#i also think he’s a short king but don’t tell the girlies writing him as 6’3

[holymarymotherofsmut]

perhaps my most controversial jjk take is that higuruma hiromi would NOT be super muscular. or like, at all tbh.

i picture him as slim but maybe he has the beginnings of a little belly now that he’s older. too many nights eating takeout at the office, too many beers and whiskeys after losing yet another case.

he only had like a month between when he discovered his technique to when he met yuji in the culling game. he didn’t have time to train up, and he didn’t really need to, given how powerful his technique is.

i love all the fanart of him with washboard abs and cumgutters, but i desperately need more soft-body hiromi

[sweetestcaptainhughes]

Who I write for / what I call NHL players.....

so @stayg-0ld requested an updated verison. I made a list a while ago of players that I like, what I thought of them, and my little dumb nicknames for them. Here is the linked list if you wanna read it. But it's time for an update because I realize so many new nicknames aren't on here. So in no particular order here is a list of players I write for and what I call them depending on what's happening. Also if you are looking for pictures or things on a particular player this is also how I tag everything on my blog (minus my writings). I think I remembered everybody but there is a chance I forgot someone so I will go back and edit this as needed.

Quinn Hughes: My one true love, I don't think I can describe to you guys how much I adore this man, it's actually a little insane. As I've said before I am his number one bully and whore. His tag on my blog is #huggy bear 🐻 himself

Other nicknames include but not limited to: king, pretty boy, Quinny., eldest daughter. Shockingly I don't have a unique name for Quinn and that is honestly shocking to me.

Brock Boesar: I just find him to be a very kind dude. I also love the fact that his nickname Mr.Sensitive. I don’t post about him often, so you can look for him under his name, hopefully soon I will have time to go back and add his nickname to all posts so it would #mr.sensitive 🥺

Jack Hughes - He is growing on me more and more each day. His tag on my blog is #oh jacky boy 🥺

Other nicknames include but not limited to: my favorite fuckboy, J, sassy king, society's favorite middle child, angry white man. (okay but like that last one like tell me he isn't truly an angry white man 90 percent of the time on the ice??)

Luke Hughes - He really is just a child but I will say his hair hasn't looked as homeless lately and he really buffed up this summer, so I'm happy for the Lukey girlies. I tried looking and I don't think he has a tag on my page...

His nicknames include: homeless boy, Lukey, savage. (no I don't feel the need to explain any of them.)

Nico Hischier - I feel like I am constantly talking about this man so I won't bore you all with the details. His tag on my blog is #my little european king.

His other nicknames include: pretty boy, and swiss king.

John Marino - It physically pained me to make his name blue just now. 😭 I don't think I can even explain how much I adore this man. Like out of every player (Quinn included) I would love to have lunch with John once. Like I wanna sit down and hear all his thoughts on the Devils, especially the Hughes because I know he used is almost psychology degree to use and psychoanalyzed all of them. I also have used all my knowledge to psychoanalyze all of them and I would love to compare notes. I also think he is closet to my personality like not quite an extraverted but also not introverted. His tag on my blog is #mr.harvard man himself

His other nicknames I call him in no particular order are johnny boy, city man or city boy, east coast king, boston boy.

Cole Caufield - I could talk about this man for days. Cole holds a very dear place in my heart, he's truly a golden retriever. Cole would definitely call his girlfriend mamas. He also gives very big bi energy to me and I can't really explain it. I also ship him with Trevor Zegras like I am CONVINCED something happened when they were on the U.S development team together and I could write an essay about that if asked. His tag on my blog is # my lil bi' baby 🏳️‍🌈

I also sometimes call him baby boy, pretty boy (yes I am refusing nicknames sue me), my little short king. (I do have that as a tag as well on my page but it has multiple people in it.)

Trevor Zegras: I will write for Trevor, I have talked about my many thoughts on this man before. But when I write for him he doesn’t have a Mohawk in my brain. 🤣 like I am probably number one hater for his new hair, and if their are no haters left on this planet it is because I am dead.

Arber Xhekaj: I recently discovered Arber and I don’t think he has a nickname yet on my blog. When he gets one I will be sure to update my tag list. But I do find this man adorable, he seems like a kind guy despite how he acts on the ice…

————————————————————————

Players I won’t write for because THEY ARE CHILDREN. But I do occasionally post about.

Beckett Sennecke - his nickname and tag under my blog is both # my lil baby ducklin 🐥

Macklin Celebrini - his name name is baby shark. But I also call him Canucks number 1 fan. (If you know you know)

Arturs Silovs - his nickname is baby goalie and that is also his tag. (Yes I realize his nickname isn’t that orginal sue me)

Connor Bedard - Connor literally got added today and due to his first fight the other day. His nickname and also tag is #my lil scraper, you know since he’s a fighter now. 😂

[bouldershima]

alright listen,, i gotta say sumn and ya’ll are gonna have to accept it i don’t make the rules

thigh men aren’t to be confused with ass men okay, these men specifically will absolutely lose their minds if you got a lil jiggle to your walk

so to the thick and chubby queens, we eating well tonight 😌💅🏽

warning: suggestive content, mentions of impact play (bakugo), uhhhh borderline nsfw but not quite

Top 3: Thigh Lovers

BNHA

Mirio

Bakugo

Kirishima

Honorable Mention (HM): Aizawa

Haikyuu!!

Bokuto

Nishinoya

Aone

Honorable Mention (HM) : Daichi

Mirio

aha so here we go sunshines

even when he was a 3rd year at U.A., mans was strong n buff

and like periodt because he worked hard to achieve his goals and make with what he had

so even as an adult, he is a whole man and a half

which is only a benefit since mirio is 100% a flirt, no critisim will be accepted

and boy does he love making you flustered 😃

at any given wake of day, he can and he will elict a reaction out of you

wait this is about thighs, hold on

okay so his lap is honestly your throne, it is what it is

he really loves how plush they are and he will squeeze them without warning

he just loves a handful of thigh whenever possible

we all know he’s very direct as well, so if he wants something from you, he will ask for it no hesitation

his face is definitely your throne as well

when you cuddle, thighs resting on his waist is a non-negotiable requirement

and if you just have one of those days where you’re feeling a little less than yourself?

this king will reassure you and caress your thighs as he does so

and if your thighs are what’s causing your distress???????? girl

you’ll definitely feel somethings that night, you’ll feel better about yourself, the butterflies, and sumn else

Bakugo

total thigh guy, there is no room for discussion. some may say he’s an ass man, but we all know what the real truth is

like the ass jiggle is great and all

but do you realize just how powerful the thigh jiggle is?? a confident thigh jiggle at that???

listen, anything you do with this man, if you’re doing it confidently you’d literally have him at your command

and i know you know this

regardless, one of the main reasons why he loves him a pair of thiccqque thighs is because he’s totally into impact play oop

yeah, so he loves smacking them and watching them jiggle

quirk enhanced spanks, definetly a thing with him

or better yet, marking them up and leaving reminders of who you belong to

lemme stop myself right there

now he’s not into pda much, but will occasionally have his hand on your thigh when driving or like sitting close

would 100% keep a hand on your hips if he feels threatened (bakugo language translation: jealous)

or. if he’s extra pissed then he would definitely grab a big ol handful of thigh as he brings your leg to his waist as he kisses you, with the other hand on the small of your back

don’t confront him about it though or else

Kirishima

oh where do i begin with this man

will literally be at your mercy if your thighs spill out whenever you sit down

you wearing pants? he’s staring. shorts? he’s definitely staring. skirts??? staring.

now if you hit him with the skirt + thigh high combo, you might just kill him

did i mention that his absolute favorite thing about your thighs are when they spill over, could honestly be with anything

especially with the thigh highs where it spills over the top?? yeah, you know what I’m talking about

h o w e v e r

if you have the audacity to pull up wearing just one of his shirts?? thighs exposed???? yeah, good luck

it doesn’t matter how tall or big you are, you and me both know this man is huge. he will ruin you

in a very loving and manly way of course ❤️

i did it again, let me stop right here

please let him touch your thighs casually too, he needs it to survive

like whenever ya’ll are chilling on the couch or cuddling, even in public if you’re comfortable with it

like he needs to have a hand somwhere on them, he’s very affectionate and this is apart of his love language

i really love this man

n e wayz, so here’s the rundown:

soft n’ plump jiggly thighs = happy kiri

soft n’ plump jiggly thighs with the thigh highs = feral kiri

i said what i said

Aizawa

alright so listen here kitty cats

he’s an honorable mention because i hc that he’s not 100% a thigh man, if that makes any sense

can’t really pick out what he is though, probably likes chest ass and thigh equally idk yet

anyways

like he loves them, but he’s not about to lose his mind like kiri type love, ya feel?

but. the reason why i chose him as an HM is because i 100% believe that this man will tie you up in his scarf AND will purposefully bind your legs in a way that there’s spillage in between

i don’t even know if this is making any sense but i have such a clear picture of this in my head

like rope is great and all, but his scarf has more surface area to it, so like it covers more which makes spillage easier?? i can’t believe i brought math into this

if you take anything away from this at all, let it be that aizawa will love how plush they are

he would totally also sleep with his head on your lap at any given moment, you cannot argue this

would also probably accidently graze his stubble against your bare skin one day

and then would probably continue to do it purposefully depending on your reaction

— - —

Bokuto

let’s get something straight here. you would be out of your damn mind if you thought he wasn’t gonna be on this list. it’s treason, your honor.

honestly, it’d really be you two crushing on each other’s thighs, and i think that’s beautiful

would totally stare and comment on just how much he loves them at every passing moment

would also try to touch them all the time. oh, and he’s totally into the hug where you jump at him and he holds you underneath your thighs

it actually boosts his ego and keeps his spirits high, so go ahead and do that whenever. 100% guaranteed to suppress emo bokuto

akaashi considers you a vital part of the team for it hfjdkdkd

but i know what ya’ll are here for

so sis,,,, sit on his lap, i dare you

just go ahead and sit on him and see what happens

if you think for even a second that he’d let you get back up, you really need to re-evaluate

you move those pretty lil hips against his thigh?? oh man

better yet, you guide his hands to your thighs as you ride move on his?? phew chile, yeah go ahead and cancel your plans for the week

all in all, very blunt and obvious on his love for your thighs and will make it known

Nishinoya

girlies,,, we all hc that this is our latin king, and i agree

and as a latina myself, i think i have every right to say that my latinx radar says he’s 100% a simp for thighs

this man is obsessed. you know what, that’s an understatement

he truly believes he was born into this world just to worship your luscious thighs

also would totally call you thunder thighs, but he means it in the most loving way

he may be on the thinner side (and shorter) than most of the hq bois but trust me on this, he can and will pick you up with ease

would also love to squeeze your thighs for no reason at all. i’m telling you, he really just loves them

would also beg you to suffocate him with your thighs

would say some shit like “breathing is worthless if it means I can’t have my face in between your thighs”

you might as well let him, he makes a good point

he’s definitely a biter. but you didn’t hear it from me

biting what, you may ask? i think we both know

anywho, 11/10 would let simp for my thighs

Aone

i swear nobody be writing for this baby, so i guess it’s my job now

the sweetiest out of all of these horn dogs

he just loves how soft they are, ya know?

this gentle giant adores the spillage too, but in a much sweeter way

like he finds it absolutely adorable, especially because it’s just so different compared to his own tall and sturdy figure

would have the prettiest blush if you told him he could lay on your lap

would also gently caress them if he’s cuddling you instead because he can’t get enough of how soft they are

he also likes the way they jiggle but he doesn’t know it yet

the second ya’ll start getting, ahem, intimate then he’ll find out real quick hfjsksmd

it’s like he’ll lowkey start out as a chest man, but then when he sees the glory that is your thighs, he’ll truly be a changed man

overall, 12/10 would bring home to meet the parents

Daichi

daichi queens,, come get your man because i gotta make a statement

so here’s the deal with the captain

he’s 110% an ass man, no questions asked.

you see, the thing is. yes he loves him some cake, but the plump thighs that come also as a result of said cake does not go unnoticed

he’s definitely an HM because he just loves how full your hips are

will automatically place his hands on your hips whenever you get close or go in for a hug. in public that is

in private, man’s hand doesn’t leave your ass. will literally refuse to rest his hands anywhere else like

you know what else he loves? that lil dance you do in order to get your pants on

i know you do it, it’s inevitable for us thick queens ✊😔

but that’s okay because that means he’ll totally help you. and by help, i mean he’ll help take them off

ya’ll will definitely be late a couple of times if you had to be somewhere

either way, you stay winning if this man steals your heart

[babyredriot]

“I just want to give you endless headaches for however long you’ll let me’ That sounds like the sum of a relationship with Kaminari

A/N: First off, I am so sorry this is coming a month late, I got side-tracked by school. I am back and ready to write! I hope you like this as I am getting out of the groove of writing papers for my thesis and in return getting back into the groove of writing for my favorite manga/anime. I loved writing this and ugh *chefs kiss* Denki. Thats all. Just Denki. 

Word count: 1,960

HEADACHES.. YOU GIVE ME HEADACHES

A crashing sound reverberated throughout the 1A dorms. The sound was unmistakable, one of Bakugo’s explosions. You rolled your eyes as you tried to once again pull your focus away from the ruckus outside of your room and stare down at the daunting math problems below you. 

“GET BACK HERE DUNCE FACE” Bakugo yelled, it sounded like they were coming closer to your room which made you even more on edge. You felt a slight twinge behind your left eye as you once again tried to focus on her homework. Your boyfriend was not helping at all as his loud laughter could be heard. He seemed to be taunting Bakugo, from what you could hear. The back and forth of loud conversation between the two made your headache deepen into a sharp ache behind your left eye. 

“Okay if I can just figure out how to take the derivative-“ You spoke outlaid to try to keep your focus on the math problem but was cut short by another boom echoing through the halls. You knew if you did not stop the stupid antics of the boys outside Mr. Aizawa would cut in and give them all detentions. Which would just lead to more headaches for you, wondering how Kaminari was faring alone in a room with Bakugo. Your headache began to spread across her brow bone as you heard some kind of girly shrieking from beyond your door. You ripped yourself away from the paper and sighed heavily, standing up to go find out what the idiots where up to now. 

As you stepped outside of your room the sight of tape hanging from the ceiling in a vine like fashion, made your mouth fall open. Your eyes widened and then narrowed into slits as you felt your headache spread to the other temple now. The sight could only mean one thing. Your boyfriend and Sero were trying out his new maneuverability tactic. Probably in an attempt to get as far away from the hotheaded blonde as possible. Your frown deepened as she stomped through the hallways to try and find them. You trudged through the common room and looked out the window, delighted to see that they had finally stepped outside. Still, your headache wasn’t going away and they were the reason for it. The pain felt like your own boyfriend was frying your brain instead of his own. This was not something you were used to. The pain mixed with annoyance only made you angrier.  On a rage fueled mission you decided to take the problem right to the source. 

Your descent to the ground was filled with a lot of mumblings about how you could’ve picked any other boy to date, but your stupid heart had to fall in love with a spark plug. You could be spending your time in a quiet dorm right now with Todoroki as he read. But noooo, you just had to fall for the instigator of the bakusquad. As annoyed as you were with him and his disaster double right now, you knew deep down that you wouldn’t change a thing about the boy. He cheered you up to no end and always put you first before anything else. That didn’t change the fact that right now you were on a war path. 

When you finally got outside you were  surprised to see Kirishima sitting on rock laughing and observing the situation before him. You crept up behind him to watch as well before yelling at the boys. It seemed that Sero had finally been caught by the notorious King Explosion Murder and was passed out on the ground. Denki was being cornered between a bush and his friend when he made eye contact with his girlfriend. 

“Hey Y/N! Want to help me out here?” He said darting his eyes around the area trying to look for an escape route. Bakugo was closing in even further. You weighed out the options in your hands of letting Bakugo blow your boyfriend to kingdom come. On one hand the boy would get what was likely coming to him for annoying the blonde, but on the other you didn’t want him to be turned into some kind of punching bag. Kirishima had turned to you when Denki called out your name and sent you a sharp toothed smile. 

“C’mon Kaminari, having L/N stand in your way is so unmanly don’t you think?” Kiri said while turning back to the boys. You sighed and pinched the brim of your nose finally ready to make yourself known to the seething predator. You felt all of the annoyance come to the surface of your being and let loose all of your frustration on the three unsuspecting boys. 

“Actually, I came out here to tell you all to SHUT UP. I’VE HAD A HEADACHE FOR THE PAST THIRTY MINUTES AND I NEED TO FINISH MY HOMEWORK BEFORE TOMORROW SO I CAN STAY ON TOP OF MY GRADES. YOU IDIOTS ARE DISTURBING THE WHOLE DORMS AND FOR WHAT!? JUST BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO MESS WITH BAKUGO AGAIN? OR JST BECAUSE SOME STUPID INSTIGATORS GOT UNDER YOUR SKIN?” Your rant had begun and there was no way of stopping it now. All three of the conscious boys now stared at you. Bakugo seemed to be waiting for the moment to interject and throw it right back at you. Kirishima stood up next to you as you paused and opened his mouth to say something in return. “AND YOU! YOUR JUST SITTING AROUND AND LETTING THIS HAPPEN? WE HAVE EXAMS IN TWO WEEKS AND ALL OF YOU ARE JUST CHASING EACH OTHER AROUND? IT’S STUPID AND CHILDISH.” There was a feeling growing in your stomach that felt a lot like regret but you just simply gave each one of them a glare and turned on your heel. It was easy to yell at them all when they were rendered speechless. You had never yelled at any of them, ever. 

The guilty feeling in your stomach didn’t subside as you ran back upstairs. You hoped none of them would follow you back in, due to the fact that you were so embarrassed on how you just acted. They were some of your best friends and didn’t deserved to be yelled at simply because you had a headache. You should have resorted to some kind of soft spoken tactic instead of the rash outburst. 

Just as you were about to reach the top of the staircase you heard footfalls behind you. You took two stairs at a time trying to reach the door before they could catch you, but found yourself being tugged when you finally reached the landing. Your wrist was in someones hold. You looked down at the attachment and saw a hand that had become very known to you. You dragged your eyes up the figure and felt yourself deflate when your eyes met those of your boyfriends. You stood on the landing right above him, as he stared up at you through his lashes. His face was in an odd kind of grimace mixed with a frown. He seemed to be carefully choosing his words on what he was going to say next. Something you had never seen him do a day since you had known him. 

“I know you’re mad. I also know that you’re in pain and all that loud noise probably sucked hearing but I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He looked up at you with a melancholy look in his eyes. “I didn’t want to cause you any kind of discomfort, we just stole Bakugo’s earphones because he was ignoring us while we were all doing homework in Kirishima’s room, it got out of hand as you saw. I truly am sorry Y/N. I-I don’t want you to feel any kind of pain ever and it sucks that we caused this outburst from you. Please don’t be angry with me anymore, I can change and not steal stuff from him anymore, I-I can make sure to be quiet always and-“ His words were cut off as you pulled him up to the same level as you and gave him a hug. He stayed still for a second wondering how it happened so fast before he melted in your arms. You knew your outburst would make Denki upset, but you still did it. “I just can’t lose you because I am so obnoxious. You can’t leave me please.” 

You realized how Denki was processing this and hugged him even tighter to yourself. Your head was still throbbing but the thrum of his heart against your temple felt nice for a few seconds. “I could never leave you dummy. You’re the light in my life. I just freaked out because I don’t understand anything that’s happening in math right now and couldn’t focus on it. That on top of the headache made me see red and I’m so sorry that you feel like you have to change just because I yelled at you. Your not obnoxious Denki… You’re perfect.” With every end of a sentence you felt your grip on him grow even tighter. Soon enough he was tapping on your shoulder to let you know he needed new found air. When he stepped away from you, you saw the normal spark behind his eyes. Something that made your heart fill back up with joy. 

“I just want to give you endless headaches for however long you’ll let me.” You laughed at his statement as he looked at you with that same shit-eating grin. His eyes turned serious once more as he rested a hand on your shoulder. “But, even so I am sorry Y/N, I never thought I would see you lose your cool like that. It sucks that we’re the reason why it happened. Even if you let me give you headaches in the future, I promise from now on I will always bring you advil and make sure you’re involved in the fun only after we finish all of our work together.” You felt a smile growing on your face at his sincerity. Something that was rare to be seen, but a side you got to see very often. Denki’s hand traveled lower onto your arm and laced his fingers with your own. 

“I love you Denki, headaches and all. I’m sorry I blew up and scared you. That wasn’t my intention.” You smiled up at the spark-plug and nudged his shoulder slightly. 

“I love you to Y/N.” He placed a kiss onto of your forehead and seemed to rest there for a second as he thought of something. “Uhhh, we should probably go back down there because when I came up here Kirishima was banging his head against the tree for ‘The unmanly act of causing someone pain that was unwarranted’.” You felt your cheeks light up at the news of the other boys that you reprimanded. 

“Yeah I should probably apologize to them..” You said trailing off as you looked up at your boyfriends calculating gaze.

“Orrr, you could make them think your still mad and have Sero and Kirishima waiting on you hand and foot for the rest of the day! I mean the most you could probably get out of blondie would be some math help, but who knows may he even feels bad.” You weighed out the options once again today of which path to take. And felt the mischief that Denki has instilled in your heart flare up. You looked back up at him mirroring the spark he held in his eyes.

 “Lets do it.” You said taking the stairs two at a time again, but this time your hand was wrapped in Denki’s.

[kimarchive]

When Saweetie landed a viral hit with her boss-up anthem “ICY GRL,” it was the product of unchecked confidence and limitless ambition. As a student at the University of Southern California, the Bay Area native already knew she could rap and used her Instagram account to prove it. Videos of Saweetie freestyling in the front seat of her car, along with a hyperactive SoundCloud page, eventually led to a record deal and her debut EP, High Maintenance. She flaunted her ability to weaponize words and spray them unsparingly at her exes and cynics on songs such as “B.A.N.” and “Good Good.” And even though her career is a product of the internet, the 26-year-old rapper, born Diamonté Harper, remains a student of hip hop’s pre-digital heyday. Her biggest hit, “My Type,” samples Petey Pablo’s “Freek-a-Leek,” and her most recent EP, this year’s ICY, is an old-school ode to getting the bag. Her respect for the history of the genre is why, when she spoke to her idol Lil’ Kim for the first time, she could barely contain herself.

LIL’ KIM: Hey, sexy girl! Where you at? SAWEETIE: I just flew from L.A. to San Diego. I have a show here tonight. Where you at? KIM: I’m in Jersey. So, first of all, how did you get so freaking dope? SAWEETIE: Oh my gosh. I’m sorry. I’m having a moment. I can’t believe it’s you. You sound just like your songs! KIM: I don’t think they saw you fucking coming. And I still don’t think they see you coming. You feel me? SAWEETIE: Yeah, I feel you. How did I get so dope? Writing has always been my thing, and a lot of people don’t know that entertaining is a whole other thing. That was never my strong suit. So I was looking at a bunch of performers, wondering what I could take from them and make my own. One thing I really love about you is that when you walk onstage, you might not be rapping and you might not be dancing, but just your presence—I’m like, “Damn.” That’s what I want to have onstage. KIM: If you take anything from me, you’re going to take this and you’re going to hold it in your hand and put it in your heart and lock it, because I don’t say shit I don’t mean. When I watched you perform at Summer Jam, you were my highlight. Even though you were out there for a short period of time, guess what? It was short and Saweetie. You captivated me. SAWEETIE: You’re giving me butterflies. My heart is beating so fast! My choreographer told me a story about you. I forget which award show it was, but Puff was talking to an artist, and the artist didn’t want to do something, and then you came in and you were like, “Oh, you don’t want to do it? I’ll do it, because our job as performers is to entertain.” I’d never thought about it that way. It’s not just about reciting the lyrics and doing the one-two step. The goal is to entertain. KIM: Girls go out there and they perform, but they may not captivate people. But when I watch you onstage, and look at your Instagram, I noticed that mama is a fashionista! Bitch, you be givin’ lewks. SAWEETIE: Every year I write down goals for myself, and I was like, “I really hope I find my Misa Hylton [Lil’ Kim’s stylist] this year, because I would love to have looks like Kim had.” You guys were a lethal combination, and, girl, maybe three months after that, I found my stylist. No matter where I go, I’m trying to put on a look like Kim. KIM: You remind me of me. One of the things that I love that you adopted into your routine is the whole girly cheerleader thing. It’s so sexy. And then you were doing this dance at one show, you were doing this little butt move, and it was the perfect butt move because it was something I would do. When you recorded “My Type,” did you like the beat right away? When Puffy brought me “No Time,” I hated that freakin’ record. SAWEETIE: Really? KIM: I hated it, girl. But he’s my big brother and I looked up to him so much that anything he told me to do, I did. And he was very protective of me. He always said, “Kim, you do better when I give you a record that you don’t like.” I guess I was trying to prove something to him. Were you super excited when you first heard the “My Type” beat? SAWEETIE: I was actually in the studio when they made it, because I was missing one more song off of my EP—I was missing a slap. We were about to sample something else, but I was like, “What is something from my childhood that I couldn’t get enough of?” And I remembered being 10 or 11 dancing to that Petey Pablo song. The sample gets me every time. KIM: You give the song a whole new life, the way you attacked it. You just went in on it because you loved it. Is it certified gold or platinum now? SAWEETIE: My first song, “ICY GRL,” is platinum and “My Type” is gold. KIM: How does that feel? SAWEETIE: It feels amazing. I feel like everything is just coming together, and the fact that I’m getting to interview with you, it just makes everything so surreal and dope. KIM: Interview published one of the biggest magazine photos for me, so they became like my extended family. We have this history. The girls you dance with onstage, are those your friends? SAWEETIE: One of them is my best friend, and the rest are her friends. It’s all homegirl vibes. KIM: That’s so dope. You can tell there’s a friendship there. Sometimes girls go onstage with dancers and you can tell they don’t know them. SAWEETIE: When you work on my team, I want everybody to feel at home. Music is my career, but dancing is their career, and I want their career to be as fun as mine. KIM: My best friend danced for me for years. I have a television show on VH1 called Girls Cruise, and she’s on it with me. Now she has her own clothing line at Neiman Marcus. She’s a boss bitch. What’s your sign, Saweetie? SAWEETIE: I’m a Cancer. Just like you. KIM: Oh my god, I can’t take it! SAWEETIE: Girl, let me tell you something. Every sign got hella celebrities aligned with them. So I was like, “Who’s a dope Cancer out there?” Girl, when I saw your name on the list, I was like, “Kim’s a Cancer and she’s a rapper, so I know I can be a rapper, too.” KIM: Who are your top-three dream collaborators? SAWEETIE: I’m a huge J. Cole fan. When I was trying to come up, I had no way of getting my music out there, so after one of his concerts, I waited by his tour bus and rapped for him. The second one would be Rihanna, because I grew up on her. For my third, well, this is what happened. When I was coming up, I noticed a lot of female rappers had lighter voices than mine. I have a deep voice when I rap. So I was listening to my music catalog, and I noticed that you also have a deep voice when you rap. I don’t know if I’d ever be able to collaborate with you, but I always wanted to sit in a studio with you just to see how you record. KIM: We could do something so dope, and it would be unexpected. So that’s done. I think you and Rihanna would be the sexiest combination. I just love that. But, girl, you already got me. You and I are gonna be hanging out. I can see it. I know these things. What’s your favorite makeup? SAWEETIE: Lip gloss. I’m actually coming out with my own lip gloss line, and I’m gonna send you all the colors. I basically took all of my favorite characteristics of lip glosses that I love, and combined them into one. KIM: You gotta give me one. No, wait, I’m going to buy one. If I had to pick two, it would be my lipstick and my eyebrows. My lashes would be my third thing. SAWEETIE: I’d be out here looking like a bald eagle without my lashes. I have two questions for you: What’s your favorite Lil’ Kim song, and what’s the best bar you’ve ever rapped? KIM: My favorite Lil’ Kim song by myself is “Qu— SAWEETIE: Wait! Wait! Wait! Are you about to say “Queen Bitch”? KIM: Yes! That’s my song! “Kill a nigga for my nigga by any means bitch! Murder scene bitch!” SAWEETIE: My favorite bar by any female ever is yours: “Tryin’ to impress me with your five G stones, I give you ten Gs, nigga, if ya leave me alone.” LIL KIM: I’m not gonna lie, Saweetie, I be forgetting shit. I have so many songs that I can’t even think of my favorite bars on the spot, but I love that one. SAWEETIE: How did “Queen Bitch” come about? LIL KIM: I have to give props to the King himself: Biggie was there with me every step of the way in the studio. He always loved Wu-Tang, and there was this beat that they had. I was his honey, so he was like, “My honey got to have a beat like this.” That was one of my favorite moments. SAWEETIE: Girl, you got too many, for real. I hope I have that one day. LIL KIM: My Saweetie, this was amazing for me. SAWEETIE: I’m sorry if I got a little too hype. LIL KIM: I’m gonna send you my info and you could send me yours and we’ll keep in touch. Enjoy your show tonight. Have fun and kill ’em, because I know you’re gonna kill ’em. I don’t know you, but I love you. SAWEETIE: I’ve loved you since I was 13.

[maidenoftheforestlight-blog]

"I do have some issues with how GRRM chose to frame Sansa in AGOT". Could you expand on that? What are those issues?

Well I’ve reblogged quite a few metas on this subject and written a bit about it myself and I’d love to link some of that here but… how to find that stuff on my blog without slogging through months of irrelevant posting? Hmm… I really  need to organise this blog better… 

Assuming I don’t manage to find the relevant posts (or at least some of them) then I’ll just say that my issues with Sansa in AGOT have to do with how GRRM (apparently) originally conceived of her character and how much of that actually remained in the final product; that is to say, she was originally intended to be a foil to Arya and the one Stark kid who caused problems in the happy family group dynamic. This was apparently because GRRM thought it wouldn’t be realistic for all the kids to get along perfectly and for there to be no internal strife in the Stark family at all… but isn’t it odd that out of all the kids he chose the two girls to set at odds with one another? And isn’t it doubly odd that of these two girls it is the more stereotypically feminine one who was initially created to be that little “problem” in the family dynamic? Robb and Jon could easily have been the warring siblings instead, no? Or maybe Sansa could have been a boy instead and Arya could’ve had a male foil to argue with… but instead…

Sansa, despite clearly becoming a well rounded character in her own right by the final draft of AGOT, still retains quite a bit of that original character sketch. She is written to be a foil to Arya and to cause complications for her family due to her relationship with Joffrey. While with close reading - keeping in mind the social mores of her society and the way she has been raised - Sansa’s actions and beliefs about her world are quite understandable, she is not generally written in such a way that suggests the author meant to endear her to the reader… Contrast to the way Arya is written (because Sansa is her foil and GRRM wants us to compare them in this book!); introduced as a plucky underdog who challenges the status quo. We are meant to immediately identify with, like and root for Arya, and we do. We are not meant to immediately identify with, like and root for Sansa. 

We are introduced to Arya first and Sansa makes Arya feel bad about herself by being good at everything and prettier and getting her in trouble and… you get the point. Even though 9 year old Arya has biases, and we as readers should understand that, the mere fact that our introduction to Sansa comes through her POV already gives the reader a bias against Sansa on Arya’s behalf because that’s all we know about her! There’s also the fact that the quickest way to get your readership to identify with and like a character within a historical setting is to give them the values and opinions of a more modern person… and we get quite a bit of that with Arya, what with her challenging of gender norms and disregard for class and rank. We don’t get that short cut with Sansa. 

 When we actually meet Sansa in her own POV she is once again acting in her role as the foil… it’s the incident at the Trident where Sansa fails to stand up to Joffrey for Arya and Mycah the butcher’s boy and then doesn’t tell the king what really happened and “gets Lady and Mycah killed”, to hear some fans tell it (never mind her reasonable reasons for being confused about what to do and refusing to speak). It’s not a glowing moment for her here and tbh… there really is only one real glowing moment for Sansa in AGOT (before Ned’s imprisonment/death that is); the moment where she feels empathy for Sandor Clegane, overcomes her fear, and offers him the comfort he needs. 

Other than this, her POV mostly focuses in on the trivialities of her interests and concerns, on how very little she actually understands the adult world around her, and we hardly see her interact with others in a positive way. Again… other than Sandor Clegane! She and Arya bicker, her relationship with Ned is somewhat strained since the Trident, and you get the vague impression that of his children, Sansa is probably the one he is the least accustomed to spending time with or talking to (we get no scene of parental bonding with Sansa, unlike Arya) and even Jeyne - Jeyne who is supposed to be Sansa’s best friend - we get no scenes of them having fun together, braiding each other’s hair, gossiping about cute boys, playing cyvasse… nada. Oh we get scenes of them talking, but it’s mostly in scenes which, again, are there to place Sansa in her role as the foil; demonstrating her naivety and ignorance of the dangers at court. The actual fun times they have together as friends, the actual comfort and happiness they give each other, well we’re told about this in a few stray lines here and there… we don’t actually ever “see” it! 

And that’s important! That’s the stuff that makes you like a character! But GRRM didn’t want to show us Sansa being fun and a caring friend in AGOT or even showing off any of the things she is reportedly so good at (she does actually show off some of these things; she shows she is naturally apt at diplomacy and has a good memory for important persons, houses and sigils and rank in this book… but this is all quite subtly introduced. Her cleverness is not meant to be something the reader immediately picks up on). He didn’t particularly want us to start sympathizing with her until near the end of the novel… and it shows. Sansa’s more positive character traits are de-emphasized by the author for most of AGOT and this, more than anything she actually does in this particular novel, is why so many fans come away seriously disliking her as a character(imho of course); many with the claim that she has no positive traits!

This ties into my larger issues with GRRM’s writing of women in general. He definitely treats his POV female characters like people who deserve to be just as well developed and complex as his male characters, and I appreciate that! However, he seems to have problems with depicting women’s relationships with other women. That is to say, if he can avoid female friendships, he does… at least in the early novels (things may be looking up based on more recent stuff). We get great male friendships, and male/female friendships, but when it came  to showing women who genuinely like each other interacting, GRRM just… didn’t go there at the beginning. Yeah, you’ve got Arya and Sansa not getting along, and Sansa and Jeyne’s friendship happening mostly offscreen but surely there must be more women who can be getting along… right? Well… no. 

Catelyn seems to have no female friends or companions at all, even from memory (which is ridiculous!) and her relationship with Lysa is extremely strained. Later she meets Brienne and while their relationship is a positive one for them both, it is more that of a Lady and her sworn shield than of friends. Cersei has no real friends at all, let alone female ones… she actually killed her childhood “bestfriend”. Margaery and the Tyrell cousins were not real friends to Sansa, Arya’s best friends and travelling companions are all male (albeit she does have a brief but very sweet interaction with Lady Smallwood) and Dany’s female companions are all servants to her. All in all, the situation with regards to sisterhood and female friendship in ASOIAF ain’t great. 

Topping this off, there’s also the fact that while GRRM’s understanding of what medieval noblewomen actually got up to in a day’s work is better than GOT’s, there are yet still some suggestions that feminine gendered activities are quite trivial and frivolous, and these suggestions are, again, most evident in Sansa and Arya’s AGOT chapters where they, again, serve to highlight Sansa as the silly, blinkered, girly-girl, to Arya’s rebellious, open-minded tom boy. 

To sum it up, it is of great significance that Arya, who we are meant to identify with and like, is a tom boy and Sansa, her foil, is extremely feminine. The negative aspects of Sansa’s personality, the ones being highlighted above her more positive qualities in AGOT, are therefore associated with that femininity because her negative traits are framed in contrast to Arya’s positive ones, and Arya’s interests and behaviour are more stereotypically masculine. I liked Sansa despite all of this because, paying attention while reading her chapters and fed up with trope of cool tomboys vs annoying girly girls, I was actually able to see the subtle allusions to there being more to Sansa than what the author was choosing to place on the surface. However, I understand how a reader who has no inclination to pay such close attention while reading her chapters could easily be put off from her character. GRRM did that on purpose… and I just don’t think it’s fair to the character who otherwise might have been given more of a chance by so many readers who, even now, still disregard her value to the story.

Edit: A few discussions on this topic that I managed to find by searching the shadowy corners of my blog (this should be easier… I need to use better tags…) that elaborate a bit more on this...

https://maidenoftheforestlight.tumblr.com/post/163170555339/some-people-argue-grrm-has-done-sansa-a-disservice#notes

https://maidenoftheforestlight.tumblr.com/post/155575049279/what-is-your-opinion-about-the-friendship-between

https://maidenoftheforestlight.tumblr.com/post/148912128094/as-much-as-i-agree-george-couldve-done-better

http://asoiafuniversity.tumblr.com/post/119478322575/on-george-martin-ladies-of-asoiaf-and

http://nobodysuspectsthebutterfly.tumblr.com/post/149368992133/why-do-you-think-that-asides-from-jeyne-poole

https://maidenoftheforestlight.tumblr.com/post/158118270004/do-you-think-sansa-bullied-jon-snow-some-of-my#notes

[jeanthememelover-moved]

stoncy hcs

i stole these from an otp ask game

1.       do they have a lot of arguments? if so, over what?

Usually they only argue over silly things like what music to listen to on the radio or who has to sleep in the middle of the bed when they sleep over at each other’s houses.

2.       who apologizes first? in what way? is it hard for either of them to apologize?

Steve is always the first to apologize, but Jonathan comes in a close second. Steve is into big gestures, he’ll buy them roses or some other kind of presents to show he cares. Jonathan prefers to make them a mixtape with all their favorite songs on it and apologize the next day after they’ve listened to the whole thing. Nancy isn’t quite as willing to admit when she’s wrong but if someone makes the first move, she’ll apologize too.

3.       which one has more insecurities? over what?

Jonathan is pretty insecure about his social skills, he has trouble finding the right words to express himself and he’s nervous that he’ll drive people away if he says the wrong thing. Steve is insecure about how intelligent he is, he tries not to think about it but sometimes he just feels like he’s way dumber than everyone else around him.

4.       who gets more riled up? do they show their anger?

Steve and Nancy both get riled up, but Steve’s anger is short to last, he fizzles out quickly and then he’s either sad or apologetic or both. Nancy can match anyone’s angry shouting with her own, but afterwards when she’s alone she feels guilty, but she’ll go right back to being mad if irked again the next day. Jonathan usually retreats into himself more when he’s angry, but in the heat of the moment he will yell too.  

5.       how do they hide their pain when they’re upset? do they try to hide their pain?

Steve is an emotional guy if we’re being honest, he doesn’t like to cry in front of people because he doesn’t want to be pitied and his dad had always discouraged him from showing emotions that were ‘girly’. Nancy has survivors guilt and that comes up a lot along with her missing Barb, she doesn’t hide her pain quite as much as Steve. Jonathan is King of Repressed Emotions and he has resting sad face. He’s also pretty quiet so it’s hard to tell how he’s feeling unless he opens up about it which doesn’t happen as much as it should.

6.       who tries to make up first? does it work?

Steve! And yeah it usually works, he’s pretty good at winning back the love of his boyfriend and girlfriend.

7.       what’s their favorite pass time when they’re upset?

Jonathan loves listening to music when he’s upset. Nancy likes to go out shooting soda cans off the fence, if her aim was great before you should see it now. Steve drinks, it’s not pretty, and he knows he needs a better way to deal with things but sometimes he just needs to get wasted enough to forget his troubles.

8.       who do they confide in when shit hits the fan (besides each other)?

Since when did Steve start taking advice in a 13 year old kid? I guess that’s his life now. At least Dustin is a good listener. Jonathan will talk to Will sometimes but he usually ends up being roasted and regrets bringing up any topics relating to his dating life. Nancy writes letters to Barb when her life gets chaotic, it’s kind of her new way of coping with her best friend being gone and not having anyone in her life that fills that perfectly Barb shaped hole the redhead left behind.

9.       do either of them have the other’s stuff lying around their house?

Steve leaves his coats and shirts everywhere. Do you know how many times Mrs. Wheeler and Joyce Byers have ended up washing clothes that didn’t belong to either of their kids? Too many times. Jonathan has several mixtapes scattered from Nancy’s house to Steve’s but that’s mostly on purpose bc they have awful taste in music and he is desperately trying to rub off his musical preferences on them. All of Nancy’s hair ties and scrunchies keep disappearing and Steve and Jonathan keep finding them in the weirdest places at their houses.

10.   if one of them gets injured, who worries more?

They all are huge worriers. Steve is frantic, running around panicking, asking if he should take them to the hospital even if it’s something small like a small cut from a paring knife. Jonathan is a little calmer but just as worried, he’ll get whatever they need but his hands shake when he’s nervous so don’t ask him to stitch anything unless you want to be a human pincushion. Nancy is the only one who’s really any good at stitching up wounds, her mom taught her how to take care of most injuries because Mike was always getting hurt and her parents weren’t always going to be home so she needed to be prepared.

[woodrokiro]

Flowers/Meanings (Fic)

Fandom: Bleach

Pairing: IchiRuki

Summary: Ichigo doesn’t really care about flowers, but he needs a job and this lady cares way too much about them but he needs the money. He guesses. Florist AU for IchiRuki Month.

"Are you looking for a bouquet for someone in particular?"

He startles, drops the flower he was idly inspecting on the ground. A woman not much older than him arches an eyebrow, arms crossed over a petite frame. He resists a strange, innate instinct to do the same.

"Oh... No. Well, maybe my little sister for later--"

"Then I wouldn't pick white lilies. They represent virginity... Unless you have a strange relationship with your sister."

He clenches his teeth. He needs to get this one, short women be damned. "Right. Cool, thanks. Actually I was hoping--there's a notice on your window saying you're hiring--"

"So you were lying about shopping for your incestual relationship."

"No, I was and that's a really weird joke to make can you just--" he stops. Breathes. Grinds said clenched teeth. "I'd really like to give you my resume and ask for an interview."

She looks him up and down with a murderously skeptical eye. "You know about flowers? The guy who was eyeing white lilies--"

"Get off of that! No, look I guess I don't. But flowers are... I mean they're pretty and I work hard and learn fast--"

"They're pretty?"

That's what I just said, he thinks, but instead he says: "Yeah, that's kind of the point, right?"

She purses her lips, scuffs her little shoe into the ground repeatedly and it's sunny but Ichigo feels a storm coming. "No. No that's not the point. Flowers aren't just pretty, they've been used for humanity for hundreds of years. Most are the few plants that haven't been used for sole survival needs--dietary or medical--but just for the simple joy of looking at them. And we've assigned meaning to each of them: joy, loss, love. Doesn't that mean something to you? Is that incredible or are you just another man thinking he can shove a bundle of flowers under a woman's nose to make her forgive all the wrongs he has done? That this traditionally feminine work is something 'easy' for you and so therefore, why not? Please. I don't have time for lying children." She eyes him for what feels like a stony eternity before turning her heel and scoffing and he just thinks fuck this.

"You know what? I don't know shit about flowers. Frankly, I don't know that I care, yet." She doesn't turn to meet his eyes, but she does stop and really  heats him up more, the deigning to not even look him in the eye while he's talking. "I just know that my family has a small town clinic, they're doing okay but my dad's getting older and he's trying to afford my college and I know he can barely do that and my sisters are about to enter university too and I know for a fact he can't handle three tuitions and I've looked all over the goddamn town for a job and none of them want me because of my hair which is stupid because its genetic but whatever bigots are bigots and I need a job and frankly I don't care for that 'flowers are girly shit' because they're just plants and the patriarchy is a pile of shit and I'll kick anyone's ass who makes fun of you for hiring me and--"

"What's your major?"

He blinks, notices in his rant that she's turned her head to look at him, how intensely violet her eyes are.

"Uh... What?"

"You're going to college. What are you studying there, fool?"

He debates for a moment whether he really wants to tell her, now that he's nearly positive he's not getting the job and also who uses the word "fool" anymore? "Um. Language. I'm a creative writing emphasis."

"Then you should be able to learn metaphors. Good enough. Be here to start at 8 am Monday."

Before he can dazedly ask what the hell metaphors she's talking about, she walks away to the back of the shop and Ichigo suddenly understands he has a job.

--- "So... Freesia means 'innocence' and 'thoughtfulness.'”

"That's what the book I gave you says, right?"

".... Yeah..."

"Then that's what it means, fool."

"Yeah okay Miranda Priestly, calm down. I'm just not really understanding what the difference between that and like--" he wets his fingers, flips the pages of her flower bible rapidly and resists the urge to grin at her disgusted expression. "Here! Like, a daisy, which 'symbolizes innocence and purity' and ‘conveys loyal love.'"

"And?"

"Well, they're both innocence--"

"Do 'loyal love' and 'thoughtfulness' sound anything alike to you?"

He tries not to let it show he's working his brain. "In a way--."

"Fool. You don't understand and I won't elaborate until you do. You can work bows in the back again."

The joke's really on her, he internally grumbles as he throws down another red ribbon onto the work table, because if all else fails he is the goddamn king of making bows.

-- Rumor has it around town she graduated from some big league art school at the top of her class.

Then again, it came from Keigo, and Keigo gossips about everyone so Ichigo can take it or leave it.

He wants to leave it, but the way her hands delicately brushes dirt from petals, how she'll arrange flowers in such a fashion that is none other than stunning, how her hands will fold the parchment oh so delicately, oh so gently over her work like some kind of prayer for their long lasting--

It isn't really hard to imagine.

-- "So... Do you have a favorite flower?"

Her hands--always working, always fluttering--still for a moment before she scoffs, continuing to trim stems by his side. The new shipment came in today, and after talking quietly for what seemed like forever with the tattooed, red headed vendor rep (so it really isn't all that much of a woman's industry, after all), she had seemed rather distracted all day.

"All flowers have their own spirit, what makes them unique--"

"You've said that a hundred times over, Kuchiki. I'm asking a simple question: what's your favorite?"

"I don't have one, honestly." He thinks he hears a small chuckle after he rolls his eyes. They work in silence for a moment before she speaks again.

"How about this. Let's make this a lesson for you: what flower would represent me--"

"Iris," he says without much thought, thinking really of her eyes but the more he considers it the more he knows it to be true. "Purple," he adds as an unnecessary afterthought. Eloquence. Wisdom and Complimentary.

She doesn't respond, but he can tell she's secretly pleased.

-- The first time he sees her deal with flowers for a remembrance occasion is Inoue.

She comes in, bubbly as ever and he kisses her quickly on the lips in the front and really hopes the two women won't meet for some odd reason he can't pinpoint but no shit here she comes waltzing from the back and Inoue sticks out her arm pleased as punch, says I'm Ichigo's girlfriend nice to meet you and Ichigo winces but Rukia is?? Pleasant???

Not that she isn't ever unpleasant with any other person but him-- just remarkably professional that comes off as a bit arrogant. She will almost always make a sale, but Ichigo has noticed a sort of grimace on men's faces as they walk away with bouquets in their hand--as if they had hoped to just flirt with the pretty ()but icy flower lady and not at all purchase actual flowers.

But he breathes a little easier when he sees Rukia smile back, even laugh at Inoue's latest quirky dream story. She eventually asks if Inoue would be interested in taking home some flowers today and suddenly the mood changes as Inoue stalls with an "Actually..."

Ichigo doesn't know how he had dated this girl for six months and not known about Inoue's brother.

Suddenly she is unfurling her story like a napkin, fiddling with her hands as she tries to nonchalantly mention it's the anniversary of her brother's passing, and she's just been so busy with work and school and friends that she hasn't... Well. She hasn't been to his grave since last year, which is so embarrassing because he was really just the kindest and most caring person she knew, in fact he was the reason she was who she was and she hopes he doesn't think she forgot about him--

Rukia squeezes her hand before going to the back, leaving Ichigo alone with this girl he realizes he's never known.

When she comes back after what seems like forever, she's got a bouquet in her hand.

"I think your brother might really enjoy these," she says softly, laying it gently into Orihime's arms like an infant. "I put some hydrangea in it, for gratitude and heartfelt emotions. Sunflower, for adoration and dedication. And finally.. A stalk of statice. For remembrance, but it also signifies 'success.' You're doing okay, Miss Inoue, and I'm sure your brother is so proud of you."

After a refusal to accept payment and a receival of infinite thanks, Orihime is gone and Rukia moves wordlessly past Ichigo.

-- "You didn't have to do that." They're trimming stalks later that day: what seems to be their special time to talk like normal people, and Ichigo admits that for some reason, he kind of relishes it. "Refuse the payment, I mean. I can just pay for it tonight after close, if you'd like--"

"Not at all. I usually give reduced prices for funeral flowers anyway. Since this was for a significant other of an employee.... I was happy to give it." She pauses in her work. "Orihime is a kind girl."

"...Yeah," is all he can think to say, and they work in more silence before he suddenly realizes something. "Wait... What do you mean you give reduced prices for funerals? I hate to... Like, it's horrible, but isn't that where you make most of your business?"

"It could be, but I don't want it to. When you've lost someone... The last thing that should come with a heavy price tag is something beautiful, don't you think?"

Ichigo thinks of golden hair and sun dresses and being scooped up into thin, warm arms and all he can do is nod.

"So... I mean. Have you struggled with the business before then, or...?"

"If you're worried about your job, don't. I have my resources."

"I'm not worried about the job, Rukia, I just--why then? Why do you do this? You can like flowers, you can like giving flowers to people but you don't have to make a business out of it--"

"Do you expect to make much money writing?" The question isn't harsh, per se, just direct--but it catches Ichigo off guard.

"What...?"

"You may be a fool sometimes, but it seems you know enough about the world to realize potential consequences for your dreams. That you may have to take on another job you don't like. That you may continue to struggle with bills, maybe eat beans and rice every other week for awhile. But that's the thing, isn't it? It's for your dreams, your goals--what life is screaming at you to keep doing because otherwise: what are you doing here in the first place?" She stops her work to pick up a peony (happy life, good health, prosperity. Compassion.) and does something uncharacteristic: she puts it to her nose and smells it. After a moment, she continues: "This isn't the only thing I do, it isn't my only dream. I paint, I sketch sometimes. I have as equal a love for both. But that... Traditional visual art is a little more selfish, its for my own self expression. And for some--maybe many--they'll understand it and like it and that's wonderful. I'm humbled. But some may not and that's all right too. This is what I can contribute in a smaller way, to a singular person instead of a group or myself as a whole. I am allowed to express myself, to create poetry and meaning through natural, breathing things. And, better yet... I get to give them to people. To say, 'here you are, I made this just for you--'"

He kisses her, suddenly (wonderfully) and there's no thought involved and he should be embarrassed but he's not and all he can think is there's some floral smell to her but what flower what is the flower that clings to her like she was the hand to create it? He doesn't know quite yet he needs to kiss her some more to find out--

She releases herself from him gently and looks at him with something in her eyes like sadness or pity or whatever it is he doesn't want to tell because ah. There it is.

His embarrassment.

He shirks off his apron, grunts out a "sorry" before leaving.

-- He breaks up with Orihime about a week later.

It's amicable: she is visibly disappointed but they both agree they would love to stay friends, hoping to go out to breakfast once in awhile to get to know each other as buddies better.

He hasn't returned to work since though. -- He's awoken at nine in the morning by the doorbell.

It's been a month since he's even been within a half mile radius of the shop, and he knows it's probably for the best but he's been dreaming a lot about sharp words and fluttering hands and flowers and he's just starting to think fuck flowers--

The guy with the red hair and tattoos is on his doorstep holding a bundle and Ichigo's not sure whether he wants to laugh or cry.

"Yo. This weird, since we've never talked but, uh--" He lifts the bundle in one hand. "Rukia wanted me to give this to you. Said you'd get what it's for? Or should? I don't know. Just giving this as a favor for a friend."

"...Thanks?" Ichigo signs the package, waves an awkward goodbye to the guy and peeks into the wrapping and of course.

He doesn't understand how, but of course she knew what day it was.

A simple bouquet of Queen Anne's lace and a white stargazer lily: for sanctuary and sympathetic remembrance. A condolence card attached reads: For your dearest remembrance.--Rukia and Ichigo's heart hits the floor of his stomach with a thud.

Still, he continues on the day as he usually does: puts on a nice shirt, buys his mother's favorite chocolates and a contribution to family picnic, kisses his sisters and allows his dad one hug. The only difference is he leaves the grave early, asking his family (and mother) to forgive him because he's got to do something early the next morning.

-- When Rukia unlocks the front door to the shop the next morning, an alert Ichigo standing in the middle of it is not what she expects.

"Yo. Good morning."

He shoves a bundle into her arms, and she looks down. A haphazard bouquet droops in her arms and she raises her eyebrows inquisitively at him. "Ichigo..."

"First of all: I quit."

She blinks. "Yes, I gathered that when you hadn't shown to work in a month."

"Cool. Glad we got that covered. Because I kind of suck at this job--"

"A tad, yes."

"Rukia, shut up for one moment and let me talk, okay? I kind of suck at this job and flowers are cool and can be manly as hell if you dismantle society's preconceptions of what manly means... But they're not my thing. Writing is. But I like that thing you said about making poetry with living things and I kind of tried to do that with that bouquet in your hands but the flowers are older because you haven't received a new shipment yet and I had to break in here earlier than that with my employee keys which I hope you overlook because I'm trying to be romantic and also the fact that you knew about my mom's death without me telling you is also kind of creepy so we're both kind of creepy so there. Now. What do you think?"

She inspects it, and Ichigo tries not to wait on bated breath. "A rose, an iris, a gardenia, and a bird of paradise..." She looks up at him with a challenge in her eyes. "Why?"

He sucks in: he'd been ready for this. "So I picked the red rose because... I don't know. We all know what it means and it's kind of cliche. But it's classic, it's universal and something we all can recognize. I thought it fitting. I told you you were like an iris, once, and I think that may still be true--but honestly you're... A lot of different flowers. Maybe all of them, in a way. I think I really get it now when you said you didn't have a favorite, because really they're all your favorite. Or something. And the gardenia is an admission that the receiver is lovely, and. Um? The bird of paradise." He pauses. "The bird of paradise indicates exciting anticipation. Which is where I kind of am right now."

A beat passes. She eyes him with an unreadable expression, and he thinks shit shit this was so fucking cheesy, what if she's with the guy at his doorstep yesterday, what if she really did just mean her condolences--

"There is no cohesion at all with any of these flowers. They look awful together."

His heart sinks. "Uh... Yeah okay I know and I wanted to come in earlier to see what you had but my alarm didn't go off in time so I was scrambling to get here and--"

"You really made for a terrible employee," she murmers, and all in ten seconds she's put the flowers gently down on the counter and taken the three steps toward him and turned his face in her hands down to hers and he feels those lips again and there.

Iris.

He was right.

[the-suriel-deserved-better]

Elriel

Because @propshophannah has converted me and I do not wish to go back. Love you hon❤ also it's in third person, shoot me if you want it's how I write best. They sat away from everyone else, happy in their own silence while the rest of them argued about wars and soldiers and King's. Azriel sat and carefully watched the gentle weaving Elaine was doing with the daisy's in her hands. Her long fingers moving quickly, back and forth, twisting the stalks together into smooth curves that were tangling in her lap. A small smile was on her face and he couldn't stop himself from noticing the way it made her eyes shift into warmer tones and make her whole face glow with a certain joy he had never seen anyone else posses. Not even Mor, whose presence had long since stopped lifting his shadows unless Elaine was with her. He supposed Mor and Elaine had formed some sort of a friendship, although everyone had formed a friendship with her, everyone in Velaris loved her, her smile, her laugh, the constant joy in her step despite everything. But no one was immune to pain, or hurt, or sadness. And he could feel it inside of her, feel her sorrow, and her need to cry and go home inside of her everyday. Like a constant pain in his heart. He could feel it now, despite her smile because even from this distance, high on the cliff face of a garden the voices of his brothers and Mor drifted to them. Cassian and Rhys were two words short of threatening the other and Mor was barley keeping the peace. Nesta ur assumed was lounging in front of the map, not letting on that she was planning her own course of action no matter what the rest of them agreed on. He didn't doubt that once more Cassian would see her plan was right. By right he should be down there, planning to get words to his spies, helping Mor keep the peace. But Elaine... she looked so lost, standing in front of the map and glancing to land marked over the wall, to a small dot that was her village. He hadn't even had to convince her to hold on to him so he could bring her to the garden, she had just, known. Her gentle hands had wrapped around his forearm, one slipping to glue over his scars and without another word they had left. "Should we go back?" She whispered to him, not removing her eyes from the chain. "They're fine," his voice was just as soft, when he meet her eyes he smiled and reached out a tentative hand towards the tangled loops of knotted daisy's. "Let me help," he said, she nodded, letting the line hang between them and while she platted he untangled being careful not to break of a single petal. "I know you want to be planning with them, you don't have to babysit me." "I'm not, and right now I think it's better of I didn't have to argue with them." "What do you mean?" Her fingers flattered for a second and he didn't speak until she regained her rhythm. "Well Nesta in the end is going to come out with the best idea and just sitting there arguing until she speaks would be rather boring for me." She looked up from under her lashes and gave him a shy smile that made his heart skip a beat and then pound to make up for it. "But untangling Daisy chains isn't boring." "It's the most interesting thing I've ever done," he teased although something inside of him made it feel as if he wasn't lying. She gave him that shy smile again and one of his own slipped onto his face without warning. His shadows began to brighten when she didn't break away from his gaze and he almost blushed when he looked back down at the chain and say that it was tangling in between his fingers. Silently they got back to their work, but he could feel Nesta's eyes on his back, marking him as a target if Elaine so much as looked mildly upset while in his company. If it wasn't for the fact she scared the shadows out of him he would've told her to mind her own business. "Finished," Elaine giggled, passing him the last of the daisy's which slipped like silk through his fingers. It now lay between them, dancing softly in the breeze. Nesta and the rest of his family had stopped arguing long ago and he suspected they had moved else where when the wind had picked up and threatened to blow away their maps and plans. "It's beautiful," he smiled, lifting up a small stretch of it and playing with it between his fingers. "Would you like to wear it?" She teased, picking up her own stretch and admiring her work. "Or is it too girly for you?" A deep chuckle rose through him and he shook his head. "It would be an honour," she smiled, like sunshine through a heavy clouds and leaned towards him. The chain seemed to slither into her hands of its own accord and she wasted no time wrapping it around his head in a loose crown. He smiled as she did so, unable to notice how close her body was to his, the way her scent of roses and peppermint intoxicated him, made him dizzy, made him want to hold on to her to stop the world from spinning. "Ta da," she breathed, making him shiver as he felt around his head at the crown. "Do I look as beautiful as I feel?" He asked, waiting for her to stand before he too stood up, stretching his wings and body after hours of sitting. "Depends on how beautiful you feel?" Multiple lines rose to his head, each worse than the last, each one trying to complement her in return. He couldn't settle on anyone of them so he smiled, turning to fave the edge of the cliff and looking to sea below. She stood too and they stayed silent for all of two minutes. "You're very pretty when you smile," she murmured, almost afraid to say the words too loudly in case the sea threw them back at her. "Pretty is not a word that's often used to describe me." He looked at her from the corner of his eyes and saw him fidgeting with her hands, the smile slowly leaving her face. "I think it should be used,"she said in the same careful voice. "Why?" He turned around to face her and she slowly did the same. "Because I think you're pretty," she offered, her hands still fidgeting nervously. He reached out his own hands to claps around hers. They were cold and shaking and seemed to tense when his hands encompassed them completely. He was aware she was Lucian's mate but he couldn't stop himself from wishing sometimes that she wasn't, that she wasn't claimed, that her heart wasn't meant for someone else's. "You may be the only one who thinks that," he murmured, stepping in closer as the wind whipped around them, making her hair lift and toss wildly and the crown on top of his head fall away. He was too slow to stop all of it, but a he managed to catch a single Daisy between his fingers before it too left. He noticed the sadness fall into Elaine's eyes, saw her watch the chain fly away and float to the sea. "Here," he breathed, holding out the broken daisy. She looked down slowly and when she saw the crushed petals her face lit up again. He smiled, reaching up to tuck the daisy behind her ear and spread his wings to shelter them from the wind. She looked at the wings and smiled again, reaching out a hand to place on the lighter membrane. He shuddered, closing his eyes and butting back a moan as she moved her hand up and down the span of them. "Sorry," she said abruptly, drawing back her hand and he opened his eyes, desperately trying to regain control of his breathing. "You're fine, they're just sensitive." "But they're so-" "Pretty?" He offered and watched as she bit her lip and nodded, before letting off a slight shiver. "Are you cold?" She shook her head and he stepped in closer wrapping his wings tighter around them. "If you are tell me because if I bring you back even a degree cooler than you're meant to be Nesta will have me on trial." She giggled, like an unexpected bubbling of noise. "I don't know why you're so scared of her." "I'm not scared," he said, "just aware that she's very protective and has very good aim." He thought again for a moment before adding. "I blame Cassian for ever teaching her to throw knives." "That would be because he likes her and was trying to impress her." He nodded and was aware of how close their bodies were. "Do you like anyone enough to teach them how to throw knives?" Their was an innocence but yet a need in her question. He was too stunned to think of a lie. "I know of people I wouldn't mind teaching those sort of things to, but theirs only one who I'd want too." "Is it Mor?" She whispered and he looked down at her, properly saw her before shaking his head, she bit her lip again and he almost groaned, moving in closer to her, needing to feel her. She reached up a hand and traced his lips, an almost involuntary movement that he couldn't move away from. "I wish I didn't have a mate," she admitted, still tracing his lips and he had to steady himself by gripping her waist to stop him stumbling into her. She didn't reject his touch. She almost seemed too arch into it, a small gasp escaping her lips. "What's wrong with having a mate?" He breathed, his voice barely audible against the howling wind. "I don't know him. He betrayed Feyre. I don't want him to be my mate, or my friend, or my anything." "A mating bond works both ways," he muttered against her finger tips. "You don't have to accept it." "Really?" He nodded, bringing her body into his, letting the side of him that was raw and desperate show through the cracks of his shadows. "And what happens to the other person?" "If they love you enough," he was breathless as he spoke, "they'll accept it." "And if they don't. If they don't love me enough?" "They don't deserve you." She moved her fingers from his lips and held his face between her hands. "And who does deserve me?" She begged. "You're too good for all of us if I'm being honest." "Does that mean I deserve no one," she whimpered and he began to see her cracks, the sadness, the need, the depression that she hid from everyone else. "It means you deserve the world." Slowly he slid a hand from her waist and began teaching her lips with his fingers, cupping her cheek, listening to the hitch in her voice as if she was about to let all the tears she restrained finally flow. "And what about you? Do I deserve you?" He shook his head and she closed her eyes, creasing her forehead in pain. "But I want you." His heart stilled before leaping violently in his chest. "It's just a want Elaine," as he said her name he thought he had never heard something so beautiful. "You could wake up tomorrow and want your mate," he tried not to make the word sound like venom but it was as possible as not loving Elaine was and he may have failed at that. "I need you," she whimpered, inching her face upwards, eyes fluttering open. "I- please Azriel." Possibly her saying his name was sweeter than him saying her's. "Elaine," he breathed in warning, but he couldn't stop her, he wouldn't stop her as she reached up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He dipped his head, pulling her body firmly into his. And when she didn't balk, didn't run away from his shadows which were dancing in wild flurries, when she pulled his head in closer he kissed her. She moaned against his lips, pressed her body against his, curled her fingers in his hair and he could do was go still, gripping her waist tightly as she kissed him and eventually his body responded. His lips parted and he felt her tongue slid against them. Shuddering, feeling his wings wrap in closer he let loose a small groan as he let himself loose control, as his shadows rolled around like the waves below them. When she pulled away, flushed faced and shy he wrapped her in his arms, leaving down and kissing her softly, letting their bodies mould together. Hours later when they arrived back Nesta was waiting alongside Rhys and Cassian. Elaine simply glared at her in warning before going to her room. That night after a sparing match with the oldest sister he found himself knocking in Elaine's door. *so I actually did that, I did the fanfic, there is no turning back now. Also ignore typos auto-correct's a bitch😆😆🤗*

[mrmichaelchadler]

Twilight Turns Ten: What the Response to a Hit Franchise Tells Us About Who’s Allowed to be a Tastemaker

Ten years ago, the world was deep in the grip of a new film obsession called “Twilight,” released on November 21, 2008.

While the four-book series by Stephenie Meyer about the romance between a human teenager and a vampire was already extremely popular with its audience of teenage girls (and at times older women who were affectionately called “Twimoms”), the film opened it up to as-yet-untapped fans. With the good looks of Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart gazing out from posters, the “Twilight” universe multiplied its fanbase tenfold.

Which also, naturally, opened up the fandom to as-yet unprecedented levels of hate. The book series had attracted some ire but mostly flown under the radar, whereas the worldwide, mainstream obsession with “Twilight” that followed the film's release attracted more haters than anyone could expect. Of course, this isn’t unusual for hit franchises. The success of "Star Wars," the Marvel universe, and Harry Potter have all taken their fair share of derision for A) not being “real” cinema and B) being grotesquely successful. But the way that “Twilight” is despised is uniquely gendered, with detractors mostly not dismissing it for its poor writing or filmmaking, but because of the teenage, largely female fans who propelled it past mere hit and into obsession.

“Twilight” was mostly criticized for one of two things: not being scary enough and not being sexy enough. It was almost forgotten that this film was aimed at tween-to-teenage girls, and was about young, female desire; crushes, lust and the fear of unprotected sex. It didn’t have to be horrific. It did exactly what it intended to: give teen girls someone to swoon over, a female lead to see themselves in, and a fantasy to get lost in that ultimately is safer than actually talking to a boy in real life.

The very concept of “Twilight” seemed to offend some critics. Manohla Dargis' review in the New York Times barely managed to contain its disregard, even discussing Bella’s inner monologue like so: “oh-so-confusing feelings, like, OMG he’s SO HOT!! Does he like ME?? Will he KILL me??? I don’t CARE!!! :)” It’s a barely concealed, vaguely misogynistic jab at Bella’s teenage feminine desire and the way that girls allegedly speak.

Empire’s Will Lawrence was more fair, but did call it “a sometimes girlie swirl of obsession”; Rafer Guzman said in Newsday that "Twilight" “seems best left to its impressionable teenage fans”; Edward Douglas for ShockTillYouDrop.com said it was “catering to the gooey-eyed fans of Meyer's novels and their unrealistic romantic expectations”; and many of the other reviews collated on Rotten Tomatoes mention the teenage fans disparagingly, with many others peppering in a "LOL." Only Roger Ebert appeared to discuss the fans without derision in his review, saying “'Twilight' will mesmerize its target audience, 16-year-old girls” and closing with “I understand who 'Twilight' appeals to, and it sure will.” His review shows that he understands that “Twilight” is not for him, but that he respects the people it is for.

“Twilight” started one of the highest-grossing franchises of all time; the books and the film series have made Stephenie Meyer millions. It ushered in a new era for fandom, with fans battling it out between themselves as members of Team Edward or Team Jacob. “Twilight” was, by all accounts, an incredibly fruitful and beloved franchise—a success. But throughout the reviews, and throughout popular opinion, the vitriol directed at those fans indicates that its fans are not only wrong to love “Twilight,” but that their obsession is somehow dangerous. Their love, essentially, means nothing—because they are brainless consumers powered only by their hormones, not valued tastemakers.

But it wasn’t just the reviewers who hated “Twilight.” Even star Kristen Stewart actively tried to separate herself from the series to become a more “serious” actress; Robert Pattinson often laughs about it in interviews, going as far as to say that were he not in “Twilight,” he would “mindlessly hate it.” At the time of the film’s release, there were entire communities dedicated to tearing apart “Twilight” as avidly, if not more so, than its perceived “obsessive” fans; anti-fans called it “Twatlight” and its fans “Twitards.” They read the books and watch the films, if only to go online and mock the series. They go as far as to produce their own fan fiction; such as New Moan: The First Book in the Twishite Saga, a parody rewrite of Twilight, and videos and memes online such as "Twilight" in 15 Minutes and Buffy vs Edward, putting obsessive effort into their hatred. Stephen King even called “Twilight” “tweenager porn,” further legitimizing the idea that teenage girls cannot be tastemakers. The public assumption that “Twilight is bad” served only to reinforce the idea that teenage girls are stupid and it’s OK to laugh at their interests. In the late 2000s, hatred of “Twilight” became a public performance of othering; you were either stupid for liking it, or smart for hating it. There was no in-between.

The fever surrounding “Twilight” was akin to the one surrounding Fifty Shades of Grey in 2012, as was the vitriolic hatred. The audience was slightly different; Grey, originally a Twilight fan fiction, appealed to an older audience. But both deal directly with the awakening of female desire and were feverishly adored by women. But instead of stepping away and saying, “this is not meant for me,” in both instances, detractors went public with their hatred. 

This is not something seen in media for boys that is frivolous or full of plot holes or poorly written. Huge franchises like "Star Wars" or "The Avengers," which are also designed mostly for male teens, are perfectly acceptable media for adults to consume and pick apart critically. But when a new Marvel film is released, even when it is poorly reviewed, there is nothing near the level of public takedown that “Twilight” attracted. Mediocre, even bad, films for men and boys are allowed to be enjoyed as disposable entertainment or at least fade into obscurity. 

That is not to say “Twilight” is perfect. Its lack of diversity, its absence of a sense of humor about itself, and its monochrome brooding make it both anachronistic and unwatchable for many. The film's treatment of female desire, its message being that abstinence is the only way to not get killed, is perhaps even dangerous for young women to watch. And Edward’s choice to attend high school as a man of over a hundred years old is nothing short of creepy, especially in a post-#MeToo era. But it offered something to a generation of teenage girls: an outlet for their burgeoning desires, a way of understanding the world, a heroine as plain and quiet as they felt. It seems strange that outlet is through a film that seems to be a rally cry for abstinence, but still. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” despite being critically acclaimed, tells women that bad things will happen if they have sex with vampires, too.

That isn’t to say, either, that we can’t say we don’t like films aimed at women and girls. But we need to think of a few things first: Why do we hate it? Because other people love it? Because its content is twee, or romantic, or campy, or anything else associated with young women? Were this a film aimed at men but similarly poorly written with campy acting, would we feel so much hate? It isn’t that people hated “Twilight”—it’s the gendered nature and language of that hatred.

“Twilight” is but a blip on the cultural map now, but a punchline still. It serves as a lesson for how we treat female fans, and ten years on, we seem to be making some headway in allowing teen girls to be tastemakers. Their raw, relentless passion doesn’t mean they somehow haven’t dissected their decision to love something: fans can be as smart in their love as any cynic can be in their hate. It’s just a shame nobody realized that when the Twihards were being eviscerated on forums just for purely loving something.

  from All Content https://ift.tt/2QXI3BD

[badass-girl-101-blog]

Sneak peek from Don't Look Back, coming in January to Wattpad

I was sprawled on my bed reading one of my favorite books. I had the radio playing softly in the background, and my window was open, a slight breeze shuffling the papers on my desk.

Someone knocks on my door and i yell "come in" without looking up. "Jade! The next young man will be here in twenty minutes, while your sitting in shorts and a tank top reading one of your romance books! " my mother scolded.

I finally look up at her. "I'm not marrying him. Or any other guy you throw at me for that matter. I'm not interested in getting married. I'm eighteen for goodness sake." I say slipping a bookmark inbetween the pages and placing the book on the bed next to me.

"You must get married. You've come of age that you need to start a family. We must have heirs you know." She lectures. I roll my eyes. She says this everyday.

"Its not the old days. People don't get married at the age eighteen. The only time you get married at eighteen is when you and you're boyfriend have an accident and you end up being pregnant. Do I look pregnant?" I ask waving a hand down my really skinny body.

My parents are very..... controlling. They want stuff done their way. They are also the owners of the top business in the world, Diamond's Manufacturing.

They basically make everything stores sell. And they own a ton of well know companies, and they expect me to be perfect.I

At age two i was expected to sit quietly and play, age three I was writing and reading a little. Age four i was reading stuff like The American Girl Doll books. Age five i was playing three different instruments and had voice lessons, six i was horseback riding. Age seven i was helping my mom write her books -she writes books about parenting so people's kids are like me, and business books-By going through and fixing misspelled words, adding those missing commas and capitalizing the I's.

As I got older, I realized this wasn't how other kids were growing up. I was a stay at home kid. I had tutors come to the house, and teach me eight different languages, math and all the other necessary classes.

I think the first time i saw another kid that wasn't my parents' friends' kids was one day at the airport. I was twelve, and we were, of coarse, flying first-class but i saw a couple kids, running around, yelling and laughing, playing something that they had to yell "tag! You're it!" When you push someone else.

I thought it was a weird game. Why were these children running around yelling? Shouldn't they be sitting quietly, their legs crossed at the ankle and smiling politely? Running was a very naughty thing to do.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I haven't seen the outside world. I was in my own little bubble. Of course, I've traveled the world. I've seen Paris, Egypt, London, Basically everywhere.

I was thirteen when i started to ask about these things. Things that my parents weren't too happy about. "Can i go to a real school?" "Can i have a sleepover?" Stuff a normal teen should be doing, i was just learning about it.

It was a whole new world, and i was planning on discovering everything i could about it. I began buying millions of books. And they did answer some of my questions.

Though, are there really vampires? Mom says there aren't any, but she also said that running will make you break every bone in your body, so i don't trust her very much.

But they are very controlling. They have a list of "worthy" men, all of them my age, but in tight suits, don't expect you to speak unless you're spoken to, and speak without a word of slang. Very old-fashioned.

You should have heard the lecture i got from my parents when i said the word "dude." It was very amusing.

But they expect me to pick one guy - sorry young man-to marry, and have kids. Sorry, not happening.

"I sure hope not." My mother says glancing at me as she fixes a few figurines on one of my shelves. She thought they were hideous, the Pop! Figurines from different movies and books. She shakes her head in disgust at my room.

I've been trying to live a normal girls life. I had posters from movies i like, there were tons of shelves dedicated to books, my laptop wad on my desk, along with papers from school and random notes. I had my room in a light purple and grey scheme, lavender comforter, grey walls. A grey rug, and done pillows, with a light purple bean bag sitting in the corner.

She originally had it with white walls, and a few ballerinas, because she wanted me to dance. I wasn't graceful enough for it, and i quit. I prefer horseback riding. Mom doesn't know that i do all the work myself.

Kit Kat is a thoroughbred. Very energetic, which is good because we often go riding on the beach early in the morning or late at night.

"Why do i have to do this? Why can't you have another kid, one who does exactly what you tell him or her to? I'm not interested in getting married at the age eighteen." I complain and mom raises her eyebrow.

"Don't complain it's....." " Very un-ladylike. I know i know. " i groan, finishing her sentence.

Mom walks over to my closet, head high and moving gracefully. She begins sorting through my closet, pulling out a few things. "This..... This and this shall do." She says piling some on the bed. It was a long white skirt, with a brown belt with a flower buckle. There was also a light blue shirt.

Way to girly girl. "This isn't my style. I'm not girly like you." I say gesturing to her long pink dress and silver high heels. She glares at me. "You will wear this, and that's final." She says and walks back out. I study the clothes in front of me, then head back to my closet. Black leather jacket, black loopy choker and my ear cuff.

They basically killed me when they saw it, but it was a simple hoop on the side of my ear so it's not like i did anything really bad. Like get a tattoo. They sound cool, but all those needles pushed into my skin... I shudder. No thank you.

I get dressed, and add a pair of ankle high black boots. Now to sit and wait. I probably should put on some makeup, but I'm too lazy.

I flop back onto my bed and pick up my book again. I hear the doorbell ring and roll my eyes. Time to reject guy number twenty-seven.  I think and sit up. Two minutes later someone knocks on my door.

"Jade. Theres a man here to see you." A voice says through the door. I stand up and open the door, revealing Bethany, or Beth as she prefers to be called. Beth is one of our maids, and one of my friends.

"Do I have to go?" I whine and Beth chuckles. "I am afraid that you have to." She replies and glances at my outfit.

"Nice touch." She says approvingly. I smile a thanks. "What does he seem like?" I ask. "He's tall, skinny, nicely cut brown hair, and very.... Stiff." She says and I groan.

"I swear I'm going to run away." I mutter and Beth chuckles. "I'll come with you." she says and disappears down the hall.

I take a deep breath and glance at the stairs with hatred. I know they didn't do anything, but they lead me to torture.

I begin walking down the stairs and then walk into the parlor. He's sitting strait in his seat, no emotion showing on his face.

"Hello Mr...." I begin, then realize I don't know his name. "Miss Jade Diamond. I'm Henry Bentley." He says formally and stands up, bowing slightly.

I glance over him. He's way to stiff, it reminds me of my father. "So...." I say unsure what to talk about. "The weather is nice today, isn't it?" Of course I say something about the weather. These things are so awkward.

"Yes indeed. I see your mother's garden is coming along nicely." He says awkwardly. He keeps looking at my outfit. He's probably not sure what to make of it. I inwardly smirk.

"Yes, she's very proud of her garden. The gardener has done a good job." I respond.

----------

Henry had finally left, after a very awkward conversation. Mother and Father walked in, and they look horrified at my outfit. "What on earth are you wearing?" She screeches.

"What you gave me, plus a few of my own touches." I say rolling my eyes.

"I don't know why you have such stuff in your closet!" My father says.

"Anyways, what do you think of Mr. Bentley?" she asks. I shudder and shake my head. " no way in hell. " I respond and they once again, look horrified, this time at my speech.

"Young lady! You talk nicely, and don't use such horrid words!" Father yells.

" That's it, you're marrying Henry! " Mother states.

"What? No! You can't do that!" I yell and glare at them. " Oh yes we can. You will be married in two months. One week before thanksgiving. " they say firmly.

"I'm not getting married to him!" I yell and they give me an angry disappointed look. "don't yell, and he was the last suitable man. Now go to your room." Father growls and I turn around, stomping to my room. Childish -yes, but they hate me stomping. 'It's not lady like.'

I slam my door shut and flop on my bed. someone opens my door and slips in. "You okay?" Beth asks. I groan and shake my head.

" No, I have to get married to that jerk. " I grumble and she sighs. "Tell me about it."

I sit up and look at her. "Well when I walked into that stupid parlor he was sitting there looking like a freakin cruel king or something. Face with no emotions, and sitting up like a freaking pole.

Then we started talking about weather, then the business. Once he left, i got yelled at about my clothes, then told i had to marry that freak."

" Well then. I don't know what i should say. " Beth says looking at me sadly. I hop off my bed, and lay on the floor next to my bed and then pull out a big stack of boxes.

I set pine up, and begin throwing my clothes into it, not bothering to fold them. "I do, let's start packing."