#the whole letter about him becoming braver.. yeah | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

Visit Blog

Explore Tumblr blogs with no restrictions, modern design and the best experience.

Fun Fact

Tumblr was the first site to host the blog for President Barack Obama in 2011.

#the whole letter about him becoming braver.. yeah

cowardnthief · 3 years

Note

Alright, I am curious. Why is Jonny Cade queercoded and what queer subtext was there in their relationship with Ponyboys? 👀

TW: mentions of abuse, violence, death, murder

also spoilers for the outsiders!! (i mean it is a 60 year old book, but still)

-------

OOH OKAY OKAY

(In all honesty, I could probably do a whole essay on this, but I'll keep it brief-ish.)

Bit of background on The Outsiders: It's a book written in the early 60s that focuses on the class divide between the rich Socs (Socials) and the working-class greasers (like, "hoods", criminals), or rather the people within each of those groups who don't feel like they fit into the binary.

Ponyboy is the protagonist of the novel. He and Johnny are both greasers and part of a gang with a few others, including Ponyboy's two older brothers and three other boys.

Let's start with Johnny. Johnny is extremely queer-coded in his own right. He's described early on as timid, shy, weak and maybe a little feminine. He's seen as the gang's "pet" and the youngest, despite being sixteen to Ponyboy's fourteen. His friends are very fond and protective of him. A lot of this behaviour comes from his trauma, being abused by his parents as well as beaten nearly to death by a Soc named Bob. However, it also falls into an archetype of stereotypical queer characters. Writing male characters in this way is a way of subtly telling an audience that they are queer. This probably wasn't done intentionally, but should be kept in mind.

Johnny's character development involves him becoming more masculine, almost. The final important act he does in the book is save children from a burning building. Ponyboy comments on the fact that he seemed braver, louder etc in that moment, all traits associated with masculinity, which is 1) a strange reaction to the situation, especially for Johnny, and 2) exactly the kind of narrative standpoint one would take to show that femininity (or queerness) is bad.

Now for Ponyboy - his queer-coding is more subtle at times, and a little different. He isn't timid or shy or scared or feminine like Johnny. (However, he does once say that he "didn't care too much for girls yet", but that his brother said he would grow out of it. This is particularly strange, considering he is fourteen already.) Early on, it's established that he feels like an outsider within his own group. He doesn't really feel like a greaser, or act like one. He likes things that greasers don't like. He watches movies, he reads, he likes to see the sunset. He considers himself different, or "other", and he feels as if he can't talk about it. His friends just wouldn't get it.

A large part of the book, in my opinion, is Ponyboy finding other "outsiders", like Cherry and Johnny. (Cherry being a Soc while Johnny is another greaser.) All three of them talked once, while at a drive-in, Ponyboy finding a particular connection with Cherry despite her not being the only girl there. They all have the same sense of feeling “other”, and not being able to talk about it for fear of being judged.

Now for Johnny and Ponyboy’s relationship, which...oh boy. Some of it is just scenes like this, which feel very queer, outright:

“‘Guess I look okay now, huh, Johnny?’

He was studying me. ‘You know, you look an awful lot like Sodapop, the way you’ve got your hair and everything. I mean, except your eyes are green.’

‘They ain’t green, they’re gray,’ I said, reddening. ‘And I look about as much like Soda as you do.’ I got to my feet. ‘He’s good-looking.’

‘Shoot,’ Johnny said with a grin, ‘you are, too.’”

Not to mention the whole chapter they spend literally just acting like a domestic gay couple while they’re on the run, just the two of them, from the police. There’s also this conversation they have while watching the sunrise in this chapter (which I’ll talk more about later once I get to the symbolism), in which they talk about being outsiders. Here are a few quotes from that:

“‘You know,’ Johnny said slowly, ‘I never noticed colors and clouds and stuff until you kept reminding me about them. It seems like they were never there before.’”

“‘Well, Soda kinda looks like your mother did, but he acts just exactly like your father. And Darry is the spittin' image of your father, but he ain't wild and laughing all the time like he was. He acts like your mother. And you [Ponyboy] don't act like either one.’”

“‘You [Johnny] ain't like any of the gang. I mean, I couldn't tell Two-Bit or Steve or even Darry about the sunrise and clouds and stuff. I couldn't even remember that poem around them. I mean, they just don't dig. Just you and Sodapop. And maybe Cherry Valance.’

Johnny shrugged. ‘Yeah,’ he said with a sigh. ‘I guess we're different.’

‘Shoot,’ I said, blowing a perfect smoke ring, ‘maybe they are.’”

(Honestly, can my whole argument just be that one quote? “I guess we’re different.” // “Shoot. Maybe they are.” Queer stuff, huh?)

Later in the book, when Johnny is in the hospital, Ponyboy stresses again and again that he can’t think about him dying, that he can’t fathom a life without him. Everyone in the group is fond of Johnny, but Ponyboy acts like Johnny’s death would destroy him.

When Johnny is dying, he asks to see Ponyboy. His last words are to Ponyboy, despite Dally also being in the room. One of the other last things he does is write a letter to Ponyboy.

Johnny is also the first person Ponyboy runs to when his older brother hits him early in the book.

When Johnny dies, Ponyboy falls into denial, pretending and convincing himself that Johnny isn’t dead, because he couldn’t handle the grief. He says the reason that he doesn’t go insane with it, like Dally does, is because Johnny isn’t the only thing he loves.

This isn’t nearly all of it, but this post is already long as fuck, and I want to talk about some of the metaphors and symbols too.

Symbol #1: The hair

The is a more obvious one, as the author clearly intended it to be a metaphor, although probably not for something queer. When Johnny and Ponyboy go on the run after Johnny killed a Soc in self-defence, the two of them have to cut off their hair. This is obviously a big deal to them, especially Ponyboy, because they’re proud of their hair - it’s a symbol of the greasers, of rebellion, and it’s one of the last things they have that tie them with their gang back in the city. However, having Johnny and Ponyboy specifically cut off their hair feels like more of a symbol of them severing their ties to the greasers. They feel like outsiders within their own group already, and this is a way of showing that they’re leaving it behind, or starting to. (Shedding symbols of comphet, you know.)

Symbol #2: Sunrises and sunsets

Johnny, Cherry and Ponyboy, three characters who are outsiders within their own community, all spend time watching sunrises or sunsets. It’s one of the things that Ponyboy and Cherry bond over and talk about. Johnny and Ponyboy also watch a sunrise while they’re on the run. It’s a small thing that unites the three of them and becomes almost a symbol of their “otherness”, and thus, queercoding enters the chat. Also, the sunrise that Ponyboy and Johnny watch can symbolise the “beginning” of their relationship, as they start to see each other in a different light.

Symbol #3: Gone with the Wind

When Johnny and Ponyboy are on the run, Ponyboy buys the book Gone with the Wind from a corner store. They read it together. The book is an idealised story of the southern, free, country life. Johnny makes comments about how the men in the book are charming and gallant and he admires them. The book symbolises both what Ponyboy and Johnny wish they could be, like happy and free and rich (and straight and masculine), and what they are, or what they’re starting to find with each other while in the countryside. When Johnny is in the hospital, he asks for a copy of the book to read. It’s one of his last requests. In my opinion, he asked for it both to remember Ponyboy and to escape to a reality where he wasn’t young and dying, to one where he was still with Ponyboy on the run, or one like in the book where none of this happened at all. The book is integral to their relationship.

Symbol #4: The poem

When Ponyboy and Johnny are watching the sunrise in the church, Ponyboy recites a poem by Robert Frost:

Nature’s first green is gold,

Her hardest hue to hold,

Her early leaf’s a flower,

But only so an hour.

Then leaf subsides to leaf,

And Eden sank to grief.

So dawn goes down to day.

Nothing gold can stay.

At the time, the two of them both say that they don’t understand the poem. When Johnny dies later in the book, his last words to Ponyboy are to “stay gold”. In the letter he wrote for Ponyboy, which Ponyboy reads later, he says that he now understands the poem.

“I’ve been thinking about it, and that poem, that guy that wrote it, he meant you’re gold when you’re a kid, like green. When you’re a kid, everything’s new, dawn. It’s just when you get used to everything that it’s day. Like the way you dig sunsets, Pony. That’s gold. Keep that way, it’s a good way to be.”

Oh boy, there’s a lot to say about this poem.

First of all, the poem symbolises what Ponyboy gave Johnny - a new outlook on life. A lens with which to see more beautiful things. Johnny said that he hadn’t really appreciated sunsets or clouds before Ponyboy pointed them out to him.

Secondly, the meaning of the poem. When you consider Johnny’s interpretation, also taking into account what sunsets and sunrises etc. mean in this book, it’s possible that the “gold” phase is Ponyboy’s acceptance of himself. Ponyboy loves Johnny. He knows he’s different, and while he doesn’t shout it from the rooftops, he’s happy with it in his own way. He finds other people like him, queer, like Cherry and Johnny.

However, the poem’s whole meaning is that nothing gold can stay. That’s the message we’re left with, even with Johnny’s insistence of “staying gold”. It could honestly be referring to an array of things - perhaps Johnny himself, or life in general (given the amount of death in this book), or youth. Obviously, this whole post is about the queer undertones in the outsiders, so one could argue that it’s about a queer youth experience, especially in the past - finding someone like you, someone you love, but it not lasting forever, and it being especially difficult to find again, given the circumstances.

In the end, Johnny dies, but he leaves Ponyboy with all the things that remind him of him - sunsets, sunrises, Gone with the Wind, stargazing. And ultimately, I think that’s the “gold” that the book is referring to.

47 notes · View notes

pageswritten · 3 years

Text

@madamxmayor sent a 🎁for a holiday goodie!

hi! this was supposed to be a short (ha, who was i kidding??) ‘lil something but it turned into a ficlet so you get that instead. this isn’t late idk what you’re talking about! from one greedy bum to another, enjoy!

first christmas (that i loved you) pairing: swan queen rating: g, with a strong fluff warning words: 1667

It starts innocently enough, as it always does. An invitation handed off by an exuberant Henry -- all bright eyes and chest puffed. Proud of himself for a job well done. And Emma, to her credit, does her best to mirror his excitement even as the envelope weighs heavy in her hand.

“Told you I could do it,” he says, patting himself on the back with his words.

“You sure did,” Emma nods and swallows hard, eyes tracing the curves of her name scrawled out in familiar penmanship. She’d only agreed to this because she thought for sure it would never happen. Big mistake. She never should have underestimated the lengths Regina Mills would go to ensure Henry’s happiness. “I don’t know, kid…” her words trail off. She hasn’t even opened the envelope and she’s already dreading its contents.

“It’ll be great,” Henry promises, squeezing her shoulder for good measure and hits her with a winning smile. The kind that makes Emma think she can do anything she sets her mind to. Damn. The kid’s good, she’ll give him that. Emma nods again, her face braver than she feels. And this time it earns her a hug, one she clings to pathetically.

“Yes!” He pulls out of the hug before she’s ready, grabbing his bag and a few fries from Emma’s plate, already halfway out the door. “Best. Christmas. EVER!”

Emma traces the letters again, then turns the envelope over in her hand. Time to face the music.

You have been cordially invited to the Mayor’s home for Christmas. Please arrive promptly at 4:00 pm on the 24th of December. Dress appropriately.

Emma scoffs, reads it again, then scoffs louder. Is this an invitation to celebrate the holidays, or a court summons? But she made a promise to Henry. They’d spend their first Christmas together provided Regina agreed. If this is Mayor Mills’ attempt at playing chicken she’s got another thing coming. Emma will not let Henry down.

For the next two weeks, this becomes her mantra. When she explains to a hurt Mary Margaret and David she won’t be around Christmas Eve. When Regina visits the sheriff’s station, taunting her with backhanded comments about Emma’s eating habits and lack of organization. When she’s fighting whatever dark terrible creature that threatens to destroy Storybrooke and all who reside there. Even as she packs her bags for the night, dragging her feet the whole way. She will not let Henry down.

She arrives at 4:05, the door swinging open before she even has a chance to ring the bell. “You’re late,” comes Regina’s greeting. And Emma wants to defend herself but the words catch in her throat when she spots their hideous Christmas sweaters. A matching set. Emma tugs her jacket around her black sweater self-consciously. She’s starting to panic. Looking for an exit strategy. Maybe Leroy will start a fight at Aesop’s and she’ll have to bow out to collect him. But before she’s able to manifest any disasters, Henry’s grabbing her hand and tugging her into the house.

There’s a schedule for the evening, because of course there is, one that goes back as many years as Henry’s been alive. First is baking, and as expected, Regina already has everything set up. Wax paper lined cookie sheets, festive cookie cutters and chilled batter wait on tidy counters. They have to hurry, Regina reminds, thanks to someone they’re running behind. Emma does her best not to roll her eyes so hard they get stuck.

Next comes dinner, and Emma’s mouth is watering before the table is even set. Roast beef, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots and a dollop of gravy on each plate followed by apple turnovers for dessert. Regina’s smile teasing and a wicked glint in her eyes as she serves them, leaving Emma squirming in her seat. But Henry gives her the thumbs up so it’s fine. This is fine. She will not let Henry down.

After dinner, it’s back into the kitchen for cookie decorating and this is where Henry shines. Stacking cookies on plates and filling tubes with royal icing, directing both of his mothers to make a special cookie each for Santa. Even winking at Emma, stating ‘so he knows where to find you’. And Emma smiles, then wonders if he’s actually real too. She seriously needs to get a better look at that book.

Once the cookies are drying Reigna makes popcorn while Henry picks out a movie. And within half an hour they are all settled on the couch -- each with a cookie and bowl of popcorn, watching Will Farrel pour maple syrup on Spaghetti. Regina laughs and Emma considers pinching herself to make sure she isn’t dreaming.

By the time the end credits roll it’s Henry’s bedtime and he makes his way upstairs, sulking the whole way. Regina follows with a gentle roll of her eyes and Emma watches from the bottom of the stairs as she tucks Henry into bed, both mother and son reciting The Night Before Christmas. It feels invasive. For the first time since she arrived, Emma is reminded she’s an outsider in their little family. A nod to what Christmas has been for her the last twenty-eight years. Emma standing on the sidelines of other people’s celebrations, hovering but never quite fitting in.

That old urge to run returns, tenfold. She eyes the front door. It would be so easy. Claim a work or savior emergency cropped up, who could blame her? But she can't. Something inside her chest stopping her from defaulting to old habits. Instead, she makes her way upstairs on tiptoes (so as not to intrude) and spends the next forty-five minutes hiding in the shower.

Once she’s clean, and dry, and changed into something a little more comfortable (an old pair of sweat pants and a white tank) she wraps her presents -- a video game for Henry that he’d hinted at for weeks and a blouse for Regina to replace the one Henry had stolen for her. Both of which had seemed great at purchase, but now sitting in the guest room that is hers for the night she finds herself second-guessing… well, everything. Like is she supposed to place these under the tree now, or in the morning? And should she stay in her room for the rest of the night or could she leave? What's the protocol? She’d never stayed in a foster home long enough to find out. She stares down at the parcels in her hands until the ends of her hair start to curl and dry and she finds the courage to go downstairs. She'll just place them under the damn tree and be done with it.

Back in the living room, she finds Regina surrounded by a pile of half-wrapped gifts, a bottle of wine open on the coffee table and her face smooshed against one of the fluffier pillows that adorn her couch as Its a Wonderful Life plays in the background. Even in sleep, Regina manages to look put together. It should annoy her but instead, she feels something inside her chest shift and soften and warm.

Placing the gifts under the tree, she sneaks around to pull an afghan off the back of the couch drapes it over Regina’s prone form. Then cringes when she stirs. Regina blinks groggily, but when she recognizes it’s Emma standing before her she snaps awake.

“What are you doing?” she demands.

“Covering you?”

“Why?”

“I don’t know,” she sputters, wondering the same thing herself. “I guess I thought you looked cold?”

A silence follows, one so heavy Emma thinks she might break under the weight of it. Whatever, she doesn’t need this. She’s only here because she made a promise to Henry, anyway. Assuming she’s been dismissed, Emma turns to leave but is stopped by a quiet, “Thank you.”

The words nearly knock her off her feet. If she hadn’t heard it with her own ears she wouldn't believe them. Still isn’t sure she does as she turns back to her and meets Regina’s eyes -- soft with a hint of something she can’t read.

She shrugs. “It’s nothing”

“I know this is a lot,” she gestures vaguely and Emma’s not sure if she means the presents or the night. Maybe both. “I never wanted Henry to feel like he was missing out on anything.”

“I think it’s nice,” and she finds she genuinely means it, surprising them both. “Growing up, I was lucky if the foster home I was staying in had a tree. You’re making memories. It’s nice.”

Regina softens. Emma can see the cogs in her brain working, searching for the right words to say and coming up empty. She gets it. They both had tough childhoods.

“Yeah… anyway,” Emma turns to leave again but Regina stops her again.

“Well, you haven’t experienced Christmas as a mother until you’ve stayed up all night wrapping presents. You can eat the cookies,” Regina gestures to the pile Henry had so carefully plated in the hopes of getting better presents and Emma laughs. It’s an olive branch. One that comes with a side order of shortbread and warms her insides in a way she could get used to. Regina taps the spot on the couch beside her and Emma’s sliding into it before she has a chance to second guess herself.

The rest of the night goes smoothly. Presents are wrapped, some more haphazardly than others (Regina makes Emma sign those as Rudolf). Emma gets buzzed on wine and Regina’s laugh as they mock cheesy Hallmark movies. And for the first time in a long time, both women feel… lighter. And when they fall asleep just after three -- both curled up on the couch, afghan splayed across their laps and Regina’s head tucked under Emma’s chin, cheeks sore from smiling and bellies full of red wine and cookies and reindeer food -- Emma’s pretty sure Henry was right all along. It is the best Christmas ever.

#i do better on my own // emma swan .#madamxmayor #swan queen fic #swan queen fanfic #listen i don't write fic but i couldn't get it out of my head so i thought i'd share pls be gentle byeee

2 notes · View notes

rosalindsutton · 4 years

Text

first date | ritz

fitz and rosie go on their first official date. romance and stuff.

Rosalind was terribly nervous. She wasn't sure why, but she was. He had said he wanted to get her dinner as a thank you for the flying before, and they ate lunch together plenty, but something about this made her nervous. She felt like it was a date, but she reminded herself that she had no reason to think it was, and tried to relax. She half dressed up, half dressed down, trying to make sure she wasn't over or underdressed. She decided to stop thinking about it, as she'd end up late, and simply apparated to the location he gave her.

Fitz had to admit, he wasn't used to being this nervous when it came to going out to eat with Rosie. This was a date. Or, at least, he intended it to be one. He couldn't pinpoint exactly when he started to develop feelings for her but at this point they were so strong it was hard to deny they existed. He got dressed, picking out one of his favorite suits, and picked up a flower for her. He didn't want her to have to fuss with too many all night. He was waiting for her when she arrived and he greeted her with a warm smile. "Hello. You look beautiful."

Rosalind felt like her heart was going to beat out of her chest. She had butterflies all through her body. She was so nervous, and even though she knew she liked him, she still didn't know why she was so on edge. She smiled when she saw Fitz and walked over to him. "Oh, thank you. That's very sweet of you," she said with a small smile. "You look very handsome," she added honestly.

Fitz smiled back at her. He hoped this went well. He had a feeling that it would but he was still pretty nervous. If it didn't, he wanted them to still be as good of friends as they'd become recently. He wasn't going to think about that now, though. "Thank you," he grinned. He offered her the flower. "I got this for you. It reminded me of you," he added. "Shall we go in?" he asked.

Rosalind tried to tell herself that this was just like any other time that she had been eating with him. After all, he had said that he was going to buy her dinner since she taught him how to fly, and if she told herself that was all that this was, she felt a lot better. “You’re welcome,” she smiled. She took the flower from him, smiling softly. He was sweet. “Thank you. It’s beautiful,” she said softly, smelling the flower and smiling fondly. “Oh, yeah, let’s go in.”

Fitz thought this was going well so far. Granted, they'd only just spent a minute together and they had the whole night to get through but for now, he had a good feeling. "It is your favorite, right?" he asked with a sweet smile. He watched her smell it and noticed the smile that accompanied it. He opened the door for her, letting her go in first. Once they were inside they were led to a table rather quickly and he pulled out her chair for her. "How was your day?" he asked after she'd sat.

Rosalind smiled and nodded, her eyes lighting up a bit. "It is. You remembered," she said with a smile. She thanked him, walking in and waiting for him. She couldn't believe they were on a date. She could hear her heart pounding in her chest. She followed him to their table, thanking him again when he pulled her chair out. She sat down, setting her flower to the side. "It was good. It was good," she said again. She left out the part about being nervous about tonight all day. "How was yours?"`

Fitz was a bit surprised. "Of course I remembered! I remember everything you tell me," he said with a smile. He helped her into her chair and moved to sit across from her. For a moment, he simply looked at her, admiring her beauty in the candlelight. She fit in perfectly here, with the soft string music and the murmured conversations of other patrons. How had he not noticed before just how absolutely perfect she was? He was a bit distracted by the thought when she spoke and blinked once, clearing his throat. "That's good. My day was good. Nothing exciting happened. I was mostly just killing time waiting for tonight," he admitted.

Rosalind couldn't imagine that he actually remembered everything she told him. That had to be overwhelming. Did he remember everything everyone told him, or just what she had told him? She was so curious, but she bit her tongue. "It's sweet of you," she said honestly. She smiled a bit when he said he was killing time all day. She felt so confused about how all of this had happened. He still overwhelmed her so much, she didn't know how she'd even ended up here. "Did you do anything fun while killing time?"

Fitz smiled at the compliment. He didn't think it was particularly sweet of him at all or anything but he'd take the compliment. He was rather nervous and hearing her say something kind helped with that. Especially since he knew she meant it. "Thank you," he said back. He hummed a little as he looked over the menu and thought. "I cleaned a fair bit. Edited a few articles here and there. Played with my dog," he smiled fondly. "I ate some of the sweets I had left from your mother's bakery," he chuckled. "What about you?"

Rosalind nodded a little, a small smile still on her lips. "You're welcome," she said honestly. She nodded a bit as he talked about what he did. Cleaning sounded pretty boring, but the others sounded fun. "Sounds like it was a productive, but enjoyable day," she said honestly. "I'm glad you're enjoying them," she smiled. She thought quietly, humming a little. "I did a bit of work. I wrote my dad a letter. I napped," she laughed quietly. "Nothing spectacular."

Fitz thought that he'd had to make the most of the day or he'd have ended up going stir crazy waiting to see her. He wasn't used to that kind of thing. It was strange and different but in a good way. He'd just never felt so anxious about a girl before. "It was nice. I used it to my advantage," he smiled. "They're the best sweets. I don't know how she can make everything taste so incredible. I wish I could bake," he admitted. "Oh? Sounds like your day was both productive and fun as well. And now we're here together," he smiled.

Rosalind thought her mum was sort of magical with her ability to bake things, especially since she wasn't using magic, which she felt like should have made a bigger difference than it did with those sorts of things. Maybe some things were just so simple, they didn't need magic. "Maybe you can get a muggle how to book," she said playfully. "It was, yeah. Not as exciting as this, but, yeah," she said, not really thinking. "I still feel like I didn't really earn this, seeing as the flying lesson didn't go that terrifically."

Fitz didn't know if that was the best idea but he was definitely intrigued by it. He could try getting a book. He could maybe put something together without magic that way. He just didn't think he'd have the patience. "I'm sure I wouldn't have much luck. It'd probably turn out terrible and the dog wouldn't even eat it," he teased. He smiled when she said this was exciting. He liked that she thought so. "Oh," he realized when she spoke again. "Well. It's not just because of the flying lesson but I thought that went well enough. Until, you know," he waved a hand.

Rosalind laughed a bit and shrugged. "I'm not sure dogs are to have much sugar in the first place, but I'm sure it couldn't go that terribly. Maybe I'll ask my mum for some tips," she suggested. She didn't think it'd gone well, really. It was kind of a disaster, really. It had gone terribly, but, she was also a bit hard on herself. She smiled a little, looking down. "Why is it then?" she asked quietly, only looking up when the waiter came over. He asked if they wanted wine before handing them the menus, which Rosie graciously accepted.

Fitz considered that thoughtfully. "You're right about that. It's not good for them. Probably best to keep the sweets on a shelf, even if they're bad," he smiled. "But definitely ask her for advice for me." He paused a little at her question, realizing rather suddenly that he didn't quite know what to say to her. He licked his lips before he started to form a sentence but the waiter interrupted him before he could. "Oh, thank you." He looked at the menu for a few seconds before clearing his throat. "I... thought it would be nice to get dinner with you."

Rosalind smiled and nodded a little. It probably was best. "Probably," she agreed. "I can do that for you. Maybe you'll end up making something you really like," she smiled. She realized wine probably wasn't actually going to help her, but she liked the comfort of it. She felt a bit braver, maybe. Or like she had something to hide behind. She looked at the menu when he did, looking up when he spoke. "Like the lunches, but dinner," she said, nodding a bit.

Fitz wasn't too sure about that but he'd give it a shot. "Maybe you can help me. I'm sure you have some experience with baking," he smiled. "I get the feeling Simone wouldn't want me using an oven alone. She'd probably worry I'd get distracted and burn the place down," he admitted. It was a real possibility. He looked back down at his menu when she looked up at him, feeling his face fall a bit at her words. "Well... not... exactly like that," he said, a bit unsure.

Rosalind smiled a little, feeling sort of fluttery at the idea. He really made her lose her cool. She didn't think she could handle him for long periods of time. "I have a bit of experience. I'm sure between the two of us we could figure it out," she said, though she wasn't sure that was a fair assessment of them. "Maybe Dom can help. He probably knows how to use ovens all on his own," she said. They'd need him to make sure no one kissed anyone's necks and caused them to burn things. She felt like she was going to be sick. She frowned a bit, looking down. Why was he like this? "Why did you invite me then?"

Fitz nodded slightly. Someone with a bit of experience was better than him doing it all on his own from a book. "Maybe we could. Two people trying something new is probably safer than the one. Or more dangerous, really. Depending," he said thoughtfully. "Oh, yes. I'm sure he could definitely help us. Good thinking. Or Nik!" he suggested. "Ana seems like a good girl for him," he added after a moment. He looked up at her again, noticing her looking away. He didn't know how to answer that. "Because I wanted to take you out. To dinner." He was not being smooth at all, he realized.

Rosalind thought that was a fair point. But she would hope that they could interpret the words well enough to not burn everything. "I'm sure we could figure it out. I don't know that Nik has much experience with muggle things, honestly, even with Ana," she said honestly. "She does seem like a good fit for him, though. I like her," she said honestly. She still wasn't sure if he was saying what she wanted him to be saying, so she smiled up at him a bit. "Well, thank you."

Fitz hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right," he frowned. "Dom is our best bet. Do you reckon he'd help us?" he wondered hopefully. He'd really like to learn to bake. "Maybe Simone could be there too in case we get burned," he added. "I like her too. She was fun. They seem to bounce off of each other well. They have the same kind of energy," he decided. He watched her lips curve into a smile and felt himself relax a bit more. "Oh, you don't have to thank me."

Rosalind nodded a bit. She couldn't imagine Dom telling her he couldn't help her. "I do think he will," she said honestly. She knew a few basic spells, but she figured it would be useful to have Simone there, too. Then again, she knew Simone liked Dom, and if Simone and Dom were distracted, and she was and Fitz were distracted, no one would be focused. "It's beginning to be quite a lot of people. Maybe we'd be best off learning from my mum herself," she laughed a bit. "They do have the same kind of energy. They seem to get on quite well. I really like her for him," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you asked me to come with you. Thanking you feels like the appropriate way to show that."

Fitz figured it'd be fun having Dom help them out. Maybe a bit hard to try and gauge how his flirting was working on Rosie but it'd be nice. When she switched it to just having them ask her mother for help he raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Really? You switched ideas rather quickly," he remarked curiously. He wasn't too concerned about it, though. It was just interesting. "He seems to really like her. I like her for him as well. She seems interesting." He looked at the menu again, still unsure if she knew this was a date or not. As he was about to bring it up the waiter appeared to take their orders. He let her go first before doing the same and then thanked the waiter. "I've been thinking."

Rosalind shrugged a little, thinking it over still. "I just think, trying to get me and Dom to help when we don't really know what we're doing, and have Simone to make sure we don't get too hurt, it's all rather complicated, isn't it? It'd be much easier to just ask my mum, who actually knows," she said with a soft smile. She nodded again. "It's interesting he's dating a muggle. Not that interesting, I suppose. Dom did. But I don't know. I wouldn't have predicted it," she said honestly. She placed her order when the waiter came, taking a sip of her wine after he left. Her eyebrows knit together when he spoke, nodding a bit. "Yes?"

Fitz realized she made a very good point. That could all get rather messy really quickly. Plus, there would be far too many of them in one space to really get too much done. It'd probably be more distracting. "We'll ask for her help, then," he agreed with a smile. He made a thoughtful sound as he thought. "Sure, but it makes sense that Dom would. He loves them. I don't think I'd ever really thought about Nik dating one before," he admitted. He paused for a moment, taking a sip of wine. "Well, I was thinking maybe this... would be like a date."

Rosalind would have to talk to her mum about working that out. She was sure the woman would be happy to do it, excited even, but she would still have to plan it all out. "He does really like them. And he spends more time with them than any of us. It's kind of cute that Nik is dating her though. I think she puts him on his toes more than any witch ever has," she admitted. She watched him, waiting for him to speak, and smiled bashfully when he did. "I was sort of hoping you'd say something like that."

Fitz knew that. It was one of his favorite things about Dom. He was fairly certain that was why the two of them had become friends in the first place. He'd wanted to know about muggles and Dom had been willing to talk to him. "Maybe he'll still meet a nice muggle to settle down with. Then you'll have two brothers with muggle girlfriends," he smiled. He watched her for a moment after he spoke and felt himself relaxing a bit at the sight of her smile. "You were? Really? I wasn't sure."

Rosalind hoped he didn't meet a nice muggle and settle down, but she was almost positive Fitz didn't know Simone had a bit of a crush on Dom. "Maybe, but maybe not. I think whoever makes him happy will be good by me," she said with a smile. She nodded a bit, meeting his gaze and smiling. "I was. I didn't think you intended it that way, though," she said honestly.

Fitz thought that Dom would be perfect to settle down with a muggle. He actually couldn't imagine him with anyone else. "I think that'd be great. I think he'd love it," he admitted. "But you're right. Whoever makes him happy is who he should be with." He smiled at her for a long moment. "Why didn't you? I thought I'd been making my... feeling for you very clear lately. Maybe not at the most appropriate times," he admitted. "But I was trying."

Rosalind didn't care who he ultimately chose to settle down with, so long as he was happy, but she really did hope that he would at least date Simone for a while. She liked the idea of them. "Whoever makes him happy," she agreed with a smile. "It was an impulse, not necessarily a reflection of a feeling. Was it that, though?" she asked curiously. She wasn't sure how much she wanted to put herself out there, honestly.

Fitz agreed. It was only important that he found someone that made him happy. He didn't think much else mattered when it came to settling down with someone. "He deserves someone who does that," he smiled. He considered her question with a slight frown. "It wasn't just an impulse. I'd thought about it some before. Not necessarily how I did it but," he realized he was a little lost for words. "I just mean it wasn't just a spur of the moment thing. It didn't not mean anything."

Rosalind frowned softly as he did. He'd thought about it before? For how long? When? She felt confused. "You had?" she asked curiously, her voice soft, sort of withdrawn. She didn't know what to say. "Mm. I see," she said quietly, though she was still a bit confused. "This is really a real date then, huh?" she asked with a small smile. She didn't know what to make of all this, but she was happy.

Fitz felt like he might be messing this up. He couldn't really tell with her reactions. He didn't know what she was thinking and it made him nervous. "I'd thought about kissing you. Maybe not on the neck like that but I had thought about it," he tried to explain. "Should I not have said that?" he asked after a moment. "I had hoped it would be a real date," he added with a smile. He felt like his palms were sweating a bit.

Rosalind was honestly so taken aback by him. He'd thought about kissing her? She felt like she didn't really understand anything. "When did you start thinking about me like that?" she asked curiously. "No, you're good," she said with a soft smile, touching his hand softly from across the table before pulling her hand back again. "I like it being a real date," she said honestly.

Fitz shrugged a bit, trying to think. "It's hard to pinpoint," he admitted. "I just realized how much I liked spending time with you. I was looking forward to our lunches more than anything," he explained. "I don't know when it changed or when I realized that it had but it happened." He smiled when she touched his hand, even if it was fleeting. "I'm glad to hear that. I do too."

Rosalind took a small drink from her glass and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "I like you, too. Just, to put that out there," she said honestly, smiling up at him a little. "You fluster me. You did even before you kissed my neck," she admitted. She didn't really know what it meant, them putting their feelings out there. He still flustered her.

Fitz was beyond thrilled to hear that. He hadn't really been sure. He'd never really been all too great at reading women. He was kind of oblivious to what they felt about him. "I'm glad to hear that," he promised. "I fluster you?" he repeated with a smile. "Is that so? When did I start flustering you?" he asked. She'd asked him when his feelings had changed, he thought it was a fair thing to ask.

Rosalind smiled softly, letting out a small laugh. "Yes." She didn't really want to tell him. She didn't like being so vulnerable, and he made her vulnerable. Liking him so much made her vulnerable. She didn't want to give him more. She took another drink, clearing her throat a bit. "Um. Well. Honestly? If we're being honest. You've always flustered me," she said honestly. "Woo, been holding that in a while," she said with a soft sigh.

Fitz waited patiently while she seemed to think it over. He wasn't sure if maybe he should tell her not to worry about it because she was starting to seem rather flustered in the moment but his curiosity was piqued. He felt his eyebrows raise the tiniest bit and he smiled at her. "Have I?" he asked, surprised. "I never would have guessed that at all," he admitted. "You hid it very well, if that helps at all," he offered with another sweet smile.

Rosalind nodded a bit. How had he not noticed at all? Had no one noticed? She felt silly still, even if she maybe need not feel silly. She did, though, she couldn't help that. She just hoped he wouldn't start getting smug or weird or anything. "It does help, though only slightly," she said with a small laugh. "We haven't always talked so much, though, which likely made it easier."

Fitz wondered how he'd missed the signs that she was interested in him. He didn't think about it for too long as honestly, he missed cues like that all the time. Still, he wondered if he simply hadn't been paying enough attention to her until recently. "You're right. We haven't. We haven't really hung out much besides a group setting until recently," he admitted. "Maybe I would have noticed sooner."

Rosalind wasn't sure he would have. He hadn't until she told him now. And she wasn't sure it would have been a good thing if he had. But maybe he would have. It was hard to say. "Maybe you would have," she shrugged a shoulder. "It's not a big deal that you didn't notice sooner, though," she said honestly. "Now you know I like you and I know you like me," she said with a small smile.

Fitz didn't think he would have noticed sooner at all, actually, the more he thought about it. He just wasn't good with things like that. He never knew how to pick up clues. "Well, I'm sorry that I didn't," he said with a smile. "I do. And you do. So that leaves us... here. On a date," he smiled sweetly at her. He picked up his glass of wine. "A toast to us, then. To our first date," he smiled at her.

Rosalind shook her head, smiling at him. "I didn't want you to," she said honestly, tucking her hair behind her ear. "I guess it does, huh?" she said with a smile. She felt all fluttery again. She couldn't believe this was happening. She picked up her wine, clinking it against his glass lightly. "A toast to us, and our first date," she smiled, bringing the glass to her lips.

Fitz wondered why she didn't want him to notice. Had she not been interested in dating? Or was she glad he hadn't noticed and had developed feelings for her? He was so curious but he didn't want to bombard her with questions. He was more interested in sharing this moment with her. She looked so beautiful when she was smiling at him the way she was. He smiled and sipped his wine before putting the glass down again. "I hope you enjoy this restaurant. Maybe after we eat we can go for a bit of a stroll?" he suggested. "It's such a lovely night."

Rosalind felt like she could tell Fitz's mind was churning with questions for her, but for some reason, he wasn't just asking them the way he usually did. "I've liked all the food you've brought me yet, so I'm sure I'll like this, too," she smiled. She nodded a little, swirling her wine in her glass. "I would like that," she said, taking another sip. "It is. I love when it's nice out like it is tonight."

Fitz nodded a bit. He wanted to make sure that he was doing this right. He'd channeled himself in, determined to not voice every thought into his head. He wanted, no, he kind of needed this to go well. "That's good. Though, I've brought you less fancy food than this," he teased. "This is a bit more." He nodded slightly, a smile on his lips. "I love it too. It rains a lot here. I'm happy we have a clear night."

Rosalind smiled softly and nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Yeah, that's true. But you have good taste," she added. "Seeing as this is the first technical date we've been on, I would hope this would be a bit more," she teased. She actually rather liked the rain in London, but she could imagine it wasn't everyone's cup of tea. It was lovely for her garden, though. "It's nice. You can see the stars."

Fitz smiled charmingly at the compliment. "I like to think I'm cultured," he said, taking a sip of wine. "But most of the French do. I think I just know food because I eat out a lot," he admitted. He smiled at the use of the word date again, liking it from her lips. "It is a bit more. Only the best for you," he insisted. He knew that not only was this a pricier place, but the food was exquisite. "I love being able to see the stars," he sighed happily, sipping his wine.

Rosalind personally thought the French were cultured, but she wasn't really sure why. It was just a stereotype, really, she realized. But he seemed rather cultured to her. "Maybe," she said with a little laugh. "But I would say you are cultured, and know food," she added. She felt a bit bashful again. Did he really like her? Was this going to end up being more than just a date? She felt a little bit warm, but she took a sip of her wine and took a deep breath. "Do you? Did you like astronomy in school?"

Fitz thought that was really sweet of her. "I do my best. I am trying to impress you as well," he added on. He wished he'd realized before just how much he liked her. He felt a bit like he'd wasted time. "You've traveled more than me, though, so you could technically be more cultured," he teased. He nodded, his face going dreamy slightly. "I did. Did you like it?" he wondered. "What was your favorite?"

Rosalind couldn't believe this was happening. She couldn't believe he was on a date with her, trying to impress her. It wasn't the sort of thing that happened to her. "You're doing well," she smiled. She shrugged a bit. "It's not quite the same," she said with a smile. She nodded along. "I did, yes. I think my favorite was charms, though," she said thoughtfully. "What did you like about astronomy so much? Was it your favorite?"

Fitz was glad to hear that. Personally, he agreed. The evening was going rather swimmingly. Everything had, at this point, gone off without a hitch. "Thank you," he smiled. "Is it not? You see more culture than I do," he reminded her. "I only travel around the UK for interviews with the teams. Though, I suppose, I do explore a bit," he admitted. He nodded with a smile. "Charms? I would have expected Defense," he admitted. "I loved being able to look up at the sky and study it. I've always been fascinated by it," he admitted. "It was."

Rosalind thought he was so cute. She nodded, smiling at him. "You're welcome," she said genuinely. She shook her head. "No, I don't really see much of it. I don't get to really stop by and do much," she admitted. "I think you see much more of the world than I do," she said honestly. She laughed a little, realizing it sounded funny. "I did like Defense. I just feel like Charms is so practical. I use charms every day," she said with a smile. She thought that was interesting. "I always liked that it was always reliably there."

Fitz thought he wouldn't like that much. He, too, didn't get to spend a lot of time exploring when he traveled for work, but he usually could experience a bit of culture. He made sure to eat at one cafe every time he traveled. "Maybe you should. It's worth it," he smiled at her. "I see a lot of cafes and bistros. And quidditch pitches," he chuckled. That made sense. Charms had ended up being one of the most useful classes after school. "Not a day goes by without some kind of charm," he agreed.

Rosalind nodded a bit. She would like to, it just didn't usually make sense. "I'm not usually by myself. I'm sort of small, and you now, feminine, so I work really hard to make sure everyone at work takes me seriously. I'd feel silly if I told them I wanted to stop and look at the local flowers," she said, feeling a bit embarrassed that she was too proud to enjoy things. "It's silly that I'd feel silly, but," she said, trailing off, and shrugging. "Charms are useful. And kind of fun."

Fitz felt himself frowning slightly. "They wouldn't take you seriously if you wanted to stop and look around because you're a woman?" he asked, incredulous. "Perhaps you need new coworkers," he said easily. "There's nothing wrong with spending a bit of time looking around." He stayed quiet for a moment, simply sipping his wine. "Then I'll take you on a weekend. We'll go when there's no quidditch and stop and smell the flowers," he smiled brightly at her.

Rosalind shrugged. Maybe they still would. She just didn't really want to risk it. "They probably still would, I just am always all business," she said with a shrug. "I just don't want to give anyone a reason to doubt that I'm perfectly capable of my job. I've been working for it since I was like twelve. I worked much harder than either my brothers ever did in school, and I did training after that neither of them did. I'm tough and I want people to know it," she said, realizing it probably sounded silly. She was short and soft, though. It was easy for people to dismiss her. "That would be lovely," she smiled.

Fitz wasn't surprised by that. He'd seen her at work when he'd stopped in. He'd surprised her that one day and he could remember how completely focused she'd been before he dropped in with food. He had to wonder if she even made time for lunch on days he didn't come by. "If they know you're a hard worker, a dedicated one, someone who has worked for this for her entire life... I don't think wanting to do a bit of exploring will make people think you're incapable. Everyone knows you're tough. I do," he smiled. "You're the toughest of your siblings. Maybe of our friends," he reckoned. "I'm glad you think so," he smiled. "Just tell me when you're free."

Rosalind took a small drink, thinking over what he said, before shrugging again. "Maybe so, but I think I'd rather just explore on my time off when I can relax and enjoy myself and really get into things than when I have work on the back of my mind, anyway," she said honestly, smiling at him. She laughed a little, taking another drink. "I'm definitely the toughest of my siblings. They're both soft," she agreed. "I absolutely will. Maybe you can show me some things you've seen before that you've liked?" she suggested.

Fitz figured that made sense. "Why be rushed when you're exploring, anyway? I'm sure you'd feel the pressure to come back too early. It's better to go on a day off," he smiled at her. He watched her as she laughed, a fond smile on his lips. "They are soft. That's a good word for it. You're the one I'd most want on my side in a tough situation," he told her. He nodded, liking that a lot. "I'd be more than happy to revisit my favorite places with you," he smiled.

Rosalind nodded along, glad that he understood, even if she felt like it all seemed sort of silly. "Exactly. I'd much rather go on a day off and make the most of my time," she smiled. She half smirked when he said she was the one he'd want on his side. Smart, she thought. She could kick anyone's ass, honestly. "Smart of you," she grinned. "Sounds like a plan, then," she smiled.

Fitz nodded with a smile. "That sounds like a much better idea, then," he told her. "There's no sense in being stressed about work when you're trying to explore and enjoy yourself," he added. He let out a low chuckle. "I can be smart from time to time," he teased. He nodded again. "It's a date." He looked up as their food was brought over and thanked the server for bringing it. "Looks delicious."

Rosalind nodded in agreement. He was really lovely. Not like that was news to her. She'd thought he was lovely since she met him, he only just continued to confirm that for her. "I think you're plenty smart," she said with a small laugh. "It's a date," she repeated. Another date. She liked that. When the server brought the food over, she moved back a little, breaking her sort of trance. "It does," she agreed, filling her wine before she took a bite.

Fitz smiled at her again. He'd noticed that while he had always been a rather smiley person, he definitely caught himself smiling nonstop when he was around her. She brought something else out in him. "Thank you." The word date sounded even better when she said it. He took a small bite of food before taking a sip of wine. "Is it good? Do you like it?" he asked after she'd taken a bite.

Rosalind took a drink after she tried her food, nodding to his question. "Mm, yeah. It's delicious. I told you you had good taste," she said with a smile. She thought it was really good, actually. She would come here again, even if it was by herself. "How do you like yours?" she asked curiously, taking another drink of her wine. She hadn't been on a date like this, or in general, in a while, and she was really enjoying herself.

Fitz let out a quiet chuckle. She had said that. It was cute that she'd referenced it. "Just making sure," he smiled. "My tastes might not all be the same as yours," he shrugged. He took another bite of his before smiling. "It's very good. You can try some if you'd like?" he offered her. "This is nice, isn't it?" he asked as he took a sip of his wine. "I'm having a really wonderful time with you."

Rosalind smiled at him, shrugging a little. "I guess not, but you have good taste, so I'm sure I can always find something to enjoy," she said with a smile. "Only if you try some of mine, too," she said. She smiled and nodded. It was really nice. How could she not think it was nice? "It's lovely," she said honestly. "I am, too. I'm glad we're doing this."

Fitz thought about that and smiled. "I'm glad you have so much trust in me. Not everyone is the same," he told her. It was just food, but it still made him happy. "I'll definitely try some of yours," he agreed. He pushed his plate closer to her, letting her try his first. "I'm glad we are too. I'm glad you decided to come out with me," he added with a warm smile.

Rosalind wondered if he meant not everyone trusted him, or if he meant not everyone liked what he liked. She decided not to ask. She moved her plate over a little, too, taking a bite of his food. "Oh, that's good. See, good taste," she said playfully. "I'm glad you asked. I'm much more capable of handling that than you kissing my neck out of nowhere," she said teasingly.

Fitz waited while she tried the food. Her reaction had him smiling. "I suppose I really do have good taste," he laughed. He took a small bite of her food next, considering it. "That is incredible. I think you must have good taste too," he teased lightly. He let out a chuckle and took a sip of his wine. "Ah. Did you not like the kiss?" he asked with a smile. He already wanted to ask her on another date but he decided to wait.

Rosalind felt like it was so much easier being around him when she wasn't trying to hide that he made her heart beat fast. At the same time, it was sort of nerve wracking, but she felt like she was doing a good job. "I guess I must," she laughed softly. She grinned when he laughed, turning her head to the side a little. "Uh, no. I did. I think that was sort of half the problem," she said with a soft laugh.

Fitz grinned at the sound of her laugh. He really felt like this whole thing was going rather smoothly. He almost wondered why he'd been nervous in the first place. "Ah, that makes sense. I apologize for my poor timing," he grinned. "I promise the next time I do it we won't be on a broom," he said playfully. "I realize it was an unsafe thing to do. I just got a bit swept up in you."

Rosalind raised an eyebrow slightly when he said next time. She wondered when exactly he was planning on kissing her neck again. She didn't mind it, per se, but she would like a little more warning next time. "That's all I ask," she said playfully. She laughed a little, almost nervously. He got swept up in her. That was so funny, for some reason. Maybe because that was exactly how she felt about him. "When, then, are you planning on kissing my neck again?" she asked curiously, looking down for a moment before meeting his eyes.

Fitz knew he'd have to think up an interesting idea for their next date. He had some time, he supposed, as this one hadn't even ended yet. Maybe he'd ask Simone for an idea, or perhaps Dom. "I'll behave, I promise," he grinned. Her laugh sounded a bit nervous and he raised an eyebrow, hoping he hadn't upset her in any way. "I more so meant the next time I kissed you in general I would do it in a better setting," he admitted. "Do you not want me to?" he asked, still unsure.

Rosalind twirled her hair a little, looking down still, but nodded a little and smiled when he said next time in general. "Oh, yeah, that would be nice," she said with a smile. She laughed again and shook her head. "No, no. I actually would rather like it if you kissed my neck again," she said, shrugging a little, glancing at him for a moment to see what he thought of that.

Fitz would make sure their next kiss was in a better situation, whether it was on her neck or her lips. He wanted things to go smoothly and he was rather hoping this might go on for quite a time. "I think so too," he smiled. Her laugh had him relaxing slightly. "Oh, well, I'm glad. I was just making sure it was something you liked before I did it again. I wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable."

Rosalind shook her head, leaning forward a bit. "Oh, no. It doesn't make me uncomfortable at all. I really rather like you. And I would tell you if something made me uncomfortable," she added. She took a sip, and then a small bite. She really did like him. She felt so strange being so forward after having kept it all to herself for so long. It was strange.

Fitz smiled when she leaned closer. "I really rather like you too," he promised. "I still just wanted to check," he smiled. He'd hate to ruin things between the two of them before anything had a chance to really start. He just felt like this had a chance. They'd been friends for some time now and it felt like such a natural progression into something more, even if they'd had some stumbles along the way. "Would you like to go on another date soon?"

Rosalind smiled and nodded, taking a drink of her wine to try and mask just how big of a smile she had on her face. She took another bite, thinking over his question. "I wouldn't mind it. But, I don't want you to think we can't just hang out, too. Every time we spend time together doesn't have to be like this," she said, hoping she made sense. "I like seeing you at lunch. And at the bar."

Fitz listened as she spoke, still eating his food slowly. He felt like his mind was running so quickly to try and be able to really absorb all of this. She liked him, he liked her. She wanted another date. "You wouldn't mind a date or you'd like to go on one? I think there's a difference," he teased. "I know not every time has to be a date but I just want to make sure I haven't overstepped a bound," he explained with a smile.

Rosalind tucked her hair behind her ear, humming quietly. "I would like that," she nodded a little, smiling at him. "No, no, you haven't. I just really like how nice things feel with you, and I don't want everything to have the pressure of a date," she admitted, hoping that didn't sound weird and made sense. She was worried it would come off wrong.

Fitz realized he still wasn't very good at the dating thing and he had to let out a quiet chuckle. "I have to apologize. I've never really been the best when it comes to dating. Simone always said it's because my head lives in the clouds and I don't pick up on flirting well but I don't think that's it," he admitted. "I just get a bit nervous and tripped up. I don't really know how to be smooth when it comes to this sort of thing." He smiled at her and took another bite of food. "I just thought you should know in case I fumble a bit," he told her. "I hope you can be patient with me. I really quite fancy you," he admitted, searching her eyes as he awaited a response.

Rosalind frowned a little, but the smile on her face remained, when he said he needed to apologize. "What for?" she asked. She thought it was odd he was bad at dating. He was so handsome and charming. She couldn't imagine him ever struggling with women. "You're the most charming man I've ever met," she said with a small laugh. "I don't know what you're talking about," she admitted playfully, smiling still, the smile reaching her eyes. She felt her smile soften a bit and her cheeks turn slightly pink. "As it happens, I'm a rather patient person, and I've fancied you since the moment I laid eyes on you," she admitted, ducking her head and laughing a little. "I'm not always the best at dating, either, so we're in this together," she said with a smile.

Fitz felt a bit silly having to apologize for how poor he was at the dating thing. He just wanted to make sure she knew he liked her and he didn't know if it was coming across as well as he hoped. It was tricky to navigate through dating; he always felt a bit like he was underwater and fumbling to get air. "Oh, well, I suppose I am a bit charming," he smiled. "But being charming and being good at asking women out aren't mutually exclusive. I get nervous around women I'm interested in. I'm especially nervous around you. I just want everything to go smoothly," he admitted. He smiled when she said she was patient, relieved. "Since you laid eyes on me? Truly?" he asked with a smile. "See what I mean about being a bit oblivious when it comes to this?" he chuckled. "We'll navigate our way through it. It's nice to know we're in the same boat," he smiled, reaching across the table for her hand. "That way if we mess up here or there, we can fix it with a laugh."

Rosalind smiled when he said he was charming. He was cute. She thought he was cute. She couldn't imagine a reason in the world for him to be nervous around her, but the fact that he was kind of make her heart flutter a little. She honestly couldn't have ever predicted him showing any interest in her, especially not like this. "I think you're doing a good job," she admitted. She laughed a little and nodded. "I didn't tell anyone for a long time, but my coworker figured it out when you kept coming in and I got all flustered. I suppose you are a bit oblivious, but like I said, I didn't mind it," she added with a smile. "No worries. It takes more than fumbling to scare me off," she smiled.

Fitz relaxed a little bit when she said he was doing a good job. He'd admit, he felt a bit like he was out of his element and he'd been worried it would affect her feelings for him. "Oh, well I'm trying my best," he smiled. "I just thought you should know I'm no expert when it comes to this." He smiled fondly when she said she hadn't told anyone and only a coworker had figured it out. "You must be quite good at hiding things then if only one person knows about it and it was only by accident," he chuckled. He nodded with a soft smile. "Well, I hope I don't do anything to scare you off in the future, fumbling or otherwise," he told her.

Rosalind thought that was odd still, but she wasn't going to push or anything. "Then you're doing really well," she said playfully. She wasn't the worst at dating, honestly. He just, in particular, flustered her. She didn't know what it was about him in particular, but he did overwhelm her a lot. "Oh, I'm quite good at hiding things. I actually told your sister, and she was the first person I told. I wanted to tell Nik, but I was worried he'd tell you," she said with a small laugh. "I doubt that you will. I'm going to run to the toilets and wash up, if you want to take that walk still."

Fitz let out a quiet chuckle. "Well, thank you. I appreciate it," he responded, his tone just as playful. He had so much fun with her, it was insane. How had it taken so long for him to notice that they had such a connection? They felt kind of meant to be more than just friends. It was odd. "Oh? Is that so? Simone knew and didn't tell me? How dare she," he teased. "She'd never betray your trust. Nik, however, I'm not so sure about," he chuckled. "I told Wren a bit that I was seeing you differently," he admitted. He nodded at her suggestion. "Oh, absolutely. Take your time. I'll settle the bill."

Rosalind nodded a bit. She was sort of surprised Simone hadn't told, but mostly she wasn't. Not only did she know she could trust Simone, but Simone had told her a little secret, too. "Girls have to keep each other's secrets," she said with a small laugh. "He would have ever intention of keeping my secret, but just get too excited about knowing something and tell," she laughed. "Oh yeah?" she said with a small smile. She hadn't really suspected they were all that close. "I'll be back soon," she promised. She went to the stall, using a bit of magic to freshen her breath, just in case she maybe kissed him later. Then she washed her hands and touched up her makeup a bit before going back out. "Are you ready to go?"

Fitz thought that was sweet. "You know, I don't think I've told you this but I'm really glad Simone has you as a friend. You're exactly the kind of person she needs in her life. I know your friendship means a lot to her," he said with a smile. He let out a laugh. "That does sound like Nik. He can hardly keep his wizarding words to himself around his girlfriend. I don't know how she isn't constantly confused," he chuckled. He nodded. "He's one of my best friends. I think he helped me figure out how I felt," he admitted. He nodded as she went off, taking out his wallet when the bill was brought over. He paid and left a tip and had just stood up when Rosalind returned. "I am, yes. Let's go," he smiled, offering her his hand.

Rosalind smiled a little when he said that. "I really like having her as a friend. She's a good friend, and she's really nice. You can never have too many friends," she said with a smile. She laughed when he did. "I don't know either. She probably just thinks he's a little odd but ignores it because it makes no sense," she laughed again. "I'm glad he could help you, then," she said with a smile. She was glad that he had Wren. She didn't entirely understand their dynamic, but she was glad they had each other. She smiled, taking his hand. She liked this. She liked it a lot. Once they were outside the restaurant, she stopped, turning and kissing him on the lips. Not too hard, or too light, but just right. "Okay, let's walk now," she said after she pulled away.

Fitz nodded in total agreement. "She is nice, though I'm biased. She is my favorite person," he smiled. "I got lucky having her as a sister. You have some really great brothers," he added with a grin. "Dom is one of my best friends, too." Really most of the group were best friends of his. He just loved them all. "She probably does but maybe she likes him so much she lets it slide," he laughed. "He did. I don't know if I would have realized I liked you if I hadn't talked to him. I was questioning him about how he'd kissed Dot after a game and somehow it pivoted to me spending time with you," he shrugged. He held her hand tightly and walked out with her. He was about to suggest they head to an ice cream shop but then she was turning him and kissing him and he was caught completely off guard. When she pulled back he was smiling brightly and he shook his head. "In a moment," he grinned, leaning down and kissing her again.

Rosalind smiled fondly when he said she was his favorite person. "You guys are so close. It's quite beautiful," she said honestly. "I do have some really great brothers. I love them a lot. Dom is a great guy. He's so much more wonderful than I think he gets credit for, mostly just because he's quiet," she said with a shrug. She laughed and nodded. "That's probably it," she agreed. She was feeling all warm and soft and then he mentioned him kissing Dot and frowned a little. "Woah, what? Wren kissed Dot?" she asked. They'd spent a lot of time together lately. And they'd kissed? If she didn't know any better, she'd think something was going on there. Maybe there was anyway. She smiled at the way he smiled at her, feeling her heart beating like mad in her chest. She giggled quietly when he kissed her again, her hands moving to his face as she kissed him back.

Fitz felt himself smiled at her words. "Well, we are twins. We grew up together as best friends. I think we balance each other out well. We were always looking out for each other," he explained. "He is a great guy. He's one of the nicest people I've ever met. And the most patient," he added with a smile. "Quiet people often don't get as much credit as they deserve." He thought it was interesting that she found that odd as well. "Yes, he did. After the game, he followed me to the locker room. He got to her before I did and he kissed her. I found it strange but when I asked him he just said he'd been excited. I think he won a fair bit gambling on the game," he shrugged. He didn't know. He wrapped his arms around her as they kissed this time, pulling her a bit closer to him. He liked feeling her in his arms.

Rosalind smiled and laughed a little. "I know. But that doesn't necessarily guarantee that you'd get along the way you do. I like that you get along, that you balance each other, that you care so much," she smiled. "He is rather patient," she agreed. She nodded in agreement. That was very true. She frowned a little, humming quietly. "Odd. That's really very odd, I believe," she said softly, mostly thinking to herself about it. Maybe she'd bring it up. She whimpered softly when he pulled her close. She felt like the world around them had melted, and it was lovely.

Fitz figured she had a point there. "I guess so. I'm sure there are plenty of sets of twins that aren't close," he mused. "Thank you, though. I like how well you and your siblings blend. I can see similarities in the three of you but you're also all different. I like that," he smiled. "He is." He shrugged slightly, not really caring about the matter very much. Normally he was all about a bit of gossip but right now he had one focus and that was Rosalind. He didn't want to think of anything else. He wanted her to consume him. She just felt so right in a way that he didn't understand just yet. It didn't matter in the moment, though. He didn't want to push her too far or make this moment too much so he kept every touch gentle. His arms only held her softly against him. Their lips touched with just the right amount of passion. After a few long moments, he pulled back, brushing the hair out of her face. “Le seul vrai langage au monde est un baiser.”

Rosalind nodded a little, smiling still. "Of course. Aw, thanks. I've always thought that, too," she said honestly. She liked the way he held her, so softly, but so strongly. She really genuinely felt like he was the only person in the world right now, and it was such a lovely feeling. She pulled back only when he did, a soft, fond smile on her lips, the softness touching her eyes. She felt like she melted a little when he spoke French, and she had no idea what he was saying, but it was beautiful. "What does that mean?"

Fitz shrugged a bit, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek. "It's a bit romantic that you don't know, is it not?" he asked with a teasing smile. "Let's walk," he decided, stepping out of the embrace to take her hand again. Once their fingers were linked he started to lead the way down the road. He wondered if she was planning on telling anyone that they'd been on this date. He hoped, but he didn't want to make her talk about it if she didn't want to.

Rosalind let out a small, exhaled laugh. She liked to know things, but she wasn't going to push him. "Mm, I suppose so," she said, though she still wondered what he said. She hoped it was romantic. She moved away, taking his hand when he reached for hers. She followed him as they walked, just enjoying his company. She liked that they'd taken walks before, but it was different than it was now, and yet sort of the same.

Fitz walked with in her a comfortable silence. He realized he was often talking or asking others questions to get them talking. It wasn't often he was in silence with someone. It was rather lovely. After a few quiet minutes, he turned to her again. "What should we do on our second date? Would you like to pick or should I?" he asked with a warm smile. He didn't mind one bit either way.

Rosalind looked up at him when he spoke, frowning a little in thought and licking her lips. She sort of liked the idea of just letting him pick and not having to think about it. She felt like she thought about everything all the time. At the same time, she didn't want to make him pick all the time. "You can pick if you'd like. Otherwise, maybe we could go to the river? Take a boat ride?" she suggested.

Fitz considered her idea for a moment. He thought that could be a lot of fun and it was something that he had been meaning to do but he simply hadn't had the time to yet. "What a lovely idea!" he smiled. "I've always wanted to go on one of those. Good thinking," he told her, tugging her a bit closer to him as someone passed them by. "We can get a cup of tea to bring along since it's getting cooler every day," he added. "And some of your mother's cookies! It'll be a little picnic but... not exactly."

Rosalind smiled when he seemed to like her idea. "Oh, I think it's quite lovely. It's very pretty," she said with a smile. She felt a bit fluttery when he pulled her closer, though she knew it was to make room. It was funny. He knew she liked him, but she still felt her heart beat faster in her chest around him. "That's a good idea. We can get tea in a togo cup and take it with us," she smiled. She laughed a little and nodded. "I'll definitely get some of her cookies."

Fitz thought it sounded like a wonderful time. He couldn't think of anyone he'd rather go on his first boat ride on the river with. He thought it could be a bit romantic too. He hoped, at least. "I love the idea," he smiled at her. He was already getting a good picture in his mind of how lovely this would be. "Yes, absolutely. Do you have a favorite place you get tea from?" he asked curiously. "I tend to go to one by my office," he added. "That sounds wonderful! Tea and cookies on a boat. You've picked a lovely second date."

Rosalind smiled. She was glad he was on board. She wasn't sure it was a great idea, but she liked the river. "I do. I have a favorite place in muggle London, and in wizarding London," she said honestly. "Have you gone anywhere else, or just the one place?" she asked curiously. She smiled a little, shrugging a shoulder. "I'm glad you like it. I look forward to it already," she said with a smile.

Fitz nodded a bit. He needed to expand his horizons more, he thought. "I'd like to try both. Let's go to one of your favorites before the boat ride," he smiled. "I like to try a new place once a week but it's not always easy to do that. And sometimes I forget," he explained with a chuckle. "I do too. When would you like to go?" he asked. "I'll make the time whenever you're free."

Rosalind nodded and smiled. She'd like that a lot. "Sounds perfect. We can stop by the muggle one. It's closer," she said with a smile. She thought that made sense, and sounded like him. "At least you do get to new ones sometimes," she smiled. She hadn't intentionally gone somewhere new for tea in a while. "How about this Friday? If that works for you?"

Fitz found that idea very appealing. "I'd love that. I haven't been to too many muggle shops," he admitted. "I'm still exploring the city. I've been here quite some time now but there's so much to do," he chuckled. He'd been making such an effort to see all that he could but it could be hard to find the time. "I really like seeing new places. It's one of my favorite things about being here," he smiled. He thought for a moment before nodding. "Sounds perfect. I'm looking forward to it," he promised as he gave her hand a squeeze. "Did you want to get tea now?" he wondered. "Or are we wandering aimlessly, just seeing where the streets take us?"

Rosalind thought that was sort of surprising, and yet, it made sense. "They're quite nice. Muggles are as passionate about tea as we are," she said playfully. "There is a lot to do. It's a big city," she said with a nod. She hadn't even explored the whole city. "I noticed. You took me to lunch quite a few times at new places, remember?" she teased. She smiled, squeezing his hand back. "Me, too," she smiled. She shrugged a shoulder. "If we run into tea, sure. But I'm good just walking with you."

Fitz liked knowing that they had a lot in common with muggles. He'd spent so long hearing about how different they were. Moving to London only solidified how wrong that was. "It is a big city. I don't know that I'll ever see all of it but I'm having fun trying," he smiled. "I did, I remember," he chuckled. "I was just saying. It's fun to try new things, isn't it?" he asked with a smile. He squeezed her hand back, enjoying how it had made him feel. "I'm very glad." He glanced around slightly, not quite sure where they were but not caring. "Well, let me know if you see anything. Otherwise just walking sounds just as lovely."

Rosalind smiled, letting out a small laugh. "You likely won't. I've lived here my whole life and I don't feel like I've even seen a fraction of the city," she admitted with a smile. "As long as you're enjoying yourself, that's all that matters," she said honestly. She nodded in agreement. "It is. I like it," she agreed. She also liked the comfort of things she knew, but really, there was no reason not to have a nice balance of the two. She nodded, smiling at him.

Fitz hummed quietly. "I like that, actually. Knowing I won't ever get to see everything. It makes it more exciting when I see something new," he decided. "I'm having a great time. It's better exploring with you," he added on with a smile. It was nicer to be able to share the experience with someone. It made more of an impact, he thought. He kept her close to him as they walked, just enjoying the closeness. "Tell me more about you in school," he suggested. "I feel like I don't know much about little Rosie."

Rosalind thought that was interesting. She didn't like that she'd never get to see everything. Every time she learned something had closed that she hadn't been to, she felt a bit disappointed, even if she knew reasonably that she never would have gone there anyway. "Then I suppose you'll always be excited in London," she said with a smile. "I think so, too. I like doing new things with you," she said honestly. She liked having the memory of the thing they did tied to him. She hummed a bit as his suggestion. "Um, hm. Well, I was captain of our team after Dot left. And I was a prefect, and then head girl. I followed most of the rules, really. I took a lot of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s because I decided when I was a second year that I wanted to be an auror. My current partner was actually my best friend and roommate through school. We still get on quite well. I had a cat in school and used my brother's owl to send letters to our mum. My first boyfriend was when I was a fifth year. He also played quidditch, but he was in a different house. I don't know. I think that's a pretty good summary, yeah?" she said with a small laugh.

Fitz had figured he would be. That's why he was so thrilled he'd picked London when he'd been looking for jobs outside of Paris. His first instinct had been to just take the first job he was offered but he'd loved England's teams and wanted a job here. He was so lucky he'd made this decision. "I hope so," he smiled. "I'm glad. I know I can be a handful at times," he admitted. He squeezed her hand as she started to speak. She was such a fascinating person, he didn't think he'd ever tire of hearing her talk about herself. He nodded as she spoke, making notes in his head. "I would have liked to see you play quidditch," he admitted. He wasn't surprised that she was a serious student, one that had become head girl. She was like Dominic in that way. "You knew from second year you wanted to be an auror?" he asked, surprised. He had so many questions but he didn't want to overwhelm her. "It's nice that you have your best friend still. What was your first boyfriend like?" he added on curiously.

Rosalind nudged him gently, turning to look at him as they walked. "You say stuff like that a lot. Stop it. I don't think you're a handful, and even if you were, I enjoy that about you," she said, smiling at him. She'd always liked that about him. She smiled to herself as he squeezed her hand. "Not to toot my own horn, but I was pretty damn good," she said with a small laugh. She nodded a bit. "I had already learned a lot about aurors on my own and through my dad, and I really admired how much they did for the wizarding community, how much they protected people. I knew I wanted to do that. And I knew that I would have to work really hard for it," she said with a small shrug. She smiled and nodded. "It is. She's great. He was a bit more fiery than me. He was nice, though. Smart. We got along pretty well, and we dated into sixth year. I think he was just a bit too much for me at the time. Plus, I was never really looking to be in a serious relationship when I was younger," she admitted.

Fitz turned to her with a curious look when she nudged him. "Oh, do I? I hadn't noticed. It's a bit of a habit, really," he admitted. "I won't say it anymore." Not to her, at least, as he knew others still thought of him as such. He didn't mind it. It had never really bothered him. "It's nice that you enjoy it, though." He chuckled when she laughed. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that she had been excellent. "I wish I'd seen it." Being an auror had never appealed to him so it baffled him slightly that someone so young would be so interested in it. He thought it was cute. "That's really noble. You knew from the age of twelve you wanted to help protect people. It's a really impressive feat," he said with a smile. He nodded as she explained. "Ah. That's quite a time for a school romance. You were too serious a student for relationships?" he teased.

Rosalind smiled and shrugged a shoulder. "Only a bit. It's okay that you say it, you just don't need to. I like you, remember," she teased lightly. She smiled a little. She really did like him. She hoped she didn't come on too strong. She was trying really hard not to. "There are pictures around I'm sure," she said. She wished he could have seen it, too, though. She smiled a little and shrugged. "Well, aurors had a really important job during the war, and then the Harry Potter went on to become one, and I just thought it was so cool," she said with a small laugh. Maybe she also wanted to know she could protect herself. Hard to say. "He's my boss now," she said, laughing again. She nodded in agreement. "Mm, I know. I don't really know why we lasted that long, admittedly. It was never my concern, but I wasn't against it. I had another boyfriend seventh year, but I went to train to be an auror, and he didn't like sharing my time with work. I haven't really had a boyfriend since then," she admitted. The right guy just hadn't come along.

Fitz smiled to himself. She liked him. It still nearly didn't feel real. Everything had gone so smoothly. "I'll stop saying it," he promised. "I remember. And I like you." He'd definitely have to ask her brothers about the pictures. Or maybe Dot, he reckoned. He'd have to check. "That's true. They did. We read about that in school and I remember my parents talking about it." They'd been on different sides, though. He wonder how she felt about that. "You're working for one of your heroes then?" he asked with a smile. "That must be exciting." He let out a thoughtful hum as they walked and glanced around slightly. "Dating in school was such an odd thing anyway," he admitted. "Why haven't you had a boyfriend since then?" he wondered. He hoped she was interested in pursuing a relationship now.

Rosalind looked down as they walked, smiling brightly when he said he liked her. It made butterflies fill her chest. She didn't think she'd ever felt this way before, now that she thought about it. "They were so cool and fearless. And strong. I wanted to be all of those things. I guess, technically, I am now," she said with a soft laugh. She smiled and nodded. "I am. It's pretty exciting, but, now he's more just my boss. I don't even see him regularly. But at first, it was really exciting," she said with a quiet laugh. "I think so, too. What did I know about relationships at fifteen?" she said, shaking her head a bit. She shrugged. "I don't know. I did see this guy for a while back when I was training, but it wasn't serious. And then I was busy for a while, and I just never met anyone, I guess. When was your last girlfriend?" she asked curiously.

Fitz hadn't really thought much about aurors, he'd admit. He'd been focused on a career involving quidditch for the longest time. He couldn't remember ever wanting anything else. "You are all of those things," he promised. "They'd be among beautiful and smart as the first adjectives I'd describe you with." He figured that made sense. He'd started thinking of some of his quidditch heroes as friends, of course she saw Harry Potter as just her boss. "Still, it must have been exciting on your first day." He let out a quiet chuckle. "I don't think anyone knew anything about relationships at that age. They just wanted someone to kiss." He hummed softly, rubbing the side of her thumb with his. "I haven't had a serious one for a couple of years. I became too invested in work and trying to find a place to take it. Then I was working on getting a job here in London," he admitted. "I was never really good at dating."

Rosalind smiled softly when he said she was those things. She felt like she was pretty strong and fearless. She didn't know how cool she was. She smiled wider when he also added beautiful and smart. "Thank you," she smiled fondly. She grinned and nodded. "Oh yeah, it was a really cool first day. I was so over excited," she laughed quietly. "Mm, I'm inclined to agree with you," she said with a quiet laugh. She leaned into him a little. She really liked him. "I understand. Am I the first girl you've been interested in in London?" she asked curiously. "How so?" she asked. He had said that earlier, too, but she wondered what exactly he meant by that.

Fitz smiled the same soft smile at her before leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. She was so pretty and she made him feel so warm, he couldn't help it. "You're welcome." He laughed when she did. "I can imagine. It's always exciting to meet someone that you admire." He thought for a moment before smiling. "You are the first," he told her. He frowned slightly, trying to find the right words for it. "Well, I don't really notice when people are interested in me. I tend to just think people are really friendly," he admitted. "I don't pick up on flirting very well."

Rosalind smiled, her cheeks turning a light pink when he kissed her cheek. She was so into him, it was insane. "That's true, it is. It was a very big year for me," she admitted. She thought that was interesting. She supposed he hadn't been here that long, but it did make her feel kind of special. "Is that all though? Just that you don't pick up on flirting? That doesn't sound like you're that bad," she said with a soft smile.

Fitz had a feeling she had been thrilled. It sounded like such an incredible time for her. He wished he had been involved somehow in it. He knew that was beyond unreasonable but he would have liked to have seen it. "I'm very glad that you were able to achieve this dream of yours," he smiled. He hummed thoughtfully, squeezing her hand without realizing it. "I suppose I'm also just not really good at knowing when things are appropriate. Like kissing you on the neck while we were flying," he teased. "I've asked women out at not the best of times."

Rosalind thought he was so sweet and nice. There was just something about him that was so lovely. "Thank you," she said, smiling widely up at him. He was so sweet and soft. She smiled to herself when he squeezed her hand again. She laughed quietly, but shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know. I think that's not the worse. I mean, you did almost kill us, but," she trailed off. "It seems to me like it can't get worse from here, then. You've already been inappropriate and you already asked me out, so I think you're in the clear."

Fitz hummed gently. He wasn't too sure. It felt like he was rather awful at women in general, but then again maybe he just saw himself differently. Plus, he'd been so used to the parade of women his parents had tried to set him up with always being annoyed with him. That wasn't quite fair, he realized. He'd also been rotten at picking up on cues from women he wanted to date. At least Rosie wasn't bothered by him. "I don't think you would have let us die. You're far too levelheaded to have allowed that," he teased gently. "I do apologize for being so inappropriate with you, though," he added after a beat. "I'm glad you still wanted to go on a date with me after all of this. And that you're still interested in me even now," he smiled. He lifted their joined hands and placed a kiss to her knuckles. "I'm thrilled that we're doing this. Perhaps, sometime, we'll be on a double date with your brother and his lady."

Rosalind obviously wouldn't have actually let them die, but it had startled her a good bit. "Well, lucky you there, hm?" she teased lightly. She shook her head and smiled. "It's okay. It threw me off, but I think we both recovered," she said, still light in tone. She thought it was so silly that he would think she wouldn't want to go on a date with him. "One little mishap isn't enough for me to lose interest. I told you I liked you for quite a while. At first you were just so handsome and charming and French, but now that I know you, I like you even more," she admitted, shrugging a shoulder. She didn't look at him, feeling like she'd get flustered if she did. She smiled when he kissed her knuckles. Were they going to become something more? The idea made her stomach flip. She wasn't sure why though. "Nik? I think he'd like that," she said with a smile.

Fitz grinned. "I'd say very lucky me. Not just because you kept us from dying." He was lucky that he knew her, that she liked him, that something was brewing between them. He didn't want to overwhelm her with all of that, though. Not right now. "We did recover," he agreed. "Though, I've fallen from many brooms. Simone could have fixed us up," he added playfully. Her list of compliments took him by surprise but he was delighted. "I didn't know me being French played such a part," he teased. "You're very sweet, thank you. I like you more and more every moment I spend with you," he promised. He kissed her knuckles again before letting their hands drop back to their sides and his arm went around her this time instead. "Yes, Nik," he chuckled. "Unless Dom has a lady that I don't know about," he teased. He kept her close to his side but his grip was loose in case she wanted to pull away.

Rosalind smiled a little, feeling a little bashful, honestly. She shook her head and laughed. "I didn't mean physically," she teased. She laughed again, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "It's just the accent, the words you use. It's cute," she said with a shrug. "You're welcome," she said with a smile. She was glad he liked her. She couldn't really believe that he did, honestly. She smiled again when he kissed her hand, smiling even wider when he wrapped his arm around her. She felt so many butterflies. She couldn't believe this was happening. She laughed and shook her head. She thought Dom and Simone had something brewing, but she wasn't going to say anything. "That would be really fun."

Fitz glanced at her again with a curious smile. "Oh?" he asked. He wasn't sure how cute his accent was or the words he used and he found himself trying to think about what he said that was so different. "Do I use different words than everyone else?" he wondered. He noticed that she seemed alright with him having his arm around her and he felt his grip tighten slightly for a moment. This felt right. He wasn't sure how to explain it other than it felt right. How had it taken him so long to realize that she was what he wanted? He felt like a fool. "A date with Nik and Anastasia it is," he smiled. "Perhaps we should let them pick, seeing as she is a muggle."

Rosalind nodded a little and shrugged. "You just have this charm about you," she said, not really sure how to describe it, but feeling very vulnerable. "Mm, not really. I don't know. You're just cute," she said with a small laugh. She couldn't wrap her mind around this happening, honestly. She liked him so much and here she was walking with him with his arm around her. It was so nice. "That's a good idea. I don't know how Nik is doing so well. It's hard to be so convincing, I think."

Fitz thought about that. Did he have a charm? He didn't feel particularly charming. "I think you just like French people. You're close to my sister, you like me," he teased. "I think you're rather cute too, for the record," he added on. He wasn't quite sure where they were but he was really enjoying walking like this. He felt close to her in a way and it wasn't just because he was holding her against him. "I don't know either. I'm sure he could always ask your older brother for help," he shrugged. "I don't think I'd be good at dating a muggle but if you were a muggle I'd certainly try."

Rosalind laughed at that and shook her head. "Two French people and I just like French people," she teased. "More like I just like you and your sister," she said with a grin. She smiled, leaning into a bit more. She felt bashful, but that made her feel silly. She liked walking with him like this, all close together. No question that they were together if people saw them. "I think he does a lot," she said honestly. "I'm gonna have to pry information out of him. I want to know more," she added. She grinned when he spoke, glancing up at him. "See? Cute."

Fitz gave her a grin. "It's seeming that way more and more," he teased. "Ah. That might make more sense," he relented playfully. He didn't mind either way. When she leaned into him, he rubbed her arm arm a bit. Everything felt so at peace. "I wonder how that goes," he chuckled softly. "I'm sure if anyone can get him talking, it's you," he said fondly. Nik and Rosie seemed to be very close, he had no doubts they'd have a good conversation about it. "Well, thank you."

Rosalind smiled at him. He was so funny and cute and playful. She liked him so much. It was crazy. It nearly overwhelmed her. "I'm sure there's lots of teasing and educating on Dom's part," she said with a laugh. "I would agree with you. He likes talking about things anyway," she added. "You're welcome," she smiled. "Thank you for asking me on a date. I never would have brought it up if you hadn't."

Fitz let out a chuckle. He didn't doubt that. "Probably. I bet he loves it, though," he grinned. "Teasing is always fun." He was surprised to hear that. "He doesn't seem to like talking to me about things," he joked. "So I wouldn't know." He looked down at her with a soft smile. "You don't have to thank me for asking you," he told her. "I just wanted to spend some time with you like this." He was so thrilled it had all worked out.

Rosalind nodded and laughed. "If anything, he just likes having more reasons to talk about Anastasia," she said honestly. "Nik? That's odd," she said honestly. She smiled a little, shrugging her shoulder slightly. Maybe she didn't need to thank him, but she was glad that he had asked her out. "I'm glad that you asked anyway," she said honestly. "I'm really enjoying my time with you."

Fitz laughed a bit. "I wouldn't be surprised to hear that at all," he told her. He nodded a bit before smiling. "I think he usually worries I'll have a lot of questions about everything. It's a fair assumption to make. It doesn't bother me," he added with a shrug. Her words had him smiling when he turned to her. "I'm glad that I asked as well. I'm having a wonderful time with you," he smiled.

Rosalind laughed a little when he said Nik was worried he'd ask more questions. "Yeah, Nik isn't as patient as Dom and I. Probably a result of him being the youngest," she said with a laugh. "I like your questions," she added with a softer smile. She leaned into him a little, holding his hand tighter. "Spending time with you is quite lovely," she promised.

Fitz hadn't thought of it as being because he was the youngest. He just always assumed that Nik just simply didn't have the patience in him. "That makes sense," he admitted with a smile. "I'm glad that you do. I ask you a lot of them," he teased gently. He held her close to him, smiling to himself. "I wholeheartedly agree. We should spend more time together," he suggested with a grin.

Rosalind smiled fondly when he said he asked her a lot. "I like it. I think it shows you care and you're interested in me and my life. And I'm happy to tell you things I know," she said honestly. She'd be happy to do that. She wasn't entirely sure where this was going, but she didn't terribly mind. It made her a little tense, but for the most part she could ignore it. "We should," she smiled.

Fitz liked that she thought of it that way. He wanted her to know that he cared and it seemed it was working out that way. "I'm very interested in your life. I'm interested in anything you want to share with me," he told her with a genuine smile. He hummed a little bit to himself, thinking of all the things he wanted to do with her. "I'm already looking forward to the next time I get to see you," he admitted with a smile.

Rosalind felt like such a boring person. She didn't know what she could possibly share with him, but maybe that was why she liked the questions. "You're welcome to ask me anything," she said honestly, smiling at him. She nodded a little, looking out at the city as they walked. "I'm looking forward to it, too," she said, turning to smile at him. She was excited to take him on the boat ride, but she'd likely see him before then, too.

Fitz found that offer to be an excellent one. Anything he wanted to ask he could? He was smiling brightly when he looked at her again. "That's very kind, Rosie. I'll have to think of some questions now," he teased. He'd come up with something soon enough, he was certain of it. "Are you going to tell Simone we went out tonight?" he asked. "I only wonder if you want to tell her or if I should. I'm not very good at keeping secrets," he admitted.

Rosalind smiled a little when he asked about Simone. "Is that the question you came up with, or should I expect those later?" she teased. "I probably will. You can if you'd like. I've talked to her about you before," she admitted. She would probably tell Simone before she'd tell her brothers. She wanted to talk to Nik about it all, but she just hadn't found a good time for it yet. "It's not a secret."

Fitz shrugged a bit, flashing a smile at her. "You should expect them later but this was the question I came up with," he teased back. "Have you now? What have you been saying about me?" he wondered. "Oh, no, if you want to tell her first that would be fine with me. I just wanted to know if you wanted to be the first to mention it," he admitted. He chuckled. "I know it isn't, I only meant it as I'll probably tell her before you had a chance. If I know you want to tell her, I can wait to say anything. I'll tell Wren instead," he smiled.

Rosalind laughed a little and nodded. "Okay," she said playfully. "I have. I've mentioned that I find you attractive. She thinks it's great," she said with a small laugh. "Again, I don't mind. If you see her before I do, you're welcome to bring it up," she said with a grin. She laughed and shook her head. "No, you don't have to not tell her when you see her. You can tell her," she said honestly.

Fitz wished Simone had told him about that. He knew she wasn't the type to do something like that but still, it might have resulted in him asking Rosie out sooner. "I'm not surprised," he smiled. "She has good taste then." He nodded a bit, certain that he'd see Simone first. "I'll tell her when I see her then," he said. He squeezed her hand a bit as he glanced around. "Which way should we go next?"

Rosalind liked the idea of dating Fitz and being friends with Simone and Simone dating Dom. How cute. She didn't like the idea of any of them breaking up, but she and Simone would stay friends if that happened. "You should," she said with a smile. She shrugged a little. "Whichever way you want, if you have a preference. Or we could turn back."

Fitz liked knowing that his sister wasn't bothered by the idea of him dating her best friend. He would have understood if she wasn't and he would have backed off. He was thrilled that he didn't have to. "I will," he grinned. He looked around a bit more before shrugging. "Let's keep going this way," he suggested. "Seeing as we can always apparate ourselves home from wherever we are," he smiled.

Rosalind thought that was a good idea. She knew they'd have to duck before they could apparate, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be simple enough. "Have I ever told you about the time Dom dated a muggle?" she asked curiously. She realized that was sort of odd date conversation, but she remembered being in this area once before with them.

Fitz thought about that for moment before shaking his head. "No, I don't think I know this story," he realized with a chuckle. "That makes a lot of sense. He seems more of the type to date one," he admitted. It seemed more likely that he'd date one than Nik but that was life, he supposed. Not everything made sense. "You have to tell me about it now."

Rosalind laughed a little when he did. "It does make sense, doesn't it? I'll be surprised if he doesn't marry a muggle," she said with another laugh. "Well, he was working with this muggleborn witch he met, getting to know more about her life before Hogwarts and magic and all, and she just knew more about the muggle world than he did, even with a muggle mom. And she happened to have a sister who was not a witch, and they dated for a little while."

Fitz chuckled quietly. "I'll be surprised as well," he admitted. "I can envision him with one far more than I can with a witch," he laughed. He found that very interesting. "He met her through a friend? Did she know he was a wizard? Why did they end things?" he wondered. "I'm surprised I haven't heard this story before. I must not be asking the right questions," he chuckled. "Have you ever dated a muggle?"

Rosalind could see both, really. But she did feel like, of all the wizards she knew, he'd be the one to marry a muggle. And yet, right now he was interested in a pureblood, and Nik was dating a muggle. So maybe it really didn't matter when it came down to it. "He did, yeah. She knew, because her sister was a witch, so she knew all about our world," she explained. "I don't know. They just broke up the way most relationships end," she said with a shrug. She laughed a little. "You must not be!" She shook her head. "No. I dated mostly in school, and then I dated a person I knew from work. No muggles. I suppose you haven't either?"

Fitz thought that had to be the easiest way to date a muggle. "Ah, so she already knew about magic from her sister. He didn't have to lie to try and hide it. That makes sense," he hummed. He nodded slightly, though he did wonder if Dom still talked to either of the girls. "So it wasn't a messy break up?" he asked. He was just so intrigued. "I understand. I think with your line of work, it'd be a bit of a challenge." He shook his head. "I have not, no. I didn't really meet many muggles until I was out of school."

Rosalind nodded along. "Yeah, it was really easy. He just got to learn about her life, which he enjoyed, as I'm sure you can imagine," she said with a laugh. She shook her head. "No, not particularly. I think the worst part about it was that he felt a bit weird talking to her sister after that," she said honestly with a soft smile. She nodded. It would be hard. She would manage it, but she didn't even know that she'd have ever really had the chance to meet a muggle. She usually stayed on the wizarding side of the bar anyway. "It would. I don't really talk to many muggles anyway, honestly," she admitted. "I didn't really, either. Except my family, but I don't feel like that counts," she said with a laugh.

Fitz could definitely imagine that. It seemed like a dream for Dom. "He probably learned a lot from her," he mused. "Is he still friends with the sister?" he asked curiously. "Or was it too weird to talk to her even now? How long ago was this?" he frowned, realizing he wasn't sure. He tried to think back to the first time he'd met a muggle and found himself drawing up a blank. It must have been at a muggle shop he wasn't meant to be at. "I think I've spoken to more since coming here than I ever did in all my years in France."

Rosalind nodded. She remembered him coming to her with all kinds of crazy information. "Oh yeah, a lot," she said honestly. "I don't think so. It was weird, and I think they'd mostly stopped working together anyway. It was, well it was pretty soon after Dom finished school, so it's probably been at least eight years now," she said and then shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure," she admitted. She watched as he thought, glancing at him a few times. "I believe that. Especially with Nik's bar," she said with a smile. Based on the stories she'd heard from both him and Simone, and what she knew of Wren's family, she wasn't surprised.

Fitz hummed thoughtfully. It was strange at times to realize how much information about his friends there was that he didn't know. That was one of the main reasons why he had so many questions. He hadn't been a part of the group for very long, he had so much to catch up on. "Eight years. That's a long time." He nodded a bit, aiming a smile at her. "I've learned a lot from the bar. I never knew muggles were so fascinating," he admitted. He thought for a moment, breathing in the fresh air. "Let's switch the subject to you. If you weren't an auror, what would you be doing?"

Rosalind nodded along. It was a long long time ago. It wasn't something she even thought of really. "It is," she said honestly. She nodded in agreement. "They are quite fascinating, aren't they? I love their world. It's troubled, but so is ours," she said with a shrug. In a lot of ways, they had the same problems, just in different lights. She laughed a little at his question and shook her head. "I honestly don't know. Teaching? Maybe I'd own a store. Maybe I'd be playing quidditch. I don't know. Maybe I'd be working in the muggle world," she shrugged. "What about you? What would you be doing if you weren't a journalist?"

Fitz nodded again. He wondered why so many people he'd grown up around had been so reluctant and against muggles. They were simply people. People without magic. "I love their world too. I love exploring it. I feel like I'm learning so much. People are so kind," he said, his smile easy. He listened intently as she went on about her options, spending a few moments picturing her in each scenario. The only one he could really see was quidditch. Or even perhaps a store. "I could see you as a quidditch player! Maybe we would have met sooner," he smiled. "What kind of store?" When the question was parroted to him he frowned, thinking deeply. "I'd probably still be in Paris. I'm certain my parents would have found something for me, a job in the ministry perhaps. Maybe then they'd be proud of me," he teased.

Rosalind knew not all people were kind, just like not all wizards were kind. But she loved their world anyway. She loved her world anyway, too. A few bad things weren't enough to ruin an entire existence. "There is a lot to learn from them. And they're so interesting," she said honestly. She smiled and shrugged. "I maybe could have done that, but I don't know. It wouldn't have fit just right," she admitted. "I don't know," she said with a laugh. She frowned a little when he spoke, offering him a sad smile. Maybe he was being playful, but it felt sad. "Simone is proud of you."

Fitz wondered what muggles would think of their world. He knew what his parents feared about them but surely not all of them would be afraid of them? Surely some would understand. Otherwise how could there be half bloods? How could the Suttons exist if their mother hadn't understood. "You're sounding like Dominic," he teased gently. "It wouldn't have been right for you. You're doing what you were meant to do. It's obvious to everyone who sees your work," he promised. He shrugged it off with another easy smile. "She is. That's what matters and I'm very proud of her too. That's enough for us, I think."

Rosalind laughed softly when he said that. They were alike, after all. "Well, he isn't wrong. Muggles are interesting. My mum for example. She's the most magical woman I've ever known, and she's as muggle as they come," she said honestly. She wished she knew more about the muggle world, but it was harder to be part of it when you were magical. "I appreciate that," she said with an honest, soft, sweet smile. "The same goes for you, y'know. I think you're the most perfectly suited journalist I've ever known," she said with a smile. "I'm glad that you two can be happy with that. I have to admit, I can't imagine not having my parents support in everything I do."

Fitz liked the way her voice changed when she talked about her mother. It went a bit softer. He'd noticed it with all of the Sutton siblings. They had such a fondness for the woman. It was nice. "She definitely has some magic in her sweets. I don't think any witch or wizard could bake any better," he smiled. He pulled her a bit closer, kissing her on the cheek. "It's probably because there's no question I won't ask," he admitted with a chuckle. "But I do really appreciate that." He stayed quiet for a moment, thinking of what to say. "I had their support until it became apparent I couldn't fly. I had no interest in any other respectable careers. Journalism is a bit beneath the Monet name, especially since it's quidditch. It was different for Simone. That's her story to tell you, though," he told her with a soft smile.

Rosalind laughed a little and nodded. "She does, doesn't she? She's the most incredible baker ever," she said honestly. She smiled when he kissed her cheek. She really liked him. "I think that's it," she said honestly, laughing a little. "You're a wonderful journalist," she added. She frowned a little. She couldn't imagine not support your child over something like flying. "So they wanted you to know how to fly, but don't like quidditch? That seems silly. The whole thing does, honestly. No offense. I just can't imagine not loving my child for something so trivial. You don't deserve that," she said honestly. She would never expect Fitz to tell Simone's story.

Fitz smiled with a nod. "She has a real talent. I've never had anything like what she made. I even shared some with Simone, though not many," he admitted with a chuckle. "I'd like to go visit her again someday." He turned to her with a smile. "Well, thank you. I do appreciate it. I always wonder if anyone even reads my articles," he admitted. "But I have such fun writing them." He shook his head a bit, trying to figure out how to explain it. "They wanted me to be able to play quidditch. Writing about it, to them, is an admission of defeat," he shrugged. "It's alright. Family is more than blood. Family is the people who you can rely on. The ones who always have your back. I found my family in London."

Rosalind grinned when he said he even shared with Simone. "I'm glad you both like her so baked goods so much. I'd be happy to take you again sometime soon," she said with a smile. She laughed when he said he wondered if people read his articles. "Well I do. I can't say for sure if anyone else does, but I do," she said honestly. She thought that was a strange thing. "Well, I think writing is wonderful. It's better than quidditch, in a lot of ways, if you ask me," she said with a smile. "I'm glad you're here."

Fitz smiled brightly. "I'd be thrilled to return. I'll pick up some more flowers for your mother. She's such a bright and kind woman," he said with a smile. He glanced at her, giving her a gentle nudge. "I appreciate you taking the time to read them. It means a lot to me," he promised. He knew his family life was far different from what she was used to and talking about it could be a bit dark and hard to understand. "I enjoy it. I get to see most teams play which is quite the perk," he grinned. "I'm glad I'm here too. I'm glad I'm with you."

Rosalind smiled at him. He was so kind. She loved that he liked her mum so much. "She'll very much appreciate that," she said honestly. "She is. I quite adore her," she said with a small laugh. "Why wouldn't I? You're a talented writer. And I need to know what's going on. Though I like it better when you tell me directly," she admitted. She nodded. Getting to watch games and meet players was quite a perk. "You're very lucky," she smiled. "I'm glad you're here with me, too."

Fitz thought that settled it then. He would pick up flowers for her mother before returning to the bakery. "It's my way of thanking her for her excellent treats," he smiled. "I don't blame you. It seems nice having a mother like her," he admitted. "Well, not everyone wants to read about the teams that they don't like. Personally, I prefer writing about my favorite teams so it wouldn't bother me if you skipped some," he admitted with a shrug. "I'll tell you all the news personally then," he promised. He felt lucky. He couldn't play but writing was the next best thing. "There's no place I'd rather be."

Rosalind laughed a little, but shrugged. "I think she'd accept thank you," she said honestly. She nodded a little. "It is. She's everything you could imagine in a mum. Do you want to come to our home for the holidays? I know it's a bit out, but, maybe it might be nice. Simone, too," she suggested. She hoped it didn't sound weird. She thought that made sense. She liked to know everything about everyone though. "I'm a fast reader. I like to be informed," she said honestly. "I look forward to that," she smiled. She stopped walking, turning to him and putting her hand on her face, leaning in and kissing him. She pulled back after a moment and smiled.

Fitz shrugged. "It's better to give a gift. She did give me free sweets. And she did seem to like them so much when I gave them to her the last time," he said with an easy smile. He was a bit surprised by the offer but was delighted. "Truly? I was expecting to just spend it with Simone at the cottage with Eclair. Could we really come? I bet your Christmas is so warm and friendly. It sounds like such a treat." He was so excited, his words were running together a bit, his accent thickening. He had to remind himself to slow down. "I'll tell you before the article comes out and then you can read it," he suggested playfully. The sudden kiss took him by surprise but he leaned into it eagerly, his arms wrapping around her. He cast a quick charm, causing snowflakes to fall around them.

Rosalind thought he was rather sweet. He was more than just polite. He went above and beyond. It was so sweet. "She did like them. She talked about you later. She thinks you're quite charming. She isn't wrong," she said with a slight smirk of a smile. She nodded. "You can be part of the family. My mum never turns down anyone. More people to eat and compliment her," she smiled. "It is warm and friendly. We'd all be so happy to have you," she promised, laughing softly at the way his accent came out. She was so fond. She nodded, laughing a little. "I'll get the inside scoop before I buy it," she said. She moved her arms around his neck, holding onto him. She pulled back for a moment when she noticed the snow. "You did that, didn't you?" she said, a soft smile on her face. She nearly giggled as she leaned back in and kissed him again, the sound bleeding into his mouth.

Fitz was pleased to hear that. Delighted, even. "Did she? Oh, she's too kind. She's the charming one with her bakery and giving free treats to friends of her daughter," he smiled at her. He couldn't believe she'd made such a nice offer for him to spend the holiday with her family. "We would love to come. Is there anything I can bring? Gifts, of course I'll bring gifts, but you'll have to help me shop for your parents. I assume they wouldn't like the same gifts my parents do," he chuckled. He smiled at her charmingly. "You will. You'll be the first to know." He kissed her tenderly, not wanting it to be too much. He liked the soft, romantic atmosphere and the snow had added to it. "I did," he admitted with a smile. He leaned into the kiss, pulling her tight against him.

Rosalind found it rather ironic that he thought she was the charming one when he was the most charming person she'd ever met. "She is charming, but not like you," she promised. She nodded along, smiling at how excited he was. "You're welcome to bring gifts. I'll help you find things. You'd really be better off going to a muggle shop for both of them," she admitted. She felt herself smiling into the kiss. He made it snow for her. What a romantic man. She held him close, wrapping herself up in him as they kissed.

Fitz disagreed. He didn't really find himself all that charming. Her mum, though, had been quite the charming woman. And that charm had been passed down to Rosie, that was for sure. "Of course I'll bring gifts! We'll go shopping together. I'm glad that we have some time before Christmas so I can really think about it. We'll go to every muggle shop in the city!" he exclaimed excitedly. He held her close, kissing her softly and gently but with as much passion as he could muster. He pulled back a little, brushing some snow from her hair.

Rosalind smiled fondly, watching his face as he spoke. She loved how full of expressions he was. He was so excited. And he really went all out. Every muggle shop in the city. He clearly had no idea how many there were. "We can sure try to go to all of them. We'll shop together, though, for sure," she agreed. She liked how warm she felt in his arms. She liked that muggles would be so surprised by the snow, but she knew what it was. She liked the way he held her, and touched her so softly. She could feel his affection, and not because she was reading it. She pulled back when he did, opening her eyes and looking up at him. "You're quite the romantic," she said quietly, smiling at him.

Fitz couldn't wait to get started. He'd have to make a list of everyone he needed gifts for. He'd probably consult both Rosie and Simone about that. "I wish it was Christmas already. I'd gladly skip over my birthday just to get to the holidays," he admitted with a grin. "I almost want to shop now." He held her close, not really caring if he'd caused a scene or not with the snow. He wasn't sure anyone else had even noticed. It felt like the two of them were the only people in the world at this moment. "I thought you deserved some snow. Just a little dusting. A kiss of snow," he murmured, leaning down to press his lips to hers once more.

Rosalind laughed joyfully at how excited he was. He was adorable. She enjoyed him so much. "Your birthday? When is your birthday? I haven't heard of this!" she said with a smile. She laughed again, shaking her head. "You can if you'd like, but you'd probably get excited and give the gifts away early," she teased. No one had ever made her feel this way. It was incredible. She could really lose herself in him. What a freeing feeling. She grinned at his pun, leaning in to kiss him again.

Fitz shrugged slightly. "I didn't want to make a big deal about it. It's my first one without my family, minus Simone. And Wren's is first," he shrugged. "And I don't know that Simone wants any celebration. It's October the twenty-first," he told her. "Maybe you can talk to her and see what she wants to do," he suggested. Simone loved Rosalind. If she brought up a party, his twin might go for it. "I probably would," he admitted. "I just want to hand all of the gifts out." He kissed her again, making the snow stop so muggles didn't get confused.

Rosalind smiled sweetly at him. "I would like to do something for it, even if it's just the two of us," she admitted. "Yeah we all know about Wren, his party is planned, don't worry," she teased. She made a mental note anyway. "I'll talk to her. Maybe she'll be down if I insist," she said with a smile. She thought it'd be nice for the two of them to have something. She thought it must be sort of fun, sharing a birthday like that. "I know you would," she said with a small laugh. She kissed him back, pulling away. "This has been the best first date ever."

Fitz found that sweet and he leaned down to kiss her on the head. "We can do something just the two of us," he promised. "Oh? Is it a surprise? Is that why I didn't get told?" he teased. He smiled at her. "I'm certain she would. Likely something small, just the group. Maybe Anastasia as well," he mused. He hoped she could convince Simone to have a party even if it was small. "I want to give out gifts all the time," he admitted. He kissed her one last time before pulling away. "I completely agree."

Rosalind closed her eyes when he kissed her head. She liked him a lot. Even more than she knew. "That sounds lovely," she admitted. "Yeah, it is," she teased. "It's not a hue deal, though," she said honestly. She smiled a bit, nodding a little. "How else were we gonna do it?" she teased. She was excited to do something for the two of them. Of all the people she knew, they really deserved it. "You're sweet like that," she admitted. She smiled when he pulled away. "I should probably go home soon."

Fitz laughed when she said it was, in fact, a surprise. "Best not to tell me then," he grinned at her. "I hope things go exactly to plan, then," he smiled. He shrugged a bit. "I'd say invite her friends from work but I don't know how close she is to any of them," he admitted. "She doesn't talk about them much. I think she'd prefer it just be us," he explained. He shrugged it off with a smile. "It's not that big of a deal." He nodded a bit. "Should I walk you or apparate you?" he asked her.

Rosalind laughed a little and nodded. "Yeah, you're right about that," she said playfully. She was planning on only having it be them. She wasn't even necessarily going to invite everyone, but she would. She thought it'd be nice for Simone to see that they all cared about her and liked her. And Fitz, too. But she'd make it more about Simone than Fitz, honestly. He would like it that way, she thought. "Don't worry. I'll talk to Nik and get the whole thing worked out," she smiled. "You're just a nice person, Fitz. Admit it," she smiled. She thought for a moment but shrugged. "Apparating would probably be better. We're sort of far out. But not right to my door," she said with a smile.

Fitz liked the idea of them having a birthday party. He wasn't even sure the last time he'd enjoyed his birthday. It had to have been at school, he realized. "Nothing formal. Just the group at the bar. Simone can't say no to that," he smiled. "I think it'll be the best birthday she's had in a long time." It felt like he shouldn't have said that so he quickly moved on and changed the subject. "I never said that I wasn't!" he laughed. "I just like seeing other people happy. I've already started my Christmas shopping," he told her. "And I've had Wren's present for weeks! It's killing me to not give it to him now." He nodded a bit and tugged her into an alley. He apparated them back to the bar, knowing she lived relatively close. "How's this?"

Rosalind nodded along, making mental notes. She'd remember. "Noted," she smiled at him. She smiled a bit wider at that, but didn't say anything. She'd be thrilled to give Simone such a great celebration. She grinned a bit at him, but shrugged a shoulder. "I suppose that's technically true," she teased. She wasn't surprised by that, but she did find it pretty amazing. "Wow, how very organized of you. I don't have much even planned, let alone purchased," she said with a laugh. "Well, what did you get him then?" she asked curiously, smiling at him. She held onto him as he apparated back, smiling as they arrived. "Perfect." She was glad this had gone so well.

Fitz laughed quietly. "I just like buying presents. I see something I think someone will like and I buy it for them. I might have too many gifts for everyone for Christmas." He let out a thoughtful hum, considering her. "I don't know if I can trust you to keep a secret," he teased her gently with a nudge. He started walking with her towards her place, glancing at the bar as they passed it and wondering if any of their friends were inside. "Thank you for accompanying me out tonight."

Rosalind smiled fondly. He was so sweet, so kind. She was so glad their group had adopted him. He deserved good things and kind people and he was just wonderful. "Giving feels good, doesn't it?" she said with a smile. She laughed a bit, raising her eyebrows at him. "Fitz! I would never tell your secrets!" she laughed. She thought it was wild how in such a short time, they'd gone from friends, to a little bit more. It was kind of nice. "Thank you for inviting me out tonight."

Fitz nodded sincerely. "It really does. I've always liked giving gifts. It drove my parents crazy when they'd send me money and I'd spend it on other people," he admitted. "But I never needed much. I spent most of my money for myself on quills. I have a tendency to lose them." He shrugged a little bit and gave her an easy smile. "What if you copy my gift and give it to him first?" he teased her. He gave her a little squeeze and smiled. "I'd been wanting to for a while. I just didn't think you'd say yes."

Rosalind frowned a bit at that, finding it sort of odd. "What does it matter what you choose to the spend the money on?" she asked. "That doesn't surprise me," she said with a small laugh. "You should keep one behind your ear. You won't lose it then," she teased. She laughed, shaking her head. "Why would I steal your gift idea!" she laughed. She smiled to herself at the squeeze, leaning into him a bit. "You have? That's so funny. I've wanted you to ask me for a while."

Fitz shrugged slightly. "My parents are very particular people. They didn't approve of many of my friends and didn't like me spending money on them. I always figured, once the money was in my hands it no longer meant they had any say in how I used it," he explained. He never let them get to him. "I'm sure I'd find a way," he winked. "Because it's a great gift idea! It might be the best I've ever chosen for him," he said proudly. He held her closer when she leaned in. "It seems we were wasting time not doing this sooner."

Rosalind laughed a bit. "They'd hate that you're on a date with me now then," she said honestly. She hoped that wasn't playing any part in why he was with her tonight. "I think you're right though. They gave the money to you to spend as you saw fit, and you did," she said with a shrug. She laughed, smiling fondly at his wink. "Alright, alright. I'll just have to see when he opens it!" she gave up. She nodded, raising her eyebrows a little. "It does. But nothing to be done now. At least we're finally doing this."

Fitz didn't care about that. "They'd hate that the only pureblood I hang out with is Wren. Surprisingly, they still adore him. I suppose his profession wasn't that much of a disappointment to them. I've scorned them pretty badly, though." He shrugged. "You all have become my family. Friends are the family we choose anyway, right?" he smiled. He laughed a bit. "You'll be impressed by how great of a gift it is," he teased. He rubbed her arm and leaned down and kissed her cheek. "The timing is perfect, I think anyway."

Rosalind found that a bit odd. Wren had been not very pureblood like for a while now. "They probably just don't hold him to the standards they hold you to," she said with a shrug. "Exactly," she smiled. She laughed and nodded. "I'm sure I will be," she said honestly. She smiled at the kiss on her cheek. She liked him so much. She nodded in agreement. "I think so, too," she agreed. She couldn't believe she'd had a crush on him for almost a whole year and now they were on a date.

Fitz wasn't sure. He didn't think it was that big of a deal in the end. He'd long since stopped caring what his parents thought of him. Especially after what Simone had been through. "Perhaps," he shrugged. He was really looking forward to Wren's party, and the one for him and Simone shortly after. "It's an excellent gift. No one else will have picked out a better one," he grinned. He held her close to him as they walked, just enjoying having her with him. "I'm glad it's happening now."

Rosalind shrugged a bit at that, smiling over at him. "I don't know. I bet Dot could have. They have been spending an awful lot of time together," she teased. She liked the way he held her close as they walked. It was so nice. No one had really touched her like this in such a long time, it was so refreshing, and so different than it had been the last time someone had held her close. "Me, too," she agreed.

Fitz brushed that off. "Well, everyone has been pairing up recently. You and I, Simone and Dom, Nik has Ana. It makes sense they're doing the same. I asked Wren about it, anyway, after I caught him kissing her and he said it was just out of excitement. I don't think anything is going on between them," he admitted. "But let's not waste the rest of our night gossiping. And you do know how much I love gossiping." He rubbed the side of her arm, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. He knew they'd have to say goodnight soon and he wasn't looking forward to it. "When shall we go on our boat date?"

Rosalind wasn't sure about that. It really felt like they were together all the time, but maybe she was wrong. She wasn't always around, anyway, and she didn't pay that much attention. "I suppose not," she said with a smile. She laughed a little and nodded. "No more gossiping," she agreed. She walked with him, slowing down as she saw her building ahead of her. "Whenever we're both free?" she suggested.

Fitz wanted to focus the last few minutes he had with her completely on her. He didn't know if he'd bump into her tomorrow or not and he wanted to get his fill just in case. Besides, this was their first date. They could gossip the next time they saw each other. Right now, the main thing on his mind was getting his lips on hers again. "Perfect plan," he teased. "This weekend, perhaps? Are you free at all?" he asked. He turned to kiss her temple just because he could.

Rosalind thought it over, trying to picture what her calendar looked like. She thought she would be free. "I think I will be, yes," she said with a smile. "This weekend sounds good to me if you have the time, then," she added. She was very excited about going on their little boat date. It would be fun and she was going to enjoy showing him some muggle things.

Fitz waited patiently while she thought. He knew his schedule was a bit more flexible than hers as he could finish his articles at any time. He had deadlines, of course, and he also had interviews that were scheduled but other than that? His time was his own. "I have the time. No interviews to conduct. Besides, I'm ahead on my articles for next week's issue anyway," he promised. "I already can't wait to see you again," he admitted with a boyish grin.

Rosalind smiled at him, the smile having a hint of a half smirk in it. "Look at you, working ahead," she said playfully. "Proud of you," she said with a grin. She smiled, a bit more bashfully this time. "Me neither. Though I'm sure I'll see you before at the bar, or for lunch, if you still want to do that," she said with a smile. It wasn't the same as a date, but she looked forward to it anyway.

Fitz let out a delightful chuckle. "Well, I like to stay on top of things. That way if there's something spontaneous I'd like to do, I don't have to worry about falling behind. I was that way in school, too," he admitted. "I'm glad to know you're proud of me," he grinned, though the words were genuine. "We'll definitely see each other before. I can't imagine not. Plus, I'll take any excuse to see your smile. I'm quite hooked on it."

Rosalind laughed a bit. "How responsible of you. I was like that in school, and I suppose I am now, but I don't really work ahead," she admitted. "Of course I am," she said playfully, smiling at him. She laughed a bit, feeling sort of bashful. "I'm sure we will. I'd be happy to get lunch with you and allow you the opportunity to see my smile," she teased lightly.

Fitz smiled at her. "As long as you stay on top of things, there's no problem in not working ahead. Getting behind is what you have to watch out for," he winked. He'd have to think of somewhere for them to go or maybe they'd just wander around for a while until they found something. "Lunch it is. Don't be surprised if I drop by your office tomorrow or the next day, then," he said playfully. He really just wanted to spend most of his time with her. It was quickly becoming his favorite thing.

Rosalind thought he was right about that. It was sort of hard to work ahead on her work now, anyway. "Oh, I never get behind," she said with a half grin, half smirk. She smiled fondly and shook her head. "I promise I won't be surprised," she smiled. She was sort of excited. And she admittedly kind of liked that he stopped by at her work and after he left she got to talk about him a little. She stopped when they got to her door. "I guess I have to say goodnight now."

Fitz had a feeling she was the type to stay on schedule. She was put together like that. He doubted she'd ever been late to anything in her life. "I can't wait already," he told her. He felt his smile fall when they reached her place. He knew the night had to come to an end but that didn't mean he was pleased about it. "I suppose you do," he agreed. "I'd like to kiss you goodnight, though," he told her with a half smile.

Rosalind couldn't wait either, honestly. Since she'd started to let her feelings for him out and not bottle them up, it was sort of hard to not think of him all the time and be excited nonstop. "Me neither," she smiled. She could tell he was disappointed they were at her place, and she was too, so she couldn't blame him. "I would like it if you kissed me goodnight," she said with a soft smile.

Fitz stepped closer to her when she spoke. He loved how delicate her smile was. His hand moved to her cheek and his thumb brushed over that smile gently. Then he leaned down to press a soft, sweet kiss to her mouth. The whole night had been so seamless. They'd skipped the awkwardness that typically happened when moving a friendship into something more. He was thrilled about it.

Rosalind felt her eyes flutter shut when his hand moved to her face, the ever so soft smile still present on her lips. She kissed him back, moving a hand instinctively to his side, holding him close as she kissed him. What a night tonight had been. She kept kissing him for a moment longer than he had probably intended before pulling away reluctantly. "Thank you. I had a wonderful time," she smiled. She leaned in and pecked his lips once more. "Goodnight, Fitz."

Fitz reveled in her every response to him. This was a perfect goodnight kiss, he thought. Their first date had been perfect too. That had to mean something, he thought. He held her close to him as they kissed, just as reluctant as she was to pull away. When they finally did, he smiled. "I had a wonderful time too," he promised. "Goodnight, Rosie." He took a step backwards, watching her still to make sure she made it inside.

5 notes · View notes

catflowerqueen · 4 years

Text

Deja vu (Oh, the Irony)

So guess what I did today instead of homework....

Chapter 3: Calm Before the Storm

Laura had, at first, been highly interested in the adults’ conversation. First of all, they were very cool to look at—so many wild and crazy colors! Some of them were furry, some were hairless, one had feathers, and one of them looked like she was part plant! She knew that they probably weren’t the most interesting or “weird” beings out there, considering some of the stories Mommy told her about her work… but since she and Mason thought Laura was still too little to actually go out and help Mommy herself, she’d mostly only seen humans so far. She didn’t really get why—the non-humans she’d seen so far hadn’t been scary, and neither were these creatures; they actually looked like something that she might have made up herself while doing paintings of fantasy creatures as she tried to speculate on some of the crazier things that her family or the servants might have seen when they weren’t at home.

The second thing that interested her about the adults was their reaction to her and Paula. They all seemed wary around the two of them—which wasn’t anything new, since adults were always like that around her—but at the same time… she could tell that the wariness wasn’t of them, but for them. For both of them. They were genuinely worried about the two of them, and when Mr. Drowzee was trying to comfort Paula earlier, she could tell that it was, for the most part, because he didn’t like that she was sad… no strings attached, no fear at her crying: he just genuinely wanted her to smile again. It was a very refreshing experience, even as the tension still present in the room nagged at her.

But as the conversation went on and the tension started to lessen… she found herself quickly becoming bored. She didn’t know what Mr. Drowzee was talking about. He was throwing her and Paula’s names around, but the stuff he was saying didn’t make any sense. She’d never even met Paula before today, so how could they be part of a “team” together? And that bag that Mr. Drowzee had that he claimed belonged to the two of them looked way too heavy for her—and like it was supposed to go over the shoulder, rather than hanging sensibly around a waist like her pocket did. It was confusing, and boring, and it didn’t seem like it was going to stop being that way any time soon.

With that in mind, Laura sat back up—slightly startling Paula as she did so, as she had forgotten the small Pokémon (who was maybe called a pichu, or something?) was using her as a pillow. Thankfully, this didn’t make the yellow creature cry… although her eyes did begin looking suspiciously shiny… so Laura had her full, uninterrupted attention when she quietly said, “C’mon, let’s go explore.”

Paula’s ears perked up at the word and she gave an excited smile before her expression drooped again as she glanced at the adults. “But… would that be okay?” she wondered. “I don’ wanna get in trouble…”

Laura cocked her head in confusion. Why would they get in trouble for exploring? But… if it would stop Paula from feeling so worried… “We won’t go far; we won’t even go back outside,” she assured. She pointed at the hallway behind them. “We’ll just go down there a little.”

Paula glanced between the destination and the chattering adults, squinting her eyes in concentration as she debated on what to do. On the one paw, the possibility of making these strange adults mad. On the other paw, the chance to get a taste of the life Ricky wrote about in his letters. On the one paw, continued boredom. On the other… nah, who was she kidding—anything that prevented boredom automatically won out.

“Okay, let’s go!” she jumped up in excitement, turning on her heel and rushing toward the hallway her new friend pointed out. “Race you!”

Laura started in surprise before a huge grin bloomed on her face and she giggled as she hurried after her fellow child.

------

Paula sighed and flopped backwards onto one of the beds they’d found, pouting in disappointment. So far, this whole “exploration” had been really boring. She’d lost the race despite her head start because her legs were so tiny compared to the… she thought the others called her a human?... child, so that meant she had to let her pick which room they would look at first after she’d skidded to a stop in the middle of the hallway upon seeing two doors right across from each other. The fact that she’d picked the room Paula would have wanted to pick first anyways—the one on the right—didn’t make her feel any better, because a loss was still a loss. And the room turned out to be really boring. All it had in it were some straw beds, a water basin, and a boring book. It didn’t even have any pictures in it or anything—which had instantly made her new friend lose interest in it—and it wasn’t even written in any cool languages, like those footprint runes that Ricky had accidentally sent in last week’s letter home. The handwriting was kind of terrible, too, so even though her parents and everyone always said how “advanced she was for her age” when it came to reading—she could read the entirety of her favorite “The Adventures of Mighty Magikarp” book, all ten pages, all on her own, after all!—she couldn’t actually make out any words beyond “Bidoof’s” and “Diary.” Which meant that it probably belonged to the bidoof who was still talking with the adults in the other room, which made it instantly uninteresting because she was still mad at all of them since they were strangers.

The next room, containing the bed she was currently flopped down on, wasn’t any more exciting. The only thing different about it was that it had fewer beds and a table instead of a water basin. It even had another boring book in it! And this one was even more impossible to read than the last one, since even though the handwriting was a lot better, it was in that loopy-script that only mommies and grandmas used. Which made it doubly boring, and doubly impossible to read, even though she could admit it was also doubly prettier to look at.

…There was also a window in the room, which she guessed was kind of cool except for the fact that it was nighttime now and she couldn’t actually see anything when she looked out of it.

She heard a soft “thump!” from the bed beside hers and looked over to see the human sitting next to her, playing in the straw a little bit and tying some pieces into knots.

“Hey, is your name actually Laura?” she asked, suddenly realizing that she’d never actually gotten confirmation of that fact.

The human dropped her straw in surprise. “Yeah?” she said, sounding confused. “Didn’t you already know that?”

Paula puffed up her cheeks in annoyance, accidentally setting some sparks off from her electrical pouches. “Well Mr. Drowzee said that, yeah, but he’s a stranger. Stranger aren’t s’pposed to use your name until you or your mommy or daddy or brother or aunties or uncles or cousin Felix or his brothers an’ sisters or cousin Bradley or his brothers an’ sisters tell them first,” she huffed.

“Even if everyone already knows it?” the human asked, sounding awed by this new information.

“Especially then!” Paula nodded decisively. “Otherwise they’re being really rude!” But then she frowned, thinking about something, and amended, “Unless they’re a teacher or Saint Christopher, Lord of the Delibirds—they know your name because they use magic lists, so that’s okay.”

“Wow…” the human breathed out in amazement, her eyes wide with wonder. But then she shook her head, coming back to herself. “Well… um… hi, I’m Laura!” she introduced herself, sticking out a hand for Paula to shake.

“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Paula said solemnly, carefully sounding out the words as she grasped Laura’s hand in her paw and gave it a single shake. Then the two immediately dissolved into another giggling fit before racing out of the room and down the hall to the final, unexplored room at the end.

Honestly, neither of them had high hopes for its contents and were mostly continuing their “exploration” for completion’s sake… and to continue avoiding the boring adults hanging out in the other room. This is why they were completely surprised when, upon entering, they found that the room was already occupied.

Paula immediately ducked behind Laura—who had stopped stock-still upon entering the room—and grasped some of the fabric covering the girl’s legs as she peeked around them to get a safer look at the stranger occupying one of the room’s two beds.

She lowered her voice close to a whisper as she asked her friend, “Who do you think they are?”

Laura, who seemed apprehensive, for some reason, and had brought her arms up to hug herself as she warily looked around the room, startled and looked down at Paula before giving the room a more thorough look and finally spotting what caught the pichu’s attention.

“Oh…” she breathed out, seeming puzzled—but less wary. She tilted her head, thinking it over, and then dropped her arms and shrugged. “I dunno.”

The two pondered the sight before them a moment more before they heard something that made them break into giggles again.

“They’re snoring!” Laura exclaimed in glee, listening to the soft rumbling noise interspersed with gargling sounds and lip smacks from all the drooling this new stranger was doing.

“They’re even noisier than Daddy is when he’s nappin’!” Paula added, the sights and sounds quickly dispensing her previous wariness about the stranger and causing her to step out from behind Laura. She crept closer to the strange pokémon, careful to be quiet so that she wouldn’t wake him even as she was feeling braver and intent on getting a closer look. Laura quickly followed suit, dropping to all fours in a crawl so that she could be at a better eye level.

“They’re the bestet colors ever,” Laura mused as she finally reached the pokémon in question and leaned in closer. “White, an’ gold, an’ bluey green…”

“Those are boring—orange is way better!” Paula interjected, shaking her head in a pitying manner.

Laura just gave a huff at Paula’s naivety and rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the snoring creature before her. They shifted a little in their sleep, causing the tag-like features hanging off of the points on their golden head to come into easier reach of tiny, human fingers. “I wonder if its as silky as Mommy’s dresses…” Laura wondered aloud as she reached out and made contact with it. But she was only able to give it a tiny poke—not nearly enough to give her any concrete data—before the creature’s eyes squinted shut in minor annoyance and they shifted again, rendering the tags unreachable from her current vantage point. She pouted briefly at the lack of an answer, but then, strangely, her eyes widened in fear and she flung herself as far away from the sleeping pokémon as possible.

“L-Laura…?” Paula asked, startled by the sudden movements and becoming afraid herself. “What… what’s wrong?”

“N-no…” the human groaned, clutching her head. “No!”

“Laura?!” Paula tried again, resorting to ineffectually shaking the girl’s leg in an attempt to snap her out of whatever this was when the human became silent and unresponsive for a few moments. But then Paula fell back with a squawk of surprise when the girl’s head suddenly shot back up and she looked frantically around the room, seeming a little dazed and pausing briefly in confusion on Paula before her gaze cleared again and settled on the sleeping stranger. Her features sharpened into an angry glare—one that was admittedly quite frightening for a toddler—and she opened her mouth, as if to give an angry shout. But before she could…

“Oh, thank Arceus! There you are!”

------

A few moments earlier…

Chatot had been just as panicky as the others when they realized that the kids were missing, but he knew that panicking would get them nowhere. So, just as always, he strove to be the voice of reason and authority needed to get everyone back on track.

“EVERYONE QUIET DOWN!” he ordered, his wings ruffling in agitation until everyone complied. “Panicking won’t help us find them any faster! We need to think rationally about this.”

He glanced around the room, taking note of any exits or hiding spaces and thinking back on what he’d seen of the children’s demeanors and abilities thus far.

“…All right,” he began, addressing the assembled once more. “It is unlikely that they went far. Even if they did, somehow, make it all the way back to the entrance, from what Drowzee said, Paula would be unlikely to cross over the grate on her own. Laura would have to carry her—but Laura already said that she was tired from doing so earlier, and it is unlikely that she would be recovered enough to do so again, especially as she would have had to contend with climbing the ladders first. Therefore, only one person needs to check the upper levels; everyone else should split into smaller teams and make a sweep of this level. Laura is still big enough that she should be easy enough to find, but with Paula’s smaller size it is entirely possible that she is hiding somewhere—”

But he was cut off when a faint “No!” sounded from the hallway to the crew rooms.

“…Or they could have gone off to explore the living areas,” Chatot muttered, immediately dashing off towards the sound, the others following quickly behind.

As he’d hoped, the sight that met them when they reached Team Rainbow’s old room was that of two children—along with their legendary guest, who was still in roughly the same position he’d been in when Chatot had seen him earlier.

“Oh, thank Arceus!” he breathed out, letting his barely contained panic melt away to relief. “There you are!”

At the sound of his voice the two children immediately stopped what they were doing and looked over at him. Laura’s expression went from angry to surprised, and Paula’s went from nervous to… well, actually, her expression didn’t really change all that much; it simply switched focus from her friend to him as she grabbed onto Laura’s leggings once more and tried to hide behind the curve of the human’s knees in order to get out of the sights of the multitude of strange adults in the hallway.

“You two can’t just wander away like that,” Chatot scolded, the relief at having found the two of them giving way to panic once more as his mind was assaulted with visions of what might have befallen the two, tiny explorers if they actually had managed to make it outside the guild. “You need to ask permission, or to at least tell someone where you’re going first!”

Paula looked like she was about to start crying again from the scolding, but Laura just cocked her head in honest confusion. “But how do I do that if I don’ know where I’m goin’?”

Chatot opened his mouth to respond, but then paused as he thought over her answer. He then dropped his head into his wings and gave a resigned sigh at the child’s logic. “Just… please don’t wander off again without telling someone first, all right, Laura?”

Laura gave a very put-upon sigh before reluctantly agreeing. “Okay,” she said, before suddenly remembering something and exclaiming “Oh! Oh, wait, no! You’re not s’pposed to say that!”

Everyone just looked at her in utter confusion, so she huffed. “I didn’t introduce myself yet, and neither did Mommy or… or any of those other people on Paula’s list that I don’t actually know, so you’re not s’pposed to use my name!”

“Y-Yeah!” Paula said, suddenly perking up and gaining a bit of bravery at the fact that she was being better behaved than the actual adults were. “You’re being rude right now! An’ that’s bad!”

Neither of the girls noticed how hard the adults they faced were trying not to smile at how adorable the two of them were being—or at the subtle confirmation that, as weirdly coincidental as it was, Laura’s name was apparently still “Laura” during her first incarnation. Luckily, they didn’t have to struggle for long as Wigglytuff, with his seemingly oblivious demeanor, immediately stepped up. With all seriousness and grace, he told the girls, “You’re absolutely right! That was very rude of us. Can you forgive us, friendly-friends?”

Laura scrutinized him for a moment before sharing a glance with Paula and nodding, if a bit reluctantly. “I guess so,” she said. “But only if you tell me who all of you are first.”

“Oh, of course!” Wigglytuff assured enthusiastically before he began doing so, starting off with Drowzee, “This is Drowzee, a new explorer who is visiting my guild for a while…” and, after going through introductions for his apprentices and head of intelligence, finishing off with “…and I’m Guildmaster Wigglytuff!”

Paula gasped, her eyes sparkling with glee at the information as she finally realized something. “You’re the Wigglytuff?! An’ this the Wigglytuff Guild?!” she demanded. At Wigglytuff’s proud nod, she gasped again. “That’s so… so cool! Way cooler than the dumb Torterra Guild that Ricky goes to…”

“Oh my gosh, I’ve heard of that place!” Sunflora suddenly exclaimed, startling everyone present. “It’s about as famous as the Wigglytuff Guild, but no outsiders really know how it runs. It makes total sense that the leader of Team Spark-Seed would have graduated from such a place!”

Paula rolled her eyes. “It’s not that ‘mysterious.’ It’s mostly just really boring,” she stated bluntly. “They don’ ever even get visitors like you do, who’re just allowed to sleep whenever they want, even all the way through important grown-up meetings,” she explained, pointing at the sleeping legendary.

The others followed her paw—except for Laura, who deliberately looked anywhere except that direction—and winced at the reminder of how serious this situation was, and how they still hadn’t decided how much to explain to the kids about what was going on.

“Ah… Yes, well, that’s a bit of a special case,” Chatot finally said, taking one for the team. “This pokémon is known as Jirachi… have you ever heard of him?” The kids shook their heads, and he winced; unfortunate, but not unexpected. “Well, Jirachi is known as the ‘Wish Pokémon.’ As the name implies, he sometimes grants wishes for others. But this ability takes a lot of energy, and so after he grants a wish he has to sleep for…” Chatot paused in his explanation, wincing again as he realized that he didn’t know the exact mechanics of how Jirachi’s powers worked, or how long he typically had to sleep in order to recharge. “Well… after he grants a wish, he has to sleep for… some period of time,” he finally compromised.

“So… that means he just granted someone’s wish?” Paula asked, while Laura pretended not to be interested in the conversation even though she actually was.

“Precisely,” Chatot said, pleased at how clever Paula was for her age. “And the wish in this instance actually had to do with you two, Paula and L—” Chatot’s eyes widened and he cut himself off so abruptly that he actually started coughing as he recalled that Laura hadn’t actually introduced herself yet. “And the, er… the young lady beside you,” he recovered, rather lamely.

Laura, having caught the hasty correction, easily put two and two together, blushed, and mumbled out, “…My name’s Laura.”

Chatot gave a genuine smile at this, saying warmly, “It is very nice to meet you, Laura.”

Laura gave a small smile back before giving a reluctant look in Jirachi’s direction, sighing, and resignedly re-entering the conversation. “So… was the wish to bring us here or somethin’?” she asked, “’Cuz this place doesn’t look anywhere like where I was before…”

Chatot winced again—even as half of him wanted to smile at how clever Laura was, as well, to have pieced that together the way she did. “Well… yes, in a manner of speaking,” he said.

“Oh, okay,” Laura said, apparently unconcerned by the fact that she had abruptly been yanked away from her home and brought to this strange place filled with strange creatures now that she had a little bit of an explanation for what caused the change in scenery and company.

Paula, however, did not take it nearly as well. “But… b-but,” her eyes, predictably, filled with tears, “but if he’s sleeping now… then does that mean we can’t go home?!”

Chatot’s feathers ruffled in agitation as he frantically looked around, practically begging for someone to step in and help him explain. But, really, how could anyone explain the complexities of the situation? About the fact that it wasn’t so much that the girls were simply in a different place than they were used to, but a completely different time as well? Should they even explain something like that? How much could toddlers really understand about such things?

“Well… er… not right now, no,” Chatot finally had to say. Then, before Paula had the chance to really react, he hurriedly added, “B-but as soon as he wakes up, you’ll be able to!”

That sentiment did nothing to assuage Paula’s feelings, as she immediately started crying again, causing fat tears to roll slowly down her cheeks.

“A-and in the meantime, we’ll take good care of you here, in the famous Wigglytuff Guild! D-Doesn’t that sound nice?!” he desperately continued, his voice growing louder to be heard over the pitch of Paula’s wails… which only grew louder the more he continued talking.

Bidoof, who had slowly tried to move towards the back of the group in shame over the fact that he’d inadvertently caused his friend all this distress in the first place, couldn’t help but look over at Jirachi in amazement. “Golly, I’m surprised that he can sleep through all this…” he muttered, not actually expecting anyone to hear him because of how loud the pichu was being.

Unfortunately for him, he happened to say that at the exact moment Paula paused to take a breath. This meant that she heard exactly what he said, and it made the gears in her mind start turning…

“S-so… so do you think if I was even louder, he might wake up faster…?” she mused, her voice watery, as she turned a contemplative look towards the sleeping legendary. It was a look that filled the assembled with dread, especially when she opened her mouth, as if to take a deep breath in preparation for a scream the likes of which none had heard before—despite living in close quarters with Loudred.

But, luckily for them, their hearing was saved when, before Paula could actually make use of her breath aside from making herself well-oxygenated, Laura piped up with, “No, it’s not the right time for him to wake up, yet.”

“H-hey hey? And, how do you figure that, Laura?” Corphish quickly asked, attempting to prolong the conversation which had, at least momentarily, distracted Paula from her—admittedly reasonable—tantrum.

But Laura just huffed, puffing up her cheeks in annoyance and crossing her arms, refusing to elaborate.

“B-but… he will wake up?” Paula demanded to know, her voice still wavering with unshed tears.

“Of course he will!” Chimecho jumped in, quick to assure her. “But in the meantime… why don’t the two of you have something to eat?”

“H-huh? Eat?” the child duo turned to her in surprise.

“Yes! Are you hungry? I know it’s a little late right now… but a small snack should be okay, right?” she asked the two of them, giving an exaggerated, conspiratorial wink.

Paula sniffled a little, wiping her eyes as she considered the offer. “…C-can the snack be Yellow Gummis…?” she wondered.

“Absolutely!” She nodded, before turning to Laura and guessing, “Though, I suppose you’d prefer Plain Seeds for your snack, right?”

Laura tilted her head. “What are Plain Seeds?”

Chimecho—along with everyone else, really—was so shocked at the girl’s reaction that she nearly fell out of the air. It had never occurred to her that any iteration of Laura could possibly be ignorant of what Plain Seeds were. But upon further thought… she guessed it wasn’t actually all that strange. After all, this version of Laura was from her very first life. She hadn’t even known what pokémon were, so how would she have known about this world’s native plants?

But she quickly pulled herself together enough to say, “Well… it’s a type of food that I think you’ll like. And if it turns out you don’t, then I can get you something else, okay?” she added, despite being ninety percent certain that, lack of prior knowledge or not, there was no way an iteration of Laura would ever dislike the foodstuff even though literally everyone else found it disgusting. So much so, in fact, that a glance at Paula revealed the tiny electric-type making a disgusted expression, but otherwise making no comment or giving her friend any warnings in fear that if the human refused to at least try them, then maybe Chimecho would make her eat them instead.

Laura seemed a little on the fence about it. “Is it really okay for me to eat something?” she asked. “I already had my meal today… won’t that mess up your, um… that thing… when you write it down on your papers, and then Mommy comes an’… um…”

“No, no, don’t worry—it’ll be our little secret,” Chimecho assured the human, winking again. Laura hesitantly nodded in assent.

Chatot sighed, glad that the drama seemed to be over for the evening, and that things could start winding down soon. “Yes, and while you two are eating, we’ll work on setting up some more beds in here so that you and Drowzee will be able to go to sleep afterwards and—”

But as anyone who has ever interacted with small children could tell you, mentioning sleep was exactly the wrong thing to say, as it set off another tantrum—for both girls this time.

“No!” Paula screamed, dropping to her stomach and banging her little fists on the ground. “I don’ wanna go to bed! No! No! Nooo!”

Laura went in the opposite direction, springing up and stamping her feet as she shouted, “I don’ wanna stay in this room! No! No! Nooo!”

Nothing anyone could do, no promises of any snacks or assurances that the beds were really, really comfortable and that they could get them tons of blankets and pillows to use calmed the girls down until Drowzee finally, desperately, offered, “H-how about after you finish your snack, I tell you a bedtime story?”

Paula’s tantrum paused, and the sudden lack of noise make Laura’s abruptly stop as well. Paula lifted her head a little, bringing one of her wide, wet eyes into view. “…Can I pick the story?” she asked.

“Yes, of course, any story you want,” Drowzee sighed in relief.

Paula sat up fully, her tantrum completely forgotten. “I wan’ my second favorite one! The one about the dis… uh…” she paused, screwing up her face in concentration as she carefully sounded out “the dis-em-bodied krabby claw that grabs you and squeezes until you die!” she demanded, sounding extremely proud of herself for getting the pronunciation correct.

Drowzee’s face fell. “O-oh… That’s… that’s not really… that’s supposed to be a horror story, so maybe that isn’t the best…” he trailed off, feeling mounting horror as he saw Paula’s face screwing up in displeasure once more and the tears starting to fall from her eyes again. “I-I mean of course I’ll tell you that story!” he said, backtracking immediately. “It… it really is a good one! …Even if no one actually finds it scary,” he finished in a mumble too small for Paula to hear over her sudden exclamations of joy and demands that Laura go get a snack with her so that they could finish quickly and get to the storytelling.

The rest of the night passed without much incident. Snacks were had by all, and, to no one’s surprise, the first incarnation of Laura adored Plain Seeds just as much as the incarnation they were more used to—if not more, since they actually had to caution the child more than once to slow down her rate of consumption before she started choking. Guest beds were quickly made and lined with a multitude of pillows and blankets, and the girls got into them more or less willingly—even if Laura did pause first to stare mulishly at Jirachi for a moment before pointedly turning her back on him once she was actually in bed. A not-actually-all-that-scary scary story was told, and the only screams heard were those of laughter at just how bad the story was at being a member of its particular genre.

When the girls fell asleep shortly after the tale’s conclusion, everyone figured that, just maybe, taking care of these child-versions of their friends wouldn’t be as hard as they’d feared.

Unfortunately for them, it turned out that the relative ease of this night was just the calm before the storm.

#pokemon mystery dungeon #explorers of sky #what if...?#deja vu (oh the irony)#writing #fanfiction #procrastination at its finest

1 note · View note

probably-writing-x · 5 years

Text

When all is said and done

~A Dean Winchester Imagine~

(Gif is not my own)

This man had done enough to hurt you. He'd put you through hell, quite literally. But you still fell in love with those apple green eyes.

For context, Dean and you had met about four years ago and he'd slowly realised that he liked you. From enemies to somewhere close to lovers, you had a twisted and strange relationship. Though, after about a year of falling further and further into whatever it had become, he still refused to say those words. Those three words and their eight letters that would confirm everything. Sam could tell that he felt it and perhaps you could too, but after he rejected you the first time you said it, hope was slowly being lost. You fought for him and you fought beside him but that wasn't enough. Because two years into knowing Dean, he did something you wouldn't have ever expected him to be capable of. He broke your heart.

~2 years ago~

"Come on Sam, I'm serious!" You laugh, taking another bite of your burger.

"(Y/N) your logic is all wrong," He retorts, "Give me one example where plaid doesn't go with everything!"

You roll your eyes and look over to Dean who had been looking at his food absently for the whole time you had been here, "Hey," You reach over, grasping his hand, "You okay?"

He looks up to meet your concerned gaze, "Yeah, I'm fine," Dean responds, quickly pulling his hand away and getting up from the table.

Sam and yourself share a confused, worried look that agrees you should follow him. You do.

"Hey Dean, what's going on?" You call after him, meeting him at the side of the Impala.

He looks down at his feet, cold and emotionless, "Crowley thinks it would be best if you take a break from working with us for a while,"

"What? That's ridiculous! Is this because of Lucifer, because-"

"And I think you should too," Dean cuts you off, "If you're not around us, it puts you under less threat of being hurt by Lucifer and that's the best thing for you."

"You're deluded. I don't know what's gotten into you but this is crazy. I'm not going, I work with you guys and you're my family and I love you." Your words stop after that as you perhaps regret saying it once more. The regret soon subsides when you realise that all you were doing was being honest.

"Don't say that." Dean states harshly.

You sigh and walk to stand in front of him, the moment close and intimate, "Dean. You can try to run from this all you want, you can fight it and hope that it goes away. But I know how you feel, and all you need to go is say those three words. And if you do, I'll stay and we'll fight Lucifer and we'll get this sorted - together. But, if not, then maybe you're right about me leaving."

It was true. Last time you said that, it felt like your heart was breaking to not hear it reciprocated. And now, it felt like those words signalled an ultimatum that you had been waiting for. Leaving would break your heart, but it would be more fixable if you weren't around the man who broke it.

Dean's eyes meet yours and it feels like they're staring deep into all of your memories together, "I-" He begins with a vulnerable confidence that drops as soon as he begins. He clears his throat, "I think you should pack your bags. I'll find a motel for you to stay at until you find your next case."

And he walks away.

Leaving you in the cold American air of the night, with your only company the empty shadow that stood in place of where Dean had previously been. And your heart shattered in a million pieces with him.

~Present Day~

After that day, you hadn't seen Dean or Sam or Cas. It was like Dean had erased it all for you. But you still loved him. And every part of you wanted to tell him that, but you couldn't risk that again. You had grown stronger and you needed to value that.

"Thank you for your help," You smile to the receptionist, shaking his hand before walking out of the hospital and into the parking lot.

This case was most likely going to be demons, having looked at the body and so you didn't mind fighting it alone.

"(Y/N)?" An all too familiar voice calls out and you turn around to see Sam crossing the concrete to you.

Before you can respond, he engulfs you in a brotherly bear hug.

"Nice to see you too Sammy," You chuckle, embracing him warmly.

"What's going on with you? I heard your parents were ill but I didn't think we wouldn't see you for two years!" He says nonchalantly, watching the look on your face switch.

"Oh that's what Dean told you?" You raise your brows and glance over as the elder brother makes eye contact with you.

His face falls slightly, lips parting and his brows furrow only partially like he thinks his mind is playing tricks on him.

"My parents are fine," You respond to Sam, never looking away from his sibling, "But maybe you should ask Dean why I left."

Sam turns to glance at his brother who is now making his way towards you.

"I have to go." You say quickly to Sam, squeezing his arm before leaving.

"(Y/N)!" Dean yells, his voice deep but breaking slightly as he spoke your name.

You didn't stop.

~~~

By the time night fell, you had tried your best to forget about the Winchesters. And you didn't even think about the possibility that they'd work the same case as you.

It was evident instantly by the familiar rumble of the car as it came closer and closer to you. The rumble of the car that became a home to you.

You look at the brothers cautiously as they get out of the car and Sam's face echoes a sympathetic smile. He had clearly learnt the truth.

"I'll le-" Sam begins but his voice trails off when he sees the tense look between his company. He quickly leaves to get their stuff from the trunk.

"Let's just work this case, get it done, and then I'll be out of your way again," You state simply, shifting the gun in your hand awkwardly.

"(Y/N)..." Dean sighs hopelessly, his hand reaching to grab your own, "I made a mistake two years ago and I've been regretting it ever since. Letting you leave that day was the worst decision of my life and you know I've made more than my fair share of bad decisions."

You look into his eyes and watch the desperation that flicks between them, it hurt your heart without giving you a chance to stop it.

"Please, I know I hurt you. But come back (y/n)," He pleads, something you rarely saw from such a rugged countenance.

"You know that's not enough, Dean. And I wish it could be. But I put everything on the line when I said those words to you, and you threw them back in my face, twice!" You shake your head, "Let me fix what you broke before you try and take my heart again,"

With that, you took the lead in walking into the home of the demons, alert and relaxing every nerve in your body. The hunt began successfully, the three of you split off and made your way through the corridors, fighting every enemy you came up against. Until you reached what looked like the main hall of this ancient building. And an unknown presence behind you made you spin quickly, soon to be flung against the wall.

"(Y/N)!" Sam's voice bellows, raising his gun full of angel blade bullets before it is flung out of his hands.

He flies to the floor and is unconscious instantly.

Dean can barely even make it into the room before the same thing happens to him, his head smacking the wall with a shattering blow.

With every muscle in your body, you drag your arm over to the blade near to you and push yourself up, fighting every instinct to drop again as you plunge the metal into the back of the demon. The orange tones light the room instantly as the face flickers before dropping to the concrete.

You instantly go to crouch down beside Dean, hoping for any signs that he was regaining consciousness.

"Looks like someone's got a bit braver," He groans, his words almost inaudible.

"You're okay," You sigh in relief and watch as he reaches out to cup your cheek.

Instantly, you avert your gaze and rise to stand, going to check on Sam.

You are gone before you can notice the look of defeat on his face. He might have finished the hunt successfully, but you were still mad at him and that was worse than anything a demon could do.

Somehow, Sam encourages you to join them at the diner to get some food. You are completely reluctant but, despite anything Dean had done, you missed being able to talk to and confide in Sam.

As the younger brother was ordering your food, Dean reached across the table and gripped your hand. This all felt too much like two years ago, when you'd promised yourself that you wouldn't see him again- and definitely wouldn't let your heart be broken by him again.

"(Y/N)," He says your name like he's missed the word over the past 700 days, "Thanks for saving us back there,"

"Anyone could have done it," You shrug, a polite smile crossing your lips.

"But it wasn't just tonight," He admits, "Things were so much better when you were with us. You made us laugh and you kept us grounded and... you made me happy,"

You look down and can feel the tears building behind your eyes.

"And I was stupid and afraid and pathetic to be scared of falling in love with you," He persists, "But the truth is, you're the only person I've ever felt remotely close to that way about. You make me a better person and that's a damn hard job to have. And, when all is said and done, I love you,"

Your heart stops in the hopes that it could hold on to a moment you never thought you'd have. It feels silent and empty around you, like you had complete vision on only those words. Your blood rushed through your ears like that would hold onto the sound waves for just a little longer.

"(Y/N) please say something," He sighs, his hand squeezing yours.

"I-" You start and it feels far too much like two years ago, "I love you too,"

And those words are confirmation. That two years ago was truly the worst mistake of his life, and you'd spent those years running away from that. And that now, it couldn't be more perfect. You were both ready and that was perfect enough.

76 notes · View notes

letterboxd · 5 years

Photo

McCarthy.

“Give me a real character like Lee who’s complicated and irritating and smart.” Melissa McCarthy talks about her Oscar-nominated performance in the acclaimed true story Can You Ever Forgive Me?

In the media discussion building up to this year’s Academy Awards, the talking points have principally concerned decisions regarding the ceremony itself, leaving many of the nominated films somewhat overlooked in the conversation.

One triple-nominee very much worthy of discussion is Marielle Heller’s Can You Ever Forgive Me?, which received nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay (Nicole Holofcener & Jeff Whitty), Best Supporting Actor (the great Richard E. Grant) and Best Actress for Melissa McCarthy’s caustic and hilarious performance as real-life literary forger Lee Israel.

Based upon Israel’s memoir of the same title, Can You Ever Forgive Me? chronicles how the writer (of biographies of Estée Lauder and Tallulah Bankhead, among others) found herself out of favor and out of work in the ’90s New York literary world.

After discovering that letters by famous writers could be highly valuable to certain collectors, Israel took to forging correspondence by people like Dorothy Parker and Noël Coward, and selling the results via rare book stores.

In addition to profiting from the deception, the acerbic Israel also took considerable pride in her ability to capture her subjects’ trademark wit.

There aren’t many movies made about people like Lee Israel, and that’s what makes Can You Ever Forgive Me? so fascinating. The character fails all the obvious (and idiotic) “likability” standards that afflict many mainstream films: she’s an alcoholic misanthrope who lashes out at everyone around her. Yet she’s impossible to look away from, and we remain wholly invested in her throughout every bad decision.

Richard E. Grant co-stars in the film as Jack Hock, an acquaintance who becomes Lee’s friend, and eventually her collaborator, via their mutual affection for booze. More than one person has accurately observed that if you dim your eyes, Hock could easily be Withnail, thirty years later. His Oscar campaign has been one of the most gleeful joys of awards season, and a pleasing reward for an actor who was “told right from the get-go that I looked like a tombstone”.

Mostly taking place in a Manhattan of wood-lined taverns and fusty bookstores, and quietly celebrating some of the city’s longest lasting icons including Julius, the city’s oldest gay bar, Can You Ever Forgive Me? is a minor miracle of a film that represents a new level of achievement for McCarthy.

The Oscar nomination is not her first (she received a Best Supporting nod for Bridesmaids in 2012), but there’s a complexity to her performance here that makes it undeniably special.

Director Heller (The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and currently in production on the Tom Hanks biopic about Mr Rogers) joined McCarthy to discuss the film at a recent AFI event in Hollywood.

On what made Heller want to direct the film: Marielle Heller: I found Lee really refreshing. I feel like we have male [lead] characters who are assholes all the time and we find them to be the most interesting characters, and you never get to see women like that. And so there was something about her I just immediately went, ‘Yeah, we need more women like Lee’. Also, middle-aged women who kind of don’t fit into society’s norms. Childless, lesbian. She didn’t fit into the model of what we make movies about, and so I just thought there was something nice and radical to me about that. It shouldn’t be radical, but it felt really radical. There was something about the fact that her intellect and her work is so much more important than her appearance, that I loved. And that she’s genuinely the smartest person in every room, but no one gives her that credit.

Marielle Heller directs Melissa McCarthy on the set of ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’

On how McCarthy heard about the role: Melissa McCarthy: I had a very quick introduction to Lee. I heard about it first from my husband [Ben Falcone]. There was an earlier incarnation of the movie—movies fall apart all the time for a million different reasons—and my husband had a part in it, the part he ended up playing in this one [of a rare book dealer], and that’s how I read it. We read each other’s scripts and talked about it and after I read it I was like, ‘This is incredible, this is so good and why on earth don’t I know who Lee Israel is?’. I was disappointed with myself that I didn’t know about her.

On McCarthy’s response to the character as written: MM: I had a very strong reaction. I was at page twenty and I thought, ‘Oh I like her so much’. And then I had to stop and I went back through the first twenty pages, because I couldn’t figure out why. It was intangible. There’s no moment, there’s no speech. I started to fall in love with her, and that to me was the most exciting thing. I find her intriguing, challenging. I loved that she didn’t need someone else to validate who she was. Even when she is difficult, which is often. I respected her.

It also just made me think about being so talented at something and being told at 52, ‘You know, we don’t need you to do that anymore. You’re now obsolete.’ So as someone gets better and better and more experienced, the average thing is ‘Now you’re obsolete’. I just found that whole way of thinking so insane, that I thought, what would any of us do if we were pushed to that point? So the more she kind of conned and grifted, I found myself rooting for her.

On how she got into Lee’s headspace: MM: I read everything she wrote. I also listened to stories from people who actually knew Lee, and then there is a bit of conjuring. You just wanna do right by the people. The costume and wardrobe department were very important because I had no interest in looking like myself. I think it’s really freeing to get to walk around in other people’s shoes and I think that allows you to be braver and more vulnerable. It’s a very fantastic part of what I do, I think you get to be steadier or more empowered because it’s happening through someone else. It takes the pressure off of me.

I have a real fascination in what drives us all. What our quirks are. I don’t know any perfect woman, I don’t know how to play pleasant or blonde. Give me a real character like Lee who’s complicated and irritating and smart and all these things that when I look at someone, it makes you kinda fall in love with them. All my friends are nuts. They always need a qualifier like, ‘They’re actually great, just get to know them’. That’s why we love people. You don’t love people because they’re pleasant, you love them because they’ll talk too much or say the wrong thing, but they’ll show up at 3 o’clock when you don’t feel well and help you. It’s so rare that you get to play a woman like that. Those are the women that I know. They’re complicated and challenging.

On Jack and Lee’s friendship: MM: They were both so lonely. And it’s such a universal thing. I don’t know a human that hasn’t felt incredibly lonely and undervalued. We are all so lonely. I think everyone can feel that tether to those characters, and it’s why even though they shouldn’t have been friends, they needed each other.

On Melissa and Richard’s friendship: MH: Those two loved each other from the day they met in a way that was like, every director’s dream, because they showed up and immediately got along. Richard would show up on days he wasn’t filming and take Melissa to lunch. It was amazing because they were truly becoming friends on this movie and when we got to the scene where they were essentially breaking up, they had to hug each other afterwards because it was so painful.

On working alongside Richard E. Grant: MM: He’s so completely present as a person, and that certainly translates into his beautiful acting because he is 1,000% there. If you go this way, he goes with you. There’s just an ease to it. And we do sometimes these incredibly difficult scenes that were just heartbreaking, and then when we finished, we’d both become very silly and throwaway, which is really important sometimes when you’re shooting something that’s difficult. And then we’d go right back to it. I had such an ease working with him. I think we work in a very similar way. I think we fully commit, right or wrong, and trusted that Marielle is at the helm of a ship and she did it with complete authority and a complete lightness at the same time.

Richard E. Grant and Melissa McCarthy in ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’

On the benefits of having a female director: MM: Hands down it was fantastic. And I’ve been very fortunate to work a lot of wonderful male directors [who] also have a quote-unquote ‘feminine side’, my husband, Paul Feig, Ted Melfi, they all have a capacity to listen and be collaborative. I think with Mari, what always sticks in my head, there was never a moment where you didn’t feel completely guided. And the crew, you could see it, really felt like they were all part of this, we knew exactly what Mari’s vision is. And working in this kind of time frame, you need that cohesiveness, and you need someone—I think it’s more likely to happen with a female director—you need someone to do the right thing for the movie, instead of proving that they’re right. And there’s a big difference there. And when you get someone like Mari doing that, the world just falls into place.

On approaching a dramatic role versus a comedic role: MM: There’s absolutely no difference to me. If it’s comedy or drama, it doesn’t change for me at all, I think if it’s a straight comedy, I still try to find, or I’m least very interested in, like, what’s tragic about that person. Like, if they’re so overly pleasant and happy, why? What pain are they hiding? So I do the same thing, if someone’s really aggressive, what’s behind that? So I change nothing. Maybe you’re supposed to, but I don’t.

‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’ is currently available on all the major streaming services. Reporting by West Coast Editor Dominic Corry.

#can you ever forgive me #melissa mccarthy #marielle heller #directed by women #female directors #richard e. grant #lee israel #biopic #new york #julius #letterboxd

6 notes · View notes

dabacahin · 7 years

Text

Our letters, ourselves

Can’t stop reading bits and pieces from the book I bought last Saturday—Conversations with Myself by Nelson Mandela. His words, his voice and soul, come alive in all their courage and humility in this archive of letters, calendar jottings, unpublished manuscripts, extracts from notebooks and conversations. His greatness is not the result of an absolute certainty that by fighting the good fight we shall all witness peace and justice prevail over cruelty and stupidity. It is in passages where he bares his own contradictions and fears that I find him most inspiring and real. I love that in such a man of will and faith, there’s no denial of that ongoing fight “between the heart and the head, the blood and the brain.” And so, often in solitary confinement, he engages himself and others somewhere between fierce hopes and brutal realities, “even as I scribble these hurried lines.”

This book is of a piece with some of my current preoccupations—books of letters between friends (George Sand & Gustave Flaubert, Elizabeth Bishop & Robert Lowell, Helen Hanff & Frank Doel) and personal archives (Walter Benjamin, Sonya Tolstoy, Marilyn Monroe, Kurt Cobain). Mandela’s letters embody the freedom of a man locked in prison. I think of other great letter-writers whose books of correspondence I have collected, been moved by, been sheltered in—my halfway homes during seasons of distress. I have always been charmed and consoled by these messages from distant times and places, these reproductions of yellowing, brownish, brittle paper, often smudged and crumpled around the edges—these diary pages, hotel stationery, table napkins, spiral notebooks, postcards, tickets, flyers—with typed or handwritten traces of lives, photos and doodles of time passing. These letters of John Cheever, Anton Chekhov, Isak Dinesen, Ansel Adams, Bruce Chatwin, Flannery O’Connor, Claude Monet, Jackson Pollock and family, and so many others. As I wrote here on Tumblr (on July 9, 2012), in my little ode to the Pollock family, “Hurray for people who love letters—those who write them, read them, keep them, share them!”

Like Mandela, like me (yeah, leave it up to me to squeeze myself in this line-up of luminaries), these letter-writers, these diligent archivists of their own lives, have all been locked up in different kinds of prisons. Confined in unhappy marriages or soul-eroding jobs, or in wheelchairs, in illness, or stranded in the limbo of rage or regret, shackled by cultural norms, suffocated by family secrets, financially strapped, spiritually impoverished, intermittently depressed, or reined in by self-hate, self-doubt, or other incarnations and incarcerations of the searching self. Isolated, paralyzed, seemingly beyond reach. Yet all have kept their connection to the world outside their cells, outside their heads, and all have found access to their kinder, braver, wiser selves through letters—as I have often found comfort and solidarity with others and with myself in emails, texts, Tumblr posts, and handwritten notes.

It just occurred to me now, as I ramble on, that many of my most personal and cherished blog posts originated from or are edited versions of letters and emails I’ve sent and received over the years. The one I sent to my grieving uncle. That endless aria to a co-member of an online support group for depressives. That one to a chatmate from Ireland right after the 9/11 tragedy. My 2005 email to a friend who is a funnier, kinder, smarter version of Che Guevara. My 1998 letter to my sister explaining why I was the Meryl Streep of our monastery (or why I was the Isak Dinesen of my deluded brain). The ones I got from K. and N. (my twin “alternative” Valentines in 2013), the note from Father S. that introduced me to Dorothy Day, those totally unexpected messages from a Tumblr follower, a lovely soul from Brazil, who sent me Maggie Nelson’s Bluets. And that unforgettable note from Charles D’Ambrosio about the final letter from his youngest brother Danny. Well, no, that one wasn’t for or from me—but it might as well have been, not only because I’m his brother’s namesake but also because … Oh no, I may have to compose another endless aria to complete that sentence. Let’s just say that some letters that are not addressed to us ultimately become ours to keep, to weep over and live by.

So maybe our letters to others (and the letters we have received or have claimed to be ours) are evolving conversations with ourselves, as the title of Mr. Mandela’s book suggests. Maybe our letters are both windows and mirrors, ways of reaching out and reaching in. Bits and pieces of our stories, our personal archives, fragmented yet whole in their messy incompleteness, repositories worth revisiting and sharing with those who might find their own windows and mirrors in our scraps of thoughts, these hurried lines. Often ineloquent, repetitive, self-absorbed, vulnerable to misinterpretation, ridicule, or indifference, these are—for better or for worse—our letters, ourselves. These are our Carrie Fisher-esque postcards from the edge, our Nora Ephron-ish cosmic questions to the void, sent from laptops and smartphones, or from nowhere, and sometimes sent to no one in particular, but still sent. Sent out, for sometimes it’s our only way to keep ourselves from getting locked in our bubbles and cocoons. Imprisoned for 27 years, Mr. Mandela had to smuggle out many of his letters of love and grief and rage. Two weeks ago, the day after Christmas, I was reading an email from a friend who felt grateful and liberated now that all the “kinda stressful and depressing” merry-making was over. “Yes,” I wrote her back, “we survived Christmas. Aren’t we amazing?” Let’s just hope we learn to appreciate more the freedom we still have to rant, gush, tweet, and tumblr—to write and read these letters of gratitude, solace, and awe.

2 notes · View notes

annawriteswords-blog · 7 years

Text

A Letter To My 14-Year-Old Self [August 2014] (c)

Hi, Anna. I know 3 years seem like a long time to you, whereas, for the majority, it doesn’t. Get ready and try to store some positivity and light deep in your mind, because you’ll need it so badly… I know that right now you feel all hyper about the freshman year of high school since you have just returned from your first camp ever, and you think you’re all grown-up and independent. I mean… You definitely are less of a child, but still so far from being an adult. So, here we go. What’s about to begin is going to be a rollercoaster, and I’m sorry in advance. But I promise: what you’re soon to be put through will make you so much stronger, so much braver, so much better. Even though it won’t seem worth it in the moment.

The first time you’ll talk to her, you’ll feel so embarrassed, your cheeks will go tomato red, while you’ll be frantically trying to hide them with your shaky hands. She’ll be insanely beautiful, confidently leaning along her locker, attentively looking right in your eyes. Her green eyes, you’ll want to drown in their depths. You’ll be more shy than ever, which is ridiculous since you already are the most awkward person I’ve ever met. Then you’ll become friends. Sisters. “My little one”, - that’s how she’ll be calling you, and you’ll melt, feeling like you’re the happiest of the living. In time, you’ll feel like this friendship-sisterhood is just odd; you’ll know something is different this time because you’ve never felt anything similar before; you’ll realize you admire her more than you’ve ever admired anyone. And you’ll eventually break down and tell your best friend how you feel about this curly girl you both know. By then you’ll understand that you’re in love with this stubborn red-head. She’ll be your first love and your first heartbreak. But, please, hear me out when I say, because I know how easily you get all panicky, -- you’ll push through, because you’re stronger than you think.

You’ll have to accept yourself. And you will. You’re gay. See? I can write this down or say it out loud pretty easily. So don’t reject this part of your being. “I’m gay”, -- repeat after me. It’s okay to be gay, and that’s all I have to say about this matter. It’s just okay, that’s it. Don’t try to prove yourself you aren’t, you’ll hurt too many people in the process. Including yourself. Don’t do that thing you’ll be about to do in July 2016. Kissing your best guy-friend on the roof of Cat’s house? Being intimate with him, already knowing you’ll feel bad later? Please, don’t. Have your first true kiss with a girl you love. This will be so much more special, and you’ll save a friend you care about. And don’t be ashamed to wait – throwing up in the bathroom isn’t the best case scenario for your first time being intimate with someone.

You are about to go through some rough, rough times I would’ve never wished upon you, even though they made you who you are the day I’m writing this. By the fall of 2015, you’ll discover you’re not the one in control of your mind. You’ll be feeling time with every inch of your skin passing by slowly, like a sticky slimy something. You’ll scream and shout for no apparent reason. And, I know, it’s hard to believe since you never raise your voice. You’ll realize you’re somewhat odd way prior to realizing you’re actually very normal. You’ll tell yourself you’re nothing but a mistake, not the daughter they deserve. Barely even a person. You’ll feel a great deal of guilt, but that’s okay because I want you to know -- none of this is your fault. Yeah, I get it, you aren’t going to believe me until you find this out on your own.

You’ll scar your wrists for no apparent reason, you’ll cry for hours and hours in the shower so the sound of water is louder than you sobbing. You’ll have tears of frustration running down your face as you’ll try to explain your father that you’re not okay. But with all seriousness, Anna, you should just know that by the summer of 2017 your wounds will heal into thin, brown, and relatively aesthetic scars on your lower arm. Now they are the reminders of how far you’ve made it. However, if, by any chance, you feel like you can keep this scary urge to hurt yourself at hand, please, do. You don’t necessarily need these lines to know you’re stronger than your demons. And I promise, kiddo: soon, very soon, more and more days will be “good”, and you’ll almost forget what it’s like to wake up on a “bad” one. Oh, and don’t worry about all the medication you’ll be taking and all the psychiatrists you’ll have to go through. It’ll all be worth it. I promise!

But for now, you should just be happy. Don’t force yourself to grow up, stop feeding yourself with news from war zones. Yes, I know what you’re up to! Let yourself be the child you are. Go get your old grey with sea-blue Polaroid and take some pictures of Cat. Go to “Starlite” with your father for your traditional Saturday breakfast. Go practice skateboarding, fall, scratch your knee and let your mother take care of it. Stop pretending you don’t need to be taken care of -- because you are, and we both know it. You’ll miss being little very soon, so enjoy every second of it while you still can. Before you move away at the age of 16 – so much earlier than most kids do. Before you have to take care of your mother since her worrying nature will cause her a lot of pain. Before you graduate from school, and step away from your childhood, waving at it nostalgically.

And watch out for the adventures that lay ahead. They’ll surprise you with how fulfilled your life will get some day. Isn’t that shocking to know that in a little less than 3 years you’ll be living in Oxford, surrounded by people you admire and love? Now, how does that sound, kiddo? And don’t worry, as eternal as these 3 years are about to be, you’ll feel whole by the time you’re writing this.

With love,

- You.

#annawrites

0 notes

Last Seen Blogs

eddieentertainment

EddieConfetti

yama-uba

Yamauba's lair

anukulee

Anonymous Yours

charliep245

Untitled

ttlyblogs

Totally Blogs