InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I don't believe in love..."

Hope Duffield (equestri) wrote in nevermore_logs,
@ 2025-05-15 12:24:00

Entry tags:

hope duffield, prince john

WHO: Hope Duffield, Prince John
WHEN: Thursday evening
WHERE: His place
WHAT: Grooming, manipulation, bad stuff
WARNINGS: TBA but bad

Hope had been at her job for five and a half months now, and she had worked her way up to PA already. She was incredibly pleased to had achieved that under her own steam, and far too inexperienced to realise that -in fact - she hadn't. It wasn't her own steam at all. It was grooming. The pitying looks she occasionally got from older staff she misread as jealousy. To her, she had gotten her position because she was incredible. But it was her first job. How was she to know no one worked their way up from intern to PA in five months without neoptism or favourtism or something darker? Though to be fair, with Hope it could had been any of those things - being the daughter of a senator. But it wasn't, and the older women in the office knew. They also knew they couldn't say a word.

Not that Hope would have listened anyway. John had told her some people might be jealous of how trusted she was, and they might talk behind her back. She was used to that anyway, and it didn't bother her. He had said they might lie to scare her off, but Hope had assured him she wasn't that easily scared. She was strong! She knew what she was doing!

Which was why, when a text came in from John as she was already cleaning her desk to head home, she answered it. I need a file now, no questions! You are the only one I can trust with this. Get the files off my desk, I trust you in my office not to snoop, and then bring them to my home.

She was the only one he trusted! She was exhausted and hungry, and she was supposed to watch White Lotus with Tori later, but she was trusted and she couldn't let John down. It sounded so important. And she wouldn't want to let him down. She shot off a text to Tori to tell her that she needed a raincheck and then another one to John to tell him she was on her way. He could count on her! That was why she had the job, after all!

She arrived at his doorstep, cheeks a little red from the jog from the Uber. But she was smiling when she buzzed up. She had the files in a manila envelope clutched close to her chest, and if it had been raining she would have shoved them under her light spring jacket. Luckily, everything was dry and she wouldn't be seen as having failed him.

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	phony_king 2025-05-17 11:23 am UTC (link)
	John found his silk robe and put it on, since nakedness seemed to be making Hope uncomfortable. Well, let her go. She'd be back. He shrugged one shoulder and checked the time. "I can call my driver to take you home. Here, let me zip you up." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	equestri 2025-05-17 11:39 am UTC (link)
	The idea of his driver taking her home and then John knowing where she lived made her throat close up a little in fear. "No!" she said far too quickly, and then she took a breath, "I just mean, I can get myself home. It's fine." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

phony_king
2025-05-17 11:59 am UTC (link)

"I'm not sure how I feel about not knowing you're home safe," John said, looking at her in concern. "Let me give you some money for the Uber at least." His phone was still downstairs, he'd have to go down and get it, once he'd found his silk lounge pants and put them on. He'd have to get Hope some silk to wear too. She was a horse girl, she probably didn't wear a lot of silk.

Also, he knew exactly where she lived, because he had access to the employee files and no scruples about snooping.

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	equestri 2025-05-17 12:13 pm UTC (link)
	She had her own fucking money. But he was being pushy, so she nodded and pretended she was thankful. "Thank you," she said, offering him a smile that seemed more real, even though it wasn't. And then she even turned, so he could zip her up. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

phony_king
2025-05-17 12:31 pm UTC (link)

John gave her a $50 note because he didn't carry anything smaller and he was a bit useless with cash apps. He wanted Hope to wait for the ride up in the penthouse with him of course, but before she went down to the lobby he drew her into a deep, sensuous kiss. This was going to be the start of something beautiful, he knew it. He couldn't wait to have her naked in his bed again. Hopefully she'd start taking birth control so he didn't have to fuck around with condoms so much too.

Once she left, he pulled out his tablet to start browsing jewellery websites. This was going to take some serious lovebombing, and Hope deserved the best.

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equestri
2025-05-17 12:42 pm UTC (link)

Her chest felt tight for the entire ride back from the penthouse, and once she returned to the sorority house, she bypassed everyone in the lounge and headed straight up to her room she shared with Jori. She just wanted to grab some pyjamas and take a hot shower before falling in to bed. Just get to the shower. Just hold it all together until she was locked in the bathroom and alone.

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	tori_and_jori 2025-05-17 12:56 pm UTC (link)
	Jori was sitting on her bed in her Oodie, scrolling TikTok and humming to herself when Hope suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Hey babe!" she said cheerfully, taking out one earbud. "You're home late. A big case again?" She didn't notice anything different about Hope, she couldn't tell if Hope was a newly-minted woman or not. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	equestri 2025-05-17 01:17 pm UTC (link)
	Well fuck, now she had to act cool. "Yeah, a bit," she said, trying to act a bit breezy. "Sorry, I'm just exhausted. Just going to take a shower and wash the work off of me, hmm?" She knew she was acting weird though, and if anyone could tell, it would be one of her two besties. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tori_and_jori 2025-05-18 02:21 am UTC (link)
	"Okay," Jori replied, giving Hope a smile. Poor Hope, she was so overworked at that place, she looked exhausted. Why did she work so hard for a company that wasn't even what Hope wanted to do with her life? "Oh, I went to the stables today, everybody says hi." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

equestri
2025-05-18 04:25 am UTC (link)

Normally when Hope returned home, she would indulge in gossip with Jori, especially about her brother. He was such a tryhard at the firm, and Hope loved giving Jori all the juicy details. In turn, Jori would fill her in on the stables goss if she hadn't gotten there that day. Now though, she just nodded a little. "That's nice of them. I'll be out there in two days."

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tori_and_jori
2025-05-18 04:57 am UTC (link)

Jori nodded, and there was a pause as she waited for more conversation which wasn't forthcoming, so she filled the gap with her own. "Oh hey, do you know what happened? You know Stacey who works with the weekend kids, her ex tried to see her today, he showed up at her work and tried to force her to talk to him. How unbelievable is that?! Paolo had to threaten to call the cops before he would go. It was so wild."

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	equestri 2025-05-18 10:57 am UTC (link)
	Normally, this was the exact gossip that Hope would love. Instead she just nodded along, "wow. Look, I really need to," she pointed towards the bathroom. "And sleep or something. You get it." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tori_and_jori
2025-05-18 11:04 am UTC (link)

"Ohhh... right, okay." Jori faded a little with disappointment and confusion that Hope wasn't engaging and she didn't get to give her the full blow by blow of the dramatic events. Had she done something to upset Hope? Nobody had said anything to her that she might have. She decided to extend an olive branch, just in case. "Um- I got a new body wash, it's peach and nectarine scented, if you wanna try it?"

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	equestri 2025-05-18 11:21 am UTC (link)
	"Hmm?" Hope said, looking confused. Then she sort of clicked, "Oh. Right, okay. Thanks." She wasn't sure what else to say, and she really wanted to steal away to the bathroom and wash this entire day off of her. she stared at her friend for a moment longer and then nodded. "Okay. Bye." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

tori_and_jori
2025-05-18 11:27 am UTC (link)

"...bye?" Jori stared back at her, nonplussed, until Hope closed the door behind her. What was going on? Was Hope really that worn out with work that she didn't want to talk to Jori? Usually gossiping was a good way to unwind, and... Maybe she'd message Tori and ask her if she thought Jori had said something to upset Hope. Pulling up the hood of her Oodie, Jori sank deeper into her pillows with her Airpods in and a text book open on her lap, trying to make herself look occupied for when when Hope came out again so she wouldn't feel like they had to talk, since Hope clearly didn't want to.

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