#and they can all go on fun adventures together after they take victoria out

[edwardsvirtue]

Okay... but... an AU where it's Edward deciding between Bella and Jacob! There is no Jake in Twilight--that part is easily cut.

When Edward left Bella and his family in NM, he found a new found family with a pack of werewolves. It's there he finds healing, not only from heartbreak but from his self-hatred. For he sees himself in this beautiful boy struggling with his own inner monster. And if Edward could love him... if Edward could see the good in him...

He would have to leave Jake when he found out Bella was trying to hurt herself back in Forks.

Bella is not ready to forgive him, but she clearly can't be without him. He's torn as he has to linger, for her sake. But for Jake's sake, he should go back to the wolves... after all, she doesn't really want him anymore.

Until she does.

And he realizes he still loves her. Just when he thinks of ending things with Jake, the wolves come to Forks to help with the Newborn problem, not for Bella, but for Edward.

And as Edward is forced to decide who holds his heart, Victoria is lurking, asking herself the same question. For, she will kill one for retribution!! And either way, it's lose/lose!!

now THIS is the kind of love triangle drama I can get behind!

one thing I know about edward is that he has 2 moods: "this is the happiest I have ever been" or "I am a miserable monster full of self-hate who deserves no happiness whatsoever." so for edward to go through the experience of ALMOST finding love and happiness and healing, only to lose it all, not once but twice (first with bella, then with jake), puts him at the lowest of lows. he does not deserve to keep either one of them, because he is constantly putting them both in danger.

but maybe... bella and jacob deserve each other. after all, they are the most beautiful and deserving souls edward has ever known (he is such a simp), all he wants is for them to be happy.

so edward hatches his stupidest scheme yet. as they work together to take out victoria and the newborn army, edward is trying to play matchmaker with bella and jake, all along secretly planning to take himself out of the equation as soon as everyone is safe again. (maybe he's just going to leave and hide somewhere, or maybe he's desperate enough to go to the volturi, idk.) the only problem is that bella and jake CAN'T STAND each other; we know they both have possessive and jealous personalities, so they can only see each other as rivals vying for edward's affection. but what happens when they find out about edward's plan to leave them? maybe they can find common ground? maybe all three of them can heal and learn to love themselves... together??

[redrikki]

Teen Wolf Rewatch 1.12 Code Breaker

Season finale time! When we last left our heroes, Scott had been revealed, Lydia had been attacked, and Peter was trying force Stiles to help him. We pick up right where we left off and everyone is in distress.

Allison is not handling the reveal that her boyfriend is both a monster and a liar. What's interesting is how her parents react. Chris comforts her, calling her baby. Victoria has zero patients for her emotions when there's packing to do. Of course Kate takes advantage of her fragile emotional state to indoctrinate her with the idea that werewolves are total monsters who can't help be violent. In the end, it's Kate who is the real monster.

Love the conversation between Stiles and Peter. Not just the username and password banter, but the conversation about what it means to be the bad guy. Peter insists he's in the right since he's out here living out a 1980s roaring rampage movie, but Stiles insists he is the bad guy because he's physically monstrous. Interesting choice when he could have pointed out the muders, attack on Lydia, etc. Peter offers the bite and all the cool powers that come with it and after a long moment Stiles turns it down. Back in 1.02, Scott yelled at Stiles to stop treating his lycanthrapy as a fun adventure. Whatever Peter says about his heart, this is the moment Stiles chooses to reject the promise of power while devoting himself to fighting the good fight.

Poor Scott is going through it thinking his girlfriend hates/fears him now and also that the Argents will kill him. I know the howl scene is supposed to be epic, but it looks so cheesy, just like the fight scene. He's very clever putting together what Derek shared about the spiral and what Deaton revealed about the deer print out to convince Derek to help him kill Peter. Also back in 1.02, Stiles said Scott needed to learn to accept that he was in fact a werewolf, but he doesn't. Right up until Derek kills Peter he is trying to get out of it. Allison accepts him when she kisses him while transformed, but not Scott.

Peter tells Stiles that wolves hunt in packs to take down bigger prey and here the gang is working together to take him out. Teamwork makes the dream work! Does teamwork also clean up the crime scene so that they can frame Kate for all of Peter's murders without leaving their DNA all over the place.

The newspaper is dated February 19, 2011. In 2011, the second full moon was on February 18, but reality and realistic timelines are for loosers.

[andro-dino]

Question 4 for all your mains but if the answer isn’t going to church I’ll smite them all down with my holy might

does the existence of beyblade moses imply beyblade bible and therefore beyblade Christianity? fun icebreaker questions to ask your friends

anyways

4. What’s a typical Sunday like for them?

the specification of Sunday immediately makes me think like, lazy relaxation day, so that’s kinda how I took these

Axyl and Zhouxing: I think both of them have a habit of naturally waking up pretty early, so even if they try to sleep in, they’re both typically up before 10 am. Axyl just because he’s a light sleeper with a rigid internal alarm but for Zhouxing, it’s because beylin temple days start real bright and early and as he actually tries to keep up with training more later on, this gets ingrained into schedule against his will. As a rest day for both of them, I think both of them just spend it very cozy and lazy, but in different ways. Axyl stays in bed for like several hours after waking up while Zhouxing is right up and at em with his morning routine. Mayhaps they go out together to get breakfast once axyl’s up. Zhouxing likes to be socially active and go out all the time but axyl prefers to stay home, so they might be doing different things on a day like that, but the one thing that’ll keep Zhouxing in is if axyl’s cuddling with him, bc then it’s like when you get trapped when a pet lays on top of you and gets comfy and you don’t wanna get up and disturb them. He doesn’t mind this though <3

Essi and Selen: Essi likes to get everything done in the morning to get it all out of the way and have the rest of the day to relax. She does a morning workout and does a bunch of household chores, meanwhile Selen sleeps in bc she’s a princess and likes to take it as a self care day whenever she gets the opportunity to relax. Luckily for her, Essi’s always willing to help out with whatever she needs so she doesn’t have to worry too much about that. She’s like a little border collie who always wants to have a job to do and can never relax unless she feels busy so she’s always happy to run errands or do chores for Selen as well. I think she makes fancy coffee for them both and listens to Selen talk about whatever she wants and it’s very cozy and sweet and they love each other dearly <3

Juno and Kite: ourghhh the silliests ever,,,,, I think they’d mostly just use it as like a parallel play kind of day. Juno spends her time baking and makes the whole place smell like sweet treats while Kite does his research n stuff on his computer <3 perhaps they go out n take eight to the skate park together and just have a nice little outing enjoying each others company. If they bump into anyone while they’re out I imagine juno chats politely and kite is like a little kid who just wants to go home. They get to enjoy some sweet treats together when they do 🫶

Ryoma and Victoria: something I’ve been thinking about recently with them is the idea that both of them are kind of rigorous and don’t take care of themselves as much as they should at first but for different reasons. Victoria comes mostly from her having the impulsiveness and drive that comes with being an adventurer and a blader, though Ryoma is both because he’s a blader but also kind of feels this expectation to always push himself beyond his limits to the most rigorous degree and doesn’t really give himself much care because of that. So I think once they’re in a relationship, Victoria starts being more conscious of this trait that both of them have and starts focusing on trying to get Ryoma to do more self care/relaxing stuff with her, both bc they need to do that and also as part of the process of breaking down his walls, and eventually later in life this ends up becoming an ingrained part of their routine. I like to think that maybe they do a lot of yoga/meditation type stuff specifically. Victoria passes this onto Sakyo too when he’s old enough to not fall over on his face doing it.

[butternutrisotto]

28/30

Since I was a kid, I’ve always dreamed of visiting Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Beijing. These cities have always felt like distant, magical places, filled with excitement, history, and of course, incredible food. My sister and I have talked about taking this trip together for years, and now, it feels like the perfect time to finally make it happen. There’s something thrilling about going to a place where English isn’t the first language. It’s not just about the adventure of traveling, but also about pushing myself out of my comfort zone, embracing new challenges, and immersing myself fully in a different culture.

Hong Kong, with its dazzling skyline and vibrant streets, is at the top of our list. The idea of exploring the crowded markets, wandering through the busy streets, and standing in awe of Victoria Harbour has me filled with excitement. But most of all, I’m looking forward to the food. Dim sum is one of my all-time favorite meals, and there’s no better place to indulge in it than Hong Kong, where it all began. I can already picture my sister and me sitting in a bustling teahouse, savoring bite after bite of delicate dumplings, buns, and other treats, while soaking in the energy of the city around us.

Macau holds a different kind of allure, with its unique blend of Chinese and Portuguese influences. I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of a place where two distinct cultures come together in such a seamless way. From the colonial architecture to the fusion of flavors in Macanese cuisine, Macau promises to be an entirely new kind of adventure. I’m especially eager to try the famous Portuguese egg tarts, which I’ve heard so much about. And of course, we’ll explore the vibrant streets, get lost in the maze of old alleyways, and maybe even try our luck at one of the city’s famous casinos, just for fun.

Shanghai, with its mix of old and new, has always captured my imagination. The futuristic skyline, especially the iconic Oriental Pearl Tower, stands in contrast to the historic charm of Old Shanghai. I can’t wait to see both sides of this incredible city. My sister and I will walk along the Bund, marveling at the modern architecture while also seeking out the quieter, more traditional parts of the city. And, as with every city on our trip, the food will be a central part of the experience. Shanghai is known for its xiaolongbao, those delicious soup dumplings, and I’m ready to taste the best they have to offer.

Beijing is a city that I’ve dreamed about for as long as I can remember. The rich history, from the Forbidden City to the Great Wall, is something I’ve always wanted to experience firsthand. I can already picture us standing on the Great Wall, taking in the sweeping views of the Chinese countryside, feeling the weight of history beneath our feet. Beijing’s ancient temples, palaces, and historical sites will give us a glimpse into a world that has existed for centuries, and I know it will be a humbling and awe-inspiring part of our journey.

And of course, no trip to Beijing would be complete without sampling its legendary food. I’ve been dreaming of trying Peking duck in its birthplace, and I can’t wait to see how it compares to the versions I’ve had at home. Beyond that, I’m excited to explore the city’s street food scene. From jianbing to baozi, there will be no shortage of new and exciting flavors to discover. Each city on this trip promises to offer a unique culinary experience, but Beijing’s rich food history has a special allure that I’m particularly excited to dive into.

This trip will be more than just a vacation for my sister and me—it will be a chance to fulfill a childhood dream, challenge ourselves in new ways, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Traveling to places where English isn’t widely spoken will push us to rely on each other and figure things out as we go. I know it will be a learning experience, one filled with small victories, plenty of laughter, and maybe even a few mishaps along the way. But that’s all part of the adventure.

Ultimately, what excites me most about this journey is the opportunity to step outside of my familiar world and experience something entirely new. From the food to the culture to the language, this trip will be a chance to immerse ourselves in places that we’ve only ever seen in pictures or read about in books. And doing it with my sister by my side makes it even more special. I’m ready for the adventure, for the challenges, and for the incredible experiences that await us in Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai, and Beijing.

[cattatonically]

Stolen Remains - Christine Trent (Lady of Ashes series, book 2)

Synopsis

After establishing her reputation as one of London’s most highly regarded undertakers, Violet Harper decided to take her practice to the wilds of the American West. But when her mother falls ill, Violet and her husband Samuel are summoned back to England, where her skills are as sought-after as ever. She’s honored to undertake the funeral of Anthony Fairmont, the Viscount Raybourn, a close friend of Queen Victoria’s who died in suspicious circumstances–but it’s difficult to perform her services when his body disappears. . .

As the viscount’s undertaker, all eyes are on Violet as the Fairmonts and Scotland Yard begin the search for his earthly remains. Forced to exhume her latent talents as a sleuth to preserve her good name, Violet’s own investigation takes her from servants’ quarters, to the halls of Windsor Castle, to the tombs of ancient Egypt–and the Fairmont family’s secrets quickly begin to unravel like a mummy’s wrappings. But the closer Violet gets to the truth, the closer she gets to becoming the next missing body. . .

Wrought with both heartfelt bravery and breathtaking suspense, Stolen Remains is a captivating tale of death and deception set against the indelible backdrop of Victorian London.

My Thoughts

When I first read Lady of Ashes, I fell absolutely in love with Violet. And while I was looking forward to reading about how she was getting on with her family in Colorado, I’m equally as pleased about her new adventure around London.

As always, Violet goes about her profession as undertaker with a level-headed determination that is truly admirable. Even with a history with the family of the departed, she can compartmentalize her professionalism, and her personal attachments to an enviable degree.

And yet, none of that can quash her naturally curious mind. Violent craves answers like my cat craves catnip. And when she can’t find them, she uses her ingrained logic and inquisitive nature seem to take over. (Even if part of it is at the direction of the crown.)

The amount of pure research that went into this book, and the interpretation of the events, is absolutely astounding. I know very little about this era, and even less about Victorian England, but I truly felt like I was there, riding in the carriages with Violet, and walking the cobblestone streets. This, of course, made for a few jarring moments as the twits and turns came into view.

As we go through the mystery with Violet, I couldn’t help but feel like things were sitting just under the surface that I couldn’t yet scratch. And when they emerged, I can truly say that I was shocked. Usually, I like being able to figure out bits and pieces as the story goes on. But this one stumped me from beginning to end. Though I can’t say that all the surprises were unpleasant. It was quite fun to piece things together along with Violet, instead of wanting to rush ahead for her to get to the “Aha!” moment.

I’ve truly become invested in this world, and I’ve truly fallen in love with Violet and Sam Harper (though we didn’t see too much of Sam this time around). I am thoroughly enjoying this series, and I can’t wait to read more!

[2kverrr]

YOᑌ ᑕᗩᑎ'T ᑕᕼIᑕKEᑎ OᑌT ᑎOᗯ

Rachel Amber 🤝 Reader

Summary: Complete and utter shit. I was sleep deprived for the entirety of writing this.

Warnings: Swearing. Can’t remember anything else.

Rachel is always up for a new adventure, no matter how crazy it might be. She's always dragging me into her latest conspiracy theory or hare-brained scheme. It keeps me on my toes, so I don't have much to complain about.

Our day had been a relaxed one, we had breakfast in the diner, visited the newborn ducklings near the docks, and sat on the bench overlooking the ocean next to the lighthouse. In the setting sun, the sky coloured with beautiful hues, sit back and take in the view.

There was a slight breeze keeping our hair out of our faces as waves crashed against the rocks below us. In this moment of relaxation, our shoulders gently brush against one another.

We sit there for a long time, just enjoying each other's company and the peacefulness of the moment. It's wonderful being able to just sit and talk, without having to worry about anything else in the world.

You can tell we don't have too long before sunset, Rachel turns to me with a mischievous glint in her eye.

Eventually, Rachel speaks up, her voice filled with excitement. "I've been thinking... we should do something fun"

I grin at her, "Where to this time?" I sigh, hiding any excitement in my tone.

"Blackwell,"

"Oh wow. Thrilling." I chuckle, facing the ocean again.

"You haven't heard the idea yet!"

I raise my eyebrows, giving her the hint to explain whatever was going on in her head.

"Okay, so..."

She waffles on about the plan for a solid 10 minutes, with no pause, no break, I'm not even sure she was breathing while talking.

"I kind of already started putting it together so you have no choice... You down?"

"Totally," I smirk, the idea of potentially getting into trouble got my blood pumping.

-----------

Monday came around, and Rachel and I rocked up to school in casual attire, showing up to our first two lessons as we would every other day.

"Okay, we go to third period, just like the rest of the day, nobody can look in our bags, we can't have Victoria Chase running up to Wells." She begins, "Meet me after your lesson in the gym closet, and then we'll begin." She reminds me, "Oh, and don't forget to tell Warren about it, he could be a good addition if it turns out shit." She adds.

"Right. May the Gods guide you, spirited one." I fist bump her and make my way to my science class.

I'm greeted at the door by Ms Grant, "Hey, Y/n. Long time no see." She teases, I'm not exactly one for showing up to her lessons.

I take my seat next to Warren and nudge him, "What's up?"

He looks up from his phone, "Not much, life's been a drag lately. My parents are coming to visit, I got a B- on my test, and Max won't go ape with me!" He complains with a huff.

"Oh,  boo-fucking-hoo. How about I make your life better." I smile, the plan was too good.

"Uh- um. Y/n, you're a good friend and all, but, I just-" He stumbles, his face completely red and his flailing arms topping it all off.

"Ew, no. I mean, me and Rachel are setting up something."

"Oh... cool. Setting up what?"

"Okay, I'll put it into short words for your B- mind. Prank call. Glitter bugs. Conditioner from 1975. Lawn mower maniac. Best macho-man wrestling competition, with a sprinkle of a mariachi band. In-fest-ation." I grin.

"Y/n, are you having a stroke?"

"No! I just fucking explained it to you." I playfully hit his arm.

"Well, I'm really confused but I'm all for it." He agrees. I continue to go into depth about it.

I send a quick text to Rachel, just checking she hasn't backed out, and she responds at the speed of light with a paragraph containing how awesome it's going to be.

----------

I quickly slip into the gym closet, unnoticed, and I'm met by the blonde talking to someone on her phone, "Yes, they will be held at Blackwell academy- Uh, yes I just said that. Of course, you can bring your friend too, as long as they're entering the contest, okay? Good luck." She rolls her eyes at the speaker but smiles once she makes eye contact with me.

"You brought the phone?"

I dig through my bag in search of the burner phone, digging out the small black device and handing it to Rachel. "Right, I'll get started, you get up into the ceiling."

"Gotcha."

I rummage through the shelves of the gym closet, trying to find something suitable to get into the ceiling panels with. I find a pretty big box that's 100% for the job.

During my attempt to lug the box out of its space, Rachel's voice distracts me.

"Has Blackwell academy experienced an observation within the last 4 months?" She interrogates the person on the other end of the call (Mr Wells) with her best adult voice. Her eyebrows furrow with each exaggerated word that leaves her mouth. All that acting really paid off.

I pull out the box and place it underneath the loosest ceiling panel, judging by looks.

I continue to slowly climb up, using my phone's flashlight into the space beyond and see the complete and utter darkness. I keep climbing until I'm completely in the ceiling. It's a dusty old crawlspace, but I'll have to suck it up.

"Well, the school has had an anonymous report on Blackwell's health and safety guidelines being disrupted, I recommend you obtain an observation soon. You will be receiving a call later on today, It is my duty to alert you of this issue and to advise you to deal with it within the day." Rachel continues, hanging up the phone.

"Hey Rach?"

"Yes, light of my life?" I hear her giggle in return

"I think I just saw a spider."

"Yeah, there's probably loads up there. You'll be fine."

"No Rachel," I stick my head towards the gap left by the missing ceiling panel, my eyes burning into Rachel's, "I will not be fine. I'm fine with, rats, cats, bats and gnats, but not fucking bugs, I did not sign up for this!"

Rachel scoffs, rolling her eyes, "Come on, you can't chicken out now Y/n."

I groan, continuing my journey to where I predict the hallway is. Once I feel I'm far enough, I reach into my bag, taking out as many small dispensers as I could and placing them down next to me. Most of them contained bug-shaped glitter, and a few of them contained some weird gooey substance with small black beads in, acting as glitter-bug eggs.

I slide my fingers in between the crevices of the ceiling panels, creating a tiny gap. Enough to stand the dispenser's nozzles between.

I continue to crawl through the ceiling and place the dispensers until there were no more to go.

I gently take a hold of a small red string attached to the nozzle of each and every dispenser, once that string is pulled, the contents of the dispensers will be released. It's genius.

I carefully reverse crawl back to above the gym closet, red string held lightly in my hand as I climb out.

"Thought you go lost up there," Rachel smiles once I'm on the ground, ", looks like you got a little dust allergy there, Y/n/n." She gestures to my florescent red arms.

"Worth it." I grin.

"Okay, come on, we've got more work to do. I've got to go chat to Samuel and make sure he's cutting the grass where the band and competition are going to be. And-"

"I know, I know. I've got to go ruin some bitches hair." I finish her sentence.

"Good girl, now remember. It should be their half day, so it's going to be soon that they go for a shower, be quick." Rachel warns me.

"No like literally. Run." She urges me, pushing me out the door.

I jog to the dormitories, slowing down when I notice Bitchtoria's trio of bitches. Sadly, she clicks onto my presence. "Hey whore, committed any crimes today? Of course besides the ones against fashion that you seem to be a professional at." She hisses, her little minions giggling at her harsh words.

"I may have, Victoria. I may have." I answer with a smirk.

"Whatever," She huffs, ", get lost, I can't stand seeing your face."

"Anything for you," I respond, returning to the task at hand and walking through the dorm doors and almost sprinting up the stairs.

As I make my way to Courtney's room I reach into my hair, pulling out a hairpin that should come in handy and letting my hair loose.

I try the door handle to her room but, unsurprisingly, she didn't lock it. I mean, what am I expecting, the girl doesn't even know her lefts and rights.

I slip into the room undetected, and oh my God. Her room gives me the chills. It's like normal and everything but there are like 8 photos of dogs, and none of them are of the same dog, I wouldn't be shocked if they weren't even hers.

I put my many questions revolving around her room to the side and search for Courtney's wash bag, finding it sitting on her desk. I reach in taking out a small pink bottle of her conditioner. I empty it into a container and fill the bottle up with the new conditioner, very... very new. 1975 to be exact. If I'm being completely honest, I don't think Courtney deserves this as much as the other 'friends', but the more the merrier, am I right?

I leave the room, my next victim being Taylor, who actually had enough common sense to lock her door.

I unlock the door, and immediately try to find her conditioner. I doubt I have long left before everything kicks off so I best be quick. Taylor's wash bag hiding underneath a bunch of dirty clothes, that I simply just kick aside. I finish the business and leave, walking down the dorm to Victoria's room. I pull out the hairpin once more and insert it into the keyhole,

"What are you doing?" A voice questions from behind me. I freeze solid.

"I left my phone in her room." I turn around to face the stranger.

Juliet the fucking reporter, I can either win this (which I most likely will, I never lose) or I can lose this (tiny chance).

"Why would you be in her room anyway?" She digs.

"What's with all the questions, Watson? I've got places to be."

I continue shoving my pin into the keyhole, clicking up all the smaller locks until it finally opens. "Y/n, tell me what you're doing. I can see your phone in your back pocket, so there's clearly another reason." She reasons in a slightly higher voice, luring out Dana from her room, "Hey, what's going on?" She stands outside the door in her cheerleading uniform.

"She won't tell me what she's up to."

She examines me for a moment, "Well if she's broke into Victoria Chase's room there's clearly a very good reason."

Kill me already, I can't be getting caught I'm so close.

As if on cue, I hear the bitchy voices from outside of the dormitory door.

"Please, I am begging you. Give me a bit of time to do what I have to and distract them, I'll tell you everything once I'm done." I beg, I've never sounded more pathetic in my life.

Juliet's face showed she was going to resist but Dana pulls her aside to go distract the trio. I quietly close the door and rummage through the shelves in her room for her conditioner. I soon find it in, of course, a designer wash bag, typical.

I pour the conditioner out and put the absolutely disgusting new one in.

The pretty loud quarrel distracts me as I put away any evidence that may be deemed suspicious, "Nice bruises on your knees where'd you get them, whore?" I hear Victoria's mumbled voice screech through the door.

Well shit, they were meant to get her away from the fucking door. How am I meant to get out now?

I look around the room for anywhere to hide or to escape, yeah, definitely no black void scheduled to show up out of nowhere and teleport me outside the dorms. A girl can dream.

"You're just upset you don't get any play, virgin-slut." I hear Juliet bite back.

Okay, so I either hide under her bed like a creep or go skydiving out the window and hope there are some bushes for me to land on.

Neither sound too appealing but I've gotta go with the second option. Lifting up the window and throwing my bag out, probably breaking everything inside of it. I pull myself up and slide my legs through the window, letting my feet find themselves along the small white rims. I shuffle to the right just until I reach the window of Kate's room.

If she's in I could climb through into her room and then go fetch my bag later. Okay, easy. Not completely terrifying at all.

I can feel my feet slowly slipping and it's getting exhausting doing some sort of dance with my feet just to cling on.

I let my hands grasp the sides of her window frame, one hand letting go to urgently knock on her window. I see the poor girl scared half to death by the knock and falling off her chair.

"Hey, Kate!" I shout, her eyes catching mine and a visible sigh of relief leaving her mouth before she scrambles off the floor to the window I'm clinging onto dear life for. I signal for her to open the window with my hand and she does so within an instance.

"Y/n, what are you doing!" Her voice full of concern as she opens the window.

"Potentially saving my own life." I laugh, still hanging off the window frames.

"Give me your hand." She urges, taking my hand while I lean through the window face first. I let the top half of my body fall into the girl's room.

Kate laughs as I land in front of her, she quickly pulls me to her chest and hugs me as tight as she possibly can.

"Oh my goodness, you scared me! Now tell me why-"

"I snuck into Victoria's room and she was going to burst in, I had no choice," I answer her question before she managed to say it.

"Right, I really need to go, we'll catch up later, alright?" I smile, giving her a friendly peck on the cheek before I rush out of the room.

I look to my left and see Juliet and Dana awaiting my return post-argument, they both share a baffled expression, that I'll have to explain later. But for now, get bag, and find Rachel.

----------

"So, is it-"

"Done." I finish for her aggressively.

Rachel rolls her eyes, "What's up your ass?"

"I have just been through hell and back, I am traumatised Rachel. Traumatised. You should've seen Courtney's interior design. The smell of that conditioner I have had to experience, not once, not twice but thrice!" I huff, eyes wide open.

"Wow, you're a trooper, Y/n/n." She chuckles at my seriousness.

"Oh, and to top it all off, Victoria almost fucking caught me, and I'm sure I'm going to be in Juliet's newspaper.

"Shoulda-" She tries to butt in, but, oh no, I'm not letting this one go easily. She's had it easy so far.

"Not finished yet, Amber. I had to climb out of a fucking in Victoria's room and shuffle down to Kate's. Do you know how much space there is for your feet on those walls?" I question.

"No, I don't" She answers, clearly trying to hold back a laugh.

"Not fucking much..." I finish

"You finished yet? The mariachi band is about to make their entrance, and Samuel should come in after them, and then the frenzy will begin. Within the time Samuel starts a riot and Wells witnesses, the referee of the macho-wrestlers should begin the first fight while he's distracted. Then we can begin the infestation. And, of course, the troublesome trio will be running up to Well's on a warpath." She explains for the like 70th time today.

"Right, message me when I should pull the string." I request, referencing the glitter- bug string.

I wander inside the school to the gym closet, but inside I notice Warren. I walk in and close the door behind me, "What're you doing?" I ask him, confused as to why he's here.

"Okay, don't be mad, well, I don't think you will. If anything you'll-" He waffles on, saying anything but the point.

"Spit it out, Graham."

"I made the infestation way more realistic-"

"Don't say you put real bugs in." I groan and my fingers massage my temples.

"No, I'm not a monster. I've planted more around the school and put a chemical in the glitter bug dispensers that can give off different reactions depending on the force. So, say it hit the floor, it'll make a bang. And if it reaches past its boiling point, which is 12 degrees Celsius, it'll release methane, so basically farts and create small coloured clouds." He speaks passionately, my head raised at his speech, my arm dropping back down to its side.

What an absolute legend, I begin to thank him for his work but a notification from Rachel giving me to go interrupts me. I pull the string while Warren presses a small makeshift mechanical button.

We immediately leave the gym closet and notice the chaos achieved already. We jog over to the entrance, Rachel waves us over to view the menace caused to Blackwell. Samuel running away from the mariachi band with his lawn-mower, while students think some sort of bug is going to kill them, and not to forget a hundred macho-wrestlers going at it (not like that you horny shits) on the floor.

And still yet to come, Victoria and her friends' little hair issue. The three of us walk down to the dormitory courtyard as Victoria's volcanic fury beings to erupt.

We watch numerous students exit the dorm to escape the trio's wrath, some getting caught in the crossfire. The three storm out through the doors, growling at any who dared them in the eye. Their hair soaked and... well, you know, covered in (at this point) nuclear conditioner from the dinosaur ages.

"I will find out whoever did this, and they will fucking pay!" Victoria screeches, balled fists ready to swing at anybody who dared oppose her.

"For the record, I didn't do this," I chime in, just to push her that tiny bit over the edge.

"Shut your damn mouth," She yells, her face red with anger.

"Hey, no need to be like that, hair is washable, y'know." Warren speaks up trying to hide a cheeky grin, gaining a scoff and shrug from the three of them as they leave.

Screams follow their trail, and Mr Wells' voice is soon added to the mix. "Victoria, I do not have time for your personal issues at the moment. Can't you see, " He gestures his hand to the courtyard chaos unfolded before him, ", Blackwell is currently under some major stress and I don't need you on my late as well." He raises his voice.

Rachel and I sit back on a bench, Warren wandered off to go try and impress Max of his partaking in the mayhem. We view Mr Madsen's poor attempts to disrupt the wrestling competition, while Mr Wells' fails to calm down Samuel. And if I look close enough, I can still see students patting small glitter bugs off of their clothes. "This'll keep me happy for a while, I think." Rachel speaks proudly, a quiet tone in her voice as she takes delight in the view.

"So, what do you wanna do now?" I ask, turning my attention back to Rachel.

"Well, it's been a long day, we could go to the lighthouse." She suggests, stretching out her arms.

"Sounds good." I shrug, climbing off the bench.

----------

We sit on the bench next to the lighthouse just as we had done two days ago. My mind wanders back to the events of earlier today, eyes slowly falling shut as I zone out. Rachel's loud waffling now quiet out-loud thoughts put me to sleep.

See, the good thing about Rachel's adventures is she never gets bored, ever. Well, she does, but only because she has no one to talk to. I, however, it gives me a good night of rest. Win-Win.

[ethan-torchio-angelo]

Oh, love

Summary: It takes a year of trial and error, of love and heartbreak, for the two to finally realize there's no one else they'd rather be with. Or in which she becomes they're photographer for a summer tour and falls in love with the dark haired drummer.

Word Count: 10.3k

Warnings: swearing, angst, sexual content

A/N: I just want to say a huge thank you to @ethanesimp for proofreading and hyping this fic up, thank you so much amore! This is the first piece I've written for any of the members of maneskin, and also the longest thing I've ever written! Feedback is greatly appreciated!

January

It’s a call in the middle of the day that begins it all. She’s been in a shoot all morning, running around snapping photos of a wanna-be teen idol. She’s been here many times, being hired to do promo shots for someone who never makes it farther than this. But this call, she knows it’s different. She’s heard the name, seen some videos, she knows this won’t be like the rest. She’s instructed to clear her schedule for the week and to be in Rome by the end of the day.

The cold air hits her as she leaves the building, suitcase and camera bag in hand. This is the moment she’s been waiting for since joining the company, the chance to become a permanent fixture instead of hopping from gig to gig. She’s told that they requested her specifically, that one of the band members saw her collection from a festival last summer and was dead set on booking her for their summer tour. It’s all new to her, the feeling of being the first choice and not second best. She barely hears anything that’s said on the plane by their manager, too busy trying not to freak out.

It’s only a few hours plane ride, but it feels like a lifetime. Thoughts run wild in her head as the seconds tick by, she can’t remember the last time she’d been this excited, or nervous, for something. She’s greeted by more people from their team as she steps off the plane, and is quickly ushered to the villa they’ve been staying in. She barely has time to process the beautiful new city she’s in before she’s hidden by walls of an even more beautiful place.

They give her time to relax and unpack, but clear instructions to not leave the property without security. Things have been crazy, she’s told, since their winning last year fans have become more clever with their tactics. She laughs at some of the stories, but heeds the warning all the same. She’s seen quite a few things that have shaken her to her core, so she knows to be careful and wary.

Music floats through the halls and into her room, the band practicing on the other side of the villa. The music fills her veins with a feeling she can’t quite place, but it’s a welcome humming that gets her blood pumping. She grabs her camera and follows the melodies, laughing at the jokes thrown around in english whenever someone messes up. She angles herself behind a corner just right where she can take pictures while still being hidden from the band.

Her heart races at the scene in front of her. It’s a family like she’s never seen. They all seem to orbit around each other, pushing and pulling each other into their atmospheres. She watches Victoria dance around the room, bass in hand, strumming the lines to an old song. Thomas lays on the floor with a notebook reading off words, Damiano repeating them as he draws on eyeliner. And Ethan, who sits at his drum set, twirling the drumsticks in his hand as he observes the scene before him.

She captures picture after picture of their dynamic, taking the most of Ethan, who seems to have a magnetic pull to him. She only pulls herself from the moment when she’s spotted. “Sai, qualcuno chiamerebbe questo strano comportamento.”

The words are warm against her ear, and she jumps at the unexpected presence. She turns around, laughing to hide her embarrassment, trying to translate the words in her head. She freezes when she sees it’s Ethan, trying to figure out when he slipped away from the rest of the group.

“Ah, niente italiano. Er, it’s unusual, what you are doing.”

Another nervous laugh leaves her lips, “Sorry. I didn’t mean to be creepy. There’s something about the way the group is when no one is watching, it’s hard to ignore, it needed to be captured.”

He smiles at that. It’s soft and warm and she feels as if the world has stopped spinning. A song plays between their hearts as a silence falls over them. There’s a beauty about him that makes it hard to focus on anything but him.

A series of crashes followed by loud curses in Italian breaks the spell that they were under and Ethan pulls himself away from her to go and manage his friends. She uses this moment as an excuse to slip away and tour the rest of the house, ending in the kitchen where dinner is being prepared. She snaps a few photos of the chefs cooking, already envisioning the blog post they’ll go along with.

When everyone has made their way to the dining room a toast is made; to new adventures, to new friends, and to family. Sweet wine and light rain makes the time pass faster and the evening flows into night easily. The group parts only moments after midnight, long days ahead calling them to catch up on sleep now.

The month flows by with days and nights blurring together. It seems the studio is really the only place they call home, spending every waking moment in the room that houses their instruments. She stays with them through the long hours, snapping photos of the weird things they get themselves up to. Her hard drive slowly fills with collections of each band member, ones for the public eye and ones she sends to them to make them laugh.

The end of the month brings a party, something small to celebrate sold out tour dates. A night out to a local bar and far too many drinks. She dances with Victoria, who has become her best friend in the few weeks she’s been with them. Damiano and his girlfriend are not far away, but much more caught up in their own world. Thomas has disappeared somewhere, no doubt warming someone's bed for the night. But through all the commotion, she can’t stop watching Ethan.

He’s sitting at a table nursing the only drink he’s had that night, planning to take on the role of babysitter at the end of the night once everyones had too much to drink. He drums his fingers on the table, following the beat of each song that plays. He seems lost in his own world, content with being by himself. She moves away from Victoria, who easily finds another partner, and makes her way to the table.

“Sembri solo,” the words fall from her lips quietly as she takes a seat beside him.

He smiles at her, “Seems your little lessons are paying off.”

She blushes at that, not realizing he’d picked up on her daily lessons with their English tutor. “Only enough to not seem like a tourist.”

A small chuckle escapes his lips, and she wishes she could bottle the sound.

“But don’t change the subject. Tonight was about having fun, celebrating a big accomplishment. Yet you’re sitting here alone.”

He sighs at her insistence, “Sometimes we don’t need to celebrate everything so publicly.”

Something pulls at her heart. She can’t imagine having such a public life, but she understands how it must feel to never have anything to yourself. Before she knows what she’s doing, she places a hand on his arm and gives it a reassuring squeeze, a light tingle shooting between the two of them.

She pulls her hand away quickly, a small blush forming on both their cheeks. He offers her a small smile to make the moment less awkward, and she returns it.

The night ends not too much later, the rest of the crew having decided that warm beds would be much more comfortable than the crowded bar. She helps Ethan herd their friends home, laughing along with him at their drunken antics. Victoria jokingly calls them mom and dad as they help her to bed, and the blush that was plastered on her face earlier that night makes a second appearance.

It’s almost morning by the time she makes it to her own room. Ethan isn’t far behind her, realizing for the first time tonight that they share the same hallway. “Buona notte,” comes his voice from down the hall.

She turns to face him, catching herself stuck in his stare. She can’t quite place the look in his eyes, but it gives her butterflies all the same.

“Buona notte.”

February

February brings more time in the studio and less time outside the walls of the Villa. While winter in Rome is not like the ones you’d experience in colder places, it still brings a chill to her bones. She steals one of Victoria's sweaters after a night spent lounging under the stars, a small break from a busy schedule.

A fire had been lit and a bottle of sweet wine was making its way around the group. She’d set her camera aside for the evening, planning on enjoying a night without the calls of work. She doesn’t know when it happens, but suddenly she’s swaying to a drunken beat in the arms of Damiano who can’t stop giggling at her two left feet. The man had not believed her when she said she couldn’t dance, but was now biting his tongue as they moved around the courtyard.

As the night seemed to come to a lull, a game of truth or dare was proposed and all were in agreement. She finds herself sitting beside Thomas on the floor as Victoria begins the game, a stupid dare aimed towards Damiano that earns him a new haircut. The night drags on in a flurry of laughter and silly dares. By midnight half the group is wearing someone else’s clothes, and the others have barely any on.

She’s moved to be sitting by Ethan, who has an arm casually draped across her shoulder. It shouldn’t feel so electric, his skin touching hers, but it does and it’s the only thing she can focus on. Her heart feels like it’s almost beating out of her chest and the blush on her face isn’t caused by the alcohol in her system.

Damiano is the first to notice her situation, and starts poking fun at her whenever it was his turn to ask her something. It started off innocent enough, small questions aimed towards her love life, but it soon caught the attention of Thomas who was the first one to issue a dare towards the girl. This was how she’d ended up sitting beside Ethan, cuddled into his side. Ethan was oblivious to the things going on around them, until Victoria dared her to kiss him.

It seems as though time stops, the laughter fades and the silence becomes deafening. She turns towards Ethan, a mixture of panic and excitement painted on her face. He smiles at her, “We don’t have to, amore.”

“A dares a dare.” She shrugs at him.

A round of cheers raises up around them as the two lean in. It’s meant to be only a small peck, something good enough to count in the eyes of those around them. But as she goes to pull away his hand reaches up to tangle in her hair and he pulls her closer. Their lips meet again without any hesitation and it’s like the world lights up around them. Blame it on the alcohol, but if she were to die right now she’d be happy.

They pull away a second later, a small laugh leaving both of them, chests rising at an unsteady rhythm.

“Awe, they’re blushing! How cute!” Comes the voice of Damiano, further pulling a blush from the girl.

She grabs one of the pillows beside her and aims it at his head, laughing when she misses terribly.

The night fades into morning and they all climb to the roof to watch the sunrise. It’s a moment she wants tattooed in her memories forever. She’s got her arms wrapped around Victoria and the three boys huddle around them, alcohol still flows through their veins and they’re all singing different versions of the same song.

March

The beginning of spring in Rome is magical. Flowers start to bloom, mornings are coated in a light dusting of rain, and clothing starts to become less of a necessity. She takes photos of the band trapezing the streets. The Villa studio has become too familiar, moving instead to a studio in the city.

By now, a routine has been put in place. Mornings sipping coffee and eating fresh pastries while she laughs at the varying states of wake the band is in. Afternoons in the studio, recording their new album while she collects photos and videos for their ‘making of’. Evenings spent in restaurants and bars, eating some of the best food she’s ever had, and she swears she’ll never eat anything better.

She’s never fallen in love with a city like this before. Maybe it’s the city, or maybe it’s the people she’s with, but she swears she never wants to leave. It suffocates her in the best way possible, the feeling of being home. She hopes that when the tours over and her contracts up, that she’ll move here, maybe even keep these people she’s grown so close to in the past few months.

She’s thrown out of the daydream by Thomas yelling at her in a mix of italian and english for not paying attention. It’s the middle of the afternoon, they’ve taken a lunch break at a restaurant down the block, and Thomas is expressively telling a story. His hands are in the air and he’s almost knocked his wine glass over too many times to count.

Damiano sits across from her, fiddling with her camera, snapping his own photos that he presents to her proudly. She laughs at every one, but never discourages his actions. Victoria is on her left, Ethan on her right, both vying for her approval as they argue over something. She’s overwhelmed by the different directions her brain is being tugged, but the hand that snakes its way into hers calms her.

She looks down to see Ethan rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand, a soft smile grazing his lips as they make eye contact. She returns it, whispering a small thank you to the boy.

That night, she lays in bed, in the room she’s begun to finally call hers, thinking of the boy with stars in his eyes. She doesn’t know if it’s feeling like she finally belongs somewhere, or the wine that still coats her veins, but there’s something about him that she wishes she could become a part of. She wants to wrap herself in it and never leave. She’s falling for him, hard. Vaffanculo.

April

It is Victoria's birthday and everyone has decided that she must be princess for the day. Ethan and Damiano have been up since dawn making an extravagant breakfast, something that should be put in a five star restaurant. Her and Thomas had disappeared shortly after waking, returning with a stack of presents that was almost as tall as him, and the best bouquet of flowers she could find.

After decorating the patio with anything and everything they could find, it was a mad dash to Victoria's room to wake her up. She protested, claiming that sleep was more important than being awake, but at the mention of presents she was the first one out of the room.

It was a morning of happiness, and a much needed break from their hectic schedule. She recorded the entire day, from the dramatic wake up call to the celebratory sparklers that were set off that night, it was all captured.

After breakfast the princess requested a trip to the beach, and no one would dare refuse her. They found something private, a little hidden oasis an hour's drive from the villa. They spend hours there, switching between swimming and laying in the sun. She finds herself alone on the sand with Ethan at one point, watching the others like proud parents.

She tries not to think about how close his body feels to her, how she can feel the heat his body is radiating seeping into her, the smell of his body wash. He’s invading all of her senses and she’s trying so hard to focus on anything but him. “Let’s go on a walk?”

His voice is warm as the question escapes his lips. She turns to look at him and she’s thankful to be able to blame the sun for the blush on her cheeks. She nods and gets up to follow him, brushing off the sand that’s clinging to her bathing suit and wrapping a towel around her shoulders.

They disappear down the beach, walking side by side, a comfortable silence enveloping them. It’s not till they’re halfway down the beach that either of them speaks. “Are you enjoying your time?”

She doesn’t miss the hint of worry that laces his voice, and she’s quick to reassure him that she is. “Yes, very much. This is probably the best job I’ve had in years.”

He softly chuckles at her words, “Good. Good. We’re trying to make you feel like one of us, don’t want you running away.”

She’s grateful for the confession, glad that they don’t see her as just another person that works for them. “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.”

He bumps her shoulder with his, a small smile forming on his face, “Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They head back to the group soon after, realizing they’ve let the day slip away and need to leave soon if they want to make their dinner reservations.

A small vineyard hidden in the valley, they’ve booked the place so it’s just them, and ordered every bottle of wine on the menu to taste. They laugh away the night, enjoying plates of delicious food and letting their minds wander. A gorgeous cake is brought out at the end, half of which ends up destroyed thanks to an impromptu food fight. More presents are opened and Victoria starts tearing up, blubbering about how much she loves the idiots she’s surrounded with.

They walk through the dark streets of Rome, singing happy birthday loudly in every language they know. It’s unusually cold, but she’s somehow been wrapped in Ethan’s jacket, his arm slung over her shoulder. She’s holding Vic’s hand, Damiano and Thomas taking turns with her camera.

The air surrounding them is electrified, she looks up into the sky and thanks the stars for the life she’s living.

May

The summer tour is fast approaching, and nerves are starting to set in. The already high energy group somehow is bouncing off the walls even more, making for an interesting collection of photos. Nerves are starting to get the better of them, and she often finds one of them wandering around the Villa at odd hours of the night. She’s good at being able to channel her nerves into something else, focusing all of the energy on a new project.

One night though, it gets the better of her. She tosses and turns in her bed for hours before she decides that sleep isn’t coming. Instead of lying in bed willing her brain to shut off, she throws on a pair of shoes and heads for the front door, thinking a walk in the warm spring air will do her some good. What she doesn’t expect to find is Ethan sitting out on the terrace, cigarette in one hand and a book in the other, lost in his own world.

She doesn’t mean to catch his attention, hoping to allow him this little bit of uninterrupted peace, but he spots her anyway. “Buona serata,” He rasps, voice laced with the quietness of the night.

“Buona serata, Ethan.” She returns the greeting.

He motions for her to sit down in the chair beside him, closing the book and placing it on the table. “What’s troubling your mind tonight?”

She’s not used to the way someone can read her so well, but there’s something about Ethan that brings her comfort in the fact that he can. “Nerves, I guess. I’ve never done a gig this big, never spent so much time with one group. I’m used to being moved around a lot, still getting used to being a permanent fixture I guess.”

The words are heavy on her tongue, never having voiced her worries out loud before. He takes a long drag of the cigarette hanging from his lips, “La vita ci dà solo ciò che sa che possiamo gestire.”

“Some would think you were a poet in a past life.”

A small laugh escapes his lips, and he shakes his head. A comfortable silence falls over them and she wishes she could bottle this feeling to keep with her forever. He turns to look at her, and it’s hard to put into words the feeling that washes over him. He’s not sure where it comes from, the urge to kiss her, but it sends him spiralling.

He reaches his hand up to brush a few strands of hair out of her face, “Le stelle brillano più luminose nei tuoi occhi, amore.”

The words and his actions cause her heart to raise and her breath to hitch. They’re close now, the closest they’ve been since that night in February, and all she can think about is that kiss that they shared.

Neither knows who leaned in first, but suddenly their lips are touching and it is everything and nothing like they remembered. While the other kiss had been hesitant and brief, this one was full of purpose. Their noses brush and their breaths tangle together, he bits her lip for a moment and a small moan escapes her. He swears it’s the best sound he’s ever heard.

He grabs at her hips, lifting her from the chair and placing her so she’s straddling his lap. She tangles her fingers in his hair and tugs softly, earning a groan from the man. The sound sends shockwaves through her and she rocks her hips against his almost involuntarily. His lips move from hers to the side of her neck, pulling small whimpers from her as he nips and sucks at the skin. It’s everything she’s ever imagined and more. The feeling of his body pressed to hers, the pleasure he can so easily give to her.

She moves her hands down to fumble with the hem of his shirt and that’s when he pulls away. “While I would normally love to do that here, how about we continue this somewhere more private?”

She nods eagerly and removes herself from his lap. He all but drags her inside the villa and towards his room. She trips over her own feet and they both laugh at her clumsiness, falling into each other as he tries to catch her but trips over his own feet in turn. He leans in to kiss her again as their bodies collide, this one sweeter and softer than the previous one.

The moment passes quickly and soon she’s being dragged through the halls again, only to be met with a half asleep Damiano standing in the doorway of his room. They stop in their tracks, jumping apart, trying to act like nothing was happening. “It’s rude to have a party and not invite everyone, you know.”

She lets out a breath she didn’t know she was holding, glad that he didn’t know what had been happening moments prior. Ethan is quick to explain that they were just having a cup of tea on the terrace and were now heading to bed, and thankfully the lie is believed. Damiano wishes them a goodnight, heading back into his room, and the two are left in silence in the hallway.

“Maybe we should go to bed,” he whispers to her.

Her heart sinks, but she nods her head in agreement and turns to walk back down the hall to her room. She’s not really sure how the night was going to end, but this was definitely not how she wanted it to; walking in silence next to someone her heart aches for, pretending that nothing had happened between them.

He walks her up to her door, still ever the gentleman, and places a gentle kiss on her cheek. “Buona notte, amore.”

The words should not sound as sad as they do, and she tries her hardest to keep the tears welling up in her eyes at bay as she watches him turn and walk away.

June

How do you go back to being just friends after making out with someone? Well, you don’t. At least, not fully. They dance around each other without knowing it, avoiding any contact that could lead to something more or allude to something else, but there are still moments where the world seems to slip away and it’s just the two of them.

The tour kicks off at a festival in Amsterdam. Blue skies and sunny days greet them as they get off the plane. They have a day to explore before their first show, and no one can decide how to spend it. In the end, Victoria drags Thomas off to do some shopping, Damiano plans a trip to a few museums with his girlfriend, and she is left with Ethan.

She’s not truly stuck with him, but she doesn’t feel like wandering a forgein city all by herself. Since the night in the Villa, they haven’t spent longer than a few minutes alone together, both refusing to acknowledge what had happened.

A trip to the beach seems like the best place to be, and within the hour she’s lounging in the sun listening to Ethan read a book. It’s peaceful, the sound of the waves and his voice lulling her into a half sleep. She’s got a drink in her hands, something sweet and fruity, and she’s sharing a cigarette with Ethan. It’s a scene she thinks one would find in a movie.

She rolls herself over so she’s laying on her back, staring up at Ethan who sits beside her. She places her hand on his leg and traces random shapes into his skin. Goosebumps rise in the wake of her fingertips, and he tries to stay focused on the book in his hands but finds it hard to do so. “You are very distracting, amore.”

She looks up at him innocently and she can’t help but admire him. His hair is tucked away in a bun, but a few pieces have fallen out and are flying in the gentle breeze. He’s only wearing a pair of swim trunks, broad chest on full display. He catches her roaming eyes as they make their way back to his face, a smirk slowly forming on his face. “Or maybe I’m the one distracting you, no?”

She smiles shyly and looks away from him, because yes, he is distracting her, and she’s finding it very hard to not kiss him right now. He chuckles at her, reaching his hand towards her face and turning it back towards him. He leans down towards her, “I’m going to kiss you now, okay?”

All she can do is nod, and a second later his lips are on hers. It’s sweet and slow, she can taste the tobacco on his lips and it’s intoxicating. She moves so she’s sitting up, leaning into him more, the world around them fading out until all that is left is them.

A few days later they find themselves in a hotel room in Munich. There’s music playing and everyone’s laughing. Her camera hasn’t left her hands all night, every moment needing to be captured as they ride the after show high.

She’s in the middle of recording Thomas’ one man act when a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist. She knows exactly who it is by the scent that invades her nostrils and sends her brain into overdrive. She lets out a sudden, loud laugh, as his fingers trace themselves up and down her sides, collapsing into his chest as she struggles to breath.

He picks her up and spins her around, letting out an equally loud laugh at her protests. He’s happy, and it’s something that looks better on him than any designer outfit he could ever buy.

He falls onto one of the beds, pulling her down with him. She lands beside him tangled in his arms, he’s looking at her with a goofy grin on his face. The world seems to silence around them as their eyes lock. Her smile softens and she reaches her hand over to brush an eyelash off his cheek, he catches her hand before she can pull it away and brings it to his lips, kissing it gently.

He looks ethereal in this moment, hair strewn all over the place, a wild look in his eyes. She reaches for her camera and brings it up to capture him, never wanting to forget this moment.

The streets of Prague are empty, save for the two of them walking hand in hand down them. It’s early, almost too early to be considered an acceptable time to be awake, but they continue on nonetheless. A wild craving for something sweet had brought upon their adventure, and with the look she was giving him, he couldn’t say no to accompanying her.

They had been sitting on the balcony of her hotel room, watching the sun starting to peak out over the horizon and sharing a cigarette when she had turned to him with a mischievous look in her eyes. “I want something sweet.”

The comment had earned her an offer to order room service, but she shakes her head at the idea, standing up and walking back into the room. “No. Something real, maybe a coffee too.”

He follows her in, watching her pull on a shirt to cover the bralette she had been sitting in. “È presto, amore. Let’s go to bed. We can order something when the sun is awake also.”

She smiles at his words, but makes no move to stop dressing. She grabs her wallet and room key before heading to the door, stopping to turn and look at him, a question in her eyes.

“Fine, I’ll come with you.” He says after a moment, throwing on his jacket and walking over to her.

It’s 7:30 in the morning, the sun is starting to make it’s daily appearance, and they are happy. The small bakery they stumble into is just opening for the day and they’re greeted by the owner, an older lady with the sweetest smile. She speaks in broken English, an obvious language barrier between the group of them, but no one seems to mind.

She orders herself a poppy strudel and a coffee, Ethan ordering a croissant and an espresso, before sitting down at one of the small tables. He sits beside her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her into his side. He presses a soft kiss into the crown of her head and she sighs in content.

Moments like this are what she lives for. She might only be here because she works for them, but somewhere along the way she’s become part of their little family. She looks over to Ethan who’s lost in conversation with the owner, and she whispers to herself, “Penso di essermi innamorato di te.”

She doesn’t know that he hears her, his smile spreading wider across his face.

July

The turnover from June to July happens mid concert in Stockholm. She swears she can feel it, the sudden shift, a slight change in the air. She’s running around in front of the stage capturing pictures of the band in what she’s come to call their ‘natural habitat’. There’s an indescribable buzz in the air as they perform, the crowd becoming louder and louder with each song.

She keeps catching Ethans eye and there’s something primal in the way he looks at her. During a song switch, while Damiano rambles to the crowd, he motions her on stage. He tells her to get closer to everyone, promising that they won’t bite, and she giggles at him. She does what he says nonetheless, capturing some up close photos of the band and a few great shots of the crowd.

All too soon the show is ending and everyone’s piling into the car, a small party taking place in the backseat. Damiano has music blasting from his phone, Victoria and Thomas are dancing along to the beat, and Ethan is belting out the lyrics. She watches the group of them, laughing so hard her sides hurt, and she’s never felt more at home.

When they get to the hotel he’s quick to pull her towards his room, thankfully void of a roommate for the night. The second they get into the room, his lips are on hers. He pulls her close to his body and her hands tangle themselves in his hair. It’s nothing like any of their previous kisses, it’s heated and fast, every thought trying to be conveyed by the fever of it. She pulls back slightly to catch her breath and he leans in to whisper in her ear, “Join me in the shower?”

It’s not so much a question as a statement, but she nods her head eagerly, quick to follow him into the bathroom. He strips himself of the few clothes he’s wearing (most having been thrown off during the show), before turning to her. He reaches his arms out towards her, pulling her close to him and tugging on her shirt. She barely registers him pulling off her clothes, too focused on his body in front of her.

She’s never seen him so bare, and she’s having a hard time focussing on anything else. It’s not until her body hits the warm water that she snaps back to reality. He looks wild, eyes blown with lust, a wicked smile on his face. She firmly plants her lips on his, moaning into the kiss as he grabs at her. His hands are skilled and know every way to pull those delicious sounds from her lips.

It’s quick and dirty, and it is everything she has ever imagined it would be.

An hour later, she’s tangled up in the sheets of his bed, his entire being engulfing her as they watch the stars outside the window. She wonders if they are watching them too.

Paris is the city of lights, a statement she’s never been more sure of. The streets are lit with every light, shining brighter than the stars. She’s in a permanent state of bliss, after the night she shared with Ethan. Their relationship is hidden from the public, living in stolen moments and nights in hotel rooms, but she’s never been happier to be someone's dirty secret.

The band is electric on stage, something about the city they’re in taking their performance to a whole new level. The show goes on longer than it should have, but none of them even care when their manager comes over to reprimand them. They hang around to greet fans and take photos with anyone and everyone, and it’s not until security has to kick them out that they finally leave.

They find themselves in a bar, not sure what part of the city they’re in, but no one cares when the night feels like this. They drink expensive drinks that they can’t pronounce the name of, dance to songs they don’t know the words to, and feel more alive than they’ve ever felt. It’s like the world turned itself up to 11 just for them.

She dances with Ethan, not caring who sees because the night is theirs and no one cares. She kisses him in the middle of the dance floor and he pulls her into a vacant bathroom. It’s hot and heavy and the smell of alcohol envelopes them, but they couldn’t care less. Is this love? They don’t care. They’re young and dumb, and well, you only live once.

Back at the hotel they spend the night wrapped in bedsheets on the balcony, a bottle of champagne and a pack of cigarettes shared between the two of them. He points to the stars, a stupid grin on his face, “Le stelle brillano solo per noi.”

She snorts, throwing an abandoned pillow at him. He grabs her arm and pulls her into him, tickling her sides until she’s begging him to stop, tears staining her cheeks but a laugh like no other leaving her lips.

As the night bleeds into morning, and both are hazy with sleep, he whispers to her, “Sei il mio universo.”

They walk down the streets of London, his arm slung over her shoulders as she rambles away, both blissfully unaware of the few fans snapping photos down the street. They don’t notice the group of girls following them, cameras and phones in hand, capturing picture after picture of the couple.

By the time they reach the shop, the photos are already out into the world.

As they order, reposts and comments start flowing, and their phones start lighting up with notifications.

Before they can pay, she’s crying.

Rule number one of being in the public eye; never look at the comments, distance yourself from social media as much as possible, it will never end well.

The final stop in Rome was supposed to be a welcome home. A big celebration was to occur after their last concert, but now, it’s nothing more than finding the quickest way back home. She sits in one of the dressing rooms the entire show, waiting for it to end, scrolling through her social media.

She knows she shouldn’t be, that’ll all it’s doing is hurting her, making her feel worse. But she can’t stop. The comments aimed towards her and the drummer are terrible, and she wishes she could just delete herself from existence. They aren’t even dating, at least not officially, but she’s been deemed the girlfriend from hell. She’s unknowingly stolen something that never belonged to anyone to begin with.

Damianos girlfriend is in the room with her, telling her of her own horror stories dealing with fans, and she knows she’s just trying to help, but she really wishes she would just shut up. She loves the girl to death, she’s been a blessing this entire time, but she feels her mind is too far gone to be saved from the madness.

It’s only a few minutes later that the band wanders in, the usual after show high replaced with a sudden heaviness. Ethan comes to stand by her after putting his things away and pulls her into a tight hug. “Amore mio.”

He’s sweaty and could definitely use a shower, but the hug is comforting. She rubs his back soothingly, knowing this is just as hard on him as it is on her. Their management team has told everyone to remain quiet about it, disappearing from the internet until further notice while they figure out how to manage the situation. It’s maddening, the inability to speak out and protect her. He wishes he could snap his fingers and everything would be fixed, but he knows nothing is ever that easy.

They make their way back to the villa in silence, the car filled with a strangeness. She’s sandwiched between Victoria and Ethan, leaning on the bassist's shoulder, watching her play a game on her phone. It’s not how anyone wanted to end the tour, but the world is a strange and cruel place. Everything good always comes burning down.

August

There’s a party at the villa one night. Things have calmed down enough that she doesn’t spiral every time she looks at her phone, but there’s something in the way Ethan acts around her that makes her uneasy. She’s standing out on the patio, trying to avoid the questioning eyes from everyone in the house. She hasn’t spoken to Ethan all day, and the alcohol coursing through her veins makes her even angrier than she knows she should be.

Out of the corner of her eye she sees him walk out the door beside her, a small scoff leaving her lips as he tries to speak to her.

“Couldn’t be bothered to talk to me all day, what’s changed that you’ve decided to grace me with your presence?”

He looks at her, stunned. “I don’t get what you mean.”

She scoffs again, placing her glass on the table across from her. “Since London you’ve done nothing but ignore me. I get that this wasn’t easy for you, but it wasn’t exactly a cake walk for me. I needed you, Ethan, and you left me.” Her voice is raw and scratchy, the feeling of wanting to cry tickling the back of her throat.

“I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how Dami does it, how he can deal with the comments and messages. My brain won’t shut off, I can’t stop thinking about how if I had been more careful, I could’ve protected you and none of this would’ve happened. I feel stupid for thinking I could have. I hate seeing you like this, I wish I could take you away from all of this.” His voice slowly lowers, till it’s nothing more than a whisper, words meant only for her.

“I was never what you wanted, was I? This was just all some stupid game to you. I was just someone you could use to get off.” Her voice is laced with pain, a small crack coming out as she speaks.

He shakes his head, laughing slightly, and turns to look away from her. He walks a few steps before turning to face her again, “No. No, you were exactly what I wanted. You were everything to me. We were the same type of crazy.”

“I don’t understand Ethan, then what was the problem? This feels like a confession and a break up all in one.” She crosses her arms and leans against the wall, watching as he pulls a cigarette out from his pocket and lights it.

The familiar sight creates something warm in her chest, memories of summer nights like this flash through her mind. Spending the evening sitting on the balcony of different hotel rooms, sharing a cigarette between the two of them while they let the events of the day soak in. She’d give anything to go back to one of those moments. He blows a breath of smoke out and starts to speak again, “I don’t know, amore. I don’t. I want to tell you I love you, to hold you and call you mine. But I can’t.”

“Can’t, or won’t.” It’s not a question, but a statement.

“No, don’t do that. Don’t turn this into something it’s not. I want to, believe me, I do.” He steps towards her and reaches out his arms, “But we both know we can’t.”

She doesn’t know where the tears come from, but they’re there, pooling in her eyes. It’s only been a few months since they’ve met, there were no promises to be anything more than a summer adventure, but this doesn’t feel right. Her heart should not be breaking at the thought of losing someone she barely even knows.

He stops when he notices her state, reaching out to wipe the tears falling down her cheeks. “Merda. Merda! This wasn’t how this was supposed to go.”

She looks up at him through clouded eyes, “Then how was this supposed to go, Ethan? Breaking my heart wasn’t supposed to hurt me this bad? I was supposed to smile and tell you that I'm not madly in love with you and these past few months meant nothing to me?”

His heart breaks slowly at her words. He never meant for the night to go this way, and he wishes he could just pull her into his arms and tell her he loved her, that everything could be okay. But he can’t, so he pulls away from her, “I’m sorry, I’m so fucking sorry.”

They’re the only words he can manage to get out without breaking down. He takes a second to watch her, memorize all the features of her face, before turning around and walking away. It’s a sight that rips her heart out, watching his form disappear back into the house. She knows this is it, the goodbye she’d been preparing for these past few weeks, but it doesn’t hurt any less.

Before she can help herself, she’s calling after him. “Being in love isn’t a weakness, you know!” But the words fall upon deaf ears.

Vic finds her standing in the same spot an hour later. She’s got a smoke lit in her hand, the third one from the pack. She hasn’t touched her lips to any of them, but the smell and the feeling of holding it brings her comfort. She was never really one to smoke, but she found it entrancing to watch Ethan do it, and right now, it’s the only thing keeping her grounded. It’s silly, how something so small can mean so much.

Her heart aches in the most unbearable way, but she can’t bring herself to do anything about it. Vic doesn’t speak, just stands beside her. She doesn’t need to ask to know that she is well aware of the events that have just unfolded, she’s just grateful for the company.

September

It’s stupidly hot in London for the time of year, but mother nature loves her unexpected heat waves. She’s home now, having left Rome shortly after the fight with Ethan, assuring their manager that she would be able to edit and upload all of the photos and videos from the comfort of her own flat.

Vic and Thomas had driven her to the airport, had walked her all the way to security and hugged her tightly before letting her go. She’d promised to keep in touch and Victoria had made her pinky swear that if she was ever in Rome again, she’d come visit. The flight was short, and she was glad the time difference was only an hour.

Her sister had picked her up and dropped her off at her flat, and she’d immediately collapsed into bed. That was three days ago, she’d barely moved since. Someone had caught her at the airport and the photos were everywhere, articles upon articles had been released, she’d had non stop messages from everyone, but all she could bring herself to do was turn her phone off.

Her photos make it to the front of magazines, her articles getting featured all over the globe, she’s made a name for herself. She gets emails from prospective clients wanting to book her in at shows, her boss sending her information for more high end gigs, but all she can think about is her drummer boy.

Her phone still sits turned off on her desk, she refuses to turn it on for anything, resorting to using only her email, but she knows everything that’s going on with the band. She’d been asked to join them again in a few months, to become a permanent part of their team. She hasn’t been able to reply.

She gets panicky thinking about seeing him again, about the things people will say if she’s caught in the same country as him. She’s stopped receiving death threats, but there’s still comments that creep in, fans thanking whatever gods made them seperate.

Victoria tries to reach out every few days, worried about the state of person she’s become, but she can’t even manage to type out an I’m okay. The world seems to be too fast and too slow, too bright and too dark, too much and not enough. Her heart aches and it’s a pain so deep she thinks she’ll never be okay again. Love is a cruel, cruel creature.

October

She finally brings herself to go back to work at the beginning of the month. She books herself in for a small band, someone no one really knows but she hopes they will one day. She’s in Amsterdam now, trying hard not to think of the memories the place brings. The band is good, the music heavy and the beat strong. They find a way to tell a story that leaves everyone with a soul searching question by the end of the night. Do you know who you are?

She’s only with them for a few nights, a short gig, but something she needed to get the ball rolling, to remember why she was doing this in the first place. After submitting the photos and writing an article that sends another wave of offers her way, she takes a few days to explore the city. It was wonderful before, when the air was warm and it felt like there was magic enveloping the city. But now, with the change of seasons, it’s even more beautiful than she remembers.

She walks the empty streets one night, huddled in the safety of her hoodie, camera in hand, and captures moments. A couple standing under a street light, a cafe closing for the night, kids running. It’s not until she hears a laugh she’s all too familiar with that her heart stops and her blood turns cold. She turns, ever so carefully, hidden behind the side of a building, and sees him.

He’s beautiful, even more than she remembers, and he looks happy. He’s walking with two girls, the resemblance making her sure it’s his sisters, but in this light she can’t be sure. She’s never met them, but he talked about them often, and she felt a pang in her chest for the homesickness he must have felt.

She tries to run, tries her hardest to get away, but she’s in an alley that leads nowhere and he’ll for sure be able to see her no matter what. The voices of the three get closer and she starts to panic, but there’s nowhere to go and she knows she’ll have to pull on her big girl pants and face him. But her heart won’t stop beating so loudly and she’s afraid she’ll break if he looks at her.

She pretends to be busy with her camera, focusing all of her attention on settings she knows are perfect, but a voice carries it’s way to her ears. “Hey stranger.”

It’s soft and it makes her knees weak and she hates herself for it. She looks up at him and his expecting eyes and her heart breaks all over again. She can’t help it, but suddenly there are tears running down her face and she can’t breathe. “Hey, hey. It’s okay.”

He places a hand on her shoulder but she pushes it away, “No it’s not.” She says between breaths.

“I shouldn’t be here, I should not be here. I have to go.”

She turns to leave, but one of his sisters stops her, “Let us walk you home, please. My brother may be a dumbass, but we have good genes. Let us make sure you get back safe.”

She doesn’t know why the words calm her, but she nods her head and lets the girls lead her in the direction of her hotel. The twins, Eleanora and Lucrezia, talk to her in fits of italian and english, trying to keep her brain occupied. But her whole body is on high alert, too aware of the man trailing behind them and how much of a fool she must look like. She feels like a mess, like someone drowning in a foot of water, but she can’t help it.

They walk her into the lobby of her hotel, the girls wish her a goodnight before shoving Ethan towards her. She doesn’t want to talk to him, and he must see it in her eyes because he tries to leave. But his sisters won’t let him, they stand tall and he looks like a child being scolded by his parents.

“Can we sit?” He asks, pointing to a couch.

She doesn’t want to, she wants to run up to her room and cry, but she nods. They sit and it is silent. Her stomach is in her throat, her eyes hurt from trying not to cry, but she sits and she waits. She studies his face, the crease in between his eyebrows that only forms when he’s confused or thinking, she wants to reach over and smooth it out. He turns towards her and catches her staring, a small smile forming on his lips.

He takes her in, allowing himself to really look at her for the first time in months, and something in his heart breaks. How did he ever let her go? Why was he so stupid to ruin something so beautiful?

“I’m sorry.” He blurts out before he can stop himself. “I’m so sorry, amore. I know I can’t say it enough, I know it’s not as easy as that, but I’m sorry and I love you. So much it hurts.”

The words hit her like a truck, they knock the air out of her lungs and the tears she was trying so hard to keep at bay start falling down her cheeks. She stands up so fast she gets light headed, “I can’t do this. I thought I could, but I can’t.”

She turns and starts walking towards the elevators. He calls after her, but she’s determined to leave, to get away. He runs after her, catching her right before the doors of the elevator close, and he wishes she didn’t look so broken. The doors slip close and she is gone and he feels like he could break something.

Her room is cold and she wishes she was home in her flat. She throws herself into the shower, the water burning her skin, and she sobs. She sobs so hard her body shakes, she screams and hopes no one can hear her.

He’s still standing by the elevator, crying now, too. His body aches in a way he’s never felt before and he hates that he isn’t holding her right now. He knows he messed up, he beats himself up for it everyday, but he doesn’t know how to fix it. He can’t just say sorry and expect everything to be okay, but he has to do something.

November

The ground is covered in snow. It is peaceful and quiet. He’s not used to this, the cold and the snow, but he understands the appeal. He’s standing outside her flat, or at least what he hopes is her flat, Victoria wasn’t exactly sure which one was hers. He’s bought her favourite flowers and he’s prepared to pour his soul out to her.

He paces outside her door for what feels like hours, trying to get himself to knock, but before he can, she opens the door. “Ethan?”

Her voice is soft, his heart sings at the sound of it. He turns to face her and the sight before him takes his breath away. She’s wearing a dress that shows off everything he loved about her, a coat thrown over her arm, she looks like an angel on earth. “Do you have a moment?”

She’s running late for dinner with her sister, but she’s afraid if she says no to him, she’ll never see him again. She hasn’t forgotten that night in Amsterdam, wishes she would have been brave enough to stay and talk, but she can’t change the past. “Yes, yes. Come in.”

She lets him into her flat, taking the flowers he hands her, and brings him over to her couch. “So.”

The script he’d had prepared in his head is suddenly gone from his memories. “I’ve thought this through a thousand times, planned this out a million different ways, but I can’t figure out the right words to say. I’m sorry, amore mio. I can’t say that enough. I never should have left you, shouldn’t have let things happen the way they did. Loving you was easy, and I think that scared me.”

She takes a deep breath, not sure what to say. She feels tears bubbling in the back of her throat and she hates that this is her response to everything revolving around him. He notices the shift in her, can tell she’s about to cry, “Amore mio, please don’t cry. I’ll start and then neither of us will be able to do anything else.”

She laughs quietly at his words, “I don’t think there are any tears left inside of me. I cried them all for you.”

His heart breaks at her confession. He moves closer to her and wraps himself around her. She hates how easy it is for her to melt into his touch, but she enjoys the comfort of it. “Tell me how to fix this. Tell me to stay and I will be here for as long as you’ll have me. I’m yours amore.”

“Please, don’t leave me again.” The words are barely more than a whisper, but he hears them.

He pulls her tight to his chest and holds her. She doesn’t care about anything else but this moment and him.

She wakes up the next morning in her bed. The sun is streaming in through the windows and she can smell Ethans body wash laced in the fibres of her bed sheets. She rolls over, expecting to see him beside her, but is met with an empty bed. Her heart sinks, afraid that everything he’d said was too good to be true, that he’d left her, again. But the sounds coming from her kitchen prove her wrong.

She gets up, quickly changing out of the dress she was wearing the night before, and follows the sound of clinking dishes. She’s greeted by the sight of a shirtless Ethan, back turned to her, hunched over her stove. There’s the smell of coffee brewing and something soft playing from the radio. If she doesn’t think too hard, she can almost imagine this being a daily occurrence.

He turns around when he hears the floorboards creak, a smile on his face, “Buongiorno amore mio.”

“Buongiorno.”

He hands her a cup of coffee and plates the pancakes he’s made. She smiles at the domesticality of it all. He sits down beside her on the couch and they eat in silence, leaning against one another. Afterwards, she washes the dishes and he dries them. Neither one of them says anything until the sun is high in the sky and they are laying in bed together. “I love you.”

It is the first time she’s said it in such a permanent way, she recites it like it is a fact written in history books. He looks down at her, she’s curled up on his chest, a hazy look on her face. He reaches down to tuck her hair behind her ear and leans his head towards her, “Ti voglio bene.” He seals the statement with a soft kiss.

It’s light and barley there, she chases after his lips as he pulls away, and he chuckles in a way that sends butterflies into her stomach. She places herself on his lap, weaving her fingers into his hair as his tether to her waist. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

He stares at her, memorizing all of the features of her face. He loses himself in thoughts of days spent exactly like this, of a life he hopes isn’t just a dream. He flips them over carefully, laying her down on the bed. He hovers over her, arms on either side of her head, “I’m going to show you how much I love you.”

December

“Move in with me.”

It’s early in the morning and they’re sitting in bed sharing a pot of coffee and a pack of cigarettes. His arm is wrapped around her shoulders, she’s leaned into his side, and he whispers those words.

She hasn’t yet told him about the offer from the band's manager, to become their permanent photographer, but it seems like the perfect moment to. “Yes.”

“Really?”

She laughs at his shock, “I was offered to come and work for the band full time, I haven’t replied yet. But I want to take the job.”

A goofy grin makes its way onto his face, “Do it! Right now. Tell them yes, come and stay with us. Be my girlfriend?”

He’s rambling and he doesn’t care. She smiles at him, her heart bursting with love for the man. “Okay, yes! Absolutely!”

Christmas is celebrated in their apartment in Rome. The band is there, her sister flies out and his family comes too. It is a day filled with love and laughter. They eat a grand lunch that they spent the previous day cooking, his mom brings a homemade panettone. They exchange gifts in the evening, and it is everything she’d dreamed of.

On New Year's Eve they make a trip to the villa. They sing songs and drink expensive wine. Fireworks light up the sky brighter than the stars. They sit out on the porch and tell stories of things that seem so far away. He’s sitting beside her, hands intertwined. He tells her about all of the things he wants to do in the new year and she is mesmerized by the way he talks.

There will be a moment in time when the world stops spinning and everything goes quiet, and she thinks that if that were to happen now, it would be the perfect way to go. Surrounded by the people she now calls family and the person she loves most in the world.

Fireworks go off in the distance, someone shouts out a drunken happy new year! and as time flows from one year to the next, she realizes that this is all that will ever matter.

[hesgomorrah]

omg I meant to send one of these earlier but the app wasn't giving me the askbox & I was at work so I totally forgot by the time I got home. anyway. character ask game ❤️‍🩹, 💛, 🗡 for jamie, 📖 for any two-era character you like? o:

i had phantom piper on the brain while writing a couple of these so sorry if you haven’t listened to it yet

❤️‍🩹- Angsty headcanon

i’m not the first person to say this but i am 1000% in the camp of “jamie has undiagnosed ptsd”. coming as he did right off the back of culloden it definitely takes some time for it to fully appear, but far longer than that is the time it takes for him to admit he needs help. he’s terrified of being seen as a coward and he doesn’t want to be pitied. he hates the way his friends look at him when he jumps at a sudden sound and how the doctor knows that his nightmares aren’t always about their adventures together. he could never tell them that he can hear the sound of musket fire when it’s quiet or that he sees his best friend’s lifeless body every time he closes his eyes. he’s hardly the first man to ever survive a war, this must just be what it’s like. it’s his burden to bear.

until they’re getting shot at one day and he freezes. he has to be pulled bodily out of the line of fire, and for all he knows he’s probably getting reprimanded, but he’s back at culloden watching jimmy drummond take the shot meant for him. short on time, the doctor has to go into his mind to snap him out of it, and what he sees there makes him want to cry. jamie’s first instinct is to recoil from how gently he’s being handled, force his walls back up and act like nothing’s happened, but he knows the doctor won’t let him. but maybe, just maybe, he can try believing him when he tells him he doesn’t have to go through this alone.

💛- Brotp

you’re asking me to pick between my children here, but if i absolutely had to make a choice, i have a definite soft spot for his relationship with ben and polly. (no i can’t break it down further than that. do NOT separate them.) he was so far out of his depth when he first came on board the tardis, and even though they were also from the far future to him they were able to support him in a way that, for all he might have tried to make jamie feel at home, the doctor simply couldn’t. they were like older siblings to him. i feel like his relationship with ben and polly really informed his relationship with victoria, which in turn informed his relationship with zoe. he had someone to guide him through that transition, and he insists on doing that for those who come after him even though they’re both from his future and might not need quite so many things explained to them.

but also on a more casual note i think they have some really sweet moments and love to think about them just. hanging out. like i think polly and jamie talk about boys (read: ben and two) and try and fail miserably to play matchmaker for each other. ben gently bullies jamie to learn how to swim and jamie teaches him cool knife tricks. he picks up 60s slang from them and confuses every other earth human he interacts with. there is a room in the tardis that only exists for the three of them to hotbox after adventures (until the doctor finds out and wants to be included). he is simply their little brother your honour

🗡- Badass headcanon

scraping the bottom of the barrel for this one but i think he's real into knife throwing and is scary good at it. the doctor keeps telling him off for doing it in the tardis even though he’s never actually broken anything, but he has convinced several of his friends to try it, saying it’s not that hard, always to disastrous results. except for victoria, who it turns out is also scary good at it. he mostly does it for fun, but he has managed to get them out of a few scrapes with it.

📖- AU I’d like to see them in

this is incredibly basic of me but since this is the era of non-contemporary (and now non-modern) companions i love imagining them all in a modern au. i have chronic jamie disease so i have the most coherent thoughts about him but honestly i feel like in this au he would be the connective tissue of the group rather than the doctor. he just keeps falling in with the weirdest people.

like in my modern au jamie is a punk musician/scottish independence activist whose friend group outside of his band (alexander, kirsty, and formerly jimmy) consists of the co-owner of the bar he plays at (polly runs the inferno with kitty), her on-again-off-again navy boyfriend, a schoolgirl, some guy with a fake moustache who definitely doesn’t work for the government, the librarian who was forced to run the adult classes he’s taking, and the weird older man that he may or may not be dating (and who DEFINITELY isn’t still an alien). people have given up trying to figure them out it’s just an accepted fact that if you wanna go to one of his shows the front row is gonna be filled exclusively with the last sort of people you’d expect to listen to a band like this.

also while he doesn’t play them in his band, he does still play the bagpipes, and his wardrobe is 90% the same, just with the occasional utilikilt or pair of docs.

[dream-a-little-bigger-x]

Don’t Go Breaking My Heart | Charlie Gillespie

Requested by anonymous: Hi! Could you possibly do a Charlie x reader fic where they are filming season 2 & there is a new character (fashion expert/can see ghost/a little bit of enemies with Luke at first) but off screen they are very close (always hanging out/on ig posts & stories/dance partners/they sing karaoke/adventure) & the whole cast likes to tease them about it but they deny any feelings however they are about to film a very important scene that involves their characters & might change everything between them.

Pairing: Charlie Gillespie x reader

Warnings: fluff

Words: 2,789

Season 2. Finally Season 2. Everyone had been hoping, wishing, praying for a season 2 of Julie and The Phantoms, and after months of waiting, Netflix finally picked it up for a second season. After those months, the actors had just to wait a little while longer while the crew wrote up the first drafts of scripts and made it perfectly save for the actors to do their work. Once all of that’s ready and they’re good to go, the cast finally reunite again in Vancouver. They even meet some new cast members. Like you. You had auditioned for the role of Daniela Ramos, Julie’s cousin and Victoria’s daughter, and got it pretty much straight away. Daniela is a fashion student at a High School in Melrose Hill and Julie asks her for some help with costumes for her next gig with her band. To Julie’s surprise, Daniela can actually see the boys, even when they’re not playing, which causes for a lot of trouble in the band and family, especially between Julie and Luke. This is your first big role on the small screen and you’re the most excited you’ve ever been. You met the other cast members at the summer bootcamp before the filming process would start, and though almost everything had to be done with a face mask covering half of everyone’s face, it still was a lot of fun getting to meet everyone and spend the most fun summer ever. Every day, you grew closer and closer to everyone on set, and soon became best friends with Madi, Jadah, Savannah and Tori, doing plenty of sleepovers. Besides the girls, you also grew closer to Charlie, Owen and Jeremy, but mostly Charlie. For some reason, the two of you just clicked instantly. You have the same humor, the same taste of adventure, the same passions and dreams. You, Charlie and Owen even rented a place together to live in for the time being in Vancouver. You got even closer during filming, especially since you and Charlie have a lot of scenes together. “Oh my God, Luke, you’re so annoying!” you yell at him when the two of you are in the garage, taping a scene. It had taken you about ten takes and you still couldn’t help but giggle at the shocked face he pulled every time. “If I’m so annoying, Dani, why do you keep coming back?!” The angry face he pulls resembles that of an angry kitten, which just makes you crack up again. “God dammit, Y/N!” Charlie laughs now too as Kenny yells “Cut!” “Sorry! Sorry, guys! I promise I’m a real actor!” You hold your hands up in defense, then cough to get ready for another take. This time around, you could finally manage to get through it without laughing. “Yes!” Charlie exclaims when Kenny yells “Cut!” again. He holds his hand up for a high five, which you giddily give him. “Do you need any more takes, Kenny?” he asks the man himself. “Nope, you’re good! You can go on your break now!” he pats Charlie’s shoulder. “Nice job, guys!” “Thanks, Kenny,” you say, the smile growing on your face. “I need food, Gillespie,” you tell your best friend, linking your arm with his. “Let’s go get food!” The two of you head down to catering and sit down at a table with a plate full of food. “What are we doing tonight?” he then asks before taking a bite of food. You swallow your bite of food and take a sip from your drink. “Don’t you have a night shoot tonight?” you ask, remembering him saying something about a late call. “No, that’s tomorrow, after our dance rehearsal,” he replies after swallowing the food. “Oh! Okay!” You start thinking of things to do, “We could go to karaoke? Bring the others maybe?” He raises his eyebrows, looking at you questionably. “I’ve always loved karaoke,” you shrug with a giggle. “Yeah, okay!” Charlie nods his head agreeingly. “Karaoke it is!” The two of you smile up at each other, teeth showing, both of you glowing. “What are you love birds discussing?” Owen asks when he joins them, his voice muffled from the mask covering his face. He pulls it down to under his chin as he and Jeremy join the two at the table. “We’re thinking about going to karaoke tonight with the whole team!” you tell them, completely ignoring the ‘love birds’. “Ooh, fun!” Owen exclaims with a smile that nearly reaches his ears. “Yeah, we’ll leave after shooting the last scene tonight,” Charlie suggests, looking at you for confirmation. You nod your head agreeingly. That night, you and the rest of the cast head to the nearest karaoke place you know. You’ve linked arms with Savannah and Tori, giggling through the night, trying to keep your balance on your heeled boots. Meanwhile, without you realizing, Charlie has been keeping his eyes on you the whole way there. He finds it adorable how your giggle floats through the night air and your hips bump against the other girls’. He couldn’t lie, you had easily become the light in his life. “So, what song shall we begin with?” you ask the gang as you settle into the booth. “Pick the first one on the list,” Jeremy replies when no one else does. You nod your head curtly and press play on the first song, which is Living on a Prayer by Bon Jovi. You can already tell after that first song; tonight is going to be a fun night. You sing a couple of songs with the girls, there are many group numbers, and you even sing one with your roommates. After singing with Owen and Charlie, the latter points at you. “We’re going to sing together now!” he exclaims excitedly before turning around and picking a song for you to sing. When he’s picked one, he grabs your hand to pull you closer towards him. You blink a couple of times, unable to process what’s happening right now. The opening notes to Don’t Go Breaking My Heart by Elton John and Kiki Dee chime through the booth. You glance over at Savannah and Tori, who offer you an encouraging smile. Then you look at Jadah and Madison, but they’re too busy giggling and whispering, and it makes you wonder if that’s about you and Charlie. Your eyes dart over to the boys – Jeremy, Owen and Sacha – who just offer you suggestive smiles and eyebrow-wiggles. Charlie’s voice captures your attention again, and you turn to him. “I couldn’t if I tried,” you sing back to him. The encouraging smile on Charlie’s face calms you down a little up to the point where it almost seems like the two of you are the only people in the room. You have no clue what is happening or why it’s happening. All you know is that you’ve wanted it to happen sooner. Though you wouldn’t ever admit that to anyone. It’s the way he looks at you and the way he makes you feel like you’re the only person on this planet that matters. It’s been the way he’d looked at you since that first day of meeting him. “I won't go breaking your heart,” you sing the very last line to him ever so softly, not even looking at the screen anymore, but instead, looking into his eyes. “Don't go breaking my heart,” he sings back. The song ends and you both lower your microphones, staring into each other’s eyes. If it wasn’t for the rest of the cast breaking out into cheers and applause, you would’ve kissed him then and there. But it startles you, and you step away from him upon realizing how close you are and how that must look to the others. “So, when’s the wedding?” Madison asks teasingly, which makes the others laugh, and you blush. After that night at karaoke, the two of you had silently agreed to forget anything ever happened. Savannah said you were in denial, but you believed you weren’t. You told her it was just the atmosphere in the air that night, the both of you had consumed a little bit of alcohol and it might’ve just been that. No one stopped teasing you though. On every possible occasion, they’d ask you if you’d kissed him yet, or when your next date it, or started singing Don’t Go Breaking My Heart randomly. You just shook it off every time, finding it amusing how consumed the cast was with this ‘relationship’ you had with Charlie. There was nothing more going on than just a really, really tight friendship. Until the dance scene happened. Your character, Dani, was supposed to go to a school dance with her crush, but she was nervous because she had never slow danced with anyone before. When she tells Luke, he insisted on teaching her, saying he’d gone to plenty of school dances back in ’94 and ’95 before he died. You and Charlie know this choreography by heart, you’ve been doing it for weeks on end at bootcamp and during rehearsals. It had always just been fun and games, the two of you being immaculate dancers and bouncing off of each other so well because of your tight friendship. “I could teach you?” Charlie says as Luke, stepping closer to you. You raise your eyebrows at him. “I’ve gone to numerous dances in my days, Dani…” One corner of his mouth curls up into a teasing smirk. “Unless you want to embarrass yourself in front of… Jake.” He emphasizes the name of your fictional crush, to which you react with wide eyes and a blush spreading on your cheeks. “Come on, Dani!” He reaches out for your hand, which you place hesitantly in his. Dani being able to see ghosts, is also able to make them corporeal. The lights on set dim a little, except for one spot on the pair in the middle of the studio, and then the music starts playing through the speakers. Charlie starts singing the song they’d learned at bootcamp, one the cast wrote together during the quarantine. The atmosphere in the studio has suddenly become really intense. You can feel the butterflies erupting in your stomach as the man in front of you sings to you, mere inches away from each other as he leads you in this beautiful dance Paul Becker and Tori Caro choreographed for you. Just like at the karaoke booth, it feels like the two of you are the only people on set. Just you and him. You and Charlie. You and your best friend. There’s no denying you have feeling for him anymore. You knew you did, you just told yourself it wasn’t a good idea and suppressed those feelings, pushing them down. It worked for a while. Until now. “Cut!” Kenny yells after your scene. You step away from Charlie, glancing down at the floor as you try your hardest to hide your flustered face. “That was perfect, guys! It really looks like the two of you were in love!” he claps his hands in excitement, then tells them to do it again. After four takes of the dance, Kenny tells you to go and take a break. Without saying another word to Charlie, you rush off set and towards your trailer where you sit down on a chair, trying to calm your breathing. Charlie might not like you the way you like him. Admitting to these feelings might just ruin everything the two of you have. With this in mind, you grab your phone and text Savannah, asking her to come over to your trailer. Maybe she could help you. “Are you okay?” she asks when she enters and finds you staring at the ceiling. “No…” you reply and take a deep breath, “I think I’m in love with my best friend?” “Oh, sweetie…” Savannah sighs, and pulls you up to take you in a hug, “I know…” You pull her away again to face her properly. “What do you mean ‘you know’?” “Everybody knows,” she starts, “The two of you have been inseparable since the day you met, and everyone can see the way you look at each other. Plus, your duet the other night was a little intense for it to be a platonic one.” She chuckles, and you can’t help but chuckle too. She then grabs her phone from her back pocket, opening Instagram. “You know fans have caught on too, right?” She shows you the comments on some of Charlie’s pictures on his account. One picture is of the two of you, napping in Julie’s bed on set, cuddled up. He even posted pictures from your hikes on your days off. All of them are bombarded with comments from fans saying, ‘I ship it!’ or ‘Y/S/N’. Sav then opens her dm’s which are flooded with fans asking if you and Charlie are dating yet, and how the two of them are so in love with each other. “Charlie isn’t in love with me?” you deny, not believing one bit about it. “He is, though…” This does not come from Savannah’s mouth. Your eyes widen when you recognize the voice, and peek behind Savannah to find your best friend standing at your open trailer door. “Sav, can you give us a minute?” he asks the younger girl. “More than a minute,” she chirps, offering you a wink before leaving the trailer. Charlie steps in completely and moves until he’s in front of you. He takes your hands in his, and chuckles at your overwhelmed and confused expression. “Are you okay?” he asks, that beautiful smile of his persistent on his face. “Y—yeah? No? I’m not sure?” you sigh, trying to get your thoughts in order. “Charlie, wha—?” “Can I talk? I’ve been going over this conversation in my mind a billion times, and if I don’t say it now, I think I’m going to forget what I’m supposed to say…” You nod your head in response. “Y/N, I’ve been in love with you since the very first time I saw you walking in at bootcamp. You looked adorable with your little nervous smile and your polite hellos to everybody. I knew from that moment on that I wanted to get to know you better, and that I wanted to become more than just friends…I didn’t think you’d feel the same way, so I told myself that it was okay if we’d just stay friends. Especially since your character kind of hates mine and you bring Dani to life so convincingly, that I was almost sure you hated me too,” you chuckle at that, “But I can’t hide it anymore, Y/N. I am so embarrassingly in love with you that I could’ve kissed you after that scene we just did and that I could kiss you right now even though I’m—” before he can finish his sentence, you lean up and crash your lips onto his, your hands flying into his hair. He’s a little startled at first, but quickly melts into the kiss and presses you closer to him. “I am so embarrassingly in love with you too, Charlie,” you whisper when you pull away, pressing your forehead against his. “They’re going to be so relieved,” you tell him with a chuckle. He frowns his eyebrows at you. “Who?” he asks. You take his hand in yours and lead him towards the door of your trailer, pushing it open and making it bump against whoever was closest to the door. All of your cast mates scramble, trying to act natural while Owen rubs his forehead since he was the one that got a door in his face. “Ah, them!” Charlie chuckles. “Thanks for the door in my face, guys,” Owen says disgruntled. “That’s on you, buddy,” you tell him with a grin. “Don’t you guys have a scene to shoot or something?” Their eyes widen at the realization and, after yelling at the two how happy they are for them, rush to set in a hurry. “So, where were we?” Charlie turns back to you when everyone’s gone. “Don’t you have a scene with them?” “Shit!” he grumbles and jumps off the small steps in front of the trailer. He starts running towards set but turns around almost immediately to you and kisses your lips quickly, but sweetly, and then runs off. You watch him with an amused smile on your face. There was nothing to be afraid about after all and nothing changed between you two. You were still the best of friends, just friends that kiss and are in love with each other. But both of you happy.

Taglist: @hannahhistorian92​ @marinettepotterandplagg​ @thequirkybookaholic​ @parkeret​​ @lukeys-giggle​ @gingerxarmy​ @lovesanimals​

[edie-baby]

baby girls - chapter two | lando norris

Chapter Two: Perhaps

summary: What's the best way to tell the guy you like that you have a kid? Well, lying about it and making him think you're cheating isn't the best tactic, Mila's about to find that out the hard way.

word count: 1650

warnings: swearing, absentee father (the asshole ex has evolved)

last chapter

Dreaming of a perfect man while on a perfect vacation in the perfect scenery was, well, perfect. Until the dream ended, and Mila was forced back into reality by the wails of her daughter coming from the next room, the heartbreaking sound kicked Mila’s motherly instincts into high gear, her sleep-addled brain coming into a laser sharp focus within a split second.

“Hey baby girl, what’s going on?” Mila spoke, scooping Mahri into her arms with practiced ease. Mahri’s sobs quieted almost instantaneously, her tears still tracking down her face with a vengeance. Mila tried wiping the tears away, but they were replaced just as quickly.

“It’s okay, just breathe bubs. Whatever’s making you upset, we can fix. It’s all good.” Mila whispered, bouncing Mahri around the room as it had calmed her down when she was just a baby.

“I want Daddy.” Mahri cried, and Mila could have collapsed at the weight of the words the toddler had said. There was a large hole in both of their lives in the exact shape and size of Mahri’s father. Once high school sweethearts, now sworn enemies.

As much as Mila tried to block out all thoughts and feelings related to Mahri’s dad, she couldn’t blame the kid for missing a man Mila herself found missing sometimes. Matyas was Mila’s first love, her boyfriend since 8th grade, and her best friend since kindergarten. They had grown up side by side, acknowledging they had crushes on each other in their second year of high school, and having a baby together by the second last.

Matyas and Mila, contrary to most’s predictions, had stayed together through her pregnancy, and even for a while after Mahri was born. Matyas would bring all of Mila’s schoolwork home and help her work through assessments while she was pregnant, and once Mahri was born, they alternated taking days off school to babysit when members of their family couldn’t.

But something Mila had never admitted to others was that Matyas was an asshole, only kicking into higher gear once they had both finished school. Mila had an acceptance letter for university and a part time job lined up, whilst Matyas hadn’t even bothered looking, preferring to use the excuse of ‘I have a child’ to stop him from venturing into the adult world. Despite this, cooking, cleaning, and looking after the baby was Mila’s job, obviously because she was the woman, the mother.

When Mila finally decided to end her toxic relationship with her lifelong best friend, she was villainized for it. Her parents and friends blamed her for tearing her own family apart, whilst her older siblings were more than supportive, having accidentally witnessed Matyas’ less than desirable traits. Up until about six months ago, Matyas would visit regularly, taking Mahri for her swimming classes, and playing with her at the park, occasionally taking her for the day to save Mila some money on daycare.

However, much like any tale of a teenager, Matyas was single and lonely, and a barrier to being in a relationship was the fact that he had become a father at seventeen. It wasn’t exactly a big check mark next to his name, so when he had told Mila he needed to move on, find someone special, she didn’t anticipate that meant moving on from his daughter. Six months with no contact was the longest Mahri had ever gone without seeing her father, and it was the longest Mila had ever gone without seeing him. Mila didn’t have the heart to tell Mahri, who looked at Matyas as though he hung the stars, that her father wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Yet as the days turned to weeks, and the weeks turned to months, Mahri’s cries for her dad became all the more heartbreaking.

“I know, baby girl. But he’s on holiday, remember? He’s having lots of fun in Limbo.” Mila lied, continuing to rock her daughter in her arms, heart feeling heavy as stone at the blatant lies she was forced to tell her daughter just because her ex-boyfriend was a coward.

“I want a new daddy.” Mahri whispered, giving up on keeping her head up, preferring to let it fall heavily onto her mum’s shoulder. Mila couldn’t help but chuckle silently, the unfiltered, mumbled by age, words that her daughter came out with sometimes were what kept Mila going. With a few more bounces, Mila was sure her daughter had fallen back into a deep slumber and moved to lay her back in the small bed, covered with pillows, blankets and stuffed animals.

Mahri’s words echoed in Mila’s head, and as she reached for her phone to send yet another unanswered text to Matyas, Lando’s face appeared on her screen, an incoming FaceTime call that was as daunting as it was exciting. Mila looked over her shoulder, listening for any movement from Mahri before she answered the call, setting her phone against the toaster on the kitchen counter as she began brewing some coffee. It was nearing five in the morning, and knowing she would be usually waking up in an hour and a half meant it was going to be a caffeine fueled day.

“Hey baby boy.” Mila spoke a moment after the call had connected, looking down at the phone to see Lando’s tired face, snuggled up in bed with a small smile on his face. His smile only growing when he heard the fond nickname fall from Mila’s lips.

“Hi love. Why are you making coffee? It’s so late.” Lando mumbled, squinting to get a better look at what Mila was doing in front of him. His eyes devoured her figure, a large tshirt covering the tops of her thighs, and from what he could see, or lack thereof, she wasn’t wearing pants.

“Actually, it’s early. It’s a bit past five at the moment.” Mila replied, giggling at the way Lando seemed entranced by the view of her bare skin, smiling fondly when he snapped out of the trance at the sound of her joy.

“What the fuck are you doing up so early?” Lando almost shrieked, the volume of it causing Mila to startle forward, pressing incessantly at the buttons on her phone to lower the sound, checking over her shoulder paranoid that the gorgeous Brit had woken her barely sleeping baby.

“Oh, sorry. Do you have someone over?” Lando mumbled, looking crestfallen as he recognised the anxious look on Mila’s face. He couldn’t have been so naive to think that a woman as gorgeous as her wouldn’t have company on a Friday night - Saturday morning for her - and it had been about four days since they had spoken, he should have known.

“Uh, kind of. But no, but yes. Fuck.” Mila cursed, trying to find the right way to tell Lando that, yes, indeed she was worried he had woken someone up, but no, it wasn’t the kind of someone he was thinking of. She watched as Lando gulped, his mind spiralling with images of Mila with someone else, and although he had seen it in Austria, it hurt to know that their week together hadn’t meant as much to her as it did him.

“That’s alright. I’ll, um, let you get back to that, I guess. I’m sorry I called.” Lando muttered, moving to end the call when Mila panicked, the thought of hurting the man she was falling in love with had overridden her fears of him freaking out over the fact that she came with a lot more baggage than initially thought.

“I’ll call you later, baby boy, I promise. I want to talk to you, now just isn’t really a good time. I’m sorry.” Mila’s voice was trembling, she could see Lando’s want to get out of the conversation and never speak to her again, and it was the very last thing she wanted.

“It’s fine, you have your own life. We’ll talk soon. Bye.” Lando finished, his voice curt and clipped, but Mila could very clearly see the hurt hidden beneath the thin veil. She felt a piece of her heart break at the sight, knowing she was not only lying to him, but also causing him pain whilst she did so made her question whether it was really worth it hiding the little ball of energy in the next room.

Before Mila could reply, the call cut out, and she was left staring at the photo of herself, Victoria, and the twitch quartet on her lockscreen, something she had changed to remind herself of the amazing week she spent with some new lifelong friends.

Mila unlocked her phone, desperate to get away from the look she and Lando gave each other, preferring to admire her home screen, a photo from hers and Mahri’s most recent adventure to the park, Mahri laughing her ass off at Mila, who was very scaredly looking at the flock of geese running toward them while she took the photo.

Of course she had to give birth to a sadist, and if she was honest, she’d take that over the obvious masochistic trait she had been born with. The conversation with Lando replayed in her mind a million times, part of her wondering why she couldn’t just own the fuck up and tell him she had a kid. It wasn’t like she was telling him she wanted kids with him, or that he already had a kid, fuck if he didn’t want to, she probably wouldn’t introduce him to Mahri for years.

Yes, Mahri was her number one priority, but she couldn’t live her entire life for her child. She was nineteen, a gorgeous woman, and she deserved to be loved. Perhaps she could live her life with her child, and perhaps with someone else too.

But after today? She wasn’t sure she’d get the chance to even try.

[najatheangel]

𝐉𝐚𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫

pairing: lee know x reader

genre: fluffy fluffy and spicy spicy.

inspired song: jaguar by victoria monet

summary: After getting married to the love of your life, you and your husband Minho decide to travel in a private tropical island to celebrate your honeymoon. For the most part the trip has been very fun and the weather puts you in the mood.

"Ahhh this is paradise! After 7 hours of jetlag this is just what we needed!" You both slammed your body on the bed after spending an hour unpacking.

This weekend was the weekend where you finally get the chance to spend alone time and celebrate your marriage with your husband Lee Minho.

For the week, you planned on exploring the tropical islands in Bora Bora while staying in of the best resorts in the area. You have your own personal chef to serve you, your surrounded by the beautiful blue ocean and the best part of it is you don't have to worry family or friends ruining the fun this whole trip.

"You know what we should do after our nap?" You both look at each other smiling already knowing what the other person is about to say.

"Ziplining!" You both cracked a smile laughing at how in tune you two are. Your telepathy is one thing that brought you two closer together.

...

Hand in hand your personal limo driver drove you to the zipline place. You were very nervous when you arrived and saw how high up the people was gliding on the zipline. Minho squeezed your hand for extra support letting you know that he's going to protect you if anything happens.

With your zipline safety gear ready to go you start taking the elevator making your way up to the platform to where your ziplining off of. Minho paid for the couple zipline special so the two of you can do it together and stay super close.

“It’s alright just hold my hand and close your eyes.” You took a deep breath, closed your eyes and next thing you know you were sent flying off on the zip line.

“Ahhhhh y/n open your eyes it’s beautiful up here. Look look!” You finally open your eyes and you finally start to open both of your arms and let yourself free. “The view is so amazing. I can see our resort from up here!”

This was the highlight of the trip for you and things got even better from here. Later that day you two took a Atv Quad tour around Bora Bora and things got a little dirty from there. After riding around in mud all day Minho had this idea.

“Hey y/n, since we got all sweaty and dirty from ya know riding all day, how about we bathe together at the waterfall by the resort? And then we can get dinner afterwards.” He reaches his hand out to help you off the motorbike.

You started blushing at the thought and respond back by saying by saying. “Sounds good to me. We’ve got to make it short though or we’ll miss the hula dancers.”

“Mmm why don’t you hula dance for me, but in the bedroom this time.” Minho flirtatious comments made you even more flustered and you raced each other to the waterfall.

...

The waterfall was known as “The shower of Love” which all couples can swim, relax and bathe together out in the open. A lot of couples had there own private waterfall at the resort where they can let loose and even stroll around in their birthday suit if they wanted to.

“Wow Minho! I swear you are the best husband anyone could ask for. How much did this cost?”

“All together...about a good 700 with the discount.” The both of you laugh at together and slowly walk towards the waterfall.

The sun was shining, the water was a pretty shade of blue, birds were chirping and the sound of the water was splashing against the palm trees it was music to your ears.

Minho decided to tease you by picking you up and dipping your body underwater to rinse the mud and body wash. “Y/n you’ve got to be quicker then that. What if someone actually tried to drown you?” He starts giggling at your pouting face.

“I hope a shark swims up behind you and bites you in the ass.” You get your revenge by splashing him with both of your arms, but it was a baby splash. Minho seemed unfazed with the by attack by laughing again.

“No no y/n your doing it wrong, it’s like this...” He swims back under water and pops up in-front of your face and splashes you. “Lee Minho!”

The two of you go back snd forth splashing each other until the other one gets tired. After 20 minutes of playing in the water you’ve decided to towards the cave and sit inside getting a better view of the waterfall.

“That got a little wild didn’t it.” The two of you start expressing while fanning yourself from the heat. Minho wasn’t really paying attention before, but he starts noticing your body up close and in action.

The way your orange flower one piece matched his flower swimming trunks. The way the water water dripping down your body especially your legs. The way your hair got soaked and got tangled on your necklace he bought you back in high school.

He didn’t know if it was the bora bora air that was making him act like this, but he was starving and was willing to go all the way with you.

“Y/n there’s no easier less blunt way to say this, but can we do it...like right here. Right now?”

You turn your head super fast and saw the greedy look on his face. The look on his face reminded you of a Jaguar. Jaguars normally know what they want at that particular moment and capture their prey.

“Minho you know you don’t have to ask for something like that. I’m your wife now of course I’m willing and more than ready to go all the way with you.”

The chemistry between you becomes more intense and before you know it he starts crawling on top of you still staring deeply into your eyes.

“I guess you are right. Just a little warning though, once I start it’s going to be hard to finish. We might even miss the hula dancers-“

You put a finger on his mouth shushing him and proceed by saying. “Forget dinner, I’ll be much with just this.”

You wrap his arms around him and start kissing Minho. The kisses were filled with so much fire and desire it made you crave for more.

Minho starts biting your lip and trailing the kisses down to your neck, chest, stomach until he got in between your legs. “Wait, you take yours off too. I don’t want to be the only one left hanging.”

Minho starts laughing again at your request. “Fine by me. Either way I’m going full speed inside of you in a minute.” “Shhh don’t or the birds will hear us.”

Minho gives you one last peck before sliding each other’s floral swimming suits off. This was only the beginning of your adventure of a life time with your husband.

This got a little longer than expected, but I hope you guys enjoyed this one. ✨

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭🏷: @thechoppersan @dundun-baby @purplepsycho03 @xxminmixx @kpopsnowball @soleilsuhh

Send an ask if you want to be added or removed from the tag list. 💫💫💫

[mystical-flute]

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (SFWeek Day 6)

Actors AU or Social Media AU

AO3 || FFN

@mysteryandnonstopfun

“No, Baelfire!”

“It’s okay, Leia… all magic comes with a price, right? I’m happy paying this price if it means - ” he winced in pain as the magic drained more of his strength. “If it means you and Henry will be safe.”

She sniffed, a tear landing on his cheek. “But - but Henry doesn’t even remember you. He never got to see you again!”

“I have faith you’ll break his curse…”

“Bae…” came the broken voice of a father.

“Papa,” despite him dying, he had never felt more relieved to see his father. His sacrifice worked. Papa was safe.

Rumplestiltskin sank to his knees, taking his son’s hand. “Oh my boy. No, I’ll - I’ll stop this. I’ll make sure it takes me instead of you.”

“Papa, you can’t! It’s too late. It’s already begun. You have to let me go. Please.”

“Baelfire…”

Baelfire turned his gaze back to Leia. “Go… find your happiness… without me.”

A final breath escaped him, although his eyes remained open, glassy and empty, as they stared off into the bright light above him.

“CUT!”

Director Killian Jones’ voice sliced through the somber scene, chatter beginning to buzz as assistants, producers and camera operators continued the work that had been stalled while the cameras rolled.

Neal Cassidy blinked, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the studio lighting, and sat up, off his co-star, Emma Swan’s, legs. “That was the first time I’ve ever died in a movie before. Gotta say, I don’t recommend staring directly into the spotlight above your head.”

Arthur Gold, ‘Rumplestiltskin’, stood and stretched out his. “You two are good,” he remarked. “Really just thought you two were just pretty faces, but you two got real acting chops,” his voice dropped lower as Victoria Belfrey, one of the most cutthroat producers in Hollywood, strolled by, “ - especially if you haven’t been scared off by her, yet.”

“Ah, she’s not so bad,” Emma said with a shrug. “You just have to know how to butter her up.”

“Yeah, I mean, sooner or later, it’s going to be our generation that’s the big time producers,” Neal added.

Arthur blinked slowly, then smirked. “That’s the spirit. That will get you both far in this town.”

He ambled away in the direction of catering, and the mood shifted immediately when the two stars were left alone.

“You got snot on me when you cried.”

“Your breath stinks like garlic.”

Oh, Neal couldn’t stand to be near Emma Swan. But Regina Mills’ Misthaven had broken record after record for books and social media posts, so it only made sense that, when the inevitable movie adaptation was announced, Neal Cassidy and Emma Swan, both riding high from their own worldwide successes, would play the two star-crossed, tragic lovers - Baelfire the Spinner and Princess Leia.

He glared. “Yeah? What time did you get to your trailer last night? Two? Because before Elsa worked her magic on you, you looked like - ”

“That is enough out of you two!” Killian snapped, a clipboard tucked under his arm as he approached the sound stage. “I’d heard you two were trouble to work with, but I didn’t think it would be this bad.”

“Well maybe if - ”

“I don’t care. Neither of you are scheduled to film tomorrow, so I’ve set up a bit of a… bonding exercise for you. Don’t worry, your agents gave the okay.”

Neal and Emma shot Killian incredulous looks. “You did this behind our backs?” “What the hell, man?” They protested at the same time.

“Oh, look at that. It seems to be working already,” Killian smirked, handing them sheets of paper. “Meet there at nine o’clock sharp. Spend the day together. Get to know each other - without trying to rip the other’s throat out.”

Neal thought he might have more luck jumping into a zoo exhibit, but he really didn’t want to lose his reputation or everything he had worked for.

So the next morning, he was slumped in the back seat of a car, Emma doing the same on the other side. The ride had been quiet, neither of them much in the mood to talk.

Maybe if they learned to just ignore each other, that would be enough for Killian? Hell, it was already working.

His brow raised as they turned off the main highway, heading into the woods.

“Okay, I know Killian’s annoyed with us, but is he really going to murder us in the woods?” Emma whispered.

“Please, if they did that, Misthaven would tank, and that wouldn’t be fair to Regina Mills,” he replied, although the thought had crossed his mind as well.

“I didn’t think you cared about anyone but yourself.”

“I guess I’m just full of surprises.”

Finally, the driver stopped outside a cabin. “Alright you two. I’ll be back at three, Mr. Jones’ orders. Have fun and don’t do anything that might require an ambulance.”

“It’s like they don’t trust us or something,” Neal said, watching the driver pull away.

Emma didn’t laugh as she glanced at the cabin. “This is a joke, right? God, it’s like being back on Dad’s farm.”

“You grew up on a farm?”

“You gonna mock me for that?”

Neal held up his hands in a gesture of surrender as she unlocked the cabin door and stepped inside. “I was doing nothing of the sort. You just don’t strike me as the “farm girl” type with all the leather you wear.”

“I shed that image. I was never a fan of small towns or - or farms. They’re nice to visit, but I’m a city girl through and through,” she said, frowning as she looked around. “No TV?”

“Jones did say this was a bonding exercise. They probably figured we’d spend all day watching TV or going online and ignoring each other.”

“That sounds like a good idea to me.”

“Well, they ended that dream before you could fall asleep,” Neal said, flopping down on a couch. “Why don’t we talk more about that little farm thing you grew up on?”

“It’s a farm in Maine. Dad raises sheep, cows and chickens and has crops. Really not all that interesting to talk about, other than I hated getting up at the ass-crack of dawn to collect eggs. That was more my brother’s speed.”

Neal raised a brow. “Maine, huh? You don’t hear a lot about people from Maine.”

“Suppose not. Where was it you were from, again?”

“New Orleans.”

Her eyes widened. “Really? No offense, but you don’t sound like it.”

Neal chewed the inside of his cheek, before sighing. “My manager didn’t think it’d get me far if I kept the accent,” he said, slipping into his normal voice. “I really don’t think I’d have gotten Misthaven if I sound like this, do you?”

Emma shrugged. “I think the accent sounds fine, but I guess I can see what you mean. Still shouldn’t mean you couldn’t use it in other work or in interviews. Your manager must be a shark.”

“Cora Miller. And trust me when I say she wasn’t happy when she found out about this little adventure.”

“Ah, that explains it.” A pause. “Did you read Misthaven? The book, I mean.”

“I did. I think it’s bullshit that Baelfire dies.”

“You’re just saying that because that means you have to die and miss out on the last half of the movie.”

“No, no! I’m serious! Baelfire fights so hard to reunite his family and revive his father, and he knows the ins and out of magic, and he still pays the ultimate price? When others who did so much worse get to survive? Even if he and Princess Leia don’t get together, he deserved to be with Henry, at least,” Neal replied, frowning.

Emma tilted her head. “I guess that makes sense. And Baelfire returning a hero after being out of Princess Leia’s life for so long would have made for a great redemption story. Maybe Regina Mills will figure out a way to bring him back in the sequel.”

“Wait, she’s writing a sequel?”

“Yeah, it’s supposed to come out in a couple years. I didn’t know you were such a big reader.”

“You kiddin’? English was my favorite subject in school. I got a whole wall in my house dedicated to books.”

Emma sat back in her chair, clearly surprised. “Huh. It was mine too.”

Neal crossed his legs. “I guess we got more in common than we thought. What do you say we start over?”

Emma smiled. “Sure. I’d like that.”

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous) Ch’en/Doc post Chap. 8

“For most of RI, it seems like nothing’s changed.” Ch’en made her observation sitting in a corner booth, a bottle of wine sitting unopened beside her and an empty plate in front. “Was Reunion such a trivial matter?”

“What do you mean?” The Doctor, across the table from her, was steadily consuming bread rolls and ice water as he had been since finding the Lung sitting alone and joining her.

She didn’t mind; her mind was entirely elsewhere. Specifically, in a cell elsewhere on the ship. “The Operators go about their business as usual - missions, promotions, work...After thwarting the destruction of a city, they’ve simply carried on with their routines.”

“Well, yeah, of course we did,” he replied with a shrug. “World keeps spinning, and people keep getting Infected; stopping what we’re doing isn’t gonna help anyone. Isn’t that how you do things, too?”

“I suppose.” The ex-officer glanced at her wine bottle thoughtfully.

The Doctor leaned forward. “Are you gonna open that? I can do it, if you don’t want to.”

“Hmm? Oh, go ahead.” She passed it to his side of the table. “Bea left it for me as a parting gift.”

“Bea?”

Ch’en blinked. “Right. Swire.”

“Oh, the tigress...I have to say, I wasn’t expecting you to leave Lungmen to join us.” He popped the cork, poured her glass first, then his, and set the rest to the side. “Even after you and Amiya fought Kaschey together, I was sure you’d want to stay to help rebuild.”

“The Lungmen I wanted to build can be built by others; there are some things only I can do.” Justice wasn’t a Lungmen-exclusive privilege, after all.

He nodded. “I’m glad you agree.”

“Eh?” The Lung was sure she’d misheard. “Agree with what?”

“That you have so much more to offer the world than being the hardest working officer in Lungmen. Ursus, Victoria, Kazimierz, hell even Sargon, need your fire, too.” ‘And’, he thought to himself, ‘your sister’s, but that will come in time.’

Rhodes Island’s finest sipped her wine and very quickly realized why she trusted Beatrix with vacation plans. “She outdid herself...”

“You heard me, right?” The Doctor tilted to try to catch more of her frame of vision. “As much as your city loved you, if you’re gonna take it back for justice, we’ve gotta clean up the rest of Terra.”

“I heard you.” How long had it been since she’d sat down and taken a break like this? Especially with someone, at a restaurant, with a glass of wine and a chance to-

He tossed a roll at her forehead, breaking her out of her realization. “You’re really out of it today.”

“...Am I a busybody, Doctor?” The way his mask flatlined told her everything she needed to know. “A workaholic? A no-nonsense killjoy?”

“I don’t think so,” he admitted under the pressure.

The Lung leaned forward. “Maybe you should.”

“Uh...” He’d been living on an airship surrounded by women how long? And yet he had no idea how to handle this one. “Why’s that?”

“Because as long as you’ve known me, I have been, but it wasn’t- I wasn’t always like this. As a kid, even I had fun.”

Where was this going oh someone please help. “Ch’en, are you-”

“You ever read an adventuring novel, Doctor?” Silence, which Ch’en continued to fill. “‘Good food, great wine, and amazing scenery; pretty women, good manners, and great company.’ I loved those as a kid - still do, but I haven’t had nearly as much time to read them. Maybe now that I’m not working for Lungmen, now that I’m working for you, I can take some more time for myself and read them again. This might do me a lot of good, in the end...I just hope doing good for me will be good for Terra, in the end.”

“How could it not? You’re our best hope, after all.” The Doctor finished his glass if wine before reaching for another roll-

-and getting pelted with one by the Lung. “Heh. Gotcha back.”

“...Wow.” He took the roll that bounced off his head and bit into it. “Just wow.”

“What? Can’t I have a little fun, too?” She pouted at him.

He shook his head. “It’s not that. I’d never seen you smile before.”

“Really?” Rhodes Island’s finest sunk back in her chair. “Really…?”

“I’ve seen you smirk, but never smile. I’ve truly been blessed today.”

That earned him another roll to the dome. “Flatterer.”

“Maybe.” The Doctor couldn’t deny it. “But I mean what I say all the same.”

“Do you? If you said you love me, would you mean it?” She reached for a third roll, but this time she tore into it.

Why did that make him so happy to see? Oh, right, the question. “If I ever say that to someone, yeah, I’ll mean it.”

“Hmmph.” The Lung blushed. “So not yet, then?”

“Not ye- oh. Oh, that Oni was right after all.” He chuckled.

She didn’t have another roll to throw - they’d need a waiter to bring them more - so she settled for pouting at him. “Who was right about what?”

“The Oni Swire was with...Officer Hoshiguma, right?” The Doctor couldn’t stop snickering. “She said you were a lightweight, and an adorable one, but I didn’t think one glass would do it.”

“You think I’m drunk off one glass of wine, after having had a full meal?” The levity fully froze over.

Wait...so did that mean, “You actually meant that question seriously?”

“Yes, I did.” Ch’en reached for the bottle. “Honestly, what kind of- Doctor, let go of the bottle.”

“I need to ask you something first, and I need to know absolutely for certain you’re answering in sound mind.” He stared her down until she let go of the bottle.

When the Doctor didn’t immediately ask his question, the Lung considered throwing the roll basket at him. “Any time tonight, Doc-”

“Are you free for a movie after this?” He’d needed a moment to work up the confidence. “I don’t care what we watch, I just want to watch something with you.”

“I’m free.” Oh, it must’ve been years since she’d actually meant that when she said it.

He nodded and let go. “Alright. Feel free.”

“...No, I think I’m done.” She found the cork, popped it back in, and stood up from the table. “Let’s see if there’s anything good playing; if there isn’t, I have a few gathering dust I need to watch again.”

“Well, if you have something you want to watch at your place, we don’t have to worry about checking the theatre, then.”

The Lung gave him a knowing eye-to-eye stare. “I’m not that easy a date, Doctor.”

“I never said you were,” he replied. “If you know what you want, though, there’s no reason you can’t have it.”

“No reason?...Then follow me.” One hand on the wine bottle, the other reaching for his.

He took her hand with a smile. “Lead the way, officer.”

“Cut that shit out right now.” Ch’en didn’t mince words, but the look in her eye was still light-hearted. Mischievous, even. “I’m not an officer anymore. Just call me Ch’en.”

“What about ‘dear?’ Does that work for you?” The Doctor hoped it would.

It did.

[bellaslilpapercut]

Eclipse reread part 2! This is gonna cover a lot of chapters because I forgot to include stuff from chapters 4, 5, and 6 in part 1 (in my defense your honor, this book is very grating to read). Awayyy we go:

1. so chapters 4-6 really could have been one chapter tbh since the plot is: Bella ditches work at Newton’s Outfitters to hang with Jake and then writes some graduation invites with Angela. She pushes her rusty old behemoth as fast as it can go through driving rain but then hangs outside with Jake the whole time so I don’t really know where the rain went. She also manages to hear Jake gasp through her closed car door! Super sonic! Anyway, Bella insists that Edward is a good guy, Jake makes Bella hold his hand, Jake explains imprinting (yuck we can skip that), and then Edward drives threateningly past Bella while she’s on her way to Angela’s house. Angela reminds Bella that, at his core, Edward is a teen boy who is Totally Jealous of how Ripped and Sexy her 16 year old best friend is. Then Alice kidnaps Bella. Fun times!

2. During the imprinting convo it becomes very apparent that Meyer thinks the worst thing that can happen to a girl is getting broken up with. Somehow Leah got the “worst end” of the Sam/Emily/Leah fiasco despite Sam turning into a “monster” and Emily getting literally mauled in the face. What’s worse is later in the book, during the “Legends” chapter, when Bella wonders if Leah thinks Emily’s scars are a form of “justice.” Yea, Bella, that’s justice. 

3. I love this Rosalie quote but hate the entirety of they way meyer writes her story. Others have mentioned it before but Meyer writes Rose's dialogue there as if Rose is an author and not like...a person telling a story. An easy fix would be to format Rosalie's story "flash back" style rather than have her narrate all the way through. Then you can include all the superfluous details of exactly what everyone's voice sounded like and all the excessive dialogue tags you want.

I also Violently Abhor this quote here:

Yea, meyer, the Hot Girl hates your self-insert because her stupid ass brother didn't have the hots for her. It just reads like weird middle school revenge fantasy "I only hated you because you were so Special!!!" Sure, sure. Also "all those females!" People don't talk like that @stephanie

4. I do love the scene when Bella “escapes” from Alice with Jake (I don’t know why i put escape in quotes, Alice could definitely murk Bella) but then that whole adventure ends with Jake telling Bella he’d rather she die than turn into a vampire. And yeah, fair buddy, but also you’ve known Bella for a long time. This should not be a surprise to you at all even a little bit. a) she mentioned it before, b) you knew she would never get over Edward even if your plan in NM had worked, and c) you’ve known that she’s fully obsessed with the Cullen’s since you started hanging out with her again. The last time you guys hung out she went on an impassioned rampage about how lovely and good and fantastic Edward is (footage not found) I really don’t know why you’re surprised that this hard-headed girl is prepared to commit to vampirism for him. She is not normal lmfao.

5. The legends chapter. Oh boy. Stephanie, Meyer, Smeyer. Honestly it might have been less offensive if she had just made up a whole new tribe to give these backstories to, for all that they have in common with real Quileute legends but actually that would still be offensive and terrible anyway. I don’t know how to describe this adequately but if you’ve ever seen G.I. Joe’s portrayal of indigenous people that’s exactly what meyer made Old Quil and Billy’s dialogue sound like. Just absolutely dripping with Mystical Native/ Magical Native trope from the content to the tone. https://mthg.org/ Because it can’t be plugged enough.  

6. The legends chapter ends with this Wuthering Heights quote:

I have no qualms with it's inclusion, if you really want to push the Edward is Heathcliff and Bella is Cathy agenda, I don't believe it but fine, whatever. But those last two paragraphs are such a dumb way to end a chapter. Every chapter ending should make the reader want to turn the page: this makes me want to shut the book (actually I did take a long break after this lmfao). Anyway, just end the quote on "drank his blood," bold those three words, and end the chapter there. Don't go back and say "the three words that stood out were... Anyway it could have fallen to any page I believe in coincidence teehee!!" That's just annoying.

7. Okay guys I hate to say it but Edward does get a lil bit of ~character growth after the first few chapters. He comes home after having Bella kidnapped (she decides not to be angry, surprise surprise) and is all "so I've been thinking about it and you're right my Beloved Angel Face or whatever, please hang out with Jacob but also wear a helmet on your motorcycle my Beloved Dumb Idiot or whatever" (paraphrase). And he also says this in chapter 12:

Which is like, man I hate when I agree with Edward but I agree with Edward here. Now I know from MS that he only wants Bella to stay human because he's creating an Unfolding Drama in his head but this bit of dialogue is really sweet. And it's funny that he thought Bella didn't want to marry him because she just wanted to use him for immortality but it's also a Dark Reminder that he's literally only romantic with her because he can't read her mind and can't tell that she's just as obsessed with his looks as the other Teen Girls TM.

8. uuuh Jasper’s Backstory Time. This is so infuriating to read for so many reasons. So we know that smeyer got Jasper’s name from a confederate memorial/ listing (from a New Moon Q&A but the link isn’t secure so I can’t share) so I know that his backstory was always meant to be Confederate Soldier which makes everything else about his characterization just baffling. Again, he was the only Cullen that was genuinely kind to Bella besides Carlisle for the entire first book and he’s still incredibly kind during Eclipse (which is another issue I have though because no one mentions again that Jasper tried to eat Bella and they stand close to each other and hang out and Bella’s never like “this is scary, this dude tried to kill me” but i digress). The point is: smeyer knew he was going to be a confederate from book 1. She never addresses that this was bad, she never has Jasper mention that he regrets his role in the war, he is the only Cullen that’s actually capable of empathizing with humans anymore (Carlisle cares but I would not categorize him as empathetic), it just... None of these pieces fit together. This is a fraught and bloody history that smeyer throws in with no thought to how it might alienate black readers (though tbh she constantly emphasizes “white beauty” throughout the series so I doubt she cares) and the editors don’t question it either. No one, at any point in time, said “Hey, steph, you know confederates fought for slavery, right?” Every black american deserves reparations. White women and men who glorify the civil war should be the first to pay up. 

9. I’m gonna jump back to chapters 9 & 10 here (target & scent, respectively) to say: no tension is being effectively built. I get it, someone stole your clothes. You’re annoyed because you have nothing to wear and Victoria is scary. But where is she? Where is the volturi? Move it along, please! This is one of the challenges of 1st person narrative because the author is stuck in the eyes of, usually, the person who knows the least. Meyer is not a talented enough author to make this interesting. Not to bring up THG again but Suzanne Collins really knew how to work 1st person. Everything that Katniss asserts with certainty throughout the series gets either confirmed or denied by the narrative, keeping it interesting. She assumes the worst of the people around her so we’re pleasantly surprised when people violate those assumptions. We’re kept on edge by how little Katniss knows and SC never gifts Katniss with more knowledge than she could be expected to have. Bella is constantly gifted with knowledge and her assumptions are rarely proven wrong. You can dig into the canon a little bit more, read the lexicon and the guide, and find all the examples of Bella being unreliable or making wrong assumptions. But within the narrative she is rarely incorrect. She doesn’t get opportunities to grow out of her false assumptions (while Edward does, at least in Eclipse). So to keep the Victoria debacle interesting, smeyer has to plant seeds like- during these two chapters- Bella thinking of Laurent and Victoria while the cullens discuss who could have been in Bella’s room. That just doesn’t cut it for me. 

This is hella long and I’m only halfway through the book. I probably should split the second half into two parts as well but based on how talented smeyer is at stretching out the mundane, especially just before the climax, I probably wont need to. 

[husbandograveyard]

oh can i send in a request? What about Killer and Law (seperate) trying to set up a special date night for their fem!s/o?

Hi love! I had way more fun than I thought I’d have writing these. I don’t necessarily picture them as the most romantic people, but with the right person, under the right circumstances, magic can be made! I hope you enjoy these! 

slight suggestive themes. only a little. They’re also super long (especially Killer’s)! Sorry/You’re welcome? (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ) 

Preparing a date night HC - Killer, Law 

Killer 

You've been together for quite some time now, but well, dates and such don't really fit into a pirate's life, especially not if that pirate's captain is Eustass Kid.

There's been plenty of occasions where you had tried to get some quiet time, some privacy, but alas, Kid was always there to interrupt, needing Killer for the most unnecessary things, but with Kid shouting outside your door there are only so many romantic things you can do.

And thus actual date nights were out of the question most of the time. You didn’t particularly mind, and any time spent with your masked boyfriend was a good time. But sometimes you fantasized about how nice it would be to just have a moment of quiet and an actual date for just the two of you.

Killer had been meaning to actually get something done, but he had to wait the perfect time. When the Victoria Punk docked at an island that the captain did not want to burn down, the time seemed perfect. During the day, the ship would get some minor reparations, supplies would be stocked up, and after the entire crew would be on land drinking some bar dry.

They’d be up drinking for most of the night, and afterward, when they came back on ship, would soon pass out, and sleep well into the day, leaving an entire evening and night for you and Killer.

He wanted to keep it a surprise though, so he did his chores as fast as he could to get some things in order before you came back to the ship from your supply hunt.

Now, Killer is not particularly romantic, nor does he really know how to do ‘romantic’, but is not stupid. He can ask a few random shopkeepers what is romantic, and then compile his own romantic night out of it.

Nice dinner, that’s something he can do. Flowers? got it. A few candles? Sure, how hard can it be?

The hardest thing is honestly keeping you away from his room or the kitchen. Because you too, wanted to spend as much time as possible with him while the crew goes out to party, and you had also rushed through your chores.

Killer just told Kid you would be willing to help with something insanely time consuming, and Kid was more than eager to give you orders to do it. Killer felt a little bad, but it was necessary to get you to stay away so he could get everything prepared.

You were ready to barge into the kitchen all pissed off after the work, angry that you had spent some precious time that could already be spent together with your captain instead, especially since the latter had been nagging you the whole time.

All your anger immediately ebbed away when you took in the state of the kitchen. The table actually had a tablecloth on it, with a vase with some beautiful flowers that looked like they were put in rather roughly. Beautiful nonetheless.

Candles everywhere, and if Kid were here you’d probably all put them out immediately so your captain couldn’t throw any in a fit of anger and accidentally set the ship on fire. But for now, they gave the perfect atmosphere as it was slowly getting dark outside.

It smells terrific as well, and the plates suggest dinner is for two. Killer made sure the whole crew knew to go get dinner in town before their drinking adventure, and that no one had to be near the kitchen for the entire evening. No one had dared go against him.

You finally can quietly talk, enjoy some quality food, and since no one is going to be around, Killer is comfortable enough to remove his mask for a while, further increasing the intimacy of the evening.

After dinner, accompanied by some good drinks and the best talks you’ve had in a while -even though it’s mostly you talking, Killer is, even without the mask, not the type of person to lead a conversation, more of a listener- it is time for dessert.

Killer literally carries you to your shared bedroom, careful not to forget his mask and blow out all the candles beforehand. After all, an entire quiet night together without anyone to disturb you is rare and you bet that he’s gonna make the absolute most of it.

Law 

Law prefers quiet time spent together, away from the crew family above actual elaborate dates. Not that he doesn't know how to be romantic, he just sees way more meaning in taking a rare nap together, a cuddle session, just the small intimate things. 

But on special days, he'll make an exception, especially if you don't really think those dates are really special, such as birthdays and anniversaries. 

They're nice to acknowledge, but you know very well pirate life is too busy for elaborate parties and dates. You’ll settle for a good old fashioned cuddle session.

Law, however, actually keeps track of those dates better than you do, and will sometimes surprise you, even if you have forgotten, he will make sure you remember it’s a special day. 

Today was your anniversary, and you seemed to be in your usual blissful ignorance of the date, which made Law’s preparation work easier for him. 

He is very lucky his crew is extremely helpful when it comes to things like this. Sachi and Penguin cooking something for the both of you, Law dares not touch the stove. He may be a skilled doctor, but put a knife in his hands instead of a scalpel, and you better keep the fire extinguisher ready for whenever he puts something on the stove. It’s usually cause he’s too busy focussing on one single aspect, as you would with an operation, but not really useful when there are multiple parts of the dish cooking at the same time. So yeah, the crew to the rescue for the food. 

Bepo will help distract you most of the day, asking you for help with little problems and other things, before leading you to your room, where Law will have put your favorite heart-pirate branded outfit on the bed with a note to meet him outside. 

by then you will realize what kind of day it is exactly, and when you put on the outfit and go outside, you will notice that with the help of Bepo’s navigation, probably calculated days beforehand, the Polar Tang has surfaced at a beautiful place, the moon shining brightly and the sky filled with thousands of stars. 

Law will sit next to a small fire made by the crew to keep the two of you warm, a nice picnic prepared sitting next to him. 

You will have dinner and some private time under the night sky. And just the sheer romanticism of it all will sweep you off your feet. The crew will respectfully stay away, Bepo guarding the door leading to the deck while not even looking over his shoulder in order to give his captain some privacy. 

This is when you share some of your most tender moments, Law might even flash you one of his rare smiles as he wipes some food from your nose that you got there while enthusiastically telling him a story while eating. 

After dinner, you will cuddle some under the starlight, Law amazing you with his knowledge of the stars and pointing at certain constellations to tell you their name. Even if you aren’t particularly interested, his smooth voice will calm you down and the cold night time, even with the fire, makes you huddle up even closer pretending it’s only so you can ask ‘which star exactly’ he was pointing at.

Date nights with Law are not the most special, but that makes them even more special. After all that, he will definitely put his work aside and try to battle his insomnia with you for a night. He’s so relaxed, and those evenings he finds it surprisingly easy for him to fall asleep, especially if you softly talk back to him while rubbing his back and hair, thanking him for the nice evening.

[unearthcd]

kristine froseth, cis woman + she/her | you know august james pettersen, right? they’re 25, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, eighteen years? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to all these things i’ve done by the killers like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole handwritten notes, messy ponytails, spontaneous midnight excursions thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is january 1, so they’re a capricorn, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( tessa, 24, pst, she/her )

hey, babes! i’m tessa (24, pst, she/her) and i’ve been rp’ing on this blue website for way too many years. i’m stuck in this wonderful gossamer and wouldn’t have it any other way. anyway, below is august’s bio—she’s a newish muse, so i’m running with the vibe (for lack of a better word) and we’ll see how this goes! always feel free to message me to plot or chat here or on discord (swamp rabbit#1745). okay, let’s do the damn thing!

name: august james pettersen nicknames: aj, aug, a, james, etc. age, birth date: 25; january 1, 1996 hometown: irving, north carolina occupation: model sexuality: pansexual

growing up in irving

august james petterson is the daughter and only child of jameson and erik petterson. she’s the product of surrogacy, the men having sought out and found a lovely woman to help them have a child back in massachusetts where they previously lived. the hoops they went through to have their daughter and both legally be considered her parents were plenty, but with successful careers in architecture and publishing (think founder and editor and chief of something architectural digest-esque) they were able to commit the time and money to make it happen.

not a year after her birth, the three of them relocated to irving, north carolina to be with two of her grandparents whose health was rapidly deteriorating. having packed up their things and taken the short flight, they piled into the elderly couple’s sprawling home on aquila drive. ah, old money. sadly, they’d end up passing a few short years later, just before august started school. the family inherited great wealth and was left the house.

always a fairly quiet kid, august wasn’t the most social student in school. in fact, she spent much of her time with a small group of friends and, after branching out a small bit in high school, in the theatre department. long story short, she wasn’t a very popular person. in fact, with her apparent wealth and quiet demeanor, it wouldn’t surprise me if she was considered aloof, stuck up, or strange by her peers (but i’ll leave that UTY if they attended school together!). in earnest, she was just an observer and never enjoyed talking just to make noise. she liked having an intimate group and just doing what she enjoyed.

at the same time, the lack of a bursting social life and hijinks à la grease and clueless fed her early onset senioritis. she dreamed of and planned for getting out of irving. and when the time for college came, she did!

leaving home

we’d like to congratulate the senior class of 2014! that fall august moved to—drumroll please—new york city for college. what can i say, she’s an east coast babe. she got into NYU and studied english, thinking maybe she’d get into publishing down the line, because she’d always loved reading. truth be told, she wasn’t married to the idea. in fact, she wasn’t married to her education in the slightest. she’d chosen NYU purely based on location and, honestly, who can blame her (’:

her sophomore year of university one of her friends got it in her head to attend a modeling agency open call and, not wanting to go alone, convinced august to go along. while they weren’t interested in the friend, they did take an interest in her. and you know what? it made her feel special and wanted and admired. so she went with it and, with practice, became pretty damn good. her jobs, however, started interfering with her studies. so, without much convincing, she dropped out of school. she was making enough money to rent an apartment with a couple roommates in the village and made modeling her full-time gig. over the next few years her career began to take off a bit, with clients like for love & lemons and victoria’s secret pink (bc we have the real content, so why not use it?). probably a beauty campaign here and there. you know, commercial work etc. etc.

cue ���dorothea,” you'rе a queen sellin' dreams, sellin' makeup and magazines

quiet, small town girl is on her way to making it big! whoo! right? well, there came a point where she became a total workhorse. august wanted to please—she wanted to find her place, her people—and, convinced this was it, she did everything in her power to keep moving up. she was a stray cat, she was looking to be taken in by anyone, praised and cared for for anything.

but that isn’t sustainable, and after a while she cracked a bit. ended up letting off steam by partying with so-called friends, picked up a small smoking habit she’s since been trying to kick since. befriended a band at some point (shout out to beau) and groupied the east coast leg of their tour for a couple weeks, because the front man asked and was charming and looked at her like she was exceptional. then the magic faded and she left to go back to her little apartment and next booked job. really, she was just going where she felt people wanted her and everyone kept telling her it was great! everything’s fine!

coming back // present

she realized after that that she’d fallen into this entire thing and, while she was grateful for much of it, she had to wonder if she even liked it. it really hit her one day smack in the middle of a job. that evening she went home, once again packed up her things, and flew home. a special kind of subtle chaos. a not-at-all-adventurous eat, pray, love.

i want to say her agents aren’t the worst people in the world and, while angered by her abrupt departure, realized she needed a break. like, a month-long visit home. it was the holidays and her birthday, after all! lol, oh, no. bets on when they start calling her like, ‘hey, where the hell are you, what’s the deal’?

now, after dropping out of school and putting her career on pause (?), she’s back living with her parents, probably looking at her savings account and wondering if she has enough $$$$ to rent an apartment or room [potential connection idea?] until she decides wtf she’s doing. she’s stuck between feeling like she’s backsliding and feeling like she needs to take the time to figure out what she wants.

personality // fun facts

+ lively, spontaneous, passionate, humorous (or so she likes to think)

- lost, impulsive, insecure in many ways

tiktoks for the vibe: 1, 2, 3

being an adult is a scam

*calls u dude and babe in the same sentence*

she wasn’t bored, she was just restless between adventures

the first person to laugh at herself.

let’s-screw-around-and-talk-about-nothing-for-hours-until-it-inevitably-turns-into-something-deep.

“i always feel like, when i meet people, they have a bigger impact on me than i maybe do on them.”

very honest. the girl isn’t messing around (unless she totally is)!! will ask you out as soon as the thought occurs to her, like, “hey, uh, we should go out sometime. (:” :slight_smile:

very, very dreamy, but head not empty, head filled with the same bit of film dialogue on repeat over and over for, like, a week. head still processing the end of a book she finished two weeks ago. head making up prose about the faint freckles on the bridge of your nose and the way your hand’s moving about.

big music person, be it modern, classical, live, vinyl. attaches a lot of emotions and memories to songs. 98% chance you’ll find her at the nearest bar hosting live music, right up front.

her penmanship is beautiful, thanks to a love of the written word. she’d rather stick a post-it note on your door than shoot you a text. loves letters, postcards, etc.

does want to whisk you away on fun, spontaneous adventures, but will go by herself if for whatever reason you’re not available or up for it.