#Can stir the widest ocean

[missxdaydream-blog]

Can stir the widest ocean || Charlie&Violet

Charlie estava feliz com o resultado do leilão, Violet parecia uma pessoa um tanto divertida e as duas poderiam criar algo um tanto interessante nesse pequeno “encontro” das duas. A loira tinha pensado em algo completamente diferente para fazerem naquela tarde, ou talvez fosse diferente para a Beaumont, porque Charlie fazia aquilo quase todos os dias, era parte do seu trabalho e também a ajudava a se distrair e relaxar bastante quando se encontrava com a cabeça cheia. 

Depois de fechar o aquário para o público e organizar tudo o que precisava ser feito, Charlie ligou para Violet. “Hey, eu mesma Charlie Mello, a garota que comprou a sua companhia no leilão que acabou com pessoas presas.” deu uma pequena risada, se sentando em um dos bancos do zoo. “Consegue me encontrar no zoo em dez minutos? Tenho uma surpresa para o nosso pequeno encontro, só que ele vai envolver mais algumas pessoinhas. E nada de vir super arrumada, você tem cinco minutos.” sorriu de canto logo desligando o celular, antes mesmo de que a outra respondesse suas palavras, começando a terminar de arrumar as coisas que tinha preparado enquanto a outra chegava ali. 

@notyouritgirl​

[bangtansmauyeondan]

MOONSTRUCK | Part 18 (1 of 2) Wake Up Call

Pairing: Seokjin x Fem Reader | Namjoon x Fem Reader

Genre: F2L, social media au, soulmates au, office au, slow burn, fluff, implied smut, angst, slight crack, and drama. (Inspired by BTS - Moon)

Summary: You don’t know what the world looks like without Seokjin. Growing up in the same neighborhood, a low iron fence separating your family home and his, your lives have always been tangled up with each other. So much so, that after graduating college and securing your respective jobs, you decided to pack everything up and move to the same apartment building in the city— him, sharing a unit with his younger brother and his college bestfriend; you, sharing a unit with your younger brother and his equally chaotic bestfriend. Eternal neighbors thing, right? Or is that all there is to it?

Taglist: @bts-reveries @tan-dulset @persphonesorchid @joonjoonsmiles @jayhope88 @thatbangtanjagiya @anaceciliaxr @justinetingball @halesandy @yoongleskitten @onemanbandarmi @juju-227592 @ephyra1230 @somelazysundays @ygbubs @timelessruins @taestefully-in-luv

••••••••••••

Jin woke up with a throbbing headache. He was up until the wee hours of the morning, playing Mario Kart in the living room, shutting out the world in the process. He skipped dinner and munched on some shine muscat while playing instead. He capped the night off by chugging down a can of draft beer before he succumed to sleep. With one eye still closed, he reached out for his phone on the night stand to check the time. Dead. The battery must have ran out the night before and he was too busy yelling at the little Italian plumber character on the screen to give two shits about his phone. It's Wednesday and it's a good thing he did not have to go to work this morning. He usually takes the middle of the week off from the restaurant because it's the least busy day of the week. He stirred in his bed enjoying the softness of the sheets. The fabric of his pajamas is cooling to the skin too. He chuckled a bit to himself after realizing he's wearing the light blue striped pajama set scattered with the face of the little alpaca character you love so much, while hugging the pillow of the same character too. Both of which, you have gifted to him before. He buried his face on the pillow and took a deep breath. He missed you. He still hasn't heard from you after he received the notification on his phone that you have already signed off on the flower delivery. You must be really mad at him, he thought. He has seen you get mad before but you don't strike him as someone who holds a grudge. After all, he's known you since forever. You two have had your fair share of fights before but it's nothing that he couldn't fix with ice cream and a good apology (I'm sorry. It will not happen again. What do I need to do to make you feel better?). He's known you inside out, so much so, that before you even tell him what he needs to do to make you feel better, he's already putting it into action. But now? He's got nothing. Not even a text. Not even anything on social media... and it makes him feel 100x more like an idiot. What happened, Seokjin? What have you done?

He's pulled out of his thoughts by his grumbling stomach. He just wanted to stay in bed all day but he's hungry and he needs to eat something to silence the little monster in his tummy. He sleepily got out of bed, hair sticking out in all directions and the top button of his alpaca pajamas undone. He dragged himself out of his room and the first thing he spotted is a blank canvas that Taehyung has set up on an easel in the living room. He trudges his way to the kitchen, but as he passed the blank canvas, he felt an intense pull from the paint brushes and the little tubs of acrylic paint. Without much of a thought, he picked up the widest brush in the bunch, dipped it in the blue paint and smeared a wide wiggly line across the canvas. "Ocean to catch salmon from," he muttered under his breath before putting the brush down and continuing his journey to the kitchen.

"AAAAIIISHSHHSH WOAH WOAH WOAH!!!" he screamed in surprise, stumbling back against the wall when he entered the kitchen and spotted you plating what looks like a proper Korean breakfast spread.

"Good morning, Seokjin," you greeted him with a small smile and you almost burst out laughing because he's still pressed up against the wall, eyes still wide in surprise. "Come have breakfast with me."

With furrowed eyebrows, he cautiously walked towards you and poked your left cheek with his forefinger.

"Ow! What are you doing? It's me, I'm real. I'm here," you rolled your eyes at him. "Now sit down and let's eat, I'm hungry." When he's still rooted in his position, without muttering a single word, you pushed him to the other side of the table and forced him to sit down. "I know what you're thinking. I got the flowers, they're beautiful. Thank you," you patted his shoulders, "Now eat, and THEN we'll talk."

"Can we skip to the good part?" he grins at you hopefully.

"Aren't you the one who always say that we need to go through the tunnel to get to the other side?"

"Touché," he nodded before tucking into the bokkeumbap bowl you have prepared for him.

You made kimchi bokkeumbap using your mother’s homemade kimchi, topped off with a sunny side up egg, toasted sesame seeds, and roasted laver flakes. Your mother packed two huge containers of kimchi— one for you to take home, and one for her “other sons— Seokjin and Taehyung.” You also prepared a side of pollock roe jeotgal and seasoned cucumbers, along with two tall glasses of iced americano. This breakfast spread is totally up Jin’s alley, but for some reason, it looks to you as if he’s not enjoying the food as he keeps on taking small bites and sighing once in a while. A tense silence between you two lingered in the air while you tuck into your food, until he drew in a sigh again.

"You know, my mom will not be impressed when she finds out you're not ejoying her kimchi," you teased, reaching for your coffee to take a sip.

Jin smiled, one that doesn't reach his eyes. The muscle on his jaw twitched just as his ears turned a few shades of red, "Trust me, upsetting another Jeon woman is the last thing I need."

"Mmm-hmn..."

Jin put down his chopsticks and slouched in his seat, "Yn..." he croaked, sleep still apparent in his voice, his eyes searched for yours before he continued. "You know I didn't mean anyth—" he was cut abruptly by your hand gripping his on the table.

"I know," you felt him squeeze your hand back. "Save the apologies, Seokjin. I was shit-faced drunk that night and I was being dramatic. I was in the wrong, I shouldn't have left you at the party. I should have answered your texts and your calls. I..." you paused before abandoning his hand and reaching up to gently touch his face, "I'm sorry I hit you." He closed his eyes and smiled before nuzzling his face against your hand.

"You can hit me 10x more, you know," he winked.

"And what, risk ruining your Worldwide Handsome face? No sir."

"It was out of line for me to say all those things, Yn. So I'm sorry, I can't just 'save the apologies,' hmn? I was just..." he shook his head, "I was just angry and worried and I know those are just excuses, but I really am sorry,” sincerity lacing his voice.

“Okay. Okay, forgiven,” you smiled.

"So..." Jin picked up his chopsticks again, actually starting to enjoy the meal after the tense start. "Are you going to tell me what happened that night and will you introduce me to your new boyfriend?"

You laughed timidly while stirring your coffee with the glass straw, "You mean Yoongi?"

His heart dropped to his stomach. He casually mentioned the word 'boyfriend' to see your reaction, and he was hoping you would deny it, you could—

"Yoongi is not my boyfriend."

Oh.

"Umm, okay... then who is this guy and how come I don't know him?"

"He's the guy who owns the music store-slash-studio across the building. He's the one who fixed "THE ukulele," and we bumped into each other at the cafe when—" Jin winced before rubbing his eyes, "—are you okay?"

"I was up late, woke up with a throbbing headache and possibly hungover from one single can of draft beer because I'm an old man."

"Ha. Serves you right!" Despite the teasing, you pushed back your chair and made your way around the table to stand behind Jin. Using your forefinger and middle finger on both hands, you applied gentle pressure on his temples and massaged them in circular motion.

"Ahhh, so good," Jin groaned as he leaned back and rested his head against your stomach.

"How good on a scale of 1 to 5?"

"A solid 7," Jin continued making noises that made the butterflies in your stomach flutter. Leaving his temples, you ran your thumbs down the back of his neck and stopped at the base where his neck meets his shoulders and massaged it with steady pressure too. At this point, Jin already had his eyes closed and he could probably fall back asleep any minute.

“Okay, that's it. I'm done. Go continue with your breakfast, I have to go run somewhere."

You turned to make your way out of the kitchen when suddenly, you felt a tug on your arm, and the next thing you knew, you're engulfed in Jin's tight embrace. With your face against the beating of his heart, you could just about make out the faint smell of his favorite cologne— cedar and coconut. "Too tight," your voice is muffled against his chest. Jin adjusted his grip on you before nuzzling his face against your hair, "I missed you, hug me back. I'm sorry," he planted a kiss on the side of your head as you snaked your arms around his waist and closed your eyes.

Hoseok's booming voice and infectious laughter interrupted your little moment. "I knew it!" he announced as he entered the kitchen and went straight to your vacated chair, helping himself onto some food. "I knew you two can't breathe without each other," he continued talking with his mouth full, pointing at both of you with his chopsticks.

"Yeah yeah sure sure, hurry up, you're gonna be late for work and Yejin would snarl at you again," you said as you wiggled your way out of Jin's grip.

"Taehyung offered to drive me. He's in the shower."

Jin remembered something you said a while ago, "Hey, where are you off to? You're on work leave for a week right?"

"I'm grabbing groceries. Jungkook and Jimin have been living off of instant ramyeon and convenience store food again," you picked up an apple from the fruit bowl, took a bite, and turned on your heels for the door, "Go shower, you're coming with me."

"Yes, ma'am."

You made your way to the door oblivious to the fact that Jin had kept his eyes on you. You stepped out into the halls and the last thing you heard before completely closing the door right behind you was Taehyung's frustrated voice.

"YAAAHH! Who ruined my canvas?!"

••••••••••

A/N : Part 18– 2 of 2 is coming soon!

As always, if you want to be added on the taglist, just send me an Ask!🌙

[rouiyan]

𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘞𝘏𝘌𝘕 𝘐 𝘍𝘈𝘓𝘓 [ 𝘭.𝘫𝘯 ]

⧏ the fourth volume of rouiyan’s debut series, till death do us part ⧐

synopsis: and when i fall, will you be there to catch me by the waist?

✧ prince!lee jeno x crown princess!reader ✧ royalty au

✧ genres : angst, fluff ✧ word count : 7.4k ✧ disclaimers : disclaimers — violence in the form of attempted assassination/murder, bloody/gory scenes, mentions and allusions to character death, malintent

✧ author’s note — this is the one where i romanticize everything.

read volume three here: dearly departed.

prince donghyuck is running. he's sprinting almost, and his strapped bow and quiver hits his back with each of his coming strides. his hands are furious in breaking away the tall grasses that surround him on all sides with a blunt blade. cutting through them with swift flicks of his wrist. the dirt beneath his feet crunch and the blades of grass he's cut sway to the ground with slow and deliberate motions, avoiding the drag of gravity like paper in the wind. donghyuck is aware that he's leaving an obvious trail but there isn't time to spare if he doesn't want to meet death at his destination. he wished he'd been smart enough to take a horse, though he knows he would have had to abandon it as he drew close. 

the skies are clear today, rare for the winter that has made itself evident in the past few weeks. there are no clouds to stir up a storm, and no threat of rain to muddle his sight. donghyuck pulls a compass from beneath his armored chest. his feet are still moving fast though his arms are now pulled in to read the display on the device. the grass that's no longer pushed back springs up and brushes the skin of his forehead, the skin under the cut of his hair, obtrusively. the needle points south albeit a tad east. he continues forth. the sun is just about setting, flakes of purple beginning to bleed into the blue and donghyuck swears he can hear the ocean. he swears it's near. 

he breaks out into an open expanse, sudden in the way the grass stops short, but he sees soon enough that it stops short at the curb of a trodden dirt path. his hand against the ground, he feels the soil fine in between his fingers, sifting almost as finely as sand does. donghyuck's face tinges with the slightest annoyance in the realization that thin soil meant that tracks were covered up all the more easily, something that'd indeed be in his favor, if only there were tracks left to follow in the first place. the compass resurfaces again, the fine chain on which it hangs sloshing in the wind in conjunction with his hurried movements. lee donghyuck bites the bullet and recedes back into the mass of grassland, this time hurrying along the edge of the road whilst ducking once again in the cover of the reeds.

the sun is fast in waning and it's as if the prince is chasing it. he is on the descent of the hill himself when he begins to hear it clearly, the sounds of waves crashing against rocks, sputtering along the shore. he wishes he had time to go down and relish in the feeling of the water lapping between his toes, the salt and sand it carries shrugging off his dead skin. the sight he's first met with is the thatching of the roof, worn down and sodden through days of heavy rainfall. it sits like a weight upon the rest of the structure that soon forms in his line of vision. a decrepit shack, almost, or a sizable shack. the shiplack that holds the siding in place is doing the exact opposite, lifting off of its holds and fraying downwards into the ground, carrying pieces of the inner insulation of the walls with it. the shutters are absent in barricading the gaping holes the windows have abated to, the awning of the porch creases earthwards, blocking most of the front door. the visage reads, 'seaside home succumbs to the inexorable confines of loneliness and lack of care.' there is no other way to describe the forces that keep the assembly upright except the willfulness of a wicked hand.

donghyuck pauses and crouches to the roots of the turf. he peers between the strands to see a guard, no, two placed just before the widest cavity in the side of the house, the only way in he supposes. his fingers are quick to pluck the end of an arrow, to slot it in its place, to draw and arm back, an eye squinting. he's quick to duck under the cover of the grass once again when the arrow pierces the left of a guards' eye. he's quick to avoid ruffling the grass that would otherwise be giving away the whereabouts of his presence away to the other, frantic, guard. prince donghyuck is crouched at the foot of a tree when he draws another arrow, slots it, draws back, releases. he knows that death meets wherever the point of his arrows land, he's accustomed to it, he feels pride in knowing that one shot is all he needs to become the greater version of him, to decide who lives and who doesn't. one shot is all he needs to play god. at least, that is what you had told him on a lonely day of his fifth summer, the first summer he had spent at the northern palace but definitely not the last. 

"and you'll keep staring from afar, will you? you in the creepers," you turned your head in exact to where he'd been crouching, "as if i wouldn't know." young donghyuck removed himself effectively from the brush, dusting off bracts from his trousers in effort to present himself with a little more ease. sheepily, he treaded across to a few yards behind where you were stood, stance rigid and facial muscles pulled taut when staring into the bullseye. you plucked an arrow, turned it over in your hands, fingers running along the ridges to inspect. prince donghyuck knew that you were the same age as him, he'd been taught of the four, of which he was one, who were birthed in the same year, in each of the kingdoms. he knew this, yet with the aura you're giving off, he couldn't help but think that you've been around for much longer. the arrow split the previous arrow in a clean half. both lodged into the red-marked center, fifty or so meters away and barely visible to the eye at such distance. 

prince donghyuck stumbled to take a bow from the stand beside you. he placed an arrow clumsily between his fingers, strangely he felt the need to prove himself though he does just the opposite by fumbling. the arrow launched after his third try, but rather than taking on a straight course, it gave a feeble arc and lodged itself into the soil before him. the prince was a sight of vexation at this point, "my instructor said- he said…"

you crossed your arms over your chest, bow tucked neatly in between. "oh, i bet he said a whole bunch."

you taught him all you know and he learned with a newfound respect, though he was unwilling to admit to himself. you had him practice on a bird first, a bigger target than the red dot, so tiny that frustrations would surely be easy to come if he'd started there. donghyuck gave you an apprehensive glance behind his shoulders but you nudged him along with a nod of your head. it's the first time he hasn't missed. he never misses a shot after that. "is- is it dead?" donghyuck didn't dare peer over, afraid of what he might see.

"of course it is."

the five-year old boy was rendered a stuttering mess at this point, "d- did i just commit a felony?" shrugging, you plucked a stone from the shore of the creek, tossing it light across the water, "hunting is legal, if that's what you're asking."

"but i just killed a- a living thing!" he exclaims as if you hadn't said what you had said moments before. sighing, the next thing that comes from you left the boy in confoundment and annoyance at how curt you were, like an grown up he thought. "well, there are times where we are left with no choice but to comply with the blurred lines of right and wrong. there are times where we are left with no choice but to play god.”

his snappy attitude is all too quick to arise, no clue as to even what you were referring to and only in the knowledge that he disliked talking to you. "you're only five, just like me. what do you know?"

"i know a great deal," you turned abruptly to face the boy. you stepped in slow, paced motions, eyes strong and unwavering. he gulps as you spoke though unsure of why. "i know because i look for all my answers from what's put before me, not from my instructors."

prince donghyuck bites down on his lip, he wasn't nearly done with you yet, "so you're saying that you've learned all you know? then when will you learn that you don't have to act all high and mighty when you're already crown princess."

"i don't act. i am not an entertainer." he could not count the amount of times you've rendered him unable to process his thoughts. donghyuck can only retort back, "then what are you?"

"i am crown princess y/n, just as you've said it."

it's years later when he realizes why the earth seems to quiver beneath you, it's years later when he understands that it's because unlike the earth, soil that is bound by the pull of gravity, you've never allowed yourself to be limited to what something, someone, anything else subjects you to. you are a subject to no one, and that is why you will be queen one day. 

he thinks this even as the second of the guards drop dead. he thinks this because he has never had less of a reason to carry out a task, yet he finds himself doing so with attentiveness to detail. donghyuck by no means could categorize you as manipulative, nor persuasive. he simply understands the way you work, the things you desire, the people you need by your side. even he, as much as he disagrees with the likes of prince jeno, he knows that only he can be your king.

the dust settles thick as he crosses through the threshold, one leg after another. he doesn't need to breathe to know that the air could suffocate if he didn't have his arm sleeve pressed into his nose. the inside of the cottage, the wreck that it is, seemed to be intact, for the most part. donghyuck even thinks that if you were to run a thick duster across the tapestries, the carpet, the counters, the armoire,  most everything, that the place could live up to the coziness of just about a decade ago, minus the blatant hole in the wall and the condition of the walls itself.

donghyuck does his best, he's sure, but the halls twist in ways meant to confuse and he ends up at the same stairwell all too many times to count. he finds it soon enough, just as the sun regresses into night. the one stairwell that led down in the midst of all the ups. the absence of light is the only noticeable thing by sight, the moon isn’t nearly upon the horizon, but he uses all that he knows to make out the shine of the door at the foot of the steps. 

skipping the last few steps, he rams into it with all his body weight. the brass, weakened through weather and age, cripples beneath him revealing the darker of night. 

the first thing donghyuck does is cough, there is no way around that. his arm is back by his nose but this time his mouth also clamps tight onto the roughened fabric of his sleeve. he has a short blade in hand, his least favorite weapon of choice but a sword would have been too inefficient and a single arrow too thin. besides the heavy air that hangs, the room is also dead silent. four paces in and his foot hits a solid, a clang, a metal. he drags it along in the same direction, clang, clang, clang. bars. metal bars. a cage, an imprisonment of sorts.

the last bar he's hit escapes him, it swings open. the door, he supposes though he wonders why it hadn't been locked, why the door to the very basement hadn't been locked, why the whole vicinity was put under the supervision of two, poorly trained guards. donghyuck understands when his eyes do their part in adjusting to the dimness of the room and he sees the prince, slumped and unconscious, out cold. 

perhaps, death really was waiting for him at his destination.

time is running thin as donghyuck dismisses his urge to check for a pulse, he figures he'd have to bring the body back anyways, alive or dead, and furthermore he has a deadline. long gone is the dagger, tucked away on the side of his left thigh, replaced with a metal arrow that clangs itself with each time it strikes the wall adjacent to it. to prince donghyuck, picking a lock with a sharpened point of an arrow is second nature; he's done it as many times as little boy scouts practice their square knots and soprano's run through their warmups. but even then, he hates the feeling of picking a lock that binds two wrists, he hates the feeling of how the wrists fall when they are no longer bound, and he hates the feeling of the chains as they clatter and clump at his feet. more than that, the dead weight of a man on his shoulders, void of all vicarious pretenses, is the worst among all feelings.

the sun carries with it shadows as it sets. it draws them like a coachman and his horses, a dog on its leash, a flock of baby geese and their mother. the shadow of the cottage, in particular, is seven feet from where it was when donghyuck entered. he doubts he'll have much time to get back into town on foot, running wouldn't work well with his already depleted stamina and the hunk of a man on his shoulders. he plays it safe with a jog and his compass in hand, the shine of the needle becoming harder to decipher in the fast-coming shadows that drown out his sight.

the first break he takes under a tree a little ways down from the cottage, shoving the weight of jeno under the cover of a few tendrils of vines. he almost wants to kick his figure in annoyance but under the guise that he was trying to wake him. prince jeno is very poor company when he's knocked out, or dead, he supposes now is as good of a time as any to check. fingers against his wrist, he feels the faintest of a pulse and is relieved in the most concealed way, though there is no one around for him to be concealing from. donghyuck thinks, with sureness, that if he were to let the boy wilt in his arms, to deliver him dead when he might as well have been alive, he himself would be dead in your eyes. he shakes his head and brings his flask to the lips of the older, slightly older.

the first few drops of water do nothing except sit in his dry mouth but the rest is gurgled, choked, swallowed. the prince, and soon to be king, lunges at donghyuck with his eyes still shut closed. he has his fingers tight around the eastern prince's neck when he finally regains the will to peel open his lids. the sun is long gone at this point and the moon has still yet to appear over the horizon. jeno is startled when he realizes that the ground his knees are rubbing against isn't dusted concrete but thick soil and stones. he draws back at that though his arms wind back as well, as if to drive into his unknown captor's cheek, to knock him out. donghyuck is a whirlwind of coughs as he barely registers the fist that's approaching fast, he's glad he still has it in him to roll to the side and croak out an, "it's me."

two princes are panting under the span of a tree, the roots that jut out slashing the backs of one of them and the twigs that litter the ground cutting into the kneecaps of the other. their breaths alternate, loud sighs and sharp inhales, as they regain their bearings enough to acknowledge each other. two princes sit side by side under the span of a tree, glancing at each other, or what they believe to be each other, in the shroud of darkness that envelops them. they wait for the moon.

jeno finds himself reaching for the flask that lays discarded a few feet away. he chugs and donghyuck eyes him in disgust, feeling how his own throat is clenching up with the same thirst. jeno must sense this because he holds it out for him when he's had his fill, "how much time has passed?" donghyuck throws back the rest of the water. they are bound to come across a freshwater stream on the long way back, he's sure and he swallows, "a week in approximation."

a week, he's sure a lot of things could've happened in the week he was gone. possibly, you'd know of his absence. surely, you know of the death of your father. no doubt were you in mourning and he was halfway across the region and in no state to comfort you. his brows furrow, "anything notable that's happened?"

there are many things donghyuck could say in response. he hasn't left your side since the day after your father's body was found, the day he'd arrived at the palace, ready to comfort. he'd never have expected you to lash out in rage with no one to blame. he'd been there when the maid had delivered news of the anonymous tip that'd made your knees go weak in an instant. a hell of a week it had been, indeed. he prefaces with the general. "the coronation has been moved up, three days from now you will be crowned king."

jeno nods in understanding. it's all his parents have ever wanted from him, to marry off into golden blood, to become golden blood, for their immediate family to bathe in golden blood. he sighs knowing that he feels it's fine if it's with you, that your presence in his life simply mocks that of his parents. but he needs answers, the yearning to see you is set alight in the pits of his stomach. "and how is she holding up?" 

disgruntled, prince donghyuck answers curt and vague, the exact opposite of what jeno needs to soothe his worries, "she's holding up just fine." neither of them are in high spirits when they set off into the night. they suffice with the silence and when they come across the expected stream, donghyuck fills the flask, they bathe. the moon is kind that night, outshining all nights before and illuminating the compass needle, the guide into the outskirts of the southern kingdom.

the sun is on the rise when the two princes are met with the sight of buildings in the distance, small shacks, roofs thatched but unkempt and messy unlike that of the seaside cottage for royalty. the people bustling about are donned in the plainest of clothing and donghyuck is sure that his combat gear and jeno's days old and crinkle suit would draw unwanted attention from the commoners, after all, he's almost sure that they wouldn't recognize the faces of two royalty if they were dressed down, not here in the southern kingdom where the prospects of royalty are told like a fairy tale.

like how any disguise is gained, donghyuck sneaks through the bushels of the nearest house and snatches two pairs of trousers, two plain cotton tops, and a tweed satchel, leaving four golden coins under the back awning. they change before the sun arrives to clear the air of fog  and mist and they bustle and weave within the crowd with ease when the sun peeks over diagonal, mid-morning.

they don't make it far on foot, there is still a ways to go before they can safely make it past jeno's homeland without being noticed. the farther they delve into the heart of the kingdom, the closer they mingle with the nobles, the higher-ranking families, those who would recognize them almost immediately. 

a first of many close calls come when they are at the back end of a manor, a huge estate, spanning about half the palace itself. whoever the owner was, the individual jeno was rambling on about, wouldn't suffer the loss of two horses. that is, if they could be stolen in the first place. the stables were a mile into the plot of land from the back and though donghyuck could be so efficient in simply shooting dead all the guards that lined the outer premises, he really did not wish to cause a ruckus, not when he's sure the officials of the southern kingdom are aware of the escape of their second prince. and if jeno is correct in labeling this very estate as the abode of the capital governor, he wouldn't be keen in taking chances where it could hurt most. 

night falls for a second time and, under the cover of darkness, jeno slashes the calves of two of the guards, a stroke that could easily be mistaken to be of a running and wild badger if timed correctly. he ducks between the electrical cords of the fencing, donghyuck just behind him, as he gets on all fours to survey the grounds. the guards that are left mill around the stables, the only structure that'll provide them light during their break. they are jolly and big-bellied when they laugh and jeno finds it all too easy to slip past the commotion to the back of the stables where the gates open onto the track. donghyuck moves with practiced stealth to the opposite end, foot looping on the edge of a table where kegs of beer are stood tall. he steadies himself, centering his movements around his breaths and not his impulses. retrieving his compass, he doesn't stop to crack it open this time, angling the sleek alloy cover in such a way that it glints in accordance with the glass of the window, left side of the stables that's illuminated inside out. 

they count to three. the kegs meet the earth and while some roll, others simply spill. donghyuck leaves a mess in his wake. he'd like to stay back, admire his work, the looks of shock on their faces and the realization that'll come when they check the stables a little later. he gets this feeling each time he completes a mission, and very rarely is a prince allowed to do so. prince donghyuck loves the rush, the adrenaline, the anticipation and the satisfaction of completion. he knows that jeno feels the same. although as much as he would love to linger in the shadows to bathe in his victory, he knows that if he doesn't remove himself from the scene he will have a great deal more things to be worrying about. perhaps, his head on a stick.

with the horses accompanied by night, an ever-so-welcome friend, they are able to make haste. their course deviating the slightest to avoid the boundaries of the royal palace. jeno is familiar with the towns that lay just a little beyond and just a little before the middle glade. his familiarity means he knows where to book a rest for the night, where to get the needed replenishments for themselves and the horses and where to stock up for the coming day that will be spent entirely in the middle glade. his familiarity is helpful, but deemed futile when they arrive to see that each stall, selling food or goods, has a banner hung on the overhead. the prince's face is printed on each one, a lost prince, help needed! captioning each notice.

the pitstop, originally jotted to span a whole of two hours becomes a series of laborious tasks that involve intricate planning of thievery, indirect thievery as they make sure to leave, in their ructions, the rest of their gold coins, distributed evenly. they enter the middle glades with relieved and wearied hearts and sacks upon sacks of provisions.

the middle glade is the right place for any wearied heart. the grass is knee-length here, and it stays that way for a day's trip worth of land. the edges are crowded by a thick forest of trees with trunks too wide to hug and roots so big that traversing the land on foot is treacherous enough. but just beyond the thickets of trees and boughs that hang low is the glade itself. the four kingdoms were built to accommodate the livelihood of the grasses, wildflowers, gentle ponds that stretched only a few feet deep. the glade is a sight for sore eyes, and a marvel for all traveling through. it's where the four kingdoms diverge, and also where they meet.

rays of sun are harsh on their backs, it's been a little over an hour and though the looming threat of the southern kingdom has been left in the dust, the road ahead proves bleak, grasses the run along the horizon and, seemingly, endlessly beyond. jeno thinks of what he'll say when he sees you. he thinks of the smile that's sure to grace your features and he thinks of your warm embrace. jeno is patient when he thinks of you.

"she's been troubled."

jeno looks over in surprise at the sound of his companions voice, he notes the lilt and remains silent for him to go on. 

"the princess and i, as i'm sure you know, we've been well-acquainted for a long time now." donghyuck steals a glance of his own and finds that jeno's sights are held to the front but his brows are drawn in consideration, deliberation. "and i've always known her the best, loved her the best, been the best for her. we've both been, for each other i mean. we both also knew that there would be a day where the same would be said for someone besides the other. i don't mean harm when i say that i didn't think it'd be this soon, not for her."

"why not for her, distinctly?"

prince donghyuck gives a moment to think of an answer that he knows all too well from being by your side for the good majority of his life, "because she's not one to talk. she prefers to listen." nudging his point along, jeno makes it known, "she talks to me."

"that's how i know you're the one for her." jeno smiles to himself. he lets himself relish in the feeling of your love, even indirectly. his lips stay turned upwards, even when he wills them back down. he can't help but feel a little silly so he disguises his countenance with another question,  "did she ask this of you? to come for me?" a question that he already knows the answer to.

"of course," a playful grin spreads with ease across donghyuck's face. he supposes that the taut strings between them have loosened up ever so slightly, either that or the dreariness of traveling for days on end with only each other's company have done the trick, "i'd have never gone out of my way for you." jeno's expression is gruff but his tone is light when he quips back in agreement, "neither would i."

"i'll have you know though, she's beyond excited about the wedding preparations. the coronation as well but i can sense that she's more apprehensive to take the throne so early on. it's a relief to know that you'll be by her side when the time comes."

"as i should be."

"you know, i've heard some rumors about you, just picked them up here and there. and while i have made sure of your sincerity by means of this," he gesticulates, "this trip of ours, i would like to confirm that you're not...after her for the throne, are you?"

"not i, but i wouldn't put it past you to see it as so. much of my family sees her for only her blood," he doesn't bother to palliate the resentment in his expression as he spits out the last half. the other in the conversation is thrown into thought, once again. the moments he gives himself to respond are filled with the sounds of horse hooves fast on the crimpling grass.

"the death of her father, were you aware that it was dawning upon us?" donghyuck airs prudently, "in the assumption that it was of your lineage's doing."

jeno replies dismissively, not in the context that he is avoiding the inquiry, but more so that he found the case scenario obvious, "i was not aware, no. it had certainly been staged so that i could not have been there to prevent it, unfortunately." his eyes slide from the grassy hills ahead to his friend beside him, he lets new information fall from his lips in the face of someone he has come to trust, "i'm also apprehensive about her taking the throne so young, and not because of her duties. i have an inkling that she might be stolen before her throne is."

"another scheme of your parents, the king and queen? or is that past my bounds to be asking?"

the dismissive tone laces his voice again, but only for a few cumulative seconds, "not at all, there are many times a day where even i find it hard to identify as one of them." a turning point is reached where he gazes grows stern and the dismissiveness is replaced with an air of officiality, "but yes, i believe it to be one of their schemes to place a crown atop my head."

donghyuck considers jeno's words with heavy thought and a heavily-ladened question, "would you take it if it was offered?" he takes his answer with an equally heavy understanding.

"at the cost of her, i would give it up in a heartbeat."

you've lost count of the nights you've spent staring at the same ceiling you were faced with now. even turning onto your sides you know that you'll be met with all too familiar scenes. your mind, instead of relenting to the rest it needs, replays the same track over and over of prince jeno asking for you not to stay up too late, ironic in the sense that that's simultaneously exactly what you've succumbed to. you miss the way his locks bunch in between your fingers, something you haven't quite grasped the reasonings behind your liking of. it's just hair, but it being his hair supposedly makes all the difference. would it be foolish for you to be thinking of his hair when he might as well be taking his last breaths in the same second? there wouldn't be a way to know, the wall that you've encountered each time you venture down the glum alleyways of 'what if.'

"acceptance disempowers fear, darkness, shame." (my co--star day at a glance 1119).

you wallow in acceptance because the fear, the darkness, the shame stands too tall against your thin spears of hope. they've dwindled with each day that you've spent circulating between those three emotions in a hopeless and never-ending circle of self-induced torture. somewhere in between your fourth and fifth hour of intermittent lapses between sleep and wakeful exhaustion, the inner door of your chamber is burst open and you swear under your breath. murder is in the night.

or rather, it's your lady-in-waiting, her eyes bugged out and a coat haphazardly thrown over her nightgown. "your highness!" that's when you see the smile on her face, that's when a similar one begins to light your own. "the guards down in the valley, they say they've seen them!"

legs kicking up the blankets that hold you down, you scramble out of bed, even slipping on a coat is deemed too much a time-consuming task when the raptures that have enveloped you for the past weeks are now coming to a close. your fingers barely catch onto the door frame just as you skid out, peering back in to get another word for your maid, "them, them as in two. both lively and well?"

"i've been told of two men, both on horseback."

a grin splits your cheeks wide as your bare feet clap down hard on the frigid marble flooring. it echoes unlike the sound of your nightgown flitting between your form with each step, the whistling of wind curling your insides with warmth and joy. your heart sings like a village girl, whose love has just returned safe from the battling seas. perhaps you were a juliet, in the pretense that 'star-crossed' meant that you and him were written in the stars, not torn apart by them. your lungs welcome the morning air as you inhale as much as you can, replenishing the depths of your spirit, invigorating you down to each cell that you were built of.

the guard at the foot of the steps implores you not to go any further, the crisp winds that sift through the orchard would be far too dangerous with how little you are wearing. he sends for your lady-in-waiting, who had just arrived behind you, panting with all her might, to head back in to retrieve a coat or two for you. you tell her to take her time.

you're on your knees weeping when they come into view, the sight is unsuitable for the weak-hearted. head in your hands, you're making frantic motions to swipe away the furious tears that trace down your cheeks when the soiled dust from a sudden break of hooves lifts into the air before you. prince jeno dismounts as if it were his life's duty, his strides are long, as they have always been, and when he takes you in his arms, collecting your listless limbs and wearied bones in place, you find home within his embrace.

at the crack of dawn, on the bottom steps of the northern palace, a man clad in plain white and a woman in a silk nightgown rejoice in the name of love. his fingers never let the goosebumps on your skin stay for as long as he smoothes them over, you are absent of the wintry weather on your bare skin. at the crack of dawn, on the bottom steps of the northern palace, the up and coming king and queen of the northern kingdom rejoice in the names of each other, alive and so, so full of life.

you're looking up in curiosity at him as he crosses the room to the side of the bed, opposite of yours. jeno has a book in his hand, and rather than looking at you, his sights are on the pages, a finger skimming along with his eyes. he's by your side when he looks up, satisfied, "i brought something to read to you, love."

your eyes sparkle in the moonlight that slips undisturbed through your open balcony doors, "and what might it be?"

"you'll know when you hear, i assure you." he extends an arm and your back is pressed against his chest without a question, his arms encircling your frame, both hands converging to hold the book in front of the two of you. he spoke the truth when he said you'd recognize it. a smile makes its way to your face before you can even take notice. and when you do indeed notice, you mouth the words along with his voice.

“i will love you if i never see you again, and i will love you if i see you every tuesday. i will love you as the starfish loves a coral reef and as kudzu loves trees, even if the oceans turn to sawdust and the trees fall in the forest without anyone around to hear them. i will love you as the pesto loves the fettuccini and as the horseradish loves the miyagi, and the pepperoni loves the pizza. i will love you as the manatee loves the head of lettuce and as the dark spot loves the leopard, as the leech loves the ankle of a wader and as a corpse loves the beak of the vulture. i will love you as the doctor loves his sickest patient and a lake loves its thirstiest swimmer. i will love you as the beard loves the chin, and the crumbs love the beard, and the damp napkin loves the crumbs, and the precious document loves the dampness of the napkin, and the squinting eye of the reader loves the smudged document, and the tears of sadness love the squinting eye as it misreads what is written.

i will love you as the iceberg loves the ship, and the passengers love the lifeboat, and the lifeboat loves the teeth of the sperm whale, and the sperm whale loves the flavor of naval uniforms. i will love you as a drawer loves a secret compartment, and as a secret compartment loves a secret, and as a secret loves to make a person gasp…i will love you until all such compartments are discovered and opened, and all the secrets have gone gasping into the world. i will love you until all the codes and hearts have been broken and until every anagram and egg has been unscrambled. i will love you until every fire is extinguished and rebuilt from the handsomest and most susceptible of woods. i will love you until the bird hates a nest and the worm hates an apple. i will love you as we find ourselves farther and farther from one another, where once we were so close…i will love you until the chances of us running into one another slip from slim to zero, i will love you until your face is fogged by distant memory. i will love you no matter where you go and who you see, i will love you if you don’t marry me. i will love you if you marry someone else–and i will love you if you never marry at all, and spend your years wishing you had married me after all. that is how i will love you even as the world goes on its wicked way.”

(Lemony Snicket, The Beatrice Letters)

the book is discarded, but unforgotten, to the side when the curtains are pulled back. the moon is at its height. renjun has a lot of work to do.

the scene is as expected, the princess, inseparable from her prince is on the bed and clasped on all sides by his form. he regrets that he did not have the guts to ask for the murder of them both. his orders strictly called for the death of one, a much more tedious task when a possible witness, such as the prince, could hold a hefty punishment over his head if he were to be caught. renjun knows that isn't likely to begin with.

his first mistake is waking the prince. perhaps going in for a knife to the heart was the most efficient but the least accessible, seeing as the man clung to you like no other. renjun doesn't bother hiding though he knows his face covering and hood aren't enough to cover his unmistakable stature. the prince charges at him once he's gained a sense of his surroundings. renjun dodges his sleepful fit easily and uses this opportunity to strike at you. a quick blow to the side should do enough damage for his job to be considered completed.

his second mistake is misconstruing the sheer amount of power the prince possesses. in truth, the prince does not know himself, especially if that power is being drawn by the prospects regarding your safety and wellbeing. renjun is pulled back with veined arms that encase as if to wrestle him into surrender. he's experienced enough to worm his way out and to position himself opposite of the bed where you're now beginning to stir from all the commotion, the prince standing in front of him, shaking his head in disgruntledness as he tries to fight off the waves of post-awakening exhaustion and strain.

renjun knows a lot of things. he knows much about caged animals, he knows even more about greedy men, specifically greedy and powerful men, he knows of hierarchies and classes and exactly how to get what he wants from them, but in this moment, he knows nothing more than the fact that prince jeno will duck. and that he will regret.

when one is young and naive and still in the belief that their blanket will shield them from the monsters in the dark, they simply disregard that it will not. the flimsy, flimsy blanket, made of nothing more than woven, and likely processed, fabrics will do nothing against the demons that await, under your bed, in your shadows, from your ceiling. you are not young, nor are you naive, and it's in your understanding that these demons, they are a breed of sorts, fallen angels. perhaps, you will never understand. and in their line of work, they have never halted at the sight of a blanket. you toss it aside and you charge even as your prospects of living dim as the dagger parts the air, the air that scampers away and leaves an open trail for the dagger to the dead center of your abdomen, the very spot your father had been punctured with.

there is a part of renjun that wishes he missed.

the man in the moon frowns as the beams that foam and froth and bubble behind him are poured down from the heavens onto the west wing of the palace solely, the west-facing windows, a specific west-facing, wrought iron traced door that gives into the expanse of your room, your bed. it illuminates you, it bares its shine upon you, unabashedly, unashamedly. and it is also the sole reason jeno can see, with such clarity, the shank that slits your silk nightgown with ease, that embeds itself within your now-withering body, that in turn, makes his blood run cold.

renjun is long gone when jeno begins his cry for help. there are guards just outside but it would take a miracle for a medic to arrive before you bleed out your internal organs completely. the white of your sheets is stained with your blood, the strands of your hair are strung together with the stickiness of the substance, jeno's hands, the beds of his fingernails are deluged in the blood that spurts from where he is desperately trying to press down on. the hole in your front gushes with each breath you take and jeno could only wish that he could breathe for you, in your stead. 

prince jeno cries, in the most literal and figurative senses, for help, for someone to wipe away his tears and to tell him that you're alright. to shake him awake as he dissolves further into the abyss of his fears. to kneel by his bedside and tell him that it was all a nightmare, that you're fine, really, that you've just gone to get a cup of earl grey with honey, that when you come back, there will be no dagger struck between your intestines and no red staining your nightgown. lee jeno cries because as time drags, and the guards that scramble about, fruitlessly counting on a distant and frankly unprepared medic, you are in his arms taking your last breaths.

"acceptance disempowers fear, darkness, shame."

and so he accepts.

volume five, the final installment: heaven belongs to you will be updated whenever the author sees fit.

copyright © 2020 rouiyan all rights reserved.

✧ end note — i hope this piece brought back some cherished memories of 'a series of unfortunate events,' personally, such a great memory of my childhood, reading-wise. i say this a lot but, this has got to be one of my most favorite things i've ever written. i think i did quite well with this. it makes me happy. i hope it made you happy, i love you, have a nice day.

[harry-hook-me]

I love your writing so much so could you do #18 “How long has it been since you’ve slept” from prompt list 2? harry hook x reader where harry is in auradon and is struggling with classes and is staying up late for studying cuz if he fails he'll have to go back to isle and he doesnt want to be separated from (y/n), the nothing like Audrey, daughter of sleeping beauty. and he's constantly drinking coffee and energy drinks and (y/n) notices, and he just blacks out in front of her from stress/tired?

The sleepless pirate

Writer - @harry-hook-me (myself)

Request – @descendantofthesparrow

Prompt - #18 “How long has it been since you’ve slept” List 2

Summary – Harry has been struggling with classes and has been losing on a lot of sleep to try and study, y/n, daughter of sleeping beauty, helps Harry with his studying and makes sure he gets some sleep.

Disclaimer - I do not own any of the Descendants characters or scenes from the movies, all credits goes to the creators and producers of Disneys descendants.

Warnings – Some swearing and sleep deprivation

AN- second post in a week, look at me go! I, going to try and write all requested I have at the moment during lock down. Requests will only open again once their all done so please don’t send in requests at the moment! – Lou xo

Word count – 1722

I'm y/n, the second daughter of Aurora, also known as sleeping beauty. Unlike my sister Audrey, I’m a lot less ‘princessey’. I don’t consider myself selfish, unlike her, I’d care more for others happiness and health than my own.

Harry has been in Auradon now for six month, since he’s been here, him and I have become extremely close. The son of the infamous Captain Hook came to Auradon with his two crew mates, Uma, daughter of Ursula the sea witch and Gil the son of Gaston. The first time I met the pirate, I was in my English literature class, he sat next to me and from that day we became a lot closer and very quickly after meeting became friends.

“So have you ever told him how you feel?” Jaydan asks, the son of princess Jasmin. “I’ve not, and I don’t plan on it” I reply standing up from my seat and rolling my eyes at my best friends question. “Why not! Y/n I’m sure he feels the same way, he act so different around you, he looks at you different to everyone else. I honestly thinks he like you y/n” Esmay adds, daughter of Esméralda. I chuckle and shake my head at her statement, “you my friend are obsessed with the idea of love” I reply to her. “What can I say, I’m a hopeless romantic” she says back, holing her hand out and leaning back I her seat. I sigh and place my hands onto my hips.

I stroll down the hallways of Auradon prep, cradling a stack of books in my arms and heading too my English Literature class. Upon my arrival into the classroom, I take my usual seat and get my books ready. Harry enters the room shortly after myself, he takes his seat next to me; he looks awful, dark circles around his eyes, messy hair, like he’d not slept for weeks. “Harry? Are you okay?” I asked concerned for the pirate. He looks up at me and smiles lightly, “mhum” he replies, looking half asleep. I place a hand on his forearm, “how long has it been since you’ve slept?” I asked, worry probably clear on my face. “Two days ago” harry replies with a yawn. I look at him wide eyed. Class began and I turned to face the front. What was happening with harry, I kept going over it in my head, not giving my full attention to what the teacher was talking about.

As the lessons ended, I gathered my books and tossed my bag over my shoulder and headed out the door. I jogged up to harry and grabbed his arm, “hey, why haven’t you been sleeping? Do you want to go for a chat?” I asked him, the dark haired boy nodded in response, I nodded back and began making my way outside to the courtyard.

I take a seat on a picnic bench near a tall willow tree in the courtyard, harry sits in front of me. “Right, why haven’t you been sleeping, is there something on you mind?” I ask him, looking deeply into his beautiful blue eyes, he’s so intriguing, and I feel like I just want to know everything about him. The pirate sighs deeply, shaking his head slightly and placing a ring covered hand on top of mine which is placed on the table. “I’m failing” he begins, “I’m failing every single fucking one of my classed” he adds clearly frustrated and exhausted. “Y/n, they’ve told me that if I don’t pick up my grades soon their going to send me back to the isle” he continues, his voice slightly braking as he reaches the end of the sentence. “That’s why I’m not sleeping, I’ve been studying nonstop, but I just don’t get it. I don’t understand any of it! And I’m fucking scared y/n” he looks up at me, his eyes glazing over, “I-I can’t go back there” he looks down into his lap again shaking his head. I’m shocked, I place my other hand on top of the hand he has placed on mine. “hey, hey, look at me” I start, he looks up, eyes red, sweet boy, he looks exhausted, drained, the usual cheekiness and life to him is nowhere to be seen. “I’m going to help you okay, I’m going to help you study, help you to understand. I won’t let you go back okay, I won’t let you.” I began feeling emotional myself. “I’m going to come over to your dorm tonight at six, I’ll bring all my books and notes and we can study, and I’m going to make sure you sleep. And I’m dam well going to make sure that your staying here.” He nods in return. “Thank you” he whispers, smiling at me.

I arrive at Harry’s dorm at bang on six, carrying a large stack of books in my arms and notes filled my backpack. I gently kicked the door rather than nocking as I had no hands free to do so. The door opens to reveal a still tired looking harry. “Hey” he said to me, “let me help you with these” he added taking the large stack of books off of be effortlessly. “Thank you” I replied and walked into the dorm as harry stepped out of the way of the door, closing it behind me. I look around the room, empty cans of energy drinks and empty coffee cups littered the place, I gasped lightly at the sight, my poor harry. “Gil’s staying with Carlos and Jay tonight so we’ve got the room to ourselves” he snapped me out of my thoughts, I nodded in return. “So where shall we start?” he asked, taking a seat by the window, “physics?” I suggested, harry responded with a nod, I pulled out all my physics notes and joined harry at his seat by the window.

I was awoken by the bright light of the sun shining through the window, but I wasn’t in my usual bed in my room, instead I was lay on the same seat me and harry had been studying last night. The pair of us must have fallen asleep together, the still peacefully sleeping pirate was underneath me, my head lay on his chest, one of his arms wrapped around my body, I hear is heart beat and his steady breathing. I smile, breathing in and taking in his scent. The boy stirs, one eye and then the other opens, squinting due to the light. Harry looks down at me and smiles, the boy chuckles slightly and I feel his chest move up and down, I smile in return. “Well, good morning” harry says. I sit up and giggle, “sorry, I-I didn’t mean to, stay over” I chuckle. Standing up and stretching. “It’s okay, to be honest, that was the best night sleep I’ve had in a long time.” Harry admits, blushing slightly. I smile and look to the ground. Harry stands and walks towards me “thank you” he adds.

I’d been helping harry with studying for two weeks now, and he’s been getting on very well. It’s the week of exams and Harry was starting to stress. “but-but, y/n, what if I get it all wrong, what of I go in there and my mind goes blank, w-what if…” harry panics as we stand outside of out English literature class before the test “hey, harry, it okay, it’s okay” I cut off harry and place my hands on his panicked cheeks. “You’ve worked so hard, we’ve gone over everything. You’ve been sleeping so much better. I promise you, you’re going to be absolutely fine” I look the pirate right in his ocean eyes and smile, trying to calm his nerves. He places and hand on one of my arms, closes his eyes and sighed, I stroked his cheek with my thumb and the pirate smiles the most precious smile. He pulls me into a warm, tight hug. “You’ll be okay” I whispered to him.

The day had come to find out what grades we’d got in our tests. I was sat on my bed reading when a loud and continues knock came from my door and pulled me from my concentration, I walked over to the door and opened it, a very smiley and very fidgety Harry Hook. “Hi!” I giggle with a smile. He waves an envelope around, and hops into my room. Harry hands me the white, half ripped open envelope and I take out letter inside, reading it. “You’ve passed every single class!” I cheer jumping in excitement and pride. I practically jump into Harrys arms and he picks me up and spins me “Harry! I’m proud of you, I knew you’d do it! I knew it!” I cheer. He puts me down and I smile brightly at him. “I couldn’t have done any of this without you, y/n” he returned the bright smile back to me, placing a soft hand gently on my cheek. “If I didn’t have you, I’d be back on the isle by now!” he adds, “thank you!”. I hold on to the arm connected to the hand he has places on my cheek. “You had it all in you harry, you don’t realise how smart you are! It was all you” I looked up at the handsome pirate, eyes locking in a deep gaze.

Harry slowly brings himself closer towards me, I feel his breath on my face, taking in all his facial features; his crystal blue eyes, chiselled cheek bones and jaw line, his lips. Before I knew it, harry pressed his lips against mine, I swiftly wrapped my arms around his neck as he wrapped his around my waist, slightly pulling me up to stand on my tip toes. His lips feel warm, comforting. He pulls away, resting his forehead on mine, looking deep into my eyes once again. “I-I like you, a lot, y/n” he stuttered. I smile “I like you too harry, a lot” I giggle in return. The widest smile appears on his face, two deep dimples emerging on his cheeks. He closes his eyes and sighs what seems to be a sigh of relief. “Be mine?” he asks, so calmly. “I already was” I giggle in return before he connects out lips, once again.

[aaronexplainsitall]

Drop the insider info on making amazing tzatziki please

So there are a few secrets: 

1. Do not use dill or chives or whatever other green herb your recipe tells you to use. You don’t need it, they don’t use it in Greece (at least not on Zakynthos which is where my parents lived), it adds an unnecessary amount of herby-ness and fucks about with the flavour balance. 

2. Use much more garlic than you think you should. Seriously. For every large English cucumber you use, you should be looking at a bulb of garlic. Garlic is the star of tzatziki, and it won’t taste as potent as you imagine because the yogurt will significantly blunt the sharp, uncooked flavour of garlic. Crush your garlic, don’t grate it. 

3. Do not use a food processor. Cut the cucumber by hand or grate it then all you’ve got to do is mix it through. There’s no reason to have cucumber mush all in your tzatziki. 

4. On the subject of cucumber, if you do it wrong you’ll end up with watery tzatziki. You do not need to take out the seeds, just salt your cucumber and leave it for 20 minutes or so for all the juice to escape. Then squeeze all the water out by putting it in a cheese cloth (or a tea towel if you’re in a pinch and I always am because I never have cheese cloth) and wringing that bitch out. (I don’t bother peeling my cucumber for this, but you can if you want, it doesn’t make any difference flavour-wise, it’s just a texture preference) 

5. Speaking of salt, SALT YOUR TZATZIKI. Please. I’m begging you. There is so much fat in this dip, you’re using fatty yoghurt and adding olive oil to it, you have to use salt or it won’t taste of anything because fat masks flavour. Add the salt a teaspoon at a time, mix it well and then taste again. You don’t want it to taste like the ocean but the flavours won’t be pronounced unless you season it well. 

6. Your tzatziki will succeed or fail based on the yoghurt you use. Use greek yoghurt, an authentic brand if you can get your hands on it. Do not use low fat greek yoghurt, do not use ‘greek-style yoghurt’ (that means it’s not properly strained), use the best actual greek yoghurt you can find. 

7. Once you’ve made it, leave it in the fridge for 24 hours before you eat it. Not mandatory and I never wait that long but it does taste much better after all the flavours have mingled and got to know each other for a while. 

This is the basic recipe I use: 

Ingredients

1kg yoghurt 

1 head of garlic (10 cloves) 

1 large cucumber 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

SALT 

Recipe 

1. Grate your cucumber on the widest part of a box cheese grater, or simply slice it very finely in long strands. Put it in a sieve over the sink, generously apply salt and let all the water start to drain out (I usually leave it for fifteen mins to half an hour, you’ll see when the water stops coming out) 

2. While you’re waiting, peel, crush and roughly chop your garlic. Juice your lemon (please use fresh lemon juice) 

3. Take your cucumber, shove it all into a (clean) dish cloth and wring out all the remaining water. 

4. Stir the garlic and oil into the yoghurt. 

5. Stir the cucumber into the mixture, but do it a bit at a time so you can ensure it’s getting evenly distributed and not clumping up. 

6. Season with lemon juice and salt. Salt to taste, but remember that you’re dealing with a lot of fat so you need a lot of salt. 

7. Leave in the fridge for a day if you can manage. 

8. When serving, if you’re desperate to be fancy and you’re feeling hard done by because I won’t let you use herbs, zest half a lemon over the top of your dip or a small amount of spring onion. Do not use dill. Do not use mint. Do not pass go. Do not collect £200.

I hope that helps, anon!!

If you make it, please let me know what you thought. 

[kaktus-tajam]

setting the sea in motion

A humble thought on: setting the sea in motion. I used to replay this particular song over and over, but I had just came to my realisation of its profound lyrics.

“just a pebble in the water, can set the sea in motion.

a simple act of kindness, can stir the widest ocean.”

(Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato: Make a Wave)

Last Friday, Allah gave me a chance to witness these words myself. Alhamdulillah.

Setting up a table, arranging small gifts, praaaaying to Allah that He’d blessed this small act of al Kahfi campaign turns out amazing!

It was not my doing at all, but it was Allah who moved all the hearts of participants.. to sit down.. to recite this beautiful surah on this festive day. I’d never imagined feeling so much enthusiasm on the atmosphere, so all I could do was dhikr throughout the event. I pray that He purify our hearts and bless us with sincerity.

In the beginning of sparking the idea, I was not confident -- even pessimistic. The concept shifted here and there but finally we settled on free stationeries in exchange of 20 ayahs of al Kahfi. Looking at them arranged on the table, my heart leaped in anxiety. 

However... He proved me how one small act could ripple into one grand scheme! Starting off from one person participating, to another, and another.

Finally, we managed to give 50 packs of notebook and pen a new home. Allahuakbar.

I was left speechless. Goosebumps were running all over, touched by the view of Quran recitation. How peaceful the sight was.

Alhamdulillah.

-

A shoutout to Kiki, a dedicated partner who’d pinned my contact, initiator of many fresh ideas, innovator and executor. I thank Allah that He’d taught me so many things from you. I thanked Allah for Aisy, a forever cheerful person who’d almost travelled 5 km to return my phone. I also thanked Allah for teaching me wholeheartedness from Alif and Hana.

And of course, Nabih, Hani, Uli, Diana, Tita, Aca (may those strings cut vowed upon you all in the Day of judgement).

And all of you.. who had contributed, in the duas.

I thank 2016/17/18 batch who had taught me.. this beautiful lesson.

“so throw a pebble in the water

and make a wave”

Habibah

[orbemnews]

The Perilous Hunt for Coconut Crabs on a Remote Polynesian Island We meet Adams Maihota outside his house in the dead of night. A crab hunter, he wears white plastic sandals, board shorts, a tank top and a cummerbund to hold lengths of twine. He picks a sprig of wild mint and tucks it behind his ear for good luck. The photographer Eric Guth and I follow Mr. Maihota’s blazing headlamp into the forest in search of coconut crabs, known locally as kaveu. They are the largest land invertebrate in the world, and, boiled or stir-fried with coconut milk, they are delicious. Since the cessation of phosphate mining here in 1966, they have become one of Makatea’s largest exports. It’s ankle-breaking terrain. We negotiate the roots of pandanus trees and never-ending feo, a Polynesian term for the old reef rocks that stick up everywhere. Vegetation slaps our faces and legs, and our skin becomes slick with sweat. The traps, which Mr. Maihota laid earlier that week, consist of notched coconuts tied to trees with fibers from their own husks. When we reach one, we turn off our lights to approach quietly. Then, Mr. Maihota pounces. A moment later, he stands up with a sky-blue crab pedaling its ten legs in broad circles. Even with its fleshy abdomen curled under the rest of its body, the animal is much longer than the hunter’s hand. Makatea, part of the Tuamotu Archipelago in French Polynesia, sits in the South Pacific about 150 miles northeast of Tahiti. It’s a small uplifted coral atoll, barely four and a half miles across at its widest point, with steep limestone cliffs that rise as high as 250 feet straight out of the sea. From 1908 until 1966, Makatea was home to the largest industrial project in French Polynesia: Eleven million tons of phosphate-rich sand were dug out and exported for agriculture, pharmaceuticals and munitions. When the mining ceased, the population fell from around 3,000 to less than 100. Today, there are about 80 full-time residents. Most of them live in the central part of the island, close to the ruins of the old mining town, which is now rotting into the jungle. One-third of Makatea consists of a maze of more than a million deep, circular holes, known as the extraction zone — a legacy of the mining operations. Crossing into that area, especially at night, when coconut crabs are active, can be deadly. Many of the holes are over 100 feet deep, and the rock ledges between them are narrow. Still, some hunters do it anyway, intent on reaching the rich crab habitat on the other side. One evening before sunset, a hunter named Teiki Ah-scha meets us in a notoriously dangerous area called Le Bureau, so named for the mining buildings that used to be there. Wearing flip-flops, Mr. Ah-scha trots around the holes and balances on their edges. When he goes hunting across the extraction zone, he comes home in the dark with a sack full of crabs on his back. Mr. Maihota, too, used to hunt this way — and he tells me that he misses it. But ever since his wife fell into a shallow hole a few months before our visit in 2019, she has forbidden him to cross the extraction zone. Instead, he sets traps around the village. Coconut crabs inhabit a broad range, from the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean to the Pitcairn Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. They were part of local diets long before the mining era. The largest specimens, “les monstres,” can be the length of your arm and live for a century. There hasn’t been a population study on Makatea, so the crab’s conservation status is unclear — though at night, rattling across the rocks, they seem to be everywhere. When we catch crabs that aren’t legal — either females or those less than six centimeters across the carapace — Mr. Maihota lets them go. If the islanders are not careful, he says, the crabs might not be around for future generations. In many places across the Indo-Pacific, the animals have been hunted to the point of extirpation, or local extinction. Makatea is at a crossroads. Half a century after the first mining era, there is a pending proposal for more phosphate extraction. Though the island’s mayor and other supporters cite the economic benefits of work and revenue, opponents say that new industrial activity would destroy the island, including its fledgling tourism industry. “We cannot make her suffer again,” one woman tells me, invoking the island as a living being. Still, it’s hard to make a living here. “There is no work,” Mr. Maihota says, as we stand under the stars and drip sweat onto the forest floor. He doesn’t want to talk about the mine. The previous month, he shipped out 70 coconut crabs for $10 each to his buyers in Tahiti. In popular hunting spots, hunters say the crabs are smaller or fewer, but hunters rely on the income and nobody has the full picture of how the population is doing overall. We visit Mr. Maihota’s garden the next morning where the crabs are sequestered in individual boxes to keep them from attacking each other. He’ll feed them coconut and water to purge their systems, since, in the wild, they eat all manner of food, including carrion. By daylight, their shells are rainbows of purple, white, orange, along with many shades of blue. For now at least — without mining, and while harvests are still sustainable — they seem perfectly adapted to Makatea, holes and all. Source link Orbem News #coconut #Crabs #Hunt #Island #perilous #Polynesian #Remote

[anachef]

Shoney’s Invites America to Get Hooked on its Seafood Fest

Shoney’s Featuring Freshly Prepared Seafood Items for the Lenten Season and Enhancements to its Seafood Fresh Food Bar

Nashville, TN  (RestaurantNews.com)  Seafood season is back and Shoney’s is casting the widest net.

The iconic, All-American restaurant brand, world-renowned for freshly-prepared, high-quality food at a great value with friendly service is honoring the Lenten period — when seafood is at the top of everyone’s wish list — with several freshly-prepared seafood offerings, enhancements to its Seafood Fresh Food Bar and Pecan Pie as a featured dessert.

Starting today and through April 21, Shoney’s will feature the best seafood found in its extensive search that will be prepared with Shoney’s signature quality, all under the supervision of Shoney’s team of culinary experts. This year’s catch features:

Teriyaki Glazed Salmon – Grilled Salmon filet topped with a sweet teriyaki glaze. Served with choice of two side

Shrimp Stir-Fry – Tender grilled shrimp stir-fried with broccoli, onions, red peppers and teriyaki sauce, then ladled over choice of steamed rice or rice pilaf. Garnished with chopped green onions and served with grilled garlic bread. Includes choice of two

Crispy Pile O’ Shrimp

– A dozen large shrimp, hand-breaded in our homemade bread crumbs. Served with choice of two sides and cocktail

Shoney’s® Fish Sandwich – Codfish filet, hand-breaded in our homemade bread crumbs then served on a toasted hoagie with lettuce and tartar sauce. Served with French

Lobster Roll – Tender, cold water North American Atlantic lobster tossed with mayonnaise, celery, green onions and seasonings, then served on a bed of lettuce in a toasted roll. Includes French fries.

Lobster Artichoke Spinach Dip – Tender pieces of cold water North American Atlantic lobster, sautéed spinach and artichokes in a creamy three-cheese sauce. Served with our classic Dixie Tater Chips®.

Pecan Pie – A rich filling mixed with pecans and baked in a flaky crust. Topped with vanilla bean ice cream and a drizzling of sea salt caramel sauce.

During the same period, guests can enjoy enhancements to Shoney’s Seafood Fresh Food Bar, with freshly prepared all you care to eat items such as Lobster Mac & Cheese, Creamy Seafood Bake, New Orleans-style BBQ Shrimp, Stuffed Sole, Baked Whole Catfish with Onions, Peppers & Tomatoes and more.

David Davoudpour, Shoney’s Chairman and CEO

“Shoney’s prides itself on giving our valued guests what they want when they want it,” said Mr. David Davoudpour, Shoney’s Chairman and CEO. “And now, it’s the season for seafood and we’re serving the finest the ocean has to offer. This year’s Seafood Fest will satisfy our guests at every level and we look forward to serving you at our restaurants during this special time of year.”

Shoney’s has served as America’s Dinner Table for 71 years is still collecting accolades. The world-renowned brand was recently recognized by consumers as one of America’s Favorite Chains in the family-dining category, based on a Restaurant Business poll and was voted one of the best 8 family dining restaurants in the United States in the  Consumer Picks Survey via Nation’s Restaurant News. Shoney’s was recognized for having the best rating for value among all family dining chains and also scored well for its service, menu variety and diners being likely to recommend it.

Since acquiring the great American eatery in 2007, Mr. Davoudpour has been on a driven and spirited mission to reinvigorate and revitalize Shoney’s, a family-friendly, southern-style restaurant brand. Shoney’s is one of the first, and has always been one of the most popular, family casual dining concepts in the United States.

In order to get back to what Mr. Davoudpour confidently calls Shoney’s “Glory Days,” the brand is now growing through franchising, following an extensive revitalization effort. Shoney’s is offering franchising opportunities to qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit http://www.shoneys.com/franchise/.

About Shoney’s

Shoney’s is a Nashville-based company that operates in 17 states and is now growing through franchising following an extensive revitalization effort. Since its humble beginnings in 1947 as a Charleston, West Virginia drive-in restaurant, guests have enjoyed Shoney’s family-friendly, casual dining experience. Visit www.shoneys.com for more information on restaurant hours, locations and special offers. Shoney’s is offering franchising opportunities to qualified single and multi-unit candidates. For more information, visit http://www.shoneys.com/franchise/. You can also follow Shoney’s on Facebook, Twitter,  Instagram and YouTube.

Contact: Derek Farley 150PR for Shoney’s 704-941-7353 derek@150pr.com

source http://www.restaurantnews.com/shoneys-invites-america-to-get-hooked-on-its-seafood-fest-030519/

[woodworkinghere1]

Meals Information for Sustainability

Breaking News Today -

Make meals which have much less impression on the atmosphere in six simple steps.

You’ve already made recycling a lifelong behavior, you proudly reject single-use plastic straws and bottles on the each day, and also you carpool or take public transportation each time attainable — if Earth may speak, it might thanks profusely for doing all your half to scale back your carbon footprint, stop world warming and save our oceans. However is there much more you could possibly be doing to assist? Sure, and it begins along with your meals decisions.

Select Your Substances Properly

Fueling your physique and mind with the very best vitamins attainable doesn’t should take a again seat to a mission of sustainability. In actual fact, these two initiatives simply go hand in hand. And in contrast to abs, which everyone knows start within the kitchen, sustainably sourced substances truly begin within the fields.

“Over the past 100 years, our meals system has gone by way of a major transformation from small native farms to a big industrial system,” explains Margie Saidel, MPH, RD, LDN, vp of vitamin and sustainability at Chartwells Okay12. “As our existence have developed, so have our consuming habits. We now demand a big number of cheap meals, always of the yr, that are closely processed and preserved. It seems that the way in which we’ve all loved consuming for thus lengthy is damaging the environment and planet. Sadly, the result’s the onset of local weather change and the upcoming battle to feed our rising world inhabitants.”

Fortunately, it’s not all gloom and doom. Saidel says we will all do our half to eat extra sustainably, and one after the other, we will create change — beginning with the next:

1. Put crops first

It’s healthiest to fill half your plate with fruit and veggies as a result of crops can present the protein your physique wants, together with nutritional vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals to keep up well being and safety from illness. However this isn’t restricted to leafy greens — don’t overlook about legumes, lentils, tofu, tempeh and seitan, that are just a few examples of wonderful plant protein sources.

2. Concentrate on seasonal and native

Have you ever grown accustomed to having all kinds of contemporary produce out there at your supermarkets always of the yr? “Because of our world financial system, we import fruit and veggies from across the globe to make them out there to us even when they’re out of season regionally,” Saidel says. “Consuming seasonally signifies that you eat produce when it’s grown in your native space.” This strategy places extra emphasis on supporting native farmers and reduces the time and distance between harvest and market. Search for farmers markets and community-supported agriculture in your space. You’ll take pleasure in contemporary merchandise that had been grown in your neighborhood or close by that style nice — and if there are specific objects you crave year-round, you possibly can protect them by canning or freezing.

3. Choose sustainable seafood

Select seafood that’s both caught or farmed in a means that protects the harvested species and different species, in addition to the ocean itself. It’s loads simpler than you may assume to find out how sustainable your seafood is — the famend Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch helps you make sustainable decisions with a free cell app that classifies fish in “greatest,” “good” or “keep away from” classes for a wholesome ocean.

4. Eat complete meals

Entire meals imply as near their pure kind as attainable (learn: much less processed). Some simple substitutions to ease you in embody mixing half whole-wheat flour with half white flour the following time you make cookies (the youngsters received’t discover!) or mixing half brown and half white rice along with your favourite meal. As well as, Saidel says contemporary produce, seeds and nuts of their pure kind are unbelievable decisions to offer the widest number of vitamins attainable to keep up your well being and stop illness.

5. Scale back animal protein

“Many individuals don’t notice that animal meals manufacturing has a devastating impression on the atmosphere due to greenhouse fuel emissions, land used for livestock feed as an alternative of meals to feed people, and the huge water necessities of animal meals manufacturing,” Saidel explains. “This doesn’t imply that you must quit consuming meat — however there are a selection of issues you are able to do to play your half in defending the planet.” She says that eggs, dairy, poultry and pork have a decrease environmental impression than purple meat, so swap up your animal protein sources to eat fewer hamburgers, steaks and roasts. You can also scale back your standard portion measurement of animal protein by combining each plant and animal sources (e.g., mix your burger with mushrooms or legumes or have a beef and bean burrito). You can also experiment with recipes equivalent to a plant-focused stir-fry, salad, grain bowl or pasta dish during which animal protein just isn’t the star of the present however performs a extra supporting function. Lastly, while you do buy meat, at all times select grass-fed, pasture-raised natural meats.

6. Scale back meals waste

The USA Division of Agriculture estimates {that a} whopping 30 to 40 % of the meals we purchase results in landfills. “You are able to do your half to scale back meals waste beginning in your personal house with just a few adjustments to your routine,” Saidel says. “Begin with planning meals for the week and take your ingredient record to the grocery retailer. Even higher, plan your meals with the intent of using the meals that’s in your fridge or pantry. You can also freeze leftovers to make use of one other day.” Lastly, retailer meals accurately to increase its life by utilizing the free FoodKeeper cell app from Foodsafety.gov.

The post Meals Information for Sustainability appeared first on Breaking News Today.

source https://daily247.net/food-guide-for-sustainability/

[elainerox4eva]

Just a pebble in the water Can set the sea in motion A simple act of kindness Can stir the widest ocean If we show a little love Heaven knows What we could change So throw a pebble in the water And Make a Wave #MakeAWave #DisneyFriendsForChange #Disney #FriendsForChange #ChildhoodMemories #LateNightMusic (at Symbiosis Infotech Campus)

[lyrics-code]

Make A Wave Lyrics – Demi Lovato with Joe Jonas

Make A Wave Lyrics – Demi Lovato with Joe Jonas

They say the beat of a butterflies wings, Can set off a storm the world away What if they’re right and the smallest of things Can power the strongest hurricane? What if it all begins inside? We hold the key that turns the tide [Chorus:] Just a pebble in the water (ohh) Can set the sea in motion (ohh) A simple act of kindness (ohh) Can stir the widest ocean If we show a little love Heaven knows…