#billy taupe bashing

[danisbrainrot]

omg pmg omg hi ! could i please have some relationship hcs for lucy gray baird x a feral, unhinged, shitposting gf ?! please and thank 🥺💓

absolutely!! also, lucy gray is also a little unhinged because why not 🤷‍♀️

lucy gray would be performing at the hob with the covey, and all of a sudden you'd start cheering and screaming for her. she can't hide the blush or smile, seeing you there jumping up and down, bumping into people and just hyping the covey up.

when you're in the town square, you'll grab onto her hand tightly, swinging your arms in the air as the two of you chat about anything and everything. (bonus, you would always smirk at peacekeeper coriolanus, who'd be fuming about her choosing you. lucy gray would never notice though.)

whenever you're over at her house, or she's at yours, you'll be absolutely all over her. just laying on her lap while on the couch or her makeshift bed, clinging to her waist while she's doing domestic stuff like the dishes. just slopping all over her.

the same for the meadow. she's just trying to sing and work out this new song, but she keeps getting distracted because you'll start playing with her hair, resting your head on her shoulders or just wrapping your legs around her legs while she's trying to strum.

at the lake, she's not a strong swimmer (totally not a headcanon I got after watching a certain interview), so you take pride in knowing she's wrapped around you, trying to stay afloat. it feels nice knowing that she's so needy for you.

then after the swim, she'd rest on your chest while singing. sometimes you'd cling on to every word, and sometimes you'd just watch her lovingly.

whenever billy taupe or coriolanus come around, trying to win her back, you don't hesitate to just swing at them. you'll bark at them if it scares them off. usually they don't want to fuck with you, because just like lucy gray (at least in the books) you've bitten one of them once, and you'd do it again. lucy gray can't help but find how protective of her endearing.

if a peacekeeper tries to even touch you though? oh, she's ready to throw hands—mid performance as well, if necessary. the covey will have to hold her back to stop her from pouncing on him and going mental. you'd do the same for her.

honestly, by this point, coriolanus has learnt to leave the two of you alone, but whenever you catch his eyes lingering on lucy gray, your eyes narrow at him, daring to say something to her. you terrify him—an honourable feat, considering he usually doesn't find women all that scary.

billy taupe is cockier, however, especially if he's been drinking. so when he interrupts one of her performances, and he's crawling on stage to beg for her back, you'll storm up to him and just sock him in the jaw.

lucy gray hides a snake up her sleeve at all times. you both use this knowledge to your advantage. someone's getting too touchy with you? bam! snake attack. someone's too drunk and tries to get on stage, you yell out some code word for the snake—because apparently lucy gray's trained it to be a sleeper agent—and it shoots out of her sleeve and bites the drunkard as a warning.

that's all I have for now, hope it was good enough for you <333

[deuteragonist1]

Coriolanus: *walks by*

Billy Taupe: What an ass.

Sejanus, staring at Coriolanus' ass: I know right.

[francixoxoxo]

Latest Fanfics: A Little Writer's Meme

tagged by: @sincere1ystar and @fictional-at-heart, thank you both sm for thinking of me 🥹

Rules: Post the beginning lines of your 10 most recent published fanfics, then attempt to tag 10 people

Old Chevy (farmers daughter reader x ranch hand Billy the Kid): “Busted ass, stupid ass, stinkin’ ass..” You sound like a fourteen year old while you kick rocks (literally) away from your worn leather boots.

Your car wasn’t starting. thank god it was at home and not on the road, but a fucked car didn’t suit your schedule all that great. It was another sweltering day, New Mexican sun beating down on your exposed shoulders while you made your way down the gravel lane that led from the farmhouse to the road.

Homecoming (victor reader x Finnick Odair): The victor of the 68th annual hunger games. Your face plastered on capitol billboards. Your name on every Capitolite’s unusually plastic-surgered lips. Your eyelids engraved with the faces of all the tributes— all the children— you killed to get your head above the water.

Moon on the rise (reader x finnick odair): When your daughter cries, Finnick presses a kiss between the plates of your back and shuffles out of bed.

Life in District 4 was a similar relief as cool water on sunburnt skin. Slow, but not dragging. Relaxed but never boring. Quiet, but comfortably so.

Bash around the house (reader x peeta mellark): Breakdowns were irregular, for you. The trauma rarely boiled to the point that you were perched on right now— your heart was racing to combust, your eyes wild and unfocused, chest heaving with lagged breaths that were needy gulps of crisp mountain air more than anything.

Baby steps (reader x boxer coriolanus snow): "Shouldn't be fighting with nails," Coryo rubs a thumb pad over your acrylics, clicking his tongue against his teeth disapprovingly.

"But don't they look nice?"

"Gorgeous, baby."

What they wanted to hear (reader x politician sejanus plinth): "Tonight is going to be torture," your husband made up his mind before you had even grasped his tie to tighten. "Pure, unadulterated, uni-"

"Unimaginable torture, I know." You finish with lifted brows, patting his suit lapel. A drama king to his bones, Sejanus was. He sighed through his nose, letting his hands curl around the fabric of your dress at your waist.

Ice cold lemonade (farmers daughter reader x Billy the kid): Levi jeans. a taupe, sleeveless shirt. cowboy boots tucked under said levi's and scuffed from well-use. a navy hat smushing his hair to his slightly-sweaty forehead, but letting the dark locks at his nape curl.

Not to mention blue eyes that keep on finding their way over to you.

It's been a week since your dad hired him. You hardly even know his name, your dad just calls him Kid.

Warmin’ up (reader x Billy the kid): When the door is thrown open, a chill rushes into the living room before Billy can even step a foot over the threshold. The cold air sends a shiver through you, despite the blanket wrapped around your shoulders. The dead of winter wasn't exactly doing you any kindness.

A heavy sigh distracts you from the cold. "Baby." The way the pet name is breathed sounds like it's the only thing that's been on your man's mind all day, probably 'cause it is. Billy's quick to shut the door, he rolls his shoulders to try and jog some blood back into himself. His boots thump loudly on the hardwood as he hurries his way over with the distinct urgency of a lover.

Real piece a’ work (regulators reader x Billy the kid): The day was quiet, compared to moments ago. The crack of bullets really could make birdsong sound like an angel choir.

You're balancing on the balls of your feet, turning up your chin to let the blood dripping from your nostril smatter the grass instead of your shirt. The men were cleaning up after you, the irony wasn't lost on nobody. You were nervously palming the iron pressed into your hand, hanging at your side, chambers emptied.

It's like you hear the huff in the air and the stomp of his boots 'fore he calls your name. "What the hell was that?"

tagging @lucygxybaird, @lucysgraybird, @runningfrom2am, @a-romantics-guide-to-life and @bluesbonney!!

[lucygraysboy]

the cowboy listens intently to every word that leaves lucy gray’s mouth, his eyes brimming with concern as they linger on her face, trying to decipher if she truly is okay. the altercation was absolutely vile and disgusting, the things billy taupe had said beyond hurtful. he doesn’t want them to affect her self-esteem. “i see… your ex-companion doesn’t really take no for an answer, does he? looks like, in his head, you were more than just friends or crushes. that’s probably why he got so upset when he saw me. up until that moment, he thought he could still convince you to date him.” he finds himself nodding his head in agreement with lucy gray’s words, adrenaline still thrumming through his veins but it’s slowly cooling down. “exactly. you don’t need a boyfriend. i mean, look at yourself, you’re running this farm all on your own, growing vegetables and fruits in your garden, you have so many talents and you can protect yourself just fine. even if i hadn’t intervened, you still would have sent that guy on his merry way. you don’t need a man, definitely not one who tries to change you or shut you up.” she deserves so much better than billy taupe, so much better than him, too. “wish that’s what my ma would’ve done, just stayed single after my pa’s death. but she thought she needed a man and ended up with a bad one. a low life, gambler and cheater. don’t settle.” 

laughing softly when lucy gray admits she liked the things he’d done and said out there on the porch, billy grows bashful and even blushes faintly. “no need to apologize, doll. i enjoyed myself quite a bit when you basically told him that he was the problem and a weak man who can’t stand it when a woman’s loud. you was doin’ a great job tearin’ him a new one. you did so good. i’m very proud of you. you stood your ground,” he praises, wrapping his arms around her petite frame and hugging her, lips brushing against her dark curls. she’s so brave and truly doesn’t deserve the words billy taupe threw at her. “i just feel bad ‘bout cussin’ in front of a lady.” he looses his grip on her and pulls back, offering her another sweet smile. it doesn’t matter how he’s only known her for a few days. he’s already so in love with her that he can barely breathe when she’s around, his heart certain of it, now more than ever. but their time together will soon be ending and he can’t leave her with a broken heart or hopes and promises, she really does deserve so much better.

“you didn’t have to make me breakfast. why, thank you. and all i did in return was sleep in. so sorry ‘bout that. your bed’s just real comfy. oh, and it’s oats, too! i love oats an’ you make the best ones!” he cheerfully exclaims, checking out the contents of his bowl, his mouth watering at the mere sight. his eyes alight. he’ll never take having food on the table, made especially for him, for granted. “course, i am. you saved my life out there in the yard, then i saved yours in the lake and now we’re responsible for each other, bound together for the rest of our lives. or as long as you want me. i’ll always protect you, lucy gray.” hearing she admires it in a person, he proudly puffs out his chest and beams at her. “you don’t have to thank me for that. that’s what we do, we defend each other.” he loves her, how could he just stand by while another man is disrespecting her. it’s only when she kisses his cheek, small hand tugging his shirt, that his world just… combusts. he’s never experienced anything like this before, this warmth of a thousand suns spreading throughout his limbs, seeping into his very bones. his cheeks flush and the brightest of smiles spreads over his lips. “thank you,” he mumbles, his tongue suddenly twisted and thick, oddly heavy in his dry mouth. he sits down just so that he doesn’t faint and picks up the spoon instantly, diving in to keep himself from saying something stupid like i love you. “mm, so delicious! is that maple syrup i’m tastin’? lucy gray, this is insanely good,” he praises, pale blue eyes locking on her over the table, lips still turned up into a smile. he lowers his spoon for a moment, just marveling at her. “you look real beautiful today.” she always does. 

"ex...something. more like a companion. an ex companion cause i didn't officially date him. the preacher wouldn't allow that... thankfully," for once in her life... thankfully, the preacher held her back, "but almost. considerin' at one time i thought i'd might have to settle for him." forced herself to find something cute about him, tricked herself into it because she was thinking he'd be the one she'd have to be trapped with. "but i realized, i don't have to settle for no one. and 'specially not someone who treated me like him." when they were about to become a secret thing and then he went kissin' other girls and those times where he told her she needs to stop wearin' makeup or pressuring her to sneak off with him somewhere to lose her virginity 'to someone worth losing it to'. billy taupe can really be a downright creep. meanwhile, his little brother is sweet as can be sadly enough.

"oh i don't mind, i'm sorry you had to hear that," her getting angry and yelling back at the likes of billy taupe. though she can't help but admit ... "i actually liked it, you know. when you told him to shut the cuss word up." she laughs, then doe eyes pause, becoming wider with alertness and love at the way his hand delicately brushes curls behind her ear. how beautiful of a feeling is it to experience a bad example of a man run into an example of a good man and have him hold her hand? where did he come from and how did he land up here? it's usually the bad men she tends to get tangled up with.

lucy gray swears she's about to suffocate on the beauty of it. that frustrating powerful feeling growing, multiplying in her chest for this boy. that was all scary in itself, she was just a few days into knowing him. there has to be a bad part somewhere, she's telling herself. and besides that, he might not even like her like that. she might not even be his type like that. "why, of course i didn't leave you out sweetheart." a playful smile pulls at her lips then doe eyes look up at him, turning into endearment. he sounds so innocent saying that. she didn't know any man in the world could have an innocence about him– ironic it's the most wanted one, too.

she begins to feel as fiercely protective over him as he was for her back there... like he's this misunderstood animal she's took under her wing, she found him, so anyone who dares tells her he's worthy of slander and punishment can go through her first. "you're like me... protective." giving his hand a squeeze, stopping at the table in front of his bowl of oats mixed with maple syrup. and she admires that. "i sure admire that in a person." truly like they're made out of the same star. "thank you sweetheart, i appreciate you comin' to my defense like that." she pushes herself up on her tip toes and still has to gently tug him down here to kiss him on the cheek. "i foreshadowed, makin' you a nice bowl of oats as my gift," she jokes, smoothing her skirt down from behind and sitting down. "and thank you for the words of encouragement." what a sweet fellow, thinking a woman should be outspoken... now how she's supposed to hold her heart back from leaping out of her chest when he runs to her defense, sends billy taupe running and lets her know the way she is is perfectly acceptable.

[metamehta]

lads, can we take a second to talk about how dramione-coded The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is??? like I spent way too much time planning it out but omg it works as such a good freaking dark dramione au????

i'm never going to write this fic myself but ahh i just need to put it into the universe and hope theres some dramione fic writer who is already working on this idea.

let me map it out for you starting with the basics, and how certain aspects of hp could be changed to fit this hunger games dramione au.

coriolanus is our draco, aside from the physical features the two characters share (if you saw the trailer for the movie, you get it), we've got the aspect of both draco and coryo being self-serving, almost obsessive, their desire to maintain appearances and his general kissassery.

lucy gray is our hermione. this one is a bit less of a direct translation in terms of personalities - but we're changing the pureblood/muggleborn aspect to capitol/district. hermione in some dark fics is written as more of a hopeful ray of sunshine and that would work here

sejanus, was the one that inspired me to think of this au idea in the first place. if you read manacled, there's certain similarities between harry potter and sejanus plinth - both are brave and want to do good, but in both stories go about trying to bring change in the most foolhardy ways.

moving on, we got

dr gaul is bellatrix - no description needed, theyre both absolutely unhinged

the slytherin kids and other hp characters like ernie mcmillan, cho chang etc as coryo's classmates in the capitol. marietta of course, as Clemensia to mirror the way she is also scarred in canon

billy taupe is ron - now i love ron, but this works best with the idea of old dramione fics with their ron bashing, especially when you can have mayfair as lavender

playing a bit more with hp family dynamics, i'd change the covey's to be the weasley children (basically i'm just destroying the whole weasley family and for what?), with maude ivory as ginny

ma plinth as molly weasley - good food

strabo plinth as lucius malfoy - yeah i know im breaking up lucius/narcissa and arthur/molly but it works with the characterization

these last two characters are a bit tricky, and i need you to stick with me for this. instead of having crassus snow be lucius malfoy - i would actually have grindelwald be draco's father. why? so that we can have the canon aspect of the grindelwald - dumbledore relationship in coryo's father and dean highbottom. i know it would be more intuitive to have dumbledore as a rebel leader but idk this dark dramione au aspect demands a dumbledore thats kinda broken down

[songbirdreaped]

❝ it's a school musical, bashful, ❞ the brown eyed girl began, already making use of the new nickname she'd come up with, ❝ for all he knows, you could be there for some extra credit for a class. but, if you're worrying that much about something that's nothing, then i'll introduce you to him. maybe friday night ? there's this party and since mayfair is going home for the weekend, i'm able to attend without causing drama. maybe you could tag along ! ❞ lucy gray suggested with a cheeky grin, unaware that she'd be spending her friday night way differently. her already pinkish cheeks darkened in hue as he complimented her. he made her feel things she hadn't felt from billy taupe since she'd first been crushing on him, back when the only thing they worried about was whether or not they'd have a chaperone on their date. thankful for him calling her annoying, lucy gray was able to cover up the fact that she was practically making heart eyes at coriolanus. ❝ my momma always said i'm not annoying, just an acquired taste, thank you very much, ❞ the brunette chuckled as she teased back.

A tiny smile curled his lips, of course he wouldn't mind. "I know...I just wouldn't want him wondering why I was there. Me, a stranger to him, of course. Since I've never properly met him. Perhaps, I should soon?" Coryo questioned, just to see what she'd think about that; when he knew he wasn't going to. "I will, I promise. I'm wishing you all the luck in the world, but I doubt you need it with talent behind you." he reassured once more, it was honesty even if he would like to see her blush some more. "Remember you? I don't think anyone could forget you." he blurts, then realizes he's on the verge on blushing. "With– how annoying you are, of course. Remember." he quickly saves, amusingly smiling at the brunette.

[lucygraysboy]

“one slice is for you,” billy supplies with a bashful smile, figuring there’s no further follow up needed. this one line explains everything. straightening up as she pushes him away from the table, he pulls his phone out of the front pocket of his pants and lays it in front of himself, screen flipped over so that it’s not a distraction but a reminder — he’s supposed to show her pictures of charlie and his classmates later. “besides, i skipped lunch today ‘cause i wanted to get here on time. i’m starvin’, alright?” he rests a hand on his flat stomach and gives it a rub, acting like winnie the pooh. “what if it’s one of these universal truths that applies to everyone?” teasing as his playful eyes remain fixated on her olive visage, he can’t help but laugh at how seriously she seems to be taking this conversation. he shakes his head and reaches a hand out, trying to find hers across the table. a peace offering. a truce.

“believe me?” his voice high-pitched as he mocks her, brows shooting up as he tries to make sense of what he’s just heard. he freezes in place, waiting for the punchline that, he eventually realizes, isn’t coming. “what?” he snaps, and while his tone isn’t necessarily angry, it’s definitely frustrated. he catches himself and opens his mouth to walk his reaction back a little but the opposite happens. “now i don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout. thought you wanted to…” wait until marriage. “did he…” force her to do this? billy can’t bring himself to form a coherent sentence, staring at his girlfriend like a deer in headlights. his insides twisting. if he’d initially had any remorse regarding the whole billy taupe situation, they’re gone now. it has nothing to do with purity culture or virginity, and everything to do with the fact that billy taupe laid hands on her in that way, too. fuck billy taupe.

brows perked, she wondered how in the world he was going eat TWO sandwiches and a giant waffle? with TWO different pieces of pie flavor? talk about cholesterol and diabetes. “you’re gonna be sick eatin’ all that. just and wait and see when you’re pukin’ in the bathroom with an achin’ stomach. or either it comin’ out the other end.” she shook her head like an annoyed mother, the first words flying out of her mouth once the waitress is gone. warm honey eyes meeting blues, they looked towards the table momentarily before looking back up at him. “oh. well, i ain’t some yankee. so guess that ain’t much for applyin’ to me, sweet babe.” patting his cheek, giving him an innocent smile. gently pushing him back by his shoulder when he starts laughing. jaw setting when she thinks he must’ve found that out personally… about new york hookers playing innocent and then being ‘freaks in sheets’. “actually, no i can’t. there’s nothin’ to grip. hair is a lot more fun, believe me.” she throws out anything, even if she didn’t know from any experience but she had a big and open imagination so it wasn’t hard to use it. maybe it’d even sound like she’d know from her own experience. as much as it disgusted her letting him think billy taupe taught her anything, in that moment, it wasn’t so bad from the anger at the idea he’d been hooking up with women since he was gone. “what do you mean? i don’t know what you’re talkin’ about.” lucy gray played innocent, looking at her pretty acrylic nails with a french tip as something to distract herself with.

[lucygraysboy]

“it’s  very  admirable,  you  know?  all  this  love  that  you  have  in  your  heart,  for  animals  and  humans  alike,”  he  muses  with  a  sweet,  sheepish  smile,  not  a  hint  of  dishonesty  in  his  voice.  he  wonders  if  the  preacher  has  any  idea  what  a  gem  lives  under  his  roof,  if  he  ever  complements  lucy  gray  on  her  personality  and  this  need  to  mother  every  broken,  miserable,  abandoned  creature.  does  he  take  the  time  to  make  her  feel  appreciated?  billy  highly  doubts  it,  and  makes  a  mental  note  to  himself  to  do  just  that  —  make  sure  lucy  gray  always  knows  how  lovely  she  is.  “tell  me  a  story,  what’s  the  craziest  thing  your  babies  ever  done?”  he  inquires,  watching  her  as  if  she  hung  the  stars.  god,  she’s  just  so  beautiful,  inside  and  out.  it  blows  his  mind  that  billy  taupe  broke  her  heart  and  let  her  go.  what  an  idiot.  “you’re  hurtin’  my  feelings  now.  i’d  never  lie  ‘bout  ruby  jean.”  his  features  soften,  sky-blue  eyes  growing  bashful  as  part  of  him  expects  her  to  laugh  at  him  or  tell  him  how  that’s  girly  but  when  no  such  thing  happens…  his  heart  skips  a  beat  and  he  falls  for  her  on  a  whole  new  level.

“oh,  love,”  fully  in  character  again,  he  keeps  his  right  hand  on  the  baby  doll  as  if  she  could  roll  over  and  hurt  herself,  but  uses  the  left  one  to  cup  lucy  gray’s  face.  the  calloused  pad  of  his  thumb  stroking  her  cheekbone  with  affection,  something  that  he  doesn’t  even  have  to  fake.  his  eyes  sparkling  brightly  as  they  meet  her  cocoa  hues,  love  brimming  inside  them.  “i  know  it’s  been  hard  on  you,  but  i  promise  we’ll  move  out  of  here  one  day,  have  a  house  of  our  own,  with  enough  bedrooms  to  fit  all  of  our  babies.  buttercup,  honey,  daisy,  your  mama’s  the  strongest  woman  i  know.”  the  corners  of  his  lips  twitching,  threatening  to  break  into  a  smile.  it’s  all  fun  and  games  until  his  heart  realizes  how  beautiful  a  life  like  this  would  be,  and  how  he’ll  never  have  anything  even  remotely  similar  to  this  fantasy,  not  with  a  woman  like  her…  he  could  never  do  it  to  someone  with  such  a  beautiful,  innocent  heart.  

“billy  the  second.  now  that’s  a  real  honor.  i  don’t  even  know  what  to  say.”  all  choked  up,  now  this  is  the  part  he  does  fake  just  to  amuse  her,  but  then…  if  he  lets  himself  think  about  a  real  baby  named  after  him,  the  emotion  written  across  his  face  is  anything  but  fake.  “little  billy  boy.  he  might  have  my  eyes,  but  look  at  him,  he’s  as  beautiful  as  his  mama.  you’re  an  angel,  doll  face.”  he  can  feel  the  warmth  of  her  skin  beneath  his  palm,  sees  the  rosiness  that  floods  her  cheeks,  and  has  to  force  himself  to  move  his  hand  away.  he  could  watch  her  turn  red  for  hours  and  hours.  using  a  knuckle,  he  lovingly  caresses  the  newborn’s  hand.  playing  house  with  this  girl  comes  so  naturally  to  him  that  he  keeps  forgetting  himself.  “not  my  first  rodeo,  is  it?”  he  laughs,  tilting  his  chin  up  as  she  praises  him.  it  makes  him  feel  all  fluttery  inside.  “we  have  two  older  ones.  four’s  a  good  number,  don’t  you  think?”  accepting  her  help,  he  unbuttons  daisy’s  outfit  and  pulls  it  up.  he  takes  off  her  soiled  diaper,  making  a  face  and  pretending  to  gag  even,  “girl,  what’s  your  mama  been  feedin’  you,  hm?  lucy  gray,  you  sure  this  isn’t  a  little  skunk?  sure  it’s  our  baby?”

"that's sure right. they're all crazy in their own little ways, but so am i. so i just take them how they are and love 'em each to death no matter how crazy it gets sometimes." the brunette answers, softly laughing with a gleeful smile. even little maude ivory who she babies to death, like a big sister and a mother all at the same time more than a cousin. she always makes sure to hold her hand when they're walking through the woods or at church or in town, tend to her knees and lets her cry in her lap when she wants more attention to her emotions than she does her actual scraped knees. it takes someone instinctive and intuitive to even pick up on those things, though. or it could just easily be seen as maude ivory being extra clumsy or super attention seeking. when really, she was just attention deprived. "i thought you might've been kiddin'. but now i know you're definitely telling the truth bout ruby jean." amusingly she smiled, which told her he was this sweet sided even when he was little. they would've gotten along so well back then. "now you be quiet on that kinda talk, honeypie. don't go fillin' their heads with silly lies. i do appreciate all that hard work and sacrifice you make for us, i just wish you could be a little closer to us. mama gets mad only because she misses her husband and father of her babies too much." lucy gray plays, cheeks threatening to hurt from the smile trying to ache and take over them. "i named him after you, of course. billy the second." she's playing along and gently laughing when she notices him looking at her in a way she could easily return, but the feelings that well in her chest because of it... scare her or programmed to scare her so she acts like she's focusing something else. both, she'd say. he makes it worse by being so delicate with baby dolls, she can't imagine how much more gentle he'd be if they were real life babies. and didn't that just make her heart swell until it hurt? a man so kind with children, such a rare sight to behold. it made her cheeks flush at how it filled her with fluttery and beautiful feelings in the pit of her belly. "well, look at you." she spoke up, placing a hand on his back and giving a proud smile like any girl would at a man being so sweet-tempered and a good father. "doing so great at this." she grinned, then reached out with her free hand to help him unbutton the girl doll's outfit.

[ofdrivensnow]

"That's not true," not with a powerful voice like that one– but he didn't want to keep bragging on her. It would sound too much like... flirting, dare he say it. "That's a good thing, then. You can stop calling me bashful and I'll rightfully keep calling you blushy." he amusingly smiles just because he essentially just pointed out a way to get her to stop calling him bashful and she was easing right into it, until now probably. Lucy Gray's next answer starts out as enjoyment to his ears, especially noting how he's first before all of them but it's having to hear Billy Taupe's name included that something starts to burn a hole through his chest. Jealousy. What about Greasy Taupe was possibly sophisticated? He didn't deserve that title. The guy barely look like he bathed, let alone had an ounce of sophistication to him. And his dialect... it was endearing when Lucy Gray did it, spoke so country. But her boyfriend– was nothing more than a hillbilly to him, sounded like one, acted like one. His mind was burning with anger, he just kept it far away from touching the surface of his eyes. His mind registered anger, but his gaze displayed stoic and playful. "I'm not sure you know the meaning of sophisticated, then." he sassed after a long moment passed, discreet devious little smile twitching one corner of his lips. Promised he wouldn't attack Billy Taupe anymore, not out loud to her, but he simply couldn't help himself because it irked him so much. "It did too, you just manhandled me, you know." Coryo continues to tease then he stifles a laugh; looking at her odd, but thoroughly humored by it. "No, keep it. That's such a perfect nickname, honey." he replied sarcastically, coyly smiling.

❝ you have too much confidence in me, i could totally bomb my audition tomorrow, ❞ she sighed as she chewed on her bottom lip. her biggest worry was choking in front of everybody. ❝ because it's too close to bashful, and that's taken by you. ❞ lucy gray let out a chuckle and shook her head. when he ended up agreeing to meeting billy taupe at the party, the brunette couldn't help but to wonder why he'd changed his mind. ❝ i'll text you it later. ❞ lucy gray hummed as she considered who she knew that was sophisticated. ❝ well, you for one, and billy taupe. then there's my friends back home. . . ❞ she trailed off before giving an exaggerated eye roll. ❝ it did not, you big baby. hmph. maybe that should be your nickname. baby, ❞ it wasn't until the word left her mouth that she'd realized that would not be a good nickname. ❝ wait, don't say anything i know that's not a good nickname. i realized after i said it. ❞

[songbirdreaped]

❝ you have too much confidence in me, i could totally bomb my audition tomorrow, ❞ she sighed as she chewed on her bottom lip. her biggest worry was choking in front of everybody. ❝ because it's too close to bashful, and that's taken by you. ❞ lucy gray let out a chuckle and shook her head. when he ended up agreeing to meeting billy taupe at the party, the brunette couldn't help but to wonder why he'd changed his mind. ❝ i'll text you it later. ❞ lucy gray hummed as she considered who she knew that was sophisticated. ❝ well, you for one, and billy taupe. then there's my friends back home. . . ❞ she trailed off before giving an exaggerated eye roll. ❝ it did not, you big baby. hmph. maybe that should be your nickname. baby, ❞ it wasn't until the word left her mouth that she'd realized that would not be a good nickname. ❝ wait, don't say anything i know that's not a good nickname. i realized after i said it. ❞

"It will be," Coryo corrects, smiling with hint. "Why not, blushy?" he chuckles, tilting his head in an amused manner. "No, you're right..." he decides, thinking it over and deciding a party would at least be better of a scene than a quiet one. At least a party there would be other people to kill at least some of the awkwardness. "At the party will be fine. You'll just have to give me the location and time." Although, he doesn't think he'll even show but he won't tell her that. "Sophisticated." The blond repeats, another soft laugh sounding from him as he rubs his arm, pretending it hurt, "And who are these sophisticated people, Lucy Gray? I imagine them to be few and far between." Playfulness etched across his features, smirking at her. "And that hurt, by the way." he fibs, trying to fight back his smile.

[songbirdreaped]

❝ so that you don't have to be mean to match grumpy, ❞ lucy gray answered sweetly as she grinned. as he denied being bashful, she couldn't help but to laugh. he was so cute and the brunette couldn't help the way he occupied her mind. ❝ you so are bashful ! ❞ she exclaimed, laugh echoing through her dorm room as she shook her head, unable to believe he was denying his bashfulness. ❝ the mechanics, ❞ lucy gray repeated and wrote it down on the top of her scratch sheet of paper with a sparkly pink pen. she liked taking notes in glitter gel pens, they were much prettier that way. as she tried to think of what else to write down, she ended up getting distracted. ❝ if i sing my audition song for tomorrow, will you give me feedback ? like, tell me if it's absolutely terrible ? ❞ coriolanus seemed the type to give blunt feedback, to not hold back on his opinion. she needed that. any time she ran her song by billy taupe, he looked out of it the entire time and then said something along the lines of ' that was good. ' while giving no constructive feedback.

"So now I deserve a new nickname? Why is that?" Head tilts, amused smile blooming across his lips again as he's curious to know what's changed. How did he get her calling him grumpy to something nicer? He has to wonder what he did. "Bashful... oh, no, I'm anything but bashful. I assure." he chuckles, shaking his head and his hands in front of him to completely deny. Despite bashfulness being absolutely embedded deep into him. If she can deny things, then he can too. "The mechanics." Coryo answers, but felt like continuing to temporarily ignore school work for once in his life to keep this playful exchange up with Lucy Gray. Which reminds him... exactly what he was afraid of, why he kept pushing her away in the first place. He knew she'd be bad news for him. He has to find it in him to return to that state, instead of allowing her a side to him he didn't reveal to anyone else besides his cousin and his mother at one time.

[songbirdreaped]

shaking off her thoughts that were growing darker about her relationship with billy taupe, she glanced over to coriolanus, a small smile spreading across her face as he spoke. ❝ maybe we could find you a new nickname. we could call you happy, ❞ the brunette set her diary down, tapping her finger to her lips in contemplation. ❝ or bashful, ❞ lucy gray commented once she noticed how sheepish he was getting. she had to quickly force her thoughts of how cute he looked out of her head. maybe once he left, she'd write about that in her diary -- the way he reacted to her calling him sweet. lucy gray was at war with herself. she'd never cheat on billy taupe, of course, but something inside of her was falling for coriolanus. she'd have to call him later, get her mind on billy taupe and off of coriolanus. ❝ okay, okay, focus. the project is on music. what kind of music ? or are we talking more broad -- the mechanics of instruments ? ❞

"Then I guess I'll know..." he decides to just agree, but it felt uncanny because she was someone on his mind from the second he saw her. "But it'll have to be a one in a million kind of person, everyone seems to connect with just anybody. It's not like that for me." Coryo informs then hears her claim how she has that, but how amusing... it didn't seem that way. Amusing? Or actually just sad? He wasn't sure who she was trying to fool... him or herself. It didn't even make sense to him why she was denying it after just wishing she had so called love, in the way she spoke about it. He looked in disbelief, but didn't argue with her like those times before; that only seemed to drive her deeper into her delusions for Billy Taupe and she needed to see him for how he really is. In time, she would, he thought. "Sweet?" Light humor crossed his visage, before something caused him to be endeared by being called that. He hadn't heard that, since his mother was alive. She reminded him of her in more ways than one. He had to snap out of his thoughts, eventually he was just dazed and hypnotized. The word from earlier... as he blinked away the softness in his gaze after staring at her too long. "That means I definitely should do some catching up on being grumpy. I have to live up to my name, after all." he chuckled sheepishly, glancing down and focusing on his shirt all the sudden. Pretending there's something on the white button up, dusting it off.

[billysgirllol]

“no, because they’re two different things.” lucy gray reiterates, “but you wouldn’t know that because whoever that girl is— well, you clearly didn’t love her or you would’ve stayed with her. and it was all in one night, so that tells me all you felt was lust. did you have any other girlfriends?” questioning to try and understand if he’s even felt love at all. the only way he has if he’s had another girlfriend she doesn’t know about. but that would mean he’d know the differences, wouldn’t it? then again, how did she know it, without experiencing either one. she didn’t know how she knew how, she just knew she was right about it though. “i thought he was cute, bein’ a coal miner— workin’ hard and putting a lot on the line. it takes someone brave to do that type of job so a little bit younger me thought that was just so swell. so fascinating and something to find attractive, i’m guessin’.” she awkwardly recalled all of it, shy doe eyes looking else where. but why was he snorting? that brought her attention back to him right away, with a tiny scowl on her soft features. why’d he look so pleased? “whenever he thinks i’m old enough to date boys. he says they ain’t mature enough yet…guess he was right about billy taupe.” so far this billy was more mature than billy taupe, other than being reckless with his body.

“i can’t do that, cause you already got one back wherever you crawled out from over that way.” she catches his wrist, pulling his hand away from her itchy nose due to his tap and points at him with her free hand. “and not me endin’ up bein’ a single mother, like flossy sue back over yonder.” the more annoyed she gets, the more her home accent grows thicker. and annoyance— something she’s GRATEFUL for because he just spoke about how he can arrange her having a baby which had her heart pounding in how bashful that made her feel. even if it was all just a joke. “mhm…well, they got no respect for themselves.” neither do men, but she couldn’t point that out because that would look like she was attacking him too. “it applies for all the species.” so he wouldn’t think she was just attacking women either. suddenly her attention picks up, becoming alert when the bottle splashes in the tub— oh well, probably a good thing because her father probably would notice. watching him get all bent out of shape, it starts successfully lifting amusement on her face, starting in her belly then a devious smile breaks across her lips without being able to help it. “well, hold on a second. if i didn’t care about that though, that’s what would happen.” surprise deepened in her eyes, brows shooting up. then he starts speaking spanish which encourages that surprise, “do what, billy antrim? i thought you were irish, not spanish.” she turned in place from where she was leaving, watching him avoid her. this was definitely what she’d call satisfaction. never did she find herself a revengeful person, but this must be the first time she enjoyed the thrill of it. getting him back for all of those things he said.

“or lust. i don’t think that’s love, i think that might just be lust. which are two different things.” the songstress points out, kind of feeling sad he thinks his body shouldn’t be treasured more. but that is all up to him, of course. it's not her thoughts to make him feel guilty for. “well, the attraction between me and billy taupe was there but i didn’t make a beeline to get his bloomers off.” her cheeks flushed, matching the same color as his. “hm… i thought i was. but that was all just because billy taupe was the first guy i saw. the preacher’s always made an effort to keep me from guys, until the ‘time’s right’.” she doesn’t think that’ll ever happen, he'll ever actually give her the announcement he's okay with her finding a boyfriend if she wants one. unless he picks the guy out for her which then…she’d have to run away. she’d have to leave all of her beloved animals behind and just run at that point.

“mhm…well, if that’s so. you need to get back on home to your two kids.” lucy gray gently scolds, finding her own self jealous. if he really was a dad, she’d find herself pretty mad right now. for disappearin' on the babies and for....something she couldn't put a finger on. “yeah, sure is. and so i won’t be known as the town’s hussy, so that’s a plus too.” saying passively, pursing her lips and gently sticking her nose up as she slowly looks the other way in disdain. cause that’s what that girl is to her, the one he got tangled up with. a hussy, a floozy. she bets his mama would feel the same cuddling up with floozies, too. but that'd be wrong to say out loud.

“so that’s how it goes, then.” accordin’ to him. now her mind is brewing up something good to say, that’ll probably embarrass them both. but it’ll be something worth it. “say you were attracted to me and me attracted to you… that’s what would happen? that’s what we’d do? and us bein’ these strangers still.” brows lift as she feels the heat on her ears touch her locks framing them. that sounds surreal, she can’t get past it he feels so differently when she feels how insane and embarrassing that'd be.

“well,” she thinks on it as he makes her sit back down, she really doesn’t want him cleaning it himself, “that’s fine…on a day when you’re not needin’ to rest and heal your body.” but she could tell he wouldn’t stop arguing her on that either, which was sweet but it wasn’t right while he’s still weak and just needs to rest. “i’ll tell you more about it soon,” he grabs his wrist to assist standing back up again, “but i’ll gather my pajamas first to get ready for my bath. and be careful- don’t get any glass in your skin too.”