find-my-pride-blog

[find-my-pride-blog]

dragcnblessed‌:

he held his breath as he watched her slide back into her seat, waiting for her to speak. she seemed … uncertain. hesitant. as if she was expecting him to mock her again the second she lowered her guard. not that he couldn’t understand why, he supposed, but —

finally she mumbled a few words under her breath, to which he heaved a sigh of relief, slumping into the seat across from her.

 ‘ both? … yes, i suppose that’s fair. all right then. ’  what a relief. for a moment he had been worried she would bolt out the door without even giving him a chance to make amends. 

his eyebrows raised as she downed her drink in one continuous sip, corners of his lips pulling down into a frown as he shot her a look of concern.

‘ hey, you know you shouldn’t drink that all at once … ’

“Mm?” With nothing but the taste of melting mango on her tongue, Maerwen didn’t automatically register what Leon was referring to. She looked up at him with a frown. “Just because you’re going to give me a ride home doesn’t mean you control my life or my actions or...”

Awareness set in. She blinked at him. Look down at the glass. Blinked again. “...oh. OH.” She shoved the empty glass away, eyes huge, finally realizing how she’d chugged a glass of alcohol.

“Oh my God.” She covered her mouth, cheeks flaming, and looked away from him. “I-I’d forgotten.” How to explain that? She used her fake ID so rarely. She was more apt to purchase smoothies or slushies to treat herself rather than something alcoholic, but the occasion tonight - and how infuriating he was - had called for more. How had she forgotten so easily?

Maerwen opened her mouth to explain herself, but the server suddenly arrived with a box and a tray, whereupon he began putting her food in the box herself. She stared in mortification at what might’ve saved her - eating something that might offset the alcohol in her empty stomach - then risked another glance up at Leon and down again when the server set the check down on the table.

This was going to be awful.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

made her a laughingstock … ?

was - was that what he had done?

he remained wide-eyed as he stared at her, processing every bitter word she spat at him. he was well aware that his teasing sometimes rubbed others the wrong way - in fact that was part of the point of it, pushing their buttons just enough to keep them on their toes. but he never intentionally tried to offend people ; there was nothing fun about seeing others in pain, especially knowing that he was at its root.

had he wanted to see her blush? absolutely. maybe see her squirm a bit? sure, why not. but to see her run, cheeks seared red in humiliation? never. especially not when he had sincerely been interested in learning more about this - this bizarrely captivating young woman.

he’d wanted to … to see her laugh, to make her smile, but …

ah well. it was too late for regret now. all that was left was to smooth things over as best as he could before she inevitably slipped from his grasp. how stupid he was.

‘ it wasn’t stupid — ’ he began before he was cut off by the nervous voice of the server, standing beside their table with an uncomfortable look upon his face that suggested that he’d rather be anywhere else. he held his tongue, only beginning to speak again after the server had scurried away.

‘ — it wasn’t stupid, ’ he repeated, voice quieter this time around, averting his gaze to the floor to avoid meeting her eye. ‘ i really did ask you here because i wanted to get to know you better. but it seems i just made you uncomfortable. ’

he lifted his head, offering her an apologetic smile.

‘ i’m sorry. do you live far from here? if - if you won’t allow me to pay for your meal, at least let me give you a ride home. i want to make this up to you, and then you won’t have to hear from me again. is that all right? ’

Silence. How was Maerwen supposed to respond to that? Leon sounded regretful, but...wasn’t it possible that he was lying or being manipulative, if he thought it was so funny to see her twitching in front of the other guests?

Get to know her better. What a laugh.

Maerwen sank down onto the opposite side of the booth, staring at the table, before she decided to speak. “...you can pay for my meal and give me a ride,” she mumbled as she reached for her daiquiri. She didn’t want to waste it. Not quite thinking of potential consequences, she began slurping up the frozen drink, eyes still downcast, reluctant to let him see how pink her cheeks still were.

She drank it down to the last drop in utter silence, just narrowly avoiding brainfreeze, then looking up at Leon with a challenging gleam in her eyes.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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petshopbeauty‌:

“That’s good! He’s the number one troublemaker in the shop right now. I was nervous that he would be bothering someone out here, but I’m glad that he ran into someone as understanding as you are.”

She moved down to the dog’s level to clip a collar and leash on him before lovingly ruffling the curls on his head. He wasn’t going to get away as easily this time as he did the first time. Julia wasn’t as inexperienced or distracted as some of the others. She pretty much knew of all the tricks the animals could do to try and escape and she won’t let them get away with it. Not while she was on watch.

“He’s a mix - a Poodle and a Maltese. A Maltipoo!”

She moved her hand away when she saw that the woman was reaching to pet him. 

“They’re known to be active and Jasper here, he lives up to that expectation.”

She had no idea how those two breeds could combine into something as unabashedly fluffy as this, but she inclined her head in deference. She wasn’t even quite sure what a Maltese was - but this woman seemed far more knowledgeable.

“Dogs are often troublesome,” she observed as she went to scratch the dog’s neck next. “More trouble than they might be worth. But they do seem to bring a measure of happiness to their owners, I suppose.”

Maerwen looked up at the woman and blinked. “Does he not have an owner?”

Runaway Pup || Julia & Maerwen

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gemstudded‌:

     ⌜♥⌟  “I assume you have a problem with me wanting to flaunt who I am for all to see.” Which, alright. Valid. “But don’t you dare assume that I think I know everything. I know damn near close to nothing and I’m proud.”

     ⌜♥⌟  Funny, perhaps, but his mood’s continuing to sour. “What I do know, is that I’m comfortable in my own skin, and it took me over a decade to get there– and I won’t take anyone trying to disparage that.” Who does this woman think she is, coming in and trying to knock down his little self confidence tower? He worked hard on that thing. Even if it’s made of cards. “Sincerely, though, thank you for calling me annoying, darling, it lets me know my goal to get under people’s skins is working.”

     For better or worse.

Nothing about this makes sense to her - but that was normal for her. She never seemed to understand why people did what they did, and especially not when she was studying here. Home was confusing enough. Why she’d come to a completely different culture to try and understand them was beyond her.

She keeps her pinched expression as she scans over the man’s body again. Too flashy. Too excessive. Too eager to be seen. The mere idea makes her want to break out in a cold sweat. She tightens where her arms are crossed and meets his gaze again with a firm stare.

“And what exactly about this outfit makes you feel comfortable in your own skin?” But it’s softer now, how she asks it, even though there is a bare edge around the corners.

Bad Taste || Julius & Maerwen

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Activity Check 8/25 - PASSED

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dragcnblessed‌:

his amused expression suddenly dropped as she stumbled to her feet, only able to watch in wide-eyed shock as she frantically tossed a handful of bills on the table with trembling hands. 

did he … do something wrong? did he take it too far?

‘ h - hey — ’ he was barely able to get a word out before her purse flew off the table, its contents scattering across the floor as the neighboring table tittered behind her. this wasn’t how he’d intended things to go at all. sure, he’d expected her to get annoyed, to hem and haw as she had before, maybe lash at him with that sharp tongue of hers again.

so - so why did she look like she so desperately wished to run away?

he stared numbly down at the floor for a moment. a few of her belongings had rolled near his feet - his gaze lingered on the tube of chapstick that sat idly by his shoe. he blinked once, returning to his senses, then bent down to pick it up.

‘ … i’m sorry, ’ he quietly murmured - almost whispered, really - keeping his eyes glued to the floor as he gathered as many of her things as he could reach. ‘ i didn’t mean to upset you. please, at least let me pay for your meal before you leave. it’s the least i can do. ’

“You were right, it was stupid of me to come,” she hissed through her humiliation. Because she had thought he’d been asking her out. She had thought he was interested in her. And, at the time, she was disgusted by that to the deepest core of her, but she’d...

Had she been flattered nonetheless?

Leon was an attractive man, and he carried himself with the air of someone who’d been raised wealthy and powerful. Obviously he had no concept of the silver spoon she’d been born with as well, but that only served to make it that much...much nicer to have someone look at her the way he had.

Or, the way she thought he had.

“What did you mean to do, then?” She snapped her gaze to his, trying to muster up her earlier hatred of him, but finding herself stuck in her own confusion. “Not upset me. Hilarious. You asked me here to make fun of me, and you made me a laughingstock.” She snatched the tube out of his hands. Mortified, she realized her throat was tightening. It had been a long night of work, a lonely life in America, and what would’ve been a fun night for literally any other woman - an attractive man who seemed to mean her no harm asking her out for a meal - had only solidified her concept of her own mediocrity.

The server, she realized, had just arrived with her plate in hand, and was standing there awkwardly. “Is everything okay?”

It was on the tip of Maerwen’s tongue to tell him that she had an emergency and had to leave, but her stomach that had barely eaten anything but ramen noodles for a solid month chose that exact moment to growl loudly, and she tilted her head down further, staring at the floor, her lips forced tightly together. After she had a moment to take a breath she lifted her head. “I’d like a box, please.” And the server, after setting her plate down, whisked away, leaving Maerwen to take everything else from Leon’s hands and shove it all into her purse.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

what an utterly adorable expression. those wide eyes, that slack jaw - it was all he could do not to laugh outright at the sheer ridiculousness of it all : the way she stared up at him in abject horror, the gleeful whispers and curious glances from the table sitting just behind her, the entirety of the situation he found himself in. 

he was right about her. she truly did seem to have a way of making things interesting - even with how unintentional as it seemed to be. strange.

he managed to fight back his grin, instead settling for cocking his head, tapping a long finger to his chin as if in thought.

‘ ‘sit down’? i’m afraid i don’t know that one. perhaps you could sing it for me first? you know, as an example. ’

As more and more seconds passed, with more eyes on them and Leon refusing to sit, Maerwen began to realize that there was only one option available for her to take. Forget that she’d barely had two sips of her drink. Forget that her food hadn’t arrived yet.

Time to run.

She came quickly to her feet, cheeks flaming, avoiding his eyes, and opened her purse to pull out her wallet. She pulled out cash to cover the drink, the food, and a tip, and put it on the edge of the table - and knocked her purse off at the same time. Her phone, chapstick, and a few odds and ends flew out, and when the table behind her began to laugh quietly she held her breath, coming down on her hands and knees to try and collect it all.

She didn’t so much as look up at him again. Far too much of a hurry, and her hands shaking on top of it and ruining her quick escape.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

his brows raised as he sipped his drink, eyes never once leaving her face. not something he could digest? what an odd turn of phrase. he gave a playful scoff as he set down his glass once again, click his tongue as he shook his head in mock annoyance.

‘ digest you? i’m afraid i don’t know what you mean. i merely meant that i was interested in getting to know you - as a friend. ’ he tilted his head to the side as if in confusion, smirk widening ever so slightly. ‘ why, did you think i was hitting on you? did you think i had asked you on a date? how forward of you, agreeing to meet with a man you just met. ’

he did have to admit, however, that her next response caught him just the slightest bit off-guard.

‘ hm? you want me to sing for you? ’ he thought for a moment, lips pursed, before he gave a firm nod, suddenly rising to his feet.

 ‘ alright then. ’ he shot her a cheeky grin, eyes sparkling with the hint of a challenge. ‘ what would you have me sing? any requests? ’

Maerwen suddenly slammed her hand on the table. “Y-you, of course you--” But, before she could rant at him about the fact that he had asked her out and that she hadn’t agreed to meet him, suddenly he stood up.

...no. No, he wouldn’t. Complete horror crossed her face as she stared up at him, completely wordless.

She heard a table behind her whisper to their dining mate. “Look how cute he is! He’s really going all out to impress that girl, isn’t he? And she’s not even appreciating it!”

No, Maerwen wanted to say, he’s doing this to annoy me, I know it, I’ve figured him out, he’s not actually trying to be impressive at all!

But she didn’t say it. She simply looked away. “Sit down,” she hissed.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

the corners of his lips quirked in amusement as he watched her frustration mount, smirk widening at the furious way she gulped down her drink with her sharp glare still fixed upon his face. 

so she wasn’t denying it, then. if there was one thing his years of law school had taught him, it was to read between the lines.

well. he had to admit there was hardly any need for him to in this case, given that her entire disposition seemed to scream her response for her anyway.

‘ didn’t i tell you already? i’d like to get to know you better. ’ he folded his hands under his chin, flicking his gaze down her form, then quickly back up it again. ‘ you’re … intriguing. i’m curious about you. is that so wrong? ’

he brought his own drink to his mouth once more, eyeing her carefully.

‘ besides, i’m still anxiously awaiting that serenade. ’

...intriguing.

Maerwen had never once been called intriguing, and she decided then and there that she didn’t like it one bit. “I’m not a painting in an art museum,” she fired back. “I’m not something you can just...digest.”

And a serenade?

Something about that sealed her mouth shut, making her cheeks flush, and she stared down at the table. People rarely were able to hear her sing. The rest of her family was far more talented with music than she was, and having a complete stranger hear her had been humiliating in and of itself.

“N-not until you sing first.” No way he would be comfortable doing that.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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gemstudded‌:

     ⌜♥⌟  Julius would gladly go on and on about his outfit of the day to whoever asks, detailing the intricacies of his usual deciding factors for his wardrobe on and on (unless it’s a day that he just got out of bed and threw something on, but those are rare and bad). 

     But he gets cut off. Gaudy? Attention-demanding? Is she talking about him, or the outfit? Either way, he’ll try to say a “thank you” before she continues. And continues. Ah, so she’s not a fan.

     ⌜♥⌟  “Because it makes me feel nice. And it might make other people feel something too in this drab, disgusting world.” He’s going to try and be civil, but something about her expression, the judgemental tone… maybe he is on a short fuse today. He’s used to being called excessive and gaudy, but wasteful?

     ⌜♥⌟  “Like it or not, there’s no need to accuse me of being wasteful just because you have a more…” A scan across her outfit “…modest style. Who’s to say you wouldn’t benefit from letting yourself be excessive?”

“That makes you feel nice?” Maerwen purses her lips as she considers his outfit again, clearly disturbed.

“I suppose you are one of those people who insists on standing out in front of everyone.” She shakes her head and crosses her arms tightly over her chest. “Who don’t understand the value of watching people and learning from them rather than assuming you already know everything.”

Strange, really, how Maerwen felt so out of place aesthetically back home, yet standing here...this man made her feel incredibly similar. She’d come from a city of bright, vivid patterns and a celebration of color to a country that she imagined would be a bit more drab, but...

“Being excessive is annoying,” she says firmly, like it’s a fact that everyone already knows. “That’s why.”

Bad Taste || Julius & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

idiot … ?

he gave a soft hum of delight at the startled, indignant look in her eye, the soft pout of her lip as she shot him a sharp glare. did she even know how adorable she was? even when she tried to insult him, it only made him more curious about the woman she was, only stoked his desire to unravel all of her mysteries. was she doing this on purpose, intentionally aiming to draw his eye?

if she was, then it certainly was working. 

his hand found its way to his glass again, drawing one finger leisurely around its rim as he kept his eyes trained upon her face.

‘ you still didn’t answer my question. it’s a simple yes or no, you know. you called me a pretty boy, didn’t you? tell me the truth, is that what you really think? ’

This infuriating man, with...with his weird finger movements and his insufferable grin and...

Why was he being like this? Why wasn’t he walking away and annoyed at her? Hadn’t she deserved that much for what she’d said? God knew she deserved the solitude after the day she’d had at work, but...

“I’m not answering your question because my thoughts and opinions are not things you can demand from me,” she spat, her accent thickening in her frustration. “They are mine and mine alone. They can’t be bartered or insisted on. And I personally don’t care what you think I think of your attraction level.”

Her drink arrived, then, and she took a long sip of it, glaring at him the entire time, before she sat back with her arms crossed over her chest. “Why are you here? What do you want? Why were you waiting on me?”

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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gemstudded‌:

     ⌜♥⌟  It’s not uncommon to be questioned on his outfits, in the store or not. Julius takes each question easily, ready to go into some sort of rant of how much love he put into choosing the outfit, where he got particular items, that sort of thing. He also enjoys being stared at. So… he’s expecting this particular interaction to go over well.

     Did you make your outfit? The facial expression looks more and more… troublesome, the longer Julius studies it, but there are plenty of people with expressions such as that. He doesn’t always judge books by their cover, you know!

     ⌜♥⌟  “Why, yes!” he says, smiling down at her. Oh, and she is miraculously short. Now these heels just feel extra. “Well, just the upper half– this top combo’s from my most recent release batch.” He tugs at the frail fabric draped over his form– it’s practically sheer, but that’s why he’s got on a halter top underneath. “Well… I have to wear the pants to keep it business casual, but that’s just a price to pay for my work…”

     It seems he has little intention of stopping.

As the man began speaking, beaming with pride, Maerwen shifted her weight in discomfort. His slender neck, his impressive collarbone, and his pale skin were all incredibly on display in his top, and it made her mouth dry out.

Such...such confidence. Such assurance. Such a disregard for current trends of the day.

Since Maerwen felt uncomfortable, it had to mean that she hated it. Had to. No other reason at all.

And so she opened her mouth before he’d even finished speaking. “Gaudy and attention demanding,” she muttered, furrowing her brow. “And...wasteful, I...no, I don’t like it at all.” She gestured to how the fabric fell. “It looks utterly excessive. Why on earth did you decide to drape it like that?”

Bad Taste || Julius & Maerwen

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dragcnblessed‌:

there was a moment of stunned silence after the frightened server hustled away where he stared at her with wide eyes, slowly processing the happenings of the past thirty seconds.

and then he began to laugh. hard. hard enough that his sides began to ache. hard enough that the fellow patrons seated at the tables around them began to shoot him dirty looks from the corner of his eye. 

‘ — oh dear, i hadn’t been expecting that at all. you really are quite bold, aren’t you? i’ll admit, i’m impressed. ’ lucky for him that he had decided to eat earlier while he was waiting for her to arrive ; even luckier still that the bartender had seemed to recognize him despite having changed seats, approaching their table to deliver his drink - a white russian this time, on the rocks - before retreating back to the bar.

he was still stifling giggles as he raised his glass to his lips, his curious, fascinated gaze still lingering upon her face as he took a slow sip. what a strange girl. a moment later he set down his glass, resting his elbows on the table before settling his chin in his hands.

‘ so — you think i’m pretty? ’

The laughter made Maerwen jolt, and she looked around quickly, aware that they were being watched now. Oh, how she wanted to crawl under the table and sneak away. Humiliating. This man was obviously someone used to being looked at - and he shouldn’t be proud of that!

She gritted her teeth, glaring at him. Impressed? He...he was making fun of her, wasn’t he! He absolutely was!

She stared him right in the eye. “Is that really all the information that you received from that statement?” She crossed her arms over her slight chest, pouting but...trying to pretend that she wasn’t. “Physical appearance doesn’t mean anything when you’re an idiot.”

She knew that very well. She, for example, was more homely, and her mind was active as a result. The adverse was thus true.

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen

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Activity Check 8/11 - PASSED

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Bad Taste || Julius & Maerwen

@gemstudded

Most of the time Maerwen appreciated the taste of the employees of Little Black Dress. She wandered in there more frequently nowadays, simply to admire what works they’d created, each one beautifully customized and far more expensive than what she could handle.

Today, however, as she entered the store, she came to a sudden halt, staring at an enormous man - compared to her 4′9 self, at least - who wore the...loudest, most...fascinatingly hideous garment she’d ever seen. Avante-garde, perhaps? Flirting with gender roles?

Either way, even though she couldn’t look away from him, she decided then and there that she hated it.

“Excuse me,” she said seriously, face pinched. “Did you make your outfit?”

[find-my-pride-blog]

oriental-tiger-lily‌:

The woman’s gaze was strong, refined and full of undiscovered passion. She liked it, every woman shouldn’t be afraid of strength after all. Be it in any form shown, and this woman has that.

She clasps her hands together making a soft clap as she listens to the other. “Our fabrics and accessories?” She nods before thinking, which though? Did she speak in general or just a specific type. Either way she probably should answer as if it was in general since the woman hasn’t specified clearly.

“We order most of them from Paris, but for some of our silk and accessories we get from various parts of Asia.” She gives the woman a kind smile. “Did you want for us to order you a specific fabric?”

“Oh.”

So far away. Such a long transit time. She’d hoped for something local - something she could work with tonight, when she wanted to sink her teeth into creation. She sighed, visibly disappointed, and looked at the gown she’d been admiring. She imagined she could improve upon it if she only had the same fabrics to work with.

“...no, I...no. Perhaps another time. I apologize for troubling you.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, gaze filled with longing as she admired the trim of the skirt.

Piece By Piece || Lily & Maerwen

[find-my-pride-blog]

dragcnblessed‌:

his brows rose as she spoke, an amused smirk pulling at the corners of his lips. too shy to admit her true intentions, was she? he found it difficult to believe that her being here after his invitation was mere coincidence. and the way she was looking at him before she hid her face - no, no matter how hard she tried to deny it, the fact that she was still here proved otherwise : that she was, even if only slightly, interested.

‘ is that so? well then — ’ he slid into the empty seat across from her before she could object. ‘ — you wouldn’t mind if i sat here, would you? simply as two people who clearly hadn’t meant to meet here, of course. ’

still, what was this about a girlfriend? oh dear, had she doubted that he’d wait for her? that certainly wouldn’t do.

‘ girlfriend? why, are you jealous? ’

‘ … just kidding! to think that you wouldn’t believe me to be a man of my word - i’m hurt. i told you i wanted to speak more with you, didn’t i? so here i am, without a girlfriend, as usual. unless — you were interested? ’

“Interested?!” Maerwen blurted out. She needed more time to consider what he’d said - that he was sitting here now, that he hadn’t brought a girl along, that he apparently thought she was jealous - but the absolute ridiculousness of his statement was enough to make it far more important immediately.

“Why would I be interested in some pretty boy who only wants to talk to me because he thinks I’m cute or something?!” She gritted her teeth, stunned at the sheer level of anger and...and humiliation that rocketed through her. “Are you so used to girls just fawning all over you that you expect me to be interested in-”

“Um.”

Maerwen cut off, glaring at Leon, then slowly turned her head to look at the nervous server standing at the edge of the table. “...” She picked up the menu, mortified, and spoke her order. “The portobello strip. Rare. Water to drink. And a mango daiquiri.” She slapped an ID on the table - fake - for the waiter to see, then handed the menu over. “He won’t be having anything.” She waved Leon off, and as the server walked away she scowled at Leon once more.

“You’re annoying.”

This Isn’t For You || Leon & Maerwen