t articulate anything close to what he would like to vociferate besides foolish small talk:

“How are you holding up?”

“Not sure… I don’t even know what the hell happened to us…It used to be so great and then he started making comments about my weight, gossiping with his friends behind my back, then cheated… I couldn’t handle it,” Y/N confesses although Frost is already acquainted with the dreadful story of her crumbled marriage.

“Not what the hell happened to us,” he decides to underline his personal opinion. “I think the question should be what the hell happened to him: you didn’t do anything wrong. And I believe you look perfect,” he mumbles the last sentence.

“What was that?” you search the fridge for his favorite soda.

“Nothing... nothing…”

“Here you go,” you offer the cold Fanta to a distraught companion.

“Thanks, Y/N. Here’s the money for tonight,” he gives you the envelope. “As usually, half now , half after the job is done.”

“OK,” you accept the terms without issues because it’s how The Clown Prince of Crime pays for your services. “Jonny, why is there an extra thousand dollars in here?!”

“Ummm…” the man tries to find a reasonable explanation yet Y/N can’t accept his strategy.

“Should I text Mister Joker and thank him for the bonus?”

“Nope,” he bites on his lip.

“I appreciate it,” you return the extra cash to Frost. ”I’m fine. Really.”

“Well…” he takes the bills and stashes them in his wallet, “… let me know if you need anything, alright?”

“I promise I will, “ you smile. “I swear on my Turbo honor,” the joke makes him smile also.

“Hey Y/N… I was thinking… maybe one of these days, if you feel like it, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to… ”

Frost’s phone keeps ringing and he retrieves from his suit’s pocket, annoyed about the interruption.

“It’s Audra,” he huffs while declining the call.

“Might be important,” you sort of urge him to answer.

“Meh, I doubt it. She will chew my ears off regarding our relationship that ended 3 months ago. I’m not interested,” he strolls towards the exit due to another pressing matter he has to attend. “I have to go, Mister Joker has a meeting soon; I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

“See you,” you wave and lock the door when your cell alerts of an incoming text from The Joker.

Downloading two pictures… Pictures?!

“Oh…my… God…!” you hold your breath when the first image depicts a totally naked King of Gotham reflected in the mirror at his gym and squeal when the second one shows a close up of his mid-section.

“Oh my God!” you burst out laughing as you admire the unexpected missive. “Heeeelllo Mister Joker,” you mutter and actual phrases pop up on your screen.

“I sent these to the wrong number, Y/N. Ignore and erase them!”

“Of course, sir!” you immediately reply with no intention of doing it for the moment.

Why?

The hilarious error shook you up from apathy and it’s worth saving those pics for a bit longer since you can’t remember the last time something got your attention after the messy divorce.

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

11:49 PM

The Joker is the first one to get in the car next to you, firmly clutching to his suitcase full of diamonds freshly stolen from “Diamond Emporium” store on Glissan Avenue. You notice the other goons sneaking to the cars deliberately positioned around nearby streets for tonight’s robbery. How come J doesn’t go with them?

The dilemma is simple:

The green haired menace typically arrives with his regular crew when he plans heists but has Y/N pick him up after the job is done.

“Hi Mister Joker,” you greet your employer.

“Hey,” he acknowledges your presence. “Did you delete the pictures?” The Joker gets straight to the point.

“Yes,” you lie and tell the truth in the same time: you erased the whole body image but kept the close up one for future reference.

“Good. What did you think?” the hasty interrogation prompts a careful chosen response.

“You look very…,” and you pause in order to find the correct term since a tiny mistake could set him off. “… Healthy, Mister Joker.”

“I do,” he huffs quite pleased with your statement.

You wish to add more but Frost and the new hire squeeze in the back seat awaiting orders.

“You’re in luck kid,” Jonny places a box filled with precious gems at his feet. “Your first assignment and you get to meet Turbo.”

The young man opens his mouth in amazement as you move the fingers from your right hand in the air instead of a proper introduction.

“You’re Turbo?! I thought you’re a guy!” Nick blurs out and Frost punches him in the head, displeased with the observation.

“Sounds empty,” you growl while The Clown snorts.

“My Ghost Driver A GUY??!! Ha-ha-ha-ha!” the unnerving, screechy noises make the newbie shrivel up. “Turbo, A GUY!” he continues to amuse himself before giving Nick a psychotic glare.

“I’m…I’m so sorry, I meant no disrespect,” he nervously stutters especially since J called you “his”.

The poor bastard’s oblivious about what the label implies in The Clown’s universe: when The Joker says you’re his, it means you’re essential to him because he needs your services for his own gain; it literally has zero affectionate connotations.

“Where the fuck did you find this buffoon?” you chew on your gum, irritated.

“He’s Richard’s nephew,” Jonny sucks on his teeth.

“Uncle Panda is infinitely smarter,” Y/N barks at the revelation.

“I’m truly sorry,” Nick apologizes again and you cut him off.

“Save it!... … I hear sirens,” you slowly inhale and The King calmly articulates:

“I forgot to mention I accidentally triggered the silent alarm.”

Translation: he did it on purpose.

You snicker at the first lights blinking in the distance, excited to have some fun after stressing so much in the past weeks. The vehicles belonging to the gang scatter in different directions as you step on the gas pedal, accelerating towards the numerous police cars answering to the 10-64 code.

“That’s my girl!” J cracks his neck, already hyped at the adrenaline rush burning his veins: The Ghost Driver is perfect to offer him what he craves and she always delivers.

That’s why Turbo is his.

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

4:37 AM

“Hi…Mister…Mister Joker…” you attempt to talk without slurring.

“It’s Ella,” his girlfriend snarls.

“Why…where is he?” you guzzle down half of glass of wine, adamant in having a chat with your boss.

“Well, after you two had a merry time being chased by cops all over town, he came home and now he’s sorting out the diamonds,” the woman bitterly reports.

“I wanna talk to him,” you sniffle and drink some more alcohol.

“You just saw him. I’m sure it can wait until tomorrow.”

“I’m sure it can’t!” you shout. “I just received important information he’d be i…interested in,” you finally make it through the whole sentence.

Ella stomps in the living room, vexed at your behavior.

“It’s Turbo,” she shoves the phone in his fingers. “The bitch is wasted!”

“What did you call me?!” the appalled Y/N is about to burst when The Joker’s deep voice resonates I her ear.  

“Yeah?”

“Sir,” you correct your bitter tone. “I h-have very important news!”

“I’m listening,” J ignores his woman as she cusses you out.

“I have to tell you in person, sir. Let’s go on a date and I’ll reveal the entire shocking...”

“Huh?!”

“I have crucial information…”

“Quit repeating yourself!” The Joker interrupts. “You’re not making any sense. Go to sleep and we’ll catch up after you sober up.”

“But I wanna go on date Mister Joker,” you gulp the rest of the wine and prepare for a fourth round.

“Why, because I look healthy?” J mocks and Ella sighs, not understanding the odd conversation she’s witnessing. “… …. … Hello?”

A loud thud, then dialing tone at the other end of the line.

“I think she passed out,” The King of Gotham concludes, not particularly worried at the sudden halt of your monologue.

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

3 Days Later

The late meeting is almost done: the buyers already purchased the diamonds J had for sale, among them your ex-husband Adam that has a small crowd gathered next to him; he’s supposedly famous for his crappy attitude enjoyed by jerks sharing the same ludicrous humor.

“You know I’m sensible when it comes to challenges and I couldn’t grasp why she doesn’t want my help in shedding a few pounds. What’s the harm in that?! I love curves but sometimes I don’t, ya’ know?” he winks and the group laughs.

The Joker is arranging money in duffle bags, his concentration diverted by the impromptu comedic performance. What the heck are they yapping about?

Frost is certainly in a foul mood: J can guess his trusted henchman is worked up since the usual chilled Jonny can’t control his anger.

“What’s wrong with being voluptuous, hm?” he addresses Adam and it clicks for The Joker: this is about Y/N.

“Nothing at all,” he smirks and the laughter around the room dies out because not too many dare screwing with Jonny Frost. “I was merely emphasizing that if a woman can’t lose weight, she’s doomed. Y/N lost me, how is she going to get another stud if she…”

“Perhaps she’s not interested in pieces of shit; definitely had her share!” Frost grumbles at the absurd remarks.

The Joker has no clue about what’s going on, yet he won’t deny today’s entertainment is far from boring.

“Give me a break!” Adam scoffs. “Who’d sniff her tail if she refuses to get skinnier? Ooohhh, wait a minute, we might have an admirer,” he arrogantly slides your cell out of his coat. “I was browsing her pictures and what do you know? A gentleman sent Y/N a picture of his junk three days ago. I am deeply sorry, my bad. She does have somebody sniffing her tail. What kind of loser sends images of his dangling goodies to another dude’s wife?!” 

“Ex-wife!” Jonny sneers whilst J’s calculation leads to an easy verdict: you kept one pic.

“Whose junk is this?! Is it yours?” your estranged spouse accuses Frost without any evidence.

“It’s my junk,” The Joker’s serene revelation makes everyone freeze: they have no idea how to react at the puzzling escalation of events.

Is he bluffing?!

“I wasn’t aware I require permission in order to text whatever I desire to whomever I want.”

Awkward silence and Frost approaches Adam, boiling with indignation.

“Why do you have Y/N’s phone?”

Your husband doesn’t have a chance to justify his action: Jonny’s punch throws him to the ground, immediately followed by his unsettling ultimatum.  

“You son of a bitch, what did you do to her?”

Your former husband gets on his elbow ready to attack when The King’s stern inquiry stops his motion:

“WHERE.IS.MY.TURBO?”

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

After 1 hour

Frost lifts you higher in his arms while you keep wheezing, trying to regain control.

“I’m sorry…I attacked you,” the weakened Y/N whispers. “I thought you were Adam...”

After being abducted and left to starve for the last 3 days, you had one clear purpose: to kill the guy that did it. Adam surely crossed the line with his despicable plan of making you lose weight: he creeped in your apartment, kidnapped you and took you to his home where you were chained in the cellar until Jonny found you. The basement was dark and you couldn’t see, that’s why you used whatever strength you had left in order to attack the individual responsible for your misfortune.

Turned out it was actually a rescue party although Frost is now the proud owner of a beautiful bump courtesy of Y/N.

“No problem,” Jonny takes you to his SUV, carefully laying you down in the passenger’s seat. “How’s your head?” he wipes the dried blood on your cheeks since Adam knocked you out unconscious while you were talking to The Joker after the heist.

“I’m OK,” you start crying, mostly mad at yourself for being such an easy prey, yet you didn’t see it coming.

“You know… It’s OK not to be OK,” Frost opens a bottle of water and gives it to you. “I’ll take you home, you can take a shower and I’ll have the doctor come for an emergency evaluation. Are you hungry?”

“I’m so hungry,” tears stream down your face and Jonny has a great proposal.

“I’ll order some food and if you want me to I can stay with you. After you feel better, we could… and it’s entirely up to you, no pressure… maybe you would want to…”

The Joker rolls his eyes, deciding to emerge from the shadows.

“Wow, this is painful to watch. Frost believes he’s still in high school: basically he’s asking you on a date. There, done. No need to beat around the bush. Jesus!” J scolds about a subject he shouldn’t mess with. “I have a heist next week, you better be good to go by then!” he gestures at the confused duo. “If you’ll excuse me, I have my own date to honor. We’re done here, yes?”

“Yes sir,” Jonny replies for both, unwilling to split hairs with The Joker and his obnoxious aberrations. “Here’s your cell,” he returns the item to you and you snatch it, relieved. You seem to have an outburst of energy as you unlock the secured folder.

“Where’s Adam?”

“I don’t know, we had an altercation at the warehouse then he scrammed,” Frost reports, ogling a strange looking Y/N typing on her phone.

“He won’t be able to hide,” you grin and send the attachment to The Joker.

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

“We’ll be late for dinner,” Ella kisses The Clown. “I’m not a 100% positive why we had to waste precious time and come for her,” she pouts and drags him after her towards their vehicle.

J’s phone chimes and he stops in his tracks, not expecting a message from you seconds after the encounter.

“Mister Joker, you were very generous to share pictures with me.

Allow me to do the same.

Your Turbo.”

Imagines downloading and he’s not sure what to do when pics appear one by one: frames taken by the private investigator you hired to follow Adam when you suspected he was cheating. The bastard was diligent, but he was eventually caught in the act three days ago.

Who’s the woman he’s with?

The Joker’s Queen.

“What’s wrong?” she frowns at the visible switch in his temper.

The Clown ruthlessly slams Ella against the hood while her cell also receives a text from Y/N:

“Who’s the bitch now?”

 Also read: MASTERLIST

You can also follow me on Wattpad and Ao3 under the same blog name: DiYunho.

#the joker x reader #the joker fanfiction #the joker imagine #the joker jared leto #the joker #jokerleto #Jonny Frost #the joker suicide squad #joker fanfiction #joker imagine #joker suicide squad #mister joker #mister j #Mistah J #dcu #dc

[slimjim420]

A bit about Moss

Originally made by Stuck On My Shit (original here)

Personal - Basics

[Name]

Moss

[Race/Species]

Demon [] Angel [] Human [X] Other: []

[Age]

Supposedly 23

[Birthday]

May 18

[Height]

172 cm or 5′8

[Fingernail Polish Color(s)]

Navy blue

[Hair color/description]

Moss has messy white hair that goes down to the middle of their back. They often have it in some sort of ponytail or bun.

Personal - In-depth

[Gender or no | Pronoun(s)]

Nonbinary They/Them

[Sexual/Romantic Orientation or lack thereof]

Pansexual & Polyamorous

[Occupation Before Devildom Life]

They were Madame Luna’s successor doing complicated spells for people.

[Favorite Color(s)]

All shades of blue

[Personality]

MBTI: INTF

Ennagram: ???

Zodiac: Taurus

Personal - Other

[Likes]

Art, Music, Sweet foods, Anime, Jars, Bells, Incense, Candles, Frogs, Pigs

[Dislikes]

Loud noises, Crowded areas, Anything orange, Math

[Positive Traits]

Clever, (Mostly) Friendly, Forgiving, Confident

[Negative Traits]

Sarcastic, Dishonest, Impulsive, Lazy

Relationships

(I’m adding my other OCs to this)

[With Demons]

Lucifer: Moss looks up to Lucifer and respects him but gods does he get on their nerves. Everytime he speaks Moss has to hold themself back from slapping him.

Mammon: Moss considders Mammon their best friend. They always get up to stupid nonsense that is sure to piss Lucifer off.

Leviathan: Leviathan is one of Moss’s favorite people. Moss adores him and would do anything to ensure his hapiness.

Satan: Satan and Moss get along well. Satan reminds Moss of themself when they were younger.

Asmodeus: Moss loves hanging out with Asmodeus or just being around him. They also often gossip together.

Beelzebub: Moss and Beelzebub both have verry large apatites so they often sit and eat together. Moss thinks Beelzebub is absolutely precious and if anything bad ever happened to him they would RAISE HELL.

Belphegor: Belphegor is always surprised how eisily Moss trusts him after what he’s done. Moss can’t blame him for killing them though and it’s not like it’s the first time they’ve died.

Diavolo: Moss likes Diavolo and thinks his personality is quite entertaining but part of them can’t really trust him...

Barbatos: Moss calls Barbatos “Barbra” and often talks about how annoying he is. They truly have no problem with him but it’s now an ongoing joke between the two that they hate eachother.

Layla: Moss would die for Layla. Kill for Layla. They think she’s absolutely PERFECT and would do ANYTHING for her. Layla is very aware of this and uses it to her full advantage.

Nita: Moss thinks Nita is hilarious with her shy tsundere aditude. Nita looks up to Moss but she would never even dream of telling them.

Noah: Moss adores Noah and thinks of him as a younger brother. Noah still feels bad for breaking Moss’s leg once but Moss has told him he has more than made up for it by being a wonderful friend.

Rogan: Moss calls Rogan her pretty lesbian and would die for her. Rogan loves spoining Moss and finds it funny to get all cuddly with Moss right in front of Leviathan. Moss acts oblivious to her playful advances and Levi’s jealousy.

Max: Moss and Max get along just fine. They enjoy talking to Max when he and Satan are together in the house.

William: Moss and Will cuddle all of the time and Will often spoiles them with presents and praise. Moss loves this and tries their best to give him gifts that are just as nice.

Pidge: Moss saved Pidge’s life once so Pidge feels like she is forever in debt to Moss. Moss just enjoys hanging out with Pidge. Especially when she takes them out flying.

Lyle: Moss looks up to Lyle as he is technically their older brother. Lyle is the voice of reason to combat Moss’s impulsive chaotic personality.

[With Angels]

Simeon: Moss thinks Simeon is very kind and looks up to him but they also find him very bland.

Luke: Moss adores Luke. They call him “My son” or “My boy” and would literally kill anybody who dares upset him. Luke looks up to Moss and hopes to one day be just like them. Moss hopes that this does not happen.

Arina: Moss likes Arina quite a bit but they find her much too serious. Arina sees every interaction with Moss as just a business interaction (it technically is) and that really annoys Moss.

[With Humans]

Solomon: Moss quite likes Solomon but they find his overly kind personality somewhat suspicious. They would never admit that to Solomon’s face though.

Jackie: Moss only wants to impress Jackie and sees her as a motherly figure. Lackie would kill anybody who so much as looks at “her boy” the wrong way.

JJ: Jeremiah looks up to Moss and refuses to call them anything but “Boss” most of the time. Moss finds this adorable but in return jokinhgly calls him “Pretty Boy”

Shank: Moss gets on Shank’s damn nerves and Shank often tries to kill them. Moss finds this hilarious and likes to flirt with her and call her “Pretty Woman” or “Pretty Lady” just to get on her nerves. Shank secretly adores Moss and they are the only person besides JJ allowed to call her Kiana.

Madame Luna: Moss loved Madame Luna as if she was their actual mother. They still feel guilty for killing her even though it had to be done.

[With other beings]

Indigo: Moss and Indigo have a mutual admiration for eachother. They get along very well as their personalities are very similar.

Jay: Moss and Jay get along just fine. Moss finds Jay quite plain and Jay finds Moss much too chaotic and obnoxious. And if Mammon’s boyfirend thinks you’re chaotic it’s probably true...

Stella: Moss thinks Stella is rather admirable. Stella is the clever businesswoman Moss’s parents always wanted them to be.

E: E is quite important to Moss for many reasons. E finds the “tiny human” quite intriguing but she will always slightly fear Moss because of the first time they met.

Sadie: Sadie is like a sister to Moss. Moss has literally killed for Sadie before and would gladly do it again if necessary. Sadie has been with Moss through everything and their bond is unbreakable.

Lucy: Lucy and Moss act like they hate eachother with Moss calling Lucy “Spooky bitch” and Lucy calling Moss her “Piggy faced sibling”. But in reality they would do anything to protect eachother.

Favorite Things About the Devildom

[Favorite Job(s)] The Royal Library

[Favorite Place(s) to Hang at] In Levi or Asmo’s room, At Will’s house, The Planetarium, The roof of The House of Lamentation

[Favorite Food(s)] Anything sweet

[Favorite Class Subject(s)] {You can check out this awesome list by @hyper-super-clover for ideas or be creative} Spells, Curses & Hexes, Potions, Devildom History

[Favorite Devildom Version of Something from the Human World - Be Creative!] Moss thinks that the rip off names they have for apps and games is hilarious. Every time Levi tells them about a game that has a name VERY similar to a game in the human world and the game is exactly the same as the human world version Moss can’t help but laugh. When Levi told them about “Devilcraft” they just laughed their ass of.

Least Favorite Things About the Devildom

[Least Favorite Job(s)] Hell’s Kitchen

[Least Favorite Places to Go] Any party Asmo or Mammon tries to drag them to, they also clame to get weird vibes from the Demon Lord’s Castle and refuse to spend too much time there

[Least Favorite Foods] Anything spicy

[Disliked Class Subject(s)] {You can check out this awesome list by @hyper-super-clover for ideas or be creative} Sacrificial Teachings, Mathematics, Sports

[Stuff that Can be Considered a Negative About the Devildom] Moss hates how dark and cold it is. They loved it at first until they kept getting sick with their shit immune system and no sunlight.

Personality Chart

#obey me #obey me shall we date #obey me oc #obey me mc #obey me mc template #obey me mc chart #obey me template #obey me lucifer #obey me mammon #obey me leviathan #obey me satan #obey me asmodeus #obey me beelzebub #obey me belphegor #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me luke #obey me simeon #obey me solomon #obey me barbra #mc: Moss

[protectduffy]

christmas headcanons!

merry christmas, if you celebrate it! hope you have a beautiful new year! here are some headcanons for you, including the guys and gals! x

featuring: their favourite holiday activity with you, and what they get you!

Arthur

- activity: horse trail. Arthur takes you on a ride, you sat at the front with your back to his chest, to watch the sun rising over the horizon. He just loves the magic feel of the moment, and the way your breathing soothes him in return.

- gift: he gives you a beautiful sketch he’s been working on, secretly, for quite a while. It’s very detailed and it awes you how much attention he has given to your every scar, freckle, and laugh line.

Charles

- activity: star-gazing. there’s something timeless and romantic about looking at the constellations, especially when you’re lay back with Charles. He points out the stars to you, whispering their names and tracing soft patterns against your skin.

- gift: a pair of soft feather earrings which twirl when the breeze catches them. He made them himself, and gives you the best puppy eyes when you wear them, his expression purely adoring.

John

- activity: drinking. A rather simple holiday activity, but John loves to drink with you. He especially loves tiptoeing past the edge into being slightly drunk, where everything is hilarious for the pair of you and you both end up having a slightly blurred but very amusing night.

- gift: a night away in a hotel. He whisks you off your feet and books you into the Strawberry hotel, somewhere away from camp and the law, in the quaint little town where he can wake up the next morning and tangle up with you in the streaming sunlight.

Javier

- activity: decorating. He loves to remind everyone of the hope that comes with a holiday, and to annoy Micah by stringing up pretty baubles on tree branches or including certain festive herbs in the meals.

- gift: an engraved knife. He saw yours and cringed at the state of the old thing; flimsy and worn down. Javier bought one for you made of the smoothest steel, engraved with a beautiful songbird because you’re his little bird.

Dutch

- activity: dancing. At the end of the night, Dutch loves to pull you close and wordlessly embrace you in a slow dance, listening to his calming music, feeling your rhythmic heart beating.

- gift: jewellery. It might sound tacky, but it’s very sentimental to him. He considered buying you a new piece, but instead he gives you one of his rings on a sturdy, glimmering silver chain. Dutch likes the idea of leaving you with a small piece of him when he’s away, and he can’t tear his eyes away from you when you flaunt around in it, expressing that you’re his.

Hosea

- activity: the morning. Nothing is better for Hosea than waking up to you lay beside him. He always starts such a beautiful morning by stroking your hair, admiring your familiar features, and laying quietly with you as the sun warms your faces.

- gift: horse tack. After a ride together shortly before the holidays, he picked up on your compliments of his beautiful new saddle, a soft beige colour with swirling artworks in the leather. Hosea made sure to get yours custom made with your favourite flowers on the side, and carved his name in the underside, so you’d have that reminder always on hand.

Bill

- activity: food. Holiday food is his favourite thing to receive, because it reminds him of being younger, maybe a more innocent time for him. Besides, he thoroughly enjoys eating way too much with you before proceeding to pass out with one another in a happy heap, processing the meal and the day.

- gift: improved weapons. A bit bashful about gift giving, Bill didn’t want to outright struggle with picking something to buy or make, so instead he took all your most adored weapons and dropped them at a gunsmith. By dawn of the next day, Bill was a little flustered at your gasps of surprise at the state of them; gleaming like new, all with fresh ammunition, the worn parts replaced to be stronger than ever.

Kieran

- activity: gift exchange. He isn’t materialistic, so he doesn’t expect anything for the holidays, but he absolutely adores giving you things. He loves the way you genuinely smile at him, and how you praise him or light up at the gift he presents to you.

- gift: a fishing pole. Silly though it might seem, he loves going fishing with you in unique, quiet spots because that is uniquely your thing together. However, after a few weeks of you sharing a rod, he made you your own fishing pole with a cute little feather attached to the tip, so he can continue to enjoy his time with you and share in the experience even more.

Sean

- activity: singing carols. Usually this is done after a few drinks, but he is just as happy to burst into song fully sober in the middle of camp, midday. It pisses everyone off, but you join in with that mischievous gleam he so loves, and it reminds him how much you have his back no matter what.

- gift: whiskey. Maybe a bit predictable for Sean, but it isn’t just any whiskey, it’s his favourite. An Irish brand, he searched for ages trying to hunt it down for you to try. He can’t give you much, and he doesn’t feel like he has much to give of himself, so getting you something from his homeland felt a lot like sharing his history with you. Plus, he loves drinking with you.

Eagle Flies

- activity: stories. The holiday season always reminds him of ancestors come and gone, of stories passed through generations. Welcoming you into his life includes all these stories, and you both enjoy the intimate moments of sharing intricate stories by the fire.

- gift: a bow. Handmade, of course, from wood both stable enough to hold strong but supple enough to curve into your hands. It fires beautifully, and he likes to compliment you that the pale colour of the wood in your hands is a beautiful scene. 

Albert:

- activity: outfits. A rather silly tradition, but you and Albert each wear a somewhat matching holiday outfit after the one year it happened by coincidence. Now, he insists you both shop for similar and fairly ridiculous holiday clothes, like a hideously coloured vest or a pair of pants with fur lining the waist. It’s basically the equivalent of modern ugly sweaters, and he wears it with pride.

- gift: a photograph. Not of anything he’s taken, nor of nature, but of the pair of you. He was a bit nervous about going in for a photograph as a couple at a proper studio, but Albert longed to give you a gift to keep hold of when he couldn’t be by your side. The first photo was stiff, awkward, and the second much the same. But, oh, the third photograph is just darling - you had whispered something in his ear that made him laugh, and you along with him, just as the camera snapped the scene. It’s a beautiful capture of the two of you embracing in a fit of laughter.

Micah:

- activity: drinking games. Micah loves to show off his skill with some drinking games, but it is also a rather calming thing for him to put his mind to. On the other hand, he very much enjoys watching you let loose, start to let go of your tensions, and truly engage together in a game of cards or something similar.

- gift: a gun belt. Micah always teases you about your weapons and your storage, especially after seeing you struggling to holster your weapons and stash your ammo in your bag or at your hip. Although he’d brush it off as nothing, Micah actually sized you up and had you a proper gun belt made to clip around your hips, with holsters for three guns and two ammunition pouches. Of course, he had to sketch his name in with a knife on the very back, where the belt rests on your butt.

Sadie

- activity: saloon visit. You two enjoy saloon-hopping for the holidays, experiencing very different festive atmospheres and appreciating the seasonal drinks. When it gets very late, you can simply rent out a room and crash together, soaking in the events of the day.

- gift: a lasso. Sadie loves taking you on bounty trips, she likes to see you in action and work together with you (but is always very wary of the fine line where she must keep you safe, at all times). However, your rope snapped on a hunting trip against a straining buck, and she had seen how your face fell in disappointment that you couldn’t use it in any of your upcoming bounty hunts. Sadie is quick to buy you a brand new one, but made of essentially double the strength in a much tighter woven design which holds far better.

Tilly

- activity: chatting. Tilly doesn’t get too much time to slack off when she has chores to do, but around the holidays when things are less tense, she enjoys chatting with you. There’s often little stories you have to share, or gossip, and amusing things you’ve both seen lately. You chat together under a wide oak tree, side by side, enjoying the company.

- gift: a picnic dinner. She isn’t as big on material gifts and wasn’t sure how best to make you smile, so she treated you to a lovely night together in a meadow with the best dishes she could politely force Pearson to rustle up for you two. A bottle of rum was included, and the two of you could end the night laying back, staring up at the stars.

Charlotte:

- activity: cooking. The smell of the herbs and the sizzle of the dishes is so familiar to Charlotte, she loves to share the gift of cooking with you. There isn’t anything quite like the sense of satisfaction when the two of you can step back to admire the beautiful but modest feast you made.

- gift: mittens. It gets really cold in winter when it snows, and when you’re out riding in the cold, Charlotte always winces at the thought. She’s felt your freezing hands against her flushed skin when you’d returned home. She decided to sneakily start knitting a pair of mittens for you, to keep your hands warm. The end product is a little messy, the pattern very all over the place in a jumble of bright coloured wool, but they are snug, warm and sturdy.

Susan

- activity: group time. Susan likes to be more relaxed around the camp on a rare day where things aren’t as hectic as usual. She takes this time to wind down with you, have a quiet chat to other gang members, partake in a dance with you and the others. It’s nice to reaffirm familial bonds.

- gift: a compact mirror. She notices a lot about you, especially when you’re not feeling amazingly confident about your looks on certain days. It always makes her frown in dismay. Susan had the idea to seek out a beautiful hand mirror with a gold handle and frame, engraved with roses on the back. When she gave it to you, she’d written on it in small writing with lipstick, my beautiful darling, always.

Karen

- activity: cuddling. Of course, this is self explanatory. She doesn’t feel she gets enough time to simply hold you close, but the holidays makes her especially cuddly. Anytime, anywhere, she’ll tackle you in a big bear hug and doesn’t care if the embrace lasts long enough to make others uncomfortable.

- gift: a night on the town with herself and you, just as a couple. She buys you drinks, food, trinkets, all sorts to spoil you in Saint Denis. When you’ve both successfully explored every inch of the place and fallen into exhaustion, Karen helps you stumble back to the saloon and collapse onto a springy mattress, right into her waiting arms.

Mary-Beth

- activity: reading. Although she already loves to read, Mary-Beth finds a special enjoyment in reading aloud to you. It calms the pair of you and it offers something unique to share, a story you’re both invested in and want to finish together. Usually those nights are spent with your head in her lap, listening to the soft lulling tone she uses as the reads to you.

- gift: a cheesy chapter about you as the main character, and her as your doe-eyed love interest. She wanted to offer something more personal, so she was working on a lengthy chapter for a while. You star as the main character, the hero, whisking Mary-Beth as your enamoured lover on a short journey. The whole thing is funny and romantic, the ending a little steamy, but it cuts off before anything can get too heated. That’s where you must make the story a reality.

#red dead redemption 2 #reader inserts #headcanons #arthur morgan #javier escuella #john marston #sean macguire #kieran duffy #hosea matthews #dutch van der linde #eagle flies #albert mason #charles smith #micah bell #bill williamson #mary-beth gaskill #karen jones #tilly jackson #sadie adler #susan grimshaw #charlotte balfour #x reader #cute #christmas imagines #holiday scenarios

[vagrantblvrd]

Hi friend! Superhero au with Jerevinwood? Ryan & Fiona are a duo & she is the driving force to get the three of these idiots together. She & Lindsay just >:3c at these three at all times. Gav & J another super(hero/villain) & Ry & Fiona are also super(h/v). They run into Gav & J & always have these flirty stand offs, Fiona is 100% done, Linds is greatly amused by all of this & helps her wife get them together but shenanigans happen & they get together anyways, much to Fiona & Lindsday's relief.

Holy shit, I love it?

Like, yessssss.

I really love the idea of Ryan as this (mostly) hapless idiot superhero? Like, sure, he’s not a heavy-hitter like Fiona is?

But he comes up with the armor/gadgets/vehicles/mini-robot army.

Literally in a way, because tiny little robots about yea high - maybe six inches tall at the most - that help him around his workshop. Little helpers who hand him tools when he asks for them and pick up pick up screws and nuts/bolts that fall behind/under the worktable.and otherwise would be lost for forever.

The leader (butler) robot that rides around on Ryan’s shoulder/hovers about and nags him beeping and the whatnot not unlike R2-D2 or some other adorable movie robot because Ryan is what experts would call a fuckin’ nerd. (Fondly, though.)

There’s this old cross between the Master Chief/Ironman-ish suit in the back o f the workshop Ryan used in his younger years? But he could never fine-tune it enough for it to be useful in prolonged fights/situations. (Put strain on his body and such doctors warned him about and he was all lol, i’m fine! until there was this situation that dragged on for too damn long and he ended up in a Convenient Coma for a bit and just.

Yeah.

So he quit that team - they cared more about what he could do with his suit than his well-being and anyway, anyway, 90% turned evil after he left, so yes.

Decided to retire after that, make a quiet living doing something suitably nerdy.techish and tinkering away in a garage workshop in the suburbs where he pretended to be some normal dude.

One day he catches a report on the news one day about this new hero that showed up who was fucking the bad guys up? Like seriously going to town on them, but obviously young and while she had some great moves she barely won the fight and anyway, anyway.

He pushes the incident out of his head because he’s retired and it’s not his business?

But then he’s in town and there’s yet another incident that he (naturally) gets caught up in because wrong place at the wrong time.

Tiny butler robot hiding in his coat pocket or tucked into his scarf and pulled up jacket collar is beeping insistently at him as some asshole goes past rampaging away, and then the super he saw on the news shows up to stop them.

Which you know, they do? But it’s...messy. (Happens with supers new to the life, more focused on stopping the supervillain they go a little overboard. Happens to all of them, just needs some training/experience to get that kind of stuff down.)

So, hey.

Ryan’s grateful for the new super saving his life and all? But they’ll figure their shit out just fine and off he toddles home.

Or would, but then butler!robot sneaks off to drop a little piece of paper - maybe even totally normal civilian guy Ryan’s business card - into the super’s pocket, or the equivalent without either of them noticing.

So you can imagine Ryan’s surprise when also totally normal civilian lady Fiona shows up at his house/business and is like, “Hey, dude.”

She stopped the supervillain but they’ve since escaped or been released on a technicality or something along those lines, and there’s nothing she can do about it?

But then that surprise!business card that’s maybe a clue/lead as to the supervillain’s identity?

So off she goes to check this guy out, expecting some classic underground lair or whatever, but it’s just a well-equipped workshop for a nerd of Ryan’s (normal civilian Ryan, because his real workshop is in a hidden sub-sub-basement with, idk, biometric security measures or something suitably impressive to access) caliber.

He is all ??? at how she got his business card, but butler!robot is being super sketch so he figures it out really fast.

Some chit-chatting goes on and it doesn’t take long for him to realize Fiona’s totally the new super? And that she’s here for something, even though he doesn’t know what?

Realizes after a while she think he’s suspicious as hell, but it’s more amusing to him than annoying and he just. Goes along with it. Plays up his borderline supervillain tendencies like whoah all this ominous sounding stuff you’d expect from a baddie pretending to be a bad guy but not putting too much effort into it?

Fiona makes up an excuse to come back to his workshop some other day. Maybe talks about commissioning him to make her a butler!robot too as a cover story or something and he’s like “Okay!” :D because this whole thing is amusing as hell, and also he likes her?

And then!

Montage sequence of dumbasses becoming friends and Ryan’s tiny robot army totally liking Fiona more than him. (They don’t, but goddamn are his reactions hilarious when they pretend they do, and also Fiona’s in on it with them. Makes all these comments and gives him looks like she’s about to steal all his tiny robot friends.)

ANYWAY.

The escaped/released supervillain strikes again and Fiona goes off to fight them, but this time she’s obviously outmatched. (Supervillain’s called in friends/invested in better/more henchpeoples.)

Ryan watches it on the news, sees Fiona go down hard and get carted off to the supervillain’s lair. Presumably going to be a public execution later, Ryan doesn’t know for sure because he turned the tv of in the middle of the asshole’s Supervillain Victory Speech(TM).

Quiet down in the secret workshop aside from the tiny robot army bustling about picking up dropped parts/cleaning up/that one endearingly slow one that’s stuck in a corner like a roomba that’s lost its way.

Butler!robot hovering over his shoulder with this worried air about it because it’s super fond of Fiona.

Ryan manages to pretend he’s not worried for a little bit longer, but it’s bullshit and his robot army knows damn well it is.

And, look.

He’s been tinkering with his old suit here and there for years, because it’s always bothered him that he couldn’t get the damn thing to work the way it’s supposed to?

Still not perfect, but might not kill him if he wears it too long now. (He’s 70-ish% sure about that.)

No time to think about that, though, because gotta save Fiona?

So he gets into the suit and packs along some new gadgets and the whatnot he wasn’t not making for Fiona (figured he could get then into her hands without her realizing who they’re from) and goes off to save the day.

Which doesn’t go exactly to plan, but neither of them die and the supervillain ends up headed to supervillain prison and then it’s like.

“Huh.”

Because Fiona totally knows it’s him - helmet of the suit got severely damage in the fight and he had to ditch it. And also she knows that he knows she’s a super. (Only an idiot wouldn’t have figured it out, which is why the supervillain still doesn’t know.)

And then, you know.

Superhero duo?

Ryan mostly does the gadget thing, but he keeps working on the suit and eventually gets to a point he’s 85-90% sure it won’t be the death of him any time soon and goes about superheroing with her.

Which is how they meet Jeremy, who’s this little idiot trying to become a major player in the supervillain world. (Because reasons?)

Also this internationally renowned thief/anti-hero in Gavin who has this Thing with Jeremy?

Works with him when he’s not gallivanting about being wanted by the likes of Interpol and all that?

Thinks Jeremy’s ridiculous - like he’s not Evil(TM) but he sure likes the idea of being a supervillain or, just. who knows with him.

Fiona is like OMG when she realizes what’s going on between the three of them?

And like. To be honest, so is Gavin because he totally figured out the whole love-triangle thing the tabloids - and even reputably news outlets - are always on about when it comes to the three of them is way off the mark. But it’s fun watching the other two fumble about figuring their shit out.)

I’m just. Fiona and Gavin having coffee and the whatnot as their normal civilian personas to gossip about their idiots and otherwise shenanigate? Thief/anti-hero Gavin being ~chased by Fiona while Ryan and Jeremy square off/flirt outrageously?

(Absolutely bet on whether or not smooches take place while they’re ”fighting” or if the whole “Oh, no, I’ve been pinned!!1!” while engaging in sexy fighting - which honestly ends with at least one (1) smooch most of the time, so it’s win-win all around.)

As to the Lindsay/Fiona side of things?

I love the idea of Lindsay as a veterinarian/back alley doctor that Jeremy and Gavin go to for help when they get hurt and don’t want to risk a hospital/whatever?

Which is how Ryan and Fiona find out about her - Jeremy and Gavin accused of some heinous crime. End up being hunted by everyone in the city and only Ryan and Fiona think they’re innocent/being framed and yes.

OR.

Lindsay’s the mayor/deputy mayor who’s the one who really does the work around the city. Meets Fiona when Lindsay’s been kidnapped/being held hostage and it’s superhero meet-cute 101?

Ryan is like, OMG because how often does this shit happen? But also, “Just hurry up and get her number, the supervillain’s getting away!”

And then!

Idiot boys figure their shit out because some baddie from Ryan’s past comes to town and due to plot reasons has this grudge against Ryan?

Which naturally means all his loved ones are in danger because of it, and this assholes goes after the ~supervillains Ryan’s obviously in love with because who else to use to make Ryan hurt more?

This whole deal where Ryan insists on putting his suit on. He’s just made improvements to it that are untested but of course he doesn’t give a damn about that because his idiot love interests!!1!

So off he goes, and he doesn’t do too badly at first? But this asshole planned for that, and manages to capture Ryan.

Whole bit where he’s forced to watch as this asshole nearly kills Jeremy and Gavin before Fiona (and some other allies they’ve made since then) show up to save the day.

Everyone leaving the three of them alone while they oversee the asshole being taken into custody and the whatnot and just.

Super awkward Confessions of Love and the whatnot and them helping one another out of the secret lair where Fiona and Lindsay and whoever else are waiting on them and just.

Yes.

ALSO.

I kind of want Fiona’s power to be super strength or fire-based because lololol?

AND.

Her and Ryan’s dynamic is totally that one where he has to hold her back all the time?

Like always down to fucking fight someone Fiona (Lindsay’s words, not his) and poor Ryan trying to keep her from punching every asshole who makes the mistake of catching her attention.

Actually picks her up and carries her off while he’s wearing his suit one day with her fighting to get out of his hold to fuck some assholes up, and everyone being !!! because what the hell???

(Ryan just. Shaking his head because those assholes have no idea how close to death they just came. Figuratively, because Fiona would really have killed them? But wow would they be hurting.)

#ragehappy #jerevinwood #i don't know what lindsay/fiona ship name is #but that one #prompt fills #superhero au #technically not a fic #vagrant fic #deleriousfromcoffee

[maxiekat]

In a world full of rom-coms, when was the last time you cried over an onscreen breakup that actually stuck? No grand gestures to save the day, just pure, raw, lust and heartbreak. If you want to get so deep in your feels you forget if you’re actually heartbroken or just bleary-eyed over someone else’s love story, then you may need to subscribe to the church of Drake Doremus.

The director is known for his mostly improvised, chill-inducing romantic dramas (Like Crazy, Newness, Equals) and his latest is a tender-to-the-touch look at a modern love triangle in Endings, Beginnings, which premieres Sunday at Toronto Film Festival. Much like his previous work, Endings, Beginnings is clever and cutting, but also soft and quiet. Shailene Woodley is at the heart of the film playing Daphne, a thirty-something artist (her specialty is hand-painted tea pots, which she sells on Etsy) who recently and abruptly quit her job and ended her long-term relationship with her boyfriend (Matthew Gray Gubler, in his third Doremus film).

Looking for a hard reset on life, Daphne moves into the pool house of her much more together older half-sister. She also stops drinking, focuses on looking for a new job, and cuts men out of her life. Until, of course, she meets two men at a New Year’s Party. One’s brooding, asking her for a light of a cigarette in the most drunken and charming of ways. He’s wearing a shearling jacket, worn-in with adventures. The other’s in LA’s version of a suit — he’s put together, and looks at her with the steady intentness. Daphne should be avoiding both, but she quickly becomes enamored with bad boy Frank (Sebastian Stan), a nomad who drinks absinthe, and good boy Jack (Jamie Dornan), an academic who has a dog and dreams of moving to Europe. What starts as innocent text-flirting evolves into two full-blown relationships. Oh, and the guys are best friends.

When Stan first read for the film, he read for both Frank and Jack’s role, but what really attracted him to the heady rom-dram was Dormeus himself, of whom he’s been a huge fan. “I met him and I said, ‘I gotta tell you, I don’t know which one of these people you are seeing me as, but I really relate to both of them. I love both,’” he says over the phone to Refinery29. Stan’s in London where he’s filming the spy-thriller 355, a movie he says is “stylistically and tonally very different,” than Endings, Beginnings, but with “a couple of similarities here and there.”

“And we just got very deep. We got into relationships and being in our 30s and the world we are in right now, and all our experiences.” The vulnerability seen on-screen between Woodley, Stan, and Dornan is something special, and almost entirely improvised, based on just 30 pages of notes. Endings, Beginnings is a far cry from the big budget Marvel movies you’re used to seeing Stan in (he plays Captain America’s pal Bucky Barnes in seven Marvel movies and one upcoming spin-off series.) I was reading your Instagram post earlier gushing about working on this film with Drake. When did you become a fan of his, and why did you two think Frank was the role for you?

“I was aware of [Drake] for awhile. Like everyone else, I loved Like, Crazy, and then I also like his recent movie with Nicholas Hoult, Equals. I was also just really interested in doing a movie and improvising  —   because the entire movie is practically improvised. I never worked in that medium before. I got a call saying, Hey do you want to meet with Drake and talk about this movie [and] read the draft?, which was basically like 30 pages. There were two guy [parts] at the time. I met him and I said, ‘I gotta tell you, I don’t know which one of these people you are seeing me as, but I really relate to both of them. I love both.’ And we just got very deep. We got into relationships and being in our 30s and the world we are in right now, and all our experiences. Again, I didn’t really know that is where we were gonna go, but he was very honest with me and I was honest with him. We parted ways, and the next thing I knew he called me to have a session with somebody at the time that he was thinking of for the role as Daphne, and I went in and had a 3-hour improv session with him, then he called me and told me that he wants me to do the Frank role and I was fine with that.”

Only 30 pages. Everything else is improv? All the film’s dialogue?

“Yes, that is all literally on the day, in the moment, happening real-time. Basically, the script that he had was just the outline: Daphne comes out a recent relationship and moves in with her best friends. They’re having a New Years Party, and she runs into Frank who asks her for a cigarette. It was all outlines, but in terms of the dialogue and how we would get there, that was all improvised. That was an interesting experience because I had never worked that way and no take is ever the same. I walked away from that experience feeling very vulnerable. You’re not hiding behind any lines.”

The improvisation really added to the film. I left it feeling more emotional than I expected.

“We’ve all had relationships, and we know how tricky they are. They’re complex and there’s many layers. I don’t know — I have always loved romantic comedies. I grew up on When Harry Met Sally and all that, but I sometimes feel that relationships aren’t entirely depicted as messy and as raw and as painful as they are. That’s why I loved working with him because I feel like he gets to the core of situations. I’m happy to hear you related to it because that is what he wants. He wants you to go, 'I’ve had that conversation...been in that situation.’”

There’s been a resurgence in romantic comedies, but not so much romantic dramas like this. Do you think there’s a reason why?

“I love romantic comedies and there is a space for them, but [rom coms] are hopeful. Sometimes when I go to the movies, I don’t want to necessarily see what my life is. I want to be like, Hey! It’s nice to think that maybe that could be that way. If you want to be inspired, or laugh a little bit — there’s that element of it. And sometimes you want to see a movie that makes you feel less alone in your experience. A lot of European films are much closer to this, and I think Drake loves a lot of European films and is influenced by them and the personal quality. Structurally in romantic comedies, you have bigger things happening, right? Whereas [in this movie], there are big things happening, but there’s a much more subtle transition through everything.”

Frank is the “player” of the film, while Jack is the “good guy,” for lack of a better phrase. You’ve said before that you didn’t really know why you were often cast as the “bad boy.”  Do you still not know why?

“I don’t know! [Groans] I don’t know. The truth is, the reason I was saying [I could play] Jack was that I talk a lot in my life. I philosophize a lot. I try to read things. Then I think about it, and then I wanna talk about it. I relate to that [aspect of Jack]. And actually, there was a lot to Frank and Daphne that we shot that was funny. They had a lot of their own back and forth, but what ended up being in the movie —  I think Drake never forgot the vision that he had for Frank — [was him] being much darker than we shot. I am happy it ended up that way because there needed to be a contrast.

But I don’t know! I am glad they think I can do this. I am one of the most over-thinking, neurotic people I know. So I don’t know how it happens, but it keeps happening.”

I thought a big part of Frank also was his big shearling jacket. Since most of the movie was improvised, did you have anything to do with his outfits?

“Oh yeah, I kept that jacket, first of all. It’s a great jacket. What’s great about Drake is that he was like, ‘Hey, listen, people wear the same stuff all the time. If something works, let’s just it.’ I was like yeah, the guy probably kind of flies by the seat of his pants anyways so he just has a few things. I think I wore some of my own jeans. The boots I wore were mine. Drake definitely wanted us to wear our own stuff so we could feel comfortable in it.”

This was originally called No, No, No, Yes and ended as Endings, Beginnings. How did the title change shape the movie?

“It was always a working title. I saw that it was paired up with her experience — every no and every yes was paired to one of the relationships that she was going through. Endings, Beginnings is a little more specific. I know for awhile he was even contemplating a title that was even just made up of emojis which I thought would have been really fun.”

Oh yeah. I loved the texting aspect in this movie.

“There is an element of texting in the time period we are in, and there is this new language to it. They got it in the sense that both Jack and Frank have their very specific ways of texting. Jack probably uses punctuation, and Frank does not. [Laughs]”

You’ve worked with a few of the Big Little Lies women now. Do you have plans to work with the others like Zoe Kravitz, Reese Witherspoon, or Laura Dern?

“That has not hit me — that’s kinda funny. I don’t think I have ever met Reese Witherspoon and I’ve met Laura Dern. If the opportunity presents itself then great. I certainly wouldn’t have had a problem if there had been a role in the second season. I would have done it in a second. I loved the first season.”

I have one more that I have to ask about — obviously Gossip Girl is getting rebooted, and Chace [Crawford] said it made him feel “old,” but he’d be down. Have you thought about it at all?

“[Laughs] I don’t even… it’s so weird. Somehow a lot of people talk to me about Gossip Girl, and I always thought I was just a guest star. It was a very special show. It certainly defined those years, and we all got our start there in a way. It would be hilarious and weird and crazy. He’s right — we are old! I don’t know what business they’d have with me, but, Jesus. If there was some funny little witty thing and they called and we’re like, ‘We’re doing this thing and we have everybody….’ I’m not gonna be the asshole that says no. Maybe I’ll be in the background scooping some ice cream.”

#sebastian stan #endings beginnings #drake doremus #gossip girl #shailene woodley

[punkscowardschampions]

Jac & Jesse

Jac: [as you said he encouraged her to gatecrash, I figure it makes sense he'd check in on that after the posts, Amelia called JJ lol] Jesse: 👍? Jac: 🖕 Jesse: ☕? Jac: no I feel sick Jesse: [brings her a glass of water and tablets but like puts them on her bedside table and then leaves] Jac: you're just as bad Jesse: as bad as? Jac: her Jac: don't try be nice Jesse: 🖕 Jesse: Alright? Jac: 🙄 Jac: no that was so halfhearted Jesse: it weren't only you who had a late one Jac: then don't bother Jesse: nice try, dickhead Jac: ask mum and dad Jac: i'm not in a gossiping mood Jesse: the walls ain't that thick Jac: just your head Jac: gotcha Jesse: Must be a family thing you inherited as well as Jac: if I can blame all of you Jac: fine by me Jesse: crack on Jesse: I hope it makes you feel loads better Jac: your fake sympathy is only marginally better than your real but solid attempt Jesse: you didn't want tea, they go together Jac: hence I declined Jac: don't feel sorry for me, twat Jesse: I don't Jesse: Amelia on the other hand Jac: you can go commiserate with her then Jac: she needs some new gay friends Jesse: I don't fit the bill then and she don't wanna hear from me how shit her girlfriend is Jac: She's well aware, don't worry Jac: beat you to it Jesse: Yeah, the comments tell the story, like Jesse: and a 📷's worth loads of words Jac: it was meant to be blatant Jac: no 🍪 for working it out Jesse: just 🏆🥇 for you Jac: naturally Jac: why else would I go Jesse: 'Cause you miss her Jesse: you were mates and it was her birthday Jesse: Dunno, there's 2 💡s Jac: Ha Jac: you ask her how much love she's feeling now Jac: I wanted her to have a shit time and she did, mission accomplished Jesse: You're alright, tah, that's blatant an' all Jac: yeah, no need to act like you're that thick now you ain't in the dark Jesse: nah, the act's all yours Jesse: I'll leave it out Jac: yeah, I'm acting like a cunt, I'm a really, really nice person actually Jac: literally as bad as her Jesse: We're all wrong and you're right Jesse: 🏆🥇 Jac: no shit Jac: gotta suck Jesse: I'll live Jac: thrilled for you, Jess Jesse: 👍 Jesse: Good talk Jac: the fact you expected anything else is on you Jac: you go apologize to her, you'll feel better Jesse: It was her who fought your battles for you, nowt to do with me Jac: you told me to go Jesse: To make up with her, you twat Jac: and why did you think I'd ever do that? Jac: what kind of fucking fantasy land are you living in Jesse: I thought she might get through to you Jesse: that kinda fantasy land Jac: 😂 Jesse: it ain't much of a laugh but alright Jac: not to you Jesse: you ain't laughing either Jac: I can if you want Jac: rather I was crying but nah Jesse: Piss off, your vocal chords don't work any more Jac: So? Jac: that's got fuck all to do with missing Amelia, I'm so sorry Jesse: Never said it did Jac: you thought it did Jac: as fucking if Jesse: I thought she could help you, nowt else Jesse: giving her too much credit Jac: unlucky Jesse: 💔 Jac: I don't need any help Jac: and you should give the fuck up Jesse: I don't play 🎻 Jesse: you might as well shut up Jac: I already have, dipshit Jesse: Stop typing playground insults at me then Jac: Go away then Jac: you've achieved nothing, and you're not going to Jesse: You're a shit 👻 Jesse: next time throw something Jac: I've got what I needed from the situation Jesse: 👌 Jac: is Jude here or what Jesse: do you hear her? Jac: its the middle of the night Jac: morning Jesse: it's the afternoon near enough Jac: can I go to bed or not Jesse: she's at a mates Jac: thank god Jesse: might be back in a bit, like I said, it ain't as early as you think Jac: if I knock myself out she won't be able to speak to me Jesse: you won't be able to answer, she can still go on about whatever she likes Jac: I won't hear her, same difference Jesse: same as when you're awake, yeah Jac: no, unfortunately I can still hear her Jesse: Gutted Jac: no shit Jesse: Try 🎧 Jac: I don't like music Jesse: don't listen to any then Jesse: other media exists Jac: I don't like any of that either Jesse: 🙄 Jac: you'll survive Jesse: Nobody likes the news, stick it on to drown her out and get over it Jac: I have no interest in feeling better Jac: at least she's good for that Jesse: Bit rude Jac: it's a compliment Jac: she has fuck all else use Jesse: Bollocks is it Jesse: you've got less use, at least she walks the 🐕🐕🐕 Jac: I clearly don't care about being of any use to any of you Jac: it's all about what you can do for me, which is very little but make my crippling depression much worse Jesse: achieved that then ✔ Jac: hooray Jesse: 🥳 Jac: you missed it Jesse: had one I was actually invited to go to Jac: wow, that's so impressive Jac: would you like me to pretend I'm jealous? Jesse: pretend what you like Jac: so generous Jesse: pat on the back'll be in the post Jac: I got better by myself with her girlfriend, tah Jesse: I can't pretend there's owt impressive about that, soz Jesse: get your 🏆🥇 off her if you're bothered Jac: as if I did it for the brag Jesse: she will have done Jac: give a fuck what she does or doesn't Jesse: I got that Jac: so what's your fucking point Jesse: you either wanna talk or you don't Jesse: I give a fuck about Valentina Jesse: I know exactly what she's like Jac: yeah, I don't fucking fancy her, it's not me you need or needed to tell Jac: she's clearly a slag Jesse: I don't need to tell Amelia either Jesse: everyone knows she collects queers Jesse: she's been trying to be mates with me for years Jac: not now Jac: too late Jesse: Time was already running out for them, no need Jesse: been obvious from day 1 Jac: yeah and I'm a shit friend Jesse: she ain't mine Jac: she's not mine Jesse: not now Jac: not for ages Jac: if ever Jac: so you're just a cunt for no reason Jesse: how am I? Jac: you knew and you didn't say shit Jac: even though you've got no reason to fuck with her life Jac: so, you're a cunt Jesse: she knew and she'd have still called it bollocks if I said anything Jesse: it's her life Jac: yeah, sure Jesse: yeah, she had her reasons, must've done Jac: mhmm, tell yourself that Jesse: you're the only person she's ever properly listened to, but go on and tell yourself it's my fault Jac: I know what I did, tah Jesse: and the only head you're doing in with going on about it is yours Jac: you think I care? Jesse: you do, it ain't about what I think Jac: I really don't Jac: it's what she was owed, simple as Jesse: she had something you cared enough about to need to fuck with Jesse: if you didn't give a fuck you wouldn't bother about what she was or wasn't owed Jesse: nowt would matter like you keep telling yourself it don't Jac: all I care about is everything being as shit as possible Jac: and pushing you all far away Jac: I've never said that wasn't the case but yeah, go off with your pseudo-psych Jesse: and all you did was push her onto the end of a phone with mum and dad, well done Jesse: closer that she was before, that Jac: yeah and? Jac: they can chat all they fucking please I don't have to join in Jesse: and don't come to me chuffed to bits with yourself when you've got no reason to be Jesse: there's the and Jac: awh Jac: you got woke up Jac: weren't me shouting Jesse: Never is Jac: well observed Jesse: I ain't in enough of a mard about the wake up call for you to get your only joy out of it, soz like Jac: whatever shall I do Jac: 💔 Jesse: Kettle's always on round here Jac: Hilarious Jesse: you'll have to get it yourself Jesse: doubly 💔 I know Jac: I don't like tea Jac: and I'm certainly not making any of you a cup Jesse: I ain't asking for one, I've got work Jac: how fun Jesse: 👋 Jac: enjoy Jesse: 🤞 Jac: try not to wake me when you get back Jesse: Got nothing to shout about Jac: gutted Jesse: won't be you getting the 🎻s out Jac: yeah, you can't play it Jesse: and I'm alright for learning any more instruments at the minute Jac: lazy Jesse: it's loud enough around here Jac: take that up with the rest Jac: they don't take pointed silence as a fucking hint Jesse: worked that out by myself, tah Jesse: have lived here long as you Jac: not quite Jesse: good as Jac: those 10 months without you were the best of my life Jesse: keep them close to your 🖤 Jesse: nowt I can do about it Jac: can't retroactively give dad a vasectomy Jesse: 💔 Jac: so sad Jesse: I got that Jac: good Jac: it's not all for nothing Jesse: 👍 Jac: can't we swap rooms Jesse: if you want Jac: really? Jac: her shit is everywhere Jesse: Don't matter Jac: i'm going sleep in your bed then Jesse: yours Jesse: that's what a swap is Jac: yes but i'm not moving the beds right now Jesse: Alright Jac: tell everyone you said its fine Jesse: weren't gonna keep it a secret Jac: Jameson and Jude will be pissed off Jesse: and? Jac: I don't wanna be rudely awoken Jac: we need a bigger house Jesse: my job don't pay that well Jac: two more years Jesse: ✔ Jac: that was an affirmation for me, not you Jesse: say it in your head then Jac: you either want me to talk or not dickhead Jesse: whinging weren't part of the deal, dickhead Jac: that's the only way you talk Jac: or singing, as you call it Jesse: SO funny, you Jac: just honest Jesse: honestly, go to bed Jac: I can't Jesse: ? Jac: too much on my mind Jesse: Yeah Jac: and I'm pretty wired Jac: I'm gonna go study Jesse: I'm out the door but you can come with Jesse: study there Jac: people will think I work there Jac: then you'll get terrible reviews Jesse: not if you stay in the back Jesse: it's well quiet there too Jac: does Ben come in lots still? Jac: Ben from Science, the one you sit next to Jesse: What's lots? Jesse: he comes in Jac: will he come in today? Jesse: I can text him Jac: that's lame Jac: I'll take a selfie Jac: he'll show Jesse: 👌 Jac: right, I'll be there later Jac: I need to re-do my makeup Jesse: in a bit then Jac: should I shower Jesse: Probably Jac: he's not worth it Jac: more probably messy is his type Jesse: so there's your answer Jac: fuck it Jac: keep the smudged mascara Jesse: 🥇💡? Jac: if not Ben it'll work on the other guys there Jesse: Steady on Jac: what? Jesse: You know what Jac: no Jesse: Yeah you do Jac: I can do what I want Jesse: you don't want this Jac: yes I literally do Jesse: Fuck's sake Jac: shut up Jesse: You can not talk to Ben or whoever Jesse: you can't shut me up Jac: don't be a baby about it Jesse: Don't do it Jac: are you always this much of a downer, jesus Jesse: I'll chuck you out Jac: then I'll just go somewhere else and hook up with someone else Jesse: You're such a prick Jac: its literally none of your business so Jesse: you made it my business when you told me about it Jac: whatever Jac: I'm gonna hit up someone else Jesse: Don't whatever me or this Jac: you can't do anything Jesse: You're still there and I ain't far off, I'll come back Jac: oh really Jac: you're gonna shut me in my room on the grounds of hoeing are you Jesse: If you make me Jac: you're funny Jesse: I don't give a fuck, Jac, alright? Jesse: Stop Jac: No Jesse: stop Jac: Why? Jesse: just stop Jac: No Jac: this is what I need to do Jesse: Bollocks Jesse: you need to stop Jac: nope Jac: its the last step of the plan Jesse: [he's coming back for this showdown, soz Pete because he blatantly works at your record store cafe moment] Jac: [whos bed you in that's a fun game of hide and seek] Jesse: [he's a woman don't test him, also soz Jameson and Cammie if you're here] Jac: [ah the drama, gonna have to fight your brother] Jesse: [such fun] Jac: [I hope JJ are there to break this up it must be the weekend so fingers crossed lmao] Jesse: [one of them should get hurt accidentally before they do because what a mood and also they'd be fuming] Jac: [who would you rather] Jesse: [I don't mind either way, could make a case for either so] Jac: [probably him for the angst and she's not in the mindset to be remotely careful like we're just trying to get out so if he tries to stop us we're going in] Jesse: [he is a soft boy like his father so that makes sense, JJ gonna be like wtf because they are the closest of these siblings have they ever even fought before probably not] Jac: [oh the drama, get the gal in therapy but she won't lol] Jesse: [storm off to work boy like you're remotely in the right mindset to be there] Jac: [can't even tracy apologize Jesse: [Jude will be gutted she missed this drama] Jac: [aren't we all]

[fangirlinghard-spoilerson]

SECRETS & BETRAYALS (6)

Rated: M Wordcount: 1127 Summary: Much time has passed since Jude Duarte was exiled in the mortal world. But now she's back to Elfhame and Cardan will not like to discover her reasons for coming back. Is Jude still the Queen of Nothing? Other parts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, (To be added) This is a The Folk of the Air’s Fanfic. The original work belongs to Holly Black.

Problems, she had as much of those as she had names. Katharina, Alessa, Martha, Adela. Rhiannon. And others.

In her Estate, her home, she was Lady Isabel.

To Cardan she was still Jude.

But she did not like that name. When she was Jude, everything she fought for, everything she conquered, she lost. The name Jude was still a joke in Elfhame. The mortal who thought she could be the High King’s Queen, a complete and hilarious joke, the biggest Queen of Mirth of all.

She hated it with all her heart.

Still, when Cardan said the name for the first time, she couldn’t disliked it. Maybe because he said it in the same way he treated her when they had laid in her bed in mortal world, with reverence and gratitude. She had never been able to dislike it, even while she had hated him in bitter silence. So, whenever he could and she allowed herself, she brought him to her messy mortal room.

But she could never sleep when he was there with her. Only after he left her, she could fall into her nightmares. Perhaps were to be expected that her fears must be related the time she spent captivity under the sea, however, they were filled with laughter from the fairies. Many times Jude had woke up sweaty, crying and grateful that Cardan was not there.

And even if Cardan were the one that brought her nightmare whenever he visit her, she still had received him. Many times.

She not wanted to be that confused girl with that confused life. She did not wanted to be Jude Duarte anymore.

Lady Isabel entered the forest feeling grateful for the clouds that transformed which was to be a sunny day in partial darkness and for the noise of the storm. The Roach had lost her inside the Palace without realize that at some point he had followed her trail.

Near the stable, a palace’s servant was waiting for her. That fairy was holding the reins of a yellow pony made of ragwort and magic. Something Isabel could not made in her own. Isabel rode the horse and thanked her politely with a nod, but without showing any indication of gratitude. That was not a favor.

To cross into fairyland - her Estate included - and out, she would always need a fairy. Long time ago, it had bothered her, but not anymore. Because she did not depend on favors. It was her own power that guaranteed that the fairies were always there with the ragwort ponies for her.

First, she rode to, and through, the mortal world, and then toward her house.

Lady Isabel arrived when the sun was up and bright and the majority of servants sleeping. A common event. But even if it was something exceptional no one would make questions or gossip about it. They all were discreet. They had to be. Her servants had debts with her to be paid through years of service.

None of them could betray her even if they wanted to. Neither her spies. This was the good side of fairies, they could not break their oaths. The one who broke oaths was Rhiannon.

But, maybe, someone else had.

Isabel went to her bedroom and left her wet clothes on the floor. A night garment was waiting for her on the bed. She dressed it and fell over the coverlets. After three nights without sleep she was tired.

She should rested to keep her mind sharp and her healthy appearance because when Diarmuid saw her tired eyes, he would ask questions. Wrong answers would condemn Bran to death. Yet, it was impossible putted her mind at ease.

She had told to Cardan that he had a leak, but it was much worse than that.

She had a leak. And she had no idea where it was.

Her network of spies was large and complex. They were in every fairy court she knew, including High King’s. Until she was sure it had no committed part, it was too dangerous use them or let them know anything.

Every time she tried to understand who could have betrayed her and, most importantly, how, she ended up very confused and with a headache. It was an impossible equation.

Her thoughts spun faster and faster. Bran. Cardan. Bomb. Roach. Diarmuid. Grimsen. Danger. Complications. Apologies. Forgiveness. Treason. Wrath. Revenge.  She sat up in bed unable to breathe. There were tears in her eyes that she refused to let go.

She didn’t knew who, but, when this story was over, someone would be dead.

Isabel laid down again, rolled from one side of the bed to the other. But she could not sleep.

Cardan did not even asked for Bran's name. The thought filled her with pain.

Cardan did not looked concerned with Bran or interested in him. But she refused to accept the possibility that he might just not care about their son. That was too much for anyone process, he just needed time.

Maybe he would help her just because Diarmuid had been a problem to Elfhame for too long. It could be a way to win the war. Maybe that could be enough to convince Cardan to help her.

And if neither of those reasons was enough, she could threaten him. She had the right secrets to make sure that Elfhame stood or fell. Isabel never wanted to use them, but, for Bran’s sake, maybe she would.

A silly part of her - which she would rather never hear - wondered if Cardan would do that for her. The High King looked concerned about her safety even after he discovered that she had abandoned him and left him in mourning.

But he should not be concerned about her. She was capable to handle herself. It was with their son she could not handle. Bran was stupid in his arrogance. And he had a lot of arrogance to keep him doing stupid things.

Spoiled boy.

A knock on the door caught her attention. “Your ladyship?”

“Come in, Dariyah.” The Imp entered the room and opened the curtains. Outside, the stars shined like diamonds.

Isabel lost her opportunity to sleep.

“You look tired, my Lady.” Dariyah putted two fingers in one of her Lady’s cheeks and pulled it down to see the dark circle, but her sharp nails did not touched the skin. “When you don’t sleep properly, you make my work hard.”

“Your problem, not mine.” Isabel slapped the Imp’s hand away without streng enough to hurt. That assured her in return a disdainful Tsk Tsk.

“So let’s talk about some of your problems.” Dariyah smirked with petty malice and mockery. “The guards found a stranger on the property, Grimsen arrived and we cannot find Arion.”

You are still reading S&B? Wow, thank you very much.

TFOTA TAG LIST: @lazyperfectionistteen, @afexiss, @thequeenofeveything, @nitrot150, @fangirling101, @thejiminsjamsowner

S&B TAG LIST: @ashlightgrayson, @saea

Others TFOTA/Jurdan Fanfics you may like:

Fantasies

You said The Queen of Nothing’s excerpt? Sorry, I heard prompt.

Fox Hunting Season

[After TQoN’s synopsis, Before the March, 26 Excerpt] Taryn visited Jude in mortal world. But she returned to Faerie with a breaking down. Locke wanted a reaction, now he got one.

MAGIC

A Jurdan pillow talk.

Sinking

[After TWK] Jude returned to Elfhame. Maybe she should had taken along a squeegee.

The Dance

Cadan’s POV in Dain’s never-gonna-happen-coronation, when he dances with Jude.

#jude duarte #cardan greenbriar #fanfic #secretsnbetrayals #snbfhso #The Folk of the Air #the wicked king #fhso fanfic #tfota fanfic #fhso tfota fanfic #jurdan