#i think it’s funny picturing Milo taking this as a photo

[starlitangels]

Redacted Boi Social Media Headcanons

Vincent only really uses Instagram, but is required by the Department to have it private because his human name is legally missing-presumed-dead and his face has a risk of being recognized if someone from his human life stumbled upon his Instagram. That said, he doesn't really screen people who request to follow him

Darlin' and Sam don't use any social medias. Darlin' has a Facebook from teenage years, but they deactivated it. But not fully deleted, so they can still be tagged in all the group photos posted to the pack page. In high school, Darlin' was the person who got a lot of unsolicited DMs because they were hot but they hate attention so they blocked everyone but their pack and deactivated. Darlin' reluctantly keeps their Discord for the pack server

David hates social media. He maintains the pack's private Facebook group and Discord server (though the latter is really more Asher's job, David's just in charge) but will not touch anything else. David's favorite social media is YouTube because he can lookup tutorials for anything and not have to ask anyone for help

Milo's a borderline Instagram influencer. He's got a gazillion followers (who all think he's hot, and he is). His Instagram is directly linked to his Facebook, so every picture and caption he puts on IG gets automatically posted to FB too

Marie comments only on Milo's Facebook (she has and kinda uses IG, but doesn't comment). She's the one that will leave the heartfelt comments with "Call me" at the end. She knows that's a meme among younger people that their older relatives leave "what a beautiful couple. Call me" comments, but she does it anyway. And guess what? She does it because it works. Milo👏 is👏a👏Mama's👏Boy👏 and he will call her when she leaves those comments

Asher doesn't use social media much, but is perpetually on Discord. He mods the pack's server, and like 6 others just for fun. He does post lots of pictures of Babe and selfies of the two of them together on the pack's Facebook though

Damien used to get into arguments on Twitter with randos. Huxley thinks it's funny to pull them up from when Damien was a teenager

Huxley was never much into most social medias but I like to think he'd be like that one TikTok dude who pops up on my Tumblr dash occasionally who explains how to do calisthenics and other workout stuff in a really simple, easy, modified way for people who are just getting started. People started following him because he's hot, and then realized he's actually like the nicest dude and doesn't know he's popular

Lasko's a Tumblr boy. I'm not taking constructive criticism on this

Gavin refuses to get an Instagram because he knows he'd get too addicted to it. He knows he's ridiculously good-looking and would amass a following supernaturally fast, and that's why he won't. But he has his old Facebook from when it first started to be popular. He got rid of all his old friends list and now just has Freelancer, Huxley, Lasko, Damien, and a handful of d(a)emon friends who also have Facebooks like Crux

Avior doesn't have any social media at all

Neither does Caelum and Gavin and Freelancer have decided not to expose him to the negativity of the internet

Vega refuses

Cam keeps a few things for professional purposes, but doesn't use them much

Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is a Tumblrina. Guy is

Aaron's favorite is LinkedIn. This is a joke.

Elliott uses Pinterest a lot for aesthetic inspiration for dreams. He doesn't use much else

Blake is on like every social media all the time. Mostly for CloseKnit. But he also stalked Bestie from afar for a long time

James had to get rid of all of his when his job started getting more secretive and he had to have limited contact with the rest of the world

Morgan doesn't have any social media just as a way to keep himself and his magic safe. The Department protections didn't require it, but he thought it was for the best

Porter totally isn't jealous that Vincent has a higher IG follower count than him and his account isn't even private. He's always trailing like 20 behind

[biteforblood]

[ SKINCARE HCS #1 ] the shaw pack.

✶ notes : gn!reader, domestic silly fluff, 1.0k

angel + david

i feel like people expect david to not have a skincare routine outside of like splashing water on his face and calling it good. and, like…yeah, he’s done that, but! i think those people are respectfully wong

one, that’s more asher than david. and two, though his routine isn’t as…extensive as milo’s is, david still has somewhat of a process, short and simple as it may be

he’s got face wash that angel helped pick out specifically for his skin; one that won’t irritate or dry his face out, isn’t an uncomfortable texture or feeling, and isn’t too pricey. they also helped him find a light lotion to put on afterwards on the off chance his skin still does kind of dry out because i feel like he has kinda sensitive skin

sometimes, when he’s too tired, he’ll let them apply both the face wash and lotion for him and only grumble a little bit ( if not doze off because his day was so long and their touch is so nice and gentle and— hm? no, he’s awake )

with a bit of pleading and wearing down, angel can convince him some nights to do a nose strip or face mask with them. now, getting him to take pictures with the strip or face mask on is a whole different and much harder story

whenever they can manage to, angel does cute poses while david mostly furrows his brows and pouts frowns, then they’ll add cute and stickers over top. they don’t really posts or share any of the photos — partially because he’s prefer they don’t, but also because they like to have it as something for just their eyes only

and before you ask, no, he will not be putting on a fluffy animal headband, there is no budging him. angel would have to physically fight this literal wolf of a man; it’s either a black hair tie, plain headband, or his hair is down and in the way, but absolutely no fluffy animal headband……unless they pout hard enough, then maybe

baaabe + asher

like i said above, asher is the one who splashes his face a few times with tap water, pats dry with a hand towel, then calls it good. and baaabe is lowkey appalled cause…sir??? no???

what’s kind of funny about it is his skin is relatively clear despite doing absolutely nothing to keep it clean and moisturized ( hand over your non-existent routine and secrets, pet ‘em in the bag, right now )

another hc of mine that makes it even funnier is i also like to hc that asher had really bad cystic acme when he was younger, which you can see scars from if ya look close enough. he still does get some acne on his face — along with his back and shoulders — but it’s not nearly as severe

despite his complete lack of any skincare at all, he will gladly plop down on top of the countertop or toilet and watch baaabe do theirs. he’ll hand them whatever it is they need — wash, cream or lotion, towel, wipe, face mask, pore strip, it is in their hand without even having to ask or reach for it, asher is on it

he’s talking the whole time about anything and everything under the sun. it could be about either of their work or coworkers, it could be his all time favorite topic of gossip, it could be plans for tomorrow or the upcoming week, doesn’t matter what, he’s talking

unlike david who has to be lovingly forced to wear a fluffy animal headband, asher is the one who not only puts it on willingly, but bought both himself and baaabe ones to wear, you can decide what color and animal it is, he would literally wear any of them :)

sweetheart + milo ( + aggro )

milo is the one who has the twenty step skincare routine /hj

and, honestly, not just hum, but sweetheart too. like angel did for david, milo was with sweetheart through every step of the process : what to buy, what products to use, what steps to do in what order, literally every. single. step

despite how complex it is for them to do, this is sweetheart and his way to relax after a long day, this is how they wind down before bed. it’s not just because it’s cleaning off the dirt and sweat and exhaustion, it’s also the tender and domesticity of it ( same goes for showers, but that’s not our focus )

yet another couple who loves to do each other routines for…well…each other. similarly, on the days that are especially draining, they’ll shorten it down to the arguably most important steps — quick wash, pat dry with a soft towel, some lotion. and if on the rare occasion that is too much, then they’ll do a face mask and call it good for the night

now, when it comes to the fluffy animal headband, i feel like milo is 50 / 50 on it. he’s got tons pf headbands and hair ties and whatnot to keep his hair back, and, yes, one of them is a fluffy animal headband, but unless sweetheart wears theirs, he likely won’t choose it out of all the other options

i can’t decide if they have all the bottles and jars and rollers and whatnot spread out on the countertop or stored equally as nicely away in a medicine cabinet

because the first allows the funny thought of someone going to use the master bathroom ( cause you know these two have a master + guest bathroom ) and seeing all of it and being like :O

that, and aggro hopping onto the countertop of which he knows he should not be on and pawing at everything, only for one of them to fix it, only for aggro to then again mess with it

speaking of aggro, that little stinker loves to sit in the bathroom with milo and sweetheart to watch them do their routines before bed. when he’s particularly impatient or tired, he’ll rub against their legs, meowing and crying for them to hurry it up already

© biteforblood. please do not translate, repost, or redistribute in any way on any platform.

[pistachions]

HI. HELLO. I said a while ago that I REALLY wanted to compare up my favourite shows cuz they're both SOOO undderated and here that is

A COMPARISON BETWEEN MILO MURPHY'S LAW AND STRANGE HILL HIGH

First.. I feel I need to introduce both shows

MML

If you didn't know.. it's made by the creators of and takes place in the same universe as phineas and ferb (it has a crossover too !!).. but as its own show, its SO unique. It follows a boy called milo who suffers from a family curse called Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) and his adventures with his friends !! Most of the episodes are just like general shenanigans that follow milo but it does have a plot that is introduced later on :) Also, because its made by the creators of pnf, its got the same humour .. it's really funny

CHARACTERS

The main trio are milo murphy, zack underwood and Melissa chase (in that order on the picture below) and they have a ... pretty standard TV trio dynamic, BUT all of the characters are SO fun and likeable!! Like, for instance, zack was in a regionally famous boyband and other fun things like that :)

Remember how I said there's a plot introduced later.. yeah, well it's basically created by these geezers (dakota and Cavendish, in that order on the photo below) who are introduced as time travellers set out to save pistachios. They're really funny and also voiced by the shows creators (or the same vas as doofenshmirtz and major monogram). They also REALLY remind me of me and my best friend, which means like ... nothing if you aren't us, but if you have a similar dynamic, it's SO fun to see

I dont want to spoil the plot much at all but the first season is about time traveland the second is space travel. If I'm honest the 2nd season.. isn't great cuz they made doofenshmirtz a main character but plot wise its still fun (season 1 is amazing tho still nothing tops it to me) so here's a picture from missing milo (one of the main plot episodes in s1)

And now to..

SHH

I'm gonna be so fr.. I've watched this show since release but have like 0 fandom interactions with it (thats a lie actually i have like 10 but thats not the point) so idk how much introducing it needs (still any is too little to me. imo this show should be standard watching for everyone) so anyway... the show doesn't rlly have a PLOT like all the episodes are stand alone, buutt it does mostly follow Mitchell as he starts at strange hill high and all the insane things that happen there (idk how to explain it cuz of how different every epiosde is but its SO good pls trust me). Its also fully posted on YouTube cuz it's like.. old and cancelled or smth so that's always good (not the cancelled bit tho lol)

CHARACTERS

Just like mml, shh also follows a main trio and has a great side cast. It's trio is becky butters, Templeton and Mitchell tanner (in that order below) and again have a .. pretty standard trio dynamic BUT more like the kind of British TV drama dynamic (.. cuz its set in a british secondary school). I LOVE these geezers SO much and they're just that kind of cast that to this day, I still don't know which one I'm more like

Because its not got a plot to vaguely explain, I'm going to tell you about my favourite episode 99 things to do with a time machine. It's one of my FAVOURITE episodes from any show ever. I love it. (I think it was also the first shh episode i watched cuz i watched it live on tv first before like.. downloading the whole show in 4 different places). The premise of the episode is that the gang is late for school so Mitchell decides to change the school clock so it doesn't LOOK like they're late. This actually turns back time and they abuse the hell out of this. Here's an image.

NOW TO THE COMPARISON!!

Ahhh.. this is like the MAIN bit but for 2 shows that are like permanently engraved in my brain its actually challenging me sm to compare them up like this. Why? No clue. Getting people to watch both is literally what I set out to to lmao

Shenanigans

Like I said, most of mml and ALL of shh basically revolve around whatever shenanigans the trio are doing. In mml they're very much unintentional cuz of murphy's law and the episode normally involves doing whatever to overcome the damage. This is more like the opposite for shh. The trio normally end up discovering smth wild going on in their school and mess about with whatever it is. Two examples I chose for this is mmls athledecamathalon, where the pitch gets destroyed and milo helps his sport team win, and sshs first episode, king Mitchell, where the gang discover a Knight who serves mitchell

These aren't exactly the CLOSEST comparisons I could make .. but you get the idea. VIBE wise they are VERY similar

SETTING

I also want to talk about the setting. Mml takes place all round danville (at different time periods too) and then a planet called octalia by the end of s2. Shh takes place EXCLUSIVELY in the school .. cuz it's puppetry and yk theyd have to actually BUILD a set

CONCLUSION

Ngl tumblr ate the rest of my essay. Twice. (Probably served me right for not having a backup but oh well) and it's kinda annoyed me. I promise you they're so similar is vibe PLEASE watch them both they're great

[velvetfoxgames]

Only if it’s not too much trouble- would it be possible to know what the Halloween emails said? Looking forward to the game!

The photo edits of their costumes are a little too cursed to share, but here's the emails in the order they were sent:

BROOKLYN

Greetings.

Halloween is just around the corner. I will be attending a Hallow's Eve ball. It will require masquerade attire, rather than costumes, which is a bit boring. But I’ve coordinated an outfit with a black, gold and white mask. It’s an authentic Italian mask I had delivered from Rome. Besides that, unfortunately I don’t think any of my associates will be dressing up this month for meetings. I’ve decided to wear Halloween-themed ties, and I’ve also designed a few boutonnieres that will use darker colored flowers from the garden. This way I’ll still be keeping with some of the Halloween spirit.

I hope you’ll be engaging in Halloween activities this year. If you’d ever like any costume advice, please feel free to message me. I can recommend some historical ideas. I’d imagine you’d look rather nice in a 1910s Victorian outfit.

Be well and enjoy this month’s festivities.

Yours truly, Brooklyn Hayes

MILO

Hi. It’s almost Halloween. People at my work are dressing up and having a work party. I’ll be wearing a plaid shirt and jeans. So I’ll be a lumberjack.

I’ve never done much on Halloween before. And I haven't been trick or treating. If there’s anything you think I should try to do this year…I might listen. You usually have good suggestions for things. And a corn maze or something wouldn’t be too bad.

At the very least, I hope you do something fun in place of me.

Talk to you later.

-Milo

RORY

Hi. Halloween is in a few days.

I don’t usually do much for it, but someone is making me go trick-or-treating with them at a mall, even though we’re way too old for that

-_-

I’m also being forced to dress up. So I’m going as Eddie Munson from Stranger Things. I even have a wig. But don’t expect any pictures, because I don’t want that immortalized.

If it was up to me, I’d go to this haunted house nearby. It’s supposed to be really good. I’m actually not sure if you like scary things…? I don’t know. But maybe someday…we could go.

Whatever you’re up to, hope you have fun. Be careful.

Rory

ALEXEI

Hello,

Halloween is only a few days away now. I was doing some research on it the other day. Did you know that Irish immigrants helped bring Halloween to the US? And that jack-o-lanterns were originally hollowed turnips with lights in them to ward off spirits? Halloween is a celebration with a very interesting history. I don’t usually do much for it, but someone I work with decided to get me a costume this year. He thought it would be funny if he dressed me up as Chucky from the movie. I’m not sure why he thinks it’s funny. I have not seen that movie. I know a wig will be required.

I’ll be working on Halloween, but maybe I’ll send you a picture of myself, otherwise I don’t think too many people will see me dressed up.

I hope you have a good Halloween and do a lot more than me. I’d maybe like to see a picture of your costume as well.

Talk to you later and take care, Alexei

TOBIAS

BOO!!!

Happy Halloween B)

Well almost Halloween

I’ll be heading out to one of those celebrity costume parties tomorrow. You’ll probably see what I’m dressing up as in the press but maybe I can tell ya now ;)

I’m goin as a cowboy C):)  and let’s just say the vest I’ll be wearing won’t have anything underneath. Are u picturing it? Good B)

I'd like to know what ur going to be. Bet it’s cute. If you were coming with me to the party we could dress in matching outfits. Don’t know if you’d have much fun tho. Those celebrity parties are actually kinda boring. I think Id rather join with whatever ur doing

Don’t get into too much trouble tomorrow. Message me later. If ya can

Adios partner B)

LEO

HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👻

Hey hey I hope you have a great day today!! Idk if you’re planning to go out or not but either way I hope you dress up or eat lots of candy or watch some scary movies!!! Do something fun because I want you to have the best day possible ^^

My friends and I are having a dnd night at one of their houses. Halloween campaign! We’re dressing up as video game characters lol I’m Link :D

Since we’ll be at a house we can hand out candy. Someday maybe next year I'd like to do something with you?��We could go to a pumpkin patch or check out fall colors…just been thinking about it.

Anyway have a good Halloween!!!!!!!!!! Hope I can talk to you later ^^

-Link (Leoooo)

[pink-cowboy-milo]

just wanted to draw a torso in a corset because I like practising anatomy but then I decided hey let’s just turn this into one of my beloved OCs, so here you go! (slightly nsfw because y’know corset + lingerie)

[harrysfolklore]

can you do maude apatow?

this plot by suggested by an anon but i can’t find the ask ! anon if u see this thank you <3 i hope you like it

ask me anything | masterlist | likes and reblogs are appreciated ! | support me

liked by zendaya, harrystyles and 1,202,736 others

yourinstagram friday night plan: learn all the songs from harry styles new album. milo is clearly happy about it

view all 42,047 comments

ynfan1 you’re so pretty

sydney_sweeney Can i tag along? 🙋🏼‍♀️

↳ yourinstagram please do

harryfan1 harry and yn??? a combo i’d love to see

yoursister get you a big sis who’s willing to take you to harry styles’ concert 🥲❤️ love ya

↳ ynfan2 ohhh so that’s why she’s learning all the songs they’re going to one of his msg shows ?

harryfan2 OMG HARRY LIKED

liked by harryfan1, harryfan2 and 3,764 others

harryupdates Harry in NYC today !

view all 986 comments

harryfan1 SOOOO HOT

harryfan2 i can’t wait for the nyc shows

harryfan3 HOTTIE

harryfan4 that’s my bf

liked by ynfan1, harryfan1 and 2,188 others

ynupdates YN via instagram stories ! She’s at Harry Styles’ show !

view all 912 comments

harryfan1 MY WORLDS COLLIDING

ynfan1 ahhhh i hope they meet

ynfan2 the fact that she’s there as her sister’s chaperone is so funny

harryfan2 SLAYYYY

liked by harryfan1, ynfan1 and 8,036 others

allthingsyn in honor to yn attending harry styles’ show today, let’s bring back these gems

view all 1,097 comments

harryfan1 THEY MET ???

ynfan1 omg i forgot these existed

harryfan2 please they were babies

ynfan1 THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN AGAIN

yoursister my turn when???

↳ ynfan1 TONIGHT BESTIE

↳ harryfan1 she’s so cool

liked by yourinstagram, jefezoff and 309,726 others

yoursister sister of the year award goes to @yourinstagram for making my harrie dreams come true. nepotism is good sometimes

view all 7,636 comments

ynfan1 imagine yn being your sister a dream

yourinstagram i love you sissy 💕

↳ ynfan1 omfg do u think she met harry

↳ harryfan1 they took pics at the photo booth backstage so it’s most likely

harryfan2 i want my harrie dreams to come true too

liked by harryfan1, ynfan2 and 4,098 others

theharrytea Deuxmoi via instagram stories, i know they usually lie but what do you think?

view all 1,109 comments

harryfan1 i’m never trusting deuxmoi

ynfan1 hello ???

harryfan2 the fact that they went out for dinner doesn’t mean that they’re dating, her sister, jeff, tommy, mitch, sarah and her manager were also there. it was a friends dinner

ynfan2 i ship it

harryfan3 we all ship it

liked by arianagrande, harrystyles and 1,245,672 others

yourinstagram i went to a concert last night

view all 43,865 comments

ynfan1 SLAY

sydney_sweeney I’m joining next time

↳ harryfan1 OMG SYNDEY

harrystyles Was the singer any good? x

↳ yourinstagram he was.. okay i guess

↳ ynfan1 ARE THEY FLIRTING IN FRONT OF US ??

↳ harryfan2 DEAD

liked by yourinstagram, harrystyles and 409,365 others

yoursister harry styles took this picture of me and my sis, we’re cooler than you

view all 7,983 comments

ynfan1 QUEENS

harryfan1 did harry actually take the pic or she’s trolling

yourinstagram my babies 💕💕

↳ ynfan2 HARRY IS YN’S BABIE

↳ harryfan2 she’s so cool

harrystyles Coolest ladies x

↳ yourinstagram you’re a cool lady too 😚

↳ harryfan3 STOOOOP

liked by yourinstagram, jefezoff and 2,146,259 others

harrystyles Love On Tour. New York City I. August, 2022.

view all 89,027 comments

harryfan1 BEST NIGHT EVER

alessandro_michele 🤍🍓🤍

yourinstagram i kinda fancy going to another show

↳ harrystyles You’re welcome anytime x

↳ ynfan1 HAVE SOME CLASS

↳ yousister she’s a harrie now you’re welcome

jefezoff 👀

taglist: @cucciolafaerie @eleanordaisy @sunflowersndpeaches @golden-hoax @alienorknight @daydreamingofmatilda @sunflowervolume66 @vanteguccir @ivyproblems s @ayeshathestyles @stylesmygucci @gimsaysay y @rosaliedepp @dontworrysunflower r @milfrrynation @manifestrry @iceebabies @harrystylesrecs @pleasingrryyy @harianaswhore @leadmetogarden @finelinevogue @abeanontoast @grapejuice-rry @vrittivsanghavi @msolbesg @tati813 @sad1esgf @ivegotparticulartaste @wobblymug @eviesaurusrex @olivialovesh @itsgabbysblog @theekyliepage @gumballavocadoharry @watermelonsugacry @be-with-me-so-happily @a-strange-familiar @reveriehs @c00chiemonster @b-reads-things

[asmrtist-brainrot]

Social Media HCs

Social habits because why the honk not?

I was just thinking about these three in particular because it clung to my brain.

So have some of this!

Written in 2nd but with the boi’s S/Os in mind.

Funfact: I have an OC that shares the same last name as Davey.

~ Dari

🐺 David Shaw 🐺

Instagram & Snapchat

doesn't use either all that much since he doesn't really care to

uses Insta sparingly, posts pictures of the food he and you cooks along with small snap shots of their life here and there

also home renovations and small videos of himself working on something with his hands

often some of him doing some grocery shopping, one or two of small couple things

there are no pictures of any faces and his icon is a little wolf graphic as a private joke between him and the people that know what he is

has more pictures of you on his page than himself

pops up often on your page(if you have one), just to show off a little bit to make sure people understand that you're taken

his layout is clean and minimalistic and he doesn't really do anything special in the captions, only really explaining what is happening or what food you made with no emojis or nothing

he also has the date of your anniversary in his bio

follows mostly friends and other food related pages with the occasional DIY and gardening stuff

... also likes your posts and comments occasionally - especially to make it clear that you were with HIM

Snapchat is actually used more often, he'd only gotten it because you asked him to a little early in the relationship (which is amazing as even Asher didn't manage to convince him)

he doesn't really understand why until he heard about the timing features

it's also the first time he'd ever received pictures/videos of the spicy kind... learns to love it

double since you can quickly update what's going on at the office here and there, somewhat keeping him sated until he sees you again at the end of the day

he also runs a website specifically tailored for empowered people to see so he can get the pack's security business out there in a professional manner

🌙 Asher 🌙

Instagram, TikTok, Twitter & Snapchat

he's practically a sensation on TikTok, being cheeky and funny and mischievous

pops up in the comments often and people are just always wondering how he seems to be everywhere

posts mostly little vids of him playing harmless pranks or a bit about his life and the funny moments within the pack

also small bits of his "epic gamer moments" and you and him being the cute couple you are

Instagram is a bit of everything: work out pics, outfit looks, food, gaming, dogs. plushies, couple moments, nature stuff, his s/o, street art, etc.

honestly his ratio from his face to your face in his pictures is like 3:7 because he's a real sap

he captions them with puns here and there or labels them what they are

ex. “part 100 of me picking on david”, “part 20 of me snuggling my s/o”

he links your Insta(if you have one) in his bio like: Taken by @/Baabe

follows it up with how long you've been together: two years going strong!

his favorite thing is travel pictures!!

Empowered Twitter isn't as well used but he is always lurking for the latest gossip or tea to spill

he doesn't keep up a whole lot with celebrity stuff per say but he sticks to the magic world and anything going on there, just kinda keeping tabs

especially in case it has to do with the pack; he's pretty good at PR since he knows what's trending and would make them look good on a business sense

🍂 Milo 🍂

Instagram & Twitter

he's not too active on Instagram, he only really has it for the sake of just keeping memories somewhere just to keep them

also subtle bragging about his s/o

has a good amount of posts, does one or two posts during a week and inconsistently disappears for a time

a good chunk of his posts are nature based, some outfits he's particularly proud of and some photos he does happen to take with you or food stuff (supporting small business usually)

oh and Aggro, so many Aggro pictures and videos

he really just tags people in his bio past the small bits of info: @/Asher made me make this thing, @/David for bodyguard business inquiries, Taken by @/Sweetheart(if you have one), etc.

his captions are a little more sentimental, probably with you as an influence - especially if you're in it

ex. "every morning is a good morning if i wake beside you" or "the two loves of my life(you and Aggro, ofc)"

it's amazing because he's so unapologetic and the rest of the pack is either, embarrassed at his forwardness in this sense or are just rolling their eyes at how in love he is

there is also his followers that are just like; "relationship goals"

doesn't mind having his face out there and will keep you off if you're not comfortable with it

otherwise though, the both of you are an accidentally semi-popular Instagram couple

honestly just doesn't have much of an online presence otherwise, lurks on Reddit and Twitter

keeps on top of empowered and unempowered news because he wants to know what's going on

Insta Influencer Couple HCs Here!!

[a-tale-of-legends]

What self-care hobbies headcanons do you have about Nessa, Piers, Raihan, Milo and Marnie?

Self care hobbies eh? Let's see. Personally not much, but I feel like, for Nessa, having a spa day on her own or with Sonia is a way she practices self care. Either that or going out to fish or swim, since she grew upon on it.

Piers, the music man, would make little mindless melodies to ease himself. Or, if he really needs a break, would snuggle with his pokemon and take a nap.

Marnie is kinda the same, but I feel like she would cook to ease her mind. I feel like she's a bit of sweet tooth so she like making sweets.

Raihan takes pictures for himself. I feel like he would be quite the photographer. Either it's his baby Goomy's and Trapinchs, or just something of his interest. Maybe watch some funny videos , or just call some friends to chill. I don't think he would be as active on social media as he would usually be, but a cute photo of sleeping Goomy's and Trapinch are sure to be posted.( Wait would all of that be considered a hobbies? Idk)

Milo gardens! I don't know much about flower, outside of the few I've looked up ( and then forgot about lol), but I feel like he would have an array of plants and flowers he would take care of. It helps release stress from the usually busy days he has for him

I hope this answer suffice!

[thoroughlyskeptic]

OK.  So.  I have a dear friend who was always desperate to be in a relationship.  His home life growing up was a mess, mother abandoned the family after the third child was born, father and grandmother were left to raise the kids.  He never felt stable when it came to women.  So, whenever he started seeing someone, he became exactly what she wanted him to be.  He’d ghost his friends, stop doing the activities he liked, start doing everything his current girlfriend wanted.  Some of the girls were nice, so it wasn’t TOO bad, but there were a few… let’s just say I was gearing up for a fight at least twice.  (You manipulate my friend by telling him you (fake) miscarried his (fake) twin sons?  Fuck you.)  This happened over and over and over, and every single time his friends could SEE it, but we couldn’t DO anything about it.  It was YEARS, a ton of broken relationships, and a failed marriage (to a really great woman, but not the right one for him) before he figured it out.

I see similarities with Benedict Cumberbatch’s relationship with Sophie Hunter.

I only became aware of BC after S2 of Sherlock.  My husband told me about the show, and I watched it and was hooked on this unusual looking man with the funny name.  Thanks to the wonders of the internet, I was able to find out more about him. 

“The secretary with the jade hairpin is his girlfriend!” 

“His parents are actors!” 

“His niece is his assistant!”

SPARKLY SHOES!

LAMB STATUE ON THE RED CARPET!

“Look how much fun he and Martin Freeman have together!”

Photobombing U2!

Dorkybatch!

The horrible Caitlin Moran (ptooee!) fiasco when he looked so crushed, and Amanda was comforting him.

“Go pay attention to Egypt” signs while filming.

I could see a change when STiD came out- he stepped out of that limo and I thought “Oh.  He’s a moviestar now.”  But he still didn’t seem to take himself too seriously, goofing around on the RC with the rest of the cast etc.

Then The Imitation Game.  What a great film!  He was marvelous as one of my persona heroes. 

By then I knew he’d broken up with Olivia and had been seen canoodling with various other women around the world.  Good for him, ride that wave.

The Oscar run though, suddenly there was this woman who seemingly came out of nowhere, his one true love.  OK- I get it, sometimes true love happens fast, I can personally attest.  But… there was something different about this relationship.  In the past he wore his affection on his face and in his body, looking at his partner with unabashed adoration, clinging almost to her side.  His body naturally leaned toward her.  Now he seemed stiff and unsure.  Yeah- he would reach out to her, he would hold her back, but it was so stiff.

So who is this woman?  People started looking.  She’s an opera director, she’s won awards, she’s an avant garde actress, she’s a mime, she’s done this, or that, or some other thing.  But… it wasn’t all quite true, was it?  To the point that one organization had to put out a statement saying that yes, THEY won the award, but that SHE hadn’t been involved.  Whispers of “Harvey’s Girl” started circulating.  SoHo House.  Red carpet girlfriend to prove that even though he played a gay man, he was absolutely heterosexual.  Racy pictures of her suddenly disappearing from the internet. 

Then there was her behavior.  The red dress stomp off is still so vivid.  Who does that?  I’ve seen the excuses- “She’s shy!” “She was pregnant and sick and had to go throw up!”  I don’t think those are any excuses for poor behavior.  Showing up separately to events, enough so that when the clutch dropped in Palm Springs you can SEE that he was completely thrown off by the bump reveal.  Not just that he was surprised she was being so blatant, but that he was surprised there was a bump AT ALL.

People started digging further, and the timeline started to unravel. “They met on Burlesque Fairytales!”  “They’ve been together for 13 years!”  “They’ve known each other since they were teenagers.”  “They started dating in May/June/last year!”  But why did her ex-boyfriend keep popping up?  What about the women he dated after Olivia?  What about Olivia herself? 

Then that bump.  Look- I firmly believe she was pregnant.  What I do NOT believe is that she gave birth in June.  To be as big as she was on the honeymoon and then the EXACT SAME SIZE in May?  Does not compute.  That pesky timeline again.  A first-week-of-June birth would put conception in early to mid-September.  There are photos that suggest the couple wasn’t even on the same continent at that time.

Jump to now.

Dorkybatch is gone, replaced by ridiculously expensive watches (Yes- I know they’re for Dr. Strange, but it’s still off putting that someone who used to be so invested in social justice … does that) and rambling interviews about breathing (all the while staying in an exclusive resort bungalow.)  Grins and hugs on the RC for his costars turn to stone face and awkward hand holding (or grab assing) with his wife.  (I’m not saying he never smiles at her, but it is a marked difference)

I’ve noticed over the years that if one of the people in a relationship is 180* different with their SO than they are with other people, or that much different than they used to be before- that’s a red flag.  You can try to spin it that he’s matured since he became a father, or he’s so annoyed with his fans’ dissection of his relationship that he freezes up when he’s in public, but I don’t think that’s it.

Speaking of fans.  Don’t you think it’s odd that in the past 7 years we’ve seen him out with his family only what- 3 times?  You cannot tell me that with a fandom that maps his favorite spots and flies around the world to see him that nobody, NOBODY has ever seen the family and taken a picture.  “Oh, but they’re respecting his privacy!”  I don’t buy that.  (Used tissues and wine glasses ring a bell?)  People have taken photos of Rihanna at the grocery store.  Chris Hemsworth at the beach with his children.  Milo V’s short shorts practically broke the internet.  Just look at DeuxMoi and you’ll see that people have no shame about taking sneaky photos.  This tells me one of two things- either fans have taken pictures and passed them around behind the scenes (unlikely- they would have been leaked) or that nobody’s ever seen the family together.  How?

Do I think he’s being mind controlled, has been drugged, is somehow being influenced by the Illuminati?  No.  But I do think he’s changed.  And there’s nothing we can do but watch.

************************************

Thanks for responding.

[umbry-fic]

A Palette Full of You (3)

Summary: Glimpses into Colette and Lloyd’s lives as they grow up together, learn who they are, and fall in love with each other.

(Written for Colloyd Week 2021)

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters: Colette Brunel, Lloyd Irving, Sheena Fujibayashi, Zelos Wilder Relationships: Colette Brunel/Lloyd Irving, Colette Brunel & Lloyd Irving & Sheena Fujibayashi & Zelos Wilder Rating: G Chapter: 3 of 6 Word Count: 6896 Mirror Link: AO3 Original Post Date: 11/06/2021

Chapter Title: Race Into the Night

Chapter Summary: Lloyd, Colette, Zelos and Sheena visit the carnival to have a night of fun after the end of exams. Lloyd and Colette end up riding the Ferris wheel alone, where...

(Colloyd Week Day 3: Confession/First Kiss)

Notes: Chapter 3 of my multi chapter Colloyd week fic! Featuring much fluff and sap. Zelos is non-binary in this and uses they/them pronouns.

Chapter title from Yoasobi's song.

Chapter list Full fic Previous chapter Next chapter

~~~

18-years-old

"There is no way I'm ever going on that thing. You can't make me."

"Come on, you promised that if I scored better than you at darts you would ride the Riptide with me! Gonna go back on your word now, Sheena?"

"Stop smirking at me, Zelos! You clearly cheated! That game was rigged!"

"All carnival games are rigged. That's common knowledge."

"I don't care. You still cheated!"

"Cheated how? You were watching me the whole time!"

Colette giggled, watching her two friends have a go at each other as they inched closer to each other with each word they spoke. All three of them were leaning against the cold metal railing, though Colette was careful to keep a safe distance from Zelos and Sheena. When they were engrossed in arguing with each other, there was a safe zone, and a not-safe zone where one was liable to get smacked by a wildly gesturing arm or two.

Surrounding them were various stalls staffed by people who were enthusiastically calling out to potential customers, hoping to receive more coupons in the final hour before the carnival closed. There were pop-up game stalls featuring the classics like ring toss and soccer, food stands selling carnival staples like candy floss and popcorn, and even thrill rides like the aforementioned Riptide, a roller coaster that paled in comparison to USS' coasters but certainly had the most twists and turns of anything offered at the carnival. Adorning everything was bright neon lights and colourful decorations, and noise came from every angle, lending to a cheery atmosphere that could get a tad overwhelming at times.

Despite the late hour of 9 pm, there was still quite a crowd - mostly consisting of young adults like them, the majority of families having gone home for the night. She had bumped into quite a few classmates in the past three hours, who had come here with the same idea of having a fun night out with friends after the end of A-levels. A lot of pictures had been taken, until her cheeks hurt a bit from smiling so much, but it had been great fun.

She, Lloyd, Zelos and Sheena had managed to visit almost every booth, using up all of the coupons that they were sharing amongst each other. But even with their combined efforts, they had only managed to win one prize: the adorable Siberian Husky plush she was currently hugging. Though they'd certainly snacked on their share of popcorn, sharing one large carton between the four of them until their fingers were sticky with kernels.

"Colette, back me up!" Sheena begged, turning to face Colette. Despite the biting words that were leaving her mouth, her true emotions were betrayed by the smile playing at the corner of her lips. Sheena's hair was tied up into her trademark high ponytail, the ends of her hair swaying slightly in the weak wind.

"What, me?" Colette exclaimed, rather surprised she was being pulled into the conversation. Zelos and Sheena tended to retreat into their own world whenever they got into this state, forgetting anyone else existed.

"Uh, well..." Colette muttered, sheepishly smiling. "Sorry to disappoint, Sheena, but I have to give this one to Zelos."

"See? Even Colette agrees!" Zelos placed their elbow on the railing, leaning closer to Sheena, smirking.

Sheena didn't even spare Zelos a look, just shoved their face away with a hand, ignoring Zelos' sputters of protest. "How could you, Colette? How could you side with the idiot?" Sheena cried in mock betrayal.

"Well, I and Lloyd were both there, and we both saw Zelos win fair and square. And a deal's a deal," Colette replied, shrugging. Zelos did seem more insistent than usual, but she couldn't discern why.

"Just think of it as a date!" Zelos waved a nonchalant arm in the air, that smirk never fading as they took hold of Sheena's arm.

"Screaming in abject terror is not my idea of a date," Sheena hissed through gritted teeth, though she didn't free herself from Zelos' hold. "Besides, we're supposed to ride the Ferris wheel together once Lloyd comes back!"

"Eh, we won't make it before the carnival closes if we catch the Ferris wheel. Don't worry, I'll treat you to ice cream afterwards! And if that isn't enough to appease you, surely some Ajisen will." Zelos turned to Colette and winked, leaving Colette utterly confused. Was there an underlying meaning to all of this she was supposed to be catching?

"If you drag me on that damn thing, Zelos Wilder, I swear I will never forgive - GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME! STOP!" Sheena shrieked as Zelos began to drag her by brute force towards the snaking queue of the Riptide. Colette gaped, watching Sheena struggle wildly, digging her feet into the ground and hurling curses that got steadily fouler at Zelos, who didn't seem to be affected at all.

"I'm back with the drinks!" Lloyd's happy voice came from behind her as he walked up to her, holding two cups with steam venting from their tops, hair adorably ruffled from the day's hectic events, woefully unaware of everything that had occurred in the time he was gone. "Wait, what's... Happening...?" he asked, only now spotting the gradually diminishing silhouettes of Zelos and Sheena.

"I... Uh, Zelos and Sheena are going to ride the Riptide," Colette said, explaining the situation as succinctly as she could. How else could she word it, anyway? There was no explaining the antics of those two.

"Alright." Lloyd shrugged, accepted her explanation and passing one cup over to her. She pushed the plushy into the crook of her elbow, freeing up a hand to accept the cup and still managing to almost drop it. She closed her fingers around the plastic cup, soaking in the warmth it emanated.

"It's hot chocolate," Lloyd explained between gulps as he practically downed the whole cup in half a minute. "They're out of hot milo. Sorry."

"It's alright. Any hot drink would have done." Colette finally took a sip, feeling the sting from the heat and sticking out her tongue.

"Should we wait for them to come back or go queue for the Ferris wheel?"

Colette sighed. "We should just go. The queue for the Riptide is really long... They know to meet up back at the MRT at 10."

The original plan was to take a group photo at the peak of the revolution of the Ferris wheel, but that didn't look like it was going to happen now.

So it would just be her and Lloyd riding the Ferris wheel. An activity that could be seen as romantic. The pamphlet for the carnival had even advertised it as a ride of love. When they'd walked past it just now, she'd seen that the Ferris wheel was decked out with a ton of wire hearts that lit up in multiple colours.

It was just ten minutes. It would be over in the blink of an eye! Totally!

"Then, let's go," Lloyd said, grabbing her hand and giving her a minute heart attack, causing her bravado to crumble into dust.

Nope. There was no way this could end well.

The two of them joined the short queue for the Ferris wheel, having thrown their empty cups into a nearby dustbin. Only eight people were waiting for the next empty carriage to descend to ground level and open its doors. Five of them - three children and two adults - belonged to one family, while the rest were a group of three girls, enthusiastically talking to each other. It wouldn't take long for their turn.

A bout of shivers overcame her as the wind picked up, the warmth of the drink already a memory. She wrapped her free arm around herself, gaze dropping to the floor as she once again regretted forgetting to bring out her favourite dog-ear hoodie. It was always hanging on her clothes rack, and it would have been so easy to just reach out a hand and swipe it on her way out. But no, she just had to wake up late and stumble out of the house still half-asleep.

She'd forgotten how cold the nights could get. Especially for her, someone who couldn't even handle the lecture theatre air-conditioning. Forgoing a long-sleeved T-shirt for her kiwi bird-print tee was not helping matters.

"Here." Something warm and soft was draped around her shoulders, and she looked up to find herself draped in Lloyd's familiar jacket, his face hovering close to hers. "You should have told me you were cold," Lloyd muttered, his breath tickling her neck. "I would have given you my jacket earlier."

His jacket smelt like him, a safe, comforting blanket that reached to her thighs. It held his body heat, too, slowly seeping into her.

Colette flushed, turning her face away so she didn't have to look into those russet eyes. For there was concern there, as well as the ever-present kindness, but there was also more. There was no way to hide her blush, not when he was right here, but she still had to resist the urge to hide her face behind the plushy.

Why was she still trying so hard to hide, anyway? It's not like it was of any use. She was so obvious. As Zelos had told her, it had gone far past the point of being funny.

"Though I guess you're always cold," Lloyd said, tearing his gaze away from her and taking a hurried step back. Perhaps the words were meant to be teasing, but they fell flat with the out-of-place laughter attached to the end.

"I - I mean, it - it was my fault for not bringing a jacket in the first place," she stuttered, the words stumbling over each other in her mouth in her hurry to answer. Now Lloyd would know she was nervous too. She was doing really well, wasn't she? “But thank you.”

"The next carriage is here," the attendant called out, voice flat and expression terribly bored. He was staring at them with a barely veiled expression of disinterest, waving his arms to direct them into the next carriage, doors wide open.

"Come on." Lloyd grabbed her hand, the smile returning to his face. The Ferris wheel was lit up to the nines, throwing soft purple light onto everything around her and illuminating half of Lloyd's face. Beautiful. He was always so beautiful, but it was moments like these where it made her heart hurt, wanting so desperately to reach out and touch his face.

Heart pounding in her chest, she took her seat, Lloyd sitting directly on her left, their legs close enough to brush.

She placed the plushy in her lap, resting her chin on it and trying her best to slow her racing heart, knowing it would be of no use. Here, in this carriage that was slowly rising into the sky and gently rocking, it was just the two of them in this little space, cut off from the rest of the world.

It was hard to tell herself she was imagining the intense way Lloyd was staring at her, like she was the only thing worth looking at, even though the beautiful night scenery was right outside the glass. Nor was it possible to imagine the tension, sharp as a knife, that had arisen between them for the past half a year or so. Almost everything was the same: they were still incredibly close, but there was a hesitance there now - in the way Lloyd’s fingers sometimes curled away from hers, in the way she sometimes stopped before throwing an arm around his shoulder to embrace him.

Neither of them had spoken up about that tension, dancing around each other like fools. Even if he did return her feelings… Love wasn’t enough to bridge the impossible distance between them. She could never fully comprehend all that he felt, just as he could never fully comprehend the absence of what she felt. She could never give him what others could, not with her extreme revulsion towards anything sexual in nature. She’d be willing to try, for him, simply because her love for him knew no bounds, but… she couldn't say where her limits would be. Likely not very far from where she would start.

Even though Lloyd had been nothing but supportive of her, that didn’t mean he was willing to take a chance that could very well end in failure and heartbreak. She might not be enough for him when it came to a relationship. If that was the case, she could understand. Neither of them had done anything wrong. If they were incompatible from the start, then she could keep her silence. She’d be perfectly happy to remain as friends, even if these nebulous feelings would never leave her chest. She didn’t want to lose them.

"Um, do you, uh... like the plushy?" Lloyd asked, his voice cutting through her anxious thoughts. Awkwardness radiated off of him in spades as he shifted in the seat, turning his head away to stare down at the floor. At least she wasn't the only one that was nervous. He was repeating the exact question he’d asked her when he’d given her the plushy.

"I love it. It's soft, and it's cute. Thanks for giving it to me." The same answer she’d given him before.

Lloyd had been the one who won a carnival game - the ball toss, to be specific. He'd managed to down all the cans with a single ball and gotten the choice of any of the first-place prizes. Zelos had raised an eyebrow and asked him how he'd gotten past the unfair odds. Lloyd had sheepishly scratched the back of his head and said it was a lucky accident, one that he couldn’t repeat, which proved to be true in his later attempts.

Lloyd had taken one look at the prize pool, pointed out the Siberian Husky plush to the staff, and then stuffed it into her hands the moment he'd gotten it, proclaiming that it was a gift for her. Zelos had been outright snickering, while even Sheena had looked like she was holding back laughter, shoulders shaking.

Lloyd's hand found hers in the little space between them, his thumb rubbing the skin of her palm just below her fingers. It was a repetitive, soothing motion, helping to calm her down.

She hoped that, no matter what, they would always stay together. Whether as friends or more. Just the two of them.

"I'm glad you like it." Lloyd's voice was getting progressively quieter with each syllable his lips formed, slowly shifting right along the seat towards her.

“Can - can I…” Lloyd asked timidly, turning to face her and leaning closer. Her field of vision narrowed to just his face, barely lit by the scant light that reached them from the carnival grounds and the spokes of the Ferris wheel. Everything else was slowly turning into a blur. “Can I kiss you?”

The carriage had reached the top of its revolution. Through the window, she could see the sparkling lights of the high-rises in the distance. Silence suffused the air as no one spoke, the world itself seeming to hold its breath, neither she nor Lloyd moving a single part of their bodies as they stared at each other. His eyes were wide, filled with such incredible emotion, built up over years and spilling over at this very moment.

Her breath caught in her throat, a current of warmth making itself known in her heart at the fact that he’d actually bothered to ask. She’d expected Lloyd to - the kind, considerate soul that she’d come to know and love, but somewhere in the back of her mind was tucked the irrational fear that there would never be anyone who respected her boundaries, simply because she wasn't worth it.

She took a deep breath, preparing her answer. It wouldn’t be “normal”, that was for sure. It wasn’t a simple yes or no, but rather…

“Is it fine if it’s on the cheek?” were the quiet words that left her mouth, shattering the expectant silence as her grip tightened on the plushy. Maybe one day, she wouldn’t mind a kiss on the lips, but not today. She wasn’t up to it yet.

She doesn’t know what answer she expects. Probably a no. It’s perfectly understandable for Lloyd to just step away.

“Of course,” Lloyd replied instantly, the gentle smile on his face once again shattering all the preconceived notions she’d constructed in her head, absolutely terrified of rejection but huddling herself into a corner in the belief that that was all she could possibly receive. There had been no hesitation behind that statement, no hint of reproach or anger or irritation towards her.

“Yes.” The word slipped out without any thought, for she herself had yearned for so terribly long. The desire she had always held to love, and to be loved, despite everything - to experience it all with the boy that had always been part of her life and that she hoped could continue to be there for the rest of it.

She turned her head to the side, and it didn't take another moment longer before Lloyd pressed his lips against her cheek, one hand still holding hers while his other arm wrapped around her shoulder, the plushy trapped between them. He was nothing if not gentle, bringing up her earliest memories of being kissed on the cheek by her mother, before she had left her life forever. It was through that gentleness that the force of his love was truly impressed on her - for there was passion there, in the very act of holding himself back. Love, gentle like a warm flame, but not any lesser for it, for his love was just as impregnable as a brick wall, unyielding and unbreaking.

She could feel his warm breath against her cheek, his lips softer than she could have thought, his hair close enough to run her hands through as she’d always wanted. So she did, letting the strands fall through her fingers like melted chocolate.

Was he… smiling? It sure felt like it.

It wasn't a magical moment like people always said the first kiss would be like. After all, theirs was nowhere close to conventional, but it was an experience that belonged only to them. No sparks were flying in the air, nor did time stop. It was just the two of them, fitting together perfectly like puzzle pieces in the way they always had, and she couldn't ask for anything more.

Lloyd moved away, his arm dropping from her shoulder, hand joining the other to clasp her limp one. His eyes were shining with joy, the same joy that filled her heart and made it feel like it might take flight at any time. Everything had finally fallen into place.

Her whole face was now on fire as she turned away, leaning forward over her legs. Her hair fell by the side of her face like a veil, letting only tiny glimpses of Lloyd through.

“You’re sure?” she asked, knowing that she needed to clarify. Even if his actions had been the shining light that burned away most of her doubts, some still remained. Lloyd really, truly needed to understand what he was getting into. She would not let him mindlessly enter into a relationship with her without knowing about all the ups and downs, all the complications that would come with it. That would only end in them hurting each other, and then they might never be able to stand the sight of each other again. It was the dreaded future she never wanted to come to pass. “It’s not going to be easy."

“I know,” he replied, squeezing her hand, his russet eyes focussed on hers. “But all relationships have challenges, don't they? We'll figure it out together, just like always. And if it doesn’t work out, then we’ll stay as friends, forever. I just want you to know that I love you.”

There is nothing but burning conviction behind his words, and a determination that reached deep into her soul and lit a flame of hope.

There would be many more difficult conversations that needed to be had, candid discussions that would need to take place. But for now, she didn't say anything more, hoping the unspoken “I love you” from her side could be understood, clear as day. She still couldn’t make herself say it, the final lingering doubt that she suspected would never fully go away holding her back: that romantic love had to go hand in hand with sexual attraction, and that one could not exist without the other.

She simply closed her eyes, leaning against him and enjoying the gentle rocking of the carriage for the remainder of their time on the Ferris wheel.

~~~

25-years-old

"Remember this Ferris wheel?" Lloyd teased Colette, squeezing her hand as they stood in front of the Ferris wheel at the reopened carnival. It wasn't the exact same one they’d ridden at the age of 18, for that one had been deconstructed years ago. But it was a near-perfect replica, down to the purple lights that lit up the spokes, though the hearts were gone. Even the bored attendant who was barely paying attention to her duties was right!

"How could I forget?" Colette laughed, her trademark bright smile on her face. Even after knowing her for twenty years and dating her for seven of those years, the sight of her smile never failed to light a spark in his chest.

At least this time Colette was dressed appropriately for the colder night, in a pencil skirt and a long-sleeved collared blouse with a few frills. She looked a lot more put-together than him, who was just wearing plain old jeans. He had picked her straight up from work before driving them here, after all.

All that was missing was the staff pass that she’d removed from around her neck and left in the car. Her smart-casual image, however, was completely shattered by the pair of grey dog ears poking out of her hair, attached to the headband sitting behind her ears. They even felt furry to the touch, though it wasn’t real dog fur.

A pair of brown ears sat on his own head. Colette hadn’t managed to win a grand prize at the game stalls like he once had out of dumb luck, but she'd managed to do pretty well at the ring toss, scoring almost all of her tosses onto the red-rimmed bottles. That meant she could redeem a few mid-tier prizes, so she'd gotten two headbands with dog ears attached, one for her and one for him that he could wear if he wanted to. He'd put it on immediately. Now they matched! He needed to take a picture of them sometime - Sheena and Zelos would appreciate the cute image.

More like Sheena would strangle him over digital space if he didn't send cute photos.

The carnival had finally returned after four years of absence, and he and Colette had jointly decided to return almost immediately upon hearing the news. It was small and honestly not that impressive compared to other theme parks they’d been to, but it still held precious memories. And it would make for a fun date, which it certainly had so far!

They'd retraced their steps from years ago, though unfortunately, they were lacking Zelos and Sheena. First riding the pirate ship, Colette’s hair going wild in the air as the ship swung from side-to-side, then visiting the game stalls, laughing at each other’s absolutely horrendous attempts, then buying and sharing a stick of cotton candy between them, taking turns biting from the fluffy substance and having their tongues curl from the overload of sweetness, before finally arriving back here at the Ferris wheel.

"I know I've said this already, but thanks for planning this all out," Colette said, linking her arm with his and smiling up at him as they joined the queue. The queue was much longer today, amounting to more than 40 people, by his rough estimate. It was still quite early in the evening, half of the sun still peeking over the horizon, the sky painted in a pink that would soon be darkening to orange. It was just as noisy as in the past, perhaps even noisier, for the families hadn't gone home yet. "There were quite a few kerfuffles with the system at work today, and this really helped."

"That bad?"

"Mm. We had a new intern come in today, and then the old system just decided to crash. Not the intern's fault, she's the sweetest girl. But it was still a headache to deal with."

"Well, I'm glad it helped. Though I'm just happy to spend more time with you."

If everything went according to plan, then he'd be seeing a lot more of her in the future.

He shoved his hand into his pocket, checking that the all-important box was still there. It was the crux of this whole operation, and he could not lose it.

Colette laughed, a sound that inevitably made him smile. "I'm sorry I haven't been free for the past few weeks. It's a busy time for the company."

"It's alright. I'll be starting work soon too, after all. Besides, we still stay two floors apart. There's pretty much no way we don't see each other every week, silly."

"Sorry, sorry. Shouldn't be a downer; you're right. Anyway, since tomorrow’s a public holiday, want to spend it over at my place?”

“Netflix and chill?” Lloyd answered, well aware that he was probably getting some weird looks from people close enough to overhear him. He wasn’t even sure if Colette knew of its double meaning - she was generally completely clueless about the world of euphemisms. Over time, they’d just started co-opting the phrase. After all, their time together at each other’s place was mostly spent… watching shows while curled up together on the couch, creating dishes that were more like unrecognisable disasters in the kitchen while attempting not to set the whole place on fire, or Colette playing video games at the foot of the bed while he tickled her neck with his toes. In terms of risque activities, they so rarely happened - and only after he checked, double-checked and triple-checked that Colette was feeling up to it and not forcing herself for his sake.

“I don’t mind, but we haven’t finished that card game we started last month. The card piles are still sitting untouched on my bay window. Wanna do that instead?”

“Sure!” He replied enthusiastically. Board games or card games always promised a good time, if infuriating when nothing would line up and Lady Luck was decidedly not smiling on him. Colette seemed to get all the luck in these party games. Maybe it was consolation for tripping all the time.

“It’s such a shame that Zelos and Sheena aren’t here,” Colette said, pulling out her phone. “I know they went on the Ferris wheel the year after we did, but we still haven’t gotten that group photo we were supposed to.”

“One’s in Europe and one’s in Australia. There’s no way they could join us on such short notice.” The last he'd heard from them, both were doing well for themselves and very happy in their long-distance relationship.

“True. I guess I can add them to the photo afterwards with the power of Photoshop. Oh, and Zelos sent me this really weird message...” After a few swipes of her finger, Colette shoved the bright phone screen under his nose.

Zelos Wilder: Looking forward to the good news ;)

“Do you have any idea what they mean?” Colette asked, cocking her head to the side in confusion. “They haven’t been replying to my question!”

Lloyd could feel his fingers twitching. Zelos Wilder wasn’t here, but if they were, Lloyd would have strangled them already. Trying to spoil the surprise, were they?

“It’s probably nothing! You know how they are. Always trying to cause chaos.” Lloyd shrugged, hoping he wasn’t being too obvious, as he tended to be.

“I suppose that’s true… What good news?” Lloyd could hear Colette repeating that question to herself under her breath, not quite soft enough for it to escape his notice. She didn’t seem to have noticed that anything was up with him, thankfully.

“It’s our turn! Come on, let’s get on!” Lloyd declared, just loud enough to startle Colette and cause her to nearly drop her phone. She hurriedly stuffed it back into her pocket, following Lloyd to the open carriage. She hadn't realised the space before them had completely cleared.

The attendant lazily waved them onto the open carriage with barely a glance at them, a mumbled: “Have a nice ride” leaving her mouth.

Lloyd was the first to scramble on, turning around to give Colette a helping hand - only to find her falling straight into him, having tripped over the raised step. With a shocked “Oh!” falling from her lips, Colette crashed into him, nearly knocking him flat onto the carriage seat. With a shocked yelp, Lloyd braced himself against the glass window of the carriage, barely maintaining his balance. Years of practice at stopping Colette’s sometimes fantastical falls over obstacles that weren’t visible to him had honed his reaction times to near perfection, giving him ample preparation for this situation.

The attendant continued to ignore them, gaze fixed not so discreetly on the phone sitting in her lap. The doors of the carriage slid smoothly shut, and with a jolt that nearly knocked them off balance again, the carriage set off on its journey.

"Um, sorry..." Colette apologised from her position pressed flush against Lloyd's chest, arms entangled in his. She slowly extricated herself from the mess, stumbling a few times but managing not to fall again, even with the gentle swaying of the carriage floor. He tried his best to steady her without falling over himself. She sheepishly smiled. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Lloyd adjusted her headband, setting the ears that had been knocked crooked back into their rightful place. He’d told her multiple times that she didn’t need to apologise for tripping, but she still did, the habit too ingrained to break. It was endearing, though. “You?”

“I’m fine!” Colette smoothed out her skirt (though there weren’t any noticeable wrinkles in it from the fall,) and sat down to rest her weary feet, giving Lloyd the cue to sit down as well. “Thank goodness I wasn’t wearing heels…”

Lloyd did not want to imagine what would have happened if she was - she might have twisted her ankle, or worse. She rarely wore heels due to her clumsiness, but when she did, all sorts of accidents tended to happen.

He stuffed his hand into his pocket again, fingers feeling the velvet texture again.

It’s still here.

"What's still here?" Colette’s confused voice broke through his relieved thoughts. Her hands were resting in her lap and she was leaning forward, eyes shining with a curious light. The usual white lights of the new condominiums close to the carnival grounds shone, a few glimmers of pink visible as people celebrated Pink Dot. It was at this very moment that the Ferris wheel's lights turned from purple to pink, the spokes emanating soft pink light that washed over Colette, making her hair glisten - almost like an ethereal fairy with imaginary wings that shimmered, having come to visit him on this mortal plane. The dog ears only added to that image, somehow. Even now, the sight of her was enough to make him feel dizzy, both out of love and awe, even if he no longer blushed like an embarrassed schoolboy. Awe that she could get more beautiful every time his gaze landed on her. And awe that such an incredible person had chosen to trust him and stay with him.

He was so enraptured by the angel before him that it took a few seconds for her words to process in his mind, after which he froze in horror.

OH NO, HE’D SAID IT OUT LOUD. A thousand alarm bells were ringing in his head. Some days he was reminded that he was an adult now, and other days he was reminded that he was as much an idiot as he used to be. Some things just never changed.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” Colette said, a teasing lilt to her voice as she rested her chin on her palm, an amused smile playing on her lips.

He could just play it off - he knew Colette wouldn’t pursue it any further if he gave off the signals to drop the topic. She was just like that: the most considerate person he knew.

But…

The original plan had been to do it on the Ferris wheel. It even had Zelos' approval. This, right now, was the perfect chance to just let the cat out of the bag. And he would grasp the opportunity in hand before it could escape him.

For he could think of no future happier than one spent Colette’s side.

Taking a deep breath, he pulled the purple box out of his pocket with a shaking hand, dropping to his knees on the surprisingly clean carriage floor, devoid of the usual spilt drinks and crumpled up tissues.

He could tell the exact moment Colette gleaned the true intent behind his actions, the blank, confused expression on her face morphing into one of shocked disbelief, eyes widening and hands flying up to cover her mouth.

Damn it, he’d completely forgotten the script he’d written with Zelos’ assistance in a back-and-forth over messages, Zelos alternating between giving actually good advice and being extremely annoying, though Lloyd had gotten them to shut up by asking them when they planned to propose. The two of them had both struggled to find the right words, since neither of them had done super well in English. But Lloyd had persevered, wanting to get his feelings across eloquently.

But now that he was staring into Colette’s blue eyes, all the words were sprouting wings and flying mockingly out of his head, leaving only blank space for him to reach uselessly for.

The one piece of advice Zelos had given him that continued to stick in his head was this: speak from the heart, and surely she would understand.

He couldn’t keep her waiting forever.

“I… ” He couldn’t help but start off slow, struggling against the block in his mind but determined to push past it. The words then seemed to just come to him, progressively faster as time went on, stumbling out of some unknown part of his mind - or perhaps it would be more accurate to say his heart. Somehow, throughout it all, he didn't drop the box despite his trembling hands. “Colette, you’re the most amazing person I know. Your compassion, your gentleness, even your clumsiness, they’re all vital parts of my life that I wouldn’t give up for anything. You are my shining star in the sky, the one that gives me hope, that inspires me to be the best version of myself. If I had the choice to relieve my life from the start, I wouldn't change a thing, because meeting you on that playground all those years ago was the best thing that has ever happened to me. All my years spent with you have been incredible, and I would like to spend many more by your side. So, just like years ago, Colette, I have something I need to ask you, right here and right now.”

“Will you… Will you marry me?” He finished, voice drifting off into silence as he flipped open the box to reveal the two plain, thin metal rings he’d bought. Colette wasn’t the type to go for flashy diamonds or colourful gems. She’d appreciate something simple like this.

He waited, the few seconds of deafening silence seeming to stretch out into eternity, broken only by the sound of blood rushing past his ears. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked this very question, if in a different and less dramatic form. He’d already received her answer once. But he would respect whatever answer she gave now, and most of all, they would keep the promise they had made at this very place: that they would always remain friends, no matter what.

~~~

Colette still couldn’t quite believe her ears, gaze flitting between Lloyd’s face and the box he was holding up towards her, the two rings housed snugly within reflecting pink light.

Marriage had crossed her mind many times. She had learned over the years that it wasn’t a penultimate goal that had to be reached to prove her relationship successful, and she’d told Lloyd as much when he’d asked her two months ago if she’d be willing to get married.

But still, even if she had managed to break free from most of the notions the fairytales of old had implanted into her head, able to just enjoy them as sweet stories now, she couldn’t quite rid herself of the dream of having a fairytale wedding. One that was perfectly planned, with family and friends present to stand witness to their union.

She’d told him yes. That she would be willing to tie the knot with him, the one she loved. The expectation of a proposal had been simmering in the back of her mind ever since, often going forgotten. She had not expected the time would be now. Lloyd had been more fidgety than normal, constantly checking his pockets while disguising the action as keeping his hands in his pockets. She’d known something was up, but his true intentions had escaped her detection until just moments before, when she’d been taken off guard. All she’d thought when he’d pulled out the box was that it resembled the ring boxes in the dramas Sheena was always recommending to her, the ones that appeared in all the emotional proposal scenes, until the realisation had hit her in the chest like a truck.

Once again, like years ago, they’d reached the top of the revolution. The silence remained unbroken as Lloyd patiently awaited her answer, not pushing her towards one. And so events repeated, mirrored across time.

Colette slowly stretched out her arm, eyes shimmering with unshed tears as a smile graced her face. She nodded, her throat blocked by all the emotions that swirled in her chest, unable to say ‘yes’ out loud even as she screamed it over and over in her mind, the tears finally breaking free of whatever barrier was holding them back to spill down her face.

Lloyd broke out into the most beautiful smile she had ever seen, radiating pure joy as he slid one of the simple, elegant, silver bands onto her ring finger. It fit. Perfectly. When had he even learned her ring size?

She picked up the other ring that was meant for Lloyd, marvelling at how her hand could somehow remain stable as the rest of her body trembled in barely contained emotion. The ring was so tiny, held between her thumb and index finger, and yet it held such significant weight as she slid it onto his ring finger, the skin of his hand rough against hers and the metal cold.

Lloyd jumped to his feet, pulling her into an embrace and pressing a kiss to the top of her head (his nose bumping the dog ears), holding her close, his happy laughter rumbling through his chest. Even now, when he must have been bursting with joy, he was still mindful of her boundaries, refusing to do anything that would cross the line. Heart filled with warmth, she pressed herself impossibly closer, intending to just melt into his arms forever -

"Please get off the carriage."

The deadpan voice that belonged to neither her nor Lloyd broke through the peaceful bubble that had been constructed around the two of them. She froze, feeling Lloyd stiffen around her as well. Looking to the left yielded the view of solid ground, and the same uninterested attendant gesturing towards it.

Ah. They'd reached the bottom without even noticing. This was… embarrassing, to say the least.

Thankfully, no one seemed to be in the queue at the moment, allowing the two of them to escape from the Ferris wheel without much attention. It appeared that only the attendant had borne witness, and she couldn’t seem to care less, having returned to the booth.

Their interlocked hands swung in the air, the matching rings glinting under the bright neon lights of the carnival as she wiped away her happy tears, both of them grinning uncontrollably.

"I love you," Lloyd said, the words leaving his lips with ease, as they always had. "Shall we go home?” he asked.

Home was with friends and family and Lloyd, the one who held her heart.

Colette squeezed Lloyd’s hand. She felt light as a feather, like she could somehow fly with wings that she didn't have.

"I love you," she replied, the words coming so easily now. "Let’s.”

~~~

The attendant shook her head, scoffing as she returned to scrolling through Twitter.

“I suppose love does make the world go round.”

~~~

Next chapter

[babysprouseisart]

Honestly more things are pointing to a permanent separation for SH. No indications of any reconciliation sadly. And it makes it even harder without the confirmation. I guess when they start to get papped with their new SOs will be the day that it is confirmed they are done. And I hope it is soon. This push and pull with them is exhausting

Good day, anon, and welcome to hell. Screams for help will not save you, alas, because when it comes to a topic in which I am 99, 9% sure, I have no equals. I'm sorry you probably got the wrong address, but it's too late. I am merciless and bloodthirsty with anyone who tries to contradict my faith, tries to correct my point of view and convince me of their own, although I did not give it a reason. Because it's my fucking blog where I for x-billionth time has already expressed my exact points and agreed with some people which think and proved the exact opposite to all that you are saying. So be prepared to be slowly but surely tortured by my long ass post.

 So, let's start with what I said about my blog: only good vibes here. I am not interested/concerned about other opposite/negative feedings. I just don't want to make a big deal about it. Here, in my blog, we support Lili Pauline Reinhart and Cole Mitchell Sprouse in any case as couple as well as individuals.

 This means that under no circumstances do we talk about them, their relationships, their projects, their family, or their decisions in a negative way. Yes, we may disagree with something they do, where they do it, and how they do it (what they post, what they like/don't like, write or repost, who they meet, with whom they decide to be, live and communicate with, what they archive/unarchive, and so on), but we do not have the right to judge them or decide how to act. We also can't control it and it's none of our business.

 I repent if I once made the appearance of a person condemning one of them or their family for their actions and possible causes of the separation, it was only my objective external disagreement, points and thoughts aloud, nothing more rude, involved and inappropriate. And I think with many of my words said earlier (or the words of those I follow and reblog their posts) about the behavior of family/friends of Lili, Cole, and so on, people with brains and common sense could agree. Remember this, or write it on your forehead, so that the next time you write to me, you will see these words.

 Moving on, taking into account all of the above, I would like to tell you that it probably won't be enough for one blog to explain to you point by point all my beliefs and points of view on this subject, to prove to you that every fucking word you say is illogical shit and the most real nonsense. It feels like you're an alien who fell from another planet and decided to crawl into our hole with your impressions of a newborn baby who doesn't understand much about the world and its creators. Although in this case, I'm more of the opinion that you are a little asshole, in which the vein of hatred is boiling and you like to come to this and some other blogs to tell us your agenda although we have no idea where you have such rash thoughts, perhaps you have an extra chromosome? Dude, treat your paranoia.

 Further, given that I don't have much time and desire to describe all my points of view point by point, which, unlike your random set of words, really makes sense for hundreds or even thousands of people who have the gray matter to be able to think, I will attach my long - standing post, indicating all the facts at that time proving the opposite to yours. Although, I will try to supplement everything else as much as I can.

 While, we all ( I hope) already realized and accepted that for many reasons, during this quarantine, Lili and Cole had some problems, were distant and ended up apart for a certain period of time, immediately after the end point of the explosion and informing us of all these public actions on social media (I hope you understand), then after a few weeks, they were already confidently moving towards resolution and recovery and that's why:

https://babysprousehart.tumblr.com/post/618026656780648448/hello-i-hope-this-doesnt-come-off-negatively

This was written long before, but still has many valid points and I just want to widen some of them.

Take a sit and follow me word by word.

I shall start my addition of evidence, based on all the guesses and great opinions of others, as well as hints from the Lili and Cole themselves. I would like to start with a significant event and the day when Lili posted a photo from the Antelope Valley on April 28th, well, or 27th, depending on where you are.

Perhaps we lose some missing pieces in this puzzle and forget about something that was done earlier, but I just want to start counting from this moment.

A few facts about this photo/photos:

1) It was posted exactly 3 years later from their famous photoshoot, when very, very, very many people, mostly in media, began to suspect that there is something between them in a romantic way. It was exactly in the same place, exactly with the same style, exactly in a similar image (waving curly hair, light flying dress, black and white effect) and even without a capture. The picture marked the anniversary and is very important for the two of them. An undeniable fact, beat me.

2) That photo was definitely taken by Cole. Why?

Here are a couple more facts in addition to the first:

They have the quality of captured on professional camera.

You can see, that Lili did not tag the photographer and said jokingly that the photo was taken by Milo, why would she lie, or hide that it was anyone else, because clearly she just hid that because it was Cole.

You may have noticed that Austin, when asked who took the photo, whether she took it and whether she is a good photographer, says no and her reaction with a grin and laugh is priceless. She also didn't tag nor the photographer, neither Lili in her photos from there.

You can watch the vlog in the Colleen blog and see there are very similar figures to Cole, Lili and Milo walking along the valley, because, duh, they were there.

You can view her post, where you can see Cole from the back (notice his dark clothing, the same as on one of his post in the profile, which he has already deleted, as well as his position from which the photo of Lili was supposedly taken and it is just in the same place).

You can observe his style of photography and how similar the theme is to the photos from 2017.

You can see the same poppy behind his ear in one of the past stories.

You may have noticed that the photo of Lili is processed with the same effect as several photos in Cole's profile, and I can tell you as an amateur photo editor that it is very identical.

Question: why arrange such a significant photoshoot with your ex after a few weeks of separation? Why is Cole smiling in a photo (black and white one with a mustache and black clothes) probably taken there? Why is everything so secretive if they broke up? Why even post a photo that your ex-boyfriend definitely took? How can you calmly go to this place, which reminds you of your joint travels with your former lover? Therefore, this photo and later another one from there were the first iron arguments in confirming the improvement of things.

 I would like to continue with another ironclad proof.

Lili in early may very fiercely, after a few weeks of Cole's statements about slander and threats, which she did not respond to so clearly at the time, defended Cole and pointed out the private relationship and literally said that people should stop it and even though should hurt and bully her, but not him.

Question: did she defend her ex so publicly? Would Lili talk about a private relationship if that was the way her past relationship was most often? Would she have written anything at all if she didn't care about him and didn't feel something towards him? I don't think so, so it's gibberish to say so (about the break up) when it's the second unquestionable argument.

 Next, we need to talk about the general activity of Cole and Lili in social media. I just want to list some observations, in different order, but it seems like everything we have now:

If earlier it was visible in the posts of Lili that it was clearly a show off, then over time and after the published photos, she began to behave more sincerely and tenderly, began to publish Milo less, began to say that there was only the two of them less, has stopped showing how good she is without certain someone, as if for Cole showing that she could cope without him, which was visible in the posts and stories, she began to talk more about improving her mental health as a result of training, spoke about how later she was feeling better and that she was grateful for those who were with her and difficult times and in light moments, that you just need to live and enjoy.

Additionally, I can say how she shone with each photo, and it was a natural glow of happiness and settling down. She no longer sang sad songs or posted sad songs, on the contrary, posted sexy, funny and relaxed ones. She appeared more in photos taken by paparazzi. She posted sexy, energetic, romantic movies, funny cartoons, watched funny clips, was excited about her project, laughed, danced with her dog, played with a dog with macaroni, cosplayed Willy Wonka (we all have a feeling it’s Cole’s thing, no?), playing with sand, puzzles, posted funny memes in story, which unfortunately coolly accepted as the opposite, posted a poem with a typo and funny answered to a fan who corrected it, told more about poems and attached a photo with a fragment of a poem about love from her upcoming book. She liked some photos from the anniversary of the last episode of the series, where we remember there was a hot scene of her and Cole's character, she liked a Bughead drawing. Yesterday, she actually posted one of the sexiest videos that will not be posted, being single and lonely, we saw that she actually spent more personal time with Cole (I am not saying they weren’t doing t back then), which was investigated thanks to many amazing people here, and even if they don't live together yet, they are more likely to meet and have met with each other, and more hints on sexy times (because, come one, maybe Milo was the one who left a hickey on her neck, huh?), which is undeniable, just compare the fact that she is no longer in the old rental, and he is not in Kj's house, she then posted a photo from some place, which is very similar to where Cole shot a video with Jimmy Fallon.

 He also began to be more active in social networks, exactly after she started posting photos of the Antelope Valley, he posted a series of photos of the kissing couple, even if it was a gay drawings, they were filled with love, there was a photo of him with cattle with the sarcastic caption, then the photo about porn bots, with funny ask to leave him alone and saying it’s not allowed to be horny on quarantine, again a photo of himself with heart eyes that I talked about above, he posted a very funny video recently. There were more photos from the paparazzi after some time when Lili's usually flashed, and then it stopped, then his humorous photo in the washing machine appeared, which she probably had taken, and why so I explained in the attached post, he posted a photo from the walk, which was also probably taken with her, because again, she had a similar location, then he jokingly called Tommy ‘the’ muse, maybe roasting fans, but he didn’t use ‘my’, so, indicating he still has his own muse, then we saw him at that damn party, which caused people's panic, although he is an ordinary person and has the right to relax, and by the way at this party he was very happy and frisky, but nothing bad or shameful happened and he is innocent, then we even saw Cole, after Lili, delete many of the photos, although he had also unarchived some of them several times, as she had, which means that he did not delete them completely, but just removed many of them, leaving the most tender photo after or before the kiss at the famous moment when Lili wanted a toast and eggs at 1 am, or many photos reflecting her body, which also marks not a bad phenomenon, but a simple trolling from them. Proof of this trolling and unarchiving is on the vastness of other blogs and on Twitter, thanks to that girl's video.

 The way their condition and activity on social networks have changed is very noticeable and is also third undeniable fact of denial of the break up. You can compare photos of Cole taken by Alex, where he is clearly very sad and depressed, because it was taken somewhere in the interval of their real breakup. And compare this with his smiling and playful state during the interview with Jimmy, where he also sparkled with happiness and fun, constantly smiling and seemed to be aroused about something (or someone). I think even a newcomer will notice a change in their mood and attitude. You will see the difference. And this does not happen when going through the break up after 4 years of deeply imbued with love relationships. Please understand, damn it.

 I have listed alas not everything that speaks so vividly about things going in the right positive direction and is evidence that everything is getting better again, there will be only more I assure you and you will kiss my ass, as Cole said.

 Execution cannot be pardoned.

 You have one attempt to put a comma and decide your fate, but I think you’ll  fail because you are a total sucker anyway.

 Bye!

[bunnywrites]

AHHH OMG WHAT A CUTE ASK MEME I'M ALREADY SCREAMING💍 - adrian x dove 💍 sophie x milo 💍 liam x grace 💍 madison x wyatt

don't feel like you have to answer everything for all of them but ah!!! ILY

ILYSM ur the real mvp for always sending these <3

💍 adrian x dove

where they get married: 

they’re totally having a beach wedding, for sure!!

when they get married ( ie what time of day, what month and season etc. ):

Ok, hear me out. A summer wedding on the beach at sunset. Maybe in June/July 

what their wedding cake looks like:

they def wouldn’t have like a hug wedding cake, i feel like they would keep it pretty simply tbh!! maybe they even decorate it themselves (with the help of baby annie too!!)

….who smashes cake into whose face:

adrian totally would and dove would smash her piece of cake into his smug face right after and they would probably let annie smash cake in both of their faces too

who proposed to who first:

i think adrian !!!

who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar

baby annie walks down as a flower girl and then waits next to her dad who’s at the altar and then comes dove look like a rl angel 

what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like

since it’s a beach wedding, i imagine them in v casual clothing?? like nothing super fancy at all.

what their vows are ( eg poetry, traditional, improvised etc. )

i’m crying just thinking about them sharing their vows wow. i imagine since dove kinda write out her feelings in her journals that she maybe wrote a poem about him in there somewhere and she would share with him during their ceremony. and then probably just go into more depth over how much she adores him and AAAH my heart 

who cries first during the ceremony

oof, this one is a hard one!! but i think maybe adrian?? when he sees dove walking down the aisle?? and then she sees him crying and it causes her to start tearing up lmao 

where they go for their honeymoon

IF i remember correctly i think adrian asked her where she wanted to go once and she said italy and so i feel like he would totally make that happen for their honeymoon !!

who gives who away as they walk down the aisle

since her mom will have passed away already dove would probably be given away by her aunt !

💍 sophie x milo

where they get married:

i totally see these two lovebird randomly deciding to get married right in the moment. they would totally be the kind to go to vegas and get married!

what their wedding cake looks like:

honestly since it’s all last minute they would probably have ice cream cake that they bought from a local grocery store or something LOL 

….who smashes cake into whose face:

since it’s ice cream cake i don’t think they would smash it into each other’s face, but they would probably slide it down each other’s backs or something lmao 

who proposed to who first:

oof man ok i think tbh at one point milo will be the one to say “fuck our family who cares what they think lets get married rn” cause he would probably be so sick of trying to continuously prove to them that he’s right for their daughter when he knows he is!! 

who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar:

milo totally waits at the alter with his new best bro liam by his side and grace walks down the aisle too before getting on the bride’s side of the alter and then GORGEOUS BABY SOPHIE COMES DOWN 

what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like:

so painfully casual it hurts. honestly i could see milo getting married in an mf tuxedo shirt LOLOL 

what their vows are:

super improvised for sure but completely from the heart!! 

who’s in the bridal parties / groomsmen / other:

their new besties!! grace is soph’s maid of honor probs and liam would totally be milo’s best man 

who gives speeches at the reception:

i feel like liam would def give a speech if he was drunk enough lmao and it would be very sweet and funny tbh. milo would def give a speech about how much he loves soph and he would probably try to make it super funny but then he becomes a total sap at the end!

what their wedding photos are like:

the silliest ever! a bunch of selfies on their phones and polaroids. i imagine grace filming all of it too on a camera and editing the footage to make milo and soph their very own wedding video! 

what sort of food they have at the reception:

they would literally all just go out for burgers probably lmao

how wild their reception gets ( who dances the best, who gets drunk first, etc. ):

they would probably go out to some club to celebrate afterwards! milo is def dancing all kinds of weird from how wasted he is, but he’s having the time of his life. sophie is living for it, of course, and is even getting pretty rowdy herself, which we love to see. i feel like liam would be the one to keep buying drinks and making everybody take shots with him, especially milo lmao. grace would probably be sitting at the bar with her drink and smoking a joint before liam pulls her to the dance floor and forces her to dance with him

what their rings are like:

they would probably get the cheapest rings they could for the moment, but milo would def surprise with a diamond ring after he saves up enough money. 

where they go for their honeymoon:

i feel like since they got married in vegas they would just honeymoon there too!! 

who officiates the ceremony:

an elvis impersonator DUH 

💍 liam x grace

where they get married:

ok so!! i totally see liam wanting to make this one of the most special days ever for grace cause that’s just the kinda guy he is. and so maybe one of her favorite movie theaters is going out of business or something. so, before they demolish it, he rents the entire thing out and decorates it with twinkle lights and makes it all beautiful to have their ceremony there. 

when they get married:

CHRISTMAS TIME since their first interaction was at a christmas party

what their wedding cake looks like:

i see them having just a bunch of cupcakes made to look like a cake as a wedding cake, that way anyone can just grab one as a snack before they go watch their movie 

….who smashes cake into whose face:

grace would totally smash her cupcake in liam’s face and laugh so hard while doing it and i totally see liam just stuff his in her mouth to shut her up lmfaoo 

who proposed to who first: 

oh god i totally see liam proposing one day!! and just v casually too!! no big gesture or anything just like “i think i wanna marry you” lmao idk he seems like the type

who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar:

liam totally waits for her and grace walks down to her favorite romantic film score 

what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like:

i think they def would dress up! but still nothing majorly fancy!! i can see liam in a casual suit and tie while grace wears a really simple white dress and maybe a flower crown to accessorize!

what their wedding colour scheme is and what sort of decor they have:

i feel like they would have a black and white color scheme tbh!! 

what their vows are ( eg poetry, traditional, improvised etc. ):

grace would probably have a movie already set up that she would play on the big screen and it would be all about their relationship and new life that they started together and basically it’s just a collection of moments that made her fall in love with him !!

what sort of food they have at the reception:

all the movie snacks you can choose from, plus some take out that they would probably order in lmaooo 

who officiates the ceremony:

i feel like milo would totally offer to officiate their wedding and be so excited over it too lmao 

what song their first dance is to:

def the first song that liam ever wrote about grace !! maybe he starts off by performing it and then someone takes over so they can dance together i crY

💍 madison x wyatt

where they get married:

i def see their wedding to be more classic/traditional. i dont think they would get married in a church, but they would probably go to a beautiful garden or something. after everything wyatt put this girl thru he is going to make sure she has the wedding of her dreams lmao 

when they get married:

probably during the spring!! it’s a metaphor!! it’s a fresh start !! a new beginning!! 

what their wedding cake looks like:

probs v big and fancy with a cute little wedding topper on the top ofc 

who proposed to who first:

dude i feel like maddie would be too scared to even consider proposing LOLOL after all the pain he caused her!!! so i def think wyatt would be the one 

who walks down the aisle and who waits at the altar:

wyatt waits at the alter with madison’s brother by his side and maddie walks down the aisle arm-in-arm with her father and it is the most beautiful thing EVER

what their wedding dresses / suits / other look like:

we FANCY!!!!! this is probably the best wyatt is ever going to dress tbh 

what flowers are in the bouquet:

probably some white roses to match her pretty white dress 

what their vows are ( eg poetry, traditional, improvised etc. ):

i think v traditional. wyatt would def have to write them down because he would not be able to formulate words since he will be dumbfounded by madison’s beauty!! 

if anyone’s late to the wedding:

maybe wyatt’s running late because of SOMETHING (we can plan later heheheh) and that causes madison to start freaking out and thinking that he’s leaving her at the alter but in reality he’s doing all he can to get there on time! 

who gives speeches at the reception:

maddie’s brother most def! and maybe her dad!! his will probably be nice, short and wholesome tho 

what their wedding photos are like:

i feel like they would have a mix of everything! they’d have an actual photographer taking pictures and then a photobooth set up to take random/silly pictures with props and ofc they will probably be taking all kinds of pictures on their phones 

who cries first during the ceremony:

tbh wyatt would have to look away from madison at first when she’s walking down the aisle cause he starts getting teary-eyed 

where they go for their honeymoon:

wyatt would probably take her to the place she find most romantic, a part of me wants to say paris but i also dont know if thats just because of emily in paris lmaooo 

who gives who away as they walk down the aisle:

madison’s dad gives her away and he probably looks so happy and full of nothing but love for his daughter !

[camillemontespan]

the boy who waited patiently [a lily fic]

@sirbeepsalot made me the above edit of Lily and her playgroup boyfriend, Milo, many years into the future. Here they are at their prom. Such a lovely birthday present!

I thought this was a good starting point for a fic. No idea if this is a one shot or if I will continue it. I guess it depends if anyone is interested in reading more of Lily, rather than Drake?

I need to make a Lily master list. She’s becoming a character in her own right. 

@jovialyouthmusic @fromthedeskofpaisleybleakmore @pug-bitch @moonlightgem7 @emceesynonymroll @burnsoslow @emichelle @ibldw-main @katedrakeohd @be-still-my-aching-heart @of-course-i-went-to-hartfeld @gardeningourmet @iplaydrake @drakewalkerisreal @notoriouscs @dcbbw @stopforamoment  @rainbowsinthestorm 

******************************************************************************************

Drake stood in the doorway with his arms folded, nervousness etched on his face, as he watched his wife and daughter.

Camille was standing behind Lily, helping her to zip up her dress. Lily was waiting patiently, while scrutinising her reflection in the mirror.

'Mom, is my makeup okay?' she asked nervously.

Camille gave her a smile in the mirror. 'You look beautiful.'

Lily was 17 years old and tonight was her prom. It was the night Camille had been excited for for years, while it was one that Drake dreaded.

He didn't want to be the stereotypical father who gave his daughter rules and told her who she could and couldn't date (cough, no one, cough) but he couldn't help it. As soon as Lily was born and cradled in his arms, Drake knew he wouldn't breathe easy again. He wanted her to be safe and happy.

Tonight was important because Lily was going to prom with Milo.

She and Milo had known each other since they were four years old when they were in the same playgroup and exchanged leaves. Leaves to their class was like a huge declaration of love and Lily had been so excited when she received one.

Their romance had cooled off after a week which was basically a year in the playgroup world. They had taken part in a wedding in the playground to cement their love, until one day Lily decided boys had germs and she was going to be a nun FOREVER. She had been introduced to the Sound of Music film the night before, which explained her sudden decision, but Milo had been heartbroken.

 They continued to grow up together and became good friends - Drake and Camille knew that Milo harboured actual feelings for their daughter but they had decided to let Lily work it out for herself.

It took her forever.

She dated Patrick. She dated Hayden. She dated Eli. For some reason, she seemed to like members of the swim team which Camille thought was amazing for Lily but a shame for Milo. Drake continued to set up his rifle, just in case.

While she dated swimmers, Milo waited patiently in the wings. He was imprisoned in the friend zone. Not even Lily's Uncle Leo could help with his advice. Milo looked like he would never catch a break.

Until one day, he blurted out his feelings to her while they were doing their homework. Lily had looked at him as he turned a faint shade of green, realising  what he had just admitted to.  She smiled softly.

'I'm such an idiot,' she murmured before leaning close. She kissed him gently and then went back to their English homework.

She had smelled of coconut. Milo's stomach flipped.

From then on, Lily was by his side. For the two of them, it had been six months of bliss.

Drake had been relieved that she was now dating a nice boy but his rifle was still on reserve because he was still a boy which meant he still had a dick.

'Dad, you look really nervous,' Lily teased, catching Drake's eye. Drake reddened and cleared his throat. 'I'm not.'

Lily smirked. The Walker smirk. 'Lies.'

Drake sighed. 'Just.. No funny business, okay? Like dance and be merry but nothing more!'

'Dad, I'm seventeen!' she cried. They all jumped when they heard her younger sister whisper through the door, 'I saw you kissing Milo in his car!'

'LUNA!' Lily yelled, whipping around. Luna smirked, the Walker smirk, and strolled into the bedroom. She flopped down on the bed and watched Camille spray her perfume onto Lily's wrists.

'Are you going to be k-i-s-s-i-n-g?' Luna teased. Lily shot her a stare that could kill. Aunt Olivia had taught her well. Luna stuck out her tongue and proceeded to examine her fingernails which were painted navy with tiny silver stars.

****************************************************************************************

Luna and Lily were like night and day. While Lily was smiley, flirty and girly, Luna was the opposite. She had inherited more than the smirk from her father. Sure, she looked exactly like Camille - both daughters did - but she had her Drake's black humour and she didn't get along with the noble kids at court. Not that she cared.

Both girls attended a 'normal' high school which meant court events were rare. But when they did have to venture to the palace, Luna looked at her counterparts with contempt. She knew the hell the nobles had put her father through and she didn't appreciate it one bit.

She did love her parents noble friends like Uncle Maxwell et al, but she didn't like the noble teenagers. They were stuck up and found it weird that Lily and Luna went to a regular school - not privately tutored like they all were. Plus, they were American.

Lily had always let their judgement go over her head. She was the daughter of Drake Walker and Camille Montespan; she didn’t need anyone’s approval but her parents. Fuck the rest of them.

Luna couldn't do that - she had been caught trying to beat up Timothy Domvalier after he called her a particularly cruel word and she would have managed to do real damage if Lily hadn't dragged her away - though her older sister did threaten to cut his testicles off where he stood if he made fun of Luna again.

That was the thing. The two sisters may have been different but they were still a team.

Drake sat down beside Luna who snuggled up beside him. 'Your heart is beating really quick,' she said. 'Mom, I think Dad's gonna have a heart attack because Lily is kissing boys!'

Drake pulled her into him, covering her mouth. 'Lies! All lies!'

Lily blushed and turned to show off her dress. 'How do I look?'

Camille backed away slowly with her hands up to her mouth. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. 'You look gorgeous! Oh god, must take a picture for the album!'

'Mom, everyone puts photos online now,' Luna said. 'Taking actual photos is so.. Old.'

Drake let out a laugh. 'Here that Camille? You're old!'

'I'm only forty four!' Camille protested. Lily and Luna exchanged a look.

'Old,' they both chorused, laughing at their teamwork.  Camille pretended to be outraged. 'Well, your dad's older than me so..'

'Ha!' Drake scoffed. 'Only by a year!'

Camille pointed at him with her eyebrows raised. 'Big difference.'

Drake and Camille shared a long heated look that only they knew the secret code for.

You're so hot right now.

Wait until later when we're alone.

Camille had planned a date night so that Drake would be distracted. She didn't want him sat on the front steps of their Manor, rifle on his lap, as he stewed on hypothetical situations like Milo kissing Lily or God forbid, offering her some spiked punch.

Not that Milo would do that. He was a sensible kid.

Uncle Leo and Aunt Olivia were coming over to watch Luna. She was thirteen so she didn't need babysat, not really, but Drake and Camille felt happier knowing that she wasn't alone. Olivia and Leo had babysat the two girls in the past which had been.. eventful. But both girls adored them.

The doorbell rang. Lily let out a nervous squeal. 'Oh god, oh god..'

Camille squeezed her hand and guided her out of the room. Drake followed with Luna. His heart was beating very very fast.

'Dad, do you need a whiskey?' Lily joked as she carefully walked down the stairs.

'Don't push it kid,' Drake growled.

Luna giggled. 'Can I have one?'

Drake stared at her in horror until he saw her give him a smirk.

'Why am I surrounded by girls who like to gang up on me?’ he groaned. He still had a smile on his face though; his girls were his life. When they reached the front door, Lily didn’t want to open it due to her nerves. Luna took her hand and gave it a supportive squeeze. Underneath it all, she did care about her sister and wanted her to have fun. Camille adjusted Lily’s hair as Drake opened the door.

Milo had co-ordinated his suit to match Lily’s dress which had been her idea. Purple with silver sparkles, he was bound to get bullied as soon as he stepped into the prom venue. But he didn’t care. He would do anything for Lily. 

He was tall and broad, having developed into his body quite late. At six foot two, he towered over Lily but she didn’t see this new grown man in front of her; she just saw Milo. Her friend. The boy she should have been with all along. The boy who was right in front of her.  The boy who had waited patiently. 

Milo looked terrified when he was confronted with Drake. ‘S-Sir Walker..’ he mumbled, bowing his head. He offered a small bottle of whiskey as a peace offering. Drake took the bottle, holding in laughter, and they all watched as Milo then brandished a bouquet of peonies to give to Camille. ‘For you, Duchess!’

Camille smiled and took them. ‘Milo, you know us. You can call us Drake and Camille like you usually do. These flowers are beautiful, how did you know?’

Milo blushed and Luna smirked, shaking her head at the awkwardness. Lily smiled and stepped forward to give him a hug. His eyes widened when he saw her.

‘Woah.. you look.. woah.’

‘How romantic!’ Luna gasped, pretending to swoon, collapsing against the stairs. ‘If only Shakespeare was here to write a sonnet!’ 

Lily looked over her shoulder at her sister with her brown eyes narrowed. ‘Can it, sis.’ 

Luna rolled her eyes and watched as Milo took out a little box. Camille nudged Drake and Luna, pulling them down the corridor to give Lily some privacy with her boyfriend. 

Milo swallowed as he opened the box. Lily let out a breath and looked up at him with her eyes shining. ‘This is beautiful!’ 

It was a corsage with white and red flowers. Milo grinned and gently placed it around her wrist. Lily admired it then frowned when she examined the box. ‘What’s this..?’

She reached into the box and took out a leaf.

‘Oh my God, you got me a leaf!’ she shrieked, jumping up and down. ‘Milo!’

Milo laughed and for that moment, he saw the four year old Lily with the wide smile and dancing eyes. 

‘Oh god, I didn’t get you a leaf..’ she whispered. ‘Oh no. Oh no.’

‘Lil, it’s okay,’ he chuckled. Lily shook her head. ‘No, this won’t do.’

Quickly, she strode out the front door. Milo followed and he watched as she took off her heels so she could walk barefoot around the grass, looking around her. 

‘Lily, what are you doing?’

‘I’m finding you a leaf!’ she called. ‘I’m gonna find you the prettiest one!’ 

‘It was meant to be a joke-’

‘Shhhh, I’m searching!’ she scolded. Milo smiled and sat down on the steps, waiting for her to find a leaf. He jumped when he heard footsteps behind him. Looking over his shoulder, he saw it was Drake. 

Milo stood up quickly but Drake gestured for him to remain seated. ‘Relax, man,’ he said. Milo nodded and sat down awkwardly. Drake sat down beside him.

He had the bottle of whiskey in his hand and two crystal cut glasses. Carefully, he poured a measure into both glasses and handed Milo a glass. 

‘Uhh.. I’m not eighteen yet,’ Milo said. Drake rolled his eyes. ‘Milo, you go out with my daughter who I know has sneaked whiskey before. You know she helped herself to one of my most expensive bottles?’

Milo chuckled. ‘Sounds like Lily.’

‘Exactly,’ Drake said. ‘So, please, take the glass and have a drink with me.’

They sat together for a moment, watching Lily as she went further away from the manor to go to an oak tree. 

‘How is she seventeen already?’ Drake murmured. 

Milo smiled, not sure if he was meant to answer. Drake looked at him with a wry smile on his face. ‘I’m sorry I’m that dad who interrogates and makes boyfriends uneasy,’ he said. ‘I don’t mean it. It’s just... she’s my daughter. I’ll do the same to Luna when she gets a boyfriend or girlfriend. I know it’s annoying but I can’t help it. I just want her to be happy, you know?’ 

‘You are a bit scary..’ Milo whispered. 

Drake let out a deep laugh. ‘Oh good, I’m glad! Ha, fantastic. You know I’m actually really nice, right?’

Milo nodded. ‘I know, Drake. You come from a good place.’ 

‘I can see her becoming independent and becoming a woman and I’ll be honest, it scares me,’ Drake confided. ‘I sometimes miss the times when she was my little girl. She was obsessed with me. I was her hero. But now, she’s forging her own path, she’s dating guys, she’s graduating soon.. soon, I’ll just be a side character in the story of her life. And I’m okay with that, I am. I want her to grow up, I want her to make mistakes and I want her to have the best time while doing it.’

Milo bit his lip and sipped his whiskey. Fuck, this was strong stuff. Jesus. 

‘If it helps, I think you’re always going to be her favourite guy,’ Milo told him. ‘She honestly still looks at you like you’re Captain America or something. Sure, you can annoy her by being overprotective but when she thinks about it, she says she knows why you do it. She would rather have that than a dad who doesn’t care. With you, she knows you love her above everything. So I promise, you won’t be a side character.’

Drake was quiet for a minute, contemplating. ‘I think it’s time for me to let go a little. She is going travelling in the summer, maybe that will be a fresh start.’

Milo nodded. Lily was going to travel to Europe with him and a few of their friends before they started university. It was a freedom granted to her that many children of Dukes and Duchesses weren’t allowed to have. 

Drake clapped Milo on the back. ‘Good talk,’ he said. ‘Curfew is 1am.’

Milo frowned. ‘I thought it was 11pm?’

‘Ha!’ Drake let out a dry laugh. ‘What kind of night out is that?’

Milo grinned, surprised at the sudden change of rules. 

‘I have a leaf!’ Lily shouted, waving a leaf in the air. She ran towards Milo and Drake with a happy smile on her face and curtseyed to Milo, before handing him the leaf. ‘It’s the best leaf in the garden,’ she told him seriously. 

Milo held it to his heart. ‘I will guard it with my life.’ 

Drake smiled and took the whiskey bottle and his glass. He left his daughter on the front steps of the manor with her boyfriend, who was looking at her like she was a work of art. 

[solastnightidreamt]

I was walking around an outdoor shopping area with my sister and she sat down at a patio table near a coffee shop. I put my bag down at the table across from her instead of sitting with her (don’t know why) and she went inside to get us coffee while I wandered around. Across the way there was a tall cylindrical building that had dark glass all the way around it. I went over to see what it was and I could tell it was a restaurant but couldn’t tell what it looked like on the inside. Along with all the tables and chairs spread out between the coffee shop and the restaurant there was a booth that had been built into one of the outer walls that was tucked in the corner of two buildings. Zachary Levi was sitting in it with his dog, Blue. 

My heart started to race and I kinda thought for a second what I should do and then decided to go over and say hi. I was almost to him when I started to wave at him because he wasn’t looking directly at me, but before I could get his attention I got too freaked out and noped out. I like turned around all fast and started walking away but then I regretted that, as well, so I started to sing loud enough that he’d be able to hear. I thought like, if I sing loud enough he’ll be intrigued and come over to investigate/talk to me. So I sang all the way back to the table where my bag and book were and my sister was already back and had put my coffee on the table for me. I sat down and I was wearing like a white long sleeve shirt with jeans and this weird brown like bathrobe thing and I remember kinda hiding my face in the collar of it. 

My sister asked why I was all flustered and blushing but before I could answer I looked up and Zach was walking directly toward me. Apparently his buddies were sitting at a different table hanging out and they saw me go up to him and then freak out so when he asked who was singing they told him that I’d tried to say hi but got embarrassed and pointed me out for him. 

He came over and was smiling and said, “I’m sorry to bother you, but did you just throw me jazz hands?” 

I laughed nervously and gave him a shy smile that was more of a grimace and said, “Ah, kinda? I-I was going to go over and say hi but then I got too shy and embarrassed so I aborted before you actually saw me.”

He laughed and asked if he could sit down, I of course said yes. He was very friendly and we talked a bit about him and he was very humble as I told him I enjoyed his movies and all that jazz. I thought he was going to get up and leave after that but he stayed there and started asking about me, so I just talked and answered any questions he asked. He was incredibly sweet, kind, funny, understanding. 

He sat there and we talked life and depression and anxiety, our hobbies, where we grew up and our life experiences. We talked about Ventura, as he’s from there and I went to school out there. We talked big ideas and love and nature and all kinds of shit. 

At one point I asked him how Blue found his way to him. He started to answer but got cut off by my uncle and my grandma who came over to my table and dropped off fresh coffees for us and then left and sat down at the other table with my sister. 

I thanked them and was really happy to see my grandma but then instantly did a full 180. I kinda got misty eyed and said, “Oh, wow. That makes me really fucking sad.”

He asked why and I said, “Well, my grandma actually passed away five years ago, so I know that’s not actually her. And if she’s not real then that makes me wonder if this is real, if you’re real, or if this is some kind of a dream.”

And at the thought of it I started to cry. He scooted closer and grabbed my hands and looked me in the eyes and told me it was real, that he was real, and he kissed my hands and gave me a reassuring smile that like healed my heart. 

He scooted closer and we kept talking. The sun started to go down and it was golden and gorgeous all around us as we sat all close together and got to know each other. 

The outdoor mall area was closing so they ended up kicking us out and when he got up to go grab his dog and meet his friends again they were gone and he saw he had a text from them saying they’d gone back to Wyldwood. He took a photo of us together on his phone and sent it to me so I’d have his number and apparently at some point he’d started recording our talk for a podcast episode called ‘Talking Loss, Life, and Love with a New Friend’. He gave me the deets for the podcast if I wanted to listen back and he leaned in for a big bear hug and a sweet kiss, but when he hugged me he touched two fingers to my collar bone which was weird but like the contact radiated and tingled through my entire chest and I was like WHOA is this what sparks feel like?

He said goodbye and when he actually left I was all flustered and freaking out and was like, ‘OMG I’M IN LOVE’ and when my sister met back up with me she was like ‘HOLY SHIT MANA HE’S IN LOVE WITH YOU’ and we were both freaking out. 

I went to look at the picture he’d taken of us and I realized that I had his phone and he had mine. I looked at the pictures he’d taken and there were a bunch. Like, while we were sitting there talking and recording his podcast thing his friends had been taking a bunch of pictures of us to put up on the Wyldwood website and like you could see the glow of admiration in his eyes in the pictures they’d taken and sent to him. 

So I kept looking through the pictures but then realized that he had my phone, which doesn’t have a lock screen on it, so I panicked and was thinking, ‘SHIT! He has my phone so he’s gonna see all these terrible pictures of me like being stupid with Milo and not having showered for days on end and like porn gifs I’ve downloaded and my nudes and he’s gonna see it all aghghghgh!’

I got a call from him (my phone) pretty soon after and he invited me over to his property so we could switch back phones but also talk and get to know each other better. The next morning I went over and when I got there all of his friends were like joking and laughing and teasing him about having a crush on me and were generally just guys being guys. They all met me and were like ‘so you’re the one, huh’ and Zach was just bright red and looked at me and we both just knew that we felt the same way. 

So we hung out all day and explored and walked around and in the afternoon we walked down by the lake and there was a huge Buddha statue down by the water. There was an Indian guy there with us and he was freaking out and went up to the statue and started praying and Zach was walking with his arm around me so I kinda looked up at him and told him that I have a large painting of Buddha in my bedroom and he lit up at that as if that was some kind of sign. He lead us all onto a boat with Blue sitting down at the front. He was wearing swim trunks and a tank top and I was in shorts and a tank top and he got behind the boat wheel and kinda nodded his head over at me. I went and he put his arm back around me and he started it up and we drove off into the lake. 

[cocomaxley]

Paws for a Cause Part 3

This was a prompt request from @stopforamoment

This is a part of a TRR A/U called Cordonians Gone Wild, a collaborative effort by @ao719 @speedyoperarascalparty @leelee10898 @riseandshinelittleblossom and yours truly. Catch up HERE.

Summary: A furry friend joins the CGW squad which results in another boys vs. girls wager.

Rating: NSFW, mature and very bad decisions

Tag List: @fullbeaumonty @brightpinkpeppercorn @alj4890 @zaffrenotes @annekebbphotography @carabeth @moneyfordiamonds @give-me-ernest-sinclaire @3pawandme @indiacater @ooo-barff-ooo @ownworldresident @tornbetween2loves @perfectprofessorherokid @stopforamoment @editboutique @wannabemc2 @enmchoices @lauradowning29 @lodberg @smalltalk88 @gibbles82 @heatherfilliez @drakesensworld @nikkis1983 @sweetest-marbear @classylady1234 @daniv2278 @jlouise88 @jared2612 @liamxs-world @notoriouscs @blubutterflyy @captain-kingliamsqueen @lynne1993

Paws for a Cause Moodboard

Milo’s Moodboard

The ladies walked into the animal shelter and into the back office. The shelter director greeted them and motioned towards a large box. “I can’t wait to see these!” Anitah squealed.

Stephanie opened the box and handed each of them a calendar. They perused the pictures and smiled at each other, happy with their decision to each have one nice photo and one on their underwear. “Alright, ladies, where should we go to sell these?” Pam asked the group.

“What about outside of a gym? Or maybe a home improvement store?” Alicia suggested. “Oh, I need two of them, Thomas and Christian agreed to support our cause. So I have to mail them their calendars. They already sent their payment,” Genevieve said.

Anitah said with a sly smile, “Actually that’s a good idea, Gen. Maybe we should see if our dates from the auction will buy them too.”

With mischievous smiles on their faces, each of them sent a text. They decided that selling the calendar outside of a home improvement store would be their best bet. Setting up tables and chairs, the ladies set the calendar on display. Pam and Anitah lured people over to the table to look at the calendar.

“All of the money goes to the animal shelter. They’re in need of supplies and money for the animals,” Pam told a group of construction workers. They looked through the calendar and as soon as they say that half of the calendar had the ladies in their underwear, it was an easy sell. “Your queen and the queen of Gordon thanks you,” Anitah said with a laugh. A few hours later Stephanie yelled, “Last one ya’ll!” She closed the lockbox with the money, and the girls got into the waiting SUV.

The men picked up their box from the shelter without bothering to look at it first. They made their way to the shopping mall and set up their table at the center where there was a lot of foot traffic. Maxwell played some music and danced to attract customers to their table. Calendar sales were steady but they still had about half of them left.

“We need to get more people over here. Leo, why don’t you walk around and get people as their leaving nearby stores,” Rashad said. Leo nodded his head and walked towards a women’s clothing store. He stopped a group of moms, “Ladies, we are raising money for the local animal shelter. The calendars were selling features each of us and some of the shelter animals. What could possibly be better than some good looking guys and cute furry friends?” He flashed them the signature Rhys smirk and the women were putty in his hands.

Liam stopped a young man who looked shock to see the King talking to him. “Excuse me, can I interest you in a calendar? Proceeds go to the animal shelter.” The man looked uncomfortable, “I already bought one. The queen said that we could only buy one or the other.” He reached into his bag and pulled out the ladies’ calendar. Drake noticed the thumbnails on the back of the calendar, “Can I…can I see that?” He handed Drake the calendar and the other four looked over his shoulder.

They flipped through the first few months. Their eyes went wide as they looked at Anitah’s picture with her laying down on a couch wearing nothing but her bra and panties, Milo laying on her stomach. “Doesn’t she realize what kind of scandal this will cause?” Liam said pinching the bridge of his nose. “Damn, Alicia looks hot,” Leo said admiring his wife. Maxwell nodded, “Heeeeeeeyyyyy, look at Stef!” His mouth fell open, his eyes glued to the picture. Rashad cursed under his breath taking in Genevieve’s photo. While Drake let out a deep growl as he looked at Pam’s calendar page.

“You guys realize that if we are looking at these pictures, it means there are hundreds of other people that will be looking at them right?” Liam pointed out to the others. They all looked at each other and their faces immediately fell into scowls. “Hopefully they haven’t sold that many,” Maxwell said hopefully. “I told you we should have posed shirtless!” Leo said in a frustrated tone. Liam shook his head, “This is your fault, Leo. You don’t get to say what we should or shouldn’t have done.”

“Why are they always one step ahead of us?” Rashad asked. Drake groaned, “Because they all think alike and they’re evil, Rashad.” The young man reached for his calendar, but Drake kept it out of reach. “I don’t think so, kid. Here take one of ours for free.”

He rolled his eyes at Drake, “I want that calendar. No offense, but have you seen the women in there? Why would I want yours?” Rashad stepped up and pulled out his wallet. “You’re not taking the calendar. Name your price.”

“No, seriously, I want to keep the calendar. I don’t want your money,” the guy replied with a shake of his head. Leo came up, “I will beat your ass, do you understand?” The guy held his arms up and retreated from the group of men.

After a long afternoon, the guys went back to the palace. They were happy with their sales having only ten calendars left to sell. The women were waiting for them in the royal chambers chatting and laughing.

“Hey boys! How’d the calendars sell? Took you guys a long time, didn’t it?” Alicia said with a sly grin. Liam stalked directly to a smiling Anitah. His face in an angry scowl as he said, “I can’t believe you would pose in your bra and underwear in a calendar that’s going to be distributed to the public all so you could win a silly bet!” With wide eyes, Anitah’s jaw dropped open. “How’d….How did you find out about that?” Liam held up the calendar that he took from the young man at the mall. “Because you were telling people that they could only buy your calendar or ours! Leo had to threaten him so we could keep it! How many did you guys sell? Because we need to buy them all back.”

The girls roared with laughter. Anitah gave him a coy smile. “Well…my King…we sold all of our calendars. Why would you have to buy them back? That defeats the purpose of the fundraiser.”

“I can’t have everyone in Cordonia staring at their queen…my queen in her underwear!”

“They won’t be staring at me! Milo was in the picture! They’ll be looking at that cute wittle face of his.” Anitah turned to Milo who wagged his tail happily at his mommy. Liam rolled his eyes, “It’s like words come out of my mouth…But no one’s there to listen to it.”

Liam turned to Bastien. “Bastien, please tell my assistant that I need her to put out a press release to recall all of calendars these ladies sold.“

“What is the reason for the recall, sir?” Bastien tried to hide a smile seeing Liam’s vein throbbing on the side of his forehead. Maxwell chimed in, “Oh, I know, tell them the ink is poisonous!” Rashad chuckled, “Instead of poisonous, say they used a lead based ink. That might be more believable.” Bastien left the chambers and each of the men turned to their loves.

“Gen, it’s not that I don’t want people looking at you in your underwear…No, that’s exactly it. I do not want people, especially men, looking at you in your underwear! What in the world would make that seem like a good idea?” Rashad asked his fiancée. She walked over to their cash box and opened it, “It was a really great idea. Not only did we sell all of the calendars, we had to request another batch from the printers. When we ran out, they accepted online orders.” Drake growled at his giggling wife. “This is not funny, Pamela! You guys had them print more?”

“No, absolutely not. Not happening,” Leo said as he turned to Alicia. Maxwell put his arm around Stephanie, “Red, those pictures turned out really great…but I agree with the guys. I’m not ok with random people having you pinned up on their walls.” Alicia laughed, “They aren’t all random. Gen sold some to Thomas and Christian in Chicago. They’re part of the reason we had to reprint. The guys in their office each ordered one. Plus some of the nobles from the auction fundraiser wanted calendars as well.”

All five men’s heads turned to Alicia, their eyes staring daggers at her. “Excuse me? Did you just say that Isaiah bought a calendar that features an almost naked picture of Pam?” Drake asked through gritted teeth. “Christian? As in St. Tropez and Chicago Christian?” Rashad asked with an angry look on his face. Genevieve turned towards Alicia and mouthed, “God dammit, Alicia!”

“Oh Signore Touchy Feely better not have bought one of these!” Liam yelled. Anitah avoided his gaze, her eyes trained on Milo. Maxwell stood there with his mouth hanging open. Stephanie sauntered over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Aww, babe, don’t be angry. It’s for a good cause.” Maxwell pulled her arms off of him, "Oh no, you won’t get out of this that easily…Your voodoo magic is not going to work on me.”

Alicia looked at Leo’s angry face. “Baby, don’t be mad. Stef’s right, it is for a good cause. Just like the auction that didn’t want to do. Just like being on a deserted island, naked, that I didn’t want to do. This is for something I actually believe in.” Leo’s expression softened, “But, Alicia, we’ve had this discussion before. What’s underneath your clothes is only for me. I don’t want to share that part of you with anyone else.” She walked over to him and pulled him into a deep kiss. “Last time, baby. I promise.” Leo said indignantly, “Oh, you’re damn right. We’re getting every single one of those calendars back.” The men all nodded in agreement.

A week later, Liam looked at the small pile of calendars on his desk. The recall notice had gone out, but no one seemed to care if the ink was really lead based or not. After a few attempts at calling the nobles from the date auction, he was able to get Giovanni’s calendar back. When Liam opened it, he noticed that the two months with Anitah’s photos were missing. Liam rubbed his hand over his forehead in aggravation. There was a knock on his study door and in walked Rashad, Drake, Maxwell and Leo.

“Any luck, Li?” Drake asked him. Liam let out a heavy sigh. “Let’s see, I just got Signore Cavvichi’s calendar back, without my wife’s pictures inside. Isaiah and Sebastian flat out refused. Finn sent his back, but Jason Bucannon said and I quote, ‘I don’t plan on licking the the calendar. I think I’ll be fine’. I was able to trade Thomas the girls’ calendar for ours, but…” He avoided Rashad’s eye. “Christian said you can go to Chicago and make him give it back.” Rashad clenched his jaw, “I’m going to fly to Chicago and rip down every calendar in that office. That cocky son of a bitch.”

The night before the car wash, Alicia peeked her head into the bedroom where Leo was taking off his clothes and getting ready for bed. “Hey baaaaby.” Leo cocked his brow, “I know that voice, you did something or you want something. Which is it?” She entered the room, a wide grin in her face, “I bought you something.” She handed him a small bag. He reached into the bag, pulling out a bunched up leopard print speedo.

“What fresh hell is this?” Alicia seductively moved closer to him, her manicured nail tracing his chiseled abs. “I thought it was fitting for bam bam, you know since you lost the bet. Go, try it on.” Leo sighed before going into the bathroom, he came out with a goofy grin on his face. “Ok, I know this is supposed to be torture, but, I look damn good.”

Alicia’s eyes instantly locked on his bulging crotch. “Can we um, tuck him,” she pointed. He arched his brow again, a sly grin spread across his face. “Oh I got somewhere to tuck him. Come here!” He lunged for her. Alicia squealed as he grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed.

The morning of the car wash, Anitah came traipsing into her and Liam’s bedroom with a smirk on her face and Liam gave her a look, “What…what did you do?” He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes while holding his other hand out. “Let me see it…” She snorted as she handed him the bag and he opened it and looked inside and then snapped his head up to her. “Really?!”

“What? I thought it would be nice to represent your Queen,” she laughed. He pulled out the American Flag print speedo and held it up.

“I am going to murder Leo,” his jaw clenched. He stripped down and pulled the speedo on, adjusting himself as Anitah stifled a laugh. He stood looking at her with his hands on his hips once he was finished. “Well…?”

“You’d put the Naked Cowboy in New York City to shame, my King,” Anitah burst out into a fit of laughter. “Oh!” She squealed. “One more thing….Milo!” She called the pup. He came running into the room and Liam’s eyes went wide. There came Milo sitting at Liam’s feet in a matching speedo with a hole cut out for his tail. Liam looked from Milo back to Anitah just as she snapped a picture on her phone.

“Oh no!” Liam went running after her as she ran from the room laughing.

Genevieve walked into hers and Rashad’s bedroom holding a small paper shopping bag when her phone beeped. She looked at the picture that Anitah sent her and started laughing really hard. Rashad arched his brow at her. She held up her phone so he could see Liam and Milo wearing matching speedos. He burst out laughing while she wiped the tears from her eyes.

“Let me guess? My banana hammock is in there?” Rashad asked with a solemn face. Genevieve handed the bag over and said, “I’m so sorry you have to wear this, honey. Nothing about a speedo is sexy at all…”

He looked at her, waiting for a smartass comment. When she didn’t say anything, he pulled the bathing suit out of the bag. He shook his head before removing his clothes and putting on the gold glittery speedo.

She covered her mouth taking in the sight before her. While trying to contain her laughter, a loud snort escaped instead, which made her double over giggling. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I can't…I think I’m gonna die. Oh my god! I’m crying.”

He looked in the mirror and ran his hand down his face, “Fucking Leo…I’m gonna kill him. This looks ridiculous, and now I have glitter everywhere.”

She held up her phone and snapped a picture, quickly sending it to the other the girls. Pam’s phone chirped when Genevieve’s text came through.

“Oh these keep getting better!” Pam giggled. She walked into their bedroom as Drake stepped out of the bathroom, a towel tied low in his hips. "Hey baby. When did you get back?” He leaned in pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Just now. How are things at the stable?”

Drake shrugged running his hand through his wet hair. “They’re good.” He stopped abruptly taking in the smirk on his wife’s lips and the small bag hanging from her finger. “What’s that?” Pam’s face lit up in a wide grin, “It’s for you.” Drake sighed, “ I don’t want that, do I?” Pam shrugged, “Probably not, but you need it for the car wash. Go try it on.”

“Oh, Christ. Fine.” He grabbed the bag and stomped into the bathroom. She heard him grumbling from the bathroom, “Why do you hate me?” She giggled, “I could never hate you!” Drake opened the door with a groan, “Pam…you bought me a Speedo covered in cats.”

Pam smirked, “Well to be fair, Gen was there. Once she saw it, I really didn’t have a choice. Besides, I love my furry kitty.” She stalked up to her husband. “In fact, I think it’s time you make me meow.” He smirked before lifting her up and tossing her onto the bed. “MROW.”

Maxwell walked out of the bathroom sporting his black and white zebra striped speedo. Stephanie’s mouth fell open as she watched her husband dancing in front of the mirror. “I make this speedo look good, Red!”

Stephanie couldn’t help but giggle. “At least you’re confident, babe. I’m sure the other guys are not as happy as you are about wearing these man panties.”

She handed him a robe and Maxwell shook his head. “I’m quite comfortable like this. Let’s go to the car wash!” He threw on a pair of sunglasses, slipped on a pair of flip flops and walked out of their quarters.

Bertrand’s eyes widened as he watched his younger brother strutting towards the main entry. “Maxwell, show some decorum! Put on some clothes this instant!”

“No can do, Bertrand. I’ll be ‘working at the car wash. At the car wash, yeah’.” Maxwell sang and swayed to the beat of the song. Stephanie gave Bertrand an apologetic look as she followed her husband out of the estate.

The five men converged together at the car wash in the capitol. Liam, Drake, Rashad, and Leo were still wearing their bathrobes while Maxwell proudly waited in his speedo. A line of cars had already formed waiting for the car wash to open.

“Alright, boys, it’s showtime,” Anitah said. The girls walked up to their men and removed their robes. The four of them adjusted themselves, trying their best to keep their manhood tucked away. The first five cars pulled up and to their dismay, it was the ladies’ dates from the auction. They rolled down their windows and handed over their money.

Isaiah eyed Drake in his cat speedo and laughed. He was about to say something when Drake glared at him. “Before you say anything, Isaiah, how’s your nose? It doesn’t quite look the same since the night of the auction dinner.” Isaiah instinctively reached up and touched his nose. He rolled up his window without saying a word. Drake chuckled at his pained expression.

Giovanni rolled down his window and . “Hello, your majesty. We Italians prefer the speedo to swimming trunks. It is much more comfortable, no?” Liam pinched the bridge of his nose and didn’t respond. Giovanni was about to close his window when Liam stopped him. “By the way…don’t think I didn’t notice that my wife’s calendar photos were missing. Those will come in the mail soon, won’t they? I have a meeting with your uncle next week. I’m sure he would be quite disappointed if the contract doesn’t get signed while he’s here.” Giovanni gulped but nodded his head.

“Genevieve’s still going to marry you after seeing you in that Rashad?” Sebastian asked with a cocky grin. Rashad grabbed the sponge from the bucket and shook it by the open window. Soapy water splashed Sebastian in the face and the interior of the car. Rashad smirked as he said, “Roll up your window before it’s my fist that comes through next, Seb.” Sebastian quickly rolled up his window as Rashad reluctantly started washing his car.

Leo glared at Jason. “Don’t say a fucking word, Bucannon.” Jason held his arms up and shut his window. Finn got out of his car and gave Maxwell a bro hug. The two men exchanged pleasant hellos before Maxwell started washing his car.

The ladies were gathered together talking when a handsome man approached them holding a tray. He was wearing a red and white striped shirt, black pants and a pirate hat. “Hello, ladies, I thought you could use some refreshments.” He held out the tray of cinnamon rolls and the girls each grabbed one. “Mmm, these are delicious, Mr…” Stephanie said. He replied, “I own Cap’n Nick’s Cinna-booty next door. Cap’n Nick, at your service.”

“Well thanks, Nick! These are amazing!” Alicia said. Nick quirked his brow at Alicia, “I prefer to be called Cap’n Nick…” He looked Pam up and down and licked his lips. “But you can call me Cappy and be my first mate.” Anitah, Alicia, Stephanie and Genevieve shared a look and burst out laughing. Pam choked on the pastry. “I’m just going to call you Captain Nick.”

Nick was enamored by Pam, and he moved closer. In his best pirate accent, he said, “Well, yer the finest pirate booty I’ve ever laid me eyes on. Arrrr…ye free Saturday? I’d like to take ye out for a bottle of rum.” Pam took a few steps back, “Umm no, I’m married, Captain.”

The mention of a husband didn’t deter the confident captain. “Ye should leave yer land lubber…so ye can see what me third leg is made of. Me cannon’s primed and loaded. I just need help with me cannon balls.”

Drake turned and noticed the pastry pirate hitting on his wife. He walked up and put his arm around Pam’s waist. Drake looked Cap’n Nick square in the eye as he said, “I already drop the anchor in this lagoon, you’ll have to find a new first mate. Now get out of here before I shove my foot up your poopeck.” Knowing that Drake was serious, Cap’n Nick backed away and went back to his bakery.

A black SUV pulled into the car wash. It was the last car in line. All four windows rolled down and the ladies hung out of the windows. Anitah was in the driver seat, Pam in the front passenger seat, Stephanie and Alicia in the two rear seats, while Genevieve stood up through the sunroof.

“Make it rain, ladies!” Genevieve yelled. The girls each held a stack of bills in their hands as they continuously swiped their other hand over the top of the pile. The bills floated into the air one by one at their defeated husbands and fiancé. Once the car was washed and dried, Anitah peeled out of the car wash parking lot leaving the boys behind.

“Fucking great! None of us have our phones, Liam!” Drake growled. Liam yelled out, “That’s it! She’s cut off until further notice.”

“Oh they’re cut off alright,” Rashad grumbled. Maxwell and Leo nodded in agreement.

Cap'n Nick

[blackphoenixalchemylab]

Lilith’s Winter Travelogue: New Perfume Blends

In winter of 2017, we used our savings, blew our collective airline miles, and maxed out our credit cards on a trip to Paris, Salzburg, and Berlin so that we could attend a Krampuslauf, visit the Christmas markets, and help Lilith practice her French in realtime. I’m pretty sure that we’ll be paying off that trip for the next decade, but it’s all worth it. We travel with our daughter Lilith as much as we can; we take her to conventions and business trips and trade shows, we take her on road trips and weekenders, we have taken her to as many cities, states, and countries as we could manage.

I want her to meet people who are not like her. I want her to hear voices that are not like her own. I want her to see history alive and vibrant surrounding her. I want her to see, hear, touch, and understand. I think she could stop here and do miracles. The following collection is a perfume scrapbook of these warm family memories, which we set aside to share during the coldest winter months. Lilith and Brian (our Doc Constantine!) have contributed scents and stories to this series. You can find Ted’s scrapbook of the trip there, too!

++ LILITH’S WINTER TRAVELOGUE

A BALMY 26 DEGREES

These three are far braver than I am. It was snowing buckets and the wind was whipping across the Fuschlsee, but these maniacs still went into the outdoor hot tub.

A wintry spa scent: green tea, aloe, eucalyptus, icy lemon, and French sage.

ARC DE TRIOMPHE CARROUSEL

Once the site of a guillotine that rolled the heads of thirty-five people during the Terror, now the site of a triumphal arch dedicated to Napoleon’s military victories of 1805.

Also: my family is ridiculous.

A sharpened blade, a pinch of snuff, a blast of gunpowder, and a pop of strawberry bubblegum.

AT THE KRAMPUSLAUF

I know I’ve talked about Lilith’s experiences with Krampus for years, so I hesitate to reiterate them here. She loves Krampus. Her love for Krampus easily equals her love for Santa, so in 2017, we took her to the Gnigl Krampuslauf in Salzburg (which we memorialized in our 12 Lashes From Krampus and Perchtenläufe series). She was enraptured. She was charmed by the wee little kid Krampuses, the Perchten, the switches, and the chains. She loved the snow and icicles, the roadside cider vendors and the bitterly cold air. I love this photo; it really seems to encapsulate her joy that night: the sparkle in her eyes and her bursts of laughter.

Ice, leather, and snow warmed by a steaming stein of children’s glühwein.

BEARS OF BERLIN

Even in utero, Lilith had a full head of hair. She looked like a Monchhichi when she was born, and from the moment I first saw her, I called her Bear. She’s my Baby Bear, Bunnybear, Bearington, Beanie Bear. I made up bear bedtime stories for her – we still tell each other bear jokes all the time. Every time I see a bear video or meme, I save it for her, my little Princess Bear.

While we were in Berlin, we made a point of taking photos with as many Buddy Bears as possible. They’re intended to symbolize peace, tolerance, and understanding between religions, nations, and cultures worldwide, and Lilith knows how important that is – especially now.

Sweet buttered rum, brown musk, wildflower honey, tonka bean, labdanum, and clove.

BEWARE: PICKPOCKETS!

Brian: “Lilith is always up for staging a hammy, fun photo. Here, I’ve found a Distracted American Child at Weihnachtsmarkt am Alexanderplatz and am very subtly and skillfully picking her pocket.”

Lilith: “We saw a sign on the ground that said Pickpockets! – and me and Unkie decided to pose like what the picture looked like. He let me pickpocket him for real after we took the picture and he let me keep the money.”

Neon pink grapefruit, lemon peel, petitgrain, and peppermint, all crunchy with sugar crystals.

BYE, AUSTRIA!

Lilith: “Nooooo! I don’t want to leave Salzburg!!!! I loved how it snowed, and I loved the food. I piled up on bread, mostly, but the bread was really good. And honeycomb. And bacon and sausage and eggs. I loved the outdoor hot tub thingymajigger. Being in a spa when it’s so cold outside is fun. I love the Christmas markets and I got unicorn and bat stuffy heat packs which is so cool.”

Brian: “I agree with Lilith’s sentiment on this. All the cities we visited were great, but Salzburg was the most charming. I loved the Christmas markets in Berlin, but Salzburg was… – quainter? I loved the gruff and distant replies we got to questions we posed to locals. I LOVED THE KRAMPUSLAUF. You can’t beat a Krampuslauf. Plus, I got a fancy hat. A legit fancy Tyrolean hat. I love that hat.”

This scent? Sachertorte.

C’EST ICI L’EMPIRE DE LA MORT

Our trip to the Catacombs was bittersweet. Lilith was touched by the beauty and poignancy of the experience, but also horrified by the stories of people getting lost underground.

Lilith surrounded by the ghosts of six million Parisians: damp black moss, grey sandalwood chips of bone, and winding sheets of balsam, ambergris, nagarmotha, and frankincense.

CATHEDRALE NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS

Lilith meets the Gargoyles of Paris: stone and ancient incense, beeswax and lavender smoke. 

CREPE AUX FRAISES

Lilith’s first genuine Parisian crêpe!

Strawberries, whipped cream, confectioners sugar, vanilla bean, and orange zest.

DIE JUNGFRAU

Brian: “She’s my Mini Me.”

Lilith: “This was me and Unkie posing for a picture with a play thing going on in the background at the ice rink in Alexanderplatz. I didn’t understand it because it was all happening in German, but it was fun!! I love my Unkie so much. He’s like my older twin. We have the same birthday and we are both year of the Rat. Mom is a stinky ol’ Tiger. Anyway, I just love him so much.”

Virgo’s sacred lavender and mosses with thyme, chamomile, lemon balm, and fig.

ELLE EST HEUREUSE

It was pouring rain and bitterly cold, but this smile kept me warm.

Wrought iron lattice and sparkling amber lights.

FIRST MORNING IN PARIS

We were exhausted, hungry, and batty from travel, but Lilith made herself right at home. She’s a born traveler, and takes just about everything that happens on a trip in stride; she’s as comfortable in a hotel, hostel, or airport floor as she is at home. Just before dawn on our first morning in Paris, I tried to talk Lilith into putting on a coat and watching the sun rise with me, but she’s didn’t bite.

Burgundy oudh and crushed velvet musk with a misting of lavender.

GALERIE DES GLACES

Lilith in the Hall of Mirrors: marble and gilded bronze, Venetian mirrors and a drop of poison.

GORDIAN HAIRMOP

Brian: “It’s something we always do when we’re on a trip, ever since she was really little. She complains constantly about how Beth brushes her hair, and I honestly enjoy the challenge of brushing her mop. It’s like that knot Alexander had to undo, except on my niece’s head, and I don’t have the option to cut it. Plus, her hair looks really nice when it’s done right.”

Lilith: “Every time we’re on a trip together, Unkie brushes my hair for me. I hate brushing my hair. Also cuz mom says I don’t do it thoroughly and I miss parts in the middle. I think there are pictures of him brushing my hair in every city we’ve ever been together. He brushes my hair way better than mom does.”

A warm scent, mahogany-dark: spiced teakwood, coffee bean, bourbon vetiver, styrax, tobacco, and oakmoss.

HELLO, SALZBURG!

Inspired by the deep purple hues of the night we arrived in Austria: icy air, plum musk, and blackberry with a beam of amber light.

HOHENSALZBURG FORTRESS

An absolutely stunning view of the Baroque historical district from high atop the Festungsberg.

A shiver of iced chocolate and white amber.

LA BASILIQUE DU SACRE COEUR DE MONTMARTE

Perpetual adoration of the Blessed Sacrament has been continuing uninterrupted since 1885, and I wanted Lilith to see the monstrance where the Blessed Sacrament is held.

An incense for the Maid of Orléans: red rose beads, frankincense, lily of the valley, iris petals, red labdanum, and steel.

LA JOCONDE

There is nothing mysterious or enigmatic about my kiddo’s smile. Her joy, laughter, and good cheer radiate delight and are impossible to eclipse, even when she’s jetlagged and exhausted.

Bright Italian bergamot, pink grapefruit, sweet California sage, and glittery white musk.

LE CARROUSEL DE MONTMARTRE 

Spinning merrily at the foot of Sacré-Cœur, this is one of twenty permanent carousels scattered around Paris. Just down the road, Lilith watched street hustlers play Three-Card Monte and ply the old gold ring scam.

A swirl of color against a rainy backdrop: golden amber and blackberry oudh with pineapple, tobacco absolute, cinnamon leaf, bay, sweet vetiver, and red apple pulp.

LILITH DE MILO

A lesser-known work of art in vibrant 21st century polychrome: vanilla cream, coconut, fossilized amber, and white sandalwood.

LILITH’S FIRST ICICLE

The only icicles we get at home happen when we have a fridge malfunction.

Plucked from the walls of Hohensalzburg Fortress: a glassy frozen snowdrop with whipped cream and glacial musk.

MOMMY’S LITTLE M16 AGENT

Lilith learning the art of spycraft at Deutsches Spionagemuseum.

A pre-teen superspy’s secret identity: white pear, apple pulp, golden musk, and fossilized amber.

MORNING AT FUSCHLEE

Salzburg is so goddamn beautiful.

Chilled white tea, freesia, and bergamot blanketing skeletal branches. Winter wind brushing across still waters.

NEPTUNBRUNNEN

Brian: “No one else would come out onto the rink. It was just Lilith and me skating, and Beth and Ted were trying to get pictures. I was trying to teach Lilith to skate while dodging penguins and other tourists. There’s a pretty funny photo of Lilith falling and me lunging to catch her, and the funny part is that it’s angled in a way that almost looks like I’m pushing her down. We skated together a ton that night, and she insisted that we go back again the next night.”

Lilith: “I’ve ice skated before when I was littler with a thingy, but this is the first time I really learned how to ice skate. Unkie helped me when I wasn’t using the penguin and he skated me with a lot and helped me learn how to do it. I fell down a lot, but that’s fine.”

Sugared chestnut and powidltascherl.

OU SONT LES JOUETS S’IL VOUS PLAIT

Lilith’s French teacher is a lovely, kind, radiant human being, and always so generous with her time. Before Lilith left for Paris, she helped Lilith put together a cheat sheet of phrases that Lil knew she’d need for the trip.

Où sont les jouets, s’il vous plaît? French vanilla, strawberries, and raspberries.

OVERLOOKING THE GARDEN

While we were at Versailles, there was a bomb threat on the premises, and we were unable to see the garden due to the evacuation. It’s difficult to convey how challenging and heartbreaking it has been to explain things like this to Lilith, from shooter drills at school to bomb threats in palaces. We live in difficult times.

A perfume of hope for a brighter tomorrow: sun-dappled amber, yesterday’s rain, and fresh-cut grass.

PANTHEON!

All right, so we only saw the Panthéon for a moment because Lilith wanted to hurry the hell up and get some crêpes, but I can’t with this smile. It’s THE BEST.

An incense for Sainte Geneviève, patroness of Paris: iris root, frankincense, and violet leaf.

PERSPECTIVE

Lilith’s guide at the Louvre was attempting to explain the difference in perspective between Medieval and Renaissance art by utilizing paintings of the Nativity and the Adoration of the Shepherds from both periods, and it fell a little flat when he assumed that she knew what the paintings depicted and she hadn’t a clue beyond the fact that they were paintings of a lady holding some baby.

Oops? Sorry, mom!

The scent of failing to pass on a Catholic education to the next generation: spilled sacramental wine, a splatter of vermillion paint, Bible leather, and a puzzled cherry chypre.

POTSDAMER PLATZ TOBOGGAN

Brian: “Now this shit was fun. When we arrived in Berlin, we stopped by the Potsdamer Platz market for a few minutes on our way to the hotel, but we didn’t stay for long because we were all exhausted. We check into the hotel, and I open the curtains in my room and Lilith and I see the lights of the market… and this ride, this alpine slide, that we must have walked right by in the dark. Lilith and I knew we had to do it first thing in the morning.”

Lilith: “There was a humongous slidey thing where you sit in a pool thingamajiggy and slide down it. And you have to carry your pool thing up the stairs. Ok, so DAD had to drag it back up the stairs for me. Anyway, I went on it a bunch with my Unkie and my dad, and mostly mom took photos. AS USUAL. This was one of my favorite things in Berlin!”

A tube of black rubber sliding wildly down a whoosh of white musk and white oudh.

SCHEITERHAUFEN VOM BOSKOP APFEL

Okay, this isn’t a photo of Lilith, but it IS a photo of a dessert I had on the first night in Salzburg. It was delicious and amazing and perfect, and it gets its own scent.

Baked apples in cinnamon cream, with a blueberry and raspberry garnish.

SNOW BEAR

Lilith put on my boots to run out into the snow this morning in her pajamas. Ich wünsche dir einen guten morgen!

Pink cotton candy snow, tuberose, plumeria, melon blossom, green tea, lavender, and a shiver of white musk.

SNOW OF THE GRAVESTONES AT PETERSFRIEDHOF

Lilith at Petersfriedhof, the oldest cemetery in Salzburg. As the bells of Stift Sankt Peter tolled around us, we wandered through the graves and the catacombs that date back to Late Antiquity.

Benedictine incense drifting on a frost-chilled December breeze.

SNOWFLAKE-SHAPED SNOWFLAKES

We’re such ridiculous LA rubes. We were standing outside our hotel laughing, oohing and ahhhing, and taking photos of snowflake-shaped snowflakes, when an Austrian fellow walks up to us and says, “Snow.” I told him that we’re from Los Angeles, so snow is super exotic to us.

He nodded and walked away.

The awe and wonder of a couple of Angelinos marveling at the snowy snowness of the snowflakiest of snowflakes: golden amber, California sage, white tea, and sunny Matilija poppy speckled with snow.

SQUELETTE ET FANTOME

My two favorite spectres, haunting the apartments of Paris: white musk, graceful lavender, blackcurrant, teakwood, and cacao.

SWING CAROUSEL

Brian: “I’m not afraid of heights, but I am reasonably afraid of landing, and I have what I feel is a legitimate concern about rickety old carnival rides. I kinda hate carnival rides, but I’ll do it for Lilith.”

Lilith: “Mom says this ride is called a Swing Carousel, but she also calls it a Barf Ride. She wouldn’t go on it, but my dad and my Unkie did. We went on it, and it’s pretty much where you’re sitting in a flying seat. When we were stopped, I couldn’t reach the ground with my feet. I love this ride. The swing is kinda like one of those baby things you have at the park, with the bar for the babies. It’s like those swings, but crazy and way up high. We ate cheesy hot dogs and got hot chocolate right next to the ride, too.”

Bright orange peel and osmanthus with polished cedar, rings of burnished amber, sweet incense, and gingerbread.

THE HOHENZOLLERN CRYPT

Beneath the Berlin Cathedral lies the Hohenzollern family crypt. It is the final resting place of many of those who shaped the history of Berlin, and is one of the most important dynastic burial sites in Europe, with roots reaching back through centuries.

The memory of an 18th-century perfume from the royal houses of the Holy Roman Empire drifting through marble-white walls: white bergamot, clementine, lime peel, grapefruit, blood orange, neroli, lavender, thyme, and tobacco.

THE UMBRELLA INCIDENT

Travel brings educational experiences that you just can’t predict. We visited the German Spy Museum in Berlin on a whim, and Lilith learned all about the history of espionage, data encryption, cryptography, and cypher machines, poisons and truth serums, and the strange and clever artifacts of Cold War spycraft. For me, the most interesting part was the Stasi’s collection of scent samples of German dissidents. For Lilith, the best part of the museum was dodging beams in the laserparcours, full Mission Impossible-style.

Here, Lilith is inspecting the poisons exhibit after watching a reel about the Bulgarian umbrella.

Leather shoe phones, the gleaming metal of a M-125-3 Fialka cipher machine, a femme fatale’s heady, dark perfume, and a breath of castor bean accord.

THUTMOSE’S NEFERTITI

While we were at the Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung, I desperately wanted to see the Nefertiti bust and share the moment with Lilith. There’s a story behind why the bust is so important to me, but that’s for another time. Suffice to say, I was overwhelmed with awe and joy, and a kind docent told me that we could take a photograph from the doorway as long as we didn’t use flash. This blurry mess is my best attempt!

Myrrh steeped with cardamom, cinnamon, and sweet wine, streaked with lines of labdanum kohl, and gilded with crushed ambrette seed, a copper oxide musk, and accords of lime spar and iron oxide.

TRAVEL BUDDIES

Brian: “Here, we’re en route to Frankfurt Flughafen and then off to Berlin. It’s always fun to travel with Lilith. We’ve been on a lot of trips together, going all the way back to her first trip out of LA when she was 1. We went to New Orleans that time. We’ve traveled for work and we’ve traveled for fun, and everything is a little bit more interesting when I’m with this kid.”

Lilith: “I remember being in a t-shirt in the freezing cold here because I took my jacket off in the airport because it was so hot. I love travelling with my Unkie.”

A reinvigorating travel survival oil containing essential oils of frankincense, lemon, eucalyptus, peppermint and rosemary. Leave it to the Virgos to have a practical oil here.

UBI BENE, IBI PATRIA

Lilith once told me that home is wherever her loved ones are. My sweet girl, may you always be surrounded by those who love and support you.

White musk and lavender, frankincense and amber incense, sugar cookies, rose petals, and Florida Water.

VIRGO SNOWBALL

Brian: “Our first morning in Salzburg, I wake up to the sound of something thudding against the window. I look outside, and Lilith is out in the snow throwing snowballs at our door. So, I put on all my snow gear – mittens, hat, boots, overcoat, the whole pile of stuff – as fast as I can, and I go outside and I realize this kid is in her just in her long johns and her mom’s snow boots, standing in the snow laughing. Beth comes out yelling for her to put her snow clothes on and to get out of Beth’s boots because she was getting snow in them. She gets changed, and we run around snowball fighting.

“There’s another story – an inside joke – that if my feet get cold wherever we are, we have to go home. But I’ll save that for another time.”

Lilith: “You can’t tell in the picture, but I’m in my jammies here under my coat and stuff. Me and Unkie had a snowball fight. We tried to build a snowman, but it very much failed. Unkie got me a lot with the snow, but I got him back!”

A scent the color of the sun rising over Lake Fuschl: a joyful lemon ginger cologne with a touch of bay leaf and white tea.

WEIHNACHTSMARKTE

The first Christmas market that we visited in Berlin was at Potsdamer Platz. We were completely wiped from the day of travel from Salzburg, but we were stubbornly determined to at least step into the market before collapsing into bed.

The scent of brightly frosted lebkuchen, warm mutzenmandeln, and chocolate-drizzled, marzipan filled schneeballen.

YULETIDE AT HEATHROW

Honestly, there are a lot of smells in any given airport that I probably shouldn’t translate into a perfume, but this particular scent was inspired by this radiant ribbon tree at Heathrow and the joyful little girl standing in front of it.

Sparks of snow-white musk dotted with shining bulbs of blackcurrant, plum, and lavender.

ZONKED IN PARIS

Even the most intrepid adventurers get sleepy.

Coffee, coffee, and more coffee for the grownups, and vanilla ice cream to en’sugar the kiddo out from her stupor.