#alexander bonneville : interactions.

[trxuvaille]

OPEN TO: @inkedpxges

It was a sunny afternoon and, unusually, it was Alexander's turn to pick Luke up from school. Normally, the little boy's mother's picked him up, but that day Bonneville decided to surprise his son. Upon arriving at the well-known establishment, the man greeted a few familiar faces, making his way to his son's classroom. As he entered, his blue orbs scanned the place; as soon as he saw the little one, a broad smile overtook his typically serious features. He started to make his way toward his son, but as soon as he took a few steps, his body collided with another. "Oh, I'm sorry, I was completely distracted. Is everything…?" He excused himself, pausing his speech when he looked at the woman he had bumped into and recognized that face. He frowned, trying to figure out how the hell she was standing right there. It wasn't the first time he had come to pick Luke up, and he always took the little one to school in the mornings anyway; it was to be expected that he had already encountered her there. "Clare…?"

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HE COULDN'T ESCAPE HER. And he didn't know if he wanted to. Blue hues met brown ones - enough for him to lock in. Something in his core trembled and he felt an alarming sense of serenity. "Hey, hey… You don't have to apologize. It's okay." Alexander assured her, stepping nearer to her and away from the group he was chatting with. He could only pay attention to her. "It's just a shirt, Ada." The man said, a light smile dancing across his lips. "Now, if it were my suit jacket, I would be mad. But it's just a basic white shirt." He joked, trying to take a peek at the stain. "Oh. But it wouldn't hurt to try to clean it up a little, you're right." He admitted, letting out a small chuckle. He felt so himself around her, he couldn't help but see the situation with the light-heartedness that it contained.

the moment her name falls from his lips, a shiver runs down her spine and despite the ridiculous amount of alcohol running steadily through her veins, memories of them flood her mind. shoneyed hues glance up to meet his familiar gaze, breath catching in her throat. " - i'm so sorry, i really, i didn't mean to … " voice trails off, her mind struggling to make a coherent sentence. she knew he would be here, she had seen him amongst the guests, but she'd lacked the courage to walk up to him. maybe because there wasn't much left to say anymore. after all the pain they'd caused, somethings were better off left alone. " i'm such a disaster, i really hope i didn't ruin your shirt. " she sighs, her gaze shifting back to his stained shirt. " come with me, we need to try to get rid of that stain."

[logfanjams]

The Book of Dust, Volume One: La Belle Sauvage by Phillip Pullman

Published in 2017

Overall Rating: 4 stars

An overall strong prequel that connects easily to the next story and has a lot of fun callbacks/call forwards 

I really liked the spy/political aspects but it lost me a bit with the Avalon stuff 

They were in the boat for so long

TW: rape and sexual assault; allusions to H*tler Youth

General Thoughts:

We!! Are!! Back!! Baby!!! Look, there was no way I wasn’t going to enjoy this book, I loved His Dark Materials as a kid (and also young adult….and actual adult) so it was great to get to go back to that world and see some more of what happened before The Golden Compass. This was a great step back into the world and I loved that is was a prequel, rather than a direct sequel to the original series (though I do know that the second book/volume is but I didn’t read that one), because it was really fun to see how the events of the first book were influenced by this one. I also liked that we had a lot of fun call backs (call forwards???) to things that were established in the first book like Dust and Mrs. Coulter’s work with the CCD (which, we know, eventually turned into the Gobblers), as well as Lord Asriel and his voyages to the north. I also really enjoyed the characters themselves and I liked that Pullman decided to make Malcolm his own character that was distinct and different from Lyra, instead of just making him the same character. The fact that he was more literal-minded and down to earth really contrasted well with what we know of Lyra’s character and it helped ground the story within the world’s more concrete narrative that was being made in regards to the political/spy aspects of the novel. I also really liked Alice and I enjoyed reading about how she and Malcolm became better friends throughout their experiences, though I do wish we’d gotten a little more of her background but maybe that’ll be more prevalent in the sequel to this book. On the whole, I really liked this book. There were a few issues where it felt a little longer than it needed to be, and I wish we could’ve stayed more in the realm of the political/spy thriller that was set up in the first half of the book, but outside of that I generally enjoyed the majority of the book.

Full Review and Final Thoughts (spoiler alert) under the cut

Review (Here There Be Spoilers):

While I did enjoy the majority of this book, there were some issues that I had. I know this book is the first in a three book series so maybe some of my issues are going to be dealt with when I finally read Secret Commonwealth, but they weren’t addressed in this book and this is the one I’m looking at. 

So, one of my biggest issues was that Pullman pretty much abandoned the political/spy stuff pretty dang early in the book. Like, the first half of the novel focused on Malcolm becoming a quasi Oakley Street operative and talking with Hannah Relf about Oakley Street and the alethiometer and dealing with the League of St. Alexander. And all that stuff was super cool! It provided the audience with a more grounded look into the political and religious machines that were discussed in the first series but you didn’t see a lot of because of 1) who Lyra is as a character and 2) because she was dealing with more fantastical elements like moving between dimensions and stuff. Having Malcolm become an Oakley Street spy and interact with these elements would have been so cool and interesting because we could learn about the world before The Golden Compass, and the first half of the book looks like that’s what it’s going to be and I was so jazzed! And then the Avalon stuff happened???? And I was so confused??? Like, the fairy lady on the island and the weird garden thing with the giant?? Happened??? I didn’t hate it, and it was interesting since Britain has those folktales and those mythologies set into the world and the history of the country, BUT I DON’T THINK THAT WAS WHAT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK WAS FOCUSED ON???? If that had been set up a little bit more in the beginning, outside of Farder Coram just commenting on it to Malcolm, then I don’t think it would have been so jarring, but because it wasn’t set up until halfway through the book, when it did show up, it kind of took me out of the story. 

They were also in the friggen boat for so long and omg I was so tired of reading about them being in the canoe, and stopping the canoe, and tying up the canoe, that I just got bored. I know, I know, it was meant to be exhausting because it was exhausting for the characters and you as the reader were meant to feel that, but aaaaaa I got so bored.

Character wise, I loved everyone. It was great to meet the new characters like Malcolm and Alice and (to a lesser extent because she was talked about in The Golden Compass) Hannah Relf. It was also really fun to see the characters from the first series making little cameos like Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel, plus it was nice to get to go back to Jordan College and see how Lyra got to Jordan in the first place. I loved that Pullman made Malcolm so distinct from Lyra, in that Lyra was much more fantastical-minded while Malcolm is more literal-minded and how that actually was really helpful when they had to trick the fairy woman (the scene with the box was so good???) I also really liked Alice and how she grew throughout the story, though I do wish that we’d gotten a little bit more of her backstory, like, I know that Pullman doesn’t have to tell me everything and things can be implied, but it would have been nice to know a little more about WHY she hated the Child Protection people (outside of like...the little touch of context clues we got). And, while I did like Asta, I also wish she’d gotten a touch more characterization? Like, I know she is part of Malcolm, but Pan had a lot of his own individual character in His Dark Materials, and I wish we’d gotten more of that from Asta.

Also I’m really mad that Bonneville got a hyena demon and the whole book just kept talking about how horrible she was (granted yes, Bonneville was also horrible and she was a reflection of him) but dang it hyenas are actually really cool animals that get weirdly villainized for weird reasons. 

Final Thoughts:

Despite some of the issues that I had with some general stuff, I really did like this book. It was a great return to a world that I really liked and enjoyed and, despite the fact the like...80% took place on a canoe, it was really fun to see more of the concrete aspects of the world as well. The characters were fun and stood on their own and were wonderful additions. The cameos of characters from the original series were also really fun and helped to connect this story as a true prequel to the original series, without drawing attention away from the new characters. While there was a little bit of a wobble between series, and I felt that the ending was a bit abrupt, I still had a good time and will deffo be looking forward to starting The Secret Commonwealth soon.

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OPEN TO: @silvrmoon (based on this)

He had to admit it: everything was beautiful. When his best friends claimed the day would be something special, Alexander hadn't expected something as magical as that atmosphere. The venue, the music, the food and drinks, the ambiance, and, of course, her. Nothing and no one could be as magical as she was. He had hesitated to attend that event; he knew Ada would be there, possibly accompanied, and the man knew he was not ready to breathe the same air as her. He felt as if he didn't deserve to breathe the same air as her. So when his icy gaze fell on the brunette for the first time that day, his heart gave a signal, skipping a beat. Who knew she could even mess with his physiological state? He kept his distance for most of the day, but the thrill and a few drinks were all it took for him to approach the woman after dinner. As soon as he started walking towards her, he felt a warmth flood his chest - as if she were his source of energy, the only one who could make his whole core feel awake. It was impressive, terrible, and beautiful; all at the same time. "Ada… Hey."

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OPEN TO: f, mutuals and non-mutuals. Before interacting, read my rules. PLOT: based on this. Alexander and your muse have history and Alexander thought he had moved on from it; but when he receives your muse's wedding invitation, which had a special message from her, he realizes he never actually got over what they had. ABOUT ALEXANDER: police officer, 29-34. Grumpy single dad with a hard past and commitment issues.

He had to give her credit - that place was beautiful. In every corner he looked, he could see details that were clearly her idea - details she had told him about once. A faint smile adorned his lips as he realized that it all seemed surreal. Never had he imagined he would be attending her wedding rehearsal dinner. Yet there he was, observing that small crowd from a distance, in a quieter spot.

He brought the glass to his lips, taking a generous sip of the drink. That was the only way to get through those two days. But alcohol became useless when he spotted her once more, and at that moment, looking away was impossible. "I have to congratulate you. Everything looks great." He murmured, looking at the woman with a soft smile as she sat across from him. "Maybe even too great for some people." Alex joked, referring to their mutual group of friends, who clearly had already had too much to drink.

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"OH YES, CHEF," Alexander murmured jokingly, leaving a trace of small kisses from her neck to her cheek. "That's more than fair." He finished with a peck on her lips as his arms held her waist tighter. He couldn't stop smiling around her, even when he had just woken up. He was not much of a morning person, but all mornings seemed brighter with Jude. "Do you need any help? I could make toast and coffee. What do you say, babe?"

things had been going well between jude and alexander, they were still very much in the honeymoon phase (it was wonderful!). she'd stayed at his place a few times before, but she was still learning where things lived, jude had just put some bits down on the counter, when she felt some familiar arms wrap around her waist. a bright smile comes across her lips as she hears him speak, she liked his morning voice, "mhm. on the menu today, we've got scrambled eggs" she tells him, "but you've got to give the cook a kiss first, for payment".

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OPEN TO: @aniimalspirits​

Alexander still felt kinda weird.

It had been years since he was so interested in someone, so many years since he felt like actually committing and caring about someone. But, with Jude, he felt comfortable. She made him feel good. She was good. And, once again, he was enjoying getting to know someone like that.

He had been waiting for her in the café they decided to meet in for about ten minutes before she walked in. "Come on... How do you look this good in the morning?" A gentle smile adorned his features and he quickly got up, greeting her with a hug. Was a hug the right choice?

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OPEN TO: @consciousclubs

With moving comes the process of hitting new places in one's new neighborhood. Alexander entered the gym with the confidence of someone who knew exactly what they were doing for that hour and a half. He considered himself somewhat of a gym rat. So, to begin his routine in that new place, the man looked at each available machine; however, his gaze stopped halfway through, focusing on a brunette helping someone else with one of the machines. Usually, he avoided looking at anyone for more than ten seconds in the gym; he didn't want to look like one of those creepy men who only went there to stare at women. But with this brunette, he couldn't look away for too long.

Trying to forget all that, he approached the only free treadmill, trying to start his workout, but for some reason, that particular machine wouldn't turn on. Inevitably he cracked a smile - the universe must've been messing with him. He looked around, looking for some indication of what to do, only to notice that the woman was now looking at him, and for some reason, she was walking towards him, which only made him more confused. "Am I looking at my new hero or...?" He joked once the woman reached him.

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THE MAN'S FACE formed into a sweet expression - one she knew all too well. "I had to, but you're making it difficult." The brown-haired man said, sighing as he got closer to Cindy. "Okay, okay... You won. I can stay, but not for long. Tomorrow will be a busy day."

ꨄ  — @trxuvaille !

"you don't have to leave right now, right?"

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"You know… I would believe you if only you put just a little more effort while faking the whole 'I am so happy right now' facade." Alexander murmured with a sarcastic tone in his voice. She might've forgotten, but seeing through people's bullshit was one of his best skills.

open: f/m/nb 21+ plot:  i'm happy and i moved on, -no you haven't. inspo in the source editor: beta editor

"i told you- i'm happy. that's why i'm with someone else. you just can't seem to say away from me."

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It was as if that sight was a hallucination. There was no way she could be there. He had to be out of his mind, completely insane. But as torturous as his mind was, he knew that his imagination could never recreate a picture as real as that one. No vision, no matter how good, could compare to the sight of those oh-so-familiar green eyes. But… Where the hell had she been all this time? Alexander still remembered the last night they had spent together. It had been so good, so damn warm, so perfect. So when he woke up and realized Clare was missing, her presence in his apartment, Alexander knew he'd probably never feel that comforting scent again. However, at that moment, as soon as that woody fragrance invaded all his senses, he knew he was wrong. Ignoring her question, icy orbs fell upon the small figure settled in the redhead's arms. His expression, while still tense, warmed slightly as he heard the baby's innocent giggle. The coppery hair left no uncertainty: Clare had become a mother. But before he could process that very thought, Alexander was pulled back to reality when he heard Luke's excited shrieks. The little guy had wrapped his arms around Alex's legs, and soon the man looked away. "Hey, buddy!" he greeted his child, lowering his body to look his little copy in the eyes. "Hey… How about you go pick up your stuff and just wait for daddy to talk to your teacher? After this, we'll do something fun, I promise." Warmth filled his voice and it didn't take long for the kid to nod and take his father's suggestion. The brown-haired man then looked at the plush toy that had fallen and picked it up. Taking his normal posture again, he offered the toy to Clare, recognizing a certain panic in her eyes. "Got any news to tell me or are you just gonna look at me like I'm some ghost, Clare?"

Leather jacket, tight jeans and a tank top with some legendary rock band logo was never replaced by a boring multi-colored sweater and a long skirt that hides the tattooed legs. Fiery redhead exposed her true colors brightly no matter the time and space, yet, here among the uncorrupted, innocent minds, there was nothing but amusement and admiration for their substitute teacher. Only thing different about Clare when being surrounded with curious, bright minds was that the cold, icy surface she carried that mirrored the high walls within, collapsed, thin line of seriousness where her lips were replaced with a bright smile. Money was not the reason that the ruby haired woman occasionally came to take the role of a teacher, since she was a gem of her a reputable private pharmaceutical company, earning more than she spends. What people didn't know about the hardened, private woman, was that the part of that money went to animal shelters and schools like this, children like these. . . to provide the equipment the district didn't or couldn't. Teaching, also a gift, taking no payment, children's educated minds and genuine astonishment when she did the experiments was enough. However, unlike before, this time she came for one more reason -- to learn from them too, since the scarlet haired woman was no longer just a teacher, but a mother.

Standing next to the entrance of the narrow classroom, Clare nodded and said her goodbyes to the students she had been teaching this week, things moving slower than usual. Curious questions doubled and most of them directed to the tiny thing hiding under the woman's chin, bright azure eyes scanning the surroundings as the auburn curls fell across the thin eyebrows. One year old Faye held an unusual plush toy, custom made one to resemble Mad hatter from Alice in Wonderland, nearly dropping it when the body of her mother slightly swayed from the collision with the other. Protectively the arms held the baby closer, emerald greens filled with fire when she glared at the person being so careless, but as soon as Clare turned, anger evaporated and disbelief and slight panic painted the facial features. " A-alexander? " Not one to stutter, let alone be caught off guard, Clare was frozen, blood pump slamming in the skeleton cage. It can't be. . . it echoed through the privacy of her mind. The man she left behind in the fog of ignorance. . . one that was never supposed to be cleared. " What are you doing here? " Like he couldn't ask the same, since no one knew about her volunteering in schools. . . nor that she came back to the city a couple of days ago. Before she could speak any further, delicate face peeped under the cover of her chin, two sapphire irises looking directly into the man, mouth releasing a tender, joyful giggle, almost as the child recognized the person in front of her. . . her father. No. . . anxiety arose like a tide, unprepared for this, convinced it would never happen -- seeing Alex again. Only when the small figure ran past her, did it hit her. The resemblance, the last name. . . Luke was Alex's son. Ground shaking under her feet, Clare cursed herself for not wanting to know details about the man, the only man she ever felt something for --and ran from it, far and fast, discovering he left his mark forever -- after finding she was carrying Faye.

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As soon as the woman turned to face him, his heart skipped a beat - as cliché as that feeling was, that was Ada's effect on him. Even though they weren't together, she had him in the palm of her hand. No one else made him feel the way she did. "Well… Everything's been good," he lied, knowing she would be able to decipher what that rather vague phrase meant. "What about you? Heard you've been pretty good but I can't help but wonder." The man mentally hated himself; every time he opened his mouth, he said things he regretted almost instantly. Sure he asked his friends, the couple getting married, about her but she didn't need to know that. That would be more pathetic than ever. He cleared his throat and offered a faint smile. "Not that you have to answer, of course. I just… You know, wanted to know how you're doing."

ada would be lying if she said that she hadn't been dreading this day with every fiber of her being. sure, she was happy for her best friend; thrilled even, but the mere idea of seeing her ex-boyfriend again had her heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. she'd tried to downplay the whole thing, even managed to convince her current boyfriend ( if you even could call him that), to attend the special occasion with her, but he'd cancel on her last minute. so here she was by herself, on the most beautiful day of her best friend's life. she'd done everything in her power to stay away from the other, determining that a weak smile and a small wave at the beginning at the ceremony was more than enough after all the pain and havoc their breakup had caused. honeyed hues are focused on the couples dancing on the dance floor, chin resting on her hand when a familiar voice catches her attention, sending a shiver straight down her spine. "alex," she breathes, meeting his piercing blue gaze as she forces a small smile onto red petals. " hi, how have you been ? "

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EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL. His friends had raised the stakes of what a wedding should look like. He had to admit it, even if he was not the biggest fan of those celebrations. In his mind, the majority were oh-so-boring, but not that one. He managed to enjoy himself, even if most of the day had been spent trying to avoid her. Alexander knew Ada would be of attendance, so he attempted to prepare himself to see her again. But the numerous drinks and countless mental conversations weren't enough to stop him from looking at her. He kept his distance, but blue hues followed her every move. Like always, she was beautiful. The kind of beautiful that caused his heart to skip a beat, even after all that time. Even after all the chaos they had caused to each other's lives. He had to distract himself. Bonneville was talking to some of his friends when suddenly someone bumped into him, followed by some cold sensation down his back. If the situation wasn't already awkward, he heard the only voice he hoped not to hear at that moment. "Fuck…" A whisper escaped his lips before turning to look at the woman he had been running from. A stained shirt was the least of his worries. "Oh, it's fine. Shit happens. Don't worry about it, Ada."

weddings had to be one of ada's favorite events. how could anyone dislike them ? it was a day where people came together to celebrate someone else's love. maybe she was a little biased, as maid of honor, but this had to be one of the most beautiful weddings she's ever attended. she's had more than her share, and her honeyed hues are blurry, covered in a filmy layer of hazy intoxication, but who could blame her ? the past few months had been stressful, to say the least, and she'd spent the entire day avoiding her ex-boyfriend, she deserved to enjoy herself. hips are moving to the sound of the beat, and for a moment, she's not even there. so much so that she doesn't even notice bumping into someone, her drink spilling and staining their clothes. "oh my god, i am so sorry ! " the brunette exclaims, small palm moving to cover her crimson petals as a soft giggle bubbles in her throat, the sound dying as soon as their eyes meet. "— oh, alex. fuck, i'm so sorry." / @trxuvaille based on. ♥

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THE MAN CALMLY opened his eyes as the sunrays peered through the window blinds. He wasn't used to sleeping that well. His schedule made it difficult to have typical sleeping hours, so most days he would only toss and turn in his bed all night. Thankfully, he had rested quite well that night. Jude had probably woken up earlier. He noticed her absence as soon as he glanced at what was now her side of the bed.

He sighed and got up in a beat, stretching lightly on his way to the kitchen. A smile adorned Alexander's face as soon as he saw her. "What's cookin', good lookin'?" The words were raspy as he wrapped his arms around her from behind.

CLOSED STARTER FOR @trxuvaille

MUSE: jude yang / 28 / personal trainer

jude had stayed over at alexander's, she'd woken up before him and she thought it'd be a cute idea to make them both breakfast. she woke up before him, quietly slipping out of bed and into one of his t-shirts, making her way down to the kitchen. she enters the kitchen and goes straight for the fridge, grabbing things. jude wasn't a great cook but she wasn't going to give it a go, cooking breakfast was easy right? she couldn't fuck up toast and scrambled eggs.

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iindecent:

For a moment, Greer felt like she had been transported back in time. She and Alexander, surrounded by friends, poking fun at the people that they cared about. The same people who thought that one day it would be their wedding they were attending, not Greer’s and another man’s. Her smile faltered when his tone grew more serious, her throat bobbing as she attempted to swallow the lump that had formed there in a matter of seconds. When she had wrote her note on his invitation, Greer didn’t fully think it through. She had no idea what to anticipate after she licked the envelope and sent it in the mail, but this wasn’t it. Sitting across from him, potentially having to explain herself and the total lapse in judgement she’d had after admitting he would always be her one true love. A part of her wanted to take it back, but it needed to be said. “You’re right, I’m sorry.” She muttered with a sigh, her fingers finding the hem of the tablecloth and she picked at the fabric, hoping for a distraction. Greer still felt his eyes on her, though. “I shouldn’t have wrote that, Alex. I didn’t think it would mean anything to you.”

He couldn't take his eyes off her - which was nothing new. But, in that moment, he had to admit he was feeling revolted, just didn't know who he was more revolted with; her, for writing that note on the back of the invitation, or himself, for letting someone like her get away years ago. "How could you think that, though? You know how important you were to me, Greer. How you'll always be important to me." The words that left his mouth couldn't have been truer. Their relationship had been Alexander's first after the mother of his child had left them, and Greer had probably been his biggest support, the one who listened to his wonderings and concerns. There was no way he could ever forget that. "Frankly, how did you think I would react after reading that? Just move on?" He let a light chuckle of disbelief out. "I don't think I'll ever be able to move on; not from you."