iretiolowu

[iretiolowu]

all of the problems araya listed sounded so ridiculous that ireti had to let out a short watery laugh, even though she felt the same pangs of sadness herself. "you're gonna be sick of my face if we facetime every day! ...and who am i supposed to replace you with? you think if i got anyone i would've done that already." she grinned teasingly, wiping her own tears with hurried fingers —  if anything, socially outgoing araya would be the one to replace her in a heartbeat! "okay, you're right about that—  but believe me, i'll probably be texting you next week to see where you are, then i'll take the next flight out... you better tell me the second aurel starts boring you."

" who's going to order me soup when i get sick? a-and who's going to go to skating practices with you! who's going to hold my hair when i get too drunk! " she could barely talk through her sobs. " we're going to call and facetime everyday, right? a-a-and you won't forget about me or replace me, right? " she fears what used to be a low maintenance friendship will become too increasingly high for ireti. and through that, she fears their friendship will dwindle to merry christmas and happy birthday texts. " if i gave you a week's notice, we'd be crying for a week! "

[iretiolowu]

they were both standing in the bathroom, hands clasped together, and embroiled in a serious conversation — if ireti could see this scene from the outside, she might've even laughed! "oh." the sudden heavy burden in her heart immediately lessened, for it took her a mere second to realise that her dread and fear came from the prospect of doing it all alone. suddenly, things did not look quite as bleak as it once was. "i'm— oh thank god." she started to laugh, perhaps in relief, perhaps in elation. "i wasn't even thinking about labour... the pain— and all that. i'm an athlete, that sort of thing would never stop me from doing anything. it was actually... i don't know. a lot of guys would totally fold when a baby is mentioned." ireti, even at 27, felt like a child herself when it came to the prospect of starting a family. "i was scared that you thought it was too soon... or something." she smiled at him, even when stuttering and thoroughly stressed, looking very much like he would be the man she could spend the rest of her life with. "it was fun though, i'm not sorry we did it... i do want this with you, i didn't think that it was going to happen this quickly or out of nowhere like this, but i do want this."

❝ NO, WE HAVEN'T so let's do that now. ❞ he made the choice to ignore her thinking he wouldn't want to do this with her even if the words felt like a spear going through him and hurt as such. the situation was one that required threading through carefully and the last thing he wanted was for them to be hung up on misinterpretations of something the other said. the shock might've shut him up at first but he felt lucid enough now to voice his thoughts. ❝ i love you and i want to do this with you. and i promise i'm not saying this just because it's happening now. i love kids, i've always wanted a kid and i always knew i'd have one but... i don't know, even if it has always been what i want, it's also something that i won't be doing any of the hard work for. carrying and the pains and labour, that's all gonna be on you and i don't want you to feel pressured to do it just because i'm saying i want the baby. ❞ because, as much as he tried, there was too much about pregnancy that he wouldn't be able to help her with at all. ❝ but i- i do. it doesn't really matter if we didn't prepare for it, i really believe we can do this if you want it too. ❞ he moved closer and kissed the top of her head. ❝ yeah. fucking at the new years party specifically... i'm sorry, i shouldn't have- that's not fun- i'm sorry. but that was the only time we weren't careful that i can remember. ❞

[iretiolowu]

she could feel the tears coming on even before araya's voice began to break — and ireti felt her cheeks feel hot as her stomach swooped with sudden sadness. "don't cry! hey— don't worry about it!" she threw her hands around her best friend's shoulder, pulling her in for a tight hug. "i know we couldn't stay here forever i just thought—" that they had a few more weeks, at least! the mere thought caused her tears to finally spill over. "shut up, oh my god. why are we crying! you're— i have money! we'll still see each other, planes exist... we wont be across the street from each other anymore but..." she groaned, pulling away from the hug as she furiously wiped at her cheeks. "you could've given me like... a week's notice."

her eyes remain shut. " i couldn't tell you because! like! i don't want to! i don't want to cry about it! and like! have it be this whole thing about me leaving! a-and i'd have doubts about leaving and it's so stupid! but like! i don't know! " her plan had the opposite effect. tears were streaming down her face and she was making it a big thing while doubting leaving as she's sitting face to face with her best friend.

[iretiolowu]

she blinked once, then twice. "like... tomorrow tomorrow?" where did this come from! and without one single text to warn her? ireti found it thoroughly difficult not to feel a little hurt. "why didn't you tell me?"

" yeah! for sure, i'll look at my schedule and i'll get back to you on your schedule and we'll figure out our... uh... schedules. " she was such a bad fucking liar. " actually we can't. " she couldn't say it! she closes her eyes. " ugh! fuck! " she closes her eyes. " ireti, i'm leaving the program tomorrow! "

[iretiolowu]

"hm? oh that's cool, we could go the next day? i can call and move our reservation." even though she wanted to get the quiches right at that moment!

" at least i didn't leave it at some guys house like silje did with my shoes! " which she still hasn't been compensated for. " the beach. right. that's why i came over today to tell you i can't go. something came up. "

[iretiolowu]

she shouldn't be so sensitive in fixating upon pauses and silences —  but with every frozen moment, ireti felt her heart sink further and further. "is it?" she didn't even know what to think, how to react, and selfishly she wanted him to be sure and steadfast for the both of them, for once. "the doctor— ... yeah, we should. we should call someone... but before that—" she turned fully from the mirror to face him, eyes unflinchingly looking into his. "we've never talked about this, right? now is not the time for any of us to clam up... if this is actually happening, because—" now it was her turn to stutter slightly in silence, holding both his hands in hers. "i love you," the words were pressed into his palms, allowing him to hold them in his possession to do with them what he will. "i'll understand if you don't want to do this with me, but you need to tell me— it doesn't have to be now!" even from the beginning of their relationship, she had never minded asking all the difficult questions, no matter how much she'd like him to once in a while. ireti came up to her tiptoes to curl both arms around his neck, holding him tight. "it was that fucking new years party, isn't it?"

THE COMMENT ABOUT the shellfish died in his parted lips as the objects came to vision. as horrible as that might've been for the moment, ilija took his sweet time overly analyzing each one of them. the results in particular. the second line ( the important one ) of each test was so faint it was hard to even see them yet they were now impossible to miss in all five but one. there was one negative among the rest. which he immediately discarded as the right result. his mouth stayed open, drying up with each passing second, and he attempted to say anything but only incoherent noises came out. plenty of ❝ i, uh, that's, uhm... ❞ and nothing of substance. it was embarrassing really but only because his brain was going too fast for his lips to ever catch up. yes, they were happy and stable and he loved her. of course he did. but a baby required a lot more than that. things he knew nothing about. things they never even discussed. did ireti even want to be a mother ? and asking all of those questions now would be insensitive. it took looking away from the tests to get him out of the trance but it finally happened after what could've felt like both an eternity and a split second at the same time. his hand found hers to give it a reassuring squeeze, even if he had no clue what he was trying to reassure her about. ❝ it's okay, we're okay. we should see a doctor, right ? be sure. ❞ not that it felt like any question marks were hanging in the air but hearing from a doctor would be more decisive than pharmacy tests. ❝ and then we can prepare better. if... that's what you want. do you ? ❞

[iretiolowu]

"the one you swore you already gave back to me?" she grinned, taking the bag from her. "thanks — i have a new outfit to wear this with. we're still going to the beach club tomorrow right? i'm really craving those stupid quiches they make."

march 2024

" sorry! i know i'm late, but i am going to make it up to you right now— " she presents her a dust bag. " the simone rocha bag you let me borrow! i found it! " ( @iretiolowu )

[iretiolowu]

she couldn't hear most of the words before he came into the bathroom, eyes fixated on the object in her hands. "no its not exactly cramps— you know how we thought i ate a bad shellfish the other day..." she laid a handful of tests onto the sink with a clatter before looking up at him. "it's not the shellfish."

❝ JUST ONE SECOND. ❞ enough for him to send his sister one last message before dropping the phone and making his way to the bathroom. ❝ i've been thinking of visiting iris for her birthday but i'm not— hey, are you okay ? is it cramps ? there's advil somewhere in this house, i know there is. ❞

[iretiolowu]

FEB 2024

"ilija..." she called from the bathroom, after a good 30 seconds of being frozen in front of the sink. "babe can you come here for a sec..." @ilijaf

[iretiolowu]

" it's nowhere near midnight yet . . . people should have a little bit more self-control than that. " she wrapped an arm around his middle and rested her cheek on his shoulder, eyes following the couple. " is this your way of trying to get me out of my dress? " she pressed a short kiss on his jaw, leaving a red mark in its wake.

❝ THOSE TWO DEFINITELY just had sex in the nearest empty room. ❞ he pointed to a couple doing a poor job hiding a post-sex aura. ❝ should've been us. celebrating. second new year's party together. ❞ / @iretiolowu

[iretiolowu]

getting shot or not, ireti knew better than to beg araya to be part of her team if she wanted to win . " the best part of playing hockey is being slightly drunk — " the amount of ' beer leagues ' that she had to sit through . . . " do you know anyone else that would be interested ? " ( @ticixno or someone else )

"I don't think it'll be hard to wrangle the rest.." he looked around. "if they're not already too drunk."

[iretiolowu]

" there's an outdoor rink on that side of the hotel — " she gestured at the direction with her free hand . " — how about a game of three on three? i mean , i guess it depends on how many people we can rope into this . " strange to think that it would be the perfect time to have sten milling about . ( @hshqstarters )

[iretiolowu]

she hummed in understanding, regarding him softly . his honesty and ability to be constantly open had always been one of the things she loves most about him . " that doesn't always have to happen, " ireti squeezed at his hand . " sometimes a monarch would retire , instead of going through the gory thing . " they weren't exactly still living in the middle ages after all ! " for what it's worth, i think you'll have a lot of time to get used to it . " she laughed then, wide and open, as fingers came to fiddle with his tie —  a playful kiss placed on the corner of his lips . " i don't know... his crown is huge and look at all those medals ! "

❝ IT'S WEIRDER BECAUSE of my family than what the whole thing represents, to be honest. ❞ he tried not to seem uncomfortable talking about it, ilija didn't even think any of them would've gotten an invite, let alone attend. yet here they all were. ❝ my mother has the entire thing planned; which is really awful when you remember what has to happen to her for us to get there. but, i don't know, i try not to think about it too much. i know i always kind of dreamed about being next in line but i also never really thought it would happen so i sometimes just forget about it. maybe because i still have my sisters it's harder to get it through my head that it isn't either of them anymore. ❞ but this party was not the place to have that deep of a conversation when anyone close could hear them. ❝ i'd look greater than giovanni with a crown on for sure. ❞

[iretiolowu]

" is it really weird to be here? i mean—" she shrugged preemptively. it wasn't until a few hours previous did she realise that ireti was actually seriously dating someone that will receive his very own coronation festivities ! theoretically, she knew that her boyfriend is the crown prince of croatia, but it had never felt particularly real until now . " do you ever think about how yours is gonna be? i know it's still a long way off, but... i don't know. one second you're just a prince and the next you're the most important person in the country." ( @ilijaf )

[iretiolowu]

fannicroy​:

     - ‘ BECAUSE IT isn’t. ’ he had nothing backing him up on that opinion other than his own worries but those had always been enough for ilija. ‘ please agree with me here. ’ the plea was directed at his cousin. ‘ i mean, i’ll go if you decide to go, i’ll just be worried like… the entire time. what about you, fanni, do you have any plans ? i know you’re going back home but that’s only next month right ? ’ / @fannicroy​

“Eluctari! Yes! It’s nice that you’re so involved.” It was nice how everyone and their ex-girlfriend had been asked to take part except for Fanni! Oh well! “I’m not going to agree with you — I’m going to agree with the doctor. I assume your doctor has an opinion?” Fanni directed the question at Ireti. “Even if she can’t be on ice, she can still show up, no? I don’t think Thore’s brother is that into sports and he’ll be there,” Fanni shrugged. “My plans include traveling around Morocco a bit. I’m leaving in two weeks. I need to get my things in order and I’m hosting a small birthday dinner in Budapest. It’ll be nice to see old friends, this place is horrible in that sense — everyone here are…” She paused to think of a word. Some were friends. Some were great friends. But somehow they did not compare to the people she had back home. “They’re not the same? Do you ever miss the people back home?” ( @iretiolowu )​

ireti nodded slowly, and smiled slightly at the hungarian princess. “he said going back on the ice is absolutely no problem, as long as i’m careful and not do triple axels just yet.” quickly turning her gaze onto ilija. “which i wont do!” she competitive, not careless. “oh— i didn’t know that you were leaving the programme... but it’s a good idea to go sightseeing since you’re here. if you have time there are really great places to see in this part of africa, like côte d’ivoire is really beautiful too.” she tilted her head at the question, it was something she had honestly never considered before. “not home, per se, but i do miss travelling around to see my friends. it’s a little complicated when all your friends are living all over the world.” she laughed sheepishly, there was a distinct part of her that questioned where she would be going once the whole programme decided to disperse. ( @ilijaf​ ) 

[iretiolowu]

fannicroy​:

“So…? Do you have any plans for August? One last thing to do before the summer’s over? Maybe a trip to Nigeria?” ( @ilijaf​ + @iretiolowu​ )

“actually, i have to go to copenhagen for about a week and a bit for a masterclass— for eluctari. i’m trying to get ilija to come with me... but he doesn’t think that it’s a good idea for me to be on ice so soon because of my leg.” ( @ilijaf​ ) 

[iretiolowu]

ilijaf​:

     - ‘ ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT. ’ he let himself be pulled in whatever direction she liked, having no issue with being on photographer duty for the night so she could win the competition. at least they’d have fun doing it. ‘ you’re just gonna shot it ? ’ he asked while trying to get a good angle.

“yeah i don’t think i have a lot of time.” a deep breath, before she downed the contents of the ornate glass. “ooh!” it tasted quite good, so much so that she almost wanted to get a top up. ireti moved to ilija’s side to wait for the polaroid to develop. “that’s a nice pic, i’m gonna post it to my finsta later.” she grinned over at the croatian prince, before tilting her head towards the decanter filled with cherry liqueur on the table. “you want some?”