#(thankfully the place I bought them let me exchange for a different style but who knows how long those will last)

[cultivating-wildflowers]

I have purchased two pairs of shoes in the past three months (sneakers for my cleaning job and new winter boots) and both of them are already falling apart

[raindownforme]

First off, I adore your work! You’re writing is absolutely lovely!

And also I have a request.

Ted is a the popular theater kid and reader is the punk of the school who keeps to their clique. Ted grows an interest for the reader and constantly tries to flirt with them in front of their friends and in private or get a date with them. Reader brushes him off most of the time but grows to like him.

Shakespeare

Ted Nivison x reader [she/her used]

“Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?” The tall brunette stood at the front of the English classroom, reading from the book in his hand. The teacher sat at her desk a few paces away, taking note of how he talked. y/n watched him lazily, not quite caring for Shakespeare. “Thou art more lovely and temperate.”

y/n didn’t pay attention as Ted continued the presentation. She flicked her mechanical pencil between her fingers, biding time. “Thank you, Theodore, for sonnet 18. Next is 19– y/n?”

“I chose the annotation project.”

“Thank you. Who had 20?”

Ted took the seat next to y/n. “How’d I do?”

“Not bad. I mean, I’m sure you could’ve done better theater kid.”

“I don’t know. Let me practice it for you and we’ll see.” y/n rolled her eyes, resting her flushed cheek against her hand. “What was yours about?”

“Also romance. I mean it’s half of what the guy wrote about.”

“I could teach you some of his other stuff.”

“Yes. Theodore. The theater tutor.”

“Aw. Is it my aesthetic? Is that the problem?” y/n exaimned the difference between the two of them. Ted wore the same blue jeans, sneakers, and graphic tee to school every day. Of course y/n had a few staple pieces; her leather boots and mix-matched pieces of jewelry, but she did most commonly wear dark or patterned pants and faded shirt.

“It’s a thousand percent the aesthetic.”

Ted closed his notebook, playfully muttering the himself. The school bell rang and y/n stood up, shoving belongings into a book bag as the teacher made announcements to the leaving students.

“Hey. Come see the show.”

“What show?” She pushed through the crowd as Ted followed. y/n could spot her friends group in the distance, waiting just outside the doors.

“The show! Midsummer’s Night Dream. I’m starring in it.”

“Yeah sure. Like I can afford it.” Her hand hit the door, but he stepped in front of her, preventing her from leaving the building. “Ted-“

“Please. Tonight. Seven. I’ll set a ticket aside for you.” She felt her face heat up as moved away slightly. “Might wanna say hi to your friends for me y/n.”

The boy walked away and y/n continued out the door to her and her friends’ lunch period.

———

“I mean. What’s the worst that could happen?” y/n’s friend, Alix, peeled away the paper wrapping around his sandwich. “Do you even like the guy?”

“I don’t- I don’t know.”

“So it could be yes.” Alix leaned in the back of his seat as he took a bite of his lunch. y/n and her friends were sitting in Alix’s truck in the school parking lot, all eating something they either brought from home or bought at a fast food place near the school.

“It’s always wise to indulge in the arts.” Jaz, one of y/n’s other friends spoke from the back seat.

“Dude would you shut up? You took a writing class once.” The last one of the group, Ryan, waved away what Jaz said. “If you like the guy you like him. If you don’t you don’t. Or play with him. I don’t care.”

“I’m not going to play with Ted’s feelings.” y/n searched through her French fries mindlessly. “He Is cute. I don’t know guys.”

“Just go to the show. It can’t be that bad.”

———

Lunch passed, as did the next couple classes, until y/n’s last period of the day. Thankfully, it was a TA period, so there wasn’t much to do.

“Dearie would you run these to the theatrics department for me?” The lady behind the front desk has to be at least 80 at this point, but y/n stood to take the stack of papers from her. “Thank you.”

y/n smiled and left, taking leisure in her walk. The sole of her boots slapped against the off-white linoleum, echoing through the hallways and cafeteria as she crossed the entire building. She never really realized how far the performing arts hall was until walking to it.

The door creaked as it opened to an empty black classroom. “Hello?” She stepped in, her words echoing. She could hear some small commotion deeper into the theater. She followed the noise, finding herself in what looked like a workshop. “Hi?”

“y/n!” She whipped her head to the side to see Ted walking through a large doorway. “Always a pleasure to see you. Especially here. How can I help love?”

y/n brushed off his comment the best she could. “I’m looking for the director? I’ve got some papers to deliver.”

She held out the papers, trying to show Ted, but instead he linked one of his pinkies with hers. “I’ll take you.”

She stared at their linked fingers as Ted dragged her from the workshop to the back of the audience. Ted talked to somebody, but she didn’t quite pay attention.

“And who’s this?”

Looking up, she met eyes with a man she hadn’t quite spoken to before. He wasn’t quite as tall as Ted, and he wore a blue blazer and hiking boots. “This is y/n, from the front office.”

“Ah.” He nodded at Ted. “And is this who-“

“Yes.” Ted cut him short, rubbing at the back of his own neck.

“Well thank you.” The man took the papers from her hand. “We hope to see you tonight.”

She watched him walk away before turning back to Ted. “What’s he mean?”

“Well, he’s who I had to talk to about your ticket. You are coming tonight aren’t you?”

“I can swing by.”

“Good.” Ted brought their still conjoined hands up and lightly kissed her knuckles. “I’ll be watching for you.”

———

y/n had been waiting for a while now.

When school had got out, she had hung around with her friends for a while, getting something to eat and doing some homework, but now it was 6:53 and she was stuck in line at the ticket counter. In front of her were five people. She was five people away from whatever was to come out of tonight.

“Next!” The line shuffled forwards as two people walked inside. She bounced on her feet, watching the exchange of cash between the student running the ticket booth and the patrons. “Next!”

“Hi I think I had a ticket reserved for me.” The student looked over their shoulder at something, then back to y/n.

“Who reserved it?”

“Ted Nivison?”

“Oh. Okay then this is for you.” The student handed over a rectangular ticket with a seat number stamped on the bottom. “Enjoy the show.”

y/n walked through the double doors into the audience. Most of the seats were full, and it took her a few minutes to find the seat marked for her. When she did, she set her backpack down in the front of her, noticing something underneath her seat. It was a folded piece of paper with a note from Ted.

So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see, so long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

-Ted

She stuck the note in her pocket and traded it for her phone. 6:59 pm. She silenced it and looked back to the stage, anxiously waiting. The lights dimmed and she stared up the stage. The curtains began to open and it revealed Ted standing in Grecian style clothing with minimal armor pieces. He stood with his hand outstretched to a girl wearing similar clothing.

Ted’s eyes surveyed the audience, landing on y/n with a smirk. “Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour draws on apace…”

y/n sat in awe for the next two hours. She watched as Ted moved across the stage, putting to life the story as if he’d lived it. She watched as the characters came to life, as the set moved, and as the lights changed. And two hours later, the curtain closed and the cast came together to do bows. She clapped furiously, then watched everyone stand from their seats and leave. She stood, trying to grab her things. The theater had been nearly emptied by now, people rushing out to say hi to people they knew in the cast.

y/n looked around. To the side of the curtain, just peeking out, was someone waving. She walked over, realizing it was Ted.

“Hey there! What’d you think?”

“That was amazing, Ted.” The boy smiled, taking her hand in his. He began to pull her backstage with him. “Wait Ted-“

“It’s fine don’t worry. Here.” Ted pulled her to stand near the classroom area. “Give me two minutes.”

She watched Ted enter the dressing room. For a moment, it was quiet, until everyone else started to file in. The room quickly became loud, filling with student’s voices.

“Hey.” Ted tapped y/n on the shoulder. “I know it’s a lot. Come with me.” Ted draped an arm over her shoulders as he pulled her outside into the crisp night air. “Better?”

“Yeah. Better. Ted that was- that was awesome.”

“I’m glad I can impress you.” Ted checked his phone. “It’s nine already. You have plans?”

“No I-“

“Come get dinner with me. My treat.”

“Ted. It sounds like you’re asking me on a date.” She lightly nudged him with her elbow.

“It’s only a date if you say yes.”

y/n paused, taken aback by the sudden forwardness. “If I say yes?”

“You don’t have to! Don’t think you have to!” Ted gestured with his hands in a panicked motion. “I just- I think you’re really cool and pretty with your style and I’ve always liked you for as long as I can remember and I was just wondering-“

“Yes.”

He paused, eyes wide as a blush crept onto his face. “Yes? Yes as in yes a date? Our date?”

y/n stood on her tiptoes, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Take me on a date theater boy.”

Ted wrapped her in a hug, pressing a kiss to her nose. “Anywhere you want.”

——————

Hi! I hope this is what you were looking for!

[cycat4077]

Sleeping Arrangements

Part 3 in the Changes verse, though it’s not necessary to read the other parts beforehand. (Part 1 | Part 2) AO3 here (Takes place Christmas 2015, right after 17x10 “Catfishing Teacher”)

Pairing: Sonny x Reader  Warnings: none (hopefully just some wholesome fluff) Words: 1858 Summary: Prior to this trip, sleeping arrangements weren't something you'd given much thought. You had been too preoccupied with pre-holiday grading, remembering the presents and packing the bags. But now, the situation poses a bit of a conundrum: one new family member and no extra beds. 

"So, my mom is a lot like yours. She'll probably smother you in love and food," you warn as the wintery highway passes by. 

"I don't mind that," answers Sonny from the driver's seat. Snowflakes collect and melt on the windshield, dispersing the morning light that shines through them. It's Christmas day and the two of you left NYC early to be able to make it upstate in due time.

"My dad on the other hand," you continue, "may look intimidating, but he's actually a big softy. Cries at chick-flicks all the time. Just don't tell him I told you that!" Sonny lets out a warm chuckle. "Noted!" Ever since you spent Thanksgiving with the Carisis, you've been excited to bring Sonny home to meet your parents. Not only that, but he also just finished a really tough case, so you hope that getting away from work and having a hardy family meal would do him good. "You're not nervous, are you?" you ask hesitantly, recalling how anxious you had been on the drive to Staten Island. "I mean, yeah, but not really. If your folks are anything like you, then I'm guaranteed to be just fine." Sonny smiles reassuringly before shifting his eyes back to the snowy roads. -x- "MY BABY!" exclaims your mother as you kick off your boots and step inside the house. You fold your arms around each other and hug. It has been too long since you’ve seen one another in person. "And you must be Sonny," she adds, waving over your boyfriend. "It's a pleasure, Mrs. -" but before Sonny has a chance to finish, your mom wraps her arms around him. A low oof escapes his mouth as she squeezes. Yep, Sonny has officially been adopted into the family. "I've heard so much about you, so it's wonderful to finally meet you!" Your mother is absolutely bursting with joy. "Likewise," replies Sonny, flashing one of his infamous smiles. In the meantime, you give your dad a giant hug, glad to see him too. Then it’s time for introductions. At first your father seems to be sizing up your boyfriend, hardened eyes scanning him over skeptically. Sonny extends his hand, offering a polite "Nice to meet you, sir" but your father hesitates. C’mon dad, you think, flashing him a stern look. Thankfully he accepts Sonny's gesture with a firm handshake. "My daughter goes on and on about you and how happy she is," he declares and finally allows a smile. A breath you didn’t realise you’d been holding in escapes, puffing out your cheeks. Always attentive, Sonny senses your unease and casts you a loving look, stepping over to slip you under his arm. After presents and overnight bags are unpacked from the car, the four of you sit down for an early supper. The dining room table is overrun by casserole dishes filled with turkey, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes and baked carrots; everything that traditionally composes a holiday meal in your household. Once bellies are plump and full, you all sit around the Christmas tree. Growing up, family Christmas trees were always real spruce and were adorned with old ornaments that had sentimental rather than aesthetic value. And like all Christmases before, this year’s tree gives the living room a wonderful smell, while shiny bulbs twinkle from the colored lights that hang on its branches. With everyone gathered together, you swap presents. You had debated endlessly with yourself over what to get Sonny. The two of you were only together for about two months. Was that too soon to be buying expensive or sentimental gifts? Or, since we’re so committed to one another, would it be expected? Instead, you listened to your gut and bought something that you sincerely hoped would make Sonny smile. "What is it, doll?" asks Sonny while tearing at the wrapping paper. The man has the patience of a five-year old. You don't answer, but rather just watch while he takes the gift out of the box. "It's a…" Sonny's face softens and he runs his fingers over the material, "a briefcase." "For when you get that degree and become a lawyer," you elaborate timidly. The item set you back a pretty penny but it was crafted from soft, brown leather and resembled the old style of briefcases from the 50's. You wished that this gift would show Sonny just how much you believe in him. At first he's silent. He simply looks at you with an unreadable expression. He doesn't like it. It's too soon for a gift like this. But then Sonny unleashes a smile so wide that his eyes crinkle at the corners. Your tummy somersaults. "I love it!" Sonny leans over and pulls you into an embrace. You flush with warmth and nuzzle your nose into the soft juncture of his neck. In fact, you're so caught up in the moment that you forget your parents are sitting one sofa over until a quiet 'aww' resonates from your mother. You pull apart to see a pair of baby blues shining with appreciation. Sonny then gets up, sock feet padding towards his coat by the door. He reaches into the pocket, pulls something out and quickly returns to his place beside you. He extends his arm, presenting a small box with intricate wrapping. Your breath catches in your throat. It's jewelry. Sonny studies you with nervous excitement, coaxing you to open it. When you do, the velvety box reveals a silver pendant on a matching chain. You touch the cool metal delicately with your finger, tracing the outline of an apple. "Yourra teacher," Sonny remarks, his tone turning somewhat shy. "And when you like a teacher, you're supposed ta give 'em an apple." You feel tears forming in your eyes as his sentiments soak in. "It's beautiful, Sonny." And you mean those words from the bottom of your heart. It's perfect. He's perfect. You ask him for help to put it on, moving your hair out of the way. His fingertips tenderly graze along the back of your neck, sending goosebumps across your skin. When the clasp is secured, you release your hair and gently adjust the pendant to the middle of your chest. It means so much and you vow to wear it everyday. The gift exchange continues a little while longer; your parents even make sure that Sonny has presents under the tree from them. Your mother all the while brings out various baked deserts, continually offering Sonny more food even though his response never wavers from a lighthearted "I'm stuffed". There's laughter and stories to go around as afternoon shifts into evening. You share your experiences with Sonny from the past summer and your parents recite snippets from your childhood. Of course, they also provide Sonny with a teasing warning about how nerdy you can be, making you cringe out of embarrassment. Sonny, like the gentleman he is, laughs them all off and reveals a few of his own quirks to even the score. As the night winds down and eyelids grow heavy, there's a collective decision to turn in. Prior to this trip, sleeping arrangements weren't something you'd given much thought. You had been too preoccupied with pre-holiday grading, remembering the presents and packing the bags. But now, the situation poses a bit of a conundrum: one new family member and no extra beds. Right away Sonny offers to sleep on the couch. Being that your relationship is still quite new, the two of you have never done the whole sleeping over thing yet. Though uncharted territory, it seems unfair to make Sonny sleep on a lumpy sofa when he'd be driving home the next day. "No, it's okay," you announce, eyes darting between your parents and Sonny. "You can share my bed." Your father opens his mouth to protest, but your mother swiftly hits his arm to shut him up. Instead, she hands Sonny the extra pillows in her arms. "You sure, doll?" Sonny questions, blue eyes seeking yours for confirmation. "Yeah, we've got a long drive back tomorrow. Need a good night's rest." You smile and rest your hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. Sonny would never get fresh with you unless you both were ready. Besides, it would be nice to finally make the dream of falling asleep in his arms a reality… "Goodnight then, you two," your mother coos. "If you need anything let us know." You give both parents a hug before retreating into your childhood bedroom. "I'd never try anything. You know that, right?" Sonny blurts as he helps turn down the sheets. You stop and look at him. "Of course I know that," you reassure. "I trust you and in no way feel pressured. Hope you feel the same." "I do! I was justa little surprised that you'd offer to share a bed, especially under your folks' roof." He fluffs the pillow and strips off his shirt.

You can't help but stare at his bare chest. That's another first and boy, is it a good one. Sonny's not the type who has rippling muscles or bulging pecs. Instead, he's lean and toned in just the right places, which, if you're being honest, is way sexier. Sonny then pulls a different tee over his head, dragging you back to reality. "My parents have always trusted me," you resume. "All my decisions are my own and they'd never judge me for sharing a bed with my boyfriend. That's the kind of relationship we've always had." "It's nice," Sonny says simply before crawling under the covers. "My parents weren't quite so trusting." He shrugs. "...But then again we were a strict Catholic household." He pats the mattress beside him and you slip in. "Oohh! Your feet are like ice!" he trills. You quickly pull your toes away. "Sorry." "Nuh-no, doll! Lemme warm 'em up," Sonny grins and reaches for your feet with his own. His warmth provides immediate relief. "That better?" he asks. "Much," you reply. "Good." He switches off the bedside lamp and snuggles down under the blankets. "'Night." "'Night," you say. A silence hangs in the darkness for a few moments. "Sonny?" you whisper. "Yeah?" "Would you...uh...Would you...Do you wanna..." you stutter out, but it seems he already understands. An arm snakes around your shoulders pulling you near. "That okay?" he asks. But rather than answer, you turn your face towards him and place a kiss to his lips. It's warm and soft and tender; unspoken gratitude for the wonderful day you've spent with him. Sonny, responds by kissing you back with a soft hum of pleasure. "I'll take that as a ‘yes’," he smirks against your lips. "Merry Christmas, Sonny." "Merry Christmas," he kisses your forehead and you cuddle into his chest. His arms hold you close as you both fall asleep. You had always dreamed of how it would feel to be nestled up with Sonny like this, and though you never expected the first cuddle to be in your childhood bed, it was still better than you could have ever imagined. It felt right. Sonny felt like home.

---

I SHALL WRITE ABOUT ALL THE HOLIDAYS! (feeback loved and thanks for making it to the end ♥ )

Part 4 here

[himbowelsh]

gene / renée,   “things we said when we were happiest”

2400+ words

“snowflakes in the honey-drenched breeze”

After the war — after Bastogne — Eugene would be happy to never see another snowfall. 

Thankfully, in Bayou Chene, a dozen things are more likely to fall out of the sky, starting with rain and ending with a hail of frogs. No snow down here to force a chill into your bones, even in the chilliest months. Nothing freezes down here — so he tells Renée, handing her a glass of lemonade with an apologetic wince. The sorry excuses for ice cubes clink in the glass, dancing in the pink liquid. If Renée minds, she doesn’t say a word. Instead, the corners of her lips tug back in a muted smile, and she pulls the drink close to her chest.

“It is beautiful,” she declares, for the fifth time since getting here. “Such a beautiful place.”

Bastogne must be beautiful too, at the right time of year. In her letters, Renée described the forests in full bloom, a canopy of green and gold stretching high into the air. She and her sisters used to have picnics there, eating cakes from the local bakery and picking wildflowers to bring home to their mother. The way she wrote, Gene could almost see it; his memories of the forest are nothing like the fairytale playground Renée once knew, but it’s nice to imagine it a different way. In another time, another world, he thinks, things could have been different.

In another world, Renée wouldn’t have been driven to run as soon as the weather turned cold, fleeing across an entire ocean just to escape Belgium’s chill. Gene wouldn’t have received warning just two days before she arrived, and been left to scramble to make things hospitable. They wouldn’t both greet each other at the train station for the first time in a year, awkward in spite of the letters they’ve been exchanging through the war and its end.

Then again, in another life, Gene might’ve never met Renée at all. He certainly wouldn’t be sitting here with her now, watching the Louisiana air turn her cheeks pink, or summon droplets of sweat to her brow.

Her hair is curled in a style he recognizes, but has never seen on her; she has it done up in pins instead of a scarf now. Even weeks of travel couldn’t ruffle her. This was the same woman who held steady as the town around her was being shelled to hell and back; of course she wouldn’t be daunted by a long journey. Renée shines brighter now than he ever remembers before, even when she was a glowing light in the pitch darkness of Bastogne. Her eyes are more animated than they used to be. Her smile isn’t so tired at the edges. She doesn’t wear grief like a familiar shawl, separating her from the rest of the world. 

Actually, she’s wearing lipstick.

In a lot of ways, Gene is sitting across from a stranger. He’s never seen this woman before, not without blood under her fingernails and exhaustion shadowing her face. Even so, it feels like he’s known Renée forever.

“Your home is beautiful,” Renée declares, breaking the comfortable silence between them. When she glances over her shoulder, her curls bounce. “When you described it to me, I didn’t imagine somewhere so...”

“Small?” Gene tries. 

The corners or her mouth twitch. “Cozy.”

It’s a small house on the edge of the bayou, not too far from his family home... but far enough to give Gene the space he needs. Moving back in with the family was good for a few weeks... then it slowly became unbearable. He couldn’t handle his mother’s pity, his siblings well-meaning questions, his father’s understanding — that was the worst part, because Papa survived his own war. Of course he knows. But he doesn’t at the same time, because he didn’t live Normandy or Bastogne... and no one who wasn’t there can ever truly understand.

As the curtain between lived and unlived, memories and reality, grew more transparent with each passing day, Gene was seized with his own urge to run. He found an old house half-collapsing into the bayou, and bought it cheap with the promise of fixing it up. He’s always been good with his hands, after all... and having a project to focus on helped the open wounds scar over, much as putting distance between himself and anyone who wanted to poke at them did.

Gene’s house is comfortable and private, but definitely ain’t charming. If she wanted, Renée could easily find a better hotel in town. When Gene suggested it, she turned her nose up at the idea.

“Why would I do that when I’ve come here to see you? To stay with you?” she demanded. In the middle of the Lafayette train station, they drew looks from curious passersby— either at Renée’s shocked voice or her pristine European French. When she realized that he wasn’t joking, the surprise faded from her face, replaced by fond exasperation. “You mustn’t be silly, Eugene. After all you’ve written about your house, would you really not let me see it?”

As Gene’s Maman would say, he made his own bed. Now, he’s got to lie on the floor, because Renée’s the guest, and she gets the only bed in the house.

None of that seems to matter now, though, with the bayou’s nightlife slowly stirring awake around them. To Gene, the symphony is familiar as an old friend; he could time his pulse with the bugs’ chirping, and the soft sounds of water rippling a ways away barely register as background noise. To Renée, though, it’s all new. He watches her drink it all in, blue eyes wide; one hand braces on the wooden porch rail as she leans forward in her seat, nearly spilling her drink. She peers into the darkening forests around them, as though trying to make out the source of each noise and rustle. Gene knows better — for his own piece of mind — but Renée doesn’t think like a native. To her, Gene’s world is foreign, maybe a little frightening… but nothing about the brightness in her eyes, or the soft huff of laughter on her lips, suggests she’s daunted.

“It must be so difficult to feel alone here,” she declares after a long silence. “The world is alive here. As though… it knows you, and wants to keep you company.”

The Bois Jacques’ deathly silence still rings in Gene’s ears. He’ll take the bayou’s racket any day.

“Knows you too,” he says, deciding to humor her. “Or wants to know you, at least. Think the crickets are putting on a special show tonight, just cause you’re here.”

Renée laughs, soft and bright. Her eyes flutter shut, head dipping. In the dimming light, she still manages to glow like a firefly. Gene couldn't look away if he tried.

“It’s so beautiful,” she declares again, slumping back in her seat. While not a man to turn down a compliment to his home any day, this is the sixth time Renée’s said it. The Bayou’s beautiful in its own way, sure... but Gene can’t help wondering if she’s really talking about it.

“Can I ask you—” he starts, cutting off when she turns to look at him. The words die in his throat. She’s happier than he’s ever seen her. To take that smile from her lips, that brightness from her eyes, might kill him.

Renée notices his hesitation, of course. “Anything,” she says softly, coral lips caressing the word. Gene swallows past a dry throat.

“Can I ask... why you came all this way?” Before she can answer, he rushes on. “There’s a thousand warmer places closer to home. Why here?” 

To his relief, Renée’s light doesn’t dim. She keeps her gaze trained on him, weighing the question for a long moment. Her fingers graze the hem of her skirt, making the fabric ripple. When she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, Gene fights the irrational urge to take her hand.

“You’re here,” she finally says, and turns back to the bayou.

As though it’s really that simple. Gene can’t think past it. For a moment, it’s hard to even breathe. Why me? he wants to ask. Why, out of everyone else on earth, everyone else who can’t help loving you? Why���d you come across the ocean just to visit me?

Sitting still is more than he can bear. Gene springs to his feet, turning to the open doorway. A heavy mosquito net blocks the inside from the out, but the screen will let sound through. That’s his only thought as he slips inside, fumbling for the cheap radio on his hall table. Fill the silence somehow, some way. 

A melody fills the hall — something with plenty of strings, and a woman crooning in a velvety mezzo tone. Some love song or other. Gene’s never paid much attention to them before, not enough to name this one offhand, but something about the longing in this woman’s voice gives him pause before he can flick the dial to something different. 

When he turns back around, Renée is watching him. She’s swiveled, arm braced against the back of Gene’s deck chair; a smile plays on her lips. “Music, too?”

“You didn’t want the hotel,” Gene replies. “Might as well give you the whole hotel experience.”

“Will you have waiters serving champagne next? Or a chandelier put up in your living room?”

“I think the hotels in Lafayette are a lot different than where you come from.”

She’s on the verge of laughing as she rises from her seat. Renée pauses in the doorway, watching him with those kind, clever eyes. Against the twilight, she cuts a dark silhouette, fading at the edges like something out of a dream. When she steps forward, Gene doesn’t know what to expect.

“Dance with me,” she says, reaching for his hand.

The words reverberate in Gene’s head. They bounce off the sides like a bullet in a steel drum, from French to English and back again, as though a different language will make them make more sense. Danse avec moi. Can he? Should he?

The choice isn’t left up to him. Renée’s hand catches his, fingers lacing together… and some instinct Gene didn’t even know he had stirs to life. His hand finds her waist, gently pulling her closer; their feet fall into rhythm, not daring tread upon each other, as they begin to gently sway to the rhythm. 

No one in their right mind would call Eugene Roe a dancer. It’s not his first time dancing with a woman… but never alone, never in the middle of his own foyer.

He knows where all the creaky floorboards are, knows the part of the carpet that’s always rumpled and easy to trip over. These dangers, he guides Renée smoothly past. It’s more than he could do for her in Bastogne. There, they could only press light bandages of sympathy over each others’ wounds, stemming the blood flow for a short time. Here — in Gene’s home, with the air sweet on their tongues and warm against their skin — he can do so much more. He can look after her, keep her safe from that chill… and as Gene’s head lowers, enough for his temple to brush against Renée’s own, it’s all he wants to do.

“Eugene…” She murmurs his name like a prayer. He exhales against her neck, ruffling the golden hairs settled there. Renée shudders in his arms, as though she’s caught an old chill, and Eugene unconsciously pulls her closer.

“I am so happy,” she whispers. “Being here with you… it is like remembering how to breathe again. Since the war’s end…”

Her hand has found a place on the back of his neck, fingers playing with his collar. Every so often, they tease the side of Gene’s jaw, and his nerves spark and shiver. “It’s like trying to relearn something that used to come easy,” he affirms, for he understands — he’s felt it too. “Like there’s a weight on your chest, and it’ll crush you if you let it…”

“But it’s gone now,” she sighs. “For the first time, it’s gone. I can breathe.”

Gene inhales, and all he tastes is her. Renée’s perfume, Renée’s presence — like lavender in the summer, sweet and soothing. When she lowers her head against his shoulder, he feels each breath exhaled against him. They continue to sway in the middle of Gene’s foyer; their shadows, backlit against the fading twilight, look like a single being, instead of two people joined together. I could stay like this forever, Agnew realizes, an odd thrill coursing through his veins. It’s the first time he’s felt like this since the war, and maybe before it too — the first time he’s ever understood what peace means, and how precious it is to have and hold. He never wants to let it go.

He never wants to let her go. To lose her now… after everything… dieu au-dessus, he couldn’t stand it.

“Beautiful,” he murmurs against her ear. Renée shifts against him, pulling back just enough to regard him quizzically. The word is her own, but Gene certainly isn't echoing it now in regards to his own home.

“What is?” 

A smile tugs at Gene’s lips. Renée catches it, and understanding dawns across her face... followed by a grin that lights up the room, warming Gene up from the inside out.

“You have a beautiful soul, Eugene Roe.”

“You—“ He cuts himself off, a blush taking over his cheeks — not helped by the way Renée’s grin grows. Never before has he wanted to say so many things, or had so few words to say them. Every emotion trapped within his chest flutters like a mercurial thing, flickering between one state of existence and another. If he could put voice to at least one of them, all the rest would surely come… like a flood, rushing out with no hope of stopping the flow. The idea terrifies him.

Instead, Gene only exhales and shakes his head, his own grin tugging at his lips. “I’m happy you’re here,” he says. “Happier than I’ve been… for as long as I can remember.”

When Renée leans in, it’s easier than dancing, easier than breathing. Her soft sigh rings in his ears, even as their lips find each other. Gene’s heart picks up a new rhythm in his chest.

Some churning emotion turns to stone inside of him. Finally, it’s tangible. He can feel it. He knows it, as well as he knows the back of his own hand, or the taste of Renée’s mouth.

Beautiful, he thinks. Yeah, sure is.

[ramblefang]

Runaway Raccoon; BNA ep.1

Preface

Just finished watching the first episode of BNA, so I now I’ll be writing my first impressions of it. And I’ll endeavor to do this for the whole series. It’s not exactly my first time trying this sort of thing, but I’m still inexperienced with it, so this might get messy. But, as is the intent with this blog, I’m just here to Ramble on about stuff anyway, so a mess is to be expected.

Before getting into the actual episode, I want to note that I’m only mostly going in blind. I’m primarily watching this after seeing stuff for it show up on my dashboard, so I know the names of the main characters (who haven’t yet been properly introduced) and a few general themes of the show. I also know that it was made by Studio Trigger, and I’ve been a fan of some of their anime (including Gurren Lagann, which I understand to be by many of the same people, even if it was under a different studio), so that will probably affect some of my thoughts on things.

Opening

Things start out with the opening, which sounds silly to say, but many shows don’t actually start with the OP, preferring to leave it until the end or the second episode—I assume it’s to not “spoil” introductions to the characters. Starting with the OP right out of the gates strikes me as preferring to set the tone, as well as showing off style and aesthetic.

As for the OP itself, I mostly noticed how the setting is very much “our world,” especially with the pseudo-branding. All of that is apparent through the episode as well; I particularly remember the pseudo-Red Bull stall that Michiru bought a drink from. I’m not too knowledgeable about music, so about all I can say is that I thought it was a bop—well, also that it kind of reminded me of “Bad Apple” for some reason.

Animal Rights

The episode proper starts with Michiru trying to get money from an ATM in a nondescript hallway. A lot of attention is paid [by the camera, not Michiru] to a poster next to the ATM celebrating “Animal Rights Day.” Next, some ruffians also come down the hallway, prompting Michiru to hide while they spray-paint something hateful over the poster.

Just this cold open hits pretty hard in light of the protests that have been going on this year. As far as I can understand just from this scene, Beastmen (the “Animals” in “Animal Rights” I assume) gained their own rights somewhat recently—certainly recently enough for open bigotry and racism to still be rampant. With the way the ruffians were armed and the message they left, we can assume that Michiru wasn’t overreacting and genuinely would have been danger if she was caught. And in light of this year’s protests—what started them and some of the reactionary response—I can’t help but feel like this sort of situation isn’t too far from present reality; it’s at least certainly very real in our history.

Speaking of protests, we also see some news about that sort of thing. Apparently people aren’t happy about Beastmen getting their own district? With this information juxtaposed with the previous scene, I’m led to believe that these people aren’t protesting segregation and desiring unity. I’m pretty sure these protesters don’t want Beastmen to have anywhere to live. Or, at the least, they don’t want resources to be spent on the beastmen, but that amounts to the same thing.

En Route

While Michiru “catches a bus,” she pulls out her phone to watch a video about the place she’s traveling to: Anima-City. It reminded me a little of the introduction to the city of Zootopia; though the context is very different. (Anima-City being the refuge of an underclass, whereas Zootopia is the pinnacle of city life.) Something strange about this video is that it seems to be from a pharmaceutical company, not a government body. Is the company the same thing as the government here? And pharmaceuticals specifically worries me a bit: makes me think of attempts to “cure” the beastmen.

Oh, somehow I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I can’t help but think of the beastmen from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and wonder if they could actually be the same. It’s been a while since I last watched TTGL, so I can’t quite recall how the politics around the Beastmen went and whether or not this BNA setting could fit in with it.

Anyway, before the video can finish, Michiru gets attacked by, what we learn to be, “beastman hunters” who specifically hang around routes to Anima-City. One of them even has the gall to say that they’d puke if they keep seeing more beastmen around there, but they’re the ones actively looking for beastmen to hunt! These people could just let the Beastmen be in their own city and not worry about them. Again, I still have our very real protests and history in mind: of lynchings and genocide.

Thankfully, Michiru is saved by some other beastmen. My first response to this fight though were concerns about the oppressed group were clearly being presented as powerful and threatening and how that may translate to reality (my head still being in that space and all), but then I caught myself thinking that and remembered to actually pay attention to context here. This is clearly righteous self-defense regardless of how rough they get with these hateful bigots. Beyond that, it’s simple catharsis to see the oppressed being able to fight back.

The leader of Michiru’s saviors is named Marie, and Michiru is apparently savvy enough to understand that Marie would be expecting payment. It’s an uncomfortable situation honestly. The way that Marie’s group were able to fight to protect her suddenly hangs over Michiru as a sort of threat. Though, I guess Marie had intended to ask for payment after ensuring Michiru’s safe passage to Anima-City, so it’s just the exchange happening here that makes it seem especially threatening. Still, this grift makes clear beastmen aren’t perfect people either.

Now that I’m thinking about it, this sets up for the mercenaries that show up in the final part of the episode, showing how money can still lead Beastmen to harm one another, to varying degrees.

I wonder how Marie will fit in later. I do recall her showing up in the OP, so I imagine she has a bigger part to play. Maybe she has some sort of connection to Shiro.

Festival

(Ugh, this is going longer than intended with me trying to recap stuff. This method probably isn’t sustainable for me. Just try to make your points!)

Michiru’s entrance to Anima-City was quite unexpected. It honestly doesn’t make much sense if you think about it too literally; instead, it’s totally about getting certain feelings across. I think we’re supposed to get the idea that despite Michiru being a beastman herself, as an outsider, she still finds the idea of a place entirely filled with beastmen intimidating (especially given what we learn about her at the end of the episode: her having been human). And it also impresses upon the audience that beastmen can be legitimately threatening and even terrifying; I imagine they’ll continue to play with that idea going forward.

There’s also that wolf on the rooftops that Michiru sees. I wonder if that’s actually Shiro? The colors seem about right, and Shiro is a wolf himself. And I think the OP hinted at them being able to transform into more feral, four-legged forms? I don’t think we see such a thing directly, but there were some shadows that I remember.

Anyway, Michiru’s fears are cast aside once it’s revealed that everyone was just gathering for a festival and that they weren’t actually gathering to attack her or something. Michiru is able to let loose and just be herself: no need for a cloak or scurrying into vents.

Political Intrigue

After the mayor of Anima-City—the same person we saw on the video earlier who is also probably connected to that pharmaceutical company—shows up on a big screen to talk about the festival being a celebration of the city’s 10th anniversary, we cut to her in a call with the actual mayor of the city. I have to remind myself that despite the name, Anima-City is just the “beastman district” of a larger city. Of particular interest from this conversation is the mayor saying they can have this district so long as they don’t prove to be “dangerous”. The thing is that it’s entirely up to the human government whether they are “dangerous” or not; I imagine they can spin anything to make the beastmen out as dangerous or even fabricate something if necessary.

I figure the mercenaries and their terrorist attack on the festival could be connected to those sorts of plans. I also took note of the way that the mercenaries used guns and Shiro didn’t. I wonder if that will be something to clue the audience in to who has connections with humans and/or anti-beastmen sentiment.

Ideology

Lastly, I want to take note of the differing ideologies between Michiru and Shiro. Shiro has a very black-and-white view on things: beastmen good, humans bad. Shiro is also likely willing to kill people to fight for his ideals and to protect what he cares about. Michiru has a more nuanced view of there being good humans and bad humans, good beastmen and bad beastmen. But she also comes off as having a naive ideal of nonviolence in defending these people whose attack could have (and maybe actually did) hurt a lot of people at the festival. To be fair to Michiru though, it’s not really right for Shiro to be judge, jury, and executioner here. He’s already incapacitated them, and I imagine there are more proper ways to handle these terrorists than offing them in an alley.

Still, my current impression is that neither of their perspectives are meant to be “correct” right from the start. I imagine they’ll have to learn from one another. Regardless, I hope things end up being more about institutional powers being bad rather than leaving things at just individual people being bad. Like, even if there ends up being a main villain to defeat, I hope that villain serves to represent the power of their position rather than the villain being a uniquely evil person.

Closing

Okay, I think that’s all I have to write about the first episode. Honestly, I’ll probably need to work on Rambling less, because I don’t know if I can keep up with writing so much every episode. I had been thinking of doing these daily (with some breaks in the week maybe), but maybe I’ll do an episode every other day if this is the sort of thing I’ll end up with.

[helmes-deep]

Prompt: Sue makes Sean a Christmas gift (a kind of cheesy one, like a scarf or something like it), while Sean buys her a really nice Christmas gift. She feels bad for not getting him something nicer, but he lets her know that this gift means more to him than anything she could have bought for him, because she worked so hard on it and made it with love.

“Man, that was great!” Sean exclaimed, finishing his meal with a clink of the silverware.

Sue smiled and nodded, also placing her fork onto her finished plate.

“Now, time for the gifts!” Sean said with excitement, rubbing his hands together. From across the table, he gave his girlfriend a big smile.

Sue smiled back. She was excited, too. It was Christmas. She and Sean had been dating for a couple of months now, and they were having their first annual Christmas dinner-date at her and Lexie’s apartment. Christmas had kind of become like this special time for them. It was when they had had their first kiss, realized their feelings for each other, and how their relationship had ultimately grown, quickened pace, picked up momentum, and finally come into being (despite the many, many mix-ups). To celebrate the occasion, they’d first had a nice and delicious candle-lit dinner. Next, they were going to participate in a couple’s gift exchange: they were going to present each other the gifts that they had gotten for one another.

Sue was especially excited for the gift exchange. She couldn’t wait to give Sean her gift. She’d spent hours working on it this past year, starting in the summer and then all throughout the long, fall months. She had struggled with it initially, constantly stressing over its shape and form and frustrated with doing, undoing, and re-doing its knots all over—but the thought of it keeping him warm in the wintertime had kept her going, and come late December, thankfully, she’d finally finished it. It was done, wrapped, and ready to be gifted. She couldn’t wait for Sean to open it; her heart jumped just thinking about the happy, surprised look on his face when he did.

“Okay, Suzy-Q, I’ve got your gift right here!” Sean started. He turned in his chair and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a small, square box. Sue’s eyes went up a little upon thinking about the all the kinds of gifts that could possibly fit into such a small-sized container. Her excitement and confidence began to waver as Sean brought it to the table.

“Here we are,” Sean said. He gave her a lively grin as he placed the box before her on the dining room table and between the two glowing candles. “This is for you.”

“O—O—Oh… It all fits into this box?” Sue asked with a growing hint of uncertainty.

“Yup,” Sean nodded. “I was thinking about getting you something else at the same store, but when I saw this, I just couldn’t stop thinking about you and how well it would fit you, Sue.” He smiled at his girlfriend as he gently tapped the box toward her. “Merry Christmas, Suzy-Q.”

Sue offered her boyfriend a nervous, but gracious smile as she carefully picked up the cardboard box. It was small, but not too small—about the size of one’s palm—cream-colored and with pretty gold lining decorating its edges. It even had a nice, golden bow printed cutely across the top. Anxiety, hopefulness, despair, and anticipation all spun around within her as Sue brought the box closer and opened it, peering inside.

Sue gasped. And as she did, her heart sank a little.

“Oooh!” Sue exclaimed, staring with wide, wide eyes at what was in the box. She looked up at her boyfriend with a mix of worry, gratitude, and surprise. “Oh, Sean, it’s… beautiful!”

Sue’s hand went up to reveal a small piece of jewelry—a bracelet—of the jingling, jangling sort. A charm bracelet. It was really quite stunning and beautiful, the small, pretty charms making a soft tinkling noise as they dangled from the band’s elegant silver loops.

Sean eagerly scooted forward. “One of the charms is a cupcake, because of how sweet you are. The smiley-face is to show how close we were as friends before we started dating each other. There’s a unicorn with rainbows on it because I know you love those. A golden heart. And a snowflake to remind you of Christmas…” He looked up, his warm gaze meeting hers as he smiled brightly at her. “And how special we are to one another.”

Sue was speechless. She couldn’t find any words to describe her amazement, wonder, and thanks for her boyfriend’s Christmas present. While she struggled to find the right words to express herself, Sean quickly encouraged her to try on her new gift, so try it on she did.

True to what her boyfriend had previously said, the gift was an exact fit. The bracelet’s chain locked comfortably around her wrist—not too loose, not too tight. The bracelet’s colors and design were just her style. Overly cute, yet also lovely. From the glow of the dinner table, the bracelet’s charms sparkled wonderfully, glistening under the candlelight, and reflected back to Sue just how beautiful, thoughtful, and meaningful the present her boyfriend had just given her was.

The perfect gift.

A feeling of failure and inadequacy had started forming within Sue as she looked to Sean, who was beaming with happy satisfaction from across the table.

“All right, Suzy-Q, you’re next!” her boyfriend said with a wide smile.

Sue hesitated. “Oh word, Sean, I don’t know…” she started nervously. Sean gave her a slightly confused look. Sue attempted to explain. “It’s just that, your gift—it’s… so beautiful! So, so, so beautiful!” Sue gave a nervous laugh as she took another look at the bracelet hanging about her wrist. “Almost too beautiful.” She looked at her boyfriend with concern and worry all over her face, and sighed. “You’re gift is perfect… And mine… just isn’t that great…”

“Aww, don’t worry about it, Suzy-Q; I’m sure I’ll love your gift!” Sean said, shaking his head with assurance. He smiled encouragingly at her.

“Okay… just… don’t get your hopes up too high when you see it,“ Sue said with a little hesitation and warning in her voice. She reached under the table, bringing up white paper bag filled with gold stuffing paper. She placed the bag onto the table in front of her boyfriend before giving a weak smile.

“Oooh, you got a bag and everything! I wonder what it is!” Sean said with a bright grin. Sue replied with a nervous smile as Sean’s hand shuffled through the stuffing paper, searching for the gift that she had so meticulously prepared for him. The unsettling feeling in her stomach grew bigger and bigger, peaking as she heard her boyfriend making a sound of recognition at having found her gift.

“Oh, wow—a scarf!” Sean remarked, pulling from the bag a lengthy and thick piece of cloth. The scarf had clearly been knitted and was a deep red color. It also had a rather stickish, but still recognizable, snowflake design at one end of it. Overall, the scarf wasn’t terribly knitted, perhaps a bit rough-looking around the edges and uneven in some parts, but otherwise it was still a fairly nice, well-enough-woven—and rather plain—Christmas gift. “And… a hat!” Sean exclaimed, pulling out another article of knitted clothing. He smiled widely at his girlfriend. “Awesome!”

The quality of the hat wasn’t too much different from the scarf’s, save for the snowflake design. But it carried the same plain, homemade ordinariness of its yarn-y predecessor. Nothing special or uncommon about it. The completely simple, homely ordinariness of her gift didn’t really hit Sue until she watched her boyfriend try both of the items on, which upon doing so, she realized that her mental sizing of her boyfriend might have been a little off, as the scarf appeared to look a bit thinner than she had anticipated, and the hat fit oddly onto his head, about two sizes too small.

“And hey, look—they both match my gray turtleneck, too!” Sean smiled, pointing to himself.

Sue frowned. “Oh, Sean, I am so, so, sooo sorry!” Sue let out a heavy sigh. “I wanted to give you something really, really special for Christmas, so I thought I’d make you a scarf, but… even though I spent hours working on it… it’s all just hitting me now how stupid and silly the whole idea was…”

Sean gave his girlfriend an inquisitive, genuinely curious look. “You made this?”

Sue nodded pathetically. “I learned to knit—err, tried to—this past summer. That’s how I got this ‘super-great’ idea to knit you something warm for the wintertime in the first place. Probably got a little over-excited about it, like I always do…” She gave her boyfriend a look of pity and disappointment. “I should have bought you something instead, Sean. It would have been a lot, lot nicer.”

Sean’s look of curiosity changed to endearment as his arms reached across the table. “Sue,” he said, taking both of her hands and warmly wrapping her fingers in his. “Your gift is perfect.”

The frown didn’t immediately disappear from Sue’s face, but she did slowly look up to Sean as he continued to explain. “Nice gifts are well, nice, but… I’m glad you didn’t buy me something instead. No one’s ever really made me something before—I mean, well, except for my mom—but besides that, no one’s ever really spent so much time and effort making me something—that was made and meant, especially for me.” Sean held up an end of the scarf that Sue had made for him—the end with the stick-figure snowflake on it. “That means a lot to me, Sue. And I really appreciate all the work and time that went into making this scarf. It makes it a lot more meaningful to me than any gift you could have bought for me at a store, even if it would’ve been a lot nicer. So…”

Sean smiled warmly at Sue, gently squeezing her hands. “Thank you, Sue. This was a really thoughtful and special gift. I love it.”

Sue slowly looked up to meet her boyfriend’s eyes. “… You really mean that?” she asked, voice still filled with some doubt.

“I really mean it. I mean—we can probably do away with the hat—but the scarf…” Sean smiled brightly at his girlfriend. “It’ll definitely keep me warm.”

Happiness, comfort, and excitement returned to Sue as she smiled back at her boyfriend and quietly nodded. He grinned, squeezing her hands one last time.

“Hey,” Sean said, “how about we establish a ground rule for our forthcoming, annual Christmas dinner-dates? That from now on, we won’t feel bad about any of the presents we submit for the gift exchange because it’s the thought—” Sean smiled at Sue. “And the love behind the gift that counts.”

Sue’s smile grew wider. “Agreed,” she replied with happily contented breath.

Sean’s face brigtened up with a smile at his girlfriend’s response. He gently took her hands within his again as he  looked to her from across the table. “Merry Christmas, Suzy-Q.”

“Merry Christmas, Sean,” said Sue.

First fic of 2018 WOOT!! Next one should also be coming soon~ :333 Wanted to get this done since it’s Christmas-sy; probably the last Christmas fic of the series, but not the last winter-themed one :‘33 I also think it’s probably the first time I’ve adhered pretty strictly to the prompt, at least in a while haha. Hope you guys are enjoying the show after it’s come back from the break (wew, what a return episode!!). As always, thanks for all the reads, love, and support so far!! I hope you all had a wonderful Merry Christmas and a lovely New Year~!! 🎊🎉

Send me a prompt and I’ll write a short Sue x Sean fanfic about it leol (closed)

Also available on FanFiction.net

[kwritingdelight]

// RIGHT THERE

Pairing: Wonwoo - You

Summary: Wonwoo is an art student that hates drama class until his homework gets a little bit exciting.

As much as Wonwoo loved art he just couldn't stand his drama class, most of it was because of his annoying teacher, her voice was always filled with pretentiousness, her comments were always filled with judgement, she could never say ‘good job’ or ‘I like what you did there’ instead she said stuff like ‘that was nice but you got this wrong’ there was always a but and he hated it; she was also always late since she was a teacher at another school. Everyone else was really into this class because she was a director and a very good one, or that’s what everyone said, he had never seen her work, he rarely went to the theatre, just a few times as a kid with his parents but never on his own.

“Today I’m excited” His teacher said, he almost rolled his eyes at her comment ‘Now what?’ He thought “My favorite actress is doing a different monologue for three weeks and I want you all to go” He stopped listening after that knowing that she would email them the details later, she always did, he wasn’t excited at all but at least that meant no real homework for three weeks.

Even though the email specified that the students should get at least an hour earlier Wonwoo showed up 20 minutes before the monologue started hoping it would be sold out, having a great excuse on monday. Since he didn’t go out much, he went on a saturday night, he knew all of his classmates picked another time or day since they were all probably partying, he was new to the city since he moved to go to that specific art school.

Sadly there were still 10 tickets left when he showed up, he bought a latte at the small theatre while he waited for the show to start, he overheard few conversations and remembered what he hated the most about art, pretentious douchebags only talking to impress with their ‘knowledge’ using words they probably didn’t know ‘Wrong’ he thought at almost everything a guy said, there were people surrounding him their eyed filled with hunger for the information and poor opinions he was giving, he just didn’t get it. Finally they started to let people into the theatre, most of the first row was still empty but he chose a seat in the back, he was sipping on his coffee, looking at everyone when he noticed you, the only person whose aura didn’t scream ‘I’m a pretentious douche who thinks that knows everything’ and he just couldn’t stop looking even though he only saw the back of your head, truth is that he had always been extremely intuitive and he just knew; you were seating between two guys and he just couldn’t help to wonder if they were lucky enough to be your company for the night.

The actress walked in and explained that she wanted to keep the lights on since it was a challenge to see everyone and actually feel them staring at her, she walked everywhere even though it was a small stage, thanks to her actions he could see your face since you followed her movements, hew saw the way you reacted to every word that came out of her mouth, your smile when she said something funny or when your face got serious when the monologue turned serious, he was impressed at the way you seemed to feel every word and get every action, how you listened unlike him, his thoughts where everywhere but on the woman who had earned every single look of everyone around him, heck he payed for the ticket and wasn't even hearing at what she was saying, lost in you and how interesting you were to him. Sometimes he would try to pay attention or look away, he didn’t want to feel creepy with all the staring but he just couldn't bring himself to focus, he couldn't control his trail of thought; by the time it was over and everyone was getting up their seats he just knew he wouldn't go over to talk to you, he wasn’t that type of guy, he wished he was but walking over and asking for your number was out of his typical behavior, he did look around for you once he got out but you where gone.

“What did you guys think?” The teacher asked, her voice filled with excitement for the first time in ages, everyone started talking about how amazing it was, how interesting the storyline was and their favorite part of the monologue it apparently was about a guy that had his shoes fixed wrongly. Won woo didn’t say a word, he could have talked for hours about the way you followed her carefully or how sometimes you closed your eyes to listen to the actress carefully, the was your head rested perfectly on your hand steading it, how you laughed covering your mouth shaking your head “What did you think Wonwoo? You’ve been quiet” He didn’t understand her sudden interest on his opinion, he was always silent “I can’t wait for this week’s monologue” And he was telling the truth.

He showed up same day, same time but this time earlier just like the email first suggested, he couldn’t risk it, he was really hoping to see you again, he dressed nicer this time and even tried doing his hair but it ended up looking the same as always. He ordered a latte again, he tried doing every single thing he did last week thinking that maybe if he did he would be as lucky as he was last time but you were nowhere to be found in the crowd of pretentious douches, he still went inside, maybe this was a sign from the universe to actually do the assignment. He chose a seat in the middle, two empty seats were next to him while his eyes where glued to his phone, disappointment filling him when he felt someone take the seat to his right, he looked over and saw you, his cheeks were instantly red and his heart was beating like never before he felt so nervous he could swear everyone could tell, was he supposed to say something? What was he supposed to say? Was hello too boring? Was hey too casual? He turned to look at you and just about he was going to say something he saw your expression change, the actress walked in and just like that he knew he had missed his chance. He wanted to look at you, he wanted to see the way your expressions changed with whatever the monologue was about but he just couldn’t bring himself to do it, he didn’t want to bother you but sometimes when he heard your sweet laugh he glanced at you fake laughing as if he also got the joke but he wasn’t really paying attention, his brain wouldn’t shut up about you, nearing the end he did it again but this time you exchanged looks both laughing and he just couldn’t believe it, he finally earned your attention.

“You’ve been looking at her the whole time” The actress said referring to the boy next to you, that’s what you loved the most about her monologues, they was she interacted with the audience and called out the ones that were falling asleep or not paying attention but now that everyone was looking at you two you hated it, embarrassment filled your body and your cheeks turned red to show it, was it true? He was tall and gorgeous, brown eyes and sharp features, you looked over at him and saw him staring at his lap his cheeks were also red with embarrassment, thankfully the monologue was over quickly cause you wanted to get out of there as fast as possible not to get away from him but to get away from everyone else. “I’m really sorry about that” He said adjusting his glasses once the actress was gone “Don’t worry” You said with a soft smile feeling everyone looking at the two of you as you got up and he followed your movements “Are you a fan of hers? I think I saw you last week” How could you have missed him last week, he stood out from the crowd, his eyes screamed honesty unlike everyone else’s, he just looked different, he made you feel safe somehow, like you could say anything and he would never judge you “I have this stupid homework from my drama class” You told him “Me too” He rolled his eyes, turns out you had the same teacher but you attended different schools, when you said your goodbyes he asked you if you wanted to come together next week which you agreed without even thinking about it, a second passed but you couldn’t wait for it to be next week already.

This time Wonwoo got an hour and twenty minutes early to buy the tickets and order coffee for the girl that had been on his mind for the past three weeks, ‘Y/N’ He remembered your name, he couldn’t believe he finally knew it after wondering so many nights, he waited patiently for you to arrive, he picked the perfect table on the coffeeshop of the theatre, one next to the huge window where the neon lights of the signs from outside hit perfectly shades of red and blue sparkled and he just couldn’t wait for you to arrive. A waitress brought his order, two lattes and just in perfect timing you arrived, he stood up to greet you with a huge smile on his face “I didn’t know what to get you so I went with a mint latte” You started laughing with a surprised look on your face “It’s my favorite, thank you” And that for you was it, you took it as a good sign, call it superstitious but you believed the universe sometimes sends signs and that for you was one, this guy had to be special. 

“Yeah, I don’t really like her class I just think she’s really judgmental you know?” Truth is you found her scary, and a teacher wasn’t supposed to scare you, they are supposed to create a safe space for learning “I know right? She can never agree with anyone, theres always a but” He agreed with a huge smile on his face as if he thought he was the only person that disliked her “That was nice but” You tried to do an impression of her, Wonwoo laughed loudly clapping his hands, every minute the place got crowded and conversations filled the coffee shop with everyone waiting to get in, there was a group of people talking loudly about some movie and how the director was apparently trying to copy Pudovkin’s style and yo couldn’t help but to roll your eyes at the comment, Wonwoo stared at you with a confused look on his face “I’m sorry, I just can’t stand pretentious people” He smiled but there was something about the way he did it that you couldn’t figure out as if he was smiling at a secret he kept. 

You sat together again and as much as you loved paying attention to the actress this time your mind was everywhere, you didn’t even know what her monologue was about this time, the tall handsome boy what the only thing filling your mind and how bad you wanted him to hold your hand which was resting on your knee, you could feel how he would steal glances at you and god you hated the fact that you couldn’t control your flushed cheeks, he obviously noticed the effect he had on you, truth is that this time you didn’t even get the jokes she was making but you laughed anyways to look at his smile. He moved his hand to his knee and you knew you had to do it, you moved your hand so it rested on top of his, you swear you felt him jump a little, he then moved his hand to intertwine your fingers and even though the actress was sobbing uncontrollably you couldn’t hide your smile and you could feel him smile too, all through the rest of the play he stroked your hand with his thumb which sent shivers down your spine, you really didn’t want this monologue to be over.

“It was nice wasn’t it?” Wonwoo asked her as they were about to say goodbye “Perfect closure” Truth was neither of them knew what the monologue was about “Listen” He said looking down at his feet “I know this was the last one but I would really to take you out sometime, on a real date” He looked at her once the words were out and he could never get them back “Walk me home and I’ll think about it” She said teasing him, not wanting the night to end, he took her hand and followed her to her place.

I didn’t proof read this hehe sorry, also english isn’t my first language so be patient with me please, I’m gonna be doing requests (ships, scenarios, reactions so don’t be shy) and I’m going to update my fanfic really soon

[thehungrykat1]

Misfits Active: A Fashionable Way to Stay Fit and Healthy

We’re already on the second month of the year, so how many of us have actually kept our New Year’s resolutions? I’m sure almost everyone writes “Spend More Time in the Gym” on their lists, just like I do. However, it really is so difficult to be disciplined and to follow our fitness schedules properly. Thankfully, I’ve discovered one way of making workouts more fun and enjoyable, giving women extra confidence and making each visit to the gym a personal fashion statement.

Misfits Active (www.misfitsactive.com) is a new online multi-brand retailer that promotes beauty in fitness and lifestyle. It offers different brands of fashionable and functional activewears and accessories from different parts of the world, creating a one-stop shop for people who wish to upgrade their usual boring gym wear into a chic and trendy selection. We always want to be the best version of ourselves, so if we will be spending hours and hours at the gym, let’s make sure that we look good and beautiful at the same time. Now that’s a New Year’s resolution I’m sure I can follow.

We all need that extra motivation to head to the gym. Being a food and lifestyle blogger, my days are filled with endless delicacies and temptation that are really hard to avoid. Everyone knows I simply cannot resist eating steak, so I need to put in the extra effort to maintain my figure. Misfits Active offers a wide range of activewear that will make you stand out from the rest and gives that extra inspiration to finish your goals. You can even use it for other activities like jogging or attending yoga classes.

The best part is that everything is so accessible and you can do your shopping even while you are in bed. These high-quality imported brands are seldom offered in local stores, but Misfits Active brings all of them together in an easy-to-use website that you can access on your laptops or mobile phones.

Simply point your browsers to www.misfitsactive.com and a whole new world of trendy activewear and accessories will be available at your fingertips. These also include products for athleisure, pilates, yoga, boxing, plus swimwear and beachware. Misfits Active is a fusion of fashion and function which will motivate us to live a beautifully active lifestyle. The way we look greatly affects the way we feel about ourselves, so this is the first important step to get us off our butts and start living a healthier and more energetic life. 

You can easily find all of the products on their respective categories. Just click on the items and you can see their description and prices. They have some of the coolest leggings I have ever seen which are imported from Australia. I ordered a couple of these colorful leggings with their elegant designs. 

Beautiful hand-made Colombian luxury swimwear are also available so I have plenty of options for my upcoming summer beach outings.

Ordering at Misfits Active is so convenient. After choosing your desired items, just enter your delivery address and expect to receive your order in 2-5 business days. Shipping within the Philippines is absolutely FREE! Moreover, if the size of the merchandise you bought does not fit, you have up to five days after receiving the items to exchange them for a different size. 

Here are just some of the items I ordered online from the Misfits Active website. These fashionable bras and leggings will give me a boost of confidence whenever I go to the gym or even at the beach. Who wouldn’t want to show off these stylish activewear?

I have the luxury of combining the bras and leggings depending on how I feel each day. More importantly, these items are made to fit and comfortably hug your body, showing off and emphasizing your important assets and giving you a sexier contour.

If you are trying to hide some of your unwelcome belly fats, then these shorts are what we all need. Misfits Active offers shorts like the Gamble (P2,899.99) which are high-rise shorts made to eliminate visible muffin tops, which I have to admit works perfectly for me. These shorts are fitted with a wide, foldable waistband that can also be worn low on hips to suit your needs. Signature soft, breathable and quick drying tech fabric make these ideal for hot workouts or for a day at the beach. These shorts are also environment-friendly as they save eight PET bottles from going into landfills and oceans.

One of my favorite bras is the black Cobra Bra (P3,799.99). This is a high-neck tank top with a round neck and plastic effect coated fabrication. It is made from 88% polyester and 12% spandex to fit your curves.

I love pairing the Cobra Bra with the Black Widow Legging (P5,619.99) for that mysterious and sexy effect. The high-waist leggings also come with a plastic effect coating from its 88% polyester and 12% spandex combination that gives you optimal compression and comfort during your work out.

Another popular legging is the Shake Your Booty Moto Legging in Dusty Pink (P4,975.99). This contrast-paneled number is a spliced compression legging with moto inspired pintucked detailing. It features flat seams, double layer waist yoke and a rose gold foil logo with power mesh panels and contrast colour paneling. 

I also enjoy wearing the First Place Moto Legging in Fig (P4,975.99) which really fits my body well. This is a full length compression legging with contrast pin-tuck paneling and zipper detailing. 

It also features a double layer waist yoke with flat seams and deluxe rose gold hardware. Its nylon and spandex combination is made from high-quality, moisture wicking performance fabrication for a tightened silhouette, improved circulation and structural support. 

For the yoga enthusiasts, Misfits Active also lets you practice your yoga in style with their yoga mats. The Dream Catcher #3 in Blue (P5,999.99) is a luxurious yoga mat designed by expressionist Julia Contacessi.

This unique and fashionable yoga mat is 68 x 24 inches in size with a thickness of 3.0mm. It also comes with a free yoga strap and a Quotes for the Healing Heart booklet to keep your body and your mind at peace.

I have always wanted to try out boxing, so these White Python Boxing Gloves (P7,499,99) could be the answer. Women are definitely strong and beautiful, so these python designed boxing gloves will make you stand out even more. The gloves are made of 100% real cow hide leather and they will mould to your hands with use. Aside from unleashing some pent up anger, these will also help you lose a lot of weight and keep your muscles toned and shapely.

If you are looking to change your lifestyle and fitness routine this year, Misfits Active is the best solution to keep you confident and raring to show off your stylish and fashionable activewear. I never knew exercise could be this fun! Now, I’m always excited whenever I go to the gym because I have a new fitness partner that will always show off my best and beautiful side. 

Misfits Active

www.misfitsactive.com

Facebook: Misfits Active

Instagram: @misfitsactive

[smoodytravels]

Barcelona, Spain

Friday, February 10th, 2017:

Today was just like any other day – went to the gym, went grocery shopping, and then before I knew it I was packing my bag and getting ready to go to Barcelona with my friends Cece, Haley, and Cara for the weekend! The plan was to leave the apartment early so that we could get to the airport on time and be at our gate early – little did we know that security was extremely easy and quick to get through. We ended up waiting about 45 minutes until we had to board the plane, and when it was time to board, we had a complication come up. Haley, my roommate, was held up at the gate because her boarding pass said “Miss Haley” instead of her last name, so, the gate agents would not let her on the flight. Long story short, there was supposed to be 4 of us heading to Barcelona – and unfortunately there ended up being 3. After boarding the plane, I ended up getting the whole aisle to myself – which meant I had a window seat (I originally had the aisle). We had a short, hour and a half flight, and once we arrived, we got a taxi to the hostel. The hostel we stayed at was “Kabul Hostel” – which was essentially a “party” hostel. When we first arrived at 11:45pm, we went to go check in, but they had us wait until 12am to check in to our room, which we found extremely odd. Things were in full swing at 12am – people were playing pool, foosball, socializing, and having a good time. Our room was a shared/mixed room for 10 people. There ended up being 7 girls, and 3 guys staying in the room. At first, I was extremely skeptical about the safety of the hostel – mostly because I had never stayed in one before! This was my very first hostel experience, so I was slightly on edge at first. After we settled in to our room, we got ready to go out and check out the night life of Barcelona. Our hostel sold sangria for 1euro and it was delicious! We headed out, and I was instantly overwhelmed by the amount of people walking around at 1am. There were men who had 6 packs of beer who would come up to us and ask us “you want beer?” and say “beer for 1euro”, this happened to us about 10 times while we were walking on Las Ramblas (which is a very famous strip full of boutiques, restaurants, cafes, and stores). Once we were past the strip, we met up with some friends of Cece and Cara’s at a bar called “The Mint”. While we were there, this man came up behind me and gently grabbed my hair and sniffed it, then proceeded to tell me something in Spanish that I of course did not understand... it was the oddest thing. We were exhausted so we decided to head back to the hostel at around 3am, which definitely wasn’t the best time to walk back home in Barcelona, but there were 3 of us, and we were safe together. The city was bustling still, with so many people walking around and having a good time. We finally settled into bed at 4am!

Saturday, February 11th, 2017:

Today we woke up bright and early (9am) to start our long day of sightseeing! We had the free breakfast at the hostel, which consisted of cereal, toast, and fruit. The hostel provided a free walking tour, so we decided to do that at 10:30am. There were two options, the gothic tour, and the Gaudi tour. The three of us chose the Gaudi tour, which was led by a guy named Baldi, who was from Budapest, Hungary. Our tour showed some of the buildings that Gaudi created in Barcelona, and Baldi told us some things about Gaudi’s life as well. The buildings were absolutely incredible – that man was a genius with his artwork! We had to take the metro (underground train) to a few places, mostly because it was quicker than walking. I had previous experience of traveling on the metro in Paris last summer, so it was easy to navigate. I loved how quick it was to get places, definitely saves time! During our tour, we met this adorable woman from Beijing, China named Lilly. She was so sweet, and thought that me, Cece and Cara were in middle school. She wanted to know so much about us, and we asked her questions too. She was in Barcelona traveling by herself which is so brave, especially with the language barrier. We had a hard time understanding a few things she said, but we were trying out best. Our last stop on the tour was La Sagrada Familia. The church was so incredible; I was in so much awe looking at it from the outside. We were starving, so we walked into the more residential area past La Sagrada Familia and came across a tapas restaurant. For lunch, we ordered calamari, mussels, octopus with roasted rosemary tomatoes, and roasted potatoes. For dessert, we ordered a white chocolate “cake”, which was exactly like cheesecake! It was delicious. The service wasn’t too great, but we were fed so we were happy. Before we paid our check, our server brought us a liqueur to try for free and offered us 3 flavors, so we decided to try the strawberry flavor. It was horrible and tasted disgusting, I had the tiniest sip and could not have any more. After lunch we headed back to La Sagrada Familia so that we could wait in line to go inside. Thankfully, we only had to wait 30 minutes to get in. Once we were inside, I was in so much awe once again. It had the most amazing stained glass windows that took my breath away. The architecture inside was as incredible as it was outside, but I was surprised to see how much more modern it was on the interior. I’m guessing it was because the upkeep is probably a lot easier since the inside can be preserved better. Fun fact: Gaudi spent 12 years creating JUST the blueprint for the church, and began building it in March of 1882, but construction is still occurring and it still won’t be done until 2026! Once finished, it will have towers that are higher than the Eiffel Tower, making it the tallest building in all of Europe! We spent about 30 – 40 minutes inside the church, and afterwards decided to go to McDonald’s because we heard that they sell beer. To our surprise, they sold beer, so we got some as well as a quick snack to tide us over until dinner. Cara ordered a “party” mcflurry – which we thought was a mcflurry with multiple toppings, but it is actually a big carton of ice cream with a few toppings! We headed back to the hostel, and when we got off the metro onto the street, there was a parade happening! There were tons of people on the drums, shouting, and lighting these huge sparklers and waving them everywhere. Apparently, there was a festival occurring – which we were unaware about. Once we were back inside our hostel, we hung out until dinner. There was a free dinner offered, it was a simple pasta with some sauce, corn, mushrooms and I think peppers. Wasn’t the best, but it filled us up enough! We went back to our room and got ready to go out, made our way back downstairs to the common area, and got some sangria. While we were hanging out, these 2 guys came up to us and asked us where we from! The 5 of us automatically hit it off, and socialized over some drinks at the hostel before going out. Their names are Jacob and Nico, and they are studying abroad as well, making their way towards Cape Town, Africa which is where they will be going to school. They’ve been traveling around Europe for the past couple of weeks, and were staying at the same hostel as us. After about an hour or so, we headed out and went to a bar called CocoVail beer hall, which essentially sold only beer and cider. I ended up ordering the hard apple cider, which was actually very good! We didn’t realize what time it was until they were closing it down at around 2am, so we decided to leave and head to the next bar, which was called the DowJones bar. This bar works like the stock exchange, where the price of drinks fluctuates when people buy them. So, if more people buy beer, the price of beer will go up, and the price of a shot will go down. We all had so much fun there, it was a blast and did not disappoint! It was around 3am when we headed back to the hostel and once again went to bed around 4am! Busy but fun day, and we were so happy we got to meet Jacob and Nico, it made me feel so much more comfortable being in a new place, especially because they were so sweet and personable.

Sunday, February 12th, 2017:

We woke up at around 9:15am this morning, got ready and headed downstairs for our free breakfast. We had breakfast with Nico, and then packed up and checked out of our hostel. We met up with Jacob and Cara and Cece’s friend Jordan, and headed out for the day. Once we were outside of our hostel, we noticed that there was a TON of people in the courtyard because of the festival occurring. There were all sorts of people selling things, and people would bring suitcases full of the most random items that looked like they grabbed from their house that they didn’t want. They would unzip their suitcases, and dump the contents out on big sheets. We saw things like old cameras, watches, sim cards, shoes; anything you would find at a garage sale, it was there! It was by far the oddest thing we saw. Other people were selling coins that you could collect as well. People who were participating in the festival were wearing costumes, dancing around and having bystanders in the crowd dance with them. We walked through the crowds, and headed towards the metro. Our plan for the day was to go to Park Guell, a very famous park with some of Gaudi’s artwork in it. This park is mostly known for the benches that overlook the city of Barcelona; they have beautiful mosaic tiles on them of all different colors and styles. So beautiful! Once we made it to the park, we walked around and explored. We came across the benches and bought a ticket to go in (which was 6euro). Cece and I spent an excessive amount of time JUST taking pictures and videos inside the park by the benches, but we really couldn’t help ourselves because the pictures turned out great, and it was the perfect background. We came across arches that are underneath the benches, and these arches are actually featured in the Cheetah Girls 2 movie when they go to Barcelona (fan girl moment). It was really cool to be in a place that I’ve seen in only pictures and movies! In total, we spent about an hour and a half in the park. It was time to head back to the hostel to get our things and head to the airport, but we had just enough time to stop for lunch. We stopped at a tapas restaurant on Las Ramblas, where we ordered tapas and paella, which wasn’t my favorite thing I’ve had, but it was still pretty good. After lunch, we headed back to the hostel to say bye to Nico and Jacob before leaving. We were totally bummed to say bye to them –  but we wished them safe travels on their journey with hopes that we’ll get to see them again in the future. Fast forward to getting ourselves to the airport and on the plane, we made it back to Florence Sunday night and I had never been happier to be back “home”! It felt good to be back in a place where I felt comfortable, and it felt good to sleep in my own bed. The weekend was so fun and a whirlwind adventure, I’m looking forward to the next!