#cupcake you are making my checking my phone habit worse

[gregmarriage]

can a cupcake and a fawn make it in the real world?

[timeandspacenovelist]

Wargames Worries

Set before and after Wargames 2020.

The sweet but peaceful tones of “A Whole New World” filled the air with a relaxing atmosphere as Candice LeRae hummed along. She just taken out a nice turkey (it was a week after Thanksgiving, allow her) and she set it alongside the other lovely dishes on offer. Today was planning day for WarGames and in addition to going into war with these ladies, she also got on decently well with them. She and Dakota had patched things up after their falling out last year and Raquel seemed alright. Toni and she had met a few times over the past two years or so and she liked her, so that’s good as well. So in order to make this day as good as it could be, alongside the turkey there was a lobster, some Texas ribs and some snacks imported from New Zealand. Now all that was needed was for the guests to arrive. She checked the clock, 3:00pm. Johnny had his game to watch, so he would be occupied. She didn’t want him blabbing about anything unintentionally. She had to outright click delete on a tweet that he was about to send that was gonna reveal Indi as Ghostface before the time called for it. She loved him so much, but honestly, he frustrated her sometimes. She took a few cleansing breaths as she thought about the day ahead.

“Ok, first time planning as WarGames captain. Everything’s gonna be fine. I’m in control. Rhea did it last year, what’s the worse that can happen?” she said to herself. Maybe it was gonna be a good day. Then the doorbell rang.

She opened the door to three smiling faces who no doubt got a whiff of the food as they almost bulldozed past her. She was glad that part was a success, at least.

“So how are you guys doing?” she asked, trying to start off the get together on a friendly note.

“Well, Raquel and I just finished working out and Toni.. What did you say you were doing again?” Dakota stated and then asked.

“Mmmm? Oh, I was getting some new gear,” Toni said, her mouth full with lobster, “I’m really sorry Candice but I hadn’t eaten today and it looked so nice.”

“That’s fine Toni. It was for you anyway.” Candice said, a smile appearing on her face because of the Australian’s love for the food. She hadn’t quite gotten a chance to ask Toni exactly why she liked lobster so much, but one day she’ll tell her.

“Where’s Johnny?” Raquel asked, the Latina taking Toni’s initiative and digging into the turkey.

“In the bedroom, watching the game.”

“Don’t you two usually watch together?”

“Yes, but today, we’ve got something important to do.” The captain of Team Candice and the namesake, (Dakota suggested Task Force X but was rejected), then went over to the couch and picked up her iPad. She flicked through a few unneeded pictures (she didn’t know why she had a picture of Pawdme’s paw) before settling on the picture of the plans she spent last night drawing up.

“I figured since we’re up against some tough competition, we’d best prepare as well as we can. No four on 1 attacks this time.” That was slightly disappointing to her as they had enjoyed the use of the numbers game a lot over the past few weeks, but this time, they had to go toe to toe.

“Umm, Candice?” Dakota said, her hand raised in the air like a diligent student.

“Dakota, you don’t actually have to put your hand up.” Candice said with a soft smile.

“Ah, sorry. Force of habit,” the Kiwi said, blushing slightly in her embarrassment, “who’s gonna be the first one going into the cages?” It was a valid question. They had unexpectedly lost the advantage match so they would have to enter first. The person who went in first usually would be the one to set the pace and hang on, Candice herself knowing that personally.

“Well, I was gonna suggest that....” The sentence wasn’t completed as the trio were startled by the shout of Dakota who’s shocked face melted into a warm wide grin as she realized the mysterious person who touched her was Pawdme. The captain of Team Kick sunk to her feet and began to play with the Garganos’ dog, rubbing her belly and giving her high fives.

“Dakota, are you gonna listen to what I’m saying, or are you gonna play with Pawdme?” Candice sighed and asked, already knowing the answer. Every time she came over, this always happens.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” she responded, clearly distracted by the rather cute pup.

Candice just shook her head and turned her attention to Toni and Raquel. Toni was, albeit still, paying a lot of attention to her lobster, but she was at least listening. “So, Raquel, I think you should enter the ring second. That way you can help clean up any messes we might have dealing with two of Team Shotzi’s members.”

“I got you Cap,” Raquel said, before she was interrupted by the throat clearing of one Dakota Kai. “sorry, other cap.” Dakota nodded her head and continued playing with Pawdme. Raquel was about to speak again when a loud cheer interrupted her. Johnny came out (well, ran out) of the bedroom like an excited kid who was bringing a report card for their parents to see.

“Sorry, Candice, but I just gotta tell you. I got it. My bet actually paid off!” the exuberant founder of the Gargano Way stated, as proud as he possibly could be.

“What bet is that?” Toni asked, her face showing one of intrigue and interest.

“He bet $500 that Higgins would score two touchdowns this game. It obviously paid off.” Candice stated, giggling at her husband’s excitement over it.

“Yep! Oh baby, Hollywood’s coming in clutch once again!” Johnny said.

“Hollywood, eh?” Toni said, intrigued by the nickname. Her boyfriend watched it, but she never paid attention when he talked football. She had no idea what a touchdown was, but it was obviously good as he got two, and Johnny was happy. She honestly knew little about sports other than wrestling, but was willing to try it if it was interesting to her.

Candice turned to see Raquel looking sheepishly at her, almost like there was something she wanted to say, but felt like it would be wrong to. “If you’re gonna say it, go ahead and say it, Raquel.”

“It’s the Cowboys, they’re playing the Browns. I mistimed the schedule. I thought we had more time before the game began.” the large Latina said, her point coming across very clearly.

“Fine.... go ahead and watch the game. But you better listen when Toni and I talk about the plan with you.” Candice said, like an exasperated mom.

“Thank you so much!” Raquel said as she hurried inside with Johnny, not before flicking Dakota for her interruption earlier, who responded with a playful jab in kind.

“Score’s 21-14 right now. Best watch your head there, the doorway’s a bit..... Ah see I told you to watch your head.” Johnny told her, his warning coming too late.

“Well, Dakota’s playing with Pawdme so her attention is gone, essentially. Raquel’s watching the game with Johnny, so it’s up to the two of us. You ready Toni? Toni?” Candice explained before trying to get Toni’s attention. She then heard a small sound before listening closer and hearing the loud but soft music of Queen, in particular, ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’. Toni had her headphones in her ear and was scrolling down her phone on Twitter. Candice could only shake her head and smirk. She was 25 once too, and she did the same thing, albeit with a less high-tech phone.

She sighed, and she shut down the iPad. It was low on power, anyway. She did try. She did honest to God try. Maybe being a captain was a lot more difficult than Rhea made it out to be. Then again, she never had any team meetings. She was better than her there. Maybe one day when she’s less mad at her for the multi-woman beat down thing, she and Rhea would have a talk about WarGames last year that they had been meaning to have. She checked the clock, 3:30. It had only been a half hour. She shook her head and took out the cupcake she had brought for herself to eat as she let the vocalizing of Freddie Mercury send her thoughts to another place. Come Sunday, they’d just wing it.

Everything hurts. Everything aches. Turns out WarGames isn’t the most pleasant experience in the world. You’d think Candice would realize that after getting her ass kicked by four women for almost half an hour last year. But in her mind, Shotzi needed to be punished. Unfortunately, that punishment meant a broken arm and feeling very, very sore. But a win is a win, and she’s won two WarGames matches now, so that was nice. She looked to her left and gave a warm smile to Toni Storm, who responded in kind before wincing a bit as she tried to move fully on her side to turn to her friend.

“Hey..... thanks for letting us crash at your place for tonight and heal up.” the Aussie said in recognition of the Garganos’ hospitality. Candice (well, mostly Johnny) had decided that the rest of Team Candice could stay at their house tonight, so they wouldn’t have to drive home in pain. It was the least she could do as they put their bodies on the line tonight to win.

“It’s no problem, really. We all needed a place to rest and recuperate after the match and we have more than enough room here.” Candice replied.

“I’m sure Dakota is very thankful for your help, as well. She’ll just let you know when she wakes up. She got hammered, literally.” Toni said, as Candice turned to her right to see a soundly sleeping Dakota Kai, who had taken the lion’s share of the punishment. She had been the most difficult to get into bed because of her soreness and hadn’t taken long to fall asleep.

“You guys can thank me by healing up and getting better” Candice then took the bell she had on her chest and rang it as loud but as gentle as she could in order to alert the person who gave it to her. She had been in the opposite role many a time, but now she was glad it was her turn to be pampered. The door flew open to reveal an attentive Johnny Gargano awaiting his next order.

“You rang?”

“Could you bring me a cup of water, please? My throat’s a little parched.” Candice asked nicely.

“No problem. Nurse Gargano is at your service.“ Johnny said with a salute as he went off to get the drink. Yeah, Candice could definitely get used to this.

Toni tossed and turned in bed as she suffered from the nightmare again. It was the third time in four weeks she had gotten it, and it wasn’t stopping anytime soon. She honestly hadn’t wanted to do it at all, but she rolled to her side in order to fight off the seemingly invisible enemy and she hit Dakota as she flew off the bed and fell down on the surprisingly soft carpet. Dakota would need to make a mental note to tell them about it. The sudden thud and that wail of pain woke Candice up from her slumber and shook Toni from her nightmare. The bell was rung, and it was Raquel, not Johnny, who had answered. In addition to winning the match for the team, Raquel had taken the least amount of damage and so was fit for duties as a caretaker temporarily.

“What happened? What’s going on?” Raquel asked as she burst in.

Candice looked over to the fallen Kiwi and then the shaking Aussie, and put two and two together. When she switched places with Toni, she didn’t expect this to happen. “Toni had a nightmare, swung wildly and knocked off Dakota.”

Dakota hadn’t realized when it happened. All she knew was that she was on the floor, in the air, and then back on the bed. As her realization started sinking in, she noticed the towering figure above her and smiled. “Thanks.”

“No problem. You’re my Hermana. I wanna do stuff like this for you.” Raquel said, straightening and fluffing Dakota’s pillow.

Dakota wasn’t a multilingual person, far from it. But she knew a little bit of Spanish and knew that Hermana meant sister. She smiled at the term of endearment by the Latina. “Sister, eh? Does that mean I get to borrow your clothes? I might need to fix some of them though, just to fit little old me.” Dakota said, smiling at her friend.

“Oh, shut up.” Raquel said laughing as she ruffled Dakota’s mane and left the room, seeing that the other problem was being well handled by Candice.

Candice had her arm around Toni and was rubbing her shoulder as the Aussie finally calmed down. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s ok. You’re alright now. What was the dream about?”

“...... The I quit match.” Toni said after a few seconds of building up courage to say it. Candice understood immediately. It was Toni’s last match in NXT UK and she’d almost gotten seriously hurt towards the end. She assumed the nightmare stemmed from the WarGames recently and all the stuff around it must have reawakened it in her.

Candice took Toni’s hand in hers and held it tight. “Hey, you don’t have to worry about that now. I’m here, with you, in this nice bed. I’ve got your hand, You’re safe. Now I think we can lie back down and go to sleep, but as long as you know that I’ve got you. Ok?”

“Ok.” Toni said, nodding. Toni eased back onto the bed and kept a strong hold of Candice’s hand. Candice stayed up until she felt the strong grip loosen and loosen until she looked over and saw her sleeping. Candice, upon seeing that, was now content. She took a little longer, but she also eventually fell back to sleep as well, dreaming of her Prince Charming..

“Rise and shine, people! Up and at them. Time for breakfast.” Johnny shouted as the clock struck 8:00 am. Seeing as they were normally early risers, Johnny decided to let them sleep in a bit but now, he was ready. The three women sleepily walked out of the bedroom, still sore but less so than last night.

“Morning honey.” Candice said as she walked over and kissed her husband to greet him. She did smirk at the gagging sounds done by Dakota and Toni mocking her for her show of affection.

“Get a room you two.” Toni said, feeling much better after her nightmare last night.

“It’s our house, thank you very much. So what do you have prepared for us today, Chef Gargano?” Candice said laughing.

“Well, with some.... ok a lot of help from Raquel, we got up early, and we made toast and eggs and sandwiches and we got orange juice and water. All you need for a lovely breakfast to give you a good start to the day.” Johnny said, looking quite proud of his accomplishment, well, his and Raquel’s accomplishment.

“I didn’t know you could cook.” Dakota admitted to her large friend.

“You never asked. Ten months together and you never once asked if I could cook?” Raquel questioned with an air of lightheartedness surrounding it.

“Never got the chance?” Dakota said in response.

“Eat your damn breakfast. I worked hard on it so you best enjoy it.” Raquel said smiling as she sat down to eat, which gave the cue to everyone else to dig in.

“Yes, sir.” Dakota said saluting the Texan. The five of them sat down and ate their well-prepared breakfast, talking about the matches and how it went. Johnny and Candice spoke about bringing in Austin and Indi full time to train them. Toni talked about challenging Io, much to the annoyance of Raquel, but they agreed they’d settle in the ring when the time came. Dakota, to what she thought was away from Candice’s view, snuck food under the table for Pawdme, until Candice caught her but allowed her to give one piece to the dog before she had to stop. Eventually the breakfast was finished and Toni, Raquel and Dakota said their goodbyes and went home. Later that day, the Garganos were having a chat about the experience.

“I really think we should do this more often,” Johnny said as he kissed Candice’s arm injured, “of course, hopefully when you’re not hurt.”

“Well, the next time that WarGames comes around....,” Candice said as she kissed his cheek before slapping him on the head, “you go in the cage instead.” she said, laughing as Johnny rubbed his head in pain.

[elbertjames]

We’re both awkward. Which may be why we have such a bond.

This weekend wasn’t terrible. Not that everyone weekend happens to be that bad. But most are stressful at least.

Saturday we had that birthday part for all the kids at his moms house. Not gifts. Just cupcakes, bounce house, hanging out. Actually went ok. Tho at times it felt awkward because so much was going on and I had Chase. I wanted to socialize so bad but it just wasn’t possible at times. Or James was always somehow in the same area I was. Other than that it went well. I did get to socialize some. Tho now I’m paranoid of covid and hoping we didn’t fuck up by going to this family get together.

Sunday the boys played with their friend. And played in the pool some with dad. I did a fuck ton of laundry and used the bullshit clothes line dryer but whatever. It worked.

And then Monday happened.

The first day of distance learning. And it didn’t exactly go very smoothly. Waylon is stubborn. Then the work Spence and I did, didn’t even save but luckily it was a mistake on the teachers end and not ours but still sucks to do all that work for nothing.

In between all of this, after their morning work anyway. We took a “field trip” to dollar tree and Meijer. And yay I made it to a new place again with my dumbass driving fear. The boys got to pay with their own money too and Spence under stood that he could get 4 toys with $5 and the last $1 would cover the tax. I’m trying to include “life lessons” in with their schooling especially if we have to step away from school work to do something else.

Of course in the middle of all this I realize our phones have been shut off because somebody can not handle paying bills. I kind of panic because I’m currently away from home, I used the phone to communicate with teachers/school. Plus I feel safer I guess If I have a working phone. So I spend the majority of my time in Meijer panicked trying to use their WiFi to talk to Sprint and get the shit back on because what if I’m getting an important text/email from the school? Stores also packed making it much worse and the whole time was a shit experience. Finally get home. Still can’t get sprint to budge so James takes Spencer’s switch to pawn for a week to get the money to turn the phones back on. Because again he NEEDS the phone for his job and I NEED my phone because I’ve got kids.

Anywho now it’s Tuesday and James is off and out of town for the week. The distance learning is going a lot smoother. Still not like I want just yet but progress. No one cried today anyway.

Slightly frustrated at James again because he’s now developed a habit of online casino apps. Which isn’t even legal in Indiana. He put more than enough to pay Sprint on the card so he could also add money to his game. Somehow he hit a jackpot. Refuses to cash out. Even tho I know it’s probably not legit. Later on “accidentally” hits max bet and loses it all. Comes to me for money off PayPal which I of course lie about. THEN I check his pockets because I know we’re obviously low on money and wondered what he had to take with him on a week long out of town job. Like $15 and another prepaid card. He went and bought another prepaid card to put money on to play his game. Leaving himself broke.

We aren’t worried about the casino now it’s the scratch offs and online gambling. Fuck.

Upside tho: I don’t have to deal with getting him up for work and whatever mood he’ll be in. And he’s trying to survive on maybe $25 and I’m over here chilling on $30+ because surveys and I am smart af with money and you know don’t gamble.

Blah blah blah. Ramble ramble ramble.

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Lost Memories Part 4

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x Reader , Klaus Mikaelson x Reader frenemies, Rebekah Mikaelson x Reader friendship

Word Count: 2.6K

Warnings: Bloody hearts, threats, broken necks, a bit of angst cause why the hell not?

Author’s Note: Here is the next part. Thank you so much for those of you that are reading this! And this was reposted because I failed to correctly tag people in this

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

30 years ago

Between Rebekah and Y/N they had enough shopping bags to almost fill a quarter of the room with the things they had bought from different boutiques throughout the city.

"I never thought I'd see the day where I bought this much stuff." Y/N said as she placed her hands on her hips looking at all the bags knowing she was now going to have to empty them and put them away.

"There are some perks in spending the money my brothers obtain over the centuries." Rebekah said with a grin plastered on her face as she pulled up one of the bags and rummaged through it.

Y/N shook her head as she reached for a bag. "Let me guess you prefer spending theirs over yours."

"Correct." Rebekah said as she placed the bag off to the side to show that it was the items she selected. "I've always wanted someone to go shopping with and I think you've filled that dream for me, so long as you continue to stick around."

"I have no intentions of leaving any time soon." Y/N said as she smiled over at her. Y/N had been enjoying the last decade in New Orleans.

While she enjoyed being in the city, Y/N had enjoyed her time with Elijah more. With her accidental cupcake smear on his suit, it had started something Y/N had never saw coming while she had been passing through the city. She had found every reason to stay in one place longer than her usual few months to a year.

Y/N and Elijah had started talking that day in the bakery and from there things had grown. Y/N had actually been the one to surprise Elijah by being the one to ask him out to dinner. While he had agreed he fought her about him being the one to plan everything and pay for things just as a gentleman should.

They were attached at the hip most days. Rebekah had once told Y/N that she had brought out a different side of Elijah that she hadn't seen in centuries and that she had been good for him. But to Y/N that had made each other better.

It didn't matter what ghosts had come into the city, Y/N stood by his side and helped in anyway that she could. It didn't matter to her that she was around 300 years younger than the Mikaelsons and the majority of the foes that came into the city, they were always side by side. Wherever she was, he wasn't to far away.

Except for that day. Elijah and Klaus had told them to go out and enjoy themselves. That they needed some kind of brother bonding day. That alone had caused Y/N's eyebrow to raise in question as to what the truth was, but she wasn't going to miss a girls day either.

Now that they had been back and beginning to put their purchases away, she was beginning to wonder where Elijah and Klaus had run off to. They hadn't been there when they returned.

As Y/N picked up a small black bag with no label on the front of it to check the contents, a gasp left her lips as she dropped the bag.

"What is it?" Rebekah asked as she looked over at her.

"I don't remember us ever buying a heart." Y/N said staring at the bag that was now down by her feet.

Rebekah picked up the bag and inspected the heart that was laying inside of it. While it had worried Rebekah, she hadn’t let it show. Her family had received a few hearts in the past and not to mention the family had a habit of ripping them from chests, it definitely hadn’t been the first heart she seen.

Rebekah had tried thinking about any part of their day that they could have encountered someone that would leave them a heart. They hadn't seen anyone mess with their bags let alone drop it off. But there was that possibility it happened while they had been trying on clothes.

As she looked in the bag, Rebekah found an envelope taped to the side of it. Pulling it out, her eyes widened slightly at the name on the front of it. "Its addressed to you." She said holding it out to Y/N.

Y/N eyed the card for a moment before taking it. Blood splotches were covering the white envelope. Her name neatly written on the front of it. Turning it over, she opened the envelope and pulled out the card stock that was in it.

Dearest Y/N,

While we have never met, I am sure you'll be hearing all about me soon. The Mikaelsons have something of mine that's I'd like returned. While I would normally take the loved ones from my enemies, you have an original at your side at all times. So instead the easiest way to get them to comply to my demands is to go through you. For every night that I do not get what I want, someone closest to you will be taken and their heart delivered to you. This one happens to belong to a brunette friend of yours.

Time is ticking

Y/N's hands trembled slightly as she read the message. Her eyes filled with tears as she realized who's heart was sitting in the bag. While she had hoped that she was wrong, there was a part of her that knew this was right.

Pulling out her phone she quickly dialed the familiar number. "Pick up." She whispered as her eyes looked over at Rebekah who in return looked worried at her.

Hey you reached Alyssa I-

Hanging up, Y/N called the number again.  Once again the voicemail had came on she hung up again. Before she could call again Rebekah pulled the phone from her hand. “Who’s heart is it?”

“Alyssa.” Y/N whispered. Alyssa had been the first person Y/N had sired several centuries ago. She, at the time, had been a child that Y/N had saved from a village fire leaving her completely alone. Y/N raised her as her own and when Alyssa believed she was ready, Y/N changed her. What was worse about the situation, Alyssa had only left New Orleans a few days ago after spending a week there with Y/N and the Mikaelsons.

________

The Present

“You’ve caused quite the stir coming back here.” Klaus said with a small smirk forming on his lips. He had almost enjoyed the realization fill Y/N as the compulsion lifted.

“Wipe the smug look off your face, Klaus.” Y/N said crossing her arms as she glared at him. In that moment she wanted nothing more than to rip into him. Her mind was swarm with their last encounter along with the years that had followed.

Several times Y/N had heard Elijah’s name while out and about. Each time she ran over 100 miles to get away from the ‘danger’ her mind had told her to. Each time someone mentioned her past, she acted as if she hadn’t cared for Elijah in the slightest bit.

Klaus had taken one of her favorite quotes and turned it into a key to the memories that he had compelled away. A key that at any point in time could have been heard throughout the last 30 years but wouldn’t unlock her memories unless he himself had been the one to start it off.

“Oh come on, love.” Klaus said as he walked around the bench to stand in front of her. “I did it to help us.”

Just as he came to a stop, Y/N pushed him back forcefully causing him to stagger a bit. “30 years Klaus.” She said as she took a step towards him. “You took it away from me all because you needed a stupid trinket kept hidden from James.” She pushed him again once more as she tried to get her emotions in check.

“You know very well it is not some ‘stupid trinket’.” Klaus said allowing her to take out her frustration on him. He had been expecting it. She had fought him the whole time he had tried compelling her and before he did, she had made the promise that she would raise hell the moment she could.

“No, it's the very thing that James had been looking for that whole time.” Y/N said with a shake of her head. “You sent your brother to retrieve it when you had it all along.”

That thought alone had made her furious. He had compelled her to leave just minutes after Elijah had left to go in search for something that wasn’t really needed. They never got the chance to talk after the fight they had.

“I did you a favor, Y/N/N.” Klaus said grabbing a hold of her wrists as she tried to push him again. “It was only a matter of time before my brother got bored of you.”

“Niklaus, that is enough.” Elijah said as he walked up behind Y/N. He had heard the whole conversation from the moment he entered the park. While he had been expecting to find Y/N alone, it had been an interesting sight to see as Y/N had began to push his brother around.

While Y/N had been looking at Klaus, hearing Elijah's voice had caused her heart to pick up and smile to form on her lips. “Elijah.” She said before pulling her hands away from Klaus and turning towards him. But the moment she did, the man before her held no familiarity.

Elijah had been hopeful in that moment. The way she had said his name had made him want to pull her to his side and not let her leave. But as he looked at her eyes now, he could see what Rebekah had seen the night before. It made his heart ache at the sight.

Klaus's chuckle caused them both to look towards him. “Sorry brother, unless she is looking or speaking directly to me, she's not going to remember anything. Couldn't have Y/N-”

The sound of a hard slap had actually echoed in their surrounding. “That’s for making it so I can’t even look at him.” Y/N hand had stung from the force of it meeting Klaus’ cheek. A small smirk had grown on Elijah's lips as he watched her. “If I give you the damn thing will you remove the compulsion?” Y/N asked as she watched Klaus turn his head back towards her and glared.

“That is the whole reason I've even bothered to see you.” Klaus said with a slight roll of his eyes.

Y/N glared at him and reached down into her boot and pulled out a bracelet that held an unusual crystal hanging from it. She had a small fabric pocket sewn into almost every shoe she owned to help keep it hidden. She held it out in her palm for Klaus to see it.

When Klaus reached out for it, Y/N pulled her hand away from him. “Remove the compulsion.” She said before holding out the end of the bracelet that didn't have the crystal towards him.

Klaus took a step towards her as he took hold of the half she had offered him. Locking his eyes on hers he nodded slightly. “You no longer need to keep this safe.” He said with a small smirk growing on his lips. “The next time our paths cross again, you'll be free of my compulsion. Until then, Elijah Mik-”

Y/N had watched as Klaus’ neck twisted before he had fallen to the ground, taking the bracelet with him. She blinked a few times as she looked around her, the memory of the last few minutes being locked away in an untouchable part of her brain.

While Elijah had hoped that Klaus would have done as Y/N asked, he couldn't let him finish what he was about to say. He wasn't about to watch Y/N disappear before his eyes with no idea of when he'd see her again.

Picking up the bracelet, he placed it into his pocket. With Y/N no longer needing to worry about it being kept safe, he knew that once Klaus was healed and awake, he’d be looking for it. If Elijah had it, he could use it to his advantage on getting him to give Y/N her memories back.

He had that bracelet memorized by now. Every detail etched into his brain from staring at a picture of it in his mother’s grimoire. The crystal that it held worked much like Freya’s pendant only for much more sinister purposes.

He could see the confusion grow on Y/N’s face as she looked at him. It made him miss the fire he had seen in her moments before. While still under Klaus’ compulsion, she was still the same Y/N that Elijah had cared for and fell in love with all those years ago.

“I'm sorry,” She said as she looked around the park. “Were we talking?” The confusion changing to embarrassment. “I think I spaced out there for a moment.”

Elijah smiled at her and shook his head. “I was just about to introduce myself.” He lied. “Though it did seem as though you were lost in thought.

Y/N chuckled and ran her hand through her Y/H/C hair. “I've been doing that a lot lately.” She said before biting her bottom lip. The action had made Elijah’s smile grow. It had been a nervous habit of Y/N and he had been glad that it hadn’t changed.  “Anyways, I’m Y/N.” She said placing her hand out towards him.

Elijah smiled at her as he took her hand in his before bring it up to his lips to kiss the back of her hand. “I’m Elijah.”

Y/N’s Y/E/C eyes lit up at his name and he hadn’t missed it. “The Elijah that Victoria has been vaguely filling me in on?”

He chuckled at her words, but nodded. “I’d hate for there to be more than one Elijah that’s caught your attention.”

Y/N’s cheeks brightened at that. “I can assure you, there is no other.” She said as she looked down at the ground. It was in that moment that she noticed Klaus’ body off to the side. Her head tilted to the side as she looked at him. “Did I miss something?”

A smirk pulled on Elijah’s lips. “Not at all.” He assured her. “My brother just had a bit much to drink tonight.” He lied.

Y/N looked back at Elijah. “The brother that the baker mentioned.”

“Alice knows my family well enough.” Elijah said with a nod. “Victoria had mentioned you had been waiting for her to bring cheap takeout, may I suggest an actual dinner?”

“What did you have in mind?” Y/N asked with a smile.

“I have the perfect place in mind, but I’d prefer it to be a surprise.” He said as he took a step closer to her and offered her his elbow.

If her smile could grow anymore, it would. She placed her arm into his and nodded her head. While she had no memory of the man next to her, what she had been feeling in that moment had familiar, comfortable and there was no way she was going to be afraid of those feelings.

“What about your brother?” She asked curiously as he began to lead her out of the park. They stopped for a moment while Elijah looked over his shoulder at his brother’s body.

“A night in some fresh air will do him some good.”

Part 5

A/N: So next part will mostly contain the past and very little of the present. Fair warning, there will be a lot of feels in part 5. 

Tag List: @jenniferpendragon @rissyrapp20 @taylordrunkonwhiskey @officialmarvelwhore @captainshurley @spookske1999 @anything-ispossiblenow @briannasanatomy @thewolf-and-thesheep 

If you would like to be added to, or removed from, the tag list please let me know.

Thanks for reading ♥♥♥

[crackimagines]

Mahiru, ibuki, and mikan with an ultimate serial killer s/o

…I CAN EXPLAIN.

Thanks for the ask anon, and I hope you enjoy! I’ll try my best not to be an edgelord and make this funny to read, at the very least

IF YOU EXCUSE ME I GOTTA FUCKING BOOK IT FROM THE COPS

Mahiru Koizumi - The Doomguy Method

- Such a nice gal, she started going out with S/O when S/O asked her out with a little ol’ shy blush, and she accepted in the probably the most tsundere way possible.

- Well, she did think being the Ultimate Baker was pretty neat! She loved all S/O’s cooking

- But while S/O could make a mean cupcake, that was not S/O’s Ultimate Skill

- YEAH I DON’T THINK TELLING ANYONE THAT YOUR ULTIMATE CONSISTS OF OVER 30 BODY COUNTS IN A RAPID MATTER WOULD FLATTER THEM

- S/O wanted to keep that part a secret, and wanted to secretly convert to a new leaf, but

- Old habits die hard

- Every now and again, when people would make fun of Mahiru, s/o would get the urge to RIP AND TEAR

- S/O’s preferred method was just to go Doomguy on their victims, which uh, if you don’t know what that means, this should suffice:

- Some killers were savage, were relentless, but S/O? S/O WAS WORSE. THEY WOULD RIP AND TEAR, UNTIL THE JOB WAS FINISHED.

- Yeah needless to say, S/O really did not want Mahiru to find out S/O could literally rip people’s necks off, and put their spines up someone else’s ass

- Luckily for Mahiru, S/O wasn’t just some looney well, besides the voices telling S/O to rip and tear, with some rad metal music blasting when they were killing, They usually were bad people, but instead of being a vigilante, no S/O just straight up annihilated any trace of them and DAMN it was brutal

- Then, one day, Mahiru came home crying, and S/O was shook that she was crying so much.

- Some guys at the academy broke her camera, and called her a bitch.

- (S/O) “Here Mahiru, I’ll make you some dinner okay?”

- (Mahiru) “T-Thanks S/O…” 

- [Mahiru’s inner thoughts] S/o is such a kind person…

- [S/O’s inner thoughts] :

WHAT’S THAT MAHIRU’S SANDWICH? KILL THEM ALL? GOOD IDEA!

- S/O asked for the guys name, and she gave it to him without thinking about it much.

- Once S/O gave Mahiru their dinner, S/O took them to their room, and let her sleep there for a little bit.

- Once they closed it, they had one job KILL, PILLAGE, MAIM, B U R N

- S/O eventually found them, and an enjoyable night was had, for S/O at least

- Yeah no for everyone else they prob would’ve rather get shot

- What happened to them? Well uh, according to the police, couple limbs there, over there- 

SPLAT

- …Well now it’s falling off the ceiling 

- S/O came home later that night, with a brand new camera and a new set of clothes cause good lord the old ones had to be incinerated thanks to all the excess icky stuff on it and went to bed with Mahiru

- Such a nice S/O

- Well, when they weren’t ripping people’s heads off, but shhhh, Mahiru doesn’t need to know that

Ibuki Mioda - Wolf Brigade Style

- Ibuki was very supportive of S/O, being the Ultimate Journalist had to be exhausting, and tbh not very fun as her job of being a rock star!

- S/O was super grateful to have someone like Ibuki

- Pray she doesn’t find out about S/O being ya know, a murderer

- S/O didn’t murder people in the conventional way, in fact they did it the most risky way

- STRAIGHT UP LIGHTING THE MOTHERFUCKERS UP btw I don’t mean like flamethrowers, just using a really REALLY loud MG42

- S/O would only kill to protect Ibuki, much like Mahiru’s psychopathic murderer, but sometimes…Well, S/O would get carried away

- Back then, S/O killed anyone who was straight up an asshole, or did them or their friends wrong

- Despite carrying PROBABLY THE LOUDEST FUCKING GUN IN EXISTENCE no one ever considered S/O to be a vicious killer.

- Not even Ibuki, though she did have a very VERY close call with S/O going to town

- One day, Ibuki knocked on S/O’s house door, and they didn’t respond

- (Ibuki) “S/Ooooooo! Ibuki is here for dinneerrrrrr!!!”

- Still no response.

- Meanwhile downstairs in the basement…

- (Bout to be dead as fuck dude) “NO PLEASE, I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY THAT ABOUT MIODA PLEASE-

RATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA

- Wait, I just now realized S/O has a sewer in their basement, this is becoming less of a serial killer and more of a fucking supervillain, also bonus points if you can guess what this whole thing is referencing to.

- So, naturally, Ibuki hears the loud as shit gun firing off, but it’s slightly muffled and she doesn’t know what it is so she goes to check

- Only to find out the door to downstairs that she hasn’t seen before is locked, so she kinda scratches her head wondering where S/O is

- She reaches for her phone, and calls their number, and then…hears their ringtone for her right behind the door?

- “isagiyoku KAKKO yoku ikite yukou…”

- Yup, that’s definitely her ringtone, so does that mean S/O is behind the door-

creak

- OH CHRIST.

- Ibuki opens the door and like

- This is the first thing she fucking sees

(S/O) “…”

(Ibuki) “Oh, that’s neat…That Serial Killer on the news inside…S/O’s…house…”

UNGODLY INAUDIBLE SCREECHING

- S/O didn’t waste time and fucking stunned her as fast as they could

- They did that karate chop thing to the neck people do in movies, and Ibuki goes out cold IMMEDIATELY

- S/O quickly puts the fake wall over the basement door, and then drags Ibuki to their bed 

- When Ibuki wakes up, S/O is right next to them sitting in bed reading a book

- (Ibuki) “S/O?”

- (S/O) “Ibuki! Thank god you’re alright! You passed out in front of my door, I was so worried!”

- (Ibuki) “That’s…weird, Ibuki remembers…bah, it’s probably just a dream…OH CRAP, HOW MUCH TIME PASSED?!”

- (S/O) “H-Huh? I think, like an hour? And what was that drea-”

- (Ibuki) “NO TIME, IBUKI MADE RESERVATIONS FOR DINNER, COME ON S/O LET’S GO!”

- Ibuki drags S/O out of the house to the place she had in mind, making her effectively forget about the giant serial killer in full body plate armor with the fucking GLOWING RED EYES.

Mikan Tsumiki - Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Unbroken Necks

- you already know where this is going

- S/O loved Mikan, and would do anything to protect her

- Mikan was constantly being harassed by the students, but in recent weeks, the numbers started to go down, by a LOT

- Mikan told S/O about this and they were like

- (S/O) “Huh, maybe cause they realize you’re an actual human being??”

- Mikan was grateful for S/O and everything they did

- What S/O didn’t realize, is that Mikan was completely aware S/O was offing people for her

- She entered the school one day to hear that a specific student had their neck broken late at night, and she realized that was the student who was bullying her a few weeks ago

- She, and S/O were the only people who knew about it, when Mikan was crying on S/O about the cruel things they did, and naturally S/o was very calm on the outside, but on the inside:

- Back then, S/O killed dozens of people by snapping their necks with special gloves that hid their fingerprints, and unlike the others S/O couldn’t control their rage no matter the person and the person’s would uh

- Come down with a case of sudden death

- By SNAP, CRACKLE, THEN POP! …Well, more just like snap, I just wanted to make a rice krispies cereal joke, NO YOU SHUT UP

- So, Mikan deduced that S/O had offed the person themselves…BUT UH, SHE DOESN’T FREAK OUT ABOUT IT WHICH IS THE SCARY PART

- She fully embraces it, cause that means S/O loves them so much, they would kill people for her

- So, she just keeps quiet, pretending not to know

- After all, as long as S/O loves them, there’s no issue right?

Wow this got dark fast

[sickdaysofficial]

I Have Some Regrets

Sickdays 3, Day 6: I Have Some Regrets

Fandom: My (@lickstynine’s) OCs

Characters: Minato and Kazu

T/W: self-harm

Minato was sitting on the couch, holding a spoon and a half-empty gallon of ice cream. He sniffled quietly, shoving another spoonful in his mouth as the sappy romance on TV rambled on. Ever since he’d returned home from the hospital, he’d been miserable. Kazu had cleared all the flour, sugar, and other related ingredients out of the house, so Min couldn’t bake even if he tried.

Instead, he’d spent the past week stress-eating and crying on and off. He’d managed to make himself sick overeating sweets three times already, and he’d been spending ridiculous amounts of money buying more treats every day. Right now, he had ice cream in his lap, and a big bag of sandwich cookies sitting next to him. They were delicious, but it wasn’t the same as eating stuff he’d baked himself. It lacked a certain satisfaction and level of craftsmanship.

He felt lonely. Kazu had gone out running ‘errands’ earlier. Min knew it wasn’t anything good, or legal, because his husband had left the car behind. Kazu only went out on foot if he didn’t want his car to be recognized. Worried about what his husband might be up to, and stressed about being deprived of his favourite hobby, Minato looked longingly into the kitchen. Mischievous thoughts started to stir in his head.

One batch of cupcakes couldn’t do any harm, right?

If I finish before Kazu-chan gets back, he never has to know.

I bet if I hurry, nobody would ever be the wiser.

Hopping to his feet, Minato slipped on his shoes and grabbed the car keys. He crept into the garage and climbed into the car, scooting up the seat about a mile since Kazu had been driving it last. Once his tiny legs could actually reach the pedals, he started the car, adjusted the mirrors, and hurried off to the store.

Flour. Sugar. Eggs. Butter. The routine trip around the store was muscle memory, grabbing all the usual ingredients second nature. Minato felt so much more relaxed embracing his old habits. Maybe this was how he could stay sane. Sneaking in a baking day every now and then when Kazu wasn’t home. Doing it once in a while wouldn’t hurt anything.

Once he’d bought all his ingredients, Minato hurried back out to the car. He was bouncing in his seat with excitement the whole drive home, and quickly ran inside to preheat the oven and start mixing batter. As soon as he opened the bag of flour, he had to pause and stifle a cough. No big deal, he told himself. It’s just cause the powder gets everywhere when you first open it.

Two and a quarter cups of sugar, two cups of butter, a teaspoon of vanilla, and a coughing fit. Sift together a cup and three-quarters of flour, a teaspoon of baking soda, and a pinch of salt, and a pause to try and calm the stitch in his chest. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the creamed butter and sugar, stirring constantly, and pause again because he’s coughing even harder now.

Minato ended up setting down his spoon, abandoning his half-mixed batter to lean against the counter and fight for breath. Maybe this hadn’t been his best idea. He coughed again, grimacing at the tightness in his chest. Trying and failing to draw a deep breath, he sunk to his knees, now panicking a little.

He reached in his pocket, hoping to find his cell phone so he could text Kazu for help. To his dismay, he realized it was sitting on the arm of the couch, still left there from when he’d been moping and watching TV. He was feeling lightheaded, but tried to get up and get the phone anyway. All that that accomplished was him collapsing back to the floor, this time smacking his forehead on the counter on the way down.

————————————————

When Kazu walked in the front door, he was sore, tired, and hoping to spend the rest of his evening drinking in peace. When he walked in, he was surprised to not see Minato on the couch; that had been his tiny husband’s new home since he was banned from baking. Whatever, Kazu thought, he probably just went to bed early. Minato was an early sleeper and an early riser, much the opposite of his husband. On bad days, Min would wake up before Kazu even went to bed.

Yawning and kicking off his shoes, Kazu walked into the kitchen, hoping there was still vodka in the fridge. He couldn’t remember if he’d drank it all the night before. His jaw nearly smacked into the floor when he walked in and saw Minato sprawled on the ground, unconscious.

“Shit! Babe…” Kazu hastily scooped the tiny blond off the floor, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the blood dripping down Min’s forehead. He didn’t need to ask what had happened; Minato’s hands were covered in flour, and a bowl of cake batter was sitting on the counter. Kazu sighed, struggling to keep his calm as he carried his husband to the car. Back to the emergency room they went.

The receptionist, the same bored middle-aged lady from last time, sighed deeply as they walked in the door. “You again? What happened now?”

“Just gimme the papers, bitch.” Kazu had even less patience for her than last time, snatching the paperwork up to fill out as quickly as possible.

Luckily for him, the emergency room was much less busy than last time, and before long, a familiar voice called out, “Mr. Kurosawa?”

Kazu hopped up and hurried over to the doctor. “Hey doc, long time no see.” His sarcastic tone barely hid the stress tearing him apart.

“Did his symptoms not relax after you got everything out of the house?” The doctor asked as they walked back to an examination room.

“No, it ain’t that…” Kazu grumbled, “He was bakin’ while I wasn’t home…”

The doctor sighed deeply. “I told you, he cannot bake anymore. It’s not saf -”

“I fuckin’ know that, man! I wouldn’t’a let him do it if I’d been home!” The lanky giant was way too freaked out to be patient with the doctor.

“Okay, okay. Just… relax. I’ll take care of it.” The doctor had Minato placed in a hospital bed, quickly going to work checking his vitals and cleaning the blood off of him. “I promise, we’ve got everything under control, Mr… Yokota, right?”

“Mmhm…” Kazu nodded slightly. He dropped into a nearby chair, reaching into his jacket to grab a flask, since he knew he’d get kicked out for smoking in the room.

The doctor briefly glanced at Kazu, slightly impressed that the dark-haired hellion had somehow managed to get even trashier since they last met.

Kazu drained the flask in one go, putting it back in his pocket and wrapping his arms tightly around himself. He took a shaky breath, troubling thoughts rattling around in his head. Can I not trust Minato to be home alone? What do I do if I have to go out? What if the reaction was worse this time? What if Minato takes longer to recover? Or never fully recovers? Or doesn’t recover at all? How hard did he hit his head? Could it have already been too late when I found him?

He could feel his breaths faltering, and his throat tightened as his heart started to race. He wasn’t sure if he could keep dealing with this much stress. He stuck his hands in his pockets, trying to remember if he’d taken everything out when he got home. Thank god, he hadn’t. There was still a wickedly long knife in one pocket, and a lighter and cigarettes in the other. Mumbling something about stopping by the cafeteria, he practically bolted out of the room, making a beeline for the same shady back exit he’d hidden outside before.Hands shaking, Kazu pulled off his jacket, glancing at the half-healed cuts covering his arms. Without hesitation, he dug his knife out of his pocket, unfolding it with a soft sigh.

The back parking lot was completely empty and eerily quiet, the only noise being the subtle sshk of metal slicing flesh. Every so often, the knife would switch hands, Kazu’s deft ambidexterity wreaking havoc equally on both arms. With every cut, he could feel his heartbeat steadying, the pain numbing his mind to all the horrible thoughts tormenting him.

He kept going even once his mind had settled some, drawing the blade over barley-sealed wounds from last time and slicing through old scars just the same. He didn’t stop until his knife hit resistance. He looked down as it make a chk noise, blinking in dull surprise as he realized the blade had hit bone. By now, blood was pouring down his arms and into his lap; these cuts were deep, and judging by the difficulty he was having moving his left hand, he was pretty sure he’d nicked a tendon in his wrist. Thank fuck that wasn’t his drawing hand.

Kazu was drained, both mentally and physically. He could feel his strength fading as blood continued to cascade onto his lap and the pavement around him. The last thing he wanted was to move at all, much less stand up and walk, but the voices in his head were starting to return.

You abandoned Minato. Again. He’s sick, and he’s hurt, and you left him alone in a strange place. When he wakes up, no, IF he wakes up, he’ll be alone, and he’ll be miserable, and he’ll know you abandoned him. You left because you were too fucking weak to take care of him. You had to go hide like a little bitch, instead of taking care of your husband. What a piece of shit. Maybe it’s a good thing you left Minato. He doesn’t need you. He deserves better. He -

“Okay, I get it, shut UP!” Kazu’s voice cracked as he screamed at no one. Tears dripped down his face as he forced himself to his feet. He teetered, having lost a good bit of blood by now, but managed to drag himself back in the hospital door. “I’m going. I’m going. I’ll take care of him…” He mumbled under his breath, “I won’t abandon him. I can’t.”

He was quite the sight by now - a disheveled, dark-haired giant, shaking from nerves and misery, deranged desperation in his eerily pale eyes. Tears poured down his cheeks, and blood down his arms, and he nearly gave a passing nurse a heart attack as he shoved her out of the way to get where he was going. The poor girl looked like she’d just been dumped headfirst into a horror movie, scampering off to get someone of higher authority to deal with the demon in the hallway.

The doctor walked back into Minato’s hospital room to check on him around midnight. To his shock and confusion, the pristine white cubicle now looked like a scene from a slasher film. Blood was covering the floor and most of the furniture, and it didn’t take the doctor long at all to find the source. Draped across the hospital bed, like he’d collapsed while standing next to it, was a very pale and cut-up Kazu. Cursing under his breath, the doctor hastily called in a few nurses to help him deal with the lanky disaster bleeding out on his patient.

————————————��

The first thing Kazu registered when he woke up was the pain in his arms - it didn’t feel right. He was used to the ache of self-inflicted cuts, but this was different. There was tension, like the edges of the wounds were pulled together, there was gauze, like they had been bandaged up, and there was… a needle in his arm? That wasn’t a sensation he had felt in a long time, and he definitely wasn’t used to waking up like that. As he scanned his surroundings, he realized he was in a hospital bed. The needle in his arm was actually only a tube carrying saline, an attempt to rehydrate him after having lost so much blood.

Not giving a single shit about hospital procedure, or his own well-being for that matter, Kazu yanked the IV out of his arm and stood up. The sudden change in position caused his vision to go black for a second, and he stumbled backwards, falling onto his ass on the bed.

“Fuuuuuuuuck.” He groaned, giving his body a minute to adjust before he bothered trying to stand up again. His head was spinning, his body was aching, and there was a familiar sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. He needed a drink. More importantly, though, he needed to find Minato.

First order of business, get dressed. His bloody jeans and t-shirt weren’t ideal, but he was far too tall for a skimpy hospital gown, and he wasn’t particularly fond of the breeze he was currently feeling on his balls. Luckily, his clothes were sitting, neatly folded, on one of the chairs. It took a bit of struggling to get them on, since his left hand was only about half as useful as normal, but it happened eventually.

Stumbling into the hallway, Kazu scanned the room number on his door. 237. That would mean Minato was down the hall to the… left. He glanced into every room as he went, too paranoid to let anyone in the vicinity go unobserved. There was, of course, nothing odd to see besides Kazu himself, and he made it to Minato’s room without event. The tiny blond was sitting up in bed, currently checking to see if the hospital had any Pokéstops.

“Hey, babe.” Kazu’s voice was so hoarse it almost hurt to hear. “How ya feelin’?”

Minato immediately looked up from his phone, his face glowing with a huge smile. “Kazu-chan!” He held out his arms for a hug, looking extra tiny with just a thin hospital gown instead of his typical bulky sweater.

Kazu sat on the edge of the bed, wrapping his arms around Minato and carefully pulling the tiny blond into his lap. Minato buried his face in the crook of his husband’s neck, cozy and content. After his initial wave of happiness dissipated, however, he noticed the bandages on Kazu’s arms and the blood-soaked clothes.

“What happened to you? Are you okay?” Min’s eyes were wide with horror as he looked over Kazu’s battered form.

The dark-haired man shook his head dismissively. “S’nothin’. ‘M fine, babe.” He kissed the top of Minato’s head and changed the subject to distract his tiny husband. “How ‘bout you? How’re ya doin’?”

“I’m feeling a little better…” Minato mused. “My oxygen levels still aren’t where the doctor wants them, though… He wants to keep me another night to be safe.”

Kazu sighed but nodded. “Makes sense. Ya learned your lesson ‘bout bakin’ now?”

Minato pouted, “Yes…” He was truly crestfallen that his secret cupcake plan had fallen through so spectacularly. He suddenly paused, making a confused face at the strange sensation on his forehead. It took quite a bit of experimental face movement before he realized the bandage on his forehead was scrunching up when he furrowed his brows. “That feels so weird…”

“You’re weird.” Kazu chuckled, giving Min’s hair a gentle ruffle.

Minato huffed indignantly but smiled in response, cozying up against Kazu with a yawn. “Mm… you’re warm.”

“Yeah, I know. Get some more rest, babe. Ya need it.”

——————————–

It ended up being two days later when Minato was finally released from the hospital. Kazu had stayed with him the whole time, minus a trip to the liquor store, and the lanky troublemaker was clearly glad to be outside of the restrictive, sterile walls of the hospital. On the way home, after much begging, they ended up stopping at a grocery store, where Minato piled the cart high with cakes, cookies, and candy. Kazu grimaced at the price when they finally checked out, but he didn’t dare tell Minato to put anything back - the poor thing had been through enough, it would be cruel and unnecessary to deprive him of his sweets.

The next few weeks were spent much as most of the previous week had been. Minato sitting on the couch, crying at sappy romances and eating ridiculous amounts of sweets. He had managed to make himself sick once or twice more, but Kazu hadn’t given him shit for it. Instead, the dark-haired chaos monster simply did his best to take care of his sad, tiny husband as best he could.

It was a Tuesday night when Kazu finally dared look at the bills. Minato had dozed off on the couch about an hour ago, and Kazu had put him to bed, so he was finally free to deal with something other than his miserable husband. He opened up his laptop to check the credit card bill first.

“Fuck.” He hissed.

The numbers were much higher than he anticipated, and he knew it would be a struggle to make even the minimum payment. Where the fuck had all those charges come from? He looked back through the purchase history to figure out what had sucked up so much of his money. To his distress and frustration, Kazu realized the extra expenses were coming from all the snacks and candy Minato had been buying. He decided just deal with that later, and check the other major bills he had to worry about.

The electric bill had actually lowered a bit now that Minato wasn’t constantly using the stove, oven, and mixer, so that was nice. The phone bill hadn’t mysteriously conjured any shitty charges, thank god. The hospital bill - holy fucking shit. How much does it cost to visit the damn emergency room? Kazu scowled at the screen, stress building in his head. He grabbed the bottle of vodka sitting next to him and finished it off. That only helped so, much, though, and he could still feel his anxiety spiking.

He needed more money. He needed to find a better way to help Minato. He needed a break from all this chaotic shit.

He needed a fix.

Kazu snapped the laptop shut and climbed to his feet. Not bothering to grab anything but his wallet, he put on the boots he’d left sitting in the entryway and slipped out the front door. The weather looked abysmal - a thin, grey rain was starting to pour, making the sky even darker than usual. He didn’t care, though. He had things to do.

For more, or to tell me I suck, go check out @lickstynine.

[theoriginalspike]

for the weird ask thingy how about 1-98? so yes all of them please!

I’m gonna put this under a read more so that it’s not insanely long but thank you for allowing me to overshare because that’s literally all i want in life

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

coffee mugs, if i see one that i like, i usually buy it or think about it for a really long time. 

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

lollipops

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

cotton candy, i can’t stand the smell or taste of bubblegum

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

on most of my report cards i was a pleasure to have in class but has trouble actually turning in homework

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups?

either soda bottles or glass cups

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

i love the aesthetic of formal but i prefer boho/preppy 

7. earbuds or headphones?

earbuds, headphones squish my head

8. movies or tv shows?

movies 

9. favorite smell in the summer?

honeysuckle

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

being goalie for handball

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

peanut butter crunch clif bar

12. name of your favorite playlist?

summertime

13. lanyard or key ring?

keyring

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

watermelon jolly ranchers

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

fahrenheit 451

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

cross legged or leaning to the side with both feet tucked up next to me (only in a chair/on the couch though)

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

either birkenstocks or my bean boots

18. ideal weather?

slightly cloudy, breezy, and between 60 and 75 with a dew point under 55

19. sleeping position?

any position but on my back

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

i like a notebook, my fingers try to type too fast for my brain so i make a lot of mistakes and i need lines otherwise it slants all over the page

21. obsession from childhood?

i used to collect guitar picks. i have too many

22. role model?

my friend kelsey. she never let anyone’s opinions of her shape who she was. she did what she wanted and was such a free spirit. 

23. strange habits?

left goes first. if it’s makeup, my left eyebrow, lashes, contour, blush, anything goes first. left shoe goes on first, left pant leg, left shirt/jacket sleeve. left first or it feels wrong. 

24. favorite crystal?

i love amethyst because it’s purple.

25. first song you remember hearing?

probably american pie by don mclean.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

swimming

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

honestly stargazing. getting all bundled up and lying in a bunch of blankets is great. there no humidity to make the stars hazy and on a really clear night it’s beautiful.

28. five songs to describe you?

perfect - anne marie, devil’s in the canyon - the strike, orpheus - sara bareilles, rainbow - kacey musgraves, vienna - billy joel

29. best way to bond with you?

talk to me about music, animals, what you find beautiful or peaceful.

30. places that you find sacred?

any mountain top, the chapel in the pines at camp, fields of wildflowers, any waterfall.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

my black dress with big red roses and my black and white stripe heels with roses. 

32. top five favorite vines?

oh shit the tampons one, the no yelling sock, the souls of the innocent, bagel boys, that was majestic

33. most used phrase in your phone?

i have wtf set to automatically replace with what the fuck and i probably use that daily

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

i always have the cropp metcalfe jingle stuck in my head

35. average time you fall asleep?

on a work night usually between 10:30 and 11:30 but weekends its closer to midnight

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

probably those creepy u mad? and sad face drawings.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

i prefer a suitcase but not a huge one

38. lemonade or tea?

it has to be sweet tea if it’s iced

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

lemon cake. lemon meringue pie is never the right sweet/tart ratio

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

my senior yaer they locked the boys and girls bathrooms in the science wing because the boys were setting off axe bombs and the girls were smoking cigarettes

41. last person you texted?

my friend corinne

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

yes

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

yes

44. favorite scent for soap?

citrus. it just smells cleaner

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

i’m a sucker for fantasy

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

i have a couple of dresses that are stretchy but too short to be acceptable (imo) for public wear

47. favorite type of cheese?

i love mozarella

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

i’d be a peach

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

it’s chaos, be kind

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

probably just weird shit from camp

51. current stresses?

mmmmmm job hunting, packing for camp, cleaning

52. favorite font?

i can’t remember the font name but it’s like old typewriter letters

53. what is the current state of your hands?

i need to paint my nails and cut them

54. what did you learn from your first job?

that people are really fucking dumb and don’t read the fine print on their coupons

55. favorite fairy tale?

the princess and the pea

56. favorite tradition?

we always do a big pancake dinner on mardi gras

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

dealing with my hair’s natural curl pattern, and i’m gonna have to get back to you on the other two

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

i can braid hair really well, i can cook without a recipe, i made the highest swim level as a camper in 6 weeks my last year as a camper, i’m really good at cat’s cradle

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“absolutely not”

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

i don’t watch anime so i have no idea

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

“war is war and hell is hell. and of the two, war is a lot worse”

62. seven characters you relate to?

radar o’reilly, arya stark, dumplin’, carol danvers, eleanor shellstrop, wayne and daryl from letterkenny.

63. five songs that would play in your club?

gas pedal - sage the gemini, gasolina - daddy yankee, despacito - luis fonsi, bitch better have my money - rihanna, and only nicki minaj’s verse from monster

64. favorite website from your childhood?

neopets or i think it was whitesheepblacksheep but there was a site that had a maze game that was set to the music Orpheus in the Underworld

65. any permanent scars?

my right foot from being born c-section, right shin from a staph infection, left wrist and left foot from ganglion cysts, and my chin from a golf club

66. favorite flower(s)?

all of them EXCEPT for the flowers from bradford pear trees. fuck those.

67. good luck charms?

not really

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

oh god there was a grape juice my friend brenda had me try and it was just so tart it tasted like it had gone past expiration.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

i can tie and untie a hair tie with my fingers

70. left or right handed?

right handed

71. least favorite pattern?

i hate herringbone and houndstooth

72. worst subject?

the only math i breezed through was geometry

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

i really like potato chips and grape jelly

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

like a 6 or 7. unless it’s mouth pain then like a 3 at most. 

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

probably 7 or 8? i can’t remember but i DO know that my mother kept all of mine and my siblings baby teeth

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

potato gratin is amazing

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

succulents

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

coffee from a gas station specifically sheetz

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

oh god my school photo. my license photo i look like i WILL kill the photographer

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

jewel tones

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

i use both interchangeably 

82. pc or console?

i play internet games which is as far as i got with gaming. although i do really want a game cube so i can play monkeyball

83. writing or drawing?

writing

84. podcasts or talk radio?

podcasts

84. barbie or polly pocket?

i have 2 pollypockets still and i refuse to give them up

85. fairy tales or mythology?

mythology

86. cookies or cupcakes?

cookies

87. your greatest fear?

i really don’t like the dark lmao

88. your greatest wish?

mmmm i’m honestly not sure

89. who would you put before everyone else?

barack obama

90. luckiest mistake?

not checking the weekend of my brother getting married and lucking out that i bought concert tickets for the weekend before

91. boxes or bags?

bags

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

fairy lights

93. nicknames?

libby, libs, libster, “ms. teaguerson” is one i’ve gotten from a couple of kids i’ve subbed for, any version of elizabeth at this point.

94. favorite season?

fall 

95. favorite app on your phone?

i just downloaded a crosswords app and it’s fantastic

96. desktop background?

the sky being absolutely BLACK during an afternoon storm right before a big event at camp

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

i think 8

98. favorite historical era?

i really love the clothes of the 40′s

[thekimmiandjackieshow]

A Day of Being Dapper and Dining at Cinderella’s Royal Table

My phone vibrated on the cheap wooden nightstand next to my head early one Saturday morning. I turned the alarm off as quickly as possible so I didn’t wake up my roommate who had worked late the night before. Usually I hesitated to get up. Usually my alarm meant I had to get up for work. I spent a quick second double checking my work schedule as I did every day - a paranoid habit I had picked up after reading horror stories of people getting termed for going to the parks after forgetting they had work that day. Moments later I was getting ready for the most magical day ever.

See, twice a year, Disney parks become the home for a famous event known as Dapper Day. It started out as a small event in 2011 where people could showcase their style, vintage or otherwise, and roam the parks. It has since grown into an event that attracts guests from all over, even those who aren’t particularly invested in fashion. Dapper Day Events take place in Disneyland California, Walt Disney World, and Disneyland Paris, with events in both the fall and spring. I had been lucky enough to attend two spring events at Disneyland and one fall event at Walt Disney World, but I was extremely excited for the spring event at Walt Disney World. With Disneyland being a relatively easy park-hopping resort, Dapper Day Events typically take over both parks. At Walt Disney World though, the organizers of the event tend to pick a main park for the celebration. The Fall 2015 event was held at Hollywood Studios. It was really fun and had its own charm to it, but I was excited because the Spring 2016 event was being held at Magic Kingdom. While no specific era is the focus of Dapper Day, I like to imagine that Dapper Day events recreate what Disneyland would have looked like when it first opened its gates in 1955. You know, back when guests wore high heels and bow ties to the parks. I was excited to see what Magic Kingdom felt like.

It was every bit as magical as I had hoped.

Dana, Jo, and I planned to get to Dapper Day early so that we could ride the street cars down Main Street. Of course when make up and hair curlers are involved, you never leave on time. I wore the same thing I had worn the Dapper Day before, a cupcake dress I had ordered off of Etsy. There are people who design their own dresses, go all out in accessories, and have to have something new every single outing. I’ve never been that person and I’ll probably never be that person, but the cupcake dress was easily one of my favorites out of my dress collection. I checked the weather: hot, humid, with a chance of rain. Classic Florida. My hair went up in a ponytail, Dana curled it, and we were ready to go!

I’m not usually the biggest fan of Magic Kingdom. *Cue audience gasp and immediate loss of followers.* I just think Disney can update quite a few of the attractions at this point, although I recognize that it’s hard to do when you’re trying to get everything open year round for guests who are there on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation. That being said, Magic Kingdom is one of my favorite hangout parks. I love the atmosphere from Main Street to the hub, and could easily spend my entire day in front of the castle. 

We ran into the park, giddy and ready for magic. The energy on Main Street matched our excitement, and we couldn’t wait to get the day started. Jo had driven separately since she had to work later in the day, so Dana and I started off on Main Street by ourselves. The Town Square Theatre was on our right, inviting guests to come inside and meet Tinker Bell and Mickey Mouse. The wait to meet Tinker Bell was next to nothing, and I had never done it, so we skipped inside. The Cast Member greeted us, asked us how many were in our party, and invited us into the next room. It was dark inside, lit only by the shimmering pixie dust on the walls. I grabbed Dana’s hand in excitement. The Cast Member appeared in front of us and told us to say, “Pixie Dust”. As soon as the small crowd did, the pixie dust danced over to a door that had been hidden by the darkness of the room and it opened up. We shuffled into that room to find Tinker Bell playing in her forest. When it was our turn to meet her, Tinker Bell wasted no time in asking if the pumpkin muffins on my dress were real. I said I wished they were and she invited me back to have pumpkin muffins with her and her fairy friends any time. We took our picture and headed out back into the theatre. 

I couldn’t stop talking about how neat it was and what a magical start to the day it had been. Even the things that just looked like buildings from the outside were magical worlds on the inside, and it impressed me. We continued on down Main Street and ran into a Cast Member who was passing out “I’m Celebrating” buttons that already said Dapper Day 2016 on them. Even though Dapper Day is an unofficial Disney event, Disney is very much aware of when these events happen and do what they can to make the visit special for guests in the small ways they can. Dana and I grabbed buttons and pinned them on before heading to Casey’s Corner. 

Apparently Casey's Corner has their own special opening. Being a quick service food stop, it opens slightly later than the rest of the park does. They’re supposed to sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” or something like that when they open their doors. I had never heard of it but Jo and the coworkers who worked there were interested in seeing it from the outside. We waited for it, but I was soon distracted by other things. A random guest who was also celebrating Dapper Day said she liked our outfits and wanted to get a picture with us. I didn’t catch her name but she appeared to be by herself and was trying to get as many pictures as she could with people who were dressed up. 

Then, the classic Main Street music paused and Move It, Shake It, Dance It, Play It! was announced. If you know me at all, you know I’m fairly socially awkward. With characters, it’s even worse. I can tell they’re trying to communicate with me, but rarely can I tell what’s going on. So a dance party with characters would seem like my worst nightmare. But MISI actually has a very special place in my heart. It’s such an upbeat parade/dance party that you can’t help but feel anything other than excited. The “Party Up” music began, and despite the fact that I didn’t really visit Magic Kingdom all that often, I had all the words memorized. Dana and I instantly started singing along. Casey’s was opening behind us, but MISI had stolen all my attention. I looked up as Mickey Mouse passed by. He waved to me. Friends behind me laughed as their work location opened up. My roommate to my right was dancing along to the loud music pumping through speakers on the famous Main Street, USA street. Dancing to MISI had become the norm. The Florida breeze that comes right before it starts sprinkling passed by and reminded me that I was over 2,000 miles away from home, and that this was real life. The e-mail I had received months and months ago led to that very moment, and I was living the dream. 

Parade Control followed the last set of dancers towards the hub. Dana and I followed right behind, dancing and singing along. A few other dapper friends joined in on our mini parade while tourists anxiously shuffled their feet close behind, trying to get a few pictures, unaware that they were all going to get very close to the characters shortly. We followed them until they parked around the hub and then cut across to Liberty Square. We weren’t in any real hurry. Our first scheduled stop was to have a late breakfast at Sleepy Hollow. 

I had never been. It was on my bucket list of course, but had always been put on hold for other things. We got our breakfast and found a table in a corner. All of them were covered in powdered sugar, a sign of the place being good.

The powdered sugar was as messy as everybody else made it look. I tried to avoid getting any on my black dress, wondering why we had made the choice to eat at a place that was that messy when we were trying to look so fancy. Despite the messy powdered sugar falling everywhere, it was one of the best breakfasts offered inside the parks. 

After everything was cleaned up, we decided to watch the Trolley Show. Another thing I had never seen before. I was slowly checking things off my bucket list. It was part of what made the day so magical. If we had done all of the things that I normally did at Magic Kingdom, it wouldn’t have been special. It wouldn’t have been any different from any other day. But instead my day was filled with new experiences and memories specific to that day. Experience after experience filled my heart with the love I knew I’d eventually have for Magic Kingdom once I got past the homesickness it gave me for Disneyland and the resentment I had against my job. Each thing reminded me why I loved Disney. Being there was an escape. It was a place where a large majority of the people were happy and excited. It was a place I could feel good in. A place that felt like home while still being new each time. A place filled with good, positive memories. A place that allowed me to be worry-free. That day especially was a special one.

We stopped on a random curb along Main Street. I had no idea what to expect. I asked Dana if this is where we’d see the Trolley Show. She said it was a rough estimate, but it should be a good spot. Shortly after, a big blue trolley appeared around the corner. Following the trolley were performers in pastels. The boys wore bow ties, vests, and hats. The girls wore petticoats, frilled dresses with bows on the back, and their hair in large curls. The giant wheels on the trolley came to a stop while the performers danced and sang around it, welcoming us to the town in true Main Street fashion. I clicked my camera away as Dana recorded the show in 10 second intervals on SnapChat. She commented on how the trolley was different. We talked about how even the trolley wanted to partake in the holiday.

The trolley was soon on its way down Main Street again, steadily approaching the next small crowd of guests. The small spontaneous show left a smile on my face, and reminded me that Disney wasn’t only about being big and impressive, but about being detailed and thorough. The show was a continuation of the idea that everybody on Main Street truly lived in that small town and knew the mayor at the end of Town Square. The casual appearance of the performers made it feel like you had stepped into a real-life musical, where every regular citizen randomly dances together and bursts into song. I’ve always wanted to live in a world like that, so it left me feeling pretty jazzed about life. 

Of course one of the main reasons to go to Dapper Day at Walt Disney World is to get pictures around the parks. Dana and I wanted to get as many pictures as we could as early as possible so we could switch out our heels for more comfortable shoes. I had walked around in the parks in character heels before for previous Dapper Days and never had a problem. But combined with the previous 12 hour shifts, my feet were feeling extra sore. Most of our pictures were going to be in front of the castle, though we had quite a few in mind that we wanted to get. So we twirled in front of the castle, princess posed on bridges, made wishes at the wishing well, skipped to the castle steps, spread out our skirts over the hub grass fences, and took pictures of each other from every angle. At that moment we were inseparable and our day was magical, and nothing could change that.

We got pixie dusted in Fantasyland, danced in the rain, and marveled over the castle’s beauty. Jo then split off to be with coworkers, so Dana and I headed off on our own path. After changing into more comfortable shoes, we made a plan of what to do next. During Dapper Day, an artist who does unofficial Disney buttons was passing out free Dapper related buttons. I had gotten one the semester before after Joy introduced us to him, and this time he was giving hints about where he was on Snapchat. Dana and I were determined. We went around Magic Kingdom and ended up waiting by the People Mover for a while. All of a sudden we got a text from Jo saying that he was right next to her back in Fantasyland. The two of us raced to the back of the park, hopeful that he would still be there when we got there. There he was, stopped by a small crowd who had discovered him. We said the magic word, picked out our buttons, and had achieved our mission from the day.

Shortly after, Main Street was preparing for Festival of Fantasy. We waited impatiently on the curb, ready to sing along and wave to our favorite characters. The parade rounded the hub and started down Main Street as the guests of Magic Kingdom were welcomed and invited to be part of the magic. Our dreams came true, our hearts soared, and we lived for being part of the magic as the parade passed before us. Just another day living in Walt Disney World.

During our day, I realized that an old friend was visiting Magic Kingdom. She hadn’t realized it was Dapper Day, but was in town and was stopping by Walt Disney World with family. I messaged her and we had agreed to get together right after the parade for a quick catch up and a picture. Bri and I had met during my first Disney Cruise in 2011. I had gone to Alaska - a 7 night cruise on the Disney Wonder. Every night, since night one, the early 20′s college-aged club would meet up with an entertainment host in a club along “Route 66″. We’d play games, watch live entertainment, dance, and do just about anything. Even after the regular meet-up times were over, we’d hang out around the ship talking about life and bonding. Our little group got pretty close and we managed to stay in touch with Facebook and whatnot after the cruise ended. Bri and I had also gotten together again in 2013 when I sailed on the Disney Dream with my mom. She was working as an Entertainment Host on the Dream at the time, and we were very excited to meet up with each other. Then, on Main Street, on Dapper Day, we were reunited again.

The two of us got to chat briefly about our lives as Cast Members before she had to catch up with her family for the rest of her vacation. It was yet another magical moment to add to our list of magical moments for the day. We wished each other well and went our separate ways.

Dana and I still had a few ideas of pictures we could take along Main Street. Before we did that, we started to think about what we wanted the rest of our day to look like. I wanted to try to ride Space Mountain in a big fluffy dress, explore Tom Sawyer’s Island, and see if any table service restaurant had any walk-ins available. Dana agreed. I had been to Be Our Guest several times and was ready to try some of the other restaurants in Magic Kingdom. The Lady and the Tramp inspired restaurant on Main Street caught my eye, and I mentioned to Dana that we should try there. Then she said something crazy. She said we should check to see if Cinderella’s Royal Table had anything open.

Cinderella’s Royal Table is a restaurant on the second story of Cinderella Castle. It is one of the most popular restaurants on Disney property. Not only is it in the iconic castle with stunning views of Fantasyland, but it is a princess meet and greet dining experience. Sometimes day-of cancellations happen, but they don’t happen that frequently because it costs money to cancel the reservation. I tried not to get too excited as we raced towards the castle. The odds of getting a table there were slim to none. An old roommate of mine had told me stories of times that she had waited on waitlists for the restaurant and never got in. I had never even put it on my bucket list because it didn’t seem possible. 

Dana walked up to the Cast Member working the front desk to ask if there was any magical way that a table had opened up for that evening. A table on any random day would’ve been a miracle, but on Dapper Day - a day where guests love to sit down to fancy dinner in their fancy attire? I wasn’t holding my breath. The Cast Member didn’t miss a beat. 

“Does 10:00pm work for you?”

We stopped. It took us a few seconds to register what was happening. Dana turned to me with a questioning look.

“I can stay until 10:00,” I said.

We agreed. We’d stay all day and finish our day at Cinderella’s Royal Table. It didn’t feel real.

The Cast Member gave us a slip of paper with our names and a return time on it. She told us we’d be one of the last tables seated. We couldn’t believe it.

It was still day time and we had so much time before the end of the day. I put the slip of paper safely in my purse, still half wondering if it was even valid. I couldn’t believe all the magic that was happening. With excitement rushing through our bodies, we skipped down Main Street for more pictures.

One of my favorite parts about working and living in Walt Disney World is the feeling that you know everybody. When you’re on vacation there, you pretty much know the people you’re there with. Living there is entirely different. While wondering the park you may spontaneously bump into friends who are also there enjoying their day off. Or you may walk right into a friend who is working somewhere. Running into people everywhere you go makes the place feel more like home. Instead of being filled with strangers, the place is filled with friends. Dapper Day was no exception. We stumbled into a few of my coworkers that day who were also celebrating Dapper Day!

We were so focused on getting pictures throughout the day that we weren’t really focused on any of the attractions. I had mentioned trying to ride Space Mountain in a giant fluffy dress, but we ended up passing on that and heading to Big Thunder instead. The line was short and we had time to spare, so we hopped on. Shortly after, we raced over to Tom Sawyer’s Island. I had never spent a lot of time there and I never seemed to have time to do it on my visits to Magic Kingdom, so it made the list of things to do that day. It had actually been a while since I had stayed at Magic Kingdom until closing time. 

Tom Sawyer’s Island isn’t usually favored for Dapper Day. The dusty paths and barrel bridges are not ideal for fancy dresses and heels. We of course had already ditched our heels hours beforehand, and the dirt didn’t really bother us. The loud roar of our raft drowned out the murmurs of guests as we trekked over the water and to the island. The two of us skipped down swaying bridges, bounced on barrels, and relaxed in the shade of the trees for a while. 

As we took a break from the warm sun and crowds on the mainland, we looked up the menu for Cinderella’s Royal Table. It had occurred to me that I had never actually looked at what they served because I had written it off as impossible. Looking at the options made us even more excited. We talked quite a bit about how living at Walt Disney World is really the main reason we got the chance to go there. On a standard vacation, we wouldn’t have been able to change our plans up that much and probably wouldn’t have even checked for a table there. Even if we had, we’d most likely be vacationing during a time when we didn’t have to be in school or work, meaning the parks would be significantly more crowded. Magical moments happen on vacations all the time, of course, but spontaneously eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table with a roommate on a random day off between two work days was honestly the reason I went to do the Disney College Program. We then realized that Dana’s umbrella was missing and raced back to a raft to see if we could find it somewhere on the mainland. On the raft we realized that it was probably left behind at Big Thunder, so we asked a Cast Member there to check their Lost and Found. Sure enough, her umbrella was discovered. Another magical save.

The sun was starting to set over Magic Kingdom. The clouds turned pink and the lights on the buildings of Main Street started to flicker on. The morning’s high energy and fast paced atmosphere had relaxed into a calmer evening. Guests who had started their day with tons of plans and little time were now slowing down. Main Street was growing quieter as guests finished off their last few attractions before heading back to the castle to watch the final nighttime spectaculars. Dana and I headed to the train station for, of course, more pictures.

We took our time looking over Main Street from the train station. Watching the magic of the park from above was surreal. It felt like looking in from the outside. Cast Members at kiosks below were waving with Mickey gloves and taking a knee to trade pins with little guests. Fresh popcorn was popping. Guests were pointing out details to their families and friends, kids stared in awe at the majestic castle in the distance, and families were sitting down on the curb with ice cream just people watching from down below. Main Street is so simple, and yet still so magical. 

The sun disappeared but the warm humidity stuck around. Time passed and crowds gathered in front of the castle for the fireworks. Dana and I brainstormed a plan. Celebrate the Magic was always just before Wishes, the fireworks show at Magic Kingdom. Wishes was set to go off at 9:00pm and was about a 13 minute show. We were told to arrive for our reservation at Cinderella’s Royal Table 15 minutes early, so we needed to be on the other side of the castle by 9:45pm. It sounded easy enough. The trouble was, in order to help with crowd control, the castle was completely blocked off. Instead of being able to walk right through the castle from Main Street and straight on to Cinderella’s Royal Table, we would have to go around. The small pathway leading around the castle and right to Fantasyland was also blocked off, so our best bet was to go through Liberty Square and around. How fast we’d be able to do that was dependent on how fast the crowds were able to move after the fireworks. We contemplated skipping Celebrate the Magic, watching Wishes from behind the castle, and then heading to Cinderella’s Royal Table, but Celebrate was my favorite show and I definitely didn’t want to miss it on our incredibly magical day. I couldn’t think of a more magical way to end the day.

Cinderella Castle went dark, magical light instrumentals played, and a projection of Tinker Bell danced on the castle. My eyes instantly filled with tears. Just the day before, I had wished to go home. I had moved to Florida from Southern California with every intention of going back. But my parents had made the move to Texas shortly after I moved to Florida, so there was nothing much to go back to in SoCal. My girlfriend and I had planned to move in together in North Carolina, but I had only visited NC one time. I was excited, but it hardly felt like home. Everything had changed during my program. Not just me but everything I had expected my life to be. I wanted to call Walt Disney World my home, but I also constantly wanted to leave. That night, as the sketches of Walt flipped across the castle, the pressure of finding home released. Right then, I knew I was home. It wasn’t what I had always called home, but it was my new home, and it was magical. It wasn’t just Walt Disney World that was my home though. It was all of Orlando. I knew the best routes to get to work. I knew where to find the cheapest gas. I had my favorite grocery store and knew exactly where to find everything. I went to nearby concerts, clubs, malls, restaurants, etc. An evening out didn’t just mean going to the parks. Sometimes we all went out to Cheesecake Factory because it was nearby and we all loved it. We lived normal lives with just an extra touch of magic. I knew right then that even though I hadn’t always had the best time on my program, I was one of the lucky ones. Dana and I usually would have been singing every word along with the show, but we were silenced to tears as we both thought about how magical our lives had become. The darkness only lasted a moment before Wishes began. I’m not one to get emotional over Wishes, but that night I was a wreck. Tinker Bell flew overhead, flares shot over the castle recreating the image we grew up seeing before our favorite movies, and Jiminy Cricket reminded us to wish upon a star and dream. Wishes ended and while the crowd cheered and paused to take pictures in front of the castle, Dana and I weaved through towards Liberty Square. Of course we had 30 minutes to walk around, so we really had plenty of time, but we were so nervous about losing our table that we didn’t hesitate. We got there early enough to stop and stare at the back of the castle. 

Just a floor above the entry way of the castle sat one of the most popular restaurants in Walt Disney World. The large windows shone brightly on Fantasyland as guests inside enjoyed a magical dinner. I had imagined what the inside looked like for years. I had wondered what the view looked like from the inside of the castle. I had taken as many pictures of the back of the castle as I had the front. I had also always walked away from it, knowing I’d probably never have the chance to really know. That night, we were going to find out. It probably seems silly to people to hear how excited we were about a restaurant, but the chance to be inside the castle, even if it’s just for a moment, is something that most fans of the park long for. We paused to take pictures before walking up to the restaurant to check in.

I half expected the Cast Members to tell me it had all been a joke. I was sure that the pink slip of paper granting us access to our reservation would be lost somewhere in the park earlier that day. I really didn’t believe that any of it was real. I found the pink slip with our names on it and gave it to the Cast Member to check in. Waiting on a bench nearby was Kassidy, a friend of mine from my work location. She was waiting with her friend for a spontaneous late night reservation of her own and was just as shocked as we were to have gotten a table. We were told that we would be one of the last ones seated for the night and that we could take our time exploring the castle after we were done since the restaurant would be closed. Our table was ready almost immediately. 

We were let in through the large wooden doors and were told to walk on the red carpet towards Cinderella. The inside of the castle was beautiful. Stained glass windows were painted with the blue birds that had helped Cinderella wear her first formal dress. Swords were crossed behind a shield that bore one of the many coat of arms displayed inside the castle. Research dictates that over 40 coat of arms are displayed, each dedicated to a person important to the history of Disney. The tall ceilings and stone walls were lit by simple chandeliers. In the empty spaces around the windows hung large quilts with pieces of Cinderella’s story. Around the bend, stood Cinderella. 

To the left of Cinderella was a large regal fireplace. Behind her were tall royal blue curtains that fell behind some tall swirling plants. A photographer snapped pictures for families as excited princesses raced up to Cinderella for a hug. The line was short, but we wouldn’t have cared if it were long because there was so much to look at. Our turn approached and we walked up to meet her. She welcomed us to her castle, complimented our princess dresses, and wished us a magical evening. 

The photographer guided us to the staircase wrapped in stone in front of us. The blue carpet was covered in pixie dust from all the princesses that had makeovers in Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique before making their way to Cinderella’s Royal Table. The stone walls opened themselves up to a small balcony that overlooked Cinderella’s meet and greet below. It was already almost entirely empty.

I took pictures of absolutely everything, refusing to forget the detailing inside. Before we got to the dining hall, we found the restrooms. I was once told to always go inside the restroom of a fancy restaurant because you’ll never know what you’ll find. I was actually told this for the first time at Club 33 at Disneyland by a waiter who could tell it was a once-in-a-liftetime experience for us.  The second time I heard it was on the Disney Dream on a tour of the reservation-only restaurants. Inside the women’s restroom were gold-plated sinks. Actual gold. From then on I have been convinced that Disney hides some of their best detailing in restrooms that are off the beaten path. I told Dana this and we both agreed to go inside and check them out. It was pretty but nothing too spectacular. 

Finally we walked up the rest of the stairs to the dining hall. It was glorious. The middle of the dining hall was slightly lower than the outskirts of the restaurant. Flags and lights filled the open ceiling over head. The windows overlooking Fantasyland were dark with the night sky, revealing just the twinkling lights of the carrousel below. We were sat at a table on the elevated outskirts of the restaurant and greeted by our waiter. Our visible excitement was enough to earn us both a Wishing Star and a magic wand, gifts that are usually saved for much younger princesses. The waiter set our menus down in front of us, introduced us to the restaurant, informed us of how the character meet and greet would go, and left to let us soak everything in.

Shortly after, an announcement was made to the entire restaurant. The princesses were arriving. I have done a few character dining experiences in my life, but never a princess one. To me, they’ve always been a little awkward. While you’re eating, the characters come up to say hi and get a picture. It results in an awkward pause in whatever you’re eating and a weird shuffling around the tables to get the picture you want. I was worried Cinderella’s Royal Table would feel like that, but it was perfectly executed. There was plenty of space to get up and take pictures with them and nothing felt rushed. Everybody in the restaurant applauded as the princesses walked in and started making their rounds to the different tables. 

Snow White, seeing the cupcakes on my dress, asked if I enjoyed baking. She invited me to come over and bake with her and the dwarfs any time! After that, Ariel and Dana twirled in their fluffy skirts together. There had never been a more magical dinner.

The food, of course, had also been fantastic. My favorite part was the themed dessert. Dana and I made sure to get different ones so we could experience as much of menu as we could. I got a lemon dessert that was incredible. Dana and I both thought it tasted like something (besides just lemon of course) but we couldn’t put our finger on it. We started just calling it lemon magic because everything inside the castle was probably made of pure magic anyway. 

As we were eating, the wishing ceremony took place. I had never heard of the wishing ceremony before. The only reason I knew about the wishing stars was because my roommate had obtained a few during her time in the castle. The castle grew silent as we were told to make a wish on our wishing stars and wave our wands in the air. Dana and I waved and waved them around as the ceiling above us twinkled with all of our wishes. Unfortunately, our waiter was un-phased by the event and tried to ask us questions during the ceremony. I don’t think he realized that two young adults would be very into it considering it was geared towards the younger ones. We brushed him off until he got the hint and stood to the side, waiting for us to be done wishing. While it bothered us at first, the overall magic of the day was enough to make us forgive him. After all, he probably saw the wishing ceremony hundreds of times a day and at a certain point, I’ll bet it just becomes part of the noise. I felt lucky that I hadn’t lost that much of the magic. 

By the time we were done, the restaurant was almost empty. We double checked with the waiter to see if it was okay if we roamed the castle to take pictures. Luckily the tables against the windows were almost entirely cleared out, so we walked right up to the glass to get the best view of Fantasyland. 

We made our way down the sparkled blue steps and paused for more pictures. With no guests trying to make their way up or down, we were able to take as many pictures as we wanted. The Cast Members were all really nice too, probably very used to overly-excited guests capturing every possible magical moment they could. 

Downstairs, Cinderella was no longer welcoming guests to her castle. There was nobody around the large echoey room. I wondered if we could get pictures at Cinderella’s picture spot before leaving. Dana walked right up and sat down, figuring that anything they didn’t want touched would be blocked off. I couldn’t imagine finishing my meal and walking back down to seeing guests still in line to meet her. I would have left wanting more pictures, more time, and more freedom than the structure that’s in place during the day. The empty castle was part of what made the night so magical for us, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.

We walked out of the castle overwhelmed by the night. Neither of us could believe that we had just twirled with princesses in Cinderella Castle, eating pure magic while wishing on a star, and finishing it off by skipping through an almost empty castle. I completely forgot that Magic Kingdom had already closed for the night and was working towards emptying the park while we were upstairs. The area was empty and we took the opportunity to take even more pictures.

Main Street looked beautiful with all the lights shining on a completely empty street. The music seemed louder than ever with no guests nearby chatting or screaming. There were no ECV horns sounding, no crowds to work our way through, nobody standing in our pictures... just the sound of the famous Main Street music as we walked towards the front of the park. We turned around to get one last look of the castle, standing tall, lit beautifully, with nobody around. It was hard to imagine that we were just inside that very building, eating and wishing and dancing with princesses. In fact it was hard to believe any of the magic that had happened that day. It truly is the Most Magical Place on Earth, and that day, we felt so lucky to call it home.

*I found out that pictures become blurry when viewed on the dashboard. If viewed directly on the blog page, the blurry images become clear again. I’ve looked up work arounds as the image quality issue only happens in text posts when viewed on the dashboard, but the workarounds have failed me.*