#but katrina being the best aunt and trying to be a better person for her niece is Definitely one of the top reasons

[mcmorare]

i am Thinking once again abt how neither katrina or julien really ever felt loved by their parents and wanted so desperately not to be like them and then along comes evelin, and both of them would do anything for her, and (even though katrina is in some ways more like her mother than she realizes or would ever admit) they’ve both stopped themselves from becoming their parents in one of the most crucial ways by undeniably and unconditionally loving the next generation of the family

[ignyxdaughter]

𝐕𝐈𝐈𝐈 - 𝐀 𝐁𝐈𝐑𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐀 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐄

(𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 /𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐤𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐨𝐯𝐚 𝐱 𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐨𝐧)

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MASTELIST

summary: The Darkling and Katherine have another interaction. However, now he makes a promise.

word count: 1838

warnings: none

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It's been 5 days after Katherine's last dream. She tried to forget it, but every time her mind didn't worry about Agatha's memory, the mysterious man invaded her thoughts. He's real. He really exists, and she needs to meet him, to know who is that shadowed figure that visits her on her dreams.

The witch, then, began to focus more on her mission to forget the man. She takes advantage of her job as a handmaiden to search around people stuff, aiming to find something useful about Ravka, and orders her shadows to see if there's anything interesting about the country — war strategies, confidential files, soldier's reports, rumors, anything. Knowledge is never little, after all. Is better to be prepared for an unusual situation than to be thrown at one with zero knowledge of what's going on.

Katherine also studied at night, devouring every grimoire till dawn. She needs to find a the perfect spell, one that doesn't mess with Agatha's others memories. According to Levi, their cousin suspects — and "discovered" — she's not a Grisha, but an Air Singer witch. Hope said she remembers a few vocabularies too, and thinks they're from her past. Moreover, Agatha asked a few days ago if the ginger knew what was Halloween.

'I told her the basic', Hope said to her cousins that night. 'That is the day of All Hallows' Eve, created by the ancient Celtic, when the living and dead worlds collide.'

'What'd she say?' Nick questioned.

'She asked me about the Supernatural. If it was the time of the year where they could be themselves without fear.'

He took a deep breath, which Katherine interpreted as an attempt to hold a cry. 'Mom used to tell us that.'

She slowly nodded. 'I know.'

'So what do we do now?' Levi looked up from his lap. 'How can we find that spell?'

'The magic levels', everyone turned to Michelle, who spoke for the first time in minutes. 'Aunt Freya always taught us: the smaller the magic—'

'—the more secrets there are', they all completed in unison.

She nodded. 'We need to find Ravka's secrets to know where to search the spell. Maybe there're Supernaturals here.'

This makes Katherine stop walking on the Little Palace's hallway. When her cousin said that, she honestly thought they needed to search around Os Alta and other cities to find this country's secrets. But now an idea is on her mind.

The Darkling's office. What a better place to seek for magical information than the Grisha's Leader chambers?

"Keep an eye the Darkling's office and warn me the best hour to enter." The witch whispers to her shadows, who obey in an instant, flying through the palace and fitting in the General's chambers without being seen.

Katherine knew immediately who've followed her orders: Ikatris and Umbra. She felt their aura leaving her own shadow and making her shiver a little with their absence. Although she loves and trusts all of her shadows, she's glad it was them. They are the quietest, never getting mistaken or distracted by anything. That's what make them good at spying.

She takes a deep breath to continue with her day, dreading to have to take care of the Sun Summoner. She should be getting tons of money for not having hurt her yet. It's difficult for the Shadow Singer to be close to lightscums, and all of this due to her terrible personal experiences. Some tried to kill and torture her, others got acquainted for power just to then — try to — betray her. But the worst of all is obviously the first experience, where everything began.

The house she shared with her "parents", Tissaia and Andrew, and her twin sisters, Katarina and Katrina. Oh, if she only knew how much she'd suffer, the little girl would've ran away from that house before completing 7 years.

So much effort to be loved for nothing. But that doesn't matter now. She met Elijah and was taught of what a real parental bond is.

Elijah Mikaelson is her father, not Andrew. And anyone of the Mikaelson women could be her mother, since Tissaia would never be a real one. This is her family, not the Morris.

Katherine still remembers the agony she felt as a child, the thoughts of being a freak just for having darkness. It hurt so much she used to pray every night for being accepted.

See your Fire Singer mother and Light Singer father treating your sisters better because they have the light gift is painful. To be segregated, always receiving the worst, because you have inherited your grandfather's shadows is painful. To be accused of being a monster by your own "family" is painful. Getting spanked for not being able to control your power is painful.

It's their fault, Elijah used to say to her. You were just a scared child that didn't deserve any of this.

Katherine truly believes that she learnt what love is when she met her adoptive dad, her true father. He saved her life and gave her a future, always supporting her and assuring her how wonderful she is. Moreover: proving his affection with actions and words.

There's nothing more pure than a parent love.

The witch touches her nape, where the tattoo she did in his honor is. It has the year of his death written in Roman numerals, a way she found of always caring a piece of him with her. An ache in her heart appears at the thought of having to wait more to meet him again, but little does she know that her destiny is finally about to change.

And for once, this change is for better.

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Surprisingly, today's being a good day to The Darkling. That stupid Tsar hadn't requested him, and no otkazat'sya has doubted his opinions on the meeting. He also rode with Alina and emphasized again how she's Ravka's current hope for an improvement. She's almost at his hands now, clearly falling for him, and he couldn't be happier. Better times are about to come.

He enters his chambers satisfied, however, stops when hear steps. His Oprichniki know better than to sneak around on their General's rooms, and the servants have strict orders of just coming in by the morning, always accompanied by Genya. Therefore, there's only one option left: an intruder.

Kirigan looks around in search for a threat, his hands ready to attack in case it is indeed one. Quickly, he concludes it's all coming from his office, and silently marches there. He stretches his knuckles, ready to summon shadows, but he won't be needing them.

His heart stops for a second on what he finds.

The so mesmerizing handmaiden is behind his desk, reading some documents while a few other papers are on her hands. The Darkling takes a minute to appreciate the delightful sight. She seems focused, a slight frown on her forehead as her light green eyes scan each file in a velocity that must be recognized.

She then looks up, probably to see if anyone's coming, and jumps. She clearly was startled, her eyes widening a little bit in surprise.

"Good evening, Ms. Anya." The General greets her from the doorway. "Mind to tell me what are you doing here, looking at confidential files?"

Katherine's frozen on her place. This has never happened to her. In 475 years, she was never caught by anyone, always trusting her shadows to acknowledge her when a person is approaching, always sensing another presence. She wasn't warned that the General was coming. Actually, she didn't even hear him!

How did this happened? The darkness has never failed her, so why now?

"You were supposed to watch the door!" She exclaims in an angry whisper to her shadow, but gets no answer — not even a mocking comment. Now that's unusual.

"I beg your pardon?" Kirigan raises an eyebrow, and her cheeks turn red.

"I— I—"

"I'm not found of repeating myself, Ms. Anna."

She stays quiet for a minute, trying to find the perfect excuse for being at such a restricted area. However, without thinking much, she says: "A bird went through the window."

"How unusual."

"I know, moi soverenyi, and I'm so sorry. But when I saw that bird entering such an important chamber, I couldn't let it ruin all the cleaning my colleagues spent the morning doing."

This is such a bad excuse that The Darkling struggles in holding his laugh, yet succeeding it. "How come a little bird ruin my office, Ms. Anya?"

"Shitting everything."

"And why didn't you warn one of my soldiers?"

"They seemed so busy protecting the palace that I didn't have the courage to ask them such a fool task. They have better things to do than hunt a bird."

Saints! This woman knows how to hold on a lie. She doesn't give up.

The handmaiden looks down in — fake — shyness. Innocent, Katherine. You are an innocent mortal here. "I'm sorry, moi soverenyi. I really am. This won't happen anymore."

Right, Ikatris and Umbra? She scolds her shadows in her mind.

The General narrows his dark brown eyes. "Where is the bird now?"

"Gone."

"Then why were you still here, looking at my papers?"

"It interested me", Katherine admits. This is the truth. When she had arrived here, the first thing that dragged her attention was a notebook. She was fast to analyze it, and certainly what mesmerized her was the drawing of a tree followed by a deer. She tried to find a connection between them, without success. Above the animal drawing, there're notes about the Morozova stag, which she will do a research on the library tonight. However, there're no notes about the tree besides a "hanging tree".

What does that mean? Did he find out the real meaning of one? Why is he so curious?

Kirigan's quietness makes her add: "I won't say anything. I swear I'll be quiet."

He nods. "Just go, Ms. Anya."

She looks at him in surprise. "I'm not in trouble?" He shakes his head. "Why?"

The Darkling gestures her the door, and she takes the cue, leaving with blushing cheeks and a pounding heart. When the man's certain she left, he sighs and answer her question. "I don't know."

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"I want you to follow her." The General says to one of his most trusted Corporalki, the Heartrender Kage Petrov. "Update me everyday of her tracks and interactions. She's hiding something."

"Yes, moi soverenyi." He bows before leaving.

Kirigan looks at his office's window, quickly spotting the mysterious handmaiden following Alina and Genya. He frowns when he sees her grumpy face change into a smirk, her lips moving in what seems to be a murmur. However, there's no one that could possibly hear her words; the Sun Summoner and the Tailor are quite far from her, and there are no other people around the three of them.

Who is Ms. Anya talking to?

"I will find out what you're hiding." The Darkling doesn't look away from her. "I promise."

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A/N: English is not my first language. I’m gonna mix the books and the tv show to make the story line clearer (I read soc, the grisha trilogy and its tales). I don’t own Shadow and Bone and TO/Legacies characters; they’re, respectively, Leigh Bardugo, L. J. Smith and Julie Plec. Also, this is how I think the Darkling is,and some of the events will be changed due to the story's course!

[lostbbygorl]

HAPPILY EVER AFTER (LEVI X F!READER):

AU: PRIDE AND PREJUDICE BY JANE AUSTEN

(THIS IS THE FINALE OF THE PXP AU SERIES. THANKS FOR ALL THE LOVE YOU GAVE IT. MORE CONTENT IS IN THE PROGRESS)

~~~~~~

Y/N stood in the middle of the garden, absolutely still, as if she were a statue. Unblinking, she stared at the sky. It was nearly morning, and the sun was showing glimpses of itself. Morning fog was thick on that day, and it surrounded Y/N like a persistent crowd. She couldn’t cry anymore. Her head was empty, completely devoid of any thought.

All Y/N could do was relive her argument with Lady Katrina over and over again. The part that broke her the most was when she gave up on fighting the facts anymore, and admitted to Lady Katrina that she wasn’t engaged to Levi Ackerman. She wasn’t engaged to Levi Ackerman, and it had hit her like a truck right in that moment. Would she ever be engaged to him? Forget an engagement, would she ever marry him? Lady Katrina had definitely told him about their dispute from earlier on. There was no way Levi, an evident family man, would pick Y/N over his senior auntie!

Levi collapsed on the grass, sweat drying on his forehead as he panted for air. His onyx head rested against one of his horse’s legs for support. When he finally stood up, his eyes shone with fire and pure determination! He eyed the door of Y/N’s house with hope. He was sure that the family hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep last night after her aunt’s rude arrival. He sharply rapped on the door three times, before Christa opened it, looking him up and down in surprise.

“ Mr. Ackerman?”, she said in a tone which suggested she was convincing herself of his presence at her house, early in the morning, in his nightwear with 2 of his shirt buttons unbuttoned.

“ Hello, Ms. Christa. I apologize sincerely to you and your family for intruding so early in the morning, as well as for my aunt Katrina’s ill manners and treatment of you fine people”, Levi began softly.

“ And to you, Ms. Christa, I apologize for meddling with your relationship with my best friend. I could’ve ruined your happiness forever. But it was I who insisted Erwin reach out to you once again, and I hope you’ll accept my attempt of fixing my mistake”, he finished.

“ Oh, sir, of course I forgive you! Your intentions were understandable and you’ve made amends. But I have a feeling it isn’t me you’ve rushed over to the countryside to see. Is the true motivation behind your being here my sister, Y/N?”, Christa asked, to which Levi nodded.

“ Y/N is in the garden, sir. We tried to move her from her position there, but she wouldn’t budge”, Christa informed.

Levi ran faster than he ever had in his life! The fog was just clearing when he reached, and in the blur, he could make out the figure of a woman standing. Levi’s heart did cartwheels as soon as he saw Y/N standing there, a maroon shawl wrapped around her. For the first time in several hours, Y/N moved. Y/N moved her head to the direction of Levi’s familiar footsteps as soon as she heard him arriving. She gasped when she saw him walking towards her, his night robe flaying in the morning breeze as he walked.

“ Mr. Levi”, she whispered.

“ Ms. Y/N”, he breathed.

“ Mr. Ackerman, as wonderful as it is to see you, I’m afraid this occasion on which we meet isn’t a happy one. I’m sure your aunt has reported to you of our argument, and that you’re here to avenge her honor which I offended. I’m incredibly sorry for my behaviour towards her ladyship, good sir. Please forgive me”, Y/N said bitterly. Levi blanked a few times in confusion, registering her words.

“ What? Oh no, ma’am, I’m not here to demand an apology at all. I’m not here regarding Lady Katrina, I have a more pressing matter to discuss”, Levi corrected.

“ Oh”, Y/N mumbled, not sure what to say. She walked towards him, and cautiously, the man took her hands in his. To his joy, she didn’t shake him off.

“ Mr. Ackerman, your hands are ice”, she remarked.

“ I rode all the way from Shiganshina last night after my auntie returned and complained about her time here. To be honest, I was impressed, just as I was when you first met her and put her in her place”, Levi admitted. Y/N managed a smile.

“ I see. So then what are you here for, Mr. Levi?”Y/N asked.

“ To ask you for a second chance”, he said.

“ If your feelings for me are still what they were last April at Shiganshina, tell me so at once. My feelings towards you won’t change, but if you give me the word, I’ll be on my way back to Utgard, and I shan’t ever bother you again”, Levi promised. Y/N was screaming inside, but not out of anger or sadness this time, it was out of happiness! The moment she had daydreamed about all this time might finally play out in real life!

“ If your feelings have changed, however, I would have to tell you this: I have never met another woman like you, and you have bewitched me completely. I love you”, Levi confessed.

“ I never wish to be parted from you from this day forth”.

“ Well then, why don’t you pop the big question to make things official?”, Y/N breathed.

“ Ms. Y/N L/N, will you do me the honor of giving me your hand?”, Mr. Ackerman proposed a second time.

“ Of course I will! Yes, yes,yes! A thousand times I will say yes!”, she affirmed. Y/N and Levi locked lips just as the sun finally rose to the sky, and the sun’s warmth and light reached them. Both of them had wanted this for as long as they could remember falling for each other, and this blissful, euphoric moment was far better than what they had dreamed.

Y/N laughed as she ran back to the house, hand in hand with Levi, who was unsmiling, but this time with a softer expression. What you couldn’t decipher about Levi’s emotions from his facial expressions you could make out from his eyes. His gaze was soft and his eyes were shining. His heart was thudding and the butterflies that exploded in his stomach and heart every time he was in contact with Y/N came back.

“ Everybody, me and Mr. Ackerman are engaged!”, Y/N announced. Everybody cheered, and Christa embraced Y/N so tightly, she felt as if her bones would snap!

Christa and Y/N had a double wedding. The ceremony took place at Utgard castle, and the decorations made the already stunning castle look even more beautiful! All of Mr. Ackerman’s relatives and friends attended, and so did Y/N’s. Sasha rode from Liberio to Utgard with Mr. Yeager, and Nifa and cousin Elias came from Shiganshina. Everybody was there, even Lady Katrina!

Sasha, Ella, Nifa, Marceline and Vanya served as the bridesmaids. Y/N and Christa donned off white, puffy white wedding dresses with numerous ruffles and floral accents for the wedding. They curled their hair and accessorized with pearls. As typical brides, they got emotional over anything, and cried happy tears upon seeing the other in their wedding dress. Erwin Smith shed a few tears when he saw Christa walk out, but Levi remained poker faced as always. Though he didn’t show it, he was an emotional wreck inside! The sisters looked like fairies in their dresses!

The rest of the ceremony went great. Lady Katrina was a polite guest, and though it was obvious she still showed contempt towards Y/N and Christa’s family, she didn’t cause a scene unnecessarily, and even begrudgingly complimented Y/N’s dress (before muttering a comment on how Amanda would look better in it under her breath).

Erwin and Levi stared lovingly at their brides the entire time.

Finally it was time for them to ride off to their new homes. This was Levi and Y/N’s first time sitting together in a carriage, and Y/N admired the view from outside the carriage with a smile playing on her lips. The sun was just setting, and all the hills and bushes were as green as they could be. The sky was a blend of tangerine orange and melon pink, and crows flew from east to west. Y/N was still in a daze after the wedding. She couldn’t believe it had happened!

“ What are you thinking about?”, Levi asked, bringing her back from her daze.

“ Oh, nothing, I was just looking at the view outside”

“ Yes, it’s quite pretty isn’t it?”

“ It is, yes. But now that you asked me, I actually am thinking of something quite interesting indeed”, Y/N told him.

“ And what might that be?”, Levi asked curiously.

“ It’s just that last April we were in the rain having a verbal battle, and I told you that I’d never be persuaded to marry you. And now here we are, tied together with rings, sitting next to each other in a decorated carriage”, she laughed. Levi smiled, a sight she was still getting used to. Maybe he’d smile more after being married to her for quite some time.

“ It’s most ironic. But I am glad I got a second chance with you, Mrs. Ackerman”, he said.

“ And I’m glad I was open minded enough to give you a second chance. But, Levi, I have a question for you”

“ What might that be?”

“ When did you first realize that you love me?”

“ Well”, he trailed off, trying to find an answer for her.

“ That question doesn’t have a definitive answer. I just knew that you were the most interesting woman at any ball or setting where we ran into each other, and I was always amused by your honesty and the way you teased me. One day, I just woke up and realized I love you, I guess”, Levi shrugged as she replied honestly. Y/N was satisfied.

“ That makes sense, I guess. I personally came to terms with my sentiments after I discovered you were making amends, and after I saw the very positive changes in you when we met again after the dispute in the rain”, Y/N informed him.

Y/N laid her head on his shoulder, and closed her eyes, taking in his minty scent and his warmth. Levi intertwined his hands with hers, and the two rode off to their new lives, hearts beating with anticipation, this time in perfect harmony…

THE END

[mskinkyafro]

Heart to Heart (Aurora & MC) Pt. 1

*Platonic Pairing*: Aurora & MC

A/N: With OPH on hiatus, I got inspired to write my version of what I imagine should happen once Aurora and MC talk over what happened at the game. Furthermore, what things Aurora would say to call out MC since they were out of pocket, last chapter. This fic became so long that I split it into two parts and I’m halfway through the second part. It focuses on the anger of the two and subsequently when they will reconcile. This is one of the first time to write my MC in an angsty fic as well showcase another side of herself and her flaws as person. It was new and different challenge but I exciting to write.

Summary: When Katrina arrives back from Ethan’s, tensions are still high with her and Aurora. They have an explosive conversation that’s been a long time coming.

Rating/Warning: Frequent use of profanity. Rated: PG-13

Tagged: @theleaderofthemercenaries

*If you enjoy my fics for this two and want to be tagged in any future ones I write, let me know!

Part 2

Katrina enters the dim-lighted apartment with a smile on her face. She’s been replaying the kiss she shared with Ethan earlier in the night over and over again and can’t help but grin like a fool. She distractedly turns the corner to walk through the living room toward the stairs she collides into someone.

“Oh!”

“Hey.”

Now paying attention to who’s in front of her, she realizes it's Aurora. The two look at the other as the air thickens. Aurora breaks the silence first.

“Kat, I--”

Katrina brushes past her and cuts her off.

“Look, I’m really tired. I don’t want to hear what you have to say at the moment.”

Aurora reaches out and grasps her arm gently.

“Are you really going to act like this?”

Katrina carefully pushes her arm off of hers and spins to face Aurora again.

“I’m not acting like anything. It's been a long day and I’m too tired to deal with…

Kat’s hand gestures between the two.

“...with whatever you’re trying to do.”

“I’m trying to settle this like adults, but clearly you have no interest in being grown-up about this.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes, you’re being so unfair right now. I thought that we were cool…”

Katrina interrupts her again as she steps a little closer.

“Aurora, I thought we were too. But now, after the stunt you pulled-- I don’t even know...like how could you have not known? It just doesn’t make sense, I don’t want to say it...”

“Then don’t. I’d watch what you’re about to say, Katrina,” Aurora warns as she folds her arms over her chest.

“It almost feels deliberate. I mean, I know you aren’t some spy. But then again, you’re new to Kenmore. Why not mention the perfect solution that your boss's rival came up with and make your name stand out,” Katrina says flippantly.

“You really don’t believe that, do you?” Aurora questions incredulously.

“I mean, no-- I don’t know...what to believe.”

“You know what? I don’t have to take this!” Aurora goes to leave but Katrina steps in front of her.

“Running away doesn’t help your case!”

“You were fine with doing the same a few minutes ago! Hypocrite, much?!

“What’s going on?” Sienna's small voice interrupts the rising voices. She steps into the living room followed closely behind by Elijah and Jackie. Without breaking eye contact with the smaller woman Katrina speaks up.

“Nothing Sienna. Aurora and I are having a little chat, you guys can go back to your rooms.”

“No. I think you all should stay to hear this. Katrina, you had no problem speaking your mind at the game. Humiliating me in front of my colleagues. No, I want them to stay right here and listen to the bullshit coming out of your mouth.”

“Bullshit?! Come on, Aurora. Naivety isn’t a good look for you. I mean, seriously how could you--”

Elijah rolls closer to the two women and puts some distance between them.

“Look, today has been full of high emotions. You two probably should wait to have this conversation tomorrow, after you both had more time to cool off.”

Jackie strolls up closer to Katrina and chimes in,

“No Elijah. This clearly needs to happen right now. Aurora, you have to admit that you made a stupid move. Just apologize, it's simple.”

“Okay, for one thing, this doesn’t concern you, Varma. I didn’t ask for your opinion. Two, there’s nothing for me to apologize for.”

Jackie raises her eyebrow as Katrina motions for the woman to fall back.

“Don’t get smart with her. Jackie’s right. You’re the reason why Edenbrook doesn’t have secure funding!

“Hell no! You’re not going to pin that on me! How many doctors and administrators are at Edenbrook?! You’re telling me that it was all riding on you, a junior fellow diagnostician to fix Edenbrook’s financial crisis?! You know, Katrina, why don’t you admit the real reason you’re pissed?”

“Excuse me?!”

“You’re not upset about the patient poaching, or well not as much as you claim. No, you’re pissed because you’ve failed in front of your precious Dr. Ramsey.”

“What the fuc-”

“Stop! Some of us are not stupid. I’m not going to force you to tell your business, but let’s clear the air. You and Dr. Ramsey have, for a lack of a better word, a unique relationship.”

Stumbling at her words, Kat manages to spit out, “He’s my supervisor, my mentor and I’m his men-.”

“Mentee, sure.”

Kat tries to cut in but Aurora holds up a single deterrent finger.

By the way, it’s damn near eleven o’clock. Everyone was at Donahues after the game except you. So where else could you be? Better yet, I should be asking who were you with?”

Aurora shakes her head disbelievingly as she begins to walk toward a coffee table and grab a pair of keys before she continues.

“Actually, I don’t know the details of whatever is between the two of you nor do I care. But, you need to step back and re-examine who you’re really mad at. Me or yourself?”

“You fucking...”

“What? Bitch? Takes one to know one.” Aurora goads.

Katrina’s eye twitches at the amount of anger she feels. Her mouth opens and shuts as her nostrils flare, unable to keep up with her brain that’s moving a million miles an hour. Before she knew it the next words escaped her lips.

“Hey! At least I didn’t fucking run away to a second-rated hospital just because I couldn’t handle my family’s name! You say you want to make your own path, not be known as ‘Harper Emery’s niece’ but maybe deep down you just want to stay second-rated!”

Aurora takes a step back with a shocked expression. It's a deadly silence as everyone takes in what came out of Katrina’s mouth. She can feel them all stare at her, she ignores the disappointed eyes from Sienna that burn in the back of her head. All she feels at the moment is the anger that’s swirling inside. Aurora runs her hand through her hair as she takes deep breaths. Elijah moves to reach Aurora’s left hand. He squeezes it lightly.

“Katrina. That was uncool. Totally uncalled for.”

“No, it's fine. Heh, wow. Just-- wow. So there it is,” Aurora’s voice comes out steady but devoid of emotion. 

She presses on.

“You know, I told you the truth earlier. I only mentioned your plan as an example, hoping we’d have our own patients to appeal for grants. Hell, I figured since the Bloom case was over, the rivalry was irrelevant. I had no idea he’d vulture your patient. And it hurts that you refuse to believe me.”

Katrina looks Aurora in her eyes and can see them shining from the tears that threaten to fall. A gut-wrenching feeling slowly builds inside her chest and she sighs as she tries to speak.

“Look, Aurora--”

“No. You’ve had your turn. You’re going to listen closely to what I’m about to say next,” she tells her firmly.

Aurora slips her hand out of Elijah’s and steps so she’s now inches from Kat’s face, her gaze never falters.

“If the roles were reversed, I wouldn’t have acted the way you have. I would've come to you privately. I'd asked you to explain your side, woman to woman. I wouldn’t have chastised you like you’re some fucking six year old, I would have trusted you! 

Katrina looks away from the smaller woman.

“But that’s what it boils down to, isn’t it? You don’t trust me. You said that this year was a fresh start. That we wouldn’t let this stupid competition come between us. That those grown men's petty feuds stayed with them and would have nothing to do with us. I stayed true to our promise! But you didn’t.”

Aurora moves to the wall near the door where her shoes lay and slip them on.

“I’ve been ostracized before. I have had accusations thrown my way all the time. Not too long ago you thought I was the reason you got caught up with the Ethics Committee. Shit, this should be nothing new to me. Surprisingly, it is. See you... you really had me believing this time was different. That I finally had a friend that actually cared about me, that trusted me. And that’s what hurts the most right now!”

She pivots toward the door and reaches for the handle. Sienna calls out,

“Wait, Aurora! Don’t leave! Where are you going?”

“I’m spending the night at my aunt’s. I need some space. I think it’s for the best.”

She opens the door and places one foot out as she calls out to Katrina for the last time that night,

“You know, Katrina. I took to heart what you told me all those months ago in the supply closet. I finally gave myself the chance to be wrong about people. Allow others in and give them the benefit of the doubt. And for a while, I really thought I was. I almost believed that my constant wall was holding me back.”

Aurora’s voice cracks slightly as she whispers loud enough for everyone to hear, “Sadly, I was right all along. ”

She turns her head and shuts the door behind her.

[afewnovelideas]

"Turnabout is Fair Play" AU - part 10.5

Tim met Clarissa Winters-Drake when he first reunited with Dana.

He looked at her within the crib in awe. She was so small and delicate and beautiful.

At first he hasn't wanted to see her. He was so conflicted. It was bad enough he'd seen Dana. As much as he loved his step mother, he was so worried that his "other life" would catch up to him and take her away again, permanently this time. To introduce another even more innocent being to that danger...

But Dana had insisted, and he was powerless to refuse as emotionally spent as he was... She led him up into her home above the cafe/bakery... And introduced him to the sleeping angel that was barely a year old.

Then she opened her eyes, the same shade of blue as his...

His father's daughter...

His baby sister...

Tim never realized a person could fall so completely in love so fast.

-----

Being five, Becky couldn't understand much of what was going on. Her new favorite cousin was visiting their house, but she wasn't allowed to see him. Her sister wasn't allowed either. All the adults, including a couple of strangers, were acting all secretive and serious and trying to hide things from them. However, being ten and sneaky, Kitty had managed to figure something out. Whatever it was, though, had made her big sister really sad. Kitty was now hiding in the barn with the baby lambs.

That didn't deter Becky, though. She could be patient when she wanted. When the grown-ups were all gathered in the living room to talk, the five-year old quietly slipped into one of the guest bedrooms.

Becky could smell the strong scent of medicine in the room. She recognized immediately the ointments and herbal mixtures Nana Madeline used when anyone in the family was hurt or sick. Then she heard soft muffled sobbing coming from the bed. Once her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw her cousin sitting with his back against the headboard, his good hand clamped over his mouth as tears slipped from his tightly closed eyes.

Becky made her way to the bed. Though she thought she was being quiet, Tim heard and turned his unbandaged eye to her. That didn't deter her. The small child persisted and carefully crawled into the bed as Tim watched, mindful of his leg and broken arm. She looked him over up and down.

"Where does it hurt?" She asked.

Tim wiped his eyes as he tried to calm down. "Everywhere," he admitted with a whisper.

Becky nodded, then very carefully crawled closer to her cousin, wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, and gave him both a gentle hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"Momma's kisses make me feel better when I'm sad," she whispered as she looked at Tim's surprised expression. "Do my kisses help or are they too little?"

Tim's expression softened as he stroked Becky's hair. Then he gave her a careful one-armed hug. "They're not too little at all."

-----

"Katrina Winifred Summers!"

Trixie Summers's angry voice bellowing through the homestead was loud enough to rattle the window panes in Tim's room where he and Jason had been browsing the internet, getting caught up on news from Gotham.

"Winifred?" Jason mouthed quizzically? Tim shrugged.

There was a knock at the bedroom door a minute later.

"Come in?"

Trixie stepped into the room, her hazel eyes blazing with a motherly fury that unconsciously had both boys immediately on guard.

"Have either of you seen Kitty?"

Jason looked at Tim. Tim shook his head. "Sorry Aunt Trixie. Haven't seen her all day."

His aunt tapped her foot impatiently as she glanced around the room. "Maybe she's hiding in the barn?" Trixie sighed. "Oh! When I find that child she's is grounded till the next ice age!" She fixed "the look" on both Jason and Tim.

"If either of you find her, don't let her out of your sight and call me immediately!"

Both boys nodded silently, then watched as she stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her, rattling the photos on the wall.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, once they were sure Trixie was investigating the barn, Jason was the first to speak.

"That was convincing."

Tim scoffed at he got to his feet, gingerly testing how much weight he could now put on his recovering knee. "I've lied to Batman."

He made his way to the closet and opened it to reveal a very guilty looking ten year old. He fixed her with his second best Bat-glare. "Ok Kitty. What did you do?"

Kitty sheepishly tried to not look at Tim, but he was not having any of it. "Spill kiddo. If Jase and I are going to be in Aunt Trixie's doghouse with you when she gets back in and finds out we were hiding you, I want to know exactly why."

There was a scratching at the bedroom door. While Tim dealt with Kitty, Jason got up to open it.

"Well..." Kitty started reluctantly. "My friends and I were playing truth or dare earlier and Jenna found this stuff in her big sister's bathroom and kinda... sorta... triple-dog-dared me to-"

"Oh my god! What did you do to this poor dog?!"

Tim turned to look at Jason, who was trying (and failing) to hold it together as the Summers's family dog, a super friendly golden retriever named Daisy, trotted into the room.

Only... She wasn’t quite "golden" anymore.

Tim pressed his lips together as tightly as he could and closed his eyes while he silently counted backwards from ten. When he finally addressed the girl once more, it was still a struggle to keep his tone even.

Especially with Jason laughing so hard he couldn't breathe nearby.

"Kitty... Sweetheart... Why is Daisy green?"

"I dunno... The bottle was supposed to make her fur blue."

[meditatemoremedicateless]

Dear Kate, (I couldn’t get her out of My mind)

Fandom: Life is Strange

Pairings: Chasemarsh, ambermarsh

Major tags: fluff, angst, possession

Words: ~ 6,800

Summary: Kate has a horrendous Thanksgiving with her family, interrupted by some nice pictures from Victoria’s bathroom. She runs into Chloe Price and Rose Amber and joins them for a smoke.

Read the full story on AO3

Dear Kate,

Happy Thanksgiving! I can't be totally sure you're going to be the one to wake up, but I'm praying you will be LOL! I've been reading and re-reading your notes on the fam so I can say the right stuff. For instance, I won't call out Aunt Martha for being a raging homophobe, I WILL ask Lynn about soccer, etc. I'm gonna kill it. I'm great with parents! Probably.

I had our study date with Stella, and everything went fine. I said I'd try and be careful with the addys and it was just a bad week and she relaxed. I think maybe the reason she was avoiding you was because she was dealing, and she'd feel judged if you found out? She didn't really say but those are the vibes I got from her.

I got an 'A' on the Brothers K essay! I left it on the desk so you could read it if you'd like, maybe throw some of my clever points out in class when you get back ;) No need to thank me. Unless you want to, in which case you can buy me something off my wishlist on Amazon.

Speaking of which, I was thinking we could do some sort of gift exchange before we head home for Christmas. Dana wants to do a secret santa and I signed us up, I hope that's okay. But I'd also like to get you some stuff. Can you think of any way we could buy each other gifts without the other knowing about it? I'm thinking I'll just literally bring gift bags with me when I go shopping so you don't have a chance to wake up before I get them wrapped lol. Lastly, I wanted to buy some of the girls in the dorm HP scarves. I'm thinking Alyssa - Ravenclaw, Stella - Slytherin, Max - Hufflepuff/Gryffindor, Dana - Hufflepuff, Juliet - Ravenclaw, Taylor - Slytherin, Courtney - Slytherin/Ravenclaw? Honestly I don't know them that well and I literally have no idea how long it's been since I've read HP so I might be off-base.

@your story about Vic and the porn: THAT IS AMAZING HOLY SHIT. Like I'm sorry I woke her up (I was a little wacked out that week, my bad lol) but that's so funny. I can't believe she worked up the guts to yell at you. I think I'd strangle me for waking me up that early if I was her.

I know this is a little dark but I wish I could spend Thanksgiving with my family. Or, at least, I wish I knew if I'd like them enough to spend it with them. Your family seems great but the holidays seem depressing AF honestly. I really hope it's you tomorrow, not me. I'm probably going to cry or some shit if that happens. I wonder what I'll even do if I get to meet them.

Last thing: I've discovered that I'm actually pretty good at singing?? which I did not expect. You never told me! So I jammed out with Max a little and it was really cool and fun and she brought up the possibility of doing covers on Youtube. It would probably be at least a kind of ongoing thing so . . . do you think you'd be up for it? I know things are a little weird between you two rn, and I don't know if you sing, so I thought I'd ask.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family.

X O X O ~ Katie

Kate let herself have a smile. It was so much less frightening to wake up with time lost as long as one of these notes was there.

Thanksgiving with the Marsh family this year was at Aunt Martha's, like it is most years, even though it's much smaller than what Kate's family had. Mobility was a pretty continual issue for her, so she stayed home unless she absolutely had to, and Kate's mom did the best she could to make sure she wouldn't have to. Aunt Martha was a miserable middle-aged woman whose husband had died too young while her bones withered away from tumors that, by most estimations, should have killed her. She was exactly the sort of person that Kate had been taught to sympathize with, to help selflessly. But, try as she might, Kate hated her, hated that suffering had made her so insufferable, and hated that there was absolutely nothing Kate could do that she thought was of any value.

As Kate sat in the living room on a couch across from Aunt Martha's chair, she wondered what Martha would have to say if she knew Kate had sex with women, or that there was the spirit of a dead girl that made her do evil things living inside her. If wanting to be a children's author and a vegan was too much disappointment for her, what would that do to her poor, fragile heart? Maybe it would be too much for her, and Kate would never have to spend another holiday in this musty house.

Kate had been having more trouble keeping her misanthropic thoughts out of her head since she'd been putting herself together. That, apparently, was the price of letting yourself fall apart. Or abusing drugs, it wasn't totally clear which.

"So, Katie, tell me how school's going. You're a senior, aren't'cha?"

Kate nodded. It was the same few questions every year.

"Where are you applying to college?"

Kate sighed. "I'm not. Blackwell has a two-year program for seniors, and I'm taking college credit there."

"Oh, I see." She paused, but Kate could already feel the next question coming. Aunt Martha didn't disappoint: "But why stay there when you could go to a real college?"

Kate bit back the sarcasm that wanted to rise inside her. "Because most universities don't have a career-oriented program for English majors, nevermind for people who want to do what I want to do."

"Mm, right," Aunt Martha replied, nodding her head as she remembered. "Children's books, right? It hardly seems like you need a college degree forthat. Or . . . is that the point?"

God, not this again. Why did Kate's family think that her desire to go to university was some cloaked attempt to be unsupervised around boys? When had she ever needed supervision to stay away from boys? Kate's eyes narrowed; "I'm not planning on finding a husband in college, if that's what you mean," she said.

This was always a sore subject between them, because that is precisely what Aunt Martha had done, and what Kate's own parents had done. Her insistence that she wouldn't do the same at least only came off as stubbornly independent to her mom, but to Aunt Martha, it was like it was an insult, like Kate thought she was better than her because she needed a man less.

Aunt Martha seemed to sense the tension, and she laughed. "No, of course not. I suspect we'll be waiting a while before we find a man who can keep up with you. I can't imagine an English department will have many boys ready to ask a girl like you out."

Kate bunched up her skirt in her fists, her leg bouncing up and down as a vent for her irritation. She wished Mom and Dad would call her in to help with Thanksgiving dinner, but the kitchen was small and Kate was, honestly, a terrible cook, so they never did now that she was old enough to only be called on when she was needed.

Aunt Martha was always like this. She didn't insist, like Mom did, that Kate had been taken in by the hairy feminists who insisted on women doing everything men can do to make themselves feel better for being unable to have a happy family. No, Aunt Martha had almost always seemed to recognize that there would never be a point where Kate would agree with her vision of a good life. She just thought Kate was tragically stupid. That Kate thought the world could give her something that a good family couldn't find by the grace of God. She thought Kate was materialistic, naive, and most of all, unwanted. And Kate couldn't help but hate her for it.

"So, sweetie, how is the abstinence club going?"

Kate choked on a bite of shepard's pie, the only thing she could really eat on the table because she'd made it herself. It took a few seconds of hitting her chest with her hand before she felt like she could safely breathe again, and everyone looked at her with concern.

Kate shook her head to regain her bearings. "Um. Yeah, it's doing really good. There's not a lot of people in it, but it's very supportive. We have movie nights in the dorms and watch documentaries. It's good."

Dad looked from his food, concern clearly written on his face. "Are kids still giving you trouble about it? I know you said there were some girls being mean about it."

"Aha. Yeah," Kate said, nervously brushing some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I think they got bored. Bullies, you know, they just like to get a rise out of you, so." Kate returned to trying to eat her food.

Kate hated talking about bullying, but she hated it twice as much with Lynn and Katrina listening. She always wanted them to believe that people were kind to Kate, and that she was kind to them. She wanted them to think that being kind would pay off. Not everyone was ready to accept that people are cruel, and you can't make them stop with kindness. Certainly not at their age. She also seriously didn't want to talk about the abstinence club, because if she let it slip that the membership was half Muslim and that the facilitator (Kate) wasn't even abstinent, this Thanksgiving dinner would completely implode.

Kate decided to take things into her own hands and change the conversation. "Lynn! How's soccer been?"

Lynn shrugged. "It's okay. It's not as fun anymore since we started being ranked, though."

Aunt Martha seemed amused. "You still get trophies for playing, though, don't you?"

Lynn seemed both taken aback and confused. She couldn't understand why the question was loaded - it's not like she watched the news or spent much time on the internet.

So, Kate interjected on her behalf, "I get that. I don't like competing, either, it kind of spoils the fun."

Lynn nodded, but Aunt Martha just raised her eyebrows. At the very least, she didn't say anything in response, just returned to her food.

Kate's phone buzzed. It would be rude to check it during dinner . . . but she just really didn't want to focus on dinner right now.

Victoria: Does your Thanksgiving suck as much as mine rn?

Kate smirked, settling her phone on her leg. She was careful with a touch screen - she didn't need to look to type, especially thanks to auto-correct.

Kate: more. Kate: my dad just asked about the abstinence club

"Kat?" Kate asked. Her sister gave her a glance. "How's robotics?"

"I quit."

Now that was something shocking. And disheartening. "But you love robotics," she replied.

Katrina seemed to think it over for a second, then shrugged slowly. Kate knew, of course, that Mom had always hated that Kat was so involved with robotics - it kept her out of the house for hours after school, and competitions often took her away for weekends and demanded even more hours away from home from her. Just like Kate had thrown herself at service projects and youth programs to stay out of the house, Katrina had been well on her way to becoming a professional right out of high school thanks to years on the Robotics team. Kat didn't really want to make a career out of it, though, and Mom had never understood putting so much time into developing skills you weren't going to use. If she knew her kids were doing it to stay away from her, she was just spiteful about it.

Victoria: wow Victoria: My family's just getting hammered because they can't stand talking to each other Victoria: You win though

Kate: thanks i know Kate: also they asked if you were bullying me still

Mom was the next one to speak up. "Oh, Katie. Maria Anderson sent me a copy of your school newspaper. You didn't tell us you had won a photography competition, sweetie. In LA, that's so exciting!"

"Oh. Yeah. I guess I just forgot, I'm sorry. I've been really busy with school this semester." And the competition was in San Francisco.

Now Dad chimed in. "Have you been getting more involved with photography? I know you were unsure about it when you signed up."

Kate thought about it for a second, then nodded. She took a bite of shepard's pie, and the conversation halted, waiting for a better reply. "Yeah, actually. I'm the photography professor's student aide, and one of my friends is actually going there just to study photography."

Mom seemed intrigued. "Oh? The fashion photography celebrity from the pamphlet?"

Kate nodded affirmative.

"Well, that's exciting!"

Kate shrugged. "I guess. He's kind of self-important in real life, though."

Dad snorted. Then he said, "Well, I guess once you get famous, it's easy to get like that."

"I guess."

Victoria: Oh? bullying you? Victoria: What did you tell them?

Kate: i mean you were totally bullying me Kate: i just said everyone got bored bullying me because you can't get a rise out of me

Victoria: roflmao

It was several minutes before Kate got the next message from Victoria

Victoria: You're right. I should probably make it up to you. Victoria: So you're still at the dinner table, right? Now would be a horrible time to get caught doing something terribly un-Christian?

Kate: i mean, yeah?????

Victoria: You probably shouldn't open up your messages again for a while, then.

Kate had absolutely no idea what that meant. Or did she know what it meant, just not believe it could possibly be happening? Even when her phone buzzed again, she thought the idea was so ridiculous, she must be getting ahead of herself and-

Nope.

Victoria had sent her a picture without a shirt on, leaning against the door of what appeared to be a pristine bathroom. Her skirt was pulled down just enough to expose her underwear, which was pink and it matched her bra and-

Kate dropped her phone. It startled her a lot worse than everyone, but it startled everyone.

"Oh, sorry," she said, retrieving her phone from the floor.

"Katie, put your phone away at the dinner table," her mother admonished.

There was a second photo now. Now it was a selfie instead of a mirror photo, with Victoria sitting on the counter beside the sink. Her skirt was pulled all the way down to her ankles now, and the angle somehow managed to get her eyes and collar bone and breasts in good lighting. Victoria really knew how to use a phone camera.

"Mhm," Kate said, slipping her phone in her pocket.

She could barely eat after that, and she dropped her fork several times.

Kate decided to go for a walk after dinner, which she had done nearly every Thanksgiving in the past years, though not previously to text girls sending her bathroom selfies.

Kate: WTF!! Kate: I was with my family!

Victoria: I invited you not to look.

Kate: You call THAT inviting me not to look?

Victoria: You're the one who looked.

Kate: That's gross logic. Victim blaming.

Victoria: Oh? So you didn't like them?

Kate's jaw felt rigid for some reason, like she was holding back a scream. She was walking awfully fast down the sidewalk, making her way towards the wealthier part of the suburbs.

Kate: That is not the conversation we're having. Kate: No bathroom selfies without warning. Illegal!

Victoria: But . . . bathroom selfies are okay, then?

Kate decided to reply to that question with another question: a random handful of emojis followed by a question mark emoji.

Victoria: God you're such a lesbian

Kate felt a tingle run down her spine just reading the word. She'd always felt like her liking women and her being a lesbian were two totally different ideas. She couldn't help the first one. But the second one always felt like she had to do something, be someone she wasn't to earn it. She believed she had soundly rejected the life 'lesbian' implied to her. But now, here she was. A lesbian after all.

Kate: You know you're the first person to call me that without meaning to be mean.

Victoria: Yeah, I'm not a tool.

Kate could tell she was in the richer part of the suburbs now by how much better-lit the streets were. The roads looked recently paved, the lawns recently trimmed. It was the sort of upkeep you could only really afford if you had someone else do it for you.

Kate: Hey so I have a weird favor to ask

Victoria: Need me to slash someone's tires?

Kate: No? Kate: Why? Is that a thing people really do? Kate: Could you get me a vibrator?

Victoria: That's literally not weird at all, one Victoria: Two, this implies that you were making those godforsaken noises thanks to your HAND? Victoria: I'll get you a vibrator AND a gag

Kate: Hey, you know, I actually feel really weird about all of this. LIke, all of it. Like what is going on right now. Like how did we have sex? And how are you flirting with me right now? None of this makes any sense.

Victoria: you're telling me Victoria: I'd like to say I'm not questioning it, but I'm not actually the sort of girl who can not question anything, lol Victoria: But if I remember correctly, you had a nervous breakdown and then seduced me? Victoria: And I'm honestly surprised you can even recognize flirting Victoria: What with you being a founding member of the school's abstinence club

Kate: I guess I'm just totally losing my sense of identity and replacing it with lesbianism

Victoria: yikes Victoria: but also nice - solid improvement Victoria: no offense

Kate laughed. That was right, wasn't it? If Kate was still who she had been at the start of the month, Victoria wouldn't be flirting with her and sending her sexy pictures during Thanksgiving dinner. If Kate was still who she had been at the start of summer, someone who never would have kissed Victoria just to mess with her, then Victoria would still be mocking her, defacing her club posters right in front of her, just shitting on her at every turn. The only reason Victoria was treating her nicely was because she changed. The Kate that Kate still thought of as herself, the version of her that she was just on vacation from and would be again one day, she would never be in this situation. Victoria didn't like Kate. She liked whatever mangled version of her this was.

Kate: None taken. Kate: You're not exactly regular-me's type, anyway

Victoria: Wow, savage much? Victoria: You don't think I'm cute?

Kate: Oh you are Kate: I just like nice people

Victoria: haha! Victoria: That's fair Victoria: So who do you like? You know, normally.

Kate: I feel like you seriously do not comprehend the Christian + Lesbian experience

Victoria: Try me.

God. Was she seriously going to talk to Victoria about this? Of all people? Then again, who else did she have? Katie? How would Katie possibly understand? She'd never been interested in Kate's chastity vows. She would have broken them if Kate hadn't first. The way she always talked about which girls were cute and who Kate should date with absolutely no regard for how much it hurt her? Katie was just a fundamentally different person. Restraint just wasn't written into her personality.

Kate: OK fine Kate: I literally monitor myself to make sure I don't develop feelings for anyone Kate: Because there is no version of that that isn't a disaster. Kate: Step one, like a person. Based on my inclinations, probably a girl. Oops. Put on the brakes. Kate: Step two, date a person. I took vows. And I took them knowing it wasn't going to be easy. I don't think I could ever be close enough with someone to call it dating and not be tempted. Oops. Put on the brakes. Kate: Step three. Fall in love. But I'm not going to be sticking around here. I'm going to go off to college and I don't really plan on coming back. Fall for someone in college? We just break up or get married and those are samely awful because marriage is a sham that helps reinforce white supremacy in America and marriage is only going to distract me from getting through my education. And hey, getting dumped sounds pretty bad, too. Oops. Put on the brakes. Kate: So I don't "like" anyone normally. It can't be anything but a train wreck.

Victoria never seemed to start a message and not finish it within seconds. She was sure of what she wanted to say before she even tried to say it. You can see indecision in those little "..." that pop up on your phone, and Victoria's lasted longer than Kate expected.

Victoria: ... but you like me?

Dammit. Kate had said that, hadn't she? For Katie's sake. So Katie wouldn't be lonely. Of course. That's really why this was all happening, wasn't it? Because Kate told a little white lie in hopes of helping someone?

Kate: For now.

It was curt. It was mean, and honestly, probably a little degrading. But Kate sent it anyway. Victoria was quick to respond.

Victoria: I can live with that. But I have to tell you, I think your brakes might be broken.

That's not all that's broken. The thought made Kate smile, but it also hurt like a hole had been made in her lung.

Kate wished she could explain her situation. She wished she could explain that she never meant to take Adderall, she never meant to kiss Victoria, she never meant to do anything but keep living her closed-off, secure, closeted life, but that the choice had been taken from her. She wished she could explain that she only let the thought of having sex with Victoria be anything more than the most passing, unwelcome fantasy because she wanted to get back at an invader in her own body. She wished she could be cruel and tell Victoria that she wasn't as special as she must think she is, because absolutely none of this was about her. She was just the girl around when any would have done (any girl she didn't fear falling in love with, at least). Victoria thought she'd taken advantage of Kate - she even apologized for it the next day. The thought hadn't even seemed to occur to her that she was the one being taken advantage of.

But, in the end, Kate had to admit she was having fun.

Kate: Send me another photo.

Victoria didn't text back. Kate was fairly convinced that was because she was listening, and here in a few minutes she'd have a new picture of Victoria to titillate her for absolutely no reason other than she wanted it. Victoria, as bossy as she was, liked being told what to do. Kate had never felt the impulse to obey. She wondered how easy it would have been for her to keep living her life as planned if she didn't have to struggle every step of the way against herself. If only obedience was as easy for her as it was for Victoria.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw something that had haunted her dreams. Something that had always seemed far away, ephemeral, not really part of the same world that Kate lived in, sort of like Katie. No matter how much she'd seen it, she never really thought of it as something real.

The girl with the blue hair stood on the porch of one of the nicest houses on the street beside a short, black-haired woman. They each had a cigarette in their mouths, chatting amicably after a Thanksgiving dinner. Chloe Price: The girl of Kate Marsh's dreams. How strange it was that they'd never talked.

Finally, Chloe caught Kate standing there next to the driveway, looking at her with wide eyes of wonder and, frankly, fear.

"Yo!" she called. "Is that Kate Marsh?"

Kate just blinked. Of course. Of course they had met, and Kate just didn't remember. "Chloe Price?" she called, knowing full well the answer.

"Sup?! Wanna bum another cigarette?"

Another cigarette? Looks like that was another thing Kate didn't know she'd been doing. "Sure," she replied, and walked up the unfamiliar driveway to stand on the porch with Chloe and the unfamiliar woman.

"Hi, I'm Kate," she said, offering a hand to the Unfamiliar Woman.

"Rose," the woman replied as she shook Kate's hand, a wry smile on her face. "A friend of yours I take it, Chloe?" Rose asked before taking another drag from her cigarette. Kate absolutely hated the smoke from cigarettes. She was resolved to put it in her lungs.

Chloe nodded with a smile. "You can take it all the way to the bank. Kate here is an art student at Blackwell and co-friend to one Max Caulfield. She plays the violin beautifully and assists Mark Jefferson, fashion photographer and total hottie, as his class aide."

Kate had absolutely no idea how Chloe could possibly know all this stuff about her when all Kate knew about Chloe was that she ate at the Two Whales diner sometimes, and she didn't exactly have definitive proof of that, either.

"Well, Chloe, that's quite an impressive introduction-"

"-Thank you Mrs. Amber-"

"- But maybe Kate should get to talk about herself instead? And maybe you should light her cigarette, as she clearly doesn't have a light."

"My bad."

Kate held the cigarette in her mouth, bracing herself for what was to come. Chloe lit the cigarette and Kate inhaled and it felt like death and Kate immediately began to choke and cough.

Chloe pointed at Kate with her cigarette between her fingers. "You see, she keeps telling me she's a smoker, but I think she's just flirting with me."

Here Kate was, having one of the worst cardiovascular experiences of her life, and there Chloe was, making jokes at her expense like they were close friends. What in the actual goddamn?

"Are you alright, hun?" Rose asked as Kate managed to finally get a lungful of clean air. She nodded, not really aiming to talk so soon after embarrassing herself.

"Well, then, I hear-" she gave a pointed stare at Chloe, who just smirked before putting the cigarette back in her mouth, "- that you've taken over my daughter's TA position. How is that going for you?"

Wait, what?

"Rose . . . Amber," Kate mumbled, fitting the pieces together. Her eyes flicked up to Rose's face, wide with shock. "You're Rachel's mom."

Rose nodded. "That I am. Or I was, when she was still interested in having a mother." There was clear frustration in her face as she said it, but it cleared up a moment later. She shot Kate an apologetic look. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't say things like that in front of a stranger."

Chloe waved it off. "Nah, don't worry about it. She's heard me say worse. Katie here has been helping Max and me with some . . . extracurricular activities lately."

"I . . . have?" Kate asked. But Chloe said it without hesitation, she couldn't just be making it up, could she? "I mean, I have been, yeah," she corrected.

Rose conceded the point but still said, "Forgive me, Kate. It's our first big holiday without Rachel home and I'm . . . being bitter."

Chloe cracked a smile, snapping a finger gun at Rose. "And a little drunk!"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, all right, and a little drunk. But mostly bitter."

"I'm . . . sorry, that must be so hard for you."

Kate suddenly felt stripped bare, exposed in an unusual way. She felt ashamed for the petty ways she'd been acting the past few days. There were people outside of her life, outside of her head who were having real problems, real concerns, and they still seemed to hold it together. Somewhere in the past few weeks of struggling against herself and abandoning all responsibility, the missing persons posters that littered her school had all become invisible, and she had forgotten that she missed Rachel, that she should care that Rachel was gone. Some people, though, didn't have the luxury of forgetting just because other things were going on.

"Yes . . . yes I suppose it is," Rose said, a faraway look in her eye as the embers of her cigarette glowed bright. She extinguished her cigarette on an ash tray left out on the deck railing and sighed. "I think some part of me thought she'd come home for the holidays. That she didn't . . . I don't know what it means."

The implication, though, hung in the air between them, a miasma worse than the cigarette smoke. Kate and Chloe both took a drag from their cigarettes to try and distract themselves from the thought of Rachel dead and buried somewhere, though the lack of oxygen and ensuing coughing fit did a much better job at distracting Kate than the nicotine.

After a moment, Rose said, "Well, I'm going to head inside. The Chardonnay isn't going to drink itself, I'm afraid." As she turned towards the door, she clapped a hand on Chloe's shoulder. "Just come in when you're ready."

Chloe nodded with a good-natured smile, and then Rose went inside.

Kate raised her cigarette again, but hesitated before it reached her mouth. Chloe laughed, and Kate tilted her head in confusion. "You don't have to smoke it, dude. Like in all seriousness, you should quit while you're ahead."

Kate pulled the cigarette away from her mouth and stared at it for a second. She considered smoking it just to be obstinate, but, honestly, the shtick was getting old for her. There were parts of 'no responsibilities' that she liked, but smoking was not one of them.

"Yeah, you're right." Kate extinguished her cigarette and leaned on the railing opposite of where Chloe stood.

"So, Chloe Price," Kate started, folding her hands in front of her. "You seem to know a lot about me. What's there to know about you?"

Chloe looked pleased at the prospect of talking about herself, and held her cigarette at her side once she'd finished what looked like the last of it. She blew up, trying to keep it out of Kate's face.

"Well, Katie, I'm nineteen years old, a natural blonde, my favorite color is blue and I like long, romantic walks on the beach. Oh, and I'm chainsmoking outside of my best friend's house to distract myself from the most depressing Thanksgiving I've ever had, and let me tell you, I've had some bad ones."

As much as Kate might like to ask about that, there was something far more interesting to her: "So, you and Rachel were close?"

Chloe quirked her eyebrows. "Was it the hundred or so missing persons posters or the breaking into your principal's office? Thanks, by the way."

Kate blinked. "For what?"

Now it was Chloe's turn to look confused. "For the . . . key to Wells's office? Max and I couldn't have done it without you, seriously."

I helped them break into Wells office? Katie, what are you getting yourself into here? Chloe doesn't know that you don't know what happened. Just stay cool and be vague.

"Oh, right, totally. Did you find what you were looking for?"

Chloe shrugged, tilting her hand back and forth to answer, 'eh.' "Kinda," she said. "Figured out that Nathan's a psycho, not that was news to anyone. Couldn't find Rachel's file though, which was shady as fuck considering they still had mine, but it didn't exactly leave us a lot to go on."

"Hmm. That's too bad."

Chloe nodded, then finally reached over to drop her cigarette butt on the ash tray. "We'll keep you posted. Anyway, how was your Thanksgiving?"

"Uhhh," Kate had no idea. It was a disaster, like it always was, but that wasn't really what stuck out in her mind. "It was . . . bad."

"How so?"

Chloe was not part of Kate's life. She was friends with Max, who Kate was friends with, so their spheres were not entirely divorced. But, obviously, Chloe was trusting Kate with something important, even if she had no idea what it was. Despite her rational inhibition, Kate got the feeling that Chloe was somebody that she could trust. And also probably a lesbian, judging from the rainbow shirt she wore in her profile picture on Facebook. Maybe this was the closest Kate would have to somebody she could tell about her fucked up situation.

"Well. For one, my parents asked about my abstinence club."

"Oh yeah, Max mentioned that you were in that. Why's that bad?"

Kate crossed her arms over her chest. "You promise not to tell Max?"

"Uh, yeah, sure . . ." Chloe looked both concerned and also overwhelmingly curious. "Why?"

"Well, I had sex last week."

Chloe said absolutely nothing at first. Her expression changed very slowly from concern to confusion to shock to understanding.

"Yeah, that seems like that'd be a weird conversation, then. Especially if - wait. Like, your first time?"

Kate nodded.

Chloe held her hand up in the air, "Eyyy, nice one!" She didn't drop it when Kate only stared at her hand, but after a second she seemed to realize the issue. "May-be? Are you happy about that? I don't know how the whole . . . abstinence thing works."

Kate giggled a little, then raised her hand for a high five. Chloe complied quickly, hitting her hand so hard that it gave a satisfying clap, although it also hurt like hell. Kate shook her hand to restore the feeling in her palm.

"So? Blackwell kid I know? Who's the lucky g-..." Chloe froze, inspecting Kate quickly and in no way subtly. "Yeah, I'm going to need you to help me out here - your sexuality's a little hard for me to suss out here."

Kate, despite herself, was growing fond of all these girls who, whatever else they thought, could distinctly sense that Kate was not-straight. After being friends with Alyssa, Stella, and Dana for a year, it was nice to experience a sense of normality. Not that she blamed them for the heteronormativity, really, it's just that everyone took her disinterest in relationships as some sort of shy girl shell that romance would one day crack. They thought she asked not to be touched because contact was uncomfortable for her. Even Alyssa, who was in the abstinence club too, never seemed to consider that relationships and touch alike were something Kate craved, and that is precisely why she said no.

"She's a girl. And you probably know her, so I feel like I shouldn't say."

"Ugh. Fine. But you're leaving me with some real gossip blue balls here, you know."

Kate gagged at that whole comment. "Gross. But, anyway, not only did I nearly die because I had to talk about the club, but then she goes and sends me pictures of her in her underwear during dinner-"

"-nice; continue-"

"- and I'm, you know, a bit new at this, so I lose my cool a little bit, nearly trip and stab my own neck with a fork, that sort of thing. So the whole dinner basically sucked."

"Reasonable, reasonable." Chloe paused to think for a second and then added, "Is it by any chance Victoria?"

Kate can't even muster up a facial reaction for how off-guard she was for that comment. "H-how did you-"

"Oh my god - holy shit! You had-"

"Ssshhh!"

Chloe had the biggest, goofiest grin on her face. "You had sex with Victoria Chase? Nice one, dude! I tried negging her for like two years, never went anywhere."

That left Kate a little more guarded, but mostly awkward. "I mean, yeah, because that's gross and misogynistic. Have you tried, I don't know, not doing that?"

"Pfft." Chloe considered it. "Yeah. I mean, no, not with Victoria, but like, in general. Why, what'd you do?"

"I-" Kate thought about what she had done, precisely. Had an emotional meltdown? Probably wasn't what did it. Just sort of grabbed her and kissed her? That actually sounds closer to sexual assault and definitely not something she was about to advise Chloe to do. What had actually, you know, worked? "I - uh." Kate's skin flushed red the more she thought about it. No, no, Chloe wasn't asking about those things, that was what probably made the sex continue, not start. Honestly, why should she even tell Chloe? What was it about this weird girl with beautiful arms that made Kate want to impress her?

"I - I dunno. I just. Kinda. Asked if she wanted to make me orgasm I guess?"

Chloe's shock looked both real and performative in its intensity. "Literally? How do you have so much game? You're like 5'5" and cute as a button."

Kate had been getting the impression throughout the conversation that Chloe was flirting with her. Now she was sure of it, and it was doing absolutely nothing to help her feel less embarrassed and overstimulated by this situation.

Kate reached up and scratched her head. The wind and walking had loosened a lot of her hair from its bun and now tufts of it were uncomfortably stuck in bobby pins, over her ears, and otherwise making nuisances of themselves. "But I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell Max about any of this. I don't want her to think less of me."

Chloe held her hands up. "Hey, I won't, but she's also not one to slut-sh-"

"It's not about that. I just . . . don't want her to know."

The look Chloe gave her was awfully suggestive, but she didn't pursue the topic further. "Well, all right, that's fine with me. I think I'm going to head inside, though, it's getting kind of cold for me. You good getting home?"

"Oh yeah I'm . . . uh . . ." Kate looked down the road that she'd come from. It wasn't familiar. She didn't normally walk this far - she must have been gone for over an hour by now.

"Want a ride?"

Kate didn't have to ask which car was hers - it stuck out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood. Still, Kate got the feeling that yes, she really did want a ride.

"Nice truck," Kate said as she looked back at Chloe. To her own total lack of surprise, she caught Chloe checking her out - she switched to a pleasant smile as soon as possible, but it was still a fraction of a second too late. "Sure, I'd like that."

Chloe grinned again, and the devil there in Kate's heart woke up. Kate could see the scene in front of her just like she had with Victoria. If she wanted to, right now, she could probably have sex with Chloe. They could go for a ride a little past where Kate was supposed to get home, where the street lights weren't so frequent and everyone just parked where they could along the side of the road. There wasn't really enough room in the truck to do the sorts of things she had Victoria had done by the looks of it, but Kate liked the look of Chloe's arms and her hands, and she was pretty sure that would be enough to get her off. She had already promised not to tell Max. All she'd have to do is suggest it.

Kate's phone buzzed, and she broke the lingering eye contact between her and Chloe to check it. About half an hour ago there was a picture of Victoria lying on a large bed, her feet in the air and her face held up by a hand. She must have been using a selfie stick, because no one could get such a clear shot of their butt from above without one. Then, just now, there was a message.

Victoria: Did you literally die?

Kate laughed underneath her breath, but, honestly, she felt like she'd been kicked in the gut. What in the world was she doing? What gave her any right to take and use girls just because she wanted to? That's not who she was. And, more importantly, she knew that's not who she wanted to be. Orgasms and control were nice, but maybe they weren't worth giving up all of her integrity.

"C'mon, I'll take you home."

Kate: no, sorry, just got busy Kate: Maybe once we get back I could see more of that in person.

"Mmhmm, yeah. Thanks, Chloe."

Victoria: Maybe so.

Dear Katie,

Thanksgiving went fine. Aunt Martha was, as expected, unpleasant. Katrina dropped out of robotics (I blame Mom).

Kate paused there. How much should she explain? Everything was getting so complicated, and as much as she wanted to spite Katie sometimes, she very well might be the one in charge of Kate's body come the morning. At the very least, they should talk about how Katie got the key to Principal Wells's office. She should ask about what Max and Chloe were up to, and give Katie a heads-up that Chloe seemed to be into her. And she should probably explain what was happening with Victoria before things got any weirder.

It's been a long day. I think I'm going to just go to sleep. Try to get some homework done this weekend, and make sure you're nice to Katrina and Lynn. I don't know how you feel about kids but I love those two a lot.

I hope you have a good day,

Kate

Kate deleted all of her messages from Victoria before going to bed.

[cinaed]

Review: "The Way of the World" (Folger Theater)

I saw just "The Way of the World," a comedy written by Theresa Rebeck and adapted from the play by William Congreve. I’m trying to be better about actually talking about stuff I’ve seen, so here goes.

I'll let Folger give a summary of the play:

"Mae is an altruistic woman with just a little baggage—a $600 million inheritance. When her philandering boyfriend, Henry, seduces her aunt, both women become the object of scandal. Henry has a plan to win the heiress back. In the lush and opulent land of the Hamptons, where money and status determine everything, can love conquer all? Freely adapted from Congreve’s classic play, The Way of the World is a sparklingly witty physical comedy illuminating the foibles of the upper-class."

Our cast of characters:

Mae: Our so-called altruistic heroine with $600 million who spends most of the play saying she doesn't want her money and is totally going to donate it to Haiti and build them water systems and hospitals. Drives a Prius and has issues with her friends trying to get her to buy ugly $2,000 hats. Also has legitimate abandonment issues as well as problems with the playboy Henry, who she broke up with after he slept with her and her aunt. Should use some of that $600 million to change her name and disappear to go do good deeds around the world, but unfortunately sticks around with these buttheads. 

Henry: The philandering boyfriend. Somehow every single person in this play is somewhat in love with him, and I just don't get it. Okay, everyone claims he is super good at sex, but guys, he's a terrible person! He gets called a Don Juan or Leonardo DiCaprio, but I don't see it, and am judging everyone accordingly. Sleeps with pretty much all of the cast at some point during or before the play, except for Reg, who is straight, and Lyle, who is gay. 

Rene: Mae's aunt and mother figure, who's raised her since Mae's parents went "Eh, $600 million is a good inheritance for a baby, right? So our obligation is done!" and fucked off somewhere. I think the mother went to Paris? Rene is one of rich older women who is prone to histrionics because she's throwing a party and this $10,000 dress makes her look frumpy! And no, the $6,000 hat doesn't help! Spends a lot of time being defensive about trickle down economics. Has her gardeners paint the lawn a nicer shade of green. Is hilariously terrible until a spoiler happens. 

Katrina: One of Mae's supposed friends and Henry's ex. Is the one to claim Henry is a Casanova figure that everyone wants, and is obviously still hung up on him while hating his guts. Pushes ugly but expensive hats at Mae, and then buys them herself. The playwright apparently forgets about Katrina halfway through the play, which disappointed me. 

Charles: Henry's best friend. Gay, mean, and a lover of gossip. At one point Henry and Mae are having a dramatic fight and he's just in the background, filming the whole thing with an expression of deep delight. Had a one-night stand with Henry a few years back and is still obsessed with him, even though Lyle is RIGHT THERE whisking Charles off to the Pines and being the least terrible man in this play. Get your shit together, Charles. 

Reg: Another of Henry's friends and Lyle's cousin. A fratboy in the body of a forty-something year old man. Has a lot to say, all of it ridiculous. Can be summarized by the dude sitting behind me during one of Reg's speeches, who said in a tone of awe, "He's so stupid!" as though Reg had opened his mind to how stupid people really can be. Also has one of the only genuine moments in the show with Rene, as well as being supportive of Lyle, dropping him from 100% douchebag to 90%. 

Lyle: Reg's cousin from Nantucket who is gay and also doesn't want to talk about whales. Or Moby Dick. But especially whales. Is probably the least awful man in the show, who wants a genuine connection with Charles but is also willing to pretend to be interested in Rene, first because a total stranger asked him to and he didn't have anything better to do that day, and afterwards when he starts to have a conscience, because Charles asks him to do it for the drama. Despite this, still the best guy, which is saying a lot. 

Waitress: Waitress working six jobs to spend the summer in the Hamptons. She loves the Hamptons! She also hates the Hamptons. But she especially hates Terrible Tippers. Did you, like, know that the 1% are really bad tippers! I know, total surprise! Sleeps with Henry and manages to get drawn into his bullshit, but mostly comes out of it unscathed. She also falls into the 'forgotten by the writer' black whole. I'd say she and Katrina should run off together, but Katrina's mean to her in the first act and is also clearly a Terrible Tipper, so their love wasn't meant to be. My advice to Waitress is just steal all the shit and run. Escape, girl, escape.  

My verdict:

Recommended if you enjoy hating on rich people, looking at pretty clothing, watching terrible people being terrible, and experiencing a really gorgeous stage design. 

Not recommended if you want to see any of these assholes have a proper comeuppance. Or if you wanted any of these people to get a compassion bat to the face and learn how to be decent people. Seriously, I was halfway home and went "HEY, EVEN THAT PERSON TURNED OUT SELFISH. RICH PEOPLE!!!"

In conclusion:

[rebellocal]

Divine Womyn Interview Series with Janae Hurst

The all around creative, Janae Hurst chats with us about current career moves and being adventurous when it comes down to her life and chic style. A galore of photos and more below!

Teh Jai’Lyn:

Describe your craft, your artistry?

Janae Hurst:

I am a photographer and hopefully soon to be fashion Icon in the city or something like that laughs. Teh Jai’Lyn:

Lets get into this bag! (Bag placed on top right of top and middle photo), Your two pieces won for Canal Place fashion award show can you describe the process of it all?

Janae Hurst:

Y’all wont believe this I caught fabric store five minutes before closing on Tuesday and the show case was on later on that week. I interned with Canal Place and in the beginning of the internship we had to pick out of a bowl of different decades, ironically I got the 2000’s. So I decided to base my look off of Katrina,it was almost a given because I was kinda blowed that I got the 2000’s like what else would I base it off? It had to best represent for New Orleans.

Yeah honestly it took more time curating ideas than piecing the look together for me. Curating the ideas and making the description that was my favorite part and it took the longest. Curating the idea took about three months and creating the look took about less than four days. I worked with a designer named Paige her brand is L’Jai Amor and I also worked with an Indian beader (Uncle Zack) he’s from the 7th Ward. Yeah it was crazy how it all came together, Paige and I did a fashion show once before and she called me back to direct a fashion show, which was three weeks before the showcase. My weeks were so jammed pack laughs so I really didn’t have time to focus on Canal Place.

That following Monday I had just started my job at Monty’s and I kept thinking to myself if I don’t get a bag or start on a bag by today…I can x that out. This is Monday the showcase is Friday, soon as I got off work I shot to H&M found a bag THANK GOD and I bought it to Uncle Zack Tuesday and he didn’t start beading until Wednesday. I told Paige about everything and I ended up making it to Jefferson Variety five minutes before closing, I knew exactly what I wanted and I purchased the fabric.

Teh Jai’lyn:

How did you feel once you were awarded?

Janae Hurst:

We were supposed to be there at 5 the program started at 6, I got there at 6:02. I got there late so I’m running off a lot of adrenaline my bag was still getting beaded at 5:30. Everyone that passed me said “Janae come on” but I had seen all my peers stuff and I knew that mine miraculously looked good together. I didn’t expect that at all, to be honest I was just honored to be in the internship I thought it was a blessing. I go to Canal Place all the time and not necessarily to shop but as a kid we would pass through Canal Place, you know window shopping. So you know to be apart of a program and then to win, and win twice it was super cool. It was a blessing.

Teh Jai’lyn: As far as you creating your own brand, having a degree in marketing, making a name for yourself do you want to recreate yourself in a sense thats different from everyone else?

Janae Hurst: I think recreating yourself is Important and necessary, not all the time but every few years sometimes you have to recreate yourself and your brand to continue to have your audience engaged to you and what you’re doing.

Teh Jai’lyn:

What does feminism mean to you?

Janae Hurst:

It means being God Like because if God was any Gender he would be a woman, not a man. Feminism is being gentle when we don’t want to, loving when we don’t want to, you know when it’s hard….its somethings you can’t help as a woman that we try to sometimes avoid but its really beautiful elements and aspects that makes us who we are. Feminism is being a proud woman.

Nyjell Moses:

As far as womyn creatives or any woman in any industry that allows them to express themselves… do you feel like their is going to be a major shift in how women are viewed and are portrayed?

Janae Hurst:

Most definitely theirs going to be a shift, well the shift is happening, umm the shift is full blown right now and its scary to some people. Its scaring people. We in America are pretty blessed to express feminism in the broadest of ways because in other countries they can’t. Its coming and when it does happen worldwide its going to cause so much cautious and things because were in a world thats patriotic and it shouldn’t be and at one point it wasn’t you gotta do your research, but its happening again and it will make the world a better place because women should be in charged for sure laughs.

Nyjell Moses: What is your creative process and how are you able to experiment with everything that you do, being versatile?

Janae Hurst:

My creative process i think it begins like everyone else’s, which is an idea. Umm, I like to explore a lot and you’ll probably see that on my stories and stuff even on and off the camera like I’m always exploring my life is super fun. Sometimes I have so much more fun off the camera I really need to buy a GoPro, its so ridiculous. Just being adventurous and always being open minded to things that inspire you laughs.

Teh Jai’lyn:

How would you describe your personal style and how you show it in your work?

Janae Hurst:

I just wrote down three adjectives for my personal style, minimal, classic and statement making. It’s hard because, with my style or even with my style with shooting or even just putting things out there, believe it or not I’m very reserved sometimes with my work or even just what I do and go sometimes you’ll even see me disappear from social media.

I believe its super important to be timeless. I know my style and my style has a great deal combining where I’m from and the current audience that I have is timelessness. I know where I’m from has a lot to do with my style, so its like a huge impact even with just being a little flavorful. We from New Orleans, its just in us we can’t help it and flavor is always timeless. Just Catering to the audience, I have a degree in marketing so sometimes you understand the metrics peoples understanding and how things work.

Janae Hurst:

Umm…. I don’t really know how to answer that, People gravitate towards me people really do I’m not going to lie I am more reserved than some people think.

Teh Jai’lyn:

Do you feel as though when people post on social media do they grasps for opinions or attention as far as our generation do you think that they go to social media to gain reassurance from others?

Janae Hurst:

Both. Reassurance and they go for attention, and thats all of us like I would not front, and that is why people continuously use social media to gain followers because when you see a little red dot or whatever comes up you get INSTANT gratification and it feels good you know so, people definitely use social media for attention and some more than others and as we know and things like that.

Teh Jai’lyn:

Do you believe that the industry bites off of our cities culture? And do you think as a city full of art and unique culture we don’t get the recognition we deserve that we’ve put into Pop Culture?

Janae Hurst:

Yeaaaahhh, the industry does. Ugh its makes me cringe even when hearing Chance over a bounce beat like you know what I’m saying, things like that. We definitely influence people Golds and it don’t be no grills this sht*s permanent like that sh*t makes the culture go into flames its really fire. The impact that we can have on people and we don’t realize the sh*t, we really don’t, well some people really don’t.

Nyjell Moses:

What womyn inspire you and why?

Janae Hurst:

Women who inspire me 2X…. My aunt, auntie Ta “Sunshine”, she’s probably the reason I’m a little more girly than I was. I grew up with a lot of guys so thats kind of hard to break through, she use to give me her old polish, makeup and hand downs and you know I learned how to do all those things like that. Ashley Longshore, she’s a artists here in New Orleans and she has a gallery here on magazine st. CRAZY style like crazy anytime I ever seen Gucci platforms she’s the first person I think of because she was the first person I saw with Gucci platforms on. I love Lady Gaga laughs. Lady Gaga is like y’all, R.E.B.E.L. like US R.E.B.E.L.’S. Well she’s always been herself and never gave a sh*t and never will and I hope she never don’t.

Teh Jai’lyn:

What is your favorite thing about being a woman?

Janae Hurst:

Ouu I feel like I think about this often, my favorite thing about being a woman especially about being a black woman is just the sassiness. Having the world as your runway I think thats so much fun. Another favorite thing about being a woman I feel like beauty is so unlimited. Everyone theres something thats added on my monthly things to do but I LOVE IT. Beauty is truly unlimited being a woman it continues to add on.