#lets just go full italian for mc

[analogwriting]

Star-Crossed

Chapter 5: Cuore

Donquixote Rosinante x gn!reader word count: 3.2k a/n: mio tesorino = my little treasure, ciao papi = hello, dad. again, i just used google translate for these lmfao it's supposed to be italian cause i said fuck it let's just go whole hog on this mafia idea.

On your way to the cafeteria, you ended up being called away on another business ordeal. You knew you couldn’t just leave Rosinante to fend for himself, not when you told him you’d be back. You spotted Shachi at the corner of your eye. Perfect!

“Shachi!” He jumped, looking over at you with wide eyes. He scittered over to you. “Y-Yes?” 

Your eyebrows furrowed together as you watched his behavior. “Shachi, you’re not in trouble.” All of the tension left his body and he visibly deflated. 

“Oh, thank heavens.” 

You narrowed your eyes, folding your arms across your chest. “Why? Should you be in trouble?”

His eyes widened once more and he shook his head quickly. “N-No, doctor, I- uh-”

“I’m joking. I just need you to go and grab Rosinante some food from the cafeteria. He’s in my office. He lost a lot of blood during his fall earlier, so see to it that he’s good to go, alright?” You smiled at him with a nod.

“What happened?”

“You can ask him. I have to go. Thanks!” You smiled at him again and took off towards your next task.

--

The next day you were in your office with Marco, planning out how the day was going to go for the newbies. There were certain areas you wanted them to work on, so you had to specifically plan out their schedules. You were going to do the planning yesterday, but you had a bit of a setback with a certain clumsy man. Threw your entire afternoon out of whack.

“I think Law could practice bedside manners a little more. Sometimes he’s a little too blunt.” You pinched the bridge of your nose. It wasn’t his lack of trying, he just wasn’t one to sugarcoat things. Which could be a good thing, but sometimes people didn’t take to it well. 

Marco nodded, chuckling. “I’ll have him stick with me. I’ll watch over him today. We’ll get him to interact a little more with people. He’s going to absolutely hate it though.” He snorted. “He’s gonna think you’re holding something against him.” 

You frowned. “Well, that’s not the case,” you mumbled, folding your arms, but shaking your head. “No matter, it’s something he needs to work on. He’ll be fine.” You moved on, looking at your list.

“And Bepo could…use the opposite.” You let out a long sigh. “He’s doing great with the kids, but he needs to put his foot down just a little bit more. They are definitely using his niceness to their advantage.” 

“What if we put Law with the kids and had Bepo work with all the grumpy patients?”

You looked at him with wide eyes. “I think that might put them both into a culture shock that I don’t want to deal with.” The both of you burst into laughter as the images popped into your mind. “But it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.” 

“True. Maybe for, like, an hour.”

Before you could get any further, you were called to the front desk. You sighed, grumbling. “I swear if it’s another stupid thing I’m going to absolutely lose my marbles,” you said, setting your clipboard down. Marco stood up from his perched spot on your desk. A position he took so often that there was a slight indent on your desk from him. You’ve had the same desk for years, so it’s had plenty of time to warp.

“Well, I’ll get everyone started on their new positions, you go check out whatever is going on up front.”

You nodded, smiling at Marco. “Thanks, you’re the best.”

“I know. What would you do without me?”

“Die, probably.”

“More than likely.”

As you headed towards the front desk, you saw a very amused looking Law standing at the end of the hallway. He saw you, nodding in greeting before dipping out. What was that all about? What was he doing out here? Wasn’t he supposed to be-

“Y/n!” As you turned the corner, your thought process was cut off as someone said your name. Your eyes landed on the tall man that just keeps coming into your life. You opened your mouth to say his name when you remembered that Law always called him ‘Corazon’ not Rosinante. So, technically, you wouldn’t know that name. You’ve never officially treated him, after all.

“Corazon.” It was weird on your tongue, but you rolled with it. You saw his cheeks turn a little pink. “You know my name?” he asked.

“I work with your son. Of course I know your name.” 

You folded your arms, studying him for a moment. You tilted your head to the side as you took the man in. He seemed nervous and his hands were behind his back, which automatically put you on edge because of past experiences, but at the same time you felt he wouldn’t do something like that. He squirmed under your gaze.

“What’s going on? Are you the one who called for me? You look nervous.” You raised your eyebrows. “How are you feeling?” You walked over to him, examining him closer. You took his arm gently looking at the stitching before looking up and taking his head in your hands gently to pull him close so you could examine the small cut on his face to see how it was healing.

“I-I’m fine!” He pulled away as he squeaked, stepping back a little.

You blinked in surprise, looking at him. “Then what…?”

“I-I wanted to formally apologize for yesterday. And also thank you for being so nice. And Law mentioned you really liked coffee so…”

He held out a bag of your favorite brand and something clicked in the back of your brain. Law wouldn’t have known your favorite brand. Motherfucking Marco. They had to be working together. What the hell was going on? No, no. Don’t get ahead of yourself. Just a simple gesture of thanks. That’s all. Corazon probably asked Law who asked Marco. You’ll let it slide this time.

“Take this as my token of gratitude. I-If you want,” he said, mumbling the last part. As he spoke, his face grew more and more red. The receptionists were watching you like they were watching a live soap opera. They were hanging on to every action and word with bated breath.

Your own eyes were wide though as the gears turned in your head. You felt your face slowly start heating up as your own brain began to short circuit. 

“Uh, y/n?”

“I think you broke them.” One receptionist chimed.

“Yeah, they’re not too good with tokens of gratitude or compliments. Humble as they come, that one. Give them a minute to restart.”

Corazon looked at them, nodding before looking back to you as concern spread across his face.

Just like that - you were back online.

“Oh, thank you.” You resumed as if you hadn’t just stood there rebooting for the last minute and a half. Corazon seemed to jump a little as you just…came back to life suddenly. “You really didn’t have to do it and I can’t really-”

“I will give it to you off the clock if I have to. Say it’s a present from one friend to another. Then it doesn’t have to be a weird ethic thing.” 

You looked at him as he seemed to read your mind. Your eyes narrowed slightly. Usually it was Marco the one doing that; and that made sense. It was weird when it was someone else. Someone you’d only met a few times. 

“Doctor, you better take it!” You looked over at the receptionists with a droll expression before sighing. “Okay, okay.”

You looked at Corazon, taking the bag of coffee and smiling at him. You bowed your head slightly. “Thanks.”

“No, no. I’m the one thanking you, remember?”

You snorted, shaking your head. “Yeah, yeah.” You rolled your eyes with a small smile and a wave of dismissal. You let out a silent sigh, feeling your brain going back to normal.

A chime came from your watch and you groaned. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’d love to stay and chat, but I have a stupid meeting.” You looked at Corazon and smiled at him. “Thanks again and I’m sure I’ll see you around. Fate and all,” you teased. You winked at him and turned on your heel, speeding off.

Corazon just watched as you left, his face turning a bright red. 

“Oooh, boy. You are smitten.” The receptionist chimed with a large smile. 

“And I think the sentiments returned. I think that’s the longest they’ve ever taken to reboot.” The other mused. The two burst into laughter.

Corazon quickly turned and hightailed it out of there, working very hard not to break anything on his way out; all while his face was on fire…figuratively.

--

About a week went by where you didn’t see Corazon, not that he had a reason to come to the hospital and you weren’t exactly going out. You were working more as it was beginning to grow cold outside, so cold and flu season was upon you. The hospital was busier and you had to step in to help ease the load of your doctors and nurses. You weren’t the type of boss who just watched your people struggle, you always lent a helping hand, wanting to make things easier for your employees.

However, you were surprised to see him in the front area talking to Law. He happened to see you, face brightening as he waved at you. Law glanced over his shoulder at you - a glint of something in his eye. He was definitely up to something. 

“Y/n!” You offered a small wave. “Corazon. What are you doing here?”

“Well, Law texted me saying that he had forgotten something, so I came to bring it to him!”

You looked at Law, eyes narrowing slightly. He looked at you with an innocent expression. “Well, that’s unlike you. I hope you’re not catching a cold,” you said to him, looking him dead in the eye - almost challenging him. He looked at you right back, accepting whatever challenge you had in store for him.

This shithead. He was like a mini-Marco in the making.

“I’m feeling just fine, doctor. A simple mix up is all.”

“Mhm.” You looked at him for a moment longer before turning to Corazon. “Well, it’s nice seeing you. Keep an eye on Law at home. Just to make sure the poor thing isn’t sick.” You looked back at the younger man. “And I’ll keep an eye on him here.”

Corazon was completely oblivious to whatever silent war you and Law were currently having. “Oh, okay. I suppose it is that time of year. And he does have a habit of overworking himself. I’ll make sure he’s getting plenty of rest.”

You looked at Corazon once more, smiling and nodding. “You’re a good father, I’m sure you’ll look out for him.” The words escaped from your mouth before you could stop them, a softness to your voice that you didn’t have often.

You froze for a moment, watching as Corazon turned a bright read and your own mind short circuiting. A large shit eating grin spread across Law’s face as if he had won the lottery. 

“I have to go. Stay safe.” You turned on your heel, hightailing it out of there. Fuck. 

--

After that embarrassing blunder, you noticed Corazon at the hospital a couple times a week. Law always seemed to be ‘forgetting’ something or the man was bringing him lunch of some kind, as per Law’s request. Or he was bringing something for one of the other three boys. And Marco seemed to always happen to bring you in that way when he showed up too. They were all working together. Hell, you wouldn’t be surprised if the receptionists were in on it.

They were all as little matchmakers and you were going to fight all of them if you weren’t so damn busy. Everything was honestly getting to you. Between the stress of long hours, you pushing yourself, these stupid, pointless meetings that wasted your time. Honestly, Corazon’s little visits did give you some reprieve, it was like a breath of fresh air. He was a breath of fresh air. Fuck.

You ended up snapping in one of your board meetings with the other doctors from other hospitals. They were talking about something trivial, boasting like usual and you just…snapped.

“For the love of god, is there anything fucking important for today’s meeting? Unlike the rest of you, I have a hospital to run. I don’t fucking have time to fluff your egos.” 

You glared into your camera with a twitch in your eye as everyone entered a stunned silence. “I’m so fucking tired of these meetings. I’m not going to attend anymore. If you have something important for me, fucking email it.” Then you slammed your laptop shut, letting out a loud, exasperated sigh.

“I was honestly wondering when you’d do that.”

You looked up, seeing Marco leaning against the doorframe with two cups of coffee. “I suppose it was a long time coming,” you mumbled with a sigh, taking the mug as it was offered. 

“You put up with it longer than I would have. They’re also probably going to call me later and ask me what’s got your underwear in a bunch and if I can talk you down.” Marco laughed, shaking his head. They had done it a few times. You had been curt with them before, cold. Every time, they called Marco to ‘get you in line’ basically. Every time the both of you just laughed about it. It was stupid. They were stupid.

“I suppose that freed up a lot of time though. That’s…a lot of meetings less a week.” They had all just been calling for the most stupid shit and most of it on the fly. “I swear, none of them actually work.”

“And that’s why their hospitals aren’t the top,” your best friend mused, making you snort. He wasn’t wrong.

You stood up with a stretch and a sigh. “Alright. What’s on the agenda now, then?” you mumbled, taking a swig of your drink. Marco shook his head. “You need a moment to cool down so we’re going to go and do a lap.”

You just stared at him. “Marco. It’s literally cold and flu season, we don’t have ti-”

“We have time. I have it covered. Everyone knows you need a break. Let’s go.” He began to usher you out of your office. “But we have-”

“No. We’re taking a lap and then you can worry, okay?”

You sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. He was right. You couldn’t operate like this; well, you could, but you shouldn’t. You wouldn’t let anyone else do this. Marco is doing what you would do. He always looked after you like that, just as you did with him. Though, he was better at taking it easy than you were. You were always stretching yourself thin for the sake of making sure no one else did it.

Finally, you gave in, walking by his side and listening to him prattle on about whatever was going on in the hospital currently. You knew of what was happening on the medical side, but you were never up to date on gossip like he was. He was a social butterfly that knew everything that was going on in that realm of things. He always kept you up to date. You personally didn’t care what your employees did or who they associated with and how as long as they did their jobs. And they all did, so you saw no issues.

“Y/n!” You looked up, coming back to the real world as you heard a voice say your name, and it wasn’t Marco. A wave of calm washed over you just like every other time you’ve been seeing him lately.

It was only then that you realized you were in the front area. Marco had led you right to Corazon. You gave him a look, making him put up his hands in surrender before looking at the giant man before you. “Corazon.” You offered a tired smile.

“Are you okay? You look exhausted.” The man frowned, looking at you. “You need to be taking care of yourself too, you know. Weren’t you just telling me to make sure Law didn’t overwork himself?” You looked up at him, feeling your cheeks heat up.

You were used to Marco’s fretting but when it was someone else it always made you flustered. Were you that obvious to read? “Just a shitty meeting is all,” you mumbled, which wasn’t exactly wrong.

“Oh.” He frowned, seemingly not believing you. Which he also wouldn’t be wrong.

“Why are you here?” you asked. “Did Law forget something again? Should we get his head checked?”

“I’m…actually here for you this time.”

You blinked, looking at him as your brain was not computing. “Me?” You tilted your head to the side. “Is it about Law? I mean, you shouldn’t worry. He’s doing just great an-”

“Not that.”

You stopped, looking at him incredulously. If not for Law, then for what? Was he also interested in working here since he was always here? “Is it about one of the other boys then? They’re doing just fine too. T-”

“Also no.”

“Then wh-”

“Well, let me talk and I might be able to tell you.” He chuckled in a way that made your chest hurt and your face went hot.

“O-Okay,” you squeaked out, your brain coming to a full stop as you had no idea what was going on. You were about to go into full reboot again.

“Well, I wanted to ask you-”

“Mio tesorino!” Your eyes went wide as a new voice rang through the front area. A voice you knew well. Not one you hated, but one you didn’t want to hear right now at this moment considering who was standing in front of you.

Corazon saw your face. “Y/n? Are you okay? Who-” He turned around, seeing the owner of the voice. You felt the man stiffen next to you. His entire demeanor changed in an instant. It resembled the one that he had on the night that you met him. He stepped in front of you, almost as if defending you. It made sense given the circumstance. Of course Corazon would recognize the man before him. He was well known both above and below. 

“My, who do we have here?” the voice almost taunted. For fuck’s sake, he was enjoying this far too much. What the hell was he doing here unannounced? He never did this! You told him not to do this. You needed to stop this before he got out of hand.

You felt Corazon step forward but you grabbed his shirt, pulling him back and walking around him. You felt his eyes on you. 

Your eyes fell to the man who was currently walking in with two other men next to him. They were all wearing wild print button ups with slacks and loafers. You sighed, knowing this was going to kick you in the ass later. “Ciao, papi.”

[band--psycho]

Harvey Specter x Reader- Just A Brief Moment With Each Other

For the amazing @wild-rose-35 who requested the prompt working on Valentine’s Day

I hope you all enjoy this!💛

Harvey was in a foul mood. 

He was hoping this case would be nice and easy and that he’d be able to spend the evening with Y/n.

But Harvey soon found out that the case was going to be a lot harder to win than he originally thought and now here he was on Valentine’s Day stuck in his office instead of where he should have been, at a nice Italian restaurant with Y/n.

He just wanted to see her. 

Even if just for a brief moment of Valentine’s Day. 

That’s why he’d asked for Donna to make sure no one disturbed him. 

So the last thing he wanted or expected was someone knocking at his office door.

“I don’t have time-” he began harshly, his voice trailing off when he looked up from his paperwork to see who was now standing in his office. 

Y/n.

Instantly, his composure changed, his shoulders were more relaxed and his eyes softened as he looked at her.  

“What’re you doing here?” He asked, the shock evident in his voice as he stood up from his chair. 

“I bought you food,” Y/n said with a smile on her face, swinging the paper bag she held gently from side to side. 

“Sweetheart, I told you not to worry about it,” 

“Did you really think I was gonna let you work til god knows when without any food?” She questioned, raising an eyebrow as the words left her mouth. She knew how hard Harvey worked. She also knew that he wouldn’t cancel plans with her unless it was important; that’s why she went to their favorite Italian restaurant and got his usual order to take away. 

“Plus,” she began, making his way over to Harvey before placing the paper bag down on the side of his desk, “I just wanted an excuse to see you for a few minutes.”

Her words made Harvey’s heart ache slightly; he wanted nothing more than to just say ‘fuck it’ and spend the rest of the evening with her, but he couldn’t. He knew it couldn’t, “I know this isn’t how we planned our evening to be,” 

“It’s okay, I know how busy you are,” Y/n assured him, moving closer to him.

“I promise I’ll make it up to you,”

“You better, this food wasn’t cheap,” she teased knowing full well Harvey never broke his promises, flighty she did wonder how he was going to make it up to her. 

“I’ll let you get on with your work,” she continued, leaning up to place a kiss on his cheek before she started to walk away. 

“Y/n-” Harvey started, his hand reaching out to her, softly grabbing her wrist, pulling her into his arms.

“I know it’s a bit late but happy Valentine’s Day,” he whispered, their lips only inches apart. 

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Harvey,” she whispered back before closing the distance between their lips. 

Tagging:

@xacatalepsyx @little-diable @rebelwrites @malfoys-demigod @withmyteeth @withmyteeth @yn-ymn-yln @thefictranslator @munsinner @maximoff-xmen @vintagecarsandrecordplayers @giraffescooler @stylesann @camilyb @book-dragon03 @bookworm1767 @wretchedmo @mayans-mc @dana-is-snax @happilysparklyunknown @mrsamerica @samanthaofanarchy @navs-bhat @tinystudentmiracle

[pavedinashes-if]

How would the ex, the doctor, the childhood friend, and best friends bf/gf react to mc always making sure they’re eating and drinking water bc 🥺💞 I love them and want them to stay healthy 🥺💞

Oh my dear anon, you so much deserve some love back, here we go: Your Ex:

Whenever you come around the corner with some water or something to eat, you'll be rewarded with puppy eyes of the most disgustingly cute variety—unless you're into it 😉. They absolutely adore it when you take care of them. Want to step up your game? Gift them a water bottle or mug with your face on it. They'll carry it everywhere, and who would dare say a word? They appreciate homemade meals but also a well-chosen food order. Showing that you've put thought into it melts their heart, and they go full simp - Isn't it obvious that you'll get a mug with their face on it as well?

Your Doctor:

At first, they're irritated, then emotionally touched to the core. They're usually the ones who take care of others, and realizing that someone out there genuinely wants the best for them will catch them off guard. When you remind them to eat or drink, they might say, "Thank you, but I'm okay. I need to finish this first; I'll eat later." Of course, they know this is unwise and unhealthy, but you know what they say, those who should know best are often the worst. Therefore, they might resist in the beginning, but this resistance will quickly fade, and one day, they'll look forward to your reminders, checking their watch, even if they won't admit it. This means they're thinking of eating or drinking on their own now, but they look forward to you checking in.

Your Childhood Friend:

Oh, come on, she always has something to snack on and a drink in hand. She'll even get you one of those sparkling, brightly colored bottles. Bianca is excited to share snacks and have a juice, smoothie, or shake ready for you. Craving some boba? She'll get it for you! Let's bond over delicious food!

Your Bestie's BF/GF:

They think it's cute, but they'll tell you it's not necessary. At first, they'll try to convince you that they can take care of themselves just fine. But when you don't give up and insist that they don't skip a meal or drink enough, they'll soften up a bit. It will become more and more appreciated with each interaction. One day, they'll talk to you about it and address it properly. They'll offer you a deal: they'll take better care of themselves if you two combine it with some intimate moments. Please, get your head out of the gutter, will you? They mean a candlelit dinner, homemade Italian food, the best espresso or iced coffee in town—whatever your heart desires. Because, together with you, all of this makes sense, and they begin looking forward to it. And okay, nobody will argue with some personal mouth-to-mouth cherry exchange, for the direct vitamins only, of course 😉

[xxsycamore]

🍕 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙔𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙀𝙮𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘼 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙋𝙞𝙯𝙯𝙖 𝙋𝙞𝙚,

► A story about Italian vampires, secret admirers, and pizza.

Galileo x MC • rating: G • wordcount: 1,863 • characters: mc, galileo, francis, leonardo, napoleon, comte, dazai • tags: Pizza; Secret admirer; Romance; Cliché; Feelings Realization; Crack treated seriously  • masterlist

a/n: I don't know. I don't know.

I blame the English Ikesen twitter for informing me it's international pizza day (in a very creative way), which led to me going "haha three italians in ikevamp" which made me remember one very bad movie full of pizza and cliché, which led to me coming up with this. I don't even like pizza that much.

Idk if I should label this as crack, but don't take it seriously either way.

MC and Galileo's first encounter described in this fic is canon and you can read a translation of it here - many thanks to @cirillafionariannon

I wanted to try my hand at writing for our new two vamps, and this could also be an early Valentine's Day fic! Hope you enjoy!

Fun statistics!: the word pizza appears 33 times in this fic.

Leonardo was in Comte's room, lounging around with a drink and listening about his friend's most recent trip to the 21st century. While Leonardo was a man with passion for knowledge, not everything that Comte talked in great detail about was to Leonardo's interest. Mind trailing off in random directions while supposedly continuing to be a good listener, he suddenly feels the need to interrupt his friend.

Waving a hand in the air and looking over the Gucci shades that Comte actually bought for himself, he motions a pause.

"Forget about that, tell me if they made an International Pizza Day in the future yet."

"…Why, there actually is a day like that. It's the 9th of February, if I remember right."

***

With a little over a week remaining until Pizza Day, or Just Another Thursday as 19th century Parisians know it, Leonardo mobilizes the mansion into preparing something grandiose for the occasion.

"We're going to feed the whole of Paris with pizza."

MC blinks in apparent bewilderment. With the amount of crazy stuff happening around the mansion already, one would think that feeding the whole of Paris with pizza would find its place low in her list.

They're all gathered in the kitchen as if it's some kind of conference hall, with Leonardo using a blackboard to illustrate his schemes. So far he's drawn just one giant pizza taking all of the blackboard. He taps the chalk against the board.

"Think of it as a charity. While everyone would be free to help as well as consume, we'll prioritize those who are in need."

Dazai raises a hand. "Let me guess, you always wanted to invent a giant stove and this is your mastermind plan."

Leonardo enthusiastically points at Dazai with the chalk in his hand, "Esatto! But not exactly a stove. While fixing various gadgets for people in town, I had this idea of making a massive hot plate," he draws an oval under the oval supposed to be pizza, "which is a metal plate heated by charcoal underneath. Some of you will help me assemble it, others will get the word around town. And for those who are incompetent with cooking pizza…"

"I can give out a lesson or two." Napoleon says, with a raised hand. "I love the idea. I have volunteered in food banks a couple of times already around town. I'd be glad to help."

"Heh, Napoleon, knew you had that Italian blood still running hot in you. Alright then, it's settled."

***

MC is in her bed, staring a hole through the wall. Eating in bed is something she rarely indulges in, moreso if it's pizza, but she can't help it. As she chews with eyes squinted in deep concentration, she tries and tries to make just any connection between recent events and the possible reason behind all of this.

Just a couple of days ago, some white haired guy with a half-up hairstyle started coming to the mansion.

"Pizza delivery! Miss, that's for you. You don't owe anything. Enjoy! Bye!"

Wait, pizza delivery in the 19th century? It was strange the first time, and it's still strange the tenth time it happened. Some of the residents advised she don't eat it, but in the course of events (and hunger) she found out that's some damn good pizza. The best she had ever since she came here. And it was addressed to her. Is this a secret admirer situation?! Very strange.

Of course she suspected Leonardo. With his pizza hype recently it only made sense, but also that would be too easy. Placing the box on the nightstand, she sighs and goes over the possible leads in her head one more time.

***

The next day she takes Napoleon's pizza cooking class and conveniently stays behind until everyone else leaves the kitchen - namely Vincent, Mozart, and Jean. Napoleon takes the bait and praises her efforts at perfecting her pizza-cooking skills, being more than willing to give her some extra lessons.

Then they have clichéd and intimate dough kneading moment where he stands behind her and guides her hands; she pokes her nose into some private topics as carefully as she could, taking the conversation in the direction of love and cooking a meal full of love. Still, nothing she samples for the sake of learning tastes nearly the same as that same pizza delivered to the mansion's door every night.

***

Looking out of the window up at the moon that is nearly full, MC can't help but remember about a recent encounter with a strange man. It happened when she had to deliver some Blanc to Isaac who was working late at the university. In one classroom there was a white haired man with beautiful purple eyes looking through an old-fashioned telescope. There was something intriguing about him; about the shooting star they saw together, the timing, his comment about "still looking at the stars even in this day and age". The name he introduced himself with. All of it, full of mystery.

And yet the biggest mystery of her life currently revolves around pizza.

***

The man with white half-up hair approaches the merchant brig ship has recently docked at the Seine. Night has long fallen but the light inside is unmistakable; of course it's his friend baking pizza again. On his ship, nonetheless.

"Again, Galileo? That's the sixth time this week. I'm not going out this time. And please be careful not to burn down the ship, okay?"

The other whitehaired man doesn't as much as acknowledge the other's presence, too absorbed in his craft. The parmesan falls from between his fingers like a snowstorm over a tomato-red sea; in the next second he's at the cutting board; going left and right like a madman. Or like someone inlove.

The other sighs.

"I'm hearing something about a pizza charity in town. Basically everyone's gonna cook a giant pizza together and then give pieces away. Sounds like your thing, eh?"

Galileo's eyes dart towards his friend for a mere second, his hands never pausing.

"Where are you taking all my pizzas to, anyway? And I'm not participating."

"As you wish."

He exits the kitchen, opting for the company of the moon outside instead. The gentle lull of the waves make him crave a nap ever if it's technically close to his sleeping time. He notices the telescope nearby, unused by his friend in some time, which is awfully unusual of him.

"Man, this stress-cooking is going to ruin him."

***

The day finally arrives. The masses are buzzing around the square where Leonardo shows his invention that aims to leave everyone with a stomach full of delicious pizza, so long as there are enough hands to help. And they are. Soon the place gets overcrowded, the air smells like heaven, and the chilly February day gets as hot as a midsummer one.

All MC can think about is her secret admirer. With all the pizza being passed around and under her nose, she swears she's not crazy when she claims she didn't catch a whiff of That One Pizza. Will the whitehaired man be here today? Is it him, after all, stating that all he does is deliver it to her door, yet lying? No, there was no trace of such feelings in his demeanor; not the thrill of seeing her, nor the hope of learning something more about her in those short encounters. He was merely a proxy. But whose?

Defeated, the reason why the smile hasn't already left her face is solely the fact that she saw a lot of happy people today. Pizza really does bring people together; Leonardo was right all along. He was excellent at what he did, but he did it only with the people in mind; not a lover, much less her. She liked helping him today. And Napoleon too, who thankfully didn't think anything about her strange behavior the other day.

***

With the sound of street musicians who joined the celebration drifting in the distance, MC walks along the Seine, admiring the moonlight dancing on the surface. The noise and the hustle had gotten to her, so this little walk was welcomed, and it matched the feeling in her heart. The emptiness wasn't only there, though.

"Haha… I made so much pizza yet it seems like I didn't eat anything all day."

"I can see that. The growling of this belly of yours could be heard all the way here."

Eyes widening at the sound of that voice, she looks at the direction of a docked ship. The man exiting it seemed familiar, along with the voice, and it took just a couple of seconds to remember.

"Ahh, you're the…"

"The man with the telescope. I didn't think we'd meet again."

Right, this is the man who introduced himself as Galileo. The silence was awkward, his earlier comment not helping much, but she still felt good about seeing a familiar face. Though, they're barely more than strangers. Or maybe after having their second encounter, they're not strangers anymore?

MC stares at the fullmoon high in the sky, and surprisingly, so does Galileo. She giggles and breaks the silence.

"It's like a big pizza pie."

That's the single most absurd thing Galileo Galilei has ever heard in his life, being a person who devoted himself to astrology.

He scuffs at her remark, too taken aback to even say anything that won't ridicule her. He decides to spare her.

"So? Are you hungry? I've got some pizza on the ship."

Ah, pizza again.

"Sounds great."

Hoping for a distraction, she followed him on the ship. If anything, with all the pizza flavors she tasted recently, her palate would hopefully forget about the one that her secret admirer makes for her. What a silly story. She's sure it all ends tonight, the person likely pranking the whole of Comte's mansion in relation to the whole pizza cooking event or something.

"What a yummy smell. I must be really hungry. Did you make this yourself, Galileo?"

The man visibly tenses a little, possibly at the fact that she remembers his name. He should've given her a different one, after all.

"Yes."

MC bites into the piece, mind elsewhere. She wonders if she'll be sick of pizza ever since today.

Wait.

The flavors clash in her receptors and realization hits all at once; she looks at Galileo.

This taste!

"It's you."

The man with the beautiful purple eyes hums at her, without a clue what she is talking about. He hasn't shared his pizza recipe with everyone other than Francis, the look of recognition on MC's face not making sense to him.

He would soon come to know; but not tonight.

With the assurance that she must be mistaking him for someone else; and with the need to help her get home due to the late hour, their second encounter soon comes to an end.

And for Galileo, who barely kept his composure in the face of the one he strangely fell hopelessly inlove with, he swears he'll make sure this time it truly would be their last.

Unless the stars have other plans for him.

Taglist: @arsnovacadenza @ale-teodora @kimi00twin @otomelady @privilegedpancake @g-kleran   @pumpumnnnp @thesirenwashere @ravenarld @kimmy-banana @devonares @animeworldsposts @randomanimatedhusbandoseeker @galaxyprison @sadshaxk @starshards26 @pro-cat-stination @acethephoenix256 @ikevamp-shrine-2 @nad-zeta @crystal13unny @keen19thcenturygoatsstudent @lordsister @ikemen-banshou  @themysticalbeing @canaria-blackwell @otome-scribbles @rhodolitesrose @coornn @kpop-and-otome @queen-dahlia @kisara-16 @chaosangel767 @ikemenlibrary @queengiuliettafirstlady @aurora-morning @aquagirl1978 ​ @ikemenlover24 @violettduchess @mcofthemansion @tiny-wooden-robot @joy-the-reader @katriniac @ikemen-writer @tele86 Let me know if you want to be tagged/untagged!

[weirdraccoon]

Another idea if you're interested 💕.

Praticamente il seguito di un'idea già realizzata.

MC e Sebastian hanno un appuntamento romantico (o un intoppo di lavoro come preferisci) e chiedono a Eleazar di fare da babysitter alla piccola Miriam per qualche ora e proprio in quel momento Miriam decide di sviluppare una magia accidentale (sparando fuoco dalla sua bocca ecc.)

ohmygodohmygodyeeees!!! (i haven't forgotten about the last one, just these days I'm not feeling up for anything but this one yeeees!!!"

I hope google translate didn't muck it up cause I don't know Italian xd

Practically the sequel to an idea already realized.

MC and Sebastian have a romantic date (or a business snag as you prefer) and ask Eleazar to babysit little Miriam for a few hours and just then Miriam decides to develop accidental magic (shooting fire from her mouth etc. )

will also add a silly drawing later. this gave me "jack jack attack" vibes

Fig waved goodbye from his doorstep, also grabbing little Miriam's hand to wave goodbye to her parents. The young couple had the privilege to be invited to a gala celebrating something or other at the Ministry, or like Sebastian liked to explain it "to suffer through a night of schmoozing and networking".

Well, if EmSea wanted to become Minister she had to schmooze and network as much as possible. And Ominis would be there to help them. Fig wasn't too worried about his girl's ambitions.

"How about we have some dinner and then we listen to music while we do our homework?"

Miriam was only five years old, way too young to go to Hogwarts, but with parents like hers, she had been introduced to magical and muggle culture and history from the moment she was born. Sebastian, mainly, loved to read to her and he taught her how to read in record time. EmSea, on her part, liked to stroll in muggle London, taking her daughter with her so she could understand muggles were as human as wizarkin. So far, it seemed like the little girl loved all the muggle items she saw in her walks, but also all the old traditions wizards practice.

And she was already showing signs of powerful magic.

Fig never saw any of this, but according to Sebastian and EmSea, little Miriam was proficient at the summoning charm. There was nowhere in their house where they could hide the cookies or candy. Miriam always found them or summoned them from their places to her little hands.

At least she hadn't shown any ancient magic yet. Fig didn't know for sure how EmSea grew up or how dangerous her accidental magic was, but he hoped little Miriam didn't face the same obstacles as her mom did.

Miriam wouldn't have to hide her magic, bury it so deep it only came out under duress at her almost fifteen years old... No. Fig, along with Sebastian, EmSea, and Ominis (who has been an excellent godfather so far) would make sure Miriam grew up loved and safe and developing her magic to her full potential.

So, thinking about the books he read about kids' healthy development, Fig played some classic music that was supposed to help with attention and mind awareness.

"I like that," Miriam babbled, dutifully coloring the book her father left her with. "It's... relaxing," she giggled, laying her head on top of the book.

Fig smirked, glad the child liked it. He sat on his sofa with the new year's lesson plan and focused on correcting it. His apprentice was good but still needed some corrections here and there, specifically when organizing the topics from general to specific.

He wasn't sure how much time went by, but suddenly he realized Miriam had been way too quiet for a little five-year-old. He peeked over his papers and froze when he saw her missing.

"Shoot," he jumped to his feet, trying not to panic. "Ok, ok, it's ok. The wards won't let her go out, she has to be here," he looked around. The flat wasn't too big: a kitchen, a dining space, the living space he was currently standing in, two bedrooms, and one bathroom. "Miriam?" He called. "Where are you, you little snidget?"

Nothing.

Then.

Giggles echoed around him, sending shivers down his spine and making him look around with anxiety.

"I knew EmSea was a demon but why did she have a demon baby?" He muttered, then walked to the hallway that led to EmSea's old room. "Miriam?"

Something popped behind him, making him flinch and turn with his wand in hand.

There was nothing there.

Another 'pop'. Then another. And another. Surrounding him.

"Oh my dear Merlin, Miriam, are you apparating!?" He cried. "That's. that's dangerous, dear! Just- Hey! Who wants a cookie?"

Pop!

Miriam apparated right into his arms. He grunted and caught her before she could fall.

"I like cookies, gran'pa," Miriam grinned innocently.

"Yeah, ok," Fig sighed, tightening his hold on her. "But no more apparating. And your mom said only one before going to bed."

Miriam frowned but kept quiet as Fig took her to the kitchen. Her wide brown eyes observed as he opened the cupboard over the sink and revealed the full jar of cookies. He grabbed only one.

"Here, let's go back to sitting, shall we?"

Miriam munched on her cookie, but her eyes were glued to the cupboard.

Suddenly, it caught on fire.

"Fuck!" Fig shouted, placing Miriam on the floor. "Shit. No- Don't- Don't repeat those words, ok darling?" Then he ran back to the kitchen, trying to stop the fire with a couple of spells.

When the fire died out, he turned to make sure Miriam wasn't injured.

He found her munching on more cookies, jar safely guarded between her legs.

"This is going be a long night, isn't it?"

Miriam giggled.

Then floated.

The music didn't sound so relaxing anymore.

[thedeal-if]

Aaah the Dante drabble....

But... but... sorry, I HAVE to!

Soo...

This:

"He eyes the bouquet like it has personally offended him—knowing him, it has. Dante holds his hands out, you hand it to him almost on autopilot. The Aeshma takes a step back, and you watch as he sets the flowers ablaze with the palms of his hands. That’s the moment the stranger decides to run."

Well... but what if MC proceeds to be upset at him (in a sad - not angry - way), because these were such pretty flowers, and since they were already cut it is only right to at least care for them and allow them to live as long as possible before they wilt, instead of burning them like that. Aka, the MC is a sweetheart golden retriever type of person who genuinely feels upset about the flower burning.

OMG THIS 😭 I totally see it, poor MC... I'd say Dante's wrath would be hard to deal with even when it's hardly directed at them. He has an interesting internal monologue when that anger disappears so I present to you babygirl's pov post-Flower Incident✨

The stranger runs away. And Dante has no appropriate place to wipe the ashes on his hands, they dangle awkwardly for a few seconds, and then he dusts them off in his pants, staining the black leather with the grey remains of his jealous rage. It’s almost as if nothing happened in the first place: the stranger is gone and what remains of the bouquet...

Is going to be a bitch to clean.

Dante mutters his go-to curses—they roll off his tongue easily enough, as Italian often does. His shoulders relax with a final painful ache, the shadow clouding his judgement lifts. To Dante, the clarity often feels like dipping his head in cold water after a heatstroke.

His pants may be ruined, Dante sulks quietly. At least the flower-giving dickhead got the hint and ran away. The Aeshma tilts his head in your direction, he sees your frown, your eyes so full of disappointment—

Oh, shit. Dante fucked up. Again. The demon’s throat tightens.

“(Name)?”

“Let’s just go home, okay?” you sigh, and Dante much prefers the fire of your justified rage, it’s something he can match and return. But you’re not terrible like him, you’re not a mess. You’re beautiful and bright, like the sun, but in a good way. In the best way. You don’t sunburn, you are the rays that sunflowers chase greedily.

Dante hates the aftermath, the consequences of his own rage. He hates making you sad.

“(Name),” Dante whines helplessly “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Though you force a smile, it’s not sincere and it only makes the Aeshma feel worse. Dante wants to touch you, to hug you, he almost does—but the image of you recoiling roots him to the spot.

“It’s— It’s just some stupid flowers,” you frown at his words, he fucked up again. Again. Dante feels like he’s been kicked “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I don’t understand.”

Dante has no idea what you’re thinking about when you tighten your lips, pupils fluttering up and to the sides, he’s too busy watching all your little ticks. It makes noticing your more sincere smile much easier, and it’s only when you brandish it in his direction that Dante feels the tightness in his chest relax.

You explain, you always do, you’re patient and wonderful like that.

“Flowers are alive like you and I. It’s— It’s such a waste not to let them live, Dante,” you breathe “I know you can’t control Wrath. I’m not mad, either, but...”

“I’ll be careful,” Dante promises even though he’s not really sure it’s an oath he can keep “I’ll, uh, I’ll say sorry to the witch.”

Villanelle would probably be furious in your stead if she learnt what happened—to you and to the flowers.

At least that idea makes you laugh. Dante cracks his knuckles to relieve the tension.

“I forgive you,” you conclude sweetly, you reach out confidently, weave your fingers together with his own “Don’t do that again, okay?”

Your skin has always been cold to Dante. The change is refreshing.

[canyouhearthelight]

Machine is Perfect, but Flesh is Free Intermission

This chapter is longer than either of the previous two, and if I am correct, it is possibly longer than both combined. So hopefully that helps make up for the amount of technical things around dance that appear. For anyone who wants full context of what is going on: 1) the MC is dancing a deliberately more difficult variation of the Yuka Fukuda solo of Esmeralda.... which is already difficult enough. Every step happens on a beat, and there is not a lot of music for the piece and NO room for error, because the dancer has to kick a tambourine. Our MC is doing these kicks over their head rather than above it, which I think I have seen one dancer do only for the first portion. You can just search "Yuka Fukuda Esmeralda" to see the real one. 2) "The Fouettes" (fweh-tehs) refers to the Odette solo from Swan Lake. It is notoriously one of the most difficult passages to dance in ballet, and is also referred to as "The Thirty Two Fouettes". Spin spin spin, identically... it's exhausting, and it hurts. But if you have bionic legs and feel no pain when performing, you can imagine how boring it sounds. I swear I'm not disparaging the passage, but our MC experiences none of the things that make it hard. 3) There are two main versions of the fouette (the spin, not the passage), Italian and Russian. It actually takes less time to look up a video than listen to an explanation, and people have BIG opinions about which one is better.

All that said, thanks to @baelpenrose for making it through all these explanations the first time when I was writing it. On with the show!

For several weeks following my interrupted performance, I lived in the rehearsal studio with next to no contact from anyone except Urus and the doctor. Even M. Russo was banished from his place of power, and from the shouting I was barely able to hear through the door, he was incredibly displeased about the situation.  Urus grumbled about having to bring me meals and throughout the newly added watching me while I ate. No more solid foods, only some perfectly nutritious and perfectly flavorless concoction with a texture between porridge and puree.

Two weeks into my seclusion, my surly warden finally slipped, just a bit. “Food like that for every meal, I would dive in front of the next bullet,” he muttered.

I coughed, startling him.  Waving him off, I shook my head. “Bullet?” I gasped, trying to clear my throat.

He handed me a cup of water. “What about a bullet?”

The bowl of nutrients was set on my lap so I could turn my head and scowl at him. “The doctor said the bullet missed someone entirely the night I was brought here, and you just mentioned jumping in front of one now. I’m not deaf, no matter how much everyone likes to pretend I’m some windup doll. What bullet?”  It was the most words I had ever spoken directly to him, and from the look on his face, I had caught him off guard.

“Someone tried to shoot you while you were performing,” he explained slowly. “With a gun.” One hand dropped to his hip where he kept his holstered.

“Me?” I blurted out in shock. “Why? I’m not important, just a toy. Not even a pet.” I pitched my voice up as far as I could. “ ‘Wind up the little ballerina, let them dance’.”

That earned a more familiar sneer. “Poor little pet, to be kept so expensively and lavishly that you don’t even need to walk anywhere for fear of bruising your feet.”

“Yes, my pretty little golden cage.” I lifted the bowl and swallowed the contents as quickly as I could, wincing as I refused to let it come back up. Gasping as I finished, I held it out. “I’ve eaten. Your punishment is done for now.”

He ignored me for several minutes, until my arm was burning and shaking. I refused to beg or acknowledge our standoff until the bowl was removed from my hand.  As soon as I heard the door lock behind him, I let out a deep breath. Inhaling again and bracing myself, I slowly flexed my feet.  Pain spiked up through me, but I grit my teeth and focused on breathing with every movement.  The most recent treatments from Master Arik made it impossible for sweat to bead on my forehead, but my eyes and mouth felt feverish when I stopped for the water that was always within arms reach.

The memory of dancing - leaping, kicking, flying - warred with how quickly I was brought to exhaustion by the pain from something as simple as flexing my ankles and feet.  Since M. Russo was not allowed in the studio while I was being kept here, there were no rehearsals and therefore no need for nerve blocks, leaving me in full pain with every movement of my legs.  After another drink of water, my anger was burning hotter than my body. “Kick,” I commanded my legs. But only so fast, my teacher’s voice echoed in my mind as I strained against my own body to lift one leg, and to resist the urge to drop it.

“Again.” Breathe. My body could do this - had done this. Again and again. Only so fast, only so high, I reminded myself. Limits. When my eyes and mouth were hot again, I stopped for more water and to cool down. Another limit. 

In the ten winters I could remember being here, I had been very aware of my situation, but Urus’s comments today had been the first time I realized that perhaps I was the only one other than Master Arik who was aware. Clearly, Urus thought I was a pampered thing - what if he did not realize what the injections were?

I worked persistently at my own mobility, and it seemed that every small success woke my mind even further.  Where I had surrendered, been complacent to my existence of agony with brief rewards of relief when I behaved, now I was suspicious and curious of everything.  I was increasingly aware of how long it was taking to secure my personal quarters, where the studio had taken only a day or so.  Plots and accusations lurked in every corner of my mind that suddenly had light shining in them - why did the serving people never speak when they attended me before? Why was Urus assigned to me and me alone?  Surely Arik had other trophies - why had I never seen or heard of them?

Instead of keeping time by the things done to me - baths, meals, rehearsals I was led to and from - I began marking time by what I could do. I could slowly kick my legs five hundred times in a row each before needing to stop for water.  I could hold both feet in front of me for fifteen minutes at a time without assistance, ignoring the sharp electric razors spiking through them without a headache.

By the time I was released from my isolation in the studio, I could hold my knees to my chest with only the muscles in my legs and stomach  for an astonishing five minutes.  I had not dared to stand, but was contemplating the attempt when the locks on the entrance slammed open and Master Arik entered, accompanied by Urus and three other guards.  My back was to the door and viewing glasses, but I still dropped my feet quickly to their rests in my chair before even his brisk step could come around to face me.

“It is a good day,” he started without preamble. “Full of good news.  The man who tried to kill you has been executed, and your new quarters are finally ready.”

“Kill me?” I asked stupidly.

He waved my concern away. “Someone sent to hurt me by stealing you, once your value became known.  Thankfully, you were not injured, but measures had to be taken.”

Was I so valuable that someone would kill me to hurt him? I doubted it, but he seemed quite certain, so I nodded along. “And new rooms?”

“And a new insurance policy,” he assured. “To reflect your new value.”

Urus nodded towards my bedding and personal effects before grabbing my chair. Mechanically, I followed the script that was ingrained in me. “And my parents?”

“Compensated to reflect your rising stock,” Arik responded. Where before I had only been concerned that my family was not starving, now I was suspicious that the answer was equally rote and mechanical to my question.

With that, our accustomed exchange had ended, and Master Arik was supervising my removal from the studio space, ignoring me again.  I focused on keeping my features slack and dull, but this time I paid as close attention as possible to what was being said around me.  I learned I was being taken to the second floor, not the third - apparently my quarters had been on the third floor.  The studio, I found out, was on the fourth.  Instead of the sloped corridors, I was to be taken by elevator, which was a luxury I had never been afforded, but was apparently more secure.

Despite my new rooms being further away, the journey was far shorter.  The doors, like the ones on the rehearsal space, were keyed to the genetic pattern Master Arik’s doctors had placed in me.  Only he, Urus, and the doctor could enter without an escort - and myself, obviously, but it was left unsaid that the idea of my leaving under my own power was laughable.  The poor paper dancer could not walk, after all.

Once we entered, Arik turned with his arms extended, a smile on his face. “The walls have been reinforced, the windows filled and shuddered on the exterior with plates. To ensure your safety, obviously.” Leaning over, eyes cold, he flicked the end of my nose, his false grin never budging. “No need for cameras anymore. Any and all items and persons to enter and leave will be checked and accompanied by security.”

No windows. No more birds. No more clouds. A more secure cage than ever.

My face must have betrayed nothing that concerned him, as he stood and clapped his hands once. “Sleep tonight, and tomorrow you will perform.”

I shook my head, confused. “Perform? Not rehearse?”

He clucked his tongue. “You still need to complete your performance as Esmeralda.  It will be in the studio, and only myself and M. Russo will be in attendance, but you will be recorded so that your stock can be valued.  It is not ideal, but it will have to suffice.  Currently, your value is contingent.”

“I understand, Master Arik,” I muttered numbly.  I understood nothing, except that I had no say in the matter.

Striding to the door, he turned to Urus, who followed at his elbow. “Have dinner brought and have them bathed properly. They will be dressed here in the morning and brought to the studio for exhibition.”

—-

After a nearly sleepless night, I was roused from a fitful half-sleep by the lights in my quarters being turned on - no dawn noises, no slivers of sunrise, just a sudden bright pain stabbing through my eyelids.  Groggily, I allowed myself to be washed again, shoved into my costume, makeup slathered on my face.  My nerve blocks were not applied until after I heard the thud of the studio doors securing behind me, M. Russo pointing to my mark with his baton.  Rather than listening for the warm ups of the orchestra, a recorded track was played as it had been in any rehearsal, although this time without M. Russo counting me off.  Nonetheless, I stepped and kicked as intricately as I had intended to when it had been a theater of people watching rather than my teacher, my master, and who knew how many cameras. Each motion as controlled and flawless up close as it would have appeared from a balcony, each sounding of the tambourine measured and equal to the rest.

I finished, face impassive, without any applause.  Instead, Master Arik drummed his fingers on his seat, head tipped to the side. “It is a beautiful and dangerous interpretation,” he frowned.

“It is a traditional one,” M. Russo responded carefully. “A difficult one, to demonstrate their skill.”

“A kick like that could kill a man.”

A gruff laugh followed. “Only by breaking his heart. The feet are too fragile for anything more. They can hardly walk without your permission.”

Arik nodded, but seemed distracted. “I will have the footage released for valuation. Uncut, I think.”

“To cut it is to imply imperfection. Release all of it. There are no flaws to hide.”

“We shall see.” Standing, Arik nodded again. “Russo. The fouettes next, I believe.”  WIth that, he left.

No sooner had the door shut again than I was peeling out of my costume, inspecting my feet. M. Russo did not even pretend to look away - he made no secret that his interest in my body was perfunctory at best. “No blisters,” I reported, disgruntled.

“Mme Boulvais is much more careful than her predecessor,” he agreed. “And the softer shank made a difference.  But shorter in the right shoe for the next performance, I think. You were barely over the box.”

“Those toes are shorter,” I agreed. “And the ankle bends further. But the fouettes?” I pinched my face.

M. Russo seemed to agree, tossing his hands in the air. “You can leap like a cat, you can kick as though you have no bones, but he wants you to twirl in place for heavens only know how long.”

“I can do them Russian,” I suggested, feeling more mischievous than I could recall feeling in my entire life.

He gripped his baton like a sword. “I will cane you from the top of your head to the soles of your feet if you do even a dozen Russian fouettes before my eyes.  And then I will ask Master Arik to gouge them from my head so I may never see such a travesty again.”

I smiled softly, stretching deeply and grabbing my toes. “He said my Esmeralda was dangerous. That the kicks could kill a man.”

From behind, I heard my teacher scoff. “I would agree if you did not need medical magic to merely walk. A kick like that could break a man’s jaw at least, snap his neck at worst. But as you would never kick me like that, and cannot even stand to attempt it when you are elsewhere, it is a vain fear.”

I hummed, hoping he would take it in agreement.  It seemed he had, as by the time I stood again, he had resumed his teaching posture. “Go ahead. Show me your fouette. Ten to the left, then ten to the right.”

Automatically and without music, I started. Traditionally, the passage Master Arik was requesting used identical turns to the right, but we rehearsed with both to err on the side of caution.  Arik was known to add or change something at any time if he felt it was something new.  By the end of the day, both of my calves stung from being struck to correct their height or how soon I did nor did not whip my leg out - M. Russo had not been joking about his insistence on Italian over Russian.  As the weeks progressed, more and more turns were added, along with various surfaces for me to balance on for precision.  A strange tool was brought to ensure that my legs were at exactly ninety degrees, a position I had to hold for as long as ten minutes at a time.

By nights, I was standing under my own trembling power for just as long.

Unlike in the past, rehearsals went on for nearly half a year.  Increasing levels of difficulty were added, in theory to explain the time it was taking.  In reality, I overheard my security discussing the increased measures to make Master Arik’s keep more and more secure, to make the performance hall doubly so.  The idea made me feel melancholic rather than secure, and I avoided analyzing the feeling too hard with my newfound inquisitiveness.  Most importantly, the next performance was intended to be ‘exclusive’ as an excuse to limit any chance at another incident, and all staff were undergoing intensive background screening and medical analysis.  My own medical exams went on the same schedule as before.

After all, I wasn’t staff - I was property.

[ravenadottir]

renaming characters: s1, s3 and s4

i just decided to compile all of them in one post since we all know these characters pretty well, and by that i mean i know SOME of the names from season 4.

season 2 / season 5 (i guessed/named them because i didn't play the season so... no stakes there!)

SEASON 1

allegra - she's very powerful, *clears throat* hot, and allegra as a name can be that...? i don't know, i feel like amber resumes this character so much, especially if you say it with her accent... amba... every amber in reality tv is a little too intense and we know she's the queen of cringey overreactions.

erikah - always thought laura would suit her better. i don't know why but i don't like erikah for her, but i think laura has a je ne sais quoi that she, the character, also has. she's very complicated and quite feeble at times, but her face tells me laura.

jen - she's clearly a fucking ashleigh. not for nothing, i know a lot of great ashleys', but the -eigh makes it so obnoxious and that's perfect for homegirl, because right off the bat she's claiming vanilla swirley hair romeo and ashleigh's tend to be like that... tell me you can't picture jen in a 2014 pinterest gear up in a pumpkin field wearing uggs and a fedora, i dare you to tell me she's not the type!

talia - is her full name natalia? 'cause it should be. in my humble opinion isla is a great name for her, (pronounced ay-lah) means island and it's spanish and scottish, perfectly beautiful for her, because let's be honest, if any of these girls is gonna have an interesting name, that's talia. hell, talia is already a great name!

jake - this is such a boring name for someone so full of flavor, i can't! he's not dabbed in caucasity nor adolescence, so why the fuck was he named jake???? mateo though... mateo is a fucking name, ok? it can be italian, spanish, portuguese, it doesn't matter. jake is such a 13-yo momma's boy name... ugh, no. if the guy has a collar popped like a fucking vampire and is walking around the villa with that hair, jake is not his name. PERIOD.

mason - i honestly like the name, just not for him. i always thought oliver would be a curveball because so is mason's lack of personality. let's face it they made a huge oopsie when interchanging levi's characteristics with his when coupled up with mc. mason is a drummer turned model, how the fuck did you manage to make him boring??? anyway, his face, to me, is giving oliver.

miles - he deserves a douche name because he has that chest piece, and any guy who displays such... awful tattoo deserves to be punished. fuck it, let's name him terry, short for terrible.

jasper - i mean, i HATE this name, and well, his face and hair is giving elité father tease, so i want to name santiago, because oh my god, every santiago i've met sucks ass and is a creep. the guy has a pet cobra, he HAS to be named santiago!

tim - this is the ONLY character who fits in the jake genre, because he looks 18 and clueless (affectionate). i feel like liam is somehow fitting for him, mostly because that's the go-to name in teen dramas... and usually the liam's are also clueless.

levi - why do his mates call him romeo is beyond me, homeboy has NO GAME. NONE. he's the personification (along with mason) of pretty privilege. if you stick a pin on his head it might deflate, because there's nothing going on behind those average eyes. fuck levi, his name is eric, basic and common.

rohan - since his name has multiple origins, and we don't know for sure his ethnicity (not that it matters, i know brazilian boys who are named tyler, so...) i'm naming him gael. he's a gael, argue with the wall.

cherry - have you ever seen a courtney??? because that's her! and she might be the type to say "although i have the same name as kourtney, khloe is my spirit animal" and you can't tell me she doesn't.

reese - tristan. fuck reese.

sammi - i would love to name her according to her ethnicity, because sammi apparently is hebrew. for instance, if she's korean: seong-min is perfect, because it's a genderless name and so it's sammi. also, i headcanon her as enby (she/them). if she's japanese, aya, because it can mean "brilliant fabric" and that's what she's fucking wearing. if chinese, yu ming, which means jade brightness, again... fitting! i like sammi, but i think it was a missed opportunity to name her in what could be her background culture, since lots of us don't know much, if anything about those countries. i for one didn't have any asian history classes in my school curriculum, which is weird because we had ajapanese immigration here, so like... MAKE IT MAKE SENSE. anyway, these are the names i would give her.

lucy - that's a rebecca that refuses being called becky, and will have a fit if you do. i don't have much to say about her, lucy can die in a hole.

~~

SEASON 3

elladine - she gives me "i have two L's in my name" but it's not elladine. it's something like danielle, which is really pretty and the first name that came to mind when i saw the teasers with her.

aj - this is a great name for her, i have to say! if anything i would've taken the same route and either use an acronym, like aj, or a "boy name" like robin. i honestly love that name for girls and enby's.

bill - honestly the caucasity is too much for me, and i have to say, the name has to fall into that category, so i'm naming him ryan! he's childish and you can tell nobody has told him to shut the fuck up ONCE in his life. his name is ryan and you can argue with the jar of mayo sitting next to him.

camilo - i don't like this for anybody, it's such an ugly name in my opinion. if they wanted to name him a latin name they could've gone with so many other prettier options, and to me he looks like a cauã (the last a is pronounced ahn). listen, cauã is indigenous from brazil, BUT it's so fitting for him, you'll have to trust me on this one! they're athletic and also very... um... let's say "active", and by that i mean they're all whores (affectionate). it's perfect for him.

harry - if zhong is his surname (and it's chinese), then i'm choosing my favorite boy name, which is jun hie. ((fun fact, zhong can also be a first name, and it can mean devotion, among other things that don't even slightly mean that, but i'm focusing on devotion)). harry looks like someone who deserves a cute name that has a deep meaning, and jun hie means outstanding.

nicky - what a bland ass name for someone so pretty! i like jamal for him, and i could stand here all day trying to come up with an excuse but truth be told, it's because of jamal sims (the coreographer), leave me alone he's hot ok!

seb - i actually think a cat name is perfect for him lol it's either seb or something stupid like axel or dash, which makes him INCREDIBLY EMBARRASSED ABOUT IT.

miki - i like it but i think something like sakura would be perfect. there's something about her that reminds me of the petals' colors... she's a pretty chill girl, and somewhat delicate, so i like sakura for her.

genevieve - i think it's perfect! it's dainty but has some strength to it. personally i think if i came up with a name for her it wouldn't be as good as genevieve. hate the nickname though, viv is really basic. call her vieve, man, what are you doing??

iona - i would never think of this name because i've never heard it before meeting her, but she gives me the vibe of a girl who has a big name but cool, short nickname, like andressa or andrea but the nick is andi. the choice is andi, you pick the original.

ciaran - this is a trent and you can argue with bill's mayo jar. he might be irish but his stance is the fucking white american who is a nice guy. i don't like his personality, or the lack of, and trent is a brainless guy, just like him.

tai - it's fucking perfect for him actually! when i saw him on the tease i thought of taika, tai or koa (joyful), but personally i think tai or koa are very fitting.

yasmin - whenever i see her i think of the exact color of iris, so that's the name. plus, she gives "hemp-skirt-wearing and having lesbian sex in an orange tent after lolapalooza" tease and that's why iris fits.

rafi - i don't like the name rafi for him, so... husani. it's pretty accurate, since it means 'handsome'. i also like how it sounds and i think it fits with his personality since that's... the only personality he has. "ah, but vena he talks about his brother-" i'm gonna stop you right there, because he does, but um... how many times did we get to see his depth? exactly.

lily (liliana) - she looks like a bruna to me. it is italian but we do have a lot of bruna's here, and honestly? THEY ALL LOOK THE SAME, and they look like that.

~~

SEASON 4

angie - she gives me strong vibes of alexandra, in a way that she hates her name and prefers a gender bent nickname, like alex. i don't like angie for her.

lexi - this absolute excuse of a person is a jessica to me, but the bad type. you know what i'm talking about, the type you have to call her out in the middle of a discussion because once again she's giving "THAT'S MY OPINION!!" tease. i hate this character so much, she's 46% of the reason why i stopped playing the season.

najuma - i love it but i would never think of this name since i've never heard it before. if someone suggested it, i would probably go with it, but if i had to pick one, it would be amani. i think najuma is better though.

thabi - honestly? pretty cool name for her, such a cute and short name, i would probably choose something like that. i'll keep it.

hazeem - not gonna lie i did NOT think he would have a muslim/arabic/urdu name when i saw him for the first time. and because i don't know NEARLY ENOUGH about the culture, i'm keeping it. he does look like a hazeem somehow.

james - it's such a common, bland, accessible name... then again, so is he. meh, james is fine. although he gives me benjamin... lol idk why, don't ask

kobi - this guy is such a... dynamic young man. there's a guy named calvin, from season 3 of the circle, and is the perfect summoning of what i think kobi is like. the type of guy that joins his fingers and gestures it to explain something, particularly to someone who hasn't asked anything. yeah, kobi's name is calvin.

will - ok, it would be EVERYTHING UNDER THE SUN before will, especially knowing it's short for willem? LIKE, I FEEL SO BETRAYED- anyway, since he's japanese, and i wouldn't give him an engligh name, it's an opportunity to expand the character's culture a bit, so his name would be shigeru (lush), 'cause let's face it, the boy is pure lush... he has a fucking robe, it's perfect.

bruno - rafael vibes, and that's because here in brazil that usually goes to very annoying boys... (pronounced ha-fah-el). he just strikes me as a guy who doesn't know when to be quiet and well... he's a comedian, so you know that's fucking true.

youcef - if you told me he was french i would say pierre, because to be honest his face gives... absolutely nothing, so probably blanche? or blanc...? i don't know, he's just such a weird choice, all i think of is the "go back to party city where you belong" because of his hair. i'm definitely naming his blanche.

valentina - that's the most gabriela i've ever seen!! like... she's so fucking hot, i barely can think when i see her, and valentina is a beautiful name, just doesn't fit her vibe.

juliet - fuck this girl, i hate her design so much. and you know what, i also hate the name adrianna, so that's what i would name her. she has the vibe of someone who cuts you off to talk about herself and adrianna's love doing that shit.

cora - close but not quite, i would name her nova, because reasons. she just gives me nova vibes, maybe it's her style? maybe it's just how fresh she looks, idk, i just love the name nova for her.

tom - i'm not fucking with you, the first name that came to mind when i saw him was jerry, before knowing what he was called lol istg it's just jerry for me, the oldest most generic name for a guy that wears a goddamn suit on a summer trip.

kelly - i don't like the name kelly, it's really common in some regions here, i'm tired! plus, she breathes, walks and talks like a chloe, i can't imagine another name for her.

tiffany - hate this name, oh my god... if i had to moan tiffany at any given time, i would jump into an elevator shaft first. since they go by all pronouns, why not a gender neutral name? he gives me solid riley energy. i like it because of the girl in inside out and how there's male and female emotions in her head, so... riley.

dylan - he could be named rat for all i care. BUT i'm giving marcel, because that's what marcel's do, understimate women and are slightly misogynistic, and by slightly i mean a fuck ton. FUCK THIS GUY, FUCK HIS FACE, FUCK HIS BODY, FUCK HIS PERSONALITY. FUCK - THIS - CHARACTER.

oliver - at this point i don't even know, because he gives oliver, but he also gives mason, and also jason, basically names for guys that are ripped lol i think i would give him luke. don't ask, it's a luke thing!

[panie-wanie-dean-bean]

Thank u so much for the lore answer, I love the cotton candy sweetness of fluff but ima lil drunk right now, so i wanted to share a f-ed up question if that's okay, (you'r free to not answer if not,) but since Bo is so determined to like not fuck upnot be sent back n stuff what kind of stuff would he avoid doing around MC 4hat he used to do around his previous masters?

and like, if its related or not, i had this headcanon that im glad u gave some bo backstory for bc where it was like, wat would happen if he accidentally caused a accident with all his adorbs puppy energy, like he's playing tag with Jack or somethin and with Bos megahuge beach boy buff arms just knocks MC down the flight of their fancy imported italian marble stairs edged with silver (they say this as they're fallin down btw 'ah! Im falling down my fancy imported italian marblestairshks Im stupid)

but anyway yea they break something or get like super injured or something and ofc the ambulance has to be called and they're taken ro the hospital to stay for awhile, which sucks bc like ofc society looks down on hybrids so everyone is side eyeing this adorable zoo mansion bc they're lame and 1 brain celled and like "thats wat happens when u have a house full of wild animals they should be put down if u ask me" and MCs attitude is like a grim but professional "if i had both my arms Id beat ur ass bitch, wats ur @? Soon as this morphine drip is done its over for u hoes" but like they probably have a cast or somethin . Anyway MC's worried about the boys, and me the OP is worried about Bo bc like Trauma city would hit his brain harrd, and i dont even know if the other guys would be so forgiving and stuff bc i mean they Should they're a family, but that was two(2) flights of imported italian marble dude, fuck, why play football tag,, in the house?? And idk i just felt bad bc jack n Bo esp probably would feel double bad even tho MC loves him so much he's just a hyper guy, he cant help his zoomzooms, i dont/cant fathom wat he and the boys would do in this situation probably pack his one thing (an old mc shoe) ina rucksack n try to run away miserably or maybe 24/7 at the hospitsl despite all the nasty looks and comments bc they're hybrids or magbe even hiding away bc he absolutely believes that mc will send him away once they lock eyes again, but regardless of either of those things, if MC has to roll up to the house in that (yknow that spongebob character guy who was born with glass bones and paper skin ass Giant ass full body cast on rollers??) To go find that boy and over the grand table firmly tell them not to harbor any horrible thoughts about themselves or each other, bc it was an accident and about lovin them unconditionally and being a family, i might cry or somethinf, the table is also imported italian maple btw MC-s parents had a thing i think they fucked an italian architect guy, or somethin anyway i luv u, im gonna eat a burrito so let me know if u want any thing from the kitchen luv u

Lemme know if tuis text is broken up enough bc i skimmed over it and i was like this is like the stat wars openin or some shit i put gaps in

🖤

First of all, sweety, for me, take a sip or two of water, ok? And make sure you sleep on your side if you're still drunk by then, forehead kisses all around

Anyways, Bo would just mask everything that brings him joy by the time you adopt him. No bouncing, no stimming in general, no talking unless asked, no indulging in his hyperfixations or special interests, he even tries to limit his tail wagging. He's come to correlate his own joy with bad behavior so he's just straight up not him when you first meet him

Holy shit, this is good, but fuck man. Bo wouldn't know what to do with himself. Once the ambulance takes you away he thinks you died. He's in full shutdown, no talking, no eating, no moving off your bed and your scent

Jack would also be distraught, both because he was playing with Bo and because he cleans those stairs so often they're just a little more slippery from how clean they are. He stays with Bo most days, Rory coming in with meals to make sure they don't starve in there. Jack eats a little. Bo doesn't

Rory feels bad for Jack and Bo, he knows they didn't mean it and trusts Jack's recount of events. Nick keeps himself busy by visiting you in the hospital, Shaun wants to go too but since cat's are a popular allergen he's not allowed in unless he needs care. Ian goes as often as he can so he doesn't have enough time to plot Bo's death. Jean and Berry are pissed and openly talk about kicking Bo out. They know better than to talk about Jack like that with Rory around. Joseph is stuck as peace maker until you get back, making sure that no fights break out and they Jean doesn't poisons Bo's food with onions, not that he'd eat it anyhow

When you finally get home and tell everyone that you forgive Bo seeing as it was an accident Bo finally lets everything hit him and cries. He's on his best behavior the months following, you'll have to reteach him to drop his "good boy" mask and be himself

[eurovision-revisited]

Eurovision 2002 - Number 2 - Alexia - "Dimmi come…"

I mean, just wow.

Compare any song from Eurovision 2002 to this. I think Alexia would have blown the doors off the Saku Suurhall in Tallinn. She probably wouldn't have even needed the microphone. It starts off all ramshackle and bluesy, but the she hits that note and the bounce begins. If you're a backing singer stuck up in the back row of the Sanremo orchestra, this is the sort of song that you must be absolutely looking forward to all evening.

Alexia doesn't even need the bulk of the orchestra, at least until she hits the bridge and breakdown. This is the kind of song and performance that you can't help but stand up and cheer with a huge smile plastered all over your face. It shows what Eurovision is missing with Italy's absence. Holy moly. Let's rewind a bit.

Alexia isn't new to this game. She's got a recording history. Starting off in the UK of all places. She's had numerous hits including a top 10 UK hit, several Italian and European number 1 singles nearly all Eurodance and club floor fillers of the late 1990s. She's even on the Trainspotting soundtrack - she's the vocalist on Ice MCs Don't You Know. Nearly all her hits are in English, though her success is international. She's even released exclusive singles in both Finland and Brazil by this point.

Then 2002 happened. She started singing in Italian, ditched full-on Eurodance, and made her very first appearance at Sanremo - this appearance. Her focus became far more strongly directed towards her native Italian market.

Instant success - Dimmi come... (Tell Me How) finished second in the competition and won the Volare award for Best Music at her first attempt. The song was written by Alexia and Massimo Marcolini, with whom she began working the year prior. The single hits number 1 in Italy, going gold within four days of its release An English language version of this, titled Don't You Know was released internationally. Alexia is one of those artists I don't want to talk too much about in the future because (spoilers!) she does very well. Safe to say she'll almost certainly feature in future top 48s.

As a calling card for the national music festival scene, Dimmi come... is a track and a performance that's hard to top. Although I've only got it at number 2... What can possibly have beaten this?

[willkimurashat]

LITG S5 MC Tag

Thanks so much for tagging me @vulnerabledime !!!❤️❤️❤️

I usually play the game as moi (or my alter ego, if you will lol), it helps me feel more invested haha! But in light of recent events, I thought, why not do my MC from my latest Suresh fic (you can read it here) - Eloise:) I didn’t really have a full story for her or a face claim, but this is really fun to envision, so let’s go!

Full name: Eloise Adkins

Nickname: El, but if she’s in a bad mood, don’t you dare call her that. Only family is allowed to call her Lou, even though she kinda hates it

Hometown: Oxford, England (but she moves around a lot) 

Age: 26

Occupation: Businesswoman (idk, for some reason I’m picturing something like a wedding salon?)

Sexuality: Straight

Any languages: English (she’s very well-spoken), and I feel like she’d also know Italian well

Any hidden talents: Horseback riding - it’s her passion and she’s so good at it, I’m pretty sure she considered making it her career at some point

Personality type: ESTJ

Ideal outfit: When I was writing the fic, I was thinking, what kind of girl would catch Suresh’s attention? Posh, classy girl with expensive taste. I feel like he is like that, so he needs a girl that can look good next to him and match his status. So, Eloise has that classy-glammy style: stilettos most of the time, skintight midi dress/oversized suit, a trench coat is a staple.

How did she meet Suresh: Oh, definitely through work. When she was starting her business, Suresh was her lawyer. And then he was her personal lawyer *wink wink* 

Picture of MC and face claim:

I didn’t have a face claim when I was writing Eloise, so that *you* can be her 🫵, and *you* can be her 🫵, and *I* can be her 💁‍♀️ lol! But I literally searched “posh British girl” on pinterest and this is kinda the overall vibes I was picturing with El?

(Face claim: Lydia Millen)

Current mood in the villa:

Latest beach hut confession:

“I’m not bothered, really. Suresh can crack on with whoever he wants. I’m not bothered.” Eloise crossed her legs over each other, elegantly laying her hands in her lap. “Good luck to Arlo, if she wants to graft him. You have my blessings, love.” Her face was calm and collected as always, yet a hint of annoyance reading in her tiny smirk. “And if Alfie thinks he’s found the one in Meera, then, well, one less baggage for me to carry. I just hope she hits the gym soon because I’m not sure she’s fit to lift it, really.” Eloise was satisfied with her response, trying to sting the boy that’s been renting her basket as temporary egg holder, but in reality, she couldn’t admit that she was the one stung the most. She’s not used to being unpopular.

Tagging: @crimswnred @mrsbsmooth @tammyisobsessedwith @noahsthottie @i-boop-you @lasswithumor @irishbelle34 @oceanatydes @mercedesdecorazon @mergrl @wardingoffevil + anyone who wants to do it - please join in!❤️ Absolutely no pressure! And sorry if you’ve already been tagged/done it before🥺

[doriana-gray-games]

For a Halloween ask 🎃 :

Would Sherlock and the RO's dress up for a Halloween party, and if so, what would they dress up as? 👻 Would they be willing to go in a couples costume, and if so, what? 👯 Would any of the answers be different if it was for a case instead? 🔍 What would be each of their treat(s) of choice to hand out on Halloween? 🍬🍫

💖🎃💖

Dress up (modern au):

Watson - maybe Superman/Wonderwoman? Something quite cheery and not classically dark. Cat / dog / a cheery werewolf could also work.

Lestrade - low effort vampire. Or “i don't dress up” and then feel awk that they are the only one at the party not in costume — which is probably when Adler would appear with like a spare clown nose or devils horns that Leastrade can put on.

Adler - love dressing up! I imagine them doing a mid party costume change. A devil, a sexy angel or fairy, sexy spy, sexy doctor or maybe a sexy nurse. Cat. Sexy tho. Anything that looks good on them and allows them to fluster MC or Lestrade.

H - a well made custom ordered outfit. Like a vampire outfit, but with dentist level glued on teeth, really good coloured lenses, and couture dress/suit. Or some obscure reference outfit from some 16th-17th century Italian novel. But it would look very good, expensive and honestly too high effort for whatever party you go to.

Couples costume… probably not Lestrade. But maybe you can force/convince them 😂 honestly they would all defer to Sherlocks ideas for costumes in that case. But Adler would still like to be sexy, H would need some elegance or quality, Watson would like to do anything really.

Lestrade would dress up in more things for a case. But they would complain every. step. of. the. way.

What candy would they hand out?

Okay, so I don’t know what kind of candy you guys have or do not have tho 😂 (and I am more of a pastry person than candy and stuff, so I don’t know too much…) anyway, I’ll keep it more vague so hopefully most countries have some equivalence 😙

W: milk chocolate wafer bars, but half sized ones—because they are a doctor and don’t want to feel too bad about giving children too much sugar… (but, Watson would also eat a whole bag themselves the night before, forcing them to have to buy more…)

L: probably something gross… the first thing they saw, which was too hard chewy candies half liquorice/half indistinguishable berry flavour sprinkled with something of a dramatically clashing texture and taste.

A: something fun, like full on kinder eggs or Ferraro rocher (are these still tasty? I haven’t eaten them in years). Things in fun shapes or with multiple flavours, packaged in individual sized boxes with an expensive price tag.

H: probably would let a butler handle it tbh… if they had to choose, hmmm 🤔 they would prefer something with dark chocolate. Or marzipan. MAYBE BOTH! (I just remembered how much I like marzipan 💖)

[readyplayerhobi]

Flower | Drabble 5

; Hoseok x Reader

; Genre: Fluff, slight angst

; Synopsis: You finally decide to take a dip into the world of online dating and find the Flower dating app. One of the top matches for you proves to be a guy who looks to be your complete opposite; tattooed, pierced, a metalhead and oh…incredibly handsome. What happens when you throw caution to the wind and reach out to him?

; A/N: Another little drabble! It's hard to give this couple up 🥺 this is also a scene that was basically deleted from the main series, so it's been given a time jump! I didn't want people to think it was a cliche moment (it kinda is) but...I think this gives some good clarity on how the MC has grown! Unedited as on mobile.

-

"Do you think your mom will like this?" You query, brows farrowing together as you turn the elegantly decorated plant pot around in your hands. It would match her current living room decor and she loved gardening.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah...why?" Hoseok asks with a distracted tone, his attention grabbed with the collection of fake plants. The two of you had come to a home decoration store as you wanted to redecorate your bedroom. He wasn't hugely interested in how it was done and you were pretty sure that he was here just to spend time with you.

Which was sweet and you loved that he was content to just be with you, but he wasn't being very helpful right now.

"...her birthday? It's next week, we're taking her out for dinner, remember?" He pauses for a moment before his lips turn into a circle.

"Oh yeah, shit. I need to book the table for that." Before you can say anything else, he's pulling out his phone and tapping away on it.

Sighing, you place the pot into the cart and begin to look with an eye for your bedroom. You wanted to inject more plants into the house but Kasumi just tried to eat real ones, so you were stuck with fake plants.

"How about C'est Bonne? Wait no, she doesn't like French food. Hmmm, Italian feels boring though. Do you think she'd like Thai, I think that'd be alright." Hoseok is muttering to himself as he scrolls and you smile affectionately.

To say he'd completely forgotten, you weren't surprised that he was throwing himself into it now.

"Hoseok?" For a moment, neither of you respond. You, because it wasn't your name and so you weren't conditioned to respond to it, and Hoseok because it wasn't your voice.

His head jerked up in confusion, gaze going to you first before looking around. The voice calls again from your left and you turn to see who it is, wondering who was calling out your husband's name.

What you didn't expect is for Hoseok's face to open in surprise, shocked recognition taking over his expression. Like, real shock and you're even more confused and intrigued.

"Yoona?" He asks, his tone slightly unsure and you realise it's obviously someone he once knew. You've heard him mention the name at some point, but you can't remember why you know it.

"It is you! Oh my god, it's so good to see you. How long has it been?" The woman in question, Yoona, smiles brightly and you observe that she's pretty. Very pretty with the kind of hair you see in commercials.

She's wearing plain black jeans that conform to her legs alongside a subtly flowered shirt. Her black pea coat tops it off with a matching deep purple scarf and beanie to cope with the colder weather.

"Err...a while." Hoseok laughs, his hand coming up to rub at the back of his neck and you recognise the awkward movement. He's a little uncomfortable and your stomach turns as you wonder if this is one of his hook ups.

Surprisingly, you'd never met one of them given how prolific he'd been. Though you did wonder how many of them had also been drunk and probably didn't remember him at all.

Still, you feel the urge to comfort him and move closer, resting your hand on his back in assurance. He straightens a little at the touch before relaxing into you, his arm coming to wrap around your shoulder and hugging you into him a little more strongly than you'd anticipated.

"Oh, Meeps this is Yoona, the girl in college who got me to sort my shit out?" Hoseok's brows rise as his voice turns dry before he looks back at Yoona. "This is Y/N, my wife."

Her eyes flick over to you and surprisingly enough, she doesn't give you a once over. You almost expected her to view you as some kind of threat or rival, but the reassuring smile she gives makes you realise how silly that would be.

"Really? Oh my god, Hoseok! I'm so happy for you, and for you, Y/N! I always knew he had the makings of a good partner, even if he couldn't see it. I'm glad you finally took my advice." Yoona says before reaching out to shake your hand politely.

Surprisingly, it's not nearly as awkward as you'd think to meet one of your husband's ex-flings. Especially one who'd had such an influence on his life.

"Erm, thank you. Hoseok's talk about you sometimes, thank you for helping him back then." You say shyly, feeling your stomach twist uncertainly as you take your hand back and play with your fingers.

Just like he always has, Hoseok instinctively knows when you're not comfortable and he reaches for one of your hands. 

"I've told her lots of things over the years," He grins before kissing your forehead. "My therapy was very good, I promise."

That's directed to Yoona who laughs sweetly and nods in appreciation.

"Good, good, I'm glad. Anyway, I've got to be going but...it was nice to see you! And I'm really happy that you've found someone. I'd love to get to know you better but I'm sure you're amazing. Gotta be to have captured this guy's attention." She smiles and gestures towards you, causing you to feel hot with embarrassment.

"Erm, thank you." You mutter, unsure of how to react. But you're surprisingly okay with her and don't feel any form of threat, even with her important history with Hoseok. It was clear there were no feelings between either of them and you genuinely felt that she was a good person.

Before either of you could say anything else, she said her goodbyes and headed towards the cashiers at the front of the store. There was a brief moment of silence as you both tried to compute what had happened and Hoseok recovered quicker than you did.

"Are you okay?" He asked quietly, his words laced with concern that matched the worry in his eyes. You knew why he was feeling like that - Yoona was beautiful, once upon a time he'd slept with her and she'd helped him realise how to move forward. Or at least take the steps there.

If this had happened in the first year of your relationship then you probably would feel disconcerted, unsure what to think about this blast from his past. But you weren't that girl anymore, and whilst you still had your anxieties, you had full and complete faith in Hoseok.

Plus, he'd been as blindsided by her as you were. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was nice to finally meet the famous Yoona, she seemed nice." You comment, slipping your arm through his and leaning against him as you both walked towards the bedroom section. Bring so close to him meant that you could practically feel him relax at your words.

"Good, good. I didn't...well I didn't know what to think, really. I was worried you'd be upset or something." Hoseok admits, trailing his hand down your coat sleeve until he can grasp your fingers between his own.

"No, I know all about your history and it was only a matter of time before we met someone. And like I said, she was sweet." There's still some uneasiness in his demeanour though and you squeeze his hand before gently poking the back of it with a finger.

The movement makes him smile and you feel relief at him looking a little happier.

"Seriously, I'm okay. Are you okay?" It was probably a big thing to accidentally meet up with such an important fling, but but could understand why he wasn't comfortable with it all.

That was a part of his past that he wasn't entirely happy with colliding with his very happy present. So you just held on to him as he worked through his feelings.

"Yeah...yeah I am. It was just weird to see her, you know? Never expected that." He let's his free hand trail over a soft, velvet cushion idly and you hum in contemplation.

"I get it. But don't fret over it, okay? I'm fine with it all and...well, it was nice to meet the woman who helped to bring the Hoseok I know to life. Or at least, started the process. Without her, we wouldn't be here."

Hoseok is silent as he considers that, his lips twisting before he licks at his lip ring and nods.

"Yeah, you're right. She's the one part of my past that I'm okay with you seeing in person. I should've thanked her…" Muttering, he sighs before shrugging with a lopsided smile.

"Oh well, let's carry on shopping. Your decorations await! And I need to finish booking that table...I'm actually thinking of maybe trying that Lebanese place…"

[choiceskatie]

The Blessed Unrest

Chapter 1 - 1000 Times

All characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: Anna thinks she’s prepared herself to face the inevitable, but something no one could have predicted shakes her to her very core.

Warnings: This series will contain NSFW content. If you choose to read, you acknowledge that you are 18 or older.

A/N: This is canon TNA until Anna’s accident. Sam doesn’t tell her he’s going to break up with Sofia. There’s also another change from canon that will become abundantly clear after you finish the first chapter lol.

Pairing: Sam x MC ( ? x MC )

Special thanks to @burnsoslow for prereading this for me even though there is a special place deep within her soul reserved just for hating Sam Dalton ❤️ that is LOVE.

Anna’s eyes fluttered open as the warm Italian sun woke her, shining on her face through her bedroom window of the large villa. She checked the time on her phone, noticing she had texts from Jenny and Sam as she stretched her arms above her head and rolled out of bed, instantly being met with a soul crushing wave of sadness.

Tonight was the night of Sam and Sofia’s rehearsal dinner. The wedding was here and Anna felt physically ill at the thought of it. It was the very day she had been dreading since the moment she first learnt that Sam was engaged. And yet, its upcoming date was all down to her. She had been the one to pressure Sam about his trip to Italy, telling him he was just running away from his problems. It had been her accusations that had brought this trip upon herself and the boys. Ergo, she had been the one to facilitate the wedding even happening so soon. If she had just kept her nose out of Sam’s business and let him come to Italy for his work trip, she and the boys would still be home at the penthouse in New York. Blissfully naive.

Anna couldn’t stop the overwhelming sense of self-loathing crushing through her like a freight train. Nor did she want to. She had brought all of this on herself. She knew from the very beginning that she had no business becoming involved with her boss anyway, but that aside, she knew he was engaged within days of taking the job. She could have saved his heart and her own from the inevitable shattering if she had just done her job and kept herself to herself. Robin was right at the picnic, and deep down, she always knew it. In another life, maybe, but in this life... she would always be the one left broken hearted.

She stood from the bed and walked over to the full length mirror, her petite body bare from her late night rendezvous with Sam. Her eyes immediately fell on her bruises still lingering from her accident. Darkness covering her chest and ribs, still sore to touch, alongside fading bruises indented from a recent escapade with Sam. As she looked between them, it was difficult to decipher which set brought more pain with them. Quickly pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she showered and dressed for the day, having been asked to keep Mickey and Mason happily entertained for the majority of the day whilst Sam and Sofia dealt with last minute preparations.

She was in the dining room with the boys, Sofia’s villa’s maid having made them breakfast. It was nice to just relax with them, sometimes allowing herself the luxury of feeling like she was on holiday with her family. Caring for the boys never had felt like the job, Anna felt a real connection with them. After she finished, she took her dishes into the kitchen to wash up, freezing when she felt a pair of large hands settle on her hips and their owner’s warm breath on the back of her neck. “Good morning, beautiful.”

She took a deep breath and turned in his arms, faking a smile before she truly got lost in his enchanting eyes as he leaned down to kiss her. “Morning” she sighed as his lips left hers far too soon.

“Mmm. What’s your plans for today?”

“Not much, I thought we’d just go to the beach again since it’s nearby. I don’t want to risk going anyway too far in case we end up being late for the weddi-“ she faltered as she had to say the words. “For tonight.”

Sam frowned as he saw a break in her facade. “Annie...”

“It’s fine.” She lied with a tight smile as she quickly moved from his embrace to the other side of the kitchen. “Coffee?”

“Yes, please.”

Sam watched as Anna tried to compose herself from even the mention of the wedding rehearsal. He’d tried to talk to her about it many times, wondering if she still meant what she said on the flight from New York. I get that you can’t leave Sofia... so I’m not asking you to. He would never dream of asking that of her, but she offered.

 I don’t want better. I want you. Can you give me that? He could give his name and merge his company to Sofia, but Anna would always own his body and soul. Yes, he could give her that.

 We’ll just... go with the flow, do what feels good. And boy, had they. Sam had taken Anna on more occasions than they could count over the last few weeks. He had never felt such passion and desire for someone else like this ever before, but it was more than that. Anna challenged him. She excited him. She blew his mind. She was a force of nature and he loved that about her. She was everything he needed in his life, feeling like he had another chance at life after lying dormant for five years. He cleared his throat and spoke delicately.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course.” Her hands held a slight tremble to them as she made their coffees, betraying the cool tone her voice was managing. She prayed that he would leave it alone.

“Sweetheart... you don’t seem alright. Tell me what’s going on.”

She snapped her head over her shoulder as she looked at him in utter disbelief. She spoke quietly and calmly, knowing the boys were in the next room. “I’m sorry, Sam, but are you a fucking idiot?”

Sam’s swallowed thickly, confused and frightened by the vast turn in Anna’s otherwise warm voice and demeanour. “Wh-what?”

“Did you seriously just ask your mistress if she’s alright the day before your wedding?” Sam opened his mouth to presumably utter a heartfelt yet empty apology for being a thoughtless ass but was stopped short as Anna raised her hand to him, “Sam, I don’t know if I can do this anymore.”

He immediately crossed the room to her in a few quick strides, holding her face gently as he bent down and gazed into her warm brown eyes. “Hey, hey. What’s gotten into you?”

She closed her eyes as she exhaled a shaky breath. When they opened again, she was pure fire. Blazing in her eyes and coursing through her veins. “You. That’s the fucking problem.” Her eyes narrowed as she tore his hands from her jaw. “When I agreed to come on this trip, I was still living on empty notions of you getting us out of this situation! Do you remember what you told me at the High Line? That you’d find us a clean way out of this mess. You promised. I was so high off of your affection and blinded by my goddamn libido that I foolishly believed every word you said! Then reality set in on the flight here. You waited until I was trapped in a 9 hour flight for a trip with no return date to drop the bomb you were waiting on. That, in no uncertain terms, you would be going ahead with the wedding, cornering me whilst in fucking post orgasmic bliss! I hate to break it to you Sam, but me hanging around as your mistress for years is not a clean break. Was it your plan all along to do it here, in Italy? Are you on some sort of power trip that you want to see the face of the girl’s heart you’re breaking as you stand at the end of the aisle, waiting to marry someone else?”

“Christ, Anna, no! Do you really think so little of me and how I feel for you? You know I don’t want to see your face out in the crowd! I want it to be you walking down the aisle to me in the white dress. I want it to be you I get to call my wife for the rest of our lives. I want you and only you.” Sam tested the waters by cupping Anna’s neck, his thumb coming up to graze her cheek. When she didn’t pull away, he encircled her in his arms, bending to drop a kiss into her hair. “You know why I need to do this, Annie. It’s for the boys l-”

Anna face twisted into rage once more as she placed her hands on Sam’s chest, forcing him to get out her way as she stepped by him and began pacing. “Enough with the legacy shit! I thought we already established your legacy for them isn’t worth all of this! It took me screaming at you to get you to give them one day of your undivided attention, what’s it gonna take for you to realise nothing is worth the sacrifices you’re making? Do you really want this life for them? Do you really want the boys to shoulder this burden when they’re working for you in thirty years? Neglecting their own families and lives because of your expectations?”

Sam fumbled as her words took effect. “Of course, I don’t. I...” He sighed deeply, massaging his temples.

“Do you want to miss the rest of their childhood once you become CEO? You barely seem them as it is now, that’s only going to get worse once your title’s official. You need to take a step back and ask yourself if this is all worth it, Sam. Unless, it is...” Anna eyes widened as she looked away, her mind taking a new stance.

“What are you talking about?” Sam looked at her, confused by the look on her face.

She shook her head before meeting his eyes. “God, I am such an idiot. It is worth it, isn’t it? You want to marry Sofia, don’t you? Oh my god, oh my god, what the fuck is wrong with me? I have been trying to work out for the life of me why you would be going through with this. You hate the constant business work, your real love is the science which you’d no longer get to be doing, you said it yourself the other night that you don’t even know how long you’ve been neglecting the boys. But now... now it all makes sense. You want to marry Sofia.” Reality hit as she snapped her gaze up to him. “Have you been sleeping with her this whole time too? Did our relationship mean anything to you?

“No, Anna! I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about. You’ve got this all wrong. Of course it meant something! It does. Anna, I would never do that to you. I lo-”

“Anna, Mickey and I finished our waffles! Is it time to go to the beach?” Mason sing songed from the kitchen doorway, Sam facing him with Anna turned away.

Anna kept her face away from him, lifting a hand to wipe the tears that had betrayed her by falling. “Yeah, baby. Go get your sandals on and meet me at the front door.”

“Ok!” He grinned. He was about to leave before noticing the look on Sam’s face. “Is everything okay, Dad?”

“Yeah, kiddo.” He smiled. “Just, uh... making arrangements for the dinner tonight.”

“Ugh, do we still need to go to that?"

“Yes, you do.” He chuckled as Mason rolled his eyes and groaned. “Now go and get ready for your day with Anna.” He shot a double thumbs up before leaving to retrieve his brother. He watched as Anna composed herself and turned around, presumably heading for the door. "Anna, wait."

"Save it," she spat through gritted teeth, not even sparing him a glance.

——————————

That evening, Anna helped Mickey and Mason get ready for the rehearsal dinner. Sam and Sofia had went ahead themselves, preparing to welcome their guests at the venue and Anna would travel with the twins and Carter.

"Mickey, your tie is crooked. Mason, you missed a button. Come on, boys, we're gonna be late."

"You never cared when we were late before" was all Anna heard as the boys flew off on a tangent talking amongst themselves, Anna taking deep breaths to brace herself for her impending gloom. She began imagining the look on Sam’s face tomorrow as Sofia entered the church, if would be truly faking the happy look on his face, or he had in fact been faking it to her for months. “Anna? Anna!"

"Sorry, what were you saying, buddy?"

"I said we have a surprise for you!" Mason grinned before rushing to open their closet, pulling out a designer garment bag.

"Yeah, Carter helped us pick out a dress for tonight!"

"Carter picked this out?"

"Well, he helped us convince some fancy stylist to pick it out for you. She said it'd help you steal the spotlight!" Anna smiled at the two precious faces smiling up at her. Even though stealing the spotlight was the last thing she wanted, she would never deny the dress after the bother the two of them had went to with Carter.

Mason held the bag up to her. "We wanted you to feel extra pretty after your accident. I picked the colour though! Try it on!"

She felt her tears well up as she thanked them and went to her room to try the dress on. Red and gold, just like she knew the theme was for the evening after helping Sofia make the plans. It fit perfectly, and on any other occasion she'd have been buzzing with excitement to see the look on Sam's face as she walked in wearing this. Now, she just felt nothing. She wasn't even sad anymore, she had once again pushed all emotions to the back of her mind. Being numb was better than feeling the debilitating pain of loving Sam Dalton.

——————————

Anna, Carter and the boys arrived at the extravagant venue a little while later, the room dressed in red and gold as she expected. Anna may not like Sofia, but she could admit she had good taste. Class may be a step too far, but she had taste.

Just beyond the entryway, Sam and Sofia stood welcoming their partygoers. Sam’s eye lit up as he saw Anna walking towards him. No matter what she wore, he thought she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. But tonight, she completely took his breath away.

As they approached, Sofia pulled Anna into a tight hug. “There’s my little bestie!”

“Bestie?” Anna stared with a raised eyebrow.

“Of course! You are my maid of honour, and best friends do things for each other. Personal favours, keeping secrets, things like that, hmm?” She smiled brightly but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Relax Sofia, I haven’t told him and I don’t plan to.” Anna was still reeling from the revelation that Sofia was in fact also embarking on her own affair. She had no idea who with, and she didn’t want to know. Sofia had threatened Sam and the boys with the biggest scandal they’d ever see if Anna uttered a word about it, so she kept her mouth shut. Yes, it would probably give Sam an escape, but he shouldn’t need that. He should be able to take matters into his own hands and see what was best for him, what was best for the boys.

After the somehow inconspicuous whispers with Sofia went unnoticed, she stepped up to Sam. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, lingering for longer than was most likely appropriate. Before he leaned back, he whispered “You look absolutely stunning, Annie. The most beautiful woman in the room tonight.”

Anna kept her composure, not falling victim to Sam’s smooth talking as she normally would. Not tonight. “Thank you. If only that was enough,” she sighed as she walked on without looking back.

Hours later, with the rehearsal dinner in full swing, Anna felt she was doing her best to put on a brave face. She'd given a heart warming toast as Sofia's maid of honour, albeit swallowing back bile as she did so. She'd spent her night dancing with the boys, trying to make their night as enjoyable as possible. She glanced at her phone, noting the time and possible exit plan for her. Once the boys were all tired out from the dancing, all they had done was nag at her to take them back to the villa. She was trying her best to keep them there and happy, knowing it would mean a lot to Sam to have the boys there for the festivities, but she was reaching the end of her tether. She made eyes with Carter across the dance floor and he walked over to meet her, confirming her hopes and saying it was time for the boys to go home. She turned to the boys and giggled at the look of sheer excitement radiating from them. Carter said he'd take the boys to the car and she headed over to tell Sam they were on their way.

"Hey," she found Sam at the elegant bar, nursing a glass of bourbon. "Carter said it was time to take the boys home, so..."

"I know, I just told him to go take them. They're on their way."

"What?! And I’m just to stay here watching you from the far corner like some sad little puppy?"

"Of course not" he frowned. "I had hoped for you to stay on without the boys for the chance to meet some new people. We both know you don't want to be a nanny forever. You have a lot of potential, Annie, and there are some very important figures in both science and business here." Sam caught a glance of something over Anna's shoulder, smiling widely as he faced her again. "But before we do that, more of my family just arrived."

He took her arm, placing it in the crook of his elbow before leading her through the room. "Great, more family members I can piss off for being a woman with an opinion!" Anna rolled her eyes.

Sam smirked at her sass. "Trust me, my mom's family are nothing like the Russos, or the Daltons, for that matter."

Anna glanced down at her watch, noticing the late hour. "They've only just arrived?" She looked up at Sam with furrowed brows.

"Their flight got delayed. Think they headed straight here from the airport. My mom's originally from Providence, not New York like my dad, so they were on a different flight than his side." They reached a man just as Sam's mother was walking away. "Uncle Alan!"

The older gentleman turned around and grinned immediately, Anna feeling like she already knew the man, something so familiar about him. "Sammy!" he smiled before pulling him into a warm hug. "Jeez, you gotta lay off the gym, son. You boys are making me look bad in my old age!" He joked as Sam chuckled, Anna smiling at the two of them, noticing the down to earth nature of the man and it reflected back from Sam.

"Where is he?" Sam beamed, Anna curious as to who he was talking about.

"Just getting our drinks at the bar. You know that one, first thing he needs after a nine hour flight is a stiff drink." Sam chuckled along, nodding his head in agreement. "Goodness, pardon my manners! And who's this? The lucky lady?"

Anna blushed as Sam smiled sadly, waving Alan’s apologies off. "No, that's my fault. And... no. I'll introduce you to her later. This is actually the boy's nanny, Anna."

"Your mom was just telling me about her!" He turned to Anna before taking her hands in his own. "Vivian couldn't stop raving about you, says no one's ever taken care of those young troublemakers quite so well." He chuckled with a good natured wink thrown in Sam's direction, Anna joining in. "What's your name, sweetheart? Anna...?"

"Val-"

"Sorry, Dad, they don't stock your usual here, but I assume this will suffice.

Anna felt her body raise in goosebumps as the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She'd know that deep baritone anywhere. She momentarily attempted to prepare herself as she came face to face with the ocean blues that had ripped her heart to shreds a year ago, closing her eyes before opening them to a shocked gasp.

"Rookie?”

[incorrect-ikevamp-quotes]

Imagine if the suitors went to the beach for a whole day in the modern world...what crazy crap do you think will happen

Here are a handful of crazy and/or cute headcanons that came to mind! :D

-Mozart swatting away seagulls because HE IS TRYING TO EAT IN PEACE

-Jeanne watching him, MC offering him two water guns with a silent nod (sunglasses on, we’re going full meme)

-Jeanne then proceeds to shoot at them (no gulls were harmed in making of this promotional video) and his aim is impeccable it would be disturbing if the thwarted squawking wasn’t so funny

-Little kids start swarming around Jeanne asking how he’s so amazing and wanting to play team battles, inviting him to join

-Napoleon encourages him, and even Mozart joins in despite not liking getting wet very much (he wants Jeanne to have some positive fun times bc he BIIIIIIIG depressy)

-In the end they both admit to having fun, and one of the kids even teaches Jeanne a special ten step handshake (Jeanne has no idea what that was but the kiddo was smiling so he figured he’d go with it)

-HE AND MOZART STILL SECRETLY USE THE HANDSHAKE FOR FUNSIES BUT TELL NO ONE BECAUSE THEY DON’T LIKE F U N DON’T LOOK AT THEM

-Dazai, alternatively, gathers the fallen gull army and becomes their god with a singular cylinder of Pringles. No I will not elaborate--THE SEA GULLS GOT HER!!!!!!!!

-Spends most of the beach day wetting his feet in the tide pools and talking very earnestly to the gulls about this new thing he learned about called tax evasion while people pass by this fucker in full kimono at the beach and are convinced he’s lost it

-Dazai is very much not sane but we knew this already, offers sea shells to little kids that ask him what he’s doing and tells them to listen to the secrets bird friends can tell them

-If Dazai sounds like an Animal Crossing Villager, that was entirely by accident but remains no less true

-Surprising absolutely no one, Arthur suggests volley ball after watching people play and invites some pretty ladies to join him

-Arthur ends up needing two more people to play, so he invites Vincent and Theo (Vincent is so excited about trying something new that Theo can’t say no despite wanting to make a volleyball-shaped crater in Arthur’s face)

-The funniest part about the volleyball game is that not only is Arthur a shit player (CANON WEAK ARMS FOOL) Theo destroys with his spikes, and Vincent’s reach is insane--the two brothers end up becoming the talk of the beach

-I just laugh imagining Vincent sincerely complimenting people around him and the ladies swooning because he’s just so nice and pretty is he even real

-Men aren’t happy about that^TM but at the sight of Theo’s defensive glower they keep their malicious traps shut--which turn on whichever girls weren’t interested in Vincent jahkslgjh

-**Kaguyasama narrator voice** Today on Arthur Shenanigans: Arthur loses

-Poor Isaac is hiding under the umbrella clutching sunscreen bc HE IS A PASTY BOY HELP HIM

-MC brought a few of the newest Maths/Physics books in her time for him to read, and while he doesn’t enjoy the intensity of the sun--not like vamp weakness, it’s just the strain on his body (too many stimuli too many people too much noise) that makes him tired and ultimately thirsty bc aberrant. But the change of scenery's not so bad.......

-MC laughs when she gets out of the water and the salt dries visibly on her skin, Isaac’s eyes bug out and he asks if it hurts (startles when Leo flicks sea water at him and asks how on earth they got in the water when it’s so cold!!!)

-Leo chats with him and he likes being able to draw theorems and the like in the sand, it’s like one big chalkboard (until a kid tramples across them in the middle of writing, POPPYCOCK!). Isaac ultimately has fun but prefers to stay inside poor bub

-Leonardo, surprising no one, falls asleep in the sand the second he gets there HE IS HOME (Italian beaches, amirite)

-MC decides to, after a point, bury him fully in the sand for shits

-Comte notices and aids in her shenanigans from his beach chair, snickering the whole time

-When the two are satisfied they go for a swim together, trusting Leo to look after Isaac if need be (even if he’s a mummy rn)

-Comte is relieved to hear that she knows how to swim, but also watches carefully and doesn’t let her drift out too far by keeping closer to the shore himself (riptides!!!! can be!!!!!!! dangerous!!!!!!!!!!) if he had his way (he would never impose but he worries ;-;) she’d be wearing floaties SAFETY FIRST

-They splash at each other like maniacs and chat amiably until they start swimming away as fast as possible when Leo wakes up, laughing

-How do we know that Leo woke up?

-Because he sat up ramrod straight and a tower of sand fell. He then proceeded to jump up and sprint to the water despite Isaac’s startled cries about being careful, and swam after them like a shark to get his revenge (it was like something out of an anime s2g)

-Mostly just tugs on MC’s leg, picks her up in the water, and yeets her across in retaliation; really harmless, she’s cackling the whole time

-Dunks Comte’s head in the water while he’s being scolded, and MC has to de-escalate their increasingly dangerous shenanigans before the life guard comes after them LMFAO

-They concede only bc MC looks sad/worried abt being kicked out, and agree to keep things fun FIGHT TO THE DEATH LATER TONIGHT

-Napoleon goes for a nice long walk along the shoreline and climbs the rocks if he finds any til he gets to the top (he does not go to his happy place HE GOES TO HIS HIGH LONESOME PLACE) wishes that Jupiter could be here to enjoy the brine

-Our boy Napoleon is simply just vibin he loves the beach. A little further off the sound of people is p muted, it’s just the crashing waves and crisp smell of salt, the light breeze ruffling his hair 

-Sebas is absolutely watching through binoculars and writing down how majestic Napoleon is while making sure no one gets lost/wrecked as he takes notes

Bonus: since volleyball games can often happen back to back on a sizable beach, the boys^TM were playing and Arthur called out “Theo duck!!!!” and just as Theo was saying “Are you fucking kidding me did you really think I’d--T H W A C K” Theo gets nailed in the back of the head (Arthur later died after being put in a headlock)

Shakespeare didn’t feel like playing volley ball and didn’t have much else to do (can’t swim and has no interest), so he just sat back and tried to throw Theo off his game as much as possible 

Por ejemplo: Theo misses a serve and Shakespeare just “For never was there a story of more woe; O bard Alexa, verily, play us Despacito” “SHUT THE FUCK UP”

Jeanne also gets hit by a stray volley ball, but when Vincent said “Oh no, Jeanne, duck!” he has one of either two reactions: 1. Boulevard of Broken Dreams plays obnoxiously loud as he dodges inhumanly fast 2. he quacks, gets nailed, and doesn’t react because he doesn’t have any brain cells to damage

[captainlevisteacup]

can me have a hc for an Italian MC throwing a pizza at them out of pure anger that they didn't want to eat their mother's pasta🙄✋

OH. MY. GOD.

The angry Italian in me insisted I do this the second I saw it

I'm literally 80% Italian

Let's fucking gooooooo

Angry Italian Gn! MC Attacking the RUDE! Brothers with Pizza

Warnings: none, unless you count airborne pizzas as violence

A/N: I thought this would be infinitely better as a combined HC rather than separate ones for each of the brothers, as all of them are there at the time the pizza massacre happens. I hope this is okay!

How it started

MC had gotten an invite back home to their VERY Italian family for a family reunion

Now, MC'S family reunions always went one of two ways:

Either there's joy and laughter the whole time and you can practically TASTE the love

Or there's so much cursing and throwing of random objects that you would think they were tavern brawlers

MC had never been one for starting the fights, but if one broke out, well...

Let's just say there's some cousins they don't mind throwing a plate at

So, bearing this in mind, MC cautiously invites all of the brothers.

Of course, they all agree with no hesitation

When they get there, their jaws drop at the SHEER AMOUNT OF FOOD

"DID YOU WARN THEM ABOUT BEEL OR SOMETHING, MC?"

Mc gets very confused, as there was the same amount of food as there always was

Beel mumbles under his breath he ate as much as he could before they left because he didn't want to eat everything in sight

STRIKE ONE

MC's mother hears this and gets offended (you never ever eat right before an Italian family gathering, its rude to the host)

MC begrudgingly bites their tongue....though a vein seems to twitch in their forehead

Satan pulls Beel aside and explains, having read up on Italian etiquette

Poor Beel baby feels terrible

Mc insists its fine, he didn't know

It was NOT fine

How it starts going downhill

As the brothers greet MC'S family, Levi and Belphie neglect to use proper eye contact and greet half-heartedly.

Belphie complains of being tired

Levi just wants to play on his switch

STRIKE FUCKING TWO

Smoke starts to pour out of MC'S ears

Are- are they serious

Lucifer, the only one besides Asmo who hasn't gravely offended anyone (yet) smacks the back of their heads with a smile and smooth apology to the family, saying they don't get out much (not wrong)

Speaking of Asmo

"How DO you get your hair so shiny? Do you add oil to it? Olive oil, perhaps?"

Cue the collective face palm from MC, Lucifer, and Satan

MC is gritting their teeth so hard that they may break

Their forced smile is starting to lean more towards psychotic rather than polite

To cut the tension, MC'S mother serves dinner

MORE FOOD?

Beautiful, homemade pizzas, slabs of rosemary focaccia bread, light soups, and anything they could ever imagine

The brothers eat and eat and eat

Their plates seem to never get empty

"Didn't I *just* eat this slice?"

What's actually happening is MC'S mother swooping around the table like a fucking ninja and refilling everyone's plates when they aren't looking

Eventually, the brothers manage to clear their plates

But then....MC's mother re enters the room, with...

"Is that....a whole PLATTER of pasta?"

RIP to the Brothers

All of them, Lucifer and Satan included, simultaneously say "Oh no, no thank you."

MC'S mom's face falls; she worked so hard on the pasta, its a recipe that's been handed down 6 generations

MC'S teeth grinding is an audible sound

They decide to give the brothers one last chance, knowing their mother would push it

MC's mom places "small" portions of it onto the brother's plates, insisting they try it

They all "politely" decline, aside from Lucifer who takes a single bite and pushes his plate away

He did this because he was so full he was going to be sick even by smelling food

Thats not how it looked to everyone else

MC's mother lets out a small noise

ALRIGHT THAT'S IT

STRIKE. THREE. BITCHES.

With a fierce cry of fury, MC takes an untouched pizza that SOMEHOW appeared next to them and *hurls* it straight at Lucifer, and somehow manages to hit him perfectly square in the face

Stunned silence ensues from the brothers

Then, MC'S MOTHER "accidentally" spills some onto Levi

Who, in turn, flings some off of him and onto Satan

This just turns into an all out food fight

After the fact, they all sheepishly apologize to MC and their mother

"Let's meet your family again sometime, MC."

"EHHHH?"