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sunflowerstache · 4 years ago

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Did You Order a Pizza?

Halloween 2020 is filled with lots of surprises for the Styles family

A/N: Hi lovelies! I hope you had. great Halloween and you're feeling alright these days! This is a one shot following the family from my pic Another World, which you can find here! I hope you enjoy it and I cannot wait to hear all your thoughts!! I love y'all!

Word Count: 7.6k

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“And you’re sure he’s back?”

“You heard him on the phone. He’ll be waiting for Jeff so you’ve got plenty of time while he waits for the man to not show up.” Glenne smiled at you from her spot in the driver’s seat. “Although, I think he’ll like who does show up instead.”

Harry had left for Los Angeles so that he could begin filming a new Olivia Wilde film, leaving you and Bella in London. And as much as you’d have loved to join him on such a monumental step in his career from the start, you were unable to travel with him. Not only were you unable because your daughter was still in school at the time, but because of the pandemic that was still going on throughout the world. It prevented for most of the year’s plans to take place, which absolutely crushed Harry. He was looking forward to Love on Tour and showing his fans how much fun this new era was for him, more than you’d seen from him in a long time, but he would always put the safety of his fans before entertainment, so it was an easy choice to postpone. However, no tour meant that he could gladly accept a leading role in a film alongside some of the most well known actors in the industry.

But it only took you a few days after his departure to find out you couldn’t be so far from him. As fate would have it, Bella’s class was turning into online learning once the half term break ended, which meant one of the most important reasons you were still in London had vanished. So, after spending two weeks quarantining and making sure you took all the necessary precautions, both you and Bella got tested and flew to the states with your negative results. From the start, you had told Jeff of your plan and he and Glenne gladly welcomed you into their home once you arrived, wanting to spend time with Bella for a few days after going so long not seeing the toddler. And finally, once you got the negative results of yet another test, you and your daughter were off to stay with Harry.

Jeff had spoken with your boyfriend over FaceTime earlier that morning, feeding Harry some story about needing to solidify some merch designs, and making sure that Harry would be patiently waiting for his manager after he finished filming for the day. But the plan was to have Glenn drive Jeff’s car so he suspected nothing seeing it pull up, and surprise him when it was you and Bella getting out the car instead of the oldest Azoff son.

“I can’t wait.” you groaned out through the grin taking over your face. You bounced in your seat slightly, pressing both hands to your cheeks just thinking about seeing his shocked face when he opened the door expecting Jeff, but seeing you and Bella instead.

“What?” The question was brought up after a soft chuckle was heard from Glenne’s side of the car as soon as you were halted at a stoplight.

“Nothing. It’s just cute how excited you are to see him after being apart for what, a month?”

“27 days.” you whispered, urging yourself to force down a smile. “But who’s counting?”

“You guys have been together nearly a decade, and you still get all flustered when you talk about him.”

The way you and Harry acted around one another was something that was always commented on by people in your inner circle, for that exact reason. Without a doubt, your relationship had gone through some of the toughest times, but that was bound to happen when you’ve been with someone since you were sixteen… and even more likely when every moment of your life was documented to the public. But those tough times never seemed to last, because at the end of the day, Harry was everything you ever wanted and vise versa. He was what you daydreamed about in a partner while growing up. And being with him was like being with the sun. He made you feel loved and cared for, you had more fun with him than anyone else on the planet, and every single day with him felt like a new adventure. As a kid, you’d thought the way people described the love of their life was corny, nothing but a thing of fairy tales, yet that feeling that bloomed inside your chest and tummy every time you thought about Harry told you that it was very real.

“Dunno.” you shrugged, “He’s my person. Even seven and half years later, he still makes me feel like he did on our first date.”

“That what’s got you looking extra glowy or is that just another secret to staying in the honeymoon phase forever?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” you replied quickly, finding it hard to keep the giddy feeling that was now bubbling in your lower stomach under control when you turned your head to meet her gaze. She was squinting at you with suspicious eyes, her lips pursed as she bit the inside of her cheek, which forced a laugh to fall from you. “What? I don’t! Just miss him, that’s all. Isn’t that right baby? We just missed daddy loads, huh?” making sure to quickly take the attention away from yourself, you turned as much as you could in your seat to look at Bella in the back.

“Yes! I miss daddy so much!” her little legs kicked against the carseat and her arms lifted high above her head, a huge smile plastered on her face. “I have so many drawings and stickers to show him and Mr. Jeff got new socks!”

“I know, we got them all tucked away nice and safe so you can show him. Do you remember what the plan is when we get there?” you asked her, your breath getting caught in your throat for a moment when the sun shined just right through the rear window. It was a perfect day in LA, sunny and warm and just as the car pulled onto the street you knew was where Harry was staying, the sunlight danced across Bella’s perfect complexion. She was a spitting image of her father, down to the freckles dotting her face, the deep set dimples that never seemed to disappear, and the curls constantly falling in front of her face no matter how hard you tried to keep them tamed. Every now and again you caught a glimpse, sometimes through the kitchen window while she was playing in the backyard and other times while her eyelashes fluttered against her cheeks as she slept on your chest, of just how breathtaking Bella is. What angelic beauty the love between you and Harry had managed to create.

“Yeah mumma!” she smiled, giving you two thumbs up, very clearly excited about getting to see her dad again. “You ‘member my costume, right mumma?”

“Of course I did. Put it in the bag right next to mine.”

“Good. ‘Cause ‘m really ‘cited about it.”

“I know baby. It’s a good one, isn’t it?” you knew Harry would get a kick out of what Bella decided to be for Halloween. She had come to you months ago, actually sat you down in the kitchen and explained what she wanted to do like she was in a little business meeting. And of course as soon as she told you, you had to laugh because it was perfect.

“Yeah.”

Her whisper was the last thing said within the confines of the car before the three of you pulled up in front of a beautiful white house nestled deep in the Hollywood Hills. It was much smaller than the house the pair of you had just sold just blocks away, but everything about it was so much homier. A brick walkway sandwiched between a line of shrubbery and a white stone wall led up to the house, which itself was an odd shape. The very front of the house came up to an asymmetrical point instead of a typical flat roof, and the rest of the house was pushed back slightly, so that none of the face was level, and the house almost seemed cut in half horizontally from the distinct line between white stone bottom and black paneling on the upper level of the home. Finally, a brick downhill driveway, made of the same brick as the walkway, led to an all black garage that sat just below the rest of the home. The small details is what made the building give off such a cozy vibe; a vibrant green front door, plant boxes hanging off a few of the upper windows, a black wooden archway and lanterns surrounding the front door, a few potted plants on the side of the walkway, and the faint golden hues peaking through the closed blinds.

“Cute, huh?” Glenne laughed, putting the car in park and turning fully in her seat to look at you.

“Yeah, it actually really is. Reminds me a bit of our old place.”

“Place in London, right? That’s what I told Jeff.” she said at the same time, looking behind her at Bella while you got out of the car. “You ready to go, tulip?”

“Yes please!”

Her hands were already fumbling with the seat belt by the time you opened her door, the excitement itching at her in preparation for what was to come, but she graciously waited for you to sort her out.

“Thank you mumma.” she muttered casually once you had her unbuckled and lifted into your arms.

“You’re welcome, baby.” the way Bella was the most polite little girl you had ever known never failed to make your heart soar. You and Harry were so proud of the person she was becoming, whether she was that way because she saw how everyone in her life acted or because she was born with the kindest little soul, it didn’t matter. She always made sure the people around her were happy and having fun, constantly reminding people how much she loves them, and trying her hardest to make everyone laugh. It was yet another way she reminded you of Harry; they both could instantly light up a room without even trying. “Just gotta ring the bell, right? Say your line?”

“You got it, mumma!” she smiled brightly, leaning in to give you a quick kiss.

Nearly the instant you put her down, she darted up the brick steps, taking a full pause at each step to be her funny self and jump, with both feet together, up to the next one. As she made her way towards the front door, you took your place leaning against the passenger door of Glenne’s car, nearly doubling over in laughter watching Bella look hysterical lifting up on her very tiptoes in order to reach the unusually high doorbell.

Your breath caught in your throat as you waited for Harry to open the front door. For a minute, you were sure that he had ignored Jeff’s instructions to stay home, but to your relief, the green door finally opened, revealing a very comfortable looking Harry. He was very obviously post shower, his hair visibly wet and sparkling when the porch lights lit up his form, clad in a pair of black basketball shorts and one of his grey Treat People With Kindness hoodies, and nothing else but a tall pair of Nike socks. It was like a scene from a movie, because when he didn’t immediately see Jeff in front of him, Harry looked over towards the driveway quickly like he was being pranked. But within a second, his attention was brought down to Bella, who tugged on the hem of his shorts, her sweet voice barely audible from the distance.

“Did you get a pizza?”

It was comical to watch him just stare at her like she had three heads. You couldn’t blame him, last he knew, both you and Bella were five thousand miles away, so it made sense that his brain was not comprehending the scene in front of him.

“He’s so confused.” Glenne giggled behind you, but her voice seemed like it was muted with how fully your focus was on your boyfriend.

“Hmm.”

Not even a second after your hum of agreement, and as if it was in slow motion, you watched as realization glossed over his features, his green eyes widening and mouth hanging open, and he sank to his knees. It didn’t take him even a second to pull Bella into his chest, winding his arms completely around her tiny frame and cradling her head in his surprisingly ring free hands.

Seeing the two of them together was like looking at two halves of the same soul reconnect. The moment they were in one another’s arms, it was like everything got brighter. Their smiles widened, chuckles more audible - even from such a far distance, and the warmth that typically lived in your chest recently, burned even warmer. You always knew Harry was meant to be a dad, just from how much he talked about it. You knew that he would do his very best to go above and beyond for his child, to make sure they felt loved and secure and treasured. But hearing about it and seeing it are completely different. Seeing nothing but total adoration on his face whenever he looked at your daughter made you fall in love with him all over again.

“Mumma!” Bella’s shouted, snapping you out of the daze you had slipped into while watching the moment before you. Both Harry and Bella were now looking at you from the doorway, her head resting on her father’s shoulder as he held her in one arm, their faces totally engulfed with smiles. “C’mere Mumma!”

“Yeah mumma.” Harry finally spoke up, his voice carrying down the pathway right to where you were standing.”C’mere.” Just seeing him standing there, smiling so brightly and holding his free arm out telling you he was waiting for a hug, was enough to make you break out in a smile and push off the car, dashing up the steps.

His chest was firm when you crashed into it, much firmer than when you hugged him goodbye in the airport a few weeks ago, and you felt as if you head placement on his chest was different - like he’d grown since you last saw him. Or maybe he hadn’t changed at all but your mind was finally coming out of a month long fog that it slipped in without him, getting readjusted to being in his arms.

“Hi sweetheart.” he whispered in your ear, peppering kisses all along your hairline and temple like he physically couldn’t leave an inch of the side of your face untouched.

“Hi baby.”

“What’re you doing here?” he asked, pure wonder in his tone as he nudged the side of your face with his chin, making you lift your head from his chest and look at him. “I just talked to you this morning, said you were going to see your parents before everything got locked down again.”

“Yeah, well. I lied.” you smiled, leaning in to press kiss after kiss to his lips, trying your best to control the insane happiness rushing through your veins. Your response seemed to be enough for him, because he didn’t ask another question wondering why you were in LA. Which was good for you because your plan wasn’t to explain everything on the front porch.

The three of you stayed frozen in that same position, Harry’s arm so tight around you that your face was completely buried in his hoodie, and the other arm holding Bella, forming a makeshift group hug, not bothering to worry about anyone seeing you or anything going on past the wooden archway. Because nothing else mattered. Not when you were with the two people who made your world spin.

“Daddy.” Bella’s timid voice finally broke you apart, both you and Harry leaning back a bit so that you could put your full attention on the little girl in his arms.

“Yes lovie?”

“I lied too.”

“What did you lie about?”

She lifted her head from his shoulder in order to look at him with a very concerned expression, like she felt deeply sorry for whatever she was about to say to him. “I don’t have a pizza. ‘M sorry. Mumma told me it was funny.”

“Oh did she now?” Harry mocked in offence, looking back at you and raising his eyebrows.

“Mhm. But it wasn’t, ‘cause we don’t have any.”

“That’s right. But sometimes it’s okay to say something silly like that and not feel bad as long as it’s not something to hurt anyone, right? And daddy isn’t mad. How about you mumma?” Harry looked to you, trying not to smile at how adorable Bella was about the little fib. You shook your head.

“Not at all.”

“And what about you, B.B? Are you sad you told daddy there was pizza?”

She contemplated it for a bit, scrunching her nose up - again, just like her father - and looking around like the answer would be hanging in the air somewhere. “Yeah.” she said matter of factly. “But ‘cause I want pizza. And we don’t have any.”

Both you and Harry couldn’t help the laughs that fell from your lips, wasting no time before leaning forward to press a kiss to Bella’s forehead. “How about we get some then?” he asked against her skin, glancing at you when saying his next bit. “We’ll get your bags from the car and order one?”

“Oh god!” you yelled, turning around to face the car from which you’d just ran from. “Completely forgot Glenne was sitting in there! She’s probably been texting Jeff about how annoying we are.”

“Annoyingly adorable, yeah.”

“Think she’d fight you on that one. Nearly made her sick on the drive here with how excited I was to see you.” your laugh was muffled as Harry wrapped his arm back around your neck, dragging you in a headlock down the first step towards the car. Bella, knowing that it was time to bring in the bags, wiggled out of Harry’s grasp and sprinted down the steps ahead of you, right into the arms of a now out and about Glenne.

“Everything’s alright?” Harry’s voice was laced with concern now that your little one was out of ear shot. You both tried your hardest to never have any sort of talk about negative things around her, whether that be an argument or things going on in life, because she should never have to be put through the stress of that. Most of the time you just waited until she was asleep to talk about those things, but sometimes it meant going into different rooms and closing the doors.

“Hmm?”

“Everything’s alright, right? You didn’t come all the way out here because something’s wrong, did you?” quickly forgotten was your position in a headlock, and instead, Harry kept his arm around your neck, your body fitting perfectly tucked into his side. You walked step by step to meet your friend and daughter, who already started pulling suitcases out of the boot.

You took a peek up to him, noticing he was already glancing down at you, his eyes roaming all over your face to look for any sign of distress that he may have missed when he first saw you. But you had none to offer him. “Yeah baby, everything’s okay. Just needed to be with you.”

“Swear? You’d tell me if there was something?”

“Of course I would. Always.”

“Alright, professor. But if I find out you were hiding something, I’ll have to write a diss track.”

“Oh will you now?”

“Mhm. Thems the rules.”

Glenne spent a bit of time with the three of you before heading off, telling you to enjoy your time together and even throwing in a little joke about maybe even making a new baby since she missed how little Bella used to be. The comment made your ears warm and a weird feeling flutter through your stomach, but she gave you no time to respond before she shuffled out the door.

Since arriving at Harry’s, Bella practically refused to leave his arms, wanting to be as close to him as possible until she really realized that no one was going anywhere for quite a bit. And her thoughts must have quieted enough because not even twenty minutes after Glenne walked out the front door, Bella was running through the house towards one of the extra rooms she’d be sleeping in.

“Mumma! Come help me! We gotta show daddy!” her already soft voice was even soft as she yelled from the second floor, her request forcing you to get up from the sofa.

“What are we showing me?”

“She’s really proud of her Halloween costume this year. Spent weeks planning it out, you know?”

“I know. She wouldn’t budge anytime I asked her. Very secretive that one.”

“Hmm, wonder where she gets that from?” you sang while walking up the stairs, letting out a snort when you saw him lift a middle finger to you from his position still on the sofa, not even bothering to turn around to look at you as you continued towards your daughter.

“Alright baby, I’m here! Where do you want me?” you clapped, entering Bella’s room in a way that mimicked that of Harry Lambert, something that you knew she’d recognize right away from the amount of times she’s seen her parents being helped by the stylist.

“Over here, mumma. Gotta help me button!” she had already rid herself of the clothes she’d been wearing on the drive to Harry’s, the green long sleeve shirt and jeans laid in a crumpled mess at the foot of the bed while she stood in just her knickers, searching through the small suitcase on her bed for all the pieces to her costume.

You took a seat on the floor next to where she was standing, watching her every move as she finally found everything she was looking for. Her tongue stuck out while she took the fabric between her fingers and gently held it in her hands - taking a moment to look at it in awe - before turning and holding it out to you, expectantly.

“Gotta be careful with it, mumma.”

“Oh I know. They’re really delicate, aren’t they?”

“Mhm. Reedy told me to be gentle with ‘em ‘cause they were made with extra love so they’re extra soft.”

“Oh that’s perfect! They’ll be on for quite a while so it’s good that it’s all comfortable.”

“Yep.”

You look notice of how long her hair had grown while zipping up the back of her shirt, the curls continuously falling against your fingers despite being held over her shoulder by Bella. You knew well enough even before she was born that she was going to have gorgeous hair, all it took was one look at the locks cascading from her father to tell you that, but it seemed to grow even more mesmerizing by the day. It fell loose past her shoulders every day, always managing to fall in front of her eyes while she was sprawled out on the floor playing. Even though you did enjoy how cute she looked pushing the crazy curls out of her face while her little tongue stuck out, you knew it was time for a trim soon.

“Are you wanting a haircut soon?” you asked while zipping her pants as well.

“Hmm, I don’t think so. I like it long.”

“How about we see if we can get rid of some of these dry bits at least?”

Bella thought about it for a bit, picking at her nails while mulling over the idea of going back to the salon. “Yeah, I think that’s fine.”

“Alright, we’ll see about making an appointment when we get back home. Gives you some time to think it over.”

“Okay! Y’almost done mumma? ‘M excited.” she bounced in place, trying her best not to move so that you could finish getting her ready as fast as possible.

“All set!” you checked, reaching up to grab her hair out of her grasp and let it fall down her back. “Just put the jacket on and you’re all set to show daddy.”

“He’s gonna be so happy I know it!” she squealed, carefully picking up and putting on the final part to her costume and turning to look in the floor length mirror. Bella didn’t say anything for a minute, taking the time to examine herself in the mirror. She smoothed the fabric covering her torso, lifted her feet in order to see the little pair of boots, and had one of the largest smiles you’d ever seen on her. “I look so good!”

“You do, lovie! Award winning I’d say.”

“Thank you for helping! Lets go!!” she yelled, darting towards the door and only stopping at the top of the stairs when you called for her, reminding her to be careful by the steps. The two of you quickly discussed your plan before departing ways, leaving Bella a bouncing mess just above you as you walked down to the light switch at the bottom of the steps.

Flicking all the lights off, you cleared your throat and waited for Harry, who had gotten up off the sofa upon hearing your descending footsteps and was now leaning against the back of the furniture, his bum resting just on top of the back, to give you his full attention. Although the lights were off, it was still early enough in the evening that light showed through the windows, allowing you to see his face and make sure Bella got down the stairs safely.

“You all know him as 2013’s Teen Choice Male Hottie -”

“Also 2016.” Harry cut in, trying and failing to stifle his chuckle

“Also 2016’s” you added, “and lead roles in Award Winning pictures such as This Is Us and iCarly.” at this point, it was obvious what was happening and you could tell Harry was fully on board with what was about to walk down the stairs. But he was also so excited. He no longer was leaning against the sofa, but now standing upright and his hands were pressed together in a praying position in front of his mouth. “Introducing, the incredibly talented, musically gifted, style icon of the decade, Mr. Harry Edward Styles!”

The second you saw that Bella made it safely to the ground next to you, you flicked on the dim lights that just illuminated the staircase, showering your daughter in the closest thing you could get to a spotlight. She was standing in Harry’s signature position; bent forward slightly with one hand held in a peace sign while the other dangled loosely by her side and mouth open wide. Harris Reed had taken the time to make Bella a nearly exact replica of the white and black floral suit Harry had worn to the 2015 AMA’s - the suit that really started it all when it came to Styles’ fashion. Her curls were hanging past her shoulders just like Harry’s were at the time, and for good measure, she even lifted her hand to push some out of her face exactly like he used to.

She was a spitting image of Harry. And he loved it.

“Oh my god! You’re kidding! You look fantastic! Gonna put me out of a job! I won’t even need to go on stage anymore. This is amazing!” he screeched, rushing forwards and couching down in front of his daughter. He took in every last detail of the outfit; how the under shirt had buttons but did not open from the front (something Harris thought would be easier for Bella to get in and out of), how the floral detail was exactly the same as the one he had hanging in his closet back home (Reed had asked Alessandro for the fabric), and how even the shoes were a near replica.

“Mhm. I can sing next time. I’ll go up and sing to your friends and you can sit and watch and talk to Mitchy.” she nodded, taking a step back and belting out ‘You’re so Golden!’ “See? Like that!”

Harry beamed. “Absolutely! Give me a nice break every now and again, very thoughtful. We’ll just have to change your bedtime and it’s all set!”

“You like it, daddy?” she asked, her eyes wide as she moved right in front of Harry, her hands grasping the hood of his hoodie and she looked directly into his eyes.

“I love it - and you - more than there are stars in the sky!” Harry responded without hesitation, grabbing her and lifting her into his arms, swinging Bella around quickly enough to let a few giggles. “Thank you very much, beautiful, it makes me very happy.”

“Can’t believe you wanted to be your smelly old dad.” he joked when she pushed against his chest to look at him, “See me everyday, why’d you wanna dress up like me too?

“‘Cause you dress the best, daddy!”

“Ohhhh hear that, love?” he turned to look directly at you, Bella now hiding her face in her hands in embarrassment on saying her dad dressed better than her mum. “I’m the best dressed.” Harry stuck his tongue out at you.

The reaction from Harry was everything Bella was expecting and more. So much so that she could no longer fight the exhaustion of the hectic day any longer. She barely made it five minutes in Harry’s arms before finally passing out. In the coming December, she’d be turning five and you were trying to start and wean her off of taking long naps, but after such an energetic day you welcomed the time for her to rest. She put up a fight getting out of Harry’s arms, the arm she had shoved into Harry’s hood in order to thread her fingers through the short hair at the nape of his neck, tightened each time he tried to pull her away to lay her in bed. Like even in her unconscious state she wanted to know that seeing Harry again wasn’t a figment of her imagination.

It was heavenly to be back with Harry. Even though you had only been apart for such a short amount of time, there was so much to catch up on, and you would never get tired of hearing about everything going on in his life.

“And they used this stuff called Dermacol, and I swear, she swiped over it once and the anchor was gone. Bloody insane seeing it all bare. Hasn’t been that year in years.” Harry laughed, finishing his story of how his first few days on set had gone, the two of you laying in his bed while you waited for the pizza you ordered while he put Bella down for a nap.

“Don’t wash it off tomorrow. I want to see.” you tilted your head back so that it was resting on Harry’s shoulder, in order to look at him. He was sitting behind you, his back pressed against the headboard while you were nestled between his legs, enjoying the feeling of being so close to him again. “Forget what you look like without any ink.”

“Like them though, right?”

“Of course I do. Think they’re very hot.”

He didn’t say anything for a bit, just let his fingers dance up and down your arms, clearly lost in thought. “I wish you could come to set. See everything and everyone.” he finally spoke.

“I know. I just don’t want to chance anything you know? We just traveled and I know we got tested, but I don’t want to unknowingly bring anything to anyone. Maybe soon, once we’ve been here for a bit. But for now, I’d rather just hear all your stories and FaceTime than anything happen to anyone.”

“What time is your call time tomorrow?” you added when he only hummed in response.

“6:45. Car will probably come by around 6 and I should be back near 2. Have a bit of a short day tomorrow.”

“No rush.”

“Yes rush. I wanna be with you both. Missed you loads, ya know? Only gone for a few weeks but I was going mad. Don’t think we should separate for a while.” his voice was soft as his neck strained forward in order to press loving kisses to the soft skin where your neck met your shoulder.

Since the moment you met Harry a decade ago, it was obvious he always knew what to say. He had a knack for spewing out the words you most needed to hear exactly when you needed to hear them. Whether it was comforting your stage fright, in an argument about tv or film characters, helping you pick out outfits, discussing your relationship, or talking about the future, you both seemed to be on the same wavelength. It made life with him so much easier, because you knew that he understood you. You knew that no matter what happened, he would support you and love you. And that’s all you needed.

So you decided finally, after the pit of anxiety in your stomach grew and grew all day, that it was finally time.

“Pretty good you feel that way. ‘Cause I wasn’t exactly sure how to tell you that you’re kind of stuck with me. At least for another fourteen years.”

“Hmm. Want more than that.”

Taking a deep breath, hands shaking and mind running a mile a minute, you asked; “How about another eighteen after that?”

But your nerves were all for nothing because the comment flew right over Harry’s head. Completely missed the point of why you used that specific amount of time and was more focused on giving your middle a tight squeeze - his arms moving from their place at your side to around your stomach.

“Mhm. Even longer than that.”

The words brought an image to mind, one you found yourself thinking about a lot the last couple weeks. One of you and Harry sitting in the living room in your home, talking to your grown children while your grandchildren ran around you happily, doing their best to animatedly explain ways of the world you just couldn’t comprehend. And the pure glee you felt being surrounded by such a beautiful family, one that you created with Harry. But you knew it wasn’t just some fantasy you would dream about. It was something that you would one day get to experience, and that excitement pushed you over the edge.

“You’re stuck with me forever, baby.” you hummed, sinking further into his hold. “But for five seconds, I need you to leave me so you can grab me a Tums.” the anxiety nerves reared their head yet again, knowing there was no missing the punchline this time.

Concern instantly flooded his voice, taking you by the shoulders and moving you away from his chest and to the right so he could look at your face. “Why? You feeling alright? What’s wrong?”

You couldn’t help but simple sweetly at his concern, lifting a hand to rest it on his smoothly clean shaven cheek. “Yeah. You know how I get after flying. Do you mind just grabbing the Tums from my bag?” you asked again, hoping he couldn’t hear or feel the uptick in your breathing.

“You mean one of the nine hundred bags you brought?” Harry joked but still carefully slid out from behind you in order to get whatever you needed.

“Hey, we’re gonna be here a while. I need options.” Because of Covid, the UK was heading into yet another lockdown at the start of November, lasting until the first week of December so for now, so for now, you knew you and Bella would be spending at least a month with Harry in Los Angeles.

“Can take any of my clothes.” he grinned, turning around to face the bed again and bent down to kiss the tip of your nose. “Y’know I love when you wear my clothes.”

“Oi! Say that again but let me record it! If that’s the case, I never want to hear you complain about missing clothes ever again!”

“I said I like you wearing them, not keeping them hidden away for me to find three years later.” he laughed at the memory of his favorite blue hawaiian shirt going missing after getting back from Jamaica, only for it to be found in the back of your closet when moving a few months ago. His voice got quieter the farther he walked from the bed, the confines of the walk in closet filled with his clothes muffling the words towards the end of his sentence.

“Alright, but remember how excited you were to find it after so long? Like Christmas in the summer!”

“‘S’that what’s gonna start happening? You just stealing things I haven’t looked at in years and regifting them?”

“Lord knows you don’t need any more things laying around. Probably wouldn’t even notice anything being gone.” it was true. Over the years, Harry had gathered a very large collection of… things. Everything from clothes to lockets to key cards from hotels, and being in the career he is, he can afford to have it all. But even you had to say he had more than he knew what to do with most of the time, to which he always had some sort of rebuttal for.

But this time, it never came.

This time, you were met with silence from inside the closet, and you had no control over the way your hands began shaking. There were so many different kinds of silence; one of anger, of shock, nervousness, confusion, but any of those were a rarity when it came to Harry. He was someone who always had something to say, despite the emotions running through him. Silence was never really his thing, hell he even said so in a song, so the ideas of what could be running through his head started to eat you alive.

After waiting a few minutes and still receiving no sound of life from the smaller room, you began to get worried. Obviously nothing had happened to him while you were sitting feet away, but what was happening in there? Did he have a heart attack as soon as saw what you had laid out on top of your suitcase when he was ordering food? Did he fall and hit his head? Was he trying to find a good way to break up with you? No, he wouldn’t do that, you knew he wouldn’t do that. But before you could fully get off of the bed to check on him, he slowly sauntered out of the room, staring down at the piece of black fabric gripped tightly in his hands, and you halted in your spot - sitting up right on the side of his bed with your feet dangling off the side.

“Wha - what is this?” his whisper was so unbelievably low, you were surprised you could make out any of the words.

“What do you think it is?” you replied, your voice equally as loud so not to spook him while he was in such a clear state of shock.

“I - I don’t know.”

He still had taken his eyes off of the material in his hands, looking at it like it held every secret unknown to man somewhere within its seams.

“I think you do know.”

Finally, Harry lifted his head in order to look at you. And you felt your eyes water as soon as he did. The rims of his eyes and nose were a deep red, the kind of red you get when trying desperately to hold in sobs. His eyes were a brighter shade of green as more and more tears obstructed his vision, and now that you looked at him properly, his entire body seemed to be shaking.

“If this is a joke, it’s really fucking mean.” he choked out, putting all of his effort into holding back his cries. “Please don’t joke about this.”

As hard as he was trying not to let his tears flow, you were beyond the point of no return. Your cheeks were stained with tears, old dried ones leaving tracks for the new ones to flow freely down, and the lump in your throat prevented you from speaking as loud and confidently as you would have liked.

“It’s not a joke, Harry.” you shook your head, wiping your cheeks with the backs of your hands.

“No?”

“No.”

Harry went back to not saying anything, glancing between you and the black in his hand, not knowing which held more important information. You could see the inner struggle he was having trying to comprehend what was happening, and you wanted to get up and yell it to him. But he needed to go through whatever emotions he needed to, at his own pace.

So you waited for him to do just that.

“So you - you’re pregnant?” he finally sighed, the question making the corners of his lips lift ever so slightly that you would have missed it if you weren’t watching every inch of his face like a hawk. Holding back his tears was long gone as they now flowed down his cleanly shaven cheeks.

“I’m pregnant.” you smiled, the words coming out in one whoosh of air.

So fast that you didn’t understand how he did it, the black shirt - that at first glance was a replica of the logo for the film The Godfather, but when taking a double take, could be found to read The Twinfather instead - was laying in a pile on the floor in front of the closet door and Harry was laying on top of you. Now on your back with Harry hovering above you, both of his forearms on either side of your head, you could fully see the overwhelming joy swimming in his eyes. The last time you had seen this exact look was the day Bella was born. Like within his mind, he was watching the entire world unfold with endless possibilities and unfathomable love.

Harry didn’t let you say anything before he was pressing kisses to your lips, both of your tears making the experience feel a bit slippery as they blended together on your skin. But nothing could make the moment anything less than perfect. Harry’s warmth covered you like a blanket, completely consuming you within the personal bubble that had formed around you on the bed. His lips moved against your with determination, but also care and gratitude, the vaguely strawberry flavored lip balm he was wearing smeared against your own lips, letting the memory of this moment linger for hours to come.

“You’re really pregnant?” Harry asked, his excitement taking over once he pulled back from the kiss.

“Yeah baby,’m pregnant.”

“And is it? It’s - it’s twins? Are you sure? How do you know?” although you knew he would always be there with and for you during all of this, it was reassuring to see him be so ecstatic about the new addition to your family.

“When B and I went to get our Covid tests, the lady asked me if there was a chance I could be pregnant, and - and I couldn’t give her a confident no. So I called Dr. Kelter to see if I could get an appointment before we left and she took me the same day.” your smile grew as you watched him hold on to your every word, wanting to know every single detail you had to give him.

“And she told you it was twins?”

“Yeah. Said she could see them both right away since they can see twins so early. Said ‘m about eleven weeks.” the tears returned to your eyes when you thought about being pregnant again, how much your life was going to change and the excitement that was about to be brought into your lives.

Obviously Harry was feeling the same before he let out another sob, this time his upper half falling onto your chest and burying his face in your neck, his lower body seeming to unconsciously stay away from crushing your belly.

“I love you so fucking much.” he whispered, and you could feel the ever so gentle peck of his lips against your skin. “So fucking much.”

“I love you, Harry.” you whispered back.

“Who knows?” he asked, undoubtedly thinking back to when you were pregnant with Bella and everyone in your lives seemed to know before he did. Something you regretted, but was necessary at the time.

“No one. Just you and me. Want to do everything with you this time.” not wanting to ruin the moment, but also wanting to be realistic for a moment in your clouded minds, you took a second to figure out how to say the concerns that were rushing through your mind at a mile a minute. “I know things are crazy right now and the world is scary and we’re both so busy, but we said if it happened, it happened.”

Harry was pushed up on his forearm in an instant, his other hand cupping your cheek in order to drag your attention to him. He was positively glowing. How only a second ago he was standing pale faced in the closet doorway was beyond you, because now, it was like the sun shined behind his irises.

“I have never been happier in my entire life. We’ll figure it all out together. Like we always do.”

#harry styles imagine #harry styles one shot #harry styles x reader #harry styles blurb #another world imagine #aw-inspo #harry styles fanfiction #1dff

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tema-makes-art-sometimes · 4 years ago

Note

rank classic fandom ships!

Classic Fandom Ships huh? Okiiii if I miss any let me know

1. USUK

1-5: negative possible incest out of 5 (quote my friend Lemon)

Do I ship it?: I’d rather get a booster shoot, thanks.

General Feelings: I can’t ship ships when one character raised the other, even if it’s an au where it didn’t happen, knowing that England is a caretaker to him in that way just kills it for me. There’s no way to make having a crush on someone you raised, distant or not, not be weird. No matter what that’s going to come off creepy. Doesn’t even matter if they’re blood related or anything. It’s still the idea of one nation being an adult while the other raised them since they were a little kid. It gives me the same vibe as dating your childhood babysitter. If you want this dynamic, why not try PruEng, DenEng or PortEng, same sunshine x raincloud aesthetic with 0% creepy under tones.

TLDR: You’re just in it for the Cute Jock x Angry Nerd dynamic and it shows.

2. GerIta (Ive already talked about.)

TLDR: If fandom ships were ice cream, GerIta would be vanilla. It’s a base line, it’s fine as it is and some people hate it for that exact reason. I like vanilla, it’s alright.

3. FRUK (Ive already talked about)

TLDR: 11/10 would pirate fight again.

4. Rochu (Ive already talked about)

TLDR: It vibes. It just vibes.

5. Spamano

1-5: -5

Do I ship it?: I’d rather not, thanks.

General Feelings: I just never liked spamano, again the Angry x Sunshine (which isnt what Romano is, but it’s how it’s often written) isn’t really fun to me? I used to hate it cause I don’t like tsundere’s in writing style cause I personally cannot understand them. Like my brain does not register well with aggressive insults being seen as compliments because it’s from X person. But that’s just me, I don’t do that shit I think “tsundere” needs to die. But that’s beside the point.

I don’t like it now for two reasons. One because of the same thing I said with USUK, I’m not comfortable with shipping pairs where one raised the other, no matter what it’s gonna be weird dynamic wise. Two is in my mind the merits of Spain as an older brother or father figure to Romano mean more than him as a love interest. It can create a lot of dynamics that are more fun both between Romano and Spain and Romano and his brother. It creates a situation where one is often in the position the other wanted.

Vene having more money and general social support, but often having to play along in cherry high class situations which makes a lot of his relations, especially with Austria, feel kind of hallow. While Romano was more poor and seen as low class and crass, but he has much more honest and deep relationships with the small group of people he cares for. it creates situations where the brothers can envy one another and I dont know. I just like it better than leaving Romano with only something like Rome and letting Vene have Hungary and Austria.

TLDR: Let Romano have a father figure please he’s earned it.

6. PruAus

1-5: -2

Do I ship it?: No

General Feelings: If you like Prussia with someone slightly uptight and orderly, why not just use England instead? Their personalities work better together cause at least then he gets a partner that understands him being a feral punk gremlin. I’m biased in this regard I don’t like Austria as a character so take with a grain of salt. But I never cared for the dynamic. The only PruAus thing I ever liked with bubblyernie’s ask art school prussia blog, and that’s it. It feels like the rivalry dynamic but it doesn’t get to the fun part for me, but again I also get that I have a bias.

TLDR: Meh.

7. PruHun

1-5: 5

Do I ship it?: Y e s

General Feelings: I just like the idea of them being strong feral gremlins on horseback together. Powerful generals, good friends, just the idea of excited forest heathens on adventures. I don’t know, it’s just fun. If not romantic they would be ride or die friends and I cannot be convinced otherwise.

TLDR: 10/10 would feral gremlin in the woods again.

8. AusHun

1-5: -2

Do I ship it?: No

General Feelings:I never liked cause I always saw Hungary change around Austria versus other people, especially Prussia. Plus they’re canonly divorced. I’m not an expert on Hungary, but I just don’t care for it. There’s better ships. Though again, I am biased.

TLDR: Let them stay divorced, Hungary deserves better,

9. PruCan

1-5: 0

Do I ship it?: Nah

General Feelings: Nothing really to say on PruCan, I just see them as friends and ship them with other people. They’d be good gaming friends tho absolutely 110% catch those two raiding together. They’re gaming nerd buddies and I can respect that.

10. SuFin

1-5: -3

Do I ship it?: Fuck No.

General Feelings: I really don’t. I just don’t like it. I know mainline ship but I just- Every time I want to talk about the Nordics it comes up. I’m not well versed in Nordics. But every single time I try to talk about Finland, or any of the nordics. BUT ESPECIALLY FINLAND, it devolves into how Sweden plays into it, or how SuFin plays into it. Like I cannot talk about Finland without him being treated as Sweden’s accessory and it infuriates me. Let Finland be his own god damn character and then maybe I’ll like SuFin cause he’s never given his time to shine without having it feed into someone else.

TLDR: Finland is no one’s wife, fuck off.

11. DenNor

1-5: 0

Do I ship it?: Nah

General Feelings: Again, I never knew much about the Nordics, but the basic of the ship when I first saw it was ‘haha Norway chokes Denmark with his tie what a tsun-tsun hur hur’, which makes me really uncomfortable... as someone who doesn’t vibe with abuse=romantic feelings. I like NorFin myself, and Denmark is a ball of sunshine. I don’t hate it but it’s not really good.

TLDR: Why was the tie choking thing seen as funny/romantic? Am I missing something??

12. RusAme

1-5: 4

Do I ship it?: Sure

General Feelings: While it’s not my immediate first pick romance wise, I thoroughly enjoy all the RusAme there is out there. If not lovers, I still see them as ride or die friends. Because they’re both freakishly strong I feel like they’re the only ones who can really cut loose and use their full strength on one another even in the most small ways and it means the world to them that they can do that. No holding back just full open honesty with each other. Also the fact that it’s canon that people think they hate each other and they’re just like ‘nah man we pals’ is fucking great.

TLDR: Rock on you funky space lads.

#hetalia #hetalia ships #hetalia ask meme #rusame #gerita #spamano #dennor #sufin #usuk #prucan #aushun #pruaus #pruhun #fruk #rochu

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headcans-oneshots-and-stuff · 5 years ago

Text

Moonflower

Warning: I mean kidnapping, but it’s more funny than angsty, also slight Yandere vibes torwards the end Word count: exactly 2222 (nice) Summary: It was a rather usual evening for you, a Gala, trying to avoid the mayor, getting kidnapped- what more could you want from your night?

This was requeste from a phenomenal anon: Okay this is really silly, but cute to me for some reason. But could you write, like, reader is kidnapped by the Riddler as a hostage for Batman. But whether they wanna just mess with him, or if they like him, or whatever, for some reason, reader kisses Riddler. On the lips. Idk, I just think the idea is cute as well as whatever Riddler's reaction would be. I hope you like it ☺

Part 2 - Masquerade Part 3 - Magical/Misery/Massacre

You were almost thankful when the light in the ballroom of the city-hall flickered off and fog filled the area that was now only lit up by the lights from outside. The Gala you had been attending, one of the almost monthly charity gala's that some rich-guy (this time the mayor himself) held to make himself look better and to keep close contacts with all the other rich-guys in the city, was so boring that you were minutes away from crashing it yourself. Admittedly, your father was also an all-time favorite Gala host, but he had the excuse of having to keep face with his "side-business" and his parties were often at least somewhat entertaining. But this one? Horrible. Of course, you had somehow managed to be the only one "available" to go, so, not only were you extremely annoyed, but you were also completely alone in a room of rich old couples that tried to lick Bruce Wayne's eldest daughters, possible the next leader of Wayne inc. and one of the most prominent and appeared people in the Wayne-family (as the only one who wasn't dressed up every night and went fighting), boots. You had to admit that you could understand them somehow. Other than your siblings and your dad -who all kept it pretty low with the media- you were on every second tabloid, at every second event and on every second talk-show. You had quickly become the new face of the name Wayne, "proudly" sharing the place with your father. So yeah, you were more available than the rest of your relatives and with ever appearance in the media, they thought more and more that they knew about your opinions and the way you think. Some times you regretted your decision to keep away from the vigilante lifestyle to focus on keeping the Wayne-name alive. You couldn't quite remember when you made that choice, but you knew that as a girl, your father didn't want to train you any further than self-defence, because he was scared you'd get hurt, then Dick came along and was around your age, but still got to train and fight with your dad. Back then you'd been furious about that, but whenever he actually got hurt you felt like it was maybe the right thing to do. Then Dick left and in your anger at your dad for just picking up the next best kid and basically forgetting your sibling, even though you soon warmed up to Jason and accepted him as a second brother, you started focusing on school more and actually started to enjoy conversing with the business-people at Gala's about the news and the market. And somehow, after Jason died and you planned to take Wayne inc. away from your father as revenge for letting your brother die (a plan that you soon let go off when you recognize how much it actually had hurt him), you were somehow in the position of the heir of the Wayne empire, even though at some point -you were pretty sure- your dad asked you if you wanted to be trained like your other siblings to become a vigilante yourself, you were now on the way to business. That way was usually pretty bearable, but completely alone on a Gala that was like an exact copy of all the other ones, you would rather be stuck in a 24-hour business meeting. So, yes, when the Party was cut short by a villain attack you were probably a bit too happy. You heard the panicked calls and shouts of the other guests and quickly activated the bat-alarm ("Cool name dad, thanks for that") that was placed on the back of the necklace you wore (you had many other necklaces that included it too because in modern society you couldn't wear the same jewelry too often). Deciding not to risk waiting for them (and hoping that you could maybe make it to the small dinner down the street to eat something before one of your brothers (most likely Damian who would cling to you every time the two of you were together (even if it was more than the two of you)) found and dragged you back to the manor to check you over), you grabbed the skirt of your rather heavy dress (of course today was the day you decided to wear one of your bigger dresses), pulled it up to your upper thigh and quickly rushed to were you remembered the nearest exit to the Veranda to be. When the cold evening air hit your face you let out a small sigh. Very nice, you thought and started to walk towards the gate, when you felt a sharp pain pierce through your neck, immediately followed by numbness flowing through your whole body. "For real?" you managed to mumble before your legs lost their strength and you tumbled over, not sure if you even hit the ground before you blacked out.

When you woke up, you were almost sure that you'd be back in your home. The last few times you got taken, your family had been quick enough to get you before you even entered any hideaway. But you weren't home. You woke up laying on a rather slim matt on the floor of a small cage. You looked down at yourself to see that you were still wearing the dress that you'd worn earlier and that, even though the gaps between the bars wasn't large enough anyway, you couldn't really escape on your own in that. Damn modern fashion. When you had scanned the area around you you widened your radius to the hall your small personal jail was located in. It was literally just a big, empty warehouse, no-one in sight. "You know," you shouted into the emptiness, hoping someone would hear you, "kidnapping me is really uninspired, you aren't even the first one to do it this month." You sighed when no answer came and instinctively put your hand up to your neck to play with the necklace. Your breath got caught in your throat when you realized it wasn't there. Suddenly a spotlight flashed over the roof of the room, illuminating something that was hanging at the highest point. You didn't need to be close to recognizing your piece of jewelry. "Tell me, Miss Wayne," a voice suddenly filled the room and you started to look around, not sure where it came from, "why does a businesswoman like you have her own personal dog-whistle for batman?" You swallowed hard but kept your composure. "For many reasons," you started in the most confident voice you could manage, "I am in quite of a demand." "So is the mayor and I don't see him having one," the voice got closer and finally a figure stepped close enough for you to make out. You still couldn't see who it was though. "Well, maybe you just didn't see it, maybe it's in his shoe or something." "I don't think so," he stepped closer and you finally recognized the figure and his outfit, but you couldn't even mumble Riddler before he continued: "I studied all the kidnapping patterns of the most important figures in Gotham and somehow you're the only one who the bat always gets to in a matter of minutes." Okay, it's worse than I thought. Time to buy dad some time. "Okay first off, thanks for calling me one of the most important Gothamites," you said, playfully brushing your hair behind your shoulder, "and second if you really know that he has his eyes on me, shouldn't you be worried? I mean I'd think you would have figured out that there's a tracker in it by now." Of course, you knew that he knew and you also knew that he probably had some way or another to block it, but the longer he talked, the sooner your dad would find you. "You're not so stupid," he said, stepping closer to you, somehow already standing in front of your cage, "I've been watching you for a while now and we both know that you're just trying to stall for time, my dear." "You know, it's kinda creepy to say that you watched me. I mean, sure, you're the evil guy here, but still. Stalking?" He chuckled a bit but seemingly ignored what you said. You had to pull other levers, you realized when he turned around. "Don't you still want to know why I have my own Bat-whistle?" you shouted a bit too loud, but effectively managed to get him back to you. "Why would you tell me?" he asked suspiciously. "Well, I guess you want to know that and I really want to know what you think you could gain out of kidnapping me, so you tell me yours, and I'll tell you mine," you winked at him, mischievously. "Hmm," he eyed you, "fine. Even though it's quite obvious isn't it? You're the perfect moonflower for my bat-trap," he said, raising his hand to just slightly hover in front of you. For a second it felt like there was some kind of static energy between you, but you tried to ignore it. "I guess it's my turn now," you breathed out, ignoring the weird mood around you, "As you probably know, the bat has a very weird, honestly with a somewhat strange undertone, relationship with my dad. In exchange for some, uh, financing as my father put it, he agreed to keep his eye out for me a bit more. It's just the result of a parent's protectiveness and business." You weren't really lying, even though the way you said it clearly gave off a very different picture than what was actually the case, but it seemed like the man in front of you bought it. Shouldn't he be here by now? "Well, I guess the reason he protects you a little bit more than the rest of the city is irrelevant as long as he is searching you," he shrugged, seemingly satisfied by the answer and at the same time not really happy about it. You couldn't risk him losing interest again. "There's another secret you might want to know," you whispered ominously, gaining his attention for a second time that night. Before he could investigate your sentence, your hands slipped through the gaps between the bars and grabbed the Riddler's collar, pulling him flush against the poles and crashing your mouth with his. At the feeling of your soft lips against his, he immediately froze, fixed in position like a statue. When you needed to take a breath again, you pulled back, smoothing your dress down and fixing your hair, the man in front of you still completely stiff. "I should probably tell you that the tracker in my necklace isn't the only one on me, you should've really taken my advice and checked the shoes," you smirked and winked again, the Riddler's gaze fixed on you with eyes as wide as dinner plates when the wall behind you crashed open and your family came to your rescue. "Until next time," you shrugged at him when your cage was broken open and Nightwing picked you up and carried you out, from what you could see before you were out of reach, the man you just kissed never moved.

[Bonus]

It had been a fairly long day at Wayne Inc. and the suit you were wearing was starting to be annoying and you wanted nothing more than to peel out of these clothes and get into your jogging pants and one of Jason's oversized T-shirts. So, as quickly as possible, you rushed to your room, ignoring Damian's plead to join him on a walk with Titus, only to stop in your steps after you had opened the door. Your (alarm-wired mind you) window stood open and allowed a cold breeze to fill your room. For a second you contemplated calling someone to check it out, but your curiosity got the best of you. You quietly closed the door and sneaked over to the window with the plan to check if someone was outside, but when you stood in front of it, your eyes landed on a small package that stood on your windowsill. You looked around again, before closing the window (and checking that the alarm wiring was still intact) and sitting down on your bed to open the small box. It was packed neatly with a grey wrapping and a Y/F/C ribbon, making you especially careful when opening it. Inside was a perfume bottle that took your breath away. It was gorgeous. The Cap was adorned by a glass flower that was completely white and round, but other than that there was nothing on it that would give away the contents of the bottle. Having been briefed about poisonous packages by not only Wayne inc. safety regulators but also at least every member of your family at least once, you didn't spray any of the perfume, instead, laying it back into the box. It was then that you noticed the card in it that had the same colour as the inside of the box, making it easy to overlook. You took it out and turned it around to read the words that were written on it with the neatest font you've ever seen. Until next time my Moonflower...

#Riddler #Riddler x reader #edward nygma #edward nygma x reader #batfam x reader #dc x reader #batsis #batsis!reader #batfamily #batfamily x reader #bruce wayne #batman #damian wayne #robin #dick grayson #nightwing

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purplesurveys · 3 years ago

Text

1248

Your ex taps you on the shoulder and says, “I still love you.” You say? I feel like I’ve answered a similar situation recently, but I would assume it was a drunk text or wrong text, inform them about it, and move on.

Do you play video games? Nah. I do feel a sort of connection of video games since I grew up surrounded by them, though; but I’m more of a watcher than anything. I like watching playthroughs of video games I’ll never play. Do you spend a lot of time with family? No. We used to, back when the quarantine was still a relatively new thing – we hung out in the living room all the time. But now that we’ve settled in this new normal, we’re back to our normal routines and I usually like staying in my room.

Is your house more than two stories tall? Technically, yes. We have a rooftop that serves as the ‘third’ floor.

Have you ever hit your significant other? Has he/she ever hit you? My ex and I never hit one another; that’s a gigantic red flag even I would notice, considering I ignored most of the ones I saw hahaha.

What makes you an attractive person? (Talk about your personality too!) I’m not sure if I’ll be able to answer this question directly, but I like my generosity. I’m not sure if I can call it attractive, though. But if we were focusing on physical features, I like my smile.

What color is your hairbrush/comb? Pink.

What snacks do you have available in your household atm? My dad splurged on chips in his last grocery run so we actually have quite a lot of junk food in the pantry at the moment. He also bought several packs of cookie sandwiches, wafers, sunflower seeds, and garlic-flavored peanuts.

Has anyone recently told you that they like you, or find you attractive? Neither.

Are you attracted to the last person you Facebook messaged? No, she’s just a good friend of mine.

Do you care about anyone that doesn’t care about you? I guess I don’t, because I’m not even aware of them.

Was your last Facebook friend requests from a male or female? Guy. It was another reporter, so I just ignored it and luckily he didn’t PM me just to ask to add him back, which others have already done. I really hate when work people try to make their way into my personal accounts.

Which one of your relatives is most likely to embarrass you? My parents, especially when they are rude to service crew. Gen X-ers are impeccably talented at that, apparently.

When was the last time you ate a bar of chocolate? Around two or three weeks ago when I had dinner at Angela’s. Her dad gave me a bar of Crunch so I can have something sweet after our meal.

Do you play any games on Facebook? No, I never did hop on that trend.

What would you like to get a degree in? I wanted a degree in journalism, and graduated with such. At the end of my college stint I didn’t want to pursue it anymore, but I pushed through with it anyway because it was too much of a hassle to shift and start all over.

Do you wake up a lot in the middle of the night? Technically not, because I stay up until the middle of the night anyway. It’s been a while since I fell asleep anywhere between 8 to 10 PM.

Would you prefer to read a book, watch a movie or TV show, or play a video game? Watch a show.

Do you usually get popcorn or soda at the movie theater? I don’t like either; I get fries instead.

What genre of films do you like the best? Drama.

How many bank accounts do you have? Two but I haven’t been using the other one in months. That was the bank account I initially opened when I first started ~adulting~ but when I got employed I was required to enroll in this other specific bank, so that’s what I mainly use now.

Have you ever had the flu? Not really. I just get the occasional fever that pop out of nowhere.

What is your goal for the next few months? Start saving FOR REAL, and also prioritizing furniture over merch for a while so I can finally fix up my room, which is quickly starting to look and feel like just a warehouse and not very homey at all.

Have you ever had some kind of sleep-disorder? How did it affect your life? Nope.

Have you ever had food poisoning before? Describe the experience. Yeah, it was from barbecue that apparently went bad, even though it tasted nothing of the sort. I woke up at 3 AM sweating profusely and with the most excruciating stomachache; I was feeling hot, cold, and nauseous all at the same time, and it probably lasted for like an hour or so.

What are two things that you have no problem paying full price for? Sealed albums and my pets’ vet expenses.

Funny, charming, cute, romantic, smart - choose only 2 for the opposite sex. Charming and smart.

Have you ever let somebody use you? Why did you do it? It felt nice to help people.

You can go back in time & change something in your mom’s past - what is it? Good question; I’ve never encountered this before. I would let her live a more comfortable, privileged life, where she didn’t have to staple her shoes to keep them closed or have to choose between eating at a fast food restaurant or being able to commute back home.

Do you know anybody who is around the exact same size as you? Who? I’m not sure, actually. Everyone’s always slightly taller than me.

Ever been to a haunted house? How scared were you? I haven’t.

Been on any websites today you wouldn’t want your parents to see? Tumblr, I guess? My survey blog isn’t for any irls to see.

Which is worse: dusting or mopping? I don’t really do either often, but I’ll go with mopping.

Would you marry somebody who was intensely religious? Not for me.

Did you pull a senior prank? No, that’s not a thing here. Did you graduate? Yeah, elementary, high school, and college.

Have you ever been unfaithful in a serious relationship? Nope.

What was the last song you listened to? It’s a song called Epiphany.

Are you one of those lucky people with 20/20 vision? Not ever since I was like 9 lol.

Is fashion one of your interests? I’m way more interested in it now for sure, mostly because the celebrities I’m into these days put a lot of effort when it comes to their style; so it makes me more aware of the trends that come and go, as well.

Do you think you’ll eventually find that special someone? I’m keeping it as a possibility, but it’s not a priority for me now.

Do you care what people think? To an extent, I would say. My life doesn’t depend on it, though.

Is acting something you enjoy? Never been.

What was the last thing you broke/sprained? Do you mean a thing or a body part? Anyway, I’ll answer both. The last thing I broke was my BTS Mic Drop pen of V looooooooooool the figurine came off the pen :(( It was pretty cheap though so I’m fine with it; I can always get another one. Last body part I sprained was my ankle, when I had a bad fall a couple of years ago.

Have you ever fought with a friend because of their boyfriend/girlfriend? Because of yours? Either hasn’t happened.

Has a stranger ever yelled at you for your language? I don’t think so.

Whose house, other than yours and your families', are you most comfortable at? Angela’s. Also JM’s, just because their family doesn’t hover and that vibe can sometimes be nice whenever I’m at someone else’s place.

Has any of your friends’ family ever yelled at you? Never.

Did you ever play a sport as a little kid? Did you enjoy it? Not as a very young kid, but I took up table tennis starting when I was 12. Did you ever watch the show Full House? Nope.

Is there a celebrity you are just DETERMINED to marry? Now that’s just delusional haha. I’m pretty obsessed with some celebrities, that much I can admit; but thinking of them in the context of marriage is so many steps overboard.

Have you ever burned someone’s picture? No. I could, but I am scared of fire and will probably just think of other ways to express my anger, like tearing up the photograph. What’s the longest hike you’ve ever been on? Total length was probably like 3 hours. I haven’t gone too far when it comes to hiking.

Would you ever get a lip tattoo? Not interested.

Who is the first person of the opposite sex that pops into your head? Hans.

Do your parents smoke cigarettes? My mom tried it once in her life, I think. My dad has never smoked.

What does one of your T-shirts have written on it? “Hope right here!”

Name a pet you definitely wouldn’t want. Anything that’s supposed to roam freely in the wild, like squirrels.

Would you prefer your partner smaller or taller? Taller, since I’m already quite pint-sized to begin with lol.

Do you enjoy going through old pictures? Sometimes. Other times, it's too painful. It also depends on the era of the pictures. < Agree, especially with the eras. Childhood photos are always fun to look at, but I have had to delete a CHUNK of photos from years ranging from 2014 to 2020 because I’ve lost a handful of friends from that period.

Do you believe people when they say they don’t judge people? It’s hard to for the most part, but I’ve noticed very few people people really don’t. Most of the time it’s bullshit though.

What did you love the most about the town you grew up in? That it’s pretty close to the metro.

What’s a movie that you laughed the hardest during? Hmm, I prefer TV shows if I’m craving comedy.

What’s a movie you cried the hardest during? Life Is Beautiful.

What’s your favorite restaurant? Omakase for my sushi fix; School Tteokbokki if I want Korean; Yabu if I’m looking for a generous rice meal.

Is there a dessert you don’t like? Anything with fruits.

Favorite album? After Laughter by Paramore.

What’s a book that you read because everyone else was reading it? I can name authors instead of books – John Green and Haruki Murakami.

Underwater or outer space? Outer space.

Dogs or cats? Dogs.

Kittens or puppies? Puppies.

Bird watching or whale watching? Whale watching. I don’t get to be in the water as much, so I would jump at the opportunity.

What is your spirit animal? I dunno if I have one but let’s just go with dog and elephant, I guess? They’re my favorites.

What was your best subject in school? History.

What was your worst subject in school? Chemistry.

What is one thing you wish you knew in high school? Don’t waste your time.

Who is your fashion icon? Audrey Hepburn.

Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.

What color dress did you wear to prom? For my own prom it was cream-colored/beige. When I went to Mike’s ball, I went with a royal blue gown.

What’s your favorite plot-twist? I don’t think I’ve found my favorite yet.

Honestly, are you jealous of someone right now? Not actively.

Honestly, what’s the worst thing you’ve done when you were mad? I dunno...road rage, maybe?

Honestly, ever made anyone cry when you were mad? It’s very likely.

Honestly, when was the last time you REALLY cried your heart out? Sometime in the last week.

Ever pop someone else’s pimple? No thanks.

Do you need to return anyone’s phone call? Nope.

Who are you closest to? Angela.

Have you ever had a bad concert experience? No, all the ones I’ve been to have been amazing experiences.

Are you currently sad about anything? Not really. I can’t complain.

Have you had any form of exercise today? Nah.

Can you handle blood? Nope, I will feel faint if I see it 100%.

Has any place hired you underage for a job? No.

Have you ever carried a concealed weapon? I haven’t.

Are you currently searching for a job? No, I like the one I have.

Does eating breakfast make you sick? No?

#survey #surveys

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fictional-worlds-are-exquisite · 4 years ago

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i am very much enjoying my vague void! it's currently blasting hozier at full volume and that's almost louder than my internal screaming (don't worry, everything is fine, i just saw a spider)

i've never once in my life have followed a recipe correctly. all of my measurements are completely random and whatever happens happens. it is no longer in my hands. whatever eldritch entities exist take the wheel. and i absolutely refuse to spell anything in english without autocorrect because y'all have way too many double letters and random vowel placement

thank you! sadly, i won't have a break right now, because we just had christmas vacations, but the start of the new semester is always pretty chill. and you're absolutely right, i should take up necromancy! the snow and the cold will add to my mysterious vibes. i just need to get a big black cape with a hood to complete the aesthetic

i definitely picture everything above 5'6 feet as the same height. 5'7 and 6'2? the exact same thing. no difference here

how is morepork a real bird name. it's just... more pork? but the bird is magnificent. i completely approve of your first order as bird queen, not that you need approval from mere peasants like me, but it's a great order. ohhh salps look really cool, and it does look a lot like it! when you said boob implant i thought of mermaids and them using salps as boob implants but then i realised wait wouldn't jellyfish be better for that? because of their shape? ignoring their little leggies they're quite boob shaped, no? and then i realised that i was thinking about mermaids and alive boob implants... if i had to think it, you have to read it. i'm sorry

i was sold before but now i'm even more sure that i want to hire you. and I'll make sure to have lactose free cheese for the backflips (unless you want the lactose version? i'm not judging). will the biting of ankles cost extra?

that sounds like a brilliant set-up for a horror movie where they kill off all the children one by one. it's absolutely horrifying. if something like that would've happened to me i would've most likely just passed out. whatever happens afterwards is not my problem. and now i really don't want to know what the hell your leg was caught on because that seems like knowledge that would get me killed

ah so you're a fellow dirt eater? according to my mom my favourite thing to do outside when i was a little kid used to be eating sand. just shovelling handfuls of it into my mouth and crying when my mom made me spit it out. which i refuse to believe. if there are no photos it didn't happen

you warm climate people are starting to make me think that i'm better adjusted to the cold than i thought i am! it's either that or our buildings are better heated. i definitely don't know if anyone else calls hot water bottled hotties but i like it so from now on i'm using it

that's so cute! i was clearly a way more selfish child because when i found any amount of money i just kept it and bought candy as soon as i could. i clearly couldn't save money then and i can't now. we have stores like that (or i'm assuming that they're like that solely based on how they sell lollies) and they used to be my favourite thing because you could get so many lollies for such a small price!! and my mom even used to let me order for myself sometimes so i always felt like a very big girl jsjshsbsjk

also the fact that i can't send pictures on anon is a crime (yes i know why and it's good that that's not possible because can you imagine anons being able to send pictures? oh no is all i have to say about it) but anyways. because i have this one super cursed photo that reminded me of you and now i can't share it :((

duuuuude, sick void bro. sounds like a vibing void. I feel like I haven’t seen a spider in awhile. Other than daddy long legs. But they’re chill. They mind their own business.

I nearly always follow recipes exactly. My mum is like oh cook this for about 7 minutes? Yeah sure. I’ll take a wild guess. I’m like they say exactly 7 minutes so I’ll set a timer for 7 minutes and start a stopwatch so if it does seem to need more than 7 I can keep an eye on the extra time and be aware of exactly how long it takes me for next time. Other people are like oh let's see I have [lists 5-10 things in their fridge], hmm...oh I know what I could make with that! I’m like I have beans in my freezer because one recipe required them and no other recipes I know how to make do so what am I supposed to do with these now,,, this is stressful,,, basically I barely know how to cook and recipes are the only things saving me in that area. That is entirely fair. Except for the fuck duck, and murder is not the word you want surely, situations, it’s pretty helpful.

Ohhh I see. At least the start is chill! For a little! Before your entire situation spirals out of hand and you’re behind in every class and it’s taken you a whole day to read 10 pages and you’re exhausted and it’s only week 2. Just me? ok. fair. anyway. I want a cloak so bad. One of my uni friends tempted me to class because she said she was wearing a cloak so my depressed ass honest to god dragged myself out of bed and to said class just to see it. It was worth it. They’re incredible. Everyone should own a big cloak for the aesthetic.

I’m glad it isn’t just me hahaha. I can visualise my own height in feet but everything else is just the same size that is a vague amount taller than me, mentally.

It’s also known as the ruru. But the name morepork amuses me. It’s named after the call it makes haha. It does sound like it’s asking for more pork if you know to listen for that. thank u for ur approval, it means a lot, turns out becoming bird queen didn’t ACTUALLY get rid of my anxiety disorder weirdly enough so validation is great! lmaooo. What if the jellyfish stung them tho? At least salps wouldn’t do you dirty like that. The mermaids would just look like there are hundreds of bugs crawling around in their boobs, flesh shifting as they float around. Which is a vibe. If you’re into that. Jellyfish WOULD make a more solid, single, implant, some of them are definitely boob shaped. But that’s kinda boring no one’s gonna be traumatised by that. Salps on the other hand...yeah, that sight will DEFINITELY traumatise someone.

To be PERFECTLY honest I haven’t done a backflip in years but for lactose-free cheese? Dude. I’ll be going back to training. Gonna be the best backflip you’ve ever seen. As long as it’s not Tasty cheese I am content, but lactose free IS better. The biting of ankles will not cost extra, it is a pleasure to be allowed to do that.

Oh it absolutely would be. It’d be very funny if it reached the wider world bc people would probably be like ok but who would send kids into the bush like that,, it’s an odd concept. meanwhile everyone who grew up in nz is gonna be like y’all, you’re not gonna fuckin BELIEVE what i experienced growing up, it’s real dude. On one hand, I feel like murdering kids in a movie is questionable, on the other hand, It exists, so maybe people would be down for it. I feel like it’d be a good concept even if it wasn’t murdery tho. Like psychological horror? I’m not sure if I’m using that category correctly I don’t watch much horror. A kid following the rope but then being shifted into a different horror dimension but they never take the blindfold off because their teachers said not to and they’d probably have to let go of the rope to do it...I feel like this could work super well as a short film. The viewers see everything. The child just knows something is off and no one is coming when they call for help. I am so down for this. I also do not want to know what my leg was caught on. Some things I am better off not knowing.

yes! I am a fellow dirt eater! We had a sandpit at home (that’s a little bold. It was a large plastic shell that my parents filled with sand. technically a sandpit. but not fancy sdflsdkfsdf) but I don’t think I ever tried to eat it. Then again, I possibly did and just don’t remember because there’s no photo evidence of that one. I’d have to ask my parents sdfhsjdfs, I would however fully believe them if they said yes. it’s very characteristic of me. I don’t doubt it for a second. muuuum that’s my emotional support sand don’t make me spit it out smh the disrespect these days.

Oh I’m absolutely terrible even by most people’s standards around here when it comes to cold and hot temperatures. I remember sitting in the sun in my school shirt and school jersey in summer on a blazing day like it’s a bit chilly, isn’t it? Meanwhile my friends were in the shade absolutely dying from the heat. Likewise in winter I’d be shivering, teeth chattering, dying with my long sleeve thermal, my school shirt, my school jersey, my school jacket, my longs, warm socks and sneakers and gloves and school scarf while ppl would be walking around in a shirt and shorts like it’s a bit warm this winter huh? my body didn’t learn how to thermoregulate and it shows. But yeah NZ does also have a reputation for shittily insulated buildings and such. It shows. skhdfsfs if it’s not common use maybe don’t say can i have a hotty to someone without context but otherwise go ahead lmao. it’s a fun shortened version.

I was typically a very good saver, to the point where my extended family started gifting me gift cards and vouchers for Christmas and my birthday because if they just gave me money I’d put it in my bank account to save towards uni once I hit like, 12 years old. Which I think was a smart move. But apparently, I’m supposed to buy myself ‘something nice’ with it. I think I’m still an okay saver but I’m not as strict anymore. I’m aware of how much I can spare and I’m not just like you can never get anything for yourself ever, so I do get lil things for myself sometimes. oooo yay! At least you know what I mean. But yes. They were the gold mine for lollies. Absolutely terrific stores. My mum would be like hey lindsey how about you order? And I’d be like mother, I am 7 years old and I have an undiagnosed anxiety disorder everyone assumes is child shyness why would you think I would want to do that. Instead I will whisper my choices to you. After therapy tho I felt pretty rad for picking my own lollies by myself. I was like 13 at that point but sdfkjhsdf listen I got there in the end.

sdfkjsdfkjhsdf I like that a cursed photo reminded you of me. That’s all I need to hear. Tumblr said no anon dick pics but they also said no anon cursed photos either,,, very sad. for the latter part. the first part thank god. If I could turn on photos on anon I absolutely would just to see this but I don’t think I can :(

#tasty cheese is nasty and i will die on this hill #i'm not sure if other countries have like the same main cheeses or if it differs everywhere #tasty. colby. and edam are the main three i think of #i know there's like mild or some shit but i know only the blue yellow and red packets #either or a wasp or a bee just flew in my room but it flew out so i'll respect that #my plans for today were reply to your ask and that's it #what am i supposed to do for the next twelve hours #oh wait i know #m u r d e r............#Anonymous

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hyunsracha · 6 years ago

Text

be okay — lee minho

word count: 2.4k

summary: two kids who know nothing about the real world run away together. but they’re not scared; they have each other, after all.

your father always told you that you were blessed to live such a full life. you always thought your father was an idiot. he was like a robot; so caught up in the order of things that he never thought about the feelings of himself or others. you didn’t even think he had feelings.

the only thing you liked about your house was the view of the town below. you lived on top of a hill, and when you looked out your bedroom window, you could see the whole town and even a little bit past it. you had only ever been out of your town twice: once to go to your cousin’s wedding a few towns over, and once to go to paris. you thought the paris trip would be fun, but you had to practically memorize a french dictionary and shadow your parents at their meetings.

you didn’t think there was anything wrong with being unhappy where you were; how could you not be? you went to university in the same town you grew up in, and your driver only took you to school and back home. your father said that it was best that way; that you wouldn’t get distracted by outside forces. it’s hard to be distracted when you were never focused in the first place. you tried to talk to the kids you grew up with about this, but they never understood.

“what’s wrong with what you’re doing now? you’re gonna graduate next year, and then you’ll take over the company! the whole world is basically being handed to you, y/n, don’t be ungrateful.”

how could they not understand? how could they enjoy sitting in their houses on top of the hills, not moving, forever? how could they just live a mundane life, never wanting to see the world?

these were your thoughts as you stood against a wall in the corner of the ballroom, an empty champagne flute in between your fingers. you were at another one of your town’s idiotic parties, where only the richest of the rich were invited. looking out the window, you could still see the town, and you wondered what the people down there were doing.

“hey.” weird. no one ever talks to you at these things, unless they want a business deal or money from you. you look over to the source of the voice.

“lee minho. only child of the lee family, one of the most eligible bachelors in town, kind of annoying but needing attention because your parents never payed attention to you. this is your graduation party isn’t it?”

“i see you’re as analytical as ever, y/n.” minho chuckled. the two of you weren’t friends, but you had never considered yourself friends with anybody. you two grew up together; albeit you were in different grades, as he was a year older.

you clicked your tongue, “unfortunately,” you placed your glass on a nearby table, swiftly grabbing a new one from a tray that a waiter was carrying as he walked by. you didn’t quite enjoy being so ‘analytical’, as he called it. in fact, you were perfect for your future career. you were smart, and good at reading people and their intentions, and you were blunt.

“we haven’t spoken in years. you want something from me. what is it, minho?”

“woah! can’t i just say hi to the lovely people who attended my graduation party?” he tilted his head to the side, a cocky smirk taking over his features.

you grinned, “no.”

“you don’t seem to be having a lot of fun.”

“the most fun i’ve had lately was in high school when i got hit in the face with a dodgeball and had to skip 4th period to hang out in the nurse’s office.” your voice was monotone, but the smile didn’t leave your lips as you gulped down the little champagne in the glass. you hated the taste, but it was better than nothing.

“just as i thought. you hate it here. i can tell.”

“i’m glad you have eyes, minho.”

“i hate it here, too.”

now that was strange. from what you’ve seen of him, minho seemed quite dedicated to the lifestyle set out for him. he took full advantage of the money he was born with, only wearing the most expensive clothes and driving the most expensive car. he had graduated university with his business degree, coming out on top of the class. he seemed perfect for this life, how could he hate it?

the same way you did, you supposed.

“so what if...you and i...left? and never came back?” his eyes were pleading, and you were more and more confused every second.

you were going to leave with him, that was for certain. you couldn’t leave alone; you didn’t know how to drive. your father insisted that you didn’t need to know how to drive because you would have a chauffeur your whole life. you just couldn’t understand why minho would want to leave with you, of all people.

you nodded, “okay.”

stealing money from your parents was a lot easier than you thought it would be. you assumed a multi-millionaire would hide his money well, but the password to your father’s safe was the birthday of his only child. you also assumed he wouldn’t keep a fuck ton of money in a single safe. you were wrong again. you filled your many backpacks with bricks of the cash, minho spinning around in your father’s fancy desk chair.

“so, where do you wanna go?” minho asked, shuffling through some of the papers on the desk.

“dunno. a place where no one knows us. and stop fucking with those. there’s probably something important in there.”

“you mean like...last year’s stock report?”

“MINHO.”

you don’t know why you cared so much. you were literally about to leave this life and all those papers behind. nonetheless, you walked over to the desk and pulled the stock reports from minho’s grasp, shoving them into a random drawer.

after you collected all the money you thought you needed and packed a bag of necessities, you threw all the bags into the backseat of minho’s car.

“somewhere no one knows us, huh?” minho mumbled as you got in the passenger seat. you nodded. minho snapped his fingers, “got it. buckle up, babe, we’re gonna be on the road for a while.”

minho was right. you were on the road for a while. 8 hours, to be exact. not that you were counting. you learned a lot about minho in that time. you played 20 questions to lessen the awkwardness between two young adults who weren’t friends running away from home together. you learned that minho taught himself how to dance, liked pineapple on pizza, and wanted at least 3 cats.

“why three?” you had asked.

“two cats could get lonely. three makes them a squad, you know?”

you two had a lot more in common than you thought. you believed that your only similarity was your social status, but it went deeper than that. you had the same sense of humor, knew that aliens were real, and binged watched cooking shows at 3 a.m. you put on your road trip playlist of throwback songs (that you never got to use) and minho knew every song. 8 hours was all it took for you to connect with someone like you have never connected with anyone in your entire life. you trusted minho more than you trusted your driver, and he had spent 20 years driving you around safely.

the sun had been up for almost two hours when minho pulled into the parking lot of an old motel.

“wow. this place looks rough.”

“i know!”

you two were way too excited to be staying at such a run-down place. but you had never stayed anywhere less than ‘perfect’.

minho paid for a room (“what a cute couple! going on a honeymoon road trip?” “u-uh yeah!”) and handed you the keys. you practically ran to the room, excited to see what it looked like. the two of you were used to five star hotels with lavish balconies that overlooked beautiful cities.

there was a double bed with puke green bedding. there were two counters in the room; a dresser that had a small tv on it, and a round table fit for two. a small bathroom was attached that would be too small for you to lay down on it. not that you would. it was just a sizing thing. there was a window on the far wall that overlooked the dusty street you had just driven on.

“are you tired?” minho was suddenly behind you, looking out at the street over your shoulder.

“no, i think i’m too excited to sleep. let’s go to that diner over there!”

and that was the beginning of your journey together.

driving for hours to get to new towns, staying at low-rated motels and eating at diners that all gave off a similar vibe. you would get milkshakes and throw your fries at each other and talk to the waitresses about the town you were in that day. when they asked for your names, sometimes you gave them fake names, and they never questioned it. that was such a good feeling; being able to tell people whatever you wanted to tell them without them already knowing everything about you. you had spent your whole life under the magnifying class of people who worked for the company. now you were just you, whoever you wanted that to be for the day.

the waitresses always thought you two were dating, but you never said anything about it. you were only in town for a day, what did it matter what they thought?

you also sort of liked the thought of minho being your boyfriend, but that wasn’t the point.

you two would drive to the nearest gas station and fill up on gas and snacks, minho’s smile even brighter than the fluorescent lights as he laughed. you two were like little kids, running around town and messing with each other. then you’d go back to the motel and watch old soap operas while you snacked. and your head always would up on minho’s chest, and his arm was around you, but you never said anything about it.

summer was coming to an end, and you were across the country. you had enough money to probably last a month or two, but you were slowing running out.

“minho,” you spoke up, rubbing your thumb over his knuckles. this was normal now: you holding his hand as he drove, “we should probably settle down, don’t you think?”

he pulled his bottom lip between his teeth as he thought, “yeah. yeah we should.”

you two took a tour of the city you were in, making sure it was to your liking. it was cute, and decently big, perfect for you two.

“oh, look over there!” minho squeezed your hand, pointing to a building across the street. it looked like an office space. “i can get a job there with my fancy business degree i hate.”

“won’t you hate that?”

“don’t most people hate their jobs? it’s just for money. oh my gosh, y/n,” minho grabs your shoulder, turning you so you were facing him, “i’m gonna hate my job!”

it might’ve sounded silly, but he was genuinely excited. it was just another one of those things that made him feel normal. just an average guy. except minho wasn’t average in any way. not in your eyes, at least. and seeing him all excited over something like this made your heart flutter, but you never said anything about it.

“oh!” you smacked his shoulder, pointing behind him at a small cafe, “and i can work there!” you had dropped out of university. not officially, but abandoning school to run across the country and never come back is kind of the same thing. you would go back to school, eventually, once you decided what you actually wanted to do. you were going to live your life for you now. and for minho.

“yeah! aw, we’ll work across the street from each other,” minho pouted, “that’s so cute. we’re so cute.” he pulled you closer, draping his arm across your shoulder as he starting walking again.

you’re laying in another motel room, staring up at the ceiling. minho is laying next to you, staring back at you.

“minho,” you start, “do you love me?”

“yeah.”

“like. love love me?” “what are you, twelve?” you feel his hand sliding across the mattress, intertwining his fingers with yours.

“i dunno. i’m kinda scared.”

“i thought you were excited?”

“i’m excited and scared. like when you go on a rollercoaster, you know?”

“no, i don’t go on rollercoasters. too scary.” you can hear the smile in his voice, and it makes you smile, too, “but our lives together have been kind of a rollercoaster, haven’t they?”

you nodded, your smile growing wider at the thought of all the memories you two shared.

“you have no reason to be scared, my love. we’ll stay here until we have enough money to get a small little apartment, perfect for you and me...and eventually our cats. and i’ll work at the office and hate my job, but come home and love my partner. and our cats. and eventually we’ll have a family and we’ll be able to just...live. live and love and not have to worry about whether our kids are good enough to take over the family business or not.” minho lets go of your hand, turning over onto his stomach and wrapping his arm around your waist. he presses his lips to your cheek for a moment before resting his head on his pillow and shutting his eyes.

“we’ll be okay, baby.” his words are muffled by the pillow, but you can hear him clear as day. you smile, placing your hand on his arm for comfort. you two were still like little kids: kind of dumb and unsure of how the world works. but you matured a lot during that summer, growing and changing and learning what it was like to be young. to be in love. to be free. and now it was time to settle down, start your adult lives. but you knew you wouldn’t lose anything you had learned with minho.

“yeah. we’ll be okay.”

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johannesviii · 5 years ago

Text

Top 10 Personal Favorite Hit Songs from 2004

15 to 16 years old. A chaotic year for sure, but with a high quality soundtrack. So here’s a top ten list in which, as usual for that decade, several painful cuts had to be made.

Disclaimers:

Keep in mind I’m using both the year-end top 100 lists from the US and from France while making these top 10 things. There’s songs in English that charted in my country way higher than they did in their home countries, or even earlier or later, so that might get surprising at times.

Of course there will be stuff in French. We suck. I know. It’s my list. Deal with it.

My musical tastes have always been terrible and I’m not a critic, just a listener and an idiot.

I have sound to color synesthesia which justifies nothing but might explain why I have trouble describing some songs in other terms than visual ones.

To provide the usual personal context, that year, being that-weirdo-in-the-back-of-the-class suddenly became great when OTHER people were also considered weirdos-in-the-back-of-the-class, and together, with a guy who kept falling asleep in class because he had insomnia, another guy who had elocution problems, and a girl who arrived directly from Cameroun in the middle of winter and was kinda depressed, we formed some sort of losers club and suddenly things weren’t so bad anymore. Unfortunately I completely lost contact with these people after highschool and that’s one of the biggest regrets of my life.

And then in September I once again ended in a completely different class in Terminale (equivalent of Senior Year in the US unless I’m mistaken) and made another great friend. So while life at home was still pretty bad, at least it was much better at school.

At this point my parents also stopped checking what kind of singles I was buying, which means that instead of this madness from 2003 where I had to hide some purchases with other ones...

...I only bought this in 2004 and the rest were actual albums.

Also, I found some old tapes and oh my goodness look at the label on this one. Late 2002/early 2003 at its finest right there. Kyo written with a typo, next to Eminem, next to Mylène Farmer. Love it.

With all of that out of the way, here’s a list of honorable mentions first. A very, very long list.

Yeah (Usher feat Lil Jon & Ludacris) - Thank goodness I thought this song was pretty cool, otherwise I’d have been miserable while listening to the radio in 2004.

Milkshake (Kelis) - Ooooooh daaaaangerously close to the So Bad It’s Good category.

Let’s Get It Started (Black Eyed Peas) - Don’t have anything to say, it’s a lot of fun.

Dragosta Din Tei (O-Zone) - This took like four more years to chart in the US but we heard it all summer here. And it wasn’t unpleasant at all to be honest?

Heaven (remix) (DJ Sammy) - Hang on, wasn’t this on the 2002 honorable mentions? Yeah but it took two years to chart here so it was elligible for 2004 as well.

Turn Me On (Kevin Lyttle) - A quality earworm that somehow isn’t annoying? Sign me up.

Call On Me (Eric Prydz) - Hey, look, another repetitive dance track in my collection of repetitive dance tracks!

What You Waiting For? (Gwen Stefani) - I think this is the only Gwen Stefani song that never made me turn the radio off after a minute. Pretty good.

It’s My Life (No Doubt) - Love the original. This version, not so much.

Parce Qu’on Vient de Loin (Corneille) - Favorite artist of my best friend that year. That song was so moving and well-written. Never got tired of it but never actively listened to it either. If I had better taste it would probably make the list.

The Reason (Hoobastank) - I thought this was ok and pretty nice if a bit bland, and didn’t deserve the success nor the hatred it got. However, thanks to the rock journal I was buying at the time which was like “hey, please listen to the album itself, it’s great!”, I followed that advice, listened to the album at the cd store and bought it instantly. If you dislike this song, please listen to the rest of the album, I swear you’ll enjoy it. Here’s the first track, Same Direction, to get a general idea!

Don’t Tell Me (Avril Lavigne) - Her second album was very good, wasn’t it? What happened to her in recent years?

Je Saigne Encore (Kyo) - This was the last cut (HA, get it? cut?? ok sorry that was terrible) from the list. While I loved it back in the day and while I’m willing to ignore how cringy some stuff I loved as a teenager can be now, I'm not willing to ignore how this is basically a song about a white boy being dumped for the first time and hurting himself because he can’t deal with the mere concept of jealousy. And I’m like “holy shit calm down dude and please drop that knife”.

And now, the actual list.

10 - Hey Ya! (Outkast)

US: #8 / FR: #41

Who’s surprised. Come on. Everyone loved it. I even bought the single! And to think I almost considered leaving it out of the top 10 to put friggin Kyo on it, of all things. The indignity. But yeah, I genuinely loved this. The only thing I can say against it is that it’s a bit too exhausting to be listened to on a loop.

9 - 100 Years (Five For Fighting)

US: #77 / FR: Not on the list

I only heard this a couple of times that year and never paid much attention.

Then I heard it again in 2018 right in the middle of a very, very bad year, after losing my grandfather, and it absolutely destroyed me.

It’s very, very good.

8 - Face à la Mer (Passy & Calogero)

US: Not on the list / FR: #11

Very overplayed that year. A delight every single time it was on the radio, though. Don’t have anything else to say about it.

7 - Modern Times (J-Five)

US: Not on the list / FR: #26

A hiphop song sampling a scene from Modern Times with Charlie Chaplin. It peaked at number 1 here! Not kidding! I bought the single after hearing it exactly once. It’s fantastic and I’m really sad time buried it like it did. If you’ve forgotten about it or simply never heard it before, please give it a listen, it needs more love.

6 - Hit My Heart (Benassi Bros)

US: Not on the list / FR: #74

Remember last time when I said I was a major sucker for Benassi Bros? Well this isn’t an exception. That is a killer drop right there. It looks great and dark and glittery all at once and, by the way, the sunny and summer-y music video completely contradicted how the song looked like in my ears, haha.

5 - My Happy Ending (Avril Lavigne)

US: #54 / FR: Not on the list

I’m not entirely sure what went wrong and when in Avril Lavigne’s career the shift happened, but a couple of years after that song her music got a lot less interesting. I may have enjoyed her first album Let Go a lot, but this song might just be her best one ever.

The sudden shift from “YOU WERE everything” to “HE WAS everything” near the end, in particular, is great writing. Love that.

4 - Left Outside Alone (Anastacia)

US: Not on the list / FR: #76

Usually, voices, good or bad, have zero impact on me except when they border on unlistenable, or when they are physically painful to hear/look at. The guy from Muse for example has a voice that looks like the equivalent of a flashlight in the dark and it hurts, and I’m like dude. Can you please tune that down a little bit. Please.

This lady’s voice right there is fascinating though. Her voice is green and dark and it’s such a strange, rare voice I’m charmed whenever I hear it, and in this song in particular. This was on SO MANY of my tapes it’s not even funny. And the chorus is fantastic and a joy to sing along with even if you don’t have a good voice yourself.

3 - Orchestra (The Servant)

US: Not on the list / FR: #97

So we were on vacation, and they were giving away free cds at one stop. And I put the one I got in my portable cd player, and wasn’t that excited by the first tracks.

And then the fifth one started. And I was instantly captivated.

You already know I absolutely adored Placebo at the time (sadly, Protect Me isn’t elligible here either), and that guy from The Servant had a similar voice and the song was roughly in the same ballpark, and the lyrics were so, so weird.

There's an orchestra in me, Playing endlessly I even hear it now They play in the devil's key, An endless symphony I even hear it now And I listen to the music, Beautiful music Yes I listen to the music, Beautiful music

And, again, I’m terrible at describing sounds but the colors are so disquieting and there’s an unpleasant vibe except the song itself isn’t unpleasant? It’s so damn weird. And that band never struck gold again after that.

I still don’t know what happened or how all of this works. It’s a mystery. A very beautiful and curious mystery. This would have had a good shot at winning the #1 spot if it hadn’t been for [shakes fist] these other guys.

2 - Breaking the Habit (Linkin Park)

US: #79 / FR: #89

Only #2? Does... does that mean Linkin Park isn’t going to top my lists three years in a row? Holy shit, dodged a bullet there.

Should I really repeat my whole speech about Meteora. Should I really. Come on. It starts with the sound of a closing door, then broken glass, and then guitars explode in your face. The first line of the album is “sometimes I need to remember just to breathe”! Somewhere I Belong is one of my favorite songs from the band! I was trying to match the flow of Faint even if my English was still extremely shaky and my accent terrible!

And then there’s Breaking the Habit, which sounds almost pleasant compared to the levels of aggression displayed by the other songs. But it’s weirdly tense and stressful for that exact reason, because this relative calm sounds like a menace.

It works even better out of the context of the album, where it sounded a tad more aggressive than the average pop song, but still tense and stressful. And the music video is fantastic. I had it on a giant poster. I know I’ve kept it folded somewhere. If I only knew where it was, I’d show it to you. Covering up the (bright pink) walls in my room back then was a lot of work.

Edit: Nevermind. Found it:

Gotta say one thing though. At least they aren’t #1 for the third year in a row. What’s left of my dignity has been saved.

1 - Enjoy the Silence 2004 (Depeche Mode, Mike Shinoda remix)

US: Not on the list / FR: #89

Waiiiit a second. This was remixed by Mike Shinoda, wasn’t it. Mike Shinoda. From Linkin Park.

I guess Linkin Park IS topping my lists three years in a row in the end sdfghjhgfdfghjkjhg end me

But yeah. So. Enjoy the Silence tops a second list of mine, then. 14 years after the first one. I’m not gonna repeat what I’ve already said about that song. It simply got a brand new coat of paint, but still, even if it’s basically street art painted over a framed painting, what a masterpiece. Was genuinely gawking the first time I heard it on the radio.

And then Depeche Mode released one of their best albums ever the very next year, and it was the album of the year for me, and I became a big fan. So yeah, thanks for introducing me to their music, Mike Shinoda.

Bonus: I noticed my trusty old radio/cd player was in the background of a pic my brother took around that time! I miss that radio. It was pearl-colored and I had added stickers of birds and insects on it. So everytime I say “on the radio” in these posts, just picture this round little thing which was at the center of my universe back then.

Next up: Not the best song of the decade but pretty close

#Johannes’ bad not good pretty terrible music lists #music #long post #eye contact tw

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faunusrights · 6 years ago

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‘AFTER THE FALL’ - LIVEREAD III

The more I hear about the latter half of this book, the more depresso espresso I’m drinking. Let’s see how it goes, huh?

(Since there’s more chapters in the latter half than the first half, short chapters will probably get combined together for the sake of. I’m lazy.)

CHAPTERS EIGHT AND NINE

I love that Velvet’s the one who enlisted Weiss and Yang, expecting shit to go sideways. She saw these two gays on main and went ‘they look like they can party’. Was she wrong? No. Did she invite Cinder for the express purpose of drama? Yes. Can you make me stop shipping Sinnamon Bun? Also no.

Okay, this book has read my mine though!!! Ruby pitches a Beacon Battle Club where they play music as they fight, and no word of a fucking lie, that happens in Great Weiss Shark AU! I am not kidding! I had this whole story planned out! This is theft of the HIGHEST order.

“Doilies are absurd and elitist,” Yang said.

This is simultaneously the least Yang-like line and also the most Yang-like line I’ve ever heard. The duality of idiot, I suppose.

I like Fox! I really do, actually! He’s my son now. Although, the bad news is I dunno if I can replicate him in The Frapp Logs, so he’ll just have to keep dragging Coco to the ends of the earth. Same thing, right? R-right?

“Leaders can’t be the comic relief.” Fox raised his eyebrows. “Jaune.”

Is this the second time Jaune’s been dragged? I’m living for it. Also, sleepy Blake! And CFVY knowing she’s (they’re) a Faunus! And the second book behind a book! I love you, Blake.

Velvet correcting Yatsu’s ‘catnap’ joke! I wrote a ficlet about this exact thing once, so I TOLD you my Velvet’s NEARLY CANON. SHE JUST NEEDS TO EAT MORE PROTEIN IS ALL.

Onto chapter nine. God, these chapters get thinner by the second, huh?

BACK TO THE DESERT WE GO, and there’s... fog? Which is now gone! Wow! Is this a plot device? Foreshadowing? I sure hope so, because why on earth it would warrant a mention we’re just not too sure!

A sandstorm is incoming and hidden tracks are gonna get blasted away. I’m trying to figure out if this is all pathetic fallacy or if I’m reading too much into handy-dandy plot devices. Why not both?

Heart-to-heart with Coco and Yatsu... and we’re back to Yatsu giving Velvet all the hugs. Now that I’m sensing the Velv/Yats vibes, I’m extra suspicious. You stop that. Let Velvet have a fashionable GF at least if you won’t let her kiss Weiss!!!

‘[...] even the women were down to halter tops. Focus, Coco, she thought.’

Ah, lesbian as always. I’m soothed. Carmine enters the tent and Coco gets even gayer. I’m very soothed.

‘What was Jaune doing after losing a member of his team, a friend... someone he clearly cared about.’

I don’t care about what Jaune feels. Why the heck would Coco even care? There’s literally so many more people that impacts than just Jaune, lawd.

CHAPTER TEN AND ELEVEN

Back to Fox, who is honestly the shining star of this book by now. I love you, my blind and sassy son.

I love Ada and the battle mechanic she has! I’m really enjoying how Fox interacts with the world around him and using his Scroll and AI as an accessibility device. It’s neat! I didn’t expect them to go as ham on him as they did, but they did.

“Update,” Ada said. “Weapon has projectile capabilities.” “You mean it’s also a gun.”

Obligatory gun meme.

Combat stuff happens, Fox wins a fight against a confused Edward, and it turns out Gus is the one summoning Grimm and Fox just got jumped, so we slide into another flashback for chapter eleven. Lemme tell ya, this book ain’t afraid of moving fast.

“I guess you slightly oversold your ability to track the survivors,” Coco said.

Again, this is one of those lines that reads as very... callous? Kinda mean? I’ve always had Coco in my head as someone who very broadly puts her team (and their feelings) first, even if it’s rough, so lines like this make me go 🤔

Velvet falls, Yatsu panics, Coco gets up in everyone’s grill. There’s a lot to this dynamic I am not enjoying right now, and even then this seems inconsistent with the CFVY we’ve seen in the book itself. I know the author’s trying to communicate that Coco is tired and frustrated, that I get, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how... it would really happen given her character? I dunno. ‘S weird.

Was that a fat joke I spotted there? From Coco? I need a nap. Also COCO LET VELVET DO THINGS JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! FUCK ME SIDEWAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Coco has claustrophobia! I wrote her as having agoraphobia, so this is a hilarious turn of events. Also Coco has two brothers, not one: Mate and Toma.

Coco is fighting Grimm in a cave with CFVY, but still finds time to criticise Velvet in combat. Hey, maybe if you let her do things, she’d prove you wrong, dingus. And then she does! See!

Aaaaaaaand the six survivors are all dead. This was a pretty traumatic event, all told, which makes it weird that they look... less affected in the show? Still, this chapter was VERY weird for the characterisations because Coco seems especially inconsistent, alas. Anyway, onto:

CHAPTERS TWELVE AND THIRTEEN

The sandstorm is approaching and catching the wagons, which I have just realised are actually vehicles that use fuel. Mostly because that’s the First I Heard Of It.

‘Velvet noticed a pistol tucked in the back before she closed the door.’

Hi, can Chekhov please pick up his gun from aisle twelve? Thanks.

GIANT SAND TURTLE. AVATAR AANG C’MERE Y’ALL GOTTA LEARN HOW TO DEFEAT THE FIRELORD.

“You said it’s big enough to ride on?” Velvet asked.

Maybe this is why Coco dismisses Velvet so often. She only pitches the craziest ideas, which is why I love her. That said, Coco finally lets Velvet do something! It’s a miracle of man! Climb that turtle, bihh!

Yatsu calls Velvet V. I’m so used to Velv that V sounds entirely too cool for this idiot.

Everyone’s pissed again, but-- IS THAT THE SAND WORM THING FROM ARRAKIS?! What A Tweest!!!!!!!!!!!!! Nobody coulda seen THAT coming!!!!!

So let’s go to chapter thirteen, where Fox has had the shit beaten out of him behind a Denny’s. Sound about right.

So what’s-his-name-- Bertilak, whomst from now on shall be called Bert because what sorta water tribe name even is that (wow the ATLA references are on fire today). Anyway, Bert is being paid by someone else to deliver people with Stronk Semblances like summoning Grimm! Gee I Wonder Who That Might Be (I don’t actually know but I’m honestly not going to be surprised either way).

“Yeah, [Bert]’s a real bastard.” “Even I can see that,” Fox sent.

I love it. Fox really has been the highlight of this book for me.

Fox is on the ground and the referee is counting him to ten, so it’s mid-chapter-flashback time! We learn how Fox’s parents died (sinkhole) and how that became his motivation for... going to Beacon? Okay, tenuous link at best, but I’m going with it.

Carmine is full of trouble and Fox is determined to take Bert with ‘em. Let him DIE.

I’m gonna keep going since we’re not four chapters from the end, so:

CHAPTERS FOURTEEN AND FIFTEEN

Flashback time! Again! Only it’s CFVY’s POV of their return to Beacon. I wouldn’t mind this if like. We hadn’t already seen this from RWBY’s perspective in the show? People know this from my tastes in fanfic, but I’m not a huge fan of retellings of canon events, it’s soooooo boooooring. So I’m just gonna grind through this asap.

(I do like that RWBY and CFVY have all these parallels being called to. As they should.)

Okay we’re past the recap and OH LAWD I HEARD OF THIS BIT. Goodwitch is here (I love u Glynda no matter what) but yeah, I’ve heard this part is Big Oof so uh, let’s see this happen go down. Velvet is being requested to see Ozpin so /buckles down.

Velvet’s being questioned alone for the Whole Thing, and team CFVY have burst into the office demanding to know why, and Velvet’s a crying wreck! I’m still very >:I for everyone being overprotective of Velvet, c’mon, but also: Oz, can you please have tact? Just once in your life? Tact? Do you has it?

Anyway, CFVY have reconciled and we turn to chapter fifteen, in which: Yatsu.

Carmine has Gus, everyone’s on the Turtmobile, and shit’s hitting the fan. Yatsu’s going after Gus and Carmine alone, and I’m still waiting on Chekov’s Gun to Chekov its way right into someone’s butt. Unless it’s Chekov’s Red Herring.

Here comes a fight scene! I never have much to say during fight scenes, so, uh, yeah. There’s some real last-minute exposition in places, though, where it really shouldn’t be.

Eey, Carmine is telekinetic! Very powerful and also OP, gotta nerf that shit right down, Edward.

Yatsu’s very nearly defeated, Bert is back, baby, and shit’s getting real. Time for chaaaaaaaaaper sixteeeeeeeeeen.

CHAPTERS SIXTEEN AND SEVENTEEN

Today’s livereading soundtrack is Simple Things by Zero 7. The whole album, I mean. This is a fun little fact to make sure you’re still awake and aware, ‘cause I sure ain’t!

Roy Stallion of BRNZ is presumed dead, along with the whole team, so big RIP to May, who was cute and deserved better. Swear to God if ABRN are dead too I will kill a man. Two men, to be specific.

Velvet admits she never wanted to come to Vacuo, Coco promises they’ll return to reclaim Beacon in future. This reads like a protagonist’s last speech on hope and strength in friendship... and it should, as Coco gets swallowed by a worm! Straight up just down the hatch! This should be a tragic beat, but this is honestly so funny. Coco, pick better ways to die.

Anyway, we’re onto chapter seventeen. I was very kindly given this message:

And I-- OH HELL YES! HELL YES IT’S A SCHOOL DAY TIMETABLE!!!!!!!!!! THE LORE! THE CLASSES! THE NAMES! THE FACTS! THIS IS THE BEST THING IN THE ENTIRE BOOK SO FAR WHICH REALLY GOES TO SHOW I HAVE NO HOBBIES!

Is this a... flashback? Flash... forward? I’m not sure, actually. Either way, CFVY are in Beacon clearing the place of Grimm. Actually, this must be a flashback to before they went to Vacuo, I suppose, which would make sense to follow Velvet’s little admittance last chapter before Coco got swallowed like a paracetamol tablet.

Velvet waited for someone to ask her what she thought, what she wanted, by no one did.

Now I’m SAD why won’t people be NICE to VELVET just ONCE!!! God, this book really just gives her the short end of the stick every time.

Off go CFVY to Vacuo. Bye.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN AND EPILOGUE

Heremst we go.

Coco’s alive! I mean, no surprise. And full of the Joques as ever:

Coco figured sacrificing your life for a teammate was one way to be remembered as a good leader, but maybe that was just cheating.

RIP Coco and her claustrophobia! Hey, now that was good foreshadowing! That gets a whole Murphy Cookie of Approval. 🍪

Coco loses her Scroll and her hat, but Velvet swoops in to save the day! Meanwhile, Bert has been convinced that Carmine double-crossed him, so they’re battling it out! Basically, Gus cast frenzy. Finally, it works in everyone’s favour.

“I can’t believe I thought you were cute,” Coco spat.

Some lines in this book haven’t been very good. This one, on the other hand, very much is.

So Carmine goes underground and starts creating sinkholes everywhere like a weird desert gremlin, and Edward manages to block her Semblance and like. Carmine flat-out nearly suffocates herself to death. Another death I would have found both gruesome and hilarious for its irony. But Velvet uses Flynt’s trumpet to quite literally doot the sand away, and-- I’m so sorry, this line has me literally laughing to myself. She fuckin’-- doots the sand. Oh my god.

Anyway they win, catch up with Slate and the Nomad Fam, and meet team SSSN! The boys are back in town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Things are looking good.

Epilogue time. I’m still laughing about the sand-dooting.

So, we don’t know who paid Bert and Carmine, I guess? I do believe there’s maybe a sequel or something in the works, apparently, so maybe this is part of an overarching plot type thingie. Still.

Ah, yep, Coco confirms that they’re not through with this line of investigation yet, But, Velvet wraps it up with a heart-felt, if not a little bit cheesy, segment about home being wherever CFVY is, and so the book comes to a close.

WRAP-UP

So, I’m definitely gonna have a second read-through of this without having to constantly stop and do a liveblog, but the book was... okay, I guess? I feel like this plotline wasn’t the greatest one for CFVY, and that the author doesn’t have a crazy good handle on the characters -- he’s likely more suited to original content, which is valid. It’s a good romp and we do get new lore, but as expected, I feel like CFVY would be best used in the show that conceived them in the first place. A book is nice, but I’d love to see their return in RWBY itself, especially since this book wasn’t really... long enough, I don’t think? Seriously, y’all’ve met me. I do write hundreds of thousands of words in this world and I still haven’t written everything I wanna yet! I’d also like to see more Velvet as seen in RWBY Chibi, in which was she Cool and Good, and maybe less Yatsu alongside her directly. But! It’s a book! It’s decent! It’s CFVY! For most people, it’s Good Enough. And they’re valid too.

#after the fall #after the fall spoilers #rwby #liveblog #liveread

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cloudybookash-blog · 6 years ago

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Just finished the first season of She-Ra and I only have a small amount of complaints that I think fall more into my personal opinion on characterizations and story lines than anything else.

Love that the princesses that are there from the beginning are cute, gay and happy. Love that for them.

Love the diversity. Glimmer is body divergent but it never addressed as something inherently bad, or as a flaw - homegirl just look like that. Beau (Bo?) being part of the princesses because he is, and all his little background mannerisms where he’s seen cleaning and keeping things neat.

Scorpia’s entire personality is the greatest, she’s such a realistic character who belongs to a family that gave their allegiance and power source to the horde willingly and she prides herself in her role by taking care of her troops and running a tight ship whilst also being one of the bad guys because well, she was never welcome with any of the other princesses. Her story is so believable and truly underrated. Plus, she’s just very nice.

The other princesses having such a wide array of personalities (albeit without many complexities, I’ll admit) is refreshing.

I’m a fan of the art-style, love all the pretty colors (and kind of reminds me of Steven Universe, ngl). Each setting has its own beautiful color palette, which is always helpful in identifying new places and remembering them when there are about 10.

My only problems really came in three (maybe four) people.

1. Adora. If anything I would’ve thought she’d make the perfect villain. First in everything, the favorite, constantly better than her peers with the emotional range of a teaspoon. Yes, yes, she’s fantastic with her new friends but we’ve seen better characters. She’s given multiple occasions to coerce her old crew into joining the rebellion but she never takes them, and when she does it’s done without heart, like I questioned her integrity a couple of times she just didn’t seem all that willing to help her old friends.

Yes, with Bow (apparently that’s how his name is spelled) and Glimmer she’s loyal and caring, thoughtful even. But none of that loyalty and thoughtfulness is present in her previous relationships. Upon finding out that the Horde is evil and that she more than likely was kidnapped as a young child (insinuating that almost EVERY horde soldier was stolen from their families) she doesn’t, not once, speak to her entire old crew and show them what she knows in a way that isn’t overtly condescending.

There’s a moment where I think Catra is going to join Adora, but even then, Adora is only bargaining, and asking Catra to join her because Catra is literally about to kill her. And EVEN THEN she barely tried, rather than apologising for not being aware enough when they were kids to stand up for Catra in a way that would’ve mattered to her, she just goes on about how Catra doesn’t have to do this. This forces Catra to give up her grounds has someone who’s been wronged because the wrong-does refuses to admit fault.

Like I said, my problems are probably all to do with personal preferences of characters. People probably view this as a unique flaw never really had in an MC before. Except, it’s pretty common in male MC’s in high fantasy’s. And I not only read a lot of those, but also hate them specifically because the characters have minimal self awareness and almost 0% integrity anytime they’re genuinely confronted with their flaws.

2. Catra. Listen, she would’ve been a GREAT She-Ra. You can’t deny it. She’s always coming in second best, she can never get ahead, she’s not only hated but has been actively tortured because of her ties to Adora. She’s been told the only reason she’s kept around is because Adora seems to like her. She’s literally alive because some six year old wanted a pet. She would be the first one to have zero (0) reasons to stay with the horde.

Her entire life has been spent in the shadow and to be able to be She-Ra, with enough support could bring her the confidence in her person she so sorely needs. We’ve seen she’s a great leader, although as a villain in a serial she’s obviously going to be beaten time and time again but she does actually have good plans and she has a flare for the dramatic.

This isn’t Loki-style fanning over a ‘morally-grey’ character this is sadness at the fact people may interpret her character as, ‘people who are ambitious are evil, people who don’t conform to society, or aren’t very charming socially are evil’. Rather than we (the audience) should try being a little more aware of the people around us and how our actions can deeply effect them.

Catra’s personality and in the end her resolve is formed by the actions of Shadow Weaver, Adora, and her team. They bully, ostracize and abuse her (some, unknowingly of course) but that’ s the point. Her ‘evilness’ is brought on by years of people not being self-aware enough to understand the damage they were causing. She’s a great sympathetic villain, I don’t think I’ve ever even felt sympathy for a fictional ‘bad guy’ before so don’t get me wrong she’s fine in her role. I just, personally, would’ve enjoyed seeing her at the forefront of the rebellion rather than Adora.

With a personality that would’ve been open to an underdog scenario, and her persistent attitude (especially if this was fueled by people supporting and relying on her) she could’ve been a great She-Ra.

3. Entrapta. Again this is solely the whole how she’s going to perceived thing, ‘geeks and freaks are weird and societal outcasts are evil.’ It keeps up this narrative of only certain types of people are allowed to be good, there’s a check list of traits you have to have that are unrelated to your ideologies that decide which side you fight for.

Entrapta, like Catra, is treated like an outcast and always (in sinisterly subtle ways that are usually used as comedic relief) made to feel bad for who she is. She’s curious on top of everything else but the lesson we get about her story ark is curiosity killed the rebellion. It’s like saying ‘don’t be too curious’, otherwise you’ll end up with no morals and will be easily manipulated into joining the ‘evil people’.

When, again, the meaning should be that we REALLY need to put more effort into making those in our society who are different know and understand that they’re important. No, this doesn’t mean baby school shooter, incel type people or people who legitimately go out of their way to hurt others for no reason. But, we shouldn’t treat neuro-divergent people with such hostilities (subtle or otherwise) because then WE create the monster. Just as with Catra, Entrapta was created through the actions of her peers towards her person.

I can’t blame either of these villains for choosing the dark side, who wasn't to be good when the people on the good side don’t want you to be, well, YOU.

4. Decidedly, four things that bug me. Bow and Glimmers (already mentioned Adora’s part in this) and extendedly the other Princesses’ treatment of those in the horde they meet. One specific scene got me MAD. Bow is imprisoned and one of Adora’s ex-crew mates begins betraying his own just because Bow is the first person to actual listen and all this kid wants is to have friends, real friends that would do anything for one another and this poor kid is TRYING. Bow’s reaction was abysmal to say the least. At first, he cracks a joke that he doesn’t really have a choice as he’s imprisoned, we get it, funny ha-ha. But, he genuinely appears to believe that the only reason he’s listening is because he’s imprisoned, that he (who gave Adora her chance before even really getting to know her) wouldn’t give the exact same to this kid actively risking his life to relay information about Glimmer.

Bow’s the puppy-love character whose flaw is (supposed to be) that he loves/trusts too easy. So why is he suddenly not listening to this kid just trying to have a friend who is actively helping Bow and is (possibly) the sole reason they find Glimmer in the end. Without his help there wouldn’t have been enough time to hack into the horde’s tech again to search for her. But, Bow doesn’t say anything when his rescue arrives AND THROWS THIS KID OFF A CLIFF MID-SENTENCE. I don’t know, that felt so wildly out of character.

Glimmer I understand more, she’s hotheaded and originally was VERY against Adora. It took a lot of life threatening situations for her to finally begin trusting Adora. Still, upon getting to know Adora, learning how horribly she was raised, the trauma it’s left her with, Glimmer (not for one seconds) questions whether they should MAYBE check on other horde members, no one should be kidnapped and raised in such an environment only to die for a regime that’s been lying to them. Yet, that’s exactly what happened.

Don’t get me wrong, these are four things that I pretty much understand have more to do with my preferences with characters and story-lines than anything else and like I said, the list (though detailed because I love being negative) is small in comparison to list of things that I like so far about the show.

Just wanted to get that out there.

Also, does the Voltron fandom follow She-Ra because this ECHOES Voltron vibes and I honestly don’t see a reason why they shouldn’t also vehemently back this show (other than the straights that watch Voltron are too busy getting off on gay men to care or give any ground to a just as diverse, funny, cast that just so happens to have gender flipped the story.)

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lifeinahole27 · 7 years ago

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CS ff: “See That Smile” (au)

Summary: Killian is the charismatic lead singer of a band known for making weddings unforgettable. That is, until his own wedding is cancelled and he vows to never sing at another one. Years later, he meets Emma, a bartender at the event hall and woman planning her own nuptials. But in the process of helping her plan her own wedding, he discovers that he does still have the capability to feel again, and it all starts with the way that Emma smiles at him. Of course this would be his luck.

Rating: E (sexual situations, mentions of character death)

Word Count: 10,941

A/N: Okay so a million fucking years ago (AU Week 2016), I took a prompt that @timeless-love-story had given me and started a fic with the same premise of the wedding singer. I said it would be posted in three parts. I lied... I was originally going to break it up, but instead, I’m posting the whole thing as one go. It went from a modest T rating to very much...not. So again, with gusto, thank you @timeless-love-story for the string removal, and the awesome that you always bring to my dash. And thank you to @captainstudmuffin for her beta duties, and friend duties. I hope you all enjoy this! I’m so relieved to finally have something FINISHED! Note: I’m sorry if the format is doing dumb things. Thanks, Tumblr.

FFN | Ao3

In a small town, being in a band willing to play for any events that are booked at the local reception hall is kind of a big deal, if you ask Killian. Especially when word of mouth marks you as the best reception band in a fifty-mile radius. This fact keeps Killian and his band, The Buccaneers, pretty busy through the year.

That’s not to say it’s his only gig, though. Most of his weeks are spent giving music lessons to various residents of Storybrooke. From the very young to the very old; from voice lessons to guitar, Killian spends his afternoons in half hour appointments hoping that someone has practiced their given instrument throughout the week.

The bad part of being the reigning house band is that when it comes to planning his own wedding, he can’t bring himself to hire anyone else to play the reception.

“You can’t sing at your own wedding.” Robin tells him one night as they’re tearing down.

“Who says?” is Killian’s first response. “Listen, I’m not going to book another band and let them get even a corner of the market we have here. If they want shows, they need to work their way up like we have. Besides, maybe it’ll be charming, me popping up here to sing every couple songs.” He can feel his expression going dreamy. “Serenade my new wife.”

“Whatever you say, mate,” Robin says, shaking his head as they pack away the last of the instruments.

There’s a reason they’re so good. Killian is the ultimate champion of love. He’s there to give the exact right vibe to the entire hall, to get them dancing, to make them happy, to make them seem like anything beyond the walls is unimportant. With good music, dancing, the right lighting, and the right amount of drinks being poured, wedding receptions are always his favorite.

It also helps that he’s been doing this since he got out of high school. A strange twist of fate brought him to Storybrooke shortly after that, and for the last ten years he’s happily settled into his niche. Somewhere along the road, he met Milah, and knew immediately that while she was a little older, a little restless after a touchy divorce and a son left behind, he wanted her to be his wife.

As the time passes, and his happy day gets closer, Killian can only push forward and anticipate that day that he firmly believes will be the best of his life.

Just a month before, however, Milah’s car loses control on a sharp turn. He’s at work when he gets the call, pulled just halfway from yet another reception and given the news that he’ll won’t be seeing his own.

A few days later, when they’re supposed to be practicing for another wedding that weekend, Killian is instead standing and watching his beloved be lowered into the ground. When the next wedding comes up, he flakes out. The band is forced to perform without their charismatic singer, and it’s obvious that while he’s not the sole fount of talent among the group, without him it just doesn’t hold the same charm.

He vows not to sing at weddings from that point on, and instead starts spending his weekends at the bottom of bottles, sorting through the pictures of Milah and slowly packing her stuff away. His friends try to help the best they can, but there’s only so much of Robin’s pitying looks that he can stand. He can only handle Dave’s fiancee hovering around him with worried glances and baked goods for so long. Try as he might, he cannot accept the comfort of others when they’re all so happy with their own loved ones, and so he retreats to his lonesome apartment to drink his sadness into numbness, only to wake up and repeat the same the next day.

At the very least, he’s excellent at hiding his pain away when he’s performing. Luckily, there are plenty of other events booked at the hall that they still keep steady work coming in. They’re there for anniversaries, and birthday parties. They play for bar mitzvahs and bat mitzvahs, along with the formal dances from the local high school. But no weddings, never again. In fact, the only wedding he does attend is that of David and Mary Margaret’s, and he makes sure to sit in the back and avoid as many people that would ask too many questions for the short time he decides to attend.

The months pass, and then years. Two and a half years after he swore off wedding singing, life is much the same with different faces. Killian is used to the rotation of workers coming and going from the reception hall. It’s a small town, but catering and bartending isn’t a job that many hold for long. It’s usually a placeholder for their real dreams.

As he’s sitting waiting for his customary water to take on stage, a new bartender appears with a tray of clean glasses to stock away. His heart suddenly springs back to life when he sees her smile flash at him while he stares, the stunned expression etched onto his face. There’s something about her that strikes where a memory should be, but he’s at a complete loss. Surely, he’d remember the long, blonde hair that she’s tying back into a ponytail. Maybe…

“She’s engaged,” David says, cutting off Killian’s train of thought, sneaking up on the former wedding singer without sneaking at all. “I know you said you’re not looking, but if you were, that’s not the right one to start with.”

“I didn’t ask, and I’m not looking,” Killian responds flippantly. His poker face must be utter crap, though, because David just snorts and mutters some response like “Yeah, sure” and walks back to the other end to take care of an early arrival to the high school reunion they’re working. Killian gets up on stage and does his best to sing “Give Me One Reason” instead of belting out “Ironic” like he wants to. The class of 1996 probably appreciates it.

It’s about halfway through the party when Killian signals that it’s time for them to take a break. The reunited classmates all mingle to refresh their drinks and eat more cake, chatter like their lives have gone great places in the last twenty years since the prime of their lives. Killian has just hit the bottom step when he notices the Prom Queen, voted “Most Likely to Succeed” has succeeded in getting herself enormously tanked, and he leads her to the side entrance so she can get sick in privacy.

They make it just outside the doors, right along the platform above the rubbish bin, when the woman pitches forward. She braces herself on a metal railing and aims right for the dumpster beneath her.

“Good shot.” The accuracy of the hit is impressive for one so intoxicated. “There you go, lass. Let it all out,” he says soothingly, standing close to hold her steady but turning his head away. It’s when he averts his eyes that he sees the new bartender perched on the top step of the fire escape, a mixture of humor and horror on her face, especially after a particularly violent wretch that makes Killian wonder if the whole stomach came out that time.

All he can do is mouth “I’m sorry” to the blonde nearby, whose eyebrows have just about climbed into her hairline, but she’s clearly holding back laughter when she waves him off.

“Okay!” Miss 1996 announces, her arms raised above her head in triumph. “I’m good to go!” She turns and stumbles back the way she came, leaving Killian baffled at her recovery time.

“That is the fastest puke and rally I have ever seen in my life, and that’s including college kids,” the woman finally speaks up. She stands, shifting her water glass into her other hand and holding one out towards Killian. “Emma Swan,” she introduces.

“Killian Jones. Leader of the fine house band you’ve hopefully been enjoying this evening.” He takes her hand, shakes it as long as is polite, and then drops it. The spark he feels has to be his imagination, and especially forbidden because she is definitely wearing a ring on a business finger.

“It brings back a few memories.” She smiles, and he almost sighs at the way it lights up her whole face. “You guys are really good. There’s no chance I can convince you to play a wedding, is there? David already told me you guys don’t do weddings, but I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least ask.”

“Ah, no. I retired from the wedding circuit,” he tells her, reaching up and scratching the back of his neck. He doesn’t realize his sleeves are pushed up until she tilts her head, a sly smile on her face as she reads it.

“Oh? Who’s Milah?” Clearly, Dave may have mentioned that he didn’t sing at weddings anymore, but he didn’t share the reasons behind it.

He drops his arm quickly, resisting the urge to slap his hand over the inked skin and find a way out of this awkward situation.

“She’s, ah – “ He trails off, finding it difficult to explain to this newcomer what his sad little story is.

“Oh god,” she mumbles, clearly reading Killian’s expression. Her own face says that it was probably a footnote somewhere in a conversation, but she’d forgotten it until this very moment. “Never mind. I’m just gonna go… pry my foot out of my mouth and get back to work. Um, forget I asked. It was nice to meet you, Killian.”

“Likewise,” he manages, thus ending their first official meeting.

But it wouldn’t be their last, thankfully. They strike up conversations over the next couple weeks of events. Killian discovers Emma’s superpower of being able to detect lies when they both work an anniversary party for an elderly couple with a host of almost-adult grandkids. It seems that some of the youngsters think they can (still) get away with passing for twenty-one, and while that may have happened once or twice (ten times, actually) while August was working the bar, they now have Emma to contend with.

It’s a couple weeks after when Emma approaches him during set-up, a sheepish expression on her face and his favorite brand of rum in her hand. “Ah, I wanted to give this to you. Sort of an apology gift. David gave me the run-down on it all. I shouldn’t have asked, not how I did, anyways. So I also found out your poison of choice. Peace offering?”

“There was never peace to restore, Swan. But I’ll appreciate the tasty treat over the next couple weeks.” (Days, but he doesn’t say it – no one needs to know he’s still a bit of a wreck behind closed doors.)

“Good. In that case, hopefully you can consider it a bit of a bribe, then.”

“Oh? Whatever for?”

“Well, you don’t play weddings anymore, but you’ve certainly been around the business long enough. I’m new here, and everyone is trying to hike up their prices, I can tell. But every time I try to wheedle them lower, they just claim the price is set in stone.” She gives him a pleading look. “Help me out, Jones. I work this and another job, I have a kid, and Walsh is being spectacularly bad at contributing both with the cash and the decisions right now. Please?”

It’s a disastrous idea, but the expression she gives him, the hopeful look – he can’t turn it down. He sucks in a deep breath and lets it out slowly, dropping his chin to his chest in defeat. “Fine, I’m free in the mornings, and again after five. As long as you can make that work, I’ll help. But something tells me I’m going to regret this.”

-x-

The wedding plans start less than a week after he agrees. The first decision they decide to tackle is which band will play at the reception, because Killian figures it’ll be like ripping off a band-aid to get it out of the way first.

They use the reception hall for their auditions, bringing in several bands to test out to see how they sound. The first is the band that usually plays the weddings around town, now. Killian likes them best. The front man, Graham, has a similar charm while he’s on stage, even if he’s not as outgoing as Killian. He’s sweet, though, which usually works well with the lovey-dovey themes abound at wedding receptions.

Graham and his band look appropriately dapper, singing an edition of “Wonderful Tonight” that gives Emma an expression Killian imagines she’d have if she were looking at a pile of puppies napping, and he knows he’s done good testing them first. When they finish, she stands up and claps.

“Thank you. We’re not the Buccaneers, but no one ever could measure up to Killian singing a wedding,” Graham says into the microphone, a companionable nod and smile at his fellow singer accompanying the words.

“Sounded pretty damn good to me,” Emma tells him, saving Killian from having to respond. “We haven’t set a date yet, but we’re looking at spring. Maybe April or May?”

Graham’s face falls and Killian already knows what he’s going to say. “I’m so sorry, we’ve just booked our last one for those months. I’m down to one weekend in August and a couple in September.

“Shit. I was worried about that. Okay! No problem! If anyone cancels, send them my condolences but call me.”

With the next band, Killian looks down at his contact card in shock. The Naughty-hams are relatively new, and he’s mostly surprised that the front runner, a man named Keith that likes to call himself the Sheriff (of Nottingham, no less), is dressed in tight leather pants and a tight leather vest. He sneaks a look at Emma’s face and has to press his lips together to avoid the outright laugh that is trying to bubble out of him. After a surprisingly dirty rendition of “Try a Little Tenderness,” Keith peacocks to the front of the stage, preening as he goes while he waits for Emma’s verdict.

“Well!” she says brightly. “That was certainly something! I’ll let you know!”

“Of course, m’lady. And thanks for getting out of the business, Jones. I’ve gotten more snatch at weddings thanks to all the gigs you’ve handed us over the years.” He looks directly at Emma as he licks his lips and gives her a sleazy wink. Emma almost falls off her chair laughing, which visually deflates the man on stage.

“Wow, okay. You’ve just inspired me to hire a DJ! You can leave now.” By the end of the sentence, Emma is glaring at him, leaving no room for argument.

As soon as the band has cleared out, Killian stands up from his chair and applauds for Emma. The chuckle she gives him is much more genuine than her laughter from earlier, and she dips her head in recognition to his clapping.

“DJ it is, then.” Killian extends his hand out to her, transferring her hand to the crook of his elbow as he escorts her out. With the music selection out of the way, the list has gotten shorter, and they have four more appointments to tackle.

-x-

With his suggestion, they set the wedding date before moving forward any further. The big day is set for the second weekend in May and by the time summer starts transitioning into fall, Killian has helped Emma secure a DJ, but he’s also gotten her a fabulous price on flowers, booked a photographer that gave her a deal since she’s Killian’s friend, and even helped arrange the tuxedo fittings for the following week if Walsh can pull himself away from work in the city in order to make an appearance.

The one thing that isn’t as smooth (and probably contributes to the hefty discount Emma’s given) is a misunderstanding with the photographer. Apparently, Killian Jones sitting in the waiting area of the little office of Tink’s studio is cause for excitement, and she bustles out as soon as she hears.

“Well I’ll be damned I never thought you’d move on and find someone to settle down with!” Tink exclaims as soon as she rounds the corner.

Emma’s eyes go wide, and Killian can see her looking between him and the photographer, shifting uncomfortably when the silence stretches onward and upward of a full minute. He recognizes that he has choices in how he responds, and so he takes his time deciding which will be the best one. Ultimately, he wants to make it as painless for all of them, and for the embarrassment to pass quickly, so he stands from where he was sitting and forces a smile.

“Tink, I’d like you to meet my friend Emma, who is getting married in the spring and is looking for a photographer.” He gestures back at Emma who is rising from her own chair, moving forward to shake the hand of the stunned woman in front of her.

“Well I - but you - of course. Hello, Emma. You’ve come to the right place for a photographer, I promise. Why don’t we go back to my office and talk about what you’re looking to capture on the big day, huh?”

Emma glances at him again, and he gives her a more genuine smile (if not a little smaller) and nods.

“I’m going to step out for a minute and run an errand. I’ll be back ‘round in just a bit,” he says, hooking his thumb at the door and hoping Emma understands.

“Of course. I’ll meet you out front?” Her hand rests gently on his forearm, and his heart taps just a smidge harder at the contact. He’s left without words, so he nods again and turns for the door, trying not to look back because he’s afraid he’d find her looking, too.

-x-

“I think you deserve a lot more bottles of rum for all that you’ve done for me,” Emma tells him as he drops her off at her apartment later that evening.

They spent the whole of the day together, and yet it feels like no time at all. It’s the kind of feeling, Killian realizes as he walks her to the door of the apartment complex, that he used to get after the first time hanging out, that first instance of attraction that goes beyond looks to include personality - it’s the moment where he would usually start to think about what it would be like to date the person beside him and wonder if there’s a chance of a goodnight kiss…

“Do you want to come up for a drink? Walsh is still out of town, and my son is with his dad this weekend.” She hesitates for a moment, shoving her hands in her pockets as she scrunches her face in an expression he can only name as adorable. “I could really use the company.”

On the tail end of the thoughts he just had, he should refuse. But friendship with Emma is easy, and it’s been a long time since something came as naturally as the conversations and interactions they have. “How can I refuse when you put it that way?” He follows her up to the small but cozy apartment.

While she fixes them drinks (hot chocolate - it’s her favorite) he meanders around the open living area looking at the pictures scattered through the apartment. Henry, who he’s had the pleasure of meeting once, is the center fixture of most of them. But there are others with her and David and Mary Margaret. Another frame has a picture of Emma and Ruby and Mary Margaret, none of whom he recognizes the first time he looks at the picture. But then he knows it all too well - the three decked out in bright wigs and sashes for Mary Margaret’s bachelorette party a few years ago, months after he stopped playing weddings.

Seeing that picture brings back a vivid memory and Killian makes a noise of surprise. He got rather smashed that night after their set, but so did –

“Oh, no.” Emma returns at that moment, seeing which one he’s looking at. “That picture is awful! I was so drunk I could barely stand by the time we left...wherever we were. I think I missed the couch and slept on Ruby’s floor that night.”

“Love, I remember that evening. You three came into the hall so Mary Margaret could see David.” Of course, at the time, he didn’t know who the third member of their little group was.

Her jaw drops as her eyebrows furrow. “We did, but I don’t…remember…” she trails off, her head tilting to one side. “Oh, no,” she murmurs. “You’re the guy from the coat closet?”

“Aye, I was,” he reluctantly answers. No wonder he’s always been drawn to her.

“Did we…?”

“No, no no. Nothing like that. You sort of,” he pauses a moment, gesturing to try to find the delicate way to put it, “fell asleep whilst your lips were locked with mine.”

“I fell asleep?” She throws her head back and laughs with incredulity.

He nods sagely, a smile of his own tilting up his lips. He remembers her rather vividly – the beautiful girl with the short pink wig, the moment she found him in the back of the coat check with a bottle of rum and demanded he share, the way she told him that she was sure she’d never get married, and when he expressed the same thought, they came together in an imperfect, drunken kiss – two lonely souls just needing a moment.

Thanks to said wig and inebriation, he never put the pieces together. He could never recall the face of the girl, but he has never forgotten how she kissed. She was a powerhouse that punched him out when he was still healing. After she passed out in his lap, he gathered her up in his arms and took her back to her waiting friends, telling them he found her fast asleep. He helped Dave bundle the three women into a taxi, averting his eyes as the bride and groom-to-be gave a very public display of their affection before the cab drove away. He did his best to forget, but there’s always been some remainder of her in the back of his mind, as if he should remember her as being an important turning point.

“For that, I probably owe you another bottle of rum,” she tells him, finally passing him the promised mug of hot chocolate. “I was a bit of a mess back then. Neal had just walked back into my life and demanded to meet his son and I was sick of living in Boston. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry I fell asleep on you while kissing you.”

There’s a tiny upturn of her lips, and Killian is startled to realize he wants to kiss those lips and see what that smirk tastes like, how it compares to the last one. Instead, he clears his throat and scratches behind his ear. “So, you met Walsh right after the bachelorette party then?”

“Oh, no. I met him about a year ago.” Her lips press into a thoughtful line as she moves to settle onto her couch. “He’s supposed to be looking for a good spot to open another furniture store, but he keeps getting wrapped up with his main store and hasn’t really committed to the relocation like I have.”

He moves to sit on the opposite end of the couch, taking the time to study her face as she speaks. Killian would never claim to be an expert in Emma Swan, for she is an enigma that he’s learned to read in the spaces between her spoken words, but he’s pressed to think that her expression is not one solely of contemplation. “Quite the quick development, aye?”

“Yeah, well, he loves me, and he loves my son, and he popped the question after just six months of dating.” Her eyes go somewhere far away, and Killian wants to reach for her, wants to ask how she really feels about all this, but he knows the question won’t be appreciated. So he quietly sips his hot chocolate and waits for her to continue. “And I said yes.” She smiles when she finishes, but he can still see that it doesn’t quite reach her eyes, doesn’t match the luster of emotion she achieves when she talks of her son or her friends.

“Sounds perfect,” he tells her, ignoring the lie and ignoring the way she looks like she knows he’s lying.

To distract them both, he regales her with stories of being a front-runner in a house band, giving her all the gossip he can think of and enjoying the way she laughs. His stories range from the absurd to the sappy, and they talk for hours beyond what he meant to stay. It’s only once he glances at the clock that he realizes how much he’s overstayed her invitation for a quick drink.

“Apologies, love. I had no intentions of keeping you up so late.”

Emma’s eyes widen when she takes her own look at the time. “Oh! No, not your fault. I didn’t realize how late it was. If you weren’t here I’d probably just be watching Netflix. I usually have pretty bad insomnia. Drives Walsh nuts when he’s here.”

“I’m a bit of a night owl. Can’t say I’d be doing much different if I were at home.”

“Well, thanks for everything. Maybe if you’re not busy tomorrow after Granny’s retirement party, we can hang out again?”

“I like the sound of that, Swan. It’s a plan.”

-x-

A few weeks after their tentative friendship really starts to solidify, Killian gets a phone call from Emma. It’s a week night, and late at that, with no parties or events that require the band’s services, so he only has plans to work his way through some of the movie recommendations that Emma had given him. Immediately, he can tell from her voice that things are not okay.

“Swan?”

“You can say no if you’re busy but I could really use a friend right now.”

“What’s the matter?”

“It’ll probably be easier to explain in person.”

“You’re worrying me, love.”

“It’s nothing to worry about,” she huffs out, her voice hitching on a hiccupped sigh. “If you’re free, though, it’s not something I can really talk to Henry about yet and you seem like you’d understand.”

That first half of that last statement makes his stomach drop. Emma doesn’t keep anything from Henry, and his mind auto-populates a list of things she wouldn’t deem appropriate to discuss with her son at this time. Even as he tells her he’ll be over soon and throws on a pair of jeans, he’s worrying through the list. Is it an illness? A sexual matter? A sexually transmitted matter? A pregnancy?

By the time he makes it to her doorstep, he’s worked himself into a mental frenzy, and he’s momentarily heartbroken at the possibility that Emma is going through something she can’t share with the one person who has shared everything since he was born. It’s even worse when she pulls open the door, her eyes reddened and puffy, her nose in a similar state, but she cracks a smile when she sees him there, thanking him for coming over as she ushers him inside out of the nearly-winter chill that’s settled over Storybrooke.

“I’m sorry for calling you over so late,” she says, her voice hushed, and Killian realizes that Henry is likely in bed down the hall.

“Anytime, Swan. You know that. Now what’s the matter? I’ve thought up at least ten different awful scenarios and I don’t like any of them.”

“It’s probably not something you came up with. It’s something I can barely believe actually happened,” she mutters, nodding her head in the direction of the living room. She follows him in shortly, carrying two mugs. They’ve grown accustomed to their routines, and that includes Emma’s hot chocolate and Killian’s tea, steeped just the way he prefers.

She lifts the mug to her lips to sip, and that’s the first time Killian notices that she’s not wearing her ring. She sees him scrutinizing the empty finger but she still takes her time with her drink.

“Swan.”

“Walsh won’t be moving in with me,” she finally says as she settles the mug onto its designated coaster. “And I’m going to need your advice on how to cancel all the wedding plans.”

Killian can see how hard she’s trying to hold it together. Through her statements, her voice only wavered once, and even showing that much perceived weakness is probably too much for her. It’s because of how she handles her emotions that he takes an extra moment to think about how he’s going to respond.

“We can start handling anything you’re ready to in the morning,” he tells her, making sure to look her straight in the eye and keeping any of his personal views about the end of her engagement to himself.

It was the right thing to say, apparently, as she deflates a little in her spot, sinking back into her couch and wrapping her arms around her knees. He wants to reach out, to offer the physical comfort that he’s so used to giving to friends, but he stops himself. He may be able to read her expressions and her body language, but he has no idea the boundaries that exist involving Emma and touch that she doesn’t initiate. So he tries to give her a comforting smile and waits for her to tell him anything else she’s willing to disclose.

The tale comes out slowly, as she describes the weird behavior and the reluctance to move to Storybrooke. That day, when Henry was with his father and Emma had a rare night off, she drove to see Walsh, hoping to finally talk him into limiting his commute to once a month, and instead she found a paper trail of illegal activity, and Walsh’s inability to look her in the eye before he knew she knew.

“You know me and my superpower,” she says, twisting her empty mug between her hands. “I could tell he was lying before he even started making up the excuses. I told him he could clean up his act or I would turn him in.”

“And what did he say?”

“Well, everything he said after a point can and will be used against him in a court of law. So, I grabbed the whole three things I ever kept at his place and left the ring, since it was probably bought with dirty money anyways.”

He thinks he apologizes, or says something of a comforting nature, but all he really knows is that Walsh is the biggest wanker in the history of the universe. He has no other responses, so he neutrally holds his arm aloft in an easy invitation for a hug, and tries not to find personal enjoyment out of the fact that she takes him up on this offer.

“I don’t know what to tell Henry,” she mumbles against his shoulder. “Or how to tell everyone, really. But I managed to hold myself together when I picked him up from Neal’s after leaving the city.”

“I don’t know what to tell you about them, but I’ll take care of all the wedding details if you wish.”

“Yeah, I don’t really see going back on that decision. Since he’s unlikely to make bail any time soon, I think it’s a dead relationship.”

He fights another smile at her wry tone, and shrugs when she does.

-x-

The process of helping Emma set up her wedding had been a fun adventure, namely because he’d gotten to spend all that time with her. He doesn’t want to admit it, but cancelling her wedding is fun, because now she’s not going to be married to a bloody fool.

Because he’s Killian, and because everyone knows who he is, it’s no trouble at all for him to call or visit the various vendors for Emma’s wedding and talk them out of keeping the deposits.

That Friday at the hall, a myriad of bouquets show up for Emma, delivered in random batches throughout the evening. Killian can’t help but smile as he sees her astonishment as they keep rolling in. With each new colorful bundle of blooms, she lights up, her face contorting into a pouting smile as each vendor that would’ve been putting her wedding together in a couple weeks sends their condolences.

At the end of the night, she shoves a random assortment of the flowers at him; it looks like one from each bouquet, but they’re beautiful all mixed together.

“Consider this payment for getting all my deposits back,” she says, handing them over and giving him a bright smile.

“All part of my job, I suppose,” he says, accepting the flowers and setting them on top of one of the amps until he’s done cleaning up. As he winds another cord around his arm, he expects Emma to go back to her cleaning, but she lingers for a moment until he looks back up at her.

“And maybe an invitation to come over after we’re both done working?”

“That can be arranged, I believe.” He smiles genially at her, noticing not for the first time the way she bites her lip and smiles back. If his heart beats a little extra at the way she looks at him, he does his best to ignore it in the face of remaining a good friend. And no good friend deserves to have a man following her around with hearts in his eyes just after a broken engagement.

As the months go by and they get closer to a year of knowing each other, Killian does his best to keep that respectable distance with Emma. They still hang out, they watch movies, they go to dinner, he has a blast with Henry whenever he spends time with the lad, and he does his best to ignore how absolutely enamored he is with Emma Swan.

“What the bloody hell do I do?” he asks the heavens one night, hoping for some kind of answer – from a higher power, from Milah, from the damn weather if it’ll give him one – but nothing comes of it. Nothing answers him, except for the silence of the night and the beating of his heart, so he goes about just trying to do his best.

The next gig at the hall is a wedding anniversary, which for some reason never bothered him the same way receptions did. He’s thankful for a new repertoire of songs he’s been working on, so that when the happy couple celebrating their ten years together asks for “Longing to Belong,” he’s happy to pull out his rarely used ukulele and oblige.

As the couple dances and he plays and sings, however, Killian finds his eyes drawn to the bar where Emma stands frozen as she listens to him. There’s a bottle in her hand, hovering just above the trash can she’s meant to throw it in. In some cliche way, the world around them stops. No longer are there other people in the hall; to him it is empty except for the two of them, and the way she’s staring at him, and the way he’s singing directly to her. His heart clenches painfully as he realizes how close to the truth the lyrics are, and it’s that which finally forces him to close his eyes, finishing the song lost in the darkness he’s been locked away in for so long now.

By the time he opens them again, Emma is back to work, and except for what he thinks might be a little color on her cheeks, she looks as if nothing happened just then. With a whoosh of relief, he calls for them to take a brief break and steps into the restroom to pull himself together.

The limits of Emma’s pretending that they didn’t have a moment stretch blissfully far. They go on with their daily lives as if there was nothing of consequence that came from a look, which Killian is grateful for. He never believed he would ever feel for a woman again the way he felt for Milah, but now that he’s faced with the actuality of that happening, he wishes for nothing but normality while he comes to grips with his own emotions.

There are moments, however, that Killian wonders if she’s really pushed the moment from her mind or if there’s something more riding beneath her exterior. It’s how he knows she interacts with him both in public and private, compared to how she interacts with David or August. There’s a cautionary affection in her gestures: her hand on his arm, her proximity when they watch movies or chat afterhours.

There’s also a longing in himself to explore what this could become, but with his own deep wounds and her still recovering from a broken engagement, he hesitates. And waits.

He’s at the hall early one day, tuning his instruments for the next show when Henry wanders in and straight to him.

“Mom says you have the best voice she’s ever heard,” he says bluntly, in that way that only children can. There’s no ulterior motives - the lad merely wants to make a statement.

“Is that right?”

Henry hums his agreement, tilting his head to the side in a way so reminiscent of Emma that Killian grins at the similarities. Killian holds the acoustic guitar towards Henry.

“You wanna give it a go?”

The wide eyes and slightly frightened expression only stick around for a moment before Henry nods enthusiastically and sits down on the edge of the small stage. Killian kneels and helps him carefully loop the strap over his shoulder and settles the instruments in his hands and lap.

“You put this hand over here. And this one is what you use to strum the instrument. Would you like to try a chord?” With yet another brain-jarring nod, Killian smiles wider and positions Henry’s fingers on the different frets and strings. “Okay, now take your thumb and glide it along each string starting from the top.”

His little thumb pops along each note and he just about lights up the room when he’s done.

“Good, now do it faster.”

Henry listens avidly as Killian instructs him until he’s strumming the chord easily.

“I do believe you’re a natural, lad.”

At the praise, Henry’s whole demeanor changes to another thing he holds similar with his mother: he turns bashful, his face puckering into a shy smile as he ducks his head over the instrument to play the chord again. He fiddles around for another second before looking up at Killian with all his eleven-year-old wisdom.

“I think my mom likes you,” he says, again with the straight-forwardness of a child.

Killian does his best to keep his expression neutral, but it’s a close call. “And why do you think that?”

“She talks about you a lot. Like, more than she ever talked about Walsh. And every time I come home from visiting my dad, she tells me how she hung out with you the whole time, and she doesn’t like spending time with anyone that isn’t me, or Uncle David and Aunt Mary Margaret.”

Killian sincerely doubts that all of this leads up to some grand crush on Emma’s behalf, but he’s willing to humor Henry and at least let the boy dream.

“And whenever she comes home from working, she sings. And mom never sings because some older girl was really mean to her when she sang when she was little.”

This piece of information, however, makes him pause. “Oh really? And what’s her favorite song to sing?”

“I don’t know the name of it, but it sounds like…” Here, Henry hums a few bars, and Killian huffs out a laugh as the familiar tune of “Longing to Belong” comes out. “So yeah, I think she likes you. And I think you like her.”

“And what do you think about that?”

Henry shrugs, concentrating again on putting his fingers back where Killian had placed them earlier and strumming the guitar, but Killian can see the smile stretching across Henry’s lips.

“Aye, well, why don’t I show you another chord, hm?”

He loses track of time, only becoming aware that it’s closer to the start of the event when a box of liquor hitting the bar startles him. He turns to find Emma staring at the pair of them huddled over the guitar, and he smiles as he ducks his head, especially with the way Emma focuses in on her son switching carefully back and forth between the two chords he’s already picked up.

“Henry, Mary Margaret will be here to pick you up in a few minutes,” she says as she approaches, which makes the boy groan in disappointment.

“Can Killian teach me how to play guitar?”

“That depends on if Killian wants to teach you how to play guitar,” she replies, lifting an eyebrow in question directed at Killian.

“Aye, lad. We’ll sort out the details later. I’d be honored to take you on as my apprentice.”

He barely manages to save the guitar from bobbling right to the ground with the enthusiasm Henry exudes when he stands to hug him, and still he ends up seated on the floor with the instrument in his lap as Henry’s arms wrap around his shoulders.

There’s a brand new sensation as he tries to absorb the joy of one so young, a new stab of pain that reminds him that he once wanted children of his own. Then Henry is slipping free from Killian’s grasp and hugging his mother around the waist. Before he can say another word, Henry is off to be collected by his aunt and Killian is still just a little stunned and sitting on the floor.

“You okay there?” Emma asks quietly, reaching her hand out to him to help him up. The concern on her face is noticeable, but he knows there aren’t words to fully express his feelings about what just occurred. So he smiles, instead, and lets her help him up.

As a bit of a test, he doesn’t move away as soon as he’s standing, nor does he release her hand. Instead, he keeps a loose hold so she can break it if she wants as he sways into her orbit. “Perfectly fine, Swan. More than fine. Your boy is a marvel, just like his mother.” His voice is a little softer than usual, and he notices the flirtatious edge in his voice - hopes that Emma notices it, too.

By the way she swallows, her eyes trained on the way his lips turn up, he’s inclined to think she’s observed this change in demeanor. Further testing, he thinks, may be in order.

In the weeks that follow, Killian takes to singing directly at Emma during lyrics that make him think of her, and he stops being surprised when she’s looking at him each time.

A month after his chat with Henry, he’s outside taking in the air during his break when the door eases open behind him. By the care in the gesture to avoid the squeaky hinge, he knows it’s Emma, but he waits for her to approach him.

The last few weeks have been tense - a delicate dance of the two of them testing the boundaries of flirting and teasing - just barely hints to let him know he’s not alone. In every gesture, he can sense Emma’s hesitation, and he’s just as happy taking his time as she is.

“You sound really good tonight,” she comments, moving along the wall to sit on the fire escape as usual. He turns his head and smiles, nodding at her in thanks.

“It’s a group effort,” he insists, rubbing the back of his neck as he feels a bashful flush bloom up to his ears.

“Henry is at his dad’s for the weekend. Wanna come over and see what’s on Netflix? David brought me a bottle of wine that they got at some vineyard tour last week, and I rarely drink alone.”

“Red or white?”

“There’s a picture of a kitten riding a unicorn on the label. Does it matter?”

He has absolutely no real response, so he shrugs in acquiescence. “Surely not, with that kind of description.”

It’s later than usual when they get to Emma’s apartment. The long night dragged even longer when there was an incident involving an entire tray of prawns ending up in the dishwasher. It was a team event to make sure the mess was cleaned and everyone else’s stations were tidied for the end of the day, hence it’s nearly midnight when they get back to her place. It’s no surprise then, that they’re more than a little slap-happy. While he follows her to her door, he manages to catch the aforementioned bottle of wine as it slips from under her arm as she wrestles with her pocket to release her keys.

Killian holds it aloft victoriously, grinning with triumph as Emma’s jaw drops before she laughs at it all.

“Good catch, Jones. Thank you!” She turns as she finally frees her keychain, giving him an unreadable look as she unlocks it and leads the way. She closes the door after he enters, hanging her keys up on the hook and kicking off her shoes. He follows suit, feeling the flirtation kick up a notch - maybe due to the length of time he’s had a silly crush on this woman or due to the length of the day - but either way, it prompts him to be more forward than he would under other circumstances.

“Well,” he says, “perhaps a little gratitude is in order.” He takes the hand that’s not holding the wine, rubbing behind his ear in a last fit of nerves before he taps his lips with that same finger.

Emma stops, her expression one of intrigue and amusement as her hand stays lifted halfway between them from where she was reaching for the bottle of wine. “Yeah, that’s what the ‘thank you’ was for.”

Some unused part of his youth comes back as he swaggers just a little closer. “Is that all your wine is worth to you?”

She’s fixated on his movements, her eyes drawn to his lips and the obvious invitation. This could be the start of something, or at least worth a good laugh later on. “Please, you couldn’t handle it,” she says after a moment, but she’s forgotten about the wine and has moved just infinitesimally closer.

He believes she’s right, but he’s unable to stop himself from that one last retort. “Perhaps you’re the one who couldn’t handle it,” he says, the ‘t’ popping more than he intended, the entire scenario something he would’ve used in his early twenties to pick up a woman from the bar after a gig. But here he is, holding his breath, staring at Emma as her eyes flit between his eyes and his lips.

There’s a moment where he thinks she’ll knock them both to the floor with the force of her momentum, but her lips are on his before he can even fully comprehend that this is a thing that is happening to him - that the wine bottle has safely fallen to the carpeted floor below, that Emma’s hands are gripping his jacket collar so tight that he’s worried for her fingers and the fabric in equal turns, that her lips taste sweet like the energy drink she finished before they exited her car. His hand ends up tangled in her hair, the other wrapped around her waist to hold her tight to him.

He wants to crawl into this moment forever, especially with the intensity of it all. First kisses are usually reserved and shy, tender in their newness. Emma must not have gotten that memo, breaking away to gulp in a breath of air before she’s right back there with her mouth on his. Of course, this isn’t their first kiss, not if the coat closet is to be counted. That was a little different: two drunk adults in a reception hall needing the comfort of another human’s touch in a moment of weakness pales in comparison to two sober adults with feelings for each other in the privacy of one of their homes…

The moment has to end, though. Surely, this can’t go on forever. And when it does? Killian worries that when she pulls back she’ll kick him out or tell him that it was a one time thing. He’s very secure in the way he feels about Emma, but his own insecurity makes him worry this is closer to their real first kiss than a progressive change in their relationship.

“That was…” he gets out, his chest tight and his voice quiet.

Whatever response he was expecting, it wasn’t that Emma would cut off his statement with her lips pressed to his again, and it isn’t long before her hands are wandering under his jacket to push it off his shoulders. She steers him into the apartment, bypassing the couch where they would’ve watched Netflix until the wee hours of morning, instead moving down the hall towards her bedroom.

They pause just outside the door as Emma pulls him against her, and it’s only then that he fully recognizes how turned on he is, and so does she by the way she gasps, gripping him by the hips to pull him even closer. He needs no further encouragement to line them up a little better, building a steady thrust pattern against her, adjusting according to the noises she makes and the way her eyes flutter shut when he gets it just right.

“Fuck,” she whispers out, as if afraid that if she speaks too loud that the spell will break.

He knows how she feels. That’s not to say he doesn’t seize the moment for all it’s worth, in case it does turn out to be a dream, and he finds himself kissing a path down her neck even as he quietly inquires if she’s sure. Her hand is steady as it buries in his hair, gripping and pulling him back so they’re eye to eye.

“Positive,” is all she bothers to say before she kisses him again, propelling them into the room and towards the bed as she proceeds to kiss the bloody hell out of him.

They land on her mattress, a heap of pent up desire and shedding clothes, and it’s only once her hand grazes his bare thigh that he realizes just how fast they’ve sped forward.

“Wait, wait,” he manages to squeeze out, just as her body moves again and she’s straddling him. She’s down to underwear - sensible looking things that she wears under her work clothes that strongly suggest she wasn’t expecting this to happen, either, but that still take his breath away - and so it takes his brain a minute to remember that he’s meant to be speaking, that he should be saying something about jumping into this too fast. “Swan, I don’t want - I mean I do...want, very much,” and he groans as she shifts in her spot, rubbing deliciously against his erection through their remaining garments.

“I like you,” he finally manages to say, reaching up to run his fingers through the strands of hair that have fallen out of the ponytail she pulled up halfway through the event tonight and caress her cheek. “Very much. And I don’t want to just sleep with you and go back to where we were, or worse - never speak to you again afterwards.”

She leans into Killian’s touch, and she nods and bends to kiss him again, much softer this time, much like the kind of first kiss he’s always known. She doesn’t speak, there are no words of reassurance and he thinks he should worry about that, but her hands come up to frame his face and he somehow understands that this is all she can give him for the moment. As his hand trails up and down her spine, he accepts this offer, hoping that eventually she’ll be able to vocalize all that she can’t say right now.

Their momentum gains again, moving full force even as Killian’s heart stutters to a stop when she reaches beneath his boxers to stroke his cock with a light grip. It’s been ages - too long by most people’s standards but just a long dry spell in his own books at this point - but still long enough with just his own hand as his companion that the touch feels pleasurably out of this world. He begins his own journey of touch, slipping his hand beneath yellow cotton and mapping the landscape of her sex with his fingers. She sighs and melts into him when he finds her clit, his pressure still light and exploratory to start.

They both gain courage as the minutes pass, as their own arousal and passion ramps up the longer they touch. He swiftly turns and lays her out on the bed, moving down her body with a sudden need to taste her. While she gasps when she hits the mattress, she encourages him along as soon as her initial shock dissipates, pushing down her underwear and leaning up briefly to remove her bra before getting comfortable. If Emma Swan is nothing else, she’s a woman who knows what she wants.

Killian takes it as a matter of pride that he’s between her thighs for less than five minutes before she’s calling his name, one hand buried in his hair and the other gripping the bedspread beneath her, her thighs tight around his face while she climaxes before going lax and falling limply to the bed. He places one more kiss to her navel before working his way up her body, taking some time to meet her breasts before she pulls him back up for a lazy, post-orgasm kiss.

Emma hums in satisfaction, working her hands beneath his boxers and pushing them down his hips. He hovers over her, letting her remove the garment for him, eliciting a gasp from him when her hands smooth over the back of his thighs. That’s far enough, in his opinion, because he settles further between her legs, letting the head of his cock glide against her skin. Even as warm as she is, the sensation still feels cool to his overheated, over-sensitive flesh.

“Killian?”

“Hmm?”

“I’d really like you to fuck me right now,” she tells him, her voice husky and quiet. He can feel his cock jump against her skin, and he dips low to let his mouth linger with hers, to let his tongue slide against hers before he catches her bottom lip between his teeth.

“As you wish,” he says after he releases it, and she takes that as her cue to contort and stretch, reaching for the drawers beside her bed to pull out a pack of condoms. She rips one from the line, throwing the rest and the box back on the nightstand. He takes it as a good sign that she also feels one round might not be enough.

For a moment, he forgets what the goal is - forgets what the endgame is all about - because Emma is radiant. Her hair is a messy halo all around her head, her skin still flushed with arousal and her minimal makeup just barely smudged. She bites her lip as she concentrates, and suddenly he remembers exactly what they’re doing when he feels her roll the condom down the length of him. He leans down to bury his face in her neck and hair, nipping at the skin as she gives a good, long stroke down to the base and back up. Her name comes out a hoarse murmur against her skin as she moves to do it again, but he moves away from her grasp.

He teases her, rubbing his cock between her lips to work up some lubrication. By the leisurely way she stretches and arches off the bed, she’s enjoying the functional provocation. A noise of disappointment escapes her when he moves away, but he only settles onto his haunches, leaning back before coaxing her towards him.

“Come here,” he urges, slipping her legs on either side of his hips and planting her feet flat on the bed. “Bridge up for me, love.” She obliges, lifting her hips up toward him, and he smirks. “Perfect.” His hands anchor on her hips, pulling her forward as he slowly thrusts into her. Her back arches all the way off the bed with each inch, until just her head is holding her up as her hands move to grasp her breasts. She maintains the position even as he starts to thrust in earnest, and her volume rises the more she begins to clench around him.

She’s exquisite - wanton and aroused, taking control of her own pleasure as she commands his speed and depth. He just holds on for the ride, quite literally by the way his fingers are digging into her skin, but releases the hold on one hip to move his fingers to her clit.

The sharp cry she gives at that encourages him on, and he lifts his fingers briefly to his mouth to wet them before sliding them back across the same spot. When his name becomes a chant, he knows it’s only a matter of moments before she unravels, so he does his best to keep up with her. It’s around the time she crests her own climax that he speeds up, his body moving with instinct towards his own pleasure even as she’s settling down from hers.

He wraps his arms around her waist, holding her to keep her in the same spot so she can ride out her orgasm as his takes over. With one last groan that turns into her name, he finally pitches forward to let her fall to the bed, just managing to land to the side of her so as not to smother her.

“Shit,” she says, breathless with her chest heaving. “Shit,” she repeats, before turning towards him and giving him a flurry of kisses. She chuckles at the stunned look on his face, pushing his hair off his forehead as she looks down at him. “That was incredible.”

“Aye,” he manages to say as he struggles to even out his breathing. It feels as if his heart could beat right out of his chest and he’s not sure it will ever be steady again. “Beyond any words I can think to describe it right now.”

They settle in against each other in the afterglow, all soft kisses and gentle caresses as their bodies come down from the ultimate high. Killian manages to kick his boxers off the rest of the way, having forgotten they were even there until he goes to shift his legs and finds himself trapped.

“How long’s it been?” she asks, the quiet of early morning settling around them like the blankets they manage to pull up to haphazardly cover themselves. She fits in his arms like a dream, one of her legs thrown over his to press her closer.

“Long time, Swan. Long time.” He smiles after he says it, meeting her steady gaze and leaning forward to kiss her on the forehead after a pause. She leans up to capture his lips once more, humming into it as she does. He is curious, though. “How long have you been thinking about doing all that to me?”

“Long time, Jones. Long time,” she echoes, caressing his cheek one more time before she shifts her head to the pillow and drifts off with a serene smile. Even after she falls asleep, Killian strokes his hand along her back, reveling in the smooth skin along her spine. He keeps up the motion until he falls asleep, marveling at the fact that it’s been so long since he shared a bed, and yet, it’s surprisingly easy to slip into dreams with Emma beside him.

Killian wakes in the morning to the other side of the bed empty, and he takes a moment to stretch and rub at his eyes before trying to decide what course of action to take. There’s that ultimate fear in the pit of his stomach that maybe it wasn’t so smart of them to rush right into bed the night before, and maybe Emma thought so, too, and that’s why she isn’t beside him.

But he’s just made the decision to get out of the bed and search for his boxers when Emma eases back into the room wearing naught but the shirt she slipped from his shoulders the night before.

“Hi,” she manages. A breathless little exclamation in surprise of seeing him out of bed, perhaps? Or was it the fact that he hadn’t quite gotten his boxers up yet, and she’s getting a bit of an eyeful? She crowds into his space, rubbing her hands up his chest to his shoulders, then back down to push the undergarment back away from where he was sliding it to his hips. “Good morning,” she says, this time in a sultry tone that speaks volumes of her current state of mind.

“Morning, love. I was just coming to find you.” He eases his hands under the shirt to find her bare beneath it, and the sigh stutters in his throat as her lips trail across his collarbones.

“You found me,” she murmurs, her hands feathering back up his body to wrap over his shoulders. “Wanna find me again before we maybe go out and find some breakfast?”

Instead of a response, Killian just chuckles, letting his actions speak for him as he lifts her and places her back on the bed.

It’s at least an hour later when he’s struggling to remember what year it is, or if he has any lessons scheduled for the day. Emma is stretched out beside him, looking like she’s going through a similar struggle, but with a blissful smile on her face.

“You know, I wanted to feel bad about rushing into the whole sex thing before even asking you on a date, but after that performance, I just don’t think I can.”

“Likewise, Swan. But speaking of which,” he remarks, turning on his side to face her, letting his fingertips glide across the smooth skin of her stomach and delighting in the line of goosebumps that follow. “Will you go out with me?” He dumps every ounce of sincerity and hope into his expression, laid bare before her not just in skin but in emotions, and Emma stares at him for a full minute before gently pulling him down to seal their agreement with her lips pressed to his.

“Let’s start with breakfast,” she says, but checks the clock she has hanging on the wall by the door. “Okay, brunch. Let’s start with brunch, and then we can decide on a real date.”

“Aye, sounds like a solid plan.”

If her smile could light up the room, he’s sure his own is just as blinding. All said, though, it’s not the worst expression he’s ever worn before, and he could certainly get used to it.

-x-

While everyone finds out pretty fast that they’re seeing each other, it still takes time to get used to the fact that he’s dating Emma, that he gets to kiss her at his leisure, that he gets to fall asleep with her in his arms more often than not. It takes time for them to admit the true depth of their feelings.

Emma blurts it out one night before handing him his water, and Robin drags him away to the stage before he has a chance to respond. Each time he glances at the bar during the night, she’s not looking at him, and he can see how tense she is even from this far away. Clearly, by body language alone, she was not quite ready to vocalize her emotions.

He waits. There’s no time or privacy for him to return any kind of sentiments while they’re working, so he waits until the night is over and the rest of the hall has gone silent and empty. He sends everyone else on their way, making a quick deal with Anton, the security guard tasked with locking up at the end of the night.

Then, with the lights dimmed and his ukulele in hand, Killian takes the stage for a short, private performance. Emma walks in with her eyebrows drawn, having just been told by Anton to come find him, but she stops as soon as she sees him under the low lighting. Her expression softens, a smile creeping across her lips as she slowly moves forward while his hands start playing the familiar chords, and really anything that comes after is icing on the cake as far as he’s concerned.

Because seeing that smile, the one she keeps reserved just for him, is even better than hearing the words.

#cs ff #cs ff au #captain swan ff #sarah writes ff #wedding singer au #au week 2016 #lol

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lesbianuravity · 7 years ago

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A RIOTT, A BARON, and a GRAVE!

When you get the opportunity to interview a superstar from WWE, you jump on the opportunity. When you get the chance to photograph and interview three WWE Superstars, you get on the phone and book one of your best photographers and writers and have them fly 3,000 miles across the country to find their way backstage at the Staples Center in Los Angeles…and that’s exactly what we did!So, from the safety of your homesit back and get “personal” with Ruby Riott, Baron Corbin and Corey Graves.

INKED: You are one of the most tattooed personalities in WWE, when did you get your first tattoo? COREY GRAVES: I was 15 years old and my parents used it as a bargaining tool to get my grades up. It worked I got straight A’s and a tattoo right on the outside of my calf. It’s a cross, and I have known at least 10 different people that have the exact same one.

How was your transition from Superstar to commentator? It was tough, but I had no choice. If I wanted to survive here I had to make my way and fully embrace it. It was a long and difficult transition, but now I love it, and I can’t think of doing anything else.

What is your favorite part about hosting WWE Superstar Ink? I love getting to hear the back stories about the tattoos from the guys and ladies on the show. I love the tattoo industry and I have spent a lot of my time in that world and it’s always interesting to find out the meaning behind why people get the tattoos they get.

You worked in a tattoo shop. Were you a wrestler during that time? Yes, I was a wrestler during that time. I worked in a tattoo shop as a piercer for about seven years to support my wrestling habit. It was a great job, and the people I met during that time are some of my best friends to this day.

Describe your personality in three words. Eclectic, sarcastic and nonsensical. How do your fans motivate you? I try to never lose sight that I was once a fan. I followed this dream to be a superstar and that’s why I am still in this business— because I love it. I try to be respectful and to never forget what makes me a fan. Do you feel like you’re living your dream? Yes, 100 percent. I am employed by WWE and I love WWE. Hopefully one day I will be the voice of WWE, and I feel like I am this generation’s voice of WWE.

How was the transition from commentator on NXT to being a commentator on Raw and SmackDown? NXT prepared me tremendously for Monday Night Raw, but the main difference is that you are live. The live element is really exciting to me because what people don’t realize is Raw and SmackDown change constantly during the day. We can have a meeting at the beginning of the day and by the time we go on the air the show can be completely different.

So, tell me what really motivates you professionally. I’ve been in the sports entertainment industry for more than half of my life. Being in WWE is so great, and I love that I have finally settled into a role that I am good at. Now, I just want to go down in history as one of the greats: like Bobby Heenan, or Jessie “The Body” Ventura or Gorilla Monsoon.

How do you define success? In my personal life, I have a beautiful wife and three amazing children, and we have a beautiful home and life together. As far as my career, I have succeeded because I never think of myself as successful. I keep grinding so I can keep getting better and keep evolving. I never want to settle.

What’s next for Corey Graves? I would love to try something outside of WWE in the entertainment world. I’m not exactly sure what that entails but it could be hosting a show or doing stand-up comedy or being in a movie. I never got into this business to be famous, but I really enjoy entertaining and the entertainment business. ———————————————————————————————————

INKED: When did your love for wrestling begin? BARON CORBIN: Believe it or not, tattoos kind of drew me in to wrestling because as a kid in Kansas City where I’m from, wrestling has such a rich history. Me and my dad would go to shows at Memorial Hall, and we would watch wrestling on TV. I was exposed to guys that were big and athletic like Bam Bam Bigelow. He had flames tattooed on his head and I thought he was just awesome and the definition of a tough guy.

You mentioned your father as a big influencer. Tell me about that. He definitely was. My dad was an iron worker, he was tough as nails. He pushed me to be the best. I always tell the story about when I was in a karate tournament and I took 4th place. They gave me a trophy and he told me people in 4th place didn’t get a trophy and he tossed it out the car window [laughing]. He helped me become very mentally tough and he pushed me to be the best person and athlete I can be.

When did know you wanted to be a professional wrestler? Definitely as a kid. At my dad’s funeral, we told the story about my mom coming home and my dad and I were having a wrestling match and the house was shaking. She said she could see it from outside. We had these big living room brawls with my brother and my dad and it was the best time ever.

Who were some of your heros in the ring when you were growing up? It goes back to Bam Bam Bigelow and Big Boss Man, and just these big guys who could really move.

When did you start getting tattoos? When I was 18 I got my very first tattoo. It’s a horrible tattoo, it’s a Japanese or Chinese symbol for strength with two weird Celtic knots. I keep thinking I’m going to get it covered up with a big back piece or something but in that moment, it stirred the pot and I just kept getting covered. Then I got a giant dragon on my thigh, and a giant tree on the back of my leg, then I started getting my chest done and then I got portraits of my grandfather and my dad. My mom hates every single one of them.

Are there any tattoos inspired by your wrestling career? Yes. The one I just got, actually. I got lobo on the back of my head/ear area and it means “wolf” in Spanish. My wife is Spanish, and I want my children to speak Spanish, and I am the Lone Wolf in WWE. Corey Graves actually gave me that name. My character rides the line of that darker world and I have a bunch of horror movie tattoos, as well as Jack the Ripper.

Tell us about Liars Club. Liars Club is my clothing line. And I have a couple of tattoo artists that help me with designs. It’s about that vibe of even though our appearance may not be acceptable we can still take over the world.

What’s next for Baron Corbin? WWE Championship all the way. That’s why I came to WWE, I want to be the WWE Champion, and I feel like everybody should want that, and if they don’t they don’t belong here. ——————————————————————————————————— INKED: You were not the high school girl jock, correct? RUBY RIOTT: I wasn’t very good at most sports growing up. I wasn’t into cheerleading or volleyball or track. I was mostly into theater. Although I am very athletic, I think the reason I didn’t play sports in high school was because there were so many rules.

Music played a big part in your life as an adolescent. Can you tell us about that? I struggled with a bit of an identity crisis when I was young. I came from a broken home because my parents divorced when I was young. So, music became my outlet and my escape. How does music influence your life today? It’s a huge part of my life, it’s part of my creative process on a daily basis. I am constantly listening to music and I have a few songs that I listen to before every match that really put me in the mind space that I need to be in.You took your name in WWE from the band Rancid’s “Ruby Soho.” What other elements of punk rock do you bring in the ring with you? Pretty much everything. My entrance is very UK punk-based. Our Riott Squad T-shirts are influenced by a Sex Pistols album. What do the fans mean to you? They are the reason I strive to do my best each time I get in the ring. SO many amazing female Superstars have come before me blazing the trail, and I feel like it’s my responsibility to show girls who may not necessarily fit in or don’t feel like they belong that they don’t have to change.Who are some of the female superstars you looked up to when you first got into the game? When I was younger I used to watch Lita and Molly Holly and Jazz. All three of them in their own way were my favorites. I was drawn to them because they were trailblazers. They looked different, they acted different, and I was hooked. You worked so hard to get to this point. Are you living your dream right now? One hundred percent, every day! I never want to take this for granted. Being able to wake up every day and have a career that I don’t even consider to be work is such a blessing. Where did you get your first tattoo? I got my first tattoo at this small hole-in-the wall tattoo shop in Mishawaka, Indiana. It’s the music notes to “What a Wonderful World’ by Louis Armstrong. It’s not very well done, but it has so much meaning because my dad used to sing that song to me when I was very young. When did your love for tattoos begin? It was around the same time that I discovered punk rock and fell in love with music. Tattoos were another way for me to express myself. I remember the first time I saw Kat Von D; I saw how much amazing artwork she had all over her body, and I knew it was something that I could relate to and wanted to get into. How many tattoos do you have? I believe I have about 26. I think! A lot of them are blended together so it may be more than that. Probably over 40 hours of work due to some of the detail. What’s next for Ruby Riott? One day I will become SmackDown Women’s Champion, and one day I will be in the grandest stage of all: WrestleMania.

#Baron Corbin #Corey Graves #Ruby Riott

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whitewolfofwinterfell · 7 years ago

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I’m just curious but why is season 6 your least favorite? My favorite is season 6. I’m so interested in knowing how people view content so differently so I would really like to know! :) I hope your having a good day/night!

Hey! First of all, thank you for being so lovely and respectful to ask for my opinion. I’m exactly the same as you and love to find out how/why people view things so differently to me, it’s all part of the fun!

There isn’t one specific reason season 6 is my least favourite, it’s a combination of factors really, so please bear with me, because this will be long and probably messy because I suck at structuring my thoughts cohesively in posts like this.

I think the biggest reason season 6 is my least favourite is that it’s so sloppy. Continuity was never the show’s strong point but season 6 felt like it was lacking in direction. When I was making the gifset of the season for the 30 day challenge I struggled to choose gifs because I couldn’t find specific ones that best displayed the overall story and main plots for that season. The main story-line that carried throughout season 6 was Chris’ and that’s another reason why the season is my least favourite.

I know that a large part of why season 6 is so popular is because fans love Chris’ character, but I think his entire story-line was handled terribly. It had a lot of potential, but it was so obvious that the writers didn’t really know what to do with him and didn’t have an actual plan, they were just making it up as they went along. That’s where the continuity issues come into play. There were so many plot holes in this story-line and so much ambiguity about the dark future that Chris came from. If Piper died when Chris was 13 (or 14, I can’t remember exactly) and Leo was never around who took care of him? If Wyatt was evil and living in the manor where did the rest of the family live? How the hell is it that the sisters didn’t find a way to save Wyatt? I just don’t believe that in any version of any reality the sisters wouldn’t find a way to save him. Every obstacle the sisters ever came up against they defeated and there’s no way they would have ever given up on Wyatt. We saw how much they worked their asses off to keep him safe in seasons 5-8, so it made no sense. Chris’ actions and behaviour also made very little sense and came across as bad/evil. Why did he send Leo to Valhalla? Just look at the damage doing that caused, it teared his family apart, broke his mother’s heart, left little Wyatt without a father and put the entire family in jeopardy. Why did he use Gith to create alternate realities that put all of the sister’s lives in danger once again? There was nothing to gain from doing that and even if he didn’t intend for them to die and tried to save them, his intentions are illogical and hardly pure. Everything about the way Chris handled things was flawed. If he was coming back from the future to stop Wyatt turning evil as he claimed why not come right out and tell the sisters and Leo that? He clearly wasn’t capable of taking on such a huge task by himself and he needed their help. It’s not like them having knowledge of the future was harmful, because they found out in the end anyway, so there was really no reason for Chris to withhold the truth in the first place. Generally, the story-line just wasn’t very well thought out.

Because it wasn’t well thought out, I also ended up disliking the way Chris was treated by the family and the relationships that he developed with them. The family treated him like absolute shit until they learned who he really was and suddenly they loved him unconditionally. Why did he have to be their blood before they started treating him with love and respect? The show tried to force Chris to be a part of the family and show us that he finally found a place he belonged, but I never believed it. It felt rushed and un-organic, and all of those issues Chris had due to the life he’d lived were never really resolved. He was so damaged due to Leo’s abandonment, Piper’s death, living in Wyatt’s shadow, growing up in a life consumed with evil that he wouldn’t just magically be okay the way he was. It was lazy to write him that way. Also, the ending to this story-line was incredibly unsatisfying and rushed. After everything Chris went through he died. Just like that? What the hell was the point of that? Essentially, the season was coming to an end and the writers had no further use for him so knew they had to get rid of him, but that was a very harsh ending. Not only did he die, he literally faded into nothing. Where did he go? If they saved Wyatt from evil that means the future changed and technically that version of Chris never existed, so he quite literally just stopped existing. That’s too sad.

Moving away from Chris and his story-line, I also disliked the sisters individual character arcs. Paige spent the entirety of season 5 trying to discover herself, but season 6 started out the exact same way with her temp jobs. Why give her the exact same arc she had in season 5? I did like that she got more in touch with her whitelighter side in season 6, but once again, she’d already started to do that in season 5 in Sam, I Am. Her relationship with Richard was pointless and did nothing for her character. From the very start that relationship felt volatile and unhealthy. Richard had too many problems and instead of trying to heal himself, he projected it all onto Paige by trying to make their relationship perfect to act as a band aid for how broken he was. Phoebe’s arc in the first half of season 6 felt exactly the same as season 5. It was about her career and relationship with Jason. Hyde School Reunion was probably the best Phoebe episode in terms of showing us how far she’d come, but Phoebe didn’t get the attention and time she deserved in season 6 at all. I also disliked what they did to her in the second half of the season by taking away her powers and making her obsessed with having children. I have no idea where that sudden obsession came from and it didn’t seem to fit with Phoebe’s character at all. Piper’s arc was what you’d expect of any female character that is a mother and was very wrapped up in Wyatt and Chris, which I can’t criticise. However, I don’t like what happened to her relationship with Leo. I was furious that she didn’t tell Leo she was pregnant with Chris and I generally didn’t like the complete lack of communication between them in season 6. Even if they weren’t together, they were parents and I feel like Piper and Leo were both the kind of people that would prioritise that above everything. Remaining on this subject, Leo was completely OOC in this season. Are we really supposed to believe he would be an absentee father that didn’t bother with his kids? I don’t think so. Yes, he was an honourable person that was duty bound and that’s why he left to be an Elder, but when push came to shove Leo was the kind of man that would give up everything in a heartbeat for his family, which The Seven Year Witch proved. I do like what they did with Leo in regards to making his character darker, and in fact, I think that was the best character arc of season 6. Leo was always such a level-headed character, but after what he went through in season 6 it made sense for him to go to the dark side, especially since it was connected to his children. Leo was a fierce father first and foremost and that consumed him in season 6.

Some other things that make me dislike the season - the introduction of Magic School (again, a good idea in theory, but it just didn’t fit and appeared out of no where), the treatment of Darryl (I still can’t watch Crimes and Witch Demeanors, it upsets me too much) and the lack of sisterly moments (the sisters are at the heart of the show for me and this is the first season I felt that was sidelined and forgotten). I don’t know what it is, but I just don’t like the entire vibe of season 6. It doesn’t feel like Charmed to me. There was a lack of togetherness and the sisters didn’t feel like themselves. I am also guilty of making comparisons between season 6 and the previous season. I love season 5 and what was built in that season - Piper and Leo’s relationship was strong and happy and they went through a beautiful process of becoming parents after wanting it for so long; Phoebe finally moved on from Cole, launched her career and matured in a new way; Paige found her place within the family, honed her craft and rediscovered herself. The family were a strong, cohesive unit that were loving and supportive, and all of them had their own journey’s in that season. When I compare this to season 6, season 6 didn’t manage to achieve any of that and actually derailed the development and progress that had been made in season 5.

Lastly, season 6 is my least favourite season simply because it has the episodes I enjoy the least. Every season of Charmed has it’s brilliant episodes and it’s not so good episodes but season 6 has the highest number of episodes that make me go “meh.” The only episodes I actually like watching from season 6 are: Valhalley of the Dolls, Little Monsters, Spin City and It’s a Bad, Bad, Bad World.

So yeah, that’s why season 6 is my least favourite season of Charmed. Thanks for stopping by to ask my opinion and I hope I didn’t bore you too much haha. I’d be interested to know why it’s your favourite season. Perhaps you can help me to find more positives in this season and see something in it that I may have overlooked :)

#answered #my meta #charmed meta

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blakes-adventures · 6 years ago

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My Top 20 Sad Songs Of All Time

I’d like to preface this article with the fact that defining if a song is actually sad or not can sometimes be hard. There are some songs left off this list that I have seen people call sad that I just don’t entirely agree with. I also want to say that I listen to a lot of music and while I believe this list is accurate there could be a song I am forgetting that would make my top 2o! Hope you enjoy the list! The Spotify playlist at the end will have more than 20 songs, any song that didn’t make the list was in contention for the list.

20. Remembering Sunday by All Time Low

In this song All Time Low depicts the picture of of a guy who likes a girl. The guy decides to not tell the girl how he feels at first and by the time he decided to say something, he is unable to find the girl. The guy thinks the girl has just disappeared but the girl has committed suicide. This is one of the songs on my list that I do not personally relate to but I have it so high because the storytelling paints a dreary picture accompanied by well written instrumentals and powerful vocals that make you feel what the guy in the song is feeling.

19. Drink a Beer by Luke Bryan

“When I got the news today, I didn’t know what to say, so I just hung up the phone. I took a walk to clear my head, this is where the walking led, can’t believe you’re really gone. Don’t feel going home.” The opening stanza to this song really captures how I felt that day. The day my best friend died. It was freshman year of college, I last saw him a little over a month ago. I woke up early to go to an 8am class and after I got out of the shower I got a phone call. These opening lyrics describe the exact situation that I went through. I didn’t know what to say, all I could do was cry and cry some more. Eventually I just hung up the phone. I took a walk to clear my head, I didn’t want to talk to people. I wanted to be alone. I didn’t feel like going home. Luke Bryan’s chilling vocals over the somber beat puts an emphasis on the meaning behind the lyrics and you can tell that Luke Bryan was struggling with the death of a friend. Sometimes it can be rare to find songs that relate 100% to you but Drink a Beer pretty much does relate to me 100% in a symbolic way at least. Instead of beer it was Jesus and Music that did the best to help. They definitely were both there for me. The pain is still not completely gone and never will be as long as I’m alive on earth. But songs like this help because sometimes it’s better to remember them and the pain then to forget about them completely. I want to give a shoutout to the Pixar film Coco.

18. Small Bump by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran is a master at songwriting and one could argue he is the best modern songwriter. This song is one of his best at exemplifying those qualities. Ed Sheeran starts off the song by singing about all the wonderful aspects of life the parents will get to share with the baby once it’s born. When you listen to the song for the first time, it is easy to miss the point of the song and how sad of a song it really is. At the end of the song comes the twist, where everything he was just singing about is all hypothetical because the baby died at 4 months into pregnancy. There are not many songs off the top of my head that I can remember that tell a story but then reveal a twist at the very last second. I’ll never understand the severity of a situation like this unless it happens to me but I sympathize with these lyrics. A friend of mine had a similar situation happen to her and every time I listen to this song these days, I think of her.

17. Ronan by Taylor Swift

In similar fashion to the song above, this is another song about dying early. Taylor Swift wrote this song about a boy named Ronan who died at age of 4 due to illness and used it to help raise money for research and help support the family. While this song may not have the best “song writing”, it is very personal. The lyrics take a direct approach describing the situation exactly as it happened. The way Taylor Swift sings creates an atmosphere of sadness that reaps into your head that makes you get choked up when you hear the song. This is another song where I do not relate to it 100% personally but the story it depicts and the vocals of Taylor are why it lands a spot on this list.

16. Not Now by Blink-182

Straight from Tom DeLonge’s mouth, “the song is going to be about when you die and you just figured out you died and you're standing there looking at your lady, and she's there. And you're trying to say goodbye but it's too late. And you feel and you know she's right there...but she can't see you, and she doesn't know you're there" so I even need to say more? Not Now is a very sad song that I think a lot of people on earth can relate too because a lot of people share the fear of leaving behind their loved ones without having the chance to say goodbye. It reminds me of my best friend and not being able to say an official goodbye. It reminds me of myself in sometimes being scared of death. The instrumentals are well written and Tom DeLonge’s vocals are on point. It’s always been one of my favorite Blink-182 songs.

15. The ‘59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem

This song is sadly a song that I relate to. It’s hard and it’s heavy. Do you ever think about how you could die any day? It’s not something you should often think about. However, when you experience the death of your best friend, it’s something that definitely pops into your mind from time to time. The Gaslight Anthem depict a young boy or girl who died way too young and pose the question, “did you hear your favorite song one last time.” The lyrics “Young boys, young girls, ain’t supposed to die on a Saturday night” speak to me because of personal past history of going through loss. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through. The Gaslight Anthem take a rocky, fast paced vibe to contrast the sad lyrics which goes to show you that songs do not have to sound sad to be sad. The Gaslight Anthem pose questions in this song that to me depict the question “were you at least happy in life?” in a unique way that you do not hear very often. This is why the song lands on this list. The vocals, the instrumentals, and the song writing all vehemently capture my attention and being able to relate to the lyrics just nails the coffin down of why I love this song so much.

14. Where’d You Go by Fort Minor ft. Holly Brooks (Clean Version)

Where’d You Go depicts the struggles that people go through when they are away from their loved ones for a prolonged period of time. In this specific scenario, the song is being sung in the point of view Anna Shinoda who is struggling with the fact that Mike Shinoda is always on the road touring and away from her. The chorus song by Holly Brooks (now Skylar Grey) “Where’d You Go, I Miss You So, Seems Like It’s Been Forever Since You’ve Been Gone, Please come back home” is the standout part of this song painting a picture of just how lonely one feels when their significant other is away. In the verses, rapped by Mike Shinoda, a picture is painted in some parts that Anna is struggling with how to survive in the relationship and even doubting the relationships at time. I think you can relate this song to a lot of situations including being on tour and away for a long time, being deployed or even being in a long-distance relationship. In my lifetime I’ve only been in one relationship and it ended during a summer when I went back home from the summer. Being separated from your significant other is no easy task and it’s easy for things to fall through. Where’d You Go lands a spot on this list because of the story it depicts as well as the feature being one of my all-time favorite features.

13. Afire Love by Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran paints the picture of the death of a family member through very personal lyrics of the what went down during and after the death. Personally this song speaks to me especially a lot because of the line “Things were all good yesterday, And then the devil took your memory, And if you fell to your death today, I hope that heaven is your resting place” because that is exactly how I feel when it came to the loss of my best friend and another close friend. Only God truly knows who ends up in heaven and I just hope I can meet my friend there someday. Ed Sheeran’s applicable, personal, and story telling lyrics set the mode to this song and the execution of everything together is perfect. When I think about my favorite Ed Sheeran songs, this is definitely up there if not at the top.

12. The Tide by The Spill Canvas

The Spill Canvas paints a picture of 3 children of the same mother who all commit suicide. Describing that Heaven is the place we finally feel alive is an interesting concept in this song because the mother realizes that due to neglect all the advice she gave had gone to waste. I won’t get into politics of suicide and heaven but what I will say I think it’s interesting that the Mother is saying Heaven is the place we finally feel alive because inside she is broken and on the outside all her children died of suicide so maybe she regrets not telling her Children about Heaven more or maybe she is clinging onto the fact that she will feel alive when/if she gets to Heaven. If you were to ask me in middle school, this song would have topped this list for sure. The Spill Canvas does a fantastic job with telling this story over accounting guitars. It keeps the listener engaged to every single lyrics and honestly makes me choke up at times because of how serious the subject matter is. It paints a picture that parents need to not neglect their children and make sure to care for them as well as to always care for loved ones in general because you never know what could happen the next day. One day they could be gone and no one ever wants that to happen.

11. Welcome to Heartbreak by Kanye West ft. Kid Cudi

This is the one song on the list that I can’t relate to at all. Almost no one can relate to this song but it’s always been one of my favorite sad songs, my favorite Kanye song and one of my all time favorite songs. Kanye West describes all the material things he thought he always wanted but realized that all the fame and money could not make up for what he actually wanted at that time. Kanye tells us he got a new car, got a new house, and was never around or had to leave early at special events. Kanye describes the jokes with family, not having a kid with a report card to be proud of, and other priceless items. Kid Cudi comes in to acknowledge that he is having visions in his head about the situation. This song comes it at #11 mainly because of the vocals and the feature are top notch for a rap song and some of my all time favorite vocals. The lyrics and the beat mesh well to create an atmospheric vibe that leaves a desire to always hear more.

10. Clairvoyant by The Story So Far

I don’t have much to say about this song other than that it is good. Very loosely interpreted Clairvoyant is about a relationship between two people that falls apart. The reason Clairvoyant is on this list is because of the overall sound of the song mixed with the sad emotions, vocals, and instrumentation. The instrumentation is written so well that it screams sadness at you. You can tell that Parker is hurt by this relationship going down the drain. Parker sings in such a way that he takes sad lyrics and makes them catchy. Every time I hear this song I want to yell it at the top of my lungs even thought the message of the song is sad.

9. Even If She Falls by Blink-182

This song does not sound completely sad on the surface but the meaning behind the song is sad especially when it’s relevant in your life or has been relevant in the past. Tom DeLonge paints a picture of a man who has fallen for a woman but can’t be with her. This man struggles with the fact that his feelings won’t go away regardless of the situation and how his feelings will still persist even if she falls in love with someone else. “Back, you wanna turn back, your heart will attack, even if she falls in love.” One thing in life I am certain of is how hard it can be to get rid of feelings for someone and often times this stands true if the person you have feelings for finds someone else. You would think that it might be easy to let your feelings go if they find someone else but feelings linger and it’s hard for them to die down. It’s a very sad scenario because love hurts, falling in love can hurt, falling out of love hurts, falling for someone who you can’t have hurts. It’s just a mess and Tom uses well thought out lyrics to paint a perfect picture of how hard it can be lose feelings for someone with support from catchy, fast paced guitars and vocals that make you want to shout the lyrics at the top of your lungs.

8. It Hurts by Angels and Airwaves

Similar to the song above, It Hurts is another song written by Tom DeLonge about falling for someone that you can’t have. Tom screams to the world that “It Hurts” and boy let me tell you does it hurt! It Hurts takes us through a journey where a man and a woman are best friends with each other and after spending a night together the man realizes that he has fallen for his best friend. However, he realizes that the two of them will never be together and he tells the story of how much pain he feels inside. “Your best friend is not your girlfriend, it hurts” is the standout phrase in this song and the picture it paints is a picture that a lot of people can relate too. Even if it is not your best friend specifically it can be a relatable song. Have you even fallen for a really close friend and been afraid to ruin the friendship or realize the two of you would never work together? Or maybe you actually tried to start a relationship and told them how you felt but it didn’t end well. I feel a lot of people can relate to this message. Atom Willord’s drums give the perfect beat to go along to the powerful vocals present making the song an anthem for the ages.

6. Ghost on the Dancefloor by Blink-182

Before you ask, the 6 next to this song is intentional. I could not decide which of these next two songs to put over the other so I put them both at #6. The third song in a row on this list to be written by Tom DeLonge. Who knew one person could convey so many different emotions that I feel? Unlike the last two songs, I believe Tom is painting a story of the death of a loved one, most likely a significant other. Ghost on the Dancefloor has some of my favorite guitar and drum parts of all time. The sad story is accompanied by pounding drums and Angels and Airwaves style guitars except more upbeat. Tom DeLonge shouts out “Yeah I, I saw your ghost tonight, The moment felt so real, If your eyes stay right on mine, My wounds would start to heal.” This paints the picture of doing something he loves that reminds him of his gone loved one so much that he felt like she was right there in front of him even though she is not. I think that is a concept that a lot of us can relate too. It can be scary to participate in activities that you used to do with them or participate in activities that maybe caused their death.

6. One More Light by Linkin Park

Low and behold, another song about Death makes the list. Death is arguably the saddest subject there is and when written well, songs about Death are some of the best masterpieces to arrive. Chester Bennington creates a picture of someone who died and the struggles that one goes through regarding death as well as caring for those who die. The line that sticks out a lot to me is “The reminders pull the floor from your feet, in the kitchen one more chair than you need. Oh and your angry and you should be, it’s not fair. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not there.” This hits me heavy. Imagine a group of 4 really close friends who would hang out a lot together and now image that there was only 3 of them left. When you hang out together there was always be some reminder that the 4th person isn’t there anymore. Wether it’s a literal chair in the kitchen or in front of the TV where you used to play video games or wether it’s a different reminder all together. This is me and this is my situation. Some activities will always be reminders of my best friend. Every time I go hiking I get reminded of what happened. Every time I take my other 2 close friends from the 4 above to the lake for a weekend I get reminded of him. This is the case for other scenarios as well. Chester writes lyrics that literally capture how I feel and if this song had come out 5 years earlier it would probably be my favorite song of all time. The composition and instrumentals to this song are largely basic but that is okay because it works and sounds beautiful while doing it. The reason this song is so loved is because of the lyrics that Chester wrote and the story it tells. The lyrics to One More Light just might be in my top 5 for lyrics ever written.

5. Winter by Kina Grannis

One of the reasons I love Winter so much is because of the time when I discovered it. In this song Kina Grannis paints a picture of a breakup and proceeding heartbreak. Kina sings about how she is going to last without her significant other there anymore as she’s been feeling down about it the entirety of winter. The main reason I like the song itself is the beautiful vocals by Kina and the stylistic choosing of the lyrics. In my own personal life I have only been in one relationship and somehow I managed to find this song either the same month as my breakup or the month after my breakup. I managed to find this song after the only time in my life that I would need this song. This song was a part of the healing process and God brought it in my life to use it to heal me. It is one of my most listened to songs of all time because of how much I played it that summer and how much I still play it now. Even though it’s not relevant to me anymore, it is just a really well written and enjoyable song to keep listening to.

4. Asthenia by Blink-182

Asthenia is different than any other song on this list because it’s not about death or relationships. In this song, Tom DeLonge paints a picture of an Astronaut who goes out to space and questions wether or not it is worthwhile to return. He looks down at the earth and he sees how messed up the world and how much evil goes on that it might be worth staying in space. He contemplates both sides addressing the fact that he is up in space and he is lonely and tired. He feels alone up in space and he misses people he cares about down on earth but he doesn’t miss what happens on earth. “Should I go back, I feel alone and tired. Should I go back, I hope I won’t forget you.” This song is my favorite song by my favorite band. The lyrics are well written and the instrumentals and vocals are great compliments to the lyrics making it a treat for the ear. So did he go back or did he stay in space? Let me hear your theories!

3. Highway Don’t Care by Tim McGraw ft. Taylor Swift

Tim McGraw paints a picture of a woman who got in an argument with her significant other. She ends up driving away to blow steam off and ends up talking to God about the situation. On the Radio a love song is being sang by Taylor Swift saying “I can’t live without you baby” which is probably running through the woman’s head. In her panic about the situation, she goes for her phone to see if it has battery so that she can call her significant other or see if he left her any messages. In this instance she ends up crashing her car and dying. In my own personal life, I was in a car Crash once where I almost drove straight off a cliff and died so even a death song like this one hits home. God saved me and spared my life but it’s definitely a scary situation. With Guitars by the shredding Keith Urban and the bounce back vocals of Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift this song just wows me every time I hear it. I also think the Taylor Swift feature is my favorite feature of all time.

2. Lose You by Pete Yorn

It’s story time! Back in High School, I discovered this song on a show called House. The weird part about this statement is that I don’t even watch House. To this day, that one episode of House is the only episode of House I have ever seen. Jesus subconsciously told me to watch this episode of House because he knew that 4 years later I would need this song. It really is mind blowing to me that I watched a show that I had never seen before on a random day in the middle of a random season and it turned out to be for a reason that I wouldn’t even realize until years later. This song Lose You was played at the very end of the episode and I loved what I heard so much I immediately took to the internet to find out what the song was. After discovering that the song was Lose You by Pete Yorn I not only become obsessed with the song but I became obsessed with his music in general. Seriously, go check him out! Lose You is a somber yet somewhat upbeat piano style track with drums that compliment the piano. Pete Yorn paints the picture of how he lost someone he cares about. His lyrics really show the pain he is going through by stating “I have to wander this world alone.” Flashback to September 17th, 2012 when I woke up for class only to hear the worst news of my entire life. This is the song I turned too. This is the song I had on repeat. This is the song that helped me through the toughest point of my life. I still listen to this song often even thought there is pain attached to it and even though it reminds me of him. This song is something that I will never let go of my entire life. It will always be with me and it will always be there for me. Even though the song is sad it will always be there to help me through sad times. The healing process never ends and songs like this will always keep him and my other friend in my memory. You may be asking yourself, how is this song not #1?

1. Mt. Washington by Local Natives

Mt. Washington is my favorite song of all time. While this song is not straight forward in meaning, all the interpretations that I have seen involve a man and a women. Going beyond that I have seen two interpretations of which one that I personally agree with. Local Natives paints a picture of a guy who likes a girl but the girl does not like him back. He’s falling for someone who doesn’t like him back. The are multiple reason why this song is my favorite song of all time. One of the big reasons I love this song so much is because of its use in the videogame “Life Is Strange.” Life Is Strange is one of my favorite games of all time and this song is utilized perfect in the story and it always takes me back to one of my favorite moments in life when I was first played through the game. The second reason is because of the haunting, chill, beautiful vocals. The power behind what he is singing and how he is effected by these emotions is painfully obviously and it adds to the power of the song and the meaning of the song. The third major reason of why I like Mt. Washington so much is because it embodies who I am. “Why does it keep saying, I don’t have to see you right now” are lyrics that stand out to me and really nail how I personally feel. This is my go to song when I’m feeling sad about a crush I have on a girl because 10 times out of 10 I am falling for someone who doesn’t like me back. Every single time it is the same old story and Mt. Washington perfectly paints the story of a guy falling for a girl who doesn’t like him back. This song embodies how my life goes and I genuinely feel the pain the singer is going through.

https://open.spotify.com/user/123591090/playlist/6Xa6EOVENgSyCQeTio5Uq9?si=LTfoKVaqTE6iDBmAVjYrSA

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bearingwater · 8 years ago

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February Forecast for Aquarius

Get ready for your closeup! Until February 18, the Sun is blazing through Aquarius and your first house of self, putting you in the spotlight. Grab the metaphorical bullhorn (or a real one) and speak up. Your sign has a tendency to play nice, but forget people-pleasing now. This assertive energy will help advance your cause. Champion your most heartfelt beliefs and passion projects and don’t go along with the herd just to be liked. All eyes are on you, so stand up and make this moment count!

As a bon vivant, your ebullient company is in high demand, thanks to energetic Mars firing up Aries and your third house of communication all month. Colleagues, friends and kindred spirits are all drawn to your life-of-the-party vibe. Prepare for a lively social calendar—and nonstop pinging on your phone. Of course, you may not get as much time to yourself as you’d like. Cut back on the multitasking to avoid getting drained. One step at a time!

Ready for a break? Starting February 6, horizon-broadening Jupiter turns retrograde (http://astrostyle.com/learn-astrology/retrogrades/) in Libra and your risk-taking ninth house until June 9—a cosmic shift that gives you a break from your Aquarian-gone-global visions. Over the last several months, you might have been swayed by an inspirational idea—possibly expanding faster than your bandwidth could handle. During this four-month reflective period, slow down. Instead of jetting off to India on your next foodie tour, stay put. Your plans are still viable, but use this time to take a level-headed look at how you’re approaching this next big chapter. Go over the itinerary of your dream trip with a fine-tooth comb so that when you DO head to far-flung shores, that trip goes off without a hitch. Or figure out what you need for a successful business launch next summer.

This is a great time to return to school or to brush up your skills. Since the ninth house is associated with philosophical beliefs and spiritual purpose, do some personal growth work. Jupiter has been in Libra since September 9, 2016, and will remain there until October 10, 2017. This brief break gives you a chance to catch your breath and make necessary course corrections before charging ahead again this summer.

But the pressure’s still on, as expansive Jupiter and unpredictable Uranus are traveling in close opposition (http://astrostyle.com/aspects/opposite/) all month, with Jupiter in Libra and Uranus in Aries. Curveballs abound! Unexpected news could force you to think on your feet. A brainstorming meeting could result in you zooming off in a totally different direction than you’d planned. A sibling, colleague or neighbor might act erratically—one minute, they’re your rock and the next—poof, they’re MIA. Plans for a much-anticipated trip could stall and clip your wings. You might feel antsy with your current crew. This opposition is exact on March 2, which is the second of three such aspects. The first was December 26, 2016, and the next is September 28, 2017. Jupiter and Uranus only face off like this once every 14 years, so it’s going to feel momentous!

Even MORE change is in the air because February is eclipse season! Two of 2017’s four game-changing eclipses (http://astrostyle.com/learn-astrology/solar-and-lunar-eclipses) occur this month, shaking up the status quo. Eclipses can push us off the fence where we’ve been wishy-washy or procrastinating. Unexpected events crop up, and a whole area of our lives can change in short order. This can be exciting or daunting, depending how you look at it. Suffice to say, it’s best to stay on your toes and expect the unexpected during eclipse season.

On February 10, the Leo lunar (full moon) eclipse kicks off a brand-new eclipse series on the Leo/Aquarius axis, which will last until January 2019. This will revolutionize the balance between “me” and “we” in your life. Major developments are coming to both your personal identity and your relationships. This eclipse falls in your partnership house: This could bring an exciting new contract OR the sudden end of a romantic or work arrangement that’s run its course. You could take on a bigger commitment than ever—perhaps meeting a soulmate or getting engaged. Change could happen just like that. But first you may need to deal with unfinished business from your past. This no-nonsense eclipse arrives to sweep that away!

On February 18 the Sun enters Pisces and your security-minded second house for a month, giving you a sneak preview of the upcoming eclipse. Work and money matters are front and center. Manage your daily calendar by cutting out the nonessentials (sorry, Pokemon GO Meetup) so you can focus on meeting deadlines and paying bills. Review your budget, with an eye toward where you can trim expenses. The atmosphere is more grounded than it was during your birthday season, but you’re ready to get productive. Harness those golden inspirations and make them concrete.

An excellent day to turn the financial page is February 26, when a new moon and solar eclipse in Pisces shakes up the way you earn, spend and save. This is the grand finale of the Virgo/Pisces eclipse series that began March 2015. To date, it has revolutionized your fiscal sectors, helped you value what you bring to the table and perhaps sparked a few heavy-hitting collaborations. This eclipse could bring an exciting new job or money making opportunity. Or you’ll experience a stabilizing event that firmly roots you on your path. You might radically revamp your habits. Perhaps it’s time to stop ordering in four nights a week and start shopping at the grocery store?

Love & Romance

This month Venus and Mars are stirring the romantic pot in Aries and your flirtatious and chatty third house. Seek variety, whether that means trying a dating app or taking a radical new approach to how you communicate your desires. Single Water Bearers might tap a friend for an introduction. Dates go best when you can talk (and laugh) up a storm. Couples crave intellectual sparks—time to launch a book-club-for-two or start bingeing on a new Netflix series together? If things have been tense, initiate a dialogue. With Mars in the mix, things could get heated fast, so tap into Venus’ diplomatic ways and listen as much as you talk—if not more! Be sure to clearly state your intention for the conversation: to get back on the same page or clear up a misunderstanding.

Venus, the zodiac’s peacemaker, will be in this communicative zone for the next two months. It’s an extended trip because Venus goes retrograde (backward) from March 4 to April 15. Make sure you get in sync before this choppy cycle begins next month. Venus helps you step out of “serious” mode and let down your hair. Sometimes the best love remedy is a playful time on the town (think: trivia night at the local pub or a live show). Get out and socialize! Solo Aquarians have a decent chance of meeting someone in your neighborhood. So if you get an urge to check out that new Greek restaurant down the block, go for it. Destiny could be a tzatziki dip away.

Opportunity Days

February 10: Leo Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse Should you stay or should you go? The answer to that question may come swiftly, as the Leo full moon, a game-changer of a lunar eclipse, highlights your seventh house of long-term commitments. If you’ve been dragging your feet around a commitment, this eclipse will strip away the excuses and reveal your fears. No more phony reasons like “it’s not the right time.” With your feet to the fire, you might go all in: Signing up for marriage, kids, the settled works. If not, you might have an epiphany about why you haven’t been able to fully go there. If it’s time to walk away, no more equivocating. A new relationship might get catapulted into official territory. For solo Aquarians, a love interest may drop out of the sky and into the fabric of your life. This person may be surprisingly right in ways you couldn’t have imagined.

February 14: Valentine’s Day Any card-carrying Aquarian knows that friendship love is equivalent if not superior to romantic love. So this V-Day, rally the troops! Love planets Venus and Mars in Aries are spurring you to be more social. With the moon shining in Libra and your cross-cultural ninth house, how about an evening of tango dancing with your tribe? Cupid is targeting you with his adventurous arrows. Whether you opt for a one-on-one evening or head out in a group, keep the mood light and fun. Say whatever risque thing is on the tip of your tongue and enjoy the shocked laughter!

Challenge Days

February 22: Mars-Pluto Square Are you still holding a grudge about THAT? Aggressive Mars battles covert Pluto in your twelfth house of the unconscious. Buried resentments could flare up without warning. Examine these intense emotions before you pile the blame on someone else. Passive-aggression might be oh-so tempting. But instead of slipping in an underhanded zinger, push yourself to express what’s bothering you directly. A piece of hidden information, like a mysterious text that pops up on your love interest’s screen, may surface, causing your trust alarm to go haywire. Avoid flinging an unprocessed, heated accusation, but don’t ignore it either.

Money & Career

It’s all about YOU this month. With the Sun blazing through Aquarius and your first house of fresh starts until February 18, get your priorities straight. Pick your professional Mount Everest and scale it. This might mean putting aside projects that you’re doing out of obligation. Take a step toward something that feels deeply personal. Entrepreneurial ventures are particularly hot—and bonus points for a world-bettering mission, like these innovative camps (http://www.heartsonfire.org/thehalbybrothers-zenomountainfarm?mc_cid=89c4f1dc1c&mc_eid=06ee715e0b) for people with disabilities. Time to be your own boss? Explore what it would take to launch a startup or go freelance.

Alas, you can’t hole up on a one-person retreat and hammer out all the details of your empire. All month, Mars in Aries is firing up your communicative third house, sending your devices ringing and pinging off the hook. You’re motivated to write or get ideas out there, so draft those pitches, project proposals and critiques. If you have a book or teaching project in mind, hunker down and get ‘er done. There’s excitement and possibility in the air—your visionary sign’s life-blood! Mars can generate tension, however, so curb any snarky comments or your famously contrarian streak. It’s fine to disagree—if your sentiments are genuine. Online interactions could be tricky too. Be careful about being TOO edgy with those Tweets and Snaps, lest you end up offending your public!

On February 18 the Sun marches into Pisces and your second house of stability, turning your attention to matters of work and money. Roll up your sleeves and get cracking! Zero in on one of your biggest goals: With some tweaks to your daily schedule, you can turn that vision into something real. For practical advice, check out Big Miracles: The 11 Spiritual Rules for Ultimate Success (https://www.amazon.com/Big-Miracles-Spiritual-Ultimate-Success/dp/0062456989), a book by intuitive coach Joanna Garzilli that outlines concrete steps to make your dreams come true. If you’ve been milking your birthday season, get back to work!

Opportunity Days

February 7-25: Mercury in Aquarius Speak up! As chatty Mercury tours your sign, your powers of persuasion are on fleek. Use this charming influence to forward your own cause. Share your ideas, possibly with someone who can lend support or make a fruitful connection. Self-promotion is not shameful—it’s essential. If you don’t champion your innovative projects and out-of-the-box opinions, who will?

February 10: Leo Full Moon & Lunar Eclipse Pair up for power! A close alliance could turn official as the Leo full moon, a lunar eclipse, puts partnerships in the spotlight. A casual meeting of the minds could morph into a formal professional relationship, possibly at warp speed. Eclipses put us on the fast track, so be prepared to make a quick decision. If the luster of a once-dynamic duo has faded, it might be time to part ways. Insight could arrive out of the ether, so pay close attention to gut instincts.

February 11: Sun-Jupiter Trine In the zone? The Sun in Aquarius gives an emphatic high five to lucky Jupiter in Libra and your visionary ninth house, unleashing your personal mojo. Use your Midas touch to broaden your sphere of influence. A heartfelt vlog could go viral, touching the masses. An impulsive and candid speech at a staff meeting might win you some big admirers—and maybe catapult you to a whole new professional realm. If it feels risky to raise your voice, do it anyway!

February 25-March 13: Mercury in Pisces As clever Mercury moves through Pisces and your security-driven second house, you’re in the driver’s seat for negotiating better pay and work arrangements. If you’re seeking a new job, send out your resume. Get down to brass tacks during this practical cycle. Cutting wasteful costs could leave a lot more in the bank than you even expected. Who knew those lavender lattes could add up so fast?

February 26: Pisces New Moon & Solar Eclipse A bold money chapter is ushered in with the Pisces solar eclipse. Who says you have to sacrifice your passion for a paycheck? Create a vision board to manifest your dream job, as mystical Pisces in your money zone heightens your Law of Attraction powers. (For vision board guidance, see here: http://www.thesecrettolivingthelawofattraction.com/vision-board.html) An opportunity to make some real money could suddenly arise. Set intentions for how you want to handle your money, including a revamped spending and saving regimen. Seeds planted today will blossom, in a potentially dramatic fashion, over the next six months.

Challenge Days

February 6-June 9: Jupiter Retrograde Reel in the risks, as auspicious Jupiter turns retrograde in Libra and your gambling ninth house. During this four-month pause, go over your big ventures with a critical eye. Has a key element of a project been overlooked? Or maybe you need to do some relationship-building work to get a partner on the same psyched-up page. Don’t stress about timelines—let progress move more slowly now. It’s best not to cut corners! Taking a personal retreat could yield relaxation AND an incredible epiphany. Just ask playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/lin-manuel-miranda-says-its-no-accident-hamilton-inspiration-struck-on-vacation_us_576c136ee4b0b489bb0ca7c2) who came up with the idea for Hamilton, his genre-defying musical, while on vacation.

February 22: Mars-Pluto Square Swimming with sharks? An undermining colleague could be in your midst, as assertive Mars clashes with manipulative Pluto in your twelfth house of hidden enemies. Before you sound off on a brilliant idea or observation, take the temperature of your audience. If you sense that someone’s not totally trustworthy—or on your side—consider keeping your opinions under wraps, at least partially. A co-worker might be overly critical, due to their own self-doubt. If you have to talk through a conflict, avoid lashing out, since tempers could flare with scant notice.

February 27: Mars-Uranus Meetup Straight talk is the order of the day, as energetic Mars joins forces with authentic Uranus in Aries and your communications house. Be direct and let colleagues know your true feelings…with TACT, please. Both of these planets can cause impulsive behavior, so watch for off-the-cuff remarks that may shock or offend. Before you fire off a provocative reply to a stranger’s Facebook post, think twice. This virtual tug o’ war is not worth your time. A potent collaboration could also spark out of the blue. If you stumble across a kindred spirit, make time for a spontaneous hang. You never know what ingenious ideas you’ll think up!

February 27: Mars-Jupiter Opposition Snark alert! Temper unfiltered comments as impatient Mars faces off with blunt Jupiter in your outspoken ninth house. Wait at least ten seconds before firing back at an outrageous remark with your own sarcastic or brutally honest retort. There’s a good chance you might be self-righteous or arrogant about your combative words, e.g., “Well, someone had to say it!” Actually, Aquarius, that’s not true; no one is required to be an insensitive jerk. When it serves a larger cause, state your unvarnished opinions. Otherwise, zip it.

Love Days: 5, 10 Money Days: 17, 26 Luck Days: 14, 24 Off Days: 8, 12, 22

#aquarius #monthly forecast #horoscope #astrology #zodiac #aquarius monthly

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