#Could not decide on a set design for the backdrop for like 2 days it was not fun

[caged-dreamland]

🪞🌙☁️💜☁️✨🪞

I've been wanting to draw Meliora for a long while now, so I did a fun little piece of her for pose practice!

[sirenfromthelostcity]

Snowed In Part 2 [Modern! Mizu x Reader]

Ngl y’all I was really touched by the amount of ppl asking for the proposal scene lol. I was a little worried that maybe the blurb was like too fluffy but I'm really glad you guys liked it, ya big softies lol (but same). This came out a little longer than i anticipated but i was just adding some stuff to add to your relationship and i reeaaalllyy hope you guys like it <3 Also I think i might do one more lil part just to involve the rest of the crew and their reaction to the news so stay tuned for that as well.

Part 1!

Although your anniversary dinner plans were ruined by the snow, it was impossible to remain upset. After all how could one be upset when they're being comfortably held in the arms of their lover watching one of your favorite shows together?

Admittedly you did suggest your bedroom when Mizu asked if you wanted watch something after dinner but she was rather insistent on making it a living room activity. So there you both were, laid together on a makeshift bed of various pillows and blankets in the middle of your living room floor. The lights were low, Mizu was warm and the snowfall was the perfect romantic backdrop.

"Y'know," you started, "this day did not go how we had planned at all but honestly I can't imagine a better way to spend our anniversary together," you contentedly sighed.

"That makes two of us," Mizu snuggled you closer and planted a kiss on your head. "But the night isn't over yet."

She gently moved to get up from her position and you pouted at her for ending your cuddling session.

"I'm getting up to get your gift," she laughed.

"Oh right! I'll go get yours too." you quickly paused your show as you both retreated for your gifts.

Once both you and Mizu retrieved your gifts you both returned to your makeshift bed and sat across from each other. Mizu decided to go first and handed you a large gift bag. Your eyes widened in both joy and surprise as you pull out a designer bag that you've been trying to acquire for a long time.

"Oh my God, Mizu! This is sold out everywhere how did you get this?"

"I know people," she smugly shrugged her shoulders.

"Akemi?"

"Actually believe it or not... Taigen."

"Taigen?! You worked together with Taigen for my gift?" you eyes widened again. Mizu and Taigen weren't enemies per say but they definitely very easily got on each other's nerves, however it was mostly banter. Mostly.

"Yeah despite him being Taigen, he can be quite useful sometimes and I know how long you've been hunting for this bag."

"Oh honey, thank you. I really appreciate it and I love it," you lean towards her to give her a gentle kiss before putting the purse back in the gift bag and setting it aside.

Excitedly you reached for your gift and handed it to Mizu. It was a smaller bag and the first thing Mizu pulled out from it was her favorite perfume.

"I was just running low on this, thank you babe," Mizu smiled at you but you informed her there was one more gift for her in the bag. She dug back in and pulled out a small rectangular red velvet box. Carefully she opened it and in it was a beautiful gold heart pendant. She was in awe of the craftsmanship. You prompted her to flip it to the back and engraved on the heart read the words "Forever Yours" with your initials right below it.

“You have my heart," you said to her. "Promise to keep it safe?”

“With my life,” she looked back up at you. “Baby I love it thank you so much,” she practically leaped over from her spot to envelope you in a hug.

“I’m glad you like it,” you chuckled into the crook of her neck.

When Mizu broke away she quickly went to put on the necklace but you insisted on aiding her. With one hand she held up her long hair and turned to allow you access to put on the necklace. Once it was on she went to observe it again, as if she couldn’t stop admiring it.

“Can you take me to where you had this made so I can make one for you too?” She asked, still looking at the pendant.

"Really?" you asked, your excitement shinning though.

“Yeah,” she smiled at you. “I have your heart and I want you to have mine.”

Overjoyed at her words, you leaned in and kissed her both softly and ardently.

“I’d really like that too. I can take you next week yeah?”

Mizu nodded and leaned back in to continue the kiss. Passion flowed within you both and the kiss became needier. This time you took the initiative and without breaking the kiss you gently pushed Mizu to lie on her back. Your free hand reached to cradle Mizu's face, effectively deepening the kiss. Mizu almost allowed herself to get lost in it but when she felt the small ring box poke at her hip she was brought back to her objective . Gently, she broke free from the kiss.

"Is everything okay?" you asked, slightly alarmed.

"Yeah I just... have to use the bathroom."

"Oh okay," you rolled onto the side to allow Mizu to get up. "I'll wait for you to come back to continue the show."

"Nah no need. Continue without me I'll be quick," Mizu reached for the remote and pressed play on your show before seemingly heading towards the bathroom connected to your room.

In actuality Mizu just wanted you distracted and not focused on how long she'd be gone. She had all her materials for the proposal packed in two of her gym bags but she wanted it all to look perfect and that could take some time.

After about 15 minutes you started to get a little worried and when you tried to enter your room to access the bathroom you realized your room door is locked.

"Hey babe are you okay?” you knocked at the door.

“Yeah! I’m almost out just looking for something," Mizu tried to sound casual but her tone definitely sounded a little panicked which did nothing to ease your composure.

“Do you need help looking for it?”

“No it’s okay! I’ll be out soon.”

You did have a spare key for your room in case you were ever accidentally locked out of it. The thought did occur to you to go get it but something to just give Mizu a little more time. After about 5 more minutes, she finally comes out of your room.

“Found what you’re looking for?”

Mizu nodded. "I have one more surprise for you," from behind she pulled out a black blindfold and immediately you're intrigued.

"Well if it involves that blindfold then I'm liking it already."

Mizu laughed at your response before extending her hand to help you stand up. Carefully she wrapped the blindfold over your eyes and guided you into your shared room. Immediately you're greeted with warmer temperature and the soft scent of roses. Slowly Mizu removed the blindfold.

Your room was lit with strategically placed candles and littered with red and pink rose petals. Placed purposefully on the bed was a box of your favorite chocolate and a bouquet of your favorite flowers. The scene was so intimate and warm. You even caught sight of a small fire extinguisher so you know Mizu really thought this out.

"Oh my god, Mizu this is..." the remainder of your sentence got stuck on your throat when you turned to thank Mizu and saw her propped on one knee holding out a box with a diamond ring.

Immediately your eyes began to tear up, overcome with the realization of what was happening. Instinctively your hand went to cover your mouth but a small overjoyed sob managed to escape from you.

"(Y/N)," Mizu started with glossy eyes as she too struggled to hold back her happy tears. "I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. For a long time I didn't even think this kind of love was actually real, until I met you. I love waking up to you every single day and I've learned to love and appreciate life more since you've allowed me to enter yours. You just make me so fucking happy," she sniffled. "I didn't think it was possible to be as happy and feel as safe with being happy as you've made me feel. Being with you made me feel like I was so easy to love and I want to dedicate the rest of my life ensuring you feel the same way. Will you allow me the greatest honor imaginable, will you marry me?"

"Yes of course I'll marry you!" you cried and wrapped your arms around her in a fervent embrace.

You both cried into each other, so full of love and absolute happiness. You pulled back from the hug and leaned in to share your first kiss as an engaged couple. It was a salty kiss as the tears are still fresh on both of your faces but neither of you cared.

You extended your left hand to Mizu and she happily slid the ring onto your finger.

“Perfect fit,” she smiled.

“It’s so pretty,” you admired the gem, it truly did cater to your taste. “Babe, it’s perfect you made such a good selection.”

“I like to think I know you well enough to pick out a ring you’d like, now I’m glad to know I’m right,” she lightly chuckled as she snaked a hand around your waist and snuggled you closer to her.

“We’re engaged now,” you mumbled as Mizu started planting kisses on your temple, the feeling of euphoria still coursing through you. “You’re my fiancé.”

“And soon you’ll be my wife,” she added, grasping your left hand in hers and tenderly rubbing at your ring finger. “Then we‘ll just have forever together.”

“Forever together,” you whispered as you leaned into the crook of her neck. “I love the sound of that.”

A/N: if the ending looks a lil weird font wise is bc I had to copy from my notes app bc I had previously wrote something and it didn’t save on the draft 🙃. Ngl I’m feeling a bit iffy about this but i really hope you guys enjoyed the read! 💗

Edit: I forgot to say but feel free to change what Mizu gifts you, like if you’re not into designer bags then ofc yeah just substitute what you want. It’s kinda hard to write what gift to get you bc ppl are diff like not everyone is gonna like the same thing 😂

[redsugarx]

青白之魅 4: Set Design

1 Introduction & Presentation // 2 Background & Influences // 3 Hair & Makeup // 4 Set Design // 5 Clothes & Accessories // 6 Conclusion

I read yalls tags obsessively when you reblog these and they're so cute, tysm they are very encouraging :>

Thank you Bloomin Studio for this shot of the set before getting started!

The set took a lot of inspiration from Green Snake (1993). We set this up in Cujo’s living room, which was already equipped with a wide black backdrop and some lighting. Bloomin Studio was kind enough to bring their Chinese style side table, foam rock, smoke machine, and additional lighting.

In the movie, when the two sisters take human form and join human society, they create a full-blown mansion in an empty, desolate area using magic. When trying to reveal to Xu Xian the true nature of his wife, Fahai the monk calls the house an illusion, but it served its purpose as their home, so is it really “fake?” Who decides whether something is “real” or not, and how? This is part of the reason I wanted to construct the set from scratch, in someone’s living room—the idea that we could make something beautiful and complex happen in an unlikely place. 

(Unfortunately I do not have centuries of spiritual cultivation under my belt, so I had to buy things and set them up like a mortal.)

Behind the scenes, with Cujo handling Spirit, who's wound around Yulan's forearm :>

Bamboo

Green Snake (1993) screenshot, 10:25

The opening scenes of Green Snake (1993) take place in a bamboo forest. In an important foreshadowing, the monk Fahai chases a spider demon in human form through a bamboo forest. The spider demon has cultivated for two centuries—180 years longer than Fahai himself—in an effort to reincarnate, but Fahai takes his power away and traps him in a pot, because it goes against the natural order for a demon to take human form.

He goes on to attack the snake sisters, who are still in snake form, before he realizes that there is a pregnant woman giving birth in the forest, and the snakes are simply shielding her from the rain. This scene alone sets up the rest of the movie to question, what are the limits to what we consider human? What happens when we stop considering someone as human, and how far will someone go to be considered human? I find that these questions are very relevant to the world today, especially in the US right now.

In addition to being a vital building material throughout East Asia for the past, present, and future, bamboo holds significant cultural value as a plant that is thin and flexible, yet stronger than many brittle materials. It's one of the Four Gentlemen, representing the virtues an upstanding person should have—ideally, a well-read gentleman should be open-minded and flexible, yet enduring, just like bamboo.

梅蘭竹菊，趙少昂，1985，香港商報副刊 March 2022

Each plant of the Four Gentlemen represents a season. Bamboo represents the summer. Summer is the season during which the Dragon Boat Festival happens, a holiday also associated with snakes—the reveal of Bai Suzhen's snake form to Xu Xian happens during that festival, when they drink realgar wine (arsenic wine... controversial to say the least) to honor tradition, which is poisonous to snakes (possibly to people too??? who knows honestly).

In Green Snake (1993), Xiaoqing is the only one affected by the realgar wine because Bai Suzhen's cultivation is high enough that it's harmless to her.

We bought two pots of faux bamboo for our set. They’re a little questionable up close, but they look pretty realistic as part of the backdrop. Unfortunately real bamboo grows like nobody's business and comes with just... a whole host of problems that we weren't prepared to deal with during a one-day shoot, so we had to use artificial alternatives. Thankfully, Cujo (the super cool Snake Guy running Art of Scales) said he'd be able to use them, so they definitely didn't go to waste after the shoot :)

The bamboo came in not-so-pretty black plastic pots with a brick inside as a weight, so I brought a big semi-collapsible woven bamboo (bamboo squared! hahaha) basket, and stuck one of the plastic pots inside. It looked SO much better once you couldn't see the black plastic.

We also used Cujo’s bamboo screen as a structural layering piece. Dried bamboo was and still is one of the most common building materials you'd see in Asia, so the bamboo screen was perfect, not to mention it saved us the trouble of having to fly one down to SoCal since it was already there. It's made of a bunch of bamboo stalks tied together and can roll/unroll. Huge thanks to Cujo and also Kevin for fiddling with its shape to make it stand up on its own, that thing was heavy!

Water

Green Snake (1993) screenshot, 00:38

Snakes are traditionally associated with creation (Fuxi & Nuwa) and the element of water. Green Snake (1993) opens and ends with the visual of running water, with many important scenes taking place on a canal or by a lake. The original Legend of the White Snake is said to have taken place by the 西湖/xi1 hu2/West Lake in Hangzhou—the bridge on which Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen are said to have met is still there, and a popular attraction.

In the Peking Opera, Bai Suzhen refers to the lake several times as a symbol of the constance of nature: as conflict rises around her, she remarks on how similar the lake looks to that one day all those years ago when she first took human form and met Xu Xian. 

斷橋殘雪, Armstrong, William Collection, Historical Photographs of China, 1908-1910

To create the look of reflective water, we used Mylar mirror paper. It's a favorite of indoor photoshoots, especially in the Hanfu world—probably like 80% of hanfu studio photoshoots use it. The paper is super reflective and comes in a roll so that it can be spread out over the floor of the set, making it look like we’re lying on the surface of a peaceful lake.

Fabric

Green Snake 1993 diverges from the original legend a bit. There's an earlier scene where Xu Xian accidentally sees Xiaoqing's snake tail while the sisters are bathing and runs off in terror. In an attempt to hide themselves, the sisters hang up green silk, and tell him (when he comes back) that what he simply mistook fabric from their laundry flying in the wind as a snake tail (somehow this works, as male characters in Chinese stories tend to be dumb as hell).

Green Snake (1993) screenshot, 48:25

We bought copious amounts of misty white tulle to hang off the bamboo screen and trail across the mirror paper ground. It looked a lot like fog or the foam at the bottom of a waterfall, and it also helped cover the backdrop stand on the right. They were not silk, because once again We Had A Budget, but one of the pieces of fabric was printed with calligraphy, which was a nice touch.

Scrolls

We used two scrolls in this set: one is our standard 九雲閣 calligraphy scroll (that’s Cloud9 Pavilion in Chinese, jiu3 yun2 ge2) just as a fun little branding thing, and the other is a silk-mounted print of the 紅葉題詩仕女圖/红叶题诗仕女图/hong2 ye4 ti2 shi1 shi4 nv3 tu2/'Lady Inscribing Poetry on Red Leaves' by 唐伯虎 (Tang Bohu).

红叶题诗仕女图, 书法欣赏，February 2017

Writing poems on red leaves has a fair amount of symbolism behind it. 紅葉題詩—the image of a woman writing a poem on a red leaf—is a common trope in literature and Chinese paintings, and lots of poems and art pieces depict the same thing. There are a variety of stories associated with the action, mostly having to do with Tang Dynasty palace ladies under the rule of 唐玄宗 (Emperor Xuanzong), who only had eyes for 楊貴妃/杨贵妃 (Yang Guifei). One sadder version tells the story of the other neglected palace ladies writing poems expressing their yearning for freedom on red leaves and dropping them into the river, hoping that the current will carry them out of the Shangyang palace that they were not allowed to leave. Another category is a little cuter, describing chance meetings between lovers—people finding throwaway poems on red leaves and then later getting together, that sort of thing.

明 陈洪绶《题诗红叶图》, Sohu 2020 (another painting of the same trope)

I didn't really look into the story behind the painting until after the shoot, but I can see sort of a connection between the intent of this shoot and some elements of the stories described. Stories about the neglected palace ladies—who are said to have entered the palace at 16 and left at 60 (上陽白髮人, 白居易 Bai Juyi), never having seen the emperor's face once—are usually grievances against the emperor's favoritism of Yang Guifei, which is by extension a criticism of the emperor's rule (the decline of the Tang Dynasty's golden age happened under this guy so he gets a lot of shit for causing it).

I draw this back to the question of what it means to be seen as human��were the thousands of frankly unnecessary palace ladies seen as human in Xuanzong's eyes? What happens when someone is so 'high up,' whether politically or spiritually or whatever, that they cease to view other people as equally human? Should a system be upheld when it no longer serves its function in a changing environment?

Zhang Guo Having an Audience with Emperor Tang Xuangzong (張果见明皇), Wikimedia Commons, Yale University Press 2002

When I picked the painting, though, I didn't really consider all this; I mostly wanted to have a painting of a woman (common subject matter trope for painters, called 仕女圖/仕女图/shi4 nv3 tu2/'palace maid image', somewhere in the background. The Legend of the White Snake deals in the contrast of form versus essence, Green Snake (1993) even more so. The snake sisters take the form of women; does that make them women?

Fahai certainly didn't think so, until the end of the film, when he sees that Bai Suzhen has given birth to a healthy baby boy. There's a moment of cognitive dissonance—Fahai realizes that maybe Bai Suzhen really did become human by virtue of living and experiencing humanness. (To what extent does experience dictate identity, versus origin?) If she really became human, then Fahai has spent the better part of the entire movie killing a human, which is entirely opposite from when he thought he was acting righteously to uphold the natural order. He can't say that his actions were justified because he had good intentions—if good intentions trumped effect, then Bai Suzhen must be virtuous because her intentions were also innocent. This was a fascinating realization at the end of the movie.

Yulan as Bai Suzhen with lots of smoke in the background

I especially like this photo of Yulan as the White Snake (because I can get all Art Analysis with it). She's lying on the ground, reaching up towards the painting, like the woman illustrated on the scroll is the goal she is trying to reach. There's smoky haze in the background, and her hand is pinched in a lotus position, as if she is trying to catch the mist in her fingertips. Most notably, the position of her body hides the snake embroidery on her sleeve, but you can still see the tiniest hint of it through the sheer fabric.

Does the fact that she sees the form of a woman as her goal make her less of a woman, or does it actually validate her identity as one? (didn't mean it as a trans allegory when I started it but I guess it is now lol)

Umbrella

We got a grand total of like three shots with our oil paper umbrella, partially because we've had that thing for years and its opening mechanism is lowkey broken so it was really hard to get good poses with it. I'm glad we got at least one good picture with it though—it's a real oil paper umbrella that's waterproof and hand-threaded (even though the braking mechanism sheared off a while ago so it won't stay open unless you hold it there).

If my hand was not holding the umbrella up it would collapse :/

Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen meet in a scene known as 借傘/借伞/jie4 san3/'Borrowing the Umbrella," where Xu Xian lends Bai Suzhen his umbrella when it starts raining while they're on a boat. Bai Suzhen rejects it, saying she can't possibly take the umbrella from him (since he'd get wet), and sends Xiaoqing to give the umbrella back to him. They go back and forth like this until Xiaoqing takes both their hands and has them share the umbrella. When the sisters have to leave, Xu Xian lets them take the umbrella with them so they don't get rained on on the way back home—a clever flirtation setting up another chance to meet, since he has to go retrieve the umbrella from their home.

Other Stuff I Got That Doesn't Have Specific Symbolism:

Fake moss—looked very realistic! Clung to absolutely everything though, I still find it on my socks sometimes.

Various vases—went for dark-colored or greenish vases, some off Amazon and some from China. You'll notice that they're all empty, because they kept tipping over when I put fake flowers in them ;-;

Candles—these were Cujo's, shoutout to him running out the morning of to get new batteries for them! Super atmospheric :D

Fake rock & smoke machine—very popular for hanfu photoshoots, but not practical to get for one-time use, so we asked Bloomin Studio if they could bring theirs. They have lots of experience in producing and set design!

Fake flowers—I got SO MANY fake flowers and ended up using like. 3 branches of them ;-; Thankfully was able to gift most of those to Art of Scales & Bloomin Studio so I didn't have to cart them back up to NorCal.

Yeah ngl I used maybe like 60% of the stuff I bought for this shoot. In my defense I was buying props for like a good 3-4 months before it actually happened and retail therapy is Important to me.

Here is another behind the scenes shot :)

-

Okay this one was a bit shorter, partially because there were a lot of elements that I wanted to include that I unfortunately didn't end up having enough time to set up. I'll recap those on post 6. I am tired but I hope this was interesting :)

1 Introduction & Presentation // 2 Background & Influences // 3 Hair & Makeup // 4 Set Design // 5 Clothes & Accessories // 6 Conclusion

[charlesandmartine]

Tuesday 31st December 2024 the end

New Year's Eve

A cloudy start once again in downtown Balgowlah, but hopes of better things as the sun climbed, as was the case. It would have been a bit of a shame if the planned fireworks on the Bridge went off like damp squibs, especially as the authorities probably went for the deluxe selection box.

Understandably, we decided to have a relaxing morning before gearing up for the excitement of the Opera, fireworks, and very late and possibly difficult journey home afterwards. The biggest problem we could foresee might be that our formal wear, slightly more appropriate for societal occasions such as the SOH, and hitherto been tucked away for the entire trip in suitcase 2, may turn out, when tried on, to have somewhat shrunk during their time of isolation and require us to lose half a stone by the evening. It happens.

Well, worry no further. The required ensembles were retrieved from their solitude, creases ironed out, and apart from the odd additional bulge, fitted extremely well. Martine looked a million dollars, and I, well, at least I wasn't wearing shorts!

The 173x wisked us away to the city where we had our priorities. One to get a meal down us, and two, not to get it 'down' us on the glad rags.

The whole of Sydney city centre up from CQ was shutting down from 15.00. Tannoy messages spookily booming down at us around the streets like something out of 1984, warning us of street closures and no possible entry to the CQ area. We found our burger bar (best burgers in Sydney) with the assurance that we would be able to get to the head of the queue for SOH.

I don't think I was quite prepared for the system designed to so strictly enable but control entrance to the Opera House. I would like to describe it as organised chaos, but that would be overstating the level of organisation. There were people absolutely everywhere; many outside of the SOH who had camped overnight to ensure a great view. Numbers were by ticket, but there were hundreds of thousands who had postioned themselves in the bars, restaurants, the steps to the House, and all around its perimeter. Somehow, alost impossibly, this was controlled by a small army of security personnel. There was a queue to go past the portals and into the Concert Hall itself, then up the normally empty stairs to join another ziggy zaggy queue that had an unclear purpose other than it was something to do and it was a queue afterall. Some were dragged away from the queue because they should have been by then tucking into their pre-show meal and were in the wrong queue entirely. Those that remained, including us, bemused, eventually found that we were there to collect our colour coded wristband, that was to indicate which location we could watch the fireworks from. I asked a member of staff if they'd done it this way before. No, she said. Eventually, we made it to the front and were presented with an envelope with a couple of lilac wristbands. A quizzical soothsayer might seek the truth by asking, couldn't some of these been issued with the tickets when they were collected 2 days ago, or even issued when your right of passage had been assured? Well, eventually, we all shuffled through this crazy process and emerged into the light of the deserted theatre bar and podium. A glass or two of fizz, standing on the western podium with the magnificent backdrop that is Sydney Harbour, and all was forgotten, watching the sun setting beyond the CBD and with the expectation of the gala show to come. We were here again, and that was all that mattered.

The gala show was amazing, with works by Mozart, Strauss, Bernstein, Puccini, Gluck, Bizet, banging out those huge arias such as from Magic Flute, Cosi Fan Tutte, Barber of Seville, Carmen, La Boheme. Fantastic, then it was out to see fireworks. There is a bit of a practice at 9 pm when they have a short display, which always coincides with the interval. But as the clock ticked, the last moments of 2024 leaked away, perhaps wasted in the anticipation of the main display to come, or maybe the desire to get home and go to bed, either way destiny was determined to mark a new chapter, the turning of the page. Consequently, as the seconds display counted down on the port bridge tower, someone, somewhere, with a shaky hand, struck the first match, on the first strike of midnight. Coloured lights spread instantly across the skies; Sydney Harbour Bridge ablaze with a myriad display of combustion and the first to herald in a new year. Whether Sydney's fireworks are any better or worse than London, Paris, or New York is a matter of opinion, but for us, this is such an iconic place that we love very much, that we would not wish to be anywhere else. The fireworks thundered around Circular Quays and I have to say, with the atmosphere of the massive crowd, the gasps of surprise, and screams of approval, explosions in front of us from the bridge, explosions above us across the sails of SOH, the golden curtain of fire from the length of the bridge, it was the best display I've ever seen, probably!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! HAPPY 2025!

[vibrantbirdy]

Pursuit: A Ben Solo Star Wars Story - Chapter 2

Title: Pursuit Fandom: Star Wars: Skywalker Saga Genres: Sci-Fi, Action/Adventure, Romance Setting: Post The Rise of Skywalker (Ben Solo lives!) Chapter: 2/? Main Character: Ben Solo (Kylo Ren) Warnings: Canon-typical violence, adventure peril, minor angst; mild consensual sexuality; any further warnings will be specified by chapter Main Pairings: Ben Solo/OC Author's Note: This is my first fic in probably 15 years and I really welcome any comments and advice, but please be constructive. :)

Pinned Post: Please find all completed chapters of Pursuit here.

Read: Chapter 1 first.

Summary: Three years after surviving events on the planet Exegol, Ben Solo is carving out a solitary life for himself in the New Republic against the backdrop of reconstruction. His pursuance of quiet redemption is interrupted when a new threat to the Galaxy emerges from an old and terrifying enemy. With the help of new friends and unlikely allies, Ben must set out into Wild Space to defeat the darkness rising and put his own demons to rest once and for all.

Chapter 2 (Word Count: 4264)

Ben was trying to concentrate on his pre-flight checks. Cargo and passengers – just the two heading to Naboo this time – were loaded, and they'd been given their time slot to leave the port's hanger.

But his vision the previous night, the loss of control he'd experienced, and now the appearance of this child who was clearly strong with the Force had unnerved him to the point of distraction.

If he was struggling to stabilise his own connection to the Force with an Inquisitor out there seemingly searching for him, was it really safe for the girl to be travelling with him?

But then, leaving the pair stranded in the Outer Rim seemed unconscionable. At the very least, he decided, he could ferry them further in to civilisation. With the New Republic still on post-war high alert, even an Inquisitor at the height of their power would struggle to reach as far as the Mid Rim alone. Especially to a planet like Naboo.

Ben had to admit, it would be nice to have some company too. As the New Republic continued to re-establish itself, the numbers of refugees fleeing from previously occupied First Order territories had started to dwindle. This was objectively a positive thing but much to his own surprise, Ben found himself missing the days when the Swift had been filled to the gunnels with all sorts of people.

Under Snoke's tutelage, Kylo Ren had spent little time learning how to negotiate the emotions of others. Blinded by his pursuit of absolute power, he'd had little need or care to do so. But Ben Solo, still in the early stages of rebuilding his connection with the Light Side of the Force, had found his first few times piloting his little freighter packed with war-weary passengers overwhelming.

Ben had struggled to manage the complex mixture of emotions - pain, grief, anger, jubilation, love, hope - which the refugees had carried with them. It was as if his humanity, lain dormant in hibernation for so many years, was slowly crawling up out of the black pit of the Dark Side. Vulnerable and confused, he simply could not cope with the cacophony of feelings that flooded his senses and threatened to drown him.

Then, little by little, Ben had relearned his own place within the great balance of the Force. How to wield it as something other than a weapon, how to use it for something other than power and selfish designs.

He had meditated on the memories he held of his youth before Snoke had stolen it away from him. He remembered a party he had attended as a child where his father made his mother laugh so raucously the punch she'd been drinking burst out of her nose; the death of a close friend who had lost control of his speeder and crashed it into a tree; his adventures as a Padawan with Luke as they travelled the Galaxy together; sneaking a clumsy kiss with Lyana Krinn behind the Jedi temple on Ossus; climbing trees as a boy with Uncle Chewie.

The perpetual cycle of life and death and all that lay in between. And always, always, the Force holding it all together, maintaining eternal, constant balance.

Now, Ben was mostly able to allow the emotions of others – both good and bad – to flow over him like river water running a natural course. It was a far cry from the uncontrollable torrent he'd struggled to manage at first. And despite living a mostly solitary existence, despite the guilt in knowing his own culpability in what he saw, he had come to enjoy the occasions when he was invited to share in the stories of old-timers and the rekindled hopes of families travelling onward to start their new lives.

But the two passengers he now had onboard the Swift were a strange pair. They were running, but it wasn't just from the aftermath of the war. This was something different.

The girl, Tallah, was strong with the Force, although Ben suspected that she had no idea that this was where her abilities sprung from. Her connection to the Force was powerful, but she had little control over it. Upon their meeting, the girl's probing of his feelings had been so forceful and unrestrained that Ben had felt the need to actively, albeit gently, push back against her searching.

He was certain that his new passengers hailed from beyond the Outer Rim, from Wild Space where Force sensitivity on many planets was often misunderstood as magic.

Yet when he had taken Ada's hand in greeting, she had met his gaze confidently, almost challengingly, and with such fierce intelligence that Ben knew immediately she could not be afraid of her niece's abilities. In fact, he held the distinct impression that she was not much afraid of anything save failing the girl in some way.

Ben did not make a habit of using the Force to probe further into strangers' business than necessary. He seldom felt the need to do it and it always left a bitter taste in his mouth. It forced him to confront how, as Kylo Ren, he had barrelled his way uninvited into the minds of others. He'd exerted the Force like an unrelenting battering ram, violently smashing though his victims' mental walls and taking whatever information he'd needed...or wanted.

With Ada, Ben hadn't been able to resist reaching out deftly, unobtrusively with the Force. She had clearly suffered much and was riddled with grief, anger, and doubt. But there was also courage, strength, determination, and a fierce love burning incandescently at the very centre of her being.

Unnervingly, as if she could sense him thinking about her, Ada suddenly poked her head through into the cockpit.

“Hey, need us to get strapped in?” She asked, brightly.

Ben marvelled inwardly at her composure given his new knowledge of the tumult of emotion roiling within her.

Her oval face had softened somewhat, the stress of ushering an excitable child through a busy space port now behind her. She was probably around the same age as Ben, maybe in her late twenties or early thirties. Her long red hair was tucked behind one ear and now cascaded in loose waves around her shoulders rather than knotted at the back of her head as it had been when they'd met. She wore casual travelling clothes – black leggings, a mauve long-sleeved top, and comfy looking but sturdy boots.

“Just about there,” he answered, “Why don't you and Tallah come and sit in the cockpit?”

“Thanks,” Ada nodded and her rosy lips drew up into a warm smile before she disappeared again.

Ben blew air into his cheeks before giving a long exhale. Since meeting Ada, he'd been trying, unsuccessfully, to ignore his attraction to her. But he'd already noticed how when she smiled, her dainty, turned-up nose scrunched up at the motion and how her eyes, the same green blue of the Great Lake on Naboo, seemed to sparkle. When she moved anywhere near him, the intoxicating scent of some aromatic wild flower he couldn't remember the name drifted off her bronze hair and filled his head.

Her presence had unbalanced him and it was maddening.

Ben's transient and solitary lifestyle meant that forming relationships, romantic or otherwise, was difficult. On occasional journey stop-overs, he'd entered into overnight flings with a temporary lover looking for the same thing – a physical release – but nothing more than that.

Besides, it frightened him, this idea that if he gave himself over to someone completely they might one day find out what...who he had been. Or maybe they wouldn't and he'd be too cowardly to admit his past. He'd keep it entombed away forever like something undead scratching to get out, deception eating away at him because he'd know the truth.

Worst of all, Ben couldn't shake the suspicion that anyone he formed a bond with would, over time, fall into the creeping realisation that there was just something wrong with him, a lingering, dormant darkness that he himself couldn't be certain he would ever be completely rid of.

At least Rey had already known the worst of him.

He suddenly thought of that desperate kiss he and Rey had stolen on Exegol at her return from the brink of death. A moment of pure, innocent jubilation. The kiss had reawakened Ben Solo's mind and spirit once and for all.

Yet as soon as the first breaths of new life had filled Rey's lungs, Ben had felt the abrupt absence of their Dyad like a blaster bolt to the heart. Their unique connection through the Force had dissipated and once that had been stripped away, Ben had suddenly understood that while his love for Rey was very real, it would forever be marred and sullied and twisted up in the actions he had taken as Kylo Ren. In truth, Ren had desired Rey's power just as much as he had desired her.

Ben was ushered back to the present by the sound of Ada's voice calling Tallah's name through the ship. Usually, Ben had his passengers buckle up for take-off in the common area of the ship. Then, once out of orbit, they were free to move about the Swift as they wished. But with only the two passengers this time, and knowing Tallah was excited about the journey, it made sense that they join him in the cockpit.

The flight was hopefully going to be a pretty straight forward in any case. Ben had done it many times over the past three years. Once they'd left Exeus' orbit, they would jump to light speed and ride the hyper lanes most of the way to Naboo. They'd need a few stops here and there to rest the old ship's engines of course.

Ben sighed and patted the Swift's cockpit dashboard fondly before locking in their course on the nav computer in front of him. He flicked the engine start switch and smiled at the familiar sound of the Swift roaring to life vibrated through him. By the Force, he loved that noise. He grabbed the com device from its station above his head and spoke into it.

“Exeus Control this is Allanar N4 freighter, Swift. All systems are operating within normal parameters and we are ready to disembark when cleared to do so.��

*********************************************************************

Tallah had been entranced when Ben first jumped the Swift to light speed. Her stomach had done somersaults and the sensation had been so sudden and so strange that it had made her laugh. She'd never seen anything more beautiful than the rainbow flashes of light streaking past them outside. What were they, she wondered? Planets, moons, stars...maybe even other ships? Maybe even leviathan creatures she'd only heard about in Ada's stories?

Despite Ada's assurances that Ben's vessel was really quite small compared to other ships, Tallah couldn't see how this could possibly be true. The Swift was like a house in space. There was a large communal living room and kitchen area behind the cockpit. A long passageway ran right down the middle of the ship, connecting the cockpit and communal space to the cargo bay at the rear, with rooms sprouting off each side.

There were four sleeping quarters located off the main corridor. The smaller two were located near the front of the ship and were occupied by Ben and Tallah and Ada. The larger two were at the back and currently empty but they could sleep up to six people each. In the middle of the vessel was a large shower room and a smaller communal area opposite which Ben appeared to use mainly for overflow storage.

Tallah had been enjoying running up and down the ship's arterial passageway for a good half-hour, enjoying the satisfying thud of her boots on the metal floor, when Ada called her through for dinner. Ben apologised that it was only some sort of vacuum packed stew, but Tallah found that she was starving and she wolfed it down gratefully.

Afterwards, they settled down in the living area to play a game of Dejarik. Ben taught them the rules and despite neither of them playing before, Ada won. Ben's confused expression when Ada's last standing holo champion had felled his own made Tallah giggle. She wasn't surprised in the slightest. It was typical of her aunt - she was always the smartest person in the room.

It was a small source of frustration for Tallah that her gift no longer appeared to work on Ben. It was odd, but now when she tried to read his emotions all she could feel was a constant wall of energy, like a forcefield.

Still, even without her abilities, Tallah sometimes caught a distant, far-off look in his eyes as if he was lost in deep memory and she couldn't help but wonder about that hint of mysterious darkness she'd felt when they'd first met.

Despite this, she decided that she liked their pilot. There was a reserved strength about him that made Tallah feel safe. He also had flashes of quiet humour, sometimes playfulness. He'd even let her push a few buttons in the Swift's cockpit. Then he'd picked her up and stood her on his shoulders so that she could get a good look through the glass roof hatch.

Now, Tallah was curled up contentedly in a corner of one of the functional green couches in the communal living area. Across the caff table, Ben and Ada sat talking quietly on the opposite sofa. In Tallah's opinion, their discussion was relatively boring as many adult conversations tended to be, but their voices mingled with her exhaustion to lull her into a pleasant stupor.

Her head grew heavy and it became more and more difficult to keep her eyes open. She thought she might close them, rest them, just for a second.

*********************************************************************

When Tallah opened her eyes again it was dark. And she was so cold. She sat up slowly and the blackness around her seemed to go on forever. But in the distance was a red, eerily familiar glow and heavy footsteps growing closer and closer and louder and louder.

Tallah jumped to her feet, her stomach knotted in dread. She wanted to run but her fear rooted her to the spot. She didn't know where she would go even if she could move. She could see him drawing near now, huge and hulking and shrouded in black. The fiery duel blade he always carried was extended out in front of him grasped in a massive, outstretched claw.

Eyes squeezed shut, Tallah reached out with her mind, trying to push through her fear and connect with her gift. Sometimes she felt that if she just concentrated enough she could use it to protect her, that she might be able to harness all that energy surrounding her to push all the bad things away. But it was no use, her efforts were met with a grotesque emptiness and a dead, dull silence which rang paradoxically loud inside her head.

“Ren!” the man suddenly sneered, stopping abruptly and wheeling away from her.

Tallah had never heard his voice before. It was unexpectedly smooth and clear. It might even have been pleasant had it not dripped with venom and malice.

She looked in the direction he was now moving in. He was storming away from her across the darkness. And there, in the gloom, was another person. It was a tall figure who, at the approach of Tallah's nightmarish pursuer, stamped his right foot hard against the ground, widening his stance in challenge. As he did so, a blue beam of light burst from the weapon hilt grasped in his hand. As the laser sword was raised, it hummed and sang and the icy glow of the blade illuminated the newcomer's face.

Ben.

Why had the man with the red sword called him Ren? Tallah was sure that's what he had said. His words, their pronunciation sharpened by hatred, had been clear enough. But this was definitely Ben.

All the same, he did seem different. He was breathing heavily and his expression was so fierce and wild it frightened her. Any gentleness she'd seen in his face was gone. He looked like a different man than the one who had sat across the Dejarik board from her earlier that evening.

“Ben?” Tallah's voice was quiet and small and she hated how young and scared it made her sound.

Ben whirled around to face her. His face was suddenly uncertain, eyes alight with what Tallah realised was the beginnings of panic. It was obvious he'd had no idea that she was even there there.

Distracted and unbalanced by his surprise, Ben allowed the man with the red blade to advance far too far before taking defensive action. A clumsy, ill-timed block granted the giant a dominant position as their weapons clashed, and leverage enough to push Ben's blistering weapon against his own left shoulder.

A furious growl of pain escaped through Ben's gritted teeth, but Tallah was relieved to see that it was what he needed to start him moving again. He threw his weight forward and upwards, at the same time delivering a powerful kick to his opponent's left hip which sent him stumbling backwards.

Now with the advantage, Ben twirled his weapon in his hand before unleashing a series of powerful attacks, forcing his adversary to block and evade.

Tallah was mesmerised by the colours, the noise, the swirling, fluid motions of the duelling combatants. She started to advance slowly towards them, feeling suddenly hypnotised.

Before she even realised what was happening, a burst of energy hit her painfully hard in the chest, sending her flying backwards into the blackness.

She caught a final glimpse of Ben. His weapon was raised high above his head as he countered another torrid attack but his eyes, resolute, were locked on her, and his free hand was outstretched towards her.

Ben had pushed her away, Tallah realised. He was gifted like her.

And then she was falling down, down, down. The electric clashing of weapons growing fainter until, finally, she heard and saw no more.

**********************************************************************

“Ada.”

A little voice in the dark had been saying Ada's name quietly, but it was becoming more and more insistent and harder to ignore.

“Ada!”

"Wh...what is it?” Ada asked, her voice slurred with sleep. She rolled over to face the direction of the voice.

“Ben's having my nightmare.”

Tallah's words were so strange and so full of fear that Ada sat up with a start, suddenly wide awake. Was her niece using her gift to probe other people's dreams now? They'd have to talk about that later.

Still, as Ada became fully aware of her surroundings, she realised that even if this were true, you didn't need to be psychic to know that their pilot was in distress. She could hear him groaning and thrashing about from his quarters on the other side of the hallway.

“He's dreaming about the man with the red sword,” Tallah whispered so abruptly, so sharply, it made Ada jump.

“What do you mean, Tallah?” she asked, an edge to her voice that she didn't intend.

Tallah just shook her head, blanket tucked up to her chin.

“Ok,” Ada said more gently, “Stay here.”

She got up and padded across the room to their bedroom door. She stepped out into the passageway, the main arterial thoroughfare which ran through the little freighter. A sharp intake of breath escaped her as the cold durasteel of the grated metal floor met her bare feet.

Ada expected Ben's door to be locked, but it hissed open without complaint as she passed her hand over the access control panel. Ben was shirtless, sheets and blankets discarded and tangled around his legs. Although it was freezing in his quarters, his muscular torso shone with perspiration which also beaded on his forehead. Strands of unkempt raven hair were plastered to his temples.

Ben's large frame hardly fit into the little bed. One long leg was jutting out at an odd angle and the opposite right arm was flush vertical against the wall. It might have been comical under different circumstances.

At first, Ada didn't know what to do. This seemed like such an intrusion, but she felt compelled to try and wake Ben. The man was clearly suffering from a terrible nightmare. He was tossing and turning violently, mumbling and giving out occasional grunts of...pain? Terror? Anger? Ada didn't know.

“Ben...” she whispered.

She was desperate for him to open his eyes and she reached out hesitantly towards his shoulder. Before she could touch him, he sat bolt upright with a shout and snatched up her arm in a painful grip.

Startled, Ada gasped and tried to pull away, falling off the side of the bed in the process. She landed hard on her bottom with an unceremonious thud, arm still caught up in Ben's grasp.

Ben's eyes were dark and wild, scanning the room for something she couldn't see. He didn't seem to register her existence at all. Ada used her free hand in a futile attempt to prise open the vice-like grip on her arm. It was no use. Ben's massive hand had wrapped itself around her wrist and was set like iron.

“Ben!” she half-shouted in pain.

He looked at her then, recognition dawning slowly on his stricken, confused face. Immediately, his grip loosened.

“...Ada?” Ben's deep voice was hushed and uncertain.

As if she weighed nothing at all, he gently lifted her one-handed back up onto the side of the bed next to him. Once she was seated again, he finally let go of her arm.

“I'm sorry,” he apologised, more composed, “Did I hurt you?”

Ben's eyes were now rich amber in the subdued light. They narrowed, searching her face intently.

“No,” Ada lied, feeling the bruise start to form under her skin already. “No, I'm fine,” and she quickly released her wrist which she had unconsciously started to cradle.

Suddenly, Ben seemed so close to her. She was sure he could probably see each individual freckle on the bridge of her nose. She could feel the heat radiating off him, his broad shoulders rising and falling with each breath. He wore a crestfallen expression that made him look like a lost little boy, even with the dark stubble on his face.

“It's alright, Ben,” Ada said softly, “really, it's alright.”

She placed a hand on his warm chest instinctively, a natural act of comfort. Closing her eyes, Ada felt the big man's heartbeat begin to slow under her palm as he calmed. The rhythmic thump became sonorous and steady in the dim quiet until it was all she could feel, all she could hear. Her eyes flickered open to find Ben looking at her intently.

Ben took her arm, finally braking his gaze to look down at her sore wrist. He lightly ran his finger tips over the tender skin. At his soft touch, Ada felt something electric course, unbidden, through her whole body. Simultaneously, impossibly, the pain in her arm seemed to dull, just ever so slightly.

It had been some time since a man had touched her like that and she couldn't deny that she was intrigued by this one in a way she hadn't felt for a long while. It made her realise how intimate the situation was...they were strangers after all.

Shivering unexpectedly, Ada looked down at her night shift. Her cheeks grew hot as it dawned on her that she really wasn't wearing very much. Looking up, she saw with an unexpected rush of pleasure that Ben's eyes had followed her own downwards and were resting on her body. He raised his gaze a millisecond too late, and his face flushed endearingly at the realisation he'd been caught.

“You're cold,” he mumbled looking away quickly, though Ada caught the half smile on his face.

He grabbed a blanket from the foot of the bed and wrapped it around her bare shoulders.

“Thank you,” she said drawing the soft material close and enjoying the masculine scent of it. Of him.

It was something heady that reminded her of Endor pines. Not that she'd ever been to Endor, but timber from the forest moon was exported all across the Galaxy, even to the planets beyond the Outer Rim. The wood was attractive and sturdy for building and other natural extracts were renowned for their therapeutic properties. She wondered if Ben had ever been there.

“You were having a nightmare...” Ada started, forcing herself to concentrate. She didn't really know what to say next but decided she had to forge ahead anyway.

“Ben, I don't mean to intrude but Tallah.. said something strange,” The words were tumbling from her mouth now. “She said you were in her nightmare...that you were both dreaming about the man with the red sword.”

“Tallah's dreamt of the man with the red lightsaber before?” Ben asked, body tensing, his tone suddenly filled with a sense of urgency that made Ada anxious.

Lightsaber. She'd never connected that monster of a man with the Jedi Order. Why would a creature like that be carrying such a weapon? But what else could that flaming, terrible blade be except a lightsaber?

“It's not a dream,” Ada replied gravely.

She decided there and then that she had no real choice but to trust Ben.

“It's a memory.”

[strattonxpressions]

Kylie Wong

1. Name, Year, Major, and Hometown

Kylie Wong, 4th Year Design & Psychology, San Francisco

2. What is your earliest childhood memory? 

taking swim lessons as a toddler and being deathly afraid of water

3. What’s stopping you?

my chronic dehydration

4. What is something about yourself that you’re proud of?

drinking water at least once a day

5. If you could have any one question answered truthfully, what would it be?

why do we need to drink water to live

6. Who is your celebrity/fictional crush? 

singer of waterfall - b.i aka kim hanbin

7. How would you spend your ideal birthday? 

go to beach and not drink a single drop of water

8. What food that starts with the first letter of your name would you only eat for the rest of your life?

kalguksu (noodles in soup which is basically water)

9. What’s one niche interest you have that you must share with the world?

my love hate relationship with water

10. What is a memory with your closest friend and how does it exemplify your friendship together and how you value friendship as a whole (250 words minimum)

One of my fondest memories with my closest friend is from our trip to Busan, a beautiful coastal city known for its beaches and vibrant culture. We arrived at Haeundae Beach just as the sun began to set, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink. The rhythmic sound of waves crashing against the shore was the perfect backdrop for our evening.

We spent hours walking along the beach, barefoot in the sand, sharing stories and dreams under the starlit sky. The cool ocean breeze carried our laughter across the water, creating a moment that felt both timeless and serene. We decided to write our hopes for the future in the sand, watching as the waves gently washed them away, a reminder that life, like the ocean, is always in motion, constantly reshaping and renewing itself.

Our friendship is like the ocean—vast, deep, and ever-flowing. Just as water adapts to the shape of its surroundings, our relationship has effortlessly adjusted to the ebbs and flows of life. It is steady and reliable, yet dynamic and full of surprises, much like the tides that come and go but always return.

This memory exemplifies our friendship in its purest form: supportive, joyful, and deeply connected. It reflects how we value our time together, cherishing each moment and finding beauty in the simple pleasures of life. Our ability to be fully present with each other, to listen and understand without judgment, underscores the strength of our bond. Friendship, like water, is essential to life, nourishing the soul and sustaining us through all seasons.

[sleepyridgeweddings]

How to Choose the Best Venue for Your Wedding Reception Ceremony: Expert Tips

One of the maximum critical choices you may make during the marriage preparation manner is wherein to keep your reception rite. The perfect vicinity creates a room that both suits your guests and represents your personality, placing the temper on your celebrations. Finding the perfect venue that fits your taste, budget, and number of guests is very important, and we at Sleepy Ridge Weddings know how important it is. These professional suggestions will assist you in selecting the ideal location for your wedding reception ceremony.

1. Examine the Location

The location is crucial when choosing a venue. You should pick a location that works for you and your visitors. Consider ease of transit, accessibility, and the hotels' proximity for guests from out of town. Selecting a location like Sleepy Ridge Weddings, which offers breathtaking scenery and landscapes, can make for a lovely backdrop for your wedding reception ceremony if you're having a destination wedding.

Take into account the ambiance of the neighborhood around the venue as well. While metropolitan venues could offer convenience and excitement, rural locations might be more suitable if you're seeking for a quiet, private encounter.

2. Establish a spending plan

Make sure you have a clear budget before you begin touring places. This allow you to recognition your search and ensure you don't fall in love with a location that is too high-priced. Remember that the price of the venue generally covers the usage of the room, catering, and extras like linens, tables, and chairs.

With Sleepy Ridge Weddings' adjustable pricing alternatives, couples can pick out a package that fits their wishes. You can decide what's protected and what might be a further expense through talking about your budget up the front together with your venue.

3. Capacity of Visitors

One of the essential factors to take into account when choosing a venue on your wedding reception ceremony is the various variety of visitors. Your location have to be able to accommodate your visitor list without feeling too small or empty.

The roomy wedding reception ceremony space at Sleepy Ridge Weddings can accommodate a range of guest numbers, from small get-togethers to grand parties. It's crucial to inquire about the venue's capacity restrictions and the kinds of seating configurations that are possible. Overestimating the number of guests on your list could make them uncomfortable during the event.

4. Ambiance and Style of the Venue

The venue's design should supplement your wedding ceremony's subject. Make sure the place suits the subject of your party, whether or not it's a modern-day and stylish setting, a rustic barn, or a traditional, amazing ballroom. You and your visitors could have a better time if the surroundings is ideal.

From formal and elegant to laid-back and rustic, Sleepy Ridge Weddings offers a flexible venue that can be readily altered to fit any wedding style. The location provides choices to personalize the appearance and atmosphere of your wedding reception ceremony, whether your vision is an inside event or a fairy-tale outdoor setting.

5. Look for Amenities That Are Available

Numerous locations provide extra features to help your wedding reception ceremony go well. In-house lighting, audio-visual equipment, food, and even a bridal suite are features of some locations. By removing the need to find providers individually, these facilities can help you save time and money.

All the necessary facilities are available on-site at Sleepy Ridge Weddings, such as first-rate cuisine choices, sound systems for speeches and music, and exquisitely furnished rooms. Inquire with your venue planner about any unique features or services they provide, including a picture booth, outside drinking areas, or an integrated dance floor.

6. Make Several Visits to the Location

Plan a second or even third visit to the location after you've reduced your options so you can get a sense of how it feels. This will allow you to visualize the location of your wedding reception ceremony and see it under various lighting conditions or at various times of day.

To examine how they handle the flow of attendees, food, and entertainment, it's also a good idea to visit the location during a comparable event (with permission, of course). To make sure they are completely happy with their choice, Sleepy Ridge Weddings invites couples to take several tours of the location.

7. Take the Season into Consideration

Your choice of location will be greatly influenced by the season. Make sure the location has air conditioning or enough of shade if the wedding is being held outside during the summer. Inquire about the heating system for winter weddings to ensure your guests are comfortable.

Availability may also be impacted by seasonality. It's essential to start exploring early, specifically if you have a particular season or date in thoughts, as popular wedding venues frequently e book months or maybe years in advance. At Sleepy Ridge Weddings, we arrange weddings all yr spherical, considering the numerous seasons to make sure you and your guests are cushty.

8. Parking and Accessibility

All guests, including those with disabilities, must be able to access the location of the wedding reception ceremony. Verify if the location has elevators, wheelchair accessibility, or any other required adjustments.

Another important consideration is parking. Consider using valet services or setting up shuttle transportation for visitors if your venue is situated in an area with a shortage of parking spaces. All of your guests may park in plenty at Sleepy Ridge Weddings, so transportation is never a problem.

In conclusion

Finding the ideal location for your wedding reception ceremony might be difficult, but with these professional suggestions, you'll be well on your way. Make sure the location, amenities, style, and policies match your needs and vision before selecting Sleepy Ridge Weddings or another venue. You may locate a location that will offer the perfect setting for your remarkable event with careful thought and preparation.

[aksharaentertainments-1]

How to Choose the Perfect Wedding Theme for Your Special Day

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life, and selecting the perfect theme can make it even more magical. A well-chosen wedding theme reflects your personality, love story, and vision for your special day. With the help of experienced professionals like the Best Wedding Decorators in Hyderabad, you can bring your dream wedding to life. Here’s a step-by-step guide to choosing the ideal theme for your big day.

1. Understand Your Style and Preferences

Start by considering what you and your partner love. Do you prefer a classic and elegant ambiance, or do you want something more casual and fun? Look for inspiration in your hobbies, favorite colors, and memorable experiences as a couple. For instance:

A nature-loving couple might choose a garden or rustic theme.

If you both love traveling, a destination wedding theme could be perfect.

Making a list of what you love will narrow down your choices and set the foundation for your wedding theme.

2. Consider the Venue

The venue plays a significant role in deciding the theme. A beachfront venue suits a tropical theme, while a historic building is perfect for a vintage or classic wedding. Hyderabad offers several venues that can accommodate a variety of themes. Whether it’s an indoor banquet hall or an outdoor garden setting, consult the Best Flower Decorators in Hyderabad to create the right atmosphere. They can work with your chosen venue to design stunning floral arrangements that complement your theme.

3. Set Your Budget

Your budget will influence the scale of your decorations and arrangements. Some themes, like luxurious ballroom weddings, require significant investment, while minimalist or DIY weddings can be more budget-friendly.

Work closely with planners or decorators to understand where to allocate your funds effectively. The Best Wedding Decorators in Hyderabad can offer tailored packages that fit your budget while maintaining high-quality designs.

4. Incorporate Personal Touches

Make your wedding theme unique by adding personal elements. For example:

Include photos or mementos from your relationship journey.

Use a color palette that holds special meaning for you both.

Create a theme based on shared interests like books, movies, or art.

Adding these touches makes your wedding more memorable and heartfelt for your guests.

5. Focus on Color Schemes

Colors are essential in setting the mood for your wedding. Soft pastels are ideal for a romantic vibe, while bold colors like red and gold add a regal touch. Discuss your color choices with your decorators to ensure the overall decor aligns with your theme. Skilled professionals like the Best Flower Decorators in Hyderabad can blend the right colors into your floral arrangements, backdrops, and table settings.

6. Think About Guest Experience

Your wedding theme isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s also about creating a joyful experience for your guests. Interactive elements like photo booths, live music, or themed food stations can enhance the ambiance. If you’re planning other celebrations such as a pre-wedding party, consider hiring experts like Birthday Party Organizers & Planners in Hyderabad to add flair and fun to your event.

7. Stay True to Your Vision

While it’s essential to consider trends, don’t feel pressured to follow them if they don’t resonate with you. Your wedding theme should reflect your story and what feels meaningful to you. Trust your instincts and communicate your vision clearly to your decorators and planners.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the perfect wedding theme takes time, creativity, and careful planning. By considering your preferences, venue, budget, and guest experience, you can create a day that’s truly unforgettable. Collaborating with professionals like the Best Wedding Decorators in Hyderabad and the Best Flower Decorators in Hyderabad ensures that every detail aligns with your vision.

Start planning your dream wedding today, and watch as your special day unfolds into a magical celebration of love!

[lisardrew]

Happy Valentine's Day Nails: Inspirational Romantic Quotes to Inspire Your Look

Valentine's Day is the perfect occasion to express love, affection, and appreciation for those who hold a special place in your heart.

While flowers, chocolates, and thoughtful gifts are classic ways to celebrate, there's another way to show off your love: with your nails. Whether you’re preparing for a romantic dinner date or just looking to spread some love, incorporating inspirational romantic quotes into your Valentine's Day nail design can be a fun and creative way to set the mood.

Here’s how you can combine beautiful nails with meaningful words this Valentine’s Day:

1. Love-Infused Nail Art Ideas

Before diving into the quotes, let’s explore some nail design ideas that pair perfectly with romantic sayings:

Classic Red and Pink Hearts: The color of love, paired with cute hearts or soft pink hues, is an easy and charming choice.

Glittery Ombré: A subtle ombré gradient using soft pinks or reds, with a little glitter for added sparkle, can serve as a perfect backdrop for any love quote.

Floral and Lace Accents: For a more elegant and intricate design, lace patterns and tiny flowers can evoke feelings of romance. Try adding delicate gold detailing for an elevated effect.

Negative Space Designs: Modern and chic, negative space nails can feature the romantic quote directly on the nail with a minimalist design.

2. Inspirational Romantic Quotes for Your Nails

Once you've decided on your nail art style, it’s time to pick the perfect romantic quote to adorn your nails. Here are some of the most beautiful and heartfelt sayings to inspire your look:

"You will forever be my always." A classic quote that speaks to lasting love, perfect for a simple yet meaningful design. This can work well on accent nails with a soft pink base.

"Love is the greatest adventure." For those who believe in the journey of love, this quote pairs beautifully with a whimsical design, like hearts and stars scattered across your nails.

"Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite." A playful yet tender sentiment, perfect for those who want to personalize their Valentine’s Day nails. Use a romantic font to write this phrase across your nails for a sweet touch.

"I love you to the moon and back." A timeless quote that invokes feelings of deep affection. Incorporating small crescent moons or stars alongside this quote can make for a dreamy design.

"Together is a wonderful place to be." This quote speaks to the power of love and togetherness, and would look stunning with a soft gradient or a set of intertwined hearts.

"You are my sunshine." Bright, sunny, and uplifting, this quote can be paired with cheerful yellow tones, sun motifs, or even tiny rays of light painted on the tips of your nails.

"When I saw you, I fell in love, and you smiled because you knew." A quote that perfectly expresses the magic of first love. It can be paired with a romantic, dreamy design—think soft pastel shades with a touch of glitter.

"My heart is, and always will be, yours." Perfect for a couple’s nail art, this quote reflects eternal love. You could paint this on a set of nails with red and gold detailing for an elegant touch.

"You are the love I never expected, but always needed." A beautiful quote for someone who feels truly blessed by their relationship. Consider combining it with deep pink or burgundy tones for a rich, passionate look.

3. DIY Valentine’s Day Nail Art

If you're the DIY type and prefer to create your own designs, here are some helpful tips for making your own quote nails:

Choose Your Base Colors: Start with a light base color that complements the romantic quote. Soft pastel shades, rich reds, and even metallics like gold and silver work well.

Use Nail Art Stamps or Stickers: If you're not confident in your freehand painting skills, you can use stamps or stickers with romantic quotes. These are easy to apply and give your nails a professional touch.

Paint the Quotes: Using a fine nail art brush, carefully write the quote on your nails. If you're unsure about the lettering, you can sketch it lightly with a pencil before using your polish. Consider choosing a cursive or script font to evoke romance.

Add Extra Details: Finish the look with hearts, tiny flowers, or glitter accents around the quotes. These little touches can elevate your design and make it feel extra special.

4. Get Creative with Your Valentine’s Day Nails

While classic romantic quotes are always beautiful, don’t be afraid to add a personal touch to your Valentine’s Day nails. Customize the quotes by:

Incorporating your partner’s name or a special nickname.

Using colors that hold meaning to you, such as the color of their favorite flower or a shared memory.

Experimenting with fun variations of romantic quotes or even inside jokes.

Final Thoughts

Valentine’s Day nails are not just a way to enhance your look, but an opportunity to express your feelings and creativity. Inspirational romantic quotes are the perfect way to personalize your nails and celebrate love in all its forms. Whether you keep it simple with a quote on just one or two nails, or go all out with a full design, your Valentine's Day nails are sure to leave a lasting impression.

[nik991]

Which Car is Best for Marriage?

Choosing the perfect car for your wedding day is more than just transportation — it’s about setting the tone for your special day and creating unforgettable memories. From luxury sedans to charming vintage rides, there’s a perfect car for every couple and every style. So, how do you decide on the best car for your wedding? We’ll walk you through some top options and share how GoodGears can make your dream wedding car a reality with luxury car rental in NCR, chauffeur services, and an impressive selection of vehicles — all at friendly prices!

1. The Classic Luxury Choice: Mercedes for Rent

For couples who want a sophisticated and luxurious wedding car, a Mercedes is a top choice. Known for its sleek design, premium interiors, and unbeatable comfort, a Mercedes adds a touch of elegance and class to your big day. Imagine arriving at your wedding venue in a stylish Mercedes that turns heads and adds a sense of grandeur to your entry.

GoodGears offers Mercedes for rent with professional chauffeur services, making sure you travel in style and comfort. With us, you get a premium ride without the premium price tag, offering luxury that fits your budget.

2. The Timeless Charm of Vintage Cars

If your wedding has a classic or vintage theme, a vintage car for rent is an excellent choice. Vintage cars add a touch of old-world elegance and bring an unmistakable charm that fits perfectly with traditional weddings. From timeless models to iconic brands, vintage cars make a beautiful backdrop for photos and a stylish ride for couples looking for a unique wedding car experience.

With GoodGears, you can choose from a range of vintage car rentals in NCR that are well-maintained and ready to give you a memorable ride. Our wedding car service includes decoration options to match your wedding theme, adding an extra special touch.

3. The Modern Classic: Audi for Rent

If you’re looking for a wedding car that’s both modern and luxurious, an Audi for rent could be your perfect match. Audis are known for their sleek look, high-end features, and superb performance. With its sharp design and luxurious interiors, an Audi makes a powerful statement for couples who prefer a contemporary style.

GoodGears offers a variety of Audi models, perfect for adding a stylish touch to your wedding day. Whether you want a spacious SUV or a sporty sedan, our luxury car rental in NCR includes multiple Audi options to suit your style.

4. Limousines: The Ultimate Wedding Ride

For a grand, red-carpet-worthy entrance, nothing beats a limousine. Limousines are spacious, elegant, and add a sense of glamour to your wedding day. Perfect for larger wedding parties or couples who want a royal arrival, a limousine offers both luxury and comfort.

At GoodGears, we provide limo rentals as part of our wedding car service in NCR. With plush interiors and plenty of space, our limousines are perfect for making a memorable entrance and enjoying a relaxing ride with your partner or wedding party.

5. Charming Compacts and Convertibles

For couples who want something a little different, compact cars like Mini Coopers Beetles, or convertibles, are excellent options. These cars are cute, quirky, and bring a playful vibe to the wedding day. Convertibles are especially popular for outdoor weddings, letting you enjoy an open-top ride with amazing views.

GoodGears offers a range of compact and convertible options that are perfect for couples seeking a unique, fun, and stylish entrance. Our team can help you pick the right compact or convertible model, complete with decorations and other details to fit your wedding theme.

6. SUVs for Style and Space

SUVs have become a popular choice for weddings, offering both comfort and space, especially for outdoor or destination weddings. SUVs like the Audi Q7 or Mercedes GLE combine luxury with practicality, ensuring you have ample room for your gown, accessories, and even a small wedding party.

GoodGears provides a range of luxury SUV options with chauffeur services, so you can have a stylish ride without worrying about the journey. Perfect for couples who want both convenience and luxury on their big day.

Why Choose GoodGears for Your Wedding Car Rental?

At GoodGears, we understand that your wedding day is a once-in-a-lifetime event, and we’re here to make sure you arrive in style. Here’s what sets us apart:

Affordable Pricing: We believe that luxury should be accessible. Our competitive pricing ensures that you can get the best ride for your wedding at a pocket-friendly price.

Wide Range of Cars: From vintage cars and luxury Mercedes to Audis and convertibles, we have an impressive fleet to meet all wedding styles and themes.

Professional Chauffeur Services: All our rentals come with experienced chauffeurs who ensure you reach your venue safely, comfortably, and on time.

Convenient Booking Across NCR: With services available across East Delhi and other NCR areas, we make it easy to book the wedding car of your dreams, no matter where your event is.

Final Tips for Choosing the Right Wedding Car

Consider Your Wedding Theme: Your car should complement the theme and style of your wedding. A vintage car works well with classic themes, while a Mercedes or Audi is ideal for modern celebrations.

Set a Budget: Luxury doesn’t have to mean costly. With GoodGears’ affordable options, you can find a premium ride that matches your budget.

Think About Practicality: Ensure that your chosen car can comfortably fit you and your attire — especially if you’re wearing a larger gown or have accessories.

Book Early: Popular cars get booked quickly, especially during peak wedding season. Make sure to reserve your car well in advance to secure your choice.

Book Your Dream Wedding Car with GoodGears

Your wedding car should be as unique and special as your love story. With GoodGears, you have access to a wide selection of premium wedding car rentals in NCR that cater to every taste and budget. From Mercedes and Audi to vintage classics and convertibles, we have the perfect car for every couple’s grand entrance.

Let us help you create unforgettable memories with the perfect wedding ride. Contact GoodGears today to book your wedding car service and experience luxury, comfort, and style on your big day!

[marafilmblog]

On-set on ‘Closing Night’:

This was a great set, cast and crew were all very motivated and excited for the project. We shot over 2 days (14/11/23 and 21/11/23). On the first day I helped to pick up the equipment and take it to our location – The Voodoo Rooms. This was a great location and worked really well for what the production design team and director had as their vision. In the morning I helped the production design team to set up their backdrop as it needed clipped to the wall quite high up, so my height came in handy. I was able to help out since sound doesn’t take as long to set up as camera or lighting. After this I started setting up my sound kit, with the help of Hayley my boom operator. We got the actors mic’d up with their Lav mics. This wasn’t too difficult as the costume the production designer chose was quite easy to work with and hide the mics. After checking levels and making sure to name my files I was ready for rehearsals. 

On this set I decided to try out the sound devices ‘Wingman’ app. This meant I could name files and create a sound report via Bluetooth. I really enjoyed the ease of being able to do this on my phone. However, when it came to the end of the day and time to export my sound report I made a mistake. I didn’t realise the app went blank as soon as the mix-pre is turned off or disconnected, I took out the SD card to give to our DIT and as soon as the card was back in, and I tried to send myself the report I was unable to as all the information was wiped on my phone. Thankfully, I had also been filling out a paper report alongside this other one, so I did still have a copy and I’m thankful for the experience as I was able to learn a critical piece of information and also was able to understand the app a lot better to use for reports in the future.

Some of the issues I faced on this set included:

Large ranges in performance in short spaces. For example, when the actors would go from a calm conversation on stage to a very theatrical one. This made it more difficult to ensure consistent output levels without noticeable or drastic gain changes. I was always thankful when we would do another take of scenes like this as it gave me more practice and I could anticipate the jumps a bit better. Similarly there were often differences in volume levels between the two actors.

There was a lot of noise from the characters moving – walking about on stage or when they walk to their seats, and noises from props, like the dried flowers which were held close to the Lav Mics. This was difficult to avoid as they were all important for the script and flow of action, so I had to try my best to find ways around this or anticipate when a lot of noise would be made.

Following on from the actors moving around a lot, there was also a lot of noise from the actors clothing. I felt I had secured the Lav mics properly, however, throughout the day I heard clothing rustling becoming an issue. I decided to have a moment with the actors, see if there was anywhere else I could attach the Lavs to but ultimately decided to use tape to secure the clothing/mics and any jewellery.

Some on set pictures:

[whattheclarke]

I've done a rewatch of the current iCarly season because each week I felt a little disappointed and I wanted to give it a second chance now that I knew what to expect, and you know what… I did actually really enjoy it! Each episode was a lot of fun. I think the problem with this season isn’t that it’s not good but that its structure was rather different from season 1 and therefore fans had expectations that couldn’t be met - Season 1 had storylines which joined together and weaved throughout the entire season and we thought season 2 would do the same.

For example, in season 1:

Harper started the season working at Skybucks. We witnessed her frustration with the job, saw her try to balance her day job and working towards her dream of being a stylist. She decided to quit Skybucks so she could focus on her dream, she interviewed with Dutch, worked to prove herself as Dutch’s stylist once she had the job and developed feelings for her.

Carly was dumped by Beau. She to find her feet again after relaunching iCarly - We watched her endure a series of bad dates, meet Wes, date Wes, meet Wes’ Grandma and then start to question their relationship in the season finale once she began comparing him to Beau.

Freddie was fresh out of a divorce and finding his feet again. His confidence grew throughout the season, he tried dating again. He quit his job (to join a pyramid scheme) but this gave him time to focus on a new app idea, when that app failed he came up with another and tried to sell it, the season ended setting him up perfectly to really gain momentum continuing on.

Spencer had his 3 episode relationship with Meave, where each and every episode gave them proper screen time and new insight into how their relationship was progressing.

Freddie and Millicent's father/daughter relationship visibly developed across the season. Millicent began the season cold to Freddie but they learned to work together, learned to trust each other, Millicent started calling him dad and genuinely cared for him and wanted to help him succeed.

The first episode of season 2 stands out to me (and others) as the strongest episode of season 2 and on second glance it’s clear why. This episode played perfectly into the story telling from season one, it tied up a number of arcs. There was the resolution of the Carly/Beau/Wes stuff, Dutch and Harper’s breakup and Freddie’s launch party. It even felt like it was setting up new arcs. Freddie’s relationship with Pearl began, Harper was left heartbroken, there were lingering questions about Carly and Freddie’s past feelings.

But then none of that was explored again? Harper jumped right back into dating, Pearl rocked up in a few episodes but there was no real conflict or nothing really progressed forward with them she was just a love interest for love interests sake. And I know not everyone wants to see Creddie happen, but setting up questions about them in the first episode and then just ignoring it for 8 episodes is a weird choice - they didn’t build it up or shut it down.

Sure, there were consistent themes throughout the season, and Spencer did get an episode setting up ShayWhat, but there were no real arcs. Freddie’s app, his relationship with Pearl, ShayWhat etc were all just used as backdrops to explore other pop up stories. Harper, a supposed up and coming fashion designer, got two random design gigs and no career progression, the rest of the season she was a side character, a friend cheering Carly on. The season was sort of filled with things that would get mentioned in 2 episodes tops, and they were more references then actual progressing stories. Every episode this season is an episode you can pick up and watch without much context. This episodic format is fine, it’s a return to the original series in fact. Knowing the season is episodic means I can now enjoy the episodes for what they are. But you can’t be surprised by fans confusion to this return when they had just enjoyed a moderately serialised season 1.

I do hope if we get a season 3 we get a return to some more multi episode arcs... but I’m becoming concerned that this weeks episode will not just be the season finale, but the series finale.

[thegoodprincess]

Together We Are Apart, but Apart We Are Together | KTH Ch. 2

Author: thegoodprincess

Pairing: Kim Taehyung | Original Female Character

Genre: romance, fantasy, action, forbidden love, human KTH | angel of death OC, supernatural au

Word Count: 2.1k [series, ongoing]

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Mentions of violence [a stabbing occurs]

Summary: After admiring a handsome boy from afar, an Angel of Death reluctantly rescues him from his own demise. As a result of going against her better judgment she inadvertently invites him into her world.

(I recommend listening to this song while reading)

Together We are Apart, but Apart We Are Together

Chapter 2. Fate

“Fate has a funny way of intervening in people’s lives.” ― Katie Ashley

It was a few months later in the dead of winter when I was walking near the Han River. Due to the icy temperatures the river was partially frozen. The ground surrounding it was coated in a fresh blanket of snow that came down earlier in the day. A chilly breeze nipped at the tender flesh of my cheek, causing an involuntary shiver to rake down my spine.

Sighing out my condensed breath formed a cloud that mingled with the crisp air. I glanced up at the sky. Overhead the pale moon glowed bright, illuminating the night sky against the backdrop of countless glittery stars. Looking around I stood alone admiring the the way the shadows created by the city lights flitted across the pavement. It was quiet, not eerily so, but in a way that emphasized the bare stillness of wintertime. Most people were at home presumably getting ready to go to sleep as it was fairly late.

I was waiting for my next patron to arrive: a man who was going to be murdered during a robbery gone wrong. This was a common occurrence for me. I was one of many angels of death. I was not a malevolent force. I did not decide who lived and who died, and how the act itself was carried out. I simply collected the souls of the fallen and escorted them to the afterlife.

It was bittersweet condoling the newly deceased once they realized their predicament. I would allow them to say their last goodbyes to loved ones and others they deemed fit before they departed into the light. But it was harrowing having to witness death first hand and being strictly forbid from interfering.

I had seen countless people perish a variety of ways. I had seen it all from natural deaths having to do with diseases or natural processes like aging, to accidental deaths like car fatalities. Suicides and homicides were some of the worst. While death was inevitable, loss of life done by the hands of oneself or by another wasn’t. There always lied a choice, humans just choose to be masters of their own and sometimes other’s destinies.

While I was a creation of purity, I had been become well acquainted with grief. It was almost as if I was stuck in an endless cycle; each time the metaphorical wound was healed it was being habitually ripped open. In the grand scheme of things it was woefully the one major downside of the duty. Tonight would be no different. I would again begrudgingly be a bystander to yet another fateful demise.

As if on cue an older man adorn in designer clothing came into view, walking cautiously with shifting eyes assessing his surroundings. His shoulders were tensed and his pace was quick as he shuffled across the sidewalk. He looked genuinely frightened as if he was paranoid that someone was following him, and I guess he wasn’t wrong.

Then seemingly from the shadows a man wearing a black ski mask and gloves appeared from behind some foliage. He snuck up and roughly grabbed the older gentleman from behind with gloved hands, startling him.

The two men fought for a short while until the masked man managed to get his forearm around the older gentleman’s neck. He began to strangle him. However, I don’t think the masked man’s intent was to maliciously murder him. Rather he was meaning to strangle the older man to the point of him passing out. This would ensure that the masked man could steal his wallet without the risk of being followed and potentially caught.

But nevertheless, the masked man exerted lethal pressure for way longer than necessary to the elder’s neck. The older man’s knees began to buckle and his struggling became less erratic. Regardless of the older gentleman involuntarily becoming compliant, the masked man had yet to let up his hold on him. The older gentleman’s arms dangled limply at his sides. He was dying.

Just then a third party came into view. I was bewildered as I wasn’t expecting anyone else to show up. A young man with a bag slung over his shoulder was inching closer and closer, until his face came into view. He seemed vaguely familiar, the distance between us was making it hard to distinguish certain features.

Then almost instantly I recognized him. It was the boy whose face I had found to be bewitching. He was indelibly engrained into my memory. While I had stopped secretly hoping to catch a serendipitous glimpse of him when I was out, there hadn’t been a day that went by where I didn’t wonder what he was doing, who he was with, or if he even frequented the same places.

He still looked the same dressed smartly in a white turtleneck, tan trousers, wool trench coat, and tartan print scarf. It was apparent that the overcast winter weather had subtly lightened his complexion by a few shades. The only significant difference about him was his hair. His once dark locks had been dyed to a golden blonde hue. In addition to the new color, the parting of his hair now showcased his entire forehead.

Regardless of the butterflies that had erupted in my abdomen from seeing him again, the feeling dissipated all too soon as my stomach sunk. There had never been a greater time where I wished he hadn’t show up, especially considering the circumstances of this situation.

He wasn’t supposed to be here.

My veins ran cold, as if the very ice water of the river before us, coursed through them. Every hair on the back of my neck rose on end. I silently prayed he would turn around back in the direction he came from and not involved himself. But I was sorely mistaken. He stopped in his tracks, witnessing the killing of the elder. Swiftly dropping his bag, he ran over to help.

What ensued caused me to let out an audible gasp. The boy threw a hard punch and was able to stun the masked man momentarily, as the criminal fell to the ground. Assuming the masked man to be knocked out, the boy then attempted to help the older man who fell to his knees gasping for breath. Crouching down, the boy pulled out his phone to call for an ambulance. But his attempt was short lived.

Rising from his place on the ground a bit disoriented, the robber fumbled around in his front coat pocket and hastily pulled out a small pistol rashly pointing it at the pair with a quivering hand. The older gentleman cowered low behind the younger boy, almost as if he was using him as a shield. The boy’s arms immediately came up to surrender, remaining perfectly still. The gunman agitated at the boy’s heroics fixed his aim directly to the boy’s chest. He was purposely planning to deliver a fatal shot to his heart. All to quickly the gun shot’s sound reverberated off the concrete. I could only watch in horror.

In that moment the world seemed to turn upside down. My mind was reeling. I felt dizzy, bile crept up into my throat while all I felt was I was my heart slamming against my ribcage. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as the bullet exited the barrel of the gun. Naturally the boy screwed his eyes shut while he tensed his entire body, bracing himself for the inevitable impact. A second later he flinched backwards.

Shortly after the deafening crack of the bullet penetrated my eardrums, I squinted my eyes to check where the boy had been shot. To my relief the middle of his chest was still intact, but a bright red substance began to slowly spread from his shoulder region and seep down into the area where his heart lay beating. The gunman had indeed missed his intended target, and instead shot clean through the boy’s left shoulder. The boy’s facial expression twisted into a state of confusion, shocked at what had just occurred. I assumed the adrenaline numbed his senses, altering his frame of mind.

The older gentlemen looked like he wanted to help but he remained unmoving still afraid to come out from behind the boy. The gunman tried to shoot again but to some miracle his trigger jammed. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, the older man quickly abandoned the boy, scurrying off without looking back. But the boy was too weak to follow, he remained holding his shoulder nearly doubled over. The pain was beginning to set in.

In an effort to make due with the boy, the gunman reached into his interior coat pocket to withdraw his hand holding an odd black object. It was revealed to be a switchblade when he subtlety flicked his wrist and the blade sprung out. Since the older man escaped on the boy’s behalf, the masked man felt it was only fair the boy be robbed instead. The boy assessing the situation held out one of his hands as if to plead for mercy. A pained grimace painted his pretty face.

Then I saw the boy’s lips begin to move. The two appeared to be exchanging words. I felt petrified, so I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Their voices came out distorted, sounding more like unintelligible mumbles than any actual language. It was as though they were talking underwater.

In a last ditch attempt to save himself from further harm, I saw the boy slowly reach into his back pocket with his good hand and pull out his wallet. He dangled the wallet in front him to show the criminal before he chucked it into the snow at the criminal’s feet, hoping this would satisfy the man.

The man hastily grabbed the wallet off the ground and excitedly opened it to reveal its contents. But his smile soon faltered, boiling anger brewing in his eyes instead.

Originally it seemed he didn’t intended to stab the boy after already shooting him in a fit of blind rage, the knife was just the extra assurance he needed to intimidate the boy into cooperating. But the boy stuck his nose in business that didn’t concern him and ultimately costed the masked man.

Not only did the boy escalate the situation and cause the victim he purposely targeted to get away, but the masked man wasted time and energy grappling with the boy which increased the likelihood of him being seen and or arrested by the authorities. He went through all that troublesome effort and for what? Some chump change he could have easily pickpocketed off someone on the subway. He was throughly pissed.

The criminal was going to teach the boy a lesson. Taking the measly amount of bills out, he hurled what remained of the wallet back into the snow. He stalked closer to the boy ready to attack with a sadistic smirk.

Slowly the boy began taking small steps backwards subconsciously putting distance between him and the impending danger. Unfortunately he was unknowingly inching closer to the water.

But all hell broke loose when the boy accidentally slipped on some dangerously slick ice that caused him to lose his balance. He then clumsily stumbled backwards and plunged into the frigid water of the river, breaking through the ice in the process.

The gunman realizing the gravity of the situation, almost instantly snapped out of his aggressive trance-like state and stood there with a blank expression. It was then that he began to visibly panic, nervously looking around to see if anyone else had witnessed what had just happened. He apprehensively neared the edge of the river and looked as though he was debating whether to help the boy or not. But he knew if he did, it would only further incriminate him.

Deciding to conceal his involvement in tonight’s events, he plucked the jammed gun and wallet from the snow and hurriedly planted the two respective items by the river’s edge.

The gunman made it appear as though the boy had committed suicide by first shooting himself and then falling into the river. He subsequently raked his feet sloppily over the snow in a back and forth motion to disguise his shoe prints. Once he was pleased enough with his work, he bolted off fleeing the scene.

Quickly wrenching myself from my deep stupor, I rushed over without taking a second to assess the severity of my actions and immediately jumped in to rescue the boy.

[prince-septimus]

When the first suicide sqaud movie dropped I was just so happy to get Harley content (props to Margot she kills it) and there's a lot I like about that movie. Although looking back I can't help but see that they did Harley dirty? and honestly did not seem to value her, at least to me it seemed she was just there as jokers shadow like thats all a backdrop to the joker

I get her origin/creation in the animated series and that originally her character is tied to his purely because of that, but there's literally no reason the movie had to use that. her backstory simply could have been she saw a lot of shit as a therapist in ARKHAM and ending up trying to give treatment to the joker was just the icing on the cake so she decides screw it I'm gonna go have fun in Gotham and embrace a little bit of the crazy. Orgins and comic storys change in slight ways all the time. because of Ayer Sqaud BOP had to try break her away from joker (love bop no complaints about it) but Ayer Squad she's jokers shadow/backdrop/doll/thing then bop have to try break her away from his character so that she stand on her own as a character and then we get tss (yayy) and harley is finally 'free' to use as her own character and portray her own stories she's not all wrapped up in the jokers story. DC/Warner Bros don't seem to have much planning and thought into what way they're gonna lay future movies out and that's fine they don't need to have thier version of an mcu and dc movie directors get to put thier own spin on it and be creative without really having to worry about long term continuity but it seems like they maybe get over excited and end up not listening to fans/caring about anyone elses view of the character except their own and yeah it's thier project but the characters are important to everyone not just them

And I can't even with her 'suit/costume' in the Ayer Sqaud, jokers property plastered all over her, I liked her hair and the bat and the jacket was okay i guess, I really don't think costume wise it was a decision of 'oh harley would think the tiny sparkly shorts are cool and that's why she's wearing them' it blatantly seemed like 'harley is jokers trash and hey everyone let's look at her ass cuz she ain't worth much else in the movie and she doesn't have much else to offer'? It just sucks to me that Harleys first movie appearance was primarily Jokers accessorie and the sex appeal of the movie

Sorry for this unasked for rant but I am so grateful for BOP and TSS and her costumes/suits in those movies felt way more like harley is wearing that cuz she thinks it's cool compared to Ayer squad where it felt like harley is wearing that so we can attempt to get more views on the movie via harleys backside

I mean for all I've said there i dont hate the ayer suicide sqaud it sounds like I do but I don't 😅 and I don't hate DC movies tbh DC is my favourite just cuz I care more about their characters cuz of the cartoons I watched as a kid and comics and I've only literally read one marvel comic so because of that I do have more of an attachment to DC this is so long winded opps

To summarise my bullshit I like dc I like all the movies even ayer sqaud but Harleys character was handled poorly in the beginning

im putting this under the cut bc i also made a long rant djgsgjsg

i think harley quinn in the dc movies is the best example of male gaze vs female gaze, while also showing what it's like when you let the actor themselves have a say in the character.

david ayer is a great director and i would love to see what he had truly set out to do with suicide squad by seeing his cut of it, but there was so much i disliked about harley's story in that movie. at the end of the day i've come to accept it because it leads into the character she becomes in bop and tss, but this was definitely harley being seen in the male gaze, something that her character has all-too-long dealt with in the comics.

bop was directed by cathy yates, a woman of color, and this immediately meant there was going to be a change in harley's character and her design. this is the female gaze and it meant that harley is actually going to be seen as a character that we love bc we can tell she was written by a woman (christina hodson) and directed by a woman. (this can also be seen by the small action of canary putting her hair up in the middle of the big fight scene at the end). overall bop was very much meant to be the opposite of suicide squad in terms of how they deal with harley. it's basically the recovery stage for her character.

and tss. my dear sweet tss. i love how james gunn handles her character and i love that he gave margot some creative control with some of it, like the removal of her rotten tattoo. i think tss is great in those moments where we see harley being her usual self (when she has sex with the dictator) but james gunn doesn't just focus on harley like that, he gives us scenes like when joel kinnaman is found shirtless and sweaty or when john cena is straight up in his underwear and takes up half the screen. where david ayer spent half the time focusing on sexualizing harley quinn, james gunn switches it up. and i love that.

and im in the same boat - i love suicide squad. i think its a decent set up to bop and tss and i would love to see the ayer cut, but in terms of harley's character, it sucked. but when bop was released and started to kind of fix harley and put her on this path of recovery, it made what ayer did in suicide squad work better. i still dont like how harley was sexualized in suicide squad, but im not as mad anymore now that it can be explained better with 2 other movies backing it up.

this is a long way to say that you're absolutely correct.

[femininenachos]

Hello I am here to tell you a saga about how my dumb ass landed smack in the middle of a fic trope for the ages today and fucked it up so completely I just have to tell someone. This story just screamed Clexa and as the unofficial captain of this ship, I lay my disaster at your feet (it’s kinda long so buckle in). I actually thought about writing this as a fic, but I don’t know that I’d do the dynamic justice. Anyway, to preface, we’ve been in quarantine for three weeks. (1/?)

Laundry is done, house is clean, yard is mowed, home projects are complete, I’ve been staring at a screen too much, and I’m going crazy. In the spirit of not losing my mind while social distancing, I decide to take a long motorcycle ride as it is a marvelous day outside. I ride a beautiful all matte black Triumph Bonneville that has more style and sass than I could ever hope to possess in a lifetime. I am cooler by proxy just for having it. (2/?)

I also live in Washington State where gorgeous views and endless forests abound with winding roads that are absolutely perfect for riding on a warm day. I set off towards the Tahuya State Forest with no real goal in mind, just enjoying the sun and the wind and how fuckin smashing I look in my trendy leather riding gear on my absolute unit of a motorcycle. I’m not really paying attention to where I’m going or how I’m going to get back (I have my phone, I could have looked it up if I needed to 3/?

and I wind up quite a ways into the forest near this lake with some jaw-dropping lakefront properties and before long realize I’m going in circles and was so distracted by the landscape I wasn’t paying attention to the road that got me there. After about 20 minutes of aimless riding trying to find my exit path I’m about to stop and pull out my phone when I see a woman walking a golden retriever along the side of the road. So I slow down and pull off to the side a dozen yards in front of her, 4/?

(I’m a petite person but someone approaching you in a fully blacked-out helmet can be a bit of a red flag and I wasn’t in the mood to get punched). I’d been riding for so long my legs were a bit shaky so when I dismounted I kicked the side of my engine but didn’t think anything of it. I start walking over to this lady who had slowed down a little when I stopped and got off my bike, and tried to give a huge, bright, friendly smile (to, you know, not be threatening), (5/?)

which she returns with a little bit of confusion. I get to about ten feet away (again, social distancing) and my useless lesbian brain short-fucking-circuits. She’s very, very, very pretty in black leggings and a cream-colored oversized fisherman’s sweater. Blonde hair up in a messy bun and rockin’ some RayBans like the shits were designed with her in mind. Mind goes blank, I go full mud turd until she raises her eyebrows and kind of tilts her head and I’m still like, “fuck fuck fuck fuck” (6/?)

and realize I’ve yet to quit grinning like an absolute dunce. Forcing myself to take a deep breath I go, “Hi! (way too loudly) I’m kind of going in circles trying to find a way back to Belfair, do you know the road that heads that way?” She gives me a huge grin with a sympathetic chuckle and I think I’m going to pass out so I almost didn’t register her saying, “Yeah of course, you just missed it. Head back that way (points), and take a left at the house where the bright yellow SUV is parked (7/?)

it’ll get you back to the main road where there’s signs to get you to the highway.” I’m approaching full fight or flight mode with how nervous and completely out of my depth I am. I mean, on a normal day I can at least act sane around pretty girls, if not a little cocky, but I was absolutely blind-sided by this angelic creature set against a picturesque backdrop (mountains, a lake, huge evergreen trees) on a blissful day in the remote woods of Washington. I barely fumble fuck a thanks (8/?)

and do an awkward backwards/side trot back to my bike and get on to start it up, and it fucking WON’T. I sit there in shock, like, “oh god. Oh no. Oh no no no,” and I’m just dumbly staring at my ignition when I hear her say, “you okay over there?” and my insides just shrivel up. I look back at her and give a very uncertain, “yeah, all good! (very fake cheery, it was painful)” and try to start my bike again, no dice. She starts to ACTUALLY approach me and I’m panicking (9/?)

until I notice when I kicked my bike while getting off I had knocked the spark plug cap loose. I furiously jammed it back on and tried starting my bike again and fucking hallelujah it roared right up. I look back at her and she stops her approach, an odd smile on her face before she waves and I smile back in one of those like Harry Potter dribbles water out of his mouth catastrophe smiles. Cram my helmet back on, get the thing into gear and ride off with a little wave behind me. (10/?)

My 45-minute drive home I was obviously mentally abusing myself for being SO. FUCKING. USELESS. Because like, what if she was going to ask to help? What if I hadn’t been so fucking awkward and actually managed to have a conversation? I didn’t know anything about her (I mean she wasn’t wearing any rings, but that doesn’t really mean much), but like, GODDAMN. I could have been cool about it or even not realized it was my spark plug that was the issue. (11/?)

What if I had gotten stranded and she offered me a cup of tea? The possibilities were ENDLESS and I just... drove off. Fuck my life. In hindsight it probably wasn't that bad, but like, it could have been so much better. (12/12)

————

This was a truly epic tale of useless lesbianism. 12/10, best thing I’ve read all week. You had me frantically refreshing my activity feed waiting for the conclusion.

But now I need a 50k word fix-it fic where you track each other down over social media and love blossoms during the pandemic.

[heli0s-writes]

V. Exhibit

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Reader x Bucky Barnes Summary:  After all your hard work, the day is finally here. A/N: Part 5 of Mystery of Love.

The following month passed by in a hurry, as your thoughts were dominated by the constant thrall of work. One month was truly not enough to prepare, but you knew the implications of waiting until June passed- those positions in the fall would likely not be available; June was late enough.

Tony eagerly sprang into action and helped you transform your guest room into a photography studio, begrudgingly folding to your “outrageous peasant demands” of simple lighting, and two solid backdrops. When it was fully set up, you held a meeting with the team and prepped them over procedure and your proposal. You spoke plainly.

The show to view your work post-travels was primarily a guise to get a glimpse into their lives more intimately; you were under no illusion that it was anything else but 1) a shrewd plan for elites to rub elbows with other elites and 2) an opportunity for you.

Honesty was the best policy, and you knew they would appreciate it.

“If you consent to have your posed portrait taken by me in a studio setting- something we haven’t done before, thank you. If you don’t, I don’t blame you or hold it against you. It can be unnatural, uncomfortable, and I understand. Be aware- these images will be auctioned off. They will not, however, be duplicated. They are single prints.”

“Please make me rich.” Tony grinned as he spun freely in the swivel chair, “I mean, richer. Please make me richer.” After a round of glares from the team, he fessed, “Oh fine. Yes, you’ll receive a portion of the payment. You greedy little assholes.”

It didn’t take much more convincing for everyone to be on board. You were eager to begin and spent the first few days of June taking note of the kinds of images you wanted from each member. You thought about the representation of duality of Avenger and “being” whether it was human, super soldier, or an enhanced- or in Thor’s case, a god. But in the end, you decided on listening to Bucky’s advice and give ‘em hell. They were going to play by your rules.

Halfway through the month, you were so engrossed in the work, you’d barely had time to spend with either Steve or Bucky. They were sweet enough to make sure you had plenty of coffee on your days at the compound and would try to call before bed if you were in the city. Other than the occasional dinners together and their own photo sessions (which you were adamant on keeping strictly professional-save for a very stubborn session with Bucky), you hardly saw them.

Steve was called away on a diplomatic assignment with Natasha in Paris on the 13th. You were happy to hear that he wouldn’t be in any foreseeable danger and a tiny bit glad that he’d be busy doing something other than worried about your sleeping and eating habits. By the 24th, everything was nearly complete, and the only thing left for you to do was buy a dress and set up for the night of. You felt like a pile of wet rags and had even lost a few pounds from the stress and exertion.

-

The morning of the 26th, Steve and Natasha landed at the compound, disembarking from the quinjet. You were taking the day off to find a dress in the city; Tony had given you his credit card. It was a tremendous gesture you wanted to refuse until he reminded you that truthfully, you were doing him just as big of a favor as he was doing you. He had even encouraged you to get a custom gown early in the month and even passed the message along to various designers, but you adamantly refused, reiterating once again that it was not about you. Tony would have to face the disappointment of being the only one in a custom-made ensemble.

At 11, while rifling through a rack of silk and lace beauties, you received a call from Bucky.

“Hey, you,” you smiled. He’d been texting you all morning, updating you on Steve’s jet lag. “Can I come to you for lunch?” You sucked in a deep breath. “Buck, you sure? I’m in Manhattan.” “Yeah. Send me your location.”

There was no arguing with him when he made up his mind.

When Bucky arrived on 5th Avenue, he wore a black long-sleeve and jeans with his usual combat boots. You couldn’t help but smile at the classic cap and sunglasses combo as he plodded through the throng of tourists- looking very much like one himself. His hair was tied back to avoid sticking to his neck in the heat. He kissed your shoulder at the entrance of the store and you grazed his stubbled chin with a finger in response.

The walk to your favorite sandwich shop was relatively short, and Bucky let you lead the way, keeping a hand on the small of your back to keep you close. The two of you sat at the bar near the window after your food arrived and you let him know your surprise at his offer to meet you in the city. He shrugged it off as he took the sunglasses off his face.

“When I was on the run, I placed myself in different locations, but it was often smartest to hide in plain sight. Bucharest has a population of over a million people ‘n they’re so busy they don’t pay attention to much else; I don’t go into the city mostly because I don’t like it, hon’.” He took a bite of his sub and you did the same, snorting in delight when a bit of lettuce hung from his chin. Bucky rolled his eyes and sent you a lopsided grin before closing his mouth again over the sub, muttering. “You’re a punk.”

You felt laughter bubbling up in your chest as he swiped off the lettuce and flung it at you.

This was the Bucky you liked the most- playful, mischievous, still sweet in the center. Not to say there were parts of him you disliked, but you were careful with his more jagged pieces. The Bucky who scanned every room he entered, who always strapped at least three knives to his body, who scowled on impulse, who automatically put himself in front of you in response to loud noises needed more tenderness. The Bucky who texted you at three in the morning “just to see if you were awake” needed more tenderness, too.

The first time you woke up to one of those messages, you joked that he reminded you of a college boy making a booty call. Only after seeing him bleary eyed and on-edge did you ponder more deeply about it and ventured to ask if he had trouble sleeping because of nightmares.

He admitted he truly saw little in his dreams, but felt chasms that threatened to swallow him up, and the terror of that blackness kept him awake. You knew what awaited him in that blackness. Since then, you’ve always kept your phone on loud.

“Stevie got you a dress from Paris,” Bucky mumbled, wiping the corners of his mouth with a brown napkin, hiding the slightest hint of a smirk. “I don’t think it’s your style, though.”

You raised an eyebrow, sweeping bits of crust into the empty wrapper of your lunch. “Oh yeah? Steve picked it out? What’s it like?”

“It’s red. ‘S real nice, but it’s also red.”

You scrunched up your nose in concern. “Oh… I hope it won’t hurt his feelings if I don’t wear it.”

Bucky went to throw both of your crumpled trash piles away and returned with an understanding smile, “Nah. He’s a big boy. Party’s in two days, though. If you don’t find anything you’re gonna get stuck with it, hon.”

Sighing, you stood up and brushed off your shirt, “Yeah. I’ll look some more. I put a dress on hold earlier so if I don’t find anything else, I’ll go back to that one. Thanks for having lunch with me, Bucky.” You pulled absentmindedly on his shirt sleeve and tugged the wrinkles out of the elbow. Bucky took the opportunity to bend down and plant a kiss on your jawline, whispering that he missed you into your cheek.  

“I’m not leavin’,” he said, removing the sunglasses that were hanging from the collar of his shirt, “Haven’t seen you in days, doll. I’m not leavin’ yet.”

The definitive statement was punctuated by another one of his keen stares. You swallowed as his clear blue eyes flitted back and forth between your own, finally settling on your mouth as you nervously breathed out a soft “Okay”. Your heart swelled in your chest as he smiled. You couldn’t help but lovingly follow the sly arc of his lips across and up to those joyful creases you so adored running from his eyes. Happy Bucky was your favorite Bucky. You wanted to make him look like this all the time. You felt so terrible that you’d been so busy and avoiding him.

Impulsively, you reached up and kissed him on the lips.

It was quick, and you stood back flat on your feet, hand shooting up to cover your mouth. Fearfully, you took a chance to peek at him. The two of you stood there next to the window staring at each other for a few seconds before Bucky broke out into a wide toothy grin.

You flushed from head to toe. Your first kiss. In a sandwich shop. The banality of it all dawned on you and before you had the chance to say anything, Bucky broke the silence with a hearty laugh. Soon enough, you joined in, burying your face in both your hands. People were starting to glance over to the window and stare, so Bucky grabbed you by the hand and briskly stepped out into the street. He caught your waist to turn you to face him, pressing your back against the brick wall of the shop. The chatter of Manhattan whipped around both of you in the background, full of footsteps and yelling, honking, dogs barking, construction. Bucky Barnes held tight to your sides as if you might get torn into in the sea of people behind him.

Under the shade of his cap’s bill, you could hardly see his eyes, but the light illuminated his mouth, which was pressed into a thin line.

You squinted as sunlight fell over your face, “Buck?”

The intensity of Bucky crashing his lips to yours ripped the breath from your lungs. He stepped forward into your body, pressing his broad chest against you, flesh hand pushing your torso against his. In the middle of the sidewalk, he erased all the noise of Manhattan. You could only hear his breath on your mouth as he parted and returned again and again. Three deep kisses later, he let you go.

You gulped, heart stammering, lost completely in ragged breaths and desperately trying to ignore the eyes of passing strangers who’d witness your moment of public affection. You had seen this coming for a while now, but it was still a shock.

Ever since the day on the couch, you had been trying to avoid physical intimacy, but it had been difficult to experience growing closer with Bucky and simultaneously disregard his longing for your touch. He was always holding back, like a predator in the tall grass.

“I wanna do so much more than that…” He whispered in your ear. His voice was deep, and you could hear his throat clenching as he swallowed. The sound burrowed its way into your brain, sending currents scampering through your body.

Bucky ran his hand along your jaw, one final kiss landing on the shell of your ear as he muttered, “When you’re ready, I will. Come on, you lead the way.”

All you could do was nod in response as he guided you in front of him, one hand resting again on your back as you tried to stay calm in the crowd. In a few mere minutes, the street changed as you turned a corner. Your heart was beginning to slow down again.

“I’m curious, doll,” Bucky called from behind you, running a finger up and down the small of your back, “What color was that dress you put on hold?”

From the way his words sounded, you knew he was smirking. “It was black.” You swerved to the side to avoid a man pushing a stroller and Bucky followed suit. Craning your head back to see his expression, your heart sped up again either by his tightening grip or his subsequent praise:

“Atta girl.”

-

The last Saturday in June was the 28th. Pepper had demanded that you stayed at your apartment until the evening of, setting you up with a full-day spa appointment on Friday. According to her (and your very exhausted body) you needed rest and pampering before the big night. She also insinuated that Tony was being incredibly high-strung with setting up; he wanted it to be a surprise, and if you’d step foot on the campus before he was ready, he might completely “lose it Bridezilla-style”.

You’d been video-chatting Steve at night on the phone before bed since spending the day with Bucky. He was at first disappointed that you decided not to wear the dress he’d gotten you but ultimately understood why: red was a high-profile color. He sheepishly admitted that he was a bit old-fashioned, and was a sucker for women in red. It was cute. You suggested that he ask Natasha instead.

Your heart swelled any time his face came on the screen and you couldn’t help but stupidly grin every night into the phone. He told you about the trip and his desire to one day take you to the city, glossing over the details of the errand itself. You didn’t mind- it wasn’t your job, and you likely wouldn’t have understood its significance. He brought up how he was concerned at first that the distance would cause discomfort- but perhaps it was the consent to distance that changed the rules. You knew where he was going and accepted it, and so neither of you were pained by the separation.

“Maybe on the more peaceful missions, you might like to come with me? It’d be like travelling again, huh?” You agreed, eager to see another endearing smile break across his face. You loved the way Steve closed his eyes as he smiled, long lashes folding to graze against his raised cheeks- it was a habit of his, and it made you curious to wonder what he thought of during those blissful expressions.

After your long spa day you ended your night with another video call, feeling the excitement growing closer and closer, emboldened by Steve’s encouragements. More changes were coming on the horizon and you felt ready to face them. You were glad to have both men by your side.

 Promptly at 5, Pepper sent a car outside to wait outside your apartment door. The invitation you’d proofread for Tony stated that doors opened at 6:30 with a cocktail hour and viewing period before any announcements were made. You would be giving a talk at 8, unveiling the main auction piece at the end and then there would be a bidding period before the night unwinds with dancing. The event supposedly ended at midnight, but you were sure that was Tony’s way of ushering out the guests. You weren’t going to assume he’d turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of 12.

Blotting on the final layer of your lip stain, you swept over it with a coat of high-shine gloss. Your make up was done simply: filled in, full, arching brows; barely-there contouring to emphasize your bone structure; peach blush; and a single smooth black line over both your eyelids. Your hair was brushed back and tucked behind your ears, flowing over your shoulder in neat waves.

You wanted to be sleek and able to blend in, with just a touch of red-lipped-conspicuous.

Stepping into the lobby, you felt as if transported into a different world. Tony had transformed the chamber into a flawless gallery setting with your photographs, framed and displayed along the perimeter of the open-spaced room. He’d put in wall panels here and there along with several benches where viewers could sit, arranging it perfectly to where there was plenty of walking space and room to mingle. Along the right wall was an elegant backlit bar manned by three sharply dressed bartenders with dazzling smiles. Close by was a stage with a band plucking a lazy acoustic tune in their warm-up routine, accompanied by a harpist. Gorgeous floral arrangements stood tall on pedestals, their sweet scent hanging in the air. Servers wandered casually, silver trays in hand topped with hor d'oeuvres and champagne.

The first few guests were arriving, picking up pamphlets from the stand near the door and meandering through the maze of photos. The team was scattered around the room, dressed beautifully, all smiles. Natasha hypnotized in the stunning red gown Steve picked out. It was striking with an elegant sweetheart neckline and brocade skirt. Pepper wore violet tulle. Wanda was smoldering in a lacy brown long-sleeved dress.

The men were simply dashing, in various dark suits offset by their own choices of silk bowties and shirts. Sam’s collar brooches glimmered- two mirroring silver wings clipped neatly to the points of his muted garnet shirt collar.

Halfway to the bar, you came face-to-face with Steve, who wore a fitted deep navy suit and dress shirt, complimented by a silk burgundy tie. His hair- which had grown longer since you’d last seen him in person was swept back and to one side. He was clean shaven for the event. You realized you were staring, but it helped that he was staring right back.

“You look...”

“Oh m...my” You attempted to finish the sentence for him. Steve laughed, shrugging one shoulder, the drink in his hand sloshing around.

“Not quite what I was going to say- but very close.” He paused, looking you up and down before sweeping you up in a one-armed hug and whispering in your ear “I’ve missed you so much. You look incredible.”

Once back on your feet, you smoothed the front of your black dress and shyly smiled in response, feeling your heart flutter. The snug gown was made of a satin blend, moving and shifting ethereally and just barely swept the floor. Two hair-thin spaghetti straps held it in place, crisscrossing over your back. The neckline was a darting V-shape, stopping just half an inch above Steve’s mark.

You’d convinced yourself to be calm and cool, playing the part of a professional artist giving a talk, but it was hard to not be giddy when Steve looked so damn good. His arms were practically bulging out from the sleeves of his jacket. And the lightly spiced cologne he wore was filling your head up with smoke.

“Where’s um, Bucky?” You ventured to ask, steeling your voice.

“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”

Bucky rolled the last ‘r’ into your ear as he placed his cool metal hand on your bare shoulder, middle finger drumming against the thin strap. You stirred at the temperature, burning against your back as he moved to your right side, smirking at Steve. They must have planned this, you thought, or perhaps brevity between old friends was enough to place them on the same dangerous wavelength. You felt like a fresh carcass, exposed under sunlight while two ravenous vultures circled overheard.

He was dressed completely in black, save for a blood-red pocket square neatly tucked into the breast of his suit. His hair was left loose, one side tucked behind his ear, and he donned his signature 5 o’clock shadow. He didn’t bother to cover his metal hand tonight, which made him all the more fearsome-looking. Bucky must have made it his mission to personify the word feral.

Half-lidded eyes drank in your figure, appreciatively scanning up and down before catching on your left bicep. “You’ve covered up your arm,” He noticed. “Why?” The was an edge of hurt he tried to hide.

The offending black cuff glimmered in the light. “Same reason why I didn’t wear the red.” You replied. You lifted your chin to regard Bucky and he raised his eyebrows in surprise at your declaration.

Steve bobbed his head, just enough to share the message that he understood before plucking a champagne flute from a passing server and placing it in your grasp. You sipped and signaled to the entrance of the exhibit with your stiletto-encased foot, where Kristopher Byrne had just entered with a pamphlet and Tony Stark. “I’ve got to go say hi. Thank you for supporting me.”

It was a conclusive statement, and the thanks, although sincere, was a comment of courtesy to lighten the mood. You quickly squeezed both of their arms before stepping away, straightening your back and squaring your shoulders. The show had just begun, and you were expected to be engaged and conversing all night; you couldn’t kick it off with a lovers’ quarrel in the middle of the floor as much as you wanted to resolve the matter. Bucky would have struggled and there were, unfortunately, other pressing concerns.

The band began to belt out a tune, mellow and full of slow, savory notes. The lobby was half-full at this point, and more were waiting by the door. The boys watched you go, exchanging glances. Bucky was scowling.

“Don’t be like that,” Steve warned, “You got to spend all day with her, pal.”

“Don’t wanna talk about it.” He was being petulant, he knew. It was easier to be angry than to admit that his feelings were hurt. “Don’t lecture me, Stevie. Just wanna fuckin’ be with her. I’m tired of all this… shit.”

Steve chuckled into his glass as he took a sip, savoring the taste and looking at his friend through the curved angle of the rim. He’d experienced his fair share of Bucky’s seething tantrums; he knew it’d pass.

“Gotta admit, Buck. I liked seein’ ya miffed. You need a firm hand.”

Bucky scowled deeper at his friend’s cheeky comment as he watched your back make nice with a stranger. The itch inside of him was growing darker with every step you took away. He’d been good, played it safe and slow by your- and Steve’s rules, but every time it felt like you might scratch the surface of his desire, you’d backed off. Seeing his mark covered up on your arm only made it worse.

Sending Steve a pained look, Bucky quietly retreated to the bar.

 Kristopher Byrne was a tall and lanky man with silver hair, fingers studded with multiple rings and designer glasses sitting low on his nose-bridge. The suit he wore matched Tony in embellishments, and it was obvious by that alone that they got along swimmingly. Immediately after introducing yourself to him, his solemn expression softened into an ecstatic one. He kissed your hand, raving about how he’d been a fan for years but that you’d always eluded his grasp. You immediately thanked him and asked if he was ready for a stroll through the displays.

Byrne was very interested in the photos you’d taken in Russia, pausing to talk about the social unrest there regarding sexuality. He applauded your shots in Thailand, complimenting the rich colors of Chiang Mai and the quiet moments you captured.

You spent the next half hour walking through the photos with Tony and Byrne, chatting here and there with other guests who had questions. The information cards next to each picture was brief and explained a little bit about the image but hearing it from your point of view was much more valuable to them.

Tony set up the exhibit to first show your Peculiar Pairs series from the travels before introducing the Avengers photos. The range of colors started at full spectrum and highly saturated with your travels before slowly changing into the black and white portraits you shot of each member.

Upon entering the space of black-and-white portraits, he was greeted with a three-by-four-foot framed photo of Steve in stark lighting. He stood in front of a black background in a white t-shirt, looking into the distance as a bright halo illuminated him from behind, catching the fine contour of his lashes and the tip of his sharp nose. The features of his face were lit by another light in front. His expression was almost angelic with parted lips and the barest hint of a smile.

Byrne’s eyes widened as he regarded it, eager to uncover more information about the man captured in the image. The info card in the corner simply read Steven Grant Rogers.

You watched on as Byrne rotated himself around the frame, pondering deeply at Steve’s aspects. Tony smirked and made a snarky comment about how he hoped Byrne was this excited about his own picture.

“Captain America,” Byrne finally exhaled, “Looks like … someone you could sit next to on the subway. Wow. Fantastic.”

You thanked him. Perhaps it was your bias speaking, but you casually mentioned that it was one of your personal favorites. Tony stifled a barking cough.

Byrne led the way down the path, soliciting your process with each session. You were tight-lipped but let loose of what was necessary to keep him interested. It didn’t take much; there was nowhere else neither he nor any other guest could find a close-up portrait of Natasha wrapped tight in a bathrobe, hair wrung-dry and damp, chin resting on her fist, making such fierce eye-contact as if challenging the gaze of the person who’d caught her in a private moment.

Or Tony, a face well-known to smirk, sneer, and blow kisses, suddenly severe and deep in thought, tinted glasses hanging from his teeth.

Thor grinned behind a half-empty glass of beer in his portrait. Sam was reading a book. Bruce was cutting up a breakfast of an omelet and potatoes.

Bucky’s photo elicited gasps from Byrne as well as the crowd he’d started to draw around him. The session you had with him was rather difficult, since he challenged you at every turn. So many images from your roll you’d deemed too stern, an aspect that you didn’t want captured of Bucky. The Winter Soldier was grim and ominous. Bucky, your Bucky (as hesitant as that statement was), was not. You refused to let him resign himself to the Soldier’s shadowy persona, especially not after knowing just how bright he could be.

It had taken almost two hours of careful conversation for him to let you turn off the lights and put on music. You chose to play one of your favorites- a collection of Bill Withers’ essential hits, letting the suave compositions fill the room. He was ready to argue when the first few notes came on, but you strictly shook your head and brushed out his hair with your fingers before moving on to massage his tense neck. Jagged edges, you chanted in your head, take care of those jagged edges.

It was an intimate moment from anyone else’s point of view- but you were so occupied with ensuring a good photo, you had willfully ignored all signs of pleasure from your subject. He leaned into your touch the harder you pressed, and when you reached down the round collar of his black shirt to feel the muscles of his back, he had started panting hard and fast.

You asked him to freeze and quickly ran back to snap a few shots. Then, certain you’d gotten what you needed, you ushered Bucky out of the room with a short apology before anything escalated.

The resulting photograph was Bucky’s side-profile leaning back on the palms of his hand on a stool, grey background blurred and out of focus. The collar of his shirt was stretched and warped around his neck under dense wavy hair. His eyes were half open, distracted by something in the distance, lips closed, corners turned down in a wanton pout. The muscles in his arms were thick and contracted as he gripped forcefully on the seat. There was a fuzzy shadow cast over him, just enough to obscure a corner of his shoulder and clenched jaw.

The card read, James Buchanan Barnes.

Kristopher Byrne clapped and ran the back of his hand over his forehead.

“This one… just takes my breath away. This is really Sergeant Barnes? The Winter Soldier? He looks so helpless… So unlike the image I have of him.”

You searched across the expanse of the room to find the sergeant in question. Next to him, Steve firmly patted his shoulder as they watched you stand beneath Bucky’s picture. With a slight swing of your hips, you unflinchingly moved on.

-

At 8, the band winded down their percussions and a spotlight found Tony at the center of the lobby, microphone in hand. Guests gathered around as he began to speak. Two workers wheeled out a display that was covered up by a black cloth.

“Everyone, may I please have your attention.” When the crowd settled down enough for his liking, he continued effortlessly. “I’d like to formally welcome you to the exhibition. The photographer of the night is a friend of mine; you might know her as the visionary behind the popular Soulmate Series and the subsequent Peculiar Pairs- wow, what a mouthful, huh?” A round of soft chuckles was raised.

You stood next to Natasha and Pepper, taking a final sip of your third champagne flute before handing it off to a server and thanking him. Your heart was picking up a rhythm in apprehension of your approaching time to speak. Tony was leaps and bounds more charming than you, and you could only hope you wouldn’t trip over your feet on your way up.

“She’s taken the world by storm with her humor, wit, and sensitivity on a subject we’ve all heard before, and continues to shed a novel light on Soulmates. To us here at the Avengers Facility, she’s our lovable Public Relations twerp, near and dear to our hearts.” He paused. You were positive you were tearing up as pinpricks burn your nasal passages.

“Please give a warm round of applause to the one, the only…”

Tony flourished his pointer finger over the crowd before finally settling on you, the spotlight zooming over to shine on the water pooling in your eyes. He finally called out a boisterous thundering of your name as the room erupted in applause.

The room blurred as you stepped towards Tony. Mechanical movements and muscle memory guided your actions when he gave you a loving hug and kiss on the cheek. The microphone was suddenly in your hands and you began to speak, praying for whatever god above (or here- Thor, if this might be your territory) to bless you with grace.

“Thank you everyone for coming out tonight. And thank you Tony and Pepper, who’ve made all of this possible for me.”

It felt like there were half a million eyes staring. You only needed to find your footing in four blue ones. Pressing onward, you continued, hoping the quiver of your throat would flatten itself out as you began to chronicle your body of work. It was a speech you’d given before in multiple interviews, you just needed a lead into the meat of the lecture.

“The photos you see tonight of the Avengers were taken with a simple message in mind: humanity. So often we regard them as these supernatural saviors- which they can be and frequently are; Thor, for one, is an Asgardian god.” The crowd lightly chuckled, and Thor, in the back, raised a sizable glass of wine in the air.

“I didn’t want to create more cults of personality around them, I wanted you to see the parts of them you could identify with, juxtaposing the abnormal with the normal. Your heroes eat breakfast, read books, take baths... just like you.” There was contemplation gazing back at you in the massive sea of unblinking eyes. Some people chewed on their lips pensively. Others were nodding along in agreeance.

“They hurt, like you.” You looked at Bucky, who met your gaze with a silent apology, “They love, like you.” You looked at Steve, who bit his lips in a smile. “They have soulmates, like you. And with that, we come full circle.”

You turned your body to face the shrouded display and pinch the cloth between two fingers.

“I’d like to start the auction period off with piece de resistance. As with all our photos tonight, when you bid on them, know that if won, they will be singularly yours. Forever. No duplicates will be made; the files have been destroyed.” Tugging on the sheet with a flourish, you swiftly pulled it off the polished stand to reveal a framed photo of the Maximoff twins. The discarded fabric tumbled to the floor with a flutter.

Pietro stood shirtless and defiant in the photo, black jeans hanging from his hips, the barest hint of his boxers peeking out. His body was smooth and hard, naturally flawless thanks to his inhuman healing abilities. Next to him, Wanda faced away from the camera in a black racerback, her head turned to regard her twin. Her hand drew a line across his chest, wrist relaxed on his far shoulder, polished black fingernails lovingly twirled a bleached curl. Their Marks were in full view, and the audience collectively sucked in a sharp breath of surprise.

“Wanda and Pietro Maximoff: Avengers, twins, soulmates.”

The room erupted once more in applause. You handed the microphone back to Tony and disappeared into the crowd.

-

You felt ill.

Clutching on the smooth marble countertop, you stared at your reflection in the bathroom mirror. The dim yellow lighting from the shell-shaped wall scone flooded the room and made you look even more jaundiced. You had held it together for a whole three hours but now it was time to dump your entire stomach’s contents into the closest toilet. You barely made it before the champagne and bits of cheese ejected violently from your mouth.

You waited briefly for the nausea to pass and when it didn’t you returned to discharge the rest of your vomit into the bowl. In the stall a few spaces down, someone flushed before cautiously exiting. Three clicks of footsteps closer and there was a very light knock on the door that separated you from them.

Wanda stood over you, eyebrows tightly knitted in concern. She hoisted you up and the toilet flushed automatically upon registering movement. You wobbled to the counter again, opening the various cabinet doors before finding some mouthwash to gargle.

“Can I help you?” She asked, taking a cloth napkin from the wicker basket in the middle and dabbing around your red mouth after you’d spit into the sink. You sighed deeply, holding your hand over your torso. “It’s been a long month… that was actually more cathartic than traumatic.” She nodded in support.

You took the napkin from her and viciously wiped off the lipstick with it, peppermint smell lingering from your mouth. Your eyes began to focus and un-focus competitively and ghostly trails of color floated all around your head. Wanda followed your gaze with her eyes before pressing a warm palm to your temple.

“I can take it away, if you’d like,” she held up a splayed hand, fingers crackling with that ghostly energy of hers. Exhaling, you only nodded as she returned the heel of her palm to your forehead. A rush of tingles travelled up your body and into her hand, and you feel every inch of your skin crawling towards her. You’d forgotten how exhausted you’ve been for the past month as your head throbbed and ached against Wanda’s touch, mumbling what you hoped was a sincere-sounding thanks.  

When she finishes, Wanda lifts up your head with her finger and smiles. “All better, no?” When she walks you into the lobby, you feel yourself renewed with each step.

-

Steve thinks he can find you in any universe out there. Any timeline. Any dream. He’s got the shape of your body branded inside his brain. Every eyelash, every fine line, every damn pore.

When you cross the room with Wanda on your arm, smiling, he notices the lipstick has been rubbed off and your mouth is pink and raw. When you catch sight of him watching, Wanda departs gracefully and whispers into your ear a sweet note, wishing you a fruitful night onward. Your mind stills at her words, and your heart picks up a slow, steady beat when your feet end up in front of Steve at the edge of the room.

Steve knows he can.

He bends over to pull a lock of wavy hair into his hand and kiss it. The room is silent, conversations have long muted because of auction taking place. You’re no longer present, long gone from the party and adrift only in the blue-green sea of his gaze.

Steve allows the strands back onto your shoulder and they cascade over your back. He lets the scent of clean shampoo and something that is purely you wash over him. The crisp smell of seafoam and orange peels, summer rain, warm laundry in the sun. There’s a sheen layer of sweat in the dip of your neck that he’d love to get a mouthful of. The flame in his chest triggers.

He’ll have to thank Wanda later. Your posture is the most relaxed he’s seen you all night. The stiff square shoulders and domineering gait was a side of you he hadn’t seen before, a sight he couldn’t help but feel proud of as you commanded the room. However, he loved the natural you in front of him now most.

He doesn’t have to hear your words to know how you feel, but listens anyway.

“Thank you,” You smile, looking only at him, vaguely gesturing to the room full of people. Your voice has dropped low and earnest and you squeeze his hand just a little bit before anyone else sees. “I... I couldn’t have done this without you. I would have never done it.”

He nods and bows his head ever so slightly, peering at you through lashes. “I’m happy to have helped. You know that, sweetheart. I know you’re capable of so many great things… I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He rubs the edge of your mouth with a finger.

“Yeah.. I guess you’re used to seeing me like this, huh?” You giggle, embarrassed and remembering all the times you’ve thrown up because of his presence.

“I think even then, I had a feeling. Just… too afraid to come forward. After I learned how to use a computer…” He’s smiling at the memory, “..I used to spend all night looking at your photos… trying to find a picture of you somewhere.”

The thought of Steve, back then, already captivated by anything to do with you causes your breathing to pick up. You suck in air through your nostrils quickly as if you might be suffocating. A long moment passes as you pinch your bottom lip between your teeth.

“Honey?” He asks with a smile. He knows what’s coming.

You’re spellbound in his gaze, trapped like a moth, wings already soldered off by the flame. “I’d like to stay the night, I think. With you... and … B-Bucky.”

Steve plucks your hand from your side and kisses each knuckle. “Of course. Tony already said he’ll handle the rest of the show and paperwork. Let me know when you’re ready to go. We’ll take it slow.”

It’s a promise, and he doesn’t have to wait for your next words to know what you want. But he does so anyway. He needs to hear it.

“I’m... ready now.”

When Steve slips his hand over yours and feels the familiar pulse of your thumbprint, he knows. In this universe, this lifetime, or the next, or the next after that, he’d be able to find you. He is yours; you are his. With every step, he lets the fantasies he’s been occupied with disperse, focusing his attention solely on your figure at his side. The hallway muffles the sounds of the party and each step grows louder as you depart hand-in-hand.

 -

In the darkness of his room, your Soulmate kneels and unbuckles the strap of your stiletto, letting his fingers graze over your feet. He’s meticulous as he slips them off one at a time before trailing those calloused palms up your calves underneath the dress. The silky cool fabric brushes his knuckles, a stark contrast to the heat of your skin. You’re trembling against his hold as he continues upward, resting them on the back of your thighs, squeezing gently.

“Sweetheart, you’re shaking.” He presses two kisses to the top of each thigh underneath the dress. His hot breath sends tingles slinking upwards into the pit of your core. “We can stop any time. We can stay in bed together and just sleep. I’d love that.”

You shake your head and place your hands over his, pulling them up even higher, over the apex of your bottom, brushing over your underwear, and catching in the tightness of the fabric. The motion is all he needs, and Steve deftly reaches up to untie the knotted bow at the small of your back.

The satin falls off your shoulders and pools at your feet.

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