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be-ready-when-i-say-go · 2 years ago

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A Moment's Surprise--Chapter 14

Whether it’s called an accident or the fates of the universe, you and Calum find yourselves taking on the next level of your relationship: parenthood.

Reader (Gender Neutral) X Calum. Multi-chapter Series.

Series Note: Across this series, pregnancy is discussed thoroughly. While I have made this series specifically a reader insert and have done my best to avoid coding for cis women, I am taking this moment to acknowledge that this content may not be suitable for every reader. I want to acknowledge even if I’ve been careful some things (like uteri) are still mentioned and if that causes you discomfort please DO NOT read this. You may keep scrolling (as there is a read more) / skip this series as necessary.

Series Masterlist

Joy returns to the living room, refilled glasses in her hand. In the months that she’s stayed with you, the two of you have obtained a ritual. While the weekdays can feel like a whirlwind, you two still try to build a space in the evenings that are a bit slower. And over the last five months, you and Joy make an evening ritual of watching at least one episode of a show together. A Korean romantic drama currently holds your two attention and while sometimes the antics felt overdramatic, the laughs were more than welcomed. The weekends, when they are not filled with errands, are dedicated to either a maximum of three episodes or a couple movies. It’s nice to have a space for just the two of you to bond.

This weekend is no exception. You and Joy have agreed to finish out the season as there are only two episodes left. Between the first and second episode, there is a small snack break. And you need it. The last week or so a background feeling of being uncomfortable had settled. Though you had managed to continue on with your daily life and tasks, today just seems to be the day that the feeling cannot be ignored. The break had given you a chance to get up, as a struggle that it was, and walk around. But now that you were settling back in for the last episode of the show, you had a feeling that the sort of discomfort should be something that you vocalized more.

Your due date was still two weeks out. And even though you’d told Calum it was just an estimate, you still used it as a sort of benchmark. Two weeks wasn’t terribly early, but you didn’t want to believe anything would happen just yet. There was still time. “You’re sure you’re okay?” Joy asks, watching you readjust yet again in your spot on the couch.

You nod. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

She holds her gaze on you for a moment longer. Your brows seem to be wrinkled just ever so slightly at the middle of your forehead and they’ve been that way for the last couple hours as well. She didn’t want to suspect anything was wrong, but Joy also knows that the thing can’t dismiss is her own gut. “Let me know if that changes, alright?”

“Of course,” you return, “you know that.” You hit play and the show’s introduction and theme song cues up around you.

It’s silly. It’s ridiculous. But as much as you felt like not yourself in the last few weeks of your pregnancy, the reality of giving birth and becoming a parent frightened you. What if you fucked it all up? What if you weren’t cut out to be a parent? All the books and sessions couldn’t truly override the fear that creeps up. What if it all fell apart on you before you even had the chance to feel like you had it together in the first place?The episode doesn’t even settle into your brain as it goes. You’re too caught up in the spiral of your thoughts. And like a pinch, your stomach hints at a twinge of pain.

“It’s okay, just breathe, dear.”

You know it’s Joy. Her touch is soft and reassuring. But your own heart races in your ears. Your blood thumps against your veins, jumping at your neck. Could it all really happen right now?

“Just breathe,” Joy softly commands.

You take in a breath, letting it slide in through your nostrils and when you exhale you let it all slip out over your tongue and lips. It feels easy enough but the seconds continue and the pain doesn’t exactly stop. You repeat the action, inhaling and exhaling.

“That’s it,” Joy praises. She waits for the confirmation that the contraction has passed before she moves towards the coffee table. Her fingers are steady as she dials Calum’s number. The phone rings and rings and rings in her ears. The voicemail picks up and Joy leaves a brief message, knowing that she will call back again. The next call is to your doula. This time the phone connects and Joy talks calmly. You listen in on the evenness to her voice, the accent that colors her words and it’s a small wave of peace.

_________________

Calum’s phone rings from the right of Michael. It’s the second time it’s rang in the last five minutes. He halfway wonders if he should answer it, knowing he never has previously. But everyone knows Calum’s been on edge. Since the baby shower, getting him to settle longer than ten minutes before he’s checking his phone has been hard if he’s out without you. Michael understands it the most. Calum just doesn’t want to miss anything, he wants to be there after having been away for so much of your pregnancy.

Before Michael can settle his internal debate, the door to the room opens and Michael looks up to see Calum returning from the restroom. “Your phone’s rang twice since you left, mate,” Michael states, lifting the device up off the table.

Though it is a weekend, and the guys agreed not to let the band interfere too much with personal time off, the weekend was the only time Calum left okay enough to leave you, since he knew his mum would be there with you. So the guys worked around it for the time being. In all honesty, it hadn’t mattered at all until it came to vocal sessions which were mostly done individually with the group session sprinkled in and right now. Today only needed to be a couple hours long to review the tour plans, the set, lightning and ensure that everyone was squared away for the Oceania dates starting up.

Calum nods as he takes his phone. “Thanks.”

He sees the two missed calls and voicemail from his mother. And in that moment, Calum’s barely thinking about the meeting still left. He calls his mother back, head swiveling to see where he set down his keys. They’d been in his pockets but he took them out he remembers at one point in the day. “Mum?” Calum states once he hears the split second of the call connecting. There’s a shaky edge to his voice that even rattles his own ears.

“Hi, love. Did you get my voicemail?”

Calum shakes his head. “No, no, I-I just called back when I saw you called twice. Is everything alright?”

Ashton gives a small whistle after noticing the panic swivel of Calum’s head. Calum snaps his head up in the direction and his keys come arching through the air at him from the gentle toss Ashton gives them. His mother’s voice floats in through the phone even and calm. “How fast can you get home?”

“I can leave now. What’s going on?”

“I don’t want your blood pressure to go through the roof,” she teases. “But thank your stars.”

“Are they in labor?” Calum asks aloud, tucking his phone between his shoulder to keep it pressed to his ear. He pats his back pocket and he’s still got his wallet where he left it. Calum’s fingertips feel like they are buzzing. The entire room snaps to Calum. They’d been listening in a polite way. Where one looks away and tries to actively tune out the conversation. But the word ‘labor’ causes everyone to tune into what Calum’s saying.

“Yes, son, it’s still early on. So we’ve got some time. I’m finalizing the hospital bag.” The moment his mother finishes the sentence Calum’s turning on his heel back towards the door. “The doula’s on her way. Things are okay on this end.”

“I’m on my way,” he answers.

“Drive safe, Calum. They’re going to be okay. I’ve got them. Promise.”

The buzzing crept up his arms, and his head started to swim. Panic. Calum knows the signs of the fear flooding his body. Recently the signs and the fear have plagued him more consistently than before. But the promise, the sincere weight of his mother’s words to ease the fear she knows is consuming him, puts a pause on the building fear. “Thanks, Mum. I’ll be home soon.”

“Of course. See you when you get here.”

The call ends and Calum slips the phone into his back pocket, fingers finding the keys and fob to his car as his feet cross over the threshold. The hallway suddenly feels endless, but Calum keeps putting one foot in front of the other.

“We’re getting baby Hood or what?” The voice echoes and Calum pauses to look back. All three of the boys are spilling out of the room. Ashton paused two steps from the door and Michael and Luke crowd around him. “Is it really happening?” Ashton asks. His smile breaks out across his face bright and wide. All of them hold wide grins on their faces.

The sight makes Calum smile too. A bit more of the fear is pushed down, his head feels less like he’s swimming. “It’s really happening,” Calum answers, his voice carries down too.

“Oh my god!” Michael screeches. He bolts down the hall and collides into Calum’s chest. “Tell them we’ll be there once you give us the all clear,” his voice is soft as he speaks.

Calum returns the embrace, tight, but quick. Hands pat backs and the slap is a slight echo up each of their chests. “You guys will be one of the first to know. Promise.”

The two men separate and Michael gently shoves Calum along. “Go, man, go! You have a baby to meet!”

“I’m going, I’m going,” Calum laughs in return. He takes a step down towards the exit doors.

“You’re not going fast enough,” Michael huffs. “Run! Go!”

In a light jog, Calum carries his body down the hallway, throwing one last wave back at his friends. “Love you guys!”

“Love you too!” The trio choruses back.

Where Calum’s drive home, longer than he would ever want thanks to traffic, is a mixture of frustration and excitement, the second Calum steps into the house he is relieved to only seem calm. You are pacing, the distinct heavy sigh of your sustained breathing cuts through the low volume of the TV. But there’s very little panic. A couple bags are nestled next to the door and Calum’s attention snaps down to the Duke closing in around his feet. Calum watches as Duke walks over to him, big eyes staring up at him and then looking over to you.

“I know,” Calum states to Duke. “That's why I’m here, big guy. I got ‘em, okay? Promise.” Calum’s careful as he approaches you, one not wanting to startle you and two because even though everything in him wants to comfort you, he knows there are somethings he will just never be able to understand.

“Baby, I’m here, okay? What do you need from me?” he asks gently. He’s half aware that getting the bags into the car is probably a priority. He hasn’t spotted his mother yet, but all he really wants and cares to focus on is you.

You complete the lap across the living room to him and rest your head on his shoulder. “They’re not too bad right now-the contractions. I just, I’m scared now too.”

He hums, dropping his head a little to rest against yours. “It’s okay to be scared. Fear in some ways means progress.”

You nod again. “Pacing helps for now.”

“Let me get the bags into the car and we can pace, okay?”

“I’ve got the bags,” his mother states. He’s not sure when she came up or where she came from. He only nods and keeps his attention on you. He doesn’t even worry something might be missing from the bags. There's a checklist for the checklists and Calum knows Joy won’t let the two of you falter at this moment, not in the slightest. Calum sways as you sway. He breathes as you breathe and having the mirror keeps you focused. Though there’s the twinge of fear that creeps up, you keep focused.

You can put together the drive. After three more laps in the living room, Joy and Calum are able to get you into the car. The neighborhood passes, the highway opens up. You are staring at the back of the cars in front of you, focusing on the license plate numbers as Calum talks next to you. You know you’re responding because you’re laughing. You know you’re aware because you remember how Joy kissed your forehead and promised she’d be there at the birthing center soon to meet you two and her first grandbaby after she got Duke settled. You know you’re aware because even you poke fun at how Calum raced to get home but couldn’t at least snag one of the boys to get Duke like they had agreed to do, though you know the agreement really was that the boys would alternate on who would check up on Duke while the three of you were away.

But no amount of breathing and reading off licenses and laughter really prepares you for the moment when you’re actively squatting, Calum’s arms hooked through your armpits to hold your weight and your back is up against his chest and you’re swearing you’ve never sweated so much in your entire life. Because even as the contraction does subside, though the relief won’t really be long, you know just on the other side of this is actually rearing a child. It’s actually real. And how can it all be real in the thick fog of sweat, and groans, and breathing? How could it all be real?

“I’m here, okay? I’m here,” Calum whispers into your ear. “You’re doing so well, love. You know that?”

Another contraction seizes your response, the gratitude replaced yet again with your breathing to ride through the pain. Calum’s chest expands against your back and you follow it to take the inhale. When his chest decompresses, you follow that lead to exhale. You can’t tell if he’s saying anything else at the moment, but you can feel the gentle brush of his lips against the shell of your ear.

The squeeze releases its grip from around you. Your head falls back just a bit and Calum doesn’t fight it. He lifts his head to accommodate you and then presses a kiss to your cheek. Now around your tongue aren’t the words thank you, because when you look at Calum you can see even the worry on his one face. “So, how was your day?” you ask in a tease.

Calum laughs, shaking his head. “You don’t get to ask me that. Not right now.”

“Oh why not?” you return. Your grin is brief, mostly because you can feel part of the fatigue trying to settle too thickly on you.

“You’re literally giving birth. I don’t think anything else matters.”

“Huh, could’ve fooled me.” You’d want to give a shrug, but you can’t, not with the lock Calum has under your arms. But you still try anyway. His smile replaces some of the worry lines. It makes your chest ease up a little at the sight.

The water is warm and you’re grateful for the small respite as you settle down into it. Time doesn’t really matter but you think how the hours must be crawling by for everyone else. Here though time feels like a foreign concept. Who cares how many hours? Who cares how many days? Who’s counting the seconds? There is only just now. The wall of the pool is thick enough that you do find it steady to recline into, but Calum settles behind you. It’s a comfort, you know he’s close, to hear his voice soothing at the part of your brain still attuned to him. Not that you’ve tuned everything out, you’re just zeroing in.

The drops and aches and contractions are all alerting you. You want to make sure you can hear it, the call from your body that once you start pushing there will be no stopping. You are zeroed in. You’re thankful that Calum is here and that your doula’s helping and you catch the nurses that pop in to cheer you on, but you are zeroing in. You don’t want to miss it. And you’re not sure you ever would.

What feels like a fleeting thought becomes a screeching reality. There’s Calum in your ear, softly encouraging you. There’s water lapping around you. There are grunts of exertion and without hesitation, you reach down knowing the head’s beyond crowned. You’d think it’d be harder and it is hard work; it is taking nearly every ounce of consciousness to remember to push but not to go too hard, but there’s something natural about it too. To catch his head and as another push sends him out you gently guide his body up.

And there is the very real thing in your arms. There are tears stinging behind your eyes and you can’t tell what’s sweat from what’s tears on your face. Not that it matters how separate the two are, because there is the very real thing in your arms.

“Amiri, look at you,” you coo. A rush of pride fills you, and the laughter turns up into a victorious cry from your lips. Amiri is the very real thing. There’s no room for fear. You love him--instantly, deeply, and fully you love the tiny baby boy in your arms.

“He’s so small,” Calum laughs from behind you. His hands hover like he wants to touch, but he’s too scared. And then with a rush of braveness, Calum runs his fingers gently over the top of his son’s head. “Hi, Pumpkin.”

“Welcome to the otherside,” your doula says softly.

__________________________

You watch Calum cradle Amiri to his chest. Amiri’s tiny hands rest near the silver fern tattoo on Calum’s bare chest and from your vantage point, it’s almost like Amiri’s holding the plant. You know the truth, that Calum is utterly obsessed and you are too, but mostly tired. Calum smiles up at you. “I’m whipped. Like I knew it was a high chance before, but god, he’s perfect.”

“You say that because you’ve yet to change a diaper,” you tease.

“Even his shits will be perfect.” A small tuft of laughter creeps up your chest. You gently run your fingers along Amiri’s back. He hardly stirs at the action, but you don’t mind it. “Thank you,” Calum whispers.

“You don’t have to thank me,” you state.

“I do. What you did wasn’t easy and no little task and I so appreciate it. For our little boy. I can’t--” Calum pauses hearing his own voice choke around the words. “I really can’t thank you enough.”

Pressing a kiss to Calum’s lips, you only pull back enough to glance down to Amiri again. “I know, love. I know. I’d do it again for him.”

“So a second child could definitely be on the horizon.”

You laugh besides yourself but nod. “Yes, but you’ll have to be prepared for the second round of, ‘Will you still love me if I shit myself in delivery?’” you state.

“You didn’t this time,” Calum counters. “And you know I would.”

“Guess I’ll have to get pregnant again to see if you’re really man about your word.”

Calum’s grin is still a tad watery from his tears, but it’s just as bright as before. “Don’t give me any ideas."

Tagging: @busstop @wiiildflowerrr @wonderlandiswhereitsatyo @icelily13 @fandomfoodiedancer @markaylafruitcup @one-sweet-gubler @carma-fanficaddict @sunflowercalum @rosie-posie08

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synchronousemma · 3 years ago

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Chronology

Format

A date or approximate date is given, followed by a brief summary of the events of that day, and the corresponding section of the novel that should be read (where one exists). The inclusion of a weekday (e.g. "Thursday, 23 December") indicates a date that is certain. Page numbers given refer to the Norton Critical Edition (3rd ed.); volume and chapter numbers are also given for the benefit of those using different editions. The format is as follows: Vol. #, ch. # (the chapter number within that volume) / [#] (the chapter number out of all volumes, for those whose editions are not organised by volume); p. # ("opening quote" to "closing quote").

Timeline

Volume I

A day in late September, 1813 / 2021: Miss Taylor marries Mr. Weston in the morning. That afternoon or evening, Emma and Mr. Woodhouse dine, after which Emma reflects on her loss as Mr. Weston naps. Later that night, Mr. Knightley visits and he and Emma argue. Vol. 1, ch. 1; pp. 1–7 (“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich” to “Depend upon it, a man of six or seven-and-twenty can take care of himself”).

Over the next “few days” (beginning soon after "Sept. 28," late September or early October): the neighbours discuss “the handsome letter Mrs. Weston had received” from Frank. Vol. 1, ch. 2; pp. 7–10 (“Mr. Weston was a native of Highbury” to “nor much likelihood of ceasing to pity her”).

A “few weeks” later (late October): neighbours cease to compliment Mr. Woodhouse on the wedding and the wedding cake has been “eat up.” Vol. 1, ch. 2; pp. 10–11 (“but a few weeks brought some alleviation to Mr. Woodhouse” to “Mr. Woodhouse would never believe it”).

Throughout October: Emma gathers company for her father during many “long evening[s].” Vol. 1, ch. 3; pp. 11–13 (“Mr. Woodhouse was fond of society” to “long evenings she had fearfully anticipated”).

“One morning” some time later (still October, per Folsom): Mrs. Goddard introduces Harriet to Emma. That evening, they sup together with Mrs. and Miss Bates and Mr. Woodhouse. Vol. 1, ch. 3; pp. 13–15 (“As she sat one morning” to “shaken hands with her at last”).

“Soon” afterward (early November): Harriet Smith becomes a regular at Hartfield and is often in company with Mr. Knightley, Mr. Weston, and Mr. Elton. Harriet and Emma discuss Robert Martin. Vol. 1, ch. 4; pp. 15–9 (“Harriet Smith’s intimacy at Hartfield” to “oppose any friendly arrangement of her own”).

“The very next day”: Harriet and Emma meet Mr. Martin and compare him to Knightley, Elton, and Weston. Emma schemes to unite Harriet and Elton. Vol. 1, ch. 4; pp. 19–21 (“They met Mr. Martin” to “be conquered by Mr. Elton’s admiration”).

Around this time: Harriet begins "spending more than half her time [at Hartfield], and gradually getting to have a bed-room appropriated to herself" (vol. 1, ch. 8; p. 36), given that some time shortly before the "middle of December" (vol. 1, ch. 10; p. 54) this will have been the case for "some weeks" (vol. 1, ch. 8; p. 36). Mr. Knightley and Mrs. Weston argue about Harriet and Emma’s friendship. Vol. 1, ch. 5; pp. 22–25 (“I do not know what your opinion may be” to “nothing more to say or surmise about Hartfield”).

Late November or early December: Emma and Mr. Elton discuss Harriet. Vol. 1, ch. 6; pp. 25–26 (“Emma could not feel a doubt” to “which had a vast deal of the lover”).

A day in "December": Harriet sits for a portrait that Emma is creating to attract Mr. Elton. Vol. 1, ch. 6; pp. 26–29 (“She was not less pleased another day” to “Mr. Elton's very promising attachment was likely to add”).

The "next day": Harriet sits again. Vol 1, ch. 6; pp. 29–31 (“The same civilities and courtesies” to "it is his gratitude on Harriet’s account").

A day soon after: Mr. Elton goes to London to get the portrait framed. Harriet tells Emma that Mr. Martin has proposed to her. Emma influences her answer. Harriet sleeps at Hartfield. Vol 1, chs. 7-8; pp. 31–36 (“The very day of Mr. Elton’s going to London” to “as much as possible just at present”).

The next morning: Harriet leaves, and Mr. Knightley and Emma argue about Mr. Martin’s proposal. Harriet returns for a visit of “some days.” Vol 1, ch. 8; pp. 36–44 (“She was obliged to go the next morning” to “not his equal for beauty or agreeableness”).

Perhaps a few days later, “longer than usual” since Mr. Knightley’s last visit: Mr. Knightley visits Hartfield again, acting grave after his and Emma’s quarrel. Emma does not question her plans. Vol. 1, ch. 9; pp. 44–45 (“Mr. Knightley might quarrel with her” to “the general appearances of the next few days”).

The "next" day: Harriet’s portrait is hung in Hartfield. Emma and Harriet begin their riddle-book. Emma asks Mr. Elton for a contribution. Vol. 1, ch. 9; pp. 44–45 (“The Picture, elegantly framed” to “Miss Smith could inspire him”).

The morning of "the very next day": Mr. Elton presents his charade. Later in the morning (just before four o'clock), Emma tells Mr. Elton that she will add the charade to their book. Vol. 1, ch. 9; pp. 45–54 (“The very next day however” to “the sublime of pleasure to Harriet’s share").

The next day, “the middle of December”: Emma and Harriet pay a charitable visit to “a poor sick family.” They meet Mr. Elton. Vol. 1, ch. 10; pp. 54–59 (“Though now the middle of December” to “forward to the great event”).

The few days preceding December 18: Emma looks forward to her sister’s visit and so neglects her Harriet/Elton project. Vol. 1, ch. 11; pp. 59–60 (“Mr. Elton must now be left to himself” to “the party the last half of the way”).

December 17 or 18 (given that they stay “ten days,” counting the days of their arrival and departure): Mr. John Knightley, Isabella Knightley, and the children arrive at Hartfield. Mr. Knightley dines with the party. Vol. 1, chs. 11–12; pp. 60–70 (“his alarms were needless” to “prevented any renewal of it”).

December 18 or 19 to the 22: Mrs. Isabella Knightley visits her old neighbours. Vol. 1, ch. 13; pp. 70–71 (“There could hardly be an happier creature” to “consulted in every thing”).

Thursday, December 23: Harriet goes home with a cold. Vol. 1, ch. 13, p. 71 ("The evening before this great event" to "allowed her to leave the house").

Friday, December 24 (Christmas Eve): Emma visits a sick Harriet at Mrs. Goddard’s. Emma and Mr. Woodhouse spend the day with Mr. Knightley, Mr. Elton, and the Isabella Knightley party at Randalls. We learn that Mr. Frank Churchill is expected to come “before the middle of January.” They leave sometime during the night; Mr. Elton proposes to Emma; Emma reflects. Vol. 1, chs. 13–16; pp. 71–90 (“Emma called on her the next day” to “softened pain and brightened hope”).

Saturday, December 25 (Christmas): Emma wakes determined to be cheerful. The party at Hartfield is detained from attending church services by the weather. Vol. 1, ch. 16; pp. 90–91 (“Emma got up on the morrow” to “a most honourable prisoner”).

Sunday, December 26: Emma still feels obliged to remain at home because of the weather. She continues to dread telling Harriet of Mr. Elton’s proposal.. Vol. 1, ch. 16; p. 91 “No intercourse possible” through “for Emma to be ever perfectly at ease”).

Monday, December 27: The Isabella Knightley party leave Hartfield for London in order to arrive there on the 28th. Vol. 1, ch. 17; pp. 91–92 (“Mr. and Mrs. John Knightley were not detained long” to “her other complaint before the gentleman’s return”).

Tuesday, December 28 (Holy Innocents’ Day): Emma visits Harriet at Mrs. Goddard’s and tells her that Mr. Elton has proposed to her. Some time later, Emma brings Harriet to Hartfield.. Vol. 1, ch. 17; pp. 92–93 (“She went to Mrs. Goddard’s accordingly” to “to drive Mr. Elton from her thoughts”).

Over the next weeks: Emma continues to try to distract Harriet from her heartbreak. She proves more resolutely heartbroken than Emma had anticipated. Vol 1, ch. 17; p. 93 (“Time, she knew, must be allowed” to “no true peace for herself").

Near the middle of January 1814 / 2022: Mr. Frank Churchill does not come. Emma and Mr. Knightley argue about him. Vol. 1, ch. 18; pp. 93–8 ("Mr. Frank Churchill did not come" to "unjust to the merit of another").

Volume II

The week of January 9th (given that Jane Fairfax is expected “next week” “Friday or Saturday” (vol. 2, ch. 1 [19], p. 101), which must be the 21st or 22nd, since it is just before it will have been “four weeks” since Mr. Elton’s departure (vol. 2, ch. 3 [21]; p. 113)): Emma visits Miss Bates in a bid to distract Harriet. She has an ingenious suspicion regarding Jane Fairfax and Mr. Dixon. Vol. 2, ch. 1 [19]; pp. 98–104 (“Emma and Harriet had been walking together” to “able to escape the letter itself.”)

Friday, 21st January or Saturday the 22nd (according to Miss Bates, vol. 2, ch. 1 [19]; p. 101): Jane Fairfax arrives in Highbury.

Monday, 24th January ("the Monday following" Jane's arrival in Highbury, according to Miss Bates, vol. 2, ch. 1 [19]; p. 103): the Campbells leave London for Holyhead.

Between January 21 and 24: Emma sees Jane for the first time since her arrival when she pays the obligatory visit to the Bateses. Today or soon after, Emma tells Knightley that she has a high opinion of Jane’s beauty. Vol 2, ch. 2 [20]; pp. 104–108 (from “Jane Fairfax was an orphan” to “wish to scheme about for her.”

Tuesday, January 25 (“the next morning” (vol. 2, ch. 3 [21]; p. 109) is the 26th, since Miss Bates later remarks that Mr. Elton had left “four weeks [ago] yesterday” (ibid.; p. 113)): Jane Fairfax, Miss Bates, Mrs. Bates, and Mr. Knightley spend the evening at Hartfield. Emma fails at her resolution to like Jane better. Vol 2, ch. 2 [20]; pp. 108–109 (from “These were charming feelings” to “Emma could not forgive her”).

Wednesday, January 26: Mr. Knightley and Emma discuss Jane at Hartfield. Miss Bates and Jane Fairfax arrive with news of Mr. Elton’s engagement. Harriet arrives and tells Emma of her encounter with Mr. Martin. Vol. 2, ch. 3 [21]; pp. 109–116 (“Emma could not forgive her” to “any power of speech”).

The end of January to the beginning of February (at the end of this period, less than "a week" has passed since 26th January): news of Mr. Elton’s engagement spreads throughout Highbury. Miss Hawkins is well spoken of. Vol. 2, ch. 4 [22]; pp. 116–117 ("Human nature is so well disposed" to "highly accomplished, and perfectly amiable").

A "few days" (vol. 2, ch. 4 [22]; p. 119) after January 26: Elizabeth Martin tries to call on Harriet at Mrs. Goddard's.

Within the first few days of February: Mr. Elton returns to Highbury. Vol. 2, ch. 4 [22]; p. 117 ("and when Mr. Elton himself arrived" to "he would bring his bride").

Until February 8: Mr. Elton's stay in Highbury continues. Vol. 2, ch. 4 [22]; p. 118 ("During his present short stay" to "the Martins were forgotten").

Wednesday, February 9 (per Jo Modert, p. 57): Mr. Elton leaves Highbury. Harriet pays a very short visit to Abbey-Mill Farm. Mr. and Mrs. Weston tell Emma and Harriet that they expect Frank Churchill the next day. Frank arrives that evening, a day early. Vol. 2, ch. 5 [23]; pp. 120–122 (“and on the very morning of his setting off” to “they should both come in time”).

Thursday, February 10: Emma meets the long-awaited Frank Churchill. Vol. 2, ch. 5 [23]; pp. 122–126 (“The morning of the interesting day arrived” to “full confidence in their comfort”).

Friday, February 11: Frank Churchill and Mrs. Weston call at Hartfield. Emma, Frank, and Mrs. Weston walk about Highbury. Vol. 2, ch. 6 [24]; pp. 126–132 (“The next morning brought” to “allowed an early establishment”).

Saturday, February 12: Mr. and Mrs. Weston call at Hartfield and share the news that Frank had gone off to London to get his hair cut earlier that morning. Emma receives an invitation from the Coles and asks the Westons’ advice. Mr. Knightley visits after Mr. and Mrs. Weston have left (this may or may not be the same day) and hears of Frank’s adventure. Frank returns to Randalls in the evening. Vol. 2, chs. 7–8 [25–26]; pp. 132–137 ("Emma’s very good opinion of Frank Churchill" to "imperfection which could be concealed").

After the 12th and before the Coles’ party on the 15th: Emma sees Frank for the first time since he had gotten his hair cut in London. Vol. 2, ch. 8 [26]; p. 137 (“He came back, had had his hair cut” to “trifling or silly”).

Monday, February 14 (Saint Valentine's Day) (“the day before” (vol. 2, ch. 8 [26]; p. 139) the Coles’ party on “Tuesday” (ibid., p. 137)): A pianoforté arrives for Jane Fairfax, to be kept in the parlor at the Bateses’.

Tuesday, February 15: Emma, Frank Churchill, Mrs. and Mr. Weston, and Jane Fairfax arrive at the Coles’, Mrs. Bates and Mrs. Goddard’s being driven to Hartfield to keep Mr. Woodhouse company. The news of Jane’s new gift of a piano is shared. Emma shares her suspicions about Jane and Mr. Dixon with Frank. Vol. 2, ch. 8 [26]; pp. 137–149 (“With Tuesday came the agreeable prospect” to “‘agreed with me, after your’s’”).

Wednesday, February 16 ("the next day"): Emma reflects on her visit to the Coles. She and Harriet go to Ford’s. Mrs. Weston and Frank Churchill call on the Bateses. Vol. 2, chs. 9–10 [27–28]; pp. 149–160 (“Emma did not repent” to “before they set off for Randalls”).

February 17 (a “few days” (vol. 2, ch. 12 [30]; p. 167) before “two days” (ibid.) before “Tuesday” the 22nd (vol. 2, ch. 13 [31]; p. 172): Emma and Mr. Woodhouse spend the evening at Randalls. Emma and Frank scheme after another opportunity for dancing. Vol. 2, ch. 11 [29]; p. 160–162 (“It may be possible to do without dancing” to “quite amiable enough”).

February 18 (the "next day"): Frank Churchill arrives at Hartfield and shares Mr. Weston’s idea to have the ball at the Crown Inn. Emma, Frank, and Mr. and Mrs. Weston go to the Crown and discuss the particulars of the entertainment. Frank invites Miss Bates and her niece to view the prospected arrangements. Vol. 2. ch. 11 [29]; pp. 162–166 (“Before the middle of the next day” to “‘I knew he would!’”)

The "few days" before the 20: Preparations for the ball continue as Frank awaits permission from Enscombe to extend his stay in Highbury. Vol. 2, ch. 12; pp. 166–167 (“One thing only was wanting” to “of its being all in vain”).

Sunday, 20th February (Quinquagesima Sunday) (“two days” (vol. 2, ch. 12 [30]; p. 167) before “Tuesday” the 22nd (vol. 2, ch. 13 [31]; p. 172): Frank is not forbidden to stay long enough to attend the ball at the Crown. Vol. 2, ch. 12 [30]; p. 167 (“Enscombe however was gracious” to “but no love”).

Tuesday, February 22 (Shrove Tuesday): Frank Churchill receives a letter from Mr. Churchill telling him that he is expected immediately to attend an ill Mrs. Churchill. Mrs. Weston sends a note to apprise Emma of this news. Frank Churchill calls at the Bateses’ and then at Hartfield, where he is on the verge of confessing something. Vol. 2, ch. 12 [30]; pp. 167–171 (“Alas! there was soon no leisure” to “the languor of ill-health”).

Wednesday, February 23 (Ash Wednesday): Lenten season begins. Emma considers the nature of her feelings for Frank Churchill. Vol. 2, ch. 13 [31]; pp. 171–172 “Emma continued to entertain” to “‘I shall have been let off easily’”).

Several days later (long enough to make the two or three days' journey to Enscombe from Highbury and send a letter back): Emma reads Frank Churchill’s letter to Mrs. Weston and reflects on her feelings for him. She imagines that he may come to care for Harriet. Vol. 2, ch. 13 [31]; pp. 172–173 (“When his letter to Mrs. Weston arrived” to “‘look forward to with pleasure’”).

Early March ("three weeks" after Frank Churchill had arrived): Mr. Elton's imminent return takes over Frank Churchill's latest letter as a news item in Highbury. Emma continues to try to get Harriet to speak of something else. Vol. 2, ch. 13 [31]; pp. 173–175 "It was well to have a comfort" to "'changes Emma for Harriet!'").

Mid-March ("three months" (vol. 2, ch. 14 [32]; p. 175) after Emma's strategy to gain entry into the Vicarage in vol. 1, ch. 10): The new Mrs. Elton is first seen in church. Emma and Harriet pay her a formal call. Vol. 2, ch. 14 [32]; pp. 175–176 ("Mrs. Elton was first seen" to "'How delightful!'")

Soon afterward: Mrs. Elton returns Emma's visit. Vol. 2, ch. 14 [32]; p. 176–182 ("When the visit was returned" to "did they occupy her").

During the next week or so: Emma and Mrs. Elton meet on another two occasions; on the second of them, Emma rebuffs Mrs. Elton's attempt to bring her into her patronage of Jane Fairfax. Mrs. Elton grows cold towards Emma. Emma contemplates why Jane is choosing to stay in Highbury. Vol. 2, ch. 15 [33]; pp. 182–186 ("Emma was not required" to "Here is quite a separate puzzle").

A day in late March (less than "three months" since Jane Fairfax first came to Highbury): Emma, Mrs. Weston, and Mr. Knightley are gathered someplace. Emma brings up the subject of Miss Fairfax and Mrs. Elton. Vol. 2, ch. 15 [33]; pp. 186–188 ("Upon her speaking her wonder aloud" to "'Do not beat me'").

The few weeks after Mrs. Elton's arrival: Mr. Elton's acquaintance all rush to issue invitations to him and his bride. Vol. 2, ch. 16 [34]; pp. 188–191 ("Every body in and about Highbury" to "in the proper order").

Early April: Emma decides she must not be remiss in welcoming Mrs. Elton. She sends out invitations for a dinner party to the Eltons, the Westons, Mr. Knightley, and Jane Fairfax, all of which are accepted. Vol. 2, ch. 16 [34]; p. 189 ("Emma, in the meanwhile" to "all disengaged and all happy").

Soon afterwards: The John Knightleys send word that they intend to arrive in Highbury on the 13 and leave on the 15 (given that they stay "one full day," and the dinner on the 14 does not occur on the day they arrive). Vol. 2, ch. 16 [34]; p. 190 ("The preparatory interest" to "instead of his brother").

Wednesday, April 13: John and Isabella Knightley arrive for a stay of two days; the children will stay "some weeks". Mr. Weston is unexpectedly summoned to town and must leave. Vol. 2, ch. 16 [34]; p. 190 ("The event was more favourable" to "even Emma’s vexation").

Thursday, April 14 (Easter Thursday), per Modert (p. 57): The day of Emma's dinner party arrives, as does Mr. Weston. Vol. 2, chs. 16–18 [34–36]; pp. 190–204 ("The day came" to "Mrs. Elton’s beginning to talk to him.")

Volume III

Mid-April (soon after the Hartfield dinner party): Emma decides that she is no longer in love with Frank Churchill. Vol. 3, ch. 1 [37]; p. 205 (from “A very little quiet reflection” to “composed and tranquil state”).

Mid-to-late April (“ten days” before some time before the beginning of “May” (vol. 3, ch. 1 [37]; p. 206), and "not quite so soon" as the three or four days after the 14th when they were expected to move (ibid., p. 205)): The Enscombe family returns to London; Frank Churchill consequently comes to visit in Highbury for a few hours. Vol. 3, ch. 1 [37]; pp. 205–206 (“It was not very long” to “trusting himself with her long”).

Late April: Frank Churchill is, he claims, prevented from visiting in Highbury again by Mrs. Churchill’s illness. Vol. 3, ch. 1 [37]; p. 206 (“This was the only visit” to “as strong as ever”).

Late April: Frank Churchill sends a letter to Randalls to the effect that the Enscombe party will soon be on their way to Richmond, where they plan to stay throughout "May and June." Preparations for the Crown Inn ball resume. Vol. 3, ch. 1 [37]; pp. 206–7 (“It soon appeared that London” to “every preparation was resumed”).

Early May: Frank Churchill writes from Richmond to say that the house in Richmond will likely be kept for the next two months. The young people of Highbury finalize preparations for the ball. Vol. 3, ch. 1; p. 207 (“and very soon after the Churchills” to “dear Emma were gone”).

During the second week in May: The Crown Inn ball occurs. Modert places this on Thursday, Old May Day Eve. Vol. 3, ch. 2 [38]; pp. 207–216 (from "No misfortune occurred" to "'no, indeed'").

The "next morning": Frank's rescue of Harriet. Modert places this on Old May Day. Vol. 3, ch. 3; pp. 216–219 (from “This little explanation” to “figure in a message”).

Over the next little while: The group who had “assailed” Harriet leave town. Highbury, lately enthralled by the story, begins to tire of it; Emma’s nephews continue to request recitations of it. Vol. 3, ch. 3; p. 219 (“The gipsies did not wait” to “the original recital”).

“[A] very few days” after Harriet’s “adventure”: Harriet destroys her mementos of Mr. Elton. Vol. 3, ch. 4 [40]; p. 219–222 (“A very few days” to “‘a beginning of Mr. Churchill?’”).

Late May ("[a]bout a fortnight after the alarm" (vol. 3, ch. 4 [40]; p. 222), before the beginning of "June" (vol. 3, ch. 5 [41]; p. 224)): Harriet tells Emma that she is in love. Vol. 3, ch. 4 [40]; pp. 222–224 ("She had soon afterwards" to "danger of degradation").

The beginning of June: Mr. Knightley dines at the Eltons' with the Randalls party and Jane Fairfax. He begins to suspect that something is going on between Frank and Jane. Vol. 3, ch. 5 [41]; pp. 224 (“In this state of schemes” to “seemed somewhat out of place”).

Soon afterward: Mr. Knightley is again in the company of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill; his observations seem to support his suspicions that Frank and Jane like each other. Vol. 3, ch. 5 [41]; pp. 224–225 (“When he was again in their company” to “Frank Churchill and Jane”).

"[O]ne day after dinner" a bit later: Frank's "blunder" regarding Mr. Perry's carriage and the game of alphabets at Hartfield. Vol. 3, ch. 5 [41]; pp. 225–230 ("He had walked up one day" to "solitude of Donwell Abbey").

Early June: Mrs. Elton learns that the Sucklings cannot come to Highbury as intended. Vol. 3, ch. 6 [42]; p. 230 ("After being long fed" to "So she thought at first;—").

A couple days later: Mrs. Elton decides to go ahead with her Box Hill plans. Emma had previously been inspired by these plans to think of her own, exclusive Box Hill outing; Mr. Weston proposes to Mrs. Elton that they combine the two parties. Vol. 3, ch. 6 [43]; p. 230-231 ("but a little consideration" to "none of it in private").

"[T]he middle of June": A lame carriage-horse delays the exploring party to Box Hill. Mrs. Elton seizes at Mr. Knightley's wry invitation to Donwell for a strawberry-picking party. Vol. 3, ch. 6 [42], pp. 231-233 ("It was now the middle" to "'the very thing to please me'").

Mid-June: Mr. Knightley invites his chosen guests, including Mr. Woodhouse, to the strawberry party. The carriage-horse recovers and the Box Hill outing is planned for the day following the Donwell party. Vol. 3, ch. 6 [42]; pp. 233-234 ("Mr. Knightley had another reason" to "appearing exactly right").

Thursday, 23rd June (Midsummer Eve; Harriet’s birthday) (at "almost Midsummer" (vol. 3, ch. 6 [42]; p. 234); the next day is "not [...] above six-and-thirty hours" (vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; p. 254) before Frank's return to Richmond on "the 26th" (vol. 3, ch. 14 [50]; p. 289)): The Donwell Abbey party takes place. Vol. 3, ch. 6; pp. 234-240 ("Under a bright mid-day sun" to "before the following evening").

Friday, 24th June (Midsummer): The Box Hill party takes place. Frank returns to Richmond in the evening. Vol. 3, chs. 7-8 [43-44]; pp. 240-247 ("They had a very fine day" to "equal, kindly intercourse").

Saturday, 25th June (on “the morrow”): Emma calls on the Bateses. She learns that Jane Fairfax has agreed to take a position as a governess. Mr. Knightley leaves for a few days' visit to London.

Sunday, 26th June (given that, in July, Frank writes a letter referencing this as "'the event of the 26th ult. [of last month]'" (vol. 3, ch. 14 [50]; p. 289)): Mrs. Churchill dies. Vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; pp. 254-255 ("The following day" to "with mutual forbearance").

Over the next days: Mrs. Churchill's funeral takes place. Mr. Churchill and Frank depart to visit an old friend in Windsor. Vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; p. 255 ("Short letters from Frank" to "possible on Emma's side").

Late June or early July: Emma invites Jane Fairfax to spend the day at Hartfield and is refused; Mr. Perry visits and communicates that Jane's health is bad. Vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; pp. 255-256 ("It was a more pressing concern" to "might do her good").

“[T]he following morning”: Emma invites Jane Fairfax to take a drive with her and is refused; she sends some arrow-root, which is sent back. Vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; pp. 256-257 ("and the following morning" to "'in want of any thing'").

Early July (before Emma learns of Jane’s engagement): Emma learns that Jane Fairfax had been seen out walking on the day that she had been refused admittance. Vol. 3, ch. 9 [45]; p. 257 ("When Emma afterwards heard" to "any thing to reprove").

Early July (“about ten days after Mrs. Churchill’s decease”): Frank returns and tells the Westons of his engagement; Mrs. Weston tells Emma; Emma tells Harriet. Harriet tells Emma that the man she is in love with is Mr. Knightley; Emma realizes that she is in love with Mr. Knightey. Modert reads "about" to mean "almost" and places this on the 4th, nine days after the 26th counting both the 26th and the 4th as full days (p. 58). Vol. 3, chs. 10-11 [46-47]; pp. 257-272 ("One morning" to "it was her doing too").

Perhaps Tuesday, 5th July (Old Midsummer Eve): A cold July storm occurs. Mrs. Weston visits at Hartfield and tells Emma of her visit at the Bateses'. Emma regrets her past dealings with Jane Fairfax. Vol. 3, ch. 12 [48]; pp. 272-278 ("Till now that she was threatened" to "when it were gone").

Perhaps Wednesday, 6th July (Old Midsummer): Mr. Knightley proposes to Emma. Vol. 3, chs. 13-14 [49-50]; pp. 278-286 ("The weather continued" to "must all be together again").

Perhaps the next day: Emma writes to Harriet telling her the news. Emma and, subsequently, Mr. Knightley, read Frank Churchill's letter. Vol. 3, ch. 14-15; pp. 286-296 ("She rose early" to "three men in one year").

Soon afterwards: Harriet replies to Emma’s letter accepting her invitation to visit the Knightley residence in London. Vol. 3, ch. 16; pp. 296 ("It was a great relief" to "under such a stroke").

A couple days later (enough time to send a receive a letter from London): Permission is secured and plans are made for Harriet’s visit. Vol. 3, ch. 16; pp. 296 ("She had no difficulty" to "Mr. Woodhouse's carriage").

A day or two later: Harriet arrives in Brunswick Square. Vol. 3, ch. 16; p. 296-297 ("It was all arranged" to "safe in Brunswick Square").

The next few days: Emma is put at ease by Harriet's absence. She resolves to say nothing of her engagement until Mrs. Weston has given birth. Vol. 3, ch. 16; p. 296 ("Now Emma could, indeed" to "should be her's").

Friday, 15th July (given that "to-morrow" is "Saturday" (p. 300), and previous events mark this as the third week of July): Emma visits Jane Fairfax; they are joined by Mrs. Elton. Emma returns to Hartfield, where she presumes she will find Mr. Knightley. She reconciles with Jane on her way out. Vol. 3, ch. 16; pp. 296-303 ("Now Emma could, indeed" to "'good bye'").

Late July: Mrs. Weston gives birth to a little girl. Emma and Mr. Knightley discuss their history. Vol. 3, ch. 17; pp. 303 ("Mrs. Weston's friends" to "made Harriet unhappy").

Soon afterwards (less than a “fortnight” (p. 305) after Harriet’s arrival in Brunswick Square): Emma thinks about her declining friendship with Harriet. Isabella writes to say that Harriet’s visit will be extended. Emma and Mr. Knightley read John Knightley’s response to the news of their engagement. Vol. 3, ch. 17; pp. 305-306 ("Emma grieved that she could not" to "'always tired now'").

Late July: Emma tells her father that she and Mr. Knightley mean to marry. Vol. 3, ch. 17; pp. 306-307 ("The time was coming" to "go on as they had done?")

Over the next few days: Emma, Mr. Knightley, Isabella, and Mrs. Weston work to convince Mr. Woodhouse of the desirability of Emma's marriage. The news of the engagement spreads. Vol. 3, ch. 17; pp. 307-308 ("Mr. Woodhouse could not" to "'Jane has any suspicion'").

“[T]he next morning” after Mr. Weston hears the news: Mr. Weston tells Jane Fairfax and the Bateses; Miss Bates spreads it further abroad. Mr. and Mrs. Elton discuss the match. Vol. 3, ch. 17; pp. 308-309 ("He went to Highbury" to "'the end of the first quarter'").

Early-to-mid-August: John and Isabella Knightley, the two oldest boys, Harriet Smith, and Robert Martin go to Astley’s.

The next day: Robert Martin again proposes marriage to Harriet.

Mid-August (the day after Martin proposed; “five weeks” after Harriet learned of Mr. Knightley's engagement): Robert Martin visits Mr. Knightley in the morning and shares the news of his engagement. Mr. Knightley brings the news to Emma at Hartfield. In the evening, Emma and Mr. Woodhouse go to Randalls, where they meet Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill. Vol. 3, ch. 18; pp. 309-316 ("Time passed on" to "which this comparison produced").

Around the middle of “August” (vol. 3, ch. 17; p. 305), a "very few days" (p. 316) after Robert Martin shared the news of his engagement and about a "month" (vol. 3, ch. 17; p. 305) after Harriet began her visit in London: Harriet returns from London. She is pleased to hear that Emma approves of her engagement. Vol. 3, ch. 16; pp. 316- ("If Emma had still" to "unintelligble to Emma").

Soon afterwards: Emma learns that Harriet is the daughter of a wealthy tradesman. Vol, 3, ch. 19; p. 317 ("The event, however" to "it was all as it should be:").

Mid-to-late August: Robert Martin is introduced at Hartfield. Harriet is a visitor there less and less. Vol. 3, ch. 19; p. 317 ("and as Emma became aquainted" to "the most gradual, natural manner").

Mid-to-late (“before the end of”) September: Emma attends the wedding of Harriet Smith and Robert Martin. Jane has returned to the Campbells in anticipation of a November wedding. Vol. 3, ch. 19; p. 317 ("Before the end of September" to "waiting for November").

Late September: Emma and Mr. Knightley wish to move forward with plans for their wedding, which they desire to take place in October, but are stymied by Mr. Woodhouse's resistance. Vol. 3, ch. 19; p. 318 ("The intermediate month" to "she could not proceed").

Late September or early October: Emma and Mr. Knightley fix a day for their wedding. Vol. 3, ch. 19; p. 318-319 ("In this state of suspense" to "able to fix her wedding-day").

October: Emma and Mr. Knightley marry. Vol. 3, ch. 19; p. 319 ("and Mr. Elton was called on" to "perfect happiness of the union").

Bibliography

Austen, Jane. Emma (Norton Critical Edition). 3rd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, [1815] 2000.

Folsom, Marcia McClintock, ed. Approaches to Teaching Austen's Emma. New York: MLA (2004).

Modert, Jo. "Chronology Within the Novels." In The Jane Austen Companion, ed. J. David Grey et al. New York: Macmillan (1986), pp 53-9.

#I am sorry for the formatting it is tumblr's fault not mine #emma #jane austen's emma #emma woodhouse #jane austen #pride and prejudice #chronology

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lihikainanea · 4 years ago

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what is a normal day for Bill and Tiger like? we talk a lot about alll the sexy stuff they do and how that side of their relationship works (my love for that part of their relationship is too large to put into words) but we don’t talk too much about the small domestic aspects of it all - 🍋

Oh god sweet nani, I am so here for the soff domesticated stuff this week. I am just ACHING for some casual intimacy, the doldrums of everyday life but made just a little special when a strong pair of arms wraps around you, or when you roll over in the night and bump into a warm chest. The types of weeks where you’re both just going through bullshit, you’re tired, but it’s also just a little easier to have someone around who is doing little things to make you happy.

Soft, domesticated life is truly the best and most telling form of intimacy. I don’t care if you kiss hello or goodbye in public. I don’t care if you pose for nice photos. Do you hold hands on the couch, when nobody in the world is watching? Do you hug when passing each other in the hallway, when no one would know?

The most incredible, the most telling intimacy is the kind that exists when there is no audience to observe it. There’s no show. There’s no decorum. It’s just pure.

And the normal day to day life...I kind of love it. If Bill isn’t working, he’s still the one to get up early and wake tiger up for work. Tiger is fucking miserable in the mornings, and Bill isn’t a huge fan either but if he can start her day off a little better just by being awake, by hugging her closer as she wakes up, by helping her get out of bed by getting out of bed too--then that’s what he does. He still makes her her coffee even on the weekdays, pops a mug on the sink in the bathroom so it’s there when she gets out of her shower. He doesn’t talk much in the morning because she hates it, so conversation is really kept at a minimum. He gets her lunch ready while she gets dressed, shoves a granola bar in her pocket for her drive to work because tiger gets nauseous if she’s had too much coffee on an empty stomach. Maybe she calls him at lunch, maybe not. There are definitely a few text messages a day. He pours her a glass of wine when she gets in, but tiger also has this thing where she needs to unwind a little from her day. Truth be told, Bill is the same way. She hates coming in from work and immediately eating dinner--she wants some cuddle time on the couch first, glass of wine in hand, she wants to hear about his day and she wants to tell him about hers. No matter how late she gets in, that one hour of wind down time is mandatory.

And like, if Bill is working I kind of think it’s even sweeter. Their weekends tend to be pretty busy in that case, prepping easy meals for the week. He gives tiger his shooting schedule and she looks It over, figures out when he’ll be home that week. There’s always laundry to catch up on, groceries, trying to see where they can fit in some time together. A lot of it is napping too, Bill is physically exhausted from his week and tiger just wants to be near her Big Dude for all those glorious sleepy snuggles.

Bill really only has two types of shooting schedules: day shoots where he’s out of the house at 4AM and back at 8PM, or night shoots where he’s out of the house at 6PM and back at 8AM. Tiger isn’t sure which ones she hates more. When it’s day shoots, she has to throw her own ass out of bed and she doesn’t even get any morning cuddles out of it. After the whole debacle with the last coffee maker, Bill takes a much easier approach now. After his morning coffee (a solid 5 hours before tiger would crawl out of bed for hers) he washes the machine out, gets it ready, and programs it to start brewing 15 minutes before she wakes up so a cup will be ready when she stumbles out of bed for it. He putters around before he leaves--gets her lunch ready and leaves it in the fridge, sticks a note on the front door telling her not to forget her lunch, puts out two towels in the bathroom for her shower (and after his shower, he always leaves a note in the steam on the mirror so that she’ll see it when she gets out of her shower). He’ll kiss her goodbye and try not to wake her up, and if he can, he’ll call her from set when she’s supposed to wake up. it’s not always possible, but he tries his hardest.

Tiger sometimes feels really lonelywhen he’s on day shoots. She wakes up alone, and when she gets back home from work he’s still not there. She’ll pour her glass of wine, relax on the couch. It’s why meal prep on the weekend is so crucial, so that she doesn’t have to run around and scavenge for dinner. She can unwind and wait for him to come home--and she greets him with a big sappy smooch, a long hug, and a glass of scotch. They eat dinner together and usually immediately after, Bill’s eyes are closing from his long day.

Night shoots are a little easier on them. He gets home right at the time tiger should be waking up, so he crawls back into bed with her. On night shoots, tiger starts some very specific negotiations immediately when her Big Dude pulls her back into his chest. If she showers but spritzes her hair with dry shampoo instead of washing it, she can get snuggles for another 7 minutes. If she forgoes a full make up routine and just keeps it basic, she can maybe squeeze out another 12 minutes of snuggles. If she shows up half an hour late to work but stops and gets donuts on the way, then she can stay in bed for another 6 minutes and fill her car up with gas too on the detour to the donut shop.

Anything and everything gets sacrificed the minute he crawls in behind her and wraps those strong arms around her.

And night shoots are kind of glorious because when he gets back in the morning, he can actually spend some time with her before he goes to sleep. He’ll make her coffee. Maybe she’ll make an effort to sit down and eat breakfast, and he’ll be eating dinner at 8AM (tiger always leaves him a plate in the fridge, from the night before). Maybe they’ll even shower together, and tiger will get a little pre-work lovin’. He gets her lunch ready, kisses her goodbye, and then she goes to work and he goes to bed. It’s kind of cute, right? Because then tiger will get home from work and she’ll wake Bill up, and it’ll be time for him to have breakfast and for her to cook dinner. He has coffee and orange juice, she has wine. They get some quality snuggle time in too, before he leaves for work. Nights are no doubt hard for her though, having to sleep without that furnace beside her. The bed just feels too big and too empty without him in it.

These tiny routines, just these small things that they do for each other just to make the other happy...nani, I die. Every time.

#bill skarsgard #bill skarsgard drabble #soft bill #BFF!Bill

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jijis-deliveries · 4 years ago

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First Line Meme

Thanks for the tag @asajjvxntress 😄😄

Rules: List the first lines of your last 20 stories (if you have less than 20, just list them all!). See if there are any patterns. Choose your favorite opening line. Then tag 10 authors!

(I’m gonna let y’all know rn I’m just tagging whoever wants to do this)

Fair warning: 18/19 of these are Haikyuu fics and one (1) unfinished HP rarepair fic that has a special place in my heart:

1. What Makes You So Special? (Kuroo/Tsukishima and Tsukishima/Yamaguchi, T)

“Happy birthday, Tsukki!”

2. Something I Can’t Live Without (Asahi/Noya, G)

The rumors had started when Asahi was only sixteen years old.

3. You’re The One Habit I Just Can’t Kick (Asahi/Noya, T)

They said their official goodbyes to the graduating class of 2013 shortly after the ceremony.

4. Don’t Know Where Your Head Is Now (Daichi/Suga, G)

On most mornings, Daichi was the first to arrive at the club room for morning practice.

5. Wait For The Feeling Of You (Daichi/Suga, T)

Every weekday afternoon, just before 3:00 pm, Daichi prepared the same mobile order for the same regular customer.

6. The Sweetness Never Lasts (Daichi/Suga, T)

In the first month after they broke up, Suga put on a brave face and agreed to stay friends with Daichi.

7. Suga We’re Going Down (Daichi/Suga, G)

“How’s it going over there, master chef?”

8. The Last Of A Dying Breed (Daichi/Sgua, T)

History wasn’t exactly Daichi’s favorite subject, but it also wasn’t his least favorite either.

9. You Pulled A Gem Out Of The Mess (Daichi/Suga, G)

In hindsight, maybe Suga was wrong to think that two young men whose lives revolved around volleyball until just last month would have fun analyzing the deeper meaning of various art exhibits.

10. Where Is Your Boy Tonight? (Daichi/Suga, T)

As his friend Asahi had so delicately phrased it, Suga’s love life was a dumpster fire.

11. Please Don’t Stir It (Asahi/Noya, T)

The first time Asahi realized he had a crush on one of his best friends and teammates, he felt sick to his stomach.

12. walking the wire (George Weasley/Luna Lovegood, M)

The only people who were awake at 4:30 a.m. on a Wednesday were baristas getting ready for their shifts, a few people who never missed their morning jogs, procrastinators walking home from their all-nighters in the library.

13. I Am Just Playing House (Asahi/Noya, T)

Like most days, Noya woke up as soon as the sunlight filled the bedroom.

14. This Isn’t How Our Story Ends (Asahi/Noya, T)

Eight years ago, Asahi pushed himself to move to Tokyo on his own to pursue fashion design, where he had no prior connections to help make a name for himself.

15. We Could Turn The World To Gold (Asahi/Noya, M)

“Asahi, let’s take a picture here!”

16. Know There’s Nothing I Wouldn’t Do For You (Asahi/Noya, G)

Asahi expected to spend his weekend doing last-minute holiday shopping with Noya, but the cold that he had been trying to ward off for the last three days finally caught up with him.

17. We Will Never Believe Again (Asahi/Noya, T)

In Noya’s defense, it wasn’t entirely his fault that he was running late for the first class of his first semester at university.

18. Late Night Watching Television (Asahi/Noya, T)

Asahi had only been living in his new apartment for a week when his cat Jiji nearly gave him a heart attack.

19. I’m Not the Type of Girl For Yū (Asahi/Noya, T)

“Text me when you get to your cousin’s house, okay?”

#asajjvxntress #tag memes #my fics #haikyuu #haikyuu!!#asanoya #daisuga #tsukiyama #kurotsuki #tsukkiyama #kurotsukki #damn i really like starting off with dialogue huh

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0-marx-0 · 3 years ago

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What I’ve learned during my first year of college so far:

These are just some things that work for /me/, they’re not for everyone, but feel free to try them

Meal Plan (As a commuter):

Don’t jump for a plan with over 7 cafeteria swipes a week + whatever meal $’s. My roommate got one similar for $1000 (10 swipes a week, $300 meal dollars per semester) and ended up using maybe 4 swipes a week and spent all her $’s on food places on campus within the first month or two.

Your classes are most likely not going to be far enough apart that you’re going to eat x2 a day and /not/ get tired of the school cafeteria food. You’re also not going to be going to classes on weekends, so you really don’t need a lot of swipes per week.

My plan was $200 cheaper and I get 1 meal swipe + $9 every weekday to use on anything— so I usually get a coffee at our school’s Starbucks before class and get food from the school cafeteria after all my classes are done with. Or if I’m not in the mood for coffee, I’ll get something to-go after class from the subway or Japanese place to take home. I’ve even used the $9 to buy school supplies or masks (because I always forgot mine).

Going To Classes: I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t attend most of my classes first semester— BUT, I still got A’s and B’s. I have ADHD so it was just really hard to focus on lectures at 9am and I felt like I was being a distraction or rude if I had an earbud popped in one ear listening to music, since that actually helped me focus. I only skipped classes where the teacher would record the lecture online, or posted their slides, and ones where attendance wasn’t required— which you can find if it is in the syllabus or by messaging your professor. I would use class time to finish more work than I’d be able to in class, especially since 2 of my teachers my first semester straight up told us that what they’re talking about in the lecture won’t matter for the test.

Make a small list of what the syllabus says for each class: My first semester I struggled remembering the different requirements for each class, whether tests were open book, if attendance was required, if we got one exam dropped, etc. Second semester I opened an empty doc and basically summarized the important stuff for each syllabus- that way I wouldn’t have to reread 15 pages to find one thing.

Ex:

Human Anatomy and Physiology-

Attendance not required

Lowest exam replaced with final exam grade

Low-effort emails will be deleted without response

All exams/quizzes open book

Don’t need to raise hand to leave class

Water bottles allowed

Talk to your professors!!!: I cannot stress this enough. If you have a question, email your teacher or TA. Even if you think they’ll say no. Last semester I was writing an argumentative paper on the benefits of the legalization of abortion, and I was struggling to find a peer-reviewed source that was against abortion for the counter-argument.

Lo-and-behold, these weird religious guys that have been invading my campus lately are back. They’re yelling about how us gays are going to hell and shit while I was trying to write my essay. He had a few anti-abortion signs and eventually started rambling about that so I took some pictures of the posters and wrote down the stuff he was saying about it. I asked my teacher if I could use the protest as the counter-argument instead and she actually approved it. I got a 96 on that paper.

Study in the cafeteria: If your campus is chill, they won’t mind you studying in the cafeteria. Just don’t be an asshole and take up an entire table to yourself during lunch rush where there’s barely any tables available, but if the cafeteria is pretty empty- then study in the cafeteria. You can snack on food and stuff while studying, my school’s cafeteria is set up buffet-style- so I’d be able to just get up and get something to eat if I started getting hungry or distracted. The second best place to study is in whatever coffee shop is on or near your campus, I don’t know why but I work better whenever I smell coffee.

Scheduling classes: D o n ‘ t schedule your classes for like 8am, trust me, you’re not gonna go to them. And don’t schedule your classes so far apart, maybe do 30 or 1 hour intervals but nothing more than that if you can help it. Especially as a commuter. One of the worst schedule things my Uni does is that they have the lecture at 8-9:15am and the lab for the /same/ class from 7-9:45pm for some ungodly reason, and I can’t change that. It’s so inconvenient to leave campus and then have to go back later at n i g h t.

Taking Notes: If you have a professor that posts their lecture slides before class, you are lucky. However, this probably means they talk at the speed of light and do this because students have emailed them numerous times asking them *for* the lecture slides and they just decided to post them for everyone before-hand.

For these classes, I usually copy down the lecture slides into my notebook before the lecture- because professors often give extra information during lectures that aren’t on the slides; and it’s hard to copy what’s on the slide before they click to the next one while also listening to what they’re saying.

This is all I can think of right now, but if y’all have any questions feel free to ask

#college #studying #school #university #student #college tips

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the-bejeesus · 4 years ago

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To Those Who Say “I’m not gonna catch up on One Piece until it’s finished. Why would I watch/read 1000+ episodes/chapters when I don’t even get to know how the story ends?”

Now for the past few years, when I came across somebody who said this, my rebute would be something like “Well the series is great already. It doesn’t really matter if I don’t know how it ends, because the journey itself is enjoyable.” or “Man if that’s your excuse, who you gonna explain why you read/watch stuff like Berserk, Hunter X Hunter, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and My Hero Academia? Newsflash, they aren’t done yet.” But it came across my mind that I can now apply a completely different approach:

“If you start watching/reading at this pace right now, it will be over by the time you catch up.”

If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll know that for awhile now Oda has been saying that he plans to end the series in just 5-4 years. Now he’s made lots of claims in the past that turned out to be ridiculous. However, many One Piece researchers have compiled his claims and found out that they only get more accurate as time goes on, with the most ridiculous claims being found to be myths. And with the most recent claims of ending the series in less than 5 years, even his editors who are usually skeptical have started to trust that he can do this. After all, he has officially set there to be only one more saga (which isn’t necessarily one arc, but it’s either going to be 1-2 major arcs or an anthology of 5-6 shorter arcs). And now that we can trust this claim, we can essentially extrapolate how many chapters/episodes are left and what pace we have to binge to catch up at just the right time.

If you plan to read the manga (black and white):

The manga in black in white is a perfectly fine way to enjoy One Piece. It’s what Oda draws, it’s how he intends it to be viewed, and best of all, it will be the first version of publication to finish.

Out of the 1223 weeks since the first chapter published in July 19, 1997, 1000 chapters have published, meaning on average he publishes 42 chapters per year, or in other words, there are only 10 hiatuses per year (including holidays where WSJ does not publish). Now if I wanted to be more accurate, I’d only look at the chapters published this year, to exclude outliers like how he had no hiatuses for the first 200 chapters, or how he had a 4-week hiatus during the timeskip, but 2020 has been a bit crazy, so we’re not doing that for this or any of the others.

Going off of this, the final chapter would be chapter 1212 in December 28, 2025 (yes, the 28th would be a Sunday again.) So here’s how you’d calculate the pace in which you need to read One Piece, and really this is how we’ll calculate it for every version)

Now I know math is boring, but the reason I’m showing this to you is because the amount of weeks until One Piece ends will vary based on when you start this binge. Chances are you aren’t going to start the day you see this post, and there’s an even greater chance you won’t see this post the day it’s posted. For every example I’m going to assume you started binging on December 28, 2020. Now let’s try to use it for this example.

And there’s your answer, just read 4-5 chapters per week. By the end, One Piece should be nearly over or have very recently ended. To put that into a different perspective, you could purchase and read just two volumes per month and you’ll be at prime pace. Or you could read one chapter every day, but only on weekdays. If you want to, you can see this calculation in action in graph form.

While this is a very rudimentary graph, it’s a basic visualization of what we’re calculating here. We’re calculating what speed we need to binge to catch up at exactly the right moment. I say exact, but ultimately no one can predict how many chapters there will be exactly, nor how many hiatuses Oda will go on during it. It will be important, as you’re nearing the end, to find a spoiler-free way to keep up on how close One Piece is to ending. To know whether you ought to speed up or slow down.

If you plan to watch the anime (subtitled):

For years now people have hated on the anime “terrible animation!” “terrible pacing” but at the end of the day, it’s the more popular version. Or the more viewed version I should say. And personally, I think that once you acknowledge its problems and learn how to deal with them, it’s a perfectly fine experience. There’s enough good voice acting and enough good storytelling that you’re easily able to ignore the problems. Plus, the animation has substantially improved since Wano.

Now for this we’re going to have to change a lot of variables to get this right. We’re going to have to adjust when publication started, and recalculate when One Piece will end by looking at how slowly the anime adapts the manga, and how behind it is. The anime aired on October 20, 1999, and has aired 956 episodes since then. This means on average they air 44.9 episodes per year, meaning there is pretty much only 7 breaks the entire year. With these 956 episodes, they have adapted 955 chapters, making the pace almost exactly one chapter per episode. However this is really inaccurate, considering all the better-paced arcs earlier on in the story. Looking solely at episodes 2012 and onwards, the anime adapts at a pace of 0.65 chapters/episode.

Knowing that there are roughly 212 chapters left, and Toei adapts at 0.65 chapters per episode, we can assume that there are going to be roughly 324 episodes left. That sounds like too many, but keep in mind that there will be several, several instances where the manga will be on hiatus whereas the anime will keep on airing. Knowing there are approximately 324 episodes left, and that the anime only takes about 7 breaks a year, we can assume that it will take 7 years, or 374.49 weeks before the anime will end. So now we have the information we need to do the math again.

x = 1280/374.49

x = 3.417 episodes/week.

It may seem like a more relaxed binge, since you get a whole 2 extra years to binge, and you only have to do 3-4 episodes per week, compared to the 4-5 chapters. But keep in mind that these episodes are 24 minutes each. Still not at all bad, but you will be spending more time on it overall.

If you plan to watch One Pace:

One Pace is a fan project that edits the anime so that filler and padding is cut, other edits will be made to make the anime more manga-accurate, such as reorganizing scenes, or adding title cards where absent. Originally only used by a niche number of One Piece fans, One Pace has grown in popularity, and has tried to improve its quality to accommodate more fans, such as making their episodes Dual Audio (meaning you can switch between the dub and original Japanese audio tracks), and including Spanish subtitles.

You’d think we’d have to adjust for when One Pace began, how slowly One Pace catches up, and the works, but there’s not much to calculate. Fortunately for us, no matter how far behind One Pace is on editing the current arc, they always like to wrap things up just a few weeks within when an arc ended, if not the very same week. So really all we have to calculate is how many One Pace episodes there will be by the end of all this, so that we know how many you’ll need to watch per week.

Looking solely at what they’ve covered so far, One Pace has taken 573 episodes and condensed it down to 259 episodes. That’s a pace of 2.21 anime episodes/ paced episode. Earlier we calculated that there would be 324 episodes of the anime left, making for 1280 episodes total. This would mean that there would be around 578 One Pace episodes by the end. And One Pace would probably wrap up in, let’s say 376 weeks, because as I said, they’ll probably finish editing the final arc a week or two after the last episode airs.

x = 578/376

x = 1.53 episodes per week

Now that’s a relaxed pace. 1-2 episodes per week? That’s so slow, I’m not even sure if I’ll remember what I watched last week next time I watch some episodes. The only problem is some of the pre-timeskip still haven’t been edited. They’ll probably be done by the time they finish the final arc, but that’s not gonna work out fast enough. You’ll hit your first roadblock about 7 weeks in when you need to watch the Baratie arc and it’s not done. And don’t even get me started on how many arcs aren’t done in dub or Spanish sub yet. Hopefully you could just switch to the anime or manga when you hit these arcs, readjusting how many episodes/chapters you need to watch/read when you do. But that’s a bit of an excessive amount of math for something that’s supposed to be fun. So yeah, if you’re still convinced you shouldn’t get into One Piece until it’s ended, maybe this is the option for you.

If you plan to read the manga (Colored):

Since 2012, Shueisha has made a colorization of One Piece. It’s not a fan coloring, it’s as official as it gets. Many consider the color schemes portrayed in this version as the most canon, as the majority are pulled straight from whatever colored illustrations of Oda’s they can find. And quite frankly it makes the manga at least 10 times more beautiful. It’s especially great if you have trouble interpreting dense, small black and white panels.

This one is a doozy. You’d think all I gotta do is calculate how far behind the colored manga usually and just adjust from there, right? Wrong. Because how far behind the colored manga is, or how frequently they release volumes in full color, is one of the most inconsistent things I have ever seen. You wanna see what I’m talking about? This is how they’ve chosen to release each volume since 2012:

Volume 1-12: July 15, 2012

Volume 13-23: September 28, 2012

Volume 24-63: December 4, 2012

Volume 64-65: April 4, 2013

Volume 66-68: December 20, 2013

Volume 69-70: August 25, 2014

Volume 71-72: September 16, 2015

Volume 73-75: October 4, 2016

Volume 76: December 2, 2016

Volume 77: March 3, 2017

Volume 78: July 2, 2017

Volume 79: September 4, 2017

Volume 80: December 4, 2017

Volume 81-82: March 3, 2018

Volume 83: October 4, 2018

Volume 84-86: August 2, 2019

Volume 87-92: September 16, 2020

How I am supposed to find out how long it will take for Shueisha to colorize the final volume of One Piece is beyond me. I guess the first step would be to look at how far behind the manga each release was on average, but I’m going to ignore all the ones before 2013, because those were clearly just Shueisha catching up really fast cause they just started and didn’t want to be dozens of volumes behind forever. So of the 14 publications between 2013 and now, on average the last chapter of the last volume they colored was 97.78 weeks after that chapter had published in Weekly Shonen Jump. This means that if the final chapter of One Piece is chapter 1212 on December 28, 2025, then you can expect the final colored volume to publish November 14, 2027.

x = 1212/359

x = 3.37 chapters/week

So if you prefer the manga but don’t want to read 5 chapters every week for 5 years, this might be a better option for ya. But yea, I have no doubt my prediction is at least a little off for this one.

If you plan to watch the anime (dubbed):

Unlike the 4KidsTV and Odex dubs of One Piece, the FUNimation dub is a perfect way to enjoy One Piece. The DVDs come with enjoyable commentary and a marathon mode, great for binging.

FUNimation’s releases of the dub are inconsistent, although not nearly as erratic as the colored manga release. However, there was recently a 2-year hiatus we only just got out of. Since Episode 1′s dub in May 27, 2008, the dub has gotten as far as Episode 614. But that’s only looking at the DVD releases. If you’re willing to stream on FUNimationnow, the dub is as far as 641, and if you’re willing to digitally purchase it from an e-shop such as the Microsoft store, it goes all the way to Episode 654. With that being said, that would mean that on average, FUNimation dubs 1.004 episodes per week. Although if we go back to before the two-year hiatus so as to exclude it from the average, it’s actually 1.10 episodes per week. Not a huge difference, actually. And then if we look solely after the two-year hiatus, it’s actually 2.25 episodes per week, which is insanely faster. It’s hard to tell what the future of the dub will be. I can’t assume they’ll go this fast forever, so I’m just going to take the average of all 3 and say it’s 1.45 episodes per week. Don’t know if that’s the best mathematical approach, but the number seems about right.

So knowing that the dub is at Episode 654 and looking at our previous guesstimation that the anime will be 1280 episodes long, we can predict that it will take 431 weeks before the dub catches up and ends. That would be in 2029! Sounds quick at first until you notice it’s 4 years behind!

x = 1280/431

x = 2.96 episodes per week

Looks like it’s almost exactly 3 episodes per week. Not as much less of a workload as I expected, compared to catching up to the sub. You know, I figured those 4 extra years would make you binge a lot slower.

Final Thoughts:

There’s a lot of my math that was estimation, approximations, extrapolations. Feel free to correct me or fact check me, especially if you plan on using this. I figured this would be a fun thought excercise. There’s also a lot of smaller variables I simply didn’t want to take into account because of how long this is already. For example, reading the black and white manga. The calculation can vary slightly depending on if you read it the day it’s published (which I assume would have to be a fanscan unless you can read Japanese), reading the weekly publication legally on Viz.com, waiting for the physical volume release. The dub can also vary depending on whether you buy from Microsoft, wait for the FUNimationnow release, wait for the DVDs, or wait for the Collection sets. So feel free to take this into account.

#One Piece #OP #ワンピース #Wan Pīsu #anime #manga #FUNimation #dub #One Pace

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bokutosworld · 4 years ago

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home | bokuto koutarou

a bokuto x reader one shot loosely inspired by taylor swift's cornelia street.

wc: 2.7k words

"ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent into japan, approaching narita international airport. the local time is 4:15 pm, with temperature of 19 degrees celsius. in preparation for the landing, please make sure your seat is straight up and your seat belt is safely fastened. in behalf of my co-pilot and today's crew, we hope you enjoyed your flight with us and wish you a pleasant time in japan. thank you."

the sudden announcement sounding over the whole cabin woke her up from her slumber. she stirs and adjusts her seat just as the captain ordered. sitting near the window, she saw the buildings of the tokyo skyline coming into view. it's been years, she wondered.

as the plane continues its descent, she checks her documents: passport, immigration form, health papers. she pulls out her phone and goes over her schedule for her first night in tokyo. she shakes her head in disbelief, still wondering why she agreed to return in the city.

'come on, y/n! it's been five whole years. we miss you,' her friend said. 'besides, it's our first high school reunion! we haven't seen the rest of the batch in like forever.'

and just as she was recalling that conversation with her friend, the plane began taxiing on the ground and was pulling up on one of the arrival gates.

finally, the aircraft stopped moving and the captain's voice was heard on the speakers again, "ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived. please remain seated until the seatbelt sign has been turned off and wait for the cue of the crew. please be careful in deplaning and we hope you enjoy your stay in japan."

in a few seconds, the ding! of the seatbelt sign was heard and people hurriedly stood up, opened the compartments and took their bags. not one for rushing things and going with the crowd, she took her time in leaving the plane.

narita international airport was a busy place, with tourists going in and out and citizens returning home. lucky for her, she still had her residence card and was able to queue in the shorter line in immigration. as soon as she entered the baggage claim area, she spotted her hot pink luggage, decorated with stickers of all the places she's been to. she picked it up and headed to the taxi stands.

time check: 6:05 pm

'asakusa central hotel, please,' she directed to the friendly man in the driver seat. he nodded and sped off the airport. tired from her flight, she leaned back and closed her eyes. the journey downtown would take at least an hour and she debated on whether she was going to nap. deciding against getting a few more minutes of rest, she took her phone and decided send her friend a message.

y/n: i'm here, loser. on my way to the hotel. i'm still pissed you couldn't have just picked me up :/ friend: U'RE BACK!!!!!!!! <3 i'm so sorry, i got held up at work. but let me make it up to you! i'll buy you some welcome home drinks later? :D

she smiled at her friend's reply. how could she forget that she loved drinking out. back in college, they would be spending weeknights going bar hopping. looking back, she recalled how some of her best years and moments were created here. it was in this city where she met the love of her life.

time check: 7:15 pm

the taxi parks in front of her hotel and a bellboy immediately runs over to the car door to assist her. she pays and thanks the kind driver for a safe trip and with a smile, she hops off the taxi.

the bellboy takes care of her luggage, while she makes her way to the receptionist. for a weekday, the hotel was packed with tourists. maybe it was a holiday in some part of the world, she thought. looking around mindlessly, she examined the hotel that her friend had booked for her. two brown lounge sofas were the centerpiece of the lobby. to the side, there were some coffee tables and chairs were people could sit while they wait to be serviced.

she continues to scan the room, her eyes almost missing the boy she thinks she knows. if it weren't for his eye-catching dual-toned hair and his loud and bright laugh that resonated in the floor, she wouldn't have paid attention to him. but as soon as she heard that familiar sound, she turned to the doors and caught a glimpse of him. there was no mistake, with the way her heart skipped a beat and the world seemed to blur around her. bokuto koutarou.

she was pulled out of her trance by the friendly receptionist beckoning her to come to the desk. she gives her the reservation details and a copy of her passport, and in just a few minutes she receives a key to her room. thanking the receptionist, she goes to retriever her luggage and insists that she can take it on her own and gave the boy some tip for helping her a while ago from the taxi.

she proceeds to the 16th floor where her room was situated. she taps the keycard on the lock, and the door opens, revealing a large, spacious room with a king sized bed and notes how it was too big for her alone. however, what took her breath away, was the big window with a view overlooking the city. she takes in the scene and gets lost in her thoughts, going back to the few minutes earlier when she saw him. he hasn't changed one bit, she muses. he still brightens every room he walks in to.

with that thought, she settled on the bed and brought out her phone. she hovered over the facebook app, wondering if stalking her first love would be appropriate right now.

it's not as if she and bokuto ended on bad terms. they both agreed it was a mutual decision. something that was brought up by their different dreams and goals. she wanted to pursue law, he wanted a professional career in volleyball. and as supportive as they are of each other, they went on their separate paths and wished each other the best. for a while, they kept contact but as they got busy, the texts and calls got less and eventually stopped. throughout the past years, she'd been wondering if separating was the right thing.

just as she was about to visit his profile, her best friend called.

friend: hey guess what y/n: what friend: oh come on, you could at least be a little excited! i'm done with work and heading over to shinjuku right now! y/n: i thought we were getting drinks friend: we are!!! but some of our batchmates are around the area and they invited me for drinks and you're coming with me

time check: 9:08 pm

there was no point, honestly, in trying to resist her friend. that's why she was now being dragged along the street, with her friend talking her ear off about how she missed her and how she can't wait to spend the week with her.

they entered one of the bars in the area and immediately, her outgoing friend waved to the group sitting in the corner of the place. as soon as she spotted them, she couldn't move and it was like her feet were rooted to the ground. the moment her eyes locked with his, it was like she was in high school again and she was overwhelmed by the urge to run to him and hug him.

'Y/N!!!!!!!!!!', her high school friends screamed and suddenly, they were running to her and tackled her with a hug. 'we missed you!'

she laughed and returned their embrace because, yes, she missed them too. they dragged her to the booth and she took the seat right across him.

oblivious to her, bokuto has not once turned his attention away from her. he was a busy man and no one was expecting him to be present in this reunion. but a part of him wanted to go, he was hoping that maybe she would be going. so he couldn't believe his eyes when the door to the bar opened and he saw the face of the girl he has loved since forever.

'hey bokuto, why are you so unusually quiet,' one of their friends quipped and the whole group laughed. any other day, he would have retorted with a witty comeback but right now, in this moment, he was too absorbed taking in the sight of his great love being in front of him. no one else but her got him flustered and tongue-tied, so it was no surprise when he broke his silence with, 'you look good, y/n.'

she blushed and her brain almost short-circuited trying to think of a reply. god, she thought she was lame for feeling like a high schooler again. thankfully, she was able to mutter a thank you and the both of them exchanged knowing smiles before socializing with the group.

time check: 10:49 pm

the rest of the night was spent catching up with each other and reminiscing on their good high school days. it was crazy to think how much they all have grown in a span of years. two of their batchmates were getting married, another was currently pregnant with her first child and three of them were opening their own businesses in the city. they were all successful and their teachers would be so proud of them right now.

of course, they didn't miss the opportunity to congratulate bokuto on his recent win in the volleyball league. he thanks them and goes on a funny story about the game and his teammates. she remembers the news she has heard about him, msby black jackals was his team now. and it warms her heart seeing how happy he currently is and sharing about his accomplished career. looks like we did the right choice, she thought.

suddenly, one of the boys in the group speaks up and remarks about how everyone thought that she and bokuto would be end game. and the booth was enveloped with silence. no one dared to break the silence and she looked at everywhere but him. until bokuto laughed and caught her attention when he said, 'well! we're here now, we could still continue our story you know. you never know what can happen!'

indeed, no one could predict what the future holds. and it was like fate was working in their favor because of course, her friend just decided to be so drunk that she had to be taken home by one of the girls that lives near her. which was how she found herself walking back to the hotel with bokuto by her side.

'i guess it's pretty convenient that we are both staying at the same hotel huh,' bokuto said. they were walking in the streets, the cars zooming on the road and the lights guiding their journey back to where they were staying.

she can't help but smile as she nodded at his statement. she wondered why she was staying at a hotel when he was a tokyo resident and for sure had an apartment in this city. he sighed dramatically and said that his apartment was currently undergoing a renovation and no one, not his teammates or even his parents, offered to let him stay as he was out of his apartment. 'yeah, so that left me with no choice but to stay at that hotel. and lucky for me, because you're also staying there! who could've known,' he exclaimed.

wanting to spend some more time together, bokuto suggested that they take a detour to the park. she instantly knew what park he was referring to and let him take the lead.

a few more minutes of walking and they arrived at the park on the hill. it was a place that they frequented: a place that witnessed their love blossoming and unfortunately, it was also the same place where they said their bittersweet goodbyes. they went closer to the mini observatory which offered a great view of the city lights, with the tokyo skytree illumination standing out above them all.

she didn't notice she was shaking from the cold until bokuto draped his jacket on her shoulders. she muttered a thank you and bumped his shoulder with hers. a comfortable silence fell upon them - one that they have been used to whenever they would spend the afternoons on their shared apartment when they were in college. for an outgoing guy, bokuto admits that he didn't mind the silence as long as it were with her. but for now, the silence was so loud that he wanted to say something before he lost his mind.

'i missed you,' the both of them spoke at the same time. they looked at each other, wide-eyed, and laughed. and as if they didn't break up with each other, bokuto extended his arms and brought her to his arms. he wanted this moment to last longer.

she let herself fall into his embrace because, if she were to be honest, she's also been missing his touches. no one else could bring peace to her mind and calm her soul than bokuto. they stayed like that, embracing and swaying to the breeze of the autumn chill, for minutes.

'where are you going after this,' he finally inquired. she knew that he didn't mean right at this instant. he meant after this reunion week. he wanted to know her plans, her future, and if there were any space for him in her life.

she looked up at him, getting lost in his beautiful eyes and she knew. she's spent her years running around, with the thought of him back in her mind. what ifs filled her daily thoughts and she wondered how things would be different if she had just stayed. but now, she knows better. it was a risk, but it was one that she was willing to take. her parents would call her foolish for what she was about to do, but she figured she could always take a fresh start in japan. besides, it was something that she has been thinking of and now that bokuto asked her, the timing couldn't have been more perfect.

'i'm thinking i could help you once apartment renovations are over. do you have another room? maybe i can stay with you and -' before she could finish her sentence, bokuto lifted her up in a bone-crushing hug and spun around. she giggled and begged him to stop before she got dizzy.

'wait, are you serious right now? what about your job,' he asked, worried that she was doing this for his sake.

'well, i haven't actually told anyone yet but i've actually sent in my resignation notice two weeks ago. they gave me this week off to take a break and once i return there, i'll just pack up my stuff.'

'so, you're actually planning on returning home? here?'

'yes, bokuto. this is home. you are my home.'

there was always something unspoken between them. even in the years that they spent apart, the both of them were waiting and yearning for each other. the both of them believed that their hearts were connected and that they were each other's destiny. now here was the chance they were waiting for, a chance to continue where they left off and spend the rest of their days together.

time check: 12:15 am

And baby, I get mystified by how this city screams your name

tokyo, a city filled with memories of him. when she left years ago, she vowed to never look back. she never would have thought that something good would come out of returning here.

And baby, I'm so terrified of if you ever walk away

but now, wrapped in his arms, she thinks that flying back is her life's greatest decision. 'you don't know how happy this makes me,' he hugged her tightly and she wrapped his arms around him. 'i love you, koutarou.'

I don't wanna lose you, hope it never ends

they definitely weren't going to let each other go this time.

#haikyuu x reader #haikyuu scenarios #haikyuu imagine #haikyuu one shot #bokuto koutarou x reader #bokuto x reader #haikyuucreations #hq x reader #hq x imagines #hq x you #haikyuu bokuto #haikyuu imagines #haikyuu fics #note: this was another self-indulgent fic as i was in my bokuto loving hours the wholeday today #pls forgive me #i didnt even know what i was writing on the latter part LMAO

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elsanna-shenanigans · 4 years ago

Text

April Contest Submission #13: A Break From Normalcy

Words: ca. 5,000 Setting: mAU Lemon: no CW: Character death, grief, slight gay panic, minor language

Ever since her childhood, Elsa had been a girl of routine.

Whims were rare for the girl, and her actually following them was even more rare.

In elementary school, she packed the same thing for lunch every day, played on the same swing every day at recess, and wore her hair the same way every morning.

This continued throughout her life. She woke up at 6:15 in the morning, every morning, without an alarm. She ate the same chocolate cereal for breakfast every morning at 6:25 before taking her shower at 6:40.

At 7:00 on the dot, she was always starting her car to go to school. She took a less busy back street to avoid traffic and usually arrived at school at 7:15, give or take three minutes.

She then proceeded to read whatever book had caught her fancy that day until 7:55, at which point she made her way to class, five minutes early. She left school at exactly 3:15 each day, just after the rush of students eager to leave, and she arrived home by 3:30 typically.

When she got home, she would do homework and study until her parents got home at 5:30, though they often fluctuated more than her with their schedules.

She then had dinner with them at 6:30 and played whatever video game caught her fancy at the time or practiced any skills she was learning outside of school.

Then, at last, she was in bed by 9:00.

This routine carried her through high school, and during the summer following her high school graduation she only modified it a little to fit a part time job into her schedule.

Then, she started college.

She watched around her as the other students at Arendelle University seemed more and more broken as the semester dragged on. The bags under their eyes darkened and their grades declined.

Meanwhile, Elsa thrived. A lifetime of setting schedules and deadlines for herself had prepared her for this. Her assignments were always submitted on time, she was always well rested, and her grades were fantastic.

This continued until her senior year when she had a sudden whim to check out a new coffee shop. Whims were rare for her. She was usually strict with her adherence to her schedule, and she normally squashed any whims before she even considered them. However, this whim seemed harmless enough, as she could easily incorporate it into her schedule.

This whim, however, was the first whim that would change her life.

She liked her routine well enough, but sometimes a little break was needed from normalcy.

She usually went to a less busy place for a coffee every day at 10:00 and then worked on her homework at home until 11:30, but now she found herself at a different, busy place, Der Kaffeehausen, each day at 10:15, and instead of going home to do her work, she found herself settling into the table with a broken booth at the coffee shop.

Der Kaffeehausen itself was far different than the old place she frequented. There was live music almost all the time. The crowds were loud. The menu changed up each day. However, within the chaos there was order.

The same barista worked every weekday, which fit Elsa’s school schedule of Monday, Wednesday and Friday well. This meant her coffee, a medium iced mocha coffee with light cream and Splenda, was exactly the same every time she got it.

She also got the same table every day since the booth was broken, so she could count on having her spot whenever she came.

It was about a week into the semester when Elsa met Anna. Well, she didn’t really meet Anna. She overheard the girl from the next table over while she was writing an essay on Joan of Arc.

“Hey, yeah, it’s Anna. Loving college so far, just thought I’d let you know how it’s going. There’s this guy who-“ Elsa heard the girl speaking into her phone.

She didn’t catch the rest of the conversation. Not because eavesdropping was rude, but mostly because the redhead’s name sounded pleasant and that was what stuck with her.

Every weekday after that, Anna became part of her routine, even though the two had never spoken. Anna would show up within five minutes of Elsa’s own arrival. While Elsa would get her coffee and get straight to work, Anna’s routine, or lack thereof, was far less refined.

One day she would loudly slurp a massive bowl of soup and then take a nap in the booth. The next she would do homework of her own. The following day she might play Pokémon on her Nintendo Switch, loudly whooping when she caught a rare Pokémon or won a battle. She was predictable in her unpredictability, Elsa realized.

There was one thing, however, that she noticed Anna did every single day. The phone call. Some days it lasted maybe a minute. Others it lasted almost an hour, but Anna always called someone – the same person each day, Elsa theorized.

She learned that Anna tended to ramble when she talked, and the phone conversations sounded very one sided. It almost sounded like Anna was writing a diary out loud.

Eventually Elsa found herself getting absorbed into Anna’s conversations herself. She usually snapped out of it quickly enough, however. She had work to do, after all. A routine to keep.

-.-.-.-.-

It was October when her routine was once again shaken, but unlike last time, this time it wasn’t her own doing. She was sitting in her normal spot, laptop open as she typed and with a textbook balanced on her lap. Anna was strangely absent, a middle aged couple at the redhead’s usual table.

Elsa’s fingers clicked and clacked, but part of her still felt something was missing without Anna. It was a weird feeling, especially since the two had never even spoken.

That was why she was so surprised at the voice to her right that morning.

“Excuse me,” Anna’s voice muttered sheepishly. Elsa turned up and smiled a little.

“Hi,” she returned.

Anna looked around a bit before gesturing to herself. She then asked, “Hi, me?”

Elsa had to force herself not to giggle.

“Right, me. Who else would you be talking to? You don’t usually talk to many people here,” Anna carried on, “which is okay! Doing your own thing is totally fine, sometimes I just want to be left alone too. I totally get it.”

Elsa waited patiently as the redhead made her point. Truthfully, she had only really heard Anna talk during the phone calls, so to have her voice directed at Elsa was a treat.

“But anyway, uh, I meant to ask if there’s room for one more at your booth? Mine’s kind of taken,” Anna finished with a gesture to the middle aged couple.

It took Elsa a moment to realize the girl was done. It took her a bit longer to realize what Anna had even said. This wasn’t only the first time Elsa had talked to Anna. It was also the first time she looked into the girl’s eyes, and they were beautiful. The teal perfectly complemented her copper hair. She cleared her throat and answered, hoping she wasn’t blushing.

“Of course,” she said, smile still on her face, “The booth is broken a bit on the end, but you’re welcome to join me.”

The relief on Anna’s face was surprising. Was she a person of routine too?

“Thank you! I didn’t want to bother you because you always look so busy. I know that I can be a distraction,” Anna said self deprecatingly.

“No, no, it’s fine,” Elsa assured her, as she settled into Elsa’s booth. The end of the booth was broken, of course, so Anna ended up fairly close to Elsa, but she could handle it. She was a routine-oriented person, not a completely antisocial person.

They settled into a comfortable silence as Elsa continued working on her homework about William of Normandy. Anna, for her part, just rummaged through her bag and then played Pokémon. This lasted until Elsa had to leave to keep her routine. Strangely, at 11:30, she found herself not quite wanting to leave.

It wasn’t that the two had spoken or formed some kind of bond, but Elsa had enjoyed just being in Anna’s presence. However, something felt off about their hour together. Something felt wrong. Elsa had never once really deviated from her routine, but this was the feeling she thought she’d have if she ever did.

It took a few more days of Anna sitting with her in silence to realize what made her feel so anxious.

“Anna…?” she mumbled one day. She didn’t think about the fact that the two hadn’t even introduced themselves and she had no logical reason to know this girl’s name.

“Hmm?”

Anna didn’t even seem a little suspicious at Elsa knowing her name.

“I know what it’s like to have a routine. If you need to make your phone call, I won’t listen in on it,” Elsa said with a gentle smile.

Anna smiled back at her and, surprising her, pulled her into a hug. It was quick, but when it was over, Elsa instantly missed the warmth it provided.

“Thank you,” Anna said with red cheeks, “I just didn’t want to bother you. I know you’re always super busy, and your work is probably way harder than mine. I mean, I’m just a freshman, but you’re like, a senior.”

“No,” Elsa reassured her, “Mr. Weselton’s class is boring, but it’s really easy.”

“Wow,” Anna said as she removed her phone from her satchel, “You must be some kind of genius. I’m in his Historical Perspectives class and I can’t keep up.”

The compliment made Elsa blush even more, so she just made a noncommittal ‘hmm’ and returned to her work so that Anna could make the call.

She noted, as usual, that it sounded as if the conversation was very one sided, but she didn’t pry. She kept typing, pausing only to reference her textbook. When 11:30 rolled around, she packed her things, waved to Anna, and mouthed a silent ‘bye.’

The little wave and smile Anna gave her stuck with her for the rest of the day.

-.-.-.-.-.-

It was ten days until Christmas at Arendelle University, and Elsa was still surprised at how empty Der Kaffeehausen was.

The semester ended on December 14th and resumed on January 3rd, so she knew logically that the campus would be empty, but it was still unnerving being the only customer in the whole place. There was a pianist playing at the piano on stage, but it wasn’t the usual jaunty stuff one would expect here. Likewise, there were only two baristas. Thankfully her favorite was still there.

She felt a little strange going to the broken booth when the entire lobby was empty of people. She didn’t even have homework, but her routine was so ingrained in her that she couldn’t quite bring herself to make the drive home to her family, even for Christmas.

She opened a blank word document, due to muscle memory more than anything else, and tried to find some sort of inspiration to type something. Her mind was drawing a blank. She blamed her lack of homework between semesters, but she knew the truth.

Anna had become part of her routine. The two barely really spoke, and they certainly didn’t know each other well. Had she even told Anna her name?

Regardless, whether Anna was sitting at the next booth over, or playing Pokémon in the same booth as Elsa, Elsa was accustomed to the redhead. She now felt the way she would feel if she were to ever sleep in past 6:15, or go to another different coffee shop. It was a feeling that things were just barely off, and it made her uncomfortable.

“Hi,” Anna’s voice pulled her from her thoughts. Elsa looked up to her and smiled.

“Hi, me?” she asked teasingly.

“Well, you never told me your name, so I didn’t know how else to say ‘hi’,” Anna said with her own teasing grin, sliding easily into the broken booth beside Elsa.

“Didn’t I?” Elsa asked, feigning obliviousness, “I’m pretty sure I did. Maybe you have a poor memory.”

Anna pretended to take offense at that, gasping comically loudly.

“Why, I never! Who could possibly forget your name?” she asked with her usual smile.

Elsa giggled, “You’d be surprised. I’d say if college had superlatives, I’d be voted ‘most forgettable.’”

“Well I could never forget you,” Anna mumbled stubbornly. Elsa blushed and returned to her work – oh. Right. No work. No excuse.

“Thanks,” she muttered shyly.

To her surprise Anna scooted far closer than usual to her in the booth and peeked at the blank word document.

“I was wondering what you were working on during Christmas break,” she said with a tone filled with satisfaction at having her questions answered.

“Uh, yeah, I just don’t like going home for holidays,” Elsa told a half truth, “What about you?”

“Oh, I don’t have much reason to go home either,” she answered, but her voice wasn’t quite as bright as it normally was. Elsa could feel some kind of unspoken tension in the air.

That was when Elsa had the second big whim that would change her life.

“I hear there’s a beautiful lake on the other side of campus. Would you like to go?” she asked hesitantly, not really sure why Anna’s answer was so important to her.

“Really?” Anna asked with a tilt of her head, “I thought you don’t like going outside? That you like, have a thing about dirt or something?”

Elsa laughed at the misunderstanding, not even realizing she was leaning very close to Anna. By the time she realized that their shoulders were touching, she didn’t have it in her to be embarrassed.

“No, you dork,” she teased, “I just like keeping a routine.”

Anna was blushing as she playfully shoved her. She was thankful that they were alone in there, because she was sure their giggles would disturb other customers.

“Well, yes, then. Let’s go see this lake of yours.”

Elsa stood and packed her laptop into her bag, carefully grabbing her coffee in her other hand.

“Well, do you want to drive or walk?”

“I’d say walk. I don’t like cars that much,” Anna mumbled the last bit before teasingly perking up, “Besides. I still don’t know your name, and I’m not in the mood to be kidnapped.”

Elsa jokingly snapped her fingers as the two made for the exit.

“Darn! You’re onto me,” she bantered. With a chuckle she said, “It’s Elsa, by the way.”

Anna said her name out loud a few times as if testing it.

“Such a pretty name,” she marveled, walking through the door Elsa was holding for her, “And such manners! My poor heart can’t take much more of this.”

Elsa was caught between a blush and a giggle. She was aware this was the first conversation the two had really had, but there was something about Anna that was so contagious.

“Shush, you dork,” she said with a smile.

The two walked through the deserted campus, making small talk and occasionally throwing snowballs at each other.

Elsa was surprised to find that she was having fun. She didn’t have the usual headache that accompanied deviations from her routine. She was happy and even laughing.

When the two reached the lake, Elsa wasn’t surprised to see that it was frozen solid. It was very cold outside, after all. It was actually pretty beautiful. She’d never been to the lake, for obvious reasons, so this wasn’t a bad way to see it for the first time.

“It’s so pretty,” Anna said with wide eyes.

“Yeah, it is,” Elsa agreed as she led them to a nearby bench, “I’ve never actually been here.”

“Really?” Anna asked, “How’d you know about it then?”

“My parents made me memorize a map of campus before I moved here.”

“Tell me about them?”

Elsa wasn’t sure why that sounded like a question, but something about it sounded so vulnerable.

“My parents?”

“Yeah, I’d love to know more about Mr. and Mrs. Elsa,” Anna joked, kicking her feet in the snow.

“Ah, yes. My father, Mr. Elsa. He’s great fun at parties,” Elsa teased.

“You know what I mean, you stinker.”

“Well, what do you want to know?” she asked, turning to look at Anna. Anna turned to her and returned the eye contact.

“Anything?”

“Well, they loved me. They were always strict, but in a protective way, I guess?”

“Like the map thing?” Anna offered.

“Like the map thing,“ Elsa nodded, “And they always prepared me for a quality education. It’s why I have my routine.”

“And how does that work?”

“I like to do the same things at the same time each day. It helps me stay organized. And it helps me keep my focus, I think.”

“Oh. So trips like this aren’t usually your thing.”

“Not usually.”

There was a comfortable silence as a dog ran by and rolled in the snow. Elsa half-expected Anna to chase it to pet the cute little thing, but to her surprise, the girl stayed seated.

“Thank you,” Anna said quietly.

“For what?”

“This was my first Christmas without my parents,” she said with a sad smile, “You’re the first real friend I’ve met here at Arendelle U, and I know this wasn’t easy for you, but I was so afraid I’d have to spend Christmas break completely alone.”

Elsa was floored. Anna was such a bright person. She lit everything up around her with her playfulness, her joy, and her general upbeat attitude. To hear such a sobering seriousness from the girl was like a punch to the gut.

“When you say, ‘the first Christmas without your parents,’ do you mean…?”

“My parents died this July in a car crash,” Anna said, almost mechanically. It was like she was reading a paragraph from a book.

“I’m so sorry, Anna. I had no idea,” Elsa said, looking down at the ground between them. She didn’t know what to say, but she so desperately wanted to comfort this girl.

All she could do was scoot closer to Anna and provide a shoulder if she needed it.

Anna graciously accepted it, laying her head on the arm, which was thankfully nice and fluffy due to Elsa’s winter coat.

“I never said anything. I’m just thankful to have someone to spend Christmas with. I knew I could count on you to be in our spot.”

Our spot? Elsa smiled inwardly at the thought that, not only had she made a friend, but she and that friend had their own little thing they could share. Sure, it was just an old broken booth in a coffee shop, but it was theirs.

The pair spent the rest of that day together at that frozen lake, only leaving when interrupted by their empty bellies and the freezing cold.

-.-.-.-.-.-

It was Valentine’s Day when Elsa made a startling discovery about herself.

She stared into the bathroom mirror after her 6:40 shower, but only for a moment. She couldn’t be late.

Her little epiphany wasn’t her fault. It was because of Anna, her newfound best friend. The girl who had piggybacked onto Elsa’s coffee shop routine and become a key part of her life. The girl who had lost her parents just before starting university, leading her to latch emotionally onto Elsa. The girl who, three days ago, on February 11th, had jokingly suggested that Elsa be her Valentine’s Day date.

It had been such a simple throwaway comment from Anna.

‘Since we’re both single, we might as well be each other’s date,’ she had said with a chuckle.

Elsa had fought the blush as best she could. Thankfully it was time for her to leave per her schedule, so she managed to escape the embarrassment she felt. It was also a Friday, so she had the entire weekend to sort through her feelings.

After a weekend of introspection, World of Warcraft, and homework, Elsa came to one conclusion:

“Fuck. I’m so gay.”

She realized, in hindsight, that it should have been obvious to her. She never pined after any men. She found herself admiring the female form (objectively, she always told herself), and the only times she had gotten flustered around others were around girls.

She found herself poring through her every memory as she drove to class. She re-examined every female she had known in school, as well as every male, hoping for some clear indication of any crushes she may have had. She just wanted to understand herself. It was terrifying to not understand her own sexuality and it felt like everything she knew had a different meaning now.

At 10:24, she pulled into Der Kaffeehausen, absentmindedly ordering her drink, thanking her favorite barista, and walked to her normal booth. For what had to be the first time, Anna was there before her, watching her with a smug expression and her feet propped onto Elsa’s spot on the bench.

“You’re late, I was getting worried,” Anna teased. When she noticed Elsa’s serious expression and absentminded demeanor, however, she sat up and shifted to a worried look, “Oh no. Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Elsa wordlessly sat beside Anna, wincing internally as the girl wrapped an arm around her. Her shoulder that Anna’s hand was resting on felt burning hot and every touch from Anna had a new meaning now in her head. She tried to speak but couldn’t find the words.

What would Anna think? Would she be disgusted? Would it make things awkward? Elsa loved their friendship, and she really didn’t want to lose it. Maybe she should just not tell Anna about her discovery?

Then she saw the adoration in Anna’s eyes and the decision was made for her. She took a deep breath.

“Anna, I think I’m gay,” she said with a confidence she didn’t feel.

Anna’s eyes widened a bit, but then her playful smile returned. With a fake haughty aura about her, she said in her most elegant voice, “Ah. So you’ve fallen for my seductive charm. I’m aware of the effect I have on women.”

Elsa just stared, jaw open.

“You absolute dork,” she said as a laugh bubbled up from her belly, “I’m coming out to you and you make an Office reference?”

Anna raised her hands in a placating gesture, “I just wanted to make it clear that I accept you for who you are, and I just assumed the best way would be to tease you like normal.”

Anna’s face fell for a moment.

“Oh wait! I wasn’t like trying to downplay your coming out! I just wanted you to know that I still like being around you. I mean, of course I do. Who wouldn’t like being around you? You’re beautiful and kind and super organized - it’s really inspiring, to be honest. Wait. Sorry, I’m rambling.”

“It’s okay, Anna, really. It’s one of the things I love about you,” Elsa said with a smile, blushing as she realized her own choice of words.

“Ah-hah! Love! Right, cause it’s Valentine’s Day!”

Anna was digging through her satchel and Elsa watched curiously.

“Since you’re my Valentine and all,” Anna began, finally finding a small box in her satchel and holding it up triumphantly, “and you’ve so clearly fallen for my feminine wiles.”

“I have not,” Elsa lied but Anna ignored her, holding the small box out to her.

“I got these for us,” Anna continued, unbothered by Elsa’s denial. Elsa tentatively grabbed the box and looked to Anna. With an eager look, Anna urged her on, “Come on! Open it!”

Elsa tentatively opened the small jewelry box and gasped at what was inside. It was a beautiful silver chain, on which a simple snowflake locket hung. With a delicate touch, Elsa grabbed the locket and opened it. Inside was a selfie the two had taken on their day at the frozen lake back at Christmas. Elsa instinctive held the locket to her heart before pushing it back to Anna.

“Anna, this is beautiful but I can’t accept this. It’s too much.”

Anna shrugged and refused to take the jewelry back.

“If you don’t take it, we won’t match,” Anna argued, reaching into her shirt and pulling out a matching locket with gold instead of silver, “Besides, it wasn’t expensive or anything. I just saw the snowflake and thought of you, you know, because of our little snow day back in December. Crazy how it’s been two months since then!”

Elsa reluctantly held the chain around her neck and blushed as she turned away, asking, “Can you clasp it for me, then?”

She felt the slight click of the hook fastening to the chain and turned to Anna, “H-how do I look?”

“You’ve always been beautiful, but now you look beautifuller, if that’s even possible. Er, not fuller. More beautiful.”

“Seriously, though, thank you for everything,” Elsa whispered, “You accepted my being gay, you accepted my weird habits when it comes to my routine, and you’ve always been so kind to me.”

“I should be thanking you, Elsa,” Anna said with a smile, “After my parents died, I couldn’t cope with it. We were always inseparable and then I was just, well, alone. I tried to cope by calling their phones, kind of like a journal, you know? It was almost like I was talking to them. But then I met you, and you’ve been there for me.”

Elsa pulled Anna into a hug.

It was then that she was hit by the third big, life-changing whim of her life.

“Let’s go on a date,” Elsa said as she stood extending a hand to Anna, who watched with wide eyes.

“Like, a date-date?”

Elsa nodded.

“Right now?”

Elsa nodded again, blushing furiously. Was she rushing things? Maybe. But she knew by now that the rare whims she had were best off not being ignored.

“But, your schedule-“ Anna began, taking Elsa’s hand anyway.

“It’s okay. I think this is more important.”

Anna stood beside Elsa, their hands still clasped together gently. Anna said with a happy smile, “Let’s go, then.”

And they did.

-.-.-.-.-

Ever since her childhood, Elsa had been a girl of routine.

Whims were rare for the girl, and her actually following them were even more rare.

Anna knew this, and she still cared for Elsa. That didn’t mean she couldn’t pull the blonde out of her self-imposed rut every now and again.

With a content sigh, she laid back onto the soft grass.

“This place looks a lot different in Summer,” Anna noted.

Elsa grinned as she turned to look at her girlfriend.

“It’s not the same without the snow and ice,” she agreed, “but the bright sun and the grass really bring out your eyes.”

“I know what you mean. Your eyes were dazzling in the snow when we came here in the winter,” Anna nodded as as she rolled onto her side to cuddle with Elsa. She welcomed the warmth of Elsa’s boob-pillow as she felt an arm wrap around her shoulder. This was the life.

It was late July, and she would start the new semester soon. She would be a senior, like Elsa was when they met. But until then, she was content to enjoy these lazy summer days. When Elsa didn’t have to work, at least.

She was just glad that Elsa wasn’t a strict on herself with her routine anymore. If she was, they could never spend hours just lying in the grass together. It made all the itchiness that would come later worth it.

“This is great,” she said with a yawn.

“Anna?” Elsa asked.

“Hmm?”

“Remember that locket you gave me?” Elsa asked, squirming a bit under Anna. She sounded nervous.

Anna fished hers out of her baggy t-shirt and held it up in front of them, “Yep. Still wear it.”

Elsa chuckled, and Anna recognized the same nervousness from the time she had come out to Anna. Anna turned to look into Elsa’s eyes.

“Are you okay? You’re not going to tell me you’re pregnant or something, are you?” Anna tried to joke.

“No, no, it’s nothing like that,” Elsa said in a slightly more confident manner, “It’s just that I never got a chance to pay you back for that.”

Pay her back…? Anna was confused, but it sounded like Elsa was struggling to find her words, so she was patient.

“So I, well, I got you a gift,” Elsa said with a deep blush as she looked away and handed Anna a small jewelry box. She wasn’t usually this shy.

Anna smiled at her and pecked her on the lips. It was quick and it was chaste, but every time they kissed it still invigorated Anna.

“You didn’t have to do that, you stinker,” she said with a smile as she took the offered box, “but thank you.”

She could have sworn she heard Elsa mumble ‘don’t thank me yet,’ but she wasn’t sure. She just grabbed Elsa’s right hand with her left and used her right hand to slowly, and clumsily, open the jewelry box.

Her eyes widened.

“Holy fuck, is this what I think it is!?” she shouted a bit too excitedly, sitting up and avoiding the glares of the parents around her.

Elsa was sitting up beside her, but wasn’t quite looking at her. Anna felt her girlfriend nod beside her.

“It was, well, just a whim,” Elsa muttered sheepishly,“ and I’ve learned not to ignore those.”

Anna took out the shiny gold ring and stared in awe at the diamond. She held it up to the sun and had to squint to look at it.

“Jesus Elsa, I don’t know what to say,” she said excitedly.

“An answer would be a good start,” Elsa joked with a worried smile.

Anna kissed her again and pulled her into a tight hug. She met Elsa’s misty eyes with her own.

“Yes.”

#elsanna #submission #April 2021 contest #prompt: break

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jjuzoir · 4 years ago

Text

Daily life at the Mankai Dorms [Act 1]!

A/N: another one that’s been on the folder this ones from like May this is embarrassing 💀 i never post imfhshde ALSO this takes place during act 1 so no Chikage (🤢) and no university for banju!

- Izumi and Omi wake up at 5:40AM weekdays, Izumi showers first while Omi organizes the kitchen, making sure to prep the space so he can start cooking early for the members.

- By 6:10 the two are ready (showered and all) and starting to cook breakfast, soon they’re joined by Sakyo for a while before he goes to take a shower (he mostly pesters Izumi about schedules and money poor Izumi).

- At 6:15, on the dot not a second late, Tasuku leaves to go on his morning jogs and Tsumugi is already working on the garden, he likes giving his plants a schedule and plays them music (mostly classical (though sometimes Homare insists his CD’s be played)).

- A few minutes before breakfast is ready, the remaining Uni students (read: Kazunari and Tsuzuru) are sitting at the table watching the news or are on their phones, Kazu is updating his followers about his schedule and Tsuzuru is texting his brothers about the weather so they make sure to bring a coat.

- At exactly 6:40 Sakyo wakes up the high school and middle school students and chaos officially ensues.

- Masumi and Sayaka are the first two to shower, since they have to arrive at 7:50 and their school is notoriously strict when it comes to schedules.

- Sayaka goes first and Masumi goes second, they wake him up a bit earlier than the rest because he tends to fall asleep standing in the shower and he can and will push everyone back by an hour give or take

- Yuki is next, followed by Muku, they have to arrive at 8:20 but both enjoy having a head start since they sometimes walk to school instead of getting a lift from one of the older members.

- By 7:15 1/2 of the boys are ready and breakfast is served, Izumi and Sayaka start organizing the bags and lunches. Sayaka insists on leaving notes for the lunches for everyone, it’s very cute and at first Itaru was very against it but he warmed up to the idea the more it happened.

- Taichi makes a run for the bathroom and gets ready quickly, he does take some time with his hair but Sakyo pulls him by the ear to sit down and eat because if he didn’t he would spend the whole morning gelling his hair.

- Tenma goes in next, nothing much happens with him, he’s rather chill, yes he’ll make a mess but he’ll (try his best to) clean but overall; Tenma is a good bathroom user 20/20.

- Then, Banri strikes; he takes 20 minutes (when he’s feeling nice) to get ready because he knows Juza’s classes start earlier than his, Juza gets pissed and knocks the door open and pushes Banri (who’s probably been done for 10 minutes but stays in to piss everyone off) out- it happens almost everyday and Sakyo tried buying an alarm clock but it ended up breaking after Juza threw it at Banri’s head one morning.

- By then it’s 7:35 and Taichi, Juza, and Tenma leave- Izumi hands Juza a big lunch and snacks as a sorry gift for Banri since he often misses breakfast because of the other boy.

- During the whole chaos, Itaru wakes up and gets ready to leave for work, he crams himself in after Juza leaves the bathroom- Itaru either gives the middle schoolers or the Hanasaki students a lift (not really the others since Hanasaki and St. Flora is on the way to his work).

- Izumi and Omi will give the boys their lunches and help them with their bags, this is also the time when Muku ends up freaking out about possibly forgetting something and Yuki needs to assure him there are no missing assignments or extra cardboard to bring to class.

- By 8:30 Tsumugi joins them in the kitchen as they clean the place up. Since most of the loud members are gone by then, it’s fairly quiet but you can hear Homare ranting about his latest poem if you strain your ear enough.

- After that, the rest (aka; Hisoka, Azuma, Homare, Tasuku, Tsumugi, Citron, and Misumi.) take their mornings slowly- Izumi will be out for the rest of the morning stuck in meetings while Sakyo bounces around town doing whatever yakuza do (idk I’m not part of the mafia).

- Omi and Tsuzuru head to classes alongside Kazu at 10:30, though sometimes the green-eyed boy will leave earlier if he’s going out with friends or has a project (art students things).

- Depending on the day, Omi or Izumi will arrive and make lunch or they’ll go out to eat at one of the cafes nearby (I feel like Veludo has many cafes and bars, it makes sense since it’s a hotspot for theater and art lovers so it’s only natural a lot of places would open up).

- Tasuku can be seen walking alongside Veludo helping other troupes, sometimes Tsumugi will join him; if you wanted you could probably play a game of how many theaters can you see Tasuku in a day (Citron once claimed he saw him at 30 but Tsuzuru doesn’t belive him).

- If not alongside Tasuku, Tsumugi will be preparing the work for his students and tending to the garden, though sometimes he enjoys going out into town and visiting cafes and flower shops. He’s well liked around the elderly women population, very good with old ladies.

- Citron will spend the rest of the morning outside of the dorms experiencing Japanese culture and/or helping the vendors in Veludo, if he wanted he could help the dorm save up a years’s worth of groceries with all the favors he’s done.

- By 12:00PM most of the members are outside of the dorms and, if she hasn’t arrived earlier us to shorter work days, Izumi arrives from her meetings (though there are the odd days she’s out for longer).

- At around the same time, Misumi will start his triangle hunt, comes back with gifts and then goes to work at a circus (he has a clown card and I’m sure he’d make a good acrobat or flexible man... I think) or whatever, sometimes the schedule will change depending on what’s around the area. No one understands Misumi’s schedule but he says it’s made to be as triangular as a schedule can be (I belive him).

- Hisoka and Azuma stay in the dorms until work starts for both of them which is often later than most, Homare comes back at this time from his meetings with publishers but will leave again. He likes going to museums and art expositions often, might take Azuma out with him if the silver-head isn’t busy.

- By then it’s 2:40-3:00 and Omi comes back, normally without Kazunari (who’s out with friends) or Tsuzuru (who’s working part time somewhere).

- Izumi and Omi will start making snacks for the students, first come the St Flora boys at 3:30, then Hanasaki high 3:45, and finally the remaining students at 4:00. Normally at the same time, Tsumugi will go to his students and start his classes.

- Misumi pops up, now done with his job, with some triangle gifts, he also manages to somehow cram some other part time job during his absence (like truck loading). It’s very weird but he brings in money so no one can really complain, he seems to enjoy it too.

- Sakyo arrives and makes sure the students (uni or not) have done their homework and lets them spend the rest of the afternoon practicing if they’ve got a performance coming up or doing whatever as long as they aren’t too noisy or do anything dumb (his wishes are almost never fulfilled).

- By the time all the students have worked to Sakyo’s standard (aka finished all of their homework for the next month basically), it’s 5:00 and Tsuzuru and Hisoka will come back home.

- Hisoka tends to work around the evening instead of early in the morning, it’s an odd time to work (especially since he works odd jobs mostly) but it keeps him busy and with a steady income.

- At 6:00 Kazunari and Tasuku come back, Tsumugi and Azuma will follow a few minutes later.

- By then, most of the dorm is back (excluding Itaru, the household desk worker), and practice starts with the whole troupe- depending on who’s practicing Izumi will make dinner with either Omi or Tsuzuru.

- Official full-troupe pratice starts at 7 and ends at 9 during weekdays, though it’s not rare to find people practicing during the day/outside of the schedule.

- Depending on if the Spring troupe has a performance or not, Itaru will arrive at 8 or 6, if it’s at 8 he’ll go straight to his room and play games, if it’s at 6 and he’s got a play he’ll head to the practice room and play mobile games during breaks; the grind doesn’t stop when your Itaru Chigasaki and there’s an event going.

- By 9:15 dinner is ready and the whole dorm comes together and eats like a family!!

- Once they're done it’s 10pm and the students are sent to their rooms to get ready to sleep unless they’re on cleaning duty (20-26 plates don’t clean themselves and Sakyo refuses to buy a dishwasher he says it’s too expensive), it takes 30 minutes to clean the place up and by 11PM Izumi and Sakyo are making rounds to make sure the high schoolers are in their room sleeping.

- By 12PM the whole mankai dorm is asleep, except Itaru who’s probably gaming… and Homare who could’ve gotten an inspirational rush at 1AM… or Tsuzuru while he works on a script… or Misumi who’s stuck trying to take out a triangle sticker out of some magazine he found.

- It depends on the day of the week, the moon cycle, and if Misumi prayed to the triangle gods.

#—🎀 a3!#a3!#a3 #act addict actors #spring troupe #summer troupe #winter troupe #autumn troupe #a3 izumi #mankai dorms #(no idea what to tag this as 😷)#—✒️ sora’s scripts

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