#like if some baby chic came into the picture and wanted to get loud and honest about the dude that we both like and try to paint me

[heartthumpnovel]

Heart Thump: Chapter 8

“It Came From Outer Space”

Word count: 10434

Buckle up folks, this is gonna be a long one. Just in time for October too! By the way the tag-list is at the end and if you want to be notified of new chapters coming out just let me know!

cw: Cursing/Swears, Blood, Violence, Absolute Jerks

Last Chapter: Growing Pains

Next Chapter: Kill the Director ---

Days off are the best, paid or not. If Natasha has a few more hours to decompress from the chaos at work, she’ll take it. Not only did it mean she didn’t have to put up with office bureaucracy, it also meant that she can run away from all of her conflicted feelings that haunt her daily though the most escapist artistic medium she knows; video games. 

Natasha adjusted her chic pastel sunglasses in the right-hand side mirror of her venom motorcycle to make absolutely sure they would not fall off and cause an accident. Though she asked herself if the sun hat and trendy trench coat were absolutely necessary. Then again, she couldn’t be too careful in this imperative operation and it was crucial that no one from work would recognize her. A perfect picture of the worst-case scenario made Natasha clutch the bismuth that hung from her necklace. If one of her peers or, god forbid, the higher-ups found out she was buying violent, gruesome video games, then she would be getting a severely negative performance review. That could lead back to her mother finding out. 

While it might have been more time efficient and socially safe to order her games online, she really needed to get some sunlight and despite the risk she was taking, going to browse the shops was a pass time she missed. Oh, to be a young baby goth that ate burrito bowls in the food court, and ran away from security for disturbing a Hot Topic. Those truly were the glory days, gone by too soon.

Enough reminiscing and making sure her fool-proof disguise didn’t fall apart, blood and glory called to her. Natasha locked up her bike and made her way to one of America’s dying ecosystems; the mall.

Right before she could enter the front doors of a preppy clothing shop that led into the interior halls, she had to awkwardly scoot around a mother trying to calm down her hysterical kid crying about a monster in the bushes. Avoiding that, she managed to get inside and make a beeline towards the doors that had led to the actual store fronts within the building. Disregarding the entirety of the early-winter selection, she was already fashionable enough, thank you very much. 

The weekend had brought in a decent crowd, though considering this mall was in a bustling city it wasn’t hurting for customers even on slow days. Natasha braced herself for the oncoming noise by putting in her earphones and stared upwards at the five stories from the bottom floor. She could barely make out the people in the sea of colorful brands and the cacophony of voices. It was a wonder, for Natasha, that the employees can stand this much commotion every single day. Perhaps she should be happy she gets to work her life away behind a desk.

In any case, that video game wasn’t going to buy itself. Natasha strode onto the crowded escalator. She tried to not bump into the group of rambunctious youths in front of her and held onto the rail with a tight grip. Trying to focus on the electronic beats that played in her ears, her fingers tapped down on the volume button to dial her music up to cover up the loud conversation between two older women behind her.

The trial of getting to the third floor was, for the most part, grueling. Stepping off the escalator almost felt like flying. With a skip in her step, she quickly made her way along the balcony, pulling her hat down to cover her eyes. Eye contact with others was not mandatory on her day off. Her attention was laser focused on trying to spot the store front she was so keen on finding. She was so dead set on getting to the game store that she-

“OOF! Hey, watch it!” scolded the teenager she accidentally bumped her shoulder into.

Natasha’s attention snapped back into place as she backed up with her hands raised. “Oh damn, sorry!” Natasha faltered apologetically, “You okay? I didn’t hurt you did I?” Her guts were already twisting in embarrassment as the glare the youth was giving her made her feel like she was the size of a mouse. 

After what felt like forever, the tension broke as the teen rolled his eyes and put his ear phone back into his head. “Nah I’m fine,” he said while brushing off his shoulder, “It’s all good, see ya’ miss.” As if Natasha didn’t just hurt him, he shrugged it off and moved on with his day. 

As he walked away, Natasha hung around for a moment to ponder, wondering why he didn’t tell her off for shoving him. She should have been paying attention to where she was going and not turn on autopilot like an idiot. Pain from her forearm snapped her out of it, she hadn’t noticed her own fingernails were gripping tightly into her flesh.

One enormous sigh later, she watched the carefree boy just stroll further away from her, and turned away when he stopped, seemingly preoccupied with something on the ground floor.

Oh, to be able to just let things go. Wouldn’t that be nice?

Natasha continued her journey to the game store, which wasn’t too far from that spot. This time, she kept her guard up, and made it to the storefront of her usual place. While it was more hole-in-the-wall than the franchised game store in the mall, it had much older games for sale. Plus, the prices were much more reasonable than more recent titles.

Her expectant grin dropped when she realized that the employee who usually was manning the store wasn’t there. This time, it was a guy she hadn’t seen before, who was just staring at his phone, leaning apathetically on the counter. She surmised it was probably his first day and thought to give him a kind impression. While she never had to work retail in her life, the horror stories she had heard gave her empathy for those working on the front lines in society. 

“Hello!” Natasha cheerfully said in a chipper demeanor as she strolled into the store, smiling at the employee who barely raised his head. When their eyes met, a chill went down her spine as she not only saw indifference, but annoyance. She couldn’t understand his grumble before looking back down at his phone.

Brushing off that warm welcome, Natasha just assumed he was already having a bad day, though she wondered to herself if she had laid on the introduction too thick. She made her way to the previous-gen console games and focused less on the employee’s coldness towards her. She had actual business to attend to. 

Picking though nostalgic titles was a walk in the park for her. Natasha simply just had to pick out something that wasn’t already in her collection, maybe even a duplicate copy with an alternate cover she hadn’t seen yet. Her pink push on nails hooked onto a few survival horror classics and pulled them into her hands as if she was an excited pre-teen again. She was having a great time sitting there on her knees, she hardly even noticed the sourpuss employee behind her making passive aggressive sighs. 

Once she had a good stack of games in her forearm, Natasha turned to see the employee still glued to his phone. It turned out that the hard part of her trip wasn’t just getting to the store, but checking out.

“Hello!” Natasha said as she approached the counter, though her excitement dimmed as she noticed the employee didn’t even notice her greeting. He had to have heard her, he wasn’t even wearing any earphones. After one awkward silence, she cleared her throat and spoke up again. “Excuse me,” Natasha said with a more firm tone in her voice, though she didn’t want to cause a scene, “I’d like to buy these please.”

The death glare the employee gave nearly made her jump, unfortunately she knew this look and the knots in her stomach twisted. She didn’t like where this conversation was heading. This guy looked down at her hands and rolled his eyes in disgust as he shoved his phone into his pocket. 

“Fine,” the cashier grumbled as he nearly tore the games out of Natasha’s hands. While she was taken aback from how rude this employee was being, she had hoped he’d do the bare minimum and just do his job without a fuss. Unfortunately, her hopes dropped when the cashier stared at the cover of each game she bought as he scanned them. He shook his head and just had to open his rotten mouth.

“Your boyfriend ain’t giving you enough attention huh?” the cashier said bluntly with a sick smirk on his face, “Does he even like these games?”

Wow. That’s how it’s going to be then?

Luckily, being in countless upper management roles had given her the skill of keeping a lid on striking out to offense. Though she gave the cashier an unbothered smile, a furious rage burned in her chest. He couldn’t have been serious. “Nah,” Natasha responded, “These are for me.”

“Suuree they are,” Cashier said, stopping mid-button press as he was ringing up the items, “These are outdated garbage, nobody plays shit like th-”

“Cool, are you going to just yap or do your job?” Natasha interrupted him, not even giving him the reaction he wanted as she calmly just searched through her purse for her wallet. That made the ostensible incel shut his mouth, his ballooning red face looked like it wanted to explode. To his credit, it looked like he had some idea that if he were to escalate, he would lose his paychecks indefinitely. He shoved the games into the cheap plastic bag and basically threw the bag onto the counter.

“Twenty four fifty,” he grunted with spittle hitting the register. He scowled, seeing Natasha smiling smugly as she tapped her card on the reader. Natasha couldn’t have been more happy when she got the receipt and shoved the bag into her purse. While it looked like she walked away completely unbothered by the cashier’s behavior, her knuckles paled as they gripped the purse’s strap. 

The words he said just replayed on a loop in her mind, almost driving her to tears. Why the hell did she have to be punished for just buying video games on the only time she could let loose? Her heartbeat pulsed loudly in her ears as her firm sense of justice became too raw to bear. Without realizing, one of her hands pulled harshly on the waist of her dress. A meltdown was approaching upon the horizon, however, she had to push the wave down. If she were to shed even a single tear, she could be in bigger trouble than that disgusting pig. It was all becoming all too much, Natasha needed an outlet before she- 

Ping!

Halfway out of the store, her phone notification went off. Natasha didn’t know why she did, but in the middle of storming out of her ruined sanctuary she checked her phone. It looked like someone left a message in the personal friend group chat. Upon opening it, her eyes lit up as she saw who it was from.

Atlas Gang Group ChatNovember 23rd @  1:00 pm

Jason: Hello! Sorry I have gone quiet for the past two weeks. Recovery has been a bit more rough than I expected. Good news though, I’m coming back to work monday! :)

Her grip loosened with a sigh of relief. It was about time, she really needed an ear to listen to her right then. Natasha lost contact with the reality happening around her as she tapped her nails onto the phone’s keyboard. 

Natasha: HEEEEYYY! :D Omg i’m so happy to hear! MAN you wouldn’t BELIEVE what just happened at the 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!” screeched the pig’s voice.

Natasha’s head nearly spun off of her shoulders at the yelling, expecting to see an angry cashier confronting her. However, he seemed to stare in absolute horror at something beyond her shoulder. A rattling sound right behind her became apparent with an unnatural chill that made the hair on the back of her neck stand. She held her breath as she hesitantly turned her head to face… it.

Natasha’s day-off just got a whole lot worse. 

[Image Description: Natasha is face-to-face with a large monster that resembles an anthropomorphic  dinosaur that is made out of stone and glowing crystal. It is “drooling” and staring her down.] ---

Natasha: HEEEEYYY! :D Omg i’m so happy to hear! MAN you wouldn’t BELIEVE what just happened at the 

Jason: ??? Nat?

Jason had been staring down at the cut off message for about a minute, wondering why she didn’t finish what she was saying. Though he couldn’t ponder for long as a grating voice snapped him out of it.

“Yo what about LONDON TOWER?? EHHHHHH?” Motor gleefully suggested as he was flipping through the clearance costumes in the back of the clothing store.

Jason just gave him a tired stare and pressed the side button on his phone in order to put it to sleep. “You realize I’ve been an American citizen for six years now, right?” Jason said, “And for the last time, I will not be a masked vigilante, it’s literally illegal.” While it might have been too late, Jason had concluded that it was an absolute blunder to reach out to Motor for help. 

The original deal was to just go shopping for plaster to fix his ceiling and get used to controlling that pesky curse in public. Jason had to go back to work at some point as rent would not pay itself. At first it seemed nice to go out shopping after a whole two weeks inside, however, it quickly became apparent that the goal of their trip had changed from getting his life back together to picking out tacky Halloween costumes. Long after October.

“Oh come on Jason,” Motor said, “Don’t you know that great power comes with great responsibility?” He quoted that as if he was some professional historian, finger raised and all. 

“I am being responsible,” Jason answered as he folded his arms, “By keeping this thing under wraps and not breaking the law.” His gaze turned to the ultra cheap costumes around them, feeling a sense of embarrassment from the mere thought of wearing tight leggings and a wonky mask.

“Bro what the hell is the point of having a superpower and not usin’ it?” Motor asked as he held up a black jumpsuit towards Jason to compare sizes. The office worker shifted his glare to the jumpsuit and shoved it away. 

“It’s not a- ugh,” Jason grumbled as his palm hit his forehead, “I just need to learn to be normal again, nothing more.” He turned away from Motor with his arms crossed, his ears red with boiling fury. 

“Being normal sucks,” Motor retorted as he turned his back to throw the jumpsuit improperly onto the hangers, “Besides, it ain’t gonna kill ya to have a disguise for when you get a growth spurt.” Motor continued to clank through more clearance costumes on the hangers while pouting. Jason on the other hand, wasn’t going to bother to humor the nerd with his bizarre fantasies. Though if Jason had to concede anything to Motor, he had a point about needing to hide his identity in case it happens. All it could take was one escaping thought to cause a terrible scene and a call to the United States military. 

Perhaps, he could hide somewhere when he felt the butterflies coming on, or maybe just drop that silly crush on Natasha. Though the former was easier said than done. Suddenly Jason shook his head vigorously, realizing that he was treading dangerous waters if he were to dwell on his feelings for her any further. Looking for a distraction, Jason glanced over at the clearance table with all sorts of Halloween masks that weren’t lucky enough to be sold during the holiday they were made for. He reached out and picked up a bright white ski mask with wiring connected to it. Seeing the wires attached to the mouthpiece and the small battery pack on the other end made him realize it had a voice changer.

With his curiosity satiated, Jason was about to place it back down onto the table to check out the other masks in the meantime. Before he could get the chance to, both of the men heard a loud screech from the shopping mall entrance. They looked at each other confused, though did not say a single word as a crowd of mall shoppers ran into the clothing store and sprinted to the building’s exit. 

Grimly, Jason assumed that they had ended up in a situation that Americans are unfortunately too familiar with. Just as Jason was going to join the crowd to run from the apparent threat, a large hand that grabbed his shoulder stopped him. 

“Motor what the bloody hell are you doing!?” Jason shouted before he was dragged down to hide behind the hangers with the janitor. Motor promptly shushed him and Jason stared at him, wondering what was going through Motor’s head now.

“I didn’t hear a gunshot,” Motor whispered as they huddled behind the costumes, “Did you?” Now that he thought about it, a gun surely would have been fired by now if it caused this much of a panic. “I didn’t,” Jason confirmed, attempting to peek through the costumes to watch more people run, “But whatever it is, we shouldn’t be standing around to find out.”

In order to figure out exactly what the panic was about, Jason focused his new hearing towards the groups of people hustling to get to safety. Though what he heard cleared nothing up at all.

“Run for your lives!”

“WHAT WAS THAT THING!?”

“Lucy, come on baby! We’re almost outside!”

“I’m not making it up!! It’s HUGE guys!”

“Think I saw it chasing some lady, this is our chance!!”

It had left him with more questions than answers. They couldn’t have been talking about him as he was nowhere near the scene of the crime and the last he checked was his normal height. But, if the involuntary giant was with Motor, then what the hell else could they be referring to? Motor himself seemed to tune in the best he could. With his curly bangs covering his eyes, Jason found it hard to decipher if Motor had come to his senses yet. Nevertheless, someone had to use their common sense at that moment, and it sure would not be Motor. 

“L-let’s get out of here,” Jason shuddered as he turned to Motor, and witnessed one of the most horrifying things imaginable to him. A dark brown eye pierced through Motor’s bangs had its full attention completely focused on the little office rat. That sizzling stare burned into Jason’s mind as it was the telling sign of a reckless idea being born with full immunity to doubt.

“Jason,” Motor said, “Someone is in deep shit right now and needs your help.”

Hearing the unexpected serious tone Jason had thought Motor could never possibly possess, his face turned completely pale as he began to involuntarily shiver. Shaking his head, Jason tried to mutter out excuses though his disbelief. “Wh-what?!” Jason squealed, “I-I can’t do anything about this, we should get somewhere safe-”

A harsh, jamming finger into his sternum which took Jason’s breath away. “You have the power,” Motor argued, “Are you just gonna run away to do the safe thing, or the right thing?” 

This was one of those rare times where Jason could peek behind Motor’s bangs and saw those judgemental eyes stare deep into his soul. His resolve crumbled, unsure what the correct answer had to be in this situation. Never in his life he was depended on like this and merely asking something like this crushed Jason. “I… I can’t-” Jason sputtered, unable to give a simple reply as his scared eyes stared back at Motor. 

His fingers gripped into the plastic of the mask he had been holding onto.

“...Oh- oh bugger.”

---

Natasha’s shoes skidded as she sprinted around the corner, not bothering to look behind her as she heard a storefront’s windows shatter. Unfortunately, this didn’t buy the time that Natasha wanted. In the matter of seconds, the pursuit continued as if the thing didn’t just tumble through a wall of glass. 

The unnatural footfalls of the towering thing grew louder as it rapidly gained ground towards Natasha, who had burst into a full on sprint for her life. Her mind still held the glimpse of that living art school project and the unidentifiable wet substance that dripped from its claws. Out of everyone else in the mall, it had its eyes dead set on the prey it picked to give chase. Natasha wasn’t sure why, but this wasn’t the time to stop to ask questions. 

Her feet hit the laminated floors as her chest burned with every quick breath. 

She thanked herself for not going with the low-heels today instead choosing her casual white tennis shoes. It had done her a favor in running away from the ghastly creature behind her. 

Natasha’s skin raised goosebumps from the frigid breath tracing the back of her neck.

To her horror, she found they were heading towards the end of the floor that had nothing but a white plastered wall that had spelled out a grim fate for her. Natasha only had a couple of seconds to look around for a way out, as death trailed at her heels. At that moment, she saw the escalator which was devoid of people. Suddenly, the inner urge of her rebellious days long past called to her.

She acted upon it.

In one swift skip, she jumped onto the escalator railing and had dodged a swing from the beast, her backside landed on the rail. Swiftly, she slid down the railing, freedom blowing through her pink curls. Pure glee rushed through her heart, however it was brief as she attempted to hop off of the rail. 

Natasha was rudely reminded that she wasn’t fifteen anymore as she tumbled a few feet and didn’t make the graceful landing as planned. With a yelp, she fell onto her side and ended up rolling on to her back. Her trendy glasses broke in half on the floor and her hat floated into the mall’s koi fish pond.

Just before she could even think about getting up, its claws slammed right along her shoulders. The crackle of laminate filled her ears and the chilled breathing sunk into her spine. Before she could even register it, she had been caught.

“No no NO NO NO!!” Natasha croaked, “Not like this!” Pleading seemed to just bounce off the beast as it drew closer to her face, making no noise other than its scrapes on the tile floor. She tried to get up, push it away or anything, but her limbs were tired from running. Everything shut down as the end grew closer. The adrenaline pumping through her veins had blinded her to the mascara dripping off her face and how her throat had become hoarse from screaming.

Regrets sprouted from the depression her mind had cultivated. She should have stuck with her musical passions instead of safe corporate work. Maybe even sucked it up and just tried to ask Jason out on a date. Man, calling her ma first from time to time wouldn’t have hurt. Did she really need to pick up these video games today?

The blinding maw was open wide, and she would soon find her fate to be a cruel one. Her eyes closed shut, ready for the end.

“H-h-hey, y-you there!”

The icy grasp of death suddenly released, and Natasha heard a deep voice give a frightened screech. “Leave her al-AAAH!” Yelled the voice, “Bloody h-hell what are you!?” 

Natasha felt the overbearing presence above her shuffle away and she felt safe enough to open her eyes to see what brave idiot was dumb enough to get its attention. Turning her head she saw a guy, who began to slowly retreat. He looked like he ran out of ideas for a Halloween costume; dressed in all black clothing that covered just about everything except his face, which was covered by a knock-off slasher hockey mask.

Natasha could tell right away that he bit off more than he could chew, especially since he wasn’t even holding anything to defend himself with. She could only push herself up as she witnessed the stranger take shaky steps away from the approaching monstrosity.

“U-Uhm, sorry that was rude of me wasn’t it?” The stuttering stranger spoke, his voice became hoarse with fear, “See, you’re causing a huge ruckus and hurting people, d-do you understand what you’re doing?”

It towered over the skinny man. The full height of this thing had to have been almost twice as big as him. Even if the creature didn’t have long crystalline claws and a mouth a dentist would faint at, the idiot had no chance. While it was hard to gauge from where Natasha was prone, she could tell the pleads from behind the guy’s mask had not gotten through to that thing at all. An attempt to peacefully negotiate had been done in vain.

Natasha pulled herself up off of the ground and leaned forward to get a better look as she debated if she should make a run for it. While it would have been the safer option, she thought it cruel to leave this guy alone with that B-movie abomination. One glance was all it took for her to notice that they were the only ones in the mall, and she didn’t hear sirens. Worst of all, she saw the monster slowly lower its arms and bend its legs, just as if it was about to pounce on the shivering man who obviously froze in fear.

“Hey!” Natasha shouted, “Watch out!!”

The masked figure’s head jerked towards her direction, followed by a surprised gasp as he visibly was taken aback by her presence. Natasha could not even comprehend what happened next. She had to have been trapped in a nightmare conjured by her anxieties and caffeine overdose. In one blink, the masked stranger’s height lurched upwards, and he had gained an unexpected height advantage over the monster. Visibly cold vapor hissed through its ‘skin’ as it backed away, if only for a moment. From what Natasha could tell, the stranger didn’t expect this change either as he looked down to investigate his hands with a shaking head. Though the match up changed quite a bit, the monster had already lowered itself, disregarding the change entirely.

Unfortunately, the now-giant man didn’t notice it pouncing on top of him until it was already too late. The only thing he could do was to flinch backwards to stop the thing from slicing his head off, but alas, the glowing, blade-like claws scraped down his arm. A pained shriek rang out before a slam in the chest interrupted the man as the creature barged into him. Blood dripped onto the laminate floor as he shoved the beast aside with both arms. The stoney creature fell under its own momentum into an abandoned hot dog stand. Natasha stood up onto her feet, still trying to process the scene unfolding in front of her. This seemed to be a chance to get away from the insanity she’d had been thrown into, through her wet eyes locked on to the wounded giant. He had looked back at her, she could see his dilated pupils as he held his trembling arm. The stranger then dashed towards her direction.

Natasha backed away, preparing to make a run for but found herself cemented to the floor. To her horror she spotted the creature getting up from the greasy remains from the stand as if it was nothing. The fear upon her face caused the giant to look over his shoulder to see what she was gawking at.

That is, until he tripped over the edge of the koi pond and fell right into it.

Water splashed about and turned red from the blood seeping out of the masked giant’s wound. He had a rather difficult time getting out of the water, unfortunately, the creature had seen this and made a slow stride to collect his head. Tiles cracked under its weight as it approached the fountain, looking down at the incapacitated giant who was struggling with his pain. 

However, before it could leap onto the masked man, one of its feet landed on a stray puddle. Immediately it yanked itself back with a loud hiss as vapor rose from the affected foot. From where Natasha was standing, she could see the obsidian-like skin under its foot dull into an ugly gray and the light leave the pulsing blue crystals. Within the pond, the masked giant scrambled, not realizing the creature had halted its pursuit and wobbled back up to his feet. He leaped from the pond clumsily and tried to run past Natasha as if she wasn’t even there. As it didn’t want its prey to get away that easily, it readied itself and leaped across the pond as if it was nothing. The beast slammed down onto the other side despite it limping on its poor foot and made a bloodthirsty dash towards the wounded giant. Natasha took a step away from the scene, nearly slipping on ice. “WOA- huh!?” Natasha yelped as she saw that the spots where the monster had been had been frozen completely with the puddles becoming black ice. Remembering some parts of her highschool chemistry class, an idea sprouted from her mind. Her attention went back to the fight as she heard a loud clash.

The masked giant had grabbed a plushie stand and rammed it into the beast to stop its chase. While that idea might have worked out, the creature knew better as it grabbed the stand by the sides of it. Large bright teeth emerged from its gaping maw and it snapped its mouth in the middle of the stand, including an unlucky teddy bear. The stand had been torn in half to the giant’s horror and it didn’t take long for the beast to leap from the remains of the stand. A loud thump echoed across the empty mall’s lobby upon impact. Natasha saw the beast’s arms slam down against the giant man and pin him to the floor. She shivered, knowing that what that brave moron was seeing was that eldritch gullet. His screams then snapped her out of her inaction. She couldn’t just stand there and let an innocent… man? Die. Not because of her.

Quickly, her eyes darted around the mall, trying to see anything she could use to save his life. Her desperate mind then spotted the fire hose box across from where she was standing. Natasha made a bolt for it as the beating continued.

“AA- St-AH! Get-” The giant stammered as claws slashed into his chest, though an unexpected roar came from him. “GET THE FUCK OFF!!” He yelled as his good arm swung from the side and plowed into the predator’s head. It reeled back in agony, its growls sound less like an animal and more like crumbling glass. No longer was it holding him down as it held the side of its face, though it still was in grabbing distance from the giant man. The time to intervene was now, or more regrets would follow her.

The door to the fire hose box slammed open, and she tugged the end of the hose out of its roll. The beast made a deep rumbling noise as it glared down at its exhausted opponent with its blazing blue sockets. Before it could lash out at him once more, a daring human caught it off guard by jumping in between them.

“HEY UGLY!” Natasha yelled, hose ready in her hands, “WHERE’S YOUR RAINCOAT?!”

[Image Description: From the point of view of the monster, Natasha is spraying a fire hose at it while yelling. The quote “Random guy” on the floor is staring at her in amazement/fear for her safety.]

The water spouted from the nozzle and drenched its face completely. Vapor poured from the graying skin from the beast as it writhed in agony from the water pouring into every crack along the surface. It scattered away from the onslaught but it was already too late for it to run, as its feet twitched for the last time before they froze completely. Pieces of its arms withered and crashed onto the floor. To what Natasha could guess was a scream, it had made a loud engine like roar before the light from its eye sockets dimmed. 

From a creature made of crystal, it stayed a mere frail stone statue for only a couple of seconds as the pieces of it cracked onto the tiles, and what remained was a pile of rocks with its vapors dissipating into the air.

Nothing but quiet running water filled the mall lobby.

A clatter of a fallen hose's nozzle followed the moment of silence that was shared between the two of them in the lobby. If she wasn’t on high alert from the impossibly giant man behind her, Natasha felt like she could collapse onto the floor into her favorite fetal position for a mental breakdown. Her dim wine eyes held a haunting staring contest with the frozen remains of the thing that almost ended both of their lives. However, it was cut short as her shoulder jumped from the loud groan behind her. The winds of movement brushed against her back, causing her to turn around to face him.

Now that she didn’t have to worry about meeting her maker early, Natasha had a better look at her terrifying rescuer. It was as if he was a slasher villain that escaped his own B-movie. He had just about everything; The black clothing, emotionless hockey mask, incredibly imposing height and what she could see, his squinting eyes staring daggers at her. Despite his appearance however, the giant could only barely sit himself up and was clutching his chest, hissing in pain from the beating he took. Too many questions ran through her mind to pick which one she should ask first. Since she couldn’t find the words, the giant used his own. 

“Uhm.. you alright?” he asked softly, his hands trembling.

“I-I guess,” Natasha finally answered with a dry mouth, “Should be asking you that.” She pointed at his chest, however her eyes gazed over the torn sleeve that revealed a rather nasty wound. 

The giant’s head followed her finger and he slowly unclenched his hands, shaking and definitely had his blood on them. Even with a deep voice, he uttered a squeal upon seeing the deep scratch on his forearm and pulled it close to his chest. Natasha attempted to lean a little to get a better look, however he pulled it away from her view. 

“O-oh that?” he spoke, chuckling nervously through his strained voice, “It’s just a scratch, no big deal haha…” Even with his eyes hiding behind the black mesh within the mask, Natasha could tell that he was looking away from her desperately. Dude looked like a serial killer, but he acted like a puppy who’s paw got accidentally stepped on.

“You sure?” Natasha insisted as she reached her hand out timidly to him, “We should get that wrapped up atle-”

Before she could finish, wind knocked Natasha back as the giant jumped back up to his feet. Thankfully, she managed to not fall over, though her heart rate multiplied seeing him reach his full height. Even while he was hunching over his obvious wound, her stomach dropped as he was tall enough to punt her like a football if he wanted to. 

“That won’t be necessary!” he said, “I’ll just go and clean it… out…” The giant paused in his spiel, unintentionally looming over the shivering woman. Standing within his shadow, that survival instinct re-gained the hold of her heart. A tiny voice in her mind tried to remind her he had just saved her life, however she did not like the way he was staring her down.

“You’re adorable,” he finally spoke. 

“E-excuse me!?” Natasha yelled, unsure if she had misheard him.

“AH- I mean,” the giant clumsily backpedaled as he waved his hands, “Sorry! You’re just so small now.” 

Dread crawled up her spine as it felt like his examination was piercing through her. Natasha shuffled away from him as tears welled up in her eyes. “Y-you’re goddamn huge,” Natasha whimpered as she grabbed the sides of her fizzled hair, “Ain’t no way this is actually happening to me right now...”

As if a switch flipped, the giant perked up and put hands down gently, backing up to give her space. “Oh, bugger!” the giant pleaded, “I forgot I’m… this.” His sigh flickered through the audio processor in the mask, looking away from her and drifting his eyes to the ruined pond.

He began talking again, though Natasha couldn’t exactly hear what he was saying over the loud thoughts crashing into her head. Ringing in her ears deafened her as everything about this situation had just seeped in. This wasn’t normal. Her fingers became numb and suddenly it became harder to breathe. She almost died. She could have died. 

Natasha was staring into her muddled reflection of the cracked laminate floor, not even hearing anything rather than the noise popping in her ears and her own sobbing.

Why did life have to be so cruel?

A droopy hat pushed her out of her spiral as it suddenly filled her vision. Natasha blinked and realized it wasn’t just any hat, it was her hat that fell into the pond. Though soaked through and tinted red on some of the edges. Her shaking hands reached up to grab the sides of it and looked up. The giant had been holding her hat in one of his hands while kneeling to her as if he was some dashing knight. Their eyes met for the first time, yet it felt so familiar.

“You deserve better than this Natasha.” He spoke with as much warmth as he could with an artificially deepened voice. While this gesture would have been sweet, charming even given the circumstances, the calm Natasha felt flickered out as his hand suddenly doubled in size. She couldn’t help screaming loudly from the sudden growth spurt as his entire being grew bigger right in front of her. He’d let go of the hat at this point, startled by her outburst and stood up in order to give her space. There wasn’t much clearing he could give, considering his back had bumped into the balcony of the second floor. The hot dog stand’s remains also had to get a word in as one of his shoes slipped on spilled grease, which caused him to fall back down onto the mall’s tiles. The sound of the cracking floor followed as Natasha backed herself into a pillar opposite of the walking disaster.

“Oh my god, I am so sorry I didn’t mean to-” the giant tried to plead to the sobbing woman who had already been through enough that day. However, his attempt at smoothing things over was interrupted by a yell that came from down further into the lobby.

“Yo, did you show that thing who’s boss-” Motor shouted as he ran towards the scene, though his jog turned into a full on sprint as he saw who had become a sobbing mess, “NATASHA! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?!”

Light returned to Natasha’s eyes, and didn’t waste any time running towards her best friend. Upon impact with Motor’s large frame, she squeezed him in a tight hug as she wept. Of course Motor returned the favor with a hug, though spiked a glare at the disruptive man taking up a quarter of the mall’s first floor.

“Man, I have never been happier to see you!” Natasha wailed as she pulled away from him with her hands on his arms, “This gotta be a nightmare right!?”

“Uuhhh,” Motor said, his eyes quickly checking Natasha for any signs of injuries, “You alright?”

“NO I’M NOT ALRIGHT!” Natasha shouted, her hyperventilating returning as she gripped the sides of her frizzled pink hair. Though Motor put a stop to that with a chapped hand on her shoulder.

“Breathe sis,” Motor said, herding Natasha to follow him out, “Let’s get you out of here.” Natasha kept her head down as she gripped the brim of her hat. She didn’t want to look at the chaotic scene around her anymore and just wanted to wake up in her bedsheets . However, their walk outside was halted as Motor looked over his shoulder at the quiet giant. 

“Hey big guy!” he yelled, “You might want to get out of here, I saw the feds getting ready to raid the place, the back entrance is clear!” Natasha couldn’t see it, but she heard a loud grumble behind them and felt the vibrations through the floor.

“Thanks… kind stranger,” the giant retorted, moving towards the other direction on his hands and knees. She heard him mumble ‘ows’ and sounds of struggle against concrete.

Curiosity got the better of her and she turned her head to look back at the giant. Her large rescuer was attempting to shove himself underneath a balcony and into the alcove that had the mall’s back exit. Though he wasn’t having much luck trying to crawl into it on the account of the fact that he was basically two stories tall. He sighed, turning back, and their gazes had once again met. His eyes were hazel. That flame of similarity was still there, despite everything. The only thing Natasha could muster was a small flap of her hand before being shown the door.

What a terrible day off this was.

---

“You people are worthless,” Blaire slammed the police car’s door shut as she was reprimanding a small group of quivering officers. One of the piglets, the one who gave the news to the government operative, stuttered in his words as he fiddled with his belt.

“Ma’am, you need to understand that the claims made about the situation were not believable,” he said, sweating bullets from the stare down he was receiving from Blaire, “How were we supposed to realize that the reports of an actual monster rampaging at the mall were credible calls?” The soul nearly left his body when a finger jabbed into his chest, nearly stabbing through his bullet-proof vest.

“Prank or not you should have sent SOMEONE to the scene!” Blaire shouted, her gaze burning up the officer’s will to protest, “Lives could’ve been lost for Christ's sake!” The officer only nodded his head like a dog as she removed her finger with the world’s heaviest eye roll. As it seemed like the day would not get any better from there, Blaire shoved a hand into her jacket pocket and pulled out her sliver lighter. “You’re all lucky my people arrived in Seattle before this shit show,” Blaire said as she was fishing out a cigarette, “Keep away the press and uninvolved civilians, tell them nothing, and let us handle the rest.”

Blaire didn’t waste the rest of her breath and carried herself with purpose into the frantic parking lot. Ambulance sirens backdropped the chaotic parking lot, as her agents attempted to keep the witnesses from asking too many questions to prevent the situation from boiling over. Knowing today was going to be a long one, Blaire lit her cigarette and took a deep puff while surveying the scene unfolding before her. It didn’t take long for her to hear fast paced footsteps trail behind and an unconfident voice spoke up.

“Uhm- Ms. Witch?” A woman dressed as if it was her first day at a clerk job said, fumbling a tablet to her chest, “I have the diagnostics ready for you.” Blaire didn’t bother to look back at her and kept on walking closer to the mall’s building. “Walk with me,” Blaire ordered. The girl picked up her pace and started going through the notes she had written on the tablet while trying to not make direct eye contact with her superior. 

“Sweep is already almost done collecting all the samples from the entity within a mile radius, and there have been no reported casualties from the initial incident,” stated the informant as she struggled to keep up, “They’re currently trying to figure out how to handle transporting the samples without them merging.”

That confirmed what Blaire had been suspecting when she read that light-weight documentation. The few experiments that had been conducted so far concluded that the alien mineral is strongly magnetic to many common metals, but especially magnetic to itself; the separate chunks seemed to fuse together on contact. She wasn’t even sure if ‘magnetic’ described this peculiar attraction appropriately.

Blair’s eyes landed on the torn open doors of the front entrance. “I’m assuming it’s been terminated,” Blaire said as she took another drag.

The new hire’s fingers tapped on her tablet as she bit her lip, “Yes?” she hesitantly answered, “Though Sweep have just found out water can completely neutralize the lifeform.” Blaire stopped in her tracks, causing a collision between her and the clumsy young woman as she smacked into her back. The informant stepped away quickly and sputtered out an apology. “Oh, my gosh I-I’m so sorry-” 

“Nevermind that,” Blaire said as she turned around to face her with raised eyebrows, “What do you mean they just found out that water kills it? Why wasn’t this anywhere on the documents?”

“Well uh, I-I guess no one bothered to try? I don’t know ma’am,” the informant continued, “It’s been confirmed that the entire structure of the entity has a terminal reaction upon coming into contact with water.”

“Huh, well I’ll be,” Blaire responded as she tapped the burnt bit of her cigarette, “The bastards are invading the wrong planet, huh?”

“Actually, ma’am we can’t confirm sapience or intent at the moment,” the informant flipped through the reports, “Witnesses stated it was mindlessly rampaging during the entire event.”

“Same could be said of the military to be honest,” Blaire bluntly said as she watched a small crowd of teenagers being rounded up for questioning, “So, which group was able to terminate the thing? Sweep? Police? Or God forbid, Mall security?”

“About that…” the Informant said hesitantly with her eyes traveling to her feet, “It had been neutralized… by a civilian, ma’am.”

“Is that so?” Blaire asked, now giving full eye contact to the informant as the cigarette in her hand was gripped, “Who is it?”

The informant’s hand pointed towards an ambulance several meters away with a small team of EMTs tending to a pink-haired woman curled in a foil blanket. Nearby there was a tall shaggy man loudly arguing with a couple of her agents. “Those two were the only ones who know what happened to it,” the Informant clarified, “Though there is also-”

Before the informant could say anything else, Blaire dropped her cigarette onto the ground and dug in her heel to snuff it out. “Begin a Hamilton stratagem,” Blaire ordered as she strode towards the ambulance, “There was a severe gas leak that caused mass hysteria, delete any evidence to the contrary and administer amnestics if witnesses prove uncooperative.”

“But- but ma’am there’s something else you need to-” The informant didn’t get to finish as her higher up was already pushing her way through the crowd to get to that woman. 

Upon the EMTs and agents realizing who had the audacity to interfere, they let the Witch through to the back of the ambulance where the lady in pink was sitting. At first glance, she did not seem to be the type to get into any sort of fight. She was hunched over as her knuckles were death gripping the blanket. One could only imagine what she saw with her petrified gaze that was staring into the parking lot asphalt.

Reality had been torn apart for this poor girl, soon enough Blaire will sew it right back up like nothing happened. Before that though, she needed that first hand information before it was lost. “Excuse me,” Blaire spoke up, pulling out her FBI badge from her pocket. The woman didn’t seem to hear her the first time, so she tried again. 

“Excuse me,” Blaire restated, “Miss?”

“Those eyes…” The woman mumbled under her breath, still unresponsive to anything Blaire was saying. That was until a pair of fingers snapping right in front of her face yanked her back to the present. “HUH- Oh!” she yelped, finally realizing that someone was trying to talk to her, “Sorry! Uh, can I help you?”

“Yes actually,” Blaire said, flashing one of her trusty badges, “Agent Mansley, I'm with the FBI and I’m here to confirm a few things with you if I may?” That scared doe-look upon the woman’s face melted into an icy stare as she looked away from Blaire. “I already talked to the cops,” she grumbled, “Why do you gotta talk to me? Not like you’ll take it seriously either.”

Of course, the local police force seemed to once again muddle her investigation with their less than lackluster civilian relations.

“Because I want to hear it coming from a reputable source,” Blaire said as she crossed her arms, “It will only be a few questions and after that we’ll take care of you, miss…?”

The woman looked back at Blaire with full eye contact, keeping her walls up with skepticism. Despite having come out of Hell completely frazzled, she pulled out a mask of confidence with a deadpan expression. “Maryham,” she answered as she pushed some of her pink hair strands behind her ear, “Natasha Maryham.”

Filling that name in the back of her mind for later, Blaire lent out a hand to Natasha. As if on instinct, she had reciprocated with a very firm handshake only a corporate rung manager could give. “A pleasure to meet you Natasha,” Blaire said, “Promise this won’t take too much of your time, I’m sure you are very busy today.”

“Actually, this was my day off,” Natasha responded as her hands traveled onto her lap and fiddled with her sundress, “Wished I was working, in hindsight.”

“I can only imagine,” Blaire lied, pulling out her trusty pen and flipbook, “What happened?”

The mask slipped as it took Natasha more than a minute to gather her thoughts coherently just as expected. Having a few false starts with mumbling, Though when the witness could warm up to recount her terrible day, Blaire was surprised at the details this shaken person was able to give of the entire ordeal.

“I-I was in one of the stores shopping, ya know, as you do,” Natasha explained as her eyes drifted back to the asphalt, “And all of a sudden this… thing jumped out of nowhere, I guess it had a problem because it tried to kill me!”

“What did ‘that thing’ look like?” Blaire asked, her eyes taking a knowing glance at the bismuth dangling from her neck.  

Natasha gripped the side of her head, fingers twirling through her curls. “I-I don’t even know how to put it,” she said, “You know claymation? Animated clay figures and stuff?” 

“I’ve seen Wallace and Gromit before,” Blaire answered with a smirk, attempting to make eye contact with her. Though no matter how much she tried, this one seemed to evade her gaze. Not on purpose however.

“Sort of like that but,” she said, “It-it was like someone messed up making a dinosaur or something- and… uhm. Teeth. Lots of teeth.” Through her recounting of its appearance, her breath became staggered, and she heaved every breath. The woman coiled her hair around her fists, tighter and tighter, threatening to tear the hair out at the root. Blaire took it upon herself to hover a comforting hand over Natasha’s shoulder, not quite touching her.

It took only a moment for Natasha, who was just about to break into more tears, to look over at the offered hand and shake her head silently. The hand retracted, letting the woman’s tears shed for a long minute. Sniffling, Natasha wiped her eyes, the ruined mascara smearing upon her arm before she turned to the agent once again. 

“That ain’t even the craziest part,” Natasha mumbled, her eyes traveling to find the words to explain, “When it… cornered me, some guy in a hockey mask got its attention.”

Blaire raised an eyebrow at this. She glanced back over to the large man that started to have a rather loud debate with one of her agents, noting the lack of a mask. Sure, it was rare that someone would play hero in situations like this, though it wasn’t impossible. Certainly wouldn’t be unwelcome. However, why didn’t the informant mention another witness at the scene? “This masked man saved you?” Blaire asked as she turned back to her interviewee, Natasha nodded.

Just as Natasha opened her mouth to continue explaining, Blaire asked another unprompted question. “Can you give me a description of him?” Blaire questioned as she actually wrote in her notepad, “I want to get information from him as well.”

“That’s the thing,” Natasha said, fingers fumbling, “He’s gone and, I-I don’t know how to put this but, he uh, wasn’t normal.”

Blaire looked up from her writing, staring at Natasha who seemed to be completely cognisant and stared right back at her. “Care to elaborate Ms. Maryham?” Blaire asked.

“If I told you that the guy grew ten feet tall, would you think I’m seeing things too?” Natasha responded, this time giving the agent full eye contact. Perhaps to see how Blaire was going to react, as if she expected the same brush off response the cops had given her. During her years of working for FAIRA, she’d become accustomed to finding the difference between people making stuff up for attention, figments of their imagination and the people that have actually seen something they shouldn’t have.

Just by the look in Natasha’s eyes, she definitely fell into the latter and that was a problem.

The EMT, who was standing by the two chatting, covertly waved a small vial of blood at Blaire’s direction. Question time was coming to an end and while there were a few more loose ends she’d like to tie up, she had a job to do. Closing the notebook, Blaire feigned confusion and asked, “Are you positive that’s what you saw?”

What light that was left in Natasha’s eyes dissipated, turning back to watch the pavement. “Knew you weren’t gonna believe me.” Natasha muttered, disappointed but not surprised. Keeping up with the act, Blaire gave a quick nod to the EMT and let him get Natasha’s attention.

“Sorry to interrupt,” the EMT said, “Ma’am we’re gonna need to get you on oxygen, we’ve detected carbon monoxide in your bloodstream.”

Natasha spun her head at him, worry plastered on her face. “Wh-what? ” Natasha asked, raising her voice, “Am I going to be okay?!”

The medical professional put a hand upon her shoulder and shook it gently, speaking in a soft voice as he administered his lies. “Oh, you should be just fine Natasha,” the EMT said, “We’re gonna put you on oxygen for about an hour and you should be okay to head on home.” He pushed the oxygen mask into Natasha’s hands, “Put the mask on, and breathe in, take the mask off, breathe out,” he instructed. Since she didn’t want to die, Natasha did as she was told. “Now if you’ll excuse me,” The EMT spoke as he grabbed a full syringe, “I’ll need to take blood work of your… expressive friend there.” And with that, he went to take care of the man shouting obscenities at the agents, thus leaving the two of them to chat.

“Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause hallucinations you know, ” Blaire off-handedly commented, “Think that’s what you saw in there.” Most people, when presented with a situation that challenges their reality, head straight into denial and try to come up with a normal explanation for it. However, sometimes they will dig deeper and become an issue that only an amnestic could solve. Even then, termination wasn’t out of the question either. It all depends on what reality the witness is willing to accept, and if they value their lives over the truth.

Blaire saw that thought spin in Natasha’s mind, when they are conflicted about which reality to accept to be true. “But- but it all felt so real,” Natasha sputtered as she took off the mask, “That thing literally tore apart the mall! How could I have made that up?!” She shook, holding both of her arms and had trouble catching her breath.

“Breathe,” Blaire spoke, forcing the mask back into Natasha’s mouth, “There was no monster, there was a gas leak. The monoxide’s gotten into your blood, convincing your brain you’ve seen something that wasn’t there. Hell, any crashing you felt was probably just a thousand feet, all stamping to get out of there. There’s no monster, you’re perfectly safe.”

Scared eyes stared at Blaire, though slowly, they dimmed as Natasha nodded along. Breathing in oxygen, and out of the mask just as she was told. Thankfully, this witness was not going to ask anymore questions, and they would not have to do this the hard way.

“Have a pleasant rest of your day ma’am,” Blaire said, “Feel better soon.” With that, Blaire left the ambulance and walked past the commotion of her agents corralling a rather frazzled brute of a man to an ambulance for a ‘blood test’. Right then it wasn’t a concern as they had a bigger problem on their hands.

Searching around the scene, she found her Informant tapping away at that damn tablet. “Informant,” Blaire hissed, causing the poor girl to nearly jump out of her skin. She spun around to attention.

“Y-yes ma’am?” whimpered the Informant.

“Why didn’t you inform me that there was a second anomaly?” Blaire asked as she loomed over her.

“With all due respect ma’am,” the Informant said, pushing up her glasses, “I tried to tell you earlier, but you told me to initiate the Hamilton stratagem.”

“That’s important information that should have been relayed immediately,” Blaire said, shoving the Informant’s shoulder, “Grow a damn backbone, and tell me what I need to know.”

On cue, the Informant looked back to her tablet and pulled up a video file. “Just as the incident occurred, this humanoid had appeared to fight the creature and inexplicably doubled his size during the confrontation,” the Informant told her superior, “We can’t gather information on where this man came from as it seems most of the cameras in the mall had been compromised right before he showed up, All we have is this security footage of the lobby to confirm his presence.”

Once the tablet was in Blaire’s hand, her eyes became glued to the screen. While the camera angle wasn't the best, being that it was on the third floor and pointed towards the lobby. She could still make out the last of the crowd storming out of the mall and not a moment later, Natasha slid and fell onto the lobby’s tiles. Knots tied in her gut, watching the initial anomaly pinning her to the floor. That poor girl indeed. 

Then came the other anomaly, stumbling in from the corner of the video reluctantly. As he was covered from head to toe, it was obvious that he was hiding his identity for a reason. That reason quickly became apparent, watching the anomaly outgrow his opponent and somehow still got his backside handed to him. It was a pathetic attempt at vigilantism, there was no plan and his flailing around could barely count as a fighting stance. The woman he was attempting to save had to be the one to figure out to save both of them from it. Despite the dangerous negligence the giant shifter displayed, what truly made Blaire’s stomach drop happened after the creature was turned into rubble. Trembling fingers fumbled through her coat pocket to fish out another cigarette, placing the butt onto her lips as she focused on the giant’s movements when he attempted to hand the hat back to the lady.

She didn’t pick up on it at first, but the sudden twitch in his hands and what she could make out behind the eye holes of the mask, they were wide every time the giant grew. Clumsy footsteps backing away from the woman and having to painstakingly shove his body out of the lobby in order to leave the premises. He wasn’t in combat anymore, so why would he need to increase his size again if he wanted a simple escape? There was only one conclusion to be drawn; he didn’t have control over his growth.

“Informant, wrap up the cover up here as fast as you can,” Blaire ordered as she shoved the tablet under one of her arms, “I’ll meet with sweep in order to collect any DNA samples of this new anomaly immediately.” Just before she could storm off to the mall, a tug on her elbow caused her to glare back at the Informant stopping her.

“Yes Ma’am but,” the Informant said as she instantly let go of her superior, “Wh-what about the aliens? What should we do about them?”

“We can put aside a task force for that,” Blaire answered as she brushed off her arm, “A basic patrol protocol and water can take care of them.” Blaire lit the cigarette hanging from her mouth as she gave the order. “There’s a moron roaming the streets of Seattle that could bring humanity to its knees,” Blaire directed the informant as she blew a puff of smoke into the air, “and we need to track him down, do you understand?”

“I-I suppose so ma’am-” She didn’t get to finish raising her concerns as Blaire stormed towards the mall. There was no time to dawdle and second guess her judgment. Lives were going to be at risk and there was no telling when the giant was going to make himself known.

Exhaling smoke from her lungs, Blaire stared back down at the paused security footage. The frame where the giant’s eyes were briefly caught stared right back at her. Despite the good intentions he might have, a threat is still a threat at the end of the day.

She had to track this anomaly down. It was Blaire’s duty after all.

[Image Description: Blaire staring down at the tablet with a lit cigarette, the video is paused at the anomaly's face that looks forlorn. There is text on the picture stating “End of Act 1”] ------ Taglist: @satethesatelite @me-be-lurking @smolcomfycat

[johnnys-so]

someone talk to me about terrace house Tokyo pls

I'm still on EP 8 but I think this is a very interesting set of people (I mean even aloha state and opening new doors had an interesting set) but gOD I wanna discuss y'all

[omg-im-such-a-masochist]

THE PEACE MAKER

Prompt: Requested, by the lovely @banks4life

Thank you so much for your request babes, I hope you’ll like it 😉

Word Count: Bitch, grab a snack, ‘cuz this is LONG

Pairings: Roman Reigns x Reader x Seth Rollins

Warnings: +18, smut, threesome, anal sex, rough sex, car sex, dom x sub dynamic, name calling, DP (double penetration), fingering, oral sex (female receiving), angst.

Tag: @ziasaph , @marlananicole , @akiko-tanaka , @wickedsunfire , @sassymox , @nicolewoo , @saccreigns , @drewmcintyrekoccsrocbwdgfan , @mindofasagittaruis , @reigns-5sos , @auawdo , @lustyromantic , @babydee17 , @yungbludjazz360 , @theworldofotps , @new-zealand-chic

Notes: This was something people 🥵💦. I have some exciting news! 🤗 From now on I’ll have an official editor. How cool is that? This means no more misspellings for me and you get to enjoy a fic with a nice flow and correctly grammar 🤣 My editor is the incredible and amazing @rheacanbreakme , Annie is the one responsible for helping me with my writing and she is an INCREDIBLE writer as well! So please, if you can, make sure to check her out, you won’t regret it 😉 You can check out my previous fics on my Masterlist, if you’d like. Now, let’s get the fun started, shall we?

Sighing in relief, I placed my bags underneath the stairs and ran quickly towards the kitchen when I heard the commotion coming from there.

The loud screaming and cursing almost made me deaf.

“What is going on in here?” I asked

“Shut the fuck up, fool! You can’t make her cum like that, not even if you tried hard to!” Roman yelled at Seth, completely ignoring me.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Seth ran quickly towards Roman, desperately trying to throw a punch at him

“HEY, HEY, HEY” I yelled as loud as I could, stepping in between their bodies and placing one hand on the chest of both of the men

“C’mon, bitch! I ain’t afraid of you!” Roman teased Seth

“ENOUGH!” I pushed Seth away, making him finally look at me

“You’re choosing his side, Y/N?” Seth asked in disbelief

“I’m not choosing anything! I don’t even know what the hell is going on!”

“It’s pretty simple: Lover boy here was sniffing around my stuff, opened a computer folder called ‘Private’ and found some of our sex videos, did not like what he saw, even though he was the one snooping through other’s business, and now he wants to pick a fight with me because of it” Roman explained

“Seth, why did you open the folder?” I asked

“Because I wanted to see what’s up with it, since he keeps it to himself like it contains the keys to heaven or something”

“It is heaven! As you saw” Roman smirked

“I’m gonna rip your fucking head off!!” Seth ran, and I stopped him

“Seth, don’t!” I pushed him away “And you” I looked at Roman “Stop teasing him”

“He did that shit on purpose, Y/N!” Seth said

“No, I didn’t” Roman defends himself “I was showering, I left it open because I was gonna watch it after! Then you sneaked into my room and decided it was a good idea to open MY personal folder that was in MY MacBook in MY bedroom!”

“Seth, is this true?” I looked into his eyes

“I thought it was pictures or videos of him with another woman! A side chick or something”

“Bitch” Roman scoff “I don’t need a side chick! I CAN keep it in my pants, unlike some other people” Roman measured him with his eyes from head to toe

“ARGH” Seth roared, trying to attack him again

“Goddamn it, STOP!” I grabbed Seth’s face and forced him to look at me “Please, stop” I begged, and he closed his eyes, taking a deep breath

“That was low” I narrowed my eyes at Roman

“What? I didn’t lie” He said, shrugging

“Stop talking, please! You’re not helping at all!”

“Are you gonna defend him, even though he’s wrong?” Roman asked, slightly shocked

“You two, stop with this defending bullshit! I’m not picking anyone’s side! THERE ARE NO SIDES FOR ME TO PICK!” I yelled exasperated, took a deep breath and looked at them “I’m just trying to make sure that neither of you do anything dumb”

When I have both of their attention I continued

“I just got home and instead of having a welcome home kiss I almost got a welcome home punch in the face! Seth, you shouldn’t have invaded Roman’s privacy. We’re supposed to respect each other’s personal space in this house and we all know that personal belongings are off limits and the bedrooms too, unless the owner of the room allows us in. Isn’t that right?” I asked and he nodded

“Good. And Roman, I thought we were all adults who know better than to tease the other person like if we were in 8th grade when that other person is extremely nervous” I looked at him and he mouthed a ‘he started’ and I just stared at him harshly

Roman sighed “Yeah, you’re right”

After a few minutes of silence Seth says

“I have a night class at Black and Brave, so I’m just gonna head off” He whispered to me

“Ok, babe” I caressed his bearded cheek, knowing that this was his way to calm down, even though his class doesn’t start until 3 hours from now.

Seth hugged me tightly, pecking my lips

“I missed you. I’m glad you’re back home” He smiled softly

“Yeah, me too, bubba” I kissed his cheek

“See you later, baby”

“See ya, and be careful!” I followed him to the front door

Seth winked at me as he grabbed his duffle bag, and waved at me once he reached his car, which is when I closed the door

I returned to the kitchen and looked at Roman, who was sipping on a beer bottle

“Did Mrs. Soft Feelings leave already?” He asked

“Ro, that’s not nice! Don’t talk about him like that, you know I don’t like it! But yeah, he left”

“Good” He placed me on top of the kitchen island, completely ignoring what I just said “‘Cuz I’ve wanted to do this ever since I saw you”

Roman’s lips teased my own. Kissing me sensually, taking every chance to nibble at my lips.

“I missed you so fucking much” Roman sighed, hugging me tightly

“I missed you too, big dog” I squeezed his ass cheeks, making him chuckle

“So, our old videos, huh?” I asked

“I missed you. I needed something to ease the pain, you know? I couldn’t get you out of my head”

“Which head?” I giggled

“Both heads” Roman winked

“I think I can help you with that” I replied, dipping my hand inside his sweatpants

“Oh, please do” Roman moaned once my hand closed around his erection “Fuck, it feels so good” Roman rested his forehead on mine “Hmmm baby, just like that...Fuck I missed this”

Roman opened my button up shirt, sinking his head down to the top of my breasts, sucking, licking and biting.

“Your skin is so soft” He whispered against my breasts “Specially your tits. Always drive me insane”

“Roman” I moaned and he grabbed me in his arms, taking us to the living room, where he placed me on the couch before leaning back

“I wanna fuck you so bad” Roman panted, quickly removing his clothes as I did the same.

I moaned loudly when he entered me.

“Isn’t it so good to be home baby girl?” Roman chuckled, mocking me

My walls squeezed around him, making him groan loudly

“That’s so mean of you” He half moaned uncontrollably

“That’s what you get for mocking me”

“I could never!” Roman pretended to be offended, and began to pound mercilessly into me

“You’re so fucking wet...I can tell this pussy missed my cock, didn’t it baby?”

“Oh yes, daddy. So fucking much!”

“That’s it, baby. Scream for daddy”

Roman and I both screamed in pleasure as we came.

“Wanna take a bath?” Roman asked playfully

“Sure, I fucking need one” I giggled

.......................................................................................

“You’re going to sleep with him tonight?”

“Ro, please don’t start with me...You know he has the odd days this month”

“Can I persuade you into forgetting that and staying with me instead?”

“You know that’s not fair”

“Well, I think I should have some type of reward don’t you?”

“For what?”

“Not knocking his teeth down his throat for touching my stuff without permission”

I laughed “Roman, you’re a grown ass man! Please, behave yourself”

“He still deserves a punch!”

“Babe” I said as I sat up on his lap “Please, help me out?! Look” I sighed “You know I’m not one for comparison, but we both also know that it’s no secret you’re way more mature than Seth in some aspects, so I’m begging you: Please don’t do this to me! Don’t stick your head up your ass and become as childish as he is, please? I need someone to deal with the situation as an adult and I know that’s not gonna come from Seth but I do hope it comes from you” I give him some puppy eyes for an extra effects

Roman sighed “Fine. You won! I’ll be the mature one”

“Thank you” I squealed, hugging him tightly

“Yeah, yeah” He chuckled “But I’m already letting you know that the next time he touches my stuff I will break his teeth AND his fingers!”

“Noted!”

…………………………………………………............................

I was waiting for Seth, laying down on his bed, when his bedroom door opened.

“Hey bubba” I smiled, opening my arms for him

Seth smiled widely, jumped on the bed and hugged me tightly

“Ah, I missed this” He said, inhaling the perfume on my neck

I giggled, asking “So, how was the night class?”

“Good, but I know what can be better” He smirked, pinning me down on the mattress...

The next morning I had an early class at college so I was the first one to wake up, followed by Seth

“What are you doing up so soon?” He asked, hugging me from behind as I waited for my toast to be ready

“I have an early class”

“Come back to bed” He mumbled against my shoulder

“Bubba, I can’t!” I chuckled softly “You know that”

“But we miss you” Seth pressed his hard on against my butt cheeks

“I know but I really can’t” I turned around and softly kissed his neck “But we can fix that later if you‘d like” I winked at him

Seth sighed heavily “Fine” He murmured, slightly upset

“C’mon bubs, don’t be like that” I hugged him tightly “I need papa waiting for me when I come back home” I smiled when his eyes shifted to his Dom mode, which often happened whenever I called him papa

“Are you gonna let me make a video with you too, so I can have my own?” Seth asked, with a raspy voice

“I’ll let you do whatever you want with me” I leaned forward, reached his ear and whispered “Papa” Giggling, when I felt the pressure of his grip around my neck

“We’re going to have so much fun when you come back” Seth laughed coldly

“Hmmm, I can’t wait for it!”

.......................................................................................

As soon as I got home, I opened the front door and felt a forceful tug on my right arm

“Ouch, Seth what the fuck?” I asked

The only reply I received was being tossed on his shoulder as he ran to his bedroom.

From the couch, Roman just stared at us until our figures disappeared up the stairs.

Seth loudly shut his bedroom door, soon after saying “Take your clothes off, now!” He quickly set up his phone upon the night stand and he took the lube bottle out of his bedside table

I gave him a questioning look and he said

“I’m about to fucking explode! I really cannot endure foreplay. Not right now!”

Seth squirted some lube on his length and rubbed his cock all over my folds, making me moan loudly.

Soon after, we heard the front door open and close forcefully.

“Uh, somebody must be having a bad day” Seth laughed, amused

I slapped his shoulder lightly “Don’t talk about him like that”

Seth’s eyes grew dark and suddenly I had one hand around my neck, choking me hard and another hand rubbing my clit in fast circles.

“Since when do you hit me like that? Have you forgot who’s in charge, princess? Does papa have to remind you about that?”

I can feel my eyes closing from both pleasure and pain, and my mind going numb from the choking.

Seth quickly loosened the pressure around my neck and lightly slapped my face

“No no no, you’re not gonna pass out on me now, are you?” He laughed deviously “I love when you get like that, speechless...whenever that happens, you become my favorite play toy! Just laying there, all pretty and quiet, just waiting for me to fuck you...use you as I like” Seth bit my cheek “Don’t you like being used, baby?” He asked, staring at me

“Yes, I love it” I panted

“Of course you love it!” Seth licked from my chin to my lips “You love it because, you’re my filthy little whore” He chuckled and quickly began to fuck me until I was screaming uncontrollably

……………………………………………………..

It is the next day and I’m leaving the main building on campus when I heard someone honk, and then call for me. I turned around to find Roman

“Hi, baby girl” He smiled widely

I leaned on the driver’s window to give him a kiss

“What are you doing here?” I asked, surprised

“Well, I just left the gym and I remembered that you leave college earlier on friday’s so I came to pick you up” Roman winked

“Are you leaving already?” He asked

“Yep!” I answered, giving him my books and backpack so he could toss it on the back seat, while I made my way to the passenger’s seat

“Why didn’t you let me know you were coming? I could have waited for you in the front building”

“Nah, it’s ok. I didn’t take that long to find you” He cackled “And also because I wanted to surprise you” Roman took my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and placing a soft kiss on the back of my hand

“Well, I’m happy you came to pick me up” I leaned forward and placed a kiss on the side of his full lips

“C’mon, really? We haven’t been together in two days and that’s all I get? An ‘I’m a virgin, please be gentle’ kiss?” He laughed

“What?” I played dumb

“Baby...c’mon, show your man some love, will you?” Roman placed one big hand on my thigh and squeezed

“Ro, you’re driving. We can’t do that!” I pretended to be in shock with his request

“You really gonna make me stop the car and fuck you in the middle of the street? Because you know I will!”

“Of course you wouldn’t!” I teased, knowing that would make him park the car and fuck me senseless.

Roman quickly pulled over, next to an alley and turned the car off. Unbuckling his seatbelt, Roman said

“Take off your panties and straddle my lap” He pulled his half hard cock out of his pants, licked his palm and began to stroke it to complete hardness.

Just the sight of his rock hard member was enough to make me damp. I straddled his lap and Roman teased me with the tip of his cock, rubbing up and down my folds, from my clit to my entrance.

“Daddy, please” I begged

“What do you want, baby girl? Tell daddy”

“I want you to fuck me, please...Please fuck me good like only you can do” I pleaded

Roman finally stopped teasing me after my last plea, and entered my core.

“Fuck daddy...so deep” I gasped

He grabbed me by my hair, pulling me forcefully to him. Kissing my lips like his life depended on it

“You like me buried deep inside of you, don’t you baby?” Roman panted

“I love it! I love it so fucking much” I moaned

Romans thrusts were vigorous and merciless. Even though we didn’t had that much space in the car, he still managed to find the perfect angle to make me feel dizzy.

“Fuck, look at that” He pulled the front of my dress up, so he could see his dick going in and out of me “Look how well you take me, baby. How you take every fucking inch...You’re so fucking perfect” Roman said, pulling my face to his and kissing my lips, while he grabbed two fistfuls of my hair, to keep me in place….

…………………………………………………………………………

Saturday’s night are always low for the three of us, not much to do unless we decided to chill on the couch and watch some tv. But since finals are coming, I was finishing one of my reports in my room when I heard the beginning of an argument coming faintly from the living room.

I rolled my eyes before making my way downstairs, to see what the problem was this time, which happened to be the fourth time today I had to settle an argument between the boys.

“What the hell? Can’t you two stop fighting for one goddamn second?” I screamed

“He started it” They said at the same time

*I swear, it’s like living with children* I thought to myself

“What is it?” I asked, briefly

“He ate my greek yogurt” Roman said

“I was hungry! And I didn’t see your name on it, pal” Seth answered

“I’m the only one in this house who eats the fucking yogurt!” Roman yelled

“Well, I was in the mood to eat it and so I did! As far as I remember, the food is for everybody who lives here, isn’t it?” Seth asked, placing his hands on his hips

“But the yogurt was mine!” Roman roared

“Enough!” I screamed “Shut the fuck up the both of you, now!” I tugged at my hair in exasperation

They stared at me speechless and I used that moment to let my anger flow

“I can’t believe that two grown ass men in their thirties are fighting over yogurt! You have got to be kidding me! I can’t understand how me, in my 21 years old, have to intervene in your stupid and pointless baby level of immaturity fights! I’m tired of being the only adult in this fucking house and as far as I’m concerned, you two can literally kill each other from now on, because I DON’T GIVE A DAMN ANYMORE!” I yelled and returned to my bedroom.

One hour later, I heard a knock on my bedroom door, but decided to ignore it.

The knocking persisted, until I yelled

“What?”

“Can we come in?” Seth asked

“No!” I answered

“C’mon baby girl, please? We just want to apologize to you, that’s all” Roman said

“Yeah? What for? Just so you can begin fighting again 30 minutes from now?” I spat

“Babe, please hear us out? We’re begging you” Seth said

I opened my bedroom door and found them standing there, with matching guilty looks on their faces

“Fine, but if you start arguing again-“

“We won’t” Both responded in unison

I made my way to my bed and they both entered the room.

“Talk” I said, when I sat at the edge of my the bed

“We would like to apologize to you, for all the bickering and fighting” Seth said

“Yeah, we realized that it senseless and uncalled for” Roman began

“And stupid, childish, annoying, ridiculous” I interrupted him

“True, it’s just that, we ended up getting caught up in the stress of everything, letting the pent up anger out on each other, and didn’t even realized how much stress we caused you by acting like we did” Seth said, coming closer to the bed and sitting by my side “Do you forgive me?” He whispered

I sighed heavily “Yes, I do, bubba” I pecked his lips

“And what about me?” Roman asked, now also sitting by my side

“Of course I forgive you too, handsome” I also pecked his lips

“Would you let us make it up to you?” Seth whispered in my ear

“Yes”

I gasped when Seth’s lips began to kiss my neck, while Roman quickly grabbed the hem of my oversized t-shirt and pulled up, revealing my naked body underneath it. Wasting no time, Roman sucked one nipple into his mouth as Seth turned my head towards him, so he could kiss my lips.

I moaned softly when Seth’s fingers began to rub my clit and Roman’s lips took over kissing me passionately.

“You like this, don’t you babe? You’re so fucking wet” Seth moaned, dipping two fingers in me

“What do you need, baby?” Roman asked as Seth’s fingers moved at a frantic pace

“I need your mouth on me, daddy. As papa’s fingers fuck me” I said, making Roman smirk

He leaned down and began to suck my clit as Seth finger fucked me.

It didn’t take me long to reach my orgasm, cumming hard.

“Who do you want where, baby girl?” Roman briefly asked

“I want you on my pussy first” I answered

Roman positioned himself on my entrance as Seth stood behind me, with the lube on his hand

Roman buried himself deeply and waited for Seth to enter my puckered hole before they began to thrust, finding a rhythm that could be pleasurable for the three of us.

“Oh, just like that” I moaned when they found the perfect pace

“Hmmm, baby you’re even tighter” Roman moaned “Do you like when Seth fucks your ass while I fuck your pussy, baby?” He asked

“Oh yes, I fucking love it! I feel so fucking full!” I panted

“You love being full with dick, right baby?” Seth whispered softly

“So fucking much!” I giggled

“You ready to switch?” Roman asked Seth

“Fuck yeah!” Was his answer

They switched and I felt even fuller. With Roman now in my ass and being thicker than Seth, he pushed my walls tighter, making it difficult for Seth to enter me

“Fuck, fuck, fuck I’m gonna cum” Seth moaned loudly once he finally entered me

“Don’t you fucking dare” I screamed, moaning

Roman began to move and so did Seth. The feeling was so good, I was literally drooling all over myself

“Fuck babe, you’re drooling. You look so fucking hot!” Seth said in awe

“Are you drooling because it feels so good, baby girl?” Roman asked

“Yes, daddy” I squealed

“Roman, she’s gonna cum...fuck, she’s so tight” Seth said as he began to cum, triggering my own release

Roman quickly pulled out and came on my ass, moaning and panting

The three of us crashed into the mattress, giggling and sighing.

“This was fun” Roman said

“Yeah, it was really hot” Seth laughed

“Would you like to do that again?” I smirked

“Fuck yeah!” They answered

As one bearded face moved to my breasts and the other one roamed down to my...

Please if you’re comfortable with it, let me know your thoughts on this? Feedbacks are always appreciated 🥰😘

[soft-hard-peaches]

Reaction: Ateez Going to a Fashion Show with You

ͥ ͪ ͦ ᷮ ͤ ꙷ ͦ ͧ ᷝ ͥ ᷜ ͤ ͥ ͭ

~fluff~

Kim Hongjoong

You're both excited for tonight. Even the opportunity to simply attend fashion week separately is amazing let alone being able to go together. You spent the morning getting ready together, doing your final touches together. You show him the clothes you're pondering on and put them on for him. Taking off your top and replacing it for another, swapping your plaid skirt for plain leather pants, asking him if you should wear stockings or not. You trust him wholeheartedly with these kinds of things and he never wants to disappoint or put you down but he knows you want his honest help so he gives it to you. But he doesn’t need to try hard helping you anyway.

 In reality, Hongjoong absolutely adores your personal style, how you are able to mix street fashion and chic one day, preppy and cute the next day, and then go back to dressing completely casual. He’s simply having fun with his own personal fashion show. He thinks you're gorgeous in whatever you wear and when you decide to wear nothing at all.  

“Joong, should I wear this chain belt with the pants or will that look like I’m trying too hard?”

Hongjoong walks to your selection and picks out a thin silver chain belt. “This one. It’s not too much but a nice addition.”

You smile at him as he walks up to you and slowly hooks the belt into your pants, pulling you closer, leaving nothing but tension between you both. Once he’s done, he lets you fasten the once cold chain ends. When you look up, he’s smirking playfully at you. 

“What was that?”, you asked, amused by his random seducing. Hongjoong walks to his closet and begins looking for his already set outfit.

“Nothing. But you can help me if you want.” 

Seonghwa

You sat on the couch of the boy’s dorm waiting for your boyfriend to finish getting ready for tonight’s upcoming event. This is practically routine for you to wait for Seonghwa while he got ready. Not like you mind all that much. You understood how much he cared about his appearance and his interest in fashion. So you waited patiently in the kitchen, scrolling through your phone and occasionally talking to the other members.

“Are you excited for tonight?”, Yunho asked you. You glanced up at him to respond but then went back to your phone, scrolling through twitter to see who was all attending, “I heard that Jennie and Lisa were supposed to show up and I can’t wait to see their glamorous outfits. I feel like they are gonna be the best dressed of the whole event.” As you finish that remark, you see your boyfriend descending from the stairway. 

Your phone slipped from your grasp slightly when you saw Seonghwa make his way towards you.

“Y/n? Do you think this outfit is alright?”, he asked as he fiddles with the cuff of his overcoat. 

“Woah hyung, you should be the one walking the runway!,” Yunho interjected but he practically took the words from your mouth. Placing your phone down, you walked over to your rather dapper boyfriend. Removing his clumsy hand from his cuff to properly fix it. “You look runway ready, Hwa.”

Jeong Yunho

Walking into the event was a bit overwhelming for you. All of the photographers and fansites with their flashing lights that were almost blinding, the loud commands of where and how to pose, the group’s managers leading you all to get inside. All the boys looked well-dressed and well groom and you followed suit in your best black-tie attire. 

You sat between your boyfriend Yunho and a well known up-in-coming designer, popular for their nature/fantasy inspired designs, and behind you were other celebrities in the industry that were way more relevant than you because you were only known for being girlfriends with a famous idol. For that reason you felt like you had no merits being there. You felt like a fish out of water. Even after the show you stood there behind the group’s manager watching the boys pose for a photo op, the feeling sat inside you that no one would care if you were even there and that feeling engulfed you until you sat in the car on your way home.

Once in the car, Yunho grabbed your hand and softly placed it on his cheek. He let out a long yawn as he began to rub the back of your palm on his cheek, “Yaaahh, Y/n I’m so glad you came… these things can be so tiring. When you're around I feel at peace.” You watched your sleepy boyfriend silently. Trying your very best not to break down from happiness from the unintentional consolation.

Kang Yeosang

You rested on his bed, half dressed, thinking about the day’s big event. Initially you were ecstatic that your boyfriend was going to such a big event like a fashion show but now that you are going, it has you a bit wary. Nonetheless, you are excited to share this experience with your beloved Yeosang. Yeosang on the other hand was more noticeably nervous. Pacing around his room, changing his outfit for the third time, mixing up the arrangement of his accessories, and muttering to himself. You sat up, deciding it was also time to atleast put a shirt on so you can help your tottering boyfriend,

“Yah, Jagi, what color should I wear?”, he asked, scouring through his closet.

“You look great in red and black”, you state simply, heading to his nightstand to borrow a pair of dangly earrings.

“Button up or turtleneck?” You look back to see him holding the options in his hands.

“Definitely turtleneck.”, you affirm while also picking out something from his closet. Yeosang looked at you in confusion, “Didn’t you bring an outfit with you?” You chuckled as you draped one his jackets over on your body, “Yeah I did, but your clothes are better.”, you respond coyly, giving him a cheeky smile. You practically traded half your outfits for his at this point but since he takes a bit of pride of you wearing his clothes, he doesn’t complain.

Almost finished with his ensemble, he checks for your opinion once more asking, “Contacts or no contacts?”

Also finished dressing, you walked over to him and caressed his face, pulling him down to plant a kiss on the lips, “No contacts, your visuals are striking enough.”

Choi San

The energy of the show is exhilarating! The talent of these designers give you a surge of fascination. The assorted patterns and colors, all the different materials and textures, and the skill to make fabrics look good on a person’s body brings you to a complete awe. Holding your hand on your lap was your boyfriend San. He knew how much you loved fashion so he was more than eager to invite his sweetie love to go with him. 

Every now and again you’d turn to each other to comment on the models and what they are modeling. “Look San!”, you’d have to speak over the music, “Amazing!” Small phrases were easier to communicate. San agreed that the models and designs were nice but the way you looked at all the models with such amaze and adoration was how he looks at you everyday and seeing your eyes light up with wonder was the whole show for him.

Song Mingi

You were a bit apprehensive but excited to be seen in such an important event with your boyfriend Mingi because this is your first time being seen together as a couple.

It was a pretty big deal for you both to come out as a couple; you both being idols from different companies. Together, you had to meet with your respective companies on this decision and on when and how to release the news. You both were worried about the very possible backlash from fans and antis. But this was very important to you both so with the support of your companies, you two became successful separately and together and today is the day that you’ll be seen hand-in-hand for the very first time.

“Mingi! Y/n!”, you hear your names shouted from all angles. You felt a bit awkward. Although you’ve had your picture taken many times before, this is the first time at an official event with your boyfriend.

“Mingi!”, a fansite shouts. You expected him to move away from you to give them a better shot of him but he places his hand around your waist, scooting you closer to him. You try to hide any changes in expression as much as possible but the moment he grabs your hand, signifying his love for you, cracks your generic idol grin to a genuine goofy smile that your fans and him know well, which slightly embarrasses you and causing everyone including Mingi to… lack of better words… bust a UwU.

Jung wooyoung

“Doll...”, Wooyoung knocks on the bathroom door, “... the car will be here soon.” 

Though he said it in a playful manner, you know he was trying to put a bit of fire under your butt, but as long as the car hasn’t pulled up you saw no reason to leave the bathroom especially for this upcoming event. Outside the walls you hear the muffle chatter of the guys that for time to time you can make out and chuckle to yourself but your main focus is to vamp up your look. This a BIG event with big names and gorgeous people and you wanted to look the part. You tried on three different shades of lipstick to compliment your eyeshadow, reapplied your eyelashes to make them perfect, and gave yourself an efficient enough pep talk just in case you lose your cool at any point. Though you were only in attendance, you were ready to be the best at the show.

*knock**knock* “Baby?”

“Yeah. I’m ready Woo, you can come in.”, you said in a sweet sing-song tone while you sprints your finishing spray on your face. Making sure your makeup stays strong for what today will unfold.

Wooyoung walks in just in time to catch some of your mist in his mouth. Trying to speak between coughs, “Ya done *couch* yet?” You look up at him through the mirror, not yet turning back to him. You stop there staring at your coughing boyfriend in total awe. Yes, Wooyoung is always fashionable but today he is something different. From his perfectly styled wavy black hair down to his slick designer toes. And he notices your stare.

With his last attempt in clearing his throat, he questions your stare. You admire your confused boyfriend further. The quizzical expression fixed on his face breaks your trance with a laugh, “Woo! You take best dressed of all I see.” Your blunt compliment takes him off guard but that makes him even cuter. 

“Ya… you’re making me blush… Let’s go! The car is here!” 

Choi Jongho

About an hour into the car ride home was gradually becoming quieter with the tired members slowly falling asleep and the manager turning down the volume of the radio to accommodate for the members. Jongho sat in the back between a sleeping Yeosang and you. This event took a lot out of all of you. For him and the rest, they are more or less used to strenuous scheduling but he was afraid that you were over exerting yourself on his behalf. When the company accepted his request to invite you, he was overjoyed to have you experience something as prestigious as fashion week with him. You’re his darling Y/n afterall. He wants to experience as much with you as possible but he worried that his idol life may tire you out one day.

The rumble of the moving car and low volume radio played in the background. Once Jongho stopped thinking so much he mistook Yeosang’s gentle snore for your’s and leaned over to check if you were asleep. Once he leaned far enough to see your face, you opened your eyes, spooking him. “Woah you’re awake Y/n?”, he tried to play off his surprise, “Did I wake you?”, he whispered. You shook your head no making him relax back into his seat. You were both silent for a few minutes when he noticed your hand resting close to his. As he noticed, you brushed your fingertips on the back of his hand affectionately, catching his attention further. 

You rested your head on his shoulder to whisper to him, so only he can hear your message, “You know Jongho? I’m really glad you invited me. You didn’t have to invite me to this but i am really grateful that we can do things together. Albeit, I would be just as happy if we stay in and watch a bad movie.” You end a very sentimental statement with a slight joke to keep from getting emotional but Jongho takes that much needed validation and places your hand in his for the rest of the ride home.

[hopeless-lovex0]

I HAVE A DREAM (PART 12)

Kim Hongjoong Fanfic

Warning: Angst. Cheating. Heartbreak. Cursing. Fluff.

Song for this chapter: I Have A Dream by Amanda Seyfried

Here it is fellow atiny’s and kpop stans! The song that inspired this whole story! The scenario of someone watching the moon high up while singing this song came to my mind and I wanted to write a story about it but I didn’t know how. Sooner or later Hongjoong came to mind as well as the plot of a baby in the picture so ta-da I Have A Dream was born 😁😁 I hope you guys liked this weeks update, I really really loved writing this part as it was what inspired this whole thing. I hope you guys loved it as much as I do and without further ado... Here’s part 12 of IHAD

Y/N lets out a shuddered breath as the beginnings of the cold fall air dances all around her. The tips of her ears and nose turning pink from the chilling temperature and she huffs in annoyance, a small cloud of warmth emitting in front of her. She rolls her eyes at the sight, small puffs of warm air coming out of her mouth repeatedly. How I hate the cold temperature.

To her right stands Kyung Mi in a dark blue jean jacket thrown on top of a black graphic oversized hoodie, black pants and black boots completing the whole look. Y/N was dressed up in a black long sleeve shirt, dark blue jeans and beige slip-on shoes along with a long beige trench coat completing her look.

To say that Y/N was feeling herself was a complete understatement, the outfit gave her a mature and sophisticated rich mom look. Although Y/N never dressed up that often especially for dinner, she was honestly bored of the plain old maternity dresses. Ever since her belly has started to show and her clothes started to fit less and less, the only thing her body would allow to fit under her boobs and over her growing belly were dresses and baggy shirts (occasionally some leggings).

The black long sleeve made her stomach and boobs look amazing, the jeans that she had recently purchased lifting up her booty and supported the bottom of her belly without causing discomfort. The long beige trench coat adding a chic finish and Y/N honestly loved it.

Kyung Mi watches her pregnant best friend in amusement, the red, orange and purple light's of the sunset ahead of them causing her melanin golden skin to sparkle like diamonds. Soft waves of hair cascading down her chin and past her breast, enveloping her in a halo of beautiful fluffy shiny hair.

She was honestly glowing and Kyung Mi loved how confident she felt, the events from the past few days pushed behind to at least have fun tonight. The cold temperature dampens the mood slightly but honestly, this was the first time in a long time that Y/N has gone out and enjoyed herself with friends and she would be damned if Hongjoong continued to ruin her life.

They continued to walk towards the small family restaurant located in front of where Y/N works before finally hearing the familiar loud laughter and chatter coming from the building. Kyung Mi walks slightly in front of Y/N to open the door for her, letting her walk in first then following close behind her. “ You know it's gonna be kinda awkward for me right..?” Kyung Mi mumbles out to Y/N as they both scan the tables around them for the rest of the guys.

“ What do you mean?” Y/N asks her back before hearing her name being called towards her left, turning towards that direction and spotting San, Mingi, Wooyoung, and Yunho huddled in a spacious booth. “ I've only ever meet San and Yeosang. Don't you think it'll be weird that I'm here?” Kyung Mi rushes out as she walks after Y/N feeling slightly nervous to meet the guys that have been “protecting” Y/N so far.

“ Don't worry about it, I'm sure they'll love you since I love you so don't worry about it.” Y/N smiles up at Kyung Mi, internally screaming at how tall her best friend is. “ Awww y/n~~~~ this is the first time you say you love me out loud” She says, bringing both her hands up and placing them on top of her heart while she fake sobs. Y/N shakes her head while giggling to herself, mumbling goofball under her breath before finally stopping in front of the booth.

“ Guys, I would like you to meet Kyung Mi. She's a teacher in the school here and she's also my best friend.” Y/N says as she introduces her tall awkward friend to the group of guys. Mingi and Yunho quickly stick out their hands and introduce themselves with giant goofy smiles causing Kyung Mi to relax a little. “ Hey Kyung Mi! I'm San, we meet a couple days ago when I brought Y/N home.” San says as he helps Y/N take off her coat and hang it on a stand next to the booth they are sitting.

Kyung Mi greets him with a small wave and a smile before someone clearing their throat catches her attention. Facing the rest of the guys, she turn towards the only one left to introduce himself watching as he gives her a charming smile.

“ It's nice to meet such a beautiful lady! My name is wooyoung, and you are...?” He says in a soothing charming voice that would cause any girl to swoon on the spot, but it only causes Kyung Mi to internally cringe and scream. From the corner of her eye she sees San and Y/N trying their hardest to keep in their laughs, causing Kyung Mi to sigh in annoyance.

Keeping eye contact with Wooyoung, she summons the best friendly smile she can before finally speaking.

“ Gay, very much gay.” she states firmly, causing Mingi and Yunho to laugh at the look of disbeliefef plastered on wooyoung's face. Shaking his head, wooyoung gives her a big smile and sticks out his hand out “ In that case, we can both be each other’s wing person” He cheers out causing Kyung Mi to break out in a big grin and San yell at him from his side of the booth.

Putting her hand into wooyoung's slightly bigger one, she gives it a firm shake smiling back at him. “ My name is Kyung Mi and I'll like that.” she says with a laugh, finally sitting down and all of them starting to search the menu for food.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Y/N lets out a big sigh once she got home, belly full of delicious food making her feel sleepy.

After finishing up her dinner with Kyung Mi and the guys, they both walked home with Y/N being dropped off first then Kyung Mi walking a couple houses down before getting home as well.

“ Hey baby sis! How was dinner?” Youngji calls out as he hears the front door close, Y/N walking into the living room a couple seconds after. Plopping down on the sofa, she lifts up her legs and sets them on Youngji’s lap. “ Can you help me take off my shoes? And dinner was fun! How’s hwanwoong and the rest of the guys doing?” She asks as her brother takes off her shoes and begins massaging her ankles.

“ I'm glad you had fun, although I still don't trust them 100% and hwanwoong and the guys are doing great. This break is doing us good, I'm honestly going to cry when I have to go back.” Youngji says as he continues to rub Y/N’s swollen ankles, keeping his eyes on the show in front of him.

“ I bet, how many weeks do you have left ?” Y/N asks, taking her feet off her brother's lap and getting up walking towards the kitchen. “ Just 2 more weeks before finally going back. Do you plan on going back to Seoul yet or are you staying here for the whole pregnancy?” Youngji questions as he watches his sister take out a glass and fill it with apple juice.

“ I think I'll go back to Seoul when I'm around 6 months. I'll go to my regular appointments here but I want to give birth over there. Y’know the hospital mom gave birth to us.” Y/N says as she takes sips of her juice, finishing it up in three large gulps.

“ I think that's a good idea! You can stay with me when your in Seoul and I think mom would love for you to have the baby in the same hospital. I think she would cry to be honest.” Youngji finishes off with a laugh, already visualizing their mother crying at Y/N deciding to have her baby at the same hospital they were born at.

Both siblings laugh together before finally letting silence invade the small kitchen. “ Well I'm gonna go to sleep now, that dinner made me a little sleepy so I'll head up first.” Y/N says as she heads towards the stairs leading upstairs, picking up her discarded coat and hanging it up in the bottom banister.

Youngji walks up to her and gives her a kiss on the forehead, leaning down and kissing his sisters stomach. “ Alright, you and my niece have a good sleep. Call my name if you need anything.” he finished off patting her stomach and watching her steps as she goes up the stairs.

Humming out, Y/N continues up the stairs and towards her room softly closing the door and shuffling towards her queen sized bed. Sitting down she carefully removes her pants and leans down to pull them over her feet. Standing back up she makes her way towards her wardrobe and takes out a pair of sweatpants and a grey hoodie, pulling her sweatpants up then taking her shirt off and replacing it with the hoodie.

Taking ahold of her flowy soft hair, she gathers it all up and ties it down as a low ponytail. Tucking away any loose strands, she walks towards her big window that outlooks the back of her house.

Watching the trees sway with the wind, she catches a glimpse of the crystal clear lake that locals use for fishing. Staring at it for a couple of seconds, she grabs a pair of slip-on shoes and walks towards her door. Making sure to not make any noise, she opens and closes her door as carefully as she can. Tiptoeing down the stairs, she checks to see her brother in the living room dozing off.

Taking that as her chance, she quietly grabs her big coat and puts it on walking towards the back of the house and slipping out through the back door.

Walking through the green bushes and falling leaves, she takes the path from her house towards the lake hearing the soothing sounds of nature envelop her like a blanket. Deep in thought, she fails to realize that she started to slowly sing the song her mother used to sing for her and her brother.

Continuing her walk towards the lake, she rubs soothing circles on her belly as she steadily sings the song to her bump.

I have a dream, a song to sing

To help me cope with anything

If you see the wonder of a fairy tale

You can take the future even if you fail

I believe in angels

Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels

When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

Y/N softly sings the last part of the song to her belly, eyes sparkling with love and a small smile placed on her soft slightly chapped lips.

Sitting down on a big rock overviewing the entire lake, she admires the big bright full moon shinning down on the clear calm water. Closing her eyes, she takes in the air delicately flowing all around her lifting up various leaves and flying them into the clear lake.

Continuing her humming, she leans back into her arms and opens her eyes slightly to look at the big moon watching over her. Her peaceful moment gets interrupted by the familiar voice of a Shiba Uni plush loving dancer.

“ With a voice like that, I'm surprised you never thought about being a singer.” San says as he slowly walks up to the pregnant women a couple of feet away from him, watching as she snaps her head up and sets her eyes on him.

“ What are you doing here San? How did you know I was here?” Y/N questions as San finally stands next to her and sits down next to her, making sure to leave some space between them as to not make her uncomfortable.

“ I was going to ask your brother for permission to walk you to work tomorrow, but instead I saw you sneaking out through the back and I decided to follow you. I gotta say.. This place is absolutely breathtaking.” San says as he takes in the view in front of him, the light from the full moon hanging in the sky making the water sparkle like diamonds.

“ I wasn't sneaking out, I just needed some fresh air and it is isn't it? I found it two days after I moved here.” Y/N whispers out, the view of the lake causing her tense shoulder to finally drop. San hums in acknowledgement, looking at her for a couple seconds before turning his gaze back towards the sparkling lake.

They both sit together in complete silence, listening to the small chirps of the crickets and hoots of a family of owls nearby. They watch as the wind continues to blow leaves into the air, small yellow and orange fronds dancing all around them before finally landing on the water in front of them.

The silence lasts only a couple minutes before Y/N ends up breaking it, catching the attention of San. “ I heard that the reason why you guys came here... was because you guys were fighting with Hongjoong... Mingi said that you guys excluded him from everything outside the company.” She whispers out, turning her head towards San and watching as he avoids her glaze.

“ Yeah... We avoided him the best we could when it wasn't related to performing or interviews. All of us felt resentment towards ourselves and him... for driving you away from us.” He mumbles out, continuing to watch the leaves flow into the water.

“ But... Why? I mean we all had a good friendship going and I honestly considered you guys family... But why let someone like me ruin such a close bond that you guys had. I'm a nobody, to you and the public. What could you guys possibly gain from ruining your friendship with Hongjoong just to gain mine back..?” She says, sitting up straighter and waiting for San to answer.

“ You're wrong. To us you aren't a nobody... You are family to us. So many of us depend on you when we're feeling down. You're the only one who knows how to calm down Jongho when he's feeling irritated or sad. You're the only one that Yeosang feels 100% comfortable to talk too openly. Wooyoung and Mingi practically run to you when their backs are hurting. You know how to keep up with Yunho’s energy and know when it's appropriate for him to tone it down. Seonghwa hyung always goes to talk to you when he feels like he's not being a good older brother to us, and even though I dislike the fact that I'm bringing him up right now you knew how to put Hongjoong in his place and drag him out of the studio. You have helped me feel so much better multiple times when I was feeling self-conscious. We honestly felt so lost when you left, and even though you already forgave us we will continue to ask for your forgiveness multiple times over and over again.” San finishes off, observing as Y/N’s eyes begin to sparkle with unshed tears.

Flashing a smile at him, she turns back towards the moon and basks in the glow it provides for her and San. “ I'm glad you guys feel like that towards me.. And hopefully in the near future, I feel that way towards you guys again.” Y/N lets out, causing San to shake his head and chuckle out. “ I hope so too.” He whisper out.

“ Can you guys do me a small favor though..?” She asks as she turns her head back towards him. Without waiting for him to answer, she quickly continues to speak. “ Can you guys be nice to him, please. I admit he's not my favorite person in the world.. but I honestly don't want you guys to keep on fighting. It's obviously affecting the group and I'll hate for you guys to get in trouble with your company because Hongjoong knocked up his girlfriend while he was cheating on her. I want what's best for Ateez as a whole so please let's just settle all the drama aside and continue to grow like a team.” she finishes off, turning her body towards San and waiting for his answer.

Staring at her for a couple seconds, San reaches a hand forward and softly places it on her belly. “ I'll do anything for you and that beautiful baby of yours princess.” He says, watching as her cheeks immediately flare-up red from the nickname he just used.

Coughing out a thank you, she turns her body back towards the water in front of her to hide away from his piercing gaze. San lets out a laugh in amusement and turns back towards the water as well as to not embarrass Y/N any further.

The distance between them seemed to grow smaller during their talk, body’s a couple inches from each other but hands nearly touching.

San shifts his hand to a better position, instead touching fingertips with Y/N’s own hand. Snapping her head towards him, she watches as he's the one turning his head away in embarrassment now cheeks gaining a rosy color.

Shaking her head, she continues to look on to the beautiful scenery in front of her while slowly inching her hand towards San’s. San seems to be doing the same as the tips of their fingers touch again, but this time they both don't jump away from it.

Slowly but surely the rest of their fingers start to crawl on top of each other's, cold from the freezing air around them. Moving their hands closer together, this time the palms of their hands meet together.

Hands tightly clamped between each other, they both hold on as tight as they can sneaking looks at one another.

With rapidly beating hearts, red flushed cheeks and grins that reach their eyes they both continue to gaze at the moon. The light from the big bright moon shining down on them, and wrapping them both up in a glow as if the moon is saying they belong together.

[anerdquemoraaolado]

Through Chrissie’s eyes

The Deacons’ Wedding

Knowing the urgency that Veronica and John had to get married, we expedited everything as we could, we arranged documents, invitations for the guests, the church ceremony, everyone's attire, and finally the party at Jim's house. It wasn't easy, but as everyone was engaged, we managed to do it. We spent Christmas, New Year and finally the wedding day arrived in January 1975.

Me and the girls met at home to get the bride ready. Veronica didn't want to be too chic or draw attention, and we all respected her will. The boys got John ready at Freddie's apartment.

"Oh ... I don't even know what to think" the bride got up, ready "I'm happy, and I was just fine after deciding to get married, and now that we're here ... Am I going to do everything right?"

"I know exactly what you're going through" I leaned closer to her and held her shoulders. "But you van get through all this, focus on John and try to ignore the rest, no matter how difficult."

"I'll try," she managed to smile. "Thank you, Chrissie."

Veronica's parents came to pick her up and took her before us, while we kept waiting for the ride of our loved ones.

"Hurry up because we can't let the bride arrive before us" Freddie sprouted at the door and called us in a hurry.

I blinked a little scared, but I got the message a little later. As we were in three couples, the boys were in two cars. Roger and Dominique went with Mary and Freddie and me and Brian went in our car.

"Freddie is ..." I picked out the words before saying, as we were on the way to the church "drawing more attention than the bride."

"Oh yeah" Brian laughed. "He took the jacket from one set, the pants from, and to complete it all, the scarf."

"And don't forget your sunglasses," I added, "but it's just Freddie being Freddie ..."

"But today he extrapolated, we started calling him Angry Lizard 2.0" - my husband laughed a little more.

"Why angry lizard?" I was curious, that story I still didn't know.

"When we met John Reid the first time," Brian recalled, "he was wearing a scaly jacket with dragon wings on the back, I said he looked like an angry lizard, I remembered that today."

"Only you can make that kind of joke" I shook my head "and how's John doing?"

"He's nervous, less than I was at our wedding, but he's very sure of himself, and that's the most important thing."

"You know what, Bri?" I said thoughtful "I think John was already getting ready to proposal, and the baby was just a little push to give him courage, they had loved each other long before that. And loving each other is the main reason to marry."

"You're absolutely right, my love." Brian smiled and took my hand for a moment.

We arrived and saw that the bride was at the door, waiting for everyone to arrive.

"We can't go in without all the maids and best men here" Veronica said.

"Sorry for the delay," Brian apologized for both of us.

"You're really not late," she explained. "I arrived early, but it's better you're going to your places soon."

"Yes, ma'am," I understood the urgency of the situation and obeyed the bride, hurrying into the church.

Everyone was already in position, between the boys and the girls, there was another couple on John's side. Brian and I gave everyone a quick hello and went to our place.

"It's so much easier being a maid of honor" I realized, speaking out loud.

"I have to agree, but going through all this nervousness is worth it." He kissed my cheek and turned his attention to the door, and then we waited for Veronica's entrance.

She stepped in beside her father, slowly and shakily, near us. John began to cry. Roger, who was closer to him, placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy. Then I looked back at Veronica, who was crying too. That way, I would start crying too soon. The bride arrived at the altar and quickly she tried to wipe his tears and he hers. John received Veronica from her father. The priest asked them to kneel and the bride and groom obeyed. The ceremony then began.

I watched every word, touched and realized how much more formal and traditional that marriage was. Perhaps it was the demand of the Tetzlaffs, Veronica's family. As little as I knew them, I could tell they were traditional, maybe that was one of the reasons she had become a quiet, shy girl.

After the sermon, the priest went to the rings and finally the question that everyone was there for. John and Veronica went back to sobbing when they said yes and this time I cried with them. Their kiss was timid and quick, but so sweet that it made no one doubt how much they loved each other.

They left the church waving to everyone and we went after them. Before we went to the party, we were bombarded by the photographer's flashes. I felt kind of uncomfortable taking a picture, but three years living with Brian, who sometimes stubbornly took pictures of me at ordinary times, made me get used to it. And group photos were more comfortable for me than just me appearing in the photo.

So we all went to the party, and when I got there, I noticed that it was a little bigger than my party and Brian's. We sat down with Roger, Freddie, Dominique and Mary, since Veronica and John's relatives were kind of unfamiliar to us.

"How many people ..." I let slip, but it was more for Brian to hear.

"It seems that both the Deacons and the Tetzlaffs are large families," my husband replied. "We have far fewer relatives, so our party was smaller."

"Um ..." I agreed, distracted.

What comforted my discomfort of being among strangers was being close to my friends. Time passed and John came up to us, bringing two guests I didn't know with him. The man was one of his best men and the girl was younger than us.

"Uh, guys, they insisted a lot to come and meet you, so I hope you don't mind," John explained. "This is my friend Nigel Bullen, we were from the same band at school, and this is my sister Julie. Julie, Nigel, this is the rest of Queen, Roger, Brian and Freddie."

They exchanged handshakes politely as each of the boys introduced me, Dominique and Mary to John's guests.

"I recognized John on television," Nigel said, "in that video of yours, Killer Queen, isn't it? I barely believed it was the old Deaks on TV."

"Yeah, sounds easy, but we got really hard to get there." Freddie's voice was proud.

"Wouldn't it be possible for you to play something?" Julie asked hopefully.

"Oh no, Julie, maybe our style doesn't please most of the guests, and you also shouldn't give them ideas, they possibly will agree" her brother advised.

"You know John, that song you composed for Veronica, it would be perfect to play now," Roger suggested.

"No, no, no, no," John shook his head. "it's not ready yet, and I'm already doing a lot of exposure of my figure for one day, okay?" I love you guys, but can you give me some time, at least on my wedding day?"

"Cut the drama Deaky, you win" Freddie accepted the truce.

"Thank you," John said sarcastically, but relieved.

After a while, Veronica also came to see us. The poor girl was already tired by all the rush and the baby, and just wanted only a familiar place to rest. John came to sit next to her some time later, and it was there that I saw one of the most beautiful things in my life. The future daddy whispered something to his little unborn baby, that everything he and his mother did was for him, for the family the three of them would soon form.

[jennamustafa267]

Creative Non-Fiction 1st Draft

Jenna Mustafa 

English 267

Professor Reiter

Creative Nonfiction 

February 10, 2020

                      Secrets Of The CobbleStone Streets 

   In the summer of July 2016, I took a rather interesting trip to Italy with my grandma (Tata), my Uncle, my Aunt, two baby cousins and my uncles’ mother in law. We traveled to three different places. First Venice, then Florence, then Rome. Out of three Florence was my favorite. The days would get pretty hectic trying to balance out two grandmas and two children. Regardless it was still a trip that I cherish deeply. 

   One night, in particular, my aunt and uncle went out to dinner and left the kids with me and their grandmas. However, my grandma and I did NOT feel like being confined to the hotel to stay and babysit. We were in freaking Florence for crying out loud! As evil as it may sound, my grandma and I conceived a plan to pretend that I- was the one that wanted to go out but my “Grandma didn’t want me to go alone.” So, we made sure Carla (My aunts’ mom) was all set with the kids and we left to venture out. We did not tell my uncle that we were leaving simply because he would have told us “No.” Yes, I know what you're thinking “How can a son tell his mother she can't do something?” Well, he would have just been worried about us being alone in a foreign atmosphere alone at night. Which makes sense...we did it anyways. 

   Our hotel was right next to the long, calm, glistening Arno river. The night was that perfect cool after a hot summer day, you're not really sweating but there is no breeze. The streets were anything but quiet. Every corner had a musician, every restaurant had a couple, and every street flourished with tourists. My grandma and I are two of them. Stopping at every storefront to admire the merchandise inside like the jewelry made out of Murano glass, vintage clocks or your classic “I LOVE ITALY” sweatshirts. There was a violinist playing his own rendition of an American classic “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond. We stopped to watch some street performers dancing to an unfamiliar Italian hip hop song. We stopped to watch them for a minute and gave them a few Euros to respect their grind and display our appreciation.  

   To be completely honest, there was very little conversation exchanged between me and my grandma. We were just taking everything in while we could. We walked at a slow pace, arm in arm. It wasn’t until I asked her to tell me stories, that we could not stop talking. She shared with my things my mother used to do when she was my age, like how she would impersonate Steve Urcle or play as The Little Mermaid in the pool. We shared laughs over the memories we had when she used to visit me when I was younger and I acted like a complete brat. She told me how one time she wanted to sleep in my bed but I put up the biggest fit and refused to give up my bed for anyone. My grandma also explained some Islamic teachings to me and made certain situations easier to understand. Such as stories about Prophets and their wives. The feel of the cobblestone streets made it fun to walk slower. Something about the round feeling on your feet is so satisfying. 

   We walked past this gelato place, the gelato in Italy was the richest, sweetest, creamiest and dreamiest gelato in the world. But for some reason I did not want it nor did my grandma. Instead, I treated us both to a cup of fresh, juicy watermelon. Nothing like the fruit back home in America. Everything in Italy seemed better. The food is more organic and flavorful. The people are calmer than New York. No one was rushing or shoving you. They all just mind their own business and go about their day. 

   That night I realized how truly strong-spirited, faithful and exceptional my grandmother is. She is my ultimate role model and how badly I hope to grow to be just like her. Tata’s knees started hurting her (which was typical due to her age) so we snapped some pictures and took a rest sitting on a bridge above the Arno river. There were a few people also sitting on the bridge. This one lady next to us noticed our hijabs (Headscarf) and asked us where we were from. When we told her Palestine, she excitedly told us she was from there too. Her name was Salam and she was with her husband, they both are from a town right next to ours in Palestine called Beit Hanina, and lived in Brooklyn. It was the strangest thing. All four of us agreed that the world was extremely small. The fact that we never ran into each other in New York, yet we so happened to be sitting on a bridge at the same time in Italy. We let them go on their way, being that they were on their honeymoon and wanted to enjoy each other's company. 

   There was a small moment of silence as I pondered about how strange things (like meeting that couple) happen and how it was all meant to be. And it drew me back to how this moment of being alone with my grandma in Europe was meant to be and how it will most likely never happen again. This is an opportunity to just have a deep conversation with her and speak to her about anything I wanted to know, 

   “Tata, how were you able to handle the grief of momma?” I asked her with apprehension not wanting to make her upset. My mother passed away in August 2015; it would only be a year. We were on our way back home from Palestine and she had a stroke on the plane. She was only 43 years old, and it was completely unexpected. Everytime someone would try to talk to me, I would never listen. My grandma was the one my mother always went to, so I felt it fitting to ask her, even if I was weary that it would make her upset. But to my surprise she answered,  

   “When you have a strong trust in Allah (God)  plans, you will understand that this was always meant to happen. He will not give us anything that we can not endure. You must have patience and trust to be able to get through anything. Thank Allah for everything.”  I looked at her completely in awe. There were no tears building up in her eyes or even a crack in her voice. And this was a woman who was talking about her own daughters’ death. It is her faith that is helping her push through this. I, however, could not respond. I knew if I spoke it would just drown in tears. The lump in my throat was too large to let anything out. 

   She continued, “You know, she was too good for this world. We did not deserve her. She’s right where she belongs now. And one day we will all be reunited.” she continued. When she said “We will be reunited” it really made me think that I need to remain the proper Muslim girl that my mother would want me to be. 

  I just admired her as she spoke and gave her a big hug. She was right. Completely and truly right. It put everything in perspective for me. It made the anger I had built up after losing my mother disappear. It made the world make sense again. My grandma had an answer for everything. No wonder my mom was as perfect as she was. She had a great mother to look up too. And how lucky am I to have these two women in my life. 

   “This means so much to me,” I expressed to Tata, “You are so strong and so brave to be able to handle all of this and I love you.” I gave her a kiss on the cheek, “I love you too” she said. 

   When I first lost my mother I didn’t quite understand why it happened or how I would ever be able to get over. The entire trip me and my uncle (My moms’ brother)  were talking about how much she would have loved Italy. Everything from the chic boutiques to the savory pasta. Nonetheless, we were together enjoying it for her and to honor her. My mother was the perfect daughter and sister. The majority of my upbringing, I was surrounded by my father’s family. My maternal aunts and uncles all lived in different states and my grandparents lived in Jordan. The only times we got together were only for short periods of time during family weddings.  It was refreshing to be able to spend some time with them as they continued to tell me stories and little things about my mom as we toured the city. 

   We watched the amber color river flow. At that moment I knew this was going to be a night I’d never forget. Tata started to tell me about how she grew up. Living in Palestine at the start of the war was a very disquieting time for her. She explained to me how she practically had to escape from her home and keep moving from village to village in Palestine until she reached a place where the Isreali army would not be able to harm her and her family anymore. She even explained to me that she lost her newborn baby sister on the way.  Yet another thing that is so admirable about her. Before we knew it the streets slowly became more quiet and less busy. After we both yawned, we hugged again and made our way back to the hotel, right before my uncle came back.  

   Overall we should all learn to appreciate our family while they are around. I understood my whole family was hurting after the passing of my mother, but I was so worried about everyone else I forgot to try and deal with the grief myself. People would just talk to me and it would go in one ear and out the other. I was too busy thinking about if my brothers and my father are okay. I’m so beyond grateful to have had this walk with my grandma and for her to have been able to explain to me her grief. But it had to take us venturing off on our own to fully connect and help me grieve better. 

[erenblogs1]

Jack and Jack a pop-rap duo based in Los Angeles California with the members Jack Johnson (22, rap) and Jack Gilinsky (22, lead vocals) came to Switzerland on the 26th of February with their Good Friends Are Nice Tour. Thanks to ABC Production I had the privilege to see them live in X-TRA in Zurich. Jack and Jack are best friends since kindergarten. They first got attention on Vine with their short comedy videos in 2013. Since 2014 they have released independently several singles and EPs. I first noticed them with their song “Beg” released in 2017, especially the acoustic version with Olivia O’Brien. I also discovered their collaboration with Madison Beer for the song “All For Love” last year and I fell in love with it right away. Since then I started following them and with the release of their debut album “A Good Friend Is Nice”, released on the 25th of January, I can say that I’m a fan. Their new music is great the album has maybe one filler and all the other 11 have potential to become a single. I have the same age as them and I can relate to their new songs since they write more about mature content. Therefore, I didn’t want to miss the chance to see these two talented young men live.

On the concert day, the door opening was at 7 p.m. and I was already in the queue at 6.20 p.m. This time I went on my own as a music blogger. The first thing I could notice was that I was mostly surrounded by teenage girls. I felt a bit out of place but it’s always interesting to analyze the audience of an artist. When they let us into the building two things shocked me. Frist the merch was sold out, they provided a special scan code for us to order the merch online. The second thing was that since there were almost no men around the girls didn’t hesitate to use men’s bathroom too. It was so uncomfortable for me to go in there. Later on, I had to wait until 8 p.m. for the show to start. At 7.50 p.m. when I looked around, I could see that the venue was only half full and I just counted about 10 men. I also had seen Jessie J and Jason Derulo on the same stage some years ago and I remember how full the venue was with these artists. Jack and Jack can definitely get more Swiss fans.

Support Act

Jack and Jack took the English London based trop-pop artist Casey Lowry on the road for their European tour. Casey promoted his debut EP “Beach Blue”, which was released in November last year. He appeared in a long black coat on stage and his band members in cool orange-grey Hawaii shirts. Casey asked us to jump several times especially during the song “Trampoline”. He also covered “Baby” by Justin Bieber and all the girls went crazy and everyone was singing along. He and his bandmates definitely warmed the crowd up for 30 minutes starting at 8 p.m. Some teenage girls were screaming and holding posters with demands like “Take off your T-shirt” and “Twerk”, he had to laugh every time he noticed the posters. Therefore, he couldn’t really concentrate on his performance and was distracted a lot, or maybe he was just nervous. However, Casey and his bandmates had great energy on stage and a likable charisma. You should definitely check them out.

Performance of Jack and Jack

At 9 p.m. it was finally time for Jack and Jack, they opened the show with their pop-ballad “Promise Me” during which Gilinsky presented his amazing high vocals. They both looked chic, Gilinsky with his black suit trousers combined with a white T-shirt and Johnson in a black outfit wearing a denim jacket.

Then I fell in love with the song “Closure”, a single released last year. I must say that I slept on it, also on “Stay With Me” both are nice pop-ballads. As a new fan, I was proud to be able to sing along during “Barcelona”. Afterward, they performed a medley formed by a couple of their first singles released in 2014. I have never felt so much lost during a concert before. I didn’t know these songs at all. Usually, I listen to the entire setlist in advance. But for this concert I didn’t want to do it, I wanted to be surprised. I can say that at least the fans since day one had a great time with this throwback.

When they performed the acoustic version of “Beg” it was my time to be proud to have discovered them with this song. It was a pleasing acoustic performance and Gilinsky topped it with his acoustic cover of “when the party’s over” by Billie Eilish. He mentioned that it’s his favorite song at the moment. And I just saw Billie live two weeks ago performing this single at the Swiss Music Awards. I must say that Jack’s cover was as good as the original version. Billie and Jack should definitely do a remix together.

They had a lot of entertaining interactions between themselves and with the audience now and then. Johnson even took the mic and asked fans in the front row to say sentences in Swiss-German. He then tried to translate them in English, he did it every time correctly. Some fans traveled from the French-speaking cities of Switzerland to Zurich, so they asked things in French. It was an amusing and enjoyable moment for everyone. Gilinsky also reacted to the poster with the lines “take off your T-shirt” by reading it out loud and answering with a clear and loud “No”.

With the Billie Eilish cover, the concert just got started for me since they performed my other favorite songs from their album next. Of course, their hit single “No One Compares To You”, which they dedicated to the fans. And then my all-time favorite song by them, which is “Meet U In The Sky”. Especially with this song they take me to musical dimensions I didn’t know they have existed. This song gives me summer and dance vibes, the lyrics, the melodies, and the rhymes are so pleasant to me. It’s a masterpiece for my ears. After that I enjoyed the sexual vibes during “Tension”, followed by “Day Dreaming” and “Lotta Love”, I love them all. After the slow song “April Gloom” which points out profound lyrics they closed the show with their well-known hit single “Rise”. Johnson held a Swiss flag and then they slowly left the stage.

I wasn’t expecting any other better song to close the show but there was one song missing they haven’t performed yet. A fan favorite and also probably one of the most personal and emotional songs. I’m talking about “2 Cigarettes”, a song about a failed relationship. Therefore, I knew there must be an encore. A few minutes later Gilinsky and Johnson appeared again on the stage. Johnson was already shirtless and Gilinsky took his T-shirt during the bridge of the song. All the girls were screaming as if the world ends. They both presented what they were working for in the gym for months. It was probably the highlight of the concert for many girls.

Jack Johnson the rapper of the duo rapped almost in every song. I was astonished how good he can rap live on stage. He also played the keys during several songs. They both were adorable and they are a great example of a nice friendship between two young men. They both are living their dreams, traveling all around the world and what a great opportunity to share it with your best friend. I have nothing to criticize about them. Check out their newly released debut album “A Good Friend Is Nice” you will definitely like it.

After the concert, Casey Lowry and his bandmates took pictures with the fans at the merch stand. I bought his EP and let him sign it. He was very friendly and also a bit bewildered. I also had the chance to take a selfie with him but it turned out bad, I had to edit it a lot but here we go I didn’t want to hold it back from you. All in all, it was a great night, an unforgettable experience. I want to thank ABC Production again for having me at this concert. Let me know in the comment section if you have seen them live on tour and tell me your highlight of the concert. Also, check out my Instagram @erenblogs for more footage of the concert.

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Now Online: Jack and Jack: Good Friends Are Nice Tour – Concert Review Jack and Jack a pop-rap duo based in Los Angeles California with the members Jack Johnson (22, rap) and Jack Gilinsky (22, lead vocals) came to Switzerland on the 26th of February with their…

[mul-parum]

Things I knew when I was 23 (that I hope to find it sooner) Part.1

There is the only person that actually be by your side...it’s you!

When you were born, there are usually 2 persons that you will meet on your first day. Your mom and your dad. And a doctor and nurses. These 2 persons are the one that has the responsibility to find you some foods to eat, teach your first word, take you a bath, take care of you for almost the rest of your life and love you no matter what. Have a happy family until the end.

However, that was just the image I wanted it to be. A place that I can call it home. 

I know there is not such a thing called 'PERFECT’. Even though when I was a kid, I watched so many Disney’s princesses which every lead girls ended up as a princess and live with prince charming happily ever after. I did not want that kind of life. What a dream! I just wanted a happy and warm family that I could lean on. I just wanted to have some place to rest when I have some troubles or when I look down on my own self.

However, I do not have it. That Weasley family. When I was so little, like very little, my family was so perfect. My dad came home from work, kissed my mom who prepared the table full of foods even she just got home from work too. We had a great talk about what were we met today. Laugh out loud. Smile everywhere. Then one day, my mom had to quit her job follow by my dad’s beg. He said he would take care of the family himself, so my mom should have one task was taking care of me. And that when my crap started.

I always played with my friends outside in the village street. Like many kids would do. But lately, every time I got home, I heard someone arguing. Loud. When I went inside, I saw my dad holding my tearful-look-like-mess mom. He tried to comfort and calmed her down. I did not a single clue what was going on. All I did was walking away slowly, Tear came down my face with no reason. Living here they separate border between ADULT and KID so clear. You should not involve in any discussion, or speak your mind that sometimes different. Even if it was your parents’ matter. I just sat on my bed, did not know what to do. 

Not long, I found out my dad had an affair. The picture of my mom cried on the restroom floor, held my dad’s shirt and repeated the same word several times. DO’NT GO. She was like this day and night. And no sign of my dad. Since then I never got home late or even play outside. I just wanted to make sure my mom was not alone.

She was like this for years. And I did nothing. I just thought I had to study hard. So, she would proud of me. So, my dad would be back as my dad again. I was top in almost every class. Activities were also my cup of tea. I won academic contests, singing competitions and also became the head girl. Although, my parents never attended my show or be there to support me at any competitions. I told myself I did a very good job and things would back to normal again.

I was wrong. 

He left us. At that time I just wanted swore every bad word I knew in his face, talked shit about him, or crying on someone’s shoulder. The tear dried. And I did not do any of that. I saw my mom looked like a mess and I just couldn’t do that. I swallowed those feelings down along the throat to my heart, kept it inside. We got to move on. 

He still sent us money, my school’s bills. Like I wanted it. My mom started working again. I couldn’t work because I was just 12 and my mom resisted it. 

Years passed, things were getting better. Someone was on our door, holding a lovely puppy. He begged for another chance. The woman let him in without asking a word. She told me that called love. I did not get it. But he was back. 

I did see it coming. It was like a loop. He got his new side chic(secretly that the whole family knew) They fought a lot again. He came up with something to fight every day. But this time he did not leave and my mom did not chase him away. Outside, we looked just like a normal family. Inside, there was silence. No laugh. No smile. Talking led to fighting every time. 

I was too, in silence. I was mad, furious and edgy every time. I did not show it on my face though. Even when he told me that I could not be a dentist because I was dumb. Or told me to wake up from my dream of having a little coffee and book shop. He totally ruined my dream. I did not want to care, but deep down I just...I just want someone to believe in me. Khow me as I am. Especially, someone who called themselves parents. He did not know me at all. He did not know what was my favorite food, color, or subjects. He did not know what was I good at. My mom who has been through a lot of shit, just want me to have a perfect family. Dad, mom, daughter. And had money to send me to the school. So, she said nothing. Only did her jobs. 

No ones know what I’ve been through.

No one’s there for me.

No ones know me.

To find some things I lose, I walked across the road to new ways.

Almost everybody out there that I know have their bestie. It’s pretty common. Grew up in a small town, met some dude next door that at first look like someone that you will NEVER end up talking to. Or You were new at this school you just moved to. There was no one that you know and sitting back at class was your first choice. However, there was this one that came talk to you. He/She understood your struggles and help you. At the end of the day, you were talking non-stop. And that is one of many ways you met your bestie for life.

I had bestie too. Since I was a kid, I had so many friends and we always were a big and center of classes. We talked and laughed a lot. We helped each other with homework and exams. It was like that along to high school. Even though I had so many friends, but I always had one bestie who I shared every moment with. Grades dropped, done something wrong and boy stuff. Just only family issue that I did not share. It was because I did not want her to worry about me. I always at her place and saw her happy family. They kissed each other on the cheeks and told how much they love each other. I just... sat there. Felt something stuck in my throat and it might come out as a tear. Saw them made me think that I should not put my shit on their toilet. 

She found out anyway. I told her all. Finally felt like I had someone. She listened. She understood me. She told me that she was on my side. I was really pleased like never felt before. Like lift mountain out of my chest. So lifted.

Time passed, we went to university. I went to the north of the country, and she went east. At first, we still talked. But we both busy with our ways. We talked less at the same time that we found our new society. And then she was gone with the wind of the sea.

I had my new friends, but they were different from high school friends. The uni friend did not care about me that much. It felt like ‘we are friends, but better not talking about other stuff than study and where’s to eat’. I did not mind it. I understood what it was like in the competitive society nowadays. Even in our group, we were like to compete with each other about grades and everything. It was lost and win relationships.

One day, I had a high fever and also Diabate at the same time. My roommate who was my bestie did not give me a glimpse. I told you I did not expect that, because if it was me I would ask. Not just her but all my friends. I struggled for a few days so I decided to pull myself from the bed and toilet to see the doctor. At 4 a.m. That why I survived.

If you ask me that I ever think about leaving this shit behind and go to another world? I had. A lot. But I would not do it because every time I looked back, I did not see that cry little baby anymore. I’ve been through it once. I can go through it twice and much time ahead. It will be the waste of time if I did so much works and I don’t live to see the end.

Along the way, one thing that stays with me no matter what and helps me went through that messy mess is the one in the mirror and also on the paper. Every morning I always smile at the shinning little thing calls mirror on the wall. Tell myself that if there is no one smile at me, or talk nicely to me today, at least I have my smile. Looking at my own eyes even make me feel sorry for myself. It’s just sad and sorrow everywhere I see. Sometimes I cried just looking at the mirror. Hoping that the songs I played when I shower can help me out. Sometimes I sing along and dance that almost slipt and nock on the wet floor. But sometimes even the fun song make me cry as well.

SMILE

YOU’RE DOING GOOD

IT GONNA BE A GOOD DAY

I tell myself.

Diary is the thing that I found out very useful. I started to write a diary when I watch a romantic movie that the girl wrote a diary about the boy, and gave him at the end. At first, I was like that, wrote about my first love. Later, I found it helpful when I got a fight with my then boyfriend. I wrote my anger down. Surprisingly, It calmed me down, and I had realized the causes of the fighting while I wrote. Since then I write everything that I met down on the paper. 

I have to talk to the reflection of the mirror every morning and wrote a diary every night.

That are the ways I can hear myself out.

Because It’s only me that matter. It’s only me that I am with the whole time.

It’s only me.

I write this just to tell you that do not rely on or expect anybodyelse that much. If you have family or friends that very love, loyal and care for you (unlike me), that’s good for you. However, remember that one person that you should listen to, rely on and love as much as you can is yourself. No one knows you best. No one cares you most. As yourself.

Smile for the person on the mirror a lot.

Thanks him/her for very hard works him/her has done.  

It’s YOU that matter.

[division-m]

The Merge [3] - Sweet Pea

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4

Paring: Sweet Pea x Reader

Genre: angst | AU

Word Count: 2,649

Part [3] Warning: Violence, Swearing.

Part [3] Brief: ❝ In which the silver moon was high in the sky giving off the only light over Riverdale, apart from the lampposts whose rays died inches from the dirty tungsten bulbs, and Sweet Pea held a rage the power of a wildfire, you could practically see the flames roaring in his eyes, ready to ignite anything that he came in contact with. We learn [y/n] is an enigma - not like that of books where words are so plainly written out and flow from page to page, but of books torn, frayed, and indecipherable.❞

Masterlist

[y/n] was currently lounging around with youngest Cooper just like old times;

[y/n] admired Betty’s room.

Her room was like a princess wonderland. The walls were a baby pink that pulsed in the light, sprinkled with various pictures, mostly of friends and a few celebrities, [y/n] noticed she still kept the montage they made together of them since they were 6 up to the age of 14. Her comforter was pulled over her bed. It was messy as they both laied on it together, this resulted in lumps of varying sizes and shapes to form on the comforter.

A desk sat in one corner, littered with wadded up pieces of paper and pens. A few shelves were pushed against the walls and filled with books. Some books sat on the floor in front of the shelves. How does Betty manage to make a mess of books look like they are perfectly placed? [y/n] will always wonder. 

"Simple, I heard the devil call out my name" [y/n] said in response to Betty's question;

"Why did you leave Riverdale two years ago? you just got up and left, it broke my heart”.

Betty's eyes shifted to the side and they soon became glazed with a glassy layer of tears. As she blinked, they dripped from her eyelids and slid down her cheeks. She bit her lip tightly in attempt to hide any sound that wanted to escape from her mouth; my heart sank.

Seeing Betty like this really broke my heart, all I want to do is protect her, that’s one reason why I left in the first place.

[y/n] whipped the tears from Betty's eyes.

"Betty.." [y/n] cooed,

"I'm back now and I'm staying, trust me, its like everyone born in this town in bound forever to it".

Betty accepted that response, however [y/n] didn't want anymore questions around why she left, so she changed the subject.

"Betty.. Chic seems nice.. Considering his current situation, I mean I can understand why he is a bit crude, he just reconnected with the family that gave him up, but your dad, he seems to hate him?" I inquired, really curious to why this is.

Betty shook her head "[y/n] I have no idea, mum loves him already and if im honest its like shes trying to make up for all the years she lost with him, but I can't understand why dad doesn't want the same, its like-" Betty was cut off by her mum entering the room with a huge smile.

"[y/n] its getting late, are you going to stay over?" Alice asked politely.

I always loved Alice, she was like a second mother to me when I was little, if I wasn't at my house, I was at hers, if I wasn't eating at my house, she always made sure I was feed.

"That’s okay Alice, I should be getting back to my Grams now, I'm sure she’s getting worried, iv been out all day" I refused politely much to Betty's dismay.

[y/n] hopped off Betty's bed and gave her a warm embrace and told her she'll see her tomorrow at school and made her way home.

[y/n] walked. She walked as her hair fluttered in the air, her clothes clung to her body, arms tightly wrapped around her. [y/n] felt cold wind stroking her skin, wanting to rip her clothes off her, as if she were its enemy. 

She lifted her hands to the air to feel short bursts of rain.

As she walked she couldn't help but remember that cursed night, that night her family left for Greendale, [y/n] remembers this path, because she ran it that night, remembering passing Betty and Archie's house at an ungodly hour, never knowing when she'll see them again.

*Flashback*

Being chased was nothing like the movies. The stars look heroic, sexy and in command of the situation. Reality was far removed from that pretty version of running to save you skin.

I'd had no time to put on shoes or even grab my jacket, my parents pulled me from my bed whispering to me;

"It's no longer safe".

Panic took over my expression. I could only think one word.

Hunters.

They travel to innocent towns, looking to exterminate unwanted family's. At the time Riverdale was innocent. 

Greendale on the other hand was not. It was known for its mystical nature. Hunters wouldn’t dare enter, it was the only safe place for our kind.

The mundane fear the town over Sweet Water River, ever heard the saying;

'you should know better than to be caught in Greendale after midnight'

Usually you would run from the town, yet the crescents were sprinting towards it.

My souls crashing into the asphalt a few times before I transitioned to the balls of my feet. My face is flushed red and my expression is pure panic.

The crescents managed to make it into the forest, the moon was at its peak and spooky doesn't quite cover it and eerie is an understatement of this situation.

I've seen darkness before, the kind that makes this forest look like an old fashioned photograph, everything a shade of grey. This isn't like that. This is the darkness that robs you of your best sense and replaces it with a paralyzing fear.

I only know my eyes are still there because I can feel myself blink, still instinctively moisturizing the organs I have no current use for, since the darkness was blinding. The only way I am getting through these thick trees is the hand of my father pulling me along.

By my genes I am a predator, I have the front facing eyes and brain enough to hunt, but I feel like prey in this utter black.

The dawn is hours away and until that precious time I can only run for my life. 

Hunters, they are skilled, deadly skilled, yet still mundane, and don't have the senses of my parents. Hence why they hunt us. And why they will always hunt us.

*End of flashback*

The memory sent shivers down [y/n’s] spine, as well the now pouring ice cold rain.

However the rain was the least of her problems in this moment, as she heard the revving up of motorcycles, she found herself in stumbling into a civil war.

There was stillness on both sides. If hatred was visible the air would have been scarlet.

Screams broke out. The men rushed forward, the attack was fierce and efficient.

[y/n] wasn't foreign to battles, she fought many herself, hence why she decided to climb the tree to her left and perch herself up on nearest branch. Ready to watch this turf war commence.

'This should be interesting' she entertained this thought.

As the fight was happening, [y/n] noticed a certain tall dark and handsome serpent throwing punches left and right.

'He is a good and confident fighter, its like he is trained.. Riverdale needs more of that' she smirked as she studied his fighting skills. 

A certain red head crashed a punch into Sweet Pea's stomach, a sudden gush of pain jolted throughout Sweet Pea's body. His stomach ached, his arms lost tension and his legs began to weaken.

[Y/n] studied the look on his god like features, its like she could read him like a book.

"He will not get the better of me" his features read.

His tongue was soaked in the taste of blood. Bruised and winded, with a leg in agony, he grabbed the foot of the captain and pulled him to the ground. His head was pounding. He brought a fist to the captain’s face, snapping his nose into a state of grotesquerie.

It pained [y/n] to see Archie this way but she commended him, he grew up over this past two years. 

'Least he is out here throwing elbows, thats my boy' she praised him internally.

"Listen here Northsider!" Sweet Pea demanded loud enough for the whole street to hear, as he man handled Archie's letterman collar.

"Normally I would give you mercy, however you think you can come to my house, stick a gun in my face, and there wouldn't be any payback? You're stupid. You blame the Northside for all the problems in this town! Watch us be declared innocent then see me come out fighting. I've thrown one punch at you and I already see you quiver. How weak you are? This isn't cruelty Andrews, this is justice. You cannot control your actions and so I’ll control you. Continue to fight me and you know I'll win, or maybe you like gambling? It's a sin, you know"

I sat there with my jaw dropped in utter shock at Sweet Pea's monologue.

'What the fuck have you been up to Archie, i thought he knew better than to mess with the Serpents.. Jesus' I internally battled whether to stop this, Archie can clearly fight but facts are facts, Sweet Pea could easy take him out.

Just as I was about to come down I heard my name being called.

"Veronica?" I whisper yelled.

She looked as though she had been running due to her flushed cheeks.

"What the hell are you doing here" She asked me wide eyed.

"Being entertained" I deadpanned.

"[y/n] that’s Archie out there, with the serpents fighting, we need to stop this right now!" Veronica rushed towards the madness but I grabbed her by the arm to pull her back to me.

"Veronica no listen, they are hand to hand combat right now, running in there unarmed or just running straight into those muscle pigs will get you hurt" I warned, Betty informed me Archie and Veronica were an item, and I also know Archie.

He would be beside himself if she got hurt.

"Oh but sweet [y/n] I am armed" Veronica pulled out a gun out of her obsidian hooded cape.

[y/n] studied the gun, it was, small, discreet and deadly. The metal was cold in Veronica's hand, icy perhaps.

"Oh Lodge you really are a paradox but I am not going to ask why you have that right but If you want to stop this fight I have a plan".

"Shoot, what's the plan" Veronica was serious about stopping this fight.

"That’s exactly the plan, shoot" I deadpan once again.

"What! Are you crazy we can't just-" Veronica panics.

"No no not at them! up into the air! It's a small gun but trust me it will be loud enough to capture everyones attention, but once you do that, you have to run and get Archie out of here! if the cops aren't already on their way they will be now, then once you’re safe get rid of that fucking gun!" I carefully yet firmly explain to Veronica as i hold her shoulders, she is smart she understood every order and was on bored.

[y/n] gave Veronica a encouraging push.

Veronica ran between two cars, now her senses sharpened with adrenaline, Veronica held her breath, still straining to focus with every ounce of her concentration is focused on making this right. Cool air whispered through her body, she breathed in;

She fired.

Not too long before Veronica fired, [y/n] ran over to where the Serpents kept their motorbikes, knowing Sweet Pea will run this way out of instinct.

[y/n] was right, once that gun was fired he sprinted in her direction, she took this oppotunity to grab his arm and drag his weak state into her side.

"Listen to me, the cops are on their way, now unless you want to be hauled in by the police you should follow me, I'll help you" [y/n] said with utter seriousness.

In this short moment she wasn't admiring him from afar, she was inches away from his heated body. For a moment it shattered her to see his features this way, He's a bloody mess, nose bleeding and his right eye black and blue thanks to Archies left hook. His arms are wrapped round his guts like he's holding them in. he's beat so bad.

"We don't have all day!" [y/n] raised her voice in fear as she saw him contemplate.

"Why do you want to help me" he didn't say with a raised voice, it's like he's speaking while being choked, he must have taken a few hits at his throat while [y/n] was with Veronica.

"Remember when you saved me from falling on my ass? Yeah well lets call this me paying back my debt to you okay, now let me help you this time". [y/n] made her point, a broken chuckle escaped his busted lip.

The sirens were becoming louder the cops were coming, it was time to get going.

[y/n] snaked an arm around his waist, he slung an arm over her shoulder, instinctively, almost like it was a natural fit.

Their bodies were much different in height and stature, yet that didn't stop [y/n] from easing any type of pain she could.

My feet slip outwards on the wet autumn leaves as I round the corner, the cold night air shocking my throat and lungs as I inhale deeper, faster. It wasn't easy having Sweet Pea lean on me. Sweet Pea was 6'5 and very heavy in this weak state. 

With each footfall a jarring pain shoots ankle to knee through Sweet Pea's legs, this was evident as I kept hearing him hiss.

"C'mon we can't slow down, lean on me more if you need to" [y/n] aided him with words.

He let out broken "mhm's" and “ah’s” in response. His mouth continuing to fill with an Iron taste as his teeth bit into his lips, clearly trying to stop himself from moaning in pain every second.

Due to this he kept spitting blood onto the ground.

"I'm sure you're leaving a trail with the amount of blood you're spitting" [y/n] sassed him.

"Well princess I can't swallow It can i? if I was Dracula, I would" He still managed to sass back even though he's seconds from passing out.

I'm confident I'll get Sweet Pea back to Grams safely, I know this estate better than they do, those cops are just pretty boys in uniform, shipped in from the nicer end of town. They're weighed down with guns, batons and electrical stun devices, all of them useless unless they get a clear shot, which they won't.

I can hear them panting with the effort from three hundred yards behind, that's how freakin' noisy and slow they are. Conditioning from a tread-mill with a stop-watch will never beat real-life training on the streets.

[y/n] knows that better than anyone, and if anyone can understand her street training, It would be Sweet Pea.

He wouldn't have trusted her with his life unless he had a feeling she knew what she was doing.

And Sweet’s had an intuition that was never wrong.

A/N: ahhh! This was so fun to right, I didn't want to end it! But I have to keep you guys wanting more hehe. How are you guy's enjoying so far? I'm mixing the current Riverdale storyline and the storyline from past episodes, so I hope you can understand that. And oooo what do you think about little miss crescents past?  Feedback is always encouraged and welcomed :)

Be well x

Also should out to @sweetypeaimagines <3 go check out her work its so lovely! And she is so sweet! She deserves all the recognition she gets.

[lexiemoso]

For APPRENTICE APRIL these are my answers 😄😄

The Basics. What is your character’s name? How old are they? How tall are they? Skin color? Eye color? Hair color? Gender identification?

My MC’s name is Morrigan. It makes allusion to a warrior queen.

She is 23 years old, and they’re are 5,5”

She has a fair skin tone , not very pale . She has a lot of blue tattoo-like marks all over her body in spiral forms,she has them since birth just like her mother did. The marks reach up to her face only on the right side.

She has some deep green eyes.

She is a red head , yet her hair is darker than Portia’s and julian’s, almost a wine color.

She is a female .

Extra: She has a very strong Nordic accent due to her Natal tribe.


2. Love Interest. Who does your character love? What attracted them to that particular LI?

My character love’s Muriel. Since the moment she saw him she felt some type of way , and she simply stayed by his side form then on. She was attracted by Muriel’s green eyes and sweet soul. They are total opposites though, but they don’t really argue. She is a very intense woman who takes manners on her own hands, specially if someone messes with her dear Muriel, yet he always knows how to cool her down.


3. Familiar. Does your character have a familiar? How did they meet? Her familiar is a raccoon called Igor . They met when Igor was a baby, and she was fairly young as well. She was wondering around the woods when a small fur ball fall on her head . She picked him up and the rest is history.


4. Hobbies. What kinds of things does your character like to do for fun? She likes sewing tapestries in her free time , as well as reading any kind of books. She often hangs out with Julien to learn a bit about medicine since she find it very interesting.


5. Hidden talents. Is there something neat that your character can do? Tie a cherry stem into a knot with their tongue? Say any word backwards perfectly?

She is a very good singer , the people of her tribe are known for possessing beautiful almost ethereal voices, and she is not the exception. Muro calls her “Little hummingbird “ every now and then since she is usually humming or singing in a low tone while making any type of activity. She’d often sing ancient lullabies to help Muriel sleep when he has nightmares.


6. Magical talents. Is there a specific type of magic that your character excels at? Any magic they aren’t so great at? Or do they actually shy away from magic altogether?

She knows a bit of elemental magic , yet her stronger ability is the capacity of using the magic to enhance her battleground abilities (kind of creating a berserker effect) , she might be better in magic altogether if she practiced more often , but for now it just focuses on predicting and arcana reading .


7. Interaction. How does your character typically interact with people? Despite of her background as a fierce warrior, she’s actually a very sweet person. She can be very sarcastic , yes, but in general she is very open and kind and she is always chatting with the people that surrounds her. She never misses the chance to gossip with the market merchants.

She is always willing to help and support anyone.


8. Romance. What is something that your character and their LI love to do together? How do they show affection?Morrigan and Muri enjoy nature very much, they love to spend time in the woods, or simply exploring new places and enjoying the view. As you may know ,Muriel is a very shy person , total opposite of Morrigan. Yet that makes the perfect match since she often knows what does Muriel needs with just a gaze. They can spend hours and hours just conversating about any topic , Muriel may often make fun of Morrington . Indoors they are two lovebirds. Morrigan is very affectionate and is in constant seek for attention, Muriel doesn’t really mind . She is very adventurous and he is very protective, so they often take care of each other.


9. Travel. Does your character like to travel outside of Vesuvia? How often? For how long? What kinds of things do they do away from home?

Morrington absolutely loves to travel. She travels every time she has the chance and as long as she needs to learn from the place she is visiting , yet she usually is back by a month or so. When she is away she just learns from everyone and everything, always bringing back presents for their friends, and lots of stories about the people of the place she is visiting.


10. WTF. Has anything just…weird ever happened to your character? Something that made them stop and go “What just happened?!”

There are three WTF moments that come to mind.

The first one is the first time she was able to summon magic. She had no idea she could do that since she grew away from her tribe so she never really had the notion of magic in her blood. She was very pissed at a bunch of kids that were messing with two other kids , and out of nowhere a loud THUD was heard , the floor cracking underneath her feet towards they children. They ran away . When she realized what happened she threw up.

The second time was when she encountered her familiar, cause like , a raccoon simply falling onto her head ? Really?

The third one was her first interaction with Muriel, the way her world shook in the moment she saw him (not really trying to be romantic here , she seriously felt like something was very wrong inside her , it was terrifying) it messed up quite hard with her mind for a few days, she even started to avoid him but it didn’t last long, he is a sweetheart and she gave in pretty soon.


11. Crime. Has your character ever been arrested? If so, what did they do? Have they ever helped stop a crime?

She has been arrested a couple times for bad behavior , specially after a few drinks . But it’s always a night in the dungeons and that’s mostly it since Nadia always comes to the rescue.

She has helped stop a crime before , yes. She hates watching people taking advantage of others. She had stopped some thief’s that tried to mug her or someone when she was around. There was a time in her teenage years she would actually get paid for handing in wanted minor criminals. She quit after a year or two .


12. Secrets. What is a secret that your character has? Are they in line for the throne in a far off land? Was there this one time at band camp…? Are they secretly involved in an assassin’s guild?

She is actually filled with secrets involving her past and her roots , only Muriel knows them since she can spend hours and hours talking about her tribe (or at least what she knows about it). She also worked as a mercenary for a while when she was young , but after a fatidic night she quit.


13. Overcompensation. Is there something that your character just HAS to do better than anyone else? Or are they just that dang good without trying? If they see someone else showing off, what is their kneejerk reaction?

She has to be the best in everything she can. She is always pushing herself to the limit and further, it’s in her nature. She is simply to stubborn to conform. Yet she loves to support others when they show off in something they are very good at.


14. Fight Club. Is your character a good fighter? What kind of skills do they have?

She is a good fighter , it was very obvious since she was a kid. When she was about 6 (she is “orphan “ since she was taken away form her tribe when she was very young and spent around two years in a kind of “kid-market” dungeon. She was not an agressive kid, yet she always stood up for herself and for other kids when someone tried to take advantage of them. That didn’t pass unnoticed . On a winter night when she was 6, a man came and after paying a few gold coins , she took her away . This man trained her very well and she grew up to be a very good warrior. This man wasn’t exactly a good man, yet after a few years he showed her his blue marks , similar to hers, and then she understood why he always gave her a special care. Everything she knows about her tribe is thanks to that man.

She is very fast and agile. She may not be the strongest warrior of all yet she compensates it with technique and strategy. Plus , using her magic in battle is a great plus since it puts her in a kind of hipnotized state that helps her fight hours in end . She ends up pretty drained though, so she usually sleeps for days after a battle.


15. The Arts. Is your character a creative type? What kinds of things can they create? Can they act? Street perform?

She is kind of creative , she creates tapestries of anything her eyes can see or her mind can imagine. Other than that she’s not a very good dancer , nor a good actor either unless she uses it for her “job”.


16. Goofy. Is your character a clown? Do they like to make people laugh?

She is a total clown. She is very hyper and very goofy in her daily basis. She is often making faces or voices just to make people laugh. Muriel looses it over her Julian impression. She really likes to make people laugh, and she is always laughing at something.


17. Language. Is your character multilingual? How many languages do they speak? Do they have an accent? Is it sexy? Is it silly? Do they have a multilingual lisp?

She is. She knows how to speak in Nordic and she speaks Vesuvia’s lenguage. She has a very heavy accent actually. I think it is more on the silly side due to the things she is often saying. She doesn’t have a lisp.

(I picture it something like this mixed with the “potbelly” Chic from pulpfiction lol)


18. Embarrassment. What is something really embarrassing that your character has done/said?

She’s not easily embarrassed honestly. She usually thinks everything before saying it out loud. Which makes you wonder why she says so much dumb stuff.

She gets embarrassed when she is proven wrong though.


19. Memory. Has your character gotten any of their memory back? If so, what? Did it change them? She has gotten back just small bits of her memory, but it’s okay since she is very good at letting go.


20. Family. Talk about your character’s family. Who were they?

She was born in a Nordic tribe of good warriors , but their existence didn’t revolve around “fighting” like lucio’s. They were very nature centered people, everything they did was from and for their connection with the energy of the elements .

(The picture isn’t mine but I’m using it as a reference)

[idorkish]

Little Munson - Chapter 2

A/N - Welcome to the second chapter! There is lots of fluff in this part. I tried doing a lot more dialogue as I’m still playing with formatting. There really aren’t many warnings for this.

Angel stood in front of the full length mirror, going over her outfit once more. “I got this. This will be OK,” she whispered to her reflection in the mirror. Angel had been pacing for most of the day in the clubhouse. The guys would be going on a run for the weekend, and like always, Angel would be staying at the clubhouse with Bambi, Jax, Opie, and Gemma. They had long given up on trying to keep all the kids at Gemma's house, as Jax and Opie were prone to sneaking out and going to the clubhouse, and Angel always seemed to get bored and fuss around in the kitchen.

Tonight, they were waiting for a discussion occasion. Angel would be going on her first real date, with none other than David Hale. Bobby had been reluctant to let her go. “She's too young!” “I know what boys his age think about!” That's all Angel heard for a very long week. It took Jax and Tara agreeing to double date and meeting at the clubhouse for him to finally give in. Angel also assumed Gemma and Luanne had a hand in making him cave easier.

Despite the change in plans, Angel couldn’t deny that she was having a lot of fun with all the additional people. She sat at the table, nibbling on her slice of pizza, while Gemma went on about something Angel stopped paying attention to long ago. Angel was too busy watching David at one of the arcade games, teaching Bambi how to play one of the games. Gemma noticed Angel’s distraction and followed her gaze over to the two playing. “You know, he’s good with her. Didn’t expect that from a Hale, especially not with our family.”

Angel smiled and turned her attention back to David, who was now helping Bambi beat an older kid at the game. “I really like him Ma. I'm glad we all came out together.  It's been awhile,  since before… Well you know, everything.” Angel still hated talking about JT, it still felt like a fresh wind that everyone refused to acknowledge.

Gemma smiled as she reached over and gave Angel’s hand a small squeeze. “Why don’t we go play some pool? I’ll teach you some tricks to use against your uncles”

Angel nodded quickly as she jumped up and waited for Gemma. Gemma had let the boys know they were heading toward arcade and she blew a kiss to Bambi as they walked past her and David.

By the time the bowling alley finally closed, everyone was exhausted and ready to pass out for the night. Bambi had climbed onto Opie’s lap sometime during their last hour and passed out against him. Gemma had made all of them sit and stand around Opie and the sleeping Bambi so she could capture a picture.

______________________________________________

The following weeks at school seemed to fly by so quickly for Angel and David. If you looked for one, you often found the other not far behind. Despite his family’s concern about the amount of time at spent at  the T.M Garage, David was happiest when with his friends and Angel. Bobby and Clay had been hesitant at first to have a Hale around so much, but the more time David spent with them the more they saw how open he was to all the bikers. If he wasn’t at school or at football practice, he was either with Opie & Jax, in the clubhouse studying with Angel and keeping an eye on Bambi, or in the garage with Bobby and Otto - who were determined to teach him how to fix cars.  Bobby started to accept that David would be around for a while. He had never seen Angel smile so much and because of that, he was determined to like David, even if he was a Hale.

______________________________________________

“Any plans for this weekend Angel?”

“Hmm, I don’t think so. My dad has a date with this new chic he’s been seeing. So I was just planning to ask Tig if I could spend the weekend with Bambi. It’s been awhile since we had time together.”

“You really love that little girl huh?”

“Well yeah. She’s my little sister, of course I love her silly!”

“I envy you and your family. You all seem so close, you have Jax, Ope, and little Bambi. I just have Jacob and... well, you’ve met the douche. Think Tig and Happy will be ok with us taking Bambi out? The carnival is in town and it would be nice to spend time together…”

“I’d like that. I think she’d like that too. As you can tell, she’s the baby. Everyone always keeps an eye on her. I’ll talk to my uncles tonight and see.”

David pressed a small kiss to her temple before getting up from the lunch table “I’ll see you before the end of the day ok? I have practice after school so I won’t be able to walk you home.”

Angel smiled up at him and giggled. “Davey, you don’t have to walk me home everyday. My brothers should be doing that.”

David smiled wide and tried to hide the blush creeping across his face. Angel was the only one ever allowed to call him Davey, and every time she did, he couldn’t help but smile. In the few months they had become exclusive, David had been the happiest he had remembered. “As your boyfriend, it is MY job to make sure you make it home safe.” He pressed another kiss to her temple and began to collect his things. “I promise to see you later though. Good luck on your tests today!”

Angel smiled and waved him off before collecting her own things. She couldn’t wait for the day to be over so she could see him again.

______________________________________________

As the last bell of the day rang out, Angel quickly grabbed all her things and hurried off to her locker. As expected, there was David leaning against her locker. With him were Opie and Jax, with neither of their girls in tow. Angel cleared her throat to capture their attention and smiled, “You kinda need to get off the locker so I can put things away, otherwise I can’t do my work once I’m home Davey.”

David stuck his tongue out at her before pushing himself off her locker. “Yeah, that would be pretty horrible right. Not being able to do homework?”

Jax and Opie just laughed at the two. They had been slightly hesitant when David first approached them about asking Angel out. They knew his family but he wasn’t like them, they were stuck up snobs. David was more chilled out and open. He looked past the Teller and Winston last name and association and actually got to know them. When he actually asked their permission to ask Angel out, they were more than happy to agree that it was a good idea. Opie nudged Jax and smiled as they watched the two interact. Opie knew that those two would be together for a long time. Opie and Jax had talked about it before, David was good for their little sister. He made her more confident and outspoken. She kept him grounded and level-headed.

“Alright dorks, enough bickering. Some of us actually want to get home or at least far away from this hell!”

Angel rolled her eyes at her brothers and turned her attention back to David. “I”ll see you tomorrow ok?” She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek and followed behind the impatient boys.

“Don’t forget to ask your uncles!” David smiled as she held a thumbs up.

______________________________________________

On the walk home, Jax and Opie had went on about how they couldn’t wait to get their own bikes and they wouldn’t have to walk home anymore. Angel laughed and tapped them both on the stomach, reminding them that they could use the exercise. They both ran after Angel the rest of the way, their loud laughter echoing across the empty streets. It didn’t take the trio long after to make it to the TM garage. Angel ran right past the gates and toward the open bays, where she knew Otto and Clay always were. “Don’t let them get me!” She ran toward them as she tried to stop laughing. “What are you talking about?” Clay chuckled as Angel tried to hide behind him. A glance toward the gate was all they needed. Jax and Opie were both red faced but running fast toward them. “What did you do girl?”

Angel just giggled and wrapped her arms around Clay’s waist. “Nothing! They’re just mad because they’re out of shape!” she yelled at the two boys, who were leaning against the bay entrance, trying to catch their breaths. Otto stood beside Clay, holding his stomach as he tried to stop laughing. Otto pulled Angel from Clay and wrapped his arms around her. “They ain’t gonna do anything to my little girl!” Angel smiled up at her uncle before turning and sticking her tongue out at Jax.

“Oh, is Uncle Tig or Happy around? I gotta talk to them.”

Clay had went back to working on the truck in front of him and didn’t bother to look up. “Yea, Happy’s in the clubhouse with Bambi and Tig’s in the office with Gemma. Why?”

Angel leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Just have to talk to them. Oh is my dad around?”

“Yep. Working on the books in the Chapel I think. I wouldn’t bother him though, let him finish.”

Angel found Tig and Happy sitting at one of the tables with Bambi between them, papers strewn across the tabletop. “Hey guys. Is it ok if David and I take Bambi to the carnival tonight?”

The men shot their heads up and stared at Angel. “Who else is going?” Happy was the first to speak as he squinted his eyes toward Angel. “Well, I’m pretty sure most of the town will be there. I think Jax and Opie are taking the girls. But honestly, I’m note sure.”

Tig stared between Angel and Happy for a moment before speaking up. “If Bambi wants to go, then it’s ok with me.” Angel smiled and looked at Bambi, “You want to go to the carnival tonight Bambi?” Bambi bounced in her seat and smiled up at Angel, “Yes! Can we go on all the rides?”

“As many times as you want!”

Happy groaned and shook his head. “Fine, but not too much greasy food for her! It’s bad enough she only eats shitty food when I’m not around.”

Angel giggled and wrapped her arms around Happy. Despite his reputation as being a killer and “Scary”, Angel saw that he was nothing more than a big teddy bear to Angel and Bambi. “I promise to make her eat well. I’ll even keep away from the fried foods!”

______________________________________________

The night was a perfect night in Charming. The clouds were nowhere in the sky, letting the stars shine through. The wind made small appearances to keep the inhabitants cool and carry the sound of laughter throughout the small city. Adults and children of various ages were running around the brightly lit grounds of the traveling carnival. Angel held the hand of her little sister as the ran from game to game, winning so many prizes that David could barely carry all of them. Angel was so happy that Tig had agreed to let Bambi out with them, without an adult. Angel was sure that she’d run into the Sons sometime during the night, but she was still happy to have the small amount of freedom with Bambi for once.

After two hours of playing games and going on all the rides, the trio was hungry and agreed that food was in order. Bambi pointed out an empty table and they felt lucky once again during the night. Angel kept hold of Bambi’s hand until they were seated. She smiled at her little sister and gave her a hug before letting her sit down. “I’ll go grab us some food. You two stay here!” Angel tried to hurry to the food vendors but was held back by David, who was smiling up at her. “Here, my treat remember. Get whatever you two want.” Angel smiled and kissed the tip of his nose. She wanted to leave them two alone to talk. She had a feeling that despite the fun she was having, Bambi wasn’t too keen on being near David.

Angel left the two at the table and made her way over to the food vendor. As David watched her walk away, Bambi turned to him and cleared her throat. “So, what are you playing at here?” She glared up at the older teen, her brow raised. Looking at the young child, David could see that she was truly an heir to Gemma. “What? What do you mean?”

Bambi rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Let’s be serious here. I get you being nice at the bowling alley. You were trying to look good in front of our mom. She ain’t here. I am though. So what are you trying to get at? Why invite me? And what are your intentions with my sister?”

David stared at Bambi, unsure of how to answer. 8 years old and already she was already interrogating him to protect her older sibling. This is what he had tried to get Angel to understand; she might have been the only child of her father but she had siblings willing to protect her, and he envied it. “I invited you because you needed away from your family, both of you did. Every time I’m at the garage, you’re by yourself. Yea, you’re younger than your brothers and sister but it doesn’t mean you can’t come out with us once in awhile. I’ve told Angel this many times, I get that you’re all a package deal. I date her and I get the whole family. I really like your sister, Bambi. I want to get to know you so we can include you in more of our outings.”

Bambi glared up at the boy, unsure of his answer. She could tell he wasn’t lying but she had heard everyone talking about Angel dating a Hale. That name seemed to said with so much venom when David wasn’t around. No one ever used Hale when talking to him. The adults were slowly getting used to him being around. Bambi understood that she would need to get used to him being around. What Bambi didn’t like was that Angel was no longer around as much; when she was, David wasn’t far behind her. She already lost Jax and Opie to their girlfriends, Angel was the last one to keep paying any attention to her.

“Look Bambi, I get it. But I promise I’m not trying to take your sister away from you. I used to feel that way when my brother Jacob started dating. As soon as he was dating, all of a sudden he no longer wanted to hang out. Became a real jerk to me because he thought it would impress the girls. I won’t let that happen to you kiddo.”

As Bambi went to reply to David, Angel reappeared at their table with arms full of food. “Don’t tell your dads I got you all this Bambi! I don’t need Happy scolding me for feeding you all this greasy food,” Angel winked at her little sister as she sat the slices of pizza, boxes of candy, and cups of soda on the table. Angel took a seat next to Bambi and pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Having fun?”

Bambi shot a quick glance to David, who was smiling at the two, before turning to Angel, “Yes! Can we go on the ferris wheel after this!?” Angel laughed and nodded. “Anything you want...well anything that won’t make you throw up!”

By the time they were done with their food, the carnival seemed to be winding down. The trio made their way to the ferris wheel and were able to get on the last ride of the night. David and Angel sat on one side, his arms wrapped around her as she laid her head on his shoulder. Bambi sat on the other side with the various stuffed animals and with a wide smile on her face as they made their way up into the sky. “Angel look at all the lights! Can we see the house from up here?” Bambi had pressed her face close to the glass and stared out at the city. “Yep, I’m sure you can.”

______________________________________________

It was late by the time David walked the two back to the clubhouse. Bambi had seemed to be falling asleep halfway through their walk and David gladly carried her the rest of the way as Angel carried all their wins. As they walked into the lot, they took notice that all the bikes were there. Angel smiled wider, they hadn’t gone to check on them. Holding the door open for David, Angel noticed all the men sitting around with a beer, seemingly relaxed for the first time in a long time. Happy was the first to notice them and made his way over, holding his arms out. David attempted to transfer Bambi to Happy but stopped as she grabbed onto his shirt and whined. Angel did her best to hold back a laugh at the hurt look on Happy’s face. The others noticed and tried to contain their laughter as well. Angel moved quickly and hugged Happy, “Don’t worry, she’s just too comfortable. She still loves you the most.”

Happy rolled his eyes and beckoned for David to follow him. Angel walked over to the couch that Tig was resting on and tossed all the stuffed animals and toy weapons on him. “This is everything she won tonight. Every want to get the toys, have her do the shooting games! She and David killed it tonight!” Tig laughed and pushed the toys off to the side. “That’s my girl. Hey, thanks for taking her out tonight.”

Angel smiled and leaned down to press a kiss to his cheek. “Anything for her, Uncle Tig.” Tig squeezed her hand and smiled again. Angel stood and looked around the room for her dad, “He’s in the chapel with Clay and Otto right now.”

On cue, Bobby walked out of the chapel with a laughing Otto next to him. Angel made her way over to the two and wrapped her arms around her father. “Have a good night princess?” Otto asked as he kissed the top of her head. “Yea, went on all the rides. Won a lot of stuff too!” Bobby smiled and squeezed his daughter. “Glad you had fun.”

Just then David reappeared in the room. “Happy said goodnight to everyone. He’s staying with Bambi in the room. I should be heading home. I’ll see you monday Angel.”

Bobby watched as he waved goodbye to everyone and made his way toward the doors. “Hey, how you getting home?”

David turned back to look at Bobby and shrugged. “Just going to walk home.”

Bobby shook his head and released Angel from his grips. “Cmon boy. I’ll take you home. Can’t have you walking home at this time of night. Ever rode on the back of a bike before?” David just shook his head, causing everyone to laugh. “Well, better get used to it kid. Maybe one day, we’ll teach you to ride a bike.”

Otto stared at his niece and nudged Piney, who was staring too. The two looked at each other and shook their heads. They all knew the looks between Angel and David. “Our little girl is falling, ain’t she?” Otto whispered. Piney took a swig of his beer and sighed. “Oh yea. And hard. Same thing for that kid. This will be interesting to see.”

Angel smiled as Bobby threw his arm around David and led him outside. Yea he was a Hale - a family that always seemed to be at odds with the club but he was different. The fact that her family was taking a liking to him made Angel smile. She wasn’t sure what she was really feeling but she was happiest when David was around.

Tag List:

@mrstellerwinston @howmanywastedmoments @soafanficluvr1 @redwoodog @chaosmieu @khyharah @5sos1dsex @opies-oldlady @queen-ofthe-bikers-soa @mrsirishboru @fortheloveofthesoa @samcrolivesforever  @ineedthesons @mwesterfeld1985 @divathelover @happys-crazy-queen22 @kitkat1690 @sons-of-anarchy-imagines-blr  @tellermorelli  @juiceboxxortiz  @ladyannikki @mybabysons @jade770 @kacilove26 

[shiningforvixx]

170512 - VIXX 백일몽 Concert (6VIXX)

A couple weeks before the concert I posted on the VIXX fancafe to see if anyone wanted to go to the concert with me because all my friends are either not in the country or have other friends they’d probably be going with. I had two responses, one from a Chinese girl, and one from a girl from Jeju. The Chinese girl and I planned to go to the first day of the concerts together.

When the concert goods list first came out, nothing really caught my eye, but I was curious about the yet-to-be-revealed album goods. Because of this, and the fact that I was going to the concert for 3 days, I decided to take my time and have lunch before going to the concert venue.

I met up with the Chinese girl, I’ll call her Nana, and we went for lunch. It was neat because we were both talking in our non-native tongue, Korean, and luckily we got along well. (Although, she is as much and N fan as I am a Leo fan, so it was hard for me to squeal about Leo haha)

We wandered over to the concert venue and got in line for goods some time around 2:45. The goods booth opened at 3. As we inched forward in line, goods started selling out on at a time, so by the time I got to the front, there was nothing left that I wanted. Oops. For some reason I expected them to have prepared enough goods, or that they would have enough on the first day. But alas, I was mistaken. After having stood in line for about 2 hours, Nana and I decided to come on basically the first train the next day so we could get the goods we didn’t get. (I’ll write about that story on the next fan account.)

People were giving things out here and there, but I don’t really need more fan goods. There was a sticker set that I wanted, but I never got. But oh well. There wasn’t really much time before the concert (especially because I had to line up for standing), so we went to find a bathroom. I don’t know if this is anything anyone cares about, but I always try to find the least crowded bathroom because I would rather walk farther and wait less. So we ended up finding a sort of hidden bathroom, which usually had only a short wait, if any. Every time I went there, I would tell a person or few who were waiting in a long bathroom line about it.

Anyway, I stored my bag in the storage area and got in line. It was at this point that I said something in Korean to the girl sitting next to me about switching places when we stood up (because of our ticket numbers). Turns out she wasn’t Korean and she asked me if I knew English. Haha. So we chatted a bit, and it turned out she was from Singapore. We decided to stand together during the concert and chatted a bit as we sat there and once we went inside.

(OMG it’s already this long and the concert hasn’t even started yetㅠㅠ)

Before the concert, they played VIXX MVs on the big screens, and we had fun singing along and screaming at certain parts (Superhero and the 도원경 teaser in particular).

So, I wrote down what I remembered of the setlist, and I think I got it mostly? But I could be wrong, so don’t trust me 100%.

They opened with Fantasy, which I honestly suspected they would because it is so epic (and of course I love it!). They were wearing beautiful white outfits (I’m sure there are pictures somewhere). They followed up with Desperate, which is also such a jam. Next they performed B.O.D.Y..

Then they came down to the front stage to do opening comments, and they are just the most precious and I love them, okay? (As I sit here writing this, I’m finding that I remember like 1% of what they said and that makes me sad.) Then they did Dynamite, and they did 늪 next. There was a girl and the beginning, and Leo smirked before he went to go touch/dance with her, and I died in that moment.

They left the stage and a VCR played. It was so lovely and cute. Each member was all boyfriendy and perfect. N was sitting across from a girl and was going to give her a pendant. (The girl was sort of the audience in all of them.) Leo was so smiley and refreshing. His smile was all teeth and crescent eyes. He brushed the girl’s hair back out of her face. Ken was giving the girl a bouquet of white roses painted blue around the edges. Ravi was playfully giving the girl a mug of coffee. Hongbin was playing guitar and serenading her. Hyuk was giving her a Macaron. After these cute things, everything broke into pieces basically. Each scene lost its color and went black and white and was really sadㅠㅠ

After the VCR, they were back with those shirts that shimmer with two colors. They were black and red. FIrst they performed Good Night & Good Morning, then Romance is Over. They followed along in the same sad vein with Sad Ending.

Ken and Hongbin left the stage and the remaining four members chatted with us so those two could prepare for their solo stages. Hyuk led the comments by pointing out Ken’s absence, saying that Ken would usually be saying something about “우이 뵬뷫 애기들”(our Storlyght babies) at that point. Ravi was chosen as most awkward while trying to be romantic in the VCR. Then N made Leo smile for us like he did in the video. The first time we got a fraction of a second long smile before he showed the crown of his head. The second time was a tiny bit longer before he turned his back on us. Poor kid. Then the rest of them had to each smile at us sweetly. (I think? I know N did…)

Also, I can’t recall during which comment time this was, but I’ll pretend it was here for now;; N had a tear high up in his inseam of his pants, so the Starlights near the stage pointed it out to him. He played it off well, and didn’t act concerned about it, even joked about it a bit. (But I think he was a little embarrassed personally.)

Hongbin sang a song in his low voice and totally killed it!! I didn’t catch the title or who it was by because I’m a loser, but it fit his voice really beautifully and showcased his vocals without trying o add frills like dancing or anything. So proud of this kid!

Next was Ken’s solo stage, and it was really cool. It was sort of chic, and there was umbrella choreography (for the backup dancers) that gave it a wonderful aesthetic. (His song was called “So Romantic”.)

Last, Hyuk sang 안아줄게, and it was so beautiful! I love that song anyway, but hearing it live and with a band was a whole other level of perfection. When he came down to the closer stage and took off his jacket! And he jumped in perfect timing with a confetti explosion! Our baby has come so far!

The next VCR was probably the coolest. Each member had a different concept, and it was like an epic walk down memory lane. Hongbin did Hyde, Ken did On and On(?), Leo did Voodoo, Ravi did Chained Up, Hyuk did Fantasy, and N did 도원경. So what song do you think they did next??

The entire audience screamed so loud for 도원경. I screamed so hard that I hurt my back, hahaha. Ahhhh, it was so cool! I’m not an expert with dancing or choreography, but it is so gorgeous. The fans! And their outfits! Like, the suits with a bit of a hanbok-esque flair! So gorgeous. I really loved when the lights went out sort of and you could only see their silhouettes. To. Die. For.

I was sort of hoping they'd do Into the Void because I liked the snippet in the highlight medley, but it looks like blackout is the accompanying song this time. It is a little scandalous. I think everyone is gonna have a great time with it. Like this one part where they grab the shoulder of the person in front of them and all sink to the ground, sliding their leg out? Yeah, you’re going to like it. And there is some (near?) crotch grabbing. It’s not super in your face, but it's there.

This is when they stopped for another comment time. They had tassels hanging down on one side of their outfits that swung around, and of course they were hitting each other during the break. They brought out a fake cake and did a little event where we sang “Happy Birthday” for their 5th anniversary. Then they sang Thank You for Being Born, and we all sang it with them.

In the middle of the song, the music stopped, and the lights went out. Then they each said a little something about it having been 5 years since their debut. They all cried/choked up and couldn't really talk, except for Ravi and Leo, when they were giving individual comments. It started with Ken who could barely talk, and that was just so hard to see. Then Hongbin was also teary as he spoke. Ravi was composed as he spoke, but then it was N’s turn. I was doing mostly okay until I saw N cry, but N crying is like the saddest thing. He’s usually such a ray of sunshine that when he cries, even out of happy emotions, it’s really hard to watch. So this was when the tears really started prickling my eyes, but then the stupid tears escaped when I saw Hyuk cry. Hyuk crying is even more unexpected than N crying. Our baby. He usually acts so nonchalant that I just couldn’t hold back when he cried. (There were also quite a few Starlights around me crying at this point.)

At the end, Leo was all dry-eyed, which wa probably good because if leo was crying too, I would have probably started bawling.

They came down to the closer stage to finish the song and then sang Love Letter. Leo and N left the stage before the song was over to get ready for their solo stages.

Leo did a song he composed himself (again) called Up in the Sky. It was so intense and sexy. Like, Trap was sexy last year, but this was sexy because of him and him alone as compared to him plus sexy girls fawning over him. (My biggest question is when are we going to be able to throw money at thes songs they are composing. I need them in my life.) Leo’s shirt was that loose puffy white kind similar to the kind N for his Elysium solo stage combined with his signature tight ripped jeans. Somehow he kept ending up on his knees during the song and doing these leg movements that were really bad for my poor little heart.

Next, N did a super awesome modern-oriental dance that he put together with an amazing song from the OST of King and the Clown (인연 by 이선희). Go check it out because it is an amazing song! It will give you a taste of the beauty that was his stage. I think there was another song too? Like a mix or something? I’m no expert haha. (Granted there are probably some fancams around as well.) N had a cover tied over his mouth at first. He untied it and used it like a cool wavy scarf thing. (So great at descriptions, right?) He had extensions in his hair, which I’m not sure how I feel about, but I will grant that having the long hair fit his look. (I’ll let you go find pics of him because his costume was stunning!)

I literally couldn't do more than stare for 90line's performances though. Like other people were screaming their lungs out and I stood there with my mouth slightly open like an idiot. Of course, I screamed at the end, but they were so unbelievably breathtaking.

Ravi performed a rap he had written that again had that sort of modern-oriental feel. (It’s the song he spoiled on Instagram.) Ravi always has such a blast performing his solo songs that I can’t help but have fun right along with him.

The next VCR was just a compilation of shots from the Utopia and Elysium concerts. Then they came out and did original versions of On and On and Hyde in military-esque outfits reminiscent of The Closer.

After those two songs, they had another comment time. N said the reason they did original versions of On and On and Hyde was that Ravi's suggested it so we could all fell how it felt back when they first did them. They then each talked about their solo stages. Leo composed his own. Ravi composed his own and Ken’s. Hyuk asked Ravi when the 2nd Memory would be because of Ravi having composed the song for ken. It seemed like they were all sort of fighting over Ravi.

As I suspected because of their outfits, they then performed The Closer followed by Love Me DO. After a cool dance break, they took of their jackets and came down to the front stage to perform Chained Up. (Before the song started, they all unbuttoned the top couple buttons of their shirts, and Leo was struggling with it for a second, haha)

Then they did their “last” talking segment and all the Starlights were making sad sounds about it being over already. Also freaking Leo kept totally reading right of the prompter (during every comment time when he had to speak). One time he was supposed to talk here he was spaced out, and literally everyone laughed at him including himself. His excuse was that N and Ken were doing a hand flipping thing that distracted him...Granted, they were, buutttttt still. Also, at that point Leo had rolled up his sleeves and omfg akfbdbqdndhdksbvahsj. His forearms were there. That’s all.

They finished up with Eternity and Voodoo Doll before leaving us. The audience was all chanting 사랑해 together for a really long time, and it was cool because the staff in charge of controlling what our lightsticks were doing were playing along. They would change the vibrations and flashing as we chanted.

Finally, VIXX came out for their encore, and started with Starlight. Then they ran around with Time Machine, and even had a little choreography for us to do with out lightsticks (which I didn’t learn until the next day to be honest, haha). Last they did Love Equation, and no one wanted to say goodbye, but eventually the concert was over.

Whew! I did it! I forgot a lot, and rushed at the end, but I did it! The next two days will be a lot shorter because a lot of what happened was generally the same.

[bringmetolife-pwff]

Part One: Chapter Thirteen - Drama in the club

JULY 2007

Evelyn took her polaroid camera out and took a picture of the dresses.  Her summer line was different than her spring line.  Instead of the pastel colours that were colours she had used for her Spring 2007 line -- she used neon bright colours.  It was different.  

She was making a boho-chic Summer 2007 line with neon colours.  One of them including a neon pink denim miniskirt.  

Bits and bobs were scattered along her crystal clear desk in the open room.  Fairy lights strewn one wall on the opposite end, their candlelight offering a nice quiet light although it had no purpose for the day time.  It was mainly for looks as they often used that wall as a back drop to take pictures to post to the website.

She had taken around eighteen pictures with her pastel polaroid, setting it down on the desk.  Pictures were scattered, some slanted, some straight.  Sketches of ideas for their Fall line were scattered messily across the desk as her fashion designer, Mary-Kate, had already left for the day.

Evelyn had so much fun creating this line in particular with Mary-Kate , Antoine and her other workers with the full vibrancy of colours.  One might say they were like bright neon coloured highlighters that one would wear but Evelyn would have to disagree.  

"Hey there," her sisters cheery voice spoke up as she jumped slightly.

"Bloody hell, you scared me."

"Sorry," she laughed.  "Thought you might want to join me for a lunch break?  I don't have to go to my class until two."

"Count me in," she laughed grabbing her Chanel black purse and her sunglasses, turning the lights off in the office.

The two sisters left her building as they got in Vivienne's car and left to a little café that they often ate lunch or brunch at sometimes with each other; other times with their mum.  It was on the corner of one of their favourite streets called Melrose Café.  It was painted in a tiffany blue colour that reminded Evelyn of Breakfast at Tiffany's and held a wall of roses and carnations littering the store front door as they walked in.  You had the option of eating inside or out.  They often ate out as most of the time when they ate here in London, it was mostly sunny.  Whenever it was rainy or cold they ate elsewhere.

The two had ordered their food as Evelyn ordered creamy lemon chicken with garlic along with a fruit salad whereas Vivienne had ordered a panini sandwich.  

"How were your classes at uni?" Evelyn asked her sister after taking a bite of her food.

"Pretty well, actually.  I've just completed my classes for the year.  I'm set to graduate this Fall."

Vivienne had always known she wanted to be a midwife since the twins were born.  When she held her nephews Samuel and David, seeing the joy on Mia's face and the loving look that her brother Jake displayed for his girlfriend, nothing in Vivienne's mind could compare to that.

She worked really hard for the position in which she was in for King's College London.  Always having a fascination with babies and the birth aspect, wanting to make the expected mum to be feel at ease and feel as though in some way she contributed to the mum's birth experience.  She hadn't had any children of her own--but there was some part of her that wanted to understand what the couple were going through and she felt as though that were through midwifery.  

Being in her second year she was almost finished as she only had one more year to go, thankfully.

"That's so great, congratulations!"  Evelyn told her younger sister with a big smile on her face, happy for her successes.  "Well, you know mum and dad will be absolutely chuffed about the news and will want to throw you a big party."

"I know," she rolled her eyes, not liking the fact of a graduation party.

"Don't even think about trying to get out of it," Evelyn warned pointing her hand at her which happened to be the same hand that held her fork.  "Mum won't let you get out of it this time."

***

Evelyn saw an unknown number flash on the screen of her mobile.  Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and wearily answered it.

"Hello, whose this?" she asked timidly at first.

"Hi, Evelyn," an excited woman's voice spoke through her mobile's speaker.  "It's Eugenie, William's cousin.  We met at the concert."

She let out a sigh of relief as she was just about to hang up on the poor woman thinking that she was someone else.  

"Oh yes, I remember you.  How're you?"

"Quite well, thanks.  Well you see, he sort of, er- asked us to take care of you; especially with him being away and all."

"Of course he did," she said with a sigh.  "Look, I promise I'm all right.  You don't have to do me any favours out of pity."

Evelyn was never one to make friends for that reason.  She didn't want someone to be friends with her because they felt like they had to or should.  She wanted to make friends with someone because they wanted to.  

"Am not doing it out of pity, I swear.  Look--come out tonight.  It'll be fun!  It's me, Bea, and a few of our friends.  No boys are allowed."

Evelyn thought about this for a few moments longer.

"All right.  I'm in."

"Great!  We will pick you up at nine.  It'll be a late night so hopefully you aren't going into work tomorrow."

Evelyn laughed and told Eugenie her address asking if it was okay if Vivienne came out.  The two girls hung up.

"Viv!" she shouted for her sister not knowing where she was.

"Yeah?" she popped up from the other room.

"Get dressed!  We. . . are going out tonight!"

***

Vivienne was happy to see her older sister happy and in good spirits for a change.  She knew that with William gone again, it was hard on Evelyn and not being able to be with him.  She also knew most of it was because of her work.  She always felt like she had to put work above others.  Part of that reason was because she was the owner, so she always felt as though she needed to be there.  

They were dancing to the techno music that was blaring through the club.  Evelyn was dressed in a glittery short dark blue dress as she pumped her fists to the music and danced along, swaying her hips.  

A little tired from dancing, she goes and sits in the booth that Eugenie reserved for them all and joined her sister and Beatrice.

"You looked like you were enjoying yourself out there," Beatrice commented to the blonde.

"Oh yeah, thanks for having us.  It's been a real good time.  Have you been to this club before?"

"A few.  Y'know there's been a blonde looking at you for a few moments.  Do you know her?"

"Hm?  Where?" She asked as she took glances out towards the sea of people.

"Right over there," Beatrice nodded her head in the opposite direction of where Blair was.

It looked as though she were there with Liam as well and some other people that were friends of Liam.  Evelyn rolled her eyes.

"That's Blair and my ex Liam.  Ignore them."

As soon as those words left her mouth she saw Blair's eyes widen with shock and her mouth wide open as she had been spotted.  Spilling her drink instantly into Liam's lap as he quickly stood up, yelling at her quite heavily.  Blair then got up and tried to help clean off the mess and whispered something in his ear as she looked at Evelyn again making him look in her direction as well.  He started yelling at her and Beatrice seemed put off by him, glad that Evelyn wasn't with him anymore and could see why he was now an ex.  

Williams name flashed on her screen under the name 'Steven' seeing as he wanted to keep it private whenever he talked to his girlfriend or friends.  That was the name he had chosen to not be obvious.  

"Hello" she asked covering her other ear as she yelled over the loud music.

"Eve?" he asked louder.  "Where're you?"

"I-I'm at the club with your cousins.  Hang on a bit, would you?"

She tried going outside as she kept her mobile to her other ear all the while hearing nasty things yelled at her by Liam as Blair giggled at all them.

"Wills?" she asked more quieter.  "How've you been?"

There weren't as many people outside, thank God.  She didn't have to raise her voice as loud as she did inside.  She didn't have people she didn't know dancing around her and her friends.  She didn't have to deal with Liam and Blair outside either.

"I wish I was there to protect you," he said having heard from his Pa about the ludicrous things that were written about her.

When he had first spoken to his Pa, his Pa wasn't going to mention it all.  But then William had asked him to and he couldn't not tell him.  Prince Charles hadn't met the young girl yet but he was sure he would soon.  He had known the Bennett family were very respectable and to hear all the shameful things being said about his son's girlfriend was truly upsetting.  

"Protect?"

"I can't hear you," he said as his voice got static and more shouts were heard over the phone.  

"Wills?" she asked talking a little louder as she was away from the scene.

The connection ended and she yelled in frustration.  

"Damnit," she said upset.  

She hadn't been able to speak to William hardly at all since he had left, now the one day he called she was out clubbing.

***

When Evelyn and Vivienne arrived back at their apartment, slightly tipsy as Vivienne was more drunk, Evelyn was sad that she missed her phone call with William.  She hadn't spoken to him in three weeks and this was the first time he called.  Who knew when he would again?  Vivienne was having trouble walking, swaying from side-to-side as she giggled over nothing.

"What's got you so pissy?" Viv asked her sister.

"Nothing," she snapped.

"Oh, I know," she replied raising her hand as if she were back in primary school waiting to answer a question.  "Is it because of Wills?" she asked as she slurred the 's.'

"Alright I think that's enough for you for one night," Evelyn told her as she helped carry her slightly to her room as she wrapped Vivienne's one arm around her shoulder and put hers around Vivienne's waist.  "Let's go you."

"You know what was hilarious?" Vivienne laughed louder this time as she whispered it to her sister as though she didn't want others to know.

"What?"

"When Blair spilt her drink on Liam shocked that you were there!"

The two women laughed as Evelyn shook her head.  She had to admit that was funny.  It was as though she weren't expecting to ever see Evelyn again and if she were--she certainly hadn't expected to see her happy.  

"Your right there.  Did you see the look on his face when she did that?  And then when he saw she was looking at me."

Evelyn had just helped change her younger sister out of her dress and get her ready for bed when she could hear her mobile ringing as she hurried to the living room where she left her clutch on the couch along with her mobile.

"William?" she asked excitedly.  "I wasn't expecting to hear from you again tonight."

"I know, I wasn't really either," he let out a laugh she sighed in the comfort of his deep, caring voice.  "But we had some time off, which was rare.  How was your night?  I want to hear all about it."

"You really don't," she sighed again, this time an exhausted one.  "It wasn't really a good night."

"What happened?  What did you do?"

"Well all right, as you know from earlier I was at the club with your cousins Eugenie and Beatrice as well as my sister.  We were having a fun night and then I somehow spotted Liam and Blair."

"Liam and Blair were there?" He asked shocked.

"Yeah, unfortunately.  I think Blair was just as shocked at first to see me because she spilt her drink on Liam.  I don't know if they're together still but they were having a good time yelling things at me.  Anyway, I'd rather forget that bit of the night.  How has the last three weeks been for you?  I feel like its been ages since we last talked..."

"I know," he groaned in annoyance that he didn't have the freedom to call her whenever he pleased.  "I'm sorry 'bout that.  It's been hard.  We're doing really tough training right now and I just got in from flying."

She knew even just from listening Eric talk that the exercises the military had them do were tough.  She could never imagine having to do half the work they do but she was grateful for them.  

"Well, that's unfortunate that Liam and Blair had to be there," he told her over the mobile.  "But I hope that the rest of your night went well and you had a good time?"

"I did," she nodded her head even though he couldn't see.  "Your cousins are great fun.  I'm sorry that you've had a tough last few weeks though.  I wish you could get a break every now and then."

"It's all right," he shrugged his shoulders.  "I'm able to do what I love helping people all while also being a member of the Royal family.  I meant what I said earlier y'know."

"What?"

"I wish I was there to protect you."

"Who told you?"

If she had it her way she wouldn't have told him all the lies and intrusion the tabloids were doing to her just because she was now "friends" with William to the public.  If it were bad now she wondered what it would be like once the world found out they were actually dating now.

"Oh Wills, who told you?" she frowned.

"My Pa.  Don't blame him either--I asked him to keep an eye on things whilst I was away."

She felt her heart flutter at those words.  When things got bad in her relationship with Liam with the tabloids he wouldn't do or say anything to her to try and calm her down.  He would act as though there weren't nasty words being printed about her.  Of course, now was nothing like then but she still had her share of the nasty tabloids.

"Will, I promise I'm okay.  And I made a promise to you that I would talk to you and communicate with you whenever I'm not--but right now is not one of those times that I'm not feeling okay.  I'm happy.  Can we be happy together, yeah?"

It was right then and there how William found out how strong his girl was.  He hadn't read the tabloids as he mostly avoided them at all costs but he had asked his Pa to keep an eye on things.  To make sure nothing got too out of hand and when it did he knew he would do something.  What?  He wasn't sure.  But he knew that Evelyn was right.  That no matter how much hate or how many lies were told about her--she would be okay.  

[viralhottopics]

Not so haute: six writers on their biggest fashion mistakes

From tights on the beach to head-to-toe taffeta, writers reveal the outfits they regret

Kenya Hunt My version of day-to-night dressing was a night-time look worn all day

Despite working at a fashion magazine, Ive made a few sartorial mistakes. I comfort myself with the sentiment of an Instagram edict I saw: If youve never looked a little dumb, youre not having fun.

Id count the moment I met my husband as an off day, so it pains me no end that the clothes I wore have become a part of our marital lore. In his mind, the outfit is key to a story that must be retold, again and again: She wore a shiny shirt, tight jeans, big, gold hoop earrings, tall boots and a giant white furry jacket. And I said, I need to know this woman.

This visual loudness the metallics, the big proportions, the shaggy texture was my everyday look back in my late 20s, when I was living and working in New York. I dressed this way to please no one other than myself. I relished being able finally to buy and wear the labels I read about in magazines, but could never find in my suburban childhood home in Virginia.

My version of day-to-night dressing was basically a night-time look worn all day ready for whatever fun might happen later. Id think nothing of a morning commute in glittery Miu Miu heels or a gold Chlo sequin skirt. (To be fair, it was the era of high heels, flashy coats and skirts that were either very big and long, or very short.) No matter what the prevailing trend, Ive always had a soft spot for the razzle. For further proof, see this old image of me in Milan, in bright colour and print, layered on top of more colour and print.

Now, my wardrobe stands on a foundation of grey, navy and black, mostly because it suits my lifestyle and the London weather. I limit the flamboyance to my accessories (a bright shoe, big earring, bold handbag) or show it through shape, such as an enormous puffer jacket. Its just that now I choose pragmatic black rather than hot pink.

Theres a real joy that comes with loud dressing, because it requires a certain kind of go-to-hell spirit. Ive come to indulge this in a more restrained way, but I dont regret the mistakes. If I did, Id have divorced my husband a long time ago, for telling that story so very, very often.

Kenya Hunt is fashion features director of Elle.

Ruth Lewy: To think that this was my coolest look

Ruth Lewy, aged 20, with Dizzee Rascal.

It was May 2006 and I was coming to the end of my first year of university. I had just received my first proper student journalism commission: an interview with Dizzee Rascal. I borrowed a Dictaphone and hastily scrawled down three pages of uninventive questions (What is the best thing youve ever got for free?).

Now the important bit: my look. I loved Dizzee; I knew his two albums back to front and had mastered all the words to Fix Up, Look Sharp. What was I going to wear?

To think, looking back, that this was my very best outfit. My coolest look. Not one floral print top but two, a T-shirt layered over a shirt. Not one necklace, but two. (Made with beads collected while InterRailing around Europe. I know.) My curly hair was slicked back with Brylcreem. Off I went, looking like Laura Ashleys long-lost daughter.

He was courteous, holding eye contact and answering all my inane questions with grace. (The best thing he ever got for free? A lifetimes supply of trainers.) I stood up and shook his hand, and he invited me to his afterparty. The next student journalist sat down and went straight in with a question about homophobic lyrics and issues of representation in pop music, and I thought, Ohhhh, thats what journalism is.

The evening took a strange turn. My friends and I crowded into a bar on the high street, where Dizzee had a roped-off section at the back. It didnt take him long to zone in on my gorgeous friend L, persuading her to leave with him. We were agog.

Twenty minutes later, she was back, laughing her head off at the way he had clumsily propositioned her. She chose us over him.

What do I see when I look at this picture? I feel embarrassed at my choices. But Im also glad I spent my 20s dressing like a weirdo: it demonstrates a self-confidence that I dont think I appreciated at the time. These days, you could still file most of my clothes under eclectic, but Im much more careful, uninventive even. Now I tend to wear only one necklace at a time.

My interview never appeared in the end; the other journalist broke the embargo (she went on to write for the Daily Mail: go figure). I was left with only this blurry picture, a reminder of my youthful enthusiasm for floral prints, and an uncanny impression of Dizzee Rascals best chat-up line.

Ruth Lewy is assistant editor of Guardian Weekend.

Nosheen Iqbal: Everyone else on the beach was 89% naked

Nosheen Iqbal in Tuscany, aged 21.

I was a skittish 21-year-old in the mid noughties and I had, against my will, ended up on a Tuscan beach. It was the height of summer, but I was wearing thick black tights, thicker black skirt, black scarf and witchy pumps . Everyone else was dressed in 89% naked and the entire beach was rammed. Id been sent on a work trip with four other journalists who were, as far as I was concerned, super-old (fortysomething) and, I hoped, probably willing to buy my stubborn refusal to strip as some cool youth thing. (They didnt.) I made an attempt to style it out by looking casually moody, staring out to sea behind sunglasses, pretending not to notice my shoes sinking in the sand, legs looking like inky black stumps.

Why dont you take off your tights?

No.

What about if

No.

A couple of key things: the seaside was not on my itinerary and I hadnt packed for it. I didnt (and dont) own swimwear or a bikini, and I didnt (and dont) know how to swim.

Being Muslim is barely an excuse to look as daft as I did; there are chic ways to be modest by the sea childhood memories of Karachis Clifton beach were proof, where lawn cotton tunic and trousers were everyones friend. But being Muslim, plus an average level of body dysmorphia, was my bikini body ready get-out card. I knew there had to be more comfortable ways to be in public than permanently sucking my stomach in wearing what is, essentially, waterproof underwear. But 100-denier hosiery was definitely not the answer.

The general advice to give a shy 21-year-old should always be, Its not as bad as you think, to allay their disproportionate embarrassment. Except, in this case, the cringe levels are fully warranted; I havent been to a hot, sunny beach since.

Nosheen Iqbal is a commissioning editor for G2.

Morwenna Ferrier: I cant remember why I decided to cut off my hair

Morwenna Ferrier in Aldeburgh in her early 20s.

Other outfits have been more challenging. The mother-of-pearl bustier I wore to my graduation, say. Or, recently, the T-shirt printed with Valerie Solanass Scum manifesto I wore to meet a friends baby. But the outfit I am wearing here, worn on a walk along Aldeburgh beach in Suffolk, is the one I most regret.

It started a few months earlier when, in my early 20s, I decided to cut off my hair. I cant remember why. I imagine I fancied a change and, in fairness, I liked it. But then, I looked like a boy in a dress. I reacted by phasing out dresses and instead wearing drainpipes, striped T-shirts and headscarves. None of this was good. In the photo, Im wearing tight cropped trousers under the dress.

I had spent my late teens in dresses, grungy or flowery, with self-cut hems. It was a more innocent time, when I didnt really care what I wore. But the haircut triggered an anxiety.

What is it I regret? Back then it was the haircut; now, its that I ever worried about looking like a boy. I clearly hadnt been paying attention in those Judith Butler seminars; maybe I was still too attached to the binary. As my hair grew out, I started to care for the first time about how I looked. At 24, late in life, I became self-conscious.

Morwenna Ferrier is the Guardians online fashion editor.

Pam Lucas: I looked like a turkey at Christmas

Pam Lucas at a family party, aged 39.

As a single parent in the 80s, I was dirt poor. I didnt have the opportunity to make fashion faux pas because I didnt have any money. We shopped in jumble sales, and we had fun.

My family was invited to a party to celebrate my aunt and uncles golden wedding anniversary. I didnt know them that well, but my mum wanted me to impress them by looking modern. In the 80s, that meant puffy sleeves and big shoulders. My mother came with me to buy the outfit from BHS , so I had to comply. I was 39 at the time.

It was a beautiful colour between purple and lilac but I didnt like the synthetic fabric. It was watermarked all over and had a flared, taffeta skirt and a little jacket with a peplum. I looked like a turkey at Christmas, but it was such a fab party, I soon forgot how uncomfortable I felt.

In a way the outfit is a testament to my relationship with my mother. I was a grownup, with a child of my own, but she was still trying to keep hold of the mum bit of herself.

Pam Lucas is a model and appears regularly in All Ages.

Tshepo Mokoena: I settled on a vague hippy child look

Tshepo Mokoena at 19.

It would be nice if we could start over. To spare me, and others my age, a fair bit of niggling shame, by wiping all early photos from our Facebook accounts. Anyone who set up a profile between 2004 and 2009 now lugs around the digital baggage of horrible pictures of misspent youth and terrible outfits.

Case in point: this delight of a photo. I was 19, killing time between the second and third years of uni in Brighton. In a few weeks, my housemate and I would set off on an impulsive charity volunteering trip to Kerala because and I still cringe wed watched Wes Andersons The Darjeeling Limited.

Until my early 20s, my aesthetic consisted of not knowing when to edit. At 18, I would layer at least three beaded necklaces, two chunky bracelets, about 17 bangles and seven rings, for no good reason.

I attended secondary school in Harare, Zimbabwe, largely insulated from fashion, more concerned with my whizzing hormones than the latest velour tracksuit. I settled on a vague hippy child look at 15 and filled my wardrobe with earthy prints, flared denim and jewellery picked up in local markets. By 19, I looked like a substitute art teacher.

If youre old enough to have only private, analogue photography from your youth, or young enough to have crafted a near-fictional version of yourself online, youre spared the permanent reminder of your mistakes: 1,287 grim images owned by Mark Zuckerberg. I implore other twentysomethings to join me in calling for a digital purge. Its time.

Tshepo Mokoena is the editor of Noisey.

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Not so haute: six writers on their biggest fashion mistakes

Kenya Hunt ‘My version of day-to-night dressing was a night-time look worn all day’

Despite working at a fashion magazine, I’ve made a few sartorial mistakes. I comfort myself with the sentiment of an Instagram edict I saw: “If you’ve never looked a little dumb, you’re not having fun.”

I’d count the moment I met my husband as an off day, so it pains me no end that the clothes I wore have become a part of our marital lore. In his mind, the outfit is key to a story that must be retold, again and again: “She wore a shiny shirt, tight jeans, big, gold hoop earrings, tall boots and a giant white furry jacket. And I said, ‘I need to know this woman.’”

This visual loudness – the metallics, the big proportions, the shaggy texture – was my everyday look back in my late 20s, when I was living and working in New York. I dressed this way to please no one other than myself. I relished being able finally to buy and wear the labels I read about in magazines, but could never find in my suburban childhood home in Virginia.

My version of day-to-night dressing was basically a night-time look worn all day – ready for whatever fun might happen later. I’d think nothing of a morning commute in glittery Miu Miu heels or a gold Chloé sequin skirt. (To be fair, it was the era of high heels, flashy coats and skirts that were either very big and long, or very short.) No matter what the prevailing trend, I’ve always had a soft spot for the razzle. For further proof, see this old image of me in Milan, in bright colour and print, layered on top of more colour and print.

Now, my wardrobe stands on a foundation of grey, navy and black, mostly because it suits my lifestyle and the London weather. I limit the flamboyance to my accessories (a bright shoe, big earring, bold handbag) or show it through shape, such as an enormous puffer jacket. It’s just that now I choose pragmatic black rather than hot pink.

There’s a real joy that comes with loud dressing, because it requires a certain kind of go-to-hell spirit. I’ve come to indulge this in a more restrained way, but I don’t regret the mistakes. If I did, I’d have divorced my husband a long time ago, for telling that story so very, very often.

Ruth Lewy: ‘To think that this was my coolest look’

Ruth Lewy, aged 20, with Dizzee Rascal.

It was May 2006 and I was coming to the end of my first year of university. I had just received my first proper student journalism commission: an interview with Dizzee Rascal. I borrowed a Dictaphone and hastily scrawled down three pages of uninventive questions (“What is the best thing you’ve ever got for free?”).

Now the important bit: my look. I loved Dizzee; I knew his two albums back to front and had mastered all the words to Fix Up, Look Sharp. What was I going to wear?

To think, looking back, that this was my very best outfit. My coolest look. Not one floral print top but two, a T-shirt layered over a shirt. Not one necklace, but two. (Made with beads collected while InterRailing around Europe. I know.) My curly hair was slicked back with Brylcreem. Off I went, looking like Laura Ashley’s long-lost daughter.

He was courteous, holding eye contact and answering all my inane questions with grace. (The best thing he ever got for free? A lifetime’s supply of trainers.) I stood up and shook his hand, and he invited me to his afterparty. The next student journalist sat down and went straight in with a question about homophobic lyrics and issues of representation in pop music, and I thought, “Ohhhh, that’s what journalism is.”

The evening took a strange turn. My friends and I crowded into a bar on the high street, where Dizzee had a roped-off section at the back. It didn’t take him long to zone in on my gorgeous friend L, persuading her to leave with him. We were agog.

Twenty minutes later, she was back, laughing her head off at the way he had clumsily propositioned her. She chose us over him.

What do I see when I look at this picture? I feel embarrassed at my choices. But I’m also glad I spent my 20s dressing like a weirdo: it demonstrates a self-confidence that I don’t think I appreciated at the time. These days, you could still file most of my clothes under “eclectic”, but I’m much more careful, uninventive even. Now I tend to wear only one necklace at a time.

My interview never appeared in the end; the other journalist broke the embargo (she went on to write for the Daily Mail: go figure). I was left with only this blurry picture, a reminder of my youthful enthusiasm for floral prints, and an uncanny impression of Dizzee Rascal’s best chat-up line.

Ruth Lewy is assistant editor of Guardian Weekend.

Nosheen Iqbal: ‘Everyone else on the beach was 89% naked’

Nosheen Iqbal in Tuscany, aged 21.

I was a skittish 21-year-old in the mid noughties and I had, against my will, ended up on a Tuscan beach. It was the height of summer, but I was wearing thick black tights, thicker black skirt, black scarf and witchy pumps . Everyone else was dressed in 89% naked and the entire beach was rammed. I’d been sent on a work trip with four other journalists who were, as far as I was concerned, super-old (fortysomething) and, I hoped, probably willing to buy my stubborn refusal to strip as some cool youth thing. (They didn’t.) I made an attempt to style it out by looking casually moody, staring out to sea behind sunglasses, pretending not to notice my shoes sinking in the sand, legs looking like inky black stumps.

Why don’t you take off your tights?

No.

What about if…

No.

A couple of key things: the seaside was not on my itinerary and I hadn’t packed for it. I didn’t (and don’t) own swimwear or a bikini, and I didn’t (and don’t) know how to swim.

Being Muslim is barely an excuse to look as daft as I did; there are chic ways to be modest by the sea – childhood memories of Karachi’s Clifton beach were proof, where lawn cotton tunic and trousers were everyone’s friend. But being Muslim, plus an average level of body dysmorphia, was my “bikini body ready” get-out card. I knew there had to be more comfortable ways to be in public than permanently sucking my stomach in wearing what is, essentially, waterproof underwear. But 100-denier hosiery was definitely not the answer.

The general advice to give a shy 21-year-old should always be, “It’s not as bad as you think”, to allay their disproportionate embarrassment. Except, in this case, the cringe levels are fully warranted; I haven’t been to a hot, sunny beach since.

Nosheen Iqbal is a commissioning editor for G2.

Morwenna Ferrier: ‘I can’t remember why I decided to cut off my hair’

Morwenna Ferrier in Aldeburgh in her early 20s.

Other outfits have been more challenging. The mother-of-pearl bustier I wore to my graduation, say. Or, recently, the T-shirt printed with Valerie Solanas’s Scum manifesto I wore to meet a friend’s baby. But the outfit I am wearing here, worn on a walk along Aldeburgh beach in Suffolk, is the one I most regret.

It started a few months earlier when, in my early 20s, I decided to cut off my hair. I can’t remember why. I imagine I fancied a change and, in fairness, I liked it. But then, I looked like a boy in a dress. I reacted by phasing out dresses and instead wearing drainpipes, striped T-shirts and headscarves. None of this was good. In the photo, I’m wearing tight cropped trousers under the dress.

I had spent my late teens in dresses, grungy or flowery, with self-cut hems. It was a more innocent time, when I didn’t really care what I wore. But the haircut triggered an anxiety.

What is it I regret? Back then it was the haircut; now, it’s that I ever worried about looking like a boy. I clearly hadn’t been paying attention in those Judith Butler seminars; maybe I was still too attached to the binary. As my hair grew out, I started to care for the first time about how I looked. At 24, late in life, I became self-conscious.

Pam Lucas: ‘I looked like a turkey at Christmas’

Pam Lucas at a family party, aged 39.

As a single parent in the 80s, I was dirt poor. I didn’t have the opportunity to make fashion faux pas because I didn’t have any money. We shopped in jumble sales, and we had fun.

My family was invited to a party to celebrate my aunt and uncle’s golden wedding anniversary. I didn’t know them that well, but my mum wanted me to impress them by looking “modern”. In the 80s, that meant puffy sleeves and big shoulders. My mother came with me to buy the outfit from BHS , so I had to comply. I was 39 at the time.

It was a beautiful colour – between purple and lilac – but I didn’t like the synthetic fabric. It was watermarked all over and had a flared, taffeta skirt and a little jacket with a peplum. I looked like a turkey at Christmas, but it was such a fab party, I soon forgot how uncomfortable I felt.

In a way the outfit is a testament to my relationship with my mother. I was a grownup, with a child of my own, but she was still trying to keep hold of the mum bit of herself.

Tshepo Mokoena: ‘I settled on a vague hippy child look’

Tshepo Mokoena at 19.

It would be nice if we could start over. To spare me, and others my age, a fair bit of niggling shame, by wiping all early photos from our Facebook accounts. Anyone who set up a profile between 2004 and 2009 now lugs around the digital baggage of horrible pictures of misspent youth and terrible outfits.

Case in point: this delight of a photo. I was 19, killing time between the second and third years of uni in Brighton. In a few weeks, my housemate and I would set off on an impulsive charity volunteering trip to Kerala because – and I still cringe – we’d watched Wes Anderson’s The Darjeeling Limited.

Until my early 20s, my aesthetic consisted of not knowing when to edit. At 18, I would “layer” at least three beaded necklaces, two chunky bracelets, about 17 bangles and seven rings, for no good reason.

I attended secondary school in Harare, Zimbabwe, largely insulated from fashion, more concerned with my whizzing hormones than the latest velour tracksuit. I settled on a vague “hippy child” look at 15 and filled my wardrobe with earthy prints, flared denim and jewellery picked up in local markets. By 19, I looked like a substitute art teacher.

If you’re old enough to have only private, analogue photography from your youth, or young enough to have crafted a near-fictional version of yourself online, you’re spared the permanent reminder of your mistakes: 1,287 grim images owned by Mark Zuckerberg. I implore other twentysomethings to join me in calling for a digital purge. It’s time.

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