#debating getting breakfast or describing the princess

[yndrgrl]

your boyfriend, katsuki bakugo, loves you dearly, but you're scared you'll never be deserving of him

cute lil dabble. lowkey songfic. fem! reader. angst to comfort. fluff. established relationship. any au. overthinking! reader.

warnings: there are none :D

a/n: picture a "too sweet" by hozier girl x "i wanna be yours" by arctic monkeys boy relationship !

-

katsuki is always characterized as hostile yet calculating, a man who knows exactly what he wants. he's destined to be the top of the food chain, everyone knows it. he's powerful man with a deadly gorgeous face, his fangirls would describe.

& in comes you. plain old you.

you honestly have no idea what katsuki sees in you. like, if you're digging deep in yourself, maybe he likes your for your dark, crude sense of humor that always seems to make him belly laugh.

it's said that he's an early bird. he's awake before you every single day, asleep & sound by 8:30-- on the weekends, he'll push it to 10:00. before you've said your first words of the day, he's already made his side of the bed, made & ate breakfast, put away the laundry, & is off to his morning run after his morning workout. his good habits he's developed early in life has benefited him in every way.

he never procrastinated on chores, his paper work is flawless, & you could learn a thing or two from his time management skills. he's always making time for spontaneous dates you wanna go on, festivals you wanna visit, & he makes sure that the pantry is stacked with your favorite snacks. any of your interests are his interests, even if he doesn't fully understand it.

when it comes to katsuki, you ought to wonder if he ever wants to experience something different from his strict, repetitive lifestyle. you sometimes feel stupid for wanting more out; you want to travel somewhere far away, you want to go out clubbing with a bunch of strangers, you want to move to the country side & live in a cottage. katsuki always reels in your dreams, encouraging you but also reminding you that you need to stay consistent to achieve them. you're jealous with how fast he can accept reality.

"babe? you listening?" katsuki questioned, snapping you out of your thoughts. you blinked a couple of times then nodded almost-too enthusiastically. he let out a little chuckle & stroked your cheek with his thumb. "what're you thinking about?"

"nothing, i'm sorry," you sighed with your hands in your lap. you both were on the couch, doing your own thing. he was on his phone, & you were supposed to be doing some work on your laptop, but you found yourself spacing out again.

"don't apologize. i'm just curious about what's going on in that pretty, little head of yours," he told you before he took your hand & pressed his lips against your knuckles. you thought to yourself, i'm not good enough for this man.

you debated whether or not to tell the truth. on one side, he has been your devoted boyfriend for years now, but on the other, he could just be asking out of curtesy. like, what if he actually does not care at all- "(y/n)? talk to me. i know you have something you wanna say," katsuki commented, scooting closer to you. he set the pillow that you placed your laptop on the coffee table so he could get your undivided attention. he caressed your thigh to help ground you.

you stayed silent for a moment, & he waited patiently. you swallowed, your eyes darted from his piercing red ones to the floor to his hands. finally, you said, "you're too sweet for me." he laughed & laughed, & you couldn't help but crack a smile. "what? what's so funny?" you pouted.

"sorry for laughing, princess. it's just no one ever calls me sweet. like, ever," admitted katsuki as he settled down from his fit of laughter. what he said was true though, he didn't have a problem with it. he was not sweet at all, he was rough around the edges & egotistical with the skills to back him up. he only ever thinks about himself & you. "but what makes you say that, hm?"

"well, for one, you always treat me out & take me anywhere i want. we never go where you wanna go," you pointed out, jabbing your finger in his toned chest playfully.

"that doesn't make me sweet. i have the money, & i don't fuckin' care about where we go to eat."

you chose to ignore him, rolling your eyes at him because that was his excuse every time. "two, you're literally in the prime of your life, & you choose to go to sleep at 8:30? how do you sleep so well?"

"(y/n), what is this really about?" he questioned. katsuki brushed your hair away from your face, tucking the silky strands behind your ear. "& don't lie to me, i know you."

"ugh, fineee," you groaned as you threw your head back. maybe it was for comedic effect, or to gather your thoughts & regulate the tears that started to well in your eyes. "do you think i'm like, worthy of you?"

"worthy of me?"

"yeah, do you think i'm good enough for you?" you rephrased, pulling your hands away from him to rub your upper arm. it's embarrassing to admit something, it's scary too. what if, once you point it out, he'll agree & leave you?

"'course i do! i'm the best around & i got the best fuckin' girl, why are you thinking this shit?" katsuki exclaimed, his passion that you wish you had seeping through to his tone. a moment of thick silence followed, you took a deep breath. you suck at emotions.

"you're too good for me, okay! you're so much stronger than everyone, & if that wasn't enough, you're insanely smart! i'm just... here. average at best. people praise you like the morning after an eternity of darkness. you're the rain after a heatwave. everything works out for you, & i'm just the one holding you back from even better things-"

"babe, you're not holding me back or whatever. you've never held me back," he stated like it was a fact, but you felt as though he was just saying that to calm you down. it angered you, & you were ashamed that you were angry because it wasn't even directed at him, it was directed at the fact you felt unworthy.

"no, you don't get it! i aim low because it's realistic for me, i can't afford to aim for anything else because i'm destined to fail. you, on the other hand... you have so much potential. don't you get embarrassed about having a girlfriend like me?"

"no." he answered so quickly, like it was rehearsed, like he knew what you were going to say. "i've never felt embarrassed of you ever. you're so fuckin' dense, you know that?"

you paused just to stare at him. katsuki sure had a way with comforting people. even after years of being a hero, he never learned how to traditionally comfort people. tough love, everyone would call it. but with you, he forced himself to be tender because you deserve treatment no one else gets from him.

there were so many things he wanted to say to you. don't you realize what you do for him? god, katsuki would go mad living without you now that he knows what life is like with you, his missing rib. the two of you are meant to be, you're two sides of the same coin. so what if he's as bright as the morning? you were his darling night, the very universe was visible through your eyes.

"you must be dense if you really thing you're just average. would i go for an average girl?"

"i mean-"

"no, the answer is no. you're deserving of love, my love. everything you've accomplished, everything you've overcome, you're just diminishing it because what? you think you're dumb or something? you- you..." you're the reason my world goes round, you are so talented, he was so desperate to shout these praises at you.

he was never one for romantic gestures through words. if he did, he would've been the best damn poet in the game. "i am yours."

it was such a simple sentence, yet it shook you to the core. you stared into his lively, crimson eyes. the look he gave you in return made your breath hitch; he was so deeply devoted to you, as deep as the pacific ocean.

you leaned in, capturing him in a kiss. tears rolled down your cheeks, your despair melting away. you felt like the two of you were kids again, sharing your first kiss. how could you doubt a man who so clearly, who so desperately, loves every bit of you.

#anime and manga #bakugou scenarios #bakugou x reader #bnha bakugo katsuki #bnha x reader #x reader #bakugou drabble #bnha bakugou #katsuki bakugo x reader #bakugou headcanons #katsuki bakugo mha #bakugo x reader #bnha katsuki bakugou #bakugo fluff #mha bakugou #bakugou katsuki #katsuki bakugou #katsuki bakugo my hero academia #my hero academy fanfiction #mha headcanons

[cielrouge]

Blue Lock AnimeNYC 23' Panel Highlights (Friday)

I only went to the Friday panel and not the Sunday one so my highlights will reflect accordingly lol. In attendance for the panel was Isagi's Japanese VA (Ura Kazuki) and anime series producer (Arisawa Ryoya). We technically weren't allowed to take any photos or video recordings when the panel started, but I managed to get one shot towards the beginning with Ura and Arisawa, and then at the end with the Blue Lock: Episode Nagi screenshot lol.

Based on a previous fan survey on which S1 episode was the favorite, they aired a screening of episode 17, "Hetakuso/Donkey" first, and then went into the Q&A portion.

Since it was Ura's first time in New York City, when asked about what he wanted to eat the most, he claimed it was steak since that's what his other VA senpais told him to eat. He also remarked on the huge size of New York City bagels compared to Japan, and joked that he was "still full from his bagel breakfast."  

When Ura was asked about episode 17, he said he practiced the "hetakuso" line delivery many times so he was glad to see it finally pay off. He also did the delivery line live for the audience lol.

When asked about what he likes about Blue Lock S1, Ura noted he enjoys the unpredictability of the series (like in episode 17) where for the characters, you "never know who's going to win. Just when you think winning is impossible, you can win at the last second." Arisawa also noted that he liked how Blue Lock is a show where it focuses on "not being positive, just for the sake of being positive, but the characters learning from their failures, so they can grow."

When asked about any fun VA recording stories, Ura said that closer to the last episode, there was a scene with Rin (Uchiyama Koki) where he felt so "focused on beating Rin that he accidentally read Rin's line by mistake." No one apparently noticed at the time and only after Ura finished recording, so the VA staff told him "that was very egoist of you" lolol.

When Ura was asked about getting the role of Isagi and how it's differed from his other VA roles, he remarked because this was a character that "required the skills I didn't have personally at the time," every week before recording, Ura felt like "I had to go beyond my voice acting skills and learn to catch up, otherwise Isagi would leave me behind." Ura also credited his senior VAs in the series, and felt like he learned a lot from them when recording, and described the process as "very hard, but fun."

When Ura was asked about if there were any difficult scenes to voice act, Ura said it was the 'hetakuso/donkey' line delivery since "it involved a new side of Isagi that you hadn't seen before." So, he and the VA directors debated how much coldness he wanted to inflect in his voice in showing off this new side of Isagi. The VA director also told Ura in terms of general direction for this scene, he said to go for the 'soccer anime demon lord' approach where he told Ura to pretend that Isagi was a demon lord and deliver the 'hetakuso/donkey' line accordingly in that fashion lol.

Arisawa also noted that this was the first time he's personally worked on a manga-to-anime series adaptation since he'd only worked on original anime series like Princess Principal before this, so he personally called up Kodansha for the adaptation rights since he wanted to work on a 'world hit series' and after reading the manga, felt like Blue Lock had the potential for this.

There were video messages from Ash Da Hero (who sung the second OP, 'Judgement') along with Nakamura Shugo (Gagamaru Gin's VA) who sung the first ED, 'Winner' where Nakamura lamented not being there with Ura. So, after the video message, Ura joked that "he'd bring Shugo along in his suitcase next year."

The panel ended with a never-before-seen photo still of Isagi from the upcoming Blue Lock: Episode Nagi film (set to release on April 19th, 2024) where Arisawa remarked that "Isagi looks like the last boss for Nagi."

#blue lock #animenyc #animenyc 23' #anime nyc #ura kazuki #arisawa ryoya #can't believe i've fallen back into the soccer anime hole again after going to this panel rofl #love when a dormant hyperfixation reactivates #also ura is A CUTIEEE!!! #you could tell how excited he was there to be there since it was his first time in NYC :')))

[sunflowerandco]

After the Fact: Act III

Rating: T just ‘cause it is.

Act I

Act II

-3 years after Act II-

          Courtney arose to the sound of her persistent alarm. The morning sun poured all of it's essence into the city that morning. She stretched her legs under the covers, her thighs still sore from the night before. The alarm sound gave Duncan enough consciousness to drape an arm around her followed by his groggy words, leaving her trapped.

          "Good morning, Princess." He pulled her in closer and she felt her heart jump out of it's own slumber, causing her to smile instinctively.

          "Duncan... I need to start getting ready for class." She pulled on his arm enough to wake him, freeing her from his hold.

          She slowly trudged into the bathroom to brush her teeth, and soon she heard his own alarm go off for work. He appeared in the bathroom mirror and plopped the toothpaste filled brush in his mouth.

          Their conversations, while mostly unintelligible, were an occurrence whenever Courtney stood over at this place instead of her dorm room. They spoke over the toothbrushes in their mouth.

          "Hungry?"

          "Mmhm"

          "Eggs?"

          "Sounds good to me."

          Their brushes were put back in the holders one after the other. Courtney made her way back into his bedroom, looking through his drawers, and Duncan sat on the foot of the bed.

          "Okay. Perfect. Now if I could just find a shirt so I don't have to walk around here naked."

          Duncan truly couldn't help what came out of his mouth after seeing his girlfriend in front of him in this state. "I wouldn't mind that at all."

          She turned back to see him gazing at her in amazement, and her cheeks began to glow in scarlet red. "It never turns off for you, does it?" She turned back before Duncan responded.

          "As long as you're around, no."

          Courtney scoffed at his comment. She found a shirt of his, and underneath it was a plain, black book with Duncan's name on it. She took it out along with the shirt and draped the shirt it over her body. She held it up when she questioned him. "What's this?" Duncan studied it before answering. "Oh... it's my sketchbook."

          "Your sketchbook? I haven't seen you draw in such a long time. Can I see?"

          "Yeah, go ahead. I, uh, just started seeing designs around town, on busses. I just got inspired to make some of my own."

          She flipped through a collection of completed sketches all equipped with detail and color. She had seen his notebook doodles, but they didn't compare to the amount of effort and skill these drawings took. She looked at him in awe for hiding such a gift. "Duncan, these are amazing. You have true talent."

          Duncan said nothing as Courtney flipped through each page.

          "Have you thought of becoming a tattoo artist? You love the shop right down the street, the artists even know you by name."

          "I always have, but I'm better off sticking to the repair shop." "Why not stick to something that I know can pay me?"

          She looked up at him, her hands firmly placed on her hips. "Duncan-"

          He took the book out of her hands and placed it on top of the drawer. "I'm gonna go start on breakfast."

          Courtney watched him walk out of the bedroom until one footstep grew fainter than the last. She couldn't help herself as she inched closer to the sketchbook. After eyeing her messenger bag at the foot of Duncan's bed, Courtney swiftly grabbed the sketchbook and wedged it in between her laptop and textbook before heading to the kitchen.

          "So, what are you in the mood for?" Duncan asked from the refrigerator door. "Omelet, scrambled?"

          "I think we can do omelets today. But, I have to go to the library as soon we're done. I barely had time to study last night thanks to you."

          Duncan closed the door and faced Courtney, ready to fire back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I could've sworn it was you begging for round two?"

          "Shut up!"

          "I will once you admit it!"

          Courtney grabbed the carton from him and started cracking eggs into a bowl. "No, you won't."

          "Very true." He smiled as he got started on greasing the pan. "What are you doing after class?"

          Courtney shuffled through a list of things she could tell him that were far from the truth. "I...have a...Debate Guild meeting after my classes."

          "Okay. As long as you come back here tonight."

          Courtney questioned Duncan as she got closer to him. "For what?"

          "I thought we could just have a night in?"

          "Just like last night?" Courtney asked, smirk on full display.

          "I've got a few ideas." He snaked an arm around her waist, and the gap between them diminished when he pulled her into a slow, drawn out kiss.

          Afterwards, she opened her eyes and Courtney swore she saw the sun shine brighter through the windows of his apartment.

                                                         ***

          Courtney took a deep breath and eyed the sketchbook in her bag. She took a minute to button up her blazer and before walking into the tattoo parlor.

          You've got three years of pre-law under your belt, Courtney.

          She opened the door to see this open space of creatives in a room adorned with huge windows. She was thrust into an array of stations dedicated to each artist, some were occupied by clients and some empty. Her heels stood out as each step made its rounds on the wooden floors.

          She walked up to the front desk and approached a rather young guy. He didn't look old enough to work at the shop.

          "Good Afternoon. My name is Courtney Álvarez, and I'd like to speak with the owner of this establishment."

          Without saying a word, he got up and entered a room behind him. She turned away from the desk to take in the view from the outside, before hearing a voice from behind the desk.

          "Hey? We in trouble or something?" Courtney's attention diverted when her eyes met a petite woman covered in tattoos.

          "No, nothing like that." Courtney handed her a business card with her name and number on it. "I assume you're Anya Tremblay."

          "I've heard this name somewhere..." She looked up from the card and at Courtney. "Oh, you're Duncan's girl. He talks about you a lot. You are exactly like he described."

          Courtney decided to take that as a compliment before continuing her introduction.

          "Right now I'm not his girlfriend. I'm his... advocate." Courtney smiled before reaching a hand out to shake Anya's.

          Anya shook her hand with skepticism. "Advocate?"

          "Yes. I'm very passionate about cultivating his interests to render them beneficial to his life." She reached for the sketchbook in her bag with a few color coded sticky notes attached to certain pages.

          "Now, you may know Duncan as a regular to your shop. However, he's also your potential new artist." She held the book out on her arms facing Anya, opening to the first page she highlighted.

          "See here.” There pictured was a fully rendered sketch of a compass drawn in the usual Traditional fashion. “Duncan’s well versed in Traditional. I've witnessed him drawing in class since we were in junior high.”

          Anya looked pleasantly surprised as Courtney flipped through various pages. Some of the same style Courtney highlighted at the beginning of her presentation of Duncan’s work. Other drawings included skulls drawn in the style of realism. Courtney closed the book to begin her closing arguments.

          “To conclude, Duncan has immense potential. He’s passionate, young, and strong-willed. You’d be missing out on this city’s next best artist if you turn him away.” Courtney hoped Anya had questions, which was always a good sign.

          Anya’s stoic stance remained, but her voice seemed communicative. “Has he worked on skin before?”

          “No. That’s actually where you come in. Duncan’s a pretty fast learner. And, with your extensive knowledge and history in American Traditional he’ll do just fine.” Anya looked inquisitive after hearing Courtney's counterargument.

          “How do you know I do Traditional?”

          “Your Instagram profile is public, you’ve done some of Duncan’s sleeve, and I’m pre-law." She placed a hand on her chest, gesturing to herself proudly. "I do my research.”

          Anya's voice returned to a tone with incredulity. “How did you guys even manage to find each other?”

          “We’re more than just what’s on the surface. Any more questions?”

          "One more," Anya answered. "Why didn't Duncan apply for the apprenticeship himself‽"

          "Duncan's apprehensive at the thought of taking a chance on his dream job, but that doesn't mean he isn't capable-"

          “Alright, alright. Tell him to give us a call. Tomorrow. 10AM.” Anya made her way back into her office.

          Courtney triumphantly strutted her way out of the shop when her phone buzzed in her pocket. Duncan's name flashed on the screen. She answered, sounding more enthusiastic than she meant to. "Duncan! Hey!"

         Duncan caught on to her tone. "Hey, babe. You sound like you had a pretty good meeting."

         She quickly remembered what she told him that morning, and followed along. "Oh, yeah! I... won the practice rounds! So, anyway, what's up?" 

         "Think you could pick up the takeout I ordered from around the corner on your way back?"

         She looked to her right to see the restaurant right down the street. "I can do that. See you soon."

         His tone indicated he was smiling. "Okay. I love you."

         "I love you, too."

                                                            ***

         Courtney called for her boyfriend as she closed the apartment door behind her. She was still undoubtedly giddy, and she couldn't wait to deliver the news about his interview. "I'm heeeere! They gave us an extra egg roll because-" She stopped in her tracks to see Duncan quietly standing in front of what used to be an empty corner of his apartment; now adorned with an ambient glow of warm fairy lights. She slowly placed the takeout on the table, gradually making her way toward him. "What is all this?"

         "This is for you." Duncan stepped out of the way and Courtney noticed a white desk decked with two bookshelves of the same height. Some of the books she'd leave at his place were on the shelves. Her voice grew soft as she struggled to find words. "Duncan..."

         "I thought you'd want a good place to study here for when... you move in with me?"

         She pulled him into a hug, burying her face in his chest with Duncan placing a hand through her hair. 

         "Duncan, I'd love to live with you, but I don't have job, I can't pay rent-"

         "It's not about rent, Princess. I can afford this place on my own. All you need to do is study your ass off." He lifted her head up by holding her face, possibly in the gentlest way he'd ever done. His fingers ran through her hair once more. "Move in with me?"

         Courtney took Duncan's arms to interlock her fingers with his, their hands turned down to the floor. She tilted her head up toward him and leaned in, their eyes closing slowly before Courtney lightly pressed her lips onto his, and slowly elongating with every draw of her lips. Duncan returned with warm and vehement intent while his hands broke free of their joining. His arms instinctively pulled her in by her waist; close enough to have their bodies one against the other. Courtney lost her breath at the pull, and her hands found their way around his neck. She felt a warm aura gleam to her core before slowing the pace enough to stop. She repeated herself one more, but with assurance in her words.

         "I'd love to with you, Duncan."

         Duncan felt lighter at her change of heart given his reassurance. He couldn't wait for days with her to be his new normal. He reveled in the idea of coming home to her sitting at this very desk, buried in her work. Or welcoming him into open arms on the couch. And dinners with her after such a long day. He quickly remembered the takeout on the table. He figured now's the time to start these memories. "Wanna eat some takeout?" Courtney nodded, just realizing how hungry she was. His hands dropped from her waist and she made her way back to their little round dining table just for the two of them, and he realized how formal she was dressed.

         "Do you always dress this fancy for meetings?" Courtney froze before she remembered how excited she was to tell him about his chance at his dream job. "Actually, no. I wasn't at a Debate Guild meeting today." Duncan walked closer to the table, still confused. She retrieved her bag to show him she had his sketchbook. She couldn't hide the elation in her voice even if she tried. "I went to Anya's shop, showed her your work, and she wants you to be her apprentice."

         Duncan truly couldn't believe her words. "What?"

         Courtney began to repeat. "I went to-"

         "No, no I heard you. I just- How?" When realization hit him, it grew harder to hide his grin.

         "I didn't do anything! It was your work that got you in. It wasn't hard to make a great case with strong evidence."

         "Courtney, you didn't have to do all that for me-"

         "Well, too bad you feel that way," Courtney countered as she wrapped her arms around his torso. "Because you have a girlfriend who loves and sees the best in you, and a phone call scheduled for 10AM tomorrow."

         Duncan looked down into her eyes with incredulity, and his arms made their way to her waist as well. He couldn't take moments like these and his girlfriend for granted. "You're unbelievable." 

         She smiled, still proud of the both of them. "I like to keep you surprised in more ways than one."

         "How can I ever repay you, Princess?"

         She teased him, recalling his words this morning. "I've got a few ideas." She giggled lightly.

         They parted, sitting in their respective seats at their table, in their commitment to making more memories together.

A/N: HI!!!! I hope you liked it if you made it this far! Let me know what you think. See you in act iv!

#td courtney #td duncan #duncney #duncney fic

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #445

“you’ve got a lot of nerve, but not a lot of spine”

Have you ever created a fake internet persona for yourself? No. Do you enjoy going to weddings or showers? What is it that you like or dislike about them? Not... really. They're triggering for me. And I don't use "trigger" lightly. They legitimately, deeply affect me. It's part of the reason I've lost a lot of interest in being a wedding photographer. Is there a person in your life whom you support by showing up for the sports games, concerts, or other performances? This question, uh... sucks. Because I'm that awful aunt that doesn't go to her nephew's t-ball games while everyone else does. It's the heat that does it, but still... it shouldn't. How many video games do you have? A lot. We have a big case of them. Why did you take the last pill you took? My heartburn is especially awful today. Has a girl ever stayed up with you all night? A guy? A girl, uhhh... maybe? Idk. A guy, yeah. Do you think guys look good with makeup? Hell yeah. How long would you wait to become sexually active with someone you’re dating? That would just depend on how quickly we deeply bond in a relationship. I wouldn't go that far before I knew I was in love with them, though, so it definitely wouldn't be quick. Do you enjoy a good debate or prefer keeping the peace? klasd;jkla;jfklwdj I HATE confrontation, so I strongly prefer to keep that peace. Debates rarely ever stay civil, anyway. Can you ever see yourself and your ex back together? One, easily. The other... I wish. But it won't ever happen because I fucked that relationship up way too much. Are you thinking about anything that’s upsetting right now? Yeah. My PTSD is being really bothersome. Would you ever want to ride in a canoe? Yeah, sounds fun and peaceful. So long as I'm not rowing, ha ha. When did you last see an attractive member of your preferred sex? Did you speak to them? Do you think you’ll see them again? Two days ago. Yeah, 'cuz he was my personal trainer. I don't plan on quitting the gym, so I'll probably see him around there now and again. Have you ever tasted baby food? How about pet food? Save for when I was a baby, obviously, no. I once tried a guinea pig yogurt treat, ha ha. How many times have you had your heart broken? Once romantically, twice overall. Actually, no, four. Quite a jump, I know, but Teddy and Jason's mom both dying was nothing short of heartbreaking. Think of the person you fell hardest for. How many people has he/she been in love with, besides you? One, before me. I don't know about since. Find 5 people on your Facebook friends list, whose names begin with K. Who are these people, and how did you meet them? Katherine: an online friend. We met on YouTube. Kim: she's my stepmom. I met her through my dad, obviously. Kelly: a high school friend. We met in art class. Katelynn: was Jason's old friend's former girlfriend. We met through said friend when we all hung out together. Kieley: she's the wife of who I call my "big bro," a close gaming friend. We met through Sam, the aforementioned friend. Sometimes do you wish you lived in a fantasy world? Yeah, who doesn't? What would you say if the ex who hurt you the most told you they hated you? "I don't blame you" or something to that effect. Have any of your friends dated an ex/previous crush of yours? I don't think it's accurate to call her my "friend," but Jason's first girlfriend and I are friends on Facebook. I'd love to get to know her better and actually be *real* friends. One word to describe the last person you kissed? Strong. Has anyone ever cheated on their boyfriend/girlfriend with you? You could say that. Does your hair have layers? No, not anymore. Who was the last person you cried in front of? My mom. Have you done something recently that helped someone else, in any way? I don't know. Which Disney princess do you think is the most beautiful? Why? Probably Jasmine. I just think she's really pretty. If you’ve had a bad experience in a past relationship, did you find that you were scared to get into another relationship, in case the same thing happened again? I'm terrified to this day to start new romantic relationships. I had so many panic attacks about losing Sara when we first started dating. If you were going to buy a present for the person you love/like, what would you generally choose? Absolutely something Frieza-related. If you met the celebrity that you most admire, what would be the first thing you’d say to him/her? Probably just "oh my god, thank you" and start crying lmao. Is there something you generally always ask for help with? I'm sure there's something, yeah. When was the last time you cried? Today. Do you like sausage? Yep. Ever held a newborn animal? Kittens, yes. Do you know anyone with a dual citizenship? Uhhhh maybe? Have you been called a bad influence? Yeah. Like she had ANY room to talk. Do you get stage fright? Yes. Would you be excited or annoyed if your favorite book was being made into a movie? Both of my favorite books are also movies, and they're wonderful. Do you need structure in your life or do you prefer to just go with the flow? I require structure, for sure. Without it, my anxiety goes rampant. Change is something I do not cope with well. Post a picture of you from one year ago. No. Have you ever written a fan letter? If so, who was it to and did you receive a response? No. What trait(s) would you not want your children to inherit from you? My mental illnesses, primarily depression. I have A LOT of reasons for not wanting kids, and my poor genetic makeup is even one of them. I don't want to pass on all the shit I deal with. What is the worst place you’ve woken up? Waking up in a shitty bed at the ER while waiting to be transferred was never one of my favorite things... Are you the type of person who has to study to make good grades or does it just come naturally to you? Aha... I was lucky in that once I heard something in school, it had a tendency to stick. I didn't need to study very much at all - usually. When on YouTube, what types of videos do you mainly watch? Mostly let's plays. What was the last conversation you had with someone about? Sara and I were kinda fangirling over how cute Maieykio and Rumours are, ha ha. Do you have any currency that’s not your native country’s? No. Can you describe your father in one word? Complex. Do you still watch movies intended for children? Yeah. Hell, I probably tend to prefer them. Who is your favorite stand-up comedian? That's living, probably Gabriel Iglesias. What is your strangest phobia? Probably whale sharks. Which part of your state/province do you live in [upper,lower,middle]? I live on the eastern side. Who in your life can you count on the most? My mama. Would you rather eat your pizza cold or hot? It depends on what I'm up for. Is it cute when a boy/girl calls you baby? No, I'm not a fan. Last thing you drank? Pink lemonade. Have you ever thought you were going to marry someone? Sure did. The belief was clearly mutual. But I ruined that. Who are your favorite people to talk to when you’re down? Sara or my mom. Have you ever thought you liked someone, and then found out that you really didn’t? See: Girt. Describe the last dream you had that you can remember. It was actually... really fucked up, so the squeamish beware. I don't remember the details, just the shocking part: a little bird flew into me, and I thought it was a bug, so I crushed it in my hand. Heard and felt the bones break and it was just... ugh. It's nauseating to recall. I'm sick and tired of dreaming of only awful things. Any current family issues? Not any big ones that include everyone. The only "issue" that really exists in my family is how my mom feels like Ashley (my older sister) avoids her, and therefore Mom doesn't see the kids nearly as much as she wants. She feels very overlooked. Whose room of the opposite sex were you in last? When? Uhhh, probably my nephew's? Sometime when I visited my sister's house, idk. The last movie you watched with a friend? Elf, I think. Have you ever played with fire? Uh no, because I'm not keen on being burned. What industry do you want to be a part of when you’re older? Art, in some form. Who do you usually text the most? Since Sara and I started chatting mainly on Discord, definitely my mom. Have you ever been surprised with breakfast in bed? No. Llamas or sheep? Sheep. Have you ever seen anyone famous in the street? No. When do you plan on moving out? Whenever I'm in a long-term, stable, happy, and healthy relationship. I really don't at all think it would be healthy for me to live on my own. What’re you going to be for Halloween? I'd actually love to dress up this year seeing as I've really been feeling the holidays, but the money to like... make a recognizable costume isn't really with us. So I'll ust answer as if I had it, in which case it would be a handmaid from The Handmaid's Tale, but with fake blood splattered over my stomach region. Will you buy a cake for your next birthday? We always do for b-days. Do you like brownies? BITCH I love brownies. Have you ever dressed up as a witch on Halloween? Yeah, as a kiddo. Have you ever been to a masquerade? No. Do any girls like the last guy you kissed? Maybe, I don't know. Do you have a second mom? I have a stepmom, if that's what you mean. When a bee is coming close to you, do you stand still or run away? Ngl, I gtfo. Do you ever hang out with someone of the opposite sex? I haven't hung out with Girt in around a year. Really need to change that. When you go out to eat, what sides do your order with your food? Fries. What is your winter coat like? ... I actually don't know if I have one? Did you do well at fitness testing in grade school? I did fine. Are art museums interesting or boring to you? Interesting. Inspiring, even. Do you know how to use an ATM? ... No. :x How about write a check? uhhhhhhhhhhh... Are you Italian? Not to my knowledge, no. We don't know my dad's heritage. When was the last time you talked to one of your siblings? I commented on one of my sister's Facebook posts earlier. Are you interested in photography at all? Very much so. Do you own an acoustic guitar? I don't believe so? Ashley had one when she was waaaay younger, but I haven't seen it in forever. I think Dad might have it. Can you talk to your parents about anything without them judging or bickering at you? Because you said "bickering," no. Mom knows how to pick fights on a lot of things... Who was the last person you took pictures with? My sister when she came to visit a few months ago. What is the wallpaper on your best friend's cell phone? I'd be willing to bet it's either her and Jem or Frieza. Do you melt butter to put on your popcorn? No. We get the movie theater butter kind. Do you consider flirting cheating? Sure do. Have you ever been on probation? No. What is normally on your Christmas list (if you celebrate it)? A tattoo and meerkat stuff. Do you like KoRn? They're one of my favorites! When you were little, did you pick up worms? Do you pick worms up now? Ha, I did. I would sometimes dig just to look for them, especially if I knew Dad was going to take me fishing later that day. I don't like touching worms nowadays. Would you ever go see a stand-up comedian? Yeah, I think it would be fun. Do you have any best friends that you only know online? BEST friends, not current ones, anyway. I've met my current best friend. Have you ever gotten into a physical fight? Nope. Do you have a problem with swearing? No. What do you do when you see a spider? My reactions vary. If it's a tiny little thing, I tend to ignore it. In most cases, admittedly, I get my mom to come kill it. :x I really, really want to get on a level where I can just cup the spider and take it outside. I want a few types of spiders one day (tarantulas, jumping, and velvet), after all, so I really should get used to interacting with them. I know in my gut they're nowhere near as dangerous and scary as your head makes them seem, but it's so instilled in you (most "you"s, anyway) from a young age to stay away from spiders, so it's fighting almost like instinct. Do you have big dreams? Meh... When is your father’s birthday? Sometime in April. The 16th, I think? Maybe. Are you interested in anime? Yeah. They can have some great stories. Do you eat three meals a day? Most days. Are you part German? German and Irish make up most of my heritage, yes. Do you dream of being a porn star? Uh, I can confidently say no. Have you ever been on a farm? I have. What is your favorite type of muffin? Blueberry, I think. I like the moisture it adds to the muffin. What is the last type of salad that you ate? Just your normal one with iceberg lettuce and ranch. What do you usually put on your waffles? A layer of peanut butter and then some syrup. You NEED to try it. Would you rather have a cottage on the beach or in a forest? A forest! Name all the people that you talked to today. Online, through texts and in person. Mom and Misty are all, I think. Do you know a schizophrenic person? My half-sister. Did you ever watch Sailor Moon? If so, who is your favorite? I did. I don't think I had a favorite character. Name the last 3 people you kissed and list one nice thing about each one. Sara: she's very loyal. Girt: he's funny as hell. Tyler: he, uh, cares a lot, I guess? When was the last time you felt EXTREMELY depressed? Why is that? Yesterday, actually. I was passively suicidal just over... a lot of things. Would you ever dye your hair pink? I want pastel pink hair anyway.

#survey #surveys #random questions #lyrics: ''true friends'' by bring me the horizon

[princessanneftw]

Inside Princess Anne's lifelong love affair with horses

As the Princess Royal approaches her 70th birthday, those who know her recount the most enduring relationship of her life

By Eleanore Kelly for the Telegraph

The Princess Royal has spent a lifetime with horses. Like her siblings, she started riding at the age of three. But what makes her remarkable is the success she achieved as a competitor. Aged 21 she was crowned European Eventing Champion at Burghley. She was riding Doublet, a horse bred by the Queen, for polo, and gifted to the Princess.

At the 1975 European Eventing Championships, she finished second on Goodwill, another horse owned by the Queen and her mount at the Montreal Olympics in 1976, where she became the first member of the British royal family to compete at an Olympic Games. She rode winners in horse racing too, notably in the Grand Military Steeplechase at Sandown over jumps, and the Diamond Stakes on the flat at Ascot. No wonder she won BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award in 1971 - the first ever event rider to carry off the trophy.

There were always ponies around during her childhood. Both her parents rode regularly, as did her older brother, Prince Charles, who developed a keen interest in polo and was considered a gifted player.

In those days polo was a men-only game, so not something his sister would have pursued, but she was a member of the Pony Club where she would have tried most equestrian disciplines with other young enthusiasts. Perhaps the attraction to eventing was the camaraderie that is always synonymous with a risk sport; horses are no respecter of titles.

When she became more serious about eventing, her parents arranged for training with Alison Oliver, wife of international show jumper Alan Oliver, who was based near Windsor. She is widely credited for propelling the Princess on the road to international equestrian stardom.

Lucinda Green, one of Princess Anne’s eventing peers, describes her as the pin-up of their era. Lucinda was a fellow team member at the Montreal Olympics and remembers the Princess having a crashing fall halfway around the cross-country course and suffering concussion. She remounted and finished the course but to this day cannot remember the rest of the jumps.

“She was extremely brave and good enough to get on the British team on two very different horses. Goodwill, her horse in Montreal, was not easy. He was big and had no brakes - I definitely wouldn’t have ridden him,” says Green.

With animals so often comes heartbreak, which even Princesses cannot escape. Her partnership with Doublet, a diminutive chestnut with the heart of a lion, ended in tragedy. The pair were destined for the Munich Olympics when the horse who had defined her career shattered a hind leg in an accident at Windsor and had to be put down.

At a time where security at sports events was minimal, The Princess was hounded by the media. “I always admired the way she coped with the press. That added the most unbelievable pressure on top of trying to do her sporting best. Tough for her but she put our sport on the map and kept it in the spotlight,” observes Green.

In 1985, she was persuaded to ride in a charity horse race at Epsom (home of the Derby). By this stage she’d hung up her eventing boots and had two young children. Yet she was always game for the challenge, if it involved horses.

Horse racing requires a very different technique from eventing, so she approached trainer David Nicholson for help. Known as “The Duke” because of his imposing personality, he suggested she come to his Cotswold yard, little expecting she would turn up almost every day for several years to ride out.

His wife Dinah became familiar with the Princess, as she would join them in the kitchen for breakfast after exercising the horses. “She was so dedicated and determined, driving 40 minutes every morning and arriving at 7.15am on the dot, so she could tack up her horse before riding out on the gallops. Then she would have breakfast with us and sometimes there would be a jockey - Richard Dunwoody or Peter Scudamore. The conversation would mostly be about horses. After breakfast, she would set off for a busy day of royal duties.”

Even if she had a royal engagement in London that went on late into the night, she would still get up after a few hours sleep to drive to the yard in Stow-on-the Wold. Acquaintances say her security detail looked permanently exhausted from keeping up with her.

After the charity race, in which she finished a respectable fourth, she asked Nicholson if she could continue riding out at his yard. It seemed the attraction was as much about the camaraderie of yard life as it was the actual race riding. “She became very fond of the people in racing and was always very natural with the stable lads, who liked her.”

There was a horse she was very fond of too, called Cnoc Na Cuille. He was a big winner for her in her career as a jump jockey (including the Grand Military) but soon after finishing third at Warwick, he dropped dead, probably from a heart attack.

“The Princess was not one for showing emotion but she was clearly very upset about it,” says Dinah. Soon after this she gave up race riding, although she has bred a few race horses herself at her home, Gatcombe Park in Gloucestershire.

For 37 years, thanks to the Princess, Gatcombe has hosted eventing competitions, including the prestigious Festival of Eventing. The cross-country course is designed by her former husband Captain Mark Phillips, an Olympic medallist and four-time Badminton winner (once the golden boy of British eventing), and the Director is their son Peter Phillips.

Princess Anne’s daughter, Zara Tindall, a former European and World Champion event rider and silver medalist in the London 2012 Olympics, regularly competes there and the Princess hands out the prizes.

Tindall has even more eventing accolades than her mother and, like her, she was voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year (in 2006). Her mother has always been hugely supportive of her children’s interest in horses. Every Christmas, the Princess would drive the children’s ponies up to Balmoral* (think they mean Sandringham?) herself in a horsebox so they could all ride.

There is also a strong equine theme to the Princess Royal’s charity work. She’s President of World Horse Welfare and the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) as well as Patron of the Pony Club and the Injured Jockeys Fund (IJF). She was President of the International Federation of Equestrian Sports (FEI) from 1986 to 1994, a role she took over from her father, Prince Philip.

Roly Owers, CEO of World Horse Welfare, describes the Princess as having a deep love of horses, devoting a huge amount of time to all aspects of horse welfare. Former champion jockey John Francombe describes her as the best after-dinner speaker he has ever heard, with a great sense of humour, persuading well-oiled guests to open their wallets for charity and even persuading them to adopt horses themselves.

Rehoming unwanted horses is a large part of the World Horse Welfare’s work and the Princess is a rehomer herself. “On one of her visits to our rescue centres, she met a Welsh Cob called Annie and asked if she could have her. I believe she still rides her today.”

“She has always had a clear opinion but understands horses better than anyone,” says Owers. That once got her into trouble, at the 2013 World Horse Welfare conference when one of the topics was the European Horse Meat scandal. “She made a comment about the value of horses that was translated as ‘Princess Anne eats horse meat’ by certain journalists.”

What the Princess had actually said was: "Should we be considering a real market for horsemeat and would that reduce the number of welfare cases, if there was a real value in the horsemeat sector? I chuck that out for what it's worth because I think it needs a debate."

As Owers remembers, “it was unfortunately the first time we filmed the conference and broadcast it live, so you can imagine it created 48 hours of hysteria.” Though whether the Princess actually sits down to pony steak for Sunday lunch is not known.

Caroline Ward of the RDA remarks on her extraordinary empathy. “She understands the challenges our participants face and what they get out of the experience of riding horses. She will talk to them about their ponies and what it means to them to spend time with horses.

“These riders, many of whom find communication and mobility so difficult, will always open up to her. They are bound by this common interest and love of horses. She will also chat to the volunteers, to make them feel all the more special.”

Ward recalls the time Princess Anne helped a rider load her difficult horse into the horse box. “She came to our RDA National Championships at Hartpury College. She saw this struggle and despite not being dressed to get stuck in, she clearly couldn’t walk by without offering assistance. Well, this horse took one look at her and realised this was someone who meant business, and walked straight into the horsebox.”

Ex-jockey and racing journalist Brough Scott has known the Princess for many years through sport and her support of the IJF. “At charity events, rather than entertaining the fat cats, she is happiest talking to the ex-jockeys, many of whom are in a wheelchair. One really likes her for that, even though she is not trying to be liked.”

To be a successful rider, you have to build a relationship of trust and mutual understanding with your horse. That means controlling your fear and emotions. Eventing, a combination of the three disciplines of dressage, cross-country and show jumping, is perhaps the truest test of all-round horsemanship, demanding both accuracy and courage. It is only for the bravest of the brave, says Scott.

“Princess Anne wasn’t simply a Royal who rode, she was an athlete who achieved great things in her eventing career and rode courses that would have terrified most people. That must have given her self-confidence and fulfillment.”

In her public duties too, the Princess Royal has given her all, incidentally personifying the characteristics necessary for a fine horsewoman: discipline, dedication and courage. Are they a matter of her breeding and upbringing, or do we have her love of horses to thank for that?

#this is a lovely piece #i would love to see coverage of the races she rode in #especially when she won #and indeed her eventing career #i wish there was more available to watch #the way she wrote about losing doublet in rtml made me cry #princess anne #princess royal #horse whisperer #anne70 #british royal family #brf #newspapers

[queen-of-songs]

The Accidental Crush of Sansa Stark and the recurring annoyance that followed- Chapter 2 pt.1

"Sansa? If you could date any boy counselors here, who would you date?" Shireen, an adorable little camper asked as she walked all of them to canoeing. Sansa paused. Was her developing attraction that obvious? One of the golden staff rules was that there were to be no summer romances or if there was one, to be discreet to the point leadership didn't have any suspicions.

"She'd date Harry of course! Have you seen the way he looks at her?!" Beth giggled. "They would be like Ariel and...Philip!"

"Philip is Aurora's prince, Beth. Ariel's prince is Eric remember?" Alys shook her head at Beth. "I think Sansa would be happiest with Sam!"

"Sam likes Gilly, he blushes every time he's around her," Osha spoke up and the girls around her nodded in agreement.

"Sansa should go out with Dickon, he's so handsome!" Minisa sighed dreamily while Lyanna rolled her eyes.

"Can't you all see Sansa likes...." Lyanna began before Sansa interrupted her. "Girls, I appreciate you all comparing me to a Disney princess and wishing for my happiness. But I assure you, I don't feel that way toward anyone here."

Most of the girls seemed convinced by her little white lie and forgot about their question within seconds. All except for Lyanna. Lyanna stood behind while the other girls went down to the canoeing river. She tilted her head at Sansa in curiosity and Sansa took a deep breath.

"What is it Lyanna?"

"I saw you look at Jon at the pool yesterday."

"Lyanna, I had sunglasses on. I was looking at everyone in the pool." Sansa scoffed, hoping the defiant little camper would drop it. But Lyanna raised her chin with a sly smile on her face.

"Maybe that's true. But I saw you look at him a couple of times today at breakfast and you didn't have sunglasses then. You get a big smile on your face when he's around like the Disney princesses do."

Perhaps I should tone it down a bit.

Sansa took a moment to collect herself and sighed. "Lyanna, Jon is my coworker and friend. I smile when I see all my coworkers..."

"It's different with Jon. That's the way my mom looked at my dad before he died." Lyanna sadly smiled and quickly ran off to join her fellow campers, while Sansa stood in silence.

——————————-

"Girls, can I ask you something?" Sansa asked as she turned up the volume to skype her friends during break time. Margaery was in the process of making an anniversary gift for Theon, Dany was painting her nails so they could be ready for her date night with Daario, Missandei was painting a portrait for Grey, and Brienne was ordering a knife for Jaime's birthday.

"Sure, Sansa!" They all sang in unison.

"Am I being too obvious if one of my campers can tell who I am attracted to?" Sansa spoke quickly, hoping they missed it. But judging by how they were all looking at each other as if they were in the Brady Bunch credits, they did.

"OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Missandei shouted.

"I bet it's Harry! Margaery surmised.

"I think it's Dickon. Did you see the pics Sansa posted that tagged him in? They'd be absolutely perfect together!" Dany sighed happily.

"Well, are you going to tell us who it is?" Brienne rose an eyebrow.

"It's the guy I told you all about that pissed me off a few weeks ago. We've patched things up and he's really...cool." Sansa blushed and saw their collective smiles.

"You never told us Mr. Broody's name, what is it?" Margaery inquired.

"His name is Jon, Jon Snow," Sansa responded, and immediately Dany spat out her drink. "Jon Snow?! You like him?!"

"Yeah. Do you know him Dany?" Sansa asked, confused out of her mind.

"He's my nephew," Dany responded and Margaery's eyes widened. "Dany, how on earth do you have a nephew the same age as you?"

"Remember my older brother Rhaegar? Jon is his whoops kid after he had an affair while Elia was in a coma." Dany shrugged.

"Oh yeah! But you've never mentioned him before, why is that?" Missandei asked in curiosity.

"I didn't know he existed until he came to live with Rhaegar and Elia four years ago. He's hasn't been around much because he was either going to school or working at camp." Dany answered and Brienne leaned forward. "Dany, what were you going to add about Jon earlier when Sansa mentioned that she liked him?"

"He's a great guy...but Sansa, he has a girlfriend. Her name is Lysa Tully. He's been dating her for years. I am truly sorry, Sansa." Dany's face was full of sadness.

"Dany, don't be sorry! I'm glad you told me before I made a fool of myself. Now I can be more cognizant of my actions." Sansa put her hands in a heart shape and Dany laughed as she responded with heart hands back.

"But damn, I wish it were different. It would be so cool to have you as my sis...niece in law. Seven hells, that's so weird...."Dany began before all the girls cackled in unison.

Before long, Margaery narrowed her eyes. That typically meant she was vying for information. "Dany, give us the deets on Lysa."

"My brother and Elia think she's a character," Dany grimaced.

"That sounds like how my grandmother would describe Mr. Baelish and Mr.Varys," Margaery hummed.

"Rhaenys tolerates her and Aegon can't stand to be in the same room as her. My experience made me want to slap her, honestly."

"What happened?" Brienne inquired and Dany sighed. "She made Daario feel uncomfortable because he's not from "here," whatever "here" is supposed to mean."

"Oh. She's one of those types of people... ew does that mean Jon is as well???" Missandei rose an eyebrow.

"No, not by a long shot. Jon is super passionate about social issues and has always been involved in some way or another. He and Lysa got into an argument after she made Daario feel uncomfortable. She ended up apologizing, though I didn't think it was truly genuine. I think it was only to show Jon that she was "improving." Dany shrugged, while Brienne, Margaery, and Missandei collectively sighed. Sansa bit the inside of her cheek.

Of course, he has a girlfriend. He's good looking and has a kind soul. Who was I kidding? Well, maybe I can try to be his friend at least. Yes. That's what I'll do and my feelings will go away. They have before and they will now.

After making her decision, Sansa spoke up.

"Well ladies, enough about me and my sad crush life. Tell me about all your individual plans with your guys!!!!!!"

———————————-

"Sansa, you should go! I'm sure it'll be loads of fun!" Her co-counselor Mya exclaimed.

The leadership team decided last minute to have counselor late-night swim and Sansa internally debated if she really wanted to go.

If I am trying to friendzone my crush, shouldn't I try to limit the times I see him wet and shirtless?

"I'm really tired, Mya. I just want to take a hot shower, it's been a really long day."

It wasn't necessarily a bad excuse. It had been a long day. It hadn't even been five minutes after Sansa ended her skype call with her friends when she heard Dickon radio for her help. Two of the girls got into a fight during canoeing and poor Beth cried the entire time after she fell backward in the river. The next skill area didn't fare well either after Minisa got bit by a brown recluse and had to go to the hospital. Then later in the day, the porch swing broke off at the merchandise store and Lyanna sprained her ankle. Sansa had gotten well acquainted with nurse Thoros. Because she worked so well with the little ones, she typically made calls throughout the week but never this many in one week.

"That's true but Sansa, you've been such a trooper today. You deserve a break." Mya reasoned.

"You were there too, Mya. I wouldn't have survived today without you, honestly. In fact, why don't you go tonight and I'll go tomorrow?" Sansa responded.

"Are you sure, Sansa?"

"Absolutely."

"Aww thanks, Sansa." Mya smiled and hugged Sansa tight for a few seconds before going to her room in the cabin to get a bathing suit.

"Oh by the way Mya, I'd wear the blue one. Harry blushes a little when you wear it." Sansa looked at her nails while Mya's mouth slightly dropped.

"How did you know?! I thought I was hiding it well."

"You are! I'm the only one who can really tell because I'm a big sucker for enemies to lovers so I can tell by the little things."

"...Harry blushed a little when I wore it last?"

"Yeah and I'm pretty sure he was going to say something before one of his campers jumped in the pool with his stuffed kittens." Sansa and Mya began chuckling as they remembered the sweet little boy who wanted to prove cats weren't afraid of water.

"Well thank you for the heads up, Sansa." Mya began to leave before leaning back in the doorway. "Should I wear my braids up or down?"

"Do whatever makes you feel confident."

"I'm going to wear them down. Harry Hardyng, here I come." Mya sang as she left the cabin into the hall to go change.

"Sansa?" a soft whisper woke her up and she could see Mya's outline by the bed. Sansa rose up on her elbow and she could tell Mya wanted to talk out in the hall. She followed her out quietly and then sat against the wall.

"Mya, how was it?" Sansa rose an eyebrow and a deep blush appeared on Mya's brown skin.

"It was wonderful. We... we kissed under the water. It was magical." Mya sighed happily and Sansa's heart leaped with joy.

"Did anyone see you two?"

"Surprisingly and thankfully, no. Everyone was distracted by Sam and Gilly. He finally asked her out!"

"Sounds like a good night for everyone it seems." Sansa smiled and closed her eyes for just a moment before Mya spoke up.

"Do you like anyone Sansa?" Sansa opened her eyes to see Mya have an eyebrow raised.

"Erm... not really." Sansa lied and Mya scoffed as she began redoing her braids.

"Are you sure? Because I'm pretty sure I saw you staring at your former pool duty partner a bit the other day. Is that why you switched?"

"For one, for some reason, I thought Jon was going tonight before I remembered he and Harry are co's this week. Two, it doesn't matter how I feel."

"Why doesn't it matter, Sansa?"

"Because he has a girlfriend." Sansa's voice cracked a little and Mya's face filled with sorrow.

"I'm sorry I brought it up, Sansa."

"It's okay."

"What's your game plan?"

"My game plan? I want to become his friend and try to friendzone him."

"Friendzone your crush, hmm. I've never heard of that before. How are you going to do it?"

"Ask him about his girlfriend, what he likes, try to steer from anything super personal, keep a healthy distance, and....I'll talk about guys I find attractive."

"Besides Jon, who else would you want to go on a date with at camp?"

"Not really." Sansa shrugged.

"Any guys back home?"

"Um sort of I guess? If you count teammates/friends Robb brings home during breaks. His is name is Pyp. He's really cool and kind." Sansa smiled.

"Ooh tell me more!" Mya rested her face on her hands as the girls did during storytime before bed.

"He's majoring in Civil Engineering. He plays left wing on the hockey team at White Harbor, he's pretty good. I wouldn't be surprised if he was drafted in the WHL. He's pretty funny and a movie buff."

"Why didn't you go on a date with him then?"

"I was scared after everything that went down with Waymar, that I was a little hesitant to date."

"What did happen with Waymar?" Mya questioned.

"I made a fool out myself for him. I wore different clothes, dyed my hair black, and I even started going by my middle name to seem "cooler" to him. I..." Sansa shuddered. "I gave him special favors in the hopes, he just so he'd finally see me. One day, he texted me to meet up with him at his house and I went over thinking that he was going to ask me to be his girlfriend. I got there and the door was wide open. I thought it was a bit strange and I went in, worried if Waymar was okay when I heard noises coming from his bedroom. I opened the door and caught him having sex with my former best friend Myranda. I closed the door and ran down the stairs. Waymar and Myranda came down right before I left. Waymar forgot he texted me and tried to apologize while Myranda just smirked at me. I asked her 'How could you?' and she said 'You're the biggest fool to ever think you had a shot with Waymar and I only became friends with you to get to him along with your money. Who would anyone ever want to date someone like you? You're a stupid and ugly little girl. Oh, you're crying now. How sad? No one's ever had the guts to tell you that? You're sasquatch with no curves or boobs."

Sansa looked down at the crown, while hot tears streamed down her face. Mya gathered her in her arms as Sansa sobbed.

"You know what Myranda said about you isn't true right? You're beautiful on the inside and out. Hell, I wish I was as tall and skinny as you." Mya whispered while Sansa shook her head.

"Mya, you're beautiful."

"So are you! Being tall sounds great, I don't like always having to crane my neck to look at Harry when we're bantering. The pool is probably one of the few kisses where he won't have to practically bend down to kiss me. Don't get me started on being curvy and having to find jeans that don't feel like they're not suffocating my thighs and butt while having a huge awkward gap in the back." Mya ranted. "Don't be hard on yourself, Sansa. You're amazing, you need to believe that. The girls love you, I love you, your other friends and family love you, and everyone at camp does. You need to love yourself."

"Thank you, Mya. You're right, I do need to work on loving myself." Sansa smiled.

"That's the spirit!" Mya high fived her and then they heard the door open from Mya's room to see Beth's face full of tears.

"What's wrong Beth? Did you have a nightmare?" Mya asked, her voice full of concern.

"No, I..." Beth's lip wobbled. "Miss Mya, I woke up and I realized I don't have any more underwear for the rest of the week."

"How many did you bring Beth?" Sansa asked as Beth sat down in between her and Mya.

"My brother packed me six."

Only six for Sunday through Friday? I'd pack at least twelve or fourteen... Wait! It's only Tuesday?!

"But it's only Tuesday Beth, how did you go through six?" Mya's eyes widened.

"I... I peed myself a bit on Sunday when I was waiting for the bathroom after I took my shower, so I had to change. Monday, I got my unicorn undies wet from the shower after I dropped them. I asked Lyanna to get some out of my bag. Today, after I fell in the water I got scared I was going to get leeches so I changed into my last pair. I just keep getting bad luck!" Beth started to tear up and an idea popped up in Sansa's mind.

"Beth, are all your dirty clothes in a bag?" Sansa asked.

Beth nodded and Sansa sighed in relief.

"Okay, I'm going to wash all of your dirty clothes in the washer and you'll have your five pairs clean again."

"Won't people judge me for re-wearing the same undies again?"

"No, it's none of their business and besides sometimes I wear the same undies when I don't take a shower for a day if I didn't sweat." Sansa shrugged.

"Same." Mya agreed and Beth looked at the both of them in amazement.

"Thank you so much, Miss Sansa and Miss Mya!" Beth hugged them both and went back into Mya's room.

"What. A. Night," Mya exclaimed and Sansa couldn't help but agree.

"Drinking coffee right before lunch?" Jon asked as Sansa filled her coffee mug.

"Yep. I'm exhausted, I had to wash one of my girls' clothes because she didn't pack enough underwear. She was upset and it broke my heart. Yesterday just wasn't her day."

"Beth right? She's a sweetheart." Jon smiled before he took a sip of his tea.

"She definitely is." Sansa nodded in agreement.

"Is she your favorite this week?"

"We as counselors aren't supposed to have favorites." Sansa attempted to be stern as Jon rose an eyebrow and narrowed his eyes. Sansa began laughing so hard that her nose snorted and coffee spilled down her nose.

She grabbed a napkin and dabbed at her nose, refusing to make eye contact with him.

Seven hells, why must I embarrass myself in front of hot guys??? Why can't my laugh be sweet and adorable???

"I like your laugh, it's cute. You should do it more often." Jon's deep voice broke into her reverie and she lifted her eyes to see a small grin on his face.

"You should make more dramatic faces and jokes then," Sansa smiled back and Jon laughed a little.

"Noted." Jon nodded and then his eyebrows knitted together. "I just realized you didn't go to last night's late-night."

"Nope, besides doing Beth's laundry, I took a hot shower and talked to Mya out in the hall for a bit."

"Oh, Mya? Harry had heart eyes when he came back to the cabin last night. About damn time something happened."

"Mr. Jon? Did you just curse on campgrounds?" Sansa dramatically exclaimed and Jon chuckled as he shook his head.

"I sure did, Miss Sansa. Am I going to lose points now?"

#jonsa #jon x sansa #actuallyjonsa #jonsa fandom #jonsa fic #The Accidental Crush of Sansa Stark and the recurring annoyance that followed

[human-trash-fire]

Shot Through The Heart Ch. 2

Aelin:

Aelin reclined deeper into the massage chair currently working the knots in her upper back, as the water continued to fill at her feet. Mimosa in hand she sighed and closed her eyes, she was at peace for a brief moment before Lysandra shrieked. 

“OH. MY. GODS. A, why didn’t you tell me?!” She practically screamed, much to the chagrin of every patron in the upscale salon. 

“Tell you what…?” Aelin replied, rolling her head dramatically to the right to look at her friend.

“You’re trending on twitter again” she shoved her phone in Aelin’s face, “and you’ll never believe why!”

Aelin looked at the Twitter homepage and there at the top, with 1 million retweets and counting was #AelinCallHimMaybe. “What the hell? Hang on,” she put down her drink and pulled out her own phone. Flipping apps she went to Twitter to find the hashtag. There was a video linked, by someone with the handle “@moonmoon69”right at the top.

“WAIT! I wanna see this” Lysandra said at the same time Elide, on her left leaned in and said “Click it!” All three girls, heads together and mimosas abandoned, crammed in to look at Aelin’s phone.

She clicked play and immediately one of the most beautiful men she had ever seen appeared on the screen. His sepia toned skin was glowing in the sun, and he had long blonde hair pulled into a bun atop his head. He was wearing a Terrasen Army uniform, though the jacket was completely forgotten, and the t-shirt he wore instead clung to every dip and curve of muscle. He was standing in what was clearly a military post somewhere in the desert and smiling with perfect charm. “Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, you are my Queen. I, Sergeant First Class Fenrys Moonbeam, would like to humbly ask you to accompany me to the Army Ball this year. Please, call me maybe?”

Aelin’s jaw hit the floor as the scene before her cut to boots walking on the ground, and the music began. Suddenly Fenrys was back on the screen lip-syncing the lyrics to possibly the cheesiest pop song ever written, and all three women began laughing. Aelin couldn’t help it when her heart skipped a beat as Fenrys turned to the camera and winked at the end of his verse. The scene changed again and this time Fenrys, and four other men, all equally muscular and attractive, were laying on chaise lounges in nothing but short-shorts and combat boots. 

“You have to say yes, look at them!” Lysandra squealed, while Elide nodded vigorously on her other side.

The men continued to lip sync from different places on the base, always shirtless and shining with sweat. Aelin at this point had began to laugh hysterically, and all three girls crooned over the men dancing on screen. They had absolutely no talent, but seemed not to care how ridiculous they looked as they popped up from the dirt and lit off colored smoke in the background. Each of the six men had a turn to solo into the camera. Aelin’s breath caught again when, towards the end, the silver haired man with tattoos seductively danced around in what looked to be a makeshift kiddy-pool.

The last frame was all of them looking over the camera from above and smirking, before they walked away. The twitter handle @moonmoon69 popped up once more with the hashtag #AelinCallHimMaybe below it. All three girls were still giggling as she closed the link out, and looked up from her phone.

“Sweet gods,” she breathed, trying to calm herself down a bit. “Did you know the Army made men that look like that?”

“Did you see the one with long dark hair and black eyes? He looks like an angry sex God, and I think I need him in my life,” Elide replied.

“You’re saying ‘yes’ right? Do it for me, us.. Do it for Terrasen. It’s your civic duty,” Lysandra pleaded.

“For Terrasen?” Aelin replied with a conspiratorial grin, “Fuck it, i’m in. But you two are helping me figure out how to respond to this and, you’re coming with me. But first-” she chugged her previously forgotten mimosa, “Pedicures.”

***********************

“How do I even go about doing this?” Aelin asked over brunch a few hours later. The three women hadn’t stopped swooning over the men in the video, and if Aelin was being honest they had watched it three more times before ever arriving at their table.

“Well you obviously need to DM him” Elide replied, ever the voice of reason.

“Buuuuuut,” Lys dragged out the word with a smirk, “I think you should make a video of your own. It’s good press and he’s clearly in need of some feminine attention. You’ll blow his mind, and then hopefully other things,” she finished with an outrageous wink.

“LYS!” both Aelin and Elide screeched before the three erupted into a fit of laughter.

When they finally recovered, Aelin agreed that the first step should be making a video of her own. The publicity would do wonders for her, and she could reach out and worry about the logistics later. After a long debate they decided that the best way to respond would be something flirty but not embarrassing. “Let’s give the men overseas something to daydream about,” Aelin finished with a smirk.

*******************************************************

Rowan:

Half awake and entirely pissed, Rowan was sitting at the table eating breakfast with most of his Cadre when Fenrys burst in yelling “I TOLD YOUUUUU!”

“Its 0400. Why the fuck are you yelling?” He practically growled over his coffee.

“Because,” Fenrys smiled as he sat down, “She responded, you’ll never believe this… Hang on.” Fen pulled his laptop out and set it so that they could all see, then directed their attention to a video he had already pulled up. There she was, smiling at the camera with practiced ease, flanked by not one but two equally beautiful and famous women: Lysandra Ennar and Elide Lochan. Rowan’s eyebrows kissed his hairline.

“There is no way-” He began, but was quickly shushed by Gavriel, Connall, Vaughn, and surprisingly even Lorcan. Fenrys pressed play.

The three women were dressed in what could only be described as the “slutty Halloween” version of the uniform Rowan currently had on. Paired with black heeled combat boots and red lipstick, her long tan legs were on full display. Rowan hated to admit it, even to himself, but she was the literal embodiment of his “questionable” teenage dreams.

“Hello gorgeous,” Aelin practically purred. “First and foremost I’d like to thank you and your delicious Cadre for that lovely video.” Rowan choked on his coffee at the name she used for them, the name they used for themselves.

“I’d be honored to be your date to this year’s Ball, but I have a few small requests. My friends here,” she motioned to the women beside her, “would like to accompany us so that we can have a chance to properly thank you for your dedication to Terrasen. We’d like to take you Fenrys, and the men in your video on a night out in Orynth after the ball… If you’re interested.” She grinned at the camera, and the look made Rowan’s heart beat a little too fast.

“If you’ll have us,” Lysandra spoke now, “We’d like to show you around in style. A limo for the event, the penthouse suite at The Palace hotel, and a private after party for your friends and a few more of ours.”

“In the meantime,” Elide continued, “Enjoy the care packages we’ll be sending to each of you just as soon as we get your information. If you have any special requests, don’t hesitate to ask!”

“A little something to help the days go by faster on your long, and hard deployment,” Aelin winked. “We can’t wait to meet you.” 

The last shot was all three women blowing a kiss to the camera. Rowan couldn’t believe it. The Princess of Orynth had responded to Fen. It took them nearly an entire day off to make that stupid video, more than one bottle of whiskey, and it had worked. 

“Holy shit,” he breathed, the 6 men were still staring with their jaws on the floor at the frozen image of the women on screen, lips still puckered.

“I KNOW!” Fenrys laughed, “I told you it would work, and when we get home we’ll have the most insane night of our lives. You can thank me anytime.”

“Thank you,” the entire cadre chimed in unison while still staring at the screen. The next 2 months were going to drag along knowing what was waiting for them when they returned home.

Rowan cleared his throat, “But, you’re still on laundry duty boyo.” 

__________________________________

Here’s a link to the video that inspired this fic! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PKiUjRSKI8

____________________________________

FIRST AND FOREMOST: MAAAAAAAAD thanks to @highqueenofelfhame​ for editing this work, your writing is an inspiration and I’m so thankful to have you there to read my nonsense before it’s published!

Secondly: Thank you all so much for the positive responses/ reblogs on Chapter 1! I’m so excited to share this chapter with you and I assure you I have many more to come <3 Feel free to follow along on ao3 glam_reaper2 <3

Tag List:

@http-itsrebecca​ @highqueenofelfhame​ @feyrethedarklady​ @someonemagical​ @thebitchupstairs​ @over300books​

#rowaelin fic #rowaelin #fenrys moonbeam #fenrys #aelin galythinius #rowan whitethorn #rowan x aelin #throne of glass #throne of glass fic #ao3fic #AO3 tags #stth au

[jessyurahara]

Torturous Arrangement- Prince!Victor

It had been expected since you were young, that you’d end up engaged to someone, some Prince from some far off country where your father could ship you off, and never see you again, and that’s just what he’d finally managed. 

Seated at breakfast, opposite to our mother and father, your mother had looked almost sympathetic as your father had told you his plans, Prince Victor, that was all he’d given you, a simple name, and you’s just sighed, even though you’d expected it, you’d always hoped your father would hold you too close to just marry you off ‘for the honour of your family’, and you couldn’t think of a single argument against marrying him, despite the fact that you were in love with someone else, one of your guards, you knew your parents wouldn’t see that as a valid reason, a treaty with another kingdom, they’d get money, power, and security, what would your feelings matter in comparison to all of that. You’d had a brief debate with yourself over whether or not you would be able to hold onto your love but you knew you wouldn’t be able to, and that leaves you were you are now, sobbing on your bed, face down, pillow soaked in your tears as your lover ran a hand up and down your back, this was the last time you’d act like this with him, 

“You deserve everything Princess” He whispered to you, trying to calm you down, 

“Do you think I could change his mind?” You asked him between unattractive sobs, attempting to hold back the tears, 

“You know you can’t, we know this is the end” Your sobs got slightly louder with his words, and you felt his hand move off of your back, 

“I think I should leave my Princess” You hopped up from your bed, grabbing a hold of his hand, you could feel your heart breaking, 

“Don’t walk away from me” He stopped, he had to, no matter your personal relationship you were the Princess, his Princess. 

“Look at us, you know this is the end, we both knew there would be an end to it all” You nodded your head along with his words, as you slowly released his hand, 

“You’re royalty Princess, and I’m not, I’m sorry it’s over” He whispered, and you found yourself grabbing him, face hitting his chest as you inhaled his scent, you knew this was the last time you’d tangle yourself up in his warmth, that you’d enjoy his presence, 

“I’m not ready for it to end Sado” 

“I’m sorry it’s over, this is the end” He whispered again, it hurt inside you, you hated the fact that this was the way it had to be, but you also knew that your fathers word was final, and as he pried you off of him, you felt your breath catching in your throat, he leaned down, placing a gentle kiss against your lips, and then he was gone, as though everything meant nothing. 

Your heart was smashing to pieces. 

This was the end for you.

From now, you were the Prince’s, a Prince who you bearly knew anything about was in charge of you. 

Bumps had interrupted the rest you’d tried to take during the journey, constantly irritating you, sitting there it felt as though your life was further collapsing in on itself, resting your chin on your hand as you gazed out of the window, admiring the sights, your parents were aimlessly talking next to you, they’d told you brief details about what they knew about Victor, apparently he was formal and quiet, business orientated, and to you, everything about what they’d told you had screamed that he was a tight ass. You’d had plans for your life, you were going to learn new skills, maybe a language or two, travel around the world, and help whoever you could manage to with your wealth, those plans don’t work when you’ve got your own little arranged husband, you’d be expected to settle down, to have his heir and play the part of the dutiful wife and mother, behaving perfectly both in front of and behind cameras, to woo the public and win their hearts. 

Arriving you’d stormed past him, and into the castle, you’d asked a servant to take you to your quarters and locked yourself up, hiding yourself from both the Prince and your parents, but you knew that would only work for so long, and as you snuck down later in the evening to get some food, cold fingers had tangled themselves around your wrist, spinning you around, tall, dark, handsome, the only way you could describe the man in front of you, the skin he touched tingled slightly, as you pulled yourself away from him, stumbling backwards, as you placed your own hand where his had briefly laid, 

“Princess (Y/N)” He greeted you politely, there was an air of arrogance to his tone as he stood in front of you, 

“Prince Victor I assume” You muttered, moving your gaze away from him, finding a nice spot on the stone walls to admire instead, feeling as though you were burning beneath the heat of his gaze, 

“You should stop avoiding me Princess” He stated simply, his voice was calm, almost monotoned as you tried to shake of your bodies action to him, the butterflies in your stomach, it was the last thing that you needed, striking you with confusion. 

“Why?” You snapped at him, trying to keep your own voice calm as you let a soft sigh slide past your lips, 

“I’m already forced to spend the rest of my life with you, this engagement guarantees that for us. So it would be great to have my freedom to do as I please for as long as it’s allowed to me” You stated simply, tearing your gaze to him, forcing him to look you straight in your eyes, the Prince looked momentarily stunned before he caught himself as you took a deep breath in, trying to calm yourself,

“We really should talk”

“There is nothing to talk about” You told him, turning on your heels, flicking your hair over your shoulder, you shot him another gaze as you began to walk away from him, your words trailing off with you, your final sentence leaving a bad taste in both your mouths, 

“It’s settled, we’re to be married, until then I would prefer if you leave me alone” 

Day after day was spent in the same way, Victor would catch you for a moment, and manage to get some brief pleasantries out of you before attempting to bring up your engagement, leading to you walking away from him, always the same events as though they were set on repeat, and you could see both your parents and the Prince becoming tired of these events. 

There was a party planned, the first event where you were expected to play the Prince’s perfect finance, and that’s just what you were going to do, dressed to the nines, in a red silken gown, hair brushed neatly, and curled perfectly to land on your shoulders, everything about you screamed Princess, from the gown, to the perfect placement of your tiara, and throughout the night you played your role perfectly. Laughing gently at jokes told to you, your arm tangled with his, leaning your head against the his black velour suit jacket, his voice was deep, husky, you weren’t sure you’d ever listened to him for as long as you were forced to. Over dinner, you drank the wine in front of you and continued to talk to the diplomats that surrounded you, you knew you were playing the role perfectly when he lifted your hand to his mouth, and placed a fleeting kiss upon it. It continued on and on throughout the night, you played the role of the perfect actress, as people began to get more and more drunk though you found there was less of a need to keep up with the perfect act. 

Taking a moment to yourself, you snuck away from the party, resting on the balcony and leaning against it, you admired the gardens beneath you, the spread of green shimmering lightly under some warm lighting, one of your hands playing with your hair as you tried to calm yourself down, taking deep breaths to try and calm yourself down, you hated to admit it, but Victor made your heart flutter, despite the fact you’d been pushing him away, the weeks spent avoiding him, and only engaging in small talk made your heart grow fonder. 

You barely even took note as you heard the door to the balcony open, your mind immediately deicing it was one of the guests, you let out a sigh, ready again to put on the perfect act as you heard them crossing the cobbles to approach you, but you jumped as you felt an arm resting on your hip, and turning, you found yourself face to face with the man you were engaged to, 

“Finally” He stated softly, he took a step away from you, but it was clear you weren’t escaping him in that moment, 

“Nice night-“

“Stop that thought, we’ve got things to talk about” He started, 

“Now you can’t run off either” He stated, a simple coyness to his voice as he nodded his head towards the ongoing party. 

“I already told you my Prince, there’s nothing to talk about” You responded, as you tried to take a step back, but your back hit the stone of the balcony, he was right, you were trapped, 

“Yes, there is” He stated, taking a gentle step forwards, 

“I want to know why you’re so angry” He again spoke like it was the most confusing thing in the world to him, but he couldn’t really be that oblivious could he? He couldn’t really not realise why you’d always fought so hard for your own independence? Was he really asking why you didn’t want to throw everything away for him? 

And here, you’d been told he was a smart one. 

“This engagement destroyed my life” You told him, your mind scanning across the images in your head, of you, portraying the act you’d been putting on all night, and how that was going to be your whole life from now on, the way your mother and father had told you you had to act for the public. The way in which all of your life dreams had been so damned close, and then someone had taken them into their hand, and crushed them, like a flower, with the petals falling to the ground just as the pieces of your life were. You weren’t going to be allowed to do anything you wanted to anymore, all for him, for the Prince, for Victor. 

“In what way?” Came Victors voice, you could hear the curiosity lining his tone, 

“First, I was forced to break up with my boyfriend” You explained, happy when you were met with silence, thinking it meant Victor had run out of responses, and that he was going to willingly leave you alone, 

“Yes. Did you love him?” You were stunned by the mans sudden question, the way he seemed genuinely interested, 

“Course, I liked him, I wouldn’t have dated him if I didn’t like him” You stated plainly, thinking that the way you answered his question would make him leave you alone,

“I didn’t ask if you liked him, I asked if you loved him” Victor repeated, his tone changing on the words liked and loved, as thought to highlight the differences between the emotions, to make it clear to you. Did you love him? You’d enjoyed the time you’d spent with him, the way he made you feel, and you’d had some fun with him, but now, past the break up, thinking back on it all as much as it hurt to let him go, could you really say he was the one? No. 

“See” Victor’s calm voice interrupted your thoughts as though he’d seen the cogs churning in your mind, 

“You would have broken up sooner or later, as you realised your own feelings” He’d moved as close to you as he possibly could now, his warm breath was fanning over your face, contrasting the cool night air, a warm blush now highlighting your cheeks as you stubbornly turned your head away from him, responding like a stubborn child with a, 

“Fine” 

“There are other reasons” You stated, trying to hide your bodies reaction to Victor being so close to you, folding your arms over your chest as though the movement would protect your heart, 

“Like?” He offered up, wanting to know as you felt his hands moving again, both of them now resting on your hips, your breath hitched for a moment, as you tried to regain your own composure, 

“I wanted to study, and travel, to help people and see the world! But now, I’m expected to play the nice fucking wife! A fucking accessory for you, that looks good and don’t say shit” You exclaimed, feeling your anger bubble beneath your chest, you wanted to scream, you wanted to take a bullet, anything to escape Victor, to escape your own damned tortuous future, as more images of yourself as an accessory came to mind, further frustrating you, 

“Interesting” Victor leaned in, whispering directly in your ear, finally taking the grip he had on your hips and pulling you into him, 

“Quite the temper behind your calm nature” He chuckled lowly, and you froze, 

“But you know what I miss?” He asked, his voice still holding that same cocky tone,

“The argument you have to marry a guy you don’t even love” You breath caught, as he spoke with that coy tone, it was true, a few months back, that would’ve been the feature point of your argument, the first thing you would’ve said to him, to argue that you didn’t want to be with him, but now, with the way he made you heart pound, the butterflies that rose in your stomach when you were near him, you couldn’t say you felt that way anymore, 

“I-“ you couldn’t speak, everything felt as though it was caught in your throat, nothing coming to the forefront of your ind to say to him, while Victor chuckle, whispering in your ear, his lips brushing against it with each syllable, 

“You don’t have to say anything, your body tells me enough”

You wanted to protest his words, but still, you were struggling to find the right words, and as he pressed his warm lips against the skin of your throat, you found yourself caught up in his ministrations, hands falling to his chest, 

“And for those other things” He said, annunciating each words with a kiss to your neck, while your eyes fluttered closed, 

“I don’t want a dumb wife” You knew you should stop him, and yet you didn’t want to, you were enjoying the feeling of his lips dancing across the skin of your neck, 

“So I wouldn’t stop you from studying” His lips wandered lower, brushing against your exposed collarbone, and with a soft gasp your head fell backwards, relaxing into his tightened embrace and touch, hands gripping onto his white shirt, holding onto him as he continued his gentle ministrations, 

“And for the travel part” The stroke of his tongue against your sensitive skin, 

“There’s going to be a lot of business trips waiting for me in the future” A gentle nip at the skin beside your collarbone, causing another gasp to slide past your lips, 

“You will accompany me, and afterwards we can take a few days and explore” While he spoke he caressed you, meanwhile, you had a picture forming in your mind, and though it wasn’t your dream future, you didn’t mind, something about the picture in your mind of the Prince by your side, it didn’t seem as bad as it had a few moments earlier, and though you weren’t sure if you were looking forward to it, you weren’t sure you minded either. 

At your surrender and the serene look on your face, Victor let a genuine smile overtake his lips, shifting and capturing your lips, like he’d wanted to from the moment he’d seen you, he knew from the moment he saw you, he was going to be with you for the rest of his life, arranged marriage or not, he wanted to be able to call you his own, his Princess. He didn’t want you to regret it either, he wanted to give you a life you’d be happy in, he wanted to be the reason you were happy. 

“So” He pulled away from you breathless, his own cheeks flushed as he tried to regain his composure, taking a step back from you, you found yourself staring curiously at him as he slid down onto one knee, 

“What are you doing for the rest of your life? Are you marrying me?” He asked you from his position on the floor, and you found yourself laughing at his ridiculous, 

“I haven’t got much of a choice have I?” You responded, walking away from him, leaving him on one knee as you headed back into the hall. 

He was going to have to work harder to completely entrap you, but with the way your heart was pounding you already knew had had you on the ropes, just like he would for the rest of your life. 

Back to MLQC Drabbles/ Victor Drabbles

Headcannons/ Love Letters/ Stories/ Drabbles

#mlqc headcanon #mlqc #mlqc fanfic #mlqc headcannon #mlqc victor #mr love queens choice

[divafm]

    ​    ​   *​    𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐨​    𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐲​    𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬​    !​    i​    am​    beyond​    excited​    to​    be​    a​    part​    of​    this​    group​    &​    to​    write​    with​    all​    of​    u​    legends​    .​    i​    am​    𝐤𝐨𝐝𝐲​    ,​    currently​    residing​    in​    hell​    angeles​    aka​    the​    pst​    timezone​    .​    i​    go​    by​    feminine​    pronouns​    ,​    but​    u​    can​    also​    refer​    to​    me​    as​    garbage​    .​    under​    the​    cut​    ,​    i​    will​    be​    introducing​    u​    to​    my​    broadway​    baby​    .​    if​    any​    of​    ya’ll​    are​    interested​    in​    getting​    a​    lifetime​    of​    affection​    from​    me​    ,​    &​    possibly​    a​    plot​    ,​    please​    give​    this​    post​    a​    🖤​    &​    i’ll​    be​    on​    my​    way​    .​    

❛    ✶    (    ariana    grande    ,    cisfemale    ,    she/her    )    spotted    !    chantel    demonté    was    spotted    singing    along    to    moon    river    by    audrey    hepburn    in    hilton    grove    .    you’ve    heard    of    them    right    ?    they    are    a    twenty   -   three    year    old    broadway    actress    &    musician    who    has    already    amassed    a    net    worth    of    $120m    .    you    should    really    follow    them    on    insta    @chantel    ,    they’re    about    to    hit    60m    followers    .    the    tabloids    have    been    calling    them    the    prima    donna    because    they    are    known    for    being    +    perfervid    but    also    a    bit    -    sycopantic    .    though    most    people    recognize    them    by    bambi    eyes    twinkling    with    ambition    ,    the    saccharine    scent    of    chanel    n°5    ,    glossy    lips    curled    coquettishly    ,    cherubic    features    radiating    naiveté    ,    &    breakfast    at    tiffany’s    .

*     ◞     𝐢     .     ⤻     𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥     .

𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥   𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞.    chantel    satine    demonté    .    𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞(𝐬).    chanti    ,    princess    ,    baby    ,    etc    .    𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞.    august    second    ,    a    leo   .    𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞   𝐨𝐟   𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡.    milan    ,    italy    .    𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥    &    𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐜    𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.    undetermined   .    𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.    an    esteemed    broadway    actress    ,    having    the    productions    of    wicked    ,   funny    girl    ,    west    side    story    ,    hairspray    ,    etc    .    under    her    belt    .    her    talents    extend    further    as    a    musician    ,    with    an    ariana    grande    voiceclaim    ,    having    only    sweetener    ,    yours    truly    ,    &    certain    singles    (    ex    .    adore   ,    quit    ,    etc    .    )    in    her    discography    at    the    moment    .    lastly    ,    a    part    -    time    model    .    with    her    rise    to    fame    ,    &    she’s    been    plastered    on    a    variety    of    pages    in    a    magazine    ,    including    cover    shoots    .    𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.    american    .    𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲.    italian    ,    french    .    𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐧.    catholicism    ,   not    practiced   .    𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧    𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬.    english   ,   italian    &    french    .    𝐡𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬  𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞.    slytherin    .    𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬.    ballet    ,    piano    ,    acting    ,   makeup    ,    cheerleading    ,   song    writing    .   𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐞  𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐨.    rachel    berry    glee    ,    betty    cooper    riverdale    ,    cassie    howard    euphoria    ,    monica    geller    &    rachel    green    hybrid    friends    ,    amy    march    little    women   ,   nancy   wheeler    stranger   things    ,    kelly    kapoor    the    office    .

*     ◞     𝐢𝐢     .     ⤻     𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐬     .

a   baby   girl    ,    blessed    of    cherubic    features    ,    was    born    during    the    summer    season    in    milan    ,    italy    ,    which    is    very    much    known    to    be    the    global    capital    of    fashion    &    design    .    her    mother    ,    donatella    demonté    ,    is    a    prominent    fashion    designer    whose    name    is    not    only    regarded    in    the    streets    of    europe    ,    but    across    the    globe    .    her    designs    &    level    of    popularity    is    akin    to    versace    ,    in    which    we    are    all    incredibly    familiar    with    .    the    girl’s    father    ,    stefan    demonté    ,    is    an    intuitive    &     magnetic    man    ,    who    is    notable    in    the    medical    field    for    being    one    of    the    most    dependable    surgeons    in    the    world    .    his    patients    whom    undergo    his    procedures    experience    soaring    success    rates    &    is    described    as    a    modern    asclepius    .    two    of    the    most    eminent    beings    among    the    planet    intended    on    extending    their    prosperity    &    influence    onto    their    successor    ,    chantel    satine    demonté    .  

at    the    age    of    six    years    old    ,    it    was    decided    that    the    family    would    relocate    from    europe    &    into    the    united    states    .    specifically    ,    settle    on    the    island    treading    the    east    coast    ,    in    sun    -    drenched    hilton    grove    .    it    was    baffling    to    the    young    brunette    at    the    time    ,    considering    she    was    foreign    to    american    ideology    &    its    citizens    .    she    fret    on    being    acquainted    with    her    peers    ,    as    well    as    wondering    if    she    will    begin    to    feel    homesick    for    her    native    country    .    as    means    of    introducing    her    to    her    potential    talents    &    aiding    her    in    establishing    a    social    presence    ,    donatella    inserted    the    girl    in    a    variety    of    extracurricular    activities    ,    while    also    enrolling    her    in    the    best    private    school    in    the    area    .    it    was    apparent    from    the    moment    she    melodically    verbalized    in    her    infancy    that    she    was    destined    to    be    a    vocalist    .    whenever    music    was    in    the    atmosphere    ,    her    features    would    brighten    &    a    coo    of    delight    would    emit    from    her    .    this    passion    for    music    led    to    her    involvement    in    ballet    ,    as    a    means    of    expressing    herself    not    only    vocally    but    physically    .    it    taught    her    great    diligence    ,    &    was    the    prelude    to    the    many    pursuits    she    would    acquire    .

by    the    time    she    was    in    her    senior    year    of    high    school    ,    the    damsel    had    blossomed    into    the    prodigy    in    which    her    parents    aspired    her    to    be    .    during    her    four    years    ,    she    had    been    part    of    a    majority    of    the    clubs    organized    on    campus    ,    including    drama    ,    speech    &    debate    ,    french    ,    etc    .    she    received    the    highest    scores    in    her    class    alone    ,    maintaining    a    4.0    gpa    while    also    dedicating    herself    to    cheerleading    ,    exuding    not    only    school    pride    ,    but    pride    within    herself    .    by    this    length    of    life    ,    she    had    been    so    immersed    with    musical    theatre    ,    that    it    was    apparent    that    her    dream    entailed    performing    upon    the    broadway    stage    &    becoming    the    contemporary    barbra    streisand    .    every    morning    to    every    evening    ,    she    envisioned    belting    her    heart    out    upon    that    stage    ,    utterly    absorbent    to    the    applause    &    standing    ovations    to    the    crowds    ,    all    enchanted    to    see    her    .     once    chantel    had    a    goal    ,    it    was    nearly    impossible    to    keep    her    from    reaching    it    ,    whether    it    is    landing    the    lead    in    some    school    production    or    landing    the    part    of    fantine    in    the    broadway    production    of    les    misérables    .    once    she    had    graduated    ,    she    did    not    mourn    over    the    conclusion    of    what    would    be    her    adolescence    .    in    fact    ,    she    embraced    what    would    be    the    commencement    of    the    first    act    to    reaching    her    fantasy    .

*     ◞     𝐢𝐢𝐢     .     ⤻     𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐭     .

tw    ﹕    eating    disorder    ,    depression    .

upon    her    arrival    to    broadway    ,    she    accumulated    a    huge    amount    of    success    &    recognition    from    it    over    the    years    .    however    ,    around    last    year    ,    the    innate    perfectionist    had    unknowingly    begun    to    decline    ,    both    in    her    health    &    mentality    .    gradually    ,    she    had    adopted    certain    habits    ,    that    involved    a    decrease    in    her    food    intake    &    lack    of    rest    .     every    minute    of    every    hour    she    was    rehearsing    ,    pirouetting    ,    or    tending    to    other    obligations    .    already    being    so    petite    in    nature    ,    the    reducing    pounds    had    a    dramatic    impact    upon    her    figure    ,    in    which    she    would    conceal    with    oversized    garments    as    means    of    keeping    others    from    noticing    .    though    ,    inevitably    ,    those    in    her    life    began    to    express    their    concerns    for    the    girl    ,    who    could    not    have    appeared    more    exhausted    &    had    been    avoiding    being    around    others    as    means    of    preventing    them    from    noticing    her    apparent    starvation    .

it    wasn’t    until    a    rehearsal    on    one    afternoon    that    the    brunette    had    an    abrupt    collapse    on    stage    due    to    complete    malnourishment    &    exhaustion    .    the    auditorium    almost    instantly    echoed    of    gasps    ,    as    her    fellow    cast    members    &    the    crew    a    sea    of    utter    revelation    .    the    instrumentals    had    ceased    ,    &    there    were    several    of    her    crew    members    sprinting    towards    the    platform    to    get    the    girl    immediate    medical    attention    .    in    a    matter    of    several    minutes    ,    she    was    carried    off    stage    &    immediately    ushered    to    the    hospital    .    an    understudy    swiftly    covered    the    role    for    the    show    scheduled    of    that    evening    ,    as    well    as    the    consecutive    shows    that    followed    .

it    had    taken    only    two    hours    for    the    dismaying    news    to    be    phoned    to    her    parents    ,    who    had    frantically    dropped    everything    in    that    moment    to    go    &    visit    their    only    daughter    ,    whom    had    been    laid    upon    a    hospital    bed    with    her    frail    ,    gaunt    frame    covered    with    a    patterned    gown    .    the    following    morning    ,    she    had    woken    up    ,    &    was    absolutely    devastated    .    not    due    to    the    state    of    her    health    ,    but    the    fact    that    she    didn’t    get    to    perform    that    evening    ,    &    that    an    understudy    would    now    be    in    her    place    .    she    frantically    sputtered    to    her    guardians    that    she    has    to    return    to    continue    the    following    shows    ,    attempting    to    pull    herself    off    from    the    mattress    though    was    immediately    pressed    to    settle    onto    it    once    more    .    she    persisted    ,    insisting    with    heavy    strain    in    her    voice    that    she    was    okay    before    succumbing    ,    fragile    sobs    emitting    from    her    as    tears    stream    endlessly    upon    her    features    .    it    was    a    rarity    for    the    girl    to    feel    a    sense    of    defeat    ,    though    when    she    had    ,    it    was    not    dealt    with    ease    .

that    summer    ,    her    parents    had    no    other    choice    than    to    situate    her    to    the    most    discreet    rehab    facility    ,    one    that    was    remote    to    prevent    the    chances    of    her    being    seen    or    followed    by    the    press    .    she    spent    four    months    ,    completely    abstained    from    communication    with    the    outside    world    .    to    give    the    impression    that    things    had    been    proceeding    normally    ,    her    publicist    would    run    the    girl’s    socials    while    she    was    away    ,    equipped    with    a    variety    of    photos    to    post    &    blurbs    that    resonated    to    her    persona    .

since    her    return    to    hilton    grove    ,    she    has    returned    with    a    nourished    composition    ,    a    glowing    complexion    ,    &    a    clearer    conscience    with    intent    on    focusing    to    write    &    produce    music    during    her    break    period    from    broadway    .    she    is    still    the    same    ,    driven    &    overbearing    primma    donna    who    has    goals    that    are    intended    to    be    achieved    .    she    absolutely    refrains    from    speaking    of    the    incident    ,    as    no    one    but    her    parents    truly    knew    the    situation    &    the    severity    of    it    .    the    way    in    which    things    were    covered    up    remains    suspicious    to    many    ,    baffled    by    the    actresses    sudden    hiatus    from    the    broadway    stage    .    those    who    ask    how    her    summer    was    spent    ,    she    described    it    as    a    very    much    needed    retreat    to    the    tropics    ,    &    how    the    vacation    went    pleasantly    .    she    is    utterly    ashamed    with    what    had    happened    ,    &    would    be    entirely    devastated    if    the    truth    were    to    come    out    .    it    would    indefinitely    tarnish    her    name    ,    regardless    if    she    were    to    receive    pity    or    consolation    .    the    last    thing    she    would    want    is    to    come    across    as    weak    willed    ,    or    appear    as    some    sort    of    failure    .    in    spite    her    body    returning    to    its    healthy    condition    ,    her    mind    still    seems    to    be    riddled    of    melancholy    .    she    feigns    it    with    a    winsome    smile    ,    or    preoccupies    herself    as    a    means    of    distraction    ,    &    is    content    from    time    to    time    though    it    is    all    fleeting    .     however    ,    being    the    superb    performer    that    she    is    ,    no    one    is    able    to    suspect    a    thing    .

*     ◞     𝐢𝐯     .     ⤻     𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚     .

chantel    ,    for    the    most    part    ,    is    a    benevolent    being    .    she    is    wise    beyond    her    years    ,    extremely    ambitious    ,    &    exudes    passion    into    every    aspect    of    her    life    ,    whether    it’s    performing    on    stage    or    in    her    day    to    day    happenings    .    in    spite    being    born    into    a    family    of    prosperity    ,    she    maintains    a    humble    conscience    &    rarely    takes    much    in    her    life    for    granted    ,    knowing    there    are    others    who    are    not    fortunate    .     she    is    an    enthusiast    of    material    goods    ,    though    you    will    not    likely    hear    her    brag    about    them    .    she    tends    to    boast    about    her    accomplishments    ,    if    anything    .    in    a    high    society    where    betrayal    &    deceit    play    a    constant    role    ,    i    assure    you    that    chantel    is    one    of    the    most    loyal    people    you    could    meet    .    surely    ,    she    will    have    her    slip    ups    ,    but    will    always    make    up    for    it    in    the    end    &    do    what’s    right    ,    given    her    moral    code    .    if    you    are    a    friend    ,    family    member    ,    or    even    a    lover    ;    she    will    go    to    the    ends    of    the    earth    to    see    you    smile    ,    as    she    cares    so    deeply    for    those    important    to    her    .    more    often    than    not    ,    she    puts    another    person’s    well    being    before    her    own    ,    &    even    if    she    is    being    mistreated    ,    she    will    make    excuses    or    give    the    benefit    of    the    doubt    as    she    tries    to    see    the    best    in    others    .

while    she    does    exhibit    favorable    traits    ,    i    will    have    to    mention    a    few    detrimental    ones    .    although    she    ,    on    numerous    occasions    ,    comes    off    extremely    narcissistic    ,     deep    down    she    too    can    be    incredibly    insecure    .    as    marina    &    the    diamonds    once    said    ,    ‘    i    feel    like    i'm    the    worst    ,    so    i    always    act    like    i'm    the    best    .    ’    being    the    perfectionist    that    she    is    ,    it’s    very    rare    for    her    to    genuinely    feel    satisfied    with    much    of    anything    .     no    matter    how    many    flattery    remarks    she    is    given    ,    she    always    believes    she    could    be    better    .    she    overexerts    herself    so    much    ,    &    not    many    take    notice    of    this    .    she    sometimes    wishes    someone    would    tell    her    that    she    is    good    enough    ,    that    she    doesn’t    always    have    to    prove    something    to    herself    or    to    others    .    she    also    can    be    quite    naive    ,    in    the    sense    of    taking    chances    on    certain    things    or    certain    people    that    may    not    be    in    for    her    best    interest    .    there    is    also    a    sense    of    delicacy    to    her    ,    where    she    will    put    on    a    secure    facade    ,     though    behind    closed    doors    will    often    shed    tears    .    that    being    said    ,    she    can    be    a    sensitive    ,    though    she    doesn’t    like    to    show    it    since    the    last    impression    she    would    want    to    give    is    that    she    is    weak    .

an    utter    hopeless    romantic    ;    disney    films    ,    specifically    cinderella    &    sleeping    beauty    ,    were    her    shit    when    she    was    a    little    girl    &    still    to    this    day    .    she    would    sit    before    that    screen    &    marvel    at    the    idea    of    finding    her    very    own    prince    charming    .    this    soon    transitioned    to    being    an    absolute    romance    film    /    rom    -    com    junkie    ,    these    films    being    her    lifeline    aside    from    musicals    .    however    ,    she    was    struck    with    a    heavy    dose    of    reality    after    her    first    heartbreak    in    junior    high    ,    &    all    the    heartbreaks    that    followed    .    despite    her    heart    being    crushed    at    every    corner    ,    this    still    hasn’t    deterred    her    from    the    concept    of    love    .    it    makes    excellent    inspiration    for    her    music    ,    &    there’s    no    feeling    that    can    come    close    to    being    in    love    ,    or    being    heartbroken    .    she    is    absolutely    the    type    to    be    greeted    with    a    set    of    eyes    from    across    the    room    ,    from    a    handsome    suitor    whom    could    possibly    be    a    stranger    ,    &    she    would    declare    to    her    own    ears    :    ‘    i    am    going    to    marry    him    .    ’

*     ◞     𝐯     .     ⤻     𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝    𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬     .

while    i    would    eventually    like    to    do    a    separate    post    for    wcs    ,    if    time    permits    it    ,    for    now    i’m    just    going    to    list    a    few    i    have    in    mind    .    ya’ll    can    totally    pick    from    this    list    ,    make    up    a    plot    of    our    own    ,    or    just    totally    go    the    chemistry    route    !    i    am    so    down    for    any    &    everything    .    🖤

𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩.    the    more    ,    the    merrier    .    there’s    no    such    thing    as    having    too    many    friends    .    quite    honestly    ,    she    needs    them    .    any    type    of    friend    falls    under    this    category    ﹕    ride    or    die    ,    childhood    friends    ,    family    friends    ,    good    or    bad    influence    ,    unlikely    friends    ,    etc    .

𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.    don’t    necessarily    get    along    ,    but    don’t    hate    each    other    either    .    maybe    they    find    one    another    annoying    99%    of    the    time    ,    yet    still    are    in    each    other’s    company    ??    nothing    too    complicated    .

𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐞𝐬.    cannot    fucking    stand    each    other    ,    that    it    genuinely    makes    me    laughofjfgovfgjb    .    chantel    feels    compelled    to    choke    them    the    moment    they    walk    into    the    room    .    she    can    have    plenty    of    these    .

𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠    -    𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞    𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬.    chantel    is    an    only    child    ,    so    she    never    had    a    sister    or    brother    figure    to    turn    to    .    can    be    super    endearing    ,    &    i    would    just    love    it    .

𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐬.    this    girl    has    probably    had    the    tiniest    crush    on    anyone    at    some    point    .    could    be    former    ,    present    ,    future    ??    could    be    mutual    ,    could    absolutely    not    be    mutual    ;    i’ve    imagined    it’s    happened    plenty    of    times    .

𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐬.    rarely    ever    do    her    unrequited    crushes    become    an    actual    relationship    .    but    ,    when    they    did    ,    maybe    they    didn’t    exactly    end    well    or    maybe    they    did    !    totally    up    for    discussion    as    to    how    &    why    it    just    didn’t    end    up    working    out    .

𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.    one    ,    two    ,    three    ,    four    ,    five    ,    six    ,    seven    ,    eight    ,    nine    ,    ten    ,    eleven    ,    twelve    ,    thirteen    ,    fourteen    ,    fifteen    ,    sixteen    ,    seventeen    ,    eighteen    ,    nineteen    ,    twenty    .

literally    anything    else    .

#this is longer than ur man's d*ck but we out here ! #if it's hard to read on my blog then u can add /mobile to the end of the url ! #but ily all & can't wait to write with u 🖤 #tw: eating disorder #tw: depression #hilton:intro

[softeryoons]

what’s up doc(tor Jungkook)?

Fluff | Straight fluff | Cute

1976 words

Archive link - https://archiveofourown.org/works/18894274

Yoongi gets sick. Luckily, super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor-boyfriend Jungkook is here to help. 

“Babe.”

“Babe”.

“Baaaaaaaabe!”

“‘Baby?”

“My snuggly-wuggly tuggly baby boy?”

“Yoongi hyung, it’s time to get uuup!”

“Yoongles? Are you dead?”

Huh. This was going to be more difficult then it seemed. But Jungkook had a mission, bestowed on him by none other than the great gods above (Namjoon hyung, mostly). A mission to wake Yoongi up. Because, you see, they had to be on set for an interview in about 45 minutes, which meant they needed to be leaving in about 15 minutes. Which meant Yoongi needed to be awake. After a few minutes of discussion over the breakfast of cereal and toast that Yoongi wasn’t attending, it was decided that Jungkook should go wake him up. (Seokjin hyung said it was because him and Yoongi were dating, which meant Yoongi was more likely to listen to him. Jungkook said it was because Seokjin was a pussy and was afraid of the mean right hook a just awoken Yoongi could swing, but Jungkook went anyway. What was he supposed to do, say no to seeing Yoongi’s cute little nose scrunch when he wakes up?). Yet, here he was, absolutely nose scrunch deprived. Because a crucial part to seeing Yoongi up was, well, Yoongi waking up. And Yoongi wasn’t doing that, so here Jungkook stood. Standing over Yoongi, curled up under a mound of blankets.

“Babyyyyy…. please? Pwease? Pwetty pwease will you wake up?”

Jungkook was pulling out all the stops. Obnoxious baby voice, sickly sweet pout – one way or another Yoongi was waking up, whether it was because of the noise or out of annoyance.

“Yoongi hyung…Yoongles…Yoooongles!” “MMmmmnooo….”

Aha! At long last, a semblance of success! Yoongi had spoken! Well, while it wasn’t quite words, it was certainly noise. But as Yoongi began to wake up and peel the various blankets, Jungkook soon realised the reason for his reluctance. Because Yoongi, for lack of a better word to describe his cuddly, adorable, cute boyfriend, looked like shit. His eyes were red and puffy, his cute chubby cheeks were flushed, and his nose was red and runny. To his credit, it took Jungkook all of 2 seconds to get over his initial shock and switch straight into ‘super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor-boyfriend’ mode. He dropped to his knees besides Yoongi’s bed and went to feel his forehead. Yoongi had other ideas. He batted away Jungkook’s hand, mumbling something unsavoury about mother hens and overprotective boyfriends. “Jungkook-ah, it’s not that bad. It’s just a small cold, really, I’ll be fi-”. Whatever Yoongi’s next words were, they were cut off by a violent sneezing fit into the tissues Jungkook had grabbed from the bedside table. (That’s right, he’s the one and only ‘super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor’ boyfriend).

“No, Yoongi. I don’t know if you’ve seen yourself but like, look at you! There’s no way you’re going to any interview– or anywhere, in fact, besides this bed. Not as long as I, your super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriend is here to stop you.” “My super-caring…what? Anyway, you worry too much. I’ll be fine, truly! Just a dab of concealer and no-one will notice.” Yoongi made a good point. It was unfortunate, then, that his good point was immediately ruined by the fact that when he sat up to drive his point home, his head started spinning and he collapsed into Jungkook’s waiting arms. “I think my point has proven.” He mumbled weakly into Jungkook’s chest, causing the younger to laugh. “Yeah, you’re not going anywhere. Don’t worry, Yoongles. We all have sick days. You lie back down, and I’ll go talk to everyone else. Be back soon.” He patted Yoongi’s head and manoeuvred him back into a lying down position, kissing him on the forehead before standing and leaving. - - - - - Yoongi hated being sick. He hated having a headache. He hated feeling sore in all his joints. He hated feeling so weak and frail. And he hated people going out of their way to care for him. Which is exactly what Jungkook was doing. He had been up and down constantly, getting Yoongi more water, more tea, another blanket, checking his temperature, and pretty much giving Yoongi another headache with how much he’s fretting. He figures maybe he should be more sympathetic – to be fair to him, they haven’t been dating for that long, only pining for years, and this is the first time that Yoongi has gotten sick since they’ve started dating. So, maybe it’s understandable that Jungkook is stressed, maybe that Jungkook sees it as a kind of ‘test’ or whatever, to prove to someone (maybe himself?) that he can, actually, look after Yoongi. Hell or high water. Or nasty virus. But Yoongi is sick. So, he doesn’t have to be understanding. Or sympathetic. And sure, maybe Yoongi did like to be taken care of in ah...otherareas (but he wasn’t a pillow princess! No matter what Jungkook said), this was getting ridiculous.

After Jungkook has made his fifth round out of Yoongi’s room and back again (no, hyung, I swear! Tae always has the fluffiest blankets, so I’ll just get you one of his, so you can be super comfortable!) Yoongi put his foot down. Well, not really. Since Jungkook had told him to lie down, he hadn’t got back up. “Jungkook-ah. Seriously. I know you want to look after me but – come on! I know that Namjoon told you that you could stay only if you keep an eye on me and make sure I don’t get worse, but seriously. Sit down.”

“But hyung, what if you get uncomfortable or start to feel worse, and I know you’re too stubborn to say anything-” “Thanks, Kook.” “And then you just end up feeling worse and I fail in my duty as a super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriend!”

“Kook. Kookie. Baby. Calm the fuck down.”

That, at least, got Jungkook to stop. Apparently, there’s something more intimidating about being told what to do when the order is issued by a small, grumpy man lying in bed. Yoongi continued, “if you really wanna help me and be my super-caring and whatever boyfriend, then calm down, lie with me, put on that stupid drama you got me addicted to, and cuddle with me until my stupid immune system get’s better at it’s job. Actually, don’t cuddle with me. I think the managers might kill me if I get you sick too.”

Jungkook laughed at the last statement, already moving to get Yoongi’s laptop from where it was charging on the desk. “Not a chance, hyung. You asked me to cuddle with you, and there’s no taking it back. I won’t get sick, anyway. Not me. I eat oranges. My vitamin C levels are so high, they’ll protect you too. But only if we’re touching so, the cuddling is necessary, in fact.” Jungkook heard the soft laughter from the bed behind him and smiled, glad that even though Yoongi was feeling bad, he still had an intact sense of humour. He smiled again as Yoongi immediately latched onto him as soon as he lay down, resting his head on Jungkook’s chest. As the opening scenes of the episode began to play, he felt Yoongi’s breathing slow and smiled softly once more as he ran his fingers through Yoongi’s hair. - - - - - Jungkook was not smiling anymore. Oh no. Jungkook was trying to, as quiet as possibly, curse the kitchen, the universe, and the creator of chicken noodle soup for making it so damn difficult. He thought it would be easy. He thought it would be a nice gesture for Yoongi. He had fallen asleep, sometime in the third or fourth episode. Ok, Jungkook thought, time for lunch. Time to sneakily un-intertwine himself with Yoongi’s arms, (a feat in itself, but only because he had to stop and coo at every one of Yoongi’s adorable noises), then go to kitchen and get working on the 100% absolute scientifically proven cure for the common cold – chicken noodle soup. It’s easy, he thought. I’ve seen the hyung’s do it a thousand times. Just throw the shit into a pot and wait. Easy. Yeah, real easy, Jungkook thought bitterly, staring at the lump, congealed mess that was supposed to be Yoongi’s lunch.

But it’s not like it couldn’t be salvaged. Uber Eats existed. But he wanted to do this, at least, for Yoongi. Even if these were less then ideal circumstances, it was always nice to make a meal for someone you love. He could just order the Uber Eats and then put it in the pot, play off like he made it. But where would he put the already existing chicken soup-like…thing? Jungkook is pretty sure the plumber wouldn’t appreciate him pouring it down the sink – it could probably clog pipes at 20 paces. Just as he is debating on the ethical pros and cons of lying to his boyfriend about making him soup, said boyfriend appeared in the doorway.

Well, it was either Yoongi or a living, breathing blanket, which is what actually appeared. Yoongi had made it out of bed, but brought one of the multiple blankets with him, and had used it to cover almost his entire body as he walked (shuffled) towards the kitchen, only his eyes visible. “Jungkookie? Where did you go?” Jungkook couldn’t see the elder’s mouth, but he just knew he was talking in pout again. This was the kind of Yoongi he signed up to see in the morning – not the ‘I have had a terrible night’s sleep, woken up and realised I’m sick’ morning Yoongi, but the ‘I’m very cuddly and soft and have just woken up from a nice dream’ post-nap Yoongi.

“Nowhere, baby. Just to the kitchen to ah…attempt some soup.” That got Yoongi’s attention, and had him shuffling over to look in the pot. He frowned upon the sight of the greasy soup. “Is that…is that a noodle?” He asked, pointing at a blubbery, bloated pale thing. “Thank you for trying, Kookie but…maybe we could order lunch?” Jungkook smiled down at the talking mound of blankets and patted it on the head. “You’re the boss today, Yoongles. What do you want to eat?”

After about 3 seconds of deciding (obviously I want lamb skewers, Kookie. What else?), the two were sitting down on the couch and setting the same drama up on the TV. There was a moment of comfortable silence between the two.

“You know, Kook. When you’re not trying to be the best super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriend, you’re actually really really good at taking care of people. Thank you for today.” He snuggled into Jungkook’s side, content with his confession.

“…..Just double checking, I am still a super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriend, right?” “KOOK! Oh my god, shut up!” Yoongi hit him with the pillow, laughing behind his fake anger. “Just double checking, Yoons! Hey, ow!” Another hit from the pillow. “You’ve asked me so many times!” Another hit. “Ok, ow! That hit called for revenge!” Jungkook grabbed a pillow of his own. “Kookie, you wouldn’t hit an ill person would you? Jungkook!” Yoongi immediately went into defence, curling up under his blanket. “You asked for this, hyung!” Jungkook would feel guilty later. Now was the time for winning.

It was barely 30 seconds of playfighting before Yoongi was collapsing back onto Jungkook with exhaustion. A few more moments of silence went by, filled only with Yoongi’s heavy breathing.

“You are, by the way.” “Are what, babe?” “A super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriend.” “Yoongi, you can’t just go around saying things like that. I could get a heart attack from the overwhelming amount of cuteness!” “Kookie!” “It’s true hyung. I’d be fine, though, everyone knows super-caring-and-amazing-pro doctor boyfriends don’t get hurt. Their too busy looking after their cute, sweet, amazing boyfriends.” “Oh, now who’s going around giving people heart attacks with their cuteness?” “Still you, Yoons. Don’t deny it.”

#yoonkook #sugakookie #yoonkook fanfic #min yoongi #jeon jungkook #yoongi #suga #jungkook #kookie #yoons #bts fanfiction #bottom yoongi #fluff #yoonkook fluff

[boldlygowriting]

Book Review #1: Aurora Rising

Aurora Rising published in April of 2019 is the first book in the Aurora Cycle series by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff is a sci-fi adventure. The second book of the series is set to be published in 2020.  Kristoff describes the book as a “Breakfast Club meets Guardians of the Galaxy YA sci-fi, action, adventure thing.”

Synopsis: The story starts with Aurora Academy Goldenboy, Tyler Jones, the day before the Draft. Since our best boy is well...best boy at this space-bound military academy, he gets first pick of his future space crew. Or he would’ve if he hadn’t gone out in space to calm his nerves and ended up rescuing a girl named Aurora who’s been cryogenically frozen for over 200 years. 

Bestboy Jones misses the Draft and ends up with whoever is left over ie. the people no one wants.  A space elf with anger management issues, a socially inept, trigger happy genius, and an alien techwiz with a physical disability who doesn’t know how to shut up--known as Kal, Zila and Finian respectively. 

Bestboy Jones also has his twin sister, Scarlet, and his best friend, Cat, who definitely doesn’t have a crush on him. (Books words, not mine, okay). Who are also especially good at their respective jobs as diplomat and pilot. 

Aurora sneaks aboard their ship during their first mission, murders and a cryptic message from the higher-ups set them up for a journey across the galaxy. The fate of Aurora and the rest of the worlds now in their quirky, all-to-capable hands. 

A lot is going on with this book and this is my first book review in this format so bear with me. 

The Pros

It’s fun. This book is really fun. Like watching Guardians of the Galaxy, you can have a good, pretty stress-free read of this book with little trouble. While reading this I found myself enjoying the adventure aspect of it, and I think they do it really well. 

Easy to follow. The book is action-packed that’s more interested in what’s happening than explaining all of the confusing lore that some sci-fi and fantasy novels can fall into. It’s not bogged down by a lot of space jargon and takes the time to explain the parts that a reader wouldn’t immediately understand. I appreciated that it kept things simple. 

Diversity*. Kristoff assured there would be diversity race-wise and in sexual orientation. Which is true. Aurora is half-Irish and half-Asian, Zila is black, and Finian has a physical disability and is either bisexual or pansexual (I’m not exactly sure. I mean, he is an alien so like I don’t know...look, all I know is I’m bi and black, I’ll take the representation where I can get it.).

The humor*. Think about it, 7 eighteen-year-olds stuck on a spaceship together. It’d be impossible for there not to be humor and banter between them. Not all the jokes land and there’s more than enough of nudging and winking in the prose, but there are definitely some chuckle-worthy moments. They also use humor really well when it comes to breaking up tense and heavy moments even if they don’t entirely land. 

The romantic subplot. I can’t say who obviously, but they’re pretty cute together. It was cliche, but, I think that by the end it was genuinely sweet and I appreciated the way they went about it by the end. It’ll definitely be expanded on in the following books and that’s what I like the most because it really is a subplot and they’re taking their time with it like a realistic crush turn relationship.

There are some things genuinely done well in this book that made me almost enjoy it, but for every action, there’s an opposite action. Starting off the Cons is my biggest issue with this book. 

The Cons 

The characters. I’m sure you could tell by my cheeky synopsis, I’m not exactly a huge fan of all the characters. In fact, I downright hated one. (Despite calling Tyler  Bestboy all the time, no, it was not him. I just wanted to clarify that).

I could honestly break down every character and talk about why I did or didn’t like them, but I think that’s getting too far into biased opinion. However, even for the ones I did like, they were still flawed...and not in the fun way. 

The characters are a huge weak point, part of that reason is that they’re all pretty flat. Flat, in this case, doesn’t exactly mean boring. A flat character is one that stays relatively the same from the beginning of the book to the end, and all seven of the protagonists are pretty flat. Even if it’s the first book of the series, knowing there’s time to develop characters, all seven protagonists shouldn’t be relatively the same by the end. 

There’s a lot of potential in most of them, but the time for their development is often rushed by and cut off by action. There are some real, genuine moments, but they mean very little in the overall scheme of things, especially when the team that’s supposed to be a group of misfits never feels like a group of misfits. 

The team is played up as a group of outcasts (or half outcasts), but they never feel like it. Both those movies the author compared the book to have a moment where they genuinely bond. There’s no point where the squad bond as a group beyond a few shared chuckles in between intense moments.

The skirmishes and arguments between them don’t really go anywhere and no one’s feelings are genuinely hurt for longer than a few pages, so when they already work pretty well together, I barely noticed any changes in their dynamic. I hope in the future books the authors expand on the group dynamic and the characters themselves because they could be really interesting, if I’m honest. 

Most of them had a glimmer of something, but a glimmer wasn’t enough to keep me from realizing they’re just semi-archetypal shells. 

This is a side note: this book switches the POV between the seven characters, and honestly, you can’t really tell much of a difference between who’s speaking. If switching POVs is not your bag, I wouldn’t recommend this book for you.

The humor. You know, it’s not so much the humor itself that’s a problem. The humor itself s pretty juvenile, but they’re 18 years old and I have a filthy, sarcastic mind so if you can stand a million sex jokes you’ll be fine. If not then you’re probably not gonna laugh much. The problem with the humor comes in the writing. There’s a lot of ‘winking and nudging’ involved. Finian (alien/techwiz/ can’t shut up), delivers a good portion of the jokes and after he says something, either he, the narrator or another character will comment on it. 

I once read when it comes to comedy, a joke isn’t funny if you have to draw attention to it. And if this is your kind of humor it is funny, but a lot of jokes aren’t allowed to stand on their own...making them, well, not funny. 

The plot and pacing. I’m not going to write a whole lot about the plot, partially to avoid spoilers. Tthe more I think about this book, the more I realize it’s a straighforward space adventure. The plot is simple because the adventure is what matters, but the fast pace of the book, while engaging, doesn’t spend a lot of time on it. One thing happens, then the next thing happens, and so on. 

At one point, I almost got the sense that quiet moments couldn’t last too long without another plot piece falling into place or something terrible would happen. The squad never flounders long despite how often they talk about how in over their head they are and how dangerous everything is. 

That might be a whole other gripe, but oh well. 

I said it was fun and it was easy to follow, but that’s probably because everything happens so quickly you aren’t allowed to think for very long. 

The pacing and plot go hand-in-hand because one bowls over the other and you get what I call the ‘you can infere events.’ 

These are events that you can infere obviously. In this case, they acquire a lot of items without actually showing how. I’m all for getting to the good stuff, but slowing down to show some things could’ve been a chance to expand on things like worldbuilding and the characters.

The worldbuilding. We’re getting into the minor stuff now if I’m being honest, but it’s a sci-fi story so I felt I couldn’t not write about the worldbuilding, which is a little lackluster. I’m pretty sure one of the planets is a Valerian rip-off. (I know that was harsh). 

Diversity. I debated talking about this too. I don’t know anything about the authors but I know readers say they’ve been inclusive in the past. I think they were here too, and maybe I’m spoiled or asking for too much, but I have to get some things off my chest.

First, Zila. 

I went back and forth on this a lot, but she kind of suffers from Princess and the Frog syndrome. Essentially, she’s a POC or LGBTQ+ character who is put into the story, but they either a.) don’t matter too much to the story or b.) are basically invisible. 

I went back and forth on this because Zila is quiet. She doesn’t speak a lot, she’s an observer. Sometimes I forgot she was in the book. I think having her be quiet and observant works in other character’s POV because no one really understands her. In her own POV it should be a different story. 

They opened that door so I have to comment on it. The chapters in her POV are significantly shorter than every other character. If her thoughts aren’t necessary to the story, why have them in there? It felt like she was there because they needed another warm body to advance the plot. I hope in book 2 she gets more than what she got. 

Second, the representation. Period. 

Tyler, Scarlet and Cat are the three members of the squad that stick together because they have a close bond. They’re not the misfits in this group. They’re also all white and presumably heterosexual as of this book. Zila, Finian and Kal are the outcasts of the group. Having the black girl, non-heterosexual alien with a physical disability, and the space elf with anger managment issues be the weirdos that the golden trio are saddled with doesn’t exactly read well on paper (pun intended). 

Third, queerbaiting? 

Don’t get your hopes up, I didn’t add the question mark because I think this might change. I added it as a Disclaimer: I’m not the authority on all things rainbow and beyond. Very few things raise my hackles when it comes to media and represenation even though there’s a lot that probably should. 

That being said, this might jimmy some people’s johns so I thought I might as well mention it.

We’ve all heard the “why don’t you two just kiss and get it over with line,” (yes, the book uses this line) and I’m kind of over it unless it actually ends in a relationship. Just a warning there kiss between two people of the same gender, and that line was directed at them but I can assure you it’s not going anywhere, it was a one off, and it wasn’t serious. After so much BS from other books, movies and TV shows, I know that’s enough to piss some people off, and if I mentioned Zila and the representation, I had to mention this.

That was weird. So much time is spent making sure you know how attractive every single main character is. Like...a lot. I was genuinely wondering if this would end with some kind of orgy thing. No matter what POV it’s in everyone was drop dead gorgeous with killer dimples and voices like melted chocolate and luxurious push-up bras. 

Consensus:  

I found this book on the 7th floor of my university library. Why they have a random YA space romp from 2019 up there, who knows? The important question is: Do I regret picking it up? 

Well…No and yes. 

Let’s just say I’m glad I didn’t shell out the $18.99 plus tax for it. (I’m a broke college student, okay? I get anxious spending $15) 

Like I said, I had fun reading this. I laughed. It had me turning pages faster than Aurora can say “Holy cake!”However, this book isn’t clever and it doesn’t have a whole lot of heart, not all books do, but to be a space adventure with misfit characters...if you want to keep people engaged, maybe it should? 

Everything is sacrificed for the execution of this quick-paced, adventurous romp. The worldbuilding and lore, the characters, the plot, everything. All of it was obliterated for something quick and momentarily entertaining. 

If a quick, substanceless adventure is what you’re looking for (and there’s nothing wrong with that, not every book has to be a nail-biting, bloodbath), you’ll definitely find it in this book.

If you’re looking for a book that’s going to affect you and make you feel like you’re part of “the squad,” you should probably look elsewhere. 

TLDR: 

Pros:

It’s fun

Easy to follow

The humor*

The diversity*

The romantic subplot

Cons: 

The characters

The plot and pacing 

The worldbuilding 

The humor* 

The diversity*

Overall rating: 5.5/10. 

#aurora rising #book review #bookblr #goodreads #ya novel review #diversity #character with a disability #woc in science #amie kaufman #jay kristoff

[saintanism-archive]

daaaamn aj, back at it again with the long as fuc headcanons !! anyway hi everyone it’s me this is saint he’s a pretentious fuck & my ( really long, sorry, feel free 2 skip them, there’s a tl;dr summary in my bulletpoints so u can just scroll past it ) headcanons and intro stuff is under the cut !

first headcanon. while most houghton parents are doctors, lawyers, and business executives, saint’s always been something of a horse of a different color. his family certainly isn’t unwealthy—he does, after all, live in one of those multi-million-dollar brownstones in beacon hill auctioned by freaking sotheby’s—but they’re certainly neo riche, which can be sort of hit or miss, depending on who you’re asking. saint is not unlike his parents in that they surround themselves with a kind of off-kilter opulence ( sure, that kind of cash value would have bought them a newly constructed sleek mansion in the suburbs, but why go for something new and modern when you could live in a brownstone with over three hundred years of history that, supposedly, one of the founding fathers lived in? besides, you just can’t beat that location—never mind that the brownstone’s been totally gutted and replaced with sleek, modern interior anyway, and definitely not anything that ben franklin or whoever would have touched ) while pretending to eschew materialism and vanity. why else would they live in boston instead of new york or la, right? anyway. saint is the only son of the one and only cordelia st. mercy ( pronounced, unlike saint’s name, the french way—san merci, which sounds hilariously close to ‘sans merci,’ meaning ‘without mercy,’ a joke that is not lost on saint ), a renowned fashion photographer and portrait artist ( think in the vein of annie liebovitz  and arthur elgort ) with a marked celebrity and high art clientele, and also the one and only son of the less elegantly named garrett wallace ( a pen name; his real name is garrett wallerstedt, but his editor and agent agreed that last names that are difficult to pronounce are harder to sell ), whose grisly but artful novels earned him a national book award in 1997, a film deal in 2001 ( the film was a critical and box office success but, in garrett’s opinion, too reductive of his book; ‘pure snuff’ ), and a professorship in the creative writing program at MIT. yes, that MIT, which yes, does have a creative writing program, and yes, it’s a very good one. SO—that’s the pedigree saint mercy-wallace was born into, and it probably explains a whole lot about him. his parents are not and were never married, so he can’t quite say he’s a child of divorce. instead, he spends the school year with his father while his mother travels all over the world, doing her work, though she comes home for holidays and saint’s birthday, and the summers he spends with his mother, dipping his feet into the world of the new york art scene. it was an unusual arrangement, but not a bad one; it was a long time before saint even understood that his family situation was out of the ordinary, but, like, at least he knew both his parents loved him or whatever. they are both pretty emotionally distant and prone to getting caught up in their own work—his father is always focused on teaching or poring over his latest book or invited to give a talk somewhere, for example—but it’s not a bad situation. they’re just more like friends than parents. as a result, saint grew up with a lot of freedom ( more than most of his houghton peers, whose helicopter parents put the weight of the world on their shoulders ) and little discipline, often left to his own devices and trusted with the ability to take care of himself.

second headcanon: ah, yes. the houghton food chain. it’s easy to say saint sits at the dead bottom. like, he’s not even the bugs that get eaten by the birds or whatever. he’s the plant that gets eaten by the bugs. or the soil nutrients that get consumed by the plants—something like that. but the easy answer isn’t necessarily the correct one, and you see, once upon a time, saint sat somewhere near the top. he was never number one, of course, but he was up there, in that little crew of self-proclaimed high school princes and princesses ( quite literally, what with calling themselves windsors and all ). and he fit quite well, all things considered. what, with his pseudo-celebrity family background and his instagram roll full of selfies with models and musicians and actors and that specifically youthful brand of devil-may-care attitude that bordered at times on cruelty—he was a perfect fit for the windsors, his five-story, oft-empty brownstone the perfect venue for their parties and his unconscious need to belong to some kind of family the perfect host for going along with anything that dante and his ilk said. that’s not to make it sound like he was manipulated into it or anything of the sort—he wasn’t. he and dante were good friends—they were all good friends—and like anyone would, saint relished in the perks that came with sitting at the king’s left hand instead of dancing for his entertainment. he was ( and still is ) always the kind of person who gave off an air of not really caring about anything at all, but that’s especially easy when you want for nothing. his life was impossibly easy. too easy, perhaps—exactly what went down that infamous day when saint fell from his high school pedestal remains a mystery. all anyone really knows is this: it was your typical rager at chateau mercy-wallace. the party was going as saint’s parties typically did, so, pretty well, until saint cut the music and ( red-rimmed and wild-eyed, or stinking of about a hundred cigarettes, or with a bloody nose from too many lines of coke, depending on who’s telling the story—it’s morphed a bit over time ) threw everyone out of his house with no explanation. just a party’s over, fuckwads, get outta my house, and some monologue about the bullshit superficiality of high school, of all of them, about how they were all talking in circles and repeating the same lines over and over, but not even their own lines, lines they’d inherited from generations and generations past. it’s equally up for debate whether saint left the windsors or was kicked out, but there’s something of a general consensus that it was in the muddy lines of both. that went down somewhere towards the middle of the end of his junior year. since then? total social pariah. he left behind the lacrosse and soccer teams, opting instead for chain-smoking under the bleachers and cutting class. he’s a mystery, that saint mercy-wallace.

third headcanon: they were friends until they weren’t. they met in middle school and hit it off pretty easily, these two sons of daedalus who feared not the dangers of flying too close to the sun. they were handsome and charming and confident and gifted and the world opened for them—it made it easy to get along. eleven-year-olds didn’t need much by way of substance to start friendships. if you were to ask saint, looking back on it, after that they remained friends out of habit—because they were in the same place at the same time, because they had similar privilege, because they both felt they could do anything and get away with it, because they had similar luxurious sensibilities. it was ( if you ask saint ) what really bonded all of the windsors together more than any other kind of commonality. but, you know. when you wake up—as saint describes it, a waking up—and you look around and you see all this shit you’ve been brainwashed into thinking matters about anything, and you call out the only flimsy common ground you’ve got. well. you’re not going to be friends anymore, are you? after that, saint didn’t harbor any particular resentment towards dante, but he made no attempts to be friendly, often making snide remarks about the absurdity that was the whole premise of the “windsors” and how maybe they all needed to get outside and look at something other than their phones once in a while. he was still fairly shocked and upset by his death—nobody wants anyone to die, old friend slash new enemy or otherwise—but not enough to make a big thing out of it. saint’s had a pretty hard time feeling much of anything these days.

OK THE TL;DR VERSION:

son of a big hotshot fashion/art/celeb photographer ( cordelia aka cordy st. mercy ) and an acclaimed writer, essayist, novelist, thinker, etc ( garrett wallace, who teaches creative writing at MIT )

lives in a big ol brownstone in boston proper, often left to his own devices

his parents are not married to each other so he usually spends the school year w dad and the summer w mom - pls advise if u want some kind of step sibling or “our parents are dating this is terrible!” connection

used to be a windsor ! he was once (in)famously a member of the elite Inner Circle(TM) until he even more infamously had a giant burnout , threw everyone out of his house during a Classic Saint Rager ( he used to be known for throwing parties ), stopped hanging out w the windsors and has been kinda.....weird ever since

i mean don’t get me wrong he was always a pretentious fuck but he used to be better at keeping it inside and like having fun and talking about silly things now he hates talking about basic high school bullshit

his instagram is full of selfies w models and artists and musicians and actors and he only listens to bands you’ve probably never heard of who are “on the up and up”

and also house music and gregorian chants and weird af shit he’s into, like, industrial noise. anyway..........

prides himself on being very fashion forward and forward thinking in general

BIG MESS

literally never says things that aren’t . ridiculous

examples:

“can’t today my existential dread is acting up”

“i only eat squid ink pasta it’s the most melancholy of pasta”

“i can barely navigate the hellish vortex between breakfast and dinner, let alone the labyrinth of the soccer field” ( said when he quit the soccer & lacrosse teams, which he used to play )

does not give a single fuck about anything ever

chainsmokes like u wouldn’t believe catch him on the bleachers during football practice wearing all black and smoking three cigarettes at once it’s disgusting ( lowkey he thinks it looks cool lol what a loser )

reads pretentious af shit like jd salinger and allen ginsburg and the other beats and thinks he’s so edgy. kill him

skips class.....all the time . . . . but has really good grades ? wild

hates everyone and everything that isn’t Elegant

acts like he’s so above all this high school hierarchy nonsense & too cool for it & blah blah but uh

he’s probably just depressed

maybe still gets invited to parties if people forget for a second that he’s a giant fucking weirdo now? but maybe not

i would Love a ferris bueller to his cameron frye but we’ll see

anyway he’s super hard to plot with but you should plot with me anyway

this has been an intro by aj thanks for coming to my ted talk

#houghtonintro

[thatthingcalledfate-phff]

Chapter 9

Revolution

Harry didn’t know what to say to Isabella Clarke.

 A few hours after the Centennial Party of Mary Mediatrix Hospital, Harry found himself sitting in the couch of the VIP waiting room in an airport in South Africa- a newspaper with his and Chelsy Davy’s picture at the front. His hands clenched and he sighed before checking his phone- no messages nor missed calls from Isabella Clarke.

 Surely, she had already seen it you fucking sob. His mind insulted and the prince can only place his phone back on top of the table. Who told you that meeting an ex when you had ditched the recent one as smart?

“I haven’t seen Chelsy in years.” He mumbled trying to reason out his actions. “I thought it was reasonable.”

 But he now realized that it was not reasonable. He ditched an important event for the Clarkes to meet up with an ex. He ditched his girlfriend for an ex. Which part of the earth is that reasonable? And with the tabloids practically rubbing salt on top of Bella’s wound, Harry is quite sure Bella is upset with him. Before Harry can stand from his seat, his phone started ringing and he saw Catherine’s name flashing on the screen.

 “What the bloody hell were you thinking?!” The now Princess of Wales screeched before Harry can even say a hello. ”Seriously? Ditch her and then meet with Chelsy? What in the bloody-“

 But Catherine’s rant was cut off and a bit of commotion can be heard on Catherine’s side before William’s voice came through, “Are you out of your fucking mind, Harry?” he asked and Harry flinched.

 “I thought it was reasonable.”

 “Reasonable?!” Kate screeched from the other line and Harry realized that he had been put on speaker. But Kate didn’t talk for a few seconds before Harry heard a sigh. “That’s not right, Harry. Isabella’s dealing with a lot. She had been dragged through mud for almost a year and kept quiet about it, never saying anything. She’s dealing with the paps hounding her and people telling her how she doesn’t deserve you and here you go proving everyone who dragged her correct.”

 “I realize that now.”

“As you should.” William answered agreeing with Kate. “Harry, I don’t know..” he sighed. “This might be too much for her, you know?”

Harry’s heart started pounding inside his chest; the thought of Bella actually leaving him after this mistake of his hurting him. “I’ll explain it to her. She’ll understand.”

 “Let me tell you something, Harry.” Kate suddenly spoke and Harry can hear the babbling of the baby princess Olivia faintly. “There’s no going back from that one.”

 Isabella, although suffering from a massive hangover, went to the hospital the next day even though she’s not supposed to work. She sat on her table and started sifting through her patient’s records just to distract herself from thinking too much about Harry- or feeling hurt. To say, she doesn’t remember the last parts of the centennial ball last night- she’s also sure that her father had to carry her out of the limo to the inside of her house.

 She doesn’t like it. She doesn’t like how she feels about her relationship with Harry- or she’s just suffering from a bad case of hangover. Bella sighed lightly throwing the folder on her hand onto the table before leaning back and looking outside. It’s a wonderful day in London, the sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and people outside doesn’t have an umbrella on their hands. It made the doctor smile. She’s not this. She used to be fearless. Free. She used to walk along the roads of London loving life- feeling the sun. She used to go to breakfast, grab lunch, or even go on dinners without having to worry of cameras being shoved on her face.

 Being with Harry took that part of her away. Being with him took away her freedom and she’s ok with that; she dealt with it. For almost a year, she kept her mouth shut. She was patient, she was understanding- she had become a wallflower.

 “This has got to change.” She mumbled to herself with a new sense of determination as she pushed herself out of her chair, grabbed her bag, and walked out her office- all the while dialing Abi’s phone number.

 “Why are you even awake?” Abigail Simons answered groggily as Bella stepped inside her car and swiftly closed the door. “Why are you waking me up?”

 Bella chuckled, “Would you like to grab some lunch and do some shopping?”

 “Lunch? Shopping? You?” Abi confirmed and Bella can hear the rustle of her duvet from the other line. “Ok. You got my attention. Why do you want to go have lunch? You said that you’re avoiding the press. Is it about the article still? Have you not talked to him yet?”

 As Abi asked the flow of questions, Bella tried to find the proper answer to everything. Why? Why is she doing this? Why is she baiting herself once again to the press? But as Abi’s end started silencing, Bella finally found the best answer to give her friend.

 “Let’s give them hell.”

 “Who are you and what have you done to Isabella?”

 But Abi met up with Bella in a restaurant named Ceru in South Kensington looking like she is about to walk in a runway. Thankfully, Bella knew how her friend dresses and chose to at least try out something new- meaning, she’s not dressed in her usual sundress or dress pants. “Oh look at you!” Abi gushed as she walked towards Bella who’s sat at the table tapping her fingers idly. “Are you possessed or something?”

 Bella’s insecurity reared its head and she leaned forward to her friend with furrowed eyebrows. “Do I look bad?”

 “Look bad?” Abi scoffed. “You look God damn modern and exciting. It’s a major improvement.” She continued gesturing towards Bella’s outfit. “Whatever it is you’re going through, it did you fucking good.”

 They had lunch just like how they did when they wear still in medical school but now, Bella doesn’t look like some hippie beside her friend. It was apparent that someone had tipped her whereabouts to the press because as they got out of the restaurant, the paps swarmed around them like bees. This time around, she didn’t put her head down- she walked like she owned the place. She’s confident with herself and she’s not going to lose that over her jealousy and disappointment towards Harry and his ex.

 As they shopped around Camden Markets; buying off clothes and organic foods from the street market, Bella’s phone started ringing and she looked at the screen to see an unknown number flashing on it. “I’ll just take this.” She told Abi thinking that a patient must be having an emergency. “Isabella speaking, who’s this?”

 “Ah, you must not remember.”

 Bella furrowed her eyebrows as she heard the voice of an oddly familiar man from the other end of the line. “Henry? Henry Cavill?” she asked and the man from the phone chuckled. “How did you get-?”

 “Before you think that I am a crazy stalker as Abi describes, you gave me your number last night willingly.. While I battled to get both you and Abi in the limo.” He cut Bella off. “I just wanted to ask how you are.”

 With the creases on her forehead deepening while she raked her brain to remember that scene, she took a glance at Abi before saying. “We battled you?”

 “Like normal drunken women.” Henry confirmed.

 “Did I say or do anything embarrassing?”

 “You just cried about the whole being ditched for an ex.” Henry answered straightforwardly and Bella groaned. “While Abi tried to French kiss me.” He continued making Bella scoff. “Don’t worry. All forgotten and never to be told to anyone.”

 Sighing, Bella said, “Thank you. And I’m fine. I am currently with Abi doing shopping.”

 “You two are not drinking again are you?”

 “No. I just recovered from the hangover.” Bella said quickly as if another touch of alcohol to her lips will kill her. “You’re welcome to join us, if you want. As a sort of apology to the trouble we caused you last night.”

 Henry gave out a chuckle, “I’m afraid I cannot take you up on that offer. We’ll have to reschedule it. I’m currently on my way to the airport.” He answered. “Have to go back to L.A.”

 “Oh.” Bella said and she felt Abi tap her on the shoulder. “Have a safe flight then.”

 “See you soon, Doctor Clarke.”

 “Who’s that?” Abi asked as Bella started running through the ignored messages from Harry, William, and Kate on her phone. “Is it a patient?”

 “No.” Bella sighed placing her phone in her bag; not yet ready to face her problems. “Apparently, you tried to French kiss Henry Cavill while I bawled my eyes out.” She continued to answer Abi’s curious look towards her.

 “Did I succeed?” Abi asked curiously and Bella laughed.

 But as she drove home, the happiness that she felt while with Abi started dissipating into loneliness and hurt. She’s angry, she’s jealous, and she’s insecure. She’s angry not just because Harry ditched her to meet up with Chelsy Davy; she’s angry because she feels like she doesn’t deserve being embarrassed like that. Her face is, once again, all over the tabloids. Taunting her. Breaking her little by little that she’s now having a hard time keeping herself together.

 She doesn’t have anyone to voice out her feelings to. Albeit, she had probably told Henry Cavill a lot when she was drunk but when she is sober, she has no other choice but to keep everything in especially since Harry doesn’t seem to realize what she’s going through.

 It didn’t shock her to see a black Range Rover parked inside her gates. “I shouldn’t have given him a spare key.” She mumbled to herself before parking on her usual spot and getting out of the car.

 When she entered her home though, she stopped dead on her tracks to saw Catherine standing inside her living room. “Ta-da!” the former duchess said awkwardly as she saw Bella’s reaction. “I am terribly sorry for my intrusion but I just really need to talk to you.” She said walking over to Bella who’s debating whether she should or shouldn’t curtsy. “Woman to woman.”

 Bella’s mind is going crazy though as she prepared tea for her and Catherine; a woman to woman talk about her own relationship is not something Bella is used to. She’s more used into being the one giving out advices towards Abi, not the other way around.

 “I got your key from Harry’s apartments.” Catherine explained as Bella softly placed a china filled with tea in front of her. “I snooped and rummaged through his drawers because he once mentioned about your keys. I didn’t break in to your home or anything.”

 Bella smiled towards Catherine. No woman in their right mind can think ill of this royal. Surely, she has her quirks but Bella can see good in Catherine Middleton. “It’s ok. You don’t look like the usual pap.”

 By this, the princess can only give the doctor a sympathetic smile. She knows how it feels to be hounded and hunted like Isabella Clarke. Truthfully, Kate knew that Bella must be feeling much worse than former did; reason being because it is obvious that the doctor is being hounded more. “Look, I know what Harry did is absolutely wrong and I understand if you’re really upset with him.”

 Biting her bottom lip and her eyes staring at her cup intensely, Bella could only nod at Kate. She doesn’t know how to respond or if she should say how she felt to the royal before her. “It’s ok.”

 “We both know that it’s not.” Kate said in a matter-of-fact tone that made Bella look up at her. “If this relationship works out, Isabella, I will be the only person who can understand you more that anyone in the family.” She said and Bella nodded realizing that Kate is right given both their circumstances. “I need to know how you feel so I can help you.”

 How do I feel? Bella asked herself as she let her hands wrap around her hot mug. “I feel.. hurt.” She finally blurted out. It won’t hurt if I tell her. “I think I lost myself with everything that’s going on.” She continued giving Kate a small glance to which the latter returned with a comforting smile. “I tried my best to satisfy everyone; I avoided doing things to prevent people from thinking ill of me, I lived for a year in constant fear that I will get caught by the paps doing something so mundane yet it’s twisted into something bad.”

 Kate watched Bella intently; she can see the tension on the woman. She looks so broken. She thought as she watched Bella quickly wipe a tear that’s trailing down her cheeks. “Did you talk to Harry about this?”

 “No.” Bella answered shaking her head with a soft laugh. “We haven’t even talked properly lately. He’s busy and I understand. I guess that’s my job- to always understand. Even him ditching me.” She continued and a hiccup came out of her throat as unwilling tears suddenly started flowing once again. “I’m sorry. I’m too emotional.”

 Harry, you prick. “It’s normal. I know how it feels like.” Kate comforted now standing up from her seat and walking towards Bella. “It’s always difficult with them.” Kate continued as she hugged Bella. “Believe me, I’ve cried bucket loads of tears with William.”

 “Does it ever get better?”

 Does it, Kate? “There will be a time when everything just falls into place.” She answered. “William and I; we have had a lot of times when we needed a break from each other so we can let things fall where they should.”

 Bella chuckled as she wiped the remaining tears off her face, “If it’s meant to be, it will be.”

 “He told me that quite a few times.” Kate giggled. “William, I mean.”

 As Bella watched Kate drive away after their talk, she realized how much she had been holding in. Even if her mouth will say that she understands or that she accepts it, her mind cannot. It’s not because she doesn’t love Harry or that she’s giving up but it’s because she feels so alone in her and Harry’s situation that her mind starts hurting her own heart. And as she said; if it’s meant to be, it will be.

 I think we need a break.

  (AN: I know, I know. I don't have much of Harry/Bella scenes for the last chapters. It's just that I cannot create a story that has a scene between the two all the time in That Thing Called Fate. TTCF is a story of how Bella copes with being involved with a royal and it's hardships. So, yes, this story is not always going to be rainbows and butterflies but I promise that fate will do its trick in the end. Anyway, thank you for reading!)

#royalfanficcentral #Prince Harry #prince harry fanfiction #fanfiction #queued post

[s-t-r-a-n-g-e-r-t-h-i-n-g-s]

6,8,10,22,27,29,37,55,54,87,71,74 :)

Aaah thanks so much for the asks! I wasn’t sure which ask game you were referring to so I just did the one I reblogged most recently, I hope these are the ones you meant!

6. do you keep plants?i wish i could, but they always die. even succulents :/

8. what artistic medium do you use to express your feelings?i love singing, piano, writing, and painting to get my emotions out!

10. do your sleep on your back, side, or stomach?on my side, hugging a pillow.

22. are you a morning person?hell to the no.

27. what’s your favorite bubblegum flavor?original big league chew, i like to keep it classic.

29. what’s something really cute that one of your friends does?idk if this is cute, but my best friend always butchers the pronunciation of words and i think it’s hilarious.

37. do you like keeping your room clean or messy?i would love to keep it clean but i physically cannot.

55. what’s the most dramatic thing you’ve ever done to prove a point?im not sure, because i am always dramatic to prove a point, but yesterday i did pour some water on the floor in a heated “is water wet” debate (it’s not)

54. who is the last person you saw with a true look of sadness on their face?my little sister after she watched a sad let’s play.

87. what are some movies you think everyone should watch at least once in their lives?omg it’s so hard to narrow this down, because i absolutely LOVE movies, but here’s what comes to mind:Forrest GumpThe Breakfast ClubStand By MeBack to the FutureThe Shawshank Redemption The Princess BrideThe Star Wars and Harry Potter serieslike any Disney movieHidden FiguresGirl, Interrupted IT (2017) obv I’m having a hard time thinking so really any other iconic movie from the 80s/90s

71. what’s your favorite kind of tea?i live in the south, so probably sweet tea.

74. describe a friend of yours without using their name or gendered pronouns. They’re very funny, and always there for me when I have a problem (and I for them). They’re literally exactly like me, our names are even only 2 letters off from each other. They do everything with me. When they moved back home from being temporarily across the country, they lived at my house for 3 months while the rest of their family stayed in a hotel. We are inseparable.

These were really fun 💕💕💕

[captainsbabysitter-blog]

Space Princesses and Coffee Dates: Ch 2

So there’s probably going to be at least one more full chapter to this. Because @yourtropegirl asked for no smut, I might make an extra chapter at some point that can be read separately for those of you who would like that particular payoff.

First Chapter Here

Pairing: McKirk

Rating/Warnings: E for everyone. Fluff’s ahoy. Maybe some secondhand embarrassment.

Length: 1525 words

Summary: Here’s the date, guys! Enjoy awkward turtle Jim being precious.

The confirming text came a few hours later. ‘Sister said yes. Up for coffee in the morning?’

‘Coffee’s just about the only thing I *am* up for in the morning.’ And so what if he was picturing the way Bones’ eyes crinkled when he chuckled as Jim sent his reply.

He nearly choked on his mouthful of coffee when Len’s answer came back as ‘That’s a shame.’

“You okay, keptin?” Pavel’s voice carried across the room.

“He’s texting that doctor,” Sulu smirked. No one should look that smug when failing to fix an espresso machine. “Sounds like he’s better at flirting than we thought.”

A groan from the Russian preceded a $5 bill being slid across the counter. Sulu’s smug factor ramped up another couple notches as he pocketed it.

Jim tried to find it in himself to be offended. “You placed a bet on that?”

“What else are we going to do?” Sulu shrugged. Quiet curses were immediately followed by a resigned grumble. “Pav call Scotty. This stupid thing won’t work. With any luck, he’ll get in tonight.”

“Have fun with that,” Jim grinned while he tapped away at his phone. “I’m gonna lock up. You have your keys? Ny’s cat buried Spock’s somewhere and he can’t find them. You’ll have to let both of you in in the morning.”

“Yeah, alright,” Sulu waved him off absently, still not entirely content to leave the ill-behaved machine alone. “Have fun on your date. We expect details.”

“A lady doesn’t kiss and tell.”

“Good thing you’ve never been described as ladylike in your life.”

Jim had a good chuckle at that as he hit most of the lights and locked the door behind him.

~*~*~

The next morning was largely spent getting ready. Under normal circumstances, Jim relied almost exclusively on his charm and how good his ass looked in jeans, but something about the way Bones flirted so casually twisted his tongue and his gut in knots while sending his heart thrumming against his ribcage. It had him standing in front of his closet, wide awake and just a little manic, at 6am. Two hours should be long enough to find something to wear, right? His thoughts were interrupted by several rapid-fire alerts from his phone.

‘You’ll be fine.’ Of course Ny would’ve heard. ‘Don’t overthink it and just be yourself.’

‘Nyota has informed me I should wish you well on your date.’

‘She said I should wish you luck, but as I don’t believe in it I saw little point.’

That was the tension break Jim needed. He laughed to himself and sent off a couple quick ‘Thanks, guys’ and turned back to his choices. It was just a coffee date, not dinner out somewhere nice so slacks seemed a bit much. Ass-hugging jeans it was, then. He chewed on his lip a bit as he debated between t-shirt and a button-up.

He snagged his phone from where he’d tossed it on the bed and took a couple pics to send to Uhura. ‘Ny I’m hopeless help?’

‘Oh my god, do you love this guy or something? You’re just going for coffee, right?’

‘Yeah at that café down the street from my place.’

‘Go with the t-shirt, but wear that leather jacket.’

‘Thanks. You’re the best.’

‘I know.’

Once the clothes were laid out on the bed, Jim hopped in the shower. His hair was styled meticulously, toothbrush sticking out of his mouth as his attention waffled between hygiene routines.

Ny knew exactly what she was talking about. Once Jim shrugged the leather jacket onto his shoulders and turned every which way in front of the mirror on the back of his door, he had to admit she was right. The jeans and t-shirt hugged his body nicely and the jacket was just loose enough. Together they looked thrown together enough to be casual for the setting, but definitely good enough to be worn on a date. He ran a hand over his chin just once more to make sure he didn’t miss a spot shaving before he booked it out the door. Just a few minutes to 8; if he left now, he’d make it to the café in time.

Len was leaning against the wall just beside the door waiting for him when Jim finally came up, and the blond felt his mouth run dry; those jeans should be illegal and the way he had the sleeves rolled up and the top couple buttons undone was just downright sinful. He’d let his stubble grow in again, and Jim had to admit the effect was stunning. He enjoyed the view for another couple moments before Len glanced his way and smiled.

“Hey, Bones!” Did he sound as jittery as he thought he sounded? He hoped not. Not when Bones looked cool as a cucumber.

“Morning, Jim.” Len pushed away from the wall as Jim drew closer. “Ready to head in?”

The grin he gave in response was cheeky. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

They put in their orders at the counter and settled themselves at a table on the terrace. The sun was coming up over the trees, and there was a soft bite to the air that said fall was coming. Jim found himself looking around, hands fidgeting and leg bouncing as he struggled to remember any of the roughly fifty million conversation starters he’d thought up since the night before.

Bones didn’t seem like he was about to let that go. He ran his eyes over Jim’s shifting form for just a second before he reached over to snag his hand. “You nervous, Jimmy?”

“Are you not?”

“Honestly? This is the first date I’ve been on since before Jo was born. I think my heart’s about to hop out’ve my throat.”

“Glad I’m not the only one!”

Both of them laughing finally cuts the tension and conversation flows easily. Len asked about how Jim came to own Enterprise Books at such a young age (inherited from his adopted father), Jim asked some questions about his daughter.

“Her mother got primary custody and I let Joss have the house so Jo wouldn’t have to move somewhere different. Us splitting was nasty enough even if she was only a newborn when it was all happening.”

Jim let out a low whistle. “Wow, that sounds rough. If she had primary custody, how’d the munchkin come to live here with you?”

“There was a car accident. Joss was on her way to get Jo from daycare about a year ago and a car drifted into her lane going something like double the speed limit. You got the bookstore from your adoptive dad? What happened to your birth parents?”

“Father died the day I was born, mum didn’t handle it well, and Uncle Frank’s drunk ass was the reason dad won custody without much of a fight. He was one of my father’s army buddies, I guess.”

“And where is he now?”

A slow smile crept to Jim’s lips as he leaned in. “Why? Looking to meet the parents already? Dad retired, his husband is still a doctor.”

“Oh, so you’re just taking after your dad and chasing a doctor, huh?” Apparently two can play the teasing game. Len rested his chin in his hand and ran his eyes over Jim’s form. “Granted, you’d make a perfect trophy husband, kid.”

“Depends. You still in your residency? Can’t afford much of a trophy husband if you are.”

“If I were still in my residency, do you think I’d have so much spare time to hang around the store flirting?”

That startles him a bit. Honestly, Jim hadn’t noticed. “You were flirting?”

Len nodded and took a sip of his coffee, offering up a smile to the girl who came out to refill their cups. “Thanks. And yeah, Jim, I was flirting with you. I think. I’m not great at it, apparently.”

“I’m just oblivious, I guess.”

The rest of breakfast was spent chatting about light topics of interest. Jim found himself falling hard and fast as he listened to stories about Len’s childhood in Georgia, his quick yet difficult skip through his undergrad and med school (seriously, who finishes their residency before 28?), and everything that led him here to San Francisco. In turn, Jim told him about Iowa, his rather impressive track record of runaways and misdemeanors before he even hit his teens, and how he came to live with Chris when he was just shy of 10 years old. Len leaned forward intently as Jim regaled him with the story of how Chris and Phil met.

“They didn’t waste any time, did they?” Len chuckled.

“No, they didn’t,” Jim agreed before he drew his lip between his teeth in thought. “Y’know… Neither should we. If you’re interested, I mean, my place is just down the block…”

He shifted a bit under Len’s suddenly intense gaze. Had he misread the whole situation? Maybe this really was just supposed to be them meeting up as friends and he’d assumed too much.

“Yeah, let’s go.”

Jim blinked at him in surprise. “Really?”

“Lead the way, o captain, my captain.”

Tagging: @mccoymostly @thevalesofanduin @emmkolenn @thinkwritexpress-official @auduna-druitt @pinkamour1588 @southernbellestatues @thislovelymaelstrom

#why does mckirk happen to good people #mckirk #jim kirk #leonard mccoy #tia writes

[cursewoodrecap]

Session 2: Academics and Debates

Due to DnD being scheduling hell, Clem the fighter is Definitely Standing Just Offscreen this session. Meanwhile, the DM introduces two mechanics he has been dying to try out: Corruption, and the Deck. 

There will be a full post about Corruption later (when DM tells us how the rest of it works, lol) but the point is this: the longer you stay in the cursed forest, the deeper you go, the more you experience there - the more cursed you become. It corrupts you. You can earn corruptions in various ways - cosmetic (looking more monstrous and less humanoid); psychological (e.g. feeling a compulsion for bloodlust or gaining a terrible phobia); or others I have forgotten about right now, at 9:50pm, while eating lasagna. 

Certain things that happen when in the woods give you points toward a score called Taint. (Heh heh heh.) We, uh, lost our Taint virginity this session. (No, DM, we will not stop. You brought this upon yourself.)

The Deck is a deck of cards used to determine encounters. Again, full post later, but it has such cards as “The Hunt,” “The Crown,” “The Wanderer,” etc. Each one can symbolize multiple things. For example, “The Crown” represents authority and government, so it could mean help from Duke Shieldeater’s forces - or it could mean a dangerous clash with enemy soldiers. 

ANYWAY, STUFF HAPPENED:

We woke in the Temple of Rack in the village of Ovruch, early in the grey dawn hours. There was brief scramblin’ around as the players did math to figure out how much starting wealth we all had and how much spare change those bandits had left lying around for us. Valeria spent some of the money overnight to make some Holy Water.

We scooted on out of the town without really saying much to anyone - the few people awake and the guards on patrol were definitely giving us Looks, but we didn’t really stop to chat.

Shoshana leads the way towards the ravine she had directed Sir Balderich to. Even in the 8 months since she’s been out in this direction, the woods have gotten darker and more foreboding, alarmingly tangled and twisted. A decent Survival check does right by us, and DM directs Shoshana, as the one rolling it, to draw a card from the Deck. She draws The Crown.

The Crown: Authority, government. A bit of good luck (and perhaps DM guilt?) leads us to a fortuitous find: an abandoned cart bearing the seal of the Royal House of Valdia, smashed and overgrown. There’s a strongbox off to the side, nestled in a hard-to-see place, miraculously untouched by bandits. Gral examines it, wondering if he might be able to coax open the lock...when the pommel of a shining sword just slams down and smashes the lock mechanism to smithereens. Thanks for the crit, Valeria.

We find: 100gp, 4 jewelry items of 25gp value each (1 mirror, 1 bracelet, and 2 rings), a silver dagger (given to Gral), and a bladeless sword hilt carved in runes. Gral and Shoshana determine that the sword hilt is not evil and probably magic, but hell if we know what it does.

We travel onward, and Valeria draws the next card: The Wanderer. The DM cannot suppress his glee, because he has an NPC he really really likes and it’s time to use him!

We hear shouting in a strange language - Draco-Aquilian, which only Valeria knows. Also generally crashing mayhem noises. We hustle on closer, and Valeria understands that the person is shouting “OH GOD! LIGHTNING DOESN’T WORK! LIGHTNING DOESN’T WOOOORK!”

There is a cart, drawn by two lizardlike beasts of burden. There is a Shambling Mound trying to engulf the cart and its inhabitants. Two Goliaths, a male and a female, are all tangled up in the thing, and there is a skinny, fancily-dressed blue Dragonborn generally panicking atop the cart. Being PCs, we attempt to kick butt. It eats Valeria (a helpful Goliath pulls her out), Shoshana sprays it with weedkiller, and we all go “???!?! WE ARE LEVEL 2″ but we don’t die. Valeria uses a Smite of some sort that looks like glowing vines snake through its plant form and burst into roses!!! It’s very Sailor Moon. Valeria gains 3 Taint for dropping to 0 HP while in a Cursed area.

The fancy Dragonborn hops down from the damaged cart and addresses Valeria in Draco-Aquilian, which nobody else speaks. “Greetings! I certainly must say, I did not expect to be rescued by a Knight of the Rose! I am Lucinius Galvan, Professor of Archaeology of the University of Aurentium!” He and Valeria chat a moment - “Argent? Oh I’m sure I’ve heard that name-” “Daughter of Renata and Bastion of the Silver Steppes.” “Oh, of course! The princess who became a knight! I’m merely an Earl myself-”

a) Yes, I wrote down your lore, feel free to correct my spelling; b) They’re speaking Fancy Dragon Words so the other characters don’t know any of this.

We also meet his Goliath bodyguards, Bjorn and Ingborg, who speak...not that much Valdian. They are Vangarians - part of a highly professional force of mercenaries rented out by the Draco-Aquilian Emperor. Extremely practical in the face of nonsense. Lucinius, meanwhile, requests them to bring out Tea! and Fancy Teacups! and Breakfast! and little stools to sit on! Bjorn complies, long-sufferingly. Shoshana is Awkward Turtle about fancy rich people things, and Gral is pretty suspicious but definitely has some jam and toast.

“I say! Are you local to this area, madam?” he inquires. Turns out he’s searching for some Aquilian ruins in the area, and Shoshana is able to give him decent directions to the spot she used to play in as a child. He describes his research - there’s a presentation, with visual aids. Bjorn tries to save us from having to sit through it, but academia cannot be stopped. Why did the Aquilian Empire never conquer the Greatwood? We must DO ARCHAEOLOGY about it!!!

Also, he identifies the mysterious sword hilt as, functionally, a scroll of Flame Blade. Neat! Due to a conversational mix up between etymology and entomology, he gives us a magic beetle that acts as a floating lamp. We love our Rune Beetle. (He pulls it out of “one of his many pockets,” and is immediately declared to be wearing the world’s fanciest Tacky Fisherman Vest.)

He’s ready to cheerfully forge on into the forest! Gral and Shoshana quietly pull Bjorn aside and warn him that the Cursewood is, like, super cursed? Did you guys not notice??? Bjorn and Ingborg thank us for the information, and continue on their way, almost certainly figuring out how to put a child leash on the adorable fancylizard.

Gral draws the third and final card of the night: The Outlaw. We come across a small camp: the bandits who attacked Ovruch the night before. Gral overhears them - their leader, the largest and most imposing, is threatening the others into compliance. They are uneasy - the wolves ran away last night after the werewolf was killed; can they trust the freaks in the ravine not to betray them? Doesn’t matter! The freaks in the ravine will eat them if they don’t cooperate, and they’ll get better loot by working with ‘em. 

Shoshana is like “welp,” and rolls up her sleeves, but Valeria very nobly goes “NO, there must be Another Way.”

“Uh, you do realize those are the guys who KILLED INNOCENT PEOPLE yesterday, right?”

“And we just heard they’re being coerced! We don’t have to just kill them.”

Valeria strides into the bandit camp in a Nonthreatening Pose, weapons down. The bandits all jump to alertness, because Large Dragonperson In Armor, Oh No. She begins to offer them another option - we don’t know if she’s thought of one yet, but dang does she roll well on her Persuasion check to get them to listen. The bandits are going “...hmm, IS there another way?” but their leader, the madness of the Curse in his eyes, orders them to attack.

We kick their butts; Valeria deliberately nonlethals the bandit leader into unconsciousness. Gral offers the other bandits a harsh but fair option out: “Travel south, to where Duke Shieldeater’s forces are clear-cutting forest in order to hold back the Curse. Volunteer yourself for manual labor there. You will be treated fairly, if you work. In your spare time you will learn Orcish, for we have need of translators.”

The bandits, who have all gained Brooklyn accents, say, “Okay, deal, but...your friend there ain’t gonna kill us as we leave, is she?”

Because as they spoke, Shoshana had definitively Chill Touched their leader to death.

She agrees she’s not going to kill the bandits, but they better get the fuck out of here.

We also grill the bandits for information on The Hunt, which is what the “freaks in the ravine” call themselves. We learn that they sleep with wolves around them, and those that disagree with them are hunted for sport. There are traps set up around the perimeter of their territory - that’s how they captured the knight, who they are now keeping in some kind of cage. The bandits are unsure of the identity of the main leader - there was Lupo, the werewolf we killed last night, but they mostly listen to this Weird Guy In A Hood. Also, there is a huntress-woman, an archer girl. Shoshana freezes, and carefully asks who the huntress is, and what she looks like. They say she’s spooky; the shadows cling to her.

The knight is caged in the ravine, the part where it gets supernaturally dark. Most of the camp is outside The Darkness, but there’s a cave down there where the Huntress and the Weird Hooded Guy and Lupo lived. They bring the bandit leaders down there sometimes, to show them who’s in charge.

Also there’s this war-boar running around, with a dead Demish knight still strapped to its back?

We let the bandits (whose accents have swapped to Southern) escape, and then Valeria and Shoshana have what some folks call a “spirited ethical debate,” which in layman’s terms means they are PISSED at each other.

Valeria is shocked and appalled that Shoshana would kill an unconscious man. Especially when the bandits were surrendering and cooperating! Monstrous and brutal behavior. How could you?

Shoshana angrily stands by her decision. “How many people did those men kill last night?” she asks. “People I grew up with. And you think letting these bandits go free is worth letting them do that to innocent people again? Their leader was already Curse-mad. Too far gone.” (To be fair, she is too pissed off in the moment, and her player too awkward, to articulate her position this eloquently.)

Valeria erases 3 Taint for doing something so noble and heroic against the will of the Curse. Shoshana gains 3 Taint for acting in a way encouraged by the Curse.

With nothing to do but simmer at each other, and Gral diplomatically not choosing a side out loud, there is nothing to do but move on.

DM agrees that we could take a long rest now and reach the ravine by 4 or 5 pm. We jump at the chance to get our spell slots back, but each take 3 Taint for spending so long out here in the cursed lands.

All characters are now level 3.

#session recap #shoshana bat chaya #gral omokk'duu #valeria argent #ovruch #the ravine #the hunt