The Lord of Darkness

✶

[darklystar]

He reminds me of me.

[thunder-puss]

It’s about to get real Pavlovian in these panties

[la-cinephile]

Love at first sight

[agoodflyting]

(cracks knuckles) Since I don't see anyone else doing it, I guess I'm gonna have to be the one to talk about the historical context of Jasper's backstory.

Things we know about Jasper:

- In the 1920's, he was a mortal living in La Paz, Bolivia.

- He describes himself as a 'boy' and that the mixed human-vampire coven led by Mergu was his 'family'.

- He was 'away from home' the night Vesel killed his coven, and subsequently 'ran' on foot from Bolivia to Central America, then to Texas.

- Grew up an orphan in Texas. Says he had 'nothing'.

- Finds a vampire to turn him when he's approximately in his sixties.

- At some point, he finds out that Vesel was the one who killed his coven, and that he bribed a Talamasca agent to do it. Presumably after this, he starts his obsessive mission to destroy the Talamasca.

NOW IT IS HISTORICAL FUN INFORMATION TIME

So what can we infer about Jasper from the historical context of his backstory?

- Born roughly between 1905 - 1914. This means he's over a hundred years old as of Talamasca, but still pretty young by vampire standards.

(Jasper's baby pictures, probably)

Fun Fact: He almost definitely lived through the sinking of the Titanic. Not ON the Titanic, but y'know. Around then. But fuck it if you wanna put baby Jasper on the Titanic, go for it.

"(Mergu) was heading up a coven in La Paz..."

- Jasper's birth parents were probably either American or German, and most likely rich. About 12% of Bolivia's population was white in the 20's, and most of them were involved in the very, very lucrative tin mining industry. Bolivian tin mines in the 1920's were largely foreign-owned and foreign-managed, but worked by heavily abused native population (paisanos), whose conditions in the twenties were described as 'feudal'. (Interesting that mister medieval Mergu settled there?) There were more Germans than Americans in Bolivia in the twenties, but I personally lean towards him being from an American family for the sheer fact that he chose to walk all the way to Texas after his coven was killed.

(That said, it's also possible that the entire coven had pulled a Jim Jones and up and relocated to another country together when he was a kid. In that case, we're back to square one regarding his parentage. )

- Bolivia was pretty politically stable in the 1920's, and economically successful (at least for the upper classes) because of the tin industry, but there were several paisano uprisings and violent conflicts over worker rights throughout the decade. No idea how this would affect vampires.

- Jasper likely spoke Spanish as a first language (or was at least heavily English/Spanish bilingual as a kid).

"I walked from Bolivia to Texas..."

- I put him at about 15 MINIMUM when his coven was killed -- still young enough to be considered a 'boy', but old enough to be A) off on his own the night everyone died B) physically capable of making the trip from Bolivia to Texas alone.

- I looked it up yall, La Paz to Texas is over four-thousand miles, and would have involved crossing part of the Andes mountains, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Isthmus of Panama. This would have taken a solid year, if he was lucky. It's likely he would have had to find manual labor jobs and other unskilled work along the way.

Fun Fact: the Panama Canal would have been a new thing when he passed through, having just been completed in 1914.

"I had nothing... No home. No identity. Nothing. The world was fucked up."

(Uh, yeah dude -- It was the Great Depression. You ain't special.)

-- In 1917, the US passed pretty strict immigration laws, including one which banned children traveling without parents. Jasper says at one point that he had 'no identity', which makes me think he probably had to sneak across the border. Even if he was American, it's unlikely he would have the paperwork to prove it after a trip like that.

- Jasper would have arrived in the US just in time for the Great Depression AND the Dust Bowl, both of which hit Texas hard. He would have been a young man in his twenties by then, right when most of the oil, agricultural, and ranching jobs in Texas were drying up. He was likely dealing with extreme poverty and starvation (apparently in Texas specifically, eating armadillos became popular during the Depression).

Texas during the 1930's.

-- Jasper would also have been a young man in his 20's-30's right when the US entered WWII. Assuming he's living as a legal citizen by that point, that means he'd have been exactly the right age to be eligible for the draft. It's also not impossible that he spent some time in the army willingly, as a way to escape the poverty of the Depression, like a lot of young, unattached men did. I could go either way on this -- considering he was looking for vampires to turn him, it might have been a good way to get to Europe, but it's also pretty hard to become a vampire if you get shot by Nazis. I tend to think he stayed out of it, and was probably still undocumented (which means no draft) but the stigma on young, able-bodied men who didn't fight was a Whole Thing.

"I finally found the Dark Gift, after years of searching..."

- Based on his physical age and the loose bit of timeline we have, he was turned between 1965 - 1985. Considering he's pretty in-control of his powers, and active during the day as long as he stays out of the light, I put him more at the earlier end of that timeline. He's been a vampire long enough to grow into it.

- Another reason I think he was turned in the late 60's/early 70's is his hair. The length of his hair is very trendy for that time period, which I think this goes pretty well with the fact that he's apparently a ZZ Top fan.

... I guess we should all be glad he wasn't turned while rocking a 70's mustache.

THE END?

That's all I've got, anyway. Plz add anything else you've noticed.

[icantspellthings]

Jasper is so touchy

[eldritchenthusiast]

Can they get in a coffin please

[otaku-girl-ao3]

Sealing the deal | Reader!Wonka's Sister x Felix Fickelgruber | 9.4k | Complete

Wonka (2023) | 9.4k | Complete  Wonka masterlist | Otaku_girl_AO3 masterlist | AO3: Otaku_girl

Summary: “...and so any one of us should suffice. I shall leave that decision up to you.”

You look between the three of them with wide eyes. Surely there must be some kind of misunderstanding. Clearing your throat, you ask Arthur to repeat himself.

“We are talking about a little… arrangement,” Felix says, drawing your attention away from the scowling Frenchman.

“One in which he gets to bed you. Or, well, I suppose, one of us does,” Gerald says primly.

“Yes, thank you, Gerald. I believe she understood the implication.”

You would do anything to ensure your brother’s safety. Anything.

A request fill 💚 Willy’s Sister Reader X Felix smut~

Info: Sexually explicit Links: Read the full oneshot on AO3 here:

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

“Good evening, Chief.”

“Evening, gentlemen. I’ve got ‘er right here, as requested.”

“Why on earth is she wearing a sack? Is that some kind of new fashion statement?”

“Of course it isn’t, Gerald. Do not be absurd. Remove it at once. I cannot imagine that it can be very comfortable.”

There’s something about the trio of new voices that sounds strangely familiar. You try to place them, but you know it’s a lost cause. You meet so many new people in passing each day, that it’s impossible to keep track of all but Willy’s most loyal customers. The thought sparks another. Loyal customers wouldn’t do this. But somebody else entirely might.

You have no clue where you could possibly be. The Chief — Francis — had had to guide you the entire walk from his police car to wherever your final destination is. There had been a lot of steps. A lot. The echoing sound of your own footsteps surprised you; you couldn’t think of a single place in the Galeries Gourmet that sounded quite like it. You hope that wherever he has taken you, it won’t be too hard to find your way back to Willy.

The bag is yanked from your head unceremoniously, leaving you blinking beneath the warm glow of light. It’s enough to sting your eyes after so long left in darkness. You aren’t sure how long you stand there blinking and trying to get your bearings, but by the time you have your wits about you once more, you take in the room in which you’ve been brought — and the three familiar faces within. 

Stone walls and tasteful art decor interiors fill the room. Towards the back is a bar where the familiar yellow-clad form of Mister Prodnose is sat, a glass of hot chocolate in hand and a bland look on his face. To your left is a chaise, dark leather and expensive looking. Mister Slugworth is perched on the edge, the sharp line of his suit and the sharper line of his frown enough to keep your nerves firmly on edge. And to your right, lounging in a tall wingback chair with a confident little smirk on his lips — one you hesitate to call flirtatious, you’re sure that’s your mind playing tricks on you — is Mister Fickelgruber, a martini glass filled with what looks like chocolate held loosely in one hand.

Felix is the first one to speak to you. “Do sit down, darling. You are making the place look terribly unkempt.” He exchanges a glance with Francis, waving for him to release you. The Chief does so. It’s not until you’re halfway towards the only free seat not directly next to another cartel member — a small footstool between Felix and Arthur — that Felix seems to spot the way that your arms are twisted behind your back. 

A look of irritation flashes across his face. “Do not be so ridiculous. Release her. Where is she going to run, hm?” 

Francis is quick to obey. You send Felix a tentative, thankful smile of your own as you sit at last, rubbing your sore wrists. You try to ignore the little furtive glances he seems to continue to send your way. He’s just looking at your wrists, you tell yourself, turning your attention towards Arthur as he clears his throat. 

You have a dozen questions — more than — but you can already feel some of the pieces clicking together. A world-famous shopping district filled with only the finest foods and produce to be found, with only three chocolatiers in permanent residence? A Chief of Police who somehow makes time to rush down at the first hint of a single, unlicensed chocolatier daring to set up shop in his city? And these three clearly dangerous men before you? This is a recipe for disaster waiting to happen. You’re just glad that Willy isn’t here with you. 

“We have a proposition for you. One that could very well save that brother of yours.”

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[paradiseprincesss-deactivated20]

˗ˋˏ ♡ ˎˊ˗ 𝑵𝑶 𝑰'𝑴 𝑵𝑶𝑻 𝑰𝑵 𝑳𝑶𝑽𝑬 | Jonathan Crane

𝚆𝚑𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝?

𝑁𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑠 — Apologies in advance if this feels rushed or not great...I don't love this fic and I feel like I could have done a better job lol but I really wanted to get something out for you guyssss!

𝑆𝑢𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑦 — You swear you’re not in love with Jonathan Crane. You just crash at his place, wear his clothes, and think about him way too often. It doesn’t mean anything...until it does.

𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 — 2.9k

𝑾𝑨𝑹𝑵𝑰𝑵𝑮𝑺 -> 18+ ONLY Smut, "enemies"-to-lovers (fuck yeah), p-in-v, sexual tension(?)

𝑴𝑨𝑺𝑻𝑬𝑹𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑻

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

You and Jonathan Crane had a rather peculiar relationship — sworn enemies, you could say. Jonathan thought it was amusing; the way you insisted that the two of you were the furthest thing from friends – or more – but you stood your ground like you always did, refusing to let him win, even in something as petty as semantics. 

You met Jonathan on a night like any other, prowling the streets of Gotham as any self-respecting rogue would. Trouble wasn’t exactly on your agenda that night — until it found you in the form of the infamous Scarecrow.

One moment, you were minding your own business. The next, your lungs were full of his fear toxin.

To this day, Jonathan swears it was an accident — that he had been aiming for some poor bastard behind you. But you don’t buy it. Not for a second.

Jonathan Crane rarely – if ever – took pity on his victims. He watched people scream themselves raw under the influence of his toxin and hardly batted an eye. But when he saw you writhing on the ground, gasping, clawing at the pavement in sheer terror, something made him pause.

Against all of his better judgment, he reluctantly decided to bring you back to his place (how uncharacteristically merciful of him), just long enough to fix you up. However, like a revolving door, the two of you kept coming back to each other like fate placed you there. 

Something – anything – would happen, and you’d find yourself in his company, in his apartment, and sometimes even in his clothes again and again, even though you would stay five feet away from him at all times. 

You’d think something would give, but to this day, you refused to give the universe what it seemed to want.

Tonight, you’ve ended up at Jonathan’s place again because…well, neither of you could answer why you were crashing at his for the sixth time this week.

Jonathan watched you make yourself at home in his bed as he leaned against the doorframe with a small smile painted across his face. You looked up at him as you got cozy in his sheets and immediately went into defence mode.

“Swear I’m only sleeping at your house–”

Jonathan chimed in, “For the sixth time this week–”

“Cause it’s convenient,” you told him, to which he smirked. It took every ounce of restraint to not punch that stupid look off of his face, but you held yourself back.

You were good at holding back. Really good.

“Convenient?” He teased. “You act like you don’t have other options.”

“I do,” you said as you rolled your eyes and tried to rack your brain for a valid excuse to defend yourself with. Your eyes darted to the cup of warm coffee on his bedside table that you’d made just minutes prior. “Just no options that have…decent coffee.”

He arched a brow at your words. “Ah, so you admit there’s something good about me.”

You scoffed as you grabbed the coffee mug bitterly, and Jonathan held back a chuckle. “No. I admit that you accidentally bought good coffee.”

The day goes by, and you hear the front door to his apartment click open. Jonathan had been called into Arkham to do a few emergency patient assessments, and naturally, you stayed in his bed all day before he came back.

When Jonathan found you still in his bed, his eyes widened and you shot him a dirty look. You were scrolling on your phone lazily in his clothes — which were perfectly oversized on you. He thought it was rather cute, though he knew you’d scratch his eyes out if he said that.

“You do realize that’s mine,” he teased.

You looked away from your phone to look down at the fabric drowning your frame. “So?”

He tilted his head, clearly amused. “It’s just interesting. You seem awfully comfortable for someone who supposedly hates me.”

You scoffed, “I wear them because they’re comfy. That’s a good reason.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

It was past midnight when you slipped through Jonathan Crane’s window — because at this point, why even bother with the front door?

You were careful, and quiet, pressing a hand to your ribs as you landed with a soft thud on his floor. The pain shot up your side, white-hot and relentless, but you clenched your teeth and ignored it. You’d had worse.

Jonathan was probably asleep by now, and you weren’t about to wake him just because you were stupid enough to take a knife to the ribs (God, why did being a rogue have to be so hard?!). You just needed to grab some bandages, patch yourself up, and leave before he ever knew you were here.

Or at least, that was the plan.

“You’re bleeding on my floor.”

Your whole body tensed. The voice came from the far side of the dimly lit apartment, where the faint glow of amber chemicals flickered over Jonathan’s face.

He was sitting at his desk, sleeves rolled up, one hand resting lazily against his jaw as he stared at you. Not remotely surprised. Not remotely bothered. Like he had been waiting for you to show up.

Shit.

You straightened, wincing slightly. “You’re supposed to be asleep.”

He huffed a quiet laugh, spinning a syringe between his fingers. “And yet, here I am — watching you bleed all over my floor.” His gaze flickered down to the hand pressed against your ribs. "Sloppy work. Did someone jump you?"

You rolled your eyes and started to walk painfully to his bathroom. “It’s nothing. I’ve got it.”

“You’re limping.”

“No, I’m not.”

Jonathan set the syringe down with an exasperated sigh. Always so difficult. He stood, moving toward you in that slow, calculated way that made your skin prickle. "Yes, you are. And I’m the only one here with a medical degree, so sit down before you make it worse."

You huffed. “It’s not—”

Before you could finish, he stepped into your space, looming in that frustrating way he did when he knew he was about to win an argument.

"Sit," he repeated, voice low and clipped. "Now."

God, he was insufferable.

But you were exhausted. And the throbbing in your side was getting harder to ignore.

“Blood on your hands, bruises on your ribs…” You tuned his voice out as you winced at the pain.

So, with a begrudging sigh, you dropped onto the couch, glaring up at him like he was personally responsible for your suffering. He smirked, obviously pleased with himself, and disappeared into the bathroom for supplies.

When he returned, you were wiping tears off your cheeks as you tried to tough out the pain. Jonathan didn’t say anything, but for once, you almost wished he did. You almost wished he’d just hold you right now and tell you it would all be okay — keyword: almost.

I am not in love, you told yourself as his fingers brushed against the delicate skin of your ribs. I am not thinking about him, I am absolutely not in love, especially not with him — your thoughts lingered as he helped you out of your top slowly and gently, being extra careful as to not hurt you any more than you already were. 

Jonathan noticed how warm you were to the touch — and no, it wasn’t because of the increased blood flow to your wound or the natural inflammatory response your body had to it. You were warm all over, in places he hadn’t even touched you in.

“You’re awfully quiet,” he murmured as he pressed gauze into the wound, which made you flinch. 

You choked back tears. “I’m just– I’m trying not to stab you, clearly.”

“Mhm,” he said lowly, and that voice of his sent chills up your spine. “Now that would be a shame.”

He silently stared at your now patched-up wound before his blue eyes locked with yours. Your breath hitched once more but you tried to control yourself. “All done,” he swallowed. “Go to bed. You need to get some sleep.”

Jonathan doesn't tell you to leave, and you don’t try to.

A week went by since you came back to his wounded, and ever since, Jonathan had been checking in on you as if it was his full-time job. You two would act almost too domestic with one another, so much so that you even started eating dinner together (not that either of you would call it that — it was dangerously close to something people who didn’t hate each other did). 

It was the same thing today — doing couple-y activities even though you swore you hated him, and he…well, you weren’t sure where he stood, but you knew one thing: you were not in love with him. No way. 

But the signs were starting to get hard to ignore.

You didn’t choose to stay with him and he didn’t allow it to happen, it was just utter convenience. Sure, you could’ve stayed with Harley but she and The Joker would fight weekly and it was a little too intense for you, or maybe you could’ve stayed with Selina, but she was too quiet. Jonathan Crane though? He was that perfect middle.

Convenient... 

You were content now, legs stretched out across his lap as you flipped through channels on the television. Jonathan was busy reading a book, one hand holding it while the other gently rested on your legs. 

The silence was too comfortable. 

“When are you going to stop pretending to hate me?” 

Jonathan’s voice echoed off the walls of his living room, and your finger froze over the remote. You turned your head slowly to look at him. 

“Excuse me?” You scoffed, stomach tightening. “I’m not pretending.” 

Jonathan finally set the book down as he tilted his head slightly, taking a good look at you. He was studying you. “Really?” 

You rolled your eyes. “Yes, really.” 

He gestured lazily to the oversized sweater you were wearing — his sweater. “Right,” he said as he cocked a brow, “that’s why you’re dressed like me and sprawled out all over my furniture.” 

Your jaw clenched and you sat up. You pulled your legs away from him as your voice trembled. “Don’t start, Crane. It’s convenient.”

”Convenient?” He said as he let out a scoff. “Does convenient usually mean sleeping in someone’s bed and spending all day with them whilst wearing their clothes? Acting like you hate them when in reality you’re in denial? Is that what convenient means—?“ 

“You’re reading into things that aren’t there,” you exasperated as your heart thumped louder and louder in your chest. “I’m not in love with you, for god's sake Jonathan, why would you think—“

He let out a laugh as he shook his head. “I never said you were.” 

“Good, because I’m not.”

“No?” He almost teased you. 

“No,” you deadpan as you fought back the butterflies erupting in your chest. “No, I am not in love. I’m not— I don’t think about you.” 

“Not even a little?” You hadn’t even realized you were inching closer and closer to him whilst claiming you hated him. “You keep getting closer to me, though. It’s okay if you slip up and say it, I don’t mind.”

You watched as he gave you a small smile — you didn’t find any of this funny. “You don’t know anything.”

“Okay,” he said as he leaned in just slightly. Close enough to touch you but far enough to have you yearn for more. “Then say it.”

Your words come out shaky as your breath gets caught in your throat. “Say what?”

“Say you don’t want me,” he challenged, knowing you’d dig your own grave — knowing you’d already dug your own grave. 

You tried to force the words out – you did – but nothing came out. His eyes flicked down to your lips — just briefly. It was then you realized you were in too deep, too far forward to come back and retrace your steps. You should’ve moved away.

But you didn’t.

His voice dropped to a whisper. “Nothing to say?” 

You hate him. You’re supposed to hate him. You don’t love him. You aren’t falling for him. You don’t care. 

…But that was a lie — which is exactly why you pulled him in by the collar of his shirt and pressed your lips up against his, and naturally, his hands came to pull at your waist and hold you close to him.

It was a perfect fit, as if both of you were waiting for this to happen.

Jonathan kissed you feverishly as you melted into his touch, and you let him break down every wall you’d built, brick by brick. His hands roamed and wandered as you straddled him while he touched you in all the right places. 

His hands gave a gentle squeeze to your throat, and you moaned into the kiss.

“I need you,” you whimpered against his lips. “Now.”

Between hungry kisses and pure desperation, Jonathan had managed to get you into his bed with ease; your back pressed up against his soft mattress as you let out breathless sounds. He trailed his kisses down your face and neck slowly.

“Don’t tease,” you whined. “Been wanting this for forever now.” 

“I know.” His voice sent shivers down your spine and heat right to your core — he had every right to be cocky now.

Jonathan’s fingers ghosted over the waistband of your lacy underwear – because yes, you had gotten so comfortable around him that you’d wear just panties and his oversized clothing – as you let out a shaky breath. He slowly dragged your underwear down whilst keeping his ice-cold eyes locked on yours, but the last thing you felt right now was chilly.

Every part of you that he touched felt like it was being set ablaze. 

After getting you out of your undergarments, he kissed you hungrily again, almost bruising your lips as he did so. He pulled away for a moment to let you catch your breath and you spoke softly to him. “Dear god, I want—no, need this.”

“And I’ll give it to you, sweetheart,” he said as he reached down to slide his sweatpants off.

You bit your lip as you watched his cock spring out, and you could feel more than just your mouth getting wet at the sight of it. If Jonathan wasn’t so desperate to be inside of you, he’d loved to have seen those gorgeous lips of yours wrapped around him, but right now, all he wanted was to slam himself into you until your voice went hoarse. 

As he lined himself up with your dripping entrance, the both of you let out groans at the feeling of him just brushing up against you.

“Please fuck me, Jon,” you whimpered. “I need you inside of me.”

In one swift movement, you felt the air get knocked out of your lungs as he filled you fully, stretching you out around his length.

“Shit,” he choked. “So fuckin’ tight.”

Your hands came to grasp onto him, fingers digging into his back as you moaned.

“Mine,” you gasped before letting out another moan.

“All yours,” Jonathan confirmed as he bucked his hips into you, slamming his cock so deep that you knew you’d have trouble walking tomorrow. He barely gave you time to adjust to his size before ramming into you harder – faster – until you were screaming his name. “You’re – fuck – going to mark up my whole back with your nails, aren’t you? Is it really that good, baby?”

His words had you seeing stars. “Fuck — yes…”

Your sentences came out broken and stuttered, but it only fueled Jonathan’s ego even further. You could feel yourself clenching down on his thick cock, mind drawing blanks as you lost yourself in the pleasure — the months of built-up tension that had been bubbling up inside of you. 

“Pretty face, perfect body,” Jonathan groaned as he continued to hit that spot inside of you, “and perfect fucking pussy. Is there anything about you that isn’t perfect?”

His words had you almost as fucked up as his slamming himself into you did, and you couldn’t help but feel your cheeks heat up. You whined as you pulled him even closer to you (like that was even possible). It was almost like drugs the way he had you hooked — and you knew you couldn’t go without it now.

“I–” You struggled to talk, and Jonathan let out a breathy chuckle once he noticed how fucked out you were.

“You got it, baby,” he cooed. “You’re taking me so well. Fuck, good girl.” 

“Mmmm – close…”

“Yeah?” He groaned as he felt his own release sneak up on him. “Come for me. Show me how much you need me.”

You babbled out incoherent curses and words as your release hit you, making you see stars yet again as Jonathan followed behind while letting out a groan. He pulled out and came on your stomach, stroking his cock to ensure he milked himself of every last drop as he painted you with his cum. 

You looked up into his eyes innocently, still catching your breath. For a moment, neither of you say anything. Then, you both crack a smile.

Jonathan shifted as he traced absentminded patterns along your bare skin. "You’re still here."

You arched an eyebrow, "Obviously."

He hummed. Satisfied. But then his voice dropped — quieter, almost hesitant. "You could leave, you know."

Something in your chest tightened. You know that. And yet…

"I know," you replied.

A pause.

Then he spoke again.

"...Don’t leave."

You smiled, “...I won’t.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

[iamnotoriginalphil]

Merry Fucking Christmas (Lady Lesso x f!Reader)

Synopsis: It's the work holiday party, and Lesso is wondering how it came to this. Especially when you look as beautiful as you do.

Words: 2.2k

Warnings: swearing, mentions of violence

Lesso had no idea how Dovey had roped her into the whole stupid endeavour. Nevers didn’t celebrate Christmas. Nevers tried to steal the presents from under trees and burn the turkeys. They didn’t string up little lights and hang wreaths. They didn’t drape crystal snowflakes along the ceiling or hang mistletoe unless it cursed those who walked under it.

So standing in the middle of the ballroom with the Christmas decorations her staff had helped put up, a sense of unease rumbled through her body.

There was a band at one end playing, the Ever staff sweeping across the floor in some kind of waltz, twirling princesses in the arms of their handsome princes. Her lip curled up at the image. Without students, there was an air of revelry usually kept from their charges, alcohol flowing far more than usual, more exuberance and less care about maintaining a proper facade.

The entire idea of a staff holiday party was absurd on so many levels.

Her fingers clenched on the metal head of her cane, biting into her skin until she felt the prick of pain. Standing to the side of the hall she could observe, keeping herself hidden away from the prying eyes of those looking to mock. From her vantage point she could see Dovey, her wide smile bright in the light cast from the chandeliers overhead. She sneered at the other woman’s joy. It was painful, knowing her side had contributed to the happiness of Good.

Watching Dovey at least brought her some relief from the single person she didn’t want to be caught staring at. She was being careful, keeping one of those infernal Christmas trees between her and you, lest she find herself doing something drastic like watching you as you laughed.

You were practically glittering in the soft lighting. The moment you’d walked in her breath had caught and she’d frozen, not able to think of anything outside of the fact that everything about you called to her. She’d had to promptly turn away, smacking Manley out of the way with her cane as she’d swept to the furthest corner of the room. There was no sense giving in to the impulse to steal you away and see how quickly she could bring tears to your eyes.

You lent into Anemone as you spoke to her, your eyes glittering under the light of the chandelier. A slow smile spread over your face, soft and joyful, the exact kind she was certain the inane professor taught in her classes. It was vapid and vacuous and had no substance at all. That was why her heart was pounding in her chest. Because she was so angry.

No other reason.

Your laughter was so light, floating on the air towards her. It shouldn’t have reached her ear, not with the band playing. But it was as if her ears were attuned to you. Her stomach clenched, fingers tightening on the head of her cane. It was becoming too much, an overwhelming impulse to do something rising in her.

It wasn’t going to be pretty if she let it take control.

Edging her way around the wall, she placed another one of the towering Christmas trees between her and you. The air smelt of pine and spices, the fires roaring, magic in the air. It was sickening. Her stomach turned.

She snatched up a goblet of mulled wine, wrinkling her nose at it. She downed it before grabbing another. It was warm, seeping through her veins until her fingers could relax again.

Leaning against the wall, she glowered over the rim of her goblet as you were swept onto the dance floor. One of the Evers, a shining prince in his full regalia, was holding you in his arms, stiff and proper. You shone as he spun you around the floor, keeping perfect time with the music. Her teeth ground together.

“Can’t you put that scowl away for one night? It’s the holidays.”

She shouldn’t have let herself lose track of Dovey in the milling crowd. The annoying voice with the lilt of joy was enough to make her burst a blood vessel. Although, the undercurrent of annoyance was pleasing.

“I have a reputation to maintain,” she replied.

“Even Manley is having fun,” she said, looking over at the man dance alone in the crowd. Her nose wrinkled but she’d painted the smile on and wasn’t about to let it drop off for that muold stain of a man.

“Well, he is a buffoon,” she snapped.

“Just try and enjoy yourself,” Dovey said, losing patience, “everyone else is.”

Her eyes alighted on you again, watching the way the baubles in your hair caught the light of the candles around the ballroom. As you spun, your skirt fanned out around you, the puerile shade of blue only making your skin glow with health. There was nothing harsh about you, all soft curves and delicate lines, making her grit her teeth. You certainly looked as if you were enjoying yourself.

She wanted to sink her teeth into you until you begged her to stop.

“Why not find a partner and dance? You’ll have fun,” Dovey said.

She wasn’t about to admit she’d never learnt to dance like this. Nevers weren’t taught how to survive in a ballroom. Stick her in a forest and she would be fine, a concerning cottage and she’d thrive, a disreputable inn and she would delight in the experience. But give her a dance floor and she was lost.

But you with your perfect hair and perfect smile were right at home in the arms of some prince waltzing over the dance floor.

“Are those some students sneaking into the party?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder.

“Where?”

Dovey whipped around and in her moment of distraction with the Never students crashing the party, she slipped away. Sneaking, that was another skill she possessed in great quantities. Catching one last glance at you, shining and sparkling like the jewel you were, she left the party behind with a snarl.

The icy wind bit into the skin of her face as she strode out into the gardens. The moon was high in the sky, full, casting silverly light down upon her as she found a secluded place to brood. Skulking in the shadows, she stared out at the forest, trees swaying in the wind. Snow fell about her, entirely too picturesque for her current mood.

The entire night could be filed under disaster, and not because she’d planned for it to be. She took a sip from the goblet she’d stolen from the Evers, the mulled wine warming her up from the inside out. She’d known the entire endeavour would be just another defeat to add to her long list. She pursed her lips, fingers tightening on the head of her cane until the pain of it soothed her. Pain was familiar and delicious. Pain never let her down. Pain was comforting when the rest of the world made no sense.

“It’s a beautiful night, isn’t it?”

The thing about Evers were they were light on their feet. Delicate footsteps were easy to miss when she wasn’t paying attention. But there you were, walking towards her with one of those perfect soft smile on your face, practically glowing in the moonlight. Snow fell on your bare shoulders, melting in your hair, getting caught in your eyelashes.

She had to tear her eyes from your figure, staring out at the forest again. With a wrinkle of her nose, she sneered at your question. She hardly wanted to be in a storybook winter scene. She was certain if she was then it would be as she was chased by pitchforks and swords. That’s how it usually went when someone was evil these days.

“Weren’t you enjoying the party?” you asked, voice bright and not discouraged in the slightest. Why were you never discouraged by her unpleasantness? She worked so hard at it.

“I’m not some Ever that can be charmed by decorations and music,” she replied.

“No, you want something more substantive, don’t you? You’re not interested in something as surface level as beauty,” you said.

Her eye darted towards you, sweeping over your form. You weren’t even hiding the way you were watching her. Your eyes were sparkling and your lips were tugging up into a smile that made butterflies erupt in her stomach like she was some simpering Ever. Beauty, it turned out, did very well for her when it was yours.

“Still, the dancing was fun,” you said.

“I’m sure,” she replied, “you should go back to it.”

All you did was shift closer to her, only an inch, but enough for her to stiffen. She could feel you, so aware of the space between your arm and hers. Her jaw clenched and she had to fight against the impulse to lash out and shove you away. If you fell, all the better. That would teach you a lesson about simpering in her direction.

“But I much prefer the view out here,” you said and you batted your fucking eyelashes at her.

Her heart should not be doing a backflip. She should not be feeling her cheeks flushing. Her gaze should definitely not be dropping to your pretty pink lips. She growled but you only inched closer to her again.

Only then you were close enough for her to notice the way you were shivering. The snowflakes were dusting your skin, slow to melt. You didn’t seem to care. If it wasn’t for the fact the air was still biting at her skin, she’d almost believe you weren’t aware of the cold. But you were shivering even as you lent towards her.

The only time she wanted to see you uncomfortable was when she was causing it.

Like when her nails dug into your skin and your eyes watered. Or when she threatened you and your eyes widened. Or when she pinned you up against a wall and your eyes sparkled.

“You should get back inside. Wouldn’t want you to freeze to death out here,” she grumbled.

“Lady Lesso, I had no idea you cared so much,” you said, but you were smiling and she thought you might be laughing at her.

“Get out of here,” she snapped.

Your shoulder brushed against hers. She should have been paying more attention and not letting you get so close. Just the heat of your body was making her head spin. Something was wrong with her. So very wrong.

“I can’t tempt you to come with me?” you asked.

You could tempt her to do so many things that were not appropriate for an Ever to do. She could corrupt you so easily. You’d be doing all kinds of things that would leave you a flustered mess. She wanted to see you beg.

“Just go,” she said.

Your fingers were warm against her chin as you turned her face towards you. Your teeth had sunk into your lower lip and it took a great amount of self control not to take the invitation and sink hers in too. Leaning closer, your breath ghosted over her lips.

“What are you doing?” she demanded but her voice came out more breathless than she was hoping.

“Celebrating,” you replied.

Your lips brushed hers, soft and gentle, the exact way she expected Evers to kiss. Saccharine sweet, the exact kind of kiss that would spark true love. It shouldn’t make her heart flutter.

But then you pressed closer, kissing harder, your tongue running along her lower lip. Your fingers tightened on her chin, holding her in place and she found herself opening to you. You tasted like champagne and chocolate and all she wanted was more of it. The goblet tumbled from her had as she pressed it to the small of your back, hauling you as close as your full skirt would allow. You moaned, and it was filthier than anything she could have expected to come out of you.

You drew away, eyes slow to blink open, lips kiss swollen. She felt dumb struck, like lightning had struck her out of the sky. The blood in her veins was thrumming, the same way it did when she managed to pull off a particularly brilliant piece of villainy. Your lips curled up into a small smile, and you stepped back.

Her fingers clenched around the empty air, not liking the lose of your warmth. You chuckled, fingertips brushing over her cheekbone before you clasped your hands in front of you like the good perfect Ever you pretended to be.

“Merry Christmas, Lady Lesso,” you said, voice such a nice timbre it went through her like a shudder.

She watched as you disappeared back into the shadows, returning to the party she’d abandoned. Turning back to the forest, her hand rose to her lips, unbidden and unconscious. They still tingled from the feeling of yours against them, the taste of you still on her tongue.

Merry fucking Christmas indeed.

[mrspringles-deactivated20260225]

Lady Leonora Lesso x Female Reader- Daydreaming (TINY SMUT)

⚠️READER IS 20!!! TINY SMUT WARNING!!!⚠️

Warnings; tiny smut/usage of whips/bondage

Basically it's like a tiny smut followed by the use of toys.

Summary; Y/n is the daughter of Cruella De Vil and she happens to be at the school for evil but she does the mistake of falling asleep in Lady Lesso's class and so she is given a special punishment by her dean who happens to be her crush.

***

SMACK. Exiting my trance I look up from my desk to spot the gorgeous redhead glaring at me with beautiful green orbs. "It will serve you well, Miss De Vil, if you payed more attention to my lessons" she says "Instead of daydreaming in that tiny little head of yours" she adds on before hitting my forehead with the tip of cane. "Yes" she raises an eyebrow at me. "Ye-s Lady Lesso" she glares at me for bit longer before continuing with her lesson about our special talents.

After a while the lesson finally ends and the students flood the classroom making their way to lunch leaving me the only student with Sophie. "Hey, Y/n could you do a favour for me?" I look at the blonde in denial. "Please?" "Alright, what do I get in turn?" "Um, to get into mischief?" she says sarcastically. Sighing in defeat "Ok deal" I say shaking her hand and leaving the class not before Lady Lesso calls me over. "I'll meet u with you!" Sophie says rushing away from the dean.

"Yes Lady Lesso?" she gestures for me to sit on a nearby desk and I take a seat on mine. "So Miss De Vil what exactly were you so interested in thinking about which was more important than my lesson?" she asks leaning on her own desk with her arms folded. 'Shit' "Nothing Lady Lesso" she eyes me more staring right into me. "So you wanna do this the hard way, huh?" she asks with her usual smirk on her lips. "Detention, after all of your lessons today" "What?!" I say getting up from my chair in shock. "Oh? Would you like me to take you to the Doom Room? I'm sure all my toys will like to play with you" she says walking her towards me as I move backwards eventually hitting the wall. She is now standing in front of my shorter figure eyes never leaving mine while she harshly places her hands on the wall on both side of my head, blocking me from escaping. Slowly she makes her way closer to my face and I close eyes not wanting to make eye contact and I feel her cheek brushing mine while feeling her breath against my left ear. She whispers "Are we clear?" in a husky voice and I close my thighs rubbing them against each other trying to create friction.

She notices this and places her hand on one of my thighs pulling it away from the other and places her knee in between both of them lifting up to womanhood and I fight back a moan by biting my lips which wasn't the best idea cause them lifted her knee higher and a low moan escaped by lips and I hear Lady Lesso groaning right in my ear. She took both of my hands and placed them above my head and began to rub her knee against my womanhood and I couldn't help but whine over and over from the feeling. She quickly went into attacking my neck kissing it ever so sweetly till that sweetness turned to hunger and she began sucking and biting around my neck most probably leaving marks on there. "F-fuck" a let out a moan in a shaky breath. She moves all over my chest placing love bites causing me to feel dizzy in the head crazing to place my hands in her curly red hair and roaming around her body. She moves away from my neck causing me to pout at the lose of her lips on my body and I look at her seeing the smirk she has on her face admiring her work of art. For a moment she places on more kiss my neck before looking at my face then at my lips as she licks hers ready to devour mine. She slowly moves forward almost closing the gap between our faces then she-

"Y/N!!" I jump at the sound of someone screaming my name and I look in front of me to see Lady Lesso looking down at me with pure anger in her eyes and looking around I notice my classmates staring at us more specifically me for being stupid enough to fall asleep in Lady Lesso's class. Looking back at the redhead she still has her eyes on me with a stern look on her face. "Care to tell us what you're dreaming about Miss De Vil?" feeling the heat rising all over my face I look down at my desk hoping she didn't notice but she did. Nothing goes unnoticed by the dean of evil. "Well? Aren't you going to tell us?" she asks in a teasing voice knowing damn well what you were thinking about. "It was nothing, Lady Lesso" I respond slightly lifting my head up and my eyes lock with hers as we hold strong eye contact, as I feeling the redness rising up to face again. "I see" she says fixing her posture and turning around making her back to the centre of room. "Then I guess I will meet you in the doom room, Miss De Vil" she says my last name with a lower huskier tone and I knew exactly where this was going to go.

The real bell rang happy that this wasn't a fake one like the one I had in my dream. Yet once again Sophie and I are the last remaining students as the rest flooded out the classroom for lunch. "Hey Y/n you good?" Sophie asks me with a some what worry in her face. "I'm fine Never-Ever" I spat at her without looking at her in the eyes. "Listen Y/n I know we never got on a good start on my first day" "Really? Wow I never noticed" I say dramatically before scoffing afterwards. "Look I was hoping if you could help me with something" "Which is?" I ask eyeing her up and down in denial of her words. "You know Tedros right?" "Son of King Luther? The Egotistic male who attracts the attention of Ever Princess? The-" "Yes! Yes- Yes, him" she sighs "I was hoping if you could help me get to him, know to like try to get him to like me?" she says fidgeting with her hair. Weirdo. "What do I get in turn? Miss Never-Ever" she rolls her eyes at name. "A chance to most likely get in trouble for interacting with an Ever, more so an Ever prince" thinking for a while on whether or not to agree to her scheme I eventually give in not being to resist the taste of mischief and mayhem. "Alright, deal" "Great" she puts her hand out for me to shake and I hesitantly take her finger and shake it slightly. What? I'm the daughter of Cruella, I don't get touched by peasants.

"So what exactly am I doing?" "You're gonna help input a word for me to Tedros and help me with my outfit considering your mom is a literal fashion villain" Looking at her outfit I now realise that she is dressed in a long black rag which is utterly disgusting none the less. "Alright you are in serious need of a makeover" "Thank you" she says. We walk out of the classroom making our to my dorm room to prepare the and outfit.

Lesso's POV

It's been over 20 minutes and lunch with be over in 40 minutes and yet there is no sign whatsoever of my favourite student, Y/n. The last time I saw her she was remaining in class with the blonde chic Sophie and I utterly despise that girl with my power. "Lesso are you okay? You seem more pissed then you usually are" The golden dean next to me asks as I completely ignore her question staring the entering hall door as if I was waiting for something or someone to enter. "Clarissa I don't think Lesso of all people would care to say was making her so uptight" Anemone says trying to avert Clarissa's attention from me to her considering her crush for the golden dean. "For own information...Beauty Teacher, I'm not uptight" I respond to the purple dressed lady adding a bit of sarcasm to the her title 'Beauty Teacher'. "Watch it Redhead" she weakly threats to me and I smirk to myself knowing I was able to make her crack like I always to on a daily basis mainly because I can. "Oh I'm watching it" I dramatically say placing a hand on my chest looking at her with fake pleading eyes. Laughing in the inside at her face which looks as if she could explode in any second. "You mother-" BANG. Before Miss Beauty over here could finish her statement the door is swung wide open to reveal Anadil, Hester, Dot, Sophie and...Y/n?

They all waltz their way into the hall and everyone is whispering and staring them in shocking and I could tell that most of the Ever Princes were staring as well which would to the Princess having to make a run for their money. All five of the girls were wearing black and grey attire and I could tell this was all Y/n's doing and looking over to her outfit I nearly had to choke on the air because...wow.

Your Outfit;

[I imagined it to be with the gloves cause it gives me Cruella De Vil vibes, BTW Y/n's mother in this fanfic is Cruella played by Emma Stone but you can choose the other versions if you'd like]

Y/n's POV

Bursting through the door with Sophie, Anadil, Hester and Dot we made out way into the hall receiving stares and whispers from everyone and sooner or later the Nevers stared to cheer us on and clap for us while the Ever Princes looked at us in awe and more specifically Tedros was admiring Sophie to the point that his finger glow was showing and pretty obvious what emotion he was feeling and I could see Beatrix who was with her friends looking at Sophie with complete anger and rage. Perfect. "Alright guys you can all go ahead so Y/n and I can activate our plan" the girls agreed and went to the Nevers or Hort at least who seemed to be admiring Sophie. Poor Boy is lovestruck. "Alright Y/n you know what to do right?" "Mhm, I'm on it" At this point everyone went back into doing what they were doing before exact Beatrix who had her eyes on Sophie and Tedros who was still in awe. Making my way towards the prince himself I feel a pair of eyes on me and I kept looking around unsure of whose eyes they belonged to but I just concluded it with some student admiring me and to be fair I wouldn't mind I mean I would admire myself too if I were them.

"Tedros" I call out to him and he wakes up from his trance and he look towards me. "Um, hello can I help you?" "Shut up" his eyes widen in shock at my bold move as if I wasn't just taking to the son of a king who cloud easily have me executed. "I don't like small talk so I'm go straight into the point, alright?" "Um-" "What's going on with Sophie Y/n?!" I look over to the person seated next to the prince and notice that it was Agatha. "Aggie I didn't realise that was you with all that makeup and glam" "I can't either nowadays but explain what Sophie's plot is" "Hold on I'm getting there" Looking back at the prince in front me. "So Tedros, Sophie is really interested in going on a date with you" "Sophie? The Never?" "Hm- Never-Ever!" "Never what?" "Never-Ever, it means she an Ever who was just mistakenly placed into being a Never same thing as Agatha for example" "Excuse me?" Agatha says slightly offended. "Agatha's an Ever-Never meaning a Never mistakenly placed into being an Ever"

"What makes you think Sophie's an Ever?" Tedros asks and I hold back the urge to just stab him right there and then cause he is really getting on my nerves. "I mean look at her, she's sweet, kind, selfless and she can communicate with the animal of the forest what else do you need?" I ask him. "Alright how about I take her on a date and she will prove to me that she is actually good" "Deal" Before I could continue any longer I felt a pair of strong hands on my arms pulling me away. "Hey! What the heck?!" "Nevers aren't supposed to speak to Evers and most importantly the princes!" the wolf guard snarled at me as her dragged me away with the help of another guard and I try to call out to Sophie but she just gives me a sympathetic look before shrugging her shoulders at me and making her way to her friends. And as I'm being dragged away it came to me. That Bitch Will Pay.

"Wait! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT BAD!" I scream at the guards as they leave me tired to a chair in a dark room with only one light supplier and look around the room spotting weapons in a corner. Whips, axe, sword, knives and etc. "Hello! Anyone!" I shout and sigh until a husky voice makes me jump in fear. "There's no point in screaming, Pet, this room is soundproof which is why it's the perfect place to held you captive" Hearing the sound of familiar clicking heels, I lift my head and spot the redhead but she isn't wearing her usual day-to-day trench coat and is left with her white blouse and vest and the sleeves are rolled up to her elbows. Damn. "You, Y/n for girl who seems so innocent you really are naughty" she says walking to her weapon area, observing each and every one of them carefully while roaming her hands and fingers on them.

"Lady Lesso, I- I can explain this isn't my fault nor my doing, I was tricked!" "Are you sure about that? Cause first you sleep through my lesson, then you show up late to lunch with a revealing outfit and then you talk to a stupid ever boy, in my case that doesn't seem like a mistake" "B-but I'm serious Sophie did this! Okay I admit the sleeping was my fault and I apologise but the outfit and Tedros was none of my idea! IT WAS SOPHIE'S!" I scream out still pissed by her actions. "Well then since it wasn't your fault I'll confront the blonde" she says her voice going back to her usual one while I sigh in relief. "But- I still need to punish you for sleeping in my lesson" Her voice went back to husky and I closed my thighs as a precaution. "Yes Ma'am" I respond shakily and she cackles at the name. "Well then the fast we do this" SMACK "The quicker we're done" she swings a whip on her desk before turning around to face me walking towards my tied up body her smirk never leaving. She moves my dress higher up my thighs before stopping it right over my womanhood. "I'm going to smack each of your thighs five times and your gonna count within each smack are we clear?" I nod "Words" "Yes Ma'am" she closes her eyes groaning at the name before opening them again. "If you manage to count without stopping you'll receive a reward alright?" I nod "Yes Ma'am" "Good Kitten" she says "Now, Count"

SMACK "o-one"

SMACK "t-two"

SMACK "t-three"

SMACK "f-four"

SMACK "f-five- fuck" At this point tears were making my vision foggy and I wasn't able to get a clear vision of the redhead but I could tell she was enjoying it cause once I stopped counting to get a breather she hit me extremely hard on my hand. "FUCK!" "COUNT! Or I'll end up increasing"

SMACK "s-si-" SMACK "MOMMY! SIX!"

SMACK "s-seven f-fuck"

SMACK "ei-eight"

SMACK "Aww so close, Pet~" "F-fuck n-nine"

SMACK "TEN!"

"Good girl~" she says while untying the knots. My chest heaving up and down trying to catch my breath until the dean of evil herself, places her lips on mine hungrily before biting on my bottom lip making me moan in pleasure as she enters her tongue and explores my mouth before pulling away wiping the string of saliva from our lips. "Now you get your reward~" she says before opening my legs with her muscular hands. "I'll make sure to take good care of you" she places a peck on lips before moving towards my ear biting on it before seductively whispering "My Pet~"

[mrspringles-deactivated20260225]

CLARISSA TEACHING EVER READER HOW TO BE GOOD

Clarissa; Okay let's go through this again- What do you do when you see person in need of help?

Reader; Look a different way

Clarissa; No! *losing her temper* Okay let's try this again, a young beautiful lady just tripped and fell, what do you do?

Reader; Ask for her number

Clarissa; Wha- Why?!

Reader; Cause she's beautiful

Clarissa; OMG- Reader listen to me okay?

Reader; Mhm *nods attentively*

Clarissa; A beautiful young woman-

Reader; Is that woman perhaps Lady Lesso?

Clarissa; Why does that have to do with- Argh, yes she is Lady Lesso, anyways you see her in need of help, what do you do?

Reader; What need of help is she in?

Clarissa; She's being strangled by a strong muscular man, now what do you do?

Reader; Nothing

Clarissa; *shocked* Why-

Reader; It's Lesso I know better than to try and steal her moment when she kicks that guy's ass

Clarissa; *speechless*

Lesso watching from the corner of the room with her smirk on her face; That's my girl

[darklystar]

CABARET, CABARET, CABARET!

[da-owo]

wip moment

[anastasiareadsnwrites]

a silly and goofy platonic lady lesso fic where the reader is like "the school master sent me to you to sign some papers" and lady lesso signs them not even looking and its adoption papers ☠️

Mother knows best PLATONIC (Lady Lesso & Student! Reader)

Author's note: Hiya, I'm so sorry it took a long time to work on this fic for you but I hope I delivered! Thank you for requesting!

Summary: In a comical twist of fate, you, an unsuspecting student at the School for Evil, accidentally get adopted by the infamous Lady Lesso. What starts as a simple mix-up with some paperwork turns into a whirlwind of high expectations, magical lessons, and newfound responsibilities. As Lady Lesso's ward, you are now expected to live up to her high standards and face challenges that push you far beyond what you thought you were capable of. But beneath her icy exterior, could there be a glimmer of something more—a reluctant mentor who may just care about your success after all?

Warning(s): Mild language (mentions of cursing, sarcastic humor), Lighthearted chaos, Platonic student-teacher dynamic, Slight pressure/performance anxiety (academic/magical expectations), Fantasy elements (magic, projections)

The MAIN Masterlist

It was a typical day at the School for Evil, where chaos reigned supreme and the students prided themselves on their wicked schemes. You, however, were having a less-than-evil day. After a failed prank gone wrong (involving frogs that wouldn't stop croaking), you found yourself summoned to the imposing chambers of Lady Lesso.

You gulped. Lady Lesso was known for her icy demeanor and razor-sharp wit, and every student feared being called to her office. As you approached her door, you clutched a stack of papers in your hands—important documents that the school master had asked you to deliver to Lady Lesso.

Deep breath, you told yourself, then knocked on the door.

"Enter," her voice came, cold and commanding.

You pushed the heavy door open, stepping into the grand office. Lady Lesso sat behind her desk, her gaze piercing even as she barely looked up from her work. The air felt ten degrees colder, and you swore the shadows danced a little more in her presence.

"Lady Lesso," you began nervously, holding out the stack of papers. "The school master asked me to bring you these papers to sign."

Without looking up, Lady Lesso extended her hand. "Leave them on the desk," she said curtly, her tone leaving no room for questions.

"Uh, okay..." you hesitated, awkwardly placing the documents on her desk. You glanced down at the papers—Oops. Among the school forms, there was one particularly suspicious document sticking out... an adoption form? You frowned, wondering how in the world it got mixed in with the pile. Before you could say anything, Lady Lesso’s hand shot out, signing the papers in one swift, careless motion.

"There. Done," she said, her quill scratching the final signature onto the stack. "You’re dismissed."

"Uh... L-Lady Lesso, wait—"

"Do you plan to stay in my office all day, (Y/N)? You may go now."

You blinked, then realized you had no choice but to leave. Shuffling out the door, you clutched the papers to your chest, unsure how to break the news to her that she had just signed off on adopting you.

Later that evening, you returned to your dormitory, clutching the signed adoption papers and staring at them in disbelief.

“I’m… adopted?” you mumbled to yourself. “By Lady Lesso of all people?”

Your best friend, who had been sprawled out on their bed, peeked over your shoulder. "What's that?"

You showed them the signed papers, and their eyes widened in shock before they burst into laughter. "No way! You got Lady Lesso to adopt you without even trying?"

"Shhh! Keep it down!" you hissed, glancing around to make sure no one overheard. “It was an accident! She didn’t even read the papers. She just signed them!”

Your friend wiped tears from their eyes. "This is priceless. Lady Lesso, of all people, adopting you? You have to tell her!"

You groaned. The idea of going back to her office and explaining the mix-up seemed terrifying. But deep down, you knew you couldn’t hide this forever. Eventually, she’d find out—one way or another.

The next day, you stood once again outside Lady Lesso’s office, your heart pounding in your chest. You knocked on the door, and her voice called you in. This time, Lady Lesso was standing by the window, looking out into the misty courtyard.

"You again," she said, turning to face you. "What do you want this time?"

You took a deep breath, holding out the adoption papers. "Um, there was a little... mistake yesterday. You signed these without realizing what they were."

Lady Lesso raised an eyebrow, taking the papers from your hand. Her eyes scanned the document, and as she read the bold title at the top—Adoption of (Y/N) by Lady Lesso—a flicker of surprise crossed her face.

"Care to explain this?" she asked, her tone eerily calm.

You swallowed hard. "It was an accident! The school master gave me a stack of papers to give to you, and somehow the adoption form got mixed in. I didn’t mean for you to sign it, and—"

Before you could finish, Lady Lesso began to laugh.

Not a sarcastic laugh. Not a cruel laugh. A genuine, amused chuckle, which was... both unexpected and terrifying.

"Well, well," she said, still chuckling as she placed the papers back on her desk. "I suppose this makes you my responsibility now."

You stared at her, eyes wide. "W-What? But I thought you’d be mad, and—"

"Oh, don’t be ridiculous," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "If you think I’m going to go through the effort of reversing this, you clearly don’t know me well enough. Consider yourself adopted, (Y/N). I expect nothing less than absolute perfection from you."

You blinked, still processing her words. "So... you're not going to un-adopt me?"

She smirked. "I’ve already signed the papers, haven’t I? Might as well make the best of it."

You weren’t sure if you should feel relieved or utterly terrified. Either way, one thing was clear: you were now officially under the care of Lady Lesso—one of the most intimidating, brilliant, and slightly unhinged figures in the school.

What could possibly go wrong?

The rest of the day felt surreal. The news of your accidental adoption spread through the school faster than wildfire. Everywhere you went, people whispered and pointed, amused or shocked by the fact that you were now, technically, the child of Lady Lesso.

Your best friend was no help at all. They were practically in stitches, laughing every time they saw you. "You're practically royalty now!" they teased, nudging you in the ribs. "Lady Lesso’s one and only heir!"

"Stop," you groaned, face turning red. "I’m still figuring out how to survive this."

The thought of confronting Lady Lesso about your "new relationship" was overwhelming. She had been oddly calm about it, which scared you more than if she had been furious. Who knew what she was planning?

"You’re overthinking it," your friend said as you sat at the edge of the fountain in the courtyard. "Lady Lesso probably already forgot about it. I mean, she signed the papers by accident, right? It’s not like she’s going to act like your actual mom."

That, at least, was a relief. Lady Lesso wasn’t exactly the motherly type. You could imagine her handling discipline, sharp advice, and maybe even the occasional sarcastic compliment. But nurturing hugs and words of comfort? Yeah, that was probably never going to happen.

Still, you couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to change. Being adopted by Lady Lesso? That kind of mistake doesn’t just fade into the background unnoticed.

The next morning, you woke up with a note on your door. It wasn’t signed, but you recognized the sharp, slanted handwriting right away. Your heart sank as you read it:

"Report to my office immediately after breakfast. Don’t be late."

There was no doubt—it was from Lady Lesso. You barely had time to shove some breakfast into your mouth before rushing to her office, your stomach doing anxious flips the entire time.

You knocked on the door, more hesitantly than usual.

"Enter," came the familiar command.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed the door open. Lady Lesso was at her desk, as always, her posture straight and her expression unreadable. But this time, there was something different. Next to her on the desk was a small stack of books, and in front of the books was a little... lunchbox? With your name on it.

You blinked in confusion.

"You're late," Lady Lesso said without looking up. "I expected more punctuality from my... ward."

Your eyes widened. "Ward? But I thought—"

"Sit." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk.

You quickly complied, wondering what on earth was going on. The lunchbox gleamed in the soft light of the room, taunting you with its mystery.

"I assume you've realized that we cannot have this adoption treated as a joke," Lady Lesso began, folding her hands together. "While the circumstances of it were... unintentional, it is legally binding. The paperwork has been processed, and as such, I now have certain responsibilities."

Your heart pounded in your chest. "Responsibilities?"

She arched an eyebrow. "Do you think I would allow my name to be attached to someone who doesn’t live up to my standards? As my ward, you will now be held to higher expectations. You represent me. Which means... your performance in school will reflect directly on me."

You gulped. "You mean, if I fail a test or—"

"I won’t allow failure," she said smoothly. "From now on, you will report to me daily for study sessions. You’ll need to excel in your classes, and you will take on additional responsibilities. I expect you to rise to the occasion."

"Wait, wait," you said, waving your hands. "So... you're saying that I now have to work harder because of this accidental adoption?"

Lady Lesso’s lips curled into the slightest hint of a smirk. "Precisely."

You groaned inwardly. Of course, this would be the outcome. Lady Lesso wasn’t going to let you skate by unnoticed—no, she was going to use this to mold you into the perfect student. Or at least, her version of perfection.

"Now, as for these..." she gestured toward the lunchbox and books on the desk. "This is your daily meal plan and study schedule. I won’t have you eating the trash the cafeteria serves. You'll also be receiving supplementary lessons directly from me. Consider it part of your... new curriculum."

You looked at the lunchbox, then back at her, utterly speechless. Lady Lesso was going to personally monitor your diet and studies? What kind of strange, twisted form of parenting was this?

"Do you understand?" she asked, her tone as sharp as ever.

You nodded quickly, not daring to argue.

"Good. You may go." She waved you away with a flick of her wrist. "Oh, and one more thing..."

You paused at the door, turning back to her.

"Don’t embarrass me."

As you made your way down the hall with the lunchbox and books, your head spun with everything that had just happened. You had gone from being a regular student to suddenly having Lady Lesso as a pseudo-parental figure, monitoring your studies, your meals, and who knew what else.

Your best friend, of course, found the entire situation hilarious.

"So, you’ve been adopted by the most terrifying person in the school, and now you have to be her star pupil?" they asked, still laughing as you told them what happened. "This is too good. What’s in the lunchbox?"

You shrugged and opened it, revealing a carefully prepared meal. It was simple, but way better than anything the school usually served. Lady Lesso’s influence was already showing in the smallest details.

"Well," you muttered, "I guess I have no choice but to step up my game."

Your friend grinned. "Hey, look on the bright side—you might end up as the most powerful student here by the end of it all!"

You sighed. "Or the most exhausted."

Either way, one thing was certain: life as Lady Lesso's ward was going to be anything but boring.

Being adopted by Lady Lesso was not what you expected. No, you didn’t expect daily cuddles or a motherly smile, but you hadn’t anticipated the sudden tidal wave of pressure and expectation either. After all, Lady Lesso wasn’t your average guardian; she was known throughout the school for her perfectionism and ironclad discipline.

You sat in the library, staring at the long list of subjects Lady Lesso had given you to study. Dark Magic Theory, Tactical Deception, Advanced Potions... It was like she expected you to become a top-level villain overnight.

"You're really going through with all this?" your friend asked, leaning over your shoulder to glance at your notes. "She's not messing around, huh?"

"Nope," you sighed, flipping to the next chapter in Deception: Art or Necessity? "This is the new normal for me. Study sessions every night, no excuses."

Your friend whistled. "I don't know whether to feel sorry for you or to envy you. I mean, having Lady Lesso as a mentor? That could give you a serious advantage."

You groaned. "An advantage, sure, but at what cost? My sanity? My social life?"

Your friend chuckled. "You didn't have much of that anyway."

"Thanks for the support," you muttered, rolling your eyes as you turned the page.

Suddenly, the library doors creaked open, and a chill ran down your spine. It was almost like a sixth sense that told you exactly who had entered the room. You looked up slowly, catching sight of Lady Lesso sweeping through the library, her dark cloak trailing behind her.

Her presence commanded the entire room, and all the students immediately stiffened. Without saying a word, she walked directly to where you sat, her cold gaze settling on you.

"Time's up," she said crisply. "Come."

You blinked, confused. "But I still have—"

"You're late for your next lesson," she interrupted, her tone leaving no room for argument. She turned on her heel and strode out of the library, fully expecting you to follow without another word.

You grabbed your books, casting a quick glance at your friend. They gave you a sympathetic look as you scrambled to your feet and hurried after Lady Lesso, trying to keep up with her long strides.

Back in her office, you found yourself seated at a small table in the corner. It wasn’t the first time you’d been summoned here for extra lessons, but today, there was something different about the setup. In front of you was a large crystal ball, its surface shimmering with faint magical energy.

"You’ve been slacking," Lady Lesso said without preamble as she stood beside the desk, her eyes narrowed. "Your last few tests were... unsatisfactory. If you're going to be my ward, mediocrity is not an option."

You gulped. Slacking? You’d been studying harder than ever, but clearly, it wasn’t enough for Lady Lesso’s high standards.

She placed her hand on the crystal ball, her long nails clicking against the surface. "Today’s lesson is on projection," she explained. "A skill that, if mastered, can make you a force to be reckoned with."

"Projection?" you asked, staring at the shimmering crystal. "Like, projecting my thoughts?"

"Not just your thoughts," she said coolly. "Your presence. Your energy. The very essence of who you are. If done correctly, you can project yourself across great distances, fool your enemies, and even manipulate their perceptions."

You blinked, suddenly very aware of how little you knew about advanced magic like this. "And you want me to learn... that?"

"Of course," she replied, her lips curling into a slight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "You will start small. But eventually, you will be able to project an image of yourself so real, so convincing, that others will be unable to tell the difference between you and your projection."

That sounded both terrifying and... amazing. But mostly terrifying.

"Now," she said, gesturing toward the crystal ball, "begin."

You hesitated, glancing between her and the ball. "What do I do exactly?"

Lady Lesso arched an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Focus. Draw your energy into the crystal. Feel your presence fill the space around it. And do not break concentration."

You nodded, taking a deep breath as you placed your hands on the crystal ball. It felt cool under your fingers, and you closed your eyes, trying to focus. Slowly, you imagined your presence extending outward, seeping into the crystal.

At first, nothing happened. Then, you felt a flicker—like a tiny spark of magic connecting with the crystal. Encouraged, you pushed harder, focusing all your energy into the ball, willing your presence to project.

A sudden jolt shot through you. The crystal ball lit up with a brilliant flash of light, and you gasped as the sensation of being pulled outward overwhelmed you.

When you opened your eyes, you were standing across the room... except, you were still sitting at the table.

You blinked in shock, looking down at yourself—your projected self. It was like looking into a mirror, but you weren’t really there. You glanced back at Lady Lesso, who was observing you with a satisfied smirk.

"Impressive," she said, her voice echoing faintly. "But it’s only the beginning. Hold the projection. Maintain control."

You tried to focus, but it felt like trying to hold onto a slippery rope. The image of yourself flickered, then wavered, before dissolving completely. You slumped in your chair, exhausted.

Lady Lesso frowned slightly. "Not bad for a first attempt. But you’ll need to practice. You’ll need to build endurance if you want to maintain a projection for more than a few moments."

You nodded, feeling drained. "I’ll keep practicing."

"Good," she said, her expression hardening. "I expect you to master this soon. You’re dismissed for now."

You stood up, ready to collapse from the strain of it all, but before you could leave, Lady Lesso spoke again.

"And (Y/N)?" she added, her voice softer but no less commanding. "Don't think that just because I’m pushing you harder, I’ve forgotten what this arrangement means."

You turned to her, confused. "What do you mean?"

She gave you a rare, almost affectionate look, one that sent a shiver down your spine. "I may not have chosen this adoption, but I don’t take my responsibilities lightly. I expect you to succeed—not just for my sake, but for yours."

You swallowed, feeling both touched and terrified by her words. She wasn’t just pushing you to make herself look good—she actually wanted you to succeed.

"Thank you, Lady Lesso," you said quietly, before turning to leave.

As you stepped out of her office, your mind raced. You had never expected this kind of support—or this kind of pressure. But one thing was certain: with Lady Lesso as your guardian, your life was going to be filled with challenges you never saw coming.

And somehow, you were starting to believe you might just be up for it.

[sharkteeth37]

[userhasleft-deactivated20241120]

[darklystar]