#and then immediately looking at my art ideas folder

[angelictyphoon]

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[hellobykittys]

𝐓𝐇𝐄 (𝐈𝐌)𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐄𝐂𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐍 ✦ 𝐂𝐋¹⁶

SUMMARY: Charles Leclerc, a Formula 1 star, faces the decline of his reputation after breaking up with art curator Alexandra Saint Mleux. Under pressure from his team, he is forced into a fake relationship with one of the most popular influencers of the moment. NOTES: English is not my first language, so there might be some writing mistakes. I apologize for that, and feel free to point out any improvements. WC: 2.6k WARNING: enemies to lovers, teasing, fake relationship

MASTERLIST | NEXT PART

The meeting room was lit by cold lights reflecting off an impeccably clean glass table. Charles Leclerc sat at the head, his chin resting on his hand, visibly bored. The tension in the air was thick, and he already knew this meeting wasn’t going to end well. Around the table, members of Ferrari’s PR team sat, along with Lorenzo Leclerc, Charles’ older brother and personal manager.

“Let’s get straight to the point,” Lorenzo began, crossing his arms. His voice carried the firmness of someone tired of useless discussions. “Charles, we need to talk about your reputation.”

Charles rolled his eyes, setting his phone down on the table.

“My reputation? You mean the circus the media makes out of everything I do?”

“It’s not a circus if you keep giving them material,” Sofia, Ferrari’s PR head, cut in. A woman with short hair and piercing eyes, Sofia was known for her blunt and impatient approach.

“Seriously?” Charles raised an eyebrow. “Now you want to control my personal life too?”

Lorenzo sighed, rubbing his temples.

“Charles, we’re not here to debate who’s right or wrong. We’re here because your image is directly affecting your career.”

“My career’s fine,” Charles shot back, crossing his arms.

Sofia slammed a folder full of tabloid clippings on the table, making a sharp noise.

“Is it? Because from what we see here, it doesn’t look like it. ‘Charles Leclerc spotted at a party until 5 AM with a mysterious model.’ ‘Ferrari driver involved in a new controversy after a fight at a club.’ This affects the sponsors, Charles. It affects the Ferrari brand.”

Charles leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face.

“Look, I get it. But what do you want me to do? Lock myself in my house?”

“Not exactly,” Sofia replied with a cold smile that made Charles immediately suspicious.

Lorenzo cleared his throat, trying to soften what was coming.

“Charles, we’ve come up with a solution that could help clean up your image quickly while you focus on what really matters: your performance on the track.”

“Great. So, what’s the plan?” he asked, clearly impatient.

Sofia leaned forward, clasping her hands on the table.

“We’re going to put you in a fake relationship.”

The silence that followed was so deep that you could hear the clock ticking on the wall. Charles blinked a few times, sure he’d misunderstood.

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“We’re not,” Sofia replied, serious. “The idea is simple. We want to associate your image with a public figure who’s seen as positive, inspiring, and… balanced.”

“You want me to fake being in love with someone to save my reputation? This is ridiculous!”

“It’s not that simple, Charles,” Lorenzo tried to intervene. “We’re not asking you to fall in love. It’s a contract. An agreement. None of this has to be real.”

Charles laughed humorlessly, shaking his head.

“And who’s this poor soul you’ve hired for this?”

Sofia smiled, clearly expecting this question.

“Y/N.”

The name hit the silence like a shot. Charles frowned, trying to remember where he’d heard it. It didn’t take long before the girl’s face popped into his mind. She was impossible to ignore on social media, with her impeccable style, viral videos, and appearances at fashion and entertainment events.

“You’re talking about that… influencer?” he asked, incredulous.

“Not just any influencer. She’s the influencer right now,” Sofia corrected. “Everyone loves her. She’s elegant, charismatic, and has a solid fanbase. Associating with her will change the public’s perception of you.”

“You want me to fake dating a girl I barely know and who probably thinks race cars are just fancy toys?” Charles shot back, irritated.

Lorenzo took a deep breath, visibly trying to stay calm.

“Charles, no one’s saying it’ll be easy. But think of it as a strategy. Y/N isn’t just an influencer. She’s professional, ambitious, and has as much to gain from this as you do.”

“Great. So, she’s doing it for personal gain too,” Charles said sarcastically.

Sofia rolled her eyes.

“This isn’t about what she wants, it’s about what you need.”

Charles sat in silence for a few seconds, staring at the table. The idea seemed absurd. He didn’t want to give up his freedom for some farce that, deep down, made no sense to him.

“You guys must be crazy if you think I’ll agree to this,” Charles declared, suddenly standing up. His voice echoed through the room, but no one seemed surprised by his reaction.

Lorenzo sighed, already expecting this kind of response. He knew his brother too well to think he’d accept something so outside his comfort zone without resistance.

“Charles, sit down,” Lorenzo said, his voice firm and authoritative. “You have every right to be angry, but if you keep acting like a spoiled child, you won’t get anywhere.”

“A spoiled child?” Charles laughed darkly, pointing at his brother. “This coming from you, trying to convince me to join this ridiculous show. It’s my life, Lorenzo! I’m not a puppet for you guys to manipulate.”

Sofia intervened, trying to stay professional, but her patience was clearly wearing thin.

“Charles, understand this: we’re talking about your career. It’s not just about you. It’s about the team, the sponsors, the thousands of jobs that depend on Ferrari’s success. Formula 1 is a business, and in this business, your image is as important as your driving skills.”

“My driving skills should be the only thing that matters!” he shot back, pointing to himself. “I’m a driver. That’s what I do. I’m not a celebrity who needs a fake romance to get attention.”

“Don’t be naive, Charles,” Sofia replied coldly. “In today’s world, public perception is everything. You could be the best driver on the grid, but if your image keeps getting tied to scandals, no one will want to invest in you.”

Lorenzo crossed his arms, looking at his brother seriously.

“You know she’s right. You don’t have to like the idea, but you have to accept that it’s necessary.”

Charles took a deep breath, trying to calm down, but the knot in his throat only tightened. He hated the idea of being seen as someone who couldn’t control his own life, but Lorenzo and Sofia had a point: the external pressure was becoming unbearable.

“Why her?” he asked, his voice a little quieter.

Sofia gave a slight smile, as though she’d been waiting for this question.

“Because Y/N is exactly what you need. She has an impeccable reputation, knows how to handle the media, and most importantly, knows how to play the game.”

“And how are you so sure she’ll agree to this?” Charles asked, crossing his arms.

“We’ve already talked to her,” Lorenzo revealed. “She agreed. Obviously, she has her conditions, but she’s willing to collaborate.”

Charles laughed, incredulous.

“Of course she agreed. She’s probably loving the idea of being associated with me. She’ll gain even more followers and the ‘Wag’ title. That must be her dream.”

“Don’t underestimate Y/N,” Sofia warned. “She’s far from being a superficial girl. If she agreed, it’s because she saw value in the proposal, just like we did.”

Charles fell silent for a moment, processing everything that had been said. He felt a mix of anger, frustration, and, in a way, helplessness. He hated being put against the wall, but he knew refusing wouldn’t solve his problems.

“And how long is this going to last?” he asked, his disgust evident.

“The contract is for a year,” Lorenzo answered. “Long enough to solidify the lie, but short enough not to be unsustainable.”

“And what if it doesn’t work?”

“It will work,” Sofia assured him confidently.

Charles let out a heavy sigh, running his hands through his hair.

“I hate you guys.”

“Feel free to hate us all you want,” Lorenzo replied, standing up. “But do what needs to be done.”

Sofia grabbed the folder and gave one last look at Charles.

“Y/N will be here tomorrow to talk officially. Hope you’re ready.”

With that, everyone began to leave the room, leaving Charles alone. He slumped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, trying to accept that, like it or not, his life was about to change.

The meeting room was spacious and well-lit, with glass walls offering a panoramic view of the city. Charles Leclerc was already there, on time this time, sitting next to the conference table in a relaxed yet attentive posture. He was casually flipping through a document, but his mind was elsewhere. The decision to accept the deal still felt surreal.

When the door opened, he lifted his eyes and saw Y/N entering with confident steps. She looked calm, self-assured. She wore a fitted blazer and pants that accentuated her confident posture. Her perfume reached him before her voice, subtle yet striking.

“Hope I’m not late,” she said, placing her bag on a chair and giving Charles a brief glance before looking away.

“You’re not,” he replied, giving a slight nod, observing her carefully.

Lorenzo and Sofia entered right after, carrying folders and an air of seriousness.

“Alright, now that everyone’s here, let’s get straight to the point,” Lorenzo began, taking his seat at the head of the table. “You both know how important this partnership is, both for the team and for your respective careers.”

“It’s not like we have much of a choice, right?” Y/N commented, not aggressively, but with a touch of realism.

“Not exactly,” Sofia answered, unfazed. “But we expect you to see the mutual benefit in this.”

Charles leaned his elbows on the table and glanced at Y/N for a moment before speaking.

“And you? What do you think of all this?”

Y/N blinked, surprised by the direct question, but maintained her composure.

“I think it’s… unexpected. But I won’t deny it’s an opportunity. And you?”

He tilted his head slightly, as if considering.

“I think it could work, as long as we follow a few rules.”

“Rules?” she repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“Yes,” he answered, with a slight smile. “Like, don’t try to kill me in front of the cameras.”

Y/N let out a short laugh, almost genuine.

“I think I can follow that.”

Lorenzo interrupted, trying to keep the focus.

“Great. Let’s start by clarifying expectations. You’ll need to attend events together, create interactions for social media, and above all, look natural.”

“Does that mean we need to get to know each other better?” Y/N asked, looking directly at Charles, this time with less provocation and more curiosity.

“Probably,” he replied, her eyes holding his for a moment longer than necessary.

Sofia cleared her throat.

“For that, we recommend starting with something simple. A dinner, maybe. Nothing formal, just so you get used to being together outside a professional setting.”

Y/N looked away, pretending to think, but there was something uncomfortably intimate about the idea.

“Seems fair,” she finally said, grabbing a pen to sign the contract placed in front of her.

Charles didn’t say anything but let the corner of his mouth curve into a slight smile. He grabbed his own copy of the contract and signed it right after her.

When they finished, Lorenzo looked at both of them.

“Perfect. From now on, you’re officially a couple.”

Lorenzo’s statement hung in the air like an uncomfortable reminder of what had just been signed. Y/N grabbed her bag, ready to leave, but hesitated at the door.

“Charles?” she called, without turning around.

“Yeah?”

“I don’t plan on complicating this, but I hope you do your part.”

Charles adjusted his watch nonchalantly, as if this kind of deal was something he had mastered.

“I always do.” A discreet smile formed on his lips. “But maybe we should establish a few rules to make sure it works.”

“It’s so nice to see you both so… invested!” Sofia interrupted, letting out a light laugh. “But I’ll leave the details to you two. Just don’t kill each other, please.”

Lorenzo stood up shortly after, giving his brother a nearly conspiratorial look before giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze. When he said goodbye to Y/N, he smiled warmly, as if to say, “Good luck.”

Once the room was silent, Charles broke it with a casual tone.

“So, about those rules…”

Y/N crossed her arms, clearly determined to make everything crystal clear from the start.

“The first limit is simple: don’t touch or kiss me without prior notice.”

Charles raised an eyebrow, surprised, but entertained by her firmness.

“You do realize that’s basically what couples do, right? Touch, kiss, look close… How are we supposed to convince anyone we’re real if we’re so mechanical?”

“I never said it was forbidden,” she corrected, remaining calm. “I’m just saying, don’t do it without a reason or without letting me know first.”

He chuckled softly, tilting his head slightly.

“Do you really think I’m interested in anything beyond what this contract requires?” He stepped forward, not breaking eye contact. “What happened at the club was just an impulse, not a sign that I’m in love with you.”

Y/N narrowed her eyes, as if analyzing every word he said.

“Great. Then it shouldn’t be hard to keep your hands and lips off me.”

Charles opened his mouth to retort but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. It was a clear challenge, with something more hidden behind that confidence.

“Of course,” he replied, finally curving his lips into a nearly provocative smile. “But I’ve got my conditions too.”

Y/N adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder, unfazed.

“Alright, go ahead.”

“You have to attend my races whenever you can. And when you can’t, show support on social media. It’s the least I expect.”

She let out an incredulous laugh.

“I’m gonna be your fake girlfriend, not your number one fan.”

“As my girlfriend, you should show support. Isn’t that what girlfriends do? Plus, my fans will love it. It’ll be good for our image.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but knew he had a point.

“Fine, but I’ve got commitments too. Don’t expect me to be at every race.”

Charles shrugged, still with that annoyingly confident smile.

“It’s a start.”

Silence fell between them again, but this time it wasn’t heavy. It was as if both were evaluating the other, trying to figure out what was coming next.

Y/N adjusted her bag again and took two steps toward the door before stopping.

“One more thing, Charles.”

“What?” He raised an eyebrow, curious.

“If you want this to work, stop trying to always have the last word.”

He smiled, a mix of challenge and amusement.

“That’s asking too much.”

Y/N laughed softly, shaking her head before finally walking out of the room.

Charles stood there for a moment, staring at the door she had just walked through. There was something about her that made him feel intrigued, and he knew this story was far from simple.

Outside the building, Y/N got into the waiting car and took a deep breath. “This is going to be more complicated than I thought,” she mused as the driver started the engine.

Back inside, Charles picked up his phone and quickly sent a message to Lorenzo.

Charles: “If she thinks she can challenge me, this is going to be fun.”

On the other side, Lorenzo just laughed as he read the message.

[whereonceiwasfire]

If you're game to write a cheese melt (Vlad & Dani father-daughter dynamic) ficlet, I'd love to read one. If not, that's cool :)

*vibrating with excitement* My friend. Your cheese melt art has been living rent free in my head for WEEKS. It's my sincerest pleasure to write a ficlet for this. I hope it's okay that it's an outsider POV, I just had an idea and my brain went brrrrrrr LOL

May I offer you a dysfunctional parent-teacher interview?

Parent-teacher interviews are always a nightmare, but there's one in particular that’s making Amity Middle School’s beloved Ms. Burnell sweat through her shirt. As the time slot nears, her gaze keeps flickering to the clock, her classroom door, back to her nervously interlaced fingers on the desktop.

It’s going to be fine. Perfectly fine.

“This one! Over here! Dad! This is my class!” The excited words, shouted in the syrupy sweet voice of a little girl, sets every nerve on edge, Ms. Burnell’s heart plummeting straight into the pit of her stomach.

Oh lord. Maybe it’s not going to be fine. 

Her student comes bounding into the classroom, eyes bright and excited, oversized blue sweater sleeves slipping over her hands, even as she gestures emphatically for her father to follow. Black hair spills out of her ponytail, whipping across her face as she throws herself into a desk across from Ms. Burnell’s with a bright smile. 

Her father, on the other hand… 

The heel of his expensive Italian loafers strike against the linoleum as the man stops at the threshold of the classroom, cool gaze doing an assessing sweep of the space, expression crinkling in distaste as it does. He doesn’t say a single word, doesn’t make any move to actually step inside the classroom. 

Ms. Burnell is the one who clears her throat, pushing to an awkward stand as she extends a hand out to the man. 

“Hello, Mr. Masters. Thank you for making the time to come discuss your daughter’s education. I know you’re very busy.” 

The man’s eyes slip to her outstretched palm, and for a motifying second, she doesn’t think he’s going to take it. When he finally does, he just gives a brief, cursory shake before swiping his palm off on his suit jacket and striding past her toward his daughter. 

Ms. Burnell’s face is all kinds of warm, chest tight with embarassment as she fumbles back to her desk, trying to wrestle herself back into some kind of composure. Still, she barely looks up as she pulls out a folder with Danielle Masters scrawled across the tab.

“Dad! Dad! That one’s mine! Do you see it? Do you like it?” Danielle calls proudly, tugging on her father’s suit sleeve and pointing toward the paintings that are spread out beneath the windows to dry, paper wavy and crinkled.

“Oh, er. That’s actually a good place for us to start,” Ms. Burnell cuts in apologetically. 

Mr. Masters gaze snaps from where he’d been examining his daughter’s project, over to her, brows dropped low. 

“Why? Is there a problem with my daughter’s work?” The question is sharp, accusatory, and she’s pretty sure her soul shrivels up a little bit at the unguarded disdain in the man’s eyes.

Swallowing hard, sweat beading against the back of her neck, Ms. Burnell resists the urge to immediately take it back. Surely he can see the problem with the piece—isn’t going to make her say it? 

It's too scary.

When his challenging gaze doesn’t waver, she forces the words out. 

“Uhm. Well. It’s just. Not quite. Appropriate for a sixth grade class?” It pitches up into a question as she gestures vaguely toward Dani’s painting. 

It’s a bit sloppy, the layers of paint caked upon each other, the lines hasty and uneven, but the scene itself is clear enough—a little, smiling, white-haired girl in the shadow of some kind of hulking creature, its skin blue, eyes red, sharp fangs bared as its cape flares out to take up the rest of the page. 

Ms. Burnell almost set up an appointment for Danielle with the school counselor when she saw it, wondering if Dani felt like she was the little girl, trapped amongst nightmares and “monsters.” She decided against it for the time being, until she could speak with the girl’s father, but that’s proving rather unhelpful so far if the contemptuous way the man is looking at her is any indication.

“Did Danielle complete the assignment?” he asks finally. 

“Uhm. Yes.” 

“And adhere to the grading criteria?” 

“Sh-she did,” Ms. Burnell answers reluctantly.

“Then I don’t see the problem,” he answers, finality in the words as his gaze turns to his daughter. He takes a much softer tone with her, brushing the disorderly strands of hair off her face, an absent domesticity in the way he straightens the ponytail gone lopsided. “I think you did a lovely job, dear.” 

“Thank you! I used Alizarin Crimson,” she answers proudly, hair flopping right back into her eyes.

“Excellent choice.” 

“Uhm. Well, there’s also the matter of Danielle’s conduct,” Ms. Burnell cuts in.    

The man lets out an irritated sigh, arms crossing over his chest as he leans back against one of the desks, one ankle crossed over the other, unimpressed gaze finding Ms. Burnell once more. 

“What?” he says, like it’s an inconvenience.

She swallows hard. “She’s been…uhm. Not getting along with some of the other girls.” 

“That is so unfair, Mackenzie started it!” Danielle shouts abruptly, popping up to her knees on her chair, palms slapping down against the desktop. 

“Well that’s not what Mack—” 

The girl keeps going, cutting Ms. Burnell off. 

“She said the only reason Eli agreed to play with me at recess was because Joshua dared him too, and I said nuh unh and she said yuh hunh, and I asked how she knew that, and she couldn’t even prove it, it was so obvious she was making it up!” 

“Mackenzie told me that you said some pretty unkind words to her, Danielle.” 

“Barely! I just said it was a bad look for her to be so jealous of me and just because she looks like she fished her outfit from the same trash bin she got her personality from isn’t any reason to be a jerk.”

Her father’s expression twists into a sharp smirk, amusement lighting his blue eyes, and Ms. Burnell thinks she’s starting to get a better sense of why Danielle is proving to be one of the most challenging students in her class this year. 

“We treat people with kindness and respect in this classroom, Dani. Do you think what you said to Mackenzie was kind and respectful?” 

“Well…” Dani’s gaze drops, expression pinching in thought, and Ms. Burnell thinks she might actually be getting through to her.

“It doesn’t sound as though this other girl was treating Danielle with kindness and respect,” Mr. Masters answers, the words coming out with a mocking turn, like he finds the concepts incidental at best.

“That’s true. She did start it,” Dani reasserts, turning her gaze up to her dad.  

“I’ve spoken to Mackenzie about her part in everything,” Ms. Burnell answers tightly. “But we’re here to talk about Danielle’s conduct. That’s not the only incident of its kind that’s occurred this year and—” 

“You know, it sounds to me as though Danielle’s doing just fine,” Mr. Masters says, pushing up to a proper stand, tugging the bottom of his sleeves and smoothing the dark, wrinkleless fabric.

“But—” 

“Did she make this girl cry?” 

“Well. No, but—” 

“And how are my daughter’s academics?” he asks, gaze fixed on hers, sending a chill creeping down her spine. 

“Fine, but—” 

“Has she gotten into a physical altercation with anyone?” 

“Not exactly, but—” 

“Started any fires?” he asks, sarcasm and derision dripping from the words. 

“No, she hasn’t started any fires.” 

“Then I believe this meeting is finished. Thank you for your time, Ms…”

“Burnell,” she answers weakly.

“Thank you for your time, Ms. Burnell. Danielle, are you ready to go?”

“Yup!” She pops up to an enthusiastic stand, rushing over to the windows to snatch up her painting, twisting it toward Ms. Burnell. “Can I take this home?”

She gives a heavy sigh, massaging her temples with her fingertips. “Sure, Dani. That's fine.” 

“Thanks, Ms. B!” As the girl traipses after her dad, a bounce in her step, horrifying painting swinging at her side, Ms. Burnell can hear the girl still chattering away, even as they pass out of her classroom, voices growing distant. “Do you think I should have made Mackenzie cry?” she asks.

Ms. Burnell is glad she can’t hear the man’s response—she doesn’t even want to know his answer.

[simsi45]

The Sims 4 Amber House Pack - PUBLIC RELEASE!

CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE PATREON PAGE!

Oh...my...GOD!!! I can't believe this is actually happening....

After 3 years of hard work, I am here to welcome everyone to:

The Sims 4 Amber House Pack!

It's time to create your own mission style dream house, with this collection of 345 brand new and hella cool build/buy mode items, inspired by Dontnod's "Life is Strange: Before the Storm" game.

EARLY ACCESS: You can get the pack right now, on my PATREON on the 3-5$ tiers, or wait for the 12th of May for the public release!

Please read EVERYTHING included in the post as it contains useful information about the pack!

DISCLAIMER: Simsi45 or The Sims 4 Amber House Pack is NOT affiliated or associated with Electronic Arts, Square Enix, Deck Nine or Dontnod in ANY way. This is a purely fanmade pack made by me, a fan of both games that wanted to get the best of both worlds.

FEATURES:

 345 new items (including sofas, tables, decor, windows, doors and much much more!)

 Search for "amberhouse", "lis", "simsi45" to find most of the items in the build/buy catalog.

 Custom original names and descriptions. (the best I could come up with :P)

 Tons of custom recolors (based on original textures) to mix and match items more easily.

 Heavy modification on original meshes and textures, including english text turned into simlish.

 Everything has been playtested thoroughly.

 Included are a couple of easter egg items from The Sims 2 that I thought fit the theme well.

New lot I made showcased in the trailer and pics (found in the gallery under my tag @simsi45_mods) a recreation of Rachel Amber's house.

LOT INSTALLATION:

Included in the pack is the lot recreation of the Amber House that's featured in the pictures and videos.

You can get the lot by:

Using the gallery. Make a search under my EA id: @simsi45_mods and download the lot as usual. I've included customized pictures to identify my own lot more easily. Make sure you have the "enable custom content" tag ENABLED for the lot to show up in the results.

If you have difficulties using the gallery you can download the lot tray files from the bottom of the post, and move them inside your own tray folder. This can be found in your documents/electronic arts/the sims 4/ tray folder. This way you can install the lot without the need of the gallery.

NOTES:

~ The pack is in an EARLY-ACCESS STATE! I have dedicated a lot of time to test everything but I'm a team of just a single person. If you find any issues please let me know so I can take a look.

~ Because of the amount of items the size of the pack is quite big. I tried my best to make everything as compact as possible with the final size being 1.5 GB of required free space. 

~ The majority of the meshes and textures of these items are ripped straight from the LIS: Before the Storm game, and then each individual item (both mesh and textures) has been heavily modified and edited to fit and function properly within the Sims 4 game's engine. That's why some items will look identical to the original game, some look somewhat different, and some are brand new meshes I made using the original items.

~ Some of the original ripped meshes' poly counts were WAY too high so I had to lower the polygons so The Sims 4 wouldn't explode when filling a lot with them. I lowered the polygons and edited most of the items as much as possible without compromising their original look too much. In other words I tried to find the best balance between looks and performance and after lots of testing on my moderate PC system, I can confirm the game runs super smoothly on my end. 

BACKSTORY ABOUT THE PACK (no spoilers):

This pack started with an idea I got back in 2017 when I first played Life Is Strange Before The Storm. When visiting the Amber house, I immediately fell in love with it as I am huge fan of the craftsman architectural style, it's literally all I'd want my dream house to be. The art team has done an incredible job on it, and as I personally find the art style of the Life is Strange series and The Sims 4 to fit very well with each other, I wanted to make these assets available for The Sims 4. Of course back then this all seemed impossible, however a few years later in 2020 during quarantine I revisited the idea as it had been stuck on my wishlist ever since.

To make a long story short, this project has been in the works for about 3 years now, and after a lot of hard work, head scratching and quite a few sleepless nights I managed to overcome all the obstacles I came across (which were a lot mind you) and I'm honestly hoping you'll be as pleased with the results as I am. Seriously this exceeded my expectations as it started as a small little pack for my personal use, to what I'd consider an expansion pack's (or even more) worth of build/buy content.

INSTALLATION:

Due to the size of the pack I had to split it up into multiple parts. You will need a .RAR extractor unpack it. More specifically:

1 -> Download ALL 6 parts of the pack and put them ALL in the same folder. 2 -> Right click the 1st part .RAR file named "Simsi45 - The Sims 4 Amber House Pack.part1" and click "Extract Here"   3 -> Once that's finished a package file will appear, this is the entire pack and you can now move that into The Sims 4/Mods. Simple as that!

CREDITS & THANKS:

~Dontnod, Square Enix, Deck Nine for the original meshes & textures ripped from Life is Strange: Before the Storm that were used to create most of the items.

~EA for some meshes & textures used to convert some items from The Sims 2.

Special thank you to all the patreon members that stuck with me throughout me developing the pack. Although not many I really appreciate every single one of you for the support you've given me and for sticking around!

[ozzgin]

Hey so, a bit ago I sent an asking saying I drew what I think the buildings would look like! And you said you thought I drew humans for a second, and like- that was a great idea!! So i made some yandere school and darling school ocs!

Theyre all male, the darling student is transmale and the yandere student Is somewhat non binary, the darling teacher is like a bit of a hardass, while the yanderes teacher is just a big bubbly guy! Same goes with their students, big chubby, bear of a darling who thinks he's ugly, and his yandere who thinks he's better than God himself. So yeah!! :3

Also I made school logos because yesh

I truly cannot convey how much I love this!! 😭🙏🏻

Where do I even begin, the art itself is amazingly expressive. I could guess the characters before I even read your personality descriptions. I’m also extremely grateful and happy that you made the characters so diverse and inclusive. They look like the main cast to a popular show where everyone loves them because they’re so relatable.

I’m also really enjoying your take on the two schools, because I had pictured the Darlings as the cheerful, bubbly people. It’s a surprise to see the roles reversed, and I must say I’m inclined to prefer your interpretation.

The pairings, too, are chef’s kiss. Every insecure darling deserves a yandere who worships the ground they walk on.

Darling mentioning how big he is, and the yandere immediately agreeing to it, factually, completely unaware it might be source of anguish. Like…it’s why they love him so much in the first place. Wait, why is he making that face? Did they say something wrong?

Anyways, I might just go for your uniform design if I’m ever doodling anything myself. It’s just…there’s nothing I can add to it, really. I cannot perceive anything else now that I have seen it materialized like this.

I’m currently on holiday, but once I’m home I’ll be adding the drawing to my special folder of things I’ve received. Gosh. Sometimes I’ll spontaneously go through the files, and tell my partner “can you believe someone else did this? With their own hands? And they sent it to me?”, and he’ll respond with a satisfied, whispered “nice stuff”. 😌

[just-another-personal-side-blog]

Session 0 - Damian Priest x Tattoo Artist

Part 1 of 6

Rating: T

Beta Reader: @jstarr86

“Trust me Dam, she’s the best at what she does. It doesn’t hurt that I’d trust her with my life. You’ve been going on about finally getting that back piece, there’s no one better.” Rhea practically herded him towards what looked like an absolute hole in the wall, his nerves judged it based on first appearance.

“Most of my art was done by her, I’ve been meaning to introduce Dom as well. You got first dibs of course.” She paused at the door giving him a single raised brow, “You do trust me, don’t you Damian?”

Cornered he let out a sigh, it doesn’t hurt to at least take a look to appease her. 

“Fine, after you.” 

A bell above the door could just barely be heard over the heavy rock that beat like a pulse within the confines of the lobby. Framed detailed tattoo sketches hung upon the walls, behind the front desk were a collection of awards and licenses to prove this place was legit. Folders full of premade basic bitch designs sat on the coffee table by comfortable leather chairs, Rhea pressed a button at the front. No sound could be heard but in a span of seconds a young woman came out from the back.

“How can I- Oh! Shit! Rhea! Hey girl! Why didn’t you give me a heads up that you were coming?” Priest looked up from one of the framed pieces he was admiring. Apparently the new arrival hadn’t noticed him from the angle he was standing, not something he was used to given his size. He took a moment to admire the person before him…

Purple faux hawk with an under-fade, full tattoo sleeves on both arms, legs, and back, several piercings both visible and one not, brilliant blue eyes with some intense metallic goth eye makeup and a stunning smile. A pair of fake leather leggings with lace ups on the outside of the legs, a fishnet crop top under a Beetlejuice tank top, tying it all together was a basic durable black dog collar and a pair of Demonia knee length boots.Unlike the blonde Barbie she was finishing up, Rhea’s friend wasn’t stick skinny. She was probably a good size 9 or 10, there was some plump flesh but it appeared to have some sturdy muscle underneath. A full pair of breasts accentuated beautifully with the fishnet, and hips perfect to dig fingers into.

“I brought a friend that I thought you might like meeting, he’s been talking about wanting a new big tat for awhile now. So I told him there's only one person I’d trust with that.” After a moment the girl turned to look at him, there was immediate recognition as well as shock across her features. It was brief and fleeting before putting up a friendly facade.

It took Rhea slapping on the bicep to smack Damian back present, realizing he’d been staring at the artist long after the gal she’d been working on had left happily. Meaning he had given her an intense resting bitch for a good minute now. Incredibly embarrassed Priest offered a hand which she accepted with an impressive firm hand shake.

“You can call me Minnie, only people I like get to use that.” Rhea playful shoulder checked her with a warm smile,

“It’s short for Minerva, her parents were from Athens originally”

“So your namesake is a Goddess of War, seems fitting.” Bright sky blue eyes flicked up from the sketchbook she’d grabbed to start jotting ideas from him. And without pause blossomed like a Sunflower, taking note of the dimple on her right cheek. 

“Best make sure you never get on my bad side, Rhea has some great stories of me chasing off her exes prior to Wrestling. I’m only five years older than her, not to mention like 5 inches shorter even without those elevator shoes she stomps around in.”

“Wouldn’t have guessed that at all. Both of you still don’t have me beat.”

“Well you clearly discovered immortality in high school, because you haven't aged a bit.”

Rhea perched herself on the spare stool in the room, a mischievous sparkle in her eyes as she watched the two getting comfortable with their back and forth.

“What she neglected to mention is the three times she chased them off with a metal bat wrapped in barbed wire and nails welded to it.”

“Jokes on you, I still sleep with that bat beside my bed. Safety first and all that fun stuff. Safer than a machete, I’d rather not accidentally stab myself in my sleep.”

“That’s why we’re best friends.” The Aussie grins before giving Minnie a cheeky wink.

“Why do I feel like I got led into a trap?” She wrinkled her nose at Damian before opening the sketchbook before her.

“You have nothing to worry about Butterscotch, I take my art very seriously. Now let’s start discussing what you’re looking to get and where. I’ll let you know now, that while I’m sure you’re likely VERY blessed… I don’t do anything where I gotta see dick or vag.”

Priest momentarily choked on his saliva while Rhea guffawed in glee. A quick side eye glare at her smothered the sound to a quiet chuckle. Something about her felt like she was messing with the poor Puerto Rican man, akin to a cat staring directly at their owner while pushing a glass of water off the counter playfully.

“You’ve already got plenty of gorgeous pieces on that flawless flesh. What are you thinking of doing?”

No hesitation he pulled his t-shirt up and over while turning to show the empty expanse of his back. Her breath caught audibly, eyes briefly went wide glancing at Ripley wildly. The female wrestler grinned like the Cheshire Cat, watching each interaction with fascination. Plans coming to fruition.

The tattooer bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to focus on what he was actually saying. Once locked in, Minnie began to sketch up fluidly upon paper, at one point he was leaning over her shoulder admiring the work of a talented creative. Bringing his vision to life on the crisp white paper, each description rumbled like incoming thunder located in the man’s voice box. Thank god for hyperfocus cuz lord only knows this was gonna be a genuine challenge for her self-control. All she wanted to do was trace those tattoos on him with her tongue. She had to shake her head to focus back in again, hands working on autopilot, taking in his words with each glide of charcoal across parchment. 

When he finished describing it she looked back up at him with a friendly smile,

“How big are you thinking of making it? So I know what to prepare for, as well as how many sessions to schedule in advance.” He tilted his head in thought momentarily before answering,

“Ideally I’d like it to cover a majority of my back.” She nodded in agreement,

“Alright, I’ve got the sketch started. I'll email you three different versions and you let me know what you like and what you don’t. And if there's aspects you like in one and want to add it to another one, just let me know. This is your tattoo on your skin, I want you to love it decades from now. How’s that sound?”  Damian was genuinely impressed with her professionalism, even as he controls the strong desire to flirt with her. This was a time to behave, she was Rhea’s best friend, and thus not someone to attempt to make any moves towards. 

“That sounds great to me, thanks.” Her smile was so sweet it could have made him diabetic just looking at it. 

“Great. Oh and Rhea, let me know when you want to come in and do those matching ghost tattoos with Dom.” 

“No rush, he’s busy planning his wedding right now so it’s gonna be a bit.”

“Sounds good to me. Now unfortunately I do have another client coming in twenty minutes so I gotta start prepping.” She pulled a business card from her bra, handing it over to Damian,

“My email and personal number is on there in case you think of something you want to add to the tat.Sound good?” Minnie gave a bashful little smile, and it made something deep in his chest want to say something incredibly forward. Rhea snagged him by the elbow, grinning like a cat that caught the canary. 

A nod of thanks was all he got out before being ushered back out, quicker than able to verbalize his appreciation. Ripley called back loudly,

“Thanks love! I’ll make sure he remembers to check his email regularly.” As if he didn’t already do that for work contacts to begin with. Once back in the car Priest gave his companion a look of utter suspicion, he could tell that she had ulterior motives. Nothing vicious or cruel, but she’d tried to set him up on a couple dates in the past, none that worked out. He’s focused on work, most women didn’t appreciate not being number one in his life. It’s been a string of disappointments, to where he bluntly asked Rhea to stop playing cupid. 

“This better not be an attempt at matchmaking again-” She cut him off with a sigh,

“I’ve long accepted that the ball is in your court from now on. I really truly just wanted you to go to an artist I’d trust my life with. She’s a good one, professional, talented, she spent twenty years as an apprentice before taking on her own clients. To top it off, she’s loyal, fun, and could use more genuine friends other than me. Can you blame me for that?” Her tone of voice was honest, after how much time they’d spent together, he could easily tell when she was bullshitting. Damian nodded to her as a show of acceptance to what she was saying. Her attention locked on the drive back to her place, Buddy was gonna get some sparring practice in with the other man. 

His gaze trailed a spot in the distance, trying to keep that woman out of his thoughts… failing miserably. She had such a lovely face, and all the art on display was impressive to be sure. The name Minerva fit her perfectly, especially with how protective she was of the Australian wrestler. It was endearing how she was barely 5’3 and was ready to take on the world to keep her 5’7 well-muscled friend safe. He hadn’t noticed the small smile that spread across his features, but Ripley sure took note of it. Keeping her features stoic while internally she was so pleased with herself. 

She pulled into the driveway where her man was waiting, he waved as they got out of the car. Buddy smiled at them, 

“I’m guessing it went well? Minnie is great at what she does. Rhea doesn’t like to share her with people, so it’s a hell of a compliment she brought you.” She gave him a quick kiss before heading into the house calling back,

“Play nice boys don’t forget the Terror Twins have some matches coming up.”

Damian shook his head w a huff before following the ginger towards their personal gym. Somehow he still had a sneaking suspicion that Rhea was playing a long game now instead of all the quick fruitless dates in the past… The image of Minerva slid by again, and for once… he might be okay with that.

Tagged:

@superlove167 @midnightlycan @mooshroomii420 @hotwheels1108 @misslackey @gigisview @abadbitchblogs @sexyblacksimper @sweetmoonlove0214 @daithideolishmer118 @tomandbuckyfan1 @terrortwinunicorn @iy-16-18 @sluttysierraaa @jstarr86 @zombiedixon89 @horsekoala @fearlesschimera @eringobragh420 @elainneoneill570 @gretavanhockey @moonwolfdemonprincess21 @sad-dreamer93 @agustd202204 @nubian-queen22 @kaitlinlovetwister @bosslady3168 @gabberzzz1998 @mol2311

[thewitchblue]

"What's that?"

You asked Terry one day. He fell asleep during art class, and you wanted to know what he was drawing. He startled awake when you placed a timid hand on his arm.

Terry blinked at you, bleary-eyed before looking back down at his novel. He moves his arms to guard it more from your gaze once your words are registered in his exhausted brain. He awkwardly said,

"My, uh... it's probably stupid. I'm making a graphic novel."

He was oddly protective of his work, but your kind smile and curious gaze made him feel like he could trust you. You looked so warm and open to either seeing his work or walking away if he said no. There was something special in the look you gave him. It was a benevolent gaze that welcomed him in when everyone else shoved him away.

With great hesitation, he slides the chapter he was working on for you to read. He tapped his pen on his desk nervously. He suddenly felt empty-handed and vulnerable.

He was anxiously watching your expression as you read his work. He's never... shown off his work before. He always felt like it was lame to continue a project he's been working on on-and-off for years. He's never had a desire to share his novel. It was still in the works and had a long way to go.

He felt himself physically relax when you gave him back his novel. He felt as if he had just opened his heart to you and prayed you didn't stab it. This project has years' worth of thoughts and ideas. He had question marks and scribbled ideas in every corner of every page he has worked on so far.

Every time he had an idea of the direction he wanted to take the novel in, it was scribbled down along the sides or in the corners of the pages in his scratchy handwriting. It felt childish to look at now that he really took a look. He cringed and immediately tucked it away into the folder he had it placed in.

"I'm impressed, Terry. You'll have to send me a copy when you release it."

Your kind words made a part of him melt. It gave him the courage to continue. He bit his lip as his eyes returned back to his novel. It was still a series of loose sketches and not anywhere close to finished, but he appreciated the kind words.

You always were the kind kid with a soft voice and gentle hands. Your encouragement stirred something in him. He couldn't believe nobody has dated you yet. He's kept tabs on you for as long as he's known you. You with the gentle smile and the heart of gold. You, who never has a bad thing to say about anyone. You, who loved your friends and family with your entire heart and soul.

Before you could walk away, he awkwardly took your hand to stop you. Now that he thought about it, this was probably a terrible idea.

"I, uh, I... would you like to go out some time?"

He felt awkward. He can bully the Joker into submission, but a beautiful pair of doe eyes has him buckling? He feels pathetic, truly, with how nervous he felt, but he always had a thing for you that he never knew how to explain.

You looked surprised. Terry isn't known for relationships, especially not serious ones that you were seeking. Your eyes softened, however, as you looked at your conjoined hands before turning back to face Terry.

He's normally the bad kid; the kid teachers hate and the class legend, full of sass and always ready to pick a fight, but this Terry was... different. He wasn't guarded. He seemed so shy under all the sassy armour. He was adorable as he carefully watched your expression for any hint of what you may be thinking about.

You lightly squeezed his hand and smiled warmly at Terry. His blue eyes looked at you with such raw emotion that there was only one decision.

"Yes. You can tell me more about your novel, McGinnis."

You scribble a time and location for the date onto a slip of paper and hand it to him with a sweet smile.

"I'll see you tomorrow, pretty boy."

He looked like he suddenly realised he managed to get a date with you, and he was a blushing mess. You kissed his cheek before walking off. This may be the start of something more beautiful than he could ever hope for.

Bruce is going to kill him, but he feels truly content in the moment.

[nuoyipeach]

Off-Cam

Kang Seulgi X Lee Taeyong

requested warnings: none? tags: : @gerardeveryway @gomseulgiii @innssanityyy @seulyongggi

"Welcome to Speed Date Life! I am the director for the show, and I'll explain to you the process with my assistant here."

Seulgi rolled her eyes as she stood amongst the crowd of five other women, sitting opposite the five male participants. Why her mother signed her up for a dating show was an impossible question to her.

"You're so focused on earning money, I had no choice. I'd like to see my only daughter have a family please."

Her thoughts were snapped back when the director continued. "So we've gone through all your profiles as well as what your preferences are, and will be pairing you all as closely as possible. To avoid any mishaps we also had an actual matchmaker help us with the pairing."

She watched as the man pulled out 5 folders and opened one by one. "I'll call out the couples right now, but you will be introduced to each other when we start filming tomorrow. This is just so you know beforehand."

Seulgi watched as he opened a folder and passed it to his assistant. "Please raise your hand so your partner knows you. Jung Jaehyun and Kim Yerim." Two people raised their hands, smiling at each other as they bowed their heads slightly. "Johnny Seo and Bae Joohyun." Another pair raised their hands.

"Lee Taeyong and Kang Seulgi." Seulgi raised her hand, then looked at her male counterpart. The man smiled and bowed his head slightly at her, which she returned before looking back to the front, listening to the final two pairings.

Mark Lee and Ko Eun

Nakamoto Yuta and Park Sooyoung

"So the idea is for the first week you will meet daily, warm up and get to know each other. On week two we will put a couple together in one house, rooms will be separate. From there onwards you can progress as you like, hopefully we'll get some actual results out of you all." The director teased before continuing. "Also remember you all have signed and consented to this idea beforehand as well, but we won't be pushing you or preventing you from doing anything after the first week. And if you do decide to drop out, we will take your issue into consideration. Any questions?"

Seulgi raised her hand almost immediately, and the director signalled her to ask. "Even if we're not sharing rooms, will we have our privacy from cameras? Because if not, I don't see the point of separate rooms." she raised an eyebrow asking.

The assistant was quick to wave her hand. "Oh no no, don't worry. The houses will have cameras, except for your bedrooms and bathrooms. It's only the common spaces that will be televised, like the living room, kitchen, dining, etcetera. Your mics will be on you all times, but during bedtime or in the bathroom you can switch off or remove when sleeping."

After a few more chats, the meeting ended, and Seulgi was quick to dash home. She crashed onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, sighing at the thought of two things.

Tomorrow she'll start dating someone.

Tomorrow she'll become a TV personality.

>>>

The day came for Seulgi's first date with her paired up man, Lee Taeyong. During the introduction recording, the most she could see he had in common with her was that they both loved music and dancing. While she worked as a nurse at a private hospital, he was a primary school teacher as he claimed he loved kids, while also volunteering weekends at an orphanage to teach art.

It's almost like they had completely opposite lives, and Seulgi wondered how would this ever work out. Sure they had the two common interests, but was that really enough?

She checked herself one last time as the car came to a stop in front of the cafe they were to meet in, making sure her outfit dusted and hair wasn't messy. She stepped out, startled a little as she realised a camera was focused on her outside, and smiled with a quick bow before going inside. She followed where she assumed he'd be, noticing another two cameramen near a table by the window.

Taeyong sat fumbling his hands on the table, as if to show he was nervous, she wondered if that was his real actions or simply for the cameras. As she came closer he stood up and they greeted each other, when he suddenly moved to her side and pulled out the chair for her. She stood startled again and smiled, though she still wondered if that was real.

"So..." he spoke up as he sat, chuckling nervously. "How do we go about this? I'm not exactly good with dating."

Seulgi raised her eyebrows, letting out a laugh before responding. "I'm not exactly experienced myself to be honest. This would be my first time dating officially."

The two shared a short laugh, a moment the director signalled the camera men to get clearer shots of. Soon enough the barrier was lifted as Taeyong started talking more about himself first, always making sure to get her involved in between. She noted this action of his, and it made her smile that he wasn't simply going on and on about himself.

So he's not narcissistic, good...

In turn she spoke about her life, and tried to keep it as interactive as he did. However at one point she noticed he simply kept quiet and let her babble on about something she didn't like, though his eyes were on her with a small smile so she knew he was paying attention. Once she finished he nodded and empathised with her, another thing that really caught her attention.

"Do you wanna maybe go for a walk, continue the date?" Taeyong asked once she was finished talking, and she noticed they had finished their coffees. "I know a nice spot we can sit and have a picnic. There's food there too." his eyes glimmered, then suddenly switched to nervous. "Oh, unless you prefer indoors, then there's a nice restaurant nearby too."

Seulgi chuckled, finding his ramble too cute. Unconsciously she reached to hold his hand in comfort. "The picnic sounds nice."

>>>

The first week went well, to Seulgi at least. She didn't feel awkward around Taeyong or get any weird vibes from him. He was nice, soft spoken, funny, polite, a gentleman overall. He also seemed very put together in his life, albeit a little clumsy like when his canned soda exploded and got on both of them, but Seulgi was more amused than angry at the way didn't realise he had been shaking it.

The time came for the couples to move in together. Seulgi was nervous despite being comfortable around Taeyong, because if there's one thing she knew is that one's true self always appears when living together. She sat in the car readying herself one last time before stepping out, greeting the camera as usual, before getting her bags out and going into the airbnb the show had rented out for her and Taeyong.

Just as she reached the front door, it opened showing a smiley Taeyong, who immediately grabbed her luggage from her and leading her inside. "Welcome home." he greeted as if they were already living together, it made her smile at his fun manner. But she wasn't gonna let her guard down this easily. "There's three rooms here, two are our bedrooms. They're pretty much the same but I figured you'd come and pick one first? I'm kinda indecisive."

She stared at him scratching his head, then peeked at the two bedrooms. They were pretty similar, just a matter of front and backyard view difference. After a little thinking, she nodded and went in to the room looking over the backyard, Taeyong following behind with her luggage.

"I'll take this one."

"Great, I'll move in across then." he smiled before leaving the room, closing the door behind him. Seulgi sighed, plopping her body onto the bed and staring up at the ceiling feeling overwhelmed. She suddenly wondered if all of this is a good idea. She's just signed up to live in a house alone with a man she only just met for another what, three weeks? And while they're on camera most of the time, what if he does something to her?

That night, as the cameras were shut off and their mics taken back, Seulgi shut her door and sat in her room in silence. She was considering going to bed early, when a knock came on the door.

"Hey, sorry to disturb you... uhm, I noticed you didn't eat dinner properly because of the cameras, so I saved you some food for later."

He noticed? Seulgi had felt a little insecure to eat in a home-like setting with cameras surrounding her, so much that she only took small portions and ate unnaturally. She didn't think it was that unnatural that she'd be obvious.

She rushed to the door and opened it. "Oh my God, do you think people will notice that?" her immediate words to him as Taeyong stood puzzled.

"Notice what?"

"That I was eating for the camera? It's not like I'm trying to show off I'm healthy or anything, I just felt weird with the cameras there..."

Taeyong smiled and held her shoulder to stop her rambling on. "It didn't look that bad, and I doubt they'll use our first dinner footage considering we barely spoke." he chuckled, albeit a little awkwardly. "But I noticed you didn't eat properly, and they're all gone now, so come down and finish it off. I was craving a little dessert too, heard there's ice cream in the fridge." he left with a smile, leaving Seulgi's heart to flutter.

Stop it, you barely know him...

Sighing she followed behind, and saw how he had plated a new plate of food for her, and two empty dessert cups next to it for the said later ice cream. Seulgi had never felt this touched by a man before. One of the reasons she never dated was because of the things she saw her friends go through, although some did end up with their supposed forever lovers now, there was a lot of trial and error they had gone through.

Stop it, stop it...

She sat opposite to him on the small dining table and started to eat while watching him in the kitchen preparing them drinks. He got some lemonade out for them and gave her a glass. "I hope this is OK, I noticed you don't drink alcohol much, so I got this instead." he poured some out and placed it next to her plate.

Stop it... her heart paced faster, while her mind tried keeping her smart. But she could tell which was winning. She smiled back, nodding at him in gratitude before taking a sip of her drink and start eating.

Taeyong watched her silently, smiling every time she hummed in pleasure at the food. Seeing her able to be in her own self without the pressure of cameras around her. He felt it too, but he could tell the insecurity was higher for her.

"Should we get to know each other better?" he spoke up, getting her attention as she stared perplexed. "I know we kinda did that in the first meeting, but I feel like we didn't really get to talk as much as we should have as a potential couple..."

Seulgi stared a little longer, feeling an odd sense of worry in her chest. "You... you're really taking this whole thing seriously huh?" she asked, her voice filled with doubt.

The smile disappeared from his face so fast, Seulgi realised her mistake in asking in such a tone. He bit his lip, looked down at the table, then back up with a much sadder smile.

"I'm sorry, I kinda assumed you were in it seriously too... but I guess it's better to know now than in the end."

"What do you mean seriously?" she asked, trying to be sympathetic, although she felt bad for ruining his expectations.

Taeyong sighed. "Well, I joined this in hopes to find someone for real. Considering my time as a teacher, I haven't had the best of luck in finding a long term relationship. My friend works in production and told me about this, and I had a lot of paid leaves left, so I figured it's the perfect chance for me to find someone." he stopped and watched her expressions, noticing a look of guilt. "What about you? What made you join if you're not really into it?"

Seulgi silently thought for a while, debating how honest she should be with him. Her answer, completely. "My mum signed me up for this because I wasn't, as she said, taking the initiative myself of finding someone. Truthfully I like to keep busy at the hospital, and... I don't mean to sound rude but I've just seen dating go wrong for a lot of my friends so it never came across me to go for it. When I came into this though, I honestly didn't have expectations, I was just gonna see how everything goes.."

She felt a weight off her chest having finally have been honest bout this with someone. But she still felt bad, feeling as though she wasted his chance at a proper relationship. She warrily watched his expression, noticing he seemed very deep in thought all of a sudden.

"So, you're not entirely closed off to the idea of a relationship coming out of all this right?"

"I guess not?" she answered more like a question.

He smiled again, a little reluctantly though. "Well, we have another three weeks. How about you give us a chance? I am hopeful that after this show we might actually be something. I mean, I think you're a great person, I'd love to get to know you more."

>>>

Seulgi couldn't believe herself as she put her arms through the dress she decided to wear for their date night. Two weeks in and suddenly she found herself excited and putting in effort to look her best, something she never would have done even three months back.

Not that she went out looking sloppy, but the way she was stressed now about looking good, she never would have imagined.

As it turned out, Taeyong was great to her. Besides music and dancing, she found out their shared love of art and photography, and how he was just as career focused as she was, except he had realised sooner he felt empty from loneliness while Seulgi assumed she was simply unproductive.

Another thing she realised, and so did Taeyong, was that she did better off camera, and she couldn't have been more relieved when he didn't bother her with it and instead matched her energy. On camera, they kept things civil and formal, while when they turn off the two get comfortable with each other, talking and laughing to no end sometimes.

Their current date was on camera, and that was another thing she worried about. It would be their final week together in the house, and she was nervous as to what would the end result be. As she finally stepped out of the room, she looked around before going to the living room, seeing that Taeyong had already gotten ready and sat waiting for her.

"Hey." she called softly, smiling when he looked up, eyeing her up and down as if in awe of her looks. "Let's go?"

"Oh yea, yes." he stumbled his words a bit before getting up in a haste, heading to the front door and opening it for her. She chuckled at his sudden clumsiness, but it was something she had learned to appreciate. After closing the door behind then, Taeyong went ahead and helped her into his car as well, and like before giving her the option to pick their music for the drive.

It wasn't any longer than half an hour when they arrived at a rooftop restaurant, where they sat and immediately indulged in the food. Seulgi noticed the director signalling them to interact more, and though nervous she tried her best, relieved again as Taeyong didn't mind it too much himself.

Before long they were done, and the cameras stopped filming as the crew began to pack away to move back to the house, when the director suddenly came up to the two at their table looking strict.

"Ms Kang, I'm not sure how the two of you will end your relationship, but for once could you show something on camera? Your segments are so far the most boring, you're not captivating the audience, I get you might not enjoy this but for as long as you signed up for it give us something to work with."

Seulgi felt her throat close up, as if she lost all ability to speak completely. The man wasn't yelling, but the stern voice was enough to scare her, and all she could do was whisper a soft apology bowing her head slightly. A sudden hand grabbing hers caught her off guard further, and she looked up to see Taeyong standing right by her, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

"We apologise sir, Seulgi just doesn't do well in front of cameras, so please there is no need to cause a commotion. I mean, it's our last week anyways."

"Mr Lee I'm sorry but this doesn't concern you. It is the last week, but we've never intervened before considering her comfort of getting along with you, but as it is the last week our writers and producers have had complaints all around. Like I said, her cuts have been boring, so please just for these last few days give us something to end on a good note."

The crew decided to stop filming for the rest of the night, figuring everyone needed some rest after that slight conflict of interest. Taeyong drove Seulgi back in silence, despite there being no cameras or mics on them, as he noticed her upset. He felt bad, knowing how she was here reluctantly yet she attempted her best yet it wasn't enough, and although he knew where she went wrong, he didn't think she deserved that intervention.

As they reached the house and he parked the car, he quickly reached over and held her hand before she could leave. Seulgi stopped undoing the seat belt and looked at him confused, sitting back comfortable when seeing his sad smile at her.

"Let's sit for a bit." she sighed at his suggestion, looking out the window as he took her hand in both his, rubbing his thumb over the back of hers. "Don't get disheartened, they mean well, but it's not your fault."

"It is..." she suddenly pulled her hand away, her voice filled with sudden bitterness. "It's always been my fault. That's why I'm here, my mother is sick of me being this way, I don't know why I am but I hate it too..."

"What do you mean?" Taeyong asked confused by the sudden outburst, further shocked when noticing her teary eyes.

"I've never been good at... socialising, and communication... whenever someone had asked me out I'd shut them out almost immediately because I wouldn't know how to react. Like as long as we're aquintances or friends I'm good, but then moment anyone tries to go further, I get all closed off..."

By now she had wiped her eyes few times trying to stop the tears running down her cheeks, but it was a failed attempt when she noticed Taeyong handing her a tissue. She took it reluctantly and wiped her face, before rushing to get inside the house and into her bedroom.

>

Seulgi felt bad. Taeyong had genuinely been concerned for her, even stood up for her, and all she did was have an outburst before shutting herself away. Again. She wanted to get back to him, but she didn't know how. She had already washed up and changed into some shorts and a lounge shirt, and she figured by now Taeyong would have done the same.

She wanted to go out to him badly, but again she didn't know how. Not until knocks came on her door and she scurried up to open it, her heart shaking at the sight of the said man holding two ice cream cups and spoons smiling at her.

"I figured you'd wanna have something for dessert, to feel better."

For some reason, Seulgi felt unable to control herself. Before she knew it she had thrown herself towards Taeyong, hand around his neck while her face hid in his shoulder, body tight to his as she hugged him and all of a sudden let out a sigular loud sob. With his hands full, Taeyong wasn't sure what to do but wrap his arms around her as well, slowly walking her into her room to place the ice cream and spoons onto the vanity table and then hug her back properly.

Though he wasn't entirely sure, he felt she needed nothing but an embrace at this very moment. And that's exactly what he gave her as they stood in the middle of the room in silence, still hugging, his one hand around her waist while the other rubbed her back up and down.

After a few minutes Seulgi finally lifted her head up, turning to him slowly as she felt embarrassed from what had just happened. But she also felt calm, comforted, peaceful, unlike ever before as their eyes slowly met. Taeyong gave her a quick smiled, but the longer they stared his smile suddenly disappeared, but not from negativity.

She figured she was still at no control of herself, not when Seulgi realised her face had moved closer to his, noses almost touching as his eyes trailed down to her lips, and before Taeyong himself could think any longer she had sealed their lips together, kissing him softly but with need.

As realisation hit of what she had done, she pulled away just as quickly. "Shit..." she tried to push away from Taeyong's hold, but this time he held her closer and they kissed again. Her hands threaded through his hair, tugging on his locks as their kiss deepened, body's pressing together closer. As they pulled away to breath, Seulgi quickly hid head face into his chest, causing him to chuckle which she felt as his chest vibrated.

"The ice-cream will melt." he whispered, making her look up to his shy smile. "Let's enjoy it, together." he let go of her and grabbed the tubs again, sitting on her bed and signalling her over. Seulgi was confused more than ever, but went along with it.

>>>

The crew were delighted, noticing something was different from the night before, and although it was the final three days of filming the couple, the slight change in Seulgi's on camera demeanor was enough for them to be satisfied. She had been smiling more, especially when the two spoke, and showing more expressions. On the second last day, she even laughed out at the moment Taeyong tripped and dropped his water bottle over himself.

"That's a wrap." the director called out later in the evening. "Good job everyone, and great progress Ms Kang. As tomorrow is the last day, it has been planned by the writers in advance so you will receive instructions later tonight."

They had been in the backyard of the house, having a quick dinner while talking about whatever they could think of. The moment the staff had left, Seulgi started clearing away their cutlery when a sudden splash took her attention, and she turned to see Taeyong, in nothing but his shorts, wading around the pool.

"What are you doing?" she called out to him, putting the plates down again a little further away.

"Come on, it's relaxing. Jump in."

Hesitant, Seulgi thought for a minute before deciding to just go for it. She went inside, changed into a swimsuit she found, and quickly came back out jumping in, laughing as the water splashed into Taeyong's face. She quickly tried waddling away, but he was faster as he chased behind and splashed her back, and they soon started a water fight.

With the sun almost setting and the wind gentle, Taeyong couldn't help stare at the woman in front of him who looked beautiful as always, and a sudden sadness filled in him that it was their last day together, unofficially at least. Unable to help himself, he went closer to her slowly as Seulgi wiped her eyes, her attention taken away when feeling arms around her waist. She looked up at him a little surprised, but his warm smile was enough to put her at ease as she smiled back, her hands now placed on his shoulders.

As their bodies slowly got closer, Seulgi realised he was top naked, and started biting her lower lip with her eyes off to a corner in shyness, causing Taeyong to laugh.

"Are you nervous?" his sudden question got her to look back at him, and she noticed the slight worry in his eyes.

"About what?"

"Tomorrow." his one hand moved to push some of her wet hair off her face. "It's our last night together, and tomorrow... well, I'm nervous." Her hands wrapped around his neck as she suddenly pulled herself closer to him.

"Why?"

"Well... what's your verdict?" Seulgi realised what he was talking about, and knew she shared the same worry. "Do you wanna continue this afterwards?" his questions left her speechless. She came into this program with no motivation on being involved with whoever she would be with. But now she was confused.

Did she like Taeyong enough to have a relationship? Sure they kissed that one time, but they never spoke about it after.

"What's yours?" that was all she managed to let out, afraid she might say the wrong thing otherwise. She watched as he bit his lip, looking down at the water then back up at her.

"I don't want to force you into something you don't want." oddly, his answer frustrated Seulgi, and it was evident as a frown appeared on her face. "I mean, my answer depends on yours, if you don't want to then neither will I."

"You're such a coward." Seulgi let out before she could think or realise what she said, catching herself and him off guard. She quickly pulled away from his hold, backing away slightly before he caught her hand, preventing her from getting any further.

"Why am I a coward?"

"I'm sorry..." she sighed, but figured it's best to be honest with him at this point. "I didn't mean it like that. I just don't like that you're leaving the final decision on me. Why is it my responsibility only for our relationship to work?"

Taeyong was further confused, pulling her closer by her arm then holding both her hands. "That's not how I mean it to be. I just don't want to put you in an uncomfortable situation. I mean, you said it yourself, you're just here because your mother sent you. I wasn't gonna make you be our reason to not work out, I just thought it's best to figure out our position now so that there's no awkward tension tomorrow in front of everybody else." he sighed as he finished speaking, noticing the slight worry on her face.

That's when he realised what she was doing, closing herself off again. Only this time, Taeyong was determined to break her out of her shell. If their relationship was going to fail, he wanted it to be on proper reasons, and shying away out of fear or hesitation was not going to cut it for him.

He slowly pulled her even closer, encasing her within his arms again as his forehead rested on hers, sending her into shock again as her body froze up.

"Let go how you really feel Seulgi." he whispered. "It's now or never, and I'd regret myself if you hide away again." this time, his lips were first on hers, nothing more than a soft peck. That was until her hands circled around his neck and kissed him back. Taeyong smiled through their kiss, tightening his hold around her as their kiss deepened, happier when he felt her pulling them closer to the point their legs entangled underwater.

Once they pulled away, Seulgi for the first time didn't shy away. Maybe it was what he said that really got to her, or maybe she finally felt open and comfortable with him enough, but instead she looked at him directly and smiled, eyes glimmering with hope.

>

"Let's move on to our next couple, Taeyong and Seulgi." the interviewer spoke as the couple were next to walk onto the patio where she had been speaking to the coupled before them.

It was the final day of filming, and as mentioned the crew had already pre-planned the itinerary, with every couple coming in separately to get interviewed about their experience and outcome. So far three other couples had positive results, and Seulgi and Taeyong were the second last to be called on. She wiped her hands on her skirt, feeling how sweaty they were from sudden rush of nerves, but one look at Taeyong and she suddenly felt better as he smiled at her before they got to the table.

"So, Seulgi, apparently you were quite closed off at the beginning of the show, is that right?" embarassed, Seulgi nodded with a nervous chuckle. "How was that for you Taeyong?"

Taeyong hummed as if in thought, even though he already had an answer. "Honestly, I didn't mind it. Obviously no one would be completely comfortable with somebody they just met, let alone living under one roof, so yea it took her some time but we had a lot of nice conversations. I think that's something I really appreciate about Seulgi, being able to have good conversations with her." his eyes drifted towards Seulgi, who looked back at him in awe at his unexpected answer.

"Oh my, that's quite touchy." the interviewer cheered. "How about you Seulgi? How did you feel about Taeyong after your initial meeting?"

Seulgi was still taken aback by his answer, but she had one ready to go as well. "I think my favourite moments were our conversations as well, especially when it was just two of us. Like you said I was a bit closed off, but on our own time he was still patient with getting to know me, and I really love that about him." the words left her mouth before she could finish, causing her to hand to clasp over her mouth while the interviewer gasped, and Taeyong stared in happy shock.

"Did you say love?" he teased her.

"I meant, your personality wise, like... being patient... uhm-"

"Well, I love your insightfulness, and your laugh." he suddenly replied, and although Seulgi knew it was to defuse her awkward position, which itself melted her heart, she could also tell he was being genuine.

"Oh my God you two must have gotten really close. Can I conclude this as a success story?"

The couple instinctively looked at each other with knowing eyes, before Taeyong smiled and turned to the interviewer.

"We still have a long way to go, but I guess you could say it was destiny."

>>>

"God, you were so cliche back then." Taeyong scowled at the words coming out of his wife, who laid next to him on her phone watching the three year old clip on youtube.

"Yea well, this cliche man was the one who you married, so needless to say my charms worked."

Seulgi chuckled, putting her phone away and turning towards her husband, throwing her arm around his torso as she cuddled closer. He laid his arm out for her to rest on, fingers playing with her hair as they got comfortable enough to fall asleep.

"I wouldn't have had it any other way." they shared a quick kiss, before laying back down and closing their eyes, both knowing he was right back then.

>>>

omg I forgot if this ask is a year or more, so sorry for the delay anon!🙏🏼 like I said, this exam season got my nerves so high I'm binge writing a few things together again lmao so I hope you enjoyed this still! took me a little extra thought for it bcuz ngl I've NEVER watched dating shows😅 so not sure if the format is what you expected (or if it made any sense😬)

[bryce-bucher]

.50 Caliber 3D Platformer Post #6

More UI More UI More UI More UI More UI:

This week has mostly been even more UI. I had a lot of fun getting the health UI put together, so I was itchin' to make some more in a similar style. I decided to knock out the ammo remaining UI (which was a long time coming), and the UI that pops up to tell you which token you've just collected. I'm happy with how they came out, so let's talk about them.

Ammo UI:

The ammo UI is something that I really struggled to visualize. I came up with several concepts on pen and paper ranging from an elongated CRT to a barrel that has each bullet slid into it, but none of them made mechanical sense, in that they wouldn't properly work with how reloading works in the game. Eventually I said fuck it and just started slamming together something more abstract. I started with a half tube and placed the 50 cal shell inside. I then started to greeble it up and realized that having a screen to indicate the number of remaining shots left would be handy. I then also realized that a few of the greeble circles I placed would house some little indicator lights nicely, so I slapped those in there as well. The player starts off with a single shot, but as the game progresses they can up their clip-size to 3, so I needed the UI to reflect the player being able to have that much ammo. Most of my designs were built around the idea of somehow having 3 different shells that would be loaded individually, but it always ended up taking up too much space, so the simplicity of the screen ended up saving the day. In the end, the shell that remains a part of the UI is more of a visual indicator as to what the UI is meant to represent, which I think works well enough.

Token Pickup UI:

I struggled for a while to think of what I wanted to pop up on screen when the player obtains a token, but I eventually settled on a mechanical screen of some kind. The inspiration for this one came out of nowhere. A windows update uninstalled all my windows media player skins, so I went into my big folder full of skins and just randomly selected one to install. The one I landed on is called Underworld and it looks like this:

My immediate reaction was something like :O, and I was immediately struck with inspo. I based the entire design of the slidey screen off this thing and it ended up looking like this:

It is pretty low detail compared to the other UI pieces I've made, but I thought it had its own charm that way and decided not to touch it.

Conclusion:

I have been sick af lately, and it sucks! I've been spending most of my time workin on this and playing the system shock remake while making a slow but steady recovery. I'm currently at the point where I can start replacing the whitebox with proper environment art, and I'm really excited about that. The next update should be all about that, so I'll see u then. Ty 4 Reading, have a good day

[stormystarlight]

Have you ever wanted to draw something but you fought due to your skill level at the time you decide not to do it

OH yeah ABSOLUTELY. all the time. my wips folder is full of stuff like this!! let me dust off some old examples

here's a sketch i did for a rain world piece that i was initially feeling pretty good about!! i wanted to experiment with more scenic pixel art, but i guess i didn't know where to start or how to approach it and ended up feeling really roadblocked really early on.

i blocked in some basic colors and did a little detailing on pebbles, but i was just struggling too hard with learning the tools and techniques i needed to pull off what i was envisioning that i got frustrated and stopped. I never picked this one up again, but I have made some other, better pixel art since :] i think the reason the one i linked worked out better is because i was trying to learn fewer things at a time while working on it. that one was a mostly 2-dimensional scene and was more heavily based on a reference, so i didn't have to think as hard about those things. this one was not only a new-ish medium to me, but also had some more challenging perspective and was less reference-heavy. if that makes sense?

more rain world! this was one of my earlier attempts at mimicking the cutscene art style. i got so frustrated with my inability to make the colors & shading look right that it went right into wip jail never to be seen again.

but then i scaled my ambitions back from Immediately Making A Polished Piece to just doing a quick study, and that helped immensely. original on the left, my study on the right. working on this was still difficult, cause i was learning something new, but since it was much simpler it was a much more manageable task. i could take more time to get it right without feeling like i was going nowhere

i never did finish that first one, but i did make some other finished pieces in that style that i think are pretty bangin if i do say so myself. one such example above

here's a video wip (whoa)! god it's really rushed & was never meant to see the light of day in this state so please don't look too hard at it. but this one i got frustrated with mostly because i wasn't feeling good about my ability to draw the cast of characters. so into the pits it went. i don't really have any interest in finishing it anymore since my ideas for the rest of it were speculative and, y'know, the rest of the show has since been released lol.

anyway, to close off my response. the first two are more or less success stories? despite the fact i never finished the original pieces i abandoned. because i wanted to talk about what's worked for me to alleviate this feeling—which is: scale back, try something less ambitious first, work your way up to the big project you're struggling with. but i also have dozens of other examples i could put in here of things that didn't work out at all and went nowhere. like, that just is how it is sometimes. i feel you 🤝 i think most if not all artists (of any medium) go through this haha

[nephrited]

I noticed your pic of your viera, Nidani, looks like you used my art as inspiration or like a guide of sorts! I'm very flattered, and wanted to say I'm glad to have assisted in your artistic development! You have very cute OCs. :)

Hello Jay!

You mean this one?

Not to my immediate knowledge but, maybe? I referenced the pose but I don't think it was one of your pieces. I've certainly used your art once or twice across the many...many years though, but please don't ask me to locate exactly where...

I'm just flipping through my big "oh this would make a good reference" folder now to try and find what I used for that specific piece though...It could have been! EDIT: The outfit and idea was definitely from @kevinsanoposts because they drew Nidani in it in the first place after seeing her in game. But I can't remember where I grabbed the pose from...

EDIT 2: Found the ref! Check reblogs!

[selfundiagnosed]

Insane that my mom ran the most popular patrick stump archival blog on tumblr + was a full time lawyer + was raising two mentally ill kids + doing culinary arts school + having a cookie business. I think its her autism i wont lie. But now its all catching up to her and she has no energy which would be the ehlers danlos fault this time.. tried to convince her to steal her old url back but on cohost so she made an account but couldnt immediately make side blogs but boy oh boy. she would be giving the fall out boy fandom what they want and more. Shes like i cant do it again i have no idea how i did it before im like ma! its called having boundaries. Shes like i cant do that when i have a special interest its called autism. Im like right but queue posts for once a day and find 30 pictures from a photo set and boom one months worth of posting fall out boy and you can conserve your energy. But she doesnt know how to do her special interests in moderation. Im honestly just glad she went and accepted a bunch of access to her mega archive folder thingy. But shes so mad she doesnt have access to like her actual archive bc the website she used go archive everything changed their subscription plans and she has so many photos it would be like a zillion dollars she doesnt have 😭 like bogus i remember photo storing websites were so free. Take me back to 2010 for real :T Anyway she used to get so mortified when i told my friends as a teen about her blog i actually told her coworker once and her coworker somehow RETAINED the url and went home and looked at her blog and she was so upset at me 😭😭 but now like she kinda doesnt give a fuck anymore bc fall out boy was her special interest for an entire decade and she’s over it. Obviously still a big big fan but not in bandom anymore. Her new special interest is a band i introduced her to when i was 13 and its kinda cringe so i dont talk about it but she also ran an archival blog for THIS band and i told my friend at a sleepover who liked this band about her blog and they fucking FOLLOWED HER and shit bricks and my mom was MORTIFIED. But anyway yeah she doesnt gaf now if i tell people she was this blog and i even posted a tiktok about it once and people started doing detective work that would make her autistic self so proud…. Bc thats what she was good at! sleuthing stalking detective work on the band. Pete wentz privately answered several of her asks on tumblr i’ll see if she can send me the asks and their responses. But yeah she doesnt care anymore. her original url was scrubbed by tumblr and shes very angry about it bc it was an original bandom url for patrick stump so shes like wtf ever i dont wanna touch this im so mad. Which SAAAAME. ive done that so many times. She started permitting access to people who requested it for one of her photo archive website thingies she left in her last post. But yeaaaahhh… she was patrick stump for halloween in like 2008 and she won the costume contest bc she had rhe coolest sideburns and looked so much like him. My first ever concert was a fall out boy concert in spring 2007 i was 6 turning 7 within the next few months lemme just say the music video for carpel tunnel of love played on the screen as they played the song and my brother and i was so traumatized. But then immediately they played this aint a scene after that and we were like HELL YEAAAAAAAAA. And my brother (5 at the time) and i knew every single song and sang along and my mom went look at everyone else no one else knows these songs. You guys are so cool. And we looked around and yeah no one was singing the songs and were sooo excited! Oh and theres that one time she recorded us singing keep it simple by cobra starship and THEY PUT IT ON THEIR MYSPACE PAGE AT THE TOP WE FLIPPED SHIT. i wish THAT video was still up. Shes also met fall out boy so many times and walked away from patrick stump while he was talking to her bc she didnt want to take up his time at a meet and greet. Omg. so many memories. I was literally raised in online bandom thats so insane. Maybe thats why im a homosexual

[rosekasa]

I dont know who to ask but since ur an artjst, how do i feel better abt my art? i love the process, love to draw my thoughts but at the end when i see what ive made, im not happy? it doesn't look good to me and that just sours my happiness over the process entirely. i don't know why but i had fun doing it but now its disgusting to me and its an endless cycle

oh anon. big hugs. im so sorry you're dealing with this. ive struggled with this myself for years and it's so difficult, especially when you see others seemingly effortlessly creating whatever they want and having it look beautiful everytime.

this is going to sound so cheesy, but honestly? what helped me was believing in myself more. i tried to understand what exactly the difference is between myself and the kind of artist i wanted to be, and i realised it was very little to do with the actual end result of my pieces and rather how i felt about them -- i wanted to feel like i could have an idea and immediately sit down to draw it instead of wondering if i had the skills to, i wanted to be able to draw something that i was genuinely excited about rather than something i thought was 'safe', and most of all i wanted to draw without being scared that i might not like the results. not liking the end results for me wasn't a sign that my art was bad, it was a sign that I wasn't thinking or acting like the kind of artist i wanted to be, and i realised that that artist would not doubt herself so much, regardless of the results she's producing. she would know that if there's anything she wants to add to her skillset, she can experiment with it and have fun and live in the knowledge that whatever she produces will make her happy.

i give this advice but i also want to let you know that i still go through bouts of this and im sure every other artist does too. like, i havent drawn anything since october because my brain keeps telling me that art is hard and i wont be able to draw fast enough and there's nothing i want to draw anyway. it doesn't help when the evidence i see corroborates it too -- e.g., losing followers on instagram within a week of inactivity, or the fact that my folders for november to february are completely devoid of any art, or just the simple fact i have not willingly sat down with my ipad for a while. but something im starting to realise is that you dont need to wait for the things you see to tell you that you're the person you want to be. you can be that person regardless, because if you think about it that person probably also would have that same confidence in themselves!

i really hope this helped you anon. and if you have time today you should try to draw something and do it with utmost love and trust in yourself. writing this response made me want to do the same so we can do it like a challenge together, because im rooting you on!!!

[rizaposting]

WIP Wednesday- Plans for this year

The past week has been extremely hectic (had to take my mum to the hospital--she is home now and she is fine!) so I don't have much to show for WIPs this week either. So I figured I'd take some time to do a little breakdown of some of the works I have planned for this year :]

This will not be exhaustive, as I'm incredibly susceptible to coming up with ideas to chase at any moment, but hopefully some of these ideas sound fun!

The Biggies

Royai Big Bang 2024 Anthology piece- To be released October 3rd, 2024. This is my first time participating in any sort of fandom event, so I'm very excited! If you've seen my snippets of or heard me talking about my Riza Going Undercover As A Butch Honeypot story, that's this one!

(Currently) Unnamed 03Royai Project- I had wanted to get this started last year to celebrate FMA03's 20th anniversary but alas.... 2023 sucked for me. So my goal is to get it started and work on it through this year! It's going to be an exploration of 03Royai after the events of the anime, made up of three parts: them falling in love and the challenges faced after the anime, the events of CoS and immediately afterwards, and then the future thereafter. A bit of a fix-it of sorts, if you want to call it that? but more of a look into their mental states and codependence and me trying to draw other people into talking about fma03 with me. My baby.

Other Ideas

What if Dante had fixated on Riza instead of Rose?- Another 03 project! Kind of a silly idea but I love putting Riza in situations, especially when it makes Baddies get weirdly fixated on her. Maybe Dante thinks having Mustang in her pocket would be good. Maybe she has a thing for blondes.

Wrath bullying Riza when she's his assistant/hostage- Rescued from my drafts! A short oneshot I do not remember writing but liked very much when I went "which one was this again?" when I was going through my WIP folder the other day. Bradley making Riza feel bad for making Roy 'weak'.

PPD Riza- Another rescued draft I think I wrote originally at like 3am one night. A oneshot of Riza being forced to finally reckon with her childhood trauma while struggling with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter. Roy supports her (because it's HER TURN to be cared for).

Lycanthropy as a metaphor for feminine rage- Riza werewolf AU. An excuse for her to get mad about all the injustices she's suffered at the hands of men and be covered in blood.

Is 2024 The Year I Finally Publish 'The Infamous Printer Fic'?- ........maybe...

I'm sure there are other ideas that will pop into my head suddenly! And maybe a couple of these fics listed will get shoved back into Draft Jail... Time will tell. My biggest priority for the next few months will be the Big Bang piece, and after that I will try pushing more for Unnamed 03Royai Project, with little things sprinkled in between. Dear God Dear God Tinkle Tinkle Hoy let me get more writing (and art) out this year!

[holofoiltowercard]

The Journey of The Tarot Haiku

XIII: Death - Cycles

I'll do my best to really concentrate on the project itself in this post, because I want to stay on track, and also to show all the different deaths and rebirths and metamorphoses it went through, as did I.

As I have said earlier, it was born as a single poem in response to an optional thought exercise. I always hoped I would one day write a book, but when that first poem came to me, the fact that it could become a whole book was not immediately in my mind (I thought my first might be a novel, if only I could pull my creative energies together in that direction). I had a single poem, and then its pair, and only when a few more came along did I start considering the possibility, which is a good thing, because it told me that I finally had something that sprouted naturally rather than me going, "it would be cool if I did this." Let me explain.

Through my life I have often struggled with where my art was coming from. It is probably my being autistic, but I began my art journey by copying what I saw, and I spent a lot of my life trying to imitate others to fit in, even if I didn't understand what I was doing or what they were doing, and it showed. One time my art teacher told us to make a collage, and I did not understand collages at all, so I mechanically complied with the concept by pasting random cut out stuff onto paper without any rhyme or reason - because there were none on my end to apply. My teacher looked at it and said I did it wrong, and of course I did! I was just imitating the concept of collages without any original thought or plan. And this wasn't the only time I found myself doing art a certain way just because everyone was doing that sort of thing and I wanted desperately to fit in (and then didn't because the art was clearly not coming from my heart).

The poems were different. The Tarot was dear to my heart and I enjoyed toying with poetry on the rare occasion, and I was mostly cut off from others while studying the Tarot. I realized I was not copying anyone this time, but genuinely pursuing something from the heart. That was the first metamorphosis, where a simple thought exercise started becoming a serious project, and I, a Tarot casual, became a deep diver in order to do justice to the Tarot, the poems, and my perfectionist side who wanted to get it right.

Then the manuscript was born and I started drawing again after letting my drawing skills gather dust for years. The poems transformed again and started gaining structure and shape. From a person without original ideas, I went to being a writer who was drawing from their own well of creativity to create poems. It was an amazing feeling. I remember how much hope surged within me as I continued to finish illustrations and structure the layout and insert everything into place.

The first death came when I burned out and collapsed. The poems were put to rest for over a year - I didn't even know if I would ever touch them again, despite that soft, tired murmur in my heart that they were good, and they were important. Then the two crashes came in succession, and I almost lost it all. Afterwards the first thing I did was open the Scrivener file, copy out every single poem from the myriads of little files and folders I tucked them into, and create a single Word document containing every single one, including the extra poems that didn't make the cut. I also printed it out to have a physical copy I could keep (if anything happened again I could retype it, I told myself), and when all the poems were finished, I completed that document and printed it out again to have it all safe.

And what do you know, I ended up having to redo the whole thing in Word, because I couldn't make my original manuscript agree with Kindle Create - sure, it loaded, but it looked off, and because it accepts both Word documents and PDFs, I realized that the best way was to finally figure out how to do upside down text in Word, and then format the whole thing. I actually managed to do it in a day, and I owe that to the many days I spent tinkering with it in CSP: I already knew what the layout had to look like, so once I figured out how to replicate it in Word, it was only a matter of copy pasting everything, so I put the OST of The Neverending Story on loop and got to it. (It's on Spotify and the whole soundtrack is amazing. Big nostalgia trip too, the movie came out the year I was born!)

And so the project was born again, became a PDF, and then a self-published book, with it going though a final transformation to meet the guidelines for paperback and hardcover... and here I am also, hoping that this will be a rebirth and metamorphosis for me too.

Buy the ebook

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[katefiction]

Those eyes (Prologue - Chapter 3) by @a-lifelessface [English]

Thank you so much to @clmarelich0824 for the translation!

Prologue

Everyone around William makes an immense pressure for him to find a woman and get married. He needs to build a family, have heirs. Parliament panics just imagining a King without a Queen. William is the first in the line of succession to the throne for 20 years, has had dozens of girlfriends, but has never assumed any publicly or been close to proposing something more serious. William's problem is not because he is too selective or did not find the women good enough for him, it turns out that William wants to get married for love. He wants to marry someone who truly loves him and whom he loves back, not only because he is a prince and future king of England, but because he is only him: William Wales.

The first rays of London spring sun appear through the heavy curtain of the luxurious room of the future king of England making him wake up once again alone. It's always been like that.

This morning I have an appointment at the National Gallery in London, we will inaugurate a new exhibition in honor of my grandfather, His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. My grandfather loved art and I loved my grandfather, I was very excited to get to know this new space in his honor.

The days when I go out to make official appointments are always very hectic, I always kept calm and took everything lightly and in a good mood, but today for some reason I felt totally different, I was anxious, my heart was restless and I had no idea why.

Getting out of the car, I fix my tie and close the button of my perfectly aligned blue suit, I wave to some people there on the street who shouted my name non-stop.

Walking through the Museum, I began to contemplate that place, each work had its particular value, some were historical, others of cultural, artistic and even sentimental value. Sentimental? That's how I felt this morning.

I had never fallen in love before and I always wanted it to happen. I always wanted to feel the emotion of the unknown, the expectation and all the nuances of love.

And then I saw her.

She was standing, holding some folders and was totally oblivious to my presence.

My heart stopped, my breath failed and she hadn't even looked in my direction yet.

I, who always waited for that moment, now had no idea what to do.

“Hello everyone!”  he said drawing the attention of the seven people who were in the room. I was nervous and couldn't stop looking at her.

Upon hearing my greeting, she raised her face and looked towards me, her mouth opened in a discreet smile, her green eyes shone when she saw me.

She was beautiful, incredibly beautiful.

I was paralyzed, my mind couldn't formulate sentences and I couldn't even remember what I went to do in that place.

“Sir? William, are you okay?” I heard my secretary calling me.

Who is this brunette? How did she manage to do this to me? I need to act immediately, before anyone realizes what just happened.

“Yes, I'm fine. Let's go! Before the inauguration, I want to meet all of you.” I swallowed it dry and started talking non-stop, moving my arms like a pathetic teenager. God, I was lost.

Rob looked at me confused, finding it strange (rightly) my sudden change in behavior. Then we entered the room and he introduced me one by one of those present, until it was her turn.

“Sir, this is Catherine Middleton, she is the Art History teacher and employee here at the Museum.” Rob spoke formally.

“Hello, Catherine! What a pleasure to meet you.” I said smiling and extending his hand to greet her.

“Hello, sir.” She smiled back, taking my hand.

I could feel the sweet touch of her cold fingers on my warm skin. The contrast was evident and it was a wonderful feeling.

“Wow, what cold hands you have.” I commented making your bright eyes widen.

“They say that those who have cold hands are because they have a warm heart.” Catherine said letting go of my hand.

She looked at me so intensely and I couldn't stop smiling.

I'm not sure how long that commitment would last, but I'm sure of one thing: My life turned into the minute I laid my eyes on her.

Chapter 1

“Chances are poetically more charming if you feel the connection only with an exchange of glances.”

“Have you been working here for a long time, Catherine?” I said cordially.

“I've been working here since I graduated four years ago”

“That's amazing! And have you always liked art?” I took a risk. I was delighted and really wanted to know everything about her, but during work and in front of other people it would be totally inappropriate for me to ask so many personal questions.

“Yes, it has always been one of the things I've always liked.” she said at the same time as she put the folders on the table and removed a sheet of paper from inside one of them. “Here, Your Highness! This will be the schedule of visits to the exhibition Prince Philip: A Celebration. I loved your grandfather and it was an honor for me to organize the whole exhibition. The painting he painted of Queen Elizabeth is simply charming.” she extended the sheet to me, giving me the chance to come one more step closer towards her. I took the leaf, daring to touch your hand once again, even if for seconds pretending to be an accidental act.

“My grandfather was an exceptional person. I can't wait to see the space.” I took my eyes off the paper, to look into her eyes and she looked at me so intensely that I even wondered if she looked at other people like that, I hoped not. My grandmother was very lucky.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get to know it, then.” She said taking us out of that trance. “John? You're the one who's going to introduce the prince.” the room was silent, and everyone looked in my direction, except for her who was now looking at John.

I quickly got out of my state of stupor, I looked at my secretary who was now already pointing to the door, he was with John by his side. I turned my gaze again to the brunette and said:

“But aren't you going to present? “I just let go and immediately felt my cheeks warm up. Idiot. Idiot. Idiot.

“No, my work is more internal, who presents things here is John. He is the guide.” she answered and I could see in her eyes how confused she was with my question.

“Ah, I get it. Even if you're not going to present, that doesn't stop you from following us, does it? I make a point of having your presence... It's... The presence of everyone here.” he said pulling his tie.

“Okay, I'll be there.” she said smiling, but for some reason I saw a certain sadness in her eyes. Something wasn't right there.

I shook my head trying to organize my thoughts and decided to forget all this, I needed to focus on my work now. I was there for my grandfather.

Leaving that office, John was chattering about other works of the Museum and I had to pretend to be interested. We arrived at the hall where the exhibition was organized for my grandfather. Several people were present for the inauguration, everyone's attention was focused on me when I entered the salon. John stepped forward, climbed on the small stage and with an extremely annoying sympathy began to speak.

“Good morning everyone. I want to welcome His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales, it is a great pleasure to have you here this morning.” John pointed to my direction and I reciprocate with a nod and gentle smile. “This spring, the National Gallery will present a special exhibition to celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of his Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The themes explored in Prince Philip: A Celebration include the beginning of the prince's life and naval career, his role as a consort and his support for the sovereign at home and abroad. The exhibitions will also focus on the sponsorships and comprehensive associations of His Royal Highness, including sport, science and industry, conservation and environment, art and collecting, and encouraging younger generations. Finally, I would like to call here ahead, the Prince of Wales.” Everyone clapped their hands for John's little speech and I found myself thinking that if it was her talking, everything would be more interesting, even my grandfather would agree with me. Walking to John, I greeted him and got closer to the microphone.

“My grandfather was an extraordinary man, a man with a lot of honor, service and an excellent sense of humor. I feel lucky that I have not only your example to guide me, but also his lasting presence in my life. His life was an example of dedication to the country, the crown and my grandmother. Today we are here to contemplate his legacy and it is a real honor for me to be part of it. Thank you!” Everyone applauded.

“In addition to the charm, I wish I had inherited the gift of painting, but it definitely didn't work out.” I couldn't finish without making a joke. Everyone laughed.

During my speech I looked at the small crowd in that hall and couldn't find it. I went towards the tape and cut it, flashes and clapping filled the place.

After a few minutes I was already talking to some people until Rob tells me that we are going to take pictures with the Museum staff. In front of my grandfather's painting and the painting made by him very well placed in a place of honor, everyone was already waiting for me, including her. I noticed that she was at the end of the last row, next to her was John whispering something in her ear. I hurried to get to your side, but I was prevented by Newton, the general manager of the Museum who asked me to stay in the middle of everyone in the last row. I passed by her and John, with great regret.

I positioned myself in the place assigned to me and everyone smiled at the photo. The inauguration was a success.

It was time to leave, I was looking for her in the salon and the woman just disappeared, I said goodbye to everyone with a smile on my face. I wanted to say goodbye to Catherine, I wanted to at least talk to her once again, but I couldn't go out looking for her through the Museum, the place was huge and I definitely couldn't ask for her, it would be reckless and too risky. After all, what did that mean? I just met this woman, I know absolutely nothing about her, why the hell am I so obsessed? No, I'm not like that. I needed to get out of there immediately.

On the way back, with Rob next to me, we got into the car, as soon as we left in front of the building Rob started laughing.

“What is it? What happened?” I questioned.

“You” said Rob in the midst of laughter “, you wouldn't stop looking at the brunette girl with green eyes. What's her name again?”

“Catherine, her name is Catherine.” I answered

“A-ha! I remembered her name, I just wanted to know if you confirmed that you kept an eye on her.”

“Rob, don't be ridiculous! I remember the names of all the people you introduced me to today. Another thing... It would be impossible not to remember a beautiful woman.”

Rob raised his arms as a sign of surrender and said ironically: “If you're saying, who am I to disagree.”

“That's why I don't tell you things, you're unbearable.”

“Oh, come on! Were you interested? I can get her contact.

“Well, please. I'm not 12 years old. I don't want you to do anything for me.”  He simply said. I was already getting nervous about all that questioning. Although it was a good idea to get her contact, I didn't want it to be that way.

“Calm down, William. I was just kidding. I'm not going to invade the girl's privacy.”  Rob looked at me a little worried.

“I'm sorry Rob, this morning was too hectic. Forget the girl, it was no big deal.” He said trying to calm him down.

My own voice echoed in my mind "Forget the girl, it was no big deal." How could I forget? Did I want to forget? The feeling and the shiver I felt when I looked at her for the first time. Her hair falling like waterfalls on her back, her face concentrated, and when she looked at me, I even lost my breath. God, I've never felt that before. What about the cold touch of your hands? I wanted more of that. What is that? Passion? I can only be a fool for falling in love with someone I don't know.

“William? William? Hello, land calling William!” Rob put his hands in front of me, taking me out of the daydream.

“What is it now?!” I exclaimed.

“My God, what a bad mood!  I’m calling you to find out if you really want to stay at KP or are you going somewhere else?”  He said in a provocative tone.

“I'll stay at KP.” I shook my head with the intention of stopping thinking. I can't allow myself to be distracted like that, let alone take it out on Rob. He has been so loyal to me, I can't be ungrateful that way. So I decided to change the subject, to distract my mind until I got home soon.”Rob, what are the commitments of the week?”

“Ah, you have five…”  He began to detail everything and I was making mental notes during the rest of the course.

Now sitting in my office I couldn't think of anything other than those beautiful blue eyes. When I heard your voice today at the Museum, a million feelings came back to the fore like a hurricane in my chest, and I had no idea what to do. The way he spoke to me made me confused, does he talk to everyone like that? I can't dare to deceive myself with this, he was just being nice for God's sake.

I still can't believe it had to be John who presented the exhibition to him, I worked for three long months to make everything perfect and he simply stole my work because he didn't accept our breakup. I can't stand his blackmail anymore, I need to find a way to...

“Kate, you have everything! The prince wouldn't take his eyes off you!” August said, calling my attention.

“Oh, don't even tell me! For a moment I thought he would take you home, oops! Not a house, a palace.” John said with disdain.

“Well, don't be ridiculous! He was just being nice. He spoke to everyone in the same way.” I spoke firmly.

“Kate, he said his hands are cold, I never imagined he would make a comment like that.” August laughed, making me laugh too. “And you replied that you have a warm heart, I had to hold back so as not to laugh.”

“I got nervous! I couldn't even think of answering it.”  My cheeks burned with shame, remembering what I said.

“You loved the attention he gave to you! Gold Digger” John shouted, making the room in complete silence.

“John!” August scolded him. And I made a signal for August to stop and turned in front of John.

“What's your problem? I was being nice, like everyone else here. What did you want? That I was rude to him? I'm not like you, you were wanting to get his attention, that's why you stole my presentation!”  I spit out the words. Everyone in the office watched the little show.

“I am the guide! You said that to him yourself.”  John shot me with his eyes.

“You know very well that this is not quite how things work! I worked so hard to fix everything and you wanted to present it just because it was for a member of royalty. You disturbed me so much that I ended up giving in, and now you come to accuse me of something that is not true? Spare me, John. I'm tired of you.” My eyes filled with tears, my body trembled with hatred. I didn't want to cry in front of anyone, so I took my bag and left the office, I was sick of that conversation.

I heard August calling me, he seemed worried about me, but I ran through the halls of the Museum without looking back.

The night came, everything was very calm at that time, but in two different places, two hearts pulsed in the same tune, connected through thoughts.

William, in his bed. Catherine, in hers.

Both hoping that sleep would come and could plunge into dreams, in the hope that they would come true and calm this whirlwind of sensations.

The little meeting today touched on a feeling that has been forgotten for years in Catherine's chest, unlike William who experienced it for the first time. Will chance smile at them? Only time will tell.

Chapter 2

“Being observant most of the time is a gift.”

After the visit to the Museum, the rest of William's week was full of work, he made four other appointments and was on his way to the last one of this week.

In addition to being extremely kind and charismatic, William was very committed to his royal duties and the British adored him for it.

With his dark jeans, cap and vest from the Big Issue sellers, Prince William went to spend the morning in the city of Westminster, walking along Rochester Row selling magazines to help the homeless.

The blue sky and the spring air made everything poetically more pleasant, the morning although hectic was being great for William, who approached the people who walked down the street at that time.

“Prince William?” said a lady carrying a small bag of fruit.

“Yes?” he replied, with a nice smile.

“I can't believe it! Are you sure it's you?

“Of course I'm sure it's me.” said the prince.

“I remember when you were born!” said the enchanted lady

“Ah, it was a really remarkable day.” he said mockingly. William reached out to greet her.

“You're just like your mother. What are you doing here?” he asked, while holding the prince's hand.

“We are selling magazines. Look, my colleagues there...” said pointing to other people in red vests “are people in a less favored situation, everyone is working honestly thanks to Big Issue, which offers this opportunity.”

“Oh, that's amazing!

“The mission is to dismantle poverty by creating opportunities, through self-help, social commerce and business solutions. Each seller is a microentrepreneur who is working, not begging, it is vitally important that buyers take their copy. So, are you going to buy one or two magazines?”William spoke with a smile on his face.

“For me I would buy all the magazines if you were to have tea with me.” you joked. William laughed.

“It would be an honor for me to have tea with you, but at the moment, I'm working. Not to mention that...” he held the smiling lady's shoulder and leaned closer to her. “I was forbidden to flirt during work

“It will be our little secret!” she said happily. “I'll take two magazines.”

“You are a charming woman.” said William handing the magazines in her hand.

“Thank you very much!” answered the older one with tears in her eyes.

Noticing the commotion of that lady, William asked for permission and hooked her arm on his.

”Are you going to cross the street?”

“Yes, I live around that corner.” she replied, pointing with her head.

“I noticed that more people are passing by that side and as I'm working and I can't accept your invitation to tea, at least I can accompany you to cross the street.” he said as they started walking.

“You are wonderful. A pride for our country. Lucky for the woman who marries you, young man. I hope you find it soon.”  William politely listened to her words, and when he arrived on the other side of the street he looks back and sees that beautiful brunette with green eyes, walking on the side opposite his. William loses his breath.

The brunette notices that he saw him and then looks away.

William turns his attention to the lady next to him.

“Thank you for your help and great company!” your voice comes out a little flawed. Say goodbye to the nice lady with a hug. He looks back in the direction of the woman he saw seconds ago and can't find it.

In a somewhat curious attitude, he searches in all directions without success. How could she have disappeared in a matter of seconds.

"My God, it's not possible. I wonder if I was imagining it?" He wondered in his head.

Five days had passed since the meeting at the Museum and as much as William was busy with the commitments of the week, every night before bed she surrounded her thoughts, no matter how much William tried in every way to keep her away, her image returned like a magnet in her head. Catherine raising her face and looking at him, a small smile forming on her lips. It was so nice to look at. William wanted more of that, but how?

After Prince William's visit to the Museum, Catherine's week was full of work, as always. In addition to working at the National Gallery, Catherine teaches twice a week at Richmond The American International University. Everything in Catherine's life happened very quickly and she was always very grateful for all the opportunities that life gave her.

Everything was fine, except for the restlessness in his chest since the meeting with a certain prince, it was only a few minutes of conversation, but this caused him a whirlwind of thoughts. That beautiful pair of blue eyes did not leave his head, the way he smiled looking directly into his eyes. Catherine wanted more of that, but how? She found him completely inaccessible, not to mention that in her head he would never be interested in a mere teacher.

Catherine was walking towards the Shepherds Bookbinders store and then went to the University where she was teaching that day.

Around the corner she saw him talking to a lady. Was it him? It could only be him. Even wearing a red cap and vest, she would recognize him. She was good at it.

Catherine kept walking towards him, observing how penetrated he was in the conversation. She looked at him in admiration and when he was almost getting close, he hooked the lady's arm on his and helped her cross the street. Catherine lamented but found that gesture adorable. She couldn't stop staring at it, it was a necessity. And out of nowhere, he sees her.

Catherine loses her breath with the weight of her gaze. Because she gets nervous about that connection, she looks away, breaking her eye contact. When he turns his attention to you, Catherine runs into the store.

“Good morning! How can I help you?” said the saleswoman

“Oh, hi. Good morning!”  Catherine responds a little panting with her hands on her chest. “Yeah, I... I came to pick up an album that I had bound. My name is Catherine.”

“Oh, right. I'll check if it's already ready.”  She said while moving the computer. “Did you see who is here on the street today?

“Here on the street? Who?” Catherine looked out the window.

“Prince William” the young saleswoman continued smiling. “He is even more handsome in person.”

“Oh yeah? I didn't see him.” She replied trying to sound indifferent. “What is he doing here? Usually when he is somewhere there is always a police force.”

“He's selling magazines with the Big Issue people. My friend said he came by surprise, nothing was announced.

“That's cool.” Catherine kept looking out the window, trying to see him.

“Your album is ready. Just a moment I'll get it for you.” said the saleswoman going towards the door at the back of the store.  Catherine nodded.

When the saleswoman left, Catherine went to the door of the store and watched him from afar. William was on the opposite corner of the store and looked in all directions. She watched him.

“He's tall, right?” Catherine jumped when she heard the saleswoman's voice.

“My God, what a scare!” He Exclaimed. “I didn't hear you arrive.

“Oh sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Here's your product.”  The young woman stretched a small box towards Catherine

“Ah, thank you very much!” She smiled.

“I thank you.” The saleswoman spoke with a nice smile

“Have a good day!” She said goodbye leaving the store and going in the opposite direction of William.

The National Gallery

After spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon teaching, Catherine went to the National Gallery.

It was after half past eight in the evening when John entered the room where Catherine was cataloging some works.

“Hi, beautiful. Go home, we're almost closing.”  he spoke sweetly, while leaning on the counter very close to Catherine.

“Oh, hi. What time is it?”  she continued to catalog without looking at him.

“8:35PM. You need to rest, Kate. I can take you away and then I'll make you relax. What do you think?” John used his softer tone and dared to caress Kate's shoulders, who retreated a little.

“John, we are no longer together, you can't come in here and act as if nothing had happened.” Her tone was firm.

“Kate, I'll never get tired of saying that I'm sorry for everything I've done. You have to give me one more chance. I can make you happy. We're great together.” he whispered, taking his hand.

“No, John. All we did was hurt each other.” His voice sounded tired.

“Do you like another Kate? Be honest with me. I don't want to lose you. I know I made a mistake, I said a lot of shit, I did a lot of shit. You don't deserve this, but angel, I can improve.” John begged. Catherine now looked him straight in the eye.

“John, I like you, but not the same way you say you like me. The time we spent together made this more than clear to me. And when we finished, you started harming my work here.”  Catherine let out a heavy breath. “You know how hard I tried to gain my space in this place, you more than anyone should be by my side, not against me.”

“Kate, I'm sorry. I don't know why I acted like this before, I can talk to Newton about it, and in the...”

“I don't want you to talk to Newton about anything.”  Catherine cut him off.

“All right, I don't speak, but please excuse me Kate, I was jealous. You're too bright, I couldn't stand the way the prince looked at you.”  John murmured, shaking her hands even more. Catherine looked at him shocked.

“If you don't like my shine, you shouldn't want to be with me. I'm not going to diminish myself to fit into anyone's world. And you know I don't have any contact with the prince. That's ridiculous.” he said moving away from John.

“Kate, please! We can make it work.”  John was looking for her hands again.

“No, John. There are no more opportunities . We will only be co-workers, everything that happened was a mistake. “. Catherine said.

“Mistake?! That's not what you told me when you were in my bed.”  John spat out the words with disdain. Catherine was breathing with difficulty.

“How dare you?! John, how dare you say that?! And you still want me to come back with you!”  Catherine laughed in disgust. “ You suck! Get out of my way!” Catherine screamed.   “Get out!”

“Oh Kate, no! That's not how I wanted it to end, I didn't mean that! I'm sorry! I'm going to change, I'll never say that again, I promise! ― John jumped in front of her, holding her by the shoulders.

“Let me go, John! I don't want to! Get out!” Catherine screamed, and tried to get rid of his arms. “Please!” John let her go.

She looked at him with so much contempt that he didn't have the courage to say anything else. John left the room, leaving Catherine behind.

Catherine sat down, with her hands on her head taking a deep breath. She wanted to cry, but she didn't allow herself to let any tears escape. After a few minutes, she got up, let go of her hair, took her things and walked towards the street.

The rest of William's day was quiet, after spending the morning on the streets of Westminster, selling magazines, taking selfies and talking to people in the area, he had lunch with his brother and spent the afternoon in his office.

After dark, William wanted to vent so he had the idea of taking his motorcycle and going out through the streets of the city. When he was driving, William felt free. He needed that.

William wanted to go out alone, needed to think and didn't want to be interrupted, so he sent a message to Rob saying he would take a motorcycle ride and soon come back.

Taking his jacket and helmet, William got on the motorcycle dismissing all the security guards.

Upon leaving through the gate, William went in the north direction of Kensington Palace Gardens and turned right on Bayswater Rd, at that time the traffic was already quiet and he was increasing more and more speed on the practically empty highway. Continuing on the A4202, turned left at Piccadilly, William didn't know where he was going, he just wanted to empty his mind. On the left again he arrived at The Mall, starting to feel the adrenaline passing all over his body, turned left on Marlborough Rd and again to the left St James's St/A4. He could feel his cold body, his breath interrupted when an idea came into his mind. Turned right towards Pall Mall/A4, continued on Whitcomb St, and one last time turned left on Whitcomb St and then on St Martin's St. Throughout the journey, only one face appeared in his head, hers. William spotted the National Gallery and slowed down. There he was again, where it all had started. He didn't know for sure why he had gone there, he just followed his heart. He parked the bike, and looked at the clock, it was 9:05 p.m., he mentally calculated and realized that it only took 15 minutes to get to that part of the city, the traffic was really quiet. William took off his helmet because at that time there was practically no one walking around there, the chance of him being recognized was small.

William began to walk towards the staircase and as he looked forward he saw her. Again. It was the third time, and just like the other times, he lost his breath. She wore a red coat, her hair swayed as she walked.

William didn't want to miss the opportunity to talk to Catherine, at least once again.

He hurried the step by jumping a few steps to get close to the fourth column, where she walked slowly. William wanted to approach her but did not want to scare the girl, so he stepped forward in front of her field of vision, where the light could give a glimpse of her presence.

When Catherine saw the shadow, she raised her head and saw it. His eyes connected and with two more steps, William stopped in front of him.

“Hi.” William smiled. “I didn't want to scare you.”  He completed, scratching the back of his neck.

“What are you doing here?” Catherine widened her eyes.

 “I don't know.” William laughed nervously. “Sorry, I shouldn't have approached you.”

“No, that's fine.” Catherine hurried to say, taking a step in his direction.

“I wish I had said goodbye to you that day.” William put his hand in his pocket.

“So you came here today to say goodbye to me?” she finally smiled. Making William smile too.

“In fact, I went for a motorcycle ride to relax and ended up getting here. It's... Sorry, you make me nervous... I don't know what to say, you... My God... I can't stop thinking about you.” William looked at her. Catherine held her breath.

”Sorry, but I still don't understand why you came. ― Catherine spoke softly.

“I came to see you.” William whispered.

“Ah.” she couldn't stop looking at those blue irises, which shone in a way she had never seen before.

“If I asked you out, would you accept it?” he asked.

“Would you go out with a stranger?” she raised one of her eyebrows and William thought it was adorable.

“I know you.

“You don't know, no.” she said in a tone of defiance.

“Your name is Catherine Middleton, you have a degree in Art History, you have worked here at the Museum since you graduated four years ago. You loved my grandfather, besides being a teacher you probably also do something with photography. And I can't fail to mention that you were at Shepherds Bookbinders today.” William took his hands out of his pocket and pretended to breathe relieved, making her smile openly.

“How do you know I'm a photographer?”

“You're carrying a camera, I confess that this was just a kick. And about the store, before you ask I saw you and my confirmation is the small box you are carrying.” she looked at you in amazing.

“You're very observant, aren't you?

“Yes, and I couldn't help but notice that you have the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.” he said timidly making Catherine laugh. The sound of her laughter, although low, hit him deep in his chest. Everything seemed right when I heard that sound.

“I don't know what I should call you.” confessed the brunette.

“Call me William.” he smiled.

“William.” she whispered. He bit his lip.

“Catherine, so will you go out with me?” he whispered. She nodded and William needed a lot of self-control not to jump off the sidewalk.

“Can you give me your contact?” said taking the cell phone out of her pocket and unlocking it, and in a daring act Catherine took the cell phone from his hand and type down the number and returned it with a small smile.

William looked at the number saved with the name "Kate" shining on his phone.

“It's already late, I don't want to take your time anymore. Are you going home?” Catherine was surprised to look at the time.

“My God, I can't miss the bus.” she started to move frantically.

“I'm on a motorcycle and I only brought a helmet.”  William turned pale. “My God, where's my helmet?” he began to look desperately everywhere.

“You came to me with nothing in your hands.” she said in a tone of concern. “Didn't you leave it on the bike?”

“Hmm, it could be... “ he breathed a sigh of relief. “Shall we go then? I'd love to give you a ride, but I only brought a helmet, and I can't put our lives in danger by walking around.” he stretched out his arms pointing in the direction

“I won’t even get on a motorcycle dead.” she said with disdain.

“Oh stop, it's a lot of fun. Next time I'll bring you a helmet.” he said trying to convince the brunette, who was already walking next to you and denying it with her head.

“Can I?” he pointed to the bag that was on Catherine's shoulders. She nodded and he took it off her shoulders, putting it on yours. They walked slowly side by side, in a comfortable silence to his motorcycle.

“Catherine, it was a pleasure to talk to you.” he said in a low tone.

“It was a pleasure talking to you.” She smiled again.

“I'll call you so we can schedule it, okay?” he said handing the bag to her again.

“Okay.” she said leaving. And when he was already a few steps away, he heard his voice.

“Kate!” William called her making her look back. “You have no idea how long I waited for this.”

She just smiled. And William felt as if the whole world had been in slow motion.

Chapter 3

“The day William felt he could be himself and was not worried about being anything different from that.”

Chelsea, London

Not far from the one who invaded her dreams, Catherine woke up for another spring Saturday.

Catherine slept so well that she didn't even mind waking up so early on a day off, still lying in her bed she went over the events of the night before.

Yesterday when I was leaving the Museum, Catherine just wanted to get home and cry to sleep, but William showed up and everything changed. William. For some reason, after talking, Catherine no longer thought of him as Prince William. I could only think of the man who went to her work to see her, the one who remembered everything she said to him, the one who with 10 minutes of conversation made her totally forget all the confusion with John, the one who has the most beautiful eyes she has ever seen and who asked if she would go out with him. Everything seemed like a dream.

Catherine had just turned on the television when she heard her phone ring. When she picked up her cell phone, she noticed a different number. Catherine immediately opened a smile. It could only be him.

“Hello?”

“Catherine? Good morning.”  a smiling voice sounded on the other side of the line. “It's William.”

“Yes? Good morning.”  She replied smiling.

“You have a sleepy voice, did I wake you up?”

“No, I was already awake but I confess that I'm still lying down. And you, why are you up so early?”

“I just woke up, I have to leave in a little while, but before doing anything I needed to talk to you.” Catherine melted when she heard this.

“What do you have to tell me?”

“First I want to know if you arrived well last night, I ended up delaying you and I'm sorry I didn't take you home.”

“I arrived well, don't worry about it, I wouldn't accept a motorcycle ride, anyway.”

“Why?”

“I've never even climbed a motorcycle.”

“For everything there is a first time, I promise you it will be fun.”

“I'll think about your case.”

“Perfect. So... Kate? I can call you that, right? After all, that's the name you put on my phone.”  She laughed when she heard him. His morning laugh made William sit on the bed

“Yes, you can call me Kate, it's like most people call it.

“Right, Kate. Seriously, I called you to let you know that I wanted to take you to dinner at the best restaurant in London and do everything the right way, the way you deserve it, but I don't want to expose you. I don't want the press behind you just for having dinner with me. Do you understand?” Catherine until that moment, had not even thought about the press, nor on display, about anything related to it.

“We don't need to go to a restaurant. I don't care about these things, William.”

“Good to hear that.”  He sighed.  “We can meet somewhere more private, I'll take the food and a wine. What do you think?”

“Why don't we meet at the Museum? I know a place there that can give us privacy.”

“At the moment I can't think of anything more perfect.”

“Neither do I, William.”

“Monday, then? What time are you free?”

“I'll be free at 8 p.m.”

“I'll be waiting for you at 8 p.m. Actually, I can't wait to see you again, Kate.”  Confessed William.

“You surprised me, you know?”

“Why?” Catherine heard a lower tone.

“I never imagined that you would come looking for me and out of nowhere you showed up.”

“I wish I had gone on the first day. Rob told me that I couldn't disguise it, sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”  She laughed.

“You made me nervous but not uncomfortable, for some reason it's so easy to talk to you.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes.”

“So why did you run away?”

“I didn't run away.”

“Yes, he ran away.”

“No.”

“You're stubborn.”

“And you're annoying.” He laughed.

“You're beautiful.”

“You are too.”

“Kate.”

“William.”

 “So you think I'm beautiful?”

 “You're very convinced, you know?”

“You have no idea.”  She laughed.

“You are unbearable.”

“That way you hurt my heart.”

“That's the intention, since I can't hit you on the phone.”

“What a delight to be beaten by a beautiful woman.”

“Idiot. I'll hang up.”

“No, wait. I'll stop bothering you soon.”   They both laughed.”  Before I hang up, can I tell you one more thing?

“Yes?

“I have the impression that we've known each other for years, but I'm pretty sure I've never talked to you before.”

“Um, I can't say.”   Catherine sat on the bed and swallowed it dry.

“Kate?”

“Hum?”

“You got weird.”

“I didn't stay, no.”

“Ah.”

 “We'll see each other on Monday.”

“Woman, don't do this to me.”

“Do what?”

“You make me want to run out of here and go to your house, which I have no idea where it is.” William can hear a giggle.

“Would you come to my house?”

“Yes. If you want me there, of course.”

“Where are you?”

“In Kensington. Where do you live?”

“Actually, I'm very close to you.”

“Really? Where?”

“I live in an apartment in Chelsea.”

“Send me your address, if you want me to pay you a visit.”

“But weren't we going to meet only on Monday?”

“It would be a meeting before the meeting.”

I'm going to Villa Park today and then I can come and see you. An unofficial date. What do you think?”

“I'll think about your case.”

“You think a lot.”

“Don't you?”

“I think about you.” He heard her laugh. “I have to hang up so I won't be late. Kate, it's so good to talk to you. And please think about the address.”

“Okay, William. I'm glad you called me, it was a great way to start the morning.” William smiled triumphantly.

“I agree with you. I hope you have a good day.”

“Good morning to you too.”

“Bye, Kate.”

“Bye, William.”

Catherine hung up the phone, and jumped out of bed, the television was forgotten in the room, while she went to the bathroom to fill the bathtub. Catherine felt even more motivated to start her day.

Thinking about William was addictive, and she felt in the clouds.

After hanging up the phone, William couldn't stop smiling. He was heading towards the bathroom when he heard a knock on the door.

“A moment.”  He takes a shirt that was thrown on the couch and puts it on, then goes towards the door.

 “Good morning, flower of the day.”  William said, opening his arms.

“My God, you're so happy. Good morning, William.”  Natalie opened a smile.

“Today is a wonderful day, Nat!”  William pulled her for a hug.

“Oh Will, what happened?” She asked in the midst of laughter.

“Today there's Aston Villa, woman!” He exclaimed.

“Just for that? From what Rob told me, you left yesterday and talking about it...” Natalie adjusted her posture, speaking in a more serious tone.” William, you need to stop leaving without security.

“Oh Natalie, don't start you either.”

“Who is she?”

“She?”

“Yes. William, I know you. Your team is important to you, but you wouldn't be like that just because you're going out with your friends. And not to mention that to understand you I follow the Premier League table.” William laughed.

“Do you follow the table?” William sat on the couch laughing.” You don't exist.

“What I don't do for you, do I? But Will, don't change the subject, are you the girl from the Museum?” William paralyzed.

“How is it possible for everyone to know this?”

“It's not everyone, just Rob and me. He told me why he was worried, he never saw you like that.”

“Nat, I don't want anyone else to know that...” He took a deep breath. “Yes, it's Kate. I went after her and we made an appointment, I don't want anyone to know, I don't want what happened to my mother to happen to her.”

“William...”

“I can't explain it, it seems I've known her for years.”

“You're in love.” She laughed.

“I see something special about her, I want to explore it.”  He smiled, his eyes shone when he thought of Catherine. “I need to be cautious, you have to help me keep this private, at least for now.”  He looked into Natalie's eyes.

“Everything will be fine! Now let's go, I came to let you know that the coffee is ready. Rob is dressed as Villa from head to toe. You look like an idiot.”  She touched his shoulder and smiled.

“You're still going to marry him, Natalie.”  William spoke mockingly.

“God forbid!” Natalie screamed as she left the room.

Soon after her relaxing bath, Catherine received a visit from her mother and sister. The 3 Middletons made a delicious homemade lunch and caught up. Catherine detailed about the prince's visit to the Museum, but omitted his small involvement with him, not because he hid things from his family, but it was still all too new to them.

In the early afternoon, Catherine photographed some products and scenarios for the parents' store and in the rest of their free time they went out to do what they most liked to do together: shopping.

In the coffee maker near her house, Catherine discreetly takes her cell phone out of the bag, locates the contact that was saved this morning and with a discreet smile types a quick message and soon turned her attention to her sister who did not stop talking about her current boyfriend.

William spent his day off the way he loved so much.

After breakfast, accompanied by Rob and Natalie, he piloted his helicopter to Birmingham.

Flying was one of the things William loved to do the most. If it depended only on him, he would certainly continue in the profession of helicopter pilot in the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Force.

Arriving in Birmingham, he met some friends at a local Pub, where they ate, drank and chatted away. William felt like any other Englishman and loved it.

Close to the game time, they all went to Villa Park.

The excitement of watching a football game in the stadium is the pinnacle of the experience of cheering for a football team.

A crowd in the stands echoing the corners of the crowd, screaming, applauding.

All in the same tune in a collective motivation around a single goal: the team's victory.

William felt at home in Villa Park. For William, the Aston Villa generates an unparalleled sense of belonging, it was not William who chose to cheer for the Aston Villa, but the Aston Villa who chose it. A connection.

That afternoon, the prince took time off from the titles and can be like any man in love with football. He sang, shouted and had a lot of fun with his friends and as a gift won the 2-0 victory. On the way back to the helicopter, he took his cell phone out of his pocket and noticed that he had a message that could make his day even more perfect.

Kate: 18 Old Church St Street, Chelsea.

William smiled, put his cell phone away and got into the helicopter. The way back has never been so attractive.

Catherine was sitting on the sofa in the living room editing some photos on the computer, while Downton Abbey was on television when she heard a loud noise of an engine passing on the street, her cell phone vibrated.

William: I'm here.

Catherine closes the notebook and runs towards the window, peeking through the curtain of the living room she sees him, William was on a motorcycle, standing in front of his house, waiting for her.

Catherine opens the window, drawing William's attention.

“You really came.” She smiles and signals him to wait.

Catherine moves away from the window, and goes towards the bedroom to put on a pair of sneakers, she looks at herself in the mirror smiling like a teenager, everything seemed magical.

The sky was clear and starry, the temperature was pleasant. It was really a beautiful spring night.

Catherine practically runs to the street, closing the door when leaving and with a few steps the brunette reaches him.

“Hello, Mr. biker.” She talks when she approaches him. William takes off his helmet and smiles, making Catherine almost sigh.

“Hello, pretty lady. Shall we go for a walk?” He asks as he picks up the second helmet and stretches towards her.

“I've never been on a motorcycle before.”

“For everything there is a first time. Come,” he patted the seat behind him. “Come up here. I promise you it will be fun.

“Where are you going to take me?” She asked.

“It's a surprise, relax, I'll take care of you.”  He reassured her.

Putting the two helmets on the handlebars, William took off the jacket and handed it to her.

“Put that on. The temperature is pleasant but the high-speed wind is cold.” Catherine put on his jacket, and it was huge on her.

“Aren't you going to get cold? I can go there to get mine.”

“Not at all...” William looked at her hypnotized. Catherine was finishing closing the zipper and looked at the Aston Villa symbol on the jacket. She smiled, but didn't say anything.

“Here's your helmet.” She took his hand and put it. Catherine could not close the jugular belt of the helmet and William promptly helped her. Her eyes shone in an inexplicable way. Catherine thanked him as she laid her hands gently on his shoulders.

William also put on his helmet. Catherine got even closer, now squeezing his shoulders and rode behind William. Catherine wrapped his waist with her arms and the distance between them completely disappeared.

“How are you?” William asked in a louder tone because of the helmet, and Catherine felt his voice pulsating through her body. She sighed. The feeling was wonderful.

“Everything! Let's go with that soon!” Without thinking straight, Catherine wrapped her arms even more in him, squeezing her hands even more around his waist, it was William's turn to sigh.

William turned the key and Catherine put her hands inside the pocket of her gray sweatshirt. The prince started the engine and left southeast on Old Church St towards Petyt Pl, turned on Chelsea Embankment/A3212 and began to accelerate, the feeling of freedom arising from the inside out. Catherine closed her eyes and clung even more to William, now she felt part of the landscape, the highway was practically empty and she could feel the environment around her. William slowed down a bit and turned right at Chelsea Brg/A 3216, they were almost arriving at Battersea Park. William was so comfortable having Catherine so close to him, but he wasn't sure how she was feeling so he decided to stop at the Park. William turned off the bike and took a deep breath. It was amazing.

Catherine got off the bike and William lamented that he no longer had her arms wrapped around his waist, he took off his helmet and ran his hand through his hair. She also took off her helmet, looked at William and smiled. The most beautiful smile William witnessed. The adrenaline was still running through his veins.

“What did you think?” He said getting off the bike and taking the helmet from her hands. He carried one on his elbow and the other in his hand.

“Ah William, it was amazing. A whirlwind of sensations.” William's face lit up when he heard this.

“I stopped here because I wanted to make sure you were enjoying it.” William spoke looking into his eyes.

“Let's take advantage of the fact that we are here and walk a little through nature.”

“It's a great idea. Do you like being in nature?” She asked and the two began to walk towards the entrance to the park.

“I love everything that involves nature. Do you like it?”  William wasn't cold, but put on the hood of the sweatshirt.

“How amazing! I love it!” She replied, giving him her arm.

Now Catherine was walking arm in arm with William, and he felt like a fool. They went ahead in the park, talking, William told about his environmental projects and felt that he could be himself and was not worried about being anything different from that. It was an indescribable feeling.

When they arrived near the River Thames, William suggested an ice cream, so they went to the Pear Tree Cafe. The place was quiet and not very crowded. There was ambient music and some people talking without paying attention to anything around them. Perfect for the occasion.

Catherine ordered a vanilla ice cream and chocolate William. They went to the outside seats overlooking the lake. William put the helmets on the table.

“So this is a date before the date?” Catherine broke the comfortable silence. He laughed. She licked the ice cream and William ran out of air.

“It's...” He pretended to cough. “We can call it an unofficial meeting. Have you noticed that everything so far has been improvised?”  She looked at him.

“I noticed and know that I like to be surprised.” Catherine wanted to kiss him.

“Oh yeah?” William approached and put her hair behind her ear. “Good to know.” Catherine swallowed it dry. William walked away because his phone rang.

“Sorry, it's my secretary, I'll have to answer.” He got up.

“Hi, Nat.” William said when he put the phone in his ear.

“Hi, William. Where are you?”

“Battersea Park.”

“Are you alone? William, you will get me in trouble if you leave without security, at least if you had warned me. I worry about you, Rob too.”

“I'm with Kate.” He looked in the direction of Catherine, who was now finishing her ice cream by looking at the lake.

“I'm going home soon, don't worry about me.”

“You go out on a motorcycle, without any protection and you don't want me to worry? It's not just a job for me, Will, but ok. Have fun and be careful, please.”

“All right, captain . Next time, I'll let you know. I'm sorry, okay? See you later. Kisses.” He hung up, and went to Catherine again.

“I'm sorry about that, Natalie hates me to go out on a motorcycle.” He murmured.

“I loved the way you treat your employees.”

“They are much more than just employees to me.”  Catherine smiled at the way he spoke.

“You're cute.”  He blushed and she laughed.

“Kate, please.” The sound of her laughter filled something inside him. She approached him by taking his arm.

“Shall we go back?” She nodded and took her helmet, heading towards the door. William did the same.

When they were about to arrive at the parking lot, Catherine let go of his arms and started running.

“Whoever arrives last is the priest's wife!” She screamed in the midst of laughter.

“You're crazy!” William shouted back and shot out.

When she was about to arrive on his motorcycle, Catherine felt William's hands surrounding her waist. The sound of his laughter filled the room. William turned it in his arms, approaching his face, he can almost instantly feel its floral fragrance. It was delicious.

“You almost won! Almost.” He whispered, and she shivered with his breath so close to her face.

“Almost.”  She also whispered.

They stopped laughing and everything seemed to be in slow motion.

The blue in the green. The green in the blue. A connection.

Catherine moistened her lips, but William cut the mood by climbing on the bike.

“Prepared?” He spoke and his voice sounded hoarse. She nodded, riding the bike. William was wrapped again by Catherine's arms and they made their way back.

William stopped in front of Catherine's apartment. They went down and stood on the sidewalk.

William left his helmet on top of the bike, Catherine too.

“Will, it was amazing. I loved spending this time with you.”  She said sighing.

“It was amazing.” He held her hands. “You're amazing.”  She smiled and moistened her lips.

William looked directly at Catherine's lips. His hands climbed up her back and landed delicately on her shoulders approaching her face, he placed a kiss on her forehead, moving away slowly. She shuddered.

“Good evening.” He whispered.

“Good night, take care.” She said softly.

“You were my first and most perfect date before the date.” 

He gently smoothed her cheek with his thumb. “Catherine.” William left, leaving a helmet, a jacket and a Catherine with butterflies in her stomach standing on the sidewalk.