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recycledmoviecostumes · 4 years ago

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Goodness do I have a treat for all of you today. Larry McQueen, owner of The Collection has sent me a lovely sighting filled with detailed information. Because the detail is frankly incredible, I decided not to edit it and present Larry’s notes in full below:

In 1936, Travis Banton, head designer at Paramount Studios, began work on the last film he would design for his favorite clotheshorse, Marlene Dietrich. The duo had worked closely together on all her films at Paramount and created the “Dietrich style”-- a look of lavish, smoldering, hard-edged sophistication that was instrumental in creating the Dietrich legend.

Dietrich had one final film to complete her contract at Paramount and was cast in a typical Dietrich vehicle Angel, a sophisticated Lubitsch melodrama with her in the role of an ignored wife of means who has an affair with her husband’s friend. Banton designed the most opulent dress he had ever created for the star for the under-five-minute opera sequence and preceding scenes in the film. The ensemble was to become known as the “Faberge” gown and consisted of a fitted long-sleeve bodice with peplum, a matching long skirt with train and a six foot stole bordered with sable. The fabric was solidly embroidered with gold beads, pearls, rhinestones, gold bullion, gold sequins and faux ruby and emerald stones in geometric designs. According to W. Robert Levine in his book “In A Glamorous Fashion,” the costume was cost-listed on the wardrobe records at $8,000.00, an exorbitant price in the post-depression era and a price that would be over $100,000.00 by today’s standards. The expense must have caused stirrings in Paramount’s upper management in a time when the government was asking the studios to scale back the unnecessary lavishness in costume design. Banton himself once said it was the most expensive gown he had ever designed.

The ensemble is given credit in many film costume books as the most spectacular gown ever created. Diana Vreeland, one-time curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art said of the costume in the book “Hollywood Costume– Glamour! Glitter! Romance!” “When I think of detail, I think of Travis Banton’s marvelous beaded dress for Marlene Dietrich in Angel—like a million grains of golden caviar. That is one of the most beautiful dresses ever…”. Margaret J. Bailey in her book Those Glorious Glamour Years describes the dress “It was simple in lines, of Persian design, and looked like a piece of woven jewelry…” and “… caused no little trauma on the set when producers refused to give it to Dietrich for her private wardrobe.”

Dietrich had loved the gown and asked the studio if she could keep it. It is said she was so angry of being refused by the company she help save, she stormed off the set. The incident no doubt added to her disharmonious departure from the studio. She left the studio and did not return until a decade later. Acquiring gowns and props from her films- by whatever means- was a general practice of Ms. Dietrich. After her death, The German Film Archive Foundation (die Stiftung Deutsche Kinemathek) and The Berlin Film Museum acquired her estate in 1993, which consisted of five different storehouses in Europe and the USA. In the collection were thousands of items from her career including fifty of her most famous film gowns. Her daughter, Maria Riva, once told the curator of the Frankfurt Film Museum, her mother was always in constant fear the studios would someday try to take back her collection and had kept the fact of its existence well hidden.

Paramount, however, retained the piece and began to put it to use. Re-using costumes was a common practice by studios to maintain an opulent look to secondary and background characters without the expense of making new ones. It is unknown exactly how many films the Dietrich gown was used in, but from photos found, it is obvious it was put to work and went through many transformations in the process. Mary Astor wore it, without the stole on the set of Midnight, 1939. The front was reworked and worn by Rose Hobart in the film A Night at Earl Carrolls, 1940. It was used in publicity photos as in that of Loraine Day circa 1944. With the sleeves removed, the stole without the fur was added to the front of the bodice as draping, it was worn by Felicia Atkins in The Errand Boy, 1961. The stole was cut in half to be used as a turban and worn with a sleeveless altered bodice by a model in A New Kind of Love, 1963. In 1974, the bodice was put back together and used by Diana Vreeland in the MET exhibition of films fashion and in 1985, the gown and stole was returned to its original configuration and worn by Barbara Hershey in the TV movie My Wicked Wicked Ways.

With all the different uses, the pieces took a beating. Many of the “re-workings” were fast and crude and some of the attempts to repair the gown involved covering damaged areas with large gold sequins. One previous ‘restoration’ involved applying glue to areas and pushing the beads back together and letting it harden. The fine chiffon backing was weak and starting to split and the patterns were separating. The costume was so fragile, it could never be worn again, but it is amazing the pieces stayed together.

In December of 1990, Paramount put the gown up for auction at Christies New York as part a larger collection of ‘star wardrobe.’ Larry McQueen and his late business partner, Bill Thomas, who were respected experts in the field of film costumes and had compiled one of the finest collections of the medium under the name “The Collection,” were retained to help inventory, authenticate and price the collection and were overwhelmed to see, what they believed to be, the most exquisite film costume ever created. They were successful in purchasing it for a total cost of approximately $23,000.00, one of the highest prices at the auction. As excited as they were to own the gown, the reality of its condition soon set in. Due to the age of the garment, poor storage and multiple alterations, it could never be dressed on a mannequin because it would not support its own extreme weight.

In 1999, four years after Bill Thomas died, Larry McQueen began the process of restoring the costume. Museum experts in preservation and restoration were consulted and much debate occurred as to whether the integrity of the gown- however poor that integrity was- should be tampered with. It was finally decided by Mr. McQueen that instead of leaving it as it was- a box of un-showable beads- the ensemble should be restored. Getson/Eastern Embroidery, who was then owned by Annie Dernderian, was approached with working on the gown. The firm had worked on the original costume and luckily had many of the beads, sequins and stones used on the original construction.

But, restoration of the garment proved far more difficult than planned. Even though the gown had only taken weeks to create, it would take years to restore. Every inch of the beadwork would have to be attached to new chiffon backing and the patterns pulled into shape and lightly tacked. Then the patterns had to be permanently hand stitched, replacing any missing stones or beads. Previous poor repairs would have to be removed. Missing areas or areas that had been glued would have to be replaced. Many of the original silk threads that attached the beads were breaking and would have to be reinforced with new silk thread. The stole, which had been cut in half and then stacked on top of its self and re-sewn, had to be taken apart, attached to a new backing and the beading attached and corrected. Photographs of Dietrich wearing the costume were enlarged to determine what was an original pattern and what had been changed. Luckily, the patterns did repeat themselves, so where a pattern was missing, a template of an existing pattern was made to re-create the missing one. The task would involve going inch by inch and would involve thousands of hours and great expense. But, determined to see the gown restored, Larry McQueen had the work begun.

The gown could not be taken apart and beaded flat as it was originally constructed, so a special frame with a sling had to be constructed to allow access to the inside of the garment to work from the front and the back of the fabric. Beads and sequins that had to be removed were sorted and reattached in to same location if possible. Only a four-inch area could be worked on at one time and each area was photographed before and after to document the work done. The project was daunting.

The entire fabric of the costume is composed of repeating geometric shapes somewhat like a paisley pattern. Each shape is outlined with small pearls or faceted rhinestones. Beads, pearls or sequins in different combinations fill the center portions of the design. Throughout, are patterns that contain a small grid work of bullion threading and each square filled with small pearls, sequins or a combination of sequins and gold beads. The background is of solid gold rocaille beads and the gown is sporadically studded with emerald and red glass beads. Literally millions of beads were used to create the fabric of the ensemble.

After one year, only the bodice was approaching completion, most of the work done by Annie Denderian. But the expense was mounting and it was becoming impossible to find qualified people who had the patience and time to spend on the garment. Mr. McQueen decided that if the costume was to be completed, he would have to take over the bulk of the hands-on restoration. Having the background and more importantly the motivation to see the gown completed, he was mentored by Ms. Denderian, learning and perfecting the techniques to painstakingly re-attach the patterns and began work on the dress. Almost one year to the date of beginning the work- working faithfully five to eight hours a day- the skirt and the stole were completed. To add strength, bias tape reinforcing and a new silk chiffon lining was added by the costume house of John David Ridge and the stole was re-bordered by using existing sable by Judith Moss at LA Fur Center.

McQueen stated that he probably would have reconsidered restoring the gown had he know the time, patience and expense it was going to take, but then quickly adds that he would have done it anyway. It was just too important. In working that closely with the piece, McQueen was amazed how in touch you get with the people who originally created the garment (a process difficult to understand unless you have restored someone else’s creation). You could tell when someone was having a bad day and cutting corners. You could tell when someone was struck with genius. You could see the differences in workmanship and technique between the various beaders. You could see the time spent on details in areas that no one would ever see. You become very close to the garment and understand it.

The gown is truly a testament to the artistry of early Hollywood. Mr. McQueen is confident the care, attention and over 3000 hours spent in its restoration would make its original creators proud. He hopes that if he leaves any legacy to the field of film costumes, one of his main accomplishments will be the “Faberge gown” survives in the splendor it was originally created and will be shown and appreciated for generations to come.

Costume Credit: Photos, copy and all the above incredible info provided by The Collection of Motion Picture Costume Design: Larry McQueen

E-mail Submissions: [email protected]

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Note: If you’ve not checked out Larry McQueen’s The Collection, I highly suggest you do so. It’s incredible!

#Marlene Dietrich #travis banton #mary astor #larry mcqueen #the collection #costume drama #costumes #period drama #fallen angel #midnight #a new kind of love #the errand boy #my wicked wicked ways

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silvernyxchariot · 3 years ago

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Jean Pierre Polnareff's Birthday is 1964, Dec. 7th and in this essay I will...

Jk, jk, but anyway, I don't recall his birthday ever being officially stated. What we do know is:

• Date of Death: 2001, Apr 5th

• Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21)

• Age in Stardust Crusaders: ~22, Age in Vento Aureo: 36

Someone on anime planet agreed with me. Just not with the year.

Now, listen to me manicly explai

ning why Dec. 7, 1964 is Polnareff's Birthday.

• Synopsis: Follow my spiraling train of thought. I took into consideration the date of death and age from Vento Aureo and then did some work with astrology and tarot cards.

• 1964

Jean would have been born in 1964. Yes, I know; counting backwards from 2001 by 36 would be 1965 but that doesn’t take into consideration Jean’s birth month. Jean would have turned 36 in Nov-Dec of 2000 and then died in April 2001 before his birth month. If he would have lived past April 5th into the end of the year, he would have turned 37 in Nov-Dec 2001. Thus, counting backward from 2001 by 37 years, taking consideration of the full year, Jean would have been born in 1964. Don't look at the JoJo wiki, it'll give you mixed signals. 👁

Which month is it? Since I got the year down, I narrowed down the months using some good ol' astrology, courtesy of Melone. Jean strikes me as a December Sagittarius; someone who is open, fun-loving, adventurous, and honest but on the abrasive side. The November counterpart, obviously similar but is generally more secluded while still maintaining that adventurous and fun-loving nature. These are just generalizations, I do not state them as fact. Don't👏come👏for👏me👏astrology community./j

• 1964, December

As for the day, it's down to December 1st to 21st. Now, I could have made this simple and said, "DECEMBER 7TH because the Chariot is the 7TH card in the major arcana!" But I like torturing myself with my hyper-fixations and letting my mind run amok when it clearly does not need to. So, I did some light reading and will argue for December 7th, 17th, 20th, and 21st.

7th: The Chariot card, well, obviously. December 7th is even assigned the Chariot card. On a side note, my birthday was also assigned the Chariot card. 👉👈 I would consider that but also Jean is a man with emotional intelligence, kind of a ladies man, expressive but gets himself into dangerous situations because of his temper. His chivalry and animosity towards injustice make Jean an ideal knight.

17th: “Curiosity killed the cat” or so they say. Bruh, Polnareff. Stop wandering off on your own, you keep having near-death experiences, and it’s giving me second-hand anxiety. It can’t be helped though, if he weren’t passionate and optimistic, someone that wants to venture forward despite the possible dangers, he wouldn’t be able to keep hope alive.

20th: Art, music or musicians of which you are named after, and artifacts that you can spot as fake with 3 seconds of observation, Polnareff would have been an amazing private investigator should he have survived, but all that snooping around caught up with him. If he had survived, all that adventurous nature, good instinct, and commitment make him a good leader, wouldn’t you agree?

21th: Beauty isn’t skin deep and Jean knows that. The people in his relationships are particularly lucky that Jean sees people for their hearts.

But I digress, December 7th it is, although the 17th and 20th were looking good too. Jean is also a Dragon under the Chinese zodiac.

Some light reading for how I chose these days specifically: “Horrorscopes A Little Book of Misfortunes” by Lucien Edwards and illustrations by Eugene Smith, “The Element Encyclopedia of Birthdays” by Theresa Cheung, and “The Birthday Oracle: Discover What Your Birth Date Says About You” by Pam Carruthers. . .

• 1964, December 7th.

If you've bothered to read everything, thank you so much for stopping by and giving my blog ✨️attention✨️. I will accept counter arguments, discussion, and other birth date headcanons but please remain respectful and civil. Essentially, “Do not interact if you are a hater, harasser, or anti-self/OC shipper.”

I kind of want to do Risotto’s birthday now, but I dunno. If I do Risotto’s birthday, I’ll post it on the La Squadra side blog.

#jean pierre polnareff #jp polnareff #jojo stardust crusaders #jojo's bizarre adventure #jojo's bizarre adventure stardust crusaders #jojo's bizzare adventure vento aureo #jjba #jjba part 3 #jjba part 5 #jjba vento auero #jjba golden wind #silver chariot #headcanons #headcanon #some astrology

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theultimatenonbinarynerd · 2 years ago

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Star Wars High Republic A Test Of Courage! A Review By Mel.

Major Spoiler Warning For Those Who Haven't Read!

Introduction

Wow I'm speechless, its bit insulting I had such low expectations in the first place. I thought as a Middle Grade book or as us Brits would call it Primary School novel I thought it would just be Light Of The Jedi but with the darkness and mature themes toned down but boy I was wrong. I feel bad for the 8-12 year olds who have to witness millions of people die in the opening chapter. Just like Light Of The Jedi had an intense start with the great disaster I loved the intense build up to the steady wing being exploded. It was a perfect plot set up to help motivate our characters. Master Douglas, Honesty's father and his ambassadors all sacrifice themselves so the younger generation can survive this attack. It's super emotional and is what helps grow as they are stranded together. You really get to see the tragedy of Vernestra having to take a leadership role at the Age of 16 already knighted, Honesty living with the guilt he had a strained relationship with his father and had a fight with him before he died, Avon who has to realise that her mother sent her to the port to be safe, her droid J-6 who has developed her own conscience and personality and poor Imri who has to deal with Darkside whilst also grieving his former Master Douglas.

The themes of grief and guilt were explored thoroughly throughout the book which created a very unique book that could be enjoyed by all ages as a result.

I'm going to split my review into four main categories Plot, Illustrations/Visuals, Character Development and of course a Rating/Conclusion.

Plot

Wow I sort of touched on it in my introduction but I thought the story was fantastic due to the fact Ireland balanced making the story have deep themes and not negating its 8-12 audience very well. Grief is a very hard topic to handle but she did it very well.

I'm also glad that in order to consider her target audience she limited the cast so that younger ones can't lose track of characters. Having a limited cast allowed her to tell the story she needed to tell. I normally find the people stranded in a unknown place together boring but here it worked very well. Every chapter Ireland had me praying for the groups safety and survival especially with that nasty rain.

I also loved that Ireland made the planet just as much of an essential part of the story just as much as the characters. The fact the animals played a key part in helping discover how to survive with the fruits being the key, not to mention the sacrifice of Imris adorable furry friend. I also like how all though this book is for kids Ireland still managed to get off the brutality and beauty of the planet. Every description is vivid and makes me connect with the location and how are characters feel about it.

The stakes felt really high from Imris temptation to kill the Nhil that destroyed the ship, the acid rain and the urgency to escape the planet and hopefully make it to the Starlight Beacon dedication ceremony. For me it made the ending of light of the Jedi even more powerful for me. I loved the fact that even the characters were all under stress they did their best to try stay calm.

This plot is so memorable that its definitely going to engrained in my head forever.

Illustrations/Visuals

Even though illustrations and visual descriptions are two completely separate things, I definitely want to talk about both here as both heavily resonated.

Petur Antonsson illustrates absolutely fantastic pictures in this book that go along side the story written by Ireland, although the art style is clearly aimed at children it is absolutely stunning. I was honestly so tempted to rip out all the pages with art and pin it on my wall. Like the illustration of our core characters exploring the planet was absolutely stunning from the colour palettes to the design of the trees it was just simply amazing. Hope this artist gets to be hired outside of Star Wars because they have a great potential.

Now the visual descriptions are beautiful despite the target audience. Everything Ireland writes especially the Lightsaber battle makes you feel absolutely goose bumps. Ireland brings Star Wars to life through visual descriptions that you desperately want to be in a Star Wars film.

If your wanting this book to have good artwork you won't be disappointed at all.

Now let's get onto character development.

Character Development

Now every character was throughly entertaining and there wasn't a single character I didn't dislike apart from the Nhil of course. There was a lot of depth and personality to the characters despite the target audience of this novel and I really liked that so let's talk about all these characters and my thoughts on how Ireland writes them.

Vernestra Rwoh- An absolutely amazing developed character she has probably one of my favourite character arcs next to Bell Zettifar in Light Of The Jedi. Its very interesting that she's the student that gets higher grades and has lots of high expectations put on her as a result. As someone who's also on the Aro Ace Spec I really related to her. Also the way she grows her confidence and eventually becomes Imris new master makes me super emotional. You feel it pay off when she tells Imri that at the young age of 16 she will be taking Imri as her padawan. A master and apprentice dynamic where there similar ages is certainly something unique and I feel like it was set up well. Especially when Vernestra managed to bring Imri back to the light side of the force.

Imri Cantros- Imri had a really great arc through this book and I honestly felt like he had the strongest writing. Ireland managed to essentially make an Anakin like character but without all the confidence and cockiness. The way we see him lose his way due to his grief really connects with me on a personal level. His inner conflicts showed how human the Jedi were and that it wasn't easy being a Jedi. The build up to him snapping was written amazingly and I got goose bumps when Imri finally got to see the Nhil responsible for his former Masters death. I really emphasised with his arc and hope this amazing writing for him continues in other books he appears in.

Honesty Weft- I liked this character but he did feel a bit one dimensional at first but Ireland eventually won me other with him. I love how you see his grief in contrast with Imri. Like Honesty I also felt guilty about my Dad when he passed and blamed myself for being distance. I love how throughout the book Honesty has to deal with his grief and guilt over the fact he had a fight with his father just before he died. The fact we see him become more like his father but still his own unique person is great. I also like how humble he is after he's rescued from the clutches of the Nhil. Hope that this book wasn't the last we read of him.

Avon Starros- I love this character and found it refreshing to have another non force sensitive character that's got unique skills and is useful to the group. Every time she mentioned wanting to use kyber crystals for the good of science I was like no Avon studying kyber crystals will be bad for science as you'll indirectly help create the Death Star. So I loved that connection as I knew somebody had to have been the one to figure out Kyber Crystals. I'm also of a fan of how mischievous and resourceful she is. I love how prepped and resourceful she is with all of her inventions. As a fellow nerd I also love her nerdy rambles she has. Ireland has definitely unintentionally made an awesome autistic coded character. Her backstory is also really sad and you generally sympathize when she explains how horrible it was getting kidnapped her interactions with the rest of the cast are definitely the most memorable. Definitely one of my favourite characters and I want know must see her again in another book.

J-6: J-6 is probably my second favourite droid to ever exist in Star Wars. I always thought the droid with a personality was not well done in Solo as it was used for comedy and not explored enough. Even though Avon saids shes going to strip back J-6's personality I hope she doesn't as here Ireland writes a really sassy and independent droid. With having her own conscience you can tell how annoyed she is having to serve everyone else and not be her own person. When she let out all of those weapons I thought it was absolutely badass and thoroughly entertaining.

The Nhil: Klinith and Gwishi felt very one dimensional but I enjoyed the back and forth banter between them when they were stranded. Typical moustache twirling villians but I felt like Ireland wrote them terrifyingly. It was quite scary how easily they were able to blend in and destroy a ship with so many innocent people on it. As soon as it mentioned they were from Kassavs Nhil crew I was like oh so that's why they are so sadistic I mean we do remember when Kassav blackmailed a planet for credits to give them information on the emergences.

Rating/Conclusion

A Test Of Courage is a good book for younger audiences but is also a must read for adults if you want to understand what its like being a Jedi and how important it is to not let revenge consume. The characters are all very relatable and you will become heavily attached to them. Despite the target audience it is a book that gets you wanting more, with thrilling action for the whole family.

It's a nice memorable quick read. Therefore I give A Test Of Courage 5 stars.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thanks for reading my review, I promise I will review more High Republic once I get A Test Of Courage.

-Melody-

They/Them

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binniesthighs · 4 years ago

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call me babydoll | reader x chan

a/n: ahhhhh holy holy heck this chapter is SO DAMN EXCITING hehehe I had sosososo much writing and doing all the research!! please let me know if there is anything factual/cultural that I need to fix! I tried the best I could although I most def am not an expert in Egyptian culture so I appreciate it a lot :) hehe i hope ya have fun reading this chapter teehee oh! also I love hearing what you thought of it too! :D

Four

Pairing: self insert, female reader x bang chan

Genre: action, mystery and suspense, fluff, smut, angst

Tags: (of this part) bodyguard au, secret agent au, royal au, moderndayprince!chan, secretagent!reader, secretagent!jeongin, secretagent!jisung, collegestudent!seungmin, royal!minho, skz side characters, adventure and mystery, action and peril, plot driven, running out of time, slow-ish burn, growing feelings, sexual tension, explicit language, several mentions of food and alcohol as well as getting tipsy/drunk that good, good making out, suggestive themes

CWs: mentions of guns, mentions of knives, themes of jealousy (expressed by the reader)

Word count: 7.5k

Parts

ONE | TWO | THREE | FOUR | FIVE

“Well, we’re in Cairo alright.”

Two tugged the amazed young stow-away-student, Seungmin, by the hand of his backpack to keep him from running into one of the palm tree planters decorating the terminal. The young man had nearly slept the whole flight due to the length as well as the exasperation that he had just been through. While his eyes were still darkened from his nap, his glossy pupils still wondered all around him.

“I take it back. I’m so glad that I almost died so I could end up here with you guys.”

Jeongin slapped him from the backside of his head. “Never be thankful for almost dying. Life is a lot more fucking fragile than you think. This isn’t just some joyride--”

“--Ease up F.” You interrupted your partner as you shouldered your bag. The kid had already been through enough already: he didn’t need accosting on top of it all.

The dashing prince sighed out and stretched his arms. “Ahhhh Cairo. It’s been a while; too long actually.”

The airport was humid: the kind of sticky warmth that dripped down your neck in a matter of seconds to then get caught above your lip. It wasn’t much help to the anxiety that already had seeped into your veins. The closer you got to a gun the more comfortable you would be. You and the other two guards created a formation around the prince with two in the front and the other in the flank. While each of you were dressed in regular street clothes, your responsibility of his detail still hung over your head with a severe air.

Chan threw his arm over the young student with an obscene grin. His hair had become a little disheveled from the plane seat and his hoodie, but he didn’t appear to mind. Seeing him so normal was somewhat of an odd change to your previous unbreakable impression of him.

“Seungmin my friend, you’ve never lived until you’ve been to Cairo. I’ve never seen another place so enriched in history in my whole life...it puts my kingdom to shame. It’s almost like...you can just feel the time here: hundreds of thousands of years...beauty, art, food, industry...I’ve got a thing or two to learn.”

Seungmin nodded at the prince’s grandiose gestures in the terminal with an enamored smile. “I can’t wait to see it!”

Your partner put a firm hand on the prince’s back to guide him to the baggage claim. “We won’t be here for long, so, don’t get too excited. We’ve come here for one reason and we shouldn’t dally otherwise.”

The young boy appeared to frown, and Two bit his lip with a little chuckle. “Way to crush the kids dreams F.”

“You know the mission, J.” Jeongin gritted his teeth with the words. “Everything is set, there will be a car waiting for us in the garage, and at the hotel we’ll have anything we need.”

Prince Chan lulled his head back with heels clicking on the flooring. Rogue strands of his hair hung over his sunglasses where he threw a look back at you while pulling them down.

“Don’t forget our little deal Bee? We’ll have time for a little pleasure.”

The white haired agent rolled his eyes with gusto then adjusted the royal’s glasses over his face. “We’ve still got to be careful, you Highness. We never know where they could have eyes.”

“I know where I’ve got mine...” He turned back once more to throw his cockiness in your general direction.

“Listen to F, your Highness...if you want to live.”

“Oooo. Feisty as ever, Bee. I love it when you bite back.” Chan turned to his new pet, Seungmin, “She’s really something isn’t she?”

The young man nodded, but not necessarily because he agreed, but it just seemed like it better to agree with a prince than to disagree with him.

The air appeared to turn even thicker in the summery and arid city and your group approached the parking lot half shaded. Outside of the cement lot, iridescent waves of heat wiggled on the horizon, and further, the astonishing urban sprawl of Cairo, and just over it, the stretch of the Nile and Giza. Palms and other varieties of plants spotted the landscape and above it all, a perfectly crystal blue sky streaked with thin clouds. Had the circumstances been different, you really would have wished to have been there for pleasure.

“This one. Right here.” Jeongin announced upon spotting the black armored sedan. It wasn’t the most inconspicuous vehicle, but you were prioritizing safety over aesthetics. Your partner touched his index fingerprint to the car door’s invisible panel, and it flashed blue just as the lock had at the safehouse with the ticking clock insignia.

Two whipped his head around to make one last check of the surroundings before taking off his sunglasses and reddened eye. “Get in. Both of you.” He urged the prince and the student. He popped the drivers side open to find a different pair of glasses in the storage compartment: gold framed aviators.

“Huh,” He said happily while putting them on. “This is more my style.” He rummaged around a bit more to find a new pair of black framed glasses there too. “Fox! Think fast!” He threw them over to your partner who sighed out with relief.

“Thank god.”

The trunk opened with a mechanical sounding creek, and you lifted up the trunk bed to find your whole arsenal: Heckler & Koch MP5′s submachines, Remington 870 shotguns, and Glocks complete with thigh holsters. Among the pile of metal, various knives and other weapons were held in foam holders.

“They’ve got knives back there?” Two asked while pulling the rearview mirror to see.

“Oh yeah. What? You more of a knife guy?” You teased while looping your thigh holster over your cargo pants. It fit just right.

The illusive man popped his gum with a shiny smile. “‘Don’t ever have to reload them...that’s what I’m saying.”

“Thank you Carroll.” Jeongin sighed upon seeing the thick laptop among the weapons. “Finally I can do some real work. That kid’s damn Chromebook was killing me. I nearly short circuited it trying to connect to our network.”

“You what?!” Seungmin was suddenly much more interested.

“Dont worry yourself too much, its still fine.”

“Are there cameras in here?” You quickly asked your partner.

“Agency should’ve fried them a long time ago. Why?”

From the trunk bed you sized up the Glock to feel its weight and how cool it settled into your sweating hand. You unloaded the magazine to see that it had already been filled.

“Carroll. She really is too kind to us.” You slid the magazine back in then, pulled back the slider to lock it once more, catching Chan’s adoring glance.

“Something interesting pretty boy?”

The prince appeared to shiver a little, but brushed it off sighing, “Oh, nothing.”

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

Either it was Carroll or the King, but someone had spared no expense on the young prince. The sun set upon the sparking Nile where you had arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza.

Anything for His Royal Highness The Prince.

The towering and gleaming building was a sight to behold in and of itself. It was nestled right into the riverside anchored with several leisurely sailboats bopping in the evening breeze. As day crept into night, the city grew with a swell of lights washing as far as you could see. Extensive bridges and roadways glowed with headlights and every building appeared to be illuminated along with more boats strolling down the river in a rainbow of colors and music.

The prince craned his head as close to the window as he could and rubbed together his hands excitedly. He looked from you to your partners, finally making a disapproving scoff.

“Come on. You’re not just a little excited to be here?”

“We’re here on business, how many times do we have to explain?” Jeongin typed away at his computer from the front seat.

“Bee?” He looked back to you with a hopeful little glint to his eye.

“Like Fox said...tomorrow is our appointment with White Rabbit, then we’re on the first flight back home for you.”

The young prince frowned, but this quickly faded once he had seen the golden brass doors to the magnificent hotel. Seeing the state that the four of you were in, it was a bit comical that you had rolled up to a place such as this. Immediately a valet and bellhop jogged up to the car wearing perfectly pressed uniforms and spotless shined shoes. Little did they know you had no belongings to your name...the rest was waiting in your suite: the royal kind.

Seungmin cranked his neck to take in the scale of the building in all of it’s regal glory and let out an airy laugh his with his backpack straps snapped tight.

“Holy shit.” He exclaimed with a giant smile

Two rose a “no thank you” hand to the valet, and asked him where the garage was in perfect Arabic. The gesture surprised you...as many things did with that man. Jeongin gave a little nod in appreciation to the bellhop and expressed with his own broken version of Arabic that you group had no luggage. The young man was confused, but still gladly took the bills that Jeongin had slipped into his hand for the inconvenience.

“We’re staying here?” Seungmin wondered while he followed you in.

“When you travel with The Prince, it comes with some perks.” Chan tore off his glasses with a particularly prideful grin.

“I feel like I need to pay for just...breathing in here.”

Indeed, it was a luxurious and grand place. The atrium was patterned with various plush lounge chairs and benches and the path was made of emerald green marble tiles with swirling designs of beige loops. Thick, round columns also supported the ceilings in the lobby, and crystal glass chandeliers sparkled. On several tables, massive floral arrangements had been freshly placed, and you wondered how much the hotel must've paid for them to look that good just to have them replaced the next day.

A couple formalities were exchanged with the worker at the front desk, and soon the keycards to the royal suite were placed into your hands. Seungmin held his piece of plastic as if it were a gold bar in his hands whereas Chan shoved it right into his front pocket.

“Everything that we should need should be up in the room.” You told the group who were too distracted to hear what you had just said.

Just before you had entered the elevator, a tug at your sleeve stopped you in your tracks. Jeongin pulled you back, nodding at Two to go with the others up first.

“Remember what we talked about before?” He muttered in the hollow and stone corridor. “About the prince?”

“I need to stay beside him?”

Your partner nodded with a furrowing brow. “We’re out in the open here, it’s a big city...anyone could be watching us. No distractions, no messing around, no anything. We see White Rabbit and we leave. Hell, I’m even inclined to make sure he doesn’t leave the room...”

“Jeongin...” You squeezed your partner’s shoulder which felt stringy and tense under your fingertips. “I got it. Trust me. He won’t leave my sight. I promise.”

“..Okay.” He said with a nervous brush to his hair, then he pressed the elevator button with his knuckle.

“You...okay?”

The young man appeared to snap out of a trance. “What? ...Yeah. Why wouldn��t I be? I’m keeping it together fine. It’s just...there’s a lot riding on this mission. I don’t...”

The gold and reflective elevator dinged to the ground floor.

“We can’t disappoint Carroll with this one. There’s too much riding on it...I can’t disappoint Carroll.”

You invited your partner into the marbled and mirrored interior of the small space.

“Don’t worry, we won’t.”

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Even without the help of his royal helpers, Chan managed to clean himself up nice...provided, only the finest clothes had been sent for him to wear. While they weren’t the usual designer labels that he was used to, it was clear that they had been picked out from the finest markets and boutiques in the area. Chan, as he always was, was a prince to the full extent of the word. After a shower and some perfume to his chest, he was the same man that you had been introduced to.

A loose linen shirt swayed from his frame with little regard for the usage of buttons. He wore slacks that had been pressed made of a kind of fabric that you had never seen before, but looked airy and comfortable. As always, there was a small assortment of shoes for him to choose from as well. He picked brown leather loafers, then tucked up his sleeves to reveal his arms; scratched as they were, but still strong and spiderwebbed with thick veins.

Arrangements had been made for you to share one of the bedrooms with him--as much as you had fought it at first. Chan was thrilled with the idea, and gladly let you settle into his room with your small assortment of sidepieces and modest set of clothes by regulation of The Agency. While it had mostly been denim button downs and several kinds of functional trousers, they had sent an evening gown.

The silky white fabric was not unlike the dress that had worn for the gala, but it appeared to be even more sultry once you held it to your frame. The thin spaghetti straps barely held to your shoulders and the back dipped nearly halfway down your back.

Knowing the man that you had an appointment with, you figured the dress would make it just a little bit easier to talk to him. Along with it, there was a matching set of diamond earrings and a necklace that glinted with the same sheen of the sea.

“You’ll look gorgeous in that.” Chan said while slipping on a wristwatch. “I’m sure that it will suit you perfectly.”

The wooden bedside nightstand creaked when you put your holster and Glock in with a matching matte black knife. You had to be careful with that one, as it had nearly cut your finger upon inspection earlier.

“Hm. I think the both of us know that you’d prefer it on these lovely marble floors rather than on me. Correct?”

The confident prince strode across the room in the dim lighting of a couple lamps with stained glass shades. Outside of the balcony attached to your room, the sheer curtains blew in the night air and distorted the city lights across the river. Further, Cairo Tower surged with a pink light wrapping around the length were the cylinder pierced the sky.

“Maybe.” He tutted, then crinkled the king-sized bed where he sat. The prince’s disposition was alluring, there was no denying. He tiled his head to inspect you further, jaw clenching with a sharp angle and a testing glare to his brown pupils. The man smiled slightly while rubbing his index and ring finger down the sleeve of your considerably less scratchy blouse.

“I hope that during our time here Bee, I’ll get to know you a little better. I’m...really looking forward to our drink later. I made reservations for us.”

“Reservations? When did you do that?”

“Oh. When you were showering.” He smirked at his sneaky plans unbeknownst to you.

“If you think that I’m letting you go anywhere else besides this hotel--”

“--Bee?” The young royal grew quieter, softer, careful even. His hand cascaded from your arm down to your waist where he tentatively went to grab at your hip and squeeze lightly there.

While your first reaction was to swat him away, your second crept up on you unexpectedly, and swelled with a kind of confused euphoria feeling the pressure of him on your body. You let his hand linger there, thumb pressed into your hipbone.

“You don’t need that dress to be beautiful.”

His words snapped you back; sickly sweet, and sticky in your chest. You cast his hand off of you.

“You’re crossing the line, your Highness. Don’t...don’t touch me again.”

The royal sighed as he rose, then inspected his face in the sizeable mirror. Each of his cuts and scars had been skillfully covered with makeup the best he could manage.

“Bee, I’d cross multiple lines for you. I thought you knew?”

“THIS BED IS FUCKIN’ AMAZING!!” Seungmin called from the opposite of the suite.

The prince smiled, then followed you to the door.

“I’ve already got enough on my hands, your Highness. I ask that you not distract me.”

“Distract you?”

As soon as you had said it, regret bit at the tips of your ears. You couldn’t meet his teasing glances, but rather slid one of your more discrete sidepieces into your crossbody bag--as if guns as such could be such a thing.

“I-I...I’ll sleep on the couch.” You then resolved out loud, however the prince chuckled at your sudden break.

“As you wish Bee.”

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“I think that this is the best meal that I’ve ever eaten in my entire life!!”

Seungmin kicked his legs under the table to the embarrassed glances of both Jeongin and Chan. Before you, the prince had ordered a variety of both cold and hot mezzah dishes with a couple main entrees for you to share. While he was the only one to drink, he indulged in the most expensive wine that the hotel had to offer. Granted, everything would be paid for in cash from The Agency, however the Prince swore up and down that anyone could order anything that they wanted and that The Agency would be paid back in full. You and your partners ate modestly, however the young student didn’t hold back. As the boy shoved his face, it appeared to make the prince happy to see him eating so well.

You were still an odd group, and garnered curious glances from other restaurant guests. While they were only glances in passing, they still didn’t make you feel any better. You had already drawn enough attention to yourself with you being an odd mix of foreigners who each held themselves differently. You could sense that you partner felt it too while he sipped at his seasonal soup with eyes up to scan the room as he did so.

Chan threw his arm behind your chair to take in the rest of the room: perfectly decorated with jade green chandeliers and perfectly symmetrical wallpaper and furnishings. It was as if he felt somehow content with your strange little group; like he was the ringleader of it all or some king of the round table. For a moment, he paused to watch the way that the boats passed by on the river from the window nearest to him and sighed. Knowing him, he was probably enjoying running for his life in this way.

Two cleared his throat and unbuttoned his fashionable suit jacket as the waiters came to clear the table for dessert.

“So. What are the specs for tomorrow?”

Jeongin fiddled with his glasses, then dabbed away at the corners of his mouth. “He’s invited us to come around 11pm. He wants us to dress up too--as I’m sure you’ve all seen the clothes that have been provided for us. He apparently loves his formalities, but, anything to make him feel more comfortable I suppose. His men will meet us in the front and take us to him, then we try our best not to fuck it up.”

“--Which we won’t.” You soothed your partner.

Seungmin perked up, “I’m coming too?”

“How else are we going to look after ya, kid?” Two ruffled up the young man’s hair.

“W-wait. Didn’t you say that it’s a club? Will they even let me in? I’m not like, 21 yet? I mean, I will be in a couple months--”

“--Ahhh you’re so cute.” Chan beamed. “If you’re rolling with us that doesn’t matter.”

Seungmin blushed and played with the condensation of his water glass. “Oh.”

Your partner shifted in his seat. “Speaking of. Considering that you’re “one of us” now. We need to discuss something important with you. Your identity.” He looked over to you to finish the rest of the speech that had been pushed off for just a bit too long.

“Your name...is your most valuable asset. It’s the only thing about yourself that you can keep for yourself. No one else should know it besides you...and, well, us. If they know your name, they know your family, they know where you live, where you go to school, even that girl that you had a crush on in the fourth grade. Got it?”

Seungmin gulped dry with blown out eyes. “I-I think that I understand.”

“What do you want us to call you from now on?”

He paused, considering towards the ceiling. ”Well...if you’re B, and he’s F...and he’s J...I could be S? Simple enough right?”

“S it is then.”

The waiters arrived with every dessert possible: chocolate cake, Crème Brule, fruit cheesecake garnished with mint, as well as traditional desserts like Om Ali and Mehalabiya--a type of milk pudding dressed with delicate, pink, edible flowers.

Seungmin--now dubbed S--made happy little eating sounds while he tried a little bit of everything.

“Thank you.” You finally spoke to the prince, who now smelled strongly of Lotus and Jasmine.

“Don’t worry about it. I don’t mind treating my friends.”

The word hung in the air, and you didn’t quite know what to do with it.

Friends.

“Where is this reservation that you mentioned?”

He took a swing from his crystal glass with finesse. “Hm. That’s for me to know and you to find out.”

“Jeongin told me that I need to keep an eye on you, you know that? It would be best if we didn’t leave the hotel at all--”

“--But what would be the fun in that?” The prince nearly pouted.

From the others side of the table, Two in his aviators brushed off his lap before standing. “I’m going to get some sleep, if that’s alright with you? I’m feeling pretty jetlagged and I want to be prepared for tomorrow. Excuse me.”

The slender man bowed to you at the table, then even deeper to the prince.

“What was that about?” Jeongin muttered while he poked at the thin caramel layer of his French dessert.

“Actually, I think I want to head to bed too, I’m stuffed.” Seungmin rubbed his belly in his contentment. “Also...I think I might have homework due...heh. I don’t know...I’ve got to figure out all these all these time differences and stuff.” He pushed in his chair then gave the prince a deep bow. “Thank you, your Highness.”

“My pleasure.” Chan said with a tiny bow back. “Rest up, kid.”

With the empty holes at the table, the silence was deafening.

“And then there were three.” Jeongin yawned. “Bee? Wanna do some laps in the morning? I saw that they had a pool? Wanna see if you can beat my record...again?”

“Psh. I was coming off that biochemical cocktail the last time we tired. You had an advantage.”

“Then you’ll beat me? Hm! I look forward to that.” Your adorable partner flashed the first smile that you’d seen in a couple days. You missed it, you realized.

“Sleep tight Bee. Goodnight your Highness.”

“Thank you Fox.” The prince mirrored his warm smile.

Knives and forks clinked on china in the dining room, and music softly payed the soundtrack of the evening. A low hum filled the space where the tourists and patrons chatted among themselves. It was peaceful and normal amidst everything that had been pricking your skin and plaguing worry over your mind. The prince merely sighed, sparking eyes reflecting the candles dying out on the table.

“And now it’s just the two of us.”

“Seems like it.”

“Can I whisk you away now?”

“Whisk? Who said that I would allow any whisking?”

“Come on...Bee. Just this one time? I promise to be on my best behavior.”

You laughed out incredulously at the comment. “You out of all people can’t promise something like that.”

“I guess you’re right about that. But...still, I won’t try to make a scene or anything.”

The royal placed his napkin on the table with his knife and fork respectfully tilted off the edge of his plate.

“Follow me?”

Chan held out his hand. It was pink with heat and scraped a little from the glass that had pierced the fragile flesh. In some way, you had felt a twinge of guilt seeing the small injury knowing that you couldn’t have protected him well enough then. You allowed him to lace your fingers with yours, and felt the rough cuts of his scars in your palm.

You had promised to yourself that he would never know such pain again.

━━━━━━━━━▲━━━━━━━━━

“Annnd...this is it!”

You had taken all of twenty paces outside of the hotel when Chan gestured with open arms to the riverfront. Just at the riverbank, a steamboat was anchored with open doors for hotel guests to enter. The massive, multideck, white steamboat shone like the moon peaking at the ocean’s horizon. Each of the semi-circle windows were lined with white lights and from the inside, the delightful sound of laugher and live music spilled out to the glossy water of the Nile.

“W-what is this?”

“Well…it’s a dinner cruise but I just signed us up for the bar part. Are you...surprised? I thought that it must be pretty safe considering that we’re on the water and no one can drive up and shoot at us.”

“I mean...it’s a bit closed off, but nothing that I can’t handle.”

The prince held out his arm for you to lead the way, then took your hand to help you watch your step down the stairs. Chan provided his name to the conductor in elegant sounding Arabic, leaving you shocked.

“Y-you speak Arabic too?”

Chan chuckled once more, taking your hand in his to bring you down the creaking wood deck with swinging with lanterns above your heads.

“As a royal and diplomat, it’s best for me to know how to communicate if I might need to.”

“I must say your Highness, I am definitely impressed.”

“What? You thought I was just another pretty face?” The charming prince escorted you to a room within the steamboat that was lined with red velvet carpets and small bar tables with tea candles and water lilies floating in a shallow dish. He pulled out your chair before his own, then settled with hands folded in his lap. “I’m trained in hand-to-hand too, although I could use a refresher; that was so long ago, back when I went to school.”

“Hand-to-hand? Well! You really are full of surprises.”

The prince appeared smug and faintly amused by the compliment as he crossed his legs under the table and leaned in with his dizzying floral scent.

The waitress appeared and Chan flexed his language skills once more while he ordered a Hemmingway Daiquiri for himself and a French 75 for you. Somewhere off in the distance or perhaps a different part of the boat, louder and more excitable music played along with the echoing claps of those who listened along. Here, it was much quieter, and the loud sound was replaced with a jazz song that you had heard before--likely from your more formative years.

“It’s a beautiful night.” Chan began, “Thank you for agreeing to do this with me. I know that I’ve been a bit forward, but, I appreciate you entertaining me.”

“If I had said no, what would’ve happened then?”

“Well, maybe I would’ve dropped it, but...knowing you...I don’t think that I would’ve given up easily.”

The waitress returned with the drinks on a silver platter: his grapefruit pink and yours the color of a lemon drop.

The royal rose his glass for you to clink with yours, “To...adventures.”

“To adventures.”

With a resounding sound, the glasses met, and you watched the way that the shimmering liquid ripped across the prince’s nose.

The two of you sat for several moments more, saying nothing, but sipping and soaking in the night breeze and the humidity that made your whole body feel blanketed with a sense of calm. You had felt this way before back at the safe house, and it snuck up on you once more. Simply exisiting with the prince provided you with a sense of solace that had long since faded from your life. The sense of responsibility that you felt for the man was noticeable, but you couldn’t help but notice how he provided for you the same sense of safety that you did for him.

Perhaps it was the loneliness of the job and the solitude that came along with it. Was that you craved to be touched? Listened to? Admired? You had distanced yourself from irrational things such as love and other feelings of attachment. In your line of work, people died often, and you had to move on just as fast as their lives had been taken from them. You supposed that you had become unfeeling at this point...but this prince, so full of himself and focused on the material...there was something about him that reminded you how to feel.

“Bee? What are you thinking about?” He asked carefully.

“Oh...nothing.”

“You looked kind of lost here.”

“Was I?”

“You okay?”

“Yeah...yeah. I’m fine. Maybe the drink is just...getting to me.”

“Just one drink?” Chan giggled a bit, “I didn’t take you for being a lightweight Bee. I thought that they gave you like, drinking lessons or something back at that agency of yours.”

“I’m fine. I shouldn’t have more than one drink anyway.”

The prince nodded, understanding. “So, what will you tell me about yourself? Is there anything that you’re allowed to tell me? Or...will you always be this mysterious, beautiful, enigma?”

“Me? Enigmatic? Ha! Hardly.”

“Well? What then?” The prince sucked at the lime garnishing his glass. “Since I don’t have the pleasure of knowing your real name, I’d love it if you could tell me something.”

Over the stereo, the muted trumpet played along with the twang of thick upright bass strings,

“I suppose I could tell you how...” Chan leaned in, “I didn’t want to join The Agency. At first.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

“It felt like a bit of a last resort and anything that is a last resort is something that can’t come easy.”

Chan titled his head as if to say, I’m listening.

“Life...fucking sucks sometimes. Sometimes...you’re left...living with your sleazy uncle with a letter addressed to you post mortem telling you to carry on the family name if you want to feel some connection to the parents that you never knew.”

The royal cast his eyes down, “I-I’m so sorry.”

“The Agency has been everything I’ve known since I was a teenager. This life...it’s everything. I think in a way I feel obligated to it...since it was what took my parents from me...I owe it to them to do a job that they spent so much energy on so that it wasn’t in vain.”

You stopped, realizing the weight of your words in the air and how they cut like the blade of the knife that you kept tucked in your waistband sheathed in a leather cover. Once the sharp metal was taken from it’s confines, there was nothing to protect those from the damage it could do.

“Bee...I don’t know what to say besides I’m sorry. That’s terrible. I can’t imagine what it must be like to loose your parents and have been thrown into this life...no one deserves that.”

“Its okay.” You sighed. “I did it to myself. Now, it’s of no concern. I can take care of my own, and I have a new family. I try not to look back.”

As he had done numerous times before that night, Chan’s hand reached out for yours under the table, brushing up against the white cloth.

“I can’t say how much I appreciate you enough for what you do; risking your life for me...I owe you everything Bee.” The prince softened, rubbing his thumb against the back of your hand.

The chug of the steamboat hissed softly behind you in that back bar room, and just through the windows, you could see the stars dotting the sky just as they did in any corner of the world. They were a reminder that while some things changed, others didn’t.

The echo of footsteps on the deck clicked, causing you to turn a careful glance back to the direction of the sound. The man who entered was dressed in a casual cotton button up and navy slacks. On the white of his breast, he wore a pin holding the symbol of a crest.

“Lee Minho?” Chan gasped.

“Your Highness!” The handsome man bowed immediately with a startled little smile.

The friendly prince stood immediately upon seeing the other royal to shake his hand. “What a coincidence that we meet again!”

Lee Minho shied with a polite smile while fiddling with his hair that looked to be masterfully styled. “Must be...fated. Or something like that.”

“Are you alright? Last I saw you was at the shooting at the gala. I’m so glad to see that you’re safe. You didn’t get injured I hope?”

This close, Lee Minho had oddly cat-like eyes that were as intense as they were alluring. He was just as you had remembered him to be--put together and polished like a true royal, dastardly handsome with all the right curves to his body, and just enough mystery to him to pique the interest of anyone who had sensed his air--just as the prince had.

“What are you doing in Cairo?” Chan asked, gesturing for the stranger to pull up a chair.

Lee Minho swatted away the question with an annoyed cringe. “Royal stuff, you know how it goes. Everyone is always trying to poke their noses in places where they shouldn’t be...unless they’re looking to get themselves killed. That's why they send me. I’m dispensable.”

“Oh, I’d hardly say that.”

In seconds the prince’s entire body had shifted towards the direction of the other man, and hung onto each of his words as if they were a siren song.

“When you’re not as high up in the ranks as you are your Highness, royalty starts to feel more like servitude than a legitimate position.”

“So, where are you poking your nose?”

Lee Minho’s eyes nervously flicked to you, and Chan realized that he had skipped right over introductions.

“Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce the two of you. Minho, this is Bee, my--”

“--I’m a member of his detail.” You spoke for him. “It’s a pleasure to meet you formally Lee Minho. I recall seeing you at the gala.”

Minho bowed slightly, “It’s a pleasure to meet you too.”

It was obvious that you had made the man uncomfortable, just as you had liked it to be. While you could see what the prince had seen in him, you had the disposition to be much less trusting than his Highness.

“Which royals are employing you? I’d love to know! It’s always exciting for me to learn about who is plotting what. The royal drama keeps me really entertained.”

Minho sat up straighter, then waved a hand for the waitress to come scuttling over.

“Some of my family members. You wouldn’t know them, we’re all dreadfully insignificant to be honest. They heard all this business about those men with the red crests and they’re starting to get scared. After they targeted...you, they’re wondering which royal family might be next...if any. I’m here to find out who they are, their whereabouts, anything else.”

“Wow! That’s actually what we--”

“--And where are you planning on getting this information if I may ask?” You hushed the prince’s loose lips as quickly as you could.

Minho leaned in over the flickering candle to lower his tone, “I heard that there’s an informant here in the city who might now something about this group. They’ve been popping up on national news too as of late. I’m looking to talk to him tomorrow evening. Luckily, I was able to make an appointment but it was no small feat. I had to bribe him to high hell to get him to speak with me.”

“Hm. Sounds familiar.” You mumbled.

Chan’s eyes widened, then he looked back to you to ask for permission. You gave him a nod.

“It seems like we’re here for a common purpose my friend.” The prince leaned in to bridge the gap between them, his hand notably reaching to rest on the other man’s thigh below the table’s surface. “We’re seeking similar information and I think we might be speaking of the same informant.”

“But your Highness, isn’t it dangerous it you to do something like this?”

“Not when I’ve got her around.” Chan threw a sly grin to you across the table. “I’m well protected. And you? Where’s your detail?”

“I’m afraid that I’m out here alone. Like I said, when you’re as low in the ranks as I am...”

“What? That’s terrible!! They aren’t even protecting their own? Bee!!”

“Yes, your Highness?” You already knew where this was going.

“Let’s bring Minho along with us tomorrow! We know that there’s safety in numbers--”

“Your Highness, in case you haven’t noticed, our hands are already a bit full...”

“I can fend for myself.” Lee Minho suddenly piped. “Travelling alone, I’ve picked up a few things about protecting myself. You don’t have to protect me, but, I appreciate the offer.”

“Nonsense! You should come with us! I would feel more comfortable if you did rather than went by yourself.”

Lee Minho gave the royal a smile in his thanks, it was pure and a little adorable you had considered...but that was likely the champagne going to your head.

“Really? I appreciate it, your Highness.”

While you were distanced, you nearly could’ve sworn that the prince had squeezed the other’s leg reassuringly, and you were willing to bet he had rubbed it with his thumb too just as he had done to you.

After long, the waitress returned with Lee Minho’s drink, and the two men chatted like old college buddies while you slipped away at your drink in an attempt to make it last as long as you could. While Chan did try to engage you in conversation, it would never last for long until he would become puppy-eyed over the stranger again. In the end, you wondered if the tipsy prince would’ve also confessed to this man if he had one too many drinks.

The table bumped with their jovial and restless legs, and you could only imagine what wandering hands sought to discover.

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The hotel was quiet save for the click of heels on the marble floors from ladies who had just gotten off the steamboat and clung to their husbands in their drunken stupor. They cackled in the empty and golden lobby, then pressed hasty kisses into the stuttering mouths of their husbands who’s mouths then smeared with hot pick lipstick. Chan giggled at the sight while he tripped over his own feet too.

“Ahhhh. Being in love is so cute.” He adored them once you had entered the elevator.

“You’re not going to throw up on me, are you?”

The prince hiccupped, then shook his head. “Unlike you I know how to hold my liquor. I’m fine. Just a bit sleepy I think. Must be the jet lag.”

The tones for each floor beeped in the compartment, and Chan lulled his head back and forth.

“So. Lee Minho huh?” You said, not even able to help yourself. The alcohol had brought you a bit of an edge...so you thought.

“Lee. Minho.” He sighed out dreamily. “What do you think of him?”

“I think I can’t trust anyone as long as I haven’t ran at least three background checks on them.”

“Awww, Bee, you’re so thoughtful of me.”

In the empty hallway, the prince with squinting eyes leaned against the doorframe to the royal suite, reaching out to brush up against your blouse once more. You let him, excusing his drunken state. After he did so, his eyes hazed over with something much different, while he looked exhausted, it was laced with something else: something much more longing.

“Bee...fuck, I really want to kiss you again.”

“Hm. That’s ripe coming from you who was just viciously flirting with Lee Minho.”

You could see his head spinning in his dilated pupils. “What?”

The door clicked open and you less than gracefully lead the prince through the dark to your shared bedroom.

“B-Bee, what are you talking about?”

You scoffed, “I’m not blind, you know.”

“A-are you...jealous?”

“W-what? Fuck no. I’m just...you can’t just...toss people around thinking that they’ll all bend to you.”

Chan sat at the edge of the bed and rubbed at his temples when you turned one of the lamps on.

“I-I was doing that?”

You tore a pillow from the bed as well as the throw blanket at the end. “I’m sleeping on the couch. Good evening, your Highness.”

“Wait! Bee!” The young prince stumbled after you, stubbing his toe against the bedpost in the process. “Ah-FUCK!” He grunted.

“What?” You growled back to him, half shrouded in the darkness of the suite living room.

The royal stumbled out, eyes blank and backlit from the bedroom. While you couldn’t see him fully, you later could assume that there was something in him terribly torn and ripped in that moment that made little sense to him, as it did to you to.

Arms reached out, bodies softly illuminated by the lights of the city, and the prince leaned himself fully into you, pressing bitter tasting lips to yours with a heat and desire that only seemed amplified the breather he had gotten. While he tasted of lime and grapefruits, with a twinge of alcohol. He was just as addictive as any vice. You wanted to feel him. As infuriating as he was, and oblivious, your abhorrence to him was just as strong as your attraction.

“Mm, Bee--” He moaned directly into your mouth while shuffling both of you back to the bedroom.

The prince’s trembling breath floated from his mouth to yours where he used both of his large hands to pull your face closer to his. You knew that in some way, there must have been something ingenuine about the whole scenario, but you didn’t care too much, not when kissing him felt like something. Maybe he had kissed you out of pity, or because he really had wanted to kiss you. You broke for seconds before both of your tangled limbs hit the bed.

“Before...you said that you wouldn’t kiss me.”

“I didn’t make any promises...but, how come...you said that you wouldn’t hesitate...? But you kissed ba--”

You silenced the prince’s words with your own heated kisses that made little sense, only that kissing him as such felt good. You straddled the man while his hungry fingers traced all the way down your back. The prince’s hips sunk into the cushiony mattress, and you screwed him down even harder into it with your own heated hips grinding into him with as much pressure as you could muster.

“This is what you want, right?” You pulled at his lip with your teeth to hear him groan from it.

“Is it...what you want?” Chan got out between more kisses.

You could blame it on loneliness or lack of touch all that you wanted, but it wasn’t even close.

“Wait. Wait.” Chan suddenly interjected.

“What? What is it?”

The prince looked up at you, that haze in his eyes now fading to something much different that wasn’t covered in the lust that he held before.

“Bee...I-I don’t know if I want it to happen this way. It feels...it’s not...”

“Not what?”

He brushed his hand upward now to caress your face, lingering on the side of the peach fuzz on your cheek. “You deserve better than whatever the hell this is.”

“Oh, so when I finally want to fuck you, you’re saying it isn’t right?”

“I’m saying, I’m drunk, it’s late, clearly there’s something that’s upsetting you, and I want to know what it is before we do anything else. Tell me, what’s wrong?”

It might’ve been Lee fucking Minho, or it might’ve been something else much stickier for you to admit, but seeing the prince like this, it was too much. He was gorgeous under you, practically angelic looking.

“I-I’m...complicating things.” You whispered out, and the prince softened even further.

“That’s what it is? Bee, I told that you don’t have to worry about--”

“--Yes. Yes I do...your Highness. I-I can’t feel...”

“Bee--let’s just talk about--”

The prince might’ve said more, but his words faded into murmurs once you closed his door behind you, then crawled onto the couch in Jeongin and Seungmin’s room, locking their door too.

~🌹~

Bunch of (Ro)ses!

@minaamhh @dazzlehoseok @synnocence @jjewibeans @hyunsluvv @unexceptional-h @bobawithchaitea @lechanters @sailorhyunjinz @silencefavarchive @eunaeiekim @lunarskzzz

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1234-angelika · 4 years ago

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Italian Dreams

an: Hey y'all! I'm back from hiatus and I have another David Rossi story for you. This is the sixth installment of the Happily Ever After series for David. As always, hope y'all like it. Happy Reading!

words:1.1k

warnings: I don't think there are any but as always if there is something that should be added, please let me know

summary:"Live in the sunshine. Swim in the sea. Drink in the wild air." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

masterpost|taglist|have an idea

Travelling was one of your favourite things to do, and over the years, you had come up with a list of your favourite places.

Italy was quick to snag a place on that list. You loved Italy the moment the plane touched down, the first time you had gone. And you had been longing to go back since you came home from that trip. You had talked about it with David—your longing to go back—a few times. And each time, he let you vent, and you would talk about some of your favourite places and things to do in Italy. Obviously, David was a little more seasoned in all things Italy. He had been to Italy plenty of times throughout his life, but it was special to him, and so were you, so bringing the two together is what got you there. On a plane, surprised by Dave with a week-long trip to the ‘Bel Paese.’

You and David flew into Marco Polo Airport early Monday morning and boarded a water taxi which took you directly into Venice. Your first stop was the hotel which wasn’t very far from where you got off the taxi. You two checked into your hotel and dropped off your bags, and headed to a nearby cafe for breakfast. It was nestled away at the end of the street, making more of a locals-only kind of spot. The charming old-style Italian architecture and design added to the beauty of it. Inside it was cozy and warm with friendly staff. You and David talked over coffee and pastries.

After a quick meal, you hopped back on the water taxi and went east on the Grand Canal, getting off at the St. Mark’s stop. Although you and Dave had both been to Italy before, David had planned for plenty of touristy activities. He had pre-booked your tickets for admittance to St. Mark’s Basilica, and when you arrived, you were quick in whispering a thank you to David as you eyed the long line of people waiting to go inside. Once inside, you slowly walked around together, marvelling at the astonishing mosaics and architecture of the Basilica. Just next door was Doge palace. You and David also visited the palace before heading back to the hotel, besides a quick stop for dinner.

On day two, you took the water taxi to the two most famous Islands around Venice: Murano and Burano. Murano is known for glassworks, and Burano is known for its lace and brightly coloured houses. You spent the morning walking together around the less crowded islands browsing for glasswork and lace souvenirs to bring home. Along with the souvenir shopping, you also spent some time admiring the beautiful neighbourhoods which lined the canals. Finally, you shared a leisurely lunch before returning to Venice. The rest of the afternoon was spent at Sottomarina, a beautiful beach and much less crowded than its neighbour Cavallino. A romantic picnic on the beach for dinner was a lovely way to end the day.

The next day, you and David took the westward train to Monterosso. Monterosso being the north most of the five villages of Cinque Terre on the Ligurian Sea. Instead of hiking or taking the train to explore the villages, David surprised you with a private lunch cruise for the two of you to take in the gorgeous landscapes of the stunning cliffside towns. Once the tour had finished and the boat brought you back to Monterosso, there were a few other touristy things you did. First, you visited the church of San Francesco, which had breathtaking views and then took a sunset walk along Spiaggia di Fegina.

The next couple of days of the trip were spent in Florence. The first day you visited Brunelleschi’s red terra cotta Duomo, Michelangelo’s David in the Accademia Gallery, and the collections of Botticelli and da Vinci alike in the Uffizi. You had an early start with a day trip to Tuscany for a vineyard tour and wine tasting the next day. After that, you explored but at a more relaxed pace than the previous day. You walked down via de Dante and visited the Dante museum. You also strolled through the Piazza Della Signoria and crossed the Ponte Vecchio, Pitti Palace and, the beautiful Boboli Gardens. You continued heading east to Michelangelo Plaza and enjoyed the breathtaking view of Florence below. Of course, you didn’t forget to browse the stalls of the street vendors or the Mercato Centrale.

The last two days were spent in Rome. You and David arrived by train from Florence, and after dropping your bags off at the hotel, you were back to the touristy itinerary of the vacation. Day one was a visit to the Colosseum, followed by a visit to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, which included a visit to the Vatican Gardens, where you took no shortage of pictures. And then you surprised David with Wine and appetizers on the Tiber River. A short visit was paid to the Trevi fountain where you and David threw in three coins, as per tradition, hoping to; return, find love and marry.

Because you had a late flight on day two, the day was packed with plenty of activities for you to make memories with. The first destination on the list was Castel Sant’ Angelo, a remarkable mausoleum-turned-museum with an amazing panoramic view over Rome and the River Tiber from the terrace. You and David took your time, soaking in the beautiful art at home in Castel Sant’ Angelo, from paintings to statues. The next destination on the list was the famed Spanish Steps. You stopped in front of the steps in the Piazza di Spagna, taking time to admire the Fontana Della Barrcaccia. You shared a delicious lunch at Hassler Bistrot, just a short walk from the Piazza. Afterwards, you returned to the Piazza for a short while before heading to the airport.

And at the airport, while Dave dazzled you with his profiling skills as you waited for your flight home, all you could think about was how much this meant to you. Your heart was full and ready to burst, and at this point, you didn’t know if you could love him anymore.

taglist: @multixfandomwriter @myescapefromthislife @gspenc @j-cat

@daddy-issues24-7

#criminal minds #criminal minds x reader #david rossi #david rossi x reader #happilyeverafter #hea

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archenemyintellegence · 3 years ago

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(26/10/2022) HKMOA - "The Road to the BAROQUE"

Today I visited the art museum to watch an exhibition on baroque art. This is the second time I went to this exhibition because I lost the booklet I got from the first time. Due to having stuff to do, me and my friend only had around 30 minutes to enjoy the exhibition. It is not a big problem for me tho because I've seen the paintings before. I used this chance to take photos of some of the drawings that I like in the exhibition.

Here is the booklet of the exhibition. Besides of this, I got a pin from HKMOA too! Nice.

Pierre-Jacques Volaire, Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, 1777

This painting is the first one that caught my attention in the exhibition. The balance of colors and lighting are just amazing! The contrast between the orange and blue are so natural yet so bold. There are so many light sources, like the volcano and the moon, but still I can see that the scene is at nighttime, as huge proportions of the scene is shrouded by the shadow. However, the light sources are so cleverly places so every details can be seen clearly, even for the people and stuff at the bottom shadowy corners can be seen as their contour are highlighted by different light source.

Mattia Preti, Saint John the Baptist, 1653

This painting is surrounded by bunch of nude paintings. At the first time I went to the exhibition with another friend, we were talking about why everyone look so hot in baroque paintings. Even this old man looks hot af lmao. From the info in the exhibition, I guess it’s because they believe beauty=righteous that time. So the main characters in the paintings, which are often the good guys/woman, look so unrealistically hot.

Francesco Guarino, Saint Agatha, ca. 1640

This, is my favorite painting in the exhibition. Just speechless. The torture she’s been thru was horrendous but it is not the focus here, as you can see it’s only hinted by some blood stains, and her pale skin. The torture is not stopping her from radiating beauty and confidence. No sorrow or pain in her face as she believes in her faith and decision. Just… beautiful. (Reminds me of Viktor lmao)

Matthias Stomer, Supper at Emmaus, ca. 1632-1635

The dramatic yet cozy lighting makes me feel like I am sitting with these guys. The expressions on these guys faces are amazing. They be like, “WHAT? THAT MF IS JESUS? WE HAVING A MEAL WITH J E S U S?¿” (Tbh I forgot the context of this drawing and I didn’t have time to read it this time as it’s kinda crowded)

Giuseppe Recco, Still Life with Fish and Basket of Seafood, 1655 ca. - 1670 ca.)

I should really take a picture of the name tag next time I go to the museum. I have no idea if the date and the translation (I google translated it lol) are correct. The Italian name of the painting is “Natura morta con pesci e cesto di frutti di mare”. If you want to do more research you can find the painting with this name. Anyway, let’s go back to the drawing. Among all the still life shown in the exhibition, this one is my favorite. The colors of the fish are brilliant. I can look at the scales all day if there’s no one in the museum. The white belly on the red fish in the centre… it’s so wonderful. The use of more saturated yellow to highlight on a less saturated colder color, then the purple in the shading. Fish must’ve eaten the rainbow! Now I’m glad that the museum is crowded because I may cry if I have enough time to truly appreciate the amazing colors of the fish. Besides of how beautiful the fish looks, I can feel the fishy smell from the painting, which is unbelievable? Must be the reddish haze and lighting that introduced the fishiness to my brain!

Giuseppe Recco, Still Life with Festoons of Flowers and Game, 1671

Here is another still life that I enjoy. I like this painting because of how well-planned the arrangement of stuff is. The line of flowers is the thing that grab you attention at first as the flowers are im vibrant colors, which pops out from the less saturated colors of everything else in the painting. You want to look closer to see how beautiful they look and then your sight are being guided by them. First, I discovered the old hunter chilling in the shadow. Then, the bust and the pile of game in the corner. After that, I discovered the horn and being guided by the horn to look at the sky and trees at the background. Then, I saw some dude at the back and then being attracted by the flowers again. But this time, I have the attention to admire the trolley that seems to made of some high quality wood. Thanks to the big brain arrangement, I watched the whole drawing in detail, one by one, even when there’re so many details going on. However, there’s at least one detail I missed, which was the dog on top of the game. I know there’s a dog somewhere in the painting because I read the introduction but I just unable to find it the first time I went to this exhibition. I finally found the dog the second time, thanks to my friend, who pointed out the dog immediately after I told them how brilliant the arrangement is. She is built different I guess.

In conclusion, the exhibition is an amazing and inspiring experience. It’s the best 10 dollars I’ve every spent. It made me realize the photo is nothing compared to the real thing. I can never forget the shock when I saw paintings emitting rainbow glow in front of my eyes. They look so magical. It told me that I should really go to watch more exhibition to learn more about the magic. There’s no reason not to do that since covid is gone (not completely but at least the museums are opening). Also, I am an ART STUDENT TOO? I mean my course is kind of shitty, which I seldom have chance to draw stuff and explore art but THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE? NO WAY THIS IS THE FIRST EXHIBITION IVE SEEN IN THESE YEARS? I have worked so hard on my drawing grind all by myself in these two years so there’s no excuse to not do the exhibition grind too. From now on, I will be visiting the museums more often, and I hope one day I can see Dali’s work in person?? I really need to be moistened by Dali’s art. At last, I hope you enjoy this not very professional and informative report of the exhibition. I will keep recording my visits to exhibitions in the future. If you don’t enjoy it, I will try my best to make this more enjoyable by actually knowing more about art haha.

#art museum #baroque #hong kong #art exhibition #art #text

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lsmu · 3 years ago

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14 Days of Winter - Day 5: Draw Me

KIM HAJOON'S JOURNAL ENTRY THU, DEC 17TH, 2020. 6.55 PM GMT. The Savoy. Junior Suite. My Room.

Journal-nim!

Today started out normally. I did my usual morning routine, before having breakfast with the cheerful Minjeong. We talked and joked throughout the meal, and afterwards she went straight into her room, telling me that she had to attend some meetings.

Kekeke... What meeting?

Still, all is well. Not spending time with Minjeong means I got to catch up on my studies and thesis. Our lunch was normal too, and after lunch she (again) went straight back to her room, telling me that she's got another meeting (gosh, so busy) and would see me again at tea time.

Now, tea time... That's when things got a little interesting.

We sat down around the dining table, sipping our tea (lapsang souchong, of course) and enjoying our crumpets and pastries, before suddenly Minjeong lifted her head and smiled at me.

"Hajoon-hyung, can I see what you're studying? What major are you anyway? Do you have some secret lab in your room?" she bombarded me with questions.

I couldn't help but laugh out loud, and she joined me promptly. (My gosh, Journal-nim...)

After our laughter died down, I had a super-dangerous idea in my mind. Should I? (Don't ask. I did it anyway).

"Come! See for yourself!" I said, mustering up my courage. "Let's go!" she replied immediately, punching her tiny fist in the air.

We laughed again, and I led her to my room. I opened the door and let her enter, and as soon as she saw my reference art books, sketchbooks, journals, and laptop, she let out a loud gasp (don't worry, I had hidden you in a safe place).

She turned to face me and glared at me with those beautiful, beautiful eyes of hers.

"YOU'RE AN ART STUDENT?" she exclaimed loudly. I laughed and nodded. "That bad, huh?" I asked, a little embarrassedly, but Minjeong shook her head rapidly. "No, no! That's amazing! You're amazing!" she continued exclaiming.

When she said that, Journal-nim... I swear I thought my heart stopped beating.

I'm amazing?

I don't know if I blushed, but from her reaction (she was giggling), maybe I was. Yeah. I definitely blushed. I could feel heat rushing to my face.

I let her explore my stuff, and she whistled in amazement every now and then. I stared at her (while smiling wide like a crazy person), and suddenly she muttered.

"I always admire visual art students..."

Okay. My heart was beating so fast when she said that. Gosh. Living with Minjeong is unhealthy for my heart, apparently.

"Y–You do?" I stuttered, but at that moment suddenly she turned to face me, waving my sketchbook in the air, grinning from ear to ear. "Ya, Hyung... Can you... Draw me?"

I can, of course. To be completely honest, I've been repressing that thought for quite a while now. I thought it would make me look like a creep. But now... It was her who asked me, right? Hence...

Confidently, I nodded.

"Sure! I'll draw you..." I told her, extending my arm to retrieve the sketchbook. "Like one of your French girls?" she suddenly quipped while slowly peeling the fabric of her cardigan off her shoulder.

I immediately got that reference. That was from the movie Titanic. That was when...

Okay. Let's not go there, shall we?

This time, I knew I was blushing full red. She noticed this, and she laughed out loud and shook her head.

"JOKING! JOKING!" she yelled and laughed at the same time. "YA! HYUNG! STOP BEING A PERVERT! YOU'RE AS RED AS TOMATO!" "I wasn't! I... I'm... J–Just... J–Just... Sit there. I'll... I'll draw you," I stuttered embarrassedly and pointed at the sofa in my room, trying to get on with it and forgetting the mention of that one raunchy scene from the movie.

Minjeong giggled, sat down on the sofa and smiled wide. I sat on my chair opposite her, picked up my pencil, and started drawing.

"How should I pose?" she asked. I chuckled. "Just be as comfortable as you like, and try to hold the position," I told her. "Will it be long?" she asked. "No. It's a simple sketch," I said, drawing strokes of her figure. "Should be less than five minutes." "Aw... I was expecting a full coloured, detailed illustration," she said. I laughed. "You'll have to pay for that," I retorted, regaining my composure. She giggled. "I can pay..." she said nonchalantly, then she giggled. "Joking again. Sorry, Hyung..." "Stay still, Minjeong..." "Okay..."

Journal-nim, I tried to draw her. I usually could draw someone quite beautifully in a flash, but this time, somehow, it was as if my hand, my mind, my entire body, wanted to prolong this moment. I took my time staring at her before going back to my sketch, and a split second later my eyes would return to her.

As I continued to draw lines after lines of Minjeong in my sketchbook, questions started flooding my mind.

How could someone be as beautiful as her? How could someone have those eyes she have... Those almond shaped eyes. How could someone have those small, delicate lips? How could anyone have that skin? So clear, so smooth, so fair... It glistened like snow on a beautiful winter day.

Journal-nim... How could anyone be that perfect?

I continued drawing for a few more minutes, almost completing the illustration. As I lifted my eyes for the last time to capture the details of her face...

That's when... Our eyes met.

I...

I....

I have no words to describe it.

Journal-nim... I think I've fallen for her.

Yeah. I think I have.

But... Before I could do anything, Minjeong smiled and stretched her hands forward.

"Are you done? Come! Show it to me!" she said cheerfully.

I stumbled to turn the sketchbook, and when she saw my drawing she jumped up and gasped in surprise. I giggled. She was simply adorable.

"You like it?" I asked her. She nodded rapidly and grabbed the sketchbook. "I love it!" she said breathlessly. "Can I keep it?" "Ya... It's your commissioned piece! Of course it's yours!" I said.

She cheered and twirled in place. I laughed as I carefully ripped the page out of my sketchbook and gave it to her. She stared at my drawing of her with a wide smile.

"It's beautiful..." she whispered.

You're beautiful, Minjeong.

She looked up at me and beamed as bright as the afternoon sun.

"Gomawo, Op–... Hyung."

Now it was her who blushed. She caught herself right at the last moment before calling me 'Oppa'.

I felt my heart fluttering, but before I could do anything about it, the phone rang.

I walked over to the phone next to my bed and picked it up. It was the front desk. They informed me that the other room is indeed vacating tomorrow, so... One of us can move there tomorrow.

To be completely honest, I had forgotten about that completely. And to be completely honest-honest... I don't want us to be separated. But... Minjeong might think differently, right?

"Who was it?" she asked. "Front desk. The other room is indeed vacating tomorrow," I told her. "Oh..."

Journal-nim... I don't understand her reaction. Wasn't she supposed to be happy? But instead, I sensed... Disappointment?

She couldn't, could she?

"So, uh... I should pack, then?" she said slowly.

(Again, I noticed reluctance in her voice. No. Maybe it's just my wishful thinking).

"No, no. I should be the one moving! You should enjoy this suite a little longer!" I told her. "Ah... Yeah... Thanks, Hyung..." she replied. "That's very kind of you."

We stood there in an awkward silence for a while, unsure of what to do after hearing the news. After a while, she took a sharp breath and looked up. A smile curved up on her beautiful face.

"Well... I should leave you to your study, then! Sorry to barge in like this..." she said. I shook my head. "No, no! I enjoyed the company," I said, trying to sound cool. She chuckled. "Yeah... I... I should leave. Let's talk again at dinner?" she proposed.

I smiled and nodded. Then, I did something stupid.

"Nowadays, I'm kind of... Used to you calling me out for dinner," I told her.

She was stunned. Of course she was stunned. Stop being such a creep, Hajoon!

But... A second later... She giggled.

"Then I'll call you again later," she told me, before walking out of my room, clutching the drawing I had given her.

That, Journal-nim, was three hours ago. And now...

"Hajoon-hyung! Bap meokja! Dinner's here!"

That's my cue. I should enjoy tonight's dinner.

... It'll be our last dinner together anyway.

#14daysofwinter #lsmu #aespa #winter #kim minjeong #minjeong

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scotianostra · 4 years ago

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On August 19th 1560 James Crichton “The Admirable Crichton”, scholar, soldier and adventurer was born.

Always one of my favourite wee tales, James Crichton was the original ‘Admirable Crichton’ and reputed to be one of the most gifted individuals of the 16th Century. He achieved the major portion of his fame through his extraordinary accomplishments in languages, the arts, and sciences, primarily in Italy, but some of his exploits are likely to be more legendary than true. Nevertheless, if half be true; a star he was. He had a good start in life, being the son of the Lord Advocate of Scotland and a descendant of the Royal line of Stewart.

He was undoubtedly an unusually gifted prodigy and was noted for his mental prowess. Crichton was said to have had the gift of perfect recall and to have displayed amazing erudition and powers of memory in public disputations. Of course, like any legendary figure, he had amazing physical capabilities and admirable good looks. Well, good looks are relative; let’s say his contemporaries so thought – and he was better looking than most Stewarts, particularly James VI with whom he shared a tutor.

It is said that by the age of twenty, Crichton could speak ten or twelve languages in each of which he was not only fluent, but could also hold forth in verse and prose. Those social graces meant he was considered the very model of a cultured gentleman. The list of his accomplishments is a long one and includes: adventurer; athlete; debater; fencer; horseman; linguist; man of letters; musician; orator; poet; singer; soldier; scholar; and swordsman – although his admirers probably exaggerated. His languages are listed as: Hebrew; Syriac; Arabic; Greek; Latin; Spanish; French; English; Italian; Dutch; and Flemish or Selavonic; to which we must add at least a Scottish dialect.

James Crichton was born at Eliock House in Dumfries or James Crichton was born in Nithsdale or James Crichton was born in Clunie Castle, Perthshire – take your pick; the sources differ. His family, who was from Nithsdale, moved into Clunie Castle in 1562, so that suggests to me that it’s most likely James was born in Nithsdale. He certainly spent his boyhood at Clunie. Although he apparently went to a school in Dunkeld and had some schooling in Perth, what is certain is that he was educated at St Salvator’s College, in St Andrews, by the noted poet and scholar, George Buchanan, tutor to King James VI. Remarkably, Crichton took his B. A. in 1574 and his M. A. in 1575, at the ages of just thirteen and fourteen respectively.

After University, he left Scotland for the Continent and spent two years in the army of Henry III of France. By 1579, he had pitched up in Italy, where he went on to achieve fame. He initially attracted attention by his scholarly accomplishments, fluency in classical and modern languages, and his undoubted, personal charm, despite having arrived in Genoa in a destitute condition. Orator and polymath that he was, in 1579 he delivered an elaborate Latin oration before the Senate in Genoa. The following year, he went to Venice, where he introduced himself to Aldus Manutius, and challenged all scholars to ‘learned disputations’ – that means to test his knowledge. Then famously in Padua, in 1581, he is said to have overcome the scholars there in a similar debate of three days duration, which took place in the Church of St. John and St. Paul.

He appears to have been something like a vastly conceited Mastermind winner who travelled around Italy, earning his board and lodgings by challenging all comers in tests of knowledge. However extraordinary his achievements sound, there is evidence concerning Crichton’s taunt to the learned men of Italy. Crichton’s oration before the scholars of Genoa is evidenced by a Latin address to the Doge and Senate entitled ‘Oratio J. Critonii Scoti pro Moderatorum Genuensis Reipubl electione coram Senatu habita’ and printed there in 1579. In addition, two copies of the hand-bill describing Crichton’s marvelous knowledge, printed at the Guerra press of the brothers Domenico in Venice, in 1580, can be seen in the British Museum. The hand-bill sports a short biography and an extravagant eulogy of Crichton’s powers. It states that Crichton speaks ten languages and has a command of philosophy, theology, and mathematics. It goes on to say that “[Crichton] improvises Latin verses in all metres and on all subjects [and] has all Aristotle and his commentators at his fingers’ ends.” A final flourish avows that “he is of most beautiful appearance; a soldier from top to toe.”

This tribute is attributed to Crichton’s friend Aldus Manutius, as it was reprinted several times under Aldus’s name as ‘Relatione della qualità di… Crettone’. However, the sceptical might say that the text was nothing other than 16th Century ‘spin’ by Crichton’s mate and publicist in order to attract an audience for his challenge.

Nevertheless, Joseph Justus Scaliger, the famous Continental scholar, described Crichton in ‘Prima Scaligerana’ as a youth of “very wonderful genius”, but qualified his statement by adding that he was “more worthy of admiration than esteem.” Scaliger was very astute. He once went to England and confessed that he did not like the people, but curiously, he drew a distinction between the English and the Scots, viewing the latter more favourably and according hearty praise to Scottish ballads.

Crichton’s death occurred in a rather more uncouth manner than the course of his life as it is generally believed that he died at the age of twenty-one in a street brawl in Mantua on the 3rd of July, 1582. One of his own pupils, the son of the Duke of Mantua, was either directly or indirectly responsible for the ‘assassination’. Whether or not he or the son or both were drunk, the unfortunate outcome hasn’t seemed to have damaged his reputation.

Crichton’s status comes largely from an enthusiastic account of his life and exploits, which was written by his 17th Century biographer, Sir Thomas Urquhart. Published in 1652, that book was called ‘The Discoveryie of a Most Exquisite Jewel’. However, it was in John Johnston’s ‘Heroes Scoti’ of 1603, that Crichton was first given the epithet ‘the Admirable Crichton’. His fame is also due to the extravagant praise given him by Aldus Manutius. Needless to say, such a man is also the subject of several novels, not least J. M. Barrie’s 1902 novel about the perfect butler.

The second pic is the blue plaque commemorating Crichton in St Andrews St Salvator’s College.

#Scotland #scottish #character #swordsman #tutor #scholar #history

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catscradlezine · 6 years ago

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🌟NOW PRESENTING: Our contributor list!🌟

We’re so, so excited to have this wonderful team of amazing contributors and we’re well on our way to bringing you a beautiful zine! Please click the read more below to find the social media links to our lovely contributors!

Additionally, we’ve set up a kofi!✨ More info is coming on this, but we have 3 digital rewards! We have 2 digital wallpapers from Lianna and Foxboros, which cost 2 kofi each! Lastly, we have an earlybird special for the zine PDF! When pre-orders open, we’ll be selling the pdf for $20, but you can get it for $15 if you donate 5 kofis! For both types of rewards, please leave your email in the notes so we can send you your reward (the pdf will be sent after preorders).

✨We also have other surprises in store! Please stay tuned!✨

Hapsky: Twitter

Mapleleauf: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Swiss: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Belbeeps: Twitter, Instagram, Twitch

Lily: Twitter, Instagram, Website

EZARiA UMiKO: Tumblr, Twitter

Loshka: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Smurfee: AO3, Tumblr, Instagram

MJ Anderson: AO3, Tumblr, Wordpress

Kibstar: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Minibuddy: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Beth Hankel: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Fenkko: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Kate Kimchii: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Luka: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Litarnes: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Keiid: Twitter

Mai Pham: Twitter, Instagram

Mokkorin: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Lianna: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Courtney: Tumblr, Twitter

Rakkigaru: Tumblr, Twitter, DeviantArt

J Yang: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Elios: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

princesagili: AO3

Squid: Twitter

Di: Twitter, Art Twitter

Ikuzuu: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube

Nai: Tumblr, Twitter

Microrockets: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Muerpi: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Watkins: Twitter, Instagram

Kiwiliko: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Happyfluids: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Cookie: AO3, Twitter

Prin: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Aejoo: Tumblr, Twitter

Snke: Tumblr, Twitter

Kade: Twitter, Carrd

Ridge: Tumblr, Twitter

Sepharic: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Letsfracturethings: Tumblr, Twitter

Shea: AO3, Tumblr, Twitter

Tai: Tumblr

Ninon: Tumblr, Twitter

Rayray: AO3, Tumblr

Ashley Michelle Simpson: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Velinxi: Twitter, Instagram

Mizar: Tumblr

Banana Banshee: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Ohmytheon: AO3, Tumblr, Twitter

XaFright: Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram

Vargs: AO3, Tumblr, Twitter

#boku no hero academia #my hero academia #zine #fanzine #bnhazine

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dhampirbf · 4 years ago

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just finished off my first issue of the new killjoys series, national anthem, here are my thoughts

‼️ spoiler warning lol‼️

instantly dragged me head-fucking-first back into my mcr phase from three years ago. i am ruined. there is SO MUCH i immediately love about this series, from the incredible, poem-esce beginning to the incredible retro art style. the characters are just perfect - on the same wavelength as the others we know and love from previous iterations of kayjay media. mike milligram is edgier than i expected, which is just perfect, because i always felt poison and the gang were a bit too cheery for being stuck in a post-apocalyptic hellscape after surviving a massive war.

as for the plot? amazing. the writing is just as stunning as it was for TTLOTFK and national anthem immediately leaps into the story without delay. the dialogue fits the aesthetic of what we know about the kayjay universe perfectly and the story gives us more insight to what came before the analog wars and what life was like right after. maybe it’s just my interpretation (and of course this is just the first issue), but id love more about what the wars were ACTUALLY like, what it was like to fight in them. i still can’t figure out who exactly the enemy was because BLI and the weird, unseen but ever-present, unnamed oppressor are still in existence after the wars. might just be me, so if anyone knows where to find more on that, hmu. but honestly while reading it, i don’t care about the pieces im missing. it’s THAT good on its own.

the first issue opens with mike bleeding out, which deeply upset me because i do not like to see my favorite characters die, but it was done in such a beautiful way. we get to see how useless he feels - how he’s literally been tossed aside like the garbage he thinks he is - and then our story begins.

we meet the rest of the original fabulous killjoys (i imagine this is a prequel to party poison and the other comic, in my mind poison and val are “generations” following mike) and BOY, they’re incredible. the codes, red and blue, are (i assume) beta versions of the red and blue we see in TTLOTFK. kyle 100%, whose name we don’t learn in the first issue, is pretty reminiscent of kobra but maybe it’s just cuz he’s blond and rollin’ with mike. his design is very new and i totally dig it. animax is probably my favorite of this crew, though. he’s very much new and his design ROCKS. a color changing suit?? for real??? amazing. animax strikes me as the dad friend of the group (he tries to calm down blue and mike at the playground scene with the a.k.as)

SPEAKING of the a.k.as.... holy fuck. adore them. all of them are SO COOL and offer totally new insight to what it might have been like to crawl around in the zones right after the analog wars. so many new faces! new concepts! new headcanons! once again, im in love with their designs and concepts (god bless shaun simon and gerard) and it’s times like these that i wish i was a more talented artist.

another thing i really enjoyed is that the identity of some of the killjoys is more revealed and accessible. blue is called maria right before her (sobbing) death in mike’s arms and we see about halfway through that mike was a grocery store clerk. i’ve seen that red’s name is sophia in some official character design sheets, but we haven’t heard her name in the book yet. but to know that these were normal, real people in the world we live in gives the story a different, heavier context. these characters had their lives uprooted and torn to bits by a war they had to fight in. no wonder mike is so miserable and “screwed up”.

national anthem also immediately touches on trauma more than once and, in my interpretation of the underlying message, points out how trauma is an important tool in shaping who we are as individuals. the pretty subtle thing about the pill marketed to treat the affects of trauma is something that really fascinated me. how the antagonist of this series markets a pill that treats trauma but the side effects essentially make a person lose themselves, navigating life like a zombie.

i also loved the subtle callbacks to the original kayjay universe we know and love, with an appearance of tommy chow mein and a reference to the phoenix witch. however, ive got some criticisms.

first, was not a fan of the romance subplot between blue and mike. blue (and red, for that matter) are characters we know to be lesbians and i really don’t think that should be muddled with. even if blue is bisexual, even polyamorus, and has romantic connections to both mike and red, id personally rather have her stay with red exclusively. maybe it’s just my heterophobia /j but im not a fan. apparently she was even pregnant with mike’s child before she died? ehh.

second, and this is probably just because it’s the first issue, but i feel like there are a lot of questions unanswered. is this an AU or the same universe as TTLOTFK? if it’s the same, what is the timeline for mike milligram and party poison? do they exist at the same time or is party poison inspired by mike, who came before him? or do they exist completely separate? i hope i get these questions answered.

honestly, i may write up something of a review for each issue i read (i have three). it helps me remember what i read, anyway. kinda like an english essay. but overall, i really love this series and this universe. i kinda fell out of kayjays for a few reasons, but a lack of content was definitely one of them. i never thought i’d see killjoys media again and then gerard goes and presents us with this amazing series with new characters and a new story to delve into and it ROCKS.

#109 in the sky #ttlotfk #national anthem #mike milligram #party poison

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mistymark · 6 years ago

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nct dream x hogwarts

nct dream as hogwarts students // 2.3k words // masterlist // send requests here

r e n j u n

the only slytherin in the gang

probably muggle-born but also top of most of his classes

what can he say hes amazed by this shit

really good at theory-based subjects especially

history of magic is his bitch lets be real

sketches in his books and stuff

says he likes sketching with quills the most because theyre more aesthetic

donghyuck says its because hes pretentious

but the whole group pitched in to get him some really nice canvases and paints and other tools

one of his paintings is hanging in the school somewhere, and the little girl in it smiles and greets all the students as they walk past

somehow she always tries to spit on people who had been annoying him recently - and them only

sometimes she spits on Donghyuck for no reason

jeno laughs and says its because she has a crush on him

uses magic for the dumbest things just because he can

he mastered the wingardium leviosa spell within a week because he couldn't be bothered getting up to get things

when he gets close to graduation, hes pretty much practicing simple wandless magic

once freaked out the first years because jaemin charmed a storm cloud to hang around him for an entire day

it flashed lightning when he got particularly annoyed, which was a lot because that cloud was annoying as shit

has a really old owl that literally looks evil but has called it something like “snuggles”

laughs when he unintentionally swoops too low and skims other students’ heads on mail day

buys all his friends gifts during the holidays and comes back with bags filled with fun shit

pretends he never buys gifts for chenle and jisung

always ends up giving them more

cause hes soft like that

but he headlocks them after to show his dominance

has a habit of throwing his cases in the general direction of the dorm when he comes back from holidays and accidentally hitting other students

plays quidditch in his free time

debates strategies with Jeno during their free periods

gets called a traitor by his own captain

couldnt really give a shit about his own team, he prefers to support his friends

wears his school uniform properly and is the only one in the group who does so

j e n o

a Gryffindor

probably quidditch captain

and dubbed the best player on the team

super humble about it too

always commends his team for doing their best when they lose and every member loves him a lot

the captain that's always saying stuff like “it doesn't matter how this game ends... as long as we try our hardest and play as a team”

the entire team rolls their eyes at his cheesiness but the lack of pressure keeps them at ease

and majority of the time they play really well

though its clear his focus is on quidditch, he still does really well in his classes

cant cook but is somehow rlly good at potions??

likes all the really tiny creatures in care of magical creatures

and they like him too

has a slightly damaged snitch that he carries around with him at all times

one of the wings broke during his first ever game of quidditch and he never got rid of it

he keeps it in the pocket of his robes and fiddles with it when he's anxious about something

has a really good poker face when he's stressed and you'd never know until you hear the soft clicking of his hand playing with it in his pocket while he studies

has a terrible poker face when something confuses him though

during class its so obvious when he doesnt get something

renjun once charmed question marks to hang around his head and everyone in the class died laughing

even jeno

overall great sense of humour

he brought a cat

of course

and its always getting him into trouble for wandering into the off-limits areas of the castle or into the restricted section of the library

once jaemin joked that the cat was actually an animagus that was purposely trying to get him in trouble

and jeno was spooked for like a week

wouldn't let the cat sleep on his bed and almost had a heart attack when he saw it wandering the halls between classes

but there was nothing wrong with the cat

shes just a curious girl

had a major glow-up between 6th and 7th year and everyone fell in love with him lmao

like everyone knew he was fit from quidditch but they didnt know he was that fit you know

heartthrob

d o n g h y u c k

an annoying brat

at least when he first arrived at Hogwarts in first year

has really good intentions though

everyone thought he would get sorted into Slytherin

like the second he stepped on the train and found his way into mark lee’s compartment everyone was like this kid has GOT to be a Slytherin

but no! hufflepuff

true fullsun

used to be a beater on the quidditch team but he was forced to quit until he got his grades up

but he ended up commentating because he couldnt play

and who can actually talk that fast other than the lee donghyuck

and actually found that he enjoyed that more

so even when his grades were t h r i v i n g

he stayed as a commentator

absolutely hilarious and everyone loves him for it

is Not afraid to call out foul plays

mutters quick apologies to the professors when they scold him but does it again later anyway

tbh is actually really popular

known for being dared to stand on the Slytherin table and sing at the top of his lungs

and actually doing it

he got two weeks detention

“worth it” - donghyuck, circa. 2019

has a talent for defence against the dark arts

acts like the smartest person in the room during that class

hes lowkey right tho

(don't tell him)

wears his tie way too loose and constantly gets told off about it

promises professors he’ll fix it then walks away and just,,, doesnt

his Hufflepuff scarf hangs off his bed frame back home

had a toad for his first few years of hogwarts but the toad ended up passing away so now he has a really troublesome owl

the owl itself is a good boy, flies fast and efficiently, but has a nasty habit of pecking donghyuck when hes hungry

“but hes hungry all the time” he whines when jaemin explains the bird’s just hungry. meanwhile, jaemin’s owl is sitting softly beside him, her eyes closed as he pets her

every first day back from holidays hyuck has red lines on his hands, arms and ears from the owl

chenle says its for giving the poor bastard a terrible name

donghyuck never actually refers to his owl by his proper name, always things like “bastard” and “dipshit”

theres a conspiracy theory about the owl’s real name and no one in their group will spill the secret

complains that the animals in care of magical creatures like him more than his own pet

“lol tru” - Chenle

j a e m i n

ravenclaw’s biggest flirt and most popular student

probably didnt even want to run for house captain but still got the position

theres a rumour that he was offered head boy but he turned it down

was the first one to find the kitchens and claimed it as the unofficial hang out spot for their group

if you’re ever missing jaemin, he’s probably in the kitchens chatting up the elves and stealing food every now and then

carries snacks with him everywhere for when he needs to comfort one of his babies house members

literally all the younger year levels feel so comfortable coming to him with their problems

has no issue with staying up in the common room to talk through things with someone

is known to walk people to their classes and then bolt to his own classrooms so hes not late

50% of the school is already in love with him

he was given the angel reputation back in first year and it hasn't let him down

is kind of a troublemaker tho

teases his classmates and even some professors that he has a good relationship with

really really loves transfiguration

probably wants to become an animagus

also wants to be an auror

absolutely loves defence of the dark arts

his owl is white and regal

like genuinely beautiful

she always looks like shes happy to see you

just like her owner uwu

he named her something sweet and meaningful

when Renjuns owl isnt able to fly, jaemin’s owl is eager to take Renjuns mail back to his family for him

wears his jumper all year round

its a good look though,, no ones complaining

was on the quidditch team up until his final year

he dropped it to focus on his studies and also being house captain

it takes him forever to go anywhere because he stops to talk to everyone

somehow knows everyone in school

even the third years in other houses??

runs errands for teachers with a smile

offers to buy food when the group goes out

c h e n l e

another muggleborn

but fits in so well

like the boy is just a natural at magic

unfortunately it doesnt always transfer into his grades

he has such a great interest in everything,,, just not on what hes learning

learnt fourth year history of magic in his first year but still almost failed his exam at the end of year

also hes the best other hufflepuff in the group

didnt understand quidditch for at least a year

ended up in the team in second year and is actually really good

probably the goalie

has the loudest laugh in school

the older professors claim they can hear him from the other side of the castle

somehow gets his hands on all the coolest magic stuff

has the marauders map no doubt

bought himself an invisibility cloak to mess with his friends

makes his professors laugh a lot

fist bumps everyone in school istg

like chenle w h y

really good at muggle studies too

made sure to select it as a subject the entire time he was at hogwarts as a slack class

doesnt really study and then feels threatened when someone gets a mark close to his

studies his butt off for the next test to maintain his status as top rank

definitely had a rat first year because he thought they were cool

and also because he knows rats can be pets like ??? wyd with owls you guys ??? shouldn't they be out in the wild or smth??

was super depressed when he found out how short the lifespans of rats were

ended up having to buy an owl in third year because rip nugget 2k15 :((

his owl is Small

thought it would be funny to call it renjun

but then renjun wouldnt talk to him for almost a week

visits the owlery at least once a week during his free periods to check on his owl

collects his thoughts up there

also rlly likes feeding the owls

sometimes steals Jeno’s cat

catch him in his dorm studying on his bed with Jeno’s cat sleeping in his lap

chenle claims its because the cats like the warm greenhouse vibe the Hufflepuff dorm has going on

but the real reason he bribed the cat into loving him when he first met it

probably was the one to lead the cat to the off-limits areas of the castle

j i s u n g

Gryffindors best seeker to date

kinda shy but is rlly admired by everyone

likes to piss jeno off by missing practice every two practices to study

but low-key hes so good he doesnt really have to go at all

doesnt want a career in quidditch but is constantly reminded he could have one if he wanted it

easily the most popular boy in his year

got asked out a few times this year and awkwardly rejected them all in the nicest way possible

he has a cat thats just as long and skinny as he is

jeno likes to call it sungie and it now responds to that name

enjoys care of magical creatures but very hesitant towards the creatures

but because of his care and precaution, the animals all really love him lmao

gets really soft around them now

seriously oblivious to his admirers tho

chenle once said if the triwizard tournament was to be brought back jisung would be the one to be chosen

has lived in fear ever since

okay jokes

boy could totally win

the only one in the group who has attempted and can successfully perform wordless magic

he knows way too many jinxes and charms off the top of his head that he can easily jinx you without even uttering a word

once was studying in the great hall when one of his friends teased him about rejecting someone and without looking up from his book he just lifted his wand and waved it, jinxing the apple in his friend’s hand to bite him

got detention but honestly the professor was so pleased with his progress it was only a one hour session

has a lot of sass

evidently

never Fully awake at breakfast

always looks really good in the evenings tho

he comes down to breakfast with his tie half undone and the top button of his shirt open

undoes the top buttons when he’s stressed too

professors love having him as a student

especially because they know he hangs out with jaemin

but the fact that he was in renjun and Donghyuck and Chenle’s group was enough for them to be wary

but hes the perfect blend of fun and focused in lessons

likes studying outside in summer

enjoys walking around school grounds during the holidays

390 notes · View notes

tsthrace · 6 years ago

Text

White Knuckles

Awhile back, I asked y’all to send me a song so I could take its energy, lyrics, and/or feeling and write you a 1,000-word Clexa fic.

This one shot meandered way beyond 1,000 words. It’s based on White Knuckles by Tegan and Sara, as requested by @damiana-atx.

Angsty academia AU. No content warnings except for some swearing.

You can also find it on ao3.

-----------------------------

“Fuck, this is good,” Clarke said aloud to no one as she tossed the journal on the table. She leaned back in her chair. Godlessness Centered: Negotiating Queerness in The Left Hand of Darkness by Alexandria J. Woods, PhD. When Clarke had first picked up the journal, she scoffed. The Left Hand of Darkness? Really? And queerness? How overdone.

But it was brilliant. A discourse on Le Guin’s own spirituality and how it defied casual dualities.

I should have thought of that.

She looked at her watch. Twenty minutes.

---

Lexa smoothed the lapels on her blazer, though they were already perfectly flat. She gazed at herself in the hotel mirror, staring at the buttons on her shirt. She had a choice to make—the choice of the one awkward button. Button it, and she would seem, well, buttoned-up, uptight. But unbuttoned, it was a bit...revealing. There was no middle ground.

She pushed her glasses up on her nose and took a breath. Then buttoned the button.

---

They met in Bloomington, Indiana. All the sci fi literature conferences seemed to be in random small cities in the Midwest. They were strange events. Mostly men in khaki and tweed carrying beat-up leather satchels, experts on Vonnegut and Wells (H.G., that is). But there was also the overt geek element. Undergrad boys carrying frayed copies of Asimov and Gaiman, their laptops covered in Star Trek and My Little Pony stickers, and the occasional girl wearing a Strong Female Character t-shirt.

Then there was Lexa, sharp in a plain black cashmere sweater and grey herringbone slacks, her glasses suggesting both intelligence and the ability to break you. The geeks followed her but kept an admiring distance.

Clarke, for some reason, seemed more approachable. As she sipped her gin and tonic at the hotel bar, the kids (as she called college students) would creep up to her, their eyes down.

“Dr. Griffin?” they’d ask.

“Call me Clarke,” she’d say, smiling.

“I just had some questions on your takedown of the Darkover series.”

Clarke would always give them about twenty minutes then politely end the conversation, turning back to her drink.

She had had three such conversations when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Clarke didn’t mind the attention, but she was getting tired. She spun around, ready to dismiss herself.

“Dr. Griffin.” Lexa stood above her.

“Dr. Woods,” Clarke replied, nodding politely. She had read all of Lexa’s work. She had to. They were two of the only feminist sci fi lit scholars who were regularly publishing. But they’d never actually met.

“I don’t really prefer the term ‘doctor.’” Lexa said, looking just past Clarke. “It’s a little....” She didn’t finish her thought. After a moment she tilted her head. “Do you really think we should stop reading Bradley because of her scandal?”

Clarke put her drink down. “Scandal is kind of an understatement. And I didn’t say we should stop. I just said it’s hard.”

Without invitation, Lexa sat down at Clarke’s table. “If we bring every artist’s personal life into how we engage with their work, we probably won’t be able to enjoy anything.”

Clarke raised an eyebrow. “I never took you for a modernist.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“That sometimes shitty people create amazing art.” Lexa’s eyes lit up with her smile, like she was issuing a friendly challenge.

“Are you flirting with me?” Clarke returned her version of the same smile.

Lexa sat back and shrugged. She took a sip of her martini.

---

A few hours later, Clarke was sprawled across Lexa’s bed looking up, her hair in tangles across the pillow, a corner of the sheet pulled over her midsection. Lexa was curled up next to her, sweaty and wondering what just happened. She took a few breaths, looking for words. She squinted to herself, couldn’t think of anything to say. She felt Clarke shuffle a bit and prepared for the awkward banter that would come when they’d get up to look for their clothes.

“Do you believe in God?” Clarke asked instead. She didn’t get up.

“Pardon?”

“Do you believe in God?” Her tone was so casual.

“I...I don’t know.” Lexa looked up at the ceiling. She suddenly felt cold and reached down for a blanket. “Why do you ask?”

“I think I do,” Clarke said, not answering the question.

“Why?”

“I just look around this world, and it seems pretty incredible to me. Like it wasn’t an accident. Someone had to have created all this. Created us. Then made us creators.” Clarke shook her head and looked past Lexa. “It all seems like such a miracle.”

“Are you a Christian?” Lexa felt her face crumple.

Clarke laughed. “I don’t know. I do like the idea of the trinity.”

“When I grew up, my parents took me to one of those born again churches.” Lexa looked down. “It was mostly Jesus. I mean, I know what the trinity is, but…” Why was she telling her this?

“No, that’s not what I mean.” Clarke shook her head. “Not like God as some guy who makes you love him or else you burn in hell. That’s bullshit.”

Lexa squinted.

“The trinity. It’s like a dance between these three ways God reveals herself.” Clarke smiled. “It’s beautiful actually.” She looked at Lexa. “Did you ever read A Wrinkle in Time?”

Lexa side-eyed her. “Clarke, I’m a sci fi scholar.”

“Okay, so there’s Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which…”

They stayed up the rest of the night, moving from L’Engle to Shelley to Jemisin and the spiritual worlds of their stories. Evil and suffering, goodness and hope. Retribution, sacrifice, and justice. Beauty and joy. Mouth to neck, hands to curves, skin to skin.

By dawn, Lexa had found God.

---

Lexa went back to UC Irvine and Clarke returned to her adjunct job at Georgetown, but they emailed constantly. Long, meandering messages about particular chapters of The Stone Sky and Spinning Silver. Clarke sent her Marilynne Robinson essays, and Lexa responded with questions. Together, they laid theologies over imagined worlds, mapped them out and connected them to other imagined worlds. They took down Ender’s Game, built up The Hainish Cycle, and even let themselves dabble in Stardust, which they both had to admit they secretly admired. Back and forth, tens of thousands of words over the course of months. They only talked on the phone a few times, but the emails were constant.

Not long into their messages, Clarke had mentioned how her father had died when she was young. Lexa hinted at being on her own at age 16. These details were wrapped in blankets of analysis and metaphor, the theological undercurrents of the imagined worlds they studied, the anthropology of beings who only existed on pages and in minds.

They made plans to meet in Cleveland to present together at a lit crit conference. A week before, Lexa bailed. “Sorry,” the text said. “An emergency came up.”

“Everything okay?” Clarke responded.

Nothing.

The conference was rough. Clarke knew it would be, but she thought she’d have Lexa’s powerful presence demanding attention. The lit crit crowd all secretly loved what they called “genre” fiction—sci fi and fantasy—but they publicly derided it as “unserious” or “not literary.” She held her own, but it wasn’t fun.

She texted Lexa when she got back to her hotel room. “Wish you had been here. Same straight white male bullshit as usual.”

Silence.

“Did I say something wrong?” Clarke texted a few days later. At that point, though, she knew Lexa was gone.

A heaviness set in on her. Clarke reread their messages looking for hints, but Lexa’s words seemed wide open, even joyful. What happened?

She immersed herself in a chapter she was writing for a textbook on book fandoms and lecturing on feminism and postmodernism in Harry Potter—not her favorite topic, but it was a popular course. She had almost let herself forget about Lexa when, six months later, she was flipping through Foundation: The Journal of Science Fiction and saw her byline in the table of contents. Justice & Joy: The God Revealed in the Feminist Imagination. By Alexandria J. Woods, PhD.

Clarke turned to page 137 and ran her eyes down the columns. She bit her lip. The essay was essentially a catalog of their emails, one idea bridged skillfully to another by Lexa’s pointed and lucid prose. But they weren’t just Lexa’s ideas. They weren’t just Clarke’s, either, but a stream of their thoughts flowing together like a river. It was beautifully done.

Clarke didn’t notice that her hands were balled into fists until she felt her nails cutting into the skin. She opened her laptop and pulled up the messages. Lexa had been careful to rephrase Clarke’s words, but it was all there, even with citations of Marilynne Robinson. The Death of Adam.

Clarke pounded out an email. How dare you...couldn’t even ask for me to be a coauthor...you hadn’t even thought about these things until you met me. She knew Lexa wouldn’t see it. She probably had blocked her address. She didn’t bother hitting send.

Her face fell into her hands. She remembered that night in San Diego. Lexa’s smile—that curiosity despite herself. The way her hands traced the skin over Clarke’s side.

That woman wouldn’t have done this. But there it was. Twenty-six pages of shared conversation now claimed for Lexa only.

---

Clarke’s department was buzzing about it the next day. The religious studies chair was also a huge geek who kept up with Foundation, and he had been blown away by how seamlessly interdisciplinary the article was. “I hadn’t thought to connect the Christian trinity and A Wrinkle in Time, but it’s really so obvious when you think about it.”

Clarke seethed. She thought about printing up the emails, sending them to Foundation and the UC Irvine Disciplinary Committee, but something stopped her. Allegations of plagiarism would ruin Lexa’s career as a scholar. And was it really plagiarism? Clarke wanted to be sure, but she wasn’t.

So she wrote instead. A deep and cutting rebuttal highlighting where Alexandria J. Woods’ religious arguments were rudimentary at best, illustrating how shallow her connections were, and then plunging further, mining Catherine Keller and other theologians for an even deeper exploration of the worlds of Butler and Clarke (Arthur C., that is). Foundation published her essay the next quarter. Lexa answered, bringing in Buddhism and Humanism. A spotlight grew around their debate, so they continued writing—back and forth between literary, cultural, and religious journals. WIRED magazine picked up the story: Feuding Feminists Shifting the Sci Fi Landscape.

That’s when the invites started rolling in. A conference on spirituality and pop culture invited them to speak on a panel together, but Clarke refused. She couldn’t bear to see Lexa in person. Instead, she accepted an invitation to lecture at NYU while Lexa spoke at Cal.

Clarke’s classes filled with long waitlists every semester, her success intertwined with Lexa’s and their endless intellectual feud. They both thrived. Lexa’s ideas sharpened Clarke’s, and Clarke’s sharpened Lexa’s. She couldn’t admit it, but she needed Lexa as much as she despised her.

---

Lexa was in her office when the call came.

“Dr. Woods?” A male voice.

“It’s Professor Woods.”

“Excuse me, Professor Woods,” he corrected himself. “This is Dr. William Porter at Georgetown. The chair of the Department of English.”

Lexa felt something jump in her chest. “Good morning.”

“I’m calling because a very generous donor has recently endowed a tenure-track professorship here specifically for women in science fiction studies.”

“You’re kidding me.” it felt like a prank, and a mean one at that. Lexa had never heard of such a thing.

“Uh, no.” Dr. Porter seemed thrown off. “We’re inviting only a few people to apply, and you’re on our short list. Is this something you’d be interested in?”

They hung up with lingering plans to arrange flights and meetings.

Lexa sat for a few minutes, her fingers tapping idly on her closed laptop. Clarke would be one of the other candidates—and maybe the only other candidate—she was sure. She looked down and shook her head, thinking back to that day when she made the worst decision of her life.

She had printed out some of the emails she had sent Clarke to reference them against some short stories when the dean knocked on her door. He noticed a copy of L’Engle’s Walking on Water open on her desk.

“What’s that about?” he asked.

“Uh, just a side project I’m working on.” Her face burned with the exposure of her new interest in religious studies.

“Mind if I look?” he asked, picking up one of the print-outs before she could answer.

She bit her lip as he read, his forehead creasing.

After a few minutes, he looked up. “Professor Woods, this is good stuff.”

She took a deep breath and let it out. “Thank you. I’ve been working with Professor Griffin at Georgetown—”

“But these are your words, right?”

“Yeah, what you’re holding. That’s mine.”

“You need to publish this. It could be really good for you and the department.”

“Yeah, Professor Griffin and I—”

“Lexa,” he said in that kind but firm I’m-A-Man-In-Charge voice, “there’s a distinction to be made between attribution and inspiration. I’m inspired every day by the ocean, by James Joyce.” Lexa hid her contempt. Scholars who pretended to understand Joyce were pretentious liars. “But I’m not citing them.”

“Dr. Titus.” Her voice was firm. “I couldn’t have written that without Professor Griffin.”

“Professor Woods.” He looked her straight in the eye. “This department doesn’t need a co-authored paper with someone from Georgetown. We need a win.” He tapped the paper. “These are your words. Are they the product of a broader conversation? Sure, but what isn’t?” He looked out the window at the budding trees. “We took a chance on your genre work. And I’m seeing some good stuff. But I need to see more if we’re going to keep you on.”

Lexa looked past Dr. Titus and took in a silent breath. Jobs in her specialty was rare. UC Irvine had invested more than most schools to create a department where someone like her could thrive. She nodded.

“Get me an abstract and outline next week,” the dean said. “The managing editor at Foundation is a former student.”

When he left, she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. She would need to cancel her panel with Clarke in Cleveland. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to look at her again.

---

Clarke let out a deep breath as she stepped into the crisp fall air. It had been a long day of interviews. She stopped on the stairs. She knew Lexa was close by. She had to be. They were the two people in the country most qualified for the job. She’d been on these interview panels before. Two, sometimes three, a day, candidates rotating between deans and panels. Clarke was surprised she hadn’t seen her yet.

She shook her head. Maybe she should have said something about that first paper. The job would be hers if she had. But would she even be considered without that paper? It had launched her career. Her public debate with Alexandria J. Woods, PhD, got her lectures around the country, a longform article in The Atlantic, and the keynote spot at conferences that two years ago would have never taken her seriously. Their refusal to appear together added to their mystique. Geeks and academics alike lined up on reddit and twitter to take sides.

Her success was bound to Lexa’s, two sides of the same double helix.

She bundled a scarf around her neck. It didn’t matter where Lexa was. Clarke loved the work she did, and she had rocked the interviews. But she was tired. It was time for a drink. She pulled out her phone to call a Lyft. Something about the fading purple sky changed her mind, though, and she decided to walk.

The cobblestones on O Street felt somehow comforting under her feet. Solid. Old. Not going anywhere. She thought about calling Dr. Reyes from the engineering department to join her—Raven was always good for either a loud night of much alcohol or a quiet night of raw, stinging truth—the latter of which was why Clarke had never told her all that had happened with Lexa. She shook her head. Maybe she just needed some gin and silence.

She sat at the bar at L’Annexe and ordered a Tom Collins. Bartenders always smiled curiously at her when she ordered one. Funny, you don’t look like a 75 year-old man to me. She’d smile back impatiently. Just make my damn drink. When the drink arrived, she took a sip and let out a deep breath as the gin started to glow through her. No one can fuck up a Tom Collins. It was simple and always felt good and sharp and bright going down.

She was halfway through her drink when a man sat next to her and ordered a scotch. Clarke glanced at his plaid scarf, wool sweater, and worn leather shoulder bag. Definitely a TA. He noticed her looking at him and smiled.

“I’ve seen you,” he said. “You teach that Harry Potter course.”

Clarke’s stifled a sigh. “That’s me.” She tilted her head back and drank the rest of her Tom Collins in one swig.

“Can I get you another?”

“No,” she said, picking up her bag. She made eye contact with the bartender. “I need to pay.”

“Whoa,” the man in the scarf said, raising his hands. “I’m just trying to be nice.”

“And I was just trying to be alone.” Clarke nodded towards the guy sitting on the other side of him. “Maybe you can be nice to him.” She dropped some cash on the check that had arrived and made her way to the door.

It was darker outside than when she’d arrived. And colder. She buttoned her wool coat and started making her way down Pennsylvania Ave. towards the bus stop.

---

Lexa was sipping a Syrah at a window table when she saw Clarke walk by outside. She took in a breath, remembering how Clarke’s eyes got soft when she asked, “Do you believe in God?” She shook her head. She could just let her keep going, and they could go on avoiding each other forever. Unless Lexa got the job.

Shit.

She grabbed her coat, leaving a $20 under her mostly full glass. By the time Lexa got out the door, Clarke was halfway down the block, almost lost in a crowd of loud students. Lexa didn’t button her coat, and it billowed out as she jogged down the street.

“Clarke!” she shouted as she got closer. She saw Clarke stop, her back straighten and stiffen. She didn’t turn around.

---

Clarke wanted to be angry. When she heard that voice, she wanted to spin on her heel and unleash a cascade of expletives that would make the passersby uncomfortable. She not only wanted Lexa to hear the words traitor, cheat, betrayed, she wanted her to feel the force of them rip through her body like a landmine.

But she froze. When she heard that voice, she felt tears sting at the corner of her eyes. She felt a slow storm in her chest, all rain and no lighting. She closed her eyes. She wanted to be angry, but all she felt was heaviness. She held her breath and waited.

When she opened her eyes, Lexa was in front of her, her eyes uncertain and her arms folded in front of her. “Hey…” she said after a few moments.

Clarke bit into her lip, hoping not to draw blood. She looked up, her blue eyes blazing, about to spark. She could tell Lexa was waiting for her to say something, so she stayed silent.

Lexa nodded. “I’m so sorry, Clarke.” She didn’t know what else to say.

Clarke’s eyes locked on Lexa’s, but she refused to respond.

“I don’t expect you to understand...” Lexa trailed off. “It wasn’t right. It wasn’t fair.” She looked past Clarke to a stoplight turning from yellow to red.

Lexa’s open coat revealed a gray plaid suit, smart and uncompromising, the top button studiously and chastely buttoned. So she had interviewed today. In this moment, though, it all felt wrong. Lexa seemed so small to Clarke. She wasn’t the woman she met at the hotel that night, but she also wasn’t the woman who submitted that article. This woman was drawn in on herself, her hair falling around her face like a curtain. Clarke remained silent.

Lexa sucked in her lips. “I know you probably hate me, and I get it.” She looked down. “I hate me, too.”

“No.” Clarke’s voice was deep and quiet. “You don’t get to do that.” She felt confused when she saw a shadow of relief cross Lexa’s face.

“You’re right,” Lexa said. “That’s not fair.” She took a long, deep breath and let it out. “I’m going to tell them.” She looked Clarke in the eye. “I’m going to tell Georgetown, and I’m going to tell Foundation. I’ll—”

“Don’t.” Clarke cut her off. “It’s done.”

“But—”

“Fuck you, Lexa.” She barely looked at her as pushed past, a slow fire burning through her as she walked briskly towards Dupont Square.

---

Lexa was freezing by the time she got back to her hotel room. She had stood on the sidewalk for a long time, watching Clarke get smaller and smaller. She didn’t know what she’d been expecting. Forgiveness? Punishment? Clarke had given her neither, which is what she knew she deserved.

She had never written a paper more carefully, never thought about the ideas so closely, never danced so delicately around sentence structure and tense. In a twisted way, she was proud of it. It was sophisticated but accessible, and completely defensible. Even if Clarke had tried to accuse her, she was sure she would have won.

She shook her head sharply. That’s not who I am. But it was. She was intelligent and ambitious and ready for a breakthrough. She knew Titus had been threatening her, but she also knew that what she had been writing with Clarke was good. Really good. She had never felt so alive in her work as when she was in conversation with Clarke. No one had ever challenged or inspired her like that. Even after that first paper, her debates with Clarke from essay to essay were electric, almost feverish. Clarke tapped something in her that was insatiable.

She picked up her laptop and opened some of the first emails she and Clarke had exchanged after Bloomington. She couldn’t help but smile. There had been a giddiness to them, this breathless excitement to constantly share new discoveries, interesting connections. They had sent seven, sometimes eight, messages a day. Thousands of words.

And that night in Bloomington.

She closed the laptop. Was it worth it? For months, Lexa had tried to convince herself that it had just been one night, that she didn’t even really know Clarke. When she saw Clarke on that sidewalk tonight, though, she knew that was all bullshit.

They had been falling for each other the best way they knew how. Lexa had betrayed all of it.

—-

Lexa was sitting on the floor outside Clarke’s office when she arrived the next morning.

Clarke sighed. “Seriously?” She didn’t look at her as she slid her key in the lock. “What are you doing here?”

“I had a meeting to cancel.” Lexa shrugged, not getting up.

Clarke pushed her door open. “I don’t have anything else to say to you, Dr. Woods.”

“I withdrew my name.”

Clarke froze. “Why?” Clarke noticed jeans and a sweater under Lexa’s coat. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. She was serious.

“You know why.”

Clarke’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes, I did,” Lexa said steadily as she stood up. The smallness from the night before was gone. She stood tall, her shoulders thrown back. “I don’t know who else they’re interviewing, but I’m not your competition anymore.” She swallowed and looked into Clarke’s eyes. “I don’t want to be your competition anymore.”

Clarke let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. She wanted to say, Good luck, Dr. Woods, and close the door behind her, but instead she felt herself pushing the door open, heard herself saying, “Come in.”

Lexa bit her lip. “You sure?”

Clarke nodded and ushered her in. The door clicked as it closed behind them. Clarke set her bag down and sat at her desk. She shook her head, frustrated. “I just want to hate you. That’s all. I want to tell you to fuck off, and I want to go on with my life.”

Lexa sat in the reading chair in the corner of Clarke’s office. She nodded, looking down at her hands. “Then why don’t you?”

Clarke huffed, a cynical laugh. “I can’t get away. You’re everywhere.” She threw up her hands. “I saw you on the fucking New Yorker site this morning. How did you land that?” A rhetorical question. “I assign your essays for my classes. I have to. I hate how good you are.”

“You’re good, too, Clarke,” Lexa said quietly. She looked up. “Very good. I keep researching and writing because you keep responding.”

Clarke closed her eyes. She knew it was the same for her, but she didn’t want to say it. Finally she looked up. “Why did you do it?”

Lexa looked past her at Clarke’s diplomas on the wall. Undergrad at Cornell. She shook her head, almost said I don’t know, but she didn’t want to lie. “I wanted to do something big.” She gathered the courage to look at Clarke’s face. “I wanted to do it with you, but my dean pressured me to take solo authorship.” She closed her eyes, ashamed. “And I was a coward.”

“Yeah.” Clarke leaned back in her chair. “You were.”

Everything that came into Lexa’s head to say felt like an excuse, so she kept her mouth shut. They both did, the loud ticking of the cheap clock on the wall cutting through the silence.

Finally Clarke shook her head. A corner of her mouth curved up. “It was really beautifully done.”

Lexa looked up, her head tilted.

“I was so fucking angry, Lexa.” Clarke breathed out like she was letting something go. “I should have been a coauthor, but, fuck, it was well written. Like it was on a whole other level.”

Lexa’s green eyes were bright as they locked in on Clarke’s. “You inspire me, Dr. Griffin.” She sat back. “It’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She paused and sucked in her lips. “I think we should write a book together.”

As soon as Clarke heard the words, she knew it was a good idea. Maybe the best idea. But all that would come out was, “Fuck you, Lexa.” It was almost a laugh.

Lexa’s face was stone, but her eyes were alive. “An editor already approached me. If I brought you on…”

“You can’t buy your way out of the shitty thing you did, Lexa.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Lexa ran her hand over her hair then looked up, her face suddenly soft. “I meant it, Clarke. I’m better with you.” She shrugged. “And I think you’re better with me, too.”

Clarke bit her lip. She took in a heavy breath, and let it out in a long sigh. She stood up. “Come here.”

Lexa squinted her eyes.

“Just come here, please. You owe me that.”

Lexa stood up in front of Clarke. Clarke lifted her hand to her face and leaned in, her lips barely touching Lexa’s. Lexa didn’t move, but Clarke felt her shiver. She leaned in and kissed her softly. Then she pulled back.

“I just…” Clarke didn’t know where the end of that sentence was supposed to go, and she didn’t tried to find it. Instead, she lifted her eyes and looked at Lexa as her chest rose and fell, rose and fell.

Lexa held her breath.

Finally Clarke smiled, almost laughing at herself. “That’s not a yes, Dr. Woods. But it’s not a no.”

#clexa #clexa fanfic #clarke x lexa #CLEXA AU

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