A/N: Ada and Irene are best friends and maybe something more? Part of my American Teenager AU.
Irene sat quietly at the Robinson's kitchen table, feeling disconnected from her body as her mother explained Ada Shelby wouldn't be returning to finish out her senior year. Irene began to shake as the rush of blood through her ears muffled the words that came next. Glancing down at the xo tattoo on her wrist, her mind wandered to happier times when she and Ada sat side by side getting inked. She wished she could live there forever.
The unlikely friendship of a sarcastic, irreverent brunette and a soft spoken, artistic blonde came to be the year before when they struck up a conversation about music during Study Hall. Their debates about the best bands of all time led to hours spent making compilations of their fave songs to share with each other. Ada's CDs were often untitled except for a cheeky message like "Trust me" scrawled across the front in smudged marker. Irene's were decorated with hand drawn designs and a track list with notes to evidence the thoughtful process behind her choices.
By the time the weather turned cold, they were spending every afternoon together in the warmth of the Robinson's shed, the frayed wire of Irene's earbuds dangling between them. And when Ada suggested they smoke weed to enhance the experience, Irene didn't object. In fact, she silently reveled in the closeness each time Ada would shotgun smoke into her open mouth.
It was around this time she began to wonder if her friend might sense her infatuation as their lips brushed in the haze of smoke or savored the taste of the cherry lollipop passed between them. A kiss seemed inevitable six months ago. Now she learned Ada was pregnant? Nothing made sense.
As Irene drifted back to the present, she found her cheeks wet with tears. They continued to flow until the day Ada left town with her new boyfriend.
"Tell me why, Ada..." Irene sniffled, unable to let go when something lay broken between them.
“Freddie loves me,” Ada uttered softly, her brown eyes large and apologetic.
Don’t you know how much I love you? Irene wanted to scream as she watched Ada shove her belongings into the back of Freddie’s car.
Irene banged on the passenger side window as the engine roared to life. "Don't leave me," she begged, pressing her hand to the glass. But Ada couldn't bring herself to look Irene in the eye.
“She might be your girl now, but she was my girl first,” Irene thought, as Freddie drove away, unsure how she’d been left behind.
There is a world where fate reunited them before their time.
My idea was to write a blurb, but it's getting longer than a blurb and I'm too tired to write it now. But I wanted to post the moodboard because... I wanted to.
So the story is coming sometime this week but first this.
There is a world where fate reunited them before their time.
My idea was to write a blurb, but it's getting longer than a blurb and I'm too tired to write it now. But I wanted to post the moodboard because... I wanted to.
So the story is coming sometime this week but first this.
I didn't know you were cooking something, seriously what the heck you can't do this to me! You should have heard the squeal I let out when I saw your moodboard. I could write a pamphlet about each picture you used (in addition to being obsessed with the overall vibes of it and the pale and muted hues you used). I'm so shocked you managed to find a picture of a little ginger boy with a camera and a black-haired kiddo playing piano! If it's not them I don't know who they are. Moreover, the pictures representing their friendship had me melting.
I don't know why my heart clicked immediately with the two boys sitting on a little wall with their legs dangling, the bike one AND the picture on which you can see the two boys looking at something below them.
Besides the perfect pictures and the overall mood, I must say that your moodboard conveys the childhood best friend trope beautifully. There's a tint of nostalgia and carelessness exuding from it, and you can really feel the strong these two have.
Von Thorne my beloved, Von Thornito my little babies.
I've really been staring at this for five real minutes btw
Law & Order 18x10 "Tango"
Law & Order: Criminal Intent 6x10 "Weeping Willow"
Law & Order: Criminal Intent 8x8 "The Glory That Was..."
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit 12x24 "Smoked"
A/N: Tommy struggles to break free from small town life and his father's shameful legacy. Part of my American Teenager AU.
Tommy's boots thudded across the weathered floorboards, avoiding the picture on the wall he feared he was coming to resemble too closely. He stuffed his bruised knuckles into his jacket, turning his pocketknife over in his hand absently. Then he barreled out the front door to get a jump on the Kimber boys lying in wait.
It had never been in Tommy's nature to be violent, but his father always demanded it, deriving twisted pleasure in pushing his boy to fight back. "If they strike once, you just hit 'em twice as hard," the ruthless patriarch would say, a glimmer of light escaping the dark abyss of his eyes. It was the same sickening look of satisfaction that came over him when he was butchering a deer or watching their mother cower in fear of his ringed hand.
Tommy's senior year of high school was spent waiting for the day he'd escape, the same as his brother Arthur had done two years before when he enlisted in the Army. "M not gonna die in this fucking house," Tommy told his siblings and he meant it. It didn't matter that his father had been in prison for four years, awaiting lethal injection. They all expected Arthur Sr. to walk through the door any time, having made a pact with the DA or the devil.
In the end, he never did, but somehow the scandal left in his wake was worse. Girls in town weren't allowed to spend time with the Shelby boys. The fevered murmurs rose whenever Aunt Pol brought them to church. "The man beat his wife to death. You're a fool to think it isn't in their blood too!" Then the choir would sing a heartfelt tune about forgiveness, but all Tommy ever heard was "God loves you, but not enough to save you."
Lizzie Stark was the rare exception. Unafraid of the terrible rumors, she openly pursued Tommy. "I'm never gonna leave you," she promised every time he pressed her into the old worn mattress. She would have followed him across every state line, but he left her waiting four long years without a word.
@zablife love how you've made it modern, it's so well written. I actually love how you've made tommys fear of being like his dad. absolutely love the moodboards for this AU I'm obsessed with this 💖
I'm intrigued by kid!Amos. Like him as the little boy he was once.
I know what you told us about little Bolton and how other boys hurt him but what about mini V.B? Asking because James didn't have friends outside Jared (Jay was too young) so, he didn't interact with other kids a lot. He was always introvert and quiet and when was teen that changed little to nothing. He had few more friends but weren't that close... until he met his ex that was when he started to interact a bit more with others.
Also asking because I'm intrigued if these two could be friends when were children or if simply they ignore eachother until are older.
@justrainandcoffee Alright thanks for your question Flor! 🥺🖤
Amos was a difficult child who quite rapidly displayed callous and unemotional traits. If he seldom cried when he was a baby, he turned deceitful and prone to rules violations. He would start fights, lie and steal because he had limited prosocial emotions, that is to say he couldn’t — still can’t — feel remorse. However, he would also use his charm with adults to pass for a good child and/or get what he wants. Also, he was clever enough not to behave in a way that would severely impact his family. It’s mostly why no adult ever really suspected the extent of the issue even though his parents were aware of his insensitive tendencies.
With that being said, you probably guessed that Amos was a lonely child. He had a few “friends” but he didn’t care about them at all and they would never stay long (it’s okay, he found them annoying and too damn loud anyway). Also, similar to little Bolton, he got attacked and humiliated in the forest by a bunch of kids except it wasn’t an assassination attempt but a nasty beating up. It wasn’t until his teenage years that he became quite popular and able to use his charm and manipulative skills to build himself a reputation that rubbed his ego the right way.
I do think these two could bond as a child. First, the Von Bismarck used to move across Europe due to Amarys’s job. Consequently, the VB living in the UK is very plausible. Now, in terms of relationship, James was the kind of child Amos would be drawn to. I mean, Amos can form relationships. He could and still can form attachments/has preferred relationships. He just functions differently and it’s very self-centered. As I said above, Amos would be drawn to James as, just like him, he’s separate from the other children. He would even develop a protective behavior, which wouldn’t stem from empathy but from attachment, possessiveness and fairness concern. In that stance, James would be his favorite human, maybe even more than his own brothers because he chose him.
Long story short, they could absolutely be childhood friend. Still there’s something important to take into account: Amos wouldn’t feel empathy for James’s abuse (he doesn’t feel empathy for Hev’s family either btw). He wouldn’t feel sad for him because his brain literally can’t do that. Yet, it doesn’t mean it wouldn’t make him react and stand for James. Quite the contrary, he wouldn’t understand. To him, it’s just unfair and hitting kids make Mr. Walsh a coward, and an idiot and a weakling. Also, as he would be very attached to James, the abuse would annoy him in the fact that it could affect him directly if James is grounded. Like a “Mr. Walsh keeps my best friend from being with me by grounding him!” kind of logic.
Interesting fact: Children cannot be diagnosed with ASPD. If they show antisocial behavior they are diagnosed with Conduct Disorder instead. Also I hope James is ready for weird questions like “why don’t you hit him back?” // “Do you want to sleep at my house to avoid him?” // “I can unleash my family’s dogs and get him eaten alive if you want” (spoiler, he cannot do that BUT he would 100% mean it lmao).
I love this! And please don't apologise because this is very interesting and since I know little to nothing about this, it is very informative.
No, maybe kid!Amos didn't feel remorse and he was way more impulsive than his adult version but it seems that he was pushing the buttons to know how far he could go and eventually learning what is socially acceptable and what not. So, that's very smart of him. Kids deserve more credits than society give them.
Funny how he used his charm even back then to manipulate other people, adults in this case, to have what he wanted. Little bastard (affectionate 🤭.) And I imagine he was a little gentleman so that helped a lot to get away with his little crimes and to have whatever he wanted.
Oh no!! It's sad to read that the same happened to little!v.b! Poor boy!! What's wrong with those kids? 💔. Uhh! And i love the image of the little awkward boy becoming a very attractive and popular teen boy! Especially because most love to be seen, so he got what he wanted and hope he got a little revenge (even if it's not extreme like in GoT)
It's going to take Amos a good time to take the truth out of James because he doesn't talk about it to anyone. In modern canon, not even his ex knew about it. Rose was the first one to know it. He was 21 by then. (In 1900s he confessed it to her after almost a year of knowing her)
If adult!James gives his trust to very few people, then kid!James doesn't trust them at all 🙅♀️. He doesn't trust adults because for him they're all accomplices to his father and doesn't trust kids because thinks they're going to tell their parents about it and his father is going to know. So, he better stay in silence. So the moment Amos knows it's going to be an epic moment in his short life because that's something he never planned to do. And yes! That's good because the last thing James wants it's pity. He hates pity. So, probably Amos' reaction could be the one James prefers.
It's canon that James and Jared talked about killing their father when were 8 and 9 respectively, so if Amos asks why doesn't he hit him back probably the answer is "because I want to kill him" (he hit him back when was 15, tho, that was the last time Mr. Walsh did something against him. So I guess Amos approves both actions 😂)
Him saying that could unleash his dogs made me laugh that's something any kid could say 😂😂. Probably James could accept the suggestion.
If Amos makes the first move (James wouldn't), then these two kids could start a very nice friendship when are kiddos.
@justrainandcoffee sorry it took so long to reply but I had a shit ton of essays to finish. Also lemme start by pointing out how the nicknames Von Thornito / Von Thornling sent me (and also turned me into a puddle) 😬
He was a smart kid, even with poor impulses control he later learns to temper. As for the incident in the forest, it wasn’t as dire as a murder attempt (I mean, Bolton got his neck sliced) but yeah, poor Amos got beaten black and blue. It was a gratuitous, heinous act just because he was rich.
Regarding James, I did expect that he never talked about his abusive dad except to Rose, and his distrust in adults and kids is also completely logical. I mean, rather than having James confesses, Amos can simply guess it — as you said he’s a smart kid who’s learning how to mimic emotions, how to spot people’s weakness or skills, and how to behave in the normative way, so he’s a good observer and can pick up details.
Amos will 100% make the first move. Like, he spot James and went “oh this guy’s going to be my favorite human” 🤣🤣
He prolly suggested a dozen of very goofy ways to kill Jared Walsh Sr, just like a kid. 🤭 (what about poisoning him with poppyseed? Of what if we push him in the oven?…)
These two were such a weird, lovely pair that people never failed to glance at them wherever they went. Who would have thought a cute pilate girl like Irene would bond so deeply with a rebel punk girl like Ada Shelby? Surely not even herself! @zablife
Summary: When that little incident at the airport happened, Amos knew he'd never hear the end of it.
Content: 820, funny, James belongs to @justrainandcoffee and Eva to @julyzaas-writing-blog.
Amos had always hated commercial airports, but the private jet was in maintenance for another week, which meant that he had no other choice but to stand here on a sticky airport floor while strangers inspected his belongings. The business trip hadn't even started, and here he was, already annoyed.
A bit further from him and among the few other businessmen/women waiting on him, James looked delighted by the whole experience. With his camera hanging from his neck, he had spent the last twenty minutes photographing everything from the departure board to a dove that had somehow wandered into Terminal B.
As for Eva, whose shipping company was one of the main ones responsible for sending Von Bismarck's weapons and cars, she wasn't taking pictures. She was too busy enjoying his suffering as his stuff got checked.
Amos collected his laptop tray and stepped toward the security scanner. Cursed as he was, the machine immediately let out a sharp beep. The security officer glanced up.
"Sorry, sir. Could you try again?"
Amos stared at him for a moment, his deep black eyes dead, then turned around and walked through the security doors again. Obviously, the scanner let out another noise.
His jaws tightened. "Wonderful," He muttered.
As the officer approached, brandishing a metal detector in his hand, he gave the businessman an apologetic smile.
"Alright, do you have anything metal on you? Like a watch or a belt buckle?"
"No, I don't," Amos's voice resounded; the softness of his voice contrasted with the sharpness in his onyx eyes.
The officer looked quite unconvinced, and apparently the machine was equally skeptical, for it screamed again when Amos stepped through the doors a third time.
"Fuck me." The German prince growled - his fucking business partners were all waiting on him, already settled in the plane except for his two friends. "Use your metal detector and just get on with it."
The airport agent did so, until his detector screeched at Amos's neck.
"It seems to be detecting around here."
Amos looked down at himself, trying to understand: his suit jacket was already off, his watch in the tray and there was absolutely nothing on him that could beep - not even his fucking piercings. With a long sigh that suggested he regretted every decision that had brought him here, he loosened his tie and undid the top button of his shirt, pulling the collar open.
"Oh." The officer said, his gaze dropping to the businessman's throat.
There, partially hiddean beneath the white fabric of his shirt, was a thick leather submission collar wrapped around him. The metal ring and its little padlock chimed a little when Amos jumped in surprise, before coming back to rest against his throat. His wife had bought him the collar months ago and, apparently, he had become so accustomed to wearing it under his clothes that he'd forgotten it existed.
For a moment, nobody moved. Amos simply stared at the security officer with the expression of a man experiencing a mental shutdown.
"Right." He finally said with a neutral tone once he had collected himself, "Do you want me to take it off?"
The officer's mouth twitched and, before he could stop it, a grin stretched his lips.
"Not if you're not allowed to, sir."
Immediately, the sound of laughter bordering on a medical emergency erupted behind the security line: James was laughing so hard that his camera bounced against his chest. He had to reach for his luggage's handle for support.
"Oh my god," He wheezed.
Frankly, Eva was no better. Tears streamed down her face - thank God her makeup was waterproof! She was the first to point an accusing finger at the now visible collar when Amos finally passed the security check and joined them.
"How can you forget such things?" She asked.
"I don't know, I just forgot it was there!" Amos protested, frustrated.
"There's your fucking name on it, Sash!" James's fit of laughter was so powerful that he had started tearing up too. Behind them, the officer had given up pretending to be professional and was openly smiling.
Amos glanced toward the ceiling. Somewhere on the other side of the world, his wife was undoubtedly having a pleasant day, completely unaware that her husband had just exposed one of the most private details of their marriage to an airport security checkpoint.
Suddenly, the flash of a camera went off. When Amos turned his head slowly to where it came, he saw James lowering his camera.
"Delete it."
"Nope, plus you're not being a good boy at the moment."
Eva wiped tears from her eyes. "Send me a copy."
James smirked, " You bet I'll do."
Knowing he had lost the fight, the prince looked toward his departure gate and briefly considered missing the flight. In fact, it seemed more of a preferable option than spending the next ten hours trapped on an airplane between these two hyenas.
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