Latest Posts by alicelxngbottom - Page 4
@frxnkislong
I know you and I love you. And I can’t wait to spend eternity with you.
@frxnkislong
THE BROKEN HEARTS GALLERY (2020)
@frxnkislong
i love you more than the stars. and that is to say i love you endlessly, infinitely, unconditionally.
FIN.
alicelxngbottom:
Alice laughed, nodding in agreement with Marlene’s sentiment. These parties, however lavish and grand, were nothing short of dull. Alice had hated them as a child; though her parents didn’t attend many of the parties all that often, they were careful not to burn too many bridges with the rest of the Rosiers, so she had been subjected to her fair share of boring parties. Luckily for her, Marlene had often been there to liven them up, so it felt full circle that she was here tonight, even if she wasn’t really supposed to be.
Alice shrugged. “He tries to get back at least once every couple of weeks, but it’s usually only for a few hours. I guess it’s taking longer than expected.” She couldn’t really say more, not even to Marlene, because it was Auror business and not anything to do with the Order, so she gave an apologetic smile for her vague response. “Moody promised he’d be back in time for the birth, though, so fingers crossed I don’t go too early.”
Alice’s smile softened at Marlene’s words. “Thanks, Mar, but I’ll be okay. I have the perfect alibi since I was actually invited. I would have come even if we hadn’t come up with this insane plan.” She shook her head, making it clear that she hadn’t been one of the ones on board with this. It seemed more risky than it was worth. “Being able to be here and help if someone gets into trouble is far less anxiety-provoking than sitting at home wondering what’s going on.”
*
“That’s shitty, but at least he’ll be back for the birth. Can’t imagine him missing that. You must be getting excited though! Or nervous? Or both? I can’t imagine pushing something the size of a small watermelon out of my vagina”, Marlene crossed her eyes, “Sorry, that’s probably not helpful.” She was excited to meet the baby once it was born, she knew the little child was going to be so loved. It was bizarre to her that anyone would decide to have a family in the middle of a war, but then again, you never knew what was going to happen each day, so what was the use of putting things off if you really wanted them?
“That’s surprising”, she laughed, “but I don’t blame you. They do always have great food.” That may have been the only nice thing that she could say about the Lestranges and their gross flair for the dramatics. Even then, she realized that the compliment was more for whoever would have prepared the food, and she smiled. That was fair enough, she would have felt exactly the same way. “Nothing is going to happen, we’re going to get in, get information, and get out. I’m willing it to happen. All is going to be good.”
Even though she wasn’t all that worried about being recognized, she realized that it was probably time for her to go. Giving Alice one last smile and salute, Marlene winked, “Well, I should be off. Information isn’t going to find itself. Owl me if you need anything while Frank is gone, okay?” Resisting the urge to give Alice a hug, she gave her arm an affectionate squeeze and then disappeared back into the crowd.
Zooey Deschanel as JESSICA DAY NEW GIRL (2011-2018)
I brake for birds. I rock a lot of polka dots. I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours. I spend my entire day talking to children. And I find it fundamentally strange that you’re not a dessert person. That’s just weird, and it freaks me out. And I’m sorry I don’t talk like Murphy Brown. And I hate your pantsuit. I wish it had ribbons on it or something to make it just slightly cuter. And that doesn’t mean I’m not smart and tough and strong.
“Love and kindness are never wasted. They always make a difference.”
— Barbara de Angelis
“I don’t need your help.”
Alice rolled her eyes as Marlene stumbled away from her, her words slurred together. "Right, sure, I know you're used to getting yourself home when you're pissed drunk, but Rosmerta called me to come and get you, so I couldn't very well leave you."
Alice had gotten the gist of why her friend had sought refuge in the bottle from Ivy, who had heard enough to put it together. "Meadowes" "bitch" "she wrecked us, not me" "I'll show her disaster". Alice had known full well that Dorcas was going to do this, and as much as it hurt to see Marlene in this state, she knew that she had to keep quiet. It had been Dorcas' decision to do this in order to keep Marlene safe, and Alice could understand that. She wouldn't jeopardize that, even if Moody wouldn't kill her for it.
"Come on, love, you can come home with me. I'll kick Frank out of bed and hold back your hair whenever you need to bring this all up." She knew that it would be a long night, and an even longer morning when Marlene's soberness returned, but Alice would be there through it all, for as long as Marlene needed her. And between her, Lily, and Mary, they might just be able to patch Marlene up enough to keep her moving forward.
vancexemme:
alamoody:
Mary was lingering for a moment, just really to say her goodbyes and after what she’d been put through it was something he wouldn’t interrupt. A caring moment might be what Emmeline needs to get through the rough day ahead of them. It also gave him time to set up paper and quill, it was always best to make sure you accounted for everything. Some people would use enchanted muggle recorders, that’d dictate what it all heard, but he wasn’t much of a fan of that method. It felt like there was too big a margin for error, and keeping a focus on the recording would offer him a place to focus and he could keep himself at a distance as the story unfolded. It’d be emotional for Emmeline, he didn’t need to offer his own feelings for her.
Emmeline was quick to get down to business as soon as Mary left, starting from the beginning they all had some idea of. It did shed some light on the murder of poor Daisy Hookum, even gave them a murderer not that they would be able to go after him. The ministry seemed to have darkness brewing within them and it was obviously connected to the Death eaters. No one else would have the reason to go after the Order in the way that was done. Once the words were written, he spared a glance towards Alice to check on her. Her personal connections have just been added to the story and he knew she was perfectly capable of handling it, they were all looking out for each other through this.
The story was now paused, but with the way Emmeline was shaking and his knowledge of Bellatrix, he had a feeling they would surely be entering into the bad parts shortly. Bellatrix was rather vicious and he doubted that she’d wait long to dive into the nasty parts. He nodded in agreement with Alice, letting her take the lead on the emotional part. With his quill, he waited patiently for Emmeline to return to her story.
@vancexemme
-
Emmeline didn’t believe this would be healing for her. What she really wanted was to stuff it all in the back of her mind and forget about it, especially the gritty details they’d be getting into. But instead of voicing that, she nodded with Alice, putting her shaking hands to work petting Whiskers. Alice was an empathetic person, but she wasn’t one to say things for the sake of saying them, and Emmeline had to do the debriefing whether it was healing or not so it was better to try to let it make her feel better than to try and prove her wrong.
“Bellatrix brought some man with her, I think his name was Flint but honestly it was just another man in a mask and a dark suit so I could be wrong,” She shrugged one shoulder, “He hauled me up and took me some back way down the stairs to the basement. There’s a cell with three walls made of stone and one of bars. They tossed me in and chained one hand to the wall with a manacle. Locked the door and left without saying anything. I think an hour later Dorcas came downstairs and talked with me, the party was ending. She offered to try and get me out then and there but it would have blown her cover, so I said no. She gave me some potions for emergency - a numbing potion and a knockout- and said she’d find the two of you, and tell you what had happened. No one else came down that night, but at some point I could hear Bellatrix screaming her head off.”
Moody’s silence and the scratching of the quill was making her tick in an uneasy way and for a moment she paused and looked at him, waiting for it to stop before she continued, knowing it would just start up again as her story continued but just needing a moment of it not fiddling so she could breathe.
“The next morning, Bellatrix came downstairs and asked me questions, she wanted names of our leaders, our meeting locations, any spies we had, she thought I knew something about Rabastan’s death,” She resolutely didn’t look at Moody while she said all of it. When Bellatrix had asked her, she had genuinely no idea who had killed her brother in law but sitting there now she knew - Dorcas had told her herself. “I said nothing, so she began to-to use some spells. She had notes with her, like she was trying something new-” Her thoughts went to Regulus and his tears, his rapid apologies the first day he’d come down the stairs, “One of them made me feel like my insides were on fire. The other reminded me of the cruciatus curse, but more…primal…I can’t think of another way to describe it. She rotated between those for a while, and kept asking me questions. After that I think she got bored or had some plans, because she left the house after that. I can’t…I don’t know how long things happened, but a little while later Regulus came downstairs. He was…emotional, kept apologizing for what was happening and gave me an apple to eat. I wasn’t very kind to him. Told him he was stupid and where he could shove his apple. Ate it eventually, though, kind of figured it would be the only meal I’d be getting for a while.”
@alicelxngbottom
...
Alice braced herself as Emmeline really began to dive into the details, knowing that it wasn’t going to be pleasant, especially having to hear of how her cousin had tortured someone she cared about. As much as she didn’t want to, Alice did feel lingering affection towards her cousins. After all, they were her family, and she had seen firsthand how indoctrinated they all were into the blood purity nonsense. Bellatrix had been raised to be this way, and Alice had always had empathy for that. But she knew that after today, she would never be able to think of her family in the same light. She couldn’t unsee the monster.
Alice was glad that Dorcas was able to sneak down to offer Emmeline some comfort, not that it made up for anything she had been through. There was relief that Dorcas hadn’t blown her cover, not when the information she was able to give them was so helpful, but Alice understood the offer. If she had been in Dorcas’ shoes, she would have had the same thought. Alice leaned forward, her face serious. She had a feeling that Emmeline didn’t want nor need her comfort, so she kept her game face on, listening to Moody scratching away beside her and knowing that it would likely be up to her to ask the follow up questions. “So did it seem that she believed the Order was responsible for Rabastan’s death?” Alice had heard about it, of course, but she had assumed that it was someone on their side, that maybe Voldemort had gotten angry and retaliated. It wouldn’t be the first time. To her knowledge, it wasn’t anyone in the Order. She would need to ask Dorcas if she knew abything about it.
Alice felt ill as Emmeline described the spells Bellatrix had used on her, but she kept her face neutral. It was frightening to know some of the ways the Death Eaters were beginning to get creative, and Alice had no doubt that soon her Aurors would begin experiencing some of the things that Emmeline was describing. She made a mental note to speak to Regulus about it -- maybe he would have some idea of where Bellatrix had discovered these spells; knowing that would be useful for discovering a way to protect against them. When Emmeline finished speaking, Alice gave her a moment to rest, giving Moody a chance to catch up as well. “Did you get any sense that they knew about Regulus’ visits?” They needed to know whether the Death Eaters suspected Regulus’ defection or whether they thought he had been kidnapped.
@alamoody
Send my muse lies about people they care for.
** sickness sentence starters.
“ you need to rest. ”
“ have you eaten today ? ”
“ i made you some tea and soup. ”
“ i’m fine, it’s nothing. really. ”
“ listen, you need to lay down. ”
“ please listen to me. ”
“ do i need to force you to the doctors ? ”
“ i hate chicken soup. ”
“ i can’t just lay about in bed all day ! ”
“ it hardly hurts anymore, honestly.
“ you’re burning up ! ”
“ lay back down right now. ”
“ i have things to do today ! ”
“ i’m just dehydrated, that’s all. ”
“ i will lock you in your room if you don’t stay in bed. ”
“ let me take care of you. ”
“ you don’t have to do everything yourself. ”
“ i don’t need your help. ”
“ i ran you a bath. ”
“ tell me how to help you. ”
Even though Alice was nearly to her due date, she ignored Moody’s hints that she should take a break and start her maternity leave. Especially with Frank gone, Alice couldn’t stand to sit around the house alone and think about all of the things that had been happening lately or how nervous she was for childbirth. She needed a distraction, and work had always been good at keeping her busy. So despite the fact that she was moving slower than an old man with a cane, Alice dragged herself to work.
As she entered the Atrium, choosing to apparate rather than floo directly into the Auror offices at this stage of her pregnancy, Alice looked around, always marveling at the majesty that was the Atrium. Beginning to make her way towards the elevators, Alice greeted those she knew with a smile and nod. But when she stepped off the elevator onto the floor of the DMLE, Alice’s smile became a little more forced.
Her cousin Bellatrix was standing in the hallway, an annoyed look on her face. It was impossible for Alice not to think of all the things Emmeline had shared, the way Bellatrix had tortured her. Alice had always struggled with how she should feel about her family. She had been fairly certain of Bella and Freya’s loyalties, though they had never been caught for anything, but not knowing for sure had always helped her to interact with them with a normal familial affection. But now that she had heard of the horrors Bellatrix had put Emmeline through, it was a lot harder for Alice to see Bellatrix as anything but a monster. “Oh, Bellatrix. Hello.” Alice stumbled over her words, feeling awkward.
@bellatrxlestrcnge
vancexemme:
alamoody:
The way that she responded told him well enough that she understood he was saying all the words for himself rather than her. Mentally preparing for it, so that he could keep the same neutral dissipation he attempts to give everyone. People didn’t like when they saw you react, they’d lived through it, they didn’t need your involuntary input on the matter. He gave a swift curt nod, she had nothing else to say and she was ready to start this. Alastor had given a swift knock, knowing that Mary would soon let them in, and really that was all considering she’d arranged to give them the flat while they’d do things. Kind of her, but also something completely to her benefit. Mary did not need to hear what they would and he was sure Emmeline wouldn’t want to.
The pair walked into the flat, and Emmeline was already set in the living room ready for the day’s events. He was grateful she’d moved out of her room, she’d have all the reason to stay in there, but he wasn’t sure sitting on her bed would be very professional. “ Alright, Emmeline, Alice, and I are here to get the events of your capture down, from the very night of it to the end where I saw you in the mansion. Please don’t leave out any detail, I know there is always an urge to do so, but it’s for the best that we know it all. If you need to take a break or skip over a question feel free to tell us and we will do our best to accommodate.” His voice was stern, very professional as he took a seat across her. It was a bit cold, to go into it all like this, but he needed to give himself no room to break. Alice would be able to provide a more gentle approach, that was the main reason he’d ask for her here as well as for support for him. Plus Emmeline had seen how he was at work before, this man would be familiar enough to her.
@vancexemme
Knowing the debrief was coming didn’t make it much easier to prepare for. She was both grateful that Mary wouldn’t be there and nervous to be alone during it. In the end, however, her wish to keep the gritty details from Mary’s vivid imagination won out and sat in one of the plush armchairs, making it clear where Moody and Alice would sit on the couch across from her. Whiskers had nudged his way into her lap, purring and pushing the top of his head against her chin before settling in a mass of fur in the cradle her crossed legs created.
When Moody and Alice came in and joined her, she could feel the unease crackle from both people and not for the first time she glanced at Alice with some concern. The last thing she wanted was to upset her when she was so pregnant. She didn’t know a lot about babies or having them but she knew one of the rules was don’t upset a pregnant woman. Still, Moody got into it straight away, using his business voice she’d grown accustomed to mocking while she tossed a quaffle at his recruits’ heads.
Emmeline waited for Mary to kiss her temple and go before she set her shoulders and looked at the two of them. “As you know, I attended the party under disguise with the rest of the Order. After an hour with Mary and Marlene, I checked in with you,” She nodded to Moody, “And spoke briefly with Daisy Hookum. She was having trouble with her underskirt and another guest pointed her upstairs toward a loo to fix it in private. I watched her go upstairs and after about forty minutes I noticed she hadn’t returned. I went upstairs to check on her and found her body in a guest room, where William Mulciber also was. We fought and Freya Rosier arrived, stunned and then tied me up. They argued the benefits of just killing me before fetching Bellatrix Lestrange.” She paused there, letting herself take a breath, looking away from both of them to pet Whiskers for a moment, willing her voice to remain steady and calm.
That was the easiest part of the story and her hands were shaking. She would ease all three of them into it.
@alicelxngbottom
...
Alice was used to Moody, so she knew by the nod he gave her all that a normal person (someone who knew how to emote) would have been able to say: that he was grateful she was here, that he was glad to have the support, that this was going to be a difficult conversation. All things he didn’t want to verbalize, especially in this situation. Alice understood, and her nod in response told him everything she held back from saying: that she was here for him, that she knew he was too close to Emmeline to not be affected by this, that she would be strong for all of them. Alice was probably one of the more empathetic of Moody’s Aurors, but she was also fairly good at being able to hold herself together and compartmentalize her emotions until she was in a place to deal with them.
Entering the flat, Alice gave a reassuring smile to Mary as she said goodbye to Emmeline and left, grateful that Mary wouldn’t have to hear any of this. It wasn’t that Mary was fragile by any means, but rather that no one should have to hear a detailed account of the torture their partner had to undergo. If this were Frank, Alice was fairly certain she would want only the important details, too.
Alice sat down next to Alastor on the couch, nodding in agreement with what he said, allowing Emmeline to start at her own pace. She felt a pang of guilt to find out that not one but two of her cousins were involved in what Emmeline had undergone. Never had Alice felt more ashamed of her maiden name, or more grateful that her parents had been different. If they hadn’t been, would she have been there alongside Bellatrix and Freya? No, she couldn’t think that. If anything, she would have been like Regulus.
Alice turned her attention back to Emmeline, her well trained eye catching the unsteadiness of her hands. As the younger woman paused, Alice leaned forward, a sympathetic expression on her face. “I know that this is going to be hard to relive, but in my experience, it can be a healing process.”
@alamoody
