#anyway woo!!!!! jelly art!!!

[katzev3]

in honor of golden cheese cookie saving some of the kulfi in the new beast yeast episode i sketched her in that one scene from batman vs superman!!!

kind of my first time posting my art on tumblr so i’m a little nervous but i hope everyone who sees enjoys!!

[moonspower]

🎁 = Does your muse become flattered to receive gifts?

😘 = Does your muse like to flirt? Do they like to be flirted with?

♡ = Is there any kind of person that your muse will never date?

✨ @countlessrealities. meme. still accepting!

🎁 = Does your muse become flattered to receive gifts?

vi likes to use his hands and he likes to make things and he has many hobbies, so he likes gifts that align with his hobbies specifically over useless stuff like teddy bears or jewelry… like if he's given flowers, he'll encase them in resin and make paper weights. he'll turn them into rose salt or rose jelly or rose syrup for cooking. he likes bookmarks… he reads a lot. if his partner is also a supernatural freak or someone that knows about magic, a good way to get to vi would be a scrying mirror because the one he uses is pretty ugly ( he just procrastinates on getting another ) or a pretty pendulum or candles that he can bless.

he also loves food, alcohol, and weed. man if u give him weed, he's won the fuck over!! so yeah he's flattered by gifts, but he's not too fond of trinkets that don't have a use. like sure he can use jewelry, but vi has a specific taste for jewelry and he doesn't expect a man to have the intuition to bring him anything that looks like vivienne westwood. he'll just get it himself.

but if you make something for him? like make it???? wow... true love, you got him for life . . . because he's the type to make things for his partner too.

anyway he really likes gifts that are useful and make his life easier in some way. he doesn't need anything expensive or fancy...

😘 = Does your muse like to flirt? Do they like to be flirted with?

he's not entirely sure how to flirt, it's not rly in his skillset. like he tries, but he feels weird about it lol... like virote tries to be flirtatious then he has a meeting with himself in his brain like ' okay you're being really weird, please stop ' and i chalk it up to his inexperience with romance or successfully being about to woo someone.

his efforts to flirt come from banter and light teasing, which might come off as him just wanting to be ur bestie... for the most part, he tries and kind of likes it but he hasnt honed the art of it

in terms of being flirted with, it's most likely to go over his head because he can't believe a man would flirt with him in the first place. but when virote can use half a braincell to add 2 + 2 to figure out someone is making movies, he becomes nervous glkfjdgldk. so he likes being flirted with! he wants to feel desired by someone so much that they go out of their way to flirt with him! but he'd struggle to believe it if it happened

ultimately i blame his past relationship for messing with his head this bad because now he doesn't have the range to flirt and not feel disgusted with himself over it. :///

♡ = Is there any kind of person that your muse will never date?

someone who doesn't respect his culture. virote is a very proud thai / thai-chinese person and he can't stand the concept of being romantically connected to someone that doesn't respect where he's from. and it's not even about putting in the effort 2 learn thai or anything cuz he doesnt mind if his partner doesnt do that, but at least respect the food, his very loosey-goosey buddhist beliefs, and customs.

ud think this wouldnt be an issue but i had a ship yeaaaarssss back i dropped because the person made it a joke for their muse to keep calling virote a korean.

and im not even gonna get into someone i was already writing with presenting me a plot point like ' what if my muse thought vi was japanese until they got married '...

[sleepless-in-starbucks]

Logan’s Gay and Remy’s in a Suit

Summary: Just read the title Content: Gays, so much gays, nb!remy, nb!logan (he uses he/him pronouns but he’s still an enby suckers), mentions of dying of gay, logan thinking that flirting = bullying because he’s a useless gay Pairing: Romo losleep Notes: I’m so sleep-deprived I should be sleeping but i HAD to write this so. have it. inspired by this art by @strawberryjellystuff

~~

    Logan was a smart person. He knew a good deal of things. He knew the distance from the earth to the sun, to the moon, and to Mars. He knew the average amount of bones in the human body at any given interval of life. He knew the names of every capital of every city in north and south america.

    He also knew that he was very, very gay. This fact alone wasn’t too shocking or even that impressive. Logan had known he was gay since he was fifteen. It hadn’t been hard to figure out.

    It was the ‘very, very’ that was important. As a rule, Logan rarely felt the need to enhance his words with ‘very.’ He made his points, he made them clearly, and he made them exactly as he wanted them. There was no reason for him to use ‘very.’

    Then he met Remy.

    And Remy… woo boy. Remy.

    Remy made Logan feel it extremely necessary to add ‘very, very’ to his normally adequate descriptor of ‘gay.’ That was because Remy was very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very, very pretty. And there was only a little bit of the author’s bias showing through in that statement. It was mostly cold, hard fact. You know because LOGAN’S thinking it and he thinks in pretty much only fact.

    So Logan was gay, Remy was (objectively) the prettiest person to exist, and Logan was trying his hardest to stop his writer from taking away his braincells and turning him into a proper gay disaster.

    Except he and Remy worked at the same university. In the same department. During most of the same hours.

    Logan was having a hell of a time holding onto those braincells.

    However, while it had taken time, Logan had adjusted. Survival of the fittest, and all- if Logan wasn’t able to adapt to constantly being around someone so pretty it was outlawed in several made-up countries and a few real ones, then Logan wasn’t fit enough to survive. So he had adapted and he had done so flawlessly.

    Better put, he had suffered several weeks learning how to adjust to the fact that Remy’s naturally perfect looks were only increased by xyr leather jacket and sunglasses, the fact that xy knew how to smirk like xy owned the world (impossible, Logan had considered before, considering Remy was clearly the world, and one could not own oneself), and the fact that Remy was a bully.

    That was the only word Logan had for Remy’s actions towards him, anyways- after all, there was no way Remy had missed the way Logan’s cheeks seemed to literally light on fire every time xy smiled at him, or the little giggle Logan had never properly learned to fight down every time Remy called him a petname (a wholly ridiculous response considering Remy called lots of people petnames- sure, xy only ever seemed to call Logan ‘darling’ or ‘sweetheart’ or ‘light of my world and stars of my universe’ but that didn’t mean anything), or the way Logan stumbled over his every word when attempting to return an offhanded compliment that Remy likely had paid him by accident while thinking of… coffee. Remy did like xyr coffee, after all.

    But Remy’s bullying aside, Logan HAD adapted. He was able to look at Remy with minimal flushing, he had become the master of avoiding conversation topics designed to trap him (though Remy was becoming creative with xyr compliment-trap setups… Logan would have to start adapting faster than Remy if he hoped to survive the semester), and he knew the fastest exits out of every room and building in the entire university, ensuring that- if ever needed- he could literally flee Remy. He was surviving in his new, Remy-included environment.

    And then the author Jelly Remy decided to adapt as well.

    It had been a normal day of work up until then- Logan was working on checking over papers and going through his lesson plan a few more times, making sure he had everything ready for the school day. Upon realizing his coffee had run low, he got up, stretching as he began to move towards the staff lounge, seeking a refill.

    There was only one other teacher there at the moment, which Logan figured made sense- most of the astronomy professors had early morning classes, Logan being one of only two who didn’t. He had gotten out of it by luck- the other had insomnia and wasn’t normally at school in the mornings.

    Logan barely glanced at xyr, however, wanting to get his coffee before he had to deal with being flustered at seven in the morning. He was fairly certain it wouldn’t be that bad of a fluster, anyways- he was at least partially prepared this time, and he was about to have coffee on his side, and it looked like Remy had traded xyr normal leather-jacket look for a suit of some kind, and Remy had probably had a rough night if xy were in early so xyr flusters wouldn’t be top of xyr game, and-

    Logan stopped. Blinked. Processed. Processed again.

    A… suit?

    Logan turned to look at Remy and immediately regretted the decision. Because those braincells he had mentioned earlier? Gone. Stolen. Removed from existence. In theory, the author’s got them stored up somewhere but… eh, their location’s not important. Not like Logan could use them even if he found them.

    Because Remy was in a suit- a blue suit with delicate, lovely white flower designs traced over the chest and around xyr wrists, complimented by a lovely purple tie Logan had never seen Remy wear before- mostly because Remy didn’t normally wear ties. Or suits. Why was Remy wearing a suit?

    To kill me Logan decided barely a second later when Remy caught him staring and smirked at him in a way that was most decidedly an act of bullying.

    “Good morning, sunlight and starshine.” Remy said, further proving that xy was a bully and that xy was bullying Logan right then and there, a conclusion Logan came too as he clamped a hand over his mouth and focused on not making any sound even slightly akin to a giggle. “How are you on this morning that’s nowhere near as fine as you?”

    Logan, smartly, didn’t respond. Speaking would ultimately result in him stuttering, mumbling, and tripping over his words, which would make Remy smirk more, which would make Logan blush more, which would create a horrible cycle that would only end when either Remy left or Logan died. So, by not responding, the cycle never started and therefore could not end in Logan’s death.

    In choosing to do nothing else but stare at Remy without saying a word, however, Logan apparently had responded, in a way- Remy’s smirk still grew and Logan still ended up blushed harder.

    “Oh, darling, don’t tell me I’ve made you speechless.” Remy teased, moving from xyr spot against the wall to stand in front of Logan, tilting xyr head to the side. “No, wait, do tell me. I do love to hear your voice.”

    Logan remained silent. Remy couldn’t go on forever with no new material… right?

    “Or, hey, maybe it’s not me.” Remy went on, unconcerned with Logan’s silence. “Maybe you’re just tired. That’s why you were acting perfectly fine until you saw me, after all. Just tired. Is that right? Or should I keep guessing?”

    Realizing that silence was getting him nowhere and nothing (besides more flustered), Logan decided to simply attempt to move on with his day. Maybe ignoring Remy would make xyr go away.

    Logan had just barely turned to once more resume his walk to the coffee pot when he was forced to stop once more, this time not by Remy’s looks but by the fact that Remy had a hand and the ability to grab Logan’s wrist with it.

    A very annoying ability for sure, given it not only prevented Logan from continuing with his brilliant plan of ‘if you just ignore xyr eventually xy’ll go away’, but also increased his blush and got him looking at Remy again which was increasing his blush even more. By now, Logan was fairly sure his entire face was red, which was completely unfair given that blue was much more his colour.

    “Come on, sweetheart, don’t be like that.” Remy said, voice now both confident and sweet, which wasn’t helping Logan’s goal to Just Stop Blushing Already at all. “If you really have had a long night, I don’t mean to tease.”

    “N-no, I’m fine.” Logan said, which was a lie, because he wasn’t fine at all, he was doing terribly, but he was also doing a million times better than usual, which also wasn’t fine but it was in a completely different direction than terribly. So, either way, his statement was a lie. “Just uh… a long morning.”

    Logan realized that was the wrong answer the moment Remy’s softer smile once more became a smirk. “I take it back, then. I very much mean to tease.”

    “Ah-” Logan cleared his throat, trying to find a way to backtrack, “I do have, uh, a couple of papers to take care of, so-”

    “And you don’t have class for at least another hour.” Remy pointed out for him, still holding onto his wrist and giving no indication that xy’d be letting go of it anytime soon. “You’ve got the time to spare for a bit of conversation with your favorite colleague.”

    “You presume to be my favorite?” Logan managed to say without tripping over any of his words.

    Remy’s smirk just turned knowing. “I don’t have to be a poker player to spot your tells, babe. Unless, of course, you have another reason for constantly blushing around me.”

    “You possibly have a higher-than-average body temperature that causes all the objects and people within your near vicinity to heat up as well, therefore prompting a blush in those organisms that have the ability to blush.” Logan offered, well aware everything he was saying was bullshit meant only as a poor attempt to save himself.

    Unsurprisingly, Remy saw right through him. “Nah, hun, I don’t think it’s that. You can try again, if you want, but if you’d let me take a crack at it-”

    “Please do not.” Logan interrupted rather hurriedly, which only fueled Remy’s amusement. “I am simply… tired. And busy. So, ah, if you’ll excuse me, I really should be getting back to my work-”

    “Alright, beautiful, I know when I’m wanted.” Remy said, politely half-ignoring as Logan looked away and pretended to cough into his arm as he let out a small giggle. “One question before you go?”

    “I really should be-”

    “Are you free tonight?”

    That shut Logan up. “I- what?”

    “Are you free tonight?” Remy repeated, only smiling at Logan’s confusion. “I know this really lovely place downtown, I promise you you’ll love it, though not nearly as much as I love you-”

    “I- what?!” Logan said, more panickedly this time. Tonight? Restaurant? Love you?

    Remy titled xyr head to the side, looking puzzled. “I don’t know how to make this any clearer for you, love.”

    “I- ah- you- are you- are you asking me out on- on a date?” Logan demanded, not caring much for how many times he had to restart his sentence but having no solution for that particular problem.

    “...I would’ve hoped that was fairly obvious, yes.” Remy answered, shaking xyr head a bit as they continued to watch Logan with amused confusion. “This isn’t a surprise to you, is it?”

    “Well- I- uh- it’s just-”

    Remy laughed. “Oh, darling, I hate to laugh at you, but- Lo, hun, I’ve been flirting with you for weeks now. This can’t be that shocking.”

    “You’ve been flirting with me?!” Logan responded. “When?!”

    “I- Logan, I’ve been calling you the most ridiculous of petnames, complimenting you every time you so much as blink, repeatedly breaking into your classroom to force you to eat lunch with me, interrupting your classes to tease you- what do you think I’ve been doing?”

    “Bullying me!”

    “I was- I’m sorry, say that again?”

    “Bullying me!” Logan repeated as asked, moving his coffee cup into the hand that Remy was holding hostage so that he could run his fingers through his hair, feeling frazzled. “You kept- you kept doing things to make me blush and- and lose focus- and- and giggle, for gods’ sakes- what else could you have been doing?!”

    To Logan’s surprise, instead of defending xyrself, Remy just laughed as xyr face broke out in the widest grin Logan had seen xyr wearing all morning. “You absolute dork.” Xy said, though xyr tone was only endearing. “You really are a disaster gay, huh?”

    “...Just a little.” Logan said weakly, before forcing himself to amend, “Maybe a lot.”

    “A lot sounds more accurate, yeah.” Remy agreed, still laughing a bit. “Bullying you- oh, you really are too cute, sugar.”

    Logan resisted the urge to run to exit number fifty-nine and escape the blush that, at this point, was likely hot enough to permanently burn his skin. “You’re still being a bully.”

    “Oh, probably.” Remy admitted before xyr grin was once again replaced by a smirk Logan had both memorized and yet also knew he would never get used to. “But am I being too much of a bully that you won’t go out on a date with me?”

    “I- uh- I-” Logan ducked his head. He couldn’t accept Remy’s offer, he really couldn’t, it would almost guarantee his death, and he had worked so hard to become immune to Remy’s killer charm (pun not intended and not appreciated).

    But at the same time… Logan wasn’t sure he had the willpower to refuse.

    So, predictably, he settled for a quick little nod that said everything Remy needed to hear without Logan having to stutter his way through a single word.

    Remy’s grin turned dazzling. “Perfect!” Xy exclaimed, quickly pressing a kiss to Logan’s cheek before he could even begin to react. “I’ll pick you up after all our classes are out, okay?”

    “O-okay.” Logan said numbly, free hand raising to rest over the spot where Remy had kissed him, feeling half-trapped in a dream.

    “Perfect!” Remy repeated, still grinning as xy let go of Logan’s hand, heading towards the door, bursting with energy and clearly on xyr way to continue planning the exacts of Logan’s demise.

Before xy could fully get out of the room, however, Logan managed to get his voice back about him and call out, “Wait!”

Remy immediately stopped, turning back to look at Logan. “Yes, sweetheart?”

“I- uh-” Logan gestured vaguely at Remy, “Your suit. You- You never wear suits. Why today…?”

At that, Remy’s grin just widened to a degree Logan wasn’t entirely sure should be humanly possible. “For our date, of course!” Xy answered, raising xyr sunglasses just so that xy could wink at Logan. “I had a feeling you’d say yes.”

And with that, Remy left, leaving Logan to stand in the middle of the staff lounge, empty coffee mug still in one hand, the other still resting on his cheek and over the spot where Remy had kissed him, feeling dazed in the best sort of way possible.

He was still standing there when another one of the teachers wandered in, shooting him a strange look. “Are you alright, Logan?”

“Not at all.” Logan answered truthfully.

He was much, much better than alright.

[is0gild]

Ice Cream and Fire Oven Pizza - Chapter 22

Pairing: Elsa x Lea/Axel || Side Pairing: Riku x OC

Summary: Modern AU. She's an introvert ball of nerves who works at Ice Palace, a mall food court ice cream shop. He's the outgoing, sassy goofball who works at the Pizza Planet across the way. Hilarity, snark, and fluffy romcom hijinks ensue.

Word Count: 9,146

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

Credit for super friggin’ cute and super friggin’ amazing cover art goes to the super friggin’ talented ky-jane here on tumblr!

“Alright, Elsa, you can do this! You're going to get up on that stage and you're going to wow them!"

So all that stuff about me not trying out? Total bald-faced lie. Kudos to any of you who saw right through it. Since, you know… I'm so good at the whole deception thing.

"...alright fine, maybe not wow them, per se… but you can do okay at least, right?"

This was all just for fun, after all. It's not like it was anything important, it's not like it really mattered. It was nothing, just a silly childhood dream. Just one moment, one blip in time that would be over before I knew it. No big deal.

"...passable? Surely, you can at least give me passable!"

Now if only I could convince my reflection of that.

Which, judging by the flat look she was giving me from the mirror on my vanity, was not going too hot.

"Ugh!" I huffed, tossing up my hands and turning away to pace my bedroom floor. "Just try not to fall flat on your face and I'll be happy. Can you just do that much for me? Please?" I snapped, facing my reflection once more.

She scrunched up her nose and gave me a noncommittal shrug.

My shoulders slumped and I hung my head, bracing my hands atop the vanity table. "Look, you've been practicing nonstop since yesterday. And yes, I know what basically amounts to cramming sing-alongs for almost twenty-four hours straight isn't going to make up for the lack of any sort of professional training. Or the absence of any real experience. Or the fact that besides karaoke that one night, you pretty much haven't sung in almost a decade except for maybe a personal concert in the shower once in the blue moon. I know you're going into this blind and have no idea what you're doing and others there will be way better prepared than you and-" I frowned, narrowing my eyes, "...and I had a point. Fudge, what was it again?"

My reflection looked remarkably unmoved by my rallying little speech just now.

"Ah!" I snapped my fingers, face brightening before jabbing my index up against the mirror. "The point was that none of that matters! What matters is you've done the best you could do in the time you had! So worrying about it any further is nothing more than a useless waste of time and energy! So just go on out there, have a good time and… and give it your all!" My hands closed into fists and they made weak, halfhearted thrusts into the air over my head as I gave a tiny, "Woo!"

She just drooped her eyelids at me.

I plopped down hard into my chair with a small growl. "I know I suck at pep talks. Yeesh, you don't have to be so negative!"

I don't know why I even bothered. Reflection Me was always such a downer.

Sighing, I propped my chin in my palm while I brought my other hand up to fiddle with the flower poking out of a miniature vase sitting on my vanity. It was the winter honeysuckle Lea had given me, dried out now because I'd wanted it to last. I toyed with its delicate petals, my fingers gentle so as not to break them. Somehow merely touching it seemed to sooth my frayed nerves and lighten my spirits, even if only just a little bit.

My phone buzzed and I checked it to see that it was a text from Lea telling me he'd arrived and was on his way up. I exhaled slowly. Okay, I couldn't procrastinate any longer. It was now or never. I stood up and made my way over to my bed, on top of which laid the sheet music I'd managed to hunt down after some internet searching. Gathering it up with care so as not to wrinkle any of the pages, I then headed towards my bedroom door.

"Who's a pretty, pretty princess? Daddy is! Isn't that right, jelly-belly-welly-bean?"

The dulcet tone of Rayne cooing down at her own tummy was the first sound to greet me when I walked out into the living room. I blinked, taking in the scene before me as Rayne returned her attention to the, er… "pretty, pretty princess." That is to say, her husband, whose lips were set into a grim line while his left eye gave a little tick. She had him seated in one of the kitchen chairs as she stood behind him, putting the finishing touches on the long braid she'd fashioned his hair into. It was complete with teeny butterfly barrettes, a colorful assortment of flowers weaved throughout, and a giant, frilly bow at the end holding it all together.

More practice for styling her future daughter's hair.

I'd know, since normally I'd be the one sitting in that chair instead of Riku.

Thankfully, it was now his turn to suffer hair bedazzling hell.

"Not one word, Fryse," he grumbled. "Not a single, solitary word."

I held the sheet music up to my mouth, concealing a tiny grin behind it. Then carefully schooling my features, I told him, "I was only going to comment on how masculine and rugged you look this evening."

"Damn straight," he harrumphed, crossing his arms and slouching further into his seat.

"I have the bestest, sweetest, manliest hubby in the whole wide world," Rayne declared happily, pulling his head back so she could plant an upside down smooch to his lips. This seemed to mollify him somewhat. Giggling, she then glanced my way. "You all ready for your big debut, pumpkin?"

Rubbing one elbow, I shrugged, "...as ready as I'm going to be, I suppose."

Her lips twisted sourly as she clipped another glitzy butterfly into his hair. "Still wish I was able to go and give you moral support."

"No no, it's fine," I said hastily with a shake of my head and a small, reassuring smile. "Lea's driving me so it's not like I'm stranded in need of a ride or anything. Plus you have your baby appointment to get to and I wouldn't want to make you reschedule for some silly little thing like this. Really, just don't worry about it."

"Besides," Riku tacked on, "friends and family of those trying out aren't usually allowed in to watch the auditions anyway."

Rayne's cheeks gave a little puff of annoyance. "I'd like to see them try and stop me if I showed up."

There was a knock at the door just then. Knowing it was Lea, I moved to open it and found him standing there, one shoulder propped against the doorframe. He grinned down at me, "Hey, El! Ready to go? I-" he stopped as he looked past me, blinking a couple times. Then the curl to his lips grew a touch evil, "Yo, Raindrop, who's your new gal pal? She's hella cute!"

"Cram it before I curb stomp your ass," Riku ground out through his teeth.

"Threaten me with a good time, mamacita," he purred back at him, waggling his eyebrows.

Riku sneered with a tch, grumbling under this breath, "Better pray we don't meet in a dark alley, clown, because I will crush you."

"Oof, I usually like a girl to ask me to dinner first, but I might be willing to make an exception just this once if ya keep sweet talking me like that, gorgeous," Lea winked. As Riku shot up to his feet with a black look, I ran out the door and grabbed Lea's arm. "Oops, looks like duty calls. We'll hafta continue this later, hot stuff. Call me!" he blew Riku a kiss with a snigger as I dragged him away, slamming the door shut behind me.

I started jogging down the steps, listening to Lea's footfall as he followed close behind. Shaking my head with a soft scoff, I said, "Can't believe Mr Guyliner here is making fun of a dude with flowers in his hair."

"Was only doing it cuz I knew how butthurt he'd get over it," he snerked as he appeared at my side. "Now me personally? Don't have a problem with it. I'd rock a thousand posies in my majestic mane and look damn fine doing it too."

I glanced over at him, one corner of my lips tugging up. "I might have to hold you to that."

He flung himself onto the handrail and slid down past me in a blur. Converse hitting the landing below, Lea spun around to block my way just as I caught up to him, smirking as he brought himself nose-to-nose with me. "Only if you're the one weaving all them pretty lil blossoms into my hair."

My heart spasmed.

Down, girl.

After all, it was only the empty teasing he always did.

I turned my head a little, shooting him some side-eye. "...do I get to choose the flowers?"

"I don't see why not."

"Good." I ducked under his arm to slip past him and make my way towards the next flight of stairs, "Leadwort it is then."

"Well now, that sounds ominous." I could hear the frown in his voice. "Should I be worried?"

I shot him a sly grin over my shoulder. "Depends. Very pretty. Very, very itchy. Hope you're ready to suffer for fashion."

"For you?" he beamed, hopping down the steps two at a time now to gain on me once more. "Totally worth it."

I merely rolled my eyes, electing not to dignify his comment with a response.

Soon enough we'd climbed into his car and were hitting the road. Sunset Hill Auditorium wasn't really all that far, but still a bit further than I'd rather walk. Thankfully Lea had been free and only too happy to give me a lift over, seeing as how Riku and Rayne had a prior commitment on the other end of town. Speaking of, they'd probably left immediately right after us and I idly wondered if Riku was planning on showing up at the doctor's with his hairdo still all fab like that. The image brought a little smile to my face.

It quickly faded however as I stared down at the sheet music sitting in my lap. My fingers twisted at my braid as I took in a shaky breath and blew it out slowly. Now that I'd fallen quiet, I could feel that nervous energy creeping its way back into my chest. It was actually kind of sort of a good nervous. I was a bit loathe to admit it, but a small part of me was looking forward to this.

That said, it didn't mean I wasn't also absolutely friggin' terrified.

I was actually a little relieved that friends and family weren't normally allowed into the auditions. The offer of moral support was appreciated, but ultimately I think I would have been more anxious if Riku and Rayne had been able to come and watch. Anna too, for that matter. I know my sister would have dropped everything to be here in a heartbeat, which is why I hadn't even mentioned anything about this to her. Making a fool of myself in front of strangers? Mortifying, but I'd survive - at least if I royally screwed up, I'd never have to see any of them again and could just pretend the whole big mess had never happened. Not so if people I actually cared about were there to witness me flop hard. And it wouldn't matter how kind and supportive they would have been after any sort of epic failure on my part... in fact, that might have only made me feel even worse.

Still, them not coming was only a minor comfort lost in the sea of dread filling up inside me now. My stomach burned with queasiness and my lungs felt like they were shrinking, making it harder and harder to breathe.

"Hmm," Lea's low hum broke me out of my thoughts. I glanced over at him as he pursed his lips to one side before shaking his head, "Mm-mm, nope. Too tangy. You need to be spoiled rotten with the sugary sweetness."

Feeling that cold anxiety loosen its grip and recede somewhat, I furrowed my brow for a few seconds before it clicked. "Ah. You've ruled out another ice cream flavor for me."

"Yup!" he chirped, switching his car over into the next lane.

"So which one got the boot this time?"

"Ever After."

"Huh," I fixed my eyes on the road straight ahead, squinting slightly. "Didn't you rule out a different flavor previously for being too sweet?"

One of his hands came to rest on the shoulder of my car seat. "Well yeah, but having a sweet tooth is one thing, while suicide by pure, massive sugary overdose is something else altogether. I think you know where to draw the line."

I tipped my head to one side. "Interesting."

"Interesting?" he echoed, quirking an eyebrow as he checked his side view mirror. "...am I wrong?"

"Didn't say that," I muttered, my fingers absently fiddling with the corners of the sheet music. "Just said it was interesting."

He frowned. "Crap. That's gonna bug me now."

I flashed him a half-grin. "I know."

"Cruel, cruel woman."

I just crinkled my nose at him smugly.

I knew he was trying to take my mind off the audition. And the distraction was welcome, but unfortunately brief. I could already feel that frown resurfacing, that apprehensive chill knotting tightening in my stomach once more.

Lea shifted his head slightly towards me, watching me out of his peripheral with a small downward tug at the corner of his lips. "...ya know you got absolutely nothing to worry about, right?" he asked softly. My eyes flicked over to him for a second before staring back down at my lap again. He elaborated, "It's community theater."

My eyebrows knit together. "...so?"

"So that means ya got no one to impress. Nothing to prove. No one's gonna be expecting a Julliard education from you or for you to have a few Broadway shows under your belt. This is all just for kicks. An absolutely zero pressure environment. Just a buncha goofballs who like acting and singing and dancing around in wacky costumes and so have found others who share their same brand o' crazy so they can all geek out together doing what they love in their free time. Doesn't matter to any of 'em how good or bad ya might be. They're not there to judge, they just wanna have a good time." He lightly tapped his knuckles to my shoulder, "So loosen up, will ya? You're gonna have a blast and knock 'em dead."

The knots loosened a little and a small grin found its way onto my face despite myself. "Thanks, Lea."

Surprisingly, his words helped.

For a grand total of two minutes.

Which just so happened to be right about when we were parking in front of the auditorium. Imagine that.

"Break a leg! I'll just chill in the car and you can meet me back here when you're done," Lea told me as he rolled down his window and fished his phone out of his pocket.

I barely heard him over the sound of blood rushing in my ears. Swallowing hard and finding my throat too tight for words, I simply gave a stiff nod before climbing out of the car. Hugging the sheet music to my chest, I stepped over the curb and up onto the sidewalk before pausing to stare at the auditorium's double doors, opened wide to invite people in. My bottom lip tucked in and I made a quick glance back towards Lea who grinned and gave me a thumbs up through his window. Then I looked at that doorway once more.

My eyes hardened. My hands gripped the papers more firmly. My chest puffed up and my spine snapped straight.

Let's do this.

I determinedly marched right up to the bottom of the stairs leading up to the entrance.

Then I spun one-eighty and determinedly marched straight back the way I'd come from.

Lea looked up from his phone, both eyebrows shooting up his forehead. "El? Did you forget-"

Whipping back around, I drew in a deep breath before releasing it.

Alright, let's try that again.

I stomped towards the building once more.

This time I actually made it onto the first cement step before retreating.

Expression blank, Lea said nothing as he watched me do this again (making it as far as the second step up) and yet again (third step). By my next attempt, he'd gotten out and was leaning back against his closed car door, arms folded beneath his chest, ankles crossed. Drat, only the third step again. As I returned and came to a stop in front of him, my eyes narrowed and I released a huff through my nose. He just gave me a small shrug, as if to ask what exactly I expected him to do. I whirled on my heel once more, stormed back towards the auditorium and… fudge! Third step again! Now I was just in a friggin' rut!

Beyond frustrated with myself, I walked up beside Lea this time, folded my arms atop the roof of his car, pillowed my face into them and let out a muffled yell. Then I flipped around, bracing my back against the vehicle and scowled up at the sky.

A pause.

Then Lea piped up, "Ya know you actually have to go inside the place in order to audition… right?"

I whacked him upside the head with my sheet music.

"...take that as a yes."

My shoulders sagged and I hid my face behind the papers in my hands, mumbling, "I can't do this. I'm too much of a scaredy-cat."

There was a snort from him. "You kidding? You're one of the bravest people I know."

I scoffed into the printouts, "Stop patronizing me. I don't appreciate it."

"I'm serious." I felt his hands on mine, gently pulling both them and the sheet music down so I could see him standing in front of me now, hunched down to my eye level. "Do you know what the definition of being brave is?"

"Not Elsa, that's for sure," I muttered, looking away.

"Shush," he flicked my forehead. Rude. "Being brave is not a complete and total absence of fear. No, being brave is taking action despite your fear. Remember your wedding day?"

I fixed him with a dull stare. "How could I forget? I ran away. Like a coward."

"No, a coward woulda done nothing. A coward woulda just done as she was told cuz she would be too chicken to make any waves. A coward woulda stayed, gone through with the wedding and led a miserable life she didn't want just to please her folks. Just because it was the safest, easiest route. But you didn't do that."

"No, instead I oh so bravely ran away like a warrior," I corrected my previous statement with a roll of my eyes.

He nodded, "Exactly! You were frightened, had no idea what you were gonna do, didn't have the foggiest of where to go or who to turn to, and yet you still did it. Took that leap and did the whole independent thing and guess what? You've been thriving!" His hands still cradling mine, I felt his thumbs start to trace soothing circles along my knuckles. "And sure, everything's been new and scary… finding a job, meeting new people, not caving to your family's demands… but no matter how afraid you may have got, you never hid from any of it. You've been facing your fears and meeting each new challenge head on. Now I'd call that pretty damn brave."

Wow, his pep talk game was way, way better than mine.

That said, I still eyed him dubiously. "Really?"

"Hell yeah! Shit, if I had to carry around as much fear inside of me as you do, I dunno if I'd be strong enough to do half the things you've done! You're a goddamn hero, babydoll!" he smiled big. "Now, I know this is something ya really want."

My face heated and I averted my gaze. "...how can you tell?"

"Trust me, I can read you pretty well by now," his fingers tweaked my nose. "So listen up: if you can do all that other stuff that terrified you before, if you can just grab hold and take charge of your life the way you have so far, then this one teensy-weensy audition should be a total piece of cake!"

"You really think so?" I frowned uncertainly at him.

"I know so!" he declared with a laugh. "So whaddya say? Think you're ready to do this?"

Though my chest was still tight with anxiety, I could feel that tiny glow of excitement and longing deep, deep down sparking back to life. I slowly smiled and gave a hesitant nod, "...yes, I believe so."

"Then what're you standing round here for? Go on, scoot!"

I didn't budge an inch. After a few seconds, I hung my head. "My feet won't move."

Lea blinked, then chuckled softly. "Do you need me to give ya a tow?"

I grimaced, "Maybe."

"Alright, I can help you inside, but that's as far as I'll be able to take ya. It'll be up to you to get yourself on that stage."

"Just get me through that door," I agreed quietly.

Linking his hand in mine, he turned and led the way towards the auditorium. I stumbled into a walk behind him, drawing what little strength I could from his warm, steady grip. With his help, I finally made it all the way up those daunting stairs and through that foreboding doorway.

Only to be stopped almost immediately once we stepped inside by someone standing in our way.

That someone being a tall, familiar, skinny guy with a spooky yet snappy suit.

"Elsa!" Jack flashed me what I was beginning to suspect was his signature ear-to-ear grin. "You don't know how thrilled I am to see that you could make it! Here to try out or just observe?"

"...try out?" I said, voice small. Yes, it came out just like that. Like it was a question. Like there was a right or wrong answer and I was just guessing, hoping for the best.

"Splendid, Splendid! Glad to hear it! I'll get you added to the director's list and your name will be called when it's your time to shine. For now, you can just take a seat and watch the others. Lea," he turned his gaze on him now, "good to see you too, but you know the rules. Unless you're here to audition, you're going to have to wait outside."

I unconsciously sidled closer to Lea, squeezing his hand.

Huh. Guess I actually wanted him to stick around and watch me make a fool out of myself. Shocked? I know I was.

Maybe it was because he thought I was brave. Maybe if he stayed, I could trick myself into thinking I was brave too.

Lea snuck a glance my way. Eyes crinkling, he squeezed my hand back before returning his attention to Jack with a sheepish grin and ruffled his fingers through his crimson spikes, "Aw c'mon, man, this is her first time! Could ya maybe be a pal, do me a solid and bend the rules a lil just this once?"

Jack crossed his arms, squinting at him with a flat look. Then he sighed and stepped to one side, his smile back and bigger than ever, "Alright, just this one time though! And you better be on your best behavior, bucko!"

"I will! Scout's honor!" he held up three fingers pressed together and beamed. "Thanks, man! Let's go, El." And with that, Lea was pulling me further inside.

The auditorium was larger on the inside than I expected, with rows upon rows of theater seating stretching out before us. While those seats were far from full, there were still more people here than I'd expected there would be, making me gulp. Auditions were already under way it seemed as I watched a familiar guy I recalled seeing in the food court previously - Joshua, I believe? - dip into a flamboyant bow before jumping down off the stage. Remaining up there was an old, clunky piano on wheels with Mullet Boy from the Blue Sitar seated at it.

"Setzer, you're up," came a call from someone sitting in the middle of the third row, presumably the director. All I could tell about him from the back of his head was that he had choppy, shoulder-length pink hair. Slumping lazily into the seat next to him with feet kicked up onto the chair in front of her was that blonde chick from Cinema XIII - I'd recognize that weird hairdo anywhere.

"Ah, looks like Marluxia The Douche-ah is running the show this time round," Lea whispered into my ear with a nod towards Mr Rosy-Locks as we walked down the aisle. "Not gonna be winning Personality Of The Year anytime soon, but I hear he can be a halfway decent director."

He then straightened back up, eyes scanning the people gathered here for a second before his face lit up, "Oo, let's sit with them!" His hands went to my shoulders and he steered me into a sharp turn down one of the rows. Coming to a stop next to two more faces I vaguely recognized, Lea greeted, "Ladies, mind if we join you?"

The two women looked up at us with friendly smiles, the ginger nodding, "Of course! Take a seat!"

We did just that, with the pair of them to my right and Lea to my left. He reached across in front of me to fistbump the closer of the two girls, "Sweet! Redheads of the world unite, booyah!"

I looked over with a timid grin. It was time once again for another one of my little misadventures into the world of small talk! Clearing my throat and tapping my sheep music against my knees to straighten them even though they were in no actual need of straightening, I asked, "It was Tiana and… Ariel, I believe?"

"Mm-hm!" Ariel closed her eyes as her smile grew. "Elsa, right? We haven't officially met yet, but I remember seeing you around at 7th Heaven that one night! You and Lea were amazing at karaoke! Well… really more so you. No offense, Lea," she giggled.

"None taken. I know my gal's got a beautiful pair o' lungs on her," he slung his arm around my shoulders, hugging me close and pressing a kiss into my hair.

Tiana leaned forward to look past Ariel and meet my gaze, "You really do. Do you work with a professional voice coach or anything?"

I blushed, tugging on my braid. "I, uh… no. No, nothing like that."

"Really?" Ariel's lips formed a surprised little 'o'. Then her face brightened once more, "Well, if you're looking for someone, I can put you in touch with mine if you'd like. His name is Sebastian and he's absolutely wonderful. He can be uptight and a bit of a party-pooper, but he gets results!"

Squeezing my braid harder now, I gaped at her slightly. "You actually have a voice coach?"

This was community theatre, as Lea had made a strong point of earlier. People here weren't supposed to have friggin' voice coaches!

"Yup! I'm going to be a famous singer one day and finally leave this sleepy town to tour all over the world, after all, so it's important I do my best right now! I've been practicing ever since I was-"

"Eric to the stage please," Marluxia's voice suddenly echoed throughout the room.

Ariel gasped excitedly and struck a finger up to her lips, shushing Tiana, Lea and me (despite the fact that none of us were talking) before eagerly sitting forward in her chair, practically buzzing with anticipation. That silver-haired Setzer guy - oh gosh, had he come in costume or was that crazy getup just what he normally wore? - swaggered cockily down the stairs to the right of the stage while another dude was coming up the left. The newcomer had short black hair, dimples when he smiled and I suppose what some might call Prince Charming good looks.

Ariel plonked her elbows down onto her knees and propped her chin up in both hands with a delighted sigh. "Isn't he dreamy?"

Tiana wrinkled her nose and muttered to me behind Ariel's head, "She has a bit of a crush."

"You're one to talk," Ariel snorted, elbowing her in the arm. "Naveen's should be up next. Believe me," she smirked towards me, "you haven't seen heart-eyes until you see the ones Tiana has for this guy."

"Shut up, do not!" she laughed, swatting her shoulder.

Brushing her off, Ariel suddenly pointed towards my sheet music. "May I?"

"Oh, uh… s-sure," I handed them over, freeing up both my hands to strangle my braid now. Noticing this, Lea took one of them in his own, shifting it over to the armrest between us and lacing his fingers into mine. The warmth of his palm against the back of my hand brought me some comfort and I felt a little less restless.

Ariel squinted at the papers for a second before grinning, "Oh wow, I love this song! Good choice! Although, if I remember correctly…" she flipped towards the end. "Ah, yup! A second singer does come in. They only have a couple lines though. I can go up with you and fill in for those bits if ya want, the director shouldn't mind!"

"That's really nice… thank you," I smiled, taking the pages back. Sally had said pretty much the same thing when I'd texted her to make sure the song would be okay, but that still had meant I needed to find someone to sing those few extra lines. I hadn't counted on someone finding me instead. Thank goodness for small miracles.

This was one of my most favorite songs too. One from a musical I'd watched over and over again when I was a child, so often that it'd probably driven my parents to the point of insanity. I had just identified so much with the character who sang this number and it still to this day held a very special place in my heart, even after all these years. I knew this song forwards and backwards. Knew it like the back of my hand. I figured if I had any chance of leaving any sort of good impression here today, it would be with this song.

Looking up from the music notes scrawled across the papers, I saw that that Eric person had left. He'd been replaced by a man with a newsie hat on over his wavy, dark brown hair and was singing something jazzy. The way Tiana was reddening while Ariel giggled and whispered to her, I suspected this had to be Naveen. I tried to just sit back, relax and enjoy the show. Tried to banish the anxiety from my thoughts, instead focusing more on Lea's hand now toying with my fingers. On the way he lightly traced up and down their lengths, making them tingle pleasantly. Hoping that little tingle would help keep the nervousness at bay.

But it didn't.

I began to flinch slightly with each new name called, fearing it would be mine. Feeling a little relief when it wasn't, as well as a little annoyance from just wanting to get this over and done with already. A flinch for when Olette was called, who was sitting with a boy with black spiky hair held up by a headband. I idly wondered if it was that buddy of hers who hadn't been able to make it to Friday night drinks - Pence, I believe? Another flinch for when Yuna was called, some brunette with mismatched eyes who sang a pop song I was unfamiliar with. Two more flinches for each of her friends when their names were called, a perky blonde with a long ponytail full of small braids and a freaky looking goth chick in a tight, strappy leather outfit. And yet another flinch for when Rhyme was called, a girl whose sweet demeanor was at odds with the little skull on her black cap and the rap number she'd chosen to sing.

I had to keep resisting the urge to glance towards the doors in back. The ones leading to the outside world. To freedom. Not for the first time, I wondered… what if I made a run for it? You know, just straight up booked it? The idea did hold merit and was very tempting. Nay, extremely tempting.

The only drawback? I'd hate myself.

Because as much as I was dreading this, Lea hadn't been wrong. This was something I wanted. Like… really, really wanted. I'd been trying to lie to myself, pretending I didn't really care, downplaying how important it actually was to me. But this was something I'd dreamt about since I was little. Sadly, I had lost that dream somewhere along the way as I had grown older. Had misplaced and forgotten it in favor of pleasing my parents, of fulfilling their wishes and expectations for me and how I led my life. I had carelessly discarded it, giving it up for nothing more than useless childhood fantasy.

But now it had found its way back to me and I'd been given a second chance. And even if it ended up going nowhere and turned out to be nothing more than a deadend, I still had to try. I just knew that this was something that I had to do. That I needed to do. For me. For the sake of my own happiness.

...gah, just why did it have to be so scary though?!

And all these women trying out before me? Were so not helping! They were all so amazing and talented. Each one seemed better than the last. Each one had most likely been practicing for this audition for days, if not weeks. Each one had probably done this at least once before. Everyone knew everyone here and were all friends. Everyone, that is, except for me. How could I, a stranger with no real experience or training and very little preparation, possibly even hope to stand a chance?

Man, making a break for it through that back door was looking better and better by the second.

My fingers clutched the sheet music more tightly, wrinkling and creasing it after I'd tried so hard not to this whole time. I didn't really seem to care anymore. I could feel the blood draining from my face and-

"Yawn, total snoozefest," came a sudden whisper in my ear.

I jerked my head around towards it, blinking owlishly at Lea once, then twice. "...huh?"

"Her," he nodded to the current girl trying out, her long golden hair ending in curls. "That Aurora chick. She's got me just 'bout ready to hibernate over here."

My wide eyes darted back and forth between her and him. Then it happened. A tiny snerk, escaping through my nose before I could stop it. Too late I clasped a hand over my mouth. After a short pause, I lowered it to whisper back, "You don't really mean that. You're just trying to distract me."

He bobbed his shoulders and grinned. "Is it working?"

I looked away now, carefully schooling my expression as I attempted to smooth the crumples out of my sheet music. "...maybe."

Next up was Tiana. "Jeez, talk about frog in your throat," Lea murmured low out of the corner of his mouth. A mutinous little snort burst out of my nose and I tried to shush him. Then it was Ariel's turn. "Love that girl to death but I'm sorry, a warbling seagull sounds better." I bit back a soft pft and pinched his arm. I was trying not to laugh, I really was, but each remark was so ridiculous, so stupid, so obviously not true that it was hard to resist. A Snow White was called next - now that was a stage name if I ever heard one. At least, I hoped it was. She'd gotten about halfway through her audition when I heard a hushed, "Tch, who taught her to sing, a buncha tone-deaf coal miners?"

I spluttered, clamping my hand firmly over his mouth. "Okay, you need to stop now," I hissed out in a poor attempt to hide my amusement.

There was a mischievous gleam in his eyes. Then I felt him licking my fingers.

"Ugh, real mature," I scrunched up my face, snatching my hand back only to wipe it off on his cheek a second later.

"Psh, acting like ya don't like it," he sniggered, cupping the side of my head so he could pull me in and rub his damp cheek to mine.

I squirmed, trying to break free. "Gross! Why? Just… why?"

Grip holding me firmly in place while he still nuzzled our cheeks together, he cooed, "Consider it a good luck charm from me to you! Now you have no choice but to knock their socks off!"

"How old are you, seven?" I grunted, trying to wedge an elbow between us. "You seriously need to gro-"

"Could Elsa please step onto the stage now?"

Both Lea and I froze for a split second. Fudge, I'd all but forgotten where I was and why I was here. Now it all came crashing back to me.

Ka-thunk.

What was that, you might be wondering? Oh nothing really. Just the sound of my heart plummeting to the bottom of my gut.

Before I'd even realized what I was doing, I'd sprung up onto my feet and was walking briskly towards the center aisle with all the grace and dignity I could muster. As if I couldn't still feel Lea's slobber drying on my cheek. Good luck charm, indeed. I'd show him good luck!

...that hadn't come across sounding as threatening as I would have liked.

It took a few seconds for it to really sink in. What I was doing. Where I was going. What I was about to do. I was about to audition… to sing in front of all of these people. I had to remind myself that this was something that I really, truly wanted. It was hard to remember right now in this exact second, but the desire was still there. Way deep, deep down inside of me, there was still that tiny spark valiantly burning away, smothered and small though it may be at the moment.

As each step brought me closer to that stage, I felt it again. That chilly dread pooling in the pit of my stomach. The iciness seemed to spread outward and I slowly grew numb. My mind started to feel detached and far away from the rest of my body, like I was no longer in control of it. Instead, it was more like I was only a passenger as it kept moving me forward seemingly of its own accord now, taking me up those stairs leading to my doom. That's right, my doom. I wasn't being over dramatic here at all. Not one bit.

Conceal, don't feel.

As I started crossing the stage, I was hardly even aware of Ariel out of the corner of my eye, whispering something to Marluxia before he gave a curt nod and she was scrambling up those steps after me. My ankle boots against the hardwood echoed loudly throughout the quiet theater. Too loudly, it felt like. But it paled in comparison to the thundering of my heart - oh gosh, could everyone else hear it too?

Conceal, don't feel.

All too soon, I was reaching the pianist and offering him the (rather abused at this point) sheet music with a shaky hand. He took it, looking it over briefly before setting it down on the music rack and smiling, "Just give me a nod when you're ready."

Ariel popped up then, plonking down onto the bench beside him with a grin. "I'll just sit with Demyx here and jump in for the parts you need me. Don't worry, you'll do great!"

My mouth tightened into a crude approximation of a smile before I turned to face the audience.

Big mistake.

Jeez, were there more people out there now? I could swear there were more people. Somehow, I willed my feet to move me closer to the front and center of the performance area. My fingers were running along my braid nonstop, up and down, up and down. My breathing had become so rapid and shallow. It felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen into my lungs. Could the air be thinner here on stage? You know, all the way up at this higher altitude of a whopping five feet?

Conceal, don't feel.

My eyes darted from face to unfamiliar face, not sure where to look. At the director maybe? That'd make sense, right? He'd be the one to decide my fate here, after all. I glanced down at Marluxia. At that blonde chick next to him - maybe she was his assistant director? Did community theater even have an assistant director? Well I suppose it would just depend on- focus, Elsa, focus! I squeezed my eyes shut with a grimace before opening them back up, looking to that pair once more. By their expressions, they both already seemed so remarkably unimpressed by me and I hadn't even begun yet. No, staring at them would only rattle me more.

I gripped at my braid more tightly and my gaze shifted about once more, almost desperate now, searching for what, I wasn't quite sure. But at last I seemed to find it - a face I knew. Lea's face. There, suddenly, like a beacon in the crowd. I wasn't quite sure how I'd not seen him until now. When our eyes met, he merely bobbed his head slightly and smiled at me. So small, so simple. And yet it filled me with such warmth and encouragement.

Lea thought I was brave.

And maybe, just for this one moment, I could pretend to be.

I inhaled deeply, my breath a raspy hiss through my nose. Holding it in for a couple seconds, I then puffed it out softly, releasing my braid and letting my hands fall to my sides. Finally, I gave Demyx a stiff nod over my shoulder.

Welp. This was it. No turning back now.

It was probably only a second, maybe two, but it felt like an eternity before that first piano note sounded. When at last it did, I swear it practically gave me a heart attack and my knees almost buckled. But I steadied myself, my clammy hands smoothing the nonexistent wrinkles out of my dress as I let the tune wash over me, trying to find solace in its familiarity. I kept my eyes fixed on Lea. Anywhere else and I knew I would lose my nerve completely. I could hear it coming in the music. My cue to start singing. I sucked in a breath.

"Every inch of me is trembling," oh gosh, that had never been more true than it was in this very moment, "but not from the cold. Something is familiar like a dream I can reach but not quite hold." Was I too quiet? Pretty sure I was too quiet. Licking my dry lips, I pushed my quavering voice to be louder, "I can sense you there like a friend I've always known... I'm arriving and it feels like I am hom-" I choked, my tongue stumbling over the word. My pulse flatlined, my blood turned to ice in my veins, and every atom in me was screaming at me to run, run, run.

But I resisted. I don't know how, but I did. Maybe it was Lea's reassuring gaze still holding mine. Maybe it was that spark deep down inside, flaring up obstinately to fight back against the cold fear closing in around my heart. Whatever it was, I remained rooted to the spot, clenching and unclenching my hands and eyes hard.

"I have always been a fortress," my heart hammered in my ears as I stubbornly pushed on, pretending I hadn't made a mistake, "cold secrets deep inside. You have secrets too, but you don't have to hide." Lea folded his arms atop the back of the chair in front of him, bending forward to rest his chin atop them and looking quite content. Feeling emboldened, I went into the chorus, "Show yourself, I'm dying to meet you. Show yourself, it's your turn." I think my voice was getting stronger. Perhaps it was only wishful thinking. "Are you the one I've been looking for all of my life? Show yourself, I'm ready to learn... Ah-ah, ah-ah!" I rang out the last bit and I heard Ariel's voice echo an answering call behind me.

"I've never felt so certain, all my life I've been torn," some of my tension was beginning to melt away and I took a tiny step forward. "But I'm here for a reason, could it be the reason I was born?" I could feel something bubbling up inside my chest… giddiness, maybe? "I have always been so different, normal rules did not apply. Is this the day? Are you the way I finally find out why?" A smile was beginning to find its way onto my face. I couldn't believe it. A small, but actual, genuine smile of pure joy.

"Show yourself, I'm no longer trembling!" I burst out suddenly, almost triumphantly. Lea was lifting his head back up, face slack, eyes round. I had no idea what that meant. Was it a good reaction? A bad one? Either way, I was spurred on to do better. "Here I am, I've come so far! You are the answer I've waited for all of my life! Oh, show yourself, let me see who you are!" I wasn't even looking at him anymore. I was starting to forget about where I was, just getting lost in the was the only thing that mattered to me anymore in that moment.

I brought my voice back down, singing slowly, sweetly, "Come to me now, open your door, don't make me wait one moment more... Oh, come to me now," I repeated the line with more energy, "open your door, don't make me wait one moment more!"

"Where the north wind meets the sea," Ariel chimed in now and I took the moment to close my eyes, pulling in a big breath and reveling in the delightful tingle in my chest. I was entering the home stretch and there was no fear left. Only excitement. "There's a river full of memory... Come, my darling, homeward bound…"

"I am found!" I sang, putting all I had into it, letting the last word stretch and ring throughout the theater. "Show yourself, step into the power! Grow yourself into something new!"

Ariel came in one last time, "You are the one you've been waiting for…"

"All of my life!" I belted out, finishing the line she'd started. "Oh, show yourself! Ah-ah, ah-ah!" I vocalized the notes a few more times, each round louder and more confident than the last before finally ending the song in one long crescendo.

The auditorium was suddenly very quiet except for my low panting as I tried to catch my breath.

Then I heard it.

The sound of clapping. More specifically, of one single person clapping very enthusiastically, reverberating noisily around the otherwise dead silent room.

Feeling my face erupt in heat, I immediately buried it in my hands. I knew who it was, even before I parted my fingers to peek between them out into the audience. Yup. There he was. Lea, up on his feet to give me a standing ovation while everyone else remained seated, staring at him blankly.

The dork.

Ariel was at my side now, snickering as she muttered behind her hand to me, "This is why they normally don't let the boyfriends in to watch."

He didn't look like he planned on quitting any time soon either.

"Hsst!" I blew through my grit teeth at him discreetly. Well… as discreetly as I could, given I was still standing on a stage in front of a room full of people. "Stop it," I whispered, narrowing my eyes on him. I could see Jack making long, annoyed strides towards Lea. "You hear me? Stop. It."

He seemed to take 'stop it' to mean 'applaud harder and pepper it with a few shrill whistles for good measure.'

I sighed, hanging my head and pressing my fingers between my eyebrows.

"D'aw, I think it's cute," I heard Ariel laugh and I hazarded a glance up again. Lea, finally spotting Jack coming for him, had vaulted himself over some chairs into the next row and was trying to make a run for it. "Your boyfriend is your biggest fan."

"...yes," I rubbed a curled finger over my lips, eyes crinkling as I watched the little scene he was making. Sally had been waiting for him on the other end of the seats opposite of Jack. Realizing his mistake too late, she snagged him by the ear before he could backtrack and started dragging him out of the auditorium. "Yes, I suppose he is."

I still had to sing my second song, the one from Wicked itself. That one ended up being a lot less nerve-wracking. Don't get me wrong, a few jitters yet remained to wriggle about my insides, but I was still riding the endorphin high from getting through my first song, making the second one seem like a breeze in comparison. When I was done, the only acknowledgement I got from Marluxia was an impassive, "Thank you," before he was calling the next person. I hurried off the stage and had a quick word with Jack and Sally before saying my farewell and walking outside.

The sun was beginning to set by now, making the shadows stretch long. It wasn't hard to spot Lea, leaning against his car as he thumbed through his phone and waited.

My heart swelled and my feet suddenly had a mind of their own, propelling me forward.

He glanced up, pocketing his phone and grinning big at me as he used his foot to push himself up off the car. "Hey! You kicked some serious ass up th-" A surprised grunt was forced out of him as I suddenly crashed into his chest, hugging him tightly around the waist.

"...thank you for that," I muffled quietly into his shirt.

Lea was very still for a second. But then I felt a small chuckle rumbling throughout his body as his arms slowly wrapped around my shoulders, returning the embrace. "Nah, that was all you, El. I just provided the wheels that got ya here."

I loosened my grip but didn't fully let go. Just enough so I could lean back slightly to smile up at him. "Thanks for coming with me. I didn't think I'd wanted anyone here, but… it made a difference and meant more to me than I realized it would. And thank you for encouraging me to do this and…" my nose wrinkled a bit, "...and for making me get up on that karaoke stage a couple weeks ago, despite my multiple protests."

He snorted, but his face softened as he brushed some of my hair behind my ear, his thumb just barely grazing along my cheek with the gesture. "What can I say? Being a pushy, overbearing asshole is one of my many wonderful talents."

"That's not what I meant," my eyelids drooped.

"I know," he hummed a laugh as he pulled me in for another hug, squeezing me close as he rested his chin atop my head. We stayed that way for a few seconds more before he released a heavy sigh. Then he pulled back, cupped my face with both his hands, tenderly pressed his lips to my forehead, and...

...blew a goddamn raspberry.

I gasped and shoved him away, furiously scrubbing at my brow with my forearm. "Ugh, was getting more of your slobber on my face completely necessary?!"

"Oh without a doubt! I know what a huge fan of it ya are," he smirked cheekily as he made his way around his car to open the door for me. "Now then, shall we get you home, m'lady, so we can spread the good news?"

I squinted at him with a frown as I followed him over and took a seat. "...what good news?"

"That ya got the starring role, of course!" he chirped down at me.

"I did not-" I was interrupted as he shut the car door in my face. Huffing and buckling myself in, I waited until he was climbing into the driver seat to try again, "They won't even be announcing who's getting what part until next week, but I seriously doubt they're going to give me a lead."

"You're right, my mistake," he stuck his key into the ignition and twisted it, shooting me a wink. "They'll give ya two."

"Goodness, I'm getting two leads now?" I fought the upward tug I felt at one side of my mouth. "Do you even know how plays work?"

"Course! That's why I know for a fact that they're just gonna give you all the parts."

I bit back a grin. "Huh. A one-woman Wicked show. Now that'd certainly be a… choice."

"And one I have every confidence in you to pull off!" he nodded chipperly as we exited the parking lot.

I just shook my head at him. Honestly, I didn't care what part I got. I'd be honored just to be included in the chorus if they even gave me that much. But no, all that I really cared about was that I'd actually done it. Gone through with the audition and lived to tell the tale. And sure, it had scared me out of my mind, but in the end it'd been worth it. Because you know what? Turned out I'd absolutely loved singing on that stage. And I knew for sure now that this was something I wanted to do… something that I wanted to play a part in my life, no matter how big or small. And so what if I most likely wasn't going to get the lead this time around? I could just use this experience to learn the ropes and get better prepared.

Better prepared, that is, to totally crush it at the audition for the next show.

Author's Note: And yet another scene where I included the full lyrics of a song sang by a character - again, it's not something I would normally do, but I felt this was a rare occasion where it's important enough to Elsa's character growth that again I shouldn't just gloss over it. But gosh, I feel so awkward writing detailed singing scenes! Why oh why did I have to make her want to do something with singing? This was a story decision I fast grew to regret, haha xD I hope it turned out okay tho! Anyhoo, for anyone out there who hasn't seen Frozen 2, the song she sings this chapter, Show Yourself, is from that - I suggest you give it a listen if you haven't heard it before :) Actually hearing it does it way more justice than I could ever do in writing xD And I've decided that Disney movies still exist in this AU, they're just musicals now and the characters in those musicals most likely just all have different names than their Disney movie counterparts, but the plot is otherwise unaffected xP Fun fact: The ice cream this chapter, Ever After, is named after Corona's keyblade and I imagine its description on the menu would look something like: "Let down your golden lemon soft serve! A specialty from Corona, this treat is garnished with edible flowers and served in a stack of purple waffles cones to form a tower."

So, did Elsa manage to impress the powers that be at the audition? Will she make the cut and land a part the musical? Will she get a lead, a bit part, or the boot? WAS Lea's slobber actually lucky enough to tip the scales in her favor? Find out… NOT next chapter xD No, we have something else on the horizon for next time… could that fated yet dreaded weekend with the folks finally and at long last be upon us? Stay tuned to find out!

Thanks for reading, I super duper appreciate it! And an extra BIG thank you to those of you who’ve liked, reblogged, and followed so far, seeing those lil notifications always brings the biggest, goofiest smile to my face!

FIRST CHAPTER || PREVIOUS CHAPTER || NEXT CHAPTER

[blushingpinkroses]

Midnight Inferno: Chapter One

Chapter One - Champagne Flutes and Opportunities

August 26 2017

The building in front of me was alight with multi-coloured lanterns waving gently in the evening breeze. Elegantly dressed people scattered up and down the red carpet that blanketed the front steps. The opening night of the Belleville Gallery of Contemporary Art Summer Gala was bound to be spectacular. This year the Gala was centred around collection of pieces themed Paradox of the Mind. 

Artists from around the world had submitted paintings, sculptures, designs, costumes, moving pieces of art to the Gallery with the hope of being selected. From the seven-hundred and thirty applications, only one-hundred and twenty-five had been selected. Sylvie had been frantically running from meeting to viewing back to meeting for several weeks before deciding on the final showcase. I had received so many strangely worded text messages throughout that period at all hours of the night, I almost had almost thrown my phone in the river.

But as I walked through the front doors, it was clear that all her worry had been for nothing, the Gallery looked remarkable. Strings of bright lights fell from the ceiling making the marble floors glisten. Waiters in white tuxedos carried golden trays of delicate foods and flowing flutes of Champagne. The guests were dressed to the nines, wearing gowns and suits that definitely cost more than my monthly rent. And most importantly, there was the Art. My heart swelled with pride as I scouted the pieces, noting their strategic placements and lighting. It was going to be a wonderful event.

As I made my way through the crowded room, I couldn’t help but smile to myself. I couldn’t believe I was here. I had finally made it; my dream was finally come true. I had worked so hard during my years at University, determined to graduate with Honours in Art History and Visual Art. So much so that when I managed to get my hands on the piece of paper, I did so without the support of friends.

My parents had told me that University was the place where you made friends for life, people like minded and who shared the same interests as you. That may have been true for them; my parents had met at The University of Sydney on their very first day and got married four years later, the day after they graduated.

Unfortunately for me, I had no time for relationships, I was a workaholic and a perfectionist. That didn’t mean that I didn’t have fun, because I surely did. There were far too many nights where I’d woken up in places with no recollection as to how I’d gotten there. But nonetheless, I just needed to do the best I physically could so that I could get out of Sydney and get my dream job.

That being a Curator at The Belleville Gallery of Contemporary Art in London. I had seen a documentary about it when I was ten and I knew in that moment that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. So, when the piece of paper I worked hard for was placed in my hand, I packed up and moved across the world to London. My parents had hoped that I would change my mind and stay in Sydney to work at the small local gallery not far from their house. But I was determined, there was no way I was going to stay.

I’d volunteered at the Michael Reid Gallery throughout my Uni days. Busting my guts to earn a recommendation letter from snobby head Curator, Matthew O’Brien.  He had told me quite a few times that I was annoying the visitors with my ‘rambling’ about negative space. Once I had actually caught him filling out a complaints card saying that I talked to much and ruined the ambiance of the gallery. I think he ended up agreeing to write me a letter of recommendation to get rid of me honestly, but it was what I wanted anyway. With my letter, my transcript and my resume I submitted my application to the Belleville Gallery of Contemporary Art and booked a plane ticket and arrived in London one month, twenty-three hours and fifteen minutes later with nowhere to live and no one to help me.

My dream seemed a long way off when I found myself in a hostel, with nothing but a suitcase to my name. And now eighteen months later I had managed to achieve the ‘impossible’ as my mother had put it.  And managed to find a place to live, make a few friends and have my dream job.

As I admired the scene in front of me, I spied Sylvie. She looked as lovely as ever. Her blonde hair styled neatly on top of her head, blue dress the colour of the summer sky swept around her feet and a flute of Champagne was daintily clasped in her fingers. Beside her was an older man with rosy cheeks. His graying hair complimented his tailored suit and blue pocket square perfectly. Sylvie must have sensed my presence nearby as she turned and waved me over.

I carefully manoeuvred myself past a sculpture of a man with colourful spikes protruding from his head as he read a book. My black heels clicked against the marble floor, my insides turned to jelly and I broke out into a nervous sweat.

“Ah Evelyn darling, you’re here!” Sylvie exclaimed as she kissed my cheeks in greeting.

“Roger, Evelyn has worked so hard over the last three months as my assistant. I would have been so lost and probably thrown myself into the river if it wasn’t for her.” I laughed because I knew she wasn’t being dramatic. She told me on one occasion that she was going to stand out in the rain in the hope that if she was miraculously struck by lightning, she would then be filled with inspiration.

Roger eyed me curiously. Being the owner of the Belleville Gallery, he was ultimately God in my eyes. I had spent more time than I cared to admit, planning on what I’d say, how I’d ‘woo’ him, so to speak, into giving me a job. I was lucky enough to have been selected from the pool of applicants to work as a tour guide for the gallery, five months after arriving. I received a call saying that I among a select few to make the cut to work at the gallery. Even though it wasn’t my dream job, it was a foot in the door. I remember breaking out in a victory dance as I waited for the train on the platform and hitting quite an angry lady with my bag as I did.

After being a tour guide for three months I had been promoted. Apparently, people enjoyed listening to me rave about paintings and art in London. If only Matthew O’Brien could see me now, he’d die. I worked under Sylvie as her assistant, filing, answering phones, organising orders and collections. It was heaven. But now, standing here in front of Roger, it was judgement day.

“It was actually Evelyn’s idea to place the Kenzoda Sculpture in the centre of the room and she’s the one who recommenced that we should include a J.B Swanson painting.” Sylvie continued.

“Really? You have defiantly got an eye for Art my dear.”

I managed to contained my scream but felt my eyes pop, and Roger noticed.

“Well, I must thank you deeply for aiding Sylvie with her team in creating a spectacular Gala. Come by my office on Monday and I shall see if there is anywhere I can fit you for the next Gala” He said, taking my hand.

“Are you serious?” I whisper.

“Oh yes my dear. Nine am Tuesday. I’ll tell Margret to expect you.” And with that bombshell, he walked away.

“Thank you. So much” I called out before he slipped into the crowd, a chuckle passed his lips at my sudden outburst.

“See I told you that you’d smash this. I had faith. You owe me,” Sylvie snickered at the stunned expression on my face. I couldn’t believe it. This was the best day of my life. Surely, I was dreaming, this couldn’t be real.

“Oh Sylvie, I would buy you that Marino Painting if I could afford it! You have made my life!” I squealed, crushing her into a hug.

“Okay. Image. I have an image to uphold!” she pushed me away, though offering me a spirited smile. “We have a job to do. We have to mingle with the guests and see how much money we can squeeze out of them. I’ll see you Monday, darling,” she laughed before turning away to bask in the success of the Gala.

                                                               XXX

It was just before 1 am when I climbed the last set of stairs leading to my apartment. I couldn’t believe this day. Who could’ve imagined that when I woke up this morning with a cramp in my calf muscle, tripped over my phone charger and fell into wardrobe, that I’d end it with a meeting with Roger Belleville. I surely didn’t.

I opened the door, flicked on the light and threw my bag on the entry table. Kicking off my shoes I made my way to the tiny kitchen, planning to make a cup of tea to calm myself down. My body was alight with happiness and I knew that I wouldn’t be feeling this happy tomorrow when I had to face overwhelming American tourists at Doris’ Gift Shop.

Flipping the switch on the kettle I opened the cupboard for a chamomile tea bag, only to find the box empty. Vanessa had told me she didn’t even like chamomile and yet, my tea was always gone. I moved in with her after I had been in London for a month. I was told about a house sharing website by a hippy at the Hostel I had been staying at. Excitedly, I applied for so many and only received on answer. Vanessa didn’t appear to be an axe murderer and we had become friends quickly. She enjoyed my Australian accent and I enjoyed her spare room.

Turing off the kettle with a sigh, I made my way to my room. It was small, but I liked it. It had a double bed, a tiny desk and a large window that looked out into the street. Some nights patrons from the pub on the corner of our street, shouted and argued as they made their way home after a night of drinking.

Vanessa had told me about how she and her previous roommate, Kimberly, would occasionally throw buckets of water over the men as they trudged angrily down the lane. They had found it hilarious when they stopped and held out their hands to check if it was really raining. Although that game stopped when Kimberly moved in with her boyfriend, there were still nights where Vanessa shouted at them form her window. One time she had convinced a man that she was the voice of God and he bolted so fast, he slipped and landed face first into a puddle. It was absolutely hilarious, we still laughed about it now.

I removed the green satin dress Sylvie lent me for the Gala and placed it over my desk chair. Slipping into a t-shirt and shorts I quickly brushed my teeth, wiped off my makeup and climbed into bed.  

I checked my phone, taking it from my bedside table and opened up Instagram to see the photos and selfies people captured at the Gala. Several posts were already liked more than a hundred times and I smiled to myself in victory. Having an Instagram and Twitter tag had been an idea that I shared with Sylvie, stating it would fuel the guests need for social media and create positive publicity for the Gallery. I scrolled through the images stopping when I spotted a familiar face. I had been so wrapped up in the excitement that I hadn’t even noticed that Harry Styles attended the event. Being the newest James Bond was a huge deal, and if he came to our Gala, it would be talked about.

Although it was late, I sent Marcus a quick text letting him know that I was meeting Roger on Tuesday for an official position. I switched back to Instagram once more, before putting my phone on charge.  

Everything was about to change.

[letheavenspeak]

Something Unspoken

Peter x Reader

Hey, I know it’s been a while but I recently saw Guardians Vol 2 and was inspired, so I hope you like it!

Edit: Also, would anyone like a sequel to this? Let me know if u do!

Words: 2,306

Something Unspoken

Traveling with the Guardians is not an easy feat what-so-ever, but in all honesty, as much as I complain, I wouldn’t give it up for the world. Before I spent my time roaming through the galaxy with my new team, I was head nurse for Tony Stark, and when Peter and the rest of his team had met up with the Avengers, I volunteered to go back with them. They had no kind of medical expert on board, and I craved a new sort of adventure. Cap had tried to talk me out of it, said it was too dangerous, to which I told him how much of a stupid hang up that was, seeing as he was a super solider who had fought off aliens himself. He soon realized how silly his initial argument was.

Ever since I’ve stayed with the Guardians, helping patch them up after a long battle, or just being a person from another perspective to listen to their problems. Although Rocket seemed the most hesitant at first, he eventually became a trusted friend just as all the others had become, and I truly felt apart of their small family. I had even convinced Peter to teach me how to fly the Milano, just in case of emergencies of course.

Speaking of, I had grown incredibly fond of the leader of the group; he was kind and sensitive, and he often opened up about how he wondered about his home planet, and how it had evolved, but how he had no longing to go back, not since his mother was no longer there. I think that he likes having me here, having another human who grew up around the same time he did. He finally had someone who understood his references and jokes, and who could appreciate his sense of music; although it was a little outdated, it still was classic. I took it upon myself to show him some new music from different decades from the ones he had missed, and although he seemed hesitant at first I could I tell he was excited to get something new to listen to, as well as the rest of the team who had grown tired of the same two playlists that had repeated over and over again. I had initially kept with the smooth rock genre, introducing bands like Oasis and Radiohead. They were somewhat clichéd on Earth, but Peter grew to love them, and was amazed at the amount of music he actually liked. I guess he never thought he would enjoy any songs as much as the ones his mother introduced, but the slow smile that crept onto his face the first time he listened to Wonderwall said otherwise. 

I hear the familiar tune playing through the empty halls of the Milano now which had woken me from my sleep. I stay in my bed, too caught up in the warmth of my it and the coziness compared to the cool steel of the ship. I nod my head to the mellow beat, mouthing the words as I try to close my eyes and fall back asleep but as the song comes and goes it never happens. Eventually I decide to go see whose awake at the moment; the team had just had a pretty rough battle, and by the time I had finished double checking the nasty gash on Gamora’s arm the rest of the team had wandered off to bed. I turn to check the time to see it had only been a couple hours since I had fallen asleep, but the telltale sign that someone was up was unavoidable. So, I slip on my favourite sweater that I have by my bedside and brace myself as my feet make impact with the cool floor, sending a shock that definitely woke me up just in case the music hadn’t. 

My theory that most everyone was sleeping is confirmed as I walk through the mostly quiet ship, noticing that Rocket’s door at the far end of the sleeping quarters was closed, as well as Drax’s. I keep my footsteps quiet as I continue toward the cockpit where I see the outline of a broad back as it sways to the current song that plays just a little too loudly for the time. 

“Peter?” I ask, careful in case I startle him, and in the instance he may be armed. He jumps at the sound of my voice, and spins around to see it was just me, my concern evident on my face.

“Oh, Y/N, hey what are you doing up?”

Peter’s POV

Y/N stood there, looking so incredibly small, her arms hugging her body, trying to shield herself from the cool air of the ship.

“I was sleeping, but your music woke me up. Are you alright?” I could tell she was tired by her tone, though the sincerity seeped through it as it did through her large eyes. It felt as if I was being compelled to tell her the truth. 

“Yeah I’m fine, I just moved in my sleep and hurt the cut on my side and couldn’t fall asleep after, so I came up here and just decided to listen to some music.” As I tell her what’s happened she immediately comes up to pull up my sleeping shirt to check on my most recent injury. She looks at it for a moment, not saying anything. Her warm hands send a chill throughout my body that I try to hide from her. She doesn’t react to it and we both say nothing, and I try to ignore the fact that my face is suddenly a lot warmer than before.

“Well, thankfully you didn’t pull any stitches, but it is a little red. Did you put any of that ointment that I got from Knowhere that I gave you on it?”

“Ugh no, I couldn’t find it so I just took a couple of painkillers,” I admit. She lets out a little huff and walks off the main part of the pit and I try to suppress the laughter that bubbles within my chest as she walks away. I go to sit in the Captain’s seat as I hear a few clanging noises and an ‘aha’ as she finds what she was looking for. I roll up my shirt once again, allowing her access to the sore spot just to the right of my stomach.

“You are the worst with misplacing shit, and that’s saying a lot, we leave with Rocket for Christ’s sake.”

I laugh at her comment, but she keeps going on about how I should take better care of myself, but the words start ringing together as I watch the way her lips move with such certainty; it’s like art, and I could watch for hours. Everything about her is intoxicating, and although I’ve tried flirting with her in the past, she always waves it off as nothing. Most times it is nothing, but every now and then I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach that tells me to be serious for once in my life. The first time I got it was when she talked about life on earth, and how much she missed her friends and family that she’d left there. I understood the pain and longing, and even offered to take her back for a short visit but she declined.

“My home is here now, with you,” she had said, smiling at me. The words had melted my heart and turned my tongue into jelly.  We sat in an awkward silence as the weight of her words hit us both. The blush that had flushed her cheeks mad her look so adorable. 

“And with the rest of the team, of course,” she added, looking down at her nails. She quickly changed the subject not too long after that.

I was reminded of the moment as she finished wiping the cream over the sore wound, pressing her whole hand against it as she finished. Though she kept speaking, the words didn’t register in my mind as I noticed what she was wearing.

“Is that my sweater you’re wearing?” I asked, chuckling. She looks down, watching the fabric and playing with the zipper, trying to hide the blush that had just formed on her cheeks.

“Oh, yeah I guess. Sorry, did you want it back?” her voice is so small and quiet, I can barely hear it over the music.

“No you look better in it than I do anyway.”

Your POV

I can feel Peter’s gaze on me as I pull the sweater tighter against my skin, suddenly feeling incredibly self-conscious. 

“Are you cold? I could turn up the heat if you’d like,” he offers as he stands, finally breaking the silence.

“No, I’m fine thank you though. I think I’m just gonna try to go back to sleep.” I smile up at him to see he’s been watching me.

Suddenly Making Love Out of Nothing at All by Air Supply starts playing and Peter offers his hand.

“One dance first, for me.”

“Seriously Quill? You’re so corny.”

“The corniest actually, but you know you love it.”I smile, contemplating my warm bed compared to the heat of Peter’s embrace and decide on the latter. I place my hand in his and he immediately twirls me and locks me into position. His left hand placed lightly over my side, the other holding mine a little too tightly. I place my other hand on his shoulder and feel the abundance of muscle there. There’s barely any space between us, so close I can feel his chest constrict and relax as his breathing increases in just the slightest. We move slowly to the music, just a simple sway with the occasion spin but it’s calming and I let all my previous worries fly out the window. I lay my head down on his chest, relaxing even further; my breaths have become long and deep as I try and remember everything I can about this moment. The simple melody, the way the floor still chills my bare feet as we move, the pressure of Peter’s hand which has now shifted to the small of my back, and Peter’s fragrance which is a mix of his musky cologne, oil, and sweat are permanently fixed into my head.

“I know when to pull you closer

And I know when to let you loose

And I know the night is fading

And I know the time's gonna fly

And I'm never gonna tell you everything I've gotta tell you

But I know I've gotta give it a try” 

Peter sings along softly, making me chuckle. He’s almost whispering the lyrics, his mouth right beside my ear making me shiver. 

“So, how do you do it Quill? Magic?” I ask after a moment.

“What do you mean?”

“Woo girls the way you do; it seems to come as naturally as breathing to you.”

“Well, it does, when I have the right girl in front of me.”

I laugh at that; he was just too smooth for his own good.

“I’m serious Y/N, there’s something that takes over me when I’m with you. A feeling that just tells me that this,” he motions to the two of us, “is right.”

I scoff at the thought. Peter frowns.

“Why is that so difficult to believe?”

“Because Peter we both know that you’ll get tired of me and move on to the next unlucky lady and we’ll still have to work together.”

“Oh come on- “

“Gamora.” It’s all I have to say. We both know how hung up he was on her, and how long it took for him to get over her.

“Gamora is- “

“Someone you still deeply care for, I know, but I don’t wanna be some rebound for you and get tossed aside once the next one comes along.”

“Y/N, whatever I’m feeling, I’ve felt for a while, and I know that you feel it too. It’s been this unspoken thing for ages, even Drax asked me about it.”

“There is no unspoken thing Peter,” I say as I let go of his hand, the song ending. The next song is another slow one, but I pay no attention to it, wanting to leave the scene and retreat into my room.

“Why is it so hard for you to admit that you like me as much as I like you?” I hear Peter call out as I start to make my way back to my room.

“Because, Peter, I can’t loose you! I’ve lost too many people because of our jobs and I can’t have my heart broken again and again! Loosing you, the team, it’d be too much for me. It’d break my heart for good.” I start by yelling at him, but by the end my voice grows quiet, tears threatening to break through.

“Oh Y/N, I could never do that to you. You mean too much to me. I know my past with women isn’t the greatest, but I swear to you that you’re different. You are so important to me, much too much to just let you walk away right now. I’m not asking for much, just let me take you out on one date, and if you don’t like it then I swear we won’t ever have to talk about us this way again.”

I think about the proposition for a moment. 

“You swear?”

“On my mother.”

The sentiment takes me aback; his mother is the most important person in his life, and whenever he talks about her it’s not lightly.

“Well, Star Lord, where do you plan on taking me?” I ask after a moment of silence, making him smile.

“The only place worthy of your beauty, the stars.”

[daily-dose-of-imagines]

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕔𝕙-𝕌𝕡 ♡

Hii, may I request a match-up from Haikyuu!!, Attack on Titan, and Free! Hehe.

I’m a straight, Asian, female with black, wavy hair that reaches up past my shoulders, black eyes, and a beauty mark on the right side of my jaw. I’m awfully short for an incoming college freshman, my height being 4"11. I aspire to be a nurse! (hopefully, a doctor after!) I wanted to be of help to my country’s health and medical field.

I’ve always thought myself to be an extrovert, but realized during the quarantine that I can handle quietness and having no social interactions from my friends just fine; I’m more of an ambivert, I guess. My enneagram is One and Three. I have a Mediator personality, INFP-A/INFP-T. I have a good amount of friends; however, there are only few I consider close to my heart. I have one best friend whom I consider my “constant” as we may have different/similar set of friends, but at the end of the day, we’d be the ones to spend time together. I do cherish all of my friends though! I am close and loving to my family: I try my best to be cheery and talkative with my father who works abroad, my mom is my best friend (I can tell her anything), and I get along with my younger brother just fine. I am a soft-hearted, sensitive person as well. I cannot afford people being mad at me or seeing me in a bad light and so, I try to make amends as quickly as possible (usually after clearing my head and calming down my most of the time overwhelming emotions). I try to forgive as much as I can (sometimes I apologize even when I am not at fault). I am not a perfect person, I do make a lot of mistakes and feel regret when I do, whether it being failing a test, hurting a loved one intentionally or not. That being said, my number one fear would have to be failure. I sometimes get to be hard on myself and can’t seem to accept when things go bad or for the worse, but I have been working on it. When I get moody, I tend to snap but have also been working on apologizing and being a better person.

With regards to my interests, I LOVE music a lot! May they be mainstream or underrated/indie, as long as I enjoy and vibe with the beat, melody, and especially the lyrics. I have a thing for slow songs that have heartfelt and meaningful lyrics. I literally cannot go a day without listening to music. I also very much like art! I appreciate art in any form: literature, poetry, digitial, or traditional art. I believe I am decent with art myself? Have been into sketching, drawing, and watercolor painting. I can sing somewhat and I play the piano/keyboard, but only like mediocre at best. I love spicy food, any food that is based off or with potato, and milktea. I enjoy travelling and don’t mind hours of doing so. I’m outgoing with the right people and reserved with those I am still not familiar with (I do my best to socialize though). I love writing as well; I do not publish them though. I do enjoy doing essays in school especially if the topic is something I am interested. Whenever my thoughts go haywire and spiral, I write on my phone’s notepad to calm down and then read. So maybe I am a “closeted” writer? I am not sure as I do not think my so-called “writing skills” are even considered as standard.

Academics-wise, I’ve always been in the top list somehow. Graduated HS as top 4. However, I do not think I am a genius or very intelligent, I just try my best and work hard. Sports? Never had the chance to be good at any, I’m not a physical type of gal hahaha. Recently, I have been doing home workouts just to stay fit and physically healthy while staying at quarantine. Gosh, I do not even know how to ride a bike unless there are training wheels (hahaha, I do know how to ride a skateboard though?). I remember trying to volley a ball during a PE class in elementary, only to hit someone in the head. If my memory serves me right, I think that incident repeated itself while I was Junior High. It’s embarassing hahahaha.

My love language is words of affirmation and quality time. My love language for others is gift-giving or acts of service. I’ve always had an list of traits for my “ideal guy,” but realized I do get attracted to various types (bonus points if you can make me laugh or jest/banter playfully with you). As long as my future partner/significant other shares the same faith as mine is loving & respectful, I am very much contented.

I felt like I wrote too much hehe. Anyways, thank you do much for taking the time to read this and match me from my mentioned fandoms! I hope you’re having a great day!

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Hello @belli-jelly~! WOW you wrote a whole BOOK— but I really like it omg! This gives me so much to work with as well as a better idea of who to ship you with so thank you so much for your submission~! I hope you enjoy the match-ups I give you~!

Art belongs to [This Bean!] [This Bean!] & [This Bean!]

» » Admin Ko

𝕀 𝕊𝕙𝕚𝕡 𝕐𝕆𝕌 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝔽𝕠𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕘…

ᴋᴜʀᴏᴏ ᴛᴇᴛꜱᴜʀᴏ

Woo! Where to even begin? I guess the first thing will be how much he adores how small you are! He thinks it’s absolutely endearing and will undoubtedly tease you! Though of course he means this well! The moment he hears anyone try to belittle you or mock you because of your height he’ll be there in a heartbeat to scold and honestly intimidate the living shit outta them. He’s very similar in aspects to being an extrovert who enjoys alone and quiet time. After all, at a young age he was, as said by Kenma, a shy child. He definitely would work hard to become a constant friend in your life that no matter what happens or no matter how much time you might’ve spent apart you guys would always bounce back as if the gap never happened.

He’s observant and prickly, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a good heart. He’s rather dorky with you and loves to hear about your interests and hobbies! Though he doesn’t like that you apologize so frequently without good reason, he’ll always be there to retaliate or set things right. He feels like it’s good to own up to your mistakes, but it’s pointless and a waste of breath if you apologize for nothing you had control over. 

In regards to PDA and his sort of love language, Kuroo is one who’ll be the tease. Someone who’ll affectionately taunt or tease you to see all your expressions. He most definitely loves holding your hands or just holding you in his arms whenever he can. If there’s one big thing he adores is seeing you in his clothes. It reaffirms that you’re his and that you’re comfortable enough to use his clothes for your own means of comfort. 

ꜰʟᴏᴄʜ ꜰᴏʀꜱᴛᴇʀ

Blunt and always the one who prefers facts over emotional decisions; I feel as though Floch would be a good match for you! To help counter and help you grow, he’s always bluntly telling you what he observes of your interactions in any sort of situation. He doesn’t want anyone stepping over you or you wasting unnecessary time or breath when you could be doing something much more productive and helpful. After all, he personally feels as though there are ways to help everyone, but not ways to help those stubborn enough to even remotely accept the help.

Other then that though, he’s a rather gentle lover. He isn’t afraid to speak his mind and give you his thoughts. He hopes though in return you’re more than willing to speak to him and confront him of his own faults or mishaps. He loves to hear about you talk about the medical field. It’s interesting to him and he wants to pick up a few things after you. 

Despite outright saying he’s a coward in most dangerous situations, he’s not afraid to let go of his emotions to make a deliberate and logical situation. Of course, this also applies to any sort of risky confrontation if you both are on a date. 

Floch isn’t as affectionate as most, but he does show his appreciation and love for you in his own special little ways. Be it remembering exactly how you like your drinks and when the best time to serve them to you would be. To carrying you to bed after a long night of studying and note taking. He never really mentions it, but the little things to him mean much more than large elaborate things.

ꜱᴏꜱᴜᴋᴇ ʏᴀᴍᴀᴢᴀᴋɪ

Despite being a large and terrifying to most when he first meets people, Sosuke is surprisingly a kind giant who takes absolute pleasure in seeing you glow and pursue your dreams. Like the other two, he won’t stand if you waste your breath apologizing for something you didn’t do and will out right tell you if it was even right. After all, empty apologies only mean so much. Other then that though, Sosuke immensely enjoys your hobbies.

He loves to hear about the latest indie bands you’ve discovered. Or the latest art piece you’ve finished in spur of a wave of creativity that happened one night. No matter what it is, he’s already there with high hopes and endless support for you.

Despite enjoying a more relaxed and casual sort of date. He doesn’t mind going out in crowded places and having fun with you in your bouts of energy. He thinks it’s adorable and is always a sucker for your bright shining eyes and sweet smile.

With PDA Sosuke is a bit reserved. He tends to really show his emotions when it’s just you two, but other then that the most he’ll do is hold your hand or have his arm around your shoulders while you’re out and about. Occasionally brushing your hair out of your face whenever you both eat at a restaurant or at a cafe.

[foxmasks]

Totally went nuts in April and bought a shit ton of stuff. I was doing so well for Feb-Mar too... I think it might have been because April was where I had a lot of deadlines and online shopping and watching YouTube videos was a source of distraction for me. :/ I would constantly watch videos and go on Qoo10 to add stuff into my cart. This happened last April too. Percy and Reed Wonder Balm Living Proof Prime Style Extender Spray KPalette 24H Real Lasting Eyebrow Bought the Wonder Balm because I'm almost done with my It's A 10 leave in conditioner. Also bought the Living Proof spray because I was done with my bottle. Bought the eyebrow liner because I wanted to use it for fake freckles. This haul wasn't too bad because it was just to replace things I used up. Duo Eyelash Adhesive Ardell Demi Wispies Bought the eyelash glue because I don't have anymore. Got the lashes because... I always wanted to try them. Not a good reason. Peripera Airy Ink Velvet 02 Peripera Airy Ink Velvet 04 Peripera Ink Velvet 13 Peripera Ink Velvet 14 Peripera Ink Velvet 15 Ok this was triggered by watching a youtuber I like. She said she liked shade 14 the most so I went on Qoo10 to add it into my cart. She did a what's in my bag video and she had shade 04 in her makeup pouch so I wanted it too. And I don't know why I added the three other shades??? Peripera Ink Velvet 4 Peripera Ink Velvet 5 Peripera Ink Velvet 12 BBIA Last Auto Gel Eyeliner x5 BBIA Last Pen Eyeliner Etude House Glass Tinting Lips Talk RD302 BBIA Shade Shadow 7 BBIA Shade Shadow 10 Etude House Eyebrow Pencil x2 Etude House Look At My Eyes Cafe RD304 Etude House Cookie Blusher Grapefruit Jelly Too Cool For School Art Class by Rodin Contour Powder Holika Holika Gudetama Eyeshadow Skinfood Fresh Juice Extraction Blush Etude House 0.2 Therapy Air Mask x10 Eglips Blur Powder Pact Eglips Oil Cut Pact Ok this was THE haul that was crazy. I went and got MORE of the Peripera tints because of ANOTHER youtuber and I got one shade which I already have by mistake :/ I also got the Skinfood blush and the Gudetama Eyeshadow because of the same youtuber. Granted, I always wanted the eyeshadow from before. Bought the etude House lipstick just because I liked the casing. It's a glossy formula which I'm not a fan of but the casings are really cute... I even considered getting another one can someone please slap me. Anyway I checked out so much in this cart because I went to redeem a $20 coupon which required $200 minimum spending. I didn't even have to use the coupon tbh I just needed an excuse to check out all the stuff I wanted :/ this was really bad. MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Ruby Woo MAC Retro Matte Lipstick Relentlessly Red MAC Retro Matte Lipstick All Fired Up MAC Matte Lipstick Kinda Sexy MAC Satin Eyeshadow Soba Ok I got my dad to get these for me. No good reason why either other than I don't have colours like Relentlessly Red/All Fired Up. Actually, Relentlessly Red, Kinda Sexy, and Soba were Youtuber influenced purchases because I was watching some tutorials. Somebody ban me from YouTube.

[kocho-catt]

in love with the face holy

in honor of golden cheese cookie saving some of the kulfi in the new beast yeast episode i sketched her in that one scene from batman vs superman!!!

kind of my first time posting my art on tumblr so i’m a little nervous but i hope everyone who sees enjoys!!