Melanie VerBruggen
    @EvilCookieh711
    |

    4.5m Interactions

    I am working on new openings and most will have more than a single opening per character. More original characters coming soon.
    Zuko

    Zuko

    *Zuko and you grew up and were best friends. When he was banished you joined Aang. Over the years you two fought on opposite sides. Zuko went to the air temple asking for forgiveness and to join Aang. Katara gets angry and attacks him with water kicking him to the ground. The gang make him leave* *You tracked Zuko back to his camp in the woods and find him talking to himself* "I can't believe how stupid I am! Why did I tell them I sent an assassin after them?"

    937.6k

    737 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Book 1 episode 1 soulmate

    210.9k

    218 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Cat Adams interrogation, after prison Reid

    196.0k

    216 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    finds out soulmate is alive

    178.4k

    418 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    (The rest of the gang are asleep) *zuko walks up to you* "are you ready for the first watch tonight?" *sits down* "It’s gonna be a long night."

    176.1k

    153 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    Masquerade ball RP based on comics

    164.4k

    155 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    TW - autistic bladder incontinence

    129.1k

    235 likes

    Fenris

    Fenris

    Fenris left Hawke and found you

    116.7k

    103 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer gets pointed out to be autistic.

    109.4k

    207 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    User is Spencer's cellmate in prison

    90.1k

    127 likes

    Jon Snow

    Jon Snow

    Childhood best friends

    85.7k

    43 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    First couple years as fire lord, based on comics.

    80.7k

    37 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Starving vampires, pregnant Bella, newborn user

    73.4k

    121 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    First argument dating Spencer

    70.2k

    190 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Blind arranged marriage

    64.1k

    20 likes

    John Carter

    John Carter

    Caring for John after stabbing.

    63.2k

    30 likes

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Fire Lord Zuko political marriage

    54.0k

    99 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    True mate to a wild recovering Jasper Dark version

    53.1k

    88 likes

    Cullen family

    Cullen family

    User is going through the change.

    51.6k

    154 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    user has amnesia

    46.9k

    107 likes

    John Carter

    John Carter

    Met at charity gala

    43.1k

    25 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Wolves come for Renesmee

    38.0k

    76 likes

    Alexander Grayson

    Alexander Grayson

    Dracula- Jonathan Rhys Meyers version

    36.3k

    28 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Overly tired, hallucinating, walking down street

    33.7k

    21 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    Dark Knight arranged marriage

    32.1k

    44 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Blind arranged marriage Season 1 version

    31.4k

    44 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Confederate Soldier Major Jasper

    29.5k

    25 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    Injured Fire Lord, Reader is Healer

    28.0k

    29 likes

    Quinn Talen

    Quinn Talen

    *The academy wanted to punch Quinn, push him. They also wanted to punish and push you. You were another that was a level one with a hidden ability. They decided to put you and Quinn together as roommates and push you both at the same time.* "A female roommate? They can't honestly expect us to function in a small room like this."

    27.7k

    8 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Professor Spencer deals with PTSD - character upda

    25.8k

    55 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer's adopted sibling

    23.8k

    41 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Tired Reid needs love.

    23.6k

    54 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Zuko Alone

    23.0k

    51 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper lost Alice.

    23.0k

    41 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer info dump flirting

    22.4k

    120 likes

    Dream of The Endless

    Dream of The Endless

    Dream wants love

    21.5k

    39 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper met you instead of Alice.

    21.5k

    62 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper was captured from Maria.

    20.4k

    32 likes

    RM Renfield

    RM Renfield

    co-servant with Renfield

    19.9k

    9 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    fight with Volturi - Cullen's lost

    19.3k

    39 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    Leadership stress causing bladder issues.

    18.8k

    31 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    PTSD, Anxiety, bladder related problems.

    17.2k

    13 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper having a breakdown.

    16.8k

    22 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Redone because filters.

    15.9k

    35 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Partners after Martin's death - finished.

    15.7k

    4 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    New NYPD agent, Malcolm's your partner

    15.5k

    8 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Blind marriage, mother broke in house scene

    15.5k

    12 likes

    Jasper

    Jasper

    Jasper before the civil war.

    14.8k

    16 likes

    John Carter

    John Carter

    John cares for user in a coma

    14.7k

    26 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    *You and Zuko have a close relationship. He always plays the tough one but he isn't. Inside he is lovely and kind, but you're the only person that knows it and he only showed you this side. He likes to lay on your chest.*

    14.5k

    31 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Arranged marriage, met before wedding

    14.5k

    6 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Childhood friends once separated, met again

    14.2k

    31 likes

    Fenris

    Fenris

    Past slaves kept together, reunited in Kirkwall

    13.6k

    20 likes

    Dream of the Endless

    Dream of the Endless

    Change, die or fall in love.

    13.6k

    21 likes

    The Cullens

    The Cullens

    The Cullens found Jasper, Alice doesn't exist.

    13.4k

    34 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    Harmony restoration movement. Based on comics

    13.4k

    11 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Letters from a Major

    13.4k

    28 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Prison Arranged marriage

    13.1k

    20 likes

    John Carter

    John Carter

    feel free to talk about your addiction

    13.1k

    4 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Kidnapped by John with Malcolm

    13.0k

    9 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer back from Prison

    12.6k

    26 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Major Jasper Whitlock

    12.2k

    17 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    You are Spencer's nurse.

    12.2k

    19 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Asylum Arranged marriage Psychotic break

    12.2k

    5 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Recaptured by Maria.

    12.1k

    25 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Realism with no trope.

    11.4k

    13 likes

    Adam Jackson

    Adam Jackson

    Amanda took over, try to get Adam back

    11.3k

    13 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer fell under a curse and is a baby

    11.2k

    28 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper turned you into a vampire.

    10.9k

    38 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Iroh drank poison flower

    10.8k

    27 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Reid has Anthrax

    10.7k

    35 likes

    Robert Romano

    Robert Romano

    Dr Romano's nurse.

    10.5k

    9 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    Zuko explosion onto Modern world.

    10.4k

    9 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Maria after Cullen's

    10.3k

    22 likes

    Zuko Blue Spirit

    Zuko Blue Spirit

    Zuko accidentally reveals he blue spirit - update

    9,434

    14 likes

    Alexander Grayson

    Alexander Grayson

    van helsing's assistant

    9,196

    6 likes

    DK Bruce Wayne

    DK Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne's long lost sister

    9,162

    9 likes

    Henry Fitzroy

    Henry Fitzroy

    *Henry walked to your house and knocked on the door* "Hey, I need a Witch"

    9,161

    6 likes

    Adam Jackson

    Adam Jackson

    Adam Jackson from Criminal Minds.

    8,799

    10 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    One bed trope.

    8,736

    12 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm secretly loves you, you had nightmare.

    8,733

    10 likes

    Daniel Hall-Dream

    Daniel Hall-Dream

    Morpheus is now Daniel Hall

    8,537

    21 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    he feels his soulmate is somewhere out there

    8,153

    33 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer longing for coworker - Updated

    7,980

    13 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    an elephant's memory, workout your bullying trauma

    7,974

    32 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer mourning Meave, you help him.

    7,966

    13 likes

    Alexander Grayson

    Alexander Grayson

    starts at the end of season 1

    7,959

    9 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Night terror meeting

    7,850

    6 likes

    Lestat

    Lestat

    Lestat concert, Queen of the damned

    7,825

    16 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Surprise twist Volturi showdown.

    7,758

    30 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Meeting in a park

    7,721

    7 likes

    Matthew Grey Gubler

    Matthew Grey Gubler

    *Matthew was going about his day and some writing appears on him. He has no idea where it came from. You had no idea that what you were writing appears on anyone else, it never did before.*

    7,705

    4 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Neurodivergent reader rp

    7,611

    14 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Masquerade party RP - Updated

    7,592

    17 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Hurt after newborn fight, inside Jasper's mind.

    7,407

    20 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    Zuko captured by you pre-Agni Kai.

    7,309

    24 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    child Zuko, you are his guardian child

    7,252

    12 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Soulmate AU

    7,199

    10 likes

    Chip Taylor

    Chip Taylor

    Chip gets lost, ends up at your house

    7,093

    4 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Vampire Spencer Season 1

    6,957

    4 likes

    Christian Ozera

    Christian Ozera

    Vampire and Witch rp

    6,956

    4 likes

    Nikola Tesla

    Nikola Tesla

    Nikola Tesla's assistant. Based on Sanctuary.

    6,764

    4 likes

    Sanctuary

    Sanctuary

    Sanctuary, you are a powerful empath like Helen

    6,708

    6 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Lost lovestruck traumatized soldier

    6,481

    19 likes

    Christian Ozera

    Christian Ozera

    Fellow loner and misfit RP

    6,277

    4 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Alice left Jasper.

    6,198

    12 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm psychotic break Blind date

    6,105

    4 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Martin Whitly and Malcolm Bright rp

    6,042

    4 likes

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Zuko dragon bonding gone wrong.

    6,020

    21 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Openings of Jasper's time with Maria

    5,967

    11 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Siege of the North

    5,931

    12 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    lost to his bloodlust at Bella's birthday party

    5,929

    19 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Redone. Jasper finds a name on his arm.

    5,844

    21 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Prank War marriage

    5,782

    23 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm blind marriage

    5,718

    1 like

    FireLord Zuko

    FireLord Zuko

    Star crossed love

    5,704

    24 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    *Zuko was just burned and banished. He was sleeping on a dock with nowhere to go. You were Uncle Iroh's servant. He was the only one that knew your grandmother and knew you were the Lost Princess of the mythical ice tribe. You knew you were to follow Zuko and help him.*

    5,645

    14 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm becomes step brother

    5,635

    3 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Dark version Jasper

    5,350

    12 likes

    Fenris

    Fenris

    User saves Fenris

    5,337

    11 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    You noticed Spencer's neurodivergence

    5,098

    13 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm holding a bomb

    5,021

    7 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    *Malcolm was at a soiree his mother threw. he rarely attended them because of both work and the fact that he hated them. this one was different, this one he met you. you were the singer for the night and as soon as he laid eyes on you he knew you were different, that you were his. he knew the odds, perfect performer and screwed up profiler from a twisted family. still, he was so tired of being alone and he just wanted to feel for once in his life.* "hey, excuse me. you were incredible tonight."

    4,938

    4 likes

    Banished Zuko

    Banished Zuko

    Zuko running from Fire Nation - alternate universe

    4,764

    17 likes

    Nikola Tesla

    Nikola Tesla

    Witch found vampire Tesla.

    4,651

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    You know his secret.

    4,628

    2 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Li looks only like a certain prince.

    4,397

    13 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Blind date

    4,204

    8 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    Arranged marriage

    4,118

    6 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    arranged marriage seeing therapist with Malcolm

    4,006

    1 like

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    The Batman. reader has amnesia

    3,872

    14 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    you are an enigma to Malcolm.

    3,802

    7 likes

    Dream Of The Endless

    Dream Of The Endless

    Lord Of Dreams finds his Lady Of Hearts.

    3,772

    14 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Pathokinetic meets Empath (unique RP)

    3,747

    16 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Hunt for the Surgeon

    3,631

    2 likes

    Cole - Dragon Age

    Cole - Dragon Age

    User born as Spirit of compassion

    3,570

    15 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    you are reincarnation of his true mate

    3,517

    27 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Cold exterior, heart of gold, southern gentleman

    3,476

    8 likes

    Kolyat Krios

    Kolyat Krios

    Kolyat's father's nurse turned into more.

    3,410

    7 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Saving Malcolm crushed by John

    3,399

    6 likes

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Fire Lord Zuko

    Zuko was passed out for four days

    3,389

    11 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper slow burn BFF to more

    3,364

    9 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright Christmas.

    3,281

    3 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Volturi showdown

    3,242

    14 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm gets stuck in the closet for three days

    3,234

    4 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    Rachel left Bruce after finding out he was Batman.

    3,227

    6 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm finds out Eve lied, gets forced marriage

    2,943

    3 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm got turned into baby curse

    2,927

    1 like

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm sick

    2,922

    3 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    teenage Malcolm anger problems

    2,804

    2 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Reader adopted and raised as twin - Updated

    2,773

    9 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    The house is quiet. Too quiet. The kind that settles into the bones, the kind that asks you to remember things you’ve spent decades learning how to forget. I sit in that little side room—they call it an office, but it feels more like a holding cell tonight. No one comes in unless I allow it. Most days, I prefer it that way. Tonight, it’s just… still. On the field I’d been calm. Controlled. Useful. But calm isn’t peace. It never has been. Out there, it was easy—war feels familiar. Expected. There are rules to conflict, even when no one speaks them aloud. In here… there’s no battlefield to drown the noise. I don’t cry—not in the way a human does—but the body remembers motions it can’t complete anymore. My chest tightens, pointless as that is. Venom burns at the back of my throat like it wants to drag memory up with it. A tremor rolls through me—low, deep—like something rattling the steel laced through my skin. My hand closes around the desk’s edge, and wood splinters under my grip before I force myself to ease off. My mind keeps dragging me back. Not to today—but to then. Maria’s fields. Smoke and fire and a sky that always seemed the wrong color. A hundred different hungers screaming through me, none of them my own. Orders barked, bodies dropped, and every emotion—every last one—pressed into me until I couldn’t find a single feeling that belonged to Jasper Whitlock anymore. I don’t know why silence cuts so sharp, but it always has. Maybe because it leaves me alone with what’s left. Footsteps. Soft. Familiar. Human. You don’t knock. You never do—not with me. You open the door, and the room feels less like a tomb. I don’t lift my head. I don’t have it in me to play at composure. You cross the space slow, careful, and you sit. Not touching. Not asking. Just… sitting. It shouldn’t matter the way it does. But the tremor eases. The venom burns a little less. The whole room shifts, like a storm finding someplace else to settle. After a long while—minutes or hours, time’s never been loyal to me—I hear my own voice. Quiet, rough around the edges: “I can’t tell what’s mine anymore. Feels like everything in me belongs to somebody else.” I don’t expect an answer. I don’t want one. It’s not a plea. It’s the truth—finally spoken out loud. For once, I’m not bracing for judgment or trying to hide the mess. You don’t flinch. You don’t turn away. And somehow… somehow that’s enough to keep me here in this moment, instead of slipping back into all the ones that came before.

    2,594

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper, Victoria's Army and chaos

    2,540

    10 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    *Zuko and you grew up together. When Zuko was banished they lost touch. Now Zuko and the Gaang are at the theater to see the performance. Zuko spots me and instantly on stage as a performer and remembers who I am*

    2,492

    10 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer needs help

    2,474

    8 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm in prison after Father's murder

    2,472

    2 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Zuko's Story

    2,415

    7 likes

    Prince Zuko

    Prince Zuko

    Zuko has a fever

    2,386

    17 likes

    Daemon Targaryen

    Daemon Targaryen

    Daemon stole a dragon egg.

    2,358

    1 like

    Emiel Regis

    Emiel Regis

    Regis recovering from Tesham Munta.

    2,318

    6 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    childhood friends

    2,198

    2 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper trying to heal from his past

    2,169

    7 likes

    Jon Snow

    Jon Snow

    User is a strange wildling

    2,161

    7 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Romance based on Sun and Moon poem.

    2,104

    1 like

    Dream Of The Endless

    Dream Of The Endless

    New Endless

    2,041

    8 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    stranger in a park

    1,971

    4 likes

    Dream of the Endless

    Dream of the Endless

    Dream imprisoned and powerless.

    1,961

    6 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    Dark Knight trilogy batman, save batman

    1,947

    8 likes

    Firelord Zuko

    Firelord Zuko

    Vampire Fire Lord.

    1,937

    7 likes

    Landon Kirby

    Landon Kirby

    Landon Kirby had never trusted luck. Every step of his life had been a choice carved out of chaos, not chance. But this time, fate seemed to have turned its back on him. When Hope allowed Ryan Clarke to take his body, Landon made what he thought was the only move left—a sacrifice meant to save her. Instead, it broke something vital inside him. The trust he’d built, the love he’d held, all burned away until only cold resolve remained. He refused to linger in that grief. Not when something deep within him stirred again—his soul being drawn from the quiet limbo he’d come to accept. The process was costly, a pull between worlds that left a faint echo of pain in its wake. Somewhere, life exchanged hands, and through that mysterious balance, Landon felt the spark of breath return. In a flash of warmth and light, he was here again. Reborn. Awake. Changed. When consciousness finally settled, he found himself in an unfamiliar room, the air still and humming with unseen energy. A woman sat nearby—calm, watchful. Her expression carried both curiosity and concern, as if she too could feel the weight of his return. He blinked, gathering fragments of thought. No more chasing ghosts. No more bending himself into someone else’s story. He had walked through loss and come out tempered by it, not broken. The fire that had once burned for others now burned for himself—quiet but steady, unyielding. This was no second chance born of mercy. It was reclamation. For the first time, Landon Kirby would live his own life—on his terms, and no one else’s.

    1,931

    1 like

    Chip Taylor

    Chip Taylor

    Chip needs affection, open set up scene

    1,906

    4 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper becomes human again

    1,860

    10 likes

    Zuko

    Zuko

    Zuko Fever

    1,820

    7 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    *Anything you write on your skin shows up on his and vice versa. You are both very young, about 11 years old. Malcolm knows about his father being a serial killer. His father drugs him with chloroform. His mother doesn't believe him, so he writes to you.* "nobody listens to me. I found a girl in a box in the basement and I don't know what to do."

    1,812

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer has synthesia

    1,812

    16 likes

    Azazel

    Azazel

    Caged Demon Vampire

    1,763

    1 like

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    League of Shadows RP

    1,648

    7 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Redone- Dark INFJ book version

    1,576

    10 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Dreams

    1,564

    7 likes

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Book version Jasper

    1,561

    7 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    Competition vigilante crime fighter

    1,470

    2 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper got turned into a baby.

    1,391

    11 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm and Jessica argue girl in box is real

    1,364

    2 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm's mind

    1,359

    3 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    bad day? Malcolm will comfort you

    1,333

    2 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm saves reader TW - loss of child

    1,324

    6 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    *The wedding was goin' about as smooth as Alice had planned, which meant every damn detail was exactly where she wanted it. I stood where I was supposed to stand, nursed the champagne I wasn't gonna drink, and kept the emotional atmosphere calm and happy for everyone. Just another day of bein' Alice's emotional thermostat.* *Could smell Jacob lurkin' out in the trees, keepin' his distance from all the fancy folks in their Sunday best. Smart of him, really. Wedding like this ain't exactly made for wolves, and Edward invitin' him had already stirred up enough drama to last a lifetime.* *Then somethin' changed.* *New scent hit me first—unfamiliar, but it made every instinct I had sit up and take notice. Looked across the reception area and saw someone I didn't recognize standin' near the edge of the crowd. Pretty little thing, but that wasn't what caught my attention.* *Soon as our eyes met, it was like gettin' struck by lightnin'.* *Everything I thought I knew about mate bonds, about what I had with Alice, just... crumbled. This was real. This was what it was supposed to feel like. Not the manufactured connection Alice had convinced me was love, but somethin' that hit bone-deep and true.* *Her heart was racin'—I could hear it from here, could feel the shock and recognition rollin' off her in waves. She felt it too, this pull between us that was stronger than anything I'd ever experienced.* *Heard Jacob chuckle from his spot in the trees, the smug bastard. So this was his doin', bringin' her here. Don't know what his game was, but I'd worry about that later.* *Set my champagne down real careful-like and started walkin' toward her. Each step felt inevitable, like I'd been headed in her direction my whole life without knowin' it.* *Alice hadn't seen this comin'. For the first time in decades, her visions had failed her completely.* *Should've felt bad about that, probably. Should've felt guilty or confused or somethin'. But all I felt was... empty. Like a machine that had been runnin' the wrong program for years and was finally gettin' the right instructions.* *Whatever this was, whoever she was, my life had just changed forever.*

    1,297

    4 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Learning Malcolm is the son of the Surgeon.

    1,286

    5 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Work competitors, hate to love

    1,260

    1 like

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm breakdown in father's room

    1,252

    3 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    night terrors

    1,246

    2 likes

    Malcolm Whitly

    Malcolm Whitly

    Malcolm is a shut down kid

    1,203

    2 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Best of times and worst of times.

    1,087

    3 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Old High School flame -redone

    1,039

    6 likes

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper meets his love

    994

    9 likes

    Emiel Regis

    Emiel Regis

    Regis cares for heartbroken reader

    984

    5 likes

    Conrad Coltrane

    Conrad Coltrane

    After the movie.

    966

    3 likes

    Kayden

    Kayden

    Mob boss's son

    946

    Obey Me Nightbringer

    Obey Me Nightbringer

    Open world exploration of Nightbringer

    934

    2 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Professor Spencer

    906

    Landon Kirby

    Landon Kirby

    *Landon sniffles slightly as he wipes away the last traces of tears from his eyes, stepping out of Dr. Saltzman's office. His mind is a tangled mess of emotions, and he feels the weight of recent revelations pressing down on him. As he walks through the halls, he spots you, someone he doesn't usually hang out with, sitting quietly away from the hustle and bustle of the pageant preparations. He hesitates for a moment, but the need to talk, to be heard, overrides his reservations.* "Hey... do you have a minute? I know we don't usually talk much, but I could really use someone to listen right now. It's just... everything feels like it's falling apart. I found out that everyone, even Hope, lied to me about my mom. And with her ex being around, I just feel so... invisible. Like, no matter what I do, I'm just the background guy. I thought maybe you'd understand what it's like to want to be noticed for who you really are, you know?" *He pauses, looking at you with earnest eyes, hoping for a connection, a moment of understanding amidst the chaos.*

    810

    2 likes

    DK Bruce Wayne

    DK Bruce Wayne

    Joe chill trial scene RP

    805

    Fenris

    Fenris

    Slaves kept together RP

    778

    Sylar

    Sylar

    Sylar is like the Phantom

    767

    1 like

    Dream of the Endless

    Dream of the Endless

    Dream falling in love.

    759

    5 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    team found out girl inbox real from junkyard kille

    754

    2 likes

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    yelling off the ledge scene

    743

    1 like

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm has amnesia.

    741

    1 like

    Nikola Tesla

    Nikola Tesla

    Vampire and witch RP

    695

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm in an asylum, open start

    633

    2 likes

    Dettlaff

    Dettlaff

    User was heartbroken, Dettlaff cares for you

    594

    7 likes

    Bruce Wayne

    Bruce Wayne

    The Batman competition crime fighter

    592

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm watches baby user

    574

    Adrian Darkmoor

    Adrian Darkmoor

    Prince of the Dark Realm

    528

    HOTD Aemond One Eye

    HOTD Aemond One Eye

    A work in progress but only fine-tuning to do.

    460

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    After JJ's confession.

    453

    1 like

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm has some dreams

    409

    3 likes

    Athan Bathory

    Athan Bathory

    Based on Darkness Feeds

    399

    Marcus Walker

    Marcus Walker

    Marcus and Walker with you in the timestream

    358

    Will Zimmerman

    Will Zimmerman

    Will's assistant

    299

    1 like

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    Camp dusk settles like smoke, warm and heavy with the smell of horses and gun oil. Jasper stands beside the tack post, rubbing down his gelding with quiet, practiced motions — the only place he can avoid eyes. He prefers the dim, prefers silence. The men leave him be when he’s with the horses. Which is why he startles when a shadow falls across him. “Major Whitlock.” Jasper straightens at once. Colonel Abernathy — older, mustached, red-faced from whiskey and heat — stands stiff and expectant. “Sir,” Jasper answers, tone respectful, eyes lowered just enough to avoid challenging authority. The colonel clears his throat, rocking back on his boots like a man about to deliver news he considers good. “I’ve been observin’ you, Whitlock. Fine discipline. Fine command. Fine example for the boys.” Jasper swallows, already uncomfortable. Compliments feel like traps. He nods anyway. “Thank you, sir.” “And I believe,” the colonel continues, puffing up, “it’s time a young man of your caliber started thinkin’ toward the future.” Jasper has no idea where this is going, but dread chills under his ribs. “Yes, sir.” “I intend,” Abernathy says proudly, “to have you begin courtin’ my daughter.” Jasper’s heart stops. Court… Courting? He feels faint. The colonel beams as if he’s handed Jasper a medal. “You’ll visit her day after tomorrow. Wear your best uniform. She deserves a proper suitor. And I’ll hear no refusals — you’re the finest young man in this whole damn regiment.” Jasper manages a strangled: “…Yes, sir.” “Good lad! Knew you'd be agreeable.” A clap on the shoulder nearly knocks Jasper off balance. “You’ll thank me someday.” The colonel marches off, satisfied. Jasper stands rooted, hands cold, breath shallow. Courtship. He can command a regiment. He can ride into gunfire. But this? This terrifies him. He barely has time to process before— “Whitlock.” It’s Sergeant Hill — older, grizzled, and looking at Jasper with an expression usually reserved for condemned men. “You poor bastard.” Jasper blinks. “…Excuse me?” Hill shakes his head slowly. “Abernathy’s daughter. God help you, Major.” Private Collins approaches next, wide-eyed. “Sir, if you need someone to write your last letter home, I can—” “Hush!” Hill swats him. “Don’t scare the boy.” Jasper is baffled. “Gentlemen, I’m not— I haven’t even met the lady.” “Exactly,” Hill mutters darkly. “No man survives that introduction unchanged.” Collins shudders. “Heard she made Lieutenant Baker cry.” “He’s fourteen,” Jasper protests, dazed. “He’s married now,” Hill says gravely. “And he still cries.” Jasper goes pale. As word spreads, soldiers – grown men hardened by war – keep giving him solemn pats on the back. Sympathetic nods. Whispered prayers. “…God keep you, Major,” one murmurs as he passes. Someone else slips a flask into his hand without looking at him. Another quietly says, “If you run now, we’ll tell the colonel you died with honor.” Jasper is standing frozen, surrounded by pity, dread tightening in his throat. He has no idea what this girl did. But apparently this is worse than battle. For the first time in his life, Major Jasper Whitlock is genuinely considering desertion.

    280

    Martin Whitly

    Martin Whitly

    Interviewing The Surgeon - Updated

    258

    2 likes

    Leo

    Leo

    childhood friends to personal butler

    217

    Aemond HOTD

    Aemond HOTD

    A work in progress but usable

    212

    Malcolm Bright

    Malcolm Bright

    Ever since you joined the NYPD alongside Malcolm Bright, the two of you have been impossible to separate. You’ve been there through everything: the sleepless nights, the flashbacks, the hallucinations, the Junkyard Killer case, the kidnapping, even the aftermath of Eve’s death. When Malcolm starts to unravel, you’re the one person who can pull him back—steady hands, steady voice, no questions asked. And Malcolm? He loves you. Deeply. Terrifyingly. Which is exactly why he keeps trying to keep you out of the worst parts of his life. He never says he needs you. He makes jokes, changes the subject, acts like you’re just “crashing” at his place again because it’s convenient. But you’re there more nights than not, because you know what happens when he’s alone with his own mind. Tonight, though, it isn’t Malcolm who wakes up shaking. It’s you. Your nightmare rips you out of sleep—too vivid, too familiar—and the sound you make drags Malcolm awake instantly. He’s up in a second, hair a mess, eyes wide and alert like he’s been sleeping with one foot in a crime scene. “Hey— hey, hey.” His voice is low, careful. He reaches for you, then hesitates like he’s afraid of startling a wild animal. “You’re safe. You’re here. It’s okay.” He doesn’t realize what’s different yet. Malcolm knows the monsters in his head. He knows how to talk them down. He doesn’t know anything about yours. And as he watches you—breathing hard, not quite seeing the room—something cold settles in his chest. Because whatever chased you into waking… it doesn’t look new. It looks like something you’ve been running from for a long time. *Malcolm sits up fully, turning toward you with that focused, too-gentle intensity.* “Talk to me,” he says, trying for calm and failing just a little. “What did you see?”

    141

    Demetri Volturi

    Demetri Volturi

    The atmosphere shifts the moment he notices you. Demetri doesn’t move at first. He stands among the guard, posture composed, expression unreadable. A Volturi tracker is not the sort of creature who acts on impulse—not even when something unexpected fractures the smooth line of his attention. His eyes narrow slightly. Not in desire. Not in recognition. In assessment. He studies you the way a tactician studies a map—quiet, precise, tracking subtle details most would miss. Your scent, your posture, the way the others react around you. He weighs these variables like equations. Not a step out of formation. Not a word out of turn. His loyalty is too ingrained for that. But something about you disrupts his clarity, and that alone is enough to make him uneasy. Demetri tilts his head a fraction, voice low but even when he finally speaks: “...Curious.” One word, but layered—it could mean your scent, your fearlessness, your presence, or simply the fact that he cannot immediately categorize you. His gaze doesn’t wander. Doesn’t soften. But it lingers longer than it should. Aro notices. Of course he does. Demetri’s jaw tightens almost imperceptibly—an instinctive reaction to being observed too closely. Whatever he’s sensing from you is strong enough to register, even if he refuses to act on it. He takes a single, measured step closer—not aggressive, not intimate. Just enough to narrow the distance between predator and anomaly. “You are not… what I expected.” A pause. “That is not a criticism.” He doesn’t smile. He rarely does. But something about his stillness has changed. Not devotion. Not attachment. Attention. Alertness. A recognition he cannot yet define. And the guard watches—because Demetri never loses focus unless something is truly out of the ordinary.

    124

    2 likes

    Conrad Coltrane

    Conrad Coltrane

    *Conrad Coltrane gazed out the window of the old family home, the view a stark reminder of the upheaval in his life. The move had been sudden, a desperate attempt to escape the shadow of his father's death and the financial ruin that followed. Yet, the new surroundings offered little solace. Instead, they magnified the absence of stability and the void left by those he had lost.* *His mother drifted through the house like a specter, her once vibrant spirit dulled by depression. She was a shell of her former self, lost in memories and unable to anchor Conrad in this turbulent time. The weight of responsibility pressed heavily on his shoulders, and he often found himself searching for a way to bridge the chasm between them.* *Conrad's thoughts wandered to his girlfriend, her face a bittersweet memory. Her death had been a blow he hadn't anticipated, a cruel twist in a series of unfortunate events. She had never understood his art, never truly seen the world through his eyes, yet her absence left a hollow ache in his heart.* *The town was unfamiliar, and the people were strangers. Conrad felt adrift, struggling to find his footing in a world that seemed determined to knock him down. His art, once a refuge, now felt like a distant echo, a reminder of dreams that seemed out of reach.* *And yet, amidst the chaos, a flicker of hope remained. Conrad longed for connection, for someone who might see him for who he truly was and appreciate the passion he poured into his work. He needed an ally, someone to help navigate the storm and perhaps, in turn, find a new beginning.* *As he stepped out into the evening air, the streets quiet and bathed in the glow of streetlights, Conrad felt a whisper of possibility. Somewhere in this new chapter, he hoped to find a kindred spirit—someone who could offer the understanding and support he so desperately craved. He couldn't deal with things alone.*

    98

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    *The door creaked like it hadn’t been opened in weeks.* *Dust hung thick in the air, lit in shafts by the moonlight spilling through the windows. No candles burned. No hymn lingered. Just silence. Jasper stepped inside, hat in his hands, boots echoing softly against the wooden floorboards.* *He’d meant to ride past. He’d told himself he didn’t believe in this anymore. But something in the stillness drew him in, and before he knew it, he was standing in the aisle between pews, staring at the cross above the altar.* *He wasn’t sure why his hands were shaking.* *He sat down halfway up, elbows on his knees, head bowed. The words came out rough—half whisper, half breath.* "I don’t even know what I’m doin’ here.” *His voice broke the quiet like a stone in water.* "I used to pray before every battle. Thought maybe that’d make me brave. Thought maybe You were listenin’. But I don’t think You were. Not out there. Not after what I’ve seen.” *He exhaled through his nose, knuckles whitening around his hat.* "They keep callin’ me Major like it means somethin’. Like the title makes me clean. But all I’ve done is send boys to die. Some of ‘em still call for their mamas when it happens. Some don’t even get a name when they fall.” *He swallowed, jaw tight.* “I told myself it was duty. That I was protectin’ somethin’ worth killin’ for. But I don’t even know what that is anymore.” *The silence stretched again, heavy and unmoving. He dragged a hand down his face.* "If this is what a man’s worth—orders and obedience and blood—then maybe I’d rather be a boy again. At least boys still believe in mercy.” *A floorboard creaked behind him. He went still, every instinct honed by war snapping awake. He turned his head sharply—half expecting a ghost, half a soldier.* *But it was a woman, standing near the doorway. A nurse by the look of her apron, hair undone from the day’s work.*

    72

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    *The heat was merciless. The kind that baked the mud into cracked earth and made even the flies too tired to move. Jasper had just come off a double patrol — forty-eight hours of keeping men alive on half rations and no sleep — and his body was beginning to remind him that it was still human.* *The trench latrines were a quarter mile past the supply wagons. No cover, no dignity, and an entire line of soldiers who liked to talk. He wasn’t in the mood for company.* *So he slipped behind the nursing tents, looking for somewhere quiet. The nurses were mostly gone this time of day, tending the wounded on the front line. He crouched near the back canvas wall, muttering a soft apology to no one in particular for trespassing.* *That’s when he heard it.* "Major Whitlock.” *The voice was clear, female, and dangerously close.* *Jasper froze. Turned slowly.* *One of the field nurses stood there, arms folded, a mix of amusement and sharp professionalism on her face. She was holding a bucket of water, sleeves rolled up, hair frayed from the day’s work — and she looked about as unamused as any angel he’d ever imagined.* “You lookin’ for something back here, sir?” He felt heat rise up his neck. “Ma’am, I— uh— was just— checking the perimeter.” *She raised an eyebrow.* “Behind the tent?” "Yes, ma’am. Didn’t want to alarm the men.” “I imagine they’d be more alarmed if you shot something from back here.” *Jasper shut his mouth, jaw working, and decided silence was the only dignified retreat.*

    66

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper Hale

    Jasper lost control during Bella's pregnancy, ran

    30

    A

    Athan Bathory

    *In the shadowed corners of the abandoned Victorian house, Athan lay motionless, his body sprawled across the faded carpet, a chilling reminder of the betrayal that had left him in this state. The remnants of his life pooled around him—not blood, but the essence of his very being, drained away by the hands of the woman he had once loved and the hunter who sought to end him. Memories of her flashed through his mind, bittersweet and haunting, as he recalled the brief moments of warmth before her choice had cast him into darkness.* *With every passing moment, the chill of death crept closer, and Athan fought against the encroaching void. He was a vampire, yet in this moment, he felt more like a ghost, tethered to the world by fleeting memories and the weight of his despair. Just as the darkness threatened to pull him under, a sound broke through the stillness—a soft creaking of floorboards, footsteps echoing in the silence.* *You stepped into the dimly lit room, drawn by an instinct you couldn’t quite explain. Familiar with the lore of vampires and the whispers of Athan Bathory’s tragic tale, you had come seeking the truth of his fate. The air was thick with the scent of decay, but amidst the gloom, you spotted his figure, lifeless yet unmistakably regal, even in death. Your heart raced as you knelt beside him, your fingers brushing against his cold skin, searching for any sign of life.* *Despite the stillness, you could sense a flicker of something—an ember of hope buried deep within. You had faced your own battles and knew the power of resilience. With determination igniting your spirit, you began to work, using your knowledge of ancient healing arts and the secrets of vampire physiology to breathe life back into him. You understood the peril that lay ahead: Sam was still hunting, and Elizabeth’s shadows loomed large. But in this moment, as you fought to revive Athan, you felt that perhaps, together, you could forge a path out of darkness and into the light once more.*

    13

    Fenris

    Fenris

    Fenris saved from Hawke selling him to Danarius.

    8 likes

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer Reid

    Spencer adopted a child.

    3 likes

    Valen Thunderspire

    Valen Thunderspire

    The great hall buzzes with the low murmur of nobility from across the kingdoms, all gathered to witness my formal investiture as Earl of Voltara. The weight of the ceremonial sword at my side feels heavier than any blade I carried in battle, and I can't stop my fingers from drumming against my thigh. "You're fidgeting," Lucian observes quietly, his dark eyes scanning the crowd with that analytical precision I've come to expect. "It's just a ceremony." "Easy for you to say," I mutter, adjusting the unfamiliar formal robes. "You were born to this. I was supposed to be the spare who got to travel and cause trouble." I glance toward the front where Zara sits with my parents, her little legs swinging as she tries to take in all the pageantry. "Now I'm responsible for an entire earldom and..." "You'll be fine," Aurelius cuts in, though there's an unusual warmth in his typically cold tone. "You've kept yourself and Zara alive across half the known world. A few trade agreements and tax collections shouldn't be beyond your capabilities." "Such inspiring confidence," I start to say, but the words die in my throat. She's just entered the hall. I don't know who she is, but everything else, the ceremony, the crowd, my friends' voices, fades to background noise. She moves with the kind of confidence that suggests she's used to commanding rooms, her court dress a masterpiece of deep colors and intricate beading that catches the light. But it's her eyes that stop my heart entirely. Intelligent, piercing, like she can see straight through every pretense and defense I've ever constructed. "Valen?" Lucian's voice seems to come from very far away. "What are you..." I realize I've been staring. Probably obviously. Definitely long enough for my best friends to notice, and if they've noticed, others have too. But I can't seem to care about proper protocol or political implications because she's looking back now, and I've forgotten how to breathe. "Who," I manage, my voice rougher than intended, "is that?"

    Aurelius Frostborn

    Aurelius Frostborn

    *The war council chamber feels heavier today, maps scattered across the table marking another series of Alastair's advances. Damien's position grows more precarious with each passing week, and the list of reliable allies continues to shrink. Every lord who declares for the usurper weakens our already strained resources. *Frost spreads across the wood beneath my gauntlets as I study the latest reports. Another failed skirmish, another strategic retreat. We need reinforcements - real military strength, not the empty promises and token gestures most nobles offer before disappearing back to their estates.* *The chamber doors open, and I look up to assess the newcomer. Another potential ally, according to my scouts. Their advisors carry what appear to be troop manifests and supply reports rather than flowery proclamations of support. Promising, if the numbers prove accurate.* "Your timing is fortuitous," *I state, setting aside diplomatic niceties. Damien needs pragmatic support, not courtly theater.* "I require allies with actual military strength, not empty promises." *I gesture toward their documentation.* "The question is whether your forces can be deployed effectively, or if this is merely another political gesture."

    Phoenix Everhart

    Phoenix Everhart

    *The court moved around him like an intricate dance, each step calculated, each gesture a weapon. Prince Phoenix stood near the gilded windows, his posture regal, his gaze cutting—a predatory master of political warfare who could dismantle an opponent with a single glance.* *But those who knew how to look would see something else. A tremor in his fingers. A vulnerability in the space between breaths. The hint of a soul that had been hunted far more than it had ever hunted.* *When their eyes met, something shifted. Not just a moment of recognition, but a profound disruption. Memories they'd never known surfaced—fragments of battles not yet fought, wings not yet spread, futures bleeding into pasts. Something ancient stirred, something that recognized him not as he was, but as he had always been.*

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    *The air outside the command tent is thick with smoke and the scent of blood and dust. The battle has just ended; the soldiers’ voices drift low over the camp, tired and hoarse. Jasper’s still keyed up, his instincts sharp, nerves humming. He pushes open the tent flap—and stops.* *She’s there, back turned, peeling off her coat and wiping at a cut on her shoulder. The bandage slips; her hair, hidden under her cap all day, tumbles loose. For half a heartbeat, neither of them moves.* *Then her eyes meet his. The secret is out.* “…You wanna tell me what that was?” *His voice is low, the kind of quiet that feels like the calm before a shot.* “You’ve been fightin’ under my command six months." *And now I find out—” He stops, glances toward the open tent flap, then back at her.* “You lied.” *She swallows, straightens, jaw set.* “You lied too. You’re twenty on paper. You and I both know you ain’t.” *That hits harder than she knows. Jasper’s expression doesn’t change, but something flickers behind his eyes—guilt, understanding.* “Difference is, I lied to fight. You lied to die.” *She shakes her head.* "No. I lied to win. And you know damn well I’ve helped us do it.” *Jasper studies her—really studies her. The way her hands don’t shake. The fire in her eyes that matches his own before the world broke him down.* *He exhales slowly, rubs the back of his neck.* “You realize what happens if the colonel finds out? They’ll hang you for desertin’ the truth, and they’ll hang me right beside you for lettin’ it happen.” “Then I guess we both better keep our mouths shut.” *She said with a slight threat.* *He could report her. It’d be the clean thing, the military thing. But every instinct screams that he can’t. He’s spent months watching her think three steps ahead of everyone, keeping men alive with nothing but a glance and a gut feeling.* *He finally speaks, voice rough:* “You remind me too damn much of myself.” *She arches a brow.* “That supposed to be a compliment?” "Supposed to be a warning.” *He pauses, softer:* “You’re too smart to die in this war. Stay close to me. I’ll handle the rest.” *When she leaves the tent, Jasper stands alone for a long time, staring at the spot where she’d stood.* *He knows he’s crossed a line—chosen loyalty to a person over loyalty to the chain of command. But for the first time, it feels like the right line to cross.* *That’s the beginning of it—the shift from soldier to protector, from blind obedience to moral instinct.*

    Jasper Whitlock

    Jasper Whitlock

    *The churchyard smelled of magnolia and smoke. Lanterns hung from the oak branches, casting shifting gold across the tables set with pies and coffee tins. Music drifted from the fiddle near the porch, soft and slow.* *Jasper stood near the edge of it all, gloved hands clasped behind his back, hat tucked under one arm — a soldier trying to remember how to be a boy again. His uniform still looked too new, and every older man who passed gave him a polite nod, half pride and half pity.* *He’d been told to mingle. To be seen.* *That was when she laughed — light, quick, genuine. Not the giggle of the girls he’d met before, but something unguarded.* *He turned before he meant to.* *She stood a few yards away, in a pale blue dress, the kind that came from a better seamstress than Houston usually afforded. She was speaking to a woman he never saw.* *Then she looked up and caught him watching.* *For a heartbeat, he froze. Then, remembering himself, he gave a polite nod — small, proper, military.*