#best birthday partay ever

[dantenaimo]

WAAAAH this made me cry big tears of joy 🥹 love love love this art! Thank you!!

It's been

the birthday of one friend's webcomic

another friend/their OC's birthday

The anniversary of a Red Vox album near and dear to all of us

Our Discord server's birthday

So I knew I had to do something special for Artfight.

[kisstheassassins]

Hey there) As it was Connor’s bday recently, I wondered, what would like the rest assassin’s to get for their bday from their S/O? Ezio, Shay, Jacob and James ( pity we don’t know when is his bday, but we can imagine we do) Love yaa😘😘

this is my favorite gif I dunno how many times I’ve used this as reaction gifs.

Ezio:

He’s surprised when the tables are turned on him.

You greet him at home with no lights except for candles, a dinner ready on the table and a bottle of wine on the side.  

“Isn’t it my job to spoil you like this?” he grins.

Besides the gift he sees now when he walks through the front door, you give him a medium sized box, carefully carved and polished wood.

Inside is a dagger that you had specifically made done by a blacksmith. 

Thankfully the guy knew you and Ezio, and only charged you half price, to which you could afford it.

“I know a blade seems like a rather unusual birthday gift but you’ve said you needed a new one.”

Ezio wraps you in his arms and kisses you sweetly, saying this is the best birthday he’s had in a while.

Shay

Shay really isn’t big on birthdays, but he’ll be happy when you show up at his door, or ship either one. Honestly he’s just happy you’re here with him today.

Your gift to him is a big ass kiss, and a book he’s been wanting for time now.

I hc the boi loves to read, so he gets really happy when you pull it from behind your back and show it to him. 

He reads a lot while on his ship, and never has a lot of time to shop around when in town so he was never able to grab it. 

You took notice and remembered he mentioned it.

There’s no big dinner, only kisses and hugs, and you even ask him to read some of it to you.

This day turned out rather better than he expected it to be.

Jacob

PARTAY at the pub my dude.

He’s hella excited it’s his birthday and he lets everyone know.

You aren’t able to give him his gift yet because he’s dragging you off, and a couple of Rooks, down to the closest pub. 

So at the end of the day when you two are on the train you finally have the chance to give him his gift. 

You know he has a bunch of knives and daggers and all that jazz, but these are engraved with his initials and a Rook just under them.

It’s a pouch of throwing knives, made specially for Jacob.  

And he uses them proudly, never missing a shot.

They’re his most favorite thing in the world, besides you of course. 

You get suffocated with kisses.

James Kidd

You honestly had trouble finding something for him for his birthday. 

And James never said anything to you about his bday either, you overheard so you thought it would be a perfect opportunity to surprise him.

But with what?

It was only a few days before his big day that you two were walking on the street of Havana, and he just happens to stop at a shop with a window exhibit. 

He’s eyeing a necklace setting neatly on a wooden box for view.

He always did like jewelry. He was covered head to toe with pretty much everything. Even Kidd’s hair had silver and gold shining in it.

The day comes and you rush into town to buy it. You return home and he’s already there, giving you the biggest scare of your life.

He’s kissing you when you say you have a surprise, and you pull the pouch from behind you. He opens it carefully and dumps the contents out into his hand.

“This was the necklace at the shop I saw,” he smiles, “you bought it for me?”

“It’s your birthday gift. I overheard you in Nassau. Can’t believe you didn’t tell me it was your birthday!”

He tells you you’re the best thing ever, followed by kisses and hugs, and a couple bottles of wine.

[lonelypond]

Surprise PARTAY!!! In The (Idol) House

Nico Maki, Love Live, 4K, 1/1

SUMMARY: Everyone has a plan for Nishikino Maki's birthday. Which one is the winner?

SURPRISE PARTAY!!! IN THE IDOL HOUSE

TWO NIGHTS BEFORE NISHIKINO MAKI'S BIRTHDAY

Hoshizora Rin flumped, hanging her upper torso down off the bed she and Koizumi Hanayo were sharing to watch the latest installment of Idol House.

“ ‘S weird, Kayo-chin, we were talking about all this with Maki two weeks ago and now it’s on TV.” Rin did an ab curl.

“Having only a two week delay is HUGE." Hanayo's eyes gleamed behind her glasses. She loved talking Idol House. "Nico worked so hard for the initial set up, to make everything go smoothly. She originally pushed for one week, but there was no way editing and song rights could have happened.”

Rin giggled. “It’s like Maki’s in soooper slow motion.” 

Rin bounced a leg impatiently, Hanayo leaned down to pull her up, “Come on, it’s coming back. Maybe we’ll see Maki.”

But no, they cut to a conversation in one of the three girl’s bedroom, Kawano Aki talking to Bokeh Blossom guitarist Harada Mai, who had switched rooms with Yazawa Nico after Kawano confessed her crush on Muse’s tiny tempest.

Aki was lying prone in the bottom bunk, dressed in sweats, her arms wrapped around her favorite huge purple plushie. Fluffy bathrobe pulled around her, Mai was sipping from a mug of herbal tea in the padded, circular seat catercorner to the bunks.

“They fight all the time, Mai-chan. Maki-chan…”

“Maki-chan?” RIn and Mai spoke at the same time, Rin sitting up, suspicious.

Aki shrugged and blushed, “She is awfully cute. And it’s no wonder she’s grumpy. Nico leaves her down in the recording studio alone for half the night. Just yesterday, I heard Nico shouting at Maki-chan that she needed to put a better effort into Shizu-chan’s new song. And why is Shizu-chan getting Muse’s composer to work on her solo?”

Mai shook her head, “Maybe she didn’t tell Japan about her crush on the composer’s fiancee?”

AKi frowned, “Shizu-chan has a crush on Nico? Well, Nico’s being so nice to her…”

“No, Aki-san, I meant you.” Mai quietly correcting.

Aki shook herself, disgruntled, pounded the plushie a little, and shifted so she was sitting cross legged on the bed, “Well, I don’t think Nico’s so nice anymore. Maki’s probably used to being fussed over and instead of fancy takeout or bentos, Nico just leaves these...dented soup thermoses full of curry or something and disappears. Maki-chan’s probably used to expensive restaurants. Her parents own a hospital, they're super rich, it’s why they didn’t want her on the show.”

“Really?” Mai seemed surprised.

“Yeah, I looked her up on a Muse fansite.”

Hanayo and Rin held hands for comfort, “Maki’s not going to like this.”

“Nico’s going to hate this.” Hanayo sighed.

“The site said Maki-chan’s birthday’s coming up. I think we should throw her a party.” Aki put the plushie aside, “Shizu-chan suggested it because Maki’s been so helpful.”

“Nope.” Rin shouted, waving a fist at the screen. “You’re lying, Aki-san.”

Mai took another sip. “That could be fun. Have you talked to Nico?”

Aki pouted. “She’s too busy. She’s got that sakura shoot in Kyoto.”

“I bet Nico has already made plans.”

“From what I heard it didn’t sound like it.” Aki slid closer, whispering.

“What did you hear?” Mai put her mug down and leaned forward. 

TWO WEEKS AGO

Maki was sitting behind her keyboards, headphones on, eyes closed as she concentrated. Nico paused in the door for a moment, jacket over her arm, to enjoy the sight of Maki totally absorbed in music, luxurious eyelashes fluttering, luscious lips mouthing lyrics. Nico missed that voice, she was sorry she didn’t have more time to spend here with Maki working on music, but if Nico was going to really launch her solo careeer in two and half months, she had a lot of miles and hours to put in. Plus, Maki was so relaxed here, in the recording studio, with the best equipment, able to move more than she had cramped up in her room with a laptop and midi synth, hiding her habits from her parents. After a few minutes, and Maki's luscious lips mouthing lyrics Nico didn't know, Nico couldn’t watch anymore, and just decided it was time to slide her arms around her talented, gorgeous, spaced out fiancée. But Nico had forgotten just how spaced out Maki could get when she was working out a problem, so when Nico’s hands slid over Maki’s, Maki screamed and jumped, Nico reflexively holding onto the chair so Maki didn’t tilt onto the floor.

“Nico-chan?!!!!???" Maki's voice trembled,  "What are you doing, why did you, that was….”

“I’m sorry, Maki, I thought you saw me…”

Maki snapped, “I wasn’t expecting a ninja stalker.”

Nico grinned, “Nico did look dangerously hot in that ninja photoshoot back then.”

Maki reached for the power cord that had been pulled out of the computer, “The only thing you’re a danger to is electronic devices.”

“Hey, you’re the one who nearly knocked the laptop over. Don’t blame Nico.”

“I almost had it, Nico...you know how I work, why did you interrupt me?" Maki scowled, "I’m doing this for your stupid show.” 

“It’s not a stupid show,” Nico turned to the camera, glitter smiled and did her signature move, “Nico Nico Ni, you know how important it is for people to see the real work Idols put in. Too many people think we’re silly airheads.”

“I WAS working and you…” Maki had her headset in one hand, gesturing with it, “Can I get back now, before I totally lose the counterpoint.”

Nico sighed and shrugged, “Sure. Nico is sorry she scared you.”

Maki’s voice was almost a shout, “I wasn’t scared.”

Nico fluttered her eyelashes alluringly, “Nico just wanted to see if you wanted an escort home.”

Maki put the headphones around her neck, leaned over the table, glancing at the clock on the laptop, “Nah, I’m going be up for a couple of hours to finish this. And I’ll sleep on the couch down here.”

“You could come up to Nico’s room.”

“I thought we agreed that wasn’t a good idea.”

Aki had been standing outside the door, waiting for a moment to break into the conversation. As soon as she pushed the door open, Nico’s head swivelled, ruby eyes narrowing. Then Nico relaxed, “Hi, Aki. Did you need Nico?”

Aki toyed with her ponytail, “I didn’t know you were here, Nico.”

Maki snorted and leaned into her hand, elbow propped next to her laptop, laser focused on the distance Nico was keeping from her former bunkmate.

“Nico is ninja tonight.” Nico glanced back to stick out her tongue at Maki, who rolled her eyes.

“I was wondering if Maki-chan wanted a snack.”

Maki saw irritation flash across Nico’s face and didn’t know why, but when Nico answered Aki, there was only the slightest whip of sarcasm as Nico began, “Maki-CHAN is fine. Nico is taking care of her. But it’s so late, Aki. And Nico’s been telling you that there’s nothing better for an idol’s skin than 8 hours of sleep.”

Maki wondered when the last time Nico had slept for that long.

Nico put a weighted arm around Aki’s shoulder and hurried her to the door, “Why don’t you try the cucumber mask Nico showed you the other night? Nico will check later to make sure you placed the cucumbers right.”

“Thanks, Nico-chan.”

“Nico Nico no problem.” Nico flashed her hand gesture, shut the door solidly, turned the lock and faced Maki, leaning casually back, “Nico misses you.”

“I’m sure the centimeter Kawano-san’s skirts lose everyday soothes you.”

“Nico doesn’t notice.”

Maki glared at Nico as she dropped back into her chair.

Nico pushed off the door and ran a hand through her hair, “Nico doesn’t care.”

“I do.”

Nico was behind the chair again, her mouth close to Maki’s ear, “Can we try this again?”

After a hesitation, Maki nodded.

Nico slid her hands down Maki’s arms, squeezing Maki’s hands before pullling the composer into a hug, “I missed you. I’m sorry I have to leave before breakfast.”

“Oh..is that…”

“Kyoto.”

Maki’s forehead hit the keyboard, “This April sucks.”

“Nico will make it up to you.”

Maki slid the headphones up, surprising Nico with a smile, “I know it’s important. And I love you.”

“Thanks.” Nico leaned against the table, staring into the tempting warmth of Maki’s eyes as she took Maki’s left hand, running her fingers over the stones of the engagment ring. “Once Nico gets everything set up, we’ll have more time together.”

“Good.”

“Come upstairs and snuggle.”

Maki blushed and shook her head. Three in a room was not a thrill or a draw for Maki.

“Okay, Nico will stay here for awhile.” Nico pulled her shirt out of her skirt, pulled up her knees after she sat, and wrapped a throw around herself.

“Listen to this for me, Nico-chan.” Maki moved a lever and the speakers came on.

“Any time.” Nico would sit on nails, glass, and lava for the brilliant gleam in those sharp, amethyst eyes. Maki’s daredevil grin brightening all of Tokyo when Nico was all in on Maki was a more enticing show than anything Nico had ever imagined.

 ONE WEEK AGO

All of the residents agreed that one of the coolest things about Idol House was that it was also Muse House, with Nico living there, Hanayo helping with social media, Umi leading workouts, long distance dance tips from Eli, Maki in the basement, Kotori dropping off clothing samples, Rin leading a dawn run three times a week, Nozomi dropping by via virtual hangout to gossip and to give insights from her cards, and possibly everyone’s favorite perq, Honoka sweeping through occasionally with an encouraging smile and a week’s worth of desserts from Homura. Today was drop off day and Honoka popped in, glad to be away from the bakery for an afternoon.

“Honoka-chan!” Aki had been waiting in the kitchen, taking Hanayo's advice and making supportive comments on fellow house members TWIG posts, although she ignored Nico’s posts from Kyoto. Three weeks, two guest spots, several photoshoots. Aki didn’t know what Nico’s trick to success was, but she was determined to at least get a Nishikino Maki tune of her own, if not Nishikino Maki.

“Aki-chan! You look cute today!” Honoka put down the stack of boxes with a sigh of relief.

“Let me get you a juice.”

“Thanks!” Honoka sat at the table, glad to have someone getting her a cold drink instead of fussing at her like her mom did.

“So did you hear about Maki’s birthday party?” Aki asked over her shoulder.

Honoka tilted her head, puzzled. She knew Nico had planned a surprise Muse get together and Rin and Hanayo were going to take Maki out to dinner and bring her to the restaurant they'd all decided on since Nico had to nearly hit hyperspeed to get back to Tokyo in time. “Yeah, Maki’ll be surprised.”

Aki took a deep breath, “You know we’re having it here, right, the night before so we can all watch the broadcast together.”

“But RIn and Hanayo were…” Honoka scratched her head.

“Oh, Rin went and told Maki…”

Honoka snorted, “And Nico thought I was going to be the one spoiling the surprise. I can keep a secret.”

“I knew I could count on you." Aki patted Honoka's hand, "Muse really benefited from your leadership.”

Honoka reached into the box she’d placed on the table and pulled out a daifuku, “Nah, we decided not to have a leader. Or Eli would have been if she’d joined earlier.”

Aki opened another box, “Ooh, sakura mochi. Thanks, Honoka-chan, you’re the sweetest.”

“Better eat them before Nico gets back. She never admits to having a sweet tooth, but Maki says she can never find a dessert after…” Honoka froze, suddenly remembering she was in a house full of cameras and Umi’s lectures on not revealing private details ever, but especially when visiting Idol House, especially about Nico, because EVERYONE wanted to know things about off camera, behind the scenes Nico.

“Are you making the birthday cake?”

“Me and Kotori always make the cakes.”

“That’s so sweet. I hope I find people who help me like you help each other.”

Honoka finished her bun, debating whether she wanted another or just the juice. “Well, now you know us.”

“That’s the most amazing…” Aki hugged herself, it really was amazing that THE Kousaka Honoka just bounced into the kitchen to talk about anything. She was never leaving Idol House. It was too exciting.

Juice, Honoka decided. “I guess I’ll see you next week for the party. I’ll have to get Umi to remind me.”

“Just give me your number and I’ll text you.”

“Sounds good.” Honoka bumped her phone against Aki’s.

BACK TO THE RIN PANA BEDROOM

Rin’s phone played "Start Dash". “It’s Honoka. She wants to know what time she’s supposed to bring the cake tomorrow.”

“Maki’s party is in two days.”

Rin typed rapidly, “Yeah, I’m telling her.” Rin read the reply and whistled, “She says Aki-san says Nico moved it to tomorrow because I ruined the surprise.” Rin’s chartreuse cat eyes were wide as she stared at Hanayo, “I didn’t ruin the surprise.”

“No.” Hanayo glanced at the screen where the studio team was discussing Aki’s sudden interest in Maki, “Oh no!”

“Oh no?” Rin asked quizzically, then shouted, “OH NO!”

“We have to call Nico!”

“And Maki!”

Hanayo hesitated, “But if we do anything to mess up the show…”

Rin interupted, “If it’s a surprise party Aki throws, Maki will hate it.”

“Maki will hate it.”

Maki’s our friend, Kayo-chin. We have to tell her.”

Hanayo hummed, nodding, her fingers pushing into each other.

“Kayo-chin?”

“I’ll talk to Nico first.”

Rin frowned, then threw herself back into the pillows, “All right. But then I call Maki.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” Rin grabbed the remote.

 THE DAY BEFORE MAKI’S BIRTHDAY

Rin paced the clubroom, “Maki’s not in school, not answering her phone, not at the House.”

Hanayo glanced up from her phone, “Nico hasn’t heard from her either, but Nico hasn’t really been available.”

The club room door slammed open and Honoka fell in, followed by Umi.

“We have a problem.” Honoka annouced.

In contrast to Honoka's vibrating with concern, Umi sounded her most serious. “We have an opportunity, Honoka, to model proper behavior for our peers.”

Honoka grabbed snack bread out of her bag and tilted her chair back as Umi fussed at her.

“What do you mean?” Rin asked.

“You saw last night’s Idol House too and you know Aki-san is plotting something.” Hanayo sped through her words as she connected clues.

Umi settled very primly into her usual seat, ‘Yes, that was the final clue. Honoka had been bothered by a conversation she had with Kawano-san last week, suggesting Nico changed the plans for Maki’s birthday party.”

Honoka nodded, “It took me awhile, but there was something very weird about our conversation. So I asked Maki and Umi.”

“YOU TOLD MAKI ABOUT THE PARTY!?!” Hanayo squealed.

Honoka shrugged, “Rin would have ruined the surprise anyway.”

Rin got to her feet, hand slapped to her heart, “Rin can keep secrets.”

Hanayo smiled fondly at Rin, “We know, Rin.”

“Honoka is just deflecting blame for having spoiled my surprise party last month.” Umi tapped the table.

“UMI!”

“Hah!” Rin pumped both fists in the air.

Umi reined in the mood, “Rin, Honoka, please control yourselves. We need to make a plan.”

Hanayo slid her chair from the computer screens to the table, “What do you want us to do, Umi?”

 IDOL HOUSE, EVENING BEFORE MAKI'S BIRTHDAY, AS KAWANO AKI SETS UP A PARTY

“Shizu-chan, can you go see if Maki-chan is ready to take a break? I bet she’s been working all day.”

“Maki-san is not here today, Aki.” 

Aki leaned away from the banner she was hanging. She’d had a makeover session with a stylist that ran late and started setting up the party as soon as she got back to the House. “I thought you had a recording session this afternoon.”

Shizu smiled, “I had to reschedule.”

“Oh, I wonder if she’s…”

“AKI-SAN!” Honoka bounced in, waving, “That’s such a cool banner. I brought a cake.” Honoka carefully placed a box on the kitchen counter.

“That’s great, Honoka. Just give me a minute and I’ll take a look. If Maki-chan’s not here…”

“Maki is not here.” Umi announced, as she placed a laptop and projector on the table, “And since you find yourself with free time, we have a wonderful opportunity to discuss why integrity is the foundation of success in any industry or situation.”

“Um.” Aki got down from the step ladder, looking confused.

“Unless you have an objection, Kawano-san?” Umi’s expression was tightly masked anger, but her voice was sickly sweet. Aki suddenly felt nervous.

“Of course, not, Sonoda-san.” Aki bowed, as Honoka nodded approvingly, “Please teach me.”

“Take a seat.” Umi pointed to a specific seat, in case Aki mistakenly thought there were options.

“And then cake and karaoke, right, Umi-chan? Rin-chan can’t beat my score…”

“FIRST, Honoka, we watch the presentation. Attentively.”

“Right.” Honoka suddenly hoped Umi would dim the lights so maybe she could take a quick nap. Rin had been smarter, deciding to show up AFTER the lecture.

Umi smiled at Aki, “Feel free to take notes.”

 KYOTO, AFTERNOON OF THE DAY BEFORE MAKI’S BIRTHDAY

Nico hadn’t heard from Maki since yesterday lunch and after texting with Hanayo this morning, she was worried. But Honoka had texted that she and Umi were taking care of it, so Nico didn’t just walk off the set. It was too early in her career to be anything but cheerful and helpful no matter how many cute girls were trying to hijack your fiancée’s birthday party. It was always too early in your career, but right now, Nico was working especially hard to build a reputation as flexible, dedicated, and professional.

The Kyoto temple setting was almost beautiful enough to take her mind off Maki. Nico watched blossom full branches bounce gently in the wind, creating a gorgeous floral tunnel through the red torii gates of the shrine. The pink and white against the red was breathtaking and Nico watched the video crew set up, excited to be filming here. And then a flash of moving red caught her eye, a smiling redhead in a soft pink and white floral dress, a long sky blue coat open, walking confidently through the gates. A hallucination? A dream? No, Nico shook her head, watching as Maki reached up with an easy grace to let her fingers glide through the silky blossoms as she neared, a vision of earthly beauty touching on divine, the jewels on her engagement ring glinting in the sun. Sweetness, confidence, and poised beauty demanded Nico’s immediate approach. Nico had to stop herself from running, but she lifted her kimono skirt so it wouldn’t impede power walking.

“Hi, Nico-chan. You blossom.” Maki offered her hand. Nico wondered if this was actually a scene from a movie, rather than the ordinary, daily life of Yazawa Nico, aspiring super celebrity idol and number one producer in the universe. But whatever this was, she caught Maki’s hand in hers and pulled today’s gorgeous surprise gift closer.

“Hi, Maki-chan. People are looking for you. In Tokyo.”

Maki’s eyes widened with fake innocence and she spoke in the tone Nico had come to recognize as indicating Maki had done something she thought clever. “But I’m here.”

“Why are you here?”

Maki continued smug, using her explain math to Cocoa voice, “It’s my birthday tomorrow, Nico-chan.”

“Nico knows. We had a surprise party all set up.”

Maki shrugged, other hand in her coat pocket, glorious amethyst eyes glowing as she glanced up at the fragrant cherry blossoms surrounding the path, casually leading Nico away from the crew. “I wanted to be here." Maki looked straight into Nico’s lustful heart and winked. "It’s scenic.” 

Nico still had Maki’s hand and she pulled the redhead to a stop, her wooden geta adding enough height that she could peck Maki on the cheek easily. “Nico didn’t notice until now.”

Maki nodded, pleased at Nico’s attentiveness, and continued her steal Nico away stroll, “It was nice of you to reserve the Suite Tsukimi at the Ritz Carlton for us, Nico-chan. There’s a private moon viewing deck and a Japanese garden.” Maki giggled. “It’s exactly the kind of place I’d want to spend my birthday.”

Ah, Maki had been planning this long before the surprise parties. Nico chuckled, swinging Maki’s hand. “Of course, Nico knew that.”

“Of course. Nico knows everything.” Maki checked to make sure they were out of view of the shrine and pulled Nico in for a hug, “I missed you.”

“I missed you too, Maki-chan.”

“I’m proud of you.” Maki stepped back, sounding pleased and worried, “And you look so cute in your kimono. Maybe I should have worn one?”

“No.” Nico flipped Maki’s gossamer skirt gently, enjoying Maki's slight shiver at the contact, “You are perfect.”

Maki blushed, both hands going back to her pockets,

“Nico plans to show you how perfect as soon as we wrap up here.” Nico's voice was soft, but certain.

Suddenly eager, Maki pulled a bag out from behind her back. Nico hadn’t noticed the strap over her shoulder, “I brought my Fuji. Will they mind if I take some pictures of you?”

“Sure. Nico will make sure no one bothers you. Take some of the the cherry blossoms too. This feels like a blessing.” Pleasure bubbling through contentment, Nico held out her arms and spun, “Nico knows there will be gray days, and no sleep days, and no gorgeous surprise visitor days, but today, Nico wants to keep this all close to remember.”

Maki had her cell phone out and Nico heard the soft click, as Maki whispered, “Yeah.”

Nico glanced at the screen. She hadn’t noticed the drifting petals or how the dappled white pink of the kimono made her look like a cascading charm of blossoms against the red of the gates as she smiled sweetly up at the bright blue sky, but Maki had caught all that. “You’re showing promise, Nishikino." Nico announced with a playful gruffness,  "You can take all of Nico’s promotional pics.” Nico pushed into Maki’s shoulder, “And write all of Nico’s hit songs.”

“Would that make your life easier or mine?”

Nico laughed, shrugging, grabbing Maki’s waist to pull her in for a bold kiss, “Ours. Happy Birthday, Maki. Spend them all with me. Just like this.”

“Well, that was my plan.” Maki tapped the ring she'd given Nico, in case Nico needed a reminder.

“Marry a smart girl, that’s Nico’s advice.”

“But I want you.”

Nico frowned, Maki laughed and claimed her own kiss, “Sorry, Nico-chan, you’re just so cute when you're aggravated.”

“Nico might decide to do the SMART thing and spend the evening comparing her career options before catching up on her sleep, alone. It might be good for Nico’s complexion.”

Maki pouted. Nico didn’t let her sulk long, It was too bright a day.

“Or maybe Nico will try out a local honeymoon spot she’s heard so much about.”

Maki stepped closer, her scent a light musk in this celestial, floral heaven, her eyes so bright Nico would swear there were flickering flames in the faceted depths, “I could help.”

“Nico would need help.” Nico licked her lips, feeling the pull that always drew her in, Maki tilting her head, a look of surprised wonder just waiting to bloom.

As their lips resealed, with crackling fireworks, their bond and their hands found each other by instinct, Nico felt as if blossoms, pink and perfect, carving in soft sweeps and swallows the shape of Maki’s lips, were bursting, tingling, through her skin. Love, this love, sakura soft in this Spring, was going to turn Nico poet. And Maki was going to get Nico fired. Nico heard footsteps approaching, someone muttering Yazawa-san.

“I have to go, Maki-chan.” Nico forced herself away, It got more difficult with every caress that brought them closer.

Maki’s smile was another sun on this bright, blessed day as she raised her camera in salute, “I’ll keep my eye on you.”

Perfect dreamfuel. 

A/N: I appreciate your patience with the delay in my other ongoing stories, but I feel like I've had a much needed reboot by revisiting this AU. Added bonus: it's fun to fanfic travel on a Nishikino Maki budget.

Happy Birthday to the gloriously grumpy, fabulously kind Nishikino Maki!!! And thank you to everyone I've met here who shares an affection for these lively and silly idols. I hope this brightens your day. Take care!

[ingenves]

     hello angels ! the name’s moose ( she/her ) & i love bugs and poutine. it’s late af so im off to bed right away but ! i would love to plot with each and every single one of you so definitely feel free to HMU ( on here or u can ask for my discord if u prefer ) or LIKE THIS and i’ll come to u ! i don’t have a wc page or anything sorted out yet but we rollin. you can peep saskia’s pinterest board HERE for the aesthetic™ 

     ⌈ sophie turner, cisfemale, she/her ⌋ hey, is it SASKIA GRAHAM that you’re looking for? you know, the TWENTY-ONE year old ACTRESS. typically i see them hanging around NEPTUNE’S DINER so you could try there! i hear they’ve been in living in KINGSTON for ONE YEAR. gristol wouldn’t be the same without them, right? anyway, whenever i see them they make me think of fresh manicures, sweet nothings whispered in french & broken champagne bottles on a tile floor. 

ok so! lil miss saskia is the only child of infamous director lloyd graham and his second wife anna, a talent agent. they split up when she was a baby and although she was born in london, she primarily grew up in paris where she lived w her father and her step mom anaïs who was just an up-and-coming designer at the time of their marriage

as u can imagine, she grew up living this extravagant and opulent lifestyle that she’s since become addicted to

it was hard to be a normal kid w the parents she had, but.....all of her friends were also a part of the same world she was. as far as her childhood goes, ofc she was super duper privileged so it wasnt HARD but it also wasnt always easy??

she started acting when she was v young. she started her career in theatre as a child actor and then occasionally making small appearances in various movies that her father was working on, but her career rly took off when she hit her teen years.

she’s got a reputation for being a scream queen, most of her filmography consisting of indie french horror and thriller movies. she’s fairly well-known in france and in europe for her work but not so much in the americas unless ur into french / foreign film ig?

her father has always had most of the control over her career. although he had no part in getting her roles, he did police what she could and couldn’t audition for and he did his best to make sure that she stayed scandal-free and out of the tabloids to avoid taking a dump on the family name u know?

which is........kind of funny bc her dad is WELL KNOWN for being horrible to work with, short-tempered, demanding, all that good stuff. he’s also just.....rude. and elitist and he thinks he’s better than everyone else even tho his movies arent even THAT good. satan himself, probably

so ofc saskia didn’t want to work w him either and it was exhausting having to be his DAUGHTER when he’s so controlling

they had this MASSIVE fight eventually, where saskia basically called him out for trying to control every aspect of her life instead of just letting her LIVE and take her career and her life in the direction she wanted to. he claimed that every single one of her accomplishments was because of HIM and because of their name and without all their money she would be nothing and that made her FURIOUS bc as much as yes, her family did help her get her foot in the door and get auditions, all of the work she’s done and every role she’s gotten was because she earned it, not because of anyone else

in an act of spite and to give her dad two big ole MIDDLE FINGERS she moved to the place her father hates the most, new york city. that’s what she told him, at least, but she settled in gristol instead, just a short drive away from the big apple

she never rly pictured herself living there since.....paris is her entire life and she’s never rly had an interest in expanding her horizons to american film but.........now that she’s tryna piss off her dad she just might :/

ditched her big fancy house for a cute lil apartment that she adores

tbqh she’s just been taking a hiatus from her career since moving, straight chillin most of the time , kind of laying low and getting her ducks in a row, letting her father stew while not knowing wtf she’s been doing for a year

but she’s bored bored BORED and she doesn’t want to go back home so she’s just getting her career going again, going to auditions and doing the whole dealio u know how it be

that abt sums it up??? let me talk abt her cancer ass now

she’s SUPER good at keeping a facade and then going home to cry herself to sleep afterwards

lowkey insecure af

riddled w trust issues

as u can tell, she is a spiteful little shit

she doesn’t like to talk abt her feelings but then.....gets offended when ppl dont realize when she’s upset or angry??? *lisa from the room vc* i don’t want to talk about it

she takes criticism very personally and will most definitely get angry at u if u criticize her in any way

wtf is a stable emotion???? she has no idea

her life is a constant cycle of overreacting to things

don’t get me WRONG she is actually quite a sweetheart but it’s when u try to call her out or break her trust that she does a fuckin flip flop and goes bananas

she out here destroying herself so no one else can :/

she gets stressed out v easily and always has to take time for herself ahdsjkfg. spa days are what keep her going

loyal af to the ppl who are loyal to her!!!!!

can be lowkey manipulative without even realizing what she’s doing. just a smooth talker rly

ok some lil extra bits for ur consideration

she rly.....had no idea how to live by herself tbqh after moving out. she was LOST. didn’t know how to do laundry or make coffee or do the dishes, she didn’t know SHIT MY GUY. for someone who is v intelligent she rly......had a hard time adjusting to Real life.

occasionally walks the runway for her step-mom but her true Passion is acting

she has to take a nap every day or else she is impossible to deal with

likes to Partay but she always texts her exes when she’s drunk :/

a sentimental BITCH!!!! keeps every letter and birthday card anyone has ever given her. she has money so like.....she prefers to receive sentimental gifts that make her lowkey soft heart Melt.

loves spontaneous trips and adventures

since moving to gristol she’s become less of a fashion bitch and more of a casual comfort hoe but.......the gal always has her nails done

she hasn’t spoken to her dad since she moved away but she talks to her step-mom almost everyday bc she adores that womaN

she absolutely.....adORES american culture. she watched a ton of american tv growing up and she idolizes that shit dude

fluent in french & english ofc!! has a lil french accent

ok that’s all i have rly thank u for reading this far if u did and if not i feel u man and i still love u 

[jaels]

A Hangover Cure [December 19, 2019]

COMPLETE

Jael whistles to himself as the latest song he had been digging plays in his head, his long curls pulled back as he works on whipping up his signature french toast for full on Breakfast for Dinner glory for Minnie and Zippy, putting the finished product on the plate, strawberries on top and a dusting of powdered sugar, serving it up to both of the girls as he playfully ruffles his sister's hair, an easy, warm grin crossing his lips. "You go easy on her?" He lightly teases as he makes his way towards his own seat, before turning his gaze towards Zip, the easy smile still present on his lips as he takes in his cousin. "How's 19 treating you, Zip?"

Minnie happily moves her thighs as Sophie weighs down on them, the adorable squish, "Sooofffffritas, sof, sof, soffffff, sofffffffi..." She belts out, continuing to bounce her, leaning in to drown cute lil cheeks in kisses, "I'm gonna eat you up, nomnomomnom..." She lowly play-threatens, lightly nibbling on the little rolls on her arms, a grin flashing onto her lips as she hears the hiccupped laughing coming from Sophie, until she feels the movement in her hair causing her to turn a look over to Jael, before moving to the plate, pinching a little bit of one of her strawberries off and slipping it to Sophie, "What kind of question is that? I was merely a vessel for the infinitely electric spirit of Partay. I'm not responsible for such thinggggsss..."

Zippy rubs at her eyes as she leans forward a bit, resting her chin into her hand as an easy smile forms across her lips as she hears Sophie losing her shit, a yawn taking hold of her as she blinks a few times sniffing a little bit as she hears her phone ting ting ting, figuring she'd just check whenever. Catching sight of the plate and the sugary goodness, her stomach churning in anticipation and excitement, raising her left hand in praise as she perks up a little more, moving to take a bite of the food as she hears the question, sniffing a little again, this time a bit longer trying to mmmmmfhhh, "It's cool, no complaintssss." She replies back, taking another hefty bite, moving her thumb and forefinger together and pressing them briefly to her lips until she pulls them away.

A warm smile forms on Jael's lips as he watches his sister play with Sophie, moving to touch his daughter's nose. "She will eat you up, too, it isn't just empty threats," he lightly reminds her, before an amused grin spreads onto Jael's lips. "And the Designated Birthday Ambassador, don't forget That," he reminds, recalling his sister's tweet, before taking his own seat and carving off a bite from his own plate. "Just wait until twenty, it's allll downhill from there, and soon enough you'll be as old as..." He pauses for dramatic effect, before going on, "me," he finally drops, before recalling his question that he had for his sister with the holiday coming up. "So, any chance that special someone might want to come celebrate the first night of Hanukkah with the unforgettable Davis-Berman-Klien Clan?" He offers to her, after taking a bite of strawberry.

Minnie gives Sophie a little hug, rubbing her arm, "No wayyyy, you're too sweet, isn't that right sofritassss?" Minnie asks, moving to feed her some more as she hears Jael continue on, her lips twitching upwards at the mention of Freddie, "I could see..."

“It’d be really cool to meet her, if she’d be down,” Jael replies, a smile warming his lips at the thought of meeting someone special to his sister.

“You’re right about that...” Minnie agrees, taking another few bites before pointing her fork at Jael and moving it into a circle, “What about you, though, have anyone for Me and Sippy to hang with...?”

"Not really, haven't really seen anyone since..." Jael trails off, thinking about Roza for a moment, taking another bite as he chews in his own thoughts, before swallowing. "Hard to think about that with Sof, you know?" He offers.

“Soooo...we can hang with Sof, she fun even if she tries to eat my face and I think she maybe is a zombabie...” Zippy warmly responds back after chewing some more, her voice shifting into a softer, almost inaudible pitch at the last bit...

Minnie takes a drink from her lemon (and a few other nifty fruits) infused water, swaaaalllowing as she casts a look from Zippy over to Jael, “Why hard? I can always babysit...” She reminds him, bouncing Sof some as she leans in to blow a raspberry on her left cheek.

“Hard because...maybe some part of me still wants it to work out with Roza...” He admits to them as he takes a sip of water after having...Admitted it, to them, but also to Himself.

Minnie's lips push out a bit as she hears the not so confession, confession, come from Jael, rubbing the edge of his shoulder, "That's fair."

Zippy chews the rest of her forkful, quietlyyyyy, "Why did you break up...anyway...?" The question softly floats out into the air, not really Knowing what the problems were, or stuff...

“Because I don’t...think she was ready, for something more serious, and...a baby makes everything more Serious,” he surmises, recalling his feelings behind the Why of the breakup for Roza.

The right side of Zippy’s face subtly scrunches up as she hears the Reason...”Uh.....hhh, but you already? have? the baby? Her names Sophie and everything?” Zippy breaks off into bits trying to like Get It? but not really, scratching the side of her head, “Why don’t you try just being together without...making it so....” Zippy trails off trying to find the way to word...slowly bringing her hands together untilllll....SPLAT!

“It’s just...too much for her to do anything else...” Jael tries to...explain as he rubs behind his neck, just having the feeling the time wasn’t...right, but would it ever be? Before letting out a resigned sigh...”Maybe I could...give getting back out there a try...”

Minnie feels Sophie’s surprise as she hears the CLAP! holding her close and trying to comfort her, softly bouncing her again on her leg, looking from Zippy to Jael, “....Orrrr, you could Eat, that would be a good start, take a nap...even?”

Zippy nods emphatically as she hears the Word Nap...helping her out of a sticky situation and just being the Best, as always...sighhhhhh, pointing her fork towards Minnie. “Napssssssssss....mmmm....”

"Or I could eat..." Jael acknowledges, realizing...he had gotten sidetracked from his food, moving to pause for just a moment, and relax, moving to take a bite, finding that as good of a place as any to start.

- END -

[simalienn]

“Hey Ollie So, we’re going to be Young Adults soon” Said Jarrah “Do you have any plans to celebrate?”  “Hmm.. not really, I don’t know what to do… I was kind of planning to just do something low key with the family” explained Oliver “No Way!!!!!” said Harley excitedly “you can’t age up to young adult and not make a big deal about it!” “Oh I agree!” Said Harrison “Any excuse for a partay!!!” “Jaz, didn’t you say your’s and Ollies birthday are close together?” asked Harley inquisitively  “Yeah… uh, like a few weeks apart” replied Jarrah “Right, thats it… I’m going to throw you two the BEST joint birthday party EVER!” exclaimed Harley “Oooh, me too… can I help?” Asked Harrison “Of course! I’d never turn down a bit of party planning help!!” replied Harley 

[lillysleepilystudying]

92 Questions Tag

tagged by: @court-ships (now @bujo-ie )

LAST: 1. drink: probs water (tbh i dont like water much but you gotta sTaY hyDrATed) 2. phone call: i ran out of credit ages ago and haven’t bothered to recharge it so i haven’t called anybody recently, but mum has called me, so i guess that counts. (actually thinking about it i can’t remember the last time i called someone) 3. text message: to my best bud (cause i was wallowing in the depths of despair for like 3 weeks cause i felt like she was ignoring me so i finally got the courage to text her about it last night :) i think we’re going to be good) 4. song you listened to: K I’M LISTENING TO TEAM BY LORDE RIGHT NOW AND I LOVE IT FOREVER AND ALWAYS  5. time you cried: tbh like last weekend (see point number 3)

HAVE YOU: 6. dated someone twice: nope 7. kissed someone and regretted it: never kissed anybod 8. been cheated on: nup, thankfully 9. lost someone special: i have lost relatives but i never really knew them? i have lost quite a few pets tho :/ 10. been depressed: not ‘officialy’ but past couple weeks have been bad (once again, see point 3) 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: never been drunk, only ever had small sips of alcohol (i’m way to young)

LIST 3 FAVORITE COLORS: 12-14: ohh so hard i don’t really have a fav, but i guess all blues (with and emphasis on teal) and like nearly all pastel colours.

IN THE LAST YEAR HAVE YOU: 15. made new friends: yeah, but not like super close 16. fallen out of love: nah 17. laughed until you cried: maybe, but not very much 18. found out someone was talking about you: i don’t know? like this one isn’t very clear 19. met someone who changed you: sort of, i became closer to best bud, who i guess has changed me a bit 20. found out who your friends are: yes, but like also no? one of my few good friends left (for england of all places, but she is coming back), another’s moving schools, and once again see point 3 for other friend 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: no lol i don’t even have facebook

GENERAL: 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: see point 21 23. do you have any pets: YESS SO MANY a dog, two cats, like 8 horses (only one’s mine tho), 3 ducks (one i’ve had since i was like 4), around ten chickens... yeah i kind of live on a farm without all the big herds (also a lot lot smaller than a farm lol). fun fact: we used to have like 7 peacocks, they’re actually the coolest birds to have around. 24. do you want to change your name: no way, i actually quite like mine :) 25. what did you do for your last birthday: pool partay! tbh i went way overboard with the decorations, i spent hours making little paper flowers for everyone (they looked pretty cool, actually) 26. what time did you wake up: probs like 6;30, but stayed half asleep until 8:20 (shhh it’s a sunday i can do what ever i want 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: sleepinggg (sadly without my radio on bc mum wanted me to ‘try sleeping without music’ mum how i can i i need it ON 28. name something you can’t wait for: DOCTOR WHO CHRISTMAS SPECIAL #BILLISBACK GET PUMPED!! also PINOF 9 and halloween baking videos from dan and phil, also, any album coming out from any of my favourite artists for the next like 104585 years. ALSO I’M GOING TO MONGOLIA IN LIKE 2 WEEKS HOW DID I FORGET THAT 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: like half an hour ago we were running about in the rain putting the horses back in their yards 30. what is one thing you wish you could change in your life: world peace, there are too many people (and animals) that are a victim of unhappiness they will never deserve

31. what are you listening to right now: A WORLD ALONE AKA THAT LORDE SONG THAT I RELATE TO ON AN OTHERWORLDLY LEVEL 32. have you ever talked to a person named Tom: yeah, there’s one in my grade and he speaks fluent french (at least he did last time i checked which was like 2 years ago) 33. something that is getting on your nerves: tbh like all homework ever, plus this giant self-directed project we’re doing this year, it’s the most stressful thing ever. also, once again see point 3 34. most visited websites: umm i guess youtube, school’s home page, tumblr (although i’m mainly on mobile for that and that’s an app) reddit and ao3 (one my phone)

LOST QUESTIONS. I JUST PUT IN RANDOM INFO ABOUT ME 35. mole/s: nah not really 36. mark/s: nah, but i got beeg stretch marks on the sides of my hips bc i am gROWING FAST 37. childhood dream: i think a vet or zookepper. also i really wanted to publish a book that said ‘new york times bestseller’ on the front bc that’s what all my favs said on them (tbh i still dream of this) 38. hair color: blonde ayyy (but it’s getting darker underneath) 39. long or short hair: i guess medium - long (little below my shoulder blades) 40. do you have a crush on someone: not really i haven’t had one in literal years unless you count that time i sorta thought i had one one on my best friend even though im 98% sure i’m straight 41. what do you like about yourself: my creativity, like i’ve learnt not to say ‘oh i’m horrible at art/writing’ when i’m actually not that bad. also, i’m a total weirdo 42. piercings: confession: i don’t even have my ears pierced yet?? like, i do want them pierced, but i literally can’t be bothered atm lol 43. blood type: idk, although i did get a blood test like last monday, so i should know soon 44. nickname: i don’t really have any (there’s not much you can do with ‘lilly’) although i have one friend who calls me lilpil. 45. relationship status: single and probably staying that way for a while :) 46. zodiac: capricorn (but i don’t bother with zodiacs bc i am NOTHING like a capricorn) 47. pronouns: she/her

48. favorite TV Show: OMG I HAVE SO MANY BUT I’M A FRIGGIN HUGE DOCTOR WHO AND SHERLOCK FAN COME SCREAM ABOUT THEM TO ME also if you ship johnlock that’s even better!! 49. tattoos: none 50. right or left hand: right handed 51. surgery: nope 52. hair dyed in different color: never done, probably never going to (i change my mind ALOT) 53. sport: tbh i hate sport but i do horse riding and with school i do sailing and hockey (bc a summer and winter sport is compulsory)  55. vacation: OK LIKE I SAID I’M GOING TO MONGOLIA AND I CAN’T GIVE AWAY TOO MUCH BUT I DID HAVE TO APPLY TO GET IN AND I’M RAZZED 56. pair of trainers: i’m not to particular, i just have shoes for sport (alTHOUGH, i do have an awesome pair of white sneakers with a bit of gold round the back)

MORE GENERAL:

57. eating: it’s father’s day and we had a GIANT breakfast and lunch so i don’t know if i’m even having dinner 58. drinking: i could KILL for a milo right now (it’s like, my version of tea or coffee) but parents have stopped buying it because ‘there’s too much sugar’ TIM I DON’T CARE I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT 59. i’m about to: idk i need to practice guitar, work on my bujo (bc i’m super behind), keep writing my fic, and i guess other general stuff 61. waiting for: nothing really, it’s sunday night so i’m sad bc it’s monday tomorrow 62. want: lots of things (who don’t amirite) but one is getting my bedroom walls gyprocked and painted (they’re wood panelling and i hate it) 63. get married: tbh whenever i meet the right person :) 64. career: FILM DIRECTOR YO i know nothing about film but i still really want to do it.

WHICH IS BETTER 65. hugs or kisses: OMG HUGS HUG ME PLEASE 66. lips or eyes: eyes, literally everybody’s eyes are beautiful, it’s great 67. shorter or taller: taller 68. older or younger: older i guess 70. nice arms or nice stomach: nice personality ;) 71. sensitive or loud: sensitive, like me tbh i’m so sensitive raise your voice at me and i will burst into tears  72. hook up or relationship: relationship always 73. troublemaker or hesitant: hesitant, also like me

HAVE YOU EVER: 74. kissed a stranger: definitely no 75. drank hard liquor: nopeity no 76. lost glasses/contact lenses: don’t have ‘em 77. turned someone down: technically yes? there was this new kid at school and he was literally asking every girl out, i was a bit confused. 78. sex on the first date: definitely no  79. broken someone’s heart: sadly i think so (but we’re like best friends no so it’s all good) 80. had your heart broken: no 81. been arrested: no 82. cried when someone died: yes, aforementioned relative i barley knew (still sad tho)  83. fallen for a friend: sortofnotreally

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 84. yourself: yes, at least i try my very hardest 85. miracles: in a way, yes 

86. love at first sight: not really

87. santa claus: when i as like 3, yes 

88. kiss on the first date: maybe?

OTHER: 90. current best friend name: ezri, my smol bean (also person from infamous point 3) fun fact: we’re both pretty sure she’s named after her character from star trek, ezri dax (her parents are giant nerds just like ez and i) 91. eye color: blue/gey with a bit of green 92. favorite movie: ARGHHH I CAN’T PICK I HAVE SOOO MANY, LIKE EVERY ONE BASED OFF BOOKS I LIKE, i really can’t pick, but one that is quite special to me is ‘my house in umbria’, my grandma and i used to watch this together all the time

Ok whoa this took me LITERAL HOURS but now that i’m done i just want to tag anyone who wants to do it! :)

[libertineprophet]

got tagged by @agentalien​ bless u im so bored

The last 1. drink: my morning tea 2. phone call: my mum asking me if i got safe home  3. text message: my mum saying how much she misses me  4. song you listened to: im watching newsies atm so I Never Planned on You 5. time you cried: watching Okja T_T 6. dated someone twice: nope 7. kissed someone and regretted it: so many :’) 8. been cheated on: nope  9. lost someone special: yeah, too many tbh :( 10. been depressed: thats my secret cap, i’m always depressed 11. gotten drunk and thrown up: look, most of the time i drink i throw up 3 favourite colours: blue!

In the last year have you 15. made new friends: yes!! 16. fallen out of love: mm nah 17. laughed until you cried: oh god yeah 18. found out someone was talking about you: yes lmao 19. met someone who changed you: ehhh not in the last year 20. found out who your friends are: i mean, i’ve cemented who i can trust 21. kissed someone on your Facebook list: yep 

general 22. how many of your Facebook friends do you know in real life: most of em 23. do you have any pets: yes i have my beautiful bastard cat Rupert (and i have three dogs in Cairns but they’re family dogs not mine) 24. do you want to change your name: YES YES YES i can’t wait to be legally Freddie 25. what did you do for your last birthday: had a partay at my house lol   26. what time did you wake up: 9-ish? 27. what were you doing at midnight last night: watching Nerve with my housemates

28. name something you can’t wait for: getting a job, finding true looooove, owning a hairless cat called Chicken Wing 29. when was the last time you saw your mom: if i’d been asked this two weeks ago it would’ve been five months, but considering ive just got back from cairns, I saw mum yesterday 31. what are you listening to right now: NEWSIES! (some legend put the pro shot on youtube and im living) 32. have you ever talked to a person named tom: yeah i’ve met a few toms in my life 33. something that is getting on your nerves: uhhhh several things lmao 34. most visited website: tumbler dot hell and facebook dot racism  35. hair colour: naturally brown, bleached blond 36. long or short hair: short, but i hope when i pass better i can have longer hair 37. do you have a crush on someone: no :’( where is my cute crush at pls show urselfffff 38. what do you like about yourself: uuhhhhhhh uhhhhh uhh hmmmmmmm i guess i have nice eyes???  39. piercings: three lobe piercings, industrial in my right ear, septum, and i wanna get a couple of cartilage spikes in my left ear and maybe a daith or tragus 40. blood type: no clue 41.nickname: Fred, Frederick, frederickson, ferdie.... these are all things Violet calls me lmao  42. relationship status: single af :( 43. zodiac: hi im adore delano and im a libra 44. pronouns: they/them and he/him 45. favourite tv show: currently Fargo, War and Peace (2016), Brooklyn 99, American Gods, Silicon Valley, Rick and Morty, and probs more but those are what im watching atm 47. right or left handed: im a leftie 48. surgery: none lmao, i’ve never been to the hospital funnily enough, although in the future i’ll have top surgery! 49. sport: what is a sport 50. vacation: this is vague lmao but the Haus of Sin rlly wanna go away somewhere like Tassie or NZ or something 51. pair of trainers: i have a $10 pair from kmart lmao

MORE GENERAL 53. eating: i had ramen for dinner, gonna eat the rest of it for breakfast when i stop feeling my Daily Morning Nausea 54. drinking: im on my second tea 55. i’m about to: cry abt Davey Jacobs....... 56. waiting for: Baby Driver! Meeting Edgar Wright! Getting my MIFF Schedule! (maybe meeting Geoffrey Rush!) 57. want: financial security, a job, a bf/gf..... more cats 58. get married: nah 59. career: ill take anything right now (but id like to be a barista or a bartender because thats what im trained for), but the dream job is some kind of writer/director for either film, television, or theatre

WHICH IS BETTER 60. hugs or kisses: porque no los dos 61. lips or eyes: eyes 62. shorter or taller: im short so i love taller partners 63. older or younger: i’ve dated someone younger than me and it was a mess, plus i have a bit of an old man kink so.... older lmao 64. nice arms or nice stomach: strong arms are a weakness of mine, but soft tums are cute too 65. hook up or relationship: relationship please 66. troublemaker or hesitant: im a shit stirrer with anxiety

HAVE YOU EVER: 67. kissed a stranger: ya lmao 68. drank hard liquor: yes very frequently lmao  69. lost glasses/contact lenses: i lost a pair of sunnies in a lake, and i lost my old glasses on a drunken adventure (they’re either in a river, or in a sports field somewhere that Vi and I climbed a fence to get into because trespassing is something you’ve gotta do as a rowdy teen) 70. turned someone down: Ya lmao 71. sex on the first date: i haven’t, but i might if the sparks there 72. broken someone’s heart: uhhh yeah lol 73. had your heart broken: yeah lol 74. been arrested: nah 75. cried when someone died: yeah 76. fallen for a friend: ha ha ha. yes. 

DO YOU BELIEVE IN: 77. yourself: I’m trying to!!! 78. miracles: uh yeah sure why not 79. love at first sight: i believe in lust at first sight, but the best part about love is falling slowing as you learn more about someone  80. santa claus: no lol 81. kiss on the first date: yah sure 82. angels: nah

OTHER: 83. current best friend’s name: i have a whole bunch of best friends soo 84. eye colour: brown 85. favourite movie: lmao i don’t have a favourite but i do have a top ten (in no particular order) so here have that: The Fall (2006), Whiplash, Jurassic Park, Her, Reservoir Dogs, Withnail and I, Hot Fuzz, Moulin Rouge, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and Dead Poets Society

tagging @delusions-of-decency, @sadnessandplants, @gaysforhillary, @pettedavis, @chungkingforest, @gwendolinechristie, and @deadwright

[sebastiansmalls-blog]

My Zelda fanfic: Princess Zelda's Birthday Party... Of Danger

Hi tumblr!! So a while back, I was feeling a little fed up with how Zelda games started out kind of slow (this was before Breath of the Wild), so I wrote a fanfic as if to say, this is how a zelda adventure SHOULD start. For the record, I love how breath of the wild starts... I love many things about that game in fact. But, partly just to share a fun part of my artistic past, and also to share my two cents about what I love about legend of Zelda... Submitted for the approval of the midnight tumblr society, please enjoy my first and only fanfic, princess zelda's bday partay... OF DANGER FanFiction Just In Community Forum  More Princess Zelda's Birthday Party of Danger by bah2501  Games » Legend of Zelda Rated: K+, English, Adventure & Romance, Zelda, Link, Words: 9k+, Favs: 7, Follows: 7, Published: Feb 23, 2010 5 Princess Zelda's Birthday Party…of Danger By Bennet H. Hyrule castle town had been excited and busy for the past few weeks, and with good reason. Princess Zelda's birthday celebration was fast-approaching, and the King had spared no expense in making preparations. After all, this was no ordinary birthday party. Not only was Zelda a princess, which was obvious, but it was customary in Hyrule for a young girl to be regarded as a young woman, beginning on her 16th birthday. On top of that, it was widely rumored that the King of Hyrule had a husband in mind for his daughter, and some even suspected that he would make an announcement to that effect at the celebration. Princess Zelda had heard about all these rumors, and, it suffices to say, she was not at all pleased. When she first heard of the rumors from one of her close friends a week ago, she confronted her father immediately. Now, her father the king was considered by many to be a clever man and a shrewd diplomat, but Princess Zelda could read him like an open book, and his lack of a satisfactory answer to these accusations made Zelda angrier than she had been in a long time. She had not spoken with her father since. As the early morning sun shone in through her tower window, and the noise from the castle town, as well as the morning birdsongs, were just commencing, Princess Zelda was already up and dressed, but not in one of her normal extravagant dresses, befitting a princess of Hyrule—she was dressed as common as any girl that might be found. Her striking pale features and long, light blond hair were hardly complemented flatteringly by the dark brown garment. Her birthday was only a day away, so she was planning an unannounced trip. Impa, Zelda's caretaker and guardian since birth, who always seemed to have a sixth sense about such things (and this drove Princess Zelda absolutely mad sometimes), knocked on Zelda's door. "Impa, I know that is you. It is always you. Leave me alone." Princess Zelda did not know how Impa did it. It was as if Impa knew that Zelda was planning to rebel even before Zelda noticed the thought inside her head. "I am not planning to stop you," Impa assured her through her locked door. "I just want to talk." This both confused Princess Zelda and made her very happy at the same time. Her mind had been speedily pondering ways to escape from her room without Impa stopping her (perhaps out the window with bedsheets tied together?), but she was not coming up with anything satisfactory. Her window was very high up. So, Impa's offer not to stop her was an unexpected yet welcome pleasure to her pointy elf ears. Yet it left her very suspicious. Princess Zelda opened her door and Impa calmly strode in, closing the door behind her. Impa, of the Sheikah people, was dressed in her usual attire—a cloak, fancy enough to befit the guardian of royalty yet modest enough to be inconspicuous and blend in, whenever Impa felt so inclined, which was often. While impossible to tell from looking, Zelda knew Impa's robes concealed light armor and more weapons than Zelda would like to guess. While Zelda's sworn protector by occupation, her relationship with Zelda had become complex ever since Zelda had stopped seeing her father as being perfect, when she was about 9 years old. While Impa made it no secret that she respected the King of Hyrule and was always on his side when it came to what he thought was best for his daughter, somehow Impa managed to balance this authority-figure role and remain Zelda's closest girlfriend as well, despite her relatively advanced age. Sometimes Zelda secretly suspected that Impa was able to always stay on her good side by using some sort of Sheikah mind-control voodoo. However, this was a suspicion that Zelda was never able to confirm with proof. Impa was squeaky clean, even after much Zelda investigation and spying. Impa looked at Zelda with one of those looks that let her know she was about to say something important. "I do not know what you are planning to do, but there is something you need to know." Impa sat Zelda down on the corner of her bed, sat beside her in a chair pulled from a nearby table, looked back into Zelda's eyes, and continued. " Zelda, ever since you were a young girl, protecting you has been my whole life. Even though Hyrule has been as peaceful these past 16 years as it has ever been, if not moreso, the price of keeping it that way is that we never get lazy or careless. But, the way I have been keeping you safe is going to have to change. I will always be here for you, but there comes a time when you need to take responsibility for your own safety. I cannot keep you safe by denying you the ability to make your own choices, take your own risks, and live your own life. It is not fair to you, and it does not work. I cannot help you if you need to push me away to live your life, it is better if we face whatever may be coming as a team, even if that means doing it on your terms." Princess Zelda squinted and studied Impa's expression. There is NO WAY Impa is going to use reverse-psychology trickery on me, Zelda told herself. Finally, however, Zelda caved. There is no way to stay suspicious of Impa! She is always right! "Thanks, Impa. It really is nothing, I am just going to Hyrule forest to see Link. As out-of-the-loop as Link can be when it comes to gossip, I worry he may have heard the rumors that my dad is planning to introduce me to a future husband. I do not know how he would respond to that kind of news. I mean, he has always been a good friend, and marriage can change things, sometimes. Not that I am planning on going through with any of my father's evil schemes, the rumor itself is the problem." "I could deliver any message, if you like," Impa offered. "No, thank you, Impa." Zelda replied. "I think not bothering to visit personally sends the wrong message in and of itself! This is something I want to do, and I want to do it alone. So I would appreciate it if you let me go, and if you gave me a little privacy, meaning no stealth spying. If anything goes wrong, I will just have to rely on the years of training you have given me, turning me into a killing machine." "As I said, you are all grown up now. I cannot stop you. Even your father knew this day would come. I suspect that is why he is so eager to marry you off, the thought of a completely independent Princess Zelda, running around Hyrule field and casting magic spells on Octorocs or unsuspecting travelers, terrifies him." Zelda smiled. This was freedom she always told herself she wanted, and yet some part of her missed Impa bossing her around. No matter, she told herself, every stage of life has its advantages and disadvantages, and the most important thing right now is that I do not have to worry about how Link is feeling, I can go and see for myself. Princess Zelda walked to her trunk, and, opening it, removed a small dagger from her belongings. She tucked it hidden away in a slit in her common dress. Leaving Impa in the room, she walked to the stairs, starting to make her way to Hyrule forest. The early-afternoon sun shone through, in small patches, through the dense forest overgrowth. Everything was simultaneously bursting with life, and yet completely silent. Even a nearby brook seemed to babble peacefully and quietly, its sound muffled by every patch of dirt, by every plant, and blocked by every tree. Link, after bathing to minimize any smell that might tip off his quarry that a hunter was approaching, had covered himself in dirt and sap, to complete the illusion. If an animal was lucky enough in its final moments to smell him, Link would smell as much like a forest plant or animal as he could muster. Link, no more than 15 years old (but there was no way he could be sure about that), had seen his share of danger in life. Good with a sword, he had never met his match in a fight. Being thin and not incredibly strong, his strength came from his agility and courage. Many he beat at swordplay later commented that Link knew no fear. His dirty-blond, long hair stopped just short of his shoulders, and it usually stayed out of his intense green eyes. Link breathed quietly and easily. Being invisible was a matter of preparation, patience, relaxation, and intelligence, he knew both instinctively and from years of practice. He silently walked in an upwind direction, his bow strung and arrow ready. Before Link caught site of any deer, he heard a noise, and he got as low to the ground as possible, still making no noise. His every motion was even more peaceful, relaxed and silent than the brook, babbling softly more than fifty paces off. His dark green tunic made him instantly indistinguishable from a distance from the nearby ferns, growing at the base of a large tree. After a moment had passed, he knew that what he was hearing was not any deer. Link smiled. One of the reasons Link loved hunting was because it was ideal preparation to sneak up on Princess Zelda and startle the life out of her. However, the downside was that his dirt-and-sap regimen left him feeling somewhat lacking confidence that he was looking presentable, even by his standards. He removed a cloth from his tunic and wiped his face and neck as best he could. He unstrung his bow and secured it to his back, and he covered his quiver of arrows. Feeling as prepared to meet a princess as he could possibly make himself, he decided to climb the nearby tree—as the tree was knotted and extremely leaning, he could almost walk up its sloping trunk until he could look down on Princess Zelda from high above. As if in honor of her presence, the forest seemed to Link to lighten up all around her. Colorful butterflies shone in the rays of sunlight beaming from above, and even the nearby dragonflies seemed to take on a jollier attitude at her coming. Perhaps part of it was that Princess Zelda seemed to choose the more open and spacious paths across the forest floor, which were of course somewhat brighter, compared to Link skulking through the shadows and dense undergrowth, where he could be most hidden. While Link was fully aware of the happiness that seeing Princess Zelda always gave him, he regarded such strong emotions as more of a hindrance than a help to him. Of all the people Link had met in Hyrule or during his travels, only Princess Zelda seemed to ever be more than a stranger to him, as if only she could truly understand why he lived such a solitary life in the forest. He was not like the other people of Hyrule, just like Zelda was not either. In a way, they had both always been alone, and they would go on continuing to be alone, forever. Because of this, Link knew, staying friends with Princess Zelda was what mattered to him most, even if that meant bowing out gracefully should Zelda ever choose a husband that did not happen to be him. Despite being a bit of a hermit, Link knew enough about people to know what things could happen when feelings of love were expressed hastily and went unrequited. Link was no coward, but neither was he eager to risk everything he had with Princess Zelda to keep her entirely for himself. Zelda paused. Just like Impa seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing what Zelda was going to do before she did it, Zelda was starting to develop a sixth sense about when Link was going to surprise her with one of his sneak-attacks. Resisting the urge to call out his name, and possibly attract forest bandits or moblins in the process, Zelda instead chose to act as inconspicuous as possible, as if she did not sense Link's presence. "If Link was planning a surprise attack, she would just have to let him," she supposed. Part of her felt a surge of pride. "I will just have to ACT surprised if he attacks me, because I know it is coming! Poor Link, he managed to surprise me so many other times, but not this time," she assured herself smugly. She casually glanced in every direction, and peeked above her. No sign of Link. Maybe I was wrong, she started to tell herself. She walked deeper into the forest, and began to feel annoyed. "Okay, either I was wrong about Link sneaking up on me, or I am right, and he is keeping me waiting long enough for me to get nervous. I hate him so much sometimes!" Finally, just as she had finally given up and convinced herself she was imagining things, Link dropped as fast as lightning from above, and somehow landed softly. Princess Zelda jumped with shock, and Link grinned ear-to-ear. "I got her," he thought to himself. Despite the intense physical training with Impa that Zelda frequently endured, even she was amazed by Link's seemingly reckless falls. Judging by his speed, he must have been falling from at least as high as my towering bedroom window, Zelda observed to herself. As the shock from Zelda's fright should have been wearing off, Princess Zelda was not regaining her breath as quickly as she had expected. Looking at Link, she suddenly realized that part of her was more scared that she would be getting married than she previously admitted to herself. What if her father and this mysterious suitor were not planning on taking no for an answer? Am I prepared to be disowned and locked in the dungeons on account of my marriage preferences? Or would I compromise and become all the things I hate, when push came to shove? On top of that, the thought that Zelda might be losing Link made her see him in a different light than she had throughout their childhood. To her, being with Link had always made Zelda more free to be her true self—out here in the forest, no one ever expected her to keep a straight face, be rigidly dignified, and regal all the time. She could even crack jokes, if she felt inclined (not that she frequently stooped to such nonsense, mind you). But as Zelda was beginning to realize, it was more than that. Being with Link was not merely a passport from superficial displays of maturity and royalty. It was more than just permission to be free from responsibility. Link saw her as the person she wanted to be, a person who not only was more than just a crown-sporting political figurehead, Link expected her to be as outgoing, as adventurous, and as good a person as she always saw herself as being. Sometimes people like her father and even Impa got so wrapped up in practical necessities and political compromises that they forget to put the most important things first, like ideals and compassion, no matter the cost. Princess Zelda and Link were two people who did not know the meaning of compromise, and up until recently, neither of them felt they would ever have to. But after a few moments, Link suspected something was troubling Zelda. As if sensing that he knew, Zelda decided to speak first: "Link, how would you feel about me getting married? To someone else, I mean." Link's smile faded and he looked down, gathering his thoughts. He did not know what to say. As set as he seemed moments ago that he would bow out of Zelda's life is necessary, he somehow could not or would not bring himself to say that to her now. Instead, looking up, his expression unusually indecipherable, he took her hand and led her into the forest. "Where are we going, sir? Am I being kidnapped?" Zelda half-joked, but the solemnity that accompanied the topic that she herself had brought up moments before could not be dispelled with joking banter, and she knew that. Link led her, winding down a steep hill, to a part of the forest she had never seen before. Somehow, the mood of the forest itself changed, as if despite the silence remaining, the peacefulness was gone. But it was not the conversation topic that was to blame. The area itself was somehow different, but Princess Zelda could not tell why. Then, suddenly, she got her first clue. As Link pressed aside a wall of tall ferns, Zelda saw past the opening what appeared to be a massive doorway in the side of the hill, made of stone in the shape of a giant, gothic lion's head, its mouth grotesquely gaping open as the entrance. Made of a dark-green stone that Zelda did not recognize but knew was not naturally found in this part of Hyrule, the doorway was almost other-worldly in appearance. Finally, Zelda remembered, from her studies, what this was. "This is a doorway to the Underworld, isn't it?" Zelda asked. "Long ago, when our ancestors were engaged in a war with Ganon, these ancient underground labyrinths were used to hide fragments of the Triforce of Wisdom from him. How or why they were built originally, no one really knows for sure." Zelda remembered the legends. She continued, "if Ganon had managed to get a hold of both the Triforce of Power and Wisdom, he would have been unstoppable. Later, when Ganon was defeated by a hero wielding a magical sword and silver arrows and Ganon's spirit was sealed forever in the Temple of Time, peace returned to Hyrule, and the monsters that used to fill these dungeons disappeared… or so they say. You probably never took me here before because you were protecting me." As Link and Zelda grew up, their fear of monsters gradually faded. Now, they merely had a healthy respect for the danger that the forest presented—despite the possibility that monsters may still lurk in such a place, Link and Zelda knew it was unlikely they would meet anything the two of them could not handle. "But why did you bring me here?" Zelda asked. Link was not sure of that himself. His mind introspectively brainstormed on ways to answer that question. Perhaps he just did it to avoid talking about his feelings for Zelda. Of all the places that were a short walk from the part of the forest they were in, this was by far the most awe-inspiring, and on top of that it was the only one that he had not shown Princess Zelda before. Zelda gazed into the distorted, gaping mouth of the stone-lion archway, down the sloping hallway into darkness. She smiled a kind of ironic smile to herself. In a weird way, the demonic doorway reminded her of a married life without Link, a prospect looming just before her, inviting her into an unholy, unsolvable maze of despair, darkness, confusion, and ultimately death. She gritted her teeth and made a decision. "Link, I am having a birthday celebration tomorrow. It is kind of a big deal. Part of it is open to the public, but part of it is a private party. You know, for royalty, and certain guests." Zelda frowned as she imagined her father and this mystery suitor, ganging up on her like a pair of dodongos, preparing to charge. "I know you and my father have never really gotten along so great, when you have seen each other at all, but I want you to come. Here, take this." Reaching into a slit in the side of her dress, she pulled out an embroidered card, and handed it to Link. He held it momentarily above his head in both hands, looking up at it. "This is a royal invitation. If you show it to the castle guards, we can spend my whole birthday together! Also, take this letter. If you show it to a merchant in Hyrule castle town, they will know that I am paying for you to wear something so you fit in at the party." Link suddenly felt extremely awkward. Not only had he never really spent any time with Zelda's father, he had never gone anywhere in Hyrule that had a dress code. Zelda sensed this, and added, "Link… I think my father wants me to get married. I think he might announce this tomorrow. If he does, I am going to make my own announcement. I will tell everyone that I do not want to get married… unless it is to you." And at once, Link had an emotion much more powerful than awkwardness. He was happy. Zelda's plan was just crazy enough to be something he could get on board with entirely. Link liked to think of himself as a wild, free-spirited forest boy, but he knew that it took a woman like Princess Zelda to truly make his life crazy. He smiled. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day. The King of Hyrule woke the next morning about the time he usually woke up: very early. He had beaten the sun in the race to get up so many times, the sun stopped trying to compete. He lit his red candle and washed his face, looking deeply into the mirror. His eyes looked tired. He washed his face more, tightened his bearded jaw, and looked again. Ah ha, he told himself. This time I look determined. Not tired at all. He memorized the face he just made. He would be making it all day, at least with his eyes when his mouth smiled slightly in honor of his daughter's birthday. As a King, he could not afford the luxury of weakness. His people could not afford for him to be weak. He had to be strong for them. And he did not get any breaks. He even had to be strong with matters relating to his beloved daughter. He knew the way men were, and he knew the types of men who would want to marry Princess Zelda. For wealth. For power. If he did not choose a husband for his daughter, the other men of the world would essentially choose for her, and that would be disastrous. For Zelda to have a chance at happiness, and for his people to have a stable future, he had to choose for her. Someone that could be trusted. The sun, finally catching up with him, prepared to rise, and the dim light of dawn crept through the windows, rendering his red candle less necessary. He blew it out. He looked again at the mirror. His beard had seemed to gray overnight. He may not be old yet, but he could not look out for Zelda forever. Besides, no matter who Zelda found on her own, he could not be better than Harkinian. No soldier had ever risen in the ranks of the Hyrule guard faster than Harkinian. The King had met with him on many occasions and felt he was a man of good character, and he was of good birth. Of all the men the King had considered worthy of Princess Zelda, none had come close to comparing to Harkinian. He was the most impressive man the King had ever met. The King knew of Zelda's friendship with the forest boy Link. He had met Link on several occasions, if only to be kept aware of his daughter's activities. The King had nothing against Link, but the idea of a Princess marrying someone like Link seemed impossible to him. Link was an unmannered hermit. Come to think of it, the King had never even heard him speak! No, the King told himself, I am doing the right thing here. After dressing in one of his finer robes and donning his stately crown, the King proceeded the dining room. Breakfast was ready, but Princess Zelda was late, as she often was, especially on special occasions. The King sat down and unfolded his napkin, placing it in his lap. He started eating his toast. After his toast was gone and he was starting on his eggs, Zelda arrived, in a much better mood than he was expecting. She was wearing one of her finest white dresses, and her hair was extravagantly arranged, partially pinned up in a bun in the back. Seeing Zelda happy confirmed in his mind that he was making the right decision. Her week of not speaking with him was just a phase, he told himself. Zelda smiled, they talked about nothing and everything and ate their breakfast in peace together. This cordial, friendly mood continued until guests started arriving for their private reception. Relatives and friends from near and far had come to pay their respects to Princess Zelda on her special day, but what was unexpected was one guest in particular. He was dressed in a silk, white shirt with an unbuttoned, stand-up collar, a grey jacket and pants, made of cashmere. His shoes were of shining black leather. He even had gotten a haircut—while his dirty blond hair was long, it was no longer falling near his shoulders. At first, she did not know who he was. Then, Princess Zelda could not contain her smile when she recognized him—to her, he looked utterly ridiculous (but in a good way), standing there awkwardly sporting fine clothes for the first time in his life. However, she could tell that to everyone else, he looked perfectly fine for the occasion. She rushed to him and gave him a hug, sparking the curiosity of everyone present, including the King. "Who is that," the King asked a bystander. Walking over to greet the new guest, the King shook his hand and asked him who he was. "Dad, do not be silly, you know Link!" Zelda interjected. The King did a small double-take. "Link? I could not recognize you, looking like that. Well, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!" The King was perfectly polite with all of Zelda's friends, but secretly Zelda knew that the King was concerned that this may interfere with his marriage plans for Zelda. After a bit of mingling, it was time for the King and Zelda to make their first public appearance. The room they were using had a balcony overlooking the marketplace, which was where the main party was taking place, and it had been in full swing for some time now. The marketplace was packed with people from all over Hyrule and beyond, many familiar faces and many new ones, all having a fun time. There were games, contests, puppets shows and live street performers and magicians, and lots of merchants. Even soldiers were on hand to keep an eye on everyone. As the King, Impa and Princess Zelda made their way toward the balcony, it was then she saw the King first greet Harkinian, and instantly she suspected he was the mystery man her father had in mind for her. Wearing his full dress uniform, he certainly looked impressive, with his black hair tied in a short ponytail behind his head. A neat goatee rested underneath his long, somewhat-pointed nose, and his eyes were serious and narrow. She disliked him instantly. She beckoned to Link to follow her. Part of her felt guilty, using Link as a sort of marriage shield, but she was not coming up with any other ideas to get out of her predicament, so she ignored her guilt. As they stepped on to the balcony, the people below cheered. Zelda smiled and waved and they cheered louder. She took Link's arm and held it close, clinging to him with a grip like a vice. I am NOT going to stand next to Harkinian, she told herself. As was customary, the King stepped forward to make a speech, and the noise subsided. "Welcome to the birthday party of Princess Zelda!" Cheering ensued. "As you all know," he continued, as the noise subsided again, "…she is turning 16 today. And, a bit later, I have an important announcement concerning her that I am sure many of you have been expecting!" They cheered again. Princess Zelda faked a smile, since it seemed the appropriate time to smile, but it was a little difficult to manage. "But in the meantime, it's time for the traditional fencing tournament. As you all know, today is not only my daughter's birthday, it is also the anniversary of sealing Ganon, King of Evil, in the Temple of Time. Zelda is the last in a long line of descendants from the woman who, along with six other sages, joined their power to seal Ganon away forever." The crowd definitely cheered for that remark. "While many of you have never known war, we must always be ready, which is why it is important to teach our children swordplay and to encourage them to serve the crown. Let the tournament begin!" The King turned to Harkinian. "Would you do me the honor of representing the Royal Guard in the competition? I have heard only the best things about your talents with the sword." Harkinian smiled and agreed. "All in good fun," Harkinian added. He removed his jacket, spun over the railing and, dropping himself to hang from the floor of the balcony, he let go and fell gracefully to the cobbled street below. "Show-off," Zelda thought to herself. As much as Princess Zelda disliked Harkinian, this was her favorite part of her birthday parties. While secretly she knew she could probably be quite respectable in such a competition, she just enjoyed watching. People from all over Hyrule and beyond showed off their strange yet effective swordplay techniques, and it was fascinating to see. Harkinian was not at all bad either, Zelda admitted to herself. Zelda observed that he frequently bested and disarmed his opponents in the opening moments of a match, with a minimal display of effort. As it became clear that Harkinian was the front-runner, they began calling for volunteers. Can no one stand up to the Royal Guard? a soldier yelled mockingly. Zelda smiled to herself impishly. Not that it mattered, but she would love to see the look on Harkinian's face after having a match with Link. Come to think of it, she thought, I would want to see my father's face as well. Zelda turned to Link. "I know you do not usually care for this sort of thing, but would you do it, for me?" She asked him. Link had long given up on seeking fame and glory for himself. If he wanted to be popular, he would not live the life of a hermit in the forests of Hyrule. But Zelda did not need to ask him twice. He would do anything for her, and besides, he had been intrigued by watching Harkinian's talents. He had not faced such a worthy adversary in quite a while. So, though no pride showed on his face, he nodded and removed his jacket. Laying it on a nearby chair, he took one step and, quite suddenly and unexpectedly, sprung into the air and forward-flipped over the railing, flipping one more time through the air to land on the cobbled street below. The crowd gasped, and then cheered wildly. The King frowned, not sure what to make of Link. Impa smiled. She was looking forward to seeing the match between Link and Harkinian, not sure what to expect. She had heard of Link's skills many times from Zelda, but was never sure whether or not Zelda was exaggerating. "We have a new challenger!" the announcer yelled, egging the crowd on to even greater levels of volume. While before, several matches had been taking place simultaneously in different corners of the marketplace, including matches for different age groups such as the sword-swinging youngsters, for this match the crowd instinctively cleared a large space in the middle of the marketplace, and everyone prepared to give the match their full attention. A man came and gave Link his choice of wooden swords. Link picked a medium-weight blade, and gave it couple practice swings. He was ready. He looked across the arena at Harkinian. Harkinian did not seem concerned. "It is just as well, he will not see this coming." Link told himself. Noticing that he was starting to take this match and himself a bit too seriously, Link smiled a goofy smile and turned in a circle, greeting the crowd with a wave. They cheered, as always. "That's better. I should not take this too seriously, it is just a game," he told himself, but he only half believed it. Harkinian stepped toward the middle of the ring, and Link followed suit. They bowed out of courtesy, and Harkinian began circling Link. In most of his other matches, Link had noticed, Harkinian's opponents had rushed him, hoping to catch him off guard. They were playing right into his hands, and often lost quickly. Link was in no hurry. As a few moments passed, the impatient crowd turned their anger to Harkinian. Why should he be afraid of this stranger, when he beat everyone else, they wondered. However, the crowd's taunting had no effect on Harkinian's resolve or patience. "Fine. If he will not attack first, I will, but CAREFULLY," Link told himself. Link sprung forward, bringing his sword from overhead down at an angle toward Harkinian, who parried. Link continued with a fierce combination of swings, accenting each strike with a feral cry, each louder than the one before. Harkinian did not stay on the defensive long before returning the favor. As Link expected, Harkinian skillfully dodged one strike completely, hoping to throw Link off-balance by breaking his pattern and not deflecting the blow, and returned a horizontal counter blow with lightning speed, aimed straight for Link's collarbone. Link, by anticipating, returned Harkinian's same favor an instant after Harkinian offered it, and ducked completely beneath the incoming blow, despite its incredible speed. Then, in one fluid motion, Link parlayed his downward momentum into a sideways roll across the cobblestone, half-circling around Harkinian in a fraction of a second. Harkinian was only caught off guard by Link's agility for split-second, but that was all Link needed, transitioning seamlessly from his roll to a spinning, upward strike, catching Harkinian squarely on the back of his dominant shoulder, launching him into the air and sending him spinning wildly to the cobblestone. The crowd, needless to say, had been instantly worked into an absolute frenzy. They had not seen a match like this in years, if ever. Even the King, who was trying his best to be on Harkinian's side, could not help but be impressed by Link's apparent mastery of the sword. He hardly stifled smile that, though small, encompassed not just his mouth but his eyes as well. "I probably look old, smiling like this," he thought to himself. Harkinian did not stay down long. He got to his feet, and his face showed sincere emotion for the first time for as long as anyone there had ever known him. He was mad. Not even Harkinian's fellow soldiers had ever seen this side of the man, a man who was usually so composed and seemingly good-natured. Apparently, he was not good loser. Harkinian shouted, "I'll smash in your puny skull, boy!" He growled and came at Link with everything. Link, while athletic and strong for his age, was nowhere near as strong as Harkinian. Link, being only a boy of roughly 15 years, was probably outweighed by Harkinian by at least 75 pounds, and he towered over him. At first, Link tried to block Harkinian's blows directly, but soon gave up that tactic as each blow was delivered with such staggering force that the resulting vibrations through his wood sword stung Link's fingers intensely, despite his firm grip. Instead, Link deflected the blows indirectly, one by one, and when he got a split second opportunity, did a back flip, putting some much-needed space between him and his enraged aggressor, giving himself a moment to think. A moment was all he would get, as Harkinian immediately continued his savage assault. Link's mind raced, when was the last time he was in a jam like this, against an opponent who has me outmatched in almost every way, he asked himself. Link was beginning to feel fatigue, but then it occurred to him, Harkinian probably was too, even if he did not show it. So Link just held on, dodging and blocking, for as long as he could. If he could not beat Harkinian, he would outlast him. And, sure enough, despite Harkinian's exceptional skill, Link started to notice cracks in the armor of his technique. Perhaps an opportunity here, a misstep there, Link observed as he deflected blow after blow. Still, I will wait for the perfect moment, I may only get one shot at this, Link concluded. Then, leaning forward, he rolled the proverbial dice. He spun his sword around Harkinian's with unusual speed and force, almost signaling in advance that Link was about to make his move. It was as if Link was daring Harkinian to stop him, knowing full well that Harkinian was more exhausted then he was letting show. As Harkinian's blade was spun in a clock-wise circle, Link released the sword lock and brought the flat of his blade, in a downward motion, into the back of Harkinian's calf, just below the knee, sweeping Harkinian's feet out from under him—but Link did not stop with that. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, even before Harkinian had landed on the cobbled street, Link leaped high, straight into the air, gathering all his weight and focusing into a downward finishing blow. Harkinian landed with a heavy thud, and before he could lift his blade in defense, Link's knee came down on his chest, and his sword came to a sudden halt, just before Harkinian's neck. It was over, and Harkinian was beaten. Realizing his defeat, Harkinian regained his composure. Perhaps I can save face and lose with a little class, he told himself. Getting to his feet, he took Link's hand, as if he were the referee, and raised it up, signaling Link's victory. He smiled and patted Link on the back. It was then that the King thought the moment was right. "Let's hear it for Harkinian, as humble and dignified in defeat as he is in victory!" The crowd's response was less than enthusiastic, why is the King calling for recognition for Harkinian in Link's moment of triumph? The King continued, "I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for Harkinian, as he has distinguished himself in my service as an honorable warrior and a trusted ally. Over the past few years, Harkinian has become less like a soldier to me, and more like a son. And so, it is with great pleasure and pride that I announce to you all that I have asked Harkinian to consider taking my beloved daughter, Princess Zelda, in the holy bonds of matrimony, and he has agreed! Trust me, ladies and gentlemen, there is not a more fitting choice in all of Hyrule for the man who will take Zelda's hand in marriage, and, in time, succeed me as the King of Hyrule!" The suddenness of the announcement caught all present off-guard, but the crowd warmed quickly to the idea of an upcoming wedding for Princess Zelda, and all the partying that that entails. The noise level of the rejoicing rose. Harkinian threw his arm over Link's shoulder and smiled at him. "Let's rejoin them up on that balcony and see how Zelda is taking the good news, shall we?" Link nodded. Harkinian continued, "Say, where did you learn to fight like that? We could use a boy like you in the Royal Guard!" Link shrugged. He had not really learned his sword-fighting all in one place, so he was not sure how to answer. The two of them passed by the guards and into the building, and walked up the stairs toward the second floor. On the balcony, the King shook Link's hand and congratulated him, leaving Harkinian to approach Princess Zelda. Harkinian took Zelda's hands and she smiled at him. But as he leaned in to kiss the Princess, she turned away, and her smile vanished. The crowd took notice from the marketplace below. "I cannot continue this for the sake of appearances," Zelda told herself. "There is no way I will marry Harkinian while my heart belongs to Link," she thought. She walked to Link and took his hand, and she turned to address the marketplace, with him at his side. "My dear people," she began. "Thank you so much for attending my birthday celebration. I am grateful to each and every one of you, and I have been having the most wonderful time." But her expression turned more serious. "I may live in the palace with my head in the clouds…" the crowd laughed lightly, "but that is not the same as living under a rock. I know that there has been so much talk about my getting married, and now it seems even the King is believing it!" The crowd got dead silent. "The truth is, I am not ready to be married. Not to anyone. As flattered as I am by Harkinian's interest in me, it is a proposal that I cannot accept. He deserves a girl who is capable of giving him her whole heart. Someday, maybe someday soon, I imagine I will be ready for marriage, and when I am, I promise that I will love that person completely and forever." She looked at Link, half happy, to have gotten that out, but half sad, that she did not say more. Zelda was sad that she could not announce her love for Link, as she planned. Something was telling her the timing was all wrong. She finished, saying, "That is all." What happened next came suddenly and without warning. Harkinian, interestingly, seemed strangely unemotional about both what had just happened and what was beginning to happen. He remained calm, serious, and unreadable. There were scattered shouts of agony, from different corners of the marketplace, and soldiers began to fall. Zelda screamed in terror, followed quickly by the crowd, and panic ensued. It was an ambush. From the ranks of the previously joyful spectators came assassins, brandishing small, hidden blades and dispatching soldiers systematically, with ruthless skill and without mercy. Of everyone else present, only Impa seemed to keep a cool head. She protectively grabbed Princess Zelda and, jumping off the railing, carried Zelda to the roof of the building in an instant. Then they were gone. As a man began climbing the outside of the railing of the balcony, holding a knife made of bone, Link swiftly kicked him in the face, sending him crashing to the street below. Link knew of Impa's loyalty and skill, but he had a hunch that she would need help. It hardly seemed coincidental that this uproar occurred after Zelda's announcement that she would not marry Harkinian. On top of that, Harkinian was behaving most strangely, doing nothing and showing no remorse that the Royal Guard was being slaughtered all around him. Link had no time to worry about Harkinian, he followed Impa's footsteps, springing to the roof in close pursuit. "By the Gods, Impa moves fast," Link told himself, barely catching a glimpse of Impa, with Zelda in her arms, disappearing over the far side of the rooftop, swinging down from a rope she apparently had grapple-hooked into a nearby open window. She was making a dash for the safety of the palace, Link told himself. Sprinting to the edge of the rooftop Impa just left, Link looked all around, determined to make a decision quickly rather than carefully. Hardly pausing for more than a second, Link jumped from the roof to the ledge underneath the row of windows on the second floor. Only staying on the ledge half a second to partially break his fall, he jumped again, landing on the street below with a forward shoulder roll. It was only then that Link realized he had unconsciously been holding the wooden sword this whole time! Carrying the sword was second-nature to him, and he only now realized that it may come in handy. Looking ahead, Link saw a problem. Princess Zelda and Impa had reached a dead end. Someone had closed the Palace's outer gates, and they were not opening it. On top of that, since it was situated in a canyon with tall rock walls, Zelda and Impa were trapped, their only escape being back the way they came, into Hyrule marketplace and through an army of assassins. It was here they would have to make their stand. "Good of you to join us, Link. I think those skills of yours are about to come in handy." Impa said. Princess Zelda wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, tears streaming down her cheeks. She had failed to show her love for Link earlier that day, and it was a mistake she apparently was not keen to duplicate. Link felt a tinge of melancholy—he realized that he had often wanted Zelda to kiss him like that, but never under such tragic circumstances. Their chances of survival seemed slim. And a crowd of assassins approached, being led by a cloaked figure, and followed closely by Harkinian. Apparently, he is showing his true colors, Link thought. The cloaked figure pulled back its hood, revealing her long, jet-black hair, and black markings around her eyes. She was like a Sheikah, the sworn protectors of the Royal family, only not—something was off about her. "Here, take this, Link," Impa said, handing him a steel short sword. He actually preferred the wooden sword, so he decided to wield the short sword in his left hand, the wooden sword in his right. Zelda wielded her favorite dagger, as lethal as it was beautiful. Impa held nothing, but somehow Link knew she could have any number of weapons ready in an instant. Zelda, Impa and Link glanced at each other, and then at the woman. "Who are you?" asked Zelda. "My name is Merai." She said, her voice steely and cold. "Hand over Princess Zelda, and we will let you live." "What do you want with her?" Impa asked. "We are loyal to the true King of Hyrule, Ganon. We know that Zelda is the key to restoring Ganon to power. We will have her, and her secrets, or we will kill you all. It's your choice." Both Merai and Harkinian shared the same expression, a cold, lethal gaze with a bloodlust lying just beneath the surface. Zelda stepped forward. "No, stay back!" ordered Impa. Zelda turned around. "They have archers," argued Zelda. "They have an army, and we are cornered. You live because they allow it." She looked directly at Impa. "This is MY decision. We are beaten, for now. You will serve Hyrule best by surviving." She looked at Link. "Goodbye, my love." Merai disarmed Princess Zelda, bound her wrists and ankles, and took her onto a black horse and rode off, toward back toward the marketplace and presumably away from Hyrule. A number of their ranks followed on horseback, to provide a protective escort, leaving Harkinian and a still-formidable number of assassins behind with Link and Impa. "I am never going to forgive myself for letting her go," Impa said under her breath. She and Link, standing in front of the closed inner gate of Hyrule Palace, were trapped between two walls of a high rock canyon. The traitorous Harkinian, leading a group of merciless assassins, blocked their only path of escape, a lethal look in their evil eyes. Harkinian smiled. "Now, about that offer to let you both live," he began, "…it was utter crap. I am going to enjoy teaching you a lesson, boy. Slowly, painfully, until you learn, and until you die." he said, looking at Link, his face twisted into an even crueler expression than ever before. The mob of assassins, led by Harkinian, crept forward. Just when all hope seemed to be lost, from above, round, blue metallic bombs with lit fuses fell from atop the canyon wall. Harkinian looked up, his expression changing from hatred to terror. "Take cover!" He yelled, but it was already too late for many of his men. The explosions were deafening, and men's tattered bodies were flung through the air. Harkinian, with his speed, followed many of his men and avoided a quick and painful death. They looked up, and backlit by the high afternoon sun, a large, menacing silhouette stood, triumphant in the sky. Then, leaping from the canyon wall, directly for Harkinian, came the King of Hyrule, a glistening longsword clutched above his head, poised to strike. Harkinian dove for safety, and just in time. The King's strike missed and he landed with a heavy crash onto his foot and knee. It looked painful. The remaining assassins, having regained their senses following the bombing, charged at the King and readied their arrows, but Link and Impa stepped into the middle. Impa, throwing metallic blades concealed in her cloak, killed the archers before they could let their arrows fly, and Link, wielding the two swords like the true master he was, charged into the middle of the mob, dropping his attackers with startling speed. With his hope of backup diminished, Harkinian turned his attention to the King. "I am like a son to you, old fool?" He asked. "Well, as your son, I look forward to giving a moving speech at your funeral!" The King swung his longsword for Harkinian's head, who ducked. "Fool me once, you die!" retorted the King. The King fought bravely, but he was no match for Harkinian. As Link and Impa together dispatched the last of the assassins, they turned to offer assistance to the King as quickly as they could, but they were not in time to save his life. The King, with a reckless rage, ignored Harkinian's threatening move and desperately drove the tip of his longsword through the center of Harkinian's chest, even as Harkinian's blade found its mark as well. They had stabbed each other at the same time. Harkinian mumbled, "Stupid fool," and crumpled to the ground, letting out his last breath. The King, still standing, turned to face Link and Impa, the sword still in his chest. Pulling out the sword, he chuckled ironically, "And today I was feeling younger than I have in years!" The King fell to the ground, and Impa and Link rushed to his side. Holding him, they listened. The King said, "Link, there is something… I want to tell you. I was wrong. It is funny… I have the benefit of… years of experience, dealing with people, and yet, what I…" the King coughs, blood splattering to his lips. "…What I knew about Harkinian…with my head… wasn't as true as what Zelda knew…about you…all along…with…her…heart." It took all his effort to finish his dying apology to Link. He trailed off, then closing his eyes, and he was at peace, at last. The King of Hyrule no longer had to be strong for anyone. Link closed his eyes and bowed his head in respect. Today was interesting, Link thought, but not at all as he had expected. Not only was Zelda gone, but if what Merai said was true, Merai was inches away from resurrecting Ganon, the King of evil. Apparently, Impa was thinking the same thing. "Link, I know what you are thinking, but there is still hope. Zelda is but one of seven lines of sages who have protected the seal of the Temple of Time for hundreds of years, and they all must be alive for the magic to be undone. I do not know this Merai, but I know of her kind. Like the Sheikah people, who are sworn to protect the Royal Family of Hyrule, Merai and her people are sworn to bring Ganon back to life and rule at his side, and if she is anything like me, she will stop at nothing to bring her plans to fruition." "Link, I can guide you, but you alone are able to become the hero Hyrule needs, a hero who can stop Merai's plan. I know you have it within yourself. You must be brave." Link lifted his head, and looked into the Hyrule sky. It appeared a great adventure was before him. This is my first Legend of Zelda fanfiction. I hope you like it. Email me at for any feedback ,tips or suggestions. Thanks!  Review Share: Email . Facebook . Twitter Story: Follow  FavoriteAuthor: Follow  FavoriteContrast: Dark . Light  Font: Small . Medium . Large . XL Desktop/Tablet Mode . Blog . Twitter . Help . Sign Up  

[austrhellyeahblog]

Stateside

Well this girl is officially back on US soil... holla!!!!!!!

Cam & I flew back to the states on New Years Day and because time zones are weird, we landed in LA before we left Sydney. Mind blowing, I know!

We flew out of Sydney at 12:20pm and prepared ourselves for the 13 hour flight we had ahead of us. Now, you might be thinking that 13 hours is a long flight (which it absolutely is), but 13 hours is actually the shortest flight I’ve ever seen. Most trips from Australia to the states take at least 20-25 hours total, including layovers. So we struck gold with only having to sit on the plane for 13.

Because we left in the middle of the day, sleep just wasn’t going to happen for me straight away. I think I only slept for 3-4 hours, and that was between Hawaii and LA. They try to trick you into sleeping by turning the cabin lights off & closing the window shades, but my body couldn’t be tricked. Luckily Delta had a large collection of movies so I could pass the time!

We flew into Chicago because the Cincinnati airport is too damn expensive & Chicago was the closet I could think of when booking flights. We also flew into ORD because that’s where Cam was going to be flying out of on his way back to Sydney, so it made things easier when booking return flights for him. Mare & Ed met us at ORD (as I’m sure you’ve seen from her FB video of our arrival - which, in my defense, I was very happy to see them, BUT after traveling for 18+ hours, a camera was not my friend!) & we made our way to my old roomies house, aka Lindsay’s mom’s house lolz.

Lindsay & her boyf, Mike, were there waiting for us, and to be truthful, once I saw her & we began to chat it felt like I had only been gone for a few months, and not an entire year. Thank god for technology man!

At this point, Cam and I were so exhausted because our body clocks were telling us it was 9am and not 6pm, so we went to bed shortly after getting there. After that first night’s sleep back, it became very evident that jet lag coming back from Australia is MUCH harder to kick than jet lag going to Australia. I slept for 12 hours (which lets be honest isn’t really that strange for me lolz) and then about 30 min into our drive back to Cincy, was right back to sleep for another 4 hours. Overall, I think it took us 5 days to fully beat the jet lag.

It’s a good thing we kicked it when we did cause two of my besties got hitched on the 7th so not sure I could’ve gotten home any later!

We arrived to cold weather & immediately wished we were back in the warmth of summertime in Sydney, but snow was in the forecast so at least we were gonna be cold & seeing snow. Nothing’s worse than freezing cold weather & no snow. Srsly.

It was pretty funny because a bunch of people texted me that morning of the snowfall asking if Cam had ever seen snow before, and although he indeed had, this was his first time seeing it fall from the sky. He was like a little kid trying to catch snowflakes in his mouth & drawing things on cars covered in snow. It was cute…but also embarrassing haha.

The first week we were back was basically him getting settled, me showing him some of the site of Cincinnati, and then prepping for the wedding that Saturday. Kinda jumped into everything, so I’m glad to have a little time to get myself sorted and into a routine these next few days.

One of the activities we did was go to the National Underground Railroad Museum in downtown Cincinnati. Cam loves learning about history, so he was keen to go have a look at it. I hadn’t been since like freshman year of high school, but still remembered that it was a great museum, so I was excited to check it out as well! The first thing we did before starting the exhibit was do a VR experience where we would be Rosa Parks sitting on the bus & being told to get up. It was super cool & a full on experience that I recommend everyone do if they visit the museum. It’s only 5 minutes, but a powerful 5 minutes. Overall, I recommend you make a visit to this museum if you’re ever in the area (or live in Cincy) cause a lot of what’s shown & talked about is extremely relevant today with everything happening currently in our country.

Check it out! Now to the partay!!

1.7.17 - Nina & Tim’s Wedding!

There’s a small group of people that could drag me out of Australia before I’m ready to leave, and Neener’s & Tim are in that group of peeps! I’d been counting down the days since they got engaged, and there was just no way I was gonna miss being apart of the happiest day of their lives. Their two of my fave people & I’m so happy I was there to help celebrate their love!

Neener’s was the most beautiful snow princess & Tim was her handsome snow prince. Haha. Neener also blessed us with fur to wear for the wedding pics, and that took the wedding to a whole other level. I’m telling you, fur changes people... need a confidence boost? put on fur. need to stay warm? put on fur. I suggest you get yourself some fur! I can’t wait to see how gorgeous the wedding pics turn out! I felt like an old hollywood movie star, and fully embraced it! haha

Here’s a few that I managed to capture. Was having too much fun to remember to take any!

This was Cam’s second wedding he’s been too, so he got to see how most American weddings are done - he had a good time! Poor guy had to meet loads of people too, so he’s a trooper & a keeper. Not many people can handle the meeting friends & family gauntlet haha.

We were pretty hungover the next day, so you know we had a good time haha.

We celebrated Mare’s birthday on the 9th and then got ready to head to Chicago for five days to show Cam around the city I love, and to have a much needed reunion with frands!

We stayed at the Millennium Knickerbocker hotel off Michigan Ave, and once we got off the Megabus, we immediately jumped right into sightseeing activities, starting with a Blackhawks game.

Watching the Blackhawks at the United Center is so much fun because the energy inside is constant and exciting! It was rivalry night against Detroit (although tbh not really sure if that’s as big of a rivalry as STL is), but nevertheless, we got to our seats & soaked in every minute of the game.

Blackhawks ended up winning in OT, so I’m 2:2 on seeing the Blackhawks win at the UC!

The next couple of days we hit up the Bean, Signature Lounge on the top floor of the Hancock building, Wrigley Field, Mag Mile, and the Art Institute of Chicago, & finished with a Bulls game to top the week off!

*This was my first time going to the Art Institute, and man have I been missing out! It’s spectacular and has a work from pretty much every artist you can think of. According to Trip Advisor, it’s been voted the best museum in the world the past 4 years, and I totally get why. They have works from every era, and little miniature’s showing what rooms looked like during the 17th & 18th centuries in France, London and the US - they were super cool! If you’re in Chi, check it out!

I did more in Chicago those 5 days than I did in the 2 years I lived there lolz. Totes worth it though!

Cam had to head back to Australia for work commitments (sad face), so now begins our journey of spending a few months apart. I can already tell it’s gonna be tough, but we’re gonna get through it!

A lot of people want to know what’s next for me, and tbh I’m not entirely sure. What I do know though is that I will indeed be moving back to Sydney (hopefully around April/May) but I’m in the predicament of trying to find a way to get back via sponsorship - which is proving to be difficult :( If anyone has ideas, I’m taking any & all! 

Until all of that’s sorted I’ll be living with Mare & Ed in Cincy and finding employment (of any kind), to keep the money flowing & my savings account growing!

Now that I have time on my hands, I’ll be able to blog a little more & share with you my journey of getting my butt back to Australia! Planning on doing a few posts of my last few months in Aus & how spectacular it was spending NYE on the Harbour!

Ta ta for now!

[learnspanishfans]

How to Say “My Love” in French (Plus 28 More Romantic French Words and Phrases)

Is Paris a romantic city? Is French a romantic language? If you had asked me a few years ago, I would’ve answered “Nope!” But that was then. Things have changed quite a bit for me since my first experience living in the City of Light, trying to learn la belle langue. I returned to Paris several times and finally started to see what everyone was raving about. And of course, when I visited Paris with my wife Lauren, the romantic side of the city really became apparent. I even proposed to Lauren there! It’s also no secret that French is widely considered to be one of the most romantic languages. Even if you don’t know what French-speakers are saying, the sound of the language is just beautiful to listen to. The pronunciation rules mean that phrases always flow smoothly from one word to the next. Even non-French speakers routinely use romantic-sounding French phrases to endear themselves to their beloved: ma chérie, je t’adore, and (not exactly “romantic” per se) voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir. ;) So, what are some other romantic French words and phrases you can learn as you take your first steps into the language of love? Read on for a guide to the romantic side of French.

How to say “My Love” in French

There aren’t many terms of endearment more romantic than mon amour, which means “my love” in French. Whether you’re speaking to a man or a woman, the term is the same: mon amour. Mon is usually the masculine form of “my” in French, but you also use it before any word that begins with a vowel, even feminine words. Another term you’re sure to hear often in French-speaking countries is mon chéri (said to men) and ma chérie (said to women). This means “my dear” or “my darling”, and is a more general term than mon amour. Just like in English, it can be used for other close loved ones besides your romantic partner.

How to say “Beautiful” in French

In English, the word “beautiful” has distinctly feminine connotations. In French, both men and women can be “beautiful”. The masculine word for “beautiful” in French is beau (or bel before a word starting with a vowel), and the feminine is belle. The masculine form is usually translated as “handsome” in English when referring to a man. In other instances, both beau and belle can translate as “beautiful”. For example, a beau pont in French would translate to English as a “beautiful” bridge, not a “handsome” bridge. Beau and belle aren’t much use unless you put them into a sentence. Here are a few sample romantic phrases containing these words:

“You are beautiful”: Tu es beau (to a man) and Tu es belle (to a woman).

“Hello, beautiful”: Bonjour mon beau (to a man) and Bonjour ma belle (to a woman). This phrase isn’t generally as common in French-speaking countries as it is in English countries.

“Life is beautiful”: La vie est belle.

How to say “Beauty” in French

This one is easy. The English word for “beauty” comes directly from French: la beauté. One of the most popular expressions about beauty is that it is in the eye of the beholder. The French translation of this universal phrase is La beauté est dans l’œil de celui qui regarde.

How to say “Pretty” in French

Like “beautiful”, the word “pretty” in French (joli/jolie) doesn’t have to apply only to feminine people and objects. In reference to a man or masculine-looking object, joli translates more accurately as “good-looking” or “pleasing to the eye”. A good mnemonic for joli/jolie is to think of the very pretty actress Angelina Jolie.

How to say “Cute” in French

I don’t know why, but I find mignon/mignonne, the French word for “cute”, a really, well, cute word. In France, you can use mignon/mignonne pretty much how you would use “cute” in English: to describe a cute animal, toy, or even a cute guy or girl you like. In Quebec, mignon/mignonne tends to come with the connotation of small and cute, more along the lines of “adorable”. So you wouldn’t use it to describe a person you have a crush on, for example. But that’s OK, because there’s another word for “cute” in Quebec that you can use exactly like English. And that word is… Cute! No, really. Cute is a very popular loan word in Quebec, and you can use it just like “cute” in English.

How to say “Sexy” in French

Speaking of loan words, the French language has borrowed the English word “sexy”, and the translation is the same: sexy! You can use it exactly how you would use it in English.

How to say “Heart” in French

Just like in English, and most other languages, the heart is associated with love and romance in French. The French word for “heart” is le cœur. It sounds totally unrelated to English at first, but many English “heart-y” words have their root in the French cœur. Courage, cardio, cordial, accord, chord, and the list goes on. Even the word “core” - the centre or essence of something - is widely believed to come from cœur. This makes quite a bit of sense when you think about it. In fact, there’s a ready-made mnemonic for you! A popular term of endearment in English is “my heart”. In French, this translates as mon cœur or sometimes mon petit cœur (“my little heart”). But it’s not generally used as a romantic term. It’s more often used by an adult toward a young child such as a grandchild or niece/nephew. You can say it to a boy or a girl.

How to say “Party” in French

There are a couple of ways to say “party” in French. As a noun, the “proper” way to say “party” is la fête. For example, a birthday party is une fête d’anniversaire and a Christmas party is une fête de Noël. Informally in Quebec, you can use the English loan word le party (which itself was originally borrowed from French!). It’s pronounced differently from English though: it sounds more like the 90s slang word “partay” :D . You can use le party the same way as the English “party”. In France, this loan word is much rarer, but if you use it, people will certainly understand you. Beware though, the pronunciation is different - “partee” - and just to make things difficult, the gender is different too: la party! Best to just stick with la fête in France.

How to say “Friends” in French

The feelings between friends can vary from a casual liking to platonic intimacy, and all the way to romantic love (consider how many people say they married their best friend). So of course a post about love in French should include the word for friends! The French word for “a friend” is un ami (for male friends) or une amie (for female friends). The plural “friends” is les amies (for a group of female friends) and les amis (for a group of male friends or a mixture of both). What’s interesting though is that the word generally used for “a boyfriend” un copain or “a girlfriend” une copine, can also commonly mean “friend”. When you say “my” (mon/ma) before the word then it is more likely to be the more intimate version! To say “my friend” in French, it’s mon ami or mon amie. You can’t say ma amie even if your friend is a girl, because the two words will clash on the vowels and sound awkward. And a romantic language like French must never be awkward!

How to say “Feelings” in French

The general French word for “feelings” is les sentiments (“a feeling” is un sentiment). In English, “feelings” can be used informally to mean “affectionate” or “romantic” feelings. For example, if you tell someone, “I have feelings for you,” they can infer that it’s not just any old feelings, but a feeling of attraction. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work the same way in French. Les sentiments are just run of the mill feelings, and you have to be more specific if you want to refer to romance or attraction. If you want to confess your feelings for someone in French, you could use one of the following phrases to give the person a pretty good hint about what you’re trying to say:

Je te trouve très bien (“You’re pretty neat”)

Je t’aime bien (“I like you”) - be sure to put “bien” at the end of the sentence, because “je t’aime” translates as “I love you”, which might not be quite what you wanted to say!

Tu me plais (“I like you” - literally, “You please me”)

How to say “Amazing” in French

Amazingly, “amazing” isn’t really a word that translates into French very well. All of the French translations of this word already have equivalents in English. For example, “amazing” could translate as étonnant, which translates back to English as “astounding”. Incroyable and stupéfiant are also decent French translations, but they already mean “incredible” and “staggering” in English, respectively. Don’t worry though. There are enough ways to express how amazing something is in French that the language hardly needs yet another word. Here’s a small list of French synonyms for “amazing”:

Incroyable (“incredible” - in my unscientific personal experience, this appears to be the most common way to say “amazing” in French)

Suprenant (“surprising”)

Étonnant (“astounding”)

Exceptionnel (“exceptional”)

Stupéfiant (“staggering” - I would put this down as one of the rarer translations of “amazing”)

In English, “amazing” usually has positive connotations. It doesn’t just mean surprising, it can also mean “surprisingly great” or “fantastic”. Here are few ways to express this idea in French:

Super (“super” - but much more common in French than in English. This can be an adjective (Tu es super!) or an adverb (”Tout est super génial!”))

Génial (“great” - also very common)

Fantastique (“fantastic”)

Magnifique (“magnificent”)

Merveilleux (“marvelous*)

*Extraordinaire” (“extraordinary”)

How to say “Hot” in French

You’ll have guessed that “hot” is quite a slang word in English when it describes someone’s appearance. Like many slang words, “hot” doesn’t translate directly to French. Trust me on this. Don’t ever say il/elle est chaud to describe a good-looking guy or girl. It doesn’t mean “he/she is hot”. It doesn’t even mean “he/she feels hot” when it’s a hot day outside (that would be il/elle a chaud). Rather, it’s a slang which means “he/she is sexually aroused”. You have been warned! So, what if you want to describe someone as hot-looking in French? Well, sexy, mentioned earlier, is a pretty reliable term that expresses the same thing. But sometimes you don’t want to come right out and use the “S-word”. In France, you can also use the slang word “canon”, which applies equally to a man or a woman (il est canon or elle est canon).

How to say “Farewell” in French

There are two main ways to say “farewell” in French, and I love them both. The first is au revoir. It’s the everyday word for “goodbye” that you’ll hear all the time in French. But it doesn’t simply mean “goodbye”; it’s much more eloquent than that. The most accurate translation of au revoir is “until we meet again”. I like this expression. It communicates hope that you’ll see each other again one day, even if you’re saying au revoir for a long time. The other, more literary way to say farewell is adieu. It translates as “go with God” (à = “to” and Dieu = “God”), and expresses your wish for safety and good fortune upon the one who’s departing. Whether or not you believe in a deity (hmm, the word “deity” suddenly looks familiar, doesn’t it?), it’s a nice, warm sentiment to be sent off with. And on that note, au revoir and adieu, dear reader! Until we meet again...in the comments! If you know other romantic words in French, or in another language you speak, let me know in the comments. Merci!

The post How to Say “My Love” in French (Plus 28 More Romantic French Words and Phrases) appeared first on Fluent in 3 months - Language Hacking and Travel Tips.

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