#I’d throw up on his prada shoes

[jimmyspades]

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[artificialqueens]

Galactica, Chapter 79 (Group Fic) - TheDane/Veronica

A/N: Click here if you’re looking for previous chapters (or here if you’d rather read on AO3). 💫

Previously: Violet and Sutan showed up for Bob’s drag show. Courtney had a disastrous day at work before Galactica shut down for the holidays.

This Chapter: Violet parties a little too hard, Sutan gets sick, and Miss Fame finds out about her precious sketches.

***

Violet wasn’t surprised that Bob was an amazing and hilarious performer. What had surprised her was how into it Sutan seemed, slapping his thighs at every joke, cheering loudly, tipping all of the queens generously.

It was so unlike how he behaved at the adult parties they normally frequented, so unlike how he normally spent a night out mingling and networking, his charm laid on so thick sometimes that the real him barely even poked through.

At one point, after watching him stuff a couple of bills down one queen’s corset, Violet must have had some kind of strange expression, because Sutan caught her eye and gave her a wink, saying, “Not my first drag show, darling.”

Violet smiled, shaking her head at him, though she gladly accepted the kiss he offered up, Sutan’s lips tasting like whiskey and those horrible green shots. It was great to see him, to watch the grown man she cared so much for light up with boyish delight, Sutan throwing himself wholeheartedly into the show.

By the time Bob came up to their table after the show, she was starting to really feel the effects of all the drinks she’d had throughout the night, her speech sounding much slurrier than she intended when she accepted a sweaty hug from Bob.

“You were so good up there,” she said, trying to get out her words without sounding as crazy drunk as she felt, “Best one by far.”

“Wow,” said a voice nearby, and Bob let out a hearty laugh.

“You heard her, Thorgy, I’m the best. By far,” Bob cackled, turning and sticking his tongue out at a green-haired queen.

“Your friends are so sweet, Bob, you should bring them more often,” she said snidely, and Violet’s eyes widened, realizing her mistake.

“No, I just meant, uh, that...that you-” she stammered out, and Bob laughed even harder.

“No, we heard you,” continued Thorgy, giving an exaggerated eye roll. “As if Bob needs anything else to make his fat head even bigger.”

“Would you chill, bitch? She was just giving me a compliment! Nobody murdered your family.”

“Shut up, Bob!”

Violet tried to shrink as they continued to bicker, Maxwell slipping her another shot and whispering, “Don’t worry, they’re just like that. Bottoms up.”

Violet picked up the shot, toasting Maxwell with a little shrug, just as Sutan returned to the table with a fresh round for everyone.

***

“Sutan,” Violet groaned, and Sutan couldn’t help but smile, his girlfriend under his arm, snuggled against his side, an open bottle of water in her hand.

“Yes darling?” It had been a bit of a struggle to get to the taxi, Violet suddenly a whole lot drunker than he had ever seen her before, but they had had an amazing night.

It had been literal years since he had last been to a drag show, and he had forgotten how much fun they generally were.

It had been good to see Violet’s work friends, and to get to know them a little better, to know for certain that his girlfriend was surrounded by good people when she went to work.

“I don’t feel good…” Violet whined, the tone so new for her Sutan had to bite his cheek not to chuckle.

“I know lovely eyes.” He held her hand, gently lifting it and the bottle to her lips so Violet could drink some more water. He should probably have stopped her about 5 shots ago, but he hadn’t wanted to cut off her fun, which she was now paying the price for.

Violet took a sip, her nose scrunching up like it tasted all wrong, Sutan holding her in place even as he took the bottle.

“We’ll be home soon.”

He had been smart enough to change the sheets before they left, the task one he normally left for his housekeeper but she was on vacation, painkillers and water bottles ready on the nightstands - fresh sheets and a cracked window a guaranteed recipe for a good night’s sleep, something they both truly needed.

“Mmh,” Violet tried to pull away, her hand pushing against his leg so Sutan let her, his girlfriend sitting up straight.

“I really don’t feel good,” Violet dumped her head back against the headrest, “like I think, I might-”

The taxi rounded a corner, and Violet’s hand flew to cover her mouth, her eyes wide with panic, and Sutan knew instantly what was about to happen.

“Stop the car!” Sutan reached over Violet, opening the door and unbuckling her seatbelt in one fluid motion, a hand on her hip pushing her out on the street as he yelled over his shoulder to the driver. “Stay!”

Sutan followed behind Violet with practiced ease, the maneuver one he had done hundreds of times, models often drinking way too much if they didn't snort something worse during the first year of their career.

“Over here,” Sutan hated that he was forcing Violet to stand on her bad leg, but he didn’t have much choice, one hand finding her waist as he turned her in an attempt to support her weight,  “How are you feeling-”

He was cut off as Violet grabbed his arm and bent forward to throw up, the majority of it landing directly on Sutan’s shoes, his fingers only just catching her ponytail.

“Oh god,” Violet choked, “I’m so sorry-” She didn’t finish, as she puked again and Sutan sighed, the second round of vomit soaking his shoes completely, the leather officially beyond salvageable.

“I’m sorry,” Violet’s forehead was leaning against his stomach, Sutan’s hand on her neck, a hiccup leaving her, her voice quivering with tears. “I’m so sorry, I’m so so sorry-”

“Hey, hey,” Sutan tightened his grip, using his other hand to gently push on Violet’s shoulder to get her to stand up. Her face was an absolute mess, tears streaming down her cheeks, “Lovely eyes, don’t worry-”

“You’re wearing Prada.” Violet sobbed, her hand coming up in a desperate attempt to wipe her tears, and Sutan knew it was wrong, he just couldn’t help but laugh.

“Don’t laugh at me!” Violet hit his chest, but she still allowed him to move her so she was leaning against the taxi, the tip he’d need to give their driver growing by the second. Violet had thankfully not thrown up on herself, which was a true blessing combined with the fact that he had shoved the water bottle into his pocket. He took it out, uncapping it to pour the water over his shoes, washing them to the best of his ability.

It wasn’t perfect, but he had dealt with a lot worse.

Violet was pale, but she didn’t look like she was going to throw up again, so Sutan helped her back in the car, giving the driver a hundred as a thank you for not leaving them stranded.

“Lovely eyes?” Sutan felt a moment of panic when he realized Violet hadn’t said a word since they got back in the car, “Is everything-“

“I’m so embarrassed, I can’t believe I-“ Violet groaned, frustration heavy in her voice, “I threw up all over your Prada shoes.”

“You know,” Sutan grinned, the few times someone had thrown up in his hands so much worse than what he had just experienced. “You’re the only girl I know who’d care about the brand of shoes I’m wearing right now. The vomit would have been plenty for most.”

“Can we please just, not?” Violet sighed heavily, but she did lean her head against his shoulder, which Sutan took as a very good sign. “I’d love to pretend all of this never happened.”

“Violet. They’re just shoes.” Sutan pressed a kiss against her temple, “You’re so much more important.”

***

Raven flipped through the dresses she hadn’t worn in public yet, looking for the one she was going to be wearing for New Year’s. She had gotten several options for her and Raja, but they hadn’t had the chance yet to try anything on and make the decision, glittering suits and the more theatrical pieces Raja preferred on her side of their walk-in closet.

“What do you think of a green theme?” Raven looked over her shoulder and over at Raja, who was sitting sideways in one of the arm chairs, her legs over the armrest, a bouquet of lilies on the side table.

Raven loved their gigantic walk-in closet, the room so big they had to take down a wall when they moved in, but it was one of her favorite rooms in their apartment, so it was well worth it. It was all done in shades of beige and gray, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the couch and the arm chairs almost making it feel like a miniature store.

“Raj?” Raven waited for a beat, but when she didn’t get a reply, she turned around.

“Hello? Earth to Raja?” Raven crossed her arms, annoyance curling in her belly. She hated being ignored, and right now, she was being ignored by her favorite person. “Urgh!” Raven huffed, stomping over and grabbing the phone from Raja’s hands.

“Hey!” Raja’s eyes widened in surprise and she sat up, her feet hitting the floor. “Give me my phone-”

“You promised-” Raven held her hand up so Raja couldn’t get the phone, her fiancée grabbing her hips and pulling her in between her spread legs, “you wouldn’t work.”

“I’m not,” Raja tightened her grip, and Raven had to bite back a moan as she felt her short nails dig through the fabric of her dress. “I’m texting Tan.”

“Please,” Raven turned the phone, still holding it over her head so she could see the screen without Raja snatching it away. She had expected to see her emails pulled up, Raja often working at the strangest of times, but instead, all she saw was a row of text messages in Indonesian.

“... Okay, so,” Raven hated admitting that she was wrong, but this once, it seemed like Raja wasn’t actually ignoring her for work. “Fine.”

“Thank you.” Raja smiled as she was handed her phone, her hand guiding Raven to sip on her lap, which she gladly did. “Tan says he has a cold.”

“What?” Raven raised an eyebrow, her arms around Raja’s neck. Sutan never got sick, like, never ever, so this was an unexpected turn of events. “Really?”

“Mmh,” Raja nodded, “He woke up with a fever, but it seems like Violet is there.”

This time, it was Raven’s turn to smile, her hand gliding under Raja’s open shirt. “So you’re going to go check in on him?”

“Oh definitely.” Raja grinned, “Who do you think I am?”

***

“Keep the change.”

To say that Violet was feeling guilty would be an understatement. She did her best not to spill the soup as she made her way back towards the living room where Sutan was sleeping on the couch, the TV running on the news channel.

It was terribly unfair, but she had woken up without as much as a headache, while Sutan was coughing his lungs out, her boyfriend hot with fever. Raja had done a pharmacy run, buying every medicine under the sun for her brother, which was now spread out on the coffee table. Raja had offered to stay, but Sutan had sent her away, telling her with a smile that Violet was taking care of him.

It was equal parts unexpected and amazing that he trusted her, that he still wanted her around after she had literally thrown up on him, the ruined shoes something Violet knew would be haunting her nightmares.

It was truly a miracle that she hadn’t fled the apartment, but she didn’t want to disappoint Sutan, so she stayed.

Violet put the bag down, returning with utensils and bowls from the kitchen, when Sutan cracked an eye open, her boyfriend looking up at her.

“Hey,” Sutan smiled, his hair adorably messy, the blanket all the way up to his chin, a small mountain of used tissues in the bin Violet had put by his head.

“I got you lunch.”

“What?” Sutan sat up, grabbing his glasses from the table to put them on. He was wearing a gigantic sweater and a pair of sweatpants, thick wool socks on his feet. “Wait, is that? Did you get me chicken soup-” He didn’t finish, a cough cutting him off, and Violet felt her heart clench.

“Bread too.”

“Ha,” Sutan snorted, a grin on his lips. “You’re the best,” he tilted his head for a kiss, but Violet reacted on instinct, putting a hand on his forehead, pushing him back, which made Sutan laugh.

“What?”

“You’re all...snotty…” Violet tried not to wrinkle her nose, but it was hard not to, his skin hot to the touch.

“So you can throw up on my shoes, but I can’t get one little kiss?”

Violet rolled her eyes, though she couldn't help but smile over Sutan’s attitude. “Fine.” She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against Sutan’s forehead. “And I really am sorry, I promise that I’ll replace them-”

“Lovely eyes,” Sutan looked up at her, her hands on his shoulder. “I meant what I said last night. I don’t care about the shoes.”

“But-” They hadn’t actually talked about it sober, and while Violet wished that the earth would swallow her up, she pushed on, “You always make excuses for me, and forgive things you shouldn’t, and I-”

“Violet,” Sutan reached up, touching her elbow, “That’s what you do when you love someone, and I happen to love you.”

“...You love me?”

“I do,” Sutan smiled, “I really do.”

“I-” Violet didn’t know what to say, didn’t know what to do, but as she looked at Sutan’s face, she realized that he meant it. This man, this strange, wonderful, amazing man, loved her, and Violet had no idea what she had done to deserve him. “I love you too.”

***

PEARL: How would you feel about a NYE party at 230 5th?

DAHLIA: Well that sounds fuckin posh. How’d you get on the list for something so chic?

PEARL: I’m chic as fuck

DAHLIA: Lol if you say so

PEARL: Lol, is that a yes?

DAHLIA: Sure, why not.

PEARL: Perf. You wanna come over early and get ready together?

DAHLIA: Don’t want to wait until the end of the night to get lucky, huh?

PEARL: Nope ;)

***

Symone yawned, leaning against a column in the Terminal 5 baggage claim, her sunglasses hiding her face as she was waiting for Gigi to appear on the escalator.

Her flight from Little Rock had arrived less than 2 hours before Gigi’s, and even though she could have easily gone back to the apartment, she had told her that she’d wait for her.

Symone was exhausted, but she was also psyched to see her friend, their time apart feeling much longer than a week, so staying at the airport had felt like the obvious choice.

Finally she spotted her, in what looked like a brand new forest green coat with fur trim, Gigi’s red hair hidden under a green hat, her friend carrying herself like a starlet who had stepped off of an old Hollywood movie set.

“Geeg!” Symone called out, waving, and her face broke out into a huge grin as she waved back.

Once Gigi got to the bottom of the escalator, she raced forward, nearly tripping in her platform boots as she ran towards Symone, flinging herself into her arms for a huge hug, squealing out, “Hiiiii!”

“Hey girl, long time no see,” Symone said, laughing, holding her tight. Gigi smelled like airport but underneath it, she was exactly herself, her skin warm and soft, and Symone had missed her more than she was willing to admit.

Soon, the two girls were standing in front of the baggage carousel, arms linked, giggling like crazy as they caught each other up on the latest family drama and antics from their siblings while waiting for Gigi’s bags to show up.

It felt good to be back together, and Symone basked in Gigi’s attention.

It wasn’t like she had never had friends, wasn’t like she hadn't had best friends, but Gigi was special, and Symone felt her heart skip a beat as she took her hand, intertwining their fingers.

“So,” Gigi looked at her, a smile on her face. “Pizza?”

Symone laughed, but nodded, Gigi a terrible but also amazing influence. “Pizza.”

***

“Sutan told Violet he loves her.”

“What?” Trixie looked up from the onion he was chopping, and over at Katya who was sitting at the kitchen table, one hand on her stomach, her thumb rubbing back and forth, her phone in the other.

“She just texted.” Katya titled her screen, though she didn’t actually show the text.

“Haven’t they been dating for months?” Trixie turned around, pretty sure that he had heard the earliest rumors about them going out together from Pearl all the way back in september.

“Not everyone says love you after the second date sugarbutt,” Katya grinned and Trixie smiled, a delighted flush filling his cheeks.

***

Fame sighed, a sense of restlessness and uneasiness lying heavily over her. They had come back from The Farm that morning, Fame spending the early afternoon in her study rearranging her chicken figurine collection.

Patrick had found the most gorgeous ceramic Plymouth Rock figurine, the black and white chicken absolutely a masterpiece, and Fame knew that she should be happy, tinkering with her collection usually an instant source of joy, but today, she just felt…unwell.

Fame wanted to talk to Bianca, but she also didn’t want to talk to Bianca, annoyance at how she had behaved at the dinner party still dancing under her skin.

Bianca hadn’t said sorry, not beyond the hurried apology she had thrown over her shoulder as she left, in fact, she hadn’t contacted her at all besides a single text on Christmas morning.

Fame closed the glass door to her chicken cabinet, walking over to her desk to pick up her phone. She knew it was torture, but she opened her messages, tapping Bianca’s name.

BIANCA: Merry Christmas, Blondie. Let’s hang out when I’m back in Jan. XO

Fame hadn’t replied, annoyance wheeling up in her at how casually Bianca dared to act, how she attempted to sweep how hurtful she had been under the rug yet again. She had overheard Juju and Detox discussing that Bianca had left the country, but Fame had very intentionally not checked any of Bianca’s social media, though Pearl swore to her that a simple look was untrackable.

She began typing out a message, but then stopped, deleting it again. It was too late to respond now without seeming petty, and Fame hated whenever Bianca accused her of that, but they still needed to talk, needed to actually talk about what was going on.

She needed an excuse, some reason to contact Bianca and lure her into a meeting, so she wouldn’t have to show her how she was feeling in text.

Maybe she could find out if one of their regular brunch spots had added anything new to their menu, and then ask if Bianca wanted to join her.

Fame sighed yet again, the plan seeming impossible as she took a seat in her chair, the latest paper deliveries from Galactica lying in a neat stack.

If nothing else, her bad mood could be useful for tearing through some of the more dull and dry parts of her job. Fame took the top one, the weight of it depressing in itself since Fame knew it wasn’t anything fun, Alyssa amazing at her job though she also insisted on being a pain in Fame’s ass.

She made it two thirds of the way through the report before boredom overwhelmed her. She needed something interesting, something fun, and if she was lucky, she knew just where she could find it.

FAME: Hi love, I know you’re still on vacation, but if you have some time today, I would love to hear your thoughts on my sketches. :)

TRIXIE: Your sketches?

FAME: Yes. The Met ones that my office sent to you before we shut down.

TRIXIE: Let me check my computer

Fame took a bottle of Pellegrino from the little office fridge under her desk, twisting the cap and grabbing a glass as she waited for Trixie’s reply.

TRIXIE: I don’t want to get anyone in trouble

TRIXIE: But the last email I have from Courtney is about the investor meeting.

Fame rolled her eyes, absolutely exasperated at Courtney’s inability to follow through with the simplest of instructions, since she was positive that she’d told her to send the sketches.

It took three calls for her to answer her phone, and by the time she did, Fame was fuming.

“Why doesn’t Trixie have my sketches?”

“Um...well, Miss, I…” Courtney’s voice sounded shaky and tearful, which Fame didn’t understand. If she would just follow simple instructions like any assistant, she wouldn’t get scolded or lectured. Her victim act made Fame even more irritated than she was already.

“Tell me! Because Trixie says he doesn’t have them and I know I told you to take care of them-”

“I-I think they might be gone.”

“Gone?” Fame froze, a few seconds ticking by before she really understood what Courtney had said. She felt her heartbeat speed up, dread collecting in her stomach. “What do you mean gone?!” Fame could hear her tone grow shrill, and knew that there was a good chance that Charles would come running any minute, her dog always showing up when she was upset.

“Well, I was in a cab on the way back to the office and then when you called, I-I was distracted and I must have not seen them on the seat…”

“Oh god…” Fame tried to take a deep breath, tuning out Courtney’s ridiculous explanation, her incompetence so staggering that she hadn’t even been able to do something as simple as not losing Fame’s original work.

She couldn’t believe it.

Her sketches were really gone, her work lost somewhere in the city, defenseless against whoever might happen across it.

“...and I have messages in to every company that operates-”

“Enough!” Fame exploded. “I don’t care for your pitiful excuses. How could you be so absolutely irresponsible?! I have put up with all of your mistakes, your incompetence, but this is beyond anything, those were- You’ve done, this, this is unforgivable Courtney-”

The door opened, Charles annoyingly enough clever enough to work out door handles.

“Miss, I’m so sorry-”

Fame could hear that Courtney was crying, but she didn’t care, her heart hammering away in her ears, words spilling from her lips, the only thing stopping her when she heard Bianca’s voice in her ear.

“Blondie!”

“Put Courtney back on the phone-”

“No.” Bianca’s voice was stern, and Fame couldn’t believe that she was taking that tone with her, especially considering her little sex toy’s latest fuck-up. “We’re trying to enjoy dinner-”

“Bianca-”

“You can finish this rant on Monday, but for now, she’s mine. See ya soon!”

Fame heard the beep of a phone being hung up, and as she lowered it from her ear, she saw that Bianca had done just that, cutting her off, and her blood boiled.

Bianca had betrayed her yet again, and Fame could feel her heart breaking, the whole thing so terribly fucking unfair.

Fame threw her phone down on the carpet, and put her arms around Charles neck, the heavy breath of her dog in her ear as she clung to him.

***

Courtney gaped at Bianca, mouth open in shock.

“What?”

“You just hung up on Miss Fame!” she exclaimed. She wiped the tears still trickling down her cheeks with the back of her hand.

“Yeah, so? She deserved it.” Bianca sipped her cocktail, shrugging.

“Bianca! That’s my boss!” The truth, that Courtney wouldn’t admit out loud, was that witnessing it had been a little bit thrilling. No one had ever defended her like that. If she wasn’t so terrified of the repercussions, she’d have been delighted.

“You wanna call her back?” Bianca asked, one eyebrow raised.

“Well...no.” Courtney lifted her hand to her mouth, smothering a nervous laugh. “Oh god, she’s gonna kill me.”

“She won’t.” Bianca reached out and took Courtney’s hand. “At least not until next Monday.”

Courtney gave a rueful smile, shoulders sagging a bit. She’d been having the best time with Bianca, every day filled with joy and excitement and love. Part of her wished that it could last forever.

But of course, it couldn’t. It was just a vacation. And tomorrow they were flying back to New York. Which in and of itself wasn’t a problem. After all, they had a fabulous New Year’s Eve party to go to, which was being hosted by Jinkx Monsoon. (The Jinkx Monsoon, who Courtney was thrilled to finally meet; she hoped she wouldn’t embarrass herself by being too much of a fangirl.)

And then a few days later, the movers would come to help her get all her things from her apartment, and she could say goodbye forever to the apartment that her friends called “The Dungeon.”

So things were looking up--at least better than they had in a long time.

But then there was work.

Courtney knew that she should be grateful for all the wonderful things in her life, but the feeling she’d gotten when she saw Fame’s name pop up on her phone had been sheer, unbridled panic. And it hadn’t gotten any better once she’d answered. The thought of going back to all that, where every move she made was wrong, where she was nothing but a fuck-up and a disappointment, was upsetting and frustrating and beyond anything just exhausting.

“What’s wrong, sunshine?” Bianca asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

“Nothing,” Courtney said, attempting a smile, which Bianca clearly didn’t buy from the way she tilted her head, eyebrows raised. “No, it’s just...a bit of a bummer to think about work.”

“Yeah, tell me about it.”

“I feel like someone just threw a bucket of ice water in my face and screamed at me to wake up from a beautiful dream.”

“Well…” Bianca twirled her glass by the stem, then asked, “What if you didn’t have to wake up?

“What do you mean?”

“Look, I’m not gonna tell you what to do about your job, but...it just seems like it’s making you miserable, with no upside. And worse, it’s leaving you no time to pursue the things you actually care about, like music.”

“I know, but what choice do I have? I have to work.”

“Do you?” Bianca asked, a smirk on her face, and Courtney rolled her eyes.

“Well, yeah. How else will I pay for stuff?”

Bianca shrugged nonchalantly. “You know your rent just decreased dramatically.”

“I know, but it’s not just rent. There’s my phone and student loans and credit cards and legal bills and-”

“Angel…” Bianca pulled Courtney closer, into her lap. “If money is stressing you out, then I can help you with all of that. Actually, I’d be thrilled to help you, if it allows you to follow your dreams.”

“I’m not asking for your money, B,” Courtney said, looking away. Bianca had already given her so much, and now this? What could she possibly offer in return?

“I know.” Bianca took her chin and turned her face back gently, looking into her eyes. “I know you’re not, but I’m offering. There’s a big difference.”

Courtney bit her lip, eyes falling closed as Bianca kissed up her jaw. Was this really happening? Was Bianca really offering her such an easy out to all of her problems? What was the catch? Courtney felt her throat tighten, tears pricking at her eyes.

“Let me take care of you, angel…” she whispered, and Courtney sighed against her.

“You don’t know how badly I want to say yes,” Courtney whispered back. And it was true, she did. She’d always been independent--in fact, she’d prided herself on it, and so had her parents. Even before she left home to study in America, she’d been self-sufficient. In a way, it felt like a cop-out to accept so much help from Bianca. But Courtney was tired, so very tired, of everything being hard all the time.

“Then say yes. Or at least, say you’ll think about it. You don’t have to decide tonight.”

For a few moments, Courtney gazed at her, too overwhelmed to speak.

“What?”

“Um...you just…” Courtney couldn’t say what she wanted to say, which was that Bianca was every single one of her dreams coming true. That she was sheer perfection. So instead, she said, “You just...look really cute tonight.”

A grin broke out on Bianca’s face as she asked, “Oh yeah? You approve?”

Courtney nodded. She very, very much approved. Bianca was wearing a vivid tangerine-colored dress, the color something she herself would have loved to wear (although she had to admit, it looked so good against Bianca’s skin that she’d probably hesitate to ever wear it again), and everything, even her accessories, were bright and fun and joyful. She was so beautiful, thinking about it made Courtney feel choked up once again.

“I...I don’t deserve you,” Courtney finally said, as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“You deserve the world,” Bianca told her earnestly. She leaned forward and pressed a soft, tender kiss to Courtney’s lips before moving to her cheeks, kissing away her tears.

[sylvie-writes]

Bad (3): Memories We Used to Share

First inspired by this song ➳ Bad by Lennon Stella

(Ransom Drysdale x wife reader)

Summary: It’s time to move out! 6 months of getting your life sorted, along with a few surprises, some pleasant, others not so much.

A/n: My search history is looking weird, due to this series haha. I’ve been reading multiple articles about uncontested divorce just to get an understanding for this series lmao. 

Disclaimer: Just so you know, I’m not a law school graduate, so I can’t say I really know what in the hell I am talking about. With that being said, if I screw up the divorce process in this chapter and/or the next, please don’t come at me. Our law system is confusing and I’m just here to write, no one said it would be accurate lol. 

Warnings: mild profanity & your typical cheesy, predictable fanfic by yours truly. 

Shoutout: MANY THANKS TO THE ANON WHO GAVE ME SOME IDEAS TO MAKE THIS A SERIES!

As always, plz pardon any mistakes, the stories are always proofread but I tend to make many mistakes regardless.

Series Masterlist

For six months, you worked to get your life back together. 

By the end of April, a week after you yelled at your (ex) husband, you had successfully packed up your stuff, without being bothered by the man. Ever since the night you had confronted him, the two of you never stood in the same room or even looked the other in the eye. So it worked in your favor today that he was busy with his new flame, probably entertaining her with a trip to Prada. Never once did you take a break, for eight straight hours, you spent one whole Saturday organizing and strategically packing your things away. Around eight o’clock, all of the boxes were stacked by the front door, ready to be moved into the U-haul trailer attached to your car. Lucky for you, Ransom could care less about what was his and what was yours. The dog, also going home with you. In truth, ever since that day you rightfully ripped the man for his mistakes, a black cloud has loomed over his head, no matter what he may be on the outside, he’s broken on the inside. 

One more box was left in the bedroom, and you quickly jogged up the stairs to get it. Unbeknownst to you, as you were upstairs, Ransom and Blair had come home, apparently mindless to your car in the driveway, because when you walked down the stair box in hand the two pulled away from each other’s lips, staring at you.

You had made an agreement with Ransom that he’d not show up while you packed your things. He had done a good job so far, up until now that is. “Oh, (y/n), I didn’t think you’d be here this late. You should get some rest.”

His “concern” disgusted you. Now he decides to care about you? I think not.

Filled with rage, you drop the cardboard box, letting the contents inside shatter. In most divorces, there wouldn’t be this much emotion, but it hurt you beyond words can describe, to see this man that you loved with every inch of your body, kissing another woman, in YOUR house. You could even see yourself in her shoes, because damn, once upon a time, you WERE her. 

“Are you okay!” Blair came rushing to your side, to try and move you out of the shattered glass. She seemed like a genuinely nice person, and had she not been a home-wrecker, you’d want to be her friend. But at this moment, all you could think about was that she wasn’t even bothered by the fact that she’d been seeing a married man. So, just as Blair tried to help you, you pushed away her hands and collapsed on the steps, lightly sitting in the glass, yet numb to the pain. The weight of the world had finally, physically pushed you to the ground. You were at wits end, and things were looking pretty dark. At this point, you couldn’t even see the light at the end of the tunnel. What had you done to deserve this and would there be a second chance for you? 

Just then, Ransom came to remove Blair, telling her to go get ready for bed, the two clearly coming from a night of clubbing. As she ran up the stairs, mindful of the glass, Ransom came to pick you up. Grabbing your arms, you laid limp against his chest, willingly letting him carry you down the stairs. Oh how you missed his caring touch, why couldn’t things be different? It should've been you out dancing with him, you lip locked with him. Instead, here you were, letting the man who single-handedly destroy your life, carrying you to the couch, laying a blanket and a long kiss on your cheek. Consumed with emotions, sleep soon took over your body before you could protest and leave the house. Had you only heard Ransom’s apology.

“I’m so sorry my precious (y/n), it shouldn’t have been this way, my love.” A few stray tears rolled down Ransom’s cheek as he sadly sauntered up the stairs. 

Ironic, how in a house that was once yours, a new woman took your spot in the bed, besides your once husband, while you slept on the couch like a toy banned to the isle of misfits. 

The next morning, you woke up to the smell of coffee and giggles. You were angry at yourself, no doubt, how could you be so vulnerable by staying at the house? Before you could think anymore, you walked to get your keys, finding that Blair was in the kitchen, cooking pancakes for Ransom, who sat at the kitchen table with coffee and the newspaper. You kinda screwed yourself, by leaving your car keys on the kitchen table. It was your only escape and unfortunately it meant interacting with dumb and dumber. 

The two once again forgot you were there, shocked to see your form walking through the doorway. With a fake smile, you grumbled out a few choice words.

“Don’t worry, I’m getting out of your house ya lovebirds!”

Victory at last. Your words stung Ransom, well, rather word. In another time, you’d say our house, but now, it was no longer the Drysdales’ Household, no, it was Drysdale’s Household, hence why you reminded Ransom that he was alone. Sure, Blair was there but you both knew it wouldn’t last. 

That day, when Ransom and Blair had once again left, going god knows where, Ransom texted you that you could pack your boxes into the u-haul trailer. Since you just wanted to haul ass out of the place this morning, you left the trailer and boxes behind, making a beeline to the nearest bar. So far you had handled yourself without alcohol, but now you needed some relief, specifically in a few whiskey sours. Around 3pm, Ransom then sent that text, and you sobered up, gracefully throwing up in the bathroom stall, then driving to the house to officially get out of his life. Even with a major headache, you managed to pack the trailer. It was then that you realized you were destined to function alone, you didn’t need Ransom. Screw him. 

In May, you went around town, scanning different apartments finally finding one. Unfortunately, there was a waitlist with three people in front of you, the estimated move in time being late July or August. With that being said, you moved all your things into a storage unit and continued to live in a hotel room. Thank the heavens you kept your job, despite Ransom’s pleas for you to stay home when you were married. Somehow, you were able to juggle working and functioning around others, coming home to be your true self, the night normally ending with takeout and tv. This divorce had truly ruined your life, and Ransom’s. The two of you constantly lived with the rain cloud, never once catching a break and seeing a rainbow overhead. For now, you were just separated and soon you’d file for divorce.

Around the last week of May, your life was turned upside down once again. This time, for a good reason. 

Currently, you were on lunch break, eating at a nearby diner with your closest work friend, Lorraine Bailey. She really has been your best friend, taking the title that used to belong to Ransom. At least she was loyal, understanding, and wasn’t a backstabbing bitch *ahem* your ex.

“How are you holding up, honey?”

You were too busy staring into the nothingness of your chicken sandwich, that when Lorainne gently shook your resting hand, you let out an incoherent “huh?”

“I was asking how you are doing? With everything that’s been going on in the past few months--”

Before she could answer, you just snapped, quickly yelling at the woman, who wasn’t trying to be nosy, she was genuinely concerned. 

“Could you just stop nosing around? It’s none of your business really!” 

At that, Lorraine leaned back in her seat, lowering her head like a scolded child. Honestly, you didn’t mean what you had just said and you had no clue where it came from. Lately, your mouth has been an unreliable thing, for you could barely control your answers without acting like a moody child.

Quickly, you excused yourself, lightly jogging to the bathroom to expel the few glasses of water you drank. As you washed your hands, upon looking in the mirror, you were met with a face you barely knew. Sure, you looked the same  on the outside, but on the inside you were a different person. No longer peppy or truly happy. Ransom had taken it all from you, but it was time to take that back. Walking out the bathroom door, you vowed to yourself from this point on you’d try to become your old self. 

Surprisingly, Lorraine still sat at the booth, allowing you to give her a real and sincere apology.

“Lorraine, I’m so sorry, I can’t even fathom the words to justify my actions. Lately, I haven’t been able to truly control my emotions and I took it out on you. That was wrong and I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve it, after all you’ve always been here for me.”

The woman smiled at you, despite the tears rolling down your face. Why were you crying and since when did you become such an emotional person? You weren’t cold hearted, but nor were you one to cry at a movie. 

“That’s fine, I know you are under a lot of pressure. What do you say we get out of here and spend the rest of break at the bakery across the street?”

“I’d say you know me very well!” 

Soon, you flagged down the waitress and paid the tab, ignoring Lorraine’s pleas to pay for lunch. It was the least you could do after yelling at the poor woman. As you left the restaurant, the guilt was still surfacing in your body and you felt the need to hug your best friend, who was happily surprised, hugging you back. 

Once in the bakery, you were met with the sight of homemade chocolates, like your dog at home, you were practically drooling. Let’s just say the baker was stunned when you bought two dozens of chocolate, and then proceeded to eat half on the way out. What was even more surprising, was that about a seventy-five percent of your order was chili dark chocolate. 

As you were walking down the street, and to work, Lorraine reached over, tasting one of your chocolates, a chili one to be exact. Her face twisted with disgust and her suspicions were confirmed. 

“Uh, (y/n), I think I might have an explanation for your constant mood swings, the amount of times you leave to the bathroom, and why you’d buy this absolute garbage!”

The minute she listed all the symptoms together, you immediately denied her. 

“Don’t even say it. I’m just moody because I’m mad, I pee a lot because, uh-”

“Exactly! Even you can’t explain all of it. Just do me a favor and buy a test. It won’t hurt anything to try.”

“Yeah, but I know you are wrong, Lorraine.”

“I mean c'mon, don’t you want to know too?”

At that moment, the two of you were halted in front of a CVS, Lorraine pointing at the store like she was Vanna White. 

Your conscience: Maybe you should listen to the woman, after all she has three kids!

And so you did.

Thank god your friend was there, because you were an absolute novice in this field. Sure, you wanted kids, but right now you were praying that you were just having an irregular cycle due to stress. Lorraine, the best, best friend anyone could ask for, bought the test to spare you the embarrassment. 

The minute you walked into work, Lorraine pulled you into the bathroom, giving you instructions, you following them, then waiting for the timer to beep.

Any minute now you’d find your results, and for some reason part of you wanted this test to be positive. It would be nice to have a little company.

Once the timer beeped, you looked at the plastic stick that held your future, immediately smiling when your answer was pregnant.

You were pregnant!

But the father...

Unlike Ransom, you weren’t unfaithful and unfortunately, the father was no doubt him. Of course, the one time that asshole sleeps with you, he got you pregnant. And to think at the time, he didn’t even really love you just enraged you even more. It was gonna be a while till you got over this. 

So the rest of the day you were thrilled, and it was a lot easier to stick to your vows from earlier. Your mood was noticeably different to many of your coworkers, smiles all around. The old (y/n) was slowly reappearing. 

June through July, you spent your days, working and when not working, taking advice on a baby from Lorraine, even visiting her doctor who she so highly recommended. Fortunately, the doctor didn’t prod around in your life and was absolutely judge-free about your situation. You couldn't have been more grateful. 

In early July, you reached the second trimester, where the slightest bump formed on your stomach. Now it wasn’t noticeable to everyone, but to you, just the slightest site made your lips turn upward into a smile. Motherhood was the best thing to happen to you. And to make matters even better, your baby was going to be a Christmas baby, making his or her appearance at the end of December! 

Telling Ransom was gonna be a whole other story.

Finally, August 3rd came around, and the apartment complex office called, an opening for you. Lease signed, you shelled out your first payment and soon moved in, once again alone. It had been months since you’d heard from Ransom and honestly it was nice. 

The month of August flew by, and soon September came. Time passed by with flying colors and your mood had improved a bit, the baby in your stomach making life worth living. On the last Friday of September, your work friends decided that they all needed to go out, inviting you the first weekend of October to go ice-skating and out for dinner! It was time you treated yourself to something nice, so you giddily agreed. What could go wrong? 

That Friday, after work, Lorraine came to pick you up, the two of you going to meet the rest at the ice skating rink. Being 26 weeks pregnant, your stomach had finally started showing, allowing your coworkers to start nagging you. Last they had all heard, you were divorced. So when they asked, you kept your lips shut, it really wasn’t any of their business. The only one who knew was Lorraine, but she wasn’t a gossiper.

Arriving at the ice rink, the cold Massachusetts air was blowing, making you zip up your trench coat ever the slightest. Unfortunately, the wind wasn’t the only thing making your blood run cold. 

Most of your coworkers were out on the ice, Lorraine going out too, you told her you’d be out soon. It was nice to watch the skaters enjoy their time on the ice till you saw him. 

The familiar tan suede coat made your face lose all warmth, your own jacket no longer keeping you warm. Beside the laughing man, was the one and only, Blair, except this time a new accessory on her finger. A diamond ring you could see all the way from your table along the side of the rink. His laughter made you sick, and at this point you wanted to throw up the hot cocoa you had been sipping on. 

At the moment, you and Ransom were in the middle of divorce, thank the heavens an uncontested one, having been able to work many things out with your ex. This meant, zero court hearings (hopefully), a thin expense, and overall a clean divorce. Then, you had hired a paralegal to work on the legal papers and currently the two of you were waiting to see the judge to finalize the divorce, the approximate date set around the second week of November. 

Feeling suddenly insecure, and definitely not ready to tell Ransom, you pulled the large trench coat across your chest and secured it with the belt around the waist. The minute you looked at them, all the memories came flooding back. One specifically hitting you at this moment.

“Ransom, I’m gonna fall! You know I’m a klutz.”

Your husband just persisted and instead slipped on your ice skates, tying them up and resting his warm hands on your knees.

“Honey, I will be right beside you the whole time, and by the end of this, you’ll be a pro!”

His reassuring smile was all you needed, nodding, you placed your gloved hands in Ransom’s bare ones, trying to waddle your way to the rink entrance. First, Ransom skated onto the ice, turning and holding his hand out for you. The minute your feet made contact with the icy ground beneath, you fell straight to the ground, Ransom reached out to grab you, although he ended up going down with you. You looked at Ransom who wore an entertained smile on his face, laughing. Playfully, you slapped the man on the shoulder. 

“My failure isn’t funny!”

Ransom tried his best to cease his laughter, getting off the ice to help you up, although he was still chuckling the slightest bit. 

“I’m sorry, I can’t help it!” 

Once on your feet, Ransom locked arms with you, trying his best to balance you both, while also coaching you. 

At some point through the night, the fake snow was fluttering in the air, along with tunes of piano and jazz. You had finally gotten the hang of things somewhat, yet still latched close to Ransom. The man on your side, leaned down and whispered in your ear.

“I give you my word that every year I’ll bring you to this exact rink, just to teach you how to skate, darling.”

If only that same Ransom was the one you were staring at right now. 

But overall, looking back, memories like those, with him, are the ones you miss.

Why did he have to change?

“(y/n)?”

A tap on your shoulder, made you pop up from your seat to be met with the stare of that same man. He slowly gave you a once-over, making you slightly worry that he’d notice the baby bump.

He didn’t. 

“Ransom.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Drysdale.” 

Clearly, Ransom was trying to give you an olive branch, but at the moment, you just weren’t accepting it.

“I asked you first, (y/l/n).”

“Work.”

Your voice was monotone and Ransom gave a slight hum of acknowledgment. 

“Nice. Well uh- it was nice seeing you.”

Nervously, Ransom waved you goodbye, heading back to Blair who was removing her ice skates. You took notice how she was struggling and Ransom wasn’t down on his knees helping her as he did you. It did your ego good to see that your husband hadn’t completely replaced you. There was a difference between you and Blair. Ransom actually loved you, like the “die for you” kind of love. While Blair, on the other hand, was honestly there to fill the whole in his heart. 

It did intrigue you though as to why Ransom wasn’t being an arrogant jerk to you, yet he was being humble? None of it added up, but before you could do any more mental acrobatics, Lorraine came over, asking you to come ice skate, to which you smiled and put on your skates. 

Tonight was about you, not him. 

Something you hadn’t said in a long time.

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[mejcinta]

(Snippet of Sharpwin fanfic set a bit before s2 of New Amsterdam. Read it in its entirety at MeJacinta, my A03 account).

When Max opened the door, Luna was no longer crying.

“H—hey!” He blinked at her from behind puffy, bloodshot eyes, wide, as though he were seeing her for the first time in a long while.

Helen was blanketed with the same sensation looking up back at him.

“Hey, Max,” she managed.

She had ran her way there and her braids were askew somehow, brushing against one side of her face. “How’s Luna doing?”

The spell broke the moment she invoked Luna’s name, and Max moved so she could pass. “Well, she’s stopped crying just now. I was about to call… let you know everything’s OK. I’d been freaking out for nothing, honestly…”

As Max continued rambling on, Helen was struck with the memory of the last time she was at his house. The dreadful event that had befallen them soon after Luna’s birth.

Max was still keeping Georgia’s things. Her ballet shoes under a rustic shoe rack, the floral dresses still hung in an open wardrobe, a collection of odd-looking spices and herbs on the shelves in the kitchen area.

Helen swallowed, and her smile was shaky when Max shut the door. “How are you guys?” she attempted. “You been getting enough sleep last few nights?”

“It’s you we’re worried about,” Max surprised her. “How can you even stand there when you’ve been having triple shifts all week?”

She allowed him to relieve her of her Prada purse, which he placed on the kitchen counter before moving to a coffee maker.

“Or should I make you tea?” He said, a soft, cautious look plastered on his face. “Better yet some herbal chai. Georgia enjoyed it—”

“Tea’s fine,” Helen cut in. Between the sofa and the white cot, the latter was so much more appealing. If just to ease her mind from the thoughts of death and losing her closest friend to grief.

Luna’s white cot was like a light in the dark, a haven in a rough place, the consoling white rose on a headstone. She peered down at the baby-pink blankets and the alabaster side-cheek peeping from the folds of pink and baby-animal illustrations.

“What you give her?” she asked, meaning baby Luna.

“Formula,” Max replied, scratching his mop of dark-brown hair. He looked around at various mason jars, confused, as a pot of water steamed on the cooker. “Homemade. I didn’t get time for the grocer’s.”

Helen took off her trench coat and throwing it onto the larger bed nearby.

“You knocked her hard then?” she observed, crouching down on one knee to approach the baby-pink bundle. “Luna’s deep asleep.”

“That’s not right.” Helen held her breath as Max’s towering frame suddenly stooped down to her left—the closest they had been to each other in a while. “Luna rarely ever sleeps without Georgia’s lullaby.”

His tone was soft and affectionate, like the old Max. Helen tried not to think about it too much.

“I bought some formula on my way here,” she remembered. “Could you please fetch me my bag?”

“Helen,” Max warned.

“Max, it’s not bad receiving help,” for the hundredth time, Helen reminded him.

And Max’s pointed silence was telling. He had not changed. Perhaps he did not even know why he had called for help in the first place.

Her blood boiling, Helen moved to peel the baby-pink covers from Luna’s body with care. “Max, I know you think I’m being pushy…”

“We don’t think you are.”

Again with the ‘we’, Helen thought with indignation. As if she had not realized that was the choice word he invoked to justify pushing her away lately; because for him it was just Max and Luna. No one else in the world meant them any good. Not anyone who wanted to help anyway.

“Well, I’m glad Luna agrees…” Helen begun to bite back.

But then the covers came off fully from Luna, and she noticed the sheen of sweat on the baby’s forehead, her feeble thoracic movement as well.

“Max,” Helen said, as calmly as she could, “what was in Luna’s baby formula?”

“I never really….I lost the recipe,” Max paused, drawing closer. “Hey, is everything all right?”

Helen slid her fingers under the soft folds of baby Luna’s neck and gasped at the blistering heat there.

“Luna’s having an allergic reaction, Max,” she answered to Max’s horror. “Get me a syringe, cold towels and anti-histamines, now!”

*********

[bravonovel]

My Royal Kidnapper novel read online - Prince Thayer and Kennedy Gilby - Bravonovel

My Royal Kidnapper

https://www.bravonovel.com/my-royal-kidnapper-8411

My Royal Kidnapper novel is a romance story about Prince Thayer and Kennedy Gilby.

Blurb : Kennedy Gilby works hard for years for the promotion. Before she takes the risk, traveling to the country she never heard of for the assignment, she meets a green-eyed, smoldering hot, and devilishly handsome Thayer that any woman will wrap their hands around him. She just broke up with her ex, yet she’s already dreaming of His Royal hotness in disguise. When she learns the real identity of the arranged to be engaged prince, she runs away. Thayer Camren Gattewarde Braynburd works hard for the monarch. When the King becomes ill, Prince Thayer decides to bring a woman of his own choice even if the time is not on his side. The moment Thayer lays an eye on Kennedy, he knows she’s the one. He is used to getting what he wants. When he realizes he’s madly in love with her, he kidnaps her, not only once but twice. To Kennedy, she’s not ready to give up her career and her ordinary life, but the charming prince is willing to give up his title to make his future wife fall in love.

You can read this novel online on Bravonovel and keep track of the latest chapters

My Royal Kidnapper novel Chapter 1

KENNEDY

My life just takes a detour.

My playlist blasted on my Airpods. I didn’t give a crap taking off my sunglasses as I entered the lobby of the 45th story building, ignoring the incredulous looks from the receptionist in a dark blue uniform throwing at me. At the back of my mind—what, bitch?

I punched my floor number as I entered the elevator. A few ladies and men in suits joined me. 

I hoped Siena came to work early. I was not in a mood to answer her twenty questions right now.

Thankfully, I arrived on the 20th floor. I excused myself from where I stood at the back. As soon as the elevator shut closed behind me, I took off my Airpods and checked my watch—I was two minutes late, which never happened since I started my intern at Style four years ago.

My heels clomped heavily along the tile floor. Pairs of eyes pinned at me as I followed the aisle toward my cubicle, ignoring my bleeding heart. I threw my bag on my desk, took off my eyeglasses, and shoved it into my bag. 

Taking a seat, I hit the power button on the desktop. I had been good at compartmentalizing. What was so hard of ignoring a bad breakup? It was not that he was the only one has a dick in town. 

My hand froze around the mouse by the clearing of the throat. Not much of trying not to get someone’s attention when you arrived late, eh? 

“What?” I focused my gaze on the screen.

“You’re late. It never happened. Ever.” It was Serenity. We started our intern the same day. 

“I woke up late,” I lied. In truth, I barely slept last night. I had not gotten a blink on an empty stomach. I couldn’t swallow the food when upset—no, raging mad like a bull seeing red. 

“Don’t you set your alarm like three hours ahead? Your alarm is on the nightstand, and you have a phone, Kenny.”

I clicked the folder on the screen, even if I could feel her searing stare at me. “I’m working. I should compensate my two minutes late, Sere.”

She snorted. At the corner of my eye, she crossed her arms over her chest. “Your eyes told me that you’re right. You didn’t get enough sleep, but that’s not the Kennedy Gilby I knew, babe. What’s wrong?”

I shut my eyes closed and inhaled deeply before I looked at her. Serenity was kind and loving. She was the kind of friend that you wanted on your side. The kind of friend who agreed to your terrible decisions because she didn’t want to hurt your feelings. She was also adorable with her big bright blue eyes and curly long bronze hair. Of course, all of us working in Style was fashionable with free wardrobes weekly.

“He broke up with me.” I sighed. 

“What the freak—” She looked around when she figured her voice came out louder. “That freaking Gorilla Raoul?” Her eyes grew even bigger. “What happened? Didn’t you just move in with him two months ago?”

That son of a bitch. He was persistent in asking me to move in with him. Then he just broke up with me with the clichest speech of the clichiest—it’s not you, it’s my crap. To be honest, something just shifted the moment I moved in. We’d been dating for almost a year now, and it was good. Then he just went cold feet on me.

“He told me it was not working.” Well, he was right. We hadn’t had sex in two weeks—either he said he was tired, or he had a deadline to meet. Apparently, working in one of the best architectural firms needed a lot of his time.

“He’s an a-hole, Kenny. You deserve someone better.” That was what I thought. Serenity was the kind of friend I wanted right now. She squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll help you move out. I know just the right movers.”

I pasted a small smile on my lips. “Thanks. Now can I get back to work?”

“I understand. You’re still in the denial stage. If you need a drinking buddy, I’m here.”

I rolled my eyes. “You could barely take a single shot. Siena and Faith are better drinking buddies, but you’re welcome to tag along and be our DD. I could use a drink or two.”

“Count me in then.” She smiled.

My chest constricted again. I understood that sometimes, men freaked out when they used to be living alone. They needed some space, but I couldn’t think of any reasons why he broke up with me. He was kind and considerate. Sex was great. So what had gone wrong? I didn’t think there was a third party involved because Raoul had been thoughtful and faithful. He would never cheat on me.

“Asshole.”

“Who?” 

I jerked in my seat. “Hey, Sien.” 

“Is he the one who put eye bags under your eyes?”

I didn’t have much time to put on eye patches. “I don’t know what are you talking about, Sien. I just got insomnia last night.”

“Wow! You looked lively without sleep. How much did you consume caffeine?”

I stared at Siena—the man-hater, but she had a strong personality. She could deal with difficult people. I always envied her strawberry blonde. 

“I’ll be fine tonight. I promise to take two cups of Camomile tea.” I wanted to roll my eyes, but it was cut short when our big boss emerged from her glass office door.

I rose from my seat. Today, she would have a big announcement that I’d been waiting for for almost three years now. My skin tingled in anticipation. 

If there was the Devil wears Prada, Madam Alessia Hearst, our Executive Editor wore Hermes from bags, scarves, and belts. Louboutin for her shoes, and I didn’t have to mention the choice of her jewelry and watches. She had her own stylist, but she barely agreed to interviews. She took her private life seriously. If she did, it only focused on her job, not her personal life. 

Alessia Hearst remained a mystery to me. But man, she was sophisticated, classy, and stood tall at least five feet, nine inches tall. She always kept her chestnut hair short. What I loved the most was her medium skin to my Porcelain.

“What the hell is wrong with your eyes, Miss Gilby?”

I gulped. I could feel everyone’s gaze on me. My face heated when Alessia kept her gaze on me, waiting for my reply.

“I had a hard time looking for a new apartment last night. I was planning to move out of my asshole ex’s apartment—” My hand clamped my mouth.

My colleagues chuckled around me, but I was also known to have confidence. So, I stood straight and rolled my eyes.

“What’s funny with moving out? We women should never depend on men. When a relationship can’t make you happy anymore, then get the hell out of it before it strangles you, depresses you. It’s ugly. Your mental health is important, and the pain will heal than staying in a toxic relationship.”

The entire floor went silent—a deafening silence.

Wow! She must be single.

“Now, my announcement. I’ll be taking a week’s leave starting on Monday. When I come back, I’ll be announcing my chosen candidates for our new senior editors. Now back to work.” She turned around.

Disappointment cut through me like a knife. I’d been working hard for the past years. I knew if I was good at it and not. What the hell was wrong with announcing it today? Was she planning to change her mind when she came back?

After a few seconds of excruciating silence, she called my name. Yay!

“Kennedy?” Alessia just called me by my name. She was still holding the door for me. Oh, my God. This is it! 

Heat rose to my cheek.

“Yes?” I strode in her direction. “Alessia.”

She did not reply but closed the door behind us. It was not the first time I was in her office. The creative lighting and geometric designs had her personal touch. Incorporated with bold colors, it added sparks of creativity, excitement, and at the same time, a calming effect.

I took a seat on the sofa a few steps away from her desk.

“I’ve checked your portfolio carefully. I admit that I was hard to be pleased and impressed.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.

“You’re good at what you do—” But I felt there was a but at the end of her sentence.

Crushed by disappointment, I dropped my gaze. 

“Oh, for God’s sake, Alessia. Just get to the point.”

…...

Continue to read the chapter 2 of the novel My Royal Kidnapper

https://www.bravonovel.com/my-royal-kidnapper-8411/chapter-2-216730

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[cristalknife]

Kadam Week 2021 Day 6 ~ Don’t Bring Me Flowers

This is me trying to not start something on a platform only to post solely somewhere else aka AO3 and ff.net  you can find the complete list of Kadam Week 2021 prompts and you might find more stories on the Kadam Week 2021 AO3 collection

That said, today's prompt is You Don’t Bring Me Flowers

so the summary on ao3 is the following Kurt has a long standing notion about flowers not being the best of ways to convey messages, and a rather morbid way of looking at them.

Adam prefers surrounding himself with living beautiful plant than destroy life for the sake of admiring an ephemeral beauty.

Watching their flower together is something they both find breathtaking. so let me present to you Don’t Bring Me Flowers

(or read on ao3) TW: canon implied suicide attempt (Dave), morbid thoughts (flowers as corpses)

As far as Kurt was concerned flowers were not a romantic gift, they could look pretty in gardens, and while his mom was still alive flowers were often present in his life and in his house.

Flowers were also the perfect elements in fashion accessories or wedding decorations.

They started to lose positive meaning when his mom died, the house was too full of flowers.

Their scent oppressive, too many people that never bothered coming before, suddenly were all over the place.

Demanding attention so they could share their opinions and lighten their consciences, for not being there while his mom was still alive, and could have appreciated the company more than she could now.

When he finally got his first boyfriend, the experience didn't actually help him feeling any different.

The fact was that every single time Blaine wanted Kurt to forgive a transgression, there would be flowers...

The bigger the transgression, the more expensive the bouquet and the more publicly it was delivered.

So that Kurt would be surrounded by so many of ‘their’ friends, all commenting on the romantic gesture that he would have done anything to make them gush had they be the lucky ones in Kurt’s shoes…

All of their friends agreed on a point though, Blaine Anderson was the most romantic guy in the universe, always bringing Kurt's such beautiful flowers...

‘If only they knew’ was all the unimpressed little voice in his mind, kept playing in repeat for Kurt's benefit...

But he kept quiet. He didn't want to stir more trouble than necessary, and after all it was a small price to pay to have a boyfriend…

Even if it was a bitter pill to swallow, that teenage dreams turned out to be not so Mr dreamy after all...

His dad had always told him love was full of compromising, that they were supposed to work together. Like a beautiful car made of different parts, all of which needed to work properly and keep the harmony.

And when Blaine went out of his way to ruin what was already a terrible senior year.

Stealing one of the last opportunity Kurt had to shine, or at least to have a pertinent line in his cv to attend his dream school. Well in that moment he didn't feel at all bad for the pettiness of giving Blaine a bouquet expressing exactly how disappointed, betrayed and pissed off he was at him...

He delivered his concealed message with a smile. And when Blaine didn't react at all, as one should have expected from someone who boosted to love romantic gestures and knowing the language of flowers…

And had done so for ages…

At that moment Kurt started to wonder exactly just how many things he had been lied to...

After the rather touching, and feeling increasingly fake speech, from Blaine, Kurt fluttered his eyelashes and commented softly "You really like them? I got some help from the florist to express my feelings for you, did she get them right?"

Blaine had looked at him nodding and smiling brightly as he said "Of course she did, I can see all the pride love and support they express, you always surprise me, you always zig when I think you're about to zag.”

And as soon as the words left Blaine's mouth the seed of doubt that was planted at Dalton.

And nurtured by the arrival of Sebastian Smythe and their night at Scandal.

What had started as a small seed had finally grown into a mature plant almost ready to bloom.

It wouldn't be until Valentine day, after being romanced, by the last person Kurt had ever expected, for a whole week.

A collection of cards and small thoughtful tokens that led to a surprising love declaration, by no other than Dave Karofsky.

The one reformed bully, who had been one of the main reasons why Kurt's path ever met Blaine's.

The single red rose and box of candies was exactly the kind of valentine surprise Kurt dreamed of… When he was still in first grade, his mom was still around, and flowers were still something to cherish.

On that day, after having to reject a guy who had tried harder than his own boyfriend, and managed the feat, to make Kurt feel loved and appreciated, despite their shared history…

Dave had said honestly "I've wanted to call you since that night at Scandals, and, look, it's taken me a while, but for the first time in my life, I'm trying to be honest about what I feel."

And that little bud of doubt growing inside Kurt's mind was starting to open its petal and bloom.

Because Kurt knew, he knew that Dave, who still wasn't out at his own school.

Dave, who was taking baby steps hanging out at a gay club and feeling comfortable there, in a way Kurt himself hadn't been able to do.

Dave was here, on valentine day, with the gorilla suit in which he personally delivered every bit of romance Kurt had been dreaming about.

Dave was sitting with him, in the middle of the renamed Sugar Shack, still the one central hot spot for date nights in Lima, confessing openly his feelings for Kurt.

Despite starting to believe that love was capable of making people do crazy things, Kurt knew it was unlikely that Dave had risked so much, put himself so openly out there without a good reason...

And the only good reason that Kurt's mind kept whispering like a gentle breeze caressing the still closed petals of that blooming flower called doubt, was that Dave must have thought he had an honest to God shot.

A short to either be accepted or rejected on his own merits.

Suspicion that added nourishment for that flowering sensation.

Suspicion that had a non verbal confirmation, when the only answer Kurt could offer to Dave was a flat and almost sounding unconvinced, even to his own ears "I'm with Blaine, the only thing I can offer you is friendship if that's enough, but I'd understand if it's not."

Dave was devastated, but once more he acted in a way that Kurt knew deep down Blaine never did and never would.

Dave stood there, crushed, doubt crossing his face for a moment before he nodded with a strained smile "I'll take what I can, I hope you'll like the candies, the butterscotch ones are my favourite."

And with that, as consequences of one of the most truly romantic gestures Kurt received, Dave's life crumbled around him...

And Kurt found himself once more in a hospital room looking like all the tristate area florists had barfed in it all the flowers they had.

Flowers that were supposedly symbols of love and care, that came as way too little and way too late for it to be but anything else paltry pleasantries and social niceties.

Dying flowers, that tried to mask with their sweet perfume, the bitter antiseptic scent typical of a hospital.

Despite Kurt's beliefs that flowers were never bringers of good news, his complete loathing for the practice truly solidified when he finally managed to move to New York, got a job in which he was starting to settle.

Only for Blaine to throw him the last curveball Kurt would ever accept for the sole sake of having a boyfriend.

A surprise visit, with the largest bouquet of red roses and baby breath.

It had taken Kurt a whole evening of prodding, to finally have Blaine confess he had cheated on him.

After that night, it took Kurt months to stop feeling sick as soon as the scent of roses reached him.

Feat rendered even more difficult by the fact that even after Kurt rightfully reached his breaking point and ended things with Blaine permanently, that cheating bastard started spending a fortune sending him flowers at the office...

If he had that much laying there, and he really missed Kurt so much that h felt the need to fell onto a stranger’s dick, couldn't have Blaine spent all those bucks into, oh Kurt didn’t know, something like a train or a plane ticket to New York and visit before cheating?

The amount and constant flow of flowery offers were making Kurt's desk looking like a florist's promotional window.

Other than giving him a seriously annoying stress headache, and yet another reason to hate receiving flowers...

Which on some days, when he was laying in bed thinking about Nyada and his future as an actor, made him very glad that it was mostly female actresses to whom flowers were sent.

And he was pretty sure that by the time he'd made enough of a name for himself, for it to even be something to think about, he probably would have already gained the reputation of someone preferring other kinds of well wishing tokens.

On the brighter side of things, Vogue had been Kurt's safe heaven.

Chase seeing the overboard floral composition had commented easily "Someone out there is either seriously crushing on you or seriously trying to make up for something. I wonder which is it, and I'm here if you want to talk about it..."

Kurt's smile had been tight as he answered honestly "The latter… And there's not much to talk about unless you know a way to stop this madness, all those flowers are giving me a terrible headache."

And like a knight in shimmery grey Prada suit Chase said "You can leave a message down to security with the list of people you won't accept things from, that way anything that arrives sent from them will be returned to the sender."

Finally with a blocked number, few blocked social media connections, and a couple of words left downstairs, Kurt's life in New York was free of suffocating flowers’ corpses.

The way Kurt made his way into Nyada and through his first week of class was surprising, but not as astonishing as finding out how different things were, when he wasn't the only one doing the chasing.

Meeting Adam had been, surprising but also refreshing, There Brit was the first ray of sunshine after the darkness of the winter months, wrapped in the fresh ocean breeze of a summer day. A pleasantly warm and welcoming presence.

Adam had made it rather clear from the very beginning that he was interested.

But he also allowed Kurt to decide whether taking any step, at all or leading in choosing the pace, simply happy to be in Kurt's life even just as a friend...

Desperate Blaine had moved on recruiting those who used to be mutual friends, who turned out to be just Blainers, to pass on messages, apologies and reminders of all the romantic gestures Blaine did for Kurt, hoping for their reunion.

Which instigated the Second Great Purge in Kurt's life.

After sending a public message on all his socials, that he had a new boyfriend and anyone bothering him mentioning his ex, offering information when they were not requested, would find themselves promptly just as blocked as Blaine was.

Finn's reaction to that message had been a single sunflower emoji followed by a smiley face and a thumb up.

And for the first time in over a decade, the corner of Kurt's mouth twitched upwards at its sight…

Adam had always loved plants, especially in the springs, when the flowers changed the countryside into a buzzing blurry of colours.

It had always fascinated him seeing how tiny green buds would open up, to reveal so many bright brilliant colours and wonderfully different scents.

Maybe it was because he grew up on the outskirts of Essex's suburb, where the distance from the beautiful view allowed him to be exposed to the constant changing, happening in the natural world during the spring and summer months.

Maybe it was the fact that his grandparents had a delightful cottage in the countryside, that allowed Adam the chance to appreciate how flowers in the ground, or even on a pot, lasted way longer than cut flowers.

Maybe it was also because both his father and grandfather were beekeepers, and they had taught him how much bees were indispensable for everyone's life.

How even removing a single flower, could mean more fatigue for the small insects, and consequentially endangering their colony.

So Adam had never thought about cutting short the life of a flower, not for the mere sake of just admiring it for a couple of days.

Especially not when he could instead take home a small plant, care for it and enjoy the flowers for longer.

And when his first boyfriend called him weird, and cruelly mocked him for preferring such practice.

Adam's first reaction, after dumping the unfeeling jerk, had been crying.

Only to be consoled by his nana's wisdom

"Adam darling, I know you're hurt now, but think of the bright side.

Now you know that the man right for you is going to be someone who could appreciate the beauty of the world, without feeling the need to temporary own it only to end up destroying it.

He's going to be a young man able to walk with you through a botanical park, and see that amongst all that beauty surrounding you, the happiness shining in your eyes is the most precious.

And that he will know that he is the luckiest of men for already holding your hand in his."

That speech etched indelibly into a fourteen year's old Adam mind, who took it heart and for years afterwards, he searched for someone who could live up to the dreamy picture those words painted for him.

The American's way of life was different, neither especially good nor especially bad, just not what Adam grew up with.

New York was big, and on certain days it felt too stuffy, with so much concrete around, but there were beautiful green oasis, and precious gems that could be found and be treasured.

It took him quite a while, and few failed attempts, to find out someone who had the potential to be all the things his nana had said he could find all those years ago.

Kurt was fascinating from afar, and simply breathtaking upon closer look.

He had the resilience and beauty of a willow tree. Looking deceptively frail while being at his strongest, bending but not breaking.

And given enough care and time he would become even stronger, beautiful, and with the kind of plentiful beautiful flowers that could be appreciated in all their beauty, solely by admiring them on the living plant.

There hadn't been yet an occasion that would have traditionally warranted the exchange of flowers, so that was a subject they had yet to touch.

Which it was why Adam found himself pretty confused when he got set aside first by Rachel "Look I get you and Kurt are still new, and you are a good guy and I like you, Especially because I'm grateful you defended Brody when Santana was being so unreasonable. So I'm going to tell you this.

You might not know it but Klaine set up pretty high standard of romance, and I don't want to see you fail, Kurt used to get so many bouquets that some of us girls were pretty envious of it. So yeah think about that, maybe a flower or two wouldn't be amiss next time you come around..."

Funny thing that he discovered about Kurt's friends, was that basically all the ones he had met this far, didn't even have the need of him making more than a couple of sounds, sometimes not even a whole word, to have a whole conversation with him...

On certain days, Adam wondered if the fact that instead, while he was alone with Kurt, they had long alternating conversations, with intermissions of comfortable silences, was a good or a bad sign.

Everything he had been told about Kurt, by those who claimed to love him and be his friends, was in stark contrast to all he was when they were together and around their common friends...

During his darkest days, Adam wondered instead which one was the real Kurt, and which one was a distorted reflection created to please others.

The mere notion that both existed was a chilling nail stuck in his heart.

When Santana came to him to tell him "Look Doctor Who, I don't like people, but I can see he is different with you, a good different.

Do yourself and Lady Hummel a favour. Stop listening to the garbage getting out of the midget's mouth and do you.

If there is one thing I know is that you just need to watch him closely to tell whether he's guarded or not.

As friendly as he can appear to be, he keeps his cards close to the vest that one.

Blargh, this talk is making me disgustingly soft, so bottom line is you should totally tap that fine ass and make Auntie Snixx proud.

Now off you go. Go do what disgustingly sweet gay men do to each other… Pick up flowers, smooch, whatever… Just keep him in your bed instead of sending him back all sparkling and having rainbows and flower fall from his mouth every other word...

I want to have a night or tree in a real bed instead of the pullover, so he needs to be away for few days, capisce?"

Adam wasn't totally sure whether it was solely a self serving suggestion, or if it was an indication that Kurt did need a break from how things were in the loft.

But he guessed this was a time as good as any to take Kurt into one of his favourite places in New York.

And see whether or not he might be the one Adam had been looking for.

He wasn't fourteen anymore, of course it would be a disappointment, but it wouldn't be such a deal breaker if they could talk it out and respect each other’s standing on the matter.

Then again Kurt this far had been strangely silent on the subject of exchanging flowers, so Adam held a little bit of hope that it was a good sign...

Another thing he picked up from the bizarre stories he heard about Kurt's high school glee club, was the cutesy detail of insisting on creating a single 'ship' name for the couples. Mixing together parts of their names, and creating a new one representing two.

Adam had found out recently something that Kurt could appreciate, or at least smile about it.

As they walked through the path amongst the flowers, he could see a slight tension in Kurt’s body that wasn't passing as they kept on walking.

Knowing how Kurt had a lot more difficulties expressing what he wanted, at least at the beginning of their relationship, Adam asked a little worried

"If this is not of your liking or you have allergies will you please let me know? I want our time together to be enjoyable for the both of us…"

Kurt's soft smile and gentle kiss, was making him understand perfectly the sentiment behind his nana's words.

For he was feeling extremely lucky in having Kurt's hand in his right now.

And what Kurt said next, felt like the gentle breeze carrying cherries’ blossoms’ petals, a beautiful sign of changes to come.

"I like this very much. And even if I had not enjoyed the garden, which mind you is not the case.

Seeing you coming alive as you tell me more of all we see around us, seeing your enthusiasm and obvious love for the subject.

That would be more than enough to make this an enjoyable experience. Luckily, as far as I know I don't have any allergies, so if we find one, it'll be an unwelcome surprise for the both of us"

Adam chuckled softly at the last quip of humour Kurt offered, and in a spur of the moment decision Adam took Kurt to the tropical part of the gardens, until they were standing in front of a tree grinning mischievously

"This tree is called bur flower tree, but locally in the South and Southeastern Asia, its name is Kadam.

Right now it’s too early to see its flowers, they won’t bloom till late Summer, and they will continue to bloom till early Winter.

But when their times arrive, their scent is sweet and their globular heads are golden in colour and about two inches in diameter… I’ve seen them and I believe they are a sight to behold”

Kurt had stopped looking at the tree to look at Adam in the eyes as soon as the word Kadam had left his lips.

While Klaine Kurt, had been nothing more than an afterthought, the first in line to be thrown under the bus to allow space in the spotlight for Blaine.

The reverence with which Adam spoke of Kadam, made Kurt feel like he would be put first above all others, above Adam himself…

And for the first time, Kurt was wishing to see and smell this flower that promised to be as precious as the man holding his hand.

Longing was tinting Kurt’s voice as he asked tentatively “When the time is right, will you take me back to see those flowers?”

Adam’s smile softened as he nodded “I will take you to see our golden globes when the time is right.”

As it happened life had a way of getting in the way. It had kept them busy, on a late fall afternoon, after a week that had them both in frustrated tears, due to their schedules continuously shifting always out of sync, allowing them little to no time to spend together.

Adam sent Kurt a text that said 'I think it's time for us to see our personal golden globes, what say you?'

Kurt's answer was almost instantaneous 'Let's go'

Even before they reached their tree, the sweet scent of its blooms could be perceived in the air.

Contrary to Kurt's fears it was neither oppressive nor overwhelming…

Once they stood in front of their tree Kurt looked appreciatively at their aesthetic.

The flowers were as beautiful as Adam had promised, squeezing Adam’s hand in his he leaned on the side, letting their arms touch as he rested his head on Adam’s shoulder.

With the first smile, a flower brought to his face in what felt like forever, stretching his lips he said “I think I love those flowers”

Adam placed a gentle kiss on Kurt’s head and said softly “You know right that in here they are protected and cannot be picked?”

Kurt chuckled softly and continued serene “That’s part of their charm, no one is allowed to go and break them apart, and force them to have no other thing to do but die”

Despite Kurt’s morbid way of looking at it the message reaching Adam’s ears was more hopeful than it might have seemed.

So he continued his questioning with a grin “So you simply don’t like flowers or there’s something more to it?”

Kurt hummed softly trying to count how many flowers he saw before getting lost in Adam’s words again…

“I like flowers just fine, I simply don’t like to surround myself with dying things that I will have to dispose of within a couple of days.”

Adam smiled and kissed Kurt properly, enjoying how his boyfriend was finally relaxed in his arms.

And then he said reassuringly “It’s ok darling, I prefer plants as whole myself. When we’ll end up going back to the UK to visit my folks, I’m going to take you to my grandpa's cottage. I bet the flowers I can show you there, while not as exotic as this one, will still be just as breathtaking as you are.”

Kurt nuzzled his cheek against Adam’s and then turned back to look at their flower

“I’m sure they are going to be just as breathtaking as this moment, because you’ll be there sharing them with me.”

~The End~

[theslushpuppy]

AT LONG LAST A$AP

Rocky’s debut mixtape ‘live.love.asap’ introduced the world to his affinity for southern cloud rap. Then when he released his debut commercial album ‘long live asap’ he proved he could satisfy the masses with mainstream success. ‘At Long Last Asap’ has rocky welding these two elements, all the while improving on his technical ability and lyrics. Its a tricky alchemy, but A$AP does it - this album is an overlooked masterpiece.

Holy Ghost - with an amazing rock sample, Rocky effortlessly weaves in and out of intricate flows on a track all about his internal conflict with religion. A perfect opener.

Canal Street - has Rocky reflect on his rough early days, to the other side of the success spectrum where he becomes the Rocky we know today, the fashionable charismatic rapper. This song features one of my favourite hooks thats irresistibly catchy.

Fine whine - At first I wasn’t a fan of this track, but after multiple listens its become one of my favourite A$AP Rocky songs. Coating his voice with the cloud rap style he used to adorn, the classic pitched down Rocky voice describes his bad drug and relationship habits. Its gloomy and self loathing, drowning in a muddy soundscape, then MIA and Future come in with beating drums for added toxic energy.

L$D - the lead single to this album that surprised all his fans - Rocky singing? On this track he wore his influences on his sleeve, where he trades in cocky lyrics, fast flows and banging beats for shoe gaze indie rock. A big risk that payed off, its one of his most successful songs to date, and you can understand why. The dreamy production is sublime and has rocky sounding angelic.

Lord Pretty Flacko Jodye 2 - Oh shit, open up the mosh pits. This grimy, incendiary beat begs to be blared loud. It’s an underground banger, nothing more, nothing less.

Jukebox Joint’s - 2 for 1. Two different but complimentary soul samples pieced together with a beat switch. Rocky effortlessly cruises through both with some great internal rhyme schemes, ‘Flacko, where your ass been? Heard you done with fashion, now yo' ass is acting” I'm tripping off the acid, now yo' ass is looking massive.’ In the next verse he says: ‘Call my Prada prior, cause it's dropping next fall, don’t you short the next ball, my closet like the met ball.’ These brags just roll off the tongue.

Pharsyde - the chorus from Joe Fox, delicately introduces us to the rumbling bass - the beat is dark and psychedelic, but rocky commands the song with his best performance ever. Of all time. It features intricate flows, laced with themes of violence, poverty and gentrification. Rocky is rarely this type of rapper, even though he should be because he does it so well. I love the opening lines to his second verse: ‘Gentrification split the nation that I once was raised in, I don't recall no friendly neighbours face on my upraising, back in my younger days or razor blades with gangs who bang and never stood a chance, some boys don't dance, but left 'em Harlem shaking.’

M$ - another banger, great production with dribbling drums and warped synths. Again rocky shows of his technical ability with comple flows and internal rhymes: ‘Me and Yams made the plan, then I paid myself and I gave myself advance, way before I became myself, I’d like to thank myself because I made myself the man.’ Later in the verse he’s skipping over the beat, bragging how ‘my neck is gold, the rest is froze, sex and hoes, best of both, girls and girls, perpetual, sippin’ slow, Texas throwed, comma, I'm about decimals.’

With these tracks and all the ones in-between, Rocky displays his artistry like a curator piecing his favourite sounds together - adding this and a splash of that. He doesn’t just utilise the cloud rap sound he came up on or follow mainstream popularity, instead he exudes his own distinct personality.

[peter-parkouuuur]

Chapter 5: Peanut Butter and Jealous (Spider-boy - Peter Parker x Stark!Reader)

A/n: Liz is also a sophomore in this story, not a Senior. Also, the Y/n character is not the usual girl next door kind considering the fact that she’s a Stark, she’s somehow the Blair Waldorf in her own world, but ya know... with an MCU twist (kinda lol)

PROLOGUE, CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 2, CHAPTER 3, CHAPTER 4, CHAPTER 6, CHAPTER 7, CHAPTER 8, CHAPTER 9, CHAPTER 10, CHAPTER 11, CHAPTER 12, CHAPTER 13

Y/n scrambles to her feet helping Peter stand up from where they were laying. You fix your hair and put on your silk robe.

Peter can sense the horror-struck feature on your face. Y/n grabs Peter by the arm as the two of you head upstairs to your room.

“If you think my dad is scary, you should meet my mom. She can be quite hypercritical, so don’t hold it against her if she says something harsh. That’s why she’s friends with people from Vogue, they’re both just as horrifying.” Y/n explains as the two of you enter your room.

“Does May know that you’re here?” Y/n asks Peter.

“I told her I was going to crash at Ned’s place.” Peter replies.

“My mom is on her way up, I can’t let you just hang inside my room the whole time she’s here.” Y/n says.

“I know! Can’t you just distract her something? I’ll try to run to the elevator as fast as I can.” Peter reasons out.

“I don’t think you understand how elevators work. They make a sound whenever someone enters or leaves.” Y/n snaps.

“I better go check if my mom’s here.” Y/n tells him before opening the door.

“Don’t leave until I come back here okay?” You remind him before you hear the familiar elevator sound. 

The footsteps of your mom’s heels click against the marble tiles.

“Helena, tell Y/n to hurry up. Today’s the annual Stark Industries brunch. Plus, Eloise and Nicholas are waiting for her inside the car.” Y/n’s mom’s commanding voice echoes in the foyer.

“They’re here for the weekend as well?” You run downstairs to see your mom standing by the main entrance.

“Why aren’t you dressed? The brunch is starting in 30 minutes.” Your mom scolds you

“Good morning to you too, mother.” Y/n greets the Impeccably dressed French woman who removes her sun glasses the second you get to her.

“Hello, sweetie! You look exhausted. Did your dad bore you to death with all those inventions he’s been making?” Y/n’s mom asks, opening her arms wide open as she hugs you.

“I went to a party last night, actually.” Y/n corrects.

“I know... Happy told me everything.” She says as the two of you pull away from the hug.

“Everything?” Y/n eyes shot wide open.

“He told me that you got drunk and passed out before he could fetch you.” Denise states.

Y/n lets out a sigh of relief after realizing that Happy didn’t mention the part with Peter. 

“Yup! That’s what happened.” Y/n replies nervously.

“Gotta go freshen up a bit. Be right back. Brunch at the Plaza, right?” You inquire before quickly running up the stairs.

“I’m actually planning on leaving now.” Y/n’s mom’s stern voice echoes.

“Why don’t I just catch up with you guys there? I just need to bathe and change. Bye!” You run up to your room to see Peter standing in the middle of your room, half naked.

“Oh my god! Peter put on some clothes!” You cover your eyes.

“I don’t know where my clothes are! I can’t remember where I placed them. I have to go home, I forgot your dad’s brunch is today” He panics.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure my brother has spare clothes in his room. Okay, did everyone receive a secret message about the brunch but me?” Y/n grumbles, grabbing Peter by the arm as the two of you head to Nicholas’ room.

“You have a habit of grabbing me by the hand, you know that?” Peter asks, chuckling.

“Oh please, we both know you love it when I hold your arm.” Y/n sneers.

You roll your eyes and open the closet to see your brother’s collection of Prada Long sleeves. 

“Excellent!” You grab the Prada white button downs and Navy blue blazer, and your brother’s favorite Ralph Lauren Cotton Chino pants.

“Since you liked our teenage night scene so much, it’s time to spend time the adults of the Upper East Side at brunch. Suit up, Parker.” Y/n hands Peter the outfit.

“What about my shoes?” Peter asks.

“Say no more. I’ve got you covered.” Y/n reassures him.

The hall is filled with food, from croissants and scones of different flavors to mixed fruits, the freshest yogurts and multiple choices of drinks, from juices to Moet champagne battles.

“Don’t draw attention to yourself. Stick with me, okay?” Y/n reminds Peter.

“Mr. Parker! I thought you didn’t want to attend... What are you doing here with my daughter?” Tony walks towards the two teenagers.

“Hi, dad.” You kiss your dad on the cheek.

“Sweetie, why don’t you go talk to your siblings for awhile? I need to talk to Peter.” Tony tells Y/n who is unsure.

“I won’t harm your pet, don’t worry.” Tony reassures his daughter before she walks away.

“What are you playing at, Parker? I thought you had feelings for someone else name... Liz was it?” Tony inquires, putting an arm around Peter.

“Sir, I can assure you, Y/n and I are just friends. She actually convinced me to go here actually. And how did you find out about Liz?” Peter furrows his eyebrows at Tony.

“I got it from your suit and that is beside the point. If I could prevent Y/n from growing up, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I’ve seen how boys look at her, how you look at her. She got all her good genes from me, not from her mother.” Tony explains.

“I can see that, Mr. Stark.” Peter just nods in agreement.

“I know everything, Mr. Parker. I also know that you tried to make a move on her at some party.” Tony says sternly.

“Tony!” A male voice calls him.

“We’ll continue this discussion later.” Tony walks away.

‘Shit. I knew this was going to get messy. I just didn’t think it would get messy this quickly.’ Peter thinks to himself.

“Peter! Hi!” A voice interrupts his thoughts.

“Finally, someone normal.” He mutters.

“Oh hey!” Peter smiles at the person who called him.

On the other side of the room:

Y/n is about to walk towards the Stark table when the three friends stop her.

“Thank god we found you.” Tina sighs.

“Why? What’s going on?” You ask.

“It’s kinda coincidental that we were talking about Liz last night when...” Eliza doesn’t finish her sentence, instead looks at what’s behind Y/n.

You turn around to see Liz and her mom talking to someone.

“What is she doing here?” You ask, facing your friends.

“His father owns a Salvage company that works with your father actually. I’m kinda surprised she’d be here.” Tina states.

“I think Peter has a thing for her. I need you girls to distract him for me. I’ll go talk to Liz.” Y/n tells the three girls whose eyebrows are raised.

“What? He has a thing for Liz and you know how we operate.” Y/n sneers.

“Looks like we’re a bit late with the plan.” Maddie tells Y/n.

You turn around the third time to see Peter and Liz talking, smiling at one another.

“Unbelievable.” Y/n mutters and walks towards the two.

“Hi, Liz! I’m so glad to see you! What are you doing here?” Y/n exclaims and hugs Liz in the process.

“My dad couldn’t go, so I was kind of forced to come today. Your family brunch is still glamorous as always.” Liz smiles at you as you let go.

“Thank you! I do hope you’re enjoying everything. By the way, the girls are also here.” Y/n looks at Tina, Eliza, and Maddie and signals them to walk towards Y/n, Peter, and Liz.

Peter can sense the tension radiating from Y/n. His phone vibrates and sees Ned’s text about the Vulture and his men are stealing equipment from a truck.

As much as he loved spending time with Y/n, he can feel the socialites glaring at him, probably wondering whose kid he is or why he walked in with Y/n Stark. Ned texting Peter about the Falcon is the perfect excuse to ditch the brunch.

Tina, Maddie, Eliza, and Liz start to converse.

“Can I borrow Y/n for a second?” Peter asks the girls.

Y/n smiles at Peter as he holds her arm and they move towards the door.

“I uhh... I have to go.” Peter tells Y/n.

“Now? Peter, you haven’t even eaten yet. I can call your Aunt May for you.” Y/n replies.

“I know, but I never told her that I’m going to the brunch today. She’s going to freak out.” Peter lies.

“You could’ve just told me you that you didn’t want to go here in the first place.” Y/n mutters, crossing her arms.

“Y/n... I’m so sorry. It’s just.... Our lives are so different. I can live without the fancy brunches, sports cars, and New York socialites, you can’t. I’m really sorry. I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” Just like that Peter leaves brunch, leaving Y/n disappointed and mad.

And nobody wants to see Y/n Stark when she’s mad.

“So Peter’s crush, Liz is the daughter of Mr. Toomes? New York is getting smaller.” Tony puts an arm around his daughter.

“Come on, you deserve a healthy breakfast.” Tony leads his daughter away from the door, knowing that Peter won’t come back after storming out.

Y/n releases herself from Tony’s hold and walks away.

“It still feels like a television show when I’m with her.” Tony whispers seeing his daughter stomping towards the family table. He couldn’t have his daughter any other way.

“Y/n!!” Tina calls you as she approaches the table, holding her Stella McCartney coat in one hand and her phone in the other.

“Unless you have something that is related to our math homework or anything that concerns my well-being. I’m not interested.” Y/n replies.

“Even better. A little birdie tells me that Liz is throwing a party tonight at her place.” Tina sits beside you, handing you her phone with a photo of the invitation.

“Hold on, Liz Allan? As in, Peter Parker’s crush, Liz Allan?” Y/n asks.

“Are we talking about Liz again?” Maddie chimes in, as she and Eliza, join in on the conversation.

“A little birdie told me she’s hosting a party tonight.” Tina tells them.

“Didn’t we just go to a party last Friday night? Why are we going to Liz’s place when she lives in Queens, oh and it’s a Wednesday night!” Eliza clarifies.

“Well, Think of it this way. Peter’s surely going to be there because of Liz. I say we crash her party.” Maddie shrugs her shoulders.

“Looks like our monthly dinner at The Plaza is postponed until further notice. Anyone up for a party in Queens?” Y/n smirks at her friends.

“I’m totally dreading the fact that Liz lives in Queens but I’m so in.” Eliza returns the smirk at Y/n who is looking down at the invitation.

“Wow, Liz never told us her house is huge.” Maddie sighs, looking at the bright lights coming out from the Modern house.

“Ready to crash the party?” Y/n asks the three girls who are all glammed up more than ever, ready to make a statement.

You and your friends walk in to see the party in full swing. The boys are starting to take notice, which is what you wanted in the first place, but the only boy you’re looking for in this party is Peter Parker.

Liz and the rest of her friends are seated on the floor and look like they’re playing spin the bottle.

“Oh my god, this party is just like the one we had in 7th grade. They’re clearly just looking for a reason to play 7 minutes in heaven.” Eliza mutters.

“Well well well! If it isn’t the Queen B of the Upper East Side. What, did you guys get bored at your 2-storey apartments and Prep school boys?” Flash looks up from where he’s seated.

Liz eyes shoot wide open upon seeing her four former friends from Spence.

“Cool party you got here Liz.” Y/n smirks at Liz who stands up to welcome them.

“Y/n, girls! What are you doing here?” Liz smiles at the four of them awkwardly.

“We were supposed to have dinner at the Plaza, but we wanted to stop by to our friend Liz’s place, surprise surprise, you’re actually in the middle of a party.” You reply.

You look at your friends and raise your eyebrows at them slightly, signaling them to bombard Liz. It’s your time to find Peter.

You see Peter holding a red solo cup, standing beside Ned who is wearing a weird hat. Instead of making your presence known, you hide behind the wall that separates the kitchen and the walkway.

“So when are you going to ask Liz to homecoming?” You hear Ned ask Peter.

“I don’t know.... She’s THE Liz Allan, I’ve been longing to ask her out since freshman year and then there’s Y/n who is so amazing-” A smile forms on your lips upon hearing Peter’s words.

“-But I just can’t handle the pressures of liking a Stark. Liz is the girl of my dreams, you know that right?” Peter sighs.

It’s time.

“That’s not what you told me when you kissed me last Friday.” Y/n sneers, interrupting Peter and Ned’s conversation.

Ned’s eyes widen, looking at both you and Peter.

“I’m gonna go.... polish my hat.” Ned runs away slowly.

“Y/n, I can explain.” Peter sighs.

“Explain what? You already made it very clear that I’m nothing compared to THE Liz Allan. I already lost the guy I liked because of Liz back when she was still at Spence, now it’s come back to haunt me again, and this time I thought I actually had a shot.” Y/n bites her lips to stop herself from crying.

“Thank you, Peter. Thanks for bringing me back to those days. I always have been just second best after Liz Allan.” You storm out of the house.

“Y/n wait!” Peter runs after you, grabbing you using his web, you spinning into his arms.

“I like you, I really do. I’m just.... confused. This whole Spiderman thing just made things difficult for me.” He holds you tight in his arms.

“Let me make it easier for you then. Enjoy your homecoming, Peter.” You push him away, heading towards your car.

‘Get out of Liz’s house. We’re done.’ Y/n texts the girls.

Peter Parker won’t know what hit him.

[kpopfanficsforthesoul]

All that Glitters- Jennie (BLACKPINK)

PART ONE - PART TWO

Prompt: When Jennie Kim, the most popular girl in school, known for being a player, asks you out, you’re sure that something fishy is going on. However, she soon convinces you that her love is true, but you can’t help but wonder: is it really?

Genre: Drama, Resolved Angst, High School!AU, Chaebol!Jennie, New Girl!Reader

Pairing: Jennie x Reader

Author’s Note: I love this scenario prompt anon! I hope you love it too! It’s kind of hard to imagine Jennie like this since she’s such a cinnamon roll lol ;-)

“Is she here yet?”

“No, Jooyeon sent a tweet five minutes ago that they were out for coffee…”

“Where are they? Have they taken another spontaneous trip to Paris or something?”

Various and hectic whispers were being discussed by all the students in the hallway as they milled about, waiting for the entrance of the ones they knew so well. Triple J. 

The chaebols. The players. The most popular and most beautiful girls in the school. Jooyeon, the gossiper, Jisoo, the fashionista, and finally, their leader… Jennie Kim. 

Jennie was the leader, the star. She fit the popular and mean high school girl stereotype to a T. The other two were just her backup dancers. 

“They’re here!” a random student yelled. Then, like the parting of the red sea, all the students scurried to the sides of the hallway, mimicking a fashion runway. And just like clock work, Jennie Kim was walking in slow motion down the center, entourage behind her. She wore black designer sunglasses, diamond earrings, and an expensive fur coat. Her Ralph Lauren boots clicked on the hard wood floors as she adjusted the strap of her Prada tote. She made her way to her classroom sat down in her desk, and removed her sunglasses.

“My mom’s throwing a gala to kick off her fashion empire’s sunglasses line, will you guys come to keep me company?” Jisoo asked, walking up to her friends.

“I thought we were going to take my private jet to Bora Bora for the weekend?” Jooyeon whined. “I was looking forward to doing what we normally do… laying on the white sand beaches, playing jenga with our iPhones, planning our next walk in closets…”

“We do that everyday.” Jennie retorted, kicking her feet up onto her desk. “Plus, I can’t make it, my dad’s making me make an appearance at his oil businesses’s press conference.”

“Ugh, that barista doesn’t make my coffee right anymore…” Jooyeon said with a scowl as she stood next to Jennie’s desk.

“Shall we file a law suit?” Jisoo asked, tapping her cell phone on her chin in thought. 

“What’s the use…” Jennie said, nonchalantly throwing her purse on her desk “We’d be getting more money than their shop could make in a year.”

“Unni, where’s your spirit?” Jooyeon asked. All the other students were standing around them in a circle, trying to listen in on their conversations. 

“It’s because she hasn’t gotten anyone in three months.” Jisoo joked. 

Jennie scowled as she looked up at them. “You idiots, that’s not it!”

“It’s a big deal for someone like you.” Jooyeon said, flipping her orange colored waves over her shoulder. “You’ve been with more people this year than any of us have in our entire lifetime.”

“First there was that guy who was captain of the soccer team, Choi Minho. You liked his rippling muscles and his tan skin…” Jisoo smirked, sitting on her friend’s desk. “Then you dumped him because you thought the cheer captain, Bae Irene, was hotter. Then she wasn’t rich enough, and you went after the top of our class, Kim Namjoon, since you thought he’d be a doctor someday. Then you got tired of waiting and decided to get with…”

“What can I say?” Jennie interrupted with a sly smirk. “No one can resist me.”

“That’s quite an arrogant statement coming from someone who’s been alone for longer than two weeks.” Jooyeon retorted. “Especially since you usually aren’t single for more than three days.” 

“Listen here, girls…” Jennie said, leaning in. “I bet you ten thousand dollars that I could get anyone, boy or girl!”

“Alright…” Jisoo began, looking around the room. “How about her?” She pointed across the room to a girl in a school uniform with bright eyes and an eager but humble grin.

You had just stepped into your new classroom. You had just transferred to a selective and expensive private school because of your grades. You looked around the room at your new classmates, observing each one. Your eyes landed on the girl that everyone seemed to be focused on. Her wavy brown hair, her sparkling chestnut eyes, her delicate pink lips… there was no doubt in your mind that you were looking at the queen bee of your class. 

“I bet, that you can’t date her for three months.”

“The new girl? The poor geek?” Jennie laughed, staring at her friend. “For three months?” 

“Well, that’s how long you’ve been single!” Jooyeon exclaimed, leaning in closer to Jennie’s face. “And since you’re so irresistible, it shouldn’t be a problem for you to fall back in another relationship, right?” 

“You’re on.” Jennie chuckled, shaking Jisoo’s hand.

You looked down to the dull and scraped black shoes on your feet that you had been teased about all day, which your mother could barely afford to give you. You looked off the ledge of the building, not ever seeing one this tall before. You had found your way up to the roof of the school, wanting to get out of the stuffy school, who’s walls encapsulated prejudice and gossip.

Your first day at a private school was not what you had imagined. You hadn’t made a single friend, as no one had given you a nice word all day. Instead of warm welcomes, which you expected, you quickly realized that the people at this school judged everyone by their wealth, instead of who they really are. 

You sighed and began to mutter your thoughts. “I hate everyone here…” 

“Hey, I don’t think that’s a fair statement.” a voice said. You snapped your head around to see the girl that everyone was fawning over in your first class. The one you assumed was the queen bee. “You haven’t met me yet.”

You gave a small smile. “I suppose I haven’t… what’s your name?”

“You really don’t know who I am?” Jennie asked. 

“I can’t say I do…” you mumbled. “I have only been here for three hours.”

She chuckled. “I’m Jennie Kim. My family owns the nation’s largest oil business, car manufacturer, and cell phone company. You?”

“I’m Y/N, and my family owns a town house, a mini van, and a spice garden.” 

Jennie giggled. You joined her, as she had a very cute and contagious laugh. “You’re funny…” She suddenly changed her vibe, stepping closer to you. “Look, I know you haven’t exactly made any friends yet… but I really admire smart girls who work hard. And you’re really pretty.”

“You’re the first person to say something nice to me all day.” you chuckled. 

“I’d like to ask you… would you be interested in going out with me sometime?”

Your mouth dropped open. “Me? But… why?” You couldn’t be more confused. Why was the queen bee trying to get with the one who’s being bullied? Something wasn’t right…

“This may sound silly, but… ever since I saw you I’ve felt this… special connection to you… I’m willing to trust my heart on this… are you?” Jennie said with a smile. 

You began to think… maybe going out with the most popular girl in school would help you. Maybe people wouldn’t pick on you as much. And to be fair, you hadn’t made any friends yet. Jennie seemed nice, so maybe it was time to take a chance. 

“Sure, I’d… I’d like that.” you said with a small smile.

Jennie walked down the hallway as fast as she could with out running. Her sunglasses were guarding her eyes to hide her emotion. After all, she had an image to keep. As she walked on, she could feel her face heating up. 

She didn’t know how to explain it, but when you flashed a smile at her on the roof… her heart went wild. She could feel it’s beat quicken, the natural rhythm abandoned. She had this weird feeling in her chest, that tingled and heightened her anxiety. 

“What am I doing?” she mumbled under her breath. “Jennie Kim doesn’t get this worked up over someone… it’s other people that freak out about me!”

But all of the ego in her body couldn’t mask the fact that she knew… you were going to become someone very significant to her. 

“She’s just a bet Jennie… a bet.”

“Y/N!” Jennie exclaimed, running up to you. Her brain told her it was an act, but her heart told her she was actually happy to be next to you. She quickly shook off the feeling as she reached your locker. 

“Well Hi, Jennie!” you said surprised, taking your math book out of your locker. 

“Hi…” she smiled, not understanding why in the world she was suddenly so nervous. “Um, I was wondering if you’d… like to go to this five star restaurant with me tonight?” 

“Oh, I’ve never been to anything like that before…” you muttered. “I’d probably end up shaming you. I don’t have a dress, or a hair stylist, or… money…”

“Don’t worry.” she smirked, handing you a piece of paper. “Leave that to me.”

You glanced down at what she had given you. “What’s this?”

“Go to this location after school.” Jennie told you. “The rest will be explained then.” She patted your shoulder, gave one last bright smile, and then walked off.

“Jennie?” you yelled out. You were right by the east side of the school like the paper said… where was she?

Suddenly a long and sleek black limo pulled up in front of you. Your mouth hung agape and your eyes widened. “If I had one of these, I could sell it and never have to work again…” you mumbled to yourself. Soon, a dapper looking man stepped out. He was wearing a black tuxedo and a bow tie. 

“Good evening, Miss Y/N!” he beamed. 

You glanced behind you, then pointed at yourself. “M-me?”

He chuckled. “Yes, you… I am the butler of Miss Jennie Kim. She has ordered me to escort you to the Kim family’s stylist.”

“Jennie did this… for me?” you stuttered. 

He nodded, opening the door for you. “Shall we?”

You hesitantly stepped into the car. You ran your fingers along the spotless and soft interior, holding your breath at the fact that there was more luxury in this car than your entire house. 

“Sparkling juice?” the man asked, offering you a crystal glass filled with a bubbly orange beverage. 

You slowly nodded, taking it from him. After a short drive, you had arrived in front of an enormous and lavish mansion, which glimmered in the sun light. 

“Please follow me, miss.” the butler said as he held the door open for you. You broke your gaze away from the towering building, scurrying over to the large double doors. 

“So… Jennie actually lives in this place?” you asked him as you walked beside him. 

“Of course, miss…” he told you. “The Kim family has lived on this estate for five generations.”

You marveled at this fact. So Jennie’s family had been rich since before her grandfather’s time… it must be nice to be born into wealth like this. Not having to work for your money or your future, because you can always fall back on your wealth. Not worrying about whether or not you’ll make the rent, or skipping dinner to save money….

Suddenly, the butler shoved you into a room with a white marble door. About four women in blue uniforms were crowded around a girl in the center. She was tall and thin, wearing a black sweater and slacks. 

“Oh, she’s here!” one of the ladies said as you walked in.

“Hello darling!” the girl in the black exclaimed with a smile. You guessed that she was the head stylist. She rushed up to you, grabbed your arms, and began to examine you. 

“Somi, take notes…” she demanded. Her assistant rushed over with a clipboard and pen. “We’ll start with the usual… cleanse, exfoliate, treat, and moisturize the skin… and we must do something with this hair. How about an argan oil treatment, then a ½ inch barrel curling wand? And if we pair that new Oscar de la Renta dress we just got, the white one, with a refreshing makeup look, we should be golden!” She clapped her loud hands together. “Kaja!” 

Soon, the assistants had pushed you into a salon chair, attacking you with creams, tweezers, brushes, hairspray, and perfume sprayers. 

“Jimmy Choos, I want silver Jimmy Choos on those feet!” the boss ordered as she poked through a collection of necklaces. “But don’t you dare skip the YSL nail polish Bora, I swear to God if you use anything other than YSL I will flip my lid!” After what felt like hours, they let you out of the chair, shoved you in a dress, and let you admire yourself in a full length mirror. The boss came over and handed you a clutch. “Now Chanel, you’re in desperate need of Chanel.” She stepped back and looked at her creation. “It’s… alive!!!!” she bellowed.

You swallowed the lump in your throat as you poked your head around the staircase. There was Jennie, waiting for you at the bottom. She looked striking in her full length lavender colored gown, sparkling earrings, and chic updo.

You let the heels of the shoes you could never afford yourself click down the glass of the staircase. Jennie looked up at you and smiled. She took your hand as your reached the bottom. “You look absolutely beautiful…”

You blushed. “I can’t believe you’re doing all this for me… you’re too sweet, I don’t know how I can go on like this!” you giggled.

Jennie chuckled, her face scrunching up in laughter. “Ready?” 

You nodded. “I’m ready.”

“Alright, open your eyes!” Jennie exclaimed. You opened your eyes to see that you were on the rooftop of the restaurant. The starry sky gleamed overhead, moonlight shining on a table covered in a white table cloth. A vase of roses sat in the middle. There were crystal glasses, silver spoons, and cloth napkins folded up neatly on the table. 

“Hors Devours?” Jennie asked, pulling your chair out for you. 

Time soon passed, and after dinner, you and Jennie were standing by the ledge of the building, leaning on the metal gate that protected you from falling. 

“Your house is amazing by the way.” you told her. 

“Thanks…” she said with a small smile. “My parents moved in when my mom was pregnant.”

“What are your parents like?” you asked, glancing over at her. 

“Well…” she began. “I’m closer to my father than my mother. You know the rich mom in all the dramas that nobody ever likes because she’s a meddling witch? Yeah, that’s an accurate depiction of my mom.”

“Oh…” you muttered. “When I was a kid, my mom once took away my favorite dolly when I didn’t clean my room.”

Jennie laughed like you had said the funniest thing in the world. “What about you? What’s your family like?”

“My mom is the sweetest woman in the world. Always cooking and baking for people she loves… she owns an animal shelter, she does a lot of volunteer work… I have two younger siblings. They’re twins.”

“How about your father?” Jennie inquired, leaning in closer to you. 

“He… died….” you muttered.

“Oh my God…” Jennie exclaimed, widening her eyes. “I’m so sorry…”

You flashed a smile. “It’s alright, you didn’t know. It happened when I was really little. My mother has given her all as a single parent. I admire her so much. It may be tough sometimes, but we’re very happy together, and we all love each other very much.”

“You’re so lucky…” Jennie mumbled. “To have a loving family I mean… all my parents see me as is an heir to their business.”

“At least you have the ability to do that.” you retorted, looking up at the constellations. “I have to work five jobs to get the money I need…”

“Five!” Jennie exclaimed. “Why are you working yourself so hard?”

“I have to if I want to go to college.” you told her, head still in your hands. “That’s why my grades are so important to me. They give me a possibility to one day have a better life.”

“Y/N…” she said. You looked over at her. She grabbed your hand, lacing her fingers with yours. “Quit.”

“Huh?” you asked, furrowing your eyebrows.

“Quit your jobs, all of them. I can take care of you. I’ll give you anything you need. You don’t have to do this alone.”

You chuckled. “How can you say so easily that everything can be okay with no work?”

She gave you a reassuring smile and squeezed your hand. “I’ll prove it to you. So don’t stress, and don’t worry.” 

“Try it on!” Jennie exclaimed, taking another sip of her strawberry boba. 

“I don’t know Jen, it look so… expensive…” you mumbled, touching the fabric of the beaded dress. After a few weeks of getting to know each other, Jennie had invited you to go shopping with her. 

“Y/N, I’m the one who ushered you into a Dolce and Gabbana store. Pretty sure I knew everything would be expensive!” she giggled. “Come on, you’ll look so pretty!”

“Alright, alright!” you huffed, holding up your arms in defeat. You giggled as you took the dress in your size and ran off into the dressing room. You ran your hands along the soft red fabric. You admired the way the jewels reflected their glimmers from the overhead lights in the room. 

“Come out babe, I want to see you!” Jennie said impatiently.

“Alright, I’m coming!” you yelled back. You stepped out of the room, hesitantly holding out the skirt of the dress. 

Jennie’s face lit up in a bright smile. “You look as beautiful as always, but the red in the dress really brings out your cute blush…”

“Jennie!” you whined, playfully hitting her.

“Yah! Why do you always have to hit me? Aish, so violent…” Jennie laughed. “Come on, I’ll get it for you. And anything else your little heart desires!”

“I had a great time!” you told Jennie as she parked her Lamborghini in front of your house. 

“Wait, before you go…” she said, leaning in. She grabbed an envelope out of her bag and handed it to you. “This is for you.”

“Huh?” you said, opening it up. You pulled out a thin strip of white paper. It was a check, that read 100,000 dollars. 

“Jennie… I… I can’t accept this! Why would you-”

Jennie remained calm, and kept smiling as she spoke to you. “Didn’t I tell you I would make sure you’d never have to stress or worry again? It’s for your tuition.”

You felt a tear roll down your cheek. 

“Yah, don’t cry…” Jennie laughed, wiping it away with her thumb. “I’d do anything for you jagiya. It’s just my way of saying thank you.”

“For what?’” you quaked. 

She flashed another warm smile. “Just for being with me.”

You threw your arms around her. “Thank you Jennie… you’re sweeter to me than anyone else in the world…”

“Yah, you deserve it, pabo…” she mumbled, pressing a kiss on your forehead.

You walked through the hallways, trying to imagine how you were going to do your science project. Your new Jimmy Choos that Jennie had bought you clicked on the hard wood floor as you clutched your books to your chest. You began to hear whispers from the people who were standing around you. Suddenly, that mean girl Julie and her friends were crowded around you. 

“If it isn’t our little village girl.” she hissed, crossing her arms and blocking your way. 

“Yah, you ought to be ashamed of yourself! I can’t believe someone’s so poor that they have to steal a pair of nice shoes!” her friend Jinhi snickered. Everyone laughed. 

“Yah, commoner… just because you’re wearing expensive shoes doesn’t make you good enough to go to this school. You know you don’t belong here. Why don’t you us all a favor and just leave?” Julie grunted. 

“I…I…” You swallowed the lump in your throat. In the past, you would have just let the bullying continue, staring at the ground, shaking in anxiety. Suddenly, you thought of Jennie. Her love made you feel confident. “I have just as much of a right to be here as you do! In fact, I deserve to be here more… I worked to get into this school while you’re only here because your parents paid for you to go!”

“Listen, you little punk!” she screamed, throwing her fist at your face. You squinted your eyes shut and tensed up, waiting for the impact. However, it never came. Everyone around you gasped. You slowly opened your eyes, taking your hands away from your face. You saw Jennie standing in front of you, clenching Julie’s wrist in her hand, cold scowl on her face, Jooyeon and Jisoo staring shocked with the rest of the school behind her.

“Yah, Julie… can you tell me why you were about to punch her?” Jennie growled. 

“S-sunbae…” Julie stuttered, looking like a scared puppy. “S-she had really bad shoes, a disgrace to people of our kind…”

Jennie glanced over at your shoes. “I picked those out for her… those were bought with my money… are you saying I have bad taste?” She tightened her grip on Julie’s wrist. 

“Not at all sunbae! I would never…”

Jennie threw her arm down. “Bow down and apologize to her…” she grunted.

“What?” Julie said, eyes widening. “But I-”

“Bow to her!” Jennie yelled, her loud voice making everyone jump. 

Julie slowly got down on got down on her knees, staring at the ground. “Mianhamnida…”

Jennie sighed, then looked around at everyone. “From now on, if I hear that anyone is hurting my friend Y/N… I will make your family go bankrupt, and show you the same courtesy you’ve shown her.” She grabbed your hand, tugging you along. “Let’s go, Y/N…”

“Wow, she’s really taking this bet seriously…” Jisoo muttered, leaning closer to Jooyeon, who gave an approving nod. 

You and Jennie were now up on the roof, sitting on a bench. You were cuddled up in her arms, gently sobbing into her chest. She comfortingly stroked your hair and patted your back. “Shhh… it’s okay Y/N… they’re not going to hurt you anymore…”

“Why do they hate me so much?” you sniffled. “Just because I’m poor… I haven’t done anything wrong…” 

Jennie swallowed. She was starting to regret judging people’s wealth in her past. Now that someone she loved was going through this hatred… she didn’t want any part of it. “It’s not right babe… I’m sorry this happened to you. 

“Sometimes I wonder if they’re right…” you choked in between sobs. “Why am I even here? No one wants me here… maybe I should just go back to my old school…”

She gasped, then cupped your head in her hands. “No, no, baby you can’t leave… look at me Y/N…” You looked up into her big, trustworthy brown eyes. “The whole world could hate you… but I will always love you. No matter what happens to you in this life, know that someone out there cares about you and loves you unconditionally. Because to the world, you’re just one person. But to one person…” She then leaned her forehead against your own. “You’re the world.”

Jennie, Jisoo, and Jooyeon stormed into the girls restroom. A group of underclassmen were crowded inside, fixing their hair and makeup by the mirror. They all gasped as they saw the girls. 

“Out!” Jooyeon ordered, pointing at the door. All the girls scurried out, bowing as they passed the girls. As the last one was gone, and the room was empty, Jooeyon smiled again. “So why’d you call us together unni?”

“Yeah, what’s this emergency meeting you were talking about?” Jisoo smirked, leaning against the sink. 

“Guys…” Jennie mumbled, crossing her arms. “I’m calling off the bet.”

“What, why?” Jooyeon exclaimed, furrowing her brows in confusion. 

Jisoo put her hands on her hips. “We put a whole 10,000 dollars on that bet, you better have a good reason…”

“I…” Jennie said, swallowing the hard lump in her throat. “I think I’m actually falling in love with Y/N.” 

Jisoo scoffed. “That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard in weeks… you can’t possibly be serious…”

“Jennie…” Jooyeon laughed. “Y/N is just a bet that we made three months ago. You don’t have to ensure us that you won even more. You’ve done a great job deceiving her, so you don’t have to pretend anymore.”

“You sure did.” a voice mumbled. Jennie turned around to see you standing in the doorway, eyes filled with tears. 

“Y/N!” Jennie exclaimed, her eyes widening. “Let me explain…”

“What’s there to explain?” you said, stepping forward. “I can’t believe this… so all of it… all of it was a joke? All the wonderful things you said… was just an act?”

“No, Y/N, listen to me…” Jennie pleaded. “You don’t under-”

“All those nice things you did for me… were all of them lies?”

“Y/N, please! They were at first, but…”

“No Jennie…” you quaked, stepping backwards. “You’ve taken advantage of someone who was being picked on by the rest of the school… you made me feel like my existence actually had meaning in this world… you showed me wondrous things I’ve only seen in my dreams.” You stopped, then looked up at her as a tear rolled down your cheek. “But I guess… all that glitters isn’t gold.” You turned on your heel, and ran out of the bathroom. 

“Y/N wait!” Jennie yelled, trying to stop you. But she was too late. You were gone. Jennie ran over to Jooyeon, and slapped her across the face. “You idiot!” She left her there, clutching her face in pain, and ran after you. But you were already out of the building, running to your house as fast as you could.

You were done.

Author’s Note: I hope I did a good job writing this for you anon… I know it’s taken me a while, but I promise that it’s because I’ve been working hard on it. Good night, my pretty pandas, and if you live in a different time zone, have a great day!

[Masterlist]

-Marie 💗

[lindseyluvsdrag]

Knocked Up Ch. 11 Snippet

Please ignore all typosss, a bitch has been going through it lately  😂 But let me know what you guys thinkkk :D

TW: S-M-U-T

“Boyfriend?!” Raven and Naomi shouted collectively, nearly falling off of Raven's living room couch in the process.

 “Yesss,” Violet said in exasperation. “Why is that so hard to believe?”

 “Because his wardrobe gives you hives,” Raven reminded.

 “Well, I don't look at him from the collar down anyway.”

 “Okay, Vi. If you really like him and he makes you happy, I support this,” Naomi said.

 “Thank youuu.”

 “But the wardrobe just has to go.”

 Violet laughed light-heartedly. “Maybe what he wears isn't that important to me anymore.”

 Her friends gasped. “Raven, lock that door! Get some antibiotics, hot towels and a Blu-ray copy of The Devil Wears Prada, stat!”

 “On it!”

 Naomi pulled Violet close. The pregnant woman cackled as her friend pressed the back of her hand against her forehead and cheeks. “Mhmm, you definitely feel warm.”

 “You guys are so goofy,” Violet chuckled. “When you're having a child with someone, you really want to appreciate all of their positive features in hopes that the baby will inherit them.”

 “What’s positive about Matthew?” Raven demanded. “I'll wait.”

 “He can cook really well. He can draw.”

 “Yawnnn.”

 “He gives good head,” she added.

 “Say no more,” Naomi urged. “That's worth a thousand points.”

 Violet laughed. “Exactlyyyyy. Hey, I'd better get going. He's cooking me dinner tonight. Well, he makes me dinner every night but it's taco Tuesday.”

“Yum,” Raven said dryly.

 The pregnant woman pushed herself out of the chair. “What are your plans?”

 “I think I'll crash at Raven's place again.”

 “Are you guys roommates now? You've been crashing here for a week.”

 “Well, my face still hurts and Raven takes care of me.”

 “In more than one way,” Raven said underhandedly, earning her a stiff elbow to the side from Naomi when Violet wasn't looking.

 “Well, I love you guysss. See you the morning.” Violet blew her friends air kisses and they did the same as she exited.

 As soon as the door was closed, Raven pinned Naomi's arms to the couch as she straddled the woman. “You wanna elbow me, huh?” she playfully asked.

 “Yes! What if she would've heard you?”

 “Violet is oblivious to anything that doesn't concern a Louboutin or a donut.”

 Naomi laughed and Raven silenced her with a kiss. “Why can't we tell her about us?”

 “Becauseeee we're her best friends.”

 “Exactly!”

 “Yeah, exactly! If things go wrong, then it'll be awkward.”

 “Only you would worry about the negative outcomes. Besides, I don't plan on having anything go wrong. You gave me a chance and I won't fuck that up.”

 “You and your puppy dog eyes wore me down.”

 “Was it my eyes or my mouth?” Raven asked suggestively as she began to leave a trail of kisses along the woman's collarbone and chest.

 Naomi giggled. “Ravennnn.”

 “That's my nameeee.”

 “Dork,” she said before their lips met again.

---

Violet excitedly entered her apartment and kicked off her shoes. “Honeyyy, I'm home,” she giddily chirped.

 “I'm in the kitchen,” Matt replied.

 The woman skittered through the house and when she made it to the kitchen, she frowned. “What’s that smell?”

 “Meatloaf.”

 “But I thought it was taco Tuesday.”

 “It was, but I was more in a meatloaf mood.”

 Violet pouted. “But I'm in a taco moodddddd,” she whined.

 Matt gave her a look. “Violet, it's already done. The potatoes are finished, I made a pie and it's almost-”

 “I don't careee,” she sniffled. “I've been daydreaming about tacos all day and now you're breaking your promiseeee.”

 “It wasn't a promise, it was a suggestion.”

 “Well, I suggest that you throw this shit out and make tacos!” she sobbed.

 “Violet, it's taken me hours to…”  When the woman pouted, the threat of more tears quickly made him relent. “Fine.”

 “Thank youuuu.” Violet wrapped her arms around him.

 Matt found the woman to be so adorable that he found a way to tolerate her mood swings. He kissed her head. “How was work?”

 “Goodddd. How was your day?”

 “Good. I have any interview tomorrow.”

 Violet frowned. “Interview for what?”

 “A job working overnight at a warehouse.”

 “What would your hours be?”

 “Ten at night to eight in the morning.”

 “But...but I have to be at work at eight. We'll never see each other! Who will cook me breakfast?”

 Matt laughed. “Of course we'll see each other. And I could make your breakfast before I leave and put it in the fridge for you.”

 “But I like hot breakfastsssss.”

 “You can put it in the microwave.”

 “Matthewwww,” she whined. “I don't want you to take that job.”

 “Violet, I need that job. It pays $25 an hour.”

 “But is it worth it if you're never here?!”

 “I'll be here during the day.”

 “But you'll be asleep! And what if a burglar sneaks in here in the middle of the night?! What will I do?!”

 “You live on the fifth floor of a fancy condo that has a doorman posted outside of the lobby! There won't be any burglaries.”

 Violet stormed out of the kitchen.

 “Vi…” Matt called as he followed her. He made it to the bedroom door and flinched when she slammed it in his face. The man knocked. “Violet.”

 “Go awayyy,” she sobbed.

 “Open the door, please.”

 “No! You don't even care that I'll be all alone because all you care about is money!”

 “Yeah, money is what keeps you in gold and Versace! You work, why the hell wouldn't I?!” All he could hear was the woman's dramatic bawling. “Violettttt,” he groaned in exasperation. “Please open the door.” When he realized that the woman wouldn't budge, he returned to the kitchen and made the tacos.

 Violet sniffled as she listened at the door for the man's footsteps. When she heard him approaching, the woman rushed to her bed and turned on her side away from the door. Matt knocked. The woman didn't respond so when he twisted the doorknob, he was relieved that it was unlocked. “Violet,” he said quietly as he entered with a food tray in hand. “I have your tacos.”

 “I don't want them.”

 “Yes, you do,” he replied. “Sit up.”

 “No.”

 “Violet, I've slaved over a hot stove for three hours. I know you're hungry, I know the baby is hungry now sit up and take the fucking tacos.”

 The woman would never admit that she liked when man took control. “Well... I guess I'm a little hungry,” she sniffled as sat up. Matt placed the tray in front of her and Violet dove into the first overstuffed shell on her plate as if she'd just gotten out of prison.

 “Now, listen,” Matt continued in his commanding tone as he paced the room. “I need this job to be able to afford the great things that you and the baby need and want. You're not single anymore. You have to compromise.”

 “But I love having you here,” she said with cheese and bits of tortilla stuff in one cheek. “That's why I called your other job.” Fuck.

 The man stopped pacing. “You what?”

 “Nothing.”

 “No, what did you say?” he demanded.

 Violet shoved the remaining piece of taco into her her mouth so that when she spoke, it was unintelligible.

 “I can't believe you'd get me fired! Actually, I can, up until this point, you've been nothing but selfish.”

 It took Violet several chews to break down her food in order to swallow. “Is it selfish that I want to be around you?”

 “When you're cutting off my livelihood, yes! So did you fall before or after you got me fired?”

 The woman gulped. “I...um.. I-I never fell.”

 “Wow. Who the fuck would lie about something like that?! A psychopath, that's who!”

 She frowned. “I'm not a psychopath.”

 “Are you sure?! Because lying about endangering the life of my kid sounds pretty psychotic to me!”

 “Matthewww,” Violet whined.

 “Stop your crying! You've manipulated this entire situation and I've had enough of it!” Matt let out a sharp exhale. “You know, just because I love you, doesn't mean you get to take advantage of it,” he said before exiting the room, closing the door behind him.

 “He loves me?” Violet whimpered through pouty lips before taking another large bite of her taco.

---

After she finished her meal, Violet slowly tiptoed out of her room, brow furrowed as she followed the loud thumping sound. It led her to the nursery where Matt was seated on the floor, hammering two pieces of wood together.

 The woman entered and pressed her back against the wall. “Hi,” she said quietly.

 “Hi,” the man said dryly as he continued to hammer.

 “What are you making?”

 “The crib. I didn't know that they came in so many parts.”

 “Well, I wanted to go for a more vintage style.”

 “Well, white oak will do that.”

 “Yeah..”

 The man returned to hammering, leaving the air full of heavy tension.

 Violet cleared her throat. “Matthew, listen.”

 The pounding didn't stop.

 “Matthew!”

 “I can hear you!”

 “Oh..”

 He continued to hammer.

 “I'm really sorry for how I've been acting. I know my whining annoys you but I blame the baby for this hormonal imbalance. I promise I'm normally not this crazy. But even the baby isn't a good enough excuse for getting you fired. It was just me selfishly wanting you all to myself.”

 Matt smiled. “It’s kinda cute when you think about it. I've never had a woman go so crazy over me before.”

 Violet folded her arms. “I'm glad you think so. I mean, once you knocked me up, you planted the crazy seed.”

 “Oddly enough, I wouldn't change any of it.”

 The woman smiled and made her way over to the man before settling onto his lap. “Did you mean what you said earlier? Do you really love me?”

 “Love you? Nooo, I said ‘gloves too?’ Ya know, for the grocery list. We're almost out of them and I just don't want you to freak when you go to clean up and they're all gone.”

 Violet giggled and ran a hand through her boyfriend's hair. “I think this child has me going absolutely crazy about you.”

 “Sooo, whatcha sayin’?”

 “While impregnated... I glove you too.”

 “Aww.” Matt grabbed the woman's face and kissed her but she pulled away so that she could continue to speak.

 “But only until the baby is born. After that, I'll probably hate your guts and-”

 He silenced her with another kiss. “You talk too much.”

 The woman wrapped her arms around his neck and Matt carefully stood, lifted the woman up by her ass and carried her to the bedroom. The man gently lowered the woman onto the cloud-like mattress and there were no reservations as both their clothes came completely off in front of each other for the first time since their child was conceived. Violet self consciously covered her belly, but the man made her more and more comfortable with each tender kiss along her neck and collarbone. “You're so beautiful,” he whispered against her skin.

 His body heat ignited every inch of the woman's yearning body and she felt as if she'd explode if she didn't have him now. “Matthew, please. I need you.”

 The man didn't hesitate to position his face between her legs and within minutes, Violet was moaning in ecstasy. After nearly smothering him with her thigh clamping and forcefulness as she pushed his head further into her, Matt finally came up for air.

 “Enough foreplay,” she panted. “Fuck me.”

 Matt pushed all of his reservations to the side as he remembered the doctor's words. He retrieved a condom from his wallet.

 “Is there really a point in wearing that?” she asked. “I'm already pregnant.”

 “Well, after that scolding you gave me for not wearing one, I'd rather be safe than sorry. Besides, if you cum inside a pregnant woman, you'll make twins.”

 Violet made a face as she contemplated. “Um..I think I'll call the doctor.”

 When she reached for her cellphone, Matt pinned her arms to the bed and kissed her. “I don't want to hear anything else about uteruses and mucus plugs.”

 She nodded and accepted another kiss.

 “Are you ready?” he asked.

 When Violet nodded, Matt lined his cock up with her entrance and carefully pushed himself inside the woman.​

 "Fuckkk,” they collectively groaned​ in pleasure.

 Violet wrapped her legs around the man's waist, securing him in the position as he slowly began to pump in and out of her.

 “Shit, ” he panted. “Do you think you'll be  this tight after you have the baby?”

 “Matthew!” the woman whined. “Why would you ask me something like that and especially right nowww?!”

 “I'm sorry! It was just an innocent question.”

 “Keep all further questions to yourself!” she demanded.

 “I'm sorry.” He kissed her pouty lips and continued to pump in and out at a snail's pace.

 “Harder,” she pleaded.

 “I don't think that's a good idea.”

 “Why nottt?”

 “I don't know. It might shake something loose.”

 “Matthewwww, I promise nothing will shake loose.”

 “Are you sure?”

 “No, but you don't want me to call the doctor so it's my guess that the baby is protected around those two pillows.”

 “Okay, but if anything happens, I’m going to sue you.”

 “I don't care,” she said as she kissed him. When the man gave her a firm thrust, Violet whimpered against his lips. “Keep going.”

 Matt obliged and picked up the pace of his thrusting. The woman's moans were loud and passionate, forcing Matt to ponder if the neighbors could hear her.

 “Oh my God, Matthew, that feels so goodddd.”

 “Yeah?”

 “Yes! Yes!”

 “I- whoa!” the man exclaimed as he pulled out, he tried to jump off of the bes but Violet clamped down on his arms.

 “What are you doing?!”

 “The baby punched my dick.”

 “What?!”

 “The baby punched my dick! He doesn't like it!”

 “Matthew, the baby didn't even kick! If he did, I would've felt it!”

 “Noooo, I swear to God I felt it! I can't. I can't.”

 Violet placed a hand on the man's throat. “Matthew, he didn't kick or punch your dick,” she snarled. “Now fuck me!”

 Matt whimpered and reluctantly straddled the woman. He cautiously slid his cock back inside the woman. “The only saving grace here is your tits. They're huge.” The man gave her boobs a firm squeeze causing the woman to groan out before popping him.

 “Owww, don't do thatttt! They're super sensitive!”

 “What about gentle rubbing?” The man tested the soft touch and Violet pursed her lips.

 “No...just keep your hands in my hair or something. Now, fuck meeee.”

 Matt returned to thrusting, but only used three-quarters of his penis out of fear of disturbing the baby. The woman didn't care as his cock stroked her sugar walls. The tingling inside her quickly built up before boiling over once again.

 “I'm cummingggg,” she moaned. “Shit.”

 Matt exhaled. The man was nowhere near close but he had plans to stroke himself to a finish when Violet was done.

 The woman hummed in satisfaction but when Matt attempted to pull out, she wrapped her legs around his hips. “Noooo, keep going. Keep going.”

 He knew that the woman was insatiable so he pushed his entire penis completely into the her. “Fuckk, Matthew,” she yelped. And when the man began to thrust, Violet pierced the skin on his arms with her nails as she moaned. Matt continued stroking at different paces, making sure to give her clit special attention until she was squealing again. “Shit, shit, shittttt.”

 “I'm gonna cum,” he grunted before filling the condom with his load. The couple climaxed together, the heated tingles that radiated between them was enough to make the orgasm perfect. After catching his breath, Matt attempted to pull out but Violet relentlessly clung onto the man.

 “Don't stop,” she whimpered. “Please, don't stop.”

 “Violet, I just jizzed. I don't know how sturdy this condom is anymore... I-I don't know if I can even stay...ya know.”

 “Matthew, pleaseeee. I need ittttt.”

 With his penis growing softer by the second, Matt did his best to continue to stroke the woman. He lifted her left leg and held onto it for leverage as he thrusted.

 "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my Godddd,” Violet moaned, eyes rolling into the back of her head. “Okay, okayyy, Matthew, I ca-can’t- ah!” the woman squealed as she began to tremble. “Fuck!” Violet pulled away as she writhed and twisted the sheets.

 "Had enough?” Matt asked.

 “Mhmm,” she purred in satisfaction, barely able to keep her eyes open. The man kissed her as was finally allowed to pull out. He removed his condom. “Violet, is there a special way that I need to dispose of this?”

 “Hmm?” Violet softly hummed with her eyes closed.

 “The condom. Do I throw it away or burn it?”

 “Throw away,” she grumbled as she turned on her side and pulled her blanket over her naked body.

 “Okay,” Matt whispered prior to carefully sliding off of the bed, retrieving his clothes and tiptoeing out of the room. He showered and accepted the living room sofa as his temporary bed. The couch had him snoring within minutes.

---

“Matthew. Matthewwww,” Violet whispered as she shook the man awake.

 “Hm?” He sat up. “Wha-What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

 Violet let her body do the talking as she dropped her robe and straddled the man, kissing him as she began to tug at his pajama bottoms.

 “Vi-Violet,” he attempted to protest as she kissed him all over. “Violet, what time is it?’

��“It's 2:40.”

 “Seriously? We just did it a few hours ago.”

 “So? What's your point?” she whispered against his neck.

 “I'm tired,” he groaned. “Can't we do this later?”

 “Matthewwww,” she whined. “I need itttt.”

 “Need whatttt?” the exhausted man grumbled as he collapsed back onto the couch.

 “Sex! I'm so horny!”

 “You're always horny!”

 “Exactly! So man up and take care of it!”

 “I'm not in the mood. I'm so tired... I..you..ugh,” the man sighed when the woman began to pout with tears in her eyes. “Okay, Violet.”

 The woman passionately wrapped her hands around him as she pressed their lips together, but Matt was completely over the foreplay. He carefully rolled the woman onto her back, pushed her legs up and positioned his face between her thighs. The man indulged the woman with expert style oral sex until she passed out once again. As soon as she was snoring, Matt grabbed a pillow and found refuge behind the bathroom’s locked door. He lined the porcelain tub with his pillow prior to climbing inside and falling asleep in the fetal position.

---

“Matthew?” Violet called as she knocked on the bathroom door.

 The man grunted as he sat up and stretched. The tub had made him so stiff that he was finally able to sympathize with the tin man.

 “Matthew?!”

 “I'm going to send this woman to sex rehab,” he grumbled. “What, Violet?”

 “Are you okay? How long have you been in there?”

 “I’m fine. What time it it?”

 “7:45. I'm getting ready for work...what are you doing?”

 “I’m on the toilet,” he lied.

 “Oh...do you think you think you'll be finished before I leave? For a quickieee,” she pleaded.

 “Umm...ugh, no. I have diarrhea. Explosive diarrhea! Ughhhh! Oh my Godddd, my asshole is on fireeee! Sweet baby Jesus, take the wheel!”

 Violet covered her nose and stepped away from the door. “After work, remind me to call a contractor!” the woman shouted as she sprinted to the front door and exited.

 Matt grinned as he emerged from the bathroom, made his way to the woman's room and sighed when he settled into the soft bed.

---

Violet sauntered into work and her friends immediately took notice.

 “You got some, didn't you?” Naomi asked.

 “A lady never kisses and tells.”

 “Then you should have no problem telling us,” Raven replied.

 Violet shot her a look and rolled her eyes. “Anyway. If you guys must know, I did get some.”

 “Yayyy,” Naomi cheered. “Now you won't be so grouchy.”

 “Heyy, I just get frustrated when I don't get sex...or food...or shoes.”

 Her friends laughed.

 “Ooo, did Sutan get donutsss?” she asked, skittering away when she saw the snack table. The woman grabbed two glazed confections and made her way to her office. She grabbed the phone that topped her desk and called Matt.

When the call went to voicemail, she didn't hesitate to leave a message.

 “Heyyyy, Matthew. It's 8:03. Maybe you're still on the toilet, I don't know but hopefully you're better by lunchtimeeee. I can't wait to see youuu. Okay, byeeee.”

 “Are you fucking kidding me?” Raven said as she and her lover eavesdropped on the woman's phone call.

 “She’s completely dick whipped,” Naomi said.

 “She is! She’s even become blind to how gross he is. Do you think she'll bring him to the banquet tonight?”

 Naomi gasped. “Fuckkk, I don't know. If she does, and he wears those disgusting cargo pants, Violet will be the laughing stock of the entire company.”

 “Absofuckinglutely.”

 “We can't let that happen.”

 “What do you want to do?”

 Naomi pursed her lips, thought for a minute and approached one of their co-workers. “Derrick?”

 “Yes, baby?”

 “Do me a favor?”

 “Depends. It wouldn't be a favor if it includes a hole. It'd be-”

 “A dream come true,” Raven sassed. “Just listen to the woman.”

 “I’m all ears.”

 “Keep Violet occupied during lunch today.”

 “Why and how would I do that?”

 “Why: because Raven and I are working on a surprise for her for tonight. How: offer to buy her food.”

 “No, I meant, why would I even hang out with her? She hates me.”

 “Noooo,” Raven and Naomi said collectively. “She just doesn't agree with your... style.”

 “Hey, my Crocs are comfortable.”

 “Yeah, but fashion isn't about comfort,” Raven retorted. “How'd you even get a job working here?”

 “The same way you did.”

 “Oh no, sweetheart. I didn't take Sutan's dick up my ass.”

 “Ravee!” Naomi groaned. “You can't be a jerk when we're the ones asking him for a favor.”

 The woman rolled her eyes.

 “Derrick, please. If you do this, it'll make Violet's night special and I'll give you my cousin's phone number.”

 “The hot one from Pacoima?”

 She nodded.

 “Okay, I'll do it.”

 “Yayyy,” the woman cheered as she retrieved the Snickers bar from her purse. She handed it to the man.

 “What's this for?”

 “Open in case of emergencies. It may save your life.”

 “Um, okay,” he said as he pocketed the candy without a second thought.

 “Thank you, Derrickkk,” Naomi chirped as the women returned to their work stations.

---

Matt awoke to three voicemail messages from Violet.

 “Matthewwww, are you still on the toilet? I'm really boreddddd. You should pay me a little visit,” she said suggestively. “Call me back, Mr. Lent.”

 The man shook his head and listened to the next message.

 “My boyfriend has a first nameeee it's M-A-T-T-Y,” she sang to the classic Oscar Mayer tune. “My boyfriend has a second name it's J-A-M-E-S. Matthew Jamesss, call me backkk.”

 Matt cackled and hung up the phone prior to calling the woman who answered on the first ring.

 “Hello, Matthew?”

 “Hey.”

 “Hiiii. How are you? What are you doing?”

 “I’m fine, just got out of the shower. What are you doing?”

 “I'm supposed to be finishing last minute details for this event going on tonight. We're unveiling this week's cover of Girly.”

 “Sounds like fun.”

 “Yeah it definitely will be, especially since I'm on the cover,” she chirped.

 “Oh, really? That's awesome.”

 “Mhmm, it's our first maturity issue.”

 “I bet you'll look great.”

 “I look great right now,” she whispered seductively. “Lunch is in twenty minutes…why don't you come up and see me?”

 “Stomach... cramping. Oh, God not again!” he shouted before hanging up.

 “Matthewwww!” Violet groaned in exasperation.

[alien-origins]

get to know me, pick some numbers.

since i wanted @kai-aaah to answer all of them i’m doing them too!!! so have fun reading about me! this is a lot ok and i’m sorry for not using big I’s and stuff i’m lazy i know how to spell i promise !!! enjoy 💞💖

1. selfie

you got 2 bc i love myself and the first is before i dyed my hair pink and i looked soft in it!!! the second is me casually 

2. what would you name your future kids? I honestly have no idea, I’ve always sucked at names and when writing short stories i have to look up like “top 1000 american names” and stuff like that. but i really want to name my future puppies nini, rice ball and macklemore :((

3. do you miss anyone? several actually, old friends from middle school I lost contact with, a girl in my class but she’s not a really good person so I’m better without her but I still liked being around her. Then there’s my grandma who’s been gone for a few years now and a friend that took his life this spring.

4. what are you looking forward to? moving away from home and start my life for real. i don’t feel at home or like i’m really alive when i’m at home now and i just want to do my thing! find my own path and so on!

5. is there anyone who can always make you smile? kim jongin :((( when he smiles i smile omg my lil sunshine child i love him

6. is it hard for you to get over someone? i think yeah? bc i often overthink stuff i tend to miss old times and i still am getting over the fact i lost some really great friends along the way.

7. what was your life like last year?

i got close to nico, a girl in my class and it was nice because we clicked so well together as friends and she felt secure and i liked that. i liked to have someone that had the same hobbies and look in life. but she got a bf and honestly just stopped talking to me and it’d take weeks for her to reply and she stopped going to school, leaving me by myself and i hated being alone. so i broke things off with her.  i was in a relationship at the time but i was falling out of love but i was so scared of hurting her bc i still liked her, cared for her and i just wanted the best for her and i was not it. and it was not fair to lead her on so i had to break up with her even if i hated it. we’re friends still though so i’m glad.

8. have you ever cried because you were so annoyed? all the time! I cry when I get overwhelmed with any emotion, I cry a lot in general.

9. who did you last see in person? my mom!

10. are you good at hiding your feelings? too good, I don’t think anyone really knows or has ever known how I feel. I’m also a skilled lier thanks to my parents.

11. are you listening to music right now? yeah i always am tbh my mom complains about it

12. what is something you want right now? summer and money

13. how do you feel right now? really stressed, i have a lot of school work to do before they set grades on all of us and i was sick for a week and now i have shot ton of presentations to do and work with i’m not ready.

14. when was the last time someone of the opposite sex hugged you? a month ago???? after meeting up with a guy i hooked up with for a coffee

15. personality description stereotypical aqua without all the drugs i’m a child of god!!!!!!(not at all really) I am the mom friend™, I am a soft little bun and I get scared by literally everything. petty is my middle name and i breathe drama. i want to say i’m pure but with the things i’ve done i’m not allowed into heaven. since my family don’t have that much money i always make sure that i can save as much as possible and i get annoyed when people throw around money and assume i can just do things and ask for money. i like girls and boys(but i still don’t know what’s sexuality i just like soft pretty ppl), like i usually say there’s just too much love in my lil heart!!!! i cry at least twice a week and I wear too big sweaters and shorts that show off half my butt and running shoes. also a lot of caps and chokers.

16. have you ever wanted to tell someone something but you didn’t?

a lot of times because of how i was raised and in the environment i was raised in i have troubles speaking about things like that and i bottle up a lot. a lot of things involve my dad or my mom but i’m scared of hurting my mom.

17. opinion on insecurities. i think my insecurities are affects from my past with anorexia and just society portraying a certain kind of look as an ideal that I can’t reach. like i’m constantly worried about how my body looks and some periods i’m full of confidence and love everything about me and some i consider fixing most things with surgery. i’m also bad at expressing emotions and i blame it on being an aqua!!!! i don’t talk much and i don’t like to voice my feelings. it results in a lot of relationships being a little rocky and it makes me insecure about myself.

18. do you miss how things were a year ago? yes and no. it was good then but so much happened during the summer and autumn that was really messy so no.

19. have you ever been to New York? no and idk if i want to go either really. i don’t see the appeal. 

20. what is your favourite song at the moment? 365 so fresh by tripple H 

21. age and birthday? 18 ; february 6th

22. description of crush. i don’t have a crush??? i crush on everyone that show me the slightest little spec of affection honestly 

23. fear(s) never leaving sweden and ending up living here with my husband, a dog and two kids in a villa somewhere in the outskirts of stockholm and going to the alps to ski and to thailand in the winter (literally what all middle class standard™ swedish families do). other than that i’m scared of ghosts and demons and there’s a specific picture that i get a panic attack from just looking at for a second. i hate loud noises and im scared of zombies, war, death, men, the dark, deep oceans, heights and so on. i have a lot of anxiety over death!!

24. height

5′2 when i put it in the cm to feet translation thing (160cm)

25. role model CL; she is a really strong and successful woman that I’ve looked up to since years back! I wrote a speech about her in english class when we were supposed to write about an artist we liked and I got an A on it so I hope she’s proud of me for that and for being myself and following my dreams! 

26. idol(s) exo ofc!! they together with f(x), 2ne1 and red velvet mean a lot to me and i love them hella !!

27. things i hate men, obviously all things bad that are wrong with our society like dictatorship/war/racism/sexism/homophobia but i don’t feel like listing it all up, my dad, cold and snow/ice, not knowing what’s going on in a situation or while planning something, being taken for granted, loud noises, avocado, being sick bc i can’t do yoga or go out on walks, spiders, my school mates and being stressed all the time.

28. i’ll love you if… you buy me fried chicken, you take me o watch the stars by the beach, you back hug me, you talk about astrology with me, you cuddle me!!!, you love me back, you love kim junmyeon, you play with my hair, you tell me about little things that remind me of you and if you take pictures of me spontaneously.

29. favourite film(s) devil wears prada, somewhere only we know, jurassic park(all of them), mean girls???

30. favourite tv show(s) gumball, steven universe, how i met your mother, fresh of the boat aaaand a swedish humour show called solsidan.

31. 3 random facts when i was 8 or 9 i tried to become a mermaid by cutting of some hair skin and a nail, put it in a lil bowl with water and my own blood!!! then put it out under the full moon.

i love cooking and baking and it makes me happy to be in the kitchen and try out new foods from other countries and throw things together that we have at home!

when i was in 6th grade and was out playing with my class (we invented our own game of tag and it was like the hunger games im telling you!! i still love it) and the snow was starting to melt as well. so by my school there was this little mountain/hill that was about 2-33m and not very steep plus there was snow on the ground underneath so me and my friend jumped down. but i got stuck with my foot in the snow and tripped, resulting in me scraping up my right knee rather badly and i have a scar there now.

32. are your friends mainly girls or guys? I’d say it’s pretty equal but i levitate more towards girls, I just feel more comfortable around girls.

33. something you want to learn mandarin, I am technically learning it right now but at some point in life it’d be really neat to be fluent! If that doesn’t count I want to learn more about physics.

34. most embarrassing moment I don’t really have one because I think over what I do a lot so i rarely end up in embarrassing moments. but once when i was getting a chai at espresso house (a coffee shop in sweden) the barista said “have a good day” and i said “no thank you” because i thought he was talking about the receipt.

35. favourite subject i reeeeally love history! but we don’t have that anymore so i’d say textile design 3!

36. 3 dreams you want to fulfill? becoming a fashion designer and show at paris fashion week

buy my mom a nice car and a house on gotland where she can be in the summer and have it just for herself (hopefully she’s left dad by now as well and is happy and can do whatever she wishes to do without him weighting her down!)

seeing the world, my motto is “why live in a world you haven’t seen” and i hope i can see as much of it as possible! i want to move away from sweden and who knows where i end up.

37. favourite actor/actress shit idk i don’t have one???? 

38. favourite comedian(s) they’re all swedish so idk if i should list them up since even if you look it up it’ll all be in swedish plus swedish humor.

39. favourite sport(s) i don’t like watching sports but i’ve been practicing a few since i was a kid! soccer(i was a great goalie but i quit after 2 years when a girl took my spot and i got mad about it), basketball(i was never that great at it and quit after a year), badminton(my fav sport!!!! i was really great and i could have gone far with it but my anxiety stopped me so i quit after 3 years???), jujitsu (i got a green belt and i loved it but again my anxiety got in the way and i quit) and lastly ballet!!( i love ballet and dancing but due to some back issues i can’t do ballet and it sucks). in conclusion badminton is my fav sport!

40. favourite memory oh I guess it gotta be from 9th grade when I was in a exchange program with my french class. 

It was like a few days into my stay at her house in Auriol and my exchange student and I walked around in her neighborhood which was like mostly little houses, grape fields, mountains and long roads.

It was really beautiful just walking around and we talked about some deep stuff like politics and life while the sun was setting and I wore some shorts and a hoodie.

Also on the weekend when she her sister and mom took my down to the coast and took me sightseeing up on some mountains, small villages and then finished it off with 2-set lunch by the ocean!

in general my whole experience being and exchange student for that little week was amazing and france is absolutely beautiful and Angi whom I was staying with was really sweet!

41. relationship status single; i want to be in a relationship but i can’t commit 

42. favourite book(s) in order to live(yeonmi park) I don’t read a lot but this was the last thing i read and it’s really good and i think it’s a book everyone should read, it’s educational and can be a eye opener to what’s going on in the world.

43. favourite song ever this is so hard!!! i don’t really have one i think? i have too much love in my lil heart!!! but i guess it’s between russian roulette, she’s dreaming, free somebody and starlight !

44. age you get mistaken for either it’s like 16 or 20

45. how you found out about your idol i found out abt snsd and listened to gee and oh! and i was so hyped bc i was a really girly girl and it fit me perfectly and then i told a friend about it rather nervously and she was like “you should listen to real kpop” and showed me lolipop with 2ne1 and big bang and i was shook. it was the best thing i had ever heard!! i was with them from debut to them disbanding and i love them a lot, they mean a lot.

46. what my last text message says “yea fuck”

47. turn ons being manhandled, when ppl play with my hair, i get weak when ppl hold/caress my lower back also waist, Yifan, smart ppl, I have a weak spot behind/right under my ears, neat aesthetics and messy make out sessions

48. turn offs dirty talking in swedish, disrespect, non feminists, ugly eyebrows, ppl who are really drunk/high and ppl who are not fresh 

49. where i want to be right now on a beach or in a couch, the sun setting with a glass of wine cuddled up with someone who can be the big spoon and play mindlessly with my hair while we listen to some nice music and just enjoy ourselves.

50. favourite picture of your idol i love it so much :(((

51. starsign aquarius 

52. something i’m talented at embroidery! I want to get better though but I am working with it a lot so I hope I can get really really good and be recognized for it. 

53. 5 things that make me happy summer exo beaches/waves stars random small gifts

54. something thats worrying me at the moment my grades and my body. i work a lot and i have always been a good student but i had a mental breakdown last semester which resulted in depression and two journeys to the ER bc i was so stressed and my heart was feeling weird but there was nothing wrong with it but my mental health was rock bottom so i missed a lot and my assignments were really half assed which means even if i get A’s on the things i did this semester it doesn’t matter bc i will get like C’s in all subjects and it makes me worried. my body is still fucked up and the stress gave physical effects and my left shoulder is somewhat numb and it’s a little scary and sometimes things just don’t feel right.

55. tumblr friends i concider a lot of ppl my friends and it’s gonna be really awkward if you’re like “that hoe’s a stranger lol” pls be kind i’m very sensitive!!!! like if you interact with me once i consider you a friend and i love you i’m sorry it’s your own fault you ain’t escaping this now!!  @honeyixings @sassybookshelf @04gf @crownkingzyx @kai-aaah @princeksoo @joon420 @cuntykai @bulba-suho-r @swaggyt-enthusiast @potchanyoyo @bunmyun

56. favourite food(s) sushi, banh mi, pork buns, moules frittes, anything chicken, watermelon, cornflake fish, soups and salads with goat cheese

57. favourite animal(s) all!!!!  sheep, cats, dogs, rats, bunnies, birds!!!!

58. description of my best friend sweetest girl on the planet that deserves the world even though she doesn’t seem to have realized that yet. she’s clever and ambitious and she works so hard. she’s childish in a way that is lovable and i feel so happy around her and her hugs are gold worth! 

59. why i joined tumblr my sister got a blog and we were into anime back then and all she did was be on timblr so i got one too!

[a-million-little-stories-blog]

Always Yours

I’m back with a new story. Hope you’ll like it. You can visit my AO3 page, where you’ll find this story and more: http://archiveofourown.org/users/Millkywaay

Chapter 1: Buddy

Hello Weekend! No, not the boy-toy new Selena's boyfriend... The actual weekend. Two days off to relax and recover after four days of intense work and one of partying a little bit too hard and long. That's exactly how Alexandra's week went. She's an interior designer who works with ordinary and famous people and does movie set designs. She loves her job, she practicaly lives for it. Alex is always searching for new ideas and fills her calendar with new projects. Her small office in downtown is bussier than Miranda's in The Devil wears Prada.

It was Saturday. Alex woke up at 9 in the morning-as usual-brushed her teeth, jumped into favorite workout outfit and took her dog for a run at the beach. Buddy was his name. Bud was a labrador retriever who loved food as much as Alex did and because this breed is considered more likely to get fat than other breeds, Alex made sure he ran with her to stay in shape. Buddy always listened to her, but today of all days, when he knew he will be going to the vet for check-up, he decided it was the perfect time to throw a tantrum. While Alex stopped for a moment to breathe and tie her shoe laces, Buddy charged forward and ran after some guy's dog almost making the man fall down on his ass. "Bud, c'mon!" Alex huffed and ran after him. Thank god it was still too early for most of the people to come down to the beach. Less embarrassement. "Buddy, I'm not joking, come here or I swear I will leave you to the vet!" she shouted to the dog who barked back, like a child he sometimes was, and jumped into the water.

"He's got some spirit" the owner of the other rebelious dog said with a grin.

"You have no idea" Alex laughed watching Buddy rub himself in the sand "I'm sorry he almost knocked you down"

The man smiled, gesturing "It's fine. I would've survived"

"I sencerely doubt that. When Buddy comes at you, believe me, he comes at you" she joked making the owner laugh.

"Okay, I believe you" he kneeled down to pet his dog who came back wet from swimming with Buddy."What am I going to do with you, huh Dodge?"

"Buddy, come here" Alex said once again, more sternly this time and the labrador came as slowly as he could, eyes guilty, tail between his legs.

"Look at those eyes" the man said "How can you be mad at him?"

"I can pretend" Alex smiled and put the leash on her dog "No treats for you today" she stated looking at Buddy who whined in protest and lied down on the sand.

"Well, don't punish him too hard" he said with a smile and put the leash on his own dog "C'mon, let's get home" he said and smiled goodbye to Alex.

She smiled back thinking that the man looked familiar, like she's seen him before. Maybe she did. They both were at the beach, so maybe he also came here to walk his dog. "Let's go home" she said to Buddy who obayed and together they walked back to their apartment building.

Alex was about to blow dry her hair when her phone rang. She quickly tip toed to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed to pick it up "Hello?"

"Hey there, kiddo! You sound weird. Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Hey, Bob. No, no, I'm fine. What's up?"

"Before I tell you, can you promise me to just listen and don't say a word before I'm finished?" he asked hopefuly.

"It depends..."

"Lexie.." he pressed.

"Ok. Fine. Go"

"Remember when you told me not to show your amazing designs to The Avengers directors?" he carefuly asked.

"Robert...you did not." she rose from the bed and started pacing.

"Shhh, listen. Remember?" he replied "So I've just talked to the Russos, took my script and whatever, when they tell me they're still looking for the set designer, so I thought, why not you? And so it happenes I had your portfolio in my car, so I just gave that to them and they were really impressed"

"Really?" Alex asked biting her lip. She already had a contract with Marvel, because she designed the sets of 'X-men' movies and even 'Logan', but she never expected to work with the Russo brothers. The Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, those where the epic movies which required lots of research and hard work.

"Really. And they want you to design Infinity war" Robert replied with a smile.

"Are you shitting me right now?" she asked, her arm on the right hip.

"I shit you not. They want a meeting with you later today. If they like what you have to say, you're officialy a part of the crew" Robert announced proudly.

"I don't know, Bob. I have a shitload of work right now..." Alex chewed on the inside of her cheek.

"Lexie,this is big. I know you want this. You're perfect for this job!" he didn't give up.

"Okay"

"Okay?" Robert asked giddily.

"I'm in" she smiled hearing him beam behind the phone.

"Yes! I'm so happy for you right now!" he exclaimed making Alex laugh.

"Contain yourself, old man" she joked "When's the meeting?"

"I'm 35" he stated "At 2PM. I'll text you the adress"

"More like 55" she teased again.

"Whatever, Reed. I'll see you later" he then hung up.

"Bye, old man" she said quickly before he did so.

She couldn't believe it. She was given a major opportunity, she was still shocked. Only because of Buddy, who decided to shake the water from his golden fur, after the bath they took when they got back from the beach, her mind came back to reality. "Seriously, Bud? Are you going to be mad at me the whole day?" she playfuly asked the dog who barked back and then licked her palm. "I thought so" she smiled and went to get dressed for the appointment with the vet and then the Russos.

"Robert showed us your work. It's impressive." Anthony said with a smile while he flipped through the pages of Alex's designs.

"Thank you" she replied continuing to explain the detailing in decor she did on 'Logan'.

"Okay, so if we were to hire you oficially, how would you change the Avengers tower?" Joe asked making Alex smile.

"First, I think it lacks elegance. It's New York City, after all. I get that it's futuristic, because of Stark industries, but it should also be modern in a way that captures not only the future of technology but also New York's spirit. " she answered politely "I'm more qualified in interior design, but if you'd let me, I'd like to draw a few sketches in exterior design, so I could show you what I mean"

Joe and Anthony looked at each other and smiled "That's exactly what we wanted to hear" Joe said.

"And before I sign anything, I'd like to say, that I have my own methods of working. I'll need to interview each of the actors to capture their sense of their character in order to do my best" Alex demanded with a smile. She always worked like this.

"You have a deal" Anthony nodded "Our lawyers will send you the contract later today"

"Good. I'm happy to be a part of your team" she smiled.

"We're happy to have you" Anthony smiled giving her a brief hug "We're like family here, so please, come and meet the crew and later we'll be having a meeting with the cast, though I think Robert is already here"

With that the three of them exited the room and Alex was introduced to every single crew member. She had the time to interview a few of them, she was especially interested in costume designers who gave her a lot of details in what captures the essence of Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, Hawkeye and etc. She was happy with what she already had and was looking forward to meeting everyone in person.

"Sooo, what's my favorite human being besides my wife and kids doing?" Robert came from behind startling Alex, who was sitting in a large conference room, typing away on her laptop.

"Jeez, you scared me" she slaped his shoulder gently when he sat next to her "I'm finishing up my notes for each character"

"Will you be making changes to Stark's tower?" he asked curious.

"Yup. I'll make it pink. The Russos are totally fine with it" Alex nodded in all seriousness.

"Don't you dare" he warned "Am I going to regret revealing your talent to them?"

Alex shrugged "It depends"

"On?"

"If you're going to be a pain in my ass" she teased crossing her arms on her chest.

"Never" he grinned like the Devil he was.

"Seriously, though, thank you for this, Bob"

"It's no problem, kid. You know I love you like my own, right?" Robert looked at Alex sweetly and took her hand.

"I know" she nodded, tears welling up in her eye sockets "You think he's watching us from above?"

Robert nodded "He is. And he's freakin' proud of you. I know I am" he smiled making them stand up and hugged her.

Robert and Charlie, Alex's father, were best friends. Unfortunatelly a year ago, he died from cancer. Alex was an only child and very close to her father. And when he died, Robert was the one who picked up the pieces and helped her through everything. He became Alex's father figure and a close friend. Her mother was a drunk who only contacted Alex when she needed money. She only had Downeys and her grandparents who lived in Atlanta.

"Okay, enough of crying. I can't stand to see you sad" Robert broke the silence making Alex breathe in and clean up.

"You're right" she agreed "The meeting should start any minute anyway" And with those words, her phone rang so she excused herself to pick it up. She could see the cast was starting to go in one by one, or two at the time. While Alex chatted with her assistant about a current house she was working on, she couldn't believe what she saw. Freaking Chris Evans in all his glory. And she knew. He was the man her dog almost knocked down on the ground. This was going to be embarrassing. She finished giving Julie-her assistant- direction on what to do and which sketches to send to the owners and hung up.

"Alex, come, meet everyone" Anthony Russo grabbed her elbow and together with his brother lead her to the conference room where at least 10 curious eyes stared at her. But her eyes, however, were only on one man, who looked back at her with a polite smile. He already forgot. What an ass..."Guys, meet the newest addition to our crew, our awesome set designer Alexandra Reed"

"Thanks, Joe" she quickly recovered and smiled profesionally "First of all, call me Alex and I'm looking forward to working with you guys."

"We were lucky enough that Mr. Downey introduced Alex's work to us, so please be cooperative" Joe added.

"Please, don't patronize him" Alex joked "He will be more unbearable after"

"Hey!" Robert pretended to be offended making everyone chuckle.

"So you two know each other?" Scarlett asked curiously.

"We're practically family" Robert smiled at Alex and she smiled back nodding.

"Not by blood, but you could sort of call us family" she agreed "And while I have your attention, I'd like to interview everyone of you to get a sense of your character. So if you could just write down my office number and make an appointment during next week, I'd appreciate it" she smiled looking at Chris again, who now smiled at her with a knowing smile. So he remembered after all.

"See anything you like?" Sebastian whispered to Chris who looked at Alex intently while she showed everyone rough sketches she did on the Avengers tower.

"What?" he blinked "Oh. No. I mean. Yes, the sketches are great"

"Man, you're being too obvious" Seb teased.

"You really are" Scarlett added with a grin.

"Oh stop it you two" Chris rolled his eyes "Besides, I've already met her before"

"What? When?" Seb was surprised.

"Remember the dog story I've told you about before? That's her" Chris replied.

"Wow. You weren't kidding. She's gorgeous." he nodded in agreement.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Scarlett rose an eyebrow.

"Yeah man, you should ask her for coffee or something" Seb nodded.

"We'll see" he simply answered still staring at Alex.

"M-h-m" Scarlett grinned shaking her head.

"Okay, guys. The meeting is done. I expect all of you on Monday for your costume fitting and the start of the filming" Joe said "Have a great the rest of the weekend"

Alex finished chatting with Anthony and typed a few notes to her laptop. She then bid her goodbyes to everyone. The cast was realy friendly and welcomed her with open arms. This project was going to be epic. She could feel it.

"Hey, kiddo, you were fantastic!" Robert exclaimed "By the way, I'm having a little shindig at my place tonight. Some of the cast will be there. You're coming, right?"

"Thanks, Bob. I hope you like the "A" on your tower. It really will be pink" she teased closing her laptop and putting it in the bag "I don't know. I was hoping for some rest. Too much wine yesterday.

"I'll choose to ignore the first part" he smiled "C'mon. You'll rest when you die. Susan and the kids missed you"

"Fine. Fine. But only for Susan" she teased an gave Robert a hug "See you tonight."

"Bye, love you, kid" Robert kissed her forehead and left the building.

Alex was about to follow, but she fogot her phone, so she stopped mid-hallway and turned around and bumped into someone 's hard as a rock chest.

"Shit, are you okay? I'm so sorry" Chris looked concerned when Alex yelped a muffled "auch" and took her nose between her index and middle fingers.

"We have got to stop meeting like this" she joked suddenly very aware that Chris' palms were on her upper arms.

"Agreed" he nodded with the crooked smile that drove every girl wild "Here, you forgot your phone"

"Thanks" she took the phone and stashed it in her purse. Well, this isn't awkward at all.

"So will I'll be seeing you tonight?" he asked. Small talk. Wow. They were nailing it.

"Yup. Bob would've dragged me out if I didn't say yes" she chuckled.

"He could be persistant" Chris agreed "Okay then. I'll be seeing you later then" he awkwardly put his hands into his jeans pockets.

"I guess so, yeah" she replied biting her bottom lip "And sorry again for my dog"

"It's no problem" he smiled again "And I'm sorry for... that"

"Yeah, it's fine" she laughed nervously "Okay then, Bye"

"Bye" he replied as they started to walk in the same direction. "Garage?"

"Yep" she simply replied fixing her hair.

"Mind if I walk with you?" Chris seemed to feel as uncomfortable as she was.

"I don't think there's harm in that" she smiled walking foot to foot with him.

"You can never know" he joked.

"Very comforting" Alex joked back.

"Is it me, or is this really feels awkward for no reason?" he finally had the guts to ask.

"Thank god, I thought I was the only one" she let out a short laugh.

"Let's just start over, forgeting your dog and..." Chris was out of words.

"Chest" she filled in the blank absentmindedly

"Exactly" he nodded chuckling "I'm Chris. It's nice to meet you, Alex"

She looked at him biting her bottom lip "Nice to meet you too, Chris"

"That wasn't so hard" he decided.

"Definitely not" she smiled and stopped "That's my car. I better go, it's time for Buddy's meal and he's not very happy with me today"

Chris laughed from his heart making Alex grin widely. That sound was something else "Goodluck. I'll see you later. I hope"

"See ya" she smiled and sat into her car. She let go of the breath she was holding. Jeesus. That was fucking intense. Alex had to slowly breathe in and out to calm herself down. This was weird. She felt weird. And unreal. She needed a drink or two. Or a reality check. Chris Evans was her co-worker. She was going to a party where he and everyone else were going to be there. To say that this day was surreal would be an understatement.

[therivertownblog-blog]

Come with me whilst I take a step back in time, a journey through the depths of an 80s Dundee. I speculate 35 years should be suffice, or perhaps the year of 1983? Let’s take a stroll through West Port towards the Hawkhill. Past the suave grandeur of Da Vinci’s Studio and across to the Globe, take a sharp left into the quaint, Johnston’s lane. There, standing alone and snuggled in amongst a tenement close, sits a quirky wee shop, which is the outré toy-like home to a prolific local artist-  Stephen French. Selling abstract sketches, peculiar sculptures and an unconventional range of modern artefacts and paraphernalia, French’s holographic 3D absurdities engaged the lucrative audience of Dundee’s art trailblazers and fast-forward initiators. With a repertoire the length (or if not longer) than the Tay Road Bridge, French’s designs have since been exhibited in the V&A and the Barbican (London), the National Museum of Modern Art (Kyoto) and the Pomipdou Centre (Paris). Impressive, I know!

Take a jump to your left and then a step to your right, put your hands on your hips and bend your knees back into contemporary times. Because today in the very same spot, yes, that quirky wee lane and in that outré toy-like shop, resides an outfit with just as much splendour and attribute than it’s attractive past. Spex Pistols, Dundee’s one and only independent Optical Boutique. Established in 2011, founder Richard (Cookie) Cook has successfully matched the artistic opulence of number four’s previous owners, not only by exhibiting at London’s V&A museum but by combining a passion for vintage spectacles, toys and cameras, alongside music and movie memorabilia. Displaying his wares on 70’s sideboards and bare-brick walls, the shop is famed not just for it’s frames but it’s kitsch interior and kick-ass ambience too.

Considering all of the above, Spex Pistols ultimately stocks a nifty selection of frames and lenses alongside their frame repair service which fundamentally saves customer’s time and heartache, as well as breathing new life into your valuable or sentimental eyewear. Iconic brands such as William Morris, Prada and Ray-Ban adorn the the walls and the knowledgeable, warm and kooky staff are always on hand to share advice or pick out the perfect pair to suit not just your face but your personality and budget too. Still not enough? If you're desperately seeking more from the smallest yet undeniably the coolest four walls within Dundee’s Cultural Quarter, then Spex Pistols strong music influence makes it a hotspot for local musicians, with live and (if your lucky) impromptu gigs played upon the mezzanine floor.

RiverTown caught up with owner Richard to dig a little deeper, join us as wee explore the nooks and crannies of Spex Pistols’ history and take a nose dive deep into the kaleidoscope of Richard’s fashionable past…

RiverTown - Can you tell me a little bit about Spex Pistols’ history?

Spex Pistols -The shop was born right here in Johnston's Lane, West Port in 2011, but it was in the planning since I bought my first lot of really cool vintage glasses in 1991. I'd already trained as a specialist lens maker and I was running a factory in Glasgow with Danny McAfee, who is a Dundee legend in the true sense of the word. I bought the frames, all from the 50s in never worn condition, which is very important. It took me about 4 months from finding the right shop to opening the doors.

RT- What was the influence or inspiration behind setting up an independent optical boutique?

SP- I had been putting everything into my work for 20 years, and I was always surprised how interesting people found it; for a start, nobody knew how to take me seriously, especially with something so technical. When I worked in factory environments, there was lots to learn, but working for big retailers, there was lots they wanted me to forget.There was strict control over time spent and creativity. I never really fitted in and spent most of my time avoiding the sack. Working in the environment I wanted just wasn't available unless I set it up myself.

RT- The name obviously plays on the shortened term for spectacles, as well as a nod to the infamous Punk band The Sex Pistols. Is there a story behind the name? Who came up with it?

SP -This will sound dull, but a brand starting with no money has to have a name and identity which people will take notice of, to have the best chance of survival. 'Spex Pistols' just came into my head while driving down Perth Road one night. It was like a blinding flash of inspiration. From that very second, I knew it was going to happen. Also, I liked the Sex Pistols, they weren't my absolute favourite band, but they broke the rules so brilliantly and they were marketed perfectly, with practically no budget. I took that as inspiration.

RT- I’ve heard you have had a few musicians through the boutique’s door, most outstanding is Johnny Marr from iconic alternative rock band The Smiths. Mr Marr has championed Spex Pistols on twitter and has left a raving review on your website. How did you meet the stylish guitarist? what is your relationship with him now? Does he still commission his spex from Spex Pistols?

SP- We've been very lucky to have people of massive influence enthusing about the shop.That could be someone who loves their new look and tells all their family and friends to come in, or somebody like Johnny who seems to tell the whole world. Just today we had the head of a London PR firm in, with a  list of international household names on their rooster. He mentioned that Johnny had recommended us.There has been some communication with Johnny's gang, but we are always impressed when people tell us they've met him and he spoke about us, or he likes a picture of one of our customers on Instagram, but the time he sent my cat a get well soon message showed me what a lovely person he is.

RT- As well as Mr Marr, I've noticed your Instagram is teaming with trendy, quirky and fashion forward customers, why do you think Spex Pistols is so appealing? What is your unique selling point?

SP- Right from the start, there was a focus to be different from everyone else. Not just opticians, but all big retail firms. You can walk into any big firm's shop and get just about anything, but you can't always get something unique or cherished. People seem to love our service too. One of our customers, a cockney, who missed the football one Saturday just to visit us, bought a beautiful pair of Savile Row frames from the ALGHA works, a stone's throw from his family home. We fitted them with bespoke, hand made lenses in our lab. He said it was the best shopping experience of his life. That meant everything to us. Our customers are our friends and it's honestly great fun to be around them every day. Maybe they feel that too and that sets us apart from the rest.

RT- I can feel the warm relationship between staff and customers through social media and whilst visiting the shop, how do you ensure your team has a strong customer service ethos?

SP-We have always had people working in the shop who have an incredible understanding of customer service. We all want every customer to feel welcome. We know that not everyone wants to buy spex. Some people just want to come in and check us out. But they still have to have a good time. We like to look after the people who have always looked after us.

RT- The shop itself is brimming with kitsch, retro and vintage paraphernalia, what was your vision behind the shop’s unique interior? Where did you get all the stuff?

SP- It wasn't so much a vision. When Spex Pistols first opened, there was no big shop fitting budget. There was no money at all in fact. I've always collected things. Anything I liked the look of. Design isn't just functional, sometimes it just has to look incredible. So I had lots of old radios, toys and books to bring with me. I brought in stuff I'd found in skips, customers and friends have always donated brilliant pieces of furniture, which helped a lot. The first version of the shop was chaotic, but everyone loved that their childhood memories jumped out all around them. The shop now looks more organised and settled, with lots of interesting features, mainly because Sooz is an Interior Designer of note who never switched off, and we have incredibly accommodating landlords, but the nostalgia stays. It's part of us. We are planning another refurb in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.

RT- Patti Smith famously said “My sunglasses are like my guitar”, and many other icons hide behind their big, black lenses. Who is your spectacle wearing hero and why?

SP- Morrissey. From the first time I saw him on The Tube and Top Of The Pops. This was all around my 13th birthday and I couldn't get enough of The Smiths. They had loves and hates, and passions just like mine, just like the line from Cemetery Gates. Morrissey did it all with incredible style. Swaggering and stuttering, with a lucky lisp and shy confidence which was utterly unique. He had lots of flowers, but hanging out the back pocket of his Levi's was a hearing aid and NHS glasses. He was the most incredible style icon. I was spellbound. It's no coincidence that we sell both the NHS 524s that  Morrissey wore and the vintage Ray-Ban Wayfarers which Johnny Marr had on beside him on those early tv appearances.

RT- RiverTown Clothing focuses on high end vintage and contemporary garments, we are continually inspired from people around us, predominately within our hometown of Dundee. Can you talk me through your personal style?

** SP- I first properly payed attention to clothing when I saw The Jam on TV and in No1 and Smash Hits, which were music magazines. It was all Sta-Prest trousers by Levi's, Crombie overcoats, 3 button suits, Brutus and Fred Perry  shirts, doc martens and paisley scarves. Grouchos also sold "official" Jam shoes. They were black and white or red, white & blue. All my pocket money and birthday money went on them. My first suit (which I still have) was from The Cavern in Carnaby Street. I saved up for about a year. It was incredible. Prince Of Wales checked, 3 buttons, 2 inch lapels, side vents and straight cut bottoms. Breaks from Grouchos ordered it in for me and let me pay it up. When it was all payed, I took it home on the bus, I felt like The Face. At that point, Mods were a dying breed. There were about 20 of us in Dundee, and about 6 from Cupar. We reformed The Shimmy and took our records into a cafe in a basement off City Square. We all dressed the best we could. It was a competition. All we cared about was clothes and music. Being a mod felt right. Since then, I've paid very little attention to current fashion trends. I don't care if something is second hand. As long as it's right for me. Last year, somebody in town said to me "why are you wearing those clothes?" It always feels good to be different. **

RT- We have a vintage obsession, can you create us a fashion timeline from your teens until now? what was your favourite look or style?

SP- When I turned 13, I loved music and clothes. I was obsessed with chart music as well as indie, which was pretty new, but I always dressed with a really mod style. That meant a side parting and neat hair, bowling shoes, desert boots or brogues, Levi's or straight cut dress trousers, a proper shirt with button down collars or Fred Perrys - there were about 6 colours available, Glen Alva cardigans or Y cardies. Socks were always white and trousers never came below the top of my ankle. I would rather die back then than have trousers at the wrong length. That was casual wear. Anything more formal would be a 3 button suit with a Ben Sherman (they were still quite rare back then) and a slim tie. But never a piano key tie. That was like telling the world you liked Status Quo. By the time I was 14, everybody was a casual. I never got it really, but I did like the Lacoste polo shirts and the trainers. I went to the north of England with my pals that summer and spent that year's pocket money on a pair of red adidas trimm trab’s and stone washed Levi's. I also wore a lot of band t shirts at that time. Mostly The Smiths, The Jam, David Bowie and, of course Frankie Says. I should point out though, I never looked cool. I wanted to, but I looked like Sam from Moonrise Kingdom. At 15 everyone around me was wearing really bright geometric prints and big hair, but me and a couple of pals were back trying to look like The Small Faces, with knitted shirts, paisley scarves, denim jackets and checked trousers. The Fred Perrys had dried up in the shops, but if you tried hard enough, you could find them. In fact, our clothes would have been quite expensive to buy new, but we had learned along the way that charity shops were the cheapest and the best place to find the stuff we liked. You could get a genuine Tootal scarf for about 25p from Oxfam. They sold them new in department stores for about £75. When something came from a charity shop in great condition, a commitment was there to care for it until somebody else got it. I still have clothes I got when I was a young mod in excellent condition. I still wear my first ever Tootal scarf, and my dad's old Crombie is still hanging up. Something happened when I was 16 which took me away from the recognised mod style I loved. I had new heroes to copy. They were all matinee idols, from Jack Lemon and Frank Sinatra I got to really like a more American, grown up Ivy League look. I copied the haircut from Hobson's Choice that John Mills had and then gradually, James Cagney's double breasted suits. By now I liked being the boy who dressed differently. The suits and now raincoats stayed until I discovered FLIP of Hollywood. They had shops in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Discovering FLIP was like finding Shangri-la. An earthly paradise of vintage clothing and accessories from America.  I'd found an inexhaustible supply of worn-in, faded original 501s and Chuck Taylor basketball boots. They also had incredible college team jackets and letterman sweaters, baseball caps, sports blazers and 1950s ties. I had to find a job to pay for all the stuff I wanted. There was a brief spell, maybe the whole of 1989 when I wore Stone Roses and Happy Mondays t shirts with flares and Travel Fox trainers. I'll never regret doing that. But as soon as I returned to my normal style, I've always been true to it. It's a pretty loose code, but as long as it's the right cut and a style i love, pre-owned, repro or brand new, I either wear it to death or keep it stored away.

RT- Why is fashion important to you? and how do you reflect that through your business? SP- Past fashion is more important to me, so It's important to me to listen to those around me. It's only the styles which really work or don't work that are worth reviving. In spex pistols, the styles we revive have to be great design, which means functionality and style over fashion. We've had some collaborations with suppliers which we always love. Each frame we buy in is carefully selected and approved by us. A modification usually makes it extra special and unique. We made a pair of oversized wooden sunglasses for London Fashion Week, and four months later, PRADA had something extremely similar. Accidental coincidence or not, it meant we were making good choices.

RT- Lastly, if you can pick 5 of Spex Pistols’ coolest frames available in store right now, which 5 would they be?

SP- That’s difficult! But I'll try:

1.There are our Savile Row collection. They are all seriously cool, with a pretty hot price tag. They are hand and machine pressed. Assembled by hand in The Algha Works in Fish Island in London's East End. They brought those machines over from Germany in the 1920s, and haven't changed much at all. Each one can be ordered with different finishes, sizes, trims and colours. If you were to order the Beaufort Panto in chestnut finish, with curl sides, for example, you'd get an exact facsimile copy of Harrison Ford's frame in the Indiana Jones series. If you ordered it in gold, you'd get a replica of John Lennon's trademark spectacles, from the same machine, assembled on the same workbenches. Even the round black rimmed frames with the "W" bridge Harry Potter wears are from there, but the coolest is the Beaufort Panto.

2. The Zoe. It was a multi million seller in the late 70s and early 80s and inspired a hundred copies, but the Zoe was the original and the best. It came in at least 300 colour combinations and 4 sizes each. Today, we have it in 120 colours. It was carefully constructed with purpose built machinery specifically for that frame only. There were 6 components designed and used exclusively. It was made from two thick layers of clear acetate with printed silk in between, which meant that every single frame was different. They also made them with 4 different denims. If they could be a song, it would probably be The Reflex by Duran Duran. In the summer, we saw a back page of Time Out on the Tube in London it was a promo poster for Be Charlotte and she was wearing a pair of Zoe’s from Spex Pistols. That was pretty cool.

3. We've always had a brilliant relationship with William Morris London, and they are always up for our schemes and ideas. One nice summer day, their sales director turned up. We looked through some of our really cool vintage frames and came up with a design we both loved. It was the William Morris London 9911. It came in 5 colours. We loved it so much, we ended up buying all the stock! We have 3 colours left and we only let them out sparingly

4. The Ray-Ban Original Wayfarer RB 2140, size 54 in light Havana. This has been available for decades but was previously called the Ray-Ban Wayfarer II. The original didn't have Ray-Ban written down the sides or on the lenses. They are engraved on the insides and the lenses have BL at the sides. These are the hardest to find in good condition, but the coolest for sure. They don't even make it in that colour and size combination any more, but we have them custom made. People want to have what they can't get, and we like to get it for them. If anybody wants these, we recommend polarised. The difference is remarkable, and people who try it never go back!

5. My personal favourite frame in the shop though is the pair Johnny Marr sent. They are  Ray-Ban "SIGNET: JOHNNY MARR LIMITED EDITION" RB3493. But these were his own personal pair. Ray-Ban still make the Signet, which is a very cool frame. We have them in the larger sizes and as sunspex or clear spex, but Johnny's ones will never be sold.

A HUGE thank you to Richard of Spex Pistols and his amazing team Sooz, Nicole, India and Baby Sadie. Please follow to keep up with the comings and goings of the quirky wee optical boutique…

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/spexpistols Instagram - @spexpistols Twitter - @spexpistols

or shop

www.spexpistols.com

Spex Pistols 4 Johnstons Lane, Dundee, DD1 5ET

by Holly Scanlan (gigibobsherhair.com)

[stylesenders]

So, I decided to make this blog post a bit more pictorial than literary since I have so many fabulous photos I want to share with you all from this remarkable day. I like to think of it as my photo diary through Paris… anyway….

WHAT I WORE:

Shoes–Nine West , Coat–Forever 21, Purse–Jules Kae, Dress – Eloquii, Tights–HUE

After window shopping around town we headed to the Louvre. We entered through the Jardin des Tuileries which even on the cloudiest of days was one of the most beautiful parks I’ve ever seen. The Jardin des Tuileries is a garden/park that surrounds the Louvre which was once the Palais Royal. Walking along the path that lead to the Louvre I loved seeing the street artists selling their work and this one man who I called “The Pigeon Man” herding his flock of pigeons as if he were choreographing a dance; The Pigeon Dance instead of the Chicken Dance! Haha. It was pretty cool to witness. Walking towards the arc that lead into the grounds of the Louvre my heart beat began getting faster and faster. I have wanted to come here my entire life, and seeing it in all of its glory felt unbelievably surreal. I simultaneously felts as if I was there before and if I had never been. (strange feeling) I kept having to ground myself to actually realize I was there. When we got to the campus we did what bloggers (cough cough, tourists) do naturally…took pictures and lots of them!

I AM THE BIGGEST KID AT HEART IN THE WORLD SO, I HAD TO BE THE ULTIMATE TOURIST…and talk photographs like these…

I’ve never been one to partake in ultra touristy activities when traveling. I prefer to do things as the locals do. But sometimes you just been to go all out and be the tourist your heart desires. I chose to act in the fashion at the Louvre. I’ve wanted to come here for as long as I could remember, mostly to see the art and witnessing Michelangelo’s portrait of a subtly smiling Mona Lisa. However, I couldn’t leave without taking photos by the pyramids and pond. Another Louvre photo moment that I needed to fulfill like a kid at Disney World taking a photo with Mickey Mouse, was standing on one of the platforms and pretending to touch the pyramid. (giggles) And, guess what?  I DID IT LIKE A PRO! (more giggles) I will be honest, being in a dress and trying to step up on the 4 foot pillar was not an easy task, getting down was even worse. But, it was probably really funny to watch. My favorite moment was when I pretended to act like a Degas ballerina because degas is my favorite artist. When at the Louvre….right? I will say however, to our surprise the Louvre was closed the day we went and I did not get to see the Mona Lisa or any other of the artwork I have been so excited to see. Oh Well, I’ll just have to go next time…

Seine, Musée d’Orsay, and Le pont des Arts (You know, the Lock Bridge!)

As we kept touring I really wanted to take a walk along the Seine!  I kept picturing myself as Leslie Caron in my all time favorite movie “An American in Paris” or as one of the characters in the Woody Allen movie, “Midnight in Paris“. It was really pretty to see the contrast of the fall clouds and bright colors of the trees reflecting off the river.  To my left was the Musée d’Orsay, another museum I really wanted to go to but did not have the time to on this trip. As we kept walking I asked my beau where the lock bride was and if we were near by. It just so happened that we were only a 7-10 minute walk from it so on we went in search of Le Pont des Arts (also known us Americans as the lock bridge) I knew they had taken most, if not all the locks off of the bridge a few months before my visit because of the weight of the locks destroying the infrastructure of the bridge (which is kind of scary) but I was happy to see that people still keep the tradition a live by locking their love to the bridge. It’s a pretty romantic gesture, if I do say so myself or maybe it is for a non-parisiene. I must add that Le Pont de Arts did have a very beautiful view of Paris. I needed a moment to rest so I just needed on the wall basking in the beauty of the Seine and thinking to myself, “Dara, you are actually here!”, as I did many, many, many times on this trip and thinking how much fun I was purely having so far with the company I was with. After, we walked back to the Jardin des Tuileries to head towards Champs Elysee and tumbled upon a part of the park that I kept asking about, but did not know how to explain at all, since I’ve only seen it in photographs! It was the nicest surprise and I was in pure awe! We stopped and sat on a bench for a little while to enjoy the parks surroundings and plan the rest of the evening. While sitting on the bench we were across from a group of teenage boys were all complaining about girls. Girls they were dating, girls they had crushes on, or girls that were giving them hard times about everything under the sun. It was really funny to see that the same teenage shenanigans happen all over the world. It put a smile on my face and I thought it precious. I wanted to interject with a joke but then realized they would have had zero idea what I was saying. I can understand a lot of french but I can’t speak very well….I’m learning, I’m learning!

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Place De La Concorde (You know, where Ann Hathaway tossed her phone into the fountain at the end of The Devil Wears Prada! Yes, I went there, No I didn’t toss my phone!)

Okay my lovely readers, If you have gotten this far I am super impressed with you and you deserve a crescent! (giggles) So, there’s something that I’ve always wanted to do. The only person that really knew about this is my mom. I was a soon to be freshman at FIT when the movie The Devil Wears Prada came out and it was the best “Welcome to New York” movie that could have been made. Timing on this could not have been more perfect. So, you know at the end of the movie Andie and Miranda go to Paris for Paris Fashion Week and then Andie quits her job by throwing her ever so annoyingly ringing cell phone into the fountain? Well, I have always wanted to reenact this scene. I have no idea why, but I always found it super dramatic and funny at the same time! hmm? Anyway, as we walking through Les Jardin des Tuileries up to Les Place De La Concorde I started smiling so hard my face almost cracked. YOU GUYS!!! I CAN NO THROW MY CELL PHONE INTO THE FOUNTAIN!!!!! Okay, well not really! I thought about faking it for a picture but then realized with my luck, I would have accidentally dropped it and then in that moment I would kissed goodbye my entire day…trip…year…life? (giggles) But taking photos by the fountain was just as good for me. There are many of them in the Place De La Concorde that are larger than life and utterly beautiful. I couldn’t get enough and did not want to leave this area! It was so beautiful and I can’t wait to go back again! Maybe this time I’ll take an old cell phone and reenact the scene…I just don’t want to get arrested in doing so! (hahahaha)

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Avenue Montaigne – CHANEL, CELINE, GUCCI…OH MY!

As we walked and walked and walked some more we landed at Avenue Montaigne – the most glorious street any fashion enthusiast would have couture cardiac arrest at. It was like being on Madison Ave and Rodeo Drive but with more polish and panache! There is nothing more I can really say about this street other that it is absolutely beautiful. I had fun exploring the different designer shops and being treated to personal tours by a sales person of what the hottest selling items were and what the hottest items from the last collections were. It was rather special and I enjoyed every minute of it. Even thought I have been to these stores in the states, something about going into a Chanel in Paris amplified its ambiance to me! It felt more authentic. If only I could have gone on a shopping spree, but hey…a girls gotta eat right? Or maybe I should have cashed in all my money for that Chanel I had been eyeing….oh well! (hahaha)

TOUR EIFEL – SEE IT SPARKLE AND SHINE LIKE CHAMPAGNE

Avenue Montaigne was beautiful but it was almost 6pm and the shops were closing. So on we went towards more fun. We walked around a lot and as it got darker I started to see a very bright beam circling the sky. I knew at that moment it was the Eiffel Tower. My beau told me that’s where we were walking to and I was so surprised. He wanted me to see it for my very first time at night. At this point we were about a 15-20 minute walk from there and my feet and legs were on fire from walking around for almost six hours non stop. So, we decided to hop in a taxi because there was no way I’d be able to enjoy myself the rest of the night if I kept walking. While in the taxi we passed the Moulin Rouge and the Arc de Triumph. While at a traffic light I was asking the cab driver not to move since I needed to take a picture of it. BY beau was laughing at me because I completely forgot that the taxi driver probably didn’t speak English and I was just chatting away saying “PLEASE DO NOT MOVE THE CAR!!! I NEED TO GET THIS PHOTO!! OKAY…..ONE MORE….OKAY…We’re good you can go now!!” But I think he got the point since I was so loud! But hey, I need to get my shot, which I did. Thank you taxi driver for stopping and probably thinking I am a crazy American! For the rest of the car ride, I was not allowed to look out the window and had to sit facing inward so I would not see the Eiffel Tower by car. It was a very sweet gesture and I am so glad my beau did this. So for the rest of the car ride I was basically sitting side-saddle, but it didn’t stop there. As we got out of the taxi I had to walk the entire way with my eyes closed. That was pretty terrifying since the streets were packed and knowing me, I’d trip, fall and break my ankle. (laughs) But my beau held my hand, lead the way allowing me to arrive at the Eiffel Tower in one piece. As we got to the pavilion after walking up a few steps blindly, he told me to close my eyes and stand here. He had me stand there for what felt like 10 minutes but I know it was only about 30 seconds. He then said, “OPEN YOUR EYES!!” and so I did. The Eiffel tower was sparkling in full effect and it was the most magical moment thus far in Paris! We stopped to take some pictures and walked closer and closer to the Eiffel Tower till we were standing underneath it. On the way I found a carousel that I just had to stop and look at. I love carousels. At this time it was around 8PM and the line to go to the top was too long so we decided to go on a river cruise instead. Although freezing, was so much fun and a nice way to enjoy the city of lights by water. Towards the middle of the tour we got glasses of champagne. Yes, it was really nice however I am really glad my beau was the first to state how horrible it tasted. I didn’t want to be rude. But we both laughed then tossed it into the Seine! Yuck! I never knew Champagne could taste so terrible. You live and learn, I guess. (haha) On the boat there was a concession stand that sold food that had a sign for Manhattan Hot Dogs this made me giggle. Taking in all of the sights and being educated about the monuments being shown was a real treat and I am so happy we did this.

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DINNER FOR TWO –

Afterwards we headed to dinner, that was super comforting and delicious! I don’t remember the name of the restaurant but it felt just like home. It had a very young professional, after work scene that was really refreshing and the food was really good, too! We sat there for a long time talking about the day and so much more. After one of the groups of friends decided to close the place down with a dance party that was very fun to watch. We could have joined if our feet weren’t hurting us so much! It was now about 1am and our tired feet needed to get to sleep because we were heading to DISNEY LAND in the morning…..

xoxo Dara Senders – The Style Senders

An American In Paris: Oh La La Louvre, Place De La Concorde & Avenue Montaigne, Tour Eiffel So, I decided to make this blog post a bit more pictorial than literary since I have so many fabulous photos I want to share with you all from this remarkable day.