#littlebookshipping

[littlebookreader]

The Interviewer: I guess it's true what they say - the ones we love the most, hurt us the most.

Alvina: For the last time, I'm sorry I ate your last malteser!

[littlebookreader]

Shameless Shipping

Fan artists, this is gonna be a ridiculously cheesy request, but I promise, it’s a stunning one. 

Okay, so I’m not sure of how many people in the Amelia fandom have actually seen Gossip Girl, (let alone till season 4), so I’ll do my best to describe it to you, without sounding like a five year old on too much sugar. 

So, in the episode ‘Double Identity’ (season 4, episode 2), the guy/Chuck is found to be alive(I’m sorry) after a brutal mugging and a prolonged disappearance and is living with a girl named Eva(real ray of sunshine, by the way) who nursed him back to health. He’s realised the importance of a simple life, and as a result, has decided to leave Paris(yes, I did say Paris!!) with Eva. 

Blair/the girl on the other hand has given up on Chuck, and is actually on her way to a date, when Serena/the best friend convinces her to stop him from leaving, which. 

Which leads to this. 

(ID: A woman wearing an asymmetrical red dress and stiletto heels, and a man holding a cane, wearing a grey polo shirt, black trousers and black shoes, stand facing each other with the Gare du Nord in the background. It appears to be evening at the station, as the lights have been lit. The people are standing on a bridge above the train tracks, which are clearly visible. End ID.)

I’ve tried to provide as much context without it being too spoiler-y, but trust me, it might just be worth a try. 

I mean, just the colour of it!

Nah, even without the colour, the symbolism is still pretty incredible. The promise of a new beginning, the farewell of times long past. It’s not just the actual words being spoken, it’s the use of the Gare du Nord as something more than just a background to heart-warming realisation. 

I’m not gonna lie, this scene live in my head rent-free, even though it’s been a long time since I last watched Gossip Girl. (Hence the inability to explain the thing properly, sorry again.)

There’s only so much a writer can do, and so much more that an artist can say. I know, I know, the context is wildly different, and I’m pretty sure Alvina is not wearing an Oscar de la Renta to the Bolshoi. Still. 

That was kinda how I’d picture a romantic reunion between any characters, honestly, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. 

[littlebookreader]

A New Life Awaits

For more information on the fic, look here. For the rest, it’s all under the cut.

@cocoa-collabs for The Last Malteser.

Colour Scheme: (everyone uses italics in their voicemails):

Purple, Sentence case:  Alvina

orange, lower case: amelia

Green, Sentence case, Strikethrough: Kozlowski

Blue, Sentence case, Bold: The Interviewer

Amelia:

hello. if you’re a client, feel free to use our other phone. if not, forget that i ever said that and leave a message after the beep.

BEEP.

Message received at 12:00 AM.

Hi, it’s me, happy birthday! Have a great day, and many happy returns!

End of message.

Message received at 12:00 AM.

Many happy returns of the day, Amelia. Have a good one.

End of message.

Message received at 12:00 AM.

HBD.

End of message.

Message received at 7:00 AM.

We have a problem, call me back as soon as you get this.

End of message.

The Interviewer:

Congratulations. You’ve reached me. If you are a client, try our other phone. You cheat! If you are Alvina, no I haven’t read the case file, and I am not going to. If you have a cocoa delivery, come straight in. If neither of these apply, please leave a message after the beep. Toodledoo.

BEEP>

Message received at 8:00 AM.

what is it? make it, quick, we have a client in half an hour.

End of message.

Message received at 8:01 AM.

You called Amelia?!

End of message.

Alvina:

Hello, if you’re hearing this, I may be occupied with something presently. Leave me a message and I will try to get back to you later.

Message received at 8:10 AM.

I’m all out of Maltesers, Alvina! Could you blame me?

End of message.

Message received at 8:11 AM.

hi, so he called me about the maltesers, and for some reasons, joey and salvatore appear to be unavailable. would you be so kind….

End of message.

Kozlowski:

I’m not here, leave a message.

Message received at --:-- AM.

Kozlowski, could you make a run for Maltesers? Joey and Salvatore seem to be busy and we have a client in half an hour.

End of message.

Message received at --:-- AM.

kozlowski. get the maltesers when you’re done with your, ah, experiments.

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 8:30 AM.

No.

End of message.

Message received at 8:45 AM.

I got the message as well, and for now, I’m finished, so I think I’ll make the run. Do you want anything?

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 8:31 AM.

No.

End of message.

Message received at 8:48 AM.

i’m so sorry i missed you. that’s all right, then, and no, nothing for me, thanks.

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 8:50 AM.

So, do you remember Kozlowski’s creepy ventriloquist likenesses of us?

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 8:53 AM.

how could i forget. what about them?

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 8:55 AM.

Well, I just saw a little doll, less creepy, of course, and, well, it reminded me of you.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 8:58 AM.

that’s really sweet of you to say. since you’re out, and on a break for a change, how about i join you?

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 9:00 AM.

That sounds good to me! I’m at the bookstore, the one which you frequent. They have good scones, only if a bit flaky.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 9:05 AM.

it’s a date!

End of message.

Message received at 9:06 AM.

i mean, not a date date, but yes, a date.

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 10:00 AM.

That was fun, I really did not know that about you. What you told me, I mean. I’ve always known that you can be fun. So, what I’m trying to say is: can we do this again sometime?

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 10:58 AM.

absolutely, and i’m glad i could go on a ‘date’ with you. did you pick up the maltesers, i didn’t really see the packet.

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 11:00 AM.

Oh, goodness! I quite entirely forgot! Well, it’s off back again, then. Do you want anything? I’m not going to take no for an answer this time, Amelia, it’s the least I could do after you paid for the scones.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 11:07 AM.

right, yes, just don’t forget this time.

End of message.

Message received at 11:09 AM.

that’s not something to make a whole run for! if you really want to, then can you pick up some scones for me as well? the ones we had were really good!

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 11:12 AM.

Of course it is. You’re right, the scones were really good today. All right then, I’m off. Again.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 11:20 AM.

see you soon, then. scone date in my office once you return?

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 11:22 AM.

Fine by me. You know, you’re going to have to stop calling them dates, if they aren’t really, right?

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 11:23 AM.

they could be.

End of message.

Message received at 11:24 AM.

if you want, of course.

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 11:26 AM.

I’m all right with it if you are.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 11:27 AM.

glad to hear it. scone date, then?

End of message.

Amelia:

Message received at 11:29 AM.

Amelia, you’ve asked me this twice already. Yes, yes, yes, yes, and a thousand times yes.

End of message.

Message received at 11:30 AM.

Sorry, that was a bit excessive, but yes.

End of message.

Alvina:

Message received at 11:35 AM.

brilliant!

End of message.

Message received at 11:38 AM.

seems like i’ve started talking ‘british’ now, heh. this may be the quietest birthday i’ve ever had, but it was definitely one of the best. At the risk of sounding corny.

End of message.

———————————————————————

“Now, that,” said the Interviewer, “Was a resounding success!”

Kozlowski frowned. “Was all of it really necessary?”

“Of course! How else would we have gotten them on a ‘date-not-date’?”

Salvatore raised a finger. “Excuse me, but didn’t they turn that into an actual date, later on?”

“True,” the Interviewer mused.

“So, where, good man, is the box of Maltesers?” Kozlowski asked, tapping his foot rapidly.

“Oh, no, I really did run out of them. The plan was to send Alvina out for the run, and if I could replenish my supply, could there really be anything like it?”

The mortician shrugged. He grunted in acknowledgement at the three other men, and walked back down the stairs back to the mortuary.

Joey and Salvatore quickly followed, leaving the Interviewer standing all alone in his office, smiling slightly.

“Who would’ve thought?” He mumbled, looking at the Malteser he’d kept hidden away in his pocket; the very same candy which had set all the events of the day in motion.

“Who would’ve thought?”

[littlebookreader]

If You’re Mean to Bugs...

For more information on the fic, look here. For the rest, it’s all under the cut.

@cocoa-collabs for the Hurt/Comfort.

Getting thrown into prison can really make one question their life choices.

 That was the very first thing Savannah realised when she realised that this was not, in fact, a situation she could get out of very easily.

“Here you are,” the guard grumbled, before locking her door behind her. Though she had mostly been gentle with her, Savannah grunted a little bit, maybe to get the guard’s attention, maybe to address her ‘roommate’, even she did not know the reason.

 Whatever she had tried, it seemed to work, and before she could quite grasp what was happening, the Englishman addressed her sharply, “What is it this time?”

 He must think I’m one of them, she realised with disgust, and said, with a bite to rival that of the Englishman, “What it is, is that we shall be sharing a, uh, an accommodation, let us say, and I will NOT be spoken to that way.”

 He seemed to realise his error, and said hastily, “Dear lady, I do apologise!”

 She softened a little at this. He was supposed to be the enemy, strictly speaking, as he was due to be involved in the ‘disappearance’ of Julio Che Rodriguez Alvarez de la Fuente, Major General of 1972, or as she liked to call him, the tyrant.

 Still, there was something about him that she couldn’t help but find just a tiny bit adorable.

“I forgive you, I think.”

 He extended a hand awkwardly. “My name is Anthony, but I go by Ant.”

 She took it. “I’m Savannah. I shall be your new….roommate.”

 He chuckled slightly, something she had come to realise was simply the English way. She stood around in her cell for a while, wondering what it was exactly that the Englishman found so fascinating about the floor.

 “What are you looking at, Mr. Ant?”

 He smiled gently. “No mister, just Ant. Speaking of, your people have a fascinating variety of ants. It’s a shame that you haven’t been able to tap into their potential as yet.”

 Savannah couldn’t care less about nature, but the way his eyes seemed to light up when talking about it genuinely intrigued her. What could this man find so interesting about….ants?

 “Their…..potential?”

 “Why yes. Ants are economically important as well. They are enormous assets to the ecosystem of course, but underappreciated as far their monetary value is concerned.”

 “What do they do? I know that bees make honey, and the worms help fertilise the soil….but ants?”

“Your indigenous ants, the red-fanged tropical ant, I mean, can cure acne within a matter of seconds! It will hurt of course, but it is extremely effective!”

 “Ah, I see.”

 “We didn’t have a surgeon,” he continued, “So the interviewer and I strategized various ways to change the former president’s face. I understand it was wrong, and I do apologise, lady, but it was what I needed to do to survive. See it as an ecosystem. In the moment, the interviewer and I were the ants, waiting to be slurped up by the anteaters lest we should mess up.”

There was no excuse for what he had been about to do. It seemed to Savannah that he was extremely aware of that fact, and felt genuinely badly for it, as a result. What surprised her even more about all this was that she was able to empathise with him, understand where he had been coming from with it all. She came a little closer to where Ant was seated. 

 “I- I’m sorry you had to go through all that.”

 “Me too.”

 She blinked. Didn’t they generally express condolences for others? What did he have to apologise to her for?

 He continued, as if to elaborate. “I can see that you have been through a lot as well. I’m sure that this transition of power wouldn’t have been easy.”

 For an insect-lover, Ant sure was intuitive. Alarmingly so, in fact. Even Perez, her oldest and dearest friend, hadn’t known just how much of a toll the revolution had begun to take on her. He cared, certainly, she wouldn’t dispute that. But Ant…..he somehow seemed to know that there was more to it.

 She sighed. “My sister was one of the revolutionaries. Well before Perez had been able to form a somewhat stable state, she’d enlisted for the cause. A month into the fight, she disappeared. No one knows where she went, and now… now I do not wish to hope for her safety any longer. I know that it’s pointless.”

 As she said all this aloud, she began to cry. Small hiccups one moment, a raging sob the next.

The English way began to return in Ant’s demeanor again as he awkwardly patted her shoulder.

 “I am sorry for pouring all this out to you,” she said, the roughness in her voice not quite willing to leave just yet. “We have only just met, and here I am, pouring all my woes on to you.”

 “Hey,” he said gently. “It’s all right. I could tell you really needed to talk, so I let you. Don’t worry about it.”

 “Do you know were actually a lot younger than dragonflies? On-on the evolutionary scale, I mean.”

She laughed. “Ant, I appreciate your support, but you are terrible with people, do you understand that?”

 He waggled his eyebrows, a rather silly gesture for someone so serious. “What can I say, I’m like a rock bee!”

 She cocked her head at him, thoroughly confused, then realised that Ant’s intention was not in fact to feed her incredibly random facts.  His pathetic attempt at socialising seemed to have the intended effect, however, as the mental image of the Englishman before her as a bee seemed utterly ridiculous. She burst out laughing, and after a very confused Ant interjected with protests of “I am” and “I really am!”, he finally joined in.

 After they’d finished, Ant muttered, “I did not know I could make a woman laugh like that!”

 “That’s because they wouldn’t have had a sense of humour. You really are a charming man, Ant. I’m trapped in a prison in a desolate wing of the palace, but I am glad that it’s with you.”

 She found herself at the receiving end of that nervous, nerdy, charming, incredible smile, yet again. “Me too, lady, me too.”

 They smiled at each other for a while, and before she knew it, he kissed her. She didn’t know how long it lasted, just that it wasn’t long enough.

 They talked about all sorts of things after that, ranging from subjects as droll as finance, to as fascinating as ecosystems and management. After a while, possibly when it was approaching nightfall, Ant wished her good night, walked back and promptly collapsed on his bunk.

 Savannah stared up at the ceiling, thinking about everything that had transpired. She didn’t know when the madness would end, or when she would see the freedom of the Monterosan streets again. For now, she was just happy to be in his company.

 Hopefully, he felt the same too.

[littlebookreader]

Miguel: I'm fairly certain that my giving love language is acts of service. My receiving might be words of affirmation.

Savannah: Huh. Hey, Perez, what’s your love language?

Perez, walking by: Spanish.

[littlebookreader]

Perez: Early on in our relationship, Miguel asked me how I felt about pet names.

Perez: I said, "Well, you have do call them something." I don't know how he puts up me sometimes.

Ant: Pretty sure Miguel is moronsexual.

Perez: Don't call Miguel a moron!

Ant:

Perez: Wait.

[littlebookreader]

Ant: This isn't right.

Savannah: What's the matter?

Ant: Well, I'm dating you, but I still haven't told your dad.

Savannah: For the last time, Perez is not my father.

[littlebookreader]

Communication? On My Journey?(Information)

Some information first:

Summary: Oleg and Alvina have a conversation. They know it’s best to keep it all hidden away, but a little introspection can always be a good thing. (For the Friday prompt ‘Oleg and Alvina’ of the Cocoa Collabs 2021.)

Fandoms: The Amelia Project(Podcast)

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: Gen, F/M

Characters: Oleg Kamenev and Alvina Wright, The Interviewer/Alvina Wright, background Anthony Welby/Savannah, Alvina Wright, Oleg Kamenev, Amelia Earhart Jr., Anthony Welby, Savannah, The Interviewer (mentioned)

Additional Tags: Oleg and Alvina: The Musical, Shipping, author is aromantic but writes romance like a Wattpad-er, ‘Talk to the guy’ challenge 2k21, Ant is a nerd because Pip and Oystein said so, Savannah is a nerd because I said so, Oleg is a gay little dearie, everyone just needs to sleep, k does it still count as a ship if one of it’s constituents is dancing ballet in Paris, speaking of which, the Paris thing is totally not an accident, someone’s definitely falling in love, author regrets nothing, no beta we sass like Alvina(not in this fic though), here you go

Part 1 of On My Way.

@cocoa-collabs for the Oleg and Alvina.

[littlebookreader]

Communication? On My Journey?

For more information on the fic, look here. For the rest, it’s all under the cut.

@cocoa-collabs for the Oleg and Alvina. 

The moment Oleg delivered the news(and the tickets), Alvina felt nothing but relief. So he was safe. Thank goodness.

 They’d immediately known they would be leaving the next day, this time with the actual knowledge of their destination, but for now, they just needed a break. The Revolution was over, and for now at least, ‘Miguel’ didn’t seem to be disappointing the Panaraguans.

 Miguel(the real one) had graciously agreed to let them stay the night in the guest rooms, and with this bit of news, the four of them walked back to the palace with Oleg in tow. Amelia was more than happy to buddy it up with Ant and Savannah, and was presently involved in a vigorous debate with them about honey.

 Savannah saw it as an overly expensive import, while Ant rambled on about the various indigenous bees and how they could actually be seen as an asset, producing exports of possibly better quality than even the countries best known for their apicultural assets. Savannah sided with her boyfriend. Being the Secretary of Natural Resources, she would know a thing or two about it all, after all. Amelia, being the most well-travelled of the lot, seemed to heavily disagree with Ant on this, and made it clear to the both of them.

 Alvina listened politely, though immediately lost interest the minute Ant mentioned ‘the economical importance’ of Apis mellifera, as it began to remind her rather uncomfortably of Ronald. She knew that they were nothing alike, of course.

 Besides, even if Ant did get a little crazy with the insect talk, he still had Savannah to bring him back down to Earth.

It might have been his training, or his natural intuition, but before she knew, she found Oleg asking her, “Are you all right, Ms. Wright? You appear unwell.”

 She shook her head, smiling. “I am, Oleg, don’t worry. I’m just a little tired, I suppose. I was a part of a revolution just the previous day. You can call me Alvina, actually. Miss Wright seems a bit….stuffy, somehow.”

 He smiled slightly. “I understand. Though something tells me it isn’t just that.”

“It’s nothing, I promise. You might get bored.”

 “I have been known to be a good listener.”

 “I was just thinking about my ex. Ant reminds me of him, especially when he just rambles on about the economic benefits of insects and what not.”

 “Did you used to date Ant?”

 Alvina faltered, wondering if she should tell him the entire story. It was probably best not to, but she could at the very least, tell him whom Ant reminded her of in those odd moments. If she had a therapist, she knew they’d tell her to talk it out. So, she did.

 “Not exactly. My boyfriend was a geology aficionado. He loved rocked, absolutely adored them. If he could, he would probably even marry one. No, it’s the business side of Ant that reminds me of him.”

He nodded slowly. “I understand. I have never had a boyfriend, but I hear breakup is trouble.”

 Alvina chuckled slightly. “This wasn’t exactly what you’d call a normal breakup.”

 She’d told him a little something about herself, something that no one, apart from Amelia knew. She felt it was time for him to return the favour.

 Call it self-preservation, call it curiosity, she had to know. “What was it like at the Golovin?”

 Oleg raised his eyebrows, surprised that the mousy creature could be this sharp. Alvina gave him a lopsided smirk, which he chuckled lightly at. “Well, I pretended to lose my memory to hide from a man who would kill for the secrets I knew.”

 Alvina looked up at him, silently mouthing an “Oh!” before she asked again, “Why would you choose to tell me that?”

 Oleg shrugged. “You seem like you have seen a lot, and you seem trustworthy. So I tell you.”

 They talked for a long time, about seemingly trivial things. Oleg told her about his time as secretary to Boris, while she told him about the management at Amelia. Both of them seemed to agree that their partners/bosses stubbornly refused to read their folders only because they existed to help them with that information.

 They exchanged stories, and though neither Alvina nor Oleg were what Amelia called ‘big talkers’, they’d exchanged all sorts of stories about their work, which would drive any normal person to insanity. Then again, no one had ever said Alvina and Oleg were normal, now, had they?

 After a while, Oleg finally asked, as a way of farewell: “To Paris, then?”

 “To Paris.” With a wistful smile, she added: “I will finally get to see him again.”

 “Do you tell him how you feel?”

 “I doubt I can. I’m just not brave enough.”

 “Miss Wright-“ The Russian caught himself. “Alvina. You have been a part of an agency that fakes people’s death. You have successfully avoided government agents multiple time, and you have helped in the resolution of a conflict that drove the United Nations to tears.”

 Alvina looked up at him, waiting for him to drive his point home.

 “I think that you can talk to a man, after all that.”

 She murmured thoughtfully. “I suppose I can.”

 “If it helps you anything, whenever he wasn’t running around helping the prisoners disappear, he used to talk about you. Ms. Amelia as well, though not quite as excitedly. He might not be aware of it just yet, but I believe he feels the same.”

 Alvina didn’t say anything; how could she? By then, they’d reached the palace, where the women split ways with Oleg.

 “Good night, Oleg!”

 “Good night, ladies.”

 Amelia buzzed happily about her debate with Ant and Savannah, and Alvina listened in, adding in her own little contributions of “Yes” and “I agree” wherever she thought necessary. Try as she might however, she just could not stop thinking about what Oleg had said.

 If you can do all that, then you can talk to a man.

 If she could, why was it all so hard?

 Well, that’s a problem for another day, she decided. That gentle giant of a Russian had given her something to think about. This time, she did not intend to put it off.

[littlebookreader]

Bless You! (Information)

Some information first:

Summary: Cole and Haines discuss some things, reminisce about some others, and (briefly) ignore their problems. (For the Tuesday prompt ‘Cat’ of the Cocoa Collabs 2021.)

Fandoms: The Amelia Project(Podcast)

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: M/M, Gen 

Characters: Henry Cole/ Christopher Haines, Henry Cole, Christopher Haines

Additional Tags: Cat is only mentioned, but tagging cat because it set the ball in motion, allergies, crack treated seriously, shameless shipping by one(1) book reader, author probably regrets but but isn’t sure, shared prompt with @strangestarlightmusic, badger mentions, sorry about that, no beta we sneeze like Cole, here you go.

@cocoa-collabs for the Cat.

[littlebookreader]

A New Life Awaits(Information)

Some information first:

Summary: Some exchanged voicemails, and a supply run later, a realisation happens. (For the Sunday prompt ‘The Last Malteser’ of the Cocoa Collabs 2021.)

Fandoms: The Amelia Project(Podcast)

Rating: General Audiences

Relationships: F/F, Gen

Characters:  Amelia Earhart Jr./ Alvina Wright, Amelia Earhart Jr., Alvina Wright, The Interviewer, Piotr Kozlowski, Joey, Salvatore, 

Additional Tags: Voicemails(everyone must be fed up of me by this point), ‘Love and Luck’-AU, slow burn but also the speediest speedrun, some more shameless shipping,  ‘Alvina go to sleep challenge 2k21′, Amelia being the chillest person in the room once more, author regrets nothing, no beta we get bored and set up our friends like the Interviewer, here you go

@cocoa-collabs for the The Last Malteser.

[littlebookreader]

The Interviewer: Piotr, you’re selling raffle tickets.

Kozlowski: I’m your man.

The Interviewer: And don’t yell at the customers.

Kozlowski: I’m kinda your man.

The Interviewer: And smile.

Kozlowski: You need another man.

[littlebookreader]

Miguel: Welcome to the Jungle.

Ant: We'd like a table for two, please.

Miguel: Right this way.

[littlebookreader]

If You’re Mean to Bugs...(Information)

Some information first:

Summary: Ant and Savannah talk about bugs and the revolution, among other things.  (For the Thursday prompt ‘Hurt/Comfort’ of the Cocoa Collabs 2021.)

Fandoms: The Amelia Project(Podcast)

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Relationships: F/M

Characters: Anthony Welby/Savannah, Anthony Welby, Savannah, The Interviewer (mentioned briefly)

Additional Tags: Hurt/comfort, but only with 2 seconds of hurt, shameless shipping done by yours truly, author is aromantic but writes romance like a Wattpad-er, slow burn but also the speediest speed run, ‘Talk to people’ challenge 2k21, seriously, talk, people!, Ant is a nerd because Pip and Oystein said so, Savannah is a cinnamon roll because I said so, Ant giving me second-hand embarrassment the entire time I took to write this(an hour), no beta we ramble on about bugs like Ant, author regrets nothing, here you go

Part 1 of This Side of the Atlantic. 

@cocoa-collabs for the Hurt/Comfort. 

[littlebookreader]

Alvina: Guys, what's love to you?

Salvatore: Waking up in the morning, seeing this estupido on his side of the bed, and reflecting that I get to spend the rest of my life with him.

Joey: Texting Salvatore a cursed video from the other side of the room, and getting to see the light slowly leave his eyes as he watches it.