#can’t believe I’ve had Audrey for over 4 years now anyway …

[charmantevamp]

How dare you do this to me! 😤 /j my TBR & TBW are both more than adequate 😆 oh well 🤷‍♀️

Definitely not mentioning the fact I tore through the Hamilton & Grant biographies by Ron Chernow because I got bored in American history class and didn’t think the teacher was teaching adequately enough. Also read 2/3 of what Thomas Jefferson ever wrote cause I got bored one time. Then I wrote a thesis in response tearing apart the racism etc.

In exchange I am recommending these.

Whores of yore

A handy guide to 18th century slang

Further historical context for Audrey

*coughs* You all should join me in my insanity, thanks.

[watermelonsugar2612]

'MY DREAM WEDDING'

Okay- I'm sorry but I skipped some of the story, like wedding prep. I really wanted to write about their bachelor parties. In the story now, they're getting married in a week. Also, now the story is from Ginny's POV. I read a bunch of fics from her POV and fell in love. Sorry its so late too, I had exams. Now read on.

Ginny’s bachelorette

“I can’t believe we’re getting married in a week, fiance dearest!” I smiled as Harry and I sat in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place. We had just finished breakfast and we had our bachelor and bachelorette party tonight. “Me too fiancee,” Harry grinned, gave me a little peck on the lips and took his dish to the sink. He put it down and washed his hands. “Are you all set for your bachelorette tomorrow?” I asked him as I washed the dishes and he changed into a shirt. “Yeah. A few of the blokes are going for drinks.” he said unimportantly. “Cool,” I said and put away the last dish. He stepped away, his shirt was buttoned except the top two buttons, and his raven locks were messy as usual. “Bye baby, I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you, I’ll miss you” he said, gave me a short kiss. “I love you too, I’ll apparate to Grimmauld if I can’t sleep okay?” I made a cute face. “Of course baby, I probably won’t be able to sleep without you anyway, I’ll miss you,” he gave me another little kiss. “Me too, I’ll miss you so much Harry,” I said again and kissed him. After a few seconds, he pulled away, “I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you, I’ll miss you!” I chanted. “How will I sleep without your little caresses and without your hand in my hair?! Gin-” he said with a raspy voice. By now, I was pinned to the back of the sink and my legs were between his. “Harry, do you think Kingsley would mind if you were a little late?” I smirked as he pulled my skirt and knickers down. He kissed me really hard. Fuck. I thought it would be the end of me. I made my way to unbutton his shirt as he kissed my neck. I tore his shirt off and he did the same to mine. I winced because of the few seconds of missed contact. He continued kissing my neck and made his way down. He kissed my collarbone and unclasped my bra, kissing my breasts. I moaned loudly. He continued his pecs and licks as my hand traveled to his junk. I stroked it a few times.“Fuck- I need to be inside you,” he groaned and I could distinctly feel his huge bulge between my legs. I quickly unbuckled his belt and took his pants off. I was already naked, so he pulled away for a brief and slammed inside me. “Harry!” I moaned at the top of my lungs. “Fuck Gin, you’re still so tight!” he said in response. He thrust at high speed and I whimpered and moaned at the pleasure. “Harder Harry! Go faster!” I moaned again and he followed my command. He thrust and continued to kiss my neck, now fondling my breast. He made way to clit and massaged it. I felt my insides tighten and he stopped massaging at once. “I’m coming, Harry! HARRY-” I clenched around him and a huge wave of pleasure overtook me. “Ginny!” he moaned and came on his high. He slowly rode us out back low. “That is going to be one to remember! I think we came in like record time,” Harry grinned. “You git, if I told you, you wouldn’t believe how much I got turned on when you told me you would miss me.” I blushed as he pulled out. “No fiancee dearest, you wouldn’t believe how much the fact that I wouldn’t have you in my arms to sleep was a problem. I really will miss-” and I cut him off with a little kiss, I didn’t want to be turned on again. Though honestly, what I was doing would probably turn us on too, so I bit his bottom lip and pulled away. “You have to get to work darling,” I grinned and pushed him away. “Ugh! Fine,” he rolled his eyes and put on a fresh set of clothing and so did I. We were in the bedroom and he apparated away with one little kiss and said, “I can’t wait to make it up to you in the bedroom tomorrow. We’ll go nonstop for hours. I’ll miss you so very much baby.” FUCK! How dare you Harry James Potter, you git! He turned me on again. I mean, me and Harry, on average would shag twice a day, but we because we weren’t going to be able to do that tonight, we’d shagged like 4 times the previous night and once in the morning, in the shower and well, the kitchen. Oh god, I’m blushing like crazy. Someone save me from this man.

Well, for my bachelorette as I had already told Harry, me, Hermoine, Luna, Hannah, Fleur, Angelina, Audrey and mum would have a few drinks at the burrow and gossip.

We were starting celebrations early, we would make dinner and make some treacle tart. Dad would be out for the night, with Harry. Oh, that little piece of eye candy, I thought about Harry and closed my eyes. Ugh, I need help. I wasn’t supposed to think about him, not today. Okay deep breaths. I spent the rest of my day definitely not thinking about Harry and the way he touched me, the fact that he had chosen me of all women, and we were about to get married, nope. Oh! And by the way, I didn’t have quidditch practice because I had taken leave for the wedding and honeymoon, so for like 2 months. It was about 6 pm, we were going to make dinner, I remembered and apparated to the Burrow. I was greeted by all of my bridesmaids (and mum). We made a big dinner and treacle tart for dessert. Now, it was about 10pm and we had all taken our seats in the large living room of the Burrow. I sat in the settee in which I would generally sit in Harry’s lap. He would softly play with my hair and give me little pecks during conversation with my family. He would feed me cookies during Christmas- “Ginny, Ginny, Ginny, GINNY!” my mom interrupted my thoughts. I had an unavoidable blush on my face. “Sorry mum! Yeah, I’m here now,” I said. “Okay, let’s play never have I ever, each time you have done something, you take a shot of firewhiskey” Angelina suggested and everyone nodded. “You go first Hermione,” she continued. “Okay, never have I ever, shagged in public.” Hermione blushed. “You gotta be more specific ‘Mione! Like a restaurant, or a clothes shop-” I was interrupted yet again by Hermione, “Okay, a restaurant?” she finished her question. “Ha! That’s simple, I have, a bunch of times!” I shrugged and I felt a tinge of blush as those memories came back to me, but I shut them off and gulped down a shot. My mum looked at me with a deadly look. “Well I haven’t!” Luna said and Audrey, Hannah, Hermione and mum chimed in and said, they hadn’t either. Fleur and Angelina downed a shot, oh my god! I had to ask Bill and George myself later. “Well, next question!” my mum interrupted before we could get really deep into conversation. “Never have I ever,” Fleur said, “ditched someone for my husband, or vice-versa?” she finished. “Tons of times!” I said as I lifted a glass high up in the air and drank it. “Wait! The time you said you got “emergency practices” or Harry or you had gotten very sick or you had to go to a team meeting or Auror function were all excuses to ditch us?!” Hermione said with her mouth agape. “Not always, but yeah most of the time, we were probably shagging,” I shrugged and took another shot. “Hermione looked furious and honestly so did everyone else, I gave a slight smile. “Never have I ever bought anything from Lady Lilac’s Lingerie,” I asked with a grin and immediately downed a shot. Everyone else looked at me with pure shock. “Do we even want to ask how many times you have bought- lingerie from there?” Hannah said with a disgusted expression. “I mean, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had it ripped off myself, so no probably not,” I said, suddenly in horror as I saw the number of shocked faces turned toward me. I. should. not. have. said that! It should be illegal for me to talk even when I’m slightly drunk. “Uh-uh next question?” I said with a confused smile. The faces didn’t turn away for quite a long time when mum finally spoke up, “Oh god, everyone, this is her night, let’s not be shocked by my daughters sexual appetite!” everyone laughed. “Never have I ever, had sex in the burrow, this only applies to after you moved out!” mum questioned. I downed another shot, no one else did, and the horrified expressions returned. “I can’t believe I’m asking this, but with which room, Ginny Weasley?!” mum almost screamed. I wasn’t sure if I should answer this question but my drunk brain did anyway, “Ron’s, and even the living room, when we were staying here for Christmas!” I grinned. “You are a dead woman Ginny!'' Mum got up and walked toward me. “Fuck. Sorry mum! We scourgifyed it later?” I said as I winced. Mum rolled her eyes and

sat back down. “Okay, this game is a little too much for some of us to take right now, let’s play something else,” Hermione said. “Yeah sure, let’s play 21 truths.” Angelina suggested. “Perfect!” I said. How this game worked was, we would go in a circle and say numbers, one person could say three numbers max in one turn and the person on which ‘21’ landed had to answer a question. The first few rounds went easy and I wasn’t asked anything. It was like the 6th round when, unfortunately, the 21 landed on me. “Okay, shoot a question, who wants to ask me one?” I said accepting defeat. “Well, I think since Ginny is the bride and everyone will have tons of questions for her, everyone gets to ask her one.” Hermione suggested. Everyone grinned and nodded. Fuck. I was so dead. “When was the first time you and Harry had sex and where?” Luna asked. “The room of requirement, sixth year.” I said. That one was easy, thanks Luna. I thought and turned to Angelina. “With who was the best you ever had- wait, let me reframe it, it's pretty obvious its Harry, where was it?” she asked. “Oh! Wow, that's difficult! I mean, all over Grimmauld Place I guess! The kitchen, bedrooms, living room, balcony, bathroom. The locker rooms at Quidditch pitches. And… sorry about this, but at Hermione and Ron’s wedding, in the bridesmaids room, after the ceremony, before dinner. Also, maybe in the Great Lake-” I continued but I was interrupted by mum, “Next person!” she laughed a bit and Fleur continued, “Have you ever had sex on a broomstick?” she said with a little contemplation. “Well, we tried- but it didn’t really work, we kinda tumbled to the ground and finished there, but yeah, no.” I replied. “When you were living at the Burrow, how often would you sneak into the boys room, when I had asked you not to?” mum asked. Shit. “Well…” I cleared my throat, “every night?” I said with a slight shiver and continued, “Harry would switch places with Hermione to sleep with me and at one point all of our belongings were shifted and we didn’t go to the other couples’ room.” I finished. Mum looked at me with those eyes that scared the crap out of me. Her expression softened, “oh well!” she rolled her eyes. “What is the longest you and Harry have lasted while having sex?” Hannah asked. “This is an interesting one, basically we had this bet of who could last longer and I came first after we had sex for like 2 hours. No big deal.” I shrugged as I finally took another shot of firewhiskey. “Wow!” Hannah sighed. “I’m gonna regret asking this, but how many times have you had sex in last night and this morning?” Hermione said, twiddling with her fingers. “Fuck. Do I have to answer that, you are probably going to think I’m insane…” I said insecurely. “Yeah, actually…” Angelina said softly. “Ugh. fine. No one judges me. Like six times- only because I wasn’t going to spend the night with him, so we had decided that we could do it like an extra time at night, and, and, we kinda got carried away, so we did like 3 extra times. Then in the morning, Harry had woken up late and I was in the shower, washing my hair, when he came in to brush his teeth, he saw me and got in, and it kinda just- happened. Then again, we had finished breakfast and Harry was saying that he would miss me, that he couldn’t sleep without me and I was saying it too, somehow it really turned on the both of us, so then, it's pretty obvious Harry would be late for work.” I finished, realising I had said too much. “Wow. I bet you and Harry can’t go till your wedding without having sex!” Hermione spoke up. “Of course we can!” I said loudly, but somewhere, even I knew we couldn’t, but what was wrong with a little friendly argument. “There is no way you could Ginny.” Angelina chimed in. “How can you say that?!” I said as I stood up. “Because you and Harry are like bloody rabbits! We’ve seen you at the Burrow, you cannot be kept apart from one another! Hell, you had sex like 4 extra times because you wouldn’t spend one night togehther!” Hermione said again. “That’s- different!” I said unsurely. “Okay, then prove it

Ginny!” mum said, “You can’t have sex till your wedding night, six days.” she grinned as she finished. “FINE!” I said as I took the bottle of firewhiskey and went to my bedroom. I would be sharing my room with Hermione, Angelina would be with Fleur in Bill’s room, mum would be alone, in her own room, and Luna would be with Hannah in Ron’s. I had started drinking from the bottle directly and was really drunk by now. Then realisation came rushing to me, I wouldn’t be able to have sex with Harry for six days, SIX FUCKING DAYS! I’ll probably go insane, and what about Harry’s promise to me, to ‘make it up in the bedroom’. Fuckkk!! Someone needed to kill me, this very instant. While I was mourning on the floor of my bedroom, Hermione walked in. “You are the worst Hermione! Get out!” I screamed. “What’s up?” she asked unknowingly as she came in and opened her hair. “I bet Harry and Ginny can’t go without having sex till their wedding! Meh,meh,meh,meh.” I said mockingly. “Well, I bet you can’t!” she said normally. “You bitch! I know I can’t but what will I say to Harry?! ‘Harry I can’t have sex with you for a week because my bridesmaids are such bitches for betting on my sex life!’' I continued mocking her. “Ginny, it was harmless, you don’t actually have to do it!'' She continued her business and I continued downing shots. “YES, I DO! It is now on my pride Hermione Granger!” I screamed. “Well then, do it I guess?” she said again. “Fine!” I said, pouring another shot. “But what about his promise?!” I muttered to myself but I guess I was louder because Hermione heard. “What promise?” she said as she sat down beside me and took the bottle of firewhiskey from my hand, pouring herself a shot. “Well- uh, in the morning, after we had sex in the kitchen. Ugh wait. Let me tell it to you from the beginning.” I said, sighed and continued, “We were just talking randomly about our bachelorette party tonight. We had just finished breakfast. Harry was standing near the sink of the dining room putting on a shirt, he came out, looking… What's the word, yummy? Properly buttoned up shirt, messy hair and those green fucking eyes… He said something like ‘Bye baby, I’ll miss you.’ and boy was that hot. Then I said that I would- apparate to him if I couldn’t sleep. He said, ‘I probably won’t be able to sleep without you anyway.’ I said I would miss him too, a lot. Then I was chanting into the kitchen that I would miss him. Then he was like how would he sleep without my hand in his hair and the tiny caresses I would do on his bare chest. Fuck, that chest. Mmmmm…” I said getting lost in the imagination of his chest. I was bought back from the world of imagination by a nudge from Hermione’s elbow. “Yeah sorry. So yeah the tiny caresses. He pinned me to the back of the sink and well, then we just had sex there, standing. I’ll skip the details, afterwards, we both got dressed and I said that he was a git for having me so turned on by the tiniest things and he said that it was true, he couldn’t sleep and would be thinking of me. When we were done he made a promise, ‘I’ll make it up to you in the bedroom tomorrow. We’ll go nonstop for hours. I’ll really miss you’ he said something like that and apparated away!” I finished. “Wow, you two have some serious issues. Do you have any idea why he still has that effect on you, you’ve been dating for 4 years, you're about to get married?” Hermione muttered. “I have no fucking idea! But that’s not even the problem! How will I tell him?!” I said. Me and Hermione chatted for a while and went to bed soon enough. I woke up the next morning, hungover as fuck. I had dark circles and my hair was all messy. My breath, yuck. I brushed my teeth and took a bath, went downstairs to find everyone except Hermione (who was in the shower) dressed and having breakfast. The hangover potion lay on the table and I took it and got almost instant relief from the constant throbbing of my head. “Morning guys! I just wanted to inform you that I am taking the bet!” I said proudly. “Great, we bet 100 galleons, together.” Angelina said as

Hermione walked downstairs. “Great!” I said and grabbed a piece of toast and egg. I finished and said. “The party was great! Thanks, I will see you all later.” I said as I apparated to Grimmauld Place.

[mertronus]

Secret Mission

Chapter 4

Read it on AO3 or FFN

Monday morning Ron reluctantly left Hermione asleep in their room at the Leaky Cauldron to head into the Ministry early with Harry, who met him downstairs for breakfast so they could floo directly from there.  Before he left, he discreetly ordered breakfast to be sent up to room 14 as well.

He briefly considered telling Harry then and there.  It would have been the moment, after all, as they were 'alone'.  But then the guilt of even Harry knowing before his mum ate away at him and he decided against it.

He knew he needed to tell his mum today.  This secret was getting to him and made him feel as if he was hiding her because he was ashamed.  When, truth be told, he was dying to show Hermione off as his wife and introduce him to his family - to the entire wizarding world if he was being frank!  He wanted to stand on top of Gringotts on a dragon and scream it to the entirety of Wizarding London.  No, sod that...the entire world!  Wizards and muggles alike!

The brilliant, beautiful, albeit completely insufferable and stubborn at times, Hermione Jean Granger was his wife.  Off the market.  His only from now until forever.  

There are times he still can't believe it.  Over the course of the year, every moment he was with her he thought she actually wants me.  Sodding redheaded, gangly, freckled-faced Ronald Weasley.  He admittedly thought she was way out of his league when he first laid eyes on her.  He still wasn't sure what spurred the courage to kiss her - during a row of all moments, too.  But he was so glad he did.

She fancied him.  She fell in love with him.  She agreed to marry him.  And he still couldn't wrap his mind around it all.

Mum will love her.  Bill will be surprised.  Charlie and the twins will take the mickey but will eye her appreciatively.  Percy will be impressed by her brilliant mind.  And I'll be able to say to them, "she's all mine."

Ron also knew that Ginny would love her - and had no doubt Harry would too.  But something told him that once Ginny got her hands on her newest sister-in-law, it would be hard to separate them.

It was during one of Ron and Hermione's late night strolls in the back gardens of the castle in France when she told Ron that she almost went to Hogwarts. Ron couldn't help but imagine that they all - Harry, Hermione and himself and maybe Ginny, too - likely would have been the closest friends.  He momentarily wondered if she would have fancied Harry better though, if given the choice, but quickly shook that thought out of his mind.  As much as he acted like it bothered him, Harry and Ginny were made for each other, even back then.  And Hermione was made for Ron alone.  

But he really couldn't wait to introduce her to his family and best mate.  He was determined to tell his mum that very day.  Everyone will know by tomorrow.

Ron spent most of the morning in the Auror Department.  His team met with Ledwig and Robards (Hermione was excused from the meeting, but Ledwig knew Ron would give her any pertinent information) and as there were three wizards still at large, the ring leader included, Robards let them know that Besson implied the team may be requested to return after all...as early as next week.  

Ron groaned.  He wasn't looking forward to leaving his family again so soon, but the bright side was that Hermione, being a part of the team, would go with him.  So at least he wouldn't have to leave her.  This time.

Admittedly, however, having Hermione so close to the action unnerved him greatly.  It led to many more rows over the fifteen months they spent at the castle in South France.  And even though, thankfully, the team had an easy time apprehending those they were able to, she still showed that she could hold her own at any moment.  During one surprise ambush, she expertly disarmed one of the suspects before anyone on the team even noticed he was there - which led to his capture and arrest.  Ron almost forgot that the woman with short blonde hair and wearing glasses was his Hermione in disguise.

In a nutshell, his wife was a ruddy brilliant bad arse.

But it was still dangerous, even for him.  He would still much rather the mission be over and done with so she could move on to her next, less dangerous - and hopefully in London - assignment.  

In the meantime, a Belgium auror team took over the current mission and were working on finding the final three, but Besson reckoned they needed a bit of help.  Robards said they would know more later on in the week.

Bloody brilliant.

Ron hung around the office for a bit after the meeting, catching up with colleagues, then went back to the Leaky and ordered lunch for two, taking it up to the room where he found Hermione reading.  They tucked in to their sandwiches and chips as he updated her on the outcome of the meeting, enjoyed a lazy afternoon shag, then Ron head off to the Burrow with promises to put things in motion to bring her along to meet the family.

His plan was to get there early enough that anyone else besides his mum would still be at work.  His plan, however, was foiled.

Ron walked into the kitchen to find Mum, Ginny, Fleur and Audrey at the kitchen table, parchment and magazines spread out in front of them talking loudly and animatedly.  Bill and Harry were in the sitting room keeping Victoire and Dominique occupied.

"What's going on?" Ron asked as he walked into the sitting room and cocked his head towards the loud kitchen.

Harry stood up and beamed.  "I didn't want to say anything this morning mate, because I wasn't sure, but the decision has been made."  He paused and Ron rolled his eyes to say 'get on with it then'.  "Ginny and I are getting married on Saturday!"

"What?!  You serious mate?"

"No, I'm not Sirius, I'm Harry.  But yes, we're getting married on Saturday."  Bill laughed at Harry's quip and Ron picked up a throw pillow and threw it at him.

"Cheeky git!"

"Cheeky git!" Victoire repeated.  Ron's eyes bulged as Bill tried to distract Victoire before -

"RONALD!!   YOU WILL WATCH YOUR MOUTH IN FRONT OF MY GRANDCHILDREN!"

Ron's ears turned bright red.  "Sorry Mum."  

Blimey, not even being a bad arse auror and taking down the darkest wizards can keep me from a bollocking from mum.

Molly continued to fuss over Ron as she padded around the kitchen, going back and forth between making dinner and pouring over Ginny's notes.

"We need all hands on deck this week.  Ron, Harry, I know you'll be busy with work during the day, but I expect you both here when you're not on the clock to get things done.  We'll also need to get you two and the rest of the boys to Madam Malkin's to be fitted for your dress robes."  Ron groaned, Molly ignored him and continued.  "Lily and I will handle the food - I'll discuss that with her tonight - and Fleur, Audrey, you'll work with Katie and Angelina on the decorations and set up.  You'll petition the men for the heavy lifting, of course - chairs, table and whatnot.  You ladies will focus most on the flower arrangements."

She continued to rattle off instructions as she laid out the food on the table.  Then, to Ron's surprise, she started to put on her traveling cloak.

"Mum, where're you -"

"Dinner's all ready for you lot!  Ginny and I are heading over to the Potter's to meet with Lily.  Harry, dear, if your father shows up and brings Sirius along, please mind them and be sure they behave."  She shook her head as she headed for the door with Ginny on her tail, both their arms laden with parchments and magazines.  "Clean up after yourselves!"

"How long will you be?" Ron called after them...but they were both gone with matching pops.  Damnit to hell!  What just happened?

"Did you catch any of that, mate?"  Harry asked laughing.

"Not in the least," Ron mumbled, feeling defeated.  Hermione is going to hex my bollocks for this.

Ron hung around the Burrow for a few more hours, hoping he could catch his mum when she returned, but it was getting late and it was obvious she wouldn't be back anytime soon.  He finally returned to Hermione to explain.  She was understanding.  Disappointed, but understanding.

As the next couple of days passed, however, it was obvious that her patience was faltering.  Tuesday and Wednesday were much the same - after work Ron would go straight to the Burrow and find Molly absent.  She would be either at the Potters planning with Lily, or out on errands for the wedding.  In her wake she left tasks for all to do.

Thursday evening Ron thought he finally had his chance.  Molly was there when he arrived and completely frazzled.

"Mum," Ron said after watching her tut around from the kitchen to the sitting room, fussing over floral arrangements and menus and seating plans.  He grabbed her by her shoulders and gave them a squeeze.  "Mum, you need to take a breath."

To his surprise, it actually worked.  Molly stopped, leaned into her boy's embrace, and took a deep breath.  "There's just so much to do."

"Well, it's a good thing there are so many of us to do it, yeah?"  He felt his mum chuckle and nod.  "Why don't I take you on a walk?  Get some air, step away form this a bit?  I'd really like to have a chat with you anyway."

Molly looked around ready to protest, then looked at her son.  She must have seen the sincerity in his eyes because she immediately melted.  "You're leaving me again aren't you?"

Ron shrugged.  "I honestly don't know for sure yet.  That's why I was really hoping to get just a few moments with you, you know?  We haven't been able to just talk since I've been back."

"Oh, Ronnie you're right!  I'm so sorry!  A walk sounds just lovely, dear.  Let's go now before something demands my attention, shall we?"  She allowed Ron to steer her towards the door and Ron sighed in relief.  

Finally!  

His elation quickly subsided once he realized he didn't actually think about what he was going to say once he finally got the chance.  But, he had to get on with it.  This had gone on long enough.

They started through the garden, Molly holding Ron's arm, and he took a deep breath.

"There's just...a lot's happened this year while I was away that I've been dying to tell you all week."  He paused thinking through exactly how to phrase what he wanted to say and decided to start by telling her about meeting Hermione.

"You see - "

A loud crack was heard from behind them followed by a squeal from Ginny.  "CHARLIE!!!"

Molly dropped Ron's arm and turned on her heel.  "Charlie?  Here?"  She took off back to the house as Ron stood abandoned in the garden.

"Merlin's saggy right - aaarrrrggghhh!"  He pushed his hands through his hair and closed his eyes.  "Charlie has got to have the worst timing EVER!"  Ron blew out a loud huff and rolled his eyes.  

I love my brother.  I missed my brother.  I'm so happy my brother is here.  But did he have to choose this moment???  

He plastered a smile on his face and set off at a jog back to the house, admitting to himself that of course he was actually excited to see Charlie.

[yeaahishowedupatyourparty]

Disney’s Truth Booth.♥️

You can read this as OOC or an IC interview, I really don’t mind!

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. Please state your full name: “Disney Cosette Hamilton” 2. Does your name(s) have any kind of meaning? If so, what is it?: “My Mum never wanted Park and I to have the same name as any other children around at the time - there were a lot of Lauren’s and Rebecca’s and so on...My middle name is my Mum’s - and my own - favourite character from Les Miserables.”  3. Do you have any nicknames?: “None that are said to my face, ha.” 4. Where were you born? And in which country?: “I was born in auteuil, which is in Paris, France.”  5. What is your date of birth?: “The 15th December 1995.”  6. Of course, the following question; what is your Zodiac sign? “Sagittarius.”  7. Do you believe in Zodiac signs? “Yes, but I don’t want to hear what you have to say if you don’t know your Big Three. I know many, many, many Sagittarius people that I can’t relate to because our charts are so different.” 8. Where do you live? “Violet Springs, it isn’t permanent. I plan to move to New York after.” 9. What is your home situation like? (ex. do you live with your family? Your partner etc.?) “I live with Brody and my two daughters, Dixie and Fleur, as you guys all know.”  10. Do you have any siblings? “I have a twin brother and two younger sisters.” 11. Do you have any kind of allergies? “Nope.”  12. Do you own any pets? If so, what kind of pets are they? “We have a dog - a Pomeranian called Marilyn - and then two ragdoll cats; Eliza and Angelica.”  13. Why did you apply to St Jude’s? “It was really by chance. I was initially going to go to Cambridge, but I also wanted to keep going with my acting career and St Judes just felt like a better option.”  14. Did you had to go through a lot audition rounds? "No, I didn’t technically audition. I was accepted on my resume and my previous work I’d done before coming here.” 15. What is the current course you’re following? “Acting for screen and stage.” 16. If you can switch courses, which one would you switch to and why? “Probably producing and directing. I feel like that’s an area I want to look into at some point anyway, whether I switch courses or not.”   17. What is your proudest project you’ve done? “Gigi on Broadway...The last person to have the role before me was Audrey Hepburn. How do I top that?”  18. What is the proudest project that someone’s else has done? “I feel egotistical for saying so because I’m in it, but Mason’s Gossip Girl was really before it’s time. I personally haven’t starred in a project I’ve been as invested in as that.”  19. Do you like FanCons? “Not particularly.” 20. What do you like about FanCons? “Meeting genuine supporters who have something to say for themselves, rather than just screaming at you and shoving a camera in your face.” 21. What don’t you like about FanCons? “The screaming and excessive selfies.” 22. A fan memory that always stuck with you? Can be positive or negative. “I’ve really started to enjoy getting to know the fans who work at our store. It’s really good to see them grow as people and have their own dreams - rather than just chase around people who are already living theirs.” 23. Your favorite event so far? “Good question, I really love Springs Festival.”  24. What kind of event would you like to see in the future? “I’d like to see more international events; we’re based a lot in London and the USA.”  25. Would you recommend St Jude’s to friends, family. etc? “Yes, but I’d push for them to go to Liberty or Sulayman if they could.”

PERSONALITY QUESTIONS

26. What are your positive traits? “Loyal, an overachiever and I’d say I have a good eye for aesthetics.”  27. What are you negative traits? “I don’t have any negative traits. Just ones people can’t deal with.”  28. What would other people describe you as? “Probably a perfectionist.”  29. What are your pet peeves? “People who put on a front because they want to be seen as a certain way. It’s so annoying that people would rather spend their lives pretending than actually working on themselves.”  30. What makes you happy? “My children.”  31. What makes you upset? “Things that have no place or excuse to exist nowadays; racism, homophobia, I could go on.”  32. What is something you love? “I love acting and fashion, also travel.”  33. What is something you dislike? “People who completely disregard veganism without really looking into it.”  34. What are you strengths? “Standing by my word and making things work in my favour.” 35. What are you weaknesses? “I might have a compulsive shopping problem. It’s completely possible.”   36. A misconception people often think of you? “I think a lot of people assume that I’m conservative or my family is conservative. They’re always surprised when we believe in the rich paying higher taxes, being pro-immigrant, being allies to the LGTBQ+ community. People seem to assume we’re all anti-that stuff.”  37. Do you have any fears? “Poor hygiene.”  38. What scares you the most? “Being satisfied. Imagine just, stopping? I couldn’t.”  39. What do you do to entertain yourself? “Work or shop.”  40. What is your MBTI? “I’m an ENTJ.”  41. How do you deal with stress? “I shop, or sometimes exercise if I’m feeling it.”  42. Are you a determined person? Are you a stubborn person? “I am absolutely both.” 43. Do you consider yourself selfish? “Yes. It’s not a bad thing.”  44. Would you like to be different? “Absolutely not.” 45. Are you more introverted (focused on your inner world) or more extraverted (focused on other people and the outer world)? “I would say I’m more extroverted. Although, I don’t agree with those definitions. Being an extrovert is getting your energy from external places; time with friends, the world around you...Introverts tend to be drained by it and prefer solo activities.”

ROMANCE QUESTIONS

46. What is your sexual orientation? “Heterosexual.”  47. Current relationship status? “Married.” 48. When was your first kiss? “I was eleven and it was at our family’s Christmas party.” 49. Do you remember your first date? If so, with who was it? What did you do? “It was with Brody, we were thirteen and it was after filming High School Musical 1...It was something really lame, like the cinema, but at the time it was the best thing ever for both of us.”  50. Have you ever experienced heart-break? “Yes.” 51. Have you ever been in love? (If yes, skip to question 53) “Yes.” 52. If no, how so? 53. How do you know when you’re in love? “You just know, I think it’s different for everyone. The same way that you know if you’re sad, happy or excited. It’s nothing special compared to those other feelings - people just put for weight on it.”  54. What would be your ideal date? “I’ve had it and it’s something I’d rather keep private.” 55. What is your perspective on marriage? “If it’s for you, that’s good, but nobody should feel pressured. Its not something you have to do.” 56. (only for non-virgins) Are you a sub, dom or switch? “I’m not answering that.” 57. What do you think of relationships? “They aren’t necessary but again, if it is something you want then you should go for it.”  58. What do you think of one-night stands? “They’re fine.” 59. Are you still a virgin? “I’m not.” 60. Most attractive trait in a different person? “Confidence. I hate talking to people who don’t mind or have no real opinions. I’d rather be with somebody who’s my complete opposite but stands by what they say, than someone who just borrows the opinions of others.”  61. What matters most to you when it comes to a relationship? “Perseverance.”  62. Are you comfortable with PDA? Or would you be comfortable with PDA? “In moderation, it can come off tacky if you do it too much.”  63. Are you more of a type to be asked out or the type to ask the other out? “I don’t pursue people. I’m only ever pursued.”  64. How do you express love to the other? “If I’m allowing you to vent to me or generally be in my presence for longer than a few moments and have more than surface level conversations, I obviously love you.” 65. Who is your celebrity crush? “Prince Harry.”

GETTING DEEP QUESTIONS

66. Do you regret anything? “No, regret is the enemy of progress.”  67. Is there something you woule like to re-do? So, start all over again? “No.” 68. What is something you would never share with anyone? “Yes, a lot of my personal memories. Some things between my family and I are just that.”  69. When was the last time you cried? Why did you cry? “It’s one of those never share things from the last question.” 70. Most memorable event that happened in your time in St Judes? This could be anything: “Can you remember when we all almost died in the Caribbean?”  71. One thing you wish you could do all over? “Nothing, didn’t I answer this?” 72. Someone you miss? “I miss my Grandmother a lot, we don’t see her half as much as I’d like. Especially now we have the girls.”   73. Something you wish you could forget? “Again, there isn’t anything.”  74. Who has the biggest impact on you? “Probably my Dad, there’s a lot that he’s taught me that I think has helped me with success up until now.”  75. What is your perspective on love? Is it beautiful? Does it scare you? “Neither. Love is something that you either choose to pursue or you do not. My perspective of love is that it’s been romanticised and turned into something where people go above and beyond to prove that they are more in love than someone else...I think love and romance get far too blurred. One is a lot better than the other.”   76. What has hurt you in the past that you don’t want others to go through? “I’d rather not say.” 77. What is something you have gained, something you have lost and something you let go of during the past year? “I’ve gained two daughters, I’ve lost too much sleep and I’ve let go of drinking. I was never a huge drinker anyway, but I drink even less now and it’s nicer than you’d think.”  78. Have you ever lost a friend? do you wish you would still be friends? “Yes and no. Anybody I lose, I lose for a good reason.”  79. Do you have any triggers? What is the history behind these triggers and are they related to any disorders or mental illnesses?  “That’s a very personal question.” 80. If you could meet your 16 year old self, what would tell them? “Not to have so much self-doubt because you’re becoming exactly who you’re supposed to be. I think my 16 year old self was definitely more clued up than the average 16 year old. Also, you don’t have to dress like Cher from Clueless everyday.”

RANDOM QUESTION ROUND

81. Summer or Winter? ���Winter.” 82. Cats or dogs? “Cats, I love both but cats are more independent. If they were people, they’d be better.” 83. Beach or mountains? “The beach.” 84. Phone calls or texting? “Texting.” 85. Have you ever skipped class? “Yes.”

[amwritesitall]

Sarah Paulson AHS Characters as Rex Orange County Songs

Masterlist

Here’s another shit post, but they’re hella fun to make. These explanations aren’t as in depth as the Hozier ones. For the Hozier post I was having some big thoughts at 3 am.

Billie Dean Howard

“Loving is Easy”

Loving is easy You had me fucked up It used to be so hard to see Yeah, loving is easy When everything's perfect Please don't change a single little thing for me

This song gives me big being in a relationship with Billie vibes. I don’t have much to base this off of, but just trust me.

“Paradise”

Don’t miss me when I’m dead Live life and don’t think twice Don’t miss me when I’m gone I’ll see you soon in paradise When I leave you Take my last few pennies And buy yourself something nice Because, before you know it We’ll be together again Forever in paradise

Billie is a psychic. She wants to love hard while she’s on this earth and isn’t too worried about what happens after. She likes living in the moment while she can and when time’s up, she believes she’ll see you in whatever comes next. 

Lana Winters

“Corduroy Dreams”

How could I ignore you? Trust me I adore you We’re swimming through our dreams Kiss me in the shower For a couple hours Though we’re only sixteen And sit down beside me Don’t call me daddy Cause that’s just fucking weird Promise that you'll stay here You and I can lay here Until the end of time

This has big vibes of what being in a relationship with Lana would be like. Don’t call Lana Banana “daddy,” but like stay and lay with her “until the end of time.”

“Always”

It took a while to see that I was in need Of help from somebody else but she keeps Reminding me that I'm not the only one

That there will always be a part of me that's holding on And still believes that everything is fine And that I'm living a normal life But until somebody sits me down And tells me that I'm different now I'll always be the way I always am

This gives me post Asylum vibes. Lana has become a famous reporter and sometimes she has to face the fact that after everything that happened has changed her. Everything she went through was shitty and I feel like she’s the type of person to avoid what happened, ignoring all she went through.

“It’s Not the Same Anymore”

My life was simple before I should be happy, of course But things just got much harder Now it's just hard to ignore It's not the same anymore It's not the same anymore It's not the same, but it's not a shame 'cause

I spend a long time putting up with people Putting on my best face It's only normal when you stop things in the wrong way It's only four o'clock and still, it's been a long day I just wanna hit the hay People knocking on me like every day I'm tired of taking stress

This follows a bit of the same reasoning as the song before this. This is more Lana coming to terms with everything she’s been through and what all is going on in her life now as a famous reporter. Her life is not the same as it was. It’s better, but things are still so different and she’s working like crazy.

Cordelia Goode

“Stressed Out”

They wanna take what's yours They wanna go for dinner on your name They wanna see me stressed out every day, I know it They wanna lie and still be friends But when you're at your worst, they're not there And you discovered that they don't care

This makes me think of all the stress that comes with being the Supreme. I feel like it’s sort of like winning the lottery is sometimes. On one hand she has all this power, but on the other that power causes a lot of people to try and use you to get to it. Cordelia has to be cautious because some people want to get close to her for the wrong reasons.

“Pluto Projector”

The great protector Is that what I'm supposed to be? What if all this counts for nothing Everything I thought I'd be? What if by the time I realize It's too far behind to see? Seventy-mil projector I can show you everything, yeah And we're on our way to glory Where the show won't ever end And the encore lasts forever And it's time we're due to spend

Cordelia handling all that comes with being the Supreme in the first half of the lyrics. Then her finding love, wanting it to last forever in the second half. There’s also extra angst in the since that one day there will be a new Supreme and she will have to leave her significant other behind to fulfill her final duties as Supreme.

“New House”

I can see us in a house next year (You'll be) making your mind up You can figure out what goes where (And stay) keeping it real with me all the time All the while, they can't touch me anyway So I'll be holding it down with you every day

I feel like this describes what a relationship with Cordelia would be like once she has finally found that person she can trust. She just wants to settle down and be with her love at the Academy with all her girls.

Bette and Dot Tattler

“Television / So Far So Good”

Hey, I’m not afraid, I can be myself and I Hope you can be yourself as well, ‘cause I can make you feel alright And there was so much happiness that we were still yet to find I said that you can call me Alex, baby, welcome to my life

The beginning of the song gave me big vibes of the twins finding someone that loves and accepts them. Later in the song I also get Billie Dean vibes BUT the beginning makes me think of Bette and Dot.

Sally McKenna

“10/10″

I had to think about my oldest friends Now, I no longer hang with them And I can't wait to be home again I had a year that nearly sent me off the edge I feel like a five, I can't pretend But if I get my shit together this year Maybe I'll be a ten

I did it again, I did it again No control over my emotions One year on and I still can't focus

This song is kind of saying I’ve had a hard time, but I’m not having a hard time right now and I feel like this fits Sally. Sally is out here trying to fix herself damn it. Social media is making her try and find better things in life besides drugs. I could be crazy, but I don’t know. This is just my thinking.

“4 Seasons”

Who am I to judge The people who don't care for me When I don't care about them either? And who am I to judge The friends that I once thought I knew? They're all off doing what they wanna do I'm falling to pieces When I'm on my own Even though I'm a walking emotion And I can't go a day without you I saw myself as less and you so high above me But I hope that you can learn to love me

Angsty Sally just wants love, but she also tends to push people away at times. I don’t know. These lyrics scream Sally to me.

Audrey Tindall

“Face to Face” 

She calmed me down that night I freaked out We stayed up, I threw up in that house She woke up face-to-face from the bed Two in the en-suite, one in the early She was like eight hours ahead Two different countries, slept in a one-piece Baby boy in full effect And you couldn't see me, call back, repeat That's all thanks to poor connection Fun for me, no Most time, it's a pain in the neck I said it's not that fun, see Everything makes me wanna quit while I'm ahead

The struggles of being in a long distance relationship! This is something I’m sure Audrey has to deal with a lot due to her job. Her being off somewhere filming, having to leave her loved one behind.

“Laser Lights”

I might eat breakfast here before I move on Laser lights all around me when I get the chance To get my groove on Dancing by myself, I still take my shoes off And ignore it 'til I feel alright And I might get restless if I stay for too long I would up and leave this fuckin' bullshit If it meant that I could see her Dancing to the shit that sounds nothing like me, huh? Dancing to the shit I like

For some reason this gives me Audrey vibes? The line about dancing by yourself makes me think of her. This is more of a vibe reasoning.

Ally Mayfair-Richards

“Uno”

Some people concentrate on style too much But I think I just force myself to smile too much And that should soon end for the best I wanna live my life with no stress Love life and feel blessed

My jaw hurts a lot because I grind it with stress I was an idiot recently and lost a lot of my friends Nothing brings me joy and nothing makes me smile

This makes me think of prime stressed Ally in the middle of season seven, but also prime stressed political leader Ally. When she gets carried away with how stressful her job is and she just wants to be able to enjoy time with son.

“It Gets Better”

Looking back, I guess that ignorance was a breeze I thought I knew everything but I was naive

Look at us now, I'm proud of you Oh-oh, she's on her way towards me That means it all gets better soon I hope my world feels better soon You let me do what I needed to So this one's for you 'Cause even when my worst traits get in the way You're here to help me feel safe I don't need to be with anyone else I don't need to explain No, I don't need to explain

Post Cult Ally? I feel like this low key could describe parts of her journey. Eventually her finding some peace with a new person she loves and loves her.

“Green Eyes, Pt. II”

See money is the only motive But money is a sin and I loath it The reason we're waiting for something The only reason why people are hungry, child People are hungry now Money, the reason that we can't make money The reason why a prick is running the country No matter when you hear this note There's always gonna be a prick running this country But you better get your votes in

Ally is a political gal. She’s critical of the government and how things are being run and this song fits that. It’s a bit cliche to give this one to Ally, but it fits. The second half also really fits the tone of season seven.

Wilhemina Venable

“Sunflower”

I want to know Where I can go When you're not around And I'm feeling down So won't you stay for a moment So I can say I, I need you so

Mina’s insecurities with looovvee. That’s it. That’s the reasoning.

“Every Way”

I care about you, in every way I can You know I'm troubled, but I know you can understand I'm sorry for the strain No one prepares you for the way in which things change But you've been amazing, saw me through my darkest stage And you always forgave me And now you love me just the same

Pure wholesome Mina about the person she loves! I will fight anyone who wants to debate this. This is her once she’s vulnerable and open with the one she loves. She’s a lot sometimes, but damn does she love them.

“Know Love”

I just wanna know love Mother won't you tell me When will I know love? Baby please forgive me Not able to show love There ain't no love for me I just wanna know love

Mina has never really experience that much love in her life. Even her childhood wasn’t filled with love, so when she finally finds someone, it’s hard for adapt to what love is. She wants to love and be loved, but it takes time for her to figure out what exactly that looks and feels like.

-

You might like:  Sarah Paulson AHS Characters as Khalid Songs or  Sarah Paulson AHS Characters as Hozier Songs

[niall-is-my-dream]

Lost Without You - Part Ten

So this is the last part! Thanks to everyone who has read, liked and reblogged this. I appreciate it!

2460 words

But thanks to @beardedniall​​ for helping me.

Catch up below

https://niall-is-my-dream.tumblr.com/post/186235732118/lost-without-you-masterlist

6 weeks later

Walking into your flat a week before Christmas felt strange. You dragged your two suitcases one by one up the stairs, and dumped them in the hallway. Removing your coat you realised how warm the flat felt, making your way to the kitchen you saw a note above the thermostat.

 "Put the heat and the hot water on for you, hope it was ok that I used the spare key. Put some bits in the fridge and cupboards for you too. Pop in for a coffee and a catch up when you're free. Audrey. X"

Oh love her. Audrey was too good to you. You felt an overwhelming urge to see Audrey and embrace her and her familiar smell. Remembering how it gave you a feeling of home. 

You weren't going back to your parents for another week so you had planned on last minute Christmas shopping and spending some time with Audrey, Jess and Hannah. There would be plenty of time to see your parents, your brother his wife and your nieces. Niall wouldn't be back until the 23rd which was still five days away.

When you opened the fridge you found butter, cheese, milk and some ready meals. The cupboard had bread, crumpets, some crisps and some snacks. You also found your fruit bowl full. You couldn't believe the trouble she had gone through for you. It also meant you could have a shower straight away rather than waiting for the water to heat up. Which is exactly what you needed.

Opening one of your suitcases you found some pjs and your toiletries. Stripping off your clothes you stepped in the hot shower washing away your day of packing and travelling. You dressed in your pjs and one of Niall's hoodies before heading to the kitchen and popping a meal in the microwave. 

With the meal on your lap and the tv talking to no one, you browsed through your social media whilst you ate. A FaceTime call from Niall interrupted your meal, and you smiled. Swiping to answer it, you saw his face come onto the screen.

"Hey beautiful." He said smiling. He was sitting on a navy blue sofa with a plain white wall behind him. You knew he was in Chicago for one of the Jingle Ball shows, so you assumed he was in a hotel room or dressing room.

 "Hey yourself." You replied, smiling at his cute christmassy jumper.

 "How was your trip back?" He asked.

 "It was ok, quick and easy flight. Not long been home, I've just showered and got ready for bed."

 "Glad to be home love?"

 "Yeah I am, feels weird actually!"

 "Nice hoodie by the way. Been looking for that for weeks!" He replied with a smirk.

 "I may have nicked it from you when you visited me." You grinned back. "It still smells like you a bit."

 "Won't be long now petal, five more days. I'll do the last show in Miami and then I'll fly home straight away after. So I'll see you on Monday 23rd sometime. Not sure what time my flight lands yet."

 "Ok the plan is still for me to go to my parents on Christmas Eve sometime, I can pick my hire car up anytime from 12. Is your flight to Ireland still around that time?"

 "Yeah, 1:40 something I think. I don't know I'm rubbish."

 "It's why you have Tara!"

 "True." He laughed in reply. 

 You heard a knock and a click of a door and saw Niall look up and across the room. The room he was in suddenly became noisy and a familiar voice could be heard amongst the crowd.

"You still talking to your lovely wee lass?!" You heard Lewis ask.

"I am." Niall replied with a smirk.

Lewis popped himself down on the sofa and his face crept into view. You felt yourself blush and prayed you wouldn't fan girl over him again. It had been bad enough when you'd done it six months ago on your first date with Niall.

"There she is!" Lewis said. "This Irish heartthrob has been talking about you all day, said he needed to come talk to you make sure you got home ok."

 "Did he now?!" You laughed.

 "Yep! Been going on and on about you!"

 "Hey give it a rest!" Niall said and you could see him blushing.

 "Oh look, he's blushing now. Been saying how much he loves you and how he can't wait to come home to you so he can make sweet love to you all Christmas!"

"Mate! What the fuck?!" Niall shaking his head. "He's drunk. Just ignore him!"

"Don't deny it now Niall, no need to get embarrassed! And I'm not drunk!" Lewis grinned.

"Fuck off!" Niall smiled back.

"How was your trip back anyway Emma?" Lewis asked.

"It was ok thankyou."

"Good, alright I'll let you love birds have your phone sex and I'll catch you in what three minutes?! You won't last longer than that!"

You giggled as you saw Niall's face turn red.

"Right you, out now!" Niall replied and you saw him point towards what you presumed to be the door.

 "Bye Emma!"

 "Bye Lewis!" You replied still giggling.

You heard the door close and Niall resume his original position in front of you.

 "Sorry about him." He said, his face still red.

"Have you got time for phone sex?" You asked him.

His eyes widened in shock and you could see him trying to decide how to answer the question. It was something that you had explored a few times whilst you had been apart. But it has always been when you were just going to sleep and Niall was in a hotel room. He was in a dressing room waiting to perform that evening, anyone could walk in.

"I have to go for sound check in like ten minutes. But fuck I would if I could." He managed to mumble out.

"Ah that's a shame." You smirked. "Could still show you the good stuff if you like?"

"Yeah?" He stuttered.

"Mmmm." You replied as you pulled his hoodie over your head, revealing just a plain light pink vest top underneath. 

You heard him breath out a huge sigh at the sight of your breasts, just visible beneath your thin top.

"More?" You asked him, as you saw him reach down and adjust himself beneath his jeans.

"Yes." He croaked out before clearing his throat and repeating himself.

Pulling the top over your head you heard him moan out and mumble something about how you were driving him crazy. When you reached across and tweaked your nipple, he moaned again and rubbed his free hand across his face, down his chest and to his jeans. His hand palmed himself over his bulge and he blew out a sigh of relief.

A knock on the door on his end brought him back to reality and he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees to try and disguise his erection. No one entered the room however but someone did call out a ten minute call for his sound check.

"Yeah be there in five." He called out.  

You saw him shake his head.

"I have to go." He sighed. "But I need to go and sort out this first."

And he turned the camera down to show you his big problem.

"Go to the bathroom and let me watch." You asked him.

"Yeah? You'd like that?" He replied, his eyebrows raised.

"Mmmmm." You simply answered with as you stroked your nipples again. He groaned, but quickly stood up and made his way to the ensuite bathroom, locking the door behind him. 

With his phone propped up by the sink, he quickly opened his button and unzipped his jeans. The sight of his thick cock as he pulled himself from his jeans made your core throb.

"Oh baby look how worked up you are." You whispered as you slipped your hand beneath your shorts.

"All for you, see what you do to me?" He replied panting, as he ran his thumb over his bright red tip moving the precum down his length.

"I barely did anything."

"I've not made love to you in six weeks babe, I'm going to cum in like two minutes I'm so worked up by the sight of your tits."

 "Yeah, two minutes? Is that a challenge?"

"Definitely, and you better be touching yourself to." He whispered back.

"I am." You replied and you saw him bite his lip to hold back a moan.

Neither of you spoke again in case someone happened to enter Nialls dressing room. There were low breaths and pants from you both as you desperately seeked your release. Your fingers were running over your clit, while you teased your nipples with the other hand. Keeping eye contact with Niall was hard, your eyes were practically rolling in the back of your head as you got closer. The tightness in your stomach built more and more as you watched him stroke his hard cock with his left hand and tug on his balls with his right.

His movements became sloppy and you knew he was close, the thought of it pushed you to your orgasm and you mewled as you came, your body almost convulsing at the strength of your release.

Low pants of your name from Niall's lips told you he was coming to, and you saw him release his grip on his balls to try and catch the heavy stream of his orgasm.

"Jesus christ." He mumbled as he surveyed the mess in his hands.

"That was about two minutes. Challenge won." You said with a smirk.

********

The Cosy Coffee Corner was quiet today, the early Monday morning rush of commuters and dog walkers had been and gone. Mr and Mrs Davidson had sat at their usual spot by the window reading the newspaper like they always did at least 3 or 4 mornings a week. You'd come down early to offer help to Audrey with the customers, having been awake since dawn. You hadn't been able to get back to sleep after waking up at 5am, your mind filled with thoughts of Niall and his arrival back from Miami today.

You weren't sure how long the flight was or what time you would see him today. It all depended on how he slept on the flight and if he was jetlagged. The sheer desperation to see him was ridiculous.

Your internship at the London office of Foundation Interior Designs didn't start until the new year, and you weren't due to go to your parents until tomorrow. Feeling at a bit of a loss you'd served the familiar customers alongside Audrey and sipped your morning coffee. No one made coffee like Audrey.

It felt great to be back in the safety and comfort of The Cosy Coffee Corner though and Audrey had been excited to see you. When you'd left, it had been the end of the summer, but now the cafe was covered in Christmas decorations. The handmade garland was hanging across the counter by the till. A large Christmas tree took over the corner by the window. The whole place smelled of the usual freshly made pastries and coffee but now with a hint of Winter smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and gingerbread.

 "What time is he due back?" Audrey asked you as she cleared the table next to the counter.

"Not sure. Do you mind if I hang around here for a bit longer?"

 "Of course not love."

The bell above the door jingled and you looked up to see a woman carrying a familiar looking bouquet of flowers.

"Hi, I have a delivery for Emma Pearce." She said.

"That's me, thanks." You replied taking the bouquet. Right on time you thought. Niall had never missed your weekly delivery of flowers since you'd been apart.

Taking the small card in your hand, your saw a printed message.

"To my beautiful girl, can't wait to see you today. Love you. N xxx"

"Wish I could find someone to send me flowers ever week." Audrey said as she came to stand beside you. "These are beautiful."

"I can set you up on one of those dating sites if you like?!"

"Oh god no child, can you imagine the weirdos I'd meet?!"

"Not everyone on them is a weirdo!" You replied sniggering.

"Of course not, but I'm bound to be matched with one. Would be just my luck." She said.

"Didn't know you were looking at dating again Audrey?"

It had been quite a few years since Audrey had lost her husband and you hadn't realised she was thinking about meeting new people.

"Well I'm not really, but it would be nice to go out for dinner and have some male company sometimes. And not like that before you raise your eyebrows at me girl!" She laughed.

"I never said anything!"

 "Go grab a book and take a seat, I'll bring you over some lunch." She said, slowly shifting you out from behind the counter.

"You don't need to do that."

"Yes I do, I haven't been able to mother you for months!" She replied smiling. 

"I've missed that actually." You replIed smiling back.

Placing your flowers on one of the tables by the Christmas tree in the window, you browsed the books selecting one that's cover looked intriguing. Sitting down you started to read, Audrey soon brought you over a sandwich, a gingerbread man and another coffee.

You soon got lost in the book, you'd been reading quite a bit while you'd been away in Paris. It had helped the evenings go quickly when you were on your own. The cafe started to pick up with the lunch time rush, people popping in for sandwiches and coffees from local businesses near by, the bell above the door jingling every so often.

You didn't notice when someone stood in front of you but your head soon looked up when that someone cleared their throat.

Your mouth opened in shock at the sight of Niall standing in front of you. He had on a thick black coat and a grey paddy cap, all wrapped up and cosy from the December weather.

"Is this seat taken?" He asked gesturing towards the seat opposite you.

"Definitely not." You managed to reply, still shocked at seeing him front of you.

You hadn't expected to see him in here, thinking he would probably text you and say he was coming over to your flat or something. He moved closer to you, leaning down so you were face to face, just inches from each other.

"Good." He said as he leaned in and kissed you.

Tag list

@awomanindeniall​

@horanscran​

@flnialler​

@winchesterwife27​

@ihearthemcallingforyou​

@niallismymuse​

@someoneunimportantxx​​

[purplesurveys]

921

LOL was gone for a while to attempt doing that ridiculous 5000 survey myself again and I really thought I was going to breeze through it this time. 2 1/2 weeks and 2500 questions later, I need a fucking break. Need normal surveys plz.

What was the best thing to happen to you this week? Got to visit Gabie today! I brought Cooper as well so that she, her sisters, and their puppy Tofu could finally meet him. Fun day, but I am beat. The blackout yesterday also made me revisit painting, and that felt so good too.

Where do you put your keys when you get home? It always differs, idk why I never picked up a routine. Sometimes I set it on the dining table, other times on the decorative table in the living room, and other times I bring it up with me to my room.

Do you prefer hot coffee or iced coffee? I preferred hot (warm would be more accurate) for the longest time but once I went iced, I never wanted to go back. 

What's your phone background picture? I recently changed my lock screen to one of Audrey Hepburn. My home screen is still Hayley Williams.

If you could move to any country, what would it be? Anywhere with a clean and honest government sounds like heaven.

Have you ever seen a snake in the wild? No. Can’t say there’s a lot of them here in the city, and I’ve never seen any in my trip to provinces either.

What's your favourite movie from the 80s? Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

Do you have any posters, paintings or other artwork on your walls? I have at least one of each of these, yes.

What would your dream wedding be like? Huge. I’d want a long guest list, expansive food choices, and acts that can provide good music throughout the evening. I never really throw parties for myself, so I would want at least my own wedding to be big.

Would you ever take a trip to space if given the chance? Yesssssss.

How do you cope with anxiety? I'm lucky to have found different outlets, so that said I usually choose from taking surveys, watching a favorite channel on YouTube, turning to my dogs, going to social media to see dumb memes, or taking a nap altogether. Of course there’ll always be those days where none of these work out and I’ll have to just cry through the anxiety attacks until they’re over.

Are you expecting any phone calls or emails? I’m expecting an email from my college, yes. I’m currently applying for civil service eligibility and they’re asking for documents that only the college can provide, so I emailed them a couple of days ago asking for assistance, and that’s considering we’re still under a lockdown and most offices are still under skeleton staffing.

What's the weather like in your part of the world right now? LOVELY. I actually wear oversized sweaters to bed now and I even managed to wear a thick denim jacket out today. The rainy weather has settled beautifully, and I’m perfectly fine with 24ºC-28ºC everyday.

What was the last takeout food you ate? My mom bought me and my siblings a chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets each from McDonald’s last week.

Who makes you laugh the most? Definitely someone from my college barkada. I can’t decide whether it’s Aya, Kate, JM, or Jum; they’re all equally hilarious as fuck.

Do you know anyone with the same middle name as you? See these questions are always weird to me because my country has its own naming customs; it’s basically a mix of American and Spanish customs. We have two first names (where Westerners would understand their second ‘first’ name to be their middle name) and our actual legal middle name is our mother’s maiden surname (which I think doesn’t apply at all in the Western world). So to answer this I’ll go with our own customs and say that no, I don’t know of anyone who has the same middle name as me. It’s not a very common surname anyway.

What did you have done the last time you saw a dentist? Had a tooth removed. I don’t think it was a wisdom tooth; it was just a tooth at the back of my mouth that had been in pretty bad shape for years but was only discovered at that time.

What does a successful relationship look like to you? I believe the formula is different for every couple. Like I value constant communication and checkups, but others might not feel the need to be clingy or update their significant others all the time.

What do you like to put on your baked potato? Don’t really have these a lot, but I remember when my mom used to make baked potatoes with bacon and cheese and those were unbelievably good.

What field of science interests you the most? Biology. <3 I’m sure I would’ve taken up medicine if I only wasn’t so bad in the rest of the sciences.

What's the closest shop or restaurant to your house? There aren’t any nearby shops since I live in a gated community, but once you get out of the village’s main gate, the first thing to the left is a McDonald’s. To the right is a small complex with a hair salon, burger place, music school, and one of those boujee stores that sell hype clothing.

Do you have any family that live in another country? So many relatives. We’re Filipinos, man. We migrate everyfuckingwhere. As far as I know I have family living in the US, Canada, Vietnam, Japan, China, Australia, and New Zealand.

What colour is your couch? Gray.

Do you know how to care for plants and keep them alive? Not at all. Every single plant that I’ve been given as a gift or party giveaway has died on me.

What was the most memorable birthday you've had? 18th was awesome. Cruise trip, hotel stay with friends, Tiendesitas + noodle date with Gab. How I got away with three separate celebrations without my parents saying anything about it I’ll never know.

Would you rather go to the beach or the mountains? Beach. The area where I live is mountainous as it is; as someone who’s always lived and studied in the city, a trip to the beach in the province never gets old.

What do you do for work? I don’t have any yet but I’m waiting for openings for our national agency for either history, or culture and the arts. My plans have shifted recently and I’m now eyeing to work for either instead of rotting away while underpaid at a corporate agency.

Have you ever been to see the circus? No. I wouldn’t be interested either; they all just seem so harsh and unethical. 

Are there any words that you hate or make you cringe? Sure.

What is the best house you've ever lived in? The one we live in today has been the most comfortable; but I also hold a lot of nostalgia for my dad’s parents’ house in Tondo because of how raw Manila life was there. Life wasn’t pretty, but it did feel real.

What was the first CD you ever bought? The first CD I actively wanted my parents to buy for me was probably the High School Musical soundtrack, heheh.

Do you look in the mirror before you leave the house? Yeah, always. Wanna make sure my shirt is tucked in properly (if it is), or that my jeans aren’t cuffed funny or whatever else.

What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? I’ve mentioned this before but it was the Indian dessert gulab jamun. Really did not expect the flavor that came in when it hit my mouth.

Have you ever seen someone quit their job in a dramatic way? I’ve never had a legit job, but when Jeuel quit the org a couple of years ago because of ~irreconcilable differences~ between him and us officers in the executive board it did feel a tad bit dramatic and passive-aggressive.

What movie reminds you of your childhood? Shrek 2 or The Game Plan.

Do you know why your parents named you what they did? The singer named Robyn was really big then and they ended up being fans of the name.

Do you have any bills that need to be paid? None of my own. My parents usually pay the family bills immediately, so I don’t think we have any pending payments for now.

What do you like to dip your fries in? Mayonnaise.

Is your house clean or messy right now? It’s always clean as my mom is extremely tidy.

What was the last email you received? It’s one of the job-hunting websites I’ve signed up for, giving me job alerts for new openings in my chosen industries.

Do you know someone who speaks without a filter? Yeah and I know people who do it responsibly and those who just come off as tactless.

Are you in any social groups? We call our college group the Daydrinkers, since our friendship began when we started constantly hanging out at nearby bars at like 2 PM, during our breaks lol. I used to be in a barkada in high school but Angela and I broke apart from that since we couldn’t deal with Athenna’s toxicity anymore, though I still keep in touch with most of them, like Chelsea and Kaira. Since then Angela and I have formed our own group consisting mostly of Angela’s friends from architecture and Hans’ friends from Ateneo.

How many hours of sleep did you get last night? Sigh, around 4. I don’t know why it was so few, but it also means that I’m currently drowsy as all hell at 9:03 PM. I will most likely turn in for bed after this.

What's your favourite kind of museum? Those that cover history, so museums that have artifacts and fossils and shit.

Do you believe in alternate universes? I like the idea, and I love literature that explores the idea of alternate realities, multiple universes, pocket universes, etc. Whether or not I believe they exist...idk. I don’t think about it that much in literal terms. < Yeah pretty much. Gaby Dunn wrote an amazing piece on multiverses and that was what got me to find comfort in the idea.

Whose house did you last visit? I was at Gabie’s place this afternoon. We had burritos, talked about career prospects, and puppy-sat our babies.

What games do you play on your smart phone? I turn to 1010 when I’m bored or anxious. I have like 30 other games but I never touch them lol, but I do keep them should the time be right to whip them out.

Have you ever been to Los Angeles? I have not.

What was the first concert you ever went to? Paramore, February 2013. I was a late bloomer; kids my age started going to concerts at least three years before that.

Do you know anyone who is colourblind? I don’t think so.

What's your favourite season and why? The wet season, because it’s colder and I hate the heat during the dry season.

Are you the youngest, middle or eldest child in your family? I’m the eldest.

If you had to make something for a potluck, what would you make? I recently watched this phenomenal recipe for 48-hour chocolate chip cookies that looked absolutely bonkers when they were done baking. I’d for sure give those a try for dessert. If that fails I’d just buy the food so that what I bring is more guaranteed to be good.

What kinds of decorations do you put up at Halloween? My family has never cared much for Halloween. It’s not even a legit holiday, so as much as I love Halloween I don’t think I would spend for decorations myself to decorate my own place. The only instance I imagine doing so would be if I have kids of my own who may want to get into the Halloween ~spirit.

How many tabs do you have open right now? In my current window, eight.

What's something you've been meaning to do but keep putting off? Taking another online course, just because it’s great to learn new things and earn free certifications while at it. I haven’t been doing a good job at being consistent with them, though.

What's the first thing you check on your phone at the start of the day? Facebook since it’s my primary social media now. Literally never thought this day would come.

Have you ever flown a kite? Yeah but it’s been a while.

Who was your favourite music artist when you were 16? This was the time I was slowly moving away from my punk phase and inching closer to Athenna’s music tastes, so I was into acts like Hozier, Banks, Daya, Twenty One Pilots, etc.

What are three things you usually always have in your fridge? Water, bread, eggs.

[dextersjournal]

Death and Consequences

Thursday, 11 June 2020

My cousins’ grandmother passed away last week.

Given the nature of our relation, one might expect Ma Audrey to not have been very close to our family. On the contrary; she lived in the same building as my cousins, who live just across the park opposite my house. So she was like a second grandmother to me growing up. She would look after my cousins while their parents were at work, so when I would go visit in my youth, we were all in her care.

When I continued to visit my cousins as we got older, she wouldn’t be as present because we no longer needed a babysitter. Still, we (my brother and I) would always make a point of greeting her as we passed the stable-door at the back of her house.

Sadly, the visits became less frequent, due to our lives just generally becoming less busy, but also due to family politics, which I shan’t go into.

Guilt and Memories

My cousin sent me a message on WhatsApp on Thursday, 4 June, to let me know Ma Audrey had passed. I can’t remember what I was busy with, but I was out of the house. I responded with my sympathies when I found the time.

I acknowledged the sadness, but I didn’t feel particularly sad. People might put it down to shock, but I’m not sure that’s what it is. I didn’t like this. Ma Audrey deserves to be mourned, I felt.

I hadn’t seen Ma Audrey very often in recent years. We would usually see each other at family events at least, but those were few and far between as of late. The last time I saw her was Christmas 2019, where she remarked that she doesn’t really see our family anymore. The last time I was in her house was to store some of the desserts in her fridge.

The problem, I think, is that I don’t have many memories of Ma Audrey, not that I can think of offhand, anyway. Not that she or my interactions with her weren’t memorable, but I actually don’t remember much of that period in my life without prompting. To think I would spend so much time there. I feel awful about it.

That’s why I ultimately decided to attend the funeral. I was hesitant at first, given that it would be a gathering of people, but I decided that I would regret it if I didn’t. (Also, thankfully, the physical distancing went pretty well.) I wanted to hear others’ reflections, hoping it would prompt some residual memories. Thankfully, it did.

The Funeral

This was the first funeral I’d attended since my great-aunt Gwen passed away in 2005. I was 10. That was my first funeral where I was cognizant of the events (my paternal grandfather passed away when I was 3). Aunty Gwen’s funeral made me hyper-aware of mortality and I was so afraid of losing my biological grandmother for at least a year after that. Thankfully, my grandmother is alive and well having lived 15 more years, despite a heart problem for which he had successful surgery in 2012.

At the time of writing, South Africa is in Level 3 Lockdown, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Places of worship have been given governmental permission to reopen, a decision I’ve been very critical of.  But thankfully it meant we could host a funeral. Unlike a standard church service, it would be a more controlled environment as people had to stipulate beforehand whether they would be attending.

When I was told of Ma Audrey’s passing, I wasn’t sure that there would be a funeral. I wouldn’t have been surprised if there hadn’t been one, given the circumstances. If there hadn’t been a funeral, I wouldn’t have thought anything of it; given my worldview (read: atheism), I don’t think it’s necessary. Funerals are for the living, not for the dead.

But Ma Audrey was a Catholic woman. We used to go to the same church, back when I did go to church (more on that later). So it is fitting that she would be ‘sent off’ in that way.

At the door of the church, we had our temperatures taken, our hands sanitised, and we were asked via individual questions whether we had any COVID-19 symptoms. The casket was in the foyer; closed. I’d had a slight hope that it would be open so I could see her face in person one last time. (My eyes started welling up during that last sentence.)

The funeral was essentially a standard Catholic Mass, but with the priest testifying about Ma Audrey instead of the usual sermon, and a Wikipedia-esque eulogy read by my older cousin. I admittedly haven’t been to many funerals, but it felt a bit…impersonal. Almost cursory.

The Church

I’m going to go off on a slight tangent here. The funeral was the first time I stepped foot in my old church since Christmas 2008, almost 12 years ago. It was slightly smaller than I remember. Some things had changed; some things had stayed the same.

The PA speakers were the same set that I remember, but the mezzanine where the “Music Ministry” were usually stationed had been extended. No longer did they have an overhead projector; they now had a projector overhead.

The Stations of the Cross portraits detailing the Passion of Jesus were still in the same place. The Seven Sacraments were depicted high on the church walls behind the altar. My eyes traced the path form Jesus’ fingers turning into wheat stalks and then rejoining his body as my mind wandered away from the Bible readings much as it had done in my youth.

It was interesting that being in this building did not evoke any nostalgia. For people who only know me since I became a heathen, that might make sense, but I was actually very involved in the church; I was a reader and a singer in the aforementioned Music Ministry. My departure from the church actually had nothing to do with unbelief; that only came years later.

The Death                                  

Ma Audrey had suffered from cancer. She had been diagnosed with bowel/rectal cancer years ago, but then eventually went into remission. She was later diagnosed with lymphoma as well.

My mother called my uncle, Ma Audrey’s son, on the day of her passing to give her condolences.  According to him, Ma Audrey looked and seemed fine, but she requested to go to the hospice.  He said she refused to continue to take her medication and that she had told him she wanted to die.

When I first heard this, I was glad. I was glad she died on her own terms. It felt like a boss move, like in S02E12 of Grace and Frankie. “Good for Audrey,” I’d said. My younger cousin, who was with her when she died, explained to me after the funeral that it had been more a case that she was tired of suffering and tired of having to rely on others just to live. Being given better context on the circumstances of her decision made it more heart breaking, but no less dignified.

She passed with her remaining child and youngest granddaughter by her side.

Suspension of Disbelief

After the gospel reading, the priest testified about how the church was Ma Audrey’s second home. She had been a part of the soup kitchen, and the Music Ministry at some point as well. She had been part of the committee that would volunteer to clean the church on Fridays for the weekend Masses. Even when she was unable to participate, she would still go to the church on Fridays for the company.

When my family would still attend church, we would offer Ma Audrey lifts. After we’d stopped going to church, we’d still see her making her way across the field on her way to Mass. Like when passing her stable door, we’d be sure to greet her, shouting and waving from our front porch. She was persistent in trying to get us to go back to church, even after my own (Anglican) grandmother had long given up.

Being away from church for so long, I no longer knew the hymns, nor the recitations or responses. From an outsider perspective, the ceremony seems very cult-y; people dressed in robes; mass recitations; ceremonial eating (even if you don’t consider the supposed transubstantiation, which is another story); and the additional pomp and circumstance of altar servicers carrying large candles and a wooded cross on a large stick.

I wasn’t sure whether or not to participate in the recitations. I decided not to, for the most part. Only at the end of the priest’s testimony where he blessed Ma Audrey (in spirit) and her casket, did I join in saying “Amen”.

But still – sitting, standing, kneeling in that church – the jaded, cynical atheist in me was at the forefront at the beginning of the procession, internally scoffing at the same rituals in which I once partook.

But during the priest’s testimony, I thought less of the church and more of what the church meant to Ma Audrey; I felt I should reserve my cynicism out of respect for her, not the church.

During one of the hymns, I decided to interpret the lyrics to be about her instead of God.

But you are always close to me Following all my ways May I be always close to you Following all your ways, Lord

Strange thing to do for someone who doesn’t believe in an afterlife, huh? The thing is, I know one of the purposes of religion is consolation. So no, when it comes down to it, I don’t believe Ma Audrey – or anyone – is up there or out there, but sometimes it’s nice to think that she is.

There was a moment, whilst the priest was blessing the casket, that I actually wished God existed – not the god of the Bible, but a god worthy of Audrey and her worship.

The Dénoument

After the funeral, my brother and I went over to speak to our cousins. It was here my younger cousin explained to me the afore-mentioned circumstances around her grandmother’s decision to die. This conversation only took a couple of minutes until it was interrupted by a flash of lightning then, a few seconds later, a mighty crack of thunder.

We all parted ways and, almost as soon as my brother and I got into his car, so began the hardest hail storm any one of us could remember. Almost like a fanfare from God Himself, if you believe in such things.

[tcm]

Shirley MacLaine in Her Own Words by Susan King

Hollywood publicists couldn’t make up a story so magical as how Shirley MacLaine became a star. She was discovered in 1954 by famed film producer Hal. B. Wallis after she went on for ailing star Carol Haney in the hot Broadway musical The Pajama Game. She had been plucked out of the chorus by choreographer Bob Fosse to understudy Tony Award-winner Haney, who stopped the show cold eight times a week in the “Steam Heat” number. And it just so happened that Wallis was in the audience that fateful night, signed her to a contract and a year later, MacLaine made her film debut in Alfred Hitchcock’s black comedy The Trouble with Harry (’55). The camera loved her, audiences loved her and so did the critics. MacLaine made her film debut when va-va-va-voom sex symbol Marilyn Monroe, cool, sophisticated Grace Kelly and gamin Audrey Hepburn were the major stars.

MacLaine was unique. She wasn’t a traditional beauty and she gave new meaning to freckle-faced. She had a wonderful quirky charm. And she could play any type of role.

The older sister of Warren Beatty recently turned 85 and is still going strong. Over the past six decades, MacLaine has earned five Oscar nominations (finally winning for 1983’s TERMS OF ENDEARMENT), written books, directed a feature and documentary, won the AFI Life Achievement Award and is a known spiritualist who believes she has had several past lives.

In 2017, she told me that she wanted to “now devote my life to concentrating on roles for older women that can help the culture become more equal not only in generate but in age. That demographic of our society so often is forgotten on screen unless it’s somebody with a really sad problem or somebody with very comical Alzheimer’s.”

I have interviewed MacLaine several times over the past two decades for the L.A Times. She’s candid— “I’ve never been afraid of what people thought”— whip smart and funny. She’s also an incredible storyteller with a healthy appetite for life and food.

During a lunch interview in 2012, she snacked on nuts before her Chinese chicken salad and quesadillas arrived. It was Hitchcock who introduced her to the joys of food by insisting she eat every meal with him. “He knew I was just out of the chorus,” she recalled. “So, I hadn’t eaten for years. He said, ‘You have got to eat with me.’ We ate at the Stowe, VT hotel dining room. He chose—and always chose—where to shoot according to the food.”

MacLaine recalled she had “eggs, bacon, French toast, waffles with fruit” every morning with Hitch. “And then a lunch like that because lunch was catered. I remember Don Hartman, the president of Paramount, called me and said, ‘You are gaining weight. We can’t match you from one scene to another!”’

The actress was also sort of a mascot to the Rat Pack. She made ARTISTS AND MODELS with Dean Martin in 1955 and then joined Martin and Frank Sinatra in SOME CAME RUNNING (’58). They made other films together including a cameo in 1960’s OCEAN’S 11.

It was her friendship with Sinatra and Martin that influenced Billy Wilder and I.A. L. Diamond’s Oscar-winning script for the 1960 five-time Oscar-winning film THE APARTMENT, for which she earned a second Oscar nomination as Fran, the elevator operator who falls in love with Jack Lemmon’s C.C Baxter.

“Billy knew I was playing cards with Dean and Frank on weekends. That’s why he put in the gin game. I remember one day we went to lunch – Jack and me and Billy. I was in the middle of some love affair thing and I stopped and sighed. I remember it very well. I said, ‘Why do people have to be in love with people anyway?’ He liked the line. It’s in the gin game scene.”

She also has vivid memories of Fosse.

During rehearsals for THE PAJAMA GAME, MacLaine noted, “he would always lurk around the back of the theater. We would see this little guy hunched over. He was hunched over when he was probably nine. He would always have that cigarette dangling from his lips. He would have us in the basement of the St. James Theater rehearsing “Steam Heat” at 3 or 4 in the morning, cigarette smoke coming out of his mouth. He would say, ‘I apologize, can we do it again?’ And again, and again.”

According to MacLaine, she was the one who got Fosse his first feature directorial job on SWEET CHARITY (’69), the musical version of Fellini’s Oscar-winning 1957 NIGHTS OF CABIRIA. Fosse had directed and choreographed his wife Gwen Verdon in the 1966 Broadway version, winning a Tony for his choreography.

“As we started to work, I realized that he was truly a Fellini aficionado, that’s why he had so many big close-ups,” she explained. “I found him working on the picture to be absolutely calm, not at all temperamental and exquisitely specific.

Eighteen years later, she said, Fosse died of a heart attack in front of her old ballet school in Washington, D.C. “If it wasn’t for Fosse putting me in that part in [THE] PAJAMA GAME, how would any of this have happened to me? I brought him to Hollywood and then he died in front of my ballet school. So, tell me there is no such thing as synchronicity or karma.”

[chellerbelles]

I was tagged by @pastellarts to share something of what I’ve been writing lately. Normally I ignore such things, but I can’t resist a good excuse to talk about my writing :) This is the most recently completed scene from the next story in my Irony series. I’m sorry to say this is in chapter 4. I had hoped to be further along by now. Actually, I had hoped to have this story done and be onto the next one by now. This story is being particularly stubborn, heh. Oh, FYI for those who have forgotten (it’s been that long since the last story, I wouldn’t blame you), or haven’t been reading this series: Rogue only has one arm (her left one). Also, Rogue’s Halloween costume in the scene below is a coffee mug.

Rogue pushed the foam portion of her new costume into the back of the car and shut the door. She got into the front passenger seat and looked at Pyro, while dressed in the patterned skirt and cream coloured asymmetrical shirt Kurt had made for her.

“Thanks for driving me,” she said.

“No problem,” Pyro replied as he started the car. “I’ve been interested in seeing the new studio anyway.”

Silence came as they headed off to the studio. Thing has been weird between them lately. He had  stopped calling her things like “race traitor” for well over a year now and the general antagonism had lessened. Still a wall remained between them, something Rogue couldn’t quite identify that was preventing them from becoming friends again.

“Why have you never wanted to get involved with the show?” Rogue asked after a time.

“Prancing around on a camera isn’t really my thing.”

“It’s not a lot of people’s thing. We always need writers though.”

“I’m sure, but I’m still not interested. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is.”

Rogue eyed him thoughtfully. “Like what? I mean, I know you have college and you train with the team but—”

“I have a bunch of writing projects I’m working on,” Pyro replied. “Be happy to tell you all about them once they’re published.”

“Ah, super secret writing projects. Gotcha.”

Not long later they arrived at the studio, and something of a commotion. In amongst the crew and the rest of the Cure Watch staff was Forge and a gorgeous woman with fabulous flowing blonde hair. Rogue frowned, seeing her. She figured it was Forge’s girlfriend, but she looked vaguely familiar.

“Is that… Ronnie Lake?” Pyro asked.

“Ronnie Lake,” Rogue repeated as they moved closer, the rest of her costume under her arm. “Isn’t she a supermodel or something?”

“Yep.”

They looked at each other, and continued their way forward to where Forge and his girlfriend were chatting with everyone. Forge soon spotted Rogue and waved at her.

“Hey Rogue, glad you’re here,” Forge said. “How’s it going?”

Rogue shrugged. “Eh, you know, the usual. You?”

“Yeah, I’m good. I’d like you to meet Ronnie,” Forge said with a gesture towards his girlfriend. “Ronnie, this is Rogue and…” he frowned towards Pyro. “Pyro?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Pyro replied, his eyes on Ronnie. “Pleasure to meet you. I’ve been a big fan of your work.”

“Well, thank you,” Ronnie said graciously. “Always nice to meet a fan.”

A goofy smile appeared on Pyro’s face. “And it’s real nice to see you. Wow, I can’t believe this. I remember when you had black hair. Blonde really works for you. Not that black doesn’t. You could rock anything. I’m sorry, I’m making a fool of myself, huh?” He cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.” The goofy smile faded, his eyes still locked with hers. “I’m real sorry.”

“Not to worry, I get this a lot,” Ronnie said soothingly. “You, at least, know when to apologise, which is more than I can say about, well, most people actually.” She turned to Rogue and smiled warmly at her. “And Rogue, I’m very happy to finally get to meet you. Forge has told me all about you, and of course, I’ve been watching your show.”

“Oh, really?” Rogue asked, surprised that someone like Ronnie Lake would bother with their channel. “Wow. Oh, um, it’s a pleasure to meet you too. I’m glad you could join us today.”

“I’m glad to be here. It’s not all pleasure, though. I’ve signed on to be a spokesmodel for Forge Industries.” Ronnie turned her smile on Forge, then looked back at Rogue, “so I’m going to be doing some promotional videos for you to put on your channel for DM Electronics.”

“Oh wow. That, that would be amazing.”

“Ahem. I’d hate to cut this short,” Morph said, his voice calling loudly over the crowd, “but we need to start.”

A whirlwind of activity followed. With Pryo’s help, Rogue got back into her coffee mug costume and joined Monte, Zeek, and Butterfly on the set. They were dressed up as a fireman, McCree from Overwatch , and Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. As they review the brief for the episode, the crew finished off what they needed to do. Pyro sat with Forge and Ronnie off to the side where they could watch and not be in the way.

It wasn’t too much longer before they started filming. Rogue, Monte, Zeek, and Butterfly took their places on the lounges. On cue they welcomed everyone to their Halloween edition of Cure Watch. They showed off their costumes and went though the usual opening pleasantries, then finally got to the meat of the episode:

“The latest from Worthington Industries is that symptoms have been now reported in 56% of mutants from the trial,” Rogue said, her eyes on the camera. “But the really big news is that one mutant from the public distribution of the Cure has reported symptoms.”

“Just one that we know about,” Zeek said. “Obviously, these are early days yet, so that one mutant might legitimately be the only one so far. But not everyone who took the Cure last year has registered. There’s no obligation to do so, but if you do, the data we report will be more accurate.”

“Wow,” Butterfly said, and took a deep breath before continuing. “The first one. It’s finally started.” She looked around at her co-hosts. “I wonder how long it’ll be before we start showing symptoms.”

Rogue bit back the urge to say ‘hopefully never’.

“Has Worthington established how long it takes for a mutant’s powers to fully return, yet?” Monte asked with a frown, and he glanced towards Rogue.

Rogue shrugged. “I guess that process normally takes awhile, except for the one instance where the mutation came back all at once. After that, the shortest term reported was five months. It’s hard to give a range right now because symptoms appearing is so staggered. We don’t have recent numbers on exactly how many of those involved in the trial have their powers back completely. I guess because there aren’t many.”

[lilyev]

wassup my dudes, i’m bee and i’m a huge ass nerd who’s super excited to be here ! pls take my daughter lily and love her, or hate her, w/e, i’m fine with it either way

isn’t that LILY EVANS ? yeah that is HER, sitting there at the GRYFFINDOR table with those other SIXTH years and i think i heard sybill saying they look like ZOEY DEUTCH… whoever that is! when she looks into her crystal ball she sees fireflies, coffee with cinnamon, cigarettes in the backyard, honey-flavoured chapstick, chipped nail polish, lying on the roof during a thunderstorm, flowers growing from cracks in the pavement, the feeling you get walking out from a cinema.  anyway i’ve heard they’re pretty TENDERHEARTED, TEMPESTUOUS, and INDEPENDENT. apparently they’re a MUGGLEBORN but i’m sure that’s not related. 

aesthetic: fireflies, coffee with cinnamon, cigarettes in the backyard, the smell of bookstores, honey-flavoured chapstick, whispered secrets, the burn of firewhiskey in your chest, chipped nail polish, polaroids, lying on the roof during a thunderstorm, chapped lips, the summertime buzz of cicadas, flowers growing from cracks in the pavement, burnt chocolate chip cookies, jane austen novels, angry tears, happy tears, scribbled notes in the margins of old books, the red glow of a sunset, the feeling you get walking out from a cinema

CHILDHOOD

lily evans grew up in cokeworth, england, a “distinctly unmagical” town that is solely known for being the fourth-largest steel producer in england. the steel factory smokestacks in the west loom over the town and its winding alleyways, cinder blocks, and weeds growing out of pavement cracks.

lily’s childhood was that of mowed green lawns, challah bread, flintstones reruns in grainy black and white, and playing outside after dinner with petunia till the sky grew dark and the fireflies and mosquitoes came out and their parents would call them back home for bed.

her parents were both university professors who had met while getting their doctorates, her mother in german literature and her father in political science. they were both academic, intelligent people, and saw no reason not to treat their children as such. this meant lots of political discussion over the dining room table — at nine, little lily knew more about the government deficit than most of her schoolteachers probably did. petunia tended to tune out these debates, claiming disinterest, but lily loved them, listening in avidly even if she didn’t understand. as she got older she began to participate more and more, and often even brought up issues she was interested in.

but despite her brightness, contrary to popular belief, school hasn’t always come naturally to lily. she just could never quite bring herself to focus in school. some teachers labelled her a chatterbox, others simply labelled her trouble. really, it was more of a combination of a desire to befriend every creature she met with an inability to sit still.

because lily yearned for something more than life at the end of the cul-de-sac, yearned for some great adventure. she was a curious, fearless thing as a child, always leaping off of the swing and tugging tuney to go explore on the other side of the tracks, where their parents didn’t allow them to go.

so when she met a sallow-skinned boy from the wrong side of town, and he told her about magic, lily was enraptured by the thought. severus snape and the world he spoke of represented, to lily, the adventure she’d only ever dreamed of.

you all know the story — lily didn’t mean to, but she traded one best friend for another, and petunia was left behind, hurt and angry.

HOGWARTS

flash forward to eleven year old lily – small for her age, sitting on a stool in the great hall and listening to the hat debate between slytherin and gryffindor. after she ended up being sorted into gryffindor, and heard everything her housemates had to say about slytherin, she couldn’t help but wonder why the hat had thought it might suit her. ( like mother like son, am i right ? )

but lily is ambitious and proud, and ( especially as a first year ) overflowing with a desire to prove herself. but when it comes down to it, she has a softness under her skin that doesn’t suit the cold blood of a snake, and her instinct to protect those she loves vastly outweighs her self-preservation instinct.

and all of a sudden, she was doing better in school than she ever had before. hogwarts gave her eager, curious young mind the adventure and intrigue it had been craving. for the first time, she actually wanted to learn. the professors quickly became used to the wiry girl with messy auburn hair and bright eyes sitting in the front row of every class and peppering them with questions.

she became the gryffindor prefect last year, something she was both very excited and very apprehensive about. she’s very conscious about the influence she has on younger students, and she’s determined to prove that she was the right choice.

PERSONALITY

lily evans has two main motivators: sentiment and spite. on one hand, she’s romantic and nostalgic, clinging to her fairytale endings and her belief that everyone has at least a little bit of good inside of them. she’d like to believe that everything will turn out the way it should, and that all pain is temporary and useful.

but on the other hand, she has her temper. lord, this girl is stubborn and proud to her very core. she does not easily admit she’s wrong, and she’s often guided by her emotions rather than her reason. it’s not a great combination. she has been called tempestuous.

she tends to make snap judgements about people and stubbornly sticks to those snap judgements. it takes her a while before she admits that someone isn’t as bad as she had previously thought, or that someone is worse than she previously thought ( see: james potter, severus snape )

she doesn’t react well to personal criticism. she can be pretty defensive and even hypocritical sometimes.

but for all her faults ( and she has many — she’s stubborn, over-idealistic, proud, spiteful, at times selfish, hypocritical, quick-tempered, biased ) lily loves. and she hopes. with all her heart.

she cares so much about everything. she wears her emotions on her sleeves. she cries when she’s angry, and when she’s happy, and when she’s talking passionately about something she loves.

if you’re someone lily evans loves, you should count yourself lucky, because she will defend you to the death. and if you’re a person who lily evans hates, you should also count yourself lucky, because no matter how much she hates you, there’s a little part of her that believes in the good part of you.

sometimes she wishes she was tougher, less vulnerable. she wishes the word ‘mudblood’ wouldn’t sting each time it’s flung at her like a grenade ( but it does ), and she wishes she isn’t disappointed with every chanukah that goes by without a card from pertunia ( but she is ). but in true lily evans fashion, she stubbornly holds her chin up high and smiles and doesn’t let the world see her hurting.

HEADCANONS

she keeps trying to keep a diary but she always forgets to write in it, although she refuses to admit it’s a hopeless cause.

has a love for sweeping, dramatic classical music and movie soundtracks

lily comes from a progressive jewish family ! lily was never really super into it when she was little ( she enjoyed the chanukah dreidel games and the purim festivities, loved listening to the stories of esther and the exodus, but fidgeted all through hebrew school and hated the solemnity and fasting of yom kippur ) but she has a greater appreciation for the culture now she’s older. still doesn’t really observe kashrut though.

[ HOLOCAUST TW ] part of the reason she’s super super super against blood purity is bc of this and obvs also cause she’s a muggleborn ! her mother was eight when the second world war started, and as lily’s gotten older she’s heard more and more about her mother’s experience. and it chills her how much it reminds her of all this blood purity and voldemort stuff. [ END TW ]

petunia converts to catholicism for vernon when they get married and lily is so angry she cries for days, but then their mother sits down with her and talks about how everyone has their own faith and you can’t judge someone else for theirs

loves cats even though she’s allergic to them ( has a toad named gilbert, after gilbert blythe from anne of green gables )

has an irrational fear of seaweed – not the kind you eat, the kind that brushes up against your ankles when you’re swimming. also afraid of flying and airplanes

has an extensive collection of nail polish ( picks at her nail polish when she’s nervous )

a physically affectionate person – loves hugs, and cheek kisses, and platonic hand holding

loves old audrey hepburn movies 

she always loved when her parents read to her but she never had the attention span for actually sitting and reading books even though she loved them

[ DEATH, SMOKING TW ] she smokes …… she knows it’s bad but she started after her paternal grandfather died when she was 12 – they were going through his belongings and she found a half-used pack of his cigarettes and pocketed them. she just smoked them to try and catch his smell and feel closer to him but it developed into a habit and then an addiction ( although lily will insist she can stop anytime ) [ END TW ]

bisexual as FUCK thanks 4 coming to my ted talk

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #164

“on my forehead, a birthmark; remove it with a kiss of the knife, even if it causes me to die.”

Do you look like your mom? I'm told I do, but never seen it? Then again I'm bad at noticing subtle facial differences. When was the last time you overslept? I never have a time I need to get up now, so, couldn't tell you. What would you do if you could do anything without failing? Hm. One thing? That's tough. I guess... ride a rollercoaster without getting sick or, y'know, dying? I really, really wanna experience the adrenaline, but. Name something that happened to you that was completely unexpected? Bitch I don't even think my mother believed I would get over Jason. I feel like anyone who knew me well would've thought I'd never actually heal. Do you judge people that have multiple piercings? As if, when I want a lot. Have you read the Bible? Little of it. Do you think it’s cruel to keep an animal in a cage while you’re away? Depends on the size of the cage, if they're destructive when alone, and how long you're gone. Are there any lyrics to describe your current crush/relationship? "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn" by SwS screams. Do you ever receive comments on your weight? Not unless it's a doctor and I ask or if I'm asking Mom if I look like I lost any. Is there anything that you do just to make other people happy? Sometimes. When you need a temporary escape, what do you do? Go to sleep. What was the last lie that you believed in? I dunno. How long did your last feelings of heartbreak last? Like a year and a half. Do you ever have difficulty opening pill-bottle caps? Rarely. Are you uncomfortable with being photographed? No. How vivid are your memories? They can be extremely vivid while others are totally blurry. What is the worst question that someone could ask you? If I was offered a certain cold medicine. Or if someone asked about my left wrist. One would probably make me cry, the other would bury me in embarrassment. Have you ever ridden in a car with someone who was high? The driver. I was fucking terrified. That gets your ass in jail here. Who is the best hugger you know? I dunno. Sara and Girt both give great hugs. Juan did. I just like hugs okay. What is the next concert you will attend? Mom and I are desperately gonna try for Metallica in January. She literally cried and laughed hysterically when she found out they were coming; it was the sweetest damn thing I'd ever seen. Always told her we're going before she dies, and I plan on ensuring that. It's her dream. The tickets are just unsurprisingly more expensive than the average concert with who they are. What is the longest you have ever slept? Around 12 hours. Have you ever had to be put to sleep for an operation? Yes, tubes in ears and cyst removal. Have you ever had to clean up someone else’s vomit? No, and there is no fucking way I ever could. Human or animal. I would puke. Do you have any friends that are more than 2 years younger than you? One off the top of my head. Have you ever kissed some one with braces? No. Have you ever been able to do a split? Nope, not even when I was in dance. Are you intimidated by the last person you know talked badly about you? Embarrassingly, to some degree. Now in my defense, I'm afraid of most people, but she is a witch that fires straight for your insecurities, and I think it's pretty clear that I'm extremely sensitive. Have you ever cried in school? In the bathroom, I know I have, but I think I probably have teared up in class. What is the most times you have thrown up in one day? I dunno, maybe 4+ when I've had a virus? Last person to say your name? Mom, probs. Are any of your siblings married? Two are, no clue about Tiffany. Do you think the last person you kissed has ever lied to you? I'm aware she has, but I'm sure I probably did too when we were both asshole kids lmao. Who was your closest friend 4 years ago? Are you still close to that person? Colleen, and no. Have you ever liked someone else when you already had a boyfriend/girlfriend? What happened? It was one of the reasons I broke up with him. Is there a certain song that never seems to get old, no matter how many times you hear it? I will always be in the mood for Manson's "Third Day of a Seven Day Binge." Do you like to have croutons in your salad? Ugh no. Which do you find more irritating - sunburn or bug bites? Sunburn. What shape/type of fry do you like best [waffle fry, curly fry, steak fry, sweet potato fry, tater tot, etc.]? Hmm maybe curly. What’s your favorite type of bird? Barn owls. How many friends do you have on Facebook? 114. What pet names do you use with your significant other? OH GOD. "Honeybee," "pretty woman," "love(ly)," "sweetie," "hun(ny)," "babe," "baby(girl)," and yeesh probably more. Do you carry any means of protection on you while out in public? No, but I do plan on getting pepper spray once I'm more independent/on my own. Would you ever pick up a hitchhiker? Nooooo I ain't dyin' today. What is something that most people wouldn’t know about you from simply looking at you? I was once in great shape oops. What’s your longest road trip? I can't recall if Florida or NY was longer... Do you have any videos on your phone? If so, of what? Yes, the video that Sara sent me of Jem reaching for her. Actually the most precious thing I've seen. Do you think that your bedroom is a reflection of your personality? Or would people look at your room and misjudge you? Sure. Who would you really like to become better friends with? Yeesh, a lot of people... Mostly old friends. Do you personally know anybody who has more than five tattoos? Yeah. How big is your bed? Queen. Have you ever been to a bachelor or bachelorette party? No. Do you think it’s important for children to have a father figure in their life as they grow up? Gave some thought to this, and no. It's preferable to have two parents, but who says gender really matters? Just give the child two caring, unwaveringly supportive adults that can both teach them different things. Tbh I think having gay parents would allow you to grow up more open-minded anyway. Do you include your middle initial in your signature? Only if I'm supposed to. Have you ever imagined how it would feel kissing a certain someone? Yeah. Have you ever taken a picture with Santa when you were little? Yes. If you could have one more pet, what? One more python morph. Something you want to buy real bad? A drawing tablet. Something you would NEVER buy? Traditional mouse traps came to mind first. Inhumane as all hell. Now those that get them caught in a box, sure, because it in no way harms them. Just take them outside, asshole. What do you think will happen when you die? Hopefully, go to a positive afterlife of peace. It'd be amazing if you saw Heaven as you've always pictured it, but who knows how that works. I just about actually pray that you see loved ones again. Could you wait until marriage for sex? I could, yeah, but I'm pretty sure I dropped the abstinence thing. How would you describe your sense of humor? Dry and incredibly sarcastic. Do you share a middle name with any of your siblings? Yes. Do you currently have any bruises on your body? No. Can you cry on command? If so, have you ever used it to your advantage? No. Have you ever seen a lunar eclipse? A good number, yeah. A solar one? No. :c Do you know anyone who writes huge essays when they message you? Yeah, I don't mind! Show interest in talking!! Do you think your first love still loves you? Definitely not. I don't think he has a spot for me anywhere in his heart, really. Are you someone who has to analyze everything? Hi, I'm Brittany. What’s the last thing that scared the hell out of you? Mom popping up at my door talking when I had NO clue she was home. Do you have any awkward music downloaded on your iPod? I have "Daddy" by PSY can I jump off a bridge now. Have you ever been to church? What was it like? Yes, and it's something I've never enjoyed since being a little kid. Even in my more religious phases, I didn't enjoy it. It's boring and revolves way too much around "God is in control of everything," which sorry, don't believe so. Has a member of the opposite sex ever seen you naked? Yes. Do you use an umbrella when it rains? No. What articles of clothing have you been wanting to buy/did you buy recently? BITCH let me be small enough to wear gothic-looking corsets like I am TURNED ON. Were you ever a flower girl or ring bearer in anyone’s wedding when you were little? No. If you could either be fire resistant or breathe underwater, which would you rather be capable of? Hmmm fire resistant, I guess. Have you ever bought fake money and tried to make it pass for real? No. Have you ever had to sell something for a school fundraiser? Yup. If you have any piercings, who did them? Claire's and then two parlors here. Do you know someone who had completely changed for the worse when he/she started hanging out with another person? If so, who? HAHAHAHA JASON. He got closer to the ego-fueled Dillon, and then he began to change. Have you ever been pulled over, but just let off with a warning? No. Do you like mash-up songs? Occasionally. What do you consider to be a bad grade? For me, a low B. Would you ever consider adopting a child with a severe mental illness? If I wanted kids, probably not. I don't think I'd be the appropriate guardian for one with severe disorders. Have you ever pole danced before? No. Have you ever seen a live bat? Yes. Has a pet ever stolen food from you as you were eating it? Probably. Are you more comfortable kissing a boy or a girl? No preference. Have you ever kissed someone and hated it? He kissed me, but it was legit awful. Who in your family is the hardest to please? Grandma. Would you ever pierce your “private” areas? *holds out holy cross @ parlor* What type of humor do you find funniest? CLEVER. And, surprisingly, self-deprecating if you cast it as confident. I just like when people are able to joke about themselves. NOW, this is a sense of humor to be careful with of course, but some can use it hilariously. What types of things fascinate you? WOWIE SO MUCH!! Caves, outer space, how spiders design webs, lightning bugs, abandoned buildings and shacks, animal behavior (especially w/ social species), witchcraft, the paranormal, and... wow, so much more. The universe is just incredible! What kind of place would you want to raise your children? Answering for if I actually wanted them: Out. In. Nature. It's a shame how reliant we are on technology - myself included -, so I'd want my children to know true fun and knowledge is found outdoors. Teach them an appreciation for the outdoors and the creatures we share this planet with. So I'd definitely want to live out in the woods more than I naturally do. Has your father met the boy you currently love? *girl, but yes. Haven't directly asked him, but I'm quite sure he likes her. Would you rather spend a whole day with your mom or your dad? Probably Dad. He's easier to get along with, very fun, and then I just don't get to see him nearly enough. What serial killer do you find most disturbing? Don't know much about any, but I know Charles Manson was all kinds of fucked up. Have you ever written or received a suicide note? Written. Do you have the same color hair as your siblings? Yes. Do you have the same color eyes as your siblings? Only Bobby. What is your favorite type of cat? Persian. What’s your opinion on tattoos in the workforce? How about piercings? JUDGE BY WORK ETHIC, NOT HOW THEY FUCKING LOOK. Do women breastfeeding in public make you feel uncomfortable? Why or why not? If you have a problem with a mother feeding her hungry child naturally, I don't want to know you. At all. This is a "controversial" topic where it is only black and white: You're either an ignorant ass, or an intelligent human being that knows what the hell breasts are for. Who in your life makes you the most uncomfortable? My sister's husband, probably. He's against just about everything about me, and his judgment is pretty damn intense. I don't go to church, my hair "isn't feminine" like it "should be," and I'm in a gay relationship. I'm aware he doesn't like me even though he tries to put on a nice face. Is there anything that you do just to make other people happy? Ha, shave my legs. What band would you most like to meet? Lemme meet Ozzy before he passes away 'cuz I need to THANK HIS ASS, plus he cracks me up. Do you have a least favorite day of the year? Not particularly... Well, I realized this year now that I'm healed that Jason's and my anniversary date gives me anxiety. I look back at just how demolished I was and wonder what it would be like if I never got help. 99.99% sure I'd be dead by now. Do you want someone you can’t have? No, I have her. :''''') When was the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face? Over a week back. I legitimately wanted to punch her. When was the last time you totally broke down? It's been awhile. Has a friendship ended recently that you wish had not? No. Do you ever listen to country music? It is rare as fuck if I actively look for a country song. Would you have sex with the 5th person on your text inbox? WELL, she's a minor, so, but she's also not my type romantically. She's a lil sis to me. Are you attracted to the last person that kissed you? Yes. If you could seek revenge on someone would you? No. What are you listening to right now? "Mutter" by Rammstein, ahhhh it's gorgeous & I wanna make a character influenced by the concept. Are you afraid of death? Not really. Do you think you have to be skinny in order to be beautiful? Fuck off. Have you ever drooled in public? Maybe? I don't recall a situation. Have you ever been bitten by a dog? No. Would you ever shave your head? The one and only situation I could see myself doing this is if my child had to have this happen for cancer or something and they were self-conscious, so I'd do the same. Have you ever drawn a picture with sidewalk chalk? Yeah, I used to love playing with chalk. What is the worst possible way to die? Maybe burning alive. Or getting slowly eaten alive. Have you ever burnt yourself with a lighter? No, I don't mess with them. They scare me. Would you ever meet someone you met online? Already have, and there's more I'd love to meet. Have you ever kissed the TV? Not to my memory. Would you rather visit a sunflower field or a pumpkin patch? Sunflower field. Have you ever found a four leaf clover? Yes, the day of or a couple after Dad left. I found a patch of them, actually. When you’re being kissed, do you like it when they hold your face? Yeah. Explain why you stopped kissing the last person you kissed? Well she had a plane waiting for her lmao. If you were on life support, would you want to be taken off? YES. FUCKING PLEASE. DO NOT LET ME SUFFER LIKE THAT. Who was your first kiss? First person I romantically kissed on the cheek was Juan, Juan was the first to kiss me, first *actual* kiss was Jason. What’s your favorite form of dancing? Modern. Make it some sorta creepy and creative shit. What’s the most disturbing thing you’ve ever been through? Hmmm. I guess uh. Obsessive and invasive thoughts? Have you ever been to a race track? (horses) No. Are you good at braiding hair? Don't even know how to. Or are you into PETA and all that? They're too extreme. Have you ever hugged someone for over a minute? Yeah. Would you ever get a tattoo on your collar bone? I already have one, but I don't even want it anymore. I have ideas I like more for them. It's my ohana one, but that's not really a suitable one for me? Family via blood, you're an ass? I'm not associating with you. "Family" by intense friendship, that ends if someone turns into an asshole too. Probably gonna end up getting it covered. Do you check your texts right away when you receive them? Yeah. Is there one person you look at and automatically smile? Sara and Mark. No seriously, there will probably be at least a small one there. Do you wake up cranky? Rarely. I can be if someone wakes me up, though. I'm generally okay when I wake up naturally. Do you get offended if someone repeatedly checks their mobile phone when you’re out for lunch or dinner? Like non-stop, I'm not offended, I just think it's pretty rude. Who is your favorite character from Friends? Don't watch it. How would you deal with a significant other who cried all the time? Try my absolute best to help them. What is your favorite flavor of Monster? I hate that stuff. Tastes like poison. Have you ever ran from the police? No. Have you ever written on someone’s face in your yearbook? Ha ha yup. Do you have any trophies? Yeah, in "treasure boxes" as we call them for sure. Would you cheat on someone for revenge? Or if they wouldn’t find out? No, I hate that shit. So petty. Rate your self confidence: 1 being insecure and 10 being cocky: Like... two or three. Does your family have a secret? Not that I know of. When/where are you most likely to sing? In the car. Are you in shape or more out of shape? HA. Do you have sympathy for those who hurt you? I guess it depends. Do you spend too much time at home? I'm just about a hermit because I have *nowhere* to go. I don't hang out with people, don't have a car. It sure is fun. Do you require visual assistance (i.e.; glasses or contacts)? I have glasses. My vision is atrocious without it, right eye especially. Ever held a newborn animal? Kittens, yes. Have any unpleasant public transit stories to tell? No. Are you afraid of failure? Yep. Have you been called a bad influence? Only by Colleen's mom, that I know of. Apparently me hanging out at the house and talking to and helping his mother whenever she needed it as well as always smiling at him was just awful for Keegan. What about Chinese food? Love it or hate it? Not a fan. All I ever like are fried rice and eggrolls. Do you get stage fright? When I was a dancer, I really didn't. Now if I was alone, probably would. Any current family issues? When is there not at least slight issues. Nothing big, though. Who is the last friend you spent time with outside of school? She's not my friend anymore, but Colleen. I haven't hung out with a current friend in many, many months. Do you think that people have the power to make their own lives better? YES!!! Literally never forget this. What is the biggest problem in your life right now? Extreme loneliness. What is the last movie you watched all the way through? Slender Man. Have you ever had a friend with benefits? No. Do you feel like nobody understands you? The only two that I believe certainly do are Sara especially, but also Mom. What’re your plans for today? I have therapy at four, got a shitload to talk about, and after that I have to take my files there to vocational rehab. Maybe drive around to look for photograph opportunities if Mom's up for it. That's it. Do you have a common first name? Very. I'm thankful it's a name I actually like, though. Do you know anyone with a lazy eye? Knew someone. Do you like spicy chips? Omfg YES. What’s the last movie you watched at a friend’s house? *former friend, Shrek. Her son loves it so we watched it almost every time I was over and bitch no complaints. Do you have any tattoos on your arms? Two, then another if you count my shoulder. Do you own a tea pot? No. Can you remember your parents’ birthdays? Mom's. I remember it because mine's Feb. 5th, then all I need to know is August as hers is August 5th. I know Dad's is in April. Did anyone see you kiss the last person you kissed? Well we were right outside an airport.

[miraculoussideblog]

Ways to Forgive Chapter 6

Catch up with the first fic in the series  Ways to Say I’m Sorry

Chapter [1][2][3][4][5][You are here]

[AO3]

Chapter 6- Dress

Chloe stood in front of the mirror in awe. The white dress was a bit snug around the bust, but she looked like a princess. She twirled around a bit and the large skirt fluttered around her. For the first time since the engagement party she felt like this was really happening. The past few weeks were so stressful, Sabrina had the idea to try on dresses to blow off some steam.

The saleswoman, Regina knocked on the door. “Mademoiselle Bourgeois do you need any help?”

“No, I’m good.” She opened the door. Regina lead her out to the front room where Marinette, Sabrina and Alya sat.

“Oh my God Chloe you look amazing.” Sabrina squealed. She snapped a few pictures on her phone.

“Thank you,” she twirled again. She liked the dress, but it didn’t feel right. She knew she wouldn’t fall in love with the first dress she tried. She looked like a knock off Kate Middleton. The dress was strikingly similar to what the Duchess of Cambridge wore on her big day. She studied herself in the mirror once more and frowned. No, this wasn’t the dress.

“What’s with you face?” Alya asked.

“Huh?”

“You don’t seem too excited.”

“Oh,” Chloe forced a smile. “It’s just not the dress, that’s all.”

“We’ll we have several others to choose from.” Regina chimed in. “With your budget the sky's the limit. I have a lovely Vera Wang on the main floor, I’ll pull it for you.” Regina stepped away to find the dress.

“What’s really the matter?” Marinette said once Regina was out of earshot.

“I don’t know,” Chloe shrugged. “I watched so many of these wedding shows and I feel like something is missing. I don’t know what yet.”

“You don’t have to buy anything today,” Sabrina said. “You haven’t even picked a date for the wedding. Don’t stress too much about the dress today; you have plenty of time. When you find the one you will know.”

Regina returned with a large puffy ball gown in her arms. “This is the Vera Wang I was telling you about.”

“Thank you,” Chloe nodded. “I’ll be right back.” Chloe walked back to the dressing room and peeled off the Kate Middleton knock off. She slipped into the Vera Wang, Again it was too tight, she needed to ask for a bigger sample size next time. She could always buy the dress a size up

Chloe felt like a doll in the white dress. The puffy skirt filled the dressing room entirely, she could barely move without knocking hitting the wall. Part of her didn’t want to show the girls. This was a hard no. But in the spirit of dress shopping she decided to go anyway. Chloe carefully lifted up the skirt of the dress and made her way out of the door.

“Leave now.” Chloe heard Sabrina’s sharp whisper from the distance.

Chloe stepped out onto the floor. Her mother stood with her bridesmaids holding a glass of champagne. They were all clearly arguing low enough so the whole showroom didn’t hear.

She charged towards her mother. “What are you doing here?”

The women fell silent. “I came to see you,” her mother smiled.

“How did you find me?”

“You’re easy to track when you are back on the radar.” She held out her phone to show her a tweet of her in her Kate Middleton knock off dress. “You’re back in the spotlight now, remember that darling.”

“Just because you know how to find me doesn’t mean you should.”

“Chloe…” Sabrina warned her.

“You’re right.” Chloe took a deep breath. “Let’s not make a scene mother. Please go home.”

“Not until I talk to you.”

“I’m kind of busy at the moment,” Chloe gestured to her dress.

“Vera Wang?” Audrey snorted. “I love the woman to pieces, but there is no way you’re walking down the aisle in that.”

“Mother!”

“I’m being honest.” She sat down on the couch. “Isn’t this what mother and daughters are supposed to do. Go shopping together?”

“You missed twenty years of shopping with me. You’re not going to start now.” Chloe turned on her heels and heading back to the dressing room.

“It wasn’t my choice.” Audrey shouted.

Chloe stopped dead in her tracks. “What do you mean not your choice?” She spun around. “You chose to leave, you chose to not contact me, you decided you didn’t want to be a mother anymore.”

“So those are the lies your father’s been feeding you?”

“Lies?”

“You’re father completely erased me from your life after the divorce. I tried to visit you, but with your father’s influence over the city he made it impossible. He had the judge in his pocket when during your custody hearing. I wasn’t allowed to see you until you were eighteen, but when the time came I thought you hated me. I sent you a birthday card and Christmas presents every year until you were sixteen. Nathaniel told me you never received them.”

Tears rolled down Chloe’s face as she listened to her mother’s words. They couldn’t be true. No, she left her and never came back. Those were the facts. “Why? Are you back now?”

“Because my baby girl is getting married,” Audrey touched Chloe’s cheek and wiped off her tears. “I missed too many important milestones in your life. There is nothing in this world that will keep me away from missing it.”

“You need to go,” Chloe backed away.

“Chloe…”

“No,” she shouted. “You can just show up in my life with some bullshit excuse to why you disappeared for twenty years. Leave now.”

“Talk to your father,” Audrey said. “I dare him to try to lie to you again.”

Nathaniel left work early as soon as he received the SOS text from Sabrina. He brought a pint of Chloe’s favorite ice cream and an action movie to get her mind off of her mother. He told her to talk to Chloe, but bombarding while wedding dress shopping was not what he meant.

Audrey disappeared for weeks after their initial conversation at the bakery. Nathaniel just thought she gave up, but the staff at the hotel said she was still checked in. He thought she was respecting their wishes to stay out of their way. But in typical Audrey fashion she had to swing in at the worst possible time and ruin everything.

Nathaniel used his spare key to open Chloe’s apartment. Pollen buzzed in his face as soon as he entered.

“How is she?” He asked.

“Not well,” Pollen replied. “She’s not crying or throwing a tantrum. She’s unresponsive.”

This was bad. Chloe wore her emotions on her sleeve. When she was upset all of Paris would know. Whatever her mother said really did a number on her.

“Wish me luck.” Nathaniel knocked on her bedroom door. “Chloe?” She didn’t respond. “I’m coming in.”

Chloe was huddled under her covers, unmoving. He sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to sit on her. Seeing her like this was like a punch in the gut. He shouldn’t have told her mother to try to make things right. He should have seen this coming.

“Hey Chloe,” he said gently. “I have Rocky Road and Die Hard.” Chloe didn’t answer. He lowered the duvet from her head. “Come on, talk to me. I know your mother is the worst, but--”

“No.” She cut him off. “It’s just that...Mother told me after she left Daddy blocked all communication with me. He basically banned her from Paris.”

“That can’t be true.”

“I don’t know what to believe.”

“Have you talked to you father?”

“He keeps calling, but I can’t bring myself to pick it up. I don’t know what to say,” she covered her head again. “I’m just going to stay here until the wedding.”

“Do you not know what to say or afraid of his answer?”

“I don’t know. I’ve had this image of my painted in my head for so long. The vicious gold digger who left me and my father without a trace. Daddy has always been there for me, he supported me through the hard times and tried his best to fill the hole my mother left. If she is telling the truth I don’t think I can look at him the same way.”

Nathaniel pursed his lips. This was bad, if the one person she trusted the most lied to her for twenty years, this could break her. He needed to be her rock if shit hits the fan.

“Scoot over,” he nudged her to the other side of the bed.

“What are you doing?” She groaned.

“Wallowing with you.” Nathaniel kicked off his shoes and joined her under the covers. He popped open the pint of ice cream and scooped. “Open.” She shook her head. “I know it’s your favorite.”

“No,” she pouted. “I’m gaining too much weight. I need to fit into my wedding dress.”

“You haven’t bought yours yet.”

Chloe rolled her eyes and opened her mouth. Nathaniel feed her the ice cream. “I’m scarred for life now,” she grumbled. “From now on I’ll associate wedding dress shopping with discovering my father lied to me for twenty years.”

Nathaniel and Chloe lied in silence for a few moments.

“Maybe you don’t need to go wedding dress shopping again.”

“Huh?”

“Marinette made her own wedding dress, why don’t you ask her to make yours.”

“I can’t. She’s swamped with rebranding Gabriel’s with Adrien and launching her first line. I can’t put that on her.”

“It won’t hurt to ask. Plus we have it in the budget, to hire her and a team to make it.”

“Fine,” she took another bite of ice cream. “I’ll ask. But this is the last time we have ice cream in bed until the wedding night.”

“Is that a promise?” Nathaniel kissed her temple. Chloe’s face turned bright red. Nathaniel loved seeing her get flustered. She was finally getting back to her old self. “Die Hard?”

“Christmas in July, you spoil me Mr. Kurtzberg.”

“Only the best for the future Mrs. Kurtzberg.”

Chloe grimace. “Yeah, you know I’m keeping my name right?”

“I had to try,” Nathaniel shrugged. He knew good and well Chloe Bourgeois wouldn’t give up her name. He wasn’t the type of man who would fight her on it. Just then his phone buzzed in his pocket. It had to be a text from Sabrina, he forgot to update her on Chloe’s mood. He pulled his phone out and checked the text. Nathaniel’s face fell flat. It was from Andre.

Come to the hotel ASAP, I need to speak with you.

“What’s wrong?” Chloe asked.

Nathaniel sighed. He had to tell her. “It’s your father. He wants me to go to the hotel.”

Chloe dropped the Rocky Road on the side table and curled up into a ball again. “What does he want?”

“He didn’t say.”

Chloe popped back up. “Go to him.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

“Please, I need to know what he has to say.”

“Then call him!”

“No,” she pouted. “It’s too soon. I need you to be a buffer. That way when I see him next I won’t be as upset. Please.” She gave him her saddest puppy dog eyes. How could he say no to those.

“Fine,” he sighed. “But this is the last time you put me in the middle of your family drama.”

After kissing her goodbye, Nathaniel walked to Le Grand Paris hotel from Chloe’s apartment. He knew this was a bad idea. Chloe needed to talk to her father in person. Not send him to be the middleman.

Nathaniel entered through the front door of the hotel. Andre sat in the lobby holding a large shoebox. He spotted Nathaniel and waved him over. “Thank you for meeting me,” Andre said. “How are you doing?”

“I’m all right,” he sat down. “My fiance is curled up in her bed with a pint of Rocky Road.”

“Audrey came by my room and told me everything. I’ve never seen that woman so angry in my life. But she’s right, Chloe deserves to know the truth.”

“So it is true.”

“More or less,” he nodded. “I did want I thought was right.”

“Then tell her yourself.”

“It’s not that easy,” he sighed. “This is for Chloe.” He handed him the box. “Tell her to come see me after she opens it.”

“You called me over to be an errand boy??” He rolled his eyes. “Both of you need to learn how to communicate with each other.” He took the box from him. “I don’t like to be in the middle of this family drama.”

“When are you going to realize you’re part of the family now?”

[335am]

Any song recommendations? (I want all the emo stuff you have! ;)

 OKAY OKAY HERE WE GO (i excluded the super famous ones like wttbp or sugar we’re going down)1) Miserable At Best - Mayday ParadeThis is an emo classic too but since you ignore the lesbian video I need to promote this band somewhere elseIt’s a really slow song but the guy has a piercing voice and it just lures you into the atmosphere (it’s a perfect song for daydreaming too). It may seem boring but PLEASE stay till the endand don’t get me started on the lyrics (by the way this is the song that i’m mouthing every time our english teacher says the word miserable)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqM3Dr7agjY

2) Misery Business - ParamoreThis band is actually female fronted so your feminist side can enjoy this too lol (btw it’s from 2007 and I swear she’s even more beautiful now)This is just the 00′s rebellious pop punk/rock that all the emo teens liked and it still somehow stands outhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCyGvGEtOwc3) Mr. Brightside & Somebody Told Me - both by The KillersYeah they are separate songs but they’re the lead singles of Hot Fuss and they’re both great so I didn’t know which one to put hereYou probably know Mr. Brightside since it’s a meme now, but if you really listen to the song you start to get into it, you start to understand the lyrics and... Brandon Flowers’ voice is just weirdly attractive to me and just the way that he opens his mouth (idk i swear i don’t have a kink on this)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5fBdpreJiUhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGdGFtwCNBE4) We The KingsWe The Kings are a band, not a song, but just THEM as a concept needed to be here. They have like two hits (Sad Song which is known in the mainstream AND Check Yes, Juliet which is known in the emo community and that’s wild to me), they don’t have an interesting aesthetic, they aren’t conventionally attractive - they just aren’t really special but they still are somehow. It’s like the friend that once did a really cool thing and everyone respects them for that but otherwise no one actually knows them. Oh and they did a cover of The Story Of Tonight from Hamilton.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CUyWJ7UINMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZsXcc_tC-ohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O-i3TvFZXA5) Satellite - Rise AgainstRebellious name, but they’re just a bunch of vegetarian straight edge guys that sing about politics. Oh and their newest album sucks. But my brother played them in the car in the summer of 2014 and that’s what started my emo phase, actually. So I kinda owe them something? Anyways Satellite, Prayer Of The Refugee, Savior, Ready To Fall, I Don’t Want To Be Here Anymore, Behind Closed Doors and Injection (I HAVE INJECTION STILL IN MY PHONE FOUR YEARS AFTER) are absolute bangers. You’ll fall in love with them instantly.https://youtu.be/6nQCxwneUwA6) Hero - SkilletMy friend from elementary school loved them and had their name written on her backpack and I was curious what “Skillet” meant so I looked it up and watched Hero. Oh my god I felt like I’ve finally found what I love (and yeah, I had a top 40 phase after but I returned to rock haha). They’re a christian band, but they have some powerful lyrics too. They have two grammys oh my god and Jen Ledger (the drummer and the second vocalist) is my 2014 crush hahaAnd I recommend Monster too, that was the second song I had in my phone lolhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGcsIdGOuZY7) Sleeping With SirensThe emoest of the emos - they had the looks, they have the lyrics, they have the feminine sounding vocalist and besides BVB they probably have the most bad memes and cringy quote images made about them. For me it’s actually the two newest albums (Madness and Gossip) that most people hate but I love - maybe because his voice really stands out. They have a screaming past too, but you know. If You can’t Hang is a classic and If I’m James Dean, Then You’re Audrey Hepburn is probably even a bigger classic that teenage girls loved seven years ago and other teenage girls love now. Better Off Dead and Madness are just THE songs for me, if you understand - they’re painfully relatable.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poZLiypLJzQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UwWYtLWEZghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIH25CP2wc4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJvxagr5rV88) Circles - Pierce The VeilEmo mexicans, wow that’s a weird combination BUT IT WORKS SO WELL. Pierce The Veil are best friends with SWS and they have the same things that I listed above. I included Circles AND two songs that are my favorites for Vic, not for PTV. But Kellin Quinn is the lead guy from SWS and All Time Low are the third band to their trinity and I recommend them too! (#missinglow lol)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ucN-iv4QVWwhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDbVY3gCJgghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icXUkIfZxyg9) ...black veil bridesAnother band with veil in the title. I sigh everytime I see them because Andy Biersack is just the guy that one half of the emo community hates and one half loves maybe too much (i feel like the perfect question to determine someone’s cringiness is “what do you think of andy biersack?”) and I’m somewhere in the middle. This band is my guilty pleasure, their music isn’t too good technically (like seriously, their albums sound the same - ARTV said the perfect thing: “You heard one, you heard them all.”) but Andy has a unique voice and I just can’t believe he’s only 26 with all that he’s accomplished... But I feel that Andy Biersack is the Adam Levine of rock. (Oh my god I love this metaphor sijdisjd I just came up with that NOW? It’s perfect.) No one really knows the other band guys, he has a somehow interesting voice, good looks, he’s somehow respected in the community... (and no one believes they’re the age they actually are)Here you have Goodbye Agony, In The End, Wake Up and... Knives And Pens. Knives and Pens is just really weird to watch because that’s the stereotypical emo song, expect that it started a wave. You know what wave I’m talking about. And yeah, the guy in Wake Up is the same guy that’s in Knives and Pens. UNBELIEVABLE RIGHT? (and he was like 16 or 17 in knives and pens...) Oh but Andy’s solo stuff is really good.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-cxPIOAfSkhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0EQlIzPowMhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBB37gsHJmQhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFDCHdKbKBY

10) UNDER THE LADDER - MÉLOVIN

I’M SORRY BUT YOU SAW THAT COMINGTHIS IS THE SONG THAT I WILL BE OBSESSING OVER FOR TWO MONTHS, THEN FORGET ABOUT IT AND IN FIVE YEARS I’LL FIND IT, LOOK AT MELOVIN IN 2023 AND HAVE A GOOD CRY. OH AND THIS IS EUROVISION BY THE WAY AND IT WAS R O B B E D LIKE WTF JURY? LAST? SERIOUSLY? LOOK AT HOW SAD HE WAS OH MY GOD AND I ACTUALLY WANTED TO CRY WHEN THAT HAPPENED BUT THEN THE TELEVOTES CAME HAHA TAKE THAT, SWEDEN i’m so sorry for people that don’t watch eurovisionanyway, this song is really good, he has a great voice, he looks emo, he talks about emo things (but in ukrainian because he knows like ten words in english) in interviews, he seems older than he is and you can’t understand a word he says perfectBUT LOOK AT HOW PRECIOUS HE IS IN THE END WHEN HE SMILES AND- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhOuMYtQ94M

[icebreaker01]

Season 2 Predictions

Yeah, yeah, I know.  Why Season 2 predictions when season 2 is over?

Actually, I posted this over on site ‘runbyidiots’ (you figure it out) pre-E6.  I just wanted to add it to my page for the heck of it.

WARNING!!! Not many spoilers ahead, mostly predictions. But I’ve been known to be pretty accurate. (Please be aware the author of this article is a hopeless romantic and will not make a single apology for it.)

So, countdown at somewhere around 48 hours before we get our favorite little dictator with a heart back.  (Pauses to wave a Melanie Rules!!! flag.) When we last left our intrepid little explorer, Melanie was high-tailing it off that sinking ship.  I mean, honestly, the way Layton is mismanaging things, I think she stands a better chance at the research station. But that’s for another post. Folks, have you ever spent time alone?  I mean really A.L.O.N.E.?  Where you can sit in a chair and listen to a clock ticking? Now do it for 30 days.  You’re bound to start having a few issues. OK, granted, Melanie has things to do and she’s sort of a loner anyway.  And she’s good with imaginary friends.  I mean, she had Wilford as one for seven years, right? What I believe we are going to get here, after a stinking long dry spell (OK, it’s only been one episode, but it feels like F-O-R-E-V-E-R!) a lovely plate loaded down with Melanie Cavill insight handed to us in this episode.  The really good part is we are also likely to get treated to around 50 minutes of Jennifer Connelly doing what Jennifer Connelly does best.  Acting.  And all without the messy interruptions of a bunch of side dishes of ‘who cares’. Yes, folks, it’s time for a Melanie-centric episode! Folks, I am so excited about this episode I could run right over to the script writers and kiss each and everyone of them right on the lips! And on a quick side note, I would like to point out that the ‘Goodbye.  See you in a month.’ between Melanie and Bennett had all the spark of opening a can of peas. Meanwhile, over on the Melanie/Layton ‘Goodbye’ front........... Anyway......, So poor Melanie is setting up house at the research station.  We will forego nasty questions here like ‘Where is the power coming from?’  Maybe one of those sleds was a portable generator.  Or ‘Why, after seven years, do you expect one piece of useful equipment to be left?  What’s the back up plan if its under ten feet of snow?  What if you can’t get inside?’ (Sighes) Who knows?  I didn’t see episode two....or three.......or most of season one for that matter. But we do know that she did get in, as that she tapped that first weather balloon, and the previews for Episode 6 say so.

And speaking of which.... We weren’t given a lot in that preview.  It was, in fact, the most uninformative 21 seconds of my life.  Mostly we know Melanie has a nice little calendar on the wall, is counting down the days until that rolling train wreak Layton is turning it into returns, and occupies her free time hallucinating.  But we are also getting a lot of Jennifer Connelly acting screen time, so I don’t care.  Honestly, the woman could walk on stage, stand there for 50 minutes, walk off, and I would still give her a standing ovation. Moving on. Back on that sinking ship (AKA Snowpiercer), we have....a mess, folks.  Lets be honest.  Layton currently has more issues than National Geographic.  His top head shrinker/new age guru and author of ’The joy of kinky sex’ is gone, he just lost most of his repair crew (the Breechmen), his own people are likely to get blamed for this, since, although most of the murders seemed to be done when no one else was around, everyone still felt it necessary to wear masks, his favorite whining board is not around (AKA Melanie), and he’s off half the time playing the proud papa, which the general consensus is, he’s not. Honestly folks, I like Layton.  I really do.  But I swear, if he doesn’t pick that lady back up, I will personally kick his butt off that train, because he seriously needs some help.  And that help is spelled with every letter of that woman’s name. And can we PLEASE stop jumping all over poor Audrey, folks?  She did not desert.  Even though she has every right to. Audrey was given a job to do.  She didn’t get it done.  Walking back over to Snowpiercer, she sees all heck breaking loose and realizes she needs to stay because they need that comm link up now more than ever.  So she makes a perfect turn on those killer six inch heels, and bravely walks back into BA. Ruth, you get some polite golf applause for just staying put and lying to the passengers.  WHICH WAS, as I recall, something you sentenced your best friend to death for a few episodes back....hmmmmm, Ms. Wardell? Meanwhile, back at the ranch.....or in this case, the front of the train, poor Bennett and Javi are freaking out because there is no contact between Melanie and the weather balloon. (Bad spoilers ahead) Yes, folks, up until now it has been pretty much just a wrap up of Episode 5.  But here we go with predictions for Episode 6.  So if you don’t want to know (or don’t care), stop now. So poor Bennett and Javi are wondering what’s up with Melanie.  However, over in my little box of things I’ve dug up on the internet, there is mention of a new cast member coming in season 3. Archie Panjabi is joining the cast as Asha; a nice new playmate for Melanie. OK, if she is going to be Melanie’s new best friend, she’s no slacker.  Girl’s gotta have something going on upstairs because our girl Melanie only swings with the smart kids.

(Random act insert) (Hand goes up in the back) (Sighs)  Yes? (Random reader stands up)  Then why do you keep insisting she will go for Layton?  Half the time he is about two logs short of a fully loaded steam engine? Because she is not interested in his brains!  SIT! DOWN! (OK.  I’m done) Anyway...... Back to Asha.  If she’s a fairly intelligent person, and she was on the train, she would have shown up by now.  Because heaven knows, they need all the smart people up front they can get on this show. Hence, she has to come from off the train.

Now, Melanie going to the weather station and just pinging weather balloons just ain‘t much of an exciting story line, folks.  And they keep hinting all over the internet some big additional plot confusion is developing out of the weather station storyline.  If it does not, I will be leaving a whole lot of nasty comments on people’s webpages for misleading information. So, out at weather station BFE (Go look it up, folks), Melanie is going about her happy little work while she is also being observed.  The people watching her are subterranean dwellers who survived the freeze by going underground and utilizing thermal vents in the earth. Look, surely Wilford wasn’t the only person with a plan, right?  I mean, it looks pretty sad for the human race if he was, folks. So, after ascertaining what she’s there for, and is no real threat to them, Melanie finds herself surprise adopted (AKA kidnapped) by this new group.  They discover she from that colossal group of idiots on the train to nowhere and decide she is better off with them because she has all the qualifications to join them.  Namely, at least two functioning brain cells. Melanie, having decided that even dirt falling off of Snowpiercer lowers the general IQ level overall, feels she needs to get back to save her train. Meanwhile, this new little society isn’t all its cracked up to be and we have a potential season 3 deserter - Asha. Back at the ranch (Snowpiercer), Melanie barely makes her rendezvous with the train.  From the looks of the preview (and boy, was it a brief glimpse), there is a possibility Wilford will make an attempt to not stop the train for her.  Or that’s just me hoping for a big romantic rescue scene.  I mean, at this point I will take anything to get even a shred of hot romance on this show.  I would even take a romantic rescue with Javi leading the charge.  ANYTHING!

Where things are likely to go: 1.  Layton is just greasing the rails on heading down track to becoming the very thing he fought against. 2.  Yet another real world metaphor will be inserted courtesy of the Headwoods in paralleling their experiments with those of the Nazi’s and 'was it all worth it as people benefited from it'. 3.  No one else needs to die this season as that we just had a whole shiiiiii...........train car load of people die in Episode 5. 4.  The only real romance we will ever see in this story is likely to be Josie and Icy Bob.  And I’m good with that, because at this point I will take anything I can get.  I’ll even take the two Aussie’s, which are currently the only things firing up the engines on those two trains. 5.  The writers will finally stop back shadowing off of season 1 and come up with something original again.  Ruth having to do the very thing she accused Melanie of doing was the last one of those I am going to take, folks.  Just STOP IT! 6.  Alex will defect to Snowpiercer.  This was STRONGLY hinted at in previews.  That and it’s just so darned obvious. 7.  WIlford dies.....because I have to be right about something, and its a sure bet.  Sean Bean’s characters always die.

[ctrl-shift-esc]

“The greatest gift you could ever give me is , consistency.” - Veronica 

Spoil Her with Consistent Quality Time 

Good morning from my living room, 

which is now, not as empty as it used to be. This place is filling up quicker than I thought!

It feels good to be getting the furniture we need, and decorating it to feel like home. I’m all about nesting…

I’m currently recuperating from 3 weeks of full time work on set. As a reward I’ve allowed myself to take the following 4 days off. Can’t say it’s been easy to refuse work, and commit to my time off. Who knew! (anyway, that’s a future post to come). For now, I am finally going to write about the little getaway to Victoria BC, Eric and I decided to take a few weeks back!

[ ferry ride to Victoria Bc. ]

With Eric’s job, we don’t get to see each other everyday, we don’t even get the weekends together. We go a straight 20, or now , 14 days without seeing each other, consistently… Not to mention that when he does come home, he’s more often than not, tired from working 14 to 20 days straight 12 hours a day, understandably.

On my end, I take as many days of work as I can while he’s gone. So that when he’s home I press on the breaks a little bit to be able to soak up as much time as I can with him. A luxury I get from making my own schedule. That being said, sometimes life happens. Things come up; weddings, friends or family visiting, or plain old responsibilities. Yes, being with each other should technically be enough. But sometimes it’s not. We all like to think that living our day to day lives together is enough to upkeep a romantic connection. But I’m afraid to say, that it might not be. Eventually the relationship can feel strenuous. Sure enough, it did. 

Life happened and we were (or I was ) feeling more and more tired. Feeling exhausted, and becoming short with one another. We were spending his time off dealing with responsibilities and attending to other people (which isn’t, by any means, lack of fun!) but we, in consequence, put quality time for ourselves on the back burner. It can be easier to forgive, for a relationship with a regular schedule. However, only having one week a month together, doesn’t allow for that kind of leeway. Rest assured though, it’s nothing a little Quality Time can’t fix! 

So we did just that, recently, many of my friends had been talking about Victoria, and Eric and I had been saying , we should go “One day”. Well “One Day” doesn’t make shit happen. I’ve learned that you need to set a definitive “By When” for things to start moving. Even if it’s in a year from now, at least the plan is made, you’re now working towards something. A week prior, we decided we we’re going to Victoria BC. for 1 night. Quality time doesn’t have to be the four seasons, Fairmont or Sandals resort to make you feel like you’re living a fairytale. It can be simple, quaint, and on the DL. 

Sure the pressure is on, to have an over the top romantic getaway, like you see in Rom Coms. Especially when you’re parched, and dehydrated from the lack of romance the past few months. Take it from someone like me; who has slight control issues & often needs / wants everything to be perfect. It’s easy for me to get ahead of myself. I’m not going to lie, I was originally looking at hotels like the Fairmont, and the Hilton. But then I opted for a quaint hotel right on Douglas st.; The Strathcona. 

[ picture credit: strathconahotel.com - Google, images ]

We got lucky, the Strathcona is actually surrounded by a few party places. Which we only found out about, when we got there. Since we had decided to go on a Sunday, we missed the noise and drunk people by one day. Phew! I’m not mad about it. It was indeed a quaint and cute place to spend the night. It reminded me of the Audrey Hepburn days (as if I know what those were like…). Fine, it reminded me of Old Movies. Made me want to dress shabby chic and walk the streets! 

We hurried upstairs to drop our bags, then, hurried right back down to go for a nice car ride along the water. I think, this was the highlight of the trip. To drive around, on a fall day with my love, by the ocean. Looking at beautiful houses that make you daydream about your best (future) life. Pit stopping to get coffees and hot chocolates along the way. It really allowed us to reconnect. To forget about the “Have To’s” and the “Must’s”. And to simply be present in the “Now”. 

That night was date night. I’d been recommended a lovely restaurant by a customer at work - Il Terrazzo. A hidden Italian restaurant & this lady swore by it! So obviously, we had to visit! It was everything I was craving. If you know me, you know; I’m all about those “hole in the wall”, quaint, cozy, rustic, ambient, places. And this was just that. It’s not a secret place, it’s actually quite known, but it’s also, quite literally, a hole in the wall. 

[ picture credit: waymarking.com - Google, images ]

You turn into an alley and the front entrance is off into a corner. The food was majestic, and the service was great. The ambiance, was perfect. I can’t wait to go back. Brick walls, large windows, wooden chairs and accent wooden  beams, were the main decor. They had multiple art displays, candle lit lighting. It was definitely romantic to say the least. 

In just a short 8 hours away with Eric, I already felt refreshed. I felt like I could breathe again. This, is what Quality Time does. It is so very important in a relationship. 

The next day was about spending our time exploring. Walking around, trying new restaurants. I had heard of Fan Tan Alley, by one of my friends who used to be a local. Although Fan Tan alley isn’t just visited by Victoria residents, it’s known to be quite the tourist attraction. And now, ‘twas on my radar to track down. 

[ Fan Tan Alley, Victoria BC ]

It’s an alley way, between two very close buildings. Which somehow holds space for several little artisan shops. I Am So In My Element! Not only have we found that Victoria is by nature the cutest - coziest little town, I was with my best friend, my boyfriend, exploring everything new. I’m happy. 

You might recognize the famous entrance way to Fan Tan Alley below -  Instagram seems to have taken the utmost liking to it…

We spent our day laughing, eating and shopping. 

And … Bickering. Yes. that’s a reality. When you’ve reached a point in your relationship where you’re both thirsty for quality time, there’s possibly a resentment build up. As I like to say, you’re no longer calibrated. Also, in our case, we only have so many days where we can talk things through properly. It unfortunately happens to be when we’re physically together… 

If there’s one thing I need to remind myself, it’s that; it takes the bickering, the fighting, the talking at each other, the eye rolling, and the time-outs, to get to an understanding. Unless you’ve mastered your communication, then you’ll inevitably have misunderstandings and long talks about your feelings. Especially if you’re trying to change or better anything in your relationship. 

Even though there were the small cringing moments, the memory I have of that weekend, is the way I felt spending undivided time with Eric. It was worth every minute. The good and the Not so good. 

[ me being creepy, in Fan Tan Alley ]

between all the laughing and bickering we tried this lovely seafood place called Finn’s. 

Another, cozy/ rustic place, by the water. 

I opted for the lobster lunch, which was surprisingly not as expensive as I thought it deserved. Its prices were equivalent to Bridges on Granville Island, in Vancouver, yet served bigger portions . The food was once again v tasty. See for yourself. 

[ now I’m hungry again… great ]

I recommend to any couple to go spend a day getaway in Victoria BC, or anywhere for that matter – any day!

It was nothing short of a breath of fresh air! Quality time, seems to replenish a withered connection with ease. Spending so much time apart can make you forget the little things that brought you together in the first place. It takes those times to rekindle and be reminded who you are as a couple. And I promise you it’ll feel good. Why do you think we always hear stories about how people fell in love on vacation? Because there’s something about being away, & forgetting about your To Do list, that is magical. 

The best present you could offer anyone in a relationship - I believe, (among other things ( like communication, loyalty, respect))- is consistent quality time. The effort, and the willingness to keep at it. 

So there it is.

A little quality time goes a long way - spoil her with consistency.

Until next time - enjoy the next few pics of our trip! 

[ The ferry ride was a windy ride ]

[ I look at you when you don’t know I am. ]

[ One of Eric’s favorite things to do, is to take Very awkward pictures of me… ]

[ Victoria BC. ]

On that note

Ctrl+Shift+ couples who travel together stay together - where are you guys going next?