#her parents are also super excited to see Aiden again

[rheya28]

He loved me in lilac

[writerlys]

✤ YOU ALREADY KNOW!!! all the ships pls 😌😇

I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE OUR BABS AND THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN!!! cuteness below 🤧

SEND ME ✤ + A SHIP AND I’LL TELL YOU…

aidarah who said i love you first? AIDEN AND WE’LL NEVER LET HIM LIVE IT DOWN!!! CAUSE OF DEATH: BELLA!!!

who laughs when the other trips? sarah because she loves making fun of him KJSDFHKDSFJK.

who pays the bills? sarah because we all know she goes crazy if she is not in control of everything!!!

which one makes a bigger deal around the holidays? SARAH because she loves giving gifts and decorating and all of that 😭

who’s more clumsy? hmmm this is hard. I don’t feel either of them are particularly CLUMSY but I can definitely see both of them tripping over their own feet when they’re drunk LOL.

who checks their daily horoscope? neither!! I don’t think either of them are really into astrology tbh.

who sings louder in the car? SARAH 43985934598349 PERCENT.

who leaves the cap off the toothpaste? I feel like this is aiden and I feel like sarah is the one to close it and then aiden opens it again and it’s just a neverending saga LMAO.

who is more up to date in pop culture? honestly... they’re probably both the same LOL. and that is to say relatively clueless. like sarah isn’t super big on social media and I don’t feel like aiden would be either.

who insists on going to see the newest movies? sarah!!!!

who cries when the abused animal commercials come on? SARAH. she def cries more in general but especially when those commercials come on she’s probably like “aiden can we donate all of our money to the aspca???”

who’s the lighter sleeper? hmmm I think aiden. sarah generally sleeps pretty well ESPECIALLY when it’s with aiden, and I feel like aiden sometimes watches her fall asleep and then falls asleep after 🥺

who believes in ghosts? I would say sarah but I can weirdly see aiden believing in ghosts bc of his fear of haunted houses LMAO.

who does the grocery shopping? both of them!!! though aiden would probably notice she’s stressed out and would go shopping for her if she was having a hard week 😭

who updates their facebook status more often? I feel like neither of them have facebook but sarah probably posts sliiightly more on like, instagram stories.

evelian

who said i love you first? oh god what is the right answer to this. I guess TECHHHHNICALLY julian but it’s only on a technicality bc really eve said it first KSDFHJKS.

who laughs when the other trips? troll eve for sure!!!! and also probably julian at himself tbh LMAO.

who pays the bills? this would for sure be eve because julian is a sweetheart but he also has the attention span of a goldfish and it’s a miracle he can pay his bills by himself tbh.

which one makes a bigger deal around the holidays? hmmmm I feel like both?? they’re both so family oriented and I feel like they both get so excited 😭

who’s more clumsy? JULIAN!!! both of them are dancers but julian is Chaotic so sometimes his grace goes out the window and he’ll trip because he was trying to do a cartwheel in the middle of the street.

who checks their daily horoscope? I can see julian doing this because zoe is super into astrology and he probably tells eve her horoscope every day. like will text her in the morning and be like “have a good day baby. also something good is going to happen to you today because you’re a virgo!”

who sings louder in the car? oh god this is so difficult. both of them LOL. maybe eve by a HAIR.

who leaves the cap off the toothpaste? JULIAN because once again chaotic and attention span of a goldfish. though I don’t think eve minds much bc it’s just a julian-ism.

who is more up to date in pop culture? eve!!! she def always has to teach him slang and julian def still uses it wrong.

who insists on going to see the newest movies? I feel like this is eve too! and julian goes because he loves seeing her reactions (and also listening to the music during the movie).

who cries when the abused animal commercials come on? oh god julian hands down. we all know how much of a sucker he is for animals.

who’s the lighter sleeper? julian on account of the NIGHTMARES and TRAUMA!!!!

who believes in ghosts? I can see both of them believing in ghosts! julian for sure does because he’s big on horror and also because zoe believes in them and he’s like “zoe’s usually right about everything so I’m gonna go with her”.

who does the grocery shopping? they definitely go together!! and they’re both so obsessed with taking care of each other that it stays even.

who updates their facebook status more often? evie!!! julian is so awol on social media and will post one picture of his production setup and then go quiet for six months lmao.

navalerie

who said i love you first? OOOOF this is hard but I feel like it’ll be naveen. he’s such a softie for her and he just loves her SO. MUCH.

who laughs when the other trips? both of them but ESPECIALLY valerie. and naveen definitely trips on purpose to make her laugh.

who pays the bills? valerie for sure, probably because naveen is capable but bills give him anxiety SDKJFHDSKJF.

which one makes a bigger deal around the holidays? hmmm I feel like this would be valerie bc she’s so big on family. naveen’s family is super big on traditional holidays but naveen himself is pretty neutral on them.

who’s more clumsy? naveen!!! valerie walks around flawlessly in her five inch loobooboos and naveen meanwhile is just like yeah I’m wearing sneakers and I will trip anyway. what about it. LOL.

who checks their daily horoscope? valerie!

who sings louder in the car? oh man THIS IS DIFFICULT TOO. if anything I feel like they’d try to out-sing each other HAHAHA.

who leaves the cap off the toothpaste? naveen and he probably has notes everywhere in the bathroom to put the cap back on but then forgets it EVERY time.

who is more up to date in pop culture? VALERIE. IS THIS EVEN A QUESTION.

who insists on going to see the newest movies? naveen!!! especially documentaries but he’s also def a bit of an oscar snob and probably drags val to all the artsy fartsy movies that have no plot LOL.

who cries when the abused animal commercials come on? probably valerie but only if she’s like... feeling sensitive and in her pajamas and a face mask LOL.

who’s the lighter sleeper? naveen!! I think his anxiety sometimes makes it hard for him to sleep so he’s just like 👁👄👁 at night.

who believes in ghosts? valerie and naveen definitely tries to trick her into believing there are ghosts in their house when it’s really just him trying to prank her 🤧

who does the grocery shopping? oh this would totally be naveen. valerie could wake him up at like 3 am and be like “I want pasta imported from the foothills of italy” and naveen would be like “say no more queen”!!!

who updates their facebook status more often? OOH this is actually tough. valerie more organically, naveen bc he’s ~le famous~ and has to keep up an image lmao.

leeluke

who said i love you first? THIS IS SO DIFFICULT TOO UGH. I can honestly see it going either way!!! like maybe leela says I love you to ellie and luke is just like “!!! holy shit I’m in love with her”? so maybe leela but honestly I am not sure LOL.

who laughs when the other trips? leela LMAO. I don’t think luke trips much but when he does she probably has to hide her laughter.

who pays the bills? luke bc he’s ~mr. fancy pants money bags~ LOL.

which one makes a bigger deal around the holidays? luke bc ellie is little and he probably wants to make holidays super special for her 😭❤️

who’s more clumsy? I think this is leela just bc she’s SO NERVOUS ALL THE TIME. like would trip on herself just bc she’d be trying SO HARD not to be awkward. 

who checks their daily horoscope? I don’t think either of them are into horoscopes or astrology at all!

who sings louder in the car? this would totally be luke once he opens up and then eventually when he gets leela to open up, she’ll sing along too 🥺

who leaves the cap off the toothpaste? leela bc she’s probably running out the door trying to get to work and forgets stuff like that. though luke probably does too and they both look at their dried up toothpaste and are like “??? weird how this keeps happening”. 

who is more up to date in pop culture? I feel like luke but only because ellie is growing up so she’d keep him more up to date LOL.

who insists on going to see the newest movies? LEELA bc she finally has someone who legally has to go see every new rom com with her LMAO.

who cries when the abused animal commercials come on? omg leela for sure bc she’s such a softie.

who’s the lighter sleeper? luke definitely. I wouldn’t say so when he was a fuckboy but now with ellie he probably has that parenting instinct where he can wake up at the drop of a hat if he senses something is wrong!

who believes in ghosts? leela bc she gets scared of things easily!

who does the grocery shopping? I think they go together but I can also see luke going by himself while leela works late, OR luke carrying all their bags out to the car 🥺

who updates their facebook status more often? hmm this is a toughie. I don’t feel like either are super into social media but maybe luke when ellie does something cute!! 

[andtheyweredeskmates]

Of Latte’s and Lingerie- Chapter Eleven

Thank you guys for reading. I was super productive and wrote two chapters today so enjoy. I’m not gonna keep linking every chapter like I usually do because it takes forever but I’ll start linking to the first, last and next chapters and there’s always my AO3 link if you need to read a chapter in between! Anyways, loving the feedback! Love hearing from your guys!

AO3 - Chapter 1- Chapter 10

Taglist: @catsssmeow @toodaloo-kangaroo

It was a long time before Adrien got to see Marinette again. He was sure to text her at least every night, asking about her day, getting to know her, but Marinette was working long hours to help Audrey prepare for the upcoming show, so she didn’t have time to go our for more coffee. Adrien considered a few times to offer to bring her dinner, but he felt nervous. Upon Nino’s recommendation however, he did attempt to flirt with her. Unfortunately that wasn’t really going according to plan.

When he tried his lines came out a little like this:

Coffee Buddy:

So you have a cat? I bet she’s not as cute as you

Or

You’re parent’s make sweets? I’d love to sample the goods.

And finally, his most recent disaster

The only thing that would make your lingerie line better is you wearing it

Adrien hit his head back against the headboard.

“WHY.” Smack.

“DID.” Smack.

“I.” Smack.

“SAY.” Smack.

“THAT.” Smack.

It was official. He was an idiot. He was coming on too strong and he knew it. He’d always imagined that when he finally met the girl of his dreams he’d be suave and cool and he was anything but. He’d never had issues with girls before… although he’d never really been that interested in one either. Of course, texting was making everything worse. He had no idea how she was really reacting to his comments behind the screen and it was making him crazy. It’s been nearly two weeks since he’d seen Marinette and he was starting to think she might never want to see him again.

At the sound of his phone buzzing he lunged for it.

…

Marinette was bright red. She stared at her phone while her brain attempted to reboot itself. She thought up a thousand ways to respond, no- a million. They ranged from “Thank you” to “Well do I have a surprise for you” but she couldn’t bring herself to type any of them. She’d been texting her hot man friend for two weeks now and she felt like a teenager. It was fun and exciting and unbelievably nerve wrecking. She wasn’t completely dumb. She could tell he was flirting. But she also wasn’t entirely convinced that he liked her as much as she liked him and that was terrifying. For god’s sakes that’s exactly why she had broken up with Luka. She just couldn’t return the same feelings that he was showing her. She was beginning to realize how awful that feeling must have been.

Her mind was going every where at once. Surely it shouldn’t take this much effort to respond to a flirty text. Do normal people have this problem?

“Marinette!” Marinette jumped and dropped her phone on the floor.

“Ah!” She yelped.

“You are so jumpy, what are you doing? You’re staring at you’re phone like its going to eat you. Can we focus please?” Audrey was standing in the corner of the conference room, leaning against the wall. She had a dry erase marker in her hand and she was writing on the window which was acting as their makeshift drawing board.

“Sorry, what were you saying?” Marinette apologized. She bent down to pick up her phone and nearly shrieked again when she saw it. It was absolutely fucking destroyed.

…

Adrien pouted when he saw it was just Nino texting him.

DJ Bubbler

Hey man, I think me and Alya are actually gonna go grab a bite to eat. You mind if I bail tonight.

Adrien sighed.

Adrikins

Nah its cool. I’ll probably go to bed early

That was a lie. Adrien knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep until he got some sort of response to his text. He was a worrier by nature and he wasn’t really sure why he thought that wouldn’t apply to women. It was Friday and he didn’t have to work tomorrow so staying up all night wasn’t really a problem, but his sanity was already starting to waver. The scenarios in his head were endless.

Maybe she’s just busy at work? She doesn’t have her read receipts on so there’s no way of knowing I’ve been left on read but if she doesn’t have time to respond I can’t be upset.

Maybe she thought it was such a cute, flirty text she literally died. Adrien wondered briefly if that was considered manslaughter.

Maybe she thinks Adrien is a total idiot and doesn’t want to talk to him anymore. That was clearly the worst-case scenario here.

Adrien couldn’t handle the stress so he hatched a plan.

…

Marinette couldn’t help but be antsy throughout the rest of her late night meeting. It was nine o clock and she still had no idea what to say back to “Aiden”. Not that she had a way of responding anyway. She’s definitely going to have to get a new phone.

“I don’t know what your freaking out about Mari, just buy a new one, you aren’t exactly poor,” Audrey had said rolling her eyes. “I ought to know, I’m paying you.” Marinette didn’t know how to explain that it wasn’t the purchase of a new phone that was the problem. But it wasn’t just her boy problems that was distracting Marinette. She hadn’t eaten since her lunch break at noon and she was starving.

Audrey seemed oblivious to Marinette’s lack of presence. She was currently berating Marinette’s assistant about how everything better be perfect or he would definietely be

“-Fired. Understand Fabio?” The assistant was so terrified he didn’t even bother to mention that his name was really Francis. He just nodded feverishly.

The meeting was interrupted by Audrey’s secretary.

“Um, excuse me miss, there’s someone here to see Marinette.” Audrey glanced at the secretary with a look of interest.

“Oh? Who?”

“I’m not sure ma’am he just asked that he could bring her some dinner.” Marinette was suddenly very present. Who on earth would come here to bring her food? Audrey grinned.

“Well why don’t you send him in?”

…

Adrien’s plan was fairly solid. He would just bring her food in and talk to her. It would be pretty obvious if she didn’t want to talk to him anymore.

The secretary came back to the front desk and eased into her chair.

“Go on in to conference room B sweetheart. It’s just down the hall.” Adrien nodded and smiled.

“Thank you.” He made his way down the hallway with determination, forcing himself to be confident.

“I am Adrien Agreste and I can talk to a woman.” He muttered to himself. He opened the door and walked in tucking the Chinese food he had under his arm.

When he looked up he saw three people gathered around a large table staring at him.

“Adrien?”

Next Chapter

[let-it-raines]

Betting on the Bullseye (22/30)

Summary: Emma Swan loses a drunken bet that means she has to ask her celebrity crush - if you can call him that - to be her date to her office's annual fundraising gala for Boston's Children Shelter. Killian Jones is that celebrity. She expects all kinds of humiliation and for her dignity to be completely lost all because of the ridiculousness of the situation. What she doesn't expect is for him to say yes.

What she truly doesn't expect is to actually like the man.

Rating: Mature

A/N: So, like, does anyone else wonder how an absolutely ridiculous concept that would mortify me to my core in real life (it mortifies me a little when I look at the summary) has turned into a thirty chapter story that is decidedly not about the prompt anymore? Anyone? No? Me either. 

Found on AO3: Beginning | Current

Tumblr: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22

Tag list: @nikkiemms @resident-of-storybrooke @wellhellotragic​ @bmbbcs4evr @onceuponaprincessworld @jennjenn615 @mayquita @captainsjedi @teamhook @skyewardolicitycloisdelena91 @artistic-writer @branlovesouat @dreadpirateemma @kmomof4 @ekr032-blog-blog @galaxyzxstark @lifeinahole27 @andiirivera @ultimiflos @hollyethecurious @thejollyroger-writer @superchocovian @cs-forlife @qualitycoffeethings @jonirobinson64 @notoriouscs

“What about this one?”

“Too small.”

“This one?”

“Too expensive.”

“Emma.”

“Killian.”

“For fuck’s sake, you have to like something, Swan,” he mutters under his breath before slamming his laptop shut and running his hand through his hair, fingers sticking in the unwashed strands, while he tries to calm his breathing and himself before he truly goes off on Emma after having listened to her rejections on apartments for the better part of the last three hours. He’s rejected a few things too, but damn, they’re never going to find anything if it keeps going like this.

He’s just going to go off on Emma’s TV stand. Not break it or anything. Just complain to it about how they can’t find a home for it.

“Okaaay, so we need a break from apartment hunting,” Emma sighs, slouching down on the couch and propping her feet up on the coffee table, mismatched socks on full display to him. He wonders if she ever matches her socks. Probably not. It’s kind of charming. They’ve been looking online for hours, and she’s likely right. It’s nearly impossible right now. They need a breather. “What do you want to watch?”

“I feel like we need to talk about why we’re having issues finding a place.”

“Probably because we just decided to move in together yesterday, and you and I have totally different budgets.”

“I told you, love,” he sighs, twisting his head to look at her even as she avoids looking at him, “I want to buy a place. It’s better than renting. It’s equity, and we can renovate if we need to.”

“I can’t afford to buy these places, though. I know you can, but I’d like to contribute something.” Emma brings her bottom lip between her teeth, her eyes darting over to him before they look back at the television while her fingers tap against her legs, a series of nervous ticks if he’s ever seen them. He knew that was going to be a thing, but they’re not going to avoid issues anymore. They’re going to talk about them and figure them out even if it’s uncomfortable. “I’m not saying…I’m not saying I don’t have faith in us or whatever, but – ”

“Darling, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll get both of our names on the deed, or just yours, or whatever the hell you want so that if we break up, you don’t have to worry about moving. Or hell, you sell it, and then you buy what you want.”

She finally looks at him then, a brow raised on her forehead so that it wrinkles, and he can do nothing but smile as he watches the features on her face change while she thinks. She’s going to agree. She’s going to be a bit of an arse about it, but she’s going to agree. He also knows that she’s likely going to be the one who ends up finding the damn place while walking down the street instead of finding one after hours and days and weeks of searching.

He’s probably getting a little too much enjoyment out of this.

He’s really damn excited to be looking for a place to live with Emma.

With Emma.

That’s just…that’s insane. And it’s wonderful. So wonderful.

He’s a sap.

“So what you’re saying is that if I rip your heart out, I not only get to keep the apartment, but I have the possibility to profit off of it?”

“Aye.”

Slowly but surely her lips begin to curve into a smile, her teeth showing and face scrunching up into a smile. God, he’d do anything to get to see that smile every day of his life. He’s working on it. He really is.  “You are a sucker, KJ. You know that?”

He simply shrugs, moving his laptop over to the side before he slides over onto the cushions and pulls Emma to him so he can leave an obnoxiously loud smacking kiss on her cheek. He’s so goddamn happy to see her, to be with her both figuratively and literally, and he doesn’t care in the slightest over Emma teasing him or thinking he’s crazy. Really, he’s glad for it.

Emma is the woman he wants to be with. There’s not a doubt in his mind about that. He wants her to be the person he’s beside for the rest of his life even when they’re fighting, and while, yes, he knows that things could hit the fan in a spectacular fashion, he has hope. So, yeah, this could either be the best or worst real estate decision he’s ever going to make.

He’s thinking the best.

“I’m a sucker for you.” “That’s only a good line when the Jonas Brothers sing it.”

“I could sing it if you want me to.”

She hums, closing her eyes and pushing at his shoulder until he moves back to where he was sitting. It’s only a few moments before Emma is curling in on her side and wrapping her arms around his waist while her head rests on his chest and his hand rests on the bare skin of her stomach under her t-shirt, warmth permeating from the skin while the smell of the vanilla in her shampoo reaches his nose.

“While that sounds like a fantastic idea and something I’m going to take you up on later,” she murmurs against the material of his t-shirt, “I think we need to keep looking at these apartments before you realize just how bad of a real estate decision you’re making here. But, like, later. I can’t look at another place where everything is monochromatic white.” “Robin would be appalled by your hatred of the all white.” “Does he know?” “Know what?”

“That you might move? Babe, I know we’ve talked about it until our faces turned blue in the past twenty-four hours, but you’ve got to tell Robin and Will. And you’ve really got to tell your family, probably in person. I can go with you if you want. Maybe we can fly back on Friday. I’m sure our faces will have morphed to purple by then.”

“Yeah?”

“The purple thing? Yeah.”

“No,” he laughs, walking his fingers up her back, “the you coming with me to talk to my family this weekend.”

“I mean, yeah. Let’s keep looking for a place, maybe set up a few viewings for the next time you’re out here, but then we’ve got to tell your family and talk about it with them. I just hope they won’t hate me. I mean, I’ll still move to California, but I – ” “They love you,” he interrupts, ignoring her offer to move to California. She’s offered enough times that he doesn’t know if he can hear it again. Boston is the best decision for them right now, and they’re sticking with it. “Aiden loves you as much as Leo loves me.” “As reassuring as that is,” she sighs while nuzzling into his stomach again, her hand resting on his knee and tracing his skin with her fingernail, “I was kind of concerned with the adults. Should we tell my friends together too?”

“Nah, I thought maybe I’d just move and they’d figure it out when I showed up to every damn dinner.”

“It might take them awhile to notice.”

“Weeks most likely.”

“So maybe we should just tell them. I’ll get them a little card and some chocolate to soften the blow of finding out that I’ve decided to stick with ya, honey bunches.”

“Swan, I swear if you start calling me all of those ridiculous names I’ll – ”

“You’ll what? Break up with me? Can you wait until we own a fancy apartment so I can make some big bucks without lifting a finger?”

He should have never suggested that. She’d never do something like that, but she’s definitely going to tease him about it.

“I hate you.”

“I love you too, sweet cheeks.”

-/-

“Killy,” Leo screeches the moment they walk into the Nolan’s house the next night, David running behind him with wide eyes and a heaving chest. What the hell have the two of them been doing?

“Hi, buddy,” he laughs, reaching down and picking Leo up so he doesn’t run out the front door, all of the features on David’s face relaxing for just a moment. Dave looks far older than he did the last time Killian saw him, so the first few days of having more than one kid must have really taken their toll. “Did you miss me?”

“Yep. I have a brother.”

“I heard, little lad. You’re an older brother now, yeah?”

“Uh huh,” Leo sighs, relaxing in his arms and looking over at Emma who’s picking up the bags of groceries they brought even if Emma already brought over some frozen meals earlier this week. He figures if they’re going to invade parents of a newborn and a toddler, the least they can do is bring some food. “Is Superman here?”

Emma chuckles next to him, a glint of amusement in her eyes, and she moves her brows across her forehead. “No, but super Emma is.”

“I want Superman.”

“Leo,” David sighs, his eyes still a little heavy even as he greets Emma by kissing her cheek, “you have to be nice. Killian and Emma came to play with you.”

“It’s alright, mate. I’d want to see Superman over boring old me any day.”

“His clothes are a lot tighter than yours, so I second that.”

He rolls his eyes at Emma before he passes by she and David and makes his way into the kitchen with Leo, grabbing a bag of groceries from Emma on the way so he can unload them even with Leo babbling in his ear about anything and everything from his brother to his toys to the squirrel that was in the backyard yesterday. He and Leo have become good buddies over the past few months, and if it annoys Emma a little bit over how Leo will pick him over her, that’s only justified for how she’s stolen Aiden from him.

Not literally stolen, but that’s how it feels when Aiden would rather sleep on her chest than on his.

Then again, she’s got a fantastic chest…which is not at all the thing to be thinking when talking about a child’s napping preferences.  

Then again – nope. Not going there.

“Where’s your mummy?” he asks Leo as he places the bunch of bananas on their countertop and stuffs the plastic bags in the container the Nolans keep of them under their sink. How the hell does he know where they keep their plastic bags?

“I don’t know.”

“Of course you don’t,” he murmurs under his breath before he moves away from the counters and makes his way to the living room where he can hear Emma and David talking before he even gets to the archway.

“You’re sure about this?” David questions, arms crossed over his chest and back straight in what Killian assumes is his position for when he interrogates suspects. David at work has got to be a sight to see. Maybe he’ll ask to shadow him one day. Lie and say it’s for a role simply so he can mess with the man.

“I mean, yeah. I love him and want a future with him. It’s been so hard even when it’s been good, and it’s only going to get worse when he’s working more or when we’ve been together longer, I think.”

“And he didn’t want you to move to LA?”

“He did. I did. I didn’t want him to feel like he has to give up anything for me, but we both agreed here is better for now. Maybe in the future we’ll move there. I don’t really know. It’s a lot of logistics.”

“If this is what you want, I’m happy for you.”

“Please,” Emma laughs, her eyes glancing to him in a way that he knows is her telling him she’s been aware he’s been creepily lurking in the archway, “don’t you at all pretend that you’re not thrilled that Killian’s going to be around more. I know he’s your favorite of my boyfriends that I keep toting around on each arm.”

The cheeky little minx that is his girlfriend.

“He’s in the room, isn’t he?”

“I knew you loved me, Dave,” Killian chuckles, walking further in with Leo who’s been surprisingly quiet this entire time. Obviously, his bud is meant to be an eavesdropper too. “I was thinking about buying the house right next door to here. We can even connect the houses if you want. That way I can visit you at night so we can have a cup of tea and chat all about our preferences for running shoes.”

“You’re obnoxious.”

“But you love me, right Leo? Does your daddy love me?”

“Yeah, Daddy loves Killy.”

“For f – ”

“Oh boy,” Emma smiles, shaking her head from side to side with the most precious smile tugging at her lips. “Babe, you’re going to make David curse in front of his kid. I suggest you don’t make his anxiety heighten by threatening to move in with him.”

“Not a threat, love,” he explains as he puts Leo down on the ground so he can play with some of his toys. “Just a very good offer to be roommates with the Nolans. Wouldn’t you like to do that?”

“There is literally no good way for me to answer that.”

He winks. “Exactly. So where’s Mary Margaret?”

“She and Brody are sleeping,” David explains as they all finally sit down, the couch moving under he and Emma’s weight. “They had a late night last night, so I hope she’s getting some sleep now. If she knew you guys were here, though, she’d be down here in a second, sleep deprivation not at all a worry, especially because you guys are apparently moving in together. She’d be all over that.”

“She’s far too invested in my life,” Emma jokes as her fingers start messing with the hair at the nape of his neck, shivers running down his spine with every delicate touch. God, she’s good at playing with his hair. She does this thing with her finger and damn, it’s amazing. She also does this thing with her tongue…but now is not the time for him to think about that. He’s obviously got to get his mind out of the gutter. “But she should definitely sleep. Is it about the same as with Leo?”

David shrugs while he wipes the sleep away from his eyes. “It’s different because we’re not as clueless and also have two kids to manage, but mostly it’s different because Brody is not at all as calm. It’s kind of like night and day, but we’ll figure it out. I think she’s honestly more stressed about us not having everything done because we’d put a few things off. He showed up a bit early to the party.”

“We can help, you know? That’s why we’re here. I didn’t buy you food just because I wanted to eat.”

“You ate a cereal bar on the way here,” Emma teases, and he twists his head to look at her and the same playful glint she had in her eyes earlier. He can’t stop thinking about how Emma was talking about how she wants a future with him without any hesitation in her voice. He knows that she wants it, knows that she loves him, but something about hearing her tell David about it has calmed him about this transition they’re about to make.

He was already calm. He’s just…he’s happy. Content.

“That was supposed to be a secret.”

“I’ve never been very good at keeping those.”

“Really now? Because unless you’re being weird and channeling Mary Margaret, I don’t think that’s true. Though, I’m kind of conflicted on whether or not I want you to be a good liar.”

“You probably don’t, KJ. Also, props on joking about Mary Margaret when David is right there.”

Emma raises her hand to give him a high five, and he laughs as he slaps her palm before interlacing their fingers and bringing her wrist to his so he can brush a kiss there.

“You come into my home, you steal my child away from me, you make fun of my wife, and worst of all, you eat my cereal bars.”

“It’s a hard knock life for you, Dave. Sorry about that.”

“You’re most definitely not.”

“You’ll never know because I’m a much better liar than Emma.”

“Hey,’ she groans, slapping his head instead of playing with his hair, “we just talked about how that was not a good thing.”

“For you. I said nothing about me.”

“Asshole.”

“Language.”

“David.”

The three of them spend the rest of the evening talking about everything from baseball to the apartments and houses they’ve looked at, David offering to let them know if he sees anything they might like, before Emma offers to go heat up one of the casserole dishes so that they can eat dinner. Mary Margaret eventually comes down with Brody, the little lad as small as can be wrapped up in his pajamas with a hat on his head. He looks just like Leo from what Killian can tell, and when Mary Margaret offers to let him hold Brody, he takes the opportunity, even if holding someone else’s newborn child will never not be terrifying.

Seriously. They’re so small and fragile, and no human being should ever have a self-destruct button on top of their head.

“I’m so happy for you guys,” Mary Margaret sighs as she takes a sip of her water while David and Emma are in the kitchen finishing up dinner. Brody is staring up at him in between his fits of sleeping, and Killian’s pretty sure he’s been running his fingers over the lad’s stomach for the past half hour. It’s weirdly soothing. “I know Emma would die of mortification if I made it out to be a big deal, but this is such a big deal. She trusts you and loves you so much, and it’s a nice thing to see after watching that not happen over and over again.”

He smiles at Mary Margaret, something soft to keep things calm, because when he looks at her, she might as well be radiating out of her skin with excitement and eagerness to talk about it. She and Anna would probably hit it off like mad. Or maybe they’d hate each other. There can likely only be so much positive energy in a single room at one time.

Maybe they’ll have to meet outdoors.

But she’s right. He knows all of the dirty details of Emma’s past like she knows all of his, and them trusting each other and loving each other is a big thing.

“Well, I’m grateful that she’s given me the opportunity to be that kind of partner for her,” he admits, getting up from the couch and carefully placing Brody in his seat on the coffee table. “I was so damn anxious after this weekend because I knew we’d have to make a step like this at some point, and while I’ve never really doubted that Emma wanted to be with me, that’s still terrifying, you know?”

“Absolutely. I haven’t always been an overtired mom with a so-called ‘settled’ life. David and I went through all of that too. We didn’t live across the country from each other, but a relationship is a relationship. Sometimes even the good things are terrifying.”

“You sound like Elsa.”

“Well, I’ve never met her, but I’m pretty much Emma’s Elsa. We’re obligated to give advice even if we have no idea what we’re saying.”

So maybe she’s like Elsa too.

“That’s reassuring.” “That’s life. You guys will be good, and as much as I love my boys, I expect you guys to have a guest room for me so I can take a nap in a kid-free, husband-free space.”

“Of course we can do that, milady,” he laughs before taking a step forward and leaning down to kiss her cheek. “I’ll add it to our list.”

“Good.”

“Though, you might be stuck with Emma’s awful mattress and bedframe, so I’m not sure how much you’ll want to be sleeping over.”

“If I can sleep diagonally, I’ll sleep on a bed of nails.”

-/-

“Okay, you’re weird.”

“Love, this is not weird.”

“It so is,” Emma laughs as they walk past a Starbuck’s at the airport, the line stretching around the ropes and out into the walkway. “Who in the world walks up and down the entire terminal to, and I quote ‘explore the architecture’ instead of sitting down and messing around with their phone?”

He shrugs before wrapping his arm around her shoulder and kissing her cheek underneath her baseball cap, rubbing his scruff into her skin simply so her entire face will scrunch up in the way that he likes. “I do. You see the most interesting things in airports. If you just sit at your gate, you miss so much. I mean, however will you know that you can get a customized Boston Red Sox neck pillow if you’re just waiting for your plane to take off?”

“I’m leaning so much about you today.”

“I don’t really appreciate your teasing tone there, Swan.”

“What?” she laughs, guiding them into a small bookstore. “It’s so true, KJ. You get anxious going through security even though you are a pro at traveling and then after that, you like to explore airports. You’re a fascinating man.”

“You’re too easily entertained. Why are we looking at books?”

“I need something to do on the plane. I’m not sure that ours has movies.”

“It does. I checked.”

“Oh,” she sighs, putting the book she was looking at down and clapping her hands together. “Then there’s no way in hell I’m paying fifteen dollars for a bad romance novel then. Let’s go get some coffee and a donut or something.”

“We ate before we got here.”

“That doesn’t mean we can’t eat donuts, KJ,” she says as her eyes roll before she’s walking out of the store with her carry-on trailing behind here.

A woman on a mission for donuts.

Flying with Emma for the first time is definitely an adventure, and they haven’t even made it out of the shops yet. He’s honestly so amused by her all of the time, and he already knows that she’s going to buy a dozen donuts to eat on the plane even if she’ll only eat two of them and give the rest of them away.

Because a stranger giving away donuts while thirty thousand feet in the air is definitely something no one will find the slightest bit sketchy.

Emma doesn’t buy an entire dozen donuts or hand them out on the plane, but she does buy each of them one with their cups of coffee that they finish off while still exploring the terminal. He falls asleep about halfway through the flight, and when he wakes, their pilot is announcing their arrival time. It’s late even with the time change, so he and Emma hurry out of the airport and get back to his house before falling asleep without even bothering to change out of their clothes.

“Are you nervous?” she asks him the next morning as she brushes out her hair while he shaves for the first time in a little over a week, the red in his beard showing through more than usual.

He is a little nervous to tell his family that he’s moving, to talk about all that’s coming up, but he also knows that they likely expect it, especially Elsa. It doesn’t make the blow any less hard, but he does think it may ease it the slightest bit. If anything, he thinks that Will and Robin might take it the hardest, Roland even more so, and the guilt does weigh on him a bit. But this is the right decision. He knows that it is. They’ve talked about it, thought about it, and he wouldn’t be doing this if it’s not what he wanted.

It’ll be a new normal and it’ll take awhile to adjust to things, but he’ll figure it out. They’ll both figure it out. He’s not giving up anything. His life is simply going through another adjustment period. But this one is a good one.

“Aye, a little bit,” he admits, running his razor across his jaw, “but they’ll be fine.”

“They’ll miss you,” Emma sighs, putting her brush down and walking over to him so that she wraps her arms around his stomach and kisses between his shoulder blades before he can feel her nuzzle her face in his skin. “You’ll visit a lot though. I will too. And maybe we can get them to come out to visit us. I think they’d like Boston.”

“We do have a hell of a lot of miles that they can travel with.”

“Trust me, I know. I can cash them in for a bunch of Amazon gift cards, and I’ve resisted the urge.”

“The height of selflessness.”

When they get to Liam’s place for lunch, he and Elsa are standing in the garage going through storage containers, piles of them scattering the floor with their cars sitting in the driveway. It’s an absolute mess. He had no idea that they even had this much stuff out here, and he’s sure that they’ve likely already cleaned out half of it.

“Aren’t you supposed to be cooking, Jones?” he calls out as he slams his door closed. “I was under the impression that you guys were going to be feeding me today.”

“I swear to God, Killian, you better be talking to your brother and not me.”

“Of course I am, lass,” he promises, walking over to Elsa and kissing her cheek in greeting. “I like to impose as much difficulty on my brother as I can.”

“That’s why I love you,” Elsa sighs before he sees her turn her head to look at Emma. “Oh my gosh am I happy to see you,” she squeals, quickly running toward Emma and wrapping her in a hug while he does the same to his brother. “I know it’s been less than a week, but I was worried about you.”

He doesn’t hear the rest of what Emma and Elsa are saying as he talks to Liam, the music that’s playing in the background drowning them out as he focuses on Liam.

“So you’re good?” he asks, squeezing Killian’s shoulder while his eyes scan his face, slanting for a moment before widening so he can see the blue that he always associates with his brother. “You two are good? This isn’t a ‘we’ll still love you both even though Mummy and Daddy aren’t together anymore’ kind of talk?”

He scoffs, rolling his eyes the slightest bit as he shakes his head from side to side. He had talked to Liam a bit about what was going on, if only because he knew Elsa would let some of it slip. And also because his brother is his best friend who is privy to most of his thoughts. “No, it’s not that. It’s actually,” he turns his head to glance over his shoulder at Emma who’s still animatedly talking to Elsa, her hands flying all over the place while her face is brightened by her smile, “kind of the opposite of that.”

“Bloody hell. Are you getting married?”

His heart practically flies up to his throat, constricting his breathing for a moment before it settles back down into its regular resting place. That’s not…he wants to but – later. Later is the time to talk about that. “No, no. We’re not getting married, but we are, um…well – ” He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. He most definitely did not plan on telling Liam standing in his garage with Queen blaring over the speakers. “I’m moving to Boston,” he finally blurts out, the words freeing once they slip past his lips and into the air.

Liam blinks a few times, his lips slightly parting before they close and press into a smile, one that opens up so that Liam’s entire face is full of smile lines before suddenly Killian’s being pulled back into a hug, the warmth that radiates from his brother enveloping him as Liam pats him on the back several times as he whispers in his ear.

“I’m so damn happy for you. That’s – bloody hell, Killian. I can’t believe you’re making this kind of commitment. I can, but God – that’s amazing.”

“You’re not upset?”

“Of course not. I’m going to miss you, and I don’t imagine my wife’s reaction will be quite this happy, but this is a good thing. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” he murmurs into Liam’s shoulder before pulling back, stepping out of his embrace and reaching up behind his ear so that he can scratch the shell, the urge irresistible. This is going so differently than he thought it would, but he’s not dumb enough to complain or question it. “How do you suppose I tell Elsa?”

“Quickly, like ripping off a band-aid. She’ll lose her mind if you do a big build up.”

“Aye, I know. I just don’t want to shock her.”

“Killian Jones,” Elsa screeches, coming over to him and slapping his shoulder before she places her hands on her hips and stares him down in such a way that it seems like she’s the one who’s half a foot taller, “you’re moving across the country, and you’re just now telling me?”

His eyes dart over her head to Emma who’s standing with her arms crossed over her chest and her bottom lip tugged between her teeth. “I’m sorry,” she mouths, shrugging her shoulders.

Looks like they both had the same willpower to keep their mouths shut.

“What do you mean just now? It’s only been a few days, Els.”

“You should have told me right after you decided. I could have helped.”

“With what?”

“Finding you an apartment or a house, you idiot,” she laughs, pulling him in for a hug that’s much rougher than the one Liam just gave her. Though she be but little, she is fierce. “I’ve never been to Boston, but I have my realtor’s license. I can help. It’s literally what I do for a living.”

“Darling, I know,” he chuckles into her hair before pulling back. “You helped me find my house here, but we’ve only just started looking. I don’t think we need to call in reinforcements just yet.”

“Can you believe he’s moving?” Elsa sighs, looking over to Liam before she pinches his cheeks. She’s literally pinching his cheeks. Maybe they all do need a little space. “Our little baby is growing up so fast.”

“You’re both incredibly obnoxious.”

“It’s just because we love you,” Elsa promises, pressing up on her toes and kissing his cheek where she’s just left it red. “And Emma. We love Emma too.”

“Nice to know I’m not chopped liver or something,” Emma sighs, walking over to stand next to them with the softest, most content smile on her face, “which is a super weird phrase if you think about it.”

“Swan, you’ve got to stop thinking about the origin of phrases.”

“Why? They’re all so weird.”

“You know what else is weird?” Liam questions, pulling out his phone and sliding his finger down so that the music quiets. “We were going to have chopped liver for lunch, so this is a great coincidence.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“Don’t even joke about that.”

“I’m never letting you cook again.”

“I’m obviously kidding,” Liam sighs, leaning down to pick up a box before he hits the button that closes the garage door. “I’ve got a roast cooking, and I’ll even let you guys open a good bottle of wine since we’re celebrating your move.”

“Oh, you’re so generous,” Emma jests as she walks to the door that lets them into the kitchen, patting Liam on the shoulder on her way. “I can’t believe I get to be the recipient to your kindness.”

“You’re being cheeky for someone who’s probably going to need my help learning what to do and not do when living with Killian.”

Emma pauses in the doorway, sticking her head back out from where she’d walked inside the house. She seems to be thinking of something to say, her brows furrowed together, but then her lips are curling into a wicked smile and he sees her wink. She winks about like him, though. It’s so damn obvious when it’s supposed to be subtle. He loves it.

“You say this, but I also have a very big advantage that you never had when it comes to dealing with the clean freak over there.”

“And what’s that, love?”

“When he’s mad at me, I can just have sex with him.”

He’s never seen Liam look so horrified in his life, his eyes blown wide and brows raised while his lips continue to open and close, whatever words he had dying on his tongue.

“Yeah,” Elsa sighs, patting her husband on the shoulder even as he stays frozen, “I always knew that I liked her. She can make you be quiet, and honestly, what more does a girl need?”

[morningfears]

Summer Nights [Chapter Two]

Rating: PG-13

Summary: Calum and Kennedy meet again for the first time in over a year but things have changed since they last spoke. Will they ever be able to reconnect or have things fizzled too far to fix?

Word Count: 4.1k

                                              Chapter One

“Good morning, Camp Clear Lake. The sky is a beautiful cloudless blue, the sun is shining bright, and the temperature is already a sweltering ninety-five. The children who will be left in our somewhat capable hands are on their way with the most annoying people known to earth, moderately wealthy parents. We can only hope and pray that all of them are vaccinated and that we don’t contract the bubonic plague. That said, we have thirty more minutes to ourselves before the end of the world as we know it.”

Kennedy groans and pulls her pillow out from beneath her head only to place it on top of her head in an attempt to drown out Jade’s booming voice. Her hangover has magnified every one of her senses. Everything is far too loud; the chirping of the birds, the shuffling of Jade’s feet as she moves around the cabin, the laughter of the new counselors who had retained some of their common sense and hadn’t drowned themselves in cheap beer and even cheaper liquor. Kennedy can feel her heartbeat in her temples and the sun is still too bright, even through the pillow on top of her head, and she swears that she’s never drinking again.

“I crave death,” she grumbles, voice muffled by the pillow on top of her head as she wills her churning stomach to calm. “And maybe bacon, after I puke.”

“Death, I can do nothing to help you with,” Jade hums as she straightens out the last of the camper’s mattresses. “As for the bacon, there’s probably some in the mess hall. Not sure how edible it is but I feel like it’s there.”

Kennedy groans as she feels Jade pull the sheet from her body and shakes her head beneath the pillow. “Bacon from the mess hall might kill me,” she breathes, a thoughtful lilt to her voice as she allows Jade to pry the pillow out of her hands. “Unless the sun gets me first.”

“Put on a hat and some sunglasses,” Jade advises as she drops Kennedy’s ‘staff’ shirt onto her face in place of the pillow. “You got fucking hammered last night.”

“Beer before liquor,” Kennedy breathes as she attempts to sit upright in bed, her hands clutching the edges of her mattress for support, “guess the old saying is true.”

Jade hums her agreement as she tugs on her own ‘staff’ shirt and tucks it into the waistband of her neon green shorts. “Pretty sure you had Everclear,” Jade nods with an impressed look on her face. “Doesn’t mean I don’t I hate you for choosing this fucking color, though,” she grumbles as she turns to look into the floor length mirror she and Kennedy had brought two years ago. “Green is fine but, like, toxic sludge green. Not a good look, Kenny.”

“Just trying to live my eighties summer camp horror movie fantasy,” Kennedy grumbles as she stands and kicks off her pajama shorts and tosses her tank top onto her bed. “If there isn’t any real toxic sludge, guess it just has to be symbolic.” Jade rolls her eyes as she watches Kennedy tug on her ‘staff’ shirt before she places a pair of sunglasses over her eyes. Jade hands her an identical pair of neon green cotton shorts and watches as she tucks her shirt into them before she shoves her feet into a pair of black and white Vans.

Jade stares for a long moment, watching Kennedy robotically go about her morning routine as if they’d never left Camp Clear Lake in the first place, before she grabs a pack of hair ties and moves closer to Kennedy’s bed. “Before you got absolutely fucked last night, did you happen to notice who showed up?” Jade asks as she adjusts her socks. As Kennedy thinks about it, Jade reaches for Kennedy’s brush to help her pull her hair into a ponytail.

“The only thing I noticed last night was how comfortable the ground was,” Kennedy grumbles before she catches the look Jade levels at her. “No,” she sighs as Jade runs the brush through her hair. “I didn’t notice much of anything at all, really. I noticed the new group of counselors off to the side, the returning counselors with you and Abbey,” Kennedy hums as Jade finishes putting her hair in a ponytail. She pauses for a moment to think before she adds, “After that, I remember talking about music with Joey, talking about politics with Cole, and then I’m pretty sure I ended up putting a lizard in Aiden’s cabin but don’t hold me to that.”

“Oh, you definitely did that,” Jade nods as she shifts to allow Kennedy to help her clip on her necklace. “I don’t know how his screaming didn’t wake you up, honestly. But while you were drooling over Joey and getting shitfaced with the boys, Ashton and Calum appeared. It’s almost like they heard us talking shit.” Jade pauses for a moment to adjust her necklace in the mirror before she turns to face Kennedy and adds, “Calum looked super interested in you and Joey.”

Kennedy blinks in surprise upon hearing this. It’s rare for counselors to come in late but not entirely unheard of. However, she was certain that after they’d missed Maxwell and Aiden’s welcome, Calum and Ashton weren’t coming. In the brief moments of sobriety she’d had the night before, she imagined that they’d be doing something better with their time this summer. Calum talked about hiding out on a beach somewhere the summer before, writing and drinking and enjoying the solitude, and she’d thought that maybe he’d done that. She also remembers that they’re Australian, far from home and missing their families. She’d briefly considered the option that they’d gone home for the summer.

Whatever they’d done, she was sure that they wouldn’t be returning to Camp Clear Lake to spend their summer with a gaggle of giggling children surrounding them.

But upon hearing Jade’s confirmation that they had indeed arrived, Kennedy doesn’t know if the butterflies she feels in her stomach are excitement or anxiety. She’s glad that Calum is back, she really had enjoyed the time she spent with him, but Jade’s reality check rings through her head like a mantra.

Summer camp romances aren’t real. You get two months to flirt, fuck, and then you forget. And Kennedy doesn’t know if she can do that.

Kennedy thinks about Calum, about the instant attraction she’d felt and the comfort that filled her body whenever he was around, and can see something more than just a fling. She can see a future with him, can see waking up beside him and wearing his sweatshirts. She can see getting a dog, living in some cozy apartment in the city, and figuring life out together. 

And then she realizes that she only knew him for two months, only knew what he wanted her to know, only saw the Calum he wanted her to see, and she thinks that maybe she’s crazy. She thinks that Jade is right, she’s a hopeless romantic with too many thoughts running through her head. She should focus on herself, on the future that she knows exists (the one in which she graduates from college and then has no fucking clue what to do next) and leave the romance alone.

And then she thinks about Joey.

She remembers the summer that they spent together, the awkward flirting and the fun times. She remembers thinking that he was cute and offering to teach him how to shoot a bow just so she could spend time with him. She remembers him teaching her how to play the drums (even though he was better at making her laugh than teaching her how to play) and her making any mistake she could to have him guide her. She remembers being paired with Joey and Cole for nearly every activity that summer and she can see herself having fun with him again.

Now that they’re adults, comfortable in who they are and a little more certain of themselves, she imagines that maybe things will be different this time. She imagines there won’t be any awkward attempts at hand holding or attempts to stare at the other unnoticed. She imagines that this time might be easier, more natural. And she can see the same future with Joey that she can see with Calum. A cozy apartment, comfortable nights, and the best damn music collection in the city.

But she knows that she’s jumping ahead of herself. She’s thinking too far into the future when she should be focusing on the present. She should be focusing on the hordes of children that are currently en route. She should be focusing on the GRE that she’s decided to take in the fall. She should be focusing on anything other than a fling that likely won’t mean anything in six months.

However, Kennedy can’t help herself as she wonders what had gone through Calum’s head when he saw her with Joey. She wonders if he was jealous or if he gave it a second thought. She wonders if Jade is trying to stir the pot or if maybe he’d really felt something last summer and was interested in picking up where they left off.

She also wonders if Joey noticed Calum’s staring.

Before the thought of what it all really means can fully form in her mind, a knock sounds on their cabin door. 

Jade glances at Kennedy out of the corner of her eye, a look Kennedy doesn’t recognize on her face, before she opens the door to reveal a grinning Ashton. “Good morning, counselors,” he greets happily. “Walk with me to the mess hall?”

Jade notices Kennedy glance around Ashton and out into the small clearing in the middle of the ring of cabins. She figures that Kennedy is searching for Calum (or maybe Joey, she can’t be sure) but when she sees only the remaining new counselors decorating the fronts of their cabins, she shrugs at Jade and reaches for her sunglasses. 

“I’m gonna nap on the walk,” Kennedy murmurs as she wraps her arm around Jade’s shoulders once they step outside the cabin, “guide me.”

“You should know better by now,” Ashton teases as Jade wraps her arm around Kennedy’s waist. “She let you walk into a tree during that trust exercise last year.”

“I did not,” Jade protests. “I told her to turn left, away from the tree, and she turned right. It’s not my fault she can’t take directions.”

“She did turn left,” a new voice chimes in as the three of them head up the path to the mess hall, “the tree was on the left, not the right.”

Kennedy tenses at the sound of Calum’s voice but doesn’t stop walking. Jade, feeling Kennedy’s reaction, rolls her eyes. “When I said left, I meant my left. Not her left. We were facing different directions,” Jade defends. “Maybe it’s my fault for not specifying but she’s the one who gave herself a concussion, so.”

Kennedy rolls her eyes at Jade’s dismissal but says nothing and keeps herself stuck to Jade’s side as the four of them make their way to the mess hall. She listens as Jade and Ashton fall into an easy conversation about the hike at the end of camp. They argue over who should hold the map, as if they’ve already committed to hiking together, and Kennedy doesn’t know how she feels about that. 

She doesn’t know how she feels about Calum anymore, either.

He’s is trailing behind the three of them, his eyes burning into the back of her head, but Kennedy can’t bring herself to look at him. She keeps her gaze forward, her eyes on the expanse of trees that surround them, and she tries her hardest to pretend like the weight of Calum’s gaze isn’t affecting her. She pretends that it’s the hangover that’s making her knees weak and her stomach churn. She pretends that it’s the anxiety that comes with meeting parents, that it’s the excitement for the summer ahead, but she knows that it’s all Calum’s fault and Kennedy wants to cry when Jade untangles herself from her grip and grabs Ashton’s hand.

“We’ll meet you guys in the mess hall,” Jade calls as she and Ashton head in the direction of the art cabin, “we’ve got something we need to do super quick. Promise I’ll be back by the time the kids come in!”

Kennedy watches as Jade disappears with Ashton, confusion clouding her brain. “I feel like I missed something,” she mumbles with a frown as she watches them giggle. “Like, they went from hiking to horny in a shockingly short period of time.”

“Is it really that shocking for them?” Calum questions as he watches the pair disappear from beside her. “I’m surprised they lasted this long, honestly.”

Kennedy nods her agreement and shrugs. “I thought she was going to lose her mind when we thought you guys weren’t coming. Like, she was fully miserable for the whole day. Didn’t know what she was going to do without Ash.”

“He talked about her the whole ride up here,” Calum informs Kennedy as the pair resume their journey to the mess hall. “He really liked her. Couldn’t wait to see her again.”

Kennedy isn’t sure if she’s imagining the softness in Calum’s voice or if he’s no longer talking about Jade and Ashton but she doesn’t want to assume. So she nods, takes his words at face value, and hums, “She liked him, too. It’s gonna be tough to keep them away from each other this summer. At least I’ll know she’s with him if she goes missing, though.”

Kennedy can see Calum nod out of the corner of her eye but he doesn’t make any further attempt at conversation as the pair of them move closer to the mess hall. It’s an awkward silence, one she isn’t used to having with Calum, and it makes her frown as she crosses her arms over her chest and wishes she had something to say that didn’t feel forced. 

Conversations with Calum were easy before she started to think too much about feelings and intentions and hypothetical futures. They flowed and when they didn’t, the silences weren’t just a thing to be filled. They were comfortable, happy and carefree, and Kennedy wants to return to that but she isn’t sure how.

So, she keeps walking. She keeps her eyes on the wooden boards beneath her feet that serve as the porch to the mess tent and almost makes it to the door when a hand grips her elbow.

She blinks at Calum’s grip, her eyes catching the tattoo on his hand that she spent so much time tracing the previous summer, before she lifts her head and glances at his face for the first time in nearly a year. Physically, he hasn’t changed. He’s still just as beautiful as she remembers him being. His eyes are just as expressive and his face just as difficult to read as she’s always found it. She can’t tell what he’s thinking and she isn’t sure if she’d change that.

“Kennedy,” he begins quietly, his eyes roaming her face for any hint of emotion. He’d always told her that her eyes gave her away, that he could see every emotion just as clear as day, but with the tint of her sunglasses keeping them hidden, Calum is just as blind to her emotions as she is to his.

He isn’t quite sure what he wants to say to her. He doesn’t know if he should apologize for not texting her or ask her if they can start over. He doesn’t know if he should tell her that she looks beautiful, even with a hangover from Hell, or if he should just let her go.

Calum has never been this uncertain so he goes with the only safe option. He lets go of her arm and shoots what he hopes is a genuine looking smile in her direction as he says, “It’s good to see you again.”

He doesn’t see the flicker of disappointment in her eye. He doesn’t feel the sting of rejection burning the back of her throat. All he sees is the nod of her head before she mutters, “It’s good to see you, too.”

Kennedy doesn’t know why it bothers her so much. It wasn’t like she was expecting a declaration of his undying love. However, she was expecting something a little more substantial than, “It’s good to see you again.”

But before she can spend too much time dwelling on his first direct comment to her, about their time spent together, a voice calls, “You’re alive! I’m glad the Everclear didn’t kill you.” Kennedy turns to see Joey bounding up the steps, a grin on his lips as he steps closer to her. She can see Cole dragging behind him, a pair of sunglasses matching her own covering his eyes, and she grins.

“I’m, like, half a degree more alive than Cole right now,” she laughs as she watches him drag himself up the steps. “Maybe a full degree.”

“I don’t know what I did to deserve this,” Cole sighs as he leans against the wooden post, “but I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Beer after liquor next time?” Joey asks with a grin.

“Yeah.” Kennedy laughs at the interaction and shakes her head as she watches Cole attempt to drag himself into the mess hall only to fall into one of the rocking chairs beside the door. “Leave me here,” he sighs. “If you could all live quietly while I die, that’d be great.”

Kennedy, Joey, and Calum glance at Cole. They watch as he leans his head against the wooden side of the building and sighs, green strands falling into his face and covering the red of his cheeks. The three of them stare at him for a long moment before Kennedy shakes her head and points to the door.

“I’m going to go get something to eat. The campers will be here soon and I can’t deal with them on an empty stomach,” she mutters as she steps around Joey. “If I do, I’ll end up dying with Cole.”

“The afterlife’s looking pretty sweet,” Cole mutters, his words muffled by the hat he’d pulled down over his face. “No campers, at least.”

Joey laughs at Cole’s antics and shakes his head. “I’ll come with you,” he offers to Kennedy. “I think the only edible thing in there is peanut butter and jelly but living off that is better than joining him in the afterlife,” Joey shrugs as he moves to follow her. However, before the two can get more than a few steps closer to the door, he turns back to Calum. “Shit, sorry. I’m Joey,” he offers with a grin, “nice to meet you, man.”

Calum nods. He wants to say that he knows, to ignore the greeting and walk away, but when he catches the look on Kennedy’s face, he sighs and says, “Calum. Nice to meet you, too.”

Calum really wants to be annoyed as he watches Joey and Kennedy disappear into the mess hall. He wants to be annoyed that Joey seems to be such a nice person. He wants to be annoyed that he’s grinning and bright, that he seems like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He wants to be annoyed that he’s got Kennedy laughing just by being near her. He wants to be annoyed that he’s just waltzed in and picked up right where they left off all those years ago as if a day hadn’t gone by when he can barely get a full sentence out in her presence.

But the only person Calum is annoyed with is himself.

He knows that he’s the only one to blame here. He knows that if he’d just taken the risk over the summer and kissed her or held her hand or fucking told her that he liked her like one of his campers suggested then maybe he’d be the one she was giggling at. Maybe he’d be the one she was making doe eyes at. Maybe he’d be the one with her undivided attention.

But he’d played it cool, kept her at a distance because he didn’t want to fall too hard too fast and get his heart broken, and now he’s suffering the consequences.

“Green’s not a good color on you, dude.” Calum glances over at Cole whose head is lolled to one side, his hair covering his face, and Calum isn’t sure how he can even see in front of him. Calum stares at Cole, a look of confusion on his face, when Cole shrugs. “I mean, real green probably is but jealous green is not. It’s summer camp. Lighten up.”

Calum wants to roll his eyes. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he’s been thinking about Kennedy for nearly a year and it’s driving him insane. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because he thought about their reunion and this is absolutely not how he imagined it’d go. He wants to tell Cole that he can’t lighten up because things just aren’t going how he imagined they would but he doesn’t.

Instead, he asks, “How the fuck did you even know?”

As Calum listens to Cole explain himself, Kennedy allows Joey to guide her through the tables filled with counselors. She waves hello to those she remembers, smiles politely at those she doesn’t, and laughs when Joey stops her in front of the table containing the necessary ingredients for peanut butter and jelly. She remembers living off of them her first summer at Camp Clear Lake. She remembers sneaking the ingredients out of the mess hall after breakfast and hiding in the edge of the woods with Joey to eat them and laugh at one another attempting to speak through a mouthful of peanut butter as their campers splashed in the lake. 

She remembers wondering if sharing a kiss with Joey would taste like peanut butter and jelly. 

But she also remembers sharing the sandwich with Calum. She remembers making sandwiches and the two of them sneaking out in the middle of the night for Calum to smoke and write. She remembers listening as he hummed the melodies that were stuck in his mind and grinning when he began scribbling words onto the pages of his notebook. He’d been slightly weirded out by the combination, unsure of it, and hadn’t really enjoyed it much at all. 

“You’re from Australia, Calum,” she remembers telling him when he made the comment that Americans had weird food combinations, “you guys eat sprinkles on buttered bread. You can’t tell me shit.”

“Yeah,” he shrugged, “but that’s, like, for kids. Birthday parties and shit. This is just something people eat. It’s weird.”

She remembers laughing at him getting peanut butter stuck to the roof of his mouth and him scoffing at the suggestion that he should feed his dog some. She remembers him putting a spoonful of it in Ashton’s shoes and biting back a grin when he blamed a camper. She remembers being carefree, not worried about the future or the past but living in the moment. She remembers being happy with what she had and not caring if she got anything more.

And Kennedy knows that she wants that again.

She wants to be happy. She wants to find love and grow old with someone she cares about. Realistically, however, she doesn’t think that’ll happen at Camp Clear Lake. She doesn’t think she’ll meet her soulmate by the tire swing or in line for the showers. She doesn’t think she’ll fall madly in love by the rusty swings or near the too-smokey fire. So, as she meets Jade by the signpost welcoming campers to Camp Clear Lake, Kennedy vows to just live.

“If we flirt and we fuck and we forget,” she mumbles as double checks the stack of name tags attached to her clipboard, “then that’s what happens. I’m not going to be weird and anxious all summer. I’m just going to live.”

Jade, brain still mildly fogged from her encounter with Ashton, stares at Kennedy for a long moment. She isn’t quite sure who Kennedy is talking about when she says she’s fine with just living. Part of her hopes that it’s Calum, another part of her hopes that it’s Joey. Calum kept her calm, Joey helped her have fun. Each boy brought out something different in Kennedy, helped her be a better version of herself, so Jade can’t help but ask, “When you say we, who do you mean? You and Joey or you and Calum?”

And there, Kennedy realizes, lies her problem.

When she says she wants to live in the moment, who does she want to live in the moment with?

Author’s Note: I love this so much so far. I haven’t been this excited about a fic in A G E S. Who are we feeling for Kennedy to end up with? Cal or Joey? (Also, I’ve seen Captain Marvel twice now and I want to see it again, send help.)

[mcsm-au-month]

Minecraft Story Mode July AU Countdown

Minecraft Story Mode has multiple AUs, and this is a month-long countdown dedicated to celebrating it! Some AUs are fandom specific, some are just fun general concepts for AUs, and each one will be a blast to see explored. Art, writing, cosplay, other creative measures- anything goes!

July 1: Modern AU

AU wherein Mcsm characters exist in a more modern world and/or with more modern/advanced technology and means of living than shown in the series.

July 2: Actor AU

Mcsm characters are actually just actors who are filming a choose-your-own-adventure style movie where there are different scenes depending on the audience’s choices. The actors have their own lives and may get along well / have their own bonds regardless of character relationships. Many shenanigans ensue both on and off set.

July 3: Hogwarts AU

The characters are wizards in a magical world, potentially learning at Hogwarts or enjoying the broader world beyond it.

July 4: Order Swap AU

Ivor, Ellegaard, and Magnus are all excited for the upcoming Endercon competition, where they could win a chance to see Petra the Warrior in person. However, it doesn’t take long for things to go wrong due the surprise appearance of someone named Jesse, who’s got a bit of a grudge and a command block... (The two Orders are reversed in roles and stories. Other characters may likewise be moved or swapped.)

July 5: Hybrids AU

In a world where full humans see themselves as “more normal” and superior to the animalistic hybrids around them, it’s up to a bunch of scrappy hybrids to save the day. (AU created by @warning-heckmouth. Jesse and the rest of the new Order are all hybrids, part human and part animal, with Lukas hiding his traits and Soren having wiped the old Order of theirs in an effort to seem normal.)

July 6: Sky AU

While uniting the floating islands, Isa comes across an abandoned baby. This baby is Jesse, and Isa takes Jesse in as her own. Many years later, while Jesse lives as the Founder’s child, the Blaze Rods and Order of the Stone arrive at Sky City, and neither Jesse or Isa’s life will ever be quite the same. (Created by @jesseoftheorder. Lukas is part of the Order at this point, Axel and Olivia arrive at Sky City with Ivor, Petra, and Lukas, and the Order stopped the Witherstorm without Jesse.)

July 7 (Saturday): Off Day

July 8: Order Villains AU

What if the Order was more like how Aiden described them to Isa? What if they were just as vile and dangerous and wasteful as warned? (The new Order of the Stone are villains intent on misusing the Eversource while the Blaze Rods are genuinely trying to help Sky City from suffering the same fate as their own world.)

July 9: Demigods AU

The new Order of the Stone (and/or potentially other characters) are partly the children of powerful gods, each having powers based on the abilities of their godly parent.

July 10: Witherstorm Connection AU

Everyone was more than happy to believe any traces of the Witherstorm died with it. However, it turns out an unexpected side effect of nearly being used up as energy is a never before experienced sharing of emotions and more through a benevolent but confusing hive mind. (Those captured/influenced by the Witherstorm have the ability to hear the thoughts of others who were also affected.)

July 11: Benders AU

Mcsm characters exist in a world akin to Avatar the Last Airbender and/or are able to bend and use certain elements at will.

July 12: Withersickness AU

Despite the fact that Jesse, and possibly others, had more exposure to the Witherstorm’s beams, Petra/Gabriel seems to be the only one who suffers from the withersickness. At least at first... (Jesse [and/or another member of the group] ends up with withersickness.)

July 13: Supernatural AU

It might be hard to think the world of Minecraft could get much more magical, but nothing is as it seems. (Various characters are supernatural entities and/or exist in a world filled with such entities and properties.)

July 14 (Saturday): Off Day

July 15: Fairy Tale AU

Mcsm characters exist in a fairy tale world and/or are living out the roles of characters in fairy tales.

July 16: Role Swap AU

The Order members may all be the same, but in this AU, the Order members don’t quite fill the same roles. Axel happens to be a redstone engineer while Olivia’s a griefer bent on causing some form of mayhem, for example. (AU where the roles of various characters are switched.)

July 17: Super Hero AU

For various reasons, some people in the mcsm universe are born with and/or later gain incredible abilities that they use to protect and help people.

July 18: Hadrian’s Deal AU

Jesse, in yet another moment of misguided heroism, decides not to tell the other about their deal with Hadrian and throws the games so they can go free. Surprisingly Hadrian keeps end of the bargain leaving Jesse in the mines and the rest of the new order in the portals with no way of getting home.

July 19: Western AU

The good, the bad, the ugly, all of it from mcsm but adapted to a much more western frontier style setting.

July 20: Reuben Lives AU

The title says it all. AU where everything is pretty much the same except Reuben is alive after episode 4.

July 21 (Saturday): Off Day

July 22: Admin AU

One or more mcsm characters find themselves with admin powers, or have always been admins, for any number of possible reasons. How they use their powers and what for can be just as varied and uncertain.

July 23: Mythical Creatures AU

Various characters are mythical animals or creatures.

July 24: Command Block Pocket Dimension AU

Ivor’s too big of a risk for Soren to just let him go. Soren’s already got experience with removing obstacles using the Command Block, and since there happens to be a nice little pocket dimension inside where everything it removes is kept, it can be like Ivor never left them. Not that Soren will tell the others where Ivor really went, of course. (Created by @gateaugrimoire. Ivor and the Enderdragon fuse to create an odd hybrid creature determined to save the other members from Soren.)

July 25: Apocalypse AU

Jesse’s world was already interesting before it all decided to end, and now it’s a battle to survive what seems like brutal Armageddon with the people met along the way.

July 26:  Children AU

The New Order gang are children rather than adults in the witherstorm timeline trying to navigate what might be the literal apocalypse in the from and the Old Order are adults who are all, including Ivor, very conflicted about having a group so young tag along on the quest to stop the end of the world as they know it. (Created by @nyanshadowforce and @jesseoftheorder.)

July 27: Gem/Fusion AU

Various (if not all) characters are gems in the style of Steven Universe or are otherwise able to fuse.

July 28 (Saturday): Off Day

July 29: Ghost Hunters AU

Mcsm characters are a part of a team of paranormal investigators exploring haunted places, similar to Ghost Adventures or Unsolved: Supernatural and other similar shows.

July 30: Youtuber AU

Instead of saving worlds from terrifying monsters and eccentric criminals, the new Order and other Mcsm characters are helping people through a variety of diverse but fun videos and youtube shenanigans.

July 31: Free Day

Have an AU not on this list? Or maybe one that you just want to do again? Go for it! Whatever AU you want! 

[ronan-macteer]

⤷ have you heard? ( RONAN MACTEER ) has arrived in novigrad. the stories say ( he ) is also known as ( knight of the dawn ). he is very clearly ( thirty-five ) years old and a ( witcher ). little birds may whisper that ronan is ( - mendacious, enigmatic, wrathful, artful, silver-tongued and stubborn ) but their own would describe them as ( + gallant, charismatic, masterful, dauntless, genuine and loyal )  [ fc; richard madden ]

Hey there my dears - I’m Eden and I am super excited be here and bring to a dash near you the okayest witcher . Below you’ll find a vague-ish intro for my smol son because this one required more of an actual bio than Tea did ( adrastea incase you need to know ). Should you like to plot or fancy a connection with my love here hmu! 

tw mentions of death

Name: Ronan Albertus Martin MacTeer ( long I know but his parents really hoped a long name would inspire him to be more

Nickname: Ronan ( preferred ), MacTeer ( also preferred ), Roan, Roanie Ronan of Velen and other various nicknames and things one can shout at a witcher.

Title: Knight of the Dawn

Age: 35yrs. old. He does actually thoroughly look his age save for the grey stripe that appeared in his hair when he was just a boy.

Born:  Gors Velen, Velen, Northern Coast of Temeria

Species: Witcher ( formerly human? its common knowledge most witchers were human males if not all of them )

Gender: Male

Height: 5ft 10in

Physique: Muscular. ( everything about a witcher is enhanced and modified to create a more perfect fighting machine against the monsters that ever constantly threaten this world since the Conjunction of Spheres. Needless to say Ronan is no exception to that rule that everything about him is more than any other man. Still Ronan doesn't make it a point to laze around but because of his training he is always honing his skills, sharpening them for until there cease to be dangerous creatures there is still a need for him to be ready at all times to face them. Monsters are the only ones truly capable of killing other monsters - that was the reason for creating witchers in the first place. Too, Ronan is a gorgeous hunk of a man and you aren't simply born so stupidly sculpted and handsome )

Hair: Ginger. Well ginger to a point there is one single solitary wisp of grey in the very front. He does quite fancy that little wisp of grey and is prone to playing with it in idle moments or when he's about to cheat in Gwent ( bonus fact: that isn't often ronan is just that damn good of a player and almost never loses a game. )

Family: There was one once that existed. He had two brothers and three little sisters - being the oldest himself it should've fallen upon him to take care of them and become the patriarch of the family. Since the witcher that saved his father claimed the right of the law of surprise he hasn't heard of them since. He knows better than to look for them as well knowing that times were hard when he left and they wouldn't have survived very long. Its a sore point but he considers his fellow witchers brothers.

Occupation: Witcher.

About ( this one is a bio mhmm of sorts )

There was family once. Ronan remembers the smell of his mother's hair and brothers and sisters to play with and a father who would teach him there was more out there in this world. He remembers happiness when he was a little nothing of a boy barely able to hold a practice sword or say alghoul without butchering the pronunciation of it all. After all these years he still remembers them. Often in his journals  he'll write about them and there was a point he would secretly write letters home but they were never met with any sort of response. Ronan isn't entirely sure if they're still alive or if they can even read or write. One thing is certain the last time a contract took him to Gors Valen to his birthplace they weren't there and not a soul that lives there now remembers the fisherman, his wife or the score of children they had. Even still if they are there why would they accept that their brother is a witcher?

Young Ronan MacTeer was only five when the witcher named Velles claimed him and took him to train at the School of the Griffin. He fought that day - kicked and screamed and violently refused to go. Velles still had teeth marks in his skin until the day he died from where the young child bit him. A promise was a promise and Old MacTeer had promised his eldest  to the witcher for having saved his life and he would go. His mother wailed and the youngest of his sisters ran after the horse until her feet were unable to carry her. It was the price it was the pledge and it would be honored. Despite his initial resistance and there was a great deal on his part, Velles did become an adoptive father to him. The two came to care for one another very deeply. It still hurts and always will that he essentially has no one else now but he's gained another family all his own of brothers in arms he wouldn't trade any one of them for the world. They are all each other has.

While there were initial bumps this was the beginning of the Knight of the Dawn. He would earn his name soon after he completed his trials and he went through them all. They took a boy and took him apart. After the choice which Velles convinced him of it was excruciating. Witchers in the School of the Griffin hardly thought he would survive the trial of the grasses but Ronan did. When he came through Ronan, just barely a young man, insisted they put him through additional trials. Velles told him it was unnecessary that completing this one was enough and he was now a witcher of the griffin school but Ronan despite the pain it would bring insisted. Noble, gallant, dauntless and incredible stubborn he was already ten times the man most other witcher boys were at sixteen willing to suffer so for the cause he'd been taught to believe in. Yes it made him like all other boys submitted to the witcher trials a foul creation - a freak in their own way but he really and truthfully knew no other life. It was the sunrise on the next day after his final trial where the boy truly became a man. High up in the mountains, higher than any one else including perhaps the monsters they hunted cat eyes open and took in a deep breath. Ronan greeted the dawn as he did every other day only this day was the beginning of the rest of his real life. A monster yes by normal human being standards but who would protect them but a witcher - specifically the Knight of the Dawn as Velles coined him.

Years passed, contracts and contacts came and went and the more harrowing each job became but he greeted each monster with a cunning smile and a silver sword. Those were the days to be wild and alive. Sure enough the Knight of the Dawn earned his name for being noble and a most masterful fighter to his enemies they surely knew him to be a trickster of sorts - never told the whole truth, came for blood, could talk his way out of any situation and had a terrible way of gaining an upper hand but in all that he was still good. Cheated at cards and drank but her was more than most men and had a mind about him to think of more than just himself. Never once did he claim the right of surprise and when they couldn't pay he wouldn't force them too. Then came a day he questioned things. He wondered of his former family. Perhaps it started when Velles died that he wondered if there was more to what they did - more to life. He kept this curiosity quiet, the studying he truly did of the monsters they hunted expanding knowledge in the hope to understand. They were once people were they not as was he? Who in this age wasn't some beast hidden there in the dark? It's always been a thought to gnaw away at him in the lonely days. His wonder of those things went no further because he knew there weren't many of his kind left and that wonder led down a dangerous path no witcher could walk without losing their head. He was faithful to his brothers and he would have their back, even Urbis', to the end. Lonely it was but they were the shred of what family each other had and it was entirely possible they would be the very last of their kind. The life of a witcher was never promised to be kind - their training and the things they've had to do have all but ensured they know their place in the world.

Ronan despite his training, despite the trials that took a boy and tore him apart and made him the witcher he is and even despite his artful ways of dancing around the truth he wondered of love. He wondered and still questions as he fights for coin to rid the world of monsters if he is not more a monster than they are and if there would be a person who would share this cold and bloody world with him? Perhaps it is a fools dream of a life beyond witching? What is sad is he has loved, deeper than some would think a witcher capable of loving; an all consuming love with a woman who loved him just as much and understood that what he was and never feared him for she knew his hands would never harm her if only protect her. He wakes in the night as if he is missing part of himself and reached for the ground beside him to find nothing and it is a haunting loneliness no amount of silver-tonged ability, daring fights, drunken brawls or loose women has helped. He hides it well but it is a gaping hole and it is painful but the knight of the dawn has no other option then the press on because there is no other life than this one. Ronan misses the love of his life not even knowing it is she he's missing not even knowing the empty name he wishes he could call is Orianna... Orianna.

Here he is Novigrad, less of his kind than there was before having accepted another contract but the whispers of the Wild Hunt concern him. Other things have been amiss as well but if the Wild Hunt comes perhaps with it comes his end as well? His arrival here in Novigrad and the arrival of other witchers makes him suspicious that there is more afoot here than the place initially lets on. With that and the thoughts that plague his mind what a time it is to be alive in regards to the Knight of the Dawn for the future is unknown and he is unsure of what lies ahead...

Trivia

Moral Alignment: Neautral

Zodiac: Capricorn

Temperament: Choleric

Sin: Wrath

Norse God/Goddess: Tyr

Witcher School: School of the Griffin - duh

Favorite foods: Meat, seafood, hot biscuits, strawberries and ale. He does like food and has quite honestly a more refined palate.

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor

Theme Song: Oblivion by M83 feat Susanne Sundfør

WANTED PLOTS:

Oh boy all the things -. the list is endless. HONESTLY LETS PLOT

[denouxments]

amber heard. cisfemale. she/her. — did you see { elizabeth trevor }, i haven’t seen the { thirty-one } year old in a while! you know, they’re a { fashion designer }, and have been living in jersey city for { eight years }. some say they’re { fussy & fanciful }, but i think they’re { vivacious & compassionate }. regardless, i’m glad { eliza } is here.

backstory

here comes my actual waifu for laifu, eliza ( i would actually die for her, okay ) ! you can find her dossier page HERE and her pinterest board HERE ( she’s one of the muses i’ve had for a literal decade, so why there isn’t more stuff in here ? couldn’t tell ya )

okay so she’s kind of a princess. okay not really, but she is the only scion to a very wealthy family in the drilling & realty business in london. they’re essentially right on the cusp of being granted a dukedom. so, yeah, a pretty deep money line there, and everyone thought the line was going to die because her mom was told she couldn’t have kids. but then eliza showed up and they loved her !!

they loved her a little too much tbh. they weren’t around a whole lot due to business, so she was primarily left in the care of nannies in the estate. they had strict rules: she was to be homeschooled. her parents dictated everything she watched and all the books she consumed. she was not allowed out unsupervised, and all of her friends were picked out, in a sense. 

they expected eliza to be happy with this life, but unfortunately the trevors were granted with a social creature of a daughter, and all she wanted was to roam away from the gilded cage she was placed in. she wanted friends that she chose. she wanted the ability to go to public school. she didn’t care for trinkets or material possessions; she wanted freedom 

it took a long time, but eventually she convinced her parents to let her attend a private, all-girls boarding school so that she could have . . . some form of a social life.

she made a couple genuine friends, but for the most part the other girls didn’t take too kindly to her. she never returned their cruelty, but that was mostly because she didn’t understand that it was cruelty. that’s just how friends talked to each other, right ?

eliza essentially took all the prim and proper training she had gotten and threw it in the trash. she was still sweet and courteous, but her curious nature made it so she wasn’t the best at following the rules, and she really had an issue with social cues and personal space

she had . . . okay grades. she was really more focused on finally able to be social

across the lake from this boarding school was the all-boys sister school. ( there’s a movie i i was inspired from, but i can’t remember what it was rip ) there were occasional late night rendezvous between some adventurous girls and some adventurous boys. it was one of these rendezvous that allowed eliza to meet aiden gallagher.

aiden was everything eliza had read in fairytales. he was princely and charming and 3 years older and so, so handsome. he was always 2nd best to his best friend, but to eliza he was everything

aiden and eliza spent the better part of their upper-secondary years together, but of course her parents wouldn’t approve, seeing as they were surely planning to marry her off to a duke or something, so they had to keep it secret. 

then the two became engaged and she couldn’t keep it a secret anymore. unfortunately, her fears were correct. not only did her parents not approve, but they forbade her from seeing aiden ever again. 

welp, too bad mum and dad, cuz eliza ran away with aiden to the united states, leaving her fortune, her family, and everything else behind for a grungy little apartment in nyc

most would say that having to start over would be difficult as hell, but for eliza it was just another adventure. she was finally free from the gilded cage she was set in and she was ready to live her life to the fullest. aiden followed his dreams of starting a bar in the hustle and bustle, meanwhile eliza landed a job as a model. it was good money, and the 2 managed to be okay

after 3 years of being engaged, eliza was starting to get a bit antsy. whenever she asked, aiden would always say that they’d get married when they were ready. well dude ! she was ready ! after a few sets of bickering and perseverance, she finally managed to get a date out of him

girl went ALL THE FUCK OUT. by this point she’d gotten a more 9-5 job as an assistant contemporary and ballroom dance instructor, so she started saving up money from that and modeling for the big, fabulous wedding she so wanted. she probably spent a small fortune on planning for this wedding

big day comes, okay. she’s got her dream venue, her dream dress, a prince charming, she is READY. but you know who isn’t? aiden. he’s not ready. not only is he not ready, but he fell in love with someone else. he leaves eliza at the alter and she doesn’t know What To Do

she doesn’t even get her stuff from his place. she just goes and stays at one of her bridesmaid’s place. 

she’s in a state of shock for weeks, and its during this period of time that she realizes that she literally does not know what her dreams were besides living happily ever after with this guy. she doesn’t know what she’s doing, where she’s going to go. she’s totally lost at this point

feeling like she doesn’t have anything else, she goes back home. its rough, especially not being in contact with her parents for 4 years. she’s their only baby and they love her, so of course they let her back ( though there are plenty of ‘told you so’s’ tacked on )

she goes back to studying for her role to take over as the heiress to the family fortune. she’s miserable, but she doesn’t know what else to do so she just accepts her lot in life

during her free time, she sneaks away to work at charity events under the guise of good public relations. she also finds herself doodling fashion designs, as she’d always enjoyed that realm of life. the hobby gradually becomes a passion, but she doesn’t realize that its something she could see herself doing for forever until . . .

she’s with her family for 2 years when she finds out that her fears from years ago are more true than she could have ever realized. not long after her 23rd birthday, her family gets into a bit of a scandal with their drilling business. its pretty bad. looks like the money vat they’ve got going is going to dry up. as a way to try and salvage something, her parents call on an old friend who is part of a minor dukedom asking if maybe they’d be willing to marry off their son to eliza.

eliza does NOT like this. she’s always wanted to marry for love, not for money, but her parents need her and she’s still super Lost so . . . fuck it right ?

not fuck it. she hates the guy. she’s trying so hard to resign herself but he’s infuriating and she just needs to Go so, uh, guess it’s her turn to run from the alter !! its like this whole eye opening experience for her. like she Wakes Up and realizes what she wants. while she does definitely want to get married, she definitely down’t want This. 

so she’s Gone and this time she’s definitely not coming back. she’s essentially ruined her family’s life in her eyes and she really cannot handle that shame. 

she moves back to the east coast, but this time she crashes with an old friend that has found her way to jersey city. eventually she gets her own place though, a nice apartment in a highrise. its very different from the estate she grew up in, but its better because it isn’t a cage

she gets back into the fashion industry, but this time its moreso in the designer aspect. her modeling turns into helping the other girls look 10/10 and its Nice. she’s pretty sure she’s found what she wants to do. so much so that she winds up starting her own brand

that’s been going on for about 5 years now, and its going pretty freaking swell !!

its been 8 years since her last near marriage, and to be honest she hasn’t had any truly serious relationships since aiden, which was almost 17 years ago. she’s dated and been with folks, but nothing that’s made her feel the way he did. its kind of a bummer because she always planned to be married before 30, but its fine, yknow !! she can just be a . . . successful career woman. she’s definitely NOT sad about it ( she is rip. she wants kids and a white picket fence and a guy that makes her feel like a PRINCESS )

that was a LOT i am SO SORRY

personality

an actual fucking sundrop okay. she brings so much light into my life and she’d probably bring a lot of light into your muses’ lives

super generous and kind. super charitable and wants everyone to be happy and smiling

still doesn’t get a lot of social cues and still kinda has that personal space issue when she gets super excited ( loves to hug and hold hands. physical touch is . . . so important )

honestly think like . . . giselle from enchanted at the end of the movie and also rapunzel from tangled. elle woods is also pretty accurate for certain moments. but with Sleek Business Woman Aesthetic

honestly if it was up to her she’d show up to work in a cute blouse and skirt combo but bare feet :/

if you couldn’t tell, she’s a horribly hopeless romantic. she wants a prince charming so bad, but due to her previous romantic experiences she’s more careful and doesn’t fall in love as easily as she used to

can be kinda judgy of others sometimes, especially about their fashion sense ( the actual fashion police has arrived )

doesn’t do well with people that try to get rises out of people for fun

determined to a fault, considering a lot of her ideas are unrealistic. 

sometimes she makes it work and then other times she can be found crying in the bathroom of her office because everything fell through

can sometimes get her priorities backwards :/ can blow off important things, or push the work onto other people because she has other things she’d rather do or thinks are more important ( even though they really aren’t )

has all the proper training to be a debonair, posh woman, but chooses instead to be as down to earth as possible. you can’t take the fashion style away from her though

has quite a few hobbies due to her time alone. her favorite hobbies are fashion design ( her passion ! ), dancing, and sfx makeup ( yes, you read that right. special effects makeup )

you’d think because of her disney princess aesthetic she’d be a charming singer . . . no. she is tone deaf. can’t even play instruments. would literally fuck up the triangle. its bad.

she can be coordinated in dancing and stitching, but in her day-to-day life she is SO clumsy

loves kids ! loves family ! loves so much ! wants that life so bad !

gives off such an intimidating vibe nowadays but is literally just . . . a marshmallow

kinda misses her parents, kinda doesn’t. mostly just . . . ignores that she ever even had parents

she has a pet cat named leia who is the best and looks like the cat from this instagram

does not at all ever talk about her background. if someone were to recognize her she’d rather they just . . . shhhhhh please ( actually highkey using a fake surname asdjflasj )

she cured my depression, okay

connections

an assistant at work for her to use and abuse but for her to not realize she’s doing it because she’s kinda nice about it but yeah there are some Issues there

PALS. GOOD FRIENDS. A GREAT SQUAD. SHE NEEDS BUDS

maybe the old bridesmaid that moved to jersey city that she moved in with after the duke incident

some exes that lasted a couple months

some dudes that finally showed her just how dickish some guys could be :/

coffee catchup friends~

someone she just Does Not get along with, really brings out the mean bitch in her

someone she’s tutoring in dance ( cuz she still tries to fit that hobby into her schedules like a Fool )

ride or die bff

someone she’s friendzoned

maybe someone she’s interested in and they’re also interested in her but because of Reasons they’re not together and its just a lot of back and forth and AHHH will they won’t they basically

a pal that gets her out for some drinks and dancing and tries to get her to flirt around but she just Can’t

if your muse has kids plz let her near them so she can cry and go through 20 midlife crisis. also works for her to know your muses’ parents if your muse is on the younger side. she just needs to cry

if someone wanted to bring in aiden or the girl he left her at the alter for i would literally cry great tears of joy. just hmu before you do so obvi

anything please i just want everything thank you <3

[bestfriendforhire]

Children of BFFH, Entry 100

 “Hello, Marisha.  Seeing you again is a pleasure.” stated Aiden just after I was shown from James’ office.  “Would you mind coming with me?” he asked with a small smile.  Aiden had dark blue eyes, but he had his mother’s auburn hair, seeming dark red in bright light.

 “Of course.  Thank you, Aiden.” I told him, following him when he started to walk.

 “Please, call me ‘Aid’.  Everyone does.” he replied, still smiling as he glanced at me.

 “Oh.  Sorry.  I do remember hearing the different nicknames you have for each other, but I didn’t want to appear too casual.” I explained, not wanting him to think I was forgetful.

 “I understand completely, but you’ll be more endeared to everyone here if you use our nicknames instead.  Only some of the adults ever use one of our actual names.” he insisted, seeming to consider the matter settled by how he went silent afterward.  He really was handsome and walked with the casual grace that I associated with the powerful.

 “Aid,” I started experimentally, “you inherited your mother’s gift with heat, correct?”

 He glanced back at me and brushed his hand through his hair bashfully, which was actually really cute.  “Not fully, honestly.  Mother’s gifts come from fey heritage amplified by the corresponding dragon magic.  I received the fey heritage with no trace of the raw strength of dragons.  Sure, I’d be considered extremely strong by your… er… our family’s standards, but I’ll never hold a candle to Mother.”

 “Luckily, there’s no need to destroy cities these days.” I assured him, remembering the estimates of Alma’s power.  I did wonder at the slip.  Did he not think of himself as part of the Slayer family, or was he making a mental distinction between my nuclear family and his own.  The latter seemed more likely, since he couldn’t rightly consider himself powerful next to his parents.

 “True, but Mother can do far more than that these days.  She’s grown considerably from what I’ve been told.” he insisted with no hint of deception.

 If he spoke the truth, Alma might truly have exceeded the power of any known Slayer, which was just a bit terrifying with her lack of aging.  The wiser families had always feared her power back when she was still very active.  I wondered what they would do if they had a clue she had grown.  How would Father react?

 “Is Luce’s water magic also from the fey?” I questioned, interested in his opinion.

 Aid shook his head as he guided me down the stairs.  “Luce purely gained the power of dragons.  She lacks the telepathy of the fey, but I have no doubt she’ll be physically stronger than me eventually, and her strength in magic has continued to grow as well.” he informed me.

 “Hold on, so you have telepathy, like Alaric?” I asked in surprise.

 He shook his head.

 Despite the wards on me, I suddenly saw him standing out in his yard, telling me that fey telepathy was a different beast entirely.  I remembered this from when Doc was showing us history, but Aid’s version made everything seem even more real.  In my disorientation as my mind compared what I was actually seeing to what he was showing me, I missed a step.  He caught me before I even had time to decide what to do.

 “Thank you.  I wasn’t prepared for that.” I told him, feeling a little embarrassed.

 “I apologize for distracting you.  That was not my intent.” he assured me as he released me.  Continuing down the stairs, he said, “Since you’re no doubt more interested in Four than Luce or me, I’ll tell you that his magic comes primarily from Father as far as I can tell.  As such, he’s studied the uses of residual energy extensively and has a stronger connection to the energy than anyone save for father.  If you attempt to use such magic around him, he can stop you with a thought.”

 “I wouldn’t say I’m more interested in Four than the rest of you.” I argued, knowing I wasn’t being honest.

 Aid glanced back to smile at me as he said, “No, but you are.  Like Father, Four emits a spell that causes everyone to think of him favorably.  This can’t be helped and makes fighting him all the more difficult.  If not for the additional protection around you, you might find yourself wanting to show off for him or suffering from an inability to attack due to his face being too charming.  Oh.  My parents did warn you not to attack Messy with intent to do harm during our battle, didn’t they?”

 I shook my head.  “I didn’t even know she participated.  Isn’t that unfair?”

 He nodded, saying, “Quite, if she used her full strength, but she doesn’t.  We follow the tradition of holding back against anyone physically or magically weaker than yourself, so that we might grow more in skill rather than just winning with overwhelming power.  That being said, you must never attack Messy with intent to harm or kill.  Despite the futility of such an attack, you’d die instantly.  Messy cannot help this.  A bullet from any gun, enchanted or otherwise, cannot harm Messy, but an army would be wiped out if everyone attempted to harm her.”

 “Are you serious!?” I asked in shock.

 He looked at me curiously as he asked “You were informed who her mother is, correct?”

 I nodded.

 “Then you shouldn’t be surprised.  Not everyone here knows, so don’t mention that fact.” he warned, his tone almost sounding threatening.

 “I know.” I told him, having been warned by Father that I would simply cease to exist if I betrayed Death’s secrets.

 Apparently believing me, he continued walking as he said, “Then there’s Crazy.  Despite what fighting her will be like if you’re on opposing sides, she is holding back, rarely even exceeding what her mother is capable of doing.  She’s extremely formidable, but she isn’t unbeatable in a restricted fight.  Neither Messy nor Crazy have won every single battle.”

 “You assume I’m trying to prepare myself?” I asked, somewhat amused.  I was really just wanting to compare my family’s records with a firsthand account.

 Aid stopped again, spinning around to look at me.  “I understand that you’ve trained your whole life and have considerable power, but you’re not prepared, not even close.  If Four had been sent to collect you, he would have coddled you and let you find out for yourself.  My parents knew that I wouldn’t, especially not with the reactions of Rona and Layla.  Did you feel you fought well against my sister?”

 “I didn’t do terribly.” I argued, feeling defensive.

 “She was holding back.  Even when your father arrived, she held back.  That’s what we’re trained to do.  If you and your father had used any serious magic, she would have ripped the water straight out of your bodies to save Ella instead of asking for help.  She can.  You’ll never see her do that in practice, thankfully, but she can.  Don’t underestimate any of us, okay?” he asked, gazing into my eyes.  His eyes were actually really pretty too.

 “As you said, I’ve been trained.  I won’t be caught off-guard so easily.” I assured him, though I hadn’t even considered that Luce might have been able to kill Father and me together.

 “You won’t be allowed wards in our battles other than the one placed on you here.  That means Ella will be able to control you if you’re not careful, and I’d wager she’s more skilled at fighting than you are.  You’ll need to be careful.” he insisted.

 “She’s really that good?” I asked dubiously.

 He nodded as he said, “More often than not, Ella is our commander in fights, and she won’t even remember the fight two seconds after we’ve won.  Where the rest of us think about what we could have done better after a fight, Ella typically can’t.  Her memory won’t work that way without extreme focus on Ella’s part.  She had to spend hours on end studying tactics.  What she can do is be exceptionally aware of the present, modeling the movement of everything around her as she acts and seeing how to outmaneuver every last person at once.  I have far better reaction speed than Ella and can sense everyone around me, but I usually can’t arrive at a successful outcome as fast as she can.  The craziest part is that she doesn’t even have to try to do it.”

 That did sound fairly impressive.  Thinking back on it, Ella did seem to be tracking my movements even though she couldn’t physically keep up with me.  “Okay, so what else should I look out for?” I asked, feeling the excitement rising once again.  My fight with Luce had taught me that Aid or Four could probably beat me with relative ease.  Hearing Aid speak so highly of his friends made this sound quite fun.

 “Valeria’s a beginner, but her magic is very versatile with a bit of creativity.  Expect her to redirect attacks, trap people, and attack from your blind spots.” he told me, apparently expecting me to know what sort of magic Valeria had.

 “I’m not really familiar with her, other than knowing that she’s a vampire.” I admitted, interested in hearing what sort of magic she used.

 “Valeria has a limited form of spatial magic.  She can open a doorway from any point into a sort of room and create another door out to a different location, effectively allowing her to teleport herself, others, and whatever else she likes.  We’re not certain what sort of range she has yet.  If she’s tested it, she hasn’t told us, but I imagine Momma Cosette would have had her test it.  I’m a bit curious what happens if she shuts the door before something is fully through, but that hasn’t happened to any of us yet.” he explained, appearing too nonchalant for such a terrifying thought.

 “And how do you escape these rooms of hers if you’re trapped inside?” I questioned, just to be prudent, not because I worried about getting caught.

 “Interdimensional travel, from what Messy told me, though Crazy couldn’t manage it in ten minutes.  That might seem like a short time to you, but I assure you Crazy is a super genius by Slayer standards.  No, that might still be underestimating her.  You’re fairly safe to assume that things she can’t figure out are simply impossible to do with equivalent information.” he assured me, though the idea wasn’t very reassuring.

 Aid continued his explanations as we strolled along the hall of the first floor, and I found myself wondering if even my father knew about the strength of the people here.  James effectively had a personal army under his roof even without considering the adults, and I had heard rumors of a half-demon of tremendous power living here.  Of course, even a demon paled to Death as a tenant, but I was still amazed.  All of the branches of the Slayer family prided themselves on strength, but Best Friend For Hire was in its own league.

[theonemusicmaniac]

Yo,yo,yo, tell us some of your fave musicians/bands? : o

Oh my gosh, of course I’d love to talk about that!!!!!!!

I’m gonna preface first & foremost by saying that I AM a music major & have been exposed to all kinds of music, so you’re probably gonna get a LOT of answers from me!! I’m also gonna put this under a read more cuz I am a crazy child who can’t shut up!!! Anyways, here we go!!

So as a musician, I actually started off playing the Alto Saxophone. That being said, my biggest jazz inspirations are probably Charlie Parker (my MOST fave saxophonist tbh I studied all his music!!), Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, & Herbie Hancock!! And my favorite thing about Herbie Hancock (other than the fact that he’s still alive & bumpin’) is that he is one of the biggest successful names who also practices the same sect of Buddhism I’m involved with, & that’s Nichiren Buddhism. Hancock is evidence of our buddhist practice because he chants Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo (loosely translates to “devotion to the Mystic Law of cause & effect thru sound”). So why is that important? We believe that if you chant NMRK & also put your thoughts into action, then you will receive immense benefit. The point of our practice is that we believe anyone can become happy thru chanting, & our goal is that if we can make everyone know happiness, then the world will know peace. ANYWAYS, back to music, that’s just my jazz answer!!

I’ve also had to study a lot of classical music growing up, & I must say that I’m most fond of Romantic Era & 20th century classical music. Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Brahms, & Liszt are some of my faves from Romantic Era. Stravinsky, Schoenburg, Copland, & Ives are some pretty incredible 20th century classical composers as well.

GROWING UP, I started off as a lil bop/top hits child because, yknow, parents will only make you listen to what they deem appropriate, but as I became exposed & learned more, I actually became a lil rocker child like my dad!! Dad exposed me to Led Zeppelin, Queen, AC/DC, Kiss, all the classic rock shit. This was also around the time that the one Jack Black movie came out (School of Rock I think it’s called). So I eventually began exploring rock music within my own generation (which there are TOO many bands that I like to even list off).

My biggest inspirations from middle school (and still to-date) are Alkaline Trio & 65daysofstatic. These two band saved my life when I thought I was down at my worst back when I was suicidal.

Going into high school, I was still the rocker child, but I think 65daysofstatic exposed me to start listening to more electronic stuff. Not necessarily dubstep bc dubstep didn’t become really big until just about when I graduated high school, but like. Stuff like Armin Van Buuren. Trance stuff. I thought it was super cool. And honestly, my favorite thing about seeing dubstep thriving into fruition was that I felt like a saw new generation of music being born. I couldn’t help but wonder, “Is this what it was like when rock was born? Was this what it was like when jazz rose within America?” It was SO cool!! Even though I’m still a lil rock child, I have so much love, appreciation, & respect for electronic music, & would definitely incorporate it into my own compositions (but since I don’t have a band rn, as you can see, electronic is all I make for now).

I would say my top 4 biggest inspirations to-date are In This Moment, Motionless In White, New Years Day, & William Control. & I can break this down easily:

1) In This Moment

In This Moment is SOOOOOOO important to me!!!! Gosh I almost don’t know where to start!!!!! I remember the first time I heard them was actually on MTV back when Headbangers Ball was big, & “Beautiful Tragedy” was like, their new biggest hit! I DIED when Maria Brink collaborated with Chris Motionless to make the music video for “Whore!” But most importantly, “The Fighter” was my motherfucking anthem after my ex & I broke up last year, & ESPECIALLY when I was sexually assaulted five days after. “I will not hide my face, I will not fall from grace, I’ll walk into the fire baby. All my life I was afraid to die, but now I come alive inside these flames.” The other thing is that Maria inspires me SO MUCH from a lyrical/compositional aspect cuz like (& I know I said I’m Buddhist from a philosphical standpoint), I also consider myself a witch, & Maria has a very enchanting witch aesthetic, & ALL of her music is written to have these really heavy messages with grand morals & such, so I see bits of both my buddhism & my witchcraft thru their music! I’m gonna be seeing them live for the first time in April and ASDIFHAOIJGPOWJGE I am so excited!!!!

2) Motionless In White

WowowowowowowoWOW where do I begin again!! I know people make fun of old MIW since it was basically only screamo/edgelord stuff, but I used to LOVE that shit once upon a time, and tbh, I think MIW is the only band of its original genre to actually become successful in obtaining that Halloween/goth/nu-goth aesthetic (which is exactly why I LOVE IT), I admire Chris for his “idgaf” attitude & for the depth in which he writes his music. MIW is obviously a very political & socially aware band, but they also take time to write very personal music too. I think the Graveyard Shift album was VERY personal, given that 570 & Hourglass were their favorite songs to make & they had such deep messages about their own journey as musicians. I’ve had the pleasure to meet this band twice, & the second time I think I left a good impression! I gave everyone in the band & their girlfriends (bc I’m such a barista) Starbucks gift cards, & they were all very nice & thankful!! I think Chris also remembers me as the one who asks really heavy music-related questions at VIPs cuz like, the first time I met them I was like, “What advice do you have for musicians like me who want to do what you do??” & the 2nd time I met them, I had a question regarding composing music. Nicest band, 10/10, & if you’re going to the final Vans Warped Tour show, you should definitely go support them because they’re on the lineup!!! (Not important info, but they also featured Maria Brink in their song “Contemptress” off the Reincarnate album, & I think that’s amazing that they team up so well)

3) New Years Day

MY BABYGIRL ASH IS SO GOOD SHE JUST GOT ENGAGED OMG I AM SO HAPPY FOR HER!!! Anyways, NYD is another REALLY nice band, & much like ITM & MIW, they carry both the witchy aesthetic (since Ash is an open witch), & they also have a bit of a Halloweenish vibe to them in their own sense (but not in the same way MIW does). I think, if you’re not big on the heavy music ITM & MIW make, NYD is a PERFECT recommendation because it’s still dark-themed music, but especially vocally speaking, it’s much “easier” on the ears (I love all of this kind of music, but this is also what people in my close circle also tell me cuz not all my friends like my music). I’ve only met this band once, but I’ve also had SO many incredible interactions with them! I met them for the first time at Vans Warped Tour last year, & it was exactly one month after I was assaulted. I didn’t feel all that great that day (partly cuz I was going to VWT by myself & I hate going alone to concerts), but Ash Costello called me beautiful when I felt my ugliest. And that’s when I realized, “Fuck if my idols can see my own worth & beauty when I can’t, the who the fuck am I!?!?” I also got to experience music lessons with both Nikki Misery & Jeremy Valentyne (just before Jeremy left the band) & they’re both very cool people! I’ve also supported Ash’s now-fiance as a musician by donating to his GoFundMe when he was doing presales on his very first EP (I think I was one of his top highest donators??) & I also made a purchase off of Ash’s DEPOP once, & she actually sent me Christmas/New Years thank you letter & some polaroid photos of herself and I???? Cried??? New Years Day is one of the few bands that I actually genuinely actively see interacting with their fanbase & loving their fans as much they do, they’re so GREAT. If you get into them & interact with their social media or go see them live, they’ll love you up to bits & pieces, they’re so sweet. I want to be as humble as them if I ever make it big.

4) William Control

A god amongst kings... My love & appreciation for this man runs so deep & knows no boundaries. I grew up on Aiden in both middle & high school, but when I learned about how the industry fucked with Aiden as a band, not only did I support Will’s transition from the punk/goth Aiden to his now electro-synth Control morally speaking, but I was actually surprised to find that I actually genuinely really LIKED his electro stuff more than his rock stuff! You can almost tell he’s going forcibly high in Aiden, like he’s straining his voice so much to get that right tone (even though he KILLS IT cuz he’s a MONSTER). But Will’s openly said before that the transition to William Control has helped him vocally because now he sings in a much more comfortable range. He also exudes an aesthetic that I wish I could obtain within the music industry?? Like, his music is sexually themed, but he’s not inadvertently SEXUALIZED. That’s how I WANT to be. I want to make music that can have sexual themes, but without actually sexualizing MYSELF. He’s also really open about being in the BDSM community, & most of his merch is based off of BDSM like his “Fuck Christian Grey” t-shirts (I think he even has his own branded butt plugs?? bless him). He has been able to transform his life so much that he went from “broke-but-famous” Aiden, to “I own my own record studio now & I’m the boss now” William Control. He actually technically retired as a musician (he’s stated that he hates touring & knowing that his son could grow up without him, so he wants to take time to focus on his family), but he’s still the manager of his very own Control Records. Because I don’t see myself forming a band anytime soon, it’s actually one of my goals to apply for Control Records as an electronic musician.

As for what I’m listening to right now (I don’t condone smoking, but if you do smoke, smoke weed), I sometimes listen to stoner shit cuz I do get high with my friends recreationally, & I do genuinely need weed to help me cope with my anxiety & depression, & my IRL friend @spectra-indica recommended CloZee to me & I can’t stop listening to it!! It’s both organic & electronic in it’s own fascinating way, & one point I got so high & connected so deeply with CloZee’s music that I almost started crying.

And yeah, those are my top faves by far!!! I wish I could list more, but then it’ll get too long aaaaaah ;A;

[callmeanneliese-blog]

Major Quest 003

Involves: Tara, Aidan, and Anneliese.

Morning came to came to Tengra Heath. Tara scrolled through the message boards curiously, and happened upon something funny related to that odd clue that she and Cisco had found on their last big quest through The Sea of Tears. There was something about there being more to the clue if one asked around at shops. Frowning, Tara poked her head into a couple of shops places before finding the right one. "Hatun Stronghold?" she said to herself, calling up her map to see if she had ever been anywhere close to the South East.

-

Anneliese was excited for this quest, it sounded so complex.  However, that also meant more difficult. Given the stressful times ahead, she was glad she was with at least one person she was familiar with.  Anneliese had done her fair share of exploring the map, and she'd been around that part before, but she never noticed anything that even resembled a strong hold.  

She looked off in the distance at some of the NPCs surrounding the area.  They all seemed so uninterested in them; kind of like real people. There was an old woman outside of a shop, sweeping. "Excuse me? Do you know of a place called Hatun Stronghold?

-

This task seemed interesting, and he wondered, where the clue would take them and what they would get once they found the place. He was already able to level up because of the last quest, and got a good amount of gold, he hoped he would be able to level up more. He was around in the shops asking people about a place called Hatum Stronghold, he waa almost losing hope, when he found someone that knew about it. Then he ran to the two girls he had on his team for this quest. "I found someone that knows  'bout the place" he said excitedly, glad he found someone that would help them.

-

Tara waved her current questmates over, wondering if information was just a little too easy to come by for this little mission. "Really? That's great. All I got so far was that it isn't that close." Quirking her lips to one side, she followed up with, so are we walking all the way? Because if so, we should probably start up soon before it gets dark. Anneliese, have you heard anything else?"

-

Anneliese saw her teammates talking and then heard her name.  "What?"  She shouted, just out of reflex given she understood perfectly what Tara had said.  "Oh no, this lady is kind of useless."  She made her way back over to the two. "If you have anything I am all ears."

-

"The guy told me that it's on South East" he said, glad that they finally found someone that could tell them. They took some time, he was worried they wouldn't find anyone. "We should get goin', I also don't want ta have ta go when it's dark" he thought it could be more dangerous, it was better to go when it was not dark yet.

-

Tara tapped her ears. Indeed, she was also all ears, but she did not want to make that joke and mess with the mood. Her team seemed super on point, which was good if they were going to finish the quest. Starting toward that direction, she said," Well I guess let's just shoot for south east and try not to get lost, okay? If we do, I mean, maybe we can buy a map somewhere...

-

Anneliese shrugged. "I'm down for whatever, but I think we can manage.  I mean-" she looked around and realized she had no idea which way was which and that she had no way of finding out. "Okay maybe we do need that compass..."

They got a compass and headed off, on foot, to Hatum Stronghold.  Anneliese wondered if maybe going by sea would have been better.

-

He walked along the girls, hoping they would get there soon. Whoever thinks this game is still fun, didn't see it like the Welshman did, he didn't think was fun, he hated it, every time there was a quest, he wanted to finish it as soon as possible. "Man, I hope we get there fast, I want this quest to be over as soon as possible"

-

Tara made a groaning noise. "I was going to ask if we were there yet, but that isn't going to be a good question to ask, is it..." Tara said glumly. At least the terrain was beautiful. And they had direction help. Small mercies. "We could play a game along the way. Like 20 questions or Word Association... or we could just walk agree to walk in awkward silence."

-

Anneliese was actually having a good time.  She was too busy taking in the surroundings and the people to be bothered by the silence.  It was as if she'd been transported to another world.  She knew the other two didn't see it like that as they wanted to get back to their life as soon as possible but, Anneliese was in no rush.  

"Let's see. I spy with my little eye..." she looked around, and her eyes found themselves on a light post. "Something big and made of metal."

-

"I think we may take some time to get there..." he thought at least, maybe they could get there faster than he thinks, would be nice if he could use his super speed, but how would he take both of them with him? If there was one, would be easier, but two was a little harder. "Is it big?" he asked, he was terrible, at games like that, but he would at least give it a try, wouldn't harm.

-

"Uh..." Tara looked around, wondering what she was supposed to say without sounding awkward. "She did say it was big, I guess, but how big... Wait, shoot, you can't answer that question. Uhhhhh... Is it that fence?" She pointed at a fence in the distance. It looked big and shiny.

-

Yeah."  She said in response to Aiden's question.  It was still coming up so the others had time to see it.  "It's metal, big, and big as in tall." She said, looking between the two of them. She used to play this game with her parents on the long rides home.  She smiled at Tara. "No, not the fence.  Think bigger."

-

Aidan made a face, trying to figure out what exactly she waa talking about, he looked around and couldn't see anything that was metal and tall, that is until he saw the light post, it was the only thing that seemed to fit on ber description. "Is it the light post?"

-

Tara nudged Anneliese's shoulder. "The fence is big! Just wide. And piecemeal." She crossed her arms stubbornly, and looked in the distance. Well, it seemed like they were at least moving, albeit slowly. Man, did transit need to improve. "Can I piggyback on lightpost?"

-

"I won? Wow, this is the first time ever that I win on this game" he let out a laugh, he was always the one that never guessed right. But that was okay, because he played to pass time when he was on a roadtrip. "Almost there, you guys are seein' that?" he pointed ahead. "It's right there, a fee more minutes and we're there, so don't worry"

-

"There has literally only been one point up for grabs, and one of the players didn't even get a chance to score," Tara argued, waving her hands around as if that would make her point stronger. "I'm seeing something, and that something is in the southeast. Does that look like a Stronghold or just a weird wall?"

-

Anneliese laughed at the two. mainly Tara. "I sure do hope that's the damn stronghold wall.  C'mon, let's go!"  And she took off running after it.  When she approached she saw two guards manning the front of the gate, and then several walking with bows on top of the wall.  She grinned up at them.

-

Aidan followed Anne, making sure that he wouldn't trigger his super speed, something that could happen sometimes when he ran. Once they got there he stopped, and saw the guards. "There were somethin' 'bout the guards, right? We have ta talk ta them, I remember somethin' like that"

-

The guards did not look extremely friendly to Tara. Good bonds did not just feed on intrigue. Chasing after her running partners and hoping the guards wouldn't shoot, she put in, "I took decent Charisma for some reason. Let me try."  They reached a couple of guards and she showed them what the writing like. The two mumbled back and forth for a minute, not telling the group anything. "Nazanchu, the City of Palaces? That's where we should go?" Tara found the use that they had to go all the way somewhere else without even seeing the stronghold annoying.

-

Anneliese shrugged, looking at Tara.  "So.... that's it? We don't even need to go inside and talk to anyone?"  If that was it then she was more than happy to turn around and head out.  The strong hod was cool, yes, but this quest was going to be long.  Anneliese could always come back anyways.

-

"No, we don't need ta go inside, we just had ta talk ta the guards, and ask them 'bout it" he was glad it was that easy, at least for now, but he feels like it may get harder. "That's what he said" he wasn't entirely sure where that was though "It's probably where we have ta go next, you guys know how ta get there?" he doesn't think the guards would lie about it

-

Tara shrugged at the guards and nodded at Aidan. "Think you can help?" The guards mumbled back and forth again before presenting a short set of directions to the group. "Thanks!" Waving the sheet at Anneliese, Tara asked, "Want to continue as navigator?"

-

Anneliese nodded at Aiden to show she heard what he said, then took the directions from Tara. "My pleasure."  She smiled. "As long as you guys look out for me and make sure I don't walk off a cliff while viewing the directions."  

She looked over the sheet.  "Well, it actually doesn't look too far.  So that's good news! We need to head..." she look around for the small house that was close to them and in the same direction as their next check point.  She found it to the right and pointed. "That way."

-

"Don't worry, we have your back" he assured her with a small smile, he definitely would not be able to do a good job as navigator, would be terrible at it. So he was glad that she offered herself to be the navigator. "Oh, good, I'm glad that it's not far away, means we will be there soon" he smiled, it seemed to be a long quest, but at least they were doing it fast. "Alright" he said, before following the ladies, walking by their side.

-

"I literally have your back now," Tara said jokingly, palming Anneliese's back as they walked forward. "So you can look down instead of walking into a tree. Trees are ride enough when you don't crash into them. We've got you."

-

"Thanks babes." Anneliese smiled warmly at the both of them before looking back at the directions.  "So after we pass this house, there's going to be some sort of a rock face and then we need to make a slight left and walk along the rock face or the wall or whatever you want to call it."

-

"No problem" he smiled at her as he kept walking, his eyes looking around, just in case a monster end up showing up and they need to fight against it. "So it really isn't that far away, we will be there in a few minutes, that's good" he smiled, he wasn't showing, but he was actually really nervous.

-

"I'm pleasantly surprised that we haven't been ambushed by anything yet. Maybe we're just really intimidating," Tara said after a moment, looking around for said rock face. "It is good that we'll be here soon. Oh hey, is that what we're looking for? It looks sort of... unaccomodating."

-

"I mean, a vampire with super strength, elf with supreme accuracy, and a witch that can control fire?  Sounds like I crew I wouldn't want to mess with."  She said.  Looking up, she stopped.  Anneliese's shoulders slumped.  The split against the rock face looked very unfriendly.  She sighed. Well, the place we have to go to is about a mile down that way.  It should be fine? Right? We have a lot of talents among us."

-

"Oh, yeah, we're very scary, look at us, no one would try anythin' against us" he let out a laugh, he was as scary as a puppy, and he also has to admit that the girls weren't scary either. Maybe they could be when people found out how powerful they were, but just by looks they aren't. "I wish I could use my super speed ta make us get there faster"

-

"...Close enough," Tara mumbled, not sure how accurate she was supposed to be since she could not wield a bow and arrow. But it was fine. She tried to smile so as not to bring down the mood any. "Okay, well we can just inch across it. I know it's narrow. But I believe in us! And also this rocky face to not collapse and have us plummet to decidedly unglorious deaths. Ugh."

-

Anneliese looked down at what they were supposed to cross. She made a face.  "Of you guys want to go first I think that might be best.  I mean, no need for me to be in front with the map since where we need to go is supposedly right at the other end.  I'll cover the back, in case any monsters pop up."

-

"Alright, I can go first" he said before he started to walk, he was a little nervous, like anyone would be when they had to cross something like that. But he didn't mind going first. "Warn us if you see anythin' " he told Anne, so they knew there were mosnters trying to attack.

-

Tara looked down just for a moment to see how far they were going to avoid falling. That was a mistake, and she had to keep herself from grabbing Aidan's shoulder from nerves. "This sucks," she mumbled, hugging the wall as she started to inch along. "When we're at our destination, please humor me and pat my head or something reassuring."