#invitations to our wedding are still available

[russellsppttemplates]

Hiiii I love all your writing!! so I wanted to request one where Hervé is so sad when he sees that his parents (y/n and Charles) didn't invite him to their wedding. They try to explain to him that it's because he hasn't been born yet, but he still thinks it's because they didn't want him there, so his parents organize a fake wedding so that he can attend.Sorry if you don't understand much, English is not my first language🥺🥺❤️❤️

Note: no worries, I got it! English is not my first language either! 🫶 Thank you!!!

"Oh, what's in this box?", Hervé asked, opening the box where you kept your wedding albums and hard drives, taking the big photo album out, "Why does it look like it's your wedding? You're wearing a white dress, mama", he reasoned.

"It was our wedding", you offered after sharing a look with Charles as he patted Thomas' chest to get him to burp.

Hervé looked at both of you and Charles, his bottom lip trembling before he started crying, "and you didn't invite me? Or Amélie or Thoma?", he said as the distraught was clear on his voice.

"Amour, you weren't born yet - we couldn't have you there if you were still not in the world", you tried to explain to him, but it was to no avail as he looked from comfort in your arms as he looked at a worried Charles.

"You didn't want us there with you? Everyone is there! Uncle Pierre, Uncle Lorenzo, Uncle Arthur, grandma! They're all there but we are not", he cried on your chest, making you coo at him and explain it to him again.

"We're going to celebrate our 10 year anniversary soon anyway, we could make something small in the garden", Charles suggested once you were back in your bedroom, "you in a pretty white dress, me in a nice summery suit, the kids and close family and friends", he smiled.

On the first weekend of the summer break, you stood in the garden, your friends and family presiding the ceremony as they told all different kinds of stories of your relationship and focusing on the first ten years of your marriage.

"Seeing these two become parents to those little ones", Pascale pointed with her eyes as Amélie waved at her, "has been the most beautiful journey I could wish for them. Charles, Y/N, you built a family in the pillars of unconditional love, affection and attention to your kids and never once did you fail the other - everybody faces challenges and you have fought together through them as I was sure you would and will anytime life presents them to you. I love you both so much, and here's to many more anniversaries", your mother in-law smiled.

"When is mama kissing papa?", Hervé butted in, making everyone giggle. The boy might have had a hard time grasping the timeline, but he definitely knew what needed to happen.

Charles put on a show, supporting your back with one arm as he left you fall, pressing his lips on yours as everybody cheered, "Je t'aime tellement, mon coeur".

(Thank you for sending this in ✨️)

[leaawrites]

She's the one I'm running with

Damon Albarn x fem!reader

Summary: when everything falls apart, at least they still have each other.

Warnings: the press, fluff, maybe messed up timeline and behavior

Wordcount: 1.2k

Masterlist

“Do you ever wanna run away?”

A simple question as that had started it all, well maybe not everything. The press was there first, as always. Whether it be in front of a restaurant they were eating at one night or outside the studio whenever the band recorded a new album. They were there to take pictures of every situation, hoping to capture just the slightest glimpse of unintentional imperfection. Something more raw than laughter on a TV show or dumb comments in an interview or on stage. They wanted the real faces of every celebrity and they’d do anything to capture just the right moment for a new headline. They’d write anything to have their name printed as a footnote under the newest headline.

‘Damon Albarn, cheating on long-time girlfriend? Is there trouble in Paradise for the power couple of Britpop?’

Everything was a question and over the top. Everything was what it was never meant to be. A bloated stomach was a pregnancy and a new ring was an engagement or secret wedding. Everything one did, when it was seen by the public, was a form of violation. Whether it be against the fans or the own closest circle, someone always had to be hurt. Something always had to be dramatized.

The newest of them all finally drew the line for Damon, it made him ask that one specific question.

“In what sense?” she’d asked, playing with the sleeve of his grey shirt and looking up at him from her position on his chest.

“Just go,” he answered with his hands tangled in her hair. “Let’s just pack our stuff and go somewhere quiet. Without all the cars and people, just us.”

“OK.”

And that’s what they did the next morning. Damon called the band, saying that he needed some time off and that he wouldn’t be available for the next three weeks or so. Let’s say, they weren’t all too happy with his call. Y/n asked for the holiday she’d been putting off and her extra hours, before starting to pack their bags. Not too much, not too little. They wouldn’t be doing much, she knew that. He hadn’t actually told her what he’d planned for them, but she was willing to follow him anywhere.

She was sure of that at last, when she climbed into the car and looked over at him. His face highlighted by the golden sunlight that was still rising above the buildings, catching all the little details and making him stand out for her like he did the first time she’d seen him.

Taking out the film camera that was hidden in her bag just in case, she captured the moment, hoping it’d come out alright and good enough for her to put it into the box with all the others she’d been collecting over the past two years.

At the sound of the shutter going off, Damon turned to her with a slightly playful grin on his face. He hated the pictures others took, but hers, he loved them. He’d let her follow him with a whole film crew if it meant that he got so see the smile spreading across her face whenever looking at him or the video she took, the photos she gave him at every end of the year since they met in college and became close friends. At first it were mostly of the band at rehearsals, where she’d been invited to by him in particular, or at gigs, where Damon invited her as well to, but over time and as the friendship blossomed to something more than light banter and occasional flirting, the pictures of him became more too until they filled the whole album. He’d look at them on nights when he couldn’t sleep or was feeling lost for inspiration and read through the small notes or poems on the side of every page with a smile on his lips - he still did that - wishing that her words were only meant for him and no one else in the band, until they were.

And now she was his and he was hers just as much, a dream come true.

“What?” Y/n asked, looking at him with knitted eyebrows and an unsure look on her face, like she waited for the hour long speech about pictures once again.

“Nothing,” Damon simply shrugged, starting to tap his finger to the beat on the steering wheel and looking at the road ahead. “Your smile is just absolutely beautiful.”

The drive to their destination was an hour and a half, all in which they were talking or singing or sitting in silence, solely enjoying the other’s presence with them. Stopping the car, Damon looked from the little cottage he’d rented over to the girl in his passenger seat, asleep. He couldn’t just wake her now, could he? Deciding on the easiest way to get her into the warmth of the house, Damon went over to her side of the car and picked her up, carrying her inside.

Opening her eyes, Y/n was greeted by the fireplace burning in front of her, her body slumped against the cushion of the sofa and Damon nowhere in sight. Sitting up, she looked around the little space out of wood until her eyes landed on the figure standing in the kitchen, staring puzzled down between a small piece of paper and the pot boiling in front of him.

Not noticing his girlfriend waking up, Damon almost let out a scream as he felt a pair of arms wrapping themselves around his chest and a head nuzzling itself into his back, inhaling the scent of his shirt. Looking down at the hands clasped around his middle he smiled, recognizing the ring. The one, whose meaning the press weren’t wrong about.

“Hello, love. Slept well?” He asked, continuing to try and cook the pasta like it was scribbled down on the little paper by her mother.

“Yeah,” she answered, not moving.

“Hope you’re hungry.”

“If it tastes good,” she teased.

“My food always tastes good,” Damon argued back, looking over his shoulder to see her stifle against his back and shaking his head at her behavior.

“It’s not even that bad,” she complimented as she tried the first bite, her nodding in approval as she was still chewing.

“Thank you, chef,” he answered with the same attitude she had been talking with earlier.

“You know, I’ve been thinking about something,” Damon said into the middle of silence, blowing out the smoke of his cigarette, before handing it over to her.

“About what?”

No matter how much people might deny the fact that she was supportive of her boyfriend and complain about how little times she was seen at gigs or festivals, she truly cared about everything going on in his mind and how he chose to express it.

“A new band,” he answered, making her turn her head in his direction.

“What about blur? Don’t you wanna try and keep that up? I mean, you’re so popular.”

“I wanna try something new, you know?” She nodded in understanding, aware of the fact that he’d been trying out different styles for quite some time now. “Blur is good and all that, but I believe there’s more in my creativity than ‘Britpop’. Do you remember that guy Graham was obsessed with, Jamie Hewlett or some? He’s the comic artist and we’ve talked about music as such these days and all that. What do you think of a band made out of comic characters?”

“What?” The idea sounded absurd, unimaginable even. With all those people around that were catching on fame, all those real people everyone liked to talk about when life got too boring for them, how would a group of fictional characters fit in there? Though, the more she thought about it, the more it intrigued her. An real fictional band in a world so unreal. It made sense of some sorts.

“Tell me more.”

“We have some vague ideas as of now, nothing solid though.”

That’s how they spent the next few weeks, talking and brainstorming ideas, sometimes with Jamie on the phone. Falling asleep between scribbled notes or with an open song file lulling them to sleep. It wasn’t their ideal idea of a holiday activity, but at least they got to do something just for them for a little while. It would be available to the public in time, but at least now, nobody could ask them about it.

It was just theirs.

Their little world to hide away from reality in. The one they could run away together to.

[ghosts-bandwagon]

I hope this is okay to request! I read that Ghost watches Bake Off, and his lovely wife reader decides to surprise him by participating! How does Ghost react? How does he along with the 141 react to her winning?! Please and thank you!

you are so valid for this and I love you (this is so long I’m sorry but also I’m not, I loved this)

Holy shit there is no living being alive that could possibly quell his excitement when you break the news

He knows you work and seeing you not at home and coming home smelling like sweets was odd but he trusted you and as long as you’re safe that’s all that matters

You break the news over dinner, you invited the rest of his team over and the two of you teamed up to make an incredible spread with you in charge of desserts, obviously

You refused to tell him what it was and you were adamant about it being a surprise so he relented and gave you your space

Everyone was thrilled with the food and you stood up to go get dessert, you stood in the kitchen taking deep breaths, doing your best to stop your hands shaking

Then you brought out a gorgeous Victoria Sponge cake, identical to the one from the opening sequence of Bake Off

And while they’re digging in and moaning about how amazing it is, you turn to Simon directly and he’s tuned into you like he knows

As soon as the words “I’m gonna be on bake off” leave your mouth, he grabs you and pulls you into a hug, he’s squeezing you so hard you feel like your chest will burst

You barely notice that Soap is bear hugging the both of you

Months pass and Simon’s still not home, he’s been keeping in touch but it looks like this deployment is gonna keep him away longer

That doesn’t mean he’s not immediately binging your season as soon as it’s available (I know that’s not how it works but for the story it does)

Simon and the rest of the task force don’t move a fucking muscle until they get to the end

He watches with bated breath as you get through the technical challenges, muttering to yourself to stay calm, he’d chuckle when he’d hear you say something he’s said in the past

Soap and Gaz would cheer the loudest when you win star baker, Price would chuckle when he glances at Simon to see the relief and pride and tears in his eyes

With each round you’ve passed through, Simon feels like he’s about to go through cardiac arrest, his chest getting tighter and heart pounding harder

“She’s got this in the bag, LT.” Encouraged Johnny, slapping a supportive hand on his knee. Simon barely registered the words as he saw you working on the signature bake, his throat getting tight once he recognized the cake,

“That’s our wedding cake.”

“It’s my wedding cake.” You spoke on the screen, a smile splitting your face and blush and flour dusting your cheeks, “It’s the one sweet my husband-”

“-couldn’t get enough of.” He finished your sentence through his throat threatening to close, Simon’s eyes never left you on the screen, he was so focused on your movements, watching how you kept calm, running through the steps, he’s never been so proud.

His heart sank when you hurt yourself during the technical bake, but he took great pride when you applied pressure to the wound and raised your arm above your head, he got a chuckle and an elbow to he ribs from Soap as soon as he saw it,

“Teachin’ her well, LT.” He teased, earning a pointed side eye from the man himself. Not for long because you were back in the groove and fuck you’re so strong and he’s so proud.

This is it. You’ve finished baking the showstopper and you’ve stood through their critiques with poise, grace, and that beautiful smile he loves so much. Now you’re standing outside with the other competitors, holding hands, your head bowed waiting for the announcement. At this point Simon is on his feet, not even aware that he’s standing. Soap, Gaz, and Price are all stood beside him with Soap putting a hand on Simon’s shoulder and squeezing.

You nearly sank to your knees when your name was called, the only reason you didn’t was because of the two bakers keeping you upright. They hugged you before letting you go, Paul Hollywood gave you a tight hug, Prue was matronly as always- cupping your face and giving you a soft hug, Noel and Matt hugged and swayed you as they gave you the beautiful bouquet.

Simon was watching it all with tears in his eyes and a hand covering his mouth in shock, he was so thrilled for you but so heartbroken he couldn’t be there to squeeze you like you deserved. Meanwhile Soap and Gaz were jumping and shouting like their favorite team just won the World Cup, Price walked up to Ghost and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, it was a rare moment he allowed himself to lean on someone else.

“That’s my fuckin’ girl.” He breathed, “I knew you could do it.”

He doesn’t even waste a second the moment he sees you again, he’s hugging you as hard as he can and spinning you around. He’s kissing every inch of your face he can reach, he’s crying for god’s sake, he’s so god damn proud of you. He grabbed the hand that you injured and kissed the raised scar on your finger before wrapping you up in a hug again.

Yes, he’s proud of you. Yes, he knew you could get in and win. And yes, he will be asking a million questions about what it was like. He’s never been so talkative, he had a sore throat by then end of the night.

[sharngapani]

What if we got married during the samudra manthan and we were both girls

haha just kidding.... unless... 😳👉👈

—

“Now then, let's get this Amrit distrib-” Mohini paused when she saw Lakshmi power-walking towards her.

“Wha-” there was a varmala around her neck before she could process what happened. But when she finally did, “Oh!”

Mohini handed off Amrit to the nearest being, put a varmala around Lakshmi’s neck and took back the Amrit so quickly that whoever had it couldn't even think about taking a sip.

“We’re married!” Mohini declared.

Everybody cheered for the newly wed couple. A few mournful ‘why couldn’t it have been me?’s could be heard among the crowd, who it was aimed at, however, was unclear.

“I never thought I’d see my father getting married.” Kama nearly shed a tear over the sight.

“Your what?”

He turned to see Vasanta gaping like a fish and realised his folly.

“My friend! I meant ‘my friend’! Since, you know, she’s an enchantress! We’re in the same line of work!” Kama tried his best to salvage the situation but to no avail. Both of them glanced over to the Asura side who seemed to have heard their conversation.

“Isn’t that Kamadev? Does anyone here know who his father is?” “I’ve heard it’s Vishnu!”

“Hmm, one of the Trimurti isn’t here. The guy who became the turtle. Where did he go?”

“Hey, wasn’t Lakshmi married to Vishnu? Why is she marrying Mohini now? Did he get cucked?”

—

The newly wed couple walked over to their friends, hand in hand. Saraswati hugged them both. “I am so happy to see you both together again. May you always stay by each others' side.”

“Hhr- ach-” Shiva tried and failed to speak, colour draining further from his already ashen face.

“He says 'congratulations!’ and so do I!” Parvati clarified, her hand still around her husband’s throat.

“I am sure you can remove your hand. The poison must have settled by now.”

Parvati looked sceptical of the idea but everybody’s encouraging looks were enough of a reassurance. She removed her hand to find his throat dyed blue, the poison frozen in place.

“Oh! The poison has turned your throat blue! Isn’t it the most beautiful colour, dear?” Mohini exclaimed, directing the question at her wife.

“Yes,” Lakshmi replied, absolutely not looking at said colour.

“You’re right. It is a very nice colour!” Parvati chimed in.

The compliment seemed to have improved Shiva’s mood a bit, bringing some colour back to his face.

“I hope you will not hurl the poison at our wedding,” Mohini whispered to Shiva, who opted to just shaking his head in reply.

“Congratulations but couldn't you have waited until the Amrit distribution?” asked Brahma, looking like every moment was aging him by a thousand years.

“No,” Lakshmi deadpanned.

Dhanvantari walked over to Lakshmi. “Congratulations on your marriage, sister! Though I didn't think you'd find a spouse right after being born.”

“Thank you! But this isn't my first time being born.”

“What.”

—

Mohini once again turned to address the crowd, who were starting to realise who she actually was. “Now now, boys! No need to start a fight. I am inviting you all to our wedding, where Amrit will be served during the feast!”

Everybody cheered louder than before, all suspicions completely forgotten.

“And to answer your question, my dearest asura, I am indeed cucking Maha Vishnu.”

“Did you hear that? She called me her dearest!”

[acaaai-t]

vacant house [oneshot]

[fem! reader x modern au! yelan]

cw: angst, hurt/no comfort, forbidden love, slight religious trauma i think, homophobia, wlw, NOT proofreading

The church was easily the biggest building in town, being able to accommodate well over 200 people at once. And despite growing up in a small community, there was still a large number of residents who could easily fill every space available. Though on most days, half the seats would be empty.

Weddings are, if not, the biggest event that the church could host. You’ve been to a fair share of weddings growing up. Every time it was the same process. The bride would walk down the aisle with their father and the groom would be by the altar, usually crying. Then the priest would bind the couples together and recite a prayer. Afterwards, the newly-wedded would kiss and the crowd would start clapping and tears would be shed.

“Someday that’ll be you,” Mom said.

It was subtly hinted at, that same-sex marriage wasn’t allowed. When you became of age, your parents sat you down and told you straight-up, dating—or worse, marrying, the same gender as you was a sin. Something that God couldn’t forgive. They stressed that it would bring shame to not only the family’s name, but to them as well. You’d listen and nod, soaking in your parent’s words.

And for years on, you followed their beliefs. You fell in love with a blond hair boy, and dated for a while before breaking up with him. He was the only boy you’ve ever dated. “He just wasn’t the right one,” Dad reassured you.

It wasn’t until one Sunday afternoon, during mass, that you caught sight of a newcomer. Having new residents move in wasn’t at all uncommon, but something about her immediately piqued your interest.

Her blue hair was cut short at an angle, just barely below her chin. Her eyes were the prettiest shade of blue, glittering impishly. When she smiled, you noticed, her canine teeths would just peek out ever so slightly. She was gorgeous. The prettiest girl you’ve ever laid eyes on.

“Hey.”

She’s suddenly in front of you—shit, were you staring too hard? You opened your mouth to speak, but your parents got to it before you could. “You must be the neighbor’s daughter!” your mom exclaimed.

The blue hair girl smiled and nodded. “Yes, that’s me. Call me Yelan,” she said.

Yelan. You have never heard of this name before. It’s cute.

Your Mom’s smiled grew bigger. She grabbed Yelan’s hand and introduced everyone before popping the question. “Please ask your parents if you guys would like to join us for dinner tonight. It’d be lovely to meet our new neighbors.”

For a moment Yelan looked uncomfortable with the sudden physical touch, but she didn’t say anything. Instead she nodded. “I will, thank you for the invitation, Miss. It is a pleasure to meet you all.” She winked at you.

She winked at you? Were you seeing things? You blinked and she was gone, already settling back in her seats, next to her parents.

When it was all over, your parents rushed home and began preparations to welcome the new guests. Mom had told you to stay in your room and clean it up, which you didn’t really get the point of since 1) it was clean, and 2) who’s coming into your room? Hours passed by with the occasion clatters of pots and pans downstairs, and you laid in your bed, staring up at the ceiling.

By the time you counted to 32,348, the familiar voices of your neighbors came within earshot. They’re here. She’s here.

You had just gotten up from the comforts of your bed to change into a more appropriate wear when you heard your mother calling out for you. Frantically brushing through the tangled mess of your hair, you shouted back that you’ll be down in one moment.

By the time you ran down the stairs to group up, everyone had already taken a seat. Your mother quickly ushered you over, and you took a seat across from Yelan. She flashed you a small smile, and you smiled back, heart racing. Was it from seeing her, or was it because you were running down the stairs? It could be a little bit of both.

“Now that we’re all here…” your father began.

You weren’t listening to whatever your father was saying, instead keeping your gaze on her. Yelan was absolutely breathtaking. Prettier than everything else you’ve ever came across in all the years of your life. Her sparkling eyes shone with confidence and pride, the colors within mimicking the shimmers of the great sea. Your father tapped his spoon against the side of his wine glass and cleared his throat, signaling to everyone that everyone can begin dining.

“Amen,” he said.

As you ate, you couldn’t help but wonder if what you were thinking was appropriate. It was all pure admiration for someone, you reasoned. After all, you’ve never met anyone remotely similar to Yelan. You took a sip of water to wash down everything. Her eyes met yours when you look over to steal another glance, and you nearly choke on the water.

Your mother gave you a look of concern. “Are you okay honey?”

“Yeah,” you managed out. “I’m finished with dinner.”

You grabbed your cleared out dishes and hurried to the kitchen, trying to get out as fast as you can. Unbeknownst to you, Yelan was right behind you. So it was quite the surprise—and scare—when you turned around and nearly bumped into her.

“Yelan!” you gasped. “Goodness, you scared me.”

She grinned. “Sorry about that.”

Your breath hitched, and you hastily looked away. “It’s fine.”

It was not fine.

…

Nothing was fine.

Girls cannot like girls. It was going against God’s wishes if you even thought about such temptation.

But you really like Yelan. You like her far more than just a friend.

You can’t. It’s wrong, wrong—wrong. What would your mother think? How would your father react? They’ll shun you. Everybody. They’ll label you as nothing but an outcast who went against God’s wishes.

Yelan was wonderful. It was for the first time in your life that you felt such strong attraction to someone. You love her for all the right reasons, but for all the wrong reasons, you cannot. You mustn’t.

Your parents have taken so much from you—it can’t hurt to be selfish for once. Right?

The world was cruel.

Yet it felt like paradise when she leaned in slowly, so slowly you’d think time stopped just for this moment, and pressed her lips to yours. It was gentle. Yelan was always gentle with you.

It was wrong. You shouldn’t be kissing a girl. But it felt right, it felt so right—so good.

And when she broke away, you grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her back. You wanted more. It was a selfish act, but she didn’t seem to mind. You could feel her smile into the kiss.

It burned. You could feel your blood on fire, heart scorched and sinned. It all felt painfully wonderful. Doubt, hatred, anger—seared through your mind. The horrible feeling of wrong pushed down on your chest. It was heavy.

Bliss and ignorance dare cross paths. Yelan pressed a firm hand on your shoulder. And you let yourself slip away.

This is your moment. You must live it.

…

“They know.”

The two words that made you stiffen up. You felt your heart jump. “What?”

Yelan couldn’t look at you. She squeezed her eyes shut. “Our parents,” she whispered, choking on her words. “They know.”

Oh.

Oh no.

They’re going to be mad. Really mad. You didn’t want to go home. You knew what awaited you behind the closed doors. You were scared. They’ve caught you doing the very thing they’ve warned you against for your entire life. Yelan squeezed your hand. She could feel your anxiousness.

Even though she tried to hide it, you could tell that she was scared too. What if this was the end?

Yelan pulled you in and kissed the top of your head.

The night was cold, colder now that the winds have begun to pick up. Strands of your hair slipped loose and danced with the breeze. You sucked in a deep breath. They can’t take this from you.

They can’t.

“Yelan,” you whispered, so quietly the wind could’ve swooped in and whisk your voice away.

“Yes?”

“What’s going to happen to us?”

Silence hung in the air. Tight, sickening, crushing silence. You felt sick.

“…I don’t know.”

You chewed at your bottom lip. Anxiety clouded your mind, and all you could think was the consequences that followed. You’ve been waiting for someone like Yelan for your entire life, and to have everything taken away in such a short moment… you’d rather die.

Three months. That can’t be the amount of time the two of you have spent together. It can’t be the last time. You were going to walk down the aisle and meet her by the altar. You were supposed to have your hands bounded to one another while reciting your vows.

Why can’t they understand? Mom and Dad always wanted to make sure you were happy, no matter what. So why is everyone suddenly so against it when you’ve found the very thing you’ve been craving for for so long?

Was it because you were born a girl?

You closed your eyes, and the background noise faded into nothing but a ringing sound resonating in your ears. When you reopened them, all you could see was the sight of Yelan yelling at her parents. The world was ringing.

There was something gripping to your arm. The touch felt somehow both familiar and distant. You tear your eyes away from Yelan and turn to face your Father. There was an intense look in his eyes. A sickening fury flickered within, a fire so fierce that you felt your breath drop.

Where is Yelan?

You looked back at Yelan, but she wasn’t there. Nobody was there. The house where Yelan used to reside in was now vacant. It looked like it’d been vacant for a while now. That wasn’t right.

Father dragged you into the house and pushed you onto the couch. Words came spilling from his mouth, but you heard nothing. Not a single word.

The world kept ringing.

Mother sat next to Father. She was crying, ugly tears streaming down her face.

You’ve lost her.

The ringing stopped.

“It’s over,” Father said.

“May God lead you down the right path.”

✩ ·┆ masterlist

notes—

sorry this isn’t as sad as it was suppose to be, im just incredibly stressed about college decisions atm 😕

© acaaai-t — do not plagiarize, repost, or translate

[halloweenhuh]

Halloween, Huh? Day 1 Reveals

In conjunction with the White House, the Palace is overjoyed to announce the first (of seven!) days of fanworks is now available for our most loyal subjects!

Incenatus - Rated E - 11201 words

Alex receives an invite to the hottest and most mysterious party in New York, but he's unprepared for what he finds there.

.🎃🎃🎃.

Save a horse - Rated E - 5055 words

Alex convinces Henry to dress up as cowboys for Halloween and quickly realizes that Henry dressed as a cowboy was not something he was entirely prepared for.

.🎃🎃🎃.

I Want Candy - Rated T - 4624 words

One or the other is a single dad, takes kid trick or treating, bam, meet-cute. Is the non-dad handing out candy? Is he taking his own kid (or niece/nephew) trick or treating? Is it at a Halloween party? You decide!

.🎃🎃🎃.

when you say my name (i like the way it sounds) - Rated G - 3636 words

When he looks back, he gives himself a moment to take it in. He basks in the sound of familiar laughter echoing around their kitchen in the simmering warmth and comfortability that comes with being sucked into Pez’s antics and lulled back by Bea’s steadiness. He revels in the swirl of Nora’s genius and calm of June’s kindness.

It’s not quite the same as LA all those years ago. It doesn’t take him by surprise or feel novel anymore. But it's still that feeling of rightness, a crystal clear understanding that this, these people, will always be a kind of home to him.

-- or, The Super Six take on a Halloween party. Henry, for once, let’s himself let loose. Drunk, uninhabited, and free to love Alex in public, Henry is happy. Alex stays sober to look after him, and he is so in love he could die.

.🎃🎃🎃.

season of the witch - Rated T - 1172 words

Witch's Brew is a lovely little coffee shop where Alex and his abuela work. But the name certainly invites a lot of customers looking for a spooky Halloween cup of joe (or earl grey tea, as it happens). As a result, Alex is not a fan of Halloween. But maybe something, or someone, could change his mind?

A story told through Alex and Nora's text messages.

.🎃🎃🎃.

I'm not a robot without emotions, I'm not what you see - Rated T - 1056 words

At the royal wedding, Alex drinks and dances and contemplates both of the princes.

.🎃🎃🎃.

[podfic] I Want Candy - Rated T - 17 words

One or the other is a single dad, takes kid trick or treating, bam, meet-cute. Is the non-dad handing out candy? Is he taking his own kid (or niece/nephew) trick or treating? Is it at a Halloween party? You decide!

Podfic of I Want Candy by Anonymous.

A little note for all of our wonderful creators: if your work was revealed by the Palace today, please be sure to update your publication date to today’s date so it shows up fresh in the AO3 feed.

[nerdieforpedro]

WIP Wednesday/Thursday

I did try and post this on Wednesday (sure late but it’s been awhile 👀) and on this rainy night, my computer decided to it be a a team player. Not cool.

So…writing has been slow and I’m pretty sure I posted stuff on AO3 and not here because half the time Tumblr eats my posts that aren’t reblogs 😭

I blame @megamindsecretlair and @soft-persephone for summoning from my cozy gremlin activities under a bridge and planting this brainworm:

“If you are open to doing so my fair General. I feel a bit fatigued. I will let my attendant know that I am heading inside to rest as my husband and I will travel back to our estate tomorrow.” Her round face stretches with the smile she has upon her face, briefly she touches his hand, her fingertips touching his calloused ones. “He will not return as Gaius does not enjoy my company. Only tolerates it. The last room, third floor on the left.” Her hand leaves his as he attempts to grab it and he turns to watch her step away. “Call me Arcus. See what message I shall impart to you tonight.” His eyes focus on her wide hips that are headed toward the main building where the invites and their wives were staying for the duration of the soiree. Swallowing hard, the General knows he should not follow her. It would be participating in infidelity and despite many offers over the years, Marcus resisted. He nearly always had access to women that were unattached and available. Milling around for ten minutes felt like an eternity, speaking to other officials and so-called important people, yawning and mentioning that he would likely retire to his room soon and would be no good to anyone until the sun rose. Hopefully this would be enough to cement that he should not be disturbed.

Infidelity? Sure! Murder? Very likely. Bad humor somewhere? It’s a Nerdie fic and General Marcus Acacius is not except. Smut? Somewhere in there. 👀 It will happen. I need mental lube, I can’t just dive in there. Gotta give a fic a couple rubs in a circle before the smut. 🤣

Yeah the General is not immune. Pfft.

The second one I was pleasantly surprised to make some headway on, apparently Nerdie is about her historical men and violence. That’s not at all concerning. 🤔

“I agree with the lady Father. She is our responsibility and should remain with us.” Pero steps between her and the Father. He knows men like this priest, who act holier than most but if given the funds, access and anonymity, they would live in a brothel. Father Ignacio takes a step back, the Spaniard is intimidating to say the least and the priest is sure that he has no qualms about spilling blood in a house of God. William is watching the exchange between the three and is trying to think of a compromise, it’s a bad one, but it’s better than being run out of the village for killing this man.

More for my Pero series which is like historical fiction with dragons 🐉 because why not? ☺️ I will have Pero destroying something because he needs to be using those powers and why not? Wanton destruction sometimes, am I right? 🫡

Yup, quit while I’m behind. Anyway, that’s what I got. Weddings 101 with Dieter is still in the works with @angelofsmalldeath-codeine . So are all the other series I’ve got, there’s a lot 🤭

I also might be writing an anime one-shot. First one in years. 😃

People who I’m 75.8% sure tagged me in the last few weeks:

@604to647 @for-a-longlongtime @magpiepills @syd-djarin @djarinmuse

@maggiemayhemnj @sin-djarin @tinytinymenace @lotusbxtch @mysterious-moonstruck-musings

@connectioneverywhere @morallyinept @doscharolastras @chaithetics @lady-bess

@secretelephanttattoo @goodwithcheese @missladym1981 @pedroshotwifey @slippinninque

@inept-the-magnificent @avastrasposts @frenchiereading @soft-girl-musings @perotovar

@legendary-pink-dot @fhatbhabiee @yorksgirl

[seancurry1]

Welcome to Inkspiller. Before we go any further, I want to be clear about one thing: this is not, and never will be, a copywriting course. There are enough of those. You don’t need another course slapped together by someone who completed a course themselves six months earlier. If all you do with what you gain from this newsletter is create another copywriting course, I’ll consider the entire endeavor a failure and close up shop.

Fair enough. What is this, then?

This is a newsletter about building a freelance copywriting career from a guy who’s been compensated for his writing since 2008, and who’s been successfully doing it freelance since he was fired from his last full time job in 2016.

Why are you doing it?

There is a lot of bad advice about freelance copywriting out there. If you’ve found your way here naturally (ie, if you don’t know me personally), then you’ve probably seen it. Starting a freelance copywriting career is hard enough as it is without having to sift through mountains of nonsense grifter BS to figure out which advice is actually worth listening to.

Who is this for?

What frustrates me the most about the majority of copywriting courses available today is how permanently they can turn aspiring writers away from this. If you’ve already paid over a grand to “gurus” and you still can’t figure out how to sign a client or keep them longer than one or two projects, you’re going to call the whole thing a wash and move onto something else.

That breaks my heart! I adore writing, and I value the independence my freelance status grants me over everything else in my professional life. I’m able to be at home and raise my kids, help run our household, and see friends. I’ve traveled more than I ever thought I would, funded a wedding and a house purchase, and paid off a lot of debt. I own my home, my income, and my time, and every time some huckster asshole tricks another newbie into forking over $500 in exchange for a Discord invite and 20 hours of watching someone talk into a webcam while screen-sharing a Google Doc, that path to independence gets closed off for someone else. That sucks.

I’m launching a professional newsletter about copywriting, Inkspiller!

Click to read the first issue, This is not a copywriting course.

And sign up at https://inkspiller.email/ to get these issues in your inbox every week.

[bangtannies-stories]

Kingpin: Chapter 1

Opening/The Invitation

Warnings: Violence (physical violence, including a character punching a wall out of anger)

Kidnapping/Disappearance (The central plot involves the disappearance of a character)

Emotional Distress (Jin’s going through a rough patch emotionally and mentally)

Mafia/Crime Themes (story involves criminal activities, including organized crime, mafias, and rivalries)

Tense Atmosphere (The story maintains a consistently tense atmosphere, which may be unsettling for some readers)

——

In the heart of Seoul, where the air gets damp and cold, and nobody who was a nobody dared to enter without permission or invitation, a tall building sat. On the top floor, the CEO of Sentinel Solutions, South Korea’s most prominent security consulting firm, was in a panic.

He was a tall man, standing at about 5’10. His brown hair was styled into a mullet and parted with a prominent swoop on the right side of his face. Always dressed in a clean, ironed suit, the man was about 37, and behind his charmingly good looks, he was one of the most feared people you could imagine.

His name?

Kim Seokjin.

Seokjin, whose front business already generated enough revenue to keep him wealthy for the rest of his life, had been dealing with a problem in his true walk of life. One where he was known as the Onyx Reaper, kingpin of the biggest crime syndicate in Seoul, the Ecliptic Shadows.

“Boss, we have no leads on Jiwoo.” A deep voice called from the door. It was one of Seokjin’s most trusted members, Taehyung. Taehyung had come to let his boss and friend know that his sister, who had vanished into thin air the previous air, was still not found.

Seokjin, who had shed tears upon tears when his employees weren’t with him, got up and punched the plaster in the wall out of anger.

“I want every available man searching, search all of Korea if you have to! Nobody stops until my sister is safe under our protection!”

Taehyung bowed to his boss, and left the office. As he was walking down the hall, he came across his best friend Jimin who hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep all night.

“How did it go?” He asked.

“Not good. He punched another hole into his wall.” Taehyung answered sadly as the two walked hurriedly to where her disappearance was being investigated.

“I didn’t realize their fight yesterday was this bad. Do you have a clue what it was about?” Jimin asked as he sat down at his desk.

“No idea. All I remember was them screaming at each other before she locked herself in her bedroom. Next thing I knew, the alarm was tripped and she was gone without a trace,” Taehyung answered.

——

After searching day and night for two days, Seokjin was on edge continuously. His sister had still not been found, and the longer she’s missing, the less of a chance she’ll be found alive.

While he was at his desk searching through evidence, his youngest friend, Jungkook, walked in with an invitation in hand.

“Jin- um sir-“ he started but was interrupted.

“What.” Jin said and looked up.

“One of our allies sent this invitation to his son’s wedding. Apparently it’s really important you show.” Jungkook said and handed Jin the invitation.

Jin read to himself,

“Dear Seokjin,

You are cordially invited to Minjae’s wedding. I know we have been dear allies and good friends for a while, so it is requested you show your support and celebrate with us. It has been a while since you have attended any functions with us. Come say hello! The ceremony is at 2pm sharp this Saturday. I hope to see you!

Sincerely,

Park Joon-ho.”

“Jin, I know this is a critical time but I figured we could weed out suspects at the wedding. Many different mafias are coming including… Namjoon.” Jungkook confessed.

Jin banged his fist on his desk in anger.

“That asshole? Why is he showing up?” Jin shouted.

“I’m not sure but I have a bad feeling. He never attends events like this.” Jungkook said.

Jin thought for a moment. He made a decision.

“Fine, we’ll all go. But there will be people searching while we are there.”

——

The day of Park Minjae’s wedding had arrived. Seokjin, Taehyung, Jimin, and Jungkook arrived along with extra security in case something went wrong.

They took their positions and sat through the wedding, constantly on alert for any danger. Little did they know, three pairs of eyes were watching from the back row, watching their every move. The head of the three was very interested in speaking with the Onyx Reaper.

At the reception, everyone was communicating and speaking of relations when Jin was approached.

“Kim Seokjin, a pleasure to see you out and about.” The deep voice spoke.

Jin turned around and came face to face with his rival.

Kim Namjoon, the Shadowstorm Reaper, and head of the Obsidian Syndicate.

——

Kingpin Chapter 1 is finally here! I can’t wait for you all to read what I have been working on. I hope you all love it! If you do, please comment or reblog and show some love!

[delta-piscium]

Steve and Eddie don’t tell anyone when they start dating (except Robin, Steve’s not keeping things from her). They would like to figure it out for themselves a bit first. Having six barely teenagers and one tween who mostly do not understand personal boundaries, are all kind of overprotective, and without a filter breathing down the metaphorical neck of their very new and still forming relationship would be a lot, to say the least. So they vaguely agree to be discreet to begin with, but with time they relax into it. They become more touchy with each other and eventually just kind of assume that everyone knows they’re together, completely forgetting they haven’t actually told anyone.

And like, the younger members of the group all notice how they look at each other in a disgustingly loving way, all the lingering touches etc. They come to the conclusion they’re both pining and that they need to set them up.

When they hang out they make sure that the only available seats left are next to each other. They make plans with both of them and then make an excuse to leave early so Eddie and Steve will be left hanging out alone. They casually drop the other one in conversations and watch as both of them light up talking about each other. It goes on for weeks and they’re frankly doing an incredible job creating opportunities for them but neither Steve nor Eddie seem to get it.

Until one day in the middle of summer when they barge into Steve’s house unannounced to use his pool and they find Eddie pressed up against a wall with Steve kissing him.

They all kind of freeze at first but then Steve just smiles and asks them what’s up like he wasn’t shoving his tongue down Eddie’s throat seconds ago?? So they very calmly ask when that happened (loudly yell about how it finally happened and thank god it did because their pining was becoming insufferable.)

Steve and Eddie have the audacity to look confused when they say that though. And even worse ask what they mean. When they’re finished explaining how they’ve been trying to set them up for weeks and how impossible they’ve both been Eddie and Steve are for some reason laughing? It takes them a while to calm down enough to let them know they’ve been dating for months and assumed they all knew. That they thought their attempts at setting them up were their way of showing their support.

They get yelled at some more about communication and not just assume things. And also months? and they didn’t say anything? What else are they hiding? A secret child? (no, you’re our only children). Did they get secretly married? (how could they even suggest they wouldn’t be invited to their wedding?). Did they move in together and also forget the mention it?

And well, the reason Steve had Eddie pressed up against a wall was because he’d asked him to move in with him (and Robin, they’d already gotten an apartment together) and he’d said yes. So like, they don’t live together right now but soon. They don’t tell them this though because there’s still a lot to figure out but they will, eventually.

(a couple of months later they have a housewarming party and realize that yeah, they forgot to tell people this was happening, again.)

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Hey there! So, I've got three different ideas for your Tony x sister!reader series and maybe, just maybe, you like one of them. :D

1. It's the wedding of Steve and reader. Tony visits his sister in the wardrobe where she's getting ready. Maybe one last try to get her to change her mind although she assured him nothing is going to change between them. She looks absolutely ravishing in her wedding dress and he has her bent over her vanity table before he walks her down the aisle to Steve with his cum running down her legs.👀

2. How it started between them as teens. She's a minx and tries to tease him the whole time until he finally breaks and takes her virginity.

3. Reader has some spare time and calls her brother to initiate phone sex not knowing that he's currently in his suit flying back from a mission. Let's say Tony is creaming some very expensive pants here.

Anyway, creativity (and a dirty mind lol) ran wild here but maybe there‘s something for you here.🫶🏻

Sneak Peek below ⬇️😁😁 oh my god i haven't been this excited to post something in a long time but when you sent this ask i may have squealed just a little bit 😂

This is just for the first part of your request. I will be doing separate parts for 2 & 3 as well 😁

Communication between you and Tony was. . . shakey at the moment. The both of you being stubborn, neither broke to talk to the other. Not since you told him about being pregnant and choosing Steve. He was still angry with you.

If he was going to act like a petulant child, you were not going to be the one to indulge him. You didn't make the effort to reach out. Perhaps putting some distance between you and Tony would be a good thing. And it was. You were able to be happy about your pregnancy. A couple of weeks later and Steve surprised you by asking you to marry him. He wanted you to have his last name before the baby was born.

You did the basic things that new mothers and brides to be did. You were already shopping for all the necessities a baby needs to thrive. Then Natasha helped you decide on a wedding gown and would go to cake tastings with you.

There were people available to take up the gaping spot that Tony left in you.

But nothing felt right.

Not without Tony by your side. You wanted to eat cake with him. Bicker about cheesy djs and seating arrangements. You'd find funny wedding videos and nearly send them to Tony before you remembered.

“That baby inside of you that you think belongs to the perfect Captain America could be MINE!”

It was enough to make you angry with him once again. How could he say something like that to you? You were terrified enough as it was when the same thought dawned on you.

And no matter how much you debated sending Tony and Pepper an invitation, you still went through with mailing the letter that you had crafted yourself.

You didn't think Tony would show up. But there he was.

He always cut a nice figure in a suit. Handsome with his hair perfectly styled and beard trimmed impeccably. His features were tarnished by the dark circles that plague under his eyes. The expanse of his face brightens though when his gaze takes in you in your white wedding dress.

You can feel your heartbeat travel up your throat, inviting him in with a quick gesture of your head.

Door closed, your fingers anxiously spin the engagement ring around your finger. "Hey. I didn't think you'd actually come."

He scoffs, finally removing his attention from you to look around the small room of the church that was your temporary wardrobe room. "Like Pepper would let me miss it." Tony mumbles. "Or any other of our friends. Those we have left. . ."

Many seats out there were empty. Place cards carefully placed in the designated spot where your friends should be. Wanda. Bucky. Sam.

Guilt starts to seep into your hardened resolve. Why ostracize the few people you have left? So many were taken from Thanos. You used to think yourself lucky that your brother was not taken.

"I'm. . . actually happy you're here." Difficult to verbally get out how much you really missed him, instead you look up at him under your lacquered eyelashes. Your makeup wasn't perfect. Wanda would have been able to perfect it with her powers if she were there.

Tony's face doesn't change but he whispers "You're beautiful by the way. In the dress." He points at said gown. "Very beautiful."

Damning yourself when warmth spreads across your cheeks and a smile threatens to curl your lips up. You couldn't help it. Narcissism ran in your blood and you always loved when Tony complimented you. "Thanks. It's supposed to look like mom's. Or, as close as possible. I always wanted to wear her wedding dress when I was little. The pictures I saw of her in it were stunning."

"Too bad they didn't save it." Tony smiles.

"Yeah. Guess it's alright. I stopped thinking I would get married anyway when I was seventeen." You admit.

You're not the only one to suck in a sharp breath. Seventeen. That's when you first dared to kiss Tony. The day you absolutely damned both of you. You can see the same thought worming its way through Tony's mind too.

"Tony-"

When his name slips past your lips, Tony advances toward you a broken man. "Don't do it. Please, don't marry him."

If your hair weren't done in extravagant waves, you would have run your hand through it in agitation like you usually do. You couldn't do this again with him. Especially when you were getting married in the following hour. "Tony-"

He grabs your hand, reeling you in closer to his body. Your heart betrays your mind by how it spasms from his simple touch. Harsh calluses on his fingers from decades of working with tools and machinery press against the softness of your wrist. Tony's eyes are glued to your face before traveling to your dress. His adam's apple visibly bobs. Finally landing on your midsection. Dropping one of your hands, his free one hovers over your abdomen.

"We can run away." Tony quietly suggests. "The three of us."

"I'm not running away, Tony." You insist.

Sharply inhaling, Tony pushes himself away from you. He takes to impatiently passing around the small room. You quietly watch him, wondering what he'd do next. Your hands rub at your stomach, feeling sick again.

[yunacoeur]

the worlds that collide

our last dance: chapter i

chapter synopsis: you, as the oldest royal child of your family, are up to take the throne. in your search for a partner to be consort, the royal family is throwing a party in your name for you to meet potential suitors.

this story begins with your first dance, and will end with our last.

word count: 4.2k

a/n: thank you guys so much for your patience with me while i’ve been preparing this series! i hope this chapter gets you excited for what’s to come!

taglist: @haesunflower @shiningstar-byulxx @kpoprhia @en-ct @dimplewonie @cherriegyu @harus-simp @taerrrrrae @zhanghaos-hairclips @zerobaseonefics @big-uwu-stan @seok02 @kpop17 please fill out this form if you want to be added to the taglist!

the invitation is small, just a white card with the insignia of the king on the back and a short message on the front. hundreds of these invitations have been sent out across all kingdoms in the land. the message reads:

“the oldest child of the great and honorable king and queen of zerose is to be wed soon. we ask that available suitors from all kingdoms come to a party being held in our dear royal’s honor. any and all questions may go to the royal staff.”

it’s a party held in your honor so you may find a husband. isn’t that wonderful? the only issue is that you don’t know most of them and it will be hard to decide on a husband. of course you don’t have to make the decision immediately, as this party is only being thrown as an introduction. still, it feels like you are on a time limit. 

the party is in just a few hours, but the tension in your heart is only getting stronger by the second, but you must find a partner soon if only to unify the kingdoms in response to political conflict. the people need something good to focus on. a royal wedding would be enough. 

your parents are good rulers, they are kind and giving, and it’s a difficult position that you will have to take up, but it must be done. they are tired of ruling, and likely just want to relax and let you take the wheel. 

at the current moment, a royal staff member is helping you choose the attire you will wear during the event, but it is not enough to distract you from the looming task.

“i suppose i don’t know if i have it in me to make such a choice. what if ‘the one’ isn’t in that room tonight?” you tell her, and she continues working as she responds to you.

“well, your highness, i believe you will find who you are looking for. they will also not rank as highly as you in our kingdom, so if they turn out to be a poor ruler, you can easily override them,” she says, draping the cloth against your skin, “would you prefer a more saturated blue or a more greyish-blue?”

“whatever suits me the most. i trust your opinion,” you say. she’s right of course. there’s no reason why you should be worried on the political front. you will always outrank them, in your kingdom at least. you just worry that they may not be the one your heart truly desires. what if you pick the wrong one and never get the chance to be with one you love?

“thank you, your highness,” she says, brining you back to reality,  “i think a less saturated color would suit you more. a bright blue may overpower your natural beauty.”

“okay then,” you hear the door open, turning your head over to see the person behind it. 

it’s a maid you know well. she seems to be hurried, like the information she’s delivering is urgent. it worries you because she’s not usually like this.

“your highness,” the maid says, bowing, “your father requested that one of tonight’s guests come early so you may meet him before. he is waiting for you in the ballroom.”

“but isn’t that room still being set up?” you ask curiously, looking over at the staff preparing your clothes. she shrugs. the ballroom has been under preparation all week, but even still it feels like it is just barely coming together. 

the maid nods, “yes, your majesty. this guest insisted on helping set up.”

you look back to the staff, who has picked out the final few options for your outfit, pointing to the one you like the most, “get that one ready for me, please. i’ll be back soon for it.”

“of course, your majesty.”

walking through the halls towards the ballroom, gazing out the large windows at the town below, you spend the whole time wondering why your father was insistent on you meeting this guest first. what is the necessity? there will be plenty of time to meet all the suitors tonight, why do any of them deserve a head-start? 

and then you see him. you understand. 

he’s more than beautiful. ethereal would probably be the best word. he’s laughing with one of the staff as they set up (or attempt to) a banner on the wall. he’s polite and respectful with even just the commoners lingering in the area, treating them so perfectly. 

his mother must be so proud to have a son so perfect.

he looks over after hearing the door shut to see you, and he recognizes you immediately just like you did with him. 

“your highness!” he calls out, as he walks over to you and bows slightly, “thank you for coming to meet me before the party. my name is sung hanbin, it is such a pleasure to meet you in person… may i?” he asks as he reaches for your hand. you nod and he lifts it up to press a chaste kiss to the side opposite your palm. 

he explains to you his story, where he’s from. he’s a prince from another kingdom, younger than the one that should be in line to be king. you wonder if his being sent here is an offering for peace, one of unity, as there has been political tension between kingdoms in the past decades.

“your majesty, may i make a request?” he asks, and you tilt your head in slight confusion.

“you may. what is it?”

he seems bashful for just a second, “i wish to be your first dance of the night when the party starts,” he smiles, the dimples on his cheeks showing. it makes him look cute instead of drop dead gorgeous for just a moment, “can i reserve that spot?”

you laugh, smiling back at him, “i’m sure that can be arranged.”

“okay then. i look forward to it,” he says, but then someone asks for his help in setting up one of the tables, and he turns back to you, still smiling brightly, “excuse me, your majesty, i have to go back. i’ll see you tonight!” 

and he’s off to continue helping set up and probably save puppies and solve world hunger while he's at it. you return to what you were doing until the time comes that you’ll come back to the ballroom.

and by what you were doing, you mean you return to the study you use as your safe haven when you’re stressed, the weight of the impending decision already so heavy. 

you look up at your desk to see an old photo of you. you were so young and smiled so bright. what you’d give to go back to this moment and relive it. not a care in the world. 

part of you hopes to see the boy you were with in the photo tonight. 

after a while, you go back to your fitting room to dawn the outfit you picked out earlier. the blue tones are subtle but still there, complemented by bits of silver and black. the outfit is perfect for such an occasion. 

as the staff helps you into the outfit, including any accompanying jewelry, you are walked back to the ballroom as the party is about to begin. so many people already fill the halls and the room itself doesn’t seem much quieter. it is bursting with people, and loud, bustling energy. 

the first person who seems to be a suitor approaches you the moment you aren’t being smothered by people. he’s tall and well-proportioned, he’s everything in the looks department you could want out of someone. 

and then he smiles at you, tripping as he walks over. you realize this man is more clumsy than charming, or maybe he’s just a different kind of charming.

“hi,” he says. nothing else to accompany. when you playfully raise an eyebrow, he remembers, “oh! i’m so sorry, your highness. i am prince kim gyuvin. it’s an honor to be in your presence.” 

“i’m sure it is, kim gyuvin,” you smile back at him. he already feels at ease even though he can tell you’re teasing him. he doesn’t mind, “talk with me for a few moments. let’s get to know each other.” 

“ah, yes of course, your highness,” he says as you pull him off to the side to chat, “what do you want to know about me?” 

and it hits you that you don’t really have a plan for tonight,“ i don’t know what to ask, you’re the first one i’m meeting like this so i don’t really know what we’re supposed to do… what’s your favorite color?” you ask.

“blue. no- green. actually, i don’t really know-” he stumbles, and you just nod along like you too have to put this much thought into your favorite color. he flips it on you so he doesn’t have to think, “what’s yours?”

“mine is orange... uhm, if given the chance, do you want to rule?” 

“not really. i’m too nervous to mess it up,” he answers, honest, always thinking too fast and too much, “i would like to be by your side when you rule your kingdom.” 

“ah, good save,” you say. you’d laugh at his bluntness if it wasn’t so cute.

“can i ask you something, your highness?” he asks, and you nod, “if you could… like if you didn’t have a bunch of responsibility on your shoulders to rule the kingdom and everything… would you want to run away?” 

“run away?”

“yeah! like elope with someone and get out of town and go somewhere no one knows you exist and live a simple life,” he smiles, this dreamy look in his eyes, “maybe even fall in love.”

“i can definitely tell that’s your dream,” you giggle, “but yeah, that does sound nice.” 

he gets silent for just a second, but then his eyes light up, “maybe we could run away together?” 

you smile sadly, it’s a sweet dream, but it can't be your reality, “don’t get too ahead of yourself now, gyuvin. i still have a country to take care of, and you might too if something happens to the first-in-line.” 

“then, let’s make a dream out of the lives we have,” he says, coming closer to hold your hand. 

“you are so cheesy! oh my lord,” you shake your head in disbelief, but his hand in yours is so comforting and he’s so endearing, “okay fine. i’ll consider it.”

“good! and while you do that, i actually have something for you!” he says, reaching into his fancy suit jacket to pull it out. 

“a gift?” you guess, unassuming. all suitors probably were expected to get you gifts.

but then he pulls out a dainty white poppy. the center is a soft yellow with a hint of red in the middle. it’s a beautiful flower. it reminds you of the soft dreams he tells you of, the simple wishes for freedom and peace and comfort from all the eyes on you. 

you wonder if that’s your dream too, and he read you just like a book.

gyuvin has nothing more than his dashing smile and his lovely dreams, wishing for so much that he’ll never have. as you wish him well, telling him you’ll choose within the coming days who you will marry, you wonder, “tell me, why should i marry you?” 

“oh, uhm- i…” he trails off, giving himself time to think, before settling on an answer he feels confident in.

he says, “because i would follow you anywhere.” 

and, at least in that moment, looking into his honest eyes, you believe him.

you finish you up conversation with him as someone who recognizes him starts talking to him, and you assume they’re trying to whisk him away from you. you allow it for now. he still smiles brightly and waves at you goodbye.

as gyuvin is stolen from you view, you find someone new in front of you. he’s a little shorter than gyuvin, but he makes up for it with his bright smile and this cute charm he seems to exude.

this is no stranger at all. even if you didn’t know him, you did deep down.

“your highness, hello, it is a pleasure to make the acquaintance,” he bows, “i am the son of a duke in our kingdom. i have been sent here to be a possible suitor for you. my name is matthew.” 

it’s very clear just by looking at him that he’s from your kingdom. you’ve never met, but you could swear you’ve seen his face before. he seems like he would be a safe pick for a husband. he’s already from your kingdom and also nobility, but just far enough out to where it isn’t weird. it wouldn’t require alliance brokering or having to rule over new territory and people who didn’t even know you. that would be the nice part.

in short: he’s a safe pick. 

“hello, matthew, it is a pleasure to have you here tonight,” you smile at him as he reaches for your hand to place a kiss. a common theme of the night you assume, “what is your father up to these days?” 

“nothing interesting to either of us,” he laughs to himself, “just royal duties. i’m surprised he sent me as his contribution. i totally thought he’d want my sister here.”

“ah, well i’m glad you are here. you are quite pleasant to be around, i can already tell,” you say. he takes it as the biggest compliment he’s ever gotten in his life, or at least that’s what it looks like. 

“thank you, your highness,” he says after a moment of collecting himself, “do you wish to dance?” 

you almost say yes, but you remember the promise you made to hanbin. did you already think of him as the one? why would you put yourself through the rest of this night if hanbin already ticked all the boxes? “not at the moment, but come find me again later and i’ll say yes, okay?” 

“hmm, alright. i suppose that’s okay-” 

he was talking but was cut off when someone’s elbow hit you from behind. the collision causes you to fall forward towards matthew, and he catches you before you take both you and him down. he holds you up by your waist as your hands reach to grasp onto his shoulders. you look up at him with panic in your eyes, and he has the same frightened look.

and it is only worsened by the fact that everyone saw it.

while everyone in that room was probably death glaring at the poor person who knocked you over, matthew just whispers, “i thought you didn’t want to dance?” his response is cheeky, finally smiling at you once he knows you’re alright. there’s a secret coolness to him that you didn’t know he had in him. 

so this is why you waited it out.

he must be incredibly strong to still be holding you like he is after the fall, but the moment can’t last forever, so he pulls you up, “unrelated, but i have something for you," he says.

“is it a flower?” you ask with a daring smile, and he nods. 

“your father included an amendment to the invitation for all the suitors. we were to bring you a flower. you’ll probably get more throughout the night, but hopefully, mine sticks out to you the most, your highness,” he hands it to you gently.

the flower is white, just like gyuvin’s, but it is a completely different style. one native to your kingdom.

“a heather flower, consider it a promise. even if you don’t pick me, i’ll have the best interests at heart for you,” he says, handing it off to you like an oath, “you don’t have to choose now, but no matter who it is you pick, i will be here to make sure they are up to your standards.”

“you don’t have to do that, matthew,” you say, but he shakes his head.

“my father has told me all my life that the royal crown is my only priority. i will make sure that whoever gets to call themself your consort will be fit for the role.” 

you laugh at his intensity. he’s already so lost in his mind about it. you suppose that devotion to the crown is innately taught to everyone. it’s just weird to hear it out loud, “you say that like i already picked someone else. what if i do choose you?” 

“i will absolutely hold myself to the same standard,” he says, like it’s obvious. commonplace. you laugh at how serious he is.

the dancing area may not be the best place to have a conversation, seeing as you’ve already been bumped into a couple times since the first big one. 

“your highness,” he says, drawing your attention back to him, “it was nice meeting you. i’ll come back again for that dance you promised me.” 

“i look forward to it,” you smile at him as he moves to walk away. 

once matthew has left, there's really no one there to protect you from falling when people bump into you. you find yourself needing a moment to breathe, finding comfort in sipping one of the drinks being offered by the staff walking around. you decide to hide in the corner of the room, for lack of a better plan. the center is where all the dancing is happening, but it’s easier to hear yourself think in these more secluded spots. 

although, just when you finally have a second to breathe and think through all that’s happened so far, something finds it’s way into your hair, and you freeze as you look up at the culprit. it feels like a flower.

“i’m sorry, your highness,” he says. he’s so beautiful (god, does every suitor in the damn land have to be so gorgeous?) that you could almost forgive him, “i know i should have asked, but that moment was too beautiful to pass up.”

“i don’t even know your name, and you’re already having to apologize? not a strong start, stranger,” you say, but you’re smiling. he knows you’re not really mad, and so do you. 

you could have been mad, you could have kicked him out and banished him from the castle for putting a flower in your hair without permission. 

but he’s pretty, so you’ll let it slide.

“stranger? i don’t want that as a nickname,” he frowns, “my name is zhang hao. please call me anything other than stranger.”

“an order? wow, how modern of you to order around royalty in their own castle,” you laugh at him, but it’s all in good fun, and you change the topic so he doesn’t get too embarrassed, “it’s quiet over here,” you murmur.

he silently thanks you for switching topics, “yes, indeed. i am not one for lots of noise,” he says, “did you need a break from the chaos too, your highness?”

“i suppose. everyone is so nice, but i am just..” you look down at the two flowers you hold in your hands. one poppy and one heather, “overwhelmed. the choice is a difficult one to make over just a conversation. what if none of it is even real?”

“real? why wouldn’t it be real?” he asks.

“there’s so much political advantage that comes with marrying me, so how would i be able to tell the difference?” you ask in return, “not to mention i’m not even sure i can judge someone’s character in just a few minutes of conversation,” he takes a second to think. maybe there isn’t even a good answer he could give. 

you know you have more time. you know this party isn’t everything and you could abandon it all and be fine. god forbid you wanted to meet the one. maybe you even wanted to fall in love, is that so much to ask for?

“well, i can’t speak for anyone else, and there is no way for me to prove it to you, but…” he looks over at you, at the darling flower he had placed in your hair. he wonders how anyone could think to marry you just for prestige or power, “i am real.”

“you are?”

“i am,” he murmurs, “i’m not a lot of things, but i am real.”

you sigh, “i shouldn’t have put this decision on myself. i should have just let my father pick and gone with it,” you rub your temple with your free hand, your head suddenly aching dully, "why did i do this to myself?"

“you wanted to choose because somewhere deep down in there,” he says, pointing to your heart. it's flustering just how close he's getting, “you trust yourself and your judgment.” 

you sit there for just a moment to take in his words. you initially thought he was incredibly wrong, but the more you think about it, the less wrong he becomes.

“and why should i trust you?”

he seems taken about, but answers anyway,“i am… not extremely good at the press and public image stuff, but i am quiet. and calm. i cannot be exciting, but i can be soothing,” he smiles so softly, “i can help you forget it all for just a moment.”

he’s convincing, you’ll give him that. 

and you can tell he’s genuine. there was no bone in his body capable of lying, “i can care for you. i will be real for you. there will be no act, no fake love to attempt to satisfy some image. you can take care of your kingdom, and i will take care of you.”

“that’s how you’ll love me?” 

“that is how i will love you,” he repeats, tucking your fallen hair behind your ear.

“what flower did you put in my hair?”

he looks at it one more time, “a bluebell. it’s native to the land of my kingdom.”

“ah, i see,” you say, seeing the blue petal out of the corner of your eye, “thank you.” he pulls it out of your hair to hand it to you, making it the third flower you’re holding as of now.

“you should go now, your highness. there’s lots more for you to do and people for you to meet.”

and you want to, but it is still so noisy out there, and you feel the nerves in your stomach again as you look back out to the crowd. you ask him, “what if i need a break again from the noise?”

he smiles at you, his voice as soft as ever, “come find me, of course.”

so you leave him there, his eyes following you as you step back out onto the floor, feeling the energy come back to you after you have rested. 

you give zhang hao one last look before you look away from him for a while. he seems like the type to never want your eyes off of him.

he’s looking at you too. suddenly it all feels too real.

he smiles at you, waving you off, like a mother bird telling its baby bird to be free, only this time there’s still a nest to return to when you are tired.

you walk back out onto the floor, hoping someone will come to take your hand and ask you for a dance. it doesn’t take long for someone to come hoping to do just that. 

“don’t tell me someone beat me to it, your highness,” they say. as you look up, you see familiar eyes and dimples, with a hand outstretched for you to grab.

“hanbin,” you smile at him, taking his hand as he leads you to the area people are dancing in. it is significantly louder, but the energy feels good, the music flowing through your veins, “of course not. i told you it was yours.”

“i’m sorry, but i have another favor to ask you,” he says, grabbing your right hand with his left and holding your waist with his right as you sway to the music, not quite dancing yet. just swaying with him.

“so greedy,” you say with a giggle, “what can i do for you?”

“i know i have already asked for so much by taking this first dance,” he says, eyes almost looking into your soul, “but i want your last dance as well.”

it stuns you for just a moment. that was a taller order than your first dance, “i’m sorry, do you mean of the night? like tonight? or…” you trail off, wondering if there was a way to eloquently word ‘the last dance i do ever in my life’. you never finish the thought.

he doesn’t respond to that thought either, just giving you a smile that almost seems cheeky, “let’s dance.”

and suddenly you are reminded of the fact you are not very blessed in the coordination department, “hanbin- i am so sorry to disappoint you because i’m sure you were thinking this would be a magical moment or something, i forgot to say i am a terrible dancer. maybe we should-”

“shh, don’t worry about anything. i’ll lead, just follow what i do,” he tells you.

the dance is not extremely technical, but even still it is so obvious to both you, him, and everyone watching how skilled of a dancer he is. is this all he’s been doing his entire life?

it’s just a simple, repetitive step, and at one point he twirls you around and pulls you just a little bit closer. even still, you still find yourself being clumsy and tense, even when he whispers to just relax.

it’s over too fast, but he assures you, “i wish we could keep going, too, but you have other people to dance with. i can’t be that demanding. i’ll be back for your last.”

you laugh because he’s kind of right to say he’s been demanding. it’s not like you mind, “i’ll wait for you, hanbin.”

he smiles, so sweetly, “as will i, your majesty.”

and as he walks away, leaving you to watch him smile at someone else and offer to dance with them, you notice the unconventional bouquet you’ve been holding: a poppy for the boy with the wild dreams, a heather for the guy who saved you from falling (even though you might have fallen in a different way), and a bluebell from the one who gave you a brief moment of peace.

yet, from looking at it, it has one more flower in it than you remember it having. 

a yellow tulip. 

[queenlua]

32, 42, 46

32. How do you take your morning coffee/tea?

i am a FIEND for unsweet iced tea. (i actually used to be uhhhh a "diet coke in the morning" girlie; iced tea is what i replaced that habit with lol.) i keep a batch of lipton in my fridge at all times but Oi Ocha green tea is the GOAT when i can justify the expense... did you know if you live in japan you can just get that out of vending machines for 110 yen. dreamy sigh wish that were me

if unsweet iced tea is not available i'll go for coldbrew coffee. i don't dislike warm tea/coffee exactly, but i find it annoying waiting for a beverage to cool down, rate-limiting my sips, etc... in the morning i just want Caffeine In My Face As Fast As Possible yaknow

42. What’s an unjustifiably expensive appliance that you really want?

we thought sooooo hard about getting those fancy automatic blinds for our bedroom... y'know, the kind where you hit a button and it goes from BLACKOUT MODE to SUNLIGHT MODE with the power of motors??? our windows were a weird shape, though, so it would've been an expensive custom job, and our current blinds are fine, but... still dreaming of the #luxe life alas

46. What kind of stuff do you keep on the door of your refrigerator?

ok the wildest thing we learned when we moved into this house: the refrigerator door IS NOT MAGNETIC???? which is the saddest most killjoy thing i've ever heard of. like, the people who lived here before us had small children!!!! were they NOT putting their kids' cute illustrations on the fridge? tragedy...

in our old place we had christmas cards + wedding invitations on our fridge door, plus lots of cute bird magnets lol

[huntsvillegossip]

Hello lovelies!

You know since that tall, handsome man joined and has fully taken over the advice column, I can now focus on providing you with all the wonderful updates you all send in.

Starting with some most unfortunate news and a reminder to be ever vigilant over your doors. Emma Dunford was the unfortunate victim of a home invasion. Thankfully, she is making a full recovery with her partners at her side. I’m sure her son is grateful to have his mother back around. It has been reported the culprit was Jae-Sung, who was seen having a spat with one of our teachers during the art festival, but I don’t think anybody saw him as capable of such a horrendous act. 

The one to call it in after fatally wounding Jae-Sung was Kirby. Three cheers for our new young hero! However, I will say we had someone provide some interesting speculation when submitting this. It was very convenient that Kirby was there just in time, was it not? They claim that they simply saw something suspicious - but why not radio it in immediately then? Not to mention they have previously had trouble with the law in town. Now I’m not saying they were working with Jae-Sung and turned on each other, but well… That would be quite the story, wouldn’t it?

Now then, let’s move on to much happier news, shall we?

It seems Sammie’s Place truly is the place to find love in this day and age. Cassius Romero proposed to Lynx one of the bartenders, during one of their shifts this week. Considering all other Romeros seem to be in committed relationships, it seems only natural he would finally find someone to settle down with, no matter how out of the blue it may seem. Besides, with such a public and dramatic proposal fit for a stage, we can only expect the wedding will be just as much of an event. I will certainly be delightedly awaiting my invitation in the mail.

Bucky’s Diner is also known for never having a slow day. Connor Hastings and Isabel Lovejoy were seen having a heated argument in the middle of the establishment as described by eyewitnesses. What it was about is anyone’s best guess, although with the way things turned out, I don’t think it’s a stretch for me to say that it appears to have been a lover’s quarrel. Mr. Hastings was seen giving quite the passionate kiss to Miss Lovejoy at the end. Perhaps with her, his icy exterior might eventually crack.

Love, Auntie G ~

"Declan Sullivan was seen having what looked like a pretty cozy picnic with Stella Hendrix. I thought he was taken. Is he still girlfriend shopping, because like I'm available if he wants to meet up at Sammy's. I'm at the bar at 8." - AndTheseAreReal

“Bro what is with people fighting at the bar, I’m just trying to have a drink in peace. Least it was that Dorian guy, surprised it took this long for someone to finally deck em. Cheers to the Abernathy kid, sure his dad is super proud.” - Day Drinker

“I still don’t believe that nurse is guilty, come on she’s too pretty and sweet. She was always super nice to me at the clinic.” - Anon (17F)

“Damn, getting shot must have woken something up for Spencer. Heard them totally getting into it with their mom. On the one hand, good for 'em. On the other hand, thank god the Commune is getting more rooms, hoping things don’t get too awkward, ya know? They might have cried, but we're still proud of you, buddy!” - Full House Resident 

[amberautumnfaebrooke]

we’re very different people with very different lives, but one important thing in common: casey estrada.

we all dated casey at one time or another. we all feel conflicted about that time in our lives. none of us are still speaking to casey.

one day, we each received an invitation to casey’s wedding. it’s at least a week’s drive away.

one of us tracked the others down and sent out an email putting forward a plan: we pile into a minivan and drive across the country to casey’s wedding.

~~~

the exes of casey estrada is a gmless tabletop roleplaying/story road trip game about guilt, love, and trying to be a better person. originally created for the 2024 token bag game jam, the game centers around a series of prompt tokens which are pulled out of a communal token bag. tokens might tell you about objects, characters, or themes to include in the scene you're playing, but crucially, they also tell you whether your character is kind or careless. sometimes, your character will do things you wish they wouldn't - but then, who among us cannot say the same about ourselves?

the game plays over 8 sessions as you travel across different landmarks contending with your histories, your dreams, and your bad habits. each of the 26 locations you might travel to comes with its own scene prompts, tokens, characters, and minor rule inflections. you might mingle with strangers at a party, or get lost on the country back roads, or follow a touring rock band, or all these and more.

and eventually, of course, you will all need to contend with the wedding of casey estrada.

this game represents so much work and love and i'm so so proud of it and i think it might make you cry. available now for pwyw on itch.

[catindabag]

TBOSAS on Crack short take (31)

Lucky: Welcome back, everyone! I’m your host, Lucky Flickerman!

Casca: Booo! Start the show!

Lucky: But-

Casca: Start the show!

Lucky: A- And- And for today’s show, I’ve invited our Mentors to say hello!

Mentors: Hello, everyone.😔

Lucky: Anything else you might like to add?

Festus: Will there be marmalade at the After Party?

Sejanus: Can I sit next to Coryo? He’s my boyfriend and fiancé.🥺

Coryo: Is this going to take long? I still have an essay to finish.

Domitia: Where’s Jubilee?

Lysistrata: Can I promote my drugs- I mean my ✨beauty products✨ here?

Urban: What’s my name, Lucky?🙂🔪

Palmyra: Do you have health insurance?

Androcles: Is your wristwatch a limited edition?

Gaius: Wanna hear a funny story?😀

Livia: How’s the weather, weather boy?

Lucky: Wai- wait a minute! I’m the one who’ll be asking the questions! Not you!

Felix: To be fair, you asked first.

Lucky: *sighs* Kids these days.

Casca: *sitting with the audience* I knew we needed that rehearsal! I knew it! My dumb kids-

Prof.Sickle: Are doing this to gain more sponsors for the school. More sponsors, more money, Casca.🙄

Lucky: Going back! The first question is for our dear Felix Ravinstill!

Felix: Fine. Fire away, Lucky.

Lucky: Felix, is it possible to ask the President of Panem to extend our summer holidays-

Felix: Next question please.

Lucky: Right! So Mr. Snow, when will your wedding with Mr. Plinth take place? And am I invited?

Coryo: After graduation. Next quest-

Lucky: Can Jubilee-

Coryo: No! Your stupid bird’s not invited.

Sejanus: Sorry, Lucky. No weird talking birds allowed.

Lucky: But am I invited?

Livia: Next question, weather boy!

Lucky: So how’s the mentorship going?

Urban: Pretty great. My Tribute, Teslee is a smart cookie.

Io: Mine asked me to marry him.

Sejanus: Not good, not bad, but terrible! Marcus keeps ignoring me!!😭

Coryo: Lucy Gray can sing ✨Snow on The Beach✨. She’s now my new best friend.

Festus: Coral called me stupid. She ain’t wrong though.

Felix: The Tributes all hate me for being a Ravinstill!😭

Lucky: Well, that’s good to hear!

Felix: *cries harder*

Lucky: So what inspires you? What is your personal “life motto” that keeps you going?😀

Festus: Easy! “Food is food!”

Palmyra: “If it’s edible, it’s credible.”😈

Felix: “Be the President, not a resident.”

Androcles: “I’m a klepto, not a psycho.”

Persephone: “One bite, one life.”

Apollo: “Be a good boy, not a kill joy.”

Diana: “Like Cupid, not stupid.”

Iphigenia: “Don’t be needy, just be baby.”

Arachne: “I’m the star, not subpar.”

Dennis: “It’s not a crime if you got a dime.”

Domitia: “Dogs are clever but cows are better.”

Urban: “Math is meth.”

Io: “Books! Not looks!”

Florus: “Stay indoors, don’t do chores.”

Gaius: “Smile until you die?”

Livia: “Hate the masses, pay my taxes.”

Juno: “You’re a bean, I’m a Queen!”

Pup: “You reap, I sleep.”

Clemensia: “Don’t be an idiot.”

Vipsania: “Grab them by the throat!”

Hilarius: “I’m not a joke, I’m not even broke.”

Lysistrata: “Don’t be a shill, just sell your pill.”

Sejanus: “Throw bread to the dead.”

Coryo: “Snow lands on top.”

Sejanus: Not in bed though-

Coryo: Shut it, Plinth!

Sejanus: I’m just telling the truth.

Coryo: One more word from you and I’ll cancel our engagement!

Sejanus: Oh, Coryo, my Snow Angel, don’t be shy to admit that you love it when I fu-

Livia: Ughhh! Shut up! We don’t wanna hear it!

Lysistrata: I wanna hear it!

Lucky: Me too!

All of Panem: Honestly, same.

Casca: Heck no! Nope! Not today! Show’s over! Children, get out!

Juno: But we’re still LIVE on TV!!

Festus: Yeah! Mother Panem is still watching the Great Festus Creed!

Casca: Do you think I care, boy?! You already ruined my school’s reputation!!

Festus: Sir-

Casca: *screeches like a dinosaur*

Lucky:. . .

Mentors:. . .

All of Panem:. . .

Festus: So is the marmalade still available?

Casca: Get out.

Felix: But the marmalade-

Casca: Get the f*ck out, Creed.😡🔪