#does anybody else remember the gem dogs

[appri-dot]

Why didn't twilight let gemdogs into her school huh 🤨🤨 princess of what now?

[survey--s]

660.

What do you want more than anything else? A horse. Or a house that doesn't need constant work doing to it.

Do you have to cross any bridges on your way home? It depends where I'm coming from, but there are a few I cross on my way to/from work most days.

What type of phone do you have? iPhone 11.

Have you ever tried coconut water? Yeah, it's pretty gross. I like coconuts but not the water.

Are you able to keep a lid on your temper? Yes, when necessary.

What colour are the blankets on your bed? Our duvet cover is white with pink and purple butterflies on it. The blanket I use on the sofa is burgundy and cream.

What was the last thing you said aloud? "Archie, there's nobody there - shut up!".

Is there anybody who makes you feel empowered? No. I don't really feel like that ever, though.

Does your house have a basement? Nope.

How many online accounts do you have? Or have you lost count? God, hundreds of them lol.

Which Asian country would you like to visit the most? Japan.

Who was your first love? A boy named Joshua.

Are you the type to hold grudges? Not really, but I don't find it easy to forgive people either.

What was the last video game you played? Gems of War.

What’s your favourite flavour of vitamin water? I've only ever had blackcurrant flavour and it was pretty blah, really.

Are there any bands/artists that get you all emotional? Hmm, not really. Certain songs do, though.

What do you think about double stuff oreos? I like any kind of Oreo, really.

Are you happy in your own skin? Sure.

Have you ever been to a convention? (comic, Youtube, etc.) Yeah, for fashion once.

Do you have any disgusting habits? Probably lol.

Can you get your favourite fruit all year around, or is it seasonal? It's seasonal but you can buy it year-round.

What brand are most of the electronics in your household? A real mixture, honestly. There's no one brand that dominates.

Is any part of your body hurting right now? No but I am feeling really cold for some reason.

What’s your favourite aunt or uncle’s first name? Phillida, Gary, Cath.

Do you prefer your tea with or without milk? With milk, unless it's green tea.

What sound makes you cringe? Whining dogs or yapping dogs..

Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Yes.

If so, do you still smoke? No.

What do you think about androgynous names? I don't really have an opinion, to be honest.

Do you see yourself getting married one day? I've been married for five years.

Do you get sick often? No, not since I left retail and got a job working alone.

Who was the last person you invited into your home? Susie came over a couple of weeks ago.

Are you of legal drinking age in the country you live in? Yes. I have been for years.

How old were your parents when they got engaged? Mid-twenties. I couldn't tell you the exact ages.

Are your parents still together? Yes.

What flavour was the last ice cream you ate? I can't remember, honestly.

Are you health conscious? No.

Have you ever done a first aid course? I've done one for animals but not for humans.

If so, would you be prepared to perform CPR if necessary? .

Are you for or against gay marriage? I don't understand how anyone can be against it, tbh.

Do you have any friends who bat for the other team? Yes - relatives too.

Have you ever written a letter to a politician? Yeah, I'm sure I did when I was younger.

Are there any songs that get stuck in your head very easily? I get all sorts of songs stuck in my head.

[pettyprocrastination]

Hi! I'm one of your kofi anons! I got such a kick out of seeing your post to whoever was the original one that I thought it would be fun to send you the second one! It was just a random act of kindness....but if you want to pay it forward to the fandom...I would take any kind of thots about our boys + lingerie. Would they like to see it, buy it for you, try it on for you, save it? Ezra, Frankie, Javi P., & Max P. are my faves. 😁

MY BELOVED DARLING ANON HELLO HELLO HELLO

I am SO sorry this response took for-fucking-ever to write!! but please now youre message and kind donation has been in my heart (and my class payments lmao) for a while now. I've been slowly chipping away at this ask for the past few weeks, working on it between final exams/papers, I do hope you enjoy it!! This was less focused on the boys wearing lacy things and more on the reader, I hope that's alright!!

warnings: sexual themes, talk of lingerie, talk of smut. 

characters: Max Philips, Javier Pena, Ezra, Francisco Morales

tagging folks who may be interested: @thesadvampire @captainsamwlsn @mostly-megan @fleetwoodmactshirt @ithinkhesgaybutwesavedmufasa @ficsilike-reblogged @cinewhore @humanransome-note @pedrostories @max--phillips

Link to kofi if anybody wishes to make a little donation (obviously not mandatory or needed): Here

Ezra

Now I think ezra is a man that just savors the body in general. As are all of the pedro boys but I think him especially given he seems to be one that is always working. When you spend your days sweating away in a suit and finally get to peel it off, you won’t be wearing some lacy underthings beneath it that offer you no comfort nor support. So it isn’t something sees with his usual trysts unless he charmed his way into the arms of a dolled up-debutante playing commoner in the bathroom of a seedy bar before they go back to their rich life. So when you, his lover, his friend, his partner in life and crime and dig after dig, present yourself to him in bold colors of intricate lace. My god does he relish in it. He runs his hands over the fabric, tugging and mapping out the feeling of the soft lace against your calloused and well worked skin. He never rips it though, one would expect him to, he’s a man of passion who can be impulsive to act, but he knows the money you spent on this, the hard working hours used to buy something so simple and pretty that you wear so well that if Ezra saw it on anybody else he’d consider it a cardinal sin. 

He doesn’t rip them, but he may steal them. Not in a dubious way. But after fucking you into a state of bliss that slowlt faded away as you both began to dress in silence, he’ll snatch up the lace panties he had tugged off with his teeth just hours ago and slip them into his pocket with that crooked grin you hate to love and offer you a look of sardonic sympathy when you scoff at him. 

“It’s something to remember you by, gem. You can’t enchant a man and then expect him not to want a memento to hold onto in your time apart.”

He had countless other mementos. The notes you had scribbled in the margins of his books you read while on jobs together. The scars of the wounds you stitched up in the cramped tent after warding off a pack of thieves. But the garment reminds him of your shy smile as you spread out beneath him and the way you would smile against his lips. 

Javi P.

As somebody who frequented brothels, Javier is a man who is used to tugging lace off his lovers without snagging a single thread. He enjoys the sight of his partners in lingerie just as much as the rest. He’s the “office dog” as it were, he knew what secretary wore blue and which wore pink. Not in a derogatory way, and it wasn’t something he would spread to other DEA agents. But he got around the office and didn’t feel shame in it. Javier learned a lot about you before learning what color of lace you wore against your body. What type of coffee you liked, how the bodega across the street was your go-to for breakfast when you were in a rush to get to the embassy. The way you snorted if he got you to laugh when you were just a little tipsy and the way you always adjusted the rug in your living room whenever you came home. It was after learning all these things and more, that he finally saw you, that you let him, see you adorned in lace and soft colors that made him forget every other woman in the world. Max P.

Oh max, my sweet sweet bastard man. With the money he gets from being sales manager AND the sheer fucking confidence this mother fucker has? He will stride right into a lingerie store with you and not feel a single ounce of shame. Fuck, you could tell him your favorite color and he’d stop by the goddamn place after work to pick it up for you as an anniversary present while keeping a happy-go-lucky grin on his face as he hands the cashier his card while they bag the downright shameful outfits he bought you. 

If you work with him? Please wear them to work. You don’t have to tell him you have them on, or even send him a picture. Just a well-timed stretch in his field of vision that’s enough for him to see the lace peeking out from under your waistband is enough to get him to quickly wrap up his conference call and poke his head around your desk with a sharp smile and “mind popping into my office for a moment? I’d like to have a chat :):):)” 

Frankie

Our darling Francisco Morales is a stark contrast to Max. Now don’t get me wrong, this man loves lingerie and loves seeing you in it. But he still does get a little fidgety when he walks into the store with you. He offers polite but tense smiles to the employees but does his best to draw as little attention to himself as humanly possible. Follows closely behind you as you browse. When it comes to you offering his style advice you’d expect him to be the “you’d great in anything babe.” type of guy. Which i mean, he kind of is, the man worships you. But he knows what styles and colors you like best and that “this color really looks nice against your skin” or “won’t this underwire bother you?” because our man PAYS ATTENTION!!

He does his best not to rip or tear things in the moment but he’s so passionate that sometimes he just can’t help it. There has been many a time of your husband mumbling a rushed “ill replace it” against your lips after you hear the loud rip of your negligee and gasp because “that wasn’t cheap, Francisco.” Of course you’ll never complain of your husband showing passion for you, worshiping you, because that he does really. It doesn’t matter whether you're wearing black garters or a pair of plain cotton panties that came in a 4-pack from Walmart and his old college sweatshirt, he sees you as utterly divine no matter what. 

[xoxo-teddybear]

Oh, The Lies You Tell - Bakugou Katsuki - pt. 1

Bakugou x f!reader

Warnings: angst, trauma, abuse, betrayal, fluff, slice of life, smut, cursing, manipulation, possible spoilers, physical harm, 18+

BAKUGOU’S MASTERLIST

Ep. Warnings: cursing, mentions of abuse and manipulation, slice of life(ish), manga spoilers!!

A/N: Ok so this is just what I daydream about, and since ima tv addict, I’m involving some “Avatar: The Last Airbender” related things, but a little different. This is more of an introduction to our character but I hope you enjoy!

Pt.1 Pt.2 Pt.3 Pt.4 Pt.5 Pt.6 Pt.7 Pt.8 Pt.9

Summary: It’s Y/N’s first day at UA.....as a “former” villain

“Y/N L/N. She’s a new transfer student. Treat her with your respect and do your best to take care of her.” The tired teacher spoke.

“.......Hey. Please treat me well.” The intimidating girl said as she bowed in respect.

Now if you were to see Y/N on the streets as a stranger, you wouldn’t even think she would have this threatening aura. The class agreed. She’s gorgeous. From a far, you would think she’s a sweetheart, But the girl had a cold, calm stare in her E/C eyes. There was actually no way to describe it. It was just chilling to the bone.

Not only that, but it was clear you were a little rebel. Mainly because of the way you decided to change up your uniform. Your sleeves were torn off to make your button up top some sort of tight fitted turtle neck with a tie that was complimenting your busty figure. Especially since it was tightly tucked into your skirt, pressing against your torso instead of loosely sitting in there like the other girls. You also added a small dark brown belt to cover where your skirt and top meet. Your waist gave the perfect show of how curvaceous you truly were. Your thighs were deliciously thick and your ass must’ve been a perfect peach, considering it caused your skirt to seem a little too small for you. Instead of the typical shoes and knee high socks, you opted for thigh high dark brown leather boots that folded at the top to match your belt. No heel though, of course. Gotta keep it casual. You finished off your rebellious look with a pair of black leather fingerless gloves. Do you look like trouble? Yup. Do you look hot as hell though? You bet.

“You may be seated next to Katsuki Bakugou.” Your new teacher spoke. Before anybody else could give an indication of who this “Bakugou” boy was, an electric blonde spoke up.

“Be careful with that one pretty lady, he’s our resident hot head.” The boy spoke while the entire class giggled.

“Shut it dunce face.” Your eyes shifted from one blonde to another. This time with a spiky head of ash blonde hair and piercing red eyes. As you walk towards your new seat, you made eye contact with the spiky blonde, you saw the look on his face. Just like everyone else, a face of fear and shock, except this time the person didn’t know who you were.

Bakugou could definitely say upon first glance, you were definitely something fierce. It threw him off just how powerful your presence was. He quickly turned away as you took your seat.

As class began, everyone had their eyes on Y/N. Some admiring her beauty, others wary of her aura, and some too nervous to mention their newfound fear of her. In the middle of Mr. Aizawa’s boring lecture, a scratch at the door could be heard.

‘A scratch?’ Everyone thought. But Y/N knew exactly who it was.

When Mr. Aizawa went to open the door, in came what appears to be a wolf-dog. Mr. Aizawa seemed to casually accept it and just expected you to explain. He was too tired to deal with this crazy shit.

“Oh..there you are Rumor. Took you long enough to find this place.” The creature, also somehow intimidating, simply just huffed at the girl and layed down next to her seat in between her and Bakugou.

“L/N, please explain to the class why Rumor is here. They clearly seem to be confused.” Y/N looked around the room to see her new classmates staring at her and her furry friend.

“*sigh* he’s my animal companion.” You simply stated. Apparently it didn’t satisfy your peers because a freckled, green haired boy spoke up.

“Animal companion? Like a service dog?” The timid boy asked. You secretly rolled your eyes at the fact you’ll have to answer this question again. That is until Bakugou spoke.

“You damn nerd, if he was a service dog, she woulda said that now, don’t ‘cha think?” ‘Dunce face and a damn nerd huh? Wonder what new nickname this hedgehog will give me.’ Your little quip made you give the smallest smile with a quiet laugh to yourself

What you didnt realize was that during your little moment, Bakugou was watching you the entire time. He fought the blush that was threatening to rise and successfully won. ‘The hell?’ Bakugou thought. Since when did he blush?

“He’s right. Rumor isn’t my service dog, he’s my animal companion. And no, not my pet. He’s more like a close friend. My best friend if anything. He’s also not a dog either, he’s a changeling.” You explained hoping someone else knew what a changeling was. Thankfully, the “damn nerd” did.

“Changeling? I thought they were just a myth.” He said. “What the heck is a changeling, Deku?” You turned and saw it was a girl with a round face and pink cheeks. ‘Deku? How rude’ you thought to yourself.

“Changelings were rumored to be magical like beasts who could take the form of any animal they chose. Those forms could be as real as eagles and bears or as mythical as dragons and unicorns. They could also change the size of their form too. Am I right, L/N?” Deku asked you.

“You’re completely right, Deku.” The green haired boy blushed at his nickname on your tongue. “Rumor can be any creature I command. His wolf-dog form is his casual form though. It’s the form he took at birth I guess.”

“You guess?” Bakugou asked.

“Yes, I guess. I didn’t have Rumor since he was born. I found him while I was on a walk in the forest. We just clicked, and he followed me home. That’s when I discovered his powers and what he was, and seeing that changelings were only rumored to have existed, I thought it would’ve been a fitting name. We’ve been together ever since, and not only does he work as a friend, he’s a fighter too. He’s like a partner to me which is exactly why principle Nezu allowed him to attend UA with me. I guess you could say he’s part of my...uhm..quirk” You thoroughly explained. You couldn’t help it. You loved talking about Rumor. He was your best friend and definitely one of a kind.

Rumor looked up at you and barked. You turned to pet him on the head and gave him a little smile. Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the resident hot head, which once again caused him to fight back a blush. ‘The fuck is going on with me today?’ The blonde thought to himself. Finally satisfied with the answers, the class picked up where they left off and continued to learn about quirks which didn’t seem all that useful to you since....you don’t have one.

——————————————————————————

Later

“Remember, we will all be meeting at gym gamma tomorrow morning, so don’t bother coming to the classroom. Just meet up there with any comfortable gym wear.” Mr. Aizawa said at the end of the day.

“Yes sir!” The class all said. “L/N stay behind, I need to speak to you and Rumor.” The tired teacher said with a yawn.

“Yes sir.” You calmly replied.

As the class gathered their things to leave, some came up to speak to you. First it was Deku and the round faced girl.

“Welcome to UA L/N. My name is Izuku Midoriya!” Deku said.

“Oh my apologies. I thought I heard that your name was Deku.” You said so nonchalantly with your sweet voice.

“Well it’s just a nickname that started up with Kacchan.” The boy was now blushing in slight embarrassment while rubbing the back of his head.

“Kacchan? I’m sorry, I don’t know who that is.” You said.

“Oh right! My bad, Kacchan is Bakugou. It’s a name I gave him during our childhood.” He stated.

“Seems a little mean.” You chuckled

“Yeah but he’s always been like that.” The boy smiled with a small laugh.

“I think I can tell. He must be really nice to Deku and Dunce face.”

You both shared a laugh at your little sarcastic poke at the explosive blonde that the girl was feeling a little left out.

“Anyways, I’m Ochako Uraraka! I was really hoping I could talk to you more but Deku over here can’t seem to keep his mouth shut.” the girl slightly teased.

“Meh. No worries. We’re gonna be stuck together for the next few years. We have plenty of time to get to know each other.” You so kindly spoke as you gathered your stuff.

“Totally! We can-“ Uraraka was cut off by a very handsome two toned boy with a scar. He definitely reminded you of some you knew. You watched as he came up to speak to Midoriya.

“Hey, Midoriya. Did you want to...” you tuned out his conversation. You simply just stared at him in awe. No doubt about it. He was definitely Dabi’s brother. But he was a whole lot more handsome.

The boy caught onto your staring and introduced himself.

“Hello L/N, my name is Shoto Todoroki. You may know me from my father, Endeavor, but I assure you, I’m nothing like him. In fact it’s safe to say I hate him.” He stated ever so calmly. ‘Wow. So blunt. And I guess hating Endeavor runs in the family’

“Hey it’s fine. I get it, daddy issues.” You nervously laughed but this seemed to strike an interest in Todoroki as he seem to have wanted to continue bashing both of your fathers until he was interrupted by Bakugou.

“You’re in my way Icy-hot.” ‘Jeez, another nickname?’ You thought.

“Then move to another side.” Todoroki quickly came back with.

This caused you to now openly give a quiet laugh, you could already tell what kind of relationship those two have. During your small laugh, Bakugou once again caught himself staring, except this time, he was caught. And it was by you.

You both made eye contact once again. As he stared into your E/C colored eyes, and you stared into his rubied gems, you both grew a slight blush on your cheeks and the 3 standing next to you both took notice.

“Hey..” you sweetly said.

“..........hey.” He replied and quickly looked away embarrassed. That peaceful little moment made your heart stir. Something that hasn’t happened in a long time. If felt calming, loving, happy...and weird and confusing. Thankfully, Dunce face came up to flip the switch.

“Wow Kacchaaannn,” the electric blonde said wiggling his brows. “Never seen you blush like that. You got a little crush on the new gir-“

“SHUT UP SPARK PLUG!” Bakugou exclaimed as he quickly made his way out of the classroom.

“Hey why you gotta be so mean all the time man!” Dunce face cried out.

“I SAID SHUT UP” Bakugou screamed from down the hall. ‘Well he certainly is interesting.....and cute’

“Ah jeez, whatever,” the blonde sighed before you seemed to have caught his attention.

“Well hey there pretty lady,” he started “I’m Denki Kaminari and you are one gorgeous girl. And you definitely got a rockin’ bod-“ he was cut off by our scary teacher.

“That’s enough Kaminari, I need to speak to L/N. Now all of you, out.” He commanded.

They all took their leave thinking about how cool and kind you were. Oh how wrong they were. The little act you put up sure was convincible. Hell, the only thing you genuinely meant was that Todoroki and Bakugou were cute and the blush that came up whenever Bakugou stared at you. You still couldn’t explain it but you brushed it off.

When all were gone, you mentally took notes of their names and possible quirks.

Izuku Midoriya. Alias: Damn Nerd and Deku. Quirk: unknown.

Ochako Uraraka. Alias: unknown. Quirk: unknown.

Shoto Todoroki. Alias: Icy-hot. Quirk: possibly related to cold and heat

Denki Kaminari. Alias: Dunce Face and Spark Plug. Quirk: possibly related to electricity

Katsuki Bakugou. Alias: Kacchan. Quirk: unknown

“L/N.” Your teacher snapped you out of your quick thought and got you focused.

“You seemed to be very comfortable with telling them about Rumor.” Mr. Aizawa said with an eyebrow raised.

“Well he is my best friend. I could go on and on about Rumor for hours if people didn’t stop me. And you can’t lie, he is pretty interesting. Especially his fighting style. You would know all about that, wouldn’t you....Eraser Head?” You said with a sinister smile.

You were well aware that Aizawa knew Rumor’s capabilities very well. You were also aware he knew much about yours too. I mean, you both have fought each other before. And one of you almost didn’t make it out alive. Hint hint, it wasn’t you.

“You are to address me as Aizawa Sensei or Mr. Aizawa, Titania.” He sternly said.

“Ouch, the villain name? I thought the past was the past. There’s a good inside me, dont you remember? You were the one who said it after all. You were even the one who recommended an S-Class villain like me should join UA.” You snidely replied.

*flashback*

As you fought against the skilled pro, you could tell he was getting weaker and weaker by the second. You used your air bending to push him back, crushing him into the wall, and keep him far away. Before you could send Rumor in to finish the job, a hand on your shoulder stopped you.

“Kurogiri? What are you doing here?” You stopped fighting and quickly turned to your superior in a fearful and shaky manner. Although you were much stronger than him and could easily take him down, you knew better. Your mind had already been so manipulated into thinking you were the weakest villain in the league, when it reality, you were strong enough to take down Shigaraki in a snap...but you didn’t need to know that.

Eraser Head, too tired and beaten to even pick himself up off the ground watched the interaction from the distance.

“You were told to collect intel, not fight a pro.” The black fog stated.

“Well yes, but he tried to stop me an-“ he silenced you with a smack to the face. Kurogiri was a respectful man...in ways...but he was just following orders on how to treat Y/N.

“If he tried to stop you, you run away.” He said, matter of factly.

“But he-“ once again, he cut you off but this time with a louder voice.

“But nothing! You were to gather intel and report back to base. Not fight. If you got into trouble, you are to run away, and use your bending and Rumor as assistance.” He stated.

“Yes sir. I’m sorry sir.” You said with your head bowed down in dishonor.

Aizawa could already tell from afar how controlled you were. In past fights, he’s noticed how you were so quick to succumb to any villain in the league, and you were always so willing to go back to them no matter how many times you could’ve ran away on your own. It was like they had something you needed, or more so it was them that you needed. For survival, perhaps?

“Did you even gather the information we needed?” Kurogiri asked.

Your silence gave him all the answers he needed. With a disappointing glare he reached for you, when you flinched at just the slighted movement, Aizawa knew something was wrong. Yes you were a villain, but it was clear you were also a manipulated child. So he acted quick, and attacked Kurogiri, knocking him out, and grabbed you. Before you both took off, you threw one of your earrings at kurorgiri’s unconscious body, knowing he’ll know what to do once he sees it. As he ran with you, he took notice of the animal behind him that followed you. When he finally landed on a cliff hanging over the city, he placed you down to sit on the grass and looked at you before speaking.

“I can see it. All of it. They’re controlling you aren’t they?” The pro-hero spoke.

“Excuse me? Nobody is controlling anybody! I choose to follow orders!” You yelled as Rumor came up to you.

“What is that thing?” Aizawa asked.

“He’s my friend and you won’t harm him!” You said while grabbing onto Rumor.

The pro took note of that word you used. Friend. Villains don’t have friends, they don’t have anybody but goons and partners in crime. Literally. You were definitely different compared to these other villains.

“I have no intentions on harming you or your friend.” The pro spoke.

“So what do you want with me.”

“....Simple. I want you to go to school, live in the dorm rooms, eat good food, train more to become better as a person and fighter, and make more friends. I see a good in you Titania, you deserve a good life. Not one controlled by villains where you do their bidding for what? Survival?” Aizawa said as he crossed his arms while looking at you.

You were in shock. He was able to figure you out. Well, he figured out why you were with the league. Survival. But it doesn’t matter, you were so brainwashed that you were convinced anyone outside the league wanted to kill you...at least that’s what the LOV told you.

“I don’t want to go to school, I want to go back home to the league.” You said while looking down and holding onto your furry friend.

“Home? UA could give you a better home.”

You looked up in shocked at his words. He wanted you to attend school at UA? You know that place. That’s the one place where the league has been so invested in ever since All Might joined the staff there. Suddenly, an idea came into thought. You knew exactly how you were gonna get into the league’s good graces and out of the cold shadow.

“UA?....That’s where you want me to go? How the hell am I supposed to get in there? I’m a known villain genius.” You sarcastically said.

“A villain hidden behind a full face mask. People don’t know your true identity, and did you ever think that maybe the league wants it that way?” He said

“Are you saying you know who I truly am?” You questioned him.

“No, but that doesn’t matter right now. If you want to go to UA, I can help you. I’m a teacher there and I can put in a good word for you. Sure it will take a lot of convincing but I’m willing to do it. Using UA as a reformatory program for you could be benefitting you in more ways than one. So if going to UA is what you really want, I’m more than happy to help you Titania.”

You couldn’t believe it. Your heart was so excited. You were finally going to get away from this horrible life of crime and killing. Away from the abuse and blood. Away from the league. But your brain was telling you to deny it all. You were safer with the league, everyone is out to get you, and you will die without the villains help. But a bark broke you out of thought.

You turned to your side to see what seems to be a smile on Rumor’s face. He was wagging his tail and sticking his tongue out while giving you puppy dog eyes. It appears he knew what was going on and he seemed excited. For your best friend, the world. So you gave in...happily.

“Y/N.” You said while getting up off the ground.

“Huh?” The pro spoke.

“My name is Y/N L/N, and I’d be happy to join UA.” You said with a smile and tears of joy filling you eyes. Rumor happily barked at the pro as well.

“Well alright then,” the pro said sticking out his hand for you to shake, “Y/N L/N, welcome to UA.”

As you shook his hand your smile held a thousand words. Happiness, excitement, villainy, and sin. Sure you were going to benefit yourself, but you were also going to benefit the league.

*Present Time*

“I was hoping I’d get more respect from you considering I was the one who got you into UA,” Aizawa tiredly said while turning his head towards the ceiling and crossing his arms. “But I guess that mischief and attitude just comes with the deal.”

“Correct.” You simply said.

“So are you willing to tell them what your “quirk” is? You seemed so open about Rumor, I thought your powers would be the same.” Aizawa pressed on.

“Not sure yet. I only just met the students. They seem nice.” You said while looking at your now very interesting shoes.

“They’re a crazy bunch, but they’re incredible friends. They could be great friends to you too Y/N.” You looked back up at him with hope, but quickly remembered why you were there in the first place.

The teacher took noticed of this and continued. “Either way, they’ll have to see what you got tomorrow. In gym gamma we’ll be doing some sparring including our quirks, so you’ll have to show them all that you can do.” He said.

He saw how that made you nervous. Not because you were scared to speak about or show your abilities, but because you knew you would be hit with thousands of questions. Oh how annoyed you must be.

“Understood.” You said to him as if you were a soldier. He won’t get used to that. He’ll have to make sure you know it’s ok to speak to people as..well people, and not like everyone is your superior.

“Good,” he began to walk to his yellow sleeping bag to pick it up, “now head to the front of the school. I left an escort for you to help guide you to your dorm room. That person will also be a guide in all things UA for you so be nice. You’ll be stuck with them for awhile. That is all, you can go now.”

As you and Rumor made your way to the front, you had so many questions going on in your mind. Should you make new friends or keep them at a distance? Should you completely drop the league and join UA? Should you blow your cover and expose why your truly there? What to do, what to do.

When you made it to the front, you finally saw your escort, and you couldn’t help but give a little smirk.

“Hey..”

A/N: If y’all wanna see the clothes that inspired Y/N’s uniform, check this out!!!

A/N: Damn guys, I know I’ve only just started writing but this is kinda the story I imagine in my mind at night. So I thought it would be fun to give it to reality. So here’s my first FanFic😅 hopefully it doesn’t turn out too terrible, but I promise to work on my skills and improve. Also, if you need a reference to what Y/N’s uniform looks like, search up “Akame from Akame Ga Kill.” That’s the look that heavily inspired Y/N’s new uniform. And if you’re confused on what the boots look like, search up “Lucy Heartfilia thigh high boots,” bc those are the EXACT boots I imagine on Y/N except in a darker brunette color to match the belt. Once again, NOT spell checked so my apologies for any mistakes. I hope you enjoyed pt. 1! And if this goes well, tell me if you’d like a pt. 2! I love to hear feedback! Thx <3

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

Papa to the Rescue

A/N: Guess who’s back~ Back again! This blog is back~ Tell a friend!

Warnings: age regression(??? does that need a warning?), allusions to a bad childhood

Remy wasn't entirely sure when this had started. Ever since he could remember, he had wanted to be loved in a way he felt he never was. Loved in the way a parent loves their child. He knew his parents were nice. They made sure he had food and a roof over his head. But emotionally? Sometimes it felt like they weren't there. Sometimes. He snorted. Try most of the time, unless he initiated the contact.

As he grew up, he learned to push that need aside. It was something childish, and he didn't have time for childish things. He needed to be mature, he needed to be able to stand up for himself. And that's how he found himself a world of trouble in the form of Emile Picani.

Emile was an excellent boyfriend. Caring, kind, the sort of guy anybody would be lucky to have. It also seemed like he could tear away all the carefully placed covers Remy put on to make it seem like he was a mature adult. Usually it wasn't anything bad. Emile might pass him a sports bottle full of water, reminding him to drink something while he worked (that wasn't coffee). Or he might snuggle Remy longer than strictly necessary, murmuring sweet nothings into Remy's hair. Remy loved it, and that terrified him. When Emile did stuff like that, Remy finally felt cared for in the way he craved. And when that happened, Remy's mind went fuzzy around the edges, in a way that scared him the second it was gone. It was hard for him to remember specifics of what happened during that time, and he needed to know that he wasn't doing or saying anything embarrassing. To not know that...well...he didn't like it.

When one fateful day that Emile was gone, Remy was working at home until all the words he was trying to read were blurring together in a big, jumbled mess of a wall of text. He tried to focus, to the point that he was reading out loud and squinting at the screen, but the words just wouldn't sink in. The only thing sinking was his stomach, because he realized that his head was going fuzzy out of nowhere. And he had no one around to make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. He pulled out his phone with shaking hands and checked the time. Four-thirty. Emile would be wrapping things up with his final client of the day. He tried to put together the words he needed to tell Emile to hurry home, but the letters on the screen seemed like nonsense to him. The words he knew how to spell wouldn't help, and he knew this wasn't normal, he knew he should be able to type out a simple text, but he couldn't. Instead, he pulled up the emojis. He selected the warning sign, a man running, and a house. He sent it and prayed that would get his message across.

He started to cry in relief when Emile texted back. On my way, baby. Hold tight.

Holding tight was about all he could do. He pulled his feet up onto the chair he was sitting on, wrapping one arm around his legs and chewing on the other hand's thumbnail. He knew it was a bad habit, but it was this or sucking his thumb, which he knew was very much Not Allowed.

The front door opened, closed. There were rushed footsteps heading to the office, and all Remy could do was cry when he saw Emile standing in the doorway. "Remy? What's wrong?" Emile asked, walking over slowly.

Remy wrapped his arms tight around his boyfriend and sobbed into his shoulder. "Head," Remy mumbled. "Head's fuzzy."

"Oh," Emile said simply. "How long has it been fuzzy?"

Remy pulled away and shrugged. He pointed at the computer. "Words are wrong. Too much."

Emile tutted. "Did that scare you?" he asked.

Remy rubbed at his eyes and nodded. He knew it shouldn't have been scary, but it was. One minute he could read, and the next he could barely focus.

"Hey, Rem? I've been meaning to have a talk with you about your head going fuzzy before today. I shouldn't have waited, that was my bad, but I might be able to talk to you now, if you're up for it?" Emile asked, voice going soft as he put a hand on Remy's shoulder.

Remy shrugged. He really didn't know if he was up for it or not, he was tired and scared and stressed and his head was still impossibly fuzzy.

"Okay, well, we need to have this talk before I do anything else," Emile said with a wince. "So I'll try to make it simple, okay? Do you want to move to the living room?"

Remy nodded. Emile offered him his hand, and Remy hesitantly took it, and didn't let go. He trailed behind Emile, still biting his nails, a little teary-eyed. Emile sat down on the couch, and Remy followed suit. "Remy, I don't want to shock you too much, but you deserve an explanation for what's going on. You regress."

Remy tilted his head to the silent in a silent query for more information.

"Basically, your brain can't handle being an adult all the time, so sometimes it makes you act like a kid. This means that you might bite your nails, or not be able to read as well, or type. Make sense so far?"

Remy hummed his agreement.

"Now, everyone who I know who has done this does it a little differently. Sometimes, they can do it on purpose. With you, I think it happens on accident. Which is okay, there's nothing wrong with that. But during this time, it helps to have someone look after you, if possible. And if you want, I could help take care of you until you feel like an adult again," Emile offered.

"When's that?" Remy asked.

Emile winced. "I honestly don't know, Rem. You pushed this down so far that it was hard to find, and that sort of repression can hurt you, or make you regress for longer. Now it's all bubbling up to the surface, and I don't know how long it'll take for you to 'age up' again. Might be several hours, might be twenty minutes. But however long it takes, I'm willing to help you. If you want."

Remy squirmed where he sat. He had a burning question he needed answered, but words were almost impossibly hard. "...Kinda like...like a parent?"

"If you want," Emile said, placing a hand over Remy's free one.

"So...like..." Remy blinked, and blushed. "Like...you could be my papa?"

"If you want me to be, I would be honored," Emile said, placing a hand over his heart. "Do you want that?"

Remy hummed his agreement. "Never had a papa before," he mumbled. "Always wanted one, though."

Emile gave Remy's hand a squeeze, and Remy looked up at Emile. "Do you want to go to the bedroom? I have a few things in the closet which might make you feel better."

Remy made an interested noise and followed Emile to the bedroom. Emile sat him on the bed and opened up the closet. "First things first," Emile said, pulling out a sparkly gold pacifier. "We need to make sure you don't ruin your teeth or your nails."

When Emile came over with the pacifier, Remy pulled his hand away from his mouth and let Emile put the pacifier in. He gave it a little experimental suck. It felt weird, but it didn't feel wrong. It was also pretty soothing.

"All right, Rem, before I do anything else I have to ask you a kinda-sorta-maybe embarrassing question," Emile said.

"Wha'sit?" Remy asked, words slurring around the pacifier.

"Do you remember how to use the bathroom?" Emile asked, turning slightly pink.

Remy turned cherry red as he realized the implications of that question. He turned redder when he realized that the answer was no. He shook his head subtly.

"It's okay, I got stuff for that just in case," Emile said softly. "Are you okay if I change you?"

Somewhat reluctantly, Remy nodded. If they didn't know how long this went on, and he didn't know how to use the po--the bathroom, it made sense to wear some form of protection.

Emile went back to the closet, pulling out a diaper and laying Remy back on the bed. Remy buried his face in his hands as Emile got to work, pulling down his pants, and his boxers, and moved the diaper underneath him. When Emile had gently placed all four tapes in place, Remy peeked out from behind his hands. Emile smiled. "It's been a little while since I've had to do that, but I've still got it!" he said triumphantly. "Hi, baby."

Remy waved back. Emile laughed. "Do you want your pants back on?" he asked. "If you do, you should know that I'll be doing regular diaper checks."

On one hand, Remy didn't want to be running around the house in only a T-shirt and a diaper, but on the other...he really didn't want Emile to be checking his diaper regularly. "No pants," he decided.

"Okay," Emile said. "Now we can talk about fun things. Like what you want to do while you're regressed."

Remy sucked on the pacifier and just tilted his head to the side again.

"Well, I have a coloring book or two here," Emile said, pointing to the closet. "Or we could find something around the house to play with. And then, of course, we could always watch cartoons..."

Remy's eyes lit up and Emile grinned. "You know, I didn't have you pegged for that but I'm really happy you want to watch a cartoon or two with me! We can figure out which one you might want to see as soon as we figure out where...Oh! Wait! I almost forgot!" He went back to the closet and pulled out a white stuffed dog with brown ears and spots all over. Remy squealed in delight and made grabby-hands for it. Emile passed it over with a laugh. "I thought you might like that. You know what you might name him?"

That was a very good, very important question. He thought long and hard, frowning in concentration. "Coffee!" he declared, pulling out his pacifier. "'Cause the spots are brown like coffee."

Emile laughed again. "I shouldn't be surprised," he lightly teased. "Want to watch cartoons in here or on the TV?"

"Here," Remy said. He really didn't feel like getting up again.

Emile nodded and held up a finger. He left the room and quickly returned with his laptop, booting it up and pulling up all the cartoons he had saved on it. "Anything you wanna watch?"

"Um um um...I wanna see the one with the um...the gems! Yeah!" Remy nodded. "I wanna see the gems one."

Emile gave him a blank look for a second before he said, "Oh! Do you mean Steven Universe?"

Remy nodded. "Yeah! The gems one!"

Emile laughed. "You're adorable like this. Okay, we'll watch Steven Universe."

When the first notes of the theme song came on, Remy squealed again and did happy kicks. He liked the show a lot, even if he didn't see it often. Watching it with Emile made it special. He snuggled into Emile's side, and Emile happily wrapped his arms around Remy, letting the two of them cuddle. When the first episode ended, Emile just pulled up another, and Remy snuggled further into Emile, hugging Coffee close to his chest. Soon enough, he was drifting to sleep in Emile's arms.

It was a good two hours before Remy woke up again, stretching his legs. He blearily opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of their bedroom. When had he gotten here? He sat up, even more confused than before. Emile's laptop was at the foot of the bed, there was a stuffed dog to Remy's right, and to his left there was a pacifier covered in gold glitter. "What...?" he whispered. "What happened here?"

"Remy? You awake?" Emile asked, lightly knocking on the open door.

"Uh, yeah. What...what happened here?" Remy asked.

"What do you remember?" Emile asked.

"Not much. I was working...and then my head felt fuzzy...and...we watched cartoons? And I fell asleep." Remy shook his head. "What happened?"

"Uh, long story short, you age regress, you texted me near the end of the day, and I took it to mean that you needed help, came over here, gave you a simple explanation of what you were going through, got you settled into bed and we watched cartoons until you passed out," Emile said in one breath. "Um. You might...you might want to go to the bathroom."

"What? Why?" Remy asked, shifting on the bed before feeling a squish between his legs. "...Oh."

"Yeah," Emile said, clearly embarrassed. "It's one thing for me to handle that when someone's regressed. It's entirely different when they're an adult, for some reason."

"Uh...yeah," Remy said, getting off the bed, relieved to see that at least the bed had stayed dry. "Um. Is this going to happen again?"

"That probably depends on whether or not you continue to suppress this need," Emile said candidly. "Although I'm perfectly happy being your caregiver whenever you need it."

"Thanks..." Remy mumbled. "I'm gonna...gonna change now."

"Yeah," Emile said, letting Remy scurry into the ensuite with a pair of boxers and his jeans.

Remy locked the door behind him, leaning his head back. He really didn't need this as a complication in his life. It just looked like it was going to end badly for everyone involved. And yet...while he couldn't remember everything that had happened while he had apparently regressed, he knew that he had felt safe, and more relaxed than he had in a while. It was nice.

He changed, wiping himself clean with a grimace. He wasn't sure he enjoyed that particular...issue, though. No matter how relaxing "regressing" might be. Walking back into the bedroom, he found Emile cleaning up a little. As Emile picked up the stuffed dog, Remy felt a small string of panic enter his system. "Could we...uh...keep the dog out? Like, instead of keeping him cooped up in the closet?"

Emile blinked at him a moment, before nodding. "Of course. You like Coffee?"

Remy dimly remembered naming the dog that, and he nodded, blushing. "I just...think it would be nice to have him around..."

"So, do you think you'd be willing to try this again sometime?" Emile asked.

Remy considered, a little surprised at his answer. "Sure. What's the harm?"

Emile gave him a relieved grin. "Cool. And if you ever need me, like you did today, just text me, all right? I'll come home as soon as I can."

Remy nodded. "What are we having for dinner?"

"Pasta sound good to you?" Emile asked.

"Sounds perfect," Remy said. The two of them left the bedroom, heading to the kitchen. Remy quickly returned, setting Coffee against the pillows, before rushing back out to Emile. Emile gave him a knowing smile and Remy just blushed. "Shut up," he grumbled.

"I didn't say anything," Emile said with a grin.

"I know you thought it," Remy groused.

Emile ruffled Remy's hair and Remy stuck his tongue out at Emile. Emile just laughed and started to cook. Inwardly, Remy sighed with relief. Things were still relatively normal. Emile still loved him.

And Remy felt more loved than he ever had before.

Tag List: @loganpatton @lilbeanblr @kittyboof8 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @sanders-trash-4ever @hamilspntrash @swords-and-kittens @phantomfander @narniasfinestavengingsociopath  @rjmeta @ambersky0319 @anni-cat-flower @idosanderssidespromptssometimes @nafsbluebery

[neshabeingchildish]

Determined: A Chasper Fic Conclusion

Second half of the chapter is extremely kid heavy. I feel like those actually reading this know how I am about kids and writing kids into these things. Alas, we’ve reached the end of this journey. Thank you to all those who stuck with it. I know this fandom isn’t a long story fandom and I apologize that I keep doing this to y’all. But, finally, the end is here.

Happy, Healthy Endings for All

Henry pulled up to the gate of “the estate” and when he was going to push the button on the little box, heard a beep and a voice say, “Henry Hart, Access Granted,” before he had the chance to do so. 

“They’ve most likely programmed it to scan your car… or your DNA,” Piper commented with a shrug of her shoulders. 

“How rich are our friends these days?” Henry wondered.

“Well, Charlotte is a genius who works with tech and DNA stuff, so she might have done it herself, but if not, Jasper is literally the highest paid executive coach in the country as of last year,” Piper said. 

“I honestly thought for a while that Jasper made that career up and I still don’t even know what that means!” Henry chimed. 

“He tells big bosses how to be better bosses and writes books to help little bosses become big bosses, if they have enough money to do so.”

“Yeah, I don’t understand HOW, either. Like… Who looked at Jasper and decided that he knew this stuff? Is he good at it, or just one of those people who got lucky and gets paid a lot?”

“The companies that he helps have better stats after he’s done helping them reevaluate their model. He’s gonna get one of those Netflix deals, I think. To get his own show where he basically goes in there and you see a few of his projects. He writes books, does speaking engagements, invests his money, and is kind of even helping Charlotte to try to branch out on her own. He just… is good at what he does. But, I mean… Jasper’s kind of been this way. Remember whenever he was doing his vlog and podcast and he’d get all these places and fans sending him stuff? He has a knack for smoothing people over. I think if somebody is confident enough, people are willing to at least hear them out and when he got his foot in the door that way, he owned it.”

“Are you… giving Jasper compliments?”

“No. I’m telling you nice things about Jasper. Did you ever see his “How to be a Good Man to a Difficult Woman” series on his channel? He’s got some very good life skills, when he takes the time to think about it and not just blurts stuff out.”

“Wait. He had a…” He stopped speaking whenever he got closer to the house and the yard, which had a very enormous playground, off to the side like… almost like a park and a huge garden on the other side, with like… what his mind could only seem to think of as a “tiny neighborhood” beside them. “Did this come with the house?” Henry wondered.

“Nope. Jasper had it commissioned. Sat down with the kids and got their ideas, worked on some designs, spoke with his architect, and voila.”

“Why are there so many little houses here when the big house is huge?” 

“That you’ll have to ask them.”

.

Jasper was giving directions to the crew that he had working on this event, which Henry could tell were frat boys who probably knew him as an alumnus and wanted to make good with him. He could hardly believe that his Craig used to be one of those guys. He’d be meeting them later on, because he had some work emergency and insisted that Henry go on without him.

Whenever the Hart siblings walked up, Jasper dismissed the crew and came to hug them. “Hey! Glad you two could actually make it! I think this is your first time coming to the estate at all, so what do you think, finally seeing it in person?” (That was more to Henry, because Piper saw it before, even if it was only in the beginning.)

“What is this property, Dude?” Henry asked, marvelling around.

Jasper smiled proudly, “Well, the site where Charlotte will be opening her center after her hospital fellowship is in this area, so I wanted to make sure that we had a house near here. I can work from anywhere. Still unsure if we want to fully transition out of the old house, since so much of the kids’ memories are there, and Char’s still got a few years before she’ll even be opening the practice, but they’re all still young enough where you set up enough fun stuff and they don’t even know what their previous memories were. I don’t really want to rent it out and have anybody mess up any of the sentimental stuff, but we’ll probably have it for AirBNB for a while or something. Haven’t decided.” 

“What are all these little houses, Dude?” Henry asked, pointing at a few.

“Oh, that’s Jazz’s treehouse, up in the tree, and Amber’s dollhouse, Ruby’s funhouse and the baby playhouse for the new baby. It’s like a little kiddo community for them, and all of them have their dream playground in the community “backyard.” On the other side is Charlotte’s she shed, which is one of my birthday gifts to her…”

“It’s like… the size of a regular house,” Henry pointed out. 

“We’re on our fourth kid. Locking herself in the bathroom isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, even in a house as big as our last one, or even as big as the new house,” he said, so casually, that it almost made sense to Henry for them to have a whole other goddamn house a few feet away from their ridiculously huge house! “And her garden is like her front yard, then there’s the three dog houses. The kids want a puppy, so we’ll be getting another one, and already are making room for them. The Kiddo community and the Doggo community right across the way from each other. Charlotte’s she shed and her home lab on either side of the big house.” He was pointing at everything. “Took YEARS to get it just perfect and I figured since the timeline was so close, that instead of doing the whole housewarming thing that we’ve done in the past that we’d just throw Charlotte’s 30th Birthday party here and get showing off the property and showering her in love all over with in one event. Plus, Diamond is coming ANY day now, so by the time we’ve got them coming home, there won’t be time for socializing between getting them nursed, Char’s fellowship, getting doctors and scientists and stuff for the clinic, lab, and the spaces in the center, and…” he shrugged. Henry noted that Jasper looked the happiest that he had ever seen him. Like, everything in his life was perfect. He hoped Charlotte was feeling the same. He had been super busy at work. Springtime was very hectic for weddings and his busiest summer was right around the corner. Plus, he had a man now, and was still a Swellview hero.

“So, you decided on Diamond, huh?” Piper asked. “Just keeping the whole crystals/stones thing going?” 

“After Jasper, who was of course just named for me, we went with birthstones. Wanted to have their names be closer connected to Jasper’s than ours or something else. Amber was better than Citrine or Topaz…” 

“Those are mine,” Henry said proudly to Piper. “November.”

Piper rolled her eyes. Jasper hadn’t stopped, “Ruby is my fellow Leo, and even though that’s typically considered a girl’s name, Ruby is thought of as King of gems, so we rationalized that it was  gender neutral and that if it wasn’t, we’d just have someone with a name that was as rare as the gem itself… you know, if they turned out to be a boy.”

“Ruby is actually a turning out to be a nuisance. They’re my favorite of all of your bad ass kids,” Piper said.

Instead of arguing that they weren’t bad kids (They weren’t, just very free kids). “I call them “Rascal,” Jasper said. “I don’t understand how they get into everything that they get into at 1. Jazz and Amber Reign at least waited until they were in the terrible 2s to begin their shenanigans. I think that they’re gonna be a genius, like Char. She was doing a lot at 1 too, I’m told...” 

Almost as if on cue, they heard Charlotte yelling, “Andro! Ruby Andromeda Dunlop!” the three looked up to see a barely walking 1 year old running quite haphazardly, holding something that appeared to be a food item tightly in their grip, laughing all the way, with a very pregnant mother chasing after them, running as haphazardly with all of that belly to lug around. 

Piper and Henry both cackled at the sight, but Jasper darted over and snatched up the baby and took the food from them. Charlotte caught up, caught her breath and explained, “I swear, I put it down for a split second to adjust my nursing pad and they grabbed it and ran!” Breathing still a little winded, she said, “Hey, Henry. Piper,” and retrieved her Danish. “I know that the party hasn’t started, but somebody made me miss breakfast,” she said pointing at Ruby. Piper reached for the baby and they went to her willingly. “And they go to Piper before they come to me… The person with the titty milk!”

“Because, I influence them to be the most them that they can be.”

“You can have them, at this rate,” Charlotte said. 

Jasper laughed, “She didn’t mean that. She can’t legally give them away. They’re half mine.”

“Where’s their bling?” Charlotte wondered, finishing off her pastry. “They’re family. They’ll need it for the family photo shoot, not that it’ll be very elegant, considering that Dunlop children are magnets for calamity.”

“It’s covered, Babe. Go sit down. You look like you’ve been through hell.” She frowned. “Beautiful, though!”

“Shut up,” she muttered, waddling back to where her seat was. 

The Dunlops were dressed in all white and diamonds (or you know, knock off crystals for the kids) for Charlotte’s 30th Birthday Diamond Ball. 

Jazz had selected to wear “whatever Daddy is wearing,” so they had a smaller version of his white, suit with opaque floral embroidery and crystal embellishments. They also already had their pants rolled up to the knees and had taken their mass of curls out of the neat braided bun that Charlotte had painstakingly put it into this morning. Fortunately, she’d had the foresight to make sure that they did the immediate family photo shoot before everything else. Charlotte noticed on the way back to her seat that Jazz had also taken their shoes and socks off. They were literally untamed before the party even began. She smiled and waved at them and they waved back, “Hey, Mommy! You look like a queen!”

“If you’re not gonna wear your fancy shoes, at least throw on your sneakers so you don’t hurt your feet on something!” Charlotte called back.

“I’ve got some in the treehouse!” They rushed to the tree, electing to climb the rope, instead of the ladder to retrieve sneakers. 

“You raised them to be independent,” Charlotte said. “Carefree Black child. Literally carefree. They don’t care ‘bout nothing.” 

At least Amber was still put together. They had wanted to wear a princess gown. “It’s a ball! I gotta wear a princess gown!” They insisted. They only had Disney ones in their collection and they needed white, so Charlotte asked them what gown they wanted a white version of. “All of them.”

“You can only wear one to Mommy’s birthday party, though.”

“What about Daddy’s birthday?”

“Daddy’s gonna have a grown man friends party for his birthday. We’re not gonna go to that. Maybe just have some cake at home earlier that day, and sure, you can have a gown for that, if you want.”

“What about my birthday?”

“Sure. For your birthday, you can definitely wear a white gown, but which one do you want for Mommy’s party?”

Amber laughed and placed a hand on Charlotte’s hand, like a little adult. “No, Mommy. For my birthday, I need all the gowns. White. Also… all of them, in yellow.” 

Charlotte smiled and said through her teeth, “Okay. Of course, it’s your birthday and Daddy has literally never told any of you ‘no,’ so I’m sure that we’ll be fulfilling that order. Now, you wanna tell Mommy what white gown you’ll wear to her ball?”

“Hmmm. Well, I think Tiana’s, but white. And I need to add a bustle, so I can dance with a prince, or Daddy if there’s only commoners.”

“Where did you learn the word bustle?” Charlotte whispered, making notes.

“Where did they learn the word “commoners?” Jasper wondered.

They instead made Amber a white Tiana gown that was short in the front, kind of like Char’s wedding dress, and a sparkly pair of white leggings, so that Amber wouldn’t protest too much to the lack of a bustle. Charlotte still didn’t know where they got that word from. But, passing by them on the swingset near their dollhouse, they were still dressed like she dressed them this morning, in their shoes and all.

Ruby being one, was the easiest to dress. Charlotte threw a white romper on them and a sunhat and they were the cutest kid in the world. Keeping it white and them out of trouble though? That was a task for somebody else today.

Charlotte’s twinkling maternity gown and updo made her look elegant enough for the party, but between her tiredness, hot flashes, being hungry A LOT, and rushing to the bathroom so much, she was lowkey miserable. She didn’t want to do a big thing for this birthday, being so close to her due date and this having been the most taxing pregnancy she had gone through, but Jasper seemed so excited about it and once the kids were in the mix with picking outfits and such, she felt obligated. 

He planned it for the weekend before her actual birthday, because the next weekend (a few days after her birthday) was around the due date. It was SO CLOSE. Their birthdays would be even closer together than hers and Jazz’s, which was at the beginning of the month and had been celebrated by unveiling the playground in the yard. Which was so extravagant, in Charlotte’s opinion. But, they had made sure to get a lot of land specifically TO BE extravagant, if they wanted to. 

Besides, Jasper paid for all of that, and what was she gonna do? Tell that man what he could and couldn’t do with his hard earned money? Jasper had always been extra, and now he could afford to be.

Jazz wanted a jungle gym. Amber wanted a carousel, and Jasper filled in a lot of the rest of it with stuff that he thought would be fun for them. She wondered if he wasn’t having some sort of early midlife crisis for a while, because he was extremely diligent on making this property perfect. But, that was because it would be their “Forever home” and he could pass it down from Dunlop to Dunlop for as long as they held it dear. “They’ve gotta hold it dear. It’s gotta be perfect. It’s my legacy.”

Watching him handle it was one of the ways she wound up pregnant again before he could have the chance to have a procedure. That man was simply too virile! And there was something about seeing him so passionately make plans and prep for their children’s futures that there was nothing sexier in the world than him in those moments. They scheduled his procedure after she realized that another Dunlop was on the way. Not that she had anything against her other 3 children, but four was twice what she initially saw for herself.

Charlotte LOVED being a mom. It was some of the best highlights of her life. She never would have expected to love it so much, but she absolutely did, aside from the pain of labor, her suffering was generally minimal. (Mainly, because she knew all of the rules medically, and she was able to figure out any necessary changes that she needed to make in her routine whenever her body called for it. 

She also loved the idea of helping other people safely become moms, especially with the somehow increasing number of fatalities in Black women attempting to do so. So, whenever she finished medical school, her residency and fellowship, she finally was confident and prepared enough to open her own center. 

She would be working as a medical biochemist, specializing in genetics for infants and childrens’ care. The site had an OBGYN, a pediatrician, a gynecologist, and a fertility specialist, when they started out. She wanted to make another option for women who might not get the proper care in other facilities, as well as options for  the babies and children that they had. Also, to help those who wanted to have children and had issues preventing them from doing so. 

Instead of having several doctors who are not associated in the building and renting from some leaseholder, she owned the building, would work from the lab with a team she selected, to avoid the disrespect and distrust at her previous lab, and found specialists that she was interested in, bringing what she valued most to the place. 

Having other Black female doctors around was also quite refreshing, for all of them and she made sure to include an onsite daycare with personally vetted childcare providers. Because she knew that she wasn’t the only working mommy and that was important to her, as well. (This was a separate place from the pediatric playroom), because that was for the potentially sick kids. She even involved the doctors and scientists that she would have there in the development process, as a bit of an interview situation. (They didn’t work for her, but she wanted the vision to work for everyone, and to find people who were on the same accord).

They called it A New Page Childcare Center, and Charlotte had never been happier in her life, as far as her work life went, as she was after getting it off of the ground. She was saving lives again, but doing it with a collective of like-minded professionals who respected and liked each other and worked well together. She could be here until she was ready to retire! Finally! She had not only found her calling, but she was able to build up something to follow it through, and she was able to see her children more throughout all of it.

Plus, even when helping a client through a strenuous process of tests and seeking out solutions or researching new ideas in genetics, she controlled her schedule and therefore was able to do things at this point in her life with Jasper and the kids that she felt guilty about not being able to do before, like family vacations and events. Henry and Craig FINALLY tied the knot shortly after Hen turned 33, and it was her center that they came to when seeking out a surrogate. 

At the center, they were able to speak with a surrogacy agent, because by that time, the center had grown to include an agency for surrogacy and one for adoption. By finding all these childcare specialists and providers and making room for them in her property, it was easy for people to explore all of these options in one place, and there were frequently workshops on site available for training in doula and midwife work, becoming foster parents, and NUMEROUS paid internships in every single one of the areas in the place. 

Now, most of these ideas she came up with, in tandem with Jasper during pillow talk. She knew if he knew how to do one thing, it would be to tell her truthfully how to have a fulfilling workspace. She just had never thought that she would be able to put all of these professions and occupations in one space. Whenever he would say, “Why don’t you just find one and get them in your building?” she would immediately think, I can’t do that! But now, she wasn’t even sure WHY she ever thought that she couldn’t do it! 

She guessed it sounded like too much. She guessed that it would be too hard to maintain rules, regulations, etc… But, Jasper pointed out, “But, they don’t work for you. As long as they can pay you to be in that space, it's an advantage to you all to have sources nearby to suggest. If fertility isn’t working out, your fertility specialist can suggest going to, you know… the fourth floor for a surrogate or the fifth floor for the adoption agency, etc. That way, they don’t have to look around, which would be additional stress and sometimes, you may be able to have a representative from the office of their next step come to speak with them and build rapport in that moment where they’ve lost a little bit a hope, to meet and reassure them that the last step was only another stepping stone and assure them that they will give their all to this particular leg of the journey.” There was always a brilliant idea coming out of him! She loved that man so much, more and more all of the time. 

.

The various talks that had to be had with them were generally successful. Having two socially conscious parents, they were going to get lessons about everything whenever they either were about to go out into the world on their own (school and such) or for more heavy topics, whenever they seemed to want to know. Of course, first and foremost was the way that people outside might perceive and treat them.

Jazz looked almost just like Charlotte, but with a different curl pattern. Her hair mostly grew down, but it was poofy enough that it fluffed out at the sides. It gave her just enough “other” for people to ask her “Black, and what else?” but, if she had it up or something, nobody even bothered. 

Amber was the only one that was really “light skinned,” but she always got a little browner in the summer. Her hair was curly like Jasper’s when he was a kid and it didn’t grow down, but out, so she had a huge curly fro.

Jazz said that Ruby was her mini… like she wasn’t cut from the very same cloth as Charlotte. Ruby had hair like Charlotte’s and similar features. Slightly less brown, but definitely darker than Amber. She looked even more like Charlotte, because they had similar mannerisms and the same face and hair. 

Diamond was only a couple of shades darker than Amber, but she had more of Jasper’s features than the others, who were basically molds of Charlotte with the slight differences mentioned, and her eyes were light colored. Well, they were somewhere between a hazel and a chestnut. Jasper insisted that she had his mom’s eyes. Charlotte just denied it on principle. She lowkey did have Pansy’s eyes and was really the only one that could “pass for a Dunlop,” according to some of the comments Charlotte had overheard and seen on posts before Jasper blocked somebody. People sometimes joked with Jasper to ask him if he was sure those were all his kids, but they quickly retracted these jokes, whenever they noted his face or body language. When Jazz was little, he’d be more likely to kick someone’s ass over it. By the time Amber came, it was asked less, but when it was brought up, Jazz was singled out! She “didn’t look mixed enough” someone said, in that way that he could tell they felt like they were just being honest. She looked just like her mother, if she had wavy hair!! And… what did people think that he was going to presume that they were suggesting about his wife when they asked him shit like that or made a funny little comment.

His mother made that mistake years ago. “I just don’t see any part of you in that one,” she said, opting to try to pick up Amber as she nudged her forehead towards Jazz. Amber hid behind her older sister. Something about Pansy made her nervous. The woman sighed and tacked on, “I don’t think it would hurt to get them DNA tested, just in case…”

And he told her, “If you hadn’t given me life, I would sock you in the mouth for that.” (Jasper never made threats like that at her and she was shook). 

“I was kidding! She’s just way darker than I thought she should be,” she had said about Jazz (which was PRIOR to Jazz identifying as a girl and ALSO made him upset that she called them a she), but Pansy had come out of that. They kept some distance between themselves and her until she had to seek them out and agree to the proper language and appropriate treatment. Then, Jasper monitored every time she was around for a long time before her and Charlotte were comfortable enough (and the kids were comfortable enough) for her to be allowed to spend time with them by herself.

She was a much better grandmother than she had been a mom, and he came to realize that a lot of people were weird about the fact that 3 out of 4 of his biracial kids didn’t quote unquote “really look biracial,” so they wanted to tell the girls about it whenever it was time for Jazz to go to her private school. Jasper wanted them in public school. There was one not too far from the house and it was considered when he bought it. But, they compromised that the kids could go to a private head start, maybe public elementary, and then Charlotte insisted on the private school when they got into junior high. But, after head start, all of Jazz’s friends were going to private school and she wanted to go, as well. Jasper wondered if Charlotte knew this would happen when she made that deal with him. She simply smirked in response.

“What the fuck is biracial?” Jazz had asked whenever the race talk came up. Charlotte threw her head back and Jazz winced, “Sorry, Mom.” She honestly never let go of the word, since she was 2 years old. But, she also had just presumed that since half of her family was different shades of brown and the other half were lesser shades of brown that other people had families that were just all kinds of browns and lesser browns, even those lesser brown people she knew from pre-k. 

Realizing that Uncle Henry and Uncle Craig were not going to be able to come together and simply make brown cousins or lesser brown cousins was like a shock to her system. They had to grow a baby somewhere else and try to pick somebody that would have some similar traits. Then, learning that people might be meaner to her because she was a darker brown than Daddy was alarming, to say the least, and that even more people might treat her differently because of her private areas that they couldn’t even see? She was scandalized and horrified. But… she said that sounded like it meant that girls were tougher than boys and she was “tough enough to be a girl.”

“It’s not really a matter of toughness. It’s more like what you feel like you are, inside. And it doesn’t have to be a girl, or even a boy. You might feel like something else that you don’t quite have the words for, and we’ll help you find the right words, if that’s the case or maybe even you’ll have new words for us that are more catered to who you feel like you are inside.” Charlotte said.

“Well, I don’t not feel like a girl. I feel like a girl who is strong and brave. Whatever that is is my gender. I don’t care. It’s never mattered before. I just am scared of the people out there that might try to treat me like I’m a Black girl. (I am, but… that’s scary stuff, Mom.”

“We’ll protect you as much as we can,” Jasper said.

“I have literally seen your father punch more than a few people for treating mommy some kind of way,” Charlotte admitted. Jasper’s face showed he had zero regrets about those choices.

“Don’t worry Dad. I have a mean right hook,” Jazz said. 

“Damn right you do. That’s that Dunlop Dumb Drop!” And with just that, the kid gestured for a double high five and they growled in each others faces and started barking. 

Charlotte, feeling left out said, “I have some drops too.”

Both of them looked at her and burst into crying laughter. “Mom, please, do not do this to me!” Jazz said as Jasper wiped his eyes from actually crying laughing about it. “Oh, you oughtta end all these talks like that. Who can feel worried when you’ve got this shining sense of humor.” 

Charlotte folded her arms, but couldn’t help but to laugh, in spite of herself of the fact that her young child thought it hilarious that she could drop somebody. “I never said with my fists, Kid. I’m a scientist and a doctor. I know at least one hundred ways to drop somebody without ever touching them. A lot of them, untraceable.” She threw a look at Jasper, who immediately stopped laughing. 

“Well, that’s just terrifying,” Jazz admitted. 

Charlotte winked, “Only for my enemies.” 

Now, Jazz offered her double high fives and said, “Friends for life!” 

Amber was concerned about things, but mostly about partnership. Why, at her age? They didn’t know, but they just answered her questions when they arose. “So. IF I AM a girl, feel like a girl, like things that the world says is for girls, but I also LIKE girls. Like, REALLY like girls, like - like them, you understand… can I still be a girl?”

“If you think you are, yes.”

“But, the world says that girls like boys, right? I hate boys. They’re smelly and unkind. They never like to wear pretty dresses that would be gorgeous on them. They hit you and say it’s because they like you, so if you want to hit them back, you don’t want to, because you don’t want them to think you like them, a stupid boy!”

Jasper balled his fists, “Who the hell hit you?” 

“Daddy, don’t get mad. Since hitting means boys like you, I didn’t hit him back, so he wouldn’t think I like him. Instead, I put mud in his sandwich when everybody was at recess.” She smiled proudly.

“Well, I’m glad that you got him back. But, next time, just hit him. Nobody gets to put their hands on you and if they really liked you, they wouldn’t. Also, who was it?”

“Are you gonna go punch the kid, Jasper?” Charlotte asked.

“I MIGHT!”

Charlotte changed the subject. “Not all boys are like that, but if you just don’t like boys, that’s still fine. You can like whoever you like.”

“I like girls.”

“Cool. Uncle Henry is a boy who likes a boy, Uncle Craig. And Uncle Jake and Uncle Ray…”

She looked frustrated, “Do only boys get to like boys in the world?” They’d already warned her that people are mean to girls, was not being able to like like other girls part of that meanness?

“No! Everybody gets to like whoever they like and sometimes the world is mean about it, but sometimes the world is nice.”

“The world better be nice to me, because there’s plenty of dirt out there for me to put on their sandwiches.”

Jasper whispered, “She’s terrifying, like you.”

“If by that you mean that she’s brilliant, thank you,” Charlotte whispered back and kissed him briefly.

“Hi. Could you not? I don’t really want to have to see boys and girls kiss in my own home,” Amber said, inciting cackles from both of them.

Ruby didn’t care either way. Whenever they told her all these things, they said they didn’t have questions, were undecided on if they knew what their gender was and didn’t care about racist people because, “I have a big, strong dad, a mom that can kill people quietly, an older sister who fights people and one that pees in people’s colas. I think that I’m well protected.”

Jasper and Charlotte were nodding, presuming that they probably had talked to their sisters about this before, but both stopped at “pees in people’s colas” and said, “Wait, what?” Ruby tilted their head, acting like they had no idea what they were asking about.

“I have nothing further,” Ruby said. They kept the “their/them” pronouns throughout life. It just seemed like a lot to them, to sit there and think and decide who they felt like when their upbringing didn’t place any value on gender roles. But, they were also fine with whatever pronouns someone else used for them. It didn’t really matter. 

Henry retired from hero life at 50. 

The Dunlop kids and the Hart kids got together to plan a Semi-Centennial celebration for their parents, instead of calling in a joint birthday celebration. A lot of things were happening within a few years’ time. Jasper and Charlotte being married for 25 years, Jazz becoming a professional athlete, Amber getting engaged to her college sweetheart, Ruby graduating from high school at the top of their class, JUST like their mom and going into an entire new wave of technology that fascinated Charlotte, and Diamond going into high school, and the fact that Uncle Henry was getting ready to “settle peacefully from everything else” and focus on H<3art Eyes until his official retirement… so retiring from Captain Danger so that he could have at least some good years in the wedding shop with his kids and husband, just living his life. 

His Dad and Ray had bought a boat a while back, which they mostly lived on, did some traveling in and also continued to enjoy perks such as the old Man Copter, which Ray basically just redecorated and put a cheesy postcard like caricature of the two of them on the side of it. The same for the RV that Jake brought, for whenever they wanted to travel on land. They were both retired and had no small kids. Ray never told Jake about Captain Man. The Hart kids agreed that he just COULDN'T have that information. It didn’t matter, anyway. They had been working well for about 20 years at that point. Neither chose to get married, but what they had was pretty undeniable. 

The child advocate in Charlotte Ambrosia Dunlop got with Schwoz years prior to come up with a way to keep Swellview safe from the villain threats without training children to work as heroes until they couldn’t. It was a solution that they sort of came to simultaneously, and Schwoz was very upset that he hadn’t really considered it before… Clone generation. Recreating a Captain Man and Captain Danger clone and having the Man Cave computer know just how and when they would need to be replenished! Charlotte didn’t want Schwoz to have to stay there, being the brain behind the thing, so she convinced him to make a Safe Halley, to control it all and to simply keep access to it, if something went wrong, one of them could go sort it out if they had to. But, they didn’t. They never had to again, and Swellview was still quite safe.

.

Charlotte, Jasper, Henry, Piper, Ray, and Schwoz sit on the patio, looking at the view of the sunsetting on the mountains during their annual Man Fam Getaway… “Our life was stupid crazy. I wouldn’t change a thing,” Charlotte said and everybody heard her and they all agreed.

*** The End***

[vespcr-blog]

                                                    𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝟎𝟎𝟐 ―                                                   𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐠 

                                              𝚍𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚙𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚜𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚎𝚢 ↴                                                      tw: death, murder, alcohol, abuse.

﹡╱      GENERAL

describe your character in a few words.

self-destructive, lonely, secretive, deceptive, overly-sexual, impulsive, dominant, broken.

what do you know about your character that they don’t know yet?

you do things in order to be safe, but nobody will ever stay around to save your from yourself. besides that, you’re a functional alcoholic, go get help.

what are your character’s major flaws?

her way of escaping reality and trying to justify what she has done to herself. she’s too self-destructive, so much that she doesn’t care if she destroys others along the way.

what would your character give their life for?

absolutely nothing, and this is terrifying.

what is your character’s greatest asset?

she is the perfect distraction, because she is the perfect actress. she will be exactly what you want, and also exactly what you don’t want. this helps build the entire mysterious aura around herself, distancing everyone from her true persona. also, she has an amazing strategical mind, she can plan things and execute them impeccably. vesper is a great musician, and has a great musical sense, but she really likes to pretend she doesn’t. physically would be her great stamina and high alcohol tolerance ? besides that, she is tall and sexy. she loves it.

what would completely break your character?

having to face her father and go through the abuse and neglect he had put her through and being back at her summer house in nice, where everything happened. 

does your character have any quirks or weird habits?

she plucks out her eyelashes when she’s too stressed, that was also one of the enablers for her drinking habits, because she thinks it’s a really awful habit. she also really likes pickles with mustard for breakfast.

describe your character’s family.

vesper comes from old money, the third generation of korean-english bang. her father’s family is known for being specialists in precious gems, jewels and such ( as well as mining and exploiting natural resources. ), her mother was a great investor, successful on her own until she fell sick and died when her children were twelve. vesper is sixteen minutes younger than her twin brother, the assumed heir of the bang-heo corporate, until he passed away. she’s been close to her mother, but when she passed away, latched herself onto her brother -- the same using her as an outlet for his anger. her father was an enabler, and considered her not worthy of anything they had. now, he lives in despair knowing that she is owner of 49% of the company, and makes sure to remind her, every time they meet, she should’ve died in the place of her brother.

name your character’s favorite person and why.

romeo is her favorite person, no doubts. simply because he doesn’t expect things for her -- not the worst, like everyone, not the best. he simply takes her as she is and welcomes every nuance of her personality with a roll of his eyes and a laugh -- which warms her heart up. she had told him he is her favorite person ever, but she bets he doesn’t believe it.

what seemingly insignificant memories stuck with your character?

when she taught her brother how to french braid in one of her dolls, so he could do it on her. they were eight at that time and it was a simpler, happier time -- he sucked at first, but she was his biggest support system, and when he attempted on her, she couldn’t untangle her hair for a couple hours, but she loved anyway.

what is your character reluctant to tell people?

she basically doesn’t tell people anything about her life -- it’s something she doesn’t like to think about, remember about, talk about. the thing she is most reluctant to tell people, though, is that she had a twin brother, since that information would lead to other questions she would, absolutely, not answer.

what makes this character angry? what calms them?

she doesn’t have a short temper, basically because she heavily disassociates and looks for ways of distracting herself, but one thing that makes her absolutely livid is when people assume she had an easy life because of her social status -- and when people are condescending towards her. drinking calms her, numbs her, to be more specific -- but what really calms her is playing the violin or fencing.

who depends on your character? why?

unfortunately, for him, her father -- he depends on her to make any decision, business speaking. but then, anybody else depends on her, or so she thinks ( and hopes )

who does your character most want to please? why?

she has a soft spot for zen, so she obviously wants to please him, even though he runs away from her advances. justice can also be included in that list, because she feels like she disappoints him way too much, and has to make up for it, somehow. celeste also is in that list, because she knows too much and because she likes the girl, too.

how does your character really feel about sex?

sex is power -- she sees as that. vesper is very sexual, very open and liberating about sex, but because she sees it as a powerful weapon. she rarely is romantic about it, for its an outlet, something she enjoys and is comfortable with.

how does your character really feel about love? do they want it?

she has never had love in her life and she is in desperate need of it. every action of her says so, but she carefully conceals it -- knowing she won’t ever get it and will only end up hurt again. 

what is your character’s most noticeable trait and most noticeable physical feature?

vesper is known for her exuding confidence, that is actually real and not only a bravado. she truly believes in herself to the point of arrogance -- and she is also known for that. physically, she is known for her height and sex appeal, she is sexy and holds herself well. besides, she really prides herself in her long and pretty black hair.

do you have any unique head canons for your character?

﹡ she’s ambidextrous, her brother broke two fingers of her left hand and she had learned how to use her right -- loves this ever since.

﹡ really hates tequila. 

﹡ doesn’t really like big bodies of water, not that she hates it or is afraid, but it makes her really uncomfortable. also, doesn’t know how to swim.

﹡ insomniac, since she has pretty ugly nightmares about her brother ever since. sleeps with the help of pills or alcohol ( sadly, both, at times )

﹡ is allergic to bees, doesn’t like honey.

﹡ loves dogs very much, but knows she’s not responsible enough to own one.

﹡╱      PLOT SPECIFIC 

how does your character feel about their major and school in general?

she’s very much satisfied with it. she has had classical instruction before, with her private tutors, so she finds is comfortably easy. she likes the school, it’s pretty far from home and pretty different, which is a plus.

what is your character’s plan for after graduation? does that scare them?

vesper doesn’t really have plans for it and it doesn’t scare her not even slightly. maybe she will do a specialization program to become a luthier, maybe join a company. she will still run her family’s business, but not stress much over it, since she doesn’t care.

what was your character’s relationship to manon and how exactly did they feel about her?

vesper had a closer to zero relationship with manon. she knew of her existence through her brother, one of her closest friends, and because of the fame she had going. vesper always believed they held manon in a too higher pedestal, and she was only yet another high school bully worshiped by many -- not deserving her real title; but beside that, vesper didn’t waste a single breath about her.

what is your character’s opinion on the pact as a whole? do they think they should just tell, are the willing to do what to take to keep other in to keep others in line, etc.

she thinks the pact was the dumbest thing ever done -- and probably the dumbest decision she made. vesper is willing to do what it takes to save herself from any kind of terrible situation this poorly action could lead them -- maybe even save some of those she likes the most. she sees too many flaws in their plan, but can’t tell without exposing how she knows the plan is flawed.

are there any secrets your character is scared the west bridge liars blog might leak?

she is not really afraid of spreading the “secrets” she has know, knowing that the truly secret she keeps only one person knows, and if anyone else gets to know, she will know who opened her mouth.

how is your character handling the stress of keeping the secret?

pretty well, wrapped in her satin robe, drinking rosé with some strawberries coated in chocolate, planning to murder anyone who actually outs their secret and expose them... she’s not above that, you know.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #192

“i’d love to give you wings, but babe, you’ve got to grow them.”

Where have you lived throughout your life? The same general area in North Carolina. Do you find your job rewarding? N/A What kind of cake did you have for your last birthday? I'm sure it was red velvet. To you, which is better: English muffins or bagels? I enjoy both, but bagels. Do you paint your nails? No. What’s the last website you signed up for? Good question... maybe a feral dog RP forum I was considering making a character on? Do you check your email everyday? I'm getting into the habit. Have you created any pages on Facebook? Yeah. Is there a subject that you absolutely suck at? Social studies/history, math. What’s your favorite song by Dave Matthews Band? I have no idea who that is. Are there people you have absolutely nothing in common with, but still enjoy talking to? Maybe? Have you ever wandered around drunk with your friend? No. Are you good at holding back your laughter if needed? Nooo, not at all. Have you ever been so unfortunate to suffer from a hangover? No. Have you ever had a panic attack? Plenty. Are you deathly allergic to anything? No. Have you ever had a mouse in your house? Yeah. In our old one, anyway. Do you know anyone who DOESN’T have an ex? Not personally, I think. Is anyone you know really religious? Welcome to the South. Yes. Are your eyebrows naturally thick? I'd say they're average. Has speaking in front of people ever made you sick? No. I haven't spoken in front of an actual audience since my senior project, though. It was hard, but I think I did well. What was the last movie that made you teary-eyed? I'm not sure. Moana may have gotten me a bit teary? But if no, Coco absolutely did. Have you had two friends that absolutely hated each other? I think "hate" is a strong word for it. Has a laptop ever burned your legs? Yes. I legitimately had dark spots on my right leg for a long while. Do you know anyone who has a scar through their eyebrow? Juan. Who was the last person to flip you off? Idk, but I'm sure it was playfully. Anyone’s birthday coming up soon? Miiiine! And my friend Alyssa's. Would you ever wear fake eyelashes? Sure, in rare circumstances. Are you good at following directions? No. I have zer-O sense of direction. Do you have someone that you can just act a fool with and not care? Sara. From where you’re sitting, can you touch a wall? Yeah, behind me. When at a restaurant, do you put your napkin on your lap? Not unless I'm with my grandmother. She's extremely "proper" about things. Do you prefer electric or manual pencil sharpeners? Electric. Are your biceps at all noticeable? No. Have you ever seen a walrus? Are there any at SeaWorld? Otherwise, no. When it comes to dropping food, do you believe in the 10 second rule? HELL NO. I'm a germaphobe with that stuff. If given the opportunity, would you ride on a camel? Sure? Do you believe that cellphones actually do cause cancer? I don't recall the science behind this theory, so idk. When people you know cry, does it make you feel like crying too? Oh yes, especially if it's someone I'm very close to. Particularly, I can't handle Mom, my sisters, or Sara crying. I've never seen Dad cry, but if he ever did, I know I would bawl. Do you tend to jump to conclusions? Was this written as a direct @me??????? Are you good at remembering your friends’ birthdays? NOPE. I only remember... Sara's, Connie's, Caleb's (just because it's on Halloween), Shaylee's, and that's literally it out of friends/acquaintances. Is there something you need to do, that you’re trying to avoid doing? Actually use WiiFit. I'm doing periodic exercises throughout the day, but I need to dedicate more and be able to see my center of balance. Ever pop someone else’s pimple? NONONONONO IT'S SO GROSS TO ME How long does it take you to fall asleep? No less than 15 minutes, I think usually more. Do you crack your neck often? I can't. Did you have a weird dream last night? OH MY GOD YES. I was awkwardly with one of my acquaintances at his house somehow????? and we both seemed very uncomfortable??????? and I think I was high or some shit???????????????? I don't even know this person well enough to like-like him?????????????? Who do you sometimes compare yourself to? My sisters and successful friends. Are you more worried about doing things right, or doing the right things? Doing the right things. But I aim for both. In what way are you your own worst enemy? I criticize. The. Hell out of everything I do. What activities make you lose track of time? Video games. When you help someone do you ever think, “What’s in it for me?” Full offense, you're an absolute dick if you do that. Who do you tell your secrets to? Nobody really unless there's reason to, and only ever Sara, Mom, or my therapist. Who do you live with? Mom and the pets. When did/will you graduate? '14 for high school. Idk when I will for college, gotta get there first... When are you moving next? Probably when Sara and I are ready for our own place. When is the last time you took a vitamin? I have to twice a week now, so Thursday, because I have an incredible vitamin D deficiency, and that's probably what's causing my knee problems. Why are you stressed? The everlasting weight loss struggle. Do you need to return anyone’s phone call? No. Where do you keep your birth certificate? It's in a safe. How many books are in your room? Uhhh like three? Then one coloring book. Have you ever been IN a wedding? I was the immensely triggered and ugly bridesmaid at my older sister's. Weddings were a very sensitive thing to me at the time, so while I was so happy for Ashley, I had a very difficult time and cried numerous times. What was the last thing you laughed out loud at? I think during a Mark video? Do you have a nickname? Why? "Britt" for obvious reasons, and Mom's called me "Twinkie" since I was a baby. She gave all her children sweets-based nicknames. Fuck out my face if you think that ain't the cutest damn thing. Have you ever had a bad concert experience? No. When was the last time someone told you that you were beautiful/good-looking? Do people often tell you this? I think the last time was when Sara said I looked really pretty with eyeliner on and I just eeeeeeeeeek. I'm not often told it. Are you missing someone of the opposite sex atm? Not romantically. I'd like to see Girt as a bud; I'm gonna invite him to my birthday dinner to hang out. Hopefully he doesn't have work. Want someone back in your life? Yes. Are you currently sad about anything? Weight. Unbelievable difficulty getting my fucking transcript and inability to find my ACT score so I can go back to school. Are you wearing anything shiny? My lip ring has gems on it, and they shine a bit in the right light. How important is a sense of humor in a significant other? I need it. I don't think I could really enjoy a constantly serious person as a partner. How many followers do you have on Twitter? Idk, don't care to check. I only ever use it to be able to like Mark's shit lmao. Do you sleep with the door open or closed? Open so Roman can go in and out. Have you ever been to the beach? Multiple times. Can you handle blood? Doesn't bother me a bit. Do you pay your bills or do your parents? My parents. I have no source of income to. What’s your best friend’s middle name? Jane. Has any place hired you underage for a job? No. Have you ever barely passed a grade/year in school? In college courses when my mental state was at its worst. Have you ever carried a concealed weapon? No. Have you ever tried to sell something overpriced to someone? No, I don't think so. Do you plan to become very wealthy some day? "Very" is unlikely, but I am dead serious about being at least perfectly financially stable one day. I refuse to live how I have my whole life so far, wondering if rent will be paid each month 'n things like that. Do you remember your first time going to the movies? No. Does eating breakfast make you sick? No. Are you dying to say something to someone right this minute? No. Well, not dying to, but after this whole revelation I had, I really want to apologize to Jason. I wasn't without evil in how I responded to and treated him after the breakup. Book series you enjoyed reading recently? I haven't read a series in years. Do you enjoy lying in the grass during the summer, and just existing? Nooo. Summer sucks and lying in grass is super uncomfortable. Do you have a passport? If so, how many stamps do you have in it? No. Are there any keys on your keyboard that have letters fading away? Not fading, but literally gone from the keyboard because this one is horrible, even after being "fixed" or replaced (idr). No joke, 21 are gone. Sooo I have to smash those buttons for the sensor or whatever to understand I'm pressing them, to the point my fingers, especially right pointer, are mildly callused. Do any of your close friends have children? No close ones, but one I'm hoping to reconnect more with it expecting. What do you plan on having for dinner? Probably a sandwich and nutrition shake to get enough calories to take my medicine and get the intended effect. Do you like Chinese food, or do you find it disgusting? The only things I enjoy now are fried rice and eggrolls, but I used to like sweet and sour chicken and bird on a stick or whatever its proper name is. Have the police ever come knocking on your door looking for someone? Once. Know anybody who works in a tattoo parlor? We're not like, "real" friends, but I know a good number of and get along great with the employees at the parlor I'm a regular customer at. I want to work there so badly. Small, environment I feel at home at, great people. Have you ever played flashlight tag? Don't even know what that is. Could you call yourself a movie buff? Not at all. Have you ever had a piercing get infected? A second hole in one of my earlobes, and the first time I got my tongue done, there was an abscess inside that indicated one was likely to form. Thank God that the rollercoaster of The Tongue Piercing Woes has ended. Do you check your fire alarms when you’re supposed to? Mom does occasionally. Are you a shorts wearing kind of person? NOOOOO MY LEGS ARE NOT OKAY. Plus I chafe. Is your grandparents’ house obsessively tidy? Ohhhh I'm sure. I haven't been to her house since I was a kid, but I remember it being like, pristine. Her rooms at her son's is neat as hell too. About how much can you bench press? I have no clue. Have you ever had your phone die on you in the middle of a conversation? Yeah. Is anybody in your family a carpenter? Not to my knowledge. Are you avoiding someone? No. Do you call your boyfriend “Monkey”? I have a gf, and I have never in the least understood how that's a term of endearment. What’s your favorite primary color? Red. What were you for Halloween? Nothing, ugh. I haaave to dress up this year. Do you have any clothes from Walmart? Yeah. When did you get a Facebook? I have no clue. What color are your eyes? Grayish-greenish blue. What motivates you? How far I've already come, wanting a better future than I have now, encouragement from friends, family, my therapist, and psychiatrist, the drive to thoroughly enjoy my one mortal existence. Can you walk in heels? Not well. When was the last time someone asked you your age? Ummm, last time I got something done at the parlor, I think? Do you keep a journal? No. Have you ever tried a weird flavor of vodka? No. Do you wear a ring on your finger? One, my friendship ring with Sara. What are you doing? This, listening to Asking Alexandria's "Closer" NIN cover (no shame), and waiting for Girt to reply on Facebook. What’s the last kind of soup you ate? A bit of vegetable. Do you currently have a sunburn? No. Who did you last text? Mom. Who’d you last call? About what? My old college to find out why I couldn't get my fucking transcript after weeks upon weeks of being directed to different people about it. I regret going there immensely. Complete waste of time and money. Are you currently frustrated with someone? I'm really frustrated at myself. Do you drink water or soda more often? I'm actually not sure... Do you straighten your hair? No. When did you last talk to your brother or sister? One, not since Christmas, and the younger, a few days ago. All my half-siblings have been forever, and one I've never spoken to. What is your least favorite vegetable? Probably asparagus. Or beans. Outside of family, name 3 people that make you smile/laugh often. Sara, Mark, Shane Dawson. In school, what subjects did you achieve your highest grades in? English or art, idr. Was there a subject that you enjoyed, but weren’t too good at? No. When was the last time something didn’t go to plan? What happened? Being into what's called "vulture culture" now (at least to a certain degree), I searched for quite a while for the bones of the very first opossum I photographed (I have a photography "series" focused on exposing the horror of roadkill to hopefully influence people to be more careful and vigilant), but despite thorough searching, I couldn't find it. Gruesome, but Mom speculated the remains were destroyed by whoever mows the grass there. Do you have any children? If not, at what age do you think you’ll feel ready to be a parent? No, and never. When was the last time you bought a new item of clothing? Describe it. Uhhh. I seriously have no clue. Maybe some underwear months ago. Was your last Facebook friend request from a male or female? Idk who the last person was. Do you have an item of clothing that makes you feel especially beautiful? Describe it. No. Think of the last person that betrayed you. If they said they were sorry, would you forgive them? I can literally almost guarantee Colleen shared our whole goddamn conversation and shit on Facebook after our last talk, as she did the first time too. Too many times our business became everyone's. I'd forgive her, but I refuse to ever be friends again. Nastiest thing you've ever done? I hate talking about this, but okay. When I was deep into my suicidal depression phase, I had a hard time brushing my teeth as needed. Like... I wouldn't for days. I avoided brushing my hair as long as I could too. Anyone who doesn't believe in how deeply depression is capable of chaining you down and making vital things almost impossible, go get fucking educated. Have you ever been in a lighthouse? No. What color is your shower? White. Where do you order your pizza from? Ideally Domino's, but sometimes Little Caesar's. When is the last time you had a serious talk with someone? Yesterday. Do you find that you have a certain meal you eat every time you go to certain restaurants? Oh yes. I rarely try something new. What color is your bike? N/A What word can you not stand to hear people say? The “n” word. What room of your house are you in? My bedroom. What is the temperature in your city right now? Apparently 38 F. When did you last use a post-it-note? No idea. Would you ever want to own your own restaurant? No. Do you have a fan in your bedroom? I have three lmao. My room is unbearable in the summer. Who is the last person that you took a picture with? Sara. When is the last time you were stuck in a fairly long traffic jam? A couple months or so back when there was an accident. Do you have certain friends that you hug every time you see them? All my friends. When was your most recent trip to an aquarium? 2016 visit to the beach. We went to the aquarium there and it absolutely sucked. What do you like in your salads and what dressing do you prefer? Just lettuce (but I can also handle cucumbers) and the Olive Garden dressing. If it has one, do you ever use the notepad function in your phone? Occasionally. Rn I have tattoo ideas written in it. Surprised? How good would you say your memory is? Absolutely horrible, lately worse than ever. I worry about it quite a bit. About how many times during the night do you wake up from your sleep? Once or twice. Are there any air fresheners in your house? What kinds? Not currently on or anything. What’s one thing you’re glad you’ve done recently? Improved on picking up the phone when I don't know the number. Have you ever done something sexual that you regret? Well, I've talked about flirting with my friend's bf as a pre-teen, and it wasn't always innocent, if you count that as "sexual." I regret the hell out of it. Do you like to sit in the sun and tan when it’s hot out? NO. Ever had a person who was obsessed with you so much that it scared you? Yes, Tyler. I wasn't like, terrified, but preeeetty uncomfortable. Can you drive, and if you can, do you like it? I can, but I'm not that great, and I absolutely hate it. Have you ever said anything to the last person you kissed that you regret? Yes. Do you like french fries? Hell yeah. Have you ever eaten so much you puked? No. Do you care about what others think of your physical appearance? People whose opinions I care about. Would you rather go to Greece or France? Probably Greece.

[msterofnone-blog]

jack rider ; intro, stats, verses & connections

JACK RIDER looks an awful lot like ALEX TURNER. HE/HIM are/is TWENTY NINE and while they’re FRIENDLY, they have a tendency to get pretty UNMOTIVATED. You’ve probably seen them around Kola listening to HAND IN GLOVE by THE SMITHS.

- first of all; no matter who you are or what you want, jack rider doesn’t give a shit

- he will act friendly to everybody around him & is well known, but not well liked, more feared; everybody knows that he talks shit about them behind their backs as soon as they walk away

- he was born in manchester, england & his family moved to kola when he was 10; his mother had dreams (delusions) of making it big in hollywood, and was always distant from him, and when her plans didn’t work out, she grew more and more detached from the family. they had to stay as his dad, the realist, had set up his own repair shop to sustain them - his parents stayed together but his dad worked himself to the point of exhaustion whilst his mother would sit by the window every day, unspeaking; they passed away with a month of one another when jack was 18

- he’s a mechanic in kola & fixes cars just as his dad did (i had the greaser thing planned before the greaser anon & now i feel bad) so again he comes into contact with a lot of people - this business progressed into something more as he got older

- working with cars, his first foray into the criminal world was as a getaway driver (baby driver anyone?) but he was about 18 and still pretty new, but he wanted to be something more than his dad had been so he stuck with it and made his way up through the ranks

- he now works with the gang he was first involved with in dealing through his repair shop, but its more of an open secret

- at 29, he should be getting a little restless about his future but he’s never looked to settle down, and will loudly (obnoxiously) pronounce that love does not exist - at least not for men like him

FULL NAME: jack rider PRONUNCIATION: ja-c rye-der MEANING: any man REASONING: not the type of parents to think too deeply about his name rly NICKNAME(S): ponyboy (ANYONE) PREFERRED NAME(S): jack BIRTH DATE: november 2nd 1989 AGE: 29 ZODIAC: scorpio  GENDER: male PRONOUNS: he/him ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: panromantic SEXUAL ORIENTATION: pansexual NATIONALITY: british ETHNICITY: white british CURRENT LOCATION: kola, california LIVING CONDITIONS: lives above his repair shop in an outdated flat; really only uses it to sleep in & takes no pride in looking after it

BACKGROUND

BIRTH PLACE: manchester royal infirmary, manchester, england  HOMETOWN: machester, england  SOCIAL CLASS: lower EDUCATION LEVEL: finished high school FATHER: paul rider MOTHER: flora rider SIBLING(S): n/a CHILDREN: n/a PET(S): n/a  OTHER IMPORTANT RELATIVES: n/a PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS: never ever one to commit so has never had anything serious  ARRESTS?: countless  PRISON TIME?: 6 months

OCCUPATION & INCOME

PRIMARY SOURCE OF INCOME: fixing cars  SECONDARY SOURCE OF INCOME: dealing  APPROXIMATE AMOUNT PER YEAR: $30k CONTENT WITH THEIR JOB (OR LACK THERE OF)?: he’s convinced himself he is & has become somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy - he used to dream of being a writer when he was much much younger & breaking out of the cycle of the men in his family; it didn’t happen PAST JOB(S): always been an apprentice to his father, who also fixed cars SPENDING HABITS: too much on cigarettes, not on the essentials  MOST VALUABLE POSSESSION: his chevrolet 

SKILLS & ABILITIES

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: fairly strong INTELLIGENCE: used to read a lot but hasn’t in over 10 years, a mediocre writer who never got the chance to improve  TALENTS: very good mechanic   SHORTCOMINGS: anything with numbers - he always works things out by eye  LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: english DRIVE?: yes JUMP-STAR A CAR?: yes CHANGE A FLAT TIRE?: yes RIDE A BICYCLE?: no SWIM?: yes PLAY AN INSTRUMENT?: barely plays guitar  PLAY CHESS?: no BRAID HAIR?: yes - used to braid his mothers hair  TIE A TIE?: yes PICK A LOCK?: yes

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE & CHARACTERISTICS

FACE CLAIM: alex turner  EYE COLOR: brown HAIR COLOR: brown HAIR TYPE/STYLE: greased back always  GLASSES/CONTACTS?: nope  DOMINANT HAND: right  HEIGHT: 5′8″ WEIGHT: 156 lbs EXERCISE HABITS: lifting heavy weights when he works on cars but that’s about it SKIN TONE: on the paler side TATTOOS: 3 PEIRCINGS: one ear MARKS/SCARS: a scar on his shoulder from an ‘accident at work’ NOTABLE FEATURES: he use looks a bit mean most of the time really USUAL EXPRESSION: looking mean CLOTHING STYLE: old style greaser - the same as his father JEWELRY: rings when he’s not working & a watch ALLERGIES: n/a DIET: baD PHYSICAL AILMENTS: n/a

PSYCHOLOGY

JUNG TYPE: entj MORAL ALIGNMENT: chaotic neutral TEMPERAMENT: sanguine ELEMENT: fire APPROXIMATE IQ: 95 MENTAL CONDITIONS/DISORDERS: n/a OBSESSION(S): appearing unbothered by everything COMPULSION(S): checking his hair PHOBIA(S): relationships??? honestly  ADDICTION(S): smoking DRUG USE: he deals but won’t do anything he deals ALCOHOL USE: too much PRONE TO VIOLENCE?: too much 

MANNERISMS

SPEECH STYLE: a bit too loud and cocky  ACCENT: manchester  HOBBIES: trying in his very little spare time to play guitar but not telling anybody HABITS: smoking NERVOUS TICKS: his foot starts tapping DRIVES/MOTIVATIONS: not many at all; lives day to day FEARS: being alone with himself  POSITIVE TRAITS:  funny, friendly & loyal NEGATIVE TRAITS: violent, closed-off emotionally & judgemental  SENSE OF HUMOR: he’s funny ngl DO THEY CURSE OFTEN?: yeah CATCHPHRASE(S): ‘jack of all trades’

FAVORITES

ACTIVITY: working on cars ANIMAL: dogs BEVERAGE: whiskey  BOOK: to kill a mockingbird - harper lee CELEBRITY: mick jagger COLOR: black DESIGNER: he ain’t got a clue FOOD: bacon sandwiches  FLOWER: orchids GEM: ruby HOLIDAY:  he gets the most business (wink wink) around new year MODE OF TRANSPORTATION: ...cars MOVIE: the outsiders  MUSICAL ARTIST: the clash QUOTE/SAYING: ‘stay gold’  SCENERY: countryside SCENT: cinnamon  SPORT: football SPORTS TEAM: manchester united  TELEVISION SHOW: black mirror  WEATHER: rain VACATION DESTINATION: back home to britain

ATTITUDES

GREATEST DREAM: he has none )-: it was to write & escape what seemed to be laid out for him... it didn’t happen GREATEST FEAR: being forgotten about MOST AT EASE WHEN: working in his shop LEAST AT EASE WHEN: by himself WORST POSSIBLE THING THAT COULD HAPPEN: he lost his shop BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT: fixing up a car on his own for his dad BIGGEST REGRET: not getting his mother to engage with him - not trying harder to MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT: throwing a screwdriver at who he thought was his friend... it wasn’t... hospital happened BIGGEST SECRET: that he used to want to write  TOP PRIORITIES: making money 

&. VERSES

none yet!! working on it

&. WANTED CONNECTIONS

ROMANTIC.

i wanna be yours - jack fiercely disbelieves in love, and this person makes him question this long held belief (partners in crime)

leave before the lights come on - somebody jack’s being seeing for months, unwittingly (or perhaps wittingly) leading them on without seeing it as anything near serious

bigger boys & stolen sweethearts - the two used to play make believe together when they were young before one of them moved away - they’d made a pact to marry one another at 6 years old & now jack ( the love non-believer remember ) has been invited to their wedding

PLATONIC.

red light indicates doors are secure - somebody else in the same gang as jack; they’re close & watch each others backs

only ones who know - somebody who often visits his repair shop & their company & conversation lets him escape to normalcy for a few hours a week ( could become romantic!! )

fake tales of san francisco - jack finished high school but only just & has forgotten his love for words - somebody smart stumbles into his life and helps him reignite his interest ( in private, of course ) 

ENEMIES.

dangerous animals - member/s of rival gang/s cos we been knew my boy likes to fight

do me a favour - an ex from a very turbulent relationship whom jack probably hurt very badly & left without much of a thought 

&. FILLED CONNECTIONS

ROMANTIC.

none!!

PLATONIC.

none!!

ENEMIES.

none!!

[displacedprincess]

sleep oneshot

alternatively - the mateo effect

@mateodeavalor

Everyone’s heard of the placebo effect. Was it possible for a person to have that same effect?

March 4, 2010

Fact: Elena Flores liked to sleep. A lifetime of being groomed to take over the throne one day didn’t lend itself to having many days to sleep in. Elena clung to every minute of sleep as if it were a precious gem. Which was why, when nightmares plagued her sleep, she was disproportionately upset even as a small child.

This time, however, the Princess hadn’t slept but a handful of decent nights since February 19th on account of the on live television assassination of her parents, and the elaborate funeral procession and burial days later. At first it was just the stress of it all that kept her up late. That wasn’t so bad. She just slept in an hour past normal and her grandparents, Esteban, and the staff allowed it because she’d just lost her parents. That was before her brain had enough time to process everything enough for nightmares to come.

She had her first nightmare on February 27th. And since then she was afraid to close her eyes, for when she did, she was met with a ghostly version of her mother, asking her why she let them bury them when they were still alive. Her father, telling her they were scared in their dark coffins beneath the dirt. Blood pouring from black circle where their warm brown eyes once were. The last time she slept, Goliath made an appearance, glaring at her and shaking his head as he apologized to the corpses of her parents and his best friends for their ‘ungrateful daughter, so quick to rid her life of you.’ Elena woke up screaming the wee hours of the morning, March 2nd, and she’s not been able to fall asleep since.

Or if she has, it was quick cat naps. Her body thankfully protected her from the horrors that awaited her in REM sleep. Unfortunately, she didn’t get any meaningful rest, either.

So when Mateo de Alva came to the palace with his grandfather that afternoon, Elena...looked like hell. And she knew it. Oh god, did she know it.

And Mateo knew it, too. Surely he did, but he made no gasp of horror, no facial expression of disgust. He simply knocked on her bedroom door - Esteban must have told him she was in there - and let himself in after she called to him from her vanity, “it’s open!”

“Princess E-Elena,” Mateo greeted with his head in a partial bow. He still didn’t get she was ‘just Elena’ to him, even in front of palace staff, did he? “Um. Esteban said I’d find you, um…find you here.”

Elena set her brush down and frowned at her splotchy faced reflection. “Close your eyes, you don’t need to see this atrocity to God,” the princess said, voice croaky as she dabbed at her eyes that started to water again.

His footsteps were moving toward her. The opposite of what she wanted, but just what she needed. A part of her wanted to shout at him to leave, to let her be alone, to let her - to let her dissolve into nothingness like her parents, because that’s what they were now. Nothing. They were dead. And nothing - nothing. They were nothing now, and she wanted to be nothing.

Or, part of her did.

But a bigger of her... wanted to finish brushing her hair, wanted to force herself out of her bedroom and into the real world again.

And most of her? Most of her wanted to cling to Mateo and cry, cling to Mateo and hopefully feel like her best friend’s presence would make her breathe again.

“Mateo…” she trailed off after saying his name in a half-sob. With one hand, she gripped the handle of her hairbrush. With the other, she reached for him without looking at him. “Ven acá, Matu. Ven acá, por favor, te necesito.”

Most of her wanted to cling to Mateo, burrow under her covers, and nap like when they were children. Maybe next to him, the nightmares would go away. The only other time since they died she was able to sleep, to really sleep, was the night after the funeral when Goliath let her curl up in his lap like when she was small and hide in his wings. She got...a good three REM cycles. He didn’t have big, soft gargoyle wings, but Mateo was...well he was her best friend, her Matu. And nothing was safer than her two best friends, her boys.

“Elena, I-” Mateo began, before cutting himself off with a nervous swallow. “I don’t know what to say, Elena. But I want to be here. W-what can I do?”

“You can start by staying right here.” The princess took hold of his hand, warm in her icy one, and gripped her hairbrush tighter. “My - my arms hurt from brushing my h-hair. I haven’t in three...three days. Could you-?”

Mateo let go of her hand and picked up the brush before she could say ‘-just make sure there aren’t any tangles left.’ Of course he did. He was always eager to help, anything she asked. Elena tried not to take advantage of it for silly things like brushing her hair, but god, her arms were so tired. Just like the rest of her.

“You’re good at brushing hair,” Elena comments softly, cracking the thinnest of smiles as she watched in the mirror. “Marlena?”

“Yeah, my sister.” He chuckled, briefly. But warm all the same. “She used to make me brush her hair when she was too lazy, ¡qué fastidioso!, and she still does.”

Elena blinked at her reflection before making eye contact with him with help of the mirror. “I’m...sorry. You don’t have to brush my hair if it annoys you, I just…”

“No!” Mateo startled, accidentally tugging at her scalp when the hand holding the brush jerked. “I - I mean. No, I want to. I want to h-help you, so I like - I don’t mind. My sister is just annoying.” He gently worked at a tangle, holding her hair just above it to keep from hurting her and brushing it out, like a real pro. It made Elena smile again, just a little. Having a friend like him would make anybody smile, no matter what.

Even if it was the smallest, shortest smile.

“Mateo? Can I ask...a weird favor?” She asked, turning around to face him and gently taking the brush to set it back down atop the vanity.

He took a half step back, to see her clearly, and when she reached for his hand, he lazily let it hang there for her to mess with. “Nothing’s weird, Elena. I came with my grandfather today because I couldn’t stand not trying to help my best friend anymore. So I want to help. Tell me the weird favor.”

Right, this wasn’t just a random person. This was one of her two oldest and most loyal friends, so maybe Mateo wouldn’t...think she was being weird. Encouraged, she squeezed his hand and met his eye. She almost gasped, seeing her reflection in them. Elena looked almost as dead as her parents were.

Christ, she needed to ask this.

“Remember how...how when we were kids, and my cousin Danilo made me watch Kujo? And how I was crying and scared still when you came to the palace to play the next day?”

“I couldn’t forget, you ran over to me and kept crying about how mean Danilo was.”

“Yes,” Elena chuckled, blinking tears from her eyes. “Well, and then, do you remember how I told you to nap with me because I was scared?”

“Si, recuerdo. I remember that.”

“Do you think…” Elena trailed off and almost said ‘nevermind’, but it would have been stupid not to continue. She’d already tried every other method to sleep. “You could - that we - I...can’t sleep, Matu. I haven’t slept since it happened. The nightmares won’t go away, a-and I want to try-”

Mateo, for probably the third time ever, interrupted her. “Yes. Elena, yes, if you think it might help, I’ll -”

God, and she almost - almost - let the waterworks loose. She was tired, she was so tired, and sad, and she felt like her entire world had caved in and her life was shattered, and she was just. So thankful to Mateo. If she could just get one decent bit of sleep, just this once, just...please. Make her body, her brain, and her heart feel a little less heavy after some sleep.

She stood from the seat in front of her vanity and tugged on his hand, gesturing to her still unmade bed. It hadn’t been made in days, she was never out of it long enough for the maids to touch it. “No, that’s too far away,” Elena protested, when he timidly crawled in on the complete opposite end that she did. “Mateo, hold me. Like when we were kids. It’s the same.”

With just the slightest bit of hesitation, Mateo slid up behind Elena and slipped his arms about her waist. Oh. Warmth, he was warm. So warm. And for the first time since February 19th, Elena didn’t feel cold and lonely, and sad. Still sad. Yes, still sad, but warm and far from lonely. He was always a good friend, the absolute best friend, but Elena had never been more thankful for the younger teenager than in that moment.

It couldn’t make it go away. Or even really make it better. But at least she was warm, and now he was absently playing with her hair, and his steady breathing was keeping her mind from going a million miles an hour.

Yes, this was a good idea. But it - but she’d fall asleep a bit faster maybe if -

“Mateo?” Elena curled her fingers in the fingers of one of his hands. “...hey, um. Do you think, um. Can you maybe...sing a song?”

“What? Elena, you wouldn’t want-”

“It...sometimes helps. And stop it, you have a nice voice. Don’t blush like a baby, you’re fourteen, and I’ve heard you sing loads of times. So...will you?” Elena would have puppy dog eyed him, if her back weren’t to him.

“Sure, but...I don’t. What should I, uh. I don’t know...what.”

“Oh, well, I. I liked that Luis Fonsi song you were, um, singing the other day. When you were studying with your earphones in.” And she did, which was odd, because she always thought she didn’t like Luis Fonsi. “It was pretty.”

Mateo cleared his thought and nervous laughed against her ear. He wanted to protest, he did, but. Anything for her, she knew.

Tras la marea nadie tiene sed Nos lastimamos suficiente Cuesta mirarnos frente a frente

He was so kind. Too kind, she remembered thinking, as her brain zeroed in on the song, ignoring everything else.

Llora conmigo hasta que el cielo sea cielo Hasta que el frío que hoy sentimos se convierta en fuego Hasta que llore el mar Y el beso que quedó vacío ocupe su lugar Y todo vuelva a empezar

Too, too kind. Doing this. Singing to her, so she could sleep. Singing her to sleep, really. She’d pay him back...someday, when her world wasn’t falling apart.

La calma está por llegar…

Pero, la calma estaba muy lejano,  y no estaría viniendo para los dos.

[stararena-blog]

Arena of the Stars

KRYS PYNE VS. SHAEL ABUFF

           The man in chains awoke with a start, icy eyes cracked with terror. The world was trying to kill him, he was sure of it, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His hands--heavy with shackles--brushed through his matted brown hair. The words filled his mouth as quickly as bile:

           “Where am I?”

           He stilled. His salty fingers went to his lips, as if trying to feel his voice. Was that his voice? Following his throat downwards, he felt his bare chest until it met ragged burlap pants. Nothing seemed familiar. His eyes darted about madly, searching the dusty stone walls for an answer—the answer—

           “You are in the Arena of Stars, Krys Pyne,” a soothing voice filled the bare chambers, pushing aside the dust and hysteria from the walls. He turned to it, scrambling to his bare feet with difficulty. It was a woman, young, with hair of fire. The man stilled, struck by eyes that reminded him of soft grass.

           She stepped closer with such grace and confidence that forced him to stumble back, immediately falling to the dusty clay ground. The chains on his feet, he finally noticed, were fastened to a metal ring at the center of the room.

           “It will be okay,” cheeks swelled with her pink smile, “In here, you are safe.” The woman took yet another step, the peach-colored robes rustling like petals in the wind.

           “Who—Who are you?” His dirty hands were held up, expecting an attack. She did not seem fazed,

           “I am Emma Fire-Stone, but you may call me Emma.”

           “Emma…” he tasted each letter, expecting it to quench his sudden thirst. “Where—What—” He didn’t know where to start; he couldn’t even remember his name. Trying to get his thoughts in order, he treaded slowly, “You… You called me something earlier. What was it?”

      “Krys Pyne,” her smile did not waver, “That is your old name—and your new one.”

           “Why? Why can’t I remember anything?” He stood, eyeing the chains.

           “None of our gladiators do. He finds it distracting.”

           “’He’? Who is ‘he’?”

           She held her pale hands before her, smiling sweetly, “You’ll come to find out soon enough. Now, follow me.”

           He chuckled for the first time, a smirk brightening his handsome face. Gesturing downwards, “I’d love to, but—”

           The chains on his feet were gone.

           As was she.

           Her voice drifted from the narrow hallway exiting the room, “Stay close, Krys Pyne. Else you might find yourself dead before your first fight.”

           Everything within his core warned him to stay, but what else could he do? Sit in an empty room and die of starvation?

           He trotted after, the shackles on his wrists heralding his presence with every jingle. Both walls and floor had the orange hue of clay, making it feel like he was trapped in an endless, featureless tunnel. The hallway coiled and curved like a snake, and no matter his speed he would only just see a ruffle of soft fabric rustling out of sight.

           “Wait—Emma—" It was impossible to run more than a few feet before slamming into a wall. His breaths were growing more ragged, anxiety settling into his chest. “Slow down, I—”

           The tunnel opened into a wide room. The walls and floor were in the same orange hues as the rest of the building, only the room was not bare. It was full of weapons. Swords, axes, hammers, blades and spikes attached to oddly shaped designs he couldn’t guess the name of. Her pale fingers were grazing down the blade of a sword,

           “First, you must choose your weapon.”

           “Woah, woah, I’m going to stop you right now,” He carefully approached her, “I’m not fighting anybody. Especially not with a sword.”

           “An axe, then?” She looked to him with a teasing smile, “You can’t go out with just your fists.”

           “I’m not fighting anybody,” he repeated firmly, “Why would I?”

           “Because your Patron says so,” she drew a spear sitting atop a long black pole. Twirling it in her hands a moment, she handed it to him, “And if you don’t listen to your Patron, you die.”

           His hand reeled from the spear as if it were fire, eyes wide. It fell to the floor dejectedly, “So, what, I’m like—a fighting dog?”

           “Essentially,” she grinned, “Maybe a little more complex.” The calmness in her tone was irritating him.

           “I’m not going to be a mindless animal fighting for some random person.”

           “Not random, you were specially selected,” she held up her hand, stopping his immediate objection, “You belong to one of the Five. The most powerful figures in this world, whose influence can bend time itself.”

           “But why me? Why do I carry the weight of this god-like figure alone?”

           “You are not alone. You have four other members of your team.”

           His brows knit, frozen blue eyes searching within the meadow of hers, “My team? Where? Who are—”

           “Let’s pick your weapon first,” she insisted, bending low to pick up the spear. “You have four varieties of weapons to choose from: Ice, Fire, Lightning and Spirit.” With a sharp pound into the floor, the silver of the blade burst into flame—“GAH!” He stepped back from it, arms before his face, “What—What the—"

           “Depending on what element and weapon your opponent chooses, you can be at an advantage or disadvantage.”

           He was still staring at the flames, eyes wide. How is this possible?

           “I suggest you find a weapon that feels comfortable, first.” Though the words seemed friendly, the tone revealed it as the command it was. Fueled by curiosity (and slight fear), his feet carried him from weapon to weapon.

           After closer inspection, he could make out small gems in each handle—mostly red and blue, with yellow and purple sprinkled here and there. Noticing the woman was watching him, he cleared his throat and reached for the great sword. Lifting it off the display gently—CLANG, THUD—“Fuck!” He bounced around on his injured foot, face growing red. He heard her light giggle,

           “Something lighter, perhaps?”

           He looked down to his body with narrowed eyes. The hills and valleys of his chest, as well as his sizable arms, seemed to have deceived him. “I’m—tired.”

           “Here—” she was suddenly before him, a silver sword resting across her palms, “Try this.”

           Steeling his jaw, he went to clasp the handle. She dropped her arms, and he nearly dropped the sword as well. The ease in which she held it led him to believe it to weigh next to nothing. His arm turned the fall into a swing, jaw stuck out as if studying the weapon,

           “Ah, yes, fine.”

           She grinned, her hands reaching for his. “Now…” she moved closer, the smell of flowers wafting into his nose, “Just move your thumb here.” Her fingers carefully positioned his thumb so that it rested on hers. He could feel her lightly press into a groove. The blade cracked, deep blue veins carving themselves into the polished silver. Every movement of the sword left a small trail of frost to linger in the air. It nearly distracted him from the beautiful girl pressed close to his chest. Her eyes flickered up to him, dangerous beneath those thick eyelashes, “How does it feel?”

           A tense few seconds of silence went by before his brain processed she had asked a question. Ripping his eyes from hers, he forced his focus on the blade, “Powerful.”

           “Good,” she left him, taking her warmth and soft smells with her. Stepping towards a new hallway, “Now let’s get you suited up to face your first opponent.”

           When her words processed, he followed afterwards with a weary smile, “Listen, this is cool and all, but I’m not into this idea of maiming a stranger for the amusement of other strangers.”

           The beautiful woman looked to him over her shoulder with a smirk, “You will fight, Krys Pyne.”

           He chuckled, “What makes you so sure?”

           She fully stopped at this. As if a switch was flipped, the room went cold. The air around him seemed to still, and he immediately found himself gasping for breath, “Because…” when she turned around, the green pastures of her eyes had turned burning violet, “If you don’t, I’ll kill you myself.”

---

 The newest room they entered was dim, the walls cast in such cold shadow that Krys found himself missing the encompassing clay. Emma was helping him into a leather vest, her friendly eyes bright and clear as the moment he'd first seen her. But...

I'll kill you myself.

A single look had never made him feel such dread. He cleared his throat, "So where's my team?"

She tightened the straps with a soft smile, "If you pass your first test, you will meet them."

"And my first test is... killing someone?"

"Depends if our King sees fit for them—or you—to live."

Shaggy brown locks hung over his eyes, jaw clenched. He had no identity besides his name and his face—neither meaning anything to him. But maybe he had a family somewhere, friends, a home...

"If I win, then what?"

"We'll talk about it soon. Now, feel ready?"

He held open his arms with a scoff, "A leather vest? What about pants? Boots? Maybe some steel?"

"When you move up higher, you'll get more gear. And besides, this vest has mild elemental resistance." The sweet smile revealed it has being a kind favor, but all he could see were those cold violet eyes.

"Thanks..."

"Now, follow me," she cooed, walking down a wide brick-laden archway that could have made room for 20 men abreast. There was a dim humming, and Krys kept glancing around in search of a bug. As they walked further, it grew louder and louder, the sound seeming so familiar... A metal gate barred their path, light shining through so intense that he had to squint to even see Emma.

That sound... It was—

"Your audience awaits, Krys Pine. Are you ready?"

The thought of murdering a man wracked his body with chills, but the realization that there was a chance he might lose… His heartbeat was in his throat,

“Do I have a choice?”

Emma smiled, eyes looking him over as if checking cattle. Her thin hand reached beside her—CLINK—a chain was brought down, and soon after the grate was rising.

The sweat in his palms almost made him lose grip of the sword. With a small gesture of her hand, he found himself walking into the light. Forcing a smirk on his face, he turned back to her,

“Any advice?”

Her smile was still in place, half her face obscured by his shadow. After a moment she spoke softly, “Fight true, and put your very soul in each swing.”

He chuckled, “Gee, thanks. Anything, ya know, practical?”

She smirked, “Your weapon will run out of energy after about ten minutes. Use it wisely.”

His eyes widened, “What, what—”

“AND OUR NEXT MATCH BEGINS NOW!” A voice boomed around him, forcing his eyes to adjust to his surroundings. It was a massive arena, a complete oval of rows upon rows of cheering fans. There must have been fifty thousand screaming faces, if not more. The ground was a familiar orange dirt, with random rocks and brown splotches decorating here and there.

“OUR FIRST CONTENDOR! ON DEKAPRIO’S TEAM WE HAVE… KRYS PYNE!”

Half of the arena burst into an endless chant: “DE-KAP-RI-O! DE-KAP-RI-O!”

Krys held his arm high blocking out the two suns overhead. What IS this place?

“AND FOR OUR NEXT CONTENDOR—ON THE ALBAH TEAM IS OUR TWO-TIME WINNER… SHAEL ABUFF!”

A creaking on the other side of the stadium drew Krys’s pale glare.

The man that stepped out of the opposing gate brandished eyes of murder, thick beard outlining a harsh grimace, and a scar that ran down the left side of his face. He was shorter than Krys, but through that glare Krys felt two-feet tall.

In Shael’s hands spun two golden daggers, fitting within his palms as if designed just for him. Pyne gulped, taking a step back. A two-time winner? How was he supposed to compete with that? He looked down to his sword—He only had 10 minutes of energy.

Well, better start now. He pressed his thumb into the groove.

Nothing happened.

“Wait, what?” He did it again, pressing it frantically. The blade stayed inactive. Was he doing it wrong? Was the energy already drained?

Shael was crunching towards him, without chest armor, only crisscrossing leather pants and arm guards. At least there was a somewhat easy target. Maybe he could win without the elemental nonsense. Or maybe…

“Hey… buddy,” Krys grinned, holding up his sword and hand in defeat, “How about we talk this out?”

The brutish man did not seem to care for Krys’s words.

“Look, I don’t want to hurt you, alright?”

Shael was perhaps a dozen feet away. Krys began backing up, grin faltering, “Heh, not much of a talker, huh? Come on, if we both don’t do anything—what’s the worst that could happen? Why do we need to fight?”

This stopped Shael for a moment, and a slow grin revealed a missing tooth. His voice was raspy, “Do you have dreams, Krys Pyne?”

Krys’s brow raised, “Uh, I guess?”

“As do I,” the man nodded to himself, “To be free of this place, that is my dream. And for me, I will not let my dreams be dreams. This is why I fight, and why I’ll win.”

“But I really don’t want to f—”

“Let me give you some advice, pretty man—” Although an intended insult, Krys found it rather complimentary, “If you’re going to win, win. If you’re going to die, die. Either way, just do it!”

His daggers burst into flame. Krys’s eyes widened,

“Oh no—”

Arcs of orange sped past his face, his body barely able to move away from the burning blades. “Shit—shit—shit—”

His fingers fondled every inch of the handle, and still the blade stayed the same. Unsure of what else to do, Krys did what any brave man would in times of crises—he bolted in the opposite direction, screaming as he went.

“Get back here, Pyne!” Shael growled, his footsteps joining Krys’s.

“No, thank you!”

“LOOK WHAT WE HAVE HERE, EVERYONE! A RUNNER!” The announcer boomed all around him, followed quickly by cacophonous laughter. Some in the stands started to ‘BOO’ at him. One slung something red at his head, but he ducked down just in time. At least I have good reflexes, he attempted to comfort himself whilst running for his life from Shael Abuff.

“You can’t run forever!” The angry man’s voice was fading as he fell further behind. Krys grinned, looking over his shoulder,

“I can try—!” Krys’s face was abruptly introduced to the dirt. A sharp ringing bounced around his skull, and he felt his left toe throbbing something fierce. So much for fast reflexes.

He twisted around in time to see the harsh man towering above him.

With a snarl Shael drove his daggers downwards. Krys was vividly imaging his dying moments, but was interrupted by the loud CLANG of metal. He looked down to see his sword intercepting both blades, catching them on their hilts. Swinging them to the side, Krys bought himself just enough time to stand before becoming bombarded by fire.  

Shael’s every swing seemed to grow hotter and hotter, the fire burning in his very eyes. But-- Your weapon will run out of energy after about ten minutes. Use it wisely. He just had to keep this up for—

Krys hastily blocked one dagger, but the other successfully plunged into his left arm. He barely bit back a scream, the fire melting its way into his flesh.

In a pained whimper, “Could have really used arm-guards, Emma…”

“You will not stop me!” Shael spit in his face, “You are weak!” He drew back his dagger, blood and fried flesh coming with it. Come on, Pyne, get it together. Krys slashed his sword outwards. A thin red sash now decorated Shael’s torso.

“Ha!” Krys spat through his grimace. The steaming hole in his bicep was not particularly pleasant. Shael’s black eyes fixated on him with a new intensity. The crazed man’s hand rubbed across the small gash, then brought his palm to his face. Adorned with the red mask of a madman, he ran towards Krys with a howl.

Great, now I’ve made him mad.

Barely blocking the ferocious swings, Krys twisted his hand this way and that to try to find a hidden groove. Come on, come on. Why aren’t you working?

Abuff slashed an ‘X’ into Krys’s chest. The force of it knocked him back, but the daggers fizzled out. Shael looked to them, brows sloped in frustration. Krys sighed a quick, “Oh thank god,” as he got his bearings.

What did she say? Was there a trick she showed while pressing up against him? What was it…?

Fight true, and put your very soul in each swing.

With a hearty scream, Shael relit his daggers. Krys’s eyes widened. Had she actually given him practical advice after all? But how was he s—

A burning blade cut through his cheek—“Shit!”—the other aimed for his uninjured shoulder. Krys grabbed Shael’s forearm and encouraged the momentum, pulling his body forward, kneeing him in the stomach. Shael fell forward, gasping for breath.

Think, Pyne, he grabbed at his face as he backed away, What is a soul? It’s who a person is at their core, isn’t it? But he had no core—he didn’t even know his name. Focus—This maniac will murder me if I don’t figure this out. He looked down to his hand, now a bright red. I have to have a family, right? Maybe I’m married to some supermodel or—or something. This is for them. Come on, idiot, think!

He looked down to his blade, eyes narrowed. Desperation, anger, fear, longing—he poured all of it downwards. Maybe he can’t remember who he is, but he knew how he felt. And emotions are a reflection of who you are. So—So—

CRACK.

A jagged blue streak ran along the blade. Then another, but that was all. Almost… He tried to relive his fear at waking up in chains, his anger at being treated like a filthy animal, his desperate wish to remember who he was—

The blade exploded into blue, every crack growing brighter and brighter. Cheers and gasps were heard throughout the crowd. He didn’t stop, his eyes as bright as his sword. I wanted to know who I am…Why am I here? What did I do to deserve this?! It glowed brighter, brighter, brighter—

He fell to the ground.

In the distance, a million miles away, he heard “And he’s down!”

Darkness.

 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Everything was pain. Either sharp stinging or pounding soreness. His eyes fluttered open, wincing at the light. The first thing he saw was soft grass. No… No, it was—

“E—Emma?” he could barely speak.

“Welcome to the Arena of Stars, Krys Pyne,” her soft voice cooed, “It’s time to meet your team.”

[exquisitelyeco]

Having a Ramble.....or just rambling....Literally and figuratively speaking.....

If you have noticed, which I am sure you have not, I ramble. I don’t mean ramble, I mean ramble….

As in take turns unexpectedly. Or you might think I do ramble, as in ramble on…..in which case piss off and read something else…….

So. As I said. I ramble. And you know what, it comes together remarkable well! My trains of thought may well stop at many different destinations, but they Flowwwwww.

And, as you have seen, God tells me little truths. Gems hidden in my spirit, that get dug out as I ramble on ( not ramble on as in ramble on, but ramble on as in rambling, you understand. If you think I AM rambling, you know what to do….)

So, anyway. Rambling……it fits. Simple.

Except today I don’t seem to have a ramble. Probably because I am proud and have fallen from rambling grace…..

I got scratched. Have you noticed, pride comes before a fall? Well, I fell into rambles. I mean bra, MLB…..brambles. That was spell prediction back then. I thought I’d leave it and see what happened….. that’s when the rambling normally starts to make sense, even to me, but I only just saw it because, as you know, I was rambling.

I mean saw the gem of truth, not that I was rambling now, but rambling then….

It’s like seeing a penny on the floor. There you are, walking along, and you see it. Do you pick it up? Will people think you are desperate? Will they look? Will THEY try to grab the penny? Is it shiny? Do you actually open your purse and put it in, or leave it in your pocket, where it stays for ever…..

Well, I get the pennies. People must think, ‘She’s blind with a guide dog, HOW does she see the pennies?’ My dog is a metal detector…..

But. Do you know you can have penny prophecies? Seriously! I have and my Son no 2 has. He had a dream that down our road was a £10 note. The next day he walk down the road, and he found the ten pound note…..

I found a five pound note on the floor, no this one was not prophecy, it was just a five pound note……No, I am not rambling, this will join up, if you follow the ramble….I see a gem of truth, I AM actually rambling…..BUT, do you expect to find a fiver and then another one in a few days? I was meandering along, not rambling, when I felt to look down, just behind me, and THERE was a fiver! There were two girls behind me. In the few seconds that followed my thoughts were…’ Will they see it? Will they get it before me? Will it get embarrassing? Will they think, she has a guide dog, how?? Will I get embarrassed reaching down for it? See how quick my mind works? Anyway, I got that fiver. I thought God must be blessing me….

There is a dilemma, do you hand a fiver in? Or a tenner, or twenty? Depends where you found it. Recently a lady found a ten pound note in a shop and pocketed it. She got arrested for theft. Cos it was in a shop. I think they thought she knew it had been dropped too. I bet that sucked. I was in Tesco once, and the person in front of me dropped a heap of money. It crossed my mind, to take it. But I didn’t. Don’t judge, it would cross yours too. And if not, still don’t judge, I didn’t take it! Anyway, they turned round and saw it…..

Anybody can have thoughts…..And before you judge mine, think about the dirty little secret thoughts of things YOU’VE had, and wouldn’t want to confess. Cos if you judge me, karma states it will be your little secrets that get shouted from the roof tops…..

But if you find a fiver or tenner out on the road, and there is no one there, what do you do? Frankly it is up to you. If it was more than ten, I would most probably hand it in. But ’ twould be a mind and heart tearing dilemma, If it was under, possibly not. And not a fiver. Before you moan, where does it stop? You’d have me give the bloody penny in too!

Think like that and I’ll batter you will all the pennies on the pavements in the UK. You will not moan or judge again. You won’t do anything again! Saying that, there must be so many, I wouldn’t be able to lift them, so you’d be let off…..

Then there’s the sofa! What little treasures can be found down there? Money, money, money, as Abba would say, also sweet wrappers, tissue, pens, pencils etc. One could open a shop called Sofastore!!

And thinking of sofa store, have you been in the pound shop lately? It’s not a bloody pound! It’s two, three, five, etc. So they technically are no longer a pound shop! I am going to sue. It’s a false economy! I am being ripped off. It’s a POUND shop!!!!!!!! Not a two pound shop!! I bet you could take them to court for that. Emotional damage cos it’s not a pound!

I want the 99p shop! I wonder if you could open a 50p shop……

Haven’t 50 pence become stupid looking? Have you noticed, our money becoming more and more like Monopoly money? They’ll make it plastic soon….

It used to feel like real money. Heavy and large. You felt that you HAD money. Why change it? All that cost for a smaller thinner shape! If they could leave shillings and florins in circulation as 5p and 10p for years on end, why change it?

Stupid five p! It’s a embarrassment! You can’t even get them out of your purse! I call it a p cos it’s not worth being called a pence! Anybody coming to the UK would be horrified! What’s THAT! Call that money? I’ve seen a better representative in a child’s play box! Thank God there are no slots, oh there are, coffee machines.

Where your heart stops for a minute cos you think it will reject your 5p. In the old days you’d have no such worry. It was so big and heavy, it plonked right in! You FELT you had your money’s worth! All money has got smaller, lighter and worth less.

Remember 1p shrimps? Remember at the corner shop you could get two sweets at half a p each? Ok, I agree half a p is not a p. Literally not a p and figuratively not a p. Saying p reminds me of the film The Mask, where he says “ Figuratively sPeaking…” see, even the p was loud……I’m rambling….But I do seem to be saying that a lot, literally and figuratively…literally literally and figuratively, if you get my meaning….I digress, which is a form of rambling…..Ahhhhh! I’m taking the p….literally and figuratively……..Noooooo! Not again….So, as I said….It was a nice p for a child, but an embarrassing thing for a shop keeper. I mean how blasted stingy is the shop keeper who added the half p? Arkwright me thinks……so when it was got rid of, what did shop keepers do? Up or down? I bet, like Mr. Banks said in Mary Poppins, “The pound is going up, up, up! Or this this case the p……

Mary Poppins would make a money tree, so there! So nowadays, the frogo chocolate, that was about 5p is nearly 50p!! It’s the size of a tiny thing! I say that cos I can’t think how to describe the size….literally and figuratively speaking….Have you noticed, I seem to repeat that, literally and figuratively…….I’ll stop now…literally…..

So with poundshops that are no longer being pounds, five ps that are so small they may as well be done away with, and tiny chocolate bars causing mice to have mortgages, the economy is doing well.

What was that? Mice having mortgages? What am I on about? Well it’s not going to bankrupt us is it? It’s bloody 50p! But I was making a point……so stop judging and let me make it……minions!

I bet minions can’t afford frogo bars. I should have left the spell prediction. It called them forgo bars……

So. That’s it. My ramble wasn’t quite a ramble. It was a bit ra,Bly, yup spell prediction again. But it fits doesn’t it? It was not quite a ramble…….I meant to say rambly, just in case you are wondering what I was on about…..

Actually rambly is not a word. But it just came to me! See my genius! A new word for the oxford dictionary! And I won’t even charge a p!!

Now THAT was rambling! And you know what, when I started this I thought I’d fallen from rambling grace! Ha Ha! Not so! Literally and figuratively speaking……or is it literally…I mean I haven’t actually fallen into rambles, I mean brambles, I’ve just rambled…..and actually it IS literally……rambling….AND literally rambled! I could ramble on, not as in ramble on, but ramble on…oh no….

[loradmurphy]

A Relaxed Winter Wedding in a Pub

This post A Relaxed Winter Wedding in a Pub first appeared on The Wedding Community Blog

An amazing pair of glittery Christian Louboutin shoes feature in today’s fabulous winter woodland wedding… oh, and a pub!

Jade and Danny wanted an informal affair so The Alma Inn was the perfect venue. This quaint, intimate country pub, with its roaring fires and rustic charm, was an amazing setting for their big day. The ‘winter woodland’ wedding styling featured hessian runners and sashes, winter flowers and pine cones, wood slices and lots of candles to add to the ambiance.

To complement the styling, the groomsmen wore trendy tweed suits, with Danny wearing his with a burgundy bow tie. Jade wore a lovely faux fur wrap which looked incredible against the backdrop of the surrounding rolling hills.

Rachel Joyce Photography’s pictures of Jade and Danny’s wedding tell the story of their day beautifully…

“When we began the planning process we started with a strong idea of what we didn’t want. Nothing too grand or formal; it was our day and we would do it exactly how we wanted. It was important to us both that we had a relaxed (but well organised so we could relax) day surrounded by our closest family and friends. So an intimate venue with only the traditions we really wanted were a must.

Intimate Country Gem

“I’d always thought I wanted a summer wedding; it was Danny who suggested winter. Although not entirely set upon the season we began visiting venues. When we visited our very first venue, The Alma Inn, in late November 2016, we knew it was the one. An intimate little country gem filled with lots of quirky features, Chesterfield sofas and roaring open fires. The breakfast room, with its beautiful beams and pastel colour scheme, was the perfect space for the ceremony and wedding breakfast.

“With the venue as our inspiration I began planning the decor. I’d describe the theme as classic ‘winter woodland’. The colour scheme consisted of forest green and cream with a touch of wine red and champagne. I detest anything tacky and I’m not a fan of bright red, so tinsel was banned! Instead we decorated the venue with hessian runners and sashes, hand-painted baskets of winter flowers and pine cones, rustic wood slices and Love letters, candle lanterns and decorated ladders as a non-traditional table plan. I spent more than a few hours on Pinterest!”

Classy and Understated

“The men’s suits and bridesmaid dresses also reflected the theme. The girls wore forest green lace detailed dresses and the men wore brown and green tweed suits. The look was perfect for winter, classy and understated.

“I chose a champagne gold fishtail dress with lots of sparkle and lace detail. It was the opposite of what I expected (I began my search looking for a simple ivory ball gown) but I knew it was the one when I just couldn’t stop smiling in it. I complemented it with a simple updo and rose gold accessories and shoes… oh the shoes! Christian Louboutin and worth every second of pain, though I have to admit I had changed into pumps by the wedding breakfast!”

Amazing Memories

“There are so many amazing memories from the day. From the memory album Danny made and gave to me on the morning of the wedding, to revealing the dress to my bridesmaids for the first time and seeing their reactions (which made me cry instantly). Then there was the overwhelming wave of emotion when I turned the corner with my mum by my side to see Danny (also tearful) and all our loved ones. Also the speeches (where I did my bit for feminism and delivered one), the first dance (Whitney Houston’s My Love is Your Love), the sparkler send-off which was so much fun and, of course, dancing the night away after more than one or two shots. It was a non-stop flurry of amazing memories.

“As husband and wife we both felt our favourite aspect was the ceremony. It was without doubt the most romantic moment of my life. We wrote our own vows together and repeated them back to each other, and we had two beautiful readings from a close friend and Danny’s sister. It was truly magical.”

Entertainment

“Many guests remarked on how much they enjoyed the entertainment provided. We had a fantastic solo guitarist during the wedding breakfast who created a really relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. Then a sparkler send off to follow the meal and the arrival of ‘Magic Andy’ leading into the evening reception. This was the perfect ‘filler’ for that little bit of time between the meal and reception, and our magician was nothing short of incredible! We also had a home made photo booth and a candy station. Both had a low-key, vintage look in keeping with the rest of the theme.”

Winter Menu

“Food wise, our venue did an impeccable job. As it was winter we served mini dessert canapés (mince pies, cinnamon dough balls and rum chocolate truffles) with hot mulled wine after the ceremony. The meal was a set three courses. A warming winter soup followed by chicken and our favourite dessert- sticky toffee pudding and custard! All washed down with copious amount of wine. Our cake was a scrumptious three tier ‘naked’ wedding cake, decorated with fresh flowers and in three different flavours (Victoria sponge, lemon and chocolate).”

Remember What’s Important

“For me planning was a breeze. We did it over a year and my motto was ‘little and often’. The teacher in me helped us to stay organised, and because of that I didn’t get too stressed. Also, personal touches really make the day memorable for all.

“We feel it is really important to adopt a ‘whatever will be will be’ attitude too. The night before the wedding the cake tipped over in transport and we had to call out an emergency ‘icer’! After a brief panic my bridal party plied me with wine and it was back to looking brand new in no time. From that point on anything that didn’t go to plan was water off a duck’s back. You really don’t care if the seating plan isn’t exactly where you imagined, and nobody else does either. Don’t get stressed over the little things; it’s not what’s important or what anybody remembers.

“Finally, ensure you steal some time for just the two of you. We decided to take our little dog Alfie on a walk for a few minutes during the evening reception so we could take it all in. It was so lovely to share those private moments to reflect on the day so far.”

Photography: Rachel Joyce Photography

Venue and Catering: The Alma Inn, Colne, Lancashire

Wedding Dress: From Emma Hartley

Bride’s Shoes: Christian Louboutin

Groomsmen Suits: Next

Flowers: The Borrowers

Wedding Cake: Made by Family Friend

Stationery: Etsy

Musician: Michael Mulholland

Magician: Andrew Dean

This post A Relaxed Winter Wedding in a Pub first appeared on The Wedding Community Blog