#happy women day 2022 gif

[jikooklove9795]

Hi,

I just wanted to ask if white day is a special day for Jikook

I’ve seen all sorts of posts today but couldn’t grasp the timeline? Has it only been since 2022 that they’ve done something that is known?

Cheers

Hi Anon 😊

Before we dive into this post, let's first see what White Day is.

In South Korea, March 14th is celebrated as White Day, exactly one moth after Valentine's Day. In SK Valentines Day is traditionally focused on women. It is the woman who express her love for her man through gifts. And on White Day the man who received gifts on Valentine's Day is expected to return the favor with gifts of his own.

So, basically White Day is considered as an important day for couples in SK.

On 14th March 2022, White Day, Jimin opens his IG and posts a pic of him and Jungkook backstage during their PTD concerts:

As expected it sent us into chaos, a happy delightful chaos. But it didn't stop there. Later we found out that Jikook went out for dinner on White Day joined by Jimin's friends.

Not only that but in the restaurant pic we couldn't help but notice Jungkook wearing a cap that most likely belonged to Jimin. The one that has "Jimin" written on the back. Just another detail adding to the Jikook filled night.

And just when we thought that was it, Jikook dropped the biggest bomb with the release of the BTS Monuments documentary. That's when we finally got the whole picture.

On March 13th 2022, just two hours after their concert, Jungkook arrives at Jimin's apartment. We know this from the date displayed on Jimin's fridge. Jimin orders fried chicken for them and Jungkook also cooks them dinner. They spend the night together. And the next day, which is White Day they head out for dinner together from Jimin's apartment.

Most jkkrs here, myself included believe that Jikook have been living together for a long time now. So, hearing and seeing all of this? Not exactly surprising, just one more proof of what we already knew.

Now let's move on to 2023.

On March 14th 2023 Jungkook went live from his home when Jimin was in the US for his FACE promotions. This live has 4 parts. Should've known who this live was meant for when Jungkook started the live at 8:11 pm KST. The songs for this live are heavily Jikook coded.

1) Jungkook played There For You, a song which he used for his first ever GCF, which was basically all about Jimin.

2) He also sang the Korean version of Mistletoe (Christmas Day) for which Jimin wrote the lyrics and which Jikook covered back in 2014.

3) Then there's Nothing by Bruno Major. In 2020 Taehyung posted a selca of him and Jimin under which he mentioned this song saying that it was Jimin's recommendation. Then in 2022 when Jimin was asked to pick a song for the ending credits of a documentary about him he again chose Nothing saying that the mood of the song goes well with him.

4) How can we forget Hate Everything? Jungkook posted a cover of this song on 3rd Feb 2022. The cover was 1:18 mins long (there's that number again). This was the time when Jimin was receiving in patient treatment following his surgery. And Jungkook had to stay away from him due to covid protocols. And then in 2023 he again plays this song when Jimin's away from him, this time due to his schedule.

5) The next song is Falling. This is a song both Jimin and Jungkook like. Jungkook posted a cover of this song on 28th Oct 2022. And guess what's special about 28th Oct? Well, Jikook went on their Tokyo trip on 28th Oct 2017. (Numbers are not a joke when it comes to Jikook. They give importance to special dates, milestones in their relationship).

Jimin comments during the second part of this White Day live. His presence was so significant throughout the live. Though he was not physically present his presence was still felt, thanks to Jungkook.

Jungkook also flexed his JM tattoo which was noticeably darker than the rest while JVKE's Golden Hour was playing in the background. He followed it up with the lyrics "Love of my life". HE'S A CERTIFIED ROMANTIC!!! (only for Jimin).

During this live he changes his outfit 2 times. Starts with a black jacket, then changes to a white shirt and then finally a purple hoodie. Ends the live by asking us to look forward to midnight saying that something amazing is dropping at midnight. And we all know how it went... SMF pt2 teaser came out. Not to forget that he also teased Jimin's song using his hair tie.

For SMF pt2 Jimin uses 3 outfits. A black jacket and a white sweater for the main mv and a purple jacket for the dance practice video.

Can it be a coincidence? Sure. But what are the chances of their outfit colors being in that exact same order, right when SMF pt2 was dropping? Most of the time Jikook and "coincidence" doesn't go hand in hand and this was one of those times.

So, these are the two times Jikook was loud on White Day.

But here's an honorable mention. It was on 14th March 2016:

Jungkook took this video of a sleepy Jimin and posted it with the caption "Jimin hyung is sleepy, someone please put him to sleep".

So, yes! White Day is a special day for Jikook. But it's not just White Day, we have also seen how much importance they place on spending their birthdays together and how much effort they put into it.

Jungkook left the entire fandom in shock by going all out for Jimin's birthday. Booking a trip to Tokyo, taking him to Disneyland and even creating a GCF to immortalize the moment, all for the world to see and scream over. Just when we thought that was the peak of effort Jimin proved once again that they match each other's energy. He took a 13 hour flight from Paris to Seoul just so he wouldn't miss his bf's birthday, arriving with exclusive limited edition gifts in hand. And as if that wasn't enough he even teamed up with Hoseok to arrange a surprise party. And just one look at Jungkook's face in that pic proves how much it meant to him.

And then in 2020 we learned that Jimin and Jungkook were together at home on Jungkook's birthday. The next day Jimin even prepared a cake to celebrate.

We have also seen them spending special couple days together.

Like wearing matching jackets on Valentine's Day. And watching the first snow together, which again is a couple tradition in SK. It signifies fresh beginnings leading to a lasting relationship

Or posting this on Chinese Valentine's Day with the caption "Love Ya ❤"

Or show up on 14th January 2018 which is Diary Day in SK again an important day for couples by wearing matching rings

I almost forgot about Chuseok. Its a family holiday in SK.

This was their first "couple" moment for Chuseok:

This is from the Chuseok of 2016.

For 2017's Chuseok, while everyone went home to celebrate the festival Jikook stayed back together at the dorm.

They posted this at 4am on the Chuseok of 2020:

And then Jimin posted the fish drawing for 2023's Chuseok with the caption " JK's work 😅" which we saw both of them talking about and drawing in AYS Jeju.

Then there's Silver Day. This pic was posted by Jungkook on Silver Day with the caption "Jimin hyung's big smile" (14th July 2019)

On Silver Day couples exchange silver accessories as a sign of their love and commitment.

Hoseok's JITB Party was on Silver Day. And there was Jimin casually wearing his Maison Margeila necklace along with the bracelet from Polyc, the very same one that unsurprisingly Jungkook also owns.

But what makes the Maison Margeila necklace special? Well he owns the one with numbers ranging from 10 to 16 and guess which number is circled? Number 11

So let's take out 11 and add all the other numbers:

10+12+13+14+15+16

We get 80

And then have 11

Together it becomes 11/8 tada 😮

So, yeah that makes it extra special for him

2023's Silver Day was a major moment in the Jikook world. Jimin boarded a flight from Seoul just to be with Jungkook who was swamped with preparations for his solo debut performance in the US. Despite the packed schedule they made time for each other, stepping out in matching black and white outfits for dinner on the same day Jimin arrived. They returned to the same restaurant again this time with no cameras, no staff just the two of them before Jimin had to fly back home.

This one isn't about a designated couple's day but its still incredibly significant. Recently K side went into a frenzy upon discovering that Jimin and Jungkook sent a joint flower wreath, something typically done by couples. They were the only individuals who sent one together.

You might have noticed how Jimin and Jungkook follow a pattern, they don't just do these things once they repeat them over the years. But we only find out when they choose to let us know or when it slips through company content. Its clear they value these traditions and make a conscious effort to spend them together. What we see is probably a fraction maybe a quarter of it. But just because we don't see everything it doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Thanks so much for this ask, Anon! I loved answering this! Have an awesome day 👋🏻

Credits to the owner of the video

[downthe-f4ndom-rabbith0le]

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader) - Chapter 7

Always Been You (Dick Grayson x Reader)Reader Insert: she/her pronouns Word Count: 5017 Warnings: death, violence, fighting, bloody wounds, angst, infuriatingly oblivious love interest, slowburn Spoilers: Young Justice Seasons 1-3 plot partially, but it ended in 2022 so catch up.

Y/N Prince - miracle daughter of Wonder Woman and Steve Trevor - and Dick Grayson - first adoptive son of the Batman himself - have been best friends since day one. They went to school together, trained together, kept each other's alter ego secret from everyone else, and they founded the Young Justice alongside their friends together. 

But as time progressed, Y/N and Dick grew up and Y/N found herself wanting more than friendship with Dick. But he never seemed to indicate that he reciprocated her feelings. And when Wally died and Dick abandoned the team, Y/N realised he never would. So she heads to the one place she knows will help her become a stronger warrior so that one day she can take her mother's place: Themyscira.

Two years after his leave, Dick reaches out to his old friends to help him with a mission. But when he finds out Y/N left too, he chases after her in the hopes to bring her back.

However, when the two finally reunite, it isn't as warm as he hopes. Not to mention Themyscira becomes under siege as they go to war against Echidna, the Mother of Monsters in Greek Mythology, and her army of monstrous children.

Will Dick and Y/N be able to put their past behind them and save the Amazonians' homeland? Or will they fall, unable to tell one another their true feelings?

~~~

T-minus 1 day until Echidna's War.

'All right, everyone!' Y/N called out to the group, forcing them to stop sparring in their pairs and look at her. 'That's enough for today. Go, shower and get ready for our feast. You deserve to enjoy this night before tomorrow.'

'Yes, Princess!' the warriors said in unison, then quickly dispersed, leaving the training grounds to head back into the city to prepare for tomorrow.

'You should get ready too, Princess,' Calliope said, looking after her sisters-in-arms chatting and walking down the stairs to their homes. Y/N's heart pulled at the thought that she'd never see such happy smiles again after tonight.

'In a moment, Calliope,' Y/N answered, looking around the remaining groups that were finishing up their drills. Her gaze fell on one particular acrobat who was teaching the group blocking techniques and some acrobatic manoeuvres to avoid an opponent. All the while doing so, Dick was smiling, encouraging the women to keep trying.

'He's not too bad,' Calliope said with amusement. 'For a mortal man, that is.'

Y/N turned to Calliope only to see a knowing smile on her friend's face. Only then did Y/N realise she was smiling stupidly wide, and made quick work to get rid of it. 'I guess so. But he's stupidly naive and impulsive. He'll get himself killed because of it.'

'Maybe,' Calliope said thoughtfully as she looked back at Dick for a moment before facing Y/N again. 'But isn't that how a true warrior should die? In battle fighting for what's right?'

Y/N didn't like the thought of Dick being clawed open or beheaded by monsters, so she quickly said, 'It's not his battle to fight in, though. He shouldn't be here.'

'But he is, Y/N,' Calliope insisted, coming to stand in front of Y/N so she had no choice but to make eye contact. 'And that's what makes him even braver. He's here helping us save our home; a home he had never seen until a few days ago; a home that has no connection to him whatsoever but he is here trying to save it.'

Before Y/N could protest, Calliope gripped Y/N's hands in a manner that was desperate and insistent. 'You should tell him. Before it's too late.'

Y/N furrowed her brows in confusion. 'What are you-'

'Oh, don't play dumb with me,' Calliope interrupted. 'I see how you look at him. You're worried about him. Which means you care, despite everything you say to convince us otherwise.'

Y/N went to deny it but couldn't find the words to do so. Her heart was being torn in so many different directions any time she thought about Dick, she didn't know what exactly she felt for him. It was hard to put into words what he meant to her, the good and the bad.

When she remained silent, Calliope patted Y/N's hands gently then dropped them as she too walked away, leaving Y/N standing frozen in a battle with her head and her heart.

Y/N could've been standing there for one minute or an hour for all she knew, until someone waved their hand in front of her face and broke her from her trance.

'Y/N,' Dick said, his brows furrowed in concern. 'You okay?'

Y/N took a deep breath in as she came back to the moment. 'Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Just...'

'Worried?' Dick offered, and Y/N was grateful for the change in subject. 'Well, I wouldn't be if I were you. These women are stronger than some of the heroes back home.'

Y/N raised a playful eyebrow. 'Only some?'

Dick chuckled. 'Okay, all of them.'

The two shared a quiet laugh, and it brought Y/N a sense of normalcy and nostalgia that warmed her heart.

She looked around as the remaining warriors finished their trainings and made to leave for their homes. Y/N could almost name each and every one of them, and there was the possibility that after tomorrow she would never see them again.

'Echidna is the one who should be worried,' Y/N said, her voice slightly shaky with anger and determination. She knew that if death were to come tomorrow, Y/N wouldn't be able to save them all. But she'd be damned if she didn't try to.

A warm calloused hand tentatively enclosed her fist, and the touch was enough to cease Y/N's shakes. 'I agree,' Dick said, two simple words seemingly echoing around the quiet training ground. His smile was smooth but genuine and Y/N could've believed they were eighteen again and back on the mainland and with the team. Back when his smile eased all her problems, back when Wally and all their lost friends weren't gone. Back when it was just them, and everything in Y/N's world made sense.

But now Y/N felt like she was on another planet, and they were about to go to war with the Mother of Monsters and nothing made sense anymore.

Y/N slowly pulled her had away from Dick's and cleared her throat as she stared straight ahead. 'We should probably get ready for the feast. Could be the last one we have in a while.' Or ever, she wanted to add, but Dick was an optimist and would ridicule her for thinking such thoughts and she really didn't want to keep talking with him.

'That's right,' Dick said, eyes brightening up at the thought of food. 'I bet you guys put on the best meals, as well.'

Y/N just rolled her eyes as they made their way across the training grounds to the stairs that would lead them back into town. 'A true boy. Only ever thinking about food.'

'A true girl. Turning every compliment into an insult.'

Y/N shoved him and he shoved her back and the two couldn't hold back radiant smiles. It astounded Y/N how easily they fell back into old habits. How familiar and safe Dick was.

'You should tell him. Before it's too late.'

Tell him what exactly? Y/N could hardly discern what mixture of emotions was running through her, let alone wheedle down to a specific point what her true feelings were for Dick. She'd been upset for so long, then angry at him. But the past three days he'd shown himself to be the Dick she'd always known and come to love. Kind, brave, funny, strong, compassionate.

It all lead her to a very confusing fork in the metaphorical road of her heart.

Even so, there was something she felt for him...

Just as Dick took a step down the stairs, Y/N found herself reaching out to him this time, bringing him to a stop with her soft grip on his shoulder. 'Wait.'

Dick looked over his shoulder immediately, his piercing blue eyes glued onto her with curiosity and wonder. 'Yeah?' he asked.

Y/N took in a deep breath, calming her racing heart as she said, 'I'm sorry.' When Dick only frowned with confusion, she elaborated. 'I'm sorry for doubting you. For being... well, I haven't been the most welcoming of people have I?'

Dick didn't say a word, but he turned fully around to face her, his face as serious as it was the other night on another staircase. Y/N's hand dropped to her side, and she found she could not look away from Dick's eyes as the words started falling out.

'I guess... I just didn't think you cared about us anymore,' she said. 'About the team, about me. And it made me so angry, but then you came to the one place I thought I could finally find peace again and I just couldn't accept that you were here for me. But I see now I was wrong.'

'No, I was the one who was wrong,' Dick said with a shake of his head. 'You had every right to be angry with me, in fact you still do. You were right, I was ignorant and only thought of my pain in those years I was away. I didn't think how coming here would affect you after everything I've done.'

Dick returned to the landing, now towering over Y/N, and took her hands in his and said in a gentle voice, 'I know I am far from forgiven, but I promise you, I will spend whatever time I have left on this earth trying to make it up to you.'

Y/N could hardly breathe with the way Dick was looking at her. It was almost dream-like, and suddenly all of her teenage emotions came rushing back into her bloodstream. The adoration, the awe, the love - it had remained all this time, she'd just repressed it in her time of pain and loss.

And it could've just been her, but something flickered briefly across Dick's face - the slightest arch of his brows, the minuscule twitch of his mouth. An emotion Y/N had no time to discern before Dick was the one stepping back and resuming his journey down the stairs, a careless smile on his face like the moment never happened.

'The showers await us, Princess,' he jested as he waved her after him. 'Wouldn't want to be late for the feast!'

Y/N stared after him for a moment, trying to process what just happened. He was serious, he would do anything to make it all up to her. And that look on his face...

Y/N shook herself out of her imagination. Probably just seeing things, she told herself as she followed Dick down the stairs. She wouldn't get her hopes up again.

Not for Dick Grayson of all people.

~~~

When Dick Grayson arrived back at his room, he drew himself a bath and allowed himself to relax if only for a few minutes. The first night in his room he'd been affronted to find a group of women ready to bathe him like a child. He'd argued with Y/N about them, her saying it was their tradition and all. Eventually she caved and dismissed the women from his room. He laughed at the memory, thinking beneath his own anger that she looked cute riled up.

There it was again - the thoughts he had never thought before.

He couldn't deny Y/N had grown into a beautiful young woman, one who stood by her values and always fought for the right thing. She'd stuck by the team when he couldn't, and for that he would always admire her.

But then again he had always admired her. That's part of the reason she was his best friend. She was this strong and loving individual that had always stuck by him and the others. She had the most infectious smile, and her laughter was like music-

Dick bolted upright in the bath, his heart racing at a million miles per hour as an alarming thought entered his mind. Do I like Y/N?

Well, it wasn't a matter of like. Of course he liked her, she was his best friend after all. But they'd never... she'd never implied...

He recalled when they were younger how many people - including their parents - said that he and Y/N would end up together. They were each other's better half, and honestly part of the reason he ended up breaking up with each and every one of his past girlfriends. Because they couldn't see how important Y/N was to him.

That didn't mean he liked her like that... did he?

Dick splashed his face one last time before leaping out of the bath to get ready for the feast. Maybe all the training he was doing was making him tired and delusional. After all, even if he truly felt that way for her, she'd never feel the same. Maybe once - though there was no telling so - but certainly not now.

However, they'd had a moment on the stairs this afternoon, and something felt... different. The way she looked at him had sent his gut rolling with something akin to a roller coaster, and the vision of her hair in the golden rays of sun had taken his breath away completely. Dick couldn't remember the last time he'd felt that way - completely and utterly entranced.

Dick dressed himself in the only set of clothes he'd come in and opened his door to find Calliope and other guards standing in the corridor.

'We are to escort you down to the feast, Mr. Grayson,' Calliope explained. 'By order of the Queen herself. You will be seated at their table tonight.'

Dick found this surprising as he usually sat with the soldiers of the group he'd trained that day, getting to know them and laughing with them. But he was to sit at the royals table, which consisted of Queen Hippolyta, some generals, and Y/N.

When they entered the dining hall, the feast had pretty much begun as hundreds and hundreds of women were already seated at long tables that ran almost from the door to the dais where the Queen sat chatting with other generals at their own long table. Dick made sure to greet any woman he knew as he was guided up to the royals' table.

'So nice of you to join us, Mr. Grayson,' the Queen said as Dick was seated.

'The pleasure is all mine, your Majesty,' he replied politely, then noted the empty chair between him and the Queen. 'Is Y/N not down yet?'

'She is usually late to these sorts of things,' the Queen replied defeatedly. 'She always fights with the maidens about her hair and dress. In that respect, she is very much her mother.'

As Queen Hippolyta turned back to the speak with the generals, a quiet voice leant in behind him and quietly said, 'Eager to see the princess are we?'

'W-What?' Dick exclaimed to Calliope. 'No, I'm not. I just... I'm just making conversation, that's all.'

'Whatever you say, mortal,' Calliope teased, her smile knowing and irritating as she remained by Dick's head.

He turned to her, annoyed. 'What do you mean by that?'

Calliope just shrugged. 'Nothing nobody doesn't already know.' When Dick just stared blankly at her, she rolled her eyes and said, 'You cannot tell me you do not feel for our princess. Do you not?'

It was like she was reading his mind or something. It was a little freaky and off-putting. But Dick was used to off-putting questions - journalists used them all the time on him when Dick did press interviews with Bruce.

So he calmly sat in his chair and looked out to the busy hall in front of him. 'Well, I still have the bruises from our first sparring match when I first got here so I guess I do feel something because of the princess.'

Calliope chuckled and shook her head. 'Avoid the question all you want, mortal. But Truth always has an interesting way of making itself known.'

Dick didn't like her know-it-all tone, and so finally turned around and said in a quiet but hard tone. 'My relationship with Y/N isn't up for debate here. She is my best friend, and the only thing I'm interested in is restoring her trust in me and saving your island.'

'How noble...' Calliope started, but her attention turned to the opening of the hall's doors and so Dick's eyes followed. He was struck still at the vision he was met with.

It was Y/N, draped in a flattering arrangement of white cloth that was synched at her waist with a golden chain. Her H/C hair had been put up in a loose bun, held together by golden pins. Plain sandals covered her feet as she made her way towards the dais, the many bracelets and arm bands adorning her arms flashing golden in the firelight.

Dick knew he was gaping, but he couldn't help it. No one could it seemed, as Y/N greeted many women along the way, and whispers of her beauty echoed throughout the hall. When she drew closer, her eyes connected with Dick's, and instead of the cold or distant expression she'd given him since day one, she offered him an embarrassed smile.

That brief interaction sent his heart in motion. It reminded him of the time they had gone to prom in their junior year of school. It had been the first time Dick had seen Y/N with makeup and in a dress. She'd given him the same embarrassed look, and he had been just as transfixed.

Dick felt someone lean in to his ear as he continued to watch Y/N make her way to the dais. 'But are you sure there is no other reason that you are here?' Calliope finished with a whisper.

She stepped back into her position before Dick could respond, not that he knew what he would say anyway. His gut was rolling so much with indecision that he thought he might throw up.

He was brought out of his thoughts as Y/N took her seat between him and the Queen. 'Grandmother,' she greeted coolly.

'Y/N,' the Queen responded, a kind smile stretching her lips. 'You look beautiful, my dear.'

'Thank you, but I still do not understand why I must wear this to every feast we have,' Y/N argued.

'It is tradition, and you are Themyscria's princess,' the Queen explained, tapping her granddaughter's hand in comfort before returning to her previous conversation.

Y/N sighed in mild defeat as she sat back in her chair. After a moment, she clocked that Dick was looking at her and sighed again. 'Not a single word from you, Grayson.'

'I wasn't going to say anything!' Dick retorted, quickly collecting himself.

'I can see it in your eyes that you're going to laugh at me.'

It took Dick a moment to realise she wasn't joking. She fidgeted with the loose cloth that draped over her body, eyes flickering from him to the crowd and back. She genuinely thought she looked ridiculous. If he was sixteen still, maybe he would've made a comment or two.

But sixteen was a long time ago now.

'No, I wasn't,' he said, and his answer must've surprised him as she turned to him with a perplexed expression on her face. 'You look... You look beautiful, Y/N.'

Y/N's E/C eyes scanned over his face, possibly searching for any kind of lie or detection of amusement. But she obviously didn't find anything, as she smiled at him, her eyes shining with surprise. 'Thank you. I would offer you the same compliment, but you've looked the same as you did the day you got here.'

'Ruggedly handsome?'

'Hmm, I'd say a bit worse for wear.'

Dick let out a painful groan as he slapped a hand across his chest where his heart was encased under. 'Wow! Way to wound a guy.'

Y/N just laughed, and Dick joined her, genuinely happy to see her smiling as they used to together. Once the laughter died, he said, 'But seriously, Y/N, you look great. And... I'm just glad you're not calling me Nightwing anymore.'

'Well,' Y/N started, fiddling with one of her bracelets, 'I figured you deserved that much after all your help.'

Help. That's right. He was helping her save her new home and new family. It wasn't because she'd forgiven him and were suddenly best friends again.

'I'm sorry to interrupt,' a young girl said, coming to stand on the other side of the table. 'But I just had something to discuss with you, Princess.'

'Of course,' Y/N answered, turning all her attention to the girl. 'Go ahead.'

Throughout dinner, Y/N was kept busy by other conversations with warriors and young girls and teachers alike that all had questions for their princess. Y/N answered every single one of their queries with enthusiasm and grace, not batting an eye as she ate and spoke and listened.

She was a natural and a pro. The whole time she spoke, Dick couldn't help but think about the two years he'd been gone for and how many times Y/N had to soothe a fear, had to deliver a confident speech that would encourage the team to keep going no matter how bleak the future seemed.

It saddened and pained him to think he'd forced that responsibility onto her in his absence. But she'd done it, held the team together and she was doing that right now as well for her people.

Upon the conclusion of dinner, the Queen called for silence as she rose to address the hall. 'Evening everyone,' she started, her voice radiating composure and control. 'Tonight, we are in the presence of our own history in the making. Tomorrow, we face Echidna, the Mother of Monsters.'

The mention of the goddess sent whispers of fear rattling throughout the crowd, but they were quickly silenced by the raise of the Queen's hand. 'I know some of you, if not all of you, are fearful of the coming events. Echidna is a foe that will not be so easily defeated. However, this is what we have trained for. This is what us Amazons are built for.

"Think of the young women, young girls and infants in their houses sleeping peacefully right now. Think of the women you grew up with, of the friendships and sisterhoods you have forged in those years. Think of the woman beside you now. That is who you fight for when Echidna comes. Not ourselves, but the women" - the Queen made a pointed look at Dick as she continued - "and man that reside on this island tonight. They will need you when the fight comes. So are you ready?'

The entire hall exploded with cheers and whistles of eagerness, and that brought a bright smile to Queen Hippolyta's face. 'In that case, enjoy tonight. Dance, eat, drink, sing. Be free.'

By the flick of the Queen's wrist, the band in the corner Dick hadn't seen started playing beautiful music and the tables were moved to create room for a dance floor.

'Princess, you must join us for a dance!' Some young girls came around the table and gently pulled Y/N from her seat, to which Y/N just laughed as she allowed them to drag her to the dance floor. Dick watched Y/N join the other women, watched her smile stretch wide and bright, watched her embrace and let herself go as she danced.

When was the last time she'd done that?

'...when we last spoke, she sounded like she didn't want to be found. That she would come back to us when she was ready...'

'Maybe she doesn't want to see you, have you considered that?'

Kaldur's words haunted him, had been since he left M'gann and Connor's house. He just hadn't taken his friend's warning seriously until now.

Kaldur was right.

Dick rose from his seat and quickly excused himself from the party, suddenly overwhelmed by the music and the full room. He escaped to one of the balconies nearby and was relieved that he could finally hear himself think. And yet now he could hear it all in the outdoor silence - the conflicting emotions and thoughts running through him.

Did she really belong here or back home?

Did he mean as much to her anymore as much as she meant to him?

What did he truly feel for her?

What will happen when Echidna strikes tomorrow?

So many issues and so little time to solve them all.

He didn't know how long he stood there, looking out over the mountain and ocean, over the flickering lights of those who feasted in their homes. It could've been hours, and yet the full moon barely moved.

'What are you doing out here?'

Dick was knocked out of his mind at the sound of the sweet voice, and he turned to find Y/N standing on the steps that lead back inside to the bustling party, an exhausted grin adorning her flushed face. With the firelight behind her and the moon shining onto her dress, Dick could've sworn she glowed divinely.

'S-Sorry?' he called out, confused as to why she was out there in the first place.

'I asked what are you doing out here all by yourself on such a beautiful night?' Y/N repeated, walking down the steps before making her way over to him at the balcony's edge. 'You're usually one for parties if high school was any indicator.'

Dick tried to laugh, but it came out as a weak cough. 'Yeah well, we're a long way from high school, aren't we.'

'What's going on with you?' Y/N asked, and Dick could feel her stare on him. 'You've been oddly... quiet this evening.'

'I just don't feel well is all. Don't worry I will be fine for the battle tomorrow.'

'That's a load of crap, Grayson and you know it.'

Dick didn't reply, just looked out over the ocean in the hopes that she would leave. But she didn't and Dick finally turned to meet her stare. It was like she was undressing him, but not in the physical sense. In the way she'd always been able to read him and say silently that she knew he wasn't okay.

That one stare made him feel more vulnerable than being naked, or doing flips off a podium twenty metres in the air with no safety net to catch him.

'I just... I've been doing some thinking,' he started, 'and I think that... if we both survive this... that you should stay here. On Themyscira. If that is what you want.'

Y/N scrunched her brows in confusion. 'So... you're giving me permission to stay here if we all live through Echidna's war? Seriously?'

Dick turned to her fully. 'No, I mean yes- But no you don't need my permission to stay, I just... I'm sorry this is coming out all wrong.' He took a calming breath before starting again. 'What I mean to say is, I came after you for the wrong reasons. I was being selfish and stubborn. But I want you to be happy. And seeing you dance tonight with the other women... well, I can't remember the last time myself or any of the team brought you that kind of happiness.'

'What about your mission?' she asked, her voice distant, almost scared.

Dick flashed her a casual smile. 'Don't worry about it. I'll manage. I never should've come here in the first place. I'm sorry.' Dick gestured back to the stairs and started back-tracking towards them. 'Let's go rejoin the party while we still can, huh? You're right, I do love a good party.'

Just as he turned his back, Y/N called out. 'I'm not.'

He paused for a moment, then looked over his shoulder to find Y/N looking at him with an intensity that almost sent him staggering. 'What?' he asked.

'I'm not sorry you came,' she answered, taking a deep breath in to maintain her composure.

Surprised by her answer, Dick turned back to her. 'You're not?'

She shook her head, then started fidgeting with her dress and looked down. 'Am I angry you came? Yes, initially. Am I still hurting because of what you did, and is your presence just a daily reminder of that pain? Most definitely.'

That last one struck him deep. He had never wanted to be the cause of so much pain. Not to her of all people.

After another deep breath, Y/N finally looked up at him. 'But that doesn't mean I didn't miss you.'

There it was again, that look she'd given him on the stairs earlier, in fact she'd given it to him many times before, he realised. Not just on Themyscira but back home, back when they were sixteen. It was the look of truth and honesty, of adoration and care.

His heart thumped so heavily in his chest he swore Y/N could hear it, and while he didn't understand what the thought of Y/N missing him implied, he knew how it made him feel.

'I missed you too,' he said honestly, returning to stand in front of Y/N. He didn't know why, but it felt right to reach for her hands, and she didn't push him away as he enclosed his fingers around hers. 'A-And being here has made me realise something else, too.'

'What's that?' Her breath fanned his face they stood so close, closer than what simple friends should. But he didn't care, it felt right, it felt natural.

'That I... I just...' He couldn't get the words out, they were so heavy with meaning they got stuck in his throat. Both afraid and excited to say them aloud, he couldn't decide what fate would be worse. Be honest and rejected, or be honest and see if she felt the same.

'You what, Dick?' she whispered, eyes never leaving his.

They both realised that it was the first time she'd called him by his first name since he'd landed on Themyscira. And if that wasn't a sign, then Dick didn't know what would be.

'I just...' Dick started, but a shadow crossed over Y/N's face and he quickly turned to find a a giant winged creature with fangs and a humanoid body reaching to him with its claws.

'Get down!' Dick cried as he turned and dove to the ground with Y/N. He felt the talons of the creature brush against his back as he partially covered Y/N out of natural instinct. The creature screeched as it soared high above again, disappearing into the darkness despite the moonlight.

'Are you okay?' Dick asked as he helped Y/N to her feet.

'Yes, I'm fine,' Y/N said, her eyes trained on the sky.

'What was that?' Dick asked, trying to spy the creature but there was no sign of it anywhere.

'That was a harpy,' Y/N answered, then her eyes locked on to something in the sky, her face paling with fear.

Dick followed her gaze and found himself frozen with fear himself. The harpy had come back but with more of its kind. Many more. So much so they blocked out the moon and engulfed the palace in darkness.

'Echidna's war...' Y/N breathed out in disbelief. 'It has begun.'

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

Tag List:

@valiantbouquetcloud | @epicy0n | @resistanythingbuttemptation | @lunaizhere | @nameunknownsthings | @tqrgvryen | @pariahsparadise | @edgycat | @b4tm4nn | @cynwing | @lilylovelyxo | @herondale-lightworm | @animeflower26 | @tiny-marie | @jedigrayson | @kookiemyfeelsposts | @whore-of-many-hot-men | @vxxviennne | @peachmartini | @jayn333-blog | @rory-cakes

[cleapallea]

ASTROLOGY: SOLAR RETURN (OBSERVATION) PART 2

master list + info about me

This is based on my personal readings; if you find this meaningful or helpful, then I hope you like it. If not, please let it fly 🗣️🍃.

Thank you so much, and have a nice day ahead! 

⋆ ᩍ ۪ Black moon Lilith in 12th house

Having this in your solar return chart makes you think about dying anytime, or there are some dark fantasies like $uicide or to kill anyone who hurts you, you want to hurt them back. Yes this is applicable for anyone. I have this in my solar return during year of 2022 . Promise, in that year, you easily influenced by your negative thoughts and emotions. It's not healthy. I lose my weight because of this. I suggest you to get yourself a pet (as your comforting friend) maybe a black and white cat (yin yang representations)

⋆ ᩍ ۪ Venus in 1st house

Yes, in that year I just received my teenage glow-up (lol). This is a placement where you naturally experience changes within your body, and you will realize them late. 😭 I swear, girl you only noticed them if people make some comments about them— either good or bad, maybe both. It always depends on the chart's relationship.

⋆ ᩍ ۪ Saggitarrius in fifth house

FAMOUS PLACEMENTS+ EXPLORING AND LEARNING

I'm not even joking. When I joined in a School club in that year, most people (or boys) knew me and wanted to be my friends. LoL

⋆ ᩍ ۪ Capricorn in sixth house

Good grades and a good school image. Nerdy placement. You might find yourself interested in joining any clubs, and participating in class discussions or any social activities. Yep :D 

⋆ ᩍ ۪ 7th house Pluto

Your opinions about relationships are typically bad, or you are attracted to bad guys. Lmao, I had this placement during that year. I got myself a lot of boyfriends, which is not healthy. (😭  Most women treat you as competition if that happens. You more likely appeared to be $lut for them)

⋆ ᩍ ۪ 10th house Aries

Gosh! this is it. YOU HAVE TO BE STRONG. Public is not for you this year. People might get intimidated by you. Don't give them permission to do it. If you have to fight go! but beware of bruises and cuts.

⋆ ᩍ ۪8th house aquarius with Saturn planet

You might find yourself restrict your own happiness and very giving (which is not healthy, I swear boys will use you through your emotions).

[rowdyluv]

Luke’s reaction to Rosey being pregnant? Who was the first person to find out rosey was pregnant?

note: remember that rosey is a nickname Luke gave to you when you two were younger….

Ellen and your (Rosey’s) mom were the first to know. The mom’s were having lunch at the Hughes’s when you texted them both asking which test was the best to buy. Which put the mom’s into a frenzy. They both jumped into action forgetting their lunch. Both were way too aggressive about finding out where you were in that moment. Neither mother stopped long enough to process that it was their teenage, college student daughter and son’s girlfriend who they were talking to.

As for Luke ..

He honestly thought you (rosey) were playing a joke on him at first, he wasn’t very happy initially either... (more in depth further down) plus They had just started their first year of college when everything surfaced for them.

Timeline Breakdown: so we established in a previous post that Emersyn’s birthday is April 8th 2022. To lay out how everything falls into place:

Using math, and then using a generator online to double check myself, with that birthdate a round about date of conception would be between June 30th to July 4th of 2021..

I’m thinking of going on the line with usually has more of an irregular cycle, often skipping months as is so she didn’t think much of it. Until she starts to feel sluggish and sick. She notices she’s pushing two missed periods and is more into the 9 weeks mark. By now classes have started at umich. She’s missing quite a few of classes because she’s having problems with nausea. The first trimester ends in October.

She went to the closest pharmacy and that’s when you call the moms. They had her go back to the dorms and wait for them to come. They showed up with test after test.

Rosey stuck all different types of tests in a cup, the next few minutes were agonizingly slow for all three women. Of course each one of the used tests had their own form of positive.

September 13, is the day she found out for sure. Rosey wasn’t sure when to tell Luke, she didn’t want to right away because she hadn’t wrapped her own head around it yet. But Luke being Luke and he was antsy about you still being sick. The moms talked her into telling him the same day…

Luke came over to her dorm right after his practice and was concerned to see his mom and Rosey’s mom in the kitchenette / lounge area. He asked the moms where Rosey was and Ellen quietly told him to go talk to her in her room.

A million thoughts ran through his mind as he approached her door. Was something wrong with her? Had she been holding something back from him? He knocked on her bedroom door, small soft voice called out shakily, “you can come in,”Luke pushed the door open and soaked in the sight of his usual bubbly, warm, inviting girlfriend that sits on the middle of her bed closed off, pale, and almost unrecognizable. Luke took a step in and shut the door behind him before walking towards her. “Ba—” She cut him off. She flinched from at the start of the pet name. “Don’t say that, dear god please don’t say that.” Her voice continued to shake, this time only worse. Luke looked at her questioningly. She glanced up and met his eyes. Then it happened. The words poured out of her mouth like she spewing them out. She couldn’t wait a moment longer after seeing his the hurt, questioning eyes.

“Luke-I’m-Pregnant.” The words came out practically as one single word

In a blink of an Rosey was a mess of tears, stumbling off if her bed, over to stand in front of him.

Moments of silence passed between them.

“Lukey.” Her voice barely audible, her body rattled her with sobs. Luke was stiff as a board wanting to reach out for her but his body physically unwilling. He hated seeing her cry. It killed him, but his twinge of anger was fueling him more than anything else.

“What do you mean you’re pregnant, y/n?!” Luke’s voice bounced around in her head a lot louder than it actually was when he spoke. Rosey took a couple steps away from Luke. He never rose his voice at her. “I’m serious y/n. Is this some kind of joke you set up since you’ve been sick?” Luke’s volume was much higher this time. Rosey was shocked that he had yelled at her, she was even more shocked that he addressed her by her legal name. The last time Luke had directly called her, by her legal name was such a long time ago neither of them remember when it happened.

Disbelief was written all across her face, eyes wide, and her heart racing.

“Luke Warren Hughes.” His names left her lips in an angry whisper. A dramatic contrast to that of his booming predecessor questioning. “What I mean is that you and I are having a baby together. Whether you’re on board or not.” Rosey paused taking a centering breath. “That is what happens when we have sex and we make the decision to continue even when you realize there isn’t a condom to be found in your’s or Jack’s room at the lake house.” With renowned confidence she approached him and pushed her flat palm on his chest with emphasis on the word ‘we’. Her voice getting stronger, louder as she went on. Getting angrier at the thought of all he said.

“We had unprotected sex Luke. It was a possibility, you know that. It was a mutual decision to have sex without protection.” Rosey dropped her forehead to his chest. Luke’s arms twitch at his side, wanting to embrace her, he just can’t make himself move to do so. “We talked.. We said we aren’t going to be with anyone else why does it matter. It wasn’t a big deal then to go without one and you.. YOU said that we would be okay with anything to come our way this year. You promised me. I know we didn’t expect a baby to be apart of college, this early on, or really I don’t know how you feel about wanting kids.. So why would you even think I would joke about this.”

Luke’s head was spinning he wasn’t sure what to say or do. She shocked him when she suddenly announced it the way she did. He was just confused and he just did what he does best and it was blurting out the first thing in is mind. He wanted to turn and leave to figure out what to say but if he leaves he knows that would look like he’s walking out on their relationship.

As if telepathy was real Ellen knocked on the door and entered after announcing herself. “Now that emotions are out. Let’s go both of you, out here. We’re getting this settled, and Luke.” Ellen’s tone of voice started of soft and turned to one only mother ready to discipline has. “Your father and I raised you better than this. I thought you knew better than to raise your voice at your significant other. Even when angry you can keep a level tone of voice.” Luke’s face falls as he glances over at the love of his life. He knew yelling at her was wrong. He knew everything he said to her was wrong.

How am I ever going to get myself out of this.

[foxes-that-run]

Late Night Talking

LNT is the first song written for Harry’s House, at the end of April 2020. Harry sings about wanting to be there for this person he can’t get off his mind. The videos for it explore the difference of Harry privately vs his public persona.

The lyric video reminds me of grapejuice with wine in the garden and friend with Harry looking at a view. This song reminds me of this part of the Zane Lowe Interview, (talking about As it Was):

I just got to like sit for a second and you create this kind of like space for yourself and obviously everyone kind of had their world shrunk and you really became abundantly clear like who you missed and who you didn't miss and who you wanted to spend time with and what felt more important.

Music Video

The was filmed 13 February 2022. It opens with Harry looking for his muse. All we see of them is a t-shirt and a bra. The record on the floor is the Talk Talk album 'It's My Life'. The title track is about a relationship with someone who is seeing someone else, their MV has wildlife starting on flamingos. The LNT MV opens with calm, private Harry in pale blue socks. Looking for the muse he falls through the bed into a dreamlike world (very Alice in Wonderland) of public perception where Harry wears passionate red socks.

All scenes are in a bed. It may be what if everything people said about him was true and how hard those rumours are on a relationship and self. ("Saying that's not true get's old after a while" “it does, I'm bored of it" 2013 to Heatworld)

The next scene is Harry singing to the listener with his full attention but he has a line of female and male partners in bed. There is a similar scene of Harry with many partners (COSOSOM-esq). Everyone else has bare feet.

Harry then recreates Tracey Emin's 'My Bed', a piece of an unmade bed about depression and public vs private life. Harry is in the bed with male and female partners, on his life on display, he reads the newspaper.

The next 2 scenes show how differently Harry's time with people are viewed, with a man he is in a restaurant and people ignore it, they pass by (This is not in private as some say) whereas with a woman (wearing the shirt from the start, H's nails are red & blue) in what should be in the dark, relaxing and eating popcorn a literal spotlight is put on them in the audience and the camera zooms in, like:

"Sometimes people say, ‘You’ve only publicly been with women,’ and I don’t think I’ve publicly been with anyone. If someone takes a picture of you with someone, it doesn’t mean you’re choosing to have a public relationship or something.” - to Rolling Stone.

These next 2 scenes are Harry officiating a wedding, but lightening and clouds arrive and he disappears, ruining everyones time. I think this is him disappearing because paparazzi arrive (see flashes). And Harry falling through the sky, (see clouds). The video ends with Harry happy back in the blue socks on the single cover.

When was it written

Harry was in LA promoting Fine Line when the COVID travel ban was introduced 17 March 2020. Harry said to Zane Lowe that he took 6 weeks to do nothing then booked a studio and this was the first song while setting up. That places it around 28 April 2020.

Kid Harpoon told Billboard: "Styles booked time at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La in Malibu, Calif., and invited Hull and writer-producer Tyler Johnson to the sessions. “I was like, ‘Is he insane? We can’t leave our houses!’ ” recalls the affable Hull one late afternoon in New York. Still, the trio showed up and immediately got to work. “Day one, we’re writing a song, and [Harry] came up with this piano part. And then I was like, ‘Oh, that could be faster. And you could do this chord, and we could do this.’ ” That evolved into “Late Night Talking,” the first song written for what would become 2022’s Harry’s House"

Harry told Zane Lowe (24 Mins) LNT, Daylight, Keep Driving and Sushi were in this group, to Stern and Lowe he said Daylight was also one of the first. The leaked Too Much Sauce was also recorded in May 2020.

Lyrics

Things haven't been quite the same There's a haze on the horizon, babe It's only been a couple of days And I miss you, mm, yeah When nothin' really goes to plan You stub your toe or break your camera I'll do everythin' I can To help you through

In the first verse Harry is uncertain about change. I think there’s a double meaning of the pandemic and also Harry himself. Uncertainty aside, Harry is committed to doing anything to help this person and just wants to be with them.

Camera's are in Keep Driving (Black and White Film Camera) and Perfect (Cameras flashing everytime you go out). The camera is interesting, one Harry avoids considering the video's focus on perception.

The only other 'Haze' in a Harry song is in Little Freak, "starry-eyed Crystal Haze'

If you're feelin' down I just wanna make you happier, baby Wish I was around I just wanna make you happier, baby

Harry repeats that all he wants is this person to be happier. Another pandemic reference that Harry is separated from the person physically, in this case by lockdown but it applies broadly.

'Make you happier' reminds me of Happily, where the path to that happiness was being together again. Harry also says 'happier/happy' in:

Only Angel - I'm just happy getting you stuck in between my teeth

Super Pretty (unreleased) "Said you're happier with that big baller That we both knew growing up"

I'm not happy - I'm not happy, but I'm happy you asked

JCHNY

We've been doin' all this late night talkin' 'Bout anythin' you want until the mornin' Now you're in my life I can't get you off my mind

The chorus is so sweet and also simple, Harry has been talking to the muse on the phone. He will talk to them about anything they want because his focus is on them. He wants to share and get close. I line the line 'now you're in my life I can't get you off my mind' he's completely infatuated. This touches on some themes or lyric similarities:

Mind is a theme.

Harry's lyrics about Talk

Harry's lyrics about Night, especially the unreleased I Just Wanna Love You -" Talking to me late night"

Communication theme

I've never been a fan of change But I'd follow you to any place If it's Hollywood or Bishopsgate I'm coming too

In the final verse Harry again would do anything, this time linking back to the first verse, where he saw the change coming and now will do what is uncomfortable, even moving. The Hollywood/Bishopsgate is often reported as connecting OW in Hollywood to Harry's home of London, but it was written before they met. Harry wrote the song in Los Angeles, so I think he means wherever.. though noting he only listed where he was and his home. Harry's lyrics about Change

Folklore, Lover and Midnights

The first songs on Folklore and Harry's LA session songs have similarity. The One is a conversation with an ex-partner. Folklore started 2 days into the pandemic in LA. 2020 timeline. The MV spaghetti scene is similar one in Lover's MV, which has a joke Harry read in Fan Mail. Taylor named the bonus tracks on a special edition of Midnights "Late Night Talking Tracks" in the post she referenced The One and Satellite. Thanks @womanexile

[skzpixie]

For my youth interview

Cw: Dark!! Mentions of past abus*ve relationship(physical and sexual), suicidal attempts, past pedophilia(kai was the victim), mentions of infertility, drinking problems, let me know if there is any I missed

Taglist: @mynameisnotlaura

Px: Annyeong! My name is Pixie from straykids, but you may call me Kai. (She waves at the camera and blows it kisses)

Q: What is "For my youth" about?

Px: For my youth... it's a very raw, emotional part of myself. I try and make sure my image before now is the silly kind, I hate seeing anyone in pain or sad, so I don't like showing my emotions other than positive ones.

Px: I never had a good grasp of emotions growing up. My childhood was cut short because of me becoming a trainee, and I was not able to come to terms with my emotions through puberty. While other trainees at least had some semblance of a social life, I was always training or too busy teaching others to actively partake in regular emotional stability.

Px: so in a way, For my Youth is therapy?(She laughs) it's basically a love letter to myself.

Q: Who is the ex you talk about in your songs?

Px: Oh my (she blushes, holding her cheek, embarrassed) he was my first relationship I had. I was fifteen and he was... late into being nineteen?

Px: Don't look at me like that. So many people look at me with pity when I tell them that, and I hate being regarded with pity. (She sighs)

Px: It was... not a good relationship. We fought constantly. We were both jealous of the other's time away. I would be training with Chan and he would get so... angry. I had threatened the girls he was talking to, it was not a fun thing. I felt so.. ugly when I was with him.

Px: He had a massive drinking problem. Some days he would come to the dorm and...(her eyes glossed over at the memory) ...I'd rather not speak of it.

Px: Whenever I was able to have my phone, he would only let me talk to him. He was able to talk to whoever he wanted, but I was lucky if I was even allowed to talk to my mother once a month. The relationship lasted a year and I was only able to talk to my parents... about a collective two times? One during Easter and one during Chuseok.

Px: (she clears her throat) Back then, I was so blinded by love of this... man. He was so sweet one minute, and then he would be violent. I can't tell you how many times he forced himself upon me, that now it's hard to say whether I would be able to have kids (she laughs bitterly) which really sucks because my dream was to be a mother. (She tilts her head back to avoid the tears to fall)

Q: Why did you include a song such as Bullet in For my Youth

Px: Ah, Bullet... it was originally supposed to be a Stray Kids song but we decided not to because of the very dark concept it had. I still have the demo of the us singing it together (she laughs softly)

Px: I wrote it before I joined JYP at thirteen. I was twelve and I really enjoyed listening to bands like MCR and Guns and Roses. It was the time where I would hurt myself, I still have the scars from the time. Not physically but...

Px: The second time I revised it was back in 2022, right after my second attempt. I was so depressed after my parents passing that I didn't even think about the effect it would have on my family and especially my brother. I was very depressed, I think the most I was in my life. I blame myself, y'know. And don't say it wasn't, because they wouldn't have died if that guy wasn't a "fan" of mine.

Px: I think that's the irony of Bullet. The happy tone of me singing shows how us idols, especially women, have to be all happy on the outside while we all have problems.

Q: What is the biggest message you want people to take away from your album?

Px: funny answer or serious answer? (She pauses) serious answer? That you can overcome anything. You are much stronger than you look, and you may be the reason a friend is still with you today. Don't make your past your present, and don't ever make it your future. You are so much more than your past.

Bonus:

Px: Funny answer? Capitalise your trauma and cry on company time. (Winks)

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

2. Animals (2022)

8 eps, 45 min each

Animals follows the story of Umi, a brilliant but absolutely overworked TV production office worker, during the most difficult part of any adult's life — career change.

Umi is constantly overwhelmed with tasks passed to her by her "I'll only do what I'm paid for" co-workers and her only reward for picking up their slack is her boss's warm praise. Umi is made to feel like she is an irreplicable part of her team and her sacrifice is needed for the shows they produce to succeed. One day, Umi is so tired from working overtime she falls asleep during a live broadcast, which becomes a hot topic on the Internet. Her boss, who usually very kindly accepts Umi's free labour, shames Umi for her behaviour and vehemently urges her to release a statement to clear the air and to take the heat off of the company.

Umi, rightfully, decides to resign from the shitty job and applies for a position at a make up company recommended to her by a new friend. Her beginnings aren't easy as Umi was not particularly interested in make up before, but she's surrounded by wonderful people who don't give up on her. One of those people is Kazao, the company's main photographer. He's constantly advising her during difficult times. With time, countless bowls of ramen, glasses of beer, and a growing pile of advice, something romantic grows between them. Our main character gains confidence she needs for her job thanks to her indomitable spirit and the support of people around her.

The reason I picked up this drama was its' focus on make up market. I absolutely adore make up, I like to have fun with it, and I'm always happy when I buy myself a new eyeshadow palette. It was refreshing to see a show that focuses so much on it and honestly, it was quite nice to finally have expert knowledge on a topic presented.

I felt extremely proud when Umi made her first steps in using some of the company's products. I absolutely understand the insecurity women feel with make up, especially when they have no previous experience, e.g. because they never had an opportunity to play with make up in their teenage years. Society pressures women to always look good but doesn't give us space to practice and make mistakes. The little steps we make feel so much bigger and scarier when there's an expectation on us to always look put together. Messy mascara application, chunky eyeliner wing, or patchy foundation is assimilated with teenager clumsiness so it's met with disdain. To that I say: not every woman has to be a pro in the art of make up, next time just let her know the eyeshadow she picked brings out her eyes or her lip combo is looking especially good today!

Part 1 || Part 3

[whats-wild-to-you]

hiii! there was a picture that you posted in March 2022 of Jay pouting when he saw another guy talking to “you” in the club

can I request for a scenario based on that bc his expression is really giving me butterflies rn 😭😭 thank you!!!

OMG! THAT PICTURE will be the death of me !!!! He’s pouting like a little boy, his eyebrows are furrowed like 'what the fuck dude! How dare you talk to my girl?' … but then his eyes … his eyes look like he’s gonna m*rder whoever dares to look in your direction 🥵🔥🥵🔥🔥🥵🔥🥵🥵🥵🔥🔥

_______________________________________________

After five years of being with Jay, you were a pro in disguise.

You were by his side at almost every event, every concert, every festival and every public appearance, without anyone noticing you were even there.

"I'm a ninja."

"What?"

"I've become so good at this! I'm incredible!"

Jay looked up from his laptop. You were currently in Jay's studio, lounging after a long day at work, while he tried to come up with lyrics for a new song.

"Okay..."

"Don't you agree? No one ever suspects me. I'm that good!"

"... or just not that memorable." Jay mumbled under his breath, but loud enough for you to hear.

"Oh, God, look at the time. I think I'll get going now!"

"Fine, fine! I'm sorry, okay? You're a ninja. Happy?"

Jay loved teasing you, and you loved whenever he teased you. Still, you acted a little pouty when he focused his gaze back on the screen.

"You know that I love you, right?" When he spoke you looked up at him to see his piercing stare. His expression was void of any banter. He was dead serious.

"I know. I love you, too."

"Say, do you want to go to the club with me tomorrow?" He asked after a while.

The club was the one place you never went along. It wasn't just the fact that you weren't a party girl, you actively avoided seeing Jay in a club.

"To the club, huh?"

"It's an afterparty. I'll perform two, three songs and we'll get out of there."

"Sure."

At that point you and Jay had become inseparable. But a club outing? That was at the bottom of your list.

A tight, suffocating place, filled with people. Women 'accidentally' rubbing their bodies on him, dressed skimpily, trying to get close to him? Not your typical idea of a fun night out. But still, you agreed.

The following night you arrived at the club separately, and entered shortly after Jay did.

You kept your distance from him, but always had your eyes on him. He stood by the DJ booth, talking to some people. The area had been roped off so the women couldn't get too close to him. Occasionally they would try to touch him whenever he walked by. You kept your eyes firmly on him and from time to time he would return the look, a small smile dancing around his lips.

"It's such a shame that these women gather around him, only because he’s famous, when there are way more attractive men here tonight."

The stranger's warm breath grazed your skin, prompting goosebumps to erupt. And not the good kind. His breath didn't reek of alcohol but you were sure if you turned around you'd stare into the eyes of someone inferior to Jay.

Slowly, and with an annoyed look plastered on your face, you turned around. But the stranger was nothing like you had imagined him to be.

He was tall, at least a head taller than you, slender but muscular. He had cheekbones and a jaw that was out of this world, and his thick luscious hair fell over his forehead, partially hiding his maroon eyes.

Wow!

"I don't think they like him only because he's famous!" You shot back.

"Ouch! Did I strike a nerve?" He continued joking. His smile was radiant. Even you couldn’t deny that.

You relaxed your jaw, putting on a smile, slowly shaking your head.

"So you're not one of them?" He added surprised.

"One of them?"

"Yeah. One of them women down there trying desperately to get his attention, maybe get him to take her number written on a napkin, make her Mrs. Jay Park."

"That's ridiculous. But I understand how you would think that!"

"Yeah? And why is that?"

You didn't get to answer, as you noticed his focus shifting to something behind you. At the same time a shudder ran down your back. Slowly, you followed his gaze, locking eyes with your boyfriend.

It was just a quick second in which Jay pursed his lips, his forehead furrowed and his eyes became thin slits. He was jealous. Mad. Furious.

“I need to go!" You blurted out, checking the time. A car would be outside for you in five minutes.

Cutting your way through the crowd, you saw how Jay and his managers left through the main entrance. You were only a couple steps behind but wouldn't dare to approach him now. Not with all the women making their way out the door simultaneously, trying to get close to him outside.

But he was gone before you made it out of the club. Soon after your ride arrived and you got in without a word.

You were already in Jay's neighborhood when you realized the driver wasn't taking you to your own place. Reluctantly you stepped out of the car and made your way to Jay's apartment.

He was alone in the living room and looked up at you when you entered.

"You had fun tonight?"

"Jay ..."

"No. I get it. You needed to blend in."

"He talked to me first! What did you expect me to do? Drop kick him?"

He didn't say anything, just scoffed. Then he got up and got his jacket. Out of every pocket he pulled out a bunch of napkins with women's numbers scribbled on them. Others had written messages on them.

He placed them on the coffee table in front of you, and in that moment you couldn't stifle a chuckle.

"You're incredibly hot when you're mad, did you know that?" You said, watching Jay look at you in utter surprise.

"Meet me in the bedroom in fifteen minutes." You ordered him, swaying your hips as you strutted off, leaving a bewildered Jay behind.

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

This is a German fan picture from last week on Monday 19th June at Düsseldorf Airport, which is 3.9 miles (ca. 6 km) away from Ratingen. SH was in Germany 🇩🇪 at the World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold in Ratingen, and everything suggested Sam was on his way back home to Glasgow to prepare his Martini announcement on 20th June. (SH was seen with Georgia at the event and some eyes reflected the prospect of more than a reunion- a common stereotype of people loitering his lifestyle, wasting time)

But the First thing first: there is beating some "Hard" difficulty. And after that, you can change your opinion.

It’s a lot of daring to say Georgia is/was Sam’s date. Dating? SH has no intention of going out to explore a relationship and explore it in public as a couple. Maybe he’s flirting and acting without momentary serious intentions. Or It’s he hooked up with an old friend in Germany for a simple reconnection or weekend casual sex. For him, nothing is a committed relationship. Whether it's a friend-with-benefits situation, an encounter that went right, or one-night stands, here we can’t to ensure both wake up happy the next morning.

She probably invited him so that good company surrounded her and extended him possession of a pass accredited card. Georgia was training in Germany since the first week of June for the Tour Gold when SH was in New York. He only travelled back to Belgium on Sunday the 11th for his filming job. If something relevant happened in this “friendship”, why not travel first to Germany and after flying to Brussels? The flight duration from Düsseldorf, Germany to Brussels, Belgium is 43 minutes for a commercial airline. ✈️

This is not proof to ensure his travel to Germany was to get back their time lost. Perhaps some people won’t know, but SH has had poor taste in women. I don't think it's love so much as lust. Perhaps 🤔 Women want to be with him, but men would rather not be him.

Georgia Ellenwood knows in Germany the Stadtwerke Mehrkampf-Meeting, represented her country Canada 🇨🇦 at the World Athletics Challenge - Combined Events Meeting also in Ratingen in 2021 before her surgery.

GE in February 2022, during a qualifying, meet for the world championships, ruptured her Achilles tendon. If you have a ruptured Achilles tendon, the healing process can take anywhere between 6-8 weeks, but if you wish to return to athletic activity may be able to do so within 4 to 12 months. Achilles tendon ruptures (ATR) are detrimental to sports performance.

Achilles tendon ruptures can be devastating injuries for athletes who require a long recovery, and may not allow them to achieve the degree of athletic prowess. She seems to continue with a certain discomfort that forced her to withdraw from the event in Germany 🇩🇪 DNF next to her name abbreviation for did not finish.

GE posted pictures from Innsbruck, Austria 🇦🇹 maybe before her trip to compete in Ratingen, Germany or after the event. She posted from home lately. It could be difficult for SH to spend a few days with her in Austria before competition, and then they go to Germany together for her championship, when Sam has been shooting on the Belgian North Sea coast and after filming, started the Outlander promo in New York, and on Sunday 11th June back to Brussels to reshoot.

Note aside, The train from Düsseldorf 🇩🇪 to Innsbruck 🇦🇹 takes 8 hours on average to travel 446 miles (ca. 718 km) If he went to Innsbruck during the event weekend, he spent 16 hours seated on the train (round trip) back to Germany, to fly to the UK on Monday 19th waiting for his delayed flight‍ at the airport 🤦‍♂️

SH is not a shy cookie beneath his “butter-wouldn’t-melt grin” that he always shares with his fanatics in each selfie 🤳

Sorry! Love is not only blind. It's also deaf, dumb and pretty stupid too! 🙈🙉🙊 In such a case, I doubt Sam has done it.

Results for the 2023 Stadtwerke Mehrkampf Meeting Ratingen, a World Athletics Combined Events Tour Gold.

Event Date: June 17 to 18

Location: Ratingen, Germany

[realityhop]

Deckard: You show it to your husband. He likes it so much he hangs it on your bedroom wall. Rachael: I wouldn't let him. Deckard: Why not? Rachael: I should be enough for him.

"Marriage is good."

— Louise Perry, The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century (2022)

"You cannot just suddenly open a magazine and look at a picture of a nude woman and then free associate, using Lacan. You cannot do that! Because fashion magazines are part of the history of art. These are great photographers, great stylists—and gay men have made enormous contributions to fashion photography."

— Camille Paglia, The MIT Lecture: Crisis in the American Universities (1991)

"As in Japan in the 1930s or 4chan in 2012, fascism arises in places where modern consumerist hedonism has pushed people so far out to sea that they swim desperately to the terra firma of traditional values (mixed in with a great deal of apocryphal past-themed fiction). 4chan often functioned as an object lesson in the limits of liberalism’s invitation to invent one’s own moral compass. Could one really say everyone ought to live any odd way they pleased when the boards filled up, each day, with lifestyles that were so grotesque they, at the very least, nudged up against the bounds of infinite tolerance?"

— Dale Beran, It Came From Something Awful

"Actually, to deny limits has become the rule, thus porn cannot any longer represent a transgression. A very interesting and important point, in this regard, is to acknowledge that the progressive denial of limits in heterosexual porn pertains mainly women, and can be reached only if, when, and how women allow it to happen.”

— Giorgio Tricarico, Lost Goddesses (2018)

"Women set the course of desire. If she doesn’t want it, it ain’t happening. And if she does want it, he will eventually succumb. The turn-on comes from her, not him. It may feel mutual, but it’s not going to happen unless she gives the green light. Yet because we women have believed it to be the other way around for so many thousands of years, it’s really, really difficult for us to see another viewpoint. I mean, how do you teach the sun that she’s the sun? […] Historically, women had to exchange sex for survival. Today, we are perfectly capable of putting food on our own tables and roofs over our own heads. In this way the balance of power has changed between men and women. We no longer need a man in order to live a healthy, happy life. In the process, the purpose of relationship has shifted from “food and shelter” to something else entirely. A new paradigm of relationship is emerging. I like to think of it as radiant relating. ... In a radiant relationship, we are both active participants. Neither one of us can coast."

— Regena Thomashauer, Pussy: A Reclamation ('16)

"In the traditional view a person perceives the world around him and acts upon it to make it known to him. In a sense he reaches out and grasps it. He “takes it in” and possesses it. He “knows” it in the Biblical sense in which a man knows a woman. The action is exactly reversed in an environmental analysis. […] Our perception of the sun depends on what we do with respect to it. Whatever we do, and hence however we perceive it, the fact remains that it is the environment which acts upon the perceiving person, not the perceiving person who acts upon the environment."

— B. F. Skinner, Beyond Freedom & Dignity (1971)

Blade Runner (1982)

(dir. Ridley Scott)

[angstyandromanticwriting]

Vera Alfrey (an OC) X Fem!Reader Angsty, Cute and Fluffy Prompt

• Period drama-esque

• Face claim of Vera Alfrey is Margot Robbie as Valerie Vose in Amsterdam (2022)

• There will be more!

!TW: Mention of previously being homeless, mention of previous death of family members + occurrence of death in general, self put-down(s) + elements of self-doubt, implied suffering from depression + anxiety + separation anxiety + grief, elements of facing homophobia, implied sexual occurrence(s), nudity, mention of self-harming/elements of self-harm, injury detail, implied presence of blood, having intentions to self-harm, elements of cheating/an affair being had - if I’ve missed any, let me know ❤️!

As far back as you could remember, you and Vera Alfrey had been best friends since you were both smaller, and you had been taken on by her family to work for them as a maid, cleaning alongside their other both youthful and more mature maids the rooms you were assigned to each day. You also often helped out in the kitchen whenever you were requested to over the weekend, making sure to - each night - meet up in there with Vera whenever the other workers had left the room as you both liked to tell each other funny stories to make each other laugh, and often would chase each other around the house whilst you giggled uncontrollably together, and until you both had turned 16, they wouldn’t bat an eyelid if you were ever caught.

Ever since her 16th birthday, they all - but the head cleaner, and Vera’s middle sister - seemed to try and ward her away from you, and it was painful - whenever you both tried to meet up in the Kitchen like you often had done before, there would be someone sleeping within the room evidently to try and catch you both, making it even harder for you and her to do all that you had done together before you’d gotten slightly older. However, the head cleaner - Auntie Isabella, you both liked to call her - often snuck you out of your room after dark so you could join Vera within her’s, though you couldn’t imagine why; she must have just liked the fact that you both were as close as you were considering you had been left to fend for yourself on the streets following the death of both of your parents.

You just wished it could have been that way for longer - things had got harder after Isabella had fallen ill rather unexpectedly, meaning neither you or Vera could see her as often as you both had used to. The only thing now, then, making you happy and providing you with a reason to go on living the way you were was Vera, and your still thankfully unbreakable bond you shared with her, and hoped you always would, even though you feared - sometimes - what it might mean as your bond with her only seemed to grow even stronger with every passing day you both spent together, developing to an unusual point in which you found yourself wishing you could spend your life by her side, showering her with your love for her, as well as even dreaming that you could both do all that other couples seemed to do together. The only problem with these dreams was that you weren’t even sure if they were allowed; you’d never seen any other women who were romantically involved like you wished you could be with Vera, and feared also that maybe there was something wrong with you; that if you told her about your strange new feelings she would no longer want to be around you, and view you as a freak like you often thought yourself to be, especially whenever your gaze had ever been blessed enough to fall upon her for longer than it should; you believed her to be everything better than you; to have everything better than you - her beauty was incomparable, her personality and heart the warmest as well as best and funniest you had ever encountered, and eyes the lightest and more comforting than you had ever been able to get lost within.

Whilst you were cleaning absentmindedly the Alfrey’s Library for them in your uncomfortable black and white uniform, you couldn’t help, but recall the day you’d first met Vera, and had unknowingly become smitten with her whilst she seemed to change your life for the better as if you’d not been in pain before following the loss of your parents, and forced temporary residence on the streets.

•

You had been sunk down on the ground of the same room against one of the bookcases whilst you sobbed uncontrollably into your hands, and were resting them upon your knees which you were currently holding up close to your chest, when Vera quietly entered the room as if she weren’t supposed to be there without supervision, faltering when her gaze fell upon your small, shaky, and vulnerable figure.

“Hey,” she subconsciously blurted out, and would then wince upon noticing that she had startled you, prompting her to quickly close the door before anyone could hear you both in the same room together - her parents would most likely have considered it improper, especially when Vera wasn’t meant to be in the same room as you or any of the other maids whilst they were cleaning.

“I’m not bunking, I swear-!” You cried feebly, your voice trembling whilst you hastily forced yourself up off of the ground whilst Vera would shake her head quickly, and raise up her hands subconsciously to try and soothe you by surrendering to you, but you would instantly be relieved to find that - once your gaze had fallen upon her - she wasn’t either of her parents, Mr or Mrs Alfrey, and strangely enough it was as if her presence itself was soothing you whilst you began to stammer, and she to slowly draw closer to you whilst she smiled softly in your direction, prompting you instantly to smile back faintly whilst your heart seemed to skip a beat, or two - something you’d never experienced before, and had to try not to panic over, wondering if you were about to somehow have a heart attack, but these fears wouldn’t burden you for much longer - not whilst she was here with you. “I’m so sorry, miss Alfrey - I thought-.. I thought you were your-..” You would then falter, a pained expression on your face whilst you bowed your head, being reminded that your own mother and father were now gone, and would never come back for you; could never come back for you. “I’m sorry,” you mustered weakly, your voice close to a shaky whisper; you were on the verge of breaking down again in front of her, and despised yourself for it, whilst Vera would frown, wondering why you seemed so sad as she’d not yet heard about what had happened to your parents - only that you were an orphan, and had been taken off of the streets, “I’ll get back to work, now, and leave you to the books-”

You would then make to continue sweeping up the floor, retrieving your dustpan and broom when she would shake her head again, and inch even closer to you, prompting you to tense up whilst you warily watched her, and would wonder why she was wasting her time on you like she currently was, her stunning icy blue eyes never once looking away from your’s.

“N-No, don’t,” she mustered out, surprising you; her voice was so soft, and managed to somehow relax you even further to the point you found yourself longing to hear even more of it as if it were a drug, and you were addicted to it, hoping you’d be able to hear and depend on it for the rest of your life, and possibly beyond it if there were an afterlife truly in existence, “you can’t work like this; I won’t let you, and I don’t care if I get into trouble with my mother and father by stopping you - it’s wrong.”

“But-”

“Please put the broom and dustpan down,” she insisted, and you wouldn’t hesitate to obey, remembering she had more power than you could ever hold being one of Mr and Mrs Alfrey’s daughters. Vera couldn’t help, but then smile warmly over at you again, glad that you now weren’t forcing yourself to go on working whilst you were evidently upset, before she would gesticulate to the sofa you’d recently dusted off by the pretty stained glass window allowing a range of colours to slip into the room, and land on the floor beneath it leaving almost a rainbow trail leading up to the library door. “Want to sit down for a bit and talk? M-Maybe we could even play a game?” She suggested, and you would appear wary, looking toward the door begrudgingly before you allowed your gaze to lock blissfully with her’s again.

“I’m so sorry, miss, I don’t think that’s a good idea - if - if your-.. your parents come in and see that I’ve stopped cleaning-”

“They won’t, I promise,” she tried to reassure you, evidently desperate to try and help you, as well as to get to know you as she felt as if she should; like she was connected to you in some way, and hoped you were experiencing the same feeling as she feared what it might mean for her if you didn’t feel the same connection that she was, “a-and even if they did I’d come up with something - say I found you injured in here, and have been trying to tend to you.”

You couldn’t help, but frown whilst you forced yourself to lower your gaze, not wanting her to see the new tears which were currently beginning to cloud your vision whilst you stared down at your feet, wondering - yet again - why she was doing this for you, and of course you found - then - that you couldn’t keep this lingering thought quiet, allowing the question to escape from your lips before you could capture it back, and store it away again safely.

“But why? Why would someone like you do something like that for someone like me?” You questioned, and would then curse yourself internally whilst you looked up at her again to find that she appeared taken aback by the question, prompting your eyes to widen whilst you fearfully awaited her response, your heart beginning to now overwhelming pound against your ribcage as if it longed to escape, and jump into her arms so it could be closer to her’s.

Vera would carefully think of an answer to your question, before she smiled softly over at you again, and would timidly offer you her right hand, and without thinking again you would give in, and allow the fingers of your left hand to intertwine with the fingers of her right one, finding yourself longing to feel how soft her hands must be, and you couldn’t help, but smile sheepishly back over at her whilst you revelled in the feeling of your hand and fingers perfectly fitting together with her’s.

“Because we aren’t that different, see-?” She began, before comfortingly and gently squeezing your hand, and you would realise, a thoughtful expression crossing your face whilst you thought about her revelation. “It’s-.. only them, and the other families like mine who see us differently, I - I’m not sure why, though,” she admitted dejectedly whilst you would frown, before nodding gravely, and forcing yourself to look away again whilst you tried to focus on how perfectly her hand was holding your’s, resulting in your heart beginning to race, and occasionally skip a few beats again.

“Y-Yeah, but - miss-”

“Oh, and you don’t have to call me miss anymore,” she reassured brightly, “a-at least - not when it’s just us together - my sisters all either like to call me V, or just Vera, but if you have any other ideas then feel free to use them.” You would then appear puzzled, as well as surprised again; you couldn’t believe how good she was being to you; couldn’t believe she was treating you as if you weren’t of a lower social status than she was. Vera could see that you were perplexed, and would shyly smile over at you again, before begrudgingly looking away from you for a moment whilst she awkwardly looked around the room, and wondered why she was finding it harder to appear confident around you like she usually was, worried about somehow embarrassing herself in front of you, though she couldn’t yet imagine why as she’d never experienced anything like this before. “I’d-.. like to be your friend,” she clarified, and it would happen again; your heart would overwhelmingly skip a beat as if it had begun to soar like a bird would after taking flight, “m-maybe even your best friend, because-..” She would then appear nervous whilst she held you at arm’s length, and you couldn’t help, but smile warmly over at her whilst your eyes locked with her’s again in the best way possible, soothing her instantly whilst she began to reflect your smile, and would begin to feel confident enough to continue. “L-Look - I know we don’t know each other that well, but I’m still worried, and care about you - no one deserves to be alone, and there’s something about you that makes me feel-.. different - l-like - we were meant to meet, and become friends; I can’t explain it - I guess I just feel-.. connected to you, somehow.”

“That’s crazy - I’ve been feeling the same way-!” You exclaimed, appearing elated all of a sudden whilst your eyes glinted alongside her’s.

Vera would then express relief whilst her smile subconsciously grew; she’d been worried that maybe you hadn’t been experiencing the same feeling that she had been since she’d entered the room, and had her gaze blissfully fall upon you.

“Really? I was worried you wouldn’t,” she admitted whilst appearing embarrassed for a moment, prompting you to grin over at her, finding her reaction amusing as well as adorable, a thought that would prompt you to falter as you’d never experienced anything like it before with anyone else. Vera would then appear worried about you again after you would begrudgingly release her hand, and look away from her again, prompting her to begin feeling empty all of a sudden as a result of the loss of contact you had previously shared. “H-Hey, are you okay-?” She inquired, and you would wince, before forcing a smile over at her, and she would try not to upset you any further though she longed to question you even further; she could tell that you were trying to hide what you were currently thinking and feeling from her, and hoped that whatever it was wouldn’t separate you both as she was enjoying your company more than she’d ever enjoyed anyone else’s, quite truthfully. “I-If I said, or did something, I-”

“No, m-miss - I mean-.. V, it’s not you, I’m just-.. this isn’t something I’m used to happening,” you confessed, and she would realise, another smile beginning to play on her lips whilst she, too, found you to be adorable, “I’ll try and get used to it, I promise.”

“Don’t worry, I get it,” she reassured you gently, managing to relax you again, “i-it’s new to me, too - even though I usually get along with my sisters, I feel like my bond is stronger with you, a-and it’s - scary, but-.. at the same time, I hope I never lose it, somehow.” She would then hesitantly hold your left hand in her right one again, somehow soothing you even further than before whilst your heart blissfully soared alongside her’s. “I hope I never lose you, er-.. Oh-.. Sorry, I never asked you your name, before - I guess I was just distracted whilst we were talking, o-or something; that’s never happened to me, before.”

“It’s Y/n,” you revealed whilst wondering, and fearing over what she would think about your name, “Y-Y/n L/n.”

However, before she could respond, her eyes seeming to glint again, her mother’s voice would sound out outside, prompting you to tense up, and hastily let go of her hand so you could turn around and retrieve the broom and dustpan from the spot in which you had previously left them whilst Vera would smile sadly over at you, before looking toward the door.

“Vera, where are you? Your father’s back, and supper is almost ready,” her mother called from halfway up the staircase, and Vera would sigh heavily, before dragging herself over to the door, and stopping for a moment to look back at you, finding you staring longingly as well as dejectedly after her; you wished you could spend every minute of every passing day with her, somehow, finding she made you feel special, safe, warm and loved, as if you never had been in pain before following the death of your parents, and brief period of homelessness you had experienced before being taken on as a maid by Vera’s family, and Isabella, their head cleaner of the house.

“You have a beautiful name, by the way,” she cooed, flustering you as you faltered, and would begin to stammer out the two words: ‘you, too’, prompting her to giggle - the most magical sound you’d ever heard, “see you around, Y/n.” She would then drag herself from the room, and rush down the stairs after appearing around the corner as if she had - rather than coming from the library - emerged from her own bedroom as it was beside the library, knowing - then - that she wouldn’t get into trouble with her mother, though she wished she could stay with you for a little while longer; she didn’t like being away from you, like you found yourself despising the new distance between you and her whilst you would fight back tears again, and force yourself to continue cleaning as fast as you could, until you had to move on to helping out in the kitchen by organising the dinner table, longing for the next moment in which you would be able to see and speak to her again.

•

Before you could go on thinking about the rest of that very day, and how you’d spent the whole of it longing to bump into Vera again, you would be startled by someone wrapping their arms around your waist, and chiming ‘got you’ whilst they hugged you close to them, and you would relax instantly when you could feel, and hear that it was Vera who had decided to surprise you like that, a wide grin playing on your lips whilst you giggled exasperatedly, and would rest the back of your head subconsciously below her chin as she was just slightly taller than you, making for the best difference in height, in your opinion.

“Seriously, V-? Are you going to be scaring me like that every day?” You asked, and she would smirk, before shrugging, and surprising you by picking you up off of the ground once you had let go of the broom and dustpan you had been assigned specially for the Library floor, prompting you to squeak, before giggling breathlessly, and clinging to her shoulders whilst she laughed uncontrollably, carrying you toward the sofa by the same stained glass window in your memory.

Once she’d got close enough to it, she would then carefully lower you down onto it, and beam victoriously down at you whilst she sat down on the edge of it, and leaned back to trap you beneath her as she knew you wouldn’t make an effort to escape.

“This is the most comfortable I’ve ever been,” she remarked truthfully, and you would lift your eyebrows, before pouting, and surprising her by trying to sit up, prompting her to shake her head hastily, before she playfully eased you back down and would begin giggling again alongside you whilst she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, trying not to grow flustered over the position you were both in with her lips inches from your’s, and close to brushing against one another blissfully.

“Vera,” you whined once you’d recovered from your fit of shaky and exasperated giggles whilst she would tilt her head partially, and smile sheepishly down at you, wondering why she had begun to feel warm, fuzzy, and numb all of a sudden as a result of being this close to you, and making physical contact with you like this even though it was due to her being playful with you like you both often were together, though her family had been trying to keep you both apart recently, “let me up, I need to keep working and get everything done so we can hang out later without the others seeing us-”

“No,” she interjected dejectedly, “Y/n - don’t you remember what I told you this morning? You’re my prisoner for today, so no - you can’t get up, yet.”

“Please, V,” you begged, “I don’t want to get you into trouble - anyone could walk in on us together right now, and if your father and your mother heard about it-”

“They never will, I promise,” she cooed, trying to provide comfort to you, before she would briefly allow her gaze to drift down to your lips, finding she longed to feel them against her’s though she wasn’t sure why, and would force a smile back at you after you, too, couldn’t help, but allow your gaze to drift down to her’s until she had looked back at you, prompting you to hastily reflect her smile as if you’d not allowed it to happen, worried that maybe if you both gave into your feelings then something bad would occur as a result of it though the urge was strong, and seemed blissfully appealing. “I’ll always keep us safe from them, no matter what,” she managed to continue in a strained manner, her voice close to a whisper whilst she rested her head upon your chest, close to your right shoulder, staring ahead of her at the door whilst you would relax your head upon her own, and stroke her hair using your right hand whilst you subconsciously smiled warmly at the wall opposite you; nothing had ever felt so right, before - the moment was perfect, and you both wished you could live within it forever, especially when you both knew it might soon be over considering her father would soon be arriving back home in time for the possible suitors who tended to call a lot on Vera, most likely because she was the eldest daughter in the family, and her father and mother were both eager to have her married off into another rich family. The reminder would then prompt you to falter, a pained expression on your face; you would never be able to marry her, yourself, and still doubted someone as perfect as her could feel the same way, for you, when - unbeknownst to you - her feelings had only been growing stronger for you ever since she had first met you, and it was as if you both had been made for one another, somehow.

“V,” you blurted out a little shakily whilst you found yourself trying not to break down in front of her; the feelings were growing to be overwhelming, and to think about how you might possibly lose Vera in the future seemed to push you over the edge whilst tears began to leak from your eyes down your cheeks; you were unable to hold them back anymore.

Vera would appear surprised to hear that you had begun to cry, a pained expression on her face whilst she looked up at you, and wondered what you had been thinking about to prompt this reaction from yourself.

“Y/n? What’s wrong? You’re crying,” she mused gently whilst her heart seemed to ache excruciatingly alongside your’s; she hated seeing you like this, “what happened?”

You would then appear terrified of how she might react if you told her about your thoughts, hastily shaking your head, before you buried your face into your hands, prompting her to tilt her head partially whilst she silently pleaded for you to tell her about what it was that was mentally burdening you like this, desperate to try and help you, somehow.

“It’s nothing - I’m so sorry, V, I-.. I don’t know why I’m crying, I just-.. don’t worry about it - it’s foolish, anyway; I’m foolish for crying in front of you like this for no reason,” you scolded yourself barely audibly whilst Vera would subconsciously shake her head, before carefully easing your hands from over your face, and smiling warmly down at you to try and provide comfort to you, and you would soon begin to smile up at her again whilst your eyes blissfully locked with her stunning icy blue ones, and heart had begun to race overwhelmingly alongside her’s, but now you found yourself hoping it would never stop; hoping that she could hear it, and realise what it was that she was doing to you.

You would then wonder why your cheeks had begun to heat up, and Vera would then grin, finding you adorable again whilst she herself tried not to grow flustered, or blush alongside you for fear of what you might think of her, and the possibility that you could both lose one another if it was revealed that you both felt the same way for each other, and knew you always would, somehow, even in the afterlife, despite the fact that neither of you had confessed to your feelings yet.

“Hey,” she cooed whilst she lifted her right hand up to your left cheek blissfully so she could stroke it with her thumb, soothing you instantly to the point you found yourself subconsciously leaning into her touch, “it’s not bad to cry alone, or in front of anyone - in fact, I think it makes a person stronger to actually do so like you are, right now.”

You would appear surprised, evidently not expecting that from her whilst you found yourself easily getting lost within her stunning icy blue eyes again.

“You really think so?” You replied, your voice close to a whisper whilst you tried not to stammer, terrified of embarrassing yourself in front of her, and she would nod hastily whilst revelling in the feeling of the soft skin of your cheek against her palm, and thumb.

“I know so,” she remarked, “I mean - look at you, Y/n. You’re the bravest, and strongest woman I’ve ever met.”

You couldn’t help, but begin to blush even more profusely whilst your words would begin to stumble over themselves, and you would briefly bite down on your tongue whilst you internally cursed yourself for getting flustered in front of her again.

“T-Thanks, V, but - I think you are the bravest, and the strongest,” you expressed, “I could never be like you-”

“That’s not true,” she contradicted, “Y-Y/n, you-.. you’re perfect, and a lot stronger and braver than I could ever be, and don’t bother trying to change my mind because I promise you - your attempts will never work, but I guess you’ll also never change your mind, either, right?”

“Never,” you confirmed after shaking your head subconsciously, giggling, and hiding your face again as you could tell it must be slightly redder than it was, before. “V, I-.. I need to tell you something-”

You would then be cut off by the sound of the front door opening and being gingerly shut; her father must have just got back home, and she would frown, recognising that she would have to pretend to be avoiding you again, now, when she’d rather stay with you, not caring if she got anymore suitors calling for her as she found she couldn’t care less about them, especially when she had you, and found she felt as if she had no need for anyone else in her life as long as she had you by her side.

“I should go,” she stated dejectedly, and you would falter, before nodding gravely whilst your heart would ache excruciatingly again, “I’m so sorry-”

“No, V - don’t be,” you interjected in a strained manner whilst you smiled feebly up at her, and she would reflect your smile sadly, before affectionately connecting her forehead to your’s again whilst she briefly wrapped her arms around you, and you would instantly return the hug whilst you revelled in the moment; you loved being close to her like you were, now, and couldn’t help, but glance down at her lips again for a moment, before you hastily closed your eyes for fear of her noticing. “I can wait, I promise,” you reassured her, and she would hesitate, before nodding gravely, smiling reassuringly over at you, and finding herself wishing she could connect her lips to your’s again, instead begrudgingly getting up, and freeing you as you sat up, and found yourself silently begging her to stay with you, “s-see you later, and-.. good luck with the suitors.”

“They’ll probably all be boring,” she remarked whilst she dragged herself over to the door, and would briefly turn to face you like she had the day you had both first met, “but thank you, Y/n, I’ll probably need it - see you later.” You would then nod respectfully, evidently forgetting that you both were friends, now, for a moment, and she would grin sheepishly over at you, before forcing herself from the room to avoid her father searching for her, and finding her with you in the Library; she wanted to do all she could to try and keep you safe, and to keep you here with her, knowing her father might end up beating you, and then kicking you out if he found you breaking the rules, and being this close to her when you were meant to be avoiding one another, and to be maintaining a professional relationship with her. Once she’d left the room, you would begrudgingly get up off of the sofa whilst you silently cursed your status, and strange urges you’d never experienced before, terrifying you as you knew that both you and Vera would most likely be punished if you ever somehow ended up becoming something more than friends, no matter how much you longed to explore such a field with her whilst your feelings for her only grew stronger and stronger with ever passing minute you spent with her.

Little did you know, she felt exactly the same way, and wished she could choose you to be her wife, rather than one of those suitors that often called upon the family to request her hand in marriage, often acting as if they owned the world due to their excessive wealth that she found she couldn’t care about as much as her sisters seemed to, wanting - rather - to marry someone because she loved them, and not because of their money, the way she loved, and knew she would always love you, but the way in which her family was trying to keep you both separated - excluding Isabella, and her middle sister Violet who is currently two years younger than her - suggested to her that she was not allowed to be with you, or to choose someone like you for a reason currently unbeknownst to her excluding the more obvious one about money - why were they trying to dissuade her from choosing another woman over a man? Unless it was the fact that they expected her to have children, but she found she couldn’t really be bothered to take care of them, and couldn’t imagine ever really having one, or wanting one. Once Vera had reached the living room door, she would stop for a moment, try and clear her mind whilst her heart seemed to continue to race like it tended to whenever you and her were together, before pushing herself to ease it open, and to join her family whilst you finished up cleaning the library, before going down to help out in the Kitchen again, and then upstairs to ready the beds for them - however, like she usually did, Vera had left a note for you telling you not to clean her room as she didn’t want you to feel like you had to do that for her, wanting - rather - to do it herself for you, but you knew you’d feel bad if you didn’t do it, and would at least make her room and bed neater for her, before you retired to the maid’s quarters until the time for lights out finally came, and you could sneak out to go and join Vera in her bedroom again.

🜚

Whilst creeping quietly along the hallways, you would appear nervous as you had begun to feel as if there was something wrong; as if someone was following you closely. Little did you know, there was - Violet, Vera’s middle sister, had noticed you leaving the maid’s chambers, and was determined to try and find out what was going on between you both, obviously without the intention of telling anyone. Before you could disappear through another door, she would take her chance, and speak up.

“Hey,” she began, and you would falter, before hastily turning to face her, and almost dropping your candle whilst you leaned heavily against the wall behind you, your heart pounding overwhelmingly, “don’t worry, I’m not gonna hurt you, I promise-”

“I was going to go back, I - I just wanted to check on Miss Vera,” you stammered out, and Violet would raise her eyebrows, before giggling, and shaking her head, relieving you somewhat.

“It’s okay - you can stay with Vera,” she reassured, and upon hearing this a soft smile would begin to play on your lips, “I just wanted to ask you if - maybe - there’s anything going on between you both; she always seems happier than she was, before, in the mornings, and after she’s snuck off to see you.”

You would appear taken aback, as well as flustered by the question, evidently not expecting it, especially not from her as you didn’t think she would be in support of you and Vera being so close.

“I - I don’t know what you mean,” you claimed, your voice briefly trembling whilst you did, and Violet would smirk, before tilting her head partially, “we’re just friends, I swear.”

“We’ll see,” she replied teasingly, “have a good time with V - night!”

“Goodnight, miss,” you returned, and would relax once Violet had disappeared, before making to continue to Vera’s bedroom beside the library whilst your heart would proceed to race with every step you took closer to her bedroom door. Once you had got to the door, you would draw in a shaky breath, before lifting your right hand up to the doorknob so you could open it, and you would falter upon noticing that she was getting dressed, and currently half-naked with only a bra and pants on. You couldn’t help, but stare for a moment, amazed by her, and your heart would soon begin to pound overwhelmingly again whilst you began to feel warm, fuzzy, and strange; you’d never experienced a feeling like it before.

“You’re finally here!” Vera chimed upon noticing you, and you would manage to break out of your previous trance, remembering that it was rude to stare, though it was much harder not to allow your gaze to drift down again whilst blood rushed up to your cheeks, and you would appear flustered again. “I was starting to worry that you weren’t going to come,” she admitted, surprising you; you could never imagine abandoning her like that.

“Of course I came - why wouldn’t I, V?” You inquired whilst managing a faint sheepish smile over at her, and she would appear embarrassed, before shrugging, and grinning back at you. “And why would you even be worried about something like that? You know I’m only a maid-”

“Hey,” she whined, before shaking her head, hastily slipping on her white pyjamas, and wrapping her arms around you, “you’re more than just a maid to me - I thought you knew that.”

You would hesitate, before nodding to show her that you did, and then melting into her embrace whilst you timidly returned it, and would bury your face into her right shoulder blissfully.

“Of course I do - I was just teasing you,” you claimed after trying to hastily think of an excuse; you didn’t want her to begin worrying about you again, feeling as if to do so would be a major waste of her time, “s-sorry.”

Vera would realise, and smirk whilst she held you at arm’s length, allowing her stunning icy blue eyes to lock with your’s in the best way possible.

“You’re adorable,” she remarked, flustering you even further whilst you would hastily look away from her upon feeling that you were beginning to blush more profusely than you had been, before, “so - would you rather sleep first, and talk in the morning, or-?”

You would then remember that you had been about to - whilst you were both previously in the library together - confess your feelings for her, prompting your blood to run cold instantly whilst you began to fear the possibility of losing her again.

“A-Actually, I-.. I thought about what I was going to tell you, and-.. it’s nothing, really,” you decided without a moment’s hesitation as you found you couldn’t imagine her ever having feelings for a supposed nobody like you, and would - whilst your heart ached excruciatingly - recall that you’d seen a dove outside whilst you were looking out into the grounds from the dining room window, “I just saw a dove, a-and thought I should tell you; t-they’re one of my favourite birds.”

Vera would appear surprised, and found she couldn’t help, but feel a little disappointed, though she couldn’t imagine why; she was meant to be happy for you, but had been hoping that maybe you’d tell her that you felt the same way for her, instead as it seemed like you had been about to confess to something like that, earlier.

“I’m glad,” she managed in reply, reminding herself of how you’d been staring at her previously whilst she had on only a bra and pair of pants, prompting her to grow hopeful again, “doves are - are also my favourite bird.”

“Really?” You responded, evidently surprised by this revelation as she’d never told you that before, and she would beam over at you, before nodding hastily, certain of herself, and you couldn’t help, but smile widely back at her, wondering how it was possible that you had so much in common with someone perfect like Vera when you believed yourself to be nothing, compared to her. “That’s amazing-!” You remarked, and she would smirk over at you again, amused by your reaction whilst she tried to fight back a giggle, finding you adorable. “A-Anyway, enough about me,” you continued, and she would tense up, guessing that you were about to ask her about the suitors that had called upon her earlier today, “what were the-.. suitors - like?”

“Boring, and narcissistic like I thought they would be,” she answered, “but let’s not waste our time thinking about them-”

“W-Wait - just one more question, and then I swear I’ll stop,” you requested, and she would hesitantly turn to face you again as she had briefly let go of you to get back into her bed, before nodding, and smiling reassuringly over at you to show you that it was okay; that she didn’t particularly mind you asking about the situation, “did you-.. like - any of them? W-Want to marry one?”

She would smirk over at you again, guessing that you were possibly jealous, or anxious about losing her the way that she often feared the possibility of losing you.

“No, why?” She questioned whilst she sat down on the edge of her bed, before gesturing for you to join her, and of course you would without hesitation, sitting down beside her, close enough to be sticking to her left side in the best way possible whilst your arms would blissfully be brushing against one another, and she would be able to intertwine the fingers of her left with the slightly trembly fingers of your right one whilst your heart would skip a beat, overwhelming you again especially when it began to race alongside her’s in the best way possible.

“I was just curious, I guess,” you claimed, disheartening her again, but she knew you’d probably never feel comfortable enough to admit that you were jealous, and wished you could marry her, yourself, like she wished she could marry you, instead, “since I’ve never experienced it, and probably will never experience it, but I’m fine with it - I just hope you are happy, V.”

“Don’t worry,” she cooed, before resting her head comfortably upon your right shoulder, flustering you even further, until you felt relaxed enough to rest your head on top of her’s, “I’m happy, and always will be, as long as I have you.”

You would appear surprised, as well as elated, beaming over at her, and as soon as you noticed that she appeared to be quite tired, you would feel bad, and as if you had been keeping her up.

“You’re tired, we should get some sleep,” you suggested, and she would frown, wanting to spend more time with you, “I don’t want you to feel like you have to stay up for me-”

“But I do,” she interjected, “and not just because I feel bad, but because I want to - we never get to spend enough time together.”

“I know, b-but - I don’t want you to struggle tomorrow, V,” you admitted, and she would nod gravely, whilst appearing surprised again; she couldn’t believe how much you seemed to care about her, and not about yourself, and this thought would prompt her heart to sink, “please get some sleep for me and we’ll talk in the morning.”

“Sure, on one condition,” she decided whilst she smiled warmly up at you, prompting your heart to skip a beat whilst you grew to be flustered again, and had begun to blush faintly whilst you smiled timidly back at her, “you try and get some sleep for me, too - you need it more than I do.”

You couldn’t help, but grin, before nodding and shyly lifting your right hand up to play with her hair whilst she subconsciously leaned into your touch, and would find herself longing to kiss you again - all she had to do was lean closer to you, and connect her lips to your’s, but she was terrified, and so were you, though neither of you could imagine why, being alone the way you currently were, until you recalled you’d not yet told her about your feelings for one another, and began to worry - again - that if either you or Vera ever lost control of yourselves, you would somehow end up losing each other.

“I’ll try,” you stated, “b-because-.. I’d do anything for you, V, since - you’re-.. you’re my best friend, and that’s what friends do.”

Vera would then be surprised to find herself feeling disheartened over your use of the words ‘best friend’, but she would try and hide it from you, doubting you’d ever feel the same way, now, before she would force another smile over at you, and a mischievous glint would form in her stunning icy blue eyes.

“Good - because I’d do anything for you, too,” she returned, and you couldn’t help, but appear flustered once more whilst she would linger for a moment in place, before she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, “I hope you know that, and never forget it.”

“I won’t forget, I promise,” you reassured her, before shyly lifting your right hand up to her left cheek whilst you both tried hard not to glance down at one another’s lips again, though you longed to, and wished you could connect them more than anything in this moment, “w-we should-”

You would then squeak, startled by Vera then carefully easing you down onto your right side beside her whilst you would both giggle breathlessly together, and cling blissfully to one another. Once you’d both managed to settle down, you would bury your face into the crook of her neck in the best way possible, feeling more relaxed than you’d ever been, before, whilst you revelled in the feeling of her holding you like she was, now, and wished you could both stay this way, forever.

“G-Goodnight, V,” you mustered, though you were afraid of your voice failing you, and she would smile softly after hearing your voice again whilst she entangled the fingers of her right hand blissfully within your hair, soothing you even more than you thought possible whilst you let your eyelids slowly begin to grow heavy.

“Night,” she cooed gently, before hesitantly allowing her eyes to close alongside your’s, and falling asleep within your arms. You, too, would eventually manage to fall asleep, but - with your fears regarding the possibility of you losing Vera still circling your mind, you would find yourself being plunged into a nightmare about one of the scenarios you’d mentally curated, and it was more excruciating than you’d ever thought it could be, leaving you feeling more terrified and empty than you ever had been before.

|

Once you had woken up, it was to Vera cradling you whilst you cried quietly, and trembled within her embrace; your heart was aching excruciatingly, and you were silently begging it to stop whilst you clung to her tightly for comfort, and would sob shakily into the crook of her neck. “Shh - it was just a bad dream, Y/n,” she cooed gently whilst she rubbed your back using her right hand, and would press a kiss to the top of your head to try and further soothe you, “just a dream, okay? None of it was real - j-just-.. focus on me, okay?”

You would nod whilst you looked up at her, and she would smile reassuringly back at you, and for a moment you found you could no longer hold yourself back anymore as you leaned forward to delicately connect your lips to her’s whilst your heart soared alongside her own, and she would falter, before melting into the kiss, until she realised what it was exactly that she was doing, and would force herself to pull out of the kiss though it had felt strangely - right, to her, a pained expression on her face following her noticing your own hurt one, though you then tried to hide it by hastily looking away from her, and reminding yourself that you’d not yet told her about your feelings for her, and probably never should considering the fact that you’d never been able to see anyone else who had been born attracted to their same sex.

“V-Vera, I - I’m so sorry-”

“No, Y/n - don’t apologise,” she managed in a strained manner, before carefully lifting your face back up to her’s so she could affectionately connect her forehead to your own, allowing you to lock eyes with her in the best way possible, soothing you instantly, “you didn’t mean for it to happen; neither of us did - w-we’re both just-.. tired, so don’t worry about it, okay? This changes nothing between us, I promise - you’ll always be my best friend, n-no matter what.”

You would falter again whilst your heart continued to ache painfully whilst Vera would find herself feeling awful for the way she’d reacted, especially when she had been longing to kiss you for a while, now, and had revelled in the moment; the perfect, blissful feeling of her soft lips against your’s, flustering her, as well as making her feel quite warm and fuzzy whilst her heart would both ache and continue race excruciatingly alongside your’s.

“T-Thank you, V,” you replied, before forcing as strong a smile as you possibly could to try and reassure her that you were okay, “you-.. you’ll always be my best friend, too, I promise. I guess we’ll-.. never talk about this again, right?”

Vera would hesitate, before nodding gravely, and lying back down beside you whilst still holding you close to her in the best way possible, no desire to let go of you despite what had previously happened between you both.

“Never,” she confirmed dejectedly, “b-because-.. we have no reason to talk about it, do we? I - I mean-.. if you wanna talk about it, then - then we can, but-..”

“N-No, it’s-.. it’s fine, V,” you responded, “we don’t have to - I’m happy, as long as you are happy - are you?”

“I’m always happy when I’m with you,” she reassured you, and you couldn’t help, but smile softly over at her, prompting her to smile warmly back at you whilst you snuggled up even closer to her, and would bury your face into the crook of her neck again, “do you feel okay to go back to sleep, or-? I could always stay awake until you manage to-”

“No,” you whined hastily; you didn’t want her to feel as if she had to do that for you, clearly, “don’t, V - you.. you are tired, too; you shouldn’t force yourself to stay awake for me.”

“I’m not forcing myself,” she contradicted brightly whilst her stunning icy blue eyes would glint, and she would connected her forehead to your’s again whilst she played with your hair using her left hand, “I want to stay awake for you, Y/n, and you won’t stop me, so don’t try - besides, it’s like I told you earlier: you need sleep more than I do.”

“But-”

“No buts,” she interjected playfully, “now try and get back to sleep for me, and that’s an order.”

You couldn’t help, but grin sheepishly over at her, before nodding, and comfortably resting your head upon her right shoulder.

“Yes, ma’am,” you remarked, and Vera would beam in response to your comment, suggesting to her that you were finally surrendering, “g-goodnight, again.”

She would giggle softly in reply, before nodding, and resting her head comfortably on top of your’s again whilst she protectively eased you even closer to her to the point that there were blissfully no gaps remaining between you both, flustering you, but you would try and hide it whilst blood rushed to your cheeks, and you would revel in the feeling of being so close to her alongside her; she also couldn’t help, but revel in being this close to you, and feeling her clothed soft skin and breasts against your’s whilst you both listened to one another breathing peacefully.

“Night, again,” she returned gently, and you would then hesitantly allow your eyelids to close though you knew you wouldn’t be getting anymore sleep tonight - not whilst you found yourself fearing what might happen to you both in the future as you knew that losing her would be the end of you, and it was of that fact that you were now certain, and knew you always would be whilst you listened to her breathing blissfully, and wished you could both stay like this forever.

~-~

The next day, you would be surprised to wake up and find her no longer by your side, and would feel especially crestfallen throughout the day whenever you caught sight of her, only to have her not dare look over at you even whilst she was alone, prompting you to curse yourself for losing control of yourself the night before as you knew she wouldn’t be supposedly avoiding you if you hadn’t ended up kissing her like you had. Little did you know, she hadn’t been as sociable with you like she usually was before the events of last night because of how she feared what might happen if she allowed her feelings to grow stronger for you, and knew that she should try and stabilise the situation by accepting one of the suitors who would soon call upon her today, believing that maybe if she decided to accept their hand in marriage, she and you wouldn’t get into trouble, and would be less likely to lose control of one another whilst being around each other, protecting you from the members of her family who would disagree with your and her feelings for one another, but she would soon realise she couldn’t be more wrong than she was, now - her feelings for you could never weaken, and they would always remain to be persistent, like your’s were, always had been, and always would be, for her.

Whilst you were again cleaning up and organising the bedrooms, Vera would be surprised to walk in and find you within her’s, prompting her to falter upon noticing you, whilst you, too, would instantly stop what you were currently doing, downing one of her dresses that you had picked out, and had briefly been hugging whilst you were sunk down on the edge of her bed - you’d been missing her, clearly, and holding one of her possessions seemed to soothe you to quite a minimal extent.

“V, I-.. I’m sorry, I didn’t realise it was bedtime already-”

“It’s not, I just-..” She managed, before smiling faintly over at you, and closing the door behind her so she could lean against it. “I’ve had a rough day, and I guess-.. all I want - honestly - right now-.. is a drink, and someone to cuddle with.”

You would appear surprised, before smiling warmly back at her, and getting up off of the bed whilst she would timidly look over at you again, finding herself then admiring you subconsciously; she’d never seen someone so beautiful, and perfect before, and wondered why you were even still here with her; still bothering with her, though you believed you were nothing compared to her, and could never be as perfect as she had always, and would always be. You also couldn’t help, but admire her, too, your eyes glinting whilst you did, and she would then appear flustered whilst you would both begin to faintly blush, until you would remember that she had pulled out of the kiss you had initiated last night, prompting your smile to falter whilst you would look away, and try and distract yourself with the broomstick you’d been lugging around all day alongside the dustpan you had also been assigned.

“I could get you a drink, if you want me to-?” You suggested, your voice briefly trembling whilst you did; you were already on the verge of breaking down, and to hear that you were trying not to cry would pain Vera, as well as worry her, and make her feel guilty for how she had reacted to you kissing her last night. “What would you like?” You inquired, and she would hesitate, before shyly inching closer to you, only further flustering you somehow whilst you anticipated the physical contact you would both soon make once she had got close enough to you.

“Something - cheeky, I think,” she answered, before wrapping her arms around your waist, and you would instantly melt into her embrace whilst appearing surprised by her response, and looking up at her whilst you raised your eyebrows, prompting her to giggle whilst she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, prompting you to return the hug as her demeanour had managed to relax you even more, somehow, though your heart was overwhelmingly pounding against your ribcage to the point you feared she might be able to hear it, but luckily it seemed like she couldn’t. However, sometimes you wished she could hear how fast she made your heart race, and occasionally wished you could hear her’s, though you doubted someone perfect like her could ever feel the same way for a supposed nobody like you. Unbeknownst to you, her heart was overwhelmingly pounding alongside your’s whilst she subconsciously glanced down at your lips, and recalled how soft they were against her own, making it even harder for her to resist, but she would barely manage to upon remembering that you could possibly get fired, or hurt if anyone found out about your and her feelings. “Just feel like it, today,” she stated, “but you don’t have to leave - I could go and get something for us-”

“No, V - it’s my job to keep you and your family happy,” you reminded her dejectedly, not wanting her to feel as if she had to do that for you, “I’ll go and find something, okay?”

“At least me let me go with you-”

“No way,” you interjected, “I want you to be comfortable, even if you were ignoring me, earlier.”

Vera would then falter, a pained expression on her face once she had realised that you had noticed the way in which she had briefly been avoiding you, earlier, to try and clear her mind unsuccessfully in an attempt to prepare herself to accept one of the suitors that she now had to try and weaken her feelings for you, only this attempt would appear to be useless as she still felt the same way for you, and knew she always would.

“Y-Y/n, I-.. I’m so sorry-”

“No, V,” you cooed gently whilst you lifted your right hand up to her left cheek, soothing her instantly whilst she subconsciously would melt into your touch, before allowing her eyes to lock with your’s whilst tears would cloud her vision, prompting your heart to ache alongside her’s for a moment; you hated seeing her upset, “I don’t blame you, I mean-.. I basically ruined everything between us yesterday by kissing you-”

“No, Y/n, you didn’t,” she contradicted hastily in a strained manner, not wanting you to blame yourself for what had happened, and for her behaviour which she was now cursing herself for, knowing she shouldn’t have ignored you like that, and shouldn’t have acted as if you weren’t even in the same room as her whenever you were cleaning one of the rooms she was in with her parents, sisters, or entire family, “l-look, we-.. we’re always going to be together; always going to be best friends like we are, now, I promise - nothing could ever change that between us, n-not even-.. not even a stupid kiss could separate us, because-..” She would then draw in a shaky breath, before smiling softly over at you, and holding both of your hands in her’s. “We’re for each other,” she mused, “I’ve known that ever since I first met you, but-.. we couldn’t-.. be more than that, in this lifetime, I’m sorry - my sister Violet told me the other day about this guy who got beat up for being caught kissing another man, a-and-.. my parents aren’t really-.. the type to-.. support the idea of us being anything more than friends, n-not just because you are also a woman, but because of-.. you know-..”

You would then realise, before nodding gravely, and hesitantly freeing your hands from her’s, prompting her to falter whilst the light of her stunning icy blue eyes would dim alongside your’s, leaving you both feeling empty at the loss of contact.

“Because I’m just a maid, and you’re the daughter of a wealthy man?” You murmured, and she would frown, before bowing her head; she wished things could be different, but feared - at the same time - that maybe it never would be; maybe you both would never be free to be together. “I’ll go and get a drink for you, now-”

You making for the door would panic Vera as she shook her head hastily, and would cry: ‘no’ in response to your decision, before she wrapped her arms around your waist to stop you from leaving like this; to stop you from leaving whilst believing you were something below her, and that she couldn’t be with you because of that despite the fact that you both felt the same way for one another, and were still wondering if you should confess, as well as give in to your feelings.

“Don’t go, please,” she begged, “I - I don’t need it, I swear, I-..” You would hesitate, before turning to face her, and tilting your head partially. “I just-.. need you, Y/n-.. I always have, and I always will, I swear, a-and I-.. I don’t care about what they think about you because-.. I-..” She strained out, and you would appear hopeful again whilst you timidly inched closer to her, closing the remaining gaps between you both, and flustering her instantly as she began to stammer, and would even begin to blush quite profusely.

“S-Say it, V,” you requested, your voice close to a whisper whilst you would affectionately connect your forehead to her’s, your lips now dangerously close to brushing against her own again, “please. Tell me you feel the same way, b-because I’m terrified; I need to know if there is something between us; that I’m not going crazy - is there?”

“I don’t know what it is,” she managed faintly, her voice briefly trembling whilst she did, and you would falter, a hurt look on your face whilst you would nod gravely, and step back again as if you were considering leaving the room like you had tried to, before, “but I’m willing to try and figure it out with you - j-just-.. stay, and kiss me again, and I swear I’ll prove it to you, this time - I don’t want to hurt you anymore, Y/n.”

You would then frown, before shaking your head gravely, and timidly stepping closer to her so you could wrap your arms around her, easing her into a hug, and she would instantly melt into your embrace, before returning it, and lifting her right hand up to the back of your head so she could entangle the fingers of her right hand within it blissfully provide comfort to both you as well as herself.

“You’ve never hurt me, V,” you claimed, though she knew you were just saying it to try and make her feel better for what happened between you and her the previous night; trying to make her feel less guilty for how she had reacted to you kissing her, “all you do is make me happy - h-happier than I’ve ever been, before, just by being here with me, and for some reason wasting your time on me though I can’t imagine why anyone - especially someone perfect, like you - would ever bother doing something like that for a nobody like me-”

“Stop saying that,” she whined whilst she held you at arm’s length, a hurt look on her face; she hated hearing you putting yourself down like you often found yourself doing subconsciously, “Y/n, you-.. you’re worth more than you think you are, and I honestly wish you could see yourself the way I see you, because you are honestly everything to me, and everything I’ve ever done is for you, o-or influenced by you, because I-.. well-.. because of this strange, but amazing new feeling I’m holding for you, and think I’ve actually been holding for a while, now, e-ever since we-.. were smaller, even, except i-it’s more intense, now.”

“I have the same problem,” you stated whilst you beamed over at her, and would affectionately connect your forehead to her’s as if you were waiting for her permission to kiss her, longing more than anything to in this moment whilst you tried not to allow your gaze to drift down to her lips, “b-but I love it, and I always will, I promise.” She couldn’t help, but smile warmly back at you, before teasing you by blissfully brushing her lips against your’s, prompting your heart to begin pounding again overwhelmingly. “C-Can I-?” You managed, your voice close to a whisper, and briefly trembling; you were evidently nervous, and worried about disappointing her, somehow; this was all new to you both, and so Vera would also grow to be nervous in terms of possibly managing to disappoint you as she’d not yet done anything like this before.

“Of course you can,” she answered, and you would then tense up, appearing nervous again, before you would lean forward, and delicately connect your lips to her’s. As soon as contact had been made, it felt as if the connection between you both had somehow grown to be stronger whilst you both eased one another even closer to close the remaining gaps between you both blissfully whilst the kiss gradually began to deepen whilst still remaining to be quite gentle. Once it had sadly ended following you both finding yourselves needing to breathe, you would both giggle breathlessly alongside each other, whilst you connected your forehead to her’s in the best way possible, and would ensure that your lips were inches from her’s. “T-That was-”

“Amazing,” you both managed to conclude together, before locking eyes again whilst your hearts raced together, and blood would rush to each of your cheeks; neither of you had ever felt this way before - so content, light, and as if you were stronger than you had ever been, before.

Vera then couldn’t help, but smile lovingly over at you whilst she lifted her right hand up to your left cheek, prompting you to instantly melt into her touch subconsciously, your eyes never leaving her’s whilst you admired them, and found yourself getting lost within them in the best way possible.

“You are amazing,” she cooed, flustering you instantly whilst you would begin to blush profusely again, stammering whilst you made to protest, and remind her of how she was more amazing than you could ever be, but before you could voice your thoughts, she would smirk, and then passionately kiss you again, making sure to be gentle as she had no intention of hurting you accidentally, or making you feel uncomfortable. As soon as she had kissed you again, you would melt into it as if you were now used to it, even as it grew swiftly to be deeper like it had been before you’d both had to stop once you were in desperate need of more oxygen. What you hadn’t been expecting, though, was her to then lift you off of the ground, prompting you to squeak, before you would giggle, and cling to her shoulders whilst she carried you over to her bed - you being somewhat shorter than her was a greatly appreciated factor here as this allowed her to carry you more easily than she would if you were slightly taller - and would then lower you carefully down onto it once she’d got close enough to it, allowing her to then trap you beneath her by straddling your lap whilst she proceeded to victoriously beam down at you as if she’d won in a fight against you that you hadn’t been aware of, before. “Looks like you’re my prisoner again,” she remarked, and you would grin sheepishly up at her, before sitting up partially whilst you would wrap your arms around her waist to stabilise you.

“I’m glad,” you expressed truthfully, “because all I want is to be your’s, V.”

Vera would appear surprised, her stunning icy blue eyes glinting whilst a smile would tug at her lips again as if she, too, had always wanted this to happen.

“Good, b-because - I want to be your’s, too,” she admitted, before delicately connecting her lips to your’s again for a moment, prolonging it as much as she possibly could as she feared asking you what she next longed to request. “T-This might be improper of me, a-and you don’t have to say yes, but-..” She would then appear flustered, before leaning closer to whisper her request into your right ear, and you would then appear flustered alongside her, not expecting her to want to do that with you. “We don’t have to, if you don’t want to-”

“Are you sure, V? It’s just-.. I’ve never done this before, and-.. I’d never be able to forgive myself if I ended up hurting you, somehow,” you mused timidly, and she would frown, before trying to provide comfort to you by stroking your hair using her right hand whilst the thumb of her left hand would draw circles on your back as she’d slipped her hand into your dress; you were still wearing your uniform.

“You won’t hurt me, I promise, and don’t worry - I’ve never done this before, either, but-.. we’ll figure it out together, I promise, s-so - would you be up for it? My family won’t know, I promise - they’re outside, and you’re the only maid who has been assigned this room, so - nobody should walk in on us,” she continued, appearing hopeful whilst you would pretend to consider it, though you had already made your mind up, prompting her to pout, and you to giggle softly, before you nodded hastily, and she would express relief, before elatedly kissing you again whilst she eased you back down onto your back, and would soon deepen the kiss in time for you to melt into it again.

🜸

Once you both had begrudgingly decided to stop fooling around upon growing to be exhausted, you would cradle one another close, and rest your heads on each other with Vera’a being blissfully rested upon the left side of your head partially, and your’s being rested upon her left arm, but not too heavily in an attempt to avoid her circulation being cut off.

“You’re so cute when you’re half asleep like this,” she mused, and you would appear flustered by her comment; she had evidently seen that your eyelids were heavier than before for a moment, as if you had been about to drift off to sleep within her embrace - you just felt so relaxed, and more content than you had ever been before, wishing you could both stay like this forever whilst your hearts would beat blissfully alongside one another as if they had been made to beat together like they were, now, in relatively perfect synchronisation.

“Don’t worry, I don’t intend on sleeping, yet,” you mustered, before yawning, and silently cursing yourself for doing so afterwards, but she found it adorable, giggling softly whilst she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, and would lift her right hand up to your left cheek, soothing you instantly as you leaned into her touch subconsciously, and would find yourself so easily and blissfully getting lost within her stunning icy blue eyes. “S-Sorry,” you added, and she would shake her head whilst smiling softly over at you, prompting your heart to skip a beat.

“Don’t apologise for being tired, Y/n - w-what we just did uses up a lot of energy; it’s probably normal,” she reassured, and you couldn’t help, but express relief whilst you beamed back at her, and would entangle the fingers of your right hand within her hair in the best way possible; her hair had to be the softest you’d ever felt, and you loved it. This thought would then remind you of your usual doubts - why was she still here with you, doing stuff like this with you? How could someone perfect like her have feelings for a supposed nobody like her you?

Despite these thoughts, you would try and hide that your heart had begun to ache again, managing to maintain the smile you had previously begun to sport for her a brief moment ago.

“You’re right,” you corroborated, “I just don’t want you to think that I’m tired because I’m bored, or anything, or didn’t enjoy m-making-.. making love to you because I did, a-and - you know-..”

“Of course I don’t think that, Y/n,” she cooed, and you would express relief again, glad that she knew, before smiling lovingly over at her, and wishing you could figure out exactly what your feelings for her were, considering you’d never - supposedly - been in love with anyone, before, and wasn’t sure how it was meant to feel; this was all so new to you, and to Vera. “I could never think something like that about you, I promise,” she expressed, “I-..” She would then appear taken aback after having to catch herself before a certain three words could slip from her lips, prompting you to appear hopeful for a moment, until she had managed to recompose herself. “I think you’re the kindest, and most whole hearted person I’ve ever met,” she admitted, and you would again appear flustered for a moment whilst blood rushed up to your cheeks.

“I think you’re double that,” you returned, your voice briefly trembling whilst you did; you weren’t used to someone being good to you like she always had been, ever since you had both first met, “you’re perfect, V - everything about you is perfect, and I’m-..”

Vera would then frown upon noticing the pained expression on your face, suggesting to her that you had been about to put yourself down, before falling quiet upon remembering that it also upset her to hear you being so cruel to yourself; you didn’t want to upset her again, only wanting to make her happy to the best of your ability for making you happier than you had ever been before, feeling as if you had to repay her, and wished you could give her everything you couldn’t afford - in particular, the whole of the universe - she deserved to be a queen, and always would be in your eyes.

“Amazing,” she concluded for you, and you would falter, before glancing up at her, and locking eyes with her in the best way possible, “you’re amazing, Y/n; literally everything to me, b-because-.. whenever I think about my future, it’s you who is in it every single time, and I hope it’s true, more than anything.”

“I hope so, too, because I’ve also only ever imagined us being together in the future,” you confessed, and she would beam over at you, evidently elated whilst her eyes would begin to glint, before she leaned forward to delicately connect her lips to your’s again, and it would soon gradually begin to deepen again whilst you both melted into it, and she would only break the kiss to smirk down at you as she had managed to straddle you again in the process.

“What would you say to a second round?” She inquired playfully, and you couldn’t help, but grin sheepishly up at her whilst blushing profusely again, and wrapping your arms around her waist as you loved to be holding her, like she loved to hold you, too, feeling as if it was what she was meant to do whilst her heart soared alongside your’s again blissfully.

“Game on,” you answered, and she couldn’t help, but giggle, before leaning down to kiss you passionately again. Neither of you had got to sleep that night in the end, but you had no regrets, and knew you never would.

~-~

After that day, you both often found yourselves fooling around a little more, and Vera found that - whenever you both did - she would feel guilty again whilst you both cradled one another’s naked bodies in bed after the session, reminding herself that she still had not yet told you about the suitor she was meant to be marrying in a few months time, and neither had you seemed to have heard about it from anyone else; the other maids must not have heard about it, either, somehow, but Auntie Isabella knew, and was shocked, herself, especially after seeing how close you had both been, and had become since you were both smaller.

She also couldn’t help, but acknowledge the fact that her feelings for you only seemed to be growing stronger ever since the moment you had both first kissed, and made love a few days ago, now, and she was worried about what might happen to you both after it finally got revealed to you about what was intended for her future, but she feared that if she told you, you would never forgive her, or ever want to see her again, and this thought would instantly prompt her heart to sink; she couldn’t imagine her life without you in it, and wished you could both be free together, somehow; free from the judging eyes of her own family, and other wealthy families she had met, before, feeling as if it should be you who she decided to marry, and not some wealthy snob of a man that had basically spent the whole evening talking to her about all of his businesses, trying to persuade her that he could provide her financially, as well as physically to continue his family’s bloodline, but it was too late for her to change her mind, now; she’d already accepted him, and knew it would be hard to get out of, now, but she would try; she had to, for your sake, as well as her own.

A few days closer, but still quite far away from her dreaded big day, she and her sisters would be outside in the garden when you had been sent out to provide them with their drinks, and because you knew Vera would be out there with them, you would carefully scribble on a note for her though you’d never really been good at writing; Auntie Isabella had been teaching you how to write and read for a little while, before she fell ill. Once you had finished, and were sure Vera would be able to read it, you would carefully carry the tray of drinks out into the garden, and once you had seemed to instantly make eye contact with her once you had lifted your head, you would almost drop the tray as your heart overwhelmingly had begun to race again after it had skipped a beat, and she couldn’t help, but giggle, before she got up to help you whilst she revelled in the effect she had always seemed to have on you ever since you had both first met a few years ago, now.

“Let me help you with that,” she offered, and you would appear surprised, not expecting her to want to, especially whilst her sisters were watching.

“N-No, V,” you blurted out, and would then wince, before hastily blurting out a correction whilst she smirked over at you, and appeared to be trying not to giggle, flustering you whilst blood would begin to rush to your cheeks. “I mean - miss - I’m fine, now, I just felt dizzy for a moment,” you claimed, before managing a faint smile back at her as you felt humiliated, and wished you weren’t so weak in front of her all the time, “here.”

You would then carefully set down the tray whilst she would hesitantly make to sit back down though she felt bad, and wished she’d taken the tray for you, instead, wanting to help you as much as she possibly could though it was against the rules for her to do so as repeatedly stated by her father ever since you both had been smaller, and already best friends.

“Thank you, Y/n,” she replied, before beaming up at you again, and you would falter, almost tripping up again, before you would reflect her smile back at her, and stammer out a light ‘you’re welcome’, dropping the note you had written for her on the ground subtly, before you disappeared back inside.

Vera would be surprised, as well as elated, to see the piece of paper, pretending to drop one of her hair clips on the ground so she could retrieve it, and the note without being suspected by her sisters.

“You’re too nice to her,” Vera’s youngest sister - Elizabeth - commented, prompting Vera to roll her eyes, and look away as if she were interested in something else, “don’t you remember what father said? You guys aren’t even supposed to talk, even if it’s just one or two words like ‘thank you’ or ‘excuse me’.”

“I imagine she’s said even more than two words to her,” Violet stated, and Vera would wince, evidently embarrassed as well as flustered whilst blood began to rush to her cheeks, “perhaps even in her own bedroom-”

“I think father’s rules are unnecessary and unfair,” she interjected hastily whilst Elizabeth would appear puzzled by Violet’s accurate assumptions, “I mean - me and Y/n are still best friends, like we used to be - is that a crime?”

“Of course not,” Violet reassured her before Elizabeth could disagree, “I think it’s good that you have another friend besides us; you’re going to need all of us to get through your big day.” Vera would then tense up, and frown upon the mention of her fast approaching wedding day in a few months time, now; she was terrified, and felt awful for not yet telling you about it, but she only hadn’t because she didn’t want to hurt you, and feared that maybe you’d try and do something to yourself if she went through with it, something she was still trying to figure out how not to do, desperate to get out of it for you following her realisation that she wanted you, and only you, even if she wasn’t allowed to marry you - it could only ever be you for her, like you believed it could only be her for you; your hearts had only been calling each other’s names ever since you’d both first met, and become best friends, and it was evident, now, that you must be soulmates - that reminded you: you’d never asked her before if she believed in them, and hoped that maybe she did, though you sometimes still doubted that she could ever feel the same way; doubted that she could ever love you the way that you loved, and knew you would always love her, when she did, and always had, unbeknownst to you. “V - Y/n knows about it, doesn’t she?” Violet inquired, finding herself worried upon noticing the guilty and hurt look on Vera’s face.

“Of course she does,” she managed in a strained manner whilst silently cursing herself for getting you both into this mess, “and she’s happy for me - why wouldn’t she be?”

Violet would appear surprised, before nodding slowly, and replying ‘good’ gently, though she had a bad feeling that you didn’t know, and that you both had been getting more involved with one another recently in a way which might be construed to be unnatural to their parents, and other wealthy families within the area.

“No reason,” she responded, “I mean - she seems happy about it, quite rightly.”

Vera would then force herself to nod, before putting on a shiny smile for Violet and Elizabeth to try and hide that she was in pain thinking about how it would hurt you to find out that she had accepted one of the suitors’ hands in marriage to try and weaken her feelings for you, only to fail miserably, and have them grow to be even stronger; overwhelmingly stronger, making her feel as if she were addicted to you, and longed to be stuck to your side for the rest of her life, and even beyond it.

“I should go inside and get my coat; it’s getting cold,” she mused, before getting up off of her chair, and smiling back at them again as if there was nothing wrong; as if she might not be about to break down soon alongside you following the moment she was certain that you would find out about what was too soon approaching, “I’ll be back in a bit.”

She would then hastily walk back inside, and once she was out of sight she would take out the note you had written her, subconsciously smiling softly whilst she unfolded it, and couldn’t help, but giggle quietly upon noticing your messy, but adorable handwriting which she could make out to be requesting for her to meet you later in the cornfield outside; her family’s wealth was often reliant on the crops they had their gardeners grow for them to sell, and only occasionally eat whenever there was a celebration to be held.

“So the General is sending you love notes, now?” Vera would appear startled upon hearing Auntie Isabella’s voice, not expecting her to be out of her bed, before she hastily slid the piece of paper into the right hand side pocket of her coat on the hanger behind her. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell, but - could I have a look? I’ve been so bored stuck in my room all day,” she admitted gravely, and Vera couldn’t help, but feel guilty, and she felt as if she could trust her as she’d allowed for you and her to grow closer whilst her parents had been trying to keep you both away from one another once you both had turned 16.

“O-Of course, but-.. I should tell you something, first, before I let you see it,” she replied timidly, and Auntie Isabella would raise her eyebrow, before smiling encouragingly over at Vera warmly as if she already knew what it was Vera might be about to admit to her, “it���s not-.. not from the General, o-or my fiancé - I guess I should be calling him that, now. It’s from-.. s-someone else; another woman, a-and I tried to stop myself from - from feeling anything, but-”

“Why would you do that?” Isabella questioned, evidently disappointed, and Vera would falter, surprised by her reaction, before beginning to stammer quietly for a moment, and taking out the note again once she had recomposed herself.

“B-Because-.. I don’t know - I guess I was just.. afraid-.. if anyone else found out about us, they might try and hurt us, a-and-.. try and keep us apart, but I can’t let that happen because I-.. I love her, Auntie,” she confessed exasperatedly, before appearing flustered by herself whilst her eyes darkened slightly; she couldn’t believe she hadn’t realised, before, that it was, and had always been love possessing her in the best way possible, “I love her, and I can’t lose her, so-.. I accepted the General in hopes that maybe my feelings for her wouldn’t grow to be any stronger, but-.. they are, and I can’t stop them anymore.”

“Well of course you can’t - good heavens, Vera,” Auntie Isabella replied, and Vera would begin to feel even worse, her heart sinking whilst small tears began to cloud her vision; she wished she could take back the time, and reject him so she could instead remain loyal completely to you, “love is a force stronger than any other; you mustn’t reject it, because it’s so powerful there would be no point in trying to resist it anyway, and it doesn’t often happen. I’ve never loved anyone else, even after my husband passed a few years ago, and I never intend to, so don’t try and fight it, and pay no attention to those who might see it as wrong; love doesn’t discriminate - so, who is the lucky lady? Actually, you don’t have to tell me - may I see the note she has given you, now?”

“Of course,” Vera answered, before warily giving the note to her, “i-it might be a little hard to read, but-”

“Not at all,” Auntie Isabella reassured, before smiling knowingly up at Vera - of course she had recognised your handwriting; she had been the one to teach you how to read and write in the first place, “you should go and meet up with her - don’t worry, I will make sure nobody questions your absence, or worries after you - just go and have fun.”

Vera would then appear elated again, before nodding hastily whilst she beamed over at Isabella, and then threw her arms around her before the note was slipped back into her right hand.

“Thank you so much! I’ll tell her that you’re a lifesaver,” she concluded, before hurriedly retrieving her coat from the hanger it had briefly been residing upon before the occurrence of this moment.

“Oh don’t worry - she already knows,” Auntie Isabella commented whilst grinning over at Vera, who would then realise that she must know that it was you who she had fallen in love with, prompting her to grow flustered again, “hurry, now, or she’ll worry that maybe you aren’t going to turn up.”

“Thanks, again, and we’ll check on you later to thank you even more and to keep you company,” she replied, before rushing out of the room whilst waving back at Isabella, and then disappearing outside so she could run toward the cornfield, and anticipate what you both might do together whilst her heart raced alongside her.

Isabella would then sigh, before thoughtfully shaking her head whilst she found herself thinking about her late husband, and missing him again.

“Young love - I miss it,” she mused, before slowly walking up the stairs, and nobody could have imagined that she would miss a step the way she did on her way up, resulting in her then tripping over, and falling face-first upon the landing.

🜚

After you both had ended up fooling around again hidden by the corn around you, you would snuggle up together after begrudgingly dressing up again as it was quite cold outside, but you had both done so lazily, only putting on your coats, and leaving your undergarments laying beside you.

“I wish we could stay like this forever,” you mused whilst your eyes were locked with her stunning icy blue ones, and fingers of your left hand were blissfully entangled within her hair whilst you were secretly tucking one of her favourite flowers - a bright daisy - into it.

“Really? You’d rather be half-naked in a cornfield, than in our bed?” She teased, and you would appear flustered, prompting her to giggle softly whilst she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, and would find herself getting lost within your eyes, too, so easily, whilst her heart would soar alongside your’s in the best way possible.

“Our bed-?” You mused, and she would wince, blood instantly beginning to rush to her cheeks, prompting you to smile lovingly over at her whilst you admired her, wondering how someone perfect, and adorable like her could ever waste her time on a supposed nobody like you.

“S-Sorry, was it - was it too soon-? I just thought t-that since - since we’ve been sleeping in it together and - y’know-.. m-making love in it recently-”

“It’s not too soon,” you reassured her, and she would express relief whilst she beamed over at you, and her stunning icy blue eyes would glint, prompting your heart to skip a beat, before it began to race alongside her’s again in the best way possible, “don’t worry about it, I-.. I like the idea of it being our bed, as well as your’s in general, of course, i-if you ever decided to change your mind about us-”

“Hey,” she cooed gently, “I could never change my mind - it’s only you who I want in my bed, and by my side, and that will never change, I promise - you’re-.. you’re everything to me, and you always will be.”

“Y-You’re everything to me, too,” you returned, before leaning forward to delicately connect your lips to her’s, and she would instantly melt into the kiss whilst holding you even closer to her to close the gaps between you both.

You would only both break the gradually deepened kiss once you found yourselves needing to breathe, giggling breathlessly together whilst you admired one another subconsciously, and would revel in the feeling of being so close to each other in the best way possible.

“Y-You, er,” you began shyly, and she would raise her eyebrows whilst she played with your hair using her right hand, “have something in your hair - um-.. do you want me to get it out?”

“Sure,” she answered, intrigued, and you would then reveal the daisy to her, prompting her to gasp, evidently surprised; she didn’t think you would go to the trouble of sneaking out of the house to pick a daisy for her, and began to feel a little guilty for not finding anything for you, though you hadn’t been expecting anything from her, feeling as if you wouldn’t deserve it, like you believed you also didn’t deserve someone perfect, like her, considering the fact that you saw yourself as a supposed nobody, compared to her, being of low status, little wealth, and worth after you’d lost your parents, and then began to feel as if you weren’t wanted though there was nothing you could have done to save them, and that there had been no way for them to survive though they hadn’t intended to leave you so soon. “You-.. You brought me a daisy?” She mused, and you would nod whilst you smiled warmly over at her, and would carefully lay it in the palm of her right hand.

“I remembered you telling me you liked them,” you explained, “s-so I-.. decided to bring you one because-.. I want to try and repay you, V, for - for making me happier than I’ve ever been before, and I know I’ll probably never be able to fully repay you, but - that won’t stop me from trying.”

“You don’t need to bring me anything to repay me, Y/n,” she cooed, and you would try and bite down on your tongue; you felt as if you should, and that you’d never be able to repay her just by being with her like you were, now, feeling as if you trying to shower her with your love wasn’t enough due to your little mental and physical worth, compared to her’s, “you repay me just by being here, with me - it should be me bringing you gifts-”

“No, V,” you whined, not wanting her to think that she had to do stuff like that for a supposed nobody like you, “you don’t have to do that for me; I don’t deserve it.”

Vera would falter, appearing taken aback by your contradiction, evidently not expecting it, and feeling disheartened by it as she hated to hear you putting yourself down like that; like you were of little worth, compared to her, something she could never believe, or think about you - she wished you could see yourself the way that she saw you, and knew she always would; she had always, and would always view you to be perfect, and everything to her; the most beautiful, warm, and funniest person she had ever met, and this thought would prompt her to wonder how she had got so lucky to have met you, and fallen in love with you the way she had, and knew she always would, whilst you, too, would always feel the same way, and view her in the same way, no matter what might end up befalling you both, somehow; she would always be your soulmate, and you hoped against hope that she felt the same way for you, though you doubted she ever could.

“What are you talking about? Y/n, you - you more than deserve it,” she expressed, “and I promise you I’ll never stop trying to prove it to you, n-no matter what.”

You would frown, before shaking your head gravely; you couldn’t imagine why she would even bother, and this thought would prompt your heart to sink whilst you sat up, surprising, as well as prompting her to appear crestfallen whilst she sat up beside you, feeling empty upon losing physical contact with you.

“I’m never going to deserve you in any universe, am I? I’m never going to deserve anyone; nobody could ever love me - my parents didn’t even want me; they chose death, over me,” you mused dejectedly, prompting Vera’s heart to sink whilst she shook her head hastily, before wrapping her arms around your waist to ease you closer to her, allowing her to cradle you, and to rest her head upon your own comfortably to try and provide comfort to you, and - unbeknownst to her - she had managed to somehow soothe you more than you thought possible, prompting you to smile softly whilst you subconsciously leaned against her, and would rest your head upon her neck and chest blissfully whilst a small tear would manage to slowly run down your right cheek only to be brushed away delicately with the thumb of her right hand.

“They didn’t choose to die, Y/n; they were ill - Auntie Isabella told me,” she revealed, and you would tense up upon her mention of their condition, “they would have chosen you, if they could, because how could they not? You’re amazing, Y/n - t-the most perfect, f-funny, talented, and beautiful woman I’ve ever met - you know, i-if I could, I - I would kiss away all of your scars, but-.. because I can’t, I-.. I’m always going to be here for you - that’s another thing; you know I’m always here for you, right?”

“Of course I do,” you answered, “s-sometimes I just-.. don’t want to upset you by-.. burdening you anymore than I already have w-with my family-..”

“But I want you to talk to me about it,” she replied, “you’ve never been a burden on me, Y/n, ever, and you never will be, so don’t ever worry about me thinking of you as a burden, because I never will, I promise.”

“I can’t believe how lucky I was to have met you, V,” you managed, a voice briefly trembling, “you-.. you’ve made me so much happier than I was, before, and I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I don’t know what I’d do without you, either,” she admitted whilst she smiled warmly down at you, before she delicately pressed a kiss to the top of your head, prompting your smile to grow instantly. She would then hold your hands in her’s affectionately, surprised to feel how cold they currently were; the wind had begun to pick up around you both, but you hadn’t yet noticed it, focusing only on each other, and the warmth you were providing to one another by sharing such words of affection and love. “You’re so cold,” she blurted out, and you couldn’t help, but giggle, before turning to face her so you could wrap your arms around her, and rest your head upon her left shoulder.

“And you’re warm,” you observed, “like a teddy.” You would then falter, a pained expression on your face upon remembering the teddy bear your mother had given you before she and your father had fallen ill - you had lost it, and despised yourself for that, recalling how you had accidentally dropped it whilst searching for someone who could help your already deceased parents following your discovery of their corpses one morning. “I - I used to have one - my mother gave it to me, before she-..” You would then fall quiet, your heart aching excruciatingly whilst you subconsciously clung tighter to Vera’s coat whilst she would express concern for you, wishing she could do more for you to try and make you happy again; wished she could rid you of the pain you evidently were in, and had been in ever since you’d lost your parents since you were quite young.

“Please talk to me about it, Y/n - it’ll make you feel better, I promise; you can’t keep it all inside, and let it hurt you anymore than it already has,” she replied, and you would hesitate, before managing a weak smile up at her, and then nodding whilst you lifted your left hand up to her right cheek, prompting her to lean into your touch subconsciously whilst she smiled warmly back down at you, soothing you instantly, and making you feel stronger, somehow.

“You’re too good to me-”

A scream would then sound out from within the house, startling you both - Auntie Isabella had finally been found unconscious upon the landing, and her heart was failing her to the point that by the time you had both reached the house, she was gone.

🜸🜚🜸

Following Auntie Isabella’s death, Vera had been talking to you less and less, and it was excruciating - the last full interaction you both had had was your last most painful memory of that dark day, and even now - whilst you were sunk down against the wall of the library like you had been the day you had first met her, tears streaming down your cheeks, it seemed to haunt you as if the moment had occurred only a few minutes ago, and you wished it would stop, knowing that - soon - you wouldn’t be able to take the pain anymore, not without her by your side, and the replay of this painful memory within your mind would only push you closer and closer toward the edge.

•

“Get away from me-!” Vera cried after you both had been sent back inside whilst Auntie Isabella’s body was carried out of the house, and you would falter, a hurt look on your face; you’d tried to provide comfort to her by hugging her, only to be shoved away, and your heart was now aching unbearably; it was excruciating, and made you feel guilty for what had happened previously to Auntie Isabella even before Vera had begun to blame you for it.

“But - V-..” You stammered out feebly, your voice briefly trembling whilst she glared over at you hatefully, making you feel as if your insides were all shattering, leaving you feeling empty, and numb as if you had nothing left within you anymore.

“This is all your fault,” she spat, prompting your heart to sink even further, somehow, whilst more tears would begin to blur your vision despite them already being sore following your previous crying session after you both had returned to the house to find that Auntie Isabella had passed away as a result of her heart failing her. “She would still be here, if you didn’t call me away,” she clarified, and you would realise, before faltering, and bowing your head after being hit by yet another pang of sadness; you’d never meant to hurt her like this, and despised yourself for it, “I would have been able to save her, somehow; would have been able to get help for her before her heart could-..”

A strained sob would then escape Vera’s lips, making you feel even worse; you couldn’t believe this was happening, and were terrified as you began to feel lost like you had following the death of your parents.

“I’m so sorry, I - I shouldn’t have written you that note, I-.. I just-.. please don’t do this, V; I need you - I can’t live without you, I-”

“Good!” She retorted, without thinking. “I hope you disappear, and never come back, because I never want to see you again-!” That was it - the final knife to your heart that would shatter it completely, shocking the remaining tears out of your eyes. Vera’s demeanour would then falter after she had realised what it was she had just said to you, prompting her to curse herself upon noticing the pained as well as crestfallen expression on your face - of course she knew it couldn’t have been your fault, as the previous occurrence couldn’t have been determined before it had taken place, but she had been upset, and found she couldn’t control her emotions for a brief moment, until she had noticed what her sharp words were doing to you. “Y-Y/n, I-.. I never meant-”

“No, V, it’s-.. it’s okay,” you strained out, your voice barely audible, and briefly trembling, prompting her to feel worse as she shook her head gravely, wanting you to be angry at her, and to shout at her as she felt as if she deserved it for all that she had just said to you a brief moment ago, now, “you’re right-.. it’s my fault, and I’m so sorry, I-.. I’ll give you space, and if you ever decide to change your mind then-.. you know where I’ll be, but-.. I won’t blame you, if - if you decide you-.. really don’t ever want to see, or speak to me again - g-goodbye for now, Miss Alfrey, and I hope you feel better soon.”

You would then make to leave the room, and Vera would find herself panicking, making to rush after you to try and stop you as she was desperate to try and fix things between you both, managing to call the two words ‘Y/n, wait’, but you would manage to slip from the room before she could pursue you any further as her mother had re-entered, and she knew she would get you both into trouble if she followed you in front of her, begrudgingly stopping at the door you had fled through so her mother could embrace her, and try to provide comfort to her to the best of her ability, assuming that her cause for upset was only the death of Auntie Isabella, and not what had just excruciatingly occurred between you and her, but nothing - excluding you - could console her, now, not until you both were blissfully together again, somehow, like you both soon hoped - and painfully doubted - you would be someday.

•

Before you could further recall the moment, and how you had - following it - begun to frequently abuse yourself for hurting Vera the way you believed you had, you would be startled by someone opening the Library door, hastily getting up off of the ground. Your fast movement would prompt you to wince, and whimper barely audibly as applying pressure on your arms and legs was painful after you’d left a few cuts along them - thank god your uniform’s undergarments were mostly black, and would make any blood stains hard to see; you didn’t want the others to know about what you had been recently doing to yourself - especially not Vera. The thought of hurting Vera again somehow would prompt your demeanour to sink, and heart to sink as well as ache excruciatingly alongside it.

“I - I’m still working, I swear, I just,” you strained out shakily, and would try not to appear disappointed when you noticed it was Violet, though of course you were relieved it wasn’t her parents, and would curse yourself for assuming Vera would come and check up on you like Violet was, “I’m so sorry, Miss-”

“No, Y/n, it’s okay,” Violet reassured you gently, before closing the door, smiling softly over at you, and walking up to you so she could sit down, and gesticulate to the space beside her to prompt you to sit down, too, next to her, “I just thought I should check up on you - you and Vera barely speak anymore, and I’d like to know why; I don’t like the idea that maybe you both have fallen out completely.”

“N-No, we - we’re on okay terms, it’s just-.. I feel like she doesn’t want to be close to me anymore,” you admitted dejectedly, and she would realise, a sympathetic look upon her face whilst you continued feebly, “I suppose all I can do now is hope against hope that she doesn’t accept one of those suitors, but-.. if she doesn’t want me, I guess-.. why wouldn’t she?”

You would then draw in a shaky breath, before bowing your head whilst tears streamed down your cheeks, and Violet would frown, realising Vera mustn’t have told you about the General she was soon due to be marrying in a couple of months time, now. Violet then knew she had to tell you; she couldn’t let you suffer anymore than you already were by not knowing - it was just hard because she knew how you would most likely react to the information, and it made her feel guilty, but she would try and force the feeling out, reminding herself that it would be good for you to know, and to not be kept in the dark anymore about the situation.

“I’m so sorry, Y/n - Vera has already chosen a suitor, and has accepted his hand in marriage,” she revealed, and you would falter, before glancing up at her, and appearing as if you’d lost everything again all of a sudden, prompting a pang of sadness to hit her, “the wedding is a couple of months away.”

“So soon, already? What? Is she desperate to lose the memories we made together, or something?” You questioned, your voice briefly trembling whilst you did, and occasionally cracking almost as consistently as your already beaten down heart.

“No, not at all, she just-.. she accepted him a few months ago, now,” Violet clarified, and you would realise, a hurt look on your face whilst you subconsciously stared down at your hands, piecing everything together to the best of your ability, “she told me that - by doing so - she was trying to weaken her feelings for you, but-.. they only grew stronger, and she’s trying to find a way out of marrying him, I promise - she loves you, Y/n-”

“She shouldn’t,” you interjected, your voice close to a whisper, and smaller than she had ever heard it before, “I’m not good enough for her-”

“What are you talking about? You’re more than good enough for her-”

“Just - go, Violet,” you interrupted, and she would frown after appearing taken aback by a brief moment, but she found she couldn’t blame your change in demeanour after all she had just revealed to you, “please, I just-..”

“Don’t apologise, Y/n - I understand,” she reassured you, and you would express relief, a shaky breath escaping your lips whilst you did, “I’ll go, okay?” Violet would then hesitantly get back up off of the ground, though she worried about you, and had a bad feeling that suggested to her that something might happen to you, if she decided to leave now, but at the same time she didn’t want to stay, and further upset you, somehow, telling herself that it was just a feeling, and didn’t exactly mean anything. “Take it easy, and feel better soon, okay?” She cooed gently, and you would nod gravely, avoiding eye contact with her to the best of your ability as you felt as if you couldn’t even fake a smile, anymore; you felt so weak, numb, and empty - it was excruciating, and you just wished it would stop, but you knew that only Vera could relieve you of this pain, and that soon you would lose her to the suitor she was meant to be marrying in a couple of months time, now, however at the same time you doubted she’d want to relieve you of the pain after what had happened to Auntie Isabella not too long ago, now. The reminder of her death would only pain you even more, prompting your heart to sink even further, somehow, whilst more tears would be shocked out of your already sore, and quite red as well as dark eyes; you had been crying a lot recently, and had often found yourself struggling to sleep, but of course you would tell yourself that this was what you deserved for hurting Vera the way you evidently had the dark day you had lost both her, and Auntie Isabella. “See you later,” she concluded, and you would strain out the phrase in return, only forcing yourself to lift your head once the door to the Library had closed again, signalling that she had left the room, and that you were now alone again.

You would then force yourself to your feet, before dragging yourself over to the door to listen to her footsteps disappearing around the corner, and once it had fallen quiet outside you would open the door, and slip out of the room, hoping to retrieve the knife you had been using to inflict pain upon yourself from your room. You never thought that - along the way - you would run into Vera, and would falter upon noticing her talking quietly with Violet; she must have asked for Violet to check on you, worried about how you would react if it was her, instead, after all that had recently happened between you both. When you felt able to move again, you would hesitantly inch closer, trying to hide yourself by crouching down behind the right arm of the armchair within the hallway leading to the maid’s quarters - had she been hoping to stay there, and run into you, only to instead run into Violet by accident? You would subconsciously shake your head in response to these questions which were currently circling your mind - why would she waste her time on you like that? The thought would prompt you to falter, and the pain to begin to grow overwhelmingly again, but you would try and hide it to the best of your ability, not wanting them to know about your presence, listening to them like you were, now.

“Why would you tell her-?” Vera questioned, and Violet would subconsciously grimace over at her sister; she couldn’t believe Vera would hide something like that from you for as long as she had, especially whilst you were in the state that you currently were in, now.

“Why wouldn’t you tell her?” She returned, and Vera would falter, a pained expression on her face whilst she found herself beginning to feel guilty again for hiding upcoming marriage from you, especially whilst she had got to be more romantically involved with you recently, before the occurrence of Auntie Isabella’s death.

“I was going to, I swear, I just-.. I didn’t want to hurt her, Violet,” she answered, and Violet would nod gravely; she could understand that, “especially not after I realised that my feelings for her are too strong to be rid of, n-no matter how hard I tried, before, to weaken them-”

You then couldn’t stop yourself as you revealed yourself to them, startling them both, and Vera would falter upon noticing you, a pained expression on her face.

“Y/n-?” She began warily whilst you found yourself trying not to break down again, prompting her heart to sink upon her noticing that you were trying not to cry, and evidently had already been crying for a little while, now, due to how red, and dark your eyes currently were, making her feel even worse for what had happened recently between you both, and even making her wish she had made more of an effort to talk to you recently to reassure you that things were - almost - the same as they were between you both, before, except you obviously hadn’t been spending your nights with one another; hadn’t made love at all recently like you used to, and hadn’t spoken like you used to with one another no matter how much you longed to, and had been missing deeply doing everything together like you used to. “What are you-”

“Don’t marry him,” you strained out feebly, and Vera would fall quiet whilst her own vision would begin to cloud over slightly with tears; she hated seeing you like this, and couldn’t help, but despise herself for hurting you the way she evidently had the day Auntie Isabella had sadly passed away, “please, V, I-..”

“I’ll give you both some privacy,” Violet decided, before smiling apologetically over at you, and then turning the corner so you could both be alone together to try and figure things out amongst yourselves, hoping you would both get back together again as she hated seeing you apart, and excruciatingly distant the way you both had been recently as if you hadn’t previously been best friends, as well as lovers.

“I was too scared to tell you this, before, but - and I’m sorry if you don’t feel the same way, or understandably don’t want me anymore - I think I might be falling in love with you, V, a-and I’m-.. I’m terrified, I-..” You admitted weakly whilst tears streamed down your cheeks, and your voice would tremble whilst her expression softened, and she would slowly approach you, prompting your heart to begin racing overwhelmingly alongside her’s. “I know you probably hate me now, a-after-.. after Auntie Isabella, but-.. Vera, I can’t live without you - I just can’t-..” You would then fall quiet once she had managed to get close enough to you to be standing in front of you, allowing her to lift her right hand up to your left cheek delicately, prompting your heart to skip a beat, and you to lean into her touch subconsciously whilst your eyes blissfully locked with her own stunning icy blue ones, and blood would rush to your cheeks; you were evidently flustered, but at the same time couldn’t help, but revel in being so close to her again after you both had been keeping your distance from one another recently, not sure if the other would actually want to talk, or want to be as close as you both were before, until this perfect moment.

“I don’t hate you, Y/n,” she cooed, prompting you to express relief instantly whilst she affectionately connected her forehead to your’s, before drawing in a shaky breath whilst her own tears managed to slowly begin running down her cheeks alongside your’s, “I could never hate you - I know, now, that-.. nobody could have known that what happened to Auntie Isabella that day would happen, and I’m so sorry - I should never have reacted like that; should never have hurt you the way I did-”

“No, V,” you whined, “don’t apologise; we were just upset, and I know you didn’t mean it, I just-.. I was scared of upsetting you again, somehow, b-by-.. by trying to talk to you most likely before you were ready for me to.”

“I had to same problem,” she admitted guiltily, “I was worried about what you might have thought about me after all that I said to you that day, a-and I thought maybe you’d never want to speak to me again, or do all that we did together again after I turned on you like that - c-could you maybe-.. forgive me-.. for everything I said that day? I’ll never be able to forgive myself if-”

You would then smile lovingly over at her, before nodding, and leaning forward to delicately connect your lips to her’s. She would instantly melt into the kiss, her heart racing whilst you both held one another closer subconsciously, and would revel in the moment as you had feared that maybe you’d never be able to experience anything like it again, before.

“I forgave you ages ago, V,” you admitted, and she would express relief whilst appearing elated, before leaning forward to kiss you a little more passionately; you’d both missed being together like this; missed the fluttery feeling you received whenever your lips were perfectly connected as if they had been made to fit together the way they blissfully did, and you both knew they always would, no matter what.

“I’m - I’m glad,” she replied in a voice close to a whisper after she had sadly ended the kiss, “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you, Y/n - you’re everything to me, and recently I - I too have been realising that-.. I’ve been falling in love with you ever since I first met you, and I promise that I’m going to find a way out of marrying the General s-so we can be together again - I love you so much, Y/n, and that’ll never change, I promise, no matter what.” She would then delicately kiss you again, flustering you even more as more blood began to rush to your cheeks, suggesting to you that you had begun to blush quite profusely, prompting you to wince, and her to giggle softly whilst she gently ran the thumb of her right hand across your lips, and admired you whilst her eyes locked with your’s in the best way possible. “How is it that everything about you is completely perfect?” She mused, surprising you, but before you could protest she would continue, not wanting you to put yourself down as she hated seeing you upset, and doubting your worth the way you often did whenever you were with her for a reason unbeknownst to her; she couldn’t imagine why someone perfect like you would ever view themself to be any less perfect than she hoped she was in your eyes, and of course she was, and always would be. “Even your lips are so perfectly soft and beautiful, like every other part of you is - I could honestly kiss them all day, if only I could,” she mused sadly, and you would nod gravely, before smirking over at her, and then timidly stepping closer to her so you could close the gaps between you both blissfully.

“Your’s are the softest, and the most beautiful, and don’t try and change my mind because I love you, V, and you’ll always be the best in my eyes, no matter how much you try and protest like I know you will,” you returned, “I love you so much-”

“Vera!” You would both falter upon hearing her father calling for her in a firm voice, worrying you as you wondered if she, or the both of you were in trouble, hoping that maybe you would get into trouble, and not her, if that was the reason why he was calling for her.

“I should go-”

“What’s going on, V-? Why does he sound mad?” Violet questioned after she revealed herself, and Vera would wince, before shrugging, and then dejectedly turning to face you whilst she held you at arm’s length, finding she wanted to remain by your side, but she knew that if her father found you both together, he would either hurt you, fire you, or both, and she couldn’t let any of the possibilities take place, knowing that if they did there was a chance she might never be able to see you again, or be with you the way she longed to be.

She also just knew she would never be able to forgive herself if anything like that happened to you, and knew she then had to try and protect you to the best of her ability whilst trying - also - to keep you with her desperately, knowing she wouldn’t be able to go on protecting you, and showering you with her love if she ended up losing you - a thought which would instantly prompt her heart to sink whilst she subconsciously would ease you closer to her, and would affectionately then connect her forehead to your’s, wishing she could stay with you again as she hated leaving your side.

“It’s probably nothing - don’t worry, guys, I’ll be back soon-”

“Vera! Get out here now!” He demanded, and she would tense up whilst you would silently beg her to stay, getting a bad feeling.

“V, I - I don’t think you should go out there-”

“It’s okay, Y/n,” she cooed, before leaning forward to delicately press a kiss to your forehead, but you found you couldn’t be soothed until you knew she was safe, and not in trouble with her father for whatever reason currently unbeknownst to you both, “we’re all going to be okay, I promise; you are going to be okay, and I am going to be okay - I know we are, so promise me you won’t worry, and will hide up in the Library and wait for me - w-will you?”

“Of course I will, V, but-”

“You’re a star,” she remarked, “just don’t worry, okay? Violet, can you stay with her and keep her company whilst I’m gone?”

“Of course I can, just - stay safe, okay?” Violet answered, and Vera would nod hastily, before smiling reassuringly over at her, and then returning her attention to you.

“Oh don’t worry, I will, I promise,” she further reassured, before delicately connecting her lips to your’s for a moment in a prolonged kiss, soothing you briefly, until the kiss had sadly ended, leaving you feeling empty as well as lost again, prompting her to smile apologetically over at you as she hated upsetting you, “see you both in a bit, in one piece.”

“S-See you in a bit,” you returned, and Violet would offer her a quiet ‘good luck’ whilst she passed her, and you would try and fight back the urge to follow her, though it had grown to be unbearably strong once she had disappeared around the corner, and Violet would sigh, before smiling sadly over at you; she could see that you were worried, and would try and distract you to the best of her ability for your and Vera’s sake as she led you up to the Library, and would look through each of the bookcases with you in an attempt to find a book that she could use to help you improve your reading skills which were still currently in development, until Vera had returned and exasperatedly revealed that somebody had finally found her and your undergarments which you had both left, and forgotten about within the cornfield a little while ago, now - before Auntie Isabella’s passing - suggesting to the group that, following this moment, things were going to be harder for you both (and not to mention life-threatening) to get away with now that Vera was suspected by her mother and father to be having an affair outside of marriage.

~~~~~

Hope you enjoyed it! ❤️

[dearbaongoc]

Face Filters, Body Dysmorphic Disorder and Self-Image

Social media has increased the emphasis on creating a perfect online image. Most people intend to appear attractive, stunning, and impressive online, and many use face filters to help them reach this objective. According to Herrington (2019), face filters use Augmented Reality (AR) technology to create a "digital mask," which adds virtual features to a person's face or surroundings. These filters primarily come from built-in alternatives on social networking sites such as Instagram and beauty app filters like Perfect365 (Miller & McIntyre, 2022). 

The use of filters on social media has not only risen in recent years but has also become widespread. Face filters, in fact, can increase users' satisfaction when using social media. These filters may enhance a person's physical appearance based on their beauty standards (Arrouf, 2018) or hide their identity using identified filters. According to Coy-Dibley (2016), changing one's self-image might give people a sense of liberation or relief that they can embody impossible social ideals. Furthermore, employing these modifying features enables people to express themselves online rather than in more permanent ways artistically (Coy-Dibley, 2016). 

However, face filters have a major impact on influencers. According to Rivas (2024), influencers who use social media filters often feel more concerned, less confident, and physically less attractive than those who do not. Influencers suffering from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) think there is something wrong with their appearance.  Digital dysmorphia is on the spectrum as Body Dysmorphic Disorder, but it is influenced by cultural expectations and beauty ideologies, as well as the technology accessible to achieve these standards (Coy-Dibley, 2016). Digital Dysmorphia is a condition in which women consider their bodies as imperfect in reality and so digitally edit their photographs to address these perceived defects (Coy-Dibley, 2016). It becomes a fixation, an intense worry that frequently leads to anxiety, social isolation, and the need for cosmetic surgery (Haines, 2021). They are considering obtaining plastic surgery to produce a filtered look-alike version of themselves for social media (Rivas, 2024). In addition, female influencers desire surgery based on the filters they use (Haines, 2021). 

In the past, people frequently underwent cosmetic surgery to imitate their idols' looks. However, these days, more and more people choose cosmetic surgeons to change their appearance to resemble their filtered versions (Hosie, 2018). As in the video, Marla explained that she opted for plastic surgery because she was tired of constantly editing her photos. She wanted to become the image she truly desired without relying on editing. Additionally, having surgery would save her time spent editing photos. Marla mentioned that while beauty filters may make people happy initially, once they are removed and reveal one's natural face, individuals often become more self-conscious and are more likely to experience low self-esteem.

In conclusion, using filters on social media to change how we look has become really common. It is fun and lets us be creative, but it also makes some people feel bad about themselves. Some social media users might feel pressured always to look perfect, which can mess with their confidence. Some even consider getting surgery to look like their filtered photos. But in the end, relying too much on filters might make us forget to love ourselves just as we are. So, it is important to consider how filters affect us and what really matters: being happy with who we are, not just how we look online.

References

Arrouf, E. (2018, February 27). ON THE RADAR: Meitu, world’s #1 Beauty App. Www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/radar-meitu-worlds-1-beauty-app-emilie-arrouf/

Coy-Dibley, I. (2016). “Digitized Dysmorphia” of the female body: the re/disfigurement of the image. Palgrave Communications, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.1057/palcomms.2016.40

Haines, A. (2021, April 27). From “Instagram Face” To “Snapchat Dysmorphia”: How Beauty Filters Are Changing The Way We See Ourselves. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/annahaines/2021/04/27/from-instagram-face-to-snapchat-dysmorphia-how-beauty-filters-are-changing-the-way-we-see-ourselves/?sh=5c82b07d4eff

Herrington, J. (2019, November 20). Face Filters for Instagram and Snapchat Are the New Frontier of Surrealist Art. OneZero. https://href.li/?https://onezero.medium.com/the-power-of-face-filters-as-augmented-reality-art-for-the-masses-65a95fb4a577#:~:text=AR%20%E2%80%9Cface%20filters%E2%80%9D%20%E2%80%94%20a

Hosie, R. (2018, February 6). People want to look like versions of themselves with filters rather than celebrities, cosmetic doctor says. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/cosmetic-surgery-snapchat-instagram-filters-demand-celebrities-doctor-dr-esho-london-a8197001.html

Miller, L. A., & McIntyre, J. (2022). From surgery to Cyborgs: a thematic analysis of popular media commentary on Instagram filters. Feminist Media Studies, 23(7), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2129414

Rivas, G. (2024, January 22). The Mental Health Impacts of Beauty Filters on Social Media Shouldn’t Be Ignored — Here’s Why. InStyle. https://www.instyle.com/beauty/social-media-filters-mental-health

[saralou23]

[moonlight-rider25]

In honor of motherdays weekend, I would just like to properly remind every female on this planet;

You are superior to men.

Weather you choose to or not, you are the creator of life and this earth. We owe them nothing, they owe us everything.

Thank you that is all.

[cityofdreams-writing]

Happy Women’s Day!

If anyone says otherwise, they’ll have to talk to me!

[asim254]

Happy Women Day Quotes Messages GIF

Happy Women Day Quotes Messages GIF

Happy Women’s Day Quotes & Messages | Women’s Day GIF 2022 A women is the one who builds a constructive society. Indeed her contributions are limitless towards family & society. Women deserve respect for their contribution to building a beautiful society. Women’s Day brings an opportunity to show tribute to all women for what they do for us. For the women’s day 2022, I have compiled a collection…