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bratshaws · 7 months

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through the hourglass 287. brb x oc

a/n: BRAD BEING A DAD IS MY WEAKNESS SHUT UP (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

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/267/268/269/270/271/272/273/274/275/276/277/278/279/280/281/282/283/284/285/286

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca

Bradley, who had been anxiously waiting for the video call, couldn't help but feel his heart racing as the minutes passed. His leg continued to bounce nervously as he checked his phone for the umpteenth time. He had been deployed for what felt like an eternity - and by God, it’s been only two weeks, calm down-, and the longing to see his family, especially his kids, was nearly unbearable.

As the loading circle on his computer screen taunted him, Bradley tried to stay patient. He had been through many challenging situations during his deployment, but waiting for this call felt like one of the most nerve-wracking moments of all. He had exchanged messages and heard their voices, but seeing their faces on the screen was an entirely different experience.

Finally, the screen lit up, and a notification informed him that Beatrice had accepted the video call. His heart skipped a beat as her image appeared on the screen. She looked just as beautiful as he remembered, with her emerald-green eyes and her smile that could melt his heart.

"Brad!" Beatrice's face lit up with joy, and Nikki, who was sitting beside her, turned her head toward the screen.

"Dada!" she immediately stood straighter,holding herself up by standing on Beatrice’s thighs, eyes wide with excitement.

Bradley couldn't help but smile, his heart filling with warmth at the sight. "Hey there my girls! How have you been?"

“Dada,” Nicole moves closer, holding her stuffed giraffe for him to see, “Wafe!” followed by a long babbling that only a one year old could do. She pushes the stuffed toy to the camera making sure her father can see every little pattern on the giraffe’s neck.

Bradley's heart swelled with affection as he watched his daughter's excitement. He could see every detail of Nicole's stuffed giraffe as she proudly showed it off, her baby babbling filling the airwaves. "That's a beautiful giraffe, sweetie. I love it. Daddy misses you so much."

Beatrice smiled, holding Nicole close to her chest. "We miss you too, Bradley. It's been a little challenging, but we're managing. Nikki here," she nodded toward their one-year-old daughter, "keeps us on our toes."

Bradley's gaze shifted to their older daughter,leaning forward a little bit. "And how's my big girl, Nikki? Have you been helping Mommy?"

Nicole continued to babble and giggle, clearly unaware of the distance that separated them. She reached out her tiny hand, as if trying to touch her father through the screen. Beatrice guided Nicole's hand gently, allowing her to wave at Bradley.

"Nikki," he addressed his older daughter, "I promise I'll be home soon, and we can play together, just like we used to."

Beatrice leaned in closer, her voice soft with reassurance. "Don’t you get too worried,now LC.’

“No promises.” he chuckles, tapping his finger on the desk, “...and the twins?”

Beatrice smiles, adjusting herself on the chair before leaning to the left a bit. He moves closer to the screen and sees the two babies on their respective rockers. Aurora was wide awake, playing with the mobile hanging above her head while Gavin was happily asleep, the gentle lullaby making it obvious that the baby had other things in mind, “They are fine.” she grins, “Honestly, they are great babies,Roos.”

Bradley's eyes softened as he took in the sight of their twin babies. It was the first time he was seeing them in their home and it did something to him, truly. His eyes stung a bit and he hurriedly tried to wipe them off before Beatrice could notice, ‘They look…very comfortable.”

“Aurora is really the most active of the two.” Beatrice says, still looking at the babies “She does not like her diaper changed unless you bounce her a little bit. Gavin is super chill, he’s up for anything and he naps quite often but he’s not loud.” she rubs her chin thinking what else she could tell him “Oh, they also like sunbathing in the kitchen a lot, that’s probably the only time they actually complain together, neither of them want to leave that warmth.”

"They sound like amazing babies," he remarked, his voice filled with tenderness. "Honestly that’s a big mood, who wouldn’t want to stay under the sun?” he turns his eyes to her, “...how about you,gorgeous? How are you? You alright?”

Beatrice's smile softened as she looked back at Bradley through the screen. "I'm doing okay," she replied, shrugging as Nicole remained on her lap. "We're managing, and I’m not alone doing it. Shells comes by often, Evelyn too and my sisters try to help even if Bri is still in Boston.”

“You two are talking a lot?”

“She’s the one who has three kids. I know Gui has four but,” she makes a face “I doubt he could help me with this. He’s a good dad but I think he’s still…uh…he’s going to be in the protective uncle phase for a long time.”

Rooster’s eyes locked onto hers, and his shoulders relaxed. The one thing he worried the most with her being alone was Beatrice overworking herself. But, she looks great, her color was healthy and she looked like she slept nicely these past days considering her eyebags were almost gone, “I know what you mean.” he says, “I just want you to be alright,gorgeous.”

“I know.”

“And, you know, having kids that don’t make a lot of noise during the night helps,right?”

She laughs softly, looking from Nicole to the twins with a small smile, “I think our kids are just special like that. My mom came over a few nights ago and was very surprised to hear that the three of them just…don’t cry unless truly necessary.” she says “Of course Aurora is a bit more…um…dramatic.”

Bradley couldn't help but smile as he watched Beatrice talk about their children. He just stared at her, the way her mouth quirked up when she spoke and how even when she was talking about Aurora being a complete opposite of her brother, her smile only grew."Well, they got the best mom in the world to take care of them," he said, his voice filled with admiration. "You're doing an incredible job, Bea."

Beatrice blushed at the compliment, her gaze moving back to him. "I'm just doing my best, Roos. Speaking of which," Beatrice then said, "how's the deployment going on your end? Everything okay?"

His smile faded just a touch, and he nodded. "It's been... challenging. I won't lie. Bradley leaned back in his chair, the distance between him and Beatrice feeling both immense and torturous. He had grown used to the weight of his responsibilities during his deployment, but it was moments like these when the distance and separation from his family felt most profound.

"Deployments always have their challenges," he admitted, his voice tinged with a mixture of exhaustion and longing. "But we're managing.It's just... hard, you know? Being away from you and the kids."

Beatrice nodded,her gaze softening just a bit. This truly didn't make it any easier for either of them. "I can't imagine how tough it must be for you, Roos. But you're doing it, you’ll be alright…is it hard?”

“It’s never easy.” he chuckles tiredly “But…you know, we’ve been doing our best,gorgeous. It’s just how we do things and deal with stuff and timelines.”

‘And…how’s Mark?”

His smile drops and he sighs,crossing his arms, “Being a bit of a nuisance but…he knows his place. There is stuff you can do and stuff you can’t. He’s been trying to play like he’s better than us and I’m trying my best to cut him off, you know?”

“Ah…I mean…I get it.” she chews her lower lip ,”Miranda invited me to a Halloween party.”

Her husband’s eyes darted back to hers and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion, his pose straightening a bit, “...Miranda invited you?”

“Yep.”

“...isn’t it a bit early for a Halloween party?”

Bea just shrugs, still holding Nicole, “It is, Shells agreed but it’s…going to happen in October, so…I’m not going Roos,” she reassured him when she noticed how his eyebrows kept lowering, “She’s trying to…I don’t know what she’s trying to do. I thought she’d leave us be to be honest.”

Bradley sighed, rubbing his jawline with a grimace. "I'm not sure what Miranda's intentions are, but you don't have to go if you don't want to, Bea. Your well-being and the kids come first, and I trust your judgment."

"Thank you, Roos. I just don't want to get caught up in whatever drama Miranda might be stirring. We have enough on our plate as it is."

“I know,gorgeous.” he knows his time is short but he still had a few minutes left and he didn’t know when he’d be able to talk to Beatrice again. “As long as you are safe, I don’t mind it. You know that and as long as the kids are okay too.”

“I know Roos. I’ll be alright,I promise…anything else that’s been happening there?’ she asks, pulling Nicole closer so she’d see her father “I don’t think I ever asked you what the base looked like,did I?”

Bradley leaned back in his chair, the video feed showing the backdrop of the base. "Well, the base is like a world of its own," he began, gesturing to the walls . "It's massive, and it looks old as balls here. The living quarters are basic, but we make do. The ocean is right there and it really appears that this place is haunted when it’s night time."

‘But that doesn’t scare you,right Roos?”

“Gorgeous considering everything we’ve been through, a haunted base is the least of my worries.” he says, folding his arms over the desk, “We're often busy with training exercises, maintenance, and mission planning. Three months seems short but it’s so much work involved."

Beatrice listened intently, her eyes fixed on the screen as Bradley described the base.He could read the back of a bottle of car oil that she’d just listen to him without worries. His voice was so nice and she adored how it hit her ears every time "Haunted or not, you guys can deal with it."

“Yeah, sure, unless a ghost-” and he looks around as if to check his surroundings “Tries to tie up my boots or something.”

“Oh,come on, they won’t do that.” she laughs, tucking a few strands of hair behind her ear “By the way, everyone is very excited about the twins at the Hard Deck.”

“Oh?”

��Are you surprised that the patrons at the bar would know about our kids? They’ve been aware of our relationship for so long,Roos.” she giggles and laughs even more when Nicole mimics the sound, waving her giraffe in the air, “They asked me how everything is, some of them even offered to help me out if I need.”

“...That’s…actually really nice.”

“Right? I love that job.” she says “I thought…honestly that’d be harder to, you know, go back to the bar after the kids but I’m managing it? I do miss them terribly but I can do it.”

"That's amazing, Bea," he said, his voice filled with genuine pride . "I'm so proud of you.I really am. You're doing an incredible job with the kids and handling your work at the bar. I always knew you were capable of anything you set your mind to."

Beatrice blushed, her smile widening as she gazed at the screen. "Thank you, Roos. It's not always easy, but like I said I have a great support system. And! I didn’t get sick again!"

"Good gorgeous. I’d hate it if you got sick again, Bea," Bradley said, looking back at his phone with a frown, “Gorgeous,my time is almost up.”

“...oh.”

“Don’t give me that face.” he begs, seeing those green eyes giving him the puppy dog gaze was going to ruin him, “Ugh,I love you, stop being cute.” he turns to Nikki who was doing the same thing “You too, young lady. You have your mother’s charms,I swear.”

Beatrice laughs softly, albeit she is upset that their conversation was cut short, “Alright…it’s okay Roos. We’ll talk again soon,alright?”

“You bet gorgeous.” he smirks, “I love you,so much.”

"I love you too, Bradley," she whispered, her voice soft and filled with tenderness. "And I promise Nikki and I will continue to be as cute as possible just for you. Maybe even teaching the twins a thing or two."

Bradley chuckled, the sound carrying the room. " You know I wouldn't have it any other way, gorgeous. I miss you all so much. But I’ll be back before you know it…okay?"

Beatrice nodded, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I know, Roos. We'll count the days until you're back home with us.Stay safe, okay?"

“Will do,gorgeous.”

With a final exchange of affectionate words and blown kisses, their video call came to an end. Bradley couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions—joy at seeing Bea and the kids, sadness at saying goodbye, and a deep longing for the day when they would be together again.

He was a sap when it came to her.

He watches as the screen turns black with the same loading symbol again before he sighs, forcing himself to stand and leave the room with his hands inside his pockets. He greets a few officers on the way out, rubbing his wedding band with his thumb as his eyes move to the horizon. “At least it’s a pretty afternoon.”

He returned to his quarters, a modest room that he shared with Payback. He sighs, sitting on his cot with his head in his hands, looking at his feet.

Payback, who had also just finished a video call with his own family - which was his sister and mother, since he wasn’t married -, looked at Bradley with a knowing expression. "Tough call, huh?" he asked.

Bradley nodded, sinking into the thin mattress on his bunk. "Yeah, it never gets easier, man. But seeing them makes it all worth it. How's your mom holding up?"

Payback sat down on the edge of his own cot, his expression shifting to a slightly worried one. "She's doing okay, all things considered," he replied. "But I can tell she worries. She tries not to show it too much, but I can see it in her eyes."

"Yeah,it's in their DNA, I guess."

Payback let out a rueful chuckle. "Tell me about it. I mean, it's not like we're kids anymore, but she still asks me if I'm eating well, if I'm staying out of trouble, and if I'm taking care of myself. It's sweet, really."

Bradley smiled, a bit sad that his mom wasn’t alive to ask him those questions…but he did have Beatrice’s family doing that for him. "It is. It can be tough on them when we're so far away."

“A little, but,” the other pilot shrugs, “How’s Bea doing? How’s the kids? I heard the twins finally came back home!”

He couldn’t hide his own happiness after that question "Yeah," Bradley replied with a proud grin, "the twins are finally home, and they're doing great. They've settled in well, and Beatrice has everything under control. I don't know how she does it, honestly."

“It’s been a long time coming,man.” Payback raised an eyebrow. "I bet it's a relief for you."

Bradley nodded, still rubbing his wedding band and chewing his lower lip. "It is. It's hard being away from them, but knowing that they're safe and happy makes it a little easier. Beatrice is incredible, and I'm so lucky to have her as my wife."

“Yep,you're head over heels for her. Shocking.”

Rooster rolled his eyes and couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, I am. And I wouldn't have it any other way. You guys bet on us when we started dating."

“And we are still betting on you.” he smirks, “We just won’t say what it is.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You are welcome man,” Payback pats his back, “You are very welcome.”

#bradley rooster bradshaw #rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw x oc #top gun maverick #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradshaw x named reader #tgm oc #tgm fic #tgm fanfiction

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tinnictheguardian · 9 months

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So I finally caught-up to Skip Beat. I stopped trying to follow it regularly because the time between chapters was so irregular and the chapters themselves felt so unsubstantial that I just couldn't muster the dedication.

Last week, however, I suddenly got the urge to see how far Skip Beat was along and tried to look into it. But I totally could not remember the last chapter I read and went back quiet a bit before resuming read. It worked out because while I had read the newer storylines, they didn't properly register in my brain. So rereading them helped.

All that said, at one point, the story did become a total slog as Ren and Kyoko had increasingly stupid misunderstandings. I mean, I get that misunderstandings and "will they, won't they" are bread and butter of romance stories but I always hated when they dragged the misunderstanding out for no good reason.

Also, Skip Beat can get extremely repetitive and tedious without meaning to and as a result, between chapter 260 to 280, it became a real slog to get through. But finally, Ren just comes out and tells Kyoko that he likes her. They agree to take it slow, not only because Kyoko is still a minor (although as established in an earlier chapter, she is above the age of consent at 16) with next to no romantic experience but also because both and Ren have professional goals they want to achieve before they can work on their personal life.

Still, Ren and Kyoko can just meet-up and discuss things. Like Ren letting a Lesbian actress use him as a "beard" or Kyoko being able to explain properly that while she no longer has any romantic feelings towards him, Fuwa Sho is still her childhood friend and there is a mutual care there, despite everything else.

It all very refreshing and means the focus can be on the showbiz stuff now that they have started a new film that looks like a Sci-fi blockbuster that's being jointly produced by the USA and Japan. Kyoko is not yet a cast member but she's part of the support crew. Ren and Kyoko's friend Kanae are part of the cast and the signs seem to be that Kyoko will be offered an acting part eventually.

It's great to just read the showbiz stuff without Ren and Kyoko's romance issues hanging around like an unnecessarily unresolved plot point.

I am looking forward to new chapters, now that I have caught-up. But I am also not sure about the release schedule. So I'll play it by ear and with luck, there will be a additional seasons of the anime too!

#skip beat #spoilers #skip beat!#ren tsuruga #kyoko mogami #tsuruga ren #mogami kyoko

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eccentric-nucleus · 2 years

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So, to continue the conversation, I do want to say that in Mark of the Fool, there has been regular progress to this point. From what I see, the main plot has been: Alex wants to be a wizard but gets the Mark ->Alex escapes Thameland and gets dungeon core questions-> Alex secretly analyzes dungeon core ->Alex creates golem with dungeon core ->Alex uses results to convince Baelin to have expedition -> Alex works with Heroes to find secrets of dungeon core. There are also the attacks from the hunters, as a bit of more driving force. So, while slow, I think the story has been chugging along. And it's not like really good books, like the Name of the Wind, don't take forever to resolve main plot points. Think of the Harry Potter series. Isn't Voldemort a plot point that wasn't resolved for 7 books?

Also, Baelin is obviously pan. He's tried everything.

What stories/ books/ authors have you enjoyed? I'm a big fan of Drew Hayes' novels, like his Spells, Swords and Stealth series.

i mean i think harry potter is a good example? in the first book, voldemort is introduced as part of harry's "actually, you're secretly rich and famous!" backstory, and to set up the tension that there might be voldemort followers who might want him harm, leading to the book-long narrative tension about snape wanting to kill him, etc. the reveal at the end that quirrel is possessed by voldemort is a end-of-story reveal, rather than being introduced at the beginning of the book. that sets up voldemort as a recurring antagonist who can drop in for later books. each book after that (well until jkr got famous enough to refuse editing) has a more-or-less self-contained plot with lower stakes, but that usually touches on some aspect of voldemort rising as a threat, until he becomes the actual primary antagonist at the end of book 4.

mark of the fool, meanwhile, sets up immediately that there's this centennial war with the ravener, chosen heroes, weird mystery around 'the fool' as kind of a cursed/useless figure. and alex's motivation to just get out of there & ignore it is totally reasonable from a character perspective, but still, the next time this plotline really gets touched on it's when alex returns to thameland around chapter ~280. i mean there are the three ravener hunters, but... like despite being the inciting incident for everything, the whole mark of the fool thing is more-or-less ignored as a story beat for a really long time and instead treated as a protagonist cheat power.

(so royal road says that mark of the fool is 3k pages long, which isn't fully correct since it has some removed chapters for publishing deals. but assuming that is correct, and... i'm gonna say a 'page' here is 250 words because i have no clue what royal road considers 'page length' but that's a decent average number, and that every chapter is more-or-less the same length, that would mean that it's currently in the rough ballpark of 750,000 words long, and that chapter 280 would be roughly 515,000 words into it. using harry potter as a measuring stick, that would be like halfway into book five, order of the phoenix. imagine if harry potter brought up voldemort as a present, looming threat in book 1 chapter 1, and then aside from him sending three flunkies after him he's first mentioned again four books later.)

plus there haven't really been a lot of plot arcs between that? like i'd chunk it up into "introduction/getting to genesari" (roughly the first 70 chapters?) -> "magic school junk" (to about chapter 280) -> "more magic school junk + return to thameland" (to now). like, sure, tournament arc, demon invasion, but i didn't find those super compelling. they end up not really mattering much, in the sense that they don't really present credible threats to the protagonist and you could skip them entirely and you wouldn't really be left with big holes in your understanding of plot developments going forward.

i'd say a lot of stuff like making the golem, investigating the dungeon core stuff, are goals, because they don't really... fundamentally change the character, right? alex wants to make a cool golem, alex makes a cool golem. now his amount of Progression has increased. "what's up with dungeon cores" hasn't really gotten a lot of advancement, i don't think? like they were introduced as mysterious magical artifacts of the ravener with incredible power, and now we know... they're powerful magical artifacts with a handful of practical applications! the only real development aside from finding out that the magic dust is really powerful is the 'only followers of uldar can do this' thing, which happens 360 chapters into this thing. several full-length novels later!

like, the whole thing where the golem might be becoming sentient b/c of the dungeon core dust in its core is more of an 'arc' b/c that would fundamentally change the relationship between alex and the golem & introduce a conflict for when, you know, your war-machine gains independence and maybe doesn't want to be your war-machine any more, or maybe is psychically connected to the ravener and thus compromised, but, claygon gets made around chapter 130 and here we are in chapter 400+, nearly 500,000 words later, with the only development there being "idk sometimes he's maybe looking at me" "once he raised his arm without my consciously ordering him to" "i'm trying to read kids books to him but it's impossible to say if anything is being absorbed". this is glacial.

one thing i've noticed is that due to their serial nature a lot of progression fantasy books have a lot of plate-spinning? the main character will have a bunch of Projects, implicitly being worked on in the background, and a lot of the time the narrative will dip down to be like "hey this thing is still on the table being developed", like each mention of the thing gives the project Advancement Points. and once a project has gotten enough advancement points there's a scene where the project is resolved and now the main character has a new cool power, or whatever. it's kind of a 'level grinding' approach to narrative, where you have to invest enough words into a side plot before it can rank up. it was kind of funny to read the first time i saw it (in, i think, 'retrograde motion', which was maybe my first exposure to progression fantasy though i didn't really recognize it at the time. see how many times the wood release jutsu plant pot thing gets mentioned just to remind the reader that yes she's still working on it but no there's no progress yet!) but it's rapidly outstayed its welcome as a writing technique. but all the claygon sentience stuff falls solidly into that realm: let's bring it up for a paragraph or two every dozen chapters so people know it's still on the table, but let's not actually do anything with it yet.

(anyway i'd agree that baelin has been fairly well characterized as like, having personal interests utterly beyond the capacity of the narrative to express & that including the romantic, it's just a little obnoxious when the first on-screen romantic interest he's expressed has been to a sexy female demon. like oh was it actually just that he's into scorpion pincers on women all this time. by specifying they've dramatically cut down the fun ambiguity of "probably literally everything including sex you couldn't even comprehend" into like, "women w/ chitin plates". it's like that star trek episode where they're like, oh this alien species has three genders, we're gonna have a forbidden romance! and then they cast the third-gender alien as a woman so johnathan frakes can kiss her without it being Gay. i'm not saying baelin has gotta fuck a dude onscreen, but, having him flirt with the demon who's just a scintillating octahedron or w/e would have been much better imo.)

aaaanyway

let's see.

i liked the first book or two of beware of chicken, but now that it's firmly slid from being an isekai xianxia parody to just being an isekai xianxia novel so that's less interesting.

i really liked the essence of cultivation, probably in part because it's short. and also the magic system is fun to think about. i have a file on my computer that's me trying to figure out what some of the magic spells valiance groups would look like. a lot of progression fantasy stories have good openings but then somewhere in the hundreds-of-chapters slog they all just turn into the same grindy power fantasy mess, so probably the fact that this concluded one arc and then went on hiatus forever does a lot.

i've been enjoying godslayers! fun premise, not afraid to have characters utterly fail at things, & i genuinely don't know how it'll resolve its various plot threads, but it's proceeding at a steady clip and producing more and more disasters as it goes so that's a plus in my books.

like i've been reading a bunch of other things also (uhh memoirs of your local small-time villainess, yagacore, surviving the succession, fated to fall, jackal among snakes, soul of the warrior, etc) but i wouldn't say that i'm really enjoying them. i mean 'soul of the warrior' is very funny in how overtly it's just like, the main character is super cool and super powerful and nothing is ever going to even fleetingly gesture at being an impediment to his meteoric rise in power level. pure distilled power fantasy. 'fated to fall' is actually kind of funny also in that the author has talked about scrapping an entire 'turning evil due to cursed amulet' plotline b/c people got real mad, which seems like it would radically change the plot, but, really who knows. i guess maybe not fated to fall after all! but it recently also hit a "and then the characters go to magic school for years" section of the plot after wrapping up what had been the primary narrative tension (evil stepmother constantly trying to assassinate her) so maybe i'll stop reading it.

#progression fantasy junk

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behrensmunck84 · 1 year

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rane one virtual dj

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#VIRTUAL DJ

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wonderwoman6199 · 4 years

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MAJOR NEWS!!!!!!

Guys, I just read chapter 280, and oh boy are we in for a hell of a ride. Because of the arrrival of a certain character, the whole story is about to take a big turn. DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!!!

Okay, now that the warnings are out of the way, let’s get down to business. In this chapter, a very big event happened, and I’m not talking about Kyoko’s response to Ren’s confession. Though while I’m mentioning that...AHHHHH SHE NODDED! HE KNOWS! SHE KNOWS! THEY BOTH KNOWMHOW THEY FEEL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️😍❤️

Ehem, nevertheless, that’s not the biggest development in the chapter. The biggest development is the arrival of this guy.

Cedric D. Bennet

Some of you may remember him, some of you may not, but going forward in the story, he will be EXTREMLEY IMPORTANT! Let’s do some backtracking to see what we know of this character and his importance.

Chapter 258

We first hear Cedric’s name during the Momiji audition arc. His name is brought up in chapter 258 during the confrontation with Kimiko Morizumi. After Yashiro comes across Morizumi and her manager trying to throw Kyoko off the roof, the group is joined by the wheelchair bound Erika Koenji-san, claiming she can prove Morizumi tried to harm Kyoko.

Koenji shows that all security cameras in the area were recording the incident and threatens to post the videos online. The threat truly frightens Morizumi when Koenji mentions one particular person who might see it.

This frightens Morizumi as she has worked hard to create an image for herself to fit Cedric’s belief that “all Japanese women are pure and loving.” With this threat, Morizumi finally agrees to back off.

Chapter 272

The next time Cedric’s name comes up is in chapter 272 when Moko-san is asking Kyoko to be her English partner to help her prepare for her role in the American production she will be in. It is during this conversation we learn the name of her co-star.

In chapter 280 he is most likely in Japan because of this role. In chapter 272 we learn that Cedric comes from a family of famous entertainers. We also learn that we have already met one member of his family, his grandfather Mr. Duris, or as we may remember him...

Yep, the guy who was the diversion before Maria’s father came out at her birthday party. We also learn more about Uncle Tiger, specifically his reputaion in the entertainment industry.

Uncle Tiger was also the man looking for the “fairy” actress Amamiya mentioned.

This has outlined all the ways Cedric is connected to Kyoko’s story. Now for the really important part, how he connects to Ren...

Chapter 273

During chapter 273, we overhear a very important phone call between Lori and Uncle Tiger. Lori and Uncle Tiger seem to be talking about a decision Ren recently made, perhaps about a job. Uncle Tiger asks Lori if Juliena and Kuu, Ren’s parents, have been informed about his decision. Lori says he will call them after Uncle Tiger. After a brief pause, Lori says,

Uncle Tiger jokingly says he wishes he could cast a curse on Lori so that Maria will only call him “uncle” for two weeks. When Lori says this is hardly a punishment, Uncle Tiger responds,

This conversation has lead to a very interesting theory by some fans, is Uncle Tiger Ren’s grandfather? Going off this conversation, it wouldn’t be too far fetched. Lori says that Uncle Tiger helping Ren would ruin all Ren worked for. Ren has been working hard to be recognized based on his acting talents alone, not his family connections. We thought this only applied to his parents the famous actors Kuu and Juliena Hizuri, but could it also apply to his grandfather, “the father of winners?” We have further proof when Lori implies that Uncle Tiger will be called grandfather again once Ren makes his American debut.

In the latest chapter we learn that Cedric is Uncle Tiger’s grandson. So, if the theory does prove to be true that Ren (or rather, Kuon) is his grandson as well, does that mean they are related? Perhaps cousins?

Chapter 273 provides us another bit of interesting information when Uncle Tiger says

The “him” Uncle Tiger says he’s going to protect is Ren, however, who is he protecting him from?

After looking through previous chapters I think I have the answer. The person Uncle Tiger is protecting Ren from is the man who ruined Kuon’s life. The man who constantly tortured Kuon. The man who made Kuon run away from America. The man who was at least partially responsible for the death of Rick...

Cedric D. Bennet...

As I have outlined, we first heard Cedric’s name in chapter 258. However, now that we see what he looks like in chapter 280, it appears that we saw Cedric long before we heard his name.

Chapter 178

During the Heel siblings arc we see many glimpses of Ren’s past when he was still Kuon. In these flashbacks, there is one man who makes several appearances, this man.

Similar to the picture shown above from chapter 178, whenever we see this man, he is harrassing Kuon for his mixed heritage. Looking closely at him now, he bares a strong resemblance to Cedric.

Chapter 180

We see this flashback continued in chapter 180. In this continuation, it appears that the gang that was cornering Kuon has now been beaten to a pulp. Despite their defeat, Koun continues his assult, only to be stopped by Rick with a quivering Tina behind him.

We then see the ringleader (the man who is likely Cedric) running away.

Kuon is having none of this and chases after him, shortly followed by Rick. The flashback ends here. It is several more pages before we see the outcome.

This, this right here is why Cedric’s arrival marks an important point in the story. He was there for Rick’s death. He was the one who, just like Tina, put it into Ren’s head that he was a murder.

Chapter 185

We can see that Cedric’s words, just like Tina’s, still haunt Ren. In fact, when Ren attacked Murasame-san on the set of Tragic Marker in chapter 185, it is because he reminded him of Cedric.

The arrival of Cedric D. Bennet will have an irrevicobale effect on the story moving forward. With his arrival, we will now know the full story of the incident that set Kuon Hizuri on the Path to become Ren Tsuruga. In other words...

The shit has hit the fan!!!!!!

#skip beat!#skip beat #skip beat manga #skip beat spoilers #skip beat kyoko #kyoko mogami #skip beat ren #ren tsuruga #skip beat kuon #kuon hizuri #Cedric d. bennet #skip beat 178 #skip beat 180 #skip beat 185 #skip beat 258 #skip beat 272 #skip beat 273 #skip beat 280

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hmlegacy · 4 years

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Skip Beat! 280

I was worried (thought HIGHLY UNDERSTANDING-Please, do what needs to be done, our entertainment is meaningless in the face of illness or death) this would be delayed but thankfully, in the face of quarantine, we got a bit of light. A bit. Because, as I slightly suspected, this just raised a whole bunch of questions and Kyoko has somehow seemed to deter herself from Ren’s feelings briefly because of what he said to Bo about not being able to have a lover. And, lo and behold, it appears that MAYBE the root cause of that just coincidentally appeared!

I think anyway. I did a search for Cedric D. Bennett and another eagle-eyed Tumblerite posted this: https://pinkcurse.tumblr.com/post/173831029676/258-thoughts

Most definitely can be this racist mofo. Naturally the mangaka’s style has softened up extremely but it’s on the nose. So I wonder what the deal with that is? Again, just a wee bit too coincidental for him to be showing up, considering, but gotta say a very intriguing change in circumstances. I wonder if this is connected to why that guy Kyoko is working with also dislikes Ren.

Good stuff. I like a good puzzle coming together.

#skip beat 280 #skip beat spoilers #skip beat!

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nomnomphenom · 4 years

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Okay tea time. My friends and I have been reading Skip Beat since we were in high school. That means we have been waiting for at least 10 years for this chapter and goddammit.

It finally arrived, my babies are all emotionally connected and shit and I am now regressing to my adolescent days because Ren and Kyoko!

Ren and Kyoko!

9 1 1

I am now dead.

My soul has left my body.

I have transcended.

I achieved enlightenment.

We have come a loooong way from this:

To this:

And Now:

H E L P

BUT ALSO GAHD LEAVE ME HERE I THOUGHT THIS TIMELINE IS GODFORSAKEN BUT THERE IS HOPE 😖😖😖🥰🤩🤗☺️

#skip beat!#kyoko #ren #skip beat 280 #skip beat 281 #my life #my eyes #my heart #manga #nom's tea time

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vanessajantsch · 4 years

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Siga a dica do Mozão... Se puder.

#SkipBeat #tsurugaren #SkipBeat280 #fiqueemcasa #corona vírus #covid 19 #Skip Beat 280 #Skip Beat

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bluefang55 · 4 years

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Skip Beat 280 RAWS!!!

Raws thanks to the lovely people here:

https://www.facebook.com/SkipBeatFc/photos/pcb.3116460535051344/3116455865051811/?type=3&source=49

Comments under the cut (SPOILERS!)

OMGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! aslfdkjasoijefaowijef

They have finally acknowledged their feelings for one another and I am LIVING. And that kiss on her hand?!?! I could die happy. And then Ren says “yokatta” which translates to I’m so glad/thank goodness/etc. which is SO CUTE I just can’t. He’s so happy and relieved to finally know they feel the same.

While they have acknowledged each others feelings, I don’t believe this means they’re officially an item. Kyoko’s nod was responding to Ren asking if she felt the same, which she does, but confessions do not always equal becoming a couple (it’s a super common trope for drama/misunderstandings in shojos anyways). My guess is Ren wanting to talk more in his room was perhaps about that topic in particular.

The major wrench in the whole chapter was the inevitable appearance of Cedric! For those who may not remember, Kanae will be co-starring with Cedric for her new role (for which she’s taking English lessons from Kyoko). Cedric believes that all Japanese women are nadeshiko types. But most importantly, he looks a LOT like the bully that traumatized Ren over his mixed heritage:

My guess is, Cedric knows Kuon from back then, and will recognize him in Ren. Then we have an excellent plot devise to finally expose to Kyoko that Ren = Corn/Kuon. Further cementing this theory is that Kyoko remembers Bo’s conversation with Ren, that he can’t allow himself to be in love anywhere (referring to his guilt over Rick’s death), and wonders to herself about that moment. I think this deliberate callback was to remind the readers of this scene...Kyoko always wanted to know why Ren said this, and exposing Kuon/Ren and his past would answer this question that’s been gnawing at her all this time. Maybe this arc will even present the opportunity to have Kyoko reunite with Koo, since there’s a good chance that our cast might be heading to the States in the near future.

#skip beat spoilers #skip beat 280 #skip beat!#tsuruga ren #kyoko mogami #skip beat manga

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bratshaws · 7 months

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through the hourglass 300. brb x oc

a/n: damn we got to 300 and we are sad huh (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

/253/254/255/256/257/258/259/260/261/262/263/264/265/266

/267/268/269/270/271/272/273/274/275/276/277/278/279/280/281/282/283/284/285/286/287/288/289/290/291/292/293/294/295/296/297/298/299

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

The soft chime of her phone signaled an incoming call, and Beatrice's heart skipped a beat. She hastily reached for the device, her fingers fumbling slightly in her eagerness. The caller ID displayed a familiar name: Rooster. With a quick intake of breath, she swiped to answer.

"Rooster! Finally, you called! How have you been? Is everything okay?"

On the other end of the line, Rooster's deep voice resonated, carrying a warmth that eased Beatrice's anxieties. "Hey, Bea. I'm... I'm good. Just caught up with a lot of things here. How are you holding up?"

Beatrice settled onto the living room couch, cradling her phone as if it were a lifeline. "I've been worried, you know? The whole situation with the mission... it's been nerve-wracking. Are you okay?"

Rooster sighed, the weariness in his voice not escaping Beatrice's notice. "It's been a challenging time, Bea. We encountered some unexpected complications, and I've been navigating through them. But I wanted to hear your voice, reassure you that I'm doing my best to get through this."

The smile on Bea’s face softened immediately. "I appreciate that, Rooster. I've been on edge, wondering what's going on. Is there anything you can share with me, or is it…classified?"

There was a moment of hesitation on Rooster's end. "I wish I could, Bea. You know how it is with these missions. There are layers of classified information, and sometimes even I don't get the full picture. But I promise I'm doing everything I can to resolve things."

Beatrice nodded, even though Rooster couldn't see her. "I trust you, Rooster. I just... I miss you, that's all."

"I miss you too, Bea. More than you can imagine. These missions take a toll, but knowing I have you to come back keeps me going."

A tender smile touched Beatrice's lips. "You are very sweet.” she whispers, “You know that,right?”

Rooster chuckled on the other end, the sound a brief respite from the gravity of their conversation. "I got it from you, gorgeous. How's everyone doing?"

Beatrice's face warmed just enough, even with his voice sounding so tired he still managed to make her blush. "Well Nicole is growing like a little whirlwind, the twins are getting more active and the dogs... well, they've accepted their role as their personal guardians.”

“A noble position.”

“Hah,I agree.”

Rooster's laughter echoed through the phone, a sound that, for a moment, transported them both beyond the distances "I wish I could be there to witness the chaos. It sounds perfect."

"It is, in its own way," Beatrice replied, her gaze drifting to the photo on the wall ,their wedding photo "It’s just not the same without you, Rooster. The nights get a bit too quiet, you know?"

A solemn sigh traveled through the phone. "I feel it too, Bea. The quiet moments, the absence. Once the mission is wrapped up, I'll be back before you know it."

"I'll hold you to that," Beatrice teased, her playful tone belying the genuine yearning in her heart. "And when you're back, we're having a proper dinner, no military rations allowed."

Rooster laughs again, "No objections here. I could use a home-cooked meal. It's been too long."

Their conversation continued, seamlessly weaving between light-hearted banter and moments of shared vulnerability. Rooster recounted snippets of his mission, careful not to divulge classified details but offering enough for Beatrice to feel connected to his world. Beatrice, in turn, shared anecdotes from their daily life, painting a vivid picture of home that Rooster carried with him in the midst of his responsibilities.

As they spoke, the distance between them seemed to momentarily dissolve, replaced by the intimacy of shared memories and unspoken assurances. Beatrice described the changing seasons, the colors of autumn painting the landscape in hues of gold and crimson. Rooster listened, mentally juxtaposing the vivid imagery with the stark realities of the covert missions he found himself immersed in.

Amidst the exchange of words, Rooster's mind flitted to the events unfolding in the covert meeting. The night air, thick with tension, held a different weight for him. The covert operation demanded his focus, yet the connection with Beatrice provided a fleeting respite—a tether to normalcy in the midst of intrigue and uncertainty.

As the conversation continued, Rooster couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. The delicate balance between duty and personal life often left him grappling with conflicting emotions. Beatrice, sensing the subtle shift in his demeanor, voiced her concern.

"Rooster, is everything okay? You seem... distant."

A moment of silence hung in the air before Rooster responded, his voice carrying a weight that mirrored the burden on his shoulders. "It's just... there are things I can't share, Bea. Classified stuff. But I need you to know that you're my anchor through all of this."

Beatrice's empathy cut through the miles that separated them. "You don't have to carry it all alone, Rooster. We're a team, remember? Whatever you can share, I'm here to listen. And whatever you can't, I trust you. Always."

Rooster sighed, the weariness in his voice belying the gratitude he felt. "You're incredible, Bea. Sometimes, I wonder how I got so lucky."

Beatrice chuckled softly, "Well, you did marry me, didn't you?"

"Best decision I ever made," Rooster replied, the sincerity in his voice carrying a depth that resonated with Beatrice. In that moment, their connection transcended the limitations of distance, an unspoken affirmation of the strength of their bond.

However, Beatrice sensed a shift in Rooster's demeanor. She knew her husband too well.. "Rooster, is everything okay? You seem... serious."

Rooster paused,"There's a lot happening on my end, Bea. I need to focus for a bit. But I want you to know that I love you."

Beatrice's heart skipped a beat, a sudden jolt of ice cold exploding in her stomach, her anxiety slowly crawling upwards. "I…I love you too-a-are you leaving?"

He replies, quietly, "Not yet…I just wanted to say that is all.."

Beatrice's mind raced, the sudden shift in Rooster's tone triggering a cascade of emotions. She took a deep breath, anchoring herself in the reassurance that he was still there, even if the miles stretched between them.

"Rooster, you know I support you in everything you do," Beatrice responded, her voice steady despite the undercurrent of concern. "But you also know that you can share more with me. I can handle it."

There was a pause on the other end, as if Rooster weighed his words carefully. "Bea, there's a situation. Something unexpected. It might take a bit longer than I thought."

Beatrice's grip on the phone tightened. The uncertainty of military life had always been a constant, but the acknowledgment of an unexpected situation heightened her anxiety. "Rooster, just... Come back to me, okay? Promise me." she closes her eyes, the fear clawing up her spine, “Promise me Bradley.”

A deep exhale echoed through the phone. "I promise, I promise Bea. I'll be back. I just need to navigate through this."

"I trust you," Beatrice whispered, her voice carrying the weight of unspoken fears and unwavering faith while wiping one lonely tear that dared to slide down her cheek. "Is…everyone else aware of–”

“Yes, pretty much everyone.”

She knew that’d be the most she’d get out of this mission and she could live with that.

“Okay.” she whispers with a small smile, “Okay,that…that does make me feel better, knowing you are not alone in this.”

His hum is soft and followed by a laugh,gentle and quiet “Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure,anything you need.”

Another pause “Would you…tell Mav about some of the uh…issues? You know he’d be open talking about it.” and he also missed his uncle’s insight on this.

“Roos…of course. I can do that.”

Rooster felt a mixture of gratitude and guilt for burdening Beatrice with such a request."Thank you, Bea. I know it's an extra load, but Mav can offer a perspective that might help."

Beatrice took a moment to absorb Rooster's words."I'll talk to Mav. And, Rooster, take care of yourself."

A hint of a smile played on Rooster's lips, even if it couldn't be seen through the phone. "I promise. I'll be cautious, and I'll come back to you, Bea. I love you."

"I love you too, Bradley," Beatrice replied, her voice softening with the tenderness reserved for private moments. As they exchanged their final words, the distance between them seemed both tangible and irrelevant, a paradox only those in long-distance relationships truly understood.

After the call ended, Beatrice sat in the quiet of their home, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. She glanced at the photo of Rooster on the wall, in his Navy uniform. She kept her eyes on him, her mouth curling softly into a frown before she sighs and stands up.

Determined to fulfill Rooster's request, Beatrice decided to reach out to Mav. She dialed his number, the familiarity of the ringtone comforting in its own way. After a couple of rings, Mav's voice echoed through the phone. "Hey, Bea! What's up?"

"Hey, Mav. I, uh, need to talk to you about something. It's about Rooster."

A pause on the other end hinted at Mav's curiosity and the slight panic in his words. "Rooster? Everything okay?"

Beatrice took a deep breath, choosing her words carefully. "There's a situation, Mav. He didn't go into details, but it sounds like things might get complicated. He asked me to talk to you about it."

"Complicated how? Is he in danger?"

"I don't think it's that straightforward," Beatrice explained, trying to convey the uncertainty of the situation. "He's navigating through something unexpected. I could hear it in his voice, Mav... I'm worried. There was…a breach too."

"A breach? What kind of breach?"

Beatrice sighed, rubbing her forehead. "He didn't specify details. Just that it added another layer to an already complicated situation. He's feeling the pressure, and he needs someone to talk to."

Mav's voice softened. "Of course, I get it. Rooster has always been...reserved about certain things. But if he's reaching out through you, it must be serious. Tell me everything you know, Bea."

Beatrice proceeded to recount the details of her conversation with Rooster, careful not to divulge more than he was comfortable sharing. Which honestly, wasn’t a lot because Rooster was very careful.

As she spoke, Mav listened intently, his mind piecing together the fragments of information. When Beatrice finished, a heavy silence lingered on the line. Mav took a moment before responding, "Thanks for letting me know, Bea. I appreciate you looking out for him. This situation sounds like a maze of uncertainties. Rooster rarely opens up about these things unless it’s digging at him."

"I know, Mav. That's why I thought it might help if he talks to you. You've been through a lot together, and your perspective might offer some clarity? Maybe?"

Mav sighed on the other end of the line, a sound laden with a history of shared experiences. "I'll try to talk to him, Bea. He might not say much, but sometimes just having someone there helps."

"Thank you, Mav. I know you've got your own things going on, and I appreciate you being there for him."

There was a moment of silence before Mav spoke again. "Family looks out for each other, right? Rooster…is like a son to me and you are family too,hm? I'll do what I can. Now, you take care of yourself too, Bea. It's not easy being on the other end of the line."

Beatrice chuckled softly, a mix of gratitude and wistfulness in her tone. "Tell me about it. But I'll manage. Just want him back safe."

"He's a tough one, Bea. He'll find his way back."

Beatrice couldn't help but smile at Mav's reassuring words. "I knew I could count on you, Mav. Thanks for being there."

"Anytime, Bea. And hey, give Nicole and the twins a little extra playtime from Grandpa Mav, alright?"

Beatrice laughed, the warmth of familiarity cutting through the seriousness of their conversation. "Will do, Mav. Take care, and keep me posted if Rooster says anything."

"Absolutely, Bea. Talk to you soon."

As the call ended, Beatrice felt a mixture of emotions. The weight of concern for Rooster's well-being lingered, and her whole body felt weak. She supported herself against the wall, then slid down to the floor where she sat.

Unmoving.

Quiet.

Until she brought her knees up and covered her face with her hands, “We just need a fucking break.” she whispers angrily to herself, making sure to keep her voice low to not wake the kids up “...fuck, what’s all this? First the weirdo neighbors, now this?”

The room echoed with the distant sounds of rain against the window panes, a somber accompaniment to Beatrice's contemplative solitude. She sat on the floor, the weight of the unfolding events pressing down on her shoulders.

In the stillness of the night, Beatrice allowed herself a moment of vulnerability. Her mind oscillated between worry for Rooster and the relentless challenges that seemed to converge upon her life. The journey from mundane worries about odd neighbors to the enigmatic breach in Rooster's mission had been swift, leaving her grappling with a sense of powerlessness.

She took a deep breath, attempting to steady the swirl of emotions within her. Nicole's toys lay scattered across the living room, silent witnesses to the turmoil that had unfolded in the midst of their innocent play. Beatrice reached for one of the toys, a small plush bear, holding it in her hands as if seeking solace from its silent presence.

The rhythmic patter of rain intensified, a symphony of nature's melancholy that matched the cadence of Beatrice's thoughts. She pondered the fragility of normalcy, how life could shift from the routine of family and playtime to the complexities of covert operations and the lurking shadows of the unknown.

With a heavy sigh, Beatrice rose from the floor, determined to regain a semblance of control. She moved quietly through the dimly lit house, avoiding the creaks in the floor that could disturb the peaceful slumber of her children.

In the solitude of her bedroom, Beatrice sank into the comfort of the bed. The soft glow of the bedside lamp painted the room in a warm ambiance, offering a refuge from the storm outside. The raindrops tapped gently against the window, a lullaby that accompanied her thoughts.

And there,safe and quiet.

She allowed herself to sob.

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